Chapter 9: Suspected Extraordinary |
"Alright, since both the direction and timing are right, let's catch up. If we can't, we'll head straight to the church. Either way, we can't afford to starve on our first day in this new world... No, I can't think like that, or even I'll start feeling sorry for myself."
With such "simple" thoughts in mind, Shade gathered his belongings and set off along the low wall by the street, trailing the man.
To avoid detection, even though the approaching evening had thickened the city's mist, Shade kept a considerable distance. He was well aware of his lack of tracking skills.
As expected, about ten minutes later, when they turned past the back wall of a milk distribution company into an alley, Shade completely lost sight of the man.
"Ha~ Should I have guessed this would happen?"
Standing in the alley, he glanced around in confusion, confirming that he'd indeed lost his target. He shook his head and gave up the search. Without dwelling on it, he decided to collect the "relief food" instead. However—
"Where is this?"
In this unfamiliar city, distracted by his efforts to avoid detection while tailing someone, Shade hadn't memorized his route. Now, he found himself in a narrow, foul-smelling alley.
To his left was the exterior wall of the milk distribution company; to his right was the side wall of a three-story apartment building. Both walls were covered in rusted pipes connecting in all directions, layered graffiti, and vulgar words. Below, trash and excrement were scattered.
"I'll check the milk company's name and locate my position on the map."
With a plan in mind, Shade no longer worried about the man he had been following. He turned back, retracing his steps carefully to avoid stepping on anything unspeakable. Nearing the alley entrance, he dodged as a squad of uniformed police officers ran down the street.
The tall, middle-aged man at the rear, with a face full of stubble, glanced at Shade. Shade returned an innocent look, so the officer moved on without a word.
"Something must've happened over there."
Shade stood at the alley entrance, peering in the direction the police had gone. Since he had no idea where he was, he couldn’t identify what might lie down that road.
"Not my problem."
Muttering softly, he approached the milk distribution company's gate. It wasn’t a factory, just a delivery office, its yard surrounding a two-story yellow building. An old dog lay by the gate, looking up lazily as Shade stopped outside, then moved to a sunlit spot to lie down.
The company's name, "Silver Parrot," was odd, but it appeared on the map. The previous detective had even noted a murder case here three years ago.
That had nothing to do with Shade. With his partially unfolded map in hand, he walked forward, repeatedly checking his position.
The streets weren’t crowded, so walking with his head down didn’t risk bumping into anyone. Unknowingly, he followed the steam pipes' white plumes to the street's end, reaching a five-way intersection. The map suggested the left-slanting road with a sweets shop was the shortest route.
However, the intersection was almost blocked by a crowd. Near an eastern mailbox was a cleanly polished silverware store, where something seemed to have happened. The squad of police Shade had seen earlier was maintaining order, keeping people away.
As Shade observed, more four-wheeled carriages arrived. Within minutes, additional police and even some scholarly-looking individuals exited the carriages, their purpose unclear.
Shade didn’t intend to get involved; securing his relief food was the priority. But with so many people crowding the area, he was unintentionally pushed to the front while trying to pass.
Trying to retreat was impossible as those behind wouldn’t budge. The police up front were shouting for everyone to disperse, insisting there was nothing to see.
Noticing Shade being pushed forward without approaching intentionally, a young officer with a pen in his breast pocket kindly warned him to watch out for pickpockets.
Nervously, Shade checked his pocket, confirming his ten-penny note was still there. Glancing around, he spotted another armed police squad escorting three plainclothes men into the silverware store.
The tallest of them was exceptionally burly; the young man in the middle had the air of a scholar. The last one looked familiar—he resembled the missionary who had handed Shade a flyer that afternoon.
"Do missionaries here moonlight with the police?"
Shade doubted his own conclusion, clutching his money and pocket watch tightly. He decided to leave before it was too late.
As he turned to push back, a strange sense of forewarning stopped him. Before he could process it, an explosive sound pierced the air—
Boom!
The deafening blast caught everyone off guard, shattering the store's windows and slightly warping the walls. Metal pipes on the building groaned with a grating screech.
Fortunately, the police had kept the crowd back, so no one was hurt in the panicked aftermath. As the crowd dispersed like a flood, Shade maintained his composure and turned to leave. A brown-haired middle-aged man ran toward the store, shouting, "I’m a journalist! What’s going on here?"
Waving his credentials with one hand and clutching a notebook with the other, he rushed forward, only to be stopped by a young officer who briskly said, "Gas pipe explosion, sir. Please stay back."
Shade doubted this explanation—how could a gas explosion—
Boom!
Another blast roared from the store, shaking the air and smashing its second-story windows. Falling glass forced even the police to retreat temporarily. Shade backed away, catching a glimpse of two figures fighting amidst the second-floor white haze, one’s fist glowing faintly.
"Extraordinary powers?"
He thought to himself.
"Yes," a woman’s voice startled him internally. Though Shade knew she wouldn’t elaborate, he didn’t press further and quickly left.
"The three earlier must be church affiliates. As soon as they entered, this happened... This world’s churches are likely extraordinary factions tightly integrated with the kingdom’s order. That increases the odds that the True God Churches are trustworthy. Maybe I could use them to understand the voice in my head..."
This presented two options—consulting the psychologist or approaching one of the city’s five churches.
"But how do I keep stumbling into these situations?"
Amid the dispersing crowd, Shade walked toward his original destination. The woman’s voice repeated a familiar line:
"Observe his ring."
Though Shade still didn’t know the voice’s nature, he trusted its lack of malice. Scanning his surroundings, he spotted the young man with the pebble ring and suitcase again, walking just ahead.
"Such coincidence... This can’t just be chance. Wait, could the explosions be related to him? No, I can’t assume that without evidence."
The thought made Shade hesitant to follow. If the man could cause explosions like those in the store, tailing him could lead to disaster.
"No, absolutely not."
Shade slowed down, intending to let the man fade out of sight naturally. Unexpectedly, the man also stopped, pulled out a map, and then entered a nearby alley.
"Should I follow?"
The woman’s voice mentioned the ring three times—it couldn’t be idle. Yet, in this unfamiliar world, Shade needed to be cautious.
As he continued walking, he glanced into the alley where the man had disappeared. He saw the man turning a corner.
"Follow or not?"
The decision felt momentous, as though it would shape his future significantly.
"Follow or not?" he asked the woman in his mind. Her response was laughter, then a whispered answer:
"The path of fate lies before you, foreigner. Will you choose mediocrity or seek immortality? The world is a vast ocean; do you dare explore beyond its calm islands to its terrors? The path of fate lies before you, one leading to the extraordinary, the other..."
"Follow!"
Gritting his teeth, Shade hugged the wall and entered the alley.
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