Chapter 47: The Increasingly Complicated Conspiracy |
The four individuals remained seated in their chairs. As Professor Garcia raised his hand, Miss Jones began documenting the unfolding events at an even faster pace.
A faint halo appeared in the professor's hands, and as he chanted an incantation in low whispers, Xia De saw patches of vibrant colors filling the gas-lit living room. The space was split in two: the east side, where the four sat, remained normal, while the west side became increasingly blurred with the influx of colors before eventually gaining clarity.
The west half of the living room transformed into a dim, cramped room. This new space was also split in two, merging seamlessly with Xia De's living room. The lighting was exceptionally dim, casting shadows on a low bed covered with soiled yellow sheets, a rusty metal typewriter on a desk, and bookshelves filled with various vials.
These vials contained human eyeballs of various sizes, and one even housed the curled-up corpse of a small, primate-like creature with closed eyes. The sight unsettled Xia De greatly. The room was dim to the extreme, and the ancient gaslight above the desk seemed ready to extinguish at any moment.
A small, scrawny man with patchy balding hair, dressed in a brown coat and resembling a mouse, sat curled up in the chair before the desk. He turned his head in shock, staring wide-eyed at the suddenly appeared unfamiliar living room and its four occupants. His pockmarked face featured a large red nose riddled with blackheads. His pupils shrank in fear as the bottle in his left hand poured mercury onto the desk unnoticed.
“I’m using the Arcane Art—Spatial Division and Spatial Fusion. It requires at least an Eleven-Ring level to master,” Professor Garcia explained.
“Speak the truth,” Professor Sanchez, his expression stern, pointed to the man in the dim room. His finger emitted an ambiguous pink glow as he asked, “Who are you?”
“Peter the Rat from Mercury Blood,” the man replied with blank eyes, his accent similar to Professor Garcia's, indicating a shared Carsonrick origin. The bottle of mercury slipped from his grip and clattered onto the desk, unnoticed by him.
“What are you doing?” Sanchez pressed, the pink glow on his fingers intensifying.
The alley’s scent was chaotic, having witnessed a fight last night. After a day of searching, I discovered one individual who had been there. He was using a ritual and was quite weak. I am now deploying Mercury Poison Mist to kill him directly.”
Professor Sanchez nodded as Xia De noticed the pink glow on his finger, feeling a little dizzy himself. Professor Garcia added, “That’s Enchantment—a human charm spell. Its usual effect isn’t this strong, but Professor Sanchez’s rune system and frequent practice have honed it to this level. It’s invaluable for making rebellious students confess about incomplete assignments.”
“Who else knows about Mr. Hamilton?” Sanchez gestured at Xia De. Under the glow, “Rat” Peter responded softly, his voice growing tender like addressing a lover, “No one else. I haven’t had time to report it yet. I wanted to claim the credit for myself. This method of mine has never failed, not even against the Silver-Eyed.”
“Have you killed before?” Sanchez asked.
“Yes, many. Several Arcane Arts require fresh human organs…”
“That’s enough.”
The pink glow on Sanchez’s finger extinguished and was replaced by a black light shooting across the spatial divide. Peter collapsed, lifeless. He would never wake again.
Xia De, his mouth slightly agape, gained a new understanding of the professor’s decisiveness. After several seconds, he remembered to speak. “Thank you, Professors Sanchez and Garcia, for resolving the trouble caused by that Old God statue.”
The dead man earned no sympathy from Xia De. A villain intent on harming him deserved no pity. He was relieved not to dirty his hands.
“No need to thank us. If I hadn’t planned to meet you today, he wouldn’t have discovered your identity,” Sanchez replied, gesturing for Xia De to rise. “Check his desk for any crucial documents, but don’t touch anything else. We cannot leave our seats during the ritual, or the projection will end prematurely.”
Xia De stood, hearing Mimia scratching at the door more vigorously—curiosity and timidity driving the cat’s behavior. Crossing into the other half of the room, the stench of long-term stagnation and rot hit him instantly. He had stepped from 6 St. Derain Square to a narrow, chilly rented apartment somewhere in Tobesk.
Avoiding the shelves of vials, he approached the desk. Besides a mercury spill, it contained materials for two Arcane Arts, including the ritual components. A typewriter held an unfinished letter in Carsonrick, most of which detailed Peter’s grievances about his dangerous work and Tobesk’s foggy weather.
The final segment mentioned their cooperation with cultists of the Evil God, Master of the Blood Banquet. Mercury Blood sought materials from the cult, and another group, the Blood Spirit Sect, had promised assistance but was preoccupied with matters on the New Continent. So far, they had only sent a Secret-Keeper-grade relic, infuriating the Silver-Eyed leader.
With the involvement of three organizations—Master of the Blood Banquet’s cult, Mercury Blood, and the Blood Spirit Sect—Xia De jotted down the details. Returning to his living room, he reported everything verbatim to the professors, who refrained from commenting.
Professor Garcia dispelled the spatial anomaly, restoring the living room to normalcy. Even the mercury mist disappeared, leaving no trace. Xia De, now relieved of the potential toxin threat, sat back down.
“Mr. Hamilton, as a One-Ring Warlock, avoid such dangerous matters. Now, where were we?” For the professors, the incident was insignificant.
Feeling relieved, Xia De noted the incident’s details and straightened his posture. “We had two topics left: Professor Garcia said he would guide my time-travel practice tonight after our discussion, and the second was about our five-person group.”
Professor Garcia nodded. Professor Sanchez, tapping his head, said, “Ah yes, the five-person group. Someone in your group has a significant issue. One member’s ‘Other Self’ deviates from the norm. The academy considers it a major risk.”
Xia De’s earlier joy vanished, replaced by shock. His expression paled.