Chapter 76: Dead End |
"Sir... I actually know an excellent psychologist. Would you like me to introduce you?"
Despite the shock in his heart, Shad asked politely. The man in the wine-red suit sitting across from him was very likely the Ring Warlock from the 【Blood of Mercury】 faction that Miss Anat had just mentioned. To encounter him right after hearing about him—Shad’s luck seemed to have truly run out.
However, he didn’t panic. Shad knew what he needed to do.
"No, I came here specifically to find you. This book told me so."
The man waved a small book in his hand at Shad. The book was only palm-sized, the kind typically used for leisure reading during travel.
The cover looked like crumpled leather, and apart from the title and one sentence, it had no other markings. Although the title and the sentence were written in a language Shad had never seen, he could still understand them:
【"The Puppeteer's Script"】
【"Perhaps people believe they can control fate, unaware that all has already been written within destiny."】
"Do you need me to explain?"
"Our partner, the 【Blood Spirit School】, hasn’t sent anyone over yet. Instead, they provided us with an Angel-grade relic, the 【Puppeteer's Script】, found in the 'Creation Womb.' Of course, this isn’t the complete script. It’s just a fragment, split into a version usable up to ten times. I estimate it to be of Secret-Keeper grade. It’s said this was written by a mad puppeteer during the Chaos Era of the Fourth Epoch. Yet, every fragment ever obtained remains blank. Under very specific conditions, however, you can write on its pages with your own blood, pay the cost, and thereby affect reality."
He spoke incessantly, like a chatterbox, all the while sizing Shad up. Shad’s gaze, however, was drawn to the man’s charred left arm.
The detective wanted to step back, but the numb, tingling sensation crawling across his scalp rooted him in place.
"Don’t believe me? Even though the people from 【Blood Spirit School】 haven’t arrived, this alone is enough. Destiny favors 【Blood of Mercury】. With this, we will undoubtedly achieve our goal. Perhaps you all think the synthesis of Blood of Mercury is insane, but this proves it is not merely a delusion. It’s incredibly convenient for locating things."
This matched Old John’s intel exactly. The stingy shopkeeper’s information was spot on.
The man gestured for Shad to sit across from him, but Shad didn’t move.
"So, what does this have to do with me?"
His mind was racing, desperately strategizing an escape.
Still, the man continued his verbose monologue, as though these words had been rehearsed countless times:
"Not long ago, a 【Statue of the Old God 'Vampire Duke Loael'】, a crucial ingredient for the synthesis of 【Blood of Mercury】, was stolen. We tried to locate the statue through the script’s pages, but the statue’s holder was far too strong, immune to the incomplete script’s influence. Rat Peter even died during the search.
"Taking a step back, we then sought to punish the thief who discovered the statue. But, quite unusually, when I tried to write your death into the script, I failed."
Shad heard the woman in his heart laughing.
The man in the wine-red suit waved his charred left arm at him:
"When I was about to finish writing that sentence, a drop of blood from my wounded finger accidentally fell onto the script, altering the words. Relics don’t tolerate erasures, so the script automatically modified the smudge. As a result, I paid the cost to grant you the protection of an Old God of Fate until midnight tonight."
Among the Five True Gods, none presided over “fate” as their primary domain. Thus, the so-called “God of Fate” mentioned by Ring Warlocks usually referred to a fallen Old God.
A twisted smile formed on the man’s face, an expression of hatred long nurtured against a foe. Though, just minutes ago, Shad hadn’t even known of this man’s existence, their conflict had apparently gone through several rounds already.
"How lucky you are, young man. Can you tell me how you managed to make that drop of blood fall? Do you know how much I’ve sacrificed to find that statue on behalf of the Silver-Eyed One?"
The man’s voice grew low and menacing, but Shad remained silent. He genuinely had no idea someone could hate him this deeply.
"I’ve been chasing you all evening, using the script’s eighth attempt to maximize our chances of meeting. But you’ve been unbelievably fortunate tonight. I’m curious—why were you running all over the place at this banquet? What were you even doing near the stables?"
The wine-red-suited man looked puzzled, and the tone wasn’t feigned.
"I set up multiple locations for our encounter and searched them one by one, yet you kept moving around. You even went near the stables, almost causing me to fight someone else. Are you here for the banquet or some kind of race?"
Shad opened his mouth, unsure how to respond. He had no explanation for any of this.
"When I was playing Rhodes Cards here, wasn’t that your chance to act?"
Though panic gripped him, Shad kept his voice steady. Escape seemed impossible, but perhaps he could use the arcane art 【False Immortality】 to feign death and buy time.
"But this area is too crowded. I can’t risk alarming the True God Churches before the ritual to summon the 【Master of the Blood Banquet】 begins. Your luck has been extraordinary tonight, young man. Do you know how much I sacrificed for your good fortune?"
The man’s tone suddenly turned icy. He pulled his sleeve down over his charred left arm and glared at Shad with yellow, reptilian eyes.
"See? In the end, you came to me. Luck is just luck. I have power! Damn it, I’ll see what your heart looks like in a moment! Do you know what I’ve paid for you?"
The chilling words sent a shiver down Shad’s spine.
The man placed the small book on the stone table and gestured for Shad to sit opposite him. Reluctantly, Shad complied, driven by a heart-stabbing pain as crimson chains swayed like serpents behind the man, compelling him toward the stone bench.
The man’s presence was feral and menacing, more beast than human. Shad’s options had narrowed to none.
"Still too weak..."
The oppressive atmosphere made it hard to breathe, yet Shad refused to despair. Until the final moment, he would not give up hope.
"Alright, sir, place all your 【relics】 on the table. Slowly. Don’t try anything foolish."
Once Shad was seated, the man ordered, pulling out a pen from his pocket.
"The script has two uses left. For you, I don’t mind wasting one. But I won’t pay the price to kill you outright. No, I want you to feel the utmost pain!"
He uncapped the pen and began writing on the 【Puppeteer's Script】, reciting the words aloud as if reciting a poem:
"Oh, man across from me,
Abandon your arms.
Disarm yourself,
Let go of your strength.
You,
Shall be left with nothing."