Chapter 1798 Investigating Memories <TOC> Chapter 1800 Train Journey
Translator: SumTLMan
Because the miniature signal tower Muse had with him was already given away, the only way he could communicate with Angel was to head to the public signal tower in the main city district.
By the time Muse arrived at the signal tower, twilight was settling in.
Unluckily for him, the signal tower was currently in use. Muse waited outside the door for a few minutes, but the person inside just kept on prattling. Curious, Muse discreetly bypassed the barrier set up by the person inside and eavesdropped for a bit. He discovered that the ongoing conversation was mostly trivial banter without any substantial content.
After some thought, Muse decided to knock directly on the door.
In a short while, a burly man opened the door in anger: “Didn’t you see the ‘In Use’ sign at the entrance? Who… huh?”
His words trailed off when he realized he was looking at an astonishing beauty he had never seen before.
Having little interaction with women, especially witches, the man was momentarily taken aback.
Muse initially intended to politely offer some magic crystals as a gesture for the male apprentice to give up his spot, but seeing his current state, he had a change of strategy.
With a coy smile, Muse took out a folding fan and said flirtatiously, “Sir, I have an urgent matter and need to contact Lexa Witch. Could you please let me go first?”
“Lexa? You mean, the ‘Whip Witch’ Lady Lexa from Bliss Pure Land?” the man inquired, seemingly recalling something.
“Yes, that’s right.” Muse responded with a seductive glance, “If you allow me to go ahead, next time you come to the Bliss Pavilion, I can give you a discount~”
At that moment, it seemed as if Muse was radiating a pinkish glow.
The man choked for a moment, feeling as though his mind had momentarily frozen. Nodding slowly, he stuttered, “Alright, alright… Let me first sever the connection with my Merchant Guild, and then it will be… at your disposal, Miss.”
The man returned shortly, saying, “You can use it now.”
With a beaming smile, Muse was about to enter, carrying with him a rich aroma, when a faint blue sprite suddenly materialized in front of him.
The visitor was none other than Antonio.
“Director, we’ve located the target!” he announced.
“Located the target?” Muse echoed in surprise, “Where is Rosen?”
“The city lord has already gone after them,” Antonio quickly responded.
“Where are they now?”
“They’re at Red Sunflower Lane!”
Upon hearing this, Muse immediately nodded in agreement, “Let’s go there now.”
With that, Muse’s form began to dissolve into countless points of light, vanishing in an instant. All that remained in the air was the lingering scent of his presence and a petrified man.
“Who was that blue figure? He referred to that beautiful woman as the Director? Rosen… the city lord?” The man whispered to himself, seemingly piecing things together. Suddenly, as if struck by a realization, he covered his mouth in shock, “Could it be… she’s from the Research Institute?”
A gleam of excitement shone in his eyes. “My goodness, it seems I’ve inadvertently stumbled upon a huge secret!”
However, Muse was oblivious to the man’s thoughts. Shaking off these minor events, his entire focus was now on the tendrils of mental power he had dispatched.
He was currently in Red Sunflower Lane, a place bustling with commoners. Amidst the coming and going of the crowd, there was no sign of Rosen.
Where might they be? As the tendrils of Muse’s mental power extended, he swiftly located unusual traces atop a large building.
Upon reaching the rooftop, Muse found nothing extraordinary at first glance. However, through the lens of mental perception, an energy barrier sealed tightly in place could be discerned.
Muse approached and gently tapped on the barrier with a folding fan. The barrier seemed to liquefy like water, allowing Muse to step in unhindered.
As Muse entered, he was already prepared for combat. Yet, upon closer inspection, it appeared the battle had already concluded.
Rosen seemed like a mechanical war god, hovering in mid-air. Gleaming in gold, his cold mechanical hand was clenched around the neck of a young woman.
She struggled relentlessly, but to no avail.
Even if she had broken free, escape was impossible. A mechanical giant falcon circled high above, its golden pupils fixed intently on her.
Rosen earned the title “Mechanical Beast King” due to the powerful mechanical creatures under his command. The giant falcon was just one member of his mechanical battalion.
“… Speak. Who is orchestrating this behind the scenes? Where are the other followers of the Bud?”
Although Rosen sensed Muse’s entry into the barrier, he did not turn around, continuing his interrogation of the woman in front of him.
“Even in death, I will not speak…” the woman grunted in pain, “The God of the Bud will weigh the world’s sins on the scales of justice.”
With blood-red eyes and a hint of madness, she declared, “You!”
“And you!” She turned her gaze to Muse.
“Both of you will be offerings on those scales! Forever plummeting into the Abyss of Sin!”
After her echoing scream, she began murmuring some peculiar syllables from her mouth. Rosen felt a chill in his heart. Without any hesitation, a golden beam flashed in his eyes. This golden beam pierced directly through the woman’s forehead.
In an instant, her thoughts ceased entirely, her empty gaze filled with surprise.
With a soft thud, she plummeted from mid-air, landing in the dust.
Muse approached and examined her condition. After confirming her death, he turned to Rosen, “Your reaction was too swift. If she was being stubborn, why not use an illusion spell, or try to delve into her memories?”
Rosen descended gently from mid-air, “She wasn’t powerful, but she had many unique spells. I tried accessing her memories earlier but was unsuccessful. There wasn’t time for an illusion spell since she was reciting the phrase to enter the Bud’s uncontrollable rhythm.”
If spoken quickly and combined with a thought, the phrase could be completed in less than two seconds. Since entering the uncontrollable rhythm of the Bud would have killed her anyway, it was better for him to finish her off. This way, there was a corpse left for research.
Muse nodded in understanding, “I see.”
Muse crouched and began examining the remnants on the woman’s body.
After a while, Muse stood up, “There aren’t any extraordinary items. Determining her origins through her belongings is challenging.”
Rosen pondered for a moment, “Her accent doesn’t sound like it’s from the Southern Region. She might be from outside. Later, we can ask Isabelle to see if it’s an accent from the Source World.”
Muse nodded and recalled the words the woman had spoken, “The last things she said were almost in the same tone as the person who threatened you previously.”
Rosen agreed, “It seems that it’s a habit of the Bud’s devotees. They throw out a threat and then directly enter the Bud’s uncontrollable rhythm.”
Muse remarked, “The threat is secondary. Given her previous tone of conviction, I feel she must have already relayed the information from here.”
Rosen nodded, “Not only Silkvine’s memories, but… she specifically mentioned you by name. She probably assumes you’re in league with me.”
Pausing briefly, Rosen continued, “So, is this why you’ve adopted a feminine guise?”
Throughout the day, Muse had maintained a female appearance. Initially, Rosen thought Muse was indulging in his occasional penchant for theatricality. Now, it seems it was a deliberate effort to mask his true identity.
“I’m not like you. If the Arrow of the Vanquished strikes me, I’m finished. Hence, changing my appearance is the right move,” Muse declared with pride. The fact that this woman personally came to Sky Mechanical City to locate Rosen suggests that they need to confirm their target before releasing the Arrow of the Vanquished.
If that’s the case, by altering his appearance, they wouldn’t be able to determine who he is, making it impossible to shoot the Arrow of the Vanquished.
Rosen didn’t dwell on this issue; he had similar thoughts. All overt actions would be shouldered by him, and it would be best if the Presence Revealed of individuals like Muse and Angel were minimized as much as possible.
“The Bud followers might trace us through this woman’s body, so we must act swiftly,” Muse said, pausing for a moment before adding, “Leave this to me. Once her soul solidifies, I will ensure her physical body is entirely obliterated in the material world.”
Chapter 1798 Investigating Memories <TOC> Chapter 1800 Train Journey