«
The gentleman with the iron-black mask had already taken out a small puppet and displayed it to those around him, saying: «A friend of mine discovered a small burial complex deep in the Pas Valley of the Southern Continent. This puppet was inserted into the right eye socket of one of the dead.»
Fors, like the other gathering members, carefully examined the puppet. She found it had a slender form, overall more like a small wooden stake carved with crescent-shaped eyes and a mouth, inlaid with dried grass and flowers.
It didn’t seem anything special… Fors muttered inwardly. Her inspiration hadn’t been triggered at all. The pen in her hand still hovered over a bronze-green notebook.
The gentleman with the iron-black mask continued his introduction: «My friend and I couldn’t determine what function this puppet serves. We only suspect that it’s not simple, perhaps hiding a significant secret.
«Sixty pounds. Just sixty pounds, and you can take it away. The price is very fair. Even if it has nothing to do with the supernatural realm, it’s still a decent antique worth forty or fifty pounds.
«In other words, ten pounds for a chance at a surprise. For you, that’s only a small sum of money.»
A persuasive pitch. This gentleman must be a successful salesman. Still, I don’t even have ten pounds… Fors laughed bitterly to herself while believing that no one present would buy a so-called «Moon Puppet» with unknown origins and unknown function.
No sooner had she thought that than she suddenly heard a deliberately lowered female voice: «Fifty pounds.»
Is she so rich that she’s willing to gamble on luck? Fors turned her head involuntarily to look at the speaking member. The lady wore a hooded robe, her face hidden in shadow.
At that, the owner of the «Moon Puppet» laughed: «Then I’d rather keep it. Maybe someday I’ll discover its specialness.»
As he spoke, he noticed no one else raised the price, so he changed tack: «Of course, as a gentleman, since you’ve expressed interest and the price is reasonable, I am willing to satisfy your wish.»
«Deal,» the hooded lady responded solemnly.
Soon, the host’s servant helped them complete the transaction. Fors noticed that when the lady received the «Moon Puppet», her hand trembled slightly.
She really values this item… She might indeed know what makes the puppet special… Moon Puppet… Moon… from the Southern Continent… A sudden connection arose in Fors’s mind. She remembered the «Primordial Moon» followers that «Mr. Moon» wanted to find. She faintly suspected that the hooded lady was one of them, or had some relation.
Of course, she had no evidence. Even the basis for her suspicion seemed flimsy.
Hoo… Fors silently exhaled and decided to find a way to verify.
She deliberately turned the pages of the hardcover notebook in her hand, revealing a brownish-yellow piece of parchment.
This paper was covered in various patterns of different shades, forming an obscure yet ancient, mysterious, and bizarre picture.
This was one of the pages of «Lehmann’s Travel Notes», a page that recorded a Beyonder power.
It wasn’t among the ones Fors had later recorded given the opportunity, but one of the five originally existing pages.
Fors raised her head, pretending to watch others’ transactions, but she took in the entire situation near the hooded lady.
She noticed a dark brown spotted mosquito on the wall nearby, and an unknown bug slowly crawling on the ground.
Fors’s fingers slid naturally and lightly over the dark patterns on that brownish-yellow parchment, and quickly a complex symbol took shape in her mind.
Silently and without any unusual signs, she felt she could «understand» that spotted brown mosquito. Her own thoughts connected with the creature’s will.
The spotted brown mosquito flew up, flying low.
It circled to the lower part of the hooded lady, carefully moving close to its target.
The vision of the spotted brown mosquito was different from a human’s. It formed an unintelligible scene in Fors’s mind, but soon it shattered and recombined, outlining the corresponding normal picture: The hooded lady had softer contours, darker skin, long and thin eyebrows, and a mouth turned down quite heavily.
Fors immediately recognized her. She was exactly the «Primordial Moon» follower «Mr. Moon» had been looking for—Winsor Belling!
One valid clue: a hundred pounds. Direct confirmation: five hundred pounds! Fors recalled the content of the bounty, her heart burning.
Her first reaction was to command the spotted brown mosquito to bite Winsor Belling normally and draw her blood. That way, she could later use «astrology» to directly lock onto the target’s whereabouts.
However, after struggling for a while, she gave up on the idea. This was the most taboo behaviour at a Beyonder gathering. If discovered, she would surely be surrounded and killed by all the members.
Moreover, the gathering host always had considerable strength. If she went too far, it would be easy for him to detect traces!
Alright, I’ll settle for the hundred pounds. I’ll consider the direct lock if there are extra opportunities later… I need to leave this gathering early, smear the blood on the surface of «Lehmann’s Travel Notes» to avoid getting lost—that would be dangerous… Fors suppressed her disappointment and made her final decision.
Actually, her behaviour just now had already crossed the line a bit. This made her not want to stay any longer. …………
In an upscale hotel in Hillston District.
Klein stood behind a bay window, quietly enjoying the red moon high in the sky and the thin clouds.
After an unknown period of time, he adjusted the white hair at his temples and reached out to draw the curtain.