Chapter 312: This Is No Ordinary Witcher

This is a hair-raising matter.

Especially for those who have become aware of its existence, it adds a few more degrees of inexpressible horror, causing one to involuntarily feel a chill rising from the bottom of their heart.

A stranger……

A stranger with absolutely no files and no records……

Actually just swaggered right in, directly entering the air battleship——"Fraxinus"——located at a high altitude of fifteen thousand meters.

No, putting it that way isn't right either; one shouldn't say he directly walked in.

Because he seems to have suddenly appeared, yet also seems to have been on this ship from beginning to end, even making one feel as if he has been here since the moment this vessel rose into the sky and began its service.

And just such an existence that should not exist, right now seems to be in a no-man's land, freely shuttling through every corner of the ship's interior.

Whether gates, channels, or zones, to him they all have no restrictions and no meaning. Whether open access, forbidden entry, or places requiring permission, none can block his steps.

Like formless wind, silent and soundless, yet omnipresent.

This person, with an utterly undisguised curious gaze, scrutinizes everything of "Fraxinus".

From the personnel on the ship to the various facilities, not a single one fails to become an object of his exploration.

However, this curiosity is not the kind of bewilderment and curiosity an old antique would reveal when facing the cutting-edge technology of a new era, finding it hard to understand.

His gaze is purer, simpler, as if merely a pure explorer, not caring about the meaning or value behind everything on the ship, simply just wanting to understand, wanting to see clearly.

And it is precisely this transcendent gaze that makes one feel an inexplicable chill.

Yet every single person on "Fraxinus" seems unable to realize this point——

Including the alarm devices, even though that intruder swaggered through every corner of this air battleship, they also completely did not issue any hint or warning targeting such intrusion traces.

But this is not to say that this person is invisible, letting the people or machines on this air battleship fail to discover his existence.

The fact is quite the opposite——

Cameras can clearly capture his figure, the access control system can accurately identify his position, even every crew member passing by can see him or hear his voice.

However, they just don't discover anything wrong.

Monitoring will not trigger the alarm mechanism because of this, access control will also unhesitatingly open its doors for him, even crew members when passing by will naturally and naturally greet him.

Even Commander Kotori Itsuka just now chatted with him for a while.

From beginning to end, no one felt there was any problem, everything appeared so natural, so harmonious.

Except for Analyst Reine Murasame, who herself has quite a lot of problems.

However, this also changes nothing.

……………………

"Secret weapon huh, this really is secret enough……"

Sipping a mouthful of coffee, Xia Zhi looked with great interest at the group of people not far away.

Watching Shido Itsuka being forced onto the stage, bracing himself to prepare for a parachute drop, he couldn't help but laugh.

"But then again……"

"Miss Reine, your mental state doesn't seem too good, want to go rest a bit?"

Xia Zhi turned his head back, and sized up the sitting Reine Murasame not far away once more, his gaze still couldn't help but pause slightly on this very charming woman's dark circles.

This appearance seems a bit impolite, but this is indeed very obvious.

As if having seriously thought for a moment, he still couldn't help but ask like this.

"It's nothing, just some insomnia, I've had some sleep deprivation recently." Reine Murasame shook her head, said in a low voice.

Probably because her condition is too obvious, so many people would have this kind of question.

Especially the colleagues on this airship, usually all working together, seeing each other day in day out, more or less would worry a bit about Analyst Reine's physical health.

After all this looks really serious, really makes one suspect whether she might just suddenly die at her work post like this.

But compared to colleagues' concern, this kind of questioning coming from an unknown-origin strange existence is what really makes one feel very bizarre.

Reine Murasame could only pretend to look very natural, she slightly lowered her eyelids, used her usual tone to answer the same question.

——Perhaps one shouldn't think this way……

——The other party is just naturally chatting……

In the depths of her heart she analyzed this person's intention, rapidly found a reasonable explanation for her bizarre feeling, or rather a self-deemed reasonable explanation.

That's right, there's nothing strange about this.

Admittedly, this person's attitude is indeed very familiar, but this is not only directed at herself, but displayed so towards every single person.

After all, when it comes down to it, the other party is a certain kind of true "social phobia"…… that is to say, a so-called social terrorist.

It's just that, compared to ordinary social terrorists, he is not unilaterally self-familiar, able to quickly blend in with anyone.

But rather the reverse——

Forcing other people to be unilaterally self-familiar with him, and quickly blend in with him.

Perhaps it's influencing the mind, perhaps it's interfering with cognition, perhaps it's changing common sense and laws…… in short, this person makes everyone believe that "his" existence is a matter of course.

And also deeply believe this without doubt, completely not thinking there is any problem.

Everyone acts as if very familiar with him, meeting they would friendly greet, looking at that scene simply like close friends of many years.

And he, also equally acts naturally familiar, with every crew member able to casually chat a few sentences, whether discussing weather or asking questions.

Just now, it was Kannazuki Kyōhei answering this person's questions.

And if going back a few more minutes, it was Commander Kotori Itsuka chatting with this person.

As for now, this temporary post responsible for receiving the other party, fell on Reine Murasame's head…… regarding this, her heart already had a calculation.

That is to similarly pretend to know nothing, discovered nothing, strive to play well her current role.

Then……

Without letting the other party discover, extract as much intelligence as possible.

"You've been suffering from sleep deprivation lately? Your condition doesn't seem like it's just 'recent'..."

Xia Zhi shook his head: "You still need to pay more attention to your health, after all, the body is the capital of revolution."

"Is, is that so?" Reine Murasame forced a smile, her expression stiff as a frozen lake surface, with only a faint ripple gently undulating.

She nodded, though the movement was slightly mechanical, she still responded to the other's concern: "I will, thank you for your concern."

Even repeating to herself many times in her heart, this is normal.

This attitude is the other party's natural expression, it's very likely just like a "mirror", other people influenced by it display a natural familiarity, then he would also display a very familiar attitude.

However...

This feeling is really strange.

A clearly particularly dangerous intruder, now sitting opposite her, chatting like old friends, even incidentally caring about her physical health...

No matter how you look at it, it's weird! Especially since the other party's appearance destroyed the premise of her plan!

"Speaking of which, your previous plan was to resolve the Spirit problem through 'dialogue'..."

Xia Zhi raised his arm, propping up his chin, the sleeve of his slightly old wide Taoist robe slid down, revealing his arm—

"And the main execution method is to wage combat revolving around the theme of dating, right?"

"..."

"..."

"That's correct, we believe the spacequake phenomenon caused when Spirits manifest is unrelated to the Spirit's own will."

Reine Murasame thought slightly, then immediately spoke in a weak voice.

"This statement has quite high credibility, theoretically speaking, Spirits are not intentionally destroying, so they possess the possibility of dialogue..."

She explained Ratatoskr's purpose, indicating the route dispute with those AST people.

It sounds quite normal, just like in the same company, mountain-head faction art styles are unavoidable, then two different organizations adopting different routes and purposes is also normal.

It's just this current plan of "saving Spirits through peaceful means" —

Spoken by such a behind-the-scenes black hand, it appears very subtle.

Xia Zhi's expression didn't change in the least, his acting has never been a problem, so he didn't show a bit of it.

He just listened while nodding, and from time to time opened his mouth to comment a few sentences, or ask a few new questions.

This also quickly received answers.

Reine Murasame maintained that listless appearance, like a heavy insomnia patient, "normally" answering all questions she should know.

This behind-the-scenes black hand miss quietly lost the initiative amidst this series of paving.

She not only failed to notice this, but quickly found the flaw that was deliberately left.

This behind-the-scenes black hand miss subconsciously felt that she was unaffected because of her own special nature — after all, Ratatoskr Analyst Reine Murasame is just a surface fake identity, her true identity is the Origin Spirit — so she wasn't influenced.

In such a situation, naturally anyone would feel they should properly utilize this advantage, creating an enemy-clear-me-dark situation.

She was no exception.

But she didn't expect that this situation and her thoughts about this situation were actually the result of careful guidance.

As if threads of fate gently wound around her fingertips, leading her toward the unknown abyss.

"Pretty good, although it sounds a bit fantastical, at least your imagination is still praiseworthy."

The youth said with a smile: "But what's special about that boy? Why was he chosen as the secret weapon, do you have any standards for selecting people?"

"This... we don't know, I'm just an Analyst."

Reine Murasame shook her head again, she very cautiously chose to hide part of the information, while also troubled about how to make other informed parties also hide this part of the information.

After all, if this person asked them, it seems it still couldn't be concealed.

But she didn't want this dangerous existence to turn its gaze onto this matter.

"Like that, then forget it—"

Fortunately, Xia Zhi also seemed to be just asking casually, not too concerned about this minor episode.

He clearly displayed having more concerning matters.

"Since you're already here, then you'll execute another mission... it's these two people, find them, bring them back."

As his voice fell, on the bridge screen not far away, two images were also projected.

Those were images from the scene data from not long ago, corresponding to two equally should-not-exist passersby.

"... Find them?"

Reine Murasame looked at the projection on the screen, asking confirmingly.

"Correct, don't worry, the biggest threat is that White Wolf, but he's absolutely heavily injured or simply dead right now... so you still have a chance."

The youth smiled, saying this:

"Go, bring these two Witchers back."

"..."

"..."

"Witchers..."

Reine Murasame chewed on this term, still nodded, "We will definitely bring them back."

At this time she couldn't refuse either, in order not to expose her abnormality, she could only imitate the performance those bewitched people should have, seriously agreeing.

"Also don't be too careless, can't be negligent, after all—"

The youth leisurely hinted:

"These aren't ordinary Witchers, they are meritorious Witchers, they are Witchers who have received Fulu..."

(Chapter End)