Chapter 242: Gathering (Seeking Monthly Votes at Month's End)

The next day.

Early morning.

Isabet dragged her weary body, locked the bar door, and walked out from the back alley.

Suddenly, a black shadow appeared before her.

"Ah..."

Isabet let out a scream, then immediately recognized the person: "William, you startled me!"

"Let me introduce everyone; this is Gelin Bote, the last person I invited, an Extraordinary of the 'Light' path. I hope you have brought enough 'Light' Talismans," the Professor said, looking at Aaron.

Aaron nodded inwardly, raised his hand to use his 'Light Shepherd' ability, and manipulated a glimmer of radiance: "This is enough."

Under the light of the gas lamp, his eyes suddenly became somewhat fervent, and he muttered to himself: "Plymouth is really no place for a person to live; the housing prices and cost of living are too high... I still have to go please Professor Suboni during the day to get him to teach me Ancient Runic, and work at night... If the pay weren't high enough, I definitely wouldn't do it."

Aaron's figure emerged, and relying on his intuition as a 'Maker', he looked in a certain direction.

"Hehe..." the Professor said to Aaron with some helplessness: "The last member, Alexander, the team's attacker and defender."

Luosi sneered: "That poor girl will have nightmares about a gorilla all night long..."

Dream Realm.

"Good evening, Professor!"

Aaron came to the Professor's side and smiled: "Has everyone arrived?"

Aaron was slightly startled; the next moment, he saw the void surge, and multicolored light converged into an invisible gate.

Night, 10 o'clock.

William arrived at his cramped residence, lit the gas lamp on the table, and grimaced as he kneaded his muscles to soothe his fatigue.

Having no attachments, William chose to sell his property in Ryan County and used the funds to come to Plymouth for his studies, while secretly working hard to decipher this Secret Transmission.

"Very well, everyone, our destination this time is the 'Duioluo zhi cheng' Diate... a dangerous region that has not yet been explored or developed. Please remain cautious along the way. Once we enter the city, follow orders, do not fall behind, and the spoils will be divided equally."

"Apologies... when I entered the dream, I accidentally discovered a 'Spirit Gadfly' in the dream of a beautiful girl in a nearby building; that is a quite rare Spirit World Creature..."

In a corner of the Great Wetland, the 'Professor' was watching him with a smile.

'Hmm, knowing I am an Apprentice to a 'Craftsman', and perhaps even that Craftsman himself, I must be walking the path of 'Light'. How could I not prepare more Purification Talismans before heading to the Duioluo zhi cheng? So the Professor pulled me into the group—partly because there was truly no one else, and partly because they lacked a Purifier?'

After this period of study and deciphering, William already understood that its meaning was—"As the Sage Freud said"! A true book of Occultism!

This was the inheritance left by his parents, and his family had long since declined; by this generation, only he remained.

Great Wetland.

"Home? I don't have a home in Plymouth, only a rented room..." William smiled: "I'm a bit worried about you, and it's on my way to see you back."

Aaron muttered, and after setting up a wall of Spirituality and a Warning Ritual in the bedroom, he lay on the bed, chanted the honorific name, and caused his Spirit Body to fly out, donning the skin of Aokelaier.

Luosi wore a red witch robe, had a tall figure, and wore no mask on her face, revealing a face with great seductive power; her expression was slightly impatient: "That baboon is always late..."

The Professor introduced to Aaron: "Ms. Luosi possesses rich spellcasting techniques and can provide much help to our exploration."

"Wouldn't that be too much trouble for you?" Isabet hesitated.

"No trouble, no trouble at all!" William thought of the scene he saw that night: "But this bar... makes me feel like I've entered a gang stronghold, and the work is especially tiring. If I weren't so in need of tuition, I definitely would have quit long ago."

"I feel it's alright..."

"Cultivating the 'Shadow' Element as well, possessing the ability to transform one's Spirit Body into a chimpanzee form—it is indeed very suitable as an attacker and defender."

After the affairs of the Hunter Bar gradually got on the right track, Aaron promoted Baerjin to be the manager and rarely concerned himself with matters there anymore.

"This is a mirror fragment I obtained during an expedition; it once reflected a corner of that city, so it can serve as a 'key'!"

Isabet said in a low voice: "William... I'm afraid you haven't lived in the Lower City District or the Waste City District of Plymouth... Compared to those places, this is already very good..."

The Professor took out a specially crafted pocket watch and glanced at it.

"But... it's really so tiring."

A furry black hand emerged from the gate, followed by equally furry limbs and a torso...

She had a suspicious expression and asked again: "You haven't gone home yet?"

The Professor gave a final instruction and took a broken mirror fragment from his pocket.

"Kid, you know your stuff."

"The time agreed upon with the Professor has arrived."

After walking for a distance, the two parted in silence.

The chimpanzee smiled at Aaron, revealing many sharp fangs, which made one's hair stand on end.

"Alexander, you are late."

There is no accurate or fluid concept of time within the Spirit World, so this pocket watch that could keep time was clearly a Magical Item.

"Baboon?"

"So you went to collect materials?"

After another disguise, Gelin Bote, wearing a silver-white mask, emerged, opened the invisible gate in the void, and entered the Spirit World.

William muttered, put away the Secret Transmission, and without even the strength to wash up, he collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

In the 'Professor's' gaze, Aaron's face was covered by half a silver mask, he wore a cowboy outfit, a holster for a Zoulun hung on his left hip, and a dagger hung on his right side; his temperament was very capable and fierce.

After pulling open the drawer, a leather-bound ancient book with a sky-blue cover lay inside, with a line of text written on it in a strange ancient language.

Alexander said.

Aaron nodded and commented.

Finally, a black baboon—no, a chimpanzee—appeared before the four of them.

"Lanli, you already know, and this one is Ms. Luosi, a true 'Witch'!"

January 12th, Tuesday.

William complained a few times, then took a key from his pocket and opened a copper lock on the drawer.

The chimpanzee Alexander scratched his head and let out a simple, honest sound.

……

"It won't happen; after I captured all the 'Spirit Gadflies', I poured a bottle of 'Tears of Dreams' into her Spirit Body, so she will have a good dream."

He looked around the circle and saw Lanli Tanisi, feeling slightly surprised.

Lanli, on the other hand, gave a wry smile and greeted him: "I owe the Professor one, so I came this time after all."

……

Aaron's gaze swept over that mirror fragment, and sure enough, on the smooth mirror surface, he saw the reflection of a city in ruins.

All sorts of feelings of depravity, despair, and decay surged toward him like a tide!

(End of this chapter)