Chapter 599: The Story Begins

In the fishing workers' union of the Dock District, an elderly man in a gray‑white robe with dark‑golden long hair and a beard sits upright at a desk.

Everyone else in the office tacitly ignores the old man; even if they happen to pass his spot, they reasonably steer clear of him.

On the desk before him lies a book bound in parchment, its dark‑brown cover bearing a line of Dragon Language words: "Leviheid!" He glances at the strange eye‑shaped ornament hanging at the edge of the desk and says calmly:

"The story should begin."

As if answering his words, the eye‑shaped ornament flashes a pure, cold light.

The parchment‑bound book with "Leviheid" on its cover begins to turn pages of its own, revealing text intertwined with illustrations.

The pages rustle rapidly, soon reaching the final page, where they pause.

Above the parchment, a line of Dragon Language words previously written reads: "In order for the evil spirit inside the body to willingly help and cooperate, Yinsi Zangeweier must first satisfy that spirit's craving, granting it at least one high‑tier Extraordinary Trait of the 'Hunter' Path.

Benefiting from the undead nature of the evil spirit and its special status, Yinsi Zangeweier, formerly a fifth‑tier Gatekeeper, gains the 'Spiritual Realm Traversal' ability normally reserved for higher‑tier Death God paths; this ability, concealed by Yinsi Zangeweier, seems unnoticed by anyone, though that is only his belief.

Affected by the aggregation effect of the Extraordinary Trait, the evil spirit named Meidiqi Suolun Aiyinhuoen, by a twist of fate, brings Yinsi Zangeweier and 0-08 to Beilunsi Port.

The dark‑gold‑haired, bearded elder watches the script on the parchment book, his face forever bearing a gentle smile.

After a two‑second pause, he slowly picks up a round‑bodied steel pen from the desk and writes new Dragon Language words onto the parchment book: "Relying on 0-08's peculiarity, Yinsi Zangeweier learned that the Night Church has just sent a Red Glove Squad to Beilunsi Port, and is deliberately investigating him.

By some inevitable coincidence, 0-08 discerned the Night Church's plan to capture Yinsi Zangeweier and informed him; Yinsi Zangeweier decided that after satisfying the internal evil spirit's need, he would kill that Red Glove Squad.

This is provocation, and also proof, proof that abandoning him was a mistake by the Night Church."

At the end of the pages, the elder, as if enlightened, writes another sentence:

"Everything today will go smoothly."

At the same time, still in the Warehouse, Yinsi Zangeweier, after 0-08 stops writing, reaches out and grasps it, also writing the same sentence in his notebook:

"Everything today will go smoothly."

Before he can put away his notebook and feather pen, the evil spirit Meidiqi Suolun Aiyinhuoen again takes control of his body, mocking in a contemptuous tone: "Heh, is this a coward's blessing to himself?"

"No, this is a necessary preparation."

Yinsi Zangeweier does not get angry; he calmly explains that after long coexistence he has already learned the spirit's habits, which include a talent for sarcasm that he cannot outwit.

He returns the notebook to his pocket, then, relying on his Gatekeeper ability, borrows the evil spirit's special status and uses the "Spiritual Realm Traversal" ability, his figure flickering away swiftly from the Warehouse.

On the open‑air Plaza near the dock area, Anderson holds a map he has annotated with many routes and symbols, laughing as he says: "I've figured out the approximate location of an ancient tomb these past few days; according to Xibailang's customs, there must be a large amount of gold burial goods inside."

Daniz freezes for a moment, then asks in surprise: "Weren't you always performing on the streets? When did you hear about this?"

"That's just a façade; a mature 'Hunter' must learn to disguise himself and hide his purpose."

Anderson's confident voice suddenly stops; he notices a silhouette moving straight toward him and feels an inexplicable wariness rise within.

He studies the figure for a moment, realizing he does not recognize the person, yet without reason he feels as if facing his natural enemy, his body trembling uncontrollably.

"Heh, you look rather pitiful, huh? Still haven't found the way home after so long, still lingering on a 'Watchman'?"

Daniz suddenly utters a line that does not fit his character, covering his mouth in astonishment:

"I—I—I just said what?"

Anderson glances at Daniz's terrified expression, his eyes flicker, and he instinctively steps back a bit. Opposite them, the suddenly approaching middle‑aged man's deep‑blue‑almost‑black eyes flash a dense, un‑dissipating crimson, maliciousness and anger roiling; he shifts his gaze from Anderson to Daniz's head, grins and says:

"Little Crow! When did you start parasitizing others while retaining their consciousness? Has the long passage of time taught you what 'kindness' is?"

"Parasitize? A Meng!" Anderson suddenly realizes, his eyes widening, terror evident as he looks at Daniz; he recalls information mentioned at the earlier Tarot meeting—wasn't he in Beckland? How did he end up on the Southern Continent? "Don't worry."

Suddenly, a gentle voice sounds in his ear, as if magical, swiftly dispelling his fear, dread, and anxiety.

"Who—" Anderson blinks, turning his head, noticing a figure that had appeared beside him at an unknown time; memories surge, that figure seems to have always been there, merely ignored subconsciously.

He wears a simple white robe, a pale‑gold beard long enough to cover the lower half of his face, eyes clear and childlike, expression warm and restrained, instantly earning one's goodwill.

After recognizing the priest‑like middle‑aged man beside him, Anderson is stunned for a second, then a faint, shattered sound of illusionary things echoes in his mind, and forgotten memories and emotions explode all at once.

The flood of memories and feelings makes Anderson gasp heavily, a chill from deep within his tailbone shoots up into his mind.

He only feels that his recent experiences, even recalled, drive him mad and out of control! Opposite Anderson and Daniz, Yinsi Zangeweier's expression suddenly twists; bright red blood gushes from his ears, eyes, nostrils and mouth, veins bulge on his exposed skin as if scarlet sparks float within.

His emotions become extremely agitated, as if on the brink of losing control; his lips part, emitting a voice full of rage:

"Adam!"

Adam? The son of the Creator, the King of Angels, Adam! Anderson feels his mind faltering, events unfolding like a plunge from clouds into a muddy swamp in a second; before he can react and pray to "the Fool" gentleman, Adam and the suddenly appearing Yinsi Zangeweier vanish together, leaving only him and Daniz, now parasitized by A Meng.

Anderson swallows, steps back, intends to pray to "the Fool" gentleman, but forgets the proper name before he can speak.

Daniz turns his head, eyes oddly fixed on Anderson, and says:

"It's not time yet; in a while I'll let you seek assistance from your 'Fool' master."

His goal is the "Fool" gentleman? He's allied with Adam? What should I do? Anderson's expression grows heavier, turning desperate.

Suddenly, the surroundings fall silent; the crowd's clamor in the Plaza fades away, even the sunlight dims as if evening has instantly arrived.

In this state, one blue‑blue star after another falls from the high sky, casting a brilliant river of stars around.

Amid the twinkling starlight, eyes sprout from the glow, flashing pure, cold light, giving an oddly sacred, wise impression yet remaining cold and emotionless.

As the starlight flickers, the local physical laws seem to shift; matter's motion becomes heavy and slow, dragging thoughts and bodies to decelerate as well.

*Splash! *

The sound of a match being struck rings out, the surrounding brilliant starlight shivers briefly, then steadies again.

Silently, a gray‑white giant dragon with pale‑gold eyes and vertically slit pupils appears before Anderson and the parasitized Daniz.

It bears two misty gray‑colored wing membranes on its back, stout limbs, and its gray‑white scales are etched with complex three‑dimensional mysterious symbols; before Anderson can see more, a hand suddenly rests on his shoulder, and he awakens from the dream.

The heaviness and sluggishness in his body remain; having glimpsed part of the gray‑white dragon's form, Anderson's head throbs, thoughts proliferate, and his mind moves sluggishly.

This state does not last long; the hand on his shoulder transmits a cold sensation, his thoughts quickly become active, and the heaviness and sluggishness fade rapidly.

He just had to turn his head to look behind, when he heard Leiketon's voice:

"Your task is to pray to the 'Fool' gentleman and cooperate with others to kill Yinsi Zangeweier."

The familiar voice relaxes the tension in Anderson's mind; he has a string of questions for Ah Xing to ask the other side, but the words turn into other concerns: "My friend Daniz has been parasitized by A Meng; what should I do?"

(End of chapter)