Chapter 290

In Trier, there aren't many people who install prosthetic eyes, but there are definitely not few. Like this one, who modified a quarter of his face into machinery for the sake of a prosthetic eye, neither Jenna nor Franca had ever seen one before.

But thinking of the monk who was suspected to be from the Church of the 'God of Steam and Machinery,' the two felt it was normal:

Being obsessed with machinery and worshipping machinery is the main characteristic of those people!

Carrying the calcium carbide lamp and wearing a white apron like a stonemason, the monk entered the tunnel step by step. That emerald-green prosthetic eye, surrounded by numerous gears and springs, seemed to have a life of its own, sometimes looking to the left, sometimes moving upward, scanning the surroundings.

Franca pulled Jenna, signaling her not to look at the tunnel direction anymore and to quickly withdraw her gaze, lest she be discovered by the other party.

The two shrank deeper into the hiding spot, hiding in a place that the light of the calcium carbide lamp couldn't reach.

The monk of the Church of the 'God of Steam and Machinery,' wearing a gray robe without a hood, moved forward slowly, examining the surroundings while approaching the bottom of the Deep Valley Quarry, which was the area that had already collapsed and been buried.

Thanks to the 'Assassin's' abilities and the protection of darkness and shadows, Jenna and Franca were not discovered. They waited until the monk was far from the tunnel exit before quietly poking their heads out and casting their gaze toward the other party's back.

The monk carrying the calcium carbide lamp stopped at the side of the collapsed area, extended his right palm, which reflected the metallic luster of iron, and grasped a protrusion.

A 'crack' sound followed, as if multiple huge gears were tightly engaged and slowly rotating.

That stone wall split open, and multiple metal chains extended from behind each rock.

Thus, these rocks bloomed like flowers, revealing a deep, dark cave.

Borrowing the light of the calcium carbide lamp in the monk's hand and relying on the eagle-like vision of an 'Assassin,' Franca and Jenna saw that the cave was filled with thin white mist, and saw arms and thighs embedded in the rock walls there.

Human arms, human thighs!

Some of them were still fresh, while others had already withered, but none showed signs of decay.

Jenna and Franca couldn't help but look at each other, seeing the surprise and fear of varying degrees but real existence in each other's eyes.

As the monk walked into the cave and triggered a mechanism, those metal chains loosened simultaneously, allowing the rocks to return to their original positions and reform the stone wall, leaving only a few cracks that seemed to symbolize the traces of the collapse.

So that's how it is... I was biased and kept believing that this place was on the verge of collapse, so I didn't suspect those cracks... Franca suddenly realized and understood the reason why she and Jenna hadn't found any abnormalities.

She pulled Jenna's arm and said in a suppressed voice:

"Let's leave here first and find another opportunity to explore later."

Since the problem had been discovered and the method to open the secret cave had been grasped, there was absolutely no need to have a direct conflict with that monk from the Church of the 'God of Steam and Machinery.' They could come back at another time!

Jenna nodded gently, turned the 'Ring of Discipline' on her finger, crouched down, followed Franca out of the hiding spot, and returned along the tunnel to the gate of the Deep Valley Quarry.

Seeing her about to open the door and go out, Franca hurriedly stopped her in a low voice:

"No need to rush."

"Why?" Jenna looked confused.

Franca unconsciously straightened her back and said with a smile:

"Just because one monk came in doesn't mean only one monk came to the quarry.

"Maybe the one just now left two companions outside to prevent bounty hunters and private detectives from breaking in?

"If we just walk out like this, we might expose ourselves and encounter an attack!

"Besides, the gatekeeper might have already woken up."

Jenna felt a bit ashamed hearing this:

"I understand."

Franca immediately comforted her:

"This is all a product of experience. Now that you know, you won't make similar mistakes in the future."

As she spoke, she took out a palm-sized mirror and stuffed it into Jenna's hand:

"You help me hold this, and I'll go out to scout the path.

"If I encounter an attack later, you take the opportunity to take this mirror, hide in the darkness at the entrance, and sneak away in the direction of leaving the deep valley."

Guessing that Franca was going to use 'Mirror Substitute,' Jenna didn't waste time and agreed directly.

After making preparations, Franca carefully pulled open a crack in the heavy wooden door of the Deep Valley Quarry.

Outside, there was only the sound of insects and frogs, with no other movement.

The crack in the door grew larger and larger, and Franca slipped out, diving into the night that the crimson moonlight couldn't reach.

Jenna gripped the mirror tightly, her spirit highly tense, ready to take action at any moment.

After more than ten seconds, Franca returned to the door and said in a suppressed voice:

"Come out, there are no other monks."

Jenna let out a silent breath, flashed out, and closed the wooden door again without making any noise.

When the two left the Deep Valley Quarry, they looked at the rock wall 'small hut' at the same time and saw that the gatekeeper was sleeping soundly, but his posture had changed a bit.

Franca observed intently for several seconds and discovered from a not-too-short distance that there were red and swollen marks under the gatekeeper's ears.

"He was attacked by someone and is now in a state of being knocked out, not drugged..." Franca frowned and stated her observation.

Jenna remembered the monk with the mechanical prosthetic eye just now and pointed to the wooden door of the quarry:

"Knocked out by the one inside?"

Franca nodded gently:

"Very likely. It seems he also didn't want to be discovered by the gatekeeper that he had entered the quarry.

"Heh, the gatekeeper probably hadn't even gotten rid of the sleeping potion's effect before being knocked out again."

Jenna laughed upon hearing this:

"When we drugged him, he might not have been sleeping either, but was knocked out by someone else using other methods."

"..." Franca paused for a moment and sighed sincerely, "If that's really the case, I feel a bit of sympathy for him."

Every group of people didn't know that the previous group had already knocked out the gatekeeper, and they all chose to handle it in their own familiar way. As a result, the gatekeeper kept falling unconscious while unconscious, time and time again.

Jenna and Franca didn't delay and, under the cover of night, left the Deep Valley Quarry.

…………

Market Avenue, Breeze Dance Hall.

Lu Mian returned to the second-floor cafe, ordered a glass of red wine, and sipped it slowly.

After a while, Louis came up and leaned to his ear, saying:

"Boss, there are a few bounty hunters making trouble at the Mill Dance Hall again, seemingly wanting to share some benefits."

After the high-level members of the Poison Sting Gang were wiped out, the remaining members were either taken away by the police, didn't know where they had fled, joined other gangs, or chose to find a proper job, and all those industries were taken over by different forces at low prices.

Among them, the Savages got the biggest piece of the cake, to the point where they were short-handed, and several industries were in a semi-neglected state, with people making trouble from time to time, wanting to fill the 'blank.'

Lu Mian snapped his fingers and said with a smile:

"You send someone to ask them if they want to be my enemy or my dog."

He discovered that after advancing to 'Pyromaniac,' he had become more combative than before, and his hands were already a bit itchy after not fighting with anyone for such a long time.

Besides, daring to make trouble in a dance hall that nominally belonged to the Savages, there might be one or two Beyonders among those bounty hunters, and Lu Mian's 'Shadow Branch' was still missing the corresponding Beyonder characteristics to match.

Louis answered with great excitement:

"Yes, Boss!"

He turned around quickly and went downstairs to arrange for thugs to go to the Mill Dance Hall to 'inquire.'

Lu Mian, who originally saw that the time was about right and intended to return to the Golden Rooster Tavern to write a letter to Lady 'Magician,' waited patiently again.

In less than half an hour, Louis brought a man up to the second floor.

The man was about thirty years old, wearing a cheap suit, a black top hat, brown hair and brown eyes, with regular features and a burly build, the kind who could play a positive role at the Old Pigeon Cage Theater.

As soon as he saw Lu Mian, he revealed a smile, took off his top hat, and said:

"Good evening, Boss."

"Who are you?" Lu Mian asked with amusement.

The man answered solemnly:

"Boss, didn't you ask me to come over and be your dog?"

"..." With Lu Mian's brain and quick wit, he was a bit stunned for a moment.

He asked those people if they wanted to be dogs purely to provoke them, to see if they could have a not-so-friendly 'spar.'

After a few seconds, Lu Mian laughed softly:

"I asked you to come and be a dog, and you really came?"

"This is my opportunity!" The man didn't feel ashamed, but rather very honored. "I believe that following you, Boss, I can truly realize my value. In the future, I might even have the opportunity to become your godson!"

How old are you? You're even softer than 'Giant' Simon... Lu Mian asked with great interest:

"Why do you think I would give you an opportunity?"

The man didn't answer immediately, but looked at Louis and Sakota, seemingly intending for them to avoid the area.

Lu Mian, who was preparing for a fight, wasn't worried about being assassinated and let Louis and Sakota leave the cafe.

He then looked at the man and asked with a smile:

"Can you say it now?"

The man cleared his throat and said:

"My name is Lugano Toscano, a Beyonder."

"Which pathway, what sequence?" Lu Mian raised his eyebrows.

Lugano piled up a smile again:

"I am a 'Planter,' Sequence 9."

From the pathway of the 'Mother Earth Goddess'? Lu Mian nodded thoughtfully:

"Are you a Feynapotter?"

"No, I am from the Leiston Province." Lugano laughed. "A few years ago, I and a few friends became bounty hunters. We went to Feynapot from time to time and met a Beyonder. Later, he died, and I obtained his relics."

A fellow countryman... Was that person murdered by you, or did he have a problem himself, making it cheap for you? Lu Mian signaled for Lugano to continue.

Lugano laughed 'hehe':

"I now have hope of becoming a Sequence 8 'Physician,' but I'm still short of quite a bit of money to buy the corresponding main potion materials. I heard about your deeds, Boss, guessed that you are a powerful Beyonder, and also know that the Savages are short-handed now, so I thought of using making trouble to see you, hoping to become your assistant, help you manage an industry, and earn some hard-earned money.

"'Physicians' are very useful, whether for ordinary people or Beyonders, they are very useful."

PS: Seeking monthly votes for the last two days~

(End of chapter)