Chapter 511

Also possesses power like a word of power... In a muddled state acting on instinct when the madness disease isn't erupting, expression pale, eyes spiritless... This is very similar to the initial infected person described by Pierre... Lu Mian read the letter sent by Franca and had a further grasp of the details of this disaster.

The speculations he had made earlier based on Pierre's answers, performance, and the contradictions in his actions were actually very close to the real situation.

The only difference was that he speculated that the initial infected person was a real crazy person acting on instinct, while the information provided by the authorities showed that this was a human-shaped sealed artifact, but it did rely on instinct. Whether in a normal state or when the madness disease erupted, it didn't have much spiritual wisdom.

Of course, Lu Mian's speculation and reality weren't necessarily contradictory. Perhaps it was because that young woman was polluted by something or lost control, becoming a real crazy person who spread the madness disease by instinct, so she needed to be sealed.

As for why it was sealing instead of direct clearing, Lu Mian could probably guess the reason:

That ability to say who dies will die, even if it had various restrictions, still made people covet it. Whether it was the Tribunal, the "Heart of the Machine," or the Eighth Bureau, under the premise of having a way to seal such a dangerous creature, they would definitely prioritize sealing it. In the future, they might be able to rely on her to solve other disasters.

Lu Mian moved his gaze down and read the content later in the letter:

"Other intelligence, that is limited by the principle of confidentiality and cannot be provided.

"You should pay attention to young women with that image. Once discovered, immediately pull away the distance and report it to the authorities."

No detailed origin, sealing method, actual manifestation of word of power ability, or information on how to treat and clear the madness disease... Also didn't say the specific sealing level and number... Judging from the abnormality of Dadel Town and the description of the previous part, even if it isn't a Grade 1 seal, it should belong to that very special and terrifying kind in Grade 2... Lu Mian pondered for a while, then stuffed the letter into the "Traveler's Bag" without burning it on the spot.

At this time, Lugano was observing his back with suspicion.

He had opened "Spirit Vision" but still found nothing.

Lu Mian's messenger, the "penitent" Bayinfeier, had long since left.

"Let's go." Lu Mian sighed, extended his hands, and grabbed Ludwig and Lugano's shoulders respectively.

What he regretted most now was that at least one-third of the 400 Vergold train fare would be wasted.

And he still had to find a few cafes for Ludwig to eat breakfast later—can't eat full in one place, or the abnormality will be discovered.

The next second, Lugano felt that he had walked into the Spirit World he had just seen, changed from the role of an observer, and plunged into those layered, rich color blocks, truly bathing in the illumination of the seven different-colored clear lights from the absolute height, and under the gaze of one indescribable face after another and one indescribable figure after another, "flew" toward an unknown destination.

He felt dizzy, but after only ten-plus seconds of effort, he stepped on solid ground, and buildings with off-white, brownish-red, and pale yellow as the main colors appeared around him.

Lu Mian didn't "teleport" too far and chose Foss City, to which Dadel Town belonged.

Under the illumination of the morning light, Lu Mian put on the "Lie" earring, took out a woolen coat from the "Traveler's Bag," changed his appearance and height on the spot in a quiet alley with no one around, and changed his clothing.

In less than a minute, he had become another person.

Although it wasn't the first time he had witnessed it, Lugano was still slightly shocked by this scene:

What a magical item, what a powerful ability!

Whether it was the silver-white earring that allowed people to adjust their height and appearance at will within a certain range, or the coin bag that could pull out all kinds of items as if there were no limit to its capacity, these were things he hadn't seen before, only occasionally hearing other bounty hunters mention that some official Beyonders had supernatural-level disguise techniques.

Lu Mian threw the "Lie" earring to Lugano and said to him without any sense of being an outsider:

"Go get three more fake identities and buy steam train tickets to Gatti Port today."

Am I a translator, a guide, or your follower and attendant? Lugano thought while catching the magical silver-white earring.

He squeezed out a smile:

"I haven't been to the Foss region and don't know who to find to get a fake identity."

"The principles are the same. I believe in your experience." Lu Mian responded with a smile.

Alright, for the sake of you paying... Lugano muttered silently and took out a change of clothes from his carry-on luggage.

When getting a fake identity at the Trier North Train Station, Lu Mian had already given him 1,000 Vergold in expenses and told him that similar expenses later would be covered.

After the little boy Ludwig put on the "Lie" earring, Lugano carried his luggage and walked out of the alley.

Lu Mian immediately activated "Nisse's Face," changed his image again, and led Ludwig, who was still adjusting his height and appearance, to follow Lugano from a distance.

He wanted to see what this "Physician" would do after arriving in a strange place and what kind of performance he would have, so as to judge what kind of problem was hidden behind him.

In order not to let Ludwig protest, Lu Mian pressed his wide-brimmed hat and threw a few long loaves of bread to this guy.

Ludwig didn't complain about wanting to eat hot food and very obediently gnawed on the food, letting Lu Mian lead him to follow Lugano.

It was early morning, the bars were closed, and Lugano went straight to the nearest market, found a "patroller" who was suspected to be a gang member, used money to pave the way, and learned who to find to get a fake identity.

Throughout the whole process, he behaved no differently from an ordinary bounty hunter.

Lu Mian was neither disappointed nor happy about this. He followed until Lugano bought a steam train ticket for another shift, then deactivated "Nisse's Face" and met up with this companion.

…………

Upper Coastal Province, Gatti Port, inside a luxury hotel room near the seaside.

Lu Mian stood in front of the large glass window and saw the azure sky as if it had been washed by water, setting off the clear and pure ocean below like a gemstone.

The *coo-coo* sound of seabirds was clear and high-pitched, and white figures moved between white clouds, white beaches, and the masts of ships, allowing Lu Mian to intuitively feel the cool breeze from the sea even without opening the window.

This was one of the main ports for products from industrial cities on the west bank of the Inter-Sea to enter the Fog Sea. It was famous for commerce and shipbuilding and was quite prosperous.

Unlike what the citizens of Trier thought about the north lacking sunlight, Gatti Port had abundant sunshine all year round, and autumn wasn't considered cold.

Amidst Ludwig's chewing sounds, Lu Mian admired the sea view outside the window and the port in the distance while waiting for Lugano to buy the boat ticket to Sangtagang in the Feynapot Kingdom.

Just then, the "penitent" Bayinfeier, wearing black clerical robes and having an unusually tall stature, walked out of the void again and silently handed a letter to Lu Mian.

"Thank you." Lu Mian said habitually.

Then, he took the letter paper and unfolded it:

"The madness disease in Dadel Town has been controlled. The severely infected town residents have been cleared, and the mildly infected have been treated, but that sealed artifact hasn't been found.

"According to the intelligence collected at the scene, she returned to a normal state several days ago and left Dadel Town, whereabouts unknown. The subsequent spread of the madness disease was based on the spiritual ocean that had been severely polluted and spread on its own.

"The abnormal behavior of the town residents not wanting to leave Dadel and not forgetting to tell passing travelers about the madness disease should also come from that polluted spiritual ocean. *Hmm*, according to the professional term Anthony just learned, it is the collective unconscious ocean, which, together with personal consciousness islands and spiritual sky, constitutes the spiritual world.

"Be careful later. I'm afraid you will be attracted to the occult disaster created by that sealed artifact again."

Didn't catch that sealed artifact... Lu Mian felt a bit of a headache and gave a "tsk."

To be honest, he had no way to deal with this either. When he arrived at Dadel Town, the other party had already left, while the disaster was still continuing and developing.

At three in the afternoon, Lu Mian took Lugano and Ludwig and boarded the merchant ship "Flying Bird" heading to Sangtagang in the Feynapot Kingdom.

They chose a first-class cabin, which was a suite with a master bedroom, a children's room, a servant's room, a living room, a washroom, and a dedicated attendant providing service. They could enter and exit the highest-end restaurant and the only cigar room, worth 700 Vergold, close to Charlie's annual income when he was a hotel waiter.

Lu Mian cared about money but also didn't care that much. He cared because past experiences and his sister's teachings made him instinctively calculate and feel distressed. He didn't care because his money came relatively "easily"—for example, sneaking back to the Breeze Dancing Hall at night and taking 30,000 Vergold from the safe in one go. What he was spending now was only a very small part of it.

Moreover, he already had the potion formula, main materials, and some auxiliary materials for his next sequence, so he didn't have the motivation to accumulate money for the time being.

Besides, as a loyal reader of the "Great Adventurer" series, he knew very well that there were many mobile human-shaped treasures on the sea. If he really lacked money, he would be very happy to imitate his idol and have a harvest.

The "Flying Bird" was the latest type of steam-powered ship, completely built of steel, no longer erecting sails, only having chimneys spraying mist and masts providing watchtowers.

It was iron-gray overall, with red and gold colors intertwined in some places. The deck was wide, and there were many gun positions. Whether in displacement, number of passengers, or speed and sturdiness, it far exceeded the classical sailing warships. Compared with those guys from the backward era, it was like an adult looking down on a child.

Before the incident in Cordu Village, Lu Mian had also thought about traveling by sea, like the great adventurer Gehrman Sparrow, and used this to bewitch his sister, but Aurora had advanced this matter to after his university graduation.

Inside the spacious and bright living room of the first-class cabin, Lu Mian looked at the azure ocean outside the window, his thoughts flying to who knows where.

*Woo! *

Amidst the steam whistle, mist sprayed from the chimneys of the "Flying Bird."

This huge ironclad merchant ship slowly drove away from Gatti Port amidst the movement of various machines starting to operate, driving toward the depths of the ocean.

*Coo coo coo*, the sound of seabirds echoed in the clouds.

(End of chapter)