Chapter 906: Rider (Second Update, Requesting Base Monthly Votes)

After quickly reading through the materials, Jianna exclaimed in disbelief:

"The 'Fool''s identity in the dream is surprisingly ordinary."

He doesn't look like a Great Being at all!

"What should we do next?" Franca looked at Lumian. "Try to approach the 'Fool'?"

The materials had already outlined Zhou Mingrui's—i. ., the 'Fool''s—daily routine in the dream; as long as Lumian and the others weren't extremely unlucky, they would soon encounter the 'Fool' and make contact.

Earlier, when she saw the name Zhou Mingrui, Franca's heart had skipped a beat.

She hadn't expected the 'Fool''s dream name to deviate from the naming conventions of the Northern and Southern Continents—it was strikingly similar to the style of her homeland before she crossed over.

Of course, this matched the current city's context, but if the name Zhou Mingrui belonged to the Celestial Sovereign rather than the 'Fool', Franca would have found it far easier to understand and accept, since the title 'Blessed Celestial Sovereign of the Profound Yellow' was itself rooted in the style of her former world.

Could the Celestial Sovereign have gained the upper hand, so that even the 'Fool''s dream city resembles my homeland and bears the name Zhou Mingrui? As Franca muttered inwardly, Lumian thought for a few seconds and said:

"Don't approach the 'Fool' yet. Observe the people and events around him for a few days."

As team leader, Lumian didn't just issue orders—he briefly explained:

"The 'Fool' himself is surely under tight surveillance by the Celestial Sovereign. If we rashly approach him, we're likely to trigger suspicion, get our identities locked, and be kicked out of the dream."

"Also, although the 'Justice' Lady's materials list the 'Fool''s daily schedule and frequent contacts, I still want to observe him myself for a while—not because I distrust the Great Arcana's abilities or intellect, but because they possess too much prior information, which might bias their judgment and prevent them from spotting subtle hidden issues."

"Ah, cognitive bias," Franca summarized Lumian's meaning using terminology fitting the current dream world.

Lumian nodded:

"Some people mentioned in the materials may no longer be in contact with the 'Fool', but I'll still observe them, looking for possible commonalities and differences."

"Then let's rent an apartment first at one of these locations marked on the map," Jianna said, holding the city map taken from the brownish-yellow folder.

The marked locations were residential neighborhoods near the 'Fool''s current residence—close enough to overlook the area, but not so close as to attract suspicion.

"I'm fine with that," Franca said automatically. "I'll call a cab."

As she spoke, she reached into the pocket of her red small coat, fumbled for a moment, then realized:

"No phone…"

She immediately proposed:

"Let's buy five cheap phones, no—four, plus one children's smartwatch."

"Without a phone, life in this city will be miserable and inconvenient. Sometimes, it's better to use a phone than rely on supernatural abilities—the latter makes it easier for us to expose our identities. I think the previous Lucky Coin holder might have been kicked out of the dream so quickly because they ignored this and rushed to contact the 'Fool'."

"Agreed," Lumian said, gently nodding as he held Ludwig, who was eating a grilled sausage.

He glanced around and asked:

"So where should we go to buy them?"

Franca smiled:

"Lend me the 'Liar' earring."

After putting on the silvery-white earring, she adjusted her hair color and iris tone, subtly reshaped her nose and facial contours, and instantly blended into the crowd—though still retaining a hint of mixed heritage.

At that moment, a slightly overweight young man passed by. Franca stepped closer, smiling:

"Could you do me a favor?"

The man, dazzled by her bright smile and beautiful face, blurted out:

"What is it?"

Franca spoke with a hint of embarrassment:

"I lost my phone—could you…"

The overweight man instinctively pulled out his own phone, then snapped back to awareness and asked warily:

"You're not trying to borrow my phone to make a call, are you?"

Such an ancient scam!

Franca sighed:

"I just need some money for food."

Before the man could respond, she smiled again:

"Just kidding—I'd never use such a clichéd trick!"

"I just want to know where the nearest mall or phone store is. If you don't know, could you check for me on your phone?"

It sounded harmless—his phone was still in his own hand… The man cautiously checked, then gave Franca precise directions.

Franca waved cheerfully:

"Thanks!"

The man stared blankly again, then suddenly asked:

"Have you ever thought about becoming a star or a livestreamer?"

"Are you a talent scout or from an MCN company?" Franca asked curiously.

She hadn't chatted with anyone like this in a long time.

The man snapped out of it, sheepishly smiling:

"Neither—but if I could sign you, I'd become a talent scout, or start an MCN company!"

"Beauty, leave me your number."

Franca finally realized—he'd been subtly complimenting her appearance; everything before was just a routine, the real intent was here.

Tsk tsk, people nowadays—when I played murder mystery, there weren't this many tricks… Franca silently sighed, then said with sincere expression:

"Didn't I just tell you? I lost my phone—I'll have to change my number anyway."

Without giving him time to entertain hope, she waved and jogged back toward Lumian and the others.

The overweight young man watched her go, murmuring enviously:

"A whole group of anime characters…"

Half an hour later, Franca led Lumian and the others out of the nearest mall and onto the sidewalk.

They had used the 'Justice' Lady's identification documents and cash to buy four phones, one generic children's smartwatch, and five SIM cards—totaling 2, 00 yuan.

Except for Franca, who kept tapping her screen, and Ludwig, who occasionally licked his smartwatch, Lumian, Jianna, and Anthony merely held their phones like bricks, unsure how to use them.

"I'll teach you once we're settled!" Franca said, linking her ID, bank card, and corresponding app. Instead of going to a nearby service center or ATM to deposit money, she took out a small loan and hailed a cab.

At that moment, a motorcycle roared past, nearly brushing her, its wind slapping against her face.

Franca glared at the motorcycle, muttering angrily:

"Speeding on the street? Trying to get yourself killed?"

No sooner had she spoken than the motorcycle swerved to avoid a moving truck, veering sideways—only to crash into a pit dug for road repairs, surrounded by yellow metal barriers.

The motorcycle skidded sharply, slammed into a utility pole, making the concrete pillar visibly shake.

With the impact, parts of the motorcycle flew in all directions.

Franca stared, stunned, whispering:

"Not my fault…"

Although the 'Witch' was skilled in curses, she didn't cast them through words!

Just as she was about to call emergency services to check if the rider was alive, the helmetless man stood up unharmed, pushed his severely damaged motorcycle away, and left the scene.

"He's fine?" Franca blurted in shock.

Instantly, a thought flashed through her mind—she and Lumian whispered together:

"A Transcendent?"

Lumian immediately told Jianna and the others:

"Go take a look."

Crossing the intersection on the green light, they reached the accident site and saw the utility pole slightly bent and cracked.

Lumian knelt down, scanning the ground, then pulled a plain white paper figure from a nearby flowerbed.

The paper figure was torn and frayed.

"'Paper Substitute'? The motorcyclist was from the 'Fortune-Teller' path?" Franca quickly deduced.

Jianna frowned slightly:

"A servant of the Celestial Sovereign?"

"Possibly. Later, use 'Dream Divination' to recall his appearance," Lumian said, nodding, then returned the paper figure to its original spot and quietly erased his traces with the 'Witch''s black flame.

Franca muttered:

"That guy didn't act like a 'Fortune-Teller' at all—he was speeding recklessly and crashed! The 'Fortune-Tellers' I know are all cautious, cunning, and full of schemes."

As she complained, she booked a cab via her phone.

Soon, a white sedan pulled up before them.

Though Franca had explained internal combustion cars and electric vehicles, Jianna and Lumian still felt a slight shock upon actually sitting inside.

Even the ordinary electric cars, similar to horse-drawn carriages, radiated luxury—as if every surface screamed "civilization" and "technology."

Anthony sat in the front passenger seat; Jianna, Franca, and Lumian—with Ludwig in his arms—squeezed into the back, yet the space still felt spacious.

The air conditioning cooled the summer heat; the car carried Franca—who couldn't explain the details—and the silent Lumian and others to their destination in just over twenty minutes.

As they got out, Anthony gave Lumian a meaningful glance, signaling him to look at the driver.

Lumian stepped to the front door, studying the driver: broad forehead, thin face, short black hair with slight curls, nearly pitch-black eyes, and a single crystal lens embedded in his right eye socket.

Amon!

The suspected Amon driver seemed to recognize Lumian, waved with a smile, then started the car and vanished down the road.

"Amon?" Franca and Jianna had also seen the driver's face. "How did he get in? A false image created by the 'Fool' in the dream?"

"It's real—he clearly recognizes me," Lumian replied gravely.

Francia exhaled, reassuringly saying:

"It's fine. The Magician Lady said that, regarding putting the Celestial Lord to sleep and awakening the Fool Sir, that one is on our side."

Lumian gazed at the intersection where the previous vehicle had departed, his voice low:

"But the Magician Lady also said that one likely does not wish for the Fool Sir to awaken too soon."

PS: Second update—please support with base monthly votes~

(End of chapter)