Chapter 205

Chapter 204: The Meeting Point

The spirit of ‘Shadow’ is significantly represented in the mental realm as fear, so accumulating the spirit of ‘Shadow’ can be achieved by being afraid after using a certain method?

“Does advancing to become extraordinary require such cruel methods?”

Gazing at the brutal scene before her, Nephnis thought in her heart, she hadn’t expected that the way she had been pursuing to become extraordinary would require such means.

“So… what method is Miss Dorothy and Mr. Brandon using within the Rosy Cross to advance? Eli just mentioned the spirit of ‘Shadow’… Could there be other spirits as well?”

Nephnis pondered in her heart, while Eli scanned the large torture site around them and then spoke to Nephnis.

“Only the most loyal servants of Mr. Thistle know this. Mr. Thistle has promised us that if we follow him with sincerity, he will guide us on the path to becoming extraordinary.”

“So this is how one becomes extraordinary. It’s completely different from what I imagined. This is really…”

Nephnis wanted to express her feelings, but hesitated to use words like cruel or terrifying. Eli then continued with a smile.

“Haha… Miss Boyle, you seem to still have some difficulty accepting this, but it’s okay. Everyone starts off with these kinds of questions. But don’t worry, once you truly pick up the whip and start accumulating spirituality, you’ll love the feeling. You’ll understand more clearly the joyful path Mr. Thistle has led us onto.”

Eli turned to smile at Nephnis, who nodded in response.

“Yes… Since this is the path Mr. Thistle has shown us, there’s no doubt about it. But I still want to ask a bit, where do these prisoners come from?”

“Mostly from the city center—flooded alleyways, coal ash district, dock area, jubilant street, gangsters, and homeless people. There’s no shortage of them. Apparently, there are gangs specialized in kidnapping. Mr. Thistle has connections with them. These individuals are already considered lowly, so it’s an honor for them to contribute to our path towards the extraordinary.”

Eli muttered, while Nephnis remained silent, feeling conflicted. Then, Eli continued speaking to Nephnis.

“Miss Boyle, you now have the qualification to join us and pursue the extraordinary alongside Mr. Thistle. However, recently, a few people went too far and killed several criminal slaves, causing a shortage of them. For now, there are no extra criminal slaves available for you. You’ll have to wait a few days until new ones arrive from the city. As soon as they do, I’ll teach you the Fear Law and let you begin accumulating spirituality.”

“Yes… Thank you, Mr. Eli. It’s fine for me to wait a few days as a newcomer.”

Hearing Eli’s words, Nephnis quickly responded with a smile, feeling relieved that she didn’t need to resort to becoming an abuser to gain trust.

After responding, Nephnis glanced again at the surroundings and noticed stairs leading down at the end of the underground hall, guarded by members of another society.

“Looks like there’s another way down over there, Mr. Eli. Where would that lead?”

“It leads deeper into this ruin, but Mr. Thistle doesn’t allow us to enter there. Only his closest confidants can go inside. I don’t know what lies below, but I believe that if I continue to follow Mr. Thistle’s footsteps, I’ll eventually reach down there.”

Eli said confidently, and looking at the stairs leading further down, Nephnis silently nodded.

…

King Campus, East Gate, Green Shade Town.

In the afternoon, Dorothy sat on her balcony sipping tea, with a thick volume of “Navigation of the Literary Sea” in front of her. The page was filled with writing, which wasn’t Dorothy’s handwriting, but Nephnis’.

After Nephnis successfully entered the inner area and returned, she immediately used the history book Dorothy had given her to contact Dorothy. This was the text used by “Navigation of the Literary Sea.” Initially, Dorothy wrote Akasha’s honorable name in that book and gave it to Nephnis. Later, Dorothy instructed her on how to use the text to send messages, advising her to pray in emergencies.

Dorothy deliberately separated prayer and the contact method of the Literary Sea. Prayer was used when communicating with others under the identity of Akka, while the Literary Sea was mainly used for communication in her own identity.

“The Fear Law? Accumulating the spirit of ‘Shadow’ through fear, it seems this is how the Eight Pinnacle Nest accumulates spirituality. That’s quite a twisted method, similar to the Holy Communion and Bone Craftsman…

“Gregor is also a shadow extraordinary being. I wonder what the official method of accumulating spirituality by the An Yin Bureau is… He doesn’t act oddly often, so it’s hard to judge, but since it’s official, their method shouldn’t be too outlandish…”

Dorothy continued to think as she looked at the message sent back by Nephnis in the Literary Sea.

“I guessed right. The inner area is indeed the ruins beneath the school, now converted into a torture chamber for training. They’re doing some unknown activities. But since the ruins are there, it’s necessary to investigate. This might be a good opportunity.”

Dorothy thought, then glanced at the calendar on the table, which read September 28th, just one day away from the agreed meeting date with Edric and Brandon.

“Now, it’s time to arrange the script for the meeting.”

…

The next day, Royal Sacred Crown University King Campus.

In the evening, the clock tower of King Campus was ringing with deep, resonant bell sounds. On the spiral staircase of the clock tower, Edric, wearing a long coat and a low hat, ascended step by step.

After climbing for some time, Edric arrived at a storage room on the middle floor of the clock tower as the bell stopped ringing. Someone was already waiting for him there.

“Hey, Rick, you’re right on time. The bell stopped exactly at six o’clock, and I was expecting you to be late,” Brandon said with a smile as he sat on a wooden crate by the window. Edric replied silently.

“The new base has been confirmed, located in the northern part of King Campus, at North Pine Forest, No. 38.”

“North Pine Forest? Wow, that’s quite remote. It looks like you guys don’t want to stay close to the school anymore,” Brandon said with a smile, while Edric nodded slightly.

“Yes, last time in Green Shade Town, things didn’t go smoothly, making those inside the school suspicious. So this time, we decided to move a bit farther away.”

“Mm… Although it’s harder to get to, it’s safer. By the way, since the base location is set, should we call for a meeting?” Brandon asked Edric, who immediately responded.

“Yes, confirming the new base requires a meeting. All core members, including you and me, must attend.”

“Just the core members? Including you and me, that’s over five people. Isn’t that a bit too few? Should we invite more people?”

Hearing Edric’s words, Brandon said with concern, and Edric immediately responded.

“This time, there’s an important agenda to discuss regarding the next steps against those guys. We need to finalize it during the meeting. Too many people could leak information, especially those who aren’t even extraordinary beings.

“According to the ‘Detective,’ we might need to plan a major operation this time. If everything goes smoothly, we could catch all those guys in the school.”

Edric finished speaking, and listening to his words, Brandon nodded in thought and then asked.

“That makes sense. It’s better to be cautious now. What time is the meeting?”

“At nine o’clock tonight, at North Pine Forest, No. 38. Everyone needs to be there on time.”

Looking at Brandon, Edric affirmed, and above his head, two black spiders crawled on the ceiling, silently watching the scene below.