Chapter 566: Putrid Seed
In the darkness of Montecarlo, within a luxurious suite of a hotel, Dorothy, dressed in her nightwear, sat on the sofa, gazing out the window at the night scenery while recalling what she had witnessed in someone else’s dream. She couldn’t help but stroke her chin and sigh inwardly.
‘Who would have thought that the purpose of the Abyss Cult coming to Montecarlo was to recruit him for the sake of extending his life, making him secretly return to the Abyss Cult. As a pledge, he is supposed to help corrupt Vania…
‘It seems… It was my decision to have Vania make her first pilgrimage to Montecarlo that prompted the Abyss Cult’s actions. This envoy named Tonik came about a week ago, coinciding with the time when Vania announced her first holy pilgrimage destination. When Vania tricked the Abyss Cult in Xia Tree, the Abyss Cult finally found an opportunity for revenge, and they could also use this chance to reclaim Edward and make him pledge his loyalty.
‘Hah… The plan is really well laid out… Although I foresaw that Vania’s visit to Montecarlo might cause some changes in the Conquer Sea, I didn’t expect it to provoke the Abyss Cult’s Red Rank to take action. The situation here is getting more complicated…
While thinking this, Dorothy picked up a glass of water from the coffee table. During the Shining White Pearl incident, she had already learned from two high-ranking members of the Abyss Cult about the term “Sword Scale.” He seemed to be a high-ranking Red Rank member residing on White Tear Island, influencing many activities of the Abyss Cult in the Conquer Sea.
‘Montecarlo’s great pirate Edward, Sword Scale, the leader of the temple on White Tear Island, and the senior member of the Black Dream Hunter Group, Dry Wing… Who would have thought that there would be three Red Ranks in such a small place as Montecarlo? They are all going to attend the same auction soon… This is truly unexpected…
Dorothy reflected on these thoughts, although she wasn’t entirely unprepared for the actions of the Abyss Cult. Even before Vania announced her trip to Montecarlo, the upper echelons of the Salvation Faction of the Church had warned her.
At that time, Sister Evi of the Salvation Faction had communicated remotely with Vania via a relay device, warning her that the situation in Montecarlo was somewhat delicate. She advised Vania to be cautious during her stay and to call her if she sensed danger. Evi promised to cruise near Montecarlo during Vania’s visit.
Although Evi hadn’t fully explained the situation to Vania, Dorothy sensed that the Salvation Faction was concerned about the situation in Montecarlo and wanted to intervene. However, due to political factors within the Church and the mainland nations, they couldn’t act directly and could only advise Vania to be careful and respectful towards Edward’s forces. They hoped that Vania’s visit would be seen as a gesture of goodwill from the Church to Montecarlo.
‘The warning from Sister Evi made little sense at the time, but now I understand her meaning completely… Given the current situation, Edward will d*e… But because of his frequent illegal dealings behind the scenes, both the mainstream of the Church and the major countries on the mainland are not particularly fond of him. Most are willing to see him dead, and even if there were those who wanted to prolong his life, their opinions would be quickly suppressed. Thus, the Salvation Faction can only let Vania’s visit serve as a normal activity to Montecarlo under the guise of safety.
‘I guess they considered that Vania lacked diplomatic experience and that giving her too much information might lead her to say something wrong during interactions with Montecarlo, causing Edward to misinterpret the situation. Therefore, they did not disclose more information to her.
Dorothy analyzed this internally, as the Church saw no task related to Edward in Vania’s trip to Montecarlo. Hence, unrelated information was naturally not shared, to avoid Vania bringing up such topics or making mistakes when asked.
For example, if Edward met Vania and asked if the Church had plans to extend his life, Vania saying yes or no could be misinterpreted, and even expressing inclination could be overanalyzed. Therefore, the Church believed it was better for Vania to be unaware of such information.
However, the Church did not anticipate how swiftly and decisively the Abyss Cult acted, sending a Red Rank with the Fountain of Eternal Youth to sway and recruit Edward, and also covertly corrupting Vania instead of taking direct action. In this regard, the internal unity of the Abyss Cult seemed stronger than the conflicting and indecisive Church, gaining the upper hand in this matter.
After thoroughly understanding the complex situation on the island, Dorothy leaned back on the soft sofa and began to contemplate her next move. Although the situation on the island was dangerous and complex, as an outsider with an information advantage, she saw opportunities.
‘Now there are three Red Ranks on the island; the situation feels unusually dangerous… But fortunately, I have insurance. If the situation becomes dire, I can call Sister Evi. With her as a backup, even with three Red Ranks, there’s still room for maneuver.
Dorothy thought, feeling emboldened by Evi’s presence, but she wouldn’t reveal her trump card until the last moment. While Evi could stabilize the situation, she would also alert Dry Wing, causing him to flee. Unless it was a matter of survival, Dorothy wouldn’t have Vania call Evi.
‘I hope I can resolve everything as before, in the shadows. But this operation is quite challenging… More importantly, although we’ve gathered a lot of information on Edward and the Abyss Cult, we have virtually none on Dry Wing. My main target is him…
Dorothy continued to ponder, deciding that since she couldn’t find any leads on Dry Wing, she would continue to delve deeper into the Abyss Cult and Edward, hoping to find a breakthrough.
Thus, sitting on the sofa, Dorothy silently closed her eyes and began communicating with the little fox, Saria, who was still in a distant dream.
“Miss Fox, please ask Tonik again if he knows where Sword Scale is. How does he contact Sword Scale? Does he know what Sword Scale looks like and his characteristics?”
On the other side of Montecarlo, in a dream beyond the real world, the white little fox sat on a grand throne in the dream hall, swaying her tail in boredom as she awaited a response from the outside world. Upon hearing the response, her ears twitched slightly, and she looked down at Tonik, who stood on the red carpet below.
“Hey, do you know what Sword Scale looks like? What are his features? What are his abilities?”
“Sword Scale is the leader of a crucial religious site, the temple on White Tear Island. He is said to have a divine sword named after the scales of a deity’s offspring. I don’t have the qualifications to know about his abilities, but I have seen him several times. He has this appearance.”
As he spoke, a shadow materialized in front of Tonik. Once stabilized, a man with black hair and beard, deep brown skin, and a middle-aged appearance appeared in the dream hall. He wore armor combined with a priest’s robe, adorned with a copper serpent crown. His eyes were sharp, and his facial features resembled those of traditional islanders from the Conquer Sea, known as Hai people.
“This is Sword Scale… So, I can find him in Montecarlo based on this image?”
The little fox, curious, asked, and Tonik shook his head.
“No, Sword Scale came to Montecarlo disguised. His appearance in Montecarlo is entirely different from this one. I don’t know what he looks like or what identity he used to come to Montecarlo or where he stayed.”
Tonik naturally answered the little fox, and she continued to inquire.
“So, how do you communicate with Sword Scale? You must report your negotiations with Edward to him, right?”
“Through an implanted sensory altar on my arm. A precious parasitic-like sensory altar was implanted there. It feeds on my spirituality, allowing me to contact Sword Scale at any time and report negotiation results. It is highly confidential and cannot be traced.”
Tonik explained, then extended his hand, revealing a face on his arm, complete with nose, eyes, ears, and mouth. The eyes were tightly shut, as if in slumber.
“Wow…”
Seeing the complete face growing on Tonik’s hand, the little fox felt a chill and shrank back. She then continued asking.
“So, have you reported your successful negotiations with Edward to Sword Scale?”
“Yes, I reported it the same night. Now, Sword Scale just needs to confirm at the auction whether Sister Vania has been implanted with the putrid seed. Then, he will hand over the Fountain of Eternal Youth to Edward in a way that won’t raise suspicion.”
Tonik responded, and the little fox nodded. She then asked further.
“So, how does Sword Scale plan to verify whether Sister Vania has indeed been successfully implanted with the putrid seed? And after confirming the seed has taken root, how will he trade the Fountain of Eternal Youth with Edward?”
“I don’t know. This is something Sword Scale needs to handle. After confirming the implantation, he will tell me the method to obtain the Fountain of Eternal Youth through the implanted sensory altar. I will then convey it to Edward.”
Tonik stated. After listening to his words, Dorothy fell silent for a moment. Then, guided by the little fox, she asked Tonik a few more questions but received no valuable answers, so she decided to end the inquiry.
“Alright, Miss Fox, I’ve asked all the questions. Please rest.”
“Phew… Finally done…”
Listening to Dorothy, the little fox sighed in relief and began adjusting Tonik’s dream, erasing all traces of the dream event and exiting the dream.
Meanwhile, Dorothy temporarily severed her connection with the little fox and sat alone on the sofa, carefully contemplating the information she had gathered, especially about Sword Scale.
‘So… Where exactly is Sword Scale in Montecarlo now? On the day of the auction, how will he confirm whether Vania has been successfully implanted with the putrid seed?
‘The best way to confirm if someone has been poisoned or drugged is through direct conversation, but the auction isn’t a large social gathering, so there aren’t many opportunities for such interactions. Vania will be in a private box on the day of the auction, protected by guards. How will Sword Scale approach to check Vania’s condition without revealing his identity?
Dorothy pondered, eventually having a sudden realization.
‘Right… The auction…
