Chapter 466: Truth and Falsehood
Prit, Tivyán.
In a dark grove near the outskirts of the southern district of Tivyán, three figures stood together. Hadi, having been marked with a sigil, cast a glance at Adele and Gregor before a smile crept onto his lips. He then spoke up.
“Well then, gentlemen, let us officially begin. Ladies, please excuse us for the time being.”
After saying this, Hadi turned his gaze toward Adele in the distance. With a slight smile, she replied, “Oh, you want me to step aside? In that case, I’ll withdraw for now to preserve my pure heart, which is even more innocent than that of a child.” As she said this, she shot a playful glance at Hadi, then covered half of her mask with her fan and exited the scene. Hadi pressed his lips together after hearing Adele’s words, then turned back to face Gregor.
“Now, Mr. Shadow Faced Man, let us get started. Is everything ready?”
“Of course.”
As he spoke, two identical-looking men began to undress in the grove. After removing their inner garments, they exchanged clothing. Gregor put on Hadi’s inner garment while Hadi donned Gregor’s. Next, Hadi put his outer coat back on, leaving some of the inner garment exposed by not buttoning it all the way. On the other hand, Gregor did not wear Hadi’s outer coat but opted to wear Hadi’s inner shirt instead. He then retrieved a small bl**d pack obtained from the hospital from his bag, cut it open, and smeared large amounts of bl**d on himself, making it appear as if he had just sustained severe injuries.
Once he had covered himself in bl**d, Gregor took out a small bag from his bag and tossed it to Hadi. Upon receiving it, Hadi pressed the contents of the small bag, feeling the hard object inside before securing it on his person. He then looked at Gregor, who appeared grim.
“Alright, everything is ready… Are you prepared, Mr. Shadow Faced Man?”
“At any time…” Gregor replied, his tone disciplined. He scanned the surroundings, observed the appearance of himself and Hadi, and then looked toward the distant warehouse, a hint of worry crossing his features.
“According to your earlier words, Mr. Detective, there may be a White Chalk Tier and several Black Earth Tier combatants in there… To deal with such a setup, the An Yin Bureau would at least need to deploy two White Chalk teams to act in concert. It’s just the three of us facing them… is that not a problem?”
“Don’t worry, it’s not an issue. As long as each of us plays our role and coordinates properly, it won’t take much effort. Even if some aspects don’t go well and there are mistakes, I have follow-up measures. With that lady assisting us in the shadows, there shouldn’t be a major problem.”
With a calm demeanor, Hadi spoke directly. Although Gregor still had a slight hint of worry in his eyes, he nodded, recalling the mysterious lady who had just left. Gregor couldn’t help but ponder.
In Gregor’s impression, the woman appeared to be quite enigmatic, possessing an extraordinary ability that could rival that of the detective. The sentinel standing guard seemed to have been brought about by her capabilities. Gregor sensed that she might be a mysterious extraordinary being above his own level, and she gave him an uncanny sense of déjà vu.
‘A detective capable of exerting influence from afar, and a mysterious lady able to control subconscious behavior with her invisible abilities… the power wielded by the Rosy Cross is rare and elusive, making them difficult to defend against… such an organization cannot be measured against typical standards of power. I cannot apply the Bureau’s criteria to the Rosy Cross…’
As he reflected on this in his heart, realizing that the power of the Rosy Cross could not be judged by ordinary reasoning, Gregor felt much of his initial anxiety lift. He then became more relaxed and prepared to execute the upcoming plan.
“Alright, then let’s begin.”
—
In the outskirts of the southern district, within an abandoned warehouse, a half-enclosed space formed by a pile of haphazard stones bore the “Silence” magical array drawn with ash. At its center lay the bound and unconscious Nunut.
At the edge of the array, Atif, clad in a robe and sporting a beard, sat cross-legged, fixated on the severe soul-protecting mark on Nunut, trying to analyze a way to break it.
While Nunut was immersed in the process of dispelling the ritual, he suddenly sensed a strong signal that only an extraordinary being like “Silence” could perceive. It was the anguished cries of ghosts, a warning sound from the spirits stationed around the perimeter of the warehouse.
Upon hearing the sound that only “Silencers” could detect, he immediately furrowed his brow, then stood up from his meditative position and hurried out of the half-enclosed space formed by the crumbling brick walls into the broader area of the warehouse. As he emerged, he saw three of his subordinates quickly converging toward him.
“Lord Atif, the spirits outside are causing a commotion! Someone has invaded!” one subordinate said, visibly anxious. Atif scanned the warehouse environment, and after not seeing any immediate abnormalities, he sternly replied.
“Where is Hadi? Tonight should be his watch!”
Before any further responses could emerge from his subordinates, the warehouse door suddenly creaked open, and a staggering figure emerged—Hadi.
“Master, outside… someone’s broken in! They’re incredibly strong; I stand no chance…”
Wincing in terror, Hadi approached Atif, cradling one arm. At first, Atif was eager to have Hadi report, but something felt off as he observed Hadi’s disheveled appearance.
Although Hadi spoke the language of Northern Ufeiga, his accent was strange, and his clothing was unkempt. In the light, Atif noticed that the lining of Hadi’s garments looked different from what he remembered. This series of abnormalities made Atif recall something Hadi had mentioned earlier in the day.
In the Blackwater District, there had been a figure who bore an identical appearance to the captured Old Butler distributing goods. At that moment, Atif had suspected that this bizarre event was no coincidence; there shouldn’t be two people who looked exactly alike unless they were brothers or someone with an extraordinary ability had copied another’s appearance.
Realizing this, Atif’s eyes widened slightly. He turned to Hadi who was approaching him and sharply commanded, “Wait! Don’t come any closer! Stay where you are!” As Hadi was about to reach his side, Atif immediately stopped him, and upon hearing Atif’s words, not only did Hadi’s face reflect confusion, but the few subordinates beside him were also surprised.
“Master… what is this…?”
After being commanded to stop, Hadi looked at Atif with a puzzled expression, while Atif fixed his serious gaze on Hadi and sternly asked.
“Hadi, now answer me: What is your full name? Where do you come from? When did we first meet?” Atif shot three consecutive questions at Hadi. Upon hearing them, Hadi’s face blanked for a moment, and confusion deepened.
“Ah… my full name, let me think…”
With a somewhat flustered tone, Hadi replied, and seeing him hesitate to answer, Atif’s expression grew cold. His hand discreetly tightened around a shard of bone hidden beneath his robe.
“Stop!”
At that moment, a noise came again from the warehouse entrance. Everyone turned toward the door where Hadi had just entered, only to witness a shocking scene.
A bl**d-soaked man, appearing weak and without an outer garment, was propped against the warehouse door. He shot a resentful glare at Hadi within, his bl**d-stained face bearing an identical countenance to Hadi’s. Upon seeing him, Atif’s subordinates were bewildered.
What’s happening? There are two Hadis?!
“That guy… is a fake! He can take on the appearance of others… he is… an extraordinary being… a fraud!”
The frail Hadi leaning against the door shakily raised his hand, pointing to the other Hadi inside the warehouse, warning with bl**d on his lips. The Hadi with the darker expression turned his head, confronting the weak Hadi at the door.
“You… you’re still alive!” he seethed, teeth clenched, addressing the counterpart who bore the same face as him. Upon hearing these words and witnessing the prior events, everyone in the warehouse understood the situation.
It was clear now; Hadi had been attacked and replaced! The one who took his place possessed an extraordinary ability to change his appearance, and that person was right inside the warehouse!
After grasping the situation, Atif’s subordinates immediately became alert toward the nearest Hadi, while that Hadi, seeing the change in circumstance, gritted his teeth and drew a dagger, charging at Atif as if preparing for a last stand.
Facing the approaching “fake Hadi,” Atif, who had been prepared, was hardly fazed. He gripped the shard tightly and unleashed a gust of chilling wind.
The frost-laden breath of coldness surged from Atif’s mouth toward the “fake Hadi.” The frigid aura struck, ensnaring his entire body in penetrating cold. Gradually, “fake Hadi” lost functionality in the ice’s grip, succumbing as he fell directly to the ground, his lifeless face frozen in a final, resentful grimace.
After using his ability to eliminate “fake Hadi,” Atif couldn’t help but exhale in relief. He and his remaining subordinates turned their attention to the true Hadi, who appeared to be on the brink of collapse.
“Hadi! How are you holding up? Stay strong!”
As they saw the condition of “true Hadi,” the treasure hunters intended to rush over to help. But at this moment, panting heavily and covered in bl**d, “true Hadi” could no longer support his own weight and collapsed to the ground. He raised his head to stare at his former comrades, trembling as he pointed at them and weakly warned.
“Be… careful… there are still replaced ones besides me… that guy… he has accomplices… he wants to create chaos and then seize the opportunity… be careful…”
After saying this, “true Hadi” crumpled into a motionless heap, seemingly succumbing to his injuries. Upon seeing “true Hadi” collapse, the treasure hunters in the warehouse paused momentarily, exchanging glances filled with suspicion.
Having heard “true Hadi’s” dying words, all the treasure hunters understood that the current crisis was not yet resolved. The extraordinary being capable of changing appearances was not just one! There were likely more of his kind lurking close by! Others had been replaced!
Realizing that enemies might be within their ranks, the treasure hunters instinctively distanced themselves from one another, including Atif, who began scrutinizing his comrades with suspicion, contemplating who could be the true enemy. The atmosphere in the room grew tense.
“I’m the real one! Lord Atif, I was just back there the whole time…”
“Lord Atif, I haven’t been replaced. I was guarding the door during the ritual…”
“I’m the real one…”
The tension escalated as the scene erupted into chaos, three treasure hunters began fervently proclaiming their authenticity to Atif, who would be the least likely candidate to be swapped. Amid the growing tension, Atif remained composed.
“Calm down! Everyone quiet! One at a time, I’ll ask you questions! As long as you can answer correctly, that’ll be enough!”
Atif’s stern command regained order for the moment, and after hearing his words, the three treasure hunters fell silent, ready for Atif to verify each one of them.
But just as Atif prepared to question the first subordinate, something suddenly stirred in the pile of frost-covered “fake Hadi” on the ground.
Hidden within “fake Hadi’s” clothing was a small package filled with gray powder, and inside it was an iron box. At that moment, something sparked in the mouse within the iron box, triggering the explosives inside to detonate.
“Boom!”
With a deafening roar, the iron box exploded, violently shattering nearby small packages, sending a cloud of dust spiraling into the air. The chaos obscured visibility within the warehouse, filling the space with a dense haze.
“Cough cough… what is this?”
“I can’t see anything!”
“Be careful! Don’t let that guy take advantage of it!”
The bomb’s power was not enormous, and the explosive shockwave was somewhat distant, so it didn’t inflict too much harm on the treasure hunters. However, the verifying process they had just begun was abruptly interrupted, and the dust now clouding the warehouse plunged the atmosphere back into a tense state. The hunters surveyed their chaotic surroundings, sinking into deep anxiety.
“That guy wants to create confusion and then strike…”
This warning echoed in the hearts of every treasure hunter—a reminder to be wary of the substitutes still lurking among them! Now this very situation resembled the chaos described in the dying words!
So, when would the substitute strike next?!
Realizing this, the treasure hunters felt a knot of anxiety tighten in their throats, each pulling out their hidden bone shards, slipping into a defensive stance. They regarded the hazy figures around them, suspecting each shadow might belong to an enemy, ready to attack at any moment.
With tension running high, their minds sharpened to a point, fears of being ambushed whirled in frantic thoughts—they couldn’t shake the feeling that every blurred image held a potential threat. With the sentiment of enmity rising, they all developed an overwhelming urge to strike back.
Since they perceived the others as enemies, should they preemptively seize the initiative? Instead of waiting for the enemy to make a move, wouldn’t it be better to strike first? Remaining on the defensive seemed too passive; could they really defend against an ambush from a fake?!
So perhaps… they should make the first move themselves…
k*ll the enemy before they could strike! No matter which shadow in the haze was the true threat, it no longer mattered!
In this high-pressure mental state, those thoughts festered among the treasure hunters, spreading uncontrollably, igniting a spark of madness in each—each one now seeing enemies everywhere.
