Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Whispers in the Shadows

Dave Sager was the sole survivor of that previous accident, and when he barely managed to escape back to Pato City, he was already grievously wounded and near death. The sheer number of injuries on his body had turned him into a mess of pixels; seven or eight claw marks deep enough to reveal bone and a penetrating wound at his shoulder blade could have easily claimed Dave's life. The unique venom of the Red Ridge Beast had practically kicked him through the gates of hell...

Yet, miraculously, he was saved. According to a clergy member of the Holy Alliance, Dave must have been blessed by a god. The divine spells that should have only been able to do their best on him instead triggered some kind of resonance, as if a deity had personally lent him a hand. Several wounds that were originally fatal healed instantly under that trace of divine power.

And that absolutely could not have been a divine spell that a mere High Priest could cast!

This young man was favored by the gods...

Soon, this news spread through the city like it had grown wings~

Cole had told Mo Tan this, and the Thieves' Guild's intelligence was no different.

But from Mo Tan's current perspective, this so-called 'Dave, who is still seriously injured and insists on praying daily at the Holy Church for his fallen comrades, leaving only after sunset,' was as healthy as could be!

[Heh~ Even a careless pretty-boy like that can fool those holy men. It seems the so-called Holy Alliance is just a bunch of nearsighted small fry...]

Mo silently remarked to himself, subtly shifting his angle to get a more comfortable view of the movements inside the room.

By now, most of you have probably guessed it: before logging off last time, the character 'Tan Mo' had already infiltrated Dave's home and made some preparations, like drilling a hole in the wardrobe.

At this point, it's necessary to thank Mr. Baud. The disposable lockpicking tools he provided for Mo Tan were of excellent quality. Even a seemingly ordinary anti-theft door, whose lock core was mixed with rare Red Demon Gold, couldn't hold out for two minutes.

By the way, there is a Lockpicking Level in [Innocent Realm], but there is no [Lockpicking] skill. After all, if a player could just mutter a skill name with empty hands and break in through a door, it would be far too illogical...

The Lockpicking Level depends on personal talent and experience. If a professional locksmith played this game, their initial Lockpicking Level would probably be around seven or eight. Conversely, if you level up your Lockpicking Level in [Innocent Realm], you'd be pretty good at sneaky stuff when you return to reality~

And just before Mo Tan logged off, after dealing with Dave's front door, he immediately heard a system notification.

[Your Lockpicking Level has been unlocked. Current Lockpicking Level: 9. Guile School Level +3]

Let's not delve too deeply into that, or else this chapter won't have room for anything else~

Back to the main topic...

Dave finally tore off all the bandages on his body. His bare upper body showed no signs of injury, but Mo Tan noticed that beneath the skin in a few places, a hint of black was flowing.

"Another day of torment." Dave took several deep breaths, his expression filled with disgust as he glanced at the pile of bloodstained bandages on the floor, curling his lips gloomily. "Dull, tedious, nauseating!"

This twisted, resentment-laden demeanor was almost impossible to connect with the honest and kind-hearted Dave.

Of course, this was far from surprising in Mo Tan's eyes at the moment. He rolled his eyes, even feeling a bit bored...

Boom!

A flash of dark gray fire swept over, instantly incinerating the pile of bandages—whose purpose was roughly akin to stage costumes—into a heap of ash. In this process, aside from the faint boom that was barely louder than a fart, there was no trace of the heat or energy fluctuations typical of flames. It resembled neither divine magic nor arcane sorcery.

And although Mo Tan lacked the God's Perspective we have at this moment, he had already made a judgment in no time.

[Dark magic, huh...]

He raised an eyebrow slightly, squinting at the pile of ash-like residue on the floor, directly confirming his earlier suspicion.

[There are traces of corrosion, and though not very obvious, a faint chill did seem to brush by just now. Combined with the previous intel and his current state, he's ninety-nine percent a heretic.]

Mo Tan really wanted to whistle, but he held back...

Meanwhile, Dave, who seemed to have vented a bit of emotion, was standing there grinning foolishly. He naturally had no idea that he wasn't alone in the room—someone was hiding in the wardrobe.

[If a woman claiming to be his girlfriend burst in right now, yanked open the wardrobe, and dragged me out, that would be a masterpiece~]

Mo Tan suddenly thought to himself, and then...

Bang bang bang!

A knock came at the door, and the smirk Mo Tan had been wearing immediately twitched.

"Who is it?" Dave asked politely toward the door, while quickly drawing a line across his body with his finger. Instantly, a dozen gruesome wounds appeared, oozing crimson blood.

But there was no trace of pain on his face—only the disgust and impatience that starkly contrasted with his polite tone.

"In the name of the God of Whispers! Open the door, you fool!!"

A cold voice suddenly rang through the room, startling both Dave and Mo Tan. The difference was that after the initial shock, Dave broke into a sweat, threw on his coat, and rushed to the door, while the person in the wardrobe revealed an indescribable smile...

It was a smile so pure it carried no emotion at all.

Before long, Dave returned from the doorway, followed by a man entirely shrouded in a wide cloak.

Determining the gender of this person was far too easy for Mo Tan. Without needing to see their face, just by observing their gait, stride length, and a few extremely subtle details, he could make the inference.

"Lord!" Dave respectfully invited the visitor to sit at the table, bowing slightly. "May I ask why you have come to see me in person... rather than through the Book of Whispers..."

The visitor snorted coldly, raising a hand to cut off Dave's words, then a hoarse voice that seemed to come from both near and far echoed around them: "Do you have any idea how many things you nearly ruined? And you still have the nerve to ask why I came personally?!"

Dave shuddered all over, stammering softly in reply: "Your subordinate... your subordinate does not know..."

"You don't know?" The slightly distorted voice was filled with rage: "Then let me ask you! Why didn't you dispose of Ai FanYe on the spot that day? Why didn't you personally confirm Cole Shulen's death? Why didn't you turn back and command those two Red Ridge Beasts to leave you wounds, instead of taking it upon yourself to abuse Divine Power for a disguise?!"

Dave was stunned for a long moment, then muttered in defense: "Cole facing those two Red Ridge Beasts alone should have been certain death. When he decided to hold the rear, I knew that guy was ready to die for Rona... And after I attacked FanYe, there was no way she could have walked out of that..."

"That little grove!?" The other let out a suppressed roar: "Then why, after I received your report and rushed there, did I only find a mound burying Rada Dona and two patches of bloodstains?! But no trace of that little priestess or the body of the one who supposedly 'died for love'!!"

Dave's face instantly turned deathly pale, and he swayed, nearly collapsing to the ground.

He truly hadn't expected such a turn of events under those circumstances...

Of course, what Dave didn't know was that the instigator of this whole chain of accidents was leaning against the wardrobe in his own home, watching with keen interest as he trembled before this 'Lord'.

"Hmph, stop panicking." The other said darkly: "Count yourself lucky. We've just reached the most critical phase of this stage's plan. Otherwise, I would have made you personally experience the pleasure of Soul-Crushing Whisper today!"

Hearing that the other had no immediate intention of punishing him, Dave finally calmed down a bit, then showed a terrified expression and stammered: "Th-thank you, Lord... But if those two, FanYe and Shulen, didn't die, wouldn't I be..."

"Steady yourself, you waste!" The other barked sternly, then shook his head slightly: "Although Cole Shulen's body wasn't found, it's possible those two beasts ate him. After all, that elf mage's body was also missing. Even if he survived by some miracle, logically, he shouldn't know what you did..."

【Tsk tsk, jumping to conclusions like that. While it's theoretically possible, his thinking isn't thorough enough. Can someone like this really be an executive under that so-called God of Whispers? A bit disappointing...】

Mo Tan thought to himself with a hint of sarcasm, while fully concealing his presence.

The 'Lord' paused briefly, then continued: "As for that little priestess, she really should be alive, and she witnessed your actions firsthand. But there's no need to worry too much. She was seriously injured after all. If she had returned to the city in the past two days, there's no way I wouldn't know. When the time comes, I'll take control of her and quietly dispose of her after everything is settled..."

"You still..." Dave looked at the other man with some confusion. He could understand the part about Cole, but the latter half left him a bit bewildered.

As if seeing through his doubts, the man let out a sneer, then raised a hand to pull back the hood of his cloak.

Revealing a face...

A thoroughly ordinary face!

"Lord Lang En!?" Dave gasped as if he'd seen a ghost. "How could it be you?"

The middle-aged man named 'Lang En' sitting before him chuckled softly, his round face radiating kindness and benevolence, looking every bit the old good-natured soul.

【Oh, so it turns out villains these days have moved past the beastly route and the cross-dressing route, and are going for the approachable common-folk style now...】

Mo Tan quickly committed the man's appearance and features to memory while silently mocking him in his mind.

"Now do you understand?" Lang En asked Dave with a beaming smile. "I've already given specific orders to my subordinates. From today onward, whether it's Cole Shulen or Ai FanYe, the moment they enter Pato City, they'll be brought straight to me for 'meticulous care.'"

【Mm, good. It seems you never considered the possibility that they might enter the city that very night. Who told you they'd definitely come back after your lackey here?】

Mo Tan rolled his eyes secretly...

"The plan proceeds as usual." Lang En smiled at Dave, who had completely relaxed. "But this time, you must strictly follow the rules. No more mistakes."

A trace of coldness in those seemingly gentle small eyes sent a chill down Dave's spine, and he immediately nodded: "Rest assured, Lord. I won't mess up this time. First thing tomorrow, I'll have the Holy Alliance grant me the title of Temporary Paladin, then go outside the city and personally kill those two Red Ridge Beasts to avenge my 'comrades'~"

When he said that last sentence, Dave smiled very happily...

And Mo Tan smiled very happily too~

"Excellent." Lang En nodded with a cheerful chuckle. "After you return, you'll be fully qualified to become a true 'Holy Church Knight.' To commend your achievements and everything you've done for Pato City, I'll suggest to the Holy Church that you, this 'hero,' undergo a baptism with the Water of the Gods. Then, using Our Lord's Whisper Divine Power to create a convincing imitation, we'll have you recognized directly as a 'God's Favorite'!"

But upon hearing this, Dave's face filled with terror, and he exclaimed in shock: "The... Water of the Gods!?"

"That's right." Lang En nodded. "The highest level of baptism our Pato City can achieve."

"But Lord!" Dave shook his head, his face ashen. "When I first joined the faith and underwent baptism, I was nearly burned by ordinary Holy Water. If this time it's water blessed by the gods... wouldn't I..."

Lang En shrugged: "Nothing will happen to you. I'll find a way to have someone swap it out that day. You just need to use Our Lord's divine power to cover it up. Understand?"

This was probably the umpteenth time that night Dave let out a long sigh of relief, nodding vigorously: "Understood!"

"Mm... by the way, you probably don't know the new location of our sect's stronghold yet, do you?"

"Stronghold~?"

"I do not know, my lord."

"I would very much like to know as well~"

"It is..."

"Is it?"

Mo Tan pricked up his ears, focusing intently. He was extremely, extremely interested in the heretic stronghold and such~

And then...

[You have been forcibly disconnected. Please choose whether to reconnect.]

"..."

[Reconnecting...]

[Connection established. Loading character information...]

[Welcome back, Chaotic Evil Mo. About to load into the Innocent Realm. Good night.]

...

Southwest of the Innocent Continent, within the Chauvin Empire

Beneath a canopy of stars, an unbroken stretch of tents stood upon the plains. At that moment, from the most ornate among them—the Silver-Patterned Grand Tent—a figure slowly emerged, draped in a Black Cloak and wearing a Half Mask.

The hazy moonlight, hidden beneath a thin veil of clouds, struggled desperately...

Yet still could not illuminate his features.

Chapter 32: The End