Chapter 32

Chapter 32

If Lann could see the players' live stream comments right now, he would definitely have an answer for them.

"Of course, he's a problem."

"Amos Durell, the very person Lann suspected of casting resurrection magic. A schemer, despicable for harming numerous NPCs, one of the villains despised by players."

"In the past, his appearance almost always signaled the onset of a major event, typically as the mastermind behind the scenes."

"Honestly, Lann was beginning to think about withdrawing."

"He had thought Archie's issue wouldn't be easy to resolve, but involving this man made things seem too complicated."

"At that moment, Amos looked at Lann again. When their eyes met, filled with scrutinizing intent, Amos couldn't help feeling a surge of pleasure."

"He had noticed, he had perceived."

"Amos's lips curled into a smile."

"He was confident in the charm of his appearance, combined with his disguise-oriented origin ability. Normally, anyone seeing him for the first time would feel an instant liking, even lowering their guard. But Lann's gaze and his changed attitude suggested that he had recognized him as the black-clad man from the banquet a few days ago."

"Even more, Lann might have already sensed that this was a trap set for him."

"Otherwise, it was hard to explain the wariness in his eyes and his allowance of his followers' uninhibited search."

"Thinking this, Amos was already struggling to contain his excitement, his lips quivering with the effort."

"This wouldn't do; the stage was missing its most important guest. How could the play go on? He needed to up the stakes to keep his prey in the trap."

"Alright then, I thought you were the people who often came here some time ago," Amos pretended to be embarrassed as he withdrew his hand, "It seems I was mistaken. I'll go back to my work then. If you need anything, just call me. I'm right next door."

"Wait," Archie's eyes flickered, "You mean someone used to come here frequently before?"

"Yes, I heard quite clearly from next door. Someone came here every two or three days," Amos replied.

"Every two or three days?"

Archie opened his mouth: "Did they enter normally?"

"At least I didn't hear any signs of lock picking," Amos answered gently.

"Archie carefully observed Amos's expression, finding no traces of deceit."

"The players, however, were more direct, blatantly scrutinizing Amos’s face."

"[You didn't notice anything.]"

"Two Muggles with no points in psychology: ..."

"Lann had the chance to roll the dice, but after hesitating, he decided not to waste his valuable opportunity for today: 'Have you ever seen what the person who comes here looks like?'"

"Amos pondered for a moment and replied, 'I don’t think so... I’m usually working inside when he comes. But once, I caught a glimpse of his back. About 1.8 meters tall, with blond hair.'"

"Archie involuntarily shuddered. These traits matched Albert’s characteristics."

"'Is it someone you know?' Amos asked curiously, his eyes smiling as they swept over Archie, gently brushing past the pristine orchid, then returning to Lann."

"He still couldn’t see through Lann, but thinking of that stunningly beautiful flower, his eyes involuntarily betrayed a hint of fervor. His lips curled up, revealing a glimpse of a red tongue, like a hunting snake with an implied threat: 'I wonder what he’s doing here, maybe he’s looking for something.'"

"The bait had been set."

"What will you do now?"

"Although that man had said not to touch Archie, if he got involved on his own, it wouldn’t be his fault, right?"

"[Hiss, something's off, this guy seems a bit shady.]"

"[Tsk tsk, the new NPC's gaze towards Lann is anything but innocent.]"

"[A new ship has emerged, I'm shipping it!]"

"Lann, pensive, thought of the blond-haired man... The only blond-haired man he knew was Albert, and judging by Archie's expression, he seemed to have thought the same."

"But what would he be doing here? Weren’t all clues in this place exhausted? Or is there an important clue here that none of them had discovered?"

"Archie, too, considered this, his expression growing grimmer as he turned and walked back into the apartment."

"Amos stood still, watching him with a smile, then turned his curious gaze to Lann, wondering what his decision would be."

"Based on Archie's frequent visits to Lann's clinic these past few days, Amos was almost certain that Archie was a disciple chosen by Lann."

"Though he didn't know why, Amos was curious about how Lann, an unnamed entity yet to awaken, would treat his follower."

"Would he abandon him without hesitation, exploit Archie, or feign concern?"

"Each of these choices would gradually sketch out an image in Amos's mind, helping him to decide his next plan of action."

"However, Lann's reaction once again defied Amos's expectations."

"He glanced indifferently at himself, his gaze devoid of sorrow or joy, as if no one's reflection could be found in them, as though no one in this world mattered to him. He turned, his long legs striding into the room."

"Amos's burning emotions cooled under that look, and after a moment, he smirked self-deprecatingly:"

"Even knowing, you don't care, do you?"

"Indeed, why would a god care about the thoughts of mere ants?"

"But wouldn't it be more interesting if a mighty deity were to fall into the schemes of those very ants?"

……

"Although Lann yearned to turn and leave immediately, it wouldn't be ethical to sneak away since they had all come together. So, he too entered the apartment, carefully closing the door behind him. In the narrowing gap of the door, he thought he heard Amos's laughter."

"Lann: ? What's that lunatic laughing about?"

"Macha Green Tea quietly tugged at his sleeve, and upon seeing him look down, whispered into Lann's ear, 'What Arlong said was right; we really did hear some strange noises from the next apartment.'"

"After pondering for a moment, Lann, looking at the eager Arlong and Macha Green Tea, said, 'I don't think it's a good idea for you to directly confront him.'"

"If it was the Amos he knew, dealing with two magic-less players would be a piece of cake; they wouldn't even have a chance to resist."

"However…" Lann's gaze deepened, "that apartment manager might be a problem. His deliberate interruption seems like a warning to someone inside, doesn’t it?"

"Arlong and Macha Green Tea's eyes lit up."

"Seeing that they understood his hint, Lann curled his lips slightly: 'Go ahead.'"

"Macha Green Tea nodded seriously and pulled Arlong downstairs, while Lann watched Archie searching around, contemplating whether to suggest leaving soon."

"The appearance of Amos undoubtedly caught Lann off guard."

"Based on his understanding of this peculiar 'supporting character,' Amos's presence usually heralded violence and chaos. If possible, Lann preferred to keep his distance."

"Yet, whether intentional or not, the hints subtly dropped by Amos had undoubtedly become a hook to entangle Archie."

"Archie's top priority now is to recover those memories, and next, to understand Albert's actions. Curious as well, Lann wonders why Albert, now a member of the Foreigners, repeatedly visits here in secret from Archie."

"What is it about this place that makes it worth his persistent searches?"

"Is it closely related to the reason behind Archie's father's death?"

"Lann knows without asking that Archie definitely won't leave this place now, so he joins him in searching the apartment. Unfortunately, after a thorough five-minute search, they find no useful clues."

"It's understandable; if it were that easy to find, Albert wouldn't need to come here so often."

"Is it closely related to the reason behind Archie's father's death?"

"Suddenly, Lann turns his attention to the other furniture in the house. Removing the white covers, he notices some pieces are less dusty but show signs of mold or discoloration due to long periods of neglect."

"However, the books on the bookshelf seem almost untouched."

"Initially, he thought it was because the white cloth prevented dust, but what if it was concealing something?"

"Returning to the bookshelf, Lann scrutinizes it more closely and indeed finds unnatural scratches, two or three lines that no one would notice without careful examination."

"Could these be a secret code of the Foreigners?"

"That doesn't add up; if Albert recognized these as a code, why wouldn't he move these books to the Foreigners' location?"

"Suddenly, Lann remembers something, closes his eyes, and temporarily enters the state of the Dream Gap. Upon entering the fog-filled space, he immediately grabs one of the erratically moving small light orbs."

"A familiar yet strange scene appears before him. It's the police station he once visited."

"The surroundings seem to be an office. Lann sees Edmund quietly in a corner, absorbed in his work, seemingly isolated from the others by an invisible barrier."

"After hesitating for a moment, Lann tries to call out mentally:"

"Edmund."

Edmund suddenly stood up and emotionlessly walked out of the office under the astonished gaze of his colleagues.

No one in the office spoke until Edmund left. Then, team leader Greville sighed, addressing the other members, "Edmund only recently returned and explained his heightened sensitivity was due to his breakthrough in the first layer of the Dream Gap. Don't be so cold towards him."

"Yeah, got it, captain," replied Aisha with a shrug, "We just couldn't find a topic to talk about."

"That's good then."

After closing the office door, Edmund found a secluded corner and hesitantly began, "My lord?"

"It's me," Lann said, "Sorry for calling you out suddenly. I have a question for you."

"No, no, don't apologize to me," Edmund hurriedly replied. Lann could see Edmund's deer-like eyes filled with confusion and embarrassment as he nervously scratched his cheek, "I'm glad to be of help."

"Alright, to cut to the chase, do you investigators have secret code classes or specific ciphers for passing information?"

"Yes, we do. I still remember them." Edmund went into the men's restroom at the police station, turned on the tap, and started drawing with his wet finger on the mirror, "The Bureau's secret codes include general ones known to all investigators, and special codes for teams or individuals on highly confidential missions. I only know the general codes."

After receiving the information from Edmund, Lann opened his eyes and looked towards a corner of the bookshelf.

Two long marks and one short, indeed matching what Edmund described.

Following the cipher's hint, Lann pulled a book from the shelf, but was unable to decipher further. He stared blankly at the pages and turned to ask, "Archie, have these books on the shelf been rearranged?"

Archie looked back confusedly, "Of course, these books were initially thrown out. I later retrieved them from the recycling station, but some were already missing. What's on the shelf is all we could recover."

As expected, it wasn't that simple.

Lann sighed and turned back to the bookshelf. With the order completely scrambled, the cipher lost its meaning. The Bureau's ciphers are complex; unlocking one part reveals another. Without the corresponding secret code, the book with hidden clues might as well be lost to them.

Is this just fate?

With the threat of neighbor Amos still looming, Lann really didn't want to linger here. Just as he was about to urge Archie to leave first, hurried footsteps approached the door. Instinctively, Lann looked in that direction. At the same time, Archie, having finished tidying the bedroom, walked out expressionlessly and followed Lann's gaze to the door.

At the door appeared Matcha Milk Green and Arlong. Seeing these two, especially Arlong in women's clothing, almost choked Lann.

"…What's this about?"

It must be mentioned again that Arlong's character card was of a boy, but with his not-so-tall stature, he could indeed pass off in a flowing white dress.

That is, as long as he didn't speak. Otherwise, his rough voice would give him away.

Recovering from the excitement of finding clues, Arlong glanced down at himself and awkwardly tried to cover his arms, "Wait, let me explain!"

[Hahaha, I've always wanted to see this scene!]

[Even the NPC is stunned, hilarious.]

[I'm dying of laughter, who made you invest in the charm skill for social interaction? Now you have to charm NPCs in a dress, hahaha.]

[It's a pity Lann didn't come down earlier, otherwise we could have seen a player in drag charming an NPC and catching his attention.]

[Arlong is such a gentleman, everyone take a screenshot before you go.]

Arlong, too embarrassed to look at the chat, desperately signaled Matcha Milk Green with his eyes, "Hey, say something, will you? We're on the same team, right!?"

Matcha Milk Green silently moved away from Arlong, muttering, "I don't know any cross-dressing weirdo."

Arlong wished he could burrow into the ground. Had he known, he wouldn't have maxed out his charm skill based on viewers' mischievous suggestions. Weren't other serious negotiation skills better?

Though it did make for good entertainment…

Fortunately for Arlong, his embarrassment was short-lived as Lann and Archie quickly noticed the apartment manager tied up behind them, his mouth gagged, probably to keep him from talking too much.

Lann was startled, "What's going on here?"

"Oh, right! Lann, I just snuck into the manager's rest room and discovered his secret. He's been stealing belongings from the apartment residents. Let's call the police and send him to the station," Matcha Milk Green suggested.

"Mmmph, mmmph!" The apartment manager, Frank, seemed to want to say something, but couldn't because his mouth was tied. He looked at Archie pleadingly.

Archie frowned and stepped forward to untie the cloth from Frank's mouth. Frank quickly begged, "Please let me go this once. I was just blinded by greed. Don't send me to the police, I can't lose this job!"

"Every thief says that," Alon remarked, rolling his eyes. Matcha milk green's eyes twinkled, "We can avoid calling the police, but you have to clarify whether you're a cultist. We found quite a few books in your rest area."

Frank paused, then a cold smirk appeared on his face: "So that's why you came here, I see..."

"But I'd advise you to think carefully before speaking! Arkham is a city that respects religious freedom. And instead of asking me, why don't you ask Mr. Hayes here?"

Frank said sarcastically, "After all, his father is a well-known 'fanatic' around here, a man so devoted to his faith that he'd abandon his wife and child."

The two players were taken aback, their gaze shifting to Archie, whose expression remained cold. Laine's task didn't mention anything about Archie's father; they thought it was just a routine investigation.

[What does this mean? Is Archie's father a cultist?]

[Wait a minute, I'm a bit confused. Wasn't Alon's task to assist Laine in investigating clues about mystical forces?]

[Can't believe you haven't realized it yet. Seeing Archie's strange reaction when he entered this room, it's obvious that this is related to him.]

Under their watchful eyes, Archie closed his eyes and remained silent. Frank's attitude suddenly became arrogant, "Release me now! Or I'll sue you for assaulting an innocent person!"

"You'll be caught for theft before that," Alon said coldly.

"Shut up, you freak!" Frank glared fiercely at him, then averted his gaze as if stung, "Hmph, go ahead and try, see if I get arrested!"

[Why has his attitude become so arrogant?]

[It seems his reaction changed suddenly when the cult was mentioned.]

Matcha milk green and Alon exchanged looks, also sensing something off about Frank, whose voice faded as he saw their reaction. Frank's face grew more excited, "If I get taken to the police station, don't blame me for not holding back. I heard Dr. Archie works at the police station? Heh, I wonder if your colleagues know what your father used to be involved in…"

Before he could finish, Archie, who had been staring at him, suddenly stepped forward, grabbed Frank by the neck, and lifted him up.

Laine and the players were stunned by this sudden action. Frank, equally shocked, struggled as his face turned red from lack of oxygen, "Cough, cough - let go!"

[Wow, why the sudden violence!?]

[I thought this NPC was the calm and composed type. Turns out he has such a volatile temper?]

The two players were unsure of what to do, while Archie's eyes were bloodshot as he glared at the struggling and weakening Frank. A sense of brutality and madness was slowly spreading from the depths of his heart.

Just a few more seconds, and this life would end in his hands.

At this moment, Lann spoke up, "Archie."

Archie showed no response, prompting Lann to frown and step forward, grasping Archie's arm and forcibly turning his face towards him, "Killing someone here, do you want to end up in prison?"

Archie looked blankly at Lann's face, and slowly, the blood-red in his eyes faded away. Realizing what he had done, he released his grip, and Frank collapsed, coughing desperately. His head, filled with blood, spun, leaving him with nothing but endless fear.

He thought he would die, believing the madman would kill.

Seeing Archie looking over again, Frank, terrified, scrambled on the floor, hoarsely begging, "Don’t kill me, please! I’ll tell you everything, I didn’t mean to, they made me do it!"

"Who made you do what?" Arlong reacted immediately, making a fierce face in front of the terrified Frank, "Speak up!"

"I'll talk! I was told to send signals... I..."

Suddenly, rapid footsteps echoed from the hallway. Several burly men stood at the end of the corridor. Before anyone could react, they lifted their guns.

Given the current positioning in the hallway, Lann and Archie were directly in the line of fire. In this critical moment, Archie instinctively pulled Lann behind him.

The guns fired. Amidst the ensuing gunfire, screams, and confusion, Lann watched in horror as the bullets hit Archie straight on. The black-haired doctor's eyes seemed to hold a trace of surprise, as if even he didn't expect to react that way.

“No, stop! I’m still here!” Frank, also caught in the crossfire, couldn’t help but scream in agony.

Lann broke out in a cold sweat, his mind blank. Having lived in a peaceful era in his past life, this was his first direct encounter with gunfire, and he almost got shot.

At that moment, the jester mark on his wrist flashed, and his physical abilities were greatly enhanced. Everything around him seemed to slow down in his eyes.

In that instant, Lann made the most rational decision. He grabbed Frank to use as a shield and kicked the players into the room in one swift motion.

The corridor was short, and the burly men kept firing as they charged. In just two or three seconds, they reached Lann, who looked up calmly to meet their gaze, only to discover that they all wore infrared tactical goggles.

It was too late for Archie to help. Lann let go of Archie's arm, and the doctor collapsed instantly. At the same time, the first assailant lunged at Lann, who calmly dodged and found himself facing the reloaded gun.

Lann’s heart raced, but he appeared calm. Amidst the chaotic battlefield, he stepped forward, grabbed the gun barrel before the man could fire, and deflected it to the left. The shot fired, hitting another assailant from behind. Lann then snatched the pistol and struck the man's neck with the butt of the gun.

The man hit in the neck fell to the ground. Lann turned back to see that the remaining assailants had turned into fine dust.

A butterfly that had flown away earlier now returned, affectionately landing on Lann’s shoulder and rubbing against his face.

Lann absentmindedly touched the butterfly, noticing its patterns seemed even more vivid.

The soul-eating butterfly usually feeds on human life force and souls. A newly awakened one would crave human life even more, but for some reason, his rarely showed any desire to attack humans, spending most of its time motionless on his clothing. Sometimes, Lann would almost forget its existence.

However, today’s circle of dust on the ground reminded him of the butterfly’s fearsome nature.

Right, Archie!

Lann lowered his head to check on Archie and was stunned. Archie's bullet wounds bled very little, and he wasn’t critically injured or unconscious, but rather asleep.

"Tranquilizer bullet?"

Suddenly, the sound of glass shattering came from inside the room, followed by the players' screams.

Lann looked inside to see all the apartment's windows shattered, replaced by a masked figure in black holding Matcha Green Milk hostage. The intruder kicked Arlong, who tried to intervene, causing severe injury to the player. The gun was pointed at Matcha Green Milk's temple: "Don't move."

Matcha Green Milk: "..."

[Wow, a player's been taken hostage.]

[What a disgrace to players (laughs).]

[Next episode: Evil God NPC rescues investigator player, what is this, a mutual rush?]

[Laughing so hard, there's no way Lann will save them. Evil gods don't care about player lives, and he's not even close to Matcha Green Milk.]

The comments continued to jest, and indeed, the turn of events was amusing.

The masked figure shot at the floor, leaving a charred hole in the wooden planks, then aimed the gun back at Matcha Green Milk's temple, saying, "You wouldn't want to see her head blown off, would you?"

Lann looked intently at the masked figure: "What do you want?"

"An exchange," the masked figure replied. "Keep your butterfly away, and you take her place."

Ah, this.

Why don't you just tear up the ticket?

Lann wanted to say this, as players wouldn't really die and might not even care about this death.

Just as Lann was about to speak, he suddenly paused.

Wait a minute, something seems off.

The current situation suggests that if Lann ignores Matcha Green Milk and uses the Soul-Eating Butterfly to eliminate the man in black, the crisis would be resolved.

But why does that vague sense of foreboding persist?

Moreover, in such a grand scene, undoubtedly a trap set for him, another question arises: is someone missing here?

Amos.

Lann doesn't believe the other party would miss such an occasion. In fact, it's very likely that this trap is the other party's doing.

In the forums of his previous life, even the fiercest critics of Amos had to admit the sharpness of his tactics and the depth of his scheming.

Thinking from the opponent's perspective, would they really set up a trap that's 'easy' to break?

Lann reconsiders, trying to view the attack from the opponent's angle. This attack was clearly premeditated, with the assailants entering from the door to draw his attention. The only visible weakness of the Soul-Eating Butterfly is its speed, which gave the enemy the chance to launch a surprise attack on the players from behind.

But with this opportunity, why didn't they just shoot him from behind? Why bother with hostages...

Suddenly, Lann remembers a point: in others' eyes, he seems quite unfathomable.

The last time this force attacked him at the banquet, he called a bunch of players to fight monsters and even subdued an A-level anomaly. Perhaps such actions, from the opponent's perspective, seem... frightening?

Based on the behavioral patterns he's recently encountered, he might be mistaken for an evil god again. But even so, they still dared to attack him. What gave them such courage? Was it these handguns, useless against an 'evil god'?

A flicker of insight passes through his mind. All the doubts of today's events slowly surface: the noise heard in the neighboring room by the players, Frank's testimony, and then everything gradually converging on the theme of deception.

Lann gazes deeply at the man in black. The scene is at a stalemate, and the man in black shows no urgency, seemingly waiting patiently for Lann to make a decision.

But in this moment, Lann completes the final piece of the puzzle from the attitude of the man in black.

He decides to gamble!

Just as the forums in his past life said, the best way to deal with Amos is always to make unexpected decisions that overturn his plans!

Lann waves his hand, and the Soul-Eating Butterfly flies a bit farther away.

"It seems you've made your decision," the man in black says. "Then come over."

However, this time Lann doesn't comply, and the man's expression changes: "You think I won't do it?"

"Of course," Lann says with a light laugh, "after all, if a policeman shoots at civilians, he would be immediately dismissed."

"Am I right, Albert?"

After a long silence, the man sneers and removes his mask under the astonished gaze of the two players.

Beneath the mask is Albert's handsome face, starkly different from the sunny image the players had seen before. Now, Albert seems like a different person, his eyes filled with intense brooding.

"Seeing you here is quite a surprise," Lann sighs.

"Your expression doesn't show any surprise," Albert retorts coldly. "Even the artifact couldn't deceive you. Indeed, you are..."

His lips tighten, a flicker of confusion in his eyes quickly replaced by determination: "You're not Lann."

The chat in Arlong's live stream explodes, but he has no time to read the comments, fixated on the unfolding situation.

"Who knows?" Lann doesn’t miss the emotion in Albert's eyes, but he has no concern for his feelings, staring intently into Albert's eyes. "After all, the truth always hides in the mist. Only those with clear minds can grasp the tail of fate, right?"

"Or would you like me to say more?"

This silence lasts for a full five seconds. Eventually, Albert looks deeply at Lann, pushes Matcha Green Milk towards the window, and just when everyone thinks he will harm her, he forcefully pushes her away and escapes through the broken window.

It's only at this moment that Lann finally breathes a sigh of relief.

He had gambled and won.

Yet, others, including the viewers in Arlong's live stream, are puzzled.

[??? What, it's over just like that?]

[I was expecting Lann to make a choice or even a big fight, but this? It ends here?]

[What were they talking about just now?]

[Lann seemed to be saying something important, but I couldn’t understand a thing qwq. Can someone explain it to me?]

Lann doesn’t pursue but instead immediately goes out to help Arlong, relieved to find that he was only hit with a tranquilizer dart, confirming his suspicions.

"Lann, Lann!" Matcha Green Milk curiously approaches him, "What just happened? Why did that guy run away after you said that sentence?"

“Shh—don't rush.” Lann gathers himself, smiling slightly as he opens the door to the neighboring room.

As expected, the room is empty, but traces are left behind.

Strange and mystical patterns cover the room, with special silver symbols adorning various mystical signs, which make Matcha Green Milk feel dizzy just by looking at them.

“What is this?”

“If I’m not mistaken, it’s a ritual magic for sealing and capturing,” Lann kneels down, touching the floor, “It looks like it's been prepared for a while, but unfortunately, it fell short.”

The two players look at each other, not understanding; both lack knowledge in mysticism and look back at Lann pitifully.

Lann: “This is a ritual involving sealing, requiring a long time to prepare, and the more people die on it, the stronger the spell’s effect.”

Why Lann can recognize it is because he has seen it in his past life's game, where cultists often used such forbidden spells built on human sacrifices.

The two players are still clueless, but the live stream chat starts to catch on.

[Hiss, wait, does this mean that the man in black deliberately forced Lann to give up Matcha Green Milk?]

[But why would he do that?]

[Because of Lann's identity! Think about the last attack, they must be convinced of Lann's identity, knowing that if he wanted, neither □□ nor anything else would work. The hostage exchange is even more absurd. Not to mention whether Lann would agree, what would happen after he did? Wouldn't the man in black be serving himself up to Lann if he got close?]

[And think about it, the man in black's offer to exchange hostages is a paradox in itself. If Lann is a god, would he care about one or two followers? He would definitely abandon the followers without hesitation, falling into the trap set by the mastermind behind the scenes. Matcha Green Milk's death would complete the preparation process for the sealing spell, and Lann would be sealed.]

[Then why didn't the mastermind just kill Matcha Green Milk and Arlong in the beginning to power the ritual?]

Arlong voices the chat's confusion.

"Because the time wasn't right." Lann looks outside at the sky, now nearing evening, but the sun has not fully set, "Many similar sealing rituals have at least two to three restrictions, aside from requiring human lives, they also need special celestial alignments or specific times."

So, after the black-clad man intentionally gave Lann time to choose, Lann realized that it must be because the ritual needed more time.

The previous attack by the burly men was because Frank revealed himself, so they had to act prematurely.

Considering Lann's situation at the time, if he had abandoned Matcha Green Milk, the other's death might have hastened the ritual's progress. And he might not have been able to beat Amos and Albert. The only way to break the game was to force the opponent to give up voluntarily.

[So, the choice they gave was a trap from the beginning, the man in black's aim was to buy time!]

[Even we can think even more sinisterly, what would happen if Lann really chose one of these two options? If he chose to exchange hostages and approached, and if the ritual time was enough, Albert might be killed by Lann, also fulfilling the ritual's energy requirement. But if Albert dies, what would Arlong think? If Matcha Green Milk dies, being abandoned by Lann without hesitation, what would the other followers think?]

[Not just being sealed, but also making Lann isolated and betrayed, the person who designed this conspiracy is so ruthless.]

[Would a god care about this?]

[A god might not, but his followers are humans.]

[Hiss, I'm getting goosebumps, the person who designed this conspiracy... must be Amos from next door, now that he's disappeared. I didn't expect someone who looks so gentle to be so ruthless.]

[Haven't you heard of 'white on the outside, black on the inside'?]

[You all are hyping Amos, but I think Lann is scarier. Just a word from him made the man in black retreat, directly breaking the conspiracy. But I still don't understand how Lann did it, why did the man in black leave just after he said that sentence?]

Arlong continues to relay the chat's confusion.

Laine: "Oh, that thing I said earlier, it's actually a phrase that circulates only among the investigators of the Inspection Bureau, kind of like a motto."

Comments: ????

"Don't worry, let's wait for Archie to wake up and explain together," Laine said with a smile.

They didn’t have to wait long. Soon Archie groaned in pain, holding his forehead, and looked around dazedly, "Where am I…?"

"We were just attacked," Laine explained, using his gaze to stop the players from revealing what had just happened. He asked, "Did you tell anyone you were coming here today?"

Archie shook his head, "Of course I didn't tell anyone... but..."

Suddenly remembering something, Archie's face turned pale, "I ran into Albert when I was about to leave the police station today."

Archie had learned from his abilities the previous night that Albert was indeed involved with the mysterious organization, causing him to lose sleep. The next day, after finishing work, he hurriedly left the police station, even deliberately avoiding any encounter with Albert.

Their meeting at the police station entrance was because Albert, sensing Archie's change of attitude, had purposefully intercepted him.

They were so familiar with each other; how could Albert not know this address?

Moreover, it was clear that this attack was related to him and to Albert.

Realizing this, Archie's face grew even paler. He shut his eyes tightly, his lips pressed firmly together.

"It's my fault."

"They were right; I was too arrogant to notice that a cultist was right beside me."

Hearing this, Laine was stunned. Looking into Archie's eyes, he saw a deep sorrow that had never been revealed before.

This man, who had never shown weakness in the previous life's game plot, always proud and cold as ice, now displayed vulnerability for the first time, as if the beliefs that had upheld him were shattered, his head bowed.

"This attack was entirely my fault. If it makes you feel better, you can kill or beat me as you see fit."

[What? What's happening? Why did the atmosphere suddenly change like this?]

[Hiss, according to this dialogue, it seems Laine was attacked because of Archie.]

[The attacker was Albert, and Albert is friends with Archie? A betrayal?]

[I get it now. Laine himself is a dark deity, and the attack was by another sect. This Albert might be a spy from another sect in the police station? How did Albert know about Laine's whereabouts? Obviously, through Archie. So, he knows he made a mistake and is aware of the consequences of angering a dark deity, hence offering himself as a sacrifice to appease Laine?]

[This plot is intense. I’m totally hooked!]

Laine, looking at Archie’s dejected expression, couldn’t help but recall how Archie had shielded him from bullets earlier.

"Don’t worry, your actions earlier are enough to appease me."

Watching Archie's expression, resembling a cat drenched in water, Laine couldn't resist patting his hair, "Besides, thanks to you, I learned even more important information."

"Albert is probably a double agent."

Archie's head shot up, his expression one of utter astonishment.