Chapter 13: You Heard It, She Told Me to Shoot.
The moment she heard the commotion above, she had already become alert and set up multiple rituals for herself in the basement.
—[Bullet Protection], [Minor Penetration Natural Resistance], [Chop Protection], [Stable Casting], [Weakness Reinforcement].
She had, of course, maximized her buffs and prepared her strongest attack before coming out to confront them.
Although she was speaking with Eivass, her attention was actually focused on Haina.
The moment Haina faltered, she would immediately throw the “Cursed Infant” in her hand. It would automatically track the heart, burrow into the body upon contact, and tear at the internal organs, causing frost damage.
This would bring unbearable, intense pain and freeze the blood vessels near the heart. Even if she survived, any strenuous activity would rip her internal organs apart, causing massive bleeding. Even a Bishop couldn’t save such an injury.
… But if this attack missed and she was dragged into a protracted fight.
Even with the buffs she had prepared, she probably couldn’t defeat this young inspector.
She could sense that the opponent had definitely mastered the power of the Third Tier.
While she didn’t know his Path Trait, she might not win in a head-on confrontation.
—She only had one chance!
The moment she saw Eivass raise his gun at her, she had decided on her next tactic.
She had specifically reinforced her defense.
If it were a high-powered firearm, she might have been wary. But Lady’s Grip was very weak.
It might not even be able to pierce a thick, wine-filled oak barrel. The female knight opposite her could probably block this bullet with sheer muscle.
A bullet like this, even if it hit vital points like her eyes or throat, couldn’t inflict a severe wound.
And Eivass Moriarty was just a young man who had never touched a gun and knew nothing. Through the mutual sensing between Extraordinary beings of the Resonance Path, she could clearly sense… that even if Eivass had an Extraordinary Profession, he was at least one tier below her.
This was because she felt no threat from him.
He dared to shoot Ademar because Ademar had lost his combat ability. It was like shooting a stationary target.
Looking at Ademar’s corpse, the bullet had normal power. It hadn’t been specially modified by an artificer.
But she was alive, and she could dodge. Without knowing if she could dodge this attack, he would definitely choose to shoot her torso to improve his hit rate.
And the protection she had prepared could easily block this shot.
But she could pretend to have suffered a fatal injury, making the young female knight lower her guard. Then, she would seize the opportunity to sneak attack the opponent—
“How about it? Let’s take a gamble!”
She laughed heartily, as if she was fearless: “You only have one chance!”
Veronica knew that if this bullet could hit a weak point like her eye or throat, it could indeed interrupt her spells. But first, Eivass might not dare to shoot there—he only had one chance.
If she continued to pressure the opponent, the young man would choose the safer option!
And as long as this shot didn’t hit a fatal weak point, she could block it safely;
As a fallback, the worst outcome would be her spell being interrupted. His pathetic little handgun still wouldn’t be able to effectively injure her—and she would still have a chance to sneak attack the female knight.
—No matter what, I won’t lose.
Hurry, hurry.
“Give me a shot quickly—”
After quickly determining her tactic based on her experience, Veronica stood her ground and continued to taunt:
“What a ridiculous and pathetic boy. You didn’t get to kill me last time, but you can’t escape this time. Do you think this thing, which couldn’t kill that idiot, could…”
—Bang!
The next moment, the gun fired.
A black line streaked through Veronica’s head.
Her bald head split open like a watermelon.
The spell Veronica was maintaining lost control and dissipated, an extremely cold gale swept through the entire bar, causing Haina to involuntarily take half a step back. Eivass’s wheelchair rolled backward, hitting the wall before stopping.
There was no need for a follow-up shot.
Because she died so quickly and completely, the continuous damage from “Shadow” and “Erosion” didn’t even have time to take effect.
Fine white light spots gradually appeared from her corpse and flowed into Eivass.
[Killed a Second Tier Extraordinary, gained 16 Free Experience]
—This was the simplest way to skip class and win.
Among the protection rituals she could use, there were no physical resistances like “cutting,” “piercing,” or “blunt force.” This meant she could only resist “chopping” and “shooting” at most. And her ritual level was too low to be effective against Extraordinary Weapons.
So, all he needed to do was find an Extraordinary Weapon with “cutting,” “piercing,” or “blunt force” traits, and then use a sneak attack on her weak point before entering combat mode. This would allow him to penetrate all resistances as if attacking a normal unit, dealing at least one-third of her life in a single hit and instantly knocking her unconscious.
Then, he could finish her off with a round of attacks.
In reality, without the 3x HP bonus of the Four-Person Dungeon BOSS mod, one shot was just enough to kill her with a headshot.
After all, the system for creating Enchantment Cards came from the abilities of a Sin Scholar. In the early environment, rare purple Extraordinary equipment would become common to everyone after two versions, so the Sin Scholar’s Illusion Cards were quite generous with the “Extraordinary” traits.
Rather, if they didn’t give “Extraordinary” traits, the weapon cards materialized by the Illusion Cards would be useless against monsters two versions later—enemies at that stage basically all had non-Extraordinary resistances, and weapons and consumables that didn’t involve Extraordinary Power were ineffective.
It wouldn’t be like now, where even blue and white gear could kill people.
What is this?
This is the suppression of version updates.
“You saw it, she told me to shoot. I just wanted to scare her.”
Seeing Haina’s surprised yet confused gaze, Eivass shrugged innocently. “It’s not my fault.”
“…I know. Don’t be afraid, Mr. Eivass. You are completely innocent. You were threatened with your life and forced to shoot—I can testify for you.”
Haina responded after a slight delay, nodding slowly.
She looked back at the female sorceress’s corpse and was silent for a moment.
“…But why was she so arrogant?”
She tried to explain everything that had happened before her eyes, attempting to rationalize it. “Perhaps she thought you would miss that shot…
“—Right, she said, ‘I didn’t get to kill you last time.’ Could she be the Demon Scholar who kidnapped you? That’s why she underestimated you and didn’t expect you, as a Priest, to have the courage to fight her, besides your deductive skills!”
Haina’s words became smoother and smoother, feeling like she had completed the logic.
Eivass shook his head repeatedly.
This person was charmed; she could really say anything… If you want me, just say it. This logic left him speechless.
“We can handle one person’s body. But two people definitely won’t work.”
Eivass didn’t engage further, calmly suggesting, “So, my recommendation is that we contact the nearby Inspection Bureau and have them send people to supervise—and seal this place off. The Pelican Bar must be involved with these Demon Scholars.
“You can check the basement of this bar; there should be a large amount of ritual materials there.”
“Great!”
Haina was overjoyed. “The case is solved!”
But then, she suddenly remembered something. “Speaking of which, how do you know the bartender’s name?”
“Because I’ve been here before.”
Eivass didn’t hide anything. “It was the day I was attacked and kidnapped.
“In fact, what I told you before wasn’t entirely accurate. Or rather… I didn’t know they were Demon Scholars at the time.”
“They?”
“Yes. Besides this woman, there was a middle-aged man. Before I was attacked, they came to have a drink with me… I thought they were good people then, and I treated them to a meal.
“Unexpectedly, I fainted shortly after leaving the bar. In a daze, I saw a huge stone archway. So I knew I must have been taken to Stone Arch Park. I never imagined that the people who knocked me out were them—or rather, there must have been something wrong with the food I ate that day.
“This is why I tested the bartender. I suspected he poisoned me and recognized me.
“So, I think we can’t let our guard down yet. There should still be a more powerful Demon Scholar alive. He’s a man, around forty years old, brown eyes, also bald, with a slight Star Antimony Kingdom accent—he claimed to be a stone merchant, traveling between Star Antimony and Avalon.”
Eivass spoke half-truths.
His itinerary that day was easy to investigate. The deep impression he left was not only on the wild elf bartender but also on all the guests who were there that day.
So, this place couldn’t deceive him.
And Eivass had to pay special attention to the perspective.
If he were truly an innocent bystander, he wouldn’t know the peculiar nature of these two people. So, it was reasonable that he didn’t report it the first day—from Eivass’s perspective at the time, he had indeed gone out and was attacked on his way home.
But now, he had to reveal this matter, because once the Pelican Bar was investigated, his itinerary that day would be known.
Similarly, from his perspective, he wouldn’t know that he had killed the man in revenge. He was currently unaware that there was a dead person at the ritual site, and that he was a wanted criminal.
As expected, Haina immediately explained to him, “Don’t worry, that person is probably dead—I understand the entire incident now.
“They were likely hiding in this bar. Then, that day, they saw you come to the bar alone and planned to use you as a sacrifice to summon a demon.
“This bartender was their accomplice, so he poisoned you, making you unable to resist their sacrifice.
“The woman just said something like ‘I didn’t get to kill you last time,’ and the man died at the ritual site… It’s likely he was backfired by the demon he summoned, and his student promptly fled the scene. Unexpectedly, the demon killed its summoner first, and you survived.”
“So that’s how it is.”
Eivass nodded thoughtfully. “If that man is dead… then it largely aligns with my guess.
“In that case, Senior—we don’t need to report it to the Inspection Bureau immediately.”
Now that he needed Haina’s help, Eivass no longer called her by name, but reverted to the title of Senior.
“Why?”
Haina was somewhat puzzled. “Wouldn’t more people make the search faster?”
“Someone among the guests who fled must have reported to the Inspection Bureau. And I just fired two shots; people outside should have heard them. The inspectors should arrive soon; we just need to wait here.”
As he said this, a noticeable hesitation appeared on Eivass’s face, one that even Haina could easily see.
She immediately asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Actually,” Eivass lowered his voice, “I might have left a book here.
“I was groggy when I left that day; I left something here.”
“What book?”
“It’s a forbidden book.”
“A forbidden book?!”
“Yes.”
Eivass nodded and said seriously, “It’s called ‘Alchemical Cipher,’ and it should have been kept in the basement by the bartender.
“I originally didn’t dare to ask for it back. But since we don’t need to notify the Inspection Bureau immediately, I still want to retrieve it. That book is very precious… and I’m also worried that if it remains here, someone might discover that it’s related to our Moriarty Family.”
“…You.”
Haina felt a headache coming on.
Even without considering her appearance—in their short day together, she had come to admire her junior student greatly.
Intelligent, serious, and cultured. He was even a follower of the Path of Devotion, and he had fought alongside her. In terms of dealing with the female Demon Scholar, he had arguably saved her life.
She was not someone who would forget kindness.
But how to handle this matter…
Haina thought for a moment, sheathed her sword, and the halo in her eyes gradually faded.
“Just this once.”
She also lowered her voice and said seriously, “I know that among the important figures, some must be secretly researching those forbidden knowledge. But I didn’t expect you to be the same…
“I don’t want to report you, but at least don’t bring it to a public place! It’s very dangerous!
“Even if your package isn’t searched by passing Inspection Bureau patrols, you might be targeted by villains—you might not know, but these mysterious books fetch a high price on the black market!”
I know, of course.
It’s precisely because it’s expensive, and Senior, you’re tired of being poor and can empathize, that you’re bringing this up here…
“Yes, Senior, you’re right…”
Eivass nodded repeatedly, looking pitiful. “Can Senior help me get it back? Since it’s illegal, it should be hidden in the basement; if it’s valuable enough, it should be in some important box.”
“…I suspect you were targeted because of that book!”
Haina hadn’t finished lecturing and couldn’t help but say a few more words.
But seeing Eivass’s expression, she softened.
She sighed, handed her Inspection badge and sword to Eivass, “You stay here and don’t go out. If the local inspectors arrive before I get back, give them this. Tell them someone is already investigating and ask them to wait here.
“—Also, speaking of Alchemy, I just remembered. According to standard procedure, your gun will need to be inspected by the Inspection Bureau later to check for any signs of illegal alchemical modification.”
“I understand. It’s only right.”
Eivass nodded without hesitation.
Haina looked somewhat uneasy. “Are you telling me the truth? I feel like its power is a bit high. If there are modifications, I can help you dispose of the body and slightly conceal the traces—alchemical modification of weapons is also illegal.”
“There are really no modifications.”
Eivass guaranteed with great certainty. “Feel free to inspect it. Let’s not handle the body… If someone finds out the body was handled by you, it won’t be good for you either.”
Not to mention that this was an enchantment, not a modification… and it would be a miracle if the Illusion Card could be detected by junior technicians whose highest level was less than forty.
Do you understand what industry technical barriers are?
Hearing this, Haina felt a warmth in her heart.
Although she was the one offering help, for some reason, she felt like she was being helped.
“Be careful, I’ll be back soon.”
With that, Haina opened the basement door. And closed it.
After she left, Eivass let out a soft sigh.
The expression of a naughty puppy on his face instantly disappeared. He became expressionless.
—The next moment, Eivass stood up from his wheelchair.
His movements were fluid, without any hesitation.
And the instant he left his wheelchair, the shadow beneath him seemed to come alive, slowly stirring. Like an amorphous monster, it crawled from his skin and distorted, spreading across the ground.
The entire messy bar hall darkened.
It was as if it wasn’t noon, but evening with the lights turned off, blocking all light from outside.
Swish, swish…
Eivass stepped on his own shadow, making a splashing sound like boots on puddles in the rain. His shadow seemed to have turned into a viscous liquid, or perhaps a flowing, black blood.
Completely ignoring this anomaly, Eivass walked directly to Veronica’s corpse and searched her thoroughly in the dark.
When they met that night, Veronica had shown him—she had hidden a thick stack of letters inside her clothes.
He had seen it clearly then. His last letter to them was hidden within.
These letters were kept in her own bra. .
—If Veronica, after she seemingly died by the Shadow Demon’s hand, had forgotten to destroy, or intended to temporarily keep this letter…
Her sudden death would turn it into evidence that could implicate Eivass.
Eivass had tricked Haina precisely to quietly retrieve this fatal piece of evidence.
As it turned out, just as Eivass had predicted.
Eivass pulled out a stack of letters of varying sizes from Veronica’s clothes. And at a glance, he saw the one belonging to him.
“Heh.”
Eivass sneered and clenched the letter.
As expected.
—This is the final piece of evidence.
* * *
Wuwu, the editor ran over worriedly yesterday saying the word count was increasing too fast, and if the book recommendation update wasn’t kept up, it would have to be put on shelves.
Today’s update is still over seven thousand words. Starting tomorrow, it will be reduced to under five thousand, but I will try my best to write as much as possible! Readership during the new book period is very important, remember to check it out every day!
