Chapter 104: Skill Upgrade
After a moment of silence lasting more than ten seconds, Kien West turned his eyes to Zhou Ning and asked, "Wayne, do you have any additional details to add to what Sherlock just said?"
Zhou Ning thought for a second, then answered without hesitation, "Yes!"
"That night, when I entered 15 Rope Street, I found an altar, but I also saw several paintings. The man in the portraits was named Norman Rivers. I'm not sure if it was just my imagination, but I saw him wink at me. That happened just before I encountered Harrison Rivers. Oh, right— I also brought the idol from that place with me."
To support his claim, Zhou Ning took out the eerie idol he had gotten from Elvis's trunk, still wrapped in silk. As expected, Kien West's expression changed the moment he saw it, and he quickly gestured for Zhou Ning to put it down.
"What you said aligns with certain things I know. Norman Rivers was the fifteenth Viscount Rivers, demoted to Baron for political reasons. Harrison is the nineteenth." Kien West spoke in a calm, deliberate tone. "Your statement is very credible. I'll officially open an investigation into Harrison Rivers."
"But," he added before Zhou Ning could respond, "Harrison Rivers is still a hereditary noble and a high-ranking official of the Kingdom of Bryston. His status carries considerable weight. Unless we find conclusive evidence, we won't be taking any action against him."
"I understand," Zhou Ning said with a smile and a nod.
Whatever the result, as long as the Sunwatchers started paying attention to Harrison, it was already a win for him. All he needed was for Harrison to be kept in check. That would be his chance to strike back.
Kien West went on to ask about specific details, which Zhou Ning explained thoroughly—though he left out the forum and the "mirror."
About half an hour later, Kien finally nodded in satisfaction and smiled. "You've done well. Go home and get some rest. If anything comes up, I'll have Sherlock contact you. Oh, by the way, there might be a thunderstorm later. There are a few umbrellas behind the door—take one with you."
Zhou Ning tugged at the corner of his mouth. After a few encounters, he realized this man loved showing off his meteorological knowledge. Still, who'd say no to a freebie? After bidding farewell to Kien West, he took an umbrella and left the office.
After Zhou Ning had gone, Kien West's smile faded. He turned to the wall on his right. "Bishop Drest, what do you think of Wayne Sturwell's statement?"
A hidden door opened, and out stepped a kindly-looking middle-aged man in a silver-white priest's robe, a sun emblem pinned to his chest. He smiled as he said, "It's reliable. Most of it is true, but there are a few omissions."
Kien West let out a slow breath. "His background is extremely mysterious—even the Sunwatchers haven't been able to dig up anything. A few omissions are to be expected. As for Harrison Rivers… I may need the Church's assistance in the near future."
Drest nodded. "It is the sacred duty of clergy like us to drive out evil. What do you plan to do?"
"Wait and watch. Keep investigating. When he slips up, we'll strike—once, and with undeniable proof." Kien West paused for a moment, then said quietly, "...I even suspect the late king's death may be tied to him… and that book."
At the mention of that book, something seemed to click in Kien's mind, and he abruptly fell silent.
Apparently, even that book itself was a forbidden topic.
…
Zhou Ning followed Sherlock out of the cathedral along the same route. Just as they stepped onto the stairs, rain began pouring down.
"Mr. Kien's weather forecasts are always accurate—his prediction rate stays above 85%, even during chaotic meteorological tides. Oh, and be careful these next few days. We can't open a formal investigation into Harrison Rivers right away; there's still a process we have to follow." Sherlock opened his umbrella as he walked toward the carriage waiting beyond the plaza.
"You heading back to Vick University now? After I drop you off, I still need to follow up on the giant case. And now I've got Harrison Rivers on my plate, too. Thanks a lot."
"Back to my alchemy lab," Zhou Ning said, following Sherlock into the carriage. He hesitated for a moment, then asked curiously, "I'm wondering—how much do the Sunwatchers actually get paid?"
"Apprentice members get 50 Vecktas a month, regular members get 80, senior members get 120, and captains make 300. Death benefits are ten times the monthly salary. Why—interested in joining?" Sherlock replied without a second thought.
Three hundred a month… that was equal to five years' worth of Zhou Ning's salary as a teaching assistant. No wonder Sherlock was so obsessed with the job.
"Not for now," Zhou Ning said with a dry smile.
He was indeed interested in the Sunwatchers as a unique secondary profession, but he hadn't forgotten how during the Holwig incident, Sherlock was still busy at three in the morning.
By the time they returned to College Street, it was nearly 6 PM. Zhou Ning bid Sherlock farewell, raised his umbrella, stepped down from the carriage, and walked toward his alchemy lab.
He entered, lit a whale oil lamp, and took a deep breath—he felt exhausted. According to his original plan, his Puppet Alchemy was about to reach the Advanced level, and he could finally grind the game content in peace. But now things had taken a different turn.
Worst of all, neither Kien West nor Sherlock had thought to treat him to dinner—stingy civil servants, the lot of them!
Fortunately, he'd stashed some bread and milk in the lab just in case.
After eating his fill, Zhou Ning took off his torn coat and hung it on the rack, ready to begin crafting an Medium Mechanical Construct. But just as he was getting started, there was a knock at the door.
Puzzled, Zhou Ning opened it and found a young man dressed as a courier.
"Good afternoon, sir. This letter is for you."
"A letter for me?" After sending the courier off, Zhou Ning opened the envelope with curiosity.
Mr. Sturwell:
Greetings.
I've found some information regarding the book by Wendegoon you asked me to look for in the old book circles. However, the seller is asking an extremely high price. If you're interested, please come to No. 52 Wooden Gate Street before 8 PM on Wednesday for further discussion.
The letter was signed by someone named Charles Scott—a completely unfamiliar name.
After a moment of thought, Zhou Ning realized who it was. It was the secondhand bookseller he'd met during his first trip to the underground market. He'd asked him to keep an eye out for old books by Wendegoon. He hadn't expected any leads, and certainly not one that came almost two weeks later.
Today was Tuesday, which meant that by tomorrow night, he'd hopefully have another Wendegoon book in his hands. Zhou Ning was genuinely excited.
After carefully storing the letter, Zhou Ning locked the door and returned to his Medium Mechanical Construct crafting.
Having gone through the process once before, this time Zhou Ning felt he was doing it with ease and confidence.
[You've completed a mechanical crafting. Quality: 85. You gained 9600 experience (Divine Favor +10%, Legend Bonus +5%). You gained 28 proficiency points (Divine Favor +7, Extreme Calmness +2).]
[You've completed a Puppet Alchemy crafting. Quality: 85. You gained 8400 experience (Divine Favor +10%, Legend Bonus +5%). You gained 26 proficiency points (Divine Favor +6, Extreme Calmness +2).]
To Zhou Ning's surprise and delight, the "Divine Favor" trait increased his proficiency gain speed by a whopping 25%, and boosted experience by 10%. With this, his path to leveling Puppet Alchemy would be significantly shortened.
He worked straight through to 2 AM. After finishing his third Medium Mechanical Construct, he finally saw the long-awaited system notification:
[Your proficiency has reached 100%. Puppet Alchemy has advanced to Intermediate level.]
[You have learned a new formula: Puppet Mechanical Hound.]
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