The dark bell tower exuded a sinister aura.
Alan climbed the spiral staircase.
The dusty steps bore only his own footprints.
Has the Weaver Girl not arrived yet?
Questioning this, Alan pushed open the rusty iron door at the end of the stairs.
The dim attic was filled with the smell of engine oil.
Click—click—
The sound of clock gears turning was particularly piercing.
A girl in a black cloak stood with her back to the door.
Silently, like a black widow spider.
Alan closed the door and locked it.
Tentatively, he asked the cloaked girl, "Sister Weaver Girl?"
The girl turned and lifted the hood of her cloak.
A beautiful yet unfamiliar face was revealed.
Long, straight black hair, a delicate, oval face, and a small, cherry-like mouth.
If it weren't for her still curvy, hot, and sexy figure, she'd look like a completely different person.
"Disguise?" Allen speculated.
Weaver Girl shook her head and chuckled, "Transfiguration!"
A second-level Transfiguration is slightly more powerful than a first-level Disguise.
Disguise is merely an illusion.
Transfiguration is a real change.
Not only can body shape, weight, appearance, skin color, and race be altered, but even gender can be transformed.
Alan walked over to her and examined her beautiful face.
"Although your true appearance is even more beautiful, I still miss your less beautiful self."
"Oh? Your habit is truly bizarre!"
Weaver Girl frowned and began to analyze seriously.
"Back then, I deliberately dressed up as an ugly freak!"
"A normal man wouldn't be obsessed with a chubby face and a bulbous nose."
"Then, what you're nostalgic for is my big mouth and thick lips, right?"
"...You guessed it!"
Alan's scalp tingled, as if his underwear had been seen through.
Weaver Girl smiled indifferently and continued to analyze his psychology:
"Actually, I understand your mentality."
"A cherry-like mouth is certainly beautiful, but practicality is another matter."
"For example, when I asked you out to play before, my big mouth and thick lips gave you a good nibble, didn't they?"
"You're quite impressive!" Alan nodded repeatedly, convinced. "How about you change back?"
"Bah! Why didn't I realize you were so shameless before!"
Weaver Girl's eyes, besides contempt, held a burning heat. "But then again..."
"If you're willing to give me a free treat, we can still negotiate."
"Forget it!" Allen changed the subject. "What brings you to this little island, looking for me so late at night? What's the matter?"
Weaver Girl smiled but didn't answer, donning a spider mask.
"So you're..." Allen stared in surprise, "Spanna from the Beast Cult?!"
"Stop pretending!" Spanna scoffed, her tone tinged with disdain. "I don't believe you only discovered this today!"
Alan shrugged, the fear on his face giving way to resignation.
"I did doubt it. After all, your beastly characteristics are so unique."
"On Magic Stone Island, the way you looked at me wasn't quite right."
"It's rare for a girl to have such a devilish, eccentric look like yours."
"Devilish, eccentric..." Spanna couldn't help but laugh. "You're such a good word! Besides that, what other flaws did I reveal?"
"If I'm not mistaken, you secretly spared me on Magic Stone Island. Otherwise, Locke wouldn't have been the only one chasing me back then," Allen said thoughtfully.
"You have a conscience!" Spanna said, half-smiled. "You haven't repaid me for this favor yet! How about three nights' stay?"
"One at most."
"Stingy!" Spanna rolled her eyes at him.
"You come to me, aren't you afraid I'll tell the academy you're actually a spy planted by the Beast Cult?" Allen asked in a low voice.
"I came to you, not afraid you'd tell on me," Spanna said calmly. "If I die, your whole family will die too. Believe it or not?"
Alan couldn't help but believe it.
"Besides you, who else are the cultists in town?"
"You know the two plague warlocks, Jamie and Sarah."
Spanna seemed fearless and didn't mind revealing the cult's plans.
"After investigating for so long, we're almost certain the Plague God statue is in your possession!"
"The three of us came to Quinte Island this time for two purposes."
"First, to spread the plague on the island and pave the way for future missionary work."
"Second, to retrieve the Plague God statue and, incidentally, to kill your entire family."
Although he had expected this, Alan couldn't help but feel a chill running down his spine when he heard Spanna's words.
"Haha, are you scared now?"
Spanna looked at him with a hint of pity in her eyes.
"If you had known this would happen, why would you have stolen our things?"
"Bad boy, you do wrong and you'll be punished."
"Is it too late to make amends now that I admit my mistake?" Allen asked with a glimmer of hope.
To his surprise, Spanna smiled and nodded.
"If anyone else did something like this, their entire family would be killed."
"But you're different."
"My dear, I love you so much and cherish you like my own child. How could I bear to deny you a chance to live?"
"Give me back the statue of the God of Plague, and I'll keep your family safe."
Her demeanor and tone were reminiscent of the Big Bad Wolf trying to trick Little Red Riding Hood.
Alan even suspected that Spanna was just stalling for time by talking nonsense with him.
Her two fellow sorcerers, Jamie and Sarah, had already gone to the Panthers' home.
Kidnapped her sister and parents, threatening him to surrender...
The classic drama of the ultimate truth being revealed is about to unfold, isn't it?
Suppressing his anxiety, Alan calmly asked Spanna:
"You spared my family, aren't you afraid of being punished by the higher-ups in the cult?"
Spanna chuckled, pacing with her hands behind her back, a hint of pride between her brows.
"The Beast Cult is all about recovering the statue of the Plague God."
"As for the punishment for the thief, it can be big or small."
"I have some connections in the cult."
"Unless I cause a major scandal, the higher-ups will turn a blind eye."
Alan could see she was avoiding the main point; her background seemed complicated.
A sudden suspicion struck him: Could Spanna... be a double agent? Suppressing this thought for the moment, Allen unleashed his prepared speech.
"I've hidden the Plague God statue in a very secret place."
"I've also set up a little mechanism that resets the timer every so often, otherwise the statue will be blown to pieces!"
"So, you'd better not touch my family..."
"Enough!" Spanna said impatiently. "I'm not interested in what you're saying. I just want to ask you one question: are you going to return the Plague God statue or not?"
"I can return it, but I'm unsure."
"Hmm? What do you mean?" Spanna's eyes turned cold.
"If I hand over the Plague God statue, I'm afraid you'll silence me," Allen said honestly.
"Haha~ I'm not tired of you yet, how could I bear to silence you?" Spanna smiled wickedly.
Alan could return the Plague God statue to her; he'd already squeezed out all its value.
However, since Spanna said she wasn't tired of playing around yet, it meant he still had a chance to raise the price.
So, why not give it a try?
"Do you have any similar statues?"
Alan asked Spanna.
Spanna hesitated, then slowly replied:
"I don't have the Plague God statue, worshipped by the Rat People."
"I have the Worm Mother statue, worshipped by the Insectoids."
No wonder.
Alan felt relieved.
No wonder he received a system notification as soon as he entered the attic.
A scent of a special ingredient was detected from Spanna.
That familiar scent was similar to the Plague God statue.
But the potential it contained was even more intense!
"Besides ensuring my family's safety, I have three conditions."
"One, lend me the Worm Mother Statue for a moment."
"Two, give me a Calming Meditation Awakening Potion."
"Three, help me kill those two rats spreading the plague."
"Promise me these three conditions, and when I'm done, I'll personally return the Plague Statue to you intact."
After saying this, Allen tensed up, ready to fight with Spanner.
Each of these conditions was more outrageous than the last!
Putting himself in her shoes, Allen couldn't accept them.
In the best-case scenario, Spanner would bargain with him.
But in the less favorable scenario...
It wouldn't be surprising if Spanner, enraged by the exorbitant price, turned hostile and engaged in a brawl.
Spanner frowned, her long, willow-shaped brows furrowed, and remained silent.
A tense silence lingered in the bell tower for a long moment.
Finally, it was broken by her sigh.
"Alan, you're so bold!"
"The first two conditions are easy enough, but the third, I'm a bit puzzled."
Alan breathed a sigh of relief.
He was actually concerned with the first two; the third, on the other hand, wasn't as important.
Spanna's reaction exceeded his expectations.
Her generosity was almost miraculous!
If she had no ulterior motive, it only meant that the things he valued were nothing to her.
It was like an adult pretending to fight with a child over candy, acting petty and calculating, but they were just teasing the child.
This seemed to imply that Spanna's position in the Beast Cult was far more than that of a mere low-ranking deacon!
"I have the Worm Mother Statue and the Tranquilizer on hand," Spanna said calmly. "As for Jamie and Sarah... they're not very strong. You can handle them yourself, right?"
"I can, but I want you to get your hands dirty."
"Oh... I see." Spanna sneered. "You're forcing me to murder my own people, become your accomplice, and join your pirate ship?"
Alan nodded in agreement.
"Haha! Jamie and Sarah are just insignificant little characters. Even if I kill them, it won't be a big deal."
"But why should I be led around by your nose?!"
"If you want to tie me up, you'll have to pay a price!"
Spanna turned and looked at Alan, her smile wicked and her eyes fiery.
"I agree to all three of your conditions, but... you have to compensate me with thirty unpaid services!"
"Thirty times? Absolutely not!"
Alan immediately switched to sales mode, bargaining expertly.
"At most... five times!"