Chapter 192: Departure and Chaos
After making up his mind, Luo En returned to the Vitz Antique Shop.
Fortunately, Ceasar told him that the mysterious lady was still in the shop.
He put on the pure white mask and, led by Ceasar, entered the study once more.
The lady in the white mask was still sitting quietly by the large desk, as if she had maintained that posture since yesterday, silently reading.
This time, Luo En went straight to the point:
"Madam, I've decided. I want to leave tonight, if possible?"
Hearing this, Cattelya, who was turning a page, paused slightly. She looked up and quietly observed Luo En for a moment.
She seemed to be weighing the risks associated with the request to "leave tonight."
After a moment, she slowly nodded, agreeing to Luo En's request.
"Regarding the payment," Luo En continued, "I can pay half the deposit now. The remaining half will be paid to you once we safely reach Damir Port."
Cattelya nodded again.
"Alright."
Then, she gestured for Luo En to wait and called Ceasar in.
"We need to sign an agreement," she told Ceasar.
"Yes, Madam."
Ceasar skillfully retrieved a yellowish, ancient-looking parchment from a hidden compartment in the study.
"A Mystical Item with binding effects... the Notary that the Captain once mentioned," Luo En thought to himself, looking at the parchment that emitted a faint Beyonder aura.
A short while later, with all three parties witnessing, a concise agreement was drafted.
Luo En took a look, finding no obvious linguistic traps.
"Do I need to sign?" Luo En had some concerns. Lorne. De Senck couldn't be exposed, and Monqi Brando was too famous now. Would a made-up name work? "No need," Ceasar replied. "For confidentiality, both of you just need to place your palms on the contract simultaneously."
"That's good, very considerate," Luo En breathed a sigh of relief.
Upon completion of the contract, he paid one thousand five hundred pounds in cash on the spot.
After receiving the deposit, Cattelya set the final meeting time and place with him.
"Midnight, Warehouse Number Seven in the dock district."
Leaving the Vitz Antique Shop and walking back to the inn, Luo En still felt a bit uneasy.
Although he didn't perceive any obvious Calamity warnings, there was an inexplicable, strange feeling.
"May the journey be smooth."
Luo En said to himself in his heart.
He returned to the hidden inn, and as he pushed open the door, he saw Danitz, covered in bandages and lying weakly on a chair.
"Brando, you're back?" Danitz sighed when he saw him, then said with a somewhat dejected tone, "I—I just risked going out again to try and contact the Captain. They still need some time—"
A moment later, Danitz seemed to remember something and added, "Oh, right, I also heard some news. I heard that the reason the Storm Church is so desperately searching for me is because—they heard a damned rumor about the Captain from somewhere."
"A rumor?" Luo En asked.
Danitz nodded, an angry and confused expression on his face: "Yeah! The rumor says the Captain is planning some 'big operation' in Bayam!"
"Bullshit! I don't know if those guys from the Storm Church had their brains smashed by the waves! People on our Golden Dream have always been obsessed with exploring ruins and adventures. When have we ever planned any 'big operation'?"
"Can you still contact the Captain now?" Luo En asked directly after listening to his complaints.
"Now? I can, what's wrong?" Danitz replied.
"That's good." Luo En's expression became serious. "Immediately inform the Captain not to come to Bayam anymore."
"We can't drag them into this as well."
"If, as that damned rumor says, the Captain and her crew appear around Bayam and are accidentally discovered by the Storm Church, then that rumor will be impossible to clear."
"Really! I thought so too!" Hearing Luo En's words, Danitz excitedly sat up straight from his chair. He had originally intended to persuade Luo En to give up on the idea of the Captain coming to pick them up.
However, a moment later, he slumped again, his face filled with worry: "But—how are we going to leave then?"
"Don't worry." Luo En looked at him, a helpless smile on his face. "I've already made arrangements."
"It just might cost us a bit."
"Damn it! Fifteen hundred pounds—"
After risking contacting the Captain and informing her not to come to Bayam, Danitz was still bothered by the huge "ticket" price.
"Stop complaining," Luo En, who was packing his luggage, said without looking back. "Didn't I already tell you? Yesterday, unidentified powerful Beyonders targeted us again, and they are of a very high Sequence. Now, getting out safely as quickly as possible is the priority."
With that, Luo En took out a pure white, plain mask from his Pregnant and handed it to Danitz.
"Put this on."
He had specifically bought this for Danitz at the Vitz Antique Shop earlier, spending dozens of pounds.
He learned from Ceasar that this type of mask, made of special material, possessed a certain mystical interference effect, effectively blocking most low-level prying and divination.
After all, Danitz was a well-known pirate, and his face was too recognizable; it would be easy for others to figure something out. An extra layer of protection is always good.
Danitz took the mask, put it on his face with a hint of disdain, and quietly complained, "It feels like ever since I met you, I've been in constant trouble."
At the same time, elsewhere.
A team of fully armed Punishers raided the abandoned bar warehouse.
"Captain! There are obvious traces of Beyonder combat at the scene! And—" a Punisher surveying the scene reported loudly, "There are also residual traces belonging to the Rose School of Thought around."
"Rose School of Thought?"
The experienced Punisher Captain paused slightly, then fell into deep thought.
"Recently, we've been searching for pirates. First, there were rumors that Iceberg Admiral was going to cause trouble in Bayam. Later, while tracking 'Blazing' Danitz, we unexpectedly found traces of several pirates under Blood Admiral."
"Could these factions be planning to unite and orchestrate some major operation in Bayam?"
"Immediately report the situation to His Grace the Bishop!" He decisively ordered. "This matter may have exceeded our capabilities! It might be related to Blood Admiral, Senor, himself!"
"If she truly is the Admiral of the Stars, then is she—is she really reliable?"
On the way to the dock district, Danitz, wearing a white mask, still spoke with some unease.
"Meow." Lachi, perched on Luo En's shoulder, also let out a worried cry.
"At least, I haven't felt any obvious hostility from her, nor have I felt any signs of Calamity." Luo En said, gently stroking the Orange Cat's fluffy head, while instructing, "I haven't revealed your true identity to her, but I can't rule out that with her strength, she might see something. So, in a little while, try not to speak. If anything comes up, I'll speak, or you tell me first."
With that, he took Lachi from his shoulder and placed her into Danitz's arms.
"Lachi, you take care of her for now too."
"Ah? Meow?"
"No, are you treating me like a maid?"
The Bayam dock district at midnight was unusually quiet, with only the sound of the sea breeze.
"This should be the so-called Warehouse Number Seven," Luo En muttered softly, surveying the building before him.
"Spirit Vision shows no abnormalities, so it should be fine."
Then, he and Danitz, holding the cat, pushed open the heavy, slightly ajar warehouse door and walked in.
"Madam, we're here," Luo En called out softly into the warehouse, which was piled high with crates.
However, after a long while, they heard no response.
"Not here? Or did we arrive early?" A trace of doubt flashed through Luo En's mind.
"Damn it, this isn't—a trap, is it?" Danitz immediately lowered his voice, leaning close to Luo En, and said cautiously.
Just then.
"Listen—Ah—"
A suppressed groan, filled with extreme pain, suddenly came from the depths of the warehouse, drawing their attention.
This—
Luo En and Danitz exchanged glances, both seeing surprise in the other's eyes.
They stopped in front of a closed small door. The sound was coming from within.
Luo En pulled out "Phantom" and then made a gesture to Danitz to stay alert.
Then, he slowly pushed open the door.
The sight before them left both of them stunned.
They saw the black-haired lady, dressed in a classical robe and wearing a white mask, curled up on the floor, her body writhing and twitching uncontrollably from intense pain.
"What happened?" Luo En recognized her at a glance; she was the mysterious lady from the antique shop.
However, at this moment, she completely lacked her previous calm, collected, and powerful demeanor. Instead, she appeared exceptionally disheveled, only able to lie on the cold ground, letting out painful roars.
Luo En and Danitz exchanged glances again. The current development had completely exceeded their expectations.
"Madam, are you alright?" Luo En tentatively asked.
Hearing his voice, Cattelya, who was on the ground, slowly raised her head but did not speak.
She had also never expected to be so unlucky today! To be forcibly infused with knowledge by that damned Hidden Sage at such a critical moment!
This time, the knowledge infusion was exceptionally ferocious, leaving her no time to attend to the two already-arrived "passengers."
She could only struggle to wave at them, signaling them to absolutely not approach her!
"What do we do? Something's not right!" Danitz whispered anxiously into Luo En's ear.
"She looks like she's about to lose control! A Beyonder who loses control turns into a Monster, and both of us are still injured!"
Hearing Danitz's words, Luo En's brows also furrowed tightly.
If a powerful Beyonder of a "Pirate Admiral" level loses control and turns into a Monster, they, in their current state, would absolutely not be able to handle it!
"Should we retreat before she loses control—but then the money would be wasted. Or should we go all out and take advantage of her struggle?" After a moment of thought, Luo En activated his Spirit Vision and looked at Cattelya, who was slumped on the ground, struggling in pain.
From the perspective of Spirit Vision, he saw that above Cattelya's chaotic Beyonder aura, something seemed to be floating.
He focused his attention, trying to see clearly what it was when—
He saw a pair—
A pair of cold, emotionless, lashless, almost completely transparent eyes!
"Ah!!!"
Luo En let out a scream, his legs giving out, and he half-knelt on the ground!
"Brando! Are you alright?!"
"Meow!"
Danitz immediately panicked at the sight. He hadn't seen what happened, only that Luo En suddenly screamed and fell to his knees. He rushed to Luo En's side, asking anxiously.
"I—I'm fine." Luo En covered his eyes with both hands, blood even seeping through his fingers. He was gasping for air.
After a long while, he reluctantly lowered his hands, his voice hoarse: "It's just that I seem to have seen something I shouldn't have."
At the same time, Cattelya, who was enduring the endless torrent of knowledge, suddenly felt the irresistible pressure that was driving her mad abruptly lighten!
The torrents of knowledge that had been furiously pursuing her instantly diminished greatly, receding from a tsunami capable of engulfing everything to a controllable tide.
She finally got a chance to breathe.
She struggled to her feet from the cold floor, and her sharp gaze, hidden behind her mask, immediately fell upon the two passengers before her.
"Was it because of them—or was it—just a coincidence?"
"Madam, it's getting late." Luo En, now standing, looked at Cattelya.
"Also, you don't mind if we bring another cat, do you?"
Cattelya did not speak. She activated her "Eye of Secrecy" and carefully observed Luo En and Danitz.
However, she did not find any obvious, special traces on either of them.
After a brief moment of contemplation, she suppressed the lingering sting and discomfort in her mind and softly said:
"Follow me—"