"Yes… I am back."
Damon said with a small smile as he looked at Mo Fan, his eyes scanning the crowd gathered before him.
Under the giant clock of the Clock Tower Magic Association, old acquaintances—Zhang Xiaohou, Zhou Ming, and Mu Bai—looked at him with recognition in their eyes.
Han Ji, the mysterious masked man, observed cautiously, along with Wang Kai, leader of the Imperial Magicians; Shi Zheng, an elder of the Enforcement Union; Yao Ting, a commander of the army; and Chu Jia, an elder of the Hunter Union.
"Sorry for the sudden entrance," Damon said as his combat suit dissolved into a black shirt and pants that hugged his figure perfectly. Turning toward Han Ji, the man in charge, he took a step forward and gave a slight bow before introducing himself.
"It's a pleasure meeting you, Sir Han Ji. I am Damon Morningstar." He extended his hand as the two Super Tier Rank badges on his chest gleamed brightly.
"Damon Morningstar…" Han Ji was surprised by the visit, faint memories surfacing in his mind. The world's third-wealthiest man, Asia's number one in terms of wealth.
Damon was a celebrity, his face famous and frequently recurring on news channels. Han Ji knew the young man well—not only because of his wealth and fame, but also because of his hunting activities, which often involved the Black Vatican. The intelligence Damon provided through those activities was a frequent topic of discussion within their ranks.
"Meeting here at this time… I wouldn't call it a pleasure," Han Ji said lightly, glancing at the ruined city around them.
"What are you doing here?" Mo Fan asked, curiosity mixed with suspicion as he wondered why Damon had appeared at this place and time.
"Heard about Zhang Xiaohou's incident, so I thought I'd check it out… but—" Damon looked around and let out a bitter chuckle before his gaze settled on Zhang Xiaohou, alive and standing.
Mo Fan and Zhang Xiaohou both felt warmth fill their hearts, mixed with gratitude and regret.
Gratitude that Damon had come all this way for Zhang Xiaohou's sake. Regret for dragging the man into a dying city.
Though Damon's interaction with Zhang Xiaohou had not been extensive, he still considered him a friend—and for his sake… alright, that was bullshit.
'I don't know how to explain why I'm here.'
Damon had no clear explanation for his appearance amid the undead crisis, so he chose the only reason he could think of that wouldn't sound suspicious.
He looked up at the sky. Night was approaching as the sun sank toward the horizon. His heart followed it as it disappeared.
It turned out the day was already coming to an end.
Even though the undead had remained active during the day due to the Dew of Nine Serenities, sunlight was still able to slow them down. Once night fell, however, the undead would only become wilder.
"He's here. He's actually showing up in the trench coat of a Blue Deacon!"
Elder Shi Zheng from the Enforcement Union glanced down from the tower and saw a man in a blue trench coat making his way up.
The shout pulled everyone's attention away from Damon as their eyes shifted toward Mu Bai—also known as the Great Deacon Hu Jin.
Mu He ascended the stairs. The entire area was filled with Imperial Magicians. They could instantly blast the Great Deacon of the Black Vatican into nothing, yet none of them dared to move before Han Ji gave the order.
"Did you bring Zhang Xiaohou?" Mu He walked up to the crowd, a mocking grin plastered across his face.
Zhang Xiaohou stood beside Han Ji. The mysterious man stared at Mu He coldly, as did Damon, who now gripped his claymore tightly, ready to cut the bastard into pieces.
Perhaps both Han Ji and the mysterious man felt a sense of absurdity. The unforgivable criminal stood right before them, yet they could not afford to sentence him to death immediately. Their situation was so desperate that they were forced to negotiate with the Black Vatican.
Mu He glanced at Zhang Xiaohou and said, "My Amnesia Bug has already eaten part of his memory. The truth is, if he fully recovers it, he'll die before he can speak a single word. I will tell you the location of the Qin Emperor's imperial tomb, and you can verify it with him once he takes the antidote. Of course, you'll have to release the innocent councilmen, elders, and commanders first."
Mu He deliberately emphasized the word 'innocent' in a strange tone, as if mocking the people who were close to being executed.
"What does he mean?" Damon asked, feigning surprise as he turned to Mo Fan, whose eyes were burning with rage.
"That bastard Mu He…" Mo Fan clenched his teeth, barely holding back curses. "He's also a deacon of the Black Vatican. He, along with Salan, orchestrated all of this."
"Salan has been captured by the Imperial Magicians, but her identity is still unknown. Because of that, ten authority figures who are suspects are being held in custody."
Taking a deep breath, Mo Fan continued, "To stop the awakening of the ancient emperor, we need to locate his tomb."
"So in exchange for the location, the ten figures are to be released…" he finished.
Damon listened attentively, not interrupting even once.
'Now what do I do?' Damon wondered. He had the urge to step forward, declare that he knew the tomb's location, and then kill the bastard Mu He—and that bitch Salan along with him.
'But…'
Without credibility, without a proper story, he couldn't.
It wasn't as simple as revealing such groundbreaking information with a 'trust me, bro' source.
The issue was too big. Jumping in now and revealing everything would only cause chaos. Arguments would follow, then demands for proof, questions about his credibility—and if things went wrong…
'I'd be marked as suspicious instead.'
Damon cursed inwardly and chose to let the scene unfold, to let the plot proceed as it was.
... For now