When the plot-skips players into the game world

Ye Zhi's pupils glimmered with red light for an instant before he casually replied, "Not at all. I've just returned from Iris Flower—after which I spent a few days on Glass Island before coming back."

"I've been studying abroad in Iris Flower for many years. It has been a long time since I visited home."

"A student abroad, huh..."

Hayna's expression became somewhat intricate.

The reason was simple.

The man appeared to be at least thirty years old.

How long had he been studying abroad?

Even several lecturers at the Royal Law University looked younger than him—like those bishops, for example.

Moreover, hearing that he had studied abroad in Iris Flower made Hayna inexplicably unhappy.

Because she didn't quite like the people of Iris Flower—she found them more detestable than the Star Antimony folks, with their affected and frivolous nature.

Consequently, she subconsciously felt that this Ye Zhi might also be a profligate. The inexplicable sense of kinship she felt upon meeting a fellow countryman thus weakened a bit.

So her tone became more composed, and after pausing for a moment, she asked further, "Mr. Ye Zhi, what did you study in Iris Flower... music, perhaps?"

She could vaguely sense a certain quality in this tall man that was similar to Princess Isabel's demeanor.

Which led her to instinctively feel that he might be a Transcendent of the Path of Beauty.

—Even though we in Avalon have our own heritage on the Path of Beauty! There's no need to go abroad to learn such things!

"I studied scriptwriting. I aspire to become a playwright," Ye Zhi exclaimed, his voice gentle and deep, "But now it seems that I am actually better at writing poetry."

"Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, after all."
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Hayna offered a strained, polite consolation, "I myself realized after graduating..."

—that the path I'm talented in might be the Path of Transcendence.

Before she could speak her thoughts aloud, she suddenly felt a shock of alarm inside her.

Her intuition once again fiercely warned her that she shouldn't say these words, and she completely snapped back to reality.

And now, encountering the same situation for the second time, Hayna finally became vigilant. She looked toward the man opposite her with a displeased expression.

If the first time was accidental, then for it to occur a second time... could it mean she had been charmed?

Although Ye Zhi's charm fell far short of Mr. Aiwass's, she could speak freely to Ye Zhi words she would be cautious not to say to Mr. Aiwass. It was as if a mysterious force made her stay amiable to this stranger.

She closed her mouth, a mix of nervousness and scrutiny in her eyes as she narrowed them slightly at Ye Zhi.

...A charm technique from the Path of Love?

"Sir..."

Hanna was about to produce the ceremonial sword she always carried—since security checks on trains had no authority to disarm her— and decided to arrest this strange man, who employed a charm technique to pry information from strangers, under the pretext of "misusing illegal Transcendent abilities."

But just at that moment, the train happened to slowly arrive at the final station.

"What is it?"

Ye Zhi lifted his head in feigned innocence, "Is there a problem?"

But his acting was far worse than Mr. Aiwass's—accustomed to Aiwass pretending innocence with Sherlock, Hayna almost immediately sensed Ye Zhi was acting.

Yet after considering it, she decided to follow the guidance of her intuition.

Better not to meddle in unnecessary matters.

—Her recent experiences at the Supervisory Bureau had taught her a thing or two.

Not only was the train's space limited, but it was also full of unarmed civilians. A real fight could lead to a major catastrophe.

And now, far from the capital, she couldn't call for backup. Her Gryphon hadn't arrived yet, and the military forces of Shepherd Bay County were too weak...

She no longer saw Inspectors as upholders of fairness and justice, as she did before graduation—even in Glass Island, a stronghold, the Supervisory Bureau could be attacked. Inspectors were not invincible; if this man could use a charm technique on her twice without notice, he likely was stronger than Hayna.

Thus, the least Hayna could do was not to cause unnecessary trouble for her colleagues.

It was better to report everything she observed and her thoughts to her teacher through a letter than to engage in a show of strength—that would be more effective.

After all, Aiwass and Sherlock would be there that night. If there were any plots, let the clever ones ponder and solve them.

She wasn't clever, so there was no need for her to speculate wildly.

"...it's nothing."

With that thought, Hayna replied curtly.

She took a long look at the man with a feigned smile, memorized his features, and only then did she take her luggage and turn to leave.

After Hayna left, Ye Zhi remained motionless in his seat.

He continued to sit there upright, even as everyone else departed.

Yet aside from Hayna, the other passengers seemed not to see him at all... they simply walked right past him.

They were not just oblivious to his presence. If Hayna had been a bit more sensitive, she would have noticed that when she was arguing with Ye Zhi, nobody else even bothered to lift their head to look.

It was as if the moment she spoke to Ye Zhi, she too was dragged into the realm of the unnoticed.

Just like how, before Ye Zhi actively approached Hayna to talk, Hayna hadn't noticed him at all.

Ye Zhi walked up to the seat Hayna had vacated, bowed his head, and deeply inhaled the scent she left behind.

As he breathed in, his pupils suddenly lit up with a blood-red glow. After he closed his eyes and digested the scent for a while, the red brilliance gradually faded.

"...Interesting. Pure and honest character. Not bad talent for the Path of Authority, almost reaching the fourth energy level at such a young age. There's also adaptability to Transcendence and twilight..."

His voice was smooth and deep, "Not only does she carry Meg's flask, but she has also come in contact with a descendant of Lancelot. There's also the scent of Alexander, Hermes, Heracles... Is she the protagonist of this era?"

Was it a mere coincidence that he came at this time, or was it... someone pulling the strings from behind?

Ye Zhi furrowed his brow in thought.

He took another deep breath, closing his eyes and trying to discern the details.

Suddenly, Ye Zhi frowned slightly.

He opened his eyes, a mix of surprise and uncertainty, "Is this scent... from that guy Mathers?"

Ye Zhi stood in the train corridor, contemplating for a good while.

By the time the train at the final station started moving again, he had already disappeared without a trace from his previous spot.

He had not passed through any window or door—but when he reappeared, he had turned into a crow, flapping his wings and flying to perch on a branch of The Great Tree.

Then he transformed into a grey wolf.

Its slender body was like a shadow.

After changing into a wolf, the branch beneath him swayed slightly but did not break under his weight.

Those brownish-yellow wolf eyes quietly watched Hayna as she moved further away. Yet, Hayna suddenly turned her head and looked around as if she felt something.

"What strong intuition."

Ye Zhi murmured in a low voice with admiration.

And at that moment, his expression suddenly turned serious.

Ye Zhi swiftly turned his head, looking in another direction, his gaze deepening.

"...Demon Scholar?"

He muttered quietly, "Or a Curse Ritual Magician?"

The wolf stood quietly on the tree limb.

As if it had been standing for ages, or merely a moment—as the sunlight shifted, he disappeared from the spot just as he had from the train compartment.

Meanwhile, elsewhere.

Shepherd Bay County, Flute Town.

Two giants stood in front of the town's public cemetery.

The ongoing banishing ritual allowed the demonologists clad in red robes to dig out coffin after coffin. Despite their busy actions, no one seemed to notice their presence.

"Your Highness."

The slightly shorter giant spoke respectfully, "I've checked again, there's definitely nothing."

"There has to be something."

Prince Wolfram the Giant spoke in a low and serious tone, "My Eye Demon wouldn't make a mistake—the Book of Law will appear around mid-December near Flute Town of Shepherd Bay County, in 'a place closest to death'. I must get my hands on it.

"If it's not here, we'll search elsewhere—remember to re-bury the coffins and don't disturb the locals. It'd be bad if the church found out... We need to buy time."

"Where shall I take them now?"

"You take half of the men to infiltrate all the hospitals' morgues in town. With the others, check the cemeteries in the surrounding villages.

"George is like a mad dog—he's still after me, I can't always watch over you... You go find the book for me, we'll draw George away. Once you find the book, contact me with the Mirage ritual. Or if you can't find it in the surrounding villages' cemeteries, let me know as well."

"Understood, Your Highness."

The shorter giant answered respectfully.

"Don't disappoint me again, Kazim."

As Wolfram's figure faded like a specter before vanishing entirely, he warned one last time, "If you lose the Book of Law, don't bother to see me again."

The giant referred to as Kazim remained standing tall only after Wolfram left.

He pondered while the people around him approached with a measure of fear.

"My lord... as you saw, there really is nothing."

"I know there isn't. The chief just saw for himself... have your brothers bury them again. Then clean up the traces of excavation here."

Kazim said emotionlessly, "After that, you take a dozen men, in pairs of two, to the morgue in town to look around. I'll take people to the nearby villages to check."