Returning from the abyss

Chapter 1461 The Pocket Watch and the Wandering Swordsman
A new priest arrived at the church. This priest was quite capable; at least he didn't seem like a stranger when people approached him to chat about everyday matters. Moreover, he was very skilled at helping people resolve their inner conflicts, unlike the previous priest who would just use some kind of magic, which might provide some peace of mind for a few days, but the underlying issues would still remain.

A nun in the church enthusiastically led people out to help with the harvest, offering only food. This help earned praise from most people, and more people were willing to come to the church. Most of them were not religious or only superficially religious, but Father Thorne was not one to preach, and they all became friends in no time.

These changes are quite good—in Mr. Fabre's view, the Clock River district has finally seen some decent people.

As one of the few people of relatively high status here, Mr. Fabre only moved to this area because he was attracted by the improved environment after the area was restored. However, having made his fortune through business, he lacked social standing, and neither he nor his wife could easily enter the social circles of the upper nobility. This was not a matter of money, but rather a matter of not being able to find topics to talk about.

Fabre knew very well that few of those nobles didn't have some private property; in fact, he himself had done quite a few businesses at the behest of those nobles. However, in social situations, these people would fall silent. They could talk about everything from current affairs to art, from literature to fashion, but they would never discuss business or similar topics.

Seeing that he was simply not cut out for it, Fabre decided to study. This long process naturally required a place that would soothe his soul. He wasn't short of money, and having heard that the Grand Duke had improved the area near the Clock River, he built a house there and moved his whole family there.

After reading the newspaper and dealing with some business matters, it was already noon. He always liked to take a nap after lunch, which would keep him energized throughout the afternoon. He instructed his servants to prepare lunch, ate a little, and then went back to his bedroom to lie down.

He just didn't expect that he would have such a vivid and real dream this time.

In his dream, he was preparing to inspect several of his shops in Violet City. These shops were just the tip of his vast business network, but they also included some small businesses that he would visit every three to five days to check the accounts. The coachman had already harnessed the carriage, and he set off, quickly leaving the Clockwork River district.

However, a few hundred meters from the first shop, the carriage suddenly broke down, and the driver, sweating profusely, got out to check. Fabre magnanimously forgave the driver's oversight and walked to the first shop to check the accounts. When he returned, the driver had already repaired the carriage, explaining that an old part on the wheel had jammed, and replacing it would solve the problem. Fabre glanced at the replaced part, confirming that the driver wasn't trying to cheat him, and then continued on to the next shop.

The second shop was reached without incident, but when Fabre was reviewing the accounts, he discovered a serious loophole in the ledger. He summoned the person in charge of the accounts, gave him a severe dressing-down, and deducted two days' wages from his pay.

Then, as he was leaving the fourth shop, his car encountered a procession. Some factory—or so he'd heard, recently—had cut worker wages. This had been happening frequently lately; he knew many factories were actually owned by nobles. This practice of cutting costs before even making a profit disgusted Fabre. He was known for his strict rewards and punishments, and even when he punished his subordinates, he had to have a proper justification, otherwise things would turn out like this.

He asked the driver to take a detour, even though it meant he might get home later.

As expected, by the time all the shops had been checked, it was already late, and this was summer! Fabre had the driver light a lantern and start heading back, but they were caught in a sudden downpour halfway there. Although it wasn't heavy, it slowed the carriage down, and the driver got soaked. If the driver fell ill, Fabre would have to take care of his medical expenses.

"This is really unlucky—"

In a bad mood, Fabre slammed his hand on the carriage, almost rolling off the bed.

"Hey... what's going on?"

He stood up in surprise, realizing it was still afternoon. He was grateful it was a dream, but also eager to continue his inspection tour, so he quickly ordered the driver to hitch up the cart. However, as he gave the order, he subconsciously added, "Remember to check the parts on the wheels; replace any worn ones quickly, lest they break down halfway through the journey."

When the driver had the carriage ready, Fabre discovered that he had indeed replaced the part he had seen in his dream with a new one.

Strangely enough, the contents of his dream, which he would usually forget, were now as clear as if etched into his mind. He had two sets of rain gear prepared and set off by carriage. Remembering the route where there would be protests and road blockages, he instructed the driver to change the route to avoid the protests. After returning from this inspection, he indeed found the same problem at the shop with questionable accounts, and Fabre, just as in his dream, carried out the punishment.

On his way home, not far from his house, he encountered a rain shower. Unlike in his dream, he had saved a lot of time and was already at his doorstep. He didn't waste any more time and returned home before dinner.

After everything came true as in his dream, Fabre was shocked. He wasn't particularly superstitious, and while he regularly donated money to the church, he never actually prayed. He never imagined he would actually experience such a prophetic event himself.

Throughout history, there have been many rumored individuals with prophetic abilities. These people were either exceptionally gifted or directly favored by the gods, and many displayed this talent from a young age. He never imagined that he, nearing fifty, would have such good fortune.

"If that's the case, then tonight..."

Fabre was increasingly looking forward to sleeping at night.

=
Inside the underground arena in the southern part of Violet City.

The stench of sweat mingled with the stench of blood, and the scent of money was mixed with curses. People waved tickets of equal value in their hands, cheering loudly for the gladiators in the arena, looking as if they wished they could go up and fight for their side.

The two men fighting each other on stage are "Lion," a well-known figure in the scene, and "Iron Hammer," who has recently been in decline. However, the first two rounds were surprisingly evenly matched.

This situation has certainly increased everyone's desire to place bets, and it seems that a upset by "Iron Hammer" is not impossible, with a large amount of money being bet on Iron Hammer.

Behind these people, in the last row, because the view isn't very good, usually no one sits there; that's where Pocket Watch and Ranger are.

"I was wondering where you were planning to target, and it turns out it's still this kind of place." The pocket watch sneered. "And that person on the stage, is that the one you chose to reveal their true form?"

“That’s right, want to guess? Which one has contracted the plague?” The ranger seemed quite comfortable in this environment, even starting to appreciate the fight on stage. “Iron Hammer? According to these people, Iron Hammer has been losing one battle after another recently, but today he’s become much more ferocious for some reason. It seems like this was your doing?” The pocket watch casually leaned back, placed his cane on his lap, narrowed his eyes slightly, and suddenly realized something.

Noticing his expression, the Ranger laughed as well: "Looks like you figured it out? The one infected by the 'Iron Curtain' is the lion, while Iron Hammer will probably only be infected after this battle."

"Iron Curtain... Heh, I'm quite curious about the effects of this plague."

"You're curious, aren't you? I wasn't planning on telling you anyway. But you've spread your plague so loosely, are you really that confident in its contagiousness?"

"Inquire about my plague instead?" The pocket watch sneered. "No need to bother, because its name is 'Future,' and the infected will eventually gather together."

At that moment, on the ring, Iron Hammer seized an opening and punched the lion in the chin. The lion only leaned back slightly, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, but his expression grew increasingly frenzied. He quickly turned around and unleashed a series of heavy punches, forcing Iron Hammer to retreat repeatedly. Finally, a ferocious whip kick struck Iron Hammer's arm, causing him to scream in pain. The audience saw Iron Hammer's arm bend unnaturally.

"How ruthless..." the pocket watch sneered. "This is barbaric combat, selling one's health for a paltry sum of money..."

“Pocket Watch, do you sense something’s off?” The Ranger frowned. “Logically, under the enhanced physical condition during the ‘Iron Curtain’ incubation period, Lion’s kick should have been enough to send Iron Hammer flying, but it only broke his arm…”

"Ok?"

Just as the lion was about to deliver the final kick, Iron Hammer suddenly extended his other hand in a claw shape, and this time, a faint blue aura emanated from his palm!

The lightning-fast strike hit the lion squarely in the abdomen, penetrating deep into his muscles. The lion froze, his mouth and eyes wide open. He could hardly believe that his opponent could retaliate. The attack caused him intense pain, and he immediately collapsed to his knees, even vomiting.

The referee counted to ten, but the lion still couldn't stop vomiting and get up. The referee immediately announced the hammer's victory, and the bettors cheered so loudly it almost lifted the roof off.

"The pocket watch, that last touch... was it magic?" The ranger was somewhat unsure.

"You didn't see wrong." The more experienced pocket watch naturally saw through the clue. Although it was just a very ordinary first-order spell, a first-order attack spell was already quite stressful for ordinary people. If Iron Hammer's body hadn't been so weak, this claw could have even pierced through the lion's body.

The ranger quickly looked up and searched his surroundings. The two were indeed at the highest point of the stands, but in addition, this underground arena also had private boxes. These boxes were never open to the public; only people with status and background were qualified to enter, since the environment inside the arena was rather filthy.

At that moment, she saw a woman in a long dress standing by the window of a private room diagonally opposite, through the dark glass. She seemed to notice the ranger's gaze, waved in their direction, and then retreated, disappearing into the dim light.

"That—damn it, the pocket watch, who's in that private room?"

"How would I know?" The pocket watch hadn't noticed any of this; he was completely unconcerned about what had happened here.

Seeing this, the wandering swordsman had no choice but to give up. She wasn't one of those crazy apostles who would knowingly confront an opponent whose strength was unknown. Since the other party had already discovered her, it was best to leave this dangerous place as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, inside the private room, several young men and women opened the door. They were all dressed in aristocratic attire and had quite good looks, clearly young people from prestigious families. Among them, only the last one to emerge, a young woman in a brown dress, was dressed relatively simply, but even that was only in comparison.

"How was it, Danxi? Wasn't it just as exciting as I said? All the matches today were great, especially the last one. Hammer's incredible comeback was absolutely spectacular! Haha, did you see the lion's expression?"

A young man, quite excited, boasted to the last woman, while the others chimed in with similar enthusiasm, discussing the final fight. Clearly, these young nobles were seasoned veterans of such places and were very familiar with the ins and outs of these underground battles.

The woman, known as Danshi, smiled politely but did not speak.

After leaving the stifling environment of the underground arena, the young man treated everyone to drinks at a fancy bar. This was their usual routine, but today they had another goal: to recruit Danxi into their little group.

Compared to the more exclusive circles of the nobility, these circles of young people who are not heirs are easier to join. They don't have the busyness of learning so much, they have endless money as long as they don't embarrass their families, and there's less of a strong sense of class distinctions. For them, anyone they can have fun with is a friend, and Danshi is a rather famous artist who recently arrived in Violet City.

Danshi held an art exhibition at the Quartz Museum, the most famous art museum in the central region. The exhibition included a variety of art projects, including paintings, sculptures, musical scores, and poems. These were art forms that most people would consider remarkable if they were proficient in even one of them. Danshi had achieved a good level in all of them, and some of them even received praise from old nobles and church personnel.

This group of idle young noblemen were very interested in these kinds of entertainments, and Danxi was not the kind of old-fashioned artist. She was willing to listen to all kinds of stories and did not reject entertainment that the nobles considered vulgar. After a while, Cannavaro, the leader of this small group, decided to take her to see the underground arena of Violet City and try to bring her into the circle.

So, after a toast, Cannavaro extended an invitation to Dansi: "Someone as insightful as you, join us, and we're sure to find more ways to have fun!"

Danshi seemed somewhat surprised, and perhaps amused by Cannavaro's invitation, but she suppressed her laughter and clinked glasses with him: "Well, I happen to have an idea, would you like to hear it?"