I'm not a goblin Frankenstein's monster.

Chapter 127 Black Prophecy

The voice from behind the water curtain sounded again, this time with a touch of procedural politeness: "Next, we will ask you a few testing questions. Please answer truthfully. The purpose of these questions is to calibrate the crystal's evaluation criteria; they are unrelated to you personally. Understand?"

Xia Lin nodded, then, remembering that the person on the other end might not be able to see his movements clearly, replied, "Understood."

"First question: Do you prefer men or women?"

Xia Lin: "————"

What's the problem?

"Woman," Xia Lin answered truthfully.

The crystal flashed green light and passed through.

"My second question is, what part of a woman do you like?"

Xia Lin was truly stunned this time.

Is this some kind of interrogation of me, or an interrogation of my sexual fetishes?

Alice's expression remained calm, but the curve of her lips was slightly more pronounced than before.

She did it on purpose.

Xia Lin took a deep breath and decided to give the safest answer: "The heart."

"Buzz"

The crystal was flashing red light wildly!

The voice came from behind the water curtain, tinged with helplessness: "Please answer truthfully, Mr. Xia Lin. The crystal's judgment is very accurate; you can't hide it from me."

Xia Lin fell silent.

Fine. You're ruthless.

Xia Lin gritted her teeth and squeezed out a single word: "Breasts."

The crystal flashed—a green light.

Alice snorted in dissatisfaction—I knew it, I hadn't wronged you in the carriage.

The rest of the issues returned to normal.

The other party began to inquire about specific details of the mission: the time of entry into the forest, the route taken, the monsters encountered, the course of the battles, the deaths of Melissa and Lance, and the whereabouts of the sacred relic.

Xia Lin answered in detail.

Of course, he was telling the truth about the relic; he genuinely didn't know where it was because it was with Woody, and Woody wasn't in this dimension.

The crystal consistently shimmered with a stable green light.

An hour later.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Xia Lin," a voice came from behind the water curtain. "Your statement has been recorded. Please wait outside; we need time to discuss the final conclusion."

The heavy oak door was pushed open from the inside.

Xia Lin walked out of the investigation hall and sat down on a bench in the corridor.

The long corridor was deserted. He leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh.

At least—I passed the lie detector test.

Next, we await their "final conclusion".

A dozen minutes later.

The oak door opened again.

Alice walked out from inside, her steps light and quick, her face bearing an expression that Xia Lin couldn't quite describe.

She walked up to Xia Lin and looked down at him.

"Congratulations," she said. "Based on our assessment, the loss of the sacred object has nothing to do with you."

Xia Lin was overjoyed and abruptly stood up: "Then when can I leave?"

Alice did not answer.

She simply looked at him, a meaningful smile slowly appearing on her lips.

That smile made Xia Lin's heart skip a beat.

"I have good news and bad news," Alice said slowly. "Which would you like to hear first?"

Xia Lin stared at her, his bad premonition growing stronger.

"—Bad news."

"The bad news is—" Alice paused, "Although you've cleared your name, the news of the lost relic cannot be spread. You know, it would be a disgrace for us to lose one of the Church's three great relices. So—we can't let you go back until we get news about the relic."

Xia Lin frowned.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to curse, and continued, "So, what's the good news?"

Alice's smile widened: "The good news is that, after negotiations, and of course, my personal efforts as well."

We've decided to temporarily assign you to the Silverflame Church investigation team. And I will be your direct superior.

She reached out and patted Xia Lin on the shoulder.

The force wasn't strong, but it carried a sense of "you can't escape my grasp."

"This way, it won't restrict your freedom, and it will also prevent the news from leaking. How about it, happy? The success rate of the new recruits I mentor is very high."

Xia Lin remained silent for three seconds.

Then he asked a crucial question: "What if the sacred object can't be found?"

Upon hearing this, Alice smiled even more brightly: "Then it depends on what the higher-ups want. Maybe a few months, maybe a few years, maybe—a lifetime."

She paused, then added in a "I'm thinking of you" tone, "So I suggest you pray the relic is found quickly. That way everyone's in a better position, right?"

Xia Lin stared at her, remaining silent for a long time.

Then-

Xia Lin suddenly smiled.

The smile was surprisingly calm, even carrying a hint of relief: "Okay. I'll join."

Alice was slightly taken aback, clearly not expecting him to agree so readily.

"However, since they are members of the investigation team," shouldn't they receive corresponding benefits? Like equipment, training, or something similar?"

"Yes," Alice nodded. "New investigators receive two perks: one free divination service and the right to choose one piece of equipment. Of course, they're all standard, so don't expect to pick any legendary gear."

Xia Lin nodded: "Okay. Shall we go now?"

Alice glanced at him and suddenly realized that this young man was more interesting than she had imagined.

The prophecy room.

The room was small and dimly lit, with tapestries depicting stars and themes of destiny hanging on the walls.

In the very center was a round table with a fist-sized crystal ball on it and a yellowed tarot deck next to it.

A woman wearing a veil sat behind the table.

Her age and appearance were unclear; only her eyes, like bottomless well water, flickered slightly behind the veil.

"Put your hand on the crystal ball." Her voice was very soft, as if it came from a very far place.

Xia Lin placed her hand on the crystal ball as instructed.

It felt slightly cool to the touch, like holding a stone that had just been pulled out of a well.

The woman began to sing.

The chanting had no lyrics, only some ancient, incomprehensible syllables, which gently echoed around the crystal ball.

The crystal ball changed.

Suddenly, a hazy gray mist appeared inside the originally transparent sphere. The gray mist surged, swirled, and condensed, eventually transforming into a black bird with outstretched wings.

crow.

Xia Lin was taken aback.

Isn't that Woody?

"Black Raven," the woman's voice rang out, "the feather of death. A symbol of death descending from the darkness."

2

Xia Lin:

Is this over?

"Draw another card," the woman said, pointing to the tarot deck.

Xia Lin casually picked out a card and flipped it open—

The image shows a man hanging upside down on a gallows, one foot bound by a rope, the other casually dangling, his expression eerily calm.

The woman stared at the card, remaining silent for a long time.

"The Hanged Man," she finally spoke, "represents tragic tyranny."

Xia Lin frowned: "What do you mean?"

"Two omens," the woman said slowly, "both point to the same possibility that you will perform a black ritual related to patricide."

This foreshadows a career path you may choose later that could become extremely dangerous; you must choose carefully.