Mystery: Starting from the Shadow World

Chapter 74 Gathering

Philip pondered the effects of the spell "Ember," combining information from both the indulgence and temperance factions, and blurted out, "The indulgence faction, they have a way of inciting our madness and desires?"

"The answer is close, but not entirely correct. The sealed item they possess is called the 'Crimson Moon Crown,' which can simulate the effect of a full moon and allow the holder to ignore the full moon."

Maric added, "It's in the hands of 'Wraith' Steve. Not long ago, he and two others abandoned us for some reason and went to Tingen instead. Now, he's the only one who's come back injured and alive, and he's being hunted by the Night Watchers."

It seems you should thank me.

Philip instinctively wanted to make an expression to vent his emotions, but he didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He could only pinch his chin, suppressing the urge to smile and the bitterness in his heart, and then said:

"So, you're planning to use the 'Ember' spell to buy time during the full moon effect of that sealed item, and then deal with it?"

“That’s right.” Marich nodded. “We originally wanted to make some more preparations, but the Rose School seems to have issued some orders in Backlund a couple of days ago, and those members who were originally hiding in the shadows suddenly became restless.”

This might also be because of me

Philip closed his eyes, took a few deep breaths, and then calmed down before saying, "So you want to act quickly to avoid any unforeseen circumstances? Fine, I'll offer my help, but I'll join the fight too."

"you?"

Marich clearly hadn't expected this answer. After a few seconds of stunned silence, he pondered with a serious expression and said:

"If you're only after more benefits, there's no need for that. Aside from the extraordinary properties of the 'Wraith' and the 'Crimson Moon Crown,' we'll give you any other gains directly, or sell them to you at a low price."

Philip knew that the other party didn't want anything to happen to him, the support, and that being a newly promoted Sequence 7 wasn't too important in mid-sequence battles, but unfortunately, he, as the support, had a taunt.

Instead of being timid and hesitant, it's better to take advantage of having helpers to improve the situation as much as possible and seek opportunities for the future.

"I won't hold anyone back."

These words were clearly not very convincing. Marich raised his head, looked at the corner of the room for several seconds, and then turned around and said, "Okay, we agree."

Philip followed the other person's gaze to the corner. After a moment's consideration, he activated his spiritual vision. Seeing that he still found nothing, he could only nod slightly. "Approximately how many talismans do I need, and when do I need to give them to you?"

"The more the better. Seven days from now is the most appropriate and safe time. If we wait any longer, the new forces sent by the Rose School to Backlund could arrive at any moment."

"Hmm." Philip lowered the baseball cap he used to conceal his features, nodded in agreement, and then, with some complicated thoughts running through his mind, got up and left.

The zombies who had been playing cards nearby stopped moving. Maric watched him leave, then turned his head slightly, saying with a hint of doubt and confusion:

"Sharon, why did you bring him along?"

In the gradually falling silent card room, the blonde woman in a black court dress, who had been looking at the corner earlier, revealed herself.

She glanced towards the door for about ten seconds, then parted her thin lips slightly, her tone indifferent and calm, as if she were merely speaking mechanically without any emotion:

"He doesn't have the air of a libertine; he actively sought your help and took the 'werewolf' potion, which shows the trust he placed in us."

"And I want to try to understand the being that the 'Ember' incantation points to. Perhaps, perhaps, He is the hope of revenge, and the hope of spreading the ideal of temperance."

July 31, nighttime.

Outside the front door of a house in Queens.

Philip had already changed into a black hooded robe in a secluded corner and, following Marich's instructions, knocked on the wooden door with three long knocks followed by two short ones.

A few seconds later, the main gate in front of him slowly opened, revealing the gatekeeper, who was also completely hidden under a black robe.

The other person simply stood there quietly, and immediately closed the door after Philip had completely entered the house, without making any unnecessary movements or casting any extra glances.

Philip lowered his head slightly as he entered the room and quickly noticed the man in black robes sitting on a single sofa not far away. This man was the organizer of the party and was suspected to be Mr. A, a Sequence Five.

The other person's undisguised, sticky gaze quickly passed over him; such trivial matters no longer stirred Philip's emotions. By the light of the gas lamp, he focused his gaze on the two blackboards standing at the front:

"Sequence 8, the recipe for 'Lightbringer,' 450 pounds."

"Medullary crystal from the Fairy Spring, 320 pounds."

"The baby's cry, flowers, 200 pounds."

Looking at the items, Philip, hidden beneath his black robe, tightened his grip on the suitcase full of cash before quickly scanning it to see if there was anything he needed.

But the answer is obvious: the transactions openly discussed here are not high-level, and are basically the same as the gatherings at the Brave Ones' Bar, controlled at a low-sequence level, so they don't contain what he needs.

Not a single mistake, not a single poem, not a single post, not a single piece of content, not a single look!

Just then, Mr. A's attendant came over and whispered to Mr. A:

"Sir, you can write your needs on a piece of paper for me, or during the break later, you can go to the small room and write the items you want to sell on the blackboard."

Philip, having figured out the meaning of those two words, subconsciously glanced at Mr. A not far away, then subtly looked around before taking the paper and pen offered by the other party and writing down his two requests:

"The ritual for summoning and contracting a messenger."

"Extraordinary items that possess 'soothing' abilities or similar abilities, with minimal side effects."

Philip has now accepted reality and no longer insists on the former, while the latter is to resist the full moon curse and the almost endless madness of the "zombie" stage.

After all, the "Ember" talisman has limited effectiveness to some extent, requires a large quantity to maintain its effect, and it is also engraved with incantations pointing to oneself. If it were exposed, there would undoubtedly be a great risk.

Marich's condition served as a reminder to Philip that if there were no other more convenient and sustainable methods, once he advanced to the level of a "zombie," even if he was still Jane Charlotte on the surface, the madness revealed in his expression would be obvious to anyone who wasn't blind.

In order to maintain this persona that he relied on for survival, Philip temporarily abandoned the idea of ​​improving his combat skills and instead decided to purchase the more important extraordinary items that possessed the "psychiatrist" attribute.

As for Russell's diary, let's wait and see, given its initial arrival.

The servant took Philip's note, circulated it around the room, shuffled all the collected notes, and handed them to his colleague in charge of the blackboard. The latter was responsible for writing on the notes and reading them aloud to the entire room, thus facilitating the transaction.

(End of this chapter)