Conan Rick's Investigator

"But this mask doesn't look anything special, does it?"

Koizumi Akako put her head close to the inside of the mask and looked at it carefully, but from Qin Zhibo's perspective, it looked like she was about to put on the mask herself.

"Don't wear it!"

Koizumi Hongzi was stunned for a moment, then smiled. "I'm not a three-year-old child. Of course I won't wear a mask of unknown origin. What if I can't take it off like in 'The Mask'?"

It was a 94 movie, and Akako Koizumi, who was born in 96, knew about it, so it makes sense.

"But there seems to be something engraved where the mouth of this mask should be, doesn't it?"

Koizumi Hongzi handed the mask to Qin Zhibo and lightly touched the blood-stained area on the inside of the mask with her fingertips. There was indeed a string of inconspicuous small words engraved on it.

Qin Zhibo looked carefully and could not recognize the words on it.

However, after observing it carefully for a while, Koizumi Hongzi judged: "It seems to be Spanish...Me volvió loco..."

"He drives me crazy."

Chauble was a Spanish engraver, so it was normal for him to use Spanish.

However, this "he" can be understood as the brother who brought disgrace to Xiaobul, or as some other existence that drives him crazy.

Having had enough of playing with Xiaobul's mask, Koizumi Hongzi threw the mask into the back seat of the car and said seriously, "What are you going to do next? Send the mask directly to MI-GO?"

Qin Zhibo looked at the mission time and saw that the countdown would end in less than 14 hours.

"Well, the mask must be delivered within today."

Koizumi Hongzi folded her arms across her chest, staring at the snowy scene outside the car window, and said nonchalantly, "Do you want me to go with you?"

Qin Zhibo was somewhat touched by the concern shown by Koizumi Akako as a friend.

Apart from being a little tsundere, willful and narcissistic, Koizumi Akako is actually a pretty good person.

but……

"Don't worry, Mr. Clock won't do anything to me."

Qin Zhibo comforted him in a relaxed tone, "It once said that modern human civilization is developing rapidly, and even its species is unwilling to easily get into unnecessary trouble."

Faced with Qin Zhibo's insistence, Koizumi Hongzi had no choice but to give up proudly.

"Then it's up to you..."

"But I will always be watching your situation in the crystal ball."

……

Qin Zhibo sent Koizumi Hongzi to the junction of Beika Town and Jianggutian Town. The butler was already waiting next to the stretched Maybach.

The two looked at each other deeply, and then the two cars parted ways.

When Qin Zhibo visited Mr. Clock this time, he was of course prepared. There was a sprayer that could kill MI-GO in the trunk of his car.

The mission is to bring the "Pale Mask" to MI-GO, but Qin Zhibo doesn't know what the consequences of bringing it over will be?

The name of the mission is "The Test of the Yellow King". According to the previous missions about the Yellow King, it seems that her attitude towards creatures like MI-GO is not friendly.

So will the pale mask provoke Mr. Clock to become angry?

……

After the sun set, Qin Zhibo finally drove into the Dongdu Valley.

Originally, Qin Zhibo wanted to make an appointment with Mr. Clock to meet during the day, but Mr. Clock insisted that Qin Zhibo wait until the evening.

The Mazda 929 drove into the deep mountains at night. Looking at the deep and quiet forest outside the car window, Qin Zhibo thought of the people who had appeared in this area.

A cannibalistic art museum director, a mysterious old woman in a blue castle, and a MI-GO disguised as a human...

The keywords for these people are all related to disguise. One is disguising from the character, one is disguising from the face, and one is disguising from all aspects from character to face to look like a human.

They are really more talented than each other!

……

Mr. Clock, or Nakamura Cao's villa is in the deepest part of Dongdu Valley. Qin Zhibo drove for more than an hour before arriving.

The lights in the villa were on. Qin Zhibo put on the "Pale Mask" and went to knock on the lion metal knocker on the door.

Dang, Dang, Dang——

"Please come in, the door is unlocked."

The voice of a human woman named Nakamura Sou was heard from behind the door. The voice was harmonious and natural, and there was no difference between it and that of a human being.

Qin Zhibo turned the doorknob and first checked the dining room and living room, but there was no one there.

So Qin Zhibo walked towards the study again and saw Mr. Clock writing at the desk.

"Please sit there for a moment while I work on my novel."

"Mystery novels are truly complex. You have to consider both setting up puzzles and solving them. How could humans be so stumped by questions set by their own kind? It's truly incomprehensible..."

"If possible, I would really like to obtain the 'brain in a vat' of a mystery writer to help me complete this complicated task..."

Mr. Clock spoke incessantly while the pen in his hand never stopped writing at a speed far beyond the reach of humans.

After waiting for about 10 minutes, Mr. Clock put down his pen and sorted out the thick stack of manuscripts on the desk.

"Did you write all this today?" Qin Zhibo asked.

"Yes……"

Mr. Clock put the manuscript into a drawer, smiled professionally, and said, "The human mind in my brain is still relatively fragile, so please forgive me for not allowing you to interrupt my...what you humans call 'inspiration' during the day."

"Then Mr. Qin, what do you want to talk to me about?"

Qin Zhibo got straight to the point. "Actually, I came here to ask you to identify this thing. I wonder if you recognize it..."

As he spoke, Qin Zhibo took out the "Pale Mask" from his arms and placed it on the table.

The moment the "Pale Mask" was placed in front of Mr. Clock, the system immediately sounded a prompt.

[Congratulations on completing the main challenge mission]

[Mission Exploration Level: 100%]

[Acquire 4000 general skill proficiency]

[Gain 400 Mythical Knowledge Skill Proficiency]

The task prompt appeared so suddenly that Qin Zhibo had no time to react.

At this moment, Mr. Clock had already picked up the "Pale Mask" with trembling hands.

“It’s it…it’s actually it!”

"Justus Tragon's Mask!"

Although Mr. Clock's expression was still stiff and he showed no excitement at all, bulges were rising disorderly on the skin that shaped the female face.

This disgusting-looking fluctuation is caused by the tentacles on MI-GO's oval head trembling wildly!

"Oh my star! You actually found it!"

Mr. Clock spread the mask in his hands and placed it in front of him tremblingly, as if admiring it.

At this time, Qin Zhibo was also surprised to find that the wooden mask, which was originally made with simple workmanship, had completely changed its appearance.

It turned into a platinum mask!

Chapter 409 Impulse Punishment

Just a glance and the wooden Xiaobul mask in Qin Zhibo's arms turned into a platinum mask.

The originally rough and simple mask now has some more details, such as pointed ears and chin, and dozens of tentacle-like appendages hanging from the eyebrows, like anemones.

A minute passed, and Mr. Clock was still holding the mask in both hands, deeply moved.

"Mr. Qin, you really surprised me."

"No matter the price, this mask is what I need...so name your price!"

"Whether it's strong limbs, a brilliant brain, or even immortality! I can grant your wish!"

"Speak...buzz——"

Mr. Clock hugged the mask to his arms, and the voice he spoke became less and less human-like, and finally even directly exposed its true nature - the chirping of insects.

Qin Zhibo could see that even if he refused to hand over the mask to it, it would be difficult to get it back.

"Is this mask important to you?" Qin Zhibo narrowed his eyes and said calmly.

"Yes." Mr. Clock nodded tremblingly. "This is the mask of Justus Tragon. Our race has been searching for it for nearly two hundred years."

"Justus Tragon is a crucial piece of technology we've created using dark technology, and a crucial tool for performing rituals in honor of Justus Tragon."

"Justus Tragon?" Qin Zhibo asked in confusion.

Mr. Clock's eyes were empty, as if he had lost his soul, but his mouth was still speaking as it opened and closed.

"Justus Tragon comes from the planet Yuggoth, which you humans call Pluto. She is the incarnation of the One who unites all things and is the only supreme god on Yuggoth."

"She came to Earth in the ancient times of your species, and our race followed her."

"On Earth, we fought against the evil race that ruled the Earth at the time and ultimately won, transforming the Earth into our colony. However, after evaluation, we determined that the Earth was no longer suitable for large-scale racial activities, so we retreated underground..."

"Along with the migration of the race, some of the race's great technologies also came, including this mask of Justus Tragon."

"Two hundred years ago, a vile magician stole it from us."

"Sixty years ago in Berlin, Germany, the mask of Justus Tragon appeared for a while, but soon disappeared again."

"Now, this treasure has finally been returned to its original owner..."

Before getting Qin Zhibo's consent, Mr. Clock had already implicitly acknowledged that he had obtained ownership of the mask.

Qin Zhibo felt a little surprised.

What was surprising was not Mr. Clock's self-righteous thoughts, but the fact that Mr. Clock's description was completely different from the information he had.

I obtained the task by reading "The King in Yellow", and the "Pale Mask" is also a prop closely related to the King in Yellow.

How come when it comes to Mr. Clock, the "Pale Mask" becomes the "Mask of Justus Tragon", and this transformation is physical?

In order to clarify this doubt, Qin Zhibo continued to ask: "Do you know the King in Yellow?"

"Om~"

Mr. Clock paused, then replied in a flat voice, "Yes, I know."

"During our race's long process of colonizing the universe, we have encountered countless supreme gods on many planets."

"According to your human language, we know how to adapt to local customs..."

Mr. Clock shook his head from side to side at an angle no human could achieve and continued, "Our species is very adaptable. Whenever we arrive on a new planet, we believe in that planet's Supreme God."

"The King in Yellow is Adibaran, the supreme god who rules Aldebaran. We once worshipped her as a god, and devoutly followed her will, serving her royal city and her people."

"But the Yellow King's desires are insatiable. She wants absolute and sole loyalty. She used us..."

"And we betrayed her..."

Mr. Clock's voice was intermittent, until the human voice, which, if slowed down several times, sounded no different from the sound of insects, completely disappeared from Qin Zhibo's ears.

Qin Zhibo's right hand was trembling slightly, and an inexplicable restlessness arose in his heart.

Suddenly, Qin Zhibo grabbed the pen on the table, leaned forward, and thrust the tip of the pen into Mr. Clock's head!

White blood gushed out like a brain explosion, and this disgusting and sticky liquid splashed onto the desk, the manuscript, and his face...

Although Mr. Clock is inside, it is indeed covered with a human skin.

While he was in a daze, Qin Zhibo felt intermittent tremors in his brain.

Mr. Qin, please...

Don't play with...

My pen...

Qin Zhibo came back to his senses with a start, and saw Mr. Clock standing right across from his desk, and he was holding the pen he had used, with the tip of the pen resting on the mahogany table.