Manager, give me a membership card too!

The trigger for this incident was the permanent closure of the Arrow Project Research Center by the Chaldea Special Operations Bureau, prohibiting anyone from approaching it at will. The masterminds behind the Arrow Project also fell from power in the subsequent retaliation by Chaldea; some were imprisoned and never saw the light of day again, others were secretly executed, and even the man sitting in the White House resigned under immense pressure, claiming illness, and subsequently disappeared on a stormy night.

Albert Wesker, head of the Chaldean Secret Service's U.S. branch, is running for president at the behest of Chaldean leadership. His campaign platform includes revitalizing America, building a wall on the Mexican border to stop illegal immigration, providing free education, reforming healthcare, revitalizing American industry, creating 30 million jobs, and lowering taxes for the lower and middle classes.

With the intervention of certain forces, Albert Wesker swept through all his opponents with overwhelming force, winning by a landslide and entering the White House as the new President of the United States without any surprises.

Having stabilized the ever-restless United States, the Chaldea Secret Service continued to systematically expel Crimson World Apostles from around the world according to a plan left behind by someone.

However, compared to the 'gentle and slow' approach during Rorschach's time, Chaldea's current policy has become aggressive and radical, leaving the Crimson World members still stranded on Earth living in constant fear, lest a fully armed Chaldea special forces team suddenly appear and execute them on the spot.

Of all the units in the Chaldea Special Operations Bureau, the Crimson World Apostles are especially afraid of a silver-haired girl who wields black flames.

Legend has it that she shows no mercy to her enemies. Anyone who dares to defy her will will be burned to ashes by her terrifying black flames. In addition, she is so powerful that she can easily kill even several Crimson World Demon Lords who ambush and surround her. The Crimson World Apostles who know of her existence call her the 'Black Saintess'. She even has considerable popularity among the Apostles who always worship the strong.

Besides the Crimson World Apostles, whose situation is becoming increasingly difficult, the Flame Haze warriors are also having a tough time.

Having seized official power and the moral high ground of humanity, the Chaldea Special Operations Bureau issued a final notice to the Flame Haze: either return to human form and gain freedom, join the Chaldea Special Operations Bureau and accept their control, or return to the Crimson World with the Contract Demon Lord. There were no other options.

As for those who choose none of these three options, they've narrowed their options. That very night, the Black Saintess will knock on their door, set fire to their house, and burn them to ashes. To this day, there's no record of anyone surviving until the next day.

Meanwhile, facing the increasingly powerful Chaldea Special Operations Bureau, new changes have emerged among the Crimson Denizens. The era of scattered, disorganized individuals is over. All surviving Crimson Denizens, unless they are completely brainless, deeply understand that only by uniting can they possibly survive the Chaldea Special Operations Bureau's search.

As a result, countless new apostle groups, large and small, sprang up like mushrooms after rain, while established apostle groups also received a large influx of fresh blood. Among them, the biggest beneficiary was the strongest group among the Crimson World apostles, the 'Masquerade Ball'.

It's a well-known fact that the stronger your backing, the more comfortable your life will be. And the masquerade ball, with dozens of Crimson Lords in charge, is the strongest and most powerful backing in the world besides the Chaldea Special Operations Bureau.

Faced with numerous requests from newcomers to join, the masquerade ball also set its own conditions.

However, to the surprise of all the apostles, the membership requirements for the masquerade ball were not based on a certain level of strength or the need to pledge one's loyalty. Instead, they were somewhat baffling requirements such as "from now on, one must not devour humans," "one must not cause destruction without permission," and "one must not kill one another unless necessary." These were requirements that the Crimson World apostles had never heard of before.

Correspondingly, the masquerade ball publicly promised to provide shelter for all Crimson World Apostles who joined, protecting their lives and providing them with ample existence power to sustain their existence, and even teaching them methods to become stronger. Of course, all of this was contingent on abiding by the masquerade ball's 'discipline'.

According to rumors circulating within the masquerade ball, these new rules were all issued by a powerful demon lord who had recently joined the party. This new lord not only demands that new members abide by her laws, but also commands that the older members must follow them as well. Any Crimson World Apostle who disagrees can challenge her.

If you win, you won't have to obey the demon king's laws. But if you lose, you'll have to choose between obeying orders and dying on the spot.

Unsurprisingly, the new Demon King emerged victorious. Faced with the overwhelming torrent of black light and her unparalleled swordsmanship, no challenger could withstand a single blow from her.

Following the ancient tradition of respecting the strong in the Crimson World, from that day on, the Demon King, who was small in stature, had the appearance of a human girl, and wore black armor, became the fourth leader of the masquerade ball, in addition to the Three Pillars.

Having defeated all challengers one-on-one, she gained a great deal of prestige and admirers, even subtly surpassing the three pillar ministers who rarely made a move. She earned the title of 'Black Knight' and governed the masquerade ball with her own will and ideals, gradually transforming it into the ideal form she envisioned.

After a period of dormancy and self-reform, the masquerade ball, having reunited its thoughts and beliefs, has once again made a high-profile appearance, extending an invitation to all the remaining Crimson World Apostles on Earth.

The masquerade ball proclaimed that it would create an 'ideal land' belonging only to the Crimson Denizens, a place filled with inexhaustible power of existence and land vast enough to contain all the apostles. The apostles would no longer need to hunt humans for power, the fundamental conflict between the two races would dissipate, and lasting peace would be on the horizon.

Faced with the Black Knight's declaration and ideals, a large number of Crimson World Apostles gathered under her banner, serving the 'Queen' who was about to usher in a new era.

The Chaldea Special Operations Bureau, which has been dedicated to eliminating the Crimson World Apostles, naturally received the news. The Black Saintess personally led the Bureau's most elite troops to meet the Black Knight, who had recently risen to fame.

Contrary to everyone's expectations, the anticipated great battle between the two forces did not occur. The Black Saintess and the Black Knight seemed to be old acquaintances, and upon meeting, they began to diss each other with 'gentle tone,' 'elegant speech,' and 'respectful friendliness.'

After exchanging barbs for half an hour, the two girls, dressed in black, black armor, and black swords, seemed to feel that just talking wasn't enough. They left their respective groups and went to the back of a nearby hill to 'discuss some private matters'.

After successfully turning the mountain and the surrounding plains for several kilometers into a depression, the disgruntled silver-haired saintess and golden-haired knight each led their men to retreat, thus ending this confrontation that could have changed the entire world in such an anticlimactic way.

The world then fell into a strange balance. The masquerade ball continued to grow in size, absorbing Crimson Denizens who were willing to abide by the rules and laws. Meanwhile, the Chaldea Special Operations Bureau continued to hunt down those Apostles who were unwilling to join the masquerade ball or were expelled by it, while also purifying the Flame Haze ranks and eliminating those Flame Haze who acted recklessly.

Under this unspoken understanding, the world maintains this eerie peace. Although everyone knows that the Chaldea Special Operations Bureau and the Masquerade, two organizations with opposing ideologies, will eventually clash, the current situation remains stable.

Misaki City, suburban garden villa area.

"I am back!"

Shana, dressed in the uniform of Misaki Middle School, took out the key to the villa's front door and opened her own front door. The first thing she saw was that familiar figure.

"Welcome back, Shana. Dinner is ready. Come and wash your hands. I'll go call Miss Jeanne."

The maid with medium-length pinkish-purple hair smiled slightly at the black-haired girl, and then stepped aside to clear the way to the villa.

"Is that lazy woman still asleep?"

Walking through the house, which she knew so well she couldn't be more familiar with it, Shana inquired about the other resident of the villa. Wilhelmina responded with a somewhat helpless smile.

“Miss Joan of Arc just returned from America yesterday. Some people there finally couldn’t hold back and jumped out. Dealing with them will take a lot of time, and they don’t seem to have adjusted to the time difference yet.”

Hearing Wilhelmina's words, Shana subconsciously glanced towards the master bedroom upstairs, a hint of displeasure on her face. That was supposed to be Rorschach's room, but now it was occupied by that woman who had inexplicably appeared. Damn it, I wanted to sleep in that bed too.

The good mood she brought from school had completely dissipated. After a quick clean-up, the girl sat down at the dining table, waiting for the other guest to arrive.

Five minutes later, the maid came down from the second floor with a wry smile, shook her head at Shana sitting at the dining table, and then walked towards the kitchen.

“Miss Joan of Arc doesn’t seem to be fully awake yet. Let’s have dinner first, and leave some for her.”

"That guy... he went too far!"

With a thud, Shana pushed back her chair and stood up, ignoring the maid's attempts to dissuade her. She strode upstairs, leaving Wilhelmina looking helplessly at the food she had just brought from the kitchen, unsure of what to do.

Pushing open the door to the master bedroom of the villa, Shana's eyes swept across the room and immediately fell upon Luo Xia's alluring curves curled up in the soft quilt on the bed. Her gaze lingered on those two insurmountable, majestic peaks for a few seconds, and the young girl confirmed one thing once again.

This woman is her enemy! A class enemy! There is no possibility of reconciliation between the two of them.

Rushing aggressively to Luo Xia's bedside, Shana grabbed the quilt that Luo Xia had once covered, and unceremoniously yanked it aside, revealing the stunning scenery that had been hidden by the thick quilt.

Her delicate and aloof features, her fair skin with a touch of sickly beauty, her alluring curves, and her shapely, firm legs that reflect a jade-like glow make it impossible to look away once you see her.

Even Shana, who is also a woman, had to admit that the woman in front of her was a woman full of feminine charm. No man with normal values ​​and orientation could ignore the existence of such a great beauty.

Shana just couldn't bring herself to like this woman who had suddenly barged into her life, especially when she saw the shirt that Luo Xia often wore, and the two ample mounds that seemed about to burst out from the collar of the shirt. Shana's temples started throbbing uncontrollably.

Without any hesitation, Shana reached out and shook the lazy saintess who was lying on Rorschach's bed, refusing to get up, and shouted loudly:

"Hey, get up! How can you call yourself 'Joan of Arc' looking like this? What are those French people thinking?"

Unfortunately, no matter how much Shana shook the lazy saintess and shouted at her, Jeanne remained lying peacefully in the spot where Rorschach often stayed, breathing that familiar yet unfamiliar air, seemingly undisturbed in the slightest.

Watching the lazy saintess who kept stroking Luo Xia's pillow and chuckling to herself, Shana felt like she was about to collapse.

"Ugh, Rorschach! When are you coming back? I can't stand this guy anymore!"

While Miss Shana was feeling exhausted by the intruder in her life, her unscrupulous master was in a very relaxed mood.

On a somewhat desolate country road, a rather dilapidated old-fashioned bus slowly made its way. There were only seven or eight passengers on the bus, including the gray-haired driver.

The passengers were dressed very simply and old-fashionedly, looking like they were dressed in the 1920s or 30s. Two of them even wore black top hats and gray coats, exuding a retro vibe.

Some passengers focused their attention on the fields slowly passing by outside the window, but most people's attention was drawn to a passenger near the door.

He was a young man who looked to be in his early twenties. He had short, neat black hair, wore a well-fitting and appropriate suit, was tall, handsome, and had a cheerful demeanor. He stood out from the group of gloomy-looking passengers.

The man wore a warm and gentle smile, and his intelligent eyes calmly gazed at the scenery slowly receding outside the window, as if he were contemplating something, or perhaps simply admiring the view.

Just as the other passengers were speculating about who this man was, the bus, which had been moving slowly, gradually came to a stop.

As the folding doors of the old-fashioned bus slowly opened, the driver's deep voice echoed throughout the carriage.

"Arkham Station has been reached."

P.S.: Sigh, I'm another year older.

Chapter 390 Arkham: A Land of Outstanding People and Abundant Resources

Chapter 390 Arkham: A Land of Outstanding People and Abundant Resources

Arkham is a town blessed with outstanding people and beautiful scenery, and its residents are very warm and hospitable.

This was the image that involuntarily surfaced in Rorschach's mind the third time he had used his cane to strike those thieves who wanted to steal his wallet.

Rorschach's home, Arkham, is located in Massachusetts in the northeastern United States, which is not far from Maine, where the interdimensional portal incident occurred.

This small town, with its distinctive early 20th-century architectural style, sits on both banks of the Miskatonic River, connected by three bridges spanning the river. It has tens of thousands of residents and a relatively prosperous economy.

Scattered around this ancient town are picturesque villages and towns like Dunwich, Innsmouth, and Kingsport, known for their charming and hospitable people. It's said that many local creatures roam the area at night, adding a touch of whimsy and excitement to the residents' daily lives, making it a true haven for relaxation and leisure.

Of course, if we're talking about what this peaceful and tranquil town is famous for, it would undoubtedly be the renowned Miskatonic University. As one of the few institutions of higher learning in Massachusetts, it boasts a large number of distinguished professors and lecturers who impart knowledge and guidance to students from all over the country.

One of the most famous was a senior professor and librarian named Henry Armitage, who was said to be not only extremely knowledgeable but also had his own set of expertise in dog training and care. He kept many guard dogs in Miskatonic's vast library, which was filled with forbidden knowledge, to protect those terrible truths that should not be touched by ordinary people.

As for another world-famous place in Arkham, it is the legendary Arkham Asylum, a place with eight hundred stainless steel beds, fifty highly skilled doctors, and a place where once you go in, you never want to leave, spending all your time indulging in conversations with those who speak eloquently and know a little about everything.

Compared to the former two, the Arkham Historical Society, which is less well-known, seems rather obscure.

Recalling the preparations and materials he had gathered before arriving here, Rorschach paused with his silver carved cane in his hand, stopping in front of a slightly dilapidated old three-story building.

Arkham Town Police Station

After straightening his clothes and putting on a friendly, business-like smile, Rorschach gently pushed open the door of the building that maintained order for tens of thousands of people in Arkham Town.

The first thing you notice is the overwhelming sense of history, a feeling that can only be found in buildings that are decades or even centuries old.

Wood chips, bricks, cement, and a lingering stench of blood and gunpowder—these are the unique smells that have been brewing and fermenting for countless years in the special, humid environment of Arkham, adjacent to a great river.

The smell wasn't strong, just a faint trace, but it was enough to lower an ordinary person's initial impression. Coupled with the noisy, bustling atmosphere of the lobby, where even profanity and sounds of fighting could be heard, Luo Xia felt his decision to visit the police station first was somewhat misguided.

With that level of organization, efficiency, discipline, and hygiene, anyone under my command would have been fired long ago and sent home to fend for themselves.

However, when Rorschach thought about the fact that the timeline of 'this place' was in the 1920s (around 1920), he felt relieved. It's really difficult to judge people from the 20th century with 21st-century perspectives; Arkham Police Department might already be one of the top police departments in the entire United States.

Shaking his head to clear away the random thoughts in his mind, Luo Xia glanced around the police station, picked out a police officer who didn't seem busy, and greeted him with a smile.

"Good afternoon, officer. May I have a moment of your time?"

With his impeccable attire, handsome appearance, humble words, and a silver cane that was clearly very valuable—the kind of cane that Rorschach couldn't possibly buy with a single tip even with a year's salary—the middle-aged police officer, after a slight pause, revealed a smile even warmer than Rorschach's.

"Of course, esteemed sir. Is there anything I can do to help you?"

Looking at the middle-aged police officer in front of him who was subconsciously adjusting his old overcoat, Luo Xia's smile remained unchanged, and he continued speaking in a gentle tone:

“My name is Rorschach, and I am a doctor. You can call me Dr. Rorschach. I came to Arkham to open a private clinic in this town. I came to your police station to register and inquire about any decent properties for rent.”

Upon hearing Rorschach identify himself as a doctor, the middle-aged police officer's attitude became even more respectful. In this small town home to Miskatonic University, learned and wise individuals are respected by everyone, and the profession of doctor, which requires obtaining a 'doctorate' before graduation, is the object of everyone's envy and admiration.

Becoming a 'doctor' meant opening a ladder to high society and easily earning a fortune that lowly policemen like them couldn't accumulate in a lifetime. Especially those doctors who ran their own private clinics—they were all incredibly wealthy, since expensive medical equipment was difficult to acquire in those days.

In order not to offend this important figure who might later have a pleasant conversation with the town councilor, the middle-aged police officer thought for a moment and then put on a slightly apologetic expression.

“I’m very sorry, Dr. Rorschach. I’m not particularly familiar with store registration, but I know someone who can handle your request properly. Would you be willing to come with me to see him?”

Who is that gentleman?

"Deputy Director James Gordon."

Upon hearing the name, Luo Xia paused for a moment, then a smile of interest appeared on his face.

“Then, I’ll trouble you to lead the way for me…” Rorschach said, glancing at the police badge on the middle-aged officer’s chest, and continued, “Officer Matt.”

"Yes, this way, Dr. Rorschach."

Led by Officer Matt, Rorschach walked through the bustling police station lobby, past the interrogation room from which faint groans could be heard, and continued deeper into the station, finally stopping in front of a somewhat dilapidated wooden door.

Rorschach's expression became even more subtle as he looked at the 'James Wasington Gordon' sign on the wooden door.

Matt, seemingly oblivious to the slightly strange expression on the face of the 'doctor' beside him, gave Rorschach a somewhat reserved smile before stepping forward and knocking on the door in front of them.

"Deputy Director Gordon."

"Matt? Come in. What do you want? Has another murder occurred?"

Almost the instant Matt knocked, a somewhat tired middle-aged man's voice came from behind the wooden door.

Matt smiled at Rorschach again and opened the door in front of them. A sound like the scraping of metal against wood, like the wailing of a dying man, filled the air as an office of about ten square meters appeared before them. Rorschach then met the 'Deputy Chief Gordon,' who shared the same name as the well-known 'Chief Gordon' from his previous life.

He was around forty years old, with slightly graying hair, a somewhat thin, square face, heavy forehead wrinkles and eye bags, a neatly trimmed mustache, and a half-lit cigarette dangling from his lips. His expression was tired and weary. He wore a slightly wrinkled white shirt, a gray-blue tie loosely tied at the chest, and a light gray overcoat with a bowler hat hanging on a rack next to him.

This is a middle-aged man whose body will eventually break down due to heavy labor and mental stress. If he does not adjust and recuperate as soon as possible, he may develop a serious illness or even become bedridden.

Looking at Deputy Director Gordon, who always seemed to be working 996 (9 am to 9 pm, 6 days a week), Rorschach, true to his "persona," made the corresponding judgment.

As Rorschach observed Deputy Commissioner Gordon, who bore a striking resemblance to the future Commissioner Gordon, the Deputy Commissioner, emerging from his own arduous work, clearly also noticed this stranger, Rorschach.

"Matt, who is this?"

Upon hearing Gordon's question, Officer Matt, who had been standing next to Rorschach, explained:

“Deputy Chief Gordon, this is Mr. Rorschach. He is a doctor who wants to open a private clinic in our town. He is here at the police station to file and register.”

"Doctor?" Gordon repeated Matt's words with some surprise, then looked at Rorschach, who was standing smiling at the door. As the deputy chief, he had been through the motions of life for decades and had seen more than the ordinary police officer Matt.

An expensive handcrafted suit, a brand-new wool coat, brown and black Oxford shoes, and a silver engraved cane.

Even the mayor and town council members of Arkham might not be of this caliber. Considering his refined demeanor and handsome appearance, Gordon would almost believe he was a descendant of a noble family who had crossed the ocean from England, or the son of a wealthy merchant from Washington.

Faced with a young man who was wealthy and likely powerful, even the usually outspoken Gordon could only manage a somewhat awkward, businesslike smile. He himself didn't care, but if offending this 'gentleman' led to the police department being implicated, it would be a loss that didn't outweigh the gain.

Thinking of this, Gordon stood up, walked around from behind his desk to the door, and extended his hand to Rorschach.

“Hello, Dr. Rorschach. I am James Gordon, the deputy chief of the Arkham Police Department. You can call me 'Jim' (James' nickname) or 'Jim Gordon'.”