The Abnormality of Azik

Luther had a strange dream.

In the dream, he saw a Giant Snake as massive as a mountain.

The Giant Snake was covered in enormous, dark, greenish-black scales, and from the gaps between them sprouted white feathers stained with pale yellow grease. It even had a pair of wings on its back that could unfurl; as the wings flapped, the Giant Snake soared between the pitch-black sky and the blue sea.

An ancient, decaying bronze gate slowly opened above the Giant Snake, and countless eerie creatures peered out from within. Some were made of white bone, others were entirely rotten, all reeking of the scent of death.

The entire scene, while terrifying and bizarre, seemed to carry a touch of the sacred.

Luther watched the Giant Snake, and for some reason, he did not feel the slightest bit of terror toward it in the dream.

The Giant Snake circled around, finally revealing its face to him—it was actually a human face, and in the eye sockets of this face, pale flames were burning.

Luther locked eyes with the Giant Snake.

Then he saw that in the Giant Snake's eyes, where the pale flames burned, a look of horror suddenly surged. It was as if Luther, the one staring back at it, was an existence even more dangerous than itself!

Is it afraid of me?

Luther was somewhat surprised. Just as he was about to speak, he realized he couldn't move at all; he was actually pinned to a rack, and hanging upside down at that! The pitch-black sky in his eyes was actually the ground, and the blue sea was actually the sky...

Then, he suddenly woke up.

Slowly sitting up, Luther realized he seemed to be in a room at the Dragon's Lair Bar. Looking down, he saw he was lying on a long bench, with his coat covering him.

"You're awake?"

A calm voice sounded from nearby.

Luther looked toward the source of the voice, and a man with very distinct features came into view.

The man had bronze skin, black hair, brown eyes, and soft facial features. Judging by his appearance, he was only thirty or forty years old, yet his eyes revealed an indescribable sense of vicissitudes, as if he had seen all of life and remained unmoved.

He looked at Luther with a strange expression, appearing sad and lonely, as if he were recalling some past event.

Luther always felt he looked a bit familiar.

Ah, right, his face looked very similar to the human face on that Giant Snake!

The reason I fainted was because I saw something pale...

Must not look at him!

Luther quickly closed his eyes, turned his head, hugged the back of the chair, and flipped over, landing behind the bench. As he landed, his right hand reached for the holster in his jacket.

This person is definitely extraordinary!

Luther had been impacted before by seeing the True Creator or the Hidden Sage, but those were due to rituals or hallucinations, catching only a glimpse of the phantom symbols of an Evil God. But this time, being face-to-face with the person, his Golden Finger didn't even have time to activate before his brain shut down in self-preservation.

And this proved that the man he saw was definitely a powerhouse.

"No need to close your eyes; I have already retracted all my aura."

The man's soft voice drifted over.

"I am a Night Watcher. If you attack me, you are making an enemy of the Goddess Church."

Luther warned him as if he hadn't heard a word, keeping his eyes tightly shut while fumbling to draw his revolver.

"I have no malice... I just didn't expect you to be so sensitive, to be able to see the mystery on me." The man's tone seemed somewhat helpless. "Besides, if I really wanted to hurt you, why wouldn't I have done it while you were unconscious?"

He had a point...

Luther thought about it and had to admit that was true.

He stood up cautiously, observing the man from the corner of his eye, and found that there was no suspicious aura about him; he looked like an ordinary person. If he hadn't just been shocked into unconsciousness, he might have thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.

"No need to be so vigilant. My name is Azik, a history instructor at Hoy University. I know Klein, and I am not a suspicious person."

The bronze-skinned man introduced himself.

Not suspicious? The devil would believe you.

Luther muttered inwardly. He recalled that Klein was indeed a graduate of the history department at Hoy University. If the man's identity was true, it would be reasonable for Klein to know him and greet him.

"Where is Klein?"

He asked.

"He went to get you some water," Azik said.

Sure enough, not long after, Klein entered the room carrying a glass of water.

"You're awake? That's great!"

He looked very happy to see Luther standing up.

But Luther couldn't be happy.

First Old Neil, now Azik. Klein, what kind of monsters are your teachers, anyway...

Luther forced a smile at him and took the glass to take a sip.

He noticed that Azik was staring at him the whole time, but his gaze was unfocused, as if he were looking right through his body.

"There is an aura about you that feels very familiar to me, but I cannot recall it."

He said with a hint of melancholy.

But I don't know you.

Luther thought to himself.

"Besides that, just like Klein, there is a sense of disharmony in the fate entwined around you... Have you been encountering a lot of coincidences lately?"

Azik continued.

Coincidences?

Luther recalled his experiences since transmigrating subconsciously.

For instance, Sirius's letter being burned, Hainas arriving at Blackthorn Security Company in the middle of the night, becoming roommates with Hood Eugen on the day he was hospitalized, and being dragged into the Ritual of Lanerius... One could truly say that coincidences were everywhere.

Could there be some deep-seated reason for this? Especially since the person speaking was a high-sequence powerhouse, making his words carry even more credibility.

"Mr. Azik, do you mean that Luther has also been affected?"

Klein asked in surprise.

"Mm."

Azik nodded. He didn't offer further explanation, instead rising to put on his hat.

"Since you are fine now, please allow me to take my leave."

He sensed Luther's wariness and, seemingly not wanting to put too much pressure on him, chose to withdraw for the time being. He only turned back once he reached the door.

"The aura on you is very peculiar; it might be very important to me... If it's convenient one day, I hope you can meet me in private to do me a favor." Azik said, "Of course, you are free to refuse at any time. However, if you do come, I will certainly provide a reward that will satisfy you."

Luther hesitated upon hearing this.

The promise of a powerhouse was indeed very tempting. Furthermore, if things went well, he might be able to use this opportunity to uncover the secrets surrounding himself.

"Then how should I contact you?"

He asked.

"Through Klein."

Azik left behind these words and departed.

Afterward, Luther asked Klein about Mr. Azik. It turned out that he had only discovered Azik's peculiarities after becoming a Beyonder. According to his guess, the man was likely a high-sequence powerhouse.

"Have you never thought about reporting him?"

"Mr. Azik doesn't seem like a bad person, and I've performed divination. If I don't report him, he will save my life in a certain matter later on."

Klein explained.

"Alright... Then what about the disharmonious fate he mentioned?"

So, Klein shared another matter with him. It turned out that he had also encountered many coincidences. Through dream divination, he discovered that the culprit behind these events was related to a house with a red chimney.

Currently, Klein had already hired a Detective to help him find this house.

Luther nodded and said, "I think we can cooperate on this matter. I'm willing to provide help; remember to notify me if there's any news... Should we keep it a secret from the Captain for now?"

"Mm, it's better not to let too many people know."

Chatting like this, the two returned to Blackthorn Security Company.

Next, Luther had to try crafting a Sleep Charm.