Ende08 Heartbreak Station

Foreword:

There was a time when I was young, with plenty of youth to spare, but I didn't know what to do with it.

Cinderella

[Part 1: A Respected Senior Artist with Both Moral Character and Artistic Excellence]

"Protect them?" Gloria was utterly baffled. "How are you going to protect them? Fight me Gloria Sebastian? Do you even have the guts? You ignorant little brat—the chips are already in the table, the bet will be officially executed at noon."

"The General of Tears and Fret Caesar completed this pointless ceremony; he would lose four platinum coins in the process."

"Don't forget, this is a duel between four people. If the General of Tears can't find any other helpers, he will automatically lose—even if it's just a verbal agreement, he will have to obediently hand over the chips you have. Three platinum coins won't be enough to pay off the debt; he'll have to pay with his own life."

This was Gloria Sebastian's gamble. There was no open and honest cooperation between her and Fret Caesar; it was all about calculated maneuvering.

Even though Meteor signed Fret's indenture, there was an invisible and intangible bet that took precedence. As for the three platinum coins, they were a sweet treat for Meteor, meant to lower his guard and continue fulfilling the bet.

The devil is the most contract-abiding creature. He may engage in underhanded tactics and dirty tricks outside of written or verbal agreements, but once the rules are set, they must be obeyed.

Gloria asked Fret to deal with a powerful enemy, but she didn't want to offer him any reward or benefit whatsoever.

As for Flavia 'Barry talk of "protection"? What kind of joke is this girl spouting?

The moment Fret successfully executes the bet, the three platinum coins will return to Gloria's hands. At that point, these nameless minions will no longer have the ability to resist [Sing For Me], nor will they have any bargaining power.

Bu Liuxing has become meat on the chopping board.

There are still eight human favors available in the Church of Dionysus. Even if the General of Tears can unleash astonishing fighting power and actually win this one-against-four bet today, Gloria can raise the stakes again.

The next match is an eight-on-eight bet, and it will still wipe out Meteor's platinum coin reserves.

--She can lose again and again, but if Meteor fails even once, it's a complete loss.

With such a huge advantage, Gloria simply couldn't imagine herself being defeated.

"I'm raising the stakes!" Flavia shouted. "I'm going all in!"

"What are you going to bet with me?" Lord Feather suddenly became interested. "I'm curious, what other hidden treasures do you have up your sleeves that you haven't brought out yet?"

At that moment, Jason Megan glanced to one side of the ship's side. The dock was full of Bay Area officers and soldiers, even the Viceroy's Chamberlain was there— Gloria was very cautious, and if a fight broke out on the Homesick, this woman would have a way to escape unscathed.

"We eight are our bargaining chips." Flavia counted her companions on the ship one by one. "Jason, A Hao, Daniel, Xiao Min, and Kaycee, plus me and Quack, plus Mr. Ethan, is that enough? Can we exchange them for the shipwrights from the Church of Dionysus?"

"What are we betting on? How should we bet?" Gloria gave Duran a meaningful look, sensing that something interesting was about to happen.

--Duran is now a free agent and won back in the second round at the Magpie Mountain Ruins Arena.

Flavia: "You and Fret Caesar have an old score to settle."

Gloria: "That's true."

During last night's rooftop standoff, Flavia heard the Great Devil say this:

--A life contract remains in Gloria's possession, Fret intends to use a shooting star to settle the debt.

Flavia: "Fret will definitely come after you; it won't be that simple."

After Gloria realized she didn't even need the dice; the persuasion check passed naturally.

"Um."

"I'll take care of Fret Caesar for you," Flavia said confidently. "Jason can even help you steal a Horcrux."

Jason Megan was completely bewildered. "Me? I'm going to fight giants? Really?"

Gloria: "These are tempting terms."

Flavia: "If we can do this, you have to release the shipwrights of the Church of Dionysus."

"If I don't agree," Gloria wanted to bargain further.

Before she could finish speaking, Flavia instantly transformed into a self-destructing truck, unleashing her power on the spot.

"Want to fight? I'll fucking kill you! I'll find a chance to run to Fret and talk to him about how we can take you down together!"

This desperate, hesitant reaction only made Lady Goelia feel more at ease.

She knew that the little girl had no other way but to use the threat of death to exert pressure.

This has reached the final stage in the business negotiation process, where there is nothing left to discuss.

If these eight Little Ghosts can really cause some trouble in Fret's backyard, even if they don't get the Horcruxes, it'll still be a good deal. The worst-case scenario is that the price is the lives of eight ordinary people in the church.

Flavia seemed to have lost her mind, never mentioning the ownership of the General of Tears from beginning to end, and the verbal agreement circled in the betting details did not affect the previous bet at all.

As long as Bu Liuxing continues to visit the Tequila Sunrise Hotel at noon as usual, he will be unable to fulfill his promise and will still become part of her collection.

Faced with the dazzling golden feathered serpent incarnation, Gloria quickly tried to calm Queen Cici down.

--She didn't want to resort to violence directly; every bourgeois devil has their weaknesses.

As long as there's no violence or bloodshed, all playful fighting is just for fun. Even the wrestling match with the General of Tears was just that—a situation where she held a hostage, and the General of Tears wouldn't have fought her to the death.

In order to demonstrate the benevolence and generosity of Dionysus, Gloria's inner pride once again prevailed, and she spoke to Flavia.

You only have six hours.

"After noon, the bet between Fret Caesar and Bu Liuxing will officially begin. If Bu Liuxing loses, it will be time for the goods to be delivered."

"What price can you negotiate for me before that? That depends on your own abilities."

"Cici, you are indeed a generous businesswoman with a kind and pure heart, unwilling to abandon any of your fellow boatmen."

"If it's this esteemed VIP, our great hero Jason Megan might actually be able to snag one or two Horcruxes."

"I would like to invite the Governor to hold a celebration banquet for the demon-slaying heroes of East Horse Port, and to bestow upon them promotions and the highest honors."

After saying this, Gloria jumped back onto the beach, bowed to everyone, and took her leave.

Flavia breathed a sigh of relief, patting her chest to calm her racing heart.

Duran looked at her best friend with a troubled expression and asked in a low voice, "Why? Flavia? Why are we helping her eliminate her rivals?"

"There's a deeper, more complex backstory here," Flavia offered her rudimentary insight. "You've never met Fret Caesar, and you don't know just how terrifying his spiritual pressure is."

Captain Quack and Mr. Ethan didn't have much Inspiration, but they still suffered very serious mental damage. Judging solely by the destructive power of their Spirit Calamity, Fret far surpasses Gloria.

"All signs indicate that Fret Caesar and Gloria Sebastian are not simply in a superior-subordinate relationship, much less a cooperative one," Flavia analyzed logically. "These two are fundamentally different people; they may only be bound together by a contract."

"Gloria is too powerful and beyond Judas's control; she has never taken the leaders of the Alliance of the Immortals seriously."

"Fret Caesar is like a crucial weight balancing the two sides of a scale, remaining in East Horse Port to maintain this dangerous relationship—lest Gloria become a lawless, untamed horse."

[Part ② - Perform as expected]

Just then, a beautiful and kind-looking older sister emerged from Jason Megan's back.

That was Shali Knight, the heroic spirit who helped repel the enemy last night.

I have something to say.

Jason reverted to his puppet-like state and said, "I have something to say."

For a moment, Flavia and Duran stared at the mysterious spirit as if they had seen a ghost.

"Where did this come from?"

"What's wrong with Mr. Jason?"

Katusha quickly explained, "Oh! This is the senior from the Magic Academy who's possessing you!"

Because Jason was still wearing Shali's dress, his mental strength recovered slightly, giving the heroic spirit a chance to return to the material plane in this physical body.

Ms. Shali was not at all shy, and in front of the two blood donors, she talked about the many characteristics of Soul Artifact Dad.

She herself was the Hand of Omnipotence in life, a Madness Butterfly fundamentalist, and her entry into the Magic Academy was entirely due to Professor Wood Plark's recommendation.

"This monster has a very familiar, ostentatious stench about it."

That's how Shali described it.

"My eyes have built-in night vision. When I was fighting desperately with the Soul Artifact Dad (risking Jason's life), I discovered something interesting in the final round."

"A flash of sparks pierced his head, but did not completely kill him. This thing not only had extremely high fire resistance, but also the blade protection granted by the Banshee of Pain. In addition, his skull and chin exposed many signs, these basic spell units constructing a wishing spell."

"It is the energy pathway diagram of the Horcrux, and also one of Fret Caesar's wishes."

"Guess what?!"

Ms. Shali leaned to one side, her expression one of pure, carefree amusement.

"Although I'm a sorcerer, relying on God's grace for a living, I still recognize some demonic writing and Hebrew."

"This head was burned bald by bright sparks, and the hollow nasal cavity and skull are covered with many secret inscriptions of prayers and mantras. There is a story behind it."

"The story goes like this— Fret Caesar was Professor Wood's son."

"I saw it clearly."

Shali squinted--

"--His real name is Hope Plark."

"He wanted to have an illicit affair with his father, turning this intense emotional desire into a crucial material for creating a Horcrux, sealing it into the little giant's body."

"I'm so excited!"

At this point, Ms. Shali, overwhelmed by emotion, was unable to maintain her rapidly changing spiritual form and was instantly pulled back by the dress and robe.

Jason was trembling all over when he suddenly snapped back to reality.

"Fuck!"

Katusha quickly asked, "Good sir, are you alright?!"

Jason clutched his head, feeling a throbbing pain in his temples, his eyes bloodshot. "I need to change my clothes, or this crazy woman will possess my body and be reborn sooner or later."

Flavia quickly pressed on, "VIP! It sounds like Ms. Shali has a way to deal with Fret's Horcrux! This is very important!"

"She has a way?" Jason said angrily. "I have a way too! It's not her turn to step in!"

Kaycee, the kind of person who loves a good show, muttered to herself, "Real or fake?"

"We're both geniuses from the Blue Stone Senate! Am I really inferior to a sorcerer from hundreds of years ago?" Jason smirked, arms crossed. "Now that we know Fret Caesar's real name and the basic materials for constructing Horcruxes, I have at least nine of them."

After thinking it over carefully, he decided to rephrase it in a less arrogant way.

"Uh, two ways to deal with him!"

Flavia pressed further, "You are a learned man and an experienced explorer, Mr. Jason. What are your thoughts on the Gloria and Fret Caesar?"

At this moment, Jason the Half-Wolf's brain had just started working.

He frantically searched his mental library for knowledge related to demonic arts, with the spiritual pressure characteristics of Gloria and Fret being key clues.

"There is clear evidence that Judas left behind many evil god avatars in Shambhala, and these evil gods came from the Nine Hells. I believe that Fret Caesar and Gloria had a proxy master-servant relationship."

"Judas summoned Fret to the material plane and, in order to balance the power structure of East Horse Port, gave Gloria a portion of the contract that commanded the devil. The old debt Fret mentioned should be this contract."

"Fret possesses a violent spell to kill Gloria possesses a contract that restricts Fret's freedom of movement. This balances the two forces, both of which are subject to Judas's oversight."

"Judas can provide Fret with Horcrux materials, including the elemental materials of the giant's offspring, Lamastu's blessing spells, and to build a magic pool for Fret."

"As Fret's proxies, Gloria is forced to live in the small town of East Horse Port with this volatile devil. She needs a powerful force to break free of these shackles, eliminate Fret as a deadly threat, and stand on higher ground to negotiate with Judas and seek greater profit."

"So she wants the General of Tears!" Flavia said without hesitation. "If she gets the General of Tears from Berloberg and makes him her guardian knight, she can turn the tables and become the master!"

"Even before this, when the Hunter King fell into the hands of this madwoman, she wouldn't dare to easily turn against Fret."

"What should we do?" Duran pressed, "Mr. Jason, how should we attack now?"

Jason Megan suddenly gained confidence, and his juniors surrounded him tightly in the center of the group.

A heavy sense of mission made him feel like he was twenty-two again, back to a state of fearlessness.

"We'll split up, Duran. You put on this robe. Lady Shali can help you break through the underground waterways' defenses and reach the core of the magic pool."

"I will lead my students to rescue General of Tears; this time, we will not fail."

That's what they say--

After splitting into two groups, without the protection of the Flash Butterfly Armor, Jason changed into a thin cloth outfit and led a few children back to the outskirts of the Church of Dionysus. Suddenly, he lost his confidence; his courage came and went quickly.

Although Hao Bro still had bandages on his face, he looked at the side wall of the church with anticipation.

"Mr. Jason, are we going to steal Berloberg back?"

"That's right!" Jason said confidently, "First and foremost, you have to follow my orders."

"These kinds of infiltration, theft, and sabotage missions are fraught with danger and complexity. The enemy's numbers are usually several times ours, and once discovered and surrounded, it's almost certain death."

"The gunsmith and the General of Tears often encounter such tricky problems on their expeditions, so let me think of a way to open this side gate to the garden."

The courtyard wall, over four meters high, seemed insurmountable, and Jason's courage was slowly worn away by its impenetrable thickness—he didn't believe his clumsy skills could get over it; just seeing the wall defeated him.

As he carefully took out his lock-picking tools, surrounded by three little girls, he slowly twisted the wire into the right shape.

"Wait! There's a sound!"

Jason frowned.

"--Someone's coming! Have we been spotted? They're in the courtyard! Very close to us!"

Kaycee didn't hold back her praise, saying, "Is this the hearing of a Blue-Gold Half-Wolf? It's amazing!"

"Shh! Keep your voice down," Jason emphasized. "Around 170 pounds."

"Wow," Kaycee exclaimed softly, "That's amazing! You can even tell the weight by sound?"

Jason didn't show anything outwardly, but inwardly he was thinking, "Getting closer, an adult male. No body odor, heavy breathing, seems very weak."

Kaycee: "You're my idol!"

The next second, Hao Bro opened the door from the inner courtyard and let the teacher in.

At that moment, Jason felt a deep sense of powerlessness.

He didn't know what to say, staring blankly at Hao Bro was grinning foolishly.

"Oh, no."

A Hao pointed to several black footprints in the corner of the alley and on the courtyard wall. "I opened the door."

"It's very dangerous, do you know that, Xiao Hao?" Jason said in a low voice, "This is the abode of demons. Didn't your two teachers teach you that these demons might use cursed traps?"

"Once you're under a curse, if you don't get an exorcism and the curse isn't broken in time, your entire brain will slowly rot away."

Sirius Parker, the butler, followed beside Hao Bro, raising his hands in surrender. "I have such abilities? You flatter me too much."

Jason Megan rolled her eyes again. "Why not?"

Parker bluntly stated, "I heard the sound of lock picking. Actually, I didn't want to patrol here. The back of the courtyard hasn't been cleaned for over two years. Every step you take is covered in stinking mud from rotting fallen leaves."

Jason: "No."

Daniel, with a gun pressed against Parker's head (apparently he and Hao Bro had scaled the wall together), asked, "Does he really have that kind of curse, Mr. Jason?"

Parker quickly denied it. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no!"

Before he could finish speaking, Daniel lightly punched Parker on the back of the head with his gun, knocking the butler unconscious.

Katusha whispered behind Jason.

"--They are really filial."