223. Shadow

Ta-da!

At midnight, amidst the tolling of the living room clock, a carriage silently pulled up in front of the apartment.

Sulu donned a black robe and wore a mask covering half of his face before boarding the carriage.

The carriage immediately started moving and stopped at a certain point on the dock.

Sulu then switched to another small boat, watching as the other boat turned off a cliff and entered the city's sewer system through a sewage outlet.

' Lori City is near the sea, could this be its sewage outlet into the ocean?'

Sulu felt that his guess was very likely.

He was somewhat impressed by the city's designers; it seemed as if there was an underground town beneath it.

"Arrive!"

The boatman stopped at a fork in the road and gave Sulu a lantern. "Go straight to the end of the fork!"

'It feels like... it's some kind of evil organization gathering, although the situation is similar...'

Sulu muttered to himself, and after getting ashore, he began to wade through the filth, one step at a time, by the light of his lantern, until he finally reached the end.

It was a thick, black wall with several strange, unreadable symbols on it, composed of semicircles and triangles, resembling a child's scribbles.

But Sulu, with his profound Occult Lore, immediately recognized the difference.

"This is Hoflin cipher... The Hoflin are a legendary race that enjoys all sorts of pranks and puzzle games... In folklore, there are often tales of them stealing precious treasures or people, inviting warriors to try their skills... And this symbol represents a puzzle game."

Sulu studied it for a moment, then traced an arc on the wall with his finger, connecting the symbols representing 'passage' and clicking them one by one.

Rumble!

Just as he made the final stroke, the sound of gears turning came from inside the wall, and half of the wall slowly receded, revealing a new path.

'The power of superhumans among the citizens of Lori City is somewhat beyond my expectations...'

Sulu, Inspiration external influences, investigated briefly before carrying the lantern inside.

After passing through the passageway, you arrive at a huge underground air-raid shelter.

This place is over ten meters high, resembling a banquet hall in a castle, with stones that actively emit light embedded around it.

In the center of the 'hall' is a long table, surrounded by many chairs.

There were probably more than thirty of them, and half of them were already occupied, drawing many scrutinizing gazes.

"Welcome, newcomer!"

An aged voice, seated at the head of the table, spoke, "Your mastery of the mysticism is astonishing, having overcome the Wall of Mystery in such a short time."

As he spoke, Sulu felt even more attention focused on him.

There were even some faint probes.

"Snort!"

He snorted coldly, his Spirit Pressure Solidification on his body, radiating an aura like that of Dragon Might.

Many of the forces hovering in the void were frightened and retreated. Several men in black trembled and muttered in low voices, "Elite? Or even above?"

Even at such gatherings, the natural law of survival of the fittest still applies.

Sulu sensed that many of the gazes suddenly became less aggressive, and instead carried a hint of apprehension.

"Please don't misunderstand, only newcomers come through that door... We have another passage, of course... After you pass the 'test,' I will show you another path, a more convenient one, after this gathering."

The elderly man at the head of the table continued, "You can choose a code name for yourself."

"Call me... Scholar!"

Sulu's voice was slightly hoarse as he found an empty seat and sat down, comparing this place to the gatherings of several other extraordinary individuals he had encountered before.

Although the Black Market in Charles City was larger and freer, it seemed to lack a sense of secrecy and official intervention. The one in Nia City, brought by Fatima, was sufficiently secretive, but too unregulated.

The gathering here, however, allowed him to see a kind of 'depth' and 'history'.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "I always thought... this was just a gathering of extraordinary individuals?"

"Hehe..."

Most of the men in black robes chuckled softly, "This is indeed a gathering of extraordinary individuals, an unofficial one!"

"However... our history is long, and recently, with the arrival of the Dawn of Gods, there has been an increase in 'new blood'..."

The elderly man seated at the head of the table said, "We... are the shadowy Dominator of this city! In some circles in Lori City, we are known as the ' Shadow Council '! You can call me... the Speaker! Of course, the main reason we've gathered here is to trade with each other, exchange Curio and information, or mediate disputes."

The Speaker speaker continued calmly, "For example, this time... the major gang reshuffle in Lori City. The Shark Gang originally on the strike list, but because of you, it can remain on... temporarily."

'So... this is the gathering place for the underground forces of Lori City? They can control Lori City under the cover of night through various intricate connections, and even influence the city hall?'

Sulu roughly understood.

This gathering, which I attended on my own, is semi-regular in nature and quite high-profile.

It seems... I've been used by Michael from the Shark Gang.

"Our members are divided into two categories: official members and newcomers like you... Hehe... Of course, if you work hard, you should soon become an official member. Then, we'll help you establish yourself firmly in this city and ensure your family continues your glory..."

To Sulu's left, a woman continued to seduce him in a seductive voice.

"So how does one become a full member? By completing 'tasks' for the council, or by submitting 'contributions'?"

Sulu leaned back in his chair and asked with a calm smile.

This is true for any organizational form.

"What a clever little brother, I like you..." The alluring woman's voice alone was enough to excite anyone. "My code name is ' Saintess,' and I believe... we might have a chance to cooperate in the future."

Just as the two of them were talking, some more people in black robes arrived from the surrounding darkness and found places to sit.

"Alright!"

The aged-voiced ' Speaker ' began, "Everyone is here. Let us welcome the newcomer— the Scholar!"

He led the applause, which rang out sparsely in the hall and quickly subsided.

"Alright... let's get down to business!"

The Speaker coughed and said, "I have received information that following the Sky Pit incident in Nia City, the Federation has made up its mind that Congress will pass the ' Duke Act '!"

The atmosphere below immediately became solemn.

Sulu knew very well that the so-called ' Duke Act ' was actually the Professional Registration Act, which aimed to publicly acknowledge the existence of superhumans and restrict them, because the nominated senator was named Duke, hence the alternative name Duke Act.