I Dare Not Pad Word Count Anymore!

At midnight, Kaster City-State gradually quieted down.

No. 44 Golden Street was a two-story house at an intersection, built entirely of brick and stone, with a triangular roof.

The exterior had been painted bright yellow, standing out sharply from the other buildings. Only the gray roof tiles matched the style of Golden Street.

"August 8, 1578, New Calendar. Weather..."

Wain Loft turned his head and looked out the window. A Red Moon hung high in the night sky, and within it, shadows could faintly be seen shifting, like fleeting reflections on water.

Under the Red Moon's glow, the hazy crimson moonlight was dim and blurred, adding a veil of mystery to the black night.

Nearby stood a kerosene streetlamp taller than a person. Above its black lamp post was a wooden lampshade, wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. Through the window, he could still see the dim yellow flame inside the shade, driving back the night.

He was already very familiar with all of this.

Every day before nightfall, when the bells of Crimson Cathedral rang for the sixth time, he would see the lamplighter in a black cloak light the kerosene lamp right on time.

Immediately afterward, the lamplighter would stand solemnly still, cross his hands over his shoulders, and murmur, "Praise the Lord of Dawn!"

Every time he saw this scene, a strange thought would rise in his mind: if the kerosene lamp was not lit, did that mean they had been abandoned by the Lord of Dawn?

"...clear."

Wain struck two "keys" like this, spelling out the golden word "clear," which sank into the black screen of light before him as if swallowed by empty space, stirring up several rings of black ripples.

Compared with the lamplighter's kerosene streetlamp outside, the "Typewriter" in his hands was clearly a hundred times stranger.

Set into an oak base was a silver box with exquisite patterns, as pretty as a jewelry box.

When he pressed the switch on the left side of the box, something resembling a "keyboard" would slowly pop out from below—the "Typewriter."

There were six rows in total, each with twelve "keys," for a total of seventy-two "keys" representing the characters of the common tongue, arranged neatly on it.

Although the workmanship of the "keys" seemed a little crude, the crisp, pleasant sound they made when struck could not help but remind Wain of the days and nights he had spent battling on the Ionia Continent in his previous life.

Unfortunately, he could never go back again...

That was right. He was not from this world.

One week ago, in the early morning, he had woken from deep sleep and discovered that everything around him had changed.

At first, he had thought it was a prank by his friends, that they had dragged him to a film studio.

But after receiving the memories left behind by his predecessor, he had no choice but to accept the fact that he had transmigrated.

After going through confusion, terror, loss...

Wain quickly adjusted his mindset and chose to face reality positively—especially after, three nights ago, he saw a monster with a human arm in its mouth pass by his window.

He swore!

That had absolutely been an extremely terrifying monster. It looked very much like a wolf, but its size was far larger.

The monster's body was covered in gray-white scales, pale flames burned around its four limbs, and a pair of enormous wings grew from its back, sweeping across the night sky as they beat.

Under the Red Moon's light, it had seemed like a demon that had crawled out of the abyss, enough to make anyone shudder.

Even though he had watched it from a great distance, Wain could still feel himself trembling in fear, unable to muster even the slightest will to resist.

However, he had also turned misfortune into fortune—a thing resembling a game attribute panel had appeared in his mind.

Name: Wain Loft

Bloodline: Salute lineage

Occupation: None

Tenacity Level: 7 (7) (represents physical strength, including power, speed, constitution, etc.)

Spirit Level: 8 (15+1) (represents mental strength, including perception, will, soul, etc.)

Talent: None

Skills: None

Survival Points: 3

[Being from another world, even though you have long since come into contact with the mysteries hidden within the real world, you ignorantly believed that was reality. Evaluation: weakling. Reward: Survival Points +3.]

[You peered at the Abyssal Hound, but the Abyssal Creature that had already eaten its fill paid no attention to your gaze. You escaped disaster. Evaluation: A toast to luck! Special reward: Spirit Level +1.]

[Abyssal Hound: the pet of the Lord of the Deep Abyss, guardian of the abyssal world, a terrifying demon that travels between the abyss and the real world. Its favorite snack is something called "human."]

[Note 1: Any mysterious-side matter that happens to you can grant you Survival Point rewards (participation or witnessing). Special events may additionally grant special rewards.]

[Note 2: Survival Points can only be used to unlock knowledge and improve skills and talent abilities.]

A cheat?

Wain had thought he would have to develop bare-handed in this bizarre world. He had not expected an unexpected surprise.

Although this panel could not yet play any role for the time being, it was enough to fill him with anticipation for the future.

Therefore—

From that day onward, he had decided to properly experience this world filled with mystery, strangeness, and magic.

However, Before that, he first had to finish a job his predecessor had worked hard to secure.

"Praise the Lord of Specters! Kaster City-State is as peaceful as ever. The sun rises as usual, the Red Moon still hangs high, and everything is so wonderful... Recorded by Kaster City-State intelligence officer, Wain Loft."

This was the job his predecessor had found—intelligence officer for the Specter School in Kaster City-State!

The work was simple, too. He only needed to send over the things that happened in the city-state from time to time through that "typewriter."

And after Wain had taken over his predecessor's body, he had inherited the job and carried it forward.

His predecessor usually sent a transmission once every three days. Wain was different. He updated daily... no, he insisted on sending new "intelligence" every day in exchange for a meager salary.

Each report was less than a thousand words, with a guaranteed salary of 6 pence—equivalent to 30 yuan in his previous life. (12 pence = 1 shilling, 20 shillings = 1 gold pound)

That did not even include extra rewards given according to the value of the intelligence.

And most importantly!

Within the Specter School, he could also use money to buy some knowledge, such as the most basic meditation method—which only cost 2 gold pounds.

Look at that. They even had commission bonuses and a points exchange system.

What was this?

This was vision.

No wonder the Specter School could grow bigger and stronger!

So, after learning all this, Wain had been counting his little treasury every day—1 gold pound, 19 shillings, and 6 pence.

As long as today's money arrived, he could exchange for the meditation method.

He hoped to use it to open the door to becoming a Specter Wizard and step into the ranks of the extraordinary.

He had even already set his goal—to press the Abyssal Hound to the ground and grind it under him.

"Bzz... bzz..."

Wain snapped out of his daydream and saw the "telephone" beside the "typewriter" vibrating like mad.

Holy shit.

A call?

Like the "typewriter," this "telephone" was an equally bizarre thing—its shape resembled a trophy, narrow at the bottom and wide at the top, pure gold in color, with a painting of blue flames on the cup.

Start.

Wain reached out and pressed the jeweled button on the "telephone."

A ghostly blue flame spurted down from above, and an icy aura spread outward, making him shiver despite himself.

Immediately after, a slightly slender figure appeared within the flames, twisting illusorily as the fire burned.

The figure was wrapped from head to toe in a black hooded robe, revealing only a softly contoured, beautifully lined chin, and... a broad, fair bosom.

"Wain Loft?" a crisp, cold voice rang out.

A woman?

The Intelligence Department liaison officer was a woman?

A strange thought flashed through Wain's mind, but his body instinctively made a saluting motion. He bowed slightly and said respectfully, "Yes, My Lady Liaison Officer."

His predecessor's memories did contain something about his superior liaison officer, but it was only one line in the [Work Regulations]—do not act offensively in any way!

A few brief words. No reason, no consequences for violation.

However, faced with this bizarre scene, Wain no longer wanted to investigate whether that sentence was true.

After a silence that lasted a full half minute, the voice sounded again. "So you're the one who's been sending over that garbage intelligence for days in a row?"

Garbage intelligence?

Did they discover that I was padding the word count in my reports?

Wain raised his eyes and glanced at the figure in the flames. A pair of long, deep-set eyes stared at him angrily through the hood.

A bad premonition welled up in his heart...

Immediately after, he heard the figure's tone turn furious:

"By the Specter School above!"

"If I have turned my back on the deity, then let the bastards from the Church of Dawn come punish me, instead of making me serve as the liaison officer for this damned Shetland Kingdom Intelligence Department."

"If I hadn't come here, I wouldn't have met you—Wain Loft!"

"You shameless salary thief, damned freeloader, filthy parasite... For six whole days, the intelligence you submitted, all added together, was worth only 1 penny."

"1 penny!! Not even enough to buy a pound of black bread!"

"And you actually had the nerve to take 3 shillings."

"Is your face made of porcupine hide? Huh?"

After that storm of abuse, only one thought remained in Wain's mind.

Oh no!

It seemed this liaison officer, My Lady, placed absolutely no value on his intelligence. If he did not do something, he was afraid he would be dead on the spot.

Wei En's thoughts raced. Taking advantage of the pause, he carefully chose his words. "My respected liaison officer, My Lady, could there be some misunderstanding here? I submit intelligence every day, covering every aspect of Kaster City-State..."

"Heh!"

The liaison officer said mockingly, "Including cleaning up horse manure in the slums?"

"And major incidents..."

"For example, the bell-ringer of Crimson Cathedral being an ugly freak?"

"..."

After a moment of silence, Wei En gave an awkward smile. "My Lady, do you think there might be a possibility that nothing has happened in Kaster City-State recently?"

"Shut up!"

The liaison officer took a deep breath, suppressing her fury and struggling to recover the elegance a lady ought to have.

"Five days ago, a captain of the Secret Investigation Bureau was assassinated. Three days ago, more than three hundred people mysteriously disappeared from the slums. Two days ago, the Black Pearl, which runs rampant across the Kordo Sea, looted cargo ships in Kaster City-State's harbor..."

"Damn it! Do you still want me to keep going?"

Elegance was impossible now...

Sure enough, she should just slaughter him, right?

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The setting is fresh, the plot is tight, so please write a good review in Chapter Eleven, hehe.