Intelligence Deal

By interrogating the unfortunate souls who had delivered themselves to his door, Moros had already learned about the major events that had taken place on Earth after he left.

Overall, the situation on Earth was fairly peaceful.

Although a few years ago, some lackeys of the Mu Continent government had come to Dusk Street searching for traces of him, they had soon left after finding nothing.

Forget it. There would be opportunities later.

Turning around, Moros headed toward a bar on Dusk Street.

They were merely low-level thugs, after all. The little information they knew was nowhere near enough to satisfy Moros.

To obtain the information he needed, Moros could only go to a place like a bar, where all sorts of people gathered, and buy intelligence.

Following the bar address he had dug out of the thugs' souls, Moros found the establishment called Twilight Wine.

Looking at the refined storefront, which stood in stark contrast to the filthy, chaotic surroundings, Moros looked forward to the results of this venture even more.

Anyone capable of running a bar in a place like Dusk Street was naturally no ordinary person.

Moros firmly believed that he would be able to obtain the intelligence he needed from this bar.

During the attack on Y City six years ago, Moros had not deliberately plundered wealth. Still, even the small portion he had taken along the way was enough to pay for intelligence.

Besides, even if the information broker was insatiably greedy, Moros's expert-level necromancy was not merely for show.

If he could not obtain the information he needed through a normal transaction, Moros would not mind resorting to extraordinary measures.

Moros believed that once a soul was in his hands, even the greediest information broker would obediently reveal everything they knew.

Several burly men in black stood guard at the entrance to Twilight Wine. The standard-issue Mu Continent military assault rifles slung at their waists made it abundantly clear that they were not to be trifled with.

The guards merely gave the black-robed Moros a casual glance before ignoring him.

Anyone who served as a doorman on Dusk Street understood that it was best to stay out of matters that did not concern them.

Since Moros was a customer wishing to enter Twilight Wine, the guards would not stop him no matter how suspicious he looked.

The moment he stepped into Twilight Wine's main hall, Moros was immediately enveloped by the distinctive atmosphere of a bar.

Under the dim lights, people freely unleashed their passion, moving their bodies with abandon as though seeking catharsis and release in the darkness.

Bodies intertwined, music blared wildly, and people cast aside the restraints of everyday life to reveal their truest, most natural selves.

On his way to the bar counter, Moros witnessed many unrestrained scenes.

In one corner, people were trading white powder. Their eyes were sharp and sly, as though they were fighting over some priceless treasure.

At the same time, others indulged their most primal desires beneath the dim lights. They embraced and panted in abandon, seemingly trying to release every ounce of emotion and pressure within them.

Moros was neither surprised nor disgusted by this. He understood the complexity and diversity of human nature.

In a place like Dusk Street, people endured immense pressure and unease. They needed some way to vent and let go.

And Twilight Wine happened to offer them a place where they could temporarily cast off their restraints and release their true selves.

He walked to the bar and sat down, ordering a cocktail.

"I'd like to buy some intelligence."

Moros spoke while the bartender mixed his cocktail.

His voice was not loud, yet it came through clearly amid the surrounding clamor.

The bartender frowned slightly upon hearing him, but quickly regained his composure and continued working.

"Sir, if it's ordinary news or rumors, you can ask me directly."

The bartender pushed the prepared cocktail in front of Moros and said calmly, "But if you need more confidential or special intelligence, I suggest you seek out Fox."

"Fox?"

"Yes, sir."

The bartender nodded lightly, a faint, almost imperceptible smile appearing on his face.

"Fox's fees are steep, but the quality of his intelligence is also widely recognized here."

Moros did not know how sensitive the intelligence he needed was on Dusk Street, so he decided to let the bartender judge for himself.

"I need some very important intelligence—secrets unknown to the public concerning certain high-ranking government officials."

Surprise flashed through the bartender's eyes upon hearing Moros's words.

Clearly, even on Dusk Street, this sort of intelligence counted as something special.

He seemed to consider something carefully before finally speaking after a while.

"Sir, if the intelligence you need is truly that sensitive, I suggest meeting Fox directly."

"Can you tell me how to contact him?"

"If you order a glass of Golden Wine, you can go to the second floor. There, you'll find Fox's representative. But whether Fox is willing to meet you is something I cannot guarantee."

The bartender cautiously gave him the answer he knew.

"All right. Then bring me a glass of Golden Wine."

Although Golden Wine was expensive, Moros could still afford several thousand for a glass.

"Certainly, sir. Please wait a moment."

After speaking a code phrase into his walkie-talkie, the bartender began expertly mixing the cocktail.

His movements were fluid and elegant, as though he were performing a visual feast.

Before long, an alluring golden-colored cocktail was ready.

At the same time, a waiter dressed in an attendant's uniform approached.

"Sir, please follow him upstairs."

The bartender gently pushed the Golden Wine toward Moros and smiled, gesturing for him to follow the waiter.

Moros took a deep breath, nodded, then picked up his glass and followed behind the waiter.

Climbing the winding staircase, Moros arrived on the second floor of Twilight Wine.

The atmosphere here was entirely different from downstairs, filled with a chilling air of vigilance.

At the corridor entrance, a squad of fully armed mercenaries stood guard. Their gazes were blade-sharp, and none of them smiled.

As a necromancer, Moros could keenly detect the scent of blood carried by these mercenaries.

Clearly, they were a group of cold-blooded war machines.

Intelligence Transaction

Led by the waiter, Moros was not stopped by the mercenaries.

Following the waiter's footsteps, Moros passed through the bustling second-floor hall and arrived before a room.

The waiter knocked twice lightly, then pushed open the door and indicated that Moros could enter.

Moros looked through the open doorway. The room was dimly lit, illuminated only by a low-brightness LED lamp.

Under the weak light, the outline of a long table was barely visible. Two glasses of water sat atop it, giving off a faint chill.

On one side of the table sat a young man in silence. His hood hung low, obscuring his face.

Judging from his build, he seemed quite young, but his quiet and restrained demeanor gave him an air of depth.

Entering the room, Moros naturally pulled over the chair closest to him and sat down.

He looked directly at the mysterious man before him and asked bluntly,

"I heard you can contact Fox?"

The man nodded slightly.

"I need to buy some special intelligence from Fox."

The man nodded again, indicating that he understood Moros's request.

"Can you make the decision?"

The man fell silent for a moment, then shook his head lightly, seeming somewhat helpless.

"I am only Mr. Fox's representative at Twilight Wine. Whether a transaction can proceed still requires Mr. Fox's approval."

Moros frowned. His time was precious, and he did not wish to waste too much of it dealing with a representative.

He hoped to speak directly with Fox.

"What if I want to trade directly with Fox?"

Moros asked tentatively.

The man raised his head and looked at Moros through the gap in his hood, surprise in his gaze.

"Sir, that does not conform to the rules."

The man spoke in an unhurried tone.

"Mr. Fox does not usually trade directly with strangers. This is to protect both parties' interests."

Moros understood that the hooded man before him was not lying.

As a necromancer of Legendary Rank, even without using spells, he could easily see whether an ordinary person was lying.

A little troublesome, but forget it...

Having made his decision, Moros spoke.

"I need to know about the latest international organizations currently being established."

He decided to first inquire about intelligence that was not overly sensitive, in order to test the extent of the Fox behind the hooded man.

By Moros's estimation, Moth to Fire should already have been established by this time, though it was likely still classified.

If Fox could not even obtain intelligence on Moth to Fire, then Moros would have no need to continue asking about other, more sensitive matters.

After all, intelligence on Moth to Fire was far less important and sensitive than information about high-ranking council members within the Mu Continent government.

If Fox did not even have intelligence on Moth to Fire, then he naturally could not possess information on the council members.

After hearing Moros's request, the hooded man did not respond immediately. Instead, he calmly took an unusual smartphone from his pocket.

The phone had clearly been specially modified and was noticeably different from an ordinary mobile phone.

The hooded man tapped away at the phone for a moment, then showed the screen to Moros.

The number displayed on the screen slightly startled Moros.

"Fifty thousand."

The hooded man calmly quoted the price.

Fifty thousand was no small sum, especially in the Mu Continent's currency system.

Before it was swallowed by the black hole of the Ninth Herrscher: Herrscher of Rock, the Mu Continent had always been the core region of the Pre-Collapse Civilization. Its currency's value likewise ranked first among the currencies of the nations of the Pre-Collapse Civilization.

"Agreed."

Moros did not hesitate. He pretended to take five gold bars from his pocket, though they had actually come from the Storage Bag in his enchanted mage robe.

He then signaled for the hooded man to proceed with the transaction.

After putting away the gold bars, the hooded man skillfully operated his phone before handing it to Moros.

The screen displayed a detailed report on the latest developments and scale of international organizations.

Moros read it carefully and soon saw the name Moth to Fire.

"Moth to Fire, established in 20XX, supported by the Mu Continent, Shenzhou, North America, and other nations, with the aim of controlling and researching Honkai..."

After opening the entry related to Moth to Fire and reading through it for a while, Moros formed an initial assessment of Fox's capabilities.

"Give me all the intelligence on Moth to Fire."

Before asking about the council members, however, Moros still needed to further confirm Fox's capabilities.

"Two hundred and fifty thousand!"

The hooded man took back the phone, operated it for a moment, and quoted another price.

"Agreed."