Three Solutions

To be honest, when Sherlock saw the bald woman at his doorstep calling herself an Adjudicator, he was surprised, but not entirely surprised.

The reason he was not surprised was simple. The day before, Sherlock had not encountered a single attack from the Continental Hotel from morning to night. That alone was enough for him to understand the Continental Hotel's stance.

As for why he was surprised, that was equally simple. Sherlock had thought that the Continental Hotel would send Lola to negotiate with him, not this so-called Adjudicator standing before him.

But since she was already here, Sherlock did not refuse this so-called Adjudicator. He immediately stepped aside and made room for her to enter.

The two sat down on the sofas in the living room one after the other. Under Sherlock's gaze, the Adjudicator took three documents from the bag she carried and placed them on the coffee table before speaking.

"Mr. Sherlock, we have no intention of making an enemy of you. However, the Continental Hotel has its own rules. In light of your demands, the Continental Hotel has prepared three options."

With that, the bald woman pointed to the first document on Sherlock's left.

"The first option is an invitation. Inside this document is an invitation from the High Table. Once you sign it, you will immediately gain membership in the High Table.

"Of course, as a member of the High Table, you may access any files you wish at any time. However, while enjoying the High Table's rights, you must also take on its obligations and responsibilities. The specific terms are all explained in the document."

After saying that, she pointed to the document in the middle and continued speaking to Sherlock.

"The second option is also an invitation, but this one is a VIP invitation from both the High Table and the Continental Hotel, along with a complimentary VIP card.

"If you choose this option, you will become a VIP of the Continental Hotel. The Continental Hotel promises that you and anyone connected to you will never again appear on the Continental Hotel's bounty list.

"Furthermore, as a VIP, you may receive priority access to any services provided by the Continental Hotel. Naturally, the price will remain unchanged.

"At the same time, the information you seek will be presented to you by the Continental Hotel and the High Table as a gift."

Only after saying all that did the woman point to the third document and continue.

"As for the third option, to be honest, I do not recommend that you choose it. There is only a note inside this document, and that note records in detail the exact location of the information you seek.

"Once you choose this document, before you obtain the files, the Continental Hotel will spare no effort in hunting you, your friends, and your family down. It will not end until you obtain the files or die."

After introducing the three documents to Sherlock, the bald woman who called herself an Adjudicator said nothing more. Like a doll, she sat opposite Sherlock in the most proper posture, quietly awaiting his choice.

After hearing the woman's introduction, Sherlock raised an eyebrow slightly. Then a smile of unclear meaning appeared on his face. He looked directly at the doll-like woman and said irritably, "All right, all right. Does the Continental Hotel—or rather, the High Table—really take me for an idiot? You seem to have offered three options, but the one you most want me to choose is actually the one in the middle, isn't it?

"Joining the High Table would dilute the power in your hands. And with my abilities, I would become the strongest fighter in the High Table. Naturally, the people already in the High Table would not want me to choose that option, so you added clauses about duties and obligations.

"It is the equivalent of putting a collar on a tiger. Even if I truly joined after putting on that collar, I would pose no threat to the High Table or the elders at the top. I might even bring them some benefits."

At that point, Sherlock paused slightly. The mockery in his eyes as he looked at the woman before him grew even stronger before he continued.

"As for this so-called third option?

"Heh. The location where the information is stored? I do not doubt that the address in this document contains information I want, but why would I take the long way around when the answer is so close?

"If I'm not mistaken, the information I want is definitely less than a hundred meters away from me right now! Where could it be? In the car waiting for you outside? Or on your person?

"Ah, so it's on your person."

As Sherlock guessed where the files were, he pointed disdainfully at the floor beneath his feet. The so-called Adjudicator sitting opposite him followed the direction of his finger and looked down. A huge transmutation circle flashed before her eyes, filling them with terror.

Sherlock's title of Impaler was no secret within the High Table. After all, Hydra had not been the only visitor to the battlefields of the Middle East. The Continental Hotel had received intelligence afterward as well.

Though the Adjudicators were all highly trained, they were still living beings, still human. No one could be completely free of fear of death.

That was especially true when facing a supernatural being like Sherlock, someone so full of unknowns. No one knew how the young man before them would shape the process of their death.

Just as the so-called Adjudicator believed Sherlock was bound to choose the third path, Sherlock picked up the second document—the one the Adjudicator, or rather the High Table, most hoped he would choose—after threatening her.

"Still, I have to say, you are fortunate. I am someone who hates trouble, so whether by sentiment or reason, I will choose the second option as you wish."

As he said this, Sherlock stood with the proposal in hand. The expression on his face was neither quite a smile nor not one as he looked at the Adjudicator. The next second, Sherlock's right hand suddenly clamped onto the mask covering the lower half of her face.

"But those little tricks you played on me have left me very unhappy!"

The moment those words fell, scarlet lightning burst from the hand gripping the Adjudicator. Red light flickered in Sherlock's eyes. Amid the Adjudicator's scream and instinctive retreat, half the mask was left in Sherlock's hand.

Looking at the woman collapsed on the floor, Sherlock showed not the slightest emotion in his eyes as he continued.

"Now, leave the information in your bag and get out! That alchemy was both payment for bringing me the information and a warning to the High Table!

"Go back and tell those people that I can restore your face to how it was, and I can also skin alive those fools hiding in the shadows, thinking themselves clever and safe!"

After saying that, Sherlock spoke no more. He merely stared coldly at the woman lying on the floor before him.

Upon hearing Sherlock's words, the Adjudicator on the floor instinctively touched the lower half of her face that had been concealed by the mask. But what met her hand was soft, tender flesh, not the hard, cold teeth that had been beneath the mask before.

That was right. The reason this so-called Adjudicator had come wearing a mask was simple: the skin on the lower half of the bald woman's face had already vanished, leaving only her teeth and hideous scars exposed. She had no choice but to cover it with a mask.

And now Sherlock had directly restored her face?

This made the Adjudicator's awe toward Sherlock rise once again. After hearing his words, she did not hesitate in the slightest. She took the information that had long been prepared from her bag, retrieved the two symbolic proposals from the table, and fled Sherlock's house in a sorry state.