Xia Lun closed The Labyrinth of Ornes and tucked it back into the Voidwood Chest.
He pushed against the floor with his feet, leaned back, and stretched.
His chair rolled backward with a rumble. He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was noon.
"Time for my chat with Renee!"
Thinking this, Xia Lun gripped the armrests, pulled his chair back to the desk, and took a long drink of coffee.
The warm liquid bloomed on his tongue. Its rich, faintly bitter aroma lingered in his mouth before flowing down his throat. The coffee's fragrance seemed to bypass his palate and reach deep into his brain.
"Coffee and a chat with Renee. Two pleasures at once..." Xia Lun narrowed his eyes in contentment. Humming a tune, he opened Renee's notebook.
The moment he turned to the first page, a lively line of writing appeared, as though it couldn't wait.
Even without Emotion Reading, Xia Lun could feel its little-sun warmth and a faint undercurrent of impatience.
"Xia Lun!" Renee's handwriting bounced across the page. "Did you miss me? I've missed you so, so much. But we'll see each other again soon!"
"Have you finished the third Scenario?"
"Not yet. I've been dealing with problems in the real world lately."
Renee's writing slowed, as though she were hesitating.
"Over the past week, the people transformed into Evil Spirits have formed an organization again and recruited some discontented bandits. A lot of intelligence suggests they may be planning a major rebellion. And because I distributed the Authority of Collective Unity, their fighting strength could be considerable."
Xia Lun thought for a moment, then sat up straight, his expression turning serious.
"Is the Black Duke still organizing them?"
"That's what troubles me most." Renee's writing grew slower still. "The Black Duke has