The Spirit Realm, First Layer.
Roiling black mist shrouded everything. Amid the ruins of Clockwork City in the Spirit Realm, Lin En and Firstborn darted onward, heading toward the city's outskirts.
Lin En glanced sideways, holding down the hood on his head.
"So you came here to find out about the Lord of Crimson's operations?"
Like a ghost, Firstborn kept pace beside Lin En, neither too fast nor too slow. His phantomlike figure passed through buildings and walls with effortless elegance.
Holding the Walking Stick, he said softly:
"Yes."
"Since I agreed to help you deal with the trouble here and protect your older brother while I was at it, the simplest and most effective approach is to eliminate the source of the problem."
"The Crimson Secret Cult has been rooted here for years, with countless strongholds. Her ability to obtain immediate intelligence from the physical world relies primarily on the intelligence network they built there. If we eliminate them, even if we can't sever her connection to the physical world, we can still cripple her intelligence network."
He opened his eyes a fraction and looked at the girl in the Yellow Robe beside him. The profile and chin visible beneath the hood were breathtakingly beautiful.
He had to admit, Lin En really had become more beautiful than when they first met.
Or rather...
Every time he saw Lin En, he was more beautiful than before. Although he had certainly been lovely before, now even Firstborn found him so stunning that he couldn't help stealing glances.
Although he didn't actually care about his partner's appearance, who wouldn't like seeing the girl they fancied become exceptionally beautiful?
The corners of his mouth lifted.
[Ding! Firstborn's affection for you +20! You received 20 Emotional Fragments.]
A chill instantly ran through