No one else knew that secret anymore!
Alger looked at Qilingus's corpse and exhaled. Pressing his right hand to his chest, he murmured, "Praise Mr. Fool," then retreated into the pitch-black woods and vanished.
Alger passed through the woods and crossed the artificial lake. He had only just left the scene behind when his vision suddenly blurred, and he saw the various colors in the darkness grow extraordinarily vivid.
The blue-green trees became even more blue-green, the bright red fruit even redder, and the dark water even darker. Everything resembled a canvas splashed with oil paints.
High above, where the Crimson Moon was obscured, countless transparent shadows with indescribable forms drifted amid clear radiances of different colors that held mystical knowledge.
Alger's heart jolted. His spirituality frantically warned him, as though he had encountered something utterly terrifying.
"Who's there?!"
Boundless fear flooded his heart. He wanted to draw his gun and resist, but he could not move even a finger. Why is this happening? Could it be a High-Sequence Beyonder? But why would he attack me? Is he the person backing Qilingus?
A pool of dark water appeared beneath his feet and rapidly rose. A pale hand beneath its surface abruptly dragged him in. Before Alger could react, the black water swallowed him.
It's over...
The thought had barely formed before the black water "spat" Alger out again, restoring his control over his body. He hastily looked himself over and found that he had suffered no injuries.
Just then, a middle-aged man wearing a top hat appeared as though out of thin air. He had black hair, brown eyes, bronze skin, and a world-weary gaze. He frowned at Alger and muttered to himself, "Not here either?"
He then turned toward the brightly lit villa, looking thoughtful.
A light breeze brushed