In the North Borough suburbs, inside a nearly abandoned three-story teaching building of the medical school.
Even though it was only three in the afternoon, the fog and stratus clouds had already made the entire Backlund gloomy and dark, as if a heavy rain was about to fall.
In the dilapidated corridor, the cold, dim light slanted through the windows, making everything appear silent, desolate, and eerily chilling.
Having visited this place twice before, Audrey was no longer as nervous and tense as before. Wearing a surgical cap and a large mask, she turned her head slightly from side to side, habitually observing her surroundings and every detail.
Viscount Glaint, walking beside him, grew increasingly frightened and couldn't help but lower his voice, saying:
"Something feels off here..."
"Could there be ghosts or evil spirits?"
As a psychic enthusiast who had only half-stepped into the field, the only extraordinary phenomena he had ever witnessed were Fors's ability to walk through walls and Door Opening, and he was unsure whether Wraith Specter truly existed.
But that doesn't stop him from being afraid of similar Monster!
Fors glanced at him sideways, suppressing a laugh, and said:
"Most of those attending the gathering are Beyonder; if there are truly demons and ghosts, they would certainly be very pleased, as this would mean materials or servants."
Seeing that Viscount Glaint visibly relaxed, she deliberately added:
"Of course, I'm only talking about the weaker kind of ghost. A fully formed Specter could kill everyone here silently, and they could only run back and forth between the three floors, unable to get out, like being in a maze."
Hugh nodded in approval:
"I've encountered similar Wraith before. They circled the cemetery several times without being able to escape. During this process, people kept turning back for no apparent reason and then suddenly dying. If it weren't for an Beyonder carrying the ' The Sun Talisman,' you might not be seeing me today."
Viscount Glaint shivered and quickly turned to look out the window. Just then, a withered branch, blown by the cold wind, struck the glass with a soft sound.
Glaint nearly cried out, and hurriedly moved closer to Fors and Hugh, the two Beyonder.
Audrey suppressed a smile that was about to burst from her lips and quietly observed the scene, thinking to herself:
I've met the almost divine " The Fool," I know of the City of Silver, the land Forsaken Land of the Gods, and I've heard of all sorts of terrifying Monster lurking in the depths of darkness. What Wraith and Specter could I possibly fear?
However... I've never actually encountered a ghost yet, pshaw! Audrey, what are you thinking? It's better not to run into these kinds of things!
Unless I become a " Psychiatrist," possessing extraordinary abilities to influence other living beings, or obtain a magical item that can subdue ghost-like Monster...
The four of them quickened their pace and arrived at the meeting place in no time.
Just before entering, Fors found an opportunity, bent down slightly, and whispered in Hugh's ear:
"You cooperated quite well just now; you were able to come up with a story to scare someone so quickly."
"Look at the parts of Glaint Viscount aren't covered by his mask; they're so pale you can barely see any other color."
Xiu turned his head, looking slightly bewildered, and replied:
I didn't make up a story.
That happened before I came to Backlund.
"..." Fors paused for a moment, then blurted out, "Is that true?"
"What's so funny about this?" Hugh's puzzled expression was completely hidden by his mask.
Fors turned his head, took two steps forward, and suddenly trembled.
At this moment, not wanting to linger in the gloomy and terrifying corridor any longer, Glaint reached out and pushed open the door to the meeting place.
As the creaking sound echoed, he saw a concrete floor and smelled a strong, unpleasant odor of preservatives.
Then he saw a large pool in the center, filled with a transparent, yellowish liquid, with figures Levitation around it.
The figures were all naked, some relatively intact, others with half of their skin peeled off, turning a brownish-red like beef jerky.
These are all corpses!
"Ah!"
A scream echoed through the room.
All eyes turned to Glaint.
All these gazes came from the figures in white coats surrounding the pool; they too wore surgical caps and large masks, with only their eyes and a small amount of skin exposed.
Glaint swayed, wanting to turn and run, but saw Audrey, Fors, and Hugh walk past him as if nothing had happened and go inside, acting as if they weren't his companions who had come here together.
Glaint took a breath and almost vomited.
He looked back outside and saw only a dark and cold corridor, with shadowy figures everywhere, but not a single living person in sight.
Another shiver ran through him, Glaint quickened his pace to catch up with Audrey and the others, finding a spot furthest from the pool to sit down.
A few minutes later, a figure in a white coat stepped forward, used a wooden pole with a hook attached to the side of the pool to pull a corpse to the side, and then directly dragged the person to the concrete ground.
He paused for two or three seconds, took out a scalpel, and cut open the corpse's abdomen.
As the wound deepened, a cold, hoarse voice suddenly came from within:
"The party begins."
... Glaint reached up and pressed his hand against the mask on his face, his throat bobbing a few times, almost vomiting.
As various transactions succeeded or failed, and the party entered its middle stage, Audrey, who had been calmly observing all along, finally spoke:
"I want the ' Spectator ' Potion recipe."
Before she could finish speaking, she immediately felt several gazes sweep over her, but they quickly looked away without lingering.
After several seconds of silence, the deal fell through.
It was a little past four in the afternoon, and the sky was getting closer to night.
"How could there be nothing at all..." Glaint, abandoning his aristocratic demeanor, leaned slumped against the wooden planks of the carriage and sighed softly.
This gathering of Beyonder left a deep impression on him, making him feel that he had taken a great risk.
Even so, he still couldn't buy the horn of an adult Horned Pegasus or the venom crystals of Crown Jellyfish.
Fors secretly pursed his lips and said:
"That's normal. Although Backlund is the easiest place to get materials, if you can't participate in every gathering of Beyonder, you might still encounter situations where you can't find the items you want for a long time. It either requires luck or patience."
" Viscount, you see, we still haven't found a clue about the ' Spectator ' Miss Audrey wants."
Sometimes, you might find the opportunity but not have the money to buy it... Hugh, sitting next to me, thought helplessly.
Audrey then offered Glaint a word of comfort:
"When I get back, I'll search my family's treasure vault; maybe you'll find what you're looking for."
She brought the pituitary gland of the Rainbow Salamander today, but didn't encounter the spinal fluid of the Farsman Rabbit, so she only exchanged it for £320 in cash—a preparation for Susie's promotion.
Glaint, about to speak, when he suddenly saw Hugh sit up abruptly, frowning slightly as he said:
"It looks like someone is following us!"
"I trust your intuition. What do we do now?" Fors asked, looking around.
Stalking us? What's there to stalk? We just sold an extraordinary item for a few hundred pounds in cash. Even if someone wanted to rob us, we shouldn't be a top target... Although Glaint acted like a rookie, we didn't... Besides, the organizer of the gathering did a lot to ensure the safety of the members and prevent anyone from being followed, unless, otherwise, he was the one who sent people to follow us! Everything was normal last time, hmm, what's the difference between the two times...? Audrey's mind raced, and suddenly an idea struck her:
Perhaps it was my attempt to purchase the " Spectator " formula that caught the attention of the Psychology Alchemists.
They can't just sell the " Spectator " formula; what will inevitably follow is recruiting members.
Recruiting people into the organization is no simple matter; one must be wary of whether the person is a potential Nighthawks, a Mandated Punishers, or a spy sent by other Concealment forces.
Without observing and investigating the target, an organization will be quickly wiped out!
After a few seconds of contemplation, Audrey addressed Fors and the others:
"Be prepared for an attack."
Pretend you haven't noticed the stalker.
"If you manage to get back to Queens Borough safely, don't worry about Glaint and me being exposed; you, however, must leave discreetly."
Her emerald eyes swept over Glaint, and she added with a slight smile:
"We are well-known occult enthusiasts, so it's normal for us to find opportunities to attend Extraordinary gatherings. Even if we're being followed by official Beyonder, they won't suspect anything because we're just ordinary people. So, at most, they might issue a warning or two through other channels."
But I'm already Sequence 8... Phew, to get in touch with the Psychology Alchemists, I have to take some risks... The official Beyonder shouldn't be targeting me just because I'm looking to buy a recipe, and they shouldn't be able to bypass the organizers and track us down. I have to trust my judgment! Audrey encouraged herself mentally.
"Alright," Viscount Glaint mumbled in agreement.
The carriage continued as usual, circling several times. Finally, as planned, Audrey and the others changed to another carriage.
Throughout this process, the pursuers did not launch an attack.
Upon reaching the back gate of Glaint 'Viscount mansion in Queens Borough, the two nobles returned using the normal method, while Fors and Hugh each relied on their own skills to leave.
A dozen minutes later, Audrey, accompanied by her golden retriever Susie and her maids, left through the main gate in her own carriage without any attempt to conceal her identity.
Listening to the sound of the wheels rolling, she couldn't be sure if there were still followers, and could only let her thoughts wander:
It was clearly impossible for the Earl Hall's daughter to be a spy for any extraordinary power...
There's absolutely nothing wrong with her past...
It's common knowledge that she's interested in the occult...
Her identity and status allow her to receive help unlike that of others...
Perhaps, in a couple of days, members of the Psychology Alchemists will try to contact me... Audrey thought with a mixture of anticipation and nervousness.
Despite claiming to be preparing, Klein spent two days idly at the Cragg Club, even playing cards with riding instructor Talym and others, winning a few Soli.
Before going to bed, he didn't forget to go outside the Lawyer Jurgen's house to check if there were any lights on and whether he needed to feed the cat.
At eight o'clock on Friday night, he put on the iron mask, donned a hooded black robe, and entered the living room of the " Eye of Wisdom " old man.