Chương 329: Spirit Communication and News Circulation

Inside the grand, ancient palace, one stone pillar after another supported the high, vaulted ceiling.

Sitting at the head of the bronze table, Klein conjured the necessary ritual items, swiftly setting up a simple altar and beginning the Spirit Communication.

Thanks to the "Elder Ceremony" he had just completed, he successfully "descended" on the scene of the battle between "Iron Man" and the "Green Giant" and brought back the "Giant's" remaining spirit.

"That really was my rental property… I doubt the landlord will refund my rent…"

With a sigh, Klein began chanting the words for the Spirit Communication:

"Show me Lanevus's whereabouts."

…

After seven repetitions, he leaned back in his chair, employing the "Dream Divination" technique to proceed with the Spirit Communication.

In the misty, unreal realm of his vision, a gas lamp suddenly flickered on, illuminating a distant dock and a plain two-story building.

The scene then shifted to an office within the building but stopped there, going no further.

"The interference is due to the True Creator… Even with the residual spirit of someone involved, I can't directly 'see'…"

Klein frowned, suspecting Lanevus was highly likely in that two-story building. And, just as Mr. Tower had theorized, Lanevus indeed possessed an "object" granted by the True Creator.

Although that "Iron Man's" actions today might have alerted Lanevus and should compel him to relocate, if Mr. Tower's deductions were correct, then that "con artist" was clearly planning something larger and likely wouldn't abandon his schemes so easily.

Hmm, tomorrow… tomorrow I'll go to that building myself to confirm whether Lanevus is still there. If he hasn't moved, I'll have Miss Justice and Miss Judgment report it to the church.

Of course, I can't do this rashly. I'll need to prepare, for example, by sending the "All-Black Eye" up to the gray fog and not carrying it on me, to avoid the risk of resonating with the True Creator's spiritual corruption and divinity. I should also come up with a suitable, non-suspicious pretext—perhaps I'll disguise myself as a reporter conducting an interview and borrow Mike Joseph's fake press credentials…

With his mind made up, Klein's lips curved into a slight smile as he used his spiritual senses to brush Miss Judgment's crimson star, transmitting the vision of the dock and building to her and asking her to identify the precise location.

Surprisingly, Miss Judgment replied almost instantly, informing him that the two-story building was indeed the East Balam Dock's Union Hall.

…

Near the ruins of a house on Black Palm Street in the East Borough, Lady Daly examined the Giant's corpse while communicating with the surrounding wandering spirits.

Moments later, she lifted her head to look at Xio, confirming, "Did you perform Spirit Communication on him?"

Xio was momentarily confused but quickly connected the dots. The Elder Ceremony's effect might have been that the Fool carried away the Giant's spirit. After a moment's consideration, she nodded. "Yes, I did."

"Could you share the results of the Spirit Communication with me?" Daly's eyes gleamed, and she flashed a feigned smile.

Xio shook her head firmly and declined, saying, "I must report it to Her Highness Vera first. If the Nighthawks require anything, they can request the shared information through MI9."

Mostly because I also have no idea what the results of the Spirit Communication were… Xio thought to herself.

"I see…" Daly accepted Xio's response without pressing further and changed the subject. "This 'Giant' was a 'Rose Bishop,' and his blood magic was evidently disrupted by a toxin in his body. Do you think that's one of Iron Man's own abilities?"

"Probably not. Both the 'Light Storm' and the final blow infused with Disciplinary Paladin abilities, along with the targeted toxin—I believe these abilities came from the armor itself. As for the individual within it, I'd guess he's likely a 'Nightmare' or a 'Soul Assurer'… but this is just my personal speculation and may not be accurate."

Xio hesitated for a moment before sharing her thoughts. She had witnessed the entire battle from start to finish, noticing how the Iron Man forced the Giant into a "dream" with that final strike. More importantly, the Giant had actually died within that dream.

"A Nightmare…" Daly paused at the term, her gaze unfocused as if lost in thought, and after several seconds, she smiled at Xio, saying, "Thank you very much for the information, Miss Derecha."

She briefly considered teasing Xio about Ebner but thought better of it, given that they weren't close enough yet and the current situation wasn't suited for humor.

When the Nighthawks finished investigating and called in the police for cleanup, Xio finally felt a sense of relief, grateful that she was now an official member of MI9; otherwise, she might have been dragged back to the Church of the Evernight for questioning.

At that moment, the Fool transmitted several images and requested that she identify the locations shown.

Being deeply familiar with both the East Borough and the docks, Xio immediately recognized the buildings in the images. She prayed to the Fool with the address.

After completing the task, she paused to consider. Perhaps it was time to update Miss Justice on the investigation's progress; otherwise, she might seem evasive if the Fool brought up the matter at the next Tarot Meeting.

…

Meanwhile, Audrey—accompanied by Fors—sneezed as they left a Beyonder gathering held in an almost abandoned medical college building.

Fors, wearing a surgical mask and cap, looked at her with concern. "Are you catching a cold? Should we head back?"

Audrey, similarly disguised, thought for a moment and replied, "No, I don't think so… though we should be going soon."

The two agreed to leave and, after taking a roundabout path, returned to the carriage that had brought them.

Fors, having removed her mask, thought back to the gathering and asked, "Miss Audrey, why didn't you inquire about the Spectator formula? You could use that to establish contact with the Psychology Alchemists."

She recalled that the typically generous Miss Audrey had remained rather quiet throughout the meeting, only selling a few materials containing spiritual power and buying some in return.

Audrey replied with a gentle smile, "This was my first meeting in this circle, so I felt it was better to observe and wait."

"I certainly desire a potion formula and would love to find a mystical item, but I keep reminding myself there's no rush. Familiarizing myself first is the better strategy."

Though she was eager to repay Mr. Tower's debt, and although she hoped to purchase the Demigod dragon bones from the Psychology Alchemists, rushing in wouldn't fit a Spectator's standards. Besides, neither Mr. Tower, Mr. Hanged Man, nor Mr. World had shown any interest in the materials available… Audrey silently added to herself.

Fors observed the young lady, still shy of eighteen, and couldn't help but offer genuine praise. "You really are mature beyond your years."

Audrey sighed to herself, Though I may not love that phrase, I'll take it as a compliment. She then asked, "Any news from Xio?"

Fors was just about to explain the difficulties of Xio's "work" when their carriage arrived at the back door of Viscount Glaint's estate. Glaint, who had been waiting for them, swung open the carriage door before it even came to a complete stop, looking elated as he addressed the ladies.

"Miss Audrey, Miss Fors, something big has happened in the East Borough!"

"Glaint, where are your manners?" Audrey chided him, though she was curious. "What happened? Could it be another major move by the Fool's Blessed?"

Realizing his rudeness, Glaint made an apologetic bow but remained excited. "You would never guess! Something absolutely extraordinary occurred!"

"Well, what exactly?" Audrey, slightly annoyed at his teasing, asked as she stepped out of the carriage.

"In the East Borough, there was an earth-shaking showdown between 'Iron Man' and the 'Green Giant'!" Glaint announced in a dramatic tone.

"What?" Audrey stared at him in disbelief, thinking it was a joke.

Knowing she might not believe him, Glaint handed her a newspaper.

It was a freshly printed "special edition," featuring a grainy image along with a bold headline:

"Iron Man and the Green Giant Exist? Why Do Roselle's Characters Appear in Reality?

"Is the Military Conducting Human Experiments Inspired by Novels?"

…

Within the sixth-level scene of the "Dream Labyrinth Tower," Ebner looked at the charming Viscount Caron before him. Simulating a "Whirlwind," he scattered the fragrance trying to reach him.

He couldn't help but think, Is this the real test to join the group?