Night fell on Igwynt. On the Southern Sunflower Street, the moon hung high, and the late-night breeze whistled softly.
The chilly wind rustled the lush roadside trees, their leaves swishing in the silence of the deep night. Most windows along the street were dark, with only a few faint lights still visible.
In an apartment building with red brick exterior walls, one window remained open. Gregor leaned against his room’s windowsill, smoking a rolled cigarette as he gazed toward the distant park. The ash fell into the flowerbed below, and the smoke he exhaled was swiftly carried away by the wind.
After suppressing his craving all day, Gregor was indulging in the pleasure of tobacco. Meanwhile, a pair of eyes fixed on him from a nearby wall betrayed a hint of impatience.
‘You’re really going to smoke this much? How many cigarettes is that already? Are you trying to kill yourself?’
In her own room, Dorothy sat at her desk, using the vision of a gecko corpse marionette to observe Gregor chain-smoking by the window. Ever since she had begun her surveillance, he hadn’t stopped smoking. One cigarette after another—Dorothy found herself both astonished and uneasy.
"Looks like I’ll have to find an opportunity to subtly educate him on the dangers of smoking..."
Dorothy thought to herself. Finally, Gregor finished his last cigarette and silently returned to his room.
Seizing the moment, Dorothy quickly directed the gecko corpse marionette to crawl to the edge of his window and observe the room’s interior from above. Ever since witnessing Gregor’s sharp perception in the Vulcan Forest, Dorothy hadn’t dared to let the marionette enter his room directly.
Inside, Gregor sat at his desk. He lit the gas lamp, unlocked a drawer with a key, and took out a small package. From it, he retrieved a stack of reports densely filled with text.Facing the heap of words on the paper, Gregor furrowed his brow and scratched his head. After a deep breath, he began reading, occasionally jotting something down with his pen.
Gregor’s expression was tinged with irritation, but outside the window, the gecko’s eyes glimmered. Through its vision, Dorothy could clearly see the contents of some of the documents on Gregor’s desk.
The reports included details about the Corpse Marionette Ring. Unlike the "undead spirits" Dorothy had encountered in games, the resurrected bodies animated by the ring were a type of "living corpse." The principle involved using the spirituality of the "Chalice" to reanimate recently deceased flesh, enabling the corpse to act almost as it had in life.
If the corpse marionette process was performed promptly, many bodily functions could remain operational. Dorothy had even experimented with controlling a corpse marionette to speak, as the tongue and vocal cords remained intact.
In essence, these corpses fed on the spirituality of the "Chalice," acting as a kind of zombie rather than traditional undead. This matched the nature of the "Chalice" perfectly.
Thanks to these properties, Dorothy could utilize the advanced senses of animals, such as the exceptional night vision of the gecko.
A gecko’s vision was remarkably acute, especially in the dark. It could dilate its pupils fourfold, greatly enhancing its sight. This allowed Dorothy to clearly read every word on Gregor’s desk from a distance.
Through this, Dorothy eagerly spied on classified documents from the Serenity Bureau.
"A report on... the Crimson Eucharist member, ’The Thirster’ Albert. So the contact person in Vulcan was named Albert? According to this report, the Bureau raided his residence and found only a few human bones but no significant evidence. They suspect key clues were destroyed. This isn’t the first time this has happened... Could this be a leak?"
As Dorothy continued reading, she grew increasingly concerned about the Crimson Eucharist’s apparent ability to predict the Bureau’s actions.
While pondering, she kept observing Gregor’s documents. Dorothy’s reading speed was far faster than Gregor’s, who frequently paused to consult a dictionary. This inefficiency irritated Dorothy.
‘You’re a civil servant, yet you work like this? No wonder the Bureau is so desperate for talent to hire someone like you...’
Despite her grumbling, Dorothy could only follow Gregor’s slow pace, waiting for him to turn the pages.
"Notice of Captain’s Meeting Cancellation... Squad Five can’t return due to their mission? Igwynt has this many hunter squads? Five squads already? And why would Gregor have a notice about the captain’s meeting being canceled... Could he be...?"
As Gregor flipped through the documents, Dorothy caught glimpses of scattered notes, further fueling her suspicions. She found it hard to believe that Gregor held any significant position.
Gregor continued sorting through the reports while Dorothy randomly pieced together fragmented bits of information. The incomplete details made it difficult to form a coherent picture.
Just as Dorothy’s mind began to feel cluttered by the scattered intel, Gregor’s pen suddenly fell to the floor and rolled under the desk. Seizing the moment while he bent down to pick it up, Dorothy caught a glimpse of a relatively complete report.
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Regarding Grayhill Hosting Another Secret Gathering
Although he were advised not to hold gatherings recently, Grayhill remains as stubborn as ever and ignored the warnings. He threatened to cut off our supply of suppressive bullets unless we relented. Mr. James had no choice but to agree, although he requested a smaller gathering.
As usual, Grayhill does not allow us to attend his meetings. Squad Four will remain on standby nearby to handle any emergencies, with Squad Three providing support.
This gathering involves the trade of mystic items and materials. Grayhill promised to record all transactions and provide us with details afterward, giving us the right to confiscate any dangerous items.
The Crimson Eucharist will also attend the gathering due to the materials being traded, though their identities remain uncertain.
The gathering is scheduled for 3:00 PM on April 16 at 27 Darkwater Alley in the lower city. Assigned teams should remain ready.
_______________
"Mystic items and materials trade?"
Dorothy’s eyes lit up as she read the document. She stroked her chin, beginning to plot.
If she wanted to accumulate spirituality, she needed either material rich in spirituality or direct absorption of mystical knowledge.
This gathering seemed like the perfect opportunity!