CHAPTER 536: CHAPTER 263: KING OF GOLD_2

Forget it, let’s just assume she’s a mute.

In an empty house, several rotating white spheres hovered, each reflecting a blurry image.

Without the guild leader’s guidance, Cynthia walked directly beneath the sphere on the far right; the guild leader observed her actions from behind in silence—indeed, she had been to that dimension, perhaps she even originated from there.

He had heard some legends about the King of Gold, such as his hobbies.

The King of Gold was an avid collector, but the "items" he collected differed from most people’s preferences. He liked to bring local people who impressed him aboard his ship while investigating dimensions—that floating city known as the Golden Kingdom.

Even by the guild’s standards, no one knew how that massive entity, as large as a city, managed to float. Some believed it was a manifestation of the guild founder’s power and majesty.

But according to guild procedures, there were certain precautions he had to state as the person in charge of Site 003.

"Zack and Investigator Zul’gara mentioned in their last communication that they detected an unknown energy fluctuation, an unprecedented scale of energy, likely involving an unknown source of contamination..."

Before he finished speaking, Cynthia’s figure vanished into the spinning sphere.

The guild leader’s expression stiffened as he awkwardly remained in place.

Communications between the investigators and the guild were disrupted after that unprecedented energy fluctuation. Site 003 subsequently dispatched another experienced investigator, but almost immediately lost contact with her as well, implying that the energy fluctuation Zack and Zul’gara mentioned might have already compromised the dimension’s structure, rendering their previous evaluations of "human civilization," "safety," and "habitability" invalid.

Such large-scale calamities had occurred occasionally in their past investigation records.

A plague, a natural disaster, was enough to alter an entire dimension’s structure, turning a safe and habitable dimension into a barren wasteland in mere days, or even worse.

Of course, after Cynthia left, the guild leader could only mentally review the points he intended to explain to cover his awkwardness.

"Good luck."

After a long while, he finally forced out these words.

.........

For Ethan, it was another sleepless night.

In the room next door, Lindong hugged a pillow, curled up in a blanket, her eyebrows relaxed, as if experiencing a sweet dream, occasionally uttering a few unintelligible murmurs that sounded soft and kitten-like from a distance.

The desk in the study was piled high with books.

This was the advantage of being in an academy: as one of the oldest places in this world, the academy’s library was the most comprehensive, allowing you to find almost any book on mysticism.

Before starting the battle, Ethan drank two large cups of black tea, rolled up his sleeves, and took on the posture of cramming for exams from the past.

One night, one miracle.

This was the ultimate skill mastered only by those who experienced high-intensity student life.

This started with the agreement he reached with that Time Traveler, who promised to introduce him to the guild, on the condition that he could first find a way to send her back to the guild. That place was called the 003 Transit Station, a name with a very sci-fi connotation, but according to Su’s description, its structure was more like a large city in the mid-19th century, with an actual standard of living far superior to the 19th century, considering magic technology from different dimensions.

Ethan already had a clue on how to send Su back to the 003 Transit Station.

However, before the night of miracles was about to begin, the shell on the table emitted a "drrrrr" sound.

The moment the call connected, Ave’s voice came from the other end of the line.

Her voice sounded a bit tired, as if she had also been roused from sleep.

AM.

For modern people, nightlife was just beginning, but both Lindong and Ave adhered to regular routines.

"Black Wolf, do you remember?"

"Black Wolf? Which Black Wolf?"

Ethan was stunned for a while.

"A few months ago, when you were hawking the electromagnetic crossbow in Fireplace Bay, he was the first buyer."

With Ave’s reminder, he remembered such a person.

Black Wolf gritted his teeth and spent a fortune on the electromagnetic crossbow for a simple reason: he took on a seemingly impossible commission, targeting the church’s High Priest in Dark Furnace City, along with the nobles who launched the "Amnesty Tax" with the church there. The subsequent events made headlines in the Horned Owl Beast Daily.

On the day the rebels were publicly executed, an arrow pierced the High Priest’s shield and sent him to meet the Goddess of Life under everyone’s gaze.

It was from that day that the title of the legendary assassin Black Wolf spread everywhere.

With the downfall of the Julius-led church forces, Black Wolf’s actions were highly praised, with many believing he fired the first arrow to shatter the decaying forces.

But in fact, Ethan had never directly dealt with Black Wolf, "I remember now; what about him?"

"Black Wolf is a believer of the Hunting Goddess, and ever since that event, he’s become...um, somewhat peculiar."

"Did he get into trouble?"

Ethan felt a little tense.

Could it be that Black Wolf shot another Empire official?

"No, he suddenly ran to the cabinet tonight, insisting on delivering a message to us."

Ave hesitated, describing how the cabinet members found Black Wolf peculiar, thinking he might be deranged. The message he conveyed matched that label.

"He said he observed that Cynthia had been resurrected."

Considering even the slightest possibility, the cabinet notified Ave overnight. The staff who received Black Wolf patiently inquired about the details, as he claimed to have received an unprecedented premonition late at night while researching faith, prompting him to perform an ancient divination ritual, resulting in a response from the Hunting Goddess.

"What kind of response?"

"He couldn’t quite explain it, only that he vaguely sensed Her presence."

Having heard the cabinet member’s report, Ave promptly called Ethan.

Because in Black Wolf’s own words, it was not a good omen.

The signals he interpreted through divination portended destruction.

"He wanted to warn the Empire that something bad might be about to happen...what’s going on over there? Are you alright?"

The sound of shattering glass suddenly made Ave alert, causing her to unconsciously raise her voice and ask urgently.

In the silent night, the sound of breaking glass was indeed quite jarring.

"...No big deal."

About ten seconds later, Ethan replied.

Ethan still sat at the desk, holding the phone, maintaining his previous posture.

The arrow, which came audibly tearing through the air, was suspended in front of him, cast in gold, radiating a golden glow.

The shaft was grasped in a hand surrounded by blue arcs of electricity, with gold and blue intertwined as the golden arrowhead trembled slightly, looking like it was straining to break free of the hand’s grip.

In the next moment, the sound of thunder drowned out the arrow’s vibration.

The broken arrow fell onto the table in two parts, with a fine thread tied to the feather end holding its owner’s warning.

"Stop the investigation or die."

Simple and blunt, it can be imagined that it was from a person of swift action.

"This doesn’t bode well."

The senior with slicked-back hair glanced down at the broken arrow on the table, leaving a noticeable red mark where his hand had gripped the shaft before, "Underclassman, you’ve been targeted by a troublesome punk."

"Ethan!"

Ave, left hanging on the other end, could not bear it any longer, intensifying her tone, "What exactly is going on over there?"

"Don’t worry."

Ethan calmly explained, "Just a punk shooting an arrow at me through the window."