Chapter 102

“Great! Honorable! All-knowing Mother Goddess!”

The heavy breathing echoed throughout the underground sanctuary.

About four meters away from Xia’er, on the ground, “The Fated One” Lucy supported herself, slowly sitting up, breathing heavily nearby, like an injured beast.

Xia’er could sense the complex and turbulent negative emotions in Lucy’s mind, which indirectly affected Xia’er, causing her to step back two steps, trying to distance herself from the influence Lucy had on her.

Click—

During the retreat, Xia’er accidentally stepped on a small pebble with her boot.

This slight noise immediately caught Lucy’s attention, who suddenly turned her head towards Xia’er’s direction.

At this moment, the scars on Lucy’s face were pulsating, with countless indescribable foreign objects continuously drilling into her cheeks through the gaps. Her right eye, yellow-green in color, had three purple pupils trembling as she stared directly at Xia’er.

A sense of crisis surged in Xia’er’s heart, accompanied by a faint spiritual alert buzzing in her mind. Instantly, four dark shadows emerged from the shadows beneath her, blocking Xia’er’s path.

“Huh… Huh…”

Lucy forced her head up, her chest heaving violently, but her breaths gradually weakened.

The indescribable objects on her face continued to accelerate inward, until two minutes later, Lucy, drenched in sweat, took a deep breath and lowered her head again.

Lucy’s body swayed slightly before she reached out and supported herself on the floor, slowly rising and turning towards Xia’er’s direction.

Her face now only had deep, bottomless cracks and a right eye with three pupils remaining. Her left eye was completely red, with the central black pupil no longer moving, seemingly completely useless.

“Thank you…”

Lucy looked in Xia’er’s direction and thanked her, but her voice was extremely hoarse.

She walked step by step towards Xia’er, who cautiously made way. From the direction Lucy was heading, it seemed she was going towards the sealed object.

Xia’er did not interrupt Lucy’s actions. She needed to understand the effects and side effects of the coin. If necessary, she could kill Lucy when she was extremely weak and take the coin before the simulation ended. The system would provide the answer.

Under Xia’er’s watchful gaze, Lucy staggered to the coin and, upon seeing its orientation, finally lost control over her body, kneeling in front of the coin and bitterly laughing.

After laughing until she lost strength, Lucy leaned against a large rock beside her, picked up the coin, and looked at Xia’er, weakly asking, “Judge… Sir, do you have anything else you wish to ask?”

“I want to know the source of your misfortune.”

Xia’er spoke directly.

“You are ‘The Fated One,’ so these misfortunes happening to you are unusual.”

“Indeed unusual…”

Lucy tilted her head back, resting it on the large rock, and said, “But I don’t know the exact source of the misfortune.”

After a moment of silence, Lucy continued, “I am accustomed to using various methods to predict my fortune before doing anything, and then acting according to the results of the prediction.”

“More than a month ago, I received a task to investigate Borough City. Before starting the task, I did a divination, and the result was… extreme danger and a small chance of great gain.”

High risk, high reward… Even after becoming ‘The Fated One,’ one still maintains the mindset of a gambler? Or is this unique to Lucy?

“But after coming here, I sensed something was off…”

Lucy closed her right eye, calmed her dizziness, and reopened it, saying, “It seems everything I do here fails, even more absurd than when I drank the potion of the ‘Messenger of Doom’.”

“But gradually, through predicting my fortune, I discovered a pattern…”

A pattern?

Xia’er raised her spirits slightly.

Just now, Xia’er also deduced part of her own misfortune, with much of it originating from “contacting the extraordinary.”

“This pattern is ‘the mission.’

“My mission here is to investigate the cult case in Derton Manor…”

“But if I deviate from the investigation or the mission objective, misfortune will come as expected, even leaving Derton Manor is not allowed.”

So… Is this why Lucy has been repeatedly investigating in Derton Manor?

This pattern… or this rule that she cannot leave Derton Manor, who established it? What kind of existence would set such a rule for a third-tier ‘Fated One’?

“Can this rule explain the source of all your misfortunes?”

Xia’er asked, continuing to inquire.

Hearing Xia’er’s question, Lucy lifted her head in surprise, looking at Xia’er and murmuring, “How… How did you know that my ‘misfortune rules’ are not just one?”

Even if a ‘Missionary’ or ‘Radiant Bishop’ were present, they wouldn’t be able to deduce that there are multiple ‘misfortune rules’ just from these fragments and her emotions. Because everything she said was true.

Lucy supported herself with her hands, sitting up straighter, looking slightly more formal.

She looked at Xia’er and said, “Judge Sir, allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Lucy Hilufa, a third-tier ‘Fated One’ and a senior external specialist of the Derton Group. May I know your name?”

Why do third-tier extraordinary beings always add such long introductions when introducing themselves?

“Xia’er.”

Xia’er spoke, but then she suddenly realized something and closed her mouth.

In this simulation, she had already revealed her name to two third-tier or higher extraordinary beings.

This means she has had substantial contact with two third-tier extraordinary beings, and they even know her.

This definitely counts as “contacting the extraordinary.”

Would the ‘misfortune rules’ she simulated be archived by her ‘judge’ and inherited?

The rule “not to contact the extraordinary” was something Xia’er had recently deduced, which could cause misfortune. But before deducing this, Xia’er had already contacted two third-tier extraordinary beings.

If the ‘misfortune rules’ in the simulation are inherited by Xia’er’s ‘judge’, does this mean there might be greater misfortune brewing at this very moment…

“Xia’er…”

Unaware of anything, Lucy nodded slowly and said, “Good name… Can I call you Miss Xia’er?”

“Lucy…”

Xia’er interrupted Lucy, looking at her and saying, “Your ‘misfortune rules’ seem to affect me too.”

Lucy: “??”

Lucy’s mind was momentarily blank; she looked at Xia’er in confusion for a while before understanding.

No wonder… Xia’er could immediately tell that there were multiple ‘misfortune rules.’

Not only herself was affected by the ‘misfortune rules’?

“Miss Xia’er, what are your ‘misfortune rules’?”

Lucy asked cautiously.

“Cannot contact the extraordinary,”

Xia’er calmly stated, “Contacting third-tier or higher extraordinary beings will lead to life-threatening misfortune.”

Lucy: “…”

Lucy carefully recalled.

She was a third tier. There were about ten to twenty extraordinary beings in Derton Manor. Professor Ashford, who came earlier, was also third tier…

Lucy’s originally relaxed mood immediately tensed up.

She leaned back slightly, but behind her was already a stone wall with no room to retreat. Looking at Xia’er in front of her, she trembled and said, “Miss Xia’er… Can we talk another time?”

“Why don’t you go back first, and I’ll definitely visit you another day… I’ll send the thank-you gift to your door…”

Lucy seemed to think of something. She pointed to the coin lying nearby and said, “If you don’t mind, I can lend you that ‘Strong Fortune Coin.’

“Its effect is that when thrown onto the angel side, it will convert some misfortune into good fortune. If thrown onto the reverse side, it will double your misfortune… The side effect is that it can only be tossed twice a day, and must be tossed twice daily, even if not rolled, it will automatically toss twice at the end of each day, with the result taking effect the next day, even if it’s not on you.”

“If you encounter a situation that you can’t solve, you can try tossing this… Don’t come over, ah ah ah!!!”

Xia’er had just taken a step towards the coin, and Lucy shrank back as if she saw something from the Other Realm, showing no trace of being a third-tier ‘Fated One.’

The ‘Strong Fortune Coin’… Was this name coined by Lucy? This coin’s effect didn’t seem particularly lucky.

A black shadow’s finger emerged from the coin’s shadow, gripping the coin and pulling it into the shadow.

The next moment, the shadow stretched out from behind Xia’er, holding the coin and handing it to Xia’er.

Holding the warm, heartbeat-like coin in her hand, Xia’er looked at Lucy and said, “If there’s a chance, I’ll come find you to learn more. Thank you for your sealed object.”

With that, Xia’er turned and left.

If what Lucy said was true, then the simulated self could only stay for 24 hours and could avoid using this coin.

If real misfortune were to suddenly strike, with this coin, Xia’er would have another means to counteract the misfortune.

As for why Lucy lent the coin to Xia’er so easily, she could guess some reasons…

Besides fearing that her misfortune might affect her, it could also be that in Lucy’s view, Xia’er wouldn’t survive the day, and Lucy might recover the coin after Xia’er’s death.

Xia’er put the coin back in her pocket, looked back at Lucy behind her, and headed straight for the secret passage, leaving Derton Manor.

Not only she was troubled by the ‘misfortune rules,’ but ‘Fated One’ Lucy was also bound by some ‘misfortune rules,’ forcing her to stay within Derton Manor.

Now, Xia’er most wanted to know was when the ‘misfortune rules’ locked onto her.

What exactly were the specific contents of these rules? If she understood all the rules and acted strictly according to them, what would happen?

Aside from her and Lucy, who else encountered this ‘misfortune rule’? And if they did, were they still alive?

Xia’er must find answers to these questions, especially the first one: when the rules locked onto her.

If she hadn’t been locked in reality, Xia’er could find ways to avoid being locked and address the root of the problem.

Deep into the night, walking down the path descending from Creek Mountain, Xia’er walked cautiously, observing any possible misfortune around her and pondering the contents of her own rules.

Lucy’s ‘misfortune rules’ required her to continue the mission even after it was completed, staying in Derton Manor to investigate, and currently, she seemed to know only this rule.

One of Xia’er’s rules was likely ‘cannot contact the extraordinary,’ and another was probably not allowing her to leave Borough City by a certain distance.

Might coming to Creek Mountain already be a violation of the rules?

Misfortune didn’t come immediately. If she was still bound by the rules, the next misfortune might be more intense than she imagined… Xia’er had to prepare thoroughly.

There was still plenty of time left in the simulation, and she didn’t want to die prematurely before knowing the truth.

Moreover, she had to return to Borough City. Xia’er wasn’t sure if misfortune would continue to accumulate if she stayed outside Borough City.

Xia’er quickly headed towards Borough City.

…

In Borough City, at 15 Jazz Bridge District, Aivana’s residence.

At this moment, Aivana was tossing and turning in bed on the third floor, unable to sleep.

It was nearing midnight, and usually, Aivana would have fallen asleep by ten or eleven o’clock. But today, she seemed troubled, tossing and turning in bed.

Perhaps it was because she thought about how she might never see Xia’er again in Borough City and could only communicate through letters, which could be the reason for her distress.

But sending Xia’er to An Su was the last resort.

Sending Aivana back to An Su… she wasn’t ready to face the family yet.

Today, Aivana’s chest felt heavy, and this situation might continue until she received Xia’er’s letter of safety.

“Sigh…”

Aivana sighed, got out of bed, put on soft slippers, and walked toward the desk.

She thought to herself, “Since I can’t sleep anyway, I might as well write some letters to some people I know in An Su and ask them to take good care of Xia’er.”

After a moment of contemplation, she quickly thought of several names and picked up her pen, beginning to write on the letter paper.

“Click—”

In the room, the door to the maids’ quarters opened, and Crown Guard Nia walked out directly towards the exit.

This action made Aivana stop writing. She turned her head and looked in Nia’s direction, curiously asking, “What’s going on?”

“There is an Extraordinary Person approaching, Miss,” Nia replied, opening the door and stepping out.

“Hmm.”

Hearing it was about an Extraordinary Person, Aivana lost interest. It couldn’t be Xia’er anyway.

Now, she found herself reminiscing about Xia’er from a month ago, when he often came to her with big news.

But who could it be, coming to see her so late?

Adelle? No, she should already be asleep. Even the biggest matters would have to wait until tomorrow.

All those who were supposed to visit had already done so…

For some reason, Aivana felt a faint sense of unease in her heart. This premonition made her mood even more agitated, and she couldn’t bring herself to continue writing.

Adelle had already advanced to Tier Two using an antidote and her natural talent, but Aivana was still stuck at Tier One “Listener” and hadn’t completed the “Psychologist” replication ritual.

Previously, she didn’t have much obsession with advancing, but now she worried about falling behind her friends and returning to her solitary state.

Click—

The door opened again, and Aivana refocused, continuing to write on the letter paper, asking, “Who is it?”

“It’s… someone from the Police Station’s Investigation Department, Miss.”

The sound of metal buzzing came from within the armor, but Nia’s tone showed obvious hesitation.

Aivana noticed this and stopped writing, straightening her nightgown before standing up to look at Nia, saying, “Is it a case involving an Extraordinary Person? Can’t they handle it themselves?”

Recently, Borough City had attracted many different organizations and a batch of Extraordinary Persons seeking opportunities, leading to frequent Extraordinary incidents, making the city more chaotic than ever.

So, Aivana naturally assumed another Extraordinary event required her assistance.

Without the intention to sleep, she decided to investigate a case, hoping it might help her feel sleepy.

When Aivana was almost at the dressing room, she hadn’t received a reply from Nia, so she turned back, puzzled, and saw Nia standing there watching her.

“Not exactly… Miss…”

Nia’s voice came through the gaps in her armor, “It’s… the Bernard Southeast Railway Company… a steam train numbered 3472… exploded and derailed on its way to Augus.”

“Currently, there are 34 missing and 291 dead. The police forces from Borough City and surrounding areas are still being dispatched to the railway direction…”

“The ‘detective’ is here to report this matter to you…”

Upon hearing Nia’s words, Aivana felt dizzy. She blinked and took a deep breath, then said, “3472… Is that…”

“Yes, it’s the one Miss Xia’er and her sister were on.”

Nia nodded slowly.

Aivana suppressed her expression, subconsciously raising her left hand to cover her mouth, but her fingers touched her chin instead, as if to think, but then raised again to adjust her glasses, only to find she wasn’t wearing them.

Finally, she used her right hand to support her left elbow, her left fist resting on her upper lip. After a moment, she lifted her head and looked at Nia, asking, “Have they found Xia’er?”

Aivana tried to remain composed, but anyone could hear the trembling in her voice.

It was she who suggested Xia’er leave Borough City for An Su…

For a moment, Aivana felt as though a black fog had clouded her vision. Even with Nia standing in front of her, she seemed to see nothing. She wasn’t sure what Nia had said or if she had spoken at all.

“We need to go to the railway.”

Aivana looked up, about to step out of the room, but Nia pressed her shoulder down.

“Change your clothes first, Miss.”

Nia practically pushed Aivana into the dressing room.

At this moment, Nia felt a heavy heart.

Although she didn’t interact much with Xia’er, she could tell Xia’er was a good person who treated friends generously. Knowing he carried a mysterious doom, Xia’er reduced his interactions with friends to avoid harming them.

But now, Xia’er’s doom was intensifying, and some disasters had reached a point where Nia couldn’t guarantee Aivana’s safety.

For instance, the explosion and derailment of the train… If Nia and Aivana were on the train, Nia might be fine, but she couldn’t guarantee protecting Aivana during the explosion.

Xia’er was now very dangerous.

Even if she survived the explosion, the danger would still exist, affecting Aivana greatly.

If Aivana knew about this, she would surely rush to find Xia’er without hesitation, but Nia decided to reveal the truth. Sometimes, hiding the truth could cause greater harm and break trust.

Now, Nia had to face this situation with full alertness.

Different from Aivana, Xia’er inside Borough City had already found the target of his mission.

…

Borough City, Gemstone District, Cat’s Eye Street 132.

A red-haired girl stopped in front of the building, knocking on the door.

After knocking, Xia’er stepped back two steps, waiting for a response, her thoughts scattering.

If her speculation about the “doom rule” was correct, she had met two Tier Three individuals today and spent some time in Creek Mountain outside the city.

In this situation, if doom still targeted her, she was almost certain to die, with the only survival method being her “Strong Fortune Coin.”

If doom was still locked onto her, she had to throw the coin; if the lock disappeared due to a save file, she had to continue investigating.

Regardless, she was already carrying enough doom conditions. Whether she died or threw the coin, she might as well investigate a few more people before the doom arrived.

The next target Xia’er chose was the Grand Bishop of the Arrival Sect, Tara, who was hiding in the Gemstone District.

Tara was knowledgeable and might know something, but the Xia’er in the simulation avoided excessive contact to prevent being discovered and disrupting the process.

Moreover, Tara was part of the Arrival Sect. Even if doom struck, affecting the Grand Bishop of the Arrival Sect, Tara, Xia’er wouldn’t feel guilty.

It was like eliminating an evil force.

After waiting a short while at the door, Xia’er heard footsteps inside.

But as the footsteps approached the door, they suddenly stopped.

Then, a white figure suddenly darted out from the gap in the door, directly towards Xia’er.

From below, a black shadow leaped up, holding a burning axe, aiming to strike the white figure, which caught the axe by the handle with bare hands.

“Heretic scum… You’ve searched me out!”

The door was pushed open, revealing a petite girl with emerald-green waist-length curly hair, baring her teeth and growling at the unexpected guest, muttering curses under her breath.

“Die…”

As she raised her finger toward Xia’er, three white shadows rushed forward from behind. With the help of the moonlight, the emerald-haired girl recognized the visitor.

Though wearing the cursed judge’s cloak, the white shadow in front of Xia’er flickered, and the next second, the emerald-haired girl solidified in front of Xia’er, kneeling down and hugging Xia’er’s leg.

“Moth…”

The girl tried to shout, but her mouth was quickly covered by a black shadow. Xia’er lifted her hand, grabbing the girl’s nightgown collar, dragging her into the house, and closing the wooden door behind her.

Xia’er carried the girl into the living room and lowered her head, saying, “Quiet.”

Only after seeing the girl nod did Xia’er control the black shadow to pull her hand out of the girl’s mouth.

The Grand Bishop Tara of the Arrival Sect, higher in rank than Bishop Prager, acted extremely eccentric, completely unaware of how to hide herself.

She seemed to have always conducted research in the secret temple of the Arrival Sect, rarely considering any covert actions.

Xia’er had learned that this seemingly young Grand Bishop Tara was actually 36 years old, kept youthful possibly due to some encounter or supernatural illness.

At this moment, Tara knelt on the floor, looking up at Xiaer’s face and the black shadow behind her, tears streaming down her face after a while.

“Mother Goddess… Are you trying to regain your power? That’s why you haven’t visited me lately. Mother Goddess, I am willing to offer everything…”

Tara wept, kneeling before Xia’er and muttering incomprehensible prayers.

No wonder the Xia’er in the simulation couldn’t communicate or interact with Tara, who was a complete, extreme, and fanatical cultist.

If not for the sealed divine servant behind Amy, Tara might have killed Xia’er and forcibly taken Amy back to the secret temple of the Arrival Sect.

“Shut up.”

Tara’s rambling annoyed Xia’er, who interrupted her immediately, asking, “I need to ask you some questions. Just answer my questions without saying anything else.”

“Yes, great, revered, all-knowing Mother Goddess.”

Tara knelt on the wooden floor, straightening her slender waist and looking up at Xia’er with devotion.

Xia’er was about to ask directly, but after hearing Tara’s last phrase, “all-knowing Mother Goddess,” Xia’er closed her mouth.

Even if Tara was as fervent and devout as she claimed, Xia’er couldn’t let her suspect anything.

Xia’er changed her approach to questioning.

“You said you became a Grand Bishop with the knowledge of a Missionary, correct?”

Xia’er looked at Tara and asked.

“Yes, revered Mother Goddess.”

Tara lowered her eyes, saying, “But compared to your vast knowledge, mine is just a grain of sand in the sea… Thank you, Mother Goddess, for speaking in a language even your humble servant can understand… Gratitude…”

“Let’s test you.”

Xia’er quickly thought, then said, “In this solar system, if someone violates the ‘rules’ and receives the punishment of doom, what might have happened to them?”

“They must have violated the teachings of the Arrival Sect and defied the divine grace of the Mother Goddess! They will suffer your wrath! Mother Goddess, doom will accompany them for life!”

Tara said firmly.

Xia’er: “…”

Could they still communicate?

“Do you know what’s happening in this city?”

Xia’er decided to take a roundabout approach.

“Yes, Mother Goddess,”

Tara slowly began, “In Derton Manor, they gloriously sacrificed themselves, summoning a divine servant to awaken part of your memory… Unfortunately, the factions there are chaotic, and we couldn’t hold a funeral or eulogy for our brothers and sisters…”

“Derton Group, do you know the ‘Fate Bringer’ called Lucy Hilufa?”

Xia’er continued asking.

“Of course, Mother Goddess. She is our focal point, but we haven’t had the chance to spread our faith to her.”

Tara looked up at Xia’er and continued,

“But recently, she seems to be in trouble. We might use this opportunity to help her embrace faith and abandon fate and destiny.”

It seemed Tara really knew something.

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