Chapter 144: The Tragedy of Feather
The search operation had begun.
Bai Yan still commuted to work as usual, walking among the ignorant crowds, like fish flowing with the tide, unaware of where the future would lead.
Whether the world would survive or perish had almost no connection with the world's largest group, namely, the ordinary people.
Occasionally, he would access the "citywide surveillance" on his phone to explore hidden places and search for Mary's figure.
The daily and weekly missions continued as usual.
Whether it was Mu Ling, Maryse, Alan, Amy, or anyone else, they were quickly mastering new powers and making themselves stronger.
However, three days had passed and Bai Yan still hadn't found any trace of the woman.
Nothing suspicious happened, everything seemed calm, except for Adelaide's facial expression in the office that seemed a bit off.
There seemed to be a hint of sadness hidden on her face.
Bai Yan sat calmly in the office, watching Holly who had just returned to work.
Holly's mother had recovered well, but she still appeared dazed and clearly knew that her parents' time was running short.
"……"
Holly remained silent, bowing her head in her seat.
At that moment, Miss Witch arrived by her side, smiling as she handed over a small strawberry cake.
"Ah, thank you very much, Miss Merete."
Holly lifted her head with a forced smile.
As for whether she should accept that proposal herself…
Merete Chambers smiled, gazing at Holly until she finished the cake bite by bite, then leaning her forehead against Holly's.
"It will be okay, bunny. If you stay unhappy for too long, it will also cause me pain."
"Can you promise me to recover your spirits quickly?"
Holly nodded gently and giggled.
At this moment, Bai Yan nearby suddenly had a strong illusion.
As if Merete Chambers was sincerely treating Holly well…
No.
No, it's just acting. Bai Yan quickly shook his head and wished he could punch himself directly.
"Hey."
Merete Chambers suddenly sat beside him, with one leg crossed over the other under her black elegant dress.
She lightly placed her hands in front of her, squinted and smiled.
"I have agreed to your demands, so when will you reward me?"
"Shall we take a walk on a spring night?"
Bai Yan's expression became serious and he said earnestly, "I am willing to sacrifice my appearance."
"That's not possible."
Merete Chambers, who was suddenly teased, didn't feel shy or surprised. She just silently smiled and said, "I have no need to have a child with you, so it's not a reward for me."
"If your reward cannot satisfy me, then I will have to report that matter…"
After a moment of silence, Bai Yan said, "As long as you are willing to help me during this period, and become my assistant… I promise you, your dream will come true within two months."
"Do you know my dream?"
Miss Witch's smile on her face grew stronger.
The black Book of Concealment had appeared beside them, flipping gently.
Bai Yan felt something that was indescribable, as if the world had frozen and everything was still.
He felt a tremendous sense of crisis!
Holly, big guy, Adelaide, and Black Vulture in the office all froze, as if even their breath had stopped.
Bai Yan sat in his original position, calm and without the slightest panic.
The pale, almost bloodless hand gently touched Bai Yan's face, bringing a gentle and cool sensation.
"What is my dream? Tell me."
Bai Yan stared into her eyes and said slowly, "You want to become a member of the Babel Tower, don't you?"
"Are you 'Profligate'?" she suddenly asked.
Bai Yan neither confirmed nor denied it, just said:
"So, do you agree to the transaction between us?"
Merete Chambers gazed into the man's eyes for a long time. Their bodies were very close, to the point where they could smell each other's scent clearly.
"Okay, I agree."
She nodded slightly, her gaze filled with mockery.
"So, how do you plan to 'use' me? Do you want to have children with me day and night? Do you want to satisfy your ugly sexual desires on this innocent and lovely young girl? "
Bai Yan looked displeased at her sarcastic remark and calmly smiled, "Help me find someone first, Mary Scatino, and let me know as soon as you find her."
She raised an eyebrow and nodded gently.
"Understood. Hmm, so you like older women."
The Book of Concealment vanished the next moment.
Everyone in the office returned to normal and no one noticed anything unusual. Holly and Adelaide weren't even aware they had been "paused".
Before leaving, Miss Witch suddenly asked with a smile,
"By the way, what name do you like for a dog? Hmm, 'Snow Narai', 'Border Collie', 'Husky', which one do you think is better?"
This woman … Bai Yan answered seriously, "I like black and white cats and dogs, they can be very cute… but they must be well-behaved, troublesome cats and dogs need to be disciplined."
Miss Witch nodded:
"I see, but there are some puppies and kittens that you won't be able to afford."
It was only after Merete Chambers left that Bai Yan shook his head lightly, a smile that he couldn't hide spreading across his lips.
He wouldn't really call it deceiving her.
He would very much like for her to become Babel Tower's Core Operator!
Indeed, it was absolutely true!
However, the situation after the realization of this dream might not be exactly as she imagined… There were many errors in her knowledge about the secrets related to the Babel Tower.
Bai Yan slowly closed his eyes. The determination of thousands of years meant that she would never give up easily.
People have always thought that the dreams they are pursuing are perfect.
Just like many cultists believed that as long as the Outer God could descend, all problems and difficulties could be solved, and they could also gain eternity and happiness…
Unfortunately, the truth was not such an easy thing.
Most of the time, people were just like moths to a flame, tempting fate.
——
The fourth day arrived.
During the day, he had received no investigation results, nor did he have any useful clues.
As it approached the end of the working day,
Adelaide walked into the office, looking complex, whilst it rained outside.
"Everyone, please come over here."
"What's wrong?" Holly asked.
"Attend the funeral."
Bai Yan, Holly, and the big guy were all stunned.
——
Public cemetery.
Hundreds of Night Watchers, all dressed in formal black suits, maintained silence and mourned for the deceased.
Director Mr. Trap, with white hair, stood in front of everyone. He originally looked weak, but in the rain, he appeared even more frail and vulnerable.
Mr. Trap seemed very peaceful, his gaze appearing empty and meaningless.
A tall man over two meters tall, wearing sunglasses, stood next to the coffin and began to speak for the deceased.
"Today, we are gathered here with heavy hearts to hold this ceremony."
"Feather, the protector of humans, elves, and all living things, Noah's precious child in this world, the faithful subject of the Air Alliance kings…"
"Your loyalty, bravery, and integrity are deeply remembered by the people."
"We will be moved by everything you have done, carrying your honesty and strength, continuing to move forward, guarding the last bit of light in the endless night."
"Now, let's collectively mourn for Feather."
Bai Yan silently gazed at the young man in the coffin.
Feather was dead.
He was the captain of Team 3 of the Demon Hunt Agency, a cold and meticulous young man, with faint scars around his eyes.
Bai Yan was not familiar with him, and they had not even spoken directly, only met occasionally in the cafeteria of the Demon Hunt Agency.
Also, he knew that he had once tried to use shadow magic to capture Maryse in a mission state.
However, for some reason, in the current atmosphere of collective silence, the death of a stranger also made him feel a hint of sadness.
Perhaps, one day, he would also pass away.
Would he be a hero or a sinner at that time?
After mourning, Adelaide calmly approached her teammates.
She slowly lit a cigarette.
After finishing smoking, Adelaide remained silent for a long time and said, "The body was found a few mornings ago…Feather was raised by Director and had no other relatives. Director personally decided to bury him today."
"Did you find the culprit? Do you know who did it?" Holly asked.
Adelaide hesitated for a moment, shook her head and said, "No…the last person who saw him was me. We separated after finishing our mission together, but less than an hour later, he…"
She seemed to feel some self-blame.
Bai Yan interrupted her and said,
"This is not your fault… At any time, good people can make mistakes, such as not protecting or saving someone… But this is by no means a problem with the good person themselves, nor do they need to be blamed… What we need to do is to find the real culprit."
"It's not you who got into trouble, I think it's lucky for at least a few of us."
There was a firm and gentle light in his eyes, which made Adelaide slightly stunned.
"The culprit this time is most likely the Blood Clan," Adelaide said slowly. "The area where we separated is very close to where the Blood Clan is active."
"And when we found his body, all the blood had been drained from him," she continued.
Bai Yan silently analyzed, "Feather is a level Awakening supernova, capable of killing the Blood Clan in a short amount of time. There are only two people of the Blood Clan in the city who can kill him."
"One is Marquis Scarlet."
After a pause, Adelaide continued, "Yes, and the other person is the Queen of the Scarlet Moon."
