Chapter 024 The Shadow of the Mother Goddess
In the fireplace, the firewood made a soft crackling sound.
The air was silent at this moment. Harry had a smile on his face, but his eyes were flickering with difficult-to-understand emotions.
Rong Le didn't care what he thought and paid attention to the changes in the character background in the system panel.
As Rong Le continued to narrate, many more details of intelligence were added to the column of past experiences for him to review.
He simply supplemented the case with a few words from the emails saved in his mobile phone, and it became a real past event and the past of his character card.
Rong Le even felt that this character was gradually becoming fuller and becoming more like himself.
This memory may come from the subconscious, and the actions in those memories are also his reactions.
This sense of immersion even made Rong Le feel that she was the detective, rather than an ordinary actor.
The information about the case reappeared in Rong Le's mind.
File Number: SRF-B-0089
File Name: Asian Peninsula Iraq Terrorist Case
Crime scene: Ueno district, Ijo Center Avenue
Case Date: June 16, 2014
He had never expected that he would be a former faculty member, and that Miskatonic University was the world's institution of higher learning for the fight against the mysterious side.
However, this also explains why he seems to be an ordinary private detective, but has such a high point in mysticism.
As for why he resigned from the University of Michigan, Rong Le also had some guesses.
At this moment, Harry coughed lightly:
"What happened next? Was anyone injured?"
"We have found out the truth of the matter, and this matter is doomed to end. Sometimes the case itself is not scary, but the incomprehensible unknown is scary."
Rong Le whispered, "After I realized the truth, I requested military support, and the matter ended as everyone expected."
"The city remains peaceful, and those implicated in this horrific incident have been deliberately downplayed and their existence erased. Their experiences are destined to be buried in the past of this prosperous city."
Harry comforted him, "You've done well enough. If someone else stood in your position, they wouldn't be able to do better than you."
Rong Le seemed to remember something and asked, "Mr. Harry, do you think you will become a person like the victim?"
Harry paused and said, "To be ruled by desire and ultimately become a sacrifice for others? No, that's not me. That's too stupid."
"If it were me, I might become the leader. Going crazy in pursuit of knowledge and power is more like what I would do."
"How scary." Rong Le smiled softly.
Harry also laughed and asked in an exaggerated tone, "Will Mr. Detective become a victim? For the sake of his own desired goal?"
Rong Le: "Maybe I'll become an investigator. I'll be the one to uncover your crimes. This would actually be more interesting."
"Really? If it were really such a completely opposite stance, I would be sad instead. The detective stopped my plan and stood against me." Harry cried falsely.
It was as if he was really a brutal criminal like in the story, and he felt sad for himself and his identity as a detective.
"Think about it from another angle."
Rong Le comforted her gently, "You are the criminal I must catch. You are my only target. Your importance is unmatched, so there is no need to feel lonely..."
"After all, I will always be watching you."
Said the detective, pretending to be harmless.
Harry's eyes widened slightly.
…
He looked deeply moved.
Rong Le thought carelessly.
He had a trustworthy smile on his face. Seeing the usually well-behaved gentleman stand up in a rare and somewhat inappropriate manner, he felt like he had been stabbed in the most vital spot and had no way to recover.
He walked back and forth a few steps, and asked again as if to confirm:
"Really? Are you really going to keep staring at me?"
"Of course." Rong Le gave an affirmative answer.
Harry looked very happy: "Wait here for me, I want to get you something."
Then he left excitedly.
Rong Le sat on the chair with her chin propped up, thinking: "Gone... It's really a bit surprising."
The effect of this sentence was beyond his expectation.
There were not many people around the dining table. Perhaps there were not many servants in the manor, or perhaps Harry had ordered them not to appear in front of Rong Le. In short, Rong Le felt bored after waiting here for a while.
The manor is so big, it’s okay for him to just walk around, right? After all, Harry likes him very much, doesn’t he?
Rong Le happily convinced herself and decided to explore this gentleman's manor located in a sparsely populated land.
…
Rong Le walked down the stairs briskly.
The manor was very large, with rooms everywhere. The similar decorations made the interior of the manor look like a maze. He soon gave up the idea of exploring the entire manor.
There were very few servants along the way, as if they deliberately let him wander around.
"You're so insincere! You clearly asked me to wait for him, but you haven't shown up in front of me for so long. Do you really want me to go find you?" Rong Le stopped and stood on the wooden stairs, deep in thought. "Forget it, I'll satisfy you."
It's time to end this dinner that doesn't match its content.
He walked downstairs with a clear goal.
The basement is probably the favorite place of all pagans.
Everything in the manor was accessible to Rong Le, so he easily found the underground passage.
Rong Le walked slowly down the stone steps. The deep passage was silent, and the only sound she could hear was the slight sound of leather shoes stepping on the steps.
He stopped suddenly.
The door to the basement stood right in front of him, and death warnings kept ringing in his mind, indicating that there was something extremely terrifying behind this door.
Rong Le paused, then pried open the useless lock and pushed the door open.
"Welcome back!"
Harry opened his arms.
"This is such a surprise." Rong Le said calmly, "Is this what Mr. Harry wanted to show me?"
The basement was very spacious and there was no extra clutter piled up. In the empty space, Rong Le could clearly see what was there.
Behind Harry, a huge and mysterious magic circle was emitting a faint light. The words on it were difficult and obscure, drawn with unknown blood. A normal human would feel slightly dizzy if they stared at it for too long. The magic circle in front of them seemed to have turned into a strange vortex, which seemed to be able to suck away people's souls.
The live broadcast room instantly surged with a huge amount of barrage:
"Bullet screen protection!"
"High-energy warning!"
"Don't stare at the magic circle. Looking through the screen will also have an impact."
"Oh my god, I was so scared! Luckily my friend patted me, otherwise I would have been completely sucked in."
"What happened to Harry? Why did he blow himself up so quickly?"
Harry sighed at this point.
"That's what you came for."
He stroked his chest with one hand and said, "Although this is top secret, who made me like you? Ordinary things can't arouse your interest at all. After listening to your story, I knew you would like this."
"If it makes you happy, it's worth it."
Can the magic circle used to summon mythical creatures be used not only to kill people but also as a tool to please others?
This is simply bizarre and beyond common sense. A normal investigator would probably never have seen such a pagan with such a strange way of thinking in his life.
Rong Le sneered faintly.
Harry nakedly exposed the tacit understanding between the two of them, which was exactly what Rong Le thought. He was too lazy to deal with this arrogant and lustful gentleman.
"I've always had a question," he said, "about your relationship with Orianna."
"She's clearly an ordinary small town girl, yet she's involved with the master of the society. And as far as I know, she maintains a close relationship with Roland. Don't rush to deny it. I have a photo of the two of you together."
"You happened to be there the day Roland was brutally murdered by a monster."
"Yes, even if the boss won't help you, he won't expose you either... Summoning a monster to kill your love rival, that's pretty refreshing, right?"
He smiled sarcastically.
"What a wonderful and illogical reasoning. It reminds me of the first time I met you, Mr. Detective." Harry's expression remained unchanged, and he even praised him with a smile.
Rong Le: "Although I'm a detective, I'm not one to prioritize clues. Boring reasoning and tangled suspects are overwhelming. I came here just to get information about Orianna."
Harry smiled and said, "I won't give you information easily. What do you plan to exchange for it?"
He said with regret, "Your life? Unfortunately, the moment you learned the truth, this is your final destination."
"I see. You've never given up the idea of killing me."
Rong Le looked at the ground that was gradually moving, as if something was eager to get out.
"But unfortunately, since I'm going to the banquet alone, I certainly won't make any preparations."
He spread his hands and said calmly, "I have a spell that can detect life. No matter what happens, my companions will immediately notice it, and the Military Police will have sufficient evidence to arrest you."
"Although this may not be a big deal for the society, it must be very embarrassing, right? It might even affect your standing within the society, and Orianna will even laugh at you for being useless."
His smile was full of calculation, as if he didn't care about the crisis at all.
“…”
Harry said nothing.
But the ground has honestly stopped.
Rong Le chuckled softly, "Remember that story? Humans are creatures that will go crazy because of pursuit."
"Whether it's knowledge, appearance, or any other purpose, it's ultimately the product of desire. Those beings transcend our dimensions and are beyond our comprehension and direct observation. So what's the point of worshipping them?"
That story seemed to confirm the current situation, but that was no longer important. Rong Le said calmly, "Mr. Harry, keeping this monster captive is proof of your crime."
After a long moment, Harry sighed slowly.
"Well, you've got me, Detective."
He said helplessly.
"Roland's death was indeed caused by me."
Harry seemed to be instantly depressed. "Even though I've been betrayed by Ollie once, I still fell into this trap. I'm such a failure."
All the spectators watching this scene breathed a sigh of relief.
"Success! The main mission is complete!"
"Harry confessed his crime and was sentenced. Is this something I can see?"
"Rongrong is awesome!"
"I'm so excited to see the main storyline progress!"
Rong Le finally heard that pleasant voice.
[Main Quest 1-1, Find out the cause of Roland's death. Completed.]
After a moment, the task was refreshed immediately.
[Main Quest 1-2: You chose to save this town. As a weak detective, you need brave teammates to fight against the conspiracy of Orianna and others.]
Rong Le looked down.
…
Current number of teammates: 2
Harry sighed softly and said, "Why do you treat me like this? I will obviously fulfill all your wishes. I appreciate the beautiful things in the world, but the more beautiful people are, the more poisonous they are. Maybe I should be stricter with you, whether it's Oli or you..."
Rong Le remained indifferent. Harry grumbled a few words in a venting tone, then said in a resigned tone, "Olivia, she's a little scoundrel. She's not just related to Roland. I was obviously the first one. We've met since she was a child."
"She was really cute when she was little. She would be troubled by her relationship with her mother and would complain to me..."
Rong Le: "Then you teach her how to completely get rid of her family. I know this, next."
“…”
He kindly reminded: "You said she's not just in a relationship with Roland, so can I assume that she's also in a relationship with a third person besides you and Roland?"
Harry: “…Exactly.”
"But I don't know the identity of that person either. Mr. Detective is so good, I'm sure he can find the answer himself."
He smiled faintly, his tone very calm.
Rong Le didn't say whether she believed it or not, but nodded slightly: "I have already got what I wanted, so see you next time, Mr. Criminal."
…
The detective politely left the villa.
Harry left the basement and walked towards his bedroom upstairs. The servants in the corridor lowered their heads and waited for him to pass by. The silent manor was obviously no different from before, but he found it particularly unbearable.
Butler: "Sir, the guest has left."
Harry said listlessly, "I know. Let's go and leave me alone."
The butler lowered his head slightly, knowing that the gentleman he served was in a bad mood, and left without saying anything.
After sending everyone away, Harry returned to his bedroom alone. His bedroom was located in the villa. By pulling open the thick vintage velvet curtains, he could see the best view.
The light from outside illuminated the dim room. Through a sliver of window, Harry stood in front of it, half of his face hidden in the shadows.
He quietly watched the detective leave alone outside the window.
If this was punishment for his arrogance, he certainly got it. He had rarely encountered setbacks in his life, and the biggest setbacks were all caused by the beautiful women he loved.
The figure that was gradually leaving seemed to sense something and turned around. The two looked at each other from a distance.
None of them moved.
Rong Le suddenly curled her lips and smiled at him frivolously. Her black hair, green eyes and fair skin were particularly bright in the sunlight. Then she turned and left.
Harry's eyes suddenly widened.
He covered his chest, desperately feeling the sweet pain.
His heartbeat began to surge again.
Being moved by a beauty's every smile and frown may be his eternal curse.
…
"This damn heart, why is it beating at an inappropriate time again?"
[You have obtained your personal CG——]
Harry TE Line Gorgeous Dinner
-
The manor was getting farther and farther away.
Rong Le withdrew her gaze, gathered her clothes, and walked outside alone.
Where he was, there was nothing but bare trees and the pitch-black night. The cold air seemed to penetrate into his clothes through every pore. The clothes were not very good for keeping warm, but the slightly cooler air helped to clear his mind.
As Rong Le walked with her hands in her pockets, she reviewed the information she had obtained today in her mind.
The clues Harry mentioned matched the information he had learned so far. The mysterious third person was the pagan who conspired with Orianna, which also explained why Orianna had the holy seal.
Rong Le thought of her camera—it contained photos of the Holy Seal. As a camera that had captured many supernatural phenomena, this camera also had the potential to be a primary occult item.
It has the function of attracting some weak-willed people and being able to capture hidden supernatural phenomena, but what Rong Le likes most is its sturdier and less prone to damage.
Rong Le already had a suspect for this mysterious man, so she could go and collect evidence whenever she had time.
However, before that, he still had to go somewhere.
…
"The Abyss is Coming" welcomes new customers.
The waiter looked up and saw that familiar face. He discreetly took a look at Rong Le's outfit, which was different from her usual outfit, and then smiled: "Welcome, Mr. Detective."
Rong Le glanced at him and recognized him as the waiter who served them last time: "I'm here to see your boss, is he here?"
The waiter had never seen people looking for the boss to do business so frequently, but he saw many people who were caught and cried and begged the boss to forgive them for a few more days.
Not long ago, he heard his boss complain that since an extremely efficient detective came to Portland, his workload has skyrocketed in recent days and he can't even sleep in well.
In a way, this detective is also a very powerful person.
"What's with that expression on your face?" Rong Le said lazily, "Are you plotting against me? I have something serious to discuss with your boss."
The waiter couldn't help but complain: "Mr. Detective, what serious business can you have with the boss?"
Does their boss ever do any serious work all day?!
After he finished speaking, he realized that he was too complacent. Working in a secretive and dangerous place like intelligence trading, it was a taboo for staff to say such prying words, but he relaxed for a moment and dared to say anything.
I will definitely be punished by my boss when I get back.
He immediately lowered his head and was about to apologize, hoping that Mr. Detective wouldn't be too angry. Then he heard Rong Le sneer, "You've been holding this in your heart for a long time. I didn't expect you to think about these things."
"...I was too presumptuous. Please forgive me."
Rong Le waved her hand and said indifferently: "You are quite interesting."
Waiter: “…” He didn’t want to be described with such an adjective.
A voice joined in their conversation: "Why are you here again?"
Rong Le looked up and saw the boss coming down lazily. He was wearing loose clothes and it was obvious that he had just gotten out of bed.
"And you're still chatting with my staff. Are you free?"
"Don't you welcome me?" Rong Le sighed, "I came all the way to see you."
The boss looked at Rong Le's outfit and sneered: "You mean you came to me to get information after coming out of Harry's house? I'm so honored that you thought of me first."
“…”
Rong Le coughed lightly: "Don't be so hostile to me, boss."
Boss: "Said, go get busy."
Waiter: “Yes, sir.”
Rong Le: "So his name is Sai De."
The boss said without even turning his head: "...stay away from my employees. If you dare to use him, you know the consequences."
"Boss, you've really wronged me." Rong Le quickly followed him, chuckling nonchalantly, "I'm a good person."
The boss remained noncommittal.
This time, the boss took Rong Le to the innermost room on the second floor.
The room is equipped with various soundproofing facilities to prevent the sounds inside from being eavesdropped. It is a sufficiently hidden place and suitable for conversation.
After Rong Le walked in, the door was closed behind her. With the sound of the door lock being fastened, the room officially became a closed space.
Rong Le observed the furnishings in the room.
This should be the boss's office, or study. The large mahogany bookshelves on both sides are filled with books in various languages, covering a wide range of fields. Some of them are confidential documents that need to be blocked. These are placed casually on the bookshelves.
There were a lot of documents piled on the desk in the middle of the room, and many papers were scattered on the floor.
The boss casually grabbed it and threw it into the trash can, then pulled over a chair and said, "Sit down."
Rong Le sat down as he was told: "You brought me into such an important place, aren't you afraid that I will keep my eyes on this place?"
"You can try." The boss lit a cigarette. "This is where I store all my important things. They're very valuable."
Rong Le narrowed his eyes slightly and changed his tone: "Forget it, I am a good citizen who abides by the law."
The boss asked, "Really don't you want to try it?"
"I won't fall for this kind of clumsy trap," Rong Le complained. "Besides, if this fails, it will definitely become the most unforgettable black history in my life. I absolutely don't want that!"
Boss: “Really? What a pity.”
The boss lit a cigarette and puffed away, oblivious to the crowd. "So, why did you come to see me today? I have to say, you're the first person to come to see me so frequently."
Rong Le fell silent, looking at the boss quietly, as if evaluating something.
In the dimly lit room, one could hear a pin drop in the quiet study. In the dim light, his expression appeared quiet and profound, the dark green luster of his eyes piercing through a few strands of hair, with an untouchable sharpness: "You know, about this town, the true abyss has arrived-"
"Who are you going to help?"
In the live broadcast room:
"What do you mean? Does the boss know something?"
"He named the tavern Abyssfall. Could it be that he was hinting at the current situation?"
"As an intelligence dealer, the boss is definitely not a simple character. However, he doesn't seem to have anything to do with the Polish dungeon and doesn't seem to be the boss of this dungeon."
"? Is he a boss across maps, or is his timeline not here yet?!"
"Whether it's a cross-map boss or not, the boss is no pushover. Just look at the official information and you'll know how dangerous the tavern is."
"Only Rong Le dares to be so aggressive. Everyone else, including the boss's employees, is terrified of him."
The boss chuckled softly, puffed out a puff of smoke, and looked at him through the hazy smoke: "Are you asking me to take sides?"
"What good would it do me to help you?" he said sarcastically. "I have a pack of jackals who wish me dead. If Portland were in any danger, they would probably try their best to keep me here."
"I don't understand your position. I just want to know the boss's attitude and hope to get help."
Rong Le sat on the chair, folded his hands, smiled gently, and said, "But the boss has lived here for many years after all. If someone is willing to contribute a little to the peace of Portland, I think you should not be stingy."
"Stop trying to convince me with your words, Detective."
The boss said in a declarative tone, "Businessmen never make a loss... If you want something, you can exchange it with something else."
"What's the price I have to pay?"
Rong Le looked extremely harmless. To show how weak and helpless he was, he lowered his posture and looked at the boss with a sincere expression, as if to say that he had nothing to show for it.
The boss's eyes were particularly complicated at that moment.
Perhaps it was because the light was too dim, Rong Le couldn't see the deep darkness in his eyes. The tall but decadent man sitting behind the desk said in a hoarse voice:
"I want you to swear."
"—You will always remain sane and never stray into madness."
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