Chapter 8: The Beginning of the Game
Due to the Company’s thorough preliminary investigation, the so-called “White Witch” incidents had been downgraded to newbie level, assigned to the team from Jiangcheng County. Firstly, the Company didn’t have the resources to spare on such minor incidents, the victims mostly ordinary people, and the numbers small, less than a hundred. Secondly, they hoped that Luo Ling and her team, having experienced the Jiangcheng County disaster, might uncover something new.
This was typical of the Company: cold, impersonal efficiency, focused on cost-benefit analysis.
Luo Ling had met several Company personnel: Li Shaoheng, Cen Xiangyun… and now Eve, all veteran employees. They had distinct personalities, but within the vast machine of the Company, individual preferences were irrelevant. Even Lu Fangling, a P8, was just a cog in this machine.
Compared to the main force mobilizing to hunt down the “White Witch’s agent,” Luo Ling’s team was inconspicuous.
Eve saw no need for special preparations, pulling Cen Xiangyun, who had wanted to hold a pre-mission meeting, along as she led the team straight to the site of the most recent incident.
Luo Ling suddenly remembered something and asked Cen Xiangyun,
“Miss Cen, were you previously with the Hillman branch?”
“How did you know?” Cen Xiangyun was surprised. As an intern, she hadn’t even reached the Company’s core headquarters yet.
“…I heard,” Luo Ling recalled Eve’s words from their first meeting and couldn’t help but twitch her lips. “The meeting rooms here are used to discuss dinner plans, not mission briefings…”
“Huh?” Cen Xiangyun’s eyes widened.
“Of course, only those cowards at Hillman like to waste time with preparations. We at Wellington just charge in!” Eve interjected, glancing at Cen Xiangyun. “If we can win, we fight. If we can’t, we run. All those fancy plans boil down to just those two sentences.
“Besides, I hate meetings. All those higher-ups talk about is ‘the key is to find the key’ or some other nonsense, or jargon like ‘synergistic reaction’ and ‘marginal effect’ that I don’t even understand.”
“And also…”
Eve, once started, couldn’t seem to stop talking, but her expression remained impassive.
Cen Xiangyun, her forehead beaded with sweat, tugged on Luo Ling’s clothes and whispered,
“Does she always talk this much?”
“…Don’t ask me.”
Luo Ling turned away, tuning out Eve’s rambling, and moved further away with Elsa, leaving Cen Xiangyun as a captive audience.
Lu Manqing, however, was fascinated by the surroundings, taking photos with a small, strangely shaped camera.
It was a camera made with current Boundary technology, its functions similar to modern ones, just with an unusual design.
When not speaking, Lu Manqing was quite beautiful, with a quiet, gentle demeanor, but her words were often… surprising.
As they walked along the dirt road towards the outskirts, they saw figures hurrying through the crowds, Company employees.
“It seems… agents are more important than I thought…”
Luo Ling was slightly surprised. This was different from their attitude towards apostles.
But it made sense. Agents received “blessings” directly from Grotesqueries, granting them access to Authorities, making them incredibly powerful.
Compared to that, Luo Ling’s team, investigating apostle incidents, seemed insignificant.
Of course, Eve wasn’t completely unprepared for this mission; she just didn’t want to waste time with meetings.
Along the way, the newly formed team shared information about their abilities.
Eve, Iron Fist, Judgment path, possessed powerful destructive abilities.
Cen Xiangyun, Ice, Elemental path, focused on control and defense, her offensive abilities average.
Elsa, Scarlet Witch, Oneiric (Nightmare) path, specialized in soul-based attacks, even capable of threatening High-Order Awakened Ones, but helpless against beings without souls.
Lu Manqing, unexpectedly, was on the Myriad path, codenamed Healer, her main ability, as her name suggested, healing.
When Lu Manqing revealed her path and ability, she noticed Eve’s gaze sharpen slightly.
As for Luo Ling…
“Just consider me a Judgment path Awakened One. I’m very strong, and that’s… basically all I can do for now,” Luo Ling said, touching her nose.
Even without her demonic transformation, her strength was comparable to an ordinary Judgment path Awakened One.
Of course, her demonic transformation… was best avoided, even though Luo Ling knew that the Company’s interest, the so-called Seventh Path, was likely related to it.
But the price of this trump card… she didn’t even know what it consumed, besides her lifespan.
Every time she used it, grotesque features would linger for a while, and a strange feeling would settle in her mind.
Eve didn’t mind Luo Ling’s evasiveness; she was also hiding some things. As long as it didn’t jeopardize the mission or endanger her teammates, it was fine.
“We’re here.”
Eve stopped, comparing the file in her hand to the surroundings.
“This is…”
Luo Ling looked up. They were on the outskirts of Wellington, near the edge of the Realm of Nothingness.
And the so-called incubation barrier ruins were here, a cluster of old warehouses.
“A ‘factory,’ or rather, a small workshop,” Eve explained. “The incident occurred five nights ago, the first of the ‘White Witch’ incidents.
“The owner, William, was a small business owner, ran a few textile factories, all in this area. About seventy workers died, so they’re all shut down now.
“He tried to cover it up, but the people he hired to dispose of the bodies were consumed by the remaining mycelia, so he went to a paranormal detective agency, which is how the Company learned about it.”
Even Eve, with her usual bluntness, couldn’t help but look grim.
“This is the first time the Company failed to detect a Grotesquery apostle’s actions. The White Witch’s ability is too stealthy; we still don’t know how many of her traces remain in Victoria.”
Luo Ling wanted to cough. Being called out like this was a bit embarrassing.
However, she was interested in this matter.
She wanted to see how the Harbingers of Calamity were using her power.
But there was still one question.
“Miss Eve, you said these incubation barriers… are fake?” Luo Ling asked.
Eve nodded. “Yes, after several investigations, we’ve confirmed that all the incubation barrier signs are fabricated. Even after removing all traces of the Grotesquery, the barrier itself doesn’t dissipate.
“This is a common tactic used by apostles, creating fake barriers to mislead us, to conceal their crimes.”
Incubation barriers were protective barriers created by Grotesqueries while accumulating power.
Creating a similar barrier without a Grotesquery, it would be indistinguishable from a real one, just without the “egg” and its power.
But in that case, it wasn’t an “incubation barrier,” just a diversion.
“No,” Luo Ling shook her head. “This incubation barrier is real.”
She could sense a familiar aura, a hint of danger in her intuition.
And another crucial factor.
Elsa…
Elsa, beside her, was drowsy.
She wasn’t a true Awakened One, but a vessel for Grotesqueries.
Even after becoming Luo Ling’s apostle, this hadn’t changed.
So, Elsa was still susceptible to Grotesquery influences.
At some point, Elsa had become semi-conscious, just like during the Baiyan Village incident.
Two similar situations could only mean one thing.
“Impossible? Wait, I’ll take you inside and you’ll see.”
Eve reached for Luo Ling’s hand, but Luo Ling’s serious gaze stopped her.
“No, Miss Eve, we’re… already inside the incubation barrier.”
The caw of a crow echoed from nowhere, the first light of dawn seemingly frozen in time, the silence around them unnerving.
Perhaps due to some cognitive influence, everyone had overlooked these details. Luo Ling, lost in thought and trying to avoid Eve’s rambling, hadn’t noticed when they entered the barrier’s range.
But…
“This is more like it,” Luo Ling thought, a strange sense of relief washing over her.
A newbie mission without any problems… that would be the real problem.
“Ah!”
A scream echoed, and they turned to see Lu Manqing clutching a handful of photos, her face pale with terror.
“What’s wrong?”
Cen Xiangyun rushed over, then, seeing the photos, she also screamed.
“Ah!”
“What’s going on?”
Eve also rushed over, glanced at the photos, and screamed.
“Ah!”
“…”
Even Luo Ling, who had been focusing on the differences between this incubation barrier and the Puppet Ballad’s, couldn’t help but be curious.
She walked over and immediately understood their reaction.
The photos Lu Manqing had taken were candid shots of the team, perhaps as souvenirs, or for some other reason, certainly not to sell.
But these photos… were different.
“They’re all… old women.”
Luo Ling looked up, comparing the photos to the people present.
Despite their aged appearances, they were clearly recognizable, even Elsa, who looked like a small, elderly woman.
Except…
…for Luo Ling.
The photo where she should have been… was just a gray blur.
“My camera is broken…”
Lu Manqing wailed.
“This is clearly not the camera’s problem!” Cen Xiangyun said, gritting her teeth. “Besides, I wouldn’t be this ugly even when I’m old!”
The elderly women in the photos were wrinkled, covered in age spots, their teeth mostly gone, their lips thin and sagging.
Even Elsa.
But it was still… unsettling.
“I’d actually like to see what I’ll look like when I’m old,” Luo Ling said, touching her chin.
“Don’t you dare say that just because you’re not in the photos!” Cen Xiangyun glared at her.
“Miss Lu, your photography skills are lacking, your sense of composition isn’t very good… I can give you some pointers,” Eve commented on Lu Manqing’s technique.
“Shouldn’t we be more concerned about why this is happening?!”
Cen Xiangyun felt that her team was completely unreliable, focusing on the strangest things at a time like this.
“Calm down, Grandma Cen, didn’t I say? We’re inside an incubation barrier, this must be the effect of its rules,” Luo Ling said, her choice of words perhaps not the most appropriate.
“Yeah, Old Lady Cen, what’s the big deal?” Lu Manqing said, putting an arm around Cen Xiangyun. “You scared me, I thought my camera was broken, but it’s just because we’re inside the incubation barrier.”
Cen Xiangyun almost choked on her own blood.
“You…”
As a former celebrity, Cen Xiangyun was the most image-conscious of the group, and these nicknames were a direct attack on her insecurities.
“Is the White Witch’s ability to make people look old in photos? Hiss, good thing I didn’t bring my film…”
Eve checked her pockets, relieved.
Their reactions varied, but Cen Xiangyun felt something wasn’t right.
“This isn’t the White Witch’s doing, it’s another Grotesquery’s barrier,” Luo Ling said.
“Huh? I don’t think so,” Eve shook her head. “Grotesquery apostles never clash with each other, even if they serve different Grotesqueries.
“If there’s an incubation barrier, even a fake one, another apostle wouldn’t choose this location to serve their master.”
“What if it’s not a White Witch apostle?” Luo Ling asked softly. “When it comes to the White Witch, I’m… somewhat confident in my understanding.”
After all, she was the White Witch.
“That’s… unprecedented,” Eve said, not dismissing Luo Ling’s theory, but still skeptical. “Although there have been cases of non-apostles using Grotesquery abilities, those were the Harbingers of Calamity. They wouldn’t cut their own flesh to kill a few ordinary people, would they?”
It seemed the Company didn’t know about the Harbingers using Churches to steal Grotesquery Authorities…
Luo Ling’s eyes flickered. It was understandable. These Churches were all located in slums, and with the Company’s style, they wouldn’t pay attention to such places.
The Company cared about the progress of the era, and the driving force of progress wouldn’t be found among those struggling to survive.
The Harbingers had exploited this blind spot to establish their foothold.
However, Luo Ling didn’t plan to tell the Company. Even if she did, the Company would only target the Harbingers, and tragedies like Alyssa and Stasha’s would continue.
Besides… she finally had a lead on the Harbingers, her greatest enemies, she wouldn’t let it go.
At this very moment, the Church of Light was reorganizing around Alyssa, expanding into other slums, gradually absorbing other Churches.
…Trust wasn’t an issue for the Puppet Ballad.
Everyone was just a lost lamb, a controlled puppet under its influence.
But for now, Luo Ling had to deal with this unknown incubation barrier.
Despite their earlier jokes, they weren’t careless.
Eve even took out her weapons… a pair of gauntlets.
A gentle Victorian maid uniform paired with massive steel gauntlets, it was quite a sight.
Cen Xiangyun also took out her staff, her long hair tied back with a beautiful ice crystal hairpin—her hard-earned year-end bonus.
“Miss Lu, how many photos did you take today?” Luo Ling asked.
“About twenty, why?”
Lu Manqing took out the Polaroid photos from her pocket.
“Perhaps… we can find… where we entered this dangerous place.”
Luo Ling took the photos and spread them out.
They were mostly landscapes and portraits, the black and white adding a vintage feel, Lu Manqing’s record of the local customs.
But… nothing seemed unusual.
Cen Xiangyun and Lu Manqing examined them but couldn’t find anything wrong.
But then, Eve groaned, clutching her head and crouching down, her face contorted in pain.
“No… this isn’t right…”
She looked at one of the photos, struggling to keep her eyes open.
“From this one… it’s… wrong…”
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