Roselle and the Witch

Feigning the air of a swindler or a con artist, Ebner, who naturally played the part well, smiled as he responded to Roselle's question. "How exactly would you like me to prove it?"

Roselle scanned the room, and his eyes lit up when he noticed a young woman in front of one of the bookcases. She possessed a radiant beauty and carried an aura of dignified grace. Pointing in her direction, he said, "If you're as capable as you claim, tell me who that girl is and where she comes from."

Alright, that's very "Roselle" of him… Ebner thought wryly, activating his Pure White Eye to scan for information on the girl in question.

Having been in the sixth-level dream realm for some time, Ebner had already realized that, aside from Roselle, none of the city's inhabitants carried a true "spirit." They were simply constructed "data"—complex, intelligent NPCs, as if in some full-dive VR novel. While they had sound logic and decent adaptability, they were ultimately not real "people."

The presence of these characters was similar to most on levels nine through seven, but Roselle's presence here seemed more akin to the quasi-sentient "Cherry" he and Xio encountered on the seventh floor aboard the Clover.

Without the need for detailed analysis or backtracking, Ebner found the young woman's data readily available:

"Panatiya… Sequence 7 'Witch'… Age 19… Height… Weight…

"Affiliated with the Witch Family… Mother: … Mentor: …"

Ebner couldn't help but twitch at the information, musing, Naturally, Roselle would pick out a witch by random chance… And Panatiya… Could this be the same "Despairing Nightingale" from the Great Smog Event?

She was from Roselle's era? It made sense, in a way, considering the longevity of Demigods, especially those of the Witch pathway, who likely lived even longer.

"So? Don't tell me that today just isn't your day for divination?" Roselle smirked, giving Ebner a pointed jab as he seemed momentarily distracted.

Ebner came to himself and, sealing off the area with spiritual energy, began reciting Panatiya's information for Roselle's benefit.

At first, Roselle tensed as the protective barrier went up, almost pulling out one of his mystical items. However, seeing no ill intentions from Ebner, he relaxed, all while surmising that this newcomer was at least a Sequence 7 Beyonder. After all, only those at such a level or higher could seal an area with raw spiritual power.

"A Witch? Sequence 7? Are you serious?" Roselle glanced suspiciously at the girl perusing the bookshelf, evidently skeptical.

"You're free to verify it yourself." Ebner smiled, gesturing with a courteous wave.

After sizing him up, Roselle broke into a grin. "Alright, no need to make a fuss about it. I believe you! From this day forward, we're comrades."

What? That's all it took? Was young Roselle really this reckless, or is he simply too confident in his protagonist status? Ebner wondered, weighing Roselle's potential ulterior motives. Either he has his own means of verification, or he's feigning trust to investigate me later…

Given that I displayed some level of strength by sealing the area, Roselle may simply be trying to appease me for now, which makes sense.

Ebner was more than happy to comply, as he didn't plan to join the ranks of a "dream illusion" permanently. His only aim was to temporarily enter Roselle's expedition group to unlock the next "map."

Roselle, clearly in good spirits, gave Ebner's shoulder a hearty pat. "By the way, brother, we've talked for so long, and I still don't know your name."

"You can call me Strange… or Doctor Strange." Ebner replied, testing the waters with a slight smile.

"Doctor Strange?" Roselle's eyes widened. "What a coincidence! I was planning on using that name in one of my upcoming novels. To think there's someone with that title in real life!"

Only genuine surprise and amusement at the coincidence… He truly has no memory as Huang Tao. Ebner concluded. Even his self-identity here was likely woven from carefully curated "data."

With that, Ebner continued the conversation, deftly engaging Roselle with a blend of genuine enthusiasm and carefully placed flattery.

At last, Roselle picked up an old book from the table, giving Ebner a conspiratorial wink. "I found clues to an ancient ruin's location. Would you be interested in joining me to explore it?"

This is it! Ebner's heart settled, and he nodded without hesitation. "Of course, I'm always interested in the unknown… especially ancient ruins."

"Great!" Roselle punched the air, evidently thrilled with Ebner's response. "Prepare what you need, and meet me tomorrow morning at nine o'clock at the Glim Hotel on Delair Street in the northwest district. I'll introduce you to some friends there."

Ebner accepted the invitation with pleasure.

The two chatted briefly before Roselle excused himself and strolled out of the library at a leisurely pace.

Just as he exited, Panatiya, who had been diligently reading, turned her gaze to his departing figure, her expression strangely profound.

That's so staged, like some poorly scripted cutscene. That "meaningful" stare is practically an insult to a detective's observational skills, Ebner chuckled to himself. The Witch completely ignored him, further confirming what he'd already noticed—that most of the people here overlooked his presence altogether.

If he didn't directly engage with them or trigger one of their scripted responses, they'd ignore him entirely.

So Roselle was already being monitored by the Demoness Sect at this point? And he seems oblivious to it. Wait… does this mean his famous line "the taste of witches is truly exquisite" could've been meant for Panatiya?

He glanced at the seemingly oblivious Witch by the bookshelf, feeling as though he'd uncovered a rather "groundbreaking" secret.

…

At the ruins of the East Borough Black Palm Street, Xio deftly sliced her finger with a small knife, using her own blood to quickly inscribe the Fool's holy name and its corresponding symbol and magical marks on the ground.

Then, she closed her eyes, lowered her head, and chanted her prayer fervently:

"Oh Fool who does not belong to this era, the mysterious ruler above the gray fog, the yellow and black king of good fortune…"

Meanwhile, back in his towering divine palace, Klein, who'd grown accustomed to the mechanics of the "Elder Ceremony," smoothly drew upon the power of the gray fog. Using the Azik copper whistle as an anchor, he channeled his spirituality to form a tall, black shadow of himself and projected it into Miss Judgment's crimson star.

…

Xio found herself in a paradoxical state, simultaneously alert and dreamlike.

She seemed to glimpse a figure of incomprehensible form, an amalgamation of boundless knowledge, light of all colors, and a being dark as night, overseeing everything below.

Yet, at that moment, she suddenly saw the Giant's corpse sit up as if intending to lunge at her.

But just as quickly, her mental fog lifted, and she reacted immediately—pulling out a Sleep Talisman.

The corpse, however, had seemingly lost all vitality and slumped back down, still.

Ensuring her safety by activating the talisman, Xio resumed her prayer to the Fool.

Moments later, she received a brief reply: "Well done."

Realizing the Elder Ceremony had succeeded, Xio wasn't concerned about what the Fool had accomplished with it, as it was none of her business. So, she diligently cleaned up any traces of the ritual.

Just as she finished and prepared to leave, a team of Nighthawks arrived. Leading the group was a beautiful woman with a hooded cloak, blue eyeshadow, and rouge-tinted cheeks.

Xio recognized her immediately as Daly Simone, the Spirit Guide and one of Ebner's close friends.