Chapter Twenty-Two: Fog of Success, Fog of Failure

Morning.

The breaking dawn sun shines upon the earth, infusing it with vitality and bringing the bustling energy to the entire city of Lundan.

In the minutes before the sun rises, the fog that has settled overnight slowly dissipates, as if in agreement with the sun, silently parting ways.

Wayne sits at his desk, furiously writing. These past few days, he's been busy trying to keep his dog entertained, investigating animal shelters and following up on news events. He hasn't even had time to write in his diary, keeping him occupied.

Because it's a Doberman, Wayne named him Abin.

At first, he thought about calling him Adu, but then realized it wasn't suitable, mainly because the dog was too big to fit under the car.

The incident at the animal shelter has basically come to an end.

Several employees who were attacked by Abin are now hospitalized with high fevers. On the first day, the public expressed sympathy for them, but by the second day, sentiment had turned, blaming the employees for their own misfortune in being attacked by a vicious dog.

The citizens were disgusted, especially the owners who had entrusted their pets to the shelter. They were indignant and demanded justice, threatening to physically confront the hospital.

The director couldn't allow this to happen. Without regard for consequences, he helped the employees reduce their fevers and swiftly discharged them from the hospital.

Hospitalization was out of the question; don't ask, it's because there weren't enough beds.

The hospital's operations were entirely unreasonable, even illegal, but at a time when public anger was boiling over, no one dared to criticize.

The volume of complaints was too great; one had to consider whether speaking out would drown them.

On the other hand, the volume also meant an opportunity for publicity, a chance to build one's reputation. Many politicians joined the chorus of condemnation, harshly criticizing the lack of management and order at the animal shelter, earning a wave of popularity.

Lundan had now updated its animal protection version, and there was still plenty of profit to be made from this wave. Wayne no longer needed to spend money; there were plenty of patrons willing to foot the bill.

Several employees were discharged from the hospital, and that night, Abin didn't come home. It had taken a liking to the game of chase, recognizing Wayne's abilities and willingly becoming his follower, dedicating its future to its master.

After subduing the first vengeful spirit, Wayne didn't rush to sign up a second. His magical power was insufficient, and keeping one follower already stretched him thin; having two would likely backfire.

Abin, it turned out, was actually quite easy to care for, not consuming much magical power each day.

Especially at night, it could merge with the fog, greatly reducing Wayne's magical expenses. In other words, the dog was sensible, understanding that the family wasn't wealthy and would hunt for its own food outside.

Dogs don't mind poverty; that's just how dogs are. But cats...

Uh, can't say that. Cats don't care whether you're rich or poor because regardless, they'll look down on you.

Back to the point, Wayne was busy during the day and even busier at night, gradually figuring out the right way to unleash the vengeful spirit.

Abin became spirited at night, freely navigating through the fog.

In the fog, Abin's various qualities were greatly enhanced, with astonishing speed, strength, and endurance. With the fog as cover, it could not only become invisible and sneak around but also exhibit superpowers akin to magic.

Fog of success, fog of failure!

Once outside the fog-covered area, i.e., Lundan city, Wayne had to use his own magic to sustain Abin. This was a terrifying figure; even exhausting Wayne's magical power wouldn't suffice.

During the day, Abin became listless, with its various qualities greatly diminished, looking as if it were on the verge of death.

In the sun's rays, the fog covering its bones would dissipate, leaving only a bare skeleton.

Similarly, Wayne could use his magic to buff Abin at night. However, this also came with terrifying magical consumption. He couldn't afford to keep a dog during the day.

So Wayne only let Abin roam at night. During the day, without needing any command from its master, Abin would bury itself in the backyard of the detective agency.

In conclusion, after being transformed by the Book of Greed, transitioning from a vengeful spirit to a spirit of revenge, becoming a magical creature, Abin was currently Wayne's most powerful asset.

...

Making time, Wayne began to investigate the archives of Cafono Town, cutting out large sections, erasing any extraordinary traces, making the records seem unremarkable.

Afterward, Wayne opened his diary and faithfully recorded the praise from his clients, using a small portion to commend his own excellent character and professional qualities.

Inspired and overflowing with ideas, he wrote nearly five thousand words, feeling like he could go on and on.

It didn't matter that he didn't have readers at the moment. As long as he persevered and kept writing, and placed the diary in a prominent place, sooner or later, a lovely young lady would notice his virtues.

"That's enough; too much is not good. Readers will get tired."

With these tasks completed, Wayne pushed open the door of the detective agency, waiting for business to come to him.

Out of money!

To please his dog, he had spent all his savings, pouring in all the money he had earned from the young lady's pockets. Now, he was once again faced with the embarrassment of not having enough money to pay rent.

Wayne didn't see anything wrong with it; money shouldn't be spared when it's needed. He just felt aggrieved that the young lady hadn't come to help the poor; the family was so poor they were down to just potatoes.

Wayne sat waiting for business to come, taking out today's newspaper to read. He followed up on the animal shelter's developments while browsing recent oddities and events.

As a detective, Wayne subscribed to numerous newspapers and had developed the habit of listening to the radio.

Since his recent transition to a magician, he had also begun paying attention to gossip sections, searching for clues and truths hidden in the gossip magazines from a magician's perspective.

All of this was intelligence!

"Series of disappearances, suspected cases of human trafficking, with most victims being young women aged sixteen to twenty-four..."

"Another technician was stabbed to death last night, marking the third vicious attack against technicians this month. After many years, the shadow of the Ripper once again looms over Lundan..."

"The police urge people to reduce nighttime outings in the near future..."

Wayne looked through the pages one by one, furrowing his brow. "God bless, no, may the goddess protect these bastards if they run into Veronica on the streets at night."

"Speaking of which, both the missing persons cases and attacks on technicians happened at night. The perpetrators probably aren't ordinary people."

Wayne squinted slightly. It might be necessary to get Abin more active, instead of just chasing after those employees all night. They're a bunch of scumbags, so it wouldn't hurt to have a little fun now and then. It's not like he's neglecting his responsibilities, right?

"Wayne, I'm here!"

Vivian's lively voice came from the door of the detective agency. Wayne looked up and saw her bouncing around, full of energy.

Not seeing Veronica, Wayne felt somewhat disappointed and wrote the word directly on his face.

Vivian swung her fist in frustration, snatched the newspaper from Wayne's hand, and began reading. "I bet the culprits aren't ordinary people. They're probably members of the Free Mage Alliance, especially those black mages who occasionally attack women to gather materials for their evil rituals."

Wayne nodded, thinking the same.

"Forget about that. Do you know the latest headline? The largest pet shelter in the East District has closed down, and it's close to the warehouse area. We passed by there before," Vivian said as she flipped through the newspaper quickly.

"I've heard something about it."

"A bunch of scoundrels. If they fell into my hands, I'd definitely break their legs," Vivian said through gritted teeth.

There's no need for that!

Wayne shook his head, advising the girl to be kind. If their legs were broken, they couldn't run away, and then Abin wouldn't be happy.

"Forget about these depressing matters. What did you come here for today?"

"I came to give you a gift!"

Vivian put down the newspaper, hands on hips, chin held high, looking like she was expecting praise.

Where's the gift?

Wayne looked down, feeling his chest swell. The capital was quite substantial, probably not as much as Crystal's, but definitely more than Veronica's.

All things considered, although this lavish gift was a bit different from what he expected...

It's not bad!