Wood" turned and looked at everyone present: "Now, it is time for you and me to sit down and have a proper talk.
..
..
Ugh.. my head..
Amidst a throbbing pain comparable to a hangover, Wood slowly opened his eyes, only to find himself lying on a familiar sofa. Golden sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling window that almost entirely occupied the front wall, shining upon him; it was warm, yet—
It was freezing!
And it was a piercing cold, the kind that could only be felt when skin directly touched temperatures comparable to the North and South Poles!
But—
This is the Boss's room, which is kept at around twenty-five degrees Celsius year-round; even when sleeping, one doesn't have to worry about catching a cold..
Besides, Wood's body was already different from ordinary people; even lava could not leave a single burn on him, low temperatures were no different. So why, at this moment, would he actually..
What is even more important—
Before falling into a coma, he had just completed his great feat of slaying the dragon and was attending the "Round Table Conference" held by the Boss and the staff of the Avalon Special Events Investigation Department in Glastonbury, England. Why would he..
(Why did I lose consciousness?)
(Why did I wake up here..)
(Is teleportation an unknown ability my body possesses, or is it..)
—Awake?
A familiar voice rang out. Wood looked toward the sound and saw the smiling Boss, as well as—the Jormungand Cat, Anubis Dog, a Cat Mummy who claimed to be the Goddess Bastet, all fighting on the fireplace behind the Man.
I'm awake, but..
Wood could not ignore the three creatures behind the Boss, who were currently fighting amidst flying fur and dancing bandages. "Boss, did you hear any strange sounds?"
Strange sounds?
Master smiled slightly, the three that had been fighting fiercely immediately separated, some crouching quietly like statues, some pretending to calmly lick their paws, while Cat Mummy lay flat on the ground, his disheveled bandages slowly settling back into place.
“..”
Wood was instantly stunned.
(Those bastards!)
Steadying his mind, Wood spoke again, "Boss, what time is it now? I mean—how many hours has it been since I fainted at the Round Table Meeting? And—why did I suddenly faint, wake up back in New York? At the Round Table Meeting scene.. I.. I.."
You have many questions.
Yes.
Mister Wood said in a low voice, "I have so many, many questions about what has been happening lately.. I want to know why I teleported from New York to Glastonbury.. I want to know if Lancelot is doing well now? And the Holy Sword of Arthur—the most important treasure of England—has that sword been returned to Arthur yet, also, also.."
No need to rush, we have plenty of time to discuss this slowly..
At the same time—
Inside a cafe in London, three exceptionally handsome young men were whispering.
Lancelot, are you sure that building opposite us is the residence of the Producer of Legend of Merlin in London?
The young man, who looked like a handsome version of Merlin from Legend of Merlin but possessed eyes shimmering with deep wisdom, asked in such a manner.
The young man known as Lancelot nodded without hesitation: "Yes, it is here."
In that case—
The third person, with radiant blonde hair and emerald green eyes, stood up with a bright smile: "Let's set off!"
-----------------------
Author's Note: Thanks to readers "Yuan Zhong Ren De Yi Yu Zhong Li," "Er Jiao," "kiki," "Qian Duo," "Yeren Xinzhisu," "Ye Yuan," "Lan Mei Xiao Yang," "Lan Wu," "Li Yu," "", "If You Don't Study Hard You'll Work in a Factory," "Courage is Lifelong Reliance," "Qing Yun," "a," "Min," "Lei Zhuang," "Zhen Zhu Xue," "Yi Tuo Da Yan," "Gu Lu Gu Lu," "Fat Mermaid," "Half City of Sand," "moonlit," "moonlit," "Riyue Taosan Huan," "Suisui Wei Jun Ge," "Xing Ye," "Meng Li Jian" for the Irrigation Nutrient Solution.
Chapter 48: Lilith's Seduction (1) When I was writing this, I really didn't expect the posting time to coincide exactly with the launch of "Legend of Merlin" in China [laugh-cry]. This must be the law of universal attraction; if you keep something in your heart, it will surely find its way back to you~
Chapter 48 Lilith's Seduction (1)
Christmas was approaching, the streets of New York were decorated everywhere with colorful lights, red ribbons, green branches prepared for Christmas. Most pedestrians' faces were filled with the happiness and excitement before the holiday, holding colorful wrapped goods purchased for the festival in their arms.
The vagrant Roger walked through the streets, which appeared even more magnificent than usual in preparation for Christmas, like a speck of gray dust amidst a brilliant, multicolored ocean.
Numb from the torment of poverty, he was unable to even react to the ubiquitous festive atmosphere. He hurried across the street, hoping to collect enough food to stave off his hunger before the food bank closed.
Standing at the intersection waiting for the red light to turn green, Roger noticed more than thirty people gathered in front of the Victorian-style high-rise across the street—they were all eye-catching, luxuriously dressed beauties. The men wore magnificent, sharp formal suits, the women wore colorful, floor-length gowns. They stood elegantly, conversing with abandon, looking as if they were about to attend some high-society gathering, or perhaps waiting for a film or advertisement arranged by an agency.
Of course, to the destitute Roger, these were all nothing more than meaningless illusions.
After glancing at the handsome men and beautiful women—who were wearing thin gowns paired with fur coats even on the streets of New York in December—Roger waited for the green light before preparing to cross the street.
Just then—
Hello!
Someone greeted him.
Roger did not realize that the person was greeting him and continued walking forward.
Sorry! But—
Along with the greeting, a hand landed on Roger's shoulder.
—Ah?
Roger stopped in his tracks and turned around in shock.
The person who had put a hand on his shoulder was actually one of the handsome man and beautiful woman he had seen standing at the intersection just now!
The man was tall and handsome, dressed in luxurious and neat attire. A long, white silk scarf was wrapped around his neck, a black leather eye mask, common at masquerade balls, was tied across his face. He was incredibly eye-catching, yet he formed a dreamlike harmony with the Christmas decorations found everywhere on the street.
Mister, you have the wrong person.
Roger said cautiously.
He was a vagrant living at the very bottom of society; how could he possibly be on the same level as this person before him, who exuded the aura of high society nobility—
I am sorry, but we intend to hire you.
The Man's voice was magnetic, carrying a sense of drowsy comfort as it entered the ear.
Hi—hire me?
Roger was stunned: "You.. intend to hire.."
Our banquet is about to begin, but many of the invited guests have failed to show up, leaving us with a significant amount of leftover prepared ingredients, which is quite a headache for us. Therefore, we intend to randomly select a few wanderers to serve as temporary guests, sitting at the very end of the dining table to share the feast with us—any remaining food will be packed into paper bags for you to take back to your lodgings. What do you think?
This.. this..
The Man's incredible invitation left Roger stunned and speechless. He instinctively wanted to scream, but his mind and body were already captivated by the Man; his lips trembled incessantly, yet he failed to utter a single word. His feet moved uncontrollably, following the Man into the bright and glamorous crowd.
On the bustling streets, crowds flowed like a woven fabric, no one noticed these two passersby who were so mismatched in appearance—their outfits were indeed enough to arouse suspicion, but with less than a week until Christmas, the streets were filled with people dressed in all sorts of strange and peculiar ways.
Moreover—
This is New York; no one has any obligation to care about strangers.
..
Roger followed the Man through the street, shuffling forward mechanically like a zombie that had lost its ability to think. His left hand was gripped tightly by the Man's palm, which appeared slender but was actually incredibly powerful. His remaining sanity told him that he had to escape immediately, but his body simply could not break free from the Man's grasp.
He wanted to cry out to the people around him for help, but his tongue and throat no longer belonged to him, making it impossible to make a sound on his own—and the indifferent looks from the people passing by made him realize: even if he were to overcome his unspeakable terror and let out a scream for help, they would not stop their footsteps for him.
And so, led by the man in fine clothing, Roger followed the handsome men and beautiful women through the bustling streets and into a narrow alley.
At the end of the narrow alleyway was a black iron gate.
The woman in the lead raised his hand and knocked lightly three times, the iron gate opened immediately.
..
..
And then? What happened after that?
In the Interrogation Room decorated with a Christmas Tree, Peterson pressed for answers urgently.
You believe me? You actually believe what I said?
Roger stared with wide, incredulous eyes.
“—Your experience might be unbelievable, but this is the Special Events Investigation Department; the things we deal with on a daily basis are far more bizarre and terrifying than your story.”
Peterson emphasized impatiently, "So, hurry up and tell us what happened next!"
But.. those experiences.. were those experiences real? Maybe they were just delusions from when I was drunk.. Everyone says I must have gone mad, that I must have gone mad to.. to..
Roger repeated his terrified murmurs, clearly having not yet recovered from the horrific memories of three days ago.
I.. I—
For someone experiencing something so terrifying for the first time, it is indeed a reality that is hard to accept, but since you have chosen to walk in here, you should tell us everything you know—
A kind voice drifted into Roger's ears as the door opened.
He turned his head and glanced at the beautiful young man with golden hair and green eyes who walked into the room. His tense nerves suddenly relaxed, in a voice that was almost a sob, he said, "Thank you.. thank you.. I, I, I will tell you everything I know—"
There is no need to be so rushed, just tell us everything you can think of.. Recall it carefully, in chronological order.. You can say whatever you need to say..
Wood said softly, pushing the hot cocoa, topped with small bear-shaped marshmallows, toward Roger.
The sweet aroma of the hot cocoa mixed with marshmallows brought a gradual spark to Roger's eyes.
.. I followed them through the iron gate, behind it was a dark, magnificent Manor.. There were no lights in the Manor, but I.. because everyone traveling with me at that time had, had.. their eyes lit up, flashing a terrifying red light like beasts. I was so scared, but I.. at that time, I don't know why, my body felt a massive sense of dread, yet my brain had absolutely no thought of fleeing..
You still remember the exact location of that house?
I.. I.. I remember the alleyway.. I remember the location of the iron gate, but.. but when I tried to find that place again the next day, it..
There is nothing left, is there?
Ah.. y-yes..
Roger clutched his head in despair, continuing to recount his horrific experience.