John arrived alone on the street where Rose Bar was located.
This street was famous in the Imperial Capital for its string of nightclubs.
However, due to the recent incidents at Rose Bar, the area had been under martial law, casting an especially desolate look over the street.
John stepped into Rose Bar once again.
He had always felt sothing off about this place but couldn't quite put his finger on it until he returned at night.
So things are invisible by day and only beco clear in the darkness.
He went down to the basent again, where he noticed a faint light seeping from a secret passage that had previously held several large boxes.
He gripped the Bloodthirsty Blade tightly in his hand and kicked open the wooden panel that concealed the passage.
His expression turned very serious.
Before today, there had been no passage here, nor any wooden panel.
He was absolutely certain when he checked earlier in the day that there was just a solid stone slab behind it!
This ant that soone had forcibly created this passage while they were away, covered it with wood, and knew that he would return.
The Bloodthirsty Blade glead dazzlingly under the dim light.
He slowly walked further inside; oil lamps lit the way, but the lighting was sparse, barely enough to see the path ahead.
As he entered the tunnel, his hand brushed against the damp walls where the stone appeared to have been crudely cut with a blade.
His eyes lowered slightly—it seed this place had indeed been hastily excavated.
As for who was behind it, that went without saying.
"Heh..."
John couldn't help but let out a cold laugh.
It seed the person behind the scenes was indeed targeting them, otherwise, they wouldn't have deliberately left such an obvious flaw.
They were certain he would return and discover this tunnel.
He had no idea what awaited him further inside, but it didn't matter.
Whatever it was, he was determined to uncover the truth behind this affair.
The tunnel was exceedingly long, yet the oil lamps were lit all along its length.
Timing himself, John walked at a normal pace, yet after nearly 20 minutes, he still hadn't reached the end.
His heart grew heavier.
From the ti the items were moved from Hidden Stars to his arrival, only about five to six hours had passed.
Within this period, soone had managed to dig such a lengthy tunnel?
Tunnels were no trivial task; they required the removal of all debris and had to be ticulously hidden, especially since the street was under martial law, yet still populated.
That soone had managed to excavate this tunnel without detection was nothing short of astounding.
After about another ten minutes, John felt the air within the passage beco fresher, and faint sounds began to echo from ahead.
He knew he was nearing the end.
Gripping his knife tightly, he advanced another ten ters or so and finally saw a wooden door.
On the wooden door, a large rose was painted, its colors vivid under the candlelight.
Yet, the thick scent of blood perating the air revealed the true nature of this so-called red.
Blood.
The color on the rose petals continued to trickle downward, indicating that the blood had been freshly applied not long ago.
The noises behind the door grew louder, a cacophony of what seed like revelry mixed with prayers, the mingled sounds causing a headache.
It was as if they were taunting John.
"I'm right here; do you dare to co through? Do you dare to open the door?"
John first sent a ssage to Alia and the others before pushing open the door that stood before him.
As he opened the door, a strong sll of blood hit him, mixed bizarrely with the scent of roses.
He seed to have entered a vast underground plaza.
In front of him, countless people in black robes knelt on the ground, seemingly engaged in fervent prayer, the surrounding torches illuminating the area brightly.
John walked in, but not a single person turned to look at him; they continued their devout prayers.
Atop a platform, a statue resembling a wood carving was covered with a red cloth.
These people lay on the ground, muttering words, their faces marked with an expression of zeal.
John took a few steps forward and realized that no one turned to look at him; it was as if they couldn't sense his presence at all.
He gripped the Bloodthirsty Blade tightly, his brow furrowing slightly in hesitation, unsure how to handle the situation.
However, his attention was quickly drawn to a woman in a black cloak approaching him.
"This way," she said, coming directly in front of him and gesturing for him to follow.
John paused, instinctively taking a closer look at the woman, only to notice her ghastly pale complexion, unlike that of a normal human.
Her pupils appeared slightly dilated, and her movents were markedly stiff, even her tone of voice carried a chanical timbre.
This was...
[Na: Puppet (Human-like)]
[Level: Lv54]
[Skill: Unknown]
A puppet?
As John read the system's prompt, his heart sank even further.
If it were just an ordinary puppet, the system wouldn't have specifically alerted him.
Now that it had, it suggested that this might be...
Sothing produced in the secret realm.
Or perhaps, this puppet had once been a living person, transford into a puppet by so thod.
"This way," the puppet repeated, her eyes devoid of focus, maintaining the sa posture, with her hand movents unchanged in their precision.
anwhile, the people kneeling on the ground seed oblivious to the conversation behind them, continuing their fervent prayers with a touch of madness in their eyes.
Torches burned around the periter of the plaza, their heat intensifying the acrid sll of blood in the air.
Yet, a faint scent of roses lingered at the tip of John's nose.
He suspected this was likely the underground stronghold of the Dusk Sect, but who did this puppet belong to?
And why was it so insistent on leading him sowhere? What exactly was waiting for him?
"This way," the puppet repeated, seemingly programd to continue until it received a response from John.
John was puzzled but followed the puppet nonetheless.
He had thought this was just an underground plaza, but to his surprise, the puppet led him up a staircase.
There was a second level?
John kept his expression neutral, though he was inwardly astounded.
This was not sothing that could have been accomplished in a short span of ti; the entire underground stronghold must have been long established, and only the tunnel connecting it to Rose Bar excavated within the last five hours.
Who was this puppet master behind the scenes?
Were the thods of the Dusk Sect really so profound?
To remain undetected in the Imperial Capital for so long and even infiltrate the Star Cluster Academy!
After ascending to the second floor, the puppet stopped at the top of the stairs, indicating it had no intention of proceeding further.
However, John understood this as a cue for him to continue alone.
He gripped the Bloodthirsty Blade tightly; the pervasive sll of blood in the air seed to excite the blade, causing it to tremble uncontrollably.
Yet, he paused at the doorway of a room.
"Please co in," ca a sultry, enticing voice from inside.
The voice alone was almost enough to conjure an image of its owner—a vision of allure and charm.
It felt like a soft paw gently scratching inside his ear, as if it reached right into his heart.
Despite this, John didn't let his guard down but beca even more vigilant.
He pushed open the door, and his eyes were t with an extravagantly decorated room.
There was a rosewood carved daybed and matching tea set, with a hint of rose scent perating the air.
A large crystal chandelier illuminated the entire room brightly.
And reclining on the daybed was a beauty.
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