Suddenly, the red-haired girl stopped teasing the baboons, tilted her chin slightly, and called out loudly, "Sir, since you're already here, why not show yourself? Peeping at a lady while she bathes is hardly the behavior of a gentleman."
Hearing this, Ebner's heart stirred, but he did not dispel the three layers of "invisibility" shrouding him. Instead, he withdrew his gaze, held his breath, and did his best to minimize his presence.
Last time, when we were almost face-to-face, she couldn't pinpoint my exact location. Now, I'm at least twenty meters away from that hot spring. She isn't carrying any obvious mystical items either, so logically, she shouldn't be able to detect me…
As the seconds ticked by, the girl gradually lowered her guard and resumed teasing the baboons.
Yet, Ebner didn't act rashly. Instead, he continued to observe her every move…
About five minutes later, the red-haired girl once again lifted her head and repeated her earlier statement, her tone identical to before.
Is she bluffing, trying to lure out any hidden observers? But this is such an inefficient way to do it! What's the point? Even if I did step out, she wouldn't be able to deal with me…
Wait a minute! What if this is a double bluff? Maybe she wants me to think she's bluffing when, in reality, there really is an ambush nearby?
If that's the case, then whoever is hiding must be at least at the demigod level!
With this thought, Ebner activated "Pure White Eye" and focused intently on the hot spring.
And then… he saw it.
Amidst the baboons stood a tall woman with long golden hair and emerald-green eyes, clad in a silver-threaded coral fleece bathrobe.
She had clearly used some kind of ability to overlay a "baboon" onto others' "psychological perception" of her.
Psychological concealment or suggestion was far less effective against high-level existences.
In the original novel, even Klein's "True Vision" above the gray fog could directly see through Adam's "psychological invisibility."
Thus, Ebner's "Pure White Eye" easily exposed the woman hiding among the baboons.
Come to think of it, I did scan the area before entering the resort using "Pure White Eye." But since peeking into a bathhouse full of women was just too perverted, I skipped checking near the red-haired girl…
If not for my suspicions about her unnecessary theatrics, I might have really fallen into the trap!
"A demigod of the Spectator pathway? Hmm… This tall woman gives me the same feeling as Closfia… That should be right."
"They actually set up a demigod here to ambush me… But she's never even seen my face before. She can't even be certain if I was just passing by last time… Is this really necessary?"
As doubts arose in his mind, Ebner silently withdrew from the hot spring area. Then, without looking back, he swiftly left this troublesome place.
Since a demigod was involved, he wisely chose to steer clear.
If I can't beat them, I can at least avoid them, right?
If I really want to figure out what they're up to, I can just wait until my trump card—no, until Mr. Azik arrives, can't I?
With that thought, Ebner returned to the hidden cave on the other mountain. Gathering the Plant Girl, he then took an alternate route down toward Indor Harbor.
Thanks to the recent activities of "Iron Man" and "Doctor Strange," the city's security had greatly improved. At the very least, Ebner and the Plant Girl were able to reach No. 16 Port Avenue, where Miss Closfia was renting a villa, without any trouble.
Miss Sloth was the same as ever—lounging lazily on the sofa, reading a book—while Dunn was absent, presumably off "upholding justice" again.
Upon seeing the Plant Girl, Closfia beckoned her over, examining her briefly before turning her gaze to Ebner with a smile.
"I already know what Judy wants me to do…"
"As for your reward… Hmm, that 'cloak' was one of my husband's proudest creations. Originally, I only lent it to you for your 'performance'… But I'll go ahead and give it to you as a gift. Consider it my thanks. How about that?"
Ebner naturally accepted the gift with delight. He had already been considering how to "appropriate" the cloak for himself, and now he had gotten his wish effortlessly.
After that, Ebner carefully recounted the encounter at the hot spring resort to Closfia and asked, "Do you know who they are?"
Closfia snorted and replied, "Judging from your description of their appearances and their almost superstitious, gamble-like approach to setting a trap, I'd say it's most likely 'Greed' and her student."
"Heh, when you wear a persona mask for too long, it becomes hard to take off—even your mind starts getting affected… 'Greed's' problems might be just as severe as 'Pride's.'"
"Greed"? The 'Greed' from the Psychological Alchemy Society?
So that's why—even though she couldn't be certain I knew anything about the secrets hidden in the hot spring resort or whether I would even return there—she still ordered her student to bathe there as bait…
Just as Miss Closfia said, she's too much of a gambler… truly blinded by "Greed"!
Ebner's expression shifted into one of realization. Suddenly, he understood why Closfia had been traveling around with Captain Dunn all this time…
For one, it was likely preparation for some kind of ritual. But more importantly, it was probably a way to resist the effects of her "Sloth" persona mask.
…
On Wednesday morning, Ebner, who was staying at the Indor Harbor branch of the "Treste Golf Club" using his gold membership card, had just woken up and was preparing to head to the restaurant for his complimentary breakfast.
But just then, he suddenly noticed the colors around him becoming unnaturally vivid.
The white bedsheets became even whiter, the brown wooden floor turned a deeper shade of ochre, and the dark red curtains took on a hue like fresh blood…
In this world of overlapping colors, Azik Eggers emerged from the shimmering waves of the void.
As always, he wore a shirt, bow tie, tailcoat, and a tall hat. His skin was bronze, and his features were gentle.
I'm so jealous… I wish I had this ability to traverse the Spirit World too… Ebner found himself echoing Klein's thoughts from the original novel. Then, with a smile, he greeted,
"Good morning, Mr. Azik."
I wonder if he's managed to get me the 'Aura of Calderón City' he promised…
Azik removed his hat, glanced at Ebner—who was once again wearing a different face—and chuckled. "Every time I see you, I feel like I have to reintroduce myself."
Once you start getting regular letters from Klein, you'll get used to it… Ebner silently retorted, then gestured for Azik to take a seat. However, the latter waved his hand, looking slightly embarrassed as he said,
"I need to borrow your 'Book of the Dead' for a while. I need it to pinpoint Calderón City's location…"
So even a big shot like him can mess up, huh? He still hasn't remembered where Calderón City is? Then again, that city in the Spirit World doesn't actually have much connection to the Underworld. Most of Mr. Azik's recovered memories are related to the Underworld…
As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Ebner made an excuse to head to the washroom, where he opened the "Gate of Dreams and Reality" and retrieved the "Book of the Dead" from the resting chamber inside the Dream Labyrinth Tower.
Azik, for his part, didn't question the suspicious retrieval method. He simply accepted the book—its blackened cover so dark it seemed to pull in one's soul—and, with a single step forward, vanished from Ebner's room.
While waiting, Ebner took the opportunity to grab an extravagant breakfast from the restaurant and brought it back to his room.
Roughly twenty minutes later, as the colors in the room once again intensified, Azik reappeared, holding half of a tombstone in his hand.
Ebner glanced at the tombstone and saw that it bore an inscription in the "Language of the Dead":
"…A man with a terrible temper, who died after attempting to pit his head against someone else's hammer in a contest of hardness."
Wait, isn't this the blacksmith's tombstone that Klein saw during his first exploration of Calderón City? Why did Mr. Azik bring it back?
"The aura of Calderón City is difficult to preserve, so I chose an object heavily infused with it instead… I've placed a simple seal on it. The aura should last for at least two to three months before it starts to dissipate."
"I'll teach you how to unseal it. That way, you can extract the aura whenever you need it."
After explaining, Azik returned both the Book of the Dead and the half-broken tombstone to Ebner.
Once everything was secured, Ebner invited him to join him for breakfast and took the opportunity to ask about his experiences in Calderón City.
Azik hesitated for a moment before saying, somewhat uncertainly,
"Using your Book of the Dead, I was able to vaguely sense a presence slumbering deep within Calderón City… It should be the ancestor of that little friend of yours."
"He… or rather, it… felt dead, yet somehow still retained a sense of 'life'… I've never seen such a state before…"
"Moreover, I felt a 'bloodline' connection to it. Even though it has been dead for many years!"
"It might be my close relative… possibly my younger brother…"
"But I don't remember ever having a brother that closely related by blood…"
"Unfortunately, that city is far too dangerous. I'm not strong enough to investigate any further at the moment…"
(End of Chapter)