Chapter 128 Encounter with Qilangos
Hobert was particularly impressed by this plot. He entrusted the task of finding Qilangos to a gang leader, but when she and Fors came to collect the investigation results, the gang leader had already "arranged" the whole room.
But Hobert never expected that the gang leader who met a tragic end was Darkholm!
After all, he was someone who only got boxed meals upon his first appearance. Who would remember his name?
Standing at the door, Hobert hadn't vomited because of the scene inside yet, but he felt a strong malice.
Fors, who had a keen intuition, also sensed the malice. She looked at her bracelet, then at Hobert and Xio, feeling trapped.
By using a stone from her bracelet, she could traverse the Spirit World and quickly escape from here.
But she could only take one person with her. In the past, she would have taken Xio without hesitation.
However, after their conversation on Thursday, she had come to regard Hobert as a friend. Leaving Hobert behind would surely trouble her conscience.
Fors hesitated for just a moment or two, but those were crucial seconds.
Seeing Fors' expression, Hobert roughly understood what was happening. He quickly stepped forward and planted his cane into the ground: "Order!"
The "Tree of Order" rapidly grew taller and thicker, forming a canopy that reached the ceiling.
The canopy spread outwards, breaking through the window glass and extending outside.
While the "Tree of Order" was still growing, Hobert, as its holder, sensed a Beyonder attack incoming. He immediately twisted the attack's target, redirecting the Beyonder attack towards a chair.
Crack!
The chair shattered as if it exploded, littering the floor.
Hobert quickly pulled Xio and Fors behind the trunk to hide. Just as they did, someone appeared at Darkholm's doorstep.
He was in his thirties, with a broad chin and emerald green eyes—it was "Vice Admiral Hurricane" Qilangos!
Bang! Bang!
Hobert fired two shots from behind the trunk and used the order under the "Tree of Order" to make the gunshot louder than usual.
Qilangos' face was full of mockery. Just as he was about to rush forward for a new attack, he suddenly heard Hobert shout, "See this big tree? Underneath it, you won't be able to kill me. All order will work in my favor!"
This statement was half true and half false, as Hobert was bluffing.
However, the rapid growth of the big tree and the sudden loss of control of the attack did give Qilangos some concern.
Qilangos didn't rashly charge forward, but he couldn't see Hobert and the others under the canopy at all, so he waved his hand and a strong wind swept up the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys from the table, blowing them towards the three people hiding behind the trunk.
When Xio saw the head with a painful expression flying towards her, she subconsciously grabbed Hobert's arm.
Fors, who had once been a doctor, was not much better. She lifted her foot to dodge, but was held back by Hobert.
Qilangos did this to force them out of the protection of the "Tree of Order."
At this moment, Hobert suppressed the feeling of nausea, distorted the direction of Darkholm's flying head.
Snap!
Bones, organs, and other objects fell on both sides of the trunk.
Hobert shouted again, "Are you Arnold's men sent to kill me? Haha, your plan will fail. The gunfire just now will soon attract the attention of the official Beyonders!"
"Frenzy!" Qilangos was unmoved and launched a new attack.
Xio and Fors trembled, their rationality gradually disappearing from their eyes, apparently preparing to break through and confront Qilangos head-on.
Hobert quickly hugged the two tightly and used "Hypnosis" to help them regain their senses: "I am a non affiliate member of the Nighthawks. I will not be harmed, but you will definitely be taken as experimental subjects!"
Fors hesitated for a second or two, but these were crucial seconds.
Hobert saw Fors' expression and roughly understood what was going on. He stepped forward quickly and planted his cane in the ground: "Order!"
Qilangos halted his advance, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. Under the tree's canopy, any attacks were being redirected, direct assaults twisted away, and even mental attacks were ineffective!
Without hesitation, Qilangos turned and left.
It wasn't that he was scared, nor was he fooled by Hobert's words. Instead, he sensed the flow of order beneath the tree's canopy and knew he couldn't resolve the situation in a short time.
His decisiveness and swiftness in retreating impressed Hobert: This was the reaction of someone who had crawled out of a pile of corpses.
Qilangos had initially chosen to strike because he thought he could swiftly eliminate Hobert and the others without alarming anyone around. In that case, he could still have some "fun" with the two women.
Hobert finally let out a small sigh of relief. If he had made even the slightest mistake earlier—like directly calling out Qilangos' name instead of pretending to mistake him for someone else—Qilangos wouldn't have left so easily.
"Hobert, can you let go of me now?" Fors asked, her face slightly flushed.
It was only then that Hobert realized, in the urgency of the situation, he had hugged the two of them tightly without thinking. He let go and smiled, "Good thing I held onto you; otherwise, you'd have left the tree's protection."
As he recalled the sensation from earlier, he had to admit, Fors wasn't bad, while Xio… well, she probably hadn't fully grown up yet.
"Hahaha!" Xio and Fors suddenly burst into laughter, their eyes wide with surprise, but the laughter brought tears to their eyes.
The negative effects of the "Psychological Spoon" had kicked in, but this time, the effect appeared on those it had attacked.
Hobert, sensing something, used his ability to distort the laughter of Xio and Fors. The results were immediate—their faces still bore smiles, but they were no longer laughing out loud.
Once again, he marveled at how the "Psychological Spoon" was tailor-made for the "Lawyer" pathway. At Sequence 8, "Distortion" could cancel out most of its negative effects. By Sequence 7, "Distortion" should be able to completely nullify them.
Wiping tears from the corners of her eyes, Xio said, her face still locked in an unnatural smile, "Just now, just now…"
"It was Qilangos' mental attack, causing your emotions to become chaotic," Hobert offered a casual explanation.
Noticing a growing crowd outside, Hobert bent down to pick up the head of his cane and said, "Let's go! To the Evernight Goddess' Church!"
As long as there were people outside, he was willing to leave. He knew Qilangos wouldn't expose himself at this moment.
Weaving through the crowd, they hailed a nearby horse-drawn carriage. Hobert handed the driver a 5-soli note, "To the nearest Evernight Goddess' Church, and take the busiest route. The more people on the road, the better!"
The coachman pocketed the money gratefully. Though the request was odd, as long as there was money involved, he didn't mind following it.
patreon.com/KeyofStars for advance chp