Chapter 21
The shadow pulled the trigger, and a bullet pierced Solari's lung.
Bang! Bang!
Solari gritted his teeth against the excruciating pain, firing off the last two rounds from his gun, while the floating handgun in front of him also discharged its final shots.
Bang! Bang!
Solari staggered backward, his body swaying.
In Thomas's blurred vision, he saw the shadow crouching down before him, holding a revolver.
"Your Excellency... uh..." Thomas tried to say something, but he coughed up a mix of black blood and internal fragments, helplessly watching as the shadow pried open his right hand, placed the gun in it, and slowly positioned his fingers to grip it.
Why...
Thomas's consciousness began to fade, the murmurs in his mind buzzing loudly, while the flesh on his face started to twitch uncontrollably.
A slender tendril emerged from the gun's barrel, falling to the ground and radiating an ethereal glow invisible to ordinary eyes.
Until his last breath, Thomas would never know who had killed him or what kind of person he had crossed.
He would never have imagined that the one he had angered was the girl in the house not far from the street, whom he had deemed "no threat" and "wouldn't be pursued even if dead."
"It’s over..." Xiar smiled beneath her mask, a feeling unlike any she had ever experienced rising within her.
Is this the power of the extraordinary?
Ordinary people, even in death, wouldn’t know how they had perished.
Even the semi-extraordinary Thomas couldn’t perceive her actions.
He had brought many subordinates; let’s kill a few more!
A sudden thought shot through Xiar's mind, but quickly, 【Calm Thinking Lv.1】 suppressed it in an instant.
She could feel a faint buzzing in her ears, and as the blood on the ground spread, it began to form a rhythmic sound.
What is... that sound?
The whispering, ethereal words made Xiar's head throb; she quickly realized she shouldn’t linger here too long.
The thrill of killing exhilarated her, the restlessness from drinking the potion seemed almost uncontrollable, like a volcano ready to erupt, yet she had no idea how to suppress it.
She turned and stepped over the two corpses, sprinting toward the other end of the alley.
The shadow behind her hurriedly followed, occasionally stopping to wipe away footprints, silently urging her to wait.
As she burst out of the alley, the buzzing in her ears lessened, and the murmurs in her mind faded into the distance.
She quickly removed the church emblem and mask from her chest and tossed them behind her. The shadow caught the mask and put it on its face, swallowing the church emblem. After completing this, it leaped like a diver, merging into Xiar's shadow.
From here on, all Xiar needed to do was wait for things to unfold, to safely pass the next 24 hours and see if any trouble would come knocking.
Now, Xiar was headed to the café in the central district; she figured Lichi was probably getting impatient waiting for her.
...
"I told you to get that freak out of here, or I swear I’ll never come back for coffee again."
A heavily made-up, plump woman was berating a male waiter, her sausage-like fingers pointing at a corner of the café.
In that corner sat a girl with her head bowed, awkwardly clutching her coarse linen dress, her ears flushed red. In front of her were two cups of coffee that had gone cold, untouched.
This was an old café in the central district, operating for nearly a century. Although its popularity had waned recently due to the rise of tea houses and bars, it still attracted a fair number of middle-class and upper-class patrons.
"Excuse me, Ms. Plun... there’s still space over here," the waiter, tugged at by the woman, replied, drenched in sweat and trembling. "That lady has already paid; she can sit here..."
It was his first day on the job, and encountering such a harsh woman made him consider quitting the very next day.
"Can you even drink anything after looking at her ugly face?" the hefty Plun ruthlessly insulted. "This is a place of class, not a freak show!"
The girl in the corner trembled, feeling the stares of the well-dressed patrons around her. In a panic, she grabbed her cup and took a sip, the bitter coffee causing her to choke and cough.
A single tear traced a path through the air, adding a hint of saltiness to the bitter coffee.
Ding-a-ling—
The café door swung open, and a figure in a black robe stepped inside.
"Get lost, you fat pig."
A melodious voice rang out, but the words were so crude that they conjured images of a haughty beauty humiliating someone. Many patrons turned their attention to the entrance.
"What did you say?!" The plump Plun's face twisted in anger as she turned sharply, only to be momentarily stunned by the sight of a stunning girl draped in a mysterious, luxurious robe, her red, slightly curled hair cascading over her shoulders.
It was a beauty that made jealousy hard to muster.
"Say that again?!" Plun moved closer to the girl, but her pupils dilated in recognition.
She seemed to recognize the silver embroidery on the girl’s robe.
Considering the girl’s age, combined with her rare beauty that even nobles would envy, along with the silver embellishments... her noble identity seemed to leap to the forefront.
"Y-Your Excellency... I-I’m so sorry."
The once arrogant woman’s voice trembled as she awkwardly sidestepped the red-haired girl, hastily pushing the door open and fleeing without even grabbing her umbrella.
Ding-a-ling—
As the sound of the plump woman’s departure faded, the red-haired girl scanned the café. Everyone inside was either pretending to read their newspapers or looking elsewhere, feigning ignorance of what had just transpired.
Soon, the girl fixed her gaze on a spot and quickly walked to the corner, her previously harsh tone softening.
"Sorry, sister, I’m late."
A big shot, and her sister...
Good thing I didn’t go looking for trouble...
Why didn’t I go help her earlier...
No wonder she has a scar on her face; it turns out she’s from that church...
Among those present, some felt relieved, some were frustrated, while many were already formulating their words, preparing to strike up a conversation.
---
**Chapter 21: Police Investigation**
"Sorry, sister, for keeping you waiting so long."
Xiar sat down across from Lichi and took a sip from her coffee cup.
In Lichi's presence, her restless heart finally calmed down, the previously simmering rage slowly dissipating.
The dull ache in her head and the burning fire in her heart were definitely not her usual state.
Xiar had always been a person who avoided conflict, striving to maintain a low profile for a peaceful life.
Now, the violent thoughts and impulses swirling in her mind, along with the faint sounds echoing in her brain, were likely the effects of the potion.
Could a potion really alter a person’s character so drastically?
Fortunately, this was just a simulation; anything outrageous she did wouldn’t affect reality.
From what she had heard from Yulis, it seemed that potions were not limited to just one bottle; there might be more beyond "Avenger" and "Ascetic."
If the more potions one consumed, the greater the impact, Xiar couldn’t help but wonder if she would be able to suppress the violent thoughts that the potions had stirred within her.
"I... just waited a bit," Lichi replied, discreetly wiping her eyes with her sleeve, her gaze fixed on her coffee.
She hadn’t been to the city center many times, and she had rarely visited such upscale places. If Xiar hadn’t told her to wait here, she might never have stepped into such a beautiful café in her life.
"What’s wrong?" Xiar keenly noticed something off about Lichi’s mood. She tilted her head slightly to see Lichi’s face, but Lichi buried her head even lower. "Are you upset?"
"No..." Lichi took a deep breath and lifted her head, but when she saw Xiar, she froze.
"Xiar?" Lichi didn’t realize her voice had risen slightly, "Your hair?"
It was no wonder Lichi was surprised; her sister had always had long, beautiful red hair that cascaded down to her waist, but now it was suddenly cut to shoulder length and styled in curls. Though it still looked good, it felt strange to Lichi.
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