"The relic is housed in the Rhine headquarters in Carson Rick, so Xia De, don't even think about getting close to it. The Association and the Five Gods Church have reached an agreement that this relic, which can usurp the power of Ring Sorcerers, is not allowed to leave the headquarters, and its use must be supervised by at least one High-Ring Sorcerer from the Church."
Even if he could access it freely, Xia De wouldn't be able to leave Tobesk and travel to a foreign country. Coldwater Port was far, but there was a statue of an Old God in the basement for teleportation. As for the Rhine Principality, Xia De was truly unfamiliar with it.
"I understand, but the summoning characteristic of the Level 0 relic has disappeared, hasn't it? Is it because that Old God has also departed?"
Xia De asked again. He didn't know the name of that Old God, only that it was a deity related to "gambling," and its image was a mysterious figure shrouded in a black robe. These vague conditions made it impossible to find any information.
Luvia shook her head regretfully:
"I cannot answer that question. When the Association took custody, that table was already in its current state. Compared to the Prophet Association, you are the one who knows its original condition best."
Xia De nodded:
"Last time in Terror Castle, I spent too much time asking Mr. Riddle about the situation and didn't have time to investigate other things. It seems this time, I'll have to find a way to get more information related to that deity. Even if I can't win at the gambling table, I'll have to find a way to win outside of it."
Xia De expressed his thoughts, and the purple-eyed girl smiled and said:
"In other words, cheating."
"No, no, Luvia, I don't have the guts to cheat in front of a god. Everything I do is within the rules. It's a pity it's not playing rhode cards; otherwise, I wouldn't be so troubled. The all things are impermanent card is the only special item that can be brought to the past. Carrying them will increase my luck in playing cards."
"But in that era, where were rhode cards?"
The purple-eyed girl's smile was beautiful. She then asked:
"Anyway, be careful tonight. Speaking of which, has Saint Delan Square Six been completely repaired?"
"It's repaired. I paid the final balance this morning, but they told me to open the windows and ventilate it for a while, otherwise the smell would be very unpleasant. The third floor is also accessible now, and I had them repaint the walls on the first floor and in the basement. The renovation, furniture, plumbing, gas lamps, and steam pipes are all complete. Now Saint Delan Square Six finally feels like a home."
"So you still live on the second floor?"
She asked curiously again.
"Of course, I'm used to living there. I always feel unsafe in Room No. 2 on the second floor, where a mass suicide case once occurred, so like the third floor, I still haven't put any furniture there. However, since the wall between Room No. 1, where Mia and I live, and Room No. 2 is not a load-bearing wall, I had someone open a door in the living room wall for easy access. As for how to utilize the space in Room No. 2 specifically, that's for later."
"What about the first and third floors?"
"The first floor is used as a guest room; there are three large bedrooms there, and the master bedroom even has an extra washroom. The third floor currently has no furniture and is left completely vacant, making it convenient for me to perform rituals, practice Miracles, and conduct dangerous alchemy experiments."
Xia De's arrangement of the rooms was very proper:
"I heard from the Dawn Church that a strange incident also occurred on the third floor—a disappearance case. A former owner of No. 6 once disappeared after going to the third floor, and not even a body was found. So, for safety, it's best not to have anyone live on the third floor."
"Your house is really strange."
Luvia carefully reminded him:
"If the two Ring術士 who died on the first floor were due to a struggle for the secret of the basement, which caused madness induced by the power of the statue, then explaining the suicides on the second floor and the disappearances on the third floor with the basement becomes a bit far-fetched. You'd best review the house's past records more thoroughly, paying attention to the manner of death of each former owner; perhaps there's a pattern."
She thought for a moment, then smiled again to reassure Xia De:
"But you and Mia have lived there for two months, and nothing has happened. I think perhaps the house really has no problems, or perhaps the house's dangers are simply ineffective against you. After all, compared to the true dangers you've experienced, what can that house possibly count as?"
What she said made a lot of sense. Sparrow Hamilton's passing might have just been an accident, and Xia De was very willing to believe that his house had no problems.
On the way home from the Prophet Association, Xia De used the cat food he had secretly brought from home to feed the stray cats nearby.
After returning home, he was still a bit worried about being discovered by Mia, but the completion of repairs at Saint Delan Square Six made Mia, who was accustomed to living in the house, very happy. It didn't even realize that some of its food reserves were missing. That evening, as Xia De read Mr. Riddle's biographical information, Mia was energetically running around the house.
Xia De's hearing was excellent, and the house was very quiet, so he could even hear the orange cat jumping around upstairs.
It really was as Dorothy had once "reported"—it was very interested in Room No. 2 on the second floor. Xia De hadn't closed the doors to Room No. 1 and Room No. 2, so the cat excitedly rushed in.
But it had no particular purpose; it just sniffed around, as if searching for something.
The usable area of the house had increased, but this also made Saint Delan Square Six seem a bit deserted. Even if Xia De didn't wander around at night, he would turn on all the gas lamps in the stairwell and hallways on each floor, so the gas bill would probably be higher in the future.
"Should I invite others to live here?"
Xia De was hesitant about this idea. Dorothy and Iluna both rented apartments in the city. If he invited them to move in, Xia De wouldn't charge rent, and it would make the house livelier.
But the problem was that such an invitation itself carried an implied meaning. Although social customs were open, and the nobles of the upper class had chaotic male-female relationships, a proper lady would not live with a man before marriage.
"I still need to confirm whether this house is truly dangerous or not."
Sitting on the sofa, holding a document paper with the "Prophet Association" letterhead, Xia De thought, then waved at Mia, who had just sauntered back through the doorway. The cat immediately ran over, leaped onto the sofa, and settled comfortably on Xia De's lap:
"But all in all, life is really getting better and better."
(Mia running)
"May the World Tree protect me in time."
Turning the key, the opened door revealed endless white mist.
Xia De stepped into the white mist door, and a murmur sounded at just the right moment:
【Outsider, you have stepped into the "Time Corridor".】
【Message from the Old God "Father of Infinite Trees":】
【fifth epoch 1784 Winter, North Continent, Terror Castle.】
【Event: Gambling Game - Life Game.】
【Duration: Twenty minutes (2/3).】
【You have gained additional information.】
【The figure of the Father of Infinite Trees continues to watch you.】
【The Old God of Time gives you a trial.】
【Help mortals win the "Life Gambling Game".】
【The Father of Infinite Trees will give you rewards: Miracle - Breath of Years, a piece of true information - Dark Dungeon.】
Currently, Xia De had not encountered a situation where the information given by the Father of Infinite Trees changed. Therefore, after hearing this string of information, he did not linger in the white mist but continued to step forward.
The mist dissipated, and cold air and the smell of decay rushed in together. The brightly lit white mist was replaced by dim yellow firelight. An ancient passage appeared before him, and behind him, he already felt a sense of being spied upon:
"So, why can't you just send me directly to my destination?"
This time, there was no time for Xia De to look around. The candle flames in the wall niches were already flickering violently. A biting wind blew from behind him, and an inexplicable sense of fear forced Xia De to run.
With his previous experience, Xia De knew this was a straight path, so he ran even more without hesitation. In just two minutes, he saw the metal door with the flipping coin symbol appear ahead. Xia De charged forward, crashed through the door, and fell directly into the room.
The door automatically closed as if it had springs, shutting out the unknown creature that existed in this eerie place.
He scrambled to his feet, panting, and looked around the room. This room, with its rectangular stone tile floor, was still as it was. The kerosene lamp on one side of the central square table illuminated a small half of the room, while the candle on the other side of the table was extinguished, leaving the other half of the room in thick darkness.
On the tabletop, the colorful phantoms representing witches, evil spirits, and dragons were eager to float above their respective grooves. And Mr. Riddle, dressed in a brown robe, barefoot, with his head wrapped in a turban, was currently trying to stand up from the wall.
He widened his eyes, looking at Xia De's haggard face, revealing an expression like he was on a pilgrimage. Then he spread his arms towards Xia De:
"Oh, you're back!"
Xia De thought this poor man, trapped in loneliness here, wanted to embrace him, so he also spread his arms, intending to hug him, disregarding the fact that the other party might not have bathed for several months.
Unexpectedly, Mr. Riddle only spread his arms and had no intention of embracing him, which made Xia De feel a bit awkward.
"After I left, did you recall more memories?"
Xia De asked cautiously. Mr. Riddle shook his head in a daze; his mental state was truly concerning:
"After you left, I barely felt the passage of time. My mind kept jumping between lucidity and unconsciousness. If I hadn't felt the great power of my Lord, Mr. Huan, protecting me in the dark, I'm afraid I would have already stepped into the embrace of death."
His legs seemed to be weak. After suddenly standing up, he had to lean against the wall to steady himself. Xia De took a few steps forward and supported this poor man. Considering Mr. Riddle's difficult situation, Xia De had prepared food for him in advance.
After the gentleman recovered, Xia De handed him the food, which had transformed from toys back into real items.
Mr. Riddle didn't care about the extraordinary ability Xia De used. After receiving the plated stir-fries, fish soup, vegetable salad, and fruit, he didn't even pick up cutlery and sat on the ground, wolfing it down.
