Chapter 280: Trouble
Translator: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Thanks to the unique noise of an ignited fuse, plus the sulphuric nitre smell that escaped when the iron door was opened, Kieran instantly guessed what was beyond the door.
Explosives!
Kieran had no idea why a person would prepare so many explosives beforehand. The only thing he knew that moment was that if he wished not to end up in pieces himself, he needed to run as fast as he could.
Kieran sprinted out of the reception door and onto the grass field at the front before suddenly…
BOOM!
An unstoppable force blasted him from the back, sweeping him off his feet and sending him flying forward like a leaf amid a raging gust of wind.
Rampant flames blasted out through every window, door and frame in an instant. Every possible exit was destroyed by the blast and the burning fire as glass debris flew all over the place.
The burning fire rose up high in the night sky, producing a thick rolling smoke.
Kieran slowly crawled up the grass field, shaking his head.
He was not hurt by any means, but the explosion had compromised his hearing, filling his ears with a deafening noise and causing him to struggle to find his balance.
Car lights flickered in the distance. Before the sharp braking noise could stop completely, Schmidt had jumped out of the Picard.
"Are you okay? 2567?" Schmidt ran up to Kieran, asking about his well-being.
"I'm fine. My ears are just ringing a little." Kieran shook his head and turned around towards the recovery center, which was engulfed by the raging fire.
"What happened? What caused the fire?"
Schmidt was also looking at the fire, his face filled with confusion.
"I met a demon. That guy purposely chose the Gordon Recovery Center to raise the demon. I just don't get it. Why did he set up so many explosives?"
Kieran briefly explained about his encounter with the demon before voicing his own question.
"That bastard is really crazy! How could he control something and make it self-destruct? But then… What about Louver?"
Schmidt's sense of justice enraged him, but then he started to worry and sympathize with the young man.
As for the person who had raised the demon, neither Kieran nor Schmidt believed that he had died in the explosion. That person must have been controlling others inside the Gordon Recovery Center. There were far too many suspects.
"From the looks of things, Louver might actually have been controlled! His heart was filled with self-destructive emotions! If I was that guy, I would not have let such good material slip away. The method he used to raise that demon..."
Kieran went quiet, but Schmidt understood right away.
Bang!
Schmidt smashed his hand hard against the hood of the car and cursed, "F*ck!"
Although Schmidt was unclear about how the demon had been raised, judging by his past experience, he knew this was bad news.
After all, a demon that was not harmful to humans was unheard of. Raising a demon could only end in a tragedy.
"I will find and kill that piece of sh*t!" Schmidt said furiously.
"We have to find him fast!" Kieran said, raising two of his fingers.
"We have two leads now. First, that list that we found in the Cursed Society's secret room. There were two obvious things on that list, a Blood Queen Tiara and the Fantos' manuscript. If we search for those names, we should be able to find something!"
"Second, we have the explosives before us. I don't think that guy could have made so many explosives appear magically. He must have some secret channel for getting explosives! I think you should have some insight on those!"
Schmidt was outright and outspoken. Despite his hot temper, he would never take the bad guy's side. Kieran believed that Schmidt had several methods to keep an eye on illegal channels for arms deals.
Explosives had to be included in those channels.
"Leave the explosives to me!" Schmidt said right away as soon as Kieran finished his words.
"Then I'll follow the Blood Queen Tiara and the Fantos' manuscript leads! I'm quite curious about what that person took from the Cursed Society. Those were my rewards!" Kieran said slowly in a cold tone.
A stingy person like Kieran hated having his rightful belongings taken away from him. As long as they were living under the same sky, Kieran would find that person.After dividing up the tasks, the two of them waited for the police cruisers to arrive. Only then did they return to the city.
"I don't want to cause a panic! If the famous "Bird of Death" visits the station late at night, everyone will think the God of Death is at our doorstep! Our director has high blood pressure, you know. I don't need another idiot replacing him and poking around right now! It would take me longer to cope with another idiot! Don't worry, I'll find you tomorrow! Good night and sweet dreams!" Schmidt said, waving goodbye at Kieran.
Kieran gave him the middle finger and started the Picard. Schmidt was laughing as he disappeared into the night.
"What trouble have you caused me this time, Rei?"
Kieran could not help but shake his head as he drove with a bitter smile on his face.
Schmidt's mocking laugh had faded away, but it was not the end.
Kieran knew that Schmidt had no hidden intentions. It was just a joke between friends. Someone else would not have taken it as a joke though.
Others could not understand process. They only recognized results.
From the day Kieran had taken the train back to the West Coast, to 1st Black Street, the Cursed Society, the Hell Hounds, the Muller Society and lastly, to the explosion at the Gordon Recovery Center, ill omens had followed him everywhere. Or rather, death had followed him everywhere.
If it hadn't been for Nikorei's prophecy, those incidents would only have caused him surprise. He wouldn't have thought too much about them though.
However, under the circumstances, they had confirmed the prophecy of the strongest shaman on the West Coast. This obviously changed everything.
When the police officers had met them at the scene, their faces had been filled with panic, contempt and fear. Kieran could not help but sigh.
A couple of the officers had seen him several times that day. They had been there to clean up every time Kieran had ended a battle. Therefore, they were the group that feared Kieran the most and the group that spread rumors of those horrifying happenings around.
Kieran had also seen a couple of others, whose fear had turned into contempt after a couple of conversations regarding Kieran.
He had wanted to explain, but before he could approach them, every single one of them had scattered away like he had the plague.
Kieran had made the wise choice to give up.
"Why are you doing this to me, Rei?" he muttered to himself.
Up until now, he had not bought the story about Nikorei's prophecy.
However, if this was a joke, it was an obvious one. Kieran knew that Nikorei was someone who disregarded the consequences sometimes.
The old woman must have known very well what would have happened if she uttered such a prophecy about her assistant and how much trouble she would have caused him.
The Raven, the Ominous Bird, the Bird of Death, and everything else were only the beginning.
The real trouble was contained in the phrase "Reign the land with a kingly might".
Kieran could already imagine what situations he would have to face in the near future.
No one could laugh off something like that.
As a matter of fact, trouble had reached Kieran faster than lightning.
The accelerating Picard suddenly died, its lights going out without a warning.
The street lights also turned off, and so did the moon in the sky, which was suddenly blocked by a dark cloud.
Footsteps were heard in the darkness.
The steps seemed to be dragging and pulling against the ground.Chapter 281: Shepherd of the Dead
Translator: Dess Editor: Efydatia
A dark figure slowly emerged from the dark.
He was wearing long jeans and a jacket, matched with a long golden mohawk. His hair was long enough to cover his shoulders if it hadn't been tied up with a metal hairband.
His sharp brown eyes were scanning Kieran with a curious expression.
"2567? The Bird of Death? The kingsley man who will reign the land?"
Kieran felt very unsettled by the guy's questions.
Before he could utter a word though, the guy with the mohawk waved his hand at him.
"It's fine, I don't need any explanations. I'm just a messenger. On the first of December, the Shepherd of Death will be awaiting your arrival!"
As he waved his hand up, a black invitation letter was thrown against the windshield of the Picard. When it came into contact with the glass, it took a sharp detour and span inside the car, landing on the passenger seat next to Kieran.
The guy with the mohawk waved again and disappeared back into the darkness.
The Picard started up again, and both the car lights and the streetlights turned on once more.
Even the clouds blocking the moon dispersed, allowing its mystic blue light to reach the land.
Kieran squinted his eyes, scanning his surroundings. The streetlights in the distance had started to shine again as well.
To be honest, Kieran had noticed the guy with the mohawk the moment he had appeared, but the way he could merge with the darkness had been kind of magical. Still, it was nothing new for Kieran, who possessed Transcendence [Undercover] with a similar attribute.
The thing that concerned Kieran was how that guy had been able to block electricity.
Or had he found a way to block all energy that powered technology?
The latter was just a wild guess.
"The Shepherd of Death? What kind of organization is that?"
Kieran picked up the black invitation and saw a skull with an open mouth. There were two cyan-colored spirit fires burning in its eye sockets.
...
To the Bird of Death
We await your arrival on the 1st of December Er999.
Sincerely,
Shepherd of Death
4.11.Er999, Midnight
...
"They sent this invitation to me as soon as it was written? But then where is the address... Here comes trouble again!"
Kieran smirked a little as he finished reading the invitation.
The way they had appeared and delivered the invitation screamed of trouble, but Kieran still had to step in and solve the problem, because a Sub Mission had appeared.
[Sub Mission Unlocked: The Invitation of the Ancient Society]
[The Invitation of the Ancient Society: The Shepherd of Death has sent you an invitation. However, there is a lot of mystery surrounding them, so you need to be careful in your dealings with them! If you can find where they are first, of course! Beware, as this Sub Mission will affect Nikorei's prophecy about you and your reputation in this dungeon world!]
[Note: If you complete this Sub Mission regarding the Shepherd of Death with a perfect rating, your dungeon rating will increase significantly.]
"A perfect rating?"
Kieran glanced over the description and lingered on that particular phrase.
From the sound of it, the Shepherd of Death was not some ordinary enemy one could come across.
In fact, he was as much trouble as he sounded like.
...
"What? The Shepherd of Death?"
Kieran went back to the house on 1st Black Street and enjoyed his long-awaited dinner, which was chicken stew with rice.
The slightly charred taste of the onions and the tender chicken meat gave him a mouthful of flavor and an abundance of meaty juice when they were chewed together. The freshness and crunchiness of the onions filled the gaps between Kieran's teeth with a refreshing taste, further increasing his appetite.
The white pepper seasoning quickened Kieran's gobbling speed even more.
Of course, Kieran did not forget to elaborate on his encounters to Simones while he enjoyed his dinner, nor did he hide his intention to ask for help.
However, Simones hadn't heard of the Blood Queen Tiara or the Fantos' manuscript either. He said he needed to do some research on them.
When Kieran mentioned the Shepherd of Death though, Simones looked astonished. The spoon in his hand fell on the table.
The clear noise the spoon produced when it hit the wooden surface seemed extremely loud in the wide dining area.
Kieran swallowed another piece of chicken and stared at Simones' ever-changing face.
"Are they strong?" he asked.
"Very strong indeed! Back in the old days, the Shepherd of Death shared the same name and rank as the Dark Star, Night Demon, Unicorn, White Deer and Polaris societies. Aren't you curious about why you never heard of them if they are so famous and powerful?" Simones asked Kieran, who nodded.
"It was because 30 years ago, Rei eliminated that society! Who would've thought that they would rise again from the ashes..." Simones said slowly.
Kieran was rubbing his swollen temples, grunting as if he was in pain.
"The Shepherd of Death shared the same name and rank as the five major societies?"
"Yes."
"And Rei eliminated this so-called society 30 years ago?"
"Yes."
"So they've come back to take revenge?"
"Yes."
Each and every question was answered in an affirmative tone.
"The Shepherds were quite formidable, They were masters at communicating with the dead, and used the power of the dead for their own bidding. Some people had even heard rumors about them possessing a secret forbidden technique that could bring one back from the dead! Their members moved around like ghosts and always conducted business under extreme circumstances. They had no regular meeting points! Whenever anyone in the mystical realm spoke of the Shepherds, they felt reverence for them!"
Simones drew a deep breath, as if he recalled how scary the Shepherds had been back then.
"So why would Rei eliminate them?" Kieran asked out of curiosity. "Rei was not fond of fighting."
"Because they'd had their eyes on Ferad. They thought Ferad was good research material…"
Simones opened his hands helplessly.
Kieran kept eating his dinner quietly.
The Shepherd of Death had had their eyes on the spirit butler. It was obvious how that had turned out.
Nikorei had never been a battle fanatic, but she was not someone who would sit quietly when she was being bullied either.
Especially not when people around her were involved. Kieran could only imagine how furious she must have been during her prime time. He suddenly felt some sympathy for the Shepherds.
Despite their extreme measures of conducting business, such as moving around like ghosts and having no meeting point, they had been no competition for Nikorei.
The whole dungeon world was revealed to Nikorei's sight.
Following those leads, Kieran could already paint a picture of how this society, which had shared the same rank as the five major societies, had been eliminated.
At the same time, his opinion of Nikorei improved once again.
"She dealt with a society that shared the same rank as the five major societies single-handedly… No wonder Morenderke and Serdenk are afraid of Rei! There really is a story behind this! So, what shall I do about the Shepherds now?"
Kieran was thinking quietly as he finished his dinner.
Suddenly, a light bulb went on in his brain, shedding light on this serious matter.
He instantly smiled in delight from the bottom of his heart.Chapter 282: Pierret
Translator: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Kieran's serious expression turned into a delighted smile.
His sudden change of expression shocked Simones.
"2567? Are you okay?" he asked anxiously as he took out the [Calming Balm] he had with him all the time.
"It's nothing, I just find it funny that I'm frightened by the Shepherds."
Kieran waved the balm away with a smile.
"The Shepherd of Death may have shared the same name and rank as the five major societies, but that was during their prime! It's been almost 30 years since they were eliminated by Rei. Even if they did rise back from the ashes and gathered their remaining forces, they would only recover a little of their former glory. Otherwise, they wouldn't have appeared now that Rei is missing!"
"Rei and the major five societies went missing at the same time. This was a great opportunity for them to rise again, devour the other small factions and reclaim their power. They only sent an invitation to me though. What does that mean?" Kieran stared at Simones.
"Maybe they are afraid of being discovered?" Simones guessed.
"Yes, they are afraid! The Shepherds do not possess the confidence and abilities to take down the other factions, even without Rei and the other major societies, so they need to spread their name to show their strength! I am the unlucky guy Rei made a prophecy about, so I am the best possible target!" Kieran nodded.
"A lean camel is bigger than a horse, 2567! You need to be careful when you face the Shepherds! Especially considering their ability to control the dead!" Simones reminded Kieran.
"Don't worry, I value my life quite a bit! By the way, how did Rei go missing? What really happened?" Kieran asked in a serious tone, holding back his smile.
It was a question he'd wanted to ask ever since he had seen the description of [The Shaman's Partner II].
"It was that 'thing'! Don't ask me what it is, I really have no idea! Rei never told me much. She knew it would be bad for a half-ass like me to know too much. Other than the fact that Rei and the major five societies went missing because of that 'thing', I really don't know much more than you and Elli! If I could just…"
Before Simones could finish his words, he sighed and gave Kieran a bitter smile.
He looked more disconsolate than he had ever before.
Simones seemed to think that he was unable to do anything to help. His helplessness had increased even more and it felt more like remorse.
It seemed like Simones knew more than it met the eye, but he was not willing to reveal any more.
Kieran was not about to underestimate anyone within Nikorei's acquaintance circle, nor would he force them to talk about something they felt unpleasant about.
He quickly changed the topic.
"So can you help me investigate the Blood Queen Tiara and the Fantos' manuscript?"
Kieran switched the topic back to the list he had found in the Cursed Society's secret room.
"No problem, leave it to me!" Simones promised, accepting the task.
The two of them continued their casual conversation. Most of the time, Kieran was listening and Simones was talking.
They ended the session at about 1 a.m. at night. Kieran went back up to his room after telling Simones goodnight.
The rewards Kieran had gathered from all the other societies had been moved to his room.
He turned on the table lamp and got ready to go through the books he had gathered about [Mystical Knowledge].
Kieran was also planning on resting after an hour or two, as he still had to investigate Sunshine Mary in the morning. Otherwise, he would not have minded reading all night.
He first went through the books he had gotten from the Fiery Hounds' place. He shook his head in disappointment. He had read those books before.
He had also read half of the books he had gotten from the Cursed Society.
Fortunately, there was also the other half. It was enough for him to read for the time being.
When Kieran picked up a book named "Stars and Destiny", he placed it back down as soon as he flipped open the cover.
He had heard footsteps lingering at his doorstep.
It was Elli. Kieran put his book down and stood up before going over to the door and opened it.
"You… You are not asleep? Uhh… I am going to bed!"
A scared Elli was lingering outside. She staggered back a little, looking panicked and uneasy. She was stuttering, but before Kieran could even reply, she sprinted back to her room and slammed the door shut.
Bang!
The loud slam astonished Kieran.
He glanced over at her door and could clearly hear Elli screaming. From the suppressed noise, Kieran was certain that Elli was screaming her embarrassment into her pillow.
He had no idea why Elli had behaved like that.
"What happened?"
Kieran went back into his room and closed the door with a puzzled expression.
After a while, he had completely immersed himself into "Stars and Destiny". It was the book he had been looking for. To be precise, it contained basic knowledge of [Astrology].
It was what Rei's collection had been missing.
This did not mean that Rei's collection was inferior compared to the Cursed Society's. It was just that Rei's books were too advanced. Kieran, who lacked a basic understanding of the genre, could not understand those books, even though some of them were unique in the world. Even if he could make out some words or letters, when everything was combined, it left him baffled.
The Cursed Society's books filled those gaps for Kieran. It was an unexpected surprise for him.
Kieran immersed himself in the book, not caring about Elli's odd behaviour outside his door.
"Such an energetic young girl!"
Simones, who was in the study on the first floor looking for information about the Blood Queen Tiara and the Fantos' manuscript, had exclaimed when he'd heard the commotion upstairs.
...
Kieran was having breakfast in the morning, when Schmidt arrived with the newspaper as he'd promised.
"Simones, a fried egg sandwich and a glass of milk, please!" Schmidt requested without any courtesy.
"Very well!" Simones replied with a happy smile.
"Thanks to Boller, I come here for meals quite often! I hope that fellow is alright…" Schmidt said when he saw Kieran looking at him with a puzzled expression. Whenever he spoke about his partner, Schmidt looked worried.
Soon, he hid his emotions.
"See what the headlines are today? As expected! 'Death follows the Raven!', 'The attack of the Bird of Death', 'The Ominous Bird reigns the West Coast'... Such fitting descriptions of you!"
Schmidt was talking in a high voice, waving the newspaper around like a boy selling newspapers on the street as he read the headlines out loud for Kieran.
Kieran remained quiet as he poured cream, pepper and a whole lot of salt on Schmidt's fried egg sandwich.
"Please don't waste food!"
Kieran swallowed down his fried egg sandwich in two bites and gobbled down a glass of milk in one gulp. Then he urged Schmidt to finish his "special" sandwich and dragged him away before Schmidt could even grab a glass of milk.
"I won't be back in the afternoon. Just prepare dinner for me!"
As Kieran left instructions for Simones, he walked through the gate the workers were repairing. He dragged and threw Schmidt into the Picard's passenger seat and then started the car.
"You did this on purpose, right?" Schmidt said angrily in the car.
"So did you, I suppose?" Kieran countered Schmidt's question.
"Fine, fine! I admit it! I just wanted to see the famous Bird of Death get embarrassed when he saw his own name in the papers!" Schmidt said, finally surrendering.
"If you'd kept that last part to yourself, you might have sounded more sincere!" Kieran laughed coldly.
"I was just stating a fact! Stop the car, I need some water!" Schmidt told Kieran.
"No, you will repent for your sins by sacrificing your tastebuds!"
Kieran accelerated even more to stop Schmidt from jumping out of the car.
The car continued its journey to their next destination, the Golden Beach, at that ever-accelerating speed.
The Golden Beach was a popular tourist spot on the West Coast. During the summer, it attracted all sorts of tourists from all over the world.
It could be considered a paradise considering the sunlight, the sea and the number of women in bikinis there.
Unfortunately, it was winter now.
The chilling wind blew from the north. It was cold enough to pierce one's bones in combination with the humidity of the sea.
The dozen of uniformed police officers made the place look even more awful.
Schmidt raised his collar and tightened his coat as he got out of the car.
Kieran, on the other hand, ignored the chilling wind and looked at the Sunshine Mary at the far end of the beach.
The 20-meter tall ferry was very eye-catching.
Its mottled paint and rusty body did not rob it of its former luxurious look. On the contrary, it gave the ferry a different kind of appeal, making it look like a noble cruising ferry that had been through the sea of time.
As it rose from the bottom of the sea, it looked like an iron fortress.
However…
On the beach below the ferry stood a man in a formal suit and leather shoes with a frivolous manner that ruined the magnificent picture.
The man looked like he was in his thirties. His hair was combed and gelled back, so that when the sun shone down on his head, the light was reflected brightly.
His face was full of bumps, acne, and some swollen sores.
His voice was as loud as a cock's, yet it sounded terrible.
"I said, blast this spot right here! Use more explosives!" The man was shouting at the police officer on duty before he noticed Kieran and Schmidt approaching.
After glancing over at Kieran, he shouted at Schmidt, "Hey, amateur! Tell your men to set up some explosives here fast! I am the mystical consultant hired by the director! If it wasn't for your tortoise-like speed, I would have already completed this task!"
The horrible voice of the man and the words he had just uttered made Kieran frown.
A mystical consultant?
If Kieran was not mistaken, that title belonged to Nikorei!
Kieran looked at Schmidt in confusion.
"Yes…"
"You are the Raven, the Bird of Death, the Ominous Bird, the infamous 2567? Aren't you a little too 'normal-looking'? Well, anyway, I was looking for an assistant myself..."
The man interrupted Schmidt and started blabbering selfishly.
Kieran's expression turned serious.