Try It, Then Try It

Shadow Alliance.

Lynch felt a chill run down his spine, realizing he was facing a massive plan.

The entire scheme was like an iceberg; everything he had encountered so far was merely the tip. Beneath the surface lay hidden, terrifying malice that remained unseen.

This plan had been in motion for decades or even longer, and Lynch himself was but a small part of it, pushed by immense forces like a small boat in a storm, drifting along with no idea where he would end up.

"Shadow Alliance."

While Lynch was lost in thought, Miss Valente’s beautiful brows furrowed tightly as she let out a sound of surprise.

"You know of them too?"

"Yes, they approached Elder Nikolai. It was through them that we learned Chairman Grant was being supported by other ghoul tribes, so I have been investigating their connections for days."

"Even you?" Lynch said with a gloomy expression. "If I’m not mistaken, the Bru tribe also obtained information from them. Even Maya is said to have contacted them inadvertently. When Elder Nikolai went to the cabin in the woods to find the reporter Maya last time, it was they who warned her of the danger in advance, allowing her to leave."

"Huff, actually... Could it be that Bru and Grant learned about Zur Baha Sahr from the Shadow Alliance?"

"Hm? They didn't know before?"

"I’m not sure, but the existence of Zur Baha Sahr has always been a secret. Even the high-level officials of Lande only know that an evil god's avatar sleeps in that region; they have no idea about the existence of Zur Baha Sahr. The Bru tribe has never caused trouble for so many years; their sudden intervention this time suggests they likely received the news recently." Miss Valente exhaled a cold breath and whispered, "If that is the case, it means they are the ones pulling the strings behind the entire affair. And looking at it now, they have been laying the groundwork for at least twenty years. What exactly is their purpose?"

Lynch stared at the letter and the picture frame in contemplation for a moment: "Actually, it is not impossible to analyze the answer."

"You can do it?" Miss Valente’s eyes widened in surprise.

"Detective work relies entirely on deduction; it’s how I make a living, nothing to be surprised about. Let’s confirm first: what is the purpose of the Bru tribe’s meddling? To awaken Mordiggian?"

"Probably not, but I am only guessing and cannot be certain. As far as I know, most ghouls have no interest in summoning Mordiggian, but they all desperately want Zur Baha Sahr to be excavated. That act itself should be quite meaningful to them, regardless of whether it results in Mordiggian being awakened."

"So, the Shadow Alliance is likely deliberately provoking this conflict, pitting you against each other to achieve their own ends." Lynch tried to recall the political dramas he had seen in his past life and analyzed rapidly, "Since they are betting on both sides, it means they can achieve their goals regardless of who succeeds."

Miss Valente frowned and thought for a moment, nodding in agreement.

"Then, setting aside possibilities, coincidences, and such factors, and analyzing only the facts that have actually occurred, what will happen if we succeed?"

"But there are so many accidents..."

"Forget the possibilities, consider only the facts that have already occurred."

Miss Valente pondered for a moment and said: "Destroy the evil god's avatar and completely resolve the hidden threat."

It was an obvious answer, but Lynch’s gaze was full of doubt. He pondered for a long time before saying hesitantly: "Then what if Bru and the others succeed?"

"They can only excavate Zur Baha Sahr as quickly as possible, mobilize the top combat power of all Lande or even all of Middle Earth, and destroy the avatar while Mordiggian has not yet fully manifested, to completely resolve..."

As she spoke, Miss Valente trailed off, and Lynch remained silent with a grave expression.

No matter who won, the result was essentially the same.

Lynch narrowed his eyes; the answer was truly unexpected.

This dark organization, which had almost killed him, incited various forces to fight each other, and had indirectly caused hundreds of deaths so far—could their goal also be to destroy the evil god's avatar and stop the sacrifices from continuing?

You have to be kidding.

Lynch instinctively denied his own speculation. There were too many unknown factors to reach a conclusion now, and besides, these were enemies—the kind where it was either you or them.

However, he also knew clearly that once all interference factors were excluded, the remaining answer, no matter how bizarre, was likely the correct one, or at least close to it. Perhaps...

Looking at Miss Valente’s equally confused expression, Lynch frowned and hesitated for a long time before tentatively saying: "How about... we try it too?"

"Ah?"

Lynch pointed to the empty picture frame lying on the ground: "You should know how to contact the people of the Shadow Alliance."

Miss Valente’s breath hitched as she looked at Lynch in surprise: "Are you sure? I’ve always felt they aren't good people, so I’ve avoided deep contact with them. Even if your analysis makes sense and their goal is the same as ours, but..."

"But there are two of us."

Lynch’s words stunned Miss Valente, and she fell silent. She understood what Lynch meant. Charles’s questions in this letter had been answered, just not written in detail. The other party’s biggest obstacle was the number of people, while the two of them were completely unburdened. If they knew the method, it might actually be possible to crack the mystery of why the evil god’s avatar could not be attacked.

"Yes, regardless of whether our guess is true or false, at least we can learn the method through them. This is the only opportunity we know of; we must seize it. At the very least, let’s find out the reason first. As for whether we follow through later, we have our own judgment and won’t be led astray by them."

Miss Valente blinked, feeling moved. What Lynch said was quite reasonable. The most urgent thing now was to solve the problem of the evil god’s avatar first. As for the disputes with the Shadow Alliance, they could wait until after they made contact.

"Mm, I do know the method... Shall we really try?"

Try it, then try it.

The situation had reached this point, and there was nothing left to hesitate about. The two quickly reached a consensus.

Lynch placed the box on the ground, rolled his eyes, and slightly adjusted the angle so that the empty picture frame was facing the light sphere sideways.

This thing was a conceptual weapon, and its image inherently carried the filthy power to destroy the will. Even without looking directly at it, the impact was quite powerful; facing the frame directly might send the other party away immediately. From this angle, a slight movement of his finger could turn the frame to face the evil god’s avatar, and the other party would be staring at the evil god before they could even react.

"Is it ready?"

Miss Valente bit her lip nervously.

"Mm, twenty years have passed. I hope the other party has also passed down the legacy."

In truth, he knew clearly that the other party must have passed it down, but Lynch’s heart was still beating nervously as he watched Miss Valente shine the Torch of Light onto the frame, then used Lynch’s coat to block the front of the frame, allowing the shadow cast by the clothing to shroud the entire frame.

Flash, flash, flash.

Following a strange frequency, she uncovered the coat again and again. To Lynch, it felt somewhat like Morse code. After a dozen times, Miss Valente stopped and nodded at Lynch.

The two held their breath together, staring fixedly at the frame.

Neighbor bless us, it must work.

It was unknown how much time had passed when the shadows within the frame twisted and gradually coalesced into a clear image, emerging on the blank canvas.

"You have finally reached this step, Mr. Lynch Levive. Give my regards to that lady for me, and welcome her back on the journey home."