I Am Here

Endless vertigo nearly devoured Lynch's senses.

The moment he realized the reflections in the railway blueprints were ancient, eerie patterns, everything had already happened.

A continuous stream of blood red fog seemed to pour from his soul, forming a bottomless vortex that swallowed Lynch's will in an instant.

Lynch felt as though he had been tossed into a centrifuge, spinning at high speed. Extreme pain battered his soul, pushing him to the brink of madness. He could only grit his teeth, holding onto the last sliver of clarity in his mind, and bitterly wait for the torture to end.

Thump.

The next moment, everything around him shattered like a mirror. Lynch's consciousness jolted, the dizziness faded abruptly, and he felt solid ground beneath his feet once more.

He was no longer in the enclosed basement of the mansion but in an open air space. Yet, even before he could consider his own situation, Lynch discovered a grave problem.

He could no longer sense that presence within his soul.

Ever since his transmigration, the Lady of the Red Moon had been with him day and night in his mind. It was by relying on that phrase that would ring out at any moment, "I am here," that Lynch found the courage to face this new world.

It could be said that she was the closest entity to him. No matter how strange or dangerous the situation, when that gentle female voice resonated within his soul, his heart would be filled with courage.

But at this very moment, with that familiar and intimate connection suddenly severed, Lynch felt as if a piece had been carved out of his heart, leaving it hollow and desolate.

"Neighbor?"

Silence in his consciousness.

What was going on? Lynch's heart was filled with profound disappointment, bordering on despair. For a moment, his mind was a blank, completely at a loss.

It was as if the very foundation of his conviction had suddenly vanished.

No, I am a transmigrator. Transmigrators can do anything; I cannot be this flustered just because my neighbor isn't home.

It must be the work of that mystery document. Everything has a solution; I must first understand the current situation.

Taking a deep breath, he forcefully suppressed the panic in his heart. Lynch observed his surroundings and found himself in a very strange environment.

Under the cover of night, the air was filled with red fog representing mystery filth, making the entire environment reek of indescribable, bizarre distortions. Within the red fog, whispering sounds rustled on and off, sometimes near and sometimes far.

Enveloped by the red fog was a strange city exuding a bewildering aura. The city's architecture was a blend of his hometown and Victorian styles, carrying a very unique charm.

Luxurious, flamboyant, noisy, filled with bright lights, debauchery, and indulgence.

Melodious music lingered in his ears. In the shadows of the buildings, well dressed gentlemen and ladies walked back and forth, laughing softly.

Everything was so real, as if he had transmigrated yet again. Especially the pedestrians; every movement was vivid, as if they were real people.

Standing on the bustling street, watching the carriages and pedestrians passing under the night sky, Lynch was momentarily dazed. Rationality told him that the reason the mystery document possessed such powerful erosion was that it connected to this place, and he had only been pulled in here because he resisted the first wave of erosion.

The question was, where is this?

The surroundings were filled with mysterious filth, indicating this was certainly not the present world, and it was hard to say if it was even reality. Lynch even suspected that the state of this place was similar to the memories of a mystery relic, merely a memory from the Dreamlands.

So, was the true purpose of Prince William and the others, who spent so much effort and killed hundreds to create the mystery document, to enter this place?

Then they must have had their own goals. Unless they were bored enough to set a trap for me, even if this place wasn't safe, it wasn't necessarily a death sentence. I can observe the situation first and see if I can figure out their purpose.

But at the very least, I must find a way to leave. Being soaked in mysterious filth every moment is becoming increasingly unbearable. If I continue like this, no matter how strong my will is, I won't be able to hold out.

Quickly clearing his thoughts, Lynch noticed the attire of the people around him was not much different from his own. He left the dim corner where he stood and walked upright into the crowd.

The pedestrians on the street spoke an unknown language, yet Lynch could understand it despite never having heard it before. He stopped to buy a cup of coffee and a sandwich from a street stall; the other party understood the Lande language he spoke without any difficulty. Furthermore, even the currency could be used.

Taking a bite of the food, the taste was incredibly real, as if this were a normal world. Everyone around him lived their own lives; Lynch even witnessed a thief reaching out to steal and saw a couple arguing on the street. This made Lynch increasingly confused, as if... hmm?

Just as Lynch was walking along, coffee in one hand and a sandwich in the other, looking around like everyone else, a sudden sound entered his ears.

Lande language. Among the surrounding unknown languages, it sounded as clear as a lighthouse.

Peers. Most likely Prince William's people.

A feeling of being watched made Lynch's hair stand on end. He resisted the urge to look around, continuing to eat and stroll, subtly casting his gaze toward the direction of the sound.

It was an unremarkable building with a sign for a monastery hanging at the entrance. Ambiguous purple light occasionally filtered through the windows. Accompanied by melodious, hazy music, men were seen entering and exiting from time to time.

It didn't look like a proper place at all.

What caught Lynch's eye were two men in formal attire walking out. They were dressed like Lande gentlemen. One of them was Walker of the Rangers, a rank four Soul Severer. The other Lynch did not recognize, but judging by Walker's unusually respectful attitude, his status must be quite high.

Seeing them off was a beautiful, delicate young girl wearing a long yellow dress. She had a tall figure and fine skin, holding a fan to cover half her face. A pair of eyes peeked out from above the fan, revealing an indescribable coldness.

Hiss. The moment Lynch saw this woman, he felt a chill throughout his body. His inner self was screaming a warning, as if he had seen something truly terrifying. However, the other party merely sent the two men off before closing the door and returning to the building, not even glancing at Lynch again.

The two men strolled away from the building and soon blended into the crowd.

"Are you sure the documents were cleared out this time? I don't want that detective you mentioned to break in too. Who knows what he might do? I don't want to turn around and suddenly find that man peeking at us from the side."

"Please rest assured, Your Excellency. As you arranged, I had people burn that batch of materials. There will definitely be no problems this time."

"You said the same thing about the copies, and the result was... hmm?" The other person sneered. "I've cleaned up everything for you this time, so don't have any more issues in the future. Be careful when you go back. If there are any problems, come find me as soon as possible. Use the portal when necessary. Don't worry about the sacrifices that die each time; otherwise, if our affairs are delayed, all previous efforts will be for nothing, and you cannot afford that responsibility."

"Yes, Your Excellency."

The two spoke no more and quickly disappeared into the crowd. Lynch intended to follow them to hear more and see their purpose for appearing here and their next move. However, before he could take a step, the two figures in the crowd suddenly flashed and vanished in public view.

Yet the people around them acted as if they had seen nothing, walking as usual. Only Lynch stood dumbfounded, his foot suspended in mid air.

This... how did they leave? I want to leave too.

However, Lynch's inner call could not summon them back. Lynch could only sigh blankly on the street, his gaze turning to the monastery building the two had just exited. He realized their goal was likely there, and he needed to sneak in to take a look; perhaps he could find a way back.

But the thought of the bizarre, beautiful young girl inside made Lynch shudder, as if she were not a girl but some terrifying monster.

Should I go in?

I must go and see.

Lynch hardened his heart and walked toward the inconspicuous monastery gate. But the closer he got, the more uneasy he felt, and he longed for the Lady Luna in his heart even more.

Just before entering, the uneasy Lynch subconsciously looked back at the sky. However, the sky was filled with nothing but red fog in the night.

"Where on earth did you go? Hurry back, neighbor."

The next moment, a gentle voice suddenly rang in his ear:

【I am here.】