Backing Out

“Another gas pipeline explosion...”

“The pipes in Rhine City are just too old. They're always exploding...”

The chatter buzzing in his ears weighed heavily on Lynch’s mind. To think that the red-haired woman he had been laughing and chatting with just hours ago had ended up like this.

A white sheet draped over the stretcher covered the corpse beneath from head to toe. Dark red blood seeped through the white cloth, accompanied by an acrid, scorched stench.

Having a familiar life extinguished right before his eyes inevitably stirred a touch of sorrow in Lynch’s heart.

Yet more than that, he felt an eerie bewilderment.

How could this be just as coincidental as the fire at the Hall of Order?

It felt like a replay of his ordeal from the night before last—as if everything were being orchestrated by an unseen hand, running him into dead ends at every turn. Like an insect trapped in a spiderweb, the harder he struggled, the deeper he sank, ultimately destined to be silently swallowed by the web.

Yet there was not the slightest trace of direct human interference.

What’s more, the actual subject of the investigation was known only to the Archbishop and himself. It couldn’t have leaked, nor should it have drawn targeted opposition. Besides, deciding to rush over before closing time to trace the relic’s trajectory had been a spur-of-the-moment choice—even if Officer Natalie had wanted to leak it, there wouldn’t have been enough time.

What was going on here? Was someone pulling strings behind the scenes, or not?

The more Lynch pondered, the more perilous everything felt, his thoughts spiraling into chaos until someone tugged at his sleeve from behind.

Turning around, he saw Officer Natalie with an odd expression, along with... a dazzling mane of red hair.

Madam Bessie had appeared silently behind him at some point, standing alongside Officer Natalie, watching him solemnly brood beside the corpse in dejection.

Huh? What was going on? She wasn’t the one who died?

Lynch parted his lips, pointing at the red-haired woman and then back at the corpse behind him.

“Oh, that guy? No idea who he was. Probably a former customer. A moment ago, he said he wanted to discuss something with me, and then he just blew himself up right in front of my face. Most likely an ordinary person whose mind was eroded by a mystery relic. It’s fairly common, though his death was a bit on the explosive side. The gentlemen in blue said he had explosives concealed on him and are currently investigating his identity.”

Madam Bessie looked remarkably composed, even more relaxed than the onlookers around them, as if nothing out of the ordinary had just occurred.

“You’re completely fine after an explosion like that?”

Lynch glanced at the shattered glass doors and windows, then back at Madam Bessie. After an explosion of such magnitude, the red-haired woman was still dressed exactly as she had been at noon. Not only were her clothes free of dirt or tears, but not a single strand of hair was out of place. She even held that ivory pipe in her hand, radiating grace and poise.

“You underestimate the power of Soul Severers, especially Madam Bessie. With her self-preservation abilities, even if I got blown to bits, she’d still be unharmed.” Officer Natalie patted Lynch on the shoulder, then turned to explain to Bessie, “We ran into some trouble today, so he’s a bit on edge. Please don’t mind him.”

“Pfft, I don’t mind at all, Natalie. Your little partner is actually quite adorable, mourning for me like that. Young man, I like you. Whenever you buy or sell things here in the future, I’ll give you a ten percent discount.”

“Wait, don’t try to fool me. You can’t calculate it like that when I’m selling stuff!” Lynch blurted out instinctively.

“Haha! You looked so dazed a second ago, and now your wits suddenly sharpened.” Madam Bessie showed no awareness of having just had her shop blown up. Linking arms with Officer Natalie, she said, “Let’s head to the back and handle your business first. I’m afraid I’ll have to close shop for a few days.”

Lynch followed behind, letting out a soft sigh, chuckling at himself as he entered the shop.

The cluttered little shop had turned into an even bigger mess, with merchandise strewn all over the floor. No wonder it needed to close for a few days.

Madam Bessie showed no signs of heartache, walking inward with brisk steps. But halfway through, a shout from a blue uniform came from behind.

“Madam, Madam Bessie, please wait a moment! There’s a question we need to verify with you. Does the name Donnie Narton ring a bell?”

“Never heard of him. Is that the person who just blew up? What does he do?”

“A newspaper reporter. Supposedly, he’s been missing for several days.”

“I truly have no memory of him. My apologies, Officer.”

The blue uniform left in disappointment. Madam Bessie led the two around the debris on the floor and slipped through a small door behind the counter. A narrow corridor appeared before Lynch, ending at an ancient-looking, dark red wooden door.

Rough and heavy, the door bore a painted, bizarre skull that exuded an uncanny aura.

【Gate of Blood: My blood and soul shall guide your way, bringing you to my side.】

“To prevent ordinary people from accidentally coming into contact with special merchandise, and to safeguard against accidents like the one just now, all mystery-related facilities and items are stored separately. Follow me.” As the red-haired woman spoke, she pulled out a sewing needle, pricked her finger, and smeared a bead of blood onto the skull’s forehead.

Two streams of blood dripped from the eye sockets. Lynch caught a pungent stench of blood as the heavy wooden door slowly swung open, revealing a pitch-black space beyond.

“Wait a moment.”

Madam Bessie entered first as casually as stepping into a normal room. The clunk of a lever being pulled echoed out, and lights promptly illuminated the space.

The moment the door opened, Lynch felt a sharp prickling between his brows. His ears buzzed, countless lights and shadows danced before his eyes, and a wave of dizziness washed over him as if he might faint at any second. It was only after several seconds that the discomfort gradually receded. Pressing a hand against the phantom ache between his brows with lingering dread, he offered the concerned lady officer a smile to signal he was fine.

‘Travel Companion, what’s going on?’

【The door distorted the distance between two points, bringing you into direct contact with another location.】

‘So this is Doraemon’s Anywhere Door?’

The female voice fell silent for a moment before continuing:

【No. Both sides must be anchored.】

‘Hiss, you peeked into my memories, didn’t you? Remember to pretend you didn’t see what you shouldn’t have. But why do I have a headache?’

【There are eleven sources of mysterious filth behind the door, causing excessively strong stimulation. Would you like me to display the relics one by one for you?】

‘Never mind, let’s not pry into someone else’s privacy.’

“Are you all right, Lynch?” The lady officer was already supporting his arm, calling out, “Bessie, Lynch is...”

“Don’t worry, it’s a normal reaction for someone with keen inspiration. He’ll be fine in a moment.” Having lit the lamps, Madam Bessie stepped back out, only to pause in surprise. “You recovered? That fast? That’s impossible... I have disaster-grade items stored in here...”

“Hm? You have what?” Natalie raised an eyebrow.

“Ahem, I mean destruction-grade relics. People who can’t perceive them won’t be affected, but how could someone who senses them recover so quickly?”

“Maybe because my brain is slower than most.” Lynch shrugged, muttering inwardly, ‘Is it like you said—I recover faster than others?’

【Yes. Your willpower is sufficiently robust to swiftly adapt to abnormal stimulation, not limited to mystery.】

“No such thing.”

Madam Bessie scrutinized Lynch for a moment, setting aside her astonishment for the time being. She guided them through the open Gate of Blood. Behind the door lay a rather spacious room without doors or windows. Gas pipes projected from the walls, casting a warm glow from gas lamps over the entire space. A lone red wooden door stood planted in one corner of the room, completely detached from the walls, looking rather eerie.

A row of metal cabinets lined the wall, faintly emanating an eerie, ominous sensation. In the center of the room sat a circular platform raised from the floor resembling an altar, inscribed with intricate patterns.

“The item.”

Bessie took the box handed over by Officer Natalie, stroked it for a moment, and said, “Mm, William’s Holiday Surprise. Its containment method is simply ensuring the packaging remains intact and the ribbon stays tied.”

With that, she placed the mystery relic onto the altar, crossed her arms, and gazed at it in contemplation.

“You need to trace the relic’s trajectory, correct?”

“Yes,” both nodded in unison.

“Phew. Relics may appear physical, but they are actually the manifestation of Dreamlands memories. Therefore, carrying or transferring a relic is conceptually not taking an actual physical object, but rather carrying a fragment of memory.”

Lynch felt like he was back in advanced calculus in college, the single thought echoing in his mind: What on earth is she talking about?

“Thus, to clearly see the trajectory of mystery, we first need a light that can guide my gaze to focus on mystery.”

As she spoke, the red-haired woman carefully retrieved twelve black candles from a nearby cabinet and affixed them one by one around the altar.

“The black falcon is a semi-mysterious creature of the New Continent that feeds on beings tainted with mysterious filth. Even from hundreds of meters in the sky, it can acutely spot faint mysterious trajectories on the ground. Infusing its soul into candles perfectly satisfies our requirements.”

The candles were lit one by one. Whether a trick of the mind or not, Lynch thought he heard the flapping of wings and a sharp, clear shriek in his ears.

“The trajectories of mystery are far too ethereal for mortal eyes to perceive. Therefore, we must guide the mystery to briefly leave an ethereal imprint in reality.”

This time, she brought over a small incense burner, stuffed a handful of dried leaves inside, and gently lit them.

“Dream-catcher grass is a classic mysterious plant that blooms once in a lifetime, capable of guiding mystery memories from the Dreamlands to manifest temporarily. Unfortunately, it indiscriminately reveals all surrounding memories. But if you add drops of human-faced sunflower sap at this moment, it gains directionality.”

Opening a small glass vial, she dripped three drops of liquid into the burner. With a soft poof, thick blue-purple smoke billowed from the burner. Yet as if constrained by an unseen barrier, the smoke swirled solely above the altar without dispersing outward in the slightest.

“Turn off the lights for me.”

Instructing Lynch to extinguish the gas lamps, the room was left with only the ring of candlelight around the altar. The red-haired woman sat cross-legged beside it, clapped her hands, and a crystal ball floated up before her as if held aloft by unseen hands.

“Now then... let’s find you.”

Madam Bessie wiped her index finger across both eyelids, then pressed her fingers against the crystal ball, guiding it to drift through the blue-purple mist. Her eyes tracked the crystal ball intently, a bizarre smile playing at the corners of her lips. The atmosphere grew increasingly elusive and tense, keeping Lynch and Natalie from daring to take a loud breath.

‘Travel Companion, Travel Companion, she isn’t using some authority or ability, is she? Why does this look like magic?’

【Arcana: special techniques that utilize mystery. What she is using is one variety of them.】

‘Can I use them too?’ Lynch asked with anticipation.

【Not currently.】

‘Meaning once I alienate my soul, I can?’

【Yes. I wish you success.】

“Heh, I found you, darling.”

Just as Lynch was badgering the voice in his head, Madam Bessie stirred within the blue mist, murmuring softly. At the same time, her movements guiding the crystal ball grew faster, yet in tighter arcs.

“You’re right here. I see it... your trajectory... Thorn Flower... Aaaah—!”

Her dreamlike murmurs abruptly broke off. Madam Bessie let out a bloodcurdling scream and leapt up violently. With a fierce kick, she sent the mystery relic flying, seized a nearby basin of water, and splashed it to douse all the candles. She then hurled the crystal ball onto the floor, shattering it to pieces, before collapsing to her knees beside the altar as if drained of all strength.

Yet in the very next moment, she sprang up again, grabbed a nearby hammer, and struck the altar with ferocious swings. Three consecutive strikes smashed the stone platform to pieces. Only then did she drop the hammer and slump to the floor once more, curling into a ball with her head in her hands, muttering frantically under her breath, “He’s watching me... he’s watching me... he...”

“Bessie, wake up!”

Natalie held the red-haired woman tightly. Only then did Lynch catch a clear look at her face.

Gone was her former composure and calm. The red-haired woman’s face was twisted in sheer horror, the corners of her eyes split open and oozing blood.

“He spotted me... he spotted me! It’s too terrifying... Huff, I’m fine... I’m fine, just one step away... Huff, Natalie... huff, I got away.”

“What happened? What on earth happened?” The lady officer held Madam Bessie, gently patting her back to soothe her frayed nerves.

“I disturbed an evil and terrifying entity... I was almost caught by it.” The red-haired lady pulled back from Officer Natalie’s embrace, gripping her hands and crying out, “Listen to me, Natalie! Whatever you two are investigating, stop immediately! Stay as far away from this case as possible!”

“What did you see?” the lady officer asked in a heavy voice.

“I don’t know! I didn’t see clearly—if I had, I wouldn’t have made it back! But that evil will was too terrifying... No, that is definitely not something we should ever touch! That damned relic is linked to that horrifying will. Whatever you’re investigating is intimately related to it—no, directly connected! Ye gods, what kind of case are you even investigating? Why is it directly linked to such an existence? Stop at once! Get away from this case immediately, or sooner or later, that will will come hunting you down!”

“Bessie, it’s not the first time we’ve faced cultists offering sacrifices to evil gods.”

“It’s different! Absolutely different! Our souls, everything we are, will be devoured by it! No one can escape! It’s too horrifying... Quick, stop immediately! And take that piece of junk away! Hurry! I will never touch it again—never!”

“All right, all right, we won’t touch it. Neither of us will.” Natalie gently wiped the blood from the corners of Madam Bessie’s eyes. “Are you okay? Will this leave any lingering effects?”

“I’m fine, don’t worry about me. I’m a professional; when I say I got away, I got away. Fortunately, I only sensed a wisp of its aura through the trajectory. Even so, I’ll need at least half a month of rest—the psychic shock was too severe. I need to begin meditating right now, or it will leave permanent trauma. Remember what I said: do not touch this case under any circumstances!”

“I understand. Don’t worry, I’ll request leave from Victor once I get back.”

Natalie spent some time soothing her, then picked up the mystery relic from the floor, exchanged a glance with Lynch, and returned to the outside world through the Gate of Blood.

Inside Madam Bessie’s shop, the police were still taking final notes. The two did not disturb the busy officers and walked all the way to the banks of the Lande River.

It was already past four in the afternoon, but the sun still shone warmly upon them, temporarily dispelling the chill in their chests.

Watching an occult expert, who had been composed and confident moments before, nearly driven mad with terror in the blink of an eye—not even from being targeted, but merely noticed—Lynch finally developed an intuitive grasp of the peril he was facing.

A mere glance from an Ancient Flicker had already left him on borrowed time. If he continued investigating, he might well have to face something even more terrifying.

A razor-thin chance of survival.

But giving up was no longer an option. If he quit, he wouldn’t obtain the Red Moon Memories, and in a month’s time, death was guaranteed.

In other words, shrinking back meant death, and forging ahead might mean death—so rather than cowering and waiting to die, he might as well stand tall and fight for a chance to survive.

Only, the danger had far exceeded expectations now. As for her...

Lynch turned his gaze toward Officer Natalie. She clearly hadn’t recovered from the shock either, her head bowed in deep contemplation.

“I’m sorry, Lynch,” Officer Natalie’s voice broke into his thoughts. “I’m backing out.”

Huh? Lynch was momentarily taken aback.

“My father died in an incident involving the descent of an evil god. I don’t want to be entangled in a similar case again.” The lady officer kept her head lowered, her voice somber. “Bessie was right—this is no longer an enemy we should be touching. I will explain the situation to Victor and let him figure out how to handle the subsequent investigation.”

Lynch’s lips moved, but he said nothing, feeling considerably relieved inside.

“Don’t continue serving as a consultant either. Rest well these next couple of days. I’ll ask around to see if anyone has the Red Moon Memories you need—maybe I can find one. I’m heading back to the club now and will check in on you in a couple of days. Whatever you do, don’t wander around recklessly over the next two days. Just wait for my news at No. 221.” Officer Natalie looked up, giving Lynch a deep, searching look before offering a faint smile. Removing her top hat, she gave a slight curtsy. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Lynch.”

“Yeah.” Lynch did not refuse. He knew this was a prime opportunity to let the lady officer bow out safely.

Unaware of his true mission, she naturally told him to withdraw as well. This worked out for the best; it saved him the trouble of figuring out how to persuade her.

As for himself, giving up had never crossed his mind. On the contrary, a surge of fighting spirit welled up within him.

Touching his two assets, a smile appeared on Lynch’s face.

【No, Lynch. I am merely...】

‘I know. You are merely the Witness and won’t provide me with any substantive help. I’m already prepared for that. But you’ll stay by my side and watch over me, just like before, right?’

Silence.

‘Tch, not falling for it. Can’t bait any info out of you.’ Lynch curled his lips. ‘Regardless of whether it’s like before or not, you’ll at least keep me company, right?’

【Yes.】

‘Then that’s enough. Let’s head home first, and tomorrow we’ll continue witnessing the sights of this world together.’

Murmuring inwardly, Lynch gave a deep bow toward Officer Natalie’s retreating figure, then turned and began walking home.