I wasn’t dense.
I understood very well just how much the Section Chief valued me.
At first, I was confused, but then, putting everything together, it became pretty obvious to me that he valued my ‘talent’ a lot. I was quite clear about his interest, and finally decided to put it to good use this time.
“He might be sleeping this time, but I’m sure that the moment he sees the message, he’ll immediately come to me.”
I made sure to send him my location so that he could come as fast as possible.
‘If my guess is correct, he’ll definitely come.’
In order to make sure he did come, I specifically wrote two things.
[I’m in danger. It is something related to the Twisted Man case.]
Regardless of how busy he was, I was sure that this was enough to compel him to come.
The main reason why I was doing this was simple.
‘…If I trust my gut feeling again and there’s really something wrong with this entire city, then by the time I arrive at the airport, another situation might arise. If the Section Chief is here, I doubt anything will happen to me.’
I was essentially calling a personal bodyguard.
At the same time, since this was related to the Twisted Man, I was sure that he’d be interested.
This was, after all, a very complicated situation.
My only problem with the situation was explaining to him why I came here and how I managed to find this, but to be honest, I didn’t think explaining to him this part was that hard.
Well…
The part about me secretly infiltrating the house of an old lady was probably going to be a bit hard to explain, but that didn’t matter. I now had enough evidence to prove that the old lady was related to this case.
I’d probably be forgiven if this ended up being the truth.
At least, I hoped.
“Okay, I think this is good. Now…”
I turned my attention towards my laptop and opened the shop app.
A large interface appeared before me.
─────[Shop]─────
-> [Second Order]
[Quantum Deck] [Discount 30%]
: A deck of playing cards that reshuffles reality slightly with every draw. The effects are subtle but can change probabilities in your favor or against.
Price : 23,477 SP
[Echo Compass] [Discount 40%]
: A compass that points toward your most desired object or person, but may lead you into unexpected places.
Price : 7,102 SP
[Chameleon Cloak] [Discount 20%]
: A cloak that bends light, rendering the wearer nearly invisible. Loses its effect if worn longer than 30 minutes continuously. One must also be careful! Wear it for too long, and the effect might be permanent.
Price : 11,085
[Available Points : 8,322 SP]
─────[Shop]─────
Almost immediately, my eyes fell on the glaring discount parts on several items.
‘There’s discounts…!?’
This shop offered discounts?
I couldn’t believe it as I immediately sorted through all of the items that were on offer.
The number of items that were in the Second Order shop was less than the First Order shop, but the quality was undeniable a lot better. The effects of the items were also a lot more desirable than the First Order shop.
The only regrettable point of the Second Order shop was the prices.
They were simply… ridiculous.
Quite a lot of the items were priced in six to five digits. The items that were priced below were in the minority. As a result, the pool of items that I could choose from was also smaller.
But that all changed with the discounts.
With them, several of the items became affordable to me, and I already knew what I wanted.
“The compass. I need to buy the compass.”
There was no doubt in my mind that this item was going to be the item that was going to be the most useful for me. At the very least… It was also the only item that I could afford with the current SP that I had.
This was why I didn’t even hesitate when buying it.
*Poof*
As always, the item appeared right above me and fell right into my lap, and I grabbed it.
The item was nothing special at a glance.
It looked like nothing more than a simple compass that marked both south and north. But the moment I touched it, a cool sensation ran through my fingers, and I knew right away, it was anything but ordinary.
“Good.”
I closed down the laptop and slipped it into my bag. At the same time, I checked my remaining balance and tried my best not to be hurt by the sight.
[1,229 SP]
I had spent about 70,000 dollars on a compass…
This thought alone made me gag. However, I also understood just how important it was for me, and so the regret and self-loathing merely lasted a few seconds before I settled my gaze towards the crack.
“Alright…”
All preparations were made.
I had the compass with me. The knife was in my bag. Both Mirelle and the Dreamwalker were with me.
‘Thankfully, the Dreamwalker didn’t die. Otherwise, I really would’ve been in some trouble.’
I really needed to find more useful ways to use it. I couldn’t just keep using it as some sort of meatshield.
‘I’ll figure something out later.’
Pushing those thoughts aside, I took a deep breath and stepped into the crack in front of me, falling into a mass of bodies that clung to me and pulled me deeper into them, slowly letting the darkness embrace me from all sides.
*
“Huaaak—!”
I took a deep and desperate breath as my eyelids flew open and the darkness clouding my vision began to fade.
“Haaa… Haa…”
Holding onto my chest, I looked around me while sweat pooled down from the side of my face. Taking a few moments to catch my breath, I looked around me to see a crack appear not far from where I was, alongside the same view of the train as before.
At first glance, everything looked the same as before I entered the crack.
However, I was quick to notice the differences.
The air around me…
It was staler and warmer than the one I was used to.
Not only that, but as I looked around, the train appeared much cleaner than it had been before I entered. From the chairs to the carpet, everything looked freshly tended to. It was as if someone had come here specifically to clean this train.
Eventually, forcing myself up, I moved out the window.
It was also then that I noticed the most glaring fact of it all.
The windows…
They were actually clean!
There was no doubt, I was in the right place. After a quick glance outside to make sure no one was around, I pulled out the compass and gripped it tightly in my hand.
“Alright.”
I closed my eyes and thought deeply about what I wanted.
‘Twisted Man. Clues.’
The moment the thoughts crossed my mind, a strange draining sensation hit me, as if something was pulling energy straight from my head. My knees nearly gave out, but I clenched my teeth and forced myself to endure it.
‘Resist, just resist a little bit…’
Thankfully, the sensation didn’t last for very long.
It merely lasted a few dozen seconds before fading.
Then—
Trrrrr!
A distinct stirring sound echoed through the quiet as I opened my eyes. The compass in my hand shifted and turned, its needle trembling slightly before finally settling.
It pointed east.
Back towards the city.
‘East. That’s where I need to go, I guess.’
Nodding slowly, I followed the direction of the compass.
I really hoped this worked.