After much thought, Wes turned to Zoey, “Sis, I’m truly concerned about Maplewood Town. I fear something might have happened to our colleagues we sent there.”
Zoey responded, “If members of the 13th Bureau have met with trouble, we can arrest Evelyn, right?”
“Um… Yes, that’s the case,” Wes slowly nodded, aware that Zoey’s focus was always distinct.
Moreover, Zoey’s demeanor was somewhat aloof. She wasn’t particularly attached to colleagues she wasn’t close with but was protective of her close friends.
Zoey stood up, stating, “William, you’re coming with us.”
“Sure!” William had always been curious about Evelyn’s situation. He had long believed that Evelyn was the reincarnation of Artemis from tens of thousands of years ago. However, upon reflection, something seemed amiss.
Especially the fact that Evelyn possessed memories from the medieval era.
After the medieval period, William had encountered several reincarnations of Artemis. None of them retained any memories from their past lives.
To William’s knowledge, only those with phenomenal power or extremely deep obsessions would carry forward memories after reincarnation.
Artemis, in her first reincarnation, didn’t have such memory continuity. After tens of thousands of years, how could she possess memories, especially from the medieval times?
Upon hearing their conversation, Alice chimed in, “I’m coming too.”
William had mentioned that Evelyn might be her future wife, and Alice’s relationship with Evelyn was quite good. Even if she was sure of her feelings for William, she didn’t harbor any resentment towards Evelyn.
Now that Zoey intended to arrest Evelyn, Alice naturally wanted to get involved.
“Let’s go together,” Wes discreetly glanced at Nelson, probing, “Would the grand mage be interested in joining us?”
This, in fact, was Wes’s primary intent.
Before coming, he already suspected something was off about Maplewood Town. But due to its uncanny nature, he had been hesitant to act on his own.
He even felt that even if Zoey were to return and personally head there, there’s no guarantee that things would go smoothly.
However, if they could bring Nelson along, the situation would undoubtedly change.
Nelson is genuinely a senior Soulmancer. With him involved, it’s naturally better.
“I can accompany you,” Nelson said. “I have some acquaintance with James Taylor. Given what the Taylor family is doing, they’re indeed inviting some trouble. Perhaps if I were to talk to James, he might change his mind.”
Nelson finally understood. The Taylor family, with a group of Soulmancers entering the business world, would have a significant impact on ordinary people. Even if they didn’t break any laws, it’s still somewhat problematic.
While they were in discussion, coffee had been delivered to the bookstore’s entrance. Alice handed a cup to Nelson and then one to William. Only one cup remained, and out of politeness, she gave it to Zoey.
“Thank you,” Zoey expressed her gratitude. She picked up her coffee and emptied it in one gulp, revealing a satisfied smile.
After taking a sip, William frowned slightly, remarking, “This taste… it’s odd.”
Alice chuckled, “Of course it is. It’s Kopi Luwak, hailed as the most unique coffee in the world.” She had intentionally ordered this particular coffee for William.
Wasn’t it obvious what her little intention was? Just as Alice was about to ask William for his coffee, Zoey had already reached out, saying, “How special can it be? Let me try!”
William, not too fond of the flavor, handed it over. Zoey took the coffee and, in one swift gulp, drained it, smacking her lips and commenting, “It indeed is a bit different.” With that, she gave the now-empty cup a little shake and casually tossed it into the trash bin.
Alice’s smile froze.
Had she just been… upstaged? “Sis, that’s Kopi Luwak!” Known for its unique taste and production method, one usually savors it slowly. How had Zoey drained the entire cup in just one gulp? William, however, didn’t give it much thought.
It seemed this girl didn’t mind drinking something someone else had sipped.
As for the food-loving Zoey, there was no need for further mention. She could even devour dishes made by Alice with no leftovers. While the coffee tasted a bit peculiar, it wasn’t hard to drink.
Having finished their coffee, they boarded the 13th Bureau’s car and headed straight for Maplewood Town.
Upon nearing Maplewood Town, Nelson remarked, “There’s definitely something amiss about this town. The aura of death is too strong; some formidable dark power must have been at work here.”
“I knew it!” Wes exclaimed, “There has to be something wrong with Maplewood Town. If dark forces are involved, could it have something to do with the Taylor family?”
William remained silent, pondering over the concept of dark powers.
In his view, there wasn’t much distinction between users of dark powers and conventional Soulmancers.
It mainly depended on the individual wielding these forces. Those who used dark powers could potentially be harmless, and yet some orthodox Soulmancers might not be merciful when taking lives.
Of course, some users of dark powers might resort to slaughter or causing catastrophes to amplify their strength, which undoubtedly appeared malevolent to ordinary people.
Yet William felt that even in such cases, as long as those he cared about were unharmed, he was not inclined to intervene.
Over billions of years, William had seen so much.
What’s so significant about dark power?
During the era of ancient gods, a single fury from those god-kings resulted in corpses scattered for miles. How many of the dead were truly innocent? Yet, weren’t those god-kings still revered by countless people?
And to give a more recent example, which war in history has seen few casualties?
To bring it closer to home, which historical war hasn’t resulted in a vast number of casualties?
Napoleon’s conquests, for instance, were soaked in blood and sacrifice, yet didn’t his name still echo gloriously through history?
William never considered himself a saint, nor did he ever aspire to be one. From his perspective, perhaps human lives were truly as inconsequential as grass underfoot.
Although he occasionally appreciated taking it easy, he was dedicated to his work. ．𝗻𝐞𝘁
Currently a staff member of the 13th Bureau, if innocent civilians were harmed by the users of dark powers, he felt compelled to intervene, at least to some extent.
Even though he might slack off sometimes, “love what you do and do what you love” remained William’s guiding principle.
Upon entering Maplewood Town, there were no signs of decay or desolation.
On the contrary, the town’s residents were actively constructing homes, leading to a bustling and thriving atmosphere.
The original houses were mostly demolished to make way for traditional wooden residences.
Glancing out of the car window, William was shocked to discover that all of the town’s inhabitants were possessed by demons and wielded the power akin to demigods.
A small town, populated by thousands, and every single one of them was a “demigod” possessed by a demon!
In the past, the number of “demigods” could be counted on one’s fingers. Now, they seemed to have descended en masse, counted in the thousands. He wondered who had the audacity and means to orchestrate such a feat.
Normally, those from the Divine Realm, whether they chose to possess as demons or bestow powers upon Soulmancers as deities, would be reluctant to descend to the human realm.
In the Divine Realm, despite its harsh conditions, everyone had their own territory.
Existing in a spiritual form, living for tens of thousands of years without meeting a violent end was commonplace.
However, descending to Earth as a “demigod” was fraught with risks. Upon arrival, their powers would be significantly diminished. If their rate of power recovery was not swift, living for just a few centuries would be considered fortunate. Furthermore, dying in this diminished state would result in total annihilation of both body and soul.
Could it be that some great turmoil had erupted in the Divine Realm, forcing these beings to seek refuge on Earth?