Chapter 199
Soon enough, after traveling a little further north, he spotted a small black car with tinted windows, making it hard to see inside.
The sleek black exterior reflected the dim light of the overcast sky, giving the car an ominous presence.
As Oliver approached the car, a woman emerged from it, looked at him, and then at the smartphone in her hand.
“You are the customer?”
“Indeed.” Oliver took out his smartphone and scanned the details. The soft glow from his phone’s screen illuminated his face, highlighting the intensity in his eyes as he confirmed the transaction.
After confirming everything, she opened the door for him and got into the car herself.
“Well then, sir, your destination is the city of Harlington, right?”
“Hmm.” His response was curt, his focus already drifting elsewhere.
Seeing that he didn’t seem interested in chatting, the driver quieted down.
The silence between them was thick, only broken by the low hum of the car’s engine.
“It will take approximately two days before we reach the city.”
She calmly told him and focused on driving. The car sped up extremely fast, but from inside, no one could feel any tremor or discomfort, as if the car was moving very slowly instead.
It was unnervingly smooth, the speed betraying the lack of sensation, making it feel like they were gliding over the road.
Oliver didn’t say anything to her and opened his phone again, starting to browse.
‘According to the article, the latest moonless night should be in the next five days. After that, it will appear only after seven months, so I need to practice and form the [Neglegentis] on that day.’
Given his travel plans, he would have only three days to prepare.
Otherwise, he might have to wait seven months to even consider forming it.
The issue related to void dust had also been resolved when he met with Jenna last time. Although he was now in her debt, he really needed the materials, so he agreed for the time being.
A slight frown crossed his face at the thought of being in her debt, but he quickly pushed it aside.
At most, he might have to run an errand for her in the future.
The rest of the journey was smooth. He half expected to be ambushed by thieves or bandits but realized he was overthinking.
The paranoia from living in a world filled with constant danger had become second nature, always expecting the worst.
Not only that, but it seemed like the clan wouldn’t be able to take him back forcefully now—not that they had a reason to.
He believed they might send someone to keep an eye on him if things got worse.
What he was most worried about was Ophelia’s reaction to him running away from the clan so secretly. The mere thought of her discovering his departure sent a chill down his spine.
He could only hope she would stay put until he gained some strength. He was also concerned about Nadia.
But there wasn’t much he could do about it; he had never been great at talking or maintaining relationships.
He had a sister, but she was nothing like the cold block of ice Nadia was. Nadia’s coldness seemed impenetrable, like a barrier that separated her from the warmth of human connection.
‘Well… I wonder how much the plot has progressed so far.’
With Evelyn learning the first level of divine swordsmanship, she would be going through a clan trial, just like the one he went through during the demon hunt, though something different for her clan.
At that time, some elders of her clan conspired against her, and she was badly wounded. But, as luck would have it, she persisted and still won the competition in the end.
The memory of her victory, against all odds, was vivid in his mind—Evelyn standing tall amidst the chaos, bloodied but unbroken.
Then she proceeded to humiliate the elders and their children, leading to a long conflict within the clan itself.
“Well, I have nothing to do with that.” He muttered softly to himself, dismissing any notion of getting involved in that mess.
Oliver felt somewhat relieved. He couldn’t imagine getting involved in that chaotic mess. Not only had he taken up a mission request from the clan, but the destination was far away as well.
There was no way he could get associated with the Celestial Paradox Clan there.
Suddenly, he shivered.
‘This…’
He didn’t know why, but a bad feeling came over him.
His gut tightened, a familiar sense of foreboding creeping up his spine.
‘No! There’s no way that can happen.’
He forcefully shook his head and decided to focus on preparing for the moonless night in five days.
There were too many variables to dwell on his fears now—he had to stay sharp.
Well, he would only have two days to prepare.
‘I should first get a hotel to stay in, then scout for a safe place with no distractions… hmm.’
He wondered if he had enough money left for the hotel stay.
He seriously needed to find some ways to make money, too.
He wasn’t too worried, though. With his knowledge of the plot and now that he was out, he could gradually start investing in things that would explode exponentially in the future.
The future was like a chessboard laid out before him, and he knew exactly which moves would yield the highest returns.
Not to mention, he was heading to the best place for it—the normal human cities, where things developed and worked in a predictable way.
The rest of the journey was spent in silence. Oliver didn’t talk and kept scrolling through his smartphone, looking at current affairs and getting a deeper understanding of the world.
Each news article and update was a piece of the puzzle, slowly revealing the state of the world outside the clan’s control.