“So, my parents-in-law... I mean, my friend's entire family has been entangled with your kin for thousands of years.
“So, because of the mess you left behind back then, I've been schemed against all the way up until now.
“So, because of an issue with your kin, my other wife was almost turned into a monster by a web-spinning spider.
“And in the end, we all came in here together to meet you?”
Lynch exhaled a long sigh as everything clicked into place.
Why was there an avatar of an evil god hidden inside Zur-Baha-Sahr?
Why had a group of outcasts emerged among the ghouls who worshipped Mordiggian, the King of Ghouls—outcasts who guarded the ruins above Zur-Baha-Sahr, willing to spend thousands of years to prevent Mordiggian from reviving?
Why had the Lord of a Billion Radiance gone through so much trouble to specifically choose him to find the 《Necronomicon》?
Why had their entry into this mystery relic caused such massive changes?
Why had their party found it so easy to warm up to Dr. Sven?
Why had the tunnel beneath the clinic felt so much like a cave of the hillmen the moment he stepped inside?
In truth, from the very beginning, their group had been deeply tied to this memory, completely oblivious to it all along.
Nothing happened without cause. In the world of mystery, cause and effect always lingered quietly in corners beyond human perception.
Dr. Sven was a bit stunned as well. Even with Lynch's detailed explanation, she couldn't say for certain, though she had to admit the probability was quite high.
If that were true, then the whereabouts of the 《Necronomicon》 might already be settled—it had likely been right beside them all along.
Fate was truly a strange thing. Something they thought would be impossible to find had turned out to be so effortlessly within reach.
“Looks like after we get back, we'll need to have a good long chat with Elder Nikolai. I hope their memories aren't too terrible.”
“Mm. Mr. Nikolai has already returned to Bester Mountain. Let's go visit him after we return. No wonder he was always so secretive whenever he talked about their tribe's history. Looks like we're really going to give him a shock this time.”
Now that the four of them had successfully completed their mission, the sense of urgency weighing on their hearts finally eased. With no more lingering worries, they could comfortably spend the rest of their time as they pleased.
For instance, finding a way to eliminate Mordiggian's container, little Jack, so that everyone could smoothly return home.
Given how drastically circumstances had shifted, historical inertia could hardly force events back to the original outcome where the city was destroyed and Dr. Sven died. Their hope of returning home now rested on fulfilling the suppression condition of thoroughly disrupting the ritual. According to their speculation, either killing little Jack or distributing the medicine to every citizen should be enough to break the ritual.
Of course, the safest approach was to satisfy both conditions at once.
After a brief discussion, the four decided to focus on handling the medicine distribution first. If Old Sven made another move, he would surely reveal himself. Concentrating their strength to wait for the enemy to come to them gave them much better odds on their home turf.
Besides, since they had accepted her tokens of gratitude, they had to settle all the problems properly. It might not mean much to the locals, but at least Lynch could keep a clear conscience.
And so, the four rejoined the plague-prevention efforts, gathering at the castle gate to assist the soldiers in managing the line of citizens waiting to receive medicine.
It was early summer, but perhaps due to the overcast sky, when Lynch stepped back outside the fortress, he felt a bit of chill in the wind.
However, over a hundred people had gathered at the entrance, creating a bustling and lively atmosphere. Once the four got busy, the chill was quickly driven away.
Indeed, the citizens picking up medicine maintained a lively mood. Not only were they untroubled at heart, but many were even chatting and laughing, taking the four quite by surprise.
If this were the Fifth Age, ordinary people who had never encountered mysterious events would probably have been terrified out of their wits. The Third Age truly lived up to its name as the Dark Age; ordinary people had surely suffered enough beatings from mysterious forces in their daily lives to make them far calmer than people in the mortal world.
Even if their reactions differed, it still served as a useful baseline, and the four worked hard to gain practical experience from the effort.
The police officer and the count's daughter were especially invested. Miss Diana even pulled out paper and pen, jotting down key points from time to time.
These were invaluable practical lessons, almost guaranteed to be used in the mortal world before long. Furthermore, both the Church of Suffering and the Watchers were the main forces handling epidemic prevention back home. Every piece of experience brought back from this journey could potentially save thousands upon thousands of patients in the mortal world.
Busy hours flew by, and by afternoon, the soldiers had distributed medicine to nearly another hundred citizens, bringing them one step closer to victory.
Under Lynch and Judy's organization, citizens who had received medicine were arranged into groups and escorted—or rather, guarded—by soldiers back to their quarters. Afterwards, they were forbidden from leaving their homes again until everyone had received medicine and the curfew was completely lifted.
Snatching a moment of rest, Lynch stretched his back and pulled his clothes tight to ward off the chill on his skin. He looked up at the sky, wondering if rain was coming to drop the temperature further.
When he looked back down, he saw a new batch of citizens being escorted over by soldiers, and among them, Lynch recognized a familiar face at a glance.
Tattered clothes, filthy disheveled hair, a face covered in wrinkles, and a mouth full of yellow teeth.
The mad old man from the threshing floor.
So this old codger needed medicine too, huh? Heh, nobody stop me—I'm going to kick his ass with my boot.
It was almost certain that this old guy had leaked their identities and nearly caused them trouble. Still, Lynch was only talking tough; in truth, he didn't really blame him.
Drawing from his past life's experiences, Lynch saw things quite clearly. They were merely trading partners; as long as both sides kept their word and completed the deal, whoever else the other side collaborated with was their own business—so long as it didn't affect the trade itself. After all, neither owed the other anything, and the old man had no obligation to keep Lynch's group's secrets.
Even so, he still had to vent a bit. Thus, as Lynch watched the old guy step forward, he rolled up his sleeves with a sinister grin and began rolling his wrists. His smile gave several nearby soldiers a shiver, though whether it was from the drop in temperature or sheer fright was anyone's guess.
Yet the mad old man didn't panic in the least. Grinning at them once more, he asked, “Have you finished the master's task already?”
Hss, was there really no privacy whatsoever in this world?
That single sentence instantly ruined Lynch's mood to intimidate him. He grumbled sullenly, “Yeah. Want me to tell you now?”
“Telling me won't do any good—I only have a few hours left myself. Once you get back, ask that follower of Yog-Sothoth you know. He'll tell you how to contact Yog-Sothoth.”
“Fine. What exactly will I get when the time comes?”
“Someone will come find you on their own initiative soon enough. They can help you safely enter the Gate of the Silver Key to get what you want. Those folks are probably the only ones in the world who can evade the hounds, though I don't much like them.”
“Why?”
“You'll know once you meet them. In short, none of those people are normal.” After a pause, the mad old man added, “They're even less normal than me.”
“That certainly doesn't sound like a pleasant bunch.” Lynch cracked his knuckles again.
“Don't hold such a grudge. Leaking your identities was actually helping you—wouldn't it be far more troublesome if he recklessly triggered the plague outbreak instead?” The mad old man suddenly sneezed, sniffled, and mumbled to himself, “Today's weather is a bit strange. Why did it suddenly get so chilly? Any colder and I'll be frozen solid.”
Hmm?
It was a vivid description, but it immediately brought something else to Lynch's mind.
The bizarre ice sculptures outside the temple of Zur-Baha-Sahr.
This temperature wasn't right... Could Mordiggian be showing signs of awakening already?
In an instant, Lynch felt the ambient temperature plunge even further.
Rate on N.U.
