Chapter 215: 215
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Valentine had switched with Graham and now the latter was planting another thought at the animal abuser Evert Holsten. The poor man was still acting like a chair, standing motionlessly by his hotel door.
His energy left him and entered the man, taking root inside his brain. Since it was an idea that was contradictory with the man's true nature, Graham didn't know how long it would manifest. He didn't care that much since he thought that the man had got punished enough.
The puppy that he had left at the veterinary clinic had been treated and it was now on its way to recovery. However, it had to stay one more night there to make sure there was no other problem with it. That was another reason why Graham was willing to let the man go-- him having a wife and children waiting for him at home being the other.
"Now let's move," Graham breathed heavily. His stamina was slowly recovering after using Thought Implant.
After removing the trash bin from the man's stomach, Graham dragged him outside his hotel room and placed Evert in the lobby, facing the stairs down. He also made sure not to leave the man right in front of his door, but a little farther away in front of a random room.
Focusing on the belt with complicated patterns that he was wearing, Graham began chanting while crouching so that his two hands would be level with the man's head.
"I, in the name of the Deity of Deception and Hidden Thoughts, hereby erase all of Evert Holsten's memories about me!"
A black illusory smoke came out of his palms and entered the man's head through his ears. Meanwhile, one of the patterns on the belt grew dimmer, indicating that only one more use of that ability was available.
Making sure he was completely in the man's blind spot, he issued an Order.
"I order you to return to normal!"
His initial implanted Order was canceled by his new order. At once, Evert collapsed to the floor out of weakness and most likely muscle soreness. He also looked very confused and pained with a little fear mixed into his jumble of emotion. He looked around to find no one nearby.
Graham had quickly run back into his room and closed the door very carefully. Now that his job was done, he needed to switch back with Valentine again.
Before lying down on the bed, he used Fire Manipulation to get rid of the flame that he had used as a monitoring device inside his room.
"I'm all done, Val. Time to switch. Don't forget, Derrick is still in his mansion while Eveline is inside the sewer under Kreekstraat. And Eveline seems to be waiting for us on purpose, otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to use divination on her,"
"I, in the name of the Deity of Cunningness and Transformation, hereby change my whole being into that of Cornelis Harring!"
Graham closed his eyes and drifted into the dream world on the soft, comfortable bed while his body was undergoing a transformation process. The dark sky outside was cloudy, and occasionally, lightning would roar. The bad weather outside set up the perfect mood to sleep, despite his itching skill from the transformation.
Valentine woke up not long after, with a completely different appearance. He quickly got up and got dressed, wearing clothes that matched Rood's size. He also brought everything that he would need in case a fight arose. Gloom's Redress, the bracelet, had been fed and was ready to use.
He left the room once ready, and using the payphone available on the first-floor lobby, he called for a public motor carriage to take him to the mansion at the edge of the city. Stefan had been replaced by someone completely unfamiliar to him, which was a good thing for him because the young man might have recognized Rood otherwise.
The motor carriage arrived less than five minutes later and Valentine was already waiting by the side of the street. He quickly got in and told the driver his destination. He also asked the driver to wait for him later because he needed to go to his next destination.
That night sky in Hoorn was abnormally dark, although the occasional lightning helped illuminated the land. Thick clouds were hovering above the city menacingly like they were hiding an entity that was looming up high.
Roar!!!
The sound of thunder just cracked, following a flash of lighting that came a few seconds earlier. The loud rumble continued murmuring in the distance for a few more seconds before it faded away.
"Whoah, that was a big one," the driver said, starting a small talk.
Valentine only nodded, which he wasn't even sure if the driver could see or not.
They continued driving in silence until finally, they arrived near the protruding cliff where the mansion was built. After telling the driver to wait again, Valentine got out and walked in the dark of night towards the big building, casting Concealment as he went.
He arrived at the tall metal gate that was strangely still open. Even the main doors were open. It seemed that Derrick hadn't bothered to close them after Graham stole his motor carriage and left.
Carefully, he entered the mansion and heard the sound of heavy breathing coming from the direction of the basement. He quietly headed towards the source of the sound and found the young man still sitting on the stairway with a sorrowful look on his face.
It seemed that Derrick Krammer had remained there since this morning after Graham had used the illusion on him. He was leaning against the wall with his hands covering his crotch area. There were dry tear marks on his cheeks while his eyes were red. Valentine somehow pitied the young man, but he wasn't actually suffering from any physical injury. Everything was just in his head.
"I hereby put you under Interrogation!"
The man's expression went blank as his eyes were staring into the vast nothingness. Valentine crouched in front of him and placed his hands on each side of his head without touching him. After that, he began chanting and the usual black smoke came out of his palm, entering the young man through his ears. With that, one more target was taken care of.
"That was easy," he muttered while walking out of the mansion.
Only after leaving the gate several meters behind did he undo his Concealment. Valentine then returned to the motor carriage and asked the driver to begin driving again.
They arrived at Valentine's second destination stopping a little farther away from the entrance to the sewer. He told the driver to wait for him, and this time, it might take a little longer.
"Here, I'll pay for your service up until now, and I'll pay you extra once I return," he said while handing the driver six stuivers.
It was a lot of money for normal people, although to Valentine, that amount was nothing compared to the high cost of everything he needed as a Contractbound. The driver's face reflected his excitement at the prospect of receiving even more later as he thanked his passenger.
"Let's see what's waiting for us down there, G,"
Valentine walked away from the motor carriage and cast Concealment as well as Illusion Substitutes on himself under the guise of the dark night. He then lifted the manhole cover and climbed down the metal ladder down into the sewer.
Drip... Drip...
The sounds of water drops echoed in the dark sewer corridor, while the sound of a stream was audible in the distance. The smell of moss and dampness penetrated his nose and his skin was rubbed gently by the cold and moist air of the sewer.
Valentine walked in the direction that was shown in Graham's divination earlier. If she had indeed been setting something up for him, Eveline shouldn't move away too far.
The sound of the underwater stream got louder as Valentine walked deeper until finally, he could see the source of the sound. The sewer water was running gently in the pitch-black tunnel. There should be service lights somewhere for the sewer workers, but Valentine didn't need them since his night vision allowed him to see perfectly fine in the dark.
After walking along the stream for about three minutes, finally, he saw something in front of him that was almost unnoticeable, if not for himself being in the same state. It was someone covered in a thin yellowish mist standing in the middle of the walkway. The mist made him instinctively neglect the figure, making them seem to be not there, but with high enough concentration, he could tell his brain to focus on the figure.
"You're finally here. I've been waiting for a long time,"
The mist covering the figure dissipated, revealing Eveline Herrick who was still wearing the same black coat and tight yellow dress. The difference was that her round glasses were missing and she looked like a celebrity who had been thrown out into the street to fend for herself. Her dress and her coat were dirty, and her make up had been ruined. Valentine wasn't sure if the rancid smell was coming from the sewer or the woman in front of him.
"If you're wondering how I knew you'd be looking for me, that person told me," she said. The manner in which she spoke was still the same as usual; breathy with a lot of seductive emphases. She was looking straight at Valentine in the eyes as she spoke, which alerted him.
Having his curiosity piqued, Valentine lifted the shroud covering his voice and readied his weapon.
"What person?" his voice was cold and inquisitive.
Chuckle...
"Teehee... he told me not to tell you... or he'll punish me. But you should know him. He also told me not to make things easy for you,"
Eveline's nails grew long instantly as she charged at Valentine without hesitation. She seemed to know exactly where he was despite his Concealment being one rank stronger than her.
Valentine managed to dodge thanks to his high speed. He quickly opened his mouth and spoke swiftly.
"I hereby put you under interrogation!"
Her expression went blank right away, but a short moment later, she looked like she was in great pain. She collapsed to the ground while holding her head. The pain had caused Valentine's control to be broken!
"That person also protected me from control effect, teehee..." she smiled as she got back up. The pain appeared to have quickly subsided, as it only served to jolt her awake.
Clank!
Valentine blocked her sudden attack with the cane and quickly stretched his right hand in front of him.
"I, in the name of the Deity of Stupidity and Hatred, grant stupidity upon you!"
His bracelet glowed in a faint orange light while dark orange tendrils drilled into Eveline's head.
Eveline wanted to retreat from Valentine to avoid his subsequent attack, but because she was under the ability's effect, she instead stupidly banged her head on the wall next to her.
Seizing his chance, Valentine focused his energy on the belt and chanted.
"I, in the name of the Deity of Domination and Order, intensify your desire to bang your head on the wall!"
The pattern on Purloin glowed and then dimmed. At the same time, Eveline suddenly became unable to stop herself from banging her head repeatedly on the wall.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sound of a skull hitting a hard concrete wall resounded in the dark tunnel, almost overpowering the sound of the gentle stream.
"You're not the only one with fun toys, you know?" she said angrily. Strangely, however, there was no pain in her voice and her head wasn't bleeding despite repeatedly hitting the wall.
Valentine's sense of secret was triggered and he instinctively looked at the woman's neck. There was a necklace that was glowing faintly. If he hadn't used his night vision, the glow would be very noticeable in the dark sewer.
"What is that enhanced equipment? I wish I had my gun right now," he muttered and carefully dashed closer to Eveline, who was still unable to control herself.
Concentrating on the necklace that she was wearing, he cast his ability.
"I ask that you reveal your secrets to me!"
Bang! Bang!
Amidst the banging, illusory letters began appearing and formed a complete text not long after. Valentine read the text as quickly as he could.
'The necklace of Kamiel. Status: sated. A piece of enhanced equipment made by a high-ranked Transmuter. It allows the user to withstand damage at the expense of the user's stamina. As long as the user's stamina is available, the damage suffered will reduce stamina instead, allowing the physical body to remain intact and uninjured. Once a week, the necklace must be fed with the user's stamina non-stop for at least sixteen hours, or more depending on its use during the week.'
The illusory text disappeared as Valentine retreated to a safe distance.
"That necklace is very strong, G. The side effect is only that we will be incapacitated for the whole day once a week basically," he concluded.
If he had Luuk's theft ability, Valentine would have stolen the necklace. Going in for the theft didn't seem like a good idea currently since despite not being able to stop herself from banging her head on the wall, Eveline was still able to move his other body parts freely.
"Finally, that fucking ability stopped,"
The banging stopped, and Eveline checked her forehead. There was no injury at all, and strangely, although her stamina should have been drained, she didn't look tired.
She looked like she was about to attack, but Valentine didn't give her the chance. He pointed the end of the cane at her and sent his energy into it. Even though the negative effect might be bad for him, he didn't have another choice. His Mass Illusion wouldn't work because she would just be jolted awake again by the pain. He needed to somehow stop her and took the necklace away if he wanted to incapacitate her.
A kind of energy shot at Eveline and entered Valentine at the same time. Knowledge about the effect was also transferred into his brain.
'Eveline Herrick is now highly obsessed with the sight of blood!'
'You are now completely uninterested in ducks!'
"Shit! That's completely the opposite of what I wanted!" he mumbled as he took a step back, getting away from Eveline who suddenly emitted a strong bloodlust.
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Valentine had switched with Graham and now the latter was planting another thought at the animal abuser Evert Holsten. The poor man was still acting like a chair, standing motionlessly by his hotel door.
His energy left him and entered the man, taking root inside his brain. Since it was an idea that was contradictory with the man's true nature, Graham didn't know how long it would manifest. He didn't care that much since he thought that the man had got punished enough.
The puppy that he had left at the veterinary clinic had been treated and it was now on its way to recovery. However, it had to stay one more night there to make sure there was no other problem with it. That was another reason why Graham was willing to let the man go-- him having a wife and children waiting for him at home being the other.
"Now let's move," Graham breathed heavily. His stamina was slowly recovering after using Thought Implant.
After removing the trash bin from the man's stomach, Graham dragged him outside his hotel room and placed Evert in the lobby, facing the stairs down. He also made sure not to leave the man right in front of his door, but a little farther away in front of a random room.
Focusing on the belt with complicated patterns that he was wearing, Graham began chanting while crouching so that his two hands would be level with the man's head.
"I, in the name of the Deity of Deception and Hidden Thoughts, hereby erase all of Evert Holsten's memories about me!"
A black illusory smoke came out of his palms and entered the man's head through his ears. Meanwhile, one of the patterns on the belt grew dimmer, indicating that only one more use of that ability was available.
Making sure he was completely in the man's blind spot, he issued an Order.
"I order you to return to normal!"
His initial implanted Order was canceled by his new order. At once, Evert collapsed to the floor out of weakness and most likely muscle soreness. He also looked very confused and pained with a little fear mixed into his jumble of emotion. He looked around to find no one nearby.
Graham had quickly run back into his room and closed the door very carefully. Now that his job was done, he needed to switch back with Valentine again.
Before lying down on the bed, he used Fire Manipulation to get rid of the flame that he had used as a monitoring device inside his room.
"I'm all done, Val. Time to switch. Don't forget, Derrick is still in his mansion while Eveline is inside the sewer under Kreekstraat. And Eveline seems to be waiting for us on purpose, otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to use divination on her,"
"I, in the name of the Deity of Cunningness and Transformation, hereby change my whole being into that of Cornelis Harring!"
Graham closed his eyes and drifted into the dream world on the soft, comfortable bed while his body was undergoing a transformation process. The dark sky outside was cloudy, and occasionally, lightning would roar. The bad weather outside set up the perfect mood to sleep, despite his itching skill from the transformation.
Valentine woke up not long after, with a completely different appearance. He quickly got up and got dressed, wearing clothes that matched Rood's size. He also brought everything that he would need in case a fight arose. Gloom's Redress, the bracelet, had been fed and was ready to use.
He left the room once ready, and using the payphone available on the first-floor lobby, he called for a public motor carriage to take him to the mansion at the edge of the city. Stefan had been replaced by someone completely unfamiliar to him, which was a good thing for him because the young man might have recognized Rood otherwise.
The motor carriage arrived less than five minutes later and Valentine was already waiting by the side of the street. He quickly got in and told the driver his destination. He also asked the driver to wait for him later because he needed to go to his next destination.
That night sky in Hoorn was abnormally dark, although the occasional lightning helped illuminated the land. Thick clouds were hovering above the city menacingly like they were hiding an entity that was looming up high.
Roar!!!
The sound of thunder just cracked, following a flash of lighting that came a few seconds earlier. The loud rumble continued murmuring in the distance for a few more seconds before it faded away.
"Whoah, that was a big one," the driver said, starting a small talk.
Valentine only nodded, which he wasn't even sure if the driver could see or not.
They continued driving in silence until finally, they arrived near the protruding cliff where the mansion was built. After telling the driver to wait again, Valentine got out and walked in the dark of night towards the big building, casting Concealment as he went.
He arrived at the tall metal gate that was strangely still open. Even the main doors were open. It seemed that Derrick hadn't bothered to close them after Graham stole his motor carriage and left.
Carefully, he entered the mansion and heard the sound of heavy breathing coming from the direction of the basement. He quietly headed towards the source of the sound and found the young man still sitting on the stairway with a sorrowful look on his face.
It seemed that Derrick Krammer had remained there since this morning after Graham had used the illusion on him. He was leaning against the wall with his hands covering his crotch area. There were dry tear marks on his cheeks while his eyes were red. Valentine somehow pitied the young man, but he wasn't actually suffering from any physical injury. Everything was just in his head.
"I hereby put you under Interrogation!"
The man's expression went blank as his eyes were staring into the vast nothingness. Valentine crouched in front of him and placed his hands on each side of his head without touching him. After that, he began chanting and the usual black smoke came out of his palm, entering the young man through his ears. With that, one more target was taken care of.
"That was easy," he muttered while walking out of the mansion.
Only after leaving the gate several meters behind did he undo his Concealment. Valentine then returned to the motor carriage and asked the driver to begin driving again.
They arrived at Valentine's second destination stopping a little farther away from the entrance to the sewer. He told the driver to wait for him, and this time, it might take a little longer.
"Here, I'll pay for your service up until now, and I'll pay you extra once I return," he said while handing the driver six stuivers.
It was a lot of money for normal people, although to Valentine, that amount was nothing compared to the high cost of everything he needed as a Contractbound. The driver's face reflected his excitement at the prospect of receiving even more later as he thanked his passenger.
"Let's see what's waiting for us down there, G,"
Valentine walked away from the motor carriage and cast Concealment as well as Illusion Substitutes on himself under the guise of the dark night. He then lifted the manhole cover and climbed down the metal ladder down into the sewer.
Drip... Drip...
The sounds of water drops echoed in the dark sewer corridor, while the sound of a stream was audible in the distance. The smell of moss and dampness penetrated his nose and his skin was rubbed gently by the cold and moist air of the sewer.
Valentine walked in the direction that was shown in Graham's divination earlier. If she had indeed been setting something up for him, Eveline shouldn't move away too far.
The sound of the underwater stream got louder as Valentine walked deeper until finally, he could see the source of the sound. The sewer water was running gently in the pitch-black tunnel. There should be service lights somewhere for the sewer workers, but Valentine didn't need them since his night vision allowed him to see perfectly fine in the dark.
After walking along the stream for about three minutes, finally, he saw something in front of him that was almost unnoticeable, if not for himself being in the same state. It was someone covered in a thin yellowish mist standing in the middle of the walkway. The mist made him instinctively neglect the figure, making them seem to be not there, but with high enough concentration, he could tell his brain to focus on the figure.
"You're finally here. I've been waiting for a long time,"
The mist covering the figure dissipated, revealing Eveline Herrick who was still wearing the same black coat and tight yellow dress. The difference was that her round glasses were missing and she looked like a celebrity who had been thrown out into the street to fend for herself. Her dress and her coat were dirty, and her make up had been ruined. Valentine wasn't sure if the rancid smell was coming from the sewer or the woman in front of him.
"If you're wondering how I knew you'd be looking for me, that person told me," she said. The manner in which she spoke was still the same as usual; breathy with a lot of seductive emphases. She was looking straight at Valentine in the eyes as she spoke, which alerted him.
Having his curiosity piqued, Valentine lifted the shroud covering his voice and readied his weapon.
"What person?" his voice was cold and inquisitive.
Chuckle...
"Teehee... he told me not to tell you... or he'll punish me. But you should know him. He also told me not to make things easy for you,"
Eveline's nails grew long instantly as she charged at Valentine without hesitation. She seemed to know exactly where he was despite his Concealment being one rank stronger than her.
Valentine managed to dodge thanks to his high speed. He quickly opened his mouth and spoke swiftly.
"I hereby put you under interrogation!"
Her expression went blank right away, but a short moment later, she looked like she was in great pain. She collapsed to the ground while holding her head. The pain had caused Valentine's control to be broken!
"That person also protected me from control effect, teehee..." she smiled as she got back up. The pain appeared to have quickly subsided, as it only served to jolt her awake.
Clank!
Valentine blocked her sudden attack with the cane and quickly stretched his right hand in front of him.
"I, in the name of the Deity of Stupidity and Hatred, grant stupidity upon you!"
His bracelet glowed in a faint orange light while dark orange tendrils drilled into Eveline's head.
Eveline wanted to retreat from Valentine to avoid his subsequent attack, but because she was under the ability's effect, she instead stupidly banged her head on the wall next to her.
Seizing his chance, Valentine focused his energy on the belt and chanted.
"I, in the name of the Deity of Domination and Order, intensify your desire to bang your head on the wall!"
The pattern on Purloin glowed and then dimmed. At the same time, Eveline suddenly became unable to stop herself from banging her head repeatedly on the wall.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sound of a skull hitting a hard concrete wall resounded in the dark tunnel, almost overpowering the sound of the gentle stream.
"You're not the only one with fun toys, you know?" she said angrily. Strangely, however, there was no pain in her voice and her head wasn't bleeding despite repeatedly hitting the wall.
Valentine's sense of secret was triggered and he instinctively looked at the woman's neck. There was a necklace that was glowing faintly. If he hadn't used his night vision, the glow would be very noticeable in the dark sewer.
"What is that enhanced equipment? I wish I had my gun right now," he muttered and carefully dashed closer to Eveline, who was still unable to control herself.
Concentrating on the necklace that she was wearing, he cast his ability.
"I ask that you reveal your secrets to me!"
Bang! Bang!
Amidst the banging, illusory letters began appearing and formed a complete text not long after. Valentine read the text as quickly as he could.
'The necklace of Kamiel. Status: sated. A piece of enhanced equipment made by a high-ranked Transmuter. It allows the user to withstand damage at the expense of the user's stamina. As long as the user's stamina is available, the damage suffered will reduce stamina instead, allowing the physical body to remain intact and uninjured. Once a week, the necklace must be fed with the user's stamina non-stop for at least sixteen hours, or more depending on its use during the week.'
The illusory text disappeared as Valentine retreated to a safe distance.
"That necklace is very strong, G. The side effect is only that we will be incapacitated for the whole day once a week basically," he concluded.
If he had Luuk's theft ability, Valentine would have stolen the necklace. Going in for the theft didn't seem like a good idea currently since despite not being able to stop herself from banging her head on the wall, Eveline was still able to move his other body parts freely.
"Finally, that fucking ability stopped,"
The banging stopped, and Eveline checked her forehead. There was no injury at all, and strangely, although her stamina should have been drained, she didn't look tired.
She looked like she was about to attack, but Valentine didn't give her the chance. He pointed the end of the cane at her and sent his energy into it. Even though the negative effect might be bad for him, he didn't have another choice. His Mass Illusion wouldn't work because she would just be jolted awake again by the pain. He needed to somehow stop her and took the necklace away if he wanted to incapacitate her.
A kind of energy shot at Eveline and entered Valentine at the same time. Knowledge about the effect was also transferred into his brain.
'Eveline Herrick is now highly obsessed with the sight of blood!'
'You are now completely uninterested in ducks!'
"Shit! That's completely the opposite of what I wanted!" he mumbled as he took a step back, getting away from Eveline who suddenly emitted a strong bloodlust.
Valentine had switched with Graham and now the latter was planting another thought at the animal abuser Evert Holsten. The poor man was still acting like a chair, standing motionlessly by his hotel door.His energy left him and entered the man, taking root inside his brain. Since it was an idea that was contradictory with the man's true nature, Graham didn't know how long it would manifest. He didn't care that much since he thought that the man had got punished enough.The puppy that he had left at the veterinary clinic had been treated and it was now on its way to recovery. However, it had to stay one more night there to make sure there was no other problem with it. That was another reason why Graham was willing to let the man go-- him having a wife and children waiting for him at home being the other."Now let's move," Graham breathed heavily. His stamina was slowly recovering after using Thought Implant.After removing the trash bin from the man's stomach, Graham dragged him outside his hotel room and placed Evert in the lobby, facing the stairs down. He also made sure not to leave the man right in front of his door, but a little farther away in front of a random room.Focusing on the belt with complicated patterns that he was wearing, Graham began chanting while crouching so that his two hands would be level with the man's head."I, in the name of the Deity of Deception and Hidden Thoughts, hereby erase all of Evert Holsten's memories about me!"A black illusory smoke came out of his palms and entered the man's head through his ears. Meanwhile, one of the patterns on the belt grew dimmer, indicating that only one more use of that ability was available.Making sure he was completely in the man's blind spot, he issued an Order."I order you to return to normal!"His initial implanted Order was canceled by his new order. At once, Evert collapsed to the floor out of weakness and most likely muscle soreness. He also looked very confused and pained with a little fear mixed into his jumble of emotion. He looked around to find no one nearby.Graham had quickly run back into his room and closed the door very carefully. Now that his job was done, he needed to switch back with Valentine again.Before lying down on the bed, he used Fire Manipulation to get rid of the flame that he had used as a monitoring device inside his room."I'm all done, Val. Time to switch. Don't forget, Derrick is still in his mansion while Eveline is inside the sewer under Kreekstraat. And Eveline seems to be waiting for us on purpose, otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to use divination on her,""I, in the name of the Deity of Cunningness and Transformation, hereby change my whole being into that of Cornelis Harring!"Graham closed his eyes and drifted into the dream world on the soft, comfortable bed while his body was undergoing a transformation process. The dark sky outside was cloudy, and occasionally, lightning would roar. The bad weather outside set up the perfect mood to sleep, despite his itching skill from the transformation.Valentine woke up not long after, with a completely different appearance. He quickly got up and got dressed, wearing clothes that matched Rood's size. He also brought everything that he would need in case a fight arose. Gloom's Redress, the bracelet, had been fed and was ready to use.He left the room once ready, and using the payphone available on the first-floor lobby, he called for a public motor carriage to take him to the mansion at the edge of the city. Stefan had been replaced by someone completely unfamiliar to him, which was a good thing for him because the young man might have recognized Rood otherwise.The motor carriage arrived less than five minutes later and Valentine was already waiting by the side of the street. He quickly got in and told the driver his destination. He also asked the driver to wait for him later because he needed to go to his next destination.That night sky in Hoorn was abnormally dark, although the occasional lightning helped illuminated the land. Thick clouds were hovering above the city menacingly like they were hiding an entity that was looming up high.Roar!!!The sound of thunder just cracked, following a flash of lighting that came a few seconds earlier. The loud rumble continued murmuring in the distance for a few more seconds before it faded away."Whoah, that was a big one," the driver said, starting a small talk.Valentine only nodded, which he wasn't even sure if the driver could see or not.They continued driving in silence until finally, they arrived near the protruding cliff where the mansion was built. After telling the driver to wait again, Valentine got out and walked in the dark of night towards the big building, casting Concealment as he went.He arrived at the tall metal gate that was strangely still open. Even the main doors were open. It seemed that Derrick hadn't bothered to close them after Graham stole his motor carriage and left. Carefully, he entered the mansion and heard the sound of heavy breathing coming from the direction of the basement. He quietly headed towards the source of the sound and found the young man still sitting on the stairway with a sorrowful look on his face.It seemed that Derrick Krammer had remained there since this morning after Graham had used the illusion on him. He was leaning against the wall with his hands covering his crotch area. There were dry tear marks on his cheeks while his eyes were red. Valentine somehow pitied the young man, but he wasn't actually suffering from any physical injury. Everything was just in his head."I hereby put you under Interrogation!"The man's expression went blank as his eyes were staring into the vast nothingness. Valentine crouched in front of him and placed his hands on each side of his head without touching him. After that, he began chanting and the usual black smoke came out of his palm, entering the young man through his ears. With that, one more target was taken care of."That was easy," he muttered while walking out of the mansion. Only after leaving the gate several meters behind did he undo his Concealment. Valentine then returned to the motor carriage and asked the driver to begin driving again.They arrived at Valentine's second destination stopping a little farther away from the entrance to the sewer. He told the driver to wait for him, and this time, it might take a little longer."Here, I'll pay for your service up until now, and I'll pay you extra once I return," he said while handing the driver six stuivers. It was a lot of money for normal people, although to Valentine, that amount was nothing compared to the high cost of everything he needed as a Contractbound. The driver's face reflected his excitement at the prospect of receiving even more later as he thanked his passenger."Let's see what's waiting for us down there, G,"Valentine walked away from the motor carriage and cast Concealment as well as Illusion Substitutes on himself under the guise of the dark night. He then lifted the manhole cover and climbed down the metal ladder down into the sewer.Drip... Drip...The sounds of water drops echoed in the dark sewer corridor, while the sound of a stream was audible in the distance. The smell of moss and dampness penetrated his nose and his skin was rubbed gently by the cold and moist air of the sewer.Valentine walked in the direction that was shown in Graham's divination earlier. If she had indeed been setting something up for him, Eveline shouldn't move away too far.The sound of the underwater stream got louder as Valentine walked deeper until finally, he could see the source of the sound. The sewer water was running gently in the pitch-black tunnel. There should be service lights somewhere for the sewer workers, but Valentine didn't need them since his night vision allowed him to see perfectly fine in the dark.After walking along the stream for about three minutes, finally, he saw something in front of him that was almost unnoticeable, if not for himself being in the same state. It was someone covered in a thin yellowish mist standing in the middle of the walkway. The mist made him instinctively neglect the figure, making them seem to be not there, but with high enough concentration, he could tell his brain to focus on the figure."You're finally here. I've been waiting for a long time,"The mist covering the figure dissipated, revealing Eveline Herrick who was still wearing the same black coat and tight yellow dress. The difference was that her round glasses were missing and she looked like a celebrity who had been thrown out into the street to fend for herself. Her dress and her coat were dirty, and her make up had been ruined. Valentine wasn't sure if the rancid smell was coming from the sewer or the woman in front of him."If you're wondering how I knew you'd be looking for me, that person told me," she said. The manner in which she spoke was still the same as usual; breathy with a lot of seductive emphases. She was looking straight at Valentine in the eyes as she spoke, which alerted him.Having his curiosity piqued, Valentine lifted the shroud covering his voice and readied his weapon."What person?" his voice was cold and inquisitive.Chuckle..."Teehee... he told me not to tell you... or he'll punish me. But you should know him. He also told me not to make things easy for you,"Eveline's nails grew long instantly as she charged at Valentine without hesitation. She seemed to know exactly where he was despite his Concealment being one rank stronger than her.Valentine managed to dodge thanks to his high speed. He quickly opened his mouth and spoke swiftly."I hereby put you under interrogation!"Her expression went blank right away, but a short moment later, she looked like she was in great pain. She collapsed to the ground while holding her head. The pain had caused Valentine's control to be broken!"That person also protected me from control effect, teehee..." she smiled as she got back up. The pain appeared to have quickly subsided, as it only served to jolt her awake.Clank!Valentine blocked her sudden attack with the cane and quickly stretched his right hand in front of him."I, in the name of the Deity of Stupidity and Hatred, grant stupidity upon you!"His bracelet glowed in a faint orange light while dark orange tendrils drilled into Eveline's head.Eveline wanted to retreat from Valentine to avoid his subsequent attack, but because she was under the ability's effect, she instead stupidly banged her head on the wall next to her.Seizing his chance, Valentine focused his energy on the belt and chanted."I, in the name of the Deity of Domination and Order, intensify your desire to bang your head on the wall!"The pattern on Purloin glowed and then dimmed. At the same time, Eveline suddenly became unable to stop herself from banging her head repeatedly on the wall. Bang! Bang! Bang!The sound of a skull hitting a hard concrete wall resounded in the dark tunnel, almost overpowering the sound of the gentle stream."You're not the only one with fun toys, you know?" she said angrily. Strangely, however, there was no pain in her voice and her head wasn't bleeding despite repeatedly hitting the wall. Valentine's sense of secret was triggered and he instinctively looked at the woman's neck. There was a necklace that was glowing faintly. If he hadn't used his night vision, the glow would be very noticeable in the dark sewer."What is that enhanced equipment? I wish I had my gun right now," he muttered and carefully dashed closer to Eveline, who was still unable to control herself.Concentrating on the necklace that she was wearing, he cast his ability."I ask that you reveal your secrets to me!"Bang! Bang!Amidst the banging, illusory letters began appearing and formed a complete text not long after. Valentine read the text as quickly as he could.'The necklace of Kamiel. Status: sated. A piece of enhanced equipment made by a high-ranked Transmuter. It allows the user to withstand damage at the expense of the user's stamina. As long as the user's stamina is available, the damage suffered will reduce stamina instead, allowing the physical body to remain intact and uninjured. Once a week, the necklace must be fed with the user's stamina non-stop for at least sixteen hours, or more depending on its use during the week.'The illusory text disappeared as Valentine retreated to a safe distance."That necklace is very strong, G. The side effect is only that we will be incapacitated for the whole day once a week basically," he concluded.If he had Luuk's theft ability, Valentine would have stolen the necklace. Going in for the theft didn't seem like a good idea currently since despite not being able to stop herself from banging her head on the wall, Eveline was still able to move his other body parts freely."Finally, that fucking ability stopped," The banging stopped, and Eveline checked her forehead. There was no injury at all, and strangely, although her stamina should have been drained, she didn't look tired.She looked like she was about to attack, but Valentine didn't give her the chance. He pointed the end of the cane at her and sent his energy into it. Even though the negative effect might be bad for him, he didn't have another choice. His Mass Illusion wouldn't work because she would just be jolted awake again by the pain. He needed to somehow stop her and took the necklace away if he wanted to incapacitate her.A kind of energy shot at Eveline and entered Valentine at the same time. Knowledge about the effect was also transferred into his brain.'Eveline Herrick is now highly obsessed with the sight of blood!''You are now completely uninterested in ducks!'"Shit! That's completely the opposite of what I wanted!" he mumbled as he took a step back, getting away from Eveline who suddenly emitted a strong bloodlust.
