Backlund, East Borough.
The world was distorting.
Crazy and chaotic sounds filled his mind. No matter where he looked, hideous faces surfaced at the bottom layer of his vision. These constantly deforming faces were full of malice, scolding and laughing maniacally, continuously stimulating Lu Ze's nerves.
Lu Ze was moving forward.
He endured unimaginable torment, his face expressionless, as a warm hand held his arm, guiding his direction.
In the chaotic and distorted world, only this hand could make him feel at ease.
Lu Ze followed that hand, taking one step at a time.
If it weren't for Cecilia, I wouldn't even be able to walk... he thought with a bitter smile.
It was precisely because he trusted his sister to guide him from the outside that Lu Ze could focus his mind on himself, resist the semi-madness, and even have the leisure to think while walking.
He was thinking about why the Shadow Ascetic Beyonder potion had been slightly digested yesterday.
He remembered that the Acting Method stated that the key to digesting a Beyonder potion lay in its name. The original meaning of "Shadow Ascetic" referred to a monk who lived away from the mundane world, practicing asceticism in seclusion. They lived simple, even arduous lives, achieving piety towards the gods through ascetic practices, thereby attaining salvation.
However, Lu Ze's actions yesterday had nothing in common with this explanation.
Perhaps it should be understood in a more literal sense. Literally, a hidden monk...?
The Shadow Ascetic's Beyonder power is "Shadow," which allows a Beyonder to transform into a shadow, move secretly, or hide within shadows.
It seems to correspond to this meaning... But what about "monk"? Does it mean I have to believe in the True Creator?
Lu Ze analyzed the various possibilities, suddenly feeling the hand on his arm gently patting him. This was the signal they had agreed upon.
He withdrew his thoughts and connected his spirituality to the depths of his mind.
"Whoosh—"
The illusory sound of ocean waves followed, and all auditory and visual hallucinations were instantly expelled. Lu Ze's spiritual world returned to peace. He let out a sigh of relief and looked around, finding that he had arrived in front of a row of terraced apartments.
"Brother, we're here."
He saw the blue-eyed girl standing beside him, one hand supporting him, the other holding a suitcase, smiling as she spoke to him.
To avoid being reported, they had quietly moved out of their original residence and then found a house for rent through a notice at a nearby bar. In other words, they were here to view a house today.
After some consideration, he decided to temporarily stay in the East Borough. The environment here was chaotic, making it suitable for hiding. Moreover, such a place with strong negative emotions was actually beneficial for his Acting Method.
Hmm, it's a bit smaller than 6 Daffodil Street, Lu Ze thought as he surveyed the apartment's exterior. The two walked to one of the terraced apartments and stopped.
"8 Hausting Street, right? Then this is it."
He reached out and knocked on the door. After a while, the apartment door was pulled open a crack. Lu Ze noticed that there was still a chain on the door.
"Who is it?"
Behind the door was a vigilant girl, about 12 or 13 years old.
"Good afternoon. We saw a room for rent here at the nearby 'Golden Dreamland' bar. Where are your adults?"
Lu Ze stepped forward, greeting her with a smile using his face that could easily charm women. However, this time, his face didn't seem to work.
The girl looked at him warily, then looked past him to what was behind him.
"Are you two renting?"
She asked.
"That's right, we are siblings."
Lu Ze replied with a smile.
"Then come in."
The girl unlatched the door chain, then opened the door and welcomed them in.
As she opened the door, she placed a pair of scissors she had hidden behind her on the cabinet in the entryway.
Quite vigilant... but still lacking a bit. If they were really bad people, they could easily lie their way in, and that thin chain wouldn't do anything.
Lu Ze thought to himself, following the girl inside.
This house had a two-story structure, with a living room, kitchen, and washroom on the first floor, and mainly bedrooms and a study on the second floor. The house was a bit empty, with not much furniture.
"The living room, kitchen, and first-floor washroom are shared. I live downstairs, and you'll live upstairs. Including furniture usage fees and deposit, the weekly rent is 10 soli, paid half a year at a time, which is 13 pounds."
The girl said in a deliberately mature tone, showing them each room in the house.
Besides her, there was no one else in her family.
Lu Ze noticed that the bedroom that might have belonged to her parents was empty, and the Secrets Supplicant's eyes could see a faint aura of death lingering inside... It seemed they had passed away some time ago.
"Well, are you renting or not?"
The girl deliberately raised her voice, feigning indifference, but Lu Ze could see the nervousness in her eyes.
A girl who lost her parents and was living alone, forced to rent out her family home to make a living?
Lu Ze roughly guessed.
Thinking of the similar experience of the rondall family before, he sighed slightly.
This was the East Borough, and it would be too difficult for this little girl to protect her property by herself. She was lucky to have met them; otherwise, who knows how long it would be before she quietly disappeared.
"Three months' rent paid upfront, then rent paid every six months."
Lu Ze decided to do a good deed and said, "6 pounds."
He didn't ask where her family had gone, but directly bargained.
The girl frowned, then reluctantly nodded after a moment, "Alright then, come to my room to sign the contract."
The three walked together to the girl's bedroom-cum-study on the first floor. Textbooks and papers were piled on the desk, indicating she studied very diligently.
The girl pulled out a standard contract from under a pile of books. "Did you bring identification?"
"We were in a hurry to get here, so we forgot it,"
Lu Ze said casually.
The girl scrutinized them, "I'll take your word for it... This is the East Borough, it's very dangerous. Don't cause trouble after you move in."
"Okay, okay,"
Lu Ze coaxed her, took the contract, glanced at it, and signed his name after finding no issues.
"Do you usually go to class?"
He asked casually.
"I attend grammar school in Cherwood Borough,"
The girl replied curtly.
"Studying is indeed very important. There's no hope in staying in the East Borough,"
Lu Ze remarked, handing back the signed contract.
"My name is Kafka Anderson, and this is my sister, Cecilia Anderson. What about you, little girl?"
To prevent any accidents, Lu Ze temporarily used a pseudonym, and his sister simply adopted the new surname.
"My name is Emily."
The girl took the contract and signed her name on it.