Super Righteous Player
Chapter 1042 - 100 "The Blackbird

Chapter 1042: Chapter 100 "The Blackbird

But Annan’s recent plan encountered an unexpected obstacle.

Or perhaps it shouldn’t be called an obstacle—

Just as Annan and Isaac were leaving the tavern’s room, before they had a chance to depart,

In the next moment, Annan and Isaac keenly sensed... faint spatial fluctuations coming from somewhere in the tavern.

But Annan didn’t make any particular actions, simply stopping in place, his pupils suddenly igniting with a bright glow. Isaac, however, stepped forward, shielding half of Annan’s body behind him.

Two or three seconds later, they heard a crisp and loud bark, inexplicably echoing out of thin air.

The air in front of Annan, like paper being scorched by candle flame, revealed a small black hole.

At first, the charred black hole was only the size of a fist, but it rapidly spread outward, dissolving over time, and amidst the strange aroma of burning, it became a hole the size of a basketball.

A Doberman with ear tips, streaks around the lips, and orange tufts on its chest, all ablaze with deep red flames, deftly leaped out of that hole.

It only reached up to Annan’s thigh—compared to Annan’s height, this dog clearly couldn’t be considered large.

It circled twice in front of Annan then let out two more resounding barks.

The call was profoundly deep.

Like the echo of a wolf’s howl in the valleys deep in the night.

Even though it was inside a noisy tavern, even though the sound itself wasn’t loud, it easily passed through walls, reaching far off into the distance, and yet the two nearby didn’t feel any discomfort from the loudness of the dog’s barks.

"That is a Hunter’s beast companion."

Isaac explained in a low voice, "It’s probably a Transcendent detective, likely bronze-tier."

Annan nodded silently.

He had already guessed as much—just like the chocolate that could slip into shadows and teleport within them. This kind of dog that can track and teleport while "burning with flame" must also be another type of animal companion.

But...

That’s pretty cool, huh.

Annan reflected to himself.

He wasn’t the least bit flustered and even felt like crouching down to pet the dog.

And as Annan thought this, his body had already begun to move that way.

The black hunting dog, with dark red flames burning all over its body and its stance proud and tall, showed no fear of Annan.

It affectionately approached, lowered its body, making humming and whining sounds, and its slender yet extremely short tail wagged back and forth.

Annan merely crouched down and reached out his hand, and the hunting dog that had come searching for him placed its head into Annan’s palm, beginning to nuzzle against his hand of its own accord.

And Annan watched the dog with a smiling gaze, meanwhile gently stroking its fur.

—This was the influence of the "Radiant Sovereign."

Just as the Skeleton Lord merely by appearing within someone’s sight could invoke a fear in people to the point of near despair.

And the Spouse, without even having to appear, just by existing in a city, would stir a strange fragrance to drift through the air without reason.

The reason Paper Princess chose to conceal her presence was precisely because she feared her "abnormal allure" would instantly shatter others’ mental defenses, dissolving their personalities.

Even silver-tier Transcendents, when conversing in a crowd, would always become "the most eye-catching one." A silver-tier Transcendent among a group of mortals, even if dressed utterly the same as others and when the camera swept over, would nonetheless be the first one noticed.

Like a single different number among a mass of densely packed digits.

Transcendents who had completed the soul dyeing ceremony would, by merely revealing their presence slightly, without even fully lifting the curse’s seal, directly cause the entire city to experience anomalies.

This kind of anomaly, which could easily permeate the outside world, was particularly pronounced at the Gold stage of transcendence. Once one became a god, the situation lightened considerably and became easier to control; the True Gods could even appear indistinguishable from mortals.

Even in close contact with True Gods, unless they wished it, there would be no effect whatsoever.

This represented control over transcendent power.

This was also why Transcendents at the Gold stage typically resided far from crowds and bustling markets. They were at the stage where they possessed extraordinarily strong transcendent powers yet found them the most difficult to control.

The signs of the Rotting Husband’s apparition were the most pronounced among all the gods, not because he was particularly powerful... but rather because he was the weakest.

Just as Annan was bestowing a smile upon the hunting dog, the May sun, which normally made people drowsy with its scorching heat, suddenly lost its burning warmth and became cool and refreshing; all the lights in Black Sail town suddenly brightened threefold; all townsfolk suffering from eye diseases, regardless of severity, were silently cured in the blink of an eye.

"...Excuse me."

At that moment,

With a languid and deep voice, the sound of the bar’s door opening came from below them.

Shortly after, a middle-aged man, taking very heavy steps, ascended the stairs.

Just by listening to his footsteps, Annan could sense his fatigue. It was like the feeling one gets after a day of hard study or work when one can barely walk and must slowly climb the stairs before reaching home.

And Annan looked in the direction of the voice.

The man coming up the stairs gave off an intense impression of a "corporate slave."

His tea-colored hair was combed neatly back, meticulous to the last strand, and his face couldn’t hide his weariness. Despite it being the end of May in Dennisiowa, he wore quite thick and official attire. Over his shirt, he had a pure black double-breasted coat reminiscent of military wear.

Annan noticed that all the buttons on his clothing bore Dennisiowa’s national emblem—the emblem of an abstracted crown atop a tripple-layered mountain.

Upon climbing up, the man seemed slightly surprised to see his dog so affectionate with Annan.

"Shirley."

The man softly called out to his dog.

Although Shirley, the named hound, had a human-like expression of "what a pity," she quickly drew her head away from Annan’s hand and turned a circle in front of him.

Then the man walked up to Annan and presented him with a badge while speaking in a low, sticky voice that tried to muster energy but lacked strength, "Hello, this is the Special Bureau for Magic and Ritual Crime. You may call me ’Thrush.’"

"Hello, Thrush."

Annan replied warmly, "Is there something you need me for?"

Right after Annan said this, Thrush, as if by reflex, pulled a white jade plaque from his chest.

Holding the plaque as if it were a microphone, he pointed it slightly towards Annan and quickly recited, "Please do not worry, sir, we are just making a routine inquiry. Shirley has sensed that you have come into contact with a wanted criminal we are currently tracking, and we need to know more information. Of course, you can choose to refuse to answer or to leave incorrect information, but afterwards, you will have to sign your name in our records and be responsible for everything said above.

If you refuse to answer or if the information is clearly incorrect, we will investigate your background without disturbing your regular life to determine if you are related to the matter. On top of that, should you provide valid information, we will also offer a reward."

Thrush, in a hurried whisper that Annan could hardly catch, rattled off a lengthy monologue... as if leasing his mouth in haste.

After finishing, Thrush nodded slightly at Annan, moved his mouth without making a sound, and mouthed an apology to Annan.

"So here, may I first inquire, what is your name and occupation?"

Thrush asked.

"I am Annan Winter."

Annan responded with a gentle smile, "The current Duke of the Winter Principality."

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