Chapter 398 - 339: Border Town (Part 2)

Chapter 398: Chapter 339: Border Town (Part 2)

Lloyd mused to himself.

He’d have to investigate further to figure out how the spatial instability was connected to the "uncle’s inheritance."

Lloyd mulled it over for a moment. A sudden gust of wind made him shiver, and he quickly summoned his Projection. He wrapped it around himself, insulating him from the cold air and instantly warming him up.

Seeing this, Little Olga, who was standing nearby, froze for a moment before asking in astonishment:

"A Projection? You’ve dabbled in the Manifestation system?"

"Yep. It’s pretty convenient, isn’t it?"

Lloyd smiled.

"This... But that’s not how Projections are supposed to be used, is it?"

Little Olga remarked, trying to be tactful.

’What he really wanted to say was: You’re completely butchering it!’

The Projection and Story disciplines actually share a common logic: the more refined, complete, and realistic they are, the more powerful they become.

Therefore, Extraordinary Beings who follow the Projection discipline must repeatedly polish, repair, and perfect their Projections within their own Thought Realm, striving for absolute excellence.

They must also constantly nurture them with Spiritual Power to maintain them in peak condition, only releasing them when absolutely necessary.

For someone like Lloyd to casually use a completely formless Projection that looked like a lump of dough... it was the work of an amateur among amateurs.

And to use a Projection for warmth, of all things, left Little Olga so dumbfounded he didn’t even know where to begin his complaints.

He was tempted to extend his inspiration to inspect the quality and composition of Lloyd’s Projection, but he resisted the urge—

Such probing was a highly sensitive and taboo act within Manifestation circles—tantamount to peeking at someone’s hidden cards. It could directly provoke conflict, so it wasn’t something to be done carelessly.

Lloyd probably didn’t know the etiquette, but Little Olga still had his principles and didn’t want to lose this new friend he had high hopes for.

But Lloyd, clearly oblivious to these "unspoken rules of the trade," asked in confusion:

"Hm? Is there something wrong with it?"

"Well... my friend, how exactly did you achieve your Enlightenment?"

"I forget... I think it just sort of happened naturally?"

"That means you achieved Enlightenment naturally, which proves you have an extremely high aptitude for Manifestation, but you’ve never had any systematic training... Once this business is over, maybe we could have a proper chat?"

Little Olga certainly didn’t want to give Lloyd a crash course on the fundamentals out here in the snow and ice, so he changed his approach with the suggestion.

"Great, great! It’s a deal!"

Lloyd nodded repeatedly.

Little Olga then took out a pair of specially made gloves and put them on. A circular, flame-like pattern was visible on the palms. Once they were on, he too seemed able to withstand the bitter cold, his body radiating a gentle warmth. He then asked kindly,

"If you didn’t prepare any cold-weather gear, I have extra."

Lloyd quickly waved his hands.

"No need, no need. The Projection is just fine. It’s actually pretty comfortable, like I’m soaking in a hot bath."

Little Olga: "..."

The two of them then walked into the small, snow-covered town. They soon found the local inn, pushed open the door, and stepped inside.

It was much warmer and livelier inside. People were shouting and arguing, some red-faced and agitated as if demanding something. Few even noticed the two oddballs who had just walked in, wearing only casual suits in the dead of winter.

Little Olga went straight to the bar, pulled out a few bills, and began asking for information.

Lloyd, meanwhile, stood to the side, scanning them one by one.

There were several dozen people here, most of them ordinary folks of all ages. However, none of them looked particularly friendly; their faces were etched with obvious greed and impatience. A few were clearly thugs, with a cold, fierce glint in their eyes.

’Looks like everyone here has a "dying uncle,"’ Lloyd thought. ’This uncle sure has "nephews" all over the world. Might as well just call him Chen Rui.’

Still, Lloyd did spot a few Extraordinary Beings. Some were from the Legal System, others from the Taboo System, but their Tiers were low. Most were second to third tier, with the highest being two at Tier Four. This made Little Olga, at Tier Five, the most powerful person in the room on the surface.

Drawing on the twenty years of investigative experience he’d picked up from others, Lloyd immediately identified five people from the Legal System as "colleagues." They had also been the first to notice him and Little Olga.

They immediately sprang into action. One went over to approach Little Olga, while another headed straight for Lloyd and asked in a low voice,

"Are you also here to investigate this abnormal event?"

Lloyd didn’t deny it, simply nodding.

"Also for that bounty?" the man asked, his tone growing warier.

"Bounty? I don’t know anything about that. We’re from Radiant City. We’re just here out of curiosity."

"I see. In that case, never mind. Good luck."

The investigator who had approached him said no more. He returned to his table and whispered something to his companions.

Lloyd couldn’t hear what they said. ’Looks like they have some kind of sound-dampening device. They’re extremely well-prepared; they definitely came ready for this.’

Just then, Little Olga returned with two steaming drinks. He and Lloyd found a corner table and sat down. Little Olga then produced a palm-sized tuning fork, tapped it lightly against the table, and suddenly, no one else could hear their conversation.