Clark spoke out, his detective instincts sharp, suspecting it was related to his investigation mission.
"I’m not sure what that slab is, just that I know..."
Mona leaned against the iron post of the bed frame, frowning as she recounted her own investigation.
Her original plan was to lure Wayne out of Lundan Town by looking for a pet and, through The Church’s arrangements, thoroughly investigate his background.
The location was already chosen, right in Eclipse Town, and if nothing went wrong, it was secured.
But things that shouldn’t go wrong did indeed go wrong, as her investigation accidentally unveiled Mayor Welsh’s dark secrets, leading to a big case unexpected in her plan.
At first, Mona didn’t take the Mayor and his accomplices seriously; they were a minor issue that didn’t interfere with her deep investigation of Wayne.
Unexpectedly, this "minor issue" almost drove her into a desperate situation.
"According to my search at the Mayor’s house, the so-called gold mine is fictitious; there never was a gold mine from start to finish. The Mayor’s purchase of the mine property was to find a slab..."
Mona spoke slowly, disclosing how the Mayor and the Necromancer were in cahoots, providing funds to the Death Church and enjoying its protection, while Dunn and the Death Church behind him were searching for the slab.
"The Mayor had closed off the mining area for a long time, ordering secret excavations, and the news that spread created the rumor of a gold mine."
"The Mayor doesn’t know much, I didn’t find any superfluous clues at his house, but the Death Church has put a lot of effort into him. It’s possible that from the beginning, they came for the slab, and I was worried that if I was even one step late, the slab would be taken by them, which is why I risked entering the mining area."
While talking, Mona’s spirits improved a lot, her headache and dizziness faded, and her thoughts became much clearer.
She felt she might be overthinking things; no one had touched her bottom just now. What one dwells on during the day, they dream of at night—it must have been her longing for her master in her sleep.
"You two, who carried me over just now?"
Clark decisively threw Wayne under the bus, "You know me, touching an ugly woman like you makes me feel disgusted."
Mona’s eyelids twitched, not correcting Clark’s misaligned beauty standards, but instead scrutinizing Wayne.
There were differences in physique, but to a Mage, such things were not a problem.
Thinking this, Mona’s heart skipped a beat, as her gaze sharpened momentarily. If she remembered correctly, she had peeked at Wayne’s bottom, and the shapely curve did bear a certain resemblance.
"What’s wrong, is there a problem?"
Wayne scratched his face, "If you’re thinking of thanking me, there’s no need. Let’s be realistic, I pulled you out of the mine, saving your life. You figure out how much you’re worth and just transfer the money."
"Having said that, I still want to say thank you."
Mona gave a slight smile, genuine or not, they couldn’t ask it out of him—it would have to be found out with a hands-on approach.
By this time, Mona had already put her task of investigating Wayne out of her mind—it was not important. Confirming who Bruce was took precedence.
"The money isn’t urgent right now; what’s pressing is finding the slab."
Mona looked at Wayne, and perhaps it was a psychological effect, but the more she suspected, the more resemblances she saw.
A spirit willing to risk it all, a mind unenslaved by the Devil’s thoughts...
If it turned out that Wayne was indeed the person she was looking for, matching all the characteristics of Bruce, it would mean the two people she was seeking were actually one and the same.
Mona took a sharp intake of breath, cursing her own restraint—if she had known, she should have tried a surprise pinch from behind that day.
On the other side, Clark and Wayne, realistic as they were about the risk of the mine collapsing, both wanted the other to accompany Mona.
However, for their own interests, neither wanted Mona, who represented The Church, to get the slab.
After pondering for a moment, Clark analyzed the pros and cons and decisively dropped out of the competition. He had joined the Liberty Mage Alliance to make money and really liked his challenging detective work—there was no need to risk his life for an obscure slab.
Wayne was more conflicted, with Elemental Mountain, the slab, treasure looming... it all seemed like a serendipitous opportunity presenting itself.
Passing up found treasure made him feel like a loss—to back out now would be to cry oneself awake from sleep.
But what if the mine collapsed?
Caution was a matter of principle—with principles, there’s only a first time and then countless times more; once started, it’s hard to stop.
Mona got up unsteadily, pulling a map of the mine from her bosom: "There’s no time to hesitate now, the Necromancer has informed his accomplices, and they could arrive at any moment. Look around, see where there’s a phone, I need to notify the cathedral..."
"By the time you notify the cathedral, and then wait for the people over there to come, we’ll already have been turned into Skeleton Soldiers by the Death Mage."
Wayne clenched his teeth and stamped his foot, "Let’s go, to the mine right now. We must find the slab before the Death Church arrives; we can’t let that bunch of evil-doers get the treasure."
Mona nodded again and again, exactly, that was the way to go.
Clark shook his head repeatedly, refusing to risk going deeper into the mine even if the slab was found.
"Then I’ll trouble you to go to the other exits of the mine and open a passage. If the mine entrance is blocked by the people from the Death Church, Wayne and I can leave from another place." Mona wasn’t insistent.
Clark nodded in agreement, then added, "Just a heads-up, if a large troop from the Death Church really does come, I can’t possibly hold them off, don’t count on me to buy time."
"Set a few traps and consider it your best effort."