I slammed the notebook shut and threw it hard onto the floor. For some reason, I wanted to burn it. The only bright side if it could even be called that was that I wasn’t dealing with a literal demonic being. No, it was simpler than that. I was dealing with an Authority wielder someone with an insane level of power.
He could control people, manipulate their minds, just as Adam had said. And perhaps he could do far worse than that. Apparently, this person controlled most of the inhabitants of the Lower District through golden puppet strings.
But after a bit of thinking, I found another silver lining. At least I wasn’t under his control. I’d seen the golden threads with my own eyes, and none were connected to me. In fact, they weren’t connected to most people in this district. They came only from afar from the other gang territories. Which led me to a simple conclusion: this district was under the jurisdiction of the Public Investigation Office, and clearly, that creature or that Controller, whatever he was didn’t want to draw their attention. Get full chapters from 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵~𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖~𝙣𝙚𝙩
So, theoretically, if I ran deeper into the heart of the district, I could escape all this chaos. I could even live quietly, without ever worrying about facing some demonic entity.
A pleasant thought, isn’t it?
Except there was one small problem with that plan: I didn’t want to run away.
I wanted out of the Lower District. I wanted to leave and return to the place I truly belonged. And to do that, I had to leave this district first.
So, there was no avoiding confrontation.
If this lunatic wanted to stage a play, fine then I’d be its star.
The star who doesn’t follow the script.
And even if he tried to destroy me, I’d find a way to survive. I’d done it before I’d died and come back more than once. Adding one more time wouldn’t be a problem.
I bent down to pick up the notebook from the floor, looked at it for a moment, then brushed the dust off its leather cover with my hand. After that, I sat again on the edge of the bed and began turning its pages carefully. I had to prepare properly before attempting to rescue Diana Adam the fool’s beloved.
Why? Two simple reasons:
First, saving her would help deepen my assimilation with my Authority.
Second, it was obvious this was part of the Controller’s show. Did he really expect me to let Adam die there? No I’d make sure Adam survived, just to ruin his precious sequence of events.
That would be my first step in tearing apart his script.
But I needed power a lot of it. I couldn’t keep relying on the mask and those stupid wishes that worked at double their price every single time.
I kept flipping through the pages quickly, looking for any knowledge that could give me even a slight advantage.
And indeed, I found plenty.
I smirked and muttered under my breath,
"Thank you, you bastard. You might’ve been useless while alive, but at least you left me a treasure trove of information."
I didn’t move from my place for hours. All I did was dig through the notebook’s pages. The information inside was densel so complex it made my head feel like it would explode if I kept reading. I didn’t understand half of it honestly, I didn’t understand most of it but what I did grasp was more than enough to give me some very interesting tricks.
But before anything else, I needed money... and the problem was, I was completely broke. Still, fortunately, I knew someone I could borrow from easily.
I put the mask back on, even though I didn’t want to, then slipped the notebook into my coat’s inner pocket and left the room. I crossed the narrow hallway separating the inn’s rooms until I stopped in front of Corvin’s door. Then I knocked.
I didn’t have to wait long before the door opened and Corvin appeared. When he saw the masked face, his eyes widened, and he stepped back as if Death itself had knocked on his door but he quickly composed himself and said, trying to sound steady,
"How may I serve you?"
"How may I serve you? Can’t you speak like a normal person? All this formality is annoying. We’re friends, aren’t we?"
A forced smile spread across his face even I could tell it was fake and he said,
"Of course... right, friends."
I smiled behind the mask, even though no one could see it, and said calmly,
"Well, my friend, I need to borrow some money. Don’t worry, I’ll pay you back later."
His forced smile disappeared immediately. He turned inside without saying a word, and soon came back holding a small handful of silver coins. He handed them to me without even looking up, then turned around and shut the door behind him quickly.
I looked down at the coins in my hand two silver pieces and a few small bronze ones.
"Who would’ve thought Corvin was this generous? Seems I’ve really made an impression on him."
The strangest part was that I felt my assimilation with my Authority deepen. Did that mean Corvin was genuinely grateful for me taking his money? Was that his wish all along? Strange... is he the type who enjoys giving people money?
Either way, I slipped the coins into my pocket beside the notebook and left the inn.
Outside, I pulled the notebook out again and opened to the page that described the market for supernatural goods in the Lower District. I traced the crudely drawn map with my finger and began heading through the crowded streets toward the neutral zone’s depths.
I passed several patrolmen, but with the mask’s power, none of them even noticed me. I walked straight among them unnoticed even the checkpoints let me through without a glance. Some of the passersby ahead were searched, while I crossed without issue.
What a useful mask... if only it didn’t slowly drive me insane, I’d never even think of taking it off. But, as they say nothing in this life comes for free.