Myriad Realms Gatekeeper

Shen Ye was momentarily taken aback.

Indeed, he had just witnessed a male singer being burned to death.

——But there were still many people on stage.

And just like that, it was his turn to take the stage?

Madame Daisy continued:

"Here's what we'll do... I need to take care of some things, so I'll come to find you at noon, and I'll take you to a party."

Facing Shen Ye's puzzled look, she explained, "Many things don't wait for anyone, we must start working right away—we need more hands."

Got it.

The troupe just happened to need someone like him.

So he was the lucky one picked to start work immediately.

... Surely the Undead Race doesn't embrace a 996 work schedule.

"Okay, Madame, I'll wait for your message," Shen Ye said, somewhat nervously.

"Take this for now, the streets have been a bit unsettled lately, you should wear it with the Rose Badge on your chest."

Daisy took out a badge and solemnly placed it in Shen Ye's hands.

This badge, unlike the Rose Badge, looked like a sharp fang or perhaps a horn of some beast, emitting a dim glow in Shen Ye's hand.

A faint light emerged, forming small characters:

"Pale Shadow Badge."

"Only those who are acknowledged may wear this badge, allowing them entry into Shadow Manor without any hindrance."

Shen Ye pinned the badge to his chest and said sincerely, "Thank you."

"Okay, you go on; I have to step out myself—we'll meet here at noon," Madame Daisy said.

She handed Shen Ye a purse.

"This——"

"Take it! Buy yourself a couple of well-fitting outfits, make yourself look sharp."

"Yes, thank you, Madame."

Shen Ye left the opera house and headed for his place.

The big skeleton suddenly spoke up:

"The Rose pattern on the purse represents the dance troupe, quite particular."

"What's there to talk about that," Shen Ye couldn't help but smile.

"The badge, on the other hand, is truly worth discussing—that is the insignia of the Pale Shadow, one of the three great powers of Eternal Night City. Freg, who assassinated the Human prince, is a high-ranking member of the Pale Shadow."

"Freg wasn't killed by me... I shouldn't be found out, right?" Shen Ye said.

"Of course not."

"However, the Shadow Manor is the Earl's residence; he's a powerful figure in the empire, a tough character not to be trifled with. If you happen to encounter him, you had better be careful," the big skeleton advised.

"Understood." Shen Ye said.

——It shouldn't come to meeting such a significant figure anyway.

After all, I've just joined the Dark Night Ros Dance Troupe, just a nobody.

And it seems I might be able to do a bit more now.

"Hey, now that I'm part of the troupe, I should have a clean identity," Shen Ye said.

"And? What are you trying to say?" the big skeleton asked.

"Can we purchase the materials for the journey to Hell now?"

"No! That technique is too powerful, definitely under close watch, but... do you remember I told you your Whispers of the Dark could be advanced?"

"Right, you mentioned that," Shen Ye replied.

"To advance your Whispers of the Dark, you need some special Nightmare Crystals, and the materials to create these crystals are quite obscure, known only to me. We can now procure them without raising any suspicion."

"Why won't there be any suspicion?"

"Because I possess the Talent of Undead Resurrection. They might infer some of the advancement requirements for Undead Resurrection through historical events, but since Whispers of the Dark have almost never appeared in history, no one knows about it."

"That's true."

"Come on, let's get the materials first, to complete the advancement of your 'Whispers of the Dark'!"

"How do we go?"

"To the Royal Grand Auction House!"

A few minutes later.

Shen Ye arrived at the Royal Grand Auction House.

It was a Gothic skeleton building, somewhat like a great cathedral from his previous life, looking rather sinister from the outside, but inside it was magnificent, crowded with an endless stream of people.

From Shen Ye's perspective——

"It's just a big shopping mall."

Shen Ye observed for a moment, followed the crowd into the entrance of the auction house, and was immediately approached by an attendant.

After stating his purpose, he was invited into a private booth.

"Are you sure you need these materials?"

The zombie attendant asked.

"Yes." Shen Ye replied.

"Alright, please wait a moment. I'll check if we have all the materials you requested," the zombie attendant said, closed the door, and left.

"It feels a bit too smooth," Shen Ye remarked.

"Don't worry, I've padded the list extensively, no one will guess what we're up to. They'll only think we might be preparing for a grand summoning ritual," the big skeleton said.

"Summoning ritual? What's that for?"

"It's what's done before starting a war—giving everyone a bit of reward to ensure they follow orders."

Understood.

Treating the brothers to a meal before a gang fight.

"Not bad, you're catching on quickly," Shen Ye said, surprised.

"Hmph," the big skeleton continued slowly, "the last time I came here, I almost got caught, so of course I had to learn my lesson."

"Last time? What happened?"

"I was buying materials to upgrade the Undead Resurrection, and my identity was exposed, resulting in serious injuries, barely escaping."

It was probably best it hadn't mentioned it until now; the more the big skeleton boasted about its confidence, the more cautious Shen Ye felt he had to be.

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Shen Ye said.

The door opened.

Two rows of Skeleton Soldiers filed in.

A short living corpse in military uniform followed, flanked by two heavily armored Abyssal Demon Snakes.

"Seize him—huh? What are you doing here, Mr. Baxter!"

The living corpse paused.

"Kevin? What brings you here?" Shen Ye raised his hand to greet him.

Living Corpse Kevin's glance quickly shifted and landed on the two badges on Shen Ye's chest. His expression changed slightly, and he promptly raised his hand, making a discreet gesture.

Once the gesture was made, the two Abyssal Demon Snakes that were about to lunge forward stopped abruptly.

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The skeleton soldiers, who had raised their spears, now lowered them once again.

"Everyone out, I need to talk with Mr. Baxter," Kevin said in a deep voice.

"Yes, sir!"

All the soldiers left the room.

The tense atmosphere immediately eased.

Kevin walked over to Shen Ye and asked, "Respected member of the Dark Night Ros Dance Troupe, my dear Mr. Baxter, why do you need to gather so many materials? Could it be that you're planning a large-scale summoning ritual?"

"I've just arrived in Eternal Night City and am not yet familiar with the situation here—isn't a large-scale summoning ritual allowed?" Shen Ye asked.

Without a change in expression, he pulled out a heavy pouch and stuffed it into Kevin's hand.

Kevin did not take it but continued to look at him and ask, "Mr. Baxter, how did you come to possess a Pale Shadow Badge?"

"I'm invited to visit the manor in the afternoon," said Shen Ye.

"May I take a look at your badge?"

"Of course."

Shen Ye handed over the badge.

Kevin examined the badge, turning it over, then recited a complex spell.

The spell seemed to be some kind of secret script, which Shen Ye couldn't understand at all.

Amid the chanting, the badge radiated an even more powerful aura of dark shadows before returning to normal after a few breaths.

The expression on Kevin's face grew more puzzled.

He handed the badge back to Shen Ye and said in a hushed tone, "As of yesterday, no large-scale summoning rituals are allowed in Eternal Night City, Mr. Baxter. How do you not know this?"

Damn skeleton!

...No, from the beginning, I was never informed about this matter.

The Veterans' Guild didn't mention it.

Madame Daisy only said to "be careful recently because things have been unstable."

And there wasn't any related announcement on the streets.

Could it be they have been keeping an eye on me all along?

Cursing inwardly, Shen Ye feigned sincerity, "Kevin, you should know that I came here on a ghost train to find work in Eternal Night City, and it's only because I was reduced to ashes by a Human Race cannon on the battlefield—what could I know?"

He pushed the pouch of money harder into Kevin's hand.

This time, Kevin accepted it.

"Mr. Baxter, I am fully aware of your past, which is why I also know you couldn't possibly be that fugitive," Kevin said as he sat down in front of him.

"Moreover, you're about to visit the manor!"

"—Do not cause any more trouble; otherwise, it will greatly affect your future prospects," he continued earnestly, holding the money pouch.

Seizing the opportunity, Shen Ye replied, "But as an artist, sometimes we need to seek inspiration through various means—isn't there any way to accommodate that?"

Kevin looked at him, seemingly caught on the verge of speaking.

Shen Ye patted his shoulder affectionately, "Dear brother Kevin, you know what our line of work is like. When I make it big, you can come to the Dark Night Ros Dance Troupe at any time, and I'll help you find the inspiration to break through with your skills!"

"—No charge, until you're satisfied," Shen Ye promised.

Kevin was moved, "I'm set to make my breakthrough next year; I might indeed need your help then."

"No problem, just come to me directly," Shen Ye said with a resounding slap on his chest.

As he patted, Shen Ye pondered every word Kevin had said previously.

Wait a minute—

Kevin had mentioned the manor and a future that seemed all too familiar to him—perhaps say a bit more to test the waters?

"Brother Kevin, I'm going to the manor this afternoon, would you like to join me?" Shen Ye asked.

"I actually do need to go there."

"Huh?"

"I'm in charge of escorting the foreign delegations, as well as this afternoon's security work; we might run into each other there."

"Is there anything I could help you with?" Shen Ye inquired.

"Nothing of that sort... However, if you could put in a good word at the right moment, praising the security situation of Eternal Night City…"

"If the opportunity arises, I definitely will."

"Great, Mr. Baxter, you are a fine vampire, and I count you as a friend now," Kevin said as he tore Shen Ye's purchase order in half and laid it out on the table.

"Divide the materials into two parts, buy one part here and the other at the material shop—this way it won't attract as much attention. I'll handle the other matters," Kevin suggested.

"Thank you so much, Kevin."

"Don't mention it, I'm just doing my job impartially—in fact, you can't possibly be that skeleton, and what I know is that the skeleton actually wanted to buy—"

Kevin suddenly closed his mouth.

But Shen Ye laughed, "Aren't skeletons just low-level troops? With your status and mine, is there a need to deal with such contemptible creatures?"

Kevin lowered his gaze, shook his head, and said, "Mr. Baxter, not all skeletons are low-tier troops. Surely you've read the Eternal Night Code or the Undead God's Tome. You must know—"

"Sorry, I don't read much," Shen Ye interjected, "if the Baxter Family still had money for my education, I wouldn't be on the battlefield."

Kevin remained silent.

Those words were true.

This particular Baxter indeed had little to his name, hence his need to fight on the battlefield just to earn his military pay.

—His own investigations confirmed as much.

As for the reason he had money now—

He had been selected by the Dark Night Ros Dance Troupe!

And he was soon to perform at the manor!

How could an artist like him be without funds?

The bag of money he gave just now even bore the emblem of the Dark Night Ros Dance Troupe!

Having ended the probing, Kevin looked up just in time to see Shen Ye earnestly attaching his Pale Shadow Badge next to the Rose Badge.

The two badges glinted brightly.

They represented the promising future of this young vampire.

After glancing at them, Kevin stood up and said, "It's getting late; I still have duties to attend to. Mr. Baxter, I'll see you this afternoon."

Shen Ye immediately stood up, shook his hand, and said, "Brother, see you in the afternoon."

Kevin smiled, turned, and left the room.

He thoughtfully closed the door behind him, accompanied by two platoons of skeleton soldiers and a Demon Snake, making his way out of the auction house.

Kevin whispered to one side, "Find a couple of skilled Shadow Assassins to keep a close eye on this Diva. Don't let him get away."

A response came from the void: "As you command."

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