The Cycle of Fate

Chapter 108: An Encounter

After cursing Termiboros, Lumian noticed Franca tying up the cloth bag containing their loot and slinging it over her shoulder.

Suddenly remembering one of the abilities of the "Miser," he warned, "Aren't you worried those 'Misers' will track us down through the stolen goods?"

When Lumian had informed Franca about the Old Pigeon Coop incident, he had already mentioned that those cultists of the evil god seemed able to sense the whereabouts of items they once owned and lost.

And unlike the rogue Hudsey, Lentas was carrying out a mission under orders, likely with something Maip Meier had given him to track his location in case anything happened.

Franca scoffed, "That kind of ability must have time and range limits. By the time the Old Pigeon Coop folks realize Lentas is missing and try to pinpoint us, it'll be very difficult for them."

"Besides, with Charlie around, they can find us whenever they want. Whether we take these things or not makes no difference. Charlie is practically Suzanne Matisse's lost possession—no, her lost lover."

Charlie listened, confused, not quite understanding what Charles and "Red Boots" were talking about. It wasn't until his name was mentioned that he grasped his situation, and with a bitter expression, he muttered, "She and I aren't a couple..."

"No choice. She's powerful enough to think so all by herself," Franca casually comforted Charlie, without much sincerity.

Lumian was convinced by Franca's argument and stopped worrying about the "Miser's" ability. He drew his ritual silver dagger and quickly dealt with his wound.

Then, he bent down, grabbed Lentas's corpse, and carried it to the hollow blocked by the rubble pile, stuffing it into the tunnel the "Actor" had dug himself.

Charlie, at first horrified, admired how Charles lived up to his reputation as a gang leader feared even by the Poison Spur Gang. Then, his gaze settled on Lentas's shirt, vest, trousers, and boots.

They looked pretty new. If he stripped them off and took them to a pawnshop, they could fetch at least two Felkins... Charlie opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing.

Franca nodded approvingly, "Not bad. Cleaning up the scene and delaying the enemy from realizing something's wrong."

"My only concern is that Maip Meier is cautious. If Lentas hasn't returned by midnight, he might come here directly with people, find the body, and then, unsure if Lentas was summoned posthumously, he might choose to abandon the Old Pigeon Coop theater and relocate with the remaining members of the Bliss Society. Maybe not even until midnight—if Suzanne Matisse hasn't seen Charlie for a while, she might push him to act, assuming they have a way to communicate."

In that case, the official Beyonders would strike too late, leaving potential dangers.

Franca added, "Luckily, Suzanne still can't leave the altar for two more days, and that altar isn't going anywhere by itself. The official Beyonders will at least be able to solve Charlie's problem."

"Not necessarily," Lumian countered. "You can't use normal logic to predict an evil god's altar. It's like how I never imagined a man could get pregnant before."

"Huh?" Charlie was getting more and more bewildered. He understood each word Charles and "Red Boots" said, but together, it made no sense to him.

Franca was silent for two seconds before nodding seriously. "True. The altar's main body looks like a giant tree stump. Stumps can be alive. If it pulls itself out and becomes a treant, it can just run off with Suzanne."

As she spoke, Franca clapped her hands and said, "Exactly! A treant! You can't call it a treant without a tree, right?"

Lumian thought Franca's speculation wasn't entirely far-fetched.