Travel through time, and then establish an anomaly management bureau!

Page 40

"Can you find out the room number where Elion and his butler Charles are staying?" Zhang Su sat up straighter. "Then, can you monitor them? Notify me immediately if Elion leaves the room, especially if he's going out 'at night'."

"I know surveillance is unethical, but for the sake of assessing him and for his safety as a mortal, this might be a necessary measure. What if he recklessly runs into a tough guy?"

[Searching for the room number is feasible. Based on the comparison of ticket information and boarding records, the target, Elion von Silversworth, and Charles Grant are located in First Class Section A, room number A07, at the end of the corridor diagonally opposite your room.] Yuan Shu paused for a moment. [However, there are limitations to real-time monitoring of their movements.]

[For me to conduct precise, zero-delay real-world observations of a specific target, you need to act as my real-world anchor point, located within ten meters of the target. In other words, you must be near the target for me to 'see' its real-time status.]

"Within ten meters? Doesn't that mean I have to stake out the place too?" Zhang Su frowned. "What kind of surveillance is that?"

[Alternative Solution: Retrieve the Global Information Flood.] Yuan Shu proposes, [The information flood contains a macroscopic record of the operation of everything, theoretically including information such as whether the target has left home. However, this method has a significant delay, with information updates lagging by approximately 5 to 10 minutes.]

"5 to 10 minutes?!" Zhang Su almost jumped off the sofa. "Are you kidding me! In the face of an anomaly, let alone 10 minutes, even 10 seconds is enough for an ordinary person to die eight times over! If he runs into a ghost as soon as he steps out the door, by the time the delayed information arrives, I'll only be able to collect his corpse by the time I get there! No way, I can't afford to gamble with that delay!"

He stroked his chin and pondered, "Does he really expect me to move a stool and sit at his door? Or should I stay up all night and wander around his door? That would be even more suspicious."

[Suggested solution: Use a Tai Sui substitute.] Yuan Shu calmly offered the solution.

"A body double? What do you mean?"

【step:

1. Equip the Shadow Gloves: Wear the Shadow Gloves on the left hand of the Tai Sui substitute.

2. Execute the stakeout: Instruct the double to go to a suitable position outside the target room (A07) to conduct a concealed stakeout.

3. Sever Active Control: You sever the active mental link with the Stand, retaining your consciousness in your own body. This avoids the Stand's corruption and erosion time limit (50 minutes).

4. Passive Alert Mode: The Stand is in basic standby mode, with its core command being: continuously monitor the status of the door to room A07. Once the target, Eriol von Silverlight, opens the door and leaves, the Stand's built-in alert protocol will immediately send you a highest priority alarm via the Keystone and your mental link.

5. The Shadow Gloves' function: After the Stand wears the gloves, its presence will be greatly reduced, blending into the shadows of the corridor, making it difficult for ordinary people and low-level superhumans to detect. This effectively reduces the risk of being discovered by the target (especially the perceptive Charles).

6. Side Effect Waiver: The side effect of the Shadow Gloves (cold and numb left hand) has no effect on the Tai Sui Stand. The Stand's rank (derived from Sequence 9 Listener Black Tai Sui) is higher than the 'Legacy' trait contained in the gloves (Sequence 9 Stealth/Shadow Miasma), and since the Stand is not made of flesh and blood, the side effect has a negligible impact.

Zhang Su's eyes lit up: "This is a great idea! It's like putting an invisible, tireless surveillance camera with an alarm function at the door!" But he immediately thought of a problem: "Wait, Yuan Shu, if I cut off the control, won't I have to fire the 'consciousness laser' face-to-face like the first time to connect with the Stand next time? Wouldn't that expose me?"

"No need to worry, Director," Genshu explained. "The Foundation has completed the initial deep binding of the mental link. Subsequent connections and disconnections are like using a phone that has already been connected to a WiFi network in another world. As long as it's within effective range (usually when the Stand and your original body are in the same reality plane), you can instantly reconnect your consciousness with a thought, without needing to perform the initial 'face-to-face transmission' again. When the connection is disconnected, the Stand will execute a preset standby command."

"Oh, I see. Just like a phone automatically reconnecting to WiFi! Great! This design is so user-friendly! Cornerstone is awesome!" Zhang Su couldn't help but praise, "Okay, let's do it this way."

His thoughts turned to that vast and silent existence: [Foundation Stone, teleport the clone into reality. While you're at it, retrieve the Shadow-Stealing Gloves from the void and have her put them on.]

Cornerstone responded immediately, a huge,憨厚 (honest and simple) emoticon appeared in Zhang Su's mind, accompanied by a small "OK" gesture.

The next second, the space in front of Zhang Su rippled almost imperceptibly, like the surface of water.

Without dazzling light or violent energy fluctuations, a tall, aloof figure, like ink coalescing from nothingness, slowly and silently appeared.

It was the stand-in for the Tai Sui with the face of that Eastern beauty.

She was still wearing that matte black functional tight-fitting combat suit, which outlined her powerful and perfect curves, and her long, black hair fell smoothly down.

Her delicate oval face was expressionless, her eyes tightly closed, like the most lifelike doll.

The only difference was that her left hand was now wearing a pure black "shadow-stealing glove" that felt cool and slippery to the touch and had an eerie oily sheen.

The black of her gloves blended almost seamlessly with the black of her combat uniform, yet they possessed a deeper, more subtle quality that seemed to absorb light.

She stood quietly in the center of the luxurious guest room, creating a strange contrast with the warmth of the surrounding walnut wood and the softness of the velvet, like a sharp blade sheathed, exuding an inhuman tranquility.

Looking at this masterpiece, conceived and built by him, which was about to become his "eyes and ears," Zhang Su nodded in satisfaction.

Then his consciousness entered the substitute body and he immediately began to act.

Then the stunt double suddenly opened his eyes and turned precisely toward the door, the movement fluid and silent.

After opening the door and stepping out, her steps were as light as a feline's, landing silently. Her matte black combat uniform seemed to blend into the shadows of the background under the soft light of the guest room.

Her left hand, clad in a shadow-stealing glove, flickered, making her entire silhouette even more blurred and drastically reducing her presence. She moved forward rapidly, as if she had truly transformed into an imperceptible shadow, quickly passing across the ground.

The stand moved stealthily through the first-class corridor at an extremely fast speed, quickly reaching the target location mentioned by Genshu, and then leaned against the wall next to the door of room A07, blending into the darkness.

Zhang Su immediately severed the mental link he was actively controlling.

The Stand's visual and auditory perception vanished instantly, but a faint connection signal, representing "standby," remained stable at the edge of his consciousness, like an app icon running in the background.

Zhang Su was the only one left in the room.

“Young Master Elion…” Zhang Su murmured to himself, a hint of anticipation playing on his lips, “Let me see what kind of ‘interview performance’ you will deliver tonight.”

He closed his eyes, continuing to digest the feast in his stomach while adjusting his mind to its sharpest state, awaiting the alarm that might sound at any moment from the beautiful double.

Time passed quietly in the silent wait. Zhang Su closed his eyes to rest, constantly sensing the state of the silent sentry at the end of the corridor.

The hands of the marine chronometer crawled slowly, finally pointing to exactly 10 p.m.

Inside Room A07:

Elion von Silverlight lay on the soft bed, his tightly closed eyes suddenly opening in the darkness. He didn't move immediately, but simply listened quietly.

On the other bed, the butler, Charles Grant, was breathing evenly and deeply, seemingly fast asleep.

Elion suddenly opened his eyes, silently lifted the velvet blanket, got up, and stepped onto the thick carpet.

He quickly and quietly put on his dark casual coat and boots, his movements fluid, clearly having rehearsed it many times.

His fingers unconsciously caressed the ancient silver family crest ring on his ring finger, the cool touch giving him courage as he had always wanted.

“I must investigate that supernatural event. Only I can ‘sense’ it; this must be my mission.” He murmured silently, then took a deep breath, turned the doorknob, and quietly walked out of the room, disappearing into the dim light of the corridor.

The heavy door closed gently.

Almost at the same time as the door lock clicked softly, Charles's tightly closed eyes snapped open! There was no trace of sleepiness in them, only deep worry and a hint of helplessness.

He sat up without making a sound, looked at Elion's empty bed, and sighed deeply, his deep voice particularly clear in the silence:

"Sigh... Young Master, it's not so easy to fool an old soldier who has crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood by pretending to be asleep. You'll have to learn more about this in the future."

He nimbly rolled off the bed, preparing to get dressed as quickly as possible and catch up to protect his arrogant young master.

However, the moment he picked up his coat—

A calm, languid, and magnetic voice sounded behind him like a ghost:

"Only when a fledgling leaves the nest does it realize how vast the sky and sea are. Excessive protection will only break its wings to brave the winds and clouds, Mr. Charles."

The sound appeared without warning, and he didn't even notice it!

Charles's hair stood on end instantly, and his muscles tensed like iron in a fraction of a second!

Like an enraged lion, without the slightest hesitation, he executed a standard tactical roll, his body bursting with astonishing agility beyond his years, and instantly pounced on the bedside table.

"Screech!" The drawer was suddenly pulled open! His rough, large hand precisely grabbed a seemingly inconspicuous short stick inside, and his wrist flicked sharply!

"Clang—!" A sharp metallic scraping sound rang out! The two ends of the short stick suddenly sprang out, instantly transforming into a nearly one-meter-long steel short stick that gleamed with a cold, hard luster!

The stick is covered with fine anti-slip textures, making it look like a deadly weapon.

Charles, his back against the wall, pointed his short stick like a venomous snake toward the source of the sound—the area in the center of the room shrouded in the shadow of heavy curtains—his eyes wide open, shouting angrily:

"Who?! Show yourself! You cowardly wretch hiding your head and tail!"

"Clap!"

Almost as soon as he finished speaking, the gas light switch in the corner of the room was flipped by an invisible hand, and it suddenly lit up. The warm orange light instantly dispelled most of the darkness and clearly illuminated the single sofa in the center of the room.

A figure was sitting on the sofa!

He was completely enveloped in a perfectly tailored, jet-black suit, without a single wrinkle. On his head was a matching black bowler hat, the brim pulled low.

Although the light dispelled the shadows, the shadow cast by the brim of his hat still cleverly covered the upper half of his face, revealing only his hard jawline and slightly pursed thin lips.

He sat there casually with his legs crossed, his hands folded on his knees, his posture so composed that it seemed as if he were the master of the room.

“Good evening, Mr. Charles,” the shadowy figure began, his voice still carrying that unsettling calm. “Don’t be so tense. Put down your weapons. I mean no harm; I simply wish to pay a visit to you, my loyal guardian.”

By the way, make sure you get a good night's rest tonight and don't disturb young master Elion's 'mysterious adventure'.

Charles's heart sank to the bottom. The fact that his opponent could infiltrate the heavily guarded first-class cabin silently and turn on the gas lights instantly—this bizarre ability was far beyond that of an ordinary person! The veins on his hand, gripping the steel rod, bulged, and his eyes burned with rage and determination.

"A visit? Ha! You're sent by 'the other side,' aren't you! Finally, you're going to make a move against the young master for that damned inheritance of the Silver Glow family?! If you want to touch the young master, you'll have to step over my dead body first!"

"Inheritance?" The figure tilted his head slightly, the shadow under the brim of his hat seeming to flicker, his tone disdainful. "No, Mr. Charles, you misunderstand. I have absolutely no interest in your Silvershine family's so-called inheritance. Nor am I one of those people you speak of. My purpose here is simply to 'observe' Young Master Elion. Believe me, this is an important opportunity for him."

"Inspection? What do you mean?!" Charles roared, not believing a word of this explanation. "Playing tricks! No matter who you are, if you want to harm the young master, I, Charles Grant, will kill you with my own hands!"

Before he finished speaking, Charles made a move!

He knew that seizing the initiative was crucial when facing such a strange opponent! The carpet beneath his feet dented slightly, and he shot forward like an arrow, his steel short stick tearing through the air with a sharp whistle, transforming into a deadly silver light that pierced straight into the shadowy figure's chest!

This thrust embodied his life's combat experience and explosive power—fast, accurate, and ruthless! The target was the heart!

Faced with this thunderous blow, the dark figure on the sofa simply sighed softly.

"Protecting...is a virtue, but also a shackle."

Just as the steel rod was about to strike, the shadowy figure's clasped hands seemed to move casually.

A thinner, faster, and almost invisible silver glint, like the fangs of a viper, shot out silently from between his fingers!

The target was not Charles himself, but rather the route he was predicted to take in and dodge!

Charles's pupils suddenly contracted, his extensive battlefield experience allowing him to instantly sense the danger—a throwing knife!

He twisted his waist forcefully, trying to dodge to the side!

"Tsk-!"

A very faint tearing sound rang out.

Charles felt a cool sensation on his left cheek, as if licked by a cold, venomous snake! A slight stinging sensation followed, and then an indescribable, sweet, metallic smell filled his nostrils.

He managed to avoid a fatal blow, but his cheek was still grazed by the silver light.

Charles felt a growing sense of unease; although it was just a minor injury, he had a very bad feeling about it!

He forcibly suppressed his momentary shock, adjusted his center of gravity the instant he landed, and changed the steel rod from a thrust to a sweep, preparing to launch a storm of continuous attacks, giving his opponent no chance to breathe!

However, just as he was about to exert his strength again—

A strong sense of weakness, as if all the blood in his body had been drained in an instant, swept over his limbs and bones without warning, like a tsunami!

I feel dizzy and my vision is blurry!

My heart felt as if it were being gripped by a cold, giant hand, each beat incredibly heavy, and the blood pumped out seemed unable to reach my extremities! My legs felt like they were filled with lead, and my arms were so heavy that I could barely lift the steel baton!

"Ugh...!" Charles groaned, trying to steady himself, but the weakness that came from the very source of his life was so domineering and utter.

He staggered, and the steel rod in his hand fell to the ground with a dull thud onto the thick carpet.

Immediately afterward, his strong body could no longer support him. His knees buckled, and he collapsed heavily onto the carpet with a "thud." He could only barely support his upper body with his arms, panting heavily, and large beads of cold sweat instantly soaked his forehead.

He looked up in disbelief at the motionless black figure on the sofa, his eyes filled with shock and confusion.

How could a mere scratch render this battle-hardened veteran instantly incapacitated? That's impossible!

Even if it were poison, it couldn't possibly take effect this quickly!

The dark figure slowly stood up, walked to Charles who was slumped on the ground, and looked down at him.

The shadow beneath the brim of the hat resembled an abyss, swallowing the light.

“Rest well here, Mr. Charles. Your young master will be fine. Tonight’s ‘test’ is very important to him. It is a trial for his future.”

"And I am not only the examiner, but also his protector."

"I will protect him just like you did."

His voice was calm, yet like a cold hammer, striking Charles's despairing heart.

Charles struggled to get up, but his body was like a lump of mud, unable to lift even a finger. He could only watch helplessly as the dark figure calmly turned around, walked out of the room, and silently disappeared into the darkness outside.

In the room, only the faint crackling of the gas lamp and Charles's heavy, desperate breathing remained.

That word "inspection" hung in the air like a terrifying threat.

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Book 1: Chapter 38: The Versatile Elion

Elion moved stealthily through the first-class corridor, his body pressed against the dark walnut-inlaid wall. He took each step with utmost care, the thick carpet absorbing almost all the sound of his footsteps. He deliberately slowed his breathing, his chest rising and falling slightly, and his clear eyes were filled with tension and excitement.

He carefully avoided the spots of light cast by the wall lamp, as if the light itself would disturb the unknown lurking in the darkness.