Chapter 18

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Chapter 18: The Important Meeting

Bai Yan paused for a moment, then turned to get some water from the small refrigerator in the corner.

“Want some water?” he asked while continuing to think.

Alan’s purpose was all too obvious. Even an ordinary person would notice that something was amiss. Bai Yan was particularly sensitive to this matter.

Clearly, his friend Alan was investigating the people involved in this situation.

‘Is he a cultist? Or a member of another faction? He clearly isn’t ordinary though.’

Bai Yan tried to recall the background of the Babel Tower. He remembered an organization called the Demon Hunt Agency. Their members, known as Night Watchmen, largely maintained order in the Air Alliance.

‘Perhaps Alan is a night watchman of the DHA. I have to keep this secret regardless of who he is.’ With this thought, Bai Yan had already retrieved the mineral water from the small fridge and started pouring it into a cup.

“Sorry, I don’t have any other beverages at my place.”

‘There were surveillance cameras in the classroom, but Alan definitely hasn’t discovered what happened with me. Otherwise, there would have been no need for such a basic inquiry.

The surveillance cameras might have been disabled beforehand. The cultist could have done it, or it could have been caused by the mysterious power of the Babel Tower.

I must be careful with his next question.’

Bai Yan knew that the DHA possessed powerful lie detection technology. Many powers in Babel Tower could detect lies.

“Here. Drink this.”

Bai Yan handed over the ice water with a smile. Alan didn’t extend his right hand, which glowed with a Heptagram. Instead, he smiled and took the glass with his left.

“Thanks.”

“Alan, why are you asking about Mu Ling and me? Are you jealous?”

Alan didn’t answer the question. Instead, he displayed a curious expression. “Nothing. I was just gossiping. This water is cold. My stomach won’t handle it well.”

Bai Yan smiled, “Actually, we didn’t talk much. We just discussed the game.”

“Game?” Alan froze, not expecting such an answer.

“What games are you playing?”

Maybe, some “Warning” games?

“Wait! How did you meet her?”

Bai Yan smiled and looked ahead. He clasped his hands together and said calmly, “In the game. I was a guru in that game and took good care of Mu Ling. We met offline two days ago.”

“She came to chat with me again that day. I didn’t expect that to happen then.”

It was all truth. Alan was too stunned to believe it but felt relieved.

Fortunately, the suspect in the Babel Tower had nothing to do with Bai Yan. Otherwise, he would have had to evacuate him from the city overnight.

Alan sat for a moment, then said suddenly, “You’ve changed. You weren’t like this before. I still remember our freshman year. You were the top student, and you worked hard. Professor Cavin said you could earn a double degree.”

Bai Yan sighed and said, “It’s tedious. I’m already tired of studies.”

‘That was also true. He had grown weary of studying within one short year.’

Alan could always see the emptiness and detachment in Bai Yan’s eyes before. But today, he didn’t sense it anymore.

Bai Yan looked very energetic now, like a high school student who had found a girlfriend for the first time… Alan was genuinely happy about Bai Yan’s transformation. He stopped casting the Detection of Lies.

They chatted for a while longer. Bai Yan said that his house was too small and suggested going out for a meal.

However, Alan shook his head and declined. “I have to go.”

Bai Yan stood in the corridor outside the door and silently watched Alan leave the apartment a minute later.

“Sorry, bro.”

If he could choose, he wouldn’t want to deceive his friend. Alan was one of the few people who had been good to him.

Bai Yan returned to the house and washed his face with cold water, preparing to go out for breakfast. He picked up his phone and put on headphones to listen to music.

*”I know you know that I made those mistakes maybe once or twice*

*By once or twice I mean maybe a couple a hundred times”*

Alan returned to the DHA building, stepped into the elevator, and pressed the button.

“Phew!”

The elevator began to move, gradually descending to basement 3…

DHA had a total of seven underground floors. Each floor occupied an area that far exceeded ordinary people’s imagination.

It symbolized order in Tatsumi, the final line of defense for humanity. It couldn’t be easily undermined.

The elevator finally stopped at basement 5. When the doors opened, Alan had changed into a black suit and a slightly ostentatious purple mask. He stepped out of the elevator with a composed expression. Outside was a silver hallway with rather futuristic sleek walls. There was a faint echo when he stepped on the black floor.

He walked into a vast empty white room, as large as a small stadium. Lin Bian and many elite night watchmen had been waiting there for some time. However, they weren’t waiting for Alan.

Among the many night watchmen, a white-haired woman smiled at him.

“The meeting is about to begin. You arrived at the right time.”

The woman beneath the black clothes was beautiful. She resembled a witch more than anything.

She had pure white long hair and black eyes that flickered with purple light. A faint smile played at the corner of her mouth. She had a slender waist and fair, long, straight legs.

She was a special adviser in DHA. People called her the “Moon Witch.”

Alan turned away, avoiding the woman’s gaze.

There were 25 Guardians present. All of them were at least at the awakening level. They waited here for an important meeting.

Finally, huge phantoms materialized in the white room, concealing their true faces. They were representatives of the major order forces of the Air Alliance.

Eyes of the Empire, Time of Chord… Simply put, they were the so-called authorities.

“Who is behind Babel Tower?”

“Who are they?”

“It’s the Child of the Star. I know these bastards!”

“Any support for Tatsumi?”

“We’re actually somewhat short-handed at present. The situation in the real world is tense. Our guard has more pressing matters to attend to.”

“We’re all in similar situations.”

Members of the DHA were the only observers at the meeting. No one had the right to speak except for the “ACE” Lin Bian, who had accomplished many meritorious deeds, and the chief. The chief was a very thin, white-haired, squinting old man. He wore a slim-fitting white suit and stood upright. He smiled and appeared very kind. He did not speak and only listened to the ideas and disputes of the authorities.

Lin Bian clearly had no desire to speak either. He smiled teasingly as he took occasional sips from the flat silver wine pot.

“Burp.”

He made such a loud sound that all the authorities were staring at him.

“I apologize. Please continue.”

Lin Bian just smiled drunkenly, not treating the important meeting as significant at all.

“…Let’s conclude for now.”

“Agreed.”

One by one, the huge phantoms faded in midair until only the phantom of a man with dual pupils remained.

He possessed the imposing aura of one who controlled everything. Most of the night watchmen present instinctively lowered their heads slightly.

The man with dual pupils looked down at the night watchmen and concluded, “That’s all for today’s meeting. We won’t dispatch any help to Tatsumi for now. DHA must investigate the matter more thoroughly.”

“Pay closer attention to the movements of Pastor and Queen of the Scarlet Moon. We cannot disregard their power.

Investigate the truth about Babel Tower!

“It may pose a greater threat than the Black Star!”

The old director nodded gently. He was still smiling, but his tone gradually became serious. “The DHA guarantees to fulfill its mission.”

“Investigate the Babel Tower thoroughly!”