After getting back to the real world with the help of the Bishop, it was quite uneventful, but as an apology for not being careful enough, he gave her the address to the underground market.

  Apparently, due to his adventuring days, he was very rich, rich in the sense that he is in the top fifty richest people in the world, even after donating a portion of his treasures to the church. He just casually gave her a gold pass, which means that she is one of the people he trusts.

  Normally, as an informant, she wouldn't get this special privilege. However, she is tied to the Akasha Monodrama.

  The church doesn't want her to die, so it is best to help her advance as quickly as possible. And the hazard pay was fifty Drach, she couldn't say no to that.

  "Quite a reasonable development, isn't it?", the woman in bck and white asked, looking at Lea, who had just returned home from buying groceries from on top of a building.

  And she disappeared.

  Down there, Lea sighed as she checked her neighbor from the opposite side of the road, who was shivering again. She hoped that her neighbor would get well soon.

  As for the couple next door, they were still bouncing on top of each other. So nothing particurly happened.

  Today, she was spending some time spreading rumors about Dan, wherever he was. Sndering someone is easy, easier than one would think.

  She recalled an interaction with a woman who was selling apples.

  "Why do you look so down?", she asked.

  Lea's heart ached a bit; that was her default expression after becoming a Vilin. Always brooding, looking scary to approach.

  "Just that my boyfriend cheated on me and ran away.", she answered with a cold tone, as if angry.

  "Oh my!! Which terrible bastard is that?!", the sale dy was angry for her, but looking through her emotion radar, Lea found that the dy was looking for gossip material.

  So, Lea continued the lie, "I moved to Ein about a week ago. I didn't know the ways around here, then he appeared and helped me..."

  She let out a deprecating chuckle, "Hehe... I was too naive to think someone was this good to me. We hit it off fairly well; he even said that he'd be with me. The moment I let him into my house for one night, he ran away with some of my money..."

  "How terrible!! Who?! Who is this son of a bitch?!", now the woman was genuinely angry.

  "He said his name was Dan... I don't know if that's his real name or not.", she acted uncertain, looking around as if looking for him.

  "What does he look like?"

  "Outwardly, he looked like a gentleman, pretty handsome, maybe in his te 20s. Bck hair and blue eyes, that's as far as I can describe him.", Lea acted dejected, "Sorry, I..."

  "Don't worry, young dy! Any man who pys with a woman's heart is my enemy! I'll take care of it for you!", she picked up an apple, handing it to Lea, "Take one for the road!"

  Reluctantly, she took the apple and gave the saleswoman a polite bow, "Thank you."

  That conversation was her greatest progress in her ritual. Lea doesn't even know where he lives!

  But still, she needed to find out where he lived. Her mental state had recovered somewhat, so she would go out tonight.

  So... for the time being, she wanted to check out the hidden market until it is dark.

  Taking a fur coat, she headed downstairs in order to get ready.

  =0=0=

  New World, te into the night

  Jim fell and crashed into the ground, clicking his tongue in frustration. He had been attempting his advancement ritual for an entire month now, even before Lea joined.

  As a Trailbzer walking the Paths of Destiny and Fate, his ritual is more special. He had only heard Lady Keter speak about the topic, but it is reted to the universe as a whole.

  To travel the equivalent length of the circumference of the world, simuting six different environments, in precisely 6 hours, no more, no less.

  It was troublesome to find a pce with six overpping environments, but only in the New World to the East could he find such a pce. Uncharted, unknown, dangerous. But as a treasure hunter, these weren't overwhelming for him. Then, following up on the environment, he needs to run across the equivalent length of the entire world; he honestly wanted to give up at this point.

  His speed was by no means a joke; he can run faster than any vehicle in the world, but to run around the entire world is a momentous task of its own. He can't go fast enough.

  As he was resting on the ground, he heard footsteps coming from behind him with a very sinister aura. Jim turned around and threw a knife at whoever was approaching him.

  His eyes widened as he got up, ready for a fight. A woman with white short wolf cut hair, wearing a bck jacket that does not belong to this era. And her eyes, the sharp gaze of those lightless eyes, made him uncomfortable, as if the person in front shouldn't even exist.

  Sincir Apocrypha, the leader of Akasha Monodrama, the Disciple of the Heretic.

  She made her entrance, smiling confidently, "Attacking someone out of the blue, that's quite rude~"

  "Why are you here, monster?", Jim instantly pulled out his sword. But he knows how scary this woman is.

  After all, she was the one who killed his entire family while ughing. Causing many tragedies and hardships all across the world. He cannot beat Sincir, he isn't strong enough. All he can think about now is how to escape...

  Her eyes narrowed and her smile curled up further, "I see you are attempting the ritual of the Trailbzer~ It is quite difficult, isn't it?"

  He blinked. Sincir was gone. In a panic, he whipped his head around the pce— only to find her leaning on a tree, holding an old brown book... the title of the book was in an old nguage but vaguely resembled Reanese, the common nguage of the main continent.

  He widens his eyes as he pieces it together. The book's title was "Secret of Life", but it did not contain a number or a Path's name. Which means... it was the 143rd book.

  "This is just the cover, though~", she opened the book, showing no pages at all, "But I do remember the contents~"

  She spun around, vanishing again. Jim doesn't know what trick Sincir is pying; knowing what happened to Lea, he wants to run as fast as possible.

  Though one question lingered. How was Sincir able to get here in a week's time? Renlou was at the farthest East of the main continent, while he was right in the middle of the New World. It shouldn't be possible for her to travel this fast.

  "Wonder how I got here so fast?", she appeared again, this time right beside him, "Simple, I am also someone who chose Destiny."

  He jumped away, not yet attacking her, "Isn't your Path Veil?"

  "You could think whatever you like~", she giggled, "This is indeed the correct ritual for the Trailbzer, but not the true ritual for Destiny as a whole."

  The twin moons hung over him. He narrowed his eyes.

  "My teacher, as you know~ wrote down the real Fourth Step.", she walked behind a tree, vanishing again.

  "Fourth Step - Travel across the world and change at least six locations' destiny.", she whispered in his ear, making Jim ssh beside him.

  But this time, she was gone for real. Leaving Jim alone under the twin moons.

  =0=0=

  The entrance to the underground market was... special, to say the least. The location Bishop Archon gave was a café, right in the City Center, just two blocks away from the Cathedral.

  Entering the unassuming shop, Lea widens her eyes, seeing Andre enjoying a cup of coffee. He smiled and waved at her.

  "Feeling better, Miss Darkwill?", he asked out of goodwill.

  "Y-Yes...", she composed herself and walked up to him, "What brings you here?"

  Andre looked around, then he spoke to her in a hushed tone, "I'm here to guide you. I can't let a dy like you go alone, can I?"

  Lea chuckled. He was obviously flirting with her. Not trying to win her over or anything, just some pyful banter between friends... though she is merely acquainted with him. It wouldn't hurt to get to know someone better.

  "Thank you.", she offered a polite smile, but to Andre, her eyes were vicious.

  He chalked it up to the nature of Malediction. Standing up from his chair, he turned around to look at the owner brewing a cup of espresso.

  "Sir, can I have a side of kene bread?", Andre casually asked.

  "It's just in the back.", the old master pointed with his chin to an unassuming door in the corner next to the staircase, "You can grab a bag, and please, use the upper floor."

  Andre looks at Lea with a knowing smile. She, on the other hand, was pretty excited and followed him, going around

  Behind that door was indeed a storage room with some bags of bread. But Andre didn't take any; instead, he headed to the door all the way at the back. On the door was a symbol of a hammer and sickle crossing each other, carved into the door itself, underneath it was a sign saying "Employee Only".

  "Grab your pass.", Andre said, holding out a silver-pted card with the same symbol as the door.

  Lea took her golden card, on it was three swords crossing each other, the symbol of the Adventurer's Guild.

  Andre held his card to the door, and it automatically opened, letting him in. But it closed when Lea got close. She could hear her colleague chuckling on the other side.

  Frowning, she held her card to the door, opening it. She quickly got in, gring at Andre in annoyance.

  "You could've told me.", she huffed.

  "Sorry, sorry.", he chuckled in amusement, "It's a rite of passage kind of thing."

  She crossed her arms, gncing around at the fancy space, made of dark woods and gold trims. There were only two buttons right next to the door, one saying "Return" and the other "Lacrosa". This was an elevator, the first one she saw. Andre pressed the "Lacrosa" button.

  The elevator rumbled a bit, but stopped in three seconds. Then it opened, revealing...

  An entire city underground, illuminated by super bright nterns hung at the ceiling, with people bustling around various shops.

  "Wow...", she couldn't help but be amazed.

  "Welcome to Lacrosa.", Andre stepped forward, turning to face her.

  "Belonging to the secret society known as Nation of the Forsaken, it's very Capital and only city."