Death Notice-Book 3: Chapter 15: Arrival
The appearance of the Eiffel Tower gave everyone a bit more confidence in Lü Kuang’s judgment.
“Lü Kuang, could you tell us again about that… Superstring Space thing?” the young blond man, Jonathan, asked with a wry smile. “I just can’t believe something so unbelievable exists!”
At Jonathan’s words, everyone looked at Lü Kuang again. Even Qin Lun and Hill pricked up their ears. Although both Serial Killers sensed this world wasn’t as simple as Lü Kuang made it seem, if he could identify the world’s background from the tasks, his information must still be valuable.
“This… I saw similar rumors online…” Lü Kuang hesitated but decided to tell them everything. “…That’s all I know. You’ll have to judge its truth for yourselves…”
Lü Kuang’s explanation was rather messy, but everyone largely understood. According to these online rumors, the Superstring Space seemed like an omnipotent god. It selected suitable Reincarnators, sent them into parallel mirrored timelines of Earth, and gave them specific tasks to carry out.
Completing tasks earned all kinds of superpowers, equipment, and items. Failure meant only death.
In Lü Kuang’s understanding, this was the work of the Main God promoting human evolution. These parallel worlds were based on movies, games, and comics that existed in Earth’s main world. By thoroughly researching the movie and anime content, they could significantly reduce their risks.
“Lü Kuang, do you remember the exact time the Phantom Demons arrive in Paris?” Jonathan asked cautiously.
“Daytime, May 8th, 2004! I remember it clearly!” The attention and importance everyone gave him made Lü Kuang feel rather proud. “Judging from the Space’s prompt, it’s just past midnight, May 6th. We still have two and a half days to prepare.”
“We can’t waste two and a half days. I used to work in London and often came to Paris. I know this city fairly well,” Jonathan said thoughtfully. “Following Lü Kuang’s analysis, the first wave of Phantom Demons arriving in Paris mostly wielded cold weapons. Modern firearms of this era should be effective against them.
“I think we should split the work. First, gather enough food and water for a week, and find a sturdy hideout near a police station. After the Phantom Demons arrive, hide in the police station. Once the Paris police feel short-handed, we might get a chance to get guns.
“Then, with police cooperation, strike while the Phantom Demons are disorganized and finish our first Main Quest. Those Phantom Demon Pearls probably require killing Phantom Demons to obtain. If the police station becomes untenable, we retreat to our prepared hideout and wait out the following week…”
“But if we have guns, shouldn’t we look for one of the two protagonists? Those Side Missions…” Lü Kuang muttered with some dissatisfaction. “We should be able to handle low-level Phantom Demons. Forget Jacques Brown, but if we tag along with Akechi Samanosuke, we might snatch some advantages!”
“Alright then,” Jonathan said, thinking. “Based on the quest plot you just described, after the Phantom Demons appear, Jacques Brown’s son, Henry, will be captured. His girlfriend, Michelle, will encounter Akechi Samanosuke while searching for Henry…”
“Jacques Brown is an active-duty officer. Finding his address shouldn’t be hard. We assign one person to stake out his son, Henry. When the demons appear, we snatch Henry upfront. If the team at the police station finds the low-level Phantom Demons easy to handle, we get Henry to contact Brown’s girlfriend, Michelle, and Akechi Samanosuke…”
“Wow, Jonathan! You must be one of those legendary tacticians!” Lü Kuang said excitedly. “Doing this, we can complete both Main Quests and the first Side Mission! Following Akechi Samanosuke, we might even kill Guildenstern and Mori Ranmaru!”
“I’m no tactician,” Jonathan shook his head with a wry smile, concern on his face. “I just handled business negotiations for my company, got used to thinking things through! But this way, our forces split up. The risk increases!”
“It’s fine! We…”
Qin Lun listened for a while longer, then silently stepped out of the group. Leaning halfway against the rooftop guardrail, he quietly admired the Paris nightscape under the starry sky. He hadn’t stood there long when he heard footsteps behind him.
“Why stop listening?” Hill leaned on the guardrail beside Qin Lun, asking with a small smile.
“Is there a need?” Qin Lun shook his head slightly, his tone flat.
“When do you think the Phantom Demons will appear in Paris?” Hill asked seriously after a moment of silence.
Qin Lun glanced back at the others, still deep in enthusiastic discussion. His face expressionless, he spoke softly. “Tomorrow. Tomorrow morning.”
Hill nodded, saying nothing more. He lifted his head, staring at the night sky, lost in quiet thought. He agreed with Qin Lun. They definitely didn’t have two and half days to prepare.
Qin Lun had studied clinical medicine and psychology under the guise of being a psychiatric patient. His intelligence was beyond doubt. Shepherd Hill, meanwhile, had outwitted the entire North American police force for decades before his capture.
When two such men shared one opinion, there was almost no chance of them being wrong.
From the task information provided, both killers discerned much. First, they agreed with some of Lü Kuang’s points. This so-called Superstring Space didn’t seem set on sending them to their deaths. All tasks seemed possible to complete. However, one thing was also clear: the Superstring Space wouldn’t give them any room to “cheat.”
What did two and a half days of preparation time mean? It meant the Reincarnators could easily board a plane and flee to any corner of the world. It meant the so-called Veterans could even infiltrate military bases and airports, stealing tanks, armored vehicles, even fighter jets.
Therefore, they absolutely wouldn’t have two and a half days. They had, at most, one night. Enough time to maybe get some weapons for self-defense, but not enough to leave Paris.
“Should we save them?” Hill whispered the question.
“Not yet,” Qin Lun shook his head faintly. He hesitated for a second, then asked quietly, “What condition is your body in?”
This world obviously placed heavy reliance on martial strength. Left without the Veterans’ help, the two killers had to rely on each other. Forget equipment and items for now; understanding their physical baseline was crucial.
“About 1.2 times a regular person’s. And you?” Hill replied cautiously, a thoughtful glint in his eye.
“About the same as you,” Qin Lun looked at the priest, slightly surprised. After all, he was young, while Hill’s original body had begun declining. If their enhancements were similar since their Otherworld Missions, it meant Hill had gained more significant improvements than Qin Lun.
“That’s nothing,” Hill said with a chuckle. “I saw at the Training Ground in Devil’s Horn that Disciple Hansen could already handle an Elven squad leader barehanded!”
“He got a Bloodline Item?” Qin Lun’s gaze sharpened.
“Probably so,” Hill nodded gently.
Elves might look slender, but their physique far surpassed humans. No matter how much their bodies were enhanced in the first Otherworld Mission, they couldn’t have faced an Elven squad leader head-on. The only explanation was that Hansen had obtained items that gave non-human abilities—a Bloodline Item.
Qin Lun gave a self-deprecating smile. He originally thought he was ahead of the pack. Now it seemed among the killers who entered the Shattered Starry Sky simultaneously, not one had an “empty lamp”.
“Doctor Qin, Priest Hill, we’ve finished discussing,” Jonathan’s voice came from behind them while they whispered. “We plan to find a hotel to settle in first, start tomorrow. What do you think?”
“Fine, we’ll follow the group’s plan,” Hill turned around, smiling beatifically.
Qin Lun sighed quietly behind him but said nothing. Actually, surviving depended crucially on how they spent this night; no time for rest. They had to act immediately. If they didn’t, someone was guaranteed to die tomorrow. But neither he nor Hill would warn them. Only the harshest reality would make these ordinary people see the truth.
Besides, he and Hill hadn’t even received their tasks yet. Meddling rashly wasn’t a good option.
The group exited the rooftop via the Emergency Exit. They were now in a residential area in Paris. However, their identification documents were useless here. They could only find a rundown hotel and pay using Jonathan’s British pounds.
Early the next morning, the group gathered quickly. Everyone except Qin Lun and Hill sported dark circles under their eyes. Clearly, none slept well. Some were too anxious, others too excited.
Having thought things over calmly through the night, Jonathan and Xiao Dao seemed to realize something. Urgency marked their expressions. At their strong insistence, the group started early. They bought food and water from a small supermarket beside the hotel.
“I’ll get us wheels,” Xiao Dao left with a frown. About ten minutes later, a seven-seat Mercedes van pulled up.
Everyone wisely avoided asking about the car’s origin. Qin Lun and Hill exchanged a look, a flicker of approval in their eyes. Compared to Lü Kuang and Jonathan, Xiao Dao was clearly more useful, likely a former gang member.
The van headed towards the city center. They needed supplies: medicine, weapons. They also had to locate Jacques Brown’s address and set up the planned hideout.
According to Lü Kuang’s plot information, iconic Parisian locations like Arc de Triomphe at Place Charles de Gaulle and Notre-Dame de Paris would host major plot events. They also needed to survey the terrain at these sites.
Early morning gave way to rising temperatures. Sunshine flooded the city. Traffic on Paris streets increased. Inside the van, everyone lazily observed the sights of the fashion capital when Qin Lun’s voice cut through the silence.
“Look at the sky. What is that?”
Beside the high-hanging sun, a colossal vortex suddenly appeared, huge enough to blot out the sky. Swirling shades of black and green, it expanded constantly as it slowly rotated, steadily obscuring the heavens entirely, placing even the sun behind it.
.
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Book 3: Chapter 15: Arrival
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