Chapter 78: When Luck Strikes, It's Unstoppable

As dawn broke and the sky began to emit its first glimmers of light, Westphalia gradually came alive. With the increasing practical use of coal and trains across the world, this planet experienced almost daily transformations.

The rise of technology spurred population movement and also made many situations more challenging to control compared to before. Consequently, both the Southern and Northern Provinces became increasingly secretive in dealing with monster-related issues.

“Huh?!”

“What a peculiar person, is she from the circus?”

“Is there a new circus in town? Maybe there will be some fresh acts to watch.”

”…”

Windsor strained her neck upward, her beautiful white lace hat slightly tilted to the right, adorned with delicate white pearls that gently swayed as she walked.

She took a deep breath, trying to ignore the barrage of telepathic voices swirling around her, but she couldn’t control what her ears picked up. The multitude of sounds merged together, as if hundreds of people were whispering in her ear, conveying various messages inexplicably.

“Hang on, just a bit longer. I’m a noble; I must maintain my composure.” Windsor struggled to block out those voices and briskly walked towards the Westphalian branch of the Night Church.

There were so many things she wanted to discuss with Vena, feeling overwhelmed by pent-up emotions. Ever since transforming into her current state, apart from Vena, she had no other friends or family left.

“Mom, look at her, she’s like a ball.”

“So funny! She’s obese yet still wearing that dress.”

Windsor suddenly halted in her tracks.

Twenty minutes later, a group of robust City Guards clad in black armor rushed to the scene. In addition to their armor, they carried pistols at their waists, and the two leaders stood notably taller, adorned with knight badges on their chests.

In this world, to become a knight, one must undergo rigorous physical training and maintain peak physical condition. Combining these skills with the local combat techniques, only individuals of exceptional prowess can be granted a knight’s badge.

Holders of a knight’s badge typically command extremely high fees, whether serving in the City Guard or being privately hired. However, due to human inertia and age-related decline in physical abilities, knights are re-evaluated every two years. Success is expected, but failure results in their badge being revoked. Consequently, the prestige of being a knight is immensely valuable, yet it also means they have a limited window to accumulate wealth rapidly.

The deployment of the City Guard armed with firearms, led by knights, instilled such fear that nearby streets and merchants dared not cause any trouble; they had all swiftly dispersed.

Simultaneously, there was widespread speculation among them: Damn, the chemical plant has leaked toxic gas again! The previous leak resulted in numerous deaths, sparking significant public uproar. Amidst growing resentment, the factory emitting the most pollutants ultimately chose to relocate away from residential areas, which calmed the situation temporarily. Yet, here was another toxic gas pollution incident.

Despite being seasoned knights with immense mental fortitude, upon witnessing nearly two dozen twisted and contorted corpses lying haphazardly on the street, their limbs bent at unnatural angles, and thick dark red blood oozing from their facial features, they felt unnerved.

Amidst these bodies stood a woman, her figure grotesquely obese, almost spherical in shape. They identified her as female due to the long dress she wore, currently fashionable among affluent women. Her head adorned with a beautiful white veil secured by ribbons tied around her bald scalp, devoid of any hair.

These were unmistakably feminine attire.

The scene before them was profoundly eerie.

Although rigorously trained, the City Guards instinctively tightened their grip on their muskets.

“Don’t act impulsively,” one knight cautioned, clearly knowledgeable about monsters and Nightwatchers. He understood that these entities possessed mysterious and unpredictable abilities, making it uncertain whether even armed knights with muskets could effectively confront them.

He signaled for the City Guards to slowly retreat. After waiting approximately five minutes, the knight spotted a slightly cold-faced young man swiftly approaching. Upon seeing this newcomer, the knight sighed with relief.

“This is your matter,” the knight whispered softly.

Qiao Si quickly scanned the surroundings, frowning at the gruesome scene before averting his gaze. “Her condition is deteriorating; she’s reaching a critical point. Have you and the City Guard step back another fifty steps while I handle her. Wait until I’m done before returning.”

“Understood, we’ll come back once you’ve dealt with it.” Without hesitation, the two knights gestured, and their group immediately began retreating.

Once the crowd had significantly withdrawn, Qiao Si cautiously stepped forward. “I hope you can quickly regain control of yourself. Additionally, the casualties from this incident will be reported to the Adaha Continent. Westphalia won’t bear responsibility for this mishap.”

To manage ordinary civilians, the Night Church Headquarters annually assigns a death quota. Typically, exceeding this limit is not permitted, as it would prompt Headquarters to dispatch specialized investigators and impose penalties on the branch responsible.

This situation was unavoidable; most Nightwatchers, under the torment of mutants, became irritable and easily provoked, with no external means to control their temper. Without such restraint, even without considering deaths caused by monsters, the Nightwatchers themselves could become monstrous figures leading to numerous civilian casualties.

After a moment, Windsor slowly raised her arm to adjust the white veil hat atop her head. “My apologies… I truly couldn’t control myself. But now that I’ve vented somewhat, I feel better.”

Windsor took a breath, feeling both nauseated by the surrounding scent of blood yet oddly satisfied in a twisted way.

Qiao Si observed Windsor’s massive, smooth, hairless head swaying gently. Her slightly closed eyes conveyed an unmistakable expression of enjoyment and relief, which made Qiao Si feel uneasy and somewhat sickened.

Previously, Qiao Si had been somewhat similar to Windsor, but now he was gradually returning to normal. He maintained regular sleep patterns, could enjoy meals and appreciate the scenery, and felt less anxious about his approaching end-of-life. His empathetic nature, typical of ordinary individuals, began resurfacing.

“Don’t make that expression anymore!”

Windsor turned her head, her gaze filled with a frenzied and despairing look as if wishing for the world’s immediate destruction. “What business is it of yours? Best not to offend me; otherwise, without Vena’s presence, I might not resist killing you.”

Qiao Si faintly heard noises buzzing in his ears, which were indicative of Windsor’s ability.

Originally, she was a noble young lady, exceptionally beautiful, earning her the nickname “Pearl of the Family.” However, during one outing by the sea, she accidentally consumed a black pearl. From then on, Windsor gained the ability to hear everyone’s inner thoughts and create psychic storms capable of silently killing a person instantaneously. Unfortunately, she could not voluntarily shut off these mental voices; instead, they incessantly streamed towards her in a one-way manner.

As time went on, Windsor’s body became increasingly obese. Her weight gain was peculiar; not only did she grow larger, but also rounder, and all her hair gradually fell out, leaving her looking like an egg with limbs attached-an eerie and grotesque sight. Some even nicknamed her ‘Black Pearl’.

Being a beauty-conscious young lady, Windsor could not accept this transformation. The dual torment of mental anguish and physical changes made her temperament highly erratic and strange.

Qiao Si sneered, “With Vena absent, please leave Westphalia immediately. I still have to deal with the chaos you caused.”

“You’re lying!” Windsor glared furiously at Qiao Si. “I heard that recently, your Westphalia branch specifically sought aid from Headquarters. I must find out what exactly is going on.”

Shaking off Qiao Si, Windsor rushed straight towards the branch office.

Qiao Si feigned anger, but inwardly he felt relieved. Last night, during his discussion with Nelson, they had devised several plans. However, he didn’t expect that under the influence of the mutant, Windsor would be unable to remain calm and think rationally.

She walked right into their trap.

Perfect. Now that she’s here, there’s no leaving.

When it comes to defection, if I’ve done it, I hope everyone else does too-it makes it less awkward, doesn’t it?