Chapter 277: Chapter 277

With another wave of the Nomadic Merchant's hand, the black bird that had been perched on his shoulder vanished instantly. The merchant appeared to be in good spirits, even stretching leisurely as he surveyed the crowd with a noticeably lighter tone:

"Excellent, excellent."

"At this point, everyone has obtained what they sought."

"I've acquired the Crow, you've obtained the Reincarnation Key..." This was directed at Salvation.

Then the merchant turned to Administrator 4444: "And you've received your due as well."

"Everyone's satisfied—how wonderful."

Whether everyone was truly satisfied remained unclear, but the Nomadic Merchant certainly was.

His gaze shifted meaningfully toward Administrator 0000 as he remarked: "As for how you choose to use the Reincarnation Key—whether to alleviate Lightburn's agony or to feed the Moon Phase Clock—that's no longer my concern."

Administrator 0000's presence likely served to witness Salvation's loss of the Crow. Having observed it firsthand, the matter would no longer remain secret. As part of the 26 Apartment Bosses' hierarchy, Administrator 0000 would ensure the information spread rapidly.

Could it be... that Salvation might face rebellion from the 26 Apartment Bosses without the Crow?

Numerous conjectures flashed through Jiang Ye's mind.

The Nomadic Merchant suddenly clapped his hands, maintaining his cheerful demeanor: "Well then, if there's nothing else, let's adjourn :)"

Lin Ling seemed hesitant to speak, while Jiang Ye also had unvoiced thoughts. Before either could act, the dim surroundings abruptly dissolved—in the blink of an eye, everyone transported to the merchant's pocket dimension returned to their original locations.

Administrator 4444 reappeared in the Reincarnation Graveyard, while Jiang Ye's first clone found himself back in 4444 Apartment's lobby. The merchant's presence had vanished.

The previously incapacitated corpse puppet slowly rose from where it had fallen—only to collapse again with a "thud." The two deep blue eyeballs that had dropped from its sockets and been pinned to the ground now rolled mysteriously of their own accord.

Clone #1 immediately sensed the abnormal energy shift. Following the rolling eyeballs' path, he spotted a familiar figure—Lin Ling! ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ NoveIＦire.net

This madwoman should have been returned by the merchant to Twilight Sands on 0000 Apartment's first floor. Evidently, she had voluntarily returned to 4444 Apartment after being sent back.

The eyeballs came to rest at her feet. She picked them up casually, then waved at the fallen puppet—a dark yellow talisman flew from its body into her grasp. After storing both items, she glanced at Jiang Ye before observing the puppet, which now stood again.

Its stiff features retained their arrogant defiance, though the empty eye sockets appeared particularly eerie. Ignoring Jiang Ye, the puppet addressed Lin Ling in a grave tone: "You... go back on your word? Do you not fear united retaliation from the 26 Apartment Bosses?"

Lin Ling remained composed, though she offered a diplomatic response: "Rest assured. I'll personally return both talisman and eyeballs to you at 0000 Apartment later. For now, I have matters to discuss with Administrator 4444."

With another wave, she effortlessly destroyed the puppet. Having fought it before, Jiang Ye knew its physical form wasn't the challenge—the indestructible talisman was. Though Administrator 4444 had recovered from being turned into a wooden figurine by the talisman, Jiang Ye couldn't help thinking...

Obtaining Lu Shen's [Rune Mastery] ability had become imperative!

As these thoughts surfaced, Lin Ling studied him intently before glancing at the tense Zhang Jintian behind the front desk. Finally, she addressed Jiang Ye: "Handle your newly acquired Glyph Pattern Ability with care—especially..."

She suddenly tossed him a jade token mid-sentence: "Especially regarding the Defenders. Show this token if encountering troublesome members—it should deter them. But don't push your luck; desperate people take desperate measures."

The token bore the inscription "Defender" on one side and "Left" on the reverse. "It contains three defensive rune arrays that could save your life in critical moments," Lin Ling added without elaboration.

Jiang Ye understood her true concern—protecting the Jade Flask's Glyph Pattern Ability from being absorbed by the Defenders' [Raven Feather]. "Don't worry," he assured, "I'm not so easy to kill."

Lin Ling mentally scoffed—infected with Lightburn yet still optimistic! Aloud, she inquired: "Can you still contact Administrator 4444? I have questions for him."

"Want to verify whether he can still access the Reincarnation Graveyard without the Reincarnation Key?" Jiang Ye countered.

Lin Ling startled. She'd initially opposed Administrator 4444's plan to trade the key, only relenting when he claimed he could still enter the graveyard afterward. Witnessing his disappearance from the merchant's pocket space had renewed her suspicions.

Returning to 4444 Apartment confirmed Administrator 4444's absence—he truly could still reach the graveyard! More surprising was Jiang Ye's knowledge of this secret, suggesting a closer relationship than she'd imagined.

Had Administrator 4444 studied Jiang Ye's blood? Established some alliance? But the new administrator shouldn't have such research connections...

After a moment's thought, she nodded. "If he truly can reenter without the key, he understands his value to me. Even without his Death State, I wouldn't harm him. Tell him he can meet me safely."

Jiang Ye shook his head. "It's not that he fears meeting you—he needs a specific method to prove his graveyard access."

"What method?" Lin Ling asked.

"Do you know the purpose of those crystal balls the 0000's corpse puppets carried?" Jiang Ye inquired.

Lin Ling produced one from her palm. "This is called [The Eye of Judgment]. As the saying goes—'You have the right to remain silent, but anything you say may be used against you.' If a player observed by this eye lies, cracks will appear—even for white lies or flattery."

So that explained why his Administrator 1009 clone's first statement had shattered the orb—it contained fabricated elements. "Does it record?" Jiang Ye asked.

"Of course," Lin Ling confirmed. "Otherwise how would it serve as 'evidence'?"

Jiang Ye requested the Eye: "Lend me this—I'll return it after proving Administrator 4444's graveyard access."