Death Notice Book 7: Chapter 9: An Acquaintance

Qin Lun’s eyes flashed. He turned around and saw the beautiful woman in office attire who had just left not long ago, along with the young man in a white suit beside her. He froze for a moment, then raised his wine glass and nodded at them.

“I’m Liza, and he is Yin. Nice to meet you!” The woman, who was used to disguises, held out her hand to Qin Lun with restraint. For a moment, she did not recognize the young man who had changed into a new set of clothes and had a completely different aura.

“Examiners, we’ve already met before!” Qin Lun sighed helplessly and shook Liza’s small hand.

“Pfft!” Yin choked on the red wine he had just drunk, splashing it all over the fair, slender nape of the beauty’s neck.

“Ah… damn it!” Liza was momentarily stunned but soon felt the slick, wet patch on the back of her neck. She immediately turned her head and glared fiercely at Yin. Seeing her companion laugh and dart aside, she turned back to scrutinize Qin Lun.

The Chameleon was a master of disguise herself. After just a few glances, she confirmed Qin Lun’s identity. Had he not been facing away from them earlier, such a huge misunderstanding would not have occurred.

“Hehe, clothes make the man, just as a golden frame makes the Buddha!” Yin grinned, raising his glass to Qin Lun. His eyes darted around as he casually asked, “Qin Lun, have you ever left Meteor Street before?”

Qin Lun was inwardly amused but feigned a pained expression as he began to speak.

His cold, ruthless demeanor was very similar to that of the thugs from Meteor Street. However, since he had never actually lived there, his unintentionally exposed habits would eventually arouse suspicion from the syndicate. Nevertheless, the identity documents provided by Shattered Starry Sky already included some cover, and with his own embellishments, there should be no major issues.

In this identity, the small country had indeed experienced turmoil, the noble background was not fabricated, and even the human traffickers and bandits were real people. However, the real noble child had long since died, and his family had been wiped out in the chaos, leaving no way to trace the truth.

The identity documents prepared by Shattered Starry Sky were naturally flawless. As long as Qin Lun himself did not slip up, not even a syndicate—let alone the Hunter Association of this world—could uncover the truth.

After hearing Qin Lun’s story, Yin and Liza exchanged glances, their doubts largely dispelled. Most noble children began etiquette lessons from a young age. His tragic fate of ending up in Meteor Street as a child could also explain why the young man showed special attention to the two children, Xiaonan and Xiaoya.

Moreover, Qin Lun’s account was detailed and plausible. A little investigation by their syndicate would reveal its veracity.

At this thought, the two lost interest in chatting idly with Qin Lun. They had come to the deck not for leisure but to recruit a few more Meteor Street thugs participating in the Hunter Exam, aiming to fulfill their organization’s recruitment quota.

However, Qin Lun had no intention of letting them go. He had refrained from proactively questioning them to avoid suspicion. But now that they had come to him, it would be a shame not to extract some information.

“Examiner Liza, now that we’ve signed the employment contract, could you tell me the name of the organization and the general nature of our work?” Qin Lun smiled as he inquired of the woman in office attire.

Liza and Yin exchanged another look. Normally, they were not supposed to reveal internal details to new recruits until after they completed Nen Ability training and could actually use it.

However, this was merely a formality. Given the abilities of these four Meteor Street thugs, passing the Nen Ability training was a foregone conclusion. Telling them a little earlier could earn some goodwill and reduce barriers when working together later.

Thinking this, Liza glanced around and lowered her voice. “Our organization is called ‘Shadow Beasts’…”

After listening to Liza and Yin’s fragmented explanations, Qin Lun finally gained a general understanding of the “Shadow Beasts” organization he had joined, and he also formed some conjectures about the subsequent Main Quest.

“Shadow Beasts” did not actually belong to any specific syndicate but rather seemed like a mercenary force jointly hired by syndicates worldwide. The scale of “Shadow Beasts” was not very large, and its members were divided into several tiers based on rank, stationed around the world.

The core members of “Shadow Beasts” basically only took orders from the world-level syndicate leaders, the “Ten Dons.” The main force members were responsible for accepting tasks assigned by various syndicates. These included assassination, protecting important figures, intelligence gathering, and so on—every type of task imaginable.

As for newcomers like Qin Lun, they could not take on tasks yet. They had to wait until after completing a brief Nen Ability training before being dispatched worldwide for various missions.

Since most “Shadow Beasts” members were Nen Ability users, the organization’s structure was very loose with little binding force. Core members were not necessarily stronger than other Peripheral Members; they were just more loyal to the syndicates.

Even new members, as long as they conscientiously completed their first employment contract, could leave the organization later without being pursued by “Shadow Beasts.”

This was mainly because Nen Ability users were powerful and accustomed to freedom, unlikely to accept syndicate constraints. Parting on good terms allowed for future cooperation. Syndicates were not short on resources; with proper persuasion, some could always be retained.

For this reason, the scale of “Shadow Beasts” had always remained within certain limits. Every year, some members left, and new ones were recruited. In fact, this also served the interests of the syndicates, as they could not control an overly powerful Nen Ability organization.

“Shadow Beasts” members usually carried out tasks in small teams of familiar partners, unlike real mercenaries who gathered in large groups. Some of these small teams were very strong, while others were weaker.

As for the direct forces under the “Ten Dons,” aside from loyalty, their combat power was only average. After all, syndicate leaders were just ordinary people. True powerhouses would not obediently follow ordinary people just for money and women.

After giving Qin Lun a general explanation, Yin and Liza exchanged a look and excused themselves to leave.

Though he very much wanted to extract more information, especially regarding Nen Abilities, Qin Lun restrained himself and did not press further. Gaining this much intel from them was already good enough; asking more would only invite trouble.

Qin Lun turned around to face the glass window again. He seemed to be watching the scenery outside, but in reality, his eyes shimmered with changing lights as he carefully digested the information the two had given him. The steam that had been wiped off the glass earlier had reformed, making it appear blurry and even reflecting the public area behind him.

It was noon, and more Meteor Street thugs had come out to stroll around. Qin Lun and the others were considered internal members of “Shadow Beasts,” residing in the core area of the airship, which had its own bar and salon. Most of the people now appearing in the public area were Meteor Street thugs participating in the “Hunter Exam.”

Yin and Liza, having left Qin Lun, split up to chat with people one by one, hoping to recruit the stronger ones into “Shadow Beasts.”

These Meteor Street thugs were not actually fixated on becoming Hunters; more of them just wanted to use the airship to leave Meteor Street. As long as the syndicate could offer some tangible benefits, many would reconsider. This was also the main reason why Yin and Liza, having only met the quota of four, were not overly anxious.

Blurry figures continuously passed over the steam-covered glass window. Qin Lun swirled his glass on his own, paying no attention, his expression somewhat disappointed.

The young man’s Detection Aura had a range of seventy meters. Combined with the Clock Eye that fused with the Heavenly Insight Eye, monitoring the entire public area was as clear as looking at the lines on his palm.

The Meteor Street thugs currently in the public area were a mix of strong and weak. Some seemed to be ordinary people who had not yet awakened their Nen Abilities, merely looking fierce and having stronger physiques. Others, slightly stronger, were similar to the three Meteor Street thugs who had joined “Shadow Beasts”—they had awakened their Nen Abilities but did not yet know how to use them.

If they were all at this level, it really wasn’t worth Qin Lun’s time to stand here and endure the wind.

“Huh!” Just as he was about to turn and return to his room, Qin Lun’s eyes suddenly flashed, and a strange expression appeared on his face. “…It should be him. Why is he here? Coincidence, or…”

Every time he entered a Quest World, Shattered Starry Sky generally gave Apostles a cover identity. However, unless they specifically spent Shattered Crystals, their physique and appearance basically remained their original ones. Qin Lun currently retained his original appearance, and the person he had just discovered seemed to be the same.

This acquaintance was currently leaving the public area, heading toward the restrooms. A thought crossed Qin Lun’s mind. He turned, lifted his glass, and drained the red wine in one go. Casually placing the empty glass on a passing waiter’s tray, he quietly followed the familiar figure ahead.

The person ahead walked a stretch down the corridor and suddenly turned into a side passage.

Qin Lun frowned slightly. The pupil of his left eye suddenly displayed a black and red target, while his right eye turned into a silver clock face with two hands slowly ticking inside. “Was I discovered? It seems he hasn’t fallen behind much during this time.”

A strange smile appeared on Qin Lun’s face. He maintained his previous pace as he approached the intersection. However, the Dagger of Sin quietly dropped from his right sleeve into his palm. With a flip of his left hand, he took an olive-shaped fruit from his Storage Space and slipped it under his tongue.

This fruit was a recovery item he had acquired from the Apostle Monument’s demiplane trading market. It was of World Treasure grade, called “Philly Preserved Fruit.” From these actions, it was clear that Qin Lun was extremely wary of the person ahead. Even if he had no intention of fighting, he made full preparations.

Just as he reached the intersection, Qin Lun’s steady footsteps suddenly halted, stopping him in place. The person lying in ambush at the intersection clearly had not expected him to stop abruptly. Overcompensating in his attack, he stumbled out of the side passage.

Surprisingly, Qin Lun did not take advantage of the situation. Instead, he chuckled lightly and took a few steps back, raising his hands to show he meant no harm.

“Rand, long time no see!”