They all call me an Outer God.

Chapter 262 Reunion with an Old Friend

As he spoke, the investigator standing next to Ria made a complete 180-degree turn in his attitude.

"Perhaps, sir, you'd better try to conceal it a little, otherwise it will put us in a very difficult position."

"Okay, I don't want to cause you any trouble either; it's not in line with my personal moral standards."

Ria picked up her plate, on which sat a fresh, untouched piece of meat, cooked to medium-rare. If you were to cut it open now, you could still see the blood-red veins inside. "Would you like to eat?" she asked.

"No need, our rules prohibit accepting things indiscriminately."

An investigator waved his hand, and the next second, little Schwarz slightly opened his eyes.

"Stab!!!"

Tentacles emerged from the shadows and instantly pierced the investigator's flesh, corroding him into a charred, inhuman mass.

In the end, even the remaining carbonaceous material was completely devoured by the tentacles.

Ria picked up the tea on the table and took a sip. At that moment, another investigator sat down opposite him, and with impeccable manners, picked up the knife and fork on either side of the plate, cut off a piece of raw beef, and put it in his mouth to taste.

"How did you tell?"

“Ordinary investigators wouldn’t mention that person’s existence; they probably haven’t even heard of him. Yet you mentioned it directly, which is tantamount to revealing your identities.”

Lia put down her teacup, the ceramic cup making a crisp sound as it touched the tea tray.

"Pay me for the food before I kill you."

"Your attitude is much better than before. Have you gotten used to it? Habits are a good thing."

The investigator chuckled, placed a few sheets of paper on the tablecloth, and then, right in front of Ria, used a knife to cut the entire steak to shreds.

He spoke the next words in a tone as if he were talking to an old friend whom Ria hadn't seen in years.

Good afternoon. I'll come visit you again when I have time. —

Before he could utter the name, the numerous tentacles had already completely devoured him.

Meanwhile, a chilling aura gradually crept into Ria's eyes.

These people are not investigators at all, but imposters—investigators transformed from people possessed by Hephaestus's consciousness; they could even all be called Hephaestus's clones.

His clones may be more numerous and ubiquitous than imagined. These clones vary in strength and will occasionally appear in unexpected ways to destroy people's spirits and mentality.

There's no way to kill them all. As long as Hephaestus's main body doesn't die, he can have thousands upon thousands of clones.

"I've never seen anyone with this level of schizophrenia before."

Ria looked down at little Swarth, whose eyes had now closed again, and Ria continued to signal to the patients to remain hidden.

His body was gradually enveloped in a gray-black mist, then merged into the shadows. Soon after, the real investigators boarded the train and began their search.

These people, thinking they were late, rushed off in a panic. After a fruitless, cursory search, they left. Now the patients have reappeared on the train, but the train attendants, their memories clouded by the mysterious object, are completely unaware of the gravity of the situation.

"those people……"

After reappearing, Melfas seemed hesitant to speak.

"They are clones of someone. Have you heard of the White Mask Church? We thought it had been destroyed, but now the new White Mask Church still exists, and it's only getting bigger."

“I had heard of them and had even killed a few of their members, but I never expected this.”

Melfas looked at Ria, who had a serious expression: "Their appearance on the train is undoubtedly a provocation. The witches are about to gather, and these people are key intelligence agents and researchers who control the most direct supernatural abilities."

Honestly, I don't believe Hephaestus would give up the opportunity to attend the tea party. He might even sneak in and set up an ambush. If the witches are all captured, I don't need to remind you of the consequences; I'm sure you all understand.

Safiel also sensed something was wrong: "Should we remind Miss Lelana Feli to change the address?"

“I believe that person must have taken precautions against these things. After all, although she may seem unreliable on the surface, she is actually very opinionated and wise.”

Melfas carefully put away the staff, which was taller than a person: "Anyway, I should write to her first. Damn it, my hands are shaking just thinking about the person in the white mask."

Every tea party faces numerous obstacles, but everyone always finds a way to overcome them, and I believe this time will be no different.

As he spoke, he quickly wrote a letter and sent it out in a way that Ria couldn't understand.

Everyone was calming down, and during this time, Ria picked up the papers on the table to examine them. To her surprise, she found that they were not counterfeit money, nor were there any hidden assassination plots.

It really was just a few ordinary bills.

Trade can buy faith, but it's useless for Ria to collect their faith, because no matter what he does, the conclusion is that these people are all his followers, and their faith is pure and completely sincere.

They could all die at Ria's command, but the manner of their deaths was uncertain.

For the first time, Ria directly experienced the drawbacks of the identity of "god," especially when her strength and status did not match, countless troubles would follow.

But this was not his fault. At first, the young man just wanted to use a new name, "trade," to gradually build up his business, and his actions were in line with the performance process of his main meme, "Black Marketer."

He restrained his followers from suddenly behaving strangely, avoiding being surrounded by a group of people "praising trade" while walking down the street.

But then a bunch of random people suddenly appeared and completely disrupted his plans, forcing Ria to be on high alert every day to observe who the White Mask Church members were, and to remain vigilant and suspicious of everyone.

If this continued, he felt he was not far from going insane.

Melfas: "Northern Adeline, it just so happens to be Northern Adeline. We usually gather in more bustling cities, like last time it was Cranbea, and the time before that I wasn't there, but I heard the time before that was Sirogomes."

The choice of North Adeline as the location, so close to the Sea of ​​Gottlieb, makes one wonder if the prophecy is about to come true ahead of schedule. Furthermore, this incident reveals that the White Masks are also concerned about the prophecy.

Ria: "Since the White Mask cares, it's impossible for other members of the underground church not to care. It can be said that the prophecy is undoubtedly a huge hidden danger for those who know about its existence, making them want to know everything related to the prophecy at all costs."

This gathering might be even more lively than usual.

(End of this chapter)