Chapter 397: Those Who Could Not Resist

Chapter 397: Those Who Could Not Resist

He did not have a clear enough plan, mainly because he had never considered the possibility of his identity being exposed… Hmm, it seemed to Zheng Yichen that as long as he continued his current covert and low-profile approach, the chances of his identity being revealed should be quite low. As long as he didn’t cause trouble himself, why worry about it?

However, reality not only taught Zheng Yichen a lesson but also slapped him hard across the face. While he told himself not to cause trouble, his body was surprisingly honest, and he actually went ahead and caused it!

He directly provoked the Undying Witch, snatched something she wanted, and even partially exposed his identity. Although it wasn’t the most severe exposure, the other party now knew some of his patterns of external activity. His Alchemical Avatar, especially this bionic version he used, could basically avoid the effects of most Detection Magic. But the Undying Witch was an exception, just like Annie.

She didn’t observe from the surface level but could directly see through the essence. This body was fake. Even though it mimicked all the life fluctuations of a human, it was ultimately different from a real person. Annie could sense something was off just by perceiving it. Then there were the fake soul fluctuations. The Undying Witch was a master at manipulating souls; she could also detect something wrong with just a perception…

The two saw through the Alchemical Puppet from different angles, but both could see through it. This was what frustrated Zheng Yichen the most. Some things were considered unsolvable because their core secrets hadn’t been exposed. Once exposed and stripped of their original mystery, they became easy targets.

Most Detection Magic had no effect on the Alchemical Avatar he used, but not all magic was ineffective. As long as targeted magic was selected, and there was a deliberate search for him, the consequence would be similar to when the alchemical puppet sent out to gather information was easily uncovered. Of course, Zheng Yichen could take a more drastic approach and never again use anything related to the Hell Alchemical Puppet. Then, the threat from the Undying Witch would naturally disappear.

But was such a thing possible?

Thinking back to the bouts of gloomy mood he experienced before, without the Alchemical Puppet, those issues would likely resurface. Zheng Yichen had tried to learn from Annie, but he couldn’t master her innate traits. Hers were completely natural; how could he learn them?

Solving Zheng Yichen’s own problem was simple. First, he needed to become human. Then, he needed internet access, followed by a computer. Finally, the computer needed to have plenty of games that were constantly being updated, along with a carefree life with no worries about food or shelter… Would he feel gloomy staying at home then?

To hell with that feeling! Aside from occasional bouts of homesickness and low mood, there would be no other issues… probably.

So, why wasn’t there a magic in this world that allowed higher species to transform into humans? Why wasn’t there!? This was supposed to be the Otherworld, not Earth. It was already unscientific enough, so why not go all the way and be completely unscientific? Why retain some aspects that still followed science…

“Hmm… Now that I think about it carefully, although the matter of the Alchemical Puppet was exposed before, the Magic Weapon Summoning Book hasn’t shown any signs of trouble. There’s also a good chance of manipulating the identity aspect.” Zheng Yichen rested his chin on his hand and muttered. Since some things couldn’t be hidden anymore, why bother hiding them!

Think about it. It was true that others knew he was a dragon. But by the time they found out, he had also reached a very high level in some Secondary Professions. The ‘Talent’ that would have been a burden actually turned into a powerful protective umbrella after his identity was exposed!

Using the Alchemical Puppet for external activities meant that even if others knew his identity, some issues could be avoided. Regarding the identity exposure issue, it was perfectly normal not to sense any Dragon’s Aura from the Alchemical Puppet. After all, this thing wasn’t soul-controlled; it was only remotely operated using Spiritual Power. If it couldn’t release Dragon’s Aura, who would suspect?

A series of plans kept popping into Zheng Yichen’s mind. These plans needed further refinement later but might not necessarily be used. They would only be implemented under the premise that the Undying Witch exposed his identity. If she didn’t, then this could naturally be avoided. Of course, preparations still had to be made.

Under the watch of other forces, after Deya visited Zheng Yichen once, there was no further news. She returned to her normal routine, focusing on her current main tasks. The Sanctuary Church also didn’t make any statements, as if they were no longer paying much attention to the matter. But anyone who thought the Sanctuary Church was doing nothing was truly foolish. If the Sanctuary Church did nothing, could the Dark Church also do nothing?

Their inaction would be the biggest problem of all!

Smart people were still observing the situation, but some couldn’t resist taking action. Due to Qin’s arrangements, people from major factions were less likely to act. As for the guilds, they had all received their allotted shares of Magic Potions. Knowing the methods of the Purple Vine Guild’s Boss, they had gotten what they wanted and naturally wouldn’t truly offend her out of greed. There was no need, nor did they want to provoke her.

Most of those who actually took action were from smaller factions. They often had fewer reservations when doing things. Their organizations were small enough that causing trouble wouldn’t risk shaking the whole situation. Some, however, had no choice; they were compelled to act.

“Finally, a normal challenge!” Carlin adjusted the Tactical Eyepiece he was wearing. He was growing increasingly fond of this unconventional style of Alchemical Product. This tech-heavy gadget was just too comfortable to use, especially when encountering peers. It gave him a feeling of being completely unique.

Even though peers would only call it flashy and impractical, in his view, that was just jealousy. Was this thing really flashy and impractical?

No, it was quite useful! It just hadn’t had any chance to prove its worth before. Now, it was being fully utilized. In just two days, Carlin had dealt with over a dozen waves of people trying to target Lily. In terms of strength, they were mediocre. None of them caused much of a commotion before being taken care of.

The truly troublesome encounter was the fifth one. He ran into a wanted enemy, who was also High-Rank! Quite powerful, a desperado. Coming here was likely due to being hired. Moreover, for such a wanted criminal to arrive smoothly, Carlin later analyzed that he was probably brought in by a local faction within Kaja City. The number of notable local factions in Kaja City wasn’t high.

As to which specific one, Carlin didn’t have time to investigate. He was handling things alone here. While he was watching Lily, others were watching him. He could guarantee that if he left for more than half an hour, something would definitely happen to Lily!

With no opportunity to leave, he naturally couldn’t investigate… Well, that wasn’t entirely true. During the constant attacks over these two days, Carlin noticed a detail. There seemed to be a very skilled Infiltrator hidden within this Academy, someone far more skilled than him.

It was only because the Academy was under more scrutiny now, with more people secretly causing trouble, that this person made two moves, allowing Carlin to detect some traces. Otherwise, he would probably still be in the dark about this person’s existence. When he realized this, Carlin broke out in a cold sweat. The thought of another Infiltrator, stronger than him, having been watching his back for who knows how long—wasn’t that terrifying?

The fact that this person could watch for so long without being exposed meant they had the ability to eliminate him silently. Battles between Infiltrators weren’t as flashy as those of Mages, nor as intense as those between Warriors. Their fights were fleeting encounters in the darkness, a momentary clash. If the difference in strength was too great, there wouldn’t even be a hint of commotion; everything would be swallowed by silence until the killed person was discovered by others.

So, upon realizing this person’s existence, Carlin was genuinely scared out of his wits.

Thinking about it now, this person was probably from the Academy. Carlin hadn’t caused any trouble here; he was just acting as a hidden guard. He really didn’t believe other families hadn’t done the same. So what was one more? He hadn’t secretly infiltrated the Academy cafeteria to freeload meals or anything like that. He had no guilty conscience.

Since acknowledging his Boss, Carlin felt some of his old skills had gotten rusty… especially his money-acquiring skills. Anyway, the encounters over these two days helped Carlin regain some insights. He had originally thought that Zheng Yichen’s level was too high, and the matters he dealt with would be beyond his ability to handle. But soon enough, situations he could actually manage came along.

It was simply great! Because he was in a good mood, Carlin hit a bit harder when taking action. Killing was common in the Otherworld, especially against enemies like these. Holding back was a choice to avoid killing; not holding back was even more justified. There wasn’t much to discuss between enemies.

Especially that wanted criminal. After Carlin dealt with him, Carlin received a large bounty. Although he claimed it under a hidden identity, getting the money was what mattered. When working, Infiltrators operated in a mode of concealing their achievements and names. Otherwise, if his identity were exposed, he would lose his advantage in subsequent guard duties. Once exposed, others could make targeted preparations based on his habits.

Well… after all, he was a High-level Stalker, not some small fry. Carlin hadn’t kept a low profile in the past either. Others had a decent impression of this Infiltrator with a pretty, delicate appearance, so naturally, some paid attention to his abilities, especially the information brokers. If someone wanted to buy information about him, they could definitely get it.

So, before a battle ended, if an Infiltrator’s identity was exposed, things could become very troublesome. However, this time, the situation probably wasn’t much better. Carlin had already dealt with over a dozen waves of enemies. From those he had taken care of, someone should be able to analyze that this was related to him…