I set up a shelter organization

Chapter 969: The Collision of Worlds, the Unreal World

The moment the Duke finished speaking, the blue roses around him suddenly moved without wind, and the thorns on the bushes oozed out a dark blue liquid, which formed spider-web-like patterns on the ground.

Yu Baiyi subconsciously grasped the dagger at his waist, but found that the liquid was climbing along his shadow, and a chill ran up his spine.

"The Order of the Deviant has existed for three hundred years." The Duke twirled his cane, and rose petals fluttered down, forming a miniature star map in the void. "Behind every rule is the blood and lessons of our predecessors. Our overseers are not human—have you heard of 'Memory Recallers'?"

Yu Zihan swallowed and asked, "Is it a weird thing that can read memories?"

"To be more precise, it is an entity that can materialize memories."

The Duke's fingertips passed over the star map, and one of the roses suddenly exploded, turning into countless points of light suspended in the air, piecing together a blurry picture: a black-robed trickster was waving a bracelet at an ordinary person in an alley, a bloody spell flashed, and the man fell in a pool of blood.

The picture suddenly shattered, the light spots reorganized, and the scene switched to a secret room full of gears.

The injured ordinary person lay on the operating table, while the black-robed man who had just committed the crime was hung in the air by chains. Countless transparent silk threads penetrated his skin, pulling out strands of glowing silk threads, weaving into a constantly turning book.

"When the Overseer activates, any concealment will be revealed." The Duke's voice seemed to come from far away. "That man in black robes thought he had done it perfectly, but he didn't know that his every thought would leave a mark deep in his soul."

Yu Baiyi stared at the book that recorded the crimes, and suddenly noticed that the liquid oozing from the edge of the pages was exactly the same as the blue substance secreted by the thorns on the ground.

He looked up at the Duke and found that a hazy figure had appeared behind him. The figure had no facial features and was wrapped in chains and books. The rustling sound of paper rubbing against each other could be heard in the air.

"Is this the true form of the Supervisor?" Yu Zihan asked tremblingly.

The Duke didn't answer directly. Instead, he pounded his cane into the ground. "The rules of the Order aren't shackles, but balance. Just like this rose," he gently stroked the bud at the tip of his cane. The thorns suddenly contracted, and the bud blossomed with a dazzling blue light. "Without the protection of thorns, even the most beautiful flower will be trampled upon."

Just then, the sound of breaking glass was heard in the distance.

The three turned around and saw a teenager in school uniform being held down on a table by several thugs in a cafe across the street. One of them pulled out a dagger and held it against the teenager's throat.

Yu Baiyi instinctively wanted to rush forward, but the Duke raised his hand to stop him.

"Watch carefully." The Duke said softly.

Before he could finish his words, the dagger suddenly twisted and deformed, and the blade turned into vines that wrapped around the gangster's wrist.

A silver light flashed in the boy's pupils, and the surrounding tables and chairs automatically formed a barrier, trapping the gangster in the center.

Outside the cafe, the originally ordinary potted plants suddenly grew wildly, and the branches and leaves formed chains that hung the gangsters in the air.

"Is this... an awakener?" Yu Baiyi was surprised to find that the spiritual energy fluctuations surrounding the young man were somewhat similar to the strange aura of the Duke.

"They are newcomers who just joined the Outlaws." The Duke smiled and snapped his fingers. The vines instantly shrank back to their original shape. The gangsters fell to the ground in a mess, but they seemed to have no memory of what happened and left cursing.

The boy straightened his clothes, bowed respectfully, and then disappeared around the corner.

"Did you see that?" The Duke retracted his gaze. "In the Outlaws, we allow for appropriate self-defense and will protect the secrets of every member. However, those who abuse their abilities will eventually be punished by the rules."

He paused, and the rose on his cane suddenly withered, then reborn in an instant. "Just like this flower, death and rebirth always coexist."

Yu Baiyi was silent for a long time, and finally spoke: "If I join, what will it cost me?"

A flicker of appreciation flashed in the Duke's eyes. "That's a good question. Every Contractor must sign a contract with the Devil, and the price of the contract is often something you cherish most—it could be a memory, an emotion, or even a future choice. But remember," his voice deepened, "more important than the contract is the awareness of abiding by the rules."

As dusk deepened, the light of the blue roses cast tiny shadows on the street.

Yu Baiyi looked at the thorns that were faintly visible around the Duke, and suddenly realized that in this world where spiritual energy was revived, there might not be absolute freedom, but the rules of the Society of the Deviant at least drew a fragile but solid line between the extraordinary and ordinary people.