“Outside the tower?”
Su’en listened to these words and only then realized what Number 19 had said.
No, everyone told me that there is only one city in the underground world, Old Lingdun. So what does she mean by “outside the tower”?
As a transmigrator, Su’en’s thoughts had not yet formed any fixed impressions, but he instantly thought of something.
No wonder she was asking around and collecting countless fragments of memories. No one had ever heard of the “Reiga Di Family” in Old Lingdun.
So, they were not originally from here, but were brought from outside?
…….
“If you want to ask about your missing memories, I’m sorry, I don’t know.”
Number 9 continued, “I am just one of the people responsible for escorting the ‘exiles’ from outside the Black Tower and exiling them from the inner city. It just happened that I was the one who escorted you when you were sent down.”
Those?
Su’en keenly caught this quantifier and furrowed his brows slightly, asking, “Are you saying that there is more than just me who came from outside the Black Tower?”
“Yes. You are just one of them.”
Number 19 confirmed, “This is the highest secret of the Black Tower.”
She continued, “The Black Tower connects to the upper levels. Besides Duke Raphael and a few high-ranking individuals, no one knows what exactly is above the Black Tower. I don’t know either. But there are definitely other humans living there. Because every once in a while, a group of strangers is sent down from the Black Tower. They have their memories erased and are left to fend for themselves in the outer city…”
At this point, Number 19 explained another of Su’en’s doubts, saying, “This is also why I didn’t act in the Black Jazz Club last time. Because I knew you came from outside the tower, so you couldn’t possibly have any connection with the Umbrella Organization.”
“…”
Hearing this, Su’en fell into contemplation.
As if completing the most important piece of the puzzle, he suddenly felt enlightened.
Many of the questions that had troubled him before suddenly made sense because of these words.
He muttered to himself, “I said, in such a world, there shouldn’t be only one underground city. So… the Black Tower is a passage to the upper levels?”
The people in Old Lingdun had no concept of the “surface,” Su’en felt that even if it wasn’t the surface, it must be a much broader world.
Exile, escort, memory erasure…
These keywords connected in Su’en’s mind, giving him the feeling that Old Lingdun was like… an underground prison?
The criminals from outside the tower were exiled here to fend for themselves.
This situation was familiar to Su’en from some plotlines in his past life… like the convicts exiled to Sydney in the British Empire that the sun never sets on in the 19th century?
When Su’en thought of this, he didn’t feel surprised, but rather inexplicably excited.
This world was truly becoming more and more fascinating…
He had thought that after being transmigrated for so long, he had already uncovered the veil of this mysterious world.
But he didn’t expect that he had only uncovered a small part of the veil.
Su’en finally understood the identity of the original host.
Although… he was still puzzled about the Reiga Di Family.
But he knew the general situation of this world.
No wonder the Black Tower had absolute control over Old Lingdun, no wonder they wanted to block advanced alchemy knowledge, no wonder Duke Raphael enjoyed everything…
Would a prison warden allow prisoners to have powerful strength?
He remembered the words Qiantiao had said to him when he left Old Lingdun, “Become strong enough to see the scenery from a high place.”
So it was a double entendre.
A high place?
It not only referred to the realm of advanced professions but also the upper levels of the Black Tower!
Even, he guessed the meaning behind the existence of Mr. Black’s “third-party force.”
With this thought, Su’en didn’t feel a sense of despair as a “prisoner,” but instead, a strong desire to become stronger welled up in his heart.
Tsk tsk, turns out the world is so big…
Endless unknowns appeared before Su’en’s eyes, and a strong desire for exploration flashed in his eyes.
……..
“I think you should understand now.”
Number 19 looked at Su’en’s paused brush and said, “There is one more piece of information I can tell you. Once you hear it, you won’t have so many concerns.”
“Oh?”
Su’en put on an attentive expression.
He also knew that the woman in front of him could think of what he had thought of.
From the beginning, the bargaining chips and everything else were secondary.
Trust was the most important.
Su’en didn’t want to completely expose his safety to someone who could potentially threaten him, even if Number 19 hadn’t shown any malice at the moment.
Now that she had severed her arms and seemed to have exhausted her energy, but if she were to receive her arms back, Su’en would be in a vulnerable position.
Number 19 pondered for a moment and said something that caught Su’en’s attention, “You should be familiar with the ‘Rakshasa Woman,’ right?”
Su’en looked up at her but didn’t respond.
The Rakshasa Woman should be referring to Qiantiao.
Number 19 didn’t wait for Su’en’s answer because she was confident in her judgment. She continued, “Because I used to be a high-ranking member of the Black Tower’s secret organization, I am familiar with almost all of their intelligence systems. The Umbrella Organization is a vast system, and it is impossible to change it in a short period of time. That’s why I intercepted a lot of confidential information during this period, including information about you…”
Su’en’s brush didn’t stop, but his gaze became curious.
After a pause, she directly revealed the information, saying, “I know that you are now called Su’en and that you are a member of the ‘Steel Cross Society.’ You caused a commotion in the inner city and were chased out. I also know that you have the ‘Night Reaper of Sopnos’ and the ‘Shroud of the Ice Man Oz’ in your hands. You also killed three second-tier professionals in the outer city… and then you were intercepted by the Umbrella Organization’s insider in the Cross Society, ‘Smoke Ghost’ Sangbu, and the ‘Rakshasa Woman’ saved you…”
“…”Upon hearing this, Su’en’s eyebrows slightly lifted. So, Number Nineteen knew everything.
However, recalling how she was previously surrounded by the Umbrella Organization, and how a “third party force” had participated in her rescue, he wondered if Number Nineteen was also part of that organization.
“You guessed right.”
Number Nineteen seemed to have noticed that Su’en had already guessed her hidden identity and admitted it decisively.
She said, “The Rakshasa woman took such a big risk to save you, I think your relationship with her must be more than simple. They helped me out in the city before, and then I had some contact with Mr. Black and decided to join that organization. So, I don’t think we are enemies, in fact, to some extent, we should be allies.”
She paused, looking at Su’en, her tone finally not so cold, “Otherwise, I wouldn’t have told you so much.”
Death was not enough to make a warrior like her compromise.
Upon hearing this, Su’en thought that if Number Nineteen really was part of Mr. Black’s organization, then she could indeed be considered a “friend, not a foe”.
Number Nineteen didn’t beat around the bush, she directly stated her needs, “I still have some unfinished business, there are a few people I haven’t killed yet, so I can’t die now, that’s why I want to buy that mechanical limb.”
She paused, then added, “Also, my arm is broken now, I need someone to help me connect the mechanical limb. If you don’t mind, I would like to ask you for this favor.”
Listening to her, Su’en confirmed again, “You joined Mr. Black’s organization?”
Number Nineteen: “Yes. If you need some necessary proof, there is a token of the organization in my storage ring. You should recognize it when you see it.”
Su’en looked at the storage ring on his hand. He had put it on as a trophy of war without checking what was inside.
Upon looking, he saw a golden cloak with a “§” symbol in the corner.
Although the pattern was slightly different, the craftsmanship, material, and overall feel were exactly the same as the one from Qian Tiao.
Su’en made his decision: “Alright.”