Half-step Purgatory

Durin stroked the black cat on the armrest of his chair, sitting on the black leather sofa. Through the glasses perched on his nose, his gaze passed over the long table in front of him and settled on the man kneeling on the carpet:
"I understand, you've made money in Naples, your business has been very successful, and you've led a happy life. You've had those secret police, friends in both the law and the underground, and even the Royal Family speaking on your behalf."
"You don't need a friend like me, I know that. You're afraid of owing me a favor, and you don't want to get involved in troubles."
"But now you come to me and say, 'I beg you, Mr. Durin of the Corleon family, please help me seek justice, so that my life and my family will not suffer and sink into despair.'
Yet, in your eyes, I was nothing more than a second-rate artist involved in movies and music. Even at the brink of death, you still show me such disrespect, not even willing to call me by my title... Keeper of Secrets."

Durin's Diary

Saying it was a buffet, Durin hadn't picked many items before Mr. Dutel, the workaholic, dragged him back to the art studio.


In the latter part of the battle procedure, this old bear from the Oso species incarnated into a fearsome bipedal protagonist, for which Durin often had to draw two to three storyboards.


Durin himself didn't mind—in fact, he was quite pleased because drawing the storyboards gave him experience.


Initially, one drawing was only worth fifty points, but as more storyboards were completed and Mr. Dutel grew increasingly satisfied, Durin could get nearly two hundred for one drawing.


Though still small pickings, the sheer volume made it worthwhile.


In the meantime, Irene and Tanya came into the studio with a large bowl of candy, providing a solution to Durin's urgent need—as intellectual activities increased, his Grassland Elf body started to crave sugar, which could be considered a weakness of the Grassland Elves.


Chapter 52: The Gears of Fate Begin to Turn