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

After losing several assassins, the green-skinned orcs no longer organized night attacks, letting the night pass by uneventfully.


When Durin woke up in the morning, Lina the little female dragon hung around his neck like a koala.


"Time to get up," Durin patted the little dragon's tail.


"No, I want more," the girl mumbled, her tongue smacking... It seemed she had all kinds of things in her dreams, and she was particularly enjoying her imaginary meal.


Durin sighed and whispered in her ear, "There's roast meat for breakfast, personally grilled by Anta."


That whisper worked like magic, and Lina the little female dragon suddenly snapped to attention. She looked around, only to realize that she was neither in Lublin nor the Eternal Blaze Nest, and there were neither roast meats nor Anta.


So, the little dragon shrieked and pounced on Durin, only to smack her face against the force field wall.


Chapter 174: Random