"71: The Demon Warlock’s Objective"

A black market for Abyssal Artifacts being established in Japan?

The moment Luo Shu heard that, he instantly understood what those people were really after. Letting out a small scoff, he chuckled lightly and said, "Because Abyssal Artifacts can grant powers?"

"Yes. Just as you've said, Abyssal Artifacts can indeed bestow abilities upon others."

At that point, Sharon paused briefly, then elaborated, "Although natural Awakeners do emerge after Abyssal Descents, the majority of ability users—when you trace the source—have powers that ultimately originate from Abyssal Artifacts."

"In fact, within certain hidden organizations, these gift-granting Abyssal Artifacts are referred to as 'Divine Grace Artifacts,' as if these abilities are blessings granted by the gods."

"However, the official authorities prefer to call these items 'Inheritance Artifacts,' to distinguish them from other dangerous types of Abyssal items."

Sharon also added a note about the characteristics of these Inheritance Artifacts: "In general, Level 1 Inheritance Artifacts can only be used a handful of times. Only those of Level 2 and above can exist stably for long-term use and only some are Level 3, and it's said that even Level 4 extremely dangerous items may have inheritance-type capabilities—but information on those is more legend than confirmed fact."

Level 1 was considered safe and reusable; Level 2 was hazardous and could be used with caution but had the potential to cause mass casualties; Level 3 was forbidden and officially restricted, though not unusable; Level 4… well, even investigating those was strictly banned. Luo Shu recalled these classifications and let out a low chuckle.

"Seems like you secret organizations played quite a big part in the classification system for Abyssal Artifacts, huh?"

Otherwise, it'd be hard to explain why even clandestine groups would be using the same ranking system as the government.

Upon hearing this, Sharon's face took on a faintly sarcastic smile. "You may not know this, but in Europe, the difference between the 'officials' and 'secret organizations' really just comes down to what label we use."

Luo Shu's brow twitched at that, just as Sharon continued, "As a senior member of the Demon Hunters, I also hold the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in Italy's intelligence agency, SIM."

"Likewise, the various branches of Golden Dawn all maintain connections with their respective governments. Even a group like Celestial Astronomy receives financial backing from multiple corporate conglomerates."

Then, with a slightly subtle expression, she added, "According to information I've received, one of the managing executives at JACES, the police equipment manufacturer, is a major financial supporter of Celestial Astronomy."

"That might explain why Yakushiji was so desperate to eliminate me after discovering my identity."

Luo Shu didn't find any of this particularly surprising. After all, Mika had previously shared similar suspicions with him.

"So, the member of Celestial Astronomy you were hunting—is that the same person working with that executive from JACES?"

"Yes." Sharon nodded slightly and added in a questioning tone, "From what I've gathered, that senior member of Celestial Astronomy apparently learned—via a certain channel in Japan—that somewhere within Japanese territory, a living demon had been discovered in a sealed state. That's why he stole an important Abyssal Artifact from within the organization and rushed here to meet with his contact."

Luo Shu frowned deeply upon hearing this.

A living demon?

His intuition immediately drew a connection to the items that demon warlock had carried.

The heart of the Demon used to hypnotize women… the body-swapping Demonic Contract. Between the two, the Demonic Contract was clearly more advanced. Was that stolen contract the crucial item the warlock had taken from within Celestial Astronomy?

From what he knew, there were indeed predatory factions within that organization—people seeking to seize demon bodies in order to gain immense power and unnaturally prolonged life.

Which would mean...

"The sealed demon must be female," Luo Shu stated firmly.

Because only if it was a female demon would it make sense to carry an item like the demon heart that specifically hypnotizes women and then prepare a body-swapping contract. The plan was to first control the female demon using the heart, then steal her body using the contract.

If that's the case, everything added up perfectly.

The reason the item had to be stolen instead of borrowed was probably because formal authorization would have required too much red tape—or worse, it might've leaked the secret of the demon's existence, inviting competition.

So then… perhaps Celestial Astronomy resembled the demonic sects of classic cultivation novels more than expected. A hierarchy built on power, where the strong preyed on the weak and only survival of the fittest mattered.

As Luo Shu's thoughts wandered through these associations, Sharon, unsure what had prompted Luo Shu's precise deductions, hesitated for a moment before assuming it must've been information he had obtained from inside Japan—or possibly even divine prophecy.

With that in mind, she lowered her head and, with a respectful tone, said, "My apologies. The intelligence I possess cannot give you a clear answer."

"It's fine."

Luo Shu wasn't particularly bothered by her speculation. He just changed expression slightly, looking a little resigned as he muttered, "It's about time..."

Sharon didn't understand what he meant at first. Then suddenly, six playing card-sized tarot cards appeared in front of her.

Each one bore an abstract depiction of a celestial body in the solar system.

Luo Shu didn't explain much. He simply said, "Pick one. It'll be your codename going forward."

Sharon looked down at the cards spread on the table, examined them carefully, and eventually picked the one representing Venus.

"I choose the Venus card."

Venus... a symbol of harmony and balance, huh. Luo Shu didn't comment. He just tapped his finger on the table.

Suddenly, several old-fashioned wooden doors appeared throughout the previously empty room. Each door was engraved with symbols indicating their individual purpose.

At the same time, a silver bracelet appeared before Sharon.

"This is your token of the Astronomy Club. It holds a cache of stored points and can be used to instantly teleport back to this space in an emergency."

"You can also use the bracelet to access the internal network, where you'll find more detailed explanations about this space and the point system."

"I've loaded two thousand points into your bracelet. That will be your monthly salary from now on."

After saying all this, Luo Shu glanced at Sharon and added calmly, "When I require your presence, I'll contact you through the internal network."

"Unless you are on a direct mission, I won't restrict your activities—including continuing your previous service with your current organization."

At this, Sharon's expression changed slightly, as if she'd picked up on an implied meaning. She respectfully asked, "If I acquire classified intel from my organization, how should I submit it to you?"

"Just send it to me directly through the internal network."

After giving this instruction, Luo Shu tapped the table with his index finger and said, "This meeting ends here."

As soon as those words left his mouth, Luo Shu's presence vanished from the space.

And when his vision returned from that inner realm, the first thing that greeted him was a sake cup filled with rice wine.

"Hora hora~~ Luo Shu-kun, I told you, it's one cup per person! You're not allowed to cheat, you know?"

Right in front of him stood a flushed-faced, visibly tipsy Mizuki Nakahara, blocking his way with a bottle in one hand and a cup in the other. The smell of alcohol clung to her like a mist, and Luo Shu could only twitch the corner of his mouth in response.