John arrived alone on the street where Rose Bar was located.


    This street was famous in the Imperial Capital for its string of nightclubs.


    However, due to the recent incidents at Rose Bar, the area had been under martialw, casting an especially deste look over the street.


    John stepped into Rose Bar once again.


    He had always felt something off about this ce but couldn''t quite put his finger on it until he returned at night.


    Some things are invisible by day and only be clear in the darkness.


    He went down to the basement again, where he noticed a faint light seeping from a secret passage that had previously held severalrge boxes.


    He gripped the Bloodthirsty de tightly in his hand and kicked open the wooden panel that concealed the passage.


    His expression turned very serious.


    Before today, there had been no passage here, nor any wooden panel.


    He was absolutely certain when he checked earlier in the day that there was just a solid stone b behind it!


    This meant that someone had forcibly created this passage while they were away, covered it with wood, and knew that he would return.


    The Bloodthirsty de gleamed dazzlingly under the dim light.


    He slowly walked further inside; oilmps lit the way, but the lighting was sparse, barely enough to see the path ahead.


    As he entered the tunnel, his hand brushed against the damp walls where the stone appeared to have been crudely cut with a de.


    His eyes lowered slightly—it seemed this ce had indeed been hastily excavated.


    As for who was behind it, that went without saying.


    "Heh..."


    John couldn''t help but let out a coldugh.


    It seemed the person behind the scenes was indeed targeting them, otherwise, they wouldn''t have deliberately left such an obvious w.


    They were certain he would return and discover this tunnel.


    He had no idea what awaited him further inside, but it didn''t matter.


    Whatever it was, he was determined to uncover the truth behind this affair.


    The tunnel was exceedingly long, yet the oilmps were lit all along its length.


    Timing himself, John walked at a normal pace, yet after nearly 20 minutes, he still hadn''t reached the end.


    His heart grew heavier.


    From the time the items were moved from Hidden Stars to his arrival, only about five to six hours had passed.


    Within this period, someone had managed to dig such a lengthy tunnel?


    Tunnels were no trivial task; they required the removal of all debris and had to be meticulously hidden, especially since the street was under martialw, yet still popted.


    That someone had managed to excavate this tunnel without detection was nothing short of astounding.


    After about another ten minutes, John felt the air within the passage be fresher, and faint sounds began to echo from ahead.


    He knew he was nearing the end.


    Gripping his knife tightly, he advanced another ten meters or so and finally saw a wooden door.


    On the wooden door, arge rose was painted, its colors vivid under the candlelight.


    Yet, the thick scent of blood permeating the air revealed the true nature of this so-called red.


    Blood.


    The color on the rose petals continued to trickle downward, indicating that the blood had been freshly applied not long ago.


    The noises behind the door grew louder, a cacophony of what seemed like revelry mixed with prayers, the mingled sounds causing a headache.


    It was as if they were taunting John.


    "I''m right here; do you dare toe through? Do you dare to open the door?"


    John first sent a message to Amelia and the others before pushing open the door that stood before him.


    As he opened the door, a strong smell of blood hit him, mixed bizarrely with the scent of roses.


    He seemed to have entered a vast underground za.


    In front of him, countless people in ck robes knelt on the ground, seemingly engaged in fervent prayer, the surrounding torches illuminating the area brightly.


    John walked in, but not a single person turned to look at him; they continued their devout prayers.


    Atop a tform, a statue resembling a wood carving was covered with a red cloth.


    These peopley on the ground, muttering words, their faces marked with an expression of zeal.


    John took a few steps forward and realized that no one turned to look at him; it was as if they couldn''t sense his presence at all.


    He gripped the Bloodthirsty de tightly, his brow furrowing slightly in hesitation, unsure how to handle the situation.


    However, his attention was quickly drawn to a woman in a ck cloak approaching him.


    "This way," she said,ing directly in front of him and gesturing for him to follow.


    John paused, instinctively taking a closer look at the woman, only to notice her ghastly paleplexion, unlike that of a normal human.


    Her pupils appeared slightly dted, and her movements were markedly stiff, even her tone of voice carried a mechanical timbre.


    This was...


    [Name: Puppet (Human-like)]


    [Level: Lv54]


    [Skill: Unknown]


    A puppet?


    As John read the system''s prompt, his heart sank even further.


    If it were just an ordinary puppet, the system wouldn''t have specifically alerted him.


    Now that it had, it suggested that this might be...


    Something produced in the secret realm.


    Or perhaps, this puppet had once been a living person, transformed into a puppet by some method.


    "This way," the puppet repeated, her eyes devoid of focus, maintaining the same posture, with her hand movements unchanged in their precision.


    Meanwhile, the people kneeling on the ground seemed oblivious to the conversation behind them, continuing their fervent prayers with a touch of madness in their eyes.


    Torches burned around the perimeter of the za, their heat intensifying the acrid smell of blood in the air.


    Yet, a faint scent of roses lingered at the tip of John''s nose.


    He suspected this was likely the underground stronghold of the Dusk Sect, but who did this puppet belong to?


    And why was it so insistent on leading him somewhere? What exactly was waiting for him?


    "This way," the puppet repeated, seemingly programmed to continue until it received a response from John.


    John was puzzled but followed the puppet nheless.


    He had thought this was just an underground za, but to his surprise, the puppet led him up a staircase.


    There was a second level?


    John kept his expression neutral, though he was inwardly astounded.


    This was not something that could have been aplished in a short span of time; the entire underground stronghold must have been long established, and only the tunnel connecting it to Rose Bar excavated within thest five hours.


    Who was this puppet master behind the scenes?


    Were the methods of the Dusk Sect really so profound?


    To remain undetected in the Imperial Capital for so long and even infiltrate the Star Cluster Academy!


    After ascending to the second floor, the puppet stopped at the top of the stairs, indicating it had no intention of proceeding further.


    However, John understood this as a cue for him to continue alone.


    He gripped the Bloodthirsty de tightly; the pervasive smell of blood in the air seemed to excite the de, causing it to tremble uncontrobly.


    Yet, he paused at the doorway of a room.


    "Pleasee in," came a sultry, enticing voice from inside.


    The voice alone was almost enough to conjure an image of its owner—a vision of allure and charm.


    It felt like a soft paw gently scratching inside his ear, as if it reached right into his heart.


    Despite this, John didn''t let his guard down but became even more vignt.


    He pushed open the door, and his eyes were met with an extravagantly decorated room.


    There was a rosewood carved daybed and matching tea set, with a hint of rose scent permeating the air.


    Arge crystal chandelier illuminated the entire room brightly.


    And reclining on the daybed was a beauty.