Ebel tried hard to mask his unnatural demeanor, coming up with a temporary excuse and feigning tears of joy as he spoke.
“It’s you, Great Master! I finally found you! This temple is so vast that I got lost for half the day trying to find you. Oh dear, you must take a look at this; it’s the durian candy that our store manager asked me to bring you.”
The master glanced at the bag, signaling the priest behind him to take it away, keeping his piercing gaze fixed on Ebel for a long while, scrutinizing him.
Although Ebel knew that the demon lord’s mask would give nothing away, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of anxiety.
After a moment, the master shifted his gaze: “Next time, there’s no need to come find me. Just call for the priest outside. The Radiant Church does not allow non-clergy to enter.”
Ebel acknowledged the instruction, understanding that the master was on guard, probably worried that he might inadvertently see something unspeakable.
However, as Ebel recalled the scene he had just witnessed, he realized that even though he could no longer return to the temple, what he saw and heard this time was already astonishing enough for him to return and discuss in detail.
Controlling his expression, Ebel left the temple gates, looking like a lowly person, feeling timid and small.
Behind him, the master stared deep at Ebel, his expression dark and foreboding.
He continued to watch until the door was closed and no longer visible.
The master took the large bag of durian candy and left, heading straight toward the innermost room of the temple.
He reached the door but did not open it. Instead, his gaze flickered as he inspected the wall and back at the door several times.
Finally, his eyes slowly moved to a corner where there were slight scuff marks, and the thick dust had been gently wiped away, leaving behind a mottled appearance.
The master gazed intently at that spot, his eyes nearly popping out, then he gave a meaningful smile, pulling his lips into a sinister arc.
“Ah… it’s been discovered.”
Ebel nearly sprinted back to the store, panting heavily, feeling a late surge of panic rising within him.
This was definitely a significant matter that could shake the entire Spirit Tide Continent!
He didn’t know what the monster was, but his intuition told him that delving deeper into this could unveil the secrets hidden by the Radiant Church for a thousand years.
Ebel struggled to rein in his reason, spotting Rusnian, he immediately approached him, eager to share this discovery.
If anyone could defeat that entity, it was undoubtedly the demon lord.
“Master, I discovered that the Radiant Church is raising a monster!”
He described the appearance of the monster, horrified by the details he had overlooked before, which now resurfaced vividly in his mind.
The monster had blood on its teeth, but whether it came from a magical beast or… a human, he couldn’t tell.
Rusnian was momentarily stunned upon hearing this, and he couldn’t help but ask Rongqing internally, “Are there such creatures in this dimension? Sounds like some kind of chemical experiment.”
Rongqing scanned the dimension data again and found some clues.
“Master, initial data was incorrect, but you need not worry, I will have appropriate measures in place and will notify you at the right time, without disrupting the store’s operation.”
Rusnian frowned slightly; despite his doubts, he decided to trust Rongqing for the time being.
Turning to Ebel, he rephrased Rongqing’s words: “Don’t worry; there will be a solution.”
So the demon lord already knew! Ebel realized in a flash.
No wonder there was a collaboration with the Radiant Temple to deliver durian candy—this was just a probe!
Since the demon lord was so confident, Ebel felt he didn’t need to worry anymore and nodded in agreement.
Once Ebel left, Rusnian rubbed his fingertips, still feeling something was off.
It seemed that this incident wasn’t simple, but despite repeatedly questioning Rongqing, the latter remained ambiguous, as if hiding something.
Since Rongqing wasn’t planning to reveal the truth, Rusnian decided to wait for the right time.
When the moment arrives, everything will naturally come to light.
Chapter 25
Rusnian concluded today’s business and opened the system panel.
【Energy Coins: 342,000】
【Store One: Currently has a total of 2,337 items】
【Store Two: Currently has a total of 3,645 items】
【Today’s Total Revenue: 76,500 Energy Coins】
Indeed, since opening in Caldera, the daily earnings had multiplied several times.
Now that the Floating Life Office was just getting started and hadn’t truly sold any products yet, once the chain store opened, within a month, the task would likely be completed without any surprises.
However, just when everything was running smoothly, it seemed that the energy coins were about to cross the 400,000 barrier when the growth rate suddenly slowed, and the coins earned were far less than in previous days.
Although it was expected that a new store would attract more customers initially, the drastic drop in patronage over the past two days was completely unexpected.
Previously, customer traffic was so dense that it threatened to break the doors; they were bustling with patrons, but now, the store no longer required any queuing, and Rusnian could manage the cash register all by himself without Liu Er’s assistance.
Reclining in his chair and looking at the seemingly deserted store, Rusnian felt that something unexpected must have occurred that he was unaware of.
Thinking back, the only person who could possibly help him was Ebel.
Wallace had long begun handling the affairs of the Floating Life Office and wouldn’t return for at least another two weeks.
Ebel was well-informed and had a loyal group of followers, so he surely knew what was going on.
After making up his mind, he immediately went to find Ebel.
For the past two days, Ebel had been waiting for Rusnian to ask him about the situation; when he came to the store, he hesitated at the entrance, looking troubled.