A little after eight in the evening, West Borough, Williams Street.
Threads of crimson moonlight spilled down. The street, which was usually somewhat lively, now felt distinctly different due to the arrival of a certain group.
"Just you lot think you can catch me? You're underestimating the Stars' protection over me!"
A figure in a black robe stood in the middle of the street, surrounded by a circle of Night Watcher team members. Outside of them, police officers had cordoned off the area to prevent unrelated people from entering.
"So you really are a follower of the Stars!"
"Backlund has been in chaos recently because of you followers of the Stars. Now we finally have a chance to catch the rats hiding in the dark!"
"I heard someone has placed a huge bounty on all of you, and yet you have the nerve to show up so brazenly!"
A scene that should have been a bloody fight felt strange instead.
The Night Watchers clearly had the figure surrounded, yet they didn't make a move. Instead, they raised their voices, almost afraid that others wouldn't know they had cornered a follower of the Stars here.
"Hehe, just you lot think you can catch me?"
"Your lack of reverence for the Stars will be the reason your operation fails tonight."
"I'll just stand here. Even though you outnumber me, I can walk away whenever I want."
"Because the Stars will always protect me!"
The surrounded figure showed no panic at all. Instead, he was filled with confidence, as if the Night Watchers present were nothing but garbage in his eyes.
The Night Watchers kept mocking him, and the figure arrogantly retorted each time.
As one of the Night Watchers on duty tonight, Klein really wanted to find a crack in the ground and hide.
This was simply too embarrassing.
Whether it was Leonard's slightly exaggerated acting or the stiff cooperation of the team,
Everything felt wrong.
It was like one of those "pretense and face-slapping" scenes in novels, where something that could be solved instantly is dragged out into a long exchange of taunts.
Nothing but pure awkwardness.
Klein was genuinely relieved that he didn't have to perform tonight. If he were the one acting, he definitely wouldn't be able to act properly.
Leonard really was something. The more he talked, the more excited he got, every sentence filled with "Stars", he had completely immersed himself in the role of the followers of the Stars.
After more than ten minutes of verbal sparring, quite a few Beyonders emerged from the nearby shadows, forcefully breaking through the police line and entering the Williams Street.
Most of them had disguised themselves, some wore masks, some donned black robes, and some had painted strange, messy patterns on their faces.
They showed no respect toward the Night Watchers, their gazes fixed sharply on Leonard, who was being surrounded.
Whether it was the enormous bounty issued by Mr. A or the additional bounties afterward, it was worth taking this risk.
As long as they could snatch this follower of the Stars from the Night Watchers, even if it was just his corpse, they could exchange it for a huge fortune!
Enough to be used for promotion to a higher sequence, or to live as a rich man for life.
"Night Watcher squad operation! Unrelated individuals, leave immediately!"
West Borough Night Watcher captain, Cort Dill, stepped forward, eyes cold as he swept them across the unfamiliar Beyonders.
"We've searched so long for him. How could we leave just because you said so?"
"So what if you're Night Watchers? Followers of the Evernight goddess are disgusting."
"Quit talking nonsense. Grab him. Whoever takes the head completes the bounty."
Chaos erupted at once.
Leonard, who was being especially targeted, heard that those Beyonders wanted his head, but he wasn't nervous at all.
Since he came as bait for a dangerous mission, the Church had naturally given him items to ensure his safety.
"Starlight Flicker!"
He deliberately shouted toward the most crowded direction. Starlight flared around him, and he vanished from everyone's sight.
Some Beyonders still hidden in the dark saw this scene and finally believed that the man appearing tonight really was a follower of the Stars!
They could no longer suppress the greed in their hearts and moved out one after another.
On the edge of the Empress Borough.
Using Starlight Flicker to escape the encirclement, Leonard materialized out of thin air.
His lips curled as he loudly mocked, "Just you lot think you can catch a believer protected by the Stars? Dream on."
"I am a follower of the Stars. At night, the Stars grant me power few can overcome!"
"You're only worthy of watching my departing back from afar!"
After mocking them all, he walked confidently toward an empty area.
After a moment, seven or eight unfamiliar figures appeared around him.
They moved as if coordinated, forming a circle and surrounding Leonard in the center.
"What, you want to catch me too?"
Leonard swept his gaze across them with disdain. Despite being surrounded again, he not only didn't panic but actually felt relieved.
This situation had long been predicted in their scenario rehearsals.
The first appearance would draw out some of the Beyonders lurking in the dark, mostly small fry.
In unclear circumstances, the truly dangerous ones wouldn't act immediately, they'd wait for the key moment.
So to lure those truly dangerous individuals out, they planned a second trap.
This place tonight was the real ambush site!
Leonard wanted to continue taunting them, but suddenly he sensed strong Beyonders traveling through the spirit world toward him.
Tonight, the big fish had taken the bait!
And not just one!
He couldn't be sure if there were any Sequence 4 demigods, but there were definitely Sequence 5 powerhouses!
"Not playing with you anymore."
Leonard lowered his head and smiled lightly. His mission was complete. Now it was the Red Gloves and the Church's job to deal with the exposed Beyonders.
He tightened his black robe, perfectly concealing his aura, then shouted, "Starlight Flicker!"
With a burst of dazzling starlight, his figure vanished again.
His aura disappeared along with him.
This was thanks to the powerful sealed items given by the Church of the Night.
There were three in total:
One for space transfer, a life-saving item.
One to simulate the light of the Stars.
The two used together, they became the so-called Starlight Flicker.
The last sealed item was the black robe on him.
It could change form and hide his aura, a cloak simply called the Night Cloak.
With all three sealed items, Leonard could remain calm in tonight's dangerous situation.
…
Deep inside a small alley near Bravehearts Bar, Leonard transformed the Night Cloak into a black coat and walked out with a disgusted expression.
For this last Starlight Flicker, he purposely teleported further away to avoid Beyonders still lurking in the dark.
Who knew he would almost crash into a trash bin? He dodged just in time, otherwise he would've been covered in a horrible stench.
As he was about to leave the alley, Leonard muttered, "Old man, there aren't any powerful Beyonders watching me from the dark now, right?"
"You were acting very fierce just now. You mean you're scared?"
"Ahem, I was just trying to make the acting more realistic."
"I thought you looked quite pleased with yourself."
"It was pretty fun… After all, I just fooled a bunch of Beyonders way stronger than me."
Leonard couldn't keep his lips from curving up again.
He felt the time was too short, he hadn't acted enough.
If there was a next time, he would prepare more thoroughly, maybe even draft a script.
Like what lines would make him seem especially arrogant and confident.
What gestures would make him appear unique.
How he should provoke everyone while using Starlight Flicker.
"Hehe, pretending to be a follower of the Stars… If you really end up entangled with the Stars, don't regret what you did tonight."
Leonard's lips twitched. After a moment's hesitation, he asked, "Old man… is it really that serious?"
"If you pretended to be a follower of the Lord of Storms, causing trouble everywhere, and He discovered you, would He casually strike you dead with lightning?"
Leonard whispered, "…He probably wouldn't notice, right?"
"Look up."
Leonard obeyed. In the night sky, the stars shimmered, each one like an eye blinking at him.
"…" Leonard's expression froze completely.
Everything was under the gaze of the Stars!
He shivered, all joy and excitement gone.
If there really was a mysterious existence representing the Stars, then everything he did tonight had been performed under Its gaze.
"…" Leonard fell silent for a long moment, feeling heavy and stifled.
He glanced at the pedestrians on the street, and the lively shops and bars.
Suddenly, he felt cold.
"…I should go have a drink first." Leonard looked at a nearby bar and walked in.
The Bravehearts Bar, right now, he needed a few drinks to dispel the fear in his heart.