As it was getting late, the group of six first found an inn.
With many travelers on the island, even though they had money, the inn only had two twin rooms left.
Naturally, the arrangement was Dier and his two companions in one room, while Gunpowder and the other three squeezed into the other.
"Alright, let's have a meeting first!"
Dier sat cross-legged on the floor, intending to gather ideas,
"How can we deal with Tia as quickly as possible?"
Hina raised the Black Gun, eager to act:
"We sneak in, go straight for the heart, and capture Tia;
Then, with me holding the Black Gun, we crush the Monsters in the palace;
Finally, we steal Tia's treasures and live freely!"
Having decided to become the best Pirates, they naturally had to do what Pirates do.
She couldn't bring herself to kill civilians indiscriminately, but robbing a usurper held no moral qualms for her.
Though the method was somewhat unreliable.
Dier expressionlessly reached out and pulled a comic book from her pocket:
"Your main task now isn't fighting Monsters with the Black Gun, but quitting these comics;
No more reading until the plan is complete."
"Fine, Hina is disappointed."
Hina pouted and sat down, casually tossing the Black Gun to Dier as a snack.
Dier caught it and began munching noisily, mumbling:
"But the infiltration idea isn't bad, we'll keep it for now."
Replicating their actions on Colon Island, sneaking into the palace wouldn't be difficult.
First, Hypnotize the soldiers, then use them to Hypnotize the captains, and then the ministers, and so on.
With some time, they could gradually reach King Tia.
"Robin, what do you think?"
Robin frowned, pondering for a moment before saying:
"I think Vlad might hold more influence than we imagined."
This influence wasn't about royal or official positions, but his standing in the hearts of the citizens.
"The townspeople seem to be searching for him earnestly, not for money, but genuinely wanting to bring him back;
Tia hasn't officially ascended to the throne yet, and the lower-ranking soldiers don't know the full story;
If we're willing to take the risk, I think we can gamble on this!
Use Vlad's identity to rally an army and counterattack directly, using his legitimacy to pressure Tia."
"That is indeed quite risky."
Dier didn't immediately agree but decided to pursue both approaches,
"We'll proceed on both fronts, gradually controlling the lower-ranking soldiers and probing their sentiments. If we confirm Tia's forces are limited, we'll raise an army to quell the rebellion."
In their current state of uncertainty, the three couldn't think of any other methods.
"Alright, let's sleep first. We start work tomorrow morning!"
...
Early the next morning, the sheriff began his daily patrol.
His face was covered in gray dust, with a large gap in the skin of his left cheek, revealing his molars. His clothes were tattered, full of holes, and through them, his skin was covered in wounds, as if bitten by some beast.
A zombie disguise.
The sheriff's uniform.
As a man with dreams, he wasn't satisfied with just blood-stained, hole-ridden clothes. Before patrolling the streets each day, he would apply makeup to make himself look more like a zombie.
"Are there any early-rising tourists today? Let me give them a scare!"
He scanned the streets, looking for outsiders;
The daily patrol duties weren't just about searching for suspicious individuals and criminal activities—scaring people was also part of their job.
Ghost Island had no Mist Trees, but the damp morning air still brought a thin mist.
Through the haze, he spotted a man wearing an Ogre Mask descending from the entrance of an inn.
The man seemed to be heading out to buy breakfast.
"Perfect opportunity!"
The officer's face lit up with glee. He switched off his flashlight, his limbs stiffened, and he began emitting mindless growls as he staggered toward the young man.
Tap... tap... tap...
Limping forward, he suddenly accelerated as if he were a real zombie spotting fresh prey, flailing his arms and baring his fangs to take a bite.
Unexpectedly, the man abruptly turned around, his dark pupils behind the Ogre Mask locking eyes with him.
The officer couldn't quite recall what happened next, only vaguely remembering hearing a voice in the haze:
"Do you... believe in me?"
...
Meanwhile, Dier had begun his work, with Vlad assisting him.
Robin's guess had been correct—his standing among the grassroots was indeed high.
With his presence, Dier's control efforts proceeded much more smoothly.
Most people would lower their guard just at the sight of him.
On the other side, Robin and the other three arrived at the western cemetery.
Commonly known as the Life Transfer Station.
"W-what are we doing here?"
Hina clung tightly to Robin's arm, trembling as she whispered:
"Hina... scared."
Even though it was daytime, with sunlight illuminating the rows of quiet graves, the place didn't appear particularly eerie.
Yet Hina still felt an inexplicable fear.
The various Monsters on the island were all living beings—as long as she overcame her psychological barriers, she could handle them normally.
But the cemetery was full of corpses, and who knew what might crawl out of them?
Robin reached out and patted Hina's head, comforting this girl who was four years her senior:
"Don't worry. At worst, it's just corpses digging themselves out of the ground to bite us into pieces."
"Don't say such terrifying things so casually!"
Hina squeezed Robin's arm tightly, her Ogre Mask somehow looking pitiful:
"Let's go already! What's there to see in a graveyard? Do you think the dead will just open their mouths and give us intel?"
"The dead won't, but the living can."
Robin narrowed her eyes, scanning the area. Only three mourners were present in the cemetery.
Due to the island's cultural beliefs, the people here didn't view death as an end but rather the beginning of a true Phantom's life.
Even the cemetery's name was "Life Transfer Station."
When people died, they naturally became real Phantoms.
But Robin wasn't here for Phantoms—she was here for the living.
"The soldiers at the port mentioned some recent anomalies in this area,"
She turned to Gunpowder and the others and instructed:
"We need to search this cemetery and quickly identify the source of the anomalies."
With Dier busy with Hypnosis, they had nothing to do back in the room.
Rather than idling, they might as well try their luck in this cemetery.
There was a chance these anomalies were caused by the old King's loyalists. Finding them would be a huge boost to their rebellion plan.
Gunpowder and Boren nodded, adjusting their masks before setting off.
Robin's orders carried the same weight as Dier's, and they had long grown accustomed to her leadership back on Colon Island.
Robin and Hina weren't idle either. They approached the three visiting family members to inquire about the so-called anomalies.
"Oh~ You must be visiting tourists?"
The man in a top hat adjusted his monocle and explained in a deep voice:
"Speaking of recent events, some tombstones have been mysteriously severed with remarkably clean cuts, as if done by a highly skilled swordsman."
"But going further back, about two years ago, this cemetery had actual Phantom sightings. Everyone considered this land auspicious and rushed to bury their ancestors here."
"G-g-g-ghost..."
Hina's fingers trembled slightly as she pointed behind the man and shrieked:
"A Phantom!!"