The Secret Code of Monsters.

Chapter 394 Ch.393 Visiting Shelley
Rebecca's death was inexplicable, but Old Peter believed that the power wielded by the cultists was also inexplicable.

They still sent the 'person' (or the rotten meat) to the court for follow-up examination, while Roland took a leave and rushed to Shelley's house.

When they arrived outside the old house, the servants arranged by James Shelley were already waiting there.

"Come this way, sir. The master is waiting for you in the study."

The décor of the Shelleys’ home had been mentioned before, and now Roland had finally seen with his own eyes someone even more flamboyant than Randolph.

"Who did you meet in your dream?"
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Girl holding her head.
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Miss Nina's memory... was it mentioned?
"no."

"But I'm sure it's not the 'Lord of Dreams'."

Wrench said.

"Dreams rarely give birth to 'masters'. What you call masters usually refers to a memory, an obsession, or some kind of alien species that poses little threat—"

"If what you said is true, that humanoid creature holding its own head possesses advanced intelligence, it could not have been born from a cradle of flesh and blood, or from a dream left by the Ninth Crown God."

in the case of.

According to the teachings of the Ninth Crown God, the game Roland and his friends should play is "target shooting" instead of dominoes.

For example, seeing who eats better, who ejaculates more... and other disgusting rituals that cannot be described in detail and involve multiple people in a carnival.

Domino voting?

A trap hidden in the words? A game of life and death?

Off? On? Select?

This is not something a creature born in a dream like that would do.

That's really boring for them.
-
I don't think so either. It seemed to know my blood, but it didn't get angry.

"The master of a dreamland would not need a puzzle box..."
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Where's the door?

"What door?"
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The door of giant snakes and spiders, I stepped into a door.

Roland gave Wrench a detailed description of the door.

A giant snake, and a spider among its scales.

Own memories.

Another option.
-
It says that everyone is a prisoner.

"Giant snake?"

The flames suddenly fell silent.

This lasted so long that Roland crossed the path and entered the real building complex.

"Roland..."
-
Ok?
"Do you know how a mortal can become immortal?"
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Ten rings?

"Yes, those who reach the Tenth Ring will have immortal souls. They will no longer be allowed to return to the waking world at will, just like a theater-sized iron ball is no longer allowed to fall onto a soft piece of paper."

"So what about the waiter?"

Wrench asked again.

"Waiter, in your opinion, what is the difference between you and the immortals?"
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I heard from Enid that it is a different existence from humans.

"authority."

"They can call upon the authority of the gods, and are truly 'immortal' - but at the same time, they can no longer be said to have 'self'."

"A creature that looks like a cow, has a body structure like a cow, and is called a cow is no different from a cow."
-
Why do you have to use the cow example?

"…In short, I can say this: Immortals have their love, hate, and vengeance, but servants do not. They are gods, or extensions of the principles."
-
and so.

"So I'm going to tell you this secret."

"The condition for an immortal to become a servant of the gods is to pass through that door and head to the path to see the gods."

"'Door' is one of the requirements for promotion to a waiter. But I don't know what kind of ceremony is required, nor do I know which door corresponds to which god."

"Maybe one of them, or maybe all of them?"

"I don't know the answer to this. Most ritualists who explore the mystery don't know it either."

"They haven't even figured out how many doors are hidden in the sleeping world."
-
You mean to say that before the Immortals, the Gates were of no use to the Ritualists?
"Of course not."

"Just like the summoned creature you saw that can move from the mirror - the condition for summoning it is to step on the Blade Stairs, a bloody judgment place in the sleeping world."

"And the location of that staircase is related to a certain door."

Wrench told Roland:

To the ritualist, the door is like a "secret passage", a treasure chest filled with unknown mysteries.

Every ambitious ritualist wants to find their coordinates and try to conquer these mysterious places born in the world of sleep.

However, everyone who succeeded or failed remained silent after leaving.

No one could tell what had happened to them.

"What you go through in the Gate is inexpressible to anyone - in every way you can think of."

"Roland, if what you said is true, then that door is not a real test, it is not a real giant snake and spider - in fact, it is difficult for you to remember what you encountered before."
-
sound…
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The door is a bit like a 'grand ceremony'? -
What was that you were talking about?

"Passive. Yes, it will give unimaginable rewards to the ritualist who finds it and passes the test - but, Roland, the sleeping world is dangerous enough, and the door is even more dangerous."

"You said you made a deal with that thing holding your head to save the little thief."

"It's okay. None of this matters."

"Have you ever thought about one thing?"
-
what?
"You may not even live to be fifty years old."

Roland: ...
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You are good at talking.

"So, don't ask about the 'gate'. Just like the skipped history, these are not important to you right now."
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You know, sometimes it's not me who asks about it, but them who ask about me.
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Many things happen by themselves.

"..."

"Like your long-legged bat, and... Moo Moo Betty?"
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I said danger and trouble came crashing down.

"What's the difference? These two are more dangerous than everything you've encountered so far combined."
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Beatrice? You think she's going to kill me with her watercolors?

"I can bet you with my teeth that she will definitely be more troublesome than that vicious nun in the future."

Roland pondered in his heart.
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wrench.

"Um?"
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I can also bet you my teeth that you used to be a more troublesome thing than Shandel.

The flames fluttered a few times.

It went out with a whoosh.

“I don’t like gambling.”

The Shelleys' more remote location, away from the city of London, brought them more land, which allowed them to far surpass the Taylors - at least in terms of quantity and area.

The complex looked very spectacular. Some workers were shouting and pushing long-handled carts, going around to the back through a small path.

"The young master wants a clock tower."

The old butler who led the servants was even older than James Shelley. The only thing that impressed Roland about him was his pair of leather shoes that were polished to a mirror-like finish.

"John Shelley?"

“…I hope the young master can get what he wants in another world.”

The old butler sighed. He could be said to have watched John grow up.

She never thought that one day, this child whom she watched gradually grow into a man would actually collude with the cultists and leak all the information about the Shelley family's ritualists - and personally lead the cultists to cover up for her and swagger into the first building that served as a barrier for the manor.

Ambushed and killed four ritualists.

Two rare objects were destroyed.

It attacked himself and also his father, James Shelley.

If it weren't for the arrival of magical power, he and the cult woman would have killed the master and completely destroyed the family he had served for many years.

"Who would doubt a boy they watched grow up?"

The old housekeeper shook his head.

If he hadn't led the way, the cultist wouldn't have been able to reach him or his master without making a sound.

The battles started by ritualists will also be quickly noticed by nearby ritualists.

That cultist will definitely not be able to escape.

Even though she is Gao Huan.

The old butler spoke quickly but clearly.

Roland certainly wouldn't think that he was acting on his own: for a butler, their every move represented the will of their master.

"Is everything sir okay?"

“…Not very good.” The housekeeper didn’t know what expression to make. For a father who had lost his only child, any comfort would be redundant and annoying: “You may know that the Shelley family has only one heir.”

"May the All-Father protect a sorrowful soul."

Roland had only one thing to say.

Unless he is really stupid enough to fall out with James Shelley, the truth will always remain in his heart.

For example: It was a wonderful death, your son was in pieces, he was cooked...

some type of.

"If only there was a way where the price was never being able to speak again."

"It's definitely for you."
-
If the price of having a road is to be a vegetarian, that would be fine too.

"I actually know that the price of owning a certain rare item is 'you can never eat vegetarian food' - I have to find a way to get it so that you can no longer threaten me."
-
What is the effect?
"Please."
-
The effect is 'please'?
"..."
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I thought it was 'gambling'.

"It's your father's stink eye."

The offensiveness is not that strong.

——The architecture of Shelley's house can be described as "spectacular". It did not adopt the inspiration of the most fashionable designers at the time, nor was it as rugged and sharp as the court of justice.

Big, wide, and thick.

This is a strong characteristic of the buildings.

Once you enter the house, your vision is filled with rich and strange colors.

Black, gold and green.

The dark brown-grained floor was carefully selected, and the fireplace in the hall uses rock slabs of similar tone.

The wallpaper is hand-painted with thin, curving gold lines dotted with green.

Most interior decorations cannot escape these three colors.

This is more like the home of a nobleman rather than the old house of a despicable businessman whose ancestors suddenly became wealthy - even in the eyes of some families with clear heritage, this place should not be called an 'old' house.

Dressed properly.

"The master likes gold, and the lady prefers pine green."

The servants in the old house were also different from those in the Randolph household: they were quiet.

Just like this house.

It was as if everyone had an extra layer of cotton on the soles of their shoes, so they walked like floating, without saying a word. They just nodded and quietly retreated, disappearing around a corner or behind a wall.

The color tone of the room was already gloomy, coupled with these ghost servants, dim gas lamps and lonely candlelight——

Just like a dying person.

third floor.

James Shelley was waiting in the study.

When Roland was invited in, the first person he saw was the green-eyed lady who was twisting and turning in her chair, feeling uncomfortable all over.

She had taken a bath at some point and changed into a one-piece dress with white background and jade-colored lace and leg-of-mutton sleeves. Her soft cloth shoes revealed a bit of her feet and the blue veins on her feet. Her toes, like her, were wrapped in the cloth she disliked and kept twisting.

She looked over helplessly and saw that it was Roland, as if she had found a savior.

This almost made Roland laugh out loud.

It's great to be alive, isn't it, little cake.

"Good day, Miss Vansittart." The lively young man made a chic gentleman's salute to the Shelley family's 'daughter', a well-dressed lady: "You are still as dazzling as ever today."

"Shut your mouth!" Rose bared her teeth: "You——"

The old man at the desk coughed.

Rose immediately stopped talking.

Roland:?
How rare.

There are people that thieves are afraid of.

"Welcome, Mr. Roland Collins." The old man stood up, holding the pipe with a burning tobacco in it. "Please take a seat."

He didn't choose his words carefully, as if he was talking to an old friend. He just spread out his hands and told Roland to do as he pleased.

It’s not like the ritualists can’t see it.

Ignoring the hot tea, coffee, cakes and colorful, non-standard snacks served by the servants, the Shelleys, like the Randolphs, made Roland comfortable with every move - this was a very high-end approach.

At least compared to the 'nobles' I've come into contact with, the rigid conditions, etiquette, and even the order in which the knife and fork are used -

Roland preferred the approach of businessmen, the relaxed approach of Taylor and Shelley, where "people are treated according to their conditions."

Although there was a risk of being described as 'cunning' or 'cheating', Roland really liked them more.

Because you can’t imagine how long it would take to finish a meal and still not feel full when there are more cutlery on the table than you have teeth.

"I remember the first time I visited Randolph's house, I stared at a plate of steak and ate it all up. Later, when it was cooked, he told me that a gentleman could only eat one bite and usually could not go over the other plates in front of him."

Roland leaned his cane against the wall, pulled out a chair and sat down while talking.

"I got really mad and asked him why he didn't tell me earlier."

James Shelley liked this opening and asked with a smile why.

Roland curled his lips: "He said that I was so hungry that it was unbelievable."

The old man laughed loudly.

(End of this chapter)