Endless Debt

"You're late."

After opening the door, Teda looked at Boluogo and Palmer with a gloomy face, his voice emotionless, "I don't like people who are not punctual."

"There were a few hiccups along the way."

Borlog tried to explain, shaking his clothes as he spoke.

The coat was in tatters, with bursts of blood coming from it. Under the damaged holes, one could still see the innermost iron-wearing suit worn by Bologg, with a faint snake wrapped around it.

"There's always no shortage of surprises in this place like the Great Rift, right?"

After hearing Boluogo's explanation, TEDA did not continue to ask any questions. As a former member of the Order Bureau, he knew very well what these field staff represented.

Field staff are the swords of the Bureau of Order. They are sent wherever the ruling needs to be implemented. This is a group of guys who are involved in life and death.

If it weren't for the purpose of studying Overlord Xilin's alchemy matrix, TEDA actually didn't want to share his alchemy workshop with them and use it as a stronghold.

This would only cause him, a reclusive alchemist, to be involved in the bloody turmoil of the Field Service Department.

"The supplies have arrived. I have vacated a room for you, where you can rest and prepare. Here is the key."

Teda said and handed over two sets of keys, one for each of Boluogo and Palmer.

"We will try to solve all the troubles outside." Boluogo took the key.

"You also know not to bring trouble here, right?"

Teda said disdainfully. He seemed to be still angry. This old guy was surprisingly persistent in keeping time.

"Another function of the stronghold is a safe house. When the safe house is used, it means that we have encountered a strong enemy that we cannot resist, and there are no reinforcements for the time being... Although I will not die, who can be sure, I can't Will you encounter a similar situation?"

While explaining, Bologo also took out a key, with a shimmer floating on its surface.

"But I still have this key to the winding path. I can use it to leave when necessary."

Having said that, if possible, Boluogo does not want to bring his work to the undead club. These undead are isolated from the supernatural world and are completely obsessed with pleasure. Presumably they themselves are not willing to relive their nightmares. .

In fact, Boluogo quite likes this group of friends, and he doesn't want to cause trouble to everyone in the Undead Club.

"The Key to the Warp Path cannot be used in the Great Rift." Teda's words shattered all Boluogo's thoughts.

"What did you say?"

Boluogo holds the key to the winding path. He has always regarded this key as the final means to solve problems. As long as there is a door, he can be saved from despair.

On the way here, Bologg also discussed with Palmer that maybe Bologg could jump into the large chasm with a door. After hitting the bottom, he could use the Key of the Winding Path to open the door and return.

"The alchemical matrix implanted in the Key of the Winding Path belongs to the school of artifice. All alchemical matrices that are difficult to classify will be classified into this category. Obviously, space warping is also a type."

Teda looked at Boluogo in confusion and asked, "Didn't the person who gave you the key tell you about the restrictions of the Key to the Winding Path?"

"All I know is that it's limited to opening fixed doors," Bologeau said.

"Is that so? In fact, this kind of space-jumping alchemical weapon requires a relatively harsh startup environment. For example, the surrounding ether must maintain a certain concentration, and the ether fluctuations must not be too chaotic."

Teda warned, "You don't want to open the door and arrive at your destination with only half your body, right?"

"That's what the Construct School is like. It's special, mysterious, and difficult to understand, but it has nothing to do with the Great Rift. You can't use it in the Great Rift because there is a... power that I can't describe that is interfering in the Great Rift."

Teda walked aside, poured himself a cup of tea, and then motioned for the two people standing at the door to sit down.

"When I first came to the Great Rift, I also thought about building a door directly connected to the 'Transit Station', but the Warp Key could not open the door in the Great Rift. After a period of research, I found that this may be related to the fog in the Great Rift. .”

"Mist?" Palmer asked confused.

"You also know the special nature of the Great Rift. Everyone throws some messy things into the Great Rift, including alchemists like me who live in the Great Rift." Speaking of this, TEDA seemed a little embarrassed, "Processing alchemy Residues are a very troublesome thing, and most alchemists will choose to pour them directly into the great rift."

"I suspect that years of accumulation, the mixing and reaction of different alchemical residues have created this weird environment in the Great Rift. The fog will affect the use of the Warp Key. Even the Warp Breakthrough that forces the door to open will be affected. .”

Boluogo nodded. After learning this, he put away the Key of the Winding Path, and his vigilance and suspicion about the Great Rift deepened.

But we can understand from TEDA's words that maybe the method used by the ninth group when it appears is the so-called forced opening and winding breakthrough. Boluogo didn't think they would prepare a winding key to open the church door in advance.

Then there was a reason why these people were late. The big crack affected the winding path breakthrough, causing these people to be a few minutes late.

"Ok, I see."

Burlogo stood up and walked to the supplies placed aside, calling Palmer to organize them with him.

"By the way, this part is yours, and the other part is mine." Teda said.

"But... isn't this our material?"

Palmer pointed at himself and then at Boluogo. He looked at TEDA warily. TEDA now looked like a robber trying to steal their supplies.

"You have also felt the strangeness of the Great Rift. Not only do I have the protection of the virtual realm, but I also have a person with authority to serve you, even though I am an alchemist and not good at fighting."

Teda laughed angrily at Palmer's vigilant reaction and said.

"This is your rent, but you don't have to worry about anything. The Order Bureau has already paid it for you."

Boluogo and Palmer really didn't know what to say, so they could only nod and move the supplies into their rooms.

"Amu, come and help these guys, don't let them damage my things."

Teda then shouted loudly, and then a rush of footsteps came from the stairwell.

"Everyone, do you need any help?"

Soon Aimu appeared in front of her. She was wearing a lab coat similar to Teda's. It seemed that each of these alchemists had a lab coat and the style was the same.

Teda's lab coat looks like it has been worn for many years. The white fabric is a little gray, the edges of the cuffs are frayed, and the threads are messily exposed. Aimu's is very new, as if it had just been taken out of the washing machine. .

"Where is our room? Please point me down the road."

The space in the alchemy workshop was larger than both of them imagined. Various pipes were interspersed in the corners and different instruments were buzzing. It took both of them some time to get familiar with the place.

"OK."

Aimu looked very excited, and the aura in her eyes was spinning back and forth rapidly. Aimu rarely communicated with living people except Teda. Boluogo and Palmer were like cherished animals in her eyes.

The silver snake crawled out from under Boluogo's clothes. With the injection of ether, the snake scale liquid began to multiply, and in the blink of an eye it turned into a silver-white python, swallowing all the supplies into his mouth.

Boluogo carried a few boxes and followed Aimu. From another angle, it was like a silver-white tail stretched out from under Boluogo's clothes, rolling up and dragging these boxes.

The room in the stronghold is located in the corner of the first floor of the alchemy workshop. The space inside is quite large and tidy. TEDA has cleaned it beforehand.

Burlogo and Palmer unpacked the boxes and filled the room with their contents.

The Bureau of Order distributed many things, such as conventional weapons and medical supplies. In order to maintain external communications in an emergency like the Great Rift, they also prepared a miniature version of the Secret Ceremony for the two of them.

If necessary, they can use this to extend the communication range of the Sentinel, and even directly connect to the Bureau of Order. Unfortunately, it is only a reduced version. The communication time and stability are much worse than the original version. The advantage is that it does not require a correspondent. to maintain operations.

There were also some intelligence documents about the Great Rift, and Boluogo locked them directly into the safe that was sent with him.

In fact, they don't need to prepare these things at all. In TEDA's alchemy workshop, all needs will be met, but Boluogo doesn't want this.

They maintain a cooperative relationship with TEDA and must draw certain boundaries, even if this will cause some trouble.

But what really made Boluogo unable to let down his guard against TEDA was Bailey's call that night and her entrustment to him.

It's not that there are any other emotions in it, it's just that Boluogo thinks that when a crazy woman becomes serious and entrusts herself seriously, this matter must have developed to a bad stage.

Bailey suspected that Teda was too obsessed with his research and was about to fall into madness.

She did not reveal the deeper truth to herself, nor did she hand over the matter to the Field Service Department. She just handed it over to herself privately. She knew very well that if the Order Bureau's attention and intervention were attracted, the matter would not end so easily. .

Although Bailey always looked like she was bullying her teachers and destroying her ancestors, she really cared about her teacher.

It didn't take too long to clean up the room, and soon the two of them turned it into a stronghold. The shelves were full of weapons, with a medical box underneath and a medicine box on the other side, which contained important items. Some alchemical potions are used to save lives, while others are used to quickly replenish ether.

The miniature version of the Secret Ceremony was placed under the table by Boluogo. When it was not activated, it looked like a black cube, and there were some less important intelligence information, which was nailed by Boluogo. on the wall and pulled up a big red net.

Looking at the information network he had laid out, for a moment Boluogo felt like he was back home.

"Palmer, are you done?"

Boluogo wiped the sweat from his forehead, seemingly relaxed, but he still allowed himself to sweat.

"Is it done?"

Palmer's voice sounded behind him. Bologg turned his head and saw a single bed on the other side, with a mattress and sheets laid on it. The quilt was neatly folded and a pillow was placed on top.

Palmer was lying leisurely on the bed. He also hung a bracket on the wall filled with books to pass the time.

"Is this what you applied for?" Boluogo was stunned.

"Is there any problem? Don't we still have to rest here?"

Palmer felt that what he did was fine, and the atmosphere fell into an eerie silence. After a few seconds, Palmer showed an expression of realization.

"Oh, don't worry, I applied for two single beds. They have mattresses, quilts, and pillows, but you have to make them yourself."

At the end of the sentence, Palmer did not forget to remind him.

"I suggest you put your bed on that side. Although it's a bit crowded, if you put the bed next to me, it will make it look like we are sleeping on the same bed. Although we are good brothers who live through life and death, it still feels pretty good. It’s weird, you know?”

Burlogo wanted to draw his gun and shoot at Palmer to see whether his marksmanship was worse or whether Palmer's was luckier.