20th October 2080.

Sunday.

As the morning sunlight shone on the capital city Solara, Mikhail walked alone on the streets of Moon Suburb.

He wore a simple grey hoodie and black trousers.

Mikhail hadn’t brought Kevin with him as he had plans he didn’t want Kevin to know about.

’I planned to take over someone’s identity. Even though Kevin wouldn’t react too harshly it’s still best not to involve him.’

Mikhail thought to himself as he admired the beautiful place of the Moon Suburb.

He had also left his yellow cat behind just to be on the safe side.

The streets were relatively quiet since it was still early on a Sunday.

A few people jogged along the sidewalks, and some families were out walking their dogs.

No one paid any special attention to Mikhail.

The place Mikhail was in was on the streets where mainly nobles lived.

He had chosen to roam around here because Crazy Noble James also lived in this area.

After some consideration, Mikhail had already planned to take over James’s identity.

He had checked all the criteria he needed and was also sure that James wasn’t a good person.

From multiple sources, Mikhail had gotten the information that James was really involved in human trafficking.

’I am doing this world a favour by killing such a person.’

Mikhail drew in a deep breath as he looked to the west.

From here, Mikhail could see the top half of the Saintess Agatha Sanctuary.

Mikhail, who was planning to commit a crime soon, guiltily looked away.

After circling around the place for a few more minutes, Mikhail finally decided to stop.

He found a coffee shop close to the mansion owned by the Baron family of Liora — the family Crazy Noble James had inherited.

He chose a table outside under a large parasol, ordered a simple black coffee, and sat down quietly.

From this position, he had a clear but discreet view of the Liora mansion’s main gate and the surrounding street.

The mansion itself was impressive, high walls, beautiful gardens, and a luxurious three-story building that screamed old money.

Guards stood at the entrance but they looked relaxed on this peaceful Sunday morning.

Mikhail observed the place for a long moment without moving from his seat.

At some point, a waiter walked towards him with his black coffee.

"That’s a mansion owned by a crazy bastard." The waiter said softly. "He once tried to close our shop because he didn’t like it."

Mikhail turned to look at the waiter, happy to hear more information.

"Was he always like this?" Mikhail asked. "I am new here so I don’t know much."

"I heard he tried to rape his maid when he was twelve." He replied grimly. "So, yeah. He was always rotten."

Mikhail nodded his head, taking a sip of his black coffee. ’Urgh, this is so bitter.’

He controlled his expression and looked at the waiter. "Is there something that I need to take note of?"

The waiter blinked and said. "They are extending the sewage pipes and underground sewers to the newly acquired area. If you don’t want to smell horrible things then better avoid the place."

’I thought you would tell me about James...’

Mikhail grumbled inwardly but smiled at the waiter. "Thanks for the heads-up." 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

The young man nodded and walked away. There weren’t many customers on a Sunday morning so he gave Mikhail extra time.

Mikhail continued sipping his bitter black coffee in silence, his eyes never leaving the Liora mansion for long.

After about twenty more minutes, movement finally caught his attention.

The main gate of the mansion opened and a black luxury carriage rolled out.

Sitting in the backseat was James Liora himself, with his short silver hair combed properly.

"There he goes to the red light area..."

Mikhail heard the waiter grumbling but he didn’t react.

Taking in a deep breath, Mikhail closed his eyes.

After a few seconds, his vision changed and he was now looking through the eyes of his pet raven.

Without any delay, Mikhail made the raven roam around James’s mansion.

From this new vantage point, Mikhail could see the entire eastern side of the property clearly.

He took note of all the entrances and potential escape routes if things went south.

Mikhail also noticed a few uneven patches in the garden that looked like graves.

He also noticed the garden was filled with red flowers like the ones he had seen on the streets of Sun Metropolis.

That made him rather perplexed. ’What is even the use of those plants?’

He took note of the features of the plant and decided to find out more later.

After nearly fifteen minutes of observation, Mikhail gave the raven a new order:

’Stay hidden near the mansion.’

Mikhail had no problem maintaining his connection with the raven.

He had already checked the limit and it was about fifteen kilometres.

’I need to understand more about the mechanism of [Bone Parasite].’

Mikhail opened his eyes and finished his coffee.

After paying the shop owner, he walked out of the shop and decided to head back to the university.

As he walked on the streets of the Moon Suburb, he decided to take a detour.

After a few minutes of walking, Mikhail stood in front of the Saintess Agatha Sanctuary.

He stood outside the beautiful resting place of the Saintess Agatha in silence.

Mikhail’s mother, Jasmine, was a devotee of the Faceless Moon. She had taught him about her as well.

If there was a god Mikhail had some connection with, it was the Faceless Moon.

Just to honour his mother, Mikhail drew a crescent moon on his chest and prayed.

He prayed for a long life for his family, especially his father, and for a happy life for Daniel Smith.

After a few seconds, he opened his eyes and decided to walk away from the place.

He still didn’t have the guts to walk inside, fearing divine punishment from the goddess.

But just as Mikhail took a few steps, he noticed a familiar figure walk out of the Sanctuary.

He was older, in his late forties, with a grey beard and moustache on his wrinkled face.

The Enforcer of the church, Corvin Ashford, and his young partner.

Corvin’s gaze locked onto Mikhail almost immediately.

His brows furrowed deeply as he changed direction and walked straight toward him.