"A drop... hmm, right, the drop..."

The clown looked at the empty theater. The red glow in his eyes grew more intense, and the smile on his face became ever more crazed. "Damn it, how could my great big thorny darling just die like that?"

"You... it’s you. There’s something wrong with you!"

"What’s wrong with me?" Wei’en asked, looking at him innocently. ’Empty your mind. Just don’t think about anything.’

"Your rifle isn’t right. A weapon with that kind of power is a problem. A huge problem!"

"My gun?"

Wei’en knew, of course, that there was something special about his sniper rifle.

It was the perfect fusion of mechanical technology from his past life and the runic knowledge of this world. Its power naturally couldn’t be compared to ordinary gunpowder-filled firearms.

"Yes, that’s the one! How could it possibly break through my thorny little sweetheart’s defenses?"

The Demon Clown instantly appeared beside him. He grabbed Wei’en’s hand, bringing the sniper rifle up to his eyes to examine it closely. "It has a strange kind of beauty..." he murmured.

Compared to the weapons of the Third Era, the sniper rifle looked crude at first glance. But on closer inspection, there were clear traces of runes on its surface.

"A runic weapon?"

"Hmm," Wei’en replied. He didn’t dare loosen his grip, afraid the clown might just walk off with his sniper rifle. He held on tight. "That shouldn’t be a problem, should it?"

"Of course not. Of course not. It’s just that very few people use runes this way." The clown looked at Wei’en thoughtfully. "A weapon that combines runes and mechanics... Now I’m more convinced than ever that you can help me find Lilith."

"No more talk about the guidance of fate?" Wei’en said with a sneer.

"At the rate you’re growing stronger, you’ll stand at the peak of this world sooner or later. When that time comes..."

"Thanks a bunch."

Although Wei’en had similar aspirations, hearing them come from the Demon Clown’s mouth just felt... weird.

It was the kind of feeling that meant he was being targeted by something even more terrifying—as if the difficulty of survival had just been cranked up several levels.

"This is your drop reward. Take it."

The red glow in the clown’s eyes faded, revealing a pair of black irises. He took a key from his jacket’s breast pocket and placed it in Wei’en’s hand.

"This is the key to this theater."

"The key to the theater?"

Wei’en studied the Golden Key in his hand. It had a quaint, antique design. A black Gemstone was even set into the bow of the key, making it quite exquisite.

"From anywhere, you can enter this place at any time." The clown’s tone was calm, as if he were discussing something trivial. "It’s my reward to you."

Wei’en was stunned. ’I can enter this theater anytime I want?’

"You... Mr. Leonard, are you saying I can come and go from this theater freely? Physically?"

"That’s exactly what I mean."

The clown waved his hand, his expression looking somewhat desolate. "Hurry up and go. Leave this place before I’m lucid enough to change my mind."

"Leave?"

As soon as he said it, Wei’en saw the key in his hand turn a full circle of its own accord.

’What’s this?’

Before he could let go of the key, Wei’en felt the surrounding scenery begin to spin rapidly. His own body twisted and shrank, pulling him into the key before he vanished in an instant.

After Wei’en left, the clown stood alone in the center of the theater, his arms spread wide as if embracing the world. "Lilith, I will find you."

"Young Mr. Wizard, treasure that key well! It is an honor bestowed upon you by Arnold Lilith Leonard!"

"It is also an honor that belongs to Turing! HAHAHAHA... huh?"

The words had barely left his mouth when the clown’s eyes snapped open. A flicker of confusion crossed his crimson eyes as he looked at the empty surroundings. "Where’d he go?"

"’Did I just say something about honor?’"

"’Hee hee ha ha... Honor? Why would I suddenly bring that up?’"

The clown shook his head back and forth, then sluggishly returned to Tina’s world, where he was pinned firmly to the ground.

SOB SOB SOB... ’Damn it, when will I ever be able to get out of here!?’

Meanwhile, Wei’en felt as if only a second—or perhaps even less—had passed before he found himself back in the living room of Montoya Manor.

"This..."

Wei’en stared blankly at the Golden Key in his hand. The ability to freely enter and leave that theater... This sudden gift left him at a loss for what to do.

’He didn’t understand the clown’s motive. Was it really just a simple reward?’

After a moment of thought, Wei’en stored the key in his Space Ring.

Whatever the clown’s intentions were, he couldn’t resist the temptation of being able to freely enter that theater.

It was, after all, another dimension, completely separate from the current world.

If he wasn’t mistaken, the theater was likely a place free from the threat of the Red Moon’s pollution.

Furthermore, if he ever faced a life-threatening crisis, he could use it to escape into the theater...

From that perspective alone, the Golden Key was an absolutely incredible gift!

Wei’en looked at the soundly sleeping Tina and the clown doll beside her, letting out a soft sigh.

’Good guy? Bad guy?’

’Dwelling on it seems pretty pointless.’

’After all, in this city-state, in this kingdom, there are no clear moral constraints—only a barely-maintained semblance of order... This world is so damn weird.’

Meanwhile, Santiago and the others, who were washing the filth from their bodies on the second floor, were completely unaware of Wei’en’s departure and return.

When they met again, their expressions were all much more relaxed.

"Tina’s asleep?" Santiago asked, sitting on the sofa opposite Wei’en. He looked at the white-haired girl curled up and sleeping soundly in Wei’en’s arms.

"She must be exhausted."

"Well, she’s just a kid," Hector remarked casually.

"When I was her age, I was still undergoing my family’s training," Chirut lamented. "I was planning to leave Caster for Klande, but I never expected to be assigned to the Secret Investigation Department."