C2 Background

Odin's expression remained unchanged despite the unfolding situation. Moments earlier, he might have been concerned, but now he barely gave Leo a second thought. With the system restored, Odin felt the familiar rush of being a 'player' again, treating everyone he encountered as mere NPCs.

As Leo's body turned a fiery red, Odin hoisted the book in his hand, as thick as a brick, and brought it crashing down on Leo's incoming fist. The impact sent Leo tumbling to the ground with a thud, prompting Odin to shout triumphantly, "I've caught the murderer!"

No sooner had Odin's declaration echoed than several men in black emerged from the shadows. They were clad in black linen shirts, their eyes obscured by odd black glasses, and each bore a bronze badge on their chest, resembling a fist clutching a scepter.

Upon seeing Leo subdued by Odin, they pounced, pinning his limbs. One man surveyed Leo briefly before commanding, "It's him. He bears the marks of a blood sacrifice. Fetch the syringe, and notify the rest of the team. We've apprehended Odin Vesconte."

While the others restrained Leo's hands behind his back, one man produced an archaic syringe and injected a green substance into Leo's body. As the liquid coursed through him, Leo's skin gradually reverted to its natural hue, and his struggles waned.

"The capture is successful. Take him away," the leader announced.

"Hold on a second," Odin interjected, just as the men were about to haul Leo off.

The man in charge gave Odin a condescending look before assuring him, "Don't worry. You'll receive your reward for assisting in the capture."

"That's not it. I am Odin Vesconte, and he is Leo. I realize this may bring complications, but you've got the wrong man," Odin clarified.

At Odin's words, the men abruptly released Leo, letting him drop to the ground, and swiftly encircled Odin instead.

Odin couldn't help but feel a twinge of anxiety in such a predicament, yet he understood the importance of maintaining his identity. To relinquish it would mean navigating the Whitehawk Principality as an unregistered citizen—a prospect he could not afford.

From the current situation, it was clear that the men in black had pinpointed the culprit. All he needed to do was clarify his identity, and the matter would be resolved.

The leader of the group gave Odin a surprised look and said, "You're Odin Vesconte? That seems unlikely. You've been sitting here for quite some time, which doesn't match the evidence we've gathered."

"What evidence have you obtained?" Odin inquired.

"A call came in to the police ten minutes ago, reporting an incident involving Dr. Carte. The Diviner prophesied that you entered Dr. Carte's laboratory 15 minutes ago, had a confrontation with him, and killed him. When we arrived, we found Dr. Carte dead. Additionally, there's a witness who saw you enter the lab 15 minutes ago and flee three minutes later."

"Prophecies can be misleading at times." Odin was somewhat relieved to hear about the involvement of a Diviner, knowing that the police would likely conduct a thorough investigation.

It was common knowledge that the words of a Diviner could be unreliable.

Odin's world was set against the backdrop of the American West's expansion era.

At the start of the game, there was an introduction to the setting: the Whitehawk Principality was a place no one wanted to come to, attracting only thieves, liars, and traitors.

Consequently, no priests were willing to come, except for some ancient deities oppressed by the Church of Light who saw an opportunity for growth. They joined these outcasts and ventured to this new land.

After centuries of effort, this led to the establishment of the Six Gods Council.

The Six Gods were as follows: the God of Life, overseeing all births; the God of Death, holding sway over mortality; the God of Wealth, controlling the republic's wealth and currency; the God of Prophecy, managing politicians and officials; the God of Wisdom, guiding scholars and scientists; and the God of Nobility, commanding the military and police forces.

The man in black before Odin was a formal police officer under the God of Nobility, and the leader was a meta-human who had taken on a role that was undoubtedly one of the soldier, Praetorian Guard, or gunner professions within the God of Nobility's domain.

The Diviner he mentioned was affiliated with the God of Prophecy, who typically engaged in political maneuvering, with his meta-human subordinates primarily consisting of Warlocks or Diviners.

The Diviner serving under the God of Prophecy largely depended on luck when it came to foretelling the future. Aside from the Diviner, those of Level 1 and Level 2 status were hardly ever accurate in their predictions.

It was precisely for this reason that Odin felt emboldened to claim that prophecies could sometimes be misleading.

The man in black nodded in agreement, understanding this was why they had hurried to Carte's laboratory to make necessary adjustments. This knowledge also led the man in black to conclude that Odin, who had been seated here for quite some time, was not the culprit.

According to the man in black's logic, if the Diviner's words were incorrect, then the opposite action should be taken.

Moreover, judging by the current circumstances, Leo appeared to be the one with issues. Bringing him in could potentially reveal more leads.

The man in black gave Odin a glance, offering no further words, but an acknowledging look was exchanged before he signaled his subordinates to take the unconscious Leo away.

The departure of these men was swift and decisive, so much so that Odin found it startling.

Odin had mentally prepared numerous pieces of evidence to demonstrate how long he had been seated there. For instance, the vendor selling snacks across the way had been there since the morning and could vouch for Odin's presence.

Yet, to his astonishment, the men in black had left without posing any questions.

Their abrupt exit only deepened Odin's suspicions. There had to be unknown factors at play, factors that assured the men in black of his innocence.

Odin was about to follow them when he realized they had vanished as mysteriously as they had arrived.

In their wake, he stumbled upon a detail he had almost overlooked: by defeating the demonized Leo, he had gained 30 experience points.