The Devil’s Cage

Kieran would stay!

He decided while he was looking at the evil spirit.

Kieran wasn’t sure when what would happen when he left the hospital. Would he face a single evil spirit or a person that could create evil spirits or even maybe an entire organization behind this plot?

If it was just a single evil spirit, it may be solvable despite the troubles but if it was the either of the latter…

Troubles would be doubled or tripled and it would lead to his demise with evening the slightest misstep.

As for his identity without a background, Kieran was prepared to go full on rascal on the C.O.

Kieran pretended to be an amnesia patient, even if the female C.O. suspected anything, she wouldn’t really do anything to him.

All she would do was put him under surveillance.

This was one of the restrictions of Kieran’s identity. It provided him with convenience but at the same time restricted many of his moves.

So, Kieran spent his upcoming time in a comfortable way.

He was having a burger from a fast food joint and was reading the papers and magazines Hoskin brought him. Despite an evil spirit gazing him non-stop at the window, Kieran read his material in detail.

He needed to know more about the dungeon world and the papers and magazines were the only viable channel for him to gain more information for the time being.

Seconds turned into minutes and minutes hours.

The first night passed just like that with him reading papers on a hospital bed.

When the sun rose the next morning, the evil spirit outside the window vanished before the sunlight shone in.

What replaced that unsettling gaze was the female chief officer who barged in.

Kieran even believed the chief officer had an agreement with the evil spirit that both of them would not spare him a window to breathe.

”I heard your observations are sharp?”

Teresa had her arms crossed and still looked down at Kieran.

”Maybe, I just acted out of instinct. You know, I’m an amnesia patient after all,” Kieran said with uncertainty, his face, however, was expressing doubts.

Teresa carefully watched Kieran’s facial expression and after a while, she gave up.

She still couldn’t read anything out of Kieran’s expressions but her instinct told her, Kieran had secrets.

Though, when the thought about identifying Kieran’s identity came to her mind, she couldn’t confirm her instinct anymore.

”Hoskin!” Teresa called out.

”Yes, Madam!”

The young officer came in with a leather bag in his hand.

Kieran was stunned when he saw that leather bag.

Could it be…

A sudden thought bloomed in Kieran’s heart.

”This is the info I’ve gotten about your identity from the station’s archive from my men. Your name is 2567, from Silindy, Matam State. You have a shop lot and two housing estates in the city of Silindy and it seems like you relied on the rent to cover your expensive travel expenses and your adventurous career… It’s written in the files but I reserved my doubts about your strange name and laughable career,” Teresa said with a strong attitude but she handed the leather bag to Kieran after.

Even though doubts lingered in her heart, she followed protocol.

Kieran did not dislike such a character because Teresa wouldn’t be much of a danger to him.

He took over the leather bag and took out the files inside.

Although Kieran had guessed and together with Teresa’s statement, he was still shocked when he saw the picture of himself inside the files in addition to his ”houses”.

In simple words, the description had completely gone out of his expectations.

Since the system had arranged an identity for him, it wouldn’t have kept it in a shady manner and would need someone else to provide him with the information.

”So, it seems like the difficulty has increased but not the nature of the dungeon! According to my progress when I came in, I will get this identity naturally and at most in delay for a day but after I triggered the sub mission [Accident], it replenished me with one extra day… The unnecessary move seems too weird!”

Kieran glanced over the sub-mission notification, [Accident (Complete), rewarded with extra 1 day)] and he shifted back to the files in his hands. He went quiet.

He thought it might not be a good thing when the system sent him through an unnecessary run of things.

”The identity has problems?” Kieran thought of it almost out of instinct.

Hoskin beside purely thought that Kieran felt unfamiliar with his own identity.

The young officer went over to Kieran’s side and tapped on his shoulder.

”I know it’s a bit hard for you, 2567 but you should learn to accept. It might be hard to adapt at first but you might recall something slowly.” The young officer comforted him.

”Thanks!” Kieran said.

”So you are so good at comforting people eh? Do I need to transfer you to the psych department?” Teresa glared at Hoskin.

Hoskin quickly put his hands up in a surrendered gesture.

Teresa then turned back to Kieran.

”Although we have gotten ahold of your identity, you are required to remain in Edland and you will report to me every day! I’ll send my men to handle your identification card, bank cards, and stuff as soon as possible.”

”Hoskin, uncuff him. You better keep an eye on him for the upcoming days. If he goes missing, you can directly report to the psych department instead!”

Teresa then left after leaving her message.

Almost everyone could tell the angriness in her face.

”What’s with her?”

Kieran didn’t think it was him that pissed off the chief officer, even if he did, it was just a portion of that rage.

”An important person died in the explosion case yesterday, Symende Augen!”

Hoskin was anticipating the astonishment from Kieran’s face after uncuffing him but after seeing Kieran’s dazed expression, he smacked his forehead.

”Oh damn, I forgot you lost your memory! My bad, I shouldn’t have said that…”

”It’s fine. Let’s talk about that important person.”

Kieran instinctively thought about the House of Winchester and the long limousine that parked outside plus the bloody stench inside the hotel.

”Symende Augen. One of the candidates for mayor of Edland City. He somehow appeared in the house of Winchester last night and the explosion sent him to his maker. Now the entire media of Edland City is on fire, all sorts of theories about his appearance and death, it is like a bombardment of news! Our C.O. just now had almost pulled off her remaining hair because of this case. Then, the major crime unit that Teresa leads and the officers are in for some bad luck… You and I are just the fishes that got caught in the fire.”

Hoskin opened his hands helplessly.

Then, the young officer looked at Kieran with the slight anticipation.

”2567, let’s work together! This is a big case, from beginning to end! If we can solve it, people will look at me differently even more and you can also wash away the suspicion on your name, plus you might even gain more reputation and…”

”Yeah! Let’s do it!”

Hoskin was persuading Kieran and even prepared a long list of reasons but before he could even start, Kieran agreed which caught Hoskin off guard.

”What?” The young officer was stunned.

”I said yeah, let’s do it!”

Kieran then jumped off the bed and headed outside quickly.

”Hold on! You need a new outfit! You can’t wear the hospital gown everywhere!”

Hoskin chased Kieran and called out loudly.

Kieran didn’t stop at all, he was really getting anxious. Of course, it wasn’t because of the explosion case that killed an important person but because of the barrier that could block evil spirits.

He had already encountered one or even a person or organization that could create one.

It was time for him to get a reliable item for his self-defense.