Chapter 964: Enforcing Oath Implementation Measures
The room fell silent for a moment before Octo let out a slow sigh. He sat on the edge of the bed, placing his hands on his knees, and as he looked at Lin Sanjiu, his expression could not be determined whether it was one of helplessness or mockery - perhaps it was both.
Lin Sanjiu remained silent, her wolf's teeth dagger pressed against the floor.
After a brief silence, Octo finally spoke, "Have you ever heard of [Oath Planting]?"
"No," Lin Sanjiu replied.
Octo remained silent for a moment before giving a bitter smile. He blurted out a seemingly unfiltered thought, "Why does the Creator always favor some and neglect others?"
Raising an eyebrow, Lin Sanjiu asked, "What do you mean?"
He hesitated for a few seconds, shook his head, and changed the subject.
"No, it's nothing. Have you really never heard of [Oath Planting]? It's a recently discovered ability... Advertisements for hiring people with this ability have been flooding the Twelve Worlds recently."
Finally, Lin Sanjiu understood why Octo, disguised as Stan, refused to speak when they were together. His natural manner of speaking, the way his gaze shifted, and the melodious tone of his voice were more captivating than an average woman's. When combined with Stan's voice and appearance, it was an odd and uncomfortable contrast.
The several suspender skirts in the wardrobe probably belonged to Octo... So, "he" was actually a woman. Lin Sanjiu almost forgot that shapeshifting was not limited to the same gender.
"Please continue. How does this ability relate to the person who transformed you?"
"It's because of [Oath Planting] that I cannot reveal this person's information to you," Octo shrugged, "It can turn a person's promises into tangible entities planted within their bodies, ensuring that they absolutely cannot break their oath for a period of time. If you don't believe me, you can inquire at the bulletin board."
Lin Sanjiu had a faint sense of familiarity with this explanation. After a moment of thought, she deliberately asked, "What happens if the oath is broken?"
Octo glanced at her, and then he spoke the almost identical words to Twelve, "It's not about what happens, but I simply 'cannot' do it."
Twelve's words were now being confirmed by another person. It seemed that both of them had been subjected to [Oath Planting]. It appeared that the person marked with "X" did not want anyone to find Luther or himself. They had gone to great lengths to hide their tracks. Could it be that "X" was also an Oath Planting ability user?
Perhaps to make her believe him, Octo raised his wrist and gently rolled up his sleeve. Between two raised veins, there was a small seedling-like symbol, similar to a tattoo, just beginning to sprout.
"Seventeen months," Octo touched it lightly and said calmly, "In seventeen months, it will fully bloom, wither, and disappear. At that time, I will be able to tell you what they look like and what their name is. If you kill me now, you won't be able to get a single word from me. Although, I don't want to lose my life just to protect someone else's secret."
Seventeen months, Bohemia and Puppeteer's bodies were probably long gone cold... Hu Changzai probably wouldn't die.
Unexpectedly, she faced another setback. Frustration filled Lin Sanjiu, and she replied immediately, "I don't need you to tell me. I already know what he looks like and his name. I just need to know where he is!" contemporary romance
"Ah, that's something I don't know."
"How is that possible?"
"He always approaches me on his own... I don't know where he stays on the ship." There was a pause in the middle of his sentence, as if he didn't know how to phrase it.
Seeing that she fell silent, Octo sighed and continued, "I transformed into the appearance of a Night Wanderer member just to participate in the experiment and escape the cycle of doomsday. It had nothing to do with you, and I don't care about the person who transformed me... But somehow, I got involved in this troublesome situation, and it's giving me a headache. If I could, I would have told you everything you wanted to know and let you release me earlier."
"But you didn't hesitate to report me to Tan Zhang," Lin Sanjiu sneered. "And after reporting me, you immediately went to Luther - the person who transformed you - to change your appearance into that of your roommate. You seem quite adept at saving yourself."
Perhaps upon hearing Luther's name, Octo's expression shifted unnaturally.
"Put yourself in my shoes. If someone unfoundedly suspects me, they could ruin my plans... It's only natural for me to take action against them first, right? I just didn't expect Tan Zhang to be useless, and it seems like you don't even have a scratch."
"So, you're useless to me?" Lin Sanjiu's gaze shifted to his neck, her voice lowered, "Then I don't have a reason to let you live. If you survive, you will only be a threat to me."
"My dear, even with this, you might not be able to kill me."
Although Octo's face was somewhat pale, he stubbornly lifted his head, straightened his back, and crossed his legs with a hint of self-importance. "Besides, the person who transformed me doesn't know that I've been exposed. If I were you, I would leave myself a way out... As long as you act wisely, you will eventually be able to find that person through me."
Lin Sanjiu pondered for a few seconds and asked, "How is it possible for [Oath Planting] to allow you to do this?"
Octo shook his head, "You misunderstood. If I knew you were nearby, I certainly wouldn't deliberately meet with that person in this situation. It would lead you right to me. But if your whereabouts are well hidden, and I have no idea if you're nearby or not, then it wouldn't be considered breaking the oath. So, where you plan to hide, when you plan to hide, and what disguise you'll use... don't tell me."
This person was as slippery as an oiled fox.
Now thinking back, even Twelve had been trying to give her hints and information in various ways... It seemed that no matter how inexplicable the external constraints were, voluntary acceptance was still more effective.
Lin Sanjiu made a quick decision - partly because Octo was also trapped in space and had nowhere else to go except the Ocean Voyager, and even if he tried to transform and escape her, he would have to meet Luther again.
"You better not attempt to communicate with Tan Zhang," she warned while removing the halo from Octo's neck, "He poses no threat to me, but I can find you anytime... After all, you'll have to continue staying on the ship in your current identity."
"If you don't report me to Tan Zhang, then there's no need for me to go the extra mile," Octo replied, staring as the halo slowly moved away from his neck. "So, I suppose we... understand each other now?"
Lin Sanjiu had no trust in him whatsoever, so she remained silent.
Without any news of Luther, it meant that she still wouldn't be able to find Bohemia and Puppeteer for the time being. However, her past experiences of setbacks and hardships had shaped a resilient and determined spirit within her. Even in the face of setbacks, it couldn't dampen her fighting spirit. Sometimes, she resembled a tenacious bloodhound that could tirelessly and endlessly pursue its target. Puppeteer once described her personality as an "incurable chronic ulcer."
With a soft sigh in her heart, as she passed by Octo's roommate's bed, a sudden idea came to her.
"I don't have a place to go at the moment," she patted the empty bed, "Has your roommate already died? I assume you wouldn't mind if I temporarily stay here? After all, we are both women."
Upon hearing the last sentence, Octo's eyes suddenly gleamed. It was as if a young girl had received a bouquet of flowers from her crush and couldn't help but raise the corners of her mouth in delight. He stood on tiptoes, cleared his throat, and said, "He's missing, but I didn't kill him. He probably died in the chaos. But you can't stay here."
Lin Sanjiu lifted the pillow and glanced at it, casually asking, "Why not?"
"Why are you so silly! As I've said, if you stay here, the binding force of the oath would compel me to warn that person not to come," Octo waved his hand, "Besides, that person never comes when there's someone in the room."
"Oh,"
As Lin Sanjiu stood up, the diary card had already been slipped into the crevice between the pillow and the pillowcase, hidden beneath the pillow. She couldn't monitor the area day and night, so this card came in handy. As long as Luther approached this room, she would definitely know!
"I hope you can cooperate a little. Trust me, you definitely don't want me as an enemy."
After obtaining Octo's room card, she warned him with a deep voice - although, to be honest, it was just a show she put on. She wanted the other party to believe that her surveillance would come from outside the door. She had some doubts, which was why she needed to give him a warning.
This subtle hint hidden between her words was readily accepted by Octo without any doubt.
He watched her leave, and just as she was about to close the door, he let out a soft sigh, "I seem to have attracted too many people I can't afford to provoke lately."
Lin Sanjiu raised an eyebrow, but the door had already slid shut.
As she walked towards the bulletin board, Octo's words echoed in her mind. Luther was not someone who inspired fear in others, even with his special ability. Octo's reference was probably not to Luther, but to X, right? But he said "too many" people... Besides X, who else?
Last time, she had posed as a woman abandoned by her boyfriend and posted a detailed description of Twelve in a notice. Such content had indeed sparked human nature, and now there were dozens of new replies.
However, none of them were valuable.
After contemplating for a while, she added another message, "I can't forget him, but he always lies to me, and his promises never come true. Who knows where I can find someone with the [Oath Planting] ability? With the cycle about to break, I want him to keep his oath and live a good life with me..."
This time, before she could even finish sending the message, a new reply suddenly appeared.
"It's me."
