Chapter 20: DeathSeal
It was early June, the perfect time for everything to flourish.
Fiona had grown up in an orphanage. Even though she made a decent amount of money through her schemes, she still lived pretty modestly.
So, in her backyard, there were all sorts of common veggies and fruits growing, creating a lush green scene.
But in one corner, there were just a few withered, blackened vines. Weird, right?
Out of nowhere, a thunderclap boomed, making me jump.
A massive dark cloud had rolled in, and within seconds, it started pouring.
I turned and headed back to the house.
There was a piece of aluminum-plastic paneling extending from the roof, acting as a rain shelter. Something slid down it quickly, making a screeching noise.
I was just a few steps from the house when I heard the noise and looked up.
A flash of lightning lit up the sky, and in that moment, I saw a white object sliding down the rain shelter, aiming right for my throat!
I quickly dodged to the side, feeling a chill on my neck, and a shard of glass hit the ground.
I stood under the canopy, clutching my scratched neck, cold sweat dripping down my face.
Had it not been for that lightning, I would have been taken by surprise, my throat cut, and left lying on the ground by now.
The sharp pain in my neck intensified, and then it hit me.
The moon was hidden, a lone star in the sky, and the slanted rain shelter pointed straight to the corner where Sinwaft was.
This wasn't a coincidence; someone had set up this DeathSeal in advance.
Was the target Fiona or me?
It had to be me; this particular DeathSeal singled out just one person. So, who would have a grudge against me?
Lorenzo once said my eyes were different from others, which was my gift but could also put me in danger.
This kind of complex DeathSeal wasn't something an ordinary astrologer could create.
Even though I had a great teacher, I could only spot the clues after the fact. If I had to create it, I couldn't.
The rain gradually stopped.
I walked to the corner of the wall, picked up a small iron pickaxe, and started digging.
After a few strikes, I heard a "clink" as the pickaxe hit something.
I quickly bent down and dug with my hands, revealing a grayish-white bone.
What was this?
I reached out and picked it up. Growing up in the countryside, I instantly recognized it as a lamb's spine, dug out from a lamb's belly!
When a lamb wasn't born yet, the end of its spine had a small crack, which gradually closed after birth.
At this moment, this lamb's spine no longer had Sinwaft.
Damn!
I cursed under my breath and threw the bone over the wall.
As I turned to go back inside, I vaguely saw a figure in the other corner of the wall. When I looked again, it was gone.
No, I need to learn more from Lorenzo, or I'd be too passive.
Back inside, I treated my wound quickly and had completely lost any desire to sleep.
Who wanted to harm me?
The next day came, and it was June 12th.
I spent the day at the clinic and went to Ronald's house at 6:30 PM.
To my surprise, besides Ronald, there was a middle-aged man waiting for me.
"Dennis, let me introduce you," Ronald said, pulling me over with a big grin. "This is Allen Moore, a well-known entrepreneur in our county."
I smiled and shook Allen's hand. I'd heard of him before—he was a big shot in real estate around here, making a killing in the booming market. Now, he was one of the richest guys in the county.
"I've heard Mr. Clark say that Dennis is very talented at a young age. Meeting you now, I didn't realize you were this young," Allen said politely, but I could see a flicker of disappointment in his eyes. Not sure why, though.
After some small talk, Ronald said, "Dennis, Mr. Moore has been having some troubles recently. He's tried a few experts from around here, but nothing's worked. Since you saved my daughter last time, I recommended you to him."
Ah, now it made sense. Allen probably thought I was too young and maybe a bit of a fraud.
Allen didn't say anything, and neither did I.
Ronald, sensing the awkwardness, sighed, "Dennis, you might not know, Mr. Moore has raised the fee to $300,000 for this matter."
Three hundred grand back then could buy three or four houses in the county.
"Mr. Moore, Mr. Clark should have told you that I'm not interested in money. If you trust me, I'll give it a try?"
Allen responded, "Of course, since I'm here, I trust you."
"Alright."
I didn't say much, just took out the Sunstrike hidden in my palm and asked Allen to extend his hand. I pressed it against the base of his finger.
After a few moments, I felt the Sunstrike vibrate slightly. I withdrew my hand and saw the star at the top of the Big Dipper's handle flash briefly.
This was the upper star of the central star of the Big Dipper.
I put away the Sunstrike and looked at Allen, "Mr. Moore, the problem isn't with you."
Allen looked stunned, "What do you mean?"
"Who are the family members you live with for long periods?" I asked.
"Just my wife," Allen said. "My son is in middle school out of town and only comes back once a month."
"If I'm not mistaken, your wife has been feeling unwell recently."
Allen nodded repeatedly, "That's right, she has been continuously drowsy for the past few days and hasn't been eating much. She's visibly losing weight, and the hospital hasn't found anything wrong with her."
"Has your wife been upset about anything recently?"
"Well..." Allen seemed a bit embarrassed. "Oh, well, she's been having some gynecological issues. It's not a serious illness, but you know, women..."
I looked up at the clear night sky, "Alright, I'll draw a StarAmulet for you. Go home immediately and place it in the southeast corner of your house before 8 PM. Burn it at midnight and scatter the ashes in any potted plant in your home."
As I spoke, I casually took a piece of paper and sketched the outer stars of the Big Dipper. Then I folded the four corners of the paper inward and handed it to Allen, "Mr. Moore, within three days, your luck will turn around."
After seeing Allen off, I sat in the living room with Ronald. At exactly 8 PM, the lights in the house suddenly went out!