Westminster Bank

This was one of the reasons he had kept a stone-cold expression the whole way.

It was just one of the reasons because, according to a secret message from Jack, the Westminster Times was apparently extremely optimistic about his prospects. Based on his three test results, they estimated that his S Level rating was as good as guaranteed. Now, he just had to apply some serious pressure, then make his demands. Best-case scenario: get them to open the Taboo Chamber just for him in exchange for the right to use a Taboo Item.

"Brother L, go for it! I'll always have your back!"

That's what Jack had told him in the secret message.

An idea had just taken shape in his mind, and he planned to use this opportunity to bring it up.

"Open the Taboo Chamber?" Howard said. "Your file has been upgraded to S Level, so we can indeed open it for you... Stella, please take him."

Stella, the secretary who had just delivered some documents to Howard, nodded and said to Baron impassively, "Follow me, Mr. L."

On the way to the Taboo Chamber, the mysterious S Level from the Middle East, Kasha, also tagged along. Her emerald eyes were constantly glued to Baron, but she would immediately turn away whenever he looked over.

'What is she up to...'

Baron grew slightly more wary and pulled the collar of his face-concealing trench coat even higher.

He had no idea why this S Level specialist was following him. She had helped him out earlier with the administrative manager, but he was still wary of Westminster Bank specialists. He had a feeling that if she recognized him, she'd try something opportunistic—Jack was already a prime suspect in that regard.

Malozov had intended to follow as well, but his secretary came and stopped him. It seemed there was some specific matter to report, and he, like Howard, was holding a strange document.

The two of them then opened the documents and read for a moment. In any case, both froze on the spot.

If anyone had passed by him at that moment, they would have heard him muttering the same letters over and over: "SS… SS…"

It sounded like the hiss of a snake hidden deep within a cave.

The door to the Taboo Chamber looked completely ordinary. After Howard opened it with his authorization, he led Baron and Kasha inside.

The layout of the Taboo Chamber was simple, much like the collection room Baron had seen at the Old Blood Clan's estate. Various unknown Taboo Items were shrouded beneath quartz glass cases, each engraved with strange runes.

The only difference was the card reader beneath each Taboo Item. According to Stella's explanation, these were for the specialists' mission point cards.

As long as a specialist had enough points, they could sign a contract here to obtain a powerful Taboo Item—though only for a period of use, not ownership.

Points were mainly accumulated through specialist missions. Supposedly, the proposal for this system had come from a Westminster branch in a certain large country in the East.

Baron suddenly recalled something Howard had told him in his office. "You know, people from the East are all geniuses."

Besides the Taboo Items, Baron also saw a massive amount of sealed Gold. Or rather, it wasn't sealed; on the other side of the room, the Gold had been melted and forged to become part of the room itself.

The ceiling, the floor, the walls, and even the pedestals displaying the Taboo Items were all forged from Gold. They shimmered with a brilliant light, exuding an overwhelming sense of opulence.

"S Level and some of the more dangerous A Level Taboo Items generally require Gold to suppress them. In addition, there are some powerful alchemy items that, while not Taboo Items, are filled with potent Spiritual Essence. This is the origin of the Taboo Chamber's name."

This time, it wasn't Stella who explained, but Kasha.

"Choose whatever you like… Your current points should be enough to enter the Golden Zone and select a decent Taboo Item for your use… But be extremely careful. Don't touch the dangerous items marked with seals. Their Spiritual Essence is too potent, and an ordinary person's mind can be easily bewitched by them."

Baron followed Stella, his gaze sweeping over the items in the Golden Zone, passing over one dangerous, marked Taboo Item after another.

'According to Jack, it should be in here. With it, I can escape no matter how many people are chasing me... As long as I have it...'

Baron stopped in his tracks, his body frozen. His gaze trembled as if he had seen something unbelievable.

Seeing this, Stella assumed Baron had found his target. She followed his line of sight, and she too froze for a second before explaining:

"That isn't something you can redeem with points. It's not classified as a Taboo Item, but a Sealed Object."

"After analysis, our Alchemists determined it to be the remains of a Golden Tier Law Enforcer. An immense and extremely bizarre aura of Law has gathered on it... It was first discovered on the Outer Side in Iceland. Westminster's containment specialists noticed it because all the residents living nearby started having the exact same dream at night."

Kasha stopped as well, her gaze following theirs. She saw a human right leg, bound by chains of pure gold.

Yes, a human right foot… or to be more precise, the entire right leg.

It had been severed at the thigh, the cut smooth and perfect, leaving the bone and blood vessels clearly visible. The skin was a sickly pale, covered in all sorts of bizarre black runes. The leg itself was so symmetrical and perfectly shaped that it was impossible to determine the gender of its former owner…

Kasha's eyes narrowed slightly from beneath her veil.

"What dream?" Baron asked, his eyes still fixed on the human leg. The intensity of his gaze was so startling that Stella was taken aback for a moment, forgetting to continue her explanation.

'He doesn't have a foot fetish, does he… Or are the habits of a Dragon Knight really as twisted as those of the Dragon Species?'

'No, that's not the point. The point is, can Westminster really not find a single normal person anymore?'