"What are you standing around for?" Harding's voice carried through the wind and rain. "Move!"
The capture teams reacted at once.
They intensified their control over the formation, raising the sealing formation's strength by another level.
With elite Psychic Harding and the entire capture team, aided by the sealing formation and the lighting array, they unleashed their full firepower.
The Shadow Thief began to be suppressed.
Its shadow membrane kept contracting beneath the storm's assault, retreating from the walls, from the machinery, and inch by inch from the ground, compressed back into that tiny area at the center of the factory building.
The unceasing lightning strikes formed an airtight "wall" around it, preventing it from spreading again.
"The sealing formation is preparing to close in!" Dirk shouted.
The capture team members swiftly adjusted the runes' positions. The formation's light began to contract inward, further squeezing the Shadow Thief's space to move. Everything was heading in a better direction.
If nothing unexpected happened, they should soon be able to suppress and seal it.
If nothing unexpected happened...
East of the factory building lay the edge of the Abandoned Industrial Zone. Beyond it was a dirt road leading to the Old District.
Suddenly, scattered points of light appeared on the dirt road.
The captain of the capture team stationed on watch narrowed his eyes, trying to make out where those lights were coming from.
His night vision was far better than an ordinary person's, but the lights were shrouded in dense fog, and he could see only vague outlines.
As they drew closer, those outlines became somewhat clearer.
People.
A great many people.
They wore long black robes, their hoods concealing their heads and faces, leaving only their chins and mouths exposed.
Each of them carried a kerosene lamp, its flame flickering