An Eerie Presence That Should Not Have Appeared

Six streaks of Flame simultaneously pierced the air, heading towards the target along predetermined paths.

But the Gray-robed Man's reaction was incredibly fast.

He shifted his body slightly to the side, raised his mechanical arm, and placed his metallic forearm in front of him.

He managed to deflect both bullets, sparks flying and leaving two shallow dents on the metal surface.

The four bullets that hit the body on the ground.

All hits.

But the wooden body only swayed slightly.

There was no movement, not even an obvious wound.

The bullet embedded itself in the wooden body, the accompanying Flame leaving several charred marks on his skin, burning for a few seconds before quickly extinguishing.

"That's interesting."

The Gray-robed Man's voice had a metallic, abrasive quality, and there was even a hint of amusement in his tone.

"To be able to fire before I can even make a move... Do they really have that kind of talent in the Night Watcher?"

He continued charging forward as he spoke.

Raymond's blade had already been drawn, blocking the way for the Gray-robed Man.

The sound of metal clashing echoed in the room.

The Gray-robed Man blocked with one hand, then used the momentum to unleash a powerful punch with his other hand.

A near-violent force struck Raymond's longsword, the immense power sending Raymond staggering back several steps.

Raymond's hand went numb, and his expression changed slightly.

This guy's strength even overwhelmed me, and he was clearly holding back.

Otherwise, if that palm strike landed on me, I would definitely be injured.

Goodbye.

The Gray-robed Man bent down, grabbed the wooden body from the ground, and easily hoisted it onto his shoulder.

"Stop him!" Raymond shouted.

Karl flanked from the side, slashing at the Gray-robed Man's back with his dagger.

But the man in black robes moved.

With a mere wave of his hand, an invisible force sent Karl flying, crashing into the wall with a dull thud.

Helen's Short Musket fired.

Bang!

The bullet was fired, but the Gray-robed Man merely turned slightly to the side, the bullet grazing the hem of his clothes.

The man in the black robe pressed his palm against the wall.

A crack appeared.

It was a hidden door.

"The evidence should also be processed."

The man in black robes spoke in a low, emotionless voice.

He took something out of his pocket and threw it towards the center of the room.

The moment it landed, it burst into a dazzling light.

The Flame surged.

This is not an ordinary fire.

The Flame had an eerie blue-white hue and were incredibly hot, instantly engulfing the runes on the ground.

"Withdraw!" Raymond shouted.

The six people stepped back.

The Flame were spreading far too fast, abnormally fast.

The runes, the patterns, the evidence that hadn't even been examined—all turned to ashes in the flames.

The Gray-robed Man carried the wooden body and retreated through the hidden door.

The man in black robes followed closely behind.

"Stay close!"

Raymond rushed toward the hidden door.

But just as he was about to step inside...

The hidden door slammed shut, transforming back into a solid wall.

The wall had already been engulfed by blue and white Flame.

Damn it!

Karl scrambled to his feet, wanting to rush back and try to salvage something.

Helen stopped him.

It's too late.

Her voice was calm, but there was suppressed anger in her eyes.

"Let's go! This fire isn't normal!"

The six people left the room and the house.

Behind them, the entire building was engulfed in flames.

The wooden structure crackled in the blue-white Flame, burning several times faster than normal.

It will soon turn to ashes.

All the evidence will be reduced to ashes.

The crowd stood in the alley, staring at the burning house, their faces grim.

"That's... eerie?" Amy's voice trembled slightly. "Really eerie? In the Bronze City?"

No one answered.

Because everyone knows the answer.

That was indeed strange.

The way they live is bizarre.

In the Bronze City.

"How is this possible..." Karl's face was filled with disbelief, "The Strange One can't survive in the Bronze City! The city's seal..."

"So that's the problem." Raymond's voice was low.

He stared at the burning Flame, his eyes dark and brooding.

"Someone has found a way to allow the eerie creatures to survive in the Bronze City."

"Or..."

He didn't continue.

But everyone understood what he meant.

Or perhaps the seal on Bronze City has malfunctioned.

Either way, it's terrible.

"Go back."

Raymond's voice broke the silence.

"What happened tonight must be reported."

He turned around, his expression even more serious than before.

"It's not just a missing persons case."

"There are other strange things."

The six people left the alley.

Night had completely fallen, and the streets were deserted.

Lu Yuan walked at the back of the group, glancing back at the fire that had burned out and stopped spreading.

Weird.

Ascension Society.

Tower of Erudition.

Sea of Knowledge.

These things intertwine, forming an increasingly complex web.

And he was already in it.

A night breeze swept by, carrying a touch of coolness and the acrid smell of burning.

Lu Yuan withdrew his gaze.

The carriage sped through the night.

Behind them, the firelight of the house gradually faded into the distance, eventually being swallowed by darkness.

No one spoke in the carriage.

Helen kept her head down, quickly jotting something down in her Notebook.

Karl leaned back in his seat, his face grim, while Raymond gazed out the window, lost in thought.

Lu Yuan remained silent.

He looked down at his hands.

At the edge of vision, gray and white text quietly emerged:

[Sanity: 48/120 (Total)]

I ate quite a bit tonight.

Having used her ability once at the Baron's Residence and just experienced that encounter, her sanity has plummeted to less than half its former level.

Reason is still not enough; we need to find a way to steadily increase reason experience as soon as possible.

But none of these are the most important.

Most importantly, strange signs of activity have appeared in the Bronze City.

This means that a potentially fatal crack has appeared inside this fortress that has stood on this land for who knows how long.

Hopefully, the Night Watcher here are prepared.

The carriage traveled swiftly and soon returned to the branch.

The branch office was still lit up late at night.

After getting out of the car, Raymond walked directly towards the main building.

"You guys go and rest first," he said without turning his head. "I'll go report. And Lu Yuan, you did a great job. We'll need your continued participation in the follow-up investigation."

"I'll go with you." Helen closed her Notebook and followed her.

Karl yawned and patted Lu Yuan on the shoulder.

"Let's go back and rest first. We can talk about it tomorrow."

"But I didn't expect you to be so skillful. You truly deserve the title of 'legend'!"

Lu Yuan nodded in response.

His gaze swept over another carriage.

Ryan and Amy also got out of the car, looking exhausted.

"And you?" Lu Yuan asked.

"There are still some things to sort out with the Merchants' Guild," Ryan said briefly. "We'll summarize them tomorrow."

Amy waved to him, and the two walked toward the Archive Room on the other side of the branch.

Lu Yuan stood there, watching everyone disperse.

Weird.

Ascension Society.

Tower of Erudition.

What's behind all this tangled up?

He snapped out of his thoughts, turned, and left.