Undercurrents in the Underground Palace

The speeding bullet streaked across the long distance, slicing through the pitch-black corridor. It pierced the demon's body with a roar like a death knell, but this was not the end; the spinning warhead was coated in Lorenzo's blood, acting like volatile naphtha that detonated inside the creature.

Blinding white fire erupted from the twisted body, seemingly possessing a will of its own. The pure white flames tore at the demon's flesh, charring the foul-smelling meat into carbon, and the faint sparks ignited all the blood, growing ever more intense.

At the end of the darkness, Lorenzo seemed to be whispering something. He raised his shotgun, and every pull of the trigger was accompanied by a dazzling flash of light.

"Secret Blood awakening at 3%, within stable range, mental assessment normal, Silver-Binding Bolt remains intact..."

With a faint glimmer in his eyes, Lorenzo muttered these inexplicable words, firing at the demon while striding forward.

Like a grand display of fireworks, the demon let out a shrill cry beneath the shroud of pure white. It was likely an inextinguishable holy flame, swearing to burn all evil to ash.

"Eve! Get back!"

Lorenzo roared. Eve used every ounce of her strength to finally scramble away. The demon then slammed violently into the surrounding walls, charging toward Lorenzo. Unlike the space Eve occupied, this was a straight corridor; the charging demon and Lorenzo were bound to collide, yet Lorenzo seemed completely unconcerned.

The hideous figure arrived, wreathed in white flames, and clashed with the dark silhouette in an instant. A flash of white light streaked by; at the final moment of impact, Lorenzo slid beneath the demon, holding his Cane Sword high. The blood-stained blade, like a torch of burning sun, sliced the soft abdomen wide open, and endless white flames surged from within, completely consuming the demon.

Lorenzo slowly climbed to his feet. He hadn't fought a demon in many years, and he suddenly felt much older. He didn't look back at the wailing demon; the burning figure lost its mobility, and it could only vomit blood and collapse powerlessly until it was burned to ash by the white flames.

"Can you still walk?"

Seeing the battered girl, Lorenzo was somewhat surprised. He had expected Eve to die at the hands of the demon; after all, for most people encountering a demon for the first time, that was the most normal outcome. But clearly, Eve was different. This girl hadn't been crushed by the terrifying pressure; instead, it had ignited the courage to swing her sword.

"I think I have a broken bone..."

Eve endured the pain and tears, struggling to climb up. Before, there had been no way out, so she hadn't felt death was terrifying, but now that she had survived, she felt a bone-chilling cold.

The feeling of surviving such a disaster was truly complex.

"What exactly was that?"

Lorenzo supported Eve as they walked deeper into the darkness. Although Eve didn't state it explicitly, Lorenzo knew what she was asking.

"Forbidden technology from the old era... You saw it yourself. Those demons run faster than leopards and have more strength than bears. Some even possess intelligence equal to humans, not to mention their nature of being extremely difficult to kill and the demonic influence that destroys the mind."

Sometimes Lorenzo found it ridiculous; by comparison, demons were the more perfect creatures. He spoke casually, leaning on his Cane Sword while remaining vigilant of the surrounding darkness.

"In the past, fighting demons was entirely a matter of throwing human lives at them. It was a cruel era. Humanity paid an unimaginable price to survive the night, and this technology is the product of that price."

To win, The Order did things no kinder than the demons themselves, but as Lorenzo's mentor had said back then, some evil acts were necessary. Only the cruelty of the present could buy the survival of others.

Although it sounded like twisted logic, Lorenzo agreed with it. Even though he didn't have much nostalgia for Florence, he sometimes still thought of that slightly neurotic mentor.

Both of them had lost too much blood, but Lorenzo was holding up better. As someone who had come out of The Order, the training he had undergone had long since made him different from ordinary people. But Eve was different; the girl was deathly pale, looking as if she would collapse at any second.

"There's the sound of water nearby."

Eve's voice was low; she was already struggling to speak.

"I know. This should be near the drainage channels. Keep your spirits up, Eve. You don't want to drown in the water next, right?"

He patted the girl's cheek firmly. Lorenzo felt a sense of foreboding; Eve looked terrible.

It was a spiral iron staircase, covered in rust from the damp air. The murky atmosphere was thick with the smell of rust and the sour stench of what seemed to be rotting food.

Lorenzo felt he had found the right place. In the Lower District, people called this a drainage channel, but to put it bluntly, it was a sewer. Most of the city's household waste and factory refuse were discharged directly into the drains, eventually ending up in the Thames River. In the history of Old Dunling, the Thames had once become a dead river, and it was only through various forceful measures by City Hall that the water had gradually become clear again.

But clearly, the people of the Lower District wouldn't listen to City Hall. At the thought of having to jump into water mixed with everyone's excrement, Lorenzo felt a bit like vomiting.

The hoarse wailing in the darkness continued, now distant, now near. Those were demons—countless demons. Most of them were currently gathered above the underground palace, attempting to breach the soldiers' defensive lines. As for the few Lorenzo had encountered, they were likely just unlucky strays.

The danger remained, and no one could guarantee that these two were the only lost demons.

"Hold on, we're almost there. We'll drift all the way into the Thames and then be washed ashore. After that, you'll still be the princess of the Phoenix, and I'll still be a detective. Tonight, no one will know we were ever here."

The Cane Sword ferociously slashed through the iron chains, and the sealed iron gate swung open. A heavy stench rushed out, and the sound of rushing water was right before them.

It was different from what he had expected; behind the iron gate was a tiny pier, with a small wooden boat moored on the filthy river water.

"Jackpot."

Lorenzo shouted happily.

Although the Lower District was chaotic and dirty, it was full of wealth. But wealth was one thing, and being able to transport it out was another. Lorenzo had expected this to be a narrow drainage pipe where the two of them might accidentally suffocate, but clearly, Sabo had been very thoughtful.

In his years of managing the underground palace, he had expanded this area significantly, transforming it into an underground river. While not very spacious, it was enough for a small boat to pass through. This was a secret route used to smuggle wealth out of the palace, and since the Thames was so long, no one would know where it would emerge.

"Time to go."

Lorenzo said, lifting Eve onto the boat. Standing on the pier, he took a booklet from his coat, wrapped it tightly in his own clothes, and placed it on the boat as well.

"What is that?"

The girl clutched her clothes; between the blood loss and the damp mist, she felt very cold.

"Sabo's ledger. I found it in the room behind the stained glass."

Lorenzo explained to Eve.

"Tonight's clues weren't enough, but with this, it's different. Every manager has a ledger like this. After all, once the number of subordinates grows, expenses become chaotic without one. And a single ledger can expose far too many things."

Standing on the bank, Lorenzo picked up the oars. It looked like this hellish night was finally coming to an end. Even though he was bleeding, the detective was incredibly happy.

But just then, an air current stirred in the gloomy dampness, as if someone had plucked the heartstrings of the two with a razor. The tension tightened, and then, it suddenly snapped.

The girl before him had her pupils shrink. She seemed to have seen something terrifying. Her mouth opened slightly as she tried to issue a warning, but her exhausted body made her movements far too slow.

In an instant, all his senses seemed to sharpen: the sound of surging water, the breeze brushing against the fur on his cheeks, and the distinct heartbeat of a third person echoing in his ears.

Lorenzo saw himself reflected in the girl's pupils, and within the shadow of that reflection, he saw what stood behind him.

In a split second, Lorenzo made his choice. He had the opportunity to strike back, but instead, he kicked the wooden boat with all his might, just as a sharp blade pierced through his chest.

The girl screamed, dragging her exhausted body in an attempt to save Lorenzo, but the boat carried her further and further away until she vanished into the depths of the darkness.

"Could it be that this is just luck again, Mr. Lorenzo Holmes?"

The voice sounded from behind him. Lorenzo smiled bitterly, gripping the rapier tightly. This strike should have pierced his heart, but the force of his kick against the boat at the last moment had shifted his position just enough to avoid the fatal blow.

"Of course not. A man must remain vigilant rather than rely entirely on the Goddess of Luck."

"Is that so?"

The man spoke and withdrew the blade, yet no blood surged from the wound; it was as if the body known as Lorenzo had long since run dry of blood.

My mental state hasn't been great lately, and I have to rush to various job fairs. I also have to travel out of town tomorrow, so the update will likely be late. Once these matters are settled next week, I should be able to resume my regular update schedule.