Lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the dark city walls.
Derrick Berg, carrying a leather pouch and holding a " Hurricane Axe," stood outside the doorway with nearly ten teammates.
Looking up, he saw that the black soil between the cracks in the city wall was dry and crumbling, yet clumps of tenacious weeds had grown, their fine, swaying branches resembling human hair.
Just then, he heard light footsteps and quickly looked away, glancing towards the city gate.
Amidst the alternation of lightning and darkness, a tall figure slowly approached, carrying two concealed straight swords crossed on his back.
Immediately afterwards, his pale, disheveled hair, his weathered and deep eyes, his Distortion and deep old scars, and his unchanging brown coat and Derrick shirt came into view, one after another.
The newcomer was none other than Colin Iliad, the chief of the City of Silver's " Council of Six," a powerful " Demon Hunter."
After greeting him, Derrick subconsciously glanced at the chief's waist, where there was a belt divided into many sections, each containing a different small metal vial.
This is a sign of a " Demon Hunter's " experience and power.
Derrick had heard his parents mention before that " Demon Hunter " were skilled at discovering the weaknesses of different Monster, identifying the uses of various materials, and in a special Cogitation mode, they could use the former to create corresponding magical potions, holy balms, essential oils, and special marks, and then use these items by ingesting, applying, or using them to achieve the effect of restraining the target.
In a sense, experienced, knowledgeable, well-prepared, and quick-witted " Demon Hunter " are the bane of most Monster; the number and types of metal vials they carry represent their "experience."
Of course, these are only some of the extraordinary abilities possessed by " Demon Hunter," and with these alone, they cannot be called " Demigod " or " Saint."
Colin looked around to make sure all the team members were present, then spoke in a low voice:
"Light the lamps, let's go."
The two team members immediately lit the candles inside the lantern, allowing the dim, yellowish light to filter through the extremely thin leather.
During the daytime when lightning is frequent, there is no need to use candles in City of Silver, because there is "light" every two or three seconds, and the surrounding Monster have been cleared away again and again. However, once you leave City of Silver and enter the depths of darkness, you must keep candlelight on at all times. Otherwise, if the lightning does not keep up at a certain stage and creates a dark environment for more than five seconds, the party will most likely be attacked by some Monster.
The fierce battle wasn't the most terrifying development; what Derrick remembered most vividly was a story his parents had told him.
On one occasion, while exploring the depths of darkness, due to the previous battle with the horde of Corrosion Living Corpse, the candles were not replaced in time, forcing them to endure eight seconds of profound darkness. When the lightning returned and the candlelight reappeared, they were astonished to find that only five of their original eight teammates remained. The other three had vanished silently and without a trace, never to be seen again.
Taking a breath, Derrick gripped the " Hurricane Axe " tightly, walked in the middle of the group, and followed the chief in the predetermined direction.
A flash of lightning illuminated the plains covered in long, black grass, transforming them into a scene resembling a sinister oil painting.
An exploration team of 10 Beyonder walked along a path strewn with jagged rocks, venturing deep into the patches of black grass.
The lightning subsided, and the dense darkness instantly surged back, nearly engulfing them completely.
The dim candlelight pierced through the leather, weakly and flickeringly illuminating the surrounding area.
Inside a greasy, cheap coffee shop in the East Borough.
As agreed, Klein found Old Kohler spreading margarine on toast.
He glanced at the crumpled cigarettes on the table and chuckled, saying:
"Newly bought?"
"No, not before. I haven't smoked it since, but I always carry it with me and occasionally take it out to smell it. Hehe, it reminds me of that time I was a homeless person. Back then, I really felt like I could die at any moment." Old Kohler's tone was slightly tinged with fear.
Klein took out 20 Soli coins that he had exchanged beforehand, and pushed them to the other person as he sat down:
"I was very satisfied with the intelligence from last time."
Before Old Kohler could be modest, he turned to look at the counter:
"One oat bread roll, two slices of toast, a pat of butter, a serving of beef stew with potatoes, and a penny for tea."
"Mr. Moriarty, you didn't have dinner yesterday?" Old Kohler paused, holding the banknotes.
Klein shook his head and laughed:
"I'll be very busy next, and I might not have time for lunch."
He had to pretend to be very proactive and serious, after all, he had received £100 in funding from Prince Edessak.
Old Kohler didn't ask any more questions. He looked around warily as he stuffed the banknotes into his pocket.
"The matter you asked me to inquire about last time has yielded results. The bounty on Azik Eggers came from several gang leaders and some intelligence brokers. Well, I don't know who commissioned them; contacting them is difficult."
Military Intelligence Section 9, huh... Klein nodded:
"That's enough. There's no need to go any deeper; it's too dangerous."
Old Kohler breathed a sigh of relief and then said:
"A couple of days ago, someone saw a guy who looks like Azik Eggers at a cheap hotel on Goldcloak Street. Apparently, he looks almost exactly like the photo on the wanted poster."
... Klein's heart skipped a beat, but instead of being surprised, he laughed:
"And then what? Is it really over just because I'm about to claim the bounty?"
"And then? With a clue, many bounty Hunter rushed over, but found nothing. Well, they said there were signs of a struggle in that room." Old Kohler tried hard to recall the information he had gathered.
The intelligence will definitely be given to Military Intelligence Section 9... Is this a covert contest between Mr. Azik and them? I wonder what the outcome was... Klein glanced at the owner who was carrying a tray, and said to Old Kohler with feigned contemplation:
"Take me to Goldcloak Street later; perhaps I can find some clues there."
It was past breakfast time in the East Borough, and the cheap coffee shop had very few customers.
"Okay." Old Kohler agreed without hesitation.
"Sixteen and a half pennies in total." The shopkeeper placed Klein's breakfast on the table. There wasn't much beef in the potatoes, but it was stewed until very tender, clearly prepared in advance. The rich aroma made Old Kohler involuntarily swallow.
After paying, Klein picked up his fork and spoon and said to Old Kohler:
"Continue."
"There are hardly any followers of the Fool anymore, except for a few stubborn bounty Hunter... Many unemployed textile workers, including some male workers, have left the East Borough..." Old Kohler said, listing the reasons one by one.
"What?" Klein swallowed his beef and looked up. "Left the East Borough?"
"He must have found another job, but I can't find out exactly where he went," Old Kohler replied truthfully.
"Their families don't know?" Klein pressed.
"Some left with their unemployed families, while others had no families of their own and came from other places to Backlund in search of work." Old Kohler had already done some research.
Judging from the choice of the person in question, something's wrong... Klein made a note of it and continued to listen to Old Kohler recount the events that had occurred in the East Borough during this period while he ate.
After agreeing on a time for their next meeting, he put down his cutlery, wiped his mouth, picked up his hat, and said:
"Go to Goldcloak Street."
Inside the only cheap hotel on Goldcloak Street.
After accepting the two pence, the shopkeeper led Klein and Old Kohler to the room that appeared to have been occupied by Azik Eggers.
"A lot of bounty Hunter have been coming lately, hehe, it's made me quite a bit of money, so I've left everything as it is," the owner said, opening the door with his key and pointing inside.
Klein glanced around and saw an overturned chair and scraps of cloth scattered everywhere; other than that, there were no other signs of a struggle.
With a heightened Spirit Intuition, Klein turned his gaze to the space under the bed.
He stared for two seconds, then walked over and bent down to pat the bed.
With a soft thud, a speck of dust rose as a light black mouse scurried out from under the bed.
It appeared normal, without any problems, but in Klein's Spirit Vision, its aura was only blackish-green.
The mouse turned a corner, climbed up the wall, and exposed its belly to Klein's view.
That soft spot was covered in greenish flesh and oozing pus, and you could see the equally rotting internal organs inside.
Klein thoughtfully withdrew his gaze and said to Old Kohler, who was completely oblivious to the rat:
Has the bounty on Azik Eggers been revoked?
"No." Old Kohler definitely shook his head.
Klein looked around again, then stepped outside and said:
"Let's go, there are no valuable clues."
15 Minsk Street.
After a busy day outside, Klein went to bed early and entered the world of dreams.
Fragments, sometimes continuous and sometimes fragmented, floated by, and Klein suddenly woke up, realizing he was dreaming.
A force has invaded my dream... Klein remained in a dazed state, casually glancing around.
He found himself in the countryside, surrounded by fertile fields.
A river rushes in from afar, making a bend beside the cliff in front.
One side of the cliff was bare, revealing pure white rock, which looked exceptionally sacred and beautiful from a distance.
At the river bend, nearly ten men and women, carrying various items and dressed in black coats or dark jackets, surrounded a hidden underground entrance. Among them was Klein's acquaintance, Ikanser Bernard.
Whitecliff Town... Seford River Bend... Machinery Hivemind... Are they exploring the Amon Family's tomb? But why is this scene appearing in my dream? Klein was puzzled.
Just then, he saw the surface of the river shimmering, quickly outlining a line of white words:
"Your loyal servant Arrodes reports to you on the progress of the exploration."
... Klein's mouth opened slightly, but he couldn't speak for a moment, while a voice echoed in his mind:
Why would you, a perfectly good mirror, become a traitor?
P. S.: It's the second to last day of October, so don't waste your monthly vote!