Chapter 170 - 107: Seeing Through (4)
"Let’s head to the factory first and ask for Captain Lisi’s opinion."
"I suppose that’s our only option..."
Not long after, Wei’en arrived at the Michelle Cloth Factory with the City Guard. Lisi and Kali were already clearing out the parasitized workers inside.
"Great Mother Empress!"
"Devotion..."
The pupils of several hundred workers had turned pure black, their faces filled with madness and excitement as they lunged nimbly toward Lisi and Kali.
"Asriel."
"Divine Redemption!"
Lisi showed no mercy, swinging her Two-Handed Axe through one parasitized body after another.
But Kali was clearly having a hard time, and she stood behind Lisi providing support.
The situation improved after Wei’en and his men arrived.
Even though the hosts had been strengthened by the Bone-Eating Worms, they were still a far cry from the City Guard.
In a single exchange, the parasitized workers were taken down and restrained by the City Guard.
"Is there any way to save them?"
"No," Lisi said, wiping the bloodstains from her body and shaking her head coldly.
Kali bit her lip and stepped forward without a word. With Dawn Radiance enveloping her hands, she placed them on a host’s head, attempting to purify the Bone-Eating Worm.
Lisi didn’t stop her.
Even an experienced Investigator like her couldn’t calmly slaughter all the hosts.
Unfortunately, even as the Bone-Eating Worms were purified, the workers didn’t survive...
"Damn it. Most of the people here have already been parasitized."
Lisi exchanged a few brief words with Captain Frick, having him and his men control the remaining workers and forbid anyone from entering or leaving.
"What we need to do now is find that Bone-Eating Mother Worm quickly, or even more people will be parasitized."
Wei’en looked at the busy City Guard and the frenzied workers. "Captain, what’s the plan?"
"Is it that mysterious person who met with Mr. Michelle?" Kali asked, a thought striking her.
"It should be him."
Lisi said with a grave expression, "But there’s something even more important right now. We must notify the Caster City State’s upper echelons immediately and conduct a full-scale screening of the city’s residents."
"Captain, you mean it’s not just here?"
"I hope I’m wrong, too..."
"..."
Wei’en knew Lisi’s suspicion was correct.
Ten days had passed since his first encounter with the Bone-Eating Mother Worm... In that much time, there was no telling how many people the Mother Worm had parasitized.
But if even the Yidrisu District, which didn’t border the Laos District, had this many hosts, then other districts must have them too.
’I wonder if the Bone-Eating Mother Worm is even in the Laos District anymore...’
After the four of them finished their discussion, Lisi immediately asked Captain Frick to arrange for several City Guards to notify the Council, the Noble Committee, and the Secret Investigation Department.
Kali, for her part, wrote a special letter in her capacity as a Candidacy Saintess of the Dawn Church, requesting that Krimms Cathedral dispatch Holy Professionals to assist with the screening.
While Lisi and the others were methodically coordinating a response, Wei’en took Tina on a walk around the factory perimeter.
[You are being targeted by Yanupi Pink’s killing intent. Reward: Survival Points +1.]
[...]
[You are being targeted by Matteo Haines’s killing intent. Evaluation: A big fish is on the line; let’s see if you can reel him in. Reward: Survival Points +5.]
’Five Survival Points?’
Wei’en glanced at the panel, his brow furrowing slightly. Based on his experience since getting the panel, this person’s strength had to be at least on Collins’s level.
"Tina, use Spiritual Vision."
He had just scanned his surroundings and found nothing. Now it was up to Tina to see if she could discover anything.
"Tina, Sight."
As darkness descended, Wei’en scanned the area and spotted an extremely conspicuous figure crouching in the corner of a three-story building not far away.
And not far from the dark figure, Melbel was, surprisingly, staring right at it...
Wei’en cursed inwardly: ’Fuck, the Guardian Knight already found the person pulling the strings?’
"WHIMPER WHIMPER WHIMPER..."
’Huh?’
Wei’en glanced at the clown still lying on the ground and couldn’t help but jolt.
’Holy fuck, Tina is this ruthless?’
At this moment, the Demon Clown’s mouth, which had originally been gagged by shadows, was now sewn shut, tight and fast, with threads of shadow.
He couldn’t speak, let alone open his mouth...
He could only use his vicious, cruel eyes and muffled whimpers to signal for Wei’en to rescue him quickly.
Wei’en pretended not to see and had Tina cancel the Spiritual Vision.
’You summoned that Sutle Dog to torture me last night, and now your mouth is sealed shut, huh?’
’Serves you right!’
After they both left the state of Spiritual Vision, Wei’en quickly found Lisi and said in a low voice, "I found where the person in hiding is."
"Where?" Lisi’s expression was fierce. "I’m going to kill him!"
"Follow me."
Wei’en knew the dark figure was watching them, so he didn’t linger, leading the small group to surround the figure’s location.
At that moment, the dark figure was frowning at the heavy losses of the hosts inside the factory. He also noticed Wei’en and the others running toward him.
"Have I been discovered?"
The dark figure felt a headache coming on. He hadn’t expected such a turn of events at the last moment.
But thoughts were just thoughts. He hurriedly left his hiding spot. He couldn’t be caught by the Secret Investigation Department now; the consequences would be more than he could bear.
[You are being targeted by Matteo Haines’s killing intent. Evaluation... Reward: Survival Points +5.]
"He got away?"
By the time Wei’en and his group reached the house, they only found the corpses of the homeowners. The dark figure was long gone.
But even after having Tina use Spiritual Vision again, they found nothing... It was as if the dark figure had vanished from Caster City State completely.