Escape

However, the moment Lynch turned around, he heard a sharp gasp from the reporter behind him.

Hmm? Hadn't she already run into the alley?

Before the thought could fully form in Lynch's mind, someone collided directly with his back, causing him to stagger. He was immediately hit by a wave of foul, putrid stench, despite not having heard a single footstep beforehand.

He turned his head to find, as expected, the reporter who should have been inside the alley. She was standing there in a daze, looking panicked, as if she had suddenly appeared behind him the instant she charged into the alleyway.

Meanwhile, the sounds of the hillman ghoul on the other side abruptly ceased, followed by rapid, hurried footsteps as they began to close in on the three of them.

‘Neighbor.’

【It is the Authority of the Earth, Lynch. Please be careful.】

Lynch immediately thought of the strange old hillman. Ignoring the putrid smell clinging to him, he tucked the excited little Martha under one arm and hoisted the panicked reporter with the other, charging once more toward the alley that had been the reporter's target.

If she couldn't get in, I would try.

One step, two steps—the moment he took the third, the alley suddenly transformed into a solid wall. Lynch slammed right into it. His eyes narrowed, and with a light push off the wall, he vaulted onto the ledge with the grace of a cat and leaped down to the other side.

Clap. He took two steps forward to absorb the impact, and Lynch landed nimbly with the two women. However, there was no wall behind him, nor was there an alley. The three of them had returned to their original starting point.

Chaotic footsteps rang out from ahead. A group of hillmen rounded the corner, and surrounded by them, the eerie old hillman walked out at a leisurely pace.

His hair and beard were white, and his frame was thin and withered, yet with every step he took, the ground seemed to tremble slightly, and even the surrounding buildings swayed in rhythm. As the old man approached, Lynch felt as if a mountain were pressing down on him. The old man's aura merged with the environment, creating a crushing pressure that made Lynch's heart constrict involuntarily.

At the same time, a flare of anger rose from the depths of his heart.

The first time, I fled in a panic. The second time, I used a trick to scare you off. You want a third time?

Then don't blame me for using my first Divine Authority on you.

"Stand behind me. Don't be afraid. I have everything under control."

Lynch set the two women down. His faint smile quickly calmed the reporter's panicked expression. He took a deep breath, and a crimson full moon soul manifestation rose behind him.

The full moon was as solid as reality, radiating a cold yet gentle moonlight. Even though the two women could not see the soul manifestation, they felt a sense of inexplicable tenderness and peace under its glow.

The old man's pace faltered, and he raised his palm toward Lynch. Lynch’s eyes flared with brilliant light, his aura climbing to its peak, and his soul manifestation unleashed boundless pressure.

The Divine Authority was about to descend.

Yet, at that critical moment, a sharp, urgent whistle rang out from the main street in the distance.

It wasn't just one; it came from multiple points simultaneously, accompanied by the frantic clanging of bells from police carriages drawing near.

Hmm?

Both sides were stunned. The old hillman, in particular, turned back in surprise to look behind him, only to see a Watcher police carriage whip around the corner from the distance, charging forward at high speed.

With its appearance, the sounds of horse hooves and wheels multiplied around them. Clearly, more and more police were gathering.

"You cannot escape. You will come looking for me eventually," the old man said, staring deeply at Maya. "Go."

Without sparing a glance for Lynch or little Martha, he led the hillmen in a different direction, disappearing directly into the path that Lynch and Maya had been unable to enter.

Screech. With the high-pitched friction of wheels, the Watcher carriage pulled to a stop beside them the moment the hillmen left. The face of the red-haired man Lynch had seen twice before appeared in the carriage window, and Officer Natalie jumped out directly.

The reporter behind him gripped Lynch’s clothes tightly. Lynch patted her hand comfortingly, and then he heard Officer Natalie ask nervously, "Are you alright, Lynch? Are you all safe?"

"We're fine. How did you get here so quickly?"

"Hmm? Wasn't it you who sent a little drifter to ask for help? I knew it was you the moment I heard. We had just finished gathering to head out on patrol, so we decided to support you first. We arrived nearby just in time to see you summon the moon."

‘Hiss, he actually went.’ Lynch realized Natalie was talking about the bait Maya had hired. He hadn't been caught by the Rangers; instead, he had obediently run to the Scarecrow Club to ask for help, bringing unexpected reinforcements. He tilted his head to listen; the sounds of carriages were moving away, likely chasing the hillmen to drive them off. Still, Lynch was puzzled. "Why were you all gathering? What exactly happened? It feels like several factions have converged on the square."

"Something happened. Yesterday, twelve strange corpses were found nearby. It looked like they had been gnawed on by some massive beast. According to experienced occultists, it was likely ghouls. But this is very abnormal. Ghouls have intelligence; they don't want to conflict with humans, so they usually hide their remains. We never noticed them before because they only occasionally exposed one or two bodies, so there was never any contact. But twelve at once is too much."

Lynch realized that the Rangers had mobilized suddenly yesterday because of those bodies, and the appearance of the sewer ghouls was likely linked to this as well. As for the hillman ghouls wandering nearby, they were probably there for the same reason.

Had the three of them unknowingly stumbled into a major incident?

No, it couldn't be that simple. They claimed it was about the strange corpses, but the various factions were clearly all focused on Maya. There had to be something more to this.

Could it be...

A chill ran down Lynch's spine. He looked back at Maya, who was holding hands with Martha, and whispered, "Isn't Maya currently transforming into a ghoul? It couldn't have been her, could it?"

"Impossible. I asked. A ghoul's appetite is only slightly larger than a human's; it's impossible for her to have eaten twelve people." The policewoman saw Lynch look relieved, yet he kept glancing back, and asked with suspicion, "Who is that person?"

"Maya."

"Oh, wait? Who? You found her?"

Lynch raised his voice slightly, partly to put Maya at ease. "Yes, but she doesn't trust any official agencies. I'm planning to take her to the secret passage in the Thorn Flower Club to hide for a while. You should keep her identity a secret for now, too."

Officer Natalie looked at the mysterious reporter with excitement and pulled out her Watcher badge, handing it to Lynch. "There are guards there. Use this to draw them away, and you can get in. But why did you bring Martha out?"

"If it weren't for this little one, I never would have found Maya." Lynch took the important badge and handed Martha to Natalie instead. "Could you take her back for me? I'm taking Maya to the Thorn Flower Club. I hope she can help us unravel all these mysteries."

"Fine. We'll be responsible for keeping an eye on the hillmen and the ghouls. This matter involves several factions, so be careful."

With a light fist bump, the two shared a smile. Everything was understood without another word.