It was him who had suddenly come trotting over, looking panicked, to report to her.
He claimed to have monitored a cross-line interference in the mental channel of a Moon Lord believer.
Using that as bait, he had drawn her attention toward the Golden Rose Hotel lead.
And what had she done then?
Thinking that the case had finally seen a breakthrough.
Her first move was to send him as a messenger to bring Branch Manager Guardian for a field investigation.
This move, seemingly logical at the time.
Had become the start of their total defeat.
It was this very decision that had completely disrupted her meticulously planned arrangements for tonight.
Ms. Cecil's gaze was as cold as ice.
One must understand.
According to her original plan.
Tonight, she should have been standing in the cold temporary autopsy room.
Performing a second deep autopsy on John Baker's corpse.
In order to determine the true cause of his death.
And follow the trail to find the actual location of the Soul Pendulum.
However.
Every plan had been forced to change course after this new development at the Golden Rose Hotel appeared.
Ms. Cecil's breathing grew somewhat heavy.
As she stepped on dry branches, the puzzle in her mind gradually became clear.
That mystery lock fragment.
She had always harbored doubts about it.
How could a fragment the size of a fingernail remain perfectly preserved at a crime scene where people were constantly coming and going?
For an entire month!
It simply didn't stand up to scrutiny.
But the problem was that Branch Manager Guardian following this clue was also absolutely correct in terms of logic.
Because pursuing John Baker was originally Ms. Cecil's primary duty.
For the Hope County branch.
Guardian, as the branch manager, personally mobilizing manpower to help her investigate another branch of the case.
This was already the greatest possible cooperation and sharing of her workload.
It was an open scheme.
In other words.
The opponent behind the scenes had calculated the internal operating mechanisms and interpersonal dynamics of the Seventh Agency to the letter.
They had predicted that Branch Manager Guardian would definitely seize this clue and pursue it.
They even went as far as throwing out the smokescreen of the Temple of Slaughter.
Leading most of the attention and combat power of the entire branch toward the sewers of the North District.
A classic diversion.
Ms. Cecil gritted her teeth, making a faint grinding sound.
Thinking about it carefully.
This kind of calculation was chilling.
The enemy's level of mastery over their information had likely reached the point where they knew every detail.
The opponent was not only aware that John's theft fell entirely under the jurisdiction of the special envoy.
Even more fatal.
They were also aware of Branch Manager Guardian's background.
They knew that the veteran had personally participated in the bloody suppression of the Temple of Slaughter during the "Red Terror" thirty years ago.
They understood even more what the reappearance of the name "Temple of Slaughter" meant.
To those old investigators who had contributed to the nation by stepping over the corpses of their colleagues during the "Red Terror."
What it truly signified.
Therefore.
As soon as this skin was put on.
Once Branch Manager Guardian arrived at the temple and confirmed the aura.
He would, without the slightest hesitation, contact every reinforcement he could reach.
Thinking of this, a chill rushed straight to the top of her head.
She couldn't help but associate it with the most unacceptable answer.
There was a mole in the agency!
And it was definitely a big fish.
Of course, she wasn't just thinking of that rookie, Luke.
He was too obvious.
The reason she had suspected him before was mainly because his Scale level was too low.
Whether it was the Mist Veil Society or Wayland Capital, why would they send such a weak person as a mole?
As it turned out, their experience with these two organizations did not apply here.
And how did Luke manage to blend into the Hope County branch so easily?
Who gave him the green light?
Who signed off on his personnel files?
This could only mean one thing.
There was an even larger mole among the high-ranking members of the Seventh Agency.
Now, everything was clear.
Luke had played the core guiding role in this diversionary conspiracy.
This was also the main reason why the true core—the Lily of the Valley Convent—was now in a state of total emergency.
However.
Ms. Cecil looked up at the night sky.
What kind of out-of-control situation could possibly occur within the convent?
One had to remember, that was the territory of the Life Scholars.
Even if the Mist Veil Society mobilized more cultists.
With such a home-field disadvantage, they shouldn't be able to easily attack fully armed investigators!
Unless the defense had collapsed from within.
Or some variable had appeared that even the Life Scholars could not suppress.
Ms. Cecil clenched her fists.
At this point, distant help could not put out a nearby fire.
But for now, she could only pray silently in her heart.
Hoping that Finn could lead the team to hold on desperately until she arrived with her people.
Besides that.
There was one more thing she couldn't understand no matter how much she thought about it.
Elias was actually at the convent as well.
What was he doing in a place like that in the middle of the night?
What was his goal?
Could it also be for that Soul Pendulum?
It was impossible to know.
Hearts are hidden behind skin; in the supernatural world, no one wears their trump cards on their face.
However.
Ms. Cecil breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Since the investigators could use the Imprinting Orb she gave him to send a distress signal.
It at least proved one fact.
Elias's stance was not opposed to their own.
He might have even stepped in to help.
Thinking of this.
A cold night wind blew past.
The iconic silhouette of the convent's spire had already appeared in the night sky ahead like a sharp sword.
They were almost there.
But just as she took a few more steps forward.
Ms. Cecil suddenly exerted force with her legs and skidded to a halt.
Her boots scraped a deep mark into the soil.
“Ma'am...”
Beside her, an investigator spoke with a trembling voice.
“What is that?”
Following the direction of the investigator's finger.
Everyone clearly noticed the massive shadow, like a small mountain, sitting abruptly next to the church.
That definitely did not belong to the original church building complex.
Ms. Cecil didn't waste any words.
Spirit Vision, activate!
Her vision pierced through the darkness.
In the next second, her pupils contracted violently.
A sky-piercing aura of death, like a physical pillar of black smoke, was frantically spreading in all directions.
The dark green dark erosion energy was so thick it looked like a pool filled with low-grade paint.
It had almost completely covered this patch of woods on the outskirts.
“Such a heavy aura of death...”
Ms. Cecil murmured to herself.
Her gaze focused on that shadow.
“That thing...”
Her voice suddenly rose, carrying a hint of undisguisable horror.
“...is alive!”
Ms. Cecil looked up, staring intently at the mountain-like object in the distance.
By the dim celestial light peeking from behind the clouds.
Everyone could faintly see that the massive mountain of flesh was slowly writhing.
“We have to hurry!”
Ms. Cecil couldn't help but grow anxious.
Finn and the others were actually facing a monster of this level!
Just as she was about to order a full-speed sprint.
A series of hurried footsteps came from the woods ahead.
A reconnaissance investigator responsible for scouting ahead came rushing back.
“Ma'am!”
The investigator panted heavily, pointing toward the forest path behind him.
“There are two civilians ahead who have been severely eroded.”
“What?!”
Ms. Cecil's brow instantly twisted into a tight knot.
Civilians?
In the middle of the night, in this desolate outskirt filled with deathly aura, how could civilians be caught up in this?
She didn't hesitate and immediately made tactical assignments.
“You few, go ahead to the convent and support Finn and the others.”
She ordered, pointing to the main group behind her.
Then, she turned to the scouting investigator.
“You, take me to see them.”
“Yes!”
The people behind her immediately took the order. Gripping their weapons, they bypassed the dense fog area and ran toward the convent.
Ms. Cecil followed behind the scout.
Pushing aside the branches that had turned somewhat withered and yellow from the dark erosion energy.
Passing through a sparse patch of woods.
Soon.
She saw two figures lying in a pile of fallen leaves by the muddy road.
Judging by their size and clothing, they were two young girls.
Ms. Cecil stepped forward quickly and half-knelt.
An illumination spell lit up, shining on one of the girls' faces.
When that vibrant, flame-like red hair defenselessly pierced her eyes.
Ms. Cecil's breath suddenly hitched.
How could this child be here?
Rate on N.U.
