Confusion.
It is the artifact used to suppress Shawn's inspiration.
If not for this artifact, even if Shawn completed the journey of Soul Resonance, he would gradually go insane from seeing too many grotesque and eerie things.
Because in his vision, everyone appears as monsters.
Now.
Shawn sees the monster.
Under the veil of shadows, Shawn sees the phantom of a pitch-black Human-faced Spider. Its back bears a human face—not a human's face, but that of an Elf. Countless shadowy webs spread outward, each marking a location that seems to be a special node.
The enemy's body is within the spider. Her body appears to be fused with the eerie Human-faced Spider under Spiritual Vision, with only her upper body emerging atop the spider's head.
Shadowy webs spread outward in all directions.
Part of these webs lie behind Shawn and his team, within Shawn's shadow, within Benjamin's shadow, within William's shadow. Three invisible shadowy webs stretch out, linking with the webs entwining around them to form a giant web.
The radius is roughly fifty meters, and all the webs extend to the corners of the shadows.
The opponent is right at the center of this vast shadowy web!
It seems like a black widow poised to devour its prey.
What chills Shawn even more is that as the opponent moves, the massive shadowy web also moves, and the nodes extended by the webs anchor every dark corner within this range.
"You can see me?"
A seductive, bewitching whisper echoes.
The opponent is invisible to the naked eye, but in Shawn's vision, she's in plain sight.
The Human-faced Spider moved.
She glided with a ghost-like agility, targeting not anyone else but directly locking onto Shawn, who was shielded by Benjamin.
Shawn may be the weakest, but he poses the greatest threat to her.
Benjamin follows Shawn's gaze sharply. His senses are exceptionally keen, though he can't pierce illusions like Shawn. As Shawn raises his hand, Benjamin's form lunges forward swiftly; the slender sword in his hand transforms into a silver-white Flowing Light, like stars twinkling, sealing a three-meter diameter zone.
Clang clang clang!
Sparks fly upon impact.
A strange snake-shaped dagger brushes past, clashing and cutting Benjamin's abdomen, followed by a seep of blood from a gash nearly severing his intestines, ten centimeters long.
Yet Benjamin's movements don't halt for a moment; he even charges toward the invisible sharp blade. Paying with another wound on his arm, he directly locks onto the location of the eerie assassin, thrusting forward with his slender sword.
Pfft.
The snake-shaped dagger stabbed near Benjamin's kidney; it's uncertain if it hit a vital, but his form stiffens for a moment.
A flash of blood!
Benjamin's slender sword struck the opponent's arm, almost piercing through the elbow. Now, the two silhouettes stand before each other, blood dripping yet inexplicably vanishing upon touching something.
Benjamin's blood stains the opponent's body, then the blood he drips disappears into invisibility.
Both combatants, fighting to the death, are now less than thirty centimeters apart.
This distance no longer requires Shawn's guidance.
Because Benjamin can already sense the opponent's breath, his movements swiftly accelerate. Forsaking the slender sword, a long, slender finger flashes like lightning, aiming directly at the opponent's vital heart.
Faced with Benjamin's probing finger, the seductive figure's expression changes drastically, with even a hint of fear in her gaze!
A sharp scream erupts.
Pfft!
The gushing blood splashes all over Benjamin. In Shawn's vision, the wound on the opponent's elbow suddenly disappears the moment Benjamin's finger touches her body, reappearing near her chest, less than a centimeter from her heart.
If not for the last moment movement of the eerie Human-faced Spider, that terrifying wound would be upon her heart.
"Captain!" William rushes in, supporting the staggering Benjamin.
Shawn instantaneously draws his gun, tracking the shadowy webs, shooting toward the human-faced ghost spider's direction. The opponent had just spurted a large amount of blood, then vanished, reappearing at the corner five meters away where the shadowy web could accommodate her reflection.
The bullet was too slow.
Or rather, Shawn's process of aiming and shooting was too slow.
That mysterious silhouette already darted into the alleyway, escaping wounded and without hesitation plunging into the darkness.
Shawn resigns to holster the gun, hastening toward Benjamin.
"Are you alright?" Shawn also bears bloodstains, though all from Benjamin.
Benjamin's face is slightly pale from blood loss; the wounds on his abdomen and waist have vanished, replaced by two deep ones revealing bone on his thigh, still seeping blood. William promptly tears fabric to bind Benjamin's wounds.
"I'm alright," Benjamin breathes heavily, yet his voice remains calm, slowly speaking, "Support will arrive soon. Stay close to me for now."
He hands the peculiar slender sword to William, speaking firmly, "You use the Flowing Light."
This is an artifact!
A manifestation of extraordinary traits, also a Holy Relic from Fallen Transcendents, each one unique.
Investigators generally aren't equipped with artifacts.
Artifacts are too rare, bestowed only to High Tier Night Watchers responsible for combat by the Church.
William takes the peculiar slender sword. Instantly upon holding the artifact, Shawn sees a fierce outline resembling a lion projected behind William. It isn't solid but rather like vapor condensing into a lion's face, with eyes burning crimson fury.
An odd point.
Shawn sees no abnormalities in Benjamin, even under Spiritual Vision, he still appears as a normal human.
Holding the artifact, William's senses, speed, seem altered.
He guards the front of both individuals.
Unsure how much time passes, urgent footsteps come from the corner, followed by the site being sealed off by numerous officers, as three prominent figures approach.
"Leave it to me," an amiable female voice speaks.
It's a blonde woman wearing frameless glasses, with a gentle countenance, serene like water, around twenty-seven or eight years old. Her attire resembles that of a doctor as she takes Benjamin from Shawn's support.
Another man, a stern-faced middle-aged, has profound eyes and a grave expression, converses with William, simultaneously directing the sealing of the site.
"Have Ivan erase one day's memory from nearby witnesses."
"Seal off all anomalous information."
"Bring the corpse back and let the lab carefully examine his extraordinary traits' origin!"
While speaking.
An elder with a gentle face approaches; upon seeing his silhouette, everyone bows in greeting, "Bishop Rod."
This elder is roughly in his fifties, not in traditional priest robes, but loosely resembling Ancient Greece's priest robes, made with linen. He was processing a nearby orc carcass moments ago. He hands the shrine he holds to an attendant, then regards Shawn warmly, "Are you unhurt?"
Shawn's expression is a tad peculiar, softly responds, "No."
The priest's status clearly ranks high.
Others proactively greet him, revealing his remarkable status, yet his first inquiry disregards Benjamin's injuries, instead showing concern for unscathed Shawn.
That's very strange!
Shawn unconsciously scrutinizes Priest Rod, curious why he cares for him so much.
Suddenly.
Shawn's gaze shifts to the shrine held by a young attendant; his body involuntarily stiffens upon discerning the goddess idol within the shrine, depicted with three heads, three bodies, six arms, facing three different directions, each with different aspects—maiden, matron, elder. The maiden aspect facing him wears a lavish black dress.
Lady Hecate!
.........