By the time the two rushed down from the building, Caesar's chest wound had completely healed.
"Hey! Stop right there!"
The guards, startled by the gunshots and fighting, shouted and surrounded them. But before they could get close, Leonard recited a poem again, and the guards collapsed onto the cold ground, peacefully falling into a deep sleep.
Caesar pulled out the blood-stained map from his bag, and according to the bloodstains on the map, they needed to follow the Tussock River, deep into the area behind the company, where the abandoned dock was located in a deep river bend.
"That way!"
He pointed the direction, and the two quickly ran off.
"Huff! Huff!"
Not long after running, Caesar began to pant from exhaustion. He was very glad at this moment that he had participated in combat training and improved his physical fitness, otherwise he would not have been able to keep up.
Leonard ran in front of Caesar; he could have run much faster, but to accommodate Caesar, he kept his speed at a relatively low level.
The two ran one after another into the depths of William Transport Company, and soon, the outline of the abandoned dock appeared before them.
Only a half-red moon cast a faint glow, dimly illuminating everything before them.
The cement ground of the dock was already cracked, with various weeds growing wildly in the crevices. The steel bridge was rusted, and many of the wooden planks extending from the bay shore were decayed, making it look as if it had indeed been abandoned for a long time.
However, in the deep water of the river bend, hidden by buildings, an unknown cargo ship was surprisingly docked. From the outside, this ship was perfectly blocked by haphazardly built structures, and coupled with the remote location, it was unlikely that anyone would discover such a cargo ship hidden here unless they specifically came looking!
"Damn it."
Leonard also sighed; unlike the dilapidated dock, the ship's exterior was intact, without any signs of damage or wear, clearly indicating it was a fully functional vessel.
A faint figure appeared at the bow of the ship, seemingly the hooded Assassin who had ambushed them. He lightly jumped from the bow, and with a "splash," he plunged into the Tussock River, submerging and disappearing.
"Don't chase him, let's check the ship," Leonard said in a deep voice.
Caesar nodded, but as they approached the gangplank, he noticed dark red droplets scattered across the worn wood—fresh blood, still warm. The Assassin must have left it when leaping from the bow. Without saying a word, Caesar crouched down, drew out a small vial, and carefully collected the traces before slipping it back into his pocket.
The ship had a wooden plank extending to the shore, and the two carefully stepped on it to board the ship.
As soon as they entered the cabin, the fresh smell of blood assaulted them, thick and unmasked, filling their nostrils.
The two exchanged glances and searched around, following the scent of blood, finding bodies on the deck, in the Sailor's quarters, and even in the Captain's cabin. Some bodies lay on beds, possibly having been asleep; those on the deck might have been on watch; and a group of Sailors huddled in the dining room, as if they had been holding a feast. But now, they were all dead.
What a ruthless guy.
Caesar thought to himself, walking into the Captain's cabin, where he found a person dressed as a Captain slumped over the navigation table. The logbook had been thrown into a brazier, burned until only its shell remained.
Who was it, and for what purpose, to silence them?
Perhaps by checking what cargo they were transporting, they could figure it out.
They walked down to the lower deck. Pulling up the hatch door, a wave of hot, foul-smelling air rushed up. Both grabbed their revolvers, raised their gas lamps, and cautiously descended the stairs to the lower cargo hold, step by step.
The orange-yellow light of the gas lamp extended forward, illuminating faces in the depths of the cabin—some terrified, some numb, some weary.
The cargo they were transporting was people.
"The situation has exceeded our capabilities; we must report to the Captain."
After coming out of the cabin, Leonard said to Caesar with a solemn face.
No one had expected that what was originally just a routine infidelity investigation would ultimately involve Beyonder-related human trafficking.
The people in the lower cabin had skin colors and appearances clearly from the South Continent. When questioned, they only replied in the Dutanese language of the South Continent, making communication impossible.
"That scoundrel!"
Leonard seemed a bit annoyed and suddenly cursed Mr. Pond, whom he had never met, "I thought he was just having a small affair, but who knew he was actually involved in human trafficking!"
"Many of the girls inside looked like they had been abused."
Caesar also nodded with understanding. No wonder when he questioned the Spirit World creature earlier, it seemed so confused. Because Mr. Pond wasn't having an affair; he was using the convenience of slave trading to extensively abuse the young women among them.
Leonard fumed in the cabin for a while, gradually controlling his emotions, then looked up and said to him, "Let's go, we'll go back and report to the Captain."
Caesar squeezed the small bottle in his pocket, which contained the blood of the hooded Assassin.
"Why don't you go alone? I'll guard here."
He said to Leonard.
Leonard was startled. "But that's not safe."
"That guy has already run off; is he going to come back for us to catch him?" Caesar said, "I can protect the scene here, and if you go alone, without me slowing you down, you'll be faster."
What he said made sense, and Leonard was quickly convinced. After reminding him to be careful, he left alone.
After Caesar watched Leonard's figure disappear, he held the small bottle of fresh blood in his hand and walked into the cabin with a grim expression.
He sent Leonard away for no other reason than to retaliate against the fellow who dared to stab him!
He was going to curse the other party with a ritual until he took his life!
Caesar walked into the dining room, where many bodies lay scattered, those of the Sailors who had been feasting earlier. The grilled fish and mushroom soup on the table were still steaming, but the people who were supposed to enjoy them were already dead.
The Sailors' faces were frozen in terror, each killed with a single, clean, precise stab to a vital point.
"Very good, killed so many people, now I don't even need to find ritual sacrifices."
Caesar sniffed the heavy scent of blood in the dining room and sneered.
He lit two candles on the dining table, then drew a ritual dagger from his bag, cut his finger, and evenly smeared the blood on the blade. He did not create a spiritual wall but raised the dagger in the dining room filled with corpses.
"The Lord that Created Everything,
He called out the True Creator's honorific name in Hermes.
Silence fell all around. In this summer season of August and September, even the chirping of insects outside could not be heard.
The Lord who Reigns Behind the Curtain of Shadows,
The cabin began to sway, and the ceiling gas lamp swung, casting shadows.
Caesar still only recited two honorific names, not the full title. But a certain blasphemous and evil power had subtly descended. The hidden existence pressed close, eager to grant favors—like a greedy merchant offering endless "free trials," but hungering for far more than coin.
The Degenerate Nature of all Living Things"
Caesar spoke pious words in a tone utterly devoid of piety, "Praise the Lord. May His breath remove every obstacle before us."
A phantom wind arose in the dining room, carrying the mournful wails of the dying. After the wind passed, the previously thick smell of blood suddenly became very faint, as if it had been swept away by the wind to an unknown place. The faces of the dead became unusually pale, transforming from the cadaverous pallor of corpses to an inorganic, ghastly white.
Caesar raised the ritual dagger and lightly flicked it in the air. A certain evil and pure aura of corruption entangled itself on the blade. He spun the dagger, allowing the aura to evenly adhere to the blade, then, gripping the dagger, he squatted down.
The cabin floor was made of wood. He easily carved a crude little figure into it with the dagger. The figure was rough, about the size of a palm. After drawing the outline of the figure, Caesar took out the bottle of fresh blood from his pocket and poured it over the simple figure.
Not much blood dripped, but under the impetus of some unknown power, it spread out, evenly covering the outline of the figure without a single drop spilling over.
Caesar raised the dagger, blade pointing down.
"Dare to stab me?"
He sneered and plunged the dagger down fiercely!
"Pfft!"
The dagger directly pierced the wooden board. Although it hit wood, Caesar felt an elastic feedback, as if he had stabbed flesh and blood.
The blood on the surface of the simple figure rippled as if it were screaming in extreme pain.
"Does it feel good?"
Caesar gave a cold smile, pulled out the dagger, and stabbed the figure again.
"Hmm?"
This stab received less feedback and carried a subtle resistance.
Someone was preventing his curse.
"Hmph, dare to stop me?"
Caesar smiled ferociously, directly took the dagger, slit his palm, and let the fresh blood profusely pour into the outline of the figure, then raised the dagger with both hands.
"Praise the Lord!"
He roared with a grim expression, stabbing down with all his might at the figure!
"Pff—"
The blood on the figure's surface almost boiled! Blood droplets splattered and pulsed, but not long after, they lost all vitality, becoming lifeless, slowly seeping down through the opening made by the dagger.
Caesar watched all this with cold eyes until the anomaly ended. He pulled out the knife, quickly tidied up the scene, then stood up and strode out of the cabin.
Leonard would be back soon, and he needed to quickly clean it and return to the deck, pretending that nothing had happened.
— — — —
At the same time, somewhere in Tingen City.
A lavish ball was in full swing. To the sound of graceful music, a dozen elegantly dressed gentlemen and ladies danced in the ballroom.
The light from the crystal chandeliers illuminated the opulent hall, and also made the jewels on each lady's snowy neck reflect a dazzling brilliance. Ambiguous whispers arose, masked by the music, and cheerful laughter mingled with the scent of perfume at the ladies' temples, diffusing into the air.
The gentlemen's gazes roamed through the crowd, searching for the most captivating figure, but found nothing.
Thus, those gazes became disappointed and regretful. They sighed, wondering who the lucky person would be tonight to win her favor?
In a secret room on the second floor, the slender and charming Mrs. Sharon, with her beautiful face that captivated countless people, asked coldly, "Nighthawks?"
Beside her stood a beautiful, round-faced young girl in a dress, the same girl Caesar had seen before.
"Yes, at least one Sequence 8 ."
Across from the two was the hooded Assassin. He had already removed his hood; he was a young man, clutching his injured arm, and he replied, "But I've already silenced everyone on the ship."
Just then, before he could finish his sentence, he suddenly showed an expression of extreme terror.
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