"Bang! Bang!"
Lu Ze repeatedly pulled the trigger at the target ten meters away, the revolver emitting loud sounds, continuously striking the web of his hand and his palm.
After all six bullets were fired, he lowered his arm, let out a long breath, and squinted at the target opposite him.
He saw three bullet holes clearly embedded in the target.
A 50% hit rate; he still needed more practice.
Lu Ze's mouth twitched slightly as he thought to himself.
He used his thumb to pry open the hot cylinder, gave a slight shake, and the empty casings clinked and clattered to the floor.
He was currently in a sealed underground firing range, with no one else besides him. This was the underground firing range at Zorant Street 3. Most of this firing range belonged to the Tingen City Police Department; only this small area was specially reserved for the Nighthawks to practice.
Lu Ze went to the rest area nearby and sat down, placing the revolver on the table and beginning to meticulously wipe and maintain it with a handkerchief.
Speaking of which, this revolver and the bullets were all issued by Old Neil.
As he maintained the gun, he recalled the scene from that day.
Scared by the abnormality on Old Neil, Lu Ze ran directly upstairs to find Dunn after his mysticism class, not even daring to collect the gun he had been longing for. He had initially worried that Dunn would question him, after all, Old Neil had been a teammate for many years, while Lu Ze was only a newcomer who had joined one day ago. But after he carefully described the appearance of the eyes behind Old Neil, Dunn quickly believed him.
According to Dunn, the image of indifferent eyes without eyelashes perfectly matched the description of the evil god at the top of Old Neil's Pathway—something Lu Ze, without a foundation in mysticism, could not have fabricated.
Since Dunn already believed him, the key to the matter was how to resolve the problem with Old Neil.
How to solve it?
One word: wait.
Dunn told Lu Ze not to tell anyone for now, and that he would handle it properly. Before that, Lu Ze had to maintain a normal demeanor, continuing to attend classes, converse with Old Neil, and learn as if nothing had happened.
Thus, the next few days were very difficult for Lu Ze. He tried his best to act as if nothing was wrong, going to work, collecting his gun, and undergoing training. Under the watchful gaze of the strange eyes behind Old Neil, he would laugh and joke with Old Neil, almost feeling like he was having a mental breakdown. If Lu Ze hadn't retained some trust in Dunn, he would have almost suspected him of being in league with Old Neil.
Lu Ze felt a lot of pressure because of this, and he had a stronger motivation to practice shooting. Every afternoon after work, he wouldn't go home immediately but would first come to the firing range to practice for half an hour.
Fortunately, tonight was the final deadline.
Lu Ze polished the revolver until it gleamed, then filled the cylinder with demon-hunting bullets, one by one. After closing it, he put it into the holster under his arm. He stood up, patted the gunpowder dust off his clothes, took the overcoat hanging on the nearby coat rack, put it on, and stepped out of the firing range onto the street.
The Sun was gradually setting, and it was rush hour. The streets were bustling with more people and carriages coming and going. Lu Ze merged into the crowd, walked a short distance along the street, entered Old Weil Restaurant, picked up his ordered dinner, and then, carrying the meal box, took a public carriage home.
By the time he arrived home, the smell of gunpowder on him had almost dissipated.
Pushing open the door of Narcissus Street 6, Lu Ze saw his sister, Cecilia, sitting at the living room table reviewing her homework. To make reading easier, she had tied her long, black, flowing hair into a ponytail, revealing her fair and slender neck, with curves as graceful as a swan. Seeing Lu Ze enter, she looked up and smiled:
"You're home from work quite on time today."
As she turned to speak, Cecilia's black ponytail swayed, looking very cute.
"Unfortunately, no."
Lu Ze placed the meal box on the table. "Tonight I have to be on duty; I'll be staying at the company overnight and won't be back to sleep. Make sure you eat well, remember to lock the door, and if anything urgent happens, go to number 2 to find the Moretti family."
"On duty?"
"Yes, I have to stay awake all night. Everyone takes turns, and it's my turn tonight," Lu Ze explained. He noticed his sister's smile fade a bit, so he added, "The good news is that there's extra pay for being on duty; I'll get a bit more salary."
"I understand."
Cecilia lowered her head and took the meal box. "Then you should tell me earlier next time; I was waiting to have dinner with you."
Her obedient and quiet demeanor made Lu Ze feel a little guilty, and he couldn't help but give a few more instructions before reluctantly leaving the house.
— — — —
By the time Lu Ze returned to Blackthorn Security Company, it was completely dark.
In August or September, the night temperature was just right. He walked into the company lobby, meeting the cool night breeze.
"Oh! Lu Ze, it's you. Good evening."
Rosanne, behind the desk, greeted him. This girl was surprisingly open-minded. After realizing Lu Ze was genuinely not a strange person and chatting a few times, she quickly became familiar with him and could now smile and talk to him.
"Good evening. Have you had dinner yet?"
Lu Ze also greeted her casually, then turned and entered the lounge, closing his eyes on the sofa bed to rest.
He had told his sister, Cecilia, that he was working the night shift, but in reality, it wasn't his turn to guard Charnes Gate tonight. In fact, his presence here tonight was at Dunn's special request, telling him to keep quiet and wait for notification.
Not long after, the lounge door opened, and someone walked in. The newcomer had long black hair and a cold expression; it was Luo Yao, whom Lu Ze had met before.
"Ms. Luo Yao, are your injuries healed?"
Lu Ze asked. Her steps were steady, and while her expression still showed some fatigue, her spirits were good.
"Yes, mostly no problem now."
Luo Yao replied. She sat on the sofa opposite Lu Ze, looking at him with curiosity.
When they had met in the lounge before, Lu Ze was still a protected person. Now, he had transformed into her teammate; the world was truly wondrous.
"I think I still owe you a thank you. Thank you for saving me."
Although she had been unconscious at the time, according to others' descriptions, if it hadn't been for Lu Ze, she might have been devoured alive by the cultists long ago.
"No need to thank me. I was mainly trying to protect myself at the time,"
Lu Ze said truthfully. "But we're teammates now, isn't it natural to protect a teammate?"
Luo Yao nodded.
She was about to say something else when the lounge door opened once more. Dunn stood outside, wearing a black trench coat and a hat. "Lu Ze, come with me. Luo Yao is here too, good, you come along as well."
"Captain, where are we going?"
Half-surprised, half-confused, Luo Yao stood up and asked.
"We're going to Tingen City train station; a High-Ranking Cleric has arrived."
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