The cement road was grimy from the long, continuous rain. The gas street lamps on both sides, as tall as a grown man, shone with a bright yet hazy glow through their moist glass covers.
A rented carriage drove through the night, the passersby around it either wearing hats or holding umbrellas.
Klein leaned against the carriage wall, idly enjoying the sight of the evening streets of
Just then, he suddenly felt the temperature inside the carriage drop significantly, a cold, damp wind swirling around.
Klein turned his head abruptly and saw the young lady bodyguard in a black Gothic court dress sitting opposite him. He didn't know when she had appeared.
Her voice was illusory and ethereal as she spoke: "That 'Eye of Wisdom' sensed my presence."
"As expected..." Klein nodded without surprise. "He has several mystical items. Maybe he sensed me through those. I even suspect he has an organization backing him."
Otherwise, relying on the 'Eye of Wisdom's' own power alone, even after thirty years, it would be hard to collect several relatively powerful mystical items. The previous 'Hurricane Admiral' Zilingus, one of the seven pirate admirals, only had one, '
Well, it's also perfectly reasonable that the Eye of Wisdom is simply very rich. Organizing so many gatherings, if he spots a suitable mystical item, he grabs it regardless of cost. Over thirty years, having several collectible items isn't too bizarre... Tch, this guy must own a mine, or maybe he runs a bank... Klein grumbled inwardly.
He didn't specifically mention his own guess that the 'Eye of Wisdom' was from the
The light blonde-haired young bodyguard nodded slightly, seemingly agreeing with Klein's suspicion.
Suddenly, she frowned slightly and looked towards the window opposite her. "A very strong smell of blood."
A very strong smell of blood? Klein turned his head in confusion, looking out the window.
In the sparse light rain, there was a secluded alley.
Near the entrance of the alley, a woman in a bright-colored dress lay fallen.
Just then, a passerby walked by, took a careful look, and suddenly let out a scream.
Startled by the scream, the horses were slightly spooked. The coachman quickly tightened the reins, and the carriage slowed down.
By the light of the gas lamps, Klein saw the woman lying on the ground at the alley entrance. Her face was pale, and there was a deep gash in her abdomen. It seemed her internal organs had been gouged out.
Blood was slowly pooling on the ground around her, thick and crimson.
This... As a qualified former Nighter, he quickly thought of many cases with similar methods.
These cases were often related to demon worship!
And when it came to demon worship, it was hard to avoid an ancient organization, the 'Blood Worship Sect', which first appeared in the Fourth Epoch!
According to records, this was a loose alliance formed from worshipping demons. It contained several so-called demon families, such as the House of Nose, the House of Anderlerad, and the House of Beria, all of whom were not subordinate to each other.
They stubbornly and widely spread the faith of demons, creating many bloody incidents. Mrs.
Of course, not all similar cases were done by them. Many people thought those incidents were cool and started copycatting the crimes.
"It looks like the work of the Blood Worship Sect," the young bodyguard murmured. Her figure quickly became transparent and disappeared, not bothering whether Klein understood or not.
At this point, the carriage had already passed the crime scene. Klein also noticed patrol officers rushing over, so he suppressed the urge to get off and observe, acting like an ordinary citizen passing by.
Yes, Citizen Moriarty...
The Blood Worship Sect controls the 'Criminal' pathway, also known as the Demon pathway. It was said that after Sequence 7, the corresponding Beyonders would gradually demonize, but it would only manifest in specific situations and specific environments...
Sequence 9, 'Criminal', possesses a strong body, sharp instincts, and various criminal abilities, but their conscience isn't completely gone. Sequence 8, formerly known as 'Cold-Blooded One', and modern name is 'Broken Angel', means from then on, one loses their conscience, immerses themselves in evil desires, their body becomes more inhuman, and they gain some demonic spell-like abilities. Sequence 7, 'Serial Killer', masters a great deal of knowledge and rituals for worshipping demons, and enjoys pleasing demons with special serial murder cases...
As for the sequences beyond that, I don't know what they are...
Knowledge about the Blood Worship Sect and the Demon pathway flashed through Klein's mind one by one. The drizzle outside seemed to have gotten a bit heavier. Rainwater gathered and slid down the window. The whole world became quiet and indistinct because of it.
"Why am I thinking so much? This kind of thing will definitely be handled by a Beyonder squad. Maybe the Punishers, maybe the Nighters. I don't need to worry." Klein shook his head with a wry smile and muttered inwardly.
By the time he returned to 15 Minsk Street, he had already put the case out of his mind. First, he went next door and knocked on the Summer family's door, asking Mrs. Staelin to tell Marie to come get the evidence tomorrow afternoon. Then he washed up, read the newspaper, and caught up on the current situation and various news from Backlund.
The next day, Saturday morning, Klein slowly finished his breakfast. He went out and picked up the photos that had just been developed. He selected the one that best showed the faces of
After putting the photo away, he went to the Laith Police Station again before Mrs. Marie could come over, and successfully retrieved the 10-pound bail.
During this process, he saw the real Inspector Farsing there, which made him feel quite uncomfortable.
After withdrawing the remaining 500 pounds in cash from his account, Klein, who had been busy the whole morning, finally had nothing else to do.
Before preparing lunch, he paid the remaining 600-pound fee to the young bodyguard. He had a total of 146 pounds, 8 Soles, and 5 Pence left on him. This was all the property he could freely use.
Apart from what he owed Miss Justice, there were no other debts... Klein relaxed and fried himself a bone-in steak, topping it with black pepper sauce.
Just as he was cheerfully savoring the medium-well texture, the doorbell was suddenly pulled. The clattering sound echoed continuously.
"Mrs. Marie? Isn't it too early?" Klein put down his knife and fork in confusion and walked towards the door.
He paused for two seconds, and an image of the visitor naturally formed in his mind.
It was an old-fashioned gentleman wearing a light gray overcoat, a semi-high silk top hat, and carrying a black gold-inlaid cane. He had a pair of piercing blue eyes, temples stained with spots of grey, and deep nasolabial folds etched on his face, making his muscles seem to sag.