Firefly Journey

Chapter 225 Winter in Nakas (14)

How could there be a smell of blood in a coal mine? That's illogical.

But neither of them was surprised.

The reason the two men came in to investigate was because Simpson's informant said that people had been going missing at the Neuer coal mine recently, and the number had reached double digits.

Perhaps this is why the Neuer Coal Mine risked production stoppage and losses by giving its employees time off.

"Who are all the people in Neuer again?" the Black Knight asked, as he wasn't very clear on the intelligence.

Since an investigation was underway, Simpson had already thoroughly investigated Neuer Corporation's internal affairs and replied, "It used to belong to the Shelby family, but twenty years ago, due to mismanagement, it was sold to a guy named Bolton McDonald."

You know that person. Although they have a bad reputation, they haven't been exposed for doing anything particularly heinous.

Black Knight nodded. He had indeed heard of Bolton; he owned several businesses and was quite well-known in Yicheng.

"The worker disappearances only started recently, right?" the Black Knight asked.

"Yes, the first one was on the 7th of last month. Nobody paid attention at the time, thinking it was a normal criminal case. It wasn't until the series happened that the police in this area sought help from the Vatican. It was then that I realized something was wrong."

As they chatted, they followed the scent of blood and stopped beside a row of shelves.

“The third box,” the Black Knight said.

"Alright, I'll do it." Simpson pulled out a knife and slashed a large hole in the coal box, letting the black coal cascade down the hole.

Half of it was gone, leaving half in the box. The Black Knight squatted down, frowning as he looked at the coal scattered on the ground.

One piece was intact, unlike the other coal. The others, having fallen, were somewhat broken apart and were no longer complete.

The Black Knight picked up the peculiar piece of coal and tapped it lightly on the ground.

It's hard.

How can coal be hard?

So this is not coal, but charred bones, and human bones at that.

Cassius, with his wide range of knowledge, recognized it at a glance; the smell of blood they both detected was also coming from it.

An ordinary person naturally wouldn't be able to smell the blood on burnt bones, and even a dog with a keen sense of smell might not be able to detect it. Black Knight and Simpson, being superhuman and experienced in tracking, easily discovered the secret.

"It seems the truth has come out," said the Black Knight.

“Bolton McDonald is the owner of this factory, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s the murderer. It could have been one of his men,” Simpson analyzed.

"Giving everyone a holiday, who else besides him has that kind of power?" the Black Knight said. "He used to keep a low profile, so I never investigated him. But think about it, how many of the businessmen who rose to prominence in Yicheng in such a short time are clean?"

“That makes sense.” Simpson nodded. “In that case, let’s go find him.”

The Black Knight waved his hand lightly, and the coal on the ground automatically returned to the box, looking exactly the same as before except for the scratch.

"Well, without further ado."

Half an hour later, the Golden Chrysanthemum Bar welcomed two oddly dressed guests.

They didn't go through the main entrance; they went directly to the management office on the top floor.

“If he’s not here, it means there’s a big problem.” The Black Knight paced around the room. “This is no small matter. The followers of the evil god may have taken action. We need to notify the Holy See.”

Simpson realized the situation was serious and said with a worried look, "I'll go right now."

……

……

The Basilica of St. Phileun, the repository of the ancestral artifact "Julius's Sun".

Among the three high priests positioned in three directions around the divine artifact, "Wrath of Flames" Conrad opened his eyes and spoke:

"We have received information that individuals suspected of being followers of an evil god have appeared."

"At this time?" Texas frowned, her face contorted with deep wrinkles. "Is it a coincidence that this clashes with the Academy Tournament?"

"Whether it's a coincidence or not, we must take it seriously. If the information is accurate, then we should follow the clues and wipe out that evil god force in one fell swoop!"

As expected of the High Priest of the Conquest who has been confronting the Abyss for many years, "The Tide" Matthew has no tolerance for the slightest imperfection. Anyone who dares to threaten the safety of the people under the rule of the Holy See is his enemy!

“I will inform the cavalry to conduct a covert investigation first, to avoid causing panic among the citizens,” Conrad immediately offered a solution. “The process of the Academy Competition should also be accelerated.”

“I’ll do my part too,” Matthew said.

Immediately afterwards, the two of them reached out their hands towards the live match screen in front of them.

Conrad used a secret method to awaken the rare and precious materials and powerful magical beasts that had been prepared beforehand, thus accelerating the conflict and disputes.

Matthew then used his abilities as a demigod-level "water mage" to bring down a heavy rain to the "All-Encompassing Shell".

Texas frowned, silently gazing at the dramatically changed arena, placing her right hand on her heart, praying for the participants, for the Holy See, and for all the living beings of Il City.

May the light be with us.

……

……

It's raining.

A torrential downpour.

Lin Yuanran's five-person makeshift team quickly searched for a place to take shelter from the rain and eventually built a simple thatched hut.

Since their failure to secure Starkar, the five have lived together for over ten days, but unfortunately, they haven't found any teammates.

However, there were also gains. By setting traps in the shallow water, they captured and killed many magical beasts, earning a considerable amount of points.

"This rain seems different from normal," Lin Yuanran said, observing the torrential rain that had been falling for half a day.

"It was artificially landed," Jamie concluded.

"Artificial?" Lin Yuanran understood. "This will only escalate our conflict further."

“Look over there,” Wendy Jupes suddenly said, pointing in a direction.

People need shelter from the rain, but her mechanical assistant doesn't; it's always kept nearby to keep watch.

Each person held a long, flat leaf and used their powers to look in the direction she indicated.

A colossal shadow, on all fours, pounded against the puddle, splashing water like a torrent that snapped a nearby man's arm around a large tree.

"Ka...Kadona?" Lin Yuanran searched his mind for information about the giant beast and said uncertainly.

“Something must have happened, which is why the Vatican’s higher-ups are so eager to accelerate the competition,” Duan Feibai said.

……

Besides the giant beast Kadona that Lin Yuanran and the others saw, further away, a dragon that was breathing fire in the rain also appeared, roaring between heaven and earth.

It was the same one that Lü Jianming had seen before.

A young girl stood in front of it.

The girl had a string of bells hanging from her waist and didn't seem afraid at all.

Of course she wasn't afraid; it was Lilong who should be afraid.

"Although I don't know why they all came out, as long as we kill all four demigod-level magical beasts, we'll be number one in points, right?"

The wind chimes ran through the rain, the raindrops falling on them before being swallowed by the light of the "White Tower".

"The wandering dark clouds in the sky are an ominous sign before a storm. In the name of Julius, I hereby deliver divine punishment!"

In an instant, lightning flashed and thunder roared, the miracle intertwined with the fire magic of the dragon, and the world changed color.