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The interlocking structure of concrete and steel reinforcement possesses extremely high physical strength; even a grenade might not be able to break through it. Yet, she effortlessly sliced it open with her sword…
"Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock."
The sound of viscous dripping began quietly, adding an ominous touch to the dark and cramped sewer.
Deep red blood gushed from the cut in the wall.
A humanoid corpse, twisted beyond recognition, emerged from a gap in the wall.
His body began to tremble violently the moment it came into contact with the air, trying to break free of his restraints in a soft, inverted joint-like posture.
Yes... this guy was still alive until the moment the wall was cut open!
"He has fallen into evil! Attack!"
Utus drew a finely crafted old-fashioned flintlock pistol from his waist, and with a pull of the trigger, the lead bullet shattered the head of the minor evil heir.
Thick blood splattered all over the ground along with body parts, and the headless evil heir collapsed helplessly.
"It was probably a sacrificial offering for some kind of ritual."
Utus had heard of some sacrifices that used this form of "living stake".
The "lamb" used for sacrifice is pure, without a trace of impurity, just like the survivors in the swaddling clothes of the birth banquet hall.
However, once the gods who accept the sacrifices begin to feast, pollution and depravity will taint the bodies of the offerings... until they are completely corrupted.
From this perspective, the so-called secondary evil offspring are actually byproducts left behind after the sacrificial animals have been completely devoured...
Haida nodded, agreeing with Utus's statement.
She then began to examine the corpse of the deceased evil heir more closely, hoping to glean some valuable information from it.
If Dr. Fran were present, what would she have done? Would she have performed another autopsy, just like she did with that nameless vampire?
Heda inexplicably felt a strong urge to use profiling to try and simulate Fran's personality. But remembering his previous warning... she dismissed this rather tempting idea.
"His skin was peeled off; ascetics do have a habit of peeling their skin off..."
This mangled, bloody body of the evil offspring had no skin; his muscles and blood vessels were completely exposed, constantly oozing blood.
Time passed quickly, and after several counts along the way, the fifth round of survival confirmation began again.
"No abnormalities found in the area under the responsibility of the first team. Secret order: Elderberry."
"Second team's area of responsibility has discovered a secondary evil offspring, which has been disposed of harmlessly. Secret order: 30-color amaranth."
……
The corpse of this evil offspring was very ordinary; apart from being skinned and having its head smashed, there was nothing unusual about it.
Sister Heda didn't possess Fran's autopsy skills, which allowed her to speak from the dead, so the information that could be obtained from her was truly limited.
However, Rosalie does have some experience in this area...
She approached the evil heir and used her index fingernail to inscribe a prayer on his chest muscle. Soon, a drop of bright red blood was extracted.
"The Moon Clan... can they even drink the blood of the evil heir?"
Seeing Rosalie preparing to put the blood droplet into her mouth, Vivian couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.
"This is a secret technique of the Noralia family, allowing one to glimpse the original owner's memories through their blood. If it is someone from the same clan, one can also learn about their lineage."
"I see."
After a brief explanation, Rosalie swallowed the blood droplet, her facial features immediately contorting slightly.
It's not hard to tell from her expression that the blood of the evil heir tastes extremely rotten.
"Despair, fear, and reluctance. He was embedded in the wall in immense pain, his exposed flesh and bones with no skin to sleep on, and he could neither give up on life nor die."
"The man who tore off his skin was dressed in a bright red leather robe, with a gloomy and aged face, and a thin and hunched body."
"he……"
Rosalie wanted to say something more, but her intense physiological reaction prevented her from continuing to interpret the drop of the evil offspring's blood.
“Ugh…” Rosalie leaned against the wall and began to vomit.
Her complexion only improved after she coughed up a mouthful of her own blood.
“Miss Rosalie, can you continue? Should we have the Exorcist escort you back?”
Haida reached out and helped her up.
"No need. There's still some contamination left in that drop of 'extracted blood' that wasn't completely removed... Just spit it out and you'll be fine."
As she spoke, Rosalie took out a handkerchief and wiped the bloodstains and saliva from the corner of her lips.
"it is good."
Heda had fought with Byers and had a deep understanding of the vampires' self-recovery abilities. Naturally, she wouldn't think Rosalie was forcing herself.
Vivian pondered the memories Rosalie had just mentioned, her expression becoming somewhat complicated. She thought of a deceased Red Cup High Priest.
“Sister Heda. 'Shady and aged, thin and hunched,' that's her characteristic…”
Haida also had a deep impression of that guy and naturally understood.
"High Priest of 'The Bitter Walker,' Hoven. He died once at the Hungry Club and once at the Hunter's Headquarters."
“The evil offspring here are very likely left behind by Huo Wen in his previous sacrificial ritual. Inflicting extreme pain on the sacrifices... does indeed fit his style.”
After saying that, Haida picked up Byers' severed arm from the ground and patted the puppy to encourage it.
She then placed the blood-stained silk gauze in front of it again and waved it, allowing the severed hand to continue searching for the next target that might be connected to the evil offspring.
Just then, the voice confirming the sixth survival rang in Haida's ears.
"The first team has located the remains of a homeless person in their assigned area and has taken samples. Secret order: Amaranth."
"No abnormalities found in the area under the second team's responsibility. Secret order: Elderberry."
"The third team has encountered an unidentified target in their area of responsibility and is currently tracking it. Secret order: Amaranth."
"No abnormalities found in the area under the responsibility of the fourth team. Secret order: Amaranth."
……
Upon hearing the message from the fourth team, Haida's gray-brown eyes narrowed sharply.
As she fell silent, a heavy atmosphere quietly dissipated.
Haida made a special arrangement regarding the order of secret commands: every five survival confirmations, odd-numbered and even-numbered teams would exchange their secret command contents.
Ordinary teams might experience some confusion as a result, but they were the funeral home's purging force. This level of instruction was like children playing house; there was absolutely no possibility of misreporting.
Now, when the fourth team should have switched the secret code, they still reported "three-colored amaranth" exactly as they had done in the previous five times, and did not make any attempt to correct it.
"Fourth team, please reiterate the secret order."
Although Haida seemed to be asking the other party a question, she did not hesitate at all in her actions and immediately set off for the area under the responsibility of the fourth team.
At the same time, the same male voice as before rang in her ears again in an orderly manner.
"No abnormalities found in the area under the fourth team's responsibility. Secret order: Amaranth..."
Like a callbird with a similar tongue, his tone, rhythm, and even the rhythm of his breathing were exactly the same as before.
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If I had any recommendation votes (a dark thought)...
Chapter Eighty, Part Three
Seeing Haida's solemn expression and the fact that she suddenly led the group off course, Utus's gaze darkened slightly, guessing that something unexpected had probably happened.
"Sister Haida, what happened?"
"The clearing force was attacked, but the specifics are not yet clear."
While maintaining a high speed, Haida explained the clues she had discovered during the recent survival confirmation.
“A purge team responded with the wrong secret order. And after I ordered them to reiterate, they repeated the original incorrect report.”
"That is indeed a bit strange..."
From Haida's brief description, Utus sensed a hint of danger.
The hunters are known for their adherence to the commandments, and the hunters of the Funeral Court are even more so. A mistake in reporting a secret order once might be understandable, perhaps due to being in a hurry.
But even after being ordered to reiterate, they still did not realize their mistake... This shows the seriousness of the problem.
Was the entire team's common sense altered by some relic, or... is there something speaking in their voices?
Although the squad consisted of only six members, each was a Hunter equipped with automatic weapons and arcane ammunition, and had served for over three years. Ordinary lesser evil heirs would be riddled with bullets in a single encounter. How could they have shown absolutely no resistance in the event of an encounter?
"Does the Crimson Cup Cult still have high priest-level members remaining in Norrington...?"
Haida frowned, a series of ominous guesses arising within her, which she then suppressed one by one.
Whatever the situation, the most urgent thing now is to get to the area under the responsibility of the fourth group. She needs to confirm the exact situation of her colleagues with her own eyes.
...Was it a false alarm, or did no one survive?
In about two or three minutes, Haida had arrived at the area assigned to the fourth group. She walked so fast that Vivian, who was following closely behind, was already panting and somewhat exhausted.
Thankfully, I've been doing some physical training with Sister Heda these past few months, otherwise I would definitely have fallen behind...
Seeing Haida stop, Vivi breathed a sigh of relief, patting her chest. She used this brief moment to regain her strength.
Rosalie and Utus, on the other hand, were in much better condition.
Although Rosalie was young, as a vampire, her physical strength and stamina far surpassed those of ordinary humans. Utus, on the other hand, showed no signs of fatigue; in fact, a faint smile played on his lips, carrying a hint of excitement.
Haida's nostrils twitched slightly, and a familiar scent mingled with the foul, damp air.
"It's the smell of human blood."
Rosalie spoke first, before Heda could utter this conclusion.
She may not be as sensitive to other auras as Haida, but when it comes to blood... no one has been able to challenge the vampire's expertise and talent in this area.
"'Human'?"
With a questioning tone, Haioda repeated Rosa Shichi's statement. (￠壹〃〕4⌒※三＞～ˉ
"Yes, the blood comes from humans, not from evil offspring. Although many lesser evil offspring were once human, I can smell the difference in their blood."
"...I understand, thank you for reminding me."
This is bad news. It means the fourth group of hunters is likely in grave danger.
At the same time, Haida glanced at Rosalie without leaving a trace, and inexplicably felt a sense of goodwill towards her.
Hunters always prefer to hunt in partnership with a partner who has a keen sense of smell...
She then asked, "Miss Rosalie, can you trace the source of the blood based on its scent?"
“I can try.”
Although Rosalie was a member of the Moon Familia, she was still under thirty years old, and had spent four of those years at Norrington Central Academy. Therefore, this was her first time participating in such an event, and she was inevitably somewhat lacking in confidence.
"We can roughly determine that it's due north."
“Okay, then you’ll lead the team.” Without hesitation, Haida made the decision with unusual decisiveness.
And so, Rosalie began walking at the very front of the group, searching for the scent of blood while tracking the trail of the fourth squad.
The vampire lady leading the way had a vague feeling that something was off about the place, as if something was wrong, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it...
They walked in silence, the only sound the dull thud of a few people's boots crunching over the moss-covered ground in the sewers.
At the same time, the message confirming the seventh survival also rang in Haida's ears.
Apart from the fourth group, which still dulled down its response with a disordered secret order, the other purge teams showed no unusual behavior.
To increase their visibility, most of them also briefly described their current team situation.
The fact that Wu is still responding suggests that it has most likely not yet attacked or affected other groups.
Thinking of this, Haida issued a new order.
8. "Each team shall abandon its advance and remain in place. Be prepared to regroup, and report your location immediately if you encounter any suspicious units."