Chapter 338: Pollution

Chapter 338: Pollution

Wow!

The Zhou Sanjia family is as infuriating as the legends say.

Luke frowned slightly, and the tailcoat clown before him was a "Magician" from the hidden organization "Order of Esoteric Studies," a Sequence 7 of the Diviner's Path.

The Order of Esoteric Studies was founded by the Zarathustra Clan, and its leader, Young Zarathustra, is a Sequence 1 of the Diviner's Path, known as the "Mysterious Servant." The Antigonous Notes were leaked to the public due to a mistake by a member of the Order, and Welch purchased them as ordinary ancient books, leading to the subsequent tragedy.

They wanted to retrieve the notes, but Klaine had already caught the attention of the Nocturne Squad, so they could only monitor him secretly, hoping to find a suitable opportunity to gather clues from Klaine.

In theory, a Sequence 7 is not necessary for surveillance, and in a small place like Tinggen City, the Order of Esoteric Studies only has one Sequence 7 "Magician" and one or two lower Sequence subordinates.

The high probability of encountering one is likely due to Luke's "Aggregation" not yet dissipating, causing this "Magician" to personally follow on a whim due to certain factors.

"That's good, I've got the materials for Sequence 7."

Luke chuckled lightly, and his "Thief" would soon be digested. With proper handling, the "Paths of Thieves" would be quickly absorbed, and it was time to consider the Extraordinary Traits of "Sequence 7" and even "Sequence 6."

Although he had only become a "Thief" that morning.

The ordinary promotion speed did not apply to him.

Luke focused and took a step forward, following the clown into the alley, his face painted in red, yellow, and white.

The "Magician" is a Sequence 7 of the Diviner's Path, possessing stronger divination and anti-divination abilities than the Sequence 9 "Diviner." They have knowledge of various ritual magics and esotericism, derived from the physical coordination abilities of the Sequence 8 "Clown" and their danger warning based on spiritual premonition. They also possess quick spellcasting, bone softening, paper soldiers, illusions, fire manipulation, leaping, damage transfer, papier-mache clones, and air bullets...

They are incredibly adept at self-preservation, average in direct combat, and all their abilities are highly useful. Overall, they are among the most powerful and versatile in Sequence 7.

However, divination and danger premonition have no effect on him, and he shouldn't have discovered himself...

Luke's thoughts shifted, and he seemed to have an epiphany as he strode into the alley with his long legs.

Tap, tap, tap!

The tailcoat clown's face still bore a mocking smile, painted in colors. As soon as Luke entered the alley, the clown turned and sprinted away. The alley was cluttered with debris, but he dodged nimbly like a curly-haired baboon.

Luke followed with a smirk, accompanied by rapid footsteps. Soon, they reached a quieter and more secluded area.

Suddenly, Luke pushed off the ground with force, sprinting towards the tailcoat clown. He shifted his gait, raised his arm, and threw a punch, the wind whistling as his fist aimed for the clown's face.

Bang!

The air exploded, and the tailcoat clown's figure shattered like a mirror, dissipating into the air. Behind Luke, a new figure was swiftly sketched out.

Illusion!

The clown's face still wore a mocking, comical smile. His wrist trembled, and a long strip of paper appeared in his hand. He slashed decisively towards Luke's neck, and the seemingly fragile paper cut through the air like a blade.

Paper Soldiers!

Prepared, Luke's upper body suddenly sank, avoiding the sharp edge. He kicked his right leg vigorously, aiming for the clown's groin.

Bang—

The tailcoat clown disappeared again, and a paper figure took his place, just as it had when Luke had grabbed him outside. In the last moment before being disabled, he had used a papier-mache clone.

The figure reappeared, but this time, the clown's face only showed a false smile, painted on with oil colors. He held his half-high silk top hat with one hand and raised the other, snapping his fingers several times in quick succession. His lips moved slightly, emitting an onomatopoeic "Bang."

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Luke, sensing the danger, took a few steps back. Several bullet marks appeared on the ground, and although the Magician's air bullets were not very powerful, they could still cause non-trivial injuries to the fragile human body, making it difficult to distinguish between real and fake.

However, Luke also had a gun.

He drew his pistol from his waist, aimed at the tailcoat clown, and pulled the trigger at the indifferent-looking figure.

Click, click!

Several blood-red flowers bloomed, and the tailcoat clown barely avoided fatal injury with his robust physical coordination. His face froze in shock; the danger warning had failed to work! Luke's calm and efficient gun handling, his precise, rapid, and unpredictable offense, instantly overwhelmed his opponent.

The tailcoat clown took two steps back and snapped his fingers twice. Within a thirty-meter radius, several flames ignited, and he weaved through them. Simultaneously, he moved his hand from the bullet hole to his arm, and when he reappeared, the wounded area had healed, and the non-essential part of his arm now bore the bullet holes.

The battle raged on, and every time the Clown in the Tailcoat leaped out of the flames, a precise and deadly bullet would greet him, forcing him to stay on the move and unable to counter-attack. He could only rely on his illusions and papier-mache clones to stall for time.

"How's your Spirituality holding up?"

As Luke fired his gun, he chuckled at his opponent, who was pinned down by the relentless gunfire, "I'm surprised you haven't run away by now in this situation."

As a magician skilled in self-preservation, Luke was not one to be easily caught, but the Clown in the Tailcoat seemed determined to stick with him, showing no intention of fleeing.

Bang! Another gunshot echoed.

Luke slowly lowered his raised right arm, and blood trickled from his right shoulder where a bullet had pierced through. The wound forced him to cease firing at the Clown.

Deep within the alley, two figures emerged. One had a clown face painted in red, white, and yellow, while the other was dressed plainly and unremarkably. Both aimed their guns at Luke.

More members of the Order of Esoteric Studies!

Luke wasn't surprised. Even though his Spiritual Warning hadn't worked, the Clown in the Tailcoat had found him, indicating that he wasn't acting alone.

The Clown, freed from the relentless firing of the revolver, shattered into pieces, only to reform in front of his two subordinates.

He maintained a ridiculously exaggerated smile, gazing at Luke's injured right shoulder. He then burst into a fit of laughter, his body convulsing, but no sound escaped his lips as if he were performing a silent pantomime.

Afterward, he removed his half-high silk top hat and placed it on his chest, politely bowing slightly to Luke. It was the first time he spoke.

"As a Sequence 9, you've done well. Now, do you want to answer my questions honestly, or shall I kill you and then summon your spirit?"

"That should be an all-inclusive option. Summoning spirits has time limitations. You want to ask me questions first, then kill me and summon my spirit for confirmation."

Luke tossed away the revolver and raised his hands in surrender, disarming himself and adopting a submissive posture.

"Rest assured, I'm an honest man. I'd rather live a little longer. I'll cooperate and tell you everything."

His actions caused the three men to relax slightly, but they maintained a basic level of vigilance, keeping their guns aimed.

However, they overlooked the fact that killing didn't always require physical action.

Luke's lips curled up slightly, and he spoke in a calm tone, "There are nine Elder Dominator Aspects surrounding Earth, including the Fallen Mother Goddess, the Tree of Desires, and the Uncertain Mist..."

Pat-pat! Two sounds of firearms hitting the ground rang out!

As Luke uttered the words "Elder Dominator Aspects," the faces of the Clown in the Tailcoat and the other two members of the Order turned ashen, their eyes dimming as if they had seen a ghost. They stopped all movement, their eyes filled with despair.

"Ahhhhhhhh!"

After a brief pause, a piercing and desperate scream echoed through the deep alley, like a tormented soul in the depths of hell enduring the most brutal punishment. The three members' skin began to writhe and deform as the flesh beneath it squirmed, resembling a living insect crawling beneath their skin. Their veins bulged grotesquely across their bodies.

Knowledge is toxic!

Information about the Elder Dominator Aspects was poisonous; even those beneath the Sequence 2 Angel would be corrupted by it!

Divine beings like Saints might barely survive, but they would be transformed into monsters by the pollution. For low-Sequence cannon fodder, death was the only option.

Amidst the agonizing screams, Luke calmly bent down, picked up the pistol, and aimed at his defenseless enemies, firing three shots in quick succession.

Not a single miss, not a single misfire, not a single hesitation, not a single mistake.

Bang! Bang! Bang! The bullets pierced their brains precisely, and the papier-mache clones, which required manual activation, failed to protect them. Three bodies stopped their transformation and fell to the ground with a thud.

Luke approached the corpses, humming a tune as he waited for the Extraordinary Traits to manifest.

Since they had died relatively quickly, and the three men were only low-Sequence Extraordinary Beings, the pollution wouldn't be severe. A purification ritual could be held later to address it.

Ordinary Extraordinary Beings didn't usually receive such treatment. Aside from rituals automatically answered by the gods, they rarely responded. But Luke was a Chosen of the Gods.

After a moment, several Extraordinary Traits slowly emerged, slightly clouded: a Sequence 7 "Magician," two Sequence 8 "Clowns," and a Sequence 9 "Fortune Teller."

Luke collected the Extraordinary Traits and quickly left the scene.

The commotion had been loud, especially the piercing screams that sent shivers down one's spine. Staying too long might lead to trouble.

He wasn't overly concerned about being discovered. The members of the Order of Esoteric Studies were also cautious about exposing themselves to official scrutiny, so they had chosen a secluded location for the fight. In this era without surveillance cameras, and having arrived recently with limited social interactions, Luke was confident that their esoteric divination methods wouldn't work on him.

...

Ten minutes later.

Dunn Smith, a police superintendent with a slightly receding hairline, and Leonard Mitchell, who exuded the air of a romantic poet, arrived at the scene as part of their patrol in the northern district.

Dunn looked at the two clowns with their faces painted in vibrant colors and another ordinary-looking man with a crystal pendant on his wrist. They carefully inspected the body, gloved hands checking every detail.

His expression grew solemn, "They're from the Order of Esoteric Studies, a Fortune Teller, a Clown, and likely a Sequence 7 from the Path of Divination."

"Three Extraordinary Beings, including a Sequence 7, all dead?"

Leonard couldn't hide his astonishment. This was no ordinary group; even the 'Expiators' under the declining Storm Lord Church, which was not affiliated with the coastal city powers, had members of this caliber. How could they have been wiped out?

"It's worse than you think. They were all killed by a single gunshot, without any resistance. Such a death is highly unusual."

Dunn frowned, deep in thought. "A Fortune Teller can predict fortunes, so the opponent might possess anti-divination abilities and control enemies... Could it be a Sequence 5 from the 'Demonspawn' Path, the 'G Host'? Perhaps we should ask Old Neill to perform a seance, but I'm not sure if there's enough time."

Just then, a hoarse voice spoke into Leonard's ear.

"Don't conduct a seance. Their souls have been polluted by something that only an Angel can know and speak of."

Angel?! Leonard's face paled.

Even in ancient times, a Sequence 2 Angel was considered a being close to a god, and in the Fifth Era, when Extraordinary powers were in decline, they were extremely rare. There were very few high-ranking figures in the Seven Gods Church who had reached the level of Angel.

How could someone of this caliber appear in a small place like Tinggen?

...

In the outskirts of Tinggen, there was a house surrounded by lush green lawns.

In the bedroom, behind the window, a desk held an ordinary-looking notebook, and an antique-looking quill pen wrote by itself, without anyone holding it.

"Ins Zengwell plans to use various coincidences to secretly pollute Dunn Smith, the captain of the Nocturne Squad of the Darkness Church, during his moment of mental distraction. He intends to use the captain's authority to retrieve Saint Serenna's Ash from the Chanice Gate and use it as a material to promote himself to Sequence 4."

"To achieve this, he sets up numerous obstacles for Dunn Smith, including the inherent pollution of the Antigonous Notes, the True Maker's pollution from Hernias Farnason, a member of the Aurora Society, and arrangements such as the deaths of teammates and repeated consumption of magic potions."

"However, there was a flaw in the plan. Klaine Moretti, who was supposed to die in the plan, survived and joined the Nocturne Squad. This seemingly insignificant event became the prelude to the plan's collapse."

"Due to unknown reasons, a vortex that attracts Extraordinary Traits appeared in Tinggen City. No one knows what this vortex is, how it came to be, or what it affects. Chaotic Fate, even 0-08, couldn't predict the outcome. This is truly a miraculous event."

"Laneros wanted to commit a fraud, which was both a part of his role as a 'Paths of Thieves' and his innate nature. He targeted... Air? He attempted to defraud Air but was killed by it?! This is too bizarre, too strange!"

"In their haste to retrieve the Antigonous Notes to rectify their mistakes, the Order of Esoteric Studies member, Reikens, and his two subordinates tracked down Klaine, the last person to see the notes. He realized he was being tracked by... Air? He smirked at the air and ran into the depths of the alley to fight it?"

"The two subordinates followed, but they were soon killed by... No, it wasn't Air. There must be an interloper. Ins Zengwell's plan was bound to fail..."

The quill pen continued to write, its movements giving off a sense of schadenfreude.

Just then, a pale hand grabbed the quill and continued writing.

"...the inevitability of failure."

"The deaths of the Order of Esoteric Studies members were too mysterious. Due to various coincidences, the news spread, and with the recent anomalous celestial phenomenon causing public panic, the Nocturne Squad had to work overtime on patrols. This made Sirius Arepides and Hernias Farnason, members of the Aurora Society, particularly anxious."

"With the help of Laneros and the behind-the-scenes Ins Zengwell, they successfully impregnated Meghoss with the child of the Demonspawn, the 'True Maker'. They were waiting for the birth of the Demonspawn's offspring to sacrifice the entire Tinggen City. This couldn't afford any mistakes, so after careful consideration, they reported to their superior in Enmart Port, Aurora Society Archon Z."

"Archon Z is a Sequence 5 Shepherd from the Hanged Man Path, and he happened to have the Extraordinary Trait of a Sequence 5 Traveler from the Gate Path. So he rushed to Tinggen City to ensure the safe birth of the Demonspawn's offspring!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end