Chapter 123 Arrival
A huge rat poked its head out of the garbage heap, its tiny eyes flashing an eerie glow.
At this distance, Edward could already see the personnel from the Disciplinary Bureau.
There were two of them, both wearing the standard black trench coats of Disciplinary Bureau investigators. One had a scar on his face and was holding a cigarette in his mouth; the other was bald with fierce eyes.
Edward breathed a sigh of relief. He recognized these two; they were a partnership that often acted together. Both were at Stage One, but when they cooperated, they could even contend with a Stage Two Transcendent.
As long as he didn’t confront them head-on, Edward was confident that he could use the rat’s body and abilities to sneak past them undetected.
But just then, the bald investigator stood up and said vigilantly, “Transcendent approaching.”
Edward froze, his body turning cold.
He didn’t know if they were talking about him, and if so, where had he been exposed?
“Distance.”
The smoking investigator spat out his cigarette, its glowing end landing on the damp muddy ground with a sizzle.
“Very close, extremely close,” the bald man said seriously. “This distance is enough for the other party to cast a spell, but we haven’t seen him yet, which means he doesn’t want to reveal himself to us.”
Spells or techniques that could conceal oneself were not uncommon for Transcendent beings.
“Then find him!”
The smoking investigator sneered, took out a flint, and activated his ability. Accompanied by a blast of hot air and a burnt aroma, a ball of flowing fire appeared in his palm.
He exchanged a look with his partner and then slowly moved towards Edward’s location.
Edward was terrified. He desperately wanted to run, but that would definitely expose him.
What should he do? What should he do?
If they discovered him, they would surely notify the Disciplinary Bureau. Edward had no confidence in escaping the pursuit of the entire Disciplinary Bureau.
The investigator had come very close. He held up the fire and looked around, finding nothing unusual.
“Are you sure it’s a Transcendent?”
“Can’t say for sure.” His companion’s eyes flickered. “Could be a beggar or a rat or something.”
“And you made me come look for this? How boring.”
The investigator extinguished the ball of fire and turned to walk back in the original direction. Edward breathed a sigh of relief, but at that moment, he smelled the aura of death rapidly approaching.
A wave of heat erupted instantly, along with fire and splashing mud and garbage. The scarred investigator’s eyes were cold as he examined the place that had been blown to smithereens.
“A rat.”
He picked up the dying creature. Flames were still scorching its fur, and it looked like it would die at any moment.
“No matter what it is, it’s best to get rid of it,” his companion advised, which was exactly what he intended to do.
Edward felt excruciating pain all over his body. His mind was a mess, and he completely lost the ability to judge his current situation. However, he could still hear the conversation between the two investigators. If he didn’t resist, death would surely be his fate.
So, Edward let out a roar. His bean-sized rat eyes revealed madness and cruelty. With a shake of his body, he broke free from the investigator’s grip.
The scarred investigator didn’t expect such immense power to erupt from the dying rat. Before he could even warn his companion, he felt a chill in his throat, as if something had passed through his neck.
His vision began to rotate at a subtle angle and speed. When it stopped, he saw a familiar headless corpse standing before him.
Cruelly biting off the investigator’s neck, Edward didn’t hesitate for a moment. Upon landing, he instantly charged at the other person.
The bald man’s eyes widened. Before he could react to what had happened, a huge, three-meter-tall werewolf suddenly lunged out and, with one paw, slammed his head into the mud, crushing it.
Edward deactivated his transformation and stood there, gasping for breath, looking at the two headless corpses on the ground.
He had killed someone, and not just any investigator from the Disciplinary Bureau, whom he had even worked with in collective operations before.
Was he sad? No. Was he relieved? Neither.
Edward couldn’t fathom his own feelings.
He thought of these two investigators. They cleaned up apostates and potential dangers for this city, for this country, and maintained the peace and order of this nation. They must have had families too, parents, wives, daughters, or sons. But now, all of that was gone.
With his own hands, Edward had extinguished their lives, their families, and their futures.
But there was no other way. If he had shown mercy, how would he get that money? Edward closed his eyes in pain. He was a Cleaner, a wild dog kept by the authorities, but so what? He also had a family, a seriously ill daughter, and even insignificant, laughable dreams…
After just a moment of sadness, Edward straightened his mindset and began to move towards Black Raven Port, stepping over the corpses and bloodstains.
Once he got the money, he would take his family and leave this city, leave this country.
*
Edward crawled out of a manhole. He was covered in filth and blood, and his numb, cold pupils were devoid of any spirit.
Through the sewers, he had entered Black Raven Port.
This should be the area where goods were stored and transshipped.
Edward twitched his nose, only smelling the foul odor on himself and the cold sea.
This was too strange. There was no one’s scent at all in the entire Black Raven Port. Even in normal times, this place would at least be guarded by military personnel, right?
Feeling uneasy, Edward hesitated for a moment before heading towards the dock.
He had killed people, investigators from the Disciplinary Bureau at that. There was no turning back for him now.
The dock was also deserted, with only the cold raindrops falling and the sound of waves crashing against the shore.
Edward found a corner and squatted down, his face full of exhaustion.
There was less than half an hour left until the appointed time.
This was the time he had allocated for himself. His actions so far had been very smooth; he hadn’t been delayed for too long, and no living person had discovered him.
With nothing to do, Edward daydreamed about what he would do after receiving the money. First, he would move to Viana; it was safe, far from Arthur, and had advanced medical practices. He might as well buy a large house, preferably close to forests and fields, where he could reach out and touch the gently falling snow; and then…
A strange scent that Edward found deeply memorable interrupted his reverie.
He stood up and looked at the waves in the distance.
A huge, majestic four-masted ship broke through the rain and waves, silently approaching the port.
It was undoubtedly the largest, most opulent, and most heavily armed ship Edward had ever seen. Its hull was constructed of hard wood encased in metal, approximately 120 meters long. Countless thick cannons protruded from the windows of its hull, each cannonball capable of easily shattering the thickest city walls or the most courageous army.
The flag on the main mast fluttered proudly in the sea breeze. It depicted a lion clad in a vibrant red cape and blue and white armor.
That was the flag of the Royal Arthur Fleet.
