Chapter 15: Bait
Being able to leave the banquet midway, Karl couldn’t ask for more, of course, it would be better if it weren’t for a m*rder case.
One kilometer outside the city, the victim, drained of Life Force by unknown means, lay in the grass. The passerby who reported the crime was giving a statement.
The victim’s identity has been confirmed.
It is Ham, who came to attend the banquet!
Seeing the police officer he interacted with just a few days ago dead in the wilderness, even Karl, with his indifferent nature, couldn’t help but feel a surge of anger. His expression was extremely grim.
“The same method; the murderer should be the same person.”
Dana’s beautiful eyes were filled with a murderous look. She said coldly:
“The previous victims were all women, pure virgins. Ham is the only exception.”
“Could it be that Ham discovered something, so the murderer silenced him?” Kerry, who was also present today, speculated.
Karl remained silent.
The perpetrator who dared to k*ll a police officer would also dare to k*ll a City Patrol Officer. He always valued his life. Although angered, he didn’t want to rashly get involved.
“Hmm.”
Dana nodded and asked:
“Did Ham come to the banquet alone today?”
“No.” Kerry’s eyes looked strange:
“Ham’s colleagues said he had been getting close to Lady Anne recently. They agreed to attend the banquet together. He even bragged about it to his colleagues.”
“Lady Anne?” Dana frowned.
This noblewoman’s background was very complicated. Even she wouldn’t provoke her lightly without a good reason.
But how did Ham get involved with Lady Anne?
Was it for investigating the case?
Or something else?
Her thoughts churning, she looked at Karl, who was standing idly by. As if she had thought of something, she suddenly said:
“Karl!”
“Chief.” Karl snapped back to attention.
“Go get something for me.” Dana took out a key:
“The location is 17 Safi Street. Give the key to the owner of the room, and he will give you the item. Remember to bring it to me tomorrow.”
“You don’t want to stay here anyway, do you?”
“Uh…” Karl gave a dry laugh, looked up at the darkening sky, and reached out to take the key:
“I’ll complete the mission!”
“Hmm.”
Dana nodded, watching Karl’s back as he walked away. Her beautiful eyes slowly narrowed.
*
*
*
Night was approaching.
The sky had already darkened.
The old woman held a kerosene lamp, using the dim light to signal Karl to take the package on the table.
“These are Dana’s old clothes. I thought she didn’t want them anymore, so I was going to throw them away.”
“Good to take them, good to take them.”
Old clothes?
Was she treating him like an errand boy?
Karl shook his head speechlessly, took the package, and left.
The crescent moon hung in the sky, casting a faint glow, obscured by a layer of fog above the city.
‘I heard that North City built a coal-burning factory. This fog is all emitted from the factory. There’s so much pollution in just a few months.’
“Environmental damage…”
‘Could it be that this world will also experience an industrial revolution?’
Karl looked up at the sky, letting his thoughts wander, then suddenly stopped and drew the short sword from his waist.
Going to the banquet today, he didn’t bring his broadsword, only a close-fitting short sword.
“Who’s there?”
Looking at the darkness ahead, Karl’s face was cold and stern:
“Come out!”
“Huh?”
Shadows flickered in the dark alley, and two figures walked out side by side. One of them spoke with surprise:
“Such keen perception, to actually discover us.”
“Who are you?”
Karl’s eyes narrowed, and the special senses developed after cultivating the Venomous Wolf Breathing Technique made his skin tighten.
“What do you want?”
Killing intent!
Danger!
These people are hostile!
But he shouldn’t have offended anyone recently, so why would someone target him?
“What do you want?”
The taller and stronger of the two men sneered, stepped forward, and glanced at the short sword in Karl’s hand before saying:
“Put down the package.”
Package?
Karl raised an eyebrow.
Are they after Dana?
“Fine.”
Taking a step back, Karl said:
“I’ll put down the package, and then we’ll go our separate ways.”
“Good, I like people who know what’s good for them.” The tall man nodded, expressing his satisfaction:
“Put down the thing, and you can leave.”
“Wait!”
Just as Karl put down the package and was about to leave, the other person suddenly spoke:
“We need to search you before you can go!”
“Right.”
The tall man nodded:
“What if you hide the key item on your body? Wouldn’t we have worked for nothing? Please take off your clothes, friend.”
✿✿✿
“Don’t push it.” Karl’s expression darkened.
“Push it?” The other person’s voice was impatient:
“Just take it off when we tell you to. Why so much nonsense?”
The next moment.
The man moved.
He suddenly stomped his foot, and his whole body shot forward like an arrow, a cruel and fierce aura rushing towards Karl.
Just from eye contact, Karl’s heart skipped a beat.
Killing intent!
This was the cruel look of someone who had taken a life, perhaps more than one, someone who would resort to violence without hesitation.
He had practiced martial arts for many years, strengthening his body, but he had never engaged in a life-or-death struggle with another person.
As the distance closed, he could see more clearly that the man’s face was covered by a mask, fitting snugly against his cheeks.
“Swish!”
Karl swung his sword, intercepting with the Iron Gate Stance.
His target was not the masked man rushing towards him, but the person behind him.
“Clang…”
A dark figure wielding a sharp blade collided with the short sword. The tremendous force of the impact caused both of them to stagger backward.
A sneak attack!
There was actually another person hidden behind, attacking at the same time as the masked man.
Fortunately, Karl’s senses were sharp, and he had reacted defensively in advance.
“Careful!”
Having failed in his sneak attack, the attacker shouted urgently:
“He’s a Knight Squire!”
Before coming, they hadn’t expected their opponent to be a Knight Squire who had cultivated a breathing technique.
But even if he was a Knight Squire, so what?
As long as he wasn’t a Knight, his physical qualities wouldn’t be much different from an ordinary person’s.
Besides.
The current situation was three against one.
“Three against one.”
“Hah…”
The masked man continued his charge, a steel rod appearing in his hand, which he swung down fiercely at Karl.
The last man, the tall and strong one, also charged silently, thrusting with a greatsword.
Their movements were swift, fierce, and coordinated. They didn’t hold back, each move a killing b*ow.
“Clang…”
“Dang!”
Karl swung his short sword, desperately defending.
But facing the deadly attacks of three people, despite his best efforts, he was forced to retreat continuously.
He had only recently become a Knight Squire. His physique was stronger than an ordinary person’s, but not by much.
Moreover, his three opponents were all fierce individuals, and his weapon wasn’t ideal. He was at a disadvantage and in imminent danger.
“Ah!”
Karl’s chest expanded, and a surge of power burst forth with his shout.
His short sword deflected the incoming attacks, trembling slightly in the air. Then, three afterimages appeared, swirling in front of him.
A combat technique!
Gale Slash!
“Clang…”
“Thud!”
The short sword sliced through flesh, causing one of the attackers to stumble backward.
However, after using the combat technique, Karl felt his strength weaken. Just as he was about to take the opportunity to escape, his expression suddenly changed.
“Whoosh…”
A dark figure descended from the sky, her rapier creating a shower of sword shadows that enveloped the tall man.
The sword shadows vanished, and blood splattered.
“Thump!”
The tall man crashed to the ground, no longer able to resist.
“Chief Dana.”
Looking at the newcomer, Karl’s face showed no relief, only anger:
“You used me as bait!”
“Now’s not the time to talk about that.” Dana shrugged, glancing at him with a hint of surprise:
“Not bad swordsmanship.”
“Chase!”
“Don’t let them escape!”
