Unable to repay my student loans, I had no choice but to work part-time as a demon hunter.

"...At this stage, we can confirm three things," Winslow said. "First, its activity is periodic and possesses unknown supernatural characteristics. Second, its extracts have a strong attraction to Deepclaw demons. Third, the box itself is unrelated to the spiritual source we are looking for."

"The box isn't important," Peter concluded.

“Yes,” Winslow said, “hopefully we can turn our attention back to the Blackwater River. What’s in it? How does it continue to pollute the fish? Will this affect the safety of the citizens? Once we figure out how the Blackwater River works, the secret of the box will be revealed.”

Gordon admitted that Winslow was very impressive.

Without being able to see the answer, the professor had grasped almost all the correct clues.

"The box should be sealed and weighed regularly to measure spiritual reactions. If that precipitate is noticed again, observation should be restarted immediately," Gordon added.

"Very good." Winslow nodded. "Very meticulous."

Gao Deng understood.

He personally delivered the box to the stage of project completion.

From now on, everyone should look towards that river.

"Speaking of which, Gordon, I've seen the bodies you donated; they're quite good," Winslow said.

"In what aspect?"

"Only when freshmen discover that people who have suffered cardiac arrest have octopus tentacles will they realize that the world is not as simple as they think. If they don't broaden their horizons when they are young, they will be shocked when they see all kinds of supernatural phenomena in the future," Winslow said.

"That's right," Gordon agreed.

"But what I'm more curious about is, how did you end up having a conflict with him?" Winslow changed the subject.

Gordon briefly explained the situation.

"...He carries your portrait, knows about the box, and his body is deformed. In other words, a group of people who have undergone abnormal modifications are approaching you in an organized manner," Winslow concluded.

"Professor, this is a personal matter."

"Our students can encounter strange things, but they should never be threatened by randomly appearing thugs," Winslow said.

"...Thank you, Professor." Gordon paused for a moment.

Winslow nodded meaningfully.

"The Silver Fish Box project is over," he said, "but the Blackwater River restoration project has only just begun. Whether it's tracing the source of the river or confirming the conversion path of Tantric practitioners, you'll be dealing with this river a lot in the future."

"That's right." Gordon thought about how he still had to deal with Harold.

"Here, take this." Winslow handed Gordon a small metal box.

"This is……"

"You'll find it useful during field research," Winslow explained. "I should have given you one when we were fishing that day."

  101 Reading Website: 101read.com - Find all your books here! A comprehensive, error-free site.

Portable sampling kit. Slightly enhances research professionalism while significantly improving pocket hygiene.

Gordon glanced around and saw that there were quite a few things inside.

The most valuable item is the sealing wax, a substance that can temporarily preserve items, including but not limited to source material, demonic remains, and contaminated samples...

There is also sediment salt, which is used to extract the source substance and spiritual imprints, separating them from the physical carrier.

There are also volumetric flasks, droppers, brown glass bottles, samplers, sample bags...

"Is the professor encouraging me?" Gordon asked.

"Promising students deserve encouragement," Winslow said.

Looking at the professor, whose features were well-defined and whose eyes were calm and sharp, Gordon felt a rare sense of care.

He felt that he still knew too little about the professor.

"I love college." Gordon fastened the suitcase.

The metal clasp clicked shut, as if locking away a certain stage as well, and placed behind the back.

He left the biomedical building, carrying his suitcase, sunlight falling on his shoulders.

……

Gordon returned to 9 Knightsway and began planning his next move.

He looked at the nascent source material, which resembled a dried pine cone.

The source substance is related to its solidification phenomenon.

Gordon had made up his mind to imbue this source with some kind of extremely nascent power.

This is in line with its imagery and Gordon's style.

The academy did not teach anyone how to complete this step, how to endow a newborn's essence with the power it deserves, so that it conforms to the characteristics of a newborn.

It is said that there is a special secret ritual that can influence, modify, and endow source matter with special powers.

The real answer must lie with Harold and the Blackwater Brotherhood.

Gordon pieced the clues back together.

The Silver Fish Sacred Box is an antique that the Earl of Montfort bought from the Blair Barrier District. It features a relief of fish, is water-permeable, and was once used to house a great spirit. Now, only an empty nest remains.

The pristine, brand-new source of essence, the product nurtured in the sacred box, innocent and ignorant.

Harold Wade, the old servant of the Monford family, is now on the run, and Vera is looking for him.

He whispered to the box, and the cook thought he was apologizing.

In retrospect, it was a special secret technique. He activated the box's extraordinary activity, causing it to leak amniotic fluid from its warm bed, continuously releasing a summons towards the Blackwater River, ultimately leading to the water monkey frenzy at the Montfort ancestral home.

It's not surprising that Harold hates him.

If the Blackwater Hermitage truly considered the Deepclaws as brothers and sisters, then what he did that day was quite remarkable.

This is roughly equivalent to someone using communion to lure believers, holding a ceremony, and then stabbing the kneeling prayers to death one by one.

We must find Harold no matter what.

To obtain more clues and more extraordinary knowledge.

……

The following day, Vera concluded her final round of reconnaissance.

She noticed Gordon's serious expression.

"The time has come," she said. "Let's go kill Harold."

"I'm ready."

"Go to the old fish market first. The news and the smell are coming from there," Vera said. "I broke the legs of two fat men to get a lead; they wouldn't say anything more, they just kept screaming."

"We can go find Peter first." Gordon picked up his coat. "If it's just about getting information, the Old Fish Market needs him."

"He can run," Vera said.

"So you have to grab him before he sees the danger," Gordon said. "Besides, with Peter around, you wouldn't have needed to break any of the fat guys' legs."

Vera accepted this logic.

Half an hour later, at the back door of the Anatomy Building at the Royal Academy of Sciences University.

"I'm off work today." Peter saw Gordon and Vera standing under the gaslight and had a very bad feeling.

"Congratulations. You now have an off-campus internship opportunity," Gordon said. "The location is the Old Fish Market, and the partners are the Black Gill Gang. It won't earn you any credits, but it will permanently resolve that threatening letter with the wet fingerprint."

"Am I going to get involved in this perverse cult incident too?" Peter asked.

"right."

"Danger, cult, leaving school. I wouldn't go if any two of those three words were put together." Peter counted the three words on his fingers. "Now not only are all three words there, but a fourth has appeared."

"The fourth word?"

“Gordon,” Peter said.

"You have unnecessary prejudice against your classmates," Gordon said. "It's just about finding someone. Vera almost stabbed someone at the Old Fish Market; your presence would reduce a lot of hostility."

"This..." Peter paused for a moment, clearly wanting to go home more.

"We're here to solve the problem," Gordon said. "Once you come to help, you'll never have to worry about being stopped at night by wet-footed people asking if you had anything to do with the water monkey's death."

These words solidified Peter's resolve.

"Just talk, no water, no touching anything with gills," Peter said. "Except fish. Oh, and if a fish starts talking, I'll turn around and leave too."

"make a deal."

……

Old fish market, evening.

This place looks like it has just gone through a torrential rain and then a funeral. The stone path is soaked in fish blood, mud, river water and an unnamed slime, and makes a slight "pop" sound when you step on it.

The shacks huddled together, crooked and scraggly, like a group of malnourished and gloomy mushrooms. Iron hooks hung from the crossbeams, from which hung slices of river monsters.

[A black cat. Its eyes seem to be looking to steal the cod.]

[Fishing nets. Their daily workload exceeds that of city hall officials.]

[A large bucket of blood. Don't ask, just keep moving forward, this is none of your business.]

Gordon looked away.

Along the way, the vendors repeatedly greeted Peter.

Good afternoon, Mr. Göshkovich.

"The eyeballs of that batch of white rat monsters were damaged because you didn't preserve them properly, not because I deliberately let them rot."

"Does the academy still accept demonic nuns? Fresh ones, they came by themselves last night."

Peter scratched his ear with his fingers, too lazy to even lift his head.

"How come so many people know you?" Gordon realized he had underestimated Peter.

"If you're in charge of logistics, you'll also know a lot of suppliers."

"I have a feeling it's related to the college's criminal activities."

"Of course, most things in the academy are illegal, and you certainly know that better than I do."

Gao Deng wholeheartedly agreed.

Vera walked at the back, threatening no one, yet the surrounding vendors automatically moved their goods further in, as if they had seen a walking knife.

They walked around rows of sheds and finally came to a warehouse at the back of the market.

The warehouse was quite large, with several large sections of green fishing nets hanging at the entrance.

Two fat men from the Black Gill Gang stood guard at the door.

They each had a broken leg, swollen and bruised like over-fermented bread, their sleeves rolled up to their elbows. Upon seeing Vera, they glared at her, hands on their guns.

Peter went up to them and whispered a few words in their ears.

Gordon will never know what Peter said, but the two of them exchanged a glance and immediately made way for the entrance.

Old Baz was sitting in a chair in the warehouse.

Inside were more barrels, boxes, and fishing nets, and a map hung on the wall.

[Hydrological map. The river channels and drainage ditches resemble black blood vessels; they were drawn on artificially.]

[A puddle on the ground. Its composition is complex; it could be used to make more than a dozen different kinds of things.]

The scars on Old Baz's face were still clearly visible in the dim light, as if something had tried to tear his face apart, but then found it unpalatable and gave up.

He saw Vera and grinned.

"You broke the legs of two of my brothers just to find a guy named Harold," old Buzz said.

"Is there really a lead on Harold?" Gordon asked.

"Of course," old Buzz said calmly, "but I need to get my brothers' legs back in place first, otherwise how will I earn their respect?"

The atmosphere in the warehouse suddenly became tense.

Old Baz was confident because this was his territory.

Vera placed her hand on her sword, not caring whose territory this was.

Peter huddled by the door, hoping everyone could speak more politely.

Gordon then placed two vials of amniotic fluid on the table, attracting everyone's attention.

"I have this," Gordon said.

Peter and his team had previously collected an entire box of them.

Now that the Holy Box no longer secretes anything, this batch of items is now a collector's item and must be used sparingly.

Every drop should be exchanged for something more valuable and useful than the Deepclaw Demon.

"..." Old Baz felt relieved.

He acted as if he had never had those two subordinates.

Old Baz wanted it, but Gordon didn't give it to him directly. Instead, he put it on the table and made Vera look at it.

"Two tubes?" Old Baz asked.

"Half a tube. It depends on whether what you're talking about is worth it," Gordon said. "Where's Harold?"