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

Golden Oak Estate, Day Three of the Ceremony.

They were like two ghosts living in the manor, revealing no information whatsoever.

The manor remains a ruin, abandoned for seven years, unnoticed by anyone. In the distance, there are no lights, no smoke, and no trace of life.

Unless someone makes a special trip up the mountain, climbs over the manor's stone wall, and puts their ear to the wall, they won't hear the steam engine noise in the basement.

The "cradle of life" rises and falls rhythmically.

The source embryo swims and grows within it, now a quarter larger than before, with several delicate golden lines creeping onto its surface, appearing and disappearing intermittently.

Gordon was playing with a finely crafted standard revolver.

The gun body is dark blue, and the walnut grip is engraved with anti-slip patterns.

["Bull Model" pistol. Shooting instructions not included.]

He turned the gun towards the window, imagining himself hitting a small flower on the grass.

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In his imagination, the flower stem broke, the petals scattered in the air, and the cultists, witnessing this astonishing shot, immediately abandoned the Fishing King.

But even without firing, the sound of gunfire can be heard.

The main purpose of this gun is for self-defense; it can be used to scare away people with wet feet.

……wrong.

Gordon's heart skipped a beat.

The Divine Thread can move freely within a 50-meter range; it is delicate enough and powerful enough to bind Vera.

If that's the case, why must the gun be held in one's hand?

He raised his finger, and a thin thread flew out, wrapping around the gun grip. He then gripped the trigger, lifted it up, and levitated it into the air.

It spins and jumps in the air, moving up, down, left, and right.

Now it's a firing point that can fly behind someone's head, appearing in a position that's inconvenient for the enemy to defend against, and firing from an angle that shows no regard for martial ethics.

"Floating guns." Gordon examined them for a moment and solemnly announced.

The sound of barely perceptible footsteps echoed down the corridor.

Vera saw the gun fly away and her hand was already on the hilt of her sword.

"...?"

"This is mine." Gordon sent the gun flying back.

"It's safe outside." She released her grip.

Their vigilance was at its peak.

Vera checks the estate every three hours.

Gordon placed the bone residue on the table and used his String of Knowledge to determine the location of the Dragon Lizard Demon every now and then. So far, it has been steadily pointing to Lundenim City.

He would also occasionally tap the ground with his Blackthorn Plum staff to observe the underground conditions. There might be a civil engineer among the cultists.

"After this is over, shall we go back to 9 Knight Road? Or shall we move to a bigger place?" Gordon asked.

"Number Nine, Knight Road." Vera didn't hesitate for a moment. "I want Number Nine, Knight Road."

"It's too small. Should we buy the first floor? That way, Dr. Hopkins can find another job."

Do you think the Tantric practitioners would capture him and torture him?

"He only knew that two people lived upstairs."

"It's dangerous enough. For his safety, let's buy the first floor," Vera decided.

"Okay." Gordon sat down on the wooden floor.

Vera sat down next to him, hugging her legs and resting her chin on her knees, appearing unusually quiet.

"The first floor can be converted into a larger living room. The doctor's clinic can be opened up." Vera looked at the abandoned corridor in front of her, as if No. 9 Knight Road had already unfolded before her. "The second floor can still be used for living."

"Let's expand the kitchen. We'll also dig a basement. We can make a storage room there to store all sorts of things."

"I want a yard."

"You could put some flowers and plants under the window or on the balcony. Should you grow medicinal herbs or edible plants?"

"Either is fine. We should all have that." Vera nodded.

"Finally, it will be upgraded to the Vera Cartret Demon Hunter Agency."

"Hey." Vera thought to herself and finally smiled faintly.

She had almost forgotten what a smile should look like.

She hadn't thought about her demon-hunting agency in a long time.

It's her own career. She no longer needs to listen to what others say; she can decide for herself what commissions to accept.

Gordon was obviously in there; this is neither something to be discussed nor allowed to be discussed.

"Then, we'll find you a sufficiently powerful, monstrous source substance. Like a giant wolf, a ferocious beast, or a savage monster, with clear aggression and tenacious vitality." Gordon reached out and drew circles on the floor, the dust clearly smearing as his fingers moved.

"Why is it a monster's nature?"

"Because a monster is proactive enough, wanting to eat and tear things apart. The instinct to burn is too passive, only burning its reserves when you are on the verge of death, and it is not capable of taking on a great responsibility. 'Tearing Fate' itself carries the temperament of hunting and fighting for one's life. If a stronger ferocious beast essence is introduced, it may devour 'Instinct to Burn' and then achieve a balance with 'Tearing Fate'."

"Will it turn me into a monster?"

"It might amplify aggression, physiological needs, and bestial tendencies. But you..." Gordon paused, "already have those, at most it can accept the status quo."

Vera smiled again.

Gordon said he would give her a treatment plan, and now the plan is taking shape. Self-discipline, moderation, a new source of energy, an agency, a fully healed body, and a house for two.

"...I'm going to wash up." Vera then got up and went to the old washroom at the end of the corridor to wipe away the mud she had left during her patrol.

The original water supply pipes have been sealed off to prevent the Blackwater Hermitage from locating them.

She opened the sealed copper bucket, stood in a basin, scooped water with a ladle, and poured it over herself.

Even wastewater must be contained in basins and sealed, and is not allowed to flow into any drainage ditch.

They are that careful.

Gordon wanted to be humorous, so he wound the Thread of God into the bathroom, floated it in front of Vera, and formed semi-transparent text.

"Vera Cartrett"

"Cute, dangerous"

Wei stretched out her hand and grabbed it; the lines slipped away and became deformed.

"It seems the prediction came true."

"Gordon." Vera lifted the basin.

"This is a new communication technology that is currently in the internal testing phase."

"You just wait."

Vera came out shortly after.

She covered only a third of her body with a towel, and water droplets followed their path down her torso.

Gordon stared at the fair skin for a long time before looking at the crack in the wall.

[The crack. And again, it won't heal itself.]

"Is it pretty?"

"It's very beautiful. This isn't something you need to think about." It was rare for Vera to ask, but Gordon answered seriously this time.

Vera walked toward him.

Walking across the wooden floor made no sound at all.

Gordon sensed that something was wrong.

"What are you going to do?"

When she got close enough, she suddenly leaned down and pinned him down on the wooden floor.

Gordon tried to turn over, but Vera grabbed his shoulder and adjusted her center of gravity, holding him firmly on the ground.

Vera moved closer, her nose twitching as she inhaled his scent, her damp hair brushing against his face.

"The attack on the trainee investigator was egregious and the evidence is substantial," Gordon warned.

Vera moved closer to his neck, her nose brushing against his skin, sending shivers down his spine like a hunting dog confirming it had caught its prey.

Warm breath landed on Gordon's skin. His body tensed up suddenly. Oh no, it was the Supreme Bone.

"...There's a reaction..."

"If not, I should get checked as soon as possible."

Vera opened her mouth and licked Gordon's neck, the touch brushing against his skin.

It truly felt like being captured by a monster. Gordon fell silent.

She found the result amusing and, in the end, gently kissed it there.

Then it gradually intensified, patiently leaving a mark.

"I must provide a medical risk warning: even lightly biting the skin can cause subcutaneous capillaries to rupture and bleed, forming reddish-purple spots that can last for several days," Gordon emphasized.

Vera finally raised her head, stared at Gordon, and their eyes met.

She witnessed Charlotte and Gordon's words and actions under the tent on the day they left school.

Therefore, she was no longer going to wait for Gordon to decide what their relationship was; she had already decided her part.

"If we get back alive, No. 9 Knight Road will need to be renovated," she said.

"certainly."

"There's a big change." She leaned closer, her moist, gray eyes almost touching hers. "Let's just keep one bed, okay?"

"Okay," Gordon agreed, "...but it has to be a better quality one."

You can be impulsive when it comes to feelings, but you must maintain good sleep quality.

……

Meanwhile, on the other side...

Green Shade Mansion, underground pool.

A glass ball is suspended by an iron chain, and the luminous algae inside emit a ghostly green light.

The poolside is paved with white marble from Italia, its edges covered with scratch marks, stained rust-colored by years of accumulated blood.

Olivia gazed at the pool, holding a Holy Grail in one hand.

The singer Elaine, the doctor Albert, and the crocodile-man Krogg emerge from the shadows behind the archway.

"How are things? My...children." She didn't turn around.

"I read the newspaper. That kid humiliated us all," Kroger said hoarsely.

"That drop of water has the scent of the Holy Reliquary, it must be so." Albert nodded. "We can't retrieve the Holy Reliquary now."

"Now, every time I go out, people from the agency follow me. Some even pretend to be my fans and ask me for autographs," Ellen sighed.

"So he exposed our members, put the secret of the Blackwater River on the front page, and gave that dangerous... scorpion a chance to come back from Luming."

A muffled thud came from the dark pool, as some enormous creature slammed into the pool wall, losing patience with the conversation.

"Have you found him?" Olivia asked Krogh.

"The Blackgill Gang has been wiped out, and no more Breath of the Holy Regalia have been found. They weren't found at the port, train station, or city gate inns. We've asked everyone at the ticket office, but no one has a name like Carterett or Vic."

"The water veins within the city are not responding either..." Olivia pondered.

She walked to the long table by the pool.

A map of the Lundenium underground hydrology was laid out on the table, and more information, including all the records after Harold's death, was placed next to it.

Harold died after initiating the Tidal Birth Ritual, and the mermaid devoured his remains.

The ancient rubbings and mermaid scales he had given him have both disappeared. Gordon had close contact with the silverfish casket, and the aura of the casket required for the ritual was most likely in his possession.

Gordon then secretly left the city after the conference, refusing interviews and seeking no recognition, vanishing without a trace. A man who wanted money voluntarily gave up the opportunity to turn fame into cash.

He most likely seized the ritual documents, managed to decipher the ancient inscriptions, and is currently attempting to recreate the birth of the tides in some hidden location.

The more important question is...

What sustains it?

She looked at the booklets, which contained clues about the trade of giant eggshells, giant clam shells, and other unusual "nest" materials.

She has been keeping an eye on these things for the past three months.

According to the Blackwater Hermitage, the safest vessel would be a giant clam shell or a giant egg.

She spent a lot of money having people keep an eye on clam shells at the old fish market and on the giant eggs of exotic beasts at the import and export customs.

The result was nothing.

Since Harold's death, no one has asked about the material anymore.

This is illogical.

Unable to start with the materials, Olivia could only continue investigating the locations.

"Send letters to the other branches; if he leaves Lundenim, we'll know," she instructed first.

"Yes," Dr. Albert nodded.

"If he hasn't left Lundenim, Krogh, I want you to investigate these places." Olivia turned to a map.

The place where he is now hiding must meet several conditions.

...dry.

...rarely visited by people.

...It can be used to stockpile supplies.

Olivia held a red pencil, the tip gliding over abandoned textile mills, greenhouses, several manors, villas near the royal forest, and many abandoned or uninhabited noble properties.

One by one, Olivia circled twenty points of varying sizes, like a rash spreading in the countryside, before finally handing them over to Krogh. There were many points, but they no longer represented the entirety of Lundnium.

"Drink. Let our enemies pay the price." Olivia made Krogh drink a drop of water from the Holy Grail.

His body, which had been exhausted from days of running around and killing, has now recovered its full energy.

Kroger picked up the map, then the gilded revolver from the table, hoisted the heavy switch axe onto his shoulder, and turned to walk toward the spiral staircase in his prime.

"I will tear them to pieces."