Chapter 361

Chapter 307: Corpse Transformation

Before long, Dorothy found her results—a sigil, specifically a “Cup” sigil. Dorothy had seen this type of sigil before.

Back when she was still at odds with the Holy Communion in Igewent, on White Pearl Street, Dorothy had used Corey Cross, a loan shark merchant, as bait to lure out Colif, a Holy Communion cadre hidden within White Pearl Street. When these Holy Communion lackeys killed Corey, they used this sigil to vaporize the flesh and bl**d from his corpse.

“This is… the Corpse Transformation Sigil!”

The moment Gregor discovered the sigil on his own body, he blurted it out, while Little Fox tilted her head inquiringly.

“Corpse Transformation Sigil? What’s that?”

“It’s a ‘Cup’ sigil that reacts with any remaining ‘Cup’ in a corpse, rapidly evaporating its flesh and tissues. I once dealt with a ‘Cup’ society from the bl**d Feast faction, who used this sigil to dispose of corpses. This individual has this sigil prepared… likely waiting to handle my corpse after assassinating me.”

Gregor said as much, and Little Fox nodded in understanding. Her knowledge of the Secret World came mostly from her grandfather, but even with his extensive experience, he couldn’t have imparted all of it to her.

“Indeed, this is a Corpse Transformation Sigil… designed specifically for handling corpses for rent flesh. If anything had gone wrong earlier, this sigil would have been used on Mr. Hunter.”

The words continued to appear in the Dream Space, and looking at them, Gregor continued, “Sir, do you mean to use this Corpse Transformation Sigil to dispose of the assassin’s corpse? If so, I don’t think it’s necessary at the moment. Keeping the assassin’s body intact could provide more clues for my colleagues to investigate the assassin’s origins more thoroughly.”

“Clues? Heh… Mr. Hunter, a huge clue is right in front of you, yet you haven’t noticed?”

With a hint of mockery, Dorothy sent this message to Gregor’s dream, and upon seeing the new words floating before him, the dog-like form of Gregor was momentarily stunned.

“A huge clue? Where is it?”

Frowning, Gregor puzzled over what he might have missed, but could not fathom it. At that moment, the new text began to explain his confusion.

“Mr. Hunter, have you considered why these assassins went through such great lengths to drug you before killing you? They wanted to prevent any noise or resistance. Their goal was to replace your identity, which required your d*ath to be completely silent, unnoticed by anyone.

“Your d*ath must go unnoticed, and even post-mortem, no one should find out. Thus, disposing of your body on this train became a challenge.”

Seeing these words, Gregor nodded in understanding. If someone were to discover his body or identify him after d*ath, their plan to replace his identity would fall apart.

“So, they planned to k*ll me in a deep sleep induced by drugs, then use the Corpse Transformation Sigil to handle my body?” Gregor said, and the new text confirmed this.

“Yes, after their plan succeeds, Mr. Hunter’s body must be handled carefully. It cannot remain on the train where it might be discovered by future train attendants or passengers, nor can it be thrown out the window where it might be found by passersby. The safest method for them is to use the Corpse Transformation Sigil, turning your body into bones, then packing those bones in a box and taking them off the train.”

The text in the Dream Space continued, and Dorothy turned her gaze toward the door of the compartment, where a large suitcase was placed. This suitcase was brought in by the assassin disguised as a train attendant when they entered the compartment, and it had remained there ever since. Previously, it had gone unnoticed, but now, highlighted by Dorothy, it immediately caught Gregor and Little Fox’s attention.

“I see! This suitcase was originally meant to hold the assassin’s bones!”

Looking at the screen, Little Fox said, and Gregor nodded in agreement. The purpose of this suitcase was clear.

“Miss Fox is correct… This suitcase is most likely intended for holding Mr. Hunter’s bones. After all, the Corpse Transformation Sigil can only turn flesh into ashes, leaving the bones to be handled separately. Fortunately, a pile of bones is easier to manage than a whole body. Once disassembled, such a suitcase would suffice.”

Dorothy responded to Gregor and his companions, and after hearing this, Gregor nodded in understanding. However, after a moment of thought, he asked doubtfully.

“Hmm… Your analysis makes sense, but where is this clue you mentioned?”

“Have you not figured it out, Mr. Hunter? Although disposing of the corpse as bones is convenient, it still needs to be done. To ensure nothing is left behind, someone must take the bones off the train… but who will carry out this task?”

New text appeared in the dream, and Gregor responded without hesitation.

“Naturally, it would be the assassin. After killing me, he could carry an extra suitcase… Wait…”

Suddenly, Gregor seemed to realize something. After a brief pause, he continued.

“Wait… After killing me, the assassin would change into my identity, but with my status, this box of bones cannot be taken off the train. There are Bureau agents waiting for me at the station, who would help check and transport my luggage, posing a risk of exposure!

“Similarly, this box of bones cannot simply be thrown outside or discarded at some intermediate station; if no one is around, there’s a risk of being found and reported by ordinary people.”

Gregor muttered, having realized Dorothy’s meaning after multiple hints.

“To safely transfer these bones, the best and safest approach is to arrange another person on this train, someone other than this assassin, to take the box of bones after the operation succeeds. The assassin would hand it over to this person, who would then take the bones off the train as a regular passenger.

“This means… there is another accomplice on this train!”

Gregor concluded, and Dorothy smiled in response.

“Exactly, based on the current situation, this probability is high. Mr. Hunter, if handled well, such an accomplice could provide valuable clues. If you’re willing, I might use your body to find the hidden individual.”

Dorothy’s words appeared before Gregor, who paused and then spoke seriously.

“Your wisdom impresses me. Thank you for guiding me through the fog… But since Lady Patunax’s instructions are complete, why do you continue to help me?”

Gregor asked the mysterious Akka believer, who quickly replied in text.

“Rest assured, Mr. Hunter. I bear no ill will towards you. I continue to help because, as a detective, I have a natural interest in solving mysteries…”

“Detective…”

“The Akka believer… is a detective?”

Gregor and Little Fox murmured at the new text, and after some thought, Gregor decided to speak.

“I understand. Detective, please help me find the assassin’s accomplice…”

Gregor said, thinking that if this mysterious detective wanted to harm him, there were countless opportunities already. After all, control over his body was in the detective’s hands.

“Thank you for your trust, Mr. Hunter. Now, let’s begin.”

Dorothy sent new information to Gregor and then remotely controlled Gregor’s body in the compartment. She first placed the Corpse Transformation Sigil on the dead assassin’s body, watching as his skin and flesh rapidly decayed and evaporated into wisps of smoke. To ventilate the compartment, she opened the window slightly.

Soon, the assassin’s flesh was completely dried up, leaving only a skeleton. Then, Dorothy instructed Gregor to bring the large suitcase over and open it, placing it on the ground and carefully collecting the assassin’s bones, one by one, into the box.