Chapter 74

Chapter Seventy-Four: Scouting Locations

In the noon of Igewent, inside a hotel room somewhere.

Thick curtains were drawn shut, blocking the sunlight. The gas lamp on the table illuminated the dim space. Dorothy sat at the table, in front of her lay a large map of Igewent. The white map, illuminated by the yellow light, took on a burnt-yellow hue.

Next to the map were drawing tools like a compass and ruler. On the map, a magical array was drawn in dark red powder, with mysterious texts and symbols overlaying the urban map. The main symbol above the array depicted a standing scepter radiating light, while below it was an open eye.

“Ha… Done…”

After carefully drawing the magical array on the map according to the data provided by Audric, Dorothy finally completed her preparations for divination. Now she was ready to conduct her very first divination in her mysterious career.

Opening a small wooden box by her side, Dorothy took out the “Lamp” spiritual storage item she purchased from Audric earlier that day, a small piece of orange-yellow amber.

According to Audric’s divination teachings, the two necessary spiritual components for divination were “Lamp” and “Enlightenment.” While she could provide “Enlightenment” herself, “Lamp” had cost her 150 pounds. Based on the passive effects of the Cain Identification Technique, Dorothy roughly estimated that the “Lamp” spiritual essence within the amber was probably only about 1 point.

‘Selling 1 point of spirituality for 150 pounds… If only I could sell my own “Enlightenment”…’

Dorothy muttered in her mind, placing the 150-pound amber on the symbol for “Lamp” on the map, while the symbol for “Enlightenment” remained vacant.

Next, Dorothy pulled out a crystal pendant, which she had bought at a carpet shop in the lower city for just a few coins. The owner insisted it was crystal, but Dorothy was certain it was glass.

Nonetheless, according to Audric, what mattered in divination was the spirituality, not the tools; as long as the spiritual essence was sufficient, the rest was inconsequential.

With the cheap pendant in hand, Dorothy was ready to perform a divination called “pendulum.” Among the several simple divination methods provided by Audric, this was deemed the best for scouting locations.

In fact, Dorothy could have attempted to directly divinate the headquarters of the Holy Communion and report them in advance. However, she wasn’t sure if the Holy Communion, which exists in various strongholds, even had a headquarters. Even if it did, what if there were counter-divination measures in place? Her “Lamp” only had one point, and wasting it wasn’t an option. So she decided to divinate a more secure ambush location.

Standing at the table, Dorothy held the pendant above the map, letting the tip of the cheap crystal dangle towards it. Then she began to chant quietly.

“I seek the location where the Crimson Eucharist plans to ambush the Hunter squad…”

As she uttered the divinatory words, a crack appeared in the amber on the magical array. Invisible spiritual essence was released, and at the same time, Dorothy felt something within her being drawn out. With a notification from the system, her “Enlightenment” essence decreased by 1 point.

“I need to know where the Crimson Eucharist plans to ambush the Hunter squad.”

Having spoken the incantation, Dorothy began to swing the pendant. The tip started to sway back and forth above the map.

Gradually, the pendant in her hand began to tilt in a specific direction as if pulled by some mysterious force. As the swinging became smaller and smaller, the pendant finally came to a stop, tilting at a seemingly impossible angle, pointing to a location on the map.

Dorothy followed the direction pointed by the crystal tip, and the landmark displayed the name… Flooded Wharf.

…

The Flooded Wharf is located in the eastern outskirts of Igewent, downstream of the Iron Mud River. Once a fairly prosperous river dock, it mainly facilitated the loading and unloading of small river boats and provided ferry services. Due to its poor location, it often flooded extensively during peak water periods, thereby giving rise to its name.

The Flooded Wharf was not an official dock but rather constructed by several merchant fleets, making it a hotspot for illegal activities and extraordinary transportation; it even became a black market at one point. A few years ago, the Igewent authorities raided the area and apprehended nearly a hundred people, leaving it now desolate and largely abandoned.

In the afternoon of Igewent, at the Flooded Wharf.

Shoddily constructed shacks lined the riverbank, built from stone bricks, with scattered three or four-story buildings lacking any exterior plaster. Empty warehouses stood with their doors wide open, and boats tied to the river were rusted, clearly unused for a long time.

In a hidden alley, a carriage was parked. A white-haired girl sat inside the carriage with her eyes closed, her senses connected to the eye in the sky above.

Several Zombie Birds hovered above the Flooded Wharf under Dorothy’s control, providing different aerial views that overlooked the complex topography of the site.

“Well… if I were you, how would I choose an ambush location?”

Dorothy thought, placing herself in the mindset of the Holy Communion, imagining how she would select an optimal ambush spot in this complex scene, one that could effortlessly wipe out enemies falling into the trap.

With the aid of the multi-angled bird’s-eye view, Dorothy quickly identified a suitable location.

It was a warehouse, a small, low steel-framed structure, with four unfinished brick buildings abandoned at different angles around it, and even a relatively tall clock tower to the south. These buildings sat at a distance from the warehouse; Dorothy believed that if guns were set up in these four buildings along with the clock tower, the enemies inside the warehouse would be trapped like fish in a barrel.

The exterior walls of the abandoned steel warehouse were made of plasterboard, incapable of withstanding bullets. Many areas had crumbling walls with visible holes. At certain angles, one could clearly see inside. If the people inside were simultaneously attacked from five angles, especially with a height advantage, they would stand no chance.

In low-end extraordinary battles involving mortals, guns remained the undeniable primary form of output, applicable to both the Holy Communion and the An Yin Bureau. Thus, from a gunfight perspective, this warehouse would serve as an excellent trap.

For the entire afternoon, Dorothy was manipulating the Zombie Birds to patrol over the wharf, using their vantage points to conduct a more thorough investigation of the surrounding brick buildings and warehouses while also waiting for something.

Finally, around three o’clock, after waiting for over two hours, she saw a group of men sneakily ascend the clock tower, peering down at the surroundings and fervently discussing amongst themselves.

At the center of this sneaky group stood a gaunt-faced man with gloomy eyes, neatly combed brown hair, and a small mustache. He held a scepter, silently observing the scene below, seemingly giving instructions to his subordinates.

“Ah, you finally showed up to scout, huh…”

Watching this scene, Dorothy stretched lazily inside the carriage.

…

In the evening of Igewent, inside an apartment building in the upper city.

In a messy bedroom, Brandon knelt respectfully on the ground. The mouth of the bloody altar in front of him, formed from coagulated flesh and bl**d, issued an order.

“The trap has been set; the operation will take place tomorrow. Our goods will arrive at the An Yin Bureau at 10:30 AM. After they move out, you will immediately act.”

“Yes, Mr. Buck!”