Chapter 413 - 410: Demon Cage

Chapter 413: Chapter 410: Demon Cage

Hilbert had already realized that his speed of thought far outstripped his body’s actual reaction time.

Everyone around him, himself included, was operating at a normal speed. Perhaps less than a second had passed, or even less time than that.

He could feel his body burning up. This scorching heat was flowing through him, yet it didn’t feel confined to his flesh; it was as if it existed in his spirit, or perhaps his soul.

"Kings... may...?"

The hoarse voice sounded for a third time. It was likely the main reason for this disconnect between his mind and body.

"Sir, thank you for your help... uh, Sir? Sir!"

"Captain? Captain, are you alright?"

A rookie touched Hilbert, and Zhao Kai frowned at him as well.

"Huh?"

Hilbert seemed to snap awake, shaking his head.

"Are you alright? Did you find something?"

Zhao Kai asked, and even the Officer beside him grew tense.

"Yeah, I’m fine. I just suddenly thought of something and zoned out."

Having returned to normal from that strange state, Hilbert discussed some of the recent details with his companions and the Officer, offering them advice on how to handle and study the "living hosts."

Inwardly, however, Hilbert was still pondering what had just happened.

It wasn’t that he was intentionally hiding it from Zhao Kai and the others. He had simply come to his senses and finally remembered what the somewhat familiar word "Kingsmay" meant.

Hilbert had seen the word in his family’s genealogical records, but his original understanding of its pronunciation was slightly different from the voice he had just heard, so he didn’t recognize it at first. Only later did it click.

The Chakus Clan’s records mostly chronicled ordinary matters, such as the birth and death dates and hobbies of certain important members, or any moments of prestige.

There was no mention of Dawn, so in Hilbert’s eyes, it was clearly a record meant as a cover-up.

The word "Kingsmay" was mentioned in the records from the first Baron to the twelfth Baron. A phrase was recorded in Latin, meaning "to receive the blessing of Kingsmay."

He definitely wouldn’t have remembered it if, after returning to Dawn, he hadn’t gone through some old family heirlooms he’d previously ignored. His memory had improved significantly as well.

Hilbert had once assumed "Kingsmay" was a family codename for the Dawn Association, since the twelfth Baron’s reign coincided with the time the old Dawn went into hiding. Now, it seemed it might mean something else entirely.

A third of the search area remained. There was no guarantee that they hadn’t missed any after dealing with this first batch, so Hilbert, Zhao Kai, and the others continued their search.

After learning that this parasitic Demon wasn’t a particularly cunning species and that its threat level and perceptive abilities were relatively low, they no longer needed to be as cautious as before. The eight of them split into two groups, spreading out to patrol the refugee area.

To ensure no lingering threats were left behind, Hilbert suggested that each group re-patrol the entire area once more. It would take an hour at most, but it would give the people here greater peace of mind.

Hilbert had a selfish motive for this suggestion.

If the mission was completed right away, the team would naturally have to prepare to leave.

But right now, Hilbert didn’t want to go. He had a gut feeling that there was something important for him here, something he couldn’t miss.

’One hour. If I don’t find anything in an hour, I’ll either have to publicly state that I’m staying behind to look for something, or I’ll have to come back later in disguise.’

Hilbert thought to himself.

"Captain, this time... we’ll pass, right?"

Fos, following beside Hilbert, asked, his excitement yet to fade.

Inside the Dawn Association, official members were all as strong as humanoid monsters. Even though the rookies knew their own speed and strength were growing, they still felt like weak little quails in comparison.

Only today, fighting a Demon for the first time, did he realize his own strength. At least that should be enough to pass, right?

Fos looked at his temporary captain, whose clothes weren’t even dirty. Then he looked at himself and his two companions, their clothes covered in bloodstains. His confidence in that thought couldn’t help but weaken a little.

After the mission, Hilbert and Zhao Kai would go to Dawn Silent Moon Island to grade the performance of the six rookies.

Rookies like them had to complete at least five missions under the leadership of experienced seniors. Each time, tactical masters would grade them, evaluating everything from their emotional state to their combat results.

Only those whose average score over the five missions was above the passing line would be certified as capable of operating independently, bringing them one step closer to receiving the Association’s brand. Those who failed would be assigned supplementary missions and re-evaluated, the number depending on the gap between their average score and the passing line.

"No problem. You all did pretty well."

Hilbert replied casually, his eyes constantly searching the nearby street storefronts, as well as some prefabricated houses and tents.

The pedestrians in the area were much sparser than before due to the recent incident, but most of the businesses had resumed their operations.

"This way... come this way..."

The hoarse voice suddenly sounded in his ear again. Hilbert whirled around, startling the others beside him.

"Captain! Did you find something?"

Hilbert shook his head. He was feeling a little drowsy now. He looked at the old street that was part of the original town; the crowd seemed even sparser in that direction.

"It’s nothing. Let’s go check over there."

The three rookies naturally had no objections and followed him in that direction.

There was a church from the original town over there, currently packed with people praying. As Hilbert passed the entrance, he could hear the congregation reciting along with the priest.

"In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it..."

Fos listened to the prayer from inside and said with a smile to those beside him.

"Too bad praying alone doesn’t do anything."

Hilbert glanced back at him.

"At least it helps people reduce their fear. It’s their faith; there’s no need to judge it."

He had just finished speaking when the hoarse voice sounded again.

"Hehehe... hypocritical..."

Hilbert’s muscles tensed in an instant. He spun to the side with a hint of anger and roared.

"Who’s there? Stop playing games!"

A few pedestrians were startled by his extreme reaction and intimidated by his aura. They subconsciously raised their hands and stood to the side, indicating they didn’t know anything.

"Captain... what’s wrong?"

Fos cautiously approached Hilbert, who paused, stunned for a moment.

"Hah... It’s nothing!"

For a brief moment, the blood in his veins seemed to burn.

Although Hilbert said it was nothing, the rookies didn’t think so. His reaction was clearly off, so they each raised their guard.

"Come... I’m here... Aren’t you looking for me?"

The hoarse voice sounded again. Hilbert vanished before the rookies’ eyes, reappearing in an instant in front of a bookstore in the distance.

"CRASH!" "Ah..."

The woman inside the store was frightened by his sudden appearance and knocked over a bookshelf.

The old Hilbert would never have been so reckless, but now he couldn’t even spare a word of apology. His gaze immediately focused on a book that had fallen from the shelf, as if the book itself had its own gravity.

It was an old-fashioned book with a black cover. There were only two words on the cover: Demon Cage and Oath.

However, it was not written in a conventional language, but in Magic Patterns.

The peculiar burning sensation in his body and soul began to flow like blood again, making Hilbert feel groggy, like a normal person in a sauna.

"This book... How much for this book? Plus compensation for the damages to your shop... is this enough?"

He managed to soften his tone as he spoke, already holding 1,000 pounds in his hand.

"It’s enough, enough!"

How could the female shopkeeper dare say it wasn’t enough? This person had appeared as fast as the wind, clearly no ordinary man. Besides, that strange book on the floor, which she didn’t even know had been on her shelf, was starting to emit a bizarre black smoke.

"TSS..."

Like the faint sizzle of oil, the moment Hilbert reached out and picked up the book, the strange transformation the shopkeeper saw vanished, as if it had been an illusion.

At that same moment, Hilbert’s vision went black, but he came to his senses in less than a second.

A pendant inside his clothes was emitting intense heat, like a branding iron that wouldn’t burn him.

"THUMP, THUMP, THUMP-THUMP..."

His heartbeat involuntarily sped up, and he couldn’t calm it down no matter how he tried.

Near the bookstore, Qin Xiaoxia toyed with a lion-head pendant. The one in his hand was the true symbol of the heir to the Chakus Clan’s barony. The one on Hilbert’s chest had been swapped by him in that instant; it was a masterpiece from a Forged Gold Monster, a pure Technique Array Magic Steel Alloy creation.

"Trading such a precious item for your piece of junk that barely qualifies as an antique... I’m being more than fair, right?"

After muttering to himself, the authentic lion-head pendant turned to dust in Qin Xiaoxia’s hand, officially "destroying the body and erasing all traces."

PS: Thursday’s first Chapter.