Under the cover of night, two figures quickly dashed into the alley, followed promptly by a series of clangs from metal striking metal.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG...
Dana, holding the Soft Sword with a stern expression, stood her ground as blood slowly trickled down the blade and onto the ground.
She fixed her gaze on the shadowy figure ahead and said in an icy voice, "So it’s you who have been stealing others’ life force, concocting potions, and then selling them to the noblewomen in the city at exorbitant prices?"
She had been investigating the ’Vampire Corpse Case’ for some time. Although she did not receive support from her colleagues, her tireless investigation revealed that the life force was not being stolen by an individual, but by an organized, premeditated gang.
Disguising themselves as ’vampires,’ they killed people to steal life force, which they then refined into pure potions capable of keeping one’s appearance youthful or even restoring youth.
From this, they earned a substantial profit.
Today, she finally got wind that there was to be a clandestine trade of a potion here, and she nearly lost her target due to not having a ticket to the opera house.
Fortunately, she finally caught them, though not without a scare.
"Hm..." The figure clutched their wounded arm, face pale. "I have no idea what you’re talking about!"
"You don’t know?" Dana scoffed. "You won’t speak, huh? I have my ways of making you talk."
Before her sentence was finished, she charged forward with her sword.
Dana, her body hardened by years of training, advanced with the agility of a nimble leopard, her Soft Sword acting like the fangs hunting prey, swift and ferocious in attack.
A flurry of sword flashes forced the opponent to constantly retreat and frantically dodge, but they could not prevent the occasional spray of blood.
The difference in strength between the two combatants was clear.
Just when she was about to take down her adversary, two arc-shaped shadows suddenly appeared, lashing towards Dana’s waist.
Dana parried with her sword and leaped back, a look of surprise crossing her face. "What is this?"
"Hehe..." The figure chuckled as they looked down.
With a sudden jerk of their hands, they tore off their coat, revealing the alarming sight underneath.
The shadows on the person’s back moved, unveiling two additional pairs of arms, extending out like a human-shaped spider, eerily unsettling.
With all six arms wielding a dagger, they were not only bizarre but also dangerous.
Dana’s face turned pale as she instinctively stepped back, an ancient rumor surfacing in her mind. "You’re a follower of Iris!"
"How dare you!" Upon hearing the name ’Iris,’ the creature exploded in rage, its eyes instantly turning blood-red, and the surging anger obliterated its sanity. "You dare to blaspheme God! You must die!"
With the roar of its fury, six glints of cold light stabbed towards Dana, as fast as a torrential downpour.
But its attack, though swift, ended just as quickly.
The power of a peak-level Knight’s Attendant was comparable to a wild beast, and Dana, fully exerting herself, was terrifying.
The six-armed monster was bizarre and horrifying, but its strength was only that of an ordinary Knight’s Attendant. The additional pairs of arms made it somewhat troublesome to deal with, but they could not close the gap between them.
Pushing back her opponent, Dana relaxed a bit. "It seems the Spider Goddess didn’t bless you after all."
The Spider Goddess Iris, a legendary Evil God and monster, who sought to usurp the authority of Righteous Gods but was cursed instead, was said to have the body of a spider and the head of a human.
Descriptions of Her were mainly of a cruel and bloodthirsty character, particularly fond of stealing others’ life force.
The creature slowly propped itself up from the ground, looked up, and smirked. "One of me is obviously not enough, but... what if you add them?"
At those words, Dana’s expression turned grave.
Three figures dropped down from above, encircling Dana completely.
Each one had an extra pair of arms on its back. They placed their six hands on the ground, hissing like spiders, and as their abdomens pulsed, they ejected strands of webbing.
The webs intertwined to form a net, instantly covering the entire alley.
This is bad! Dana gripped her sword tightly.
Stepping out of the opera house, a crowd still thronged before its doors.
Carl tapped his cane lightly and pressed straight ahead, relying on sheer force to forge a path.
Once clear of the people, he straightened his slightly disheveled clothes but didn’t depart immediately; instead, he headed straight for the back door of the theatre.
Shortly after, the back door opened, and Jenny, still in makeup and her performance costume, stepped out.
The two had agreed to meet here after the concert.
Smiling sweetly at Carl, Jenny said in her crisp voice, "I saw you in the audience."
"You performed well," Carl complimented. "I think your voice is more captivating than the lead singer’s. If it were up to me, I’d definitely choose you for the lead."
"Don’t joke," Jenny laughed and shook her head. "You have no idea, my legs were so shaky I could barely stand. Just making it through was enough for me."
"I’m stating the facts." Carl extended an invitation, "Shall we head back together?"
"This..." Jenny glanced back, hesitating.
The singing troupe had a gathering later, but if she could spend time alone with the Baron, she might refuse.
Before Jenny could answer, Carl continued, "Actually, I found a place today, and I will be moving there in the next few days."
"Seeing you perform on a formal stage before I leave really sets my mind at ease."
"You’re leaving?" Jenny’s face turned pale. "Why?"
"Is there something wrong with our place? If you tell me, we can change it. We can talk about the rent again."
"No." Carl waved a hand. "I just want to change my surroundings."
"..." Jenny’s expression stiffened, her lips trembling. "Is that so?"
"It’s been a pleasure living with you all; these days will be a fond memory in my life," Carl said with a smile. "But people must part eventually, just like the saying goes, the only constant in life is change. When I get settled in my new place, you are welcome to come over."
"...Okay." Jenny clenched her hands, looking down, her voice heavy. "There’s a troupe gathering later, so I won’t go with you. Be careful on your way... please be careful."
"A gathering?" Carl nodded. "Alright then, enjoy your party. I’ll be off."
With that, he bowed courteously and turned to leave.
Watching Carl’s figure disappear into the darkness until it was no longer visible, Jenny finally collapsed to the ground, silent tears streaming from her eyes.
Percy, from the singing troupe, who had appeared behind her at some point, sighed softly upon seeing her state. "In our lives, we meet many people, but only a few, like God and a lover, may accompany us till the end; even parents and children will leave us someday."
He added, "Parting is normal."
WHIMPER... Jenny sobbed quietly.
She understood this truth, but the thought of Carl moving away from her life, possibly never to appear again, was overwhelmingly sad, heart-wrenchingly so.
"Stop crying," Percy stepped forward, patting her shoulder. "I have good news for you. Your performance today attracted an important figure; it might be a better opportunity."
Carl was well aware of Jenny’s feelings.
However, he didn’t intend to let their relationship progress any further. He decided to cut ties now, resolving the matter while he still could.
His move was prompted not only by the desire for a more spacious place but also by these considerations.
Walking past an alleyway, Carl’s expression shifted subtly as he subconsciously stopped moving.
He then turned and walked towards the dark alley.
Shaking his head at the entrance to the alley, Carl halted.
Although Signo City was much safer than The Black City, in the shadows, there were still terrifying organizations like the Fire-Thieves. Absolute safety was not guaranteed.
Better to avoid trouble if possible.
As this thought crossed his mind, he turned to leave.
All of a sudden, a streak of cold light flashed past.
Carl instinctively ducked, dodging the oncoming dagger and saw a shadow lunging at him following it.