A team of bounty hunters, an ancient worn-out compendium, ancestors who killed monsters, a young handsome blond… when these elements were combined, it was very easy for people to believe.
For instance, the black female commissioner. She made her decision after listening. "Okay, I will give you a chance. If you can really catch or kill the so-called monster, or murderer, I will not investigate you for breaking into the crime scene."
"That reward…"
"Look for the person who offers the reward. This has nothing to do with the police force."
Although a glimmer of hope had been placed on this bounty hunter team which suddenly showed up, the police force did not take it easy, continuing to investigate and obtain evidence. Most police officers still stuck to their original duties. The Spirit Tide of Origin Blue Star might be very intense, but the disappearance of it for a century had left most people detached from the supernatural world.
The bounty hunter team was very excited after receiving the go-ahead. They asked the police officers for a piece of on-site evidence. It was a tube of sticky and disgusting pus that looked like melted fat or internal organs.
Then they occupied the vacant auditorium in the school, cleared the debris, and began to set up traps.
The role of each team member was now apparent.
The unkempt old man seemed to be a firearms expert, testing everybody's firearms. The strong young man took out an exaggerated axe out of nowhere, while the bamboo-thin nerd turned out to be a mysterious herbalist. When he opened his bundle, there were all kinds of herbs inside.
As for the two girls, the big-chested girl remained unchanged, still carrying a shotgun, while the sweet brown-haired girl brought out a narrow short sword out of nowhere and started swinging at will with great swordsmanship.
"You don't plan to do anything?" Stana said as she walked over helplessly to a corner of the auditorium.
The female sergeant felt aggrieved. She went out of her way to falsify the letter of appointment to trick Tang Qi and dragged him into the police car, thinking that she could use this opportunity to solve this murder case and, at the same time, satisfy her desire to enter the mystical realm.
No one would have thought that there would be a sudden change in the situation. An inexplicable team of bounty hunters appeared, looking very sure of cracking the case.
Stana was in a dilemma. She did not know whether to hope for their success or failure.
Tang Qi was supposed to be as anxious as Stana. Instead, he stayed in the corner with a casual expression, reading the stack of materials in his hands with great interest.
Hearing Stana's words, he looked up at the team of bounty hunters laying traps in the auditorium.
Perhaps the "monster" was regarded as simply a beast as they did not conceal their traps.
Its main component was probably the medicine that the skinny herbalist was preparing. According to the hunters, it was a special herb that could attract monsters.
The rest were adding various modifications to their weapons, such as soaking them in holy water, engraving runes, or applying special ointments.
They seemed very professional.
Unfortunately, neither weapons nor other objects were able to impress Tang Qi.
"This could be their first time hunting something supernatural.
"Clearly, this could be their last time as well."
Tang Qi quietly gave a comment and returned his gaze to the materials he was reading — the data of the seven victims.
Most of Tang Qi's attention was on the seventh victim, rather than the first six.
"Rick Kassel, a well-known historian in the Federation and an emeritus honorary professor at Moses University, had been teaching at Exquisite Phoenix Prefecture University. He suddenly resigned due to health reasons some time ago and returned to his hometown Moses City to retire."
"Known to be an active person within the historian community, Professor Kassel often travels and conducts studies all over the world. He had also done in-depth research on mysticism and herbalism. Before resigning, he had just finished his investigation of a 3,000-year-old temple in the Saha Continent."
Rustle~
Tang Qi read through at a very fast pace, arriving at the last page of the materials within an instant. That was a… medical diagnosis certificate.
"Interesting!"
"What is so interesting?" Stana heard Tang Qi's murmurs and asked instinctively.
"Nothing. Sergeant Stana, do you believe in immortality?"
Tang Qi kept the materials away and asked casually.
"No, I don't believe it. Actually, I don't know for sure."
Stana, who was about to shake her head and said she did not believe, clearly remembered the encounters over the past few days. Legendary creatures such as the sea monster, which had appeared in front of her, had seriously impacted her view of the world. Hence, she could only say she did not know for sure.
The female sergeant was confused and did not notice that Tang Qi was looking at her with an amused expression.
Tang Qi completely understood Stana's experience and emotions. After all, on his first day on Origin Blue Star, he was tied to the cross and was a demon suffering from constant pain. At that time, the shock experienced by him was much more intense than Stana.
Time passed quickly, and the atmosphere inside Moses University became extremely tense.
What happened in the past seven days had shown everyone in this university that today someone would definitely die.
No one wanted this curse to fall on themselves, especially when they had to die in such a terrible and disgusting way.
Tang Qi did not leave the auditorium, nor did he have to. He could easily sense the current atmosphere of the university through his keen perception.
Anxiety, doubts, fears… especially the emotions of fear that spread through every student and teacher. If more people died, Tang Qi wondered if the university was going to close. After all, these people were not trapped animals. When things reached the critical point of anarchy, they would run away.
That team of bounty hunters seemed to have felt this too. In order to prevent the eighth victim from happening, this team immediately started hunting once the night fell.
To be precise, it was trapping.
In the auditorium shrouded in darkness, the young blond Ryan stood upright before the blazing fire basin. What was burning in the basin seemed to be some mixture of herbs. There was no smoke; instead, it released a strange sweet fragrance.
Ryan held the worn-out compendium in one hand and the test tube in the other.
He muttered to himself, in accordance with the compendium.
The great Mother of Shadows!
The embodiment of chaos and evil!
Queen of the Underworld!
Please allow your most devout believers to offer you a sweet sacrifice!
…
As he was murmuring, Ryan uncapped the test tube with a flick and then dumped the contents into the basin bit by bit.
Hiss~hiss hiss.
As a strange sound traveled over, a sweet fragrance ten times more intense than before floated out of the auditorium in an instant. With the night's breeze, it gradually permeated the entire university.
The police officers and everyone else in the auditorium began to swallow unconsciously.
This scene gave the female commissioner a little more confidence, and some police officers who originally looked down on the bounty hunter team began to doubt themselves.
Unfortunately, these doubts soon disappeared.
As soon as the trapping ritual began, Ryan shouted "ready" and then began to wait for two hours.
In the center, the "herbalist" was still adding herbs to the fire basin several times.
Except that the "Spider Demoness" that they expected did not appear.
When the first teacher gave up, walking out from the corner shouting, "I've had enough, I'm leaving", the situation went out of control. The rest of the teachers who came here to help, as well as some guards, also decided to leave.
Them leaving was probably a way to show that they were resigning.
The police officers also walked out one after another. However, their issue was that they questioned the professionalism of this so-called bounty hunter team and felt that they were likely to be liars or lunatics. They felt it was better to lock them up first.
The female commissioner's face was gloomy as her faint glimmer of hope was destroyed. What she had to think about now was not to take credit for others' success, but to safeguard her position. After all, she had missed the best chance to ask for support from her superiors.
The team of bounty hunters was also a little confused. Their leader, Ryan, did not say anything except to keep on mumbling, "This is impossible. Grandpa's Demon Hunting Compendium cannot be ineffective. Remember that vengeful spirit we killed? That proves that the compendium is effective."
The decisive sergeant Stana was unable to stand the chaotic scene in front of her and was about to step in and take charge.
At this moment, Tang Qi suddenly grabbed hold of Stana. He then stuffed some items into her hands and whispered several sentences into her ear. Ignoring her strange look, he walked straight to the center of the auditorium.