Next, Eric meticulously checked the files on his table. The documents were haphazardly scattered, so he rearranged them according to their respective files. Among them were files detailing commission missions, encompassing various cases such as ghost hunting, kidnapping, sacrifices, suicide, mental health issues, and more. Seeing the contents inside he was stunned. Although, now he knows that he have to dealt with supernatural cases, still the felling of unease grow as he browse through the files. Then, he noticed a file about the incident of the landlord's dogs. A sense of unease crept over him as he feared finding his own name within those records, but there wasn't. Shifting to another file, he was taken aback; it was the file of Elizabeth Arthur.
Linda entered, knocking on the door, "Eric! We're stepping out for a bit. We should be back in an hour or two."
Eric swiftly shut the file he was engrossed in and began examining others. "Okay," he nodded, "Go safely."
Observing Linda left the room, Eric reopened the file he had put aside. It was his best friend Eli's file, or rather, Princess Elizabeth!
Outside the room, Linda, Caroline, and Leo exchanged words before heading out. They informed Eric of their departure, but he was engrossed in his work, so they didn't discuss anything with him. The trio stopped a carriage and went on the carriage.
After forty-five minutes of riding, they disembarked from the carriage. Linda handed sixty silver coins to the carriage driver as payment.
The driver became happy seeing them giving him money more than the rate. Sixty Silver Coins was the fare of three people so, he hesitated to take but seeing Linda's signaled eye he accepted it.
In front of the trio lay an alley, and the trio ventured inside. Surprisingly silent for an alley, they expected to encounter dogs, cats, or perhaps a beggar amidst the narrow pathways, but there wasn't anyone.
Leo inquired, "Is this the place Eric was talking about?"
Linda contemplated and replied, "Well, this is the alley near his house, though!"
Caroline suddenly remarked, "Hmm, there's a smell of zombie!"
"This way!" Caroline exclaimed, taking the lead and swiftly running. Linda and Leo followed closely behind.
An hour earlier, Linda expressed concern, "Big Sister Caroline! Shouldn't we check the alley? That zombie seems dangerous; it might harm some humans!" The zombie had been spotted near the alley close to Eric's house.
"Well, you're right. How can ordinary zombies have this 'Facet'? It must be a zombie at the Sixth or Seventh Form Of Materialization. Judging by Eric's words, the zombie seemed unconscious when he examined him, with some bruises. This implies the zombie stole the 'Facet' from someone else, got injured, and fell unconscious. The dogs, charmed by the 'Facet,' took it. When Eric approached, the dogs ran off, and Eric, during the commotion, took the 'Facet.' But, I don't understand one thing – why hasn't that zombie found Eric yet? Also, Eric mentioned trying to help the zombie, thinking it was a hungry beggar, even holding its pulse."
"But I'm sure of one thing: that zombie is injured, and it's our chance," Caroline said.
Leo and Linda nodded in agreement.
In the present, the trio stopped near the sewer. Despite reaching the area, they found nothing. The stench of zombie was in the place they were standing but there wasn't anything here. Then, caroline opened her spirit vision, revealing a white world in her field of sight. There, she noticed a shadow barrier in front of her. Someone had established a shadow domain here? she thought.
" A Shadow Materializer has used graded artifact to cover this place in a shadow domain. We might find a lead inside," Caroline mentioned, withdrawing her spirit vision.
"Shadow Domain! The cultists?" Linda exclaimed. "Did the zombie steal the 'Facet' from the cultists?" She said with a sense of amazement, but in the next moment, she hesitated. "If they know that Eric took the 'Facet'... no, the 'Facet' is now in Big Sis Caroline's hand. No need to be afraid of them," she muttered, we will be dealing with them soon.
The cultists posed a malignant threat to the country, worshiping an evil god with intentions to bring about world destruction. Their longstanding plots against the Royal Family spanned for decades. So, strengthening myself is the only way to aid Eli and prevent the cultists from succeeding in their malevolent plans.
"Don't worry," Caroline reassured Linda, "the temple won't remain neutral in this incident. They'll likely dispatch their strongest Materializer to aid the Royal Family." Caroline offered consolation to Linda, acknowledging her bewilderment. And we won't stay still.
Yeah, Linda nodded in worries, the Temple!
"Don't think too much; let's focus on our tasks for now," Caroline advised, it's the only way to save Eric.
Linda nodded, recognizing that now is not the time for fear but for strengthening herself to protect her friends.
A graded artifact! Caroline pondered. Then, she stretched her hand, a dark humanoid eyeball appeared in her hand, it was Goblin's Eye, one of the 'B' grade artifacts she possessed. It's feature was to show the way into the darkness. In the past she acquired a goblin eye from the missions and she refined it into an artifact. Because she used many rare materials its rank was upgraded to 'B' grade.
She controlled the Goblin's Eye, it floated into the air. Some seconds later, it started to imitate a dark fog and fly forward.
Let's go! Caroline said to the duo and started to run, following the Goblin's Eye. The Goblin's Eye stopped, then it slowly floated forward and it vanished like a shadow.
Caroline proceeded cautiously, maintaining her connection with the Goblin's Eye, confirming it entered the shadow domain. She stepped through the same entrance with the duo. It was likely the weakest point of the graded artifact that opponent possessed, the trio found themselves inside. In the shadowy domain, they witnessed two figures battling in the sky, leaving Linda stunned by the astonishing scene.
Inside the shadow domain, everything was cast in shadow. There wasn't sun but it was still looks day. It was probably a feature of the artifact. In the sky, two figures were fighting, skinny and shadowy. The skinny figure was Zombie. And the shadowy figure was probably a member of the cultists.
Both figures noticed someone barged into the shadow domain and sensed the trio staring at them from below. They halted their fighting and landed in the ground differently.
"Get ready," Caroline instructed, and Leo and Linda channeled their blood energy in preparation.
Punisher! The shadowy figure muttered and said, what do you want for barging into my shadow domain?