Returning to the Mysterious Era-Chapter 466 - The Monsters Have Been Released

Golden sunlight shone down upon Florence, the largest city of the Hongli Empire, on August 9. The glazed tiles of the spired and domed buildings reflected the sunlight, and the towering clock tower rang right on schedule.

Residents began their daily lives as they made their way to the commercial district, where numerous shops opened their doors. In District Two, various council and government offices were also busy as uniformed employees went in and out.

Meanwhile, the main headquarters of the Treatment Ward was in the more remote area of Florence's District Seven. Organized into squads of five, over a dozen hunting teams quietly departed Florence's urban area and discreetly moved toward several neighboring counties.

Their target this time, Blood Shark, was not easy to capture, as its dark creature transformation had become extremely severe. Not only had it become strong enough to seriously wound the former Number Four Shadow Hunter, Soul Scythe Ivica, but after half a year of recuperation, Blood Shark had very likely regained its sense of reason. Unfortunately, its sense of reason belonged to a dark creature's mind.

When a hunter was influenced by calamity and transformed into a beast, his consciousness would become chaotic and deranged. However, when humans drew closer to becoming dark creatures, they instead obtained a certain kind of intellect. However, that intellect belonged to an entirely different being, so their behavior and temperament would lean toward the cold and sinister nature of dark creatures. Such an enemy was far more terrifying than a frenzied beast.

Cassius had obtained some clues about Blood Shark from the Hunters' Association that required on-the-ground verification. Therefore, he sent out most of his subordinates who had just been converted from prisoners into doctors. This was both training and a test.

Those who ended up in the Savage Beast Den of the Treatment Ward Headquarters were extremely vicious criminals. Even the lowest-level offenders there were more brutal than the worst criminals found in an ordinary branch of the Treatment Ward.

At the same time, they possessed greater combat strength and fighting experience. Cassius had temporarily dispelled the calamity within their bodies, allowing them to regain reason. He then planted a Golem Seed to ensure their loyalty and obedience to orders.

That Golem Seed could mutate into a Golem totem, serving as a hidden trump card of explosive power at critical moments. All in all, these new "doctors" of the Treatment Ward were definitely not ordinary individuals. Cassius believed they would certainly accomplish their missions.

Cassius was in the director's office of the Treatment Ward. He eyed a stack of documents piled on his desk. Beside the papers, a white porcelain cup gently steamed with hot tea. Opposite him stood Thomas, the assistant to the Chief Mechanist, who had returned to the Treatment Ward Headquarters after several days.

He looked at Cassius's impassive face with a helpless expression, wiping away the sweat on his forehead with a handkerchief.

"Director White Aster, according to intelligence from the Hunters' Association, doctors from the Treatment Ward are spreading out toward several counties surrounding Florence. I felt this might have been just a bit too hasty..." Thomas recalled the Hunters' Association staff's briefing as he spoke.

"This is perfectly normal, isn't it? The doctors of the Treatment Ward can't just loaf around at headquarters forever. As the sharp blade of the Hunters' Association, tasked with cutting away its own festering sores, they ought to roam and hunt across different areas." Cassius took a small sip of tea. "The Treatment Ward has languished for half a year already; it can't remain idle any longer. I intend to settle the unfinished issues first..."

Thomas exhaled heavily through his nostrils. He turned his head and said, "But these newly minted doctors of the Treatment Ward were still vicious inmates of the Savage Beast Den just three or four days ago! I've reported this to the Chief Mechanist, and he said that if you have the capability, you can do as you wish. But sending these freshly released criminals out on missions—is that really sensible? What if they lost control and harmed someone..."

Cassius suddenly smiled. "Don't worry. They wouldn't defy my commands, and I spent the past three or four days making sure of that. If anyone in a team goes berserk and tries to attack civilians, the others would tear that individual to pieces in an instant. I laid out the rules before sending them off: if one person loses it, the entire team would be punished. They definitely wouldn't want to experience what that punishment is."

Thomas opened his mouth, clearly wanting to object to what Cassius had said. Yet for some reason, he decided not to confront him and changed the subject instead. "Alright, we won't talk about that for now. Director White Aster, regarding the unfinished issues you just mentioned... Could it be about Blood Shark, the most dangerous target of the past decade?"

Across from him, sunlight slanted through the gap in the curtains, illuminating half of Cassius's face and casting the other half into a sharply defined, enigmatic shadow.

"In five to ten days, we will see Blood Shark's head. I think once this matter is resolved, the Chief Mechanist would likely approve my request to go on assignment..."

***

On August 12, clouds covered the sky, and fierce winds and rain battered the land. Three silhouettes raced through a secluded, lush forest in the outskirts of Xiqiu City in Farr County. Overhead, torrential rain beat down on the tree canopy.

Their shoes sank into the soft ground, each step leaving a deeply indented footprint.

"Let's rest a moment! I really couldn't run anymore... Hah... hah... hah..."

The three halted in front of a large tree, surrounded by a hazy curtain of rain. They panted heavily, hair plastered to their foreheads and clothes soaked through, making them appear utterly bedraggled.

Even during this brief rest, they stayed on high alert, continually scanning the area around them. It seemed as though they feared some beast would leap out of the rain to kill them.

"Damn it, why are there so many doctors from the Hunters' Association's Treatment Ward in Xiqiu City in these past two or three days? Weren't they hit hard just a few months ago? How did they suddenly recover so fast..."

"That's not all. These new doctors are practically taking on all the work of the Hunters' Association! Their noses are like hounds and they chase us relentlessly with brutal efficiency. If not for this downpour, we probably couldn't have shaken them off... hah... hah..." the man panted.

"From the rumors I heard, the Treatment Ward seemed to be targeting our Eclipse Society lately. Many of our own kind and Shadow Demons were being hunted down in Xiqiu City..."

All three quickly tried to regain their strength, and their breathing gradually steadied. One of them seemed a bit hungry, and took two pale human fingers out of his coat. They looked thin and delicate, most likely belonging to some young girl, yet now they were treated like a snack.

He did not place the fingers into his mouth but lifted them toward the back of his head. Suddenly, a ghastly face hidden by his hair revealed itself, opening a gaping maw to devour the finger. It chewed and relished every crunch.

After finishing the first finger, he was about to bring the second one up when a sharp arrow suddenly whistled through the air from the curtain of rain, embedding itself right in the back of his head—directly into the open mouth of the ghostly face.

Splurt.

"Ahhhhh!!" The man let out a piercing cry on the spot, his limbs convulsing in agony.

"They've caught up! Let's go!" The other two had no intention of saving their companion. They fled without hesitation, plunging into the downpour and heading deeper into the forest.

Whoosh... Patter, patter...

Footsteps rapidly echoed in the rain. A group of five emerged into a small clearing through the rain, all dressed in identical black, cloak-like raincoats. They wore special dark hunter masks that covered their faces, revealing only their nostrils and eyes. Their eyes were bloodshot around the edges, exuding an icy savagery.

Some carried bows and arrows on their backs, while others brandished long blades in their hands. They advanced in unison, rushing toward the wounded man by the trunk. They moved like five black fish gliding through water.

"Argh!" The man roared, and the face on the back of his head swelled rapidly. Within moments, it expanded into a giant hippo-like head, snapping its jaws at the five who were charging forward. Yet the five split apart in an instant, leaving the huge jaws chomping at empty air.

A second later, five dark figures encircled the man, unleashing arcane energy combined with their physical might. A crash resounded, sending mud and rain spraying everywhere. Blood splattered, only to be washed away by the rain in an instant. The man's limbs had been blown apart, leaving only his head. freēwēbηovel.c૦m

A gloved hand reached down and seized the hair to lift the head. The masked C3 squad captain cast a cold, indifferent glance at the two-faced head and nodded. "No doubt about it; this is one of Eclipse Society's Ugly Faces. Two more left. Let's finish them quickly..."

Two minutes later, the storm was still raging. The two other Ugly Faces of Eclipse Society had found themselves trapped in a narrow canyon. Their features twisted viciously as they entered an explosive state of power.

Their joints reversed, making what used to be their back become the front. A malevolent ghostly face, full of savage teeth, occupied the entirety of the back of each head. Their previously human frames swelled rapidly, growing far more muscular, with black spikes jutting from their shoulders.

"Roar!" The two Ugly Faces howled, their eyes filled with bloodlust as they glared at the figures before them.

"Take them down! You're allowed to go all out this time..." The squad captain stepped back, speaking in a chilling tone.

No sooner had he spoken than the four squad members' breathing abruptly grew ragged and heavy. It was as if their captain's words had lifted some kind of restriction. Bloodshot eyes beneath their masks surged into a trance.

Creak... crack... Their bones rubbed and expanded violently.

Snap... pop... Their muscles ballooned at incredible speed.

Buzz... buzz... Bizarre markings spread across their skin.

In less than half a breath, four two-meter-tall, muscle-bound giants stood in a fan-shaped formation at the mouth of a narrow canyon under fierce wind and rain. They were cloaked in raincoats but beneath those cloaks lay rigidly stacked muscles of ridiculous proportions.

A massive black totem stretched across their skin, intertwining with the thick blue-black veins beneath their skin. It clearly resembled a savage and hideous Golem.

"Tear them apart!" The squad captain, who was the only one unchanged, issued the order in an icy voice.

"Yes!!!" The four hulking men answered with an excitement they could hardly contain.

They took off, pounding the ground like tanks as they charged ahead.

Boom, boom, boom... rip!

"Aaaaah..."

Shrill screams in the canyon momentarily drowned out the howling wind and pounding rain.

***

Thud!

A broad, millstone-sized arm seized a Shadow Demon's head, slamming it brutally into the wall. A web of cracks spread across the wall.

"Talk! Where's the Eclipse Society's lair?!" A terrifyingly tall man over two meters stood in the room.

He wore a mask over his face and his eyes were blood-red, emanating a savage, dominating aura that was much like a monster.

"Hisss!" The captured Shadow Demon's eyes remained fierce as it snarled at the man. Its exaggerated steel claws swiped violently at the tall man's abdomen and thighs, producing sharp clangs.

Although it tore his clothes, it only left faint white marks on his skin. A black totem crawled across his flesh, exuding a bizarre, demonic quality.

"You won't repent?!" Clearly enraged, the giant man grabbed the Shadow Demon's left shoulder with one hand and violently tore it apart!

Blood gushed out as an entire arm was ripped away.

"Ah!!!" The Shadow Demon cried out in pain.

"Hahaha! What a delightful sound! How marvelous~" The giant man only laughed in wild glee, growing more bloodthirsty and brutal. Spurred on by excitement, he grabbed the other shoulder and gave a fierce yank!

Another tear echoed, but this time, there was no scream. He glanced down and realized he had messed up. He had used too much force without meaning to, leaving only its head clenched in his left hand. He had aimed to tear off the other arm, but the Shadow Demon's neck couldn't withstand it and tore apart instead.

The headless corpse collapsed to the ground, rapidly soaking the carpet in blood. The giant still held the severed head in his hand.

Knock, knock, knock...

A series of knocks sounded from outside, followed by the squad captain's voice. "Jack, how did the interrogation go? Any progress?"

The tall man suddenly shuddered, and clarity returned to his gaze. He hurried over to open the door.

"These sewer scumbags wouldn't repent. They even tried to attack me just now. I accidentally killed this one. Sorry, Captain..." He lowered his head, not daring to meet the captain's eyes. He looked like a child who had done something wrong, yet he stood over two meters tall and was as muscular as a champion bodybuilder.

Blood spattered his face and body, and he clutched a grimacing, agonized head in his hand. It made him seem more like a perverse murderer.

"It's fine. If it's dead, it's dead. Charlie and the others captured two or three more dark creatures from Eclipse Society. They're currently locked up in an abandoned warehouse in Xiqiu City. You're our interrogation specialist, so head over there soon and get some answers out of them." The equally burly captain smiled brightly like he didn't mind at all. However, the scar on his face seemed to turn that smile into something chillingly vicious.

In that instant, the bloody-faced giant almost seemed harmless. He nodded quickly. "Alright, I'll get it done."

With that, Jack the "interrogation specialist" strode off toward the outskirts of the city.

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