Old Town District.
This place is filled with interconnected alleyways, the low eaves blocking out the sunlight, and the cramped and oppressive space making one feel suffocated. The air is infused with a faint stench of urine, and one must be careful passing near the sewers, as there's always a chance of stepping on something undesirable.
The surroundings are dirty, messy, and poor in quality.
It's not much different from the slums Shawn knows, with some ill-intentioned eyes lurking in the dim corners, vigilantly watching their group.
William Wallace evidently knows this place much better, as this is his jurisdiction.
"Smuggling gangs have increased in these past few years."
"The local gang forces are also growing and need to be routinely cleaned up." William gestured to the captain beside him, then vaulted over the low wall ahead, leaping down from nearly three meters high. With a dull thud, a lean and fierce-faced man tried to flee into the alley in alarm, only to see William pounce like a leopard, lifting the man with one hand and slamming him against the wall.
Thud!
The battle was resolved swiftly and decisively.
Benjamin led Shawn through the side alley.
The Old Town District is highly complex, with the terrain creating chaotic and disordered building arrangements, reminiscent of the mountain city Shawn remembers.
William's strength is immense, picking up the man over a hundred pounds as if he were a chick.
"Talk."
After glancing at the captain, William's expression gradually turned cold, staring at the lean man before him, his voice low, "Where is Mole Hans?"
In that instant, Shawn saw a change in the red irises in the man's pupils.
Fear was spreading.
The deep voice stirred a sense of unease.
In William's hand, the lean man trembled all over, his face somewhat blue, collapsing limp on the spot, the dagger in his hand falling as well, a murky liquid flowing down his crotch, his voice trembling in fear, stammering, "In...the corner...Corner Alley..."
Intimidation.
The supernatural power of the Warrior Sequence, William's cold gaze seemed to entirely shatter the man's psychological defenses, making him stammer out everything he knew.
At this moment, William's blood-red, cold eyes were etched into the man's pupils, and it was clear that, out of fear, the lean man's face had twisted.
With just a glance, he made the armed thug completely give up on resisting.
William released the man in his hand, furrowing his brow, glanced at the murky liquid flowing on the ground, and said in a deep voice, "Lead the way."
The man stumbled ahead trembling, only calming down after about five minutes, but he still didn't dare to look back at the group behind him.
"The mole's hideout is just ahead." The man pointed to the messy shack area in front.
William said in a deep voice, "Scram."
Upon receiving William's approval, the gangster fled in a panic, even stumbling at a corner alley, and ran off without looking back.
"Careful." William turned back to indicate the warning, pulling out his sidearm.
The Transcendent of the Warrior Sequence has astonishing physical quality, proficient in various weapons including firearms, but from their handshake earlier, Shawn judged that William's expertise likely wasn't in firearms.
Benjamin and William exchanged a gesture, flanking the small house from left and right.
Shawn sensibly guarded the alley at the corner, simultaneously pulling out his sidearm; most Night Watchers have strength far exceeding Investigators, as they are combat personnel with rich combat experience.
Bang!
Accompanied by William's figure breaking down the door, a dull thud soon echoed from inside. Shawn, through the gap in the windows, could see a tall and thin figure dash out the door, while a small boy climbed nimbly to the attic, like an agile monkey, somersaulting onto the roof with a single hand gripping the eaves, demonstrating incredible agility that defied normal human capabilities.
This is no ordinary person's skill!
Transcendents of the Wanderer Sequence, once advanced, can perform many inexplicably agile maneuvers; on the uneven rooftops, they move as if on flat ground, a running leap spanning nearly five meters across the alley, then sliding lightly down the eaves, single-handedly climbing the wall like Spider-Man, and finally tumbling to the ground like an agile monkey, everything smooth as if it were second nature.
This physical prowess is unmatched by Casters.
"It's you!" As the boy landed and stood up, he saw Shawn at the corner not far away.
He cautiously pulled out a dagger.
Then.
A black hole of a gun barrel was pointed at his head.
"Don't..." The boy, about fifteen or sixteen years old, gave a sheepish smile, obediently put down the dagger, and raised his hands.
The Transcendent of Low Sequence cannot withstand the power of modern firearms.
"Where's the other one?" William brought a tall and thin young man over.
The opponent's body was curled like a shrimp, already knocked unconscious.
Shawn was about to shake his head and say he didn't know, when a muffled sound suddenly echoed, less than a hundred meters from them, beside a pile of trash to the east.
William's expression subtly changed, he knocked the boy unconscious with a tap, and said, "Let's go."
"The captain might be in trouble."
The two headed towards the source of the loud sound, and without getting close, they saw garbage dust flying everywhere, a broad-shouldered, robust figure appeared before their eyes, lying on the ground panting heavily, while at the corner opposite him stood Benjamin, his expression solemn.
He raised a hand to indicate to Shawn and others to stop, and slowly said, "Don't come closer, he's lost control."
Roar!
A beast-like roar erupted.
Before Shawn, the burly and muscular figure began to tremble, the muscles on his body seemed to wriggle, gradually swelling, bursting his clothes, revealing a patch of bizarre green skin, hardened muscles rising like rocks, exaggerated thigh muscles protruding, and the muscles on his back emerged chunk by chunk, resembling the face of a malevolent ghost.
On its abdomen, a slender wound was now slowly healing, a thin stream of green blood oozing out.
The ground cracked open with creases.
The terrifying brute force shattered the stone pavement, leaving ten clear fingerprints.
Its finger joints rapidly enlarged, the hefty feet broke through the shoes, the robust thigh nearly the diameter of an adult's waist, skin changing to a deep green faster than the eye can see.
With a deep growl, it slowly raised its head.
A menacing, beast-like face, vaguely showing the contours of the bearded man's features, his sharp canines prominent, the entire cranium morphing, blood-red eyes, and murky yellow pupils filled with madness and bloodlust.
William's serious voice rang out, "Orc..."
Before Shawn, a human transformed into a legendary non-human race, a race that should have vanished from history.
Humans are the only survivors in the Bizarre Realm.
The occurrence of this situation before them signifies only one thing, that someone has brought back an Extraordinary Relic containing other races' genes from the outside, and a Professional during advancement not only assimilated the Extraordinary Traits within it but also the genetic sequence of that non-human race.
Transcendents advancing through this method, once out of control, immediately transform from human into another non-human race, born in some twisted manner.
Even without losing control, there will ultimately be a 'metamorphosis' sublimation ceremony.
So the final result remains to remove human status.
.........