The next day, following the results of his divination, Klein began searching for the sewer that had appeared in the divination scene. By the afternoon, he had already found that sewer.
This was because the divination this time was exceptionally clear; much of the fog that had once shrouded Lanevus had been dispelled.
He did not choose to alert the enemy, but instead used official business as an excuse to go to Saint Samuel Cathedral to meet Leonard.
"Leonard, there's something I need your consent on."
"What kind of matter needs to be taken so seriously?" Leonard was a little confused.
"It's about Lanevus…" Klein tried his best to explain his discoveries one by one in a gentle tone. But Leonard could clearly hear the excitement and impatience Klein was hiding beneath his calm voice.
"Do you even need to ask for consent? I've wanted to deal with that guy for a long time!"
After hearing Klein's account, Leonard's emotions were also stirred. As for that guy Lanevus, he clearly remembered how Lanevus had used Megose to target them back then!
Both he and Klein had nearly died in that catastrophe! Not just them, almost the entire city of Tingen had been destroyed by them!
Absolutely unforgivable!
Leonard suppressed the excitement and anger in his heart, took a deep breath, and said, "Besides the two of us, there's another suitable helper."
"Ms. Daly has also come to Backlund?" Klein immediately guessed who Leonard was referring to.
"That's right. She just happened to arrive in Backlund recently."
"This is a very good opportunity."
"Exactly. It's our good fortune, and Lanevus' misfortune." Leonard and Klein exchanged a smile, one that carried a hint of cruelty.
...
At night, Backlund's daytime clamor seemed to have been switched off with a hotkey. There was no prosperity or noise, only calm.
In fact, what truly affected Backlund's peace were the huge chimneys constantly belching smoke, and the roaring of machines in operation.
However, no one wanted to admit this. To the rich, those were symbols of wealth; to the poor, they were where their livelihood lay.
This entire colossal city of Backlund was only a land of hope, the capital of all capitals, when it was in motion. Otherwise, it was just an ordinary city.
In the sewers, the stench were no longer as intense as under the scorching daytime sun, yet even homeless vagrants were unwilling to get too close to such filthy places.
Aside from drunkards and those with ulterior motives, most people would be driven away by the sewer rats and the foul odor.
Under the illumination of the crimson moon, the sewer rats once again emerged in swarms.
During this period, many stray cats and dogs had died. With their natural enemies gone, the rats' range of activity was no longer limited to nearby areas, they brazenly ran onto the streets and into residents' homes.
"I'm about to lose control!"
"I need to vent! I need to be alone!"
"Damn it! Are you trying to get me killed?"
Angry yet suppressed voices rang out near the sewer. Soon after, three figures appeared nearby.
One of them staggered, stumbling toward the sewer. His face was ferocious, his expression vicious.
Enduring the pungent stench, he secretly cut a small slit on his wrist. The equally foul-smelling blood flowed into the sewer.
Soon, rustling sounds came from within, as if creatures were scrambling to feed.
After quite a while, the other two accompanying him urged, "Don't think about playing any tricks. If we hadn't helped you hide your whereabouts, you would've already been discovered by the Nighthawks team."
"Only by cooperating with us can you stay alive."
In response to such words, Lanevus disdained to argue. He had originally thought that after the Tingen incident, he had completely escaped the shadow of the True Creator. He had not expected that He was still clinging to him relentlessly!
He was the true vessel for the True Creator's future descent!
His child with Megose had merely been a smokescreen to deceive others, and at the same time a means to further intensify the contamination he suffered.
Ever since fleeing to Backlund, he had been targeted by those lunatics of the Aurora Order. His personal safety was under their control, and he could only gradually experience his body being occupied bit by bit.
He could not sit and wait for death. He had to draw the attention of the Nighthawks or the other official Beyonders and make them clash with the lunatics of the Aurora Order, just like how he had freed himself from Megose back in Tingen.
But it seemed the effect wasn't very good. Some time ago, the incident involving the Followers of the Stars had stirred all of Backlund into an uproar. No one would pay attention to him at all.
Now that the tide of the Followers of the Stars seemed to have receded, he could finally make a move. Unfortunately, the Nighthawks team here was far stupider than he had expected.
They were nowhere near as impressive as that Klein from Tingen.
If it were him, he would have already noticed some of the anomalies Lanevus had deliberately left behind.
As Lanevus was thinking, he vaguely heard the sound of poetry being recited.
Someone was trying to use this method to make him fall into a sleeping state.
The Nighthawks!
This familiar technique allowed Lanevus to guess their identity at once.
Instead of panic, he felt joy. At last, he had a chance to escape the Aurora Order's control!
He pretended to fall asleep, planning to flee only after the Nighthawks team members dealt with the two people guarding him.
"Damn it! Who are you people!"
With a loud shout, the two shook off their sleep, but before they could do anything, gunshots rang out, precisely piercing one person's head.
The bullet entered through his right temple and stopped inside his brain.
The other person fell back into a dazed state, then his pupils dilated as if he had seen something terrifying.
While he was affected, another bullet came whistling over, striking his chest. Blood sprayed everywhere.
A throwing knife, no one knew where it came from, hit squarely into his lower abdomen.
As the two collapsed dead, Lanevus stopped pretending. The corners of his mouth lifted into a mocking smile as he prepared to leave.
"Lanevus! We finally found you!"
Having his true identity exposed, Lanevus raised his head to take a look. Standing ahead was a familiar figure, Klein from Tingen, and behind him was someone he also knew, Leonard, likewise from Tingen.
"So it's you again." The mockery at the corner of Lanevus' mouth grew even thicker.
Last time, it had been these two Nighthawks team members who helped him break free from Megose. Now they had run all the way from Tingen to Backlund to help him again.
He was truly moved.
"You're not getting away today." Leonard didn't waste words. He took out a sealed artifact from his coat, a black crystal ball.
It radiated a deep, dark glow all over. The moment Lanevus' gaze met it, he could no longer look away, as if his mind had been seized.
At this moment, Daly, hidden in the shadows, finally used her soul-soothing technique.
This black crystal ball had been lent to Leonard by her, to help stabilize Lanevus' mind.
As expected, it produced remarkable results. Lanevus' eyelids grew heavy, and he uncontrollably closed his eyes.
Klein, who had not acted until now, revealed a face combining tears and laughter, like a comical clown. Holding a throwing knife, he closed in and slashed across Lanevus' throat. The short blade cut it open, blood seeping out.
Just as Klein was about to deliver another strike, his spirituality issued frantic warnings. He hurriedly retreated and also warned Leonard and Daly to be careful.
Faced with a deadly threat, the divine power of the True Creator within Lanevus awakened, instantly restoring his clarity.
At the same time, it stopped the blood continuously seeping from his throat. The wound writhed and healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Having already pulled back to a safe distance, Klein drew his pistol and fired repeatedly.
Earlier, he had been worried that the gunshots would awaken Lanevus from the soul-soothing state.
Now, he had no such concern.
Compared to cold weapons, a pistol was far more lethal.
Relying on his sense of danger, Lanevus avoided the first two shots, but the third hit him in the abdomen.
Yet not much blood flowed out; instead, the wound continued to writhe and heal.
Seeing this, Leonard sneered, "So you've already turned into a complete monster!"
Lanevus was furious. Drawing upon the divine power of the True Creator, he prepared to unleash blasphemous words.
Daly once again used her soul-soothing ability, attempting to forcibly put Lanevus to sleep.
However, the divine power of the True Creator rendered her methods ineffective.
Still, this interruption also affected Lanevus' casting of the blasphemous words.
Daly suffered backlash, stumbling back and coughing up blood.
"Ms. Daly, I'll help you!"
"Don't use Nightmare to enter his dream!" Daly hurriedly warned Leonard.
"Don't worry. I won't be that reckless."
As Leonard spoke, a voice also sounded in his mind: "Steal!"
"Kneel!"
Leonard shouted sharply. Lanevus' knees buckled uncontrollably as he knelt to the ground.
Seizing this rare opportunity, Klein emptied the magazine in an instant!
Several bullets struck Lanevus' head. Although they didn't blow it apart, the intense pain drove him completely mad.
But Leonard was even crazier. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as he forcefully shouted, "Kneel!"
"Whip!"
An invisible spiritual whip began lashing Lanevus' body, making him convulse in agony.
Unfortunately, Leonard had wanted to take this chance to finish Lanevus, but the ability of blasphemous words was seized back by Lanevus once again.
"Light!" Klein directly slapped a Sun Flame charm onto Lanevus' face. A blinding light exploded!
"Ah!" Severely injured, Lanevus fell completely into madness. Only one thought remained in his mind.
Why hadn't Mr. A appeared to save him yet?
The reason he hadn't dared to escape from those two earlier was precisely because he feared the even crazier Mr. A. It was Mr. A's existence that forced him to act so furtively.
Now, he was on the brink of death, yet Mr. A still hadn't appeared!
Damn that Mr. A!