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Crash!!
Smoke and heat billowed from the nearby raging fire. The burning debris crashing to the ground caused a loud sound, and the crackling fire roared even louder due to it.
The building on fire was surrounded with several people; some were police officers, others were firefighters. A perimeter around the area has been created to prevent people from approaching the site.
"Captain! Thank goodness you're alright! What happened there?"
The man who just walked out of the burning building as he was just going out on a stroll was greeted by his stressed and anxious junior.
"Relax, Junior. It's all good. It's those fuckers who set this building on fire. Luckily, we've secured the bodies inside, both dead and alive. They should give us some solid intel once the follow-up investigation starts."
"Those damned cultists are really cunning. How could they even turn this abandoned place into their hideout? And how come we never noticed?" The junior felt vexed as he stared at the burning building.
"This can't be blamed on us; these fuckers are using some black technology to mask their presence. I heard the combat pros saying that the device was releasing subliminal waves that make people ignore this place subconsciously. We don't have anything or anyone in our department to counter that, so it's not our fault."
This morning, a surprise operation took place. The chief police officer, along with the help of some pros, managed to track one of the hidden bases of the Black Church Cult.
After confirming the validity of the intel, the chief immediately deployed his men to apprehend the cultist.
This police captain was one of the very few people who participated in the raid. Accompanied by combat pros, they launched a surprise attack on the base.
The battle was intense. The weakest of the cultists inside was at least 4★ Apprentice Rank, and the strongest was at the Master Rank. Fortunately, the team came prepared,, and everybody was accounted for.
The police captain wasn't part of the main force; his task was to check the area for any possible survivors.
What he and his other teammates saw was haunting, though. Hundreds of bodies, most dead and some barely alive, hung in the air through chains connected to the ceiling. The stench of blood was so dense that even the hardened men couldn't help but gag at it. Flesh and blood were scattered everywhere, and drawings of lunacy covered every square inch of the room.
Despite the gut-punching sight before them, the team moved quickly and rescued those who still had some life signals left. The combat pros outside gave them enough time to escort every single one outside, both dead and alive. Those people are now transferred to other pros who would take care of them.
During the rescue, though, the cultists did their best to destroy the base to prevent their enemies from learning anything about their operations. They brought the whole building down, igniting it with fire in hopes of burning every last trace that was left.
The firefighters, even though ready for this, had a hard time extinguishing the flames. They're no ordinary flames, after all, and the firefighters aren't well equipped to handle it. The most they could do is to prevent the fire from spreading to other buildings nearby.
"Speaking of the combat pros, where are they, Captain? I don't sense their presence anymore."
"They left chasing for the fleeing cultists," the captain replied with a tired sigh. "Some of the cultists were tough to kill. Some even killed themselves to prevent us from knowing what they know. I hope we can catch some, though. Otherwise, this will truly never end."
The captain himself had gathered some things within the base before the fire got to them, hoping that they could at least be of use.
However, this isn't the first time he participated in this kind of raid. The one thing he learned about these cultists is that they are extremely stubborn with their beliefs. So much so that they would rather die than betray their allies or give something away that could potentially stop them.
It's for this reason that the government failed time and time again to truly eradicate them.
Fwoosh!
Out of nowhere, two people landed as light as a feather near them. When the captain and his junior saw them, their bodies went stiff, and they immediately saluted.
"Chief!" Both of them called out.
"At ease," the chief ordered, allowing the two to relax. Next to him was a woman who looked rather timid but was radiating some serious density of mana.
"Well, I'll be off, Chief. I'll update you once we find another lead."
The Chief of Police nodded at the woman before she took flight and went off to somewhere.
Glancing at his two subordinates, the Chief said, "That lady was called 'Pepper.' She's one of the combat pros who helped us locate and raid this base. She's off to join her team in search of that one guy who escaped."
"Someone escaped?" The junior exclaimed, finding it hard to believe.
"Well, technically, he didn't escape. He just wasn't here when the raid began. Nevertheless, he needs to be apprehended; he might know something."
"So aside from that one person, the rest are dead?" The captain asked.
"Yeah. Some were killed; others self-destructed due to lunacy." The chief shook his head with a sigh. "It's a shame. I didn't think that even though we caught them by surprise, we still can't get anything concrete from them."
"Enough about that; how's the thing I told you to do, Captain?"
"We have successfully gathered the victims, Sir, both dead and alive. The majority of them are now en route to the nearest hospital; they are escorted by two of the combat pros."
"Very good. Let's hope they have a lead for us." The chief sighed again. "Come, let's return to the station. We still have some work to do."
As the chief led his men to the convoy to return to the station, people have been gathering outside of the perimeter, curious as to what's going on. Some craned their necks to see past the tall police guards, some directly asked questions, and none were answered. The guards remained stoic and firm in their duty; civilians aren't allowed within the site.
Amidst this crowd, two figures wearing white raincoats could be seen. One was old; the other was young. The old man surveyed the situation with narrowed eyes, glinting with a faint crimson light.
Next to him, the young one seemed to be on the verge of going berserk. It's like he's receiving so much stimulation that his thoughts are blurring because of it, and that he needs everybody to shut the fuck up right now, or else he will start killing them all.
"If you want us to be exposed, don't bother trying hard; just keep doing what you're doing." The old man snorted semi-harshly next to the boy.
The boy shivered, feeling the critical sarcasm of the man as it could actually prick and hurt him in reality.
"I'm sorry."
"Hmph." The old man snorted before turning away. "Let's go. And keep your head down. Instead of staring at that disaster, you might as well remember the backstory we created for you so that you can pass through the security."
"..."
"What? Don't tell me you're hesitating now? Tch. Are you still hoping that your deadbeat father will come to your rescue? Don't be naive, boy; he's not coming."
"I've known him even before you were an idea. I can guarantee you that that man sees you as nothing more than a catastrophic failure. If he sees you again, I have no doubt that he will first stab you with his spear and then ask you questions while you're dying. He no longer sees you as his son."
The boy's eyes stung, and so did his heart. He clenched his fists hard beneath his sleeves, but he didn't dare lift his head. He felt darkness swallowing him from within, and he was utterly helpless against it. He could only watch as the life he had come to know slowly sank into the abyss of corruption.
"Sever your ties with this world, boy. Can't you see it? It has abandoned you."
"Your father, the well-renowned Spear Master of this pathetic district, what has he become now? A joke, nothing more. And it was done by the hand of his previous team captain, too."
"No, he's reduced to a raving and dying lunatic. He's combing the entire district for the mere glance of our shadow, intending to use us for his personal affairs. Pah! What a fucking clown. If he wasn't so useful still, we wouldn't even bother with him."
"But you, my boy, have potential, one that this world doesn't recognize. Only we could."
"You can be so much more than that deadbeat father of yours. You just need to abandon this world, just like it abandoned you, and embrace our faith."
"Kill your past, William Kepler, and be reborn anew."
"Offer your heart and soul to the Unbroken God, and you will be made whole."