Chapter 624: Nodes
Inessa did not arrive at the small square for the rendezvous until nightfall.
Wayne was starting to worry if she had encountered an accident and was delayed, but good news soon came back with an Exorcist Priest:
“Miss Inessa, by comparing the newly captured rats, has found another array node. According to her judgment, this is likely the Silent Sect’s Underworld Gate ritual. They are probably trying to please Coatle and gain blessings by sacrificing to death.
“Although we cannot confirm the exact location of the ‘Blessing Point’ yet, the form of this ritual is basically fixed, and its representative symbol is a distorted Pluto symbol. With just two nodes, all possibilities can be deduced.”
Wow, you can always trust a diligent veteran hunter.
The people waiting at the small square quickly gathered. A map was spread out on the ground, and a circle of heads surrounded the Exorcist Priest who was squatting there with a kerosene lamp.
There were two prominently marked red dots on the map, and the Exorcist Priest began to draw a mystical symbol on the ground beside it.
Wayne had actually seen the so-called “Pluto symbol.” At its bottom was a cross, representing the material world and the “present world.” At the top of the cross was an upward-facing crescent moon, representing the soul and “connection.” Above the crescent moon was a circle, representing spirit and “laws.”
A rough interpretation of the entire symbol contained several layers of meaning, such as “destruction,” “transformation,” “metamorphosis,” and “transcendence.” The specific meaning had to be analyzed in detail.
But the mystical symbol drawn by the Exorcist Priest was very different in style from the original.
The “crescent moon” had almost completely swallowed the “circle,” the proportion of the “vertical stroke” of the cross was stretched and extended, curving into a wavy line with a pointed tail, and the “horizontal stroke” of the cross was shortened, almost leaving only two “small tufts”—at first glance, it looked a bit like an abstract winged cobra, and it felt a bit fierce.
Good heavens, this Silent Sect really has something going on.
By distorting the Old Continent's mystical symbols to summon an adapted deity originating from the South New Continent, copying a bit from here and a bit from there, and yet this thing actually works.
How can you reason with anyone about this?
The Exorcist Priest explained to everyone while drawing: “The final ‘Blessing Point’ is a virtual position, located in the exact center of this ‘circle,’ and there will be no array there. And there are quite a few nodes in this mystical symbol; with only the two existing arrays, we cannot yet determine their specific positions within it and the overall proportions.
“Fortunately, we only need to substitute the positions of the two known arrays into any two of its points to directly pinpoint the corresponding possibilities, and then conduct on-site confirmation or elimination.
“As long as we can find and destroy enough nodes in time, the entire ritual will not be able to resonate. At most, there will be some localized, instantaneous curse outbreaks like those you encountered before.”
Hmm…
The crowd, initially somewhat excited, immediately fell silent at that last sentence.
The new Agents who had just joined today were fine, but as for those who had personally experienced it on-site last night, not a single one could smile.
If Wayne hadn't rescued them in time, the situation on site really wouldn't have been optimistic at all…
Many people were still “working while sick” today; although their movements were unimpeded, they couldn't be said to have fully recovered. Even Connal walked a bit slowly today, unlike his usual brisk pace.
Even Wayne, who wasn't particularly afraid of those “short lines,” couldn't handle their sheer quantity and potency, not to mention that this mystical symbol was quite complex, with at least seven or eight nodes at a glance…
If another one exploded, it would probably be enough to make Wayne lie around with a bloated stomach for half a day. What was more worrying was whether Wayne would become completely “unable to absorb” after reaching a certain limit… The amount he absorbed last night still hadn't been digested.
If that happened, there would likely be “casualties.”
However, many things are like this; when it comes down to it, you can only step up. Wayne quickly spoke, trying to boost everyone's morale:
“There are quite a few possibilities to investigate, so let's act quickly. To avoid accidents, everyone should try to move in separate groups tonight, avoiding large concentrations of people. If you find something or feel danger, immediately move away and report your location by firing a flare.
“The same applies in case of an accident: prioritize your own safety and do not try to resist. The Dock Area is not particularly large, after all. If I ride a horse, I should be able to arrive in time, and even if a curse outbreak occurs again, the consequences should be controllable.
“Look on the bright side, as long as the opponent exposes their whereabouts, it counts as a failure, and we only need to pinpoint the locations of one or two more array nodes, and the remaining work can proceed steadily. This is not a ‘hunt,’ but a ‘reconnaissance.’ Our opponent is time, not those arrays or cultists.”
“Yes!”
Although the veteran Agents were not in their best condition, their response was quicker, followed by the new Agents, who had not yet formed the habit, and the monks from the Cathedral.
Merlin quickly made arrangements. The monks began to distribute the existing holy water and holy oil, while the Exorcist Priests marked the key areas to be investigated on the map according to different selected points and proportions. Then, each group took a copy and investigated nearby possible locations in a certain area.
One area had already been excluded from the scope of investigation for everyone, as Inessa had already gone there with several Exorcist Priests.
Compared to when they were in the city and had to minimize the impact on citizens, Merlin also indirectly demonstrated the authority of the Cathedral:
“Everyone will be on horseback later. If you encounter public officials questioning you, state your identity as plague investigation personnel and tell them to direct any questions to the City Hall. If others try to obstruct your actions, no matter which gentleman they stand behind, you can take any measures to control them, as long as there is no clear excessive behavior during the response process, no one will be held accountable afterwards.”
“Yes!”
It must be said that some words, when spoken by an upright and selfless person, indeed have an invincible quality, making one feel a little envious.
Wayne had originally planned to take the opportunity to arrange for people to make trouble at the homes of a few Sailor Gang leaders along the way, but there were bigger and smaller matters, so he decided against it. He would have plenty of time to deal with them later.
So Wayne's instructions to the Agents changed from “find an opportunity to make the gang members understand who truly runs the Dock Area” to “if you encounter Lina on the way, call her along; it will be safer to have her confirm things up close.”
Everyone was taking risks to do their job, so he wouldn't take advantage of the situation to pursue personal interests.
