Chapter 628: Connotation
Wayne and Inessa waited for a short while at the “Garbage Hill Courtyard.”
After confirming that the two injured individuals on site were not deteriorating further, Connal was responsible for escorting them to the Silent Sect’s property in the Dock Area for rest and treatment. The two then quickly moved on to the next potential ritual array location.
Wayne still had the “emergency rescue” division of labor, so he couldn't deviate too far from the geometric center of the ritual points to avoid being unable to arrive in time if another situation arose.
Thus, the two traveled together on the way to the intersection of the “cross” in the distorted Pluto symbol. If Inessa continued to other points afterward, Wayne would have to remain on standby.
Before Wayne left the small courtyard, he also took the opportunity to glance at the ruins of the garbage warehouse.
Perhaps because this place was not directly detonated by the ritual’s manipulator, more traces were left behind. Although the exact appearance of the array could not be seen, the area around the array was covered with a circle of rotten meat and offal, clearly bearing bite marks. There were also a large number of dead rats, but it seemed they had all died during the curse’s outbreak.
On the way, he took the opportunity to supplement his knowledge: “So, the problematic rats we found earlier were attracted by that meat?”
Inessa nodded on horseback, “It should be. At the same time, this is probably why Merlin was able to detect the problem in the first place—rats are living creatures, and there is a certain distance between being ‘contaminated’ and ‘controlled by the ritual.’ A small number might escape due to various factors. This sign might not be obvious, but it is by no means impossible to discover.”
Wayne recalled briefly, “But last night at the winery, I don't recall noticing too many rats.”
At least the winery didn't have as much “flavor” as the garbage courtyard just now.
“There were still rats… but the bait used there indeed had less odor.”
Inessa also seemed to be making a deduction, “This might be related to the ‘location’ of the array. Recalling now, the array in the winery was at the ‘crescent’ end of that mysterious symbol, which in mysticism represents the soul and transcendence—the other point I found today was its symmetrical point, and there was no strong smell there either.
“However, the array just now was at the intersection of the ‘crescent’ and the ‘cross,’ which is the connection point between ‘soul’ and ‘mundane world,’ so it might possess characteristics of both. According to this logic, the remaining nodes should all have more ‘mundane world’ connotations.”
Wayne seemed to understand. In the structure of this ritual, there seemed to be a progressive process: the rats were first attracted by direct cravings, then gradually controlled or “sublimated.”
If he thought about it that way, then in the locations representing the “mundane world,” more direct bait would be needed, more rats might gather, and the smell on site might be even “less small,” thus requiring a place with a stronger smell to conceal it…
Ugh…
Thinking of this, he suddenly didn't want to go anymore…
Inessa continued speaking: “Although those Silent Sect believers seem to have abandoned the ritual and there’s a possibility they directly fled, rationally speaking, they have been planning this for some time. Even if they choose to abandon it now, there’s still a greater probability they’ll retaliate against those who disrupted the ritual before leaving. Therefore, it’s still necessary for us to quickly destroy the remaining nodes and be wary of their attacks.”
America, in this regard, was quite different from Windsor Kingdom; it was easier to catch them if they stayed put than if they ran directly.
Wayne, riding his horse like a drunkard and still guzzling holy water, nodded upon hearing this, “I will remind everyone to be careful.”
…
The raw material warehouse of the rubber processing plant, in a broad sense, was actually part of the “storage area” in the Dock Area.
Geographically, this area was closer to the docks than the residential areas, located in the “downstream” basin of many water systems. This is why it was grouped with “effluent discharge units” like leather workshops and the waste disposal sites of the road clearing department in the same “cross” on the map.
Wayne and his group first encountered two Agents from the Detective Agency who were investigating nearby, and then unexpectedly reunited with Merlin and his group in this vicinity.
The two parties saw each other from a distance, and the latter rode over: “I’ve already been to the waste disposal site. The situation is generally under control. There are already people there taking measures for harmless disposal. Have you found the array?”
“No. We just arrived and are still searching,” Wayne said truthfully.
Some places look very clear on the map, but the actual difficulty of finding them is not the same.
It’s like going to City Hall to do business; even if you know the exact address, when it comes time to go through the procedures, you inevitably have to “wander through a maze,” constantly searching from one office to another. Only places like the Mayor’s Office can be found precisely.
The storage area here was the same. There were neatly arranged large warehouses with walls everywhere. Even if they extended out a large section in all directions, parts of them might still fall on the same straight line on the map.
Moreover, there were no clear house numbers or anything here. It was pitch black at night, and everything looked similar. They could only roughly determine a range based on the smell permeating the air.
Inessa took off her bird-beak mask at this point, half-lifting her small face to find her bearings, and quickly pointed in a direction, “It should be this way, there’s a smell of spoiled blood.”
The three monks, including Merlin, joined the team. A string of people and horses circled around the vicinity, finally pinpointing a storage courtyard they had passed twice.
After finding the entrance and passing through the wall, the guards who came rushing out upon hearing the commotion were immediately subdued by two monks who wore tight uniforms under their outer robes.
“This is Mr. Wade Mason’s property!” The leading guard, with guns pointed at him by the Agents, chose to raise his hands and not resist.
Wayne had met that gentleman at a ball hosted by members of the “Industrial Alliance.” Just as he was about to speak, Merlin had already taken out his identification and stepped forward, “Police business. I am Inspector Merlin of the Richmond Police Station. If there are any issues, Mr. Mason can come to the Police Station to find me afterward.”
After a rough pat-down, the two monks nodded to Merlin, and the guards were released.
The guards here seemed to only have the duty of guarding the property; even the leading guard didn't have the keys to several of the warehouses. Then, the group briefly toured the courtyard, and Inessa finally locked onto a large warehouse in the corner.
Merlin did not have the search warrant that the leading guard wanted to see, but when he wanted to open the door, the guard did not dare to obstruct him.
The old Agent “Vine,” who knew a little about lock-picking, did not act presumptuously. He honestly assisted one of the monks, and the two together used tools to cut the thick chain on the warehouse door.
As soon as the reinforced double wooden doors were pulled open, Wayne couldn't help but cover his nose with his hand.
Holy moly, the smell in here was too overwhelming…
And before everyone could even enter, in the darkness illuminated by the kerosene lamps, faint reflections, like tiny eyes, began to light up one after another, extending from the ground all the way up to the top of the shelves, requiring one to look up.
“Beware of attack!”
“Squeak squeak squeak squeak—”
A pulsating “black tide” surged forward like a wave.
