The Divine Armor of the Old Century（Book 1）

Chapter 101

"So, the Golden Phoenix has already gone?"

Endless light poured down from the dome above, making the gloomy old Dunlin seem extravagantly bright. Working here felt blissful.

In the central monitoring station beneath the shattered dome, Red Kite turned to ask Blue Kingfisher. After recovering from their injuries, the two had been assigned here, handling simple tasks as a form of vacation.

"Yes, and she's already met with Lloyd."

Blue Kingfisher stood by the map sandbox in the center of the monitoring station. Intricate machinery lifted models from the sandbox. These were models of buildings, rising to form a vast map. From streets to castles, they emerged, fitting together seamlessly. As the electrical current activated, symbols on the map lit up.

In about half a minute, the mechanical models unfolded, revealing the full map of old Dunlin. Insulating fluid surged through the pipes, filling in the final gaps, symbolizing the Thames River running through old Dunlin.

"This is the third case this month, all involving demons. It's really troublesome."

Robin, holding a cup of coffee, walked over from the other side. The sunlight from the dome illuminated him, a bit too bright, so he raised his other hand to shield his eyes.

"And there's no pattern. We've increased the sensitivity of the Geiger counters, but we still can't catch it."

Blue Kingfisher looked equally troubled. Usually, demons couldn't evade the Extermination Agency's pursuit for long, but this opponent was evidently different.

"Is that why they called Lloyd? Seems like we have to rely on this demon hunter now. Let's see what surprises he brings."

Red Kite joined them, staring at the map.

This was a series of brutal murders. The Extermination Agency had handled it from the start, covering up everything well. But unexpectedly, another incident occurred today, first discovered by the Suarlan Office. Only through Lloyd's connections did they realize the anomaly.

"Normally, our Observer System would alert us immediately, but this time it was completely silent. We only found out thanks to Lloyd. This system was developed by the former Director of the Perpetual Pump. If the system isn't broken, it means the demon has found a way to evade the Observer's detection."

Blue Kingfisher's slow explanation was not good news.

The so-called Observer System, known as the Preceptor, wasn't a product of mysterious powers but high technology from the Perpetual Pump. Like the Midgard Serpent, it was one of the crucial systems maintaining the Extermination Agency.

Using old Dunlin's complex underground steam machinery, the Agency had disguised and installed large Geiger counters in every corner. The circuits extended alongside steam pipes, all converging at the central monitoring station, expanding like a spider web.

In other words, old Dunlin was covered by countless large Geiger counters. Any abnormal Geiger reading would be reported back to the central monitoring station, enabling complete control over old Dunlin.

It was a simple and crude method. The Agency could even deduce the demon's movement from the feedback's timing and fluctuations. After the Observer System went online, the most troublesome demon in old Dunlin had survived just a week, hiding in the furnace pillar's combustion chamber, which took ages to inspect.

"An enemy that can evade the Geiger counters... Seems like we really have to count on this demon hunter."

With a long sigh, Red Kite, though grateful to the demon hunter for saving his life, felt uneasy remembering the hunter's reckless decisions during the Ender Town operation. Dealing with such an unpredictable person always made Red Kite feel an inexplicable sense of danger.

Green lights blinked in the gaps between the buildings on the mechanical map, indicating normal Geiger readings. The mechanical map was also connected to the Observer System, showing abnormal readings directly.

Most of old Dunlin glowed with harmonious green light, except for a few hidden spots with bright red lights and some areas with no light at all—places only Arthur had the authority to observe.

"Hmm... How about some afternoon tea?"

In their gloom, Red Kite suddenly suggested after checking the time.

The central monitoring station was a highly secure place, extremely busy during demon appearances, but otherwise very idle since demons didn't appear every day.

The most legendary tale was of the former deputy director of the central monitoring station. During his five-year tenure, demon appearances were rare. Expecting an exciting life of pointing at maps and commanding armies, he instead found himself staring at a sea of green lights daily.

To pass the time, he started writing novels in this steel fortress, altering stories of the Extermination Agency and submitting them to magazines. He became a famous author in old Dunlin.

Think that's a happy ending? Though he had modified and edited out sensitive details, he was eventually penalized for breaching confidentiality.

Normally, he would have been imprisoned for a few years and then exiled, but someone recognized his literary talent. He was reassigned to the Cleaners Department to use his skills in misleading reports about demon incidents. The previous writer was terrible, attributing every incident to gas explosions.

"Ah, it's nice not being on the front lines. Food, drinks, and no weird stuff to deal with."

In this leisurely moment, Robin sighed. But Blue Kingfisher didn't join their idle chatter. She remained by the mechanical map, printing out indices for different regions at different times.

Suddenly, a red dot abruptly lit up among the green, followed by a shrill alarm.

The two leisurely men were initially stunned, then rushed to the sandbox. But Blue Kingfisher was faster, immediately connecting to the communication channel and shouting.

"Geiger index anomaly detected! Location is... Golden Phoenix! Target is near you!"

The voice transmitted through the machinery, finally reaching Joey. The communicator in his clothes echoed Blue Kingfisher's voice. While he hesitated, the detective in front of him turned vicious, and the demon hunter sensed it too.

"I suppose the no-firearms rule in the city can be lifted for such a creature?"

This wasn't a question. Before Joey could respond, the detective had already raised his Winchester, smashing through the glass and leaping down the fire escape.