The Divine Armor of the Old Century（Book 1）

Chapter 105

"Hun... Hunter?"

Joey stared at Lloyd in shock. For a moment, he felt a gust of wind swirl through the cold room, piercing his body like a blade, chilling him to his core, spreading through his muscles and veins.

"Yes, a Hunter. You probably don't know because your clearance isn't high enough. Essentially, we Hunters are rational demons."

As Lloyd spoke, he extended his hand, revealing faintly visible blue veins beneath his skin.

"The secret blood technique of the Order, to put it simply, involves transplanting demonic power into humans. However, whether it's brain or organ transplants, there's always a risk of rejection. If the subject is lucky, they die painfully. If not, they become food for demonic flesh, mutating into even more terrifying demons."

"Eventually, the Order discovered a way to purify the blood in the Revelation. Transplanting demonic blood into the human body was far more stable, leading to the development of the secret blood technique."

Lloyd explained simply.

"Essentially, Hunters are demons who have not yet lost control. We are called 'Candidates,' able to maintain a delicate balance with the secret blood, preventing conflict with our true selves or being corrupted by it."

This was the reason behind the warning from the Silver Binding. Under the secret blood technique, the secret blood within a Hunter remains dormant, awakening only when the Hunter activates it. However, the strength of this awakening determines the power and the extent of the corruption it brings.

The 30% awakening threshold of the secret blood is a critical point for Hunters. Once this threshold is surpassed, the balance between the human will and demonic corruption is broken. Ed's secret blood awakening had exceeded 60%. Crossing this threshold, the Hunter steps into the abyss.

At that moment, the Silver Binding would completely dissolve, and the secret blood would drag the human will into full demonic transformation. Like a meteor, the moment of greatest brilliance is also the moment of extinction.

Joey tried to stay calm, committing every word Lloyd said to memory.

"And the rational demons we mentioned earlier are degraded versions of Hunters. They might have been corrupted or turned into demons for other reasons, but they cannot maintain a balance with their demonic side."

"The balance between humanity and demonic nature."

"They might still retain some rationality, acting with demonic bodies, but their corruption continues. It's only a matter of time before they become fully insane demons."

"Though wrapped in all sorts of mythical beliefs, this makes a certain degree of biological sense."

Lloyd had attended a few university classes in Old Dunling, gradually understanding these concepts. Hunters were all orphans, raised and trained by the Evangelical Church before joining the Hunter Order. Each child faced a trial before becoming a Hunter: the Divine Baptism and other rigorous training, culminating in the secret blood implantation.

Lloyd had little memory of the mysterious Divine Baptism. Afterward, he found many strange memories in his mind, as did others who had undergone the ceremony.

Implanting the secret blood was their coming-of-age ceremony at seventeen. They received theological education from the Church, and the priests attributed anything they couldn't explain to faith. Even death during the implantation was a sign of insufficient faith or disloyalty to the Church.

Lloyd survived the implantation, feeling proud of his apparent divine favor. But after the Night of the Holy Advent, it all seemed so absurd.

"Incredible."

After a long pause, Joey could only utter these words, feeling overwhelmed, like a student bombarded with too much knowledge at once.

Joey once thought that the forbidden power of the Old Century's divine armor, binding demonic power with steel, was the ultimate taboo. But learning about Hunters made him realize that divine armor was nothing in comparison.

These madmen had seized powers not meant for them, truly forbidden forces.

"There are many incredible things. The Hunter Order is far more complex than you think, and Arthur says the new Pope has already begun rebuilding the Order."

Thinking of this, Lloyd couldn't help but feel some pressure. The rebuilding of the Hunter Order was real, evidenced by the reactivation of the Stagnant Sanctuary after six years.

"Back to the present, rational demons are indeed dangerous. But with your Purification Agency's monitoring and support capabilities, there shouldn't be too much to worry about."

Thinking of Lancelot arriving with the Iron Serpent, Lloyd truly felt the power of this industrial nation, with its interconnected systems serving a single ultimate goal.

This wasn't even the city operating at full capacity, and Lloyd could hardly imagine the scene when its machinery roared to life.

"Indeed, but we've had issues with our monitoring. We can only detect the demon's actions once they move, sometimes not even then."

"How is that possible? That large Geiger counter array is far superior to the mystical indicators used by the Hunter Order."

After yesterday's case, Joey roughly explained the principle of the Observer System to Lloyd, who was astounded. The Hunter Order's method involved Hunters with high perception abilities as scouts, such as the Chandaphon branch Hunters with precognitive abilities.

"But that's the problem. The demon doesn't cause Geiger index changes before they act, making it impossible to track them. If not for this, we could have hunted them down already. They..."

Joey thought for a moment, then, seeing Lloyd's sudden realization, hurriedly said.

"Like you. The Geiger counter doesn't react to you before you activate your secret blood."

Lloyd nodded, reaching out to grab the bottle for another drink to warm himself. But he suddenly paused, his expression grave.

"Wait, you said like me."

"Yes, the Geiger counter doesn't react before action..."

Joey continued, but he too realized something, locking eyes with Lloyd. From his cold gaze, they both understood each other's thoughts.

Without a word, Lloyd stood, donned his coat, loaded his Winchester, and slipped it under his coat. He then picked up his newly customized cane, this time with a layer of holy silver on the sword within.

"I assume your Purification Agency operates 24/7."

Opening the door, Lloyd gestured to Joey. This case was far from over.