The Divine Armor of the Old Century（Book 1）

Chapter 112

"Why didn't you initially try to contact the Suaran Hall? This demon seems to have a purpose, and those detectives would be more effective, wouldn't they?"

The carriage had become Lloyd's temporary office. He sat inside with Joey, the small foldable table between them piled high with documents about the deceased.

"There are many reasons. Our Purge Agency has a dedicated investigation team, but this is our first encounter with a rational demon. The reason for not involving the Suaran Hall is simple: the crime scenes are contaminated with demonic taint, which would affect ordinary people," Joey explained.

The most insidious aspect of battling demons was their maddening corruption, like a foreign monk whispering incessantly in your ear until you went insane. Those who could handle demon cases were mostly trained, able to maintain their sanity in the face of the bizarre. Higher-ranking members like Joey, specialized knights, could truly confront the demons.

Lloyd picked up a file. The cold wind from Old Dunling seeped through the carriage's cracks as he casually flipped through the pages, piecing together a fragmented story from the identities and statuses of the deceased.

The first victim was Rowe, a man nearing forty from another city outside Old Dunling. Like many who came to work in Old Dunling, he initially had a decent factory job but was fired for drinking on the job, eventually ending up in the slums as a gang member. He was found dead in his home, having suffered severe torture. The murderer left a message of revenge in blood, marking the first time the Purge Agency detected demonic activity. The lingering corruption kept the Geiger counter readings high.

This was the beginning, the first target of the demon's revenge. Lloyd pondered, deducing that the first victim likely knew something that led the demon to find the others' locations through torture.

The second victim, named Doran, was a friend of Rowe from their hometown. He worked in a shop and visited Rowe several times after he lost his job. His cause of death was similar—found brutally murdered at home, the demon's second act of revenge. It confirmed Lloyd's suspicion: the demon initially knew only Rowe's location, then found the others through him, seeking revenge one by one. Since Rowe and Doran were from the same place, the demon was likely their fellow townsman.

"They're from Burhans," Lloyd noted in surprise. Burhans, a major industrial city with the famous Burhans Military Factory, made him question why these two left such a prosperous place to come to Old Dunling.

Lloyd turned to the next file, concerning the Naid couple, the case Lloyd had joined upon Suaran Hall's request. Mrs. Naid was the woman found brutally murdered in that bloody house, and Mr. Naid was the victim discovered during Lloyd's pursuit. They had been temporarily separated due to a quarrel but lived close by, explaining why the demon continued its spree after killing Mrs. Naid.

The latest victim was Hughes, a gang leader from the slums. Lloyd felt a headache coming on as he tried to piece together the connections between these individuals. Though they varied in status and identity, they must have had some common link, a reason the demon targeted them for revenge.

"Were there no witnesses?" Lloyd asked. Multiple gruesome murders—he couldn't believe the demon had acted flawlessly.

Joey shook his head disappointedly. "That's the tricky part about demons. We do have a few witnesses who saw the demon, but instead of killing them, the demon left them severely traumatized. They're in hospitals, and we can't get anything out of them."

"The demon's eerie corruption remains a significant obstacle."

"What about indirect observations? No traces of its departure?"