New Gods of North America.

Chapter 624 Points
Inessa did not come to meet us at the small square until night had completely fallen.

Wayne was initially worried that something might have happened to her and caused her to miss her trip, but soon an exorcist priest brought back good news:
"Miss Inessa has found another magic circle node by comparing the newly captured rats. According to her judgment, this is likely the Tranquility Cult's Netherworld Gate ritual. They are probably trying to please 'Koyatl' in exchange for favors by offering sacrifices to 'death'."

"Although we cannot yet confirm the exact location of the 'Given Point,' the form of the ritual is basically fixed, and the representative symbol is a distorted Pluto symbol. All the possibilities can be deduced based on just two nodes."

Wow, you can always trust a seasoned hunter who works hard.

The crowd that had been waiting in the small square quickly assembled, and a map was soon laid out on the ground. A circle of people surrounded the exorcist priest who was squatting there carrying a kerosene lamp.

There were two large red dots highlighted on the map, and the exorcist priest began to draw a mystical symbol on the ground next to them.

Wayne had actually seen the so-called "Pluto symbol." At the bottom is a cross, representing the material world and "the present world." At the top of the cross is a crescent-shaped semicircle opening upwards, representing the soul and "connection." Above the crescent is a circle, representing the spirit and "laws."
A rough interpretation of the symbol suggests it contains several layers of meaning, such as "destruction," "transformation," "metamorphosis," and "transcendence," but its specific meaning requires further analysis.

However, the mysterious symbol drawn by the exorcist priest is completely different from the original style.

The crescent moon has almost swallowed the entire circle whole. The vertical line of the cross has been stretched and extended, curving into a wavy line with a tail. The horizontal line of the cross has been shortened, leaving only two small tufts. At first glance, it looks a bit like an abstract winged cobra, and it even looks a bit fierce.

Wow, this Tranquility Cult is really something.
By distorting the mystical symbols of the Old World, one can summon a modified version of the deities originating from the Southern New World, copying bits and pieces from here and there, and ironically, this thing actually works.

Where can I reason with people about this?

As the exorcist priest drew, he explained to the crowd: "The final 'Gift Point' is a virtual location, situated in the very center of this 'circle,' where there will be no magic circle. Moreover, this mysterious symbol has quite a few nodes, and with only the two existing magic circles, we cannot yet determine their specific positions within it or their overall proportions."

"Fortunately, we only need to substitute the known locations of the two magic arrays into any two points within them to directly lock in 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 resonate. At most, there will be some localized, instantaneous curse bursts like the ones you have encountered before."

Well……

The group, who had initially been excited, immediately fell silent after hearing that last sentence.
The new agents who joined today are doing well, but as for those who experienced it firsthand last night, not one of them can laugh.

If Wayne hadn't been there in time, the situation at the scene would have been far from optimistic...

Many people were still "working while sick" today. Although they could move around without any problems, they weren't fully recovered. Even Connor was walking a bit slowly today, unlike his usual brisk pace. Even those who weren't too afraid of the "short-sighted" Waynes couldn't withstand the sheer quantity of them. Not to mention that this mysterious symbol was quite complex, with at least seven or eight nodes at a glance...

If he were to explode just one more time, it would probably be enough to keep Wayne lying in bed with a bloated belly for half a day. What's even more worrying is whether Wayne will be completely unable to "absorb" anything after reaching a certain limit... The amount he absorbed last night hasn't been digested yet.

If that happens, the likely outcome will be "casualties".

However, that's how many things are; when the time comes, you have no choice but to step up. Wayne quickly spoke up to try and encourage everyone:

"There are likely many possibilities that require investigation, so let's act as soon as possible. To avoid any accidents, everyone should try to work in small groups tonight to avoid crowding. If you discover any situation or feel any danger, move away immediately and report your location by setting off fireworks."

"In case of an accident, prioritize your own safety and do not attempt to fight back. The dock area is not particularly large, so if I ride a horse, I should be able to get there in time. Even if the curse breaks out again, the consequences should be manageable."

"Looking on the bright side, the opponent will fail as long as they expose their whereabouts, while we only need to pinpoint the locations of one or two more magic array nodes, and the rest of the work can proceed steadily. This is not a 'hunt,' but a 'reconnaissance.' Our opponent is time, not those magic arrays or followers of evil gods."

"Yes!"

Although the veteran agents weren't at their best, they responded faster, followed by the new agents who hadn't yet developed 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 locations that needed to be investigated on the map according to different selection points and proportions. Then each group took a set and investigated the possible locations that were close by in a certain area.

One area has already been excluded from the scope of the investigation, as Inessa has already gone there with several exorcism priests.

Compared to the need to minimize the impact on citizens when in the city, Brother Merlin now indirectly demonstrated the cathedral's majesty:
"Everyone will be riding horses later. If you are questioned by public officials, identify yourself as an epidemic screening officer and tell them to go to the city hall for questions. If anyone tries to obstruct the operation, no matter who is behind them, we can take any measures to control them. As long as there is no obvious overreaction during the response, no one will be held accountable afterwards."

"Yes!"

It must be said that some words spoken by an upright and selfless person do have an invincible quality, making one feel a little envious.
Wayne had originally planned to take the opportunity to arrange for someone to cause trouble at the homes of several leaders of the Sailors Gang, but the matters varied in importance, so he decided against it, thinking he would have plenty of time to play with them later.

Therefore, Wayne's instructions to the agents changed from "find an opportunity to let the gangsters see who really calls the shots in the dock area" to "if you run into Lina on the road, bring her along and have her get closer to confirm it will be safer."
Everyone is taking risks to do this, so I won't take the opportunity to sneak in my own agenda.

(End of this chapter)