New Gods of North America.

Chapter 650 Defense
No sooner had Peter Clements and his gang of men in black left than the detective agency began to summarize their experience and strengthen their defenses.

Doug retrieved the owl from the top of the windmill, where it liked to stand guard at night, after questioning them. It had essentially died on duty.

A majestic nocturnal raptor, woken up in the middle of the night, still listlessly droops its eyelids.

Peter Clements didn't explain in detail how they found the owl and did it, only mentioning that they simply put the owl into a state of unconsciousness, the smaller the owl, the better the effect, but it shouldn't have been injured.

Doug's communication with birds wasn't very sophisticated; he only knew that Doug felt relatively well and, apart from being sleepy, didn't notice anything particularly unusual at the time or after being woken up.

After a brief examination, the group found no wounds, so they gave the silly bird a few sips of holy water and put it to sleep.

It can only be initially suspected that Peter Clemens' gang may have extraordinary abilities of the type of "anti-spying" or "detecting anomalies." Considering the distance from the top of the mill to the ground, the range of that extraordinary ability that causes unconsciousness is not short. It's just unclear how effective it would be on a person.

Although Connor broke his losing streak record, it was not shameful for a competitor to fight abroad. Inessa and Lina watched the whole thing and roughly understood the ability types and fighting styles of some of the men in black.

Arranged in order, the first man in black was more suited for ring combat. His extraordinary ability covered a spherical space with a radius of about 7 yards. Connor repeatedly experienced the sensations of "weightlessness" and "super-gravity" within it. In the end, he was defeated after being knocked out of the ring while switching between the two states.
His extraordinary abilities seem to have no effect on inanimate objects, but his own actions are clearly affected, except that he is more adapted to the state and can actively switch between them.

The second man in black who engaged in combat clearly belonged to the "Divine" realm. He used at least two extraordinary abilities, one of which was roughly similar to holding an invisible basketball. When Connor tried to gather spiritual power for localized defense, he seemed to encounter a repulsive force within the "basketball's" range.

Another method is like throwing a beanbag. The "beanbag" can be big or small. A large one can directly "break Connor's shield" and when it hits the body, it can make the corresponding part feel like it is being burned until enough spiritual power gathers to completely neutralize it.

And then there's that last blob of black slime that could completely engulf a person.

Speaking of extraordinary abilities themselves, they don't seem too flashy, but their strength is undeniable, and their performance in actual combat is irrefutable.

Improving the agents' ranks and extraordinary abilities is not something that can be easily achieved, but fortunately, the arena is just an arena; in actual combat, the power of firearms can still solve many problems.
Inesa provided a very convincing example: when the Kingdom of Windsor first began to explore the New World, there were often a number of extraordinary individuals among the more powerful indigenous tribes. The soldiers in the colony fought against them with matchlock guns or flintlock muskets, and before reinforcements arrived, some of them were still able to establish a foothold and begin to expand.

Guided by this idea, the detectives on duty at the agency really had to start keeping their guns with them at all times, and some traps were even set up overnight.
Since the workshop is on someone else's plantation, directly burying high explosives is a bit excessive. However, it is obviously necessary to set up more warning devices that can make noise. Traps such as nets and tripwires are also environmentally friendly. Even if the police see them, they will not have any objections. It is not a big deal if someone accidentally triggers them.

The most outrageous one was Lina. Worried that someone might target Parker, she spent the whole night digging a hole in the kitchen to make a fake cabinet. She planned to buy a safe the next day and hide it inside for Parker to use when he rested.

She wasn't worried about Parker being stolen by someone knowledgeable; it was hard to say who would need to guard against thieves for a thousand days. But it would be troublesome if she encountered a clueless thief on orders. If he got a hole punched in his arm or a broken arm or leg, she felt like she wouldn't be able to find a place to get it repaired.

……

The matter with the group of "Koyatl" believers has come to an end, and the ritual manual that Lina had stolen has been handed over to Brother Merlin for submission.

The detective agency's reward limit was capped this time, and they secretly obtained some extraordinary materials, which they gave away as a cover and a favor.

Wayne wasn't distressed about the thing, mainly because Lina's description of it was quite apt, calling it "extraordinary knowledge."
Knowledge can be copied. The partners, especially Inessa, had all read it. As participants in the event, they were qualified to apply to borrow it from the cathedral. They could easily put together a notebook with the same content. There was no need for them to have any attachment to that book. If they really wanted to keep a memento, they would rather keep that seemingly useless "snake-head stick."

Besides, that feathered serpent didn't seem to be able to defeat the "wise sage," and its diet during the ritual wasn't healthy either.

For the detective agency, the most valuable resource was actually what Inessa could use to extend the shelf life of the extraordinary materials; there was no need to try to please Him like those members of the Quiet Cult. Inessa, still well-intentioned, hesitated the next morning whether to go to the docks to continue assisting the church's investigation, lest any dangerous members of that evil god's followers slip through the net.
However, there are priorities. In order to ensure that the extraordinary material left for Wayne does not lose too much spiritual power, and to help watch over Parker while Lina went out to buy supplies, she stayed in the workshop to continue brewing the injections, temporarily entrusting the things she wanted to investigate to Connor, whose ambition had suddenly exploded overnight.

The detective agency's overall investigation work, of course, did not stop. Besides supplying the restaurant, the remaining luncheon meat had already been pre-ordered until next week. "Slingshot" and his team no longer needed to promote it; they continued wearing their red armbands and, along with the new members, would go around the dock area making a show of their presence.
Wayne thought for a moment, then took a carriage straight to the territory of the Erland Gang in the dock area.

The guide, Ciarán, seemed genuinely afraid of Wayne now. Upon spotting Sanders in the driver's seat of the carriage from afar in the block, she decisively pretended not to see him, turning her head away as if trying to find an alleyway connecting to the street to escape as quickly as possible.

Sanders probably noticed it too. He accelerated slightly and quietly stopped beside the carriage before the guide, Seren, could successfully enter the alley. He didn't even greet the guide; he probably just sat in the driver's seat and silently watched him.

In the end, the guide, Seren, could only timidly open the carriage door, not daring to sit too deep: "Mr. Wayne, is there anything I can do for you today?"

"Judging from your expression just now, it seems like you have something to do?" Wayne asked knowingly.

“Mr. Wayne, I offended some neighbors when I went with you to check for the plague in the neighborhood. Three days ago, I went with you to the police morgue to identify the bodies. If someone spreads the word, it will directly offend the gang. The blonde lady only asked me to find some children to help, but that very night, some houses in the neighborhood were seized and requisitioned by the police and the church.”

The guide, Seren, said quietly, and then sighed, "If things continue like this, I might not be able to continue living in this neighborhood."

“Everyone who participated in the identification promised to keep it confidential, and I also said that I would provide you with protection.”

Wayne felt that Siren's concerns were not entirely unfounded. "How about I offer you a job? My workshop is currently producing luncheon meat, which I can supply to you at cost price so you can sell it in your neighborhood. It's purely a business transaction, with no forced sales quotas. You set the price, and I only take a 30% profit. If you work for me publicly, even if it's just for the sake of my reputation, I can't ignore your safety."

The main problem is the language barrier. In neighborhoods like this, it seems even their sales teams, like "Slingshot," would have a hard time getting their products into the area.

Try having a "local" from the neighborhood act as an agent; it might work even better.

The guide, Seren, seemed a little hesitant, as if she was thinking about how to refuse.

Wayne didn't press the issue: "My invitation will remain valid throughout the plague screening period. You can reply to me after you've thought it through. However, I did come to see you today because I need your help with something."

“Please speak, I would be very happy to assist you.” Guide Ciarán seemed pleased that Wayne had taken the initiative to change the subject.

"It's not a complicated matter. Just like last time, come with me to see Mr. O'Sullivan again—I can't understand what his men are whispering among themselves."

Upon hearing this, the guide, Ciel, widened his eyes in surprise. He timidly tried to remind him, "Mr. Wayne, those people who attacked you and were identified in the morgue last time were all working for him..."

“I know,” Wayne nodded. “I think my conversation with him didn’t go very well before, so it’s even more necessary to go again. Don’t worry, my bodyguard and I are armed, nothing will happen. We can call for backup in the dock area, and they’ll arrive quickly.”

"what?"

(End of this chapter)