Storm of Gods

Chapter 141 The Art of Heartfelt Expression

On the other side, in the funeral procession's court, in the relatively sunny Church of Mother Earth, this place is the most strict and cold. In upholding the glory of the church, these ancient traditional churches are all equally ruthless, otherwise they would have collapsed long ago.

Little Red Roll wasn't subjected to any severe torture. After waking up, she was very cooperative and explained in detail how she obtained the secret treasure.

In various countries, the use of pseudo-prototypes is impossible to prohibit. Currently, it is the perfect substitute for divine relics and prototypes. Compared to the difficulty of obtaining divine relics and prototypes, the secret treasure is as excellent as its name suggests. Whether it is a noble or a wealthy merchant, problems that can be solved with money are not problems. Moreover, in the experiments of various churches, pseudo-prototypes have really shown remarkable effects. Although it is impossible to measure its potential or whether it has the ability to transform into a divine relic like a prototype, its existing effects are already enough to make people flock to it.

Locke said he was approached by a stranger in the Mallorca market in Heldan. The stranger said he was exceptionally talented, a man destined for greatness, and possessed the abilities of a high-ranking official. He only needed a chance to rise to prominence, and that chance was a secret treasure. At first, Locke thought it was a scam, but the stranger showed him the treasure directly. The power emanating from it was undeniable, and Locke immediately believed him. He said he would seize such an opportunity even if it meant going bankrupt. Although the price offered was very high, it didn't require them to go bankrupt.

Simmons arrived as well. After learning the situation, Locke, seeing Simmons, cried out as if he were seeing his mother, "Boss, boss, save me! I'm a devout follower of the Mother Goddess, I'm not a heretic, I haven't done anything treacherous! Don't abandon me, boss~~~"

Simmons looked speechlessly at the wailing Locke, while Travis was a little embarrassed. "We didn't do anything, we just asked some questions, and he was quite cooperative."

"Stop yelling, cooperate fully with the work, and don't miss any details!"

"Boss, I've already told you what color my underwear is," Little Red Roll said, feeling wronged.

“He tried his best. The painter has already made a copy of the man’s appearance, and it’s about 70 or 80 percent similar. But it’s probably a disguise. Better than nothing,” Travis said. “Tomorrow I will invite the bishop to baptize him to make sure everything is perfect.”

Travis was quite respectful of Simmons's personal arrival. He knew that the Glory Battle was approaching, and Locke was also a key member of the Order of the Church, so he was probably here for that reason, to avoid any future troubles.

"Captain Travis, I am deeply grateful!" Simmons said sincerely. This was a huge favor, and he couldn't ignore it. Although his family also had the ability, going through the proper procedures based on the case itself would be foolproof. Having the bishop purify it would be equivalent to helping Locke clear his name. "What exactly does this organization want?"

Travis helplessly spread his hands. "If only his motives were stronger and his demands were more numerous, we could have followed the clues and even used some methods."

We can't just kill all those who used the secret treasure. In a situation where there are no threats and only benefits, using extreme measures, especially since the people involved have a certain influence, could cause serious problems. Even the undertaker couldn't withstand that.

Simmons also felt it was quite difficult, but it wasn't his problem. "Then I'll have to trouble the captain for the next couple of days."

“Young Master Simmons, you’re too kind. By the way, are you familiar with Li Xin in your team?” Travis asked.

“Li Xin, I know him very well. He’s my friend, and an elite I recruited with great effort. You know this Glory Battle is very important to the Holy Ze Church and our George family. If I don’t shine now, I’ll really be in the dark.” Simmons said self-deprecatingly. He was happy that Travis was in trouble, so he returned the favor and treated him as a friend.

The George family has invested heavily in the Church of England, and now it's time to prove themselves. If they fail to prove themselves, further decline of the family is inevitable, and they may not even have another chance.

Travis nodded. "Li Xin is a Night Watchman of the Moon Goddess Church, but he's registered with us, so he's considered a collaborator."

Simmons smiled. "I know, my real goal is to bring him to our side. All the best talents in the world should belong to Montcarette."

Travis understood and said nothing more.

The reason he gave Simmons so much face was not just because he was the heir of the George family. There was more than one heir in a large family. The George family belonged to the reformist faction and was close to the common people. He was of commoner origin. Although they did not communicate much when they met, Simmons respected him and was steady in his work. Gambling so heavily on the Church was not something an ordinary person would do. He felt that this young man would definitely achieve greater things in the future.

Birds of a feather flock together; interpersonal relationships are an art in themselves, and Simmons certainly has a certain charm.

After personally seeing Simmons off, Locke was relieved. The captain's arrival meant that his matter was no longer a problem. The treasure entering the body could not be taken away. To put it bluntly, this was just a trade for power. Who wouldn't make a trade?
Moreover, he gained power to serve the Church Council.

This case is significant, but not urgent. Throughout the interrogation, Locke showed no signs of lying and cooperated actively. It was clear he was simply seeking power, and he had obtained the necessary intelligence. Travis had several copies, and headquarters had several more, almost all involving elites from the Order of the Church. The current approach was to record it. The people on the other end were all using fake identities and appearances, clearly indicating they were highly skilled at disguise, perhaps even possessing special abilities in this area. Each time, he only charged gold lira.

That's settled for now. With the bishop's help and the George family's influence, getting things sorted out for Locke shouldn't be a problem.

Just as they were about to rest, the undertaker's whistle blew, signaling a serious, clandestine incident. Travis's face darkened, and a team member rushed in.

"Captain, that guy has reappeared, on Mass Street." Travis flicked his clothes. "Let's go!"

The case of the secret murders that had been going on for several months was initially handled by the Expeditionary Bureau of the Council of State, but when it was discovered that it involved psychics, it was handed over to the Funeral Directors. The victims would lose organs, some had their hearts, some had their spleens and lungs, and some had their spines completely hollowed out. The methods of the crimes were extremely sophisticated, which clearly showed that they were very familiar with human anatomy.

Moreover, the victims were all awakened individuals, some of whom were quite skilled.

The case was suppressed, and Hexbird was not allowed to report it. If it were to escalate and cause panic, things would get much worse. This case is the Undertaker's biggest case, and it is the Sword of Damocles hanging over their heads. The Vatican demands that the real culprit be found quickly.

It was already late at night. When Travis arrived, the undertakers had already taken special measures. They placed construction roadblocks at the street corner, along with a simple illusionary spell, so that ordinary people would simply ignore it.

Upon entering the scene, the deceased was found in a garbage dump. He was in his forties, an Awakened, a Montaletta, who ran a toy store, and his heart was missing.

The killer is not a Fallen One; Fallen Ones cannot resist the temptation of psychic power and blood. This place may not even be the primary crime scene, but simply the killer's dumping ground for the body.

The death toll has now reached nine.

The Undertaker team members didn't look too good. This case had dragged on for a long time without a single clue. If this continued, the Hextech Bird newspaper might not be able to keep it under wraps, and more and more people would find out.

The area is under martial law, and the funeral procession and the inspection team are already investigating, but it's not very useful. This is a large city with millions of people, and it's too difficult to track down a top-tier ability user.

The body was disposed of very cleanly, the soul completely dissipated, and no traces were left for investigation. Travis knew that even tracking-type ability users would likely have few clues, as was the case with the previous cases. There were too few clues left for them. However, Travis still noticed some clues: the perpetrator was definitely not an individual, but an organization. The organization's members included those skilled in ambush, dissection, and cleanup, and their cooperation was very smooth. This disposal of the body even carried a certain provocation. What would require intact organs?

Travis is a seasoned funeral director who has seen a great deal of secretive events. Sometimes his intuition is more accurate than what he sees, and he senses that this matter is big.

"Boss, what do we do? The higher-ups might be..."

Before the teammate could finish speaking, Travis's figure appeared as a series of afterimages and disappeared instantly, rushing towards the street corner at high speed. A figure tried to escape in a panic, but how could he be faster than Travis? He was immediately subdued.

"No, don't do it, Captain Travis! I'm Omimasai, a reporter from the Heldan Abundance Gazette. I'm one of you, one of you!" A tall, thin man with glasses quickly raised his press pass. He was from the Heldan Abundance Gazette and always chasing big news.

The Heldan Abundance is a local bird newspaper in Moncaleta. Although it doesn't have the scale or fame of the Hex Bird Newspaper, it is still a local newspaper with a large readership in Heldan. The competition between the two is fierce. What the bird newspaper dares not report, the Heldan Abundance has no such scruples about.

Travis looked rather grim. He hated reporters the most, as they were more trouble than they were worth, whether it was the Bird News or the Abundance News. However, this industry had the support of Grand Secretary Vladimir and had gained a broad popular base as soon as it appeared, so there was nothing they could do about it.

"Take it back," Travis said in a deep voice.

"Captain, Captain Travis, I really am a reporter. Are you trying to take the law into your own hands?" Omimassa was not afraid at all, and even had excitement in his eyes.

Travis scoffed. "Your presence at the crime scene makes you a potential suspect. As a suspect, what's wrong with cooperating with the investigation? Or are journalists saints?"

Omimasai didn't expect the captain to be so quick-witted. "No problem, of course I'll cooperate. I'm a good citizen of Heldan. I've been hunting down the recent murders. These killers are too cruel; they treat killing as an art form."

"What did you say?" Travis's eyes turned fierce, and his aura suddenly became overwhelming, making ordinary people like Omimasa feel a little breathless.

"Cough cough cough, Captain, I've studied the situation and analyzed it myself." Omimasai's voice became softer. Damn, this is terrifying. Everyone says the Undertaker is a monster in human skin. This seems interesting. Wow, if I can delve deeper, there will definitely be big news. Am I about to become awesome and rich?

Travis knew he wouldn't get any sleep tonight; he needed more intelligence, and he feared he'd face a barrage of criticism at dawn...

(End of this chapter)