LOTM: Seekers

39. Serial Killer

That same day, Xio and I headed to the Brave Heart Bar, one of her underground contacts.

Our goal was to verify the information I had gathered at Mr. A's secret meeting — specifically, the rumored territories controlled by the military.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" The shop owner greeted us with a crooked smile. He was a man in his fifties, his face marked by a twisted scar stretching from his right eye down to the corner of his mouth. Dressed in a worn linen shirt, he limped noticeably on one leg.

"Isn't it our cute little bounty hunter?" he added with a teasing tone.

"Shut it, Kaspars, unless you want to find out what this fist can do," Xio snapped back sharply. The shopkeeper didn't flinch—it was their usual banter, a kind of rough camaraderie in their world.

"I never knew you worked with a partner," he remarked, his eyes briefly scanning me as I trailed behind Xio. Cloaked entirely in black, half of my face was concealed by a white mask.

"Looks like every criminal around here will be thinking twice now that they know you've got backup," he added with a knowing smirk.

Xio let out a quiet sigh before steering the conversation forward.

"So, what's new?" she asked casually.

"Oh, are you talking about that female serial killer?" Kaspar chimed in, as if nothing awkward had happened moments ago.

That phrase—"serial killer"—echoed in my mind.

"Serial killer?" I repeated, the words tumbling out before I could stop them.

Instead of answering, Kaspar simply tapped the counter with his knuckles, a silent gesture loaded with expectation.

Of course I knew what he was waiting for.

Just as I reached into my pocket to pull out the payment he wanted—not in pounds, but in soli, naturally.

Xio suddenly stopped my hand and began explaining about the case.

"It's a serial killer—brutal and methodical. The victims are always women," she said, her voice low. "It's been all over the news lately. Another body was just discovered, bringing the count to ten. But so far, there's still no real clue about the culprit."

Then, she shot a sharp glare at Kaspar.

"It's common information and that's exactly the same intel you have… isn't it?"

"Haha, you got me. Brought a newbie along, huh? Interesting," Kaspar said with a wicked grin, raising both hands in mock surrender. "Well, I'm guessing that serial killer's on your hit list too, with a bounty that big."

I see now—I'm still green when it comes to these kinds of negotiations.

But to be honest, the real reason I was so interested in this topic wasn't the bounty.

It was the killer themselves.

I couldn't shake the feeling that the Devil Dog I encountered before was the one behind it all.

"So, anything else?" Xio asked, pulling a few soli from her pocket and placing them on the counter—but noticeably not handing them over.

"A detective was killed recently," Kaspar said, lowering his voice. "The underground's been buzzing because of it. You might want to be careful—wouldn't want to attract the attention of someone important, yeah?"

Xio casually slid the coins toward him. "Any other changes?"

"Nah, same as usual for now. There's talk of a brewing war, but nothing concrete yet," he replied, inspecting each coin with a practiced eye.

Xio kept the conversation going, casually pressing for more information. Eventually, she shifted topics, subtly bringing up the western forest as if it were just small talk.

Nearly an hour passed before we finally stepped out of the bar.

"I never expected to almost get scammed right in front of my eyes like that," I said casually as we walked.

"Well..." Xio paused, thinking for a moment. "It's pretty normal. I've been scammed a few times myself—but a good punch usually sets things straight."

As someone born a Half-Arbiter, Xio could easily overpower a regular person, after all.

"I see. That's one way to handle it," I replied, as if mentally taking notes from her advice.

"By the way… that serial killer—I think I've seen them before."

"What? Seriously?!" Xio's eyes lit up with excitement. "Tell me everything!"

She leaned in a little, eager.

"Don't worry, I'll definitely split the reward if we catch them. It's 2,000 pounds, after all."

"It's just speculation," I said, recalling the memory. "I'm not even sure if that thing is the serial killer. Honestly, I wouldn't recommend going after it."

Xio was staring at me now, her eyes silently demanding an explanation.

"If my friend's words are to be trusted… it's most likely a mid-sequence or higher," I added.

"Mid-sequence or above?" Xio echoed, barely believing what she'd just heard.

If that's true, she thought, why would someone that powerful bother with something as petty as serial killings?

"Also… it's a beast, not a person," I added quietly.

"A beast??" Xio's eyes widened in surprise.

I went on to describe what I had experienced—the growl that slowed my movements, the molten lava that erupted around it, and the strange ability it used, one that felt like it could predict the future.

After listening closely, Xio nodded, thoughtful.

"I see. Even if I somehow managed to catch it, claiming the bounty might be difficult if it's not human." She paused, then added, "Still… I might be able to earn some credit with this information."

She turned to me, a trace of concern in her voice.

"Are you really okay sharing all of this for free?"

I nodded.

"Consider it a thank-you—for helping me before."

"But—" Xio began to protest, but I cut her off.

"From here on, I'll take the lead."

We left the town by carriage, then continued on foot.

Our pace was relentless—too fast for any normal person to maintain without half-running. After about an hour, we finally reached the edge of the Western Forest.

The outer edge of the forest was thin, scarred by deforestation and the reckless greed of those chasing quick profits. But as we pressed deeper, the landscape transformed into a dense, untamed jungle—so thick that hardly any sunlight could pierce through the canopy.

It was at that moment I declared I'd take the lead.

Well, truth be told, the sun had already vanished by the time we stepped inside the forest.

The main reason I took the lead was simple: Detection.

We weren't the only ones venturing into this forest—there were poachers lurking around, military patrols on the move, and of course, our own prey to track down.

"Are you alright?" Xio asked, eyeing me as I pressed my hand to my forehead, trying to ease the pounding headache.

It had already been an hour since I took the lead, using Detection in intervals of five to ten minutes to guide us steadily toward our target.

We managed to locate a group of Silver War Bears and observed them quietly for a while. When Xio moved to confront one that had strayed from the pack, unaware and sleeping, I quickly stopped her.

"Let me handle this," I said firmly. "If they have a skilled diviner tracking us, it could go badly."

"But it's the same as you," she protested, refusing to back down.

"No, I'm different." I held up the white bracelet with its eight marbles. "I'm going to borrow its power. Unless they know I'm carrying this Beyonder item, it's nearly impossible for them to track me."

I lied as easily as I breathed. The truth was, I had already confirmed it—the Beyonder characteristic I took from that half-eaten woman was completely hidden. No matter how skilled the diviner, they couldn't trace it so I believed.

Because of that, I'd been carrying it with me ever since—too afraid someone might steal it if I left it behind, and just as afraid it could trigger some kind of mystical phenomenon if I stored it in my house.

Uriel's stigma had been bestowed upon me, which meant I was borrowing her power. If anyone tried to divine its traces, the trail would lead back to her instead of me. Without waiting for her approval, I made my move.

I slipped forward silently. In an instant, the thread staff I had prepared flared with white flame. With a swift motion, I sliced and burned the bear's right palm. The burst of light briefly illuminated the forest for a second or two. Then, I controlled my silk threads to catch the severed paw and vanished from the scene.

The roar of the injured beast echoed behind us as we hurried away. The bear's furious cries drew everyone's attention, giving Xio and me the perfect cover to head toward the spot where the Terror Demon worm had been spotted. Xio took the bait, drawing it out, while I struck swiftly and cleanly with Uriel's stigma.

After securing the ingredient we needed, we made a quick escape, slipping silently back into the city beneath the cover of night.

It was the first time I truly realized just how fearsome Detection could be.