Bloodhound’s Regression Instinct

Chapter 109

As Diana stepped out, Yan swiftly scaled the neighboring building’s wall to ascend.

“Hmm, I wonder how long they’ll be here.”

It was the place harboring the Task Force Commander’s vulnerability.

The odds were high that at least dozens of surveillance agents were scattered around.

“I hope it’s less than a hundred.”

Yan surveyed the surroundings from atop the building and his eyes gleamed upon spotting the clock tower.

It was the tallest structure amidst the buildings spread around.

* * *

Atop the Clock Tower

The summit had already become a bastion for the Task Force members, taking turns at vigilance.

“Anything unusual?”

“Yes, a new outsider has entered. Located within the market, alone.”

“Understood.”

The Task Force member, having completed the handover, passed the binoculars to the reliever.

It was at that moment.

Swish.

The member handing over the binoculars suddenly crumpled forward, unable to stand.

The reliever frowned, catching the falling comrade.

“What are you doing… huh?”

A dagger stuck in the neck of the fallen member caught the reliever’s eye.

In haste, he scanned the surroundings, shouting.

“Who’s there?”

Instinctively, he reached for the communicator in his pocket.

Just as he was about to make the initial report.

Thud.

“Gah!”

The reliever’s head snapped back.

A dagger had found its way to his forehead as well.

“Where… from where…”

As the reliever collapsed helplessly on the spot, someone slipped through the window into the room.

“It seems it was here after all.”

It was Yan.

He knew the clock tower’s peak was the Task Force’s prime spot for surveillance.

From here, one could oversee the entirety of Harlem Street.

Any outsider entering or any suspicious movement could be immediately detected.

But this applied not just to the Task Force members, but to Yan as well.

From above, one could easily discern who was a Task Force member and their deployment.

“Eagle Eye.”

Yan cast a spell to enhance his vision.

Then, he began to mentally map out the figures stealthily watching Diana as she walked with composure.

“For now, about twenty?”

Of course, this was just the number of Task Force members he could spot at the moment.

As time passed, their numbers would only increase.

“I need to move quickly.”

Yan pulled a dagger from his subspace pocket and leapt down from the clock tower.

* * *

“She doesn’t seem like an ordinary person.”

“…It’s too early to report. Let’s observe a little longer.”

The Task Force members, working in pairs, began to stir at Diana’s appearance.

They glanced at Diana, who was walking along the street reading a newspaper, or pretended to beg to uncover her identity.

However, as time passed, some of the Task Force members started to feel a sense of unease.

The Task Force members scattered throughout the city center had disappeared to a noticeable degree.

“…Unit 112? Hey, where did 112 go…ugh!”

One of the Task Force members clutched his throat, eyes bulging in shock.

‘When did this happen! I didn’t sense a thing!’

But he couldn’t just die like this.

The Task Force member hurriedly reached into his inner pocket.

But just then.

Crunch.

A dagger pierced through the back of his neck, severing his spine, and his eyes lost focus.

Thump.

Yan emerged from behind.

“Dissolution.”

As Yan cast the spell to disintegrate matter, the Task Force member’s body turned to dust.

Whoosh.

Yan watched the dust swirling in the air and then turned his head.

“Have I taken care of all the visible ones?”

There were still quite a few people glancing at Diana, but they didn’t seem to have the distinctive air of Task Force members.

They were probably petty thieves, criminals, or genuine vagrants.

Even after several hours of checking for any remaining Task Force members, he felt nothing.

Yan deactivated his invisibility and headed towards Diana, who was walking ahead.

“I’ve taken care of all the visible Task Force members.”

Diana didn’t respond to Yan’s words; she just stared at him intently.

“…?”

“Are you really eighteen years old?”

“Yes.”

“…You don’t seem like it.”

Diana had been astonished by the sight of Yan dispatching the Task Force members.

She hadn’t really believed that Yan alone could take down the Task Force members deployed in the city center.

But Yan had done just as he said, taking out sixty members.

‘How can an eighteen-year-old be so skilled?’

If it were just brute strength, one might think he was born with martial talent.

But it wasn’t just that.

Of course, his strength was exceptional, but what truly shocked her was his stealth and the calculated efficiency of his assassinations.

Yan’s assassinations were like those of an agent with extensive combat experience.

He took out the vagrants suspected of being Task Force members so covertly that others didn’t notice, and he even disposed of the bodies.

Such skill was not something one would expect from a mere eighteen-year-old.

‘Is this what they call a prodigy?’

At that moment, Yan pulled out a piece of paper and spoke.

It was the movement schedule of the Task Force Commander’s faction’s officers that Jin had given to Bella.

“The place where they’ve confined Lia isn’t above the city.”

He had searched the marked area several times but found nothing.

This meant that the paper with the movement schedule was either false, or the location it pointed to wasn’t above the city.

Excluding the possibility of Jin’s betrayal, only one option remained.

Diana asked, tilting her head.

“Then where have they confined her?”

Yan pointed to the ground.

“It’s the underground waterway.”

And the place they were standing was connected to the drainage system that led to the underground waterway.

* * *

Drip. Drip-drip.

In the underground sewer, filthy water dripped down.

The stench here was far worse than above in Harlem Street.

Perhaps that’s why Diana’s face looked particularly unwell.

“Are you alright?”

“Ugh, I’m fine.”

Yan let out a hollow laugh upon seeing Diana’s pale face.

The Diana who had shown overwhelming force when dealing with the guards above was now weak against mere stench.

Unable to bear it, Yan pulled out a small bottle filled with liquid and handed it to her.

“What’s this?”

“Rub it under your nose, and you should feel better.”

It was holy water left over from the eastern front.

Known for its purifying properties, the holy water was also effective against foul odors.

Pop!

Swoosh, swoosh.

Diana opened the bottle, applied the liquid to her hand, and dabbed it under her nose.

“Huh?”

The piercing stench that had been assaulting her nose vanished as if washed away.

Color returned to Diana’s face.

She sniffed around, but now only a refreshing scent was present.

“Feeling better now?”

“Yes, this is good.”

With their preparations against the stench complete, they maintained silence and began to explore the sewer.

Not long after they started walking, they heard voices.

“What a nuisance.”

“Indeed. To think someone would go berserk in this disgusting sewer.”

“We’re stuck here until we get orders from the Task Force Commander.”

At the sound of the three people talking, Diana and Yan quickly hid.

Diana sent a telepathic message to Yan.

-If they’re here, it must mean that the child named Lia is really here.

Diana’s face, which had been playful moments ago, turned ice-cold.

Yan, too, clenched his mouth shut and observed the talking figures.

‘The Trio of Death.’

They were known as devils among the Task Force officers.

Unlike others who served the empire with a sense of duty, these psychopaths harmed others for their own pleasure.

Each was strong individually, but together, they were formidable enough to kill even a superhuman.

They were also loyal hounds that obeyed the Task Force Commander’s orders without question.

And from their conversation, it seemed Lia’s powers had begun to run amok.

Yan’s expression hardened.

‘It’s uncertain how much time we have left.’

If it was irreversible, Lia was likely to awaken as a Witch of Oppression, just like in her previous life.

Drip.

Just then, a droplet fell from the ceiling towards Yan’s head.

‘Damn it!’

Yan immediately stopped his thoughts and turned towards the Trio of Death.

Such powerful beings wouldn’t miss something like this.

Sure enough, the Trio of Death suddenly stopped their conversation.

Then they looked in the direction where Diana and Yan were hiding, their mouths curling into long grins.

“Well, well. We have some rats eavesdropping, don’t we?”

Sssshing.

Each of the Trio of Death slowly drew their swords.

Diana and Yan grimaced with a bitter smile.

‘So their intuition is as superhuman as they say.’

They hadn’t expected to be found while using their stealth skills.

“No need to crouch and hurt your back now that we’ve been discovered, right?”

Diana, who had been crouching, stood up with a flash in her eyes.

She straightened her back and walked forward.

The unexpected appearance of a figure caught the Trio of Death by surprise.

“The Inspector General?”

“Why are you here?”

“I was curious since you’ve been so well-hidden behind the veil. This works out well.”

The Trio of Death chuckled and began to gather mana.

A sinister, dark aura began to fill the sewer.

Diana smirked at the sight.

One of the Trio of Death frowned at her laughter.

“You’re laughing?”

“Isn’t it funny? You think you can do anything to me?”

At her words, the Trio of Death looked at each other with wide eyes.

Then.

“Ha-ha-ha-ha! Did you hear what this one said?”

“I’m getting more eager to tear you apart.”

“I wonder how many lines I have to draw on that face before you beg for mercy?”

Diana asked in a relaxed tone as she looked at the Trio of Death, who were brimming with murderous intent.

“You know who I am and yet you dare to show such hostility?”

“The Task Force Commander ordered us to exterminate anyone trying to pass through here. It doesn’t matter who you are. We’ll report after we’ve torn you apart.”

Diana’s lips twisted.

“So you haven’t reported to the Task Force Commander yet?”

A formidable aura erupted from Diana.

Rumble, rumble, rumble.

“Kekekekeke!”

“Hehehehe, what a delicious prey!”

“Khehehehe, I wonder what flavor her blood will have?”

But the Trio of Death, far from being afraid, either burst into maniacal laughter or licked their lips.

The stronger the opponent, the more thrill they felt, true to their madness.

Diana sneered at them.

Then she glanced back.

Yan was preparing to help her.

She sent him a telepathic message.

-The rescue of the child named Lia should be done by the Executor. I’ll hold them off in the meantime.

Yan nodded heavily in response to the telepathic message.

And then.

Whoosh!

Splash!

He quickly left the scene where the Trio of Death and Diana were facing off, gathering mana as he moved.

The Trio of Death didn’t react much to Yan’s departure.

All three were focused solely on Diana.

Diana asked with a lifted corner of her mouth.

“My colleague has gone inside, and you don’t seem worried?”

The Trio of Death, holding their swords in a reverse grip, crept closer and replied.

“There’s no need to worry about that kid after we kill you.”

They seemed confident they could kill Diana.

And then.

“Dieeeee!”

“Kya-ha-ha-ha-ha!”

“Crazy bastards.”

Boom!

Inspector General Diana and the core officers of the Task Force, the Trio of Death, clashed.