CHAPTER 65: | CHAPTER 065 | NORTHBOUND

Observing Damien and Devon with her velvet eyes, Hecate raised her eyebrows and questioned the two of them with a tinge of scrutiny. "What exactly happened inside, Damien? How did negotiations with the local authorities of the fortified colony fail? It would be troublesome to investigate without them."

She gestured at them with her head, directing their eyes to the windows of the police station. Behind the glass were the Sheriff and the deputies, staring at them with weary expressions shrouded by hostility. "From the looks on their faces, negotiations didn’t only fail. Relations got entirely derailed."

"So, I’d like to hear the reasons why."

Damien gazed at the law enforcement officers and sighed to himself. "The whole fortified colony of Cambridge Bay is compromised. It seems that the Abominable Cult has entrenched itself deeply within the northern fringes of the New World. Gathering information from the locals would be near impossible."

"Of course, that is without the necessary coercions."

Hearing the words of her partner, Hecate glared at the Sheriff and the deputies, prompting them to flinch and back away from their windows. "The locals have relations with the cult, huh? The circumstance of this investigation makes it much more troublesome than before."

"What do you have in mind, Damien?" The crimson-haired vampire looked at the black-suited young man, curious about the plans he had in mind. "There’s not much we can do about the ineffectiveness of the colonial government. We can only solve the investigation on our own."

"Fortunately, your senior is never truly alone." Damien’s lips curved into a smirk as a giant eagle screeched and soared across the blue skies. A howl resounded from the mountains while a giant wolf emerged from the snowy summit, staring at them from a distance.

On the other hand, the winds surged as giant wings flapped while two lizard-like legs landed on the streets. Three monsters had been summoned. The first one was the Freedom Eagle, Sky. The second one was a new Terrestrial Monster known as the Dire Wolf. The third was a trusted Wyvern, Fafnir.

Fafnir growled at Devon, who felt his scalp tingle. Cold sweat dripped from his forehead as he instinctively took a step back. ’I could handle one of them. But three would be suicide to fight alone.’

Years of experience had forged his wisdom. It made him understand the risks and the consequences of the circumstances before him. It was what made him an effective intelligence operative of the SIGIL Block 7.

"What are you planning to do with them?" Hecate tilted her head and wondered why her partner had summoned his monsters. She glanced at the Wyvern and was curious about how the summoning actually worked. ’Well, special abilities originating from Aberrants never really made sense.’

The crimson-haired vampire shook her head and decided to throw the curiosity of his summoning to the back of her mind. It wasn’t good if she was bothered by something during a fight. It could result in her opponent attacking and possibly injuring her.

"The monsters are deterrents and a warning to the colonial government of Cambridge Bay. Since they had been compromised, it wouldn’t be unexpected if they actively obstructed the investigation of the missing villages and the cult." Damien answered her question and added.

"Sooner or later, things would become ugly within the fortified colony. I would rather take my chances acting now than later." He glanced at Fafnir before turning his eyes away from the Wyvern. "I want us to investigate the missing villages personally."

"Come with me, Hecate. Let my monsters and Devon handle the fortified colony." Damien looked at the black-suited man, who nodded in agreement. Devon smiled at the two partners and remarked. "I’m good at handling angry locals, as long as I’m not eaten by an aetheric beast."

"Alright," Seeing the agreement of the two Jaegers, Hecate also agreed with the proposition to investigate the missing villages in the mountainous areas of the northern fringes. But she focused her crimson eyes on Damien and narrowed them.

"Are you having this monster stay with Devon?" When the intelligence operative from Block 5 heard of her words. There was nothing but confusion on his face. Damien nodded and answered. "Yes, my actual body is waiting for you and Fafnir in the northern outskirts of the colony."

It didn’t take long for Devon to realize what Hecate meant. Staring at the current Damien, the black-suited man felt his eyes widen in surprise. He couldn’t help but mutter under his breath. "What an enviable ability."

The ability to control another clone’s body to do one’s bidding was among the most powerful capabilities compatible with intelligence operatives. It would make everything simple. It truly was an enviable ability for those roaming the world of the intelligence network.

Hecate walked towards Fafnir, touching its jaw and lightly rubbing it. The Wyvern softly growled, its defenses lowering against the soothing touch of the crimson-haired vampire. After getting to know the aetheric beast, she sat on its back and felt the rough texture of its scale.

"There’s no time to waste. We will be relying on you with the troubles of the fortified colony, Devon." The crimson-haired girl uttered to the intelligence operative, who nodded in understanding. "I will also be relying on you regarding the investigation, Miss Hecate."

Fafnir flapped its wings and soared into the heavens, leaving Damien and Devon behind. As they looked at the disappearing beast, the black-suited young man glanced at the one beside him. "How about we start with the bandits in Cambridge Bay? They should have some lead."

Meanwhile, Hecate gripped tightly on the Wyvern’s back as she felt the gust of wind threatening to shove her from the flying aetheric beast. But she held on as Fafnir reached the outskirts of the fortified colony where its Master resided. Once again, the Wyvern flapped its wings and landed on a desolate landscape.

"Did you enjoy the experience, Hecate?" While she was slightly disoriented, the crimson-haired vampire heard the voice of her partner, prompting her mind to refocus and regain itself from the daze. "I would rather not talk about it. Damn, my hair is disheveled."

"I didn’t expect it to fly so fast." Hecate didn’t hesitate to glare at her partner, who didn’t warn her of the impending rough experience. Damien waved his hand in exasperation and remarked. "It wasn’t me that said there’s no time to waste. Fafnir just gave you a favor."

The crimson-haired girl could only sigh before extending her hand. "Come on, it’s time for us to leave and head north. You already have the coordinates of the missing villages, right?" As she pulled him on the back of the Wyvern, she inquired along the way.

"I already got the coordinates. I could have teleported there, but I didn’t know the current state of the area. It’s better to be safe than sorry." Damien sat behind her and commanded Fafnir to start flying. "Fafnir, it’s time to go. Head to the coordinates I gave you at your fastest speed."

When he uttered the last words of his sentence, the black-suited young man couldn’t help but smirk while the crimson-haired girl in front of him turned her head and glared at him. She could only grunt in annoyance and sighed inwardly. ’Don’t let him see your reaction, Hecate.’

The two of them flew through the blue skies behind the back of the Wyvern. As the aetheric beast increased its speed, Damien and Hecate felt the cold wind pressing against them. However, their expressions didn’t change as they continued gazing onward.

After a quarter of an hour soaring across the heavens, the two partners finally arrived at their first destination. It was a village between two valleys. The settlement resided on the summit of the mountainous area, though it was still at the mercy of the snow and cold.

Damien turned his sable-tinted gaze towards the settlement and saw that most of the houses were covered by snow. The village was devoid of any signs of life. It was as though it were abandoned by those who considered it home.

The desolation brought an eerie silence as the Wyvern made its landing on an open area near the village. When Fafnir landed, Damien and Hecate hopped off its back and started their investigation of the missing inhabitants of the settlement.

"It is as the reports had written. There are no signs of resistance or intrusion. Even a blizzard wouldn’t be able to blow away every evidence, so this could only mean one thing." Damien furrowed his eyebrows while observing the desolate houses covered by snow.

"This could suggest two possibilities. One would be the suspects being too cautious, while the other is the villagers vacating their settlements. The latter has the highest chances of being possible if we consider the cult as our primary suspects." He added while glancing at his partner.

"The Abominable Cult is trusted within the northern fringes of the New World. They could be considered a local religion. With this in mind... If they wanted the inhabitants of villages to leave with them in the name of their so-called beliefs. It wouldn’t be improbable."

Hecate checked the insides of the desolate houses and found them mostly empty of anything, whether it’d be belongings or furniture. She raised her eyebrows and stated calmly. "There’s nothing inside the houses. This village was completely abandoned by its inhabitants."

"It looks like the suspects have orchestrated a mass exodus. Quite troublesome." The crimson-haired vampire shook her head while Damien narrowed his gaze. "The question is where the Abominable Cult operates within the northern fringes."

"As long as this question is answered, all of our inquiries would be solved."