The sun gradually set, and the sky slowly darkened.
In the alley opposite the Flying Hotel, Samuel Carter and the others took turns watching the hotel’s main entrance.
“Brother Samuel, let me stand guard. Go eat something!”
A strong, broad-faced man approached him, wiping greasy traces from the corners of his mouth.
Samuel shook his head and refused.
“I don’t know why, but I have a bad feeling. I’ll feel calmer if I personally continue watching.”
“I wonder how William is doing. He still hasn’t sent any news. I’m starting to seriously worry!”
The strong man smiled strangely and teased:
“Samuel, no one would ever say it from looking at you. You look so honest, but you actually have quite a cunning mind.”
Samuel pretended to be angry and gave him a sharp look.
“Thomas, stop talking nonsense. Pay attention to the surroundings. Don’t let the target escape without us even noticing!”
“I didn’t do it out of any evil intention. I only wanted to use their strength to help us get rid of that man. Aren’t demon hunters meant for exactly that anyway?”
Thomas said nothing, merely smiling strangely.
Suddenly, their ears twitched.
They looked at each other, then simultaneously raised their heads toward the rooftop on the left.
A black shadow leaped at incredible speed.
When it reached the space above the alley, it pushed off the left and right walls several times and landed directly in front of them.
Huff!
Huff!
The newcomer took several deep breaths, then quickly said:
“James found the place where the demon hunters are staying. He sent me back to deliver the message. Within an hour at the latest, he’ll bring them here. Keep a close eye on that bastard and don’t let him escape.”
Samuel walked over, punched him in the chest, and smiled.
“You don’t need to worry about me. We placed men at both the front and rear exits. He won’t escape.”
The room in the Flying Hotel was low and cramped, and the air was filled with indescribable smells.
However, Lawrence rested with his eyes closed as usual.
Wolves were nocturnal animals.
It was not yet completely dark, so it was still not time for action.
In his mind, he once again went through the information they had gathered over the past several days.
When the special investigation team visited the first nine suspects, some obediently cooperated with the investigation, while others loudly insisted that they were innocent.
All their reactions matched the behavior of ordinary people.
After all, following detailed investigations, their suspicions had indeed been cleared.
The Blackwood family’s reaction was far too unusual, and at the same time they were the most powerful family among all the suspects.
Lawrence was almost completely certain that Governor General Edmund’s death was somehow connected to the Blackwood family.
The only thing he could not understand was that if the Blackwoods had truly killed Edmund, they seemed far too calm.
Their family head even had the time and mood to marry again.
Were they so confident that they had perfectly removed every trace and were not afraid of the investigation?
Or was there an even more powerful force behind the Blackwood family, strong enough not to fear the British Empire at all, leaving them with no reason to worry?
Lawrence violently shook his head and threw the useless thoughts out of his mind.
It did not matter what the truth was.
If he captured the head of the Blackwood family tonight, he would obtain all the answers.
There was no need to waste more time on speculation.
…
In a small village on the outskirts of Edmonton, three demon hunters dressed in black emerged from a straw hut hidden among trees and dense foliage.
A demon hunter around forty years old spat forcefully.
His face was dark as he cursed in a hoarse voice:
“Another damn piece of false information! I didn’t see even a single wolf hair!”
“If we were still in the Middle Ages, I would personally send the bastard who sold us false information to the gallows!”
The second, older demon hunter frowned and sternly scolded his companion:
“Enough! Morfoy, we are no longer in the Middle Ages. Stop constantly mentioning those old customs. We have enough work to do. If there’s nothing in Lapoli Village, we’ll go check Katna Village! Didn’t that bastard who sold us the information say his people saw a werewolf there?”
Morfoy frowned slightly, took a map from his pocket, and spread it open.
“Katna Village…”
As he muttered to himself, he ran his finger across the map.
“There it is, I found it. Five hundred and twenty-six kilometers to the northwest.”
He raised his gaze toward his companions, shook his head, and smiled bitterly.
“It’s too far. On foot, it would take us about three days.”
“Why don’t we rest here tonight and go to the local church tomorrow? We need to get two horses before continuing.”
While they were still talking, a black figure suddenly shot out of the forest.
“Watch out! Morfoy, move!”
The old demon hunter shoved Morfoy aside, drew the long sword from his belt, and swung forward.
Clang!
Sharp white claws collided with the long sword, producing a clear metallic sound.
An enormous force traveled through the sword all the way into the old demon hunter’s arm.
Crack!
The arm holding the sword bent unnaturally and instantly broke.
The black shadow was just about to take advantage and continue attacking, but the old demon hunter transferred the sword to his other hand.
His technique with his left hand was even faster and more ruthless.
The attacker had to take two steps backward to avoid the blade.
Morfoy finally recovered and immediately removed the crossbow from his back, but he did not dare fire because his companion was standing too close to the black figure.
The third, younger demon hunter raised his staff and cast Lighting Spell.
The black shadow was too fast, and they could not clearly follow its movements.
The Lol crystal embedded in the staff began radiating soft white light.
Only then did the three demon hunters clearly see the black figure.
It had an enormous wolf head covered in thick gray fur.
It was not particularly tall, but its body was incredibly muscular, while sharp white bone claws grew from the ends of both hands.
However, this werewolf’s appearance was very unusual.
Was this some kind of new mutation?
The old demon hunter felt suspicious, but his sword did not pause for even a moment.
His defense was so dense that almost nothing could pass through it, firmly preventing the werewolf from attacking his companions.
His sword never directly collided with the werewolf’s bone claws.
Every time it seemed that the weapon and claws were about to collide, he would immediately change his technique and avoid a direct clash, not giving the opponent even the slightest chance to overpower him through raw strength.
However, the werewolf’s physical strength was too great, and its attack speed was incredibly high.
Although they had exchanged more than ten moves in the blink of an eye, the old demon hunter was already breathing heavily.
“Farman, have you finished the spell?”
Instead of an answer, a blazing fireball flew toward the werewolf.
Farman waved his staff and directed it toward him.
“Damn demon, turn to ash before the sacred flame!”
The fireball was under his control.
No matter how the werewolf moved, it continuously pursued him.
Morfoy saw an opportunity and quickly aimed at the werewolf.
Whoosh!
Under the powerful pressure of the mechanism, the crossbow bolt sliced through the air and flew toward the werewolf.
James, who at that moment was inside the werewolf costume, was furious and continuously cursed Samuel in his mind.
With his strength, he could very easily kill the three demon hunters.
However, his task was to lure them to the Flying Hotel, so he had to restrain his strength and did not dare attack with full force.
At the moment James jumped into the air to avoid the fireball chasing him, the sharp crossbow bolt had already flown right in front of his eyes.
Faced with immediate danger, he pulled in his chest and tucked his neck.
The crossbow bolt flew just over his head, struck a tree, and continued vibrating violently.
“It’s time to retreat. These demon hunters really have no knightly spirit at all. They even attack from ambush!”
After landing, James rolled across the ground.
The fireball and the second crossbow bolt missed again.
“Awoooo!”
Letting out a howl like a real wild wolf, James theatrically dropped onto all fours, turned around, and fled at great speed.
Morfoy remained ready with his crossbow for a while longer.
Once he confirmed that the werewolf had truly fled, he quickly approached the old demon hunter and asked worriedly:
“Old Equil, can you continue?”
“This werewolf is very powerful. We can’t let it roam freely around the area. Otherwise, the werewolf disaster from the Middle Ages could happen again!”
When he heard the words “werewolf disaster,” Equil’s body trembled violently, as though he had remembered some terrible nightmare.
Werewolves did not reproduce only naturally.
New werewolves could also be created by infecting ordinary humans.
The stronger the werewolf, the greater its ability to spread the infection, and its descendants also became stronger.
“Morfoy, set my bone. Farman, use Holy Light Healing.”
Equil was very decisive and immediately assigned the tasks.
They had to pursue the escaped werewolf as quickly as possible and kill it.
Morfoy lifted his broken arm.
With a grinding sound of bones that made one’s teeth ache, he forcibly returned the fracture to its proper position.
Farman raised his staff and began quietly chanting a prayer spell.
A white beam of light erupted from the crystal and fell onto Equil’s broken arm.
It was as though somewhere in the void an Angel was speaking sacred words, while a faint but dignified holy aura flowed through the space.
After several minutes, Equil tried moving his arm.
He still felt a faint pain at the fracture, but it did not interfere with movement.
“Farman, boy, which direction did the werewolf flee?”
Farman closed his eyes and completely focused on his senses.
The faint magical aura left on the werewolf by the Lighting Spell clearly reflected within his spiritual world.
“It looks like it’s fleeing toward the city. Fortunately, it isn’t moving particularly fast!”
“If we move at full speed, we can still catch up with it!”
When he heard that, Equil became even more suspicious.
“Something doesn’t feel right here. Werewolves have always been reckless, stupid, and completely fearless in battle.”
“This one turned around and fled as soon as it lost a little advantage, and it even seems to be deliberately slowing down. Maybe it’s trying to lure us into the city where it has prepared a trap?”
He continued thinking about the werewolf’s intentions.
Everything that had just happened was completely contrary to their usual behavior.
Morfoy put away the crossbow and hung it on his back again, then said seriously:
“Stop thinking so much, Equil. Even if it’s a trap, we can’t run away from our duty!”
“We are demon hunters. We follow God’s will and protect the believers of our Lord in this world.”
“Our mission is to destroy demons and purify the world!”
After saying that, he strode toward the city.
Farman froze for a moment, then immediately ran after him, occasionally looking back.
“Damn brat, now he’s even started lecturing me! I may be old, but I can still hold a sword!”
“Young people really are too impulsive. This old man isn’t afraid of death, I’m only worried that we’ll die for nothing!”
Equil cursed several times with a smile, then caught up with his younger companions with the long sword in his hand.
…
As he ran, James sensed the demon hunters behind him with his exceptional beast-like instincts.
The corners of his lips lifted into a cunning smile.
When he entered the city, he deliberately jumped onto a rooftop and continued running quickly across a series of uneven roofs.
He did not want the demon hunters to lose sight of him and ruin the entire plan.
He rapidly jumped between houses, but his footsteps were so quiet that pedestrians on the streets noticed almost nothing.
Even if someone happened to raise their head, they would only see a black shadow flashing above them in the blink of an eye.
When he approached the Flying Hotel, James suddenly accelerated.
Equil looked in the direction where the werewolf disappeared and had no choice but to stop.
“Farman, try sensing it again. The magical energy hasn’t completely disappeared yet, has it?”
Farman nodded and closed his eyes again.
At that moment, the magical aura remaining on the werewolf’s body was so weak that he could barely sense it.
“Across this street, then left, and another five kilometers. It looks like it stopped there.”
Equil nodded and silently began running again.
If a trap was truly waiting for them there, then let his old bones enter it first.
Even if he had to sacrifice his own life, he had to create an opportunity for his younger companions to kill the werewolf.
After leaving the demon hunters’ line of sight, James quickly reached the alley opposite the Flying Hotel.
As soon as Samuel saw him, he impatiently asked:
“What happened? Did the fish take the bait?”
James quickly removed the werewolf costume, took a deep breath, and said:
“This fur smells horrible and doesn’t let any air through at all!”
“Samuel, do you really doubt me? All three demon hunters are following me!”
“It looks like they left some kind of magical mark on the costume. I already disappeared from their sight, but all three of them are still coming this way.”
Samuel raised his thumb and praised him:
“As expected of Mr. James. Excellent work!”
Then he turned his head and shouted toward the men behind him:
“Load the silver bullets into your weapons! Now it’s our turn to act!”
Several strong men responded and quickly loaded their weapons with special ammunition, inserting silver-white bullets into the magazines.
Samuel held the werewolf costume in one hand and waved the other.
The group covered their faces, raised their rifles, and stormed into the shabby Flying Hotel.
The fat hotel owner hid behind the counter in terror, grabbed her head, and quietly prayed:
“I know the rules! I won’t look at your faces. Just spare my life!”
Samuel smiled.
Little people had their own kind of wisdom.
He completely ignored her and ran straight toward the room where Lawrence was staying.
They were all Transforming Force masters, so they produced almost no sound while running.
Boom!
Samuel kicked the door apart with one strike.
As a werewolf, Lawrence reacted extremely quickly.
He braced both hands against the bed and tried to throw himself onto the floor on the other side.
However, the attackers had planned everything in advance, and the men firing were top-class masters.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
A rain of bullets covered the small room.
Lawrence avoided most of the bullets by jumping to the floor, but several still struck him in the thigh and chest.
The instant the bullets entered his body, a terrible burning sensation spread through him.
“Silver bullets! You’re demon hunters?”
Believing he had guessed the attackers’ identity, Lawrence felt his heart tighten.
So many demon hunters, all armed with silver bullets that suppressed a werewolf’s physical constitution, while their firearms could fire continuously.
If he did not escape immediately, he would lose his life.
Thinking of that, Lawrence gradually moved closer to the window while deliberately avoiding the bullets.
Click!
Click!
Several masked strong men emptied their magazines and immediately pulled out new ones.
The rain of bullets weakened for a moment.
Lawrence seized the brief moment while the enemies were changing magazines, jumped, smashed through the window, and then crashed heavily onto the ground.
The hard concrete pavement beneath him shattered, leaving a large human-shaped indentation.
A smile appeared in Samuel’s eyes.
Pretending to continue the pursuit with several men, he fired several more shots toward the fleeing Lawrence.
Those shots very precisely blocked all his other escape routes, forcing Lawrence to run toward the southeast.
“Run, just keep running. He-he, the faster you run, the faster the drug will take effect!”
“Brothers, what kind of murder would this be without a fire? Pour gasoline around and burn everything. That way, not a single trace will remain!”
Several masked strong men removed leather bags fitted close to their bodies and threw them into the room.
The liquid spilled out, and the strong smell of gasoline quickly filled the entire room.
Samuel took out a lighter and lit a cigarette.
He took several drags, then threw it into the room directly onto the gasoline.
After that, he also threw in the werewolf costume James had worn and watched the flames consume it.
Boom!
With the help of the gasoline, the flames surged all the way to the roof and spread rapidly.
Lawrence, who was desperately running down the street, felt his head becoming heavier and the scene before his eyes continuously distorting.
Suddenly, he grabbed his head with both hands and roared.
At the same time, his body changed dramatically.
His muscles swelled, hair began rapidly growing, his face elongated into a muzzle, and jagged fangs pierced through his lips.
“The werewolf is here!”
The dazed Lawrence instinctively turned toward the voice.
In his eyes, the man speaking first looked like an old man with a sword, then transformed into a vampire with bat wings, before finally becoming a vampire again.
“Awoooo!”
After a genuine wolf howl, Lawrence charged toward what he believed was a vampire.
Equil was just about to say that this was not the same werewolf they had chased earlier, but Lawrence had already violently lunged at him, swinging his sharp claws toward his head.
James, who was hiding in a distant alley, smiled with satisfaction when he saw the demon hunters begin fighting Lawrence, who had transformed into a werewolf.
The plan to make the two sides destroy each other had worked perfectly!