How come this arcanist is invincible?

Chapter 33 The Rusty Hand

Night's Watch Headquarters, Second District.

The violent institutions of this war-torn city are imposing and awe-inspiring.

The most eye-catching feature is the huge black eye statue in the center of the square.

It coldly surveyed everything.

Deep within the headquarters, at the end of a secluded corridor.

In a cold, dark morgue, several corpses were covered with white sheets, with only stiff feet visible.

Two men stood in front of one of the beds.

One person had a stern face and an upright posture.

The other man had a meticulously trimmed mustache and a frivolous expression.

"The fourth seat of the Rusty Hand, Kellerb, nicknamed 'Hyena'."

The cold-faced man frowned as he looked at the rigor mortis-ridden corpse and said:

"Suspected of multiple murders, bounty of 130 gold coins..."

"Skilled in stealth, poison, and concealed weapons; adept at using dual-wielding daggers..."

"Alright, Reed."

The man with the mustache clapped casually, interrupting him.

"He's already dead, there's no need to read his resume again."

Reed ignored the teasing and said in a deep voice:

"Hans, if he was killed normally, the killer should come and collect the bounty."

"Instead of simply dumping his body in the slums."

He paused.

"This only shows that the person who did it... may also be corrupt."

"So what?"

The man with the mustache, called Hans, waved his hand dismissively.

"These adventurers were a security risk to begin with. Their deaths would actually bring peace and quiet. What's there to investigate?"

"No," Reed insisted.

"What I'm worried about is the reaction of 'Rust Hand,' which could trigger a bloody revenge war between underground forces and potentially affect civilians."

"Listen, old friend, this doesn't matter to your Team 13, or to the Night's Watch as a whole."

Hans put his arm around Reid's shoulder affectionately, but his tone was admonishing.

"Our duty is to maintain the kingdom's rule, not to worry about the lives of a few adventurers and commoners."

"but……"

Hans shook his head, his gaze sharp.

"We're not those overly righteous guys like the 'Lamp Bearers,' understand?"

Reed finally sighed and stopped arguing.

A smile returned to Hans's face.

"In comparison, there is something more worthy of attention."

He led Reed to another bed and suddenly pulled back the white sheet!

An unusually tall and robust male corpse was revealed.

The body was well-preserved, with only a faint odor.

But the strangest thing was his face.

It has twisted, dark markings that are not fit for human beings!

"This is?"

Reed's pupils contracted.

"Found in Nilfgaard."

Hans explained:

"The other body buried with him was already highly decomposed."

"But this body decomposed extremely slowly, to the point that even insects found its smell repulsive."

"We hired an appraiser from the Mage Tower, and they were thrilled."

"They were even willing to pay hundreds of gold coins, just so we would hand over the body to them for research afterward."

Hans lowered his voice.

"According to the mage's initial assessment, this corpse may possess... demonic blood."

"Demon bloodline?"

Reed was startled: "The legendary Tieflin?"

"No, I checked. His name is Marcus. He's a guild guard, a pure human."

Hans shook his head, then revealed a playful expression.

"Interestingly, the head of his chamber of commerce was murdered."

"The manor was burned and looted, and the wanted poster says Marcus and another adventurer are the culprits."

"And the person who issued this arrest warrant was a local sheriff who has always had a good reputation."

Reed immediately realized what was happening.

"There's no way to prove it when the dead are dead... This sheriff is suspicious."

"That's right," Hans nodded, then poured cold water on the idea.

"But the problem is that this sheriff's niece is a disciple of 'Lady Weaver'."

Upon hearing the name "Lady Weaver of the Mist," Reed's heart sank.

In this world where power resides within oneself, that woman is someone even the Night's Watch dares not easily touch.

"So what should we do?"

Hans seemed to have planned this all along.

"We can start from somewhere else."

"It is reported that he previously bailed out a vagrant named 'Kane' to enter the city."

"This person is missing now, we need to find him."

"Kane..."

Reed murmured the name, subconsciously recalling the knife wounds on the "hyena's" corpse.

Is there some kind of connection between these two?

……

In the bustling tavern, Kane had already changed his appearance.

He changed into his usual leather armor and boots.

His deliberately grown beard made him look more like a weathered warrior.

At that moment, he was speaking in hushed tones with a short, stout intelligence broker named Fogg.

"That's right, based on your description."

The information broker weighed the ten gold coins he had just received.

This was almost Kane's last savings.

"That guy should be the fourth seat of 'Rust Hand,' 'Hyena' Kellerb."

"He's a ruthless character, skilled in poisoning and assassination..."

Kane wasn't surprised, but he continued to ask.

What kind of organization is the "Rust Hands"?

"It's kind of an underground force operating in the gray area."

The vendor shrugged.

"In Shantar, there are many such underground forces. As long as they don't cross the line, the city won't interfere much."

"It's just a rumor, I heard they're in some population-related businesses."

Kane continued to ask:

Do they have any Tier 2 professionals?

"Second-order?"

The intelligence broker scoffed.

"They only have four Tier 1 professionals in total, and about twenty apprentices under their command."

"You only have enough money to ask this many questions."

Kane said no more and simply got up and left.

He walked out of the tavern, his figure quickly blending into the crowd on the street.

But he didn't go far; instead, he moved stealthily like a ghost.

They followed in the distance, following the intelligence broker who had just stepped out the door, looking around.

The peddler was seen riding in a horse-drawn carriage, traveling through several districts.

They eventually arrived at a dilapidated warehouse on the edge of the seventh district.

Two thugs from the underground forces were guarding the door.

Soon, a tall woman with scars and tattoos on her face came out.

The information broker fawned over him, whispering a few words.

He took the bag of gold coins and left satisfied.

Unbeknownst to them, Kane was watching all of this coldly from a dilapidated rooftop in the distant slums.

"As expected, these intelligence brokers have no professional ethics whatsoever."

Kane remained calm as he silently assessed the warehouse's guards and layout.

"Now, it's time to consider how to find an opportunity to dismantle this organization."

Kane calmly plotted his success.

"But the biggest challenge is how to clean up the mess and avoid being tracked down by the Night's Watch."

His figure slowly disappeared into the shadows of the rooftop, as if he had never been there.

At the warehouse entrance, the tattooed woman named Brenda seemed to sense something.

She frowned and looked toward the slums, but all she saw was desolation and darkness.

"Chief, what's wrong?"

A lean man with two daggers tucked into his waistband stepped out from behind her.

"It's nothing."

Brenda withdrew her gaze, a cruel smile appearing on her face.

"I never expected that rat would dare to come and inquire about us after killing the 'hyena' and escaping its dwelling."

"But it's for the best, he exposed his whereabouts."

"Now we can play with this mouse for a while."

The lean man nodded, but added in a serious tone:

"Chief, there's something I need to report to you."

"Our eyes in the alchemy workshop area... have all disappeared."

"What?"

Brenda's smile froze instantly...