BANG, BANG...

[Your Shadow Tendrils (Death God) have captured Endrit Wirt, triggering the Death characteristic - Plague. Instant Death progress: 1/10. Evaluation: When one weakling meets another weakling... one of them is bound to die. Reward: Survival Points +2.]

[You have hit Endrit Wirt with your flintlock, triggering the Death characteristic - Calamity. Instant Death progress: 2/10. Evaluation... Reward: Survival Points +2, Gunnery +1.]

[...]

[You have hit Endrit Wirt with your flintlock, triggering the Death characteristic - Calamity. Instant Death progress: 10/10. Evaluation... Reward: Survival Points +2, Gunnery +1.]

[Endrit Wirt has triggered the Death characteristic - Instant Death, and is now deceased. Evaluation: I gave you a chance, but you were useless. Without your speed, you’re nothing. Special Reward: Survival Points +5, Gunnery +2, Spirit Level +1, Resilience Level +1.]

[A devourable Origin Power has been discovered. Use Soul-Devouring Magic?]

Wei’en waved his hand to dispel the Shadow Tendrils. He looked at the black-robed figure on the ground and let out a long sigh of relief. ’That was a close call...’

The black-robed man’s body was covered in gashes and punctures left by the tendrils. Pustules periodically erupted from the wounds, oozing pus.

His face was unrecognizable, long since defiled by the Death characteristics. It was withered and aged, covered in plague-ridden pustules...

It was a ghastly sight!

"Hey, Investigator over there! Don’t move..."

"Adagua!" (Soul-Devouring Magic!)

The moment Wei’en heard the voice from behind, he had already issued a command to Xiaoxi through his Origin Power. Four heads, like gaping abyssal maws, lunged at the corpse.

In just one second, it was devoured completely.

The surrounding sailors, however, saw it all clearly. They could only watch as the black-robed man seemed to be eaten by something—first his legs, then his torso, and finally his head, disappearing piece by piece...

"He, h-he..."

"That corpse... was it eaten?"

"..."

The Sailor Chief sucked in a sharp breath. If it weren’t for the few pieces of equipment left on the ground, he would have thought what he just saw was an illusion.

At the same time, he was immensely glad he hadn’t started a conflict with the Investigator. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have even known what hit him.

[You have used Soul-Devouring Magic to devour the Origin Power of Endrit Wirt. Your Origin Power has been enhanced. Special Reward: Origin Power +0.02.]

’Just as I thought—devouring a captain-level Extraordinary like him yields a pitiful amount of Origin Power.’

’It seems the effect is truly best when devouring the Origin Power of another Wizard from the Ghost Soul School...’

Wei’en glanced at the notification, making a mental note of it, then turned to face the person who had just spoken.

’A colleague from the Secret Investigation Department?’

’He looks a little familiar...’

’Now I remember. He’s from the Combat Department. The one who hit me with a Spirit Shock in the Property Management Department when I first joined the Secret Investigation Department. Isn’t he the captain’s brother?’

"I told you to stop. Didn’t you hear me?"

Santiago was tall and heavily muscled, his deep blue uniform stretched taut over his bulging frame. He gripped a Two-Handed Axe, the same model as Lisi’s, and glared at Wei’en.

Wei’en pursed his lips and ignored him, walking over to pick up the two short blades and a... hmm, a Space Ring?

’Not a bad haul.’

Seeing this, Santiago grew even more furious. He flexed his power, and the force was so great that several seams on his uniform split open.

"I’m talking to you, kid! Don’t you ignore me!"

[Your Spirit Level exceeds 100, allowing you to resist Santiago Montoya’s Spirit Shock. Evaluation: This one’s even weaker than a weakling—total trash. Reward: Survival Points +1.]

A cold glint flashed in Wei’en’s eyes. His hand was already on his flintlock. ’If you try that again... don’t blame me for what happens.’

Just then, a sharp rebuke came from the side. "That’s enough, Santiago. Are you supposed to be using your abilities on our own people?"

"But, Department Head, he..."

"Shut up, Santiago. We all saw what happened!"

Santiago snorted and put his Two-Handed Axe away.

’Department Head?’

Wei’en put the items in his hand into his Space Ring and turned to look. One by one, more people appeared, all wearing the same deep blue uniform as Santiago.

The man leading them was a slender youth with delicate features and pale skin. His black eyes were piercing, as if they could see right through a person’s heart.

He wore a gray formal suit under a dark black trench coat, with a black fedora on his head. He was dressed just like a Private Detective from the Ruer District.

"And which team might you be from, young Investigator?"

Although the question was directed at Wei’en, the man’s gaze fell on Tina, who stood to the side, specifically on the clown doll in her hands.

Wei’en sized him up for a moment before answering. He first walked back to Tina’s side, took the umbrella from her, and opened it over them. Only then did he speak, "Investigation Department One. Wei’en Loft."

"Department One? Santiago, he’s on your sister Lisi’s team. One of us," a man standing behind the leader chuckled.

"Belsa, shut your mouth!"

The others watched the two bicker and laughed.

This time, the young leader didn’t stop them. Instead, he smiled at Wei’en and Tina. "That was an impressive fight just now. Are you a Wizard from the Ghost Soul School?"

"Yes."

Wei’en held onto Tina, unsure of what these people wanted.

"Don’t be alarmed. The man you killed was a wanted person our Combat Department has been tracking for a long time. Santiago didn’t mean anything by trying to stop you..."

"Oh."

’So that’s what this is about.’

Wei’en tightened his grip on Tina’s hand. "Sorry, I didn’t know. He attacked me, so I killed him. I thought..."