Returning to the Mysterious Era

Chapter 122 - Special Service of the Charm Demon

Chapter 122 - Special Service of the Charm Demon

He carefully read through each task.

Task One: kill the D-class Charm Demon. Murders have plagued the urban area of Windmill City in East Sea County, mostly involving adult men of varying ages and professions. They typically disappear in the evening and are found in an almost mummified state the next morning. It is suspected that a Charm Demon, a dark creature that uses illusions to transform into a seductive human woman, is luring and draining adult men.

Timeframe: within three months.

Dark Essence: 1 to 2 standard units.

Note: detailed information can be obtained at the Mission Hall window using the task slip. Remember to take the task token before leaving.

Task Two: capture the Black Pixie. Headless corpses have appeared in several fishing villages along the southeastern coast of East Sea County. The victims are of all ages and genders. It has been reported that a Black Pixie, about the size of a human head, has been seen in the coastal forests. The pixie is hideous and has a green face and fangs, identified as a D-class Black Pixie. It is currently gathering nectar, using human heads to build its nest. The brains inside human skulls are its favorite food, also known as brain honey.

Timeframe: within three months.

Dark Essence: 1.5 to 2.5 standard units.

Task Three: kill the D-class Shadow Demon in northern East Sea County, Tingda City. Recently, victims have been dying on the streets at night. No visible injuries except the outlines of their shadows appear blurry. It is suspected that a Shadow Demon is absorbing their spirit and willpower.

Timeframe: within three months.

Dark Essence: 2.0 to 2.5 standard units.

Task Four: ...

Task Five: ...

Five tasks all together. If Cassius could complete them all successfully, he would gain more than ten standard units of dark essence, greatly accelerating the time it would take to recover his strength.

Furthermore, it was clear just from the looks of these task slips, the world wasn't as peaceful as it appeared on the outside. There were countless bizarre creatures lurking in human society, waiting to hunt down their prey.

However, the creatures were relatively far and few between, so ordinary people had no contact with them. Even those following different supernatural Dao were unlikely to encounter them. There had been no news of such beings in at least the seventy years of the Hongli Federation's Beiliu County Covert Martial Arts circle. That alone proved that the creatures were well-hidden.

Only something as strange as Black Rain Manor kept close tabs on them, which was how Cassius was able to obtain such detailed information. This was probably a case of each profession having its own specialty.

Cassius placed one of the paper slips back in his palm, his eyes slightly lowered. He hadn't expected to see his old friend, the Shadow Demon, among the targets. Given that Hellsings were professionals in the area, perhaps he could gather some information about the Shadow Demons while he was in Twilight's era.

Who knows? He may just get some insights into the Shadow Demons' weaknesses.

While Cassius was lost in thought, someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around to find a burly man about 1.85 meters tall. The man had unkempt, gray-black long hair curling over his shoulders, and deep, rugged features. His green eyes and scruffy beard gave off a kind of savage aura.

"Can I help you?" Cassius asked calmly.

The man said abruptly, "Could you spare me one?"

"No," Cassius replied just as bluntly.

"Alright." The gray-haired man didn't argue. He simply turned on his heel and walked off in another direction, seemingly in search of others to ask for a task.

Cassius stood there, momentarily stunned. He had expected that his flat-out refusal would infuriate the gray-haired man, leading to some sarcastic remarks and a hidden grudge, with the man possibly trying to steal his task later. To his surprise, nothing of that sort happened.

The other guy likely didn't hold a grudge either. Cassius's sharp senses could usually pick up on larger emotional shifts, and the gray-haired man really had just up and left.

"What an interesting guy." Cassius noted the gray-haired man's features and was about to step forward when another man in a black leather jacket intercepted him. A powerful aura emitted from this similarly burly man. A silver "V" shaped piece of metal peeked through beneath the leather jacket.

"Can I help you?" Cassius said again.

Peter stopped in his tracks, his mind now filled with two images: one of Lizzie as she was now, and the other of her in her youth. One wasn't nearly as attractive as the seductive woman before him, but the other was a hundred times more beautiful.

Peter, you coward. Are you really that scared of the old hag at home?! You're already standing at the doorstep and can't make that last step in? His alcohol-clouded mind seemed to be arguing with itself.

It's not really fear, more like guilt toward Lizzie... Besides, I'm just being cautious. This woman's price is so low, she could have some disease! Not worth it, not worth it... he consoled himself. He reached a streetlamp on the main road, and suddenly his stomach churned. He threw up, one hand grasping onto the lamp post.

A moment later, a passing thug reached the spot where Peter had just been. His eyes lit up at the seductive voice's invitation, and he began unbuckling his belt as he ambled over.

Soon, faint moans came from that direction.

"You're just going to do it in the alley? That's too wild..." Peter, who had just finished emptying his stomach, couldn't help feeling curious. He wiped his mouth and crept to the corner of the alley.

Under the dim moonlight, in the shadows of the alley, two figures entangled together. It was an inexplicably eerie atmosphere. As Peter watched the scene, he didn't feel aroused. On the contrary, the only thing rising in him was a deep sense of fear and horror.

Thud!

The thug, who had, moments ago, been so vigorous, collapsed onto the ground. His entire body convulsed wildly like he was being electrocuted, and a wheezing sound escaped his throat. A cloud of white smoke began to rise from his body before he rapidly shriveled up as if all the moisture had been sucked out from him.

"Holy sh—! What the hell?!" Peter's eyes widened. His legs refused to move.

In the shadows, the woman adjusted her bodycon dress, then turned to gaze at him. Seemingly dissatisfied, she seductively licked her full lips with a smooth, red tongue.

"Since you're already here and watching, don't you think about leaving." The sultry voice sent chills down Peter's spine, freezing him to the core. Paralyzed, he watched the woman strut toward him, her high heels clicking with each seductive step.

Suddenly, brisk footsteps echoed from the street. A shadow as swift as a panther darted into the alley, wielding a strange mechanical weapon. Dozens of crossbow bolts rained down at lightning speed on the seductress.

The woman reacted in an instant and dodged to the side, only to collide with a man in a trench coat sprinting toward her. He brandished a gleaming longsword which he brought down, slicing sharply through the air.

She quickly retreated, her eyes turning pink as she stared intently at the man, but it had no effect. Another barrage of crossbow bolts shot at her like a storm of arrows. Caught off guard, three bolts hit her. Her movements slowed and her aura noticeably weakened.

The man in the trench coat seized his chance and launched a ferocious assault, using punches, elbows, kicks, and knees, along with a long knife coated in silver mercury.

Clang!

With a powerful swing, the long knife vibrated, severing two fingers through the bone!

The woman staggered back in disbelief and clutched at her bleeding neck. Another cold flash of light, and her head flew into the air and was swiftly caught by an outstretched hand that had a black shield emblem on the back.

"Charm Demon. Target item was the head. Eliminated." The man with a trench coat pulled out a black bag and tossed in the dripping head. He flicked the blood off his long knife, then retrieved a vial from his coat, pouring half of it onto the woman's body. Instantly, a sizzling sound burst out as her body dissolved into a pool of gurgling black liquid that stunk foully.

After everything was done, the man pulled a folded hat from his coat, elegantly placing it on his head. It obscured most of his face. Still holding his knife, he melted into the shadows.

At the entrance of the alley, Peter collapsed onto the ground in fear. The fight had been terrifying, but even more horrifying was the woman's severed head.

In that moment, he had seen her true face. It was ugly and disgusting, like a demon from hell, a gaping mouth with jagged fangs that covered a third of her face, a nose without the nasal bones, and rotting eyes. Compared to that, any woman in the world was a goddess!

When he thought about how tempted he had been by such a creature, Peter wanted to slap himself. Glancing at the withered corpse of the thug on the ground, he felt a twinge of relief.

Thank goodness he had resisted. Otherwise, it would've been his body on the ground...

Peter recalled the man in the trench coat, whose swift and graceful movements had made him look like a whirlwind when he chopped off the monster's head. Like a nameless wanderer, he had silently walked away. A mysterious aura combined with formidable skills... He was a true hunter of the night!

As he scrambled to his feet and ran home, Peter carved that image of the departing figure in his memory. As his thoughts drifted to his wife's delicious soup on the table and the sound of his child studying in the room, Peter quickened his pace.

I hope Lizzie won't scold me too much for smelling like alcohol. Oh well, maybe I deserve it!

Yeah, I'm never going to a bar again.