ᜀᜄᜒᜋᜆᜌᜓ(AGIMATAYO)

Meanwhile, around the mountain of Mt. Igcoron, Venus is chanting in an ancient language while inscribing something on a small piece of wood using her blood. The inscription reads ᜊᜈ᜔ᜆᜌ᜔ᜅ᜔ᜋᜎᜒᜄ᜔ᜈᜓ, which means "to stalk the evil." She then places the piece of wood on the ground.

Venus: "That's the tenth totem I've placed around the mountain."

Danilo: "What does this thing do, by the way?"

Venus: "If you Alepores (Trinees) and panabla have a silent sticker, this is how we albolaryo and panggulo track our enemies. I've infused this totem with a spell that makes it sensitive to any form of ill will coming from Aswang. It will alert me if it detects any, allowing us to intercept them."

Venus chanted another illusion spell over the totem, rendering it invisible to the eyes of the enemy. 

Venus: "With this, it will be invisible to the enemy's eyes. Only a strong Aswang can see through the illusion."

As they were walking, Danilo noticed that Venus appeared to be struggling, already out of breath. Concerned, he turned to her and asked.

Danilo: "Why are you already exhausted?"

Venus: "Because every time I use a spell, both the illusion spell and the one for my sensing totem, my essence of my soul decreases. I estimate I need at least five hours to recover."

Jake was perched atop a tree, scouting when he suddenly spotted some hikers approaching.

Jake: "I see some hikers coming over here! We need to hide; they'll question us if they see us without a guide."

To prevent them from noticing, Venus cast an illusion spell, blending them into the surrounding nature and allowing the hikers to pass by unnoticed.

Meanwhile, at the barangay hall, after speaking with the barangay captain, Elayna, Ramel, and Adrian gathered outside to discuss what they had learned.

Elayna: "Yup, I can tell that person is lying. Even without hearing his pulse spike, it was clear he was marked by a curse. Even the secretary stumbled upon hearing the question. Looks like Andaya is right about the spreading of curses through rumors. Ramel, what did you find?"

Ramel: "Just like you, it tasted sour—all of them is lying."

Elayna raised an eyebrow

Elayna: "So it tastes sour if a person is lying. What about if they're telling the truth?"

Ramel: "It's sweet if someone is telling the truth and salty if they are unsure about what they speak."

Elayna noticed that Adrian was still not there, so she asked Ramel.

Elayna: "By the way, where's Adrian?"

Just then, Adrian joined them, a slight smile on his face.

Adrian: "I'm here! Ramel asked me to put a sticker on the barangay captain. So what's the next step?"

Ramel: "We'll wait for them to finish their work. Elayna, you stay here. After most of the people go home, try to gather any documents you can find about the incident. Adrian, you follow the barangay captain. As for me, I'm going to gather some information about the rumors and also visit the family of the missing kid in this poster I found on the request board of the barangay."

After the sun went down, only the tanods were guarding the barangay hall. Elayna waited by the tree, biding her time for the right moment to make her move. With a determined leap, she jumped an estimated 33 feet, using her dagger to stab into the wall to halt her descent. Once she secured her position, she began to climb up to the window on the third floor. 

Upon entering through the small window, Elayna found herself in the private cubicle of the barangay captain's room. She stepped out of the cubicle and noticed a family picture stuck to the wall. The photo captured a moment of joy, with the barangay captain's smiling family, a stark contrast to the serious nature of her mission. She noticed something about the names of the previous and current barangay captains.

Elayna: "So the name of the barangay captain is Marco Malabanan, who was elected three years ago. Before him was his father, Troy Malabanan. The people must have trusted them, considering the son also became a barangay captain."

Elayna noticed a stacked pile of papers on the table of the barangay captain and began gathering information about any recent incidents, particularly concerning a pregnant mother in her late 20s, but found nothing.

Elayna: "Damn, why are there no reports about that murdered woman?" 

Elayna muttered to herself, frustration creeping in. As she sifted through the papers, she spotted something at the very bottom of the stack. 

Elayna: "What the heck? These are records of money owed to the St. Igcoron hospital—eight digits in total for 78 patients, all in their mid-20s. And suddenly, it was paid? How could this happen in such a remote place?"

She thought back to her conversations with the villagers. Their lives revolved around agricultural cycles, making the sudden influx of funds all the more puzzling. "There has to be a connection," she muttered under her breath, feeling the weight of the information pressing down on her.

Elayna: "They stated they only make a living through farming. This doesn't add up. Andaya needs to know about this."