Instigator and Protector of Violence

The nightfall in the Royal Capital was enchanting.

The news of Winster's fall, thousands of miles away, seemed yet to reach this City of Ten Thousand Cities.

People were still immersed in the city's splendor and shadows.

Today, many events occurred in the Royal Capital; indeed, many events occur here every day.

Among the major events, the council passed the "Third Edition Standard Act of the Reserve," finally responding to the recent indigenous unrest that stirred much upheaval.

As for minor matters, there were plenty.

For instance, one minor incident was like this.

An academic paper was published in a journal called "History" today, titled "Revealing the Truth of This World Starting from the Babur Civilization."

It was quite a sensational title.

Typically, academic papers would not adopt such titles, as it would be considered unprofessional.

But undoubtedly, this title caught many eyes.

Then there was the paper's content; many were either shocked or frightened by its words.

The author of the paper astonishingly analyzed a Babylonian ancient script directly, deducing an entire comprehensive language he referred to as the Ancient Burray Script, summarizing and categorizing its pronunciation, character form, and meaning.

There was a detailed character list in the paper, and the author promoted this language as the oldest, the language of the deities.

Furthermore, he verified the relationship of this language with the first Pope of the Sun God Sect.

The author also believed the Sun God was, in fact, the legendary Fire Thief.

This conclusion, even in the non-religious New Continent, caused an immediate uproar in academia.

As a result, the new magazine was urgently recalled and stopped barely half a day after being issued.

The editor-in-chief who agreed to publish the paper, and the staff under them, were all suspended and dismissed.

They thought this would extinguish the initial spark.

But...

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The night had already stained the rainy Winster.

Near the Prohibition Bureau, the Sheriffs whom Ned gathered in the afternoon were cooperating with the Prohibition Bureau personnel, patrolling while distributing special medication to suppress the infection to those deeply afflicted.

As they ingested the medicine, the individuals, who originally appeared to be in extreme pain, finally quieted down, falling into a deep sleep.

But none witnessed, as the lights went out and the patrol left.

Those who had fallen into a deep sleep suddenly opened their eyes, revealing a crimson hue, their bodies undergoing drastic transformations.

At the same moment.

On the sea cliff of Winster University.

In the campus, those exhausted from a day's work began to sleep after consuming a simple meal.

El felt both physically and mentally drained.

This was far from the university celebration he had imagined, where he pictured himself ascending to the position of headmaster, shining brightly.

Everyone should have been wearing a joyful smile.

This was supposed to be his late spring.

But now, what remained were chaos, anxiety.

And hunger. It was only now that El remembered he hadn't eaten anything the entire day.

Yet he still had to deliver supplies to the distinguished guests in the exhibition hall.

He could only comfort himself, believing everything would pass.

And after enduring such trials, his position as headmaster would only be more secure.

But he didn't notice that among those who had fallen asleep, students and faculty alike, some had already opened their crimson eyes.

If anyone in Winster remained unaffected by this rainfall.

That person could only be Gustav.

Gustav was still engrossed in the mysteries of ancient scripts, completely oblivious to whatever was occurring outside.

So he didn't notice the twisted figures carrying a sticky, rancid scent approaching outside his research room in the rain.

"Is it really this deep?"

In the sewer.

Ethan and his party had been descending for quite some time.

Beyond the initial ladder descent, they had climbed down two more ladders.

The vastness of Winster's sewers exceeded their expectations.

It was multi-layered.

Possibly as many as four layers?

"Historically, Winster indeed expanded and renovated the sewers many times." Ned, as one of Winster's governors, remarked.

"But I never imagined it being this profound."

Moreover, as they continued downward, Ethan and his party noticed that the state of the sewers had become completely beyond their comprehension.

This was no longer merely a sewer; it resembled some bizarre, eerie ritual site.

The surrounding walls were covered with numerous strange symbols and carvings.

Judging by the historical traces, this was certainly not something that could be achieved in a short timeframe.

It implied that this place had been constructed this way long ago.

Oswaldo's tenure as a governor of Winster had only been a few years; he couldn't possibly have carried out such a massive project in such a short time.

"Could it be that the previous governors… also had ties with Sandro?"

Winster's successive governors indeed had a penchant for renovating the sewer system.

Previously, everyone thought it was to boost their political achievements.

Now it appears...

"Correct, Ethan, you guessed correctly again."

Sandro's voice resounded once more.

In the enormous sewer, it seemed extraordinarily loud, almost grand.

"Welcome to my domain; before, there was no opportunity to really have a chat, now, finally, we have time, Ethan, at this moment, you also can't directly shoot me."

Ethan and his party exchanged looks, quickly determining a direction.

Although Sandro's voice seemed to emanate from all directions, ultimately, they were true name holders, possessing distinct perception abilities.

"Flight is possible here."

Heisenberg quickly whispered, then added, "Follow me closely."

In an instant, everyone in the sewer took flight, sprinting toward the determined direction.

As they drew closer, the scene before them became clearer.

As the light gradually brightened, the ground and walls were inlaid with dark blue gems, exuding a color akin to sea water.

Within these gleams were interconnected pathways, appearing to form a massive array together. "It seems you're eager to meet me, but perhaps there are other matters that might concern you more."

The next moment, on the surrounding walls, dynamic images began to emerge.

The images displayed the infected near the Prohibition Bureau transforming into those sticky monsters, attacking the members of the Prohibition Bureau and the Sheriff.

Furthermore, those at Winster University who got drenched by the rain during the day had also turned into monsters, launching slaughter and attacks.

"How about that?"