NOVEL NEXT Chapter 517: Disgust [1]
One of Arthur's superior-rank demons responded through their mental connection with information that immediately captured Arthur's complete attention.
"Master, I recognise one of the faces you have shown us," the demon reported with certainty that suggested clear recollection rather than uncertain speculation.
Arthur's expression sharpened with intensity as he processed this breakthrough in his investigation.
"Which one?" Arthur asked with a controlled tone, his enhanced memory already cycling through the dozens of faces he had transmitted to his summons' consciousness.
"The female nurse with short brown hair and a nervous demeanour," the demon replied with descriptive precision that allowed Arthur to immediately identify the specific individual. "She appeared to be in her twenties, approximately average height for humans, with distinctive freckles across her cheekbones."
Arthur's memory supplied additional details about the woman in question—she had been one of the newer staff members who had been assigned to Charlotte's room after he had paid for the better treatment plan. Her nervous energy had made her memorable among the hospital's more experienced professionals.
"Where did you encounter this nurse?" Arthur pressed with growing anticipation that his investigation might finally yield actionable intelligence.
"During the initial stages of the dimensional merge," the demon explained with recollection of events from the past day. "I discovered her trapped beneath debris when a commercial building collapsed during demonic assault operations. She was approximately thirty seconds from death when I eliminated the attacking creature and extracted her from the wreckage."
The demon's report continued with the detail that Arthur appreciated.
"After securing her immediate safety, I transported her to an emergency shelter that had been established in a reinforced basement complex approximately two miles from the initial attack site. The shelter was being managed by a few awakened humans that I had previously cultivated to level 4 specifically for civilian protection duties, like you had instructed me before."
Arthur nodded with satisfaction at his summons' words. The saving of civilians and the cultivation of awakeners to a higher level had benefited him in a way that he wasn't expecting. To think that he would later care about the life and death of the hospital staff was really something.
"Once I confirmed that the shelter possessed adequate defensive capabilities and the awakened guardians could handle basic threats that emerged from the portals, I departed to continue rescue operations in other areas," the demon concluded with a practical explanation of why the encounter had been relatively brief.
The demon then transmitted the rough geographical coordinates and identifying landmarks that would allow Arthur to locate the shelter where the nurse had been taken for protection during the dimensional invasion's most dangerous initial period.
Arthur immediately activated his spatial manipulation abilities, reality folding around him as Aether's power carried him across Detroit's devastated landscape toward the coordinates his summon had provided.
The nurse might still be residing in that shelter, or its other occupants might have information that could provide leads about her current whereabouts. Either way, Arthur was finally closing in on someone who had been present during Charlotte's hospitalization and might possess crucial information about who had reported their presence to military authorities.
Arthur spread his enhanced senses across the supposed shelter location, his spatial awareness penetrating through reinforced walls and defensive barriers to assess the situation within. His perception detected approximately thirty people inside the underground facility—a mixture of male and female survivors.
Arthur approached the shelter's entrance, a door that had been reinforced with additional barriers and defensive modifications. The security measures suggested that the occupants had been expecting potential threats and had taken reasonable precautions to maintain their safety.
Arthur opened the door slowly without breaking it. Once he left, these people would need the protection.
Everyone's eyes inside the shelter immediately darted toward the entrance as Arthur's silhouette appeared in the doorway, their expressions shifting from routine wariness to genuine alarm as they processed the unexpected arrival of someone who clearly wasn't part of their established community.
The shelter's interior was large, with multiple chambers carved into what appeared to be a repurposed basement complex that had been expanded through excavation efforts. The makeshift furniture, emergency supplies, and personal belongings created a cramped but organised living space for the assembled survivors.
One individual—apparently one of the authority figures among the shelter's occupants—gently pushed aside three women who had been clustered around him before standing to face up to Arthur.
"Who are you?" the man asked with a suspicious frown creasing his face, his posture suggesting readiness for potential conflict despite obvious uncertainty about Arthur's capabilities or intentions.
The man appeared to be in his early thirties. He was built, with bulging muscles and a height of about 189cm. His facial features were average, black hair, black eyes and normal cheekbones. His positioning and the deference shown by others indicated he had established himself as the shelter's de facto leader through his power during the ongoing crises.
The other survivors displayed varied reactions to Arthur's unexpected appearance. Most seemed genuinely afraid of the unknown intruder whose casual entrance suggested capabilities that exceeded their defensive preparations. Their expressions carried the wariness of people who had survived the demon attacks through careful caution and collective protection.
However, a few individuals simply smirked with expressions that suggested amusement rather than concern about Arthur's arrival. Their confident demeanour indicated either exceptional personal capabilities or knowledge that made them less worried about potential threats than their companions.
Arthur looked at the scene before him with growing disgust as he recognised the social dynamics that had developed within the shelter during his absence. The same awakened individual whom his summon had cultivated to level 4 specifically for civilian protection was now clearly acting with arrogant authority, surrounded by what appeared to be a small harem of women who competed for his attention and favour.
The sight was genuinely revolting to Arthur's sensibilities. These were the same people his forces had saved from certain death during the dimensional crisis, and the awakened 'guardian' had been empowered specifically to protect vulnerable civilians rather than exploit his position for personal gratification.