Chapter 329: Claw Marks

Backlund Bridge area, Bravehearts Bar.

Klein pressed down the cap on his head, carefully protecting the wallet

in the inside pocket of his grayish-blue worker's jacket. He walked

around the customers who were surrounding the boxing ring and headed for

the bar.

On the way, he looked around and didn't see the black market arms

dealer, Kaspars Kalinin.

He's either playing cards or playing billiards... Klein nodded

to himself, sat down at the bar, and said to the bartender, "Half and

Half."

He had seen someone drink this type of alcoholic beverage the last time,

and he felt that it likely suited his palate.

At least it's better than pure malt beer... Klein thought to

himself.

The bartender raised his head and glanced at him.

"Which two alcohols do you want mixed? Different choices, different

prices."

"The typical one; the typical one will do." The last time he saw someone

drink it, the person had used alcohol of the worst quality. The whole

glass of Half and Half was only worth two and a half pence.

"Four and a half pence." The bartender watched as Klein arranged the

brass coins on the bar and then went back to mixing. He said in passing,

"You here for Kaspars? He's not here anymore; his business has been

snatched."

"Huh?" Klein didn't expect such an answer.

Before the bartender could reply, a man with a protruded mouth next to

him laughed and said, "Yes, we've chased Kaspars away!

"Heh, how can a lame old man like him do such a business?

"If you have anything you need, feel free to come to us. Find our boss."

A gang war? Klein subconsciously came up with this idea,

wanting to reject the man's suggestion.

However, he soon thought of another possibility.

*Could it be that the Rose School of Thought has deliberately sought out

a gang to suppress Kaspars so as to force Maric and Miss Sharron to jump

into a trap?*

*Yes, it's quite possible. Kaspars had been working here as a black

market arms dealer for a long time; he's definitely not someone who can

be chased away just like that. A while ago, because of the series of

murders, the atmosphere in the whole of Backlund was rather tense, and

the Rose School of Thought or other hidden factions wouldn't dare to

recklessly kill and use spirit mediumship on Maric and Miss Sharron,

even if they found them. This would result in a lot of bloodshed, and

since they obviously only have a few suspects, and are unable to confirm

anyone else having a way to contact Miss Sharron and Maric for the time

being...* Klein swallowed the words he was about to say and

asked instead, "Can I first get a quote before deciding whether to

purchase?"

He planned to observe the faction made up of ordinary people who had

taken over Bravehearts Bar's black market. If he discovered any

problems, then he could use them as a favor to give to Kaspars, Sharron,

and Maric.

In any case, Klein didn't want any conflict. He only planned on

observing via normal processes, so there was no risk.

"Yes, the only requirement is..." The man made a zipping motion with his

hand in front of his protruding mouth.

"No problem." As soon as Klein answered, he saw the Half and Half in

front of him, and the copper coins had been taken away by the bartender.

Without any intention of wasting it, he tipped his head and drank it.

His brows gradually furrowed.

*It's not what I thought it would be. The taste of the spirit is too

heavy, the grape flavors are too mild...* Klein put down his

glass and followed the man to the third billiard room where Kaspars used

to stay in.

When he was about to reach the door, he suddenly thought of something.

*As someone who doesn't know much, even I can guess that this is a trap.

I wonder if Miss Sharron and Maric who have been hunted for so long know

about it? They definitely wouldn't appear...*

*However, Kaspars knows more than one Beyonder. He has connections with

several different circles of Beyonders, and he might be able to get

other helpers. That would complicate things.*

At that moment, the man with the protruding mouth stopped at the doorway

of the billiard room, and the distracted Klein almost bumped into him.

He pointed inside and said, "Don't talk nonsense later. Our boss doesn't

have a good temper.

"Everyone in the Backlund Bridge area and East Borough knows this."

"Alright." Klein nodded.

Satisfied, the man with the protruding mouth turned and pushed open the

billiard room's door.

As the door opened, Klein saw a figure hanging in the air, gently

swaying.

It was a burly man with a full beard. There was a rope tied around his

neck, a rope that was tied in a dead knot.

His feet were off the ground, the tip of his tongue was protruding out,

and his face was purple. He wore a contorted expression.

"Boss..." the man with the protruding mouth cried out in disbelief.

*As soon as the tension in Backlund's atmosphere disappears, someone

takes action...* Klein tilted his head and glanced at the

subordinate, he then solemnly drew a triangular Sacred Emblem on his

chest.

"May he find peace with God.

"I hope his temper is cured as a result."

The man with the protruded mouth didn't even hear what he said. He

suddenly shouted, "Boss!

"Murder!

"Boss is dead!"

Klein took two steps back as a result of the loud and shrill voice, and

he also activated his Spirit Vision to take a look inside the room.

There was nothing special other than the scattered billiard balls all

over the place.

*Did a Beyonder from Kaspars do it? What would the faction who planted

the trap do? If there was actually such a trap...* Klein quietly

moved away and slunk away into the crowd when the other gang members

swarmed over.

He glanced at the kitchen of the Bravehearts Bar and, with some thought,

went over and familiarly passed through to the back door.

As soon as he pushed open the not-so-heavy wooden door, Klein felt a

cold wind blowing against him which caused him to shiver.

And amidst the cold wind was the faint smell of blood.

He listened for a moment but saw nothing. He took out his penny and

flicked it up.

The landing sound was cut off by the wind, and Klein looked down at the

copper penny in his palm, confirming that it was heads.

Putting the coin away, he carefully walked forward, heading in the

direction that his spiritual perception told him to.

He walked to a dark corner where there wasn't any illumination from the

street lamps. The smell of blood suddenly became stronger.

With the help of the weak moonlight that penetrated through the clouds,

Klein almost gasped when he saw what was in front of him.

The floor here was littered with bloody thighs, calves, boots, ribs, a

heart, arms, eyeballs, and other human parts. On the wall hung a portion

of pale red intestines. The background was a large patch of bright red

with milky white markings.

Seeing this, Klein felt like he was looking at a slaughterhouse, a

slaughterhouse specially prepared for humans.

*Is the murderer afraid that the Nighthawks, Mandated Punishers, and the

others are too idle? This is so exaggerated that the police would

immediately transfer the case to them...* Klein muttered in his

mind to resist the discomfort caused by the scene.

He walked around the blood and approached the opposite wall. To his

surprise, there were quite a few deep scratches.

It was like a thick and sharp claw that forcefully scratched out a mark!

*The claw is similar to the one the Devil dog had after its

transformation. Could it be that there's another one? Could it not be

dead yet? No, no, no, I know what's going on...* Klein suddenly

came to a realization.

*The deceased must be the Beyonder who killed the bar's gang leader. He

was finished off by the faction who had set the trap...*

*According to Little Sun's description, I've always suspected that the

faction is the Rose School of Thought because they grasp the Prisoner

pathway, which is also the mutant pathway.*

And one type of mutant was the werewolf!

This was in line with the traces of the crime scene before him.

*It also indirectly proves that Miss Sharron and Maric are defectors of

the Rose School of Thought...*

Klein calmly retreated out of the scene, one step at a time.

During this process, he confirmed that there weren't any Beyonder

characteristics present. Of course, it was possible that it hadn't

appeared yet.

Then he turned and walked towards another street, intending to get

someone to inform the police, lest such a scene frighten the commoners

and make them suspect that Backlund had been infiltrated by some

ferocious beast.

Because he didn't want to get into trouble over greed, Klein didn't wait

for the possibility of a Beyonder characteristic appearing.

Just as he reached the end of the alley, he suddenly saw a brown

carriage slowly approaching in the night.

The carriage didn't continue to move forward like the other carriages.

Instead, it stopped right in front of Klein!

Klein narrowed his eyes as he prepared to do battle. However, whether it

was his spirituality intuition as a Seer or the battle sense of a Clown,

neither of them gave him a warning.

At this moment, the window of the carriage was opened, revealing a pale

face which wore a hint of madness to it. Its brown eyes seemed to

conceal deep malice.

Maric... Klein recognized him.

It was Maric, Miss Sharron's companion who controlled zombies!

He was only wearing a white shirt and a black vest, and he didn't seem

to be afraid of the cold at all. He gestured for Klein to board the

carriage.

For a moment Klein hesitated, wanting to use his spirit pendulum to

divine right there on the spot.

At this moment, a figure appeared behind Maric. She wore a complex black

regal dress and a small, soft hat. It was the blonde Miss Sharron with

blue eyes.

*She can easily do me harm if she wants to. She can directly come out

from the wall behind me...* Klein thought for a moment, then he

deliberately took two steps forward casually. He opened the carriage

door and took note of it.

After he sat down, the carriage began to move slowly. It was unknown

where its destination was.

"Why did you come here?" Sharron asked simply.

Klein answered frankly, "I wanted to contact the both of you and ask if

you have any books on mysticism. It would be best if they went in-depth.

As you know, I lack such knowledge."

Maric continued looking over with malice-filled eyes as he said in a

slightly hoarse and low voice, "We do have a lot of knowledge regarding

mysticism, such as Shaman King Klarman's Book of Secrets, but what can

you use to trade for it?"

Shaman King? Which pathway and Sequence is that? As these

thoughts flashed past his mind, Klein deliberated his tone and said, "I

can trade for it with gold pounds.

"Or do you need anything else?"

The pale, but exquisite-looking Sharron looked at him and replied

stoically, "Help.

"We'll use your help as barter."