Chapter 413: Visitors

Inside the Rice Police Station which was in charge of Minsk Street and

the surrounding district.

Klein shook hands with the officer who escorted him out.

"This threatening letter must've had something to do with the previous

serial murders. The organizer of the detective team, the great

detective, Mr. Isengard Stanton, has already been attacked this

afternoon!

"Please take it seriously."

The police officer retracted his hand and said, "Don't worry, Mr.

Moriarty. We definitely won't ignore your suggestion and immediately

report it to the higher-ups."

"Thank you so much." Klein put on his hat and walked out the door.

After seeing the two threatening letters and the provocation from the

suspected Devil dog's master, Klein didn't hesitate to bring the

evidence to the nearest police station to report the case. He secretly

hoped that the matter would be transferred to the Mandated Punishers or

the Machinery Hivemind Team as quickly as possible so that he could be

placed under the protection of official Beyonders.

Although he no longer had any reason to keep his identity as a

detective, being fully capable of giving up his residence at 15 Minsk

Street and switching to another residence and identity, he suspected

that this might have been the purpose of the author of that threatening

letter.

Using the fear of wild Beyonders being exposed, the perpetrator was

forcing him to flee under the cover of the night. Then, during this

process, he could seize the opportunity to launch an attack.

*Actually, it's quite a suitable time to attack me while I was heading

over to the police station to report the incident... It's the same as

when I was at home... That fellow has other plans...* Confused

and wary, Klein returned to Minsk Street.

As soon as he got out of the carriage, he saw a figure loitering in

front of his house with the help of the street lamps amid the drizzle.

Klein's heart skipped a beat, but he immediately relaxed as he

recognized the visitor.

It was Stuart, a slim private detective with a medium build, who adored

him.

*I can't be careless... What if the subsequent Sequences of Devil has a

power similar to Faceless?* Klein gripped his cane tight and

slowly approached, then he gave a probing shout.

Detective Stuart abruptly turned his head and nervously said, "Mr.

Moriarty, I received a threatening letter. It said: 'All of you will

die!'"

"You received it as well?" Klein blurted out in surprise while also

finding it understandable.

Stuart was also one of the detectives that Isengard Stanton had gathered

for the investigation of the serial murders.

Stuart's eyes widened abruptly.

"You received it too?"

"Yes." Klein nodded seriously.

More than one actually... he added silently.

"What should I do? I first went to visit Mr. Stanton, but I heard that

he was attacked, so I immediately came to you. Oh, thank God for His

blessings. I was about to leave!" Stuart blurted out.

Klein pointed to the door.

"Let's talk inside."

After entering the living room, Klein excused himself to the bathroom

and hurriedly went above the gray fog to perform two divinations. First,

it was to confirm that the person was Stuart. And second, if there was

any relatively serious danger that night. He received a revelation

confirming both.

In other words, Stuart wasn't the enemy in disguise, and it would be a

night of considerable danger.

Of course, that danger might not happen right in front of Klein, but

someone might be wiped out in secret. That was the limitation of

divination. All he could receive was a revelation of a certain degree,

not the entire answer. He was unable to get a precise answer.

Furthermore, the limitations in mysticism couldn't be solved by

techniques such as exclusion or dichotomy.

Returning to the real world, Klein pressed the mechanical button of the

toilet bowl, and in the midst of the splashing water, he washed his

hands and opened the door.

"Stuart, would you like coffee or tea?" Klein asked in a completely

composed manner.

Stuart stood up and shook his head.

"No, we should discuss the problem first. Although I've received many

threatening letters in the past, none of them can be compared to what I

received today. He must've written them using fresh blood! My intuition

tells me that he'll definitely take action, and that he has the ability

to do so!

"By the way, Mr. Stanton was attacked by that same person, wasn't he?"

"I think so," Klein said stoically before sitting down. "This likely has

something to do with the previous serial murders. The common thing that

you, me, and Mr. Stanton share in common is that case."

*Stuart's reaction is a little too extreme... Is he spooked out by the

attack on Mr. Stanton?* At the same time, Klein was carefully

observing Stuart.

Being infected by his attitude, Stuart calmed down significantly. He sat

down again and said while deep in thought, "It seems to be the case..."

Before he could finish his sentence, tinkling sounds suddenly echoed in

the room.

Someone had rung the doorbell.

Stuart instantly jolted, like a frightened bird.

Klein frowned as he looked at him before getting up to head for the

door.

As soon as he touched the handle, the scene outside appeared in his

mind.

The visitors were Detective Kaslana in her gray tweed coat; her

red-haired assistant, Lydia; and several other men who looked familiar.

*They're all the private detectives who Mr. Stanton had assembled... As

expected...* As Klein recalled, he recognized the visitors.

He pulled open the door and took two steps back.

With bushy eyebrows and slightly drooping cheeks, Kaslana looked at

Klein and Stuart who was behind him. Without exchanging pleasantries,

she bluntly said, "We've all received the same threatening letter, so I

believe you guys did too, right?"

"Yes," Klein replied solemnly.

Kaslana didn't shy away from exhaling a breath of white mist.

"We were all assembled by Mr. Stanton to participate in the

investigation of the serial murders. That's the only thing we have in

common."

"I think so too." Klein pointed inside his house. "Let's talk inside."

Watching the six private detectives enter, Klein quickly analyzed the

intentions of the Devil dog's master.

*To stir up such a huge commotion, this will soon attract the attention

of the official Beyonder organizations. Who knows, there might be a

demigod powerhouse guarding this area, so how would he take his

revenge?*

*He's just being provocative, making the military and the Beyonders from

the three Churches send people to protect all these private detectives.

With the official Beyonders not daring to be negligent, it will scatter

personnel and exhaust them by making them run around. Is all this to

take revenge on the main target of the attack from back then?*

*In the process, he might even have a chance to kill some of the

official Beyonders...*

*As for the private investigators, he will only take action much later,

once their wariness has relaxed...*

*Of course, if probes such as this give an opening, then he definitely

wouldn't let it go...*

*To Devils who can sense danger ahead of time, this is a method that

plays on their strengths.*

*However, the three Churches, together with the military and the royal

family, have many experts and Sealed Artifacts. They have no lack of

demigods or Grade 0 and Grade 1 Sealed Artifacts. Is the master of the

Devil dog so certain that there are no powers or items that can restrain

this strength of his?*

No, he definitely wouldn't dare.

*The official powers, especially the Nighthawks, Mandated Punishers, and

Machinery Hivemind, have been fighting Devils for who knows how many

years. In the Fourth Epoch, even in the more ancient Third Epoch, there

was no lack of similar deeds.*

*The master of the Devil dog is at most a Sequence 5. As long as

anything goes wrong, to the point of nothing going wrong, he can be torn

apart by a demigod or a terrifying Sealed Artifact. Why would he still

dare to make such attempts?*

*Or it could be said that he's simply toying with the officials and that

he wouldn't act, doing it time and time again...*

*Yes, there's another possibility. Using the threatening letter, he's

able to get more than half the targets gathered together. Then, using

the official Beyonder organizations' counterbalancing of each other and

the procedural and bureaucratic tendencies, create a time

delay...*

*The attack on Mr. Isengard Stanton must've been handed over to the

Machinery Hivemind, who is in charge of supernatural affairs in Hillston

Borough, but the ones who killed the Devil dog were mainly comprised of

the Nighthawks. The two organizations definitely don't communicate in

detail too much...*

*Well, it can also be assigned based on Mr. Stanton's faith... Which

deity does he believe in... I don't seem to know, nor can I

tell...*

*In short, with so many private investigators living in different

districts and with different faiths, the division of jurisdiction is a

troublesome matter, and joint operations aren't so easy to

achieve.*

*At this moment, the ones protecting us should only be two or three

groups of official Beyonders. At the very most, they would be at the

level of deacons, and they wouldn't use Sealed Artifacts which are too

powerful or dangerous. Even a demigod High-Sequence Beyonder wouldn't

direct their gaze over to us that quickly.*

This would give the Devil dog's master a chance.

*Although three to four groups of official Beyonders can definitely kill

one or even more than one Sequence 5, as long as he takes advantage of

the situation, there's a good chance that he can successfully

escape.*

Klein was able to deduce two or three possibilities in just twenty to

thirty seconds, and giving each of them a preliminary opinion.

Thinking of the divination outcome that indicated that there would be

significant danger tonight, Klein thoughtfully nodded his head, closed

the door, and entered the living room. He said to the sitting or

standing detectives, "Have you called the police?"

*There are almost half of the people, who were assembled back then,

gathered here...* he surveyed the detectives and muttered

inwardly.

Representing the rest, Kaslana replied, "Some have called the police,

while others have tried to find Mr. Stanton or familiar friends.

Finally, all of us got together and discussed about visiting you, the

great detective."

Klein gently nodded and deliberately said, "Everyone, don't be too

nervous. The person who sent the letter should be trying to get revenge

for that serial murder, but he's only one person, with at most one or

two companions. As for us, we have a total of eight detectives, all

skilled in combat and shooting, so why should we be afraid of him?

"Besides, we were not the only ones assembled by Mr. Stanton, and it

must be the same for those who received the threatening letters. They

just didn't end up meeting you or come to visit me."

Upon hearing his words, Kaslana and her assistant, Lydia, revealed

doubtful expressions, as if they were unsure of something.

Another detective took a deep breath.

"Mr. Moriarty, perhaps it's as you say, we need not be afraid of him.

"But he's a sinister snake lurking in the dark. No one knows when he

will launch an attack, and no one can guard against it in advance.

Furthermore, he might even harm our family members."

"Family members?"

"Oh, my wife!"

"No, my little angel!"

The detectives were instantly overwhelmed by their emotions as they

exhibited exaggerated reactions.

Standing behind Klein, Stuart was trembling with fear and anger.

"No, I don't want that..." he murmured, almost losing control of his

emotions.

Just as Klein and Kaslana attempted to calm them down, Stuart suddenly

drew his gun and aimed it at the back of Klein's head!

His eyes were glazed over, and his emotions seemed to have completely

overwhelmed him.