Nia and Ivy drove out and quickly arrived at the rural compound Zayne had visited earlier.
The place had been completely erased by Hellfire. Nothing remained. Even the ground itself was scorched a deep, ashen brown.
"This really is the aura of Hellfire," Nia said, her expression wavering between shock and doubt.
She was extremely sensitive to fire elemental energy. The residue here was identical to what she had felt in the beginner dungeon. The one who destroyed this place had to be the Shadowcaster. There was no question about it. But why would he do something like this?
The city had its own rules. Even awakened individuals were forbidden from killing at will within city limits. Anyone who broke that rule would be arrested, and in extreme cases, executed on the spot.
The Investigation Bureau was responsible for enforcing those rules. The area had already been sealed off. Not long after they arrived, a middle aged investigator approached them.
"Miss Zora. Ivy. Good evening. I apologize for calling you in so late. I am the lead investigator on this case. You can call me Howard."
After introducing himself, Howard took out a notebook and pen with practiced ease.
"I will be direct. Miss Zora, you stated that in the beginner dungeon you encountered someone called the Shadowcaster. He was able to wield Hellfire and killed a level eight monster in a single strike. Is that correct?"
"Yes," Nia replied honestly.
"Then can you locate him?" Howard asked.
"I am trying to," Nia said. "But he disappeared completely. I cannot find him anywhere."
Howard nodded. "Very well. Then let me ask another question. Do you know someone named Zayne?"
His gaze remained calm, but there was a firm pressure behind it, as if it could pierce straight through a person's defenses.
"I do," Nia said, her face flashing with unconcealed disdain. "A coward who only knows how to run."
"So far, based on the Investigation Bureau's findings, there is a high probability that Zayne is the Shadowcaster," Howard said. He continued watching her closely, searching for any opening.
Zayne was a college entrance exam candidate and was currently staying with the Ward Group. Without solid evidence, they could not afford to make a wrong arrest.
"Zayne and the Shadowcaster are the same person?" Nia sneered. "Howard, you must be joking. That man ran away right in front of me. There is no way he is the Shadowcaster. He cannot use Hellfire."
"You are certain?" Howard frowned. This directly contradicted their investigation.
"Absolutely," Nia said without hesitation. "I am the only one who has personally seen the Shadowcaster. He cannot possibly be Zayne. That coward is nothing like him."
Howard fell silent. He then drew a firm cross over Zayne's name in his notebook.
He himself was an awakened individual, a non combat profession known as a Lie Examiner.
With his experience, questioning someone like Nia was effortless. He was confident that everything she had said so far was the truth.
If Zayne was not the Shadowcaster, then continuing down this line of investigation would be pointless.
Howard rubbed his temples in frustration. If Zayne was ruled out, then all their leads were gone. The fire had destroyed everything too thoroughly.
Worse still, the land belonged to Dano, and the dead were all Dano's people. Dano refused to cooperate with the Investigation Bureau at all. They could not even confirm the identities of the victims.
It seemed this case would end as an unsolved mystery. Awakened abilities came in endless varieties, and every year several cases like this went cold. Howard was used to it by now.
"Thank you for your cooperation, Miss Zora," Howard said politely. "Do you have any other information you can provide?"
"No," Nia said, shaking her head.
Howard's heart skipped.
He detected a fluctuation in her emotions.
She was lying.
She clearly knew more about the Shadowcaster and had chosen not to share it.
"I understand. You may leave now," Howard said, lighting a cigarette.
Even knowing she was deceiving him, there was nothing he could do. She was Astrachior's daughter. In this world, the truth was not always the most important thing.
Even if the Investigation Bureau captured the Shadowcaster, if Nia asked Astrachior to protect him, the outcome would likely end in compromise.
"Ivy, hurry. I think I can find the Shadowcaster soon," Nia said, her cheeks flushed with excitement.
"What? Then why didn't you tell Howard just now?" Ivy gasped, covering her mouth. "The Shadowcaster killed dozens of people."
"He must have had his reasons," Nia said firmly. "I have to find him and ask him myself. Don't worry. If he really is a cold blooded murderer, I will not protect him."
"Nia," Ivy muttered, twitching at the corner of her mouth. "You are completely love brained. You are not even together yet and you are already defending him."
"Stop talking nonsense," Nia snapped. "How could I be like that?"
She followed a narrow road ahead. If Zayne were here, he would have recognized it instantly. It was the same route he had taken when escaping after killing Zion, Ravi, and the others.
"Nia, how exactly are you planning to find him?" Ivy asked from behind.
"I am extremely sensitive to fire elemental traces," Nia replied, her eyes bright with excitement. "Even though one or two days have passed, I can still sense the faint remnants of Hellfire."
In all of Old Shipyard Port, only she, an SSS grade fire mage, could do this.
Fortunately, it had not rained in the past two days. Otherwise, even she would have been helpless. The more she thought about it, the more convinced she became that this was fate.
Following the lingering traces of Hellfire, Nia led Ivy straight into the slums.
Filthy water flowed through the streets. Garbage was piled everywhere. The two girls, dressed in elegant gowns, looked painfully out of place.
They could not help frowning. This was the first time either of them had ever seen a place so dirty and chaotic.
Along the way, a few leering men with greedy eyes tried to approach them. After Nia casually threw a fireball their way, no one dared to get close again. Awakened individuals were not people ordinary thugs could afford to provoke.
After weaving through the alleys, Nia finally stopped in front of a small house.
"The Hellfire aura disappears inside this building," she said softly. "This must be the Shadowcaster's home."
Her heart pounded as she stared at the door. The Shadowcaster she had thought about day and night was right behind it.
She took a step forward, then hesitated. She straightened her clothes, fixed her hair, and turned to Ivy.
"Ivy, does my makeup look smudged?"
"No," Ivy replied flatly. "You look fine."
"Good. That's good."
Nia took several deep breaths. Finally, she gathered her courage, walked up to the door, and knocked, her heart racing uncontrollably.