Chapter 81: Wall-hanging Detective Team! Instant Kill of Level 4 Female Prisoner?
Arthur and Finn hurried along the sloped ramp, bypassing the rough, overgrown path, where a cacophony of voices and a throng of adventurers awaited them.
Above the entrance to a natural cave, a sign carved with "Billy's Inn" stood out with its crooked, large letters.
Adventurers of various races formed a thick human wall, surrounding the cave entrance, discussing loudly, their clamor deafening.
Finn habitually licked his thumb, intending to squeeze through with his nimble Pallum physique.
Arthur twisted his neck, producing a crisp sound, and an invisible current of air suddenly swirled around him, condensing into a sharp cone.
The surrounding adventurers only felt an invisible force pushing them, involuntarily stepping back to both sides, and the crowd instantly parted, creating a pathway.
They turned back in surprise and uncertainty, seeing that the newcomers were none other than the famous Loki Familia, all of them astonished and respectfully making way.
Finn offered an apologetic smile to the people around him, then followed closely behind Arthur into the inn.
Inside the natural cave, the light was dim, with only a few faint glows from blue crystals embedded in the wall crevices, barely enough to see.
The entrance floor was covered with a thick fur of an unknown giant beast, and on both sides were irregular cave openings, all concealed by crimson cloth curtains.
Two adventurers stood in front of one of the openings, their faces troubled, conversing in low voices.
Finn walked straight up, greeting them with a familiar raise of his hand.
"Hey, Borus, what happened?"
"Hm!? How did you two…"
The one-eyed Borus turned to see Arthur and Finn swaggering in, his brows furrowed.
He pondered for a moment with a gloomy expression, then snorted in dissatisfaction.
"Never mind."
"It was probably last night. The unlucky fellow staying in this room was murdered."
As Borus spoke, he stepped aside, revealing the gruesome scene inside the room.
The left wall and bed were splattered with dark red bloodstains, and a headless male corpse lay tragically on the floor.
The victim's severed neck was a bloody mess, like a ripe fruit smashed by a heavy hammer.
…
Arthur's eyes flashed as he carefully examined the room's furnishings.
Finn, meanwhile, turned to Borus, continuing his inquiry.
"Have the victim's identity and the suspect been determined?"
The burly Borus crossed his arms, replying in a muffled voice.
"Not yet, but Billy said the victim brought a woman to stay, and now only he is dead here."
Finn stroked his chin: "If that's the case, isn't the suspect quite obvious?"
Billy, the beast-man owner, shook his head repeatedly, adding.
"No, no, no, the victim was wearing full armor, and the woman was also wrapped in a hooded robe. But I could tell, she had a very hot figure!"
Billy scratched his messy fur, his face still showing signs of fright.
"That guy was generous, directly booking the entire inn. And—we're all men, we understand."
"I collected the money, put up the 'No Vacancy' sign, and went to the tavern to have fun. Who knew when I came back this morning, the room would be in this ghostly state!"
After listening to Billy's account, Arthur walked over to the corpse, squatted down, and examined the victim's well-trained brown back, then looked up and asked.
"The victim's ability value is locked, and he was completely decapitated by his female companion, so his identity might be difficult to confirm."
Borus waved his hand: "No matter, I've already sent someone to get the unlock potion."
"Unlock potion?"
Upon hearing this, Arthur's lips curled into a playful smile.
"Rivira Town truly lives up to its name; it even has reserves of such illicit items?"
Normally, to prevent the ability values of Familia members from leaking, the gods would add an additional hidden lock after updating their blessings.
And the unlock potion was a miraculous medicine that could forcefully break the hidden lock, revealing an adventurer's true ability value.
Although unlocking was complex and materials were precious, in the eyes of some busybodies, this item was priceless.
…
A moment later, a small adventurer hurried into the inn.
Sweating profusely, he pulled out a potion from his embrace; the bottle contained a mixture of magic stone fragments and dark red liquid.
Everyone held their breath and stepped back, watching as the small adventurer poured the potion onto the victim's back, carefully beginning the unlocking ritual.
A faint glow flashed on the victim's back, and only then did the small adventurer wipe the sweat from his brow, looking up with a smile.
"Borus, boss, it's done!"
"Oh, well done!"
Borus had just finished praising his subordinate when he suddenly slapped his forehead, looking awkward.
"Damn it! We can't read divine script, we still need to find those learned elves!"
"No need, I can read it."
Arthur stepped forward, his gaze falling on the victim's back, quickly scanning the divine script inscribed with the blessing.
"…His name is Hashana Drullia, Ganesha Familia, LV4."
As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the cave suddenly solidified, the air as cold as an ice cellar.
Borus, who had been carefree just moments ago, now felt his legs give way, barely able to stand by leaning on the wall, his voice trembling uncontrollably.
"Don't… don't joke around!"
"LV4 Hashana? The 'Steel Fist Fighter' of Ganesha Familia? He… he was silently murdered by a woman?"
Arthur abruptly stood up, glancing at the trembling Borus and Billy, then stated calmly.
"Believe it or not, that's the fact."
He turned to Finn, who had a grave expression and was deep in thought, and gestured towards the scattered luggage bags in the corner of the room.
"Hashana being targeted was no accident. The killer did not leave immediately after the murder; instead, they carefully searched the room."
"Judging by the traces at the scene, the killer not only failed to find what they wanted but even took their anger out on the corpse, venting additional frustration."
Finn, following Arthur's words, walked to the corner and rummaged through the luggage, quickly discovering a bloodstained request form.
"Thirty floors… alone… obtain… confidential…"
Finn sporadically read out a few words, and a sharp glint flashed in Arthur's eyes.
"It's clear that the request Hashana took led to his demise."
"The killer likely wanted to preemptively seize confidential information or an item, but unfortunately, they failed."
Finn put down the request form, then habitually licked his thumb again, the stinging sensation at his fingertip growing stronger.
He looked at Borus and Billy, who were still trembling, and said in a deep voice.
"Borus, take your men and blockade the town. You must ensure no one can leave in the chaos."
Borus stroked his stubbly chin, his single eye full of doubt.
"It's almost past noon. Do you think the killer would still be in town?"
"Yes!"
Arthur and Finn spoke in unison, their tone resolute and filled with absolute confidence in their judgment.
Seeing their certainty, Borus no longer hesitated.
He pulled Billy and rushed out of the inn, shouting to his subordinates to immediately blockade the entire town.
Inside the room, Arthur leaned lazily against the wall, watching Finn with a half-smile.
"Is it really okay to casually interfere in this matter? That killer—is a female adventurer capable of instantly killing an LV4."
Finn understood the implication in his words, his gaze sweeping over Hashana's headless corpse on the floor, his expression calm.
"I know, but deliberately avoiding it is not the best strategy. To clear ourselves of suspicion, we must also find the true culprit as soon as possible."