Chapter 65 | The Crimson Moon Returns

Lynch was certain of two things.

First, the hillmen were indeed after Maya. That person had tipped them off to her exact hiding place, though for some reason, Maya had managed to slip away a step ahead.

Second, he and the female officer were likely finished.

He had indeed erased almost all traces inside and outside the house, but who could have foreseen that these creatures perceived their surroundings through scent?

Both his and Officer Natalie's hearts were in their throats. The creature downstairs was a high-tier expert capable of demolishing a massive tree from hundreds of meters away. Even though Lynch had claimed to have an idea, who could guarantee they would survive?

“Search! Drag those two rabbits out of their burrow. Let's see just how long they can hide.”

The rapid voice made both their hearts skip a few beats:

“Their scent cannot be concealed. We will search thoroughly. Keep your guard up, everyone. Whoever is here now is certainly no bystander—they might even be the police. Once discovered, do not hesitate; dispose of them immediately.”

Kill on sight.

That single sentence shattered all their wishful illusions. Officer Natalie felt immensely relieved that she had listened to Lynch's advice earlier and had not gone out to confront them head-on; otherwise, she would likely already be dead.

Now that their retreat was cut off, the female officer calmed down instead. Since there was no room for compromise, she would have to fight for a chance at survival in this desperate situation.

With a faint rustle of clothing, the female officer shifted her rapier into the most accessible position, waiting for the final moment to arrive.

Even if she were to be crushed, she would grit her teeth and fight back in the dark, tearing off a piece of flesh before going down.

Perhaps they might just make it out alive.

Across from her, Lynch gently patted her hand in reassurance. In truth, he lacked any confidence himself, but while one could die, one could never cower. Thus, he closed his eyes with outward composure to listen to the movements downstairs, even as his heart hammered with extreme tension.

Footsteps sounded as the hillmen searched their way up. Soon, the elder hillman's distinct voice echoed from outside the door.

“Heh heh, little rabbits in your burrow, did you think you were well hidden? Even without your bodily scents, the power within your souls as Soul Severers cannot be concealed—it is as glaring as the smell of fresh blood in a den. To think you believed you could hide from me... it is almost comical. Hehehe, so you are in here. I found you.”

In the dark, Officer Natalie inhaled softly, knowing the critical moment had arrived. Her soul manifestation silently materialized behind her; the instant the ladder was pulled down, her power would erupt completely.

And Lynch... the phantom of the red moon materialized behind him out of thin air, radiating a faint red glow.

Just as the ladder clicked and was pulled open from below, Lynch suddenly began to clap softly. In a calm, flat, almost entirely emotionless voice, he spoke: “Congratulations on finding me. Clap, clap, clap. Splendidly done. Would you like me to issue you a certificate of commendation?”

As he spoke, he flashed a faint smile at the female officer. Then, the phantom shattered as he activated his transcendent state.

In a transcendent state lasting less than a tenth of a second, Lynch could accomplish nothing physical. Yet this was genuine Divine Authority—a power belonging solely to deities, an authority only gods could wield.

The eruption lasted merely an instant. The “true man for a tenth of a second” was instantly drained dry by the Divine Authority, automatically dropping out of the transcendent state. Yet in the next moment, a loud thud echoed from downstairs, followed by several shrill cries resembling wailing infants.

“Lord Priest! Lord Priest, what happened to you?”

Downstairs in the master bedroom, the elder hillman's previously ferocious expression had turned deathly pale. He slumped on the floor, staring blankly at the opened hidden ladder.

To someone with ordinary perception, it might have been impossible to tell the difference; that tenth of a second would have felt like nothing more than a brief burst of power. But to an expert of substantial strength and exceptionally sharp senses—one who could detect an onlooker from hundreds of meters away—what he witnessed was an entirely different realm.

It was a rising red moon. It was the awe-inspiring majesty of a deity one dared not look upon. It was an unfathomable, boundless expanse of immense power, steeped in indescribable weirdness and distortion.

The instant he perceived this power, the elder hillman felt utterly minuscule and fragile, like the lowliest insect gazing up at an endless night sky.

He felt true terror—a soul-crushing pressure that was fundamentally beyond mortal comprehension.

He even felt that had it lasted a single instant longer, he would have been thoroughly pulverized by that overwhelming pressure.

Fortunately, the entity did not seem malicious. The terrifying force had been unleashed for merely a fleeting moment before being withdrawn, returning once more to that laughably weak, barely discernible, fragile level of strength. Yet having sensed that boundless grandeur just an instant ago, comparing it to the current fragility only made the elder hillman realize that whoever was inside had concealed such terrifying power so deeply that they appeared just like a novice who had only recently undergone soul alienation. Perhaps that was the true horror—and the laughable one was actually himself.

“I hear you were looking for me?” A voice devoid of any mortal emotion drifted down from the attic.

The elder hillman's voice trembled as he squeaked out a stuttering reply: “M-M-May I ask which supreme existence walking the mortal realm this is... or which God-favored...?”

It actually worked? How should I answer?

Lynch had no idea what wild conclusions the elder hillman had jumped to, but he knew old foxes were cunning. Deceiving him was no easy feat; a single slip of the tongue that aroused suspicion would ruin everything.

What should I do? Neighbor, neighbor, help me out! Teach me how you guys talk—how to sound like I'm not human.

Fortunately, Lady Luna ignored him.

Understood. Don't I have a living example right here? I'll just improvise based on your example.

Lynch chuckled softly and said in a calm, icy voice, “Do you truly wish for me to answer those questions? I don't mind.”

“No, no, no! Forgive me, Your Excellency! I was confused—I truly do not wish to know!”

The elder hillman was so terrified he couldn't even break into a cold sweat. He shook his head frantically, terrified that an answer would come from within. For mortal beings, merely hearing certain truths was an outright disaster—even for mysterious creatures like him.

Asking such a question was inherently a test; no matter how the person in the attic answered, it would drag their identity down to the level of ordinary mortals. But this response had the perfect flavor—it struck just the right chord. Only someone who truly understood higher-tier existences could offer such an answer.

For a moment, the elder hillman dared not harbor even a shred of doubt. He could no longer sense any divine pressure from the attic, yet the quieter it became, the more petrified he grew.

“Hmph. I was not inclined to interfere in your mortal affairs, so when a pack of anomalies like you wandered about the city, I turned a blind eye. I even conveniently cleaned up that nest of spiders you clashed with. Yet I merely brought someone along to watch the commotion, and you actively sought me out. Truly, splendid work.”

“The moonlight last night... so it was Your Excellency. A misunderstanding, Your Excellency! It is all a misunderstanding!”

The elder hillman looked ashen, practically on the verge of tears. This allowed Lynch to inwardly breathe a sigh of relief, knowing they had passed the first hurdle and their lives were safe.

But having just secured his life, greed reared its head again. Wouldn't such a golden opportunity be wasted if he didn't fish for some clues?

Yet this guy is bluffed for now. If I say something wrong and make him realize the truth, Officer Natalie and I probably won't be returning to the city alive. It's best not to ask overly sensitive questions. Better not ask directly about things concerning them, or it could easily backfire. In that case...

Lynch felt as though he were dancing on a razor's edge—well aware of the danger, yet thrilled by it.

“Whether it is a misunderstanding or not is merely the trivial business of your mortal world; I have no interest in knowing. However, you actually have ties with the Shadow Alliance? That does pique my interest a little. I intended to hear what purpose they had in meddling in your petty affairs, only to be interrupted by you. Tell me...”

“Your Excellency, I am not privy to the specifics either, but it seems they, too, have an interest in Mordiggian.”

Who is that?

Lynch was not foolish enough to ask aloud, but the word “too” told him he had asked the right question. This was certainly a critical name. With this single name, today's perils were not in vain.

Committing it firmly to memory, Lynch acted as if he had lost interest, speaking with a touch of disdain: “So it is still about the petty matter of your railway.”

Below, the elder hillman merely smiled obsequiously without offering a retort; it seemed this truly was the crux of the railway dispute.

“Enough. My mood has been ruined by you, and I cannot be bothered to settle scores with you. You had best vanish quickly before I change my mind. In the future, do not disturb me again. I do not wish to see you. Now, get lost.”

“Yes, yes! We shall scram immediately!”

As if granted an imperial amnesty, the elder hillman signaled the other hillmen to hoist him up. Without wasting a single second, they fled the cabin in a staggering rush.

Only after the noises had faded far into the distance did Lynch and Natalie in the attic let out a long breath. Lynch slumped completely against the chair, gasping for air as every muscle in his body felt limp and drained. Officer Natalie, who had stayed dead silent throughout, wore a bizarre expression. She punched him on the shoulder, then gripped his arm with both hands, biting her lip as she giggled uncontrollably in a low voice.