Mystery: The Last Shepherd

Chapter 44 Curse
By the time the two rushed down from the building, Lu Ze's chest wound had completely healed.

Hey! You guys stop right there!

The guards, awakened by the gunfire and fighting, shouted and surrounded them upon seeing them. But before they could get close, Leonard began chanting hymns again, and the guards collapsed onto the cold ground, peacefully drifting off to sleep.

Lu Ze pulled out the blood-stained map from his pocket. According to the bloodstains on the map, they needed to go along the direction of the Tasok River and go deep into the back part of the company. The abandoned shipyard was located in the deep river bend.

"there!"

He pointed out the direction, and the two of them ran off quickly.

"Hoo! Hoo!"

After running for a short while, Lu Ze began to pant due to exhaustion. He was extremely grateful that he had participated in combat training, which had improved his physical fitness; otherwise, he simply wouldn't have been able to persevere.

Leonard was running ahead of Luzer. He could have run much faster, but he kept his speed at a low level to accommodate Luzer.

The two ran one after the other into the depths of William Transport Company, and soon the outline of the abandoned shipyard came into view.

Only a half-moon cast its faint glow, barely illuminating everything before us.

The cement floor of the dock was cracked, and weeds grew rampant in the gaps. The steel-framed bridge was rusted, and many of the wooden planks protruding from the bay were rotten, indicating that the place had indeed been abandoned for a long time.

But in the deep waters of that river bend, hidden among the buildings, a cargo ship of unknown origin was conspicuously moored. From the outside, the ship was conveniently obscured by the haphazardly constructed buildings, and given the remote location, it was unlikely that anyone would discover such a cargo ship hidden there unless they came specifically to look for it!
"What the hell"

Leonard was also amazed that, unlike the dilapidated dock, this ship was in perfect condition, without any signs of damage or wear and tear, and was clearly a ship that could operate normally.

A vague figure appeared at the bow of the boat, seemingly the hooded man who had ambushed them. He nimbly leaped from the bow, splashing into the Tasok River and disappearing beneath the surface.

"Stop chasing, let's get on the boat and take a look."

Leonard said in a deep voice.

The boat extended its planks towards the shore, and the two carefully stepped onto the planks to board the boat.

Upon entering the cabin, the fresh smell of blood hit you immediately, thick and undisguised, filling your nostrils.

The two men exchanged a glance and followed the scent of blood, searching the area. They found bodies on the deck, in the crew quarters, and even in the captain's cabin. Some bodies lay in beds, perhaps having been asleep; others on deck were possibly on watch; and a group of sailors had gathered in the mess hall, as if they had been having a banquet. Now, they were all dead.

That was really ruthless.

Lu Ze thought to himself as he entered the captain's cabin and found the man dressed as the captain slumped over the nautical table. The logbook had been thrown into the brazier and burned to the shell.

Who exactly was it, and for what purpose did they try to silence them?

Perhaps checking what kind of goods they are transporting will help us figure it out.

They went down to the lower deck, pulled open the hatch, and a wave of hot, foul-smelling air rushed up. The two men grabbed their revolvers, raised their gas lamps, and cautiously descended the stairs to the lower cargo hold.

The orange glow of the gas lamps stretched forward, illuminating the faces deep within the cabin—faces filled with fear, numbness, or exhaustion.

The goods they were transporting were people.

"The situation has gotten beyond our control; we must report to the captain."

After emerging from the cabin, Leonard spoke to Luzer with a somber expression.

No one expected that what was originally just an ordinary investigation into infidelity would eventually involve human trafficking of extraordinary individuals.

The people below the cabin clearly came from the Southern Continent in terms of skin color and appearance. When asked questions, they could only reply in the Dutan language of the Southern Continent, making communication impossible.

"You bastard!"

Leonard looked annoyed and suddenly started cursing at Mr. Pound, whom he had never met before, "I thought he was just having a little affair, but who knew he was actually involved in human trafficking!"

“Many of the girls inside looked like they had been abused.”

Lu Ze nodded in understanding; no wonder the spirit creature seemed so confused when he questioned it. It turned out that Mr. Pound wasn't having an affair, but rather using his position in the slave trade to ruthlessly abuse the young women within it.

Leonard was angry in the cabin for a while, but gradually controlled his emotions. Then he looked up and said to him, "Let's go back and report to the captain."

Lu Ze squeezed the small bottle in his pocket, which contained the hooded man's blood.

"Why don't you go alone? I'll stay here."

He said to Leonard.

Leonard was taken aback. "But that's not safe."

“That guy’s already run away, do you think he’ll come back and let us catch him?” Lu Ze said. “If I’m here, I can protect the scene, and you can go faster without me holding you back.”

He was right, and Leonard was quickly convinced. After reminding him to be careful, Leonard left on his own.

After watching Leonard's figure disappear into the distance, Lu Ze, clutching the small bottle of blood in his hand, walked into the cabin with a gloomy expression.

The reason Leonard was sent away was simply to get revenge on the guy who dared to stab him in the back!
He intends to curse the other person with a ritual until he takes their life!

Lu Ze stepped into the restaurant, where many corpses lay scattered about—the sailors who had been feasting earlier. The grilled fish and mushroom soup on the tables were still steaming, but those who were supposed to enjoy them were dead.

The sailors' faces were frozen in terror; each of them had been killed with a single, swift, and decisive blow to the vital organs.

"Very good, having killed so many people, we don't even need to look for ritual offerings anymore."

Lu Ze, smelling the heavy stench of blood in the restaurant, sneered. He lit two candles on the table, then drew a ceremonial dagger from his robes, cut his finger, and smeared the blood evenly on the blade. He didn't create a wall of spirits; instead, he raised the dagger amidst the corpses strewn throughout the restaurant.

"The Creator of everything."

He invoked the name of the true Creator in Hermes.

The surroundings quieted down; in this summer month of August and September, not even the chirping of insects could be heard outside.

"The ruler behind the veil of shadows."

The cabin began to rock, and the gaslights on the ceiling flickered, casting shadows.

Lu Ze still only uttered two phrases of the honorific name, not the full title. But some blasphemous and evil force had already subtly descended, and the hidden being he had invoked was eager to bestow its favor upon him. Like a generous sales manager constantly extending a client's trial period.

But all the sales manager wants is your money, while the evil god wants more than just your soul.

"Praise the Lord, and offer this feast to the great Lord."

Lu Ze spoke devout words in a completely devout tone, "May the breath of the Lord always be with me, and remove all obstacles for us."

A faint, ethereal wind whistled through the restaurant, carrying with it the mournful cries of the dying. When the wind subsided, the previously heavy stench of blood suddenly thinned, as if swept away by the wind to some unknown place. The faces of the dead turned an unnatural white, transforming from the pallor of corpses to a deathly, inorganic white.

Lu Ze raised the ritual dagger and flicked it lightly in the air, instantly imbuing the blade with an evil and pure aura of depravity. He twirled the dagger, allowing the aura to evenly coat the blade, before crouching down, gripping the dagger.

The cabin floor was made of wood, and he easily carved a crude little figure into it with his dagger. The figure was rough, about the size of a palm. After finishing the outline of the figure, Lu Ze took the bottle of blood from his pocket and poured it over the sketch.

A small amount of blood dripped down, spreading out evenly within the outline of the little figure under the impetus of some unknown force, without spilling out at all.

Lu Ze raised the dagger, blade facing down.

"You dare stab me?"

He said with a cold laugh, and then stabbed down hard!

"puff!"

The dagger pierced straight through the wooden board. Although it was wood, Lu Ze felt a springy feedback as if he had pierced flesh.

The blood on the surface of the simple figure rippled, as if it were screaming in extreme pain.

"Does it feel good?"

Lu Ze smiled coldly, drew his dagger, and stabbed the villain again.

"Ok?"

The feedback from this strike was minimal, and it carried a subtle resistance.

Someone is stopping his curse.

"Hmph, you dare to stop me?"

Lu Ze laughed fiercely, picked up the dagger and slashed open the palm, letting the blood gush into the outline of the little man, then raised the dagger high with both hands.

"Thank God!"

With a ferocious expression, he shouted and stabbed the little man with all his might!

"puff--"

The blood on the surface of the little figure was practically boiling! Drops of blood splattered and danced, but soon lost all vitality, turning into a lifeless thing, slowly seeping down along the notch pierced by the dagger.

Lu Ze watched all of this with a cold eye until the strange phenomenon ended. He then drew his knife, quickly cleaned up the scene, stood up, and strode out of the cabin.

Leonard will be back soon; he needs to hurry back to the deck and pretend nothing happened.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Meanwhile, somewhere in Tingen.

The lavish ball was in full swing, and to the accompaniment of melodious music, a dozen or so elegantly dressed gentlemen and ladies were dancing gracefully on the ballroom.

The crystal chandelier illuminated the magnificent hall, making the gemstones adorning each lady's snow-white neck reflect a dazzling brilliance. Whispering, ambiguous words rose beneath the music, and cheerful laughter mingled with the scent of perfume emanating from the ladies' ears, filling the air.

The gentlemen's eyes darted through the crowd, searching for that most captivating figure, but to no avail.

And so, those gazes turned to disappointment and regret. They sighed, wondering which lucky one would be able to steal her heart this night.

In a secret room on the second floor, the slender and alluring Mrs. Sharon, her stunningly beautiful face that had captivated countless people, coldly asked, "Night Watcher?"

Beside her stood a beautiful girl with a round face, wearing a skirt; she was the same girl Lu Ze had seen before.

"Yes, there is at least one 'Midnight Poet' of Sequence 8."

Opposite the two stood the hooded assassin. He had removed his hood, revealing himself to be a young man. Clutching his injured arm, he replied, "But I've already silenced everyone on the ship."

Just then, before he could finish speaking, he suddenly showed an expression of extreme terror.

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(End of this chapter)