Night Journey

Chapter 52 Urban Legend
"Last night was my first time patrolling the city, and I followed the regulations..."

Cillian slowly recounted what had happened the previous night, while cautiously scrutinizing the other person.

Decal Quirk, the current director of the City Guard.

Before meeting him, Cillian had already heard countless stories about Decal from the staff.

Dekar's gaze was sharp, and he always had a serious and unsmiling demeanor, full of mystery. So mysterious that no one in the city guard knew which path Dekar came from, only that he was a third-level superhuman.

Now that he had seen the real person, Dekar perfectly matched the chaotic rumors and overlapped with the image Cillian had imagined.

only……

Of all the rumors, there was one that puzzled Cillian about that serious face.

Rumors circulated that Anya and Dekar had an ambiguous relationship. Anya neither denied nor confirmed it, and Daelin, who had been pursuing Anya, remained silent as well.

What puzzled Cillian even more was that even though Decal dressed himself up smartly, it was still clear from his expression that Decal was no longer young.

Fifty years old? Sixty years old? Or even older?
Because of the existence of source energy, superhumans have a much longer lifespan than ordinary people, and this is also true in appearance. For example, if Nunn didn't say anything, no one would know that he was over a hundred years old.

Cillian cleared his mind of all the chaotic thoughts and continued to recount what had happened the previous night.

De Karl listened attentively, only uttering affirmative "hmm" sounds throughout, without raising any questions.

"Okay, I understand, you go back first."

"Is this okay?"

The questioning went too smoothly, which only made Cillian feel strange.

The battle took place outside of Cirion's patrol area. He had prepared a bunch of explanations before coming, but Dekar didn't ask any of them.

“Hmm… Go to logistics and get a new uniform,” Decal commented. “As an employee, you should be more serious. This is ridiculous; you’re not even wearing shoes.”

And so, Cillian was driven out.

He didn't know what the bureau chief was thinking, but his first impression of him was not bad; he wasn't as stern as he had expected.

"Ok?"

Cillian suddenly stopped.

Even though he had just seen Dekar, his face quickly faded from his memory, leaving only a blurry silhouette.

"what happened?"

Cillian turned around and looked at the closed office door, but no one answered.

When he returned to Daelin's office, full of doubt, Cillian had already forgotten his "doubts".

The two continued their discussion of the previous case.

"As you can see, this is the information we currently have, very little, isn't it? We find it laughable too."

Dailin sighed helplessly, "Not only do we not understand the name of these Chaos Believers' organization, but we also don't know which evil they serve."

After a long silence, Cillian asked tentatively.

"May I go to the archives to look up some information? I'd like to search for clues from the chaotic events that have occurred in Hull City in the past."

"Of course, but there are many files that cannot be released to you at the moment."

Dalyn didn't say it aloud, but Cillian understood his implication.

Humans don't only become evil and insane when corrupted by chaos. The City Guard must have handled many complex and shady cases, and these cases are often related to the powerful and wealthy in Hel City.

"I only check what I can check."

"very good."

Cillian hesitated for a moment, then said, "There's one more thing I need to trouble you with."

"what happened?"

"Director DeKarl told me to go to the logistics department to pick up a new uniform."

Cillian stamped his foot. "You'd better bring another pair of shoes."

……

The archive room was dimly lit and filled with the smell of ink and mold.

Cillian walked through the rows of iron shelves, opening drawers according to year and category, and taking out one sealed paper document after another.

Through comparison, Cillian discovered a peculiar point in time.

The records in the archives only go back a few decades at most, around the time the City Guard was established, and the archives also had their first document. Cillian summoned Dalin, who explained this.

"Has something unusual happened in Hel City at this time?"

In a brief moment of recollection, Dalin unearthed a clue: "I remember now, it was around that time that the Chained Flail surfaced near Hel City!"

That makes sense.

Decades ago, the Chains of Fury arrived, and with the help of the Spirit Craftsmen, the City Council rebuilt the crumbling city of Hel. Today, the City Guard stands tall, collecting and storing countless documents.

After an afternoon of research, Sirian discovered a strange pattern in the history of Hel.

In the years following the rebirth of Hel City by the Chain Link, chaotic events remained frequent. However, starting from a certain year, the number of chaotic events gradually decreased, and for several years, there was no trace of chaotic power at all in Hel City.

It was as if a group of top-tier superhumans, who hated evil as if they were their enemy, suddenly arrived decades ago and cleaned up Hel City from the bottom up.

This peaceful period lasted for many years until a few years ago when frequent chaotic events reappeared.

"It seems Director DeKarl has failed in his duties..."

Cillian whispered, "In previous years, the City Guard had a very good control over Hel City, but since he took office, chaotic events have become more frequent."

Dalin said awkwardly, "I'm sorry, Cillian, I forgot, you've only been here a short time and don't know what happened in Hel City."

"Only the older generation of Hull City residents remember his deeds... It's like an urban legend, but it's not a legend; it's a real person and event."

Dalin led Cillian to a corner of the archives and took a document from a drawer.

"People condemned his brutal behavior, but others approved of it, believing that he treated everyone equally, whether they were from the lower class or the powerful, as long as they were involved with Chaos, they would be neatly hanged by him."

Dai Lin's expression was complex, a mixture of longing, awe, and unease.

The people of Hull regard him as a dark hero, while the city council considers him an uncontrollable force that might one day descend upon them.

Therefore, after his disappearance, the city-state council strictly controlled the dissemination of related information, attempting to let time allow the people of Hel to completely forget about him.

"I only learned about his story by chance, and later when I joined the city garrison, I gained a deeper understanding of him."

Dai Lin continued, "Back then, I idolized him and vowed to fight against chaos to the end. But as I got older, I lost that spirit."

“One day, the city council demanded the review of documents concerning him. I made a copy overnight and submitted it. What you see before you is the precious original.”

Cillian put down the documents, and a crazy idea rose in his mind.

"The document mentions that the city sanitation bureau has preserved some of his physical evidence. May I take a look?"

"Of course, it's in the cabinet downstairs."

Dai Lin turned to leave, reminding him, "I'll go outside and keep watch for you. Hurry up and check; this thing is considered contraband."

"You hid contraband here, and you have the nerve to say that?"

“The most dangerous place is the safest place. Haven’t you heard that saying?” Dai Lin said half-jokingly. “Also, if we get caught, I’ll put all the blame on you.”

Cillian dismissed it, "I don't think they'd be stupid enough to believe an intern could preserve this."

"But interns are the easiest to operate on."

After Dai Lin finished speaking, he closed the door to the archives room, and a swaying shadow could be seen through the crack in the door.

Cillian seized every second and focused intently on studying the document in his hands.

Lines of shocking text unfolded before his eyes like horrific paintings, each a bloody tragedy piercing his gaze.

Strangers were brutally slaughtered, their bodies strewn across the fields. The underground hospital was emptied in blood, a scene of utter devastation. City guards were decapitated, their heads remaining only. Several members of the city council were hanged from the high walls, swaying in the wind...

Just reading these words, Cillian could vividly feel hot blood seeping from the texture of the paper, staining his fingertips.

However, Cillian felt no fear whatsoever; on the contrary, an irrepressible excitement surged within him like a tide.

It should be noted that these hundreds of dead were not innocent people. After a thorough investigation, the city guard bureau found that they were all in cahoots with the forces of chaos.

"It can be confirmed that the target was an exceptionally powerful and enigmatic vigilante who, through his sustained, fierce, and brutal crackdown on the chaotic forces lurking within Hel City, successfully brought a period of peace and tranquility to the city..."

"Because of this extreme and fanatical behavior, he made the city council uneasy and kept the high-ranking officials up all night."

"He left a message stating that he was a righteous man who defied the law and killed a falcon during a night hunt."

Cillian read the last paragraph.

He called himself the Reverse Falcon.

(End of this chapter)