The eccentric doctor never makes a misdiagnosis!

A group of hunters dressed in black monk robes sped past the bookstore, silent and solemn, almost blending into the night.

Hunter? Will adjusted his glasses, slightly surprised.

Sandrank Street is located in the South District and is generally under the jurisdiction of the White Cup Order. Moreover, hunters are usually solitary, and the current number... is probably a purge force from the Funeral Court.

"Sigh...this year has been exceptionally turbulent."

There was an evil offspring attacking the museum during Plum Month, a blood rain covering the entire Norrington during Lunar New Year, and strange rumors about the sewers in recent days... Although such incidents have occurred in previous years, this year seems to be particularly frequent.

Old Will vividly remembers the almost deafening gunfire near the museum at the end of summer, and the lingering, pungent smell of blood that persisted for days.

It seems Vivian won't be coming today. She holds a clerical position in the Hunter's Order, and is usually quite busy when there are missions.

Although the hunters' work is arduous and dangerous, she is an office worker who stays at headquarters year-round, so she doesn't have to worry about safety unless there is a natural disaster of the magnitude of a plague.

That's wonderful. I wonder if my grandson will be able to land a decent clerical job in one of the four major religious sects after graduation. But that's a few years from now; I might not even live to see it…

Thinking about the future, old Will let out a sigh, half disappointed and half expectant. He then supported his back, shakily got up, and drew the curtain closed.

The "Open for Business" sign was flipped to "Closed" side.

He had no idea that Vivian was actually among the group of hunters who had just passed by the bookstore...

"Sigh, another night shift."

Vivian gently bit her lip to prevent her tired and sleepless soul from accidentally escaping from her mouth.

At times like these, she often envied the clerical staff of the General Affairs Department. Although their workload was considerable, they were ultimately under the protection of the [Pure Land] and enjoyed a standard eight-hour workday.

While the Funeral Court also operates on an eight-hour shift, their working hours may be from midnight to 8 a.m. the next day... If a mission to hunt evil offspring is assigned, they may even need to conduct months of tracking and ambush without sleep.

Vivian hadn't been in the funeral home for very long and hadn't encountered this situation yet.

But Sister Heda had experienced it many times herself, and not only that, she enjoyed it immensely...

"The debunkers are waiting for us, so please be patient, Vivian."

Heda noticed that Vivian seemed a little distracted, so she gave her a brief reminder.

This mission differs from previous small-team operations. The General Affairs Department has issued a purge order and decided that Haida will be the executive director of this purge, which is why she brought so many hunters with her.

Since it's the "Executive Supervisor," this temporary title is usually held only by senior hunters at the supervisor level. However, there was no objection within the Funeral Court to Haida leading the team... because her qualifications were beyond question.

Strength is the only standard by which hunters are certified. No hunter would doubt a hunter who has taken the head of a high priest.

"I know."

Vivian muttered something under her breath, then followed Haida back into silence.

Traveling at breakneck speed in the middle of the night, a team of heavily armed hunters quickly arrived at the entrance to the drainage system. The White Cup Order had already widened the area using engineering machinery, and the outer fence had been expanded as well.

"Good evening, Sister Hedda." The lead exonerator greeted Hedda.

He was dressed in a neat white shirt and wore a dark red headscarf; his skin was a healthy tan. He didn't look like a professor or a student, but rather like a professional sailor.

Haida nodded slightly, politely responding to the other party's greeting.

"Hello. Are you in charge of this operation?"

"Yes, you can call me Utus. I am a professor in the Department of Oceanography, a part-time naturalist and folklorist, and the first mate of the 'Levia'."

Why would a professor from the Department of Oceanography be in charge of such an incident... Haida narrowed her eyes, slightly surprised.

Seeing Haida's expression subtly change before quickly returning to normal, Utus laughed heartily.

"Professor Terence should have taken over. But his back injury recently flared up and he needs to recuperate for a few weeks. There's no other way but for me, the dolphin keeper, to step in."

“Teaching Assistant Child is here too. You should get to know him better. Just talk to him about any tasks that need to be discussed.”

Upon hearing this, Childe, standing at the front of the line, waved to Heda, indicating that he was not absent.

"Don't worry, Sister Heda. I haven't wasted my decades sailing on the deep seas of Gormouth. While I may not be as good as Headmaster Grantham, I'm certainly no worse than Professor Terence."

After speaking, Utus showed Haida the tattoo of the White Cup emblem on his arm, as well as the letter of appointment for this mission.

After verifying that everything was correct, Haida nodded.

"Okay, let's get ready to go."

"Please wait a moment, Sister Heda. Besides the Exorcist of the White Cup, we have a rather special guest this time..."

Utus then looked at Rosalie, who was dressed as a reporter, and Heida also turned her gaze to her.

Accompanying reporters? ...No, that's not right.

Black hair, red eyes, and an aura of "spirit" emanating from him that carried a clear, cool sensation and was constantly changing...

“The Moon's Kin?” Haida guessed, based on these characteristics.

“Yes. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sister Heda. I am Rosalie Noralia.”

Rosalie gave a graceful and natural bow.

Thanks to her good family upbringing, her demeanor was impeccable. However, the slight unease in her chest suggested that she was far from being as calm as she appeared.

These hunters, clad in black, exuded the aura of steel, gunpowder, and silver, and carried a powerful sense of oppression. This, to some extent, awakened the fear hidden deep within her blood.

If the vampires hadn't embraced the Moon of Rebirth, these hunters might have been hunting themselves.

I heard Mr. Child say that Heda can pull the head out of a minor evil heir with her bare hands, I wonder if that's true...

"Welcome to the team, Rosalie."

Haida did not reject the Moon's Chosen Clan from joining this purge, after all, the city's drainage system covers a wide area, and more help is always good.

Furthermore, this incident also reveals the White Cup Order's attitude. Since they agreed to let Rosalie join the mission, it means that the suspicion of the Moon Familia has been largely eliminated.

Once everything was ready, Haida didn't linger any longer and led the Exorcists and the Purification Force back into the dark and deep sewers.

-

Chapter Seventy-Nine: Elderberry and Amaranth

"Six people per group, spread out to search, and the group leader reports a secret order every 300 seconds to confirm survival."

"Yes!"

After Haida gave the order, the purge forces behind her quickly and orderly broke into small groups and spread out in all directions.

While splitting up is a major no-no in horror movies... in the current situation, spreading out the manpower is indeed the only way to ensure an efficient search. Moreover, operating in small teams allows for mutual support should danger arise.

Furthermore, the drainage system is inherently narrow and unsuitable for clearing out the advancing troop concentrations.

"Alright, let's proceed along the original route."

After issuing the order, Haida, along with Vivian and several exonerators, began their incursion.

Although she did not actively seek dominance, both Utus and Rosalie tacitly surrounded her.

Those White Cup members qualified to become Exterminators all possess some level of second-class arcane arts that can be used in combat, and Utus was no exception. But ultimately, he was, after all, an educator... and could not compare to the hunters in terms of expertise in tracking down evil offspring.

Another question... Will Dr. Fran come on this mission?

Haida looked around but did not see anyone wearing a white coat.

Although Fran hasn't arrived yet, it can't be said for sure that she won't be absent. After all, there's the precedent from last time... With the help of that strange "mist in the doorway," it wouldn't be surprising if she appeared at any time or place.

“Vivian, bring out the search QQ group ‘Hound’.”

"Ah."

Vivian took an arm wrapped in layers of cloth from her agent-issue briefcase, unwrapped it, and threw it on the ground.

...That's right. It's Bayes' arm.

The flesh and blood tissue that has undergone [Hound Mimicry] can not only find its master, but also perform some of the "hunting dog's" duties, searching for things that are similar in composition to itself. Of course, the efficiency and accuracy will be slightly lower.

Looking at the constantly twitching severed hand, Rosalie pursed her lips, her expression somewhat subtle.

Byers' body also appears to be missing an arm... and like this one, it's a left hand.

Although vampires, as undead creatures, possess superhuman regenerative abilities, it is easy to tell that the bones of Byers' newly grown arm are not made of [S-813. Pseudo-Physical Steel].

Furthermore, the coroner in charge of Byers, for some unknown reason, removed the entire newly grown limb, restoring it to the state of his severed arm.

"Consolidate the recorded aura characteristics."

Vivian patted Byers' severed arm on the ground, then placed a bloodstained wad of silk in front of it and waved it. The severed arm then began to wriggle in a very human-like manner, like a canine wagging its tail.

If it had a vocal cord, it would probably be barking by now.

"Have the Hunters' hounds always been like this...?" Rosalie's eyes twitched slightly. Utus was also somewhat surprised, but as a seasoned sailor, he showed no emotion.

Child, on the other hand, had already seen it once before, so he remained calm and seemed to be used to it.

"Go."

Once the severed arm had reinforced its aura, it diligently snapped its fingers and began to crawl quickly.

Haida followed closely behind, observing the surrounding environment as she went.

She wears a mystical communication device on her earlobe, which receives secret orders from each group every 300 seconds to ensure the survival of its members.

As the "Execution Chief," Haida was responsible not only for the elimination of dangerous targets, but also for the real-time coordination of the mopping-up operations. She was truly a one-woman show.

"No abnormalities found in the area under the responsibility of the first team. Secret order: Elderberry."

"No abnormalities found in the area under the second team's responsibility. Secret order: Amaranth."

"No abnormalities found in the area under the responsibility of the third team. Secret order: Elderberry."

"No abnormalities found in the area under the responsibility of the fourth team. Secret order: Amaranth."

……

The Funeral Court's squad codes are set before the mission begins, usually using a specific flower or plant as a code. Sometimes a single code is used, but today it's differentiated by whether the squad number is odd or even.

In addition, she made some special arrangements in a specific order to prevent any unforeseen circumstances.

"The first round of confirmation is complete, no abnormalities found, proceed with further investigation."

The purge force had only just begun to spread, so the chances of encountering the evil offspring were indeed slim. However, when Haida received the secret orders, she maintained the strictness that a funeral maid always had and did not relax in the slightest.

Because the price of negligence could be the lives of colleagues.

"They're really well-trained... No wonder they're the Funeral Court's purging force. I wish the lads on my ship were this efficient."

Utus couldn't help but let out a sigh of admiration.

He had heard Professor Terence mention some rumors about Sister Heda before, which aroused his interest in her, and he wanted to see her true face beneath her infamous reputation.

Based on current observations, she does possess a certain level of command ability. As for whether her combat capabilities are as formidable as Terence described... that remains to be seen.

Byas's severed arm sniffed left and right, leading the group closer to the core area of ​​the city's drainage system.

It clearly doesn't have a nose, so does making a "sniffing" motion really make any sense...?

Although Rosalie tried her best to ignore the severed hand that thought it was a hound, she couldn't help but be drawn to it.

"despair."

The severed hand suddenly stopped advancing, leaning forward against a wall and swaying repeatedly, adopting a canine stance for attack. △

If it weren't mouthless, it would surely be barking fiercely right now.

"Is it inside the wall...? The White Cup construction team is up there, I'll call them down."

Looking at the dark gray, heavy concrete walls, Utus felt a bit troubled.

This wall can withstand the erosion of moisture from the sewers over the years, and it would be difficult to pry it open with conventional tools.

"No need."

Haida examined the size and thickness of the concrete wall, then drew her power sword "Nirvana," and with a light touch of the tip, easily pierced it.

"Clang-"

The concrete and the embedded rebar are like soft rubber products, and a diamond-shaped notch is cut out in an instant.

The power sword's blade emitted a faint, metallic hum, tinged with a strange melancholy. This was understandable; as a noble weapon, it was only natural for it to have some temper when performing the work of an entrenching tool…

Shh...don't be impatient.

Haida gently patted the sword, wiping away the dust and metal shavings that had accumulated during its cutting. Under her soothing touch, the metallic hum gradually subsided.

Utus narrowed his eyes slightly.

Headmaster Grantham had previously given him a basic profile of Sister Heda, which did mention that she wielded a sword-shaped relic. But he never imagined a sword could be used like this…