Asford was a small town near Sword Sanctuary. Although it was said to be the closest town to Sword Sanctuary, it was located at the foot of the mountain which was tens of miles away. The residents there had led ordinary lives for generations. Therefore, they did not know what had happened in Sword Sanctuary. But of course, the residents were unaware that something unusual had happened. For example, recently, they noticed the animals in the nearby mountains acting strangely. Some that were not commonly seen on the mountainside or at the foot of the mountain could now be seen sporadically. Some rarely-seen birds also hovered around Asford, and some elderly residents believed that this was a sign of impending disaster.One day, the peaceful life of Asford was suddenly disrupted by an unexpected event. A family of three—the Pines—living in the town were killed by an unknown assailant. If it were only a simple murder, then this case would have been written off as a home invasion. However
A detective then approached Toval and whispered, "But sir, we don't have any clues right now."Toval frowned. He had no idea what was going on. Logically, if someone was murdered, there should be signs of a struggle at the scene. But in this case, there weren’t any. There was not a single trace of anyone breaking and entering throughout the entire house. Someone might even think it was a suicide. This made Toval feel powerless to solve the case."We'll discuss this further when we get back to the station. For now, we keep investigating," Toval said to his team."I think you should stop searching here. It's useless; there's nothing of any value here,” someone said.Everyone was confused, then noticed someone walking toward them."Who are you, kid? You’re not supposed to be here." The detective scowled at Adrian as he approached.Toval glanced at the detective and said, "There’s no need to be so hostile, Elodie." He then turned to Adrian and said politely, "What do you mean, sir?"
"Elodie," Toval said sharply, glancing at him. He gestured for Elodie to step aside and keep quiet, then turned back to Adrian. "If you really have a way to help us solve this case, I welcome you to discuss it with us."Toval gestured invitingly and led the way back to the station, and Adrian followed him. At Toval's office, he got Adrian a mug of coffee. "What are your thoughts on this case?" he asked.Adrian replied, "I know this case inside out. I know who the murderer is and when he’ll strike again.""You must be joking. Inspector Toval is the most capable inspector throughout all the nearby cities and towns. You’re saying you know something he doesn't? That's ridiculous," Elodie said, not believing a word."Elodie, you don't need to be here right now. Go attend to your duties," Toval said, giving him a pointed look."But sir..." Elodie looked taken aback."Go," Toval insisted, waving him away.Left with no choice, Elodie gave Adrian one more contemptuous glare before turnin
Adrian said, "Don't worry. With me here, there's no need for you to take risks."With Adrian around, Toval's lingering concerns completely dissipated. After all, it was Adrian who had come to his rescue.*It was late at night. All was silent, with no one around. Because of the murder, the entire town of Asford was in a state of deep tension. Families shut themselves in, isolating themselves from the outside. But even so, the chilling atmosphere made everyone feel anxious and fearful. They prayed, hoping the terrifying murderer wouldn't appear again.Under the cover of night, a figure swiftly flew through the streets. Its speed was so fast that those who weren’t looking properly would’ve mistaken it for a gust of wind.Soon, the figure stopped in front of a low, dilapidated house located in the most remote and impoverished part of Asford. The residents here were also the lowest class of society. Just like the others in town, these people were very afraid, fearing the mysterious ki
Aaaahhhh!” Everly let out a piercing scream.The person who broke the wall seemed to become even more excited upon hearing the little girl's scream and let out a sinister chuckle."Everly!" Mia tightly embraced her daughter.As the pair trembled with fear in a corner, the person outside grew more violent. He repeatedly slammed into the door and windows, attempting to break them open."Mommy! Help! Help!" Everly cried as she paled with fear.Though scared too, Mia couldn't retreat with her daughter present. She gritted her teeth and prepared to face whatever was coming.Crash!Finally, the wall of tables and chairs blocking one of the windows came crashing down, and the intruder leaped into the house. The mother and daughter saw that it was a man with towering height. Though they couldn’t see his face due to the dim light, they could sense his murderous aura, and it sent shivers down their spines."Who are you? Please, don't kill us. We're just a poor mother and daughter," Mia b
The man slowly stepped out of the darkness and into the dim light, wearing a faint smile of satisfaction. "Well, I didn't expect my whereabouts to be exposed. You're quite something, kid," the man said.A chilling wind swirled around the intruder, giving off an eerie feeling."I’ve been waiting for you. If you were actually smart, you wouldn't have shown up here so quickly to commit the same offense again.” The newcomer smirked.The person who had intercepted the intruder was undoubtedly Adrian, who had a fierce look in his eyes as if he could see through the other party. And standing across from him was none other than Alfred Cain the Eastania Sword Demon who had been imprisoned under Sword Sanctuary for decades. Alfred’s expression dripped with disdain as he sneered at Adrian and said, "Kid, from our brief encounter just now, I can sense that you’re strong. But you will meet your end here. Before me, you're simply a nobody.""Is that so? But I feel like you're the one who’s a n
“I thought you would be much stronger but it turns out you're nothing special after all," Adrian said with a cold smile.Though it was just a simple smile, Alfred saw unparalleled mockery and deep sarcasm in Adrian’s eyes."You little brat… How dare you mock me! I'll show you how formidable I am. Die!" Alfred roared as an unprecedentedly formidable power erupted from his body.Adrian knew this was all the power Alfred could muster at the moment. But even so, it was still ineffective against Adrian. His strength far exceeded Alfred's expectations.Adrian waved, and a fierce aura filled the surrounding air. The aura was sharp and fierce, clearly devastating, rushing toward Alfred who quickly tried to defend himself. But Adrian's attacks came relentlessly like an avalanche rushing down the mountain.Boom! At first, Alfred could withstand the attack but soon realized he couldn't hold it off forever. The terrifying onslaught overwhelmed him, and in the blink of an eye, his defense wa
"What? He escaped?" Toval exclaimed in surprise."Yes, but don't worry. Letting him escape was intentional on my part. He can't escape forever. I will catch him eventually," Adrian replied calmly."Why did you let him go then?" Toval appeared puzzled."Because I need to locate the more powerful forces behind him," Adrian explained."More powerful forces behind him...?" Toval's confusion deepened.Adrian glanced around before saying, "This isn't the place to talk. Let's head back to your office and discuss it there.""Alright." Toval nodded in agreement.Before Adrian and Toval departed, Toval instructed his subordinates to assist Mia and Everly in finding a new place to live as their house had been destroyed during the fight. When back in Toval’s office, the tension eased slightly."Mr. Adrian, why do you say there’s a powerful force behind the murderer?" Toval eagerly inquired."Just a hunch," Adrian replied cryptically, choosing not to elaborate at this moment.Toval found