Chapter 27: Meeting the Next Client

"I want to carry on and waste no time in the morning, but sadly, I'm a curious cat and there's nothing I can do about it."

I deftly took a small strip of flesh from the Cleaning Mist Revenant and put it on the table. With a light input, I made Adust secreted a new type of Tidal Scar that was based on the property of the bullets.

Gently, I poured the semi-liquid matter .

It didn't only disintegrate the organic matter clean, it combust the whole damn thing.

It also crippled my table by giving it a new gaping wound the size of a mature dolphin.

"Yup, that's dangerous."

The water blades that would be stretched using the trait of the bullet she absorbed will be really effective against all kinds of organic compounds, as it will immediately decompose any flesh that it touched, if I went by the book.

Because of the circuitry magitech that Adust appraised, it would surely even allow the mixture of the sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide to be more destructive, allowing it to probably even decompose the surrounding inorganic matter when it was in reaction.

Let's call this type of secreted manifestation as 'Piranha Scar', in contrast to the normal Anti-MIND property of Tidal Scar.

"Haah, thank goodness I put away the body of the firearm."

As for the firearm itself, I have another plan for it, but that would be for another time.

"Well then, time to meet with my new client."

I changed my apparel to something less tattered.

It was only 03:46 by the time I left my beloved apartment. It also took me quite a while to fortify my apartment with the nearby debris.

My next destination?

The Stronghold of the Streetlight Talon.

"Heh, it seems like the old man has been using the same tech."

I made sure that nobody was following me or even seeing my location.

At the western center of the Lowstreet of District 67, there was a flickering street lamp that was attached by the wall of the concrete roots of a building that was connected to a part of the Hive.

The design of the street lamp itself was very distinct and could be found in other twenty places within District 67. I chose this location because it was the closest to my apartment.

I simply stood below the spotlight.

Waiting for the timing, I looked at my pocket watch.

It struck 03:55.

I spoke the magic word.

"Twas Brillig."

The street lamp flickered.

Just like that, I'm in a completely different place with another street lamp above me. But this time, I appeared to be on the inside of the cave.

"Huh, so they changed the layout after all these years."

Just by going with my memories, I traveled through the branching tunnel as I was guided by the occasional illumination of a street lamp post. Upon turns and upon turns, memories started to flicker.

Eventually, I stumbled upon an entrance to a tall orange building that seemed to be clipped into the underground. Numerous people with the Streetlight Talon's jacket could be seen going in and out onto a different tunnel from me.

"Yup, I remember the layout from here."

Seemed like the Streetlight Talon was so sure of their intelligence, to the point that they didn't put any kind of detection device and circuit formation. Oh well, I just located some of them, they did put it but it is easy to discern and avoid for someone that had gone back and forth from this place many times in the past.

Infiltrating was my forte, after all.

Before anybody could notice me, I casually sneaked into one of the sacred locations.

The lamps that were usually accompanying my journey throughout the cavern and tunnels were slowly being replaced by a hanging lantern that was fueled by oil.

It was the sign that I'm about to go into the right place.

At the end of my walk, I stumbled upon a very large chamber, where the ceiling was filled with nothing but colorful light from the fire of giant lanterns that seemed to be oriental and made of paper, with an opening at the bottom where a small fire was suspended.

The light was melancholy, and appeared to be eternal.

As I walked forward, the view of tombstones began to occupy the bottom of my sight.

Some members of the Streetlight Talons were confused as they watched me casually walking, passing them one by one. They must be afraid to take an act, knowing that there might be no kind of successful infiltration done before.

It was just like a bunch of puppies meeting with a cat for the first time. They took the curiosity, and just pass by as they were pulled by the leash of their tight schedules.

Until some familiar faces appeared within the frame.

"That's the last one of our fallen comrades, chief!"

I stood still on the corner as I watched everyone set up a giant floating lantern for the last person that had passed the ever fleeting dream of reality.

Using a special kind of material, the light within the floating lantern could be preserved. Soon, the new lantern joined the fray in the air, within this enormous chamber of resting place for the dead.

Yes, I was there when this place was built, even Hans was also included in the list.

The Land of Ever Fleeting Light.

It brought back some memories.

"Now that I think about it, everyone went with their own path after this, huh."

Strangely enough, Lila and Toronto were not within the fray.

One by one, people left this place. Some of them noticed me but they didn't have the time to care or maybe they were still too confused.

Until only one person was left, standing in front of the new grave of her fallen comrade. A smoke could be seen fleeting to the air as I approached from behind.

"You should probably take your rest, ma'am."

Gilga was gazing at the underground's sky full of lanterns. I stood by her side, watching the same scenery that she was fixated on.

"Who knows," she casually replied. Although, her tone was more melancholic than her gesture. "I'm going back to District 64 with Lila and my goons, doing some reconnaissance work.

"Like sure, time is money, but to me, they are more like an ever indulging lifespan of mine." She drew more smoke from the cigarette before releasing it. "And it seems like Lila is right, you're one kind of a freak."

"I lost an arm and a pinky."

"Against the Doppelsoldners?" She finally glanced at me as she threw a wide smirk. "Alone on top of that? I can confidently say that it's a great success on your part. Hahahah."