Chapter 467 - Truly An Interrogation Specialist!

It turns out, an interrogation specialist was indeed an interrogation specialist. After Jack killed two dark creatures inside the abandoned warehouse, he finally got the last dark creature to talk.

The creature finally caved into its fear...

Boom!

The burly Jack was like a boxer, treating the dark creature in front of him like a punching bag. He sent the dark creature flying with a single punch. Even the chains that bound it snapped apart.

The dark creature hit the ground with a

thud

, its yellowing fangs spraying out of its mouth alongside a burst of fresh blood. It curled up in the corner, screaming in agony.

Thud!

A large black leather boot stomped down on the creature's chest, nearly robbing it of breath. The burly Jack towered over it with a vicious gaze. His teeth kept grinding, as though he were chewing on something, making a crunching sound that set one's teeth on edge.

Crash! Rumble!

High above the dim warehouse, lightning streaked across the sky, briefing carrying a flash of blue-white light. Rain was pouring down in torrents, sweeping across the land.

"Looks like you're all just as tight-lipped. Damn it, you're wasting my time!" Jack said as he twisted his neck, audibly cracking his joints. He spat on the ground and quietly eyed the dark creature in the corner with barely contained bloodlust.

The dark creature shrank back into the shadows, refusing to meet Jack's bloodshot, near-maniacal gaze. The man before it was a complete madman; his so-called interrogation skill was nothing of the sort. It was clearly just one-sided brutality!

Its first comrade had been killed in a baffling manner. When it had been captured by these strong men, they had shoved a chunk of iron into its mouth beforehand to keep it quiet. During Jack's interrogation, however, he never even removed the iron gag; he just kept beating it relentlessly.

The blood craze in his eyes only grew, and he kept chanting the same lines under his breath. "Are you going to talk? Are you going to talk? Are you going to talk? If you don't talk, I'll beat you to death!"

The comrade had thrashed about wildly, trying to make some noise. However, the other side only took that as a sign of stubborn resistance, and proceeded to pummel it to death punch after punch!

The only thing that remained was a bloody heap of flesh five meters away. By the time its second comrade died, the dark creature was absolutely sure that the burly man before it was mentally deranged. If its answers showed the slightest delay or hesitation, it would be killed on the spot.

The dark creature watched as Jack prepared to strike again. It hastily shouted, "I'll talk! I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!"

𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

And thus, interrogation specialist Jack completed his interrogation successfully.

The squad captain and his team were quite satisfied. Jack was indeed one of the rare interrogation specialists at the Treatment Ward. Any future interrogations would undoubtedly be his to handle!

The crucial intelligence gathered was soon passed on to the Treatment Ward's headquarters in Florence. The target, Blood Shark, after being gravely wounded and fleeing half a year ago, had joined an organization called the Eclipse Society to recuperate. The Eclipse Society, much like the Blood Spirit Society, was an organization of dark creatures operating throughout the northern and eastern regions of the Hongli Empire.

However, unlike the Blood Spirit Society, the Eclipse Society wasn't formed by just one kind of dark creature but welcomed all sorts of dark creatures races into its ranks. This included Vampires, Ugly Faces, Shadow Demons, and the Black Moon Clan. They were most active in the eastern regions of the Hongli Empire, focusing less on the north where the Dark Hunter Organization's headquarters were and regulation was undoubtedly stricter.

Therefore, the Eclipse Society's main base was not in the Empire's north; it only had a branch there, referred to as the second headquarters. Of course, it could also be called the first branch.

Blood Shark was frequently active in the first branch. The first branch of Eclipse Society possessed something called the Blood Moon Serum. It was a potent supplement for ordinary dark creatures that could significantly boost their power.

It would greatly accelerate the process of beast transformation in hunters who had already started the process. Blood Shark was most likely after that particular serum. Hearing the name "Blood Moon Serum" immediately reminded Cassius of the Berserk Serum. From his extensive experience dealing with dark creatures, Cassius suspected they might not have the means to conduct deep research into such serums.

Not to mention, a serum that could enhance dark creatures and was even more precious than the Berserk Serum could only be associated with the Gate Organization. Cassius speculated that perhaps both the Berserk Serum and the Blood Moon Serum had come from research into dark creature transformation.

There was now a newly cleared practice room on the top floor of the Treatment Ward's office building. A strong figure, shirtless from the waist up, set aside a report and walked straight to the window.

From his vantage point, Cassius could see the view below in its entirety. The broad, gray streets had greenery swaying in the wind and passersby that looked like black ants.

He enjoyed this sensation of watching from above as his grand scheme unraveled bit by bit, relishing that subtle feeling of control. The Treatment Ward's doctors had now set their sights on the Eclipse Society and planned to make a move soon. This would definitely be considered a major event in the supernatural world. As the mastermind behind it all, Cassius was thoroughly enjoying himself.

He could subtly sense the Will of his Dominator Fist, giving him a sense of fulfillment.

His fist technique had been growing more refined lately, and the increasing intensity of his Qi assured him that everything he was doing was right. He was indeed walking the path of the Dominator Fist!

"Hah..."

Standing with his hands behind his back, Cassius exhaled a hot breath. The white vapour from his breath traveled almost two meters through the air.

His entire musculature quivered slightly, and his skin heated up in an instant. The sweat he'd produced from practicing his fist technique evaporated instantly, drifting upward before dispersing over his head.

Many meridians in Cassius's body lit up, tinged in half-red and half-purple, forming an image of a blood falcon entwined with a star python. It had grown even more distinct. This meant that the meridians related to his Southern Dipper Fist Technique had multiplied and tightened, and the pattern had become even more elaborate.

[Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist: 34 acupoints; Southern Dipper Sonic Snake Fist: 34 acupoints.]

Over the course of a few days in Howling Canyon, Cassius not only solidified his fourth-stage Southern Dipper Force but also broke through even further. Even though he had reached the realm of the extreme combat artist, his progress hadn't slowed for a moment, and he pressed on toward the highest level just beneath Holy Fist.

"Let's wipe out Eclipse Society's first branch in the north. Once the Chief Mechanist gets wind of this, he'll be even more resolute about working with me, and will grant me greater autonomy and convenience..." Cassius muttered silently to himself.

If you want others to trust you, you can't just pay lip service; you must show evidence of your ability. Clearly, the situation had escalated. Blood Shark had moved from being the primary target to the secondary target, and the new top priority was now the Eclipse Society's first branch in the north.

Swoosh...

An entire outfit disappeared from the coat rack in the doorway.

A fully dressed Cassius made his way down from the office building with remarkably steady strides. He suddenly paused in a quiet stairwell, glancing at a shadow nearby. "Let's go to Farr County. Let's see what this new generation of Treatment Ward doctors can do; they'd better not disappoint me, given all the time and energy I've invested.

Heh heh heh...

"

Evil Mother silently emerged from the shadows. It had observed the Treatment Ward's new batch of doctors under Cassius's command, and their strength was utterly different from previous generations. The new cohort of Treatment Ward doctors were all once exceedingly dangerous criminals—the kind that required multiple doctors to capture. Those criminals had now been released as doctors.

Additionally, they all had a Golem Seed in their bodies, making them crave further training. This caused their Golem totems to grow increasingly refined, granting them powerful enhancements.

Their auras, especially those criminals who had been on the third level had surged significantly in just a few days. It was no exaggeration to say that the Treatment Ward now potentially held power comparable to half the Hunters' Association!

They absolutely would not lose against the Eclipse Society. The only questions are how decisive that victory would be and how much they would lose themselves. If Cassius or Evil Mother were aiding them, Eclipse Society's northern forces would stand no chance.

***

On August 15, it was partly cloudy in Beiyun City on the outskirts of Farr County. Members of the Treatment Ward had taken full control of an old manor in the area.

It had originally belonged to a clan of Blood Race who had been masquerading as wealthy nobles for decades. They were careful, managing to avoid detection by the Hunters' Association even in Farr County, which was close to the capital, Florence.

But the Treatment Ward doctors had unexpectedly trailed them back to their lair the day before and wiped out the entire household.

This new generation of Treatment Ward doctors had once been inmates suffering severe dark creature transformation in the Savage Beast Den. Naturally, they were highly sensitive to the aura of their own kind, and even though Cassius had cleansed their calamity, their senses remained. Following the scent of the Blood Race made them itch with excitement.

Cassius's rules had ensured these new doctors were restrained from arbitrarily harming ordinary people. However, their violent urges still demanded release so they naturally targeted dark creatures instead. The Director of the Treatment Ward never forbade attacking dark creatures!

At this stage, the Golem Seeds had not been in their bodies long enough for their desire to train to overshadow their bloodthirsty rage. They needed a way to vent and a way to skirt the rules openly. Thus, that night was nothing short of a wild beast's revel.

The entire manor of Blood Race was strung up and subjected to unspeakable torture. They couldn't even scream, for their tongues had been cut out in advance. Whenever one grew back, it was cut out again!

Limbs were severed bit by bit, bones were pulled out and played with, brains were beaten out, and some heads were even shoved into their own abdominal cavities punch by punch. The myriad tortures gave the doctors ample satisfaction. These were not methods they themselves invented; they were taken from torture records found in the manor's own dungeon!

The Blood Race enjoyed watching their prey suffer before feeding, believing that blood born of extreme agony was the most delicious. At least a hundred people had died under their torment!

Now, the Treatment Ward's doctors were simply repaying them in kind and incidentally indulging their own twisted bloodlust in the process. Everyone was satisfied—except for Claire the Siren.

She had only just joined the Treatment Ward at the suggestion of some veteran hunters, and at the same time, she was following a mission from her uncle, the Chief Mechanist. She was to observe the Treatment Ward's internal situation and the various actions it might soon undertake. It wasn't even considered covert surveillance, because Claire's intentions were entirely out in the open.

Both the Deputy Director of the Treatment Ward, Otto, and Cassius understood that Claire was the Chief Mechanist's agent. Since the Treatment Ward was part of the Hunters' Association, the Chief Mechanist couldn't simply leave it unchecked. Though Cassius had been granted wide autonomy, official oversight was still a necessity.

Otherwise, some within the Dark Hunter Organization would voice their objections. Claire, with her solid family background, was undoubtedly the best choice. She was both the niece of the Chief Mechanist and had once competed against Cassius for the position of Shadow Hunter.

Her entry into the Treatment Ward would silence the voices within the Dark Hunter Organization that opposed this new iteration of the Ward. As for Claire herself, she was more than willing. She was curious about how Cassius had leapt to the position of Number Two Shadow Hunter so she agreed to the Dark Hunter Organization's proposal.

However, in the three days since she joined the Treatment Ward's headquarters, she had barely seen Cassius. Instead, she witnessed a group of what seemed like deranged muscleheads brutally torturing the Blood Race. Though the sight didn't quite make Claire vomit, it left her deeply unsettled.

After all, the Blood Race possessed a form of immortality. Imagine watching an arm get twisted off, leaving only some skin attached at the shoulder. Then another arm would grow from the bloody stump, only to be torn off once more and forcefully stabbed back into its body. In the end, one member of the Blood Race turned into a monster with dozens of arms.

The savage, blood-soaked thugs remained either expressionless or burst into hearty laughter. They pointed at the gore, offering commentary as they savored the entire spectacle.

Claire herself was almost at the level of a Shadow Hunter in theory, and was stronger than these doctors. Yet, she felt utterly out of place among them, like a husky that had wandered into a pack of wolves.

It made her feel like she was on pins and needles, costing her an entire night's rest. She woke up the next day feeling less than her best. But given her strength, one sleepless night didn't drain her much.

The Treatment Ward doctors in the manor were busy preparing from morning until dusk, checking various weapons and adjusting their own conditions.

At sunset, three figures finally appeared at the manor gate. Fog Man, Nine Serpents, and Hermit had returned from reconnaissance. The Deputy Director, Otto, who was managing things in the manor, immediately went to greet them.

The four conversed in a corner for a while, as they passed on Director Cassius's orders for the Treatment Ward and specifics about the Eclipse Society branch.

"The Director wants us to not only take out Blood Shark, the target, but also to wipe out the entire northern arm of the Eclipse Society. We'll show the Dark Hunter Organization and the Chief Mechanist what this new generation of the Treatment Ward can do!"

"This time, the Director will observe from the shadows to see how far we've progressed. Depending on that, he'll decide how much more to invest in us going forward..."

"There's nothing else to discuss—kill them all!!!"