Chapter 76: Chapter 75: You Call Yourselves "Dawn"?
On the private jet, Baru, his eyes closed, felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.
He had two phones. One was a dedicated, standard-issue device for internal organization use, subject to strict confidentiality requirements.
The other was for personal use, and that was the one with WeChat installed.
Glancing at Jonathan, who was asleep beside him, Baru turned to the side, took out his personal phone, and opened WeChat to see a message from Qin Xiaoxia.
He put on his headphones and hit play.
A sound infused with Magic Power, one that jolted the mind, flowed into his ears.
A dozen or so seconds later, the WeChat message was deleted.
Baru put away his headphones and phone, squinting at the fluffy white clouds outside the cabin window.
Baru wasn’t surprised by the association’s incredible efficiency.
A starved camel is still bigger than a horse. Even if they had been in decline for a long time, a transcendent power that had spanned ages naturally had its methods.
He just needed to focus on whether he could complete his mission perfectly.
...
「Charles de Gaulle Airport」
After a six-hour flight, Baru and Jonathan finally landed.
Their other five colleagues had landed half an hour before them and were already waiting in the airport lounge.
They all knew each other, so there was no need to waste time on introductions.
As the commander-in-chief of this operation, Baru briefly explained some details of the "Sender Project" to them. Any further additions would have to be improvised on the spot.
Besides finding the "Sender," another key objective was to avoid attracting the attention of the French authorities.
After meeting up and taking a short break in the VIP lounge, they boarded their rented private vehicle.
Although they didn’t have many leads, they already had a direction for their investigation.
Well, they weren’t just going to stumble around in the dark looking for the "Sender." Instead, they would track the members of France’s Supernatural Research and Response Department.
Compared to fumbling for a target in the dark, tailing their counterparts was obviously much simpler and would yield greater returns.
Even if they couldn’t find the "Sender" directly, they could at least learn about their rivals’ progress.
The support from their intelligence agency on this point was quite thorough.
They had already figured out who headed this special French department—one that had only recently gained prominence—how many members it had, and even where those members were deployed.
The seven of them traveled in a standard commercial van along a pre-planned route.
"This is the person whose private email received the message."
Baru said, pointing to a photo on a tablet.
"Team Three will be responsible for his surveillance. Team Two, you’re not going anywhere; just monitor the entrances and exits of their research department. Team One will coordinate with our agents in Paris to separately tail their members who are currently on missions out in the field. Everyone clear?"
"Clear!"
"OK!"
"Yes, sir!"
...
These operatives, as well as the researchers back in Washington, were all elites from intelligence and espionage agencies before joining the 19th Division. They were old hands at this sort of thing.
"Good. Team Three will get out at the first intersection. Then, two or three intersections later, Teams One and Two will also get out in succession. Prepare for action!"
The French were furious, embarrassed that the British had shared secrets with the Americans without their consent, playing both sides for their own benefit.
Adding their own protectionist attitude to the mix, they flatly rejected the joint investigation request from the UK and US.
What the French didn’t know was that the wolf was already at the door.
「That evening, local time」
Baru checked into a small inn.
He had originally planned to use his special abilities to slip away unnoticed, but he never expected to be made the operational commander of the "Sender Project" himself.
This was just too convenient.
Baru directly used his authority to devise a plausible plan, successfully sending his team members away.
Now, he might even be able to conserve the Magic Power Master Sage had hidden in his left arm. He might not even need to activate that Secret Realm Engraving.
Master Sage had never explicitly said it before, but Baru already knew.
The moment he obtained the Dawn Seal, blessed by the Power of Oath and the Scepter, a Silent Knight could potentially awaken a deeper level of power after undergoing the spiritual baptism.
He no longer felt that old sluggishness with his power. He might not be completely proficient yet, but his control over its responses was seamless, and he no longer had to worry about losing control during an outburst.
But even as an official Silent Knight, Master Sage’s Magic Power was still an incredibly precious thing.
It wasn’t just a lifesaving talisman for Jenny and the others; for him, a Knight, it was the final, decisive blow in a critical moment.
「Eight o’clock at night」
This was the time when Parisians were out and about, everyone except the little kids who were already tucked in bed.
To be cautious, Baru didn’t fully activate the Secret Realm Engraving. Instead, he drew upon a sliver of the Magic Power in his arm, running it at a low "wattage."
In an instant, he seemed to feel a faint response from his surroundings—from the earth, the air, from everything.
’So this is what it feels like to have Magic Power!’
He didn’t lose himself in the intoxicating sensation, but quickly headed out the door.
A faint, reddish aura, invisible to the naked eye, emanated from Baru.
In life, the Red Demoness had been a special existence among the Sea Sirens. Not just her hair color, but her Abilities were also extraordinary.
The Power of Sound Illusion of the Sea Sirens also endowed the Fall of the Red Demoness, this woven Secret Realm, with this extra Ability.
Though it was just an Engraving on his arm, its effect was extraordinary.
Baru left his room, walked down the hallway, and passed through the inn’s lobby and main entrance.
He encountered quite a few people along the way.
But it was as if all of them had unintentionally overlooked him.
He could tell they were aware someone was passing by; after all, a staff member pushing a cart had just deliberately made way for him.
However, not a single person he encountered looked at him directly.
It wasn’t just because he looked like another face in the crowd to them.
The feeling was very strange, as if he had merged with the faintly responsive air and earth. Baru was completely convinced that if Jonathan were walking toward him, he too would probably overlook him.
After trying to hail several taxis only to be ignored by the drivers, Baru finally deactivated the Secret Realm Engraving and managed to flag one down.
Coincidentally, it was a cab he had just tried to hail. The first time, it had driven right past him without stopping.
"Hey buddy, so you were trying to get a cab! My bad, visibility was poor. For a second there, I thought they’d put up a new statue at the edge of the square, ha."
The driver’s words confirmed that Baru hadn’t been invisible.
"Haha, so my posture can rival that of a statue."
Baru joked.
"Oh, right. 15 Kelvin Street, please."
Baru deliberately gave an address on a street adjacent to his real destination, which was just a few turns away on foot.
The driver furrowed his brow.
’Kelvin Street? Isn’t that almost in the suburbs?’
But he didn’t say anything more and just started the car and drove off.
...
「Two hours later」
Baru had already been staking out the area near 152 Fisher Street for an hour and a half.
As a Knight, his vision in the brightly lit night was far superior to that of an ordinary person.
He had originally planned to wait until midnight, but he was surprised to see several groups of young people entering the building one after another.
More than half an hour had passed since the last pair, two twin brothers, went inside. It was unlikely anyone else was coming to the "gathering."
’Master Sage was right. They’re really just a bunch of kids!’
Baru didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as he recalled the young people who had arrived with their arms slung around each other’s shoulders, blatantly showing off their palms.
The crudely scrawled fake "Seals" were so conspicuous.
’You call yourselves ’Dawn’? What a joke!’
Baru stubbed out his cigarette and swallowed his last mouthful of noodles.
"Tip’s on the table!"
After saying that, he stretched and walked out of the roadside Japanese ramen shop.
PS: Today’s two Chapters have been posted!
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