Chapter 1481 The Blood Array. I
1481 The Blood Array. I
A couple of days later...
The fallen specters' case had drastically caused one of the largest arrestment spree known in the history of the realm.
Almost all the spirits who purchased fallen specters ended up getting punished by the government depending on the number of hired specters.
Some had gotten away with a slap in the wrist and some ended up losing their entire businesses or even being put into jail for a long period.
As for their fallen specters? They were forcefully retrieved and grouped up in designated areas prepared for them until a cure was found for their conditions.
When the number of fallen specters' captured was announced, everyone was left absolutely stunned as the number was close to passing a couple of millions!
This overwhelming number had caused the law enforcement supreme chief, arbiters, and the high inspectors to receive the biggest backlash possible across the entire realm.
Right now, in the ethereal elder's council, the law enforcement supreme chief was receiving the scolding of a lifetime.
"Under your watchful gaze, the shadows have danced and the forbidden has been whispered. Your sacred duty was to be the guardian of balance, the protector of the divine, yet more than a million poor souls were tainted." Elder Elysium called out, his voice filled with disappointment, "How can you allow this to happen?"
Supreme Chief Alaric, his form seeming smaller in the spotlight, felt every note of their disappointment. He didn't try to defend himself or give out excuses.
He remained silent, taking in their hurtful words, knowing that he deserved what was coming at him.
Luckily, Lord Hades hadn't attended the meeting or his fate would have been much worse than just listening to some scolding.
"Brothers and sisters, I know that I have failed my duties and I will try my best to make amends." Chief Alaric uttered with an icy tone, "Starting with finding the traitor in my department."
Chief Alaric was smart enough to understand that without insider help, it would be near impossible for such a massive criminal operation to go unnoticed.
The rest of the elders weren't too surprised by this as they also thought the same.
"There is no need to look further, I think we already have a main suspect." Elder Kraken shared, "I heard that Inspector Nolvar has been giving Captain Charleson's squad a hard time since the moment they began investigating the fallen organization."
Felix told him about this in private, knowing that Inspector Nolvar had to go away if he wanted to remain in the law enforcement department.
After all, he was their competition supervisor and they literally just went to war with him. He was bound to create trouble for them at every turn.
'Now, even outsiders bring me information about my own department.' Chief Alaric got displeased internally while showing a grateful front.
It had been a long time since he felt such shame and humiliation in front of his own peers, and he was going to cull the entire department to seeth his rage.
'Arbitar Dankur, examine Nolvar and see if he has any relations to the fallen organization.' Chief Alaric ordered.
'As you command, chief.'
With an arbiter put on his tail and his deep involvement with the previous cover-ups on the fallen specters, it could be said to be the end of Inspector Nolvar!
Duke Humphrey knew this and still didn't show much of a reaction in the council.
He remained silent and kept watching his peers, move on from one agenda to the other.
When they reached the cure agenda, Elder Kraken spoke with a deep frown, "I have seen the universal codex writings on those gemstones. I don't know how they got their hands on such a thing."
"We have to inform Lord Hades about this." Elder Sheol said.
"Agreed, universal codex language might imply the involvement of higher beings."
"Aren't you guys taking this a bit too seriously?" Duke Humphrey uttered calmly, "You know that our spirit realm is full of mysteries and those gemstones could have been found somewhere. Let's not bother our lord until we make sure we eliminate all possibilities."
"He is right." Elder Elysium nodded in agreement, "Our lord has just entered his meditation session and it will be a grave mistake to awaken him without first trying to solve the problem on our own."
The elders nodded one by one in support, understanding that their Lord had given them a considerable amount of authority to handle such issues without annoying him.
So, it was best to investigate the gemstones on their own and only seek out his help when they eliminate all other options.
'Good, I bought a couple of days for me, but I can't stall for longer.' Duke Humphrey thought to himself, 'I have to start the ritual tonight.'
Meanwhile, Elder Kraken had side glancing at Duke Humphrey ever since he proposed to not involve Lord Hades.
Felix had already told him that a noble was the mastermind and it might be even one of the elders.
Still, Duke Humphrey merely stated the obvious, and his intervention was logical. So, he merely caused Elder Kraken to have a bit of suspicion in his direction.
Duke Humphrey noticed Kraken's looks and continued behaving normally, not too bothered by him.
After a while, the meeting was delayed until tomorrow to continue discussing the cure if there was any.
When Duke Humphrey arrived at his massive mansion, he went straight to the dungeon, still draped in his prestigious robe.
After reaching the bottom, the air, moist and dense with the echoes of silent whimpers, embraced him with the acquaintance of a partner in countless dark deeds.
The dungeon had the same gruesome spectacle from three decades ago. In it were spirits, each one manacled, each one bearing marks of torment.
Duke Humphrey's lips curled into a subtle, cold smile as he observed their suffering, a distorted kind of artistry painting his face.
"You're in luck, your eternal suffering will soon be over." He uttered as he walked to the center of the massive hall, surrounded by the tortured negativity fuelers.
His words didn't seem to solicit any kind of hopeful reaction.
Everyone's faces were already engraved with utter despair, knowing, certain, that their lives would be like this until the day they muster enough courage to kick themselves from the heavenly plane...
Unbothered by their lack of reaction, Duke Humphrey walked to the nearest one and stabbed him right in the thigh with his finger.
The spirit didn't even let out a whimper as he had already grown numb from such pain.
Blood began to pour out of the wound after Duke Humphrey pulled his finger.
The duke placed a bucket under the wound and went to the second victim, repeating the process.
After collecting two full buckets of blood, he returned to the center of the hall and kneeled down.
He put his finger inside the bucket and pulled it out until it was entirely covered in thick blood.
Then, with careful precision, he began to draw an immense array on the cold, stone floor, using the mysterious language of the universal codex, each symbol pulsating with forbidden power.
The array was a masterful, intricate design, a maze of symbols and patterns, each one carefully drawn to channel and manipulate the profound energies it would soon unleash.
It looked as if the universe's secrets were transcribed there, a silent whisper of the cosmos scribed in blood!
If Felix were to see this, he would be even more confused about the origin of Duke Humphrey as there was no way a mortal would be this proficient in a language even primogenitors struggled to understand.
The spirits, their bodies contorted and chains rattling softly, bore silent witness to the forbidden act unfolding before them.
Fear and sorrow merged in their spectral eyes, windows to the countless torments they endured.
Some, the pain too great, had their eyes closed, whispering silent prayers, seeking a liberation that seemed more and more like an illusion with each passing moment...
Meanwhile, every stroke Duke Humphrey made was deliberate, the array slowly coming to life, and symbols seemed to ignite with a haunting, eerie glow.
The energy grew, the array expanding and contracting as if breathing, the symphony reaching a cacophonous crescendo.
As the final drop of blood connected the last symbol, the movement stopped and the illusionary light disappeared.
It seemed like the array became a scrabble on the tainted ground...Yet, Duke Humphrey had a pleased smile on his face, a rare reaction.
'The array is done, now I just need the sacrifice and the fuel to activate it.'
He smiled while his predatory eyes swam from one spirit to another, causing them to feel shivers course down their spine.
Even when they were tortured, it seemed like a much worse fate awaited them...
This content is taken from fr(e)ewebn(o)vel.𝓬𝓸𝓶