Chapter 33
Zachary's Letter
Chapter 33 Zachary's Letter
Hobart suddenly realized that the middle-aged worker's body and face were dirty, but his hair was not, and there were obvious marks on his hair from being pressed down by a hat.
He was so angry that he slapped his thigh, wondering why he hadn't thought of these details until now!
This is the ability of a "fraudster"! They can mislead people's thoughts, so even though Hobert clearly sensed something was wrong, he ignored it because of the "fraudster's" ability.
Hobart then felt a pang of regret, realizing that he must be bold yet careful when encountering "scammers" in the future, as they might just slip away right before his eyes.
Hugh was somewhat discouraged: "What should we do now?"
Hobart said to the worker who had fallen to the ground, "The hat is yours, the trench coat is mine."
"Yes, yes, yes!" The other person quickly took off his trench coat and handed it to Hobert, then got up and limped away, clearly Hugh's kick had hurt him badly.
Hobart searched the trench coat and found two letters, a pocket watch, and a pipe inside.
The pipe is something the other person uses frequently. If one knows "divination stick locator," one could use it to find the other person. However, "divination stick locator" is a diviner's special ability, and neither Hobart nor Hugh are good at divination.
Looking at the two letters, unsurprisingly, one was from Darkholm to "Dear Mr. Hyman".
The person who just escaped right under their noses was Hyman!
Darkholm reported that someone was inquiring about Zachary's whereabouts and even knew Mr. Hyman's name, and described Hobart and Hugh's general appearances in the letter.
The second letter was also addressed to "Dear Mr. Hyman," and Hobart skipped to the end of the letter, signing it "Your faithful Zachary!"
Zachri is still in Backlund!
Hobart then read the letter carefully again:
"Dear Mr. Hyman:
"Eight days have passed since I took the potion, but why hasn't the whispering in my ear lessened at all? It's as if a solemn voice is making a great declaration. Although I can't understand what the voice is saying, the content makes my heart surge and I can't suppress my excitement. Is that sacred voice the voice of the Lord?"
"Besides the delirium, there are people whispering in front of me, but I can't see them. My hiding place is clearly an abandoned factory, so why is it so noisy at night? The sounds are terrifying, keeping me awake all night long. If this continues, I will be crushed by these crazy sounds."
"I think you must have some way to alleviate these symptoms. Please help me find a solution to these problems. I might jump out of the window and into the Tasok River at any moment; perhaps that would be a relief. Also, as you instructed, I tried the rituals you mentioned, and it seems to have worked, because for a moment I saw the Kingdom of God."
"I feel my strength increasing, like drinking a refreshing glass of ice water on a hot summer day. I hope to gain more strength and look forward to your further guidance."
The latter half of the letter was filled with madness, and both Hobart and Hugh felt uneasy after reading it.
It's not hard to tell from the letter that Zachary has become an Extraordinary, but it's still uncertain which path he took to become one. However, his condition seems a bit off.
Hobart pointed to the letter and said, "Now we have two leads, one is the abandoned factory, and the other is on the banks of the Tasok River, well, the area isn't very large."
Hugh asked, "What about Hyman, who just escaped?"
Hobart thought for a moment: "Hyman left Zachry's letter as a form of self-protection."
"Because the contents of the letter make it easier for us to find Zachary, which would greatly increase the likelihood that we would abandon the pursuit of Hyman."
"Moreover, we know far too little about Hyman. We may need to go back and have a friendly exchange with Mr. Darkholm to learn more."
"But if that delays things, Zachary might get a warning, and then we won't be able to find anyone. Logically and emotionally, we should go find Zachary first."
Hugh shrugged: "So this is a 'fraudster'? We knew his plan all along, but we still had to follow it?"
Hobart smiled and said, "That's right, this is the 'con artist.' But he probably doesn't realize that as long as I can find Zachary, whether he talks or not, I have a way to get more clues about Hyman."
He said, "We can't waste any more time. We can look and talk at the same time. Ah, just in time, there's a horse-drawn carriage over there."
Hobert went up and chatted with the coachman, and soon learned about the three abandoned factories on the banks of the Tasok River.
Hugh rarely dealt with such extraordinary events and was somewhat out of sync with Hobart's thinking, but Hobart's reliability today allowed Hugh to catch up with him almost without hesitation.
After boarding a horse-drawn carriage, the two traveled much faster and soon arrived at the first abandoned factory.
Hobert knew at a glance that this wasn't the place, because many homeless people lived here, and Zachary, if he had any sense, would never attempt ritual magic in such a place.
The carriage continued onward to its second destination.
Inside the carriage, Hobart speculated, "Now let's sort this out. A month ago, Zachary orchestrated a scam involving thousands of pounds."
"The mastermind behind this scam was Hyman. He lured Zachary to work for him with a magic potion. After successfully completing the scam, Zachary obtained the magic potion he had always dreamed of."
"Zakry intended to consult Hyman about mysticism at any time, so he didn't seek refuge elsewhere. Instead, he found a secluded place to master the power of potions and frequently wrote to Hyman."
Hobert stroked his chin and glanced at Hugh: "Do you have anything to add?"
"Their letters are all very neat," Hugh said, adjusting his hat.
"What do you mean?"
"Most of the gang members in the East District are illiterate, and even those who can read can only write a few common words. I have never seen any gang leader who can write a neat letter like Zachary and Darkholm."
Hobart pondered for a moment: "Perhaps when we have time, we should go and visit Mr. Darkholm together, since his injuries are thanks to us."
Xiu's smile resembled that of a carefree young boy. She laughed and said, "You're right."
At this moment, the horse pulling the carriage suddenly neighed, and no matter how the driver whipped it, the horse refused to move forward.
Hobert opened the car window and looked out. The factory in front of him gave off a very unsettling feeling, and dozens of crows circled above it, adding an eerie atmosphere to the abandoned factory.
He straightened his trench coat and stepped out of the driveway: "This is the place we've been looking for!"
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(End of this chapter)