Under the cover of night, Mu Lin’s psychic energy flowed gently through each room like moonlight. Suddenly, a seemingly casual remark caught Mu Lin’s attention: “If only Locke were here; he could determine whether that person has arrived and prevent all of us from being so anxious.”
“Yeah, last time it was thanks to Locke that we discovered that person’s trail. I heard someone spotted that person in Brighton, which is why Locke was sent there. If that person truly is still alive, then it’s a pity for Sir Angiers and his group!” Another voice added.
Upon hearing this, Mu Lin suddenly realized that the opponent had set up such tight defensive measures specifically to guard against him. But who exactly was this Locke, and what kind of ability did he possess that allowed him to detect Mu Lin’s trail? This now piqued Mu Lin’s curiosity.
He began meticulously searching for Locke’s room. Since Locke was so important to these people, he must have a separate residence. As long as this person lived here, Mu Lin believed he could find traces of him. Indeed, on a bill lying on the table in the living room of one apartment, he found the name “Locke” written.
Inside this room resided a harmonious and happy family: a woman in her 40s with two children. From the family photo album, Mu Lin memorized Locke’s appearance. As for enemies capable of threatening him, he no longer felt any mercy—he now had a family of his own to protect.
In the darkness, Mu Lin’s sensory abilities flowed like moonlight, gently permeating every room. Suddenly, a seemingly casual remark caught his attention: “If only Locke were here, he could definitely tell whether that person has arrived. Then we wouldn’t all be so tense.”
“Yeah, last time it was only because of Locke that we managed to track that person’s movements. I heard someone spotted traces of him in Brighton, which is why Locke was sent there. If that person really isn’t dead, then it’s a shame about Saint Knight Angis and the others!” another voice chimed in.
Hearing this, Mu Lin finally realized that these tight security measures were actually meant to guard against him. But what kind of ability did this Locke possess that allowed him to detect Mu Lin’s presence? This piqued Mu Lin’s curiosity.
He began carefully searching for Locke’s room. Since Locke was so important to these people, he must have his own private quarters. As long as Locke was staying here, Mu Lin was confident he could find him. Sure enough, on a bill lying on the table in one of the rooms, the name “Locke” was written.
Inside the room, there was also a woman around 40 years old, along with two children—a seemingly happy and harmonious family. From the family photo album, Mu Lin memorized Locke’s appearance. For enemies who posed a threat to him, he no longer harbored any mercy, especially now that he had his own family to protect.
Mu Lin deduced that the enemy must have sent their main force to deal with him, which explained why there were no formidable fighters here. He immediately returned to his car and drove overnight to Liverpool. If he could eliminate part of their forces in advance, it would greatly aid his next steps. He reflected that if he hadn’t been practicing his water escape technique and chosen to avoid any towns when coming ashore, he might have walked right into their checkpoints.
The car soon arrived in Brighton. Brighton was a small port town, a major ferry point between France and the UK, and also a shipbuilding base. Due to its proximity to London, the population wasn’t very large, and there weren’t many lodging options like hotels.
Out of caution, Mu Lin parked his car far away, securing it near a building before avoiding the main roads and entering Brighton from an alternate route.
First, he entered the shipyard and climbed to the highest vantage point—a crane—to scan for his targets. Time was running short; dawn was approaching, and he needed to find them quickly.
He divided the town into three zones and began meticulously searching for individuals matching the clergy’s descriptions and Locke’s appearance. With his enhanced abilities, his sensory range now extended up to ten kilometers. After a thorough search, he finally located them in a building in the northeast corner of the town.
By now, the sky was beginning to lighten. Most of the group were still resting, except for the guards and a few early risers. In one room, a man who appeared to be the leader was speaking to Locke: “Locke, are you sure you didn’t make a mistake yesterday? We searched all day and found no trace of that man.”
“Charles, you know my sense of smell is unmatched. Once I’ve caught someone’s scent, they can’t escape my nose if I’m serious about it. Wasn’t it my tracking that led us to him last time?” Locke replied confidently.
“Fine. If you still have no leads by today, we’ll withdraw tonight. Our intel might be wrong. Go rest now. After breakfast, head to the ferry alone—signal us if you spot him,” the leader instructed.
The group then resumed their rest. Clearly, these were the main operatives for this mission. Mu Lin sensed stronger energy fluctuations from some of them compared to the previous group, though he couldn’t detect any magical artifacts they might be carrying. Such items usually resembled ordinary objects when inactive, making them hard to identify.
Mu Lin hadn’t expected to encounter someone with a dog-like sense of smell in this world. While dogs could pick up familiar scents, their inability to communicate with humans made them less of a threat. But a person with such an ability was a different story—no wonder they had tracked Mu Lin to the farm and even identified him in disguise, allowing them to intercept him at sea.
Having located them, Mu Lin didn’t act immediately. Instead, he conducted another thorough sweep of the town—not just out of caution, but to lay the groundwork for his next move. This time, he intended not only to eliminate them completely but also to leave no trace for the British government. After all, provoking a nation’s full-scale pursuit by leaving behind evidence was the last thing he wanted.
After mapping out his escape route from the crane, Mu Lin descended and swiftly approached the building. He first neutralized the hidden sentries, who were caught off guard by an attack at dawn. Despite a few skilled fighters among them, they stood no chance against Mu Lin’s ambush.
Then, with a surge of his true energy, he knocked out Locke—the man with the keen nose—before pulling out a bundle of C4 explosives from his ring. After wiring them up, he began placing them room by room.
Mu Lin chose C4 because, despite its Czech origins, it was widely produced globally and considered a high-end military-grade explosive. Its complexity in mass production made it rare among civilians, ensuring no suspicion would fall on him. Besides, Mu Lin had never been one to rely on modern weaponry before.
Once he had retreated to a safe distance, he pressed the detonator. A fiery explosion erupted in the darkness, followed by a deafening blast.
The car quickly reached Brighton. Brighton was a small port town, a major crossing point from France to Country Y, and also a shipbuilding base for Country Y. Due to its proximity to London, the population was sparse, and there were hardly any hotels or accommodations available.
Out of caution, Mu Lin stopped his car far away from the town, parked it inside a building, and then bypassed the main roads, choosing to enter Brighton from another route.
First, Mu Lin entered the shipyard and selected a towering crane—the highest vantage point in town—to begin his search for those people. He needed to locate them quickly; dawn was approaching, and time was running short.
He divided the entire town into three zones and, based on the characteristics of the religious personnel and Locke’s appearance, began a meticulous search. Thanks to his enhanced abilities, his psychic energy could now extend up to ten kilometers. After a careful sweep, he finally located them inside a building at the northeast corner of the town.
By now, the sky had begun to lighten. Except for the guards, most of them were still resting, though a few had already woken up. In one room, a man who appeared to be the leader was speaking to Locke: “Locke, are you sure you didn’t make any mistake yesterday? Why couldn’t we find any trace of that person after searching all day?”
“Charles, you know my sense of smell is second to none. Once I’ve smelled someone’s scent, as long as I’m focused, they can’t escape my nose! Didn’t I successfully track that person last time using my sense of smell?” Locke replied confidently.
“Fine! If you still come up empty today, we’ll withdraw tonight. It’s likely our intelligence was wrong. Now go rest. After breakfast, you’ll go alone to the dock—if you spot that person, send us a signal!” the leader ordered.
The group resumed resting. From their auras, Mu Lin sensed that these individuals were significantly stronger than those he had encountered previously. However, he did not detect any magical artifacts on them. Normally, magical artifacts were indistinguishable from ordinary objects unless they were actively channeling energy, which is why Mu Lin couldn’t identify what artifacts they might still be carrying.
Mu Lin hadn’t expected to encounter someone in this world with a sense of smell as sharp as a dog’s. While dogs can identify familiar scents, they can’t communicate with humans, so they pose little threat. But a human with such a heightened sense of smell was a different matter entirely. No wonder they had previously found traces of Mu Lin at the farm and even identified him while in disguise, allowing them to track his movements and ambush him at sea.
After locating them, Mu Lin didn’t act immediately. Instead, he conducted a thorough scan of the entire town—not just out of caution, but also to prepare for his next move. This time, he wasn’t only planning to completely eliminate them, but also to leave no trace for the government of Country Y. After all, going against an entire nation’s current government meant that any solid evidence could provoke a full-scale manhunt.
After confirming his escape route from the top of the crane, Mu Lin swiftly descended and approached the building. First, he silently eliminated the few guards on watch. These sentries hadn’t expected an attack at this hour. Although a few were skilled, they were no match for Mu Lin, who was prepared for a surprise assault.
Then, with a wave of his spiritual energy, he rendered Locke—who possessed the keen sense of smell—unconscious. Next, he retrieved a bundle of C4 explosives from his ring, connected the wires, and began attaching them one by one to each room.
Mu Lin chose C4 because, although originally developed in Czechoslovakia, it was now produced by many countries around the world. C4 was a patented product of top experts in the field, and while mass production was complicated, it was extremely powerful. It was typically used by military forces and rarely accessible to civilians, so using it wouldn’t directly implicate him. Besides, Mu Lin had never bothered with modern tools like this before.
Swiftly retreating a safe distance, Mu Lin pressed the detonator in his hand. A burst of fire and smoke erupted into the dark sky, followed by a deafening explosion.
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