Chapter 09: The Final Minute.
A misty aura erupted from the **Observer** Ethereal Piece, spreading waves of stifling, hot air through the office. The atmosphere grew heavy and suffocating.
Investigator Org released the piece from his hand, but it didn't fall; instead, it began to drift within his spiritual field, gleaming with a fierce, dazzling brilliance.
It rose slowly until it settled before his face. As Org pressed his spiritual energy into the artifact, it shuddered violently, emitting a dark crimson flash.
"It's a Second-Rank piece... I don't know its full capacity yet, but judging by the heat it radiates, it must be powerful," Jishi mused, watching the scene unfold.
Sweat coated his forehead, turning his skin slick. He wiped it away with his hand and sighed deeply, desperate for a breath of cool air to refresh himself.
The spiritual energy surged, merging with the ethereal foundation of the stone, creating a spiritual turbulence within the **Khamer Stone**. Org moved swiftly but paused suddenly before completing his task, turning toward Jishi
.
"Will you permit me to take some of your brother's blood? I need it for the detection."
Jishi stared at him for a moment. He understood that this procedure was necessary to uncover the killer. He tightened his features and nodded. *"In the end, I failed to protect my brother. Now, at the very least, I must avenge him..."* he thought, misery reflecting in his eyes.
Headman Douville watched the technique with practiced eyes. He had been through many investigations with Org and knew his methods well.
"The problem with the **Observer** is that it can only see what happened within the last eight *Uqdahs*...
and it is now ten in the morning. If the killer struck before three at dawn, the piece alone won't be enough to reveal them."
Org pressed his index and middle fingers into one of the gashes on Overd's chest, collecting a small amount of coagulated blood. He lifted his hand, making the blood float within his spiritual field before merging it directly into the **Observer**.
A gray mist billowed from the piece, rising into the air before Org. A moment later, crimson sparks intensified, weaving through the gray fog. Within the Ethereal Piece, complex reactions began between Overd's blood and the dual spiritual energies: the artifact's core and Org's own energy.
Overd's blood was accepted, and as it reached the center of the energy vortex, the **Stigma power** began to emerge.
*"His Stigma is incredibly weak... natural for someone who never mastered spiritual energy,"* Org thought.
After a brief struggle between the Stigma essence and the dual energy, the Stigma's will was suppressed, allowing the stored **Blood Memory** to be summoned.
The blood, the body, and the soul—an inseparable trinity. When the body dies, the soul departs, but the blood remains, withering and clotting slowly. For ten days, blood retains its memory before it fades entirely.
It remembers everything: how the body died, and the atmosphere surrounding it after death. In essence, the body may be dead, but the blood is not.
It was a theoretical chance to "revive" Overd's memory before his soul left the physical realm forever. For now, Org's focus was on the eight *Uqdahs* following the death.
In the gray mist, the final thread of crimson sparks attached itself, suddenly forming a bloody tableau—a screen suspended within the fog. It began to display what had occurred eight *Uqdahs* ago...
Jishi never expected to see such a thing. He hadn't imagined an Ethereal Piece could possess such a power. "Is it... is it showing the past?" he whispered.
Unfortunately, the first scene to appear was Overd's body, writhing in its final moments. The killer had already vanished.
Overd died with a stifled, silent scream.
Org cursed through grit teeth. "Son of a bitch… he escaped. If the piece had shown the scene just one minute earlier, we would have known the killer's identity."
The Headman took in the situation, closing his eyes slowly before asking, "Is there any way to extend the duration of the vision?"
"Yes," Org replied, "there are spiritual tools capable of enhancing the display. But I don't possess any, and you won't find them anywhere near here. The last vision-enhancing tool I saw was in **Homipen Province**, specifically in the *Market that Never Sleeps*… and its price was equivalent to my entire fortune."
He paused the projection, scrutinizing the moment the killer exited the room. Although the face remained hidden, the body was partially visible.
**Spiritual Tools** and **Ethereal Pieces** were not the same. Spiritual tools often possessed a unique soul and an independent will, much like **Spirit Weapons**. For instance, some tools could analyze an enemy's inner thoughts with terrifying precision. Like weapons, they followed strict ranks and classifications.
Jishi felt a wave of despair. "So… there's no way to know the killer?"
"Not exactly," Headman Douville replied firmly. "Even if we don't know now, we will investigate until we find him."
A sliver of hope returned to Jishi's heart. Meanwhile, Org continued to stare at the killer's silhouette in the gray mist until he reached a crucial conclusion. The figure was slender and short, showing no signs of physical prowess.
*"As I suspected… the killer is physically weak,"* Org whispered to himself. This was a massive breakthrough; anyone with a large build or immense physical strength could be temporarily ruled out.
At the borders of **Morgue Village**, Special Overseer Ogi stood with a group of mounted guards. They were only fifteen meters from the village buildings, about to begin the lockdown to prevent any suspect from fleeing.
"Overseer Ogi, shall we begin the encirclement?" one guard asked optimistically. "The four squads are ready; they can form a tight perimeter for days if necessary."
By Ogi's command, the guards split into four teams, each stationed at one of Morgue's gates: North, South, East, and West. They were to expand inward until the squads connected.
"Yes, begin immediately. There is no room for delay," Ogi ordered.
"Understood, Overseer." Three guards galloped off to relay the order. But at that moment, from the far North of Morgue Village...
Everyone froze.
Rhythmic tremors shook the earth. Thick clouds of dust billowed on the horizon. Ogi's eyes widened as he stared at the scene. An entire army… advancing toward the village.
"What is happening?" he muttered in shock.
"It's an attack!" a guard screamed. "An unidentified army!"
"How dare they breach the territories of the **Sharman Clan**?!" another cried in confusion.
Ogi clenched his fist and roared, "Ready yourselves! Emergency protocol!"
Total bewilderment seized the men. This was utterly unexpected—Morgue Village sat deep within **Metnald Province**. How could a foreign army reach this far? Then, Ogi saw something that made his heart sink.
Soldiers carrying **red banners**... with a **Golden Dragon** emblazoned in the center.
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