The Record of Unusual Creatures

White Flame had not brought many scrolls, but with the help of the translation plug-in and the MDT, Hao Ren was able to determine a few things.

First of all, when the Olympian gods were killed, some of the critical materials were smuggled out, which even Hesperides did not know of.

Secondly, the divine artifact the servant had escaped with was related to Vivian. The power of Zeus’ family had nothing to do with blood and plague, and the only Blood Clan member they had contact with was Vivian.

Lastly, there were an eight-tenths of a chance that the materials the fugitive servant had escaped with might be what Hao Ren was looking for.

“This servant is now classified as ‘possibly killed,” White Flame shook her head gently. “His last known location was Europe, the English and French regions of today, but that was many centuries ago. During a large-scale battle, he, along with 12 demon hunters who pursued him, disappeared in an explosion. There were no survivors and witnesses. So the record officer-in-charge, after visiting the scene, confirmed that the target was dead. But in the following centuries, there were occasional rumors of the appearance of the divine wand and the suspected evidence that the servant was still alive. The case is still unresolved until now.”

Demon hunters were excellent hunters, but even the most-experienced ones would have had failed to catch their prey. It seemed that the demon hunters were not able to more leads.

“All I know is that the servant was last seen in Europe, but not much known beyond that.” Vivian gently shook her head. “You said that during the last chase operation, 12 demon hunters had disappeared together with the servant. So who were these demon hunters?”

“Two masters, and ten elites,” White Flame said. She had guessed what Vivian was going to say. “It was not the most powerful team, and they had failed to catch the target. So I have a gut feeling that the last chase was all a smoke screen, and the servant is still alive.”

“A little-known servant of Zeus has given you guys the runaround for so long. It must be the most embarrassing thing of your organization’s history,” Lily said, laughing at White Flame.

But White Flame was not conscious of her identity now.

“It is, indeed, embarrassing. These records were locked away, and the senior veterans would feel embarrassed whenever the incident was brought up.” White Flame was not pretentious. She admitted to black history. “There were other similar incidents. Ten thousand years is a long time, and there are bound to be some less glamorous records.”

Hao Ren and Vivian whispered to each other, and then Hao Ren looked up and said, “You might have lost the lead, but on the other side, the otherwordlings in the sanctuary might be able to provide some information. I can ask the Shadow Council to help check it out.”

“It’s your business then,” White Flame said, nodding. “I have to take back these scrolls, but you can make a copy of them. These things are no longer confidential anyway.”

Hao Ren asked the MDT to record the contents of the scrolls and then sent them directly to the Shadow Council headquarters in Athens, complete with explanations. Mimir and Hesperides had quickly replied that they would extend their cooperation in the investigation as best as they could.

After parting way with White Flame, Hao Ren waited for news from the Shadow Council. But he did not place much hope in the Shadow Council, which after all, had only formed in haste not long ago. Expecting them to divert resources to help him would be too much to ask for, he thought. For the past, the various sanctuaries of the otherworldlings on Earth were isolated, and there was no exchange of intelligence exchange. Under such circumstances, finding a fugitive was like finding a needle in a haystack. Hao Ren felt that he might have to wait a long time before there was any progress.

During this time, he could even try to teach the little Malevolence open the refrigerator.

Surprisingly, the next day, Hesperides replied, saying that she had found something.

“In northern France, there was a small village, isolated and forgotten by the rest of the world, in the forest. But the ‘prey,’ the demon hunters had once lost, was once living there.”

Hao Ren and Vivian decided to set off immediately to check out the situation. Hesperides would come along too. As the incident was related to the Olympians, she felt she was obliged to provide the necessary assistance.

Expectedly, Lily was coming along too.

But they were hesitant to bring along a new ‘member.’

The little Malevolence yelled and ran around the living hall, venting her excess energy and sabotaging in anger and frenziedness. Seeing this, Hao Ren was reluctant. “Do we have to bring along this creature?”

“Didn’t the goddess want her to be with me?” Vivian was just as hesitant, regarding the little guy as a nuisance. But still, she insisted on carrying the little guy along. “Letting her stay isn’t the best option. What if she slips out of the house and creates larger trouble? I think I will feel much safer to have this restless creature staying within my sight.”

“Sigh, then bring her. Could any bring me her cage?” Hao Ren said helplessly.

On the other hand, the little Malevolence had no clue what was going on, and not capable of thinking of anything except running up to Lil Pea and threatening her.

But Lil Pea just struck her away.

The next day, following the location that Hesperides provided, Hao Ren, Vivian, and Lily arrived at a dense forest on the French border.

They did not go through the usual way but using the teleportation function of the data terminal, which had been Hao Ren’s preferred way of transportation. Lily and Vivian had long been immune to the vertiginous symptoms of teleportation, unlike in the past where they would throw up after each trip.

But the little guy was using teleportation for the first time, and her condition did not look good.

Lying on a boulder, half dead, the little Malevolence shivered and groaned in a strange sound. The teleportation had put tremendous pressure on her.

“It never crossed my mind that the little Malevolence would be afraid of this,” Lily said as she squatted beside the boulder, poking the little Malevolence’s head with her claw. “Haha, she doesn’t even bother to fight back!”

The little Malevolence curled herself into a ball in fear, trying to dodge Lily’s pokes. She was so out of her usual energetic character.

“She has fear, and she will stay quiet if her environment changes dramatically.” Hao Ren shot Lily a glance and then looked around. “If I’m not mistaken, Hesperides should be nearby.”

It was midsummer, vegetation on the northern hemisphere was at their peak of life. Hao Ren and the two of them was at a small open space deep inside the forest, surrounded by dense shrub, vines, and towering trees. The air, moist, warm, and filled with an earthy smell, annoyed them. Leaving the quivering little guy alone, Lily got back to her feet and stretched out. As if the forest had given her inspiration, she suddenly became poetic. “I ask the wood for the way, but the leaves don’t recognize my voice… Hey, Battie, why don’t you summon some cool air, this place is freaking stuffy and hot.”

Vivian instantly summoned a snowstorm, just like the one in Lily’s hometown. She then lifted herself on her toes, looking into the dense forest. “Hesperides may not have arrived yet, after all, we have come early. But I can feel weak magic energy hovering in the forest. There is indeed something here.”

Just when Vivian’s voice trailed off, a familiar voice came from a distance. “I’m here already.”

Hao Ren looked up. Hesperides, wearing a casual outfit, came out from the wood.

After some pleasantry, Hao Ren asked, “How do you find this place?”

“By coincidence. The servant of Zeus mentioned in the records of the demon hunters is someone I know,” Hesperides said with a smile. “Just that I didn’t expect that guy could pull off such a ‘great feat.’”

“Yeah, what a feat,” Vivian said, her eyebrows arched. “I’m afraid that he has escaped with the most powerful weapon of Mount Olympus. The casualty the demon hunters suffered was no less severe than that of the pursuit of Horus.”

“I don’t know about that,” Hesperides said and shrugged. “After the collapse of Mount Olympus, the survivors went dark, and the communication between us was intermittent at bests. The demon hunters found and killed some of them, while others had completely gone silent for several centuries. Under such circumstances, it would be already fantastic for me to find out some are still alive.”

“Let’s head to the place that you have mentioned,” Hao Ren said, looking into the dense forest. “We shall talk about the details while we’re on our way.”