In the southwest region of Prit, under the cover of night, the steam train continued to hum forward across the endless fields. At this moment, the first-class carriages at the front of the train were silent, with almost all passengers having fallen into a deathlike slumber. However, within these quiet carriages, one carriage was particularly lively.
At this moment, in Grego's carriage, a fierce close-quarters struggle was underway. Just as the assassin, disguised as a train attendant, was about to assassinate the "sleeping" Grego, Dorothy, using the Puppet Mark, manipulated Grego's body to launch a sudden close-range counterattack. Caught completely off guard, the assassin attendant naturally lost the prime opportunity for assassination and was, in turn, brutally beaten.
Using Little Fox's sleepwalking, Dorothy successfully drew the Puppet Mark on Grego and then used it to manipulate Grego's sleeping form. Dorothy's Corpse Puppet control range limit was ten kilometers, but Living Puppet control had no distance restriction; as long as the Puppet Mark served as the interface for spirits thread intervention, control could be exerted regardless of distance.
Dorothy remotely manipulated her brother's body, forcing the attacking assassin into the corner of the compartment and relentlessly delivering heavy punches. Having gained the advantage through a sneak attack, Grego immediately delivered a critical hit to the assassin's groin. Under the intense pain, the assassin's stance was completely disrupted, and facing the incoming attacks, he was temporarily unable to focus on countering. Thus, he was cornered and brutally beaten. Grego's clenched fists continuously smashed against the assassin's body and face, breaking his nose and knocking out his teeth.
In the dream, Grego's true consciousness, manifested as a Black Dog, and Little Fox were sitting together, watching the large screen before them. They were observing the live broadcast from the real-world compartment through the perspective of Grego's physical body, watching Dorothy's beating live from a first-person view. This novel scene made Little Fox's tail wag excitedly.
"Oh~ That punch was strong! Woo~ Another kick! Hit his face! Hit his face! Hit him! Beautiful~"
Watching the thrilling beating live broadcast, she called out while speaking, occasionally extending her front paws to make mid-air punching gestures, like an enthusiastic audience member below the boxing ring. If she could stand upright, she would undoubtedly immediately applaud and cheer.
Compared to Little Fox, the expression on the dog face of Grego's Black Dog manifestation beside her was much more complex. As Grego's true consciousness, watching his own body controlled by someone else to beat another person, while he himself watched the live broadcast from a first-person perspective, was an extremely bizarre experience for Grego.
Of course, this bizarre experience wasn't the only one for Grego. In this live broadcast, the face of the person being beaten on the other side actually looked exactly like his own. Seeing the familiar face he saw in the mirror every day being beaten out of shape and bleeding on the screen, Grego couldn't find any words to describe his feelings at this moment.
'I... In my own dream, watching someone use my own body to brutally beat my own face... From ancient times until now, there should be no one in this world who has had the same experience as me...'
Beside Little Fox, Grego thought with extreme complexity in his heart. Watching his own face being beaten was indeed a peculiar experience, especially just now, when he saw the assassin with his face receiving a heavy blow to the groin, he couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart, as if he also felt some kind of illusory pain.
'That follower of the divine existence Aka is really ruthless...'
Grego thought so, and at this moment, the first-person perspective fight on the screen was still ongoing, but it was already nearing its end.
This assassin, disguised as a train attendant, was a Black Rank Extraordinary Shadow Masked Man, primarily of the "Shadow" pathway and secondarily of the "Cup" pathway. He possessed Rank Two "Shadow" and Rank One "Cup". Logically, he should have been very strong in close combat. "Shadow" could grant the assassin extraordinary reactions and agility, as well as the "Shadow" enchantment ability that could make blades sharper, along with the physical enhancement from "Cup".
The Black Rank assassin had Rank Two "Shadow" and Rank One "Cup", while Grego, as an Apprentice, only had Rank One "Shadow". Under normal circumstances, a head-on confrontation between the two would be impossible to win.
But the current situation was not normal. Dorothy had used spirits threads to transmit the effect of the Raw Consumption Symbol to Grego, which naturally enhanced Grego's physical abilities, adding the effect of Rank One "Cup". Therefore, the only difference between him and the assassin was the speed and agility gap brought by Rank One "Shadow".
However, to utilize the advantage in speed and agility, sufficient space was needed for dodging and maneuvering. But the current combat environment they were in was a narrow compartment, and he was currently cornered, completely lacking space to maneuver. Without space, the advantage in agility could not be utilized. Furthermore, having been preemptively sneak-attacked with a critical hit to the groin, the intense pain made it impossible for the assassin to concentrate on facing the enemy, leaving him only able to passively endure the beating.
Therefore, under the combined effects of Life Devour, a critical sneak attack, and the environment, Dorothy used Grego's Apprentice body to brutally beat a Black Rank, pinning him in the corner and hammering away.
Finally, Dorothy seized an opportunity, manipulating her brother to snatch the dagger from the almost defenseless assassin's hand. After suppressing him, she stabbed it into his chest, directly into the heart. The assassin wearing the train attendant uniform struggled twice while being suppressed, then completely lost his breath, dying in Grego's hands just like that.
Afterward, Dorothy had Grego's body slowly stand up and look down at the motionless corpse below. At this moment, the corpse's face began to writhe again, changing rapidly. The face that finally appeared was not Grego's, nor was it the previous train attendant's, but the face of another unfamiliar man.
In the dream, Grego's true consciousness and Little Fox also saw this scene through the live broadcast screen before them. Little Fox couldn't help but speak with curiosity.
"That guy... is dead? And his face changed... Could this be the Shadow Masked Man Grandpa mentioned? An Extraordinary from the'Shadow' pathway who can change their appearance... Hey, Black Dog, how did you provoke something like a Shadow Masked Man?"
Little Fox asked Grego beside her, and Grego replied with a sigh of relief.
"Phew... I don't know, I've never provoked someone like that. The reason they came to kill me wasn't due to enmity, but rather... they wanted my identity..."
Seeing the assassin dead, Grego couldn't help but feel a wave of relief, followed immediately by his contemplation of the assassin's motive.
Before, Grego didn't understand why he, a mere Student, with no confidential missions or cargo, would be targeted, or what value he possessed that would make these assassins go to such great lengths. But now, the reason was clear: they were after his identity, the identity of a Hunter promoted from a peripheral area to the headquarters.
As long as they could eliminate him on the train, then easily take his place by changing their appearance using their ability and putting on his clothes, they could naturally infiltrate the headquarters as an insider. To the headquarters, he was just a newcomer on paper, and it would be incredibly easy to blend in.
This was also why the other party had to murder him silently. Only if his death caused no disturbance could their plan be successfully executed.
"Huh? Your identity?" Little Fox said in confusion, and her response was text that appeared out of thin air in the dream space.
"Yes... Miss Fox might not know, but the face this guy just changed into was Mr. Hunter's face. Perhaps he intended to kill Mr. Hunter here and then infiltrate the An Yin Bureau using his face and identity."
The characters in the dream space wrote this. At the same time, Grego in the compartment also turned his head to look at the glass inside the compartment, gazing at the faint reflection within. Little Fox could vaguely see that the reflection's face was very similar to the assassin's face before it changed.
"Ah... So that guy just changed into your face, Black Dog. Hiss... Can you move a little closer? I can't see clearly..."
Little Fox said curiously, while Grego, in his Black Dog form, spoke solemnly at this moment.
"Thank you for your assistance! I will not forget your help. Although the crisis is now over, the effects of the medicine are still strong, and my body is still unable to wake up on its own. Therefore, I ask that you hide this corpse in the cabinet or under the bed so that it is not seen by others on the train, which would cause a commotion. Once I reach my destination, I will inform my colleagues to handle it; someone will be waiting for me directly at the train station."
Grego thanked the mysterious Aka follower who had helped him, and the other party quickly responded, with new sentences gradually appearing before Grego.
"Hide the corpse? Heh heh... Mr. Hunter, there's no need for such trouble. This Mr. Assassin should have already prepared a method for us to dispose of the body, and I bet it's quite convenient."
"A very convenient... method for disposing of corpses?" Looking at the sentences that appeared before him, Grego's dog head tilted slightly, and he spoke with some confusion. Meanwhile, Dorothy directly controlled Grego's body in the carriage to squat down and began searching the assassin's corpse.
After a short while, Dorothy found something. It was a Symbol, a "Cup" Symbol. Dorothy had seen this type of Symbol before.
Back when Igwinte was still opposing the Holy Communion Society, on White Pearl Street, Dorothy used Ke Li. Cross, a high-interest merchant on White Pearl Street, as bait to lure out Clifford's henchmen, who were cadres of the Holy Communion Society hidden within White Pearl Street. At that time, after these Holy Communion Society henchmen killed Ke Li, they used this seal to vaporize the flesh and blood from Ke Li's corpse.
"This is... a Corpse Transformation Seal!"
The moment the seal was searched out from his body, Grego immediately spoke, while the Little Fox beside him tilted her head and asked.
"Corpse Transformation Seal? What is that?"
"This is a 'Cup' seal, capable of causing the remaining 'Cup' within a corpse to react, quickly evaporating and dissolving the corpse's flesh and blood tissue. I've dealt with a 'Cup' society from the Life Devour faction before, and they used this type of seal to handle corpses. And this guy carrying this seal... is probably preparing to deal with my corpse after assassinating me."
Grego said this, and the Little Fox also nodded understandingly. Her knowledge of the hidden world mostly came from her Grandpa at home, and although that Grandpa was experienced, he couldn't possibly tell her everything.
"That's right, this is a Corpse Transformation Seal... specifically used to handle the flesh of corpses. If there had been any carelessness before, this seal would have been used on Mr. Hunter."
In the dream space, words were still slowly appearing out of thin air. Looking at the words in front of him, Grego continued to speak.
"Captain, do you mean to use this Corpse Transformation Seal to dispose of the assassin's corpse? If so, I don't think it's necessary for now. Keeping the assassin's corpse intact makes it more likely for my colleagues to find some clues from it and investigate the assassin's background more thoroughly."
"Clues? Heh heh... Mr. Hunter, a massive clue is right in front of you, and you haven't even noticed it yet?"
With a slightly mocking tone, Dorothy sent a message into Grego's dream, and looking at the new words appearing before him, Grego, in his Black Dog form, couldn't help but be stunned.
"A massive clue? Where is it?"
Wrinkling his dog brows, Grego thought in confusion, wondering if he had missed any details, but no matter how he thought, he couldn't figure it out. At this moment, the appearance of new text began to explain his confusion.
"Mr. Hunter, have you thought about it? Why did these assassins go to such great lengths to drug you unconscious before killing you? It was to prevent the possibility of you resisting and causing a commotion. Their goal is to replace your identity, so your death must be silent and unnoticed by anyone."
"No one can notice when you die, and it's even less likely that anyone can notice after you die. Therefore, how to handle your corpse on this train became a difficult problem."
These words appeared before Grego and the Little Fox. After reading them, Grego also nodded in understanding. If Grego's death was noticed by others or his corpse was found after his death, their identity replacement trick wouldn't work.
"So, they planned to have me die in the deep sleep caused by the drugs, and then planned to use the Corpse Transformation Seal to handle my corpse?" Grego said this, and the newly appearing text also responded affirmatively.
"Yes, after their plan succeeded, Mr. Hunter's corpse must be a priority to handle. This corpse cannot be left on the train to be accidentally discovered by conductors or passengers on later trains, nor can it be thrown out of the window to be discovered by passersby. For them... the safest method is to use the Corpse Transformation Seal to turn your corpse into bones, and then put the bones in a box and take them off the train."
The text in the dream space wrote this, and Dorothy also turned her head to look at the compartment door at the right time. There, a large suitcase was placed. This was brought in by the assassin disguised as a train conductor when he entered the compartment earlier and had been placed there since entering. It didn't have much presence before, but now that Dorothy gave it a close-up, it immediately attracted the attention of Grego and the Little Fox.
"I know! This box was originally prepared to hold the Black Dog's bones!"
Looking at the box on the screen, the Little Fox said this, and Grego also nodded in affirmation. The purpose of this box could clearly only be this.
"Miss Fox is right... This box is most likely prepared to hold Mr. Hunter's bones. After all, the Corpse Transformation Seal can dissolve flesh and blood but not bones, so the bones must be handled separately. But thankfully, a pile of bones is definitely much easier to handle than a corpse. After disassembling them completely, a suitcase like this can take care of it."
Dorothy responded to Grego and the others. After listening, Grego also understood, but after thinking for a moment, he said in confusion.
"Hmm... Captain's analysis is very reasonable, but... where is the clue you mentioned now?"
"Haven't you thought of it yet? Mr. Hunter, although turning a corpse into bones is convenient to handle, it still needs to be handled. To be absolutely foolproof and leave no trace, after killing someone, this box of human bones still needs someone to take it off the train... But who will perform this operation?" New sentences appeared in the dream, and Grego responded without hesitation.
"Naturally, it's this assassin. After he kills me, he can carry an extra box... Wait..."
Suddenly, Grego seemed to have thought of something. He paused for a moment before speaking again.
"Wait... After this assassin kills me, he will change his appearance to look like me. But with my identity, this box of bones cannot be taken off the train, because there are people from the headquarters waiting for me at the station. My luggage will be helped with transportation and possibly even security checked by them, which would lead to the risk of exposure!
"Similarly, this box of bones cannot be directly thrown out or abandoned at some intermediate station. If no one takes care of it, there is still the risk of it being picked up by ordinary people, discovered, and reported."
Grego murmured. After many hints, he had now realized Dorothy's meaning.
"If you want to safely transfer the bones in this box without fail, the best and most secure way is to arrange another person on this train, someone other than this assassin. After their operation is successful, the assassin will give the box containing the bones to that person, who will take the bones off the train as an ordinary passenger."
"This means... there is another accomplice of this guy on this train!"
Grego said this, and Dorothy also responded with a smile.
"That's right, based on the current situation, the probability of this is very high. Mr. Hunter, if such an accomplice is handled well, they can provide you with many valuable clues. If you don't mind, perhaps I can use your body to find the one who is still hiding."
Dorothy's words appeared before Grego. Grego paused after reading them, then spoke quite seriously.
"Captain's wisdom is admirable. Thank you very much for being willing to guide me through the fog... But for you, Lord Paturnax's instructions have been completed, right? Why are you still helping me?"
Grego asked the mysterious Aka believer with some confusion, and the other party quickly replied with text.
"Don't worry, Mr. Hunter, I have no ill intentions towards you. The reason I continue to help you find people is simply because, as a Detective, I have a natural interest in solving mysteries..."
"Detective..."
"That Aka believer... is a Detective?"
Looking at the new words appearing before them, Grego and the Little Fox couldn't help but murmur, and Grego thought for a while and decided to speak.
"I understand, Captain Detective, then please help me find that assassin's accomplice..."
Grego said this. In his opinion, if this mysterious Detective wanted to harm him, there would have been countless opportunities to do so long ago, especially since the control of his body was currently in the other party's hands.
"Thank you for your trust, Mr. Hunter. Now I will begin."
Dorothy sent new information to Grego and the others, and then began to remotely control Grego's body in the compartment. She first had Grego place the Corpse Transformation Seal on the deceased assassin's body, and then watched as every inch of his skin and flesh began to rapidly decay and evaporate, turning into wisps of green smoke. To ventilate the compartment, she also opened the train window slightly.
Soon, the flesh and blood on the assassin's corpse completely evaporated, turning into a skeletal frame. Then, Dorothy had Grego's body retrieve the large suitcase standing by the door, open it on the floor, and begin picking up the assassin's bones piece by piece and placing them in the box.