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Beside him, a towering figure holding a massive blade slowly materialized.
On the familiar triangular iron helmet sat two small, delicate deer antlers.
"Even though I've seen it once before, this look… I still can't get used to it."
Soren stared at the antlers on Pyramid Head's helmet and felt utterly speechless.
His figure blurred and vanished from the spot.
Boom!
Almost at the exact same instant, a miniature missile slammed into where he had just been standing, blasting the road into shattered fragments.
"End this quickly."
Soren's icy voice rang out directly above the propeller-headed monster.
Demonic power surged through his entire body. He gripped Alastor with both hands and brought it down in a savage overhead slash.
The blade sliced straight through the creature's outer shell. Lightning raced along its wiring, frying the neural centers inside.
Pyramid Head also lumbered forward with stiff steps and joined the fray. Its giant cleaver swung with brutal force, cutting another modified monster clean in half at the waist.
The battle ended.
Soren walked over to one of the monster corpses and pried open the shredded armor plating.
"Live human modification… then forcibly implanting all kinds of mechanical constructs…"
What he couldn't understand was why these patchwork tech-and-flesh abominations carried a distinct demonic stench.
"Hm?"
He commanded Pyramid Head to step closer and further dismember the body.
On a chunk of shredded flesh, he discovered a carved pattern.
Nothing matching it came up in his memory, so Soren stored the image away for now—he'd ask Constantine later.
To be safe, he simply tossed every last piece of wreckage into the Silent Hill domain.
Only after cleaning up the scene did he release Patty from the Otherworld.
The moment she appeared and saw the destruction around them—plus the completely wrecked car—she jumped in shock.
"Soren! Are you okay?! What the hell were those monsters?!"
She frantically checked his body all over. Only after confirming he wasn't injured did she finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"I'm fine."
Soren pointed at the totaled vehicle. "But… you're gonna have to call us another ride."
...
Deep underground in the containment center's monitoring room.
Westen and several researchers stared at the main screen, now showing only disconnected signals. Their faces were grim.
"Boss, all signals have been lost. Test subjects confirmed dead."
A researcher reported in a low voice.
Westen clenched his fists tightly.
These were his carefully modified monsters—test subjects that had cost enormous funds and rare materials. They hadn't even lasted a few minutes.
A flicker of confusion crossed his eyes. "Did we manage to record the full battle data?"
The researcher nodded.
"Good."
Westen forced himself to calm down. "Immediately analyze the combat footage. Extract every detail of his fighting habits and the parameters of that greatsword."
"Use the data to train the next generation of test subjects."
...
Out in the remote countryside, no taxis were coming. Instead, the two of them flagged down a private car heading the same way to the orphanage.
Country music played inside. The owners were a friendly-looking middle-aged couple—John and Kate.
Through conversation, they learned the couple had just suffered a devastating loss.
Their third child had died in the womb.
To heal the wound in their hearts, they had decided to visit the suburban orphanage and adopt a healthy child to fill the empty space in their family.
When they arrived at the orphanage, they were greeted by a slightly plump Black nun named Abigail.
Sister Abigail warmly thanked Soren and Patty for their long-term donations of supplies and volunteer work at the orphanage.
"I want to go see the kids in the backyard first."
Patty handed out the gifts to a few caregivers, unable to wait any longer.
"Of course. They've been talking about you nonstop."
Sister Abigail smiled and led the way.
The moment they stepped into the sunlit backyard lawn, Patty was instantly surrounded by a swarm of cheering, laughing children. Joyful noise filled the air.
Soren, who came less often and always carried that "strangers keep away" aura, ended up with far fewer companions.
Only a couple of bold boys gathered around him, bombarding him with curious questions.
He answered simply while quietly observing the entire yard.
The orphanage backyard still retained the style of the old monastery. Most of the children clustered around Patty; a smaller group played noisily near the slide.
In a corner of the yard, a little girl in a lace dress sat alone on the swing, quietly drawing. She looked completely out of place among the rowdy kids.
Silk ribbons were tied around her neck and wrists—an eerie detail that immediately raised Soren's suspicions.
He had accompanied Patty here several times before and remembered most of the children.
He was certain he had never seen this girl who was so focused on her drawing.
"Sister, is that little girl new?"
Soren pointed at the solitary figure in the corner and asked.
Sister Abigail followed his gaze. A trace of pity flashed in her eyes. "She was recently transferred from Russia. Her name is Esther."
"The poor child."
The nun sighed. "She was once adopted by a wonderful couple. Then their whole family died in a terrible house fire. She only survived because she happened to be outside playing at the time."
Hearing the tragic backstory, Soren laughed coldly in his heart.
Orphan's resentment, huh?
If he remembered correctly, this "little girl" named Esther was actually an adult woman suffering from dwarfism, violent tendencies, and severe mental illness.
She only looked like a well-behaved child on the surface.
As if sensing the gazes on her, Esther stopped drawing. She lifted her head and gave them an innocent, sweet smile.
Soren studied that smile and asked, "Have you verified her background with the official agencies?"
Sister Abigail was taken aback. She hesitated, then shook her head slightly. "Because it was an international transfer, we've only checked some basic paperwork so far."
"The documentation… is still a bit incomplete."
"Then go verify it thoroughly."
Soren's tone was calm but carried an unquestionable weight.
"There's an extremely rare medical condition."
"The patient's body remains permanently in a child's stage, but their mind grows like any normal adult's."
"I once handled a case where an adult woman with this condition disguised herself as a child, got adopted, and then brutally murdered her unsuspecting foster parents."
The nun's body trembled.
She knew Soren worked as a private detective. He wouldn't fabricate such a story just to scare her. And thinking about Esther's unusually mature behavior for her apparent age…
"God above… I understand. I'll contact the police and the Russian authorities right away to run a full check."
Sister Abigail's face turned grave. She hurried off without another word.