[Silver Ash] - Become The Strongest In Another World
CHAPTER 245: Hints and Tragedy

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For a more effective investigation, Dexter decides to break up the group into teams, who will then split up to find traces of the missing students.

Dexter and Mona also split up, and now the two are in opposite places.

Dexter is on the east side of the university building, while Mona is on the west side.

Each of them brought a team of aid members that the other church contributed.

Dexter is now in one of the university buildings. It was a field directly connected to the forest.

Due to his sizeable coverage of the area, Dexter again broke up the team members, and now he is alone.

Dexter, who relied on his intuition in every situation, is now faced with one quandary.

The case he was investigating right now, was about the students who suddenly disappeared.

According to reports, they were last seen in several places, namely in the main hall building of the campus.

Despite knowing that, Dexter and Mona keep investigating other parts because they want to make sure of something.

"There's almost no trace here, but ... this is weird."

Dexter immediately frowned suspiciously. Even though he never went to college, he was sure that this place should be crowded.

It was already afternoon, but there should be one or a group of students gathered. However, there is no one here.

It's just him and his team.

Sensing this awkwardness, Dexter quickly blew out the whistle which became a signal to all the team members.

It didn't take long, the people who joined his team had already gathered around. The first thing Dexter did was count their numbers.

"There are only eight people. Where is one more?! "

Dexter's words made them all aware. Each of them looked around, but did not find the figure of their comrade disappearing.

"T-impossible .. Liu .. She was with me earlier … "

One of the men who was a member of the help team from the Scientia Chamber side frantically looked around him, yet he was unable to find Liu's figure anywhere.

After Dexter scratched his memory, he realized that Liu was a young man with an appearance that exuded a clear intellectual aura. He wore glasses with a thin frame made of mixed silver.

"Calm down! Remember when he was last next to you? "

Dexter was also a little panicked, but he was still able to maintain his composure to a certain stage and respond calmly.

"It ... At the same time when the whistle signal is sounded."

(Time is too precise.)

Dexter is desperate to bite his own nails now, but he also has to keep his image.

"Can he fight? "

The only thing that worried Dexter was Liu's ability to protect himself.

If he did not remember wrongly, Liu made a contract with the Sovereign of Literature. Dexter does not know much, but he believes that the contract with the god does not provide much useful power in direct combat.

"Liu .. He graduated from the military academy, so he should be able to fight without any problems. But, that's assuming that he doesn't fight a lot of people at once."

His fighting ability was beyond doubt, but it would be best for them to act as soon as possible to deal with this matter.

After thinking for a time that he was unaware of, Dexter finally raised his face and looked at everyone one by one.

"We've checked this section, and found only one gaffe. We better get to the center point and get together with the others. Liu's search will be easier if we have a lot of help."

" … Yes! "

Without a doubt, they all obeyed what Dexter said.

...****************...

On the other hand, the team Mona leads is facing one problem.

They were investigating the western part, and it wasn't too difficult. However, on the west side there are only library buildings and guard posts, as well as parks that extend to the east.

Although it seemed like there was nothing, Mona and everyone who joined her team clearly felt the peculiarity that existed in that place.

One of them crouched down and checked the part of the garden that was filled with beautiful blue-colored flowers, and was immediately startled.

There, he found a pin with a university emblem engraved on it. It is an emblem that must be owned by all students here.

A person who loses the emblem will be charged a large fine. The punishment made all the students naturally take great care of their emblems.

However, of course, loss is inevitable. Someone could have accidentally dropped their emblem here.

The problem is, the location of the discovery of the emblem was a little inappropriate for a small accident.

It was in the middle of the flower garden, which was actually forbidden to pass.

The one who found the emblem, was a member of the aid that the Diamond Heart Order had sent. He made a contract with the Goddess of Beauty, so whatever step he took, he would not damage the flowers in the garden.

"Did you find anything? " Mona called her from the edge of the park, asking if she had any leads.

Of course, he quickly nodded.

Taking one big leap, he instantly arrived at Mona's side, and handed her the emblem.

Mona narrowed her eyes while continuing to stare at the emblem. "Someone should not drop this there .. Do the flowers there have any traces of damage? "

He quickly shook his head. "Not at all. Other than this emblem, I don't see any strangeness there at all."

Mona nodded and turned to look at everyone who had already gathered. They had only managed to find a hint, but it was already worth it.

"Is there any possibility that the person who dropped the emblem also has a contract with the Goddess of Beauty? "

"I can't deny that, but .. I don't feel any trace from there."

Normally, a user of contract power can feel a trace of strength from the same contract user as him. He who found the emblem earlier, did not feel any familiarity from the place.

There were only three possibilities; the first was that the trail had already been erased due to the time that kept going. Second, the person who dropped it had a similar strength that somehow did not damage all the flowers he passed by. The last one is an accident. Called accidental because this possibility just imagines someone accidentally throwing the emblem, and making it land in the middle of the park.

In the middle of her thought time, Mona instantly widened her eyes.

(Why do I assume that the one who dropped the emblem was the same person as the contract user? It was possible that the people who were here at that time numbered more than two people. One dropped it, and the other took the man away. Which means .. )

"Kidnapping case. We're getting closer to the truth."

Even though it was only his own conclusion, it would be best to use that as a benchmark for his next action.

"We're done here. Let's meet Dexter and the others at the center."

"Yes! "

...****************...

Both teams got to the centre point at the same time.

In times like this, the university was abandoned, and now it was quiet enough that the group of investigators from the church could move freely.

Dexter without saying anything immediately approached Mona. "One member of our team is missing. I hope you can help."

" ……… "

Mona sees all the Dexter members one by one, and realizes that one is missing. Mona remembers that there was a man named Liu who wasn't there.

"When did it happen? "

"We don't know for sure. Clearly, he was no longer there when I gave the signal. You remember him, don't you? He was a member of the Scientia Chamber dispatch who made a contract with the Sovereign of Literature."

Before this team was actually formed, everyone had been given clarity regarding each person who would be a member of their group.

Unlike Dexter who only remembers based on the ability that the person has, Mona literally memorizes everything.

Mona nodded and looked back at Dexter.

"The chances of him being kidnapped are quite high. This is in line with the information we just found."

"You guys find a clue? "

Those words made Dexter interested so he subconsciously asked.

"Yes," Mona replies while handing over the emblem her team members found in the middle of a flower garden.

"The owner of this emblem was kidnapped, and either intentionally or unintentionally dropped this emblem in the middle of the park. Of course, this is just a conclusion I made myself based on what I saw. We still don't know the truth."

(This information matches what we have just experienced.)

The intuition he had developed over the years convinced him that these were all interconnected.

However, there was unfortunately no clue as to Liu's whereabouts, so he couldn't start looking for her.

Looking for it carelessly will only make the search even more difficult. For this reason, Dexter asked everyone to remain calm. Everything will be resolved gradually.

Of course, this is a race against time. No one knows what will happen to Liu if the rescue is made too late.

At that moment, Dexter whose intuition fought best among everyone, instantly widened his eyes.

"Far away! "

His spontaneous order left everyone unable to do anything other than obey him. Each of them followed Dexter and jumped away from where they had stood before.

For a moment, nothing happened there. However, just a few seconds later, a dome of light emerged from the ground surface, and expanded to almost include them all in it.

"A barrier? From underground? "

Mona looked to the central point where the barrier had appeared before. What is visible on the surface may be just a dome, but there may still be other parts underground there.

"This … "

People who were already familiar with Liu were naturally no strangers to this type of barrier. This barrier that had just appeared was one of the powers that one possessed that made a contract with the Sovereign of Literature.

Most likely, Liu made it.

"It belongs to Liu! Not wrong anymore! "

Dexter is not good at using or controlling magic. But that doesn't mean he can't detect it.

Although it was faint, he could feel the marks of life underground.

"Are you sure it's really him? I'm not very good at detection, so I can't determine the gender."

The comment was released Dexter as best as possible, so that everyone around him could clearly understand his point.

In response to that, the man nodded strongly. "Not wrong anymore. Each owner of the contract has different characteristics. Even if they made a contract with the same god, the abilities given were not necessarily the same. This barrier was very similar to the one Liu had."

"Then ... Mona! Is there a way in to that place? "

On Dexter's question, Mona shows the expression of difficulty. "I'm not sure. The plan did not show any place that was underground, so this was completely hidden. Can anyone find a way? "

Mona looked around, and found everyone had a doubtful face. Only one person raised his hand.

"Do you know the way? "

That person without hesitation shook his head. "I don't know, but .. If it's a secret passage, we might be able to find it quite easily."

Mona pondered for a moment, trying to understand the words of that person. Then, he woke up.

They had all investigated almost all parts of the university, and were re-investigating on the east and west sides. Of all the places they investigated, only one had not actually checked.

It's the main building.

(It's ridiculous to realize the fact that we haven't really checked out this place.)

Mona could not help but form a wry smile on her face as she thought of that. The main building was indeed too conspicuous, which was why they had unknowingly missed it. A flashy place would only make the disguise fall apart, so they assumed that there was nothing to hide there.

Mona sighed and turned to Dexter. "Bring your team to do a lightning investigation. We'll figure out a way to break through this barrier somehow."

The barrier that Liu allegedly created was apparently quite strong. Mona and almost everyone there couldn't break through it so quickly.

"Also, if you've found a way, give me a signal by using the device that Tian shared."

Dexter simply nodded, then went to enter the main building with all of his team members.

...****************...

"Meet."

It didn't take long, Dexter's team managed to find a secret staircase that led underground.

Apparently, the stairs were hidden just below the administration desk that was in the main lobby.

Dexter reached into his coat pocket, and took out the communication device that Dolf and Tian shared on the day of the mission.

"Now … "

Without hesitation, Dexter destroys one of his stones and sends a signal to Mona.

Normally his device could only transmit signals to Dolf and Tian, but with a slight modification, he could also contact the other members. Of course, there were still no magic circuits implanted there.

The signal has been sent, and now it's just a matter of waiting until Mona and her team arrive.

...****************...

Upon reaching Mona's team at the site, they are immediately taken by Dexter's team to a room that is underground.

Liu's barrier was still active outside, but they were not worried that it would be seen by anyone, as they had applied a concealment barrier of a larger scale.

The stairs to the basement are quite narrow. It can only be passed by two people side by side. Moreover, its position was also quite steep, making everyone naturally slow down their pace.

Mona and Dexter are also careful with every step they take. They did not know what was ahead, so it would be a good thing to hide the sound of their footsteps.

Fortunately, the stairs were not very long. At only about 30 steps, they had already reached the room they were looking for.

There, a barrier of light shone powerfully. It is large enough to penetrate the surface.

It was a barrier created by Liu.

"Have you found a way to break through the barrier? "

It would be a problem if the barrier was impenetrable. After all, the barrier covered all areas so they could not enter and see what was inside.

Mona nodded. "It has. We can enter if we coat our bodies with magic. For you, you can use this robe."

Mona hands Dexter a robe. It was a robe that Mona had hastily modified. Wearing the robe, Liu's barrier would detect Dexter as someone who had already coated his body with magic.

The only way into the room was through an iron door that looked very heavy in front.

Dexter put on the robe Mona gave him, and walked into the barrier. He could enter without any problems, but now he still had to face that door.

Of course, this is not a problem either.

Dexter smiled, and his previously empty hand, had now been coated in a very dense iron knuckle.

Without a doubt, Dexter immediately dealt a very hard blow in a row at the same point on the door.

His fists were so strong that the door could not hold him, and was then shattered.

However, a pungent fishy smell suddenly invaded all of their noses.

...****************...

They all entered the room with a stuffy nose. That smell is really terrible. Just by smelling it, they could already imagine what was inside.

As a result, it was exactly as everyone thought.

There were many corpses, and they were all rotting away. The number is around 40, with different genders.

"Are they ... The students reported missing? "

One of the dispatch members of the Light Sanctuary tried to hold back her nausea, but soon lost control, and ended up vomiting on the spot.

All the bodies were in terrible condition. It's hard to explain, but clearly, they all died tragically.

There is one body that looks alive. He was lying on the floor, with a large amount of magic energy coming out from his body.

"Liu! "

His appearance was already difficult to recognize, but it was Liu, whose body slowly dried up as if his life force had been brutally absorbed.

The person who had been looking for Liu since then immediately ran over to help him, but the action made Dexter involuntarily click his tongue.

"Immediately evacuate Liu from this place! Give them rescue! Leave this place quickly! "

No one knew what was going to happen, and it was good for everyone to get out of this place immediately before something bad happened.

Everyone moved quickly to bring Liu. However, it was too late. Liu died on the spot, with a state of dried up body.

The barrier he created slowly dimmed, before it finally shattered.

...****************...

Mona and Dexter returned to the surface, seemingly confused by what had previously happened.

Liu suddenly disappeared, and when found, he was killed.

There was also about all the bodies found with him. It was too confusing that none of them could find the answer.

Dexter frowned, and removed the budkle that had been attached to his hand since.

"Do you know what's really going on here? "

What a silly question. Dexter himself realizes that Mona can't possibly know.

" … Everything is too confusing" Mona replied with a frustrated face.

Dexter who saw this felt bad, but he did not try to apologize, and instead took a cigarette from his pocket.

"You want? "

Mona shook her head. "I quit smoking half a decade ago."

"All right."

Shrugging his shoulders for a moment, Dexter then walked away. "I'll go outside and make a report."

Mona just nodded without saying anything. Since then, his mind has been full of things.

He did not stop thinking about what he had just seen before.

Based on the condition of all those corpses, they should have been dead for a long time. However, there is another possibility that Mona has found.

They could have died not too long ago, but the decay happened quickly due to Liu's barrier effect.

Mona recalled, that the barrier given as a contract from the Sovereign of Literature could speed up the flow of time somewhere. It does not affect living things, but inanimate objects or dead things will be greatly affected by it.

The Ruler of Literature has another name, namely the King who Loves to Read. Indirectly, the name has something to do with time.

Which meant, the corpses of all of them who died recently, were decaying faster due to the barrier effect of Liu.

The real culprit kidnapped Liu, and forcibly activated his ability to accelerate the decomposition of the corpses. I don't know what the goal is, but Mona has some conclusions of her own.

Who did? What is the motive and purpose? And does this all have something to do with the Swallow Life Order?

One by one the questions flashed through his mind, and the answers also appeared gradually.

After reaching the stage of enlightenment, Mona involuntarily widened her eyes.

He managed to find the answer.

That answer made him tremble, but he still tried to hold back his fear.

"I. .. Have to tell Dexter."

The steps his feet took felt heavy. He can't walk anymore. His body fell down, and now he sits on the floor without any energy in his legs.

Finally, Mona turned her head and looked back, giving her the most resigned smile she had ever made. "You found me."

A heavy blow was fired right at her head, leaving Mona bleeding heavily, and eventually unconscious.

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