Chapter 98: The Sanguine Pulse

Sergeant Lunabrooke raised his hand and summoned a double-sided mirror, with a silver frame resembling an elegant eye and a mirror acting as the eyeball. It hovered a few centimeters above his palm, emitting a soft blue glow.

Lieutenant Hyfer observed the silver mirror and inquired, "How long can the Soul Enchanting Gaze control them?"

"They haven't yet formed their souls and reached Rank-3. The Soul Enchanting Gaze's effects can last for months," replied Sergeant Lunabrooke.

"It shouldn't take that long to reel in the net." Lieutenant Hyfer commented.

Sergeant Lunabrooke nodded and focused on the pile of unconscious spirit tamers. His divine sense activated the Soul Enchanting Gaze, enveloping the incapacitated spirit tamers in a pale blue radiance. The radiance condensed into tiny teardrops, merging with their bodies.

Lieutenant Hyfer and the enforcement officers observed in silence as the phenomenon lasted for thirty seconds. The radiance eventually dispersed, and the elongated shadows in the vicinity faded away.

"It's done. They're all under control now," Sergeant Lunabrooke said with a smile as the Soul Enchanting Gaze vanished from his palm.

Lieutenant Hyfer pondered for a moment and then asked, "The soul attribute is very convenient in these situations. What do you think, Lucas? Should I consider it next time?"

Sergeant Lunabrooke replied after some thought, "Your innate talent is fire-attributed, and you've only contracted fire pets so far. It's a tough choice to make."

Lieutenant Hyfer chuckled, "Haha, I was just joking. Let's wake these guys up first and see if they have anything else for us."

...

"Meow."

In the basement, Ain held the cat in his lap as he played with the pups. Suddenly, he was drawn to a voice. He looked down and the pups followed his gaze. The cat lay lazily in his lap, gazing up at him with its blue eyes. A smile spread across Ain's face, and he said, "Cat, you're awake!"

"Meow," the cat responded before stretching with its four paws towards the ceiling.

"Woof! Woof!"

"Woof! Woof!"

The pups barked excitedly and hopped onto Ain's lap. Their tails wagged as they happily licked the cat's face.

"Meow!" The cat quickly expressed its dissatisfaction and jumped out of Ain's lap, using its paws to push away the pups.

Ain released Nox after its persistent pleas, and it immediately pounced on the cat.

"Meow!" The cat evaded Nox's attempts to phase through it and ran away.

"Woof! Woof!"

"Woof! Woof!"

In just twenty seconds after the cat's awakening, the large room descended into chaos. Ain stayed seated, watching the four little figures with a simple smile on his face. The pieces missing from his heart seemed to have returned, bringing true peace and tranquility.

Beep! Beep!

As he enjoyed the joyful atmosphere, his hololink alerted Ain to an incoming call. He checked his wrist and answered, "Hello?"

"Ain, we've finished up here. You can leave the basement," Sergeant Lunabrooke informed him.

"Okay, I'll be there," Ain replied. He stood up, patted his clothes, and said, "Come here, we're leaving." The four little ones stopped their games and obediently gathered beside Ain. "Nox, return to the spirit ring for now."

"Wooo..." Nox grumbled in dissatisfaction but ultimately complied, vanishing from sight with a flash. The pups sat at Ain's feet quietly, staring up at him, while the cat began grooming itself.

Ain glanced at the small trio before retrieving a backpack and a bag from his storage ring. Two minutes later, he arrived at the elevator, carrying the cat and pups on his body. The two pups were in the backpack, with only their heads visible, and the cat was in a bag strapped across his chest, with its head sticking out.

Soon, Ain encountered Sergeant Lunabrooke and Lieutenant Hyfer on the first floor.

Lieutenant Hyfer patted Ain's shoulder and said, "Looks like you've successfully rescued your spirit beasts. We have to thank you for this unexpected opportunity. It isn't easy to discover important members of the Order of Blood Origin. Getting rid of him will significantly impact their operations in the city and save numerous lives. Good job."

"No, I should thank you for your assistance," Ain replied sincerely. He was well aware of his capabilities and couldn't have infiltrated the place without Sergeant Lunabrooke's help.

Lieutenant Hyfer grinned and continued, "Alright, let's say we all contributed. Now that we've helped you, it's time for you to fulfill your promise."

“Of course.” Ain readily agreed to fulfill his side of the deal. However, before proceeding, he looked around their surroundings.

Sergeant Lunabrooke understood his intention and assured him, "We've already disabled the security, and the employees are under an illusion."

Ain nodded in satisfaction, took out his storage ring, and began fiddling with the holographic interface. Lieutenant Hyfer and Sergeant Lunabrooke exchanged glances, curious about Ain's actions.

A few seconds later, with some spirit energy fluctuations, a dull-brown, leather-bound book appeared in Ain's hands. Without hesitation, he held out the book and said, "Here."

Lieutenant Hyfer and Sergeant Lunabrooke initially stared at him in puzzlement. Their expressions slowly transformed into incredulity and disbelief as they looked at the leather book in his hands for a few seconds.

"You've had the book this whole time?!" Lieutenant Hyfer exclaimed, his eye twitching. The book suddenly flew out of Ain's hand and landed in Lieutenant Hyfer's grasp. He immediately opened it, and a scent of blood filled the air as Sergeant Lunabrooke leaned in.

"It contains the Rank-4 Blood Origin Technique and the alchemy recipe for the Blood Potential Potion," Ain added calmly. He wasn't surprised by their reaction. He could only empathize with Lieutenant Hyfer, who unknowingly became his scapegoat.

Sergeant Lunabrooke looked puzzled and inquired, "Is that all? I don't think these are enough to warrant such a desperate search by the Order. The federation has seized numerous copies over the years. Moreover, even without the physical copy, there should be core members in the city who've memorized them."

Ain nodded in agreement as he had pondered the same question before.

"It's probably not the technique or the alchemy recipe they're after. Lucas, scan it with your divine sense," Lieutenant Hyfer said mysteriously, flipping through the book and stopping at a particular page.

Sergeant Lunabrooke followed suit and used his divine sense. As a Rank-1 Spirit Tamer, Ain could only watch with a confused expression.

When Sergeant Lunabrooke's divine sense scanned the page, his expression changed. "A hidden space!" he exclaimed as his divine sense swept over the page, finally unraveling the mystery.

"That's right. They're probably after whatever's stored inside." Lieutenant Hyfer speculated.

Ain's eyes widened at the unexpected revelation. He realized why he had been unaware of it - a divine sense was required to uncover this secret. Curious, he asked, "What's inside?"

Lieutenant Hyfer and Sergeant Lunabrooke, intrigued by the mystery, decided to find out. Lieutenant Hyfer activated the hidden space with his divine sense and spirit energy. In the next moment, accompanied by a dim flash, a red, palm-sized sphere slowly emerged from the page. The sphere resembled a ruby, crystalline and clear, with a red brilliance pulsating in its depths like a heartbeat. As it emerged, a dense, bloody smell filled the air, crashing against them like waves.

Lieutenant Hyfer's eyes were fixed on the blood-red pulsating crystal. He said, "The Sanguine Pulse..." An amused smirk played on his face as he turned to Sergeant Lunabrooke. "No wonder they're so desperate! They can't create the Blood Potential Potion without this Sanguine Pulse!"

Ain listened to their conversation, finally understanding the significance behind all this. The Blood Potential Potion required Blood Essence as its primary ingredient. However, Blood essence wasn’t unique to the Order of Blood Origin, nor was it the potion’s true foundation. Instead, it was the Sanguine Pulse, only produced by the Order, that granted the potion its astonishing effects.

Ain had learned about the Sanguine Pulse from the alchemy recipe but the information he gleaned was ultimately limited. He inquired, "Is it difficult for them to acquire another Sanguine Pulse?"

Lieutenant Hyfer explained, "Absolutely. The Sanguine Pulse's true origins are unknown, and they're scarcely distributed within the Order. The Order is a vast organization, like a world-encompassing behemoth, with one main body and multiple extensions, each with varying significance. Extensions, like the one in our city, are established when a few core members from the main body arrive and use the Blood Potential Potion as a foundation for expansion."

"Thus, each extension represents a Sanguine Pulse. Seizing or destroying the Sanguine Pulse is an historically tested method to eliminate these extensions. It's rare for the main body to send another Sanguine Pulse to a location that previously failed to protect it."

Ain nodded in understanding, aware that Lieutenant Hyfer’s detailed explanation was likely due to his role in unknowingly securing the Sanguine Pulse.

Lieutenant Hyfer continued, "The alchemist we cornered at the tavern must have been producing the Blood Potential Potions. To prevent us from obtaining it, he hid the Sanguine Pulse during the battle. Unfortunately for him, Ain coincidentally witnessed his actions."

With this revelation, the pieces of the puzzle finally fell into place, shedding light on the Order’s desperate search for the book.

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