[Mysteries On Marvel] Chapter 51/60 (Patreon)

Hundreds of lifeless spider eyes stared at the bedroom door from their bizarre arrangement on the wall, creating a chilling, oppressive atmosphere that crept into Eren's mind.

The overwhelming visual sensation struck like a mental assault, attempting to disturb his thoughts and emotions.

For an ordinary person, witnessing this scene would undoubtedly cause a severe psychological shock, leaving behind trauma that would haunt them in recurring nightmares.

Eren, however, simply held his breath, steadied himself, and used his Spirit Sight to scan every corner of his bedroom, seeking out potential dangers.

After meticulously sweeping the room several times and finding no hidden threats or lurking adversaries, Eren exhaled slightly, relaxing just a little.

Even so, he didn't immediately enter the room. His gaze lingered on the wall of spider specimens before settling on a letter written in dark red ink—a hue unmistakably reminiscent of blood.

From the doorway, Eren's sharp eyesight allowed him to make out the message on the blood-written note. The letter contained no lengthy monologue, just one chilling sentence:

"You destroyed my favorite bride; I will destroy your most beloved bride."

What the...?

Breaking into his home, nailing a grotesque arrangement of spider specimens on his wall, all to leave behind this cryptic threat?

Seriously? What kind of lunatic is this?

Eren's initial reaction was to dismiss the note as nonsensical ramblings. After all, he didn't recall ever ruining anyone's bride. Heck, he didn't even have a girlfriend—let alone a bride.

What bride are you going to destroy? Are you planning to deliver one to me first?

Eren was about to scoff when his eyes flicked back to the spider specimens on the wall. A sudden realization struck, and a flash of memory surfaced—the image of the humanoid spider he and George had killed.

Wait a second... could it be...?

Shaking his head, Eren muttered to himself, No way. That's impossible. People wouldn't—

His face darkened as he retrieved the crystalline orb he had drawn previously, preparing to divine the truth.

Whether due to the lingering resentment of the pinned spiders or the residual aura of the intruder who had defiled his room, the divination was unusually smooth.

The crystal orb's surface shimmered, and an array of fragmented images began to flicker within its depths.

Most of the scenes depicted pale hands pinning live spiders to wooden frames, their movements methodical and cold. Other glimpses showed a dimly lit room, flashes of firelight illuminating faint silhouettes.

The fragmented visions coalesced into a final, haunting image: a dark scene, faintly illuminated by orange flames, revealing the unmistakable silhouette of a human figure concealed in the shadows.

Eren's heart sank. The contours of the scene were all too familiar—it was the parking garage where he and George had confronted and killed the humanoid spider.

The revelation hit him hard.

Neither he nor George had realized at the time that someone had been hiding in the shadows, silently observing their every move.

Damn it.

The thought sent a shiver down his spine. If that figure had chosen to side with the humanoid spider, their chances of survival would have been grim.

Clenching his jaw, Eren immediately pulled out his phone and dialed George's number.

Several rings later, George's voice came through.

"Eren?"

Eren wasted no time. "Mr. George, we may have a problem..."

Minutes later, the street outside Eren's three-story home was swarmed by police cars flashing their lights. The installation crew delivering Eren's safes froze in panic at the sight of dozens of armed officers pointing guns their way.

Fortunately, Eren came down from the third floor before things escalated. Approaching George, who was now in full tactical gear, Eren raised an eyebrow.

"Quite the show of force, huh?"

George's expression was grim. "After your call, I went home to check, and my bedroom was covered in the same spider specimens you described. Worse... I can't reach Helen. Today's Sunday—she should be home making dinner for the kids, but there's no response."

Eren's brow furrowed. He looked at George, whose face was dark enough to drip water, and asked, "Any leads?"

George shook his head. "My partner, Vinny, has taken a team from the 13th Precinct to investigate. They're our best trackers, but so far, nothing. I came here first, hoping you might have some clues."

Eren nodded slowly, understanding the gravity of the situation. The disappearance of Helen—George's wife—elevated the matter to an entirely different level.

This wasn't just a threat to individuals anymore. It was a direct attack on the family of a high-ranking police officer—a blatant provocation to the entire NYPD.

It was no wonder the police had mobilized so quickly and in such numbers.

"We don't have time to waste. Show me the scene," George urged, his voice tight with urgency.

"Alright," Eren replied. "The scene is on the third floor. I'll take you up."

George nodded and gestured behind him. "Evidence techs, follow me."

A group of officers carrying forensic equipment quickly fell into step behind George as they entered Eren's home.

The moment they stepped inside, the officers noticed the four workers in uniforms, still stunned by the sudden arrival of the police.

"These are the delivery and installation crew for the safes I bought earlier today," Eren explained. "They have nothing to do with this."

(End of Chapter)

"Sim, take these men downstairs and question them thoroughly. See if they know anything useful."

George scrutinized the four workers with a piercing gaze, making them sweat profusely before finally signaling for the officers to escort them out. Despite Eren's explanation about their presence, George wasn't willing to overlook any potential lead.

Eren sighed but didn't stop him.

These four were just unlucky to get caught in this mess.

Eren resolved to have Doug compensate them later for their trouble.

With the workers taken care of for now, Eren led George and a group of officers upstairs. As they climbed toward the third floor, the oppressive stench of decay seemed to grow heavier, permeating the air even more than before.

When they reached the bedroom, Eren opened the door fully, releasing a wave of foul odor that hit them like a wall. The stench was several times stronger than when Eren had first discovered it.

Flipping the light switch, the grotesque spider specimen arrangement on the wall came into full view, illuminated starkly by the overhead light. The countless, lifeless eyes seemed to glisten with a malevolent aura under the artificial light.

"Ugh..."

A young female officer behind George turned away, clutching her mouth as she retched. Several male officers also looked pale, their expressions betraying their discomfort.

Only George and two senior detectives seemed unaffected, their seasoned composure allowing them to hold steady.

After ensuring the young officer was cared for, George stepped into the room with his team. His gaze landed on the blood-written note on the bed, and his expression darkened further.

"You destroyed my favorite bride; I will destroy your most beloved bride! That damned line again. If I find you, I swear I'll kill you," George growled, his body trembling with rage.

Seeing George's fury, Eren spoke up. "Mr. George, I recall that the humanoid spider case, along with the creature's body, was handed over to the FBI. Has there been any update from them in the past day?"

George's expression soured further. "Not only have they failed to make progress, but the culprit has now blatantly threatened us. Is the FBI utterly incompetent? Are they just wasting taxpayer money on early retirement?"

Eren's frown deepened. "So they've said nothing useful?"

"They've withheld everything. Joaquin, the FBI agent in charge, claimed it was to prevent leaks while they pursued leads. He refused to share any details," George said, his tone dripping with frustration.

"What about now? With Helen's abduction, wouldn't they reconsider?"

George opened his mouth to reply but then closed it, shaking his head in silent fury.

Eren sighed internally, recalling how affable Joaquin had been when he initially took the case from George. Yet within a single day, his attitude had shifted entirely.

George's wife was in danger, possibly facing death, yet Joaquin refused to share critical information. Unbelievable.

Eren's thoughts drifted to the note.

Helen is George's wife, so the culprit kidnapped her. But who, in their mind, is my "bride"?

Eren replayed the events in his head. He and George had killed the humanoid spider in the underground parking garage of George's neighborhood. The culprit was likely someone connected to that area, having observed them closely.

Helen had been present at the scene, tending to George after the fight, so the culprit identified her as George's wife.

As for Eren, the only person who had been near him at the time was...

Gwen.

A chilling realization struck Eren.

Could the culprit have mistaken Gwen as his bride?

"George," Eren began cautiously, "I think the culprit might view Gwen as my bride."

George's face paled.

"Gwen is an intern at Osborn Corporation. Today is Sunday, and she's likely still at their offices. I didn't tell her about Helen to avoid worrying her, so she should be in Osborn Tower right now."

The gravity of the situation hit George immediately. He pulled out his phone and dialed Gwen's number.

The ringtone felt interminable, each ring like a hammer pounding against George's chest. He couldn't bear the thought of receiving another devastating blow after Helen's abduction.

Finally, the call connected. Gwen's voice came through the line, light and unbothered.

"Dad? Are you coming to pick me up? Norman Osborn announced today that he's calling a board meeting tomorrow, so my department head was pulled into a meeting. I've got some unfinished work, so I might be working late tonight."

Hearing her voice, George felt a wave of relief wash over him. For a moment, he even felt grateful Gwen was at the well-secured Osborn Tower. If she had been at home, she might already have been abducted like Helen.

However, George remained cautious. "Gwen, listen to me carefully. I'm sending someone to Osborn Tower to get you. Stay there and don't leave under any circumstances. Be vigilant of everyone around you."

Gwen immediately picked up on her father's tone. Lowering her voice, she asked, "Dad, did something happen?"

"There's been an incident. Someone might be targeting you. Trust me—I won't let anything happen to you. Just stay at Osborn Tower and wait for the officers I'm sending. Do you understand?"

George deliberately avoided mentioning Helen, fearing that Gwen might panic and leave the safety of Osborn Tower, giving the culprit an opportunity to strike.

(End of Chapter)

"Don't worry, Dad! I'll take care of myself."

After hanging up the phone, Gwen clutched her file folder tightly. Quietly, she reached into her desk drawer and pulled out a small canister of pepper spray, her eyes discreetly scanning her surroundings.

Since experiencing a kidnapping attempt, Gwen had made it a habit to carry small self-defense tools. It seemed that decision was paying off now.

Meanwhile, back at Eren's house, he turned to George, puzzled. "You're not going to check on her personally?"

Eren knew George to be a doting father. With Gwen potentially in danger, it seemed strange that he wouldn't rush to her side.

George, having just radioed Officer Rhine to send a team to protect Gwen, shook his head. "Rhine is one of our sharpest officers, a sharpshooter with an impeccable record. I trust him to keep Gwen safe. Helen, however, is in much greater danger right now. I don't even know how long she's been missing..."

As he spoke, guilt and worry clouded George's expression. If it weren't for him, Helen wouldn't have been dragged into this mess.

Eren considered this and then suggested, "If you can provide me with something of Helen's—like jewelry she wore often or unwashed clothing—I might be able to help find her."

George looked at him skeptically. "You're planning to track her scent? We've already tried that with five search dogs, but..." He shook his head, clearly doubtful of the effectiveness of such a method.

The reality was that scent tracking could be easily disrupted. With modern technology and transportation, a person could be sealed in a vehicle and moved hundreds of miles away in no time, rendering even the best dogs helpless.

Despite his doubts, George reached into his pocket and pulled out a champagne-colored lipstick and a crescent-shaped pendant.

"I brought these earlier for the search dogs. Will these work?"

"They'll do," Eren replied, deciding not to explain that he intended to use divination to locate Helen. He doubted George, a staunch believer in material evidence, would take him seriously.

"I'll also need a patrol car," Eren added.

"Consider it done," George replied without hesitation. Trust born from their previous partnership—and George's desperation—made him less inclined to question Eren's methods.

Scanning the room, George's gaze fell on the young officer who had been retching earlier.

"Elena, I need you to drive Eren wherever he needs to go. He'll explain the details."

Elena, a fresh police academy graduate and a high achiever, had struggled with the gruesome scene in Eren's room. George reasoned it would be better to send her out on a task rather than have her endure more discomfort at the crime scene.

"Yes, sir!" Elena responded crisply, though her pale face betrayed her relief at the assignment.

Time was of the essence. With George's approval, Eren and Elena entered a patrol car parked outside.

Once Eren settled into the back seat, Elena, now seated at the wheel and buckling her seatbelt, turned to him. "Where to?"

"Just a moment," Eren replied.

He took the crescent pendant and the champagne-colored lipstick in his hands, preparing for a divination ritual. The lipstick would act as a dowsing rod, using Helen's personal energy to guide the search.

In mysticism, personal items were often the best conduits for such rituals due to their close connection to the individual.

Focusing his mind, Eren entered a semi-meditative state. His eyes darkened as his spiritual energy surged, lifting his awareness into another plane. In this heightened state, he could sense the invisible "spirit world" all around him.

Ignoring the vibrant, chaotic energies of the spirit world, Eren silently repeated the words, "Helen's location."

After seven repetitions, Eren let go of the lipstick, allowing it to spin freely in his palm. The air around him seemed to shift subtly, as if unseen presences had gathered, drawn by his spiritual energy.

The eerie sensation of being watched by countless invisible entities prickled at Eren's senses, but he remained focused. Fixing his dark gaze on the lipstick, he repeated his query:

"Helen's location."

The lipstick, as if guided by an unseen force, tilted forward, pointing directly ahead.

"Drive straight," Eren instructed, his voice distant and ethereal, as though it carried through layers of space and time.

Elena, unnerved by the strange tone, hesitated only briefly before starting the car and following his direction.

The method Eren employed was one he had recently mastered. Derived from ancient dowsing techniques, it used a small ritual to imbue an object with spiritual energy, allowing it to indicate the direction of a person or object.

While not as precise as modern technology or other supernatural methods, it was a potent tool. By performing repeated divinations, Eren could gradually narrow down the search area.

For a detective, such a skill would be a nightmare for any fugitive, a relentless tool to track them down.

(End of Chapter)

"Drive."

Seeing Elena hesitating, Eren repeated himself, "I'll tell you when to turn."

Though puzzled by Eren's strange behavior since getting into the car, Elena chose to follow George's orders and comply.

Once the engine roared to life, the police car—with its sirens off—merged into the bustling New York traffic. They navigated street after street, with Eren periodically using his "lipstick divination" to recalibrate their direction.

Elena's driving skills were impressive; even when Eren abruptly directed a turn at an intersection, she executed it with precision and minimal delay.

Half an hour later, after circling a particular building, Eren became convinced that Helen was inside. A final divination confirmed his suspicion.

Instead of stopping immediately, Eren directed Elena to drive another block or two and take a turn into a narrow alleyway, ensuring they were out of sight of the target building. Finally, he had her park by a small bakery.

"Why are we stopping here?" Elena asked, puzzled, as she killed the engine.

Eren tucked the crescent pendant and lipstick back into his pocket before responding. "Officer Elena, I just realized I skipped dinner. Could you get me some bread from that bakery?"

"Excuse me?" Elena shot Eren an incredulous look, her expression practically shouting, Are you serious right now?

Eren doubled down. "Oh, and a drink too. Here's ten bucks." He handed her a bill, his fingers leaving faint afterimages in the air, a subtle nudge that seemed to ease her resistance.

Though annoyed, Elena ultimately shook her head and got out of the car. This kid must be in shock after everything he's been through. Fine, I'll indulge him this once.

While Elena disappeared into the bakery, Eren called George.

"George, I think I've found where Helen is."

"What?!"

George had just left Eren's house, intending to regroup with his partner Vinny, when Eren's words stopped him in his tracks. His heart raced as he barked into the phone, "Where?"

Eren glanced at a street sign. "8th Avenue, near 39th Street. A building labeled 'Abbott Freezing Company.' I don't know how many hostiles are inside, so if you want to save Helen, you'll need backup."

To bolster his words, Eren used a touch of the Mind Imprint Technique, ensuring George felt the weight of his urgency.

George's bloodshot eyes gleamed with determination as he growled, "Don't worry. I'll get Helen out, no matter the cost."

As George prepared to end the call, Eren added, "One more thing—approach quietly. Don't make a big show of force. If they feel cornered, they might lash out. Helen's still in their hands."

"Understood. I'll handle it," George replied, his voice as cold as steel before hanging up.

With backup called, Eren rummaged through the police car and found a baseball cap someone had left behind. After donning it, he exited the car just as Elena returned with a bag of bread and a drink.

Taking the items, Eren said, "When George and his team arrive, wait here for them. I'll check things out up ahead."

Before Elena could protest, Eren was already walking away, leaving her standing in confusion.

Eren blended seamlessly into the pedestrian traffic on the street, his cap pulled low as he carried his bread and drink like any ordinary passerby. The building housing "Abbott Freezing Company" loomed ahead.

He planned to scout the area before George and his team arrived. However, he had already used divination to confirm that this reconnaissance would be safe, ensuring his confidence as he proceeded.

Within minutes, Eren reached the building. The five-story structure was L-shaped, with its street-facing side serving as the company's front office and the adjacent wing converted into a series of cold storage units. Behind the building, a small lot served as a loading area for trucks.

At this late hour, the surrounding businesses and offices were well-lit, their windows glowing brightly against the dark New York night. In stark contrast, the Abbott building stood shrouded in darkness, with only the guard station at the entrance showing any sign of life.

Avoiding the security cameras, Eren ducked into a shadowy corner and retrieved the champagne-colored lipstick. His eyes darkened as he focused his energy for another round of divination.

This time, the lipstick pointed not toward the main building but to one of the adjacent cold storage units.

In a cold storage unit?

Moving stealthily, Eren crept along the walls, staying in the shadows as he approached the indicated unit. Once close, he took a deep breath and activated his Spirit Sight.

As he channeled more of his spiritual energy into his eyes, the faint colors and lines of auras began to sharpen and intensify. Within moments, his enhanced sight penetrated the walls of the cold storage unit, revealing the energy signatures within.

(End of Chapter)

"One, two, three… seven. Seven distinct auras. That's quite a crowd," Eren muttered as his brows furrowed.

However, his concern wasn't about the number of people but Helen's condition. Among the seven auras, two were abnormally faint, teetering on the edge of collapse.

"Damn it, one of those weak ones better not be Helen!"

Cursing under his breath, Eren retrieved a familiar coin from his pocket. Infusing it with spiritual energy, he flicked it into the air.

"Buzz…"

The coin vibrated as it spun mid-air, drawing invisible threads of energy around itself.

Eren's darkened eyes fixated on the coin as he silently posed the question to the unseen spiritual realm:

"Is Helen among those two weak auras?"

Repeating the question thrice, Eren caught the coin in his hand. When he opened his palm, the 25-cent coin revealed its face-up side.

Heads.

The result indicated that Helen wasn't among the two fading auras.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Eren allowed himself a moment of calm. At least she's not on the brink of death…

Still, his curiosity lingered. If it's not Helen, then who are those two? Other victims, perhaps?

The repurposed cold storage unit lacked windows, with only a massive roll-up door for loading and a smaller reinforced steel door beside it.

After circling the building covertly, Eren used his spiritual sight to discern the general locations of the seven auras.

The two strongest auras were stationed at the roll-up door and the smaller side door, likely guards left by the captors.

The other five—including the two weak auras—were clustered at the back of the cold storage unit.

Are they all hostages? Or are some accomplices hiding among them?

Faced with the uncertainty, Eren concluded, Better wait for George and his team.

Eren's current arsenal wasn't ideal for the situation. His Gaze of Despair required direct eye contact to unleash its full potential, and while the egg-shell grenade in his pocket was powerful, it was limited in its reach and utility in the confined space of the cold storage.

Acknowledging his limitations, Eren slipped away from the cold storage and returned to the alley where he had left the police car.

Minutes later, George arrived in a car that screeched to a halt, its engine emitting wisps of smoke.

Eren raised an eyebrow at the sight. What speed did he drive at to overheat the engine?

Ignoring the pale-faced officer in the passenger seat, George stormed toward Eren. "Where's Helen?"

"She's in the third cold storage unit of the Abbott Freezing Company building, about a hundred meters away," Eren reported, his tone steady. "Along with Helen, there are six other people inside. One guard is stationed at the roll-up door, another at the side door, and the rest are with Helen at the back of the unit."

"I'm not sure if all four people with Helen are fellow victims or if any of them are accomplices, but two of them are in bad shape…"

George's eyes sharpened, a mix of gratitude and suspicion flickering in his gaze. "How do you know all this?"

Eren shrugged. "I'm an orphan. I've picked up a few unique skills to survive. Let's just say I have my methods."

George cut him off with a wave. "I don't care about your secrets. If your intel helps me save Helen, I owe you everything."

With Eren's information in hand, George quickly used his radio to coordinate with the NYPD, deploying officers and finalizing a rescue plan.

The police mobilization was swift and precise. After a final check of the cold storage layout with Eren's guidance, George led a squad of heavily armed officers into the building.

Eren didn't participate in the rescue operation but waited anxiously outside.

Minutes later, George emerged from the cold storage, carrying Helen in his arms. Her face was pale, and she was unconscious.

Medics from a nearby ambulance rushed forward, gently but firmly taking Helen from George and placing her on a stretcher.

George's face twisted with worry, his hands trembling as he watched the doctors perform emergency diagnostics.

Shortly after, two more SWAT officers exited the building, each carrying a woman.

One of the women, a teenage girl with blood staining her lower body, was conscious but hysterical, her piercing screams echoing through the night.

Her eyes darted around wildly, and her body trembled violently, evidence of severe trauma.

The scene was chaotic as four additional medics sprinted toward the cold storage, carrying emergency kits.

They had just received word from the SWAT team inside: two women were critically injured and required immediate medical attention.

(End of Chapter)

Eren glanced at the doctor rushing past before withdrawing his gaze.

He walked over to the ambulance where Helen lay. She was hooked up to various monitoring devices. Quietly, Eren activated his spiritual vision.

However...

As soon as he saw Helen's aura, Eren's brows furrowed deeply.

In the perspective of spiritual vision, Helen's aura, though not indicative of life-threatening danger, was still in poor condition.

The outer layer of her aura, representing health, which was usually a bright white, appeared extremely dim. Her lower legs, in particular, had an aura that was erratic and chaotic, as though the area had suffered severe trauma.

Internally, her astral body, which was closely tied to her mental and emotional state, also appeared dulled. It seemed that Helen had suffered some mental strain before falling unconscious.

The paramedics called by the NYPD were relatively skilled. After a round of examinations, they quickly assessed Helen's condition.

"The patient's lower legs are fractured, likely due to blunt force trauma..."

"The patient's heartbeat is erratic, and upper-body trauma cannot be ruled out..."

"A piece of rusty metal was found embedded in the wound on the patient's forehead..."

One piece of bad news after another turned George's face pale as he sat inside the ambulance. Looking at Helen, who wore an expression of faint pain and occasionally twitched even in her unconscious state, George's heart felt as though it were being torn apart.

At that moment, George wished he could take Helen's place on that stretcher. If he could, he would willingly endure the pain on her behalf.

The masked doctor, who appeared to know George, patted him on the shoulder and said, "The patient is not in immediate danger, but her condition is critical. I need to take her to the hospital right away. You'll need to step out, George."

George shook his head. "No, Helen is my wife. I'm not going anywhere. Drive; I'll go to the hospital with you."

Although George wanted nothing more than to tear the perpetrator apart, he knew Helen needed his presence now more than anything.

The doctor glanced at Helen, lying on the stretcher, and nodded. "Alright."

After discarding his bloodied gloves, the doctor replaced them with a clean pair and prepared a syringe to administer a painkiller to Helen.

Just then, a burly officer with a thick beard approached the ambulance. Peering inside, he asked, "George, how's Helen?"

George's eyes dimmed, and he shook his head. "Her condition isn't great. You're just in time, Vinnie. I'm going to accompany Helen to the hospital. I'll leave things here to you."

George's longtime partner, Detective Vinnie from the NYPD's 13th Precinct, gave Helen a worried look. After a moment of silence, he nodded firmly. "Don't worry, George. I've got this. The department has already issued an arrest warrant for Abbott. We'll catch that bastard."

Abbott—the owner of Abbott Freezing Company and the prime suspect in the case.

After learning Helen had been locked in Abbott's cold storage facility, George immediately looked into the company. He quickly discovered that Abbott's owner, Junior Abbott, lived just a few floors above their apartment. The man had even exchanged pleasantries with George on multiple occasions.

Though not close neighbors, they would sometimes encounter each other during their commutes.

George could hardly believe that the polite and courteous Junior Abbott could be capable of such a monstrous act.

"Thanks, Vinnie. I owe you one."

Vinnie shook his head. "No need for that between us. I'll also assign a few officers to keep an eye on Gwen and send a team to the hospital with you. With his base of operations compromised, who knows what that lunatic might do next? Better safe than sorry."

"Good idea."

After speaking with Vinnie, George turned to Eren and expressed his gratitude. "Eren, thank you for your help. Without you, we wouldn't have found Helen in time."

The memory of the horrific scene inside the cold storage facility sent a chill down George's spine, but it also made him deeply grateful for Eren's assistance.

Eren waved dismissively. "No need to—"

Before he could finish, the doctor interrupted with irritation. "Alright, that's enough chit-chat. If you're going to talk, do it outside. I need to take the patient to the hospital. George, if you want your wife to get better soon, shut the door so we can leave."

"Right away!"

George quickly complied, and as the ambulance door shut, the vehicle roared to life and sped off toward the hospital.

After George left, Eren turned to Vinnie. "Detective Vinnie, may I take a look inside the cold storage?"

Vinnie frowned. "That place is a bloodbath. It's not something someone your age should see."

Seeing Vinnie's reluctance, Eren tried a different approach. "I just want to examine the cold storage for clues. If I can figure out the culprit's location quickly, I can get a good night's sleep. You know, I'm the one who found Mrs. Helen in the first place."

Vinnie's expression grew serious. He studied Eren for a moment before nodding reluctantly.

Although he didn't want to admit it, Eren was indeed talented at tracking. Despite leading a team of over ten officers for hours, Vinnie hadn't found a single lead. Yet Eren had located Helen and gathered detailed information about her confinement in less than thirty minutes.

Hoping that Eren's instincts might also lead them to Junior Abbott, Vinnie decided to give him a chance.

"Fine. Follow me."

Walking through the side door, which had been violently broken open, Eren entered the dimly lit cold storage facility. As soon as he stepped inside, a heavy gloom seemed to settle over him, casting a shadow on his heart.

(End of Chapter)

As soon as Eren stepped into the cold storage, his eyes were drawn to a mangled corpse lying in a pool of blood. The body was barely recognizable, its arm marked with a spider tattoo.

The flickering overhead light cast eerie shadows, intensifying the already grim atmosphere.

Eren frowned slightly, carefully avoiding the corpse and the sticky blood on the floor. Skirting the narrow entrance near the side door, he stepped further into the cold storage.

Standing at the entrance, Eren swept his gaze across the room, taking in the full extent of the scene.

Aside from the towering stacks of frozen goods deliberately placed at the front to conceal the interior, the rear half of the cold storage had been completely cleared out and transformed into a horrifying sight.

At the center of the vast space was a six-meter-wide pit. In the middle of the pit stood a cement altar, carved with strange and unsettling patterns.

On the altar, a web of steel chains bound two figures whose lower bodies were mangled and bloody. The chains coiled tightly around them, securing them to the dark red surface of the altar.

The paramedics who had rushed into the cold storage earlier were crouched beside the altar, frantically attempting emergency treatment on the two victims.

Eren's gaze moved from the altar to its surroundings, and an uncontrollable chill ran down his spine. Goosebumps rose on his arms as an overwhelming sense of dread gripped him.

Around the altar were four steel cages, scattered among piles of spider carcasses and torn clothing. Amidst the shredded garments, he could make out blackened, shriveled human-like figures, drained of life as if nothing but remnants remained.

"Creepy, isn't it?"

Detective Vinnie, who had accompanied Eren, patted him on the shoulder, snapping him out of his daze. Vinnie continued, "At first, we thought that humanoid spider monster was the result of illegal human experiments carried out by some underground lab defying federal regulations."

"But who would've guessed that the monster came from such a crude setup?"

Looking at the exposed human remains at the bottom of the pit, Vinnie muttered under his breath, "This is insane…"

Judging by the piles of bones near the cages and the blood-stained altar, Vinnie could only imagine how many lives had been lost here. Though this wasn't his precinct, Vinnie could already picture the headlines in tomorrow's papers, accusing the NYPD of incompetence.

"This isn't just insanity…"

Eren turned his gaze to the altar's edge, focusing on the blood-soaked carvings and the cages around it. His voice turned cold. "This is a ritual—a sacrifice to please an evil god."

A ritual forged with symbols, guided by blood, and fueled by life itself...

Even without knowing which god the ritual aimed to please, Eren had no doubt of its reality.

The cold storage still held a lingering aura, faint but enough to make his soul tremble with fear.

"What do you mean?" Vinnie frowned. "A sacrifice to please an evil god? Are you saying these people were cultists?"

As Eren explained, Vinnie glanced at the eerie, corpse-filled cold storage and found the idea unsettlingly plausible. Only cultists—those unhinged lunatics—could commit such horrifying acts within the city.

At that moment, the paramedics working on the altar let out simultaneous sighs, stopping their efforts.

"What's wrong?" Vinnie quickly stepped forward.

One of the older doctors shook his head and replied, "The wounds were too infected, combined with excessive blood loss and organ failure… We did everything we could."

He then turned to the altar, looking at one of the poor girls whose upper body was human, but whose lower half had been grotesquely fused with massive spider legs.

"Monsters…" he muttered. Removing his bloodied coat, he draped it over the exposed bodies of the two lifeless women, offering them a semblance of dignity.

Eren, standing behind Vinnie, glanced at the altar and silently mused to himself.

This crude transformation ritual must have worked because it gained the attention of some evil god.

Seeing the altar and the two women who had died with their eyes wide open, Eren finally understood the origin of the humanoid spider he had encountered earlier.

"This complicates things…"

Initially, Eren had planned to look for personal items in the cold storage that belonged to Abbott, intending to use divination to track him down. However, upon seeing that the ritual had succeeded and earned the favor of an evil god, Eren hesitated.

If Abbott was still under the god's gaze, any attempt at divination might inadvertently connect Eren to the god. Such a misstep could have catastrophic consequences, including instant death from backlash.

Wait.

If Junior Abbott truly had the favor of an evil god, Gwen could be in serious danger.

Could the officers George assigned really protect her?

Eren turned to Vinnie and said urgently, "Detective Vinnie, if that man is a cultist, Gwen might be in grave danger."

Vinnie's expression darkened. Eren was right. Cultists were unpredictable and dangerous, capable of unimaginable horrors.

As Vinnie pulled out his phone to warn the officers guarding Gwen, a chilling sense of dread surged through Eren's chest.

Danger...

Danger...

Danger...

The overwhelming, suffocating sense of crisis made it hard for Eren to breathe.

What had been an oppressive cold storage moments ago now felt like a monstrous, devouring beast intent on swallowing them whole.

Eren's extraordinary intuition as a diviner screamed at him to flee immediately.

"Danger! Run! Get out of here now!"

(End of Chapter)

Eren shouted a warning, wasting no time explaining further. He bolted toward the side door he had entered through, his legs moving so fast they seemed to leave afterimages.

Inside the cold storage, the sudden shout startled the police officers and paramedics.

Moments later, they saw Eren reach the side door in an instant.

Vinnie, who was holding his phone and about to call Rhine, froze for a moment before realizing something critical.

Just as Eren was about to dart through the side door, Vinnie roared, his voice thunderous:

"Everyone, drop what you're doing and get out of here—now!"

The officers and paramedics, already unnerved by Eren's actions and words, didn't hesitate. Dropping everything, they sprinted toward the side door with alarming urgency.

Their practiced, almost synchronized movements conveyed an instinct for survival that was deeply ingrained in them.

Even those who had no idea what was happening understood from Eren and Vinnie's warnings that the situation was dire.

While Eren and the others were racing to escape, on the rooftop of a building across the street from Abbott Freezing Company, a figure cloaked in black stood shrouded in the night.

The figure watched the police swarming around the company building, their faces twisted with anger.

"Damn it, damn it!" he growled. "How did these useless cops find my altar so quickly?"

"Normally, the NYPD takes days to deal with even minor issues. But this time—"

"Fuck! My altar! My spider brides, all prepared as offerings for the Mother of Spiders... ruined!"

Under the figure's hood, Junior Abbott's face was grim. A faint, blood-red spider pattern glowed beneath his skin, spreading across his face and lending his already sinister expression an even darker, crazed edge.

"All of you... you'll pay for destroying my brides. You lowly worms will be buried with them!"

Growling curses, Junior Abbott pulled a small remote control from his pocket and pointed it toward the Abbott Freezing Company building.

"Die, you pathetic mortals!"

With that, he pressed the red button on the remote.

The explosives he had planted around the cold storage facility when it was repurposed for his ritual received the signal.

In less than a second, the command to detonate was transmitted to the hidden bombs.

The next moment—

A deafening explosion echoed through New York's 39th Street, near 8th Avenue.

The blast illuminated half of New York City in a fiery glow.

"Boom!"

Countless windows around Abbott Freezing Company shattered under the force of the explosion. Glass fragments rained down like deadly shards, adding to the chaos.

"Consider yourselves lucky."

Shielding his face from the blinding firelight with one hand, Junior Abbott smirked at the rising inferno before turning toward the rooftop staircase.

The explosion had drawn far too much attention; he needed to leave before the situation spiraled further out of control.

Descending the stairs at breakneck speed, Junior Abbott's mind raced.

If they found my altar, they'll definitely track down my apartment.

Hell, someone might already be waiting for me there.

"My company's gone, my apartment's a no-go... I need to find a place to hide."

"Maybe Hell's Kitchen?"

Most of the women he had abducted for his ritual—except for Helen, whom he had taken to spite George and Eren—had been purchased through channels in Hell's Kitchen.

Junior Abbott was no stranger to the chaos and disorder of the area.

If he wanted to stay in New York or escape the city, Hell's Kitchen offered the best resources and connections for someone in his position.

Racing down the stairs, he reached the building's ground floor in no time.

Pushing open the side door, he stepped out into the street.

He had barely taken a few steps when—

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

A volley of gunfire erupted around him.

Danger!

The moment he heard the shots, Junior Abbott's instincts screamed at him. Dropping to the ground, he rolled forward to evade the bullets.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

No matter how he rolled, the bullets seemed to track him, striking the ground where he had been moments before.

"Clink! Clink! Clink!"

Bullets missed him but hit the pavement, sending shards of debris flying.

The fragments stung his face, and he felt warm liquid trickling from his wounds. Blood dripped onto his already sinister visage, intensifying the eerie spider pattern glowing on his skin.

Even worse, one of the initial bullets had struck his right hand. The searing pain radiated through him, rendering his right hand nearly useless.

The injury crippled him, making it impossible to draw the pistol holstered at his waist.

Without a means to retaliate, Junior Abbott's situation was precarious—and potentially fatal.

"Damn it! Fuck!"

(End of Chapter)

As Junior Abbott rolled to avoid the incoming bullets, he gritted his teeth and endured the searing pain, his left hand fumbling at his right hip for the pistol holstered there.

But then—

A small, oval-shaped object, resembling an egg, rolled across the ground as if predicting where Junior would land. After a few precise bounces, it came to rest beneath his body, just as he rolled over it.

What?

Before Junior could process what was happening, a blinding flash erupted from beneath him.

Boom!

A deafening explosion tore through the narrow alley. Junior Abbott's body was instantly obliterated, his torso shredded into a fine mist of blood and flesh. His remains painted the alley walls in a gruesome coat of dark red.

At the alley's entrance, Vinnie, disheveled but unharmed, stared at the scene in shock. He swallowed hard, then turned to Eren with a mix of fear and disbelief.

"Damn it, kid! Why the hell do you have something that dangerous on you?"

If Eren hadn't yanked him away just before the explosion, Vinnie was sure he'd have been covered in Junior Abbott's remains—or worse.

Despite the nausea roiling in his stomach, Vinnie couldn't help but marvel at the sheer power of the small grenade. It had caused far more destruction than any standard-issue grenade used by the police department.

Eren shrugged. "It's one of Osborne Group's experimental grenades. Still in testing phases. As a shareholder of the Osborne Group, I carry a few prototypes to gather field data. Nothing unusual about that, right?"

Vinnie gave Eren a stunned look, then turned away, choosing not to dig deeper. He owed his life to the kid, after all. But wasn't Eren supposed to be just an ordinary high school student? Since when had he become a shareholder in a major corporation?

I need to mention this to George later, Vinnie thought, momentarily shelving his curiosity.

Suppressing his disgust, Vinnie stepped over the viscous remains of flesh and blood, stopping at what was left of Junior Abbott's head. He kicked it lightly, muttering, "You bastard..."

If Eren hadn't noticed Junior fleeing the scene and dragged him to intercept, the maniac might have escaped. If that had happened, bringing him to justice for the horrors in the cold storage—and Helen's suffering—would have been nearly impossible.

Wait.

If Junior was here, then the explosion at Abbott Freezing Company must have been his doing.

As Vinnie pieced things together, the severed head before him suddenly emitted a series of wet coughs.

"Cough... cough... Damn it! I'm not finished!"

Junior's bloodied head rolled slightly, his eyes snapping open. They burned with hatred as he glared at Vinnie.

"You... damned scum! Let's... die together!"

With a final, furious roar, the blood-red spider pattern on Junior's forehead began to glow, pulsing brighter with each passing moment.

Vinnie, sensing danger, tried to move, but his legs froze in place under the spider's crimson light.

The grotesque head began to swell unnaturally, and the glowing spider seemed to gain strength with each pulse.

Then, a thin silver thread shot through the air like a needle, piercing Junior's head.

In an instant, a torrent of venomous hatred exploded from the thread. The intense malice coalesced into the form of a young woman, her figure shrouded in a dark, ominous aura.

The overwhelming surge of vengeful energy engulfed the blood-red spider pattern, attacking and eroding it relentlessly.

The once-menacing spider symbol began to corrode and fade, unable to withstand the onslaught of hatred.

With the spider's protection gone, Junior Abbott's swollen head rapidly deflated. Within seconds, it disintegrated into ash, leaving no trace of flesh or bone.

The venomous energy finished its work, and Eren felt a wave of satisfaction emanating from the silver thread wrapped around his finger.

It was as if the thread was thanking him for giving it the opportunity to exact vengeance on a betrayer.

The thread, now slightly longer, softened and coiled itself around Eren's finger like a delicate silk ribbon.

After witnessing the destructive power of the vengeful thread firsthand, Eren resolved to handle it with utmost care. He had no desire to experience its wrath himself.

As Eren retracted the thread, Vinnie gradually snapped out of his daze.

"What happened? I... what was I just doing?"

Blinking in confusion, Vinnie suddenly recalled Junior Abbott's grotesque, animated head.

"Damn!"

Instinctively, he bolted out of the alley, stopping when he saw Eren's amused, knowing expression. A sense of unease crept over him.

Turning back to the alley, Vinnie scanned the ground where Junior's head had been.

But there was no head.

Only a small pile of ashes remained on the blood-streaked ground.

"What the...? Where's his head?"

Muttering to himself, Vinnie glanced at Eren, who chuckled softly.

"After spouting one last threat, the head disintegrated into a pile of ash. Look, it's still there," Eren said, pointing to the obvious heap of ash in the alley.

(End of Chapter)

Following Eren's gaze, Vinnie quickly noticed the pile of ashes now occupying the alley.

He opened his mouth, his mind filling with a flood of question marks.

The massive, bloodied head from earlier—how had it suddenly turned into a pile of ashes?

Eren, noticing Vinnie's bewildered expression, smirked. "Strange, isn't it?"

Thinking back to Junior Abbott's grotesque head, which had been capable of speech despite being severed, Vinnie couldn't help but feel that the head self-combusting into ash... somehow wasn't the strangest thing he'd encountered tonight.

Still...

When had cultists become this bizarre?

Vinnie had dealt with cases involving cultists before, but most of them were con artists masquerading as religious leaders, swindling money and exploiting followers.

Even the rare, genuine fanatics were simply extreme and irrational in their actions—nothing like the supernatural horror he'd witnessed tonight.

After a moment of silence, Vinnie shook his head vigorously, as if trying to clear his thoughts of the strange notions taking root.

"How am I even supposed to write this report? If I include what just happened, everyone's going to think I've lost my mind."

Eren glanced at him and said meaningfully, "This is just the beginning. The extraordinary is about to become commonplace. You might find yourself dealing with things like this more often, Detective Vinnie. And when that happens, you'll have bigger headaches to worry about."

"Hmm?"

Vinnie frowned at Eren. "What do you mean by that?"

Before Eren could respond, a squad of heavily armed SWAT officers, clad in tactical gear, arrived at the scene.

The squad leader approached Vinnie, asking, "Detective Vinnie, what was that explosion about?"

Reluctantly abandoning his line of questioning, Vinnie turned to the SWAT team. "We encountered Junior Abbott in this alley, and there was an altercation. He exited from the stairwell of that building over there. The cold storage just exploded, and Abbott sneaked out right afterward. I suspect he's connected to the explosion—probably triggered it to destroy evidence."

Hearing that the cold storage explosion was linked to the mangled remains in the alley, the SWAT officers exchanged grim looks.

If Junior Abbott weren't already dead, they wouldn't have hesitated to riddle him with bullets.

Despite the warnings from Eren and Vinnie, several officers hadn't escaped the blast radius in time. Some were injured even outside the cold storage by debris and shockwaves.

The casualties were enough to stoke the SWAT officers' anger toward Abbott.

"Understood. I'll take a team to check the building. Five and Six, secure the site and look for any additional hazards."

"Yes, sir!"

"Yes, sir!"

The squad leader and three officers headed into the stairwell to investigate, while the remaining officers secured the alley.

One officer took up a defensive position at the far end, weapon at the ready, while the other two began sifting through the debris.

Among the wreckage, Junior Abbott's lower body became the focal point of their investigation.

Moments later, an officer pulled a damaged remote control from Abbott's pocket.

"Reporting: found a damaged remote control, likely the detonator."

Another officer called out from the opposite side of the alley, holding up a mangled pistol.

"Reporting: found a damaged firearm..."

Hearing that a detonator had been recovered, Vinnie's face darkened.

"Damn it, so he really was behind the explosion," he muttered.

A quick analysis confirmed that the detonator matched the explosives used in the cold storage.

The case against Junior Abbott was airtight—evidence and testimony ensured that even if he had survived, he wouldn't have escaped justice.

After giving a brief statement, Eren was driven home in a police car, experiencing yet another ride courtesy of the NYPD.

When he arrived, he saw that the officers collecting evidence at his home still hadn't finished.

Outside, curious Chinatown residents had gathered near his building. But as Eren stepped out of the police car, the crowd avoided his gaze, their expressions wary.

Clearly, the recent visits from gang members and police officers had left his neighbors uneasy, leading them to label Eren as a "dangerous individual."

Eren ignored their stares, more amused than bothered. Only now did he realize that despite everything that had happened tonight, only a few hours had passed.

In that short time, he had uncovered and destroyed the mastermind's hideout and even reduced Junior Abbott to ashes.

The thought made the corner of Eren's mouth twitch.

Why bother? Living peacefully wasn't an option for him? Now he's nothing but ash.

Wait, was it my fault for killing his precious humanoid spider first? Is that why he retaliated?

Ridiculous. None of this would've happened if that spider hadn't tried to kill me in the parking garage. I would've been home hours ago without all this nonsense.

After seeing the officers off, Eren grabbed fresh bedding from his third-floor room and set it up in the second-floor guest room.

Though the police had removed the spider specimens from his bedroom, the stench of decay lingered, making it impossible to sleep there.

After a refreshing shower, Eren settled into bed.

But then, as if remembering something, he leapt up and rummaged through the guest room's closet. From a compartment at the bottom, he retrieved the small safe he had purchased earlier that day.

(End of Chapter)

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