"Captain, should we call for reinforcements? This place is too big, how long will it take us a few to find it?" Jun Ci said helplessly.
Duan Chen sighed.
"Don't you think I want to? But the Su Cheng Hunter Guild has very few available high-level agents, and the intermediate agents aren't strong enough. If they came, I'd have to be distracted by taking care of them, which would be too troublesome."
"It's better for just us to search slowly. The altar can't run away on its own anyway."
Mi Xue'er thought for a moment and then said, "How about we call Qin Ze over?"
"Qin Ze?"
Duan Chen was startled and pondered for a moment.
"You want to use his coin of right and wrong to help us determine the altar's location?"
"Exactly. By elimination, it should save us a lot of time."
Duan Chen nodded and agreed.
Qin Ze was eager for a mission. After receiving Duan Chen's call, he drove from the center of Su Cheng to the northern district in just fifteen minutes.
Duan Chen explained the general situation to him.
"No problem!"
Qin Ze nodded in agreement. Searching for the altar with the coin of right and wrong wasn't a task with heavy karmic implications.
However, after tossing the coin once, his expression grew increasingly strange.
"Instructor, are you sure the altar is here?"
"What do you mean?"
Qin Ze held out his palm, the coin showing tails.
"I just asked if the altar was inside this company."
Duan Chen frowned.
He took out his phone, opened a map app, and used a pen and paper to write down the names of the buildings around the real estate company.
There were three closest to them.
Song Guang Restaurant, Chengbei Kindergarten, and the Library.
"Let's start with these three."
"Yes."
Qin Ze tossed the coin twice more, once for Song Guang Restaurant and once for the Library. Unfortunately, it wasn't either of them, so only Chengbei Kindergarten remained.
Duan Chen did not want the altar to be at the kindergarten, but fate was contrary to his wishes. When Qin Ze opened his palm, everyone present widened their eyes.
The coin was heads.
"Damn it? How are we supposed to handle this?"
Duan Chen was helpless. "It seems we have no choice but to evacuate the children first. Since the altar is at the kindergarten, we should go immediately and talk to the principal about the situation."
"Okay."
Chengbei Kindergarten was separated from the real estate company by a small alley. Duan Chen and the others found the principal and explained the situation.
The principal was a middle-aged man. Upon hearing this, his brows furrowed tightly.
"Are you sure?"
"Sure."
If Duan Chen hadn't shown his high-level agent ID, the principal might have treated them as child traffickers.
"Wait a moment, I'll confirm your number with the Hunter Guild."
"No problem."
The principal dialed Su Cheng Hunter Guild and provided Duan Chen's agent number. After verification, he was indeed a high-level agent.
"Alright, we'll have the parents come pick up the children now. We appreciate your trouble."
"You're too kind."
The matter proceeded smoothly. Duan Chen leaned against the door, watching the children gaze at him with curiosity, while the teachers looked at him with ill will. With this disturbance, they would likely have to take a period of leave, and leave meant no income.
Even when taking attendance, they were somewhat reluctant.
"Qin Ze, see if it's on the first or second floor."
"Yes."
Finally, Qin Ze got the result: it was neither on the first nor the second floor.
"Principal, may I ask if the kindergarten only has two floors?"
The principal shook his head. "No, there's also an underground parking lot for the students' parents. It's rarely used and I've locked it up."
"Please take us to see it."
"Certainly, you can go down from the first floor. Follow me."
The principal led Duan Chen and his group through an inconspicuous small door in the corner of the first floor to the underground parking lot. He opened the large iron gate and handed the key to Duan Chen.
"Thank you."
After he left, Qin Ze was about to toss the coin, but Duan Chen said softly, "No need."
"Huh?"
"The place below ground should be where the altar is located."
"That's right. According to the principal, this place hasn't been used in a long time. But look around, there isn't even a speck of dust on the walls or in the air. If you smell it carefully, there's a damp, musty odor." Mi Le covered her nose, looking quite disgusted.
Everyone's nose twitched. It was indeed true.
The parking lot was quite large and dark, with no lights. Qin Nanyuan used her abilities to create a few simple torches and placed them by the wall to illuminate the space.
As they walked, Duan Chen discovered that the underground had been breached by sea monsters. They had entered this underground parking lot through the altar and then entered the real estate company through this underground passage.
"Why didn't they just occupy the kindergarten?"
"There are too many children, and parents know their own children best. The sea monsters would find it difficult to imitate them properly and might make mistakes."
"Wow—they're quite cautious." Qi Qing's tone was ambiguous, it was unclear whether she was praising or mocking.
Following the water stains on the ground, Duan Chen saw a small pool of emerald green water.
"This is it."
He took out several live octopuses from his backpack and placed them on the ground.
"Now, we just wait quietly."
...
As soon as Zhan Ning walked out of the restroom, he realized everyone was gone. The children who had been sitting on chairs and the teachers who had been lecturing had all vanished. He immediately panicked and ran around the first and second floors, trying to find another living person besides himself.
"Lu Hang! Teacher Qi!"
The small figure ran frantically, calling out the names of his friends and teacher, but found no one.
He returned to the first floor and sat in his own seat, crying loudly.
Unfortunately, no one paid him any mind. After crying for a while and seeming to get tired, he suddenly saw a small door in the corner. It was small enough for his tiny body to fit through.
Are everyone inside?
Zhan Ning thought, and nervously walked over, arriving at the underground parking lot on the first basement level.
It was pitch black inside, with nothing visible. He became even more frightened and flailed around like a headless fly.
"Why would a child be here?"
Zhan Ning looked back and saw a strange man wearing a bronze mask.
"I'm looking for my friend, his name is Lu Hang. Have you seen him?"
The little boy's innocent eyes made the strange man chuckle.
"Pfft—no, but I can help you look. Are you willing to come with me?"
Saying that, the masked stranger extended his right hand and gently took his small hand.
Zhan Ning did not resist, but quietly followed behind him, hoping that this adult could help him find his friend and teacher.