Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest novel Chapter 506

Chapter 506 115.4 - First Mission

I continued to sift through the files, searching for any additional clues. The reports from the past month were more detailed, with witness statements, locations of the disturbances, and attempts by the authorities to investigate.

But the results were the same—no concrete evidence, just an overwhelming sense of dread that seemed to be infecting the city.

The later reports mentioned the public mood more explicitly. Fear was taking hold, not just among those directly affected by the noises but throughout Veilcroft.

The city was becoming a place of shadows and whispers, where people no longer felt safe in their own homes. The escalation was clear, and it was only a matter of time before something snapped.

'The rates of investment around the city are getting lower and lower, with the inner economy collapsing. With everything happening here, either the people will leave the city or the city will become something that no one visits.'

The organization needed to send someone here.

'That is why this place would only be accessible at the starting stages of the game, and at some point, Ethan would not come here as a student. It seems whatever has happened here really took hold.'

Remembering the information from the game, I thought. However, because there were not any details shown, I could only infer that whatever was happening in this city plagued the city for a while.

It seems the organization also doesn't want this city to become a desolate place. As for their reasons, I don't know, nor do I need to, for now.

After combing through the initial reports, I turned my attention to the findings and results gathered by the other Adepts and Warden Shanks.

The deeper I delved into their work, the more the complexity of the mission became apparent.

The first Adept to arrive in Veilcroft was Adept Lira Hensley. Her reports reflected a methodical approach to mapping out the hotspots of disturbances, with detailed notes on the locations most affected by the whispers and noises. Lira had focused on understanding the geographical and psychological impact of the disturbances on the city's populace.

Despite her thorough efforts, she struggled to uncover anything concrete, growing increasingly frustrated as the situation worsened. After two weeks of investigation, it became clear that the complexity of the situation required additional resources.

That's when the organization sent Adept Mikhail Grayson to assist. Mikhail was a more seasoned operative known for his methodical and analytical mind. Unlike Lira, who had focused on the here and now, Mikhail's approach delved into the past.

He scoured historical records, local legends, and any available information that might hint at a deeper, underlying cause for the disturbances.

His reports mentioned old tales of Veilcroft being built on cursed ground and references to abandoned mines beneath the city, though he found little to connect these elements directly to the current events.

'The abandoned mines and the cursed grounds, huh….Reminds me of a certain moment.'

It was similar to what happened at that time, though I doubted it was the same this time.

With all this information in hand, I turned my attention to the map of Veilcroft displayed on my terminal screen.

The city was sprawling, with a mix of older, more established neighborhoods and newer developments. The layout was a complex web of streets, alleys, and districts, each with its own character and history.

I opened the file containing Lira Hensley's detailed notes on the hotspots of the disturbances. The map immediately lit up with a series of red markers, each one representing a location where residents had reported strange whispers, unsettling noises, and other inexplicable phenomena.

As I zoomed in, I could see that these hotspots were scattered across the city, though there were clear clusters in certain areas.

Lira had meticulously documented each location, noting the frequency of disturbances, the nature of the sounds reported, and any other relevant details. Some areas had been plagued by constant activity, while others had only sporadic incidents.

The map provided a visual representation of where the city's fear was most concentrated, and it was clear that some neighborhoods were suffering far more than others.

I studied the map carefully, cross-referencing it with Mikhail Grayson's findings. His work had focused on the historical context of Veilcroft, and while he hadn't found anything directly linking the city's past to the current events, his notes on old legends and the city's foundations hinted at deeper, more ancient influences.

I overlaid his notes onto the map to find any if there were connections between the historical sites and the current hotspots.

One thing that stood out immediately was the proximity of several hotspots to the old, abandoned mines that Mikhail had mentioned.

These mines were located beneath some of the oldest parts of Veilcroft, areas that had seen significant activity, according to Lira's reports.

It was possible that whatever was happening in the city now had its roots in these underground caverns, though the connection was still tenuous.

I zoomed in further on these areas, paying close attention to the clusters of disturbances. The pattern wasn't entirely random; there was a clear path of increasing intensity that seemed to radiate out from the vicinity of the old mines.

This suggested that something might be emanating from below, slowly spreading its influence across the city.

Another cluster of hotspots was located near areas mentioned in the local legends Mikhail had uncovered.