206: manhole covers

The group, sipping milk tea, strolled along Flower Street. Their relaxed and leisurely demeanor made many passersby glance their way; such a scene was rarely witnessed on the Abyss Battlefield.

Of course, Zhang Lingyu was not among the relaxed and leisurely. He was anxious to find the Abyssal Crawlers. This was the first mission the team had accepted, and they still had no leads.

Turning his head, he saw Lin Chen and the others looking as if they were on a spring outing, which immediately infuriated him.

"If you're all so laid-back, when will we find the Abyssal Crawlers? Don't let someone else find and kill them before we do," Zhang Lingyu said grumpily.

"Don't rush. The Abyssal Crawlers aren't going to run away, are they? It's just one street, rushing won't make much difference. Look, isn't that the honey shop?" Lin Chen chuckled, gesturing slightly ahead.

Looking up, it was indeed a honey shop, but its sign had been taken down, and there were many signs of battle on the outside of the shop.

A man, with his spirit beast Flower Bud, was in the small courtyard outside the shop, repairing the damaged sign and storefront.

"We're actually here?" Zhang Lingyu was stunned, his words momentarily caught in his throat. He could only walk silently towards the man.

"Hey? Do you think that man is married? Why don't we see his 'Old Wang Next Door'?" Leng Yi leaned into Lin Chen's ear, asking with a smile.

"How would I know? Maybe his place isn't open yet?" Lin Chen shrugged.

Many shops at this end of the street were closed, and many, like the honey shop owner, were repairing their storefronts. The shops on either side of the honey shop were closed, so they didn't know which one was 'Old Wang Next Door'.

"Alright!" Leng Yi shrugged.

By this time, Zhang Lingyu had led the group to the man. Noticing them approaching, the man also curiously looked up.

"Sir, we are from the Patrol Bureau, investigating the Abyssal Crawlers. We heard your shop was severely damaged, and we'd like to ask if you know where the Abyssal Crawlers are?"

Everyone couldn't help but glance sideways. It was rare to see Zhang Lingyu being so polite! It was clear he really wanted to complete this mission!

But asking like that, what kind of answer would you get? If the man knew where the Abyssal Crawlers were, would he still be squatting here repairing the signboard?

Sure enough, after hearing Zhang Lingyu's words, the man's expression darkened slightly, and he shook his head helplessly.

"Thank you for your trouble, but I don't know where these Abyssal Crawlers are. Otherwise, I would have reported it to the Patrol Bureau long ago so you could eradicate them," the man sighed.

"This?" Zhang Lingyu was momentarily bewildered. You don't know?

According to the normal mission flow, shouldn't you tell us where they are? Then we go kill the monsters, submit the mission, and it's done?

At the very least, you should tell us the next step! Where should we go, and who should we look for? If you just say you don't know, how are we supposed to do this mission?

Lin Chen shook his head, amused. Did he really think this was like playing a game and doing quests? If solving cases in reality were truly this easy, there wouldn't be so many cold cases.

Before Zhang Lingyu could ask further, Lin Chen had already squatted down and looked at the man, continuing to ask.

"Brother, do you remember which direction those Abyssal Monsters came from originally?"

"Direction? Wasn't it from the street entrance? Most of the Abyssal Monsters came from there, but it's strange, the opposite street doesn't seem to have been disturbed by the Abyssal Crawlers."

Investigating a case is not like doing a quest; only specific questions can yield clear answers.

Lin Chen silently nodded at the man's confusion.

"Indeed, if the Abyssal Crawlers came from the street opposite, then only Flower Street shouldn't have been attacked."

"So these Abyssal Crawlers were released by someone on the opposite street?"

Zhang Lingyu asked subconsciously, immediately drawing glares from everyone, and even the man gave him an displeased look.

"Who would release a few Abyssal Crawlers for no reason, just to deal with our few broken shops? If they were caught, it would be a matter of losing their head!" the man said grumpily.

"Then..." What else did Zhang Lingyu want to say? But Leng Yi, behind him, pulled him back, stopping him from asking further.

Lin Chen breathed a sigh of relief. This guy really didn't know how to lead a team!

Compared to brain work, blindly charging in and brute-forcing was more suitable for him.

"Sir, thank you. Is there anything you need help with for your shop renovation?" Lin Chen asked the man.

"No, no! You go do your work. The sooner you find those Abyssal Crawlers, the less trouble we'll have!" The man waved his hand.

"Alright then! We'll go check the street entrance first. You keep busy!"

Lin Chen nodded and led the group away.

Zhang Lingyu still looked indignant, feeling that this mission showed signs of failure before it even began. All the clues seemed to have stopped here?

But Lin Chen and the others ignored him and walked towards the street entrance. Since the Abyssal Crawlers came from the street entrance, they naturally had to look for them there.

"Woof! Woof!" A dog barked. It was the Pastoral Dog in the team, the spirit beast of a combat-oriented Beast Tamer.

"Here? The sewer?" Seeing the direction the Pastoral Dog was barking, Lin Chen and the others were also stunned, exchanging glances.

The Pastoral Dog was barking towards a manhole cover, and nearby, there was a lot of black sewage and bloodstains.

Even Zhang Lingyu now vaguely understood that these Abyssal Crawlers most likely crawled out of the sewers.

"This manhole cover? It's a flip-up type? So when it opens, Abyssal Crawlers run out, and once it's closed, they can't smell humans, so they quiet down?" Leng Yi looked at the manhole cover, speaking with a hint of exasperation.

"Most likely, yes. So we'll have to open the manhole cover to find out. Everyone, summon your spirit beasts," Lin Chen said, taking the lead in summoning his own spirit beasts.

After summoning her White Sound Fox, Yun Mengyao began to set up a spirit array near the manhole cover to deal with any potential dangers that might arise after lifting it.

"Are you sure? Are they really in the sewer? Can such a manhole cover stop them?" Zhang Lingyu asked, somewhat disbelievingly.

"It's not just the manhole cover. There's also sewage and garbage in the sewer, which can greatly mask the scent of living creatures," Lin Chen explained.

"But sewage flows, so it won't constantly cover the Abyssal Crawlers. That's when the manhole cover provides a certain isolation effect."

"It's like the last straw that breaks the camel's back. As long as they are re-covered by sewage before the Abyssal Crawlers react, they won't think of coming out."