The Legendary Demon Hunter’s Cursed Brother Chapter 15: Ch 15 - Investigation

Read chapter 15 of The Legendary Demon Hunter’s Cursed Brother by DraftingMoon on NovelPedia.

Before Evan stood a gaunt man with wild gray hair sticking out in every direction beneath a baseball cap pulled low over his brow. Thin-framed glasses rested on a tired face shadowed by dark circles, making him look as though he hadn't slept in days. A faded zip-up hoodie hung loosely over a wrinkled T-shirt, paired with baggy jeans and worn sneakers. The man slowly swept his gaze around the warehouse, his eyes passing right through Evan, who stood only a few steps in front of him. Evan quietly stepped aside as the man walked past. Behind him, the Rift sealed itself shut with a faint zip, disappearing as though it had never existed. The man casually slipped a strange device in his hand into his backpack. The device was a compact handheld machine about the length of a forearm. It had a pistol grip beneath a dark gray metal body, with a short barrel extending from the front. Near the tip, a thumb-sized dark crystal sat behind a transparent casing, protected by a thick metal ring. Evan narrowed his eyes as he watched the strange man leave the warehouse. For a moment, he considered following him, but quickly dismissed the idea. His stealth skill would wear off soon, and once it did, he'd have to wait for the cooldown before he could use it again. It was better to stay put. Besides, he had a feeling the man would eventually return and enter the Rift once more. He hid behind a stack of shipping pallets and considered his situation. Whoever that man was, he was trouble. More importantly, he possessed some kind of technology capable of opening a Rift. Nothing about this Rift matched what Evan knew about ordinary Rifts. It didn't appear to be active. If it were, the RCB would have detected it long ago. Considering how casually the man had stepped out using that device, there was a high chance he was using the Rift as a hidden base. Now the question was what Evan should do next. He was fairly certain the man would return eventually. Evan could simply record him entering the Rift, send the footage to the authorities, and wash his hands of the entire matter, but… He glanced at the System window that had appeared once again. [Quest] [Objective: Investigate the Rift] [Time Limit: 17:39:20] [Reward: ■■■■■■] Yeah, Evan didn't think the System would be satisfied with him waiting outside. It definitely wanted him to enter the Rift. If the decision were entirely his, he would have waited until tomorrow so he could prepare properly. The problem was the time limit. While he could return immediately after school, he doubted he would be lucky enough to catch the man leaving the Rift again. There was a good chance the man had only come out tonight to buy daily necessities before locking himself away inside his hidden base. That meant this might be his only opportunity to uncover what was really going on. Evan rubbed his throbbing forehead. This was exactly why he hated being a transmigrator. Sooner or later, he always ended up being pushed into doing something reckless. Around half an hour passed before the man returned to the warehouse. His bag now looked even fuller than before. Evan, once again hidden by his stealth ability, watched as the man pulled out his strange device and pointed it at the Rift, tearing it open once more. This time, Evan was ready. He followed after the man and stepped through the Rift alongside him. Evan grimaced as the same squeezing, twisting sensation from the Irregular Rift washed over him. Thankfully, instead of being hurled to the ground, he stumbled through and landed on his feet. A vast circular chamber stretched before him. Towering stone walls, thick pillars, and broad staircases gave the place the grandeur of an ancient hall, but what truly caught Evan's eye were the rows of workbenches covered in blueprints and half-disassembled constructs. Shelves packed with alchemical reagents lined the walls beside massive cauldrons. Off to one side, a modest living space occupied one corner of the chamber, centered around a