The Scream of A Thousand Libraries Chapter 34: Chapter 34: Noah's Investigations (III).

Read chapter 34 of The Scream of A Thousand Libraries by Susangja on NovelPedia.

POV: NOAH WILLIAMS. It was a stuffy summer night when I set off towards the municipal grove. The first place I intended to investigate was regarding H's whereabouts. The clock was already nearing eleven at night, and the hot air seemed to stick to the skin, heavy, as if the environment itself wanted to discourage me. I chose simple, dark, inconspicuous clothes. A set of light trousers, dark tactel, and a short-sleeved t-shirt, along with a small bag by my belt with basic first-aid items and emergency magical apparatus. The disguise wasn't elaborate, but it was enough to cross the poorly lit side streets unnoticed. I passed by the bus station I had visited before; the place still reeked of that smell of alcohol. After carefully reviewing the police reports, I understood that the Grove was the first point to be investigated. The place was known to everyone as the heart of the city's drug trade. But not only that: at night, hidden under the thick canopy of trees, small groups also gathered to negotiate stolen goods. The so-called ‘open-air black market’. It was a grove located in the heart of the city, near the river and with access from all sides, composed of various trails that cut from end to end. Getting in and out wasn't the problem. I needed to infiltrate there, as it would probably be the best place to get information. We had clues about the new drug spread by H, but we needed evidence of its origin or composition; we wanted to understand its nature and the symptoms it caused in the user. Especially to confirm our suspicions about why H went after the scroll. The problem, however, was the treacherous nature of the grove. There were too many trails, forks that got lost in the darkness, exits on all sides, the trees were dense, and the heat was strong. It was inconvenient. A place made to confuse, and given the time, there was still little visibility. There were no clearings, just shadow and more shadow. ‘I need to be concise and objective... Let's go’ As soon as I entered through one of the side passages, coming from the avenue where the main side trail gave access to the more open space of the grove, it was composed of several poorly maintained scattered trees. I noticed the typical signs of human abandonment and nightlife invasion. I saw rats and large rats scurrying among piles of dry leaves. Smaller capybaras moved away discreetly, as if they were already used to sharing the space with unwanted human presences. The sounds were a chaotic mix: the incessant chirping of cicadas, the crackling of broken branches under small steps, and the distant rumor of voices from the street, coming from a nearby bar. Even the smell was also confusing. Wet earth mixed with the strong odor of cheap cigarettes and cheap alcohol. As I advanced, the broken bottles on the ground became more frequent. The darkness, however, was my ally. I remained silent, using the lack of illumination to my advantage. I didn't know exactly how to get to the center of the grove, but the reports spoke of a certain Chess . That was the name given to the meeting point. They said it was a park bench, a platform with chessboard patterns on the floor, isolated in the middle of nowhere. The name appeared in police reports after several fires were reported in the area. ‘What a peculiar name…’ I continued advancing until, suddenly, my senses picked up something. Energetic signatures, multiple, all converging in the same space. They were all about two hundred meters deep into the woods. I approached quickly, expanding my senses around. "Lupine Steps, make my tracks light," I murmured, as I summoned one of my primary marks. Silently, my steps became lighter, and I managed to close the distance quickly. When I saw them, they were there. A considerable group of people gathered around that open space in the middle of the woods. They were divided into small clusters: some selling, others buying. The heavy air indicated not just cigarettes, but also substances being burned in