Chapter 649: Comparison

Even after their conversation concluded, Wayne didn't get the answer he was curious about.

Peter Clemensa's reply was roughly this: "I hear you're a sharpshooter? Then you should know, as long as you don't linger in front of the muzzle, there are plenty of ways to destroy a firearm."

Hmm...

It seemed this guy was quite confident in himself, but it also sounded like he was a little cowardly...

However, compared to Inessa, who the Detective Agency could bring out to hold the fort, the Agents' skill level was not very optimistic.

When Wayne and Peter Clemensa walked out of the kitchen, Connal, the guy who loved to stir up trouble and spar with people, was already in his third match against the other black-clad visitors of the night, under everyone's watchful eyes.

At first, the two of them were a bit surprised, but seeing the crowd in the workshop clearing a space, with people from both sides distinctly separated and watching as if enjoying a spectacle, they relaxed.

At least the basic order was still maintained; no major trouble seemed to have occurred.

On one side of the open space were the Detective Agency's Agents, and on the other were the black-clad men brought by the big fat man. Inessa had even found a high vantage point on the roof of a small wooden hut.

Walking to the edge of the human wall and asking Lina, Wayne and Peter Clemensa quickly understood the current situation.

The Detective Agency currently seemed to be friends, not enemies, with the other party, but objectively speaking, they weren't familiar with each other. Their actual stance was probably 'neutral, slightly friendly.'

Inessa didn't stop it, Lina looked more like she was secretly fanning the flames, the Agents were probably feeling a bit resentful and wanted to get even, and the few on the other side were 'idle anyway,' so an unofficial Arena was set up.

The black-clad man currently fighting Connal in the middle of the open space had an Extraordinary Person ability that seemed similar to "Soften"; both could temporarily change their body's state to a semi-fluid form.

But this guy was clearly more aggressive. He lunged with an uppercut. Connal, while skillfully using his "Extraordinary Small Shield" to block and half-retreat to deflect the force, prepared to counterattack, and then he was hit.

The black-clad man's fist was not bounced off by Connal's localized hardening Extraordinary Person ability; instead, it directly turned into asphalt-like goo and stuck to him.

Then, starting from the fist, his entire body rapidly transformed into an asphalt state, using the initial point of adhesion as a pivot, and he enveloped Connal entirely, turning him into a human-shaped slime.

It was hard to judge whether Connal's movements were restricted, but once completely enveloped, he clearly couldn't breathe.

The bluish-black human-shaped slime struggled and rolled in the open space, trying hard to tear open its 'face,' and hitting the ground to try and make the opponent feel pain and dodge, but unfortunately, it failed.

Finally, Connal had no choice but to give up resisting, ending his three-match losing streak in humiliation.

Only then did the blob of asphalt flow back into the nearby trench coat, restoring him to human form and standing up.

"If we fought again in a different venue, I think I'd have a way to deal with you."

Connal sat on the ground, gasping for air, but his head was still held high, primarily thinking about how to turn the tables next time. "You didn't have much attacking power in that state just now, and you shouldn't be able to specifically oppress eyes or penetrate nostrils and ear canals. The intensity of the wrapping also felt limited; if I could protect my vital points, I should be able to last longer."

The black-clad man he fought against appeared more aloof, bending down to pick up his black fedora and put it on. He seemed to be about to walk away directly, but on second thought, he turned back:

"Then you'd best go see how a python strangles its prey. With each breath, your chest and limb blood will be compressed tighter. You might not have much time."

...

The group was courteously escorted to the outskirts of the Plantation.

After getting into their respective carriages they had arrived in, Peter Clemensa chuckled and teased his subordinate: "It's rare to see you offer useful advice to an opponent. I think that guy's Extraordinary Person ability is sufficient for localized defense. White, you might not win so easily next time."

"His advantage mainly lies in flexibility, and he relies too much on close-quarters grappling. It's not too difficult to counter him."

The named subordinate sat quietly opposite him. "However, the advice he gave was very targeted. If my control ability could be more refined, I could quickly destroy the target's vision and hearing, avoiding harm from some pollution-type Extraordinary Person abilities."

"I heard they often organize such battles here; Wayne calls it the 'Unlimited Arena.' It seems quite helpful for improving fighting skills and combat awareness." Peter Clemensa's tone shifted. "When you came yesterday and saw that puppet, were these partners not here?"

"Yes. I observed from a distance for almost a day and didn't see them return."

"A day, huh..."

The subordinate named "White" heard the sigh in Peter Clemensa's tone: "Is something wrong?"

"Previously, due to Tang's indication, the Cathedral's routine security check on them was not too thorough, and there were obvious oversights."

Peter Clemensa sighed slightly. "That low-key Miss Lina, her rank is clearly also over the limit. Whatever her specific Extraordinary Person ability is, to allow Master William's living idol to move independently like a living person for a day, the rank of her Extraordinary Person ability and the consumption of spiritual power could never be at an initial level."

"Do we need to do another check?" Another subordinate opposite him immediately sat up straight upon hearing this.

"Forget it, these matters are no longer our concern. Let Tiriel and those Southern priests discover it themselves. With Wayne and them, plus those few guys under Tiriel, the current Cathedral, at least, won't be unable to deal with scattered wild Extraordinary Persons from the Old Continent."

Peter Clemensa thought for a moment, his gaze naturally falling on this subordinate. "Have you had any abnormalities on your side recently?"

"No. The Southern priests in the state currently have no obvious unusual movements. Although their covert actions will probably never cease, the church members we are focusing on have not encountered any casualties or accidents at present."

"His view is really accurate; Tiriel is at least not too bad of an ambitious person... What about the situation at the station?"

"The frequency of activity is still increasing."

"Heh. With no one openly opposing firearm smuggling anymore, they're quite active in making money. This is probably one of the bargaining chips Tiriel offered in exchange. It's just unknown if Missouri has such a large sales market."