Chapter 155: Xio's Capture Operation Plan
join p atreon.com/KeyofStars for more chapters
Back in the real world, Hobert waited until two in the afternoon before Xio and Fors returned.
This time they had thoroughly scouted the location. Xio drew a sketch and explained her capture plan.
Two cultists lived in a dormitory building within the factory. Xio planned to attack them from the front entrance, while Hobert and Fors waited in ambush by the windows.
If Xio's surprise attack failed, Hobert and Fors would break through the windows to join the fight.
Given our strength advantage over the enemy, we didn't need overly elaborate tactics. Hobert would handle one cultist alone, while Xio and Fors would deal with the other to end the fight quickly.
Xio usually seemed a bit reckless, but when serious, she was quite competent. Her plan was practical, and her precautions were sufficient to handle most unexpected situations.
However, her stature was a bit short, which somewhat diminished the grandeur of her explanation of the plan.
Lastly, Hobert added a note: If confronted by factory workers during retreat, they could use his inspector's credentials to escape.
Seeing Hobert's credentials, Xio exclaimed, "Where did you get these forged? They look very real."
Hobert didn't reveal the truth and simply smiled, "I borrowed these from a friend."
Xio envied this ability; having such credentials would make many things easier for her.
In the evening, the three had dinner and made final preparations.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
"Who is it?" Hobert called loudly from the dining room.
No one answered.
"I'll go and open the door!" Fors immediately got up to avoid washing dishes and went to open the door.
But there was no one outside.
"That's strange." Fors was about to close the door when she noticed a small box outside.
"Wait!" Fors moved to pick it up, but Hobert stopped her. He approached with his cane and nudged the box open. Inside was a pigeon stabbed to death with a dagger.
Fors frowned, "Whose prank is this?" She wasn't afraid of such things.
Hobert chuckled, shaking his head, "These people are so childish!"
Fors noticed, "There seems to be a letter inside."
Without even looking at it, Hobert closed the box decisively and tossed it into a nearby trash can.
After closing the door again, Fors seemed to understand, "Is it because of Bob's case?"
Hobert nodded, "It seems they know I'm back. I suggest you two move out tomorrow; their methods will only get more despicable."
"Now is not the time for us to leave!" Xio said, "With us here, the three of us can take turns resting at night."
Fors agreed, "Yes, if we didn't know, it would be one thing, but now that we do, we can't just walk away."
Hobert smiled, "After you leave, I'll stay at home for a couple of days. Let's see who dares to send such things to a general's house."
Xio and Fors exchanged glances; it seemed like a plan.
"Let's proceed with tonight's operation first," Hobert said. "We'll discuss the rest tomorrow."
By late evening, the three boarded a carriage that often worked with Xio.
Around ten o'clock at night, Hobert and his group arrived at the courtyard wall of a textile factory. Inside the carriage, Xio reiterated the plan they had made during the day.
Then they began their operation: Hobert and Xio climbed over the wall, while Fors "opened" the door directly.
The workshop area was already darkened; after all, this was an era of gas lamps and steam-powered machinery, not yet capable of running 24 hours a day.
Led by Xio, they arrived in front of the dormitory where the cultists resided. There were two dogs here, but Xio had prepared by tossing them some meaty bones. The dogs were too busy with the bones to pay attention to Hobert and the others.
Hobert and Fors lay in ambush outside the window, while Xio agilely climbed into the dormitory from the second floor, reaching the room where one of the cultists lived on the ground floor.
Listening and hearing no movement inside, Xio kicked the door open, only to realize something was wrong. Instead of two people, there were three sitting on the edge of the bed, seemingly engaged in a quiet conversation in the dark.
After Xio kicked open the door, they all turned to look at her.
Scratching her head, Xio said, "Sorry, wrong room!" She politely closed the door on them.
The three inside the room stood stupefied for a second or two, before one of them said, "Catch her!"
They rushed to the door, but just as they were about to open it, the door suddenly swung toward them. Xio hadn't left; she had heard them approach the door and kicked it hard, sending the door panel crashing into the three rushing out.
At the same time, the window side suddenly became ethereal, and Fors crossed through the window into the room.
Immediately afterward, the window was smashed open, and Hobert jumped in with his cane.
Three against three, they engaged in a fierce battle in the not-so-spacious room.
Due to the chaotic scene, Hobert temporarily refrained from using his pistol, afraid of accidentally hitting Xio or Fors.
Hobert's opponent was a skilled fighter, bare-handed against Hobert's cane, and under the blessing of the "Combat Ring," they were evenly matched.
As the fight continued, the opponent seemed to grow stronger.
However, as a "Barbarian," Hobert had greater strength. He quickly adjusted his strategy, using his strength advantage to charge straight in.
The opponent, without a weapon, could only resist Hobert's onslaught with his arms.
Eventually, Hobert slammed him against the wall, kicking up dust and nearly making him cough up blood.
Hobert charged again, and the opponent quickly dodged, not expecting Hobert to use the cane like a sword, leveraging his strength advantage to stab him through and pin him to the wall.
Amid the opponent's screams, Hobert pulled out his pistol.
Bang!
He shot the opponent in close range in the head.
The gunshot in the night was particularly loud, and the earlier sounds of fighting had already awakened many people. But upon hearing the gunshot, the factory workers who had intended to come out and see what was happening quickly retreated and locked the doors again.
Meanwhile, the fight on Xio's side was nearing its end; Fors's opponent was the weakest, and despite Fors not being skilled in combat, she wasn't at a disadvantage.
Hobert went to help Fors, rushing over to kick down her opponent, and then another shot to resolve the situation.
Xio had already slashed her opponent's throat with a dagger; in just a minute or two, they had finished the fight.
Of course, much of this was due to their surprise attack.
Fors breathed a sigh of relief, lit a match, and lit a lamp to examine the faces of the three.
Hobert's opponent was a "Prisoner," although his abilities did not include combat skills, a "Prisoner" was more likely to learn various murder techniques, including combat.
Xio's opponent was a "Farmer," and Fors's opponent wasn't listed in the wanted list. He wore an expensive suit and didn't seem like a manager hiding two cultists.
Hobert searched the opponent's body but found no identification or similar items.
Not knowing the opponent's identity made him uneasy, so Hobert asked Xio and Fors to disguise the other two bodies, preparing to perform a spirit channeling on this stranger.