Chapter 79 Port Area
"2-031", the Hand of Proclamation, is one of two Level 2 Sealed Artifacts in the possession of the Nighthawks of Enmat Harbor, meaning it is dangerous and must be used with caution and restraint.
It looks like an old leather glove and is suitable for wearing on the left hand. The material is elastic and can be stretched moderately, so adults of normal size can wear it comfortably.
After donning "2-031," the first sentence spoken after snapping the user's fingers will become a "ban" within a thirty-meter radius. This effect lasts approximately one minute. Consecutive uses within this period will replace the previous one; they cannot be in effect simultaneously.
Once a "ban" takes effect, not only will everyone within the area be affected, but even the user themselves will be required to abide by the rules of this "ban." Therefore, it is not possible to use "2-031" to issue commands that even the user cannot do, such as "Do not breathe" or "Do not beat your heart."
Through many experiments, the Nighthawks have summarized some safe and effective "bans", such as "no jumping" and "no use of gunpowder weapons". The more detailed the command and the smaller the scope, the stronger the effect.
Through reasonable "bans," one can greatly limit the combat effectiveness of others within range, highlighting the user's own advantages and easily suppressing opponents of the same sequence in battle. Unfortunately, the effect of "2-031" is greatly weakened against Beyonders above Sequence 5, and is completely ineffective against higher-sequence Beyonders.
As a seal with powerful effects and few restrictions on use, its negative effects are also very strong.
As long as the user puts on the "Hand of Proclamation", they will fall into a state of over-inflated self-confidence, and each time they use its extraordinary ability, this irrational self-confidence will be enhanced. Once it is used more than three times in a short period of time, even efforts to persuade the user to remove the "Hand of Proclamation" will fail, because he will believe that he is omnipotent and can completely control this seal, and thus refuse to stop using it.
When in a state of extreme self-confidence, the user will often be impulsive and reckless in battle, or use the "Hand of Declaration" to issue bans that they themselves cannot enforce, which will kill themselves or even their companions in a short period of time.
"Therefore, this seal is given to Rupert Norman to use. The 'ban' is strictly limited to two items. If he falls into a state of overconfidence, affecting the battle or posing a threat to us, I will be responsible for snatching the seal away."
After explaining in detail the effects of the Sealed Artifact "2-031", Clement whispered.
At this time, Angel, Clement and Rupert were talking in low voices in the carriage. Fearing that the special carriage with the emblem of the Eastchester County Police Department would reveal the identities of the Night Watchmen and alert the target, they took a hired carriage that they had just hired.
The crimson moon hanging high outside the window shines on the earth. The streets that look extremely enchanting under the red moonlight are now deserted. The flat cobblestone roads have been replaced by gravel roads that facilitate drainage. The carriage is getting closer and closer to the port area.
Ten minutes after Clement assigned the mission, the prepared Nighthawks split into three groups, each heading to their respective target locations. To prevent telegraph or other occult communication between the three locations, the three groups of Nighthawks would begin their operations at 9:00 PM.
Angel also used the preparation time to return to the room and took with him the two revolvers he brought to Enmat Port, the dagger needed for close combat, and all the demon hunting bullets and "Phantom Phosphorus Eruption" for use in battle.
In the previous battle with the wanted Tomac, she found that the combination of "Phantom Phosphorus Eruption" and "Bloodthirst"'s black flame enhanced attack could achieve a large-scale killing effect, so she mixed a "Phantom Phosphorus Eruption" into the demon hunting bullets loaded into "Bloodthirst", and the bullets loaded into the speed loader were also configured in the same way, four demon hunting bullets and one special bullet.
It's a pity that there is no time to make a new "Gathering Storm", otherwise the high-powered ammunition plus the enhancement of "Thirst" will definitely have stronger damage capabilities.
Rupert Norman, who was sitting opposite Angel, was also sorting out the weapons and ammunition he was carrying. As a "Midnight Poet" who also had hand-to-hand combat capabilities, his weapon included a large-caliber revolver and a metal baton about 30 centimeters long. When he heard Clement assign "2-031" to him, he stopped what he was doing.
He looked up at the "Nightmare", who held a copper revolver in his right hand and a leather glove in his left hand. The "Hand of Declaration" that was not worn did not show any dangerous aura, as if it was just an old glove that could be found everywhere.
"Leave it to me to use?"
He asked hesitantly.
Sensing Rupert's doubts, Clement explained:
"If I use '2-031' for too long and lose control of my emotions, who among you can quickly remove the gloves from my hands? You know, an overconfident user will not hold back if they resist."
The two Sequence 8s nodded shyly, indicating they understood what he meant.
Seeing that Rupert had no objection to the user of the seal, Clement turned his attention to Angel.
"You should be familiar with the fighting styles of Nightmare and Midnight Poet when you were in Tingen City, but we don't know you yet, and we don't know the extraordinary abilities and fighting styles of Assassin. Please give us a brief introduction."
In order to avoid hindering each other in battle or being disturbed by the "Hand of Declaration", Angel did not hide his extraordinary ability as an "assassin". He gave a concise explanation to the two of his abilities, including the charged attack, and also demonstrated the "Phantom Phosphorus Eruption" that can deal with invisible enemies.
As for her promotion to "Instigator" today, she did not tell her teammates because it did not involve combat issues and there was no reasonable reason.
"Is this the bullet you used to injure the Mechanical Heart defector?"
Holding a "Phantom Phosphorus Eruption" bullet with runes engraved on its surface, Clement asked with a smile.
News spreads so quickly... It seems the three major church Beyonder organizations in Enmat Harbor are secretly communicating quite closely. I'm afraid they often collaborate...
Angel thought for a moment, then nodded and replied, "That's right, but this bullet itself has no lethality. It needs to be used with my revolver to have a burning effect. I'll be careful to avoid you when I use it. You should also be careful of the glowing powder floating in the air. If it's golden, it won't kill you, but avoid contact with the black flames."
"Black Flame..." Clement muttered again, then nodded in understanding.
——————
In order to avoid attracting attention with the sound of wheels and the neighing of horses, the hired carriage stopped in an alley less than two hundred meters away from Warehouse No. 16.
Even with the large searchlights that could focus gas lights, leaving the port at night was still a very dangerous thing. The port area that was busy and noisy during the day was now silent, with only some homeless wanderers and idle sailors left. The transport workers had returned to their homes to rest and prepare for the next day's work.
After watching the hired carriage leave, Angel and Rupert followed Clement out of the alley, walked around a group of low buildings, and came to the street in front of the gate of Warehouse No. 16. Opposite the gate was a row of two-story townhouses, some of which were used as shops and some for temporary storage of goods.
At this time, there was no one in the entire street, and gas lamps would not be wasted in such a place. Only the light from the moon above head shone equally on every inch of land.
Seeing the three people approaching, a short figure appeared on the roof. He first leaned out to watch for a while, then climbed back to the ground nimbly along the drainage pipe, and came to Clement with silent steps.
Although there was only moonlight in front of the warehouse, Angel, who had dark vision, could still see the other person's appearance clearly. He was a man in his early 20s, wearing dock worker clothes that were obviously used for disguise, and wearing a round hat.
"Captain, why are you here? Isn't it time for the shift change yet?"
He glanced at Angel and Rupert, then asked the captain.
"The operation has been brought forward. The three of us will be in charge of the warehouse at the port."
Clement said straight to the point, successfully making the other man's expression of joy at seeing his teammates turn serious.
"Reporting the situation now, the target hasn't left the warehouse, right?"
"Yes, I haven't seen him leave the warehouse since I started surveillance this morning. Even the armed guards haven't seen him leave. Now all the workers have gone home, and there's no back door to the warehouse, so they must still be inside."
The man in the round hat reported in a low voice.
"Excellent! This is the best scenario. It's late at night, quiet, and there are no innocent people around, only enemies." Clement nodded with satisfaction. "Andrew, go to the police station in the port area now, find the chief on duty, and dispatch a team of officers – the same team we often work with. Bring weapons. But don't rush into the warehouse, and don't rush in to provide support upon hearing gunfire. Wait until the battle is over."
"If someone comes out who you don't recognize, shoot immediately. If there's no movement for a long time, wait for support from other teams. The police's job is to guard the surroundings, not to get involved in fights between Beyonders."
Andrew, the man in the round hat, received the order and nodded carefully to show that he understood.
"Alright, hurry over there. We'll wait here until it's time to act, then we'll go straight into the warehouse."
Clement waved his hand, signaling Andrew to set off as soon as possible.
Andrew nimbly squeezed into the gap between the townhouses and left the warehouse area from the street behind. The police station at the port was nearly 1 kilometer away, and it would take about ten minutes to get there even if he ran.
Listening to the faint footsteps fading away, Clement took out his brass revolver, cocked the hammer, and took out his pocket watch with his other hand to check the time. It was exactly the time for action agreed upon by the three groups.
He looked around at the two people beside him, and seeing that they had also drawn their weapons and were ready for battle, he gave the order:
"action."
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