Joe's team, with the exception of Alan, had returned to the Archive, settling once again into the private room they had co to frequent during their investigation. It had been several days since they uncovered that Jixi had been reading materials connected to the Consuming Ooze cult. Half the team was now poring over the sa texts Jixi had studied, while the other half focused on drafting a thorough report on Ricky, the man Alan had tried to rescue from the clutches of the sli creature.
The room had beco an improvised headquarters for their work. Boxes filled with docunts and records related to Ricky’s background were scattered across the floor. In their pursuit of every detail, they had turned the space into an ad hoc office. Thanks to Sandra’s foresight and connections, she had formally arranged for them to use the room indefinitely, ensuring the investigation could proceed without interruptions.
The atmosphere buzzed with focused energy as each team mber worked on their respective tasks. Sandra, seated in a corner of the room, appeared imrsed in her notebook. While the others assud she was busy with sothing pertinent to their efforts, a faint smile occasionally playing on her lips suggested she might be indulging in her penchant for writing smut. Regardless, her quiet, seasoned presence lent an oddly comforting normalcy to the chaotic scene around them.
Joe: “I think I found sothing,” he called out to the group.
Everyone in the room seed entirely absorbed in their tasks, paying little attention to Joe's words. His voice carried into the air, but it barely registered with the rest of the team; their focus was locked on the work in front of them. Joe’s attempts to direct their attention were t with quiet indifference, a sharp contrast to how the group typically responded to Mike.
Mike: “Nice try. Get back to writing that report,” he said, not even looking at Joe as he continued to work on his own thing.
Joe: “No, I an it this ti.”
Mike: “This ti? Or, are you just going to sneak off to get sothing to eat like you did yesterday.”
Joe: “That was important. My blood sugars were low, and I can’t work on an empty stomach.”
Mike: “Suuuuuure. I guess you disappeared for four hours yesterday to fill up on food to raise your blood sugar,” he responded sarcastically.
Joe: “What? Would you rather I starve?”
Mike’s eye twitched ever so slightly, a flicker of irritation that betrayed his otherwise composed deanor.
Mike: “OK, for soone that wants us to go through these papers with a fine comb, I find it very annoying that you keep trying to sneak away. Pushing all this work onto the rest of us.”
Joe: “If you want to review papers to find discrepancies, I’ll gladly do that. But, why do I have to fill out all these goddamn forms?”
Mike: “YOU'RE THE LEADER! I repeat, LEADER! You have to sign off on these forms and fill out the reports. No one else in our group can do that. I’m sorry if that pisses you off, but I don’t make the rules.”
Joe: “Fucking paperwork. I’ll never escape it, will I? Anyway, I really did find sothing interesting. A connection with Ricky that we missed.”
Rell: “What did you find?” he asked as he and Dan put down the book they were reading.
Dan: “Did you find a connection with Sorin and Ricky?”
Joe: “Not exactly. I looked at the missing person reports between now and when Jixi disappeared. There were at least seven of them in total, with Ricky included, and I found that every single one of them went to the sa high school.”
Rell: “That’s it?” sounding unimpressed.
Joe: “What do you an by that’s it? It’s a valuable clue.”
Rell: “I don’t know how this is related to Sorin at all. Why are so random people that went to the sa high school relevant?”
Joe: “I don’t know. But, these sli things seem to be targeting other people along with our suspects that are directly related to Sorin. At least few of those missing reports had that clear sli substance at the location where those people went missing. I first thought that Dan’s theory that it was just random people getting caught in the crossfire might be true, but now I’m starting to see a pattern. It might not be coincidental.”
Rell: “Sounds like you're grasping at straws.”
Joe: “Of course I’m fucking grasping at straws here. I don’t know what the fuck is going on.”
Jafar: “That’s it! It’s a pursuer sli!” he yelled out as he slamd the book he was reading on the table.
Everyone in the room froze mid-task, their attention abruptly drawn to Jafar. Even Sandra, who rarely let anything distract her, set down her notebook and turned her gaze toward him. The sudden burst of excitent in his voice had cut through the quiet hum of work, leaving an air of curiosity hanging in the room.
All eyes were now fixed on Jafar, who seed nearly bursting with whatever revelation or discovery he had just made.
Joe: “So, what did you find, kid?”
Jafar hurriedly placed the primary to of the Consuming Ooze cult on the table, flipping it open to a specific page with almost frantic energy. The worn parchnt displayed a detailed illustration of a ritualistic magic circle, its intricate symbols radiating an unsettling aura. At the center of the circle was a haunting depiction of a bizarre red sli creature, its grotesque form rendered with unsettling details.
The creature's amorphous body seed alive even in the drawing, its edges bleeding into the circle as though defying the confines of the page. The image, paired with the cryptic runes scrawled around it, commanded the room’s attention.
Jafar: “That is exactly what and Alan ran into.”
Joe: “So, that's what it looked like to you guys,” he said as he picked up the book to better look at the image.
Jafar: “Yeah, the book calls it a pursuer sli. It’s the only red sli creature I found in that book. All the other sli creatures that the book ntions have a bunch of different colors to them.”
Dan: “Why is it called a pursuer sli? Did the book say?”
Jafar: “Because of what it does. The book ntions summoning this sli to hunt down people and eat them.”
Mike: “So, it’s a creature that hunts down humans to devour people. Sounds in line with what this cult does.”
Jafar: “It’s not just anybody, though. It is not like the other sli creatures that the book ntions. It seems one of the ways this cult used to attack their enemies was with these pursuer slis. These creatures are summoned through a ritual and then seek out very specific targets to kill. They won’t attack just anybody.”
Joe: “So, there is no randomness at all! All these people disappearing were specifically targeted!”
Rell: “Hold up on that assumption,” he said, directed at Joe, before turning back to Jafar. ”Are you sure about that? Because you told us you were attacked by that thing, unless there is sothing I’m missing.”
Jafar: “These slis won’t attack random people, unless they get in the way of their target. That’s why it attacked and Alan. If we had let that thing consu Ricky, it wouldn’t have done anything against us, but because we tried to save him, the pursuer sli attacked us as well. At least, that's how the book explained it.”
Rell: “I see, but what about after? It sounds like these things are bound to certain tasks or contracts like an outsider. Once their target is killed, they would be unbound and might attack anybody.”
Joe: “You seem real intent on proving wrong.”
Rell: “I’m just applying what I know about outsiders and the magic they can invoke. I know that outsiders have to operate under very strict rules to even be allowed to be in our existence. Once an outsider completes its contract, there is a small window of ti that the outsider is unbound and can cause all sorts of havoc before the boundary forcefully ejects them from our world.”
Jafar: “These things are not outsiders. They’re sli, given will by the Consuming Ooze God. Once they kill their target, they just die. When that sli thing burst out of Ricky's chest—” he paused as he thought back to that horrific mont.
Joe: “You don’t have to say, kid. I get it.”
Jafar: “No, it's ok. Um, when Ricky died, the sli creature that crawled out of his body imdiately died as well. It just turned into that clear rot sli like the kind we found at Larry’s ho. That’s in line with what the book described about them.”
Rell: “Interesting. Any other things you found out about these things?”
Jafar: “Unlike the other sli creatures the book talked about, the section about the pursuer sli emphasized that this thing will only consu organic matter of their target, or anything getting in its way. I guess, unlike the other sli creatures this cult can summon, these slis are extrely specific in what they consu.”
Dan: “The clothing! We found a full set of clothing in Larry’s house in a pile covered in rot sli. It wasn't damaged at all and had his ID and everything too. That would an…”
Joe: “Larry got eaten, bones and all, with the only thing left behind being his clothing. And, the sli that was left on the clothing was probably the pursuer sli that ate him and then died. It was also the sa at Guss's ho as well. Lewis found underwear and bathrobes covered in rot sli. And that book is not kidding about being extrely specific in what it consus. I found Larry’s fake gold tooth that was likely in his mouth lying on the ground.”
Mike: “How did this cult control who the pursuer slis go after, and how do these creatures find their target?”
Jafar: “I’m not sure about how these things find their target, but who they go after is part of the ritual to create them. When you make the magic circle for the ritual to create these slis, you have to write the na of the people you want these slis to go after into the circle while having a clear idea in your head of what they look like. All while continuously channeling aether into the circle.”
Joe: “Interesting, so that likely ans the person who is setting the target of these creatures has seen the person. Likely, they personally interacted with the targeted person.”
Rell: “Seems likely, if that’s the case.”
Joe: “But, more importantly, how do we stop these things?”
Jafar: “The book ntions that these things can only be hurt from magic with non-physical effects, or anything with high heat. Oh, also these things are extrely vulnerable to the elent of necros. Also, if you break the ritual circle these things were summoned from, they’ll all die.”
Joe: “So, fire and necros. Is anyone from your side attuned with those elents?” he asked, directed at Rell.
Rell: “There are plenty of enforcers that have access to those elents, but of the people on this team specifically, I am the only one that can use the ntioned elent effectively. I can use necros. I believe Alan and Jafar are each attuned to one of the relevant elents. But, I’m against relying on them against these creatures. Neither of them are properly trained with either of those elents.”
Joe: “I didn’t plan to let either of them get close to these things in the first place. I just wanted to know in the worst-case scenario if we co across more of these things. Also from our side, Mike is the only one attuned to necros. So, we have at least two people on our team who might be able to do sothing if we get in trouble.
Rell: “Good. Mitra made it very clear to , she didn’t want those two to be anywhere close to danger.”
Joe nodded firmly, his expression resolute, signaling his agreent with both of their conclusions.
Joe: “So, these findings an that Jixi is definitely involved. If you're reading about that ritual, then Jixi knows about it as well. We know that he took out that book and read it at so point in ti. He’s likely the one that created these things to take these people out.”
Mike: “We still don’t know for sure why, but it doesn't seem implausible he’s getting rid of loose ends. Taking out his other collaborators to better hide himself.”
Rell: “And the risk in creating these slis would be minimal for him. All he has to do is draw a magic circle and feed it aether, then these creatures do the rest. So, it’s still aligned with his cowardly nature that I know about him.”
Joe: “That would explain why he’s taking out Sorin collaborators, but not the other missing people. Those other missing people and Ricky, why send those sli monsters after them? These things go after very specific people, which ans they were targeted. Why? Is there so sort of connection to Sorin I’m missing?”
Dan: “Um, I don’t know. You said those other missing people all went to the sa high school. Was Sorin a high school teacher there?"
Rell: “Nope. I don't believe he ever taught high school.”
Joe: “Hmm, we might have a vague idea of how he might be doing this, but it doesn't help us figure out where Jixi is.
Mike: “Maybe not. Jafar, does the book say how far these creatures will travel?”
Jafar: “These things will never stop seeking out their target, but the book ntions the farther away pursuer slis are spawned away from their target, the longer it takes for them to find them.”
Mike: “That ans he’s at least sowhere near the city. If he was spawning these things in a faraway place like Gix, I'd imagine we would have heard about the sightings, since it would have to travel a far distance to get here. Soone would likely see them.”
Dan: “Joe said he thought these things were traveling through the sewers. What if Jixi is spawning them there?”
Mike: “That’s what I’m thinking. But, maybe not specifically in the sewers, but one of the forgotten underground tunnels or bunkers in the city. So of those tunnels connect to the sewers.”
Joe: “Good catch, you two. You're both right. That likely narrows it down to the city. But, Graheel is still a big place.”
Rell: “What about the materials for the ritual? I’m sure they're unusual materials needed for this ritual.”
Jafar: “Yeah, half the materials ntioned for this ritual I’ve never heard of.”
Rell: “That ans they’re rare or illegal. That limits the number of vendors that Jixi could have gotten them from.”
Sandra: “Um, excuse for interrupting.”
All eyes shifted toward Sandra, who had remained unusually quiet, her presence more observant than participatory throughout the entire conversation. She sat with her notebook resting in her lap, her expression calm but contemplative, as though she had been carefully weighing every word exchanged.
Sandra: “I hope I’m not overstepping with this investigation, but may I posit a theory?”
Joe: “You may. It’s no trouble.”
Sandra: “I vaguely rember you all talking about so sort of item smuggler before. Wouldn’t that man be able to acquire those materials?”
Joe: “Larry? Oh, yeah. You’re right. Larry might have been able to get a hold of those materials.“
Rell: “That’s unfortunate. I thought we could check the vendors to see if anyone bought any strange materials.”
Jafar: “There is also one other really strange thing you need for this ritual,” he said, pausing mid-sentence.
Everyone’s attention shifted back to Jafar, their expressions a mix of curiosity and patience as they waited for him to speak. He fidgeted slightly, clearly grappling with how to articulate the strange discovery he had unearthed in the Consuming Ooze book.
Jafar: “You… need a human sacrifice.”
When the subject of a human sacrifice for the ritual ca up, Dan's unease was unmistakable. His brow furrowed, and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat, the weight of the revelation unsettling him. The flicker of distress in his eyes set him and Jafar apart from the rest of the team.
In stark contrast, the others remained composed, their faces calm, as though the ntion of such a grim act was just another piece of the puzzle.
Rell: “That’s to be expected. When you're dealing with cults, they do tend to perform a lot of human sacrifice for their rituals.”
Joe: “That ans possibly one of the missing people might have been used as a sacrifice.”
Jafar: “Um, b-but the book says it has to be specifically a willing sacrifice.”
Mike: “A willing sacrifice?” he said with disbelief.
At the ntion of a willing sacrifice, the calm composure that so in the room had maintained shifted to expressions of genuine surprise. The idea of human sacrifice itself wasn’t shocking—such horrors were par for the course when dealing with the Naless Cults. However, the requirent that the sacrifice must be voluntary was a startling deviation from the norm.
Naless cults were infamous for their ruthless thods, frequently kidnapping unwilling victims to fuel their unholy rituals. A willing sacrifice, by contrast, was a rarity in their dark practices, adding a new layer of complexity—and unsettling intrigue—to the situation.
Jafar: “Yes, It has to be a willing sacrifice full of deep resentnt. That person then has to swallow so rot sli and kill themselves while in the middle of the ritual circle. Then the pursuer sli will start to spawn out of the corpse.”
Joe: “That complicates things. Where in the world would Jixi get a willing sacrifice?”
Dan: “Couldn’t Jixi just sacrifice himself?”
Rell: “I suppose. But, that is not in line with what I know about him.”
The room fell into a heavy silence, the weight of Jafar's revelation settling over everyone like a thick fog. Two full minutes ticked by, each one stretching endlessly as the team absorbed the implications of his discovery. Eyes darted between the open book and each other, silent questions hanging in the air, unspoken but palpable.
Joe: “Let's go over what we know. Seven seemingly uninvolved people are missing, and right now I’m assuming they all might have been attacked by these sli things. Then there were at least ten main suspects that had deep ties to what Sorin was doing. The other Sleuth-Hawk groups were looking into them and managed to apprehend four of them. Then another five of those ten disappeared, leaving only clear rot sli behind at relevant locations. We can assu that those four were likely eaten by the pursuer sli. And then the last suspect, the other groups, are still trying to find enough evidence to apprehend them. So, if all suspects are being targeted, we can assu that there are at least five more of these sli creatures out there sowhere.”
Jafar: “Um, the number of pursuer slis created is not limited to one per person.”
Joe: “So, there could be more than one of these slis going after each of them. How many slis could be created to go after soone? What is the limit? Did the book say?”
Jafar: “There’s… no limit. This ritual will keep creating more and more slis until all the targets of the ritual are dead, or you stop feeding aether into the summoning circle.”
Joe: “Are you saying there could be hypothetically ‘hundreds’ of these things crawling through the sewers right now,” he said with a mix of concern and fear.
Jafar swallowed hard, the audible gulp betraying his nerves as he t Joe’s gaze. His head bobbed in a slow, hesitant nod, the movent jittery and uncertain. The weight of Joe’s question lingered heavily in the air, and Jafar’s response, though affirmative, carried an undercurrent of unease that no one could quite mask.
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