Wandering around the house was pointless, and even Zavi knew that.
Then, using the Prisoner's basic ability, he transferred the pocket watch, and in an instant, it appeared in his clone's hand.
This was Zavi's method of using a gun or other objects such as the Hoisline fan artifact, which possessed a fatal weakness.
"If the clone is destroyed along with the object it's holding, the original object will be destroyed as well."
He had experimented with this while staying in Chavez, long before the destruction of Moran City.
Back then...
"This ability really doesn't suit me. Is there another way to maximize the Prisoner's true potential?"
It had been Monday afternoon, after his meeting and battle with Aaron Kwok.
Zavi had racked his brain, but he still couldn't control it, forcing him to resort to his second plan.
Animal entities; foxes, wolves, and his favorite box jellyfish, transformed into walking bombs.
At first, Zavi had merely been experimenting, but he became addicted after realizing an uninvited test subject had appeared.
Resse.
A type of evil spirit that had attempted to ascend into this world without a medium after being demoted.
Boom...
Zavi was overjoyed, left speechless.
However, something unexpected happened to him, causing him to lose consciousness after nearly half of the spirituality within his body was depleted, leaving him unconscious for several minutes.
Had it dropped any further, Zavi would certainly have died, or worse, he would have encountered that endless void once again.
He had only used it during the struggle for freedom in Tapaks.
While secretly training under the watchful eyes of the trio and Recipestele, Zavi eventually succeeded in controlling the explosive power of the entities he had created.
Although it was still slightly imperfect, he carried out the process correctly, avoiding the disastrous consequences that had occurred during his previous encounter with the restless spirits and ghosts at the Syrp No. 2 intersection in Forgenate District.
The journey had been a long one. Now, he shifted his attention to his primary objective: creating a clone of himself for an important plan that lay ahead.
He succeeded, although the clone's face still had a few imperfections.
Just before departing for Kuranda on the morning of Saturday the 29th, he merely carried out the plan he had prepared so carefully for so long.
Zavi Actitus would die that day.
Now, Zavi's clone stepped out of the house with sluggish footsteps, the skin on its face appearing loose.
Its lips pursed slightly, acknowledging that the attempt had failed and wasted a great deal of time.
As the clone walked along the dark road, guided only by the moonlight and the beautiful sparkling stars overhead, Zavi directed it toward an abandoned area several hundred meters from his house on Vica Street.
After entering the area, a sharp surge of spiritual energy caused the clone to freeze in place, as though it had been forcibly stopped by a supernatural force.
Zavi manifested the Hoisline fan artifact before the clone continued onward.
After reaching the house where the ritual had been performed, the clone saw a dark crimson and deep purple aura hovering above a stone. Two meters to the left, the object he sought lay on the filthy floor.
He smiled inwardly as he ordered the clone to pick it up.
Tap...
The clone bent down, intending to pick up the chain, and its hand instantly shattered, the destruction rapidly spreading upward.
The chain emitted a rattling sound.
Zavi immediately created a replacement clone the moment the previous one vanished without a trace.
'Damn it... did that chain... destroy my clone?'
Zavi was naturally shocked, especially after realizing that the fruits of his long and dedicated efforts had been wasted.
After pondering for a long time amid the darkness, silence, and gloom of the house, a strange idea suddenly crossed his mind.
He immediately directed the clone wearing the bowler hat to approach the chain, then placed the pocket watch right beside it.
The two objects reacted, generating a powerful spiritual field with a one-meter radius that hurled the clone backward, smashing through the front wall of the house.
Thud...
Landing on the road, the clone hurried back to the two objects and immediately picked them up.
The chain emitted a pulse that sharply contrasted with the ticking of the pocket watch.
He smiled, having obtained what he wanted. His intuition had been correct; these two objects were connected to the Prisoner's ability.
After a brief silence, Zavi signaled for the clone to come closer.
It was now 1:35 a.m. on Saturday the 6th.
The clone walked tirelessly, and its efforts paid off when Zavi made a movement that caused both objects to fall, though they never touched the stone-paved ground outside Ficius Newesto's residence.
Zavi stepped forward steadily, his expression serious, as though he knew this was only the beginning.
The moment he touched the objects, a strange reaction occurred. The chain wrapped itself around his arm, while the pocket watch slipped into his suit pocket.
'It can do that?'
Zavi's lips twitched as he continued walking, his admiration causing the corners of his mouth to lift into a smile.
Now all Zavi needed to do was leave this place, return to the city of Semilir in Schoutzin, and hope that no trouble would cross his path.
Of course, that was what he thought. In reality, he had no idea what awaited him and was already preparing himself for whatever obstacles stood in the way of his return.
'Calling it "going home" doesn't really feel right.'
Zavi gently shook his head with a smile.
...
Far from No. 12 Capa Street, in Tezny District, along No. 6 Senggong Street.
At a campsite set up on a barren field.
Six large tents stood there, each accompanied by a smaller storage tent.
Of the six tents, three remained active as guard posts.
Tonight marked the first night of their investigation, yet it had yielded no results.
Their commander sat silently beside the campfire, his thoughts in disarray.
"...Commander Ayler, are you all right?" the vice commander asked with a faint grin.
Zousi Ayler looked at him, his face deathly pale. After several seconds of silence, with the vice commander seated beside him, he finally spoke. "This is far more difficult than I imagined."
The black-haired man, with several white strands falling across his face, smiled faintly.
"What do you mean, Commander?" he asked, seeking clarification.
Without turning his head, Zousi Ayler replied, "The traces of the 'Black Death' are here."
The vice commander raised an eyebrow and briefly glanced toward the group, including Queen Seon Arzen, who stood to the left in front of the tent.
"As for that... my instincts tell me 'they' were here before, and 'they' returned before that strange figure was spotted by the higher-ups," he said casually, as though it were no great concern.
"Kusen," Zousi Ayler said. "At four thirty, conduct an investigation in Chapena District."
Kusen, the vice commander, gave a wry smile before replying, "Understood."
After a brief pause, he added,
"Will you be taking that woman as well?"
Zousi Ayler hesitated for a moment before answering firmly, "It seems she doesn't like you. I don't fully understand the situation myself, so for now, just take her subordinates and deploy your personnel."
Kusen straightened his hair and adjusted his military cap before standing upright. "May this investigation go smoothly," Kusen said, trying to lift his commander's spirits.
Time passed quickly as the campfire burned out, and the darkness of night was swallowed by the rising sun on the horizon.
It was now 6:10 a.m.
Kusen, after deploying his troops alongside Queen Seon Arzen's subordinates, failed to find the mysterious figure that had stirred such concern among the higher authorities.
Now, they returned to the camp empty-handed.
Their commander and the other officers were there to welcome them back.
There were no complaints, no remarks, only acknowledgment of their efforts.
Commander Ayler strode confidently toward Kusen, accompanied by several sergeants.
"Good work," Zousi Ayler said, patting his shoulder with a warm smile.
Kusen lowered the brim of his cap slightly before saying, "I'm sorry I couldn't find that person."
"It's all right. There's no need to be so formal."
He instructed Kusen to move immediately, as a small meeting would be held before the full-scale investigation of the dead city of Moran began.
More than three hours passed.
It was now 10:10 a.m.
The meeting had concluded. Everyone began cleaning up the scattered equipment and disposing of the trash.
Although Moran was a dead city where operations had long since ceased, they still made an effort to maintain order and set a good example for their juniors.
After dismantling the military tents, several men slung their backpacks over their shoulders. They each had assigned duties and voiced no complaints. As long as they were paid, they would carry out their orders.
Under Ayler's command, they moved out in unison.
Before leaving Senggong Street, he outlined the plan and the predetermined meeting point before sunset.
"Captain Queen Seon Arzen, you and your personnel," he said firmly and clearly.
"Kusen Zacuesia, take your personnel along with Captain Harvert Hosiki, Lieutenant Faselens, and your respective teams."
They saluted one another before departing in opposite directions.
Meanwhile, Commander Ayler remained standing perfectly still, without the slightest movement. Two others approached him before following their squad leader.
It would be fatal if they followed him.
That thought continued to circle through Commander Ayler's mind.
After a long pause, he turned left instead of right.
He knew it was dangerous, especially since he had no idea how great the comet's impact truly was.
However, as a Receivers, he was no ordinary human. He was determined to investigate the effects of that sudden meteor, which appeared to have been orchestrated by someone.
Midday, northern Niki District.
What had once been filled with towering buildings was now nothing more than an enormous crater. Commander Zousi Ayler stood atop a mound of earth beside a dead tree, his posture straight and his expression grave as he gazed across the vast crater stretching as far as the eye could see.