Chapter 74 The Prophet

The bartender nodded and turned to mix the drinks.

While he was busy, I took the opportunity to carefully observe the bar.

The patrons were all dressed in black mercenary uniforms and wore white masks. They seemed to be under some kind of control, their behavior eerie and unnatural.

"Leonard, look over there!" Sophia suddenly pointed behind the bar.

I followed her gaze and saw a large portrait hanging behind the bar. The painting depicted a person in a silver robe, wearing a white mask, with a sinister smile on his face.

The person in the portrait bore a striking resemblance to Aubrey.

Just then, the bartender came over with two drinks.

I took the drinks and handed one to Sophia. Then, I pulled a bill from my pocket and handed it to the bartender.

"Hey, can you tell me who that is in the painting?" I asked, pointing to the portrait.

The bartender took the bill, glanced at the portrait, and a fervent look flashed in his eyes. "That's our founder, the great Prophet!"

"The Prophet?" I frowned, feeling puzzled.

"Yeah, it was the Prophet who saved us from the depths of despair and brought us to this wonderful new world!" The bartender said passionately.

"I see." I nodded, not asking any more questions.

"Enjoy your drinks!" The bartender said before walking away.

I took a sip from my glass. The taste was strange—spicy at first, but with a faint sweetness.

"Leonard, this drink tastes really weird," Sophia said, frowning.

"Don't drink it." I grabbed Sophia's hand. "Everything here is strange. We should be careful."

With that, I stood up and led Sophia out of the bar.

We wandered aimlessly through the city streets, observing everything around us, trying to find some useful clues.

"I found something," Sophia suddenly whispered.

Following her gaze, I saw a platform ahead, with a crowd gathered around it.

Sophia leaned close to my ear and whispered, "The platform and its layout look very similar to the photos we found at Lawrence's place."

My heart started racing, adrenaline pumping. It seemed we were very close to the truth.

We pushed through the crowd and approached the platform. In the center was a peculiar altar, with animal carcasses laid out, their bodies gruesomely mutilated and bloodied.

"Leonard, what are they doing?" Sophia asked, her face pale.

"They seem to be performing some kind of ritual," I said, my expression serious.

Suddenly, the crowd began to stir. Everyone knelt down, bowing to the altar, chanting in a language I couldn't understand.

"What are they doing?" Sophia asked, terrified.

"Don't say anything." I grabbed Sophia's hand, signaling her to stay still.

A beam of light appeared above the altar, and a man stepped out of it. He wore a silver robe and had a chilling smile on his face.

It was Aubrey!

It seemed he was indeed here.

I took a deep breath, gripping my gun, ready to act at any moment.

Aubrey walked to the altar, raised his hands, and addressed the crowd loudly, "My children, thank you for your devotion. Today, we will open the door to a new world."

"Blessed be the Prophet!"

"Blessed be the Prophet!"

The crowd erupted in thunderous cheers, waving their arms wildly like a bunch of lunatics.

Aubrey nodded in satisfaction, then took an ancient book from the altar.

The book looked very similar to the psychology booklet we found at Lawrence's place, except the cover was a different color.

"Now, let us use this sacred scripture to open the door to the new world," Aubrey shouted.

He opened the booklet and began chanting in a strange tone.

As Aubrey chanted, the altar started to emit a peculiar light, growing stronger and brighter until it formed a massive glowing sphere.

The sphere hovered above the altar, exuding an overwhelming pressure.

"Now's the time!" I shouted to Sophia, then charged towards the altar.

I burst through the crowd, kicking down the nearest black-clad guard. He didn't even have time to make a sound before I had him pinned underfoot, completely incapacitated.

"Leonard, wait for me!" Sophia followed closely behind. Though she hadn't had professional training, she was agile enough to keep up.

"Don't go near the altar, find a place to hide!" I shouted to Sophia without looking back.

The people around the altar reacted, rushing towards me with angry roars. Their eyes were filled with fanaticism, as if they had lost all reason.

Without hesitation, I drew my gun and fired at the ones closest to me.

The gunshots echoed sharply in the silent underground city.

Several black-clad guards fell, blood staining the ground.

But more guards kept coming. There were too many for me to handle.

One guard lunged at me, brandishing a knife aimed at my chest.

I quickly dodged, raising my arm to block the attack.

The knife tore through my clothes, cutting into my skin, and blood flowed freely.

"You're dead!" I roared, kicking the guard in the chest, sending him flying.

He struggled on the ground for a moment before going still.

I took down several more, but still couldn't get close to the altar.

"You won't ruin my plan!" Aubrey shouted from the altar, his face twisted in a grin.

His voice was amplified by some device, echoing across the square.

I looked up at Aubrey, seeing the madness in his eyes. He seemed completely unhinged.

The only way to stop him was to take him down and end the ritual.

"Get out of my way!" I roared, channeling all my strength into my legs, and charged forward like a tank, plowing through the black-clad guards in my path, sending them flying.

Wounds began to cover my body, blood soaking my clothes, but I couldn't care less. My eyes were fixed solely on Aubrey.

"Get him! Kill that guy!" Aubrey shouted to the crowd as he saw me approaching.

More guards surged towards me at his command.

I knew if this continued, I would be overwhelmed and killed. I had to take down Aubrey quickly, or it would be too late.

Taking a deep breath, I threw my gun.

The gun sliced through the air and struck Aubrey square in the face.

"Aubrey, your scheme ends here!" I said, slamming him to the ground.

Aubrey hit the ground hard, letting out a scream. He struggled to get up, but I didn't give him a chance.

"Surprised, Aubrey? You're the 'Mentor'!" I picked up the fallen psychology booklet and slapped it against his face. "It's all over for you!"

My certainty wasn't baseless. The booklet was the most direct evidence.

After Lawrence's death, Johnny couldn't find the booklet, but he was so fixated on it. What did that mean? It meant the booklet wasn't just Aubrey's academic work; it was the key to controlling "The Invisible Hand"!

Johnny needed it, and the only one who could give it meaning was its creator—Aubrey!

Moreover, during Louis's interrogation, he mentioned the 'Mentor' had a deep understanding of psychology.

Who fit that description?

Lawrence was a psychology tutor, but his level clearly wasn't enough to command such reverence from the organization members. Only a true master, like Aubrey, a former psychology professor, could fit that role!

And then there were the photos. Lawrence's place had pictures of him with Aubrey, who was also his mentor.

All these clues formed an invisible net that trapped Aubrey, confirming that this seemingly respectable man was the true mastermind behind "The Invisible Hand," the real, crazed 'Mentor'!

Aubrey's eyes were filled with terror. He hadn't expected me to uncover his identity so easily.

"No, no way, how did you know?" Aubrey stammered, trying to deny it.

"How did I know? Don't forget, I'm a detective. Catching people like you is my job." I smirked, pulling out a pair of silver handcuffs and snapping them onto his wrists. "Now, you're coming with us to spill everything."

I grabbed Aubrey and dragged him off the altar like a dead weight.

The black-clad guards, seeing Aubrey captured, panicked and rushed towards us, trying to stop us from taking him.

"Stay back! Anyone who comes closer, I'll shoot!" I shouted at the guards, raising my gun.

Though they outnumbered us, the guards hesitated, clearly fearing my gun. They watched helplessly as I dragged Aubrey away.

"Sophia, cover me!" I called to Sophia, pulling Aubrey through the crowd of guards.

Sophia, though not professionally trained, knew this was no time to back down. She followed closely, shooting at the guards to clear a path for us.

We fought our way through and finally reached the tunnel leading to the surface.

"Quick, get up there!" I shouted to Sophia, pushing Aubrey ahead. He lay there like a limp rag, powerless to resist.

As we neared the exit, I heard a whistling sound.

My heart sank. I looked up to see several guards at the tunnel entrance, shooting at us.

"Watch out!" I yelled, tackling Sophia to the ground.

Bullets hit the stone walls around us, kicking up dust.

"Damn it!" I cursed, getting up and firing back at the tunnel entrance.

The guards retreated, avoiding my shots.

As we were at a stalemate, more gunfire erupted from the tunnel entrance.

I saw Alan at the entrance.

"Mr. Williams, are you okay?" Alan rushed over, looking me up and down, worried at the sight of my bloodied state.

"Get out, now!" I shouted to Sophia, then bolted out of the tunnel.

I finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Leonard!" Sophia climbed out and hugged me tightly.

"It's okay, it's over," I said, patting her back to comfort her.

Then I turned to Alan. "I'm fine. Take Aubrey away, and get Johnny too. Call for backup to secure the tunnel."

"Understood!"

Soon, Aubrey and a large number of black-clad guards were captured.

I finally felt a weight lift off my shoulders.

"Leonard, what do we do next?" Sophia asked.

"Let them handle the rest. We need to rest," I said with a smile. "I haven't had a good night's sleep in a long time."

"Sounds perfect to me," Sophia said playfully.

We got into the police car and headed to the station.

***

A few days later.

Lying in a comfortable hospital bed, I finally fell into a deep sleep.

I slept soundly and had a dream. In the dream, I saw Sophia in a white wedding dress, smiling at me.

Dream-Sophia seemed to want to say something, but I couldn't hear her. My body felt bound by an invisible force, unable to move.

The shrill ring of the phone woke me abruptly. It was already noon the next day.

I got out of bed, picked up my phone, and answered the call.