Chapter 1047 - 134: Favored by the Heavens
The rainwater connected into an endless gray curtain, enveloping the entire world in a chaotic tumult.
The terrified scream was swallowed by the crashing sound of the storm, not even disturbing the two hounds lying in their doghouses.
On this night, the Harrington mansion was like a forgotten island. The motion sensors, thermal imaging monitors, and ubiquitous cameras, so proudly relied on in the past, were mostly put out of commission under the dual assault of lightning and water accumulation.
Even the ones stubbornly working lasted at most one or two hours before falling silent due to depleted power.
The Harrington family’s bodyguards actually lived in a nearby building, which, together with the building housing the maids and gardeners, flanked the central main house.
After the first thunder rolled overhead, the bodyguards had already risen, dressed, with some guarding the entrances to the estate, some patrolling in the rain, and others always ready for a call from the main house.
Yet, the whole night, their walkie-talkies and call bells remained silent.
"They’re definitely all asleep." The bodyguard captain expressed no doubt, firmly stating, "Mr. Harrington’s sleep quality is really enviable."
...
The swaying flashlight beam swept over the balcony window, but in such a storm, the bodyguards couldn’t see three meters ahead; the patrol’s purpose was purely for intimidation.
Behind the wide balcony was the study of this mansion’s owner—Richard Harrington.
The light pierced the rain curtain, skimmed over the dark window, and Victor glanced up, chuckling:
"How interesting... These wealthy humans impose stringent rules on their kind, yet in the end, these rules become the ropes around their own necks."
If Mr. Harrington hadn’t strictly restricted the employees’ actions, forbidding them from approaching the main house without permission, perhaps at this moment one or two bodyguards would have come to knock on the door to see what was happening inside.
"Rules! The more trivial they are, the more they prove their existence isn’t for action, but to highlight a unique status."
Vilan remarked dispassionately.
He appeared much more relaxed than Victor, even picked up the hardcover book forgotten on the desk with interest, casually flipping its pages.
On the shelves beside them, on the desk, even on their pant legs and shoulders, lingered some creepy spiders, cockroaches, ants, scorpions, and so forth.
These creatures terrified the mansion’s owners into screams, near hysteria. Yet now, they nested gently beside the two, some even affectionately touching their antennae to the men’s fingers, exchanging silent information.
"Don’t bother." Victor said, "The little guys have confirmed there’s no document we need in this study. Or... Richard Harrington isn’t the person we’re looking for."
Vilan glanced sideways at him, rolling his eyes and saying, "What are you babbling about? How many rich elites have we scrutinized in New York City? Richard Harrington is the most likely person involved with the Prometheus project!"
He recited like tallying treasure, "His assets have grown extremely abnormally in the past thirty years, and his life has been extraordinarily smooth!"
"Every time Richard Harrington faced major competition, his competitors inexplicably suffered incidents—fires, amnesia, car accidents, sudden death due to heart failure, suddenly frenzied murders, and the lightest being speaking madly in public... "
"If the police hadn’t found any links between Richard Harrington and these events, he would have been jailed long ago!"
"Muggles can’t explain these phenomena, they can only praise that guy’s good luck! But we all know, this can’t simply be explained by pure luck!"
"Conversely, such events can be easily achieved with magic!"
Victor exhaled lightly, continuing, "And their investment in creating a medical school, reportedly housing the most advanced labs and equipment, investing hundreds of millions annually, yet admitting very few medical students."
"Moreover, those medical students, upon graduation, mostly entered Harrington’s research institutions, reportedly to conquer cancer... but in these years, their output has been woefully scant."
"Look, you are well-informed!"
Vilan closed the book, returned it to its place, saying, "Additionally, our target Richard Harrington is evidently 78 years old, yet his physical examination report shows bodily functions akin to a 35-year-old, even surpassing in reaction speed and cellular activity..."
He chuckled, saying, "I hardly believe these results arise from muggle medicine!"
"So, all clues point here, and we are here..."
Victor turned his gaze to the window through which rain lines continuously streaked, murmuring:
"The security systems and communications rationally collapsed, even if they summoned the guards and received no response, they’d only think it’s a signal issue, thinking when daylight comes, when rain stops, everything will improve."
"Because the bodyguards are only meters away, they haven’t realized they’ve truly become an isolated island..."
"Most importantly,"
Vilan took over smoothly, smiling slyly, saying, "In such massive thunderstorm conditions, the Magic Congress’ sensitivity and accuracy in detecting magic declines significantly!"
"Strong electromagnetic interference and chaotic natural elements, these are the best covers! Whether it’s the Magic Congress or those we’re seeking, in the face of nature’s power, they can only be blinded and deafened!"
"Boom——!!!"
As they spoke, an extremely robust bolt of lightning tore the night sky, instantly bathing the world in a stark white light, followed closely by thunder shaking the windows.
Vilan too was momentarily muted by the thunder, he gazed up at this heavenly power, his tone inadvertently carried an epic-like admiration:
"Heaven truly favors the Master! He needed a storm just enough to obscure sight and paralyze order, and here the hurricane arrived as scheduled..."
Victor looked at him, asked: "Do you really consider this as favor from fate?"
"Hmm? What do you mean?" Vilan pondered momentarily, saying: "After Master mentioned he needed a storm, it took another three or four days to detect the cloud clusters and thunderstorm activity on the west coast of Africa, right? And then no one knew its impact on the United States, New York..."
After the US National Hurricane Center issued alerts to the public, Vilan even went to check the data. Upon finishing, he felt everything was too coincidental.
"I don’t know, yet I feel..."
Victor gazed at the lightning on the horizon, softly said: "The Master seems... to have known long ago this hurricane would arrive..."