A few minutes later, a black Mercedes stopped at the side of the street.
The car door opened, and an elderly gentleman with graying hair, wearing a gold-trimmed striped suit, a gentleman's hat, and holding a cane, stepped out.
As soon as Damon and the others saw the old man, they quickly walked over and respectfully lowered their heads, "Sir Albert, we didn't expect the family would send you to assist us. We're truly sorry for the trouble you've gone through."
Albert Gattuso, in terms of seniority, was Frost and Pompeii's uncle, and one of the actual leaders within the family.
Among the Hybrids of the previous generation, he was quite famous, with a glorious record of once single-handedly killing a third-generation dragon that had just awakened.
Now, the family head Frost had called upon this old-timer, which clearly showed how important capturing Caesar was to them.
"No need for such formalities," Albert nodded and smiled. "The family's situation shocked and disappointed me as well. The most important thing right now is to capture the killer as soon as possible."
He took off his hat, revealing a face weathered by time with deep lines. Yet, his deep sea-blue eyes held both wisdom and charm. "Here, you're in charge, Damon. From now on, what we do next is up to you."
"Yes, Sir Albert."
Damon spoke respectfully, "Then, please use your Word Soul to search for possible targets in the area."
"Alright."
Albert was graceful and showed no hint of arrogance, smiling kindly. "I'm getting old, please give me a moment."
The Blood Link Word Soul had very low danger and no offensive ability, making it more of a supportive ability.
This Word Soul could enhance the user's sensitivity to bloodline perception and, through their own bloodline, attempt to resonate with nearby dragons and Hybrids, thus locating their position.
The stronger the individual's bloodline, the easier it was to be detected by "Blood Link."
Of course, some individuals were powerful enough to hide themselves and block the resonance, and even stronger ones could use bloodline resonance to reverse the effect and kill the user's spirit.
Albert's grip on his cane tightened, his sea-blue eyes tinged with a hint of gold.
The cane was an alchemical artifact, capable of amplifying and extending the sensing range of bloodline formations.
It activated the dragon blood within a Hybrid's body, which was otherwise uncontrollable, while also protecting the mind from being killed by stronger individuals.
However, the downside was that it accelerated the depletion of the user's energy.
Buzz~
A wave of invisible energy spread outward from Albert's body.
Damon could feel his bloodline respond as if called, his golden eyes instinctively glowing.
The other two were in a similar state, their golden eyes also activating, and a subtle tremor ran through their bloodlines.
Fortunately, they had already instructed their support members to disperse the nearby civilians.
If not, the moment the golden eyes appeared and the pressure of the Hybrids was released, it would've attracted unnecessary trouble.
"Huh?"
Suddenly, Albert opened his eyes, furrowing his brow with a hint of confusion.
"Sir Albert, have you found 'his' trace?" Damon asked, noticing the confusion on the elder's face, thinking he had discovered some clue.
"There's been a Hybrid here, with a very weak bloodline, and it hasn't awakened yet," Albert said, his eyes half-closed. His voice was low and deliberate. "Did you see anyone suspicious recently?"
"Recently? Well, there was a thug trying to steal something," Damon said, pausing as the image of the thug begging on his knees came to his mind.
"A thug." Albert's expression darkened slightly, flames flickering in his golden eyes. His voice turned cold. "Which direction did he go?"
"Honorable Sir Albert, forgive me for speaking plainly. He's just a petty thug. Even if he's a Hybrid, he's not worth focusing on. Our real target should be 'Caesar Gattuso.' We shouldn't waste time on a small-time thug," Damon said.
"No, Damon, you're wrong."
Albert's golden eyes were cold as he glanced over the group. After a moment, he said indifferently, "That Hybrid may be weak, but there's a high-level dragon blood reaction in him!"
"High-level dragon blood reaction?!"
Damon's face changed instantly, his heart shaken.
"Exactly, it's a very high-level dragon blood reaction," Albert said, stroking his cane. He ended the spell, breathing slightly heavier, his face looking a bit paler as he softly continued, "I think you understand what it means when a Hybrid with a weak lineage, who hasn't even awakened, suddenly shows such a strong dragon blood reaction."
The answer was clear. It was Caesar Gattuso!
A high-level dragon blood reaction could suggest an undiscovered Hybrid, but that possibility was slim.
A more reasonable guess was that the young troublemaker had come into close contact with Caesar Gattuso, and the reason he had been watching them wasn't to "steal targets," but out of caution!
"Damn it! That damn little punk dared to trick me!"
Damon was furious, veins bulging on his forehead, his face turning red and purple. He couldn't believe he had been fooled by a street thug!
"It's fine, you're still young. Mistakes can be corrected," Albert patted the young man's shoulder and said calmly, "Now, the most important thing is how to fix the mistake. Since we've already narrowed the scope, we just need to tighten it little by little. He won't escape."
"Thank you for your guidance, Sir Albert."
Damon took a deep breath, calming his anger, and made a phone call. With cold determination, he said into the phone, "Notify the execution team, surround this slum area. They won't escape. I'm going to personally wash away this humiliation!"
After hanging up, he crushed the phone in his hand, his eyes cold and murderous.
"Very well, they dared to toy with us."
Damon turned his head towards the alley, gritting his teeth and said, "Once I catch that bastard, I'll crush every bone in his body!"
Bruno painfully leaned against the wall, limping as he made his way home.
Having grown up in the slums, he'd been hurt countless times, so he knew the kick he took probably broke a few ribs.
The sharp pain in his abdomen made him grit his teeth, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
Even though the pain made his head spin, his steps staggered, and he fell into filthy puddles multiple times, Bruno still gritted his teeth and pushed on. Leaning on the wall, he struggled to get back up, his goal clear and unwavering—he had to get back and tell Caesar!
His gut told him those people's target was Caesar!
Just then, he suddenly felt his heart race, as if someone was watching him. The sensation was like a prickling on his back, filling him with a deep, primal fear.
But when Bruno turned around, the narrow alley was empty.
Bang!
Bang! Bang!
His heartbeat seemed to quicken, causing Bruno pain.
Not paying attention to his feet, he accidentally stepped into a hole and fell. Clutching his wildly beating heart, blood began to blur his vision. The feeling was suffocating, almost choking him.
In a daze, he saw his reflection in the puddle, and was immediately shocked beyond belief.
His pupils had turned golden, glowing like molten lava, exuding an overwhelming aura of authority.
********
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