Arkham City.
Mark wasn't familiar with this city, but relying on the address from the newspaper advertisement, he still managed to find his destination.
666 Fool Street…
Holding the newspaper in his hand, Mark frowned as he looked at the shop in front of him.
From the exterior decoration, the store looked rather antique—one might even say extremely simple.
On the shop sign were only the words "Inquisition", along with a symbol of a warhammer crossed with a skull.
The same mark as the one on the back of his hand.
Thinking of this, Mark lowered his head and looked again at the mark on the back of his hand, then compared it to the symbol on the shop sign.
Exactly the same.
What the hell was going on?
To be honest, standing on the street with the newspaper in his hand, Mark felt like his brain had turned into mush.
Well, no matter what, he was already here.
Might as well go in first!
Thinking this, Mark gritted his teeth, stuffed the newspaper back into his pocket, and reached out to push open the shop door.
"Ding-ling."
With the crisp sound of a bell, the door opened.
Mark stepped into the strange shop.
But when he walked in and saw the interior layout clearly, he froze.
After deciding to avenge his wife and wipe out those cultists, Mark had sought out quite a few so-called witches and sorcerers.
In his impression, those people always hid in dark alleys.
Their rooms were dimly lit and mysterious, filled with moldy ancient books and nauseating, bizarre ritual objects…
But the first impression this place gave him was completely different from those voodoo shops.
Not only was it bright and spotless, it looked extremely tidy.
It even resembled…
Some kind of branded retail store???
That's right.
In front of Mark was a very clean shop interior.
In the center stood a glass display case filled with all kinds of jewelry—necklaces, rings, bracelets.
On racks along the wall were various weapons.
Hammers, machetes, short swords, even shields.
On another side were items that looked like decorative ornaments…
The entire shop was divided into three sections.
And each section had a classification label.
The wall filled with weapons had a sign that read "Demon Slaying."
The central jewelry display had a label reading "Exorcism."
And the decorative cabinets beside it were labeled "Home Protection."
…What the hell is this???
Looking at the shop, Mark was completely dumbfounded.
For a moment he even wondered if he had walked into the wrong place…
Just as he hesitated about leaving, a voice suddenly spoke.
"Ah, welcome to the Inquisition. Dear customer, how may we help you?"
Hearing the clear and pleasant voice, Mark looked toward the counter.
Standing there wasn't some mysterious old witch.
Nor some creepy voodoo mage who had made themselves look barely human.
Instead, it was a very pretty and cute girl.
With a friendly smile, she looked at Mark curiously.
"May I ask if you've come to the Inquisition to purchase items or sell something?"
"Sell?"
Hearing her words, Mark frowned and walked toward the counter.
The girl nodded.
"Yes. If you have something that troubles you, you may sell it to our Inquisition. Of course, if you need something, you can also purchase items here to resolve your troubles."
"You mean those?"
Mark pointed suspiciously toward the display cabinets behind him.
The girl nodded again.
"That's right. If your home is troubled by evil spirits or demons, I recommend purchasing items from the Home Protection category."
"If you yourself are being harassed or plagued by demonic forces and wish to drive them away or distance yourself from them, you can choose items from the Exorcism category."
"Then what about Demon Slaying?"
Hearing this, Mark stared into the girl's eyes and asked.
She paused briefly before continuing.
"Of course. If you wish to fight against demons, you may choose weapons from the Demon Slaying category."
"…."
Just that simple??
Hearing the girl's answer, Mark frowned.
He had sought similar help from other sorcerers before.
They either said they didn't possess such methods, or claimed such powers were not something ordinary people could wield.
But here?
They were simply displayed openly for sale with price tags!
"Are there no requirements or risks?"
"Of course there are risks. Choosing to fight demons is itself a risk. We can only provide a certain degree of assistance to help prevent you from being corrupted by evil and filth. Beyond that, you must rely on your own strength."
Mark wasn't surprised by her answer.
That made sense.
As a soldier, when he fired a gun, it was his own ability doing the work—not the gun firing automatically.
Still, her honest explanation surprised him somewhat.
It seemed this Inquisition really was completely different from those frauds who liked to act mysterious.
Oh right, speaking of that…
"Do you sell guns here?"
"I'm sorry, sir. Our shop does not sell any ranged weapons, including bows or firearms."
This was Duanmu Huai's decision.
Selling firearms required permits, and he couldn't be bothered with that trouble.
In fact, the shop's official business license was for antiques and handicrafts.
Those Exorcism, Home Protection, and Demon Slaying items could all be sold under the category of crafts.
After all, that wasn't illegal.
But guns were a completely different matter.
Of course, there was another more important reason.
In Duanmu Huai's opinion, only melee combat was the most sacred, the bravest, and the most loyal form of battle.
If you wanted to fight demons but hid in the back shooting like those Tau instead of grabbing a hammer and smashing forward—
That showed a lack of loyalty!
And besides…
Duanmu Huai's shooting skills were terrible.
Forget it.
Talking about it only brought tears.
"Of course, if you need services or assistance, you may go to the detective agency on the second floor."
Lorena naturally took the opportunity to advertise for her boss.
To be honest, if the mark hadn't actually appeared on the back of his hand, and if he hadn't stopped having nightmares afterward, Mark would already be suspicious of this place.
After all, nothing about it felt mysterious or ritualistic.
This wasn't how things were supposed to work!
Shouldn't something like this involve being taken to the back room and shown some hidden treasure?
Why was everything so calm and straightforward?
For Lorena, this calm attitude was natural.
Back in the Holy City she had handled similar matters many times.
It had long become routine.
Naturally she wouldn't behave like the charlatans of this world who liked acting bizarre and cryptic.
But Mark wasn't used to it.
In his experience, those spiritualists always spoke in riddles.
Half their sentences were deliberately mysterious.
But this girl?
She was like customer service.
Ask a question, get a clear answer.
Even when Mark asked about the meaning of the Inquisition's symbol, she explained it plainly.
A pure human skull symbolized the purity of humanity.
Those who consorted with demons had already lost that purity.
Their skulls would become corrupted and mutated.
Thus the skull represented the sacred purity of mankind.
Honestly, someone listening might think they were getting a museum lecture.
Of course, the risks had to be clearly explained.
"If you choose to borrow the power of the Inquisition, you will be regarded as a follower of the Inquisition. After death, your soul will go to the Inquisition to serve it."
Yes.
That part had to be stated clearly.
But after hearing Lorena's explanation, Mark frowned.
You're saying this so seriously…
Does an afterlife really exist?
"Then… can I meet someone who has died?"
"…."
Lorena frowned slightly.
"I'm sorry. Our shop does not provide that service."
"I see."
Mark nodded.
Then he began selecting his items.
After dealing with cultists so many times, Mark had gained some understanding of their methods.
Their most terrifying ability was summoning monsters from other worlds through rituals.
And those creatures could not be defeated with firearms alone.
Therefore, choosing the right weapons became his top priority.
After thinking for a long time, Mark selected a dagger.
Then he picked up a shovel.
Yes.
A shovel.
Among the weapons displayed here—long swords, short swords, warhammers, shields—Duanmu Huai had also prepared many everyday tools.
Considering modern society, he stocked items like logging axes, shovels, and pickaxes.
They covered an entire wall.
Anyone walking in might think it was a hardware store.
This was Duanmu Huai's thoughtful service.
After all, investigators wandered everywhere.
Sometimes they needed to dig holes or climb trees.
And what was wrong with a shovel?
Couldn't a shovel kill someone?
As for why Duanmu Huai didn't make military-style multi-tool equipment combining many functions—
Was he joking?
Didn't he need to make money?
If he could earn two payments instead of one, why settle for less?
As Mark selected items, his mood felt strange.
He was preparing to slay demons and monsters.
Why did this feel like shopping at a supermarket?
Would these things actually work?
Fortunately, the items weren't expensive.
In the end, Mark purchased a shovel, a dagger, a ring, and a bracelet.
Then he paid at the counter.
Of course, Lorena still made sure to promote her boss's services.
"If you have any needs, you are always welcome to visit our agency upstairs and contact our boss."
"…I'll consider it."
Mark hesitated before accepting the business card she handed him.
But in truth, he had no intention of asking anyone for help.
After all, he understood something very clearly.
Those cultists deserved death.
But in a society ruled by law, revenge like his was still murder.
The fewer people who knew about it, the better.
After packing up his purchases, Mark turned and left the shop.
"Ah…"
Seeing this, Lorena sighed helplessly.
She had already done her best to bring customers to Duanmu Huai.
What a pity…
(End of Chapter)