Duncan ultimately couldn't dredge up any more memories from his mind.

Although the original owner of this body had indeed been concerned about Nina, and matters related to Nina had indeed been his deepest memories, years of illness, alcohol abuse, and drug abuse had severely damaged those things. When the cultist named Ron breathed his last, there was little tender memory of his family left in his numb mind.

Only one thing was certain: a great fire had indeed occurred eleven years ago, in the lower city district—a fire that had taken the lives of Nina's biological parents and permanently changed the child's life.

This might be a coincidence, but there was also a possibility that this matter was indeed related to the "Sun Shards" that these Sun Cultists were seeking.

Unexpectedly appearing Sun Shards caused a fire in the city, innocent citizens lost their lives, a child became an orphan in the fire, and years later, the child's only remaining relative had fallen into being one of the cultists who followed the Sun Shards…

In the darkness, it seemed as if there was a karmic tie, this karmic tie revolved around the sun, as if trapped by gravity.

Just then, someone among the surrounding cultists suddenly spoke, interrupting Duncan's thoughts, "I've been asking around among the residents these days, and I haven't heard of any particularly famous fires in the lower city district eleven years ago... But some people mentioned that a factory had a leak back then, and the poisonous gas from the storage tanks spread through several blocks, causing many people to hallucinate and go mad. This matter was even reported in the newspapers at the time."

Duncan looked up in surprise, seeing that the speaker was an ordinary-looking female cultist.

However, before he could seriously think about what the other party had said, he noticed that the cult leader's gaze had turned to him, "Brother, you happen to be a local here. Do you know about this?"

Duncan was stunned, suddenly realizing that he had become the focus of the scene—for these out-of-town cultists who were trying to gather information, he, as a local "living in the lower city district of Pland," was undoubtedly a good source of information!

Noticing several gazes coming from around, he thought for a moment and came up with an excuse, "I didn't live here eleven years ago, so I'm not clear on the specifics, but I have heard people mention the factory leak..."

While perfunctorily saying this, he looked at the female cultist who had spoken earlier, "Eleven years ago, didn't anything big really happen in the lower city district?"

"At least based on what I've heard, that's the case," the cultist nodded. "According to what I've heard, the lower city district of Pland hasn't had a major fire in at least twenty years... Small fires like kitchen fires do happen, but that's obviously not within the scope of consideration."

Duncan blinked, saying nothing.

He clearly remembered that Nina's parents had died in a fire eleven years ago! The memory fragments in his mind even included a scene of "himself" leading Nina out of the fire!

Where had something gone wrong? Was there a mistake in the inherited memories of this body? Or was the fire not in the lower city district? Or... was it just because this cultist hadn't been able to find out the real situation...?

A faint doubt arose in his heart. Because the matter involved Nina and "himself," he subconsciously paid attention to it. Just then, he heard another voice coming from across the way—it was the girl named Sherry: "The factory leak eleven years ago... was that the one that happened in the Sixth Block?"

"The Sixth Block? Hmm... that seems right," the female cultist nodded. "It is said that the incident had a big impact at the time, because the chemicals left many people with sequelae. Many residents of the lower city district still remember it to this day."

Several cultists nearby nodded in agreement, looking as if they had also inquired about similar information.

"Factory leak..." The leader in the center of the gathering place suddenly broke the silence, his deep, dignified voice interrupting the conversation between the cultists, "Supernatural events disguised by the authorities as overt production accidents are highly likely, and it's exactly eleven years ago… This is a very important clue. Next, we will investigate in this direction to see if this so-called factory leak points to the sacred Sun Shard."

The cultists immediately nodded in agreement. Then, the masked leader said, "In addition to paying attention to the supernatural events that occurred in the lower city district eleven years ago, we must also pay attention to the unusual things in the Pland city-state recently.

"Although the Sun Shard is still dormant, its awakening day is approaching, and its activity is increasing every day. Four years ago, our church comrades attempted to awaken the shard in advance. Although the attempt failed at the time, and even led to the mad strangulation of the Deep Sea Church due to the failure of the ritual, the attempt was not entirely without effect—the stimulation of the awakening ritual further deepened the connection between the Sun Shard and the real world, which is enough to give it the power to interfere with reality for a short period of time before it is completely awakened. This may help us find it.

"Pay close attention to the city-state's newspapers and street rumors recently. Any event that seems unusual may point to the Sun Shard. Don't let go of any clues, understand?"

The cultists lowered their heads and respectfully received the order, while Duncan noticed another key node mentioned by the leader:

Four years ago!

Four years ago, the Deep Sea Church of the Pland city-state did indeed destroy the largest Sun Heretic stronghold in the city in one fell swoop. It is said that the incident was extremely grand at the time, and it was also the time of the current city-state inquisitor "Vanna's" show of power—and after that, the Sun Cultists in this city declined until today.

All along, all Duncan knew was this surface information. Now it seemed that the truth of the matter was that the Sun Cultists in the city wanted to awaken the Sun Shard sleeping somewhere in advance at that time?!

Unknowingly, a series of truths hidden in the past were revealed before Duncan. He quickly pieced together the known fragments of information in his mind, while thinking about how to get more information from these cultists. But just then, a strange smell suddenly entered his nostrils.

It smelled like burning sulfur, mixed with a chemical-like, sour, and pungent odor.

In the next second, the surrounding ordinary cultists also smelled this pungent and obvious smell. Some people looked at each other, seemingly looking for the source of the smell. The leader standing in the center of the gathering place instantly reacted. He suddenly took out an amulet modeled after the sun from his arms—the amulet was exactly the same as the sun amulet carried by Duncan, and its surface was burning with a illusory, translucent flame!

The pungent smell came from the flame.

"Dirty impurities… the flame has been deceived!" The leader glanced at the burning sun amulet, his voice suddenly filled with shock and anger, "There is a heretic hidden among us!"

The scene was in an uproar. Duncan's first reaction was that he had been exposed. Although he didn't know how he had been exposed, the sun amulet carried by the leader seemed to have finally recognized him as a "heretic" who didn't believe in the sun at all.

With this in mind, he sighed slightly, ready to release the pigeon, but before he could make any move, he heard another sigh coming from across the way—

The sigh came from the girl in the black dress, the young girl named Sherry, who shook her head regretfully, "I knew A'gou wasn't reliable. The disguise can't last even three hours."

Before she finished speaking, a ball of pitch-black flames suddenly erupted beside the girl!

The flames were born out of thin air, had the shape of fire, but were as black as shadows. It ignited on the girl's arm, and within a second, it spread to nearly a third of her body. In the next moment, Sherry's right half seemed to turn into the firewood of black fire. As it crackled, the flames flowed down, and the part in mid-air turned into a pitch-black chain. The part that fell to the ground, however, condensed into a skeletal monster burning with flames in the blink of an eye!

It was a pitch-black demonic hound, a huge canine more than half a person tall. Its body seemed to be pieced together from countless twisted and stacked bones. The place that should have been flesh and blood was filled with burning black fire and wriggling shadows. Its head was skeletal and hideous. The place that should have been eyes was empty, with only blood-red light mist, filled with boundless hunger and malice!

A pitch-black chain extended from the giant dog's neck, all the way to "Sherry's" arm, faintly merging with the girl's body.

"A Nether Hound… a summoner from the Annihilation Sect?!" The leader in the center of the gathering place was shocked and angry when he saw this scene. "What does this mean?! Do you guys who worship the Nether want to start a war with the followers of the sun?!"