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"Commander, why do you seem like you've been here before?"
M500 asked curiously, watching Renault navigate the alleyway with ease.
"It's just a feeling." Renault glanced at the bionic ears on M500's head, contemplating whether to replace them with a more advanced pair of olfactory detectors next time.
"Renault, it looks like a lot of people have been here; the footprints are messy."
The roads in the town weren't all asphalt. The ground beneath them was paved with cement, but over time, due to lack of maintenance, it had turned into a pitted dirt path.
At best, you could walk a few steps to see the remains of a large piece of cement. HK416 pointed out the footprints imprinted on these roads, which were messy and numerous.
It was evident that many people had gathered in this area, though it wasn't clear if it was a collective action or just spectators. Renault was inclined to believe the latter.
If it was merely spectators, there was no reason for the puddle in the middle of the road to be trampled near. Who in their right mind would jump toward a puddle of smelly sludge water?
"I know, just be careful. It's that house up ahead. There are three people: one behind the wall at the entrance, one in the main hall on the first floor, and another on the second floor, looking our way."
Renault nodded slightly toward the house, indicating the three figures were clearly visible to him, as well as the person watching them from the opposite side.
However, HK416 and the others didn't notice the person on the second floor watching them. The windows above were sealed with wooden boards, allowing no light to pass through. They couldn't see the person standing behind the gap.
HK416 had completely adapted to Renault's ability to find something wrong before she even realized it.
In contrast, M500 and Super-Shorty exchanged puzzled glances, clearly not entirely convinced.
After all, they were still more than fifty meters away from the house and there was no response from any of their life detection modules. They couldn't visually see any signs of activity.
The windows were sealed and they didn't have any equipment to see through, so there was no way to confirm if there were any enemies in the house.
Even though they were still unconvinced, M500 and Super-Shorty were as ready as HK416. Pretending to be aimless, they could lock onto an enemy's head instantly if spotted.
HK416 was ready to shoot the enemy's head off. As for M500 and Super-Shorty, it was unclear if they had even loaded their guns with bullets.
In any case, with only three people, there was no real threat to them, regardless of whether the other party held weapons. Even a Griffin doll who hadn't yet upgraded their body could handle this situation.
A doll's draw speed might not be as fast as some humans at their peak, but they could still cope with the average person or ordinary mercenary.
Of course, HK416 was not included in this. She was very confident now as she had undergone extensive training recently, which had transformed her. Even M16 had been beaten by her already.
She was confident that her drawing speed and reaction time wouldn't lose to anyone, even Renault.
Probably sensing the smug expression on HK416's face, Renault glanced at her, somewhat puzzled about what she was so proud of.
The fifty meters felt like just a few steps, especially since Renault's group didn't seem to be moving slowly. Except for Super-Shorty, their pace was steady.
When Renault reached the door of the house, the three people inside took action.
The person on the second floor came down, and the two on the first floor were ready in the room. Without Renault's reminder, HK416's Life Detection Module had already exposed all their movements.
All three had weapons: one had a crossbow, another a wooden knife, and the third carried something resembling a table leg or a big stick, a blunt instrument.
These three were likely not the clients Renault was looking for, as none of them were children or women.
The footprints at the receiving point were mostly children's footprints, except for one larger footprint. There were three people heading towards the town: a large one and two small ones.
In the buildings outside the town, there were four in total, all small children.
Renault could tell the other party was female from the perfume's scent. Children in this remote town wouldn't have the luxury to wear perfume, right?
Although it had been nearly a day, the scent still was strong to Renault. It was unknown what was wrong with that person, covering their body with perfume... In short, it was an overpowering greasy scent.
As for why HK416 and the others didn't notice the distinct smell?
Probably because the bath liquid they used masked other scents, or they had become immune to cosmetic and toiletry smells.
Renault reached the door, not intending to kick it down. Although the three people inside had a scent, they could be the client's acquaintances. Killing the client's friends or relatives would not be good.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Renault knocked hard on the door. The three people inside immediately tensed up, their hands clutching their weapons trembling.
Sensing their reactions through the life detection module, the three dolls exchanged surprised glances. The people's reactions were not what they had expected.
"Who are you people? Leave this place! Outsiders are not welcome here!" shouted the man with the big stick standing behind the door, guarding against intruders.
"We are looking for someone: an adult and two small children. Have you seen them?" Renault ignored the man's loud outburst and calmly stated their purpose.
Boom! Clang!
The three dolls heard muffled sounds from behind them and turned to see that it wasn't an attack.
Instead, the residents in the surrounding houses had closed their open doors and windows tightly.