After talking with Wyntor for a bit more, Nick left the warehouse.
Nick had already finished his session with the Dreamer today, and since he didn't need to interview any new applicants, he decided to fully focus on finding the next Specter.
However, that was easier said than done.
Just like the last time, Nick had no idea where to find one.
And this time, he probably wouldn't get saved by an Inspector who wanted to help the general public.
At least he had a lot of time.
For the first time in quite a while, Nick returned to the Dregs.
He hadn't been here ever since he had gotten some food for Horua after Nick had caught the Dreamer.
As Nick entered the Dregs, everyone threw glances at him.
Naturally, Nick was required to wear his Zephyx Extractor uniform, which was why everyone was looking at him.
The red and black colors on the high-quality uniform made him stick out like a sore thumb among the poor denizens of the Dregs.
"Did anything unnatural happen lately?" Nick asked one of the people looking at him from the side of the road.
The young man with black hair just looked back at Nick with surprise.
"You mean besides the appearance of a Zephyx Extractor?" the man asked. "No, not really."
Nick nodded. "I belong to Dark Dream, a new Zephyx Manufacturer, and I have already dealt with a Specter that was living in the Dregs that was too troublesome for the other Manufacturers. Please, tell me if there is anything suspicious that the Inspectors told you not to worry about."
The man blinked a couple of times in surprise and started to scratch the back of his head in thought.
For about five seconds, he remained silent.
"I don't think I got anything of importance," the man said with an uncertain expression.
Nick furrowed his brows. "Are you sure? You don't seem sure."
The man looked a bit uncomfortable. "Well, there's something, but I really don't think it's the doing of a Specter."
Nick's gaze became solemn. "Tell me."
The man looked even more uncomfortable. "You sure?" he asked.
"I'm sure," Nick said seriously.
"Well," the man said.
"I've had diarrhea for the last week, but I didn't change my diet."
Silence.
"And?" Nick asked.
"That's it," the man said.
Nick's excitement vanished, and he just looked at the man with a deadpan expression.
"Have you tried the rust lick?" Nick asked.
The man scratched the back of his head.
"Yeah, I think that might solve the issue. Thanks," he said.
Nick released a sigh but nodded nevertheless.
"If anything pops up, tell me," he said.
"Of course!" the man answered.
Nick just turned around and walked away.
He wasn't very bothered or angry.
Back when he had been searching for the Dreamer, he had had conversations like this all the time.
Life in the Dregs was horrendous, and many times, people just took a Specter's doing as natural.
A Specter's actions were horrible, and the life in the Dregs was horrible.
So, what was the difference?
That was why people in the Dregs often overlooked signs of Specters.
Since life was so shit here, people expected to have nightmares, which was why no one noticed the Dreamer.
Since there were cruel criminals everywhere, people expected there to be horrible people, which was why no one noticed that Riker was most likely a Specter.
The Specters perfectly blended into the Dregs, which was why it was so difficult to find them here.
Sadly, the Outer City and Inner City were completely free of Specters since all the powerful Manufacturers paid special attention to these places.
Whether he liked it or not, Nick needed to find a Specter in the Dregs.
Nick kept talking to more people, but just like the last time, he found no clues.
At least, this time, the Inspectors weren't making fun of him.
Instead, the Inspectors refused to talk to Nick besides superfluous and polite small talk.
Nick now officially belonged to the competition.
Every two hours, Nick went back to the hotel to check up on Horua, but these were his only breaks.
For the remaining time, Nick kept wandering through the Dregs while talking to people.
When the day was over, Nick went to bed.
The next day, he worked with the Dreamer again, talked to Wyntor a bit, and went back to searching.
This was how the next week passed.
For over a week, Nick had been searching for a clue, but he just couldn't find one.
By now, Nick had heard about all the mundane issues of the people, but none of them pointed towards a Specter.
Another week passed.
BANG!
As Nick walked through the Dregs, he suddenly heard the sound of a loud explosion followed by the sound of something big collapsing.
Nick noticed that a big building in the distance had collapsed, and he immediately charged into a small alley at the side.
As soon as Nick entered the alley, his ability activated, and with one swift jump, Nick landed on top of a house.
BANG!
The metal below Nick's feet bent as he charged forward with all of his power.
Within 20 seconds, Nick reached the building.
Yet, he didn't like what he was seeing at this moment.
Right now, there were three people standing in front of a big pile of metallic rubble.
The person at the front was currently holding something in his hand that looked like a small worm with several tentacles growing from its mouth.
Nick was 95% sure that this thing was a Specter.
However, Nick was also sure that he wouldn't get it.
After all, the three people in front of the pile of rubble wore Zephyx Extractor uniforms.
Nick could only sigh.
"You're late," the leader said, turning to Nick, who was still on the roof of a building.
Nick was quite surprised that the Extractor had noticed him.
"Good luck next time!" the leader said with a laugh.
Then, he left with his two colleagues and the Specter.