Upon hearing that the body had missing parts that were not coincidental, Chang Le asked, "Was the deceased a superhuman? Was their source damaged? Are there any signs of modification on their body?"
Huanbo said, "Among the three groups of victims who died at different times, there were both ordinary people and people with superpowers. Some of the people with superpowers had damaged or missing their original essence, and their bodies only had cruel scars, but no traces of experimental modification."
He paused for a moment, then said, "Lele, do you suspect the mutant experiments?"
Chang Le nodded: "But from this perspective, it's not about capturing them for experiments."
Huanbo said with a headache, "The most crucial and incomprehensible thing right now is why the murderer would remove those body parts from the victim, and what those parts were intended for. If it were the source of life, the heart, or the brain, then we could easily speculate that it was related to supernatural abilities. But what's missing now are a few bones. What could those bones be used for?"
“It’s definitely not just a passing fancy,” Chang Le said. “Fifty people in two months, and they’ve kept it a secret until now. It must have been orchestrated by someone behind the mutants.”
"But what is their purpose?"
Huanbo couldn't understand it at all: "Worth risking exposing the mutants' tracks, they still want to obtain something from the victims. Could it be that the person behind the mutants who are in charge of the crimes is a pervert with some kind of weird fetish like collecting corpses?"
Huanbo is already trying to think outside the box.
"Quirk...fetish?"
Something flashed through Chang Le's mind, but it disappeared before he could grasp it.
When Huanbo mentioned her quirks, a related term had just flashed through her mind, but she hadn't even seen it clearly.
Helpless, Chang Le had no choice but to let them continue their investigation, while reminding them to be careful:
"This is unlikely to be a spur-of-the-moment decision. They concealed it for two months and then suddenly made such a big mistake. Either they deliberately exposed it to lure you into a trap, or they accidentally exposed it and will definitely try to erase the clues as much as possible. In any case, they may target you, so you must be careful."
Huanbo said, "Don't worry, with Changfeng and I both at the ninth level, Xiao Fu can also protect himself. We can look after each other, so even if they make a move, it won't be a big problem."
Chang Le was quite confident in the three of them's cultivation levels, so he hung up the communication.
After a moment's thought, Chang Le instructed Xue Wuwang, who was temporarily handling all matters for Luo Xuan, to work with Zigui Ti to compile information on the mutants they had gathered in recent years that might be related to Shazhou City.
After Xue Wuwang accepted the order, Chang Le returned to the Dragon Tomb.
...
When Huanbo returned to the temporary office tent, he found that only Team Leader Hu and others were missing. When asked about their whereabouts, Forensic Doctor Jiang told him:
"Oh, because many of these skeletons show signs of seawater immersion, it's suspected they were placed near ships in the port or in underwater warehouses. So, Captain Hu went back to investigate the port's warehouses and ship usage records. We'll send people to search suspicious areas later. After all, it's impossible to dispose of such a large number of skeletons without leaving any traces."
Huanbo pondered, "We've only found 19 people so far, so there are still more than 30 people missing."
The last group of deaths occurred five days ago. After Wu Zhicheng's incident, the entire city of Shazhou was placed under martial law, with strict checks on import and export goods. The fact that these bodies are here indicates that some, especially from the latest group, were not disposed of in time; there must still be some remaining in Shazhou. Finding those people would greatly help in solving the case.
He thought for a moment and asked the person in charge, "Which companies are behind the major ports in Shazhou City?"
The person in charge then gave him the detailed information.
Huanbo sent a copy to Captain Hu and quickly glanced through it himself: "Those who couldn't be dealt with in time were buried on the spot. As for those who had already been dealt with, their destinations were nothing more than inland or outward transport, all through these companies' channels."
Another whole day has passed.
During this period, Wu Zhicheng's situation has been reported to his family, but because the remains still need to be investigated, they cannot be buried for the time being.
His parents were devastated, crying uncontrollably. When they tried to see their son but were stopped and told that the body looked rather unsightly, they guessed that their son had suffered greatly before his death. This caused them to break down even further, and they fainted several times. Fortunately, both were reasonable people. After their emotions calmed down somewhat, they pleaded with the authorities to solve the case as soon as possible and bring justice to their son.
The couple only had one son, and overnight they aged more than ten years. When they walked out of the investigation office, their backs as they supported each other were a heartbreaking sight.
Everyone devoted themselves to the investigation, and Team Leader Hu led his team to investigate suspicious port ships and warehouses in Shazhou City day and night.
Meanwhile, Changfeng and Fuheqing's tests yielded clues.
After examining the energy traces at the scene, Changfeng confirmed that this was a crocodile-like beast transformation ability. The prototype of this ability is the Siamese crocodile, which is mainly distributed in places such as Moon Island in the southeastern sea and the Sunny Kingdom and other countries south of the South China Sea. This crocodile-like beast transformation ability is not found on the mainland of Central China.
In addition, the examination of half a scale confirmed that it was a beast-like ability evolved from a Siamese crocodile. It also confirmed that the energy fluctuations on it were abnormal and that the energy was very unstable. It could no longer be completely classified as a human ability, confirming that the murderer was indeed a mutant who had undergone a relatively serious mutation.
Fu Heqing then examined the metal crystals left on Wu Zhicheng's body. Besides the DNA and energy levels matching those found at the scene, trace amounts of blood were also detected, revealing a drug component. It was later confirmed that this substance was named "Hot Fire."
"Heat!" The agent's expression changed. "This thing is a new species that has emerged in the last two or three years, mainly in the equatorial countries south of the South China Sea and in the southern part of the Meli Federation and eastern South America."
"I previously raided a hideout that had just relocated to the Central Plains with Captain Yang. We tested the seized Heat weapons, and...this thing has supernatural abilities!"
Huanbo exclaimed in surprise, "Huh? This thing can have superpowers?"
The detective thought for a long time but couldn't come up with a good word.
Changfeng continued, "Let me explain. I've looked into this stuff. It contains trace amounts of a calming and sedative effect. Compared to the ordinary varieties, this one has a greater addictive side effect when it's targeted at creatures with superpowers, like those with superpowers."
However, the calming effect is only temporary. Long-term use leads to a stronger dependence on the soothing effects of the supernatural powers. Ultimately, if withdrawal is attempted, in addition to the usual withdrawal symptoms, there is a possibility of loss of control over the supernatural abilities.
"Wait a minute!" Captain Hu keenly noticed something. "Does that mean the mutants also experience the same effect?"
Changfeng nodded: "Not only that, it will make them more dependent and the side effects more severe. Because the mutants themselves are too highly mutated, the mutation is difficult to control, and they are often affected by the pain of mutation. This Fire can suppress their pain more effectively than any other kind."
However, if they try to quit, the backlash from the mutation will be doubled, and they may very well turn into completely inhuman monsters!
Huanbo narrowed his eyes slightly: "And now, someone is providing this disgusting stuff to the mutants, who are plotting to cruelly abuse humanity."
Everyone present was filled with dread.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com