Chapter 20: The Victim List |
Tang Zhi scratched his head, "Why do I feel like... we didn't do anything this time? We just cleaned up after him?"
Chen Yunpeng quipped, "Isn't that better? Do you really want to fight that C-level?"
Tang Zhi laughed awkwardly, "Forget it, cleaning up isn't so bad."
The trio waited for about ten minutes.
And then...
The Special Security Group's logistics team arrived.
They quickly cordoned off the area, took away the bodies of Taoluo and BK, and skillfully covered up the incident as a traffic accident.
Obviously, the police force in this area had already been taken over by the Special Security Group at the start of the operation.
The same procedure was followed in the operation against Zhao Hong and his wife, allowing for the swift sealing of information and handling of subsequent issues.
The commander was already under the control of the enemy, making the entire operation flawed from the start.
Acting without reporting, claiming the fifteen customers who were already Fang Minmin's puppets were hostages to be saved, ordering capable combat personnel to stand down to avoid alerting the enemy, and sending the underpowered Lin Shuman to infiltrate...
Seemingly logical actions almost led to even more severe consequences.
As a result, the third squad's captain, Lin Wu, was suspended for a month, with the vice-captain temporarily taking over.
Although Fang Minmin was behind most of the subsequent events, it was Lin Wu's misjudgment that brought the initial infected puppet to the research institute, causing the chain reaction.
Lin Wu's injuries from forcibly resisting the parasite also required about a month of recovery and examination, a small punishment considering the circumstances.
In summary, the logistics team holding half the power in the Special Security Group was well-justified.
With them, the abilities of the special agents could be maximized in combat.
Gao Ye communicated with the logistics team leader who had arrived, confirming the identities of the two deceased ability users.
"One was Taoluo, code name 'Worker Bee Four', a C-level ability user with the highly dangerous element-based 'Metal Control'. Known for flaying his defeated opponents, he was quite notorious. The other, identity unknown, bore the 'Worker Bee Ten' insignia, likely a recently recruited member."
The leader displayed a charred glass pendant.
Inside the glass was a strange insect, resembling a hornet but more menacing, though clearly dead.
He explained, "This is the 'Killer Bee' insignia pendant, reportedly made by a body-based mutated ability user."
"This one is a sub-insect. If its stinger is left in someone's body, it connects their lives. The sub-insect remains unharmed and will return no matter how far it's lost. Pendant holders can sense each other's positions."
"The one with the mother insect can control the sub-insect."
The leader puzzled, "But strangely, we didn't find Taoluo's pendant..."
"We didn't take it." Gao Ye shook her head, frowning slightly, her cold face showing a hint of helplessness. "Probably that guy again."
Chen Yunpeng didn't understand, "Why would he take it? As a trophy? But why only Taoluo's?"
Tang Zhi guessed, "Maybe because Taoluo was C-level and he thought the D-level was too weak?"
Gao Ye's eyes deepened suddenly, "Or it could be because Taoluo liked to collect skins as trophies, so he took something from Taoluo in return."
"Had we not arrived, he might have taken... Taoluo's face?"
The speculation was terrifying, filled with a sense of ruthless retribution!
Chen Yunpeng shivered, "I said that psychologist was unreliable. This guy getting a green light is too ridiculous."
"What's his story anyway?"
Tang Zhi muttered, "A remorseless killer with unknown power and level. We should recruit or detain him sooner. Letting him roam around is unsettling."
"Don't worry, he's in the hospital. We'll talk to him later."
Xia Lei's intermittent voice made the trio turn excitedly.
They saw him struggling up the slope on a shared bike, sweating as he parked and wiped his forehead, "Phew... biking five kilometers almost killed me."
The three were dumbfounded, "Why did you bike here? Didn't you contact the logistics team?"
Xia Lei spread his hands helplessly, "The teleportation left all my communication tools behind. Only transported me."
He hadn't expected the enemy to deploy a spatial ability user directly, leaving him unprepared.
Though a B-level ability user, Xia Lei's power didn't equate to the threat level of abilities.
Abilities varied too widely.
From the recorded history, there were over a thousand documented abilities.
Among them, the most dangerous three hundred were compiled into a booklet known as "The Victim List" among ability users.
Why the name? Because each dangerous ability's discovery came with a victim's account...
Or a will.
Or a body.
"When we arrived at the scene, all that was left was..."
This phrase frequently appeared as the opening in the booklet.
After systematic categorization, abilities were divided into three major types.
[Body Type], [Element Type], and [Special Type].
Body types were the most common, divided into enhancement and mutation.
The main difference was whether the body underwent a fundamental change.
Simply put, "an extra arm" was enhancement, while "arm turning into wings" was mutation.
For example, Zhao Hong and Fang Minmin, who died at Guan Shan's hands, belonged to body types.
Zhao Hong merely enhanced his existing abilities, so he was enhancement.
Fang Minmin turned her flesh into conscious lures and parasites, a trait impossible for humans, linked to the mind, making her a combination of mutation and special type.
However, body types weren't all muscular demons or grotesque creatures as the name might suggest.
On the contrary, "brain domain development" fell under body type enhancement, so most researchers in ability organizations were body types.
In fact, body types had the highest number of high-IQ individuals.
Element types were rare but inherently B-level or higher, universally recognized as powerful.
Special types were the most numerous and complex.
A catch-all category for abilities that didn't fit elsewhere.
Over time, it included all sorts of abilities, mostly related to "mental", "rules", or "causality", with a wide range of strength.
Special type users were usually assigned to specific tasks.
This time, the "Worker Bee Ten" member was a spatial ability user of the special type.
A combat-focused Xia Lei being teleported away left him helpless.
"Special type users... Even at C-level, they're formidable. Sometimes, a special ability can be more powerful than an S-level user."
Xia Lei sighed, using his experience to teach the three young ability users.
"Let's go see that 'hero'."
Xia Lei emphasized the last three words, jokingly, "This time, we owe him. Took out two killer bees. If this counts as heroism, he deserves a medal."
——
Meanwhile.
The "hero" Guan Shan, after some fuss, lay on a hospital bed covered in bandages, reviewing his simulation rewards.