Cemetery Guards

Examining the four victims was by no means an easy task.

In truth, before the infected gathered in large numbers, they were not that difficult to deal with. As long as one wore full-body protective gear, it was hard for the infected to tear through someone's skin. Only ordinary civilians, whose reflexes and strength fell short of the infected, were in any real danger.

Even so, coming into contact with them remained a terrifying undertaking. In the event of an injury, an infection and mortality rate of nearly one hundred percent turned the endeavor into a dance on the edge of a blade.

Still, Lynch and Officer Natalie stepped up. After all, they couldn't just send three delicate spellcasters into the fray—even if one among them was a cultist capable of wiping out everyone else combined.

Fortunately, the victims were held in solitary confinement, which made things much easier.

Natalie kicked back the infected thrashing against the bars, and Dr. Sven used her Grasp to pin the fallen soldier to the ground. Seizing the opportunity, Lynch unlocked the cell door. Natalie immediately rushed inside to bind the soldier's hands and feet with chains and shackles, while Lynch jammed a wooden stick into the snapping mouth. Once Dr. Sven released her arcane restraint, she rushed in and sliced open the soldier's clothes to strip him bare, taking care not to wound him since some feared the blood might also spread the contagion.

As for Diana and Judy, the two sat at the small guard table by the entrance, each holding a cup of black tea and cheerily egging the trio on.

Lynch was so irritated that after taking one of the soldiers down, he stormed out to give both of them a stern earful, determined to make them regret their behavior.

He poured himself two cups and drank every drop.

In any case, the examinations went smoothly.

Just like the first victim, Leonard, none of the four had a single scratch on them. Drawing upon the forensic knowledge he had picked up from TV shows in his past life, Lynch convincingly guided Dr. Sven and Miss Diana, who helped with the inspection, in checking the most hidden spots—such as behind the ears and around the inner thighs for needle punctures. His thoroughly professional advice earned him looks of deep admiration from both doctors.

Unfortunately, no wounds were found in those areas either, proving that external trauma was not how they had been infected.

“It seems the mastermind's experiment succeeded,” Lynch said. “They have a controllable method to stably and specifically infect people with this plague.”

All five knew they had to root the culprit out as quickly as possible; otherwise, the next step would likely be widespread deployment.

“Are we really going to dig up a grave?”

Officer Natalie's gaze showed some hesitation.

“We have no other choice. We're not doing it to rob a grave, just to verify my suspicion,” Lynch said. After a moment's thought, he added, “After all, if we want to accuse the city lord of manufacturing a plague, we can't rely solely on speculation and empty words. That might be enough for us, but it won't be enough for the rest of the city.”

“I'm not worried about that—it's not as if I'm a real police officer,” the lady officer snapped, glaring at him. “I'm worried that a public place like a cemetery is bound to have people around. If we go digging, and we're digging up the city lord's family plot no less, someone is bound to spot us and start a fight.”

That made sense. They weren't dealing with pre-programmed NPCs in a video game.

Lynch paused in thought. Fortunately, Dr. Sven was already putting their minds at ease.

“Don't worry. The cemetery is outside the city, so hardly anyone goes there normally. There's only a single grave keeper. Besides, with the recent trouble caused by us, nobody should dare wander over that way.”

Was phrasing it as “trouble caused by us” really okay?

The four exchanged strange looks as they looked at the female doctor. They realized that once you got to know her, the lady had quite a few amusing facets.

Reassured by Dr. Sven's promise, the four set their worries aside and followed her lead, hurrying toward their destination outside the West Gate.

Lynch had already inquired into the specifics: the cemetery lay just outside the city wall, no more than two hundred meters away. That brought him a sigh of relief, sparing him the hassle of concocting further excuses.

The western part of the city was largely residential, but with panic gripping the town over the past few days, the area lay utterly desolate. Even though it was nearly eight o'clock, there was hardly any sign of life. Everyone was hiding inside their homes, refusing to step outdoors, as if the entire population had vanished into thin air.

Fortunately, roads didn't vanish. The moment they stepped out of the West Gate, they saw a branch road leading off the dirt highway, skirting the city wall into the murky shadows in the distance.

It was a burial ground enclosed by fences and shrubs. It wasn't particularly large; after all, the city had barely a century of history, having grown to its current scale from a small town of just over a thousand people, so there hadn't been many dead to begin with—not to mention having a bunch of warmhearted neighbors next door helping to clear away the corpses.

“We actually eat human food as well. We just need to supplement essential death elements from human corpses, which is why we consume a bit of corpse on a regular basis,” Dr. Sven explained enthusiastically, taking the opportunity along the way to educate them. “We generally don't touch fresh corpses. Those actually lack the elements we need. The best ones have been buried for several decades; their quality and flavor are top-notch. One bite into them is packed full of death elements—everyone loves them.”

At that moment, only Judy wasn't listening at all. The other three wore smiles that were an awkward mixture of polite and nauseated. This stuff was way too hardcore.

“Hahaha, but that was ancient history! Nowadays, our kin are evolving too. We don't just pounce on corpses to tear and lick at them anymore. We extract the elements, store them in little vials, and consume a little whenever needed. Didn't you humans also abandon the habit of eating raw meat and drinking blood? We're all improving.”

The four were rendered speechless. Even from a human perspective, they had to admit the female ghoul made a lot of sense—so much sense that Lynch sorely wanted to hit someone.

Alas, wonderful—or rather, dubious—times were always brief. The moment the five arrived outside the cemetery, they came to an abrupt halt and swiftly concealed themselves behind several trees.

In a cemetery that theoretically should have been deserted, seven or eight people were currently patrolling back and forth, effectively blanketing the already modest burial ground.

These men wore clothes of noticeably better quality than ordinary citizens and were considerably sturdier in build. At a glance, it was clearly an organized operation.

Dr. Sven was clearly caught off guard as well, her expression quickly tightening.

“Locke.”

Inside the cemetery, a richly dressed middle-aged man paced among the patrolling figures, his voice drifting over on the breeze.

“Stay sharp, all of you! His Grace the city lord cares deeply for the populace and cannot bear to see the remains of your ancestors defiled by ghouls. It is our duty to share His Grace's burdens!”

“The ancestors buried here belong to all of you, too. Helping the city lord also means protecting our own forebears, so show some courage!”

“Keep a tight watch! Under no circumstances can we allow ghouls to desecrate the cemetery—especially the city lord's family burial ground!”

It was perfectly reasonable behavior that wouldn't arouse any suspicion, but to the five who were already suspicious, it practically screamed that something was amiss with the cemetery.

Dr. Sven stepped back a few paces and stared at Lynch. “Why do you believe the corpse is gone?”

“Do you remember the soldier who was bitten to death by Kemitt?” Lynch asked. “He got back up and went mad after his death was already confirmed.”

Dr. Sven nodded.

“That means he returned from the dead, albeit in a state of madness.”

The color drained from everyone's faces. Miss Diana remarked in astonishment, “The city lord is trying to find a way to resurrect his child?”

“That's what I suspect,” Lynch said with a nod. “A cliché objective, but authentic enough for a father. It also neatly explains the city lord's baffling motive.”

“How is that cliché?”

The ladies looked puzzled, but Lynch merely shook his head. In his previous life, it had been done to death. “Either way, it looks like we won't get the chance to dig up the grave and verify it now.”

“If you're truly sure, it's not entirely impossible.”

Dr. Sven's voice came from behind them. When the four turned around, they were met with the sight of a maw lined with razor-sharp fangs, grinning wide right at them.

Holy crap, what the hell? Why are you suddenly transforming out of nowhere?!