The ruins of the containment station in the Death Desert were under strict lockdown.
Numerous official personnel moved through the debris, holding instruments and scanning everywhere.
The air was thick with the heavy scent of blood.
“Preliminary report, sir.” A technical supervisor handed a data pad to the field commander.
“All containment objects in this station are gone.”
“Gone? You mean every single one breached containment?” The commander’s brow furrowed, his expression darkening.
The technical supervisor pulled up another set of data. “We’ve detected various types of residual contamination in the ruins.”
“Additionally, the external locks on multiple containment units were destroyed from the outside by the same force.”
“The trace cleaning was quite amateurish.” Another trace analyst walked over, pointing to several highlighted spots on a holographic projection.
“They used some kind of information thinning ability. The technique is refined, but they neglected to clear the physical traces.”
“Though the footprints in the sand were blurred and covered, data on weight distribution and spacing can still be extracted.”
“Based on all the traces, a group of people left this place and headed northwest.”
The commander’s gaze sharpened. “Northwest? What is the nearest human settlement?”
“Greystone Town, at the edge of the Death Desert.”
...
Greystone Town.
The atmosphere was heavy.
The police had quickly dealt with several incidents of mass brawling.
Fortunately, the police responded in time, and there were no large-scale casualties.
However, that skinless corpse was proving to be a real problem.
The horrific state of the skinless body made even the veteran officers, who had seen much in their time, grimace.
Even more unsettling were the test results.
After a preliminary examination, the forensic doctor whispered the autopsy findings:
“The skinning process was incredibly clean. The separation between the epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous tissue seems to have been instantaneous. There are no marks from sharp tools or chemical solvents, and no additional damage to muscles or blood vessels. It’s as if the skin just fell off on its own.”
“Abnormal pollution index?” the group leader asked.
“There is no residual abnormal pollution on this corpse, but we detected contamination at several of the brawl sites. It seems to amplify negative emotions like anger and suspicion.”
Another officer pulled up the temporary public security records for Greystone Town. “Also, according to witnesses and the innkeeper, a tour group of about thirty people arrived before the incident, claiming they had been caught in a sandstorm.”
“Their behavior was low-profile, but their appearance and temperament were markedly different from the locals. After the incident, this group vanished quickly without settling their bill.”
The deceased had no skin, and their clothing and other items that could prove their identity were also gone.
The police currently needed to confirm the identity of the deceased.
Fortunately, the population of Greystone Town was small, and many people knew each other.
Through investigation, the police first identified missing persons and then tracked down their whereabouts one by one, eventually confirming the identity of the deceased.
When the police followed the lead to the victim's home, they found nothing.
The room showed no signs of a struggle, no valuable clues were left behind, and there was no residual contamination.
No one knew where that peeled-off human skin had gone.
The local police quickly judged that this was no ordinary homicide. According to regulations, it should be reported promptly and handed over to other departments.
The official personnel investigating the ruins of the containment station followed the trail to Greystone Town and quickly exchanged intelligence with the local police.
“Several things are likely connected.”
“That suspicious tour group, this skinning murder, and the destroyed containment station.”
“The tour group is large and has distinct characteristics, making them a higher priority target. The skinning killer might be a member of that group.”
“List the movements of that tour group as a Tier 1 tracking priority.”
...
Yue Shi had already left Greystone Town.
He had changed into a set of dark blue coveralls and avoided all forms of public transportation.
The planes and trains in this world all used a real-name registration system.
The Ghost had already quickly analyzed the distribution of surveillance cameras and checkpoint setups.
Yue Shi performed small-scale spatial jumps to avoid any potential abnormal energy monitoring.
Currently, he was walking along a highway.
In the distance, many sources of light pollution could be seen—the night lights of a large city.
“Ahead is Forging City, once one of the major industrial and freight hubs in western Zhongzhou. It has declined over the last thirty years due to industrial shifts, environmental pollution, and several undisclosed abnormal incidents.”
“But the basic infrastructure is still there. The population is complex, mobility is high, and grey industries are active. Official control is relatively weak compared to core cities.”
“It is suitable for a short-term stay and for initial contact with broader levels of society.”
The Ghost had laid out the most reasonable plan for Yue Shi.
Yue Shi gave a noncommittal grunt. It was impossible for him to become a law-abiding citizen—not in this lifetime.
“How fast was the official response to the Greystone Town incident?” he asked.
Ghost replied, “The departments handling abnormal incidents have intervened, but I don’t know the specifics. To be safe, I haven’t infiltrated the devices or networks of the official personnel.”
“However, I suspect the local authorities will prioritize tracking the Minister’s group. After all, they are too big a target.”
“The Minister’s methods for clearing traces might have been effective for counter-reconnaissance in our original world, but the level of technology for dealing with supernatural power in this world seems to be higher.”
“A bunch of old fogies. It takes time to adapt to the new version,” Yue Shi remarked without a shred of sympathy. “Perfect. Let them draw the fire.”
“What do you plan to do next?” the Ghost asked.
“Continue the disguise and look for grey channels to obtain a legal identity? Or try to contact the local circles of non-official transcendents?”
Yue Shi thought for a moment. “Instead of going through the trouble of getting a legal identity, I might as well just steal an account.”
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