"Selina, how did the new prosthetic body feel?"
The middle-aged man seemed to have noticed that the call had connected. He set down the newspaper in his hand, picked up the coffee beside him, and looked at Selina.
"Not bad. Thanks."
Selina flexed her hands and replied with a smile.
This middle-aged man was Selina's immediate superior, Federal Bureau of Investigation Supervisor Smith.
Her previous prosthetic body had been destroyed due to the risk of contamination after drawing the attention of the God of Knowledge. Smith had applied for a newer model for her and even used federal funds to reimburse the cost.
"After all, you're Dawn City's hero now." Smith took a sip of coffee. "I have good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first?"
"The bad news."
Selina answered without hesitation.
"Alright. The good news is that you've been promoted. Since you destroyed an Evil God priest's nest, killed an intelligent Evil God priest, and destroyed the Evil God Subordinate he summoned, you are now an Assistant Inspector with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Congratulations."
Smith picked up a letter of appointment from the table beside him and showed it to the camera. Then he continued with a smile, "However, your duties have been adjusted. You won't need to carry out field missions in the wilderness anymore. You'll only be responsible for federal criminal investigations within Dawn City.
The Bureau has specially established the Second Criminal Investigation Team for you. You'll serve as its leader, though you'll still be under my supervision."
Selina knew her superior's twisted sense of humor. If she said she wanted to hear the bad news, Smith would definitely tell her the good news first.
This job adjustment was actually a transfer away from the front lines. She would be handling criminal cases unrelated to the corporations, preventing her from provoking them again.
He was protecting her, but she could not bring herself to be happy. She sighed. "Alright, that really is bad news. So what's the other bad news?"
Smith knew the personality of his capable subordinate. He smiled and did not ask further questions, instead continuing his explanation. "The bad news is that your team currently has only one person—you. But in a couple of days, a newly graduated Trainee Investigator will be assigned under you."
"A hot-blooded kid?" Selina leaned back against the bed. "That's not too bad. I hope he behaves himself."
"How should he behave himself?" Smith teased. "Like a good kid who obeys the law?"
When she heard the words "obeys the law," Selina froze. For some reason, she thought of that savage, terrifying head, the tentacles dancing across the sky, and the Evil God priest who had bound the Evil God Subordinate and perished with it.
The moment she regained her senses, she had rushed back, only to find wreckage scattered across the ground and contamination twisted through the air.
"Smith," she asked softly, as if possessed, "do you think Evil God priests might retain their humanity?"
"Selina." The smile on Smith's face gradually faded, and his expression darkened. "You should know that for six months after leaving the hospital, you will remain under protective surveillance by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Dawn City Police Department to ensure that you have not been contaminated by an Evil God. I think they would be very interested to hear you ask that question."
"I just suddenly thought of it."
Selina shook her head.
The contamination of an Evil God was always gradual. It slowly twisted a person's thoughts and logic. Any sympathy toward an Evil God or an Evil God priest would be suspected as contamination, because such thoughts might not have come from a person's own will, but from the distortion of their mind.
"I watched the recording from your prosthetic body." Smith set his coffee on his desk and looked calmly at Selina through the screen. "We still don't know what happened with that Evil God priest named Yezuola, but if you insist on having me give you an answer to your question—"
His face was stern, and his tone was icy. "They would not, and could not, possess humanity. Selina, remember: you are human."
"I understand."
Selina nodded silently.
Game Start In this game, you will play a game character. Please read the following notes carefully. 1. Please note: once the role-playing begins, the player becomes the character. Being exposed means game failure. 2. Please note: all physical objects acquired during the role-playing process cannot be taken away after the game ends. 3. Please note: you only have one life in the game. Cherish your life. Unsafe gaming leaves your loved ones in tears. Your identity is: Trainee Investigator Ander At this point, the system prompts were still familiar, but the subtitles that followed began to change. Age 0: You were born. You were a boy, and your parents named you Ander. Age 1: You lived in the mid-level district. Age 2: Your family was happy, and life was good. Age 3: Your family loved teasing you. Age 4: You played with your teacher. Age 5: You were chased down an entire street by a robotic dog. Age 6: You entered a private elementary school. Age 7: You scored one hundred points. Age 8: You beat up an upperclassman. Age 9: You continued beating up upperclassmen. Age 10: Under pressure from the school, you transferred. Age 11: You continued beating up upperclassmen at your new school. Age 12: You were admitted to a private middle school. Age 13: You learned how to play cards. Age 14: You played cards. Age 15: You played cards and advanced directly to high school. Age 16: You began reflecting on yourself and resolved to get into a good university. Age 17: You played cards. Age 18: Your parents died in an accident during wilderness fieldwork. The company gave you compensation, but after repaying your parents' debts, the remaining money could not cover the expensive tuition of a private university. You were admitted to Kaya City Municipal University. Age 19: The school waived part of your tuition and helped you apply for a Student Loan, but you still needed a part-time job to make a living. Age 20: Unable to afford the rent on your original home, you moved. Age 21: You interned at the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Age 22: You graduated and joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation, becoming a Trainee Investigator. You were assigned to Dawn City to join the newly established Second Criminal Investigation Team. The airship you took to Dawn City was attacked by mutated beasts in the wilderness, and you 'survived by luck.' Your mission is: Investigate why Mu Xiu, priest of the God of Chaos, came to Dawn City. Enjoy the game.
The system subtitles passed quickly. Most of them contained only a single short line for each year, yet He Ao seemed to see the true passage of an entire year through those brief words.
Then He Ao's vision gradually returned. Pure white lights came into view, along with a curvaceous nurse with long brown hair. "Mr. Ander? You're awake. You're really lucky. That Steel Rod merely passed through your body, slipping perfectly through the gaps between your internal organs."
"Awake?"
A somewhat cold, mature female voice came from beside the nurse.
He Ao turned to look. The first thing he saw was smooth golden hair flowing like a waterfall, followed by a beautiful yet valiant face and a graceful, curvaceous figure.
Even the beautiful, voluptuous nurse standing beside her looked like a roadside wildflower serving only to accentuate a peony.
He Ao knew this person.
Selina.
Before you continue