He Ao followed the route Selina had described and left the casino without incident. Then he received the location Selina sent him. After crossing several blocks, he found Selina, who had captured the Black Hooded Man.
"We were deceived."
Selina looked at He Ao.
She pulled back the hood of the man she was holding. What met their eyes was an ordinary, thin man, extremely similar in build to Mu Xiu. His eyes were bloodshot, and he glared at He Ao like a savage bloodthirsty beast. Clotted Meat Chunks continuously wriggled across his cheeks.
"He has been corrupted by the God of Chaos." Selina released the man, took out a pair of Electromagnetic Handcuffs, and cuffed him to a nearby lamppost. "But the corruption is not severe. He can still be saved. Mu Xiu probably feared that he would completely lose his mind and become uncontrollable. I've already contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation."
Then she looked at He Ao, her expression growing increasingly grave. "The worst-case scenario has happened. Mu Xiu has most likely already infiltrated the casino."
"Is Viktor strong?"
He Ao suddenly asked.
"Very strong." Selina nodded and thought for a moment. "Even among Rank D, he is one of the strongest."
"Rank D?"
He Ao was stunned. At that moment, a memory surfaced in his mind. It was a memory of Ander receiving training from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
--
"Generally, we divide the strength of extraordinary individuals into six ranks, from A to F.
This is all knowledge you may 'know.' Understanding the specific divisions of strength will help improve your survival rate during investigations.
At the most basic level, Rank F is roughly two to three times stronger than an ordinary person. Most cybernetic augmentations and Mechanical Modifications fall within this stage. Rank E is roughly five to ten times stronger than an ordinary person, while Rank D is fifteen times stronger or more. As for Ranks A through C, try not to come into contact with them or learn about them before you have reached the necessary level of strength.
Remember, the more mysteries you know, the deeper you become entangled with them.
That said, this method of classification is not entirely accurate. Many people may lack the corresponding raw strength but can still display combat power of that rank through other means. Therefore, final rankings are actually based on overall capability. Once you reach a certain rank, a specialized rating organization will assess you."
"Instructor, reporting!"
"Speak."
"What is a Talent Sequence?"
"Oh, I know some of you may have learned a little about the extraordinary world from elsewhere and are full of curiosity about this unknown world. But let me tell you, those who die the fastest are the ones with the strongest curiosity.
You can think of a Talent Sequence as a kind of superpower, like the abilities you see in movies and television—growing larger or smaller, shooting laser beams from your eyes, and so on.
But I need to tell you that this is not a good thing. There is no such thing as a free lunch. If you went to a bakery and did not pay, could you just take someone else's bread for free?
Unless your work requires you to know about it, I advise you not to learn about it. Our Mechanical Modification technology and cybernetic technology can also grant you great power.
When you touch the abyss, you will inevitably fall into it."
--
The special training instructor's cold words echoed clearly in He Ao's ears. This was Ander's memory.
As usual, whenever he encountered relevant information, memories belonging to "Ander" naturally surfaced. But this time, the memory was especially vivid, even making He Ao feel as though he were there himself.
But the echo of the memory lasted only an instant. He Ao continued his earlier question. "So is Mu Xiu stronger than Viktor?"
"Not necessarily." Selina shook her head. She seemed to be pulling up Mu Xiu's files. "Although Mu Xiu's strength is also at the very top of Rank D, Viktor may not lose to him."
As the Boss of Dawn City's largest casino, Viktor still had some real backing.
"In other words," He Ao pondered for a moment, "even if Mu Xiu has infiltrated the casino, with Viktor there, he won't be able to cause much trouble?"
Viktor would certainly protect the casino's interests. He would not let Mu Xiu massacre people inside it.
Hearing He Ao's words, Selina gradually calmed down. She knew that He Ao was using the conversation to think things through and help her calm down.
She looked at the tall Youth before her. As they spent more time together, she had gradually realized that He Ao was a teammate she could rely on.
"Ander, do you have any leads?"
She asked softly. She also realized that rushing back to the casino right now would accomplish nothing. It would be better to sort through the clues first; sharpening the knife would not delay the chopping of wood.
"Desire..." He Ao fell silent in thought, then looked at Selina. "Can you send me Mu Xiu's activity records since his first appearance... as well as the activity records of the Desire Witch's followers from the same period?"
He Ao was only a probationary investigator, so he could not directly access much of the data. Selina had a much easier time with it, and she could process data faster as well.
"All right. I'll sync my screen to you. Just tell me what operations you want to perform."
Selina nodded lightly and waved her hand. The display from her Prosthetic Eye was projected onto He Ao's glasses.
This did solve He Ao's problem. He was still not very skilled at operating the electronic devices in the Copy World.
Two minutes later...
He Ao looked at the maps showing the routes of the Desire Witch's followers and Mu Xiu in his field of vision, falling into brief thought.
Although the cities where traces of the Desire Witch's followers had been found over the years far outnumbered the cities Mu Xiu had visited, the two routes still overlapped heavily.
"There should be one city missing here."
He Ao thought for a moment as he looked at where the two routes broke off. No traces of the Desire Witch's followers or Mu Xiu might have been found in that city, but not finding them did not mean they had never been there.
Selina then lit up a city on the map. Immediately, one route from each map overlapped.
Mu Xiu had been pursuing the Desire Witch's followers all along.
A piercing horn shattered their thoughts as a fiery red sports car pulled up beside them.
"Let's go." This time, He Ao got into the car first. He looked at Selina. "Can you find that tracker of mine now? I think I know where Mu Xiu will go."
--
Aston District, the most chaotic area in Dawn City.
Large numbers of vagrants and poor people gathered here, and gang conflicts broke out constantly.
At that moment, in an abandoned building in Aston District, a neatly dressed man carrying a briefcase looked anxiously at the woman before him. "Are you with Dancer? Did you bring the goods?"
"I brought them." The woman in the red bodycon dress smiled seductively. She slowly placed her fingers between her collarbones, then slid them down her fair, smooth skin before finally pulling out a test tube container wrapped in silver metal. Pale purple liquid flowed within the test tube.
"Talent Sequence 34: Waiter"
Before you continue