Can't I Cultivate Myself?

[The police officer had no suspicions. He didn't think an ordinary nun could kill an armed police officer. He asked whether you had seen anyone suspicious, and you said no.]

[07:22:43, the police officer left. Father Peter told you that two people had died in an alley on Shengning Street last night. One was a merchant named 'Albert,' and the other was a police officer named 'Burlo.']

Bang~

Ryan kicked open the restroom door and, carrying the scent of morning with him, strode up to his colleague.

"You just said a police officer died. What was his name?"

"Uh... Burlo. You know him?"

Burlo was dead, and he had died gloriously, making Ryan realize something important.

"So the game is reality too."

He could operate it like a game, fight monsters, level up, and maybe even farm Blood Treasures?

"Though it still needs final confirmation, it's probably eight or nine parts certain."

"In that case, I can use my Game Character to do things that are inconvenient for me to do openly. And the Game Character can level up too, so why should I rely on anyone else? Can't I just cultivate myself?"

Who said he had to cultivate someone else?

In terms of cost-effectiveness, nothing beat cultivating himself.

A hundred percent return, wasn't that great?

"If this is a cultivation game, then a Female Character Account is even more cost-effective... hehehe."

To be honest, 'Lin Qi' was seriously good-looking. At the very least, she was no worse than the female characters in the game. More importantly, she did whatever he told her to do.

Hmm... did something weird just slip in there?

Ryan shook his head and stopped thinking about it. The problem now was surviving this crisis, then quickly building up his account. Otherwise, he would never feel safe.

"There are plenty of items in the game that can arm up an alt account."

"But first, I need to see what happens tonight."

Ryan stopped by the captain's office to say hello, then prepared to head out on patrol.

"Hold on." The captain called out to Ryan. "Put these up while you're patrolling."

He handed Ryan a stack of Bounty Posters. They stated that anyone who could provide clues about last night's incident would be handsomely rewarded by the Bureau of Investigation.

The Bounty Posters also bore the order of the General Bureau Director. The mission had been personally issued by the branch director, 'Jonathan.' Carrying the posters outside, Ryan found that the other departments of the branch bureau had all gotten busy as well.

"Why aren't you out there investigating already?! If you don't find a clue before midnight tonight, all of you can get lost!"

The voice came from the Criminal Investigation Department. The pressure to solve the case naturally fell on them, while Ryan's Patrol Department was mainly responsible for routine patrols and public security.

Someone had died in Central City—and it had been a police officer. This was clearly a huge deal. If they didn't solve the case soon, the pressure would be overwhelming. The hats of those higher-ups might even come off.

Wait, wasn't this an opportunity?

"That Werewolf from yesterday escaped into the East District. Let's see if I can find any clues."

There was no need to worry about 'Lin Qi.' Janus Church held considerable status in the Empire. Otherwise, 'Lin Qi' would definitely have been taken away for questioning after going out in the middle of the night. If they failed to solve the case, she would be the first choice for a scapegoat.

The revolver was stored in the Backpack. He absolutely could not let anyone else see it when he used it. The game Backpack really was useful. Ryan considered whether he should stuff something else useful inside.

Heading toward his patrol district, he opened the Game Interface along the way.

'Lin Qi' was carrying out her duties as a nun in the church. With a murder having occurred today, many people had come to pray for safety. Father Peter stood beneath the Janus Statue, answering the doubts of All Beings.

Seeing nothing unusual, Ryan continued letting the AI Standby. The AI definitely understood a nun's duties better than he did, so there was no need to control her manually.

After putting up the Bounty Posters along the way, he arrived at the place where he had lost track of the Werewolf last night.

The bloodstains had already become blurred. There had been a light rain at dawn, so it would probably be impossible for the Bureau of Investigation to find any clues.

In other words, he was currently the only one who held this lead. If he could drag out the Werewolf and bring him before the Director at the right time, promotion and a pay raise would be within reach.

It would also let him perfectly avoid the time to go to Heiding Street.

But considering the severity of that matter, Ryan at least needed to find a way to give Secretary-General Adler enough time to arrange for others. Otherwise, if things failed and the blame landed on him, it would be troublesome.

Besides, promotion and a pay raise were the main point. As long as his status was high enough and his influence great enough, he would not be casually discarded as a pawn.

This was worth a gamble. If it really came down to it, he could run. With 'Lin Qi' around, he at least had another helper.

While thinking, Ryan had already searched around where the blood trail disappeared. He arrived at a three-way intersection. Straight ahead lay the Commercial Street of the East District. Brass signs hung above the storefronts lining both sides of the road. There were businesses of every kind, though it was not particularly lively, since this was not the time for shopping.

Ryan entered the Commercial Street and walked into a pharmacy.

"Ah, Mr. Ryan." The pharmacy's boss greeted him with a smile. "How can I help you?"

"I want to ask something. Did anyone come by this morning to buy painkillers, bandages, or anything else used to dress a wound?"

"Well... no."

The shop had only been open for less than two hours, so the boss remembered clearly.

Ryan nodded, told him to notify him if he heard anything relevant, then continued asking at other pharmacies.

The Werewolf had been shot last night. Even with a strong physique, he couldn't possibly ignore the wound. Forget stopping the bleeding—an infection would be no small matter.

Come to think of it, Werewolves did not remain in that state all the time. They only transformed into Beastman Form to hunt when the curse within them erupted and became difficult to suppress.

This Religious Force was called the 'Blood Cult' in Empress Online. Its doctrine promoted releasing one's inner desires, using transcendent power to break worldly rules, and pursuing the evolution of one's true self.

The Blood Cult valued Bloodline Level above all else. The higher the Bloodline Level, the more complete the transformed beast form became. They called this form, gained through the power of the 'Blood God,' evolution. But in the eyes of the Gate of Janus, it was merely a sign of pollution by an Outer God.

Most members of the Blood Cult had been eroded by power. They craved the comfort of slaughter and blood, believed in the doctrine of 'Blood Sacrifice to the Blood God,' and were therefore the kind of people who created the most chaos in the Inner World.

The Inner World was the hidden side of the world where Transcendents were active. In the game, players had to dig up all related information themselves. Different clearance routes brought them into contact with different transcendent forces. Some were deeply hidden by the game company. Even when Ryan played, he had only encountered the surface of a few.

Judging by yesterday's Werewolf's strength, he should have been a First Tier Transcendent. His bloodline power was not enough to ignore firearms. After being shot in the chest, he would definitely need to find a way to treat himself.

Ryan visited three pharmacies in a row without finding any clues, so he changed his approach and specifically searched the alleys of the East District for unlicensed Black Clinics.

And sure enough, when he found the second clinic, he caught a lead.

"...Are you sure no one came here last night to treat an injury?"

Ryan looked at the thin man in a white coat before him. The other man had clearly panicked when Ryan entered. Though most people running Black Clinics acted that way when they saw an official, this sort of business had long been tacitly accepted. Ryan came every month to collect Protection Fees. Once the Protection Fee was paid, they could continue operating even without a license.

Of course, those Protection Fees were not paid to him but handed over above. As for who ultimately received them, that was unclear.

As long as these places did not treat anyone to death and were not reported, there was basically no problem.

They treated someone to death?

Sorry, then I'll have to stand on the side of the law and take you down.

"Lord Ryan, you know me. How could I dare lie to you? I really..." The thin man had not finished speaking when he saw Ryan pull the revolver from his holster. He immediately screamed, "I really... am a piece of trash!!!"

"Lord Ryan, I almost went against my conscience and lied! You guessed right. Someone came here last night to treat a wound!"

"Mm." Ryan held the revolver and nodded. "Go on. I'm listening."

"It was Shopkeeper Sam from the Coffee Shop. He came here last night and said the Coffee Machine broke while he was grinding coffee, and a metal shard inside flew out and stabbed him. He asked me to give him emergency treatment. But I could tell it wasn't a stab wound, and it was serious. Still, you know our line of work. If he doesn't say anything, we don't ask. As long as he pays." The thin doctor wore a bitter expression.

"Sam?"

Ryan thought for a moment. He knew the man—the Shopkeeper of a Coffee Shop on the Commercial Street, a mature and steady gentleman in his forties.

The bell hanging over the door rang crisply.

"Welcome."

Ryan looked around. There was no one else in the shop. At the counter stood a middle-aged man in a white shirt and black vest, wiping a cup.

"Shopkeeper Sam, why is there no one here today?"

"I woke up a little late and only just opened." Sam smiled. "Mr. Ryan is here quite early today."

"Patrols are tiring, and I'm getting sleepy. I came for a cup of coffee to wake myself up."

Ryan entered the shop and casually chose a seat.

"What would you like to drink?"

Sam handed him a menu.

Ryan noticed that he had handed it over with his Left Hand.

But Sam was not left-handed. Ryan glanced over and saw an obvious bulge near Sam's right chest, likely caused by a bandaged wound.

"Just bring me some extra-strong coffee. I'm not picky about that... Oh, do you have anything to eat? It's lunchtime anyway, so I'll eat here too."

"Shall I arrange something?"

"Sure."

Ryan leaned back in his chair. From this angle, he could see the counter. Sam was busy inside brewing his coffee, and his movements showed nothing unusual.

He was over six feet three, broad and powerfully built. Because he always spoke and acted like such a gentleman, it was easy to overlook that Sam was actually a Muscle Man.

Ryan thought back. The Werewolf 'Lin Qi' had encountered last night had roughly the same build, though it had been bigger. That was mainly because of the transformation.

There was an eighty percent chance it was this guy.

Ryan had initially wanted to casually ask whether Sam knew about last night, then infer something from his reaction. But he quickly realized that was generally the sort of thing that got people killed. The Protagonist Group did that in movies because they had plot armor. If he did it, Sam might transform the moment he felt even a little uneasy and give him a Werewolf slaughter.

Besides, he had already confirmed it in his heart. Betting his life on a possibility would be incredibly stupid.

So Ryan simply sat down patiently and drank his coffee. Sam made him pasta for lunch. The Coffee Shop's food was not especially tasty. It felt a bit like Pizza Hut from Ryan's previous life—perfectly average, just somewhat expensive.

Several groups of people came in during that time, one after another. They were all there for coffee and pastries. Nothing unusual happened.

He wondered what position this guy held within the Blood Cult. Speaking of which, the Blood Cult of Berman City had launched a Blood Sacrifice to the Blood God operation in the game's story. But that had been a side quest. If players successfully defeated the boss, they could unlock a class change and switch their faith to the Blood God.

Blood Sacrifice to the Blood God!

A player character's faith in the game was not fixed. Of course, believing in Janus meant far less trouble. But believing in the Blood God unlocked some hidden storylines. For example, certain justice-filled female characters would change their relationship with the player after discovering the player's identity, shifting from friendly to hostile. The hostile route led down another story path, and the various Defeat CGs for female characters were incredibly intense. As expected, taking the back door was more satisfying than walking the righteous path.

"Not bad." At nearly two o'clock, Ryan paid and left. "I might come again tonight. What time do you close?"

"Eight." Sam smiled. "Not many people drink coffee at night."

Ryan nodded and left the Coffee Shop.

As he walked out, he caught sight of Deke at the corner of the alley across the street. She had been following him all day. Ryan could not understand what was so special about him. They were all on the same side, so there was no reason for Secretary-General Adler to target him, was there?

Though he had doubts, there was no need to alert the enemy now. First, he had to deal with Sam. Then he could find a way to get some clues out of Deke.

The East District became even livelier in the afternoon. The Bureau of Investigation strengthened security control, and more than half the city's police officers were investigating last night's murder. Ryan returned to the branch bureau and confirmed that no one would be getting off work on time today. The Director ordered the Criminal Investigation Department to Work Overtime on the investigation, and even the Patrol Department had to extend its patrol hours.

At around six, Ryan returned to Sam's Coffee Shop. This should have been the dinner rush, but with the lockdown in place, there were barely any people on the streets.

"I thought you wouldn't come, Mr. Ryan." Sam seemed a little surprised to see him. "The Bureau of Investigation looks quite busy today."

"No matter how busy we are, we still have to eat. I'm working overtime tonight. I really won't last without coffee." Ryan shrugged and walked over to sit down. "The same as lunch."

"Certainly..."

Sam nodded with a smile. His words and behavior really were gentle and proper, making Ryan wonder whether he had guessed wrong.

But whether he was right or not, he would soon find out.

He sat at a table in the corner of the shop, pretending to watch the street outside. In reality, he had already opened the game and taken over control of 'Lin Qi.'

Empress Online, launch!

[Lin Qi lv8]

"Two levels?"

Ryan was somewhat surprised. After checking the Idle Record, he discovered that 'Lin Qi' had gone out to deliver something during her lunch break. She had encountered Evil Spirits near the West City Slums, killed them all, and successfully gained two levels. Not only that, she had even farmed something impressive.

[Swiftness]

This was a very common Skill Book in the game. Even so, it was not something that could drop whenever one wanted.

His luck was through the roof.

"Can I learn this too?"