Chapter 10: Special Project Group

"Dream Training Mode?"

This thing that looks incomprehensible yet awe-inspiring, Li En is quite interested; he is now desperately craving power.

However, marked with the restriction of dreams, he can only try it at night; his Hero Soul Card is still valid, and he cannot waste it so casually.

"Time is limited, let's start working now. Besides the case files, I have a list of items here; if you can help me get even just a part of them, I can possess a certain combat capability." Although it's a bit excessive to make demands of the boss right after taking office, it seems now is not the time for politeness.

"I'll try." Looking at the magical and witchcraft items on the list, Talia could only say she would do her best.

After tidying up slightly, Li En decisively discarded the trivialities and directly followed Talia to the police station.

Immediately, Li En obtained the file on the severed tail case that he wanted.

And as a price, he probably accepted the identity of a specially hired temporary consultant for the police station, and also the identity of "Deputy Head of the Special Project Group."

At this moment, Li En's bureaucratic instinct kicked in, sensing something amiss.

"A Special Project Group is a good thing; it draws in professionals to do professional work, breaking free from the constraints of the old system, often with extremely high efficiency, but..."

This is the positive side; given Li En's past identity as a seasoned veteran of the bureaucracy from his time on Earth, he also recalled two other more realistic possibilities.

"... It is also possible that the original institution has rotted so badly it can no longer function. Or, due to entangled interests, the original people cannot be trusted, with intelligence leaking at any time."

The most common scenario is deploying police forces from another province to investigate local cases; this actually happens quite often but is rarely reported, because once it occurs, it is a slap in the face to the local police station.

This is not even the worst case.

"Or, from the very beginning, the project had no meaning or could not be done. A few junior members are drawn to form a special task force just to go through the motions. When the time runs out without success, the responsible special task force takes the blame and is disbanded."

Drawing experts is for assaults, drawing backbone members is for actual work, drawing new recruits... except for doing menial tasks, it is probably just going through the motions.

Li En did not want to measure the Special Project Group for major criminal cases in this other world with the dregs of Earth's local practices; that would be the foolishness of empiricism.

But the development of the situation made him feel that not only is there nothing new under the sun, but he himself is too young.

"All of the above, plus local characteristics?!"

He had underestimated how murky the waters here were.

"If your goal is this case, diving completely into the murky waters of the police station might not be a good thing..." Her golden eyes dimmed slightly; Talia, now starting to lay her cards on the table, felt a bit depressed.

"... Although the Special Project Group is short-staffed and consists entirely of new recruits, they should not leak information. By the way, please do not tell the intelligence to any other police officers, not a single one."

A desperate reality; both possibilities are the answer: the local police station is neither reliable nor trustworthy.

Describing the police station in the Dock District with murky water and rotten mud is probably praising it.

When a place is rotten to the point of being riddled with holes, other places might not be completely rotten, but the law enforcement agencies there basically have major problems.

Slackers, corrupt cops, gang spies, cultists, noble servants—everything that should be there is present, and occasionally a few things that shouldn't be there jump out.

In other places, the older the police officer, the more reliable; but here, the more senior, the less one dares to trust, especially when nobles might be involved.

"This is the Special Project Group I built; putting aside other things, everyone inside is trustworthy. My daily work is extremely busy, so I can only ask for your help..." The more she spoke, the more helpless Talia became; this was truly a mess rotten beyond repair, yet she had to make the other party take the burden.

Li En only glanced briefly at the current progress and the Special Project Group personnel, and knew the police station could not be relied upon.

The Special Project Group has only five members in total; the head, Talia, balances the daily work of the police station and basically has no time.

Those capable of doing work are himself plus two new recruits—one with six months of experience and one with a year; both are pure newbies, and there is also a listed person who is long absent from the police station, apparently just holding the post to draw a salary without working.

Perhaps the higher-ups, having no other choice after being pestered by Talia, drew these new recruits and invisible people out to play along with her.

Perhaps, from the very beginning, the local police station high command never expected this case to be solved... or to go further, they did not want it solved.

Her own daily work is extremely heavy; she can be pulled out as a hitter in an emergency, but don't count on her for daily tasks, and the other two members...

"Meow cough, we meet again, I am Sha Nana."

A little cat with perked-up ears that is very cute; she was seen once before at the inn and still looks quite capable.

With a small yellow tail tied with a floral bow and a sweet face, her smile made Li En think of the calico cat back in his hometown; he felt a bit like pinching the cat ears and rubbing the tail.

But now, having truly made contact...

"Big brother, how did you suddenly become our consultant? So amazing, can you tell me? Are you the Chief's relative?!"

"Uh, this is because of cooperation; this case involves me."

"Can I call you Big Brother Li En? You won't mind, right? You can call me Little Lisa or Shana. But you can't call me Nana; only Sister Li Ya and Mom can use that..."

Li En hadn't even finished speaking when the little chatterbox started up.

"I..."

"By the way, isn't degeneration very painful and does it cause a fever? Why can Big Brother Li En walk around outside? Does it not hurt? Or are you forcing yourself?"

"I..." This was a bit hard to answer; how would I know what the situation with degeneration is?

"Big Brother Li En is a Desert Lizardman, right? Are all Lizardmen there with black hair? The Lizardmen and Snake People here seem to be mostly with blue hair and silver hair. I heard it's super dry over there, and hair would be very uncomfortable. But here, when the sky turns cloudy, the dryness is also very uncomfortable; I really want to go to the desert for a stroll, but I have no travel funds..."

Li En fell silent; not only was this a question he found hard to answer, but he also discovered that what came out of this girl's mouth seemed to have nothing to do with his responses.

She simply wanted to talk.

"Can I touch your buttocks? Uh, not a cat pervert; I just want to see if the degenerated tail has really shrunk back. By the way, can I touch the scales? Can you give me a fallen one as a talisman..."

Li En fell silent; he turned his head away.

"Uh, this Minotaur, tell us your story."

Li En ignored the chattering cat and turned directly to the other member (Sha Nana: Why ignore me? You even told me about the desert scenery; is my fur color better than the desert cats over there...).

He looked very reliable, tall and big, black and sturdy, with tribal carved decorations on his bull horns, and his knife-carved facial features had a bit of the flavor of a Door God.

"I..."

"I?"

"I... I... I... I am... am... am..." Ten-plus seconds passed, and only two words were spoken; after finishing the self-introduction, should it be time to get off work?

Li En covered his face; looking at the Minotaur's stuttering appearance with a flushed red face, he felt a bit numb.

One stutterer and one chatterbox; why don't you just form a group and debut?

But, looking on the bright side, at least, he now has people to use, plus a bit of case investigation funds and an office space.

This is the Black Pig Inn in the Dock District, right next to the shady shop where Li En lived before... Talia seemed to feel that having the Special Project Group work in the police station, with people watching their comings and goings, was actually not appropriate.

And the current situation, Li En actually didn't care much. He had never had high expectations for the local police station from the start; the things he wanted, he had already obtained most of.

"The crime has been committed for nine months. The number of victims is confirmed at 49, and with the missing and unknown, it may exceed one hundred."

After becoming one of their own, Li En received his own intelligence and material support.

With so much time, this case would have been solved long ago. I'm afraid Talia must have been desperate, handing the lead on this case to Li En, an outsider.

"A bit interesting."

The most valuable content in the Juan Sect files was something Li En could not have accessed before.

"The crime frequency has a problem."

The "Broken Tail" disappearances went from once every few weeks at the beginning to seven or eight cases a week in this recent period.

And the condition of the corpses is still changing. The reason it's called the Broken Tail case is that at first, the corpses were just missing their tails, with no obvious changes to the flesh.

Now, the found corpses are dried out like bones, their life force already drained.

"A novice of an evil power is getting practiced. He is getting stronger. This might be the only good news."

This also revealed that the perpetrator was not as strong as previously expected.

If you were this strong, why strike in the Dock District, targeting the weakest group in the city?

In Su Er's extensive experience with cults, the Offerings whose life force is plundered are definitely better the stronger they are.

Great villains either sacrifice over a particularly wide area, often causing city-wide crises, or they target individuals of special status like the Princess or the King to harm.

And the Dock District of the City of Radiance is the city's "sewer," or rather, its garbage dump.

Civilians in other parts of the city have basically undergone racial evolution, while here, most are unevolved, fragile raw stones.

"If it's a Classed person, they should be above Second Tier, but impossible to reach Fourth Tier. It could be a Thief-type, a Dark Arts-type; a Fallen Priest is also quite possible."

The crime locations were marked on the map; in the Dock District, they were all remote areas, mostly considered slums.

Li En opened the key intelligence in the Juan Sect files, which were the clues he had accidentally obtained back then.

"Diego Labor, the third child of Baron Labor the 'Weaver Spider,' usually indulges in pleasure and is unlearned and incompetent."

These basic details were skipped over directly; a scum visible to the naked eye, but some content was very important.

"As a second-generation noble from a wealthy background, his resources were sufficient, crossing the Second Advancement early, but his combat experience is very weak, his Class level is very low, and no power of an Evil God was detected on the corpse."

This appraisal was done personally by a local church priest; it should not be wrong.

But Li En did detect thick "Sin" on him, which is not something mere indulgence in pleasure could achieve.

Then that's interesting. He should be a pure intermediary, a porter, using his habit of frequenting the Dock District for pleasure to transport fresh goods to the Noble District. Who could order the Young Master of a powerful Baron to do such a thing? Who needs nearly infinite "Fruits of Life"?

Li En sighed, extended his fingers and clenched his fist, yet as if seeing that darkness so thick one could not see five fingers, as if seeing the four walls suppressing him.

If the enemy is the upper echelons of this nation, or even the Kingdom itself...

He shook his head; it shouldn't come to that extent, otherwise there would be no need to make it look so ugly.

If it were the behavior of the state and top figures, they could harvest systematically; it wouldn't become a criminal case, nor would they need to use the trashiest Dock District as a petri dish.

"It should be a small group. One or two high-ranking nobles leading? And desperate ones whose lifespans have reached their end. If there is involvement of Evil God power, it might not even be Cat-people."

Based on Su Er's rich experience with Evil Gods, this method of forcibly extending life and distorting normal evolution often has endless aftereffects and is not chosen unless absolutely necessary.

With the intelligence, Li En could also make some targeted arrangements.

"Pack up, and go out for a walk with me."

Just as the packing was finished, Li En took his two little sidekicks and went straight out the door.

He perfectly fulfilled the style of a makeshift task force.

"These gold coins are about enough." He directly withdrew a sum from the case funds he had just received and spent it all on the same day under the name of handling the case.

"Please accept my condolences."

A small bungalow, some crying or numb children, and a mother who had completely lost her vitality.

In the middle of the house stood a pencil portrait of Will, likely the work of some skilled child; below it were placed a few small toys and cheap candy pieces.

This was his end.

More, normal funerals and such, this family could not provide.

The atmosphere in the small house was very oppressive; the two young people couldn't stay for long, so Li En told them to wait outside.

Facing the numb mother, Li En said no empty words about definitely avenging her; that was merely an already determined fact.

"... Is that so? You already have a way out? Then good."

He simply gave her a pension and invited her to work for him.

The three-story small building was not small; it indeed needed someone to help clean and take care of it. The offered wage wasn't high, but it was enough for living and more than she had now, and it also meant leaving this chaotic Dock District.

As for the potential severe damage to his reputation from letting a former female practitioner move into his residence, since Li En had already jumped into the mud, he didn't care anymore.

But the other party hesitated and shrank back, saying she planned to rely on her eldest child, who seemed to have settled down relatively well, at least able to survive.

She didn't trust Li En? No, she was just afraid of everyone who might harm her.

Li En tried to persuade her, but seeing the other party's hesitant yet firm attitude, he didn't force it, only adding a bit of his own money to the pension.

After leaving, it was patrolling the streets and grinding the members; at least getting to know the local situation and recognizing people.

Returning to the task force, it was already afternoon, and someone was already waiting at the door.

"Yo, was the patrol smooth? I brought dinner and tea; take a rest." And the one holding a bag of things waiting at the door was the team leader, Talia, who had just finished her work.

Her sudden arrival was a visit, a comfort, and also a response to Li En's previous request.

Seeing the big sister arrive, the little cat, who had been somewhat depressed due to the funeral atmosphere, suddenly perked up a bit; the big Minotaur following him also hurriedly greeted the big leader.

Opening the door, she glanced at the small room, saw the spread-out Juan Sect files and map, and nodded in satisfaction.

And looking at the female police officer, whose face was full of joy because the task force was finally moving, Li En also smiled.

At least, there wasn't completely no hope; at least it wasn't a desperate situation with not a single bit of "White."

Since the young people still have blood in them, it is still far from the worst-case scenario.

If it were truly pitch black, even the behavior of the entire kingdom, then Su Er, as a Heroic Soul, might withstand it, but Li En, who is merely "Little Su Er" at this moment, must consider retreating. Record this grudge and take revenge when he possesses the ability.

A high-ranking official, a follower of an Evil God, and a small group composed of some middlemen are the most likely culprits.

"The case ended with that Diego."

In the Theocracy within Su Er's memory, the Knight Order would have rushed in long ago to interrogate his servants and family. Although the phrasing does not extend to family, cases involving an Evil God often drag in a long chain of people.

In this era where information is not developed, numerous behaviors leave traces; as long as one investigates everyone he has come into contact with one by one, something can always be uncovered.

However, the Police Department instantly becomes powerless when nobles are involved. In fact, it was only because the high-ranking officials of the Police Department and Li En's "fiancée" exerted their influence that the death case of this noble's son did not end there.

Now it is considered a step back for both sides, pretending nothing happened.

"Take it step by step; first, sever that black hand."

Su Er's experience provided guidance; Li En's gaze wandered over the map of the Dock District. Severing that executor is the current key.

The street patrol upon return also serves to confirm a specific crime scene and deduce the location of his next crime.

When a case is too complex, catching someone red-handed is always the most effective method.

The investigative style of the Oath Knights, regardless of who the criminal's backer is, can resolve most subsequent problems by executing them on the spot.

But the problem is, even if that bastard is found now, he might not be left alive. No, it is certain that he cannot be defeated.

Li En looked at Talia, who had come to visit, with expectant eyes. Whether he can possess a certain combat capability in the short term depends on her response, on whether she has found the urgently needed items he specifically requested.

"My Lord Li En, the armor and Consumables are no problem, but the Magical items you requested, while somewhat difficult, are not entirely without a solution."

(End of this chapter)