Officer Huang pulled up a chair and sat down. “Back then, my team leader wasn’t an Awakened, so when he investigated this case, there were two questions he definitely didn’t consider.”

“First, was Hua Zi’s family human, beast, or a mix of both? Second, was the killer human or beast?”

“Speaking of beasts...” Gao Yang hesitated for a moment before asking, “Officer Huang, how many types of beasts do you know?”

Officer Huang glanced at Gao Yang, hesitated briefly, then decided to answer truthfully. “At this point, I no longer care about the rules. Wu Dahai told me that their organization has encountered four kinds of beasts: the Beast of Ignorance, the Beast of Anger, the Beast of Greed, and the Beast of Deception.”

“The Beast of Greed? The Beast of Deception?” Qing Ling’s curiosity was piqued.

“The Beast of Greed is also called the Assimilator, and the Beast of Deception is known as the Observer,” Officer Huang explained. “I’m not sure about the specific varieties of the Beast of Greed, but Wu Dahai said its most terrifying aspect is that it can, through some means, become human.”

Everyone gasped, except for Wang Zikai, who remained indifferent.

“What do you mean?” Qing Ling didn’t understand.

“It’s exactly as it sounds,” Officer Huang said gravely. “It doesn’t just disguise itself as human; it actually becomes human, hence the name ‘Assimilator.’”

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Gao Yang thought of something. “But humans are divided into Awakened and Unawakened, right?”

“Awakened,” Officer Huang affirmed. “The Beast of Greed can become an Awakened. The Unawakened are never attacked by any beasts. It’s an iron law of this world.”

“Then the Beast of Greed that becomes Awakened—is it human or beast?” Gao Yang was confused.

Officer Huang shook his head. “If we survive this, maybe we can ask someone from the Zodiac for a clearer answer.”

“What about the Beast of Deception?” Qing Ling asked.

Officer Huang shook his head again. “I only know that such a beast exists; beyond that, I know nothing.”

Gao Yang’s mind raced. If Bai Li Yi wasn’t lying, then in addition to the four known beasts—Ignorance, Anger, Greed, and Deception—there should also be a Beast of Life and a Beast of Death. But Gao Yang decided not to reveal this. Knowing nothing about these two beasts, speaking of them would only stir unnecessary fear and disrupt morale.

Despite the uncertainty, Gao Yang tried to use a logic he could grasp to explain their predicament. “Let’s assume—just hypothetically—that the thing responsible for the massacre is some new kind of beast we don’t yet understand. Then, is it possible that this Gujia Village we’re in is a realm it created?”

“You mean,” Qing Ling’s eyes flickered, “if we find it and kill it, we can leave?”

“Gao Yang’s theory seems to be the most plausible explanation,” Officer Huang nodded slightly. “It’s also the best plan we have, and we must act quickly. We’ve been without water or food for over 20 hours. Under normal conditions, we won’t last more than three days. Our effective time for action is less than two.”

Gao Yang glanced at Wang Zikai. “Except for you. Your body’s been specially modified, so you should outlast us.”

“Of course!” Wang Zikai boasted, then grew excited. “I’m the one who’s going to save the world. How could I get stuck in a place like this? You just find that thing, and leave the rest to me!”

*Knock, knock, knock.*

Gao Yang spun around. He was closest to the door—someone was knocking.