"Are all the victims women?"
Zhao Lun furrowed his brow, slightly displeased by the situation.
The profile projections of the victims appeared, and indeed, they were all women.
"Do they share any common traits?"
Zhao Lun magnified the images, examining them as he inquired.
"All the victims were under eighteen."
"They were all pure and devout nuns."
The data confirmed Athena's words, showing that the victims were indeed under eighteen and were sincere nuns.
The images displayed their photos—clad in simple attire, their nun habits making them resemble pure, water lilies, each girl so youthful and innocent.
They were children from the nearby village, three kind-hearted souls; even Zhao Lun had heard of them.
"I can't believe someone would harm such innocents."
Seeing such harmless girls fall victim to violence unsettled Zhao Lun. He couldn't comprehend what kind of monster would commit such an atrocity. This was a crime that should never have occurred.
"Hmm?" Zhao Lun's gaze shifted to the wounds on the victims' bodies.
They had several puncture wounds on their necks.
"What about their blood?"
"90% of their blood has been drained!"
Their eyes, frozen in time, reflected innocence, confusion, and a barely perceptible flicker of joy.
"What about their injuries?"
Zhao Lun was startled, a hunch forming in his mind, though he dared not voice it just yet.
"Preliminary analysis suggests the wounds were caused by a large animal."
"Death was due to severe blood loss."
"Preliminary analysis indicates a blood-sucking creature was responsible."
"Based on our database, the likelihood of the killer being a leech is 10%, a vampire bat 20%, a corpse 30%, a spirit 35%, a vampire 80%, and a mutant 90%!"
The projections displayed a variety of suspect creatures, leaving Zhao Lun amused and bewildered.
He hadn't anticipated Athena would present such a long list of suspects, which struck him as somewhat absurd.
"What is the basis of these conclusions?"
Although the list seemed comical, he was still curious about how Athena arrived at these conclusions.
"The victims show no signs of struggle, indicating the perpetrator was exceptionally powerful."
Immediately, creatures like leeches and vampire bats were ruled out.
"The victims' clothing is spotless, with no other signs of contamination..."
Thus, corpses and spirits were excluded.
"There are no other suspicious individuals nearby..."
Finally, two prime suspects emerged: vampires and mutants.
"Of these, mutants are the most likely, followed by vampires. Vampires have become rare, and after committing their crimes, they leave no trace. The most probable culprit is a mutant!"
At last, Athena discarded the vampire theory, leaving only one suspect group: mutants!
"..." Zhao Lun was taken aback by Athena's reasoning.
Her analysis was meticulous and logical, almost as if he were conversing with a real person. If someone were to overhear their conversation, they might truly believe he was speaking with an actual human.
This far exceeded Zhao Lun's expectations. A thought crossed his mind, and he tapped the projection, sending out a view of the crime scene. Zhao Lun was immediately drawn into it.
The scene was impeccably clean, with no suspicious objects or individuals nearby. Athena's deduction was eerily accurate.
"Is it a vampire or a mutant?"
If it were a vampire, it would be strange, as no one had heard of vampires in the area. However, mutants had been quite active recently, causing quite a stir. Many people, unfamiliar with the truth, were afraid of mutants.
"I have a feeling the mutants are in trouble this time."
Zhao Lun rubbed his brow. Some people might use this situation to escalate the conflict further.
As for the war, it was none of his business, as long as it didn't reach his doorstep. But with such an incident occurring on his turf, he couldn't afford to ignore it in order to avoid getting caught up in the mutant conflict.
The crime scene was in a blind spot for surveillance, and there were no strong leads to pursue. To uncover the truth, they would have to reorganize and catch the killer.
"Mobilize all surveillance resources in the town. Full-scale monitoring!"
"Connect to SkyEye One, and leave no suspicious detail unchecked!"
With satellite assistance to fill in the gaps, the killer would not escape their watchful eyes if they returned.
"Bounty Guild has issued a mission: Investigate the truth behind the murders of the young girls in town. Reward: $30,000, weapon selection from the armory, and 100 Hunter Points."
After some thought, Zhao Lun posted this mission within the Bounty Guild. The reward would be adjusted based on the danger level; if the situation proved risky, the reward would be increased accordingly.
"Mark the mission as dangerous."
Zhao Lun added a danger symbol to the mission. This symbol indicated that it was not a task for ordinary forces.
The Bounty Guild's strength was still immature, with most of its members coming from their security company. Zhao Lun didn't want the guild to suffer losses, as it could dampen everyone's morale.
"Yes, sir!" Athena replied, then began transmitting the information according to Zhao Lun's orders.
"Whoever dares to show their face will not escape!"
The town was their territory, and they wouldn't let anyone disturb the peace here.
Zhao Lun decided to deploy all available forces to track down the killer.
The town had become tense because of the case. The young girls were so frightened that they sought refuge with relatives outside the town.
The town's police officers, with their patrol cars and flashing sirens, interrogated every unfamiliar face, making sure to register all strangers.
Many people who had planned to visit the town had postponed their trips. The cinema, arcade, and commercial streets had all become much quieter.
The commotion had caused businesses to suffer, and if this continued, many would face financial ruin. As a result, many locals began protesting, demanding the police resolve the case quickly.
Under pressure, the police decided to delay the investigation but promised they would eventually give the people an answer.
Once the case became public, the killer seemed to realize the situation was escalating and stopped committing any further crimes. Over the following days, things quieted down, and no new developments surfaced.
There were no significant breakthroughs in the investigation, and the town's vigilance was eventually lifted.
The heavy atmosphere in the town faded, and life returned to normal.
As for the three murdered girls, the townsfolk made an effort not to bring up the incident, hoping to forget it.
Angela and the others, having finished their training, heard about the tragedy a few days later, but by then, the matter had already been downplayed.
"Such a thing happened? Have they caught the killer?"
"No? How is that possible?"
They knew that the town was filled with their eyes, and it would be highly unlikely for the killer to escape.
The reality was that not only had the killer evaded their watchful eyes, but he had also left no trace, which left them astonished. Only someone extraordinary could accomplish such secrecy.
Just days after the last attack, another incident occurred. They felt that this period was truly unsettling for their town.