Chapter 58 The Duty Officer

Gune turned around in astonishment and looked over.

There, in the corner of the sofa, old Cohen sat in his pajamas.

Gune was certain that just moments ago, no one had been there.

This abrupt appearance...

"Could it be Dad's supernatural ability?"

Gune was not clear about Cohen Dad's abilities.

Cohen Dad rarely showed his abilities and had never mentioned them in front of Gune.

"They provoked me first."

Standing in the darkness, Gune responded softly to Cohen Dad's words.

"Besides, even if I didn't retaliate, they wouldn't let me go, would they?"

Old Cohen pondered for a long while before speaking slowly.

"But you've thoroughly angered them now. Soon they'll come for revenge. Blood-ear elves are very vindictive."

"When that happens, we'll all die." Old Cohen's voice was hoarse and authoritative.

"They won't find me." Gune replied thus.

"Naive!"

Old Cohen shook his head slightly.

"Do you think that by blowing up the crime scene and destroying your traces, they have no other way to find you?"

"Peering into past scenes, occult divination, causal logic reasoning, following the special information you left behind..."

"They have too many means to find you."

"You simply don't understand how terrifying and insidious the methods of those powerful beings are."

Old Cohen sighed.

"You don't understand how heaven-defying a cheat is." Gune replied silently in his heart.

"They won't find me." Gune repeated. "Even if they use all the methods you just mentioned."

"Since I dared to do this, I have enough means to deal with the investigations of those strong ones."

"I guarantee they won't find me." Gune said again with certainty.

After pondering for a moment,

Old Cohen looked up and said slowly, "You... are you really sure?"

"I'm sure, and... very sure!" Gune said.

"Of course, if you're not at ease,"

"you can take Meisha and leave for a while."

"Leave?" Old Cohen shook his head gently.

"Leaving now would exactly let those fellows know something's wrong here, wouldn't it?"

"Since you're confident, we'll just be more vigilant during this time."

"Besides, you're a member of the Pioneer Group, and a high-level pharmacist there. If they really investigate, at worst we can use official forces to protect us."

"In human territory, we shouldn't be scared into fleeing by some alien races."

At this point, Old Cohen's tone was quite steady.

Hearing this, Gune was first startled, then rubbed his forehead and chuckled wryly.

He had indeed felt a bit guilty, almost forgetting that he was a member of the Pioneer Group in the Supernatural Association, and a very important one at that.

Those Blood-ear elves were ultimately rats that couldn't stand the light.

Even if discovered, using official forces to protect himself was a pretty good decision.

Moreover, Gune was quite confident those fellows wouldn't find him.

"You... have already advanced to the first rank?"

Then Old Cohen asked softly.

"Mm." Gune didn't hide it.

"Pretty fast advancement. Any abnormalities?"

"Some strange guy deep in my blood seems to be staring at me." Gune shrugged.

"You mean the gaze of the bloodline curse, right?"

Old Cohen's voice was as old and hoarse as ever.

"Probably." Gune nodded.

Then Gune asked tentatively,

"Dad, about the spell..."

"Already talked to someone. It's a very powerful unconventional spell. I'll take you there tomorrow."

"Also... did you bring anything from that place?"

"Yes." Gune didn't hide it.

"Then don't go to the black market to sell these things recently."

"If the Blood-ear elves can't find your trail, they'll definitely stake out the black market."

"Understood."

"Once this period blows over, whether at the black market or within the Pioneer Group, you can safely sell these things."

"The Pioneer Group is helping you set up an alchemy lab. I went to check today; it should be ready in a few days. Once it's done, start mass-producing potions, prioritizing supply to the Pioneer Group."

"After all, that's the main thing."

"I understand, Dad." Gune nodded.

"Alright, go back and get some rest." Old Cohen waved his hand.

Gune turned and walked toward his room.

After opening the door, Gune turned back thoughtfully.

The sofa was already empty.

"Dad's method is quite peculiar." Gune mused.

...

As Gune fell asleep,

police in several blocks had already cordoned off the ruined villa.

On the lawn of the ruined villa,

several men in black robes and black hats gathered on the courtyard lawn of the ruins.

"Any findings?" one of them, smoking a pipe, said while puffing clouds.

"From the explosion of the house, the perpetrator is a very powerful spellcaster."

Among them, a young man with glasses, holding a black notebook and a pen, replied meticulously.

"And to have such powerful explosive force,"

"it would take at least a mid-level or even high-level spellcaster to accomplish."

"Indeed."

The others nodded.

These men were all duty officers from the upper echelons of the police, and all were supernaturals.

They naturally knew the general range of abilities for supernaturals at each level.

To destroy such a house,

it was definitely not something a low-level spellcaster's explosion-type spell could achieve.

Only a powerful mid-level or even high-level spellcaster could have such means.

"Moreover, this spellcaster was very familiar with the house's structure, blowing the entire villa to pieces, causing a total collapse."

"This was a premeditated crime."

"Currently, the villa is in ruins. Clearing it will take several days."

"Confirming whether there are any dead and their identities will take a few days."

"Of course, if we use our abilities..."

As he spoke, the bespectacled young man looked at a man who hadn't spoken at all.

At that moment, the man finally spoke softly.

"I've already sent my contracted spirit down to check."

"The bodies have been destroyed, probably with some corrosive potion. All supernatural equipment and storage items are gone."

"However, from their clothing, it's clear they are Blood-ear elves who came to our Sugg Ruins City with ill intentions."

"Blood-ear elves?"

The others raised their eyebrows slightly, and at the same time, felt a great relief.

"If the dead are these rats hiding in the sewers, that's a rare piece of good news."

The others nodded slightly.

"If the dead are those Blood-ear elves, then there's no need to continue investigating the murderer." said the pipe-smoking man.

"No... I think it's very necessary to continue investigating." The bespectacled young man pushed up his glasses and said cautiously.

"Oh? Why?" The duty officer captain, "Angus Barty," looked at the bespectacled young man.

"Look at this..." The bespectacled young man, "George," pointed to a deep trench not far away.

"Is that a tire track? Did that guy drive a steam excavator over?" someone joked.

The witty joke drew laughter from the group.

"It's not a tire track. It's the mark of a Ring Bombardment."

"Ring Bombardment?"

Everyone's eyes focused on George.

George quickly chanted a spell.

Then, a pitch-black ring, nearly a meter high but only slightly thicker than a sturdy sapling, appeared.

At the same time, this Ring Bombardment also pressed a shallow groove into the ground.

Compared to the huge trench over twenty centimeters wide and thirty to forty centimeters deep, this groove seemed as immature as an infant.

"My Ring Bombardment is level one."

"I estimate this Ring Bombardment is at least level five, or even level six."

Level five or even level six spells—everyone was taken aback.

That spell level was too high!

Generally, after acquiring a spell, supernaturals would focus on cultivating it to reach level one as soon as possible.

For a common low-level supernatural spell, reaching level one took months.

For powerful mid- to high-level spells, even reaching level one could take years.

After level one,

generally, supernaturals wouldn't specifically train that spell.

After all, long-term practice of releasing spells consumes source power, and to quickly recover source power, potions are essential.

Therefore, most spellcasters let their spells level up naturally.

When they have time, they practice and contemplate.

When they don't, they just leave it aside.

This kind of laid-back spell leveling

means it takes years for a spell to reach level two.

And reaching level three might be decades later.

Thus, with such a relaxed approach, it's basically impossible to raise a spell to level five or even six.

The only way is to continuously cultivate that spell.

Only then can one raise it to level five or six within years or even decades.

Very, very few people do this.

For example, ascetics.

And ascetics usually don't kill indiscriminately.

"A mysterious identity with a powerful spell." George pushed his glasses, squinting.

"If he were strong, there would be no need to hide. Kill and be done—what can you do about it?"

"Destroying evidence, wrecking the scene, and doing it so thoroughly."

"This guy is probably not very strong. What an interesting fellow."