Mister Zero, Her Story: Chapter 38 – Eat, Consume, Devour
Yan City Anomaly Management Bureau.
Today, the conference room welcomed an unexpected guest.
Li Ping, unusually, stood to greet him, his expression slightly grave.
“City Lord.”
Before him stood a refined man with short hair. Although his temples were tinged with gray, the sharp lines of his face and body hadn’t been softened by age.
This was Lin Cheng, the current City Lord of Yan City, holding the highest authority.
Yan City wasn’t governed by a council. The position of City Lord was firmly held by the Lin family, who had founded the city, the head of the Lin family also serving as City Lord.
Of course, Yan City had only been established for a few decades, so the position had only passed down one generation. The current City Lord, Lin Cheng, was the second son of the second generation of the Lin family line.
…The reason a second son held the position was because Lin Cheng was the only surviving child of the second generation.
His siblings, and even most of his elders, had perished in the Endless Wasteland, dying while expanding Yan City’s territory.
No one in Yan City questioned the Lin family’s authority, simply because they had paid almost everything to achieve it.
“Brother Li, there’s no need for such formalities between us in private.”
Lin Cheng smiled. Although he was around the same age as Li Ping, both elderly, compared to the frail Li Ping, Lin Cheng was a dashing older gentleman, his attire surprisingly trendy for his age.
He wore a large trench coat, stylish sunglasses perched on his slightly curled, graying hair.
“What’s the matter? I’m quite busy, I don’t have time for idle chatter.”
Hearing this, Li Ping rolled his eyes and sat down.
He had thought it was something important, something requiring a meeting in the conference room.
The situation outside was already chaotic. Besides the anticipated Devil’s minion incident, other, more pressing matters had arisen.
The reappearance of a Primordial Demon’s aura, the deliberate reveal of Dawn’s presence, and the detection of an intrusion at the “Wall of Resentment,” where the “Ice Coffin Weapon” was stored.
These matters were already enough to give Li Ping a headache, not to mention Frick from the Apprehension Department, who seemed to be up to something, or rather… “Noah” headquarters.
Although both were part of the Anomaly Management Bureau, the relationship between the Yan City branch and Noah headquarters wasn’t exactly harmonious, more like a superficial alliance.
“Private matters doesn’t mean it’s not serious business,” Lin Cheng shrugged. “This incident… it’s quite a big deal.”
“…Expected, yet unexpected,” Li Ping murmured.
“It seems the Sword Saint sect is also involved,” Lin Cheng tapped the table lightly. “The current successor, Qin Wen… was she taken in by Old Man Sword?”
“Who else? How old is Qin Wen? That old geezer isn’t looking for a wife at his age, is he?”
When it came to the Sword Saint Sect Master, Li Ping and Lin Cheng’s tones were surprisingly similar.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him,” Lin Cheng sighed. “I can’t believe it… back then, he was an old man, and we were just kids, and now we’re old men, and he’s still an old man…”
Although they called him “Old Man Sword,” the Sword Saint Sect Master was actually their teacher.
Of course, although they were his students, Li Ping and Lin Cheng weren’t members of the Sword Saint sect.
According to the old man himself, he had only taken them on as students to earn some money because he was broke.
—The specifics, however, were unknown.
“Don’t worry about Qin Wen, Old Man Sword said she’s staying in Yan City for a while,” Li Ping stood up. “Enough chit-chat, there are more important matters to attend to.”
“Wait, since this Sword Saint successor is staying in Yan City, we should give her a position, right?” Lin Cheng stroked his chin.
“The Director of the Disaster Response Department is you… or rather, the younger Hua girl, the Director of the Exploration Department is the older Hua girl, Old Nie from the Oversight Department is irreplaceable, and the Apprehension Department… well… it seems the only position left is Director-General.”
Li Ping: “?”
You want me to resign so you can give my position to her? Why don’t you give her your City Lord position?
“Just kidding, don’t glare at me,” Lin Cheng chuckled, scratching his head. “If Qin Wen doesn’t have an official position, she’s just an ordinary traveler, right? There’s no point…
“It would be a waste of her Sword Saint status!”
Compared to her personal strength, her status as a Sword Saint seemed more significant.
After all, this Sword Saint successor was still young and, having spent most of her time in the Endless Wasteland, was rather naive.
Her social skills were even worse than Luo Yan’s, who had been trapped in Ghost Town.
“I’ve already considered this,” Li Ping said impatiently. “She reported to the Apprehension Department a few days ago. She might be able to get a small team leader position or something from Frick.”
“The Apprehension Department?” Lin Cheng’s eyes widened. “Sending her to the Apprehension Department is like sending her to ‘Noah’…”
“It’s the Yan City Apprehension Department, still under Yan City’s jurisdiction,” Li Ping sneered. “Besides, working under Frick doesn’t mean she has to obey his every command.
“Moreover, the sole successor of the Sword Saint sect… would Frick dare to order her around?”
“So, what I’ve sent is a thorn, a thorn in his side… Although not fatal, it will be quite irritating.”
Lin Cheng thought about it and shuddered.
The old fox was still an old fox, his schemes both subtle and ruthless…
“Damn! You’re ruthless. Does Qin Wen even agree to this?”
“She readily agreed and even praised Director Frick as a capable leader, thoughtful and strategic, although a bit… lacking in judgment.”
“…Except for the last part, none of those words describe Frick.”
“I’m also curious about that.”
Li Ping turned to leave.
But Lin Cheng stopped him.
“One more thing, what about that ‘Calamity Infected’?”
Li Ping paused, then said, “She’s… quite remarkable.”
“You and Hua Qingling seem to be hiding a lot about her, even giving her access to unauthorized, classified information,” Lin Cheng said gravely. “Care to explain? Or should I investigate myself?”
“No need to trouble yourself, City Lord,” Li Ping whispered. “She only has three months left to live. Let her… rest peacefully.”
“Three months…” Lin Cheng’s expression shifted, then darkened. “Alright, I understand.”
His intuition told him that Luo Yan’s presence was a risk to Yan City.
But since even the shrewd Li Ping said so…
Regardless of the truth, they shouldn’t mistreat a young girl nearing the end of her life.
…
Meanwhile, at the Oversight Department.
They also had an unexpected visitor, a man in a wide trench coat and a bowler hat.
“Director Frick?” Old Nie looked at the rarely seen Director of the Apprehension Department in surprise. “What a rare guest. What brings you to the Oversight Department?”
Although also a Director in the Anomaly Management Bureau, Frick rarely interacted with other departments.
The reason for this went without saying.
“Mister Nie, I’m here to check on the follow-up investigation of the ‘Flower Street incident’,” Frick said politely, removing his hat.
“Follow-up…? Oh, you want to see the Devil’s minion’s corpse, right?” Old Nie slapped his forehead, then rubbed his bald head, looking troubled. “But according to regulations, such hazardous materials must be disposed of… The body is already in the incinerator.”
“Disposal” meant incineration, the ashes scattered in the Endless Wasteland.
Although incineration wasn’t foolproof, it was usually the most reliable method.
Yan City didn’t dare keep anything tainted with a Primordial Demon’s power, not even the research-obsessed Oversight Department.
Although they were interested in analyzing the nature of Primordial Demons, they valued their lives more.
—Touching taboos was easier said than done.
“It’s alright, I just want to confirm a few things, Mister Nie,” Frick said calmly.
“You know that Mister Li entrusted this matter to me, and I failed to meet his expectations. I wasn’t able to help at all.”
“Ahem, well, they didn’t really do much either…”
Old Nie, clearly aware of the Disaster Response Department’s inner workings, chuckled.
“Anyway, I want to do what I can. Perhaps I can glean some useful information from the Devil’s minion’s corpse,” Frick’s expression was serious. “Just ten minutes, I won’t stay long.”
“…Ten minutes? Alright, even a bit longer is fine,” Old Nie opened the door for Frick. “I’ll let Li Ping know. Go ahead, the incinerator will be activated soon, just leave before then.”
A request from a fellow Director, and with such polite words, Old Nie couldn’t refuse.
Besides, what could happen in ten minutes?
Or rather, what could possibly go wrong with a Devil’s minion’s corpse?
Before disposal, the Oversight Department had already examined the body and confirmed that there was no residual aura of the “Witch of Envy”; otherwise, they wouldn’t have scheduled incineration so readily.
“Thank you for your understanding, Mister Nie.”
Frick put his bowler hat back on and entered.
As he went deeper inside, the whirring of machinery grew louder, drowning out all other sounds.
The air grew warmer, as if approaching a volcano.
The Oversight Department members didn’t pay much attention to the man in the trench coat, even though they didn’t know who he was.
Anyone who could reach this area must have Old Nie’s approval.
After descending several levels, Frick reached the incinerator at the bottom.
The small, twisted body of an ugly man lay on a metal bed, his flesh interspersed with scraps of bright red cloth.
The man’s grotesque face was withered, covered in a thick layer of cheap powder.
The cloying scent of perfume mixed with the disgusting stench of decay, creating a nauseating combination.
It was a smell that could drive anyone sane mad.
But Frick, his expression unchanged, approached the body, the surrounding barriers offering no resistance.
“As expected… Envy,” Frick reached out and poked the corpse, then brought his finger to his nose and sniffed. “The scent of a demon… unfortunately, already diluted.”
“Heh, if I hadn’t been tricked…”
Frick knew he had been played.
He had realized it when two reports appeared on his desk simultaneously.
The Dawn Cadre’s diversionary tactic, and the intrusion at the “Wall of Resentment.”
If it weren’t for a routine patrol noticing non-regulation boot prints near the Wall of Resentment, they wouldn’t have discovered it.
The entire Yan City was baffled, and this was a major reason for Li Ping’s recent overtime.
But Frick knew who had infiltrated the “Wall of Resentment.”
…It could only be “Mister.”
Because the Ice Coffin Weapon stored within was the “Eldest Mister” of Dawn, officially declared deceased.
Frick had learned this by chance.
While in “Noah,” he had accessed some classified files, including the known abilities of the nine Misters, and their speculated fates and locations.
He had clearly seen Yan City deploy its “Ice Coffin Weapon” during the Ghost Town incident, and it had reminded him of something in those classified files.
To confirm his suspicions, Frick had gone to great lengths to obtain the files on Yan City’s Ice Coffin Weapon, finally verifying his theory.
Although the records indicated only “Peril” level destructive power, it was clear that this was just a fraction of her true power.
Unlike the other “Ice Coffin Weapons,” she was dead.
The Ice Coffin containing her eternally slumbering body was the first, and the true Ice Coffin.
—The “Ice Coffin” was originally a coffin, a containment device created to preserve her dangerous remains.
Its use as a weapon was entirely the Free Federation’s doing, deviating from Dawn’s original purpose.
However, because she was dead, unable to actively use her terrifying power, the resulting destruction was only “Peril” level.
If she were alive and conscious, even a “Destruction” level expert would have to think twice before facing her.
“Perhaps this is why ‘Noah’ carelessly sent her to Yan City?”
But this explanation seemed far-fetched. If even he could recognize the Eldest Mister’s remains, “Noah” should have been able to as well.
As for Yan City?
Just a backwater town.
A newly established mega-city with less than a century of history had no such knowledge. Even if they witnessed the Eldest Mister’s power, they might not recognize it.
“I missed one opportunity, and I don’t know when the next will come,” Frick flexed his left hand, cracking his index finger. “But I can’t wait any longer.”
“I’ve had enough of Yan City and Dawn’s games…”
A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and he abruptly snapped his index finger.
The broken finger, its flesh mangled and dripping blood, hung precariously.
The crimson blood slowly dripped onto the ugly corpse, seeping into its withered flesh.
“Taboo? Demon?” Frick’s left hand, its index finger broken, slowly reached into the corpse. “To me, it’s just… power to be exploited…”
He scooped out a piece of rotting flesh, brought it to his mouth, and slowly took a bite, chewing thoughtfully.
“Delicious power, disgusting food.”
He scooped out another piece and swallowed it whole, without chewing.
“Unfortunately, the most stable demonic power comes from Demonically Infected, but with the plan failed, I can only make do with this… ‘dead’ demonic power.”
His severed finger twitched, as if regenerating.
“How… unsightly…”
He continued to devour the corpse.
…
“Director Frick, so soon?”
Barely five minutes had passed when Old Nie saw Frick emerge.
“I made some preparations beforehand, so it was quicker,” Frick said, a rare smile appearing on his face, leaving Old Nie looking as if he had seen a ghost.
This usually grim and unapproachable outsider was actually smiling? And he seemed to be in a good mood?
“Did you find something interesting?”
Old Nie asked, intrigued.
“Ah… yes, very interesting,” Frick nodded thoughtfully, then adjusted his bowler hat. “Don’t worry, I’ll compile a report for Mister Li… and for you as well.”
“Oh? I look forward to it.”
Old Nie hadn’t expected Frick to find anything, but since he said so, he offered a perfunctory compliment.
“Well, I won’t disturb you any longer, Mister Nie. If there’s time later… we can chat properly.”
Frick extended his left hand, and Old Nie, out of politeness, shook it.
“Anytime, anytime…”
“Farewell.”
Frick turned and left the Oversight Department.
“Strange, why is his hand so sticky…?”
Old Nie felt a strange stickiness on his hand after shaking Frick’s.
Just then, a member of the Incineration Department poked his head out from behind the door.
“Director Nie, it seems we made a mistake and activated the incinerator prematurely.”
“Prematurely? Well, it’s not a big deal…”
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