"Sir, the area is set up, shall we start the interrogation now?"

The Owl darted into view.

"Begin."

...

The back of the isolation chamber was already equipped with a simple interrogation area, with a very basic structure.

It also offered a modular design, allowing users to add the number of interrogation chambers.

At this moment, four large iron cages made from Isolation Alloy were placed in the northeast, northwest, southeast, and southwest corners as observation areas.

Two individuals responsible for the examination entered to conduct the debate.

Twenty armed guards stood outside the interrogation area, able to monitor the debaters and the observers in real-time.

If anyone showed signs of infection, they would perform a physical exorcism immediately.

"Please, Mr. Keller Nick and Mr. Darren Lewis, come in."

The Raven called out their names loudly, and the two men, escorted by guards, walked into the interrogation area under the watchful eyes of the gun barrels.

Inside, two chairs and a table were thoughtfully placed.

Per Cheng Ye's request, two sets of paper and pens were also added for the two to record discrepancies in each other's statements.

"Let me out, I'll give you 300 coins."

As soon as he sat down, Lewis lowered his voice and spoke to Nick.

"This 300 coins would significantly improve your life; the price is merely a few extra days."

"Alright, if you've got nothing on you, I'll concede."

Though Nick said this, he lowered his head, unable to suppress a cold smile; no amount of money matters if you're not alive to spend it.

With the recent downpours, more people have been brought in; the isolation chambers are overburdened, who knows if they'll end up sharing with an infected body.

If you got an infected body as a roommate, it'd be a truly unjust death.

"Silence!"

Cheng Ye took out the documents and, standing behind the guards, spoke loudly, "Mr. Darren Lewis offered 1700 coins for priority, please explain the reason for your confinement."

1700?

The 38 people in the four observation areas secretly clicked their tongues, especially the 19 with the lowest bids, who showed a peculiar expression in their eyes.

"Inspector Da..."

"No need to address me, you need to convince the others with your reasoning and explanation."

"Uh..."

Cold sweat visibly rolled down Lewis's temples as he instinctively turned his head to look around, the tension in his voice, "I was confined...because there was an object on the vehicle contaminated by an infected body."

"But I swear, that thing has nothing to do with us; the contamination marks detected were due to the fact it was already contaminated when we purchased it at the Gathering Place!"

"What object was contaminated?" Nick immediately asked before anyone else could speak.

"Mutated Crystal, a bag of Mutated Crystals!"

"Where did you get it?"

"Qingxi Gathering Place."

"Sir, he's lying!"

Someone inside the iron cage couldn't hold back, "The Mutated Crystals from Qingxi Gathering Place have long been contracted with the Oasis Merchant Team and can only be purchased by them; there's no way it could have ended in the hands of loners, and you'd be fined ten times the value if caught!"

"Is that so?" Cheng Ye looked at the iron cage, unexpectedly catching the first 'lucky one.'

Visible to the naked eye, Lewis's face turned deathly pale.

In just a few breaths, his eyes were filled with scarlet red while the exposed skin began to sprout fine black fur, glossy like rodent fur, quickly covering his neck and arms, rapidly enveloping his entire body in a bizarre mutated form.

I...

Lewis slowly raised his hands, his movements abruptly freezing as his fingertips touched the tough fur emerging on his palms.

Soon after, sealed memories broke out like a dam, exploding loudly in his mind.

...

Within the Wilderness off the dilapidated provincial road.

The sky darkened, twilight surrounded.

The perspective twisted in madness, transformed into a peculiar third person.

He saw himself and three others in his team lying in a pile of rotting grass, eyes greedily fixed on the distance.

A six-person scavenging team approaching!

The scavengers, backs burdened with bags, cautiously made their way along the roadside, each face bearing an unmistakable smile, evidently having reaped a bountiful harvest.

Unlike residents of Shelter City who could work in factories to earn a living,

the residents of the Gathering Place rarely had formal jobs, most had to venture out periodically, relying on hunting Mutant Beasts to support their family.

Some would also try their luck in city ruins, either scavenging undiscovered resources or hunting infected bodies to trade infection sources in Shelter City for money.

But sometimes, diligent scavengers become prey in someone else's eyes.

They're more easily targeted when returning loaded with loot.

"Go!"

When the scavengers got within thirty meters, Lewis gave a low shout.

Four guns simultaneously spewed fire, the scavengers, just escaped from city ruins, didn't even have a chance to beg for mercy, shot into sieves, their bagged resources spilled like waterfalls.

Amidst wild laughter, the four flipped out of the grass pile.

This just-returning team from Qingxi Gathering Place did not disappoint them!

Apart from Bone Powder, pelts from Mutant Beasts, some special herbs, there was a large bag of twenty Mutated Crystals, sparkling with a bluish glow under flashlight beams.

There were also chunks of Bloodthirsty Rat meat scattered by the corpses, at least three large pieces!

This was a windfall!

The four of them, deprived of meat for too long, swallowed hungrily, quickly settled the battlefield, and set up a campfire.

The grease sizzled on the grill, as raw meat oozed blood, the wafting aroma kept them from holding back any longer, clawing crazily at the roasted meat barehanded.

Why, why am I so hungry?

Lewis was stunned, never seen his expression so ferocious while eating meat, nor had he seen his three companions wrestling over a piece of bloody beast meat as if avenging a murder.

The wild chewing echoed through the Wilderness, mingling with the sound of bones cracking.

Unnoticed, strands of black fur crept onto their skin, thicker and thicker, like countless greedy mice climbing and breeding.

"I?"

"Infected?"

An overwhelming power surged from every limb, rationality ebbing away like a tide, replaced by raging bloodlust.

He bewilderedly looked around, only to find Nick cowering in the corner trembling, and the faces of others in the iron cages filled with terror.

Squeak, squeak.

His twisted lips curved into a sinister grin, the black fur-covered cheeks distorted into a bizarre arc as he made rat-like noises.

This mere iron cage thinks it can confine the Mouse Lord?!

He reached out, claws shot out between his fingers, fiercely slamming backward against the isolation grid with a whooshing sound.

Thump.

The sharp collision sounded, and the smile on Lewis's fur-covered face suddenly froze.

The grid, supposed to tear easily in his memory, turned out to be extraordinarily firm.

Thump, thump, thump...

He scratched madly, yet...couldn't even leave a white mark???

"Why..."

"Why..."

"Why?"

Ta-ta-ta-ta.

Bullets whistled past intensively, answering his question.

In just a few seconds, the large body collapsed from the burden, the bloodthirsty urge rapidly dissipating, miraculously regaining a touch of sanity.

Lewis strained to turn his head, looking at the Inspector standing behind the guards...

The other person didn't even spare him a glance but turned straight away heading toward the isolation chambers, evidently to deal with his three meat-eating teammates.

Ha ha ha!!

Die together, all die together!

Nobody escapes!

The sinister laughter cut off abruptly, and the body under black fur finally ceased to move.

"Codename--Bloodthirsty Rat, Infection Progress: Second-Phase, terminated by Intern Inspector 'Cheng Ye'!"

...

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