In recent years, Celestial City has been quite unstable. Various mysterious incidents and cult activities have occurred, and although it seems like things haven't reached an irreparable stage, the continuous occurrences clearly indicate that there is an organized group behind them, acting cautiously.
The Night Patrol has been investigating all along. Tracking the Lickers last time was difficult, but once it reached Li Xin, it stopped. According to Luo Jin's plan, it was to drive the Lickers away, applying continuous pressure until the Lickers lead them to the organization behind them.
Of course, this is just a hopeful idea from Luo Jin, with a very low chance of success. The organization capable of creating Lickers would likely anticipate this, as those who worship the Evil God are the most troublesome.
"So far, six have appeared, two awakened spiritual psykers, and four ordinary people. The awakened psykers were drained," Kathy said with some concern. "The opposition's tactics and power are beyond Lickers now. If judged correctly, they should be Inhalers, one level higher than Lickers. Don't ask more about it; someone will handle it. The Church is taking action, and the Knight Order has been notified. Catching the culprit is just a matter of time. Now focus on your studies at the Canon Law School, you might even be my boss someday."
Kathy realized the topic might bring pressure to Lin Fei and quickly shifted, "Luo is the most outstanding one, these clowns are no match. I need to head back now."
"Ah Xin, escort your sister Casey home; it's not safe this late," Lin Fei said.
"Aunt Fei, I'm a Night Patrol too, very capable!" She said, lifting her skirt, revealing a snow-white thigh strapped with a Hex Spirit Pistol, swiftly drawing and firing it, "Meeting them will be my moment to shine."
?...
With this posture, Li Xin touched his nose, questioning whether the monsters would be excited.
Sensibly, he didn't criticize the Little Rich Lady; the family hierarchy is all tangled up, so let it be. "Aunt Fei, go upstairs and coax Xueyin to sleep. I'll walk Sister Casey out and be back soon."
Li Xin and Kathy went downstairs together. The carriage had been waiting there, naturally Kathy's carriage. Judging by the driver, he seemed skilled.
"You can head back; I'm also part of the Night Patrol." Kathy didn't mind Teresa's remark since the Night Patrol was accustomed to seeing bizarre things. Additionally, the recent fervent efforts to capture the culprit made it unlikely for them to act recklessly.
"Let me see you off, if the carriage could also take me back." Li Xin grinned sincerely.
Kathy chuckled, "Alright, thank you."
The two boarded the carriage. Different carriages have their nuances; his was just comfortable, whereas Kathy's was luxury defined. One glance at the cabin's materials signified expense, radiating grandeur, with a soft carpet laid on the floor seemingly pricier than Li Xin's entire attire; the leather seats didn't show much, but they were extremely comfy and springy.
Kathy also recognized Li Xin's curiosity about the situation regarding the Inhalers, as newly joined Night Patrol members tended to harbor more curiosity than fear. Sharing more information wouldn't harm Li Xin.
"After being parasitized by the Abyssal Worm, weaker individuals might become mere food, turning into incubators. Once they withstand it, they become Lickers. Lickers feed on flesh and blood. Of course, with power growth, they naturally pursue spiritual abilities, but their absorption method doesn't change. Upon evolving to Inhalers, they can efficiently absorb the awakened's spiritual abilities and actively hunt; Inhalers grow faster."
In Li Xin's presence, Kathy didn't conceal her worries. "Every appearance of these Inhalers is accompanied by Mist, which might be their ability, causing huge troubles in tracking them."
"Where did the incidents involving the six victims occur, and during what times?" Li Xin asked.
"What, aspiring to be a detective now?" Kathy laughed, "One was beside the fountain in East City, three were homeless in the sewers, another was at home, a wealthy businessman, causing a huge commotion. By the time the family discovered him, he had turned into a dried corpse. The last one was an outer member of our Night Patrol, ambushed while patrolling."
Inhalers differ from Lickers, needing more spiritual abilities, leaving ordinary people only as snacks.
"Where was the ambush location? Didn't others notice?"
"During the attack, our members responded quickly, blowing a whistle, but the foe still managed to escape via the Mist." Kathy said, "The times were mostly nights and dawns, oh, it was drizzling that day."
Li Xin thought, "Could it be the Inhaler's ability triggers something related to water?"
Kathy's eyes lit up, "You saying this reminds me; the businessman was attacked while swimming!"
Li Xin pondered, "I recall Night Patrol's records mentioning that most Lickers would eventually turn into monsters; evolving into Inhalers is very rare; Inhalers maintain rationality, and their appearance doesn't change. Generally, the converters themselves are experts?"
Kathy paused, "Where did you see this? Do we have this in Night Patrol?"
"Maybe I misremembered, perhaps I saw it in the library at Canon Law, which is the Kingdom's largest library, and I enjoy reading such peculiarities."
Kathy nodded with a smile, "Indeed, you're a rare newspaper-loving Night Patrol officer. Canon Law School is a great place, Old Luo's efforts getting you there were not easy. As for water and the Inhaler's identity issue, I'll mention it to everyone tomorrow; Night Patrol's authority is to register and manage awakened individuals. If what you said turns out correct, it'll be a great lead! Noticing it counts as your contribution!"
Seeing Kathy's excitement, Li Xin wasn't overly optimistic; it's just a thought. The more powerful individuals face greater temptations to fall. Celestial City harbors too many awakened individuals, and many of this power level exist, often with high statuses or elusive movements, making it challenging.
Kathy casually patted Li Xin's head, exercising the privilege of a close acquaintance.
Li Xin awkwardly hesitated, attempting to avoid it, but his thoughts moved without his head; the touch from wealth seemed to hold magical power. In twenty minutes, they reached Kathy's home, the best part of the Inner City's Noble District; inside, it's unquestionably safe.
Inhalers are intelligent; provoking an influential businessman triggers a large-scale hunt. If they offended a noble, angered the Church, and a powerful figure is summoned, it'd be certain death.
Leaving the carriage, taking a few steps away, Kathy turned back, "Ah Xin, remember to study well, think about Aunt… Sister!"
"Sister Casey, I always think of you; when you reminisce about me, remember to deposit some money into my account." He said with a wave, leaving the chuckling Little Rich Lady behind.
Ah, what bad intentions could I possibly have? Just a wish to help Sister Casey relieve some of her wealthy worries.
On the way back, he frequently encountered patrolling City Guard troops, the elegant and fearless figure of the Little Rich Lady. Li Xin fell into contemplation.
The carriage clattered along as Li Xin pondered the Inhaler problem, water… Fogging Ability?
This wasn't a baseless conjecture. The fortress conducts various experiments, involving both Divine Relics and Abyssal Worms.
Generally, Fogging Ability requires ample water sources, especially when its range must be vast. According to Kathy, an entire neighborhood was enveloped in dense Mist, indicating the Inhaler's ability control had become very proficient.
The recent occurrence likely resulted from an uncontrollable increase in appetite. Celestial City's abundant water sources enable easy ability activation, making finding a disguised individual among a million a needle in a haystack.
For Inhalers, hunting ordinary people provides little significance, yet they still pursued it, perhaps to confuse the senses or manage hunger; fresh flesh temporarily suppresses the hunger impulse.
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