City of Sinful Mist (The Black Death) Chapter 131: Investigation

Their ambush ultimately caught no one, leading Wu Hui to wonder if his deductions were flawed. However, reports from Gao Cheng and his team confirmed that the enemies possessed the ability to identify those who had just awakened. Perhaps the remaining Black Death game players were not in the vicinity, or they simply had no intention of coming. Or perhaps, with so many people awakening now, they simply could not keep up with the killing.

Wu Hui did not rush to dismantle the traps he had set. One reason was to guard against enemies who might be lurking in the shadows, waiting patiently rather than attacking. Another was that they might still prove useful later. As for whether someone else might stumble into them, that was beyond his concern.

Having inhaled the black mist, Wu Hui felt his moral standards continuously declining, and Ren Yin made no attempt to stop him. Everyone was transforming into villains. It was unclear whether this influence would vanish once they stopped inhaling the mist. If the effects were permanent, this city would surely become a terrifying place in the future.

Wang Xiaodie suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. After all, her current status remained that of Ren Yin’s slave, a bond that would only be lifted in two months. During this time, Ren Yin could do anything she pleased to her, restricted only by her own waning morality. If Ren Yin truly lost all moral constraints, Wang Xiaodie would be as good as dead in an instant. Even though she had not yet awakened and remained unaware of what Wu Hui and the others were doing, she sensed the encroaching danger through sheer intuition.

Her situation was precarious, but Ren Yin seemed aware of her own potential volatility and had preemptively handed control over to Wu Hui. After all, even if Wu Hui were truly gripped by some criminal impulse, he would not threaten the lives of the young women. As for Ren Yin, she worried about her own possessive urges spiraling out of control; if she were to succumb to the darkness, no one might be able to stop her.

Under the guidance of the Orb Weaver, Gao Cheng’s team successfully eliminated a Level 7 enemy without suffering significant losses. This was a cause for celebration. Meanwhile, Wu Hui had also found a lead on an enemy. For the moment, the situation seemed relatively stable.

However, as time passed, conditions in the city continued to deteriorate. They were not only facing a few players of unknown strength but also the impending chaos that would engulf the entire city. Even individuals like Wu Hui, who were strong-willed despite having inhaled the black mist for days, were starting to be affected—let alone the ordinary citizens. It seemed they had reached a tipping point; today, criminal incidents in the city exploded in frequency. Police, fire departments, and hospitals were dispatching vehicles incessantly. The city was filled with a chorus of sirens that never ceased.

The second-eldest in the dormitory remained oblivious, playing video games with Ke Wenjie, controller in hand. Lately, he had been sleeping in the apartment Wu Hui rented without a hint of embarrassment, as if completely unaware of the events unfolding outside. In contrast, the twin sisters were less composed. They were visibly confused by the constant sirens, and it was only through the hypnosis and psychological suggestions provided by Li Xiaoyue that they finally remembered. But it was of little use; they were only Level 3, and there was a limit to what they could do.

"We’re in trouble," Gao Cheng said, standing atop the unfinished building, looking down at the city descending into chaos. "We are still too slow. At this rate, order will completely collapse in two days at most."

Various public services would soon face severe staff shortages. Crime would spiral out of control and continue to escalate. The dominoes of death, initially inconspicuous, were accumulating, and eventually, they would topple the entire city. Gao Cheng felt a sense of urgency.

They had managed to extract some information from the players they interrogated, confirming there were only seven enemies in total. They had already eliminated four sources of the black mist. Yet, Gao Cheng realized he could not be certain that those four were the only targets. Thus, at least three more players remained to be dealt with. Theoretically, these three would not be weak; they were likely highly skilled in concealment and counter-reconnaissance.

"I have a clumsy solution," Liao Yuan said. "We could investigate all the registered intermediate players in the city."

Gao Cheng’s expression darkened. The number of registered intermediate players in the city was not small—about a few dozen, with over twenty being members of the Tribunal. While Level 5 might only be the starting point for the Spiders, it was not a low level. The mortality rate for players progressing from Level 1 to Level 5 was a staggering eighty percent. Level 5 was already considered middle management for major organizations. Each one was difficult to investigate; they were usually surrounded by followers, and even without them, their own perceptions were incredibly sharp. Normally, investigating even one required extensive planning. That was without even mentioning the seven Level 6 players, excluding the two of them.

To complete this workload within a few days, without any organizational support—was it possible? It wasn't entirely impossible, but it was far more difficult than finishing a summer homework assignment in a single night. Unlike homework, which could be done carelessly, this required absolute precision. A single oversight could cost the entire city its life.

"There are no other options; we have to use this method. The sooner we start, the better," said Liao Yuan.

"Sigh. Let’s do it," Gao Cheng sighed. "I never imagined that after joining the Tribunal, I’d still be working overtime to solve cases! This is just..."

Many members of the Tribunal had transitioned from the military, police, or judicial departments, especially those in middle and senior management. Clearly, the United Human Government trusted those from within the system, as their backgrounds were well-known, and the work was similar to what they had done before. Gao Cheng was a former criminal investigator, so he was well-versed in such matters. Previously, investigating the movements of dozens of people would have involved the entire department. Now, they barely had anyone. Even with the use of supernatural abilities, it would be exhausting.

In truth, they could still mobilize some manpower, just as Wu Hui had mobilized the unawakened twins and Wang Xiaodie. But that relied on personal connections—the kind of die-hard friends who would act without even asking why. The number of such people was certainly small.

In the increasingly chaotic city, the awakened were struggling to save the world. Wu Hui looked up at the black clouds overhead: "This cannot go on. Everyone is a potential enemy, susceptible to the corruption of the black clouds, yet there are so few true awakened ones."

The fastest and simplest way for now was to find those dangerous individuals and eliminate them. Ke Wenbei had already taken on this task, though it was unclear how much longer it would take. This guy had a strange talent for investigation and deduction; it didn't seem to rely purely on intellect but was mixed with a great deal of intuition. Intuition was often a simplified logic of the body. It was real; some people could look at a math problem and write down the correct answer without calculating it—or rather, they couldn't explain the calculation process themselves.

Ke Wenbei, who had stayed up until dawn with his cousin, let out a yawn. He believed he had already narrowed down the scope of his targets.