America: The Cremator

"Of course I didn't do it," Su Long stepped back to the side, revealing Hannah who had been hiding in the shadows of the carriage: "It was our Ms. Hannah who killed the strange person."

"She's also a contract member in the task force; I think you might have even met her?"

Hannah, who was curled up in the back seat with the handkerchief she used to wipe her sweat in her hand, froze when she heard Su Long's words.

She had no choice but to look up and meet Elena's gaze, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace: "Hi, Captain... Good evening?"

Hearing Hannah address him, Surong's smile deepened: "So you two are on the same team. That's even better."

Elena looked at Hannah huddled in the car, a hint of surprise flashing across her cold, beautiful face, before quickly turning into anger: "Hannah? If I remember correctly, you were supposed to be on night patrol duty in the Third District tonight."

She strode over to the car and looked down at the girl who was trying to squeeze herself into the gap between the seats: "Why are you in this godforsaken place? Don't tell me you've taken on some side job behind the police's back again."

Hannah avoided Elena's gaze somewhat guiltily, nervously twisting her slightly dirty handkerchief between her fingers: "Senior Jack said there was nothing unusual tonight, and he could cover my shift, so I... I switched shifts with him..."

Elena let out a helpless sigh, rubbed her temples, seemingly troubled by her subordinate's behavior: "Never mind, I'll settle this score with you when we get back."

She steered the conversation back on track, her gaze lingering on Hannah's pale face: "So, what Mr. Suron said is true? You killed that C-rank anomaly with illusion abilities?"

Are you sure no one is offering you help?

Hannah glanced instinctively at Suron standing to the side, only to find him looking up at the sky as if there was something worth studying about the dark clouds there.

She swallowed hard and could only nod, her voice weak: "Yes, Captain, I took him down."

Elena crossed her arms and tapped her fingers lightly on her tactical vest, clearly having reservations about the claim.

"You're just a D-rank exorcist, Hannah. Your spiritual vision level is shockingly low. How could you possibly take down a high-ranking C-rank monster?"

"Luck, pure luck," Hannah explained with a laugh, cold sweat breaking out on her forehead again. "That thing seemed to be in a weakened state, and most of its power was confined to the dream world. I just happened to find its weakness."

Elena didn't press the matter further and turned to look at the tent.

"What about the corpses that were sacrificed? And the victim who served as a vessel?"

When the topic of the body's disposal came up, Surong had to interject, "They're all gone. When we woke up from that damned nightmare, the tent was empty."

"I find it strange too. Perhaps that monster devoured and digested all that flesh and blood to replenish its energy before it died."

Elena gave Sulong a deep look, as if trying to find some flaw in his calm face, but in the end she gave up.

She waved to the two soldiers behind her, and together they walked towards the location of the tent: "Seal off the scene and start collecting evidence. Even the dust on the ground must be swept back for testing."

Hannah watched Elena's retreating figure and asked, "Captain, what about the reward for eliminating the monster...?"

Upon hearing this, Elena turned around and looked at Hannah.

"Don't worry, if it's confirmed that you were the one who killed him, you'll definitely get your share of the bounty for the C-level target."

Upon hearing the affirmative answer, Hannah's previously gloomy eyes instantly brightened, and she even straightened her back a bit: "Thank you, Captain!"

Elena ignored the group and led her men straight to the tent to set up a perimeter.

Surong watched the busy figures of the task force members, then turned to Hannah: "Oh my, I never expected you to work under her."

Hannah said, "Hey, Suron, do you know her too?"

Su Long nodded: "Yes, she was the one who saved me when I encountered something strange before."

Then, Surong looked at Stella and asked, "Professor, now that this place has been taken over by these officials, shouldn't we leave?"

Stella glanced at Elena, who was directing the scene, nodded, and turned to open the driver's side door of the Wrangler.

Follow my car.

Surong and Hannah climbed into the crematorium van together and followed the black Wrangler. The two vehicles drove away from the deserted and quiet parking lot and merged into the sparse traffic on the main road.

About twenty minutes later, the vehicle entered an upscale residential area near Ravenna Park.

The streets here are clean and tidy, lined with neatly trimmed maple trees, and each house is spaced appropriately apart, ensuring privacy while also reflecting the social status of the residents.

Stella's residence is a typical modern-style two-story detached house with little renovation on the exterior, bearing a hint of wear and tear and a sense of history.

The vehicle drove into the garage, and the roller shutter door slowly closed, shutting out the sound of the wind and rain outside.

Su Long turned off the engine, opened the door and got out of the car, and was greeted by a dry dehumidifier smell.

The three walked through the hallway connecting to the garage and entered the living room.

Unlike the casual and simple exterior, the interior is quite exquisite. The floor is made of dark gray micro-cement, and most of the furniture is a combination of metal and glass with sharp lines. All the items are neatly arranged, just like Stella's personality: calm, simple, and precise.

In Sulong's view, this place is more like a private biological laboratory than a home to live in.

Hannah stood at the entrance, looking somewhat uneasy. She looked at the spotless floor beneath her feet, then at her mud-covered boots, and hesitated to take a step.

"No need to take off your shoes, a housekeeping service company will come to take care of it tomorrow."

Stella casually remarked, then walked straight to a storage cabinet in the corner of the living room and took out a silver-white briefcase.

Hannah then cautiously walked to the dark black leather sofa, but still dared not sit down completely, only leaning against the edge.

Stella opened her suitcase and took out a strangely shaped head-mounted device, which was connected to various complex electrode patches and wires, looking like a torture device from a science fiction movie.

"This is a neuro-cranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) device, which can regulate the neural activity of the cerebral cortex through magnetic field pulses of a specific frequency. It is very effective in relieving neurotransmitter disorders caused by psychological trauma."

As she explained, she skillfully applied the electrode patches to Hannah's forehead and temples, then put the heavy helmet on her head.

"You might feel a slight tingling sensation; that's the current stimulating your synapses. Just bear with it; it will take about forty minutes."

As the instrument started, a low humming sound rang out. Hannah's body trembled slightly, then she relaxed, closed her eyes, and her breathing gradually became steady.

After dealing with Hannah, Stella straightened up and glanced at Suron, who was standing to the side observing the room's furnishings.

"Mr. Surong, please wait here for a moment."

She glanced down at her shirt, which was still stained with mud and some unknown liquid, and frowned in disgust.

"I need to take a shower now; the smell of rotting corpses is seeping into my pores. You can look around as you like, but don't touch my lab equipment."

After saying that, she turned and walked towards the stairs to the second floor. Her high heels clicked crisply and rhythmically on the hard stair treads, and she quickly disappeared around the corner of the stairs.

Su Long stood alone in the empty and deserted living room, listening to the monotonous buzzing of the magnetic therapy device, his gaze sweeping over an anatomical diagram hanging on the wall.

The drawing is extremely detailed, with the direction of each blood vessel clearly visible. Below it is a line of Latin text in cursive script: Mors est principium (Death is the beginning).

This woman has very peculiar taste.

……

Meanwhile, outside the tent in the green belt, Elena and the others waited impatiently.

Soon, two people wearing hazmat suits came out.

"Captain Elena, the scene has been cleaned up very thoroughly. Apart from this broken statue of the Smiling Virgin Mary, there is nothing else left."

"Based on the clothing left at the scene, the scene should match the report received by the morgue, which stated that there were six bodies, but they have all now disappeared."

Elena frowned: "This doesn't seem like the disappearance state after being devoured by a strange entity..."

The team member nodded, then asked, "So... Captain, do you think Hannah was telling the truth?"

Elena narrowed her eyes: "Suron doesn't want to stand out too much, while Hannah really wants the prize money. They are naturally likely to cooperate."

"In my opinion, that guy Su Long is still hiding!"