Erik stood in front of the black wooden door. He then reached out to twist the doorknob, but it wouldn't budge.
The door was clearly locked. Frowning, Erik gave it another push, but it remained firmly shut. He glanced around, making sure no one was watching, before he leaned in closer to examine the door.
As he observed it, Erik noticed a small electronic panel nestled discreetly beside the doorknob. It had a sleek design, with buttons and a digital display. Intrigued, Erik's curiosity got the better of him, and he pressed a button on the panel.
To his surprise, the digital display lit up, revealing a keypad. Erik's mind raced as he quickly assessed the situation. He didn't have the access code but had something better: the biological supercomputer.
<System, unlock the door,> the young man told the biological supercomputer.
[UNDERSTOOD. ACCESSING THE DEVICES. DOOR UNLOCKED.]
Immediately after, Erik heard a click, and after a slow push, the young man opened the door enough to peek inside. Investigator Hais's apartment was a chaotic scene of disarray, and as the awakener peeked inside, he was immediately struck by the mess that greeted him.
Trash was littered everywhere, scattered across the floor in crumpled paper, empty food containers, and discarded items. The stench of stale food and unwashed dishes hung heavy in the air, making Erik wrinkle his nose in disgust.
The furniture in the apartment was in a sorry state. A broken chair lay overturned, its wooden frame splintered, while a cracked coffee table was piled high with clutter. Books and papers were strewn haphazardly, some torn and crumpled, as if they had been thrown in frustration. The walls were lined with notes and scribbled diagrams, evidence of Hais's obsessive research.
It looked like no one was in sight, so the young man stepped in, but not before putting his mask on.
<System, are you still turning off all the cameras right?>
[ANSWER: YES. THE HOST'S SAFETY IS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE.]
<Good.> Like that, the young man stepped inside, carefully walking in order to avoid being seen or making too much noise. As the young man moved deeper into the apartment, he noticed some cracked windows, allowing a chilly draft to seep in.
The curtains were drawn, casting the room in a gloomy light. The entire area felt abandoned, as if Hais had become so preoccupied with his work that he had forgotten about his well-being.
Erik cautiously moved through the cluttered apartment, keeping an eye out for any signs of Investigator Hais. He had managed to slip in undetected, but he knew he had to pay attention or be discovered.
When he analyzed the older man, he found out that, purely based on his stats, he would be able to kill him since the investigator was strangely weak for his level, which should have been around the MI level, but had abnormally high intelligence, which was around the 100 points, a scary amount considering Hais was only average in terms of rank.
So, if Erik wanted to win, he had to play his cards well. The most concerning matter was Hais's brain crystal power, which was still unknown by now.
However, since statistics usually depended on one's brain crystal power, it was clear that Hais's power was related to intelligence. It was probably why he was able to find out he was the one who killed the four young men and did not have those high physical statistics.
Aside from that and his military training, thanks to his multiple powers, there was no reason why he shouldn't be able to win against him; besides, with Nathaniel's power, he would be able to gain an advantage if things went wrong.
Erik had tested that power a couple of times; it wasn't easy to use it, at least not at Nathaniel's level, but at least he would be able to increase his speed and power a little bit. However, that wasn't how Erik wanted to fight; he planned to use Logan's power to weaken the old man and kill him easily by producing a poison that would reduce his strength. That was his usual strategy, and since it worked well despite his low amount of mana, he didn't want to try another one against this kind of opponent.
As he scanned the messy apartment, Erik couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. Trash was littered everywhere, broken furniture lay in disarray, and papers were strewn across every surface. It was clear that Hais was not a tidy person, and the state of his home seemed to reflect the turmoil that must have been going on in his mind. It was the investigator's mental state that made him uneasy.
Erik crept, trying to remain unseen and unheard, and started looking at the papers around him. As he searched through Hais's belongings, Erik couldn't help but be impressed but also scared by the amount of information and evidence that Hais had collected about him, Conal, Logan, Orson, and Nathaniel.
The investigator had created an organized chaos of notes, photographs, and newspaper clippings, all meticulously arranged on a large corkboard on one wall. Erik could see that Hais had been tirelessly piecing together a puzzle, connecting dots and unraveling the mystery of the four guys' deaths, and everything was linked to him.
Erik's curiosity was piqued as he studied the evidence before him. He could see that Hais had been diligently tracking the movements and activities of the missing individuals, trying to make sense of their connections and the circumstances surrounding their disappearances. There was a huge section dedicated to what he did.
Erik couldn't help but wonder why Hais was so invested in this case and what had led him to become so obsessed with it.
As the young man continued his search, he stumbled upon an old newspaper tucked away in a corner. His curiosity was piqued, and he picked it up and read a faded article. It was about the death of a child named George, who had died 45 years ago.
The article mentioned that the child's surname was Hais and that he had tragically passed away at a young age. The article said that he had been beaten to death by bullies at school and that the police did nothing to them, who kept living as if nothing had happened.
<Is this the reason why he is so invested in the case?> Erik asked himself.
As Erik pieced together the clues, he couldn't help but feel a mixture of pity and admiration for Hais. It was evident that a deep sense of purpose had driven him, but it had come at a great personal cost. The disorganized apartment, the compulsive research, and the newspaper article all painted a picture of a man whose search for answers had consumed him.
As Erik continued his search, he suddenly heard the bathroom door creak open. He froze in place, listening intently. He could hear the sound of someone moving inside.
It was Hais, who had just taken a long shit, apparently, since the toilet flush could be heard from the room Erik was in. The awakener's heart raced as he searched for a place to hide. And after spotting it, he quickly went behind the couch before catching a glimpse of Hais emerging from the bathroom. The investigator looked haggard and worn, his eyes bloodshot and his face pale.
The old man quickly went to his desk and sat on a chair. The man quickly started to work and began reading some papers he had in front of himself while his PC turned on.
Erik crouched in the shadows, hidden from view, as he watched Investigator Hais deeply engrossed in his work, pouring over stacks of papers and scribbling notes furiously. Erik started channeling mana through his neural links so slowly that Hais couldn't notice the accumulation of mana in Erik's hand behind the couch; his eyes were fixed on Hais, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. The man was too absorbed in his work to notice him peeking.
Hais was a formidable adversary, and Erik needed to catch him off guard if he wanted to have any chance of killing him.
As he waited for the dart to be formed, Erik couldn't help but feel a surge of adrenaline coursing through his veins. This was a risky situation, but he had come too far to turn back now. He had to take the chance.
From his vantage point, Erik could see Hais's face up close. The lines of concentration furrowed his brow, and the intensity in his eyes was palpable. It was clear that the investigator was deeply absorbed in his research, pouring over the details with keen interest.
The awakener also noticed a hint of frustration in his expression, as if he were missing a crucial piece of the puzzle. The furrow in his brow deepened, and he tapped his pen impatiently on the desk, lost in thought.
Finally, the moment his dart was ready and filled with enough mana arrived. Hais leaned back in his chair, taking a deep breath and stretching his arms. Erik's heart pounded in his chest as he saw the opportunity he had been waiting for.
He quickly jolted out of his hiding place, and with a quick and precise motion, the young man threw the dart toward Hais, watching it sail through the air and hit its mark.
Hais's eyes widened in surprise as the dart entered his flesh, and he was even more surprised as soon as he recognized the mask the guy in front of him was wearing.
"YOU!" Hais shouted. However, he quickly observed what the man was wearing; it was the Red Palace's uniform.
"So, I was right..." Hais said while trying to understand what Erik did. He just threw something at him, and he started feeling a foreign poisonous mana inside of him, trying to take over. That left the investigator deeply confused. Didn't Erik have a sharpening power? What the hell was happening? Could he have been wrong the whole time?
"You were, but that doesn't matter anymore now. The poison already seeped in," Erik replied.
"I am?!" the investigator asked in confusion.
(A.N: I will be on a 2-3 day trip to Rome starting tomorrow. There won't be any problems with the chapter uploads, but it will only be 1 chapter a day.)
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