Stored Food

Tu Ran nodded and turned to Deng Changtai. "Tell us more about the situation inside the castle, and send us the layout as well."

"The layout has already been sent to Zero. Zero will guide you based on your real-time positions. As for what's inside, take a look at this."

Deng Changtai swiped a few times on his communicator, and a holographic display flickered to life before the three of them. Judging by the angle, it was footage from a surveillance camera in the corner of a room, showing a bedroom.

"This is footage our technicians managed to crack from the castle's surveillance system."

In the hologram, the bedroom was luxurious, decorated in a classical European style. In this world, anyone with a home furnished like this was either wealthy or powerful.

On an ornate four-poster bed, a man lay sprawled haphazardly. His eyes were wide open, gaze vacant, pointed directly at the surveillance camera. Near his heart was a dark, gaping hole, as if a claw had torn through his chest and ripped it out. His white shirt was stained with large patches of red, but too much time had passed, and the blood had oxidized to black. Blood had seeped from beneath his body, pooling on the sheets and the floor like a river of red.

"He is Mira Wells's husband. He was the one who called the police first, saying his wife had mutated. Unfortunately, by the time our people arrived, he was already dead."

Deng Changtai pulled up a few other images. "This is Mira Wells's eldest son. His heart was also ripped out."

In the image, a man lay on the floor, a submachine gun beside his hand. Spent bullet casings were scattered around him. He had tried to shoot his mutated mother but hadn't succeeded.

Min Tao asked with difficulty, "Does the mutated Mira Wells like eating human hearts?"

"Yes," Deng Changtai nodded. "The extreme protest organization's development of the miracle drug wasn't thorough. Humans who drink it become more beast-like and develop strange quirks. Mira Wells's quirk is treating human hearts as a delicacy."

Deng Changtai didn't elaborate further on that quirk. Because they were about to reach Jing Lake. He quickly briefed Tu Ran and the others on their mission.

"Mira Wells's family had four members. Two are dead now, but there's still a younger son alive."

The hologram switched to a view of an endless stretch of green lawn, with an ancient, thick tree standing in the very center. A young boy was hanging upside down from the tree, eyes closed, letting the wind rustle his white clothes. It was unclear whether he was alive or dead.

"He is Mira Wells's youngest son, Das, nineteen years old, a sophomore in college. When he learned his mother had bought a bottle of the miracle drug from the extremist protestors, he rushed back from school overnight to stop her, but the already insane Mira Wells hung him from the branches."

"She didn't kill him? Did Mira Wells recognize that he was her youngest son?"

Deng Changtai shook his head. "It seems she's treating him as stored food. There are other servants in the castle hanging from high places like Das too."

"Our security forces sent two squads into the castle to rescue the survivors. The first squad made it out safely, rescuing thirteen servants from the castle. The second squad wasn't so lucky—Mira Wells found them, and all twelve guards in that squad were killed." Deng Changtai's expression was mournful.

"Due to Federation requirements, we can't use weapons with too much destructive power, and regular bullets can't pierce her. The Federation's few laser guns have all been lent to other places. We didn't dare send more squads in. One by one, the remaining survivors in the castle were found by Mira Wells—some had their hearts ripped out and eaten, others were hung up as stored food."

"Once you go in, your only task is to capture Mira Wells. The survivors will be rescued by our people."

"Understood." The three of them nodded.

The patrol car landed, and Tu Ran and her group stepped out. A security guard from the Executive Department approached and whispered a few words into Deng Changtai's ear. Tu Ran, meanwhile, took in the scenery around her.

No wonder it was called Jing Lake. From where they stood, the first thing visible was a blue lake reflecting the sky above. The water was so clear and bright that Tu Ran felt a dizzying sense of returning to her hometown—a world untouched by pollution.

Mira Wells's castle stood on an island at the center of the lake. In front of the castle was a lush green lawn, with a single tree standing abruptly in the middle, impossible to miss. Tu Ran squinted into the distance and saw a figure hanging from the branches. From this distance, they looked as small as a cucumber dangling from a twig.

The Executive Department guards were stationed all around the lake, not a single one on the lawn leading to the center of the lake.

Deng Changtai walked up from behind her, his expression somewhat odd. "I just received orders from above. They want you to capture Mira Wells without damaging the building."

Min Tao was the first to protest. "We can understand not being allowed to kill Mira Wells, but now you're telling us not to damage the castle's structures?! Are we supposed to fight a genetically modified human while worrying about whether we might kick a vase to pieces?"

Sweat kept beading on Deng Changtai's shiny bald head. He pulled out a handkerchief, wiped at it, and said with difficulty, "This... this is an order from above. There's noth... nothing I can do."

Wasn't his life hard enough? He couldn't afford to offend either side.

"Why? We should at least be given a reason for this." Tu Ran looked at Deng Changtai.

"Because this castle is the Wells family's old residence, where the first patriarch of the Wells family lived. It's just that Mira Wells's family is currently staying here. The current head of the Wells family doesn't want this old mansion to be destroyed because of Mira Wells." Deng Changtai explained.

So it was the head of the Wells family who made this request. Tu Ran closed her eyes. She wanted to drag that old man named Stephen Wells over here and make him take a look at what his aunt had become! Given that Mira Wells had single-handedly taken on twelve guards, how could they possibly fight her without damaging the interior of the castle? She suspected he was deliberately making things difficult.

"We'll do our best." Tu Ran walked toward a long bridge that led to the castle at the center of the lake.

Many guards were gathered around the bridge, discussing strategies. When they saw Tu Ran and her group, they fell silent and turned to look at them.

"We'll keep Mira Wells occupied. You focus on rescuing the people. Once everyone is out, evacuate quickly. We'll handle the rest." Tu Ran gave rapid orders.

A guard who seemed to hold some rank stepped forward, glanced at Tu Ran, then at Min Tao and the other two behind her. "The three of you are enough?"