He nodded and answered, "Yes, Officer Hawk, if possible, I hope you can capture him alive. The Cannibal Demon is notoriously infamous in Nevada. Catching him alive to face a public trial would pacify the hearts of those frightened citizens."

Upon hearing this, Hawk lowered his head to hide the dissatisfaction in his eyes.

Pacify the frightened citizens, my ass. These two FBI jerks clearly thought that capturing the twisted Cannibal Demon alive would better showcase their abilities. But to capture him alive required the use of non-lethal weapons. Such a demand would put the patrolling officers involved in the operation at greater risk. In any case, I've made up my mind. Once the operation starts, I'll slack off with my brothers, preferring to forsake that bit of assistance credit rather than take any unnecessary risks.

To avoid any prolonged complications, after Merck had arranged the operation, he led the local patrol officers to get their gear. In four or five cars, they headed to Yamaguchi Yuko's estate, number 34 in Blum Town, a suburb of Los Angeles.

「...」

While Merck and his team were in action, Dean, wearing a pale mask, had already appeared inside estate number 34 in Blum Town. He wandered through the silent garden under the moonlight, his nose twitching as he gently inhaled the surrounding floral scents before slowly exhaling, his lips curling upward. "Such a beautiful place," he murmured, "it's a shame there's a stench of decay."

There was an indistinct putrid smell in the air. If not for senses far superior to an average person's, this scent, buried under the dirt and masked by the fragrance of flowers, would be difficult to detect.

Dean glanced at the pitch-black estate buildings, then turned around and followed the faintly odd scent amidst the flowers to what might be a gardener's cottage. The cottage wasn't large, covering just eight or nine square meters and raised a hand's breadth from the ground, with a heating exhaust fan hanging outside. Standing there, one could faintly hear snoring from inside. Dean tilted his head, scanning the still-buzzing heating exhaust fan. He lingered for a moment, then turned to leave.

This is a trap. The snoring, repeating in thirty-second cycles, is more likely played back by an electronic device than someone actually sleeping inside. Just as Yamaguchi Yuko intended to use the Cannibal Demon, the Cannibal Demon doesn't fully trust Yamaguchi Yuko. Upon arrival, he 'renovated' and 'fed' here as he deemed necessary.

After leaving the back garden, Dean walked a hundred or so meters to a path leading out of the small town.

He's confirmed the Cannibal Demon is in this town, but not in the estate!

According to the feedback from his Tracking skill, dust lay on several entrances and windows inside estate number 34, indicating that no one had entered or left in at least four days. The same was true for the estate's basement.

This means that after the Cannibal Demon 'fed,' out of caution, he set up warning traps in Yamaguchi Yuko's estate and then left with the supplies he'd gathered here.

Considering the Cannibal Demon's trap-laying behavior, he's sure the other party hasn't gone far.

This small town, due to its geographic location, was home to many retired wealthy people. It was usually very quiet, with few outsiders visiting.

For the Cannibal Demon, if he wanted, there are plenty of places to take up residence. Of course, if he's cautious enough, he's more likely to pick an uninhabited estate as a place to hide and live.

「...」

Dean, wearing a ghastly white mask, walked along the cobblestone path through the woods. He passed by small estates with gardens and eventually stopped at the entrance to a small estate near the town's entrance.

"Estate Number 2..." he murmured, his gaze sweeping over the sign outside the door and the mailbox entwined with dry vines. With a leap of nearly two meters, he effortlessly vaulted and landed inside the estate.

A normal estate, even if its owners don't reside there, would have regular maintenance. Utility bills for water and electricity would be in the mailbox, making it convenient for gardeners and others to seek reimbursement from the owners. But after a tour, he hadn't found any small estate that fit this description. Only Estate Number 2. The gate bears deep rust marks, and the garden shows signs of recent renovation, as though it had been vacant for a long time and is now being prepared for use again.

It was now the end of February. The climate in Los Angeles wasn't great; the temperature difference between day and night could exceed twenty degrees.

Normally, even if someone wanted to move back in, they would renovate the garden and plant different decorative plants later, not rush to do so. Considering the small size of the town, the Cannibal Demon would need a suitable identity to live comfortably and operate openly.

Dean suspected he had disguised himself as the new gardener.

Following the newly renovated lawn, Dean approached the gardener's cabin. When he was a few meters away, he pulled an unidentified plant stem from nearby, held it in front of him, and cautiously moved closer to the cabin, step by step. After about three meters, suddenly, the half-meter-long stem in Dean's hand tilted without any wind, as if an unseen barrier in the empty space before him had stopped its lower half. At the same time, a subtle CLICK came from the soil beneath his feet.

Dean immediately stopped. Holding the stem, he slowly retreated, then crouched down and inspected carefully. Indeed, at shin height, he discovered a spiderweb-shaped tripwire made of invisible, transparent filaments.

Nailed it! The Cannibal Demon is in Estate Number 2!

An exposed trap loses its intended effect.

Dean followed these filaments and eventually, at a corner of the cabin, took down a pile of tin cans. After checking once more to ensure there were no other traps, he was just about to continue approaching the cabin, a mere meter away.

Suddenly, CLICK!

Inside the cabin, there was the sound of a pull-cord.

The next moment, the previously dark cabin lit up with an orange glow. At the same time, a voice with a strange but rhythmic cadence came from inside,

"What's up?"

"The hounds have come, but they won't find me... Is Yamaguchi Yuko okay?"

"Got it!"

"If you still want to recruit me, then help me save her!"

"Hate? Why hate? I don't resent her for trying to frame me. On the contrary, I admire her act of devouring her lover. She's the follower with the most potential I've ever seen, and I'm deeply fascinated by her."

「...」

Outside the cabin, Dean heard the male voice from inside.

Someone is tipping him off! Yamaguchi Yuko has been captured. For safety's sake, Merck is bound to act tonight. My original plan was also very simple and crude: subdue the Cannibal Demon, wait for Merck and his men to arrive, then deliberately fire a shot to provoke their retaliation, and use their bullets to kill the Cannibal Demon. I didn't expect this windfall. The person tipping off the Cannibal Demon must be involved in Yamaguchi Yuko's case to know her situation immediately after her capture. And although I didn't hear the other end of the call, from the Cannibal Demon's responses, the informant must also be very clear about Merck's operation for the Demon to be so sure he won't be caught. Only Merck's colleagues and the patrol officers involved in the operation know about it. This person is a ticking time bomb. After dealing with the Cannibal Demon, I'll take care of him too!

Inside the cabin, the voice ceased, replaced by the sound of creaking footsteps. A moment later, CREAK. The door to the gardener's cabin opened, and an 'old man' in a simple burlap shirt emerged, his back hunched.

The 'old man' looked up at the silver disk overhead, grinned, and muttered darkly, "Hounds, I hope you like the gift I left at Estate Number 34."

Having said that, he straightened his back, which seemed somewhat unnatural for him, and prepared to leave this temporary shelter.

The next moment, a hand silently pressed onto the 'old man's' neck and squeezed hard. Before the 'old man' could react, his vision went dark, and his body slumped.

Having subdued him, information immediately flashed through Dean's mind: "Apprehended the Nevada Cannibal Demon. Experience Points +2,200. L17 → L18. Attribute Points +1. Skill Points +1."

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