Superhunt

Chapter 28: "This place is far from peaceful"

When Jonathan returned home, he glanced at the digital clock; it was now past midnight.

Perfect, he had finished his second job of the night without staying up all night, allowing him to get a luxurious six hours of sleep.

The digital clock displayed the time and date: July 31, 2086, 00:28.

This was Jonathan's fifth day since he had traveled to the Second World.

Tomorrow would be August, leaving only eight days until the bombing plan was officially executed and eleven days until the Kraken's official landing.

Jonathan removed his dirty clothes, wrapped them in a garbage bag, and planned to find an opportunity to dispose of them. The clothes were covered in blood and flesh, and although Fox had washed them, they still smelled blood.

Fox was sitting in the living room, tidying up the equipment, while Jonathan went to change clothes and take a shower.

Jonathan filled the bathtub with water and soaked it to relax his tense muscles. The two super abilities he gained tonight - Blood Burn and Flesh Regeneration - were very useful. Blood burn could be damaging to the body and unsuitable for experimentation, but Flesh Regeneration was incredibly practical.

Jonathan grabbed the razor from the shelf next to the bathtub and made a small cut on his finger. A bead of blood oozed out, and the shallow wound healed within a second. The cut skin closed up, leaving smooth, unblemished skin after wiping away the blood.

Then He took the razor again and stabbed it deep into his palm, cutting through flesh and blood. Blood streamed from the gash, dripping down his wrist into the bathwater.

This time, the wound took longer to heal, about five or six seconds. Tiny, wriggling bits of flesh reconnected the cut, and the broken tissue rejoined, with the newly formed skin showing a hint of pink.

Jonathan's shoulders relaxed as he leaned back in the bathtub, half-closed eyes, breathing deeply. The Flesh Regeneration ability further enhanced his survival capabilities, making all the fatigue and risks of the night worthwhile.

The non-stop day and night high work left Jonathan exhausted. Unknowingly, he fell asleep while leaning against the bathtub.

Fox finished organizing the equipment and lay on the sofa, lost in thought. As a competent subordinate, he was always obedient, doing whatever his boss ordered. He really wanted to sleep at this moment, but Jonathan hadn't finished his shower yet. Perhaps after the shower, Jonathan would give him some tasks for the night, such as conducting an investigation or something.

So Fox forced himself to stay awake. After waiting an hour without hearing any noise from the bathroom or seeing Jonathan come out, he got up, puzzled, and knocked on the door, "Hey! What's going on?"

Jonathan, who was in the bathtub, woke up immediately and sat up, saying, "I'm fine."

Relieved by his response, Fox returned to the living room and continued to sit on the sofa.

Ten minutes later, Jonathan came out, toweling his hair. He had washed away the pungent smell of blood, feeling much refreshed.

"Is there any task for tonight?" Fox asked, mindful of his work.

"Tonight's task is to sleep," Jonathan said, pouring himself a glass of water and downing it. "We made too much noise killing the Snake python, and the coastal security team will investigate. To be safe, we shouldn't go out for now."

"I like sleep tasks," Fox said, wrapping himself in a blanket and lying down in the most comfortable position.

He was quite tall, and when not curled up, his feet would stretch beyond the sofa. Fox's breathing became steady within a few seconds, and he had already fallen asleep.

Jonathan returned to his room and activated his wristband. Red had sent a new message.

"The body has been recovered and sent back to headquarters for analysis. This is a rare opportunity for a dissection sample of a god-blood individual, but you blew up his head with a bomb, so the body is incomplete. You didn't have to do that."

Jonathan replied, "I'll be more careful next time."

Red: "Be more discreet, Richguy."

"How is Rose's injury?" Jonathan asked after some thought.

"She had surgery, and her right hand is being prepared for a prosthetic replacement. She needs a day of rest before continuing on missions," Red said. "According to her, a red threadworm had burrowed into her flesh, forcing her to cut off her hand. The worm was placed on her by the Snake python."

"Let me know when you have the results," Jonathan said.

The time on the wristband jumped to 01:32.

Jonathan climbed into bed and burrowed into the covers, closing his eyes to review the day's gains. He had passed the interview, completed the training, dined with his teammates, and killed the Snake Python.

The fulfilling day was ending, and Jonathan felt a sense of relief as he lay in bed because he had personally eliminated an enemy who had tried to kill him.

Although the identity of the person behind the Snake Python was still unclear, it was a good start. At least for tonight, he can get a good night's sleep and leave the rest for consideration after waking up.

...

The next morning at seven, Jonathan opened his bedroom window to let in some fresh air.

The air in the coastal city always carried a fishy, salty smell from the sea. Jonathan was not like this scent; even before traveling to the second world, he had been a born and bred coastal resident.

Today was sunny, and the morning light illuminated Black Sea City. With the darkness receding, Jonathan's mood brightened up like the weather.

"I hate sunny days. I hate the sun," Fox grumbled, looking sullen.

For breakfast, Jonathan had a bowl of cereal with milk. As he stuffed cereal into his mouth, his communicator beeped – Moss had sent him today's schedule in advance.

Since the Seventh Squad was collectively assigned to port duty, he didn't have to rush to the investigation building by monorail in the morning. Instead, he could go directly to the Coastal Security Team's office at the port. Moss's email thoughtfully marked the location of the Coastal Security office, and even the best route from Jonathan's home to the office had been calculated.

The email ended with a friendly note: Today is sunny at 38 degrees Celsius. Outdoor patrols on the coast may cause sunburn, so it is recommended to apply sunscreen.

"I don't think I have any sunscreen at home..." Jonathan muttered to himself.

"Sunscreen? I have some," Fox said, lifting his face from his cereal bowl. "I have a lot of sunscreens." He pulled a tube out of his pocket and handed it to Jonathan. "Here, you can use this."

"umm, Thanks," Jonathan said, puzzled.

"My skin lacks melanin, so it can't protect against ultraviolet rays. I have to use sunscreen," Fox complained. "Every time I go on a mission, I must be fully armed and wrapped up tightly. It's so troublesome... Some sunscreens have poor water resistance, while the ones with good water resistance are expensive. I prefer working at night. At least there's no sunlight."

No wonder he hated sunny days and the sun. Such weather was indeed unfriendly to albinos like him.

After breakfast, Jonathan applied sunscreen to his face and arms. Fox also applied sunscreen much more meticulously than Jonathan, taking care of every nook and cranny, including his neck, behind his ears, and his ankles. After applying the sunscreen, he carefully put on his mask and a long-sleeved jacket and pulled down the hood. A hat was essential for protecting the scalp from the sun.

"I'm ready. What are the instructions for today?" Fox asked, fully prepared.

"Follow the original plan. Go to Dock 5 to scan and collect data, then send it back to headquarters to analyze the load-bearing column locations," Jonathan said. "Rose is recovering from her injuries, so you'll have to do much."

Fox accepted the responsibility without complaint. "Alright, I got it."

Dock 5 was a floating harbor with many structures built on the water. Floating sections were supported by load-bearing columns and anchored. Sending Fox, who possessed super abilities related to water, to scan the dock would significantly increase efficiency.

Jonathan left for the Coastal Security Team's office, which was not far from his home – a 20-minute walk. The morning temperature was not too high, and the walk could be considered a pleasant stroll.

The Coastal Security office was not as grand as the investigation building. It was a relatively small three-story building surrounded by security cameras and a steel fence.

When Jonathan arrived at the entrance, the security cameras pointed at him and recognized his facial information.

"Hello, Security Officer Jonathan, welcome to the Coastal Security office. I hope you enjoy working here," Moss's voice came at the right time.

Before, Moss would call him "Intern Security Officer Jonathan," but now that he had become a regular employee, Moss's title for him had changed.

The steel fence slid open, creating a passage for Jonathan. Upon entering, he realized the environment was not as good as the investigation building. The police cars didn't have dedicated parking pads and were parked on the ground. The training area was vast, but it was outdoors.

As he entered the first floor, Moss said, "You need to go to the patrol officers on the third floor to check-in. Your team leader will assign you specific patrol tasks."

When Jonathan opened the door to the office on the third floor, Martin, Luke, and Simon were already sitting inside.

"Good morning," Jonathan said.

"It's convenient to live nearby, isn't it? I remember you live around here, right?" Luke asked. "Robert's house is in the city center, far from here. I hope he doesn't arrive late."

Just as Luke finished speaking, Robert burst in, sweating profusely: "Why is the nearest stop to here the Baker Street Station? It takes tens of minutes to walk here. I had to run."

"That's because the harbor area is too poor, and the hover train coverage is not comprehensive," Jonathan shrugged.

"Leave earlier next time, Robert," Martin said. "I was initially worried about the security of Baker Street and wanted to ask Jonathan to apply for employee housing, but now that we've been transferred here, living in Baker Street has become more convenient."

"I'll apply for employee housing when we're transferred back to headquarters," Jonathan said.

Living in employee housing would undoubtedly make it difficult for him to contact Mechanical Dawn members or go out at any time. Baker Street was a better option, and with his high combat capabilities, he wasn't afraid of any trouble there.

Rotating teams carried out Coastal patrol work, and each team generally served a one-month shift. This meant that Team Seven could return to headquarters after completing a month of patrol duty here.

"By the way, did they ever catch the bastard who caused Jonathan's head injury?" Simon asked.

"No, we don't even know who he is," Martin looked at Jonathan. "Jonathan suffered a severe head injury and has no memory of the incident."

Jonathan lied without changing his expression, "Yeah, I can't remember anything... If I knew who he was, I would definitely make him pay."

The original "Security Officer Jonathan," replaced by a Mechanical Dawn undercover operative, had an accident at the harbor in the harbor area. At that time, a firefight suddenly broke out at the port, and some people were bombing the harbor while others were engaged in gunfights. It was extremely chaotic. The investigation department sent more personnel to the port to arrest those causing the chaos. "Security Officer Jonathan" followed several teams to provide support but unfortunately became a victim.

"Our coastal patrol is divided into sea patrols and land patrols. Sea patrols mainly involve checking whether ships are operating normally and if there are smuggling or trafficking vessels. Land patrols aim to maintain the security of the harbor," Martin said. "For now, Teams Six and Five are responsible for sea patrols, while we and other patrol personnel are responsible for land patrols."

"Please be cautious. Last night, there was another incident; someone was killed near the port. The attackers used heavy firearms, and we found nearly a hundred bullet casings at the scene. The victim's flesh and blood were blown several meters away by a bomb, but the body was missing. Someone removed the corpse, indicating that this was likely an organized and premeditated murder operation with multiple participants."

Robert asked, "Has the victim's identity been confirmed?"

"No records were found about his identity. He was unregistered, and no information could be found about him on the internet. The victim was a 'ghost' who did not exist in society," Martin said indifferently. "However, this is not something we need to worry about. The criminal investigation team will be responsible for the case, and last night, Team Leader Beyema personally went to the scene."

Jonathan's eyebrows twitched.

"The Beyema team leader personally took action?" Luke exclaimed.

Simon said, "After all, last night's commotion was quite significant, different from ordinary gang fights. Heavy firearms and bombs... These are not things that ordinary forces can get their hands on."

"Higher-ups have ordered the port to resume normal operations before August 5. We need to do our patrol work well and be prepared for any accidents that may occur during the port's repair process," Martin instructed. "Always wear your firearms and carry extra ammunition when going out on patrol... These are extraordinary times, and this place is far from peaceful."