The past was built upon collecting unique characteristics.

As he looked at the newspaper report in his hand, Morian's brows gradually furrowed.

The blood was dried up, the victims were all young women, and the crimes occurred mainly at night. Based on these characteristics, the murderer is very likely a vampire.

Are there really vampires active in Bet City? Morian's eyes flickered slightly.

His understanding of vampires mostly came from books or legends, where they were described as cunning creatures lurking in the shadows, feeding on blood, possessing long lifespans and superhuman strength.

What's most terrifying is that this race will actively disguise themselves as humans and adapt to normal life, making it extremely difficult to discover their true identity.

They understand and abide by human "rules" and would never risk doing anything out of line.

Those who are often discovered and arrested are individuals who disregard the order of human society and act recklessly.

If it were a normal vampire, he might consider exchanging a drop of their blood through trade or other means.

But for someone with such heinous behavior, there would be no psychological burden if they were killed outright.

Thinking of this, Morian's gaze fell on the darkening sky outside the window.

It's nighttime now, the time when perpetrators are most active, and also the best opportunity for me to act.

"The blood of an ancient species..."

"Perhaps the information we have now is the most direct source of this material."

"In any case, it's best to go and see for yourself first," Morian muttered to himself, ending his brief moment of contemplation.

Before leaving, he stood up and went into the bedroom, took off his usual casual clothes, and changed into a relatively formal dark suit.

He put on the matching trench coat, straightened his collar in front of the mirror, and then pushed open the door and stepped into the darkness outside the office.

The city of Bet is very quiet at night, and even with police officers patrolling everywhere, absolute safety cannot be guaranteed.

Those desperados are capable of anything.

According to the location of the crime printed in the report, Morian came to the area called "Gentle Breeze Street".

This area is closer to the dock area, filled with abandoned warehouses and old houses, and is constantly affected by industrial pollution.

When I finally arrived at Xunfeng Street, I realized how remote it was.

Not only were the streets deserted, but the streetlights on both sides were also in disrepair, with only one working every few lights while the others were off.

Occasionally, one or two pedestrians would cross the street, but they would quicken their pace and leave hastily, not daring to linger here. This shows just how bad the public security situation has become.

Morian carefully observed his surroundings and found that the buildings nearby were arranged quite densely, with many old wooden houses close together, leaving a narrow alley.

It's no wonder the perpetrators chose this location, as the environment here is practically a natural hunting ground.

Just as he was about to continue walking forward, he suddenly noticed some lights and heard a commotion coming from somewhere.

Looking at the sign above, it turns out that this is a 24-hour bar.

Such places are often the best places to gather information.

The tavern was crowded and noisy; perhaps he could find something different there… Morian's lips curled into a smile, and he walked over there.

Pushing open the bar's double doors, a whiff of alcohol and tobacco assaults the nostrils, making those unaccustomed to it feel quite uncomfortable.

In stark contrast to the deserted scene outside, the inside was bustling with activity.

The dozen or so tables in the hall were almost full of people. Several men in cheap suits were playing cards around one of the tables, with shillings as the stakes.

The bar was located at the far end, where a well-dressed middle-aged man was wiping wine glasses with a cloth and nodded slightly to greet customers.

Morian made his way through the crowd and sat down on a high stool in front of the bar.

"A glass of whiskey, nothing added," he said casually, taking out a shilling and placing it on the bar.

"OK."

The middle-aged man who was the boss responded, took a bottle of dark wine from the wine rack behind him, poured a glass and pushed it over.

Immediately afterwards, the tavern owner pulled out a small dish from somewhere and pushed it next to the wine glass.

There was a small handful of peanuts on the plate. Morian paused briefly, clearly remembering that he hadn't ordered this snack.

You can't force me to buy something, can you? I'm not going to pay this money for nothing.

He looked up at the other person, about to refuse firmly, when he heard an explanation.

"This is complimentary, it's free," the shop owner added casually. "Every customer gets one."

Upon hearing this, Morian looked around at the other drinkers and indeed, almost every table had a small dish of peanuts.

Although pubs don't usually offer free snacks, the cost of these items is there anyway, and they are indeed a good way to attract customers.

"Young man, you don't live around here, do you?" The middle-aged man continued wiping the wine glass.

"Is this your first time drinking here?"

Morian did not answer immediately, but picked up his glass and took a sip.

Whiskey has a slightly spicy taste, but it's not a very strong liquor. Plus, the body's pheromones will dilute the alcohol, so you're unlikely to get drunk from it.

"You guessed right, I came from the main city area," Morian chuckled and said frankly.

After wiping the glass in his hand, the tavern owner slowly put it back in its place and said, "I thought so too. After all, we've been running this tavern for so long and have been giving away snacks every day. Our regular customers are used to it."

"Your business seems to be doing quite well?" Morian picked up a peanut and put it in his mouth; the taste was surprisingly alright.

"But there's not much profit," the man said, his gaze sweeping over the patrons in the bar. "Most of the people who come here are regulars; it's very rare to see an outsider like you."

Morian was not surprised by this answer, after all, the tavern was located in a relatively remote area, so there was naturally less foot traffic.

After carefully considering his words, he casually inquired about other things:

"Have there been several serious incidents on this street recently?"

"Yes, in the past month alone, three women have been murdered," the tavern owner nodded and sighed.

Morian thought for a moment, then pressed on:

"Have the police found any leads?"

"No, all I know is that the killer might be a psychopath who specifically targets young women." The boss said calmly, picking up the rag again to wipe the next glass. "I think he must be very familiar with the surroundings, managing to leave no trace whatsoever."

Indeed, the possibility that local residents committed the crime cannot be ruled out...

After taking a sip of his drink, Morian glanced thoughtfully around the shop, looking at the diverse crowd.

After a moment, he looked away and asked:

"Do these female victims share any common characteristics?"