My health recovery is incredibly fast.

This is a cursed place.

He's been dead for so many days and no one has noticed.

“Someone has been devoured.” Dunk’s face was grim. “That transformer devoured one more person than we expected.”

“Reinard, go and ask the children who lives in this room. Shazo, you check the room, don’t miss any place.”

Duncan fixed his pistol and flicked the coded ring.

Xia Zuo took off his sunglasses, put on gloves and shoe covers, and went into the room. The bloodstains on the low bed were the source of the toxins in the air.

Besides that...

What is that...?

Xia Zuo came to the only wooden table in the room, which was piled with old newspapers and cardboard, from which some toxins emanated.

He rummaged through the pile of waste paper and found a piece of old newspaper.

The crumpled newspaper had dried grease stains; someone had used it to wrap food like fried meat patties.

The oil stain was contaminated with the Transformer's bodily fluids—the markers used to locate and devour targets.

Under what circumstances would markers appear in the oil stains of food?

Xia Zuo simulated the process of buying cheap fried meat patties.

Let's assume the victim is someone who has been infected with the marker rather than someone who spreads it.

Um..

It seems that only the chef and the shop assistant who wrapped the fried meat patties could access the oil stains on the inside of the newspaper.

Xia Zuo took out a metal box, put the newspaper inside and sealed it, then put the bloodstains on the bed into another metal box.

"Captain, I've found some clues." Xia Zuo handed over a box containing newspapers and explained his speculation.

Leonard happened to walk over, and after Shazo finished speaking, he said:

"Captain, I've found out about that house. It's the house of a dockworker from Qianwan. His name is Bankoff, and he's lived there for two years. He's always lived alone, never bothered anyone, and never had any conflicts with anyone. He's always been a hard worker, carrying goods and doing manual labor."

After listening, Dunke thought for a moment and said:

"Reynard, ask the kids where there are cheap and plentiful fried meat patties around here, or other good quality, inexpensive, and juicy street stalls."

“Okay, Captain.” Leonard pulled a few colorful candies from his pocket and walked toward the eager children.

A series of footsteps could be heard downstairs.

Xia Zuo peeked out and saw more than a dozen police officers wearing badges and carrying disinfection airbags rushing into the stairwell. Several other police officers set up a cordon and guarded the exit of the U-shaped building.

A policeman with one bar and two flowers on his shoulder approached Deng Ke and started a conversation.

Leonard was still playing with the children.

Xia Zuo, on the contrary, became a relatively idle person.

His gaze swept around and landed on a little girl staring at him.

The little girl, having found courage from somewhere, stared with wide, bright eyes at Xia Zuo, who was wearing a black trench coat.

"Uncle, why are your eyes green?"

"Oh?" Xia Zuo was taken aback, realizing that he was still maintaining his toxin perception.

He squatted down to be at eye level with the little girl.

"How do I look? Aren't my eyes beautiful?"

and many more!

She can see magical light!

Xia Zuo used his perception technique on the little girl.

..

[Soil resistance] 0.2%

[Mental State] 9

..

Soil-based resistance is also resistance to toxins.

The toxins emanating from the room gave the little girl a slight resistance to earth-type elements.

And look at that 9-point Spirit attribute value!

She's definitely a promising candidate to learn alchemy!

Xia Zuo squinted and looked the little girl up and down. She was probably seven or eight years old, but if you considered malnutrition, she was no more than 10 years old.

In the Silvermoon Federation, 12 years old is the first year of school enrollment.

For the first three years after enrollment, students study foundational courses such as language, history, mathematics, and culture.

After that, there will be a basic course exam.

He failed the exam and had to repeat the course for three years.

If you pass the exam, you can then study professional skills courses for another 3 years, which will also require an exam.

This exam essentially determines a person's citizenship class upon reaching adulthood at age 18.

Six years of education from age 12 to 18 are free and take place in public schools near the community.

There is also preschool education for children under 12 years old.

But that cost... is definitely not something the residents of this slum-like building can afford.

Minors generally have two opportunities to be tested for mental health issues.

The first time was right after birth, when we tested for innate affinity.

The second time was when I was 12 years old and started school, when I was tested for natural affinity.

Xia Zuo's mind raced. He glanced at the colorful candies in Leonard's hand, then turned to the little girl and asked:

"Why don't you ask that uncle for some candy? Don't you like candy?"

"I...I like candy," the little girl said, biting her lower lip and looking down.

"But candy always runs out eventually. I'd rather not have those candies at all, and not think about them..."

Xia Zuo raised his eyebrows, never expecting that the little girl in front of him was so mature. She knew that short-term material satisfaction would only lead to greater greed, and she even knew how to regulate her mindset through abstinence.

"What's your name?" Xia Zuo asked with a smile.

The little girl felt that there was a captivating and wondrous rhythm in the other person's eyes, which shimmered with green light.

She looked up and met his gaze, then lowered her head again and said:

“I...I am Janice.”

“Hello, Janice. I’m Xia Zuo.” Xia Zuo extended his right hand.

Janice clasped her hands together in front of her, raised her right hand slightly, then put it back under her left, keeping her head down the whole time.

Xia Zuo noticed the darkness in her palm, calmly withdrew his right hand, carefully considered his tone, and said:

"Janice, look, we're catching bad guys here. You're doing a great job. I think you can help me with a question."

"Mmm." Janice nodded.

Xia Zuo pointed to the room where the deceased was:

"The room smells awful. So... did you see any black smoke or small black particles coming out from under the door?"

Janice looked up and said, "I've seen it. I think that black thing is dirty, so I always keep my distance."

"Do you remember which day it started that black, dirty stuff started floating out?" Xia Zuo asked.

“Hmm…” Janice lowered her head and rubbed the black mud on her hands.

“It was about two days ago. That evening, my mother came home and said that Uncle Banker had skipped work. I wanted to go and see if he was sick, but when I got to the door I found something dirty, so I went back inside.”

Two days ago, Bankoff skipped work… Xia Zuo nodded thoughtfully.

"Janice, wait for me here, don't go away, okay?"

"Uh-huh."

Janice looked up and saw the other person's back.

"Captain, I've made some discoveries."

Xia Zuo walked over to Dunke, who was sending a secret message, and first recounted the intelligence provided by Janice.

Then, pointing to his emerald green eyes, he said:

"I'm sure she can already see the elemental light, and she has a slight resistance to earth."

"Oh?" Dunk looked at the little girl standing by the railing, staring at her for a long time before saying:

"There is indeed some acquired affinity, and it even has rare earth-type resistance. This is truly rare. Especially in such a... barren place."

Dunk pulled a secret communication ring from his alchemy pocket.

"I'll inform Yingrui Academy. Have them take Janice for a thorough medical examination. If she passes, she can attend the academy's free preschool."

Xia Zuo smiled knowingly; this was the result he wanted.

Xia Zuo walked back to Janice's side and squatted down. He reached into the alchemy pouch and rummaged around for a while, pulling out a cloth bag.

In the worn-out pocket lay a long-treasured vial of medicine:

A weak recovery potion.

This potion, worth 20 silver dollars, was something Xia Zuo had saved up for several months at the circus to buy.

I thought it would come in handy...

Who would have thought that even after arriving in the Silvermoon Federation, they wouldn't encounter a single life-or-death battle...

This medicine will just end up gathering dust in my pocket.

“Janice, the information you provided was extremely useful. This is a reward for you.”