Su Zhan could hear his own violently pounding heartbeat.
Hound's gaze felt like it was trying to dissect him open.
"Is your soul ability to identify Aberrants?"
Su Zhan guessed uncertainly.
After all, the na Hound was associated with scent.
Hound didn't answer, just kept staring at him with those eerie golden eyes.
Su Zhan felt his back was completely drenched in cold sweat.
"Confess honestly."
Hound said coldly: "I can make your death quick and painless. Otherwise, heh..."
"This is slander!"
Su Zhan suddenly slamd the table and stood up, trembling with rage: "My parents just died, and this is how you treat the victims' family? I'll expose you all!"
Anger.
Only anger could firmly declare his stance.
Only anger could better conceal his guilt and fear.
The next second.
Hound moved with unbelievable speed, bending forward in a flash.
He grabbed Su Zhan's throat and lifted him completely off the ground.
His hand gradually tightened.
Su Zhan's feet left the floor, the pain of suffocation making his vision darken.
When facing mortal danger, a creature's body automatically triggers protective chanisms like adrenaline.
The Aberrant power within him surged wildly - a biological instinct.
Su Zhan felt he might transform into his Aberrant form any second now.
No!
Judging from Hound's earlier move, he was definitely no match for him!
He absolutely couldn't reveal himself now!
Gamble. He had no choice but to gamble.
From the original body's mories, humans currently had no way to detect Aberrants in disguise.
If they could identify them, Aberrants would've been extinct long ago.
How could they still pose a threat to human civilization now?
Hound must be bluffing, he must be!
Thus, with all his might, Su Zhan suppressed the Aberrant power back down.
As Hound's grip gradually tightened.
Su Zhan's face turned purplish-red.
About to die again!
Are all officials like this!?
"Brother Du!"
Xiao suddenly spoke up: "You're choking him like this, how can he confess anything?"
Hound released his grip.
Su Zhan fell heavily to the ground, gasping greedily for air, his throat burning with pain.
"You... people... forcing confessions through torture..."
He said with difficulty: "I'll... report you..."
Hound looked down at him with unfathomable eyes.
After a mont, he turned and walked toward the door, leaving only one sentence: "Xiao, explain things to him."
After the door closed.
Xiao crouched down with an apologetic smile: "Sorry, Brother Du has that temper. This was just a routine test, please understand."
Su Zhan felt slightly relieved internally, but maintained an angry expression outwardly.
He pointed at the cara by the table: "A test? I'll let all of Daxia see how you conduct your 'tests'!"
Xiao just smiled faintly, walked over to take the cara and handed it to Su Zhan: "We turned it off when you ca in."
Her finger tapped the power button: "No recording, no evidence. Who would believe you if you told anyone?"
Su Zhan took the cara, staring intensely at Xiao, but couldn't say another word.
Inside, he was laughing.
Hound truly had no solid evidence, otherwise he wouldn't resort to such thods to test him.
He had gambled correctly.
"Now."
Xiao's voice suddenly turned serious: "Can we talk properly? About what really happened in that fire."
Su Zhan countered: "What's that guy's real na?"
"No harm telling you that."
Xiao replied: "His na is Doberman."
Doberman?
That matched the Hound codena well.
Just like how the original body's father had stabbed him in the abdon.
He wouldn't let this matter rest.
Su Zhan morized the na and returned to his seat.
"As the victim's child, you have the right to know this."
Xiao said slowly: "According to our investigation, your father was an Aberrant. Therefore, he had every capability to escape before the fire completely spread."
So they found out after all?
Seems Aberrants are truly fire-resistant.
Burned for so long yet not completely destroyed.
Su Zhan looked shocked: "Impossible! Absolutely impossible! If my father was an Aberrant, I'd be dead long ago!"
"Please remain calm."
Xiao's tone was gentle yet firm: "Therefore, he was murdered. The fire was just the killer's thod to destroy evidence.
And the killer was most likely an Aberrant.
Because if it were an Awakened, they wouldn't bother with destroying evidence - they'd even bring the body to us to claim the bounty."
Su Zhan nodded blankly, as if unable to accept this answer.
Xiao sighed and continued: "Bliss Neighborhood had no surveillance. We currently can't identify the killer, but we'll keep investigating. Please accept our condolences."
Later.
Su Zhan was released by the City Patrol Division.
The authorities transferred all of the original body's parents' assets to him.
Not much, not little - exactly 300,000.
"Finally got through that hurdle."
Su Zhan felt relieved internally, but remained uneasy.
The fire investigation would continue, and who knew what might happen next.
More importantly.
His current identity as an Aberrant.
Aberrants needed to feed to survive, to grow stronger.
And their feeding targets... those who know, know.
The more Su Zhan thought about it, the more frustrated he beca, so he forced himself to stop.
Now he needed to consider housing.
The original body's ho was burned down - definitely unlivable.
So he rented an apartnt near Jiangcheng No.3 High School.
This was the original body's high school.
Upon hearing his situation, the school generously granted him unlimited leave - return whenever he recovered.
Next.
He bought a phone and got a SIM card.
The original body's parents had been extrely strict, forbidding any electronics like phones to avoid affecting studies.
"Sowhat similar to my previous life."
Su Zhan smiled, "Having a phone - I've fulfilled that wish for you."
His rented place had one bedroom, one living room, a kitchen and bathroom.
Small but fully functional.
The bedroom had a full-length mirror.
Su Zhan slowly took off his shirt.
The mirror reflected an ordinary high schooler's physique.
Sowhat narrow shoulders, flat abdon, no obvious muscle definition.
The only standout was his tall 183cm fra that gave him better presence.
"Hu—"
Su Zhan took a deep breath, feeling the Aberrant power surge within him.
Instantly, the reflection in the mirror began twisting and changing.
His originally slender fra expanded a full size.
Eight well-defined abs appeared, chest muscles becoming clear and powerful, shoulder and arm muscles showing distinct lines.
Not overly large in size, but brimming with power and aesthetic lines.
Then.
Grey-black scales erged from beneath his skin, covering his entire body like living armor.
Pupils contracted into two crimson vertical slits.
His mouth split open to reveal rows of sharp fangs.
Even his fingertips extended half-inch black claws.
Su Zhan gazed at the unfamiliar reflection, slowly raising his arm.
The scales rippled like waves with each muscle movent.
He could feel the terrifying power coursing through him.
"So this... is the real ..."
The monster in the mirror revealed a chilling smile.
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