Chapter Twenty-Nine: Ghostly Flames

Lin Lei waved his hand modestly. "These ghouls are skinny and small; they're not hard to deal with."
Chen Ning, meanwhile, flattered him, "It's not that they're weak—it's that you're incredible!"
Chen Ning was tall and sturdy, looking fierce, and he seemed to know how to get along.
Lin Lei licked his lips as he gazed at the corpses of the ghouls before him.
"What should we do with these creatures?"
Chen Ning replied, "Unless a particular anomaly requires the body to be kept and brought back to headquarters, in most cases, once the anomaly is killed, it's best to burn it on the spot..."
"Burn them?" Lin Lei frowned. "Isn't that a bit much?"
In fact, when Li Xueshu had given Chen Fan information on ghouls, she had noted that after killing them, they must be burned swiftly.
But the environment here was unusual. If they set a fire, what if the entire carriage went up in flames?
As Lin Lei and Chen Ning spoke, Li Xueshu and her companion entered.
Li Xueshu said,
"The source energy within an anomaly's body doesn't dissipate with its death. Instead, it may accumulate, and with time, can trigger a 'distortion.'"
"The odds of a first-tier anomaly distorting after death are very low... but we must be extremely cautious and dispose of them properly!"
Li Xueshu produced a lighter with a flick of her wrist.
"The Investigation Bureau possesses a special source tool that can produce a unique 'fire oil.'"
"The flame ignited by this oil is unlike ordinary fire, known as 'Netherfire.' Netherfire only burns the corpses containing residual source energy. It will quickly melt them down, leaving almost no trace..."
She stepped forward, bent over the ghouls, and flicked the lighter.
Instantly, ghostly blue flames flickered into life and spread along the ghouls' flesh.
Strangely, though all the ghouls were engulfed, the flames only covered the surface of their bodies, never touching any surrounding debris.
Moreover, Lin Lei couldn't feel any heat from the flames.
The ghouls' bodies were melting, like burning candles—bones and flesh dissolving in an unsettling way.
Li Xueshu said, "In less than ten minutes, these ghouls will be completely gone!"
Lin Lei licked his lips, his gaze burning as he eyed the lighter in Li Xueshu's hand.
This was the perfect tool for destroying evidence!

Of course, for Lin Lei, erasing corpses made it easier to spur on his gluttony.
Seeing Lin Lei's eager look, Li Xueshu tossed the lighter to him.
"Take it. It's yours."
Lin Lei caught the delicate lighter with ease.
Li Xueshu added, "There's nothing special about the lighter itself; it's the 'fire oil' that's key. I still have plenty, and as a Level Three investigator, I can apply for more once it's used up. It's nothing valuable."
Lin Lei didn't stand on ceremony, pocketing it. "Thank you, Chief."
"Let's go," Li Xueshu nodded and turned to leave.
Chen Ning took out a PDA, snapping several photos of the burning ghouls.
"What are you doing?" Lin Lei was puzzled.
Chen Ning grinned. "We need to leave some evidence and documentation for the investigation, so it's easier for you, Investigator Lin, to write your report..."
"We have to write a report?" Lin Lei's mouth twitched.
Chen Ning nodded.
"Definitely. The rewards for missions depend on the actual results, and since the ghouls are burned on the spot, we need to retain some key evidence!"
Lin Lei nodded.
"Investigator Lin, let's go," Qiao'er called softly from beside him.
Lin Lei's eyes flickered as he stared at the faint blue flames. He felt it was a pity, but dared not openly activate his gluttonous power in front of others. He turned and followed Qiao'er out of the carriage.
Chen Ning quickly caught up, and the faint flames soon faded from view.
They hadn't gone far when—
"Investigator Lin, look here!" Chen Ning pointed at a gaping hole in the wall, two or three meters high, surrounded by bricks and soil, clearly dug out by something.
The tunnel stretched inward into darkness.
Chen Ning said,
"This leads toward the Upper City's sewers! These monsters must have entered the sewers and used them to launch attacks in other parts of the Upper City!"
Lin Lei nodded.
So the ghouls had indeed come from the sewers; this confirmed his suspicion that these ghouls were likely the same group he'd encountered before.
Li Xueshu stepped forward to examine the hole, frowning slightly.
"Ghouls are fairly ordinary among first-tier anomalies. Their strength is only a bit above an average adult male. For ordinary ghouls to dig such a huge tunnel would be difficult..."

"Could it be... a higher-tier anomaly?" Chen Ning said gravely.
Li Xueshu shook her head.
"Unlikely. Ghouls are strictly first-tier, and such creatures can't coexist peacefully with other anomalies. If there were a second-tier anomaly, the Source Energy Radar wouldn't just show pale red dots—second-tier would be dark red, nearly black, even unstable!"
Lin Lei raised his eyebrows, his gaze turning to the Source Energy Radar in his hand.
According to Li Xueshu, the radar could only detect first and second-tier energy fluctuations, and might malfunction with stronger anomalies—no wonder it was considered a low-level tool.
The group pressed on and soon reached a pitch-black corridor.
"Everyone, be careful. Beyond this passage is where the monsters are most concentrated. Chen Ning, Qiao'er, prepare your weapons!"
Chen Ning carried a bulky flamethrower, leading the way, Qiao'er followed with her submachine gun at the ready.
Lin Lei drew his source-energy pistol as well.
They advanced through the darkness.
Suddenly, Lin Lei frowned, catching a glimpse of crimson eyes deeper in the gloom.
Beside him, Li Xueshu raised her hand sharply, a glint of cold light flashing.
Thud!
A muffled grunt echoed from the darkness, and a shadow collapsed.
Lin Lei's eyes glinted. "A ghoul?"
The radar couldn't show exact positions; he could only see clusters of light in the nest, unable to pinpoint individual ghouls.
His senses and vision in the dark had only just picked out the ghoul, but Li Xueshu's eyesight was astonishing!
Li Xueshu narrowed her eyes.
"Ghouls sleep during the day; this one must have been a sentry in the vicinity."
Lin Lei nodded in understanding.
As they drew near, he saw the ghoul lying in the dark tunnel, its head blown apart, a shard of ice embedded within, radiating chill.
He couldn't help but be impressed.
He knew ghouls were tough, but Li Xueshu had easily destroyed its head from a distance—her power outmatched even bullets.