American comics: I am full of martial virtues and I love to be kind to others.

They walked for about ten minutes and came to an open clearing. In the center of the clearing stood a huge oak tree, its trunk so thick that it would take three or four people to encircle it. Yellow caution tape surrounded the area beneath the tree, and several forensic doctors in white protective suits were working.

But what really caught Lynn's attention was the tree itself—or more accurately, what was on the tree.

A body was embedded in the tree trunk.

It wasn't leaning against the tree, nor was it tied to the tree; it was truly embedded—the upper half of the corpse protruded from the tree trunk, as if someone had pushed him into a solid wall, and then that wall solidified around him.

Lynn stopped and stared at the corpse for several seconds before he could barely process what he was seeing.

“Now you understand what I mean by ‘weird’?” Weber’s voice came from the side.

"How did you do that?" Kevin's voice trembled, and his face turned pale.

“We don’t know,” Weber said. “Our forensic pathologists have never seen anything like it. They examined the trunk and found that the wood fibers were continuous around the body, with no signs of cutting or damage. It was as if the body had been encased in the tree during its growth, but that’s clearly impossible.”

Lynn approached the tree and carefully examined the condition of the corpse.

The deceased was a young man, probably in his twenties, wearing a blue down jacket and jeans. His face was blue from the cold, his eyes were wide open, his mouth was agape, and his expression was contorted, as if he were experiencing extreme pain or fear. His arms were outstretched from the tree trunk, his fingers curled up like claws, as if trying to grasp something.

"Is this the third victim?" Lynn asked.

“Yes,” Weber nodded, “we found them this morning. The first two victims were in similar situations—one was embedded in a boulder, and the other was embedded in the ground.”

"Embedded in the ground?"

"Yes, it was like being submerged in water, but the ground was hard soil. His upper body was above water, while his lower body was buried underground, and there were no signs of digging in the surrounding soil."

Lynn remained silent for a while, pondering this information.

“It’s some kind of ability,” he finally said, “the ability to make objects pass through solids, or… to make solids like liquids.”

"The abilities of mutants?" Webber asked.

“Very likely,” Lynn said. “I’ve seen similar abilities. Some mutants can alter the density or state of matter, making solids permeable and then returning them to their original state. This explains why corpses can be embedded in these objects without the objects themselves being destroyed.”

"How did the killer do that? Did he push the victim into the tree and then make the tree solidify again?"

“It might not have been just ‘pushing’,” Lynn said, carefully examining the victim’s expression. “Looking at his face, the fear and pain on his face, I suspect the process wasn’t instantaneous. The killer may have let him slowly sink into the tree trunk, making him fully conscious as he experienced being swallowed by the solid.”

Kevin listened, his face growing paler and paler. "This...this is too cruel."

“Yes,” Lynn said, “this wasn’t ordinary murder, this was torture. The killer enjoyed inflicting pain on his victim; it’s a sadistic psychological trait.”

He turned to Weber. “You said the first two victims were in similar condition; are their bodies still alive?”

“It’s in our morgue,” Weber said. “Would you like to see it?”

“Yes,” Lynn nodded, “I want to examine all the victims to see if I can find any more clues.”

“Alright, I’ll take you there. But before that,” Weber hesitated, “there’s one more thing I need to tell you.”

"What's up?"

“We found a note on the victim,” Weber said, taking a clear evidence bag from his pocket and handing it to Lynn, “it was tucked into his pocket.”

Lynn took the evidence bag and looked at the note inside. On the note, written in red ink—or perhaps blood—were a few words:
"You can't find me."

Lynn stared at those words for a long time.

“He’s provoking us,” he said. “He knows we’re coming to investigate, and he’s trying to tell us he’s not afraid of getting caught.”

“This was an organized killer,” Weber said. “He knew what he was doing; he had a plan, a purpose. This wasn’t random violence.”

Lynn returned the evidence bag to Webber, then looked around at the forest.

The dense trees swayed in the wind, shadows dancing on the ground, as if countless eyes were watching them from the darkness. Snowflakes continued to fall, covering everything, making the forest increasingly quiet and mysterious.

“He’ll kill again,” Lynn said. “This type of killer doesn’t stop until he’s caught or dead. We need to find him as soon as possible, or more people will die.”

“What suggestions do you have?” Weber asked.

“First, I need to know more about the victims,” Lynn said. “Their backgrounds, habits, last known locations, any possible connections. Second, I need to examine all the bodies and crime scenes for any traces left by the killer. Third,” he paused, “I need to understand the history of this forest.”

"The history of the forest?"

“These killers typically choose locations that are significant to them,” Lynn explained. “His choice of this forest wasn’t accidental; it may have some connection to him—perhaps childhood memories, or the location of a significant event. Understanding the history of this forest might help us understand the killer’s motives and identity.”

Weber nodded, his expression becoming even more serious. "I'll have my people investigate. Is there anything else you need?"

Lynn looked at the body embedded in the tree and said, "I need a complete case file, including all the evidence, forensic reports, and investigation records. Also, if possible, I'd like to spend some time in this forest and look around on my own."

“No problem,” Weber said. “I’ll arrange it. Just tell me what you need.”

“Thank you,” Lynn turned to Kevin. “You and Inspector Webber go to the morgue to see the first two victims. I’ll wander around here a bit more and then meet you up.”

Kevin hesitated for a moment, clearly reluctant to leave Lynn. But he finally nodded. "Okay, Agent Lynn. I'll contact you if anything comes up."

Webber left with Kevin.

Lynn stood alone in front of the huge oak tree, looking at the corpse embedded in the tree.

Snowflakes continued to fall, landing on his shoulders and hair. The forest was quiet, save for the rustling of leaves in the wind and the distant cawing of crows.

"Who are you?" Lynn asked in a low voice, as if speaking to an unseen killer. "Why did you do this?"

There was no answer, only the sound of the wind and silence.

Lynn took a deep breath and began to wander through the forest, searching for any clues that might have been overlooked. He walked along snow-covered paths, through dense bushes, examining every tree, every stone, and every nook and cranny where evidence might be hidden. His eyes scanned the ground, looking for footprints, abandoned items, or any unusual traces.

But the forest was vast, and the falling snow was covering everything.

About half an hour later, he found something a few hundred meters away from the first crime scene.

It was a large, fallen tree, its roots pointing skyward, exposing the soil beneath. The soil had been disturbed, as if someone had dug something there.

Lynn crouched down and carefully examined the patch of soil.

In the turned soil, he saw something shiny. He put on gloves and carefully dug it out.

It was a ring.

A silver ring with a line of small characters engraved on the inside. Lynn held the ring up to his eyes, trying to make out the words in the dim light.

"I will always love you—M"

M.

These are someone's initials, perhaps the killer's name, or perhaps the name of someone connected to the killer. In any case, this is an important clue.

Lynn put the ring into an evidence bag and stood up.

Just then, he felt a strange chill creep up from behind. It wasn't from the cold air, but from a deeper, instinctive sense of alertness—someone was watching him.

He slowly turned around, his hand already resting on the holster at his waist.

The forest was silent, save for the snowflakes dancing in the air. The shadows of the trees swayed in the wind, but there was no one in sight.

However, the feeling of being watched remained, like an invisible hand crawling on his back.

“I know you’re there,” Lynn said, his voice echoing through the silent forest. “Whoever you are, you can’t escape. I will find you.”

no respond.

Lynn stood there waiting for a while, but nothing happened. Eventually, the feeling of being watched faded, as if someone had withdrawn their gaze.

He looked at the ring in his hand, then walked out of the forest.

When Lynn emerged from the forest, it was already getting dark.

The snow fell even heavier, the white snowflakes drifting densely down from the gray sky like a thick curtain being slowly drawn. The trees and shrubs along the roadside were covered in a thick blanket of snow, and the whole world was dyed a monotonous white.

Detective Webber's car was parked outside the police line, the engine still running, white steam rising slowly from the exhaust pipe into the cold air. Kevin stood beside the car and immediately went to greet Lynn as she approached.

“Agent Lynn, are you alright?” His voice was filled with concern. “You’ve been in the forest for so long; we were all starting to worry.”

“I’m fine,” Lynn said, handing Kevin the evidence bag containing the ring. “I found this. A few hundred meters from the crime scene, buried under a fallen tree.”

Kevin took the evidence bag and examined the silver ring carefully through the plastic film. "I'll always love you, M," he read the inscription. "What does this mean?"

“It could be the killer’s name, or it could be the name of someone connected to the killer,” Lynn said. “In any case, this is our most valuable lead right now.”

Inspector Webber stepped out of the car, his expression serious. "Detective Ashford, we've made some discoveries in the morgue that might be of interest to you."

"What discovery?"

“Forensic investigators found traces of tiny fibers on the first victim,” Weber said. “It’s a special synthetic material typically used to make certain types of workwear. We are tracing the source of this material.”

What kind of work uniform?

“Laboratory gowns,” Weber said, “the kind worn in chemical labs or medical research facilities.”

Lynn frowned. Lab work clothes. This meant the killer might be a staff member of a research institution, or at least had contact with that kind of environment.

"Did the victim have any connections with any research institutions?" he asked.

“We’re still investigating,” Weber said, “but so far we haven’t found any obvious connection. The first victim was a construction worker, the second an accountant, the third a graduate student—and so on, the graduate student may be connected to the lab.”

"What is his graduate program in?"

Weber flipped through his notebook. "Biochemistry, PhD student at the University of Trenton."

“Let’s start with him,” Lynn said. “Find out which lab he works in, who his advisor is, and who his colleagues and classmates are. Also, investigate whether the other two victims have any connection to Trenton University or any biochemistry research.”

“Understood,” Weber nodded. “I’ll arrange for someone to investigate right away.”

They got into the car and headed towards downtown Trenton. The scenery outside the window changed from forests to suburban houses and shops, and then to denser urban buildings. Snowflakes swirled in the air like countless tiny stars under the car headlights.

“Kevin,” Lynn turned to the young man in the passenger seat, “what did you see in the morgue?”

Kevin was still somewhat pale; clearly, the experience in the morgue hadn't been pleasant for him. "Those two bodies were just as bizarre as the one we saw in the forest," he said. "The first was embedded in a boulder, with only his head and one arm showing. The second was buried in the ground, his upper body above the surface, his lower body completely disappeared into the hard earth."

Did the forensic doctor determine the cause of death?

“Suffocation,” Kevin said. “All three victims died of asphyxiation. When they were embedded in those solid materials, their chests were compressed, making it impossible for them to breathe. The forensic examiner estimated that they likely died within minutes to a dozen minutes.”

“A few minutes to a dozen minutes,” Lynn repeated, his voice low, “that’s a long time, enough for them to fully experience fear and pain.”

“This killer was a sadist,” Kevin said. “He enjoyed torturing his victims.”

“He’s not just a sadist,” Lynn said. “He has some specific purpose. His choice of these three victims wasn’t random; there must be some connection between them. We need to find out what that connection is.” (End of Chapter)