America: The Cremator

Chapter 138 Level B Assessment: Visitor Arrives!

After Elena finished speaking, she hung up the phone, threw it into the storage compartment of the center console, leaned back in her seat, rubbed her temples, and looked somewhat tired.

Su Long drove the car steadily, looking straight ahead, and casually asked, "Another top-secret message from the bureau? Is it about the Dream Drug?"

Elena sighed helplessly and nodded, "That's right, it's about dreams."

"Based on the intelligence our spies have secretly gathered over this period, this is definitely not an ordinary case of smuggling contraband."

""

"This is a Class B bizarre case involving collusion between a cult and a large multinational pharmaceutical company."

"This multinational pharmaceutical company, under the guise of legitimate business, provides financial and technical support to cult groups. They are even involved with several large local armed groups, using these armed forces to protect their production bases and transportation routes."

"Because the forces involved are too wide and the background too deep, it is difficult for any one party to completely eradicate it. That's why the higher-ups in the department decided to put aside their differences with the FBI and launch a joint investigation."

"The joint investigation team must find out about their core production base and obtain solid evidence without alerting them."

Su Long was also shocked. He had thought that the case was just about a B-level monster and a group of drug lords, but he never expected that it would involve these troublesome forces.

After taking a deep breath, he slowly said, "Elena, I have to go on this mission."

After saying that, Su Long glanced at the Spoon Killer sitting in the back seat through the rearview mirror.

He continued to follow Su Long relentlessly.

After he obtained [Flesh Reforging], he maintained a constant skin hardening, turning the Spoon Killer's spoon into a disposable item that would break after one use and had to be replaced with a new one.

Unable to cause any real trouble in Sulong's life, the guy seemed quite depressed, and the frequency of his knocking decreased significantly.

Now, it mostly stops moving, staring intently at its surroundings with its venomous and twisted gaze, muttering strange, incomprehensible syllables in a neurotic manner.

Although it couldn't cause any harm, Sulong still hoped to completely erase this entity from his life as soon as possible. After all, having a hideous ghost following him around was always an annoying thing.

So far, the system has not provided any functional prompts regarding the splitting or separation of the entry. According to the information provided by the system, this curse entry originates from the combined effect of the Nightmare Butterfly and the Demon God Valak. Theoretically, as long as the Nightmare Butterfly's main body is completely destroyed, this fused entry will most likely disappear directly.

Elena, sitting in the passenger seat, noticed Surong frequently glancing at the rearview mirror and asked, "Do you have a compelling reason to kill this monster with your own hands?"

Surong nodded: "It's a setting, after all, I still have a troublesome curse on my shoulders."

Upon hearing the curse, Elena leaned back in her chair and recalled, "Come to think of it, it has indeed been a long time since I've seen that butterfly that was chasing you."

Su Long glanced at Spoon, who was looking depressed in the back, and said self-deprecatingly, "It's using an even more disgusting way to bother me now."

Elena shrugged, not dwelling on the topic: "If it's a routine matter within the Bureau of Oddity Support, I can simply use my authority to add you to the team."

"But this time is different. This is a joint operation between us and the FBI. Both sides have the right to review the resumes of each other's personnel when forming their teams."

She turned to look at Su Long: "You're not a formally employed staff member of our department, and there's no official file to prove your past experience. The FBI guys won't agree to just put you on the list."

Upon hearing this, Su Long couldn't help but laugh out loud, jokingly saying, "I never would have thought that our all-powerful and decisive Captain Elena would have a day when her power is not working properly."

Elena rolled her eyes at him, annoyed. "Stop making sarcastic remarks. However, I have a backup plan."

"What do you mean? Do you expect me to put on tactical gear and disguise myself as one of your soldiers?" Su Long raised an eyebrow.

Elena shook her head and said, "Every soldier in the Black Squad has a personal file, and even their fingerprints are checked. What kind of good idea are you thinking?"

She paused for a moment, then shared her thoughts: "The American Exorcist Association is holding a B-level exorcist exam in three days. It's on a small island. I can use my connections to get you to jump the queue and register now. There's plenty of time."

Su Long instantly understood her intention: "You want me to get an official B-level exorcist certificate?"

"That's right."

Elena nodded in confirmation: "According to the preliminary rules drafted by the joint investigation team, the FBI will deploy elite special forces members to provide fire support, while our support bureau will deploy senior exorcists to deal with supernatural threats."

"Once you have the official certification of a Class B exorcist, I can legitimately place you in the investigation team as a specially appointed expert, and the FBI won't be able to find any fault with it."

Su Long asked with some skepticism, "Is your association's assessment process legitimate?"

"Don't worry." Elena naturally reached out and placed her hand on Su Long's thigh, patting it gently. "The history of the American Exorcist Association is much longer than that of the Bureau of Paranormal Affairs. It is the most authoritative supernatural power certification organization in the United States and even the world. It is absolutely reliable."

She seemed to remember something, and a smile appeared on her lips: "Besides, there's someone you know in the exam hall this time."

Surong was taken aback, quickly scanning his memory for people he knew: "You arranged for Hannah to go too?"

Elena nodded, confirming his guess: "That's right, her overall strength, especially her support abilities, has now fully reached the level of a B-rank exorcist."

"However, because her registration certificate is still at the lowest level, D, our bureau's financial system can only settle her salary according to the D level."

"This is so unfair to her, so I'm taking this opportunity to have her get the certification so that I can legitimately increase her salary."

As the two chatted, the Cadillac Escalade drove into the upscale villa area where Elena lived. The large SUV came to a smooth stop in the garage, and the two opened the car door and entered the living room through a small side door.

"This damn rain just won't stop."

As soon as Elena entered the room, she couldn't help but complain. She was soaked to the bone by the cold rain, and her black motorcycle leather jacket clung tightly to her body.

She kicked off her muddy high-heeled Doc Martens, tore off her soaking wet socks and threw them aside. Then, as she walked toward the living room, she began to take off her clothes without any regard for the consequences.

She deftly ripped off her fitted leather jacket and tossed it onto the shoe-changing stool in the entryway. Her extremely short black leather skirt slid down her long, straight legs and piled up on the solid wood floor.

In the blink of an eye, Elena was left with only her inner garment, exposing large expanses of her fair and delicate skin to Su Long's eyes.

She walked barefoot on the floor and turned to look at Su Long, who was standing in the entryway.

"I'm going to take a shower first, then you can take a shower after I'm done."

Su Long nodded, watching her graceful figure disappear behind the bathroom door.

Hearing the rushing water coming from the bathroom, Su Long felt extremely uncomfortable with his wet clothes sticking to his body. He quickly took off his rain-soaked and stained coat and trousers and threw them into the laundry basket next to him.

Wearing only a pair of boxer shorts, he swaggered into the living room and plopped down on the large leather sofa to wait.

The surroundings quieted down, leaving only the monotonous sound of running water in the bathroom.

With a thought, Su Long activated the system panel. A pale blue screen instantly unfolded on his retina, displaying various data clearly before his eyes.

His gaze skipped over the attribute bar and landed on the list of entries. The special reward "Soul Crystal" issued by the system after killing the Rain Girl had clearly triggered some kind of qualitative change in the panel.

Su Long stared intently, his heart involuntarily quickening its pace.

At the top of the skill list, there were several core attributes that had already been upgraded to three stars and reached the maximum level: [Primal Fire], [Flesh and Blood Reforging], and [Peak of Fist Technique].

At this moment, what was behind them was no longer a gray, unupgradeable state, but a "+" sign radiating a dark golden light had suddenly appeared.

Su Long glanced at the dark gold "+" signs following the several three-star entries, his mind stirred, and he directly clicked on [Primordial Flame].

The star-up section at the back.

A brand new pop-up window unfolds in the center of the light screen, clearly listing the materials required for advancement to four stars.

Materials required for promotion to four stars: 50 experience points, 1 Soul Crystal

Su Long looked at the line of text, then glanced at the pitiful balance in the upper right corner of the interface.

Experience points: 30

[Soul Crystals: 1]

He shook his head helplessly and closed the star-up pop-up.

The experience points are simply not enough.

Just before the dinner, he poured all fifty experience points into his basic attributes.

Now I only have 30 points left in my account from killing the Rain Lady, just enough to meet the experience requirement for upgrading a three-star attribute.

Moreover, besides these core terms, he has a whole bunch of two-star terms waiting to be added.

In the blink of an eye, an even more terrifying path to four-star upgrades appeared, which was simply a bottomless pit.

Putting aside how difficult it is to obtain these newly discovered "Soul Crystals," the exorbitant price of fifty experience points per use means he would need to hunt at least two more C-rank monsters to collect them.

However, high costs often mean high returns. To date, the system's investment in terms of keywords has consistently yielded far greater returns than improvements in basic attributes.

Judging from the system's consistent style, this huge sum of money, enough to comprehensively raise all attributes to a new level, would definitely bring about a qualitative leap if invested in four-star attributes.

Su Long leaned back on the sofa, already planning where to find some high-level monsters to grind experience points.

Just then, a slight mechanical friction sound interrupted his thoughts. The bathroom door was pushed open from the inside, and a large amount of warm, humid white steam instantly flooded into the living room.

Elena emerged from the mist, now wearing a thick, pure white bathrobe. The sash at her waist was casually tied in a knot, perfectly outlining her tall and graceful figure.

The neckline of the bathrobe was slightly open, revealing a large expanse of fair and delicate skin. Her once neat high ponytail was now wet and clung to her cheeks and neck, with water droplets still dripping from the ends.

After being steamed by hot water and steam, her face had a healthy rosy glow. Gone was her usual decisive and efficient captain demeanor; at this moment, she exuded a languid femininity.

Elena walked toward the living room while drying her hair with a towel. She looked up at Su Long sitting on the sofa and paused for a moment.

Su Long was wearing only a pair of boxer briefs, lounging casually on the leather sofa, his well-defined muscles clearly visible under the living room lights.

"You can go in and wash now."

Elena draped the towel she was using to dry her hair over her shoulder, looked Su Long up and down, and a teasing smile appeared on her lips.

"But you didn't really need to strip so naked beforehand, or are you deliberately trying to show off your figure in front of me?"

Su Long stood up from the sofa, casually picked up a clean bath towel from the side and draped it over his shoulder, retorting confidently.

"I was just worried that my wet clothes would get your expensive leather sofa dirty."

Elena chuckled, walked to the island in the open kitchen, opened the refrigerator door, and urged, "Alright, stop talking nonsense and go take a shower."

Su Long responded, turned and walked into the bathroom, which was still filled with thick steam. After quickly rinsing himself for more than ten minutes, he grabbed a large white bath towel, wrapped it tightly around his waist, and walked out of the bathroom.

As soon as I opened the bathroom door, an enticing aroma of food wafted into my nostrils—the rich fragrance of butter melting under high heat, mixed with the aroma of high-quality ham being grilled.

Following the aroma, Su Long walked outside and saw Elena standing in front of the stove in the kitchen, holding a spatula and skillfully flipping several thick slices of ham in the pan. The ham was already fried until golden brown and crispy, making a sizzling sound.

Her bathrobe swayed slightly with her movements, revealing most of her long, straight calves.

Su Long was just about to praise the craftsmanship.

"Ding-dong"

The crisp sound of the doorbell rang abruptly in the spacious villa.

Su Long stopped abruptly and quickly turned to look towards the doorway.

Elena's spatula hung suspended in mid-air, her brows furrowed tightly.

"Do you have any guests coming?" Su Long asked quickly in a low voice.

Elena shook her head without hesitation, her tone very certain: "Absolutely not. This address is my private property, and only a very few people know it. No one would ever come to visit."

The two exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of wariness in each other's eyes. At this critical juncture, any unexpected visitor was extremely dangerous.

Elena quickly reached out and turned off the stove, then turned and walked to the living room shelf, grabbing her brass lantern.

Su Long strode over to the coffee table, grabbed the revolver "Sirius" from it, and then quietly made his way to the front door.

Su Long pressed his eye to the peephole and looked outside. He saw a woman who looked to be around fifty years old standing outside the door.

This lady was very well-maintained, with delicate makeup on her face. Time had not left many marks on her face; instead, it had given her a graceful and noble air.

She wore an exquisitely tailored dark-colored custom-made wool coat, a string of lustrous pearl necklace around her neck, and carried a small vintage-style leather suitcase, its metal buckles gleaming under the light.

She stood quietly outside the door, holding an umbrella, her posture upright, her eyes calmly fixed on the door, showing no sign of unease about visiting in the rain late at night.

Su Long frowned. This didn't look like an assassin or a monster at all; she looked more like a socialite who had wandered into the wrong room. He glanced back at Elena, pointed to the door, and indicated that she was just an ordinary person.

Elena pondered for a moment, then nodded to Sulong. Sulong immediately understood, slung his revolver behind his back, gripped the doorknob with his left hand, and slowly opened the door.

Hearing the noise, the lady outside the door immediately looked up, a graceful and proper smile on her face.

"Good evening----"

Her greeting was cut short as she spoke.

The elegant demeanor on the noblewoman's face froze instantly, her well-maintained eyes widened slightly, and her gaze passed over the open door, landing directly on Su Long.

At this moment, Su Long was only wearing a long white bath towel around his waist. His broad shoulders, full chest muscles, and eight-pack abs, which looked like they had been carved by a knife and axe, were exposed without any cover under the corridor lights.

The two of them stood facing each other, separated by a threshold.

With his hands behind his back, still clutching the deadly revolver, and his expression somewhat stiff, Su Long was trying to find a suitable opening to break the strange situation. But before he could speak, a startled exclamation suddenly came from behind him.

Elena, carrying a faintly glowing bronze lamp, peeked out from behind Su Long. When she saw the elegant and graceful woman standing outside the door, she was struck dumb, and nearly dropped the lamp.

"Mother?!"

"What are you doing here?!"

The lady outside the door glanced at Su Long, her gaze lingering on his well-defined abs for a couple of seconds, before turning to Elena standing behind him and asking, "Elena, aren't you going to introduce this gentleman to me?"

Elena paused for a moment, hurriedly straightening the slightly disheveled collar of her bathrobe. After clearing her throat, she replied, "Mother, this is Su Long, he is my—friend."

The lady sized up the two people standing side by side, noting their light attire, and asked jokingly, "Just friends?"

Elena nodded reluctantly, emphasizing her words: "Yes, just ordinary friends."

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She then quickly stepped forward and formally introduced Su Long: "Su Long, this is my mother, Hedley Campbell."