America: The Cremator

Twenty minutes was enough time for Surong to scan everything in the living room, while in a corner of the sofa, Hannah had already fallen asleep with her head tilted to one side.

The therapeutic device was still emitting a slight electrical hum, but it didn't seem to disturb her sleep.

For a girl who has to live in a high-cost city like Seattle while also supporting her and her brother's tuition, such a completely relaxing sleep must be a rare treat.

The continuous sound of running water in the upstairs bathroom suddenly stopped.

A few minutes later, a faint sound of fabric rubbing could be heard, followed by footsteps coming from the direction of the stairs.

Su Long raised his head, his gaze passing over the double-height space in the living room.

Stella was slowly walking down the stairs.

Her long, straight chestnut hair was wet and tied back, with a few stray strands clinging to her slender neck.

The cotton pajamas she wore had no extra embellishments and were loosely cut, yet the drape of the fabric subtly outlined the graceful contours of her body below.

She walked straight to the huge refrigerator in the open kitchen, took out an unopened bottle of fresh milk, unscrewed the cap, tilted her head back, and drank it down in one gulp.

Su Long stared intently.

Her posture at that moment perfectly showcased the long lines of her neck, and with each swallow, the cartilage and muscles of her throat rose and fell rhythmically beneath her fair skin.

Stella put down the milk bottle, wiped her lips with the back of her hand, and turned her gray-blue eyes toward Suron.

"Mr. Suron, are you going to keep staring at me like that?"

Su Long did not look away, and showed no shame or guilt whatsoever: "I'm sorry, Professor, I had no interest in medicine before, but now that I see you, I suddenly understand why those Renaissance sculptors were so obsessed with the beauty of the human body."

Stella put the milk bottle back in the refrigerator and closed the door.

"Is that medicine?"

Su Long shrugged, neither confirming nor denying.

Stella didn't dwell on the topic; she simply pointed towards the stairs.

"Come with me upstairs. Didn't you want access to that database?"

Upon hearing this, Su Long immediately stood up and followed Stella.

Along the way, he could smell a faint fragrance emanating from Stella, a blend of cedar and sandalwood, which suited her perfectly.

The study on the second floor is spacious, with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves on both sides. In the center of the room is a huge solid wood desk with only a laptop and a few scattered pens on it.

Stella pulled out the ergonomic chair and sat down, her fingers flying across the keyboard.

The screen lit up, and the complicated authentication interface flickered for a few seconds before redirecting to a dark gray internal webpage.

The page layout is simple and austere, with only rows of neatly arranged codes and names, which are the Federal Bureau of Paranormal Responsiveness's files on paranormal phenomena.

"What kind of strange thing do you want to inquire about? Name, or code name?"

Stella's fingers hovered above the keyboard.

Su Long walked to the desk and his gaze fell on the screen.

"Category C, Girl in the Rain"

Stella typed in the keywords and pressed Enter.

The screen refreshed, and a detailed file popped up, accompanied by a blurry black and white photograph taken on a street during a torrential downpour, in which only a slender, distorted black silhouette could be vaguely discerned.

[Code Name: C-025]

【Title: Girl in the Rain】

[Rank: Upper C]

[Description: The appearance is that of a female entity dressed in Victorian-era black mourning attire and wearing a black top hat. She is typically over 2 meters tall, with unusually long and slender limbs. Her facial features are blurred, and she has a texture similar to the rubbery feel of a raincoat.]

[Environmental characteristics: The area where this entity appears is usually accompanied by localized meteorological anomalies, manifested as persistent heavy rain, dense fog with a fishy smell, and black, viscous rainwater.]

[Capabilities Overview:]

[1. Liquefaction Movement: It can instantly disintegrate into rainwater and move at high speed in waterlogged areas.]

2. Physical Immunity: Can instantly liquefy the affected area of ​​the body to avoid damage from kinetic weapons (such as bullets and shrapnel).

[3. Blood Rain Cutting: Manipulates the falling rainwater into a highly corrosive and cutting red liquid.]

[4. Asphyxiation: Manipulating liquid and forcibly pouring it into the victim's airway, causing them to drown.]

[Physical hazard level: Extremely high. Confirmed 312 deaths and 745 cases of serious injury or disability. Victims' bodies are typically found dismembered by a sharp weapon, or their lungs are filled with black fluid.]

[Psychological harm: Low. The entity has not been observed to possess the ability to construct complex illusions or cause psychological pollution.]

[Possible weaknesses: High-purity silver products can inhibit its liquefaction ability; high-temperature environments can accelerate its energy consumption.]

Su Long read the information on the screen word by word.

When he encountered that thing on a rainy night, the silver-plated bullets fired by his Glock pistol were almost useless, and even the FBI agent's pure silver bullets had limited effect.

It now appears that it wasn't silver that was ineffective, but rather that the bullet was too small, limiting its contact area.

The monster could liquefy the body around the point of impact the moment the bullet touched the skin, allowing the bullet to pass through the water and thus avoid the silver's suppressive effect.

Previously, he had been wondering why Elena's sacred object was a lantern, so why didn't she use a gun as a matching weapon, but instead chose a bulky and exaggerated silver sword?

Now I understand. Only a cold weapon with a huge attack range and a high silver content can cover a large enough area in the instant of a slash, causing as much damage as possible to the strange creature.

If I were to encounter that thing again, with only my small pistol and the Primal Flame, I'm afraid it would still be difficult to completely capture it.

Perhaps I should consider getting a large-caliber shotgun from the black market, filled with silver dust?

Or why not just get a silver-plated fire axe?

Stella leaned back in her chair, watching Suron deep in thought.

"Is this the thing that almost killed you last time? I remember your uremia started showing these incredible signs of improvement after that attack."

Su Long snapped out of his daze and nodded.

Stella suddenly reached out and grabbed Suron's wrist, pushing his sleeve up to his elbow to reveal the surgically modified arteriovenous fistula on the inside of his forearm.

That is the lifeline for uremia patients. By anastomosing arteries and veins, the veins are dilated and their walls are thickened to withstand the high blood flow of the dialysis machine.

Typically, this fistula will protrude from the skin surface like a twisted earthworm, feel hard to the touch, and be accompanied by noticeable tremors.

But now, that grotesque blood vessel has calmed down considerably.

It looks only slightly larger than a normal person's blood vessels, the pathological protrusion has disappeared, and the needle marks on the skin surface have faded to the point of being almost invisible.

Stella pressed her fingers against the vein, feeling the steady, powerful pulse beneath.

"The fistula is repairing and shrinking on its own?" Her brows furrowed deeply. "This is completely inexplicable from a pathological perspective. Once an arteriovenous fistula forms, it cannot be reversed unless surgically ligated."

"Your blood vessel walls are remodeling, and the rate of cell regeneration is astonishing."

Su Long looked at his arm, and his heart sank.

The improvement in physical attributes brings not only increased strength, but also a comprehensive reshaping of physiological functions.

This is a good thing for an ordinary person, but for a patient under the doctor's nose, such a recovery speed that defies common medical sense is completely inexplicable.

Stella looked up, her gaze shifting from Suron's arm to his face.

Those grey-blue eyes held a hint of expectation and curiosity, and at first glance, they even possessed a captivating charm.

More alluring than a beautiful woman is a beautiful woman who asks you for something.

Su Long completely agreed with this statement at that moment.

Stella released her fingers from the vein and instead pinched the biceps of Suron's upper arm.

"Mr. Suron, the changes in your body fascinate me."

She leaned forward slightly, shortening the distance between them, making the scent of shower gel and her body fragrance even stronger.

"In exchange for access to that database, or as a contribution to science."

"Could I please take a small blood sample from you?"

Surong withdrew his arm and slowly rolled up his sleeve again: "Professor Stella, if I remember correctly, it's been less than three days since the last blood draw at the hospital."

Su Long straightened his cuffs, his tone troubled.

"As a uremia patient who has been on dialysis for a long time, my hematopoietic function has always been very poor, and every drop of blood is incredibly precious to me..."

"You need to pay more!"

Stella looked at the man in front of her and smiled: "I'll pay double, $2000 for one minute of blood draw."