Terra Calendar 1096, January 5
9:30 a.m.
Central Street, Upper City District, Lungmen
"Thank you, Officer—seriously, thank you!"
"It's nothing. Just be more careful next time."
Watching the two male students walk away hand in hand, Chen Mo's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. He turned and continued his patrol toward the next area.
Being the captain of the Special Operations Department's Seventh Squad had its perks: if he wanted to sit in an office, he could. If he wanted to step out for some air, he could do that whenever he pleased.
Sure, unlike other captains he didn't have subordinates he could casually order around—but the freedom he had was something ordinary officers could only dream of.
And Chen Mo wasn't the type who could stay seated for long. On top of that, Lungmen hadn't been very peaceful lately, so he'd volunteered to patrol in person.
"Didn't expect even the central district—this close to the political core—to have Infected theft cases…"
He glanced at the once-bustling street. It was still prosperous, but the foot traffic was noticeably thinner than usual. After scratching one horn, he decided to head toward the Lower City.
At the very least, he needed to know what was actually going on.
Yet the closer he got to the Lower City, the more crowded the streets became—not less.
If he weren't wearing the Lungmen Guard Department uniform, he'd probably be getting harassed nonstop by a bunch of shameless idiots.
Noticing people lurking in corners and watching him with barely concealed hunger, Chen Mo promptly stopped a passerby who looked like she was trying to slip past him.
"O-Officer… I—I didn't do anything."
The woman—clearly terrified of drawing the LGD's attention—jumped in fright.
Even though the man stopping her was absurdly handsome and she couldn't help craving a closer look, the uniform he wore was enough to make cold sweat break out across her back.
"Relax. I just want to ask you something."
Chen Mo pointed toward a few women not far away who were practically drooling as they stared at him. "Mind telling me why there are suddenly so many people in the Lower City?"
"Huh? You're asking me, Officer?" The Cautus woman raised both hands nervously and swallowed. Did she really look like some mysterious type who knew secret intel?
Still… she did know a little.
She flicked a glance at the silver-black longsword at Chen Mo's waist, gleaming with a cold edge. Whatever backbone she had evaporated instantly. She spilled everything she knew without the slightest hesitation.
"Those people… I heard they're coming out of the slums. The slums are packed right now—really packed. Like, nearly shoulder-to-shoulder."
"And… and that's all I know. Officer, can I go now?"
"Yes. Sorry to take up your time."
When the Cautus woman hurried away looking stunned—as if she couldn't believe she'd been released so easily—Chen Mo withdrew his gaze, turned casually, and reduced the contraband he'd lifted from her to ash.
"Smells like sour rot. She's probably from the slums too."
Then he forwarded her information to Baili. With how approachable he'd acted just now, she'd be far less guarded against the LGD than before; his colleagues should be able to scoop her up quickly.
Right now, the priority was checking the slums—finding out what the situation actually was.
A woman who couldn't restrain herself tried to ignore the fact he was LGD and moved in to flirt; Chen Mo snapped his tail and swatted her aside, then kept walking deeper.
…
1:32 p.m.
After rushing to the slums—a place he'd never visited before—Chen Mo covered his mouth and nose the moment he saw it, frowning hard.
"What a mess… and it reeks."
People were everywhere. It was only one block away, but it felt like two entirely different worlds.
Filthy, crumbling houses. Narrow, cramped alleyways steeped in stench. A jostling mass of bodies pressed together, while obscene shouting and foul language echoed nonstop.
So this is Zaun, huh. A Piltover guy like me really can't adapt to this environment.
And sure enough, not long after he stepped into the slums, two female punks sauntered up with leering grins.
"Oh? LGD. And it's a male officer?"
"Tch… that face—Boss, what if we just—"
"Are you fucking stupid?" The leader snapped, then sneered. "If a cop comes strolling in here alone, he's got something we don't know about. Just take a little advantage. Don't get greedy and make trouble."
Their disgusting words crawled into his ears. Chen Mo didn't respond right away—he watched the surrounding reactions instead.
Not many people stopped to watch. Most kept their heads down and quietly distanced themselves. These two women clearly had some standing around here.
Chen Mo hadn't planned to waste time on them, but seeing this, a better idea surfaced.
As they drew closer, hands lifting as if to touch his face, Chen Mo abruptly cleared his throat and coughed a few times, startling them both.
"Sorry," he said politely. "Touching my face is one hundred Lungmen dollars."
"Shit—you scared me," the leader spat.
But then she recovered immediately. With a filthy grin, she leaned in close.
"Now I get it. I was wondering why a male cop would dare wander in here alone—turns out you're here doing business."
She took a slow, appreciative look at his clothes and the exquisitely crafted sword at his waist, then exaggeratedly wiped at the corner of her mouth like she was catching drool. "Got guts, got skills. No wonder you can make big money."
"Come on. I've got a big deal to talk with you about."
Her underling was so excited she was practically vibrating; her tail wagged so fast it blurred.
"Th-This kind of top-grade goods… I actually get to taste something new today—"
"Damn it, don't start groping right now!" the leader barked. "We'll play later. Not before we're back!"
The smell was horrific—how long had these two gone without bathing? He was barely holding it together.
It was only because the leader's authority was obvious and her words carried weight that he hadn't ended up snapping on the spot. Otherwise, he wouldn't have tolerated their filthy hands anywhere near him.
Chen Mo forced himself to recall how male escorts from the gangs used to act—then put on a smooth, practiced "business smile," so they wouldn't suspect anything.
And thanks to these two punks at his sides, the people around him—after their initial startled looks—went right back to their own business once they realized who he was walking with.
"Looks like it's working…"
He murmured under his breath, eyes tracking toward the slums' darker depths—where the crowds grew thicker and thicker.
Still, to be safe, Chen Mo slid a hand into his pocket. His gaze flicked down to the phone screen hidden against his chest as he felt around and sent Baili his current location and his objective.
Message sent.
But it seemed he'd accidentally tapped someone else's avatar and sent an extra message as well.
No big deal. He didn't have many contacts anyway. It wasn't like the secret would leak.
And once this was over, he was absolutely taking a long shower.
Especially his tail.
That part needed special attention.
The moving crowd gradually swallowed Chen Mo whole. With locals accompanying him, it was as if his arrival hadn't drawn any attention at all.
Except from the true rulers of this place.
From a distance, watching Chen Mo vanish from sight, a plainly dressed slum woman immediately dropped what she was doing and sprinted toward a certain direction.
-------
My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
I, Herta's Fiancé, the Universe's Number One Male Fist (114 Chapter (Simulpub-Full) )
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Succubus in Sixth Street (400 Chapter)
Reborn in Type-Moon, My Sister is Aoko Aozaki (254 Chapter)
MyGO!! A Story Voiced by Me (140 Chapter)
BLEACH: Blade of Purification (158 Chapter)
Konoha: Starting the Game as Yoriichi (400 Chapter)
My Real Job is Spying on Konoha, but I'm Also its Hokage (140 Chapter)
The Pinnacle of the Navy! Starting from Being Captured by Garp (172 Chapter)
Watching Yu-Gi-Oh! short videos is making the veteran players lose...(80 Chapter)
Uma Musume : The Trainer Who Just Wants to Live (261 Chapter) (Ending)
Zenless Zone Zero The Random Kamen Rider (200 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: It All Began With Me Being Stepped On by Arlecchino (120 Chapter)
Naruto: I Can Synthesize Summoning Beasts (96 Chapter)
Demon Slayer: The Great Swordsman's System, Disciple of Yoriichi (140 Chapter)
My Wife is a General, but I'm an Emanator of Abundance! (160 Chapter)
Type-Moon: My Nine-Fold Path (140 Chapter)
Uma Musume: They're Peeking at My Diary, and All of Tracen is Panickin (Ending)
The Wild History of Type-Moon world (70 Chapter)
Reborn in Conan, But I Refuse to Be the Bad Guy (80 Chapter)
Ruan Mei is begging me to go back? But there's no going back anymore (140 Chapter)
Just a Slacker at Tracen Academy (165 Chapter)
Survival in Blue Archive (70 Chapter)
Kimetsu no Yaiba: Doma Wasn't Hated Today, Either (100 Chapter)
The Vibe of This Chat Group is a Little Off (100 Chapter)
Heartbreak Simulator: I Broke Them and Made Them Cry (80 Chapter)
The Talentless Trainer Doesn't Want to Restart (80 Chapter)
A Journey Starting as a Quincy (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: The Master of Romance Obstruction (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: You Can't Be a Hero Without a Little Chemical Enhancement (40 Chapter)
Honkai Impact 3rd Your Boyfriend is Really Amazing (40 Chapter)
Warhammer 40K: My Fiancée, Fulgrim (180 Chapter)
Classroom of the Elite: Trying to Capture Me! (120 Chapter)
Genshin Impact My Named Senji Muramas (150 Chapter)
A Chef, the Vice-Captain of the Rocks Pirates? (160 Chapter)
Naruto : My Uchiha Girlfriend is Too Tsundere (130 Chapter)
Type-Moon: Reincarnated in a Lostbelt, I Became the Alien God (90 Chapter)
The Way These Horse Girls Look at Me Is Terrifying! (160 Chapter)
Naruto: Tsunade's Deskmate (130 Chapter)
I Just Want to Live a Normal (50 Chapter).
Genshin Impact: A Hundred Confessions? It's Just a System Task (70 Chapter)
OnePiece : Starting as a Veteran of the Roger Pirates (60 Chapter)
Uma Musume : I Have Special Horse Taming Techniques (190 Chapter)
Uma Musume : My other self is a Horse Girl (130 Chapter)
Jujutsu Kaisen : All Affection Stats Maxed Out (200 Chapter)
Satou Kazuma's Decision to Live by Swindling, Starting from Re:Zero (60 Chapter)
Bleach : Ichigo! Take Over the Soul Society (89 Chapter)
Crossover Anime: The Master of Plagiarism with a 'Love Obstacle (140 Chapter)
Arknights Succubus Nurturing System, But I'm a Quiet Office Worker (90 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: Using My Personas to Break the Hearts of Players (50 Chapter)
One Punch Man : i am King? (150 Chapter)
Genshin: My Stats Are Irresistible (70 Chapter)
Naruto: Master of Dream Fulfillment! (70 Chapter)
Why Are All My Chat Group Friends Spin-Off Characters? (130 Chapter)
Arknights : Batman System (30 Chapter)
Chat Group: Swapping Bodies with the Bad-Ending Herta from the Start (80 Chapter)
DanMachi: Why Did My Dungeon Turn Into a Soulslike Game? (130 Chapter)
Losing Money on Uma Musume...What Do You Mean You Actually Won? (120 Chapter)
I'm Gotou Hitori—Who Are You? (40 Chapter)
Were You Ever Even a Uma Musume? Stop Making Things Up! (78 Chapter)
Moon Project: A Full-Time Love Adventure for the Lobotomy Corporation (75 Chapter)
The Leisurely Days of the Hyuga Main House (65 Chapter)
Arknights : A Draco Surviving in a Matriarchal Terra (189 Chapter)
Arknights: What if My Luck Is Too Good? (135 Chapter)
Honkai: The Romance System Only Shows Up After I Marry Mei (55 Chapter)
Arknights: Who Are You Calling Repressed, X?! (145 Chapter)
The Chat Group Only Arrived After I'd Cleared the Game (102 Chapter)
Gojo Satoru Flat-Out Refuses to Admit He's a Supporting Character (40 Chapter)
Chat Group Isn't Supposed to Be Like This! (30 Chapter)
If You're Moriarty…then Who Am I? (140 Chapter)
Uma Musume: Since I "Can't See," They Take Turns Stealing My Underwear (50 Chapter)
Arknights: Why Are All My "Brothers" Girls? (54 Chapter)
Danmachi: Start Training Haki (59 Chapter)
Emiya Shirou's Rebirth (30 Chapter)
I Can Get Stronger Just by AFK'ing—So I Joined a Chat Group (50 Chapter)
Endfield: I Can Always Pull Out One Yuan (65 Chapter)
Limbus Company : I Started a Company in Project Moon (50 Chapter)
Lobotomy: Do Cooks of Alley 23 Dream of Bloodfiend Knights? (50 Chapter)
DanMachi: Freya Familia's "One-Blade Shura" (60 Chapter)
DanMachi: Emiya, the Great Hero Becomes the Protagonist (90 Chapter)
TYPE-MOON: One Special Instance Every Week (40 Chapter)
From Danmachi: The Abundance Apothecary (70 Chapter)
Lord Shadow Descends on DanMachi (90 Chapter)
Fuse with Me, Exusiai! (41 Chapter)
Honkai: Star Rail — After I Die, I Forge Their Madness (60 Chapter)
DanMachi: The Last Zeus Familia (95 Chapter)
Endfield: Arknights Heroic Spirit Summoning (75 Chapter)
Toyokawa Family Finances (105 Chapter)
Starting From DanMachi to Become Stronger (90 Chapter)
DanMachi: My Familia Is Made Up Entirely of Heroines from Every World! (75 Chapter)
Arknights: My Intel Refreshes Daily (110 Chapter)
Digimon : I Never Meant to Do Evil, Even Though I Wasn't Chosen (40 Chapter)
Miss Holmes Could Never Be the Losing Heroine! (40 Chapter)
Takayama Gamu at Tracen Academy (40 Chapter)
Legendary Trainer Takes on MYGO (40 Chapter)
Arknights : Yandere Game: The Operators Have Come Knocking (100 Chapter)
Arknights: This Dating Sim Is Seriously Wrong! (100 Chapter)
Arknights : Ch'en Hui-chieh, I'm Done Being the Good Guy! (40 Chapter)
Type-Moon: Wasn't This Supposed to Be a Family Simulator? Why Am I the Family Heirloom? (40 Chapter)
Honkai: Star Rail : The Trailblazer Only Wants a Peaceful Life (40 Chapter)
If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it