She is a natural disaster.

Chapter 1 Midnight Visitor

Splash... splash...

At midnight, all was quiet, and the bright moonlight gently streamed through the window.

The sound of running water echoed in the washroom, and the small space was filled with steam, like a pair of soft hands.

Anastasia stood under the showerhead with her head down, the warm water flowing down her head, wetting her long hair and soothing her unease and anxiety.

Anastasia had just woken up from a nightmare in which she dreamt she was back in that desolate town, and that she was killing everyone in the town over and over again.

She knew this wasn't a nightmare, but rather the result of her own internal mutation; it was the unfulfilled urge to kill and the unvented pent-up violent emotions.

Mutation is an abnormal disease caused by pollution.

Patients may experience varying degrees of psychological distortion, emotional abnormalities, and extreme mental instability.

Under the long-term effects of the mutation, the patient may also gain extraordinary powers, or even break free from constraints and transcend boundaries.

Some people experience abnormal physical enhancements, some can manipulate elements like magicians, and others can control the consciousness of others, forcing them to carry out commands... and so on.

These patients with extraordinary powers are often called "Transcendents." Their strength is undeniable, and their danger is equally obvious.

With power that transcends the mundane and an extremely unstable mental state, one could say that a transcendent being is a ticking time bomb, capable of exploding at any moment.

Worse still, the Transcendent cannot be cured; their fate is already sealed. Under the influence of the mutation, they gradually go mad and eventually become demons without self-awareness.

Jacob of the White Antlers Tavern is a good example.

It is unknown when and where Jacob was corrupted, but it is certain that his transformation began with that murder on that rainy night.

The vicious beggar pierced his body time and time again; if it weren't for the mutation, he wouldn't have survived.

Jacob did not die in that vile murder; his body was enhanced, and his physical abilities far surpassed those of ordinary people, thus beginning a bloody massacre.

The purpose of luring and killing those homeless people and beggars was not for revenge, but to satisfy the ever-expanding desires after the mutation and to fill the psychological gap that gradually became distorted after the mutation.

Given time, Jacob may become very powerful, extremely powerful, but by then he will no longer be himself, but a devil walking in the sunlight.

Anastasia is also an Outcast. Under the influence of the mutation, she has become a sophisticated and efficient killing machine. There is no one in the world that she cannot kill.

In terms of sheer danger, Anastasia is miles ahead of Jacob, but she is completely different from Jacob.

Anastasia was able to curb her ever-expanding desires and suppress her increasingly distorted mind, keeping her condition stable and preventing it from deteriorating further.

The ability to maintain a stable state is the biggest difference between those who transcend, determining whether they become demons or continue to live as human beings.

Tick-tick-tick-

The sound of running water in the bathroom stopped, and Anastasia turned on the water valve to turn off the shower.

Completely naked, Anastasia walked to the mirror hanging on the wall and raised her hand to wipe away the condensation covering its surface.

The mirror then reflected a young and beautiful body, with well-proportioned bones and flesh, slender and plump, and skin as white as jade—everything about it was just right.

Anastasia gathered her wet, long hair in front of her, turned her back to the mirror, and looked at herself in the mirror: her back was a dazzling expanse of snow-white skin, smooth and delicate.

The next second, a patch of bluish-black tattoo suddenly appeared on her fair and delicate skin, extremely eye-catching.

The tattoo is located on her left shoulder blade, and the design is a number written in cursive script: 9.

Anastasia discovered the tattoo by chance, and this ugly bluish-black tattoo only appears when she uses her mutant abilities.

Anastasia had no idea what the number represented. She didn't even know who she was, so she had no idea what the number meant.

With her memories gone and her past experiences a complete blank, this is the biggest problem Anastasia faces after waking up.

Who is she?

What caused the pollution, and what caused the anomaly?

Did she belong to a mysterious organization in the past, and what was the purpose of that organization?

Also, who were those people who died in the deserted town? What was her relationship with them? Why did she kill them all?

Anastasia had so many questions that urgently needed answers.

Before finding the answer, she had to live cautiously, not daring to make even the slightest mistake.

Therefore, Anastasia set off from that remote town and traveled all the way to Gloria, a place where heaven and hell coexist, to become a private detective.

Her original intention was to gradually understand this complex metropolis by accepting commissions, uncover the secrets hidden in the city's shadows, find information related to herself, and unravel the mystery bit by bit.

However, things didn't go as planned, and Anastasia's plan failed.

The goddess of fate is a drunkard; she has no idea who she knocks down or helps up.

Anastasia spent three months running around Gloria, but to no avail; she found not a single useful clue.

Perhaps because she started from a low point, she mostly took on small, unsavory jobs, unable to delve into the city's hidden secrets.

Or perhaps it was because the timing wasn't right yet, and the newly arrived private investigator's reputation wasn't strong enough to attract the attention of the big boss behind the scenes.

In conclusion, Anastasia still has a long way to go to dispel the fog surrounding her.

Anastasia, no longer lost in thought, pricked up her ears in front of the mirror, then grabbed a dry towel, wrapped it around herself, and abruptly pushed open the bathroom door—

"Don't shoot, it's me."

Suddenly, a tall, thin figure appeared in the corner of the room.

Also without anyone noticing, Anastasia suddenly had a single-action revolver in her hand, the muzzle pointed directly at the figure in the corner.

While in the bathroom, she heard a rustling sound coming from the room. Thinking that a stranger had broken in, she suddenly rushed out of the bathroom.

"If you dare to barge in again, I'll put a few holes in you," Anastasia said, her tone filled with malice.

Gloria is not a safe city, and being a private investigator is not a safe job, so it's always good to be cautious.

"I understand, I'll be more careful next time," the man said. "Tonight was an accident, there was an unexpected situation."

As he spoke, a tall, thin figure stepped out from the corner of the room and stood by the window.

The bright moonlight gently streamed through the window, illuminating the figure. He looked quite old, with white hair and beard, and his face bore the marks of time.

His name was Lawrence, a priest at the Falgar Church, and Anastasia's latest business partner.

"What do you want me to do this time?" Anastasia said. "If it's something as trivial as the White Antler Tavern, I suggest you don't even ask."

As Anastasia spoke, she casually placed the gun on the table and walked toward the wardrobe standing against the wall.

The large wardrobe occupied an entire wall of the apartment, and inside were various clothes neatly organized, as well as firearms and ammunition for self-defense.

Guns can kill ordinary people and some superhumans, but they are sufficient for self-defense.

"Speaking of the White Antlers Tavern, some people in the department are very dissatisfied with your performance," Father Lawrence said.

From the moment Anastasia rushed out of the bathroom, Father Lawrence kept his eyes downcast and did not look at the young woman who was only wrapped in a towel.

However, young women don't seem to care about this.

She casually pulled off her bath towel and changed into a comfortable and light bathrobe, with a belt loosely tied around her waist.

Helpless, Father Lawrence could only keep his eyes down, not daring to look around.

He sighed and said, "Anatasia! Miss Angel! I'm a man, can't you show me a little respect?"

It is said that a man is a boy until he dies, and as long as his photo is not hanging on the wall, no one is not lustful. It's just that most people's lust is controlled by poverty.

Anastasia, dressed in her bathrobe, walked to the sofa and said, "In my opinion, men and women are essentially no different; they are both flesh and blood."

Under the influence of the mutation, she no longer sees the boundaries between men and women; there is only the distinction between "good at killing" and "not good at killing."

Father Lawrence, who was in the same room, belonged to the latter category. He could be killed, but not easily; it would require paying a heavy price.

"Besides, aren't you a priest? Priests shouldn't like women, right?" Anastasia continued. "I've heard a lot of people say that."

Father Lawrence remained silent; he disliked the joke and didn't want to dwell on such matters.

"Where was I?" He thought for a moment, then continued, "Right, White Antlers Tavern. Some people in the bureau are very unhappy with your performance."

When Father Lawrence brought up serious matters again, Anastasia stopped joking and became serious.

"My good priest, you'd better be clear. Are these people dissatisfied with me, or with you?"