A Core Ship From The Start
Chapter 1189 - Chapter 1189 809

Chapter 1189: 809 Chapter 1189: 809 Coming to the desk, D saw the telephone flashing with the recording button, so she pressed it too, and then a voice rang out.

“It’s me, I need a favor. I’ll be at your place in a bit.”

“Dort? What trouble has he gotten into now?”

D was not unfamiliar with this voice; he was a police officer in the city where D currently lived. They had collaborated a few times, and overall, Dort was a very justice-driven police officer who got along well with her. He had also entrusted D with the investigation and resolution of a few Electronic Demon cases.

This call was probably about that matter.

Due to the “Destruction Day,” satellites around the world were basically destroyed, and transmission towers and such were completely ruined. For safety’s sake, humanity had reverted to the era of landlines and public phones, which, after all, weren’t susceptible to electronic network invasions and destruction.

D didn’t care much about this and even found a retro beauty in it, although it might be more troublesome for modern people used to smartphones.

“Knock, knock, knock.”

Just then, a knock on the door sounded, and D, sitting in her chair, then shifted her position.

“Come in.”

As D spoke, the door opened, and a man in a police uniform walked in.

“Yo, good morning, Duanmu.”

“Good morning, Dort.”

D greeted the man in front of her. Since she was incognito, the name D could no longer be used. After all, in the current educational textbooks, D was listed as an influential historical figure, and using that name would be far too dangerous.

So… D decided to change her name.

That’s right, standing before you now is the 17-year-old invincibly cute and lovely idol, Duanmu Ai! (~KIRA)

Ahem, jokes aside.

“Did you come to see me about a case?”

“Exactly, this case is a bit strange.”

Duanmu Huai–no, Duanmu Ai and Dort were quite familiar with each other, having dealt with each other quite a bit. Dort knew this girl didn’t like formalities, so he went straight to the point. He took out a document and placed it in front of Duanmu Ai.

“Not long ago, we received a report claiming that a teacher at a school was bullying students.”

“Hmm…”

Duanmu Ai wasn’t surprised by this; after all, no matter the era or place, humans always had a hierarchy, and conflicts were inevitable. Not just in schools, but even within offices, companies, enterprises, and even families, bullying existed.

But the difference was, in companies or offices, those being bullied could just smash the keyboard in the bully’s face and say, “I quit,” something a student sadly couldn’t do.

“I took on this case and started investigating, finding the school’s PE teacher highly suspicious. According to covert investigations, it is very likely he was abusing and bullying students under the pretense of training.”

“So you’re not going to ask me to disguise myself as a student, infiltrate the school and investigate this, are you?”

“You got it half right.”

Hearing Duanmu Ai’s question, Dort chuckled.

“Actually, this case has already been closed.”

“…You’re kidding me?”

Duanmu Ai stared at Dort, ready to smash the pear wood desk into his face if he said anything wrong.

“Listen to me first.”

Seeing Duanmu Ai’s expression was off, Dort quickly waved his hands.

“It’s true, investigations into bullying cases are tough, but we made some progress. During our investigation, a female student, unable to endure the teacher’s bullying, tried to jump off a building to kill herself. Fortunately, she was saved. Upon examining her, the police found many old bruises on her body which clearly exceeded what one might get from normal training, so we thought about questioning her after she woke up. If this girl agreed to assist the police, we could take down that scoundrel!”

“But?”

“But… before the girl woke up, the teacher came forward and confessed.”

“…Huh?”

Duanmu Ai’s eyes widened in surprise at this, and even Lumiaire, standing beside her, showed an unexpected look.

“Exactly, he confessed, and with deep remorse, he revealed his criminal activities. He is currently in custody, awaiting trial.”

“What’s the problem with that then?”

In Duanmu Ai’s view, there didn’t seem to be anything particularly strange about the case.

“Indeed, that’s the reaction most people have.”

Dort nodded.

“But this case is unusual, at least from my investigation, that teacher doesn’t look like someone who would suddenly repent.”

“Maybe because it led to an almost fatal incident, he got scared? Some people are like that, arrogant on normal days, but they get petrified when they’ve caused a life-threatening incident…”

“On the day after the girl tried to jump, he even tried to expel a student who stood up to him. How could such an unrepentant person suddenly feel remorse over a student he bullied attempting suicide? Moreover, something else happened at his school just before he confessed.”

While talking, Dort took out a piece of paper and handed it to Duanmu Ai, who then glanced over the letter.

“Lustful shameless bastard–Teacher [XXXX], you have imposed your twisted desires on students who couldn’t resist. We’re well aware of your egregious actions, so we’ve decided to steal your twisted desires and force you to confess your crimes. Be prepared, we’re solving you tomorrow–signed, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts.”

After reading the letter, Duanmu Ai looked up puzzled.

“What is this?”

“This appeared on the school bulletin board the day after that girl jumped off a building. A few days later, the man turned himself in.”

“So, you believe what it says? Someone stole that man’s sinful desires, so he had a change of heart and turned himself in?”

Duanmu Ai shook the paper in his hand, and Dort nodded.

“Yes, we suspect it might be the work of an Electronic Demon.”

“Electronic Demon, huh… Electronic Demons indeed can influence others’ mental state to some extent, but I suppose you must have already tested that man.”

To Duanmu Ai, Electronic Demons weren’t surprising; after all, many could inflict status effects like ‘confuse,’ ‘knockout,’ and ‘charm’ on humans’ minds, which could be detected upon examination. Agencies like Dort’s naturally followed similar protocols.

“Yes, that’s the problem. The tests showed he was clean, and he himself claimed no knowledge of any Phantom Thieves Gang. He said he suddenly saw the light–that is, he wasn’t influenced by any mental magic, yet his personality had undergone a dramatic 180-degree change. There definitely must be something wrong, considering this letter–we suspect someone is meddling.”

“So, you’ve come to me.”

By now, Duanmu Ai had grasped the situation.

“Exactly. We hope you can enter that school as a transfer student and investigate from within. Perhaps you can find those responsible for warping and altering people’s minds. You understand how dangerous this can be.”

“Of course.”

Duanmu Ai nodded slightly, understanding that on the surface, these actions seemed noble. However, this was inherently dangerous, as it meant that anyone’s thoughts could be changed at will; consequently, trust would vanish. Should this issue become public, the societal impact would be significant.

“So, we’re officially closing the case but quietly, the police have already begun a secret investigation, which is why I’ve approached you, hoping you can assist.”

“No problem. So if I find this Gang of Thieves, do I arrest them, or do I just kill them on the spot?”

“Erm… Try not to be too violent.”

Hearing Duanmu Ai’s inquiry, Dort silently wiped some cold sweat.

“We still want to interrogate them about how exactly they manipulate people’s hearts and then…”

“And then you’d control that power to manipulate others, right? I might as well kill them on the spot.”

“…”

Faced with Duanmu Ai’s mockery, Dort couldn’t respond and just stood up.

“Regardless, this matter has attracted attention, and we must find a way to resolve it. Everything about this case is here, and regarding what to do next… it’s up to you.”

“Leave it to me.”

After their conversation, Dort left the office, and Lumiaire approached, picking up the case file.

“This is indeed a strange case.”

“Indeed, Lumiaire, what do you think? Is there any Electronic Demon capable of this?”

“Not that I know of; no Electronic Demon can achieve this level.”

Lumiaire pondered a moment and shook her head.

“Most Electronic Demons have only temporary mind control abilities, which wear off. The Nightmare Clan are experts in this field; we could ask for their opinion.”

“Let’s do that.”

At this suggestion, Duanmu Ai stood.

“We’ll start by consulting the experts.”

For Duanmu Ai, this was not a difficult task.

“Completely warping a human’s mind in a short time?”

Sitting behind the bar, wearing a leather jacket and sporting a pair of bat wings, a female Nightmare curiously looked at Duanmu Ai.

“We don’t have that capability, nor does any Electronic Demon. Indeed, if it involves long-term mental invasion, we might suggest and brainwash someone gradually to change their beliefs, but it requires a process and depends on how strong-willed the individual is. But to transform someone into a completely different person in a short time? Impossible, absolutely impossible.”

The female Nightmare shook her head then gestured with her chin towards the side; under dim lighting, a group of humans, both male and female, lay in beds, all with eyes tightly shut, deep in sleep. This scene reminded Duanmu Ai of something akin to Mewtwo in this world–only that these humans were enjoying something more advanced.

“The human mind is very fragile. Indeed, I can provoke someone’s mind intensely in a short period, causing their recognition to collapse, but this outcome would either drive a person mad or turn them into an obedient slave. However, to utterly warp a personality into another being, even the Nightmare Clan can’t do it.”

“Do you know any Electronic Demons who can?”

“Maybe you could consult Lady Lilith, but I suspect the answer will remain the same. If we had such abilities, we would have already conquered humans.”

“That’s true; if that were possible, you’d all be dead by now.”

Duanmu Ai confirmed that no Electronic Demon possessed such power. The Ten Great Disasters might do something similar, as the female Nightmare mentioned, transforming someone into an obedient slave but not completely reinventing them as someone else.

It seemed the only way to clarify this was to investigate the school.