The killer is still in this apartment!
Chen Yan's hands and feet instantly went icy cold, his hands stiffening.
He didn't immediately ponder why the killer wouldn't let him sleep.
Instead, rumors circulating in Yharnam City flooded his mind.
Ever since the first batch of Asian immigrants entered Yharnam, murders targeting them had been happening continuously.
Asians were hardworking and brave; whatever the job, they did it better than the locals.
Because of this, they encroached on many jobs that the locals felt belonged to them.
Asian immigrants enjoyed a portion of social welfare, which they rightfully deserved since most honestly paid taxes, unlike the locals who frequently engaged in tax evasion.
But in the locals' minds, Asians were the culprits dragging down the entire social welfare system.
Some extremists clashed with Asians, resulting in a high frequency of bloodshed.
The most famous was the "Yharnam City 11-11 Serial Murders" that happened half a month ago.
On November 11th, a killer brutally murdered 23 new Asian immigrants.
The logistics warehouse where they worked was soaked in blood for a whole day. It wasn't until the next morning, drawn by the stench of fermenting blood, that someone discovered the dismembered corpses piled inside.
Chen Yan had never felt a murder case so close to him.
The killer was still in this apartment.
The killer was right beside him.
And this killer was far more brutal than any criminal he had heard of.
Because this killer didn't just target Asians, but locals too—Geralt Sif's death was the best proof.
What was more headache-inducing was that this killer seemed somewhat perverted.
He looked at the note again.
If you didn't follow the note's instructions, you'd be killed?
A paper-slip serial killer...
He lowered his head, reading the handwriting again.
[Between 10:00 PM and 10:00 AM, you must not fall asleep.]
This note clearly stated a "requirement."
If he didn't fulfill this "requirement," what would be the consequence?
Chen Yan thought of the dead Geralt Sif.
Failure to fulfill the "requirement" likely meant ending up like Sif.
He hadn't planned on sleeping anyway, intending to wait all night for his tenant.
So, to some extent, he had already fulfilled the "requirement" on the note.
He thought to himself,
Perhaps,
This is why I am still alive.
He picked up the lamp, scanning his surroundings.
The un-removed plastic cover on the cotton sofa lay there quietly.
The drawn double-canvas curtains showed no anomalies.
The tables and chairs were exactly as he had left them earlier today.
The messy footprints on the floor were left by the police just now...
Wait?
No!
He knelt on one knee, holding the lamp, bending down to look closer.
Hidden among the chaotic prints of heavy leather boots were some strange footprints.
The footprints were split into two parts: wider and larger at the top, narrower and smaller at the bottom.
Like...
Like a woman's high heels.
Chen Yan's breathing slowly eased due to his tension.
No woman had ever entered this apartment.
Meaning, the killer was likely a woman!
Chen Yan thought, if it's a woman, perhaps her physical strength isn't that great. Perhaps, I don't need to be too afraid.
Thinking this, the fear in his heart dissipated slightly.
He steadied his nerves and looked at the floor again.
Under the kerosene lamp, the high-heel prints weren't large. They were at least 10 sizes smaller than Chen Yan's own feet.
This meant the owner of these heels was at least a head shorter than him.
A woman about 1.6 meters tall.
Or perhaps a male crossdresser, which wasn't common, but not non-existent in the Empire.
Regardless, the killer was much shorter and smaller than himself.
Even with this conclusion, Chen Yan didn't relax his vigilance.
Because Geralt Sif died of heart failure. He was scared to death, not beaten to death.
This indicated the killer likely possessed special methods of murder.
What kind of murder method could cause heart failure?
Chen Yan took a breath of the cold, earthy-smelling air, weighed the muscle on his biceps, and his thoughts grew clearer.
Although he didn't know the killer's identity, deducing these traits gave him leverage to fight back.
Carrying the lamp, he followed the high-heel prints.
From the living room up the stairs,
Along the stairs to the washroom door on the second floor.
The footprints didn't disappear at the washroom door,
But continued upward,
Arriving at the third floor, turning right.
The high-heel footprints ultimately vanished in front of Chen Yan's bedroom door.
Chen Yan slowed his breathing again, gently pushing open the bedroom door with the lamp in hand.
The bedroom was very quiet.
Aside from the dim moonlight filtering through the window cracks, the messy bed and wardrobe looked normal.
The gap behind the door wasn't big enough to hide a person.
He stepped into the bedroom, and a crisp sound came from under his foot.
Looking down, it was another note.
[Crouch down and look to the northeast. There's a surprise.]
Another strange requirement.
A huge doubt arose in Chen Yan's mind.
Because this requirement wasn't hard to fulfill.
It was actually quite simple.
The moment he crouched down, it was as if a thunderbolt flashed through his mind.
He understood the killer's intention.
The pelvic bone structure of the Imperial natives differed slightly from Asians, making it impossible for Imperial natives to perform the "Asian squat"!
In other words,
If he hadn't crouched down just now,
Or had no reaction,
The killer hidden in the dark would likely have made a move!
The more he thought about it, the more eerie it felt.
This killer was a true psychopath!
He held his breath and, following the note's instructions, looked to the northeast.
In the northeast corner of the bedroom was Chen Yan's desk.
On the desk were 'A Brief History of the Empire's New Generation Biology', 'The Connection Between Animal Medicine and Life Sciences', 'Records of Anomalous Biology Sightings'...
And a letter.
Seeing that letter, his expression changed.
He rushed to the desk.
The wax seal on the envelope was broken. The letter had been opened.
The gold-trimmed letterhead had been scribbled out, making parts of the content illegible.
The two large lines of text at the very top couldn't be covered due to their size.
[Byrgenwerth Zoo]
[Offer of Employment]
Looking at the smudges on the envelope, Chen Yan's eyes instantly went bloodshot.
The crucial parts of the letter had almost all been scribbled out!
1. Byrgenwerth Zoo does not have a XXX. If you encounter one, please XXX (illegible), and immediately use your officially issued zoo phone to contact XXX (illegible).
2. There are only tigers in the Tiger Zone, no X. If you see a X in the Tiger Zone, please XX (illegible) immediately.
3. Before your shift, please enter the park exactly within XX minutes of your scheduled start time.
4. If you fail to enter the park within XX minutes of your start time, immediately use your officially issued zoo phone to contact XXX (illegible).
5. After your shift ends, please leave the park within XX minutes.
6. If you fail to leave the park within XX minutes of your shift ending, proceed to the XXX (illegible) to rest.
7. Under no circumstances should you call XXX (illegible) after your shift ends.
Chen Yan looked at this thoroughly ruined employment notice, feeling his vision go dark.