[Congratulations! You have received a fragment of Ataroth Mask.]
A flicker of surprise flashed through Amon's eyes, but he quickly masked it, pretending as though everything was normal.
For a split second, his fingers paused mid-air before resuming.
'Why did I receive a fragment of the Ataroth Mask?'
Due to the strangeness of the reward, Amon was slightly taken aback.
Not willing to dwell on it, he quickly pulled up his status screen to glance at his progress so far.
[Master: Amon Moonstone.]
[Level 13 (3000/15000)]
[Talent: Danger Sense (A-rank).]
[Skills: Flame Sword (C-rank), Swift Dagger (F-rank).]
[Techniques: Elegant Netherblade Sword Technique (Divine Rank).]
[Fate Points: 0]
After seeing that his stats were looking good so far, Amon shifted his attention back to the breakfast he was eating.
Kayla ate in silence, many thoughts going through her mind.
Her grip on the spoon tightened slightly.
Silently, the image of the departing silhouette of the butcher overlapped with that of her husband as he headed to work, his back turned.
They seemed… similar.
Kayla quickly shook her head and laughed nervously, but the sound came out a little forced.
'What the hell am I thinking? My husband can't possibly be that monster.'
Forcefully shoving the thought to the back of her mind, she turned her attention back to her meal.
However, for some reason, she no longer felt the urge to eat.
After Amon was done with his meal, he stood up.
"Are you alright?" he asked, noticing that at some point, Kayla had barely touched her food.
Kayla forced a smile. "Yeah, just thinking about something."
Amon stared at her for a moment longer, his gaze lingering just a second too long, before nodding.
"I'm heading to sleep."
"Oh. Alright. After I'm done, I'll clean up and join you."
Amon's gaze lingered on his wife once more.
Approaching her, he leaned closer. "Don't let it bother you too much. I hate seeing that frown on your face."
Kayla let out a breath, her shoulders relaxing slightly. "Don't worry about it, babe. It's nothing." She forced a smile once more.
Finally, Amon let out a resigned sigh and swiftly departed for his room.
Even though he was at level 13, he still needed sleep like an ordinary human, albeit not too much.
Amon could feel Kayla's gaze fixed intensely on his departing back, and for a brief moment, his steps slowed… before continuing.
He couldn't help narrowing his eyes in confusion.
Moments after entering the room, Amon drifted off to sleep.
He was awakened moments later by the sound of voices coming from downstairs.
Instantly, his eyebrows shot up in alertness.
However, since his danger sense hadn't alerted him to anything, he didn't panic.
Compared to before, his danger sense was now at A-rank. At this level, even harboring a slight thought of evil intent in one's heart was enough to trigger his killing intent.
Of course, this was amplified when it came to his loved ones.
Calmly, he stepped out of the room in his casual pajamas.
His eyes narrowed slightly, and his heart skipped a beat upon noticing a few policemen in the parlor.
That beat came just a fraction too late.
The lady in front, with brown hair and a book in her hands, wrote down statements as they repeatedly asked Kayla some questions.
Kayla's fingers were clenched tightly around the edge of the table.
Upon noticing him, she turned in his direction. "Oh, babe, you're awake."
There was a subtle stiffness in her voice.
She stood up, feeling the weight in her chest settle, then turned to the officers with a forced smile.
"They came a few minutes ago, asking about you, like information about where you work and places you normally visit."
Amon narrowed his eyes slightly, his mind racing internally.
'Have they discovered my identity?'
His heartbeat steadied unnaturally fast.
He quickly ruled out the first thought that came to mind.
'If they had truly discovered it, they wouldn't just come to ask questions. Instead, they would have apprehended me instantly.'
Reaching this conclusion, a calm smile appeared on Amon's face as he glanced at them.
"How may I help you, officers?"
Joy, dressed in a dark blue professional skirt and office shirt, stood up and stepped closer toward Amon, searching his eyes for any hint of emotion.
For a fleeting moment, she thought she saw something… then it vanished.
However, Amon's calm smile remained, as though he didn't harbor any anger or hatred in his heart.
'He seems like an ordinary family man…' Joy muttered internally, though a thin thread of doubt remained.
"Sorry to come so abruptly," she said. "We analyzed footage of the butcher and arrived at the conclusion that his height is between 6'2 and 6'4. As such, we've visited all those within this height range in the Cold Moon District."
A strange flicker passed through Amon's eyes, which he quickly hid.
"Oh…" Amon raised a brow curiously, then stated evenly, "If that's the case, feel free to ask me any question."
Joy stared at Amon for a moment longer, measuring him, and her suspicion of him lessened… but didn't disappear entirely.
"According to our research, previously, your height was…"
"5'10." Amon had already thought about what to answer when he was asked such a question.
"I see."
'He answered immediately, as though he has nothing to hide about the sudden increase in his height.' Joy noted internally. Still… too smooth.
"How did your height increase so suddenly? I heard it was a change that happened overnight."
"The night my daughter was born, I found a physique enhancement fruit, and after devouring it, my height miraculously changed."
Not a single pause.
Joy's eyes narrowed slightly as she glanced at the direction of her colleague.
He quickly took out his phone and made a few searches. "It's true. There's a fruit such as a physique enhancement fruit. Although rare, it's said it can increase one's height by at least 0.3 inches and at most 0.7."
"I see…" Joy quickly wrote a few things down in her notebook.
Her pen paused for half a second before continuing.
"Do you have any scars?" she asked curiously.
Amon shook his head. "Although I'm a mana stone excavator, I have managed to remain relatively safe and have not sustained any injuries."
"Can I examine your body?" Joy said suddenly, catching Amon off guard.
A brief silence fell.
"Ma'am, that's crossing the line." Kayla's eyes narrowed, her voice sharper than before.
"It's alright, Kaylie. She's just going to look. I wouldn't want to deprive the officers of any information."
His reply made Kaylie return to her previous calm, however her eyes still remained fixed on Joy… and then briefly on Amon.
Still, a faint curiosity flickered in her heart.
"Just your upper body is enough," Joy said, staring at Amon intensely.
"Okay," Amon replied, then began unbuttoning his shirt.
Within moments, his bare, chiseled chest came into view, causing Joy to gulp lightly.
Glancing at his perfectly sculpted body, she was taken aback by the mesmerizing sight.
Amon's body was flawless, without any hint of injuries.
Too flawless.
"This should be enough, right, officer?" Amon asked, dragging Joy's attention back.
Joy's face flushed red, and she felt the urge to dig a hole and bury herself. That was such a mortifying situation.
"Ye—yeah." She managed to force the words out, then cleared her throat.
"You are not the butcher." Regaining her composure, Joy said with a light smile.
Amon returned her smile. "I wish you luck in apprehending the criminal."
By the side, Kayla finally exhaled in relief, and the suspicions she had about her husband silently dissipated… though not completely.
'It seems he isn't the butcher.'
…But for some reason, her chest still felt a little tight.