"Solving the case, solving a sensational case... The current case can definitely be considered sensational, after all, even supernatural creatures have appeared!"
"Even monsters have appeared!"
"If this case, from beginning to end, is handled entirely by me, without the military or investigation bureau agents interfering, and if I successfully complete the mission, I will soar to the top, get promoted, and enter high society. It won't be a problem..."
The sheriff thought to himself, how many years had he worked hard, yet he was still just a sheriff. If he could single-handedly solve this entire case from start to finish, the political benefits he would gain... the personal fame he would achieve... and then enter high society, where lavish parties could be held indefinitely...
The taste of that...
A look of seeking fortune in danger appeared on the sheriff's face.
Just then, a deafening roar echoed from somewhere, seemingly from the depths of the mountains.
The sound was like thunder and lightning, or like a bolt of lightning appearing suddenly in broad daylight. The roar, carrying for miles, struck terror into their hearts.
The sheriff and the surrounding officers felt as if their bodies, their limbs, their souls, their thoughts, were all frozen by the immense power.
Although they held firearms, they felt like people in the primitive era on Earth, facing an irresistible beast with their bare hands.
They were overcome with extreme fear, knowing they could not possibly resist a ferocious beast, and could only flee. Yet, their limbs seemed to disobey them. Despite the will to escape, they were ultimately unable to move.
Thus, they could only watch, step by step, as they descended into an abyss, into despair, and were eventually devoured bit by bit.
In ancient times, primitive humans faced ferocious beasts with such helplessness.
But since Earth transitioned from the primitive era to the Bronze Age and Iron Age, people's fear of ferocious beasts diminished significantly, as spears and swords were enough to pierce the hide and flesh of these animals.
And from the Iron Age to the Steam Age, and then to the Electrical Age, people's fear of ferocious beasts, especially police officers armed with powerful firearms, completely vanished.
This was because no matter how ferocious a beast, it was still composed of flesh and blood, still a creature of Earth, a creature of nature, and could not withstand the power of firearms.
Tigers and lions confronting firearms with their flesh and blood would only be courting their own destruction.
This was the difference between primitive society and modern society.
Police officers no longer feared ferocious beasts. As long as they had firearms, lions, tigers, and elephants were mere weaklings, ripe for slaughter.
This was how it used to be.
In the past, police officers in the United States were so confident, and they took it for granted.
But now, it was different.
Facing the roar that suddenly erupted from the depths of Crystal Mountain, even without seeing the face of the ferocious beast, all the officers felt a chill down their spines, their bodies no longer under their control.
After about three seconds, when the roar finally stopped, some officers, with their strong willpower, were able to slightly move their hands and feet.
After about ten seconds, all the officers' limbs regained their normal function, but their minds were still replaying the sound of the roar, and they were not yet settled.
It wasn't until thirty seconds later that the officers' minds slightly calmed down, their emotions adjusted, and the first person spoke.
"What kind of monster made that roar? In front of this unknown monster, I felt like I had returned to primitive society, like those primitive people facing wolf packs with their bare hands..."
"Even with firearms in hand, I had no intention of fighting this beast."
"My hands and feet were completely unable to move."
Once someone spoke, other officers began to discuss it in a flurry of words.
After that roar, the officers realized what "monsters" were. Monsters were not beasts; they were far beyond the creatures of nature. Even with firearms, they might not be able to defeat them.
Monsters were monsters.
This was a job for the military or the investigation bureau to deal with, not for them, ordinary local police officers, who numbered only a dozen or so and were armed with firearms of moderate power. An officer was just a job title; officers were also human, and no one wanted to face such a monster and die.
"Boss, this is no longer within our scope of involvement. We should report to our superiors and let them investigate this matter."
An officer said to the sheriff.
He wanted to retreat.
If it were before, when they had only seen the monster's corpse, the officers hadn't thought this way. A group of students had gone missing, and the bodies of these young people and a monster's corpse had appeared. Clearly, the monster's corpse must have been killed by these young people.
And since even a few young people without firearms had the strength to kill a monster in a desperate situation, it showed that the monster's strength was not very high. They, the officers, armed with firearms, would be able to kill such monsters without injury.
But now, the officers had truly heard the monster's roar.
From the roar, the officers understood one thing: monsters had varying strengths. There were slimes that could be killed by a few young people, and there were monsters that, with a single roar from miles away, could incapacitate a group of officers for over ten seconds, rendering their limbs immobile.
How could they possibly resist such a monster?
Retreat became the only option in the minds of almost all the officers.
Investigating missing persons cases was the responsibility of police officers, but investigating monsters was surely not the responsibility of police officers, right?
Nor was it within the scope of a police officer's job, was it?
If so, then retreating and reporting was a perfectly normal choice, wasn't it?
Almost all the officers turned their gaze to the sheriff, waiting for him to make a decision.
Some officers had guessed some of the sheriff's thoughts. They knew that this sheriff wanted to gain credit by solving a "sensational case" and thus be promoted to higher positions.
"Seeking fortune in danger" was a phrase this sheriff had once uttered. Now, they looked at him, hoping he wouldn't be foolish and make a decision that would be wrong for the entire search team.
For example—insisting on investigating deep into the mountains at this moment.
Under the gaze of everyone, the sheriff knew in his heart what choice he should make.
If he had only seen the monster's corpse before, it would have proven that the monster's strength was not comparable to firearms; otherwise, it wouldn't have died.
At this point, he was confident enough to order everyone into the mountains to search for merit.