[Liver Count: 571/1000]

After killing nine more people, he finally regained his full strength.

[DING!]

[SYSTEM NOTICE]

[Host has fully recovered.]

[You may now transfer bodies]

’Huh?’

He stared at the notification, surprised that leaving her body wasn’t even an option before. Good thing he adjusted his plan.

If he tried to leave and failed, it would put him in a very difficult situation.

On top of that, he discovered a new weakness in the berserk mode’s after effect that he would need to account for in the future.

’It’s a powerful trump card, but the drawbacks are too much to justify its use.’

Just as he was about to check further, he sensed a disturbance in her nerves.

It was faint at first, like a small shift beneath calm water, but it was enough to catch his attention.

Something inside her was pushing back, not enough to break free, but enough to create resistance.

If that resistance grew stronger, his control could slip at the worst possible moment.

Worst-case scenario, he would have to kill her and find a new body.

’I can’t lose this body yet... not until I’ve made full use of it.’

Her hands twitched. She grabbed a hoodie from one of the bodies and pulled it on before calling a cab from a more secluded area, away from CCTV cameras.

His control over her had improved. She could now speak properly, but the lack of facial expression was still an issue.

"Where to, miss?"

The driver did not suspect anything. The hoodie hid most of the blood, and her dark outfit made the stains harder to notice.

It also helped that he kept control of her body tight enough to avoid getting too much blood on her while committing the massacre.

"District 4."

The driver nodded and pressed the pedal.

There was no traffic at all. The only sounds were distant alarms and the steady thrum of helicopters overhead.

By the time they arrived, the reception desk was staffed with half-asleep clerks.

He paid, stepped out, and guided her body back to her unit without drawing attention.

Once inside, he made her undressed and disposed of the evidence.

’Good thing she was already naked when I took control. That’s one less thing to worry about,’ he mused after cleaning her and tucking her under the blanket.

Then—

Her fingers twitched.

Her breathing shifted.

Her consciousness began to surface.

Opening her eyes, she saw it was still dark outside.

She sat up slowly, feeling a bit thirsty, drank a glass of water, then returned to bed.

Francis took the opportunity to regain control of her body.

Now that his influence was stronger, he wanted to test how far he could push her and whether he could integrate his abilities without damaging her body.

Morning came.

Light slowly filled the room, slipping through the gaps in the curtains and spreading across the floor.

Samantha stirred.

Her eyes opened, unfocused. She felt weak, like her body had not fully recovered from deep exhaustion.

She frowned and slowly sat up. "Why does my face hurt?"

Her fingers moved to her cheek. She checked her face, pressing lightly as if searching for damage.

Nothing.

Her skin was smooth. Flawless, just like before.

She stayed still for a second, confused by the feeling. Then she lowered her hand, letting the thought fade as her mind adjusted to the morning light.

A soft breath left her lips.

Her gaze drifted around the room. Nothing looked out of place. The blanket was slightly messy, but that was normal.

Still, something sat at the back of her mind. A faint pressure she could not explain.

She swung her legs off the bed and stood up slowly.

Her steps were unsteady at first, but she forced herself forward. She needed water.

Inside the bathroom, she turned on the tap and splashed her face. Cold water ran down her skin, pulling her fully awake.

She looked at herself in the mirror.

Everything was normal.

Samantha blinked once.

Then her eyes glowed, she wanted to check if she recovered already but she stopped right away after feeling pain.

"Weird... why am I not recovering like usual?"

Normally, a day or two of rest was enough for her to use her ability again, even briefly.

"Should I get myself checked?" she added.

It wasn’t uncommon for abilities to have hiccups, and it was especially true for unique abilities like hers.

For the time being, she cleaned herself up and took a shower.

While washing, she paused for a moment, her hand briefly touching her private parts.

Her fingers moved across it in a gentle, lingering stroke, her lip drawn between her teeth.

It was unusual for her to touch herself like this, but the dream from last night was just too arousing.

Just remembering it made her touched herself faster.

In the dream, she was coated in a thick, slimy liquid, being filled through her pinkish pearl, trapping her in pleasure.

Soon, the sound of her moans faded under the steady rush of steam and running water from the shower.

"My head still hurts,"

Even after taking a bath, her mind was still exhausted, making her less attentive to details.

Thinking it was just hunger, she went to the kitchen and started eating cereals. Her appetite had eased compared to before, which gave her a bit of relief.

Midway through, she checked her phone for the latest updates.

Another crime had been reported, and the police were now treating the suspects as serial killers.

"Once I recover, I’ll catch those psychos myself," she said, biting into her cereal harder than usual.

Suddenly, a ringing sound came from the phone George had given her.

She hesitated at first but ultimately answered it.

"Hello?"

(Sorry for bothering you, Lieutenant Samantha.)

She recognized the voice instantly. It was Lex.

"It’s not a bother. I wanted to meet you too."

Francis almost wanted to knock some sense into her. It was like watching his own daughter fall for the hottest guy in school, just because he was good-looking and the football team captain.

But he didn’t really have the right to say anything. He was a parasite, using her to kill people without her consent, so he wasn’t any better.

(Thank you for believing me, and I’m sorry I was harsh to you before. I was just too filled with anger back then.)

"It’s okay, I understand. I’m sorry I slapped you too," she replied, pacing around her unit with a faint smile.

The more Francis heard, the more certain he became that Lex already knew about her feelings and was taking advantage of them.

They continued talking, and then she received a location. It was a small hotel along the highway in the outer district. She immediately agreed to come.

’This girl is the type to die first in a horror movie,’

Around 12:00 noon, Samantha found herself at a gas station in front of the hotel.

She wore simple clothing and hid her face with a baseball hat and shades, which ironically made her stand out more.

But Francis didn’t care about any of it. His mind was already focused on forming his assassination plan.

Right now, he had a perfect chance to reach Category Four and gain an innate talent with just one target.

’I have a single shot. I need to kill him quickly.’