[Congratulations! You have received a fragment of the Ataroth mask.]
A flicker of surprise flashed through Amon's eyes, but he quickly masked it, pretending as though everything was normal.
'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.
Silently, the image of the departing silhouette of the butcher overlapped with that of her husband while he was heading to work, his back turned.
They seemed… similar.
Kayla quickly shook her head and laughed nervously.
'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 a certain point, Kayla had barely touched her food.
Kayla forced a smile. "Yeah, just thinking about something."
Amon stared at her for a moment longer 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 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 yet alerted him of 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 Amon's 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 of his house.
The lady in front, with brown hair and a book in her hands, wrote down some statements as they repeatedly asked Kayla questions.
Upon noticing him, Kayla turned in his direction and said, "Oh, babe, you're awake."
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?'
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 towards Amon, searching his eyes for any hint of emotion.
However, Amon's calm smile remained present as though he didn't harbor any anger or hatred in his heart.
'He seems like an ordinary family man…' Joy muttered internally.
"Sorry to come so abruptly," she said. "We analysed 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 and her suspicion of him lessened considerably.
"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 internally noticed, and another wave of suspicion she felt towards Amon lessened.
"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."
Joy's eyes narrowed slightly as she glanced in the direction of her colleague.
He quickly took out his phone and made a few searches. "It's true, there's a fruit called the 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.
"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.
"Ma'am, that's crossing the line." Kayla's eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"It's alright, Kaylie, she's just going to stare. 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.
Still, a faint curiosity flickered in her heart. Perhaps because she was curious to see if her husband had sustained any scars that would point to his identity as the butcher, she had agreed so readily.
"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.
"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 on her husband silently dissipated.
'It seems he isn't the butcher.' Kayla felt relieved at the thought.