Lu Yuan's eyes sharpened.
"I'm just a consultant," he said coldly. "Suicide missions like this aren't in my contract."
"Furthermore, why is my name on the Viscount's desk? I recall you mentioning that you would keep my identity a secret."
"It's because this situation is too massive. That fool of a Viscount is trying to deflect responsibility by packing the list with every 'professional' he can mobilize."
"That includes an outside consultant like you who responded to the conscription."
Mary rubbed her temples in frustration. "We didn't expect him to do this either. Now that the list has been made public, if you refuse, it will be considered defying a wartime conscription order. Your identity would be exposed immediately, and you might even be placed on a wanted list."
Lu Yuan fell silent.
Refuse? His identity would be exposed, he'd be targeted by the forces hunting doctors in the shadows, and he would lose the protection of the Nightwatchers.
Accept? He would have to go to that isolated water source and face unknown dangers.
But looking at the pool of stagnant red water in the sink, Lu Yuan knew he had no choice.
If the water issue wasn't resolved, he would die of thirst even if he wasn't killed—or be forced to drink this putrid water and undergo mutation.
"I have two conditions."
Lu Yuan held up two fingers, his original composure returning. "First, for this mission, I must work with someone of captain rank, like Hans."
"No problem. Hans is leading the team this time," Mary nodded. "And you will be the vice-captain, responsible for technical analysis and medical support."
"Second." Lu Yuan pointed to his own eyes. "This counts as overtime. I want the library to unlock higher-level permissions for me."
Mary was stunned for a moment, then she laughed.
"You really are a... lunatic. But deal. After all, you've already stepped onto a transcendent pathway; most knowledge won't be enough to pollute you anymore."
...
Half an hour later, the team was assembled.
Besides Hans and Lu Yuan, there were four fully armed veteran Nightwatchers.
Lu Yuan tucked his remaining bottle of intermediate holy water into his coat, carefully wiped his silver-plated pistol, and loaded it.
Though it wasn't extremely powerful, holding it felt far more secure than holding a scalpel.
The group boarded a carriage and drove out of the city districts.
Gelimu Port had two water sources.
One was the Purification Tower located in the inner city, and the other was the Black Pine Forest Water Plant built deep in a remote forest.
The incident had occurred at the latter.
The carriage stopped at the edge of the forest.
The fog here was so thick it was almost solid. The trees were twisted and grotesque, and the air was thick with that familiar, nauseating fishy stench.
"Get out. We proceed on foot."
Hans drew the silver greatsword from his back, his expression grave. "It's too quiet ahead."
It was indeed too quiet.
There should have been guards and workers stationed here, but now, there was nothing but dead silence.
The group advanced in a tactical formation.
Lu Yuan was protected in the center, his gaze scanning the surrounding trees.
【Environmental Perception: Plant roots are contaminated; soil contains high concentrations of putrid matter.】
"Watch your step," Lu Yuan warned in a low voice. "There's something wrong with the soil here."
"Everyone slow down! Listen to the vice-captain!" Hans roared, following Lu Yuan's lead. The entire team slowed their pace instantly.
Lu Yuan didn't care whether they respected him or not; he only needed to fulfill his duties as vice-captain.
After walking for about ten minutes, the gates of the water plant came into view.
It was a fortress-like building with towering outer walls.
At this moment, however, the iron gates were wide open, and the interior was silent, without a single light burning.
"Prepare for combat."
Hans made a hand signal. His aura shifted, becoming like a sharpened blade as he took the lead and moved inside.
The expected fierce battle did not happen.
Because there were no living people left here.
In the courtyard of the water plant, a dozen bodies lay scattered about. No—it was more accurate to call them "cocoons."
They were wrapped in a translucent slime, their internal fluids drained until only shriveled skins remained.
Near the massive reservoir, several oversized monsters were prowling.
Covered in pustules, they moved on all fours with backs full of sharp spikes. Their long tongues flicked out as they greedily licked the black water overflowing from the pool.
【Witnessed mutated creature: foul-water toad (advancing)】
【A contaminated creature, highly venomous with powerful vitality. Weakness: abdominal air sacs. Fears fire.】
Lu Yuan relayed the information at high speed: "Venomous. Its abdomen and fire are its counters."
"Got it!"
Hans roared, his silver greatsword sweeping out with a localized pressure of wind.
The other Nightwatchers began throwing firebombs.
Boom!
Flames surged.
The monsters let out shrill screams in the fire, their abdominal air sacs exploding one by one, spraying a foul-smelling toxic mist.
But thanks to Lu Yuan's warning, everyone had put on gas masks in advance, so there were no casualties.
The battle ended quickly.
A few minutes later, Hans shook the slime off his blade and walked over to Lu Yuan.
"What's the verdict?"
Lu Yuan knelt by the reservoir, using a test tube to take a water sample.
It was black and viscous, wriggling against the walls of the tube as if it were alive.
【High-level pollution source: Diluted from a highly active contaminant.】
"Completely contaminated." Lu Yuan stood up and threw the test tube into the fire. "And the water is full of eggs and waste."
"The entire waterway system here will likely need a massive purge."
"Damn it!" Hans punched a railing, causing rust to flake off in clouds. "Where are the guards? A half-step transcendent of the Mutation Pathway was stationed here! How could it fall without a sound?"
Despite his anger, his eyes remained sharp.
Hans strode to the door of the water plant's control room, checking the lock and the surrounding defensive runes.
"The doors and windows are intact, and the runes are still functioning."
Hans narrowed his eyes, his voice turning cold. "There are no signs of a forced entry, nor any fluctuations of a large-scale psionic clash."
"A half-step transcendent plus a dozen fully armed guards using these fortifications should have lasted half an hour even against a small beast tide."
"But they died so quietly they didn't even have time to sound the alarm."
Hans turned his head to look at Lu Yuan, his tone certain:
"This place wasn't broken into from the outside; it was dismantled from within. Someone—or something—appeared directly inside their defensive line."
Lu Yuan nodded, agreeing with Hans's assessment.
"Not only that."
Lu Yuan pushed open the door to the control room and walked straight toward a trash can in the corner.
There was no blood in the room, and everything looked normal.
But where an ordinary person would see only the ashes of burned paper, a visible black aura was rising in Lu Yuan's vision.
The aura twisted and coiled like tentacles, ultimately pointing straight toward a floor drain in the corner of the room.
The effects of 【Forbidden Lore: Specialized Research】 had quietly activated.
"Here."
Lu Yuan pointed at the inconspicuous floor drain.
"Someone performed a ritual here, or perhaps they dropped something in. This connects to the sewers—the underground network of all Gelimu Port."
Hans strode over and looked at the drain, his face darkening until it looked like it could drip ink.
"The sewers..."
He kicked the drain cover aside, and a blast of intense, fishy wind surged out.
"Those rats... did they crawl in through the pipes?"
"No, they didn't just crawl in."
Lu Yuan looked into the bottomless pipe, sensing the nauseating deep sea aura within. His gaze turned profound.
"They used this place... to open a door."
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