Several people in the room were whispering to each other. Yue Shi, relying on his hidden state, stood directly at the door to eavesdrop.
The mean-looking, curly-haired man was questioning the muscular monster. His voice was hoarse, sounding like someone whose throat had been ruined by smoking.
“How did you get hurt so badly? With your baseline strength and the boost from the Potential Potion, this shouldn't have happened...”
The muscular monster answered weakly, “There was a discrepancy in the intelligence; the target's strength was severely underestimated. Not only is he a transcendent, but he also possesses top-tier close-combat skills.”
“Furthermore, the target seemed to have anticipated our ambush and was fully prepared. As soon as Pei Yue showed up, he was taken out before he could even finish a sentence. If Pei Yue hadn't died, the two of us working together might have stood a better chance.”
Hearing this, the curly-haired man’s expression turned grim. A major error in the intelligence provided by Pei Yue combined with the target being prepared—what did these two points together imply?
It was possible that the target, Yue Shi, hadn't shown his true strength in his daily life.
It was also possible that Pei Yue and the others had inadvertently leaked the plan, allowing Yue Shi to be on guard.
There was even a possibility that the Investigation Bureau had intervened.
The worst-case scenario was that Pei Yue had defected, concealing Yue Shi’s strength and actively leaking the secret. But considering he was the first to die, that seemed unlikely.
As for Bai Qingyu, she was merely a temporary collaborator of Pei Yue’s. She knew very little and didn't even know who the power behind Pei Yue truly was, making her even less likely to be the leaker.
Many thoughts flashed through the curly-haired man’s mind, but in the end, he still couldn't figure out how Yue Shi had known something was wrong with Pei Yue, why he was so prepared, or how he had managed an instant kill upon meeting.
“If we all strike together, we can definitely capture the target,” said the man guarding the door.
He was very tall but extremely thin, looking like a skeletal frame wearing clothes.
The curly-haired man shook his head. “It’s not worth it. Making a huge scene just to catch one transcendent... If the Investigation Bureau notices and we ruin things for those above us, we won't be able to bear the consequences.”
At the mention of “consequences,” a flicker of fear appeared in everyone's eyes. The organization's punishment... it was enough to make someone wish they could just jump off a building and end it!
The curly-haired man continued, “Tulip Security Company only managed to obtain one female transcendent with the code name 【Thorn】, and she was already dead. The Investigation Bureau has been checking strictly lately; the mission in Amber City can be declared over.”
“Then what should we do next?” another man asked.
He was holding up a phone to provide light and wore large, black-framed glasses, looking quite refined.
“We just retreat. While we're at it, we'll dissolve Tulip Security Company, recall the personnel planted in Amber City, and wipe away all traces,” the skeletal man said with a look of helplessness.
The man with glasses frowned, seemingly a bit unwilling.
Then the curly-haired man spoke again. “My coming to Amber City personally this time wasn't just to help capture transcendents; there is something else more important.”
“A riot occurred at Lab 0 once, and a large number of experimental subjects escaped. Although most of them have been killed or recovered by the organization, a few are still at large.”
“Not long ago, I received word that an important experimental subject was suspected to have appeared in the supernatural domain ‘Qingshan Sanatorium.’ However, a fire broke out nearby that same night.”
“Even though almost all of the target's traces were erased by the fire, it’s precisely because of that that I’m more certain the target must be an escaped experimental subject from Lab 0. Otherwise, there would be no need to specifically set a fire to cover things up.”
“According to my deduction, that experimental subject is likely hiding in one of the cities surrounding Qingshan Sanatorium. Amber City has always been lax in its management of transcendents, so I’ve made this city my first target for investigation.”
“After dealing with the matters regarding Tulip Security Company, I will stay for a while to track down the experimental subject’s whereabouts.”
“Your deduction?” The only female member of the team looked at the curly-haired man with a puzzled expression. “Acting on nothing but a deduction without proof... If the experimental subject isn't here, you’ll be wasting your time on a futile effort.”
The curly-haired man chuckled. “You don't understand the importance of those experimental subjects. Even if there’s only a sliver of a chance, I have to try. It’s just a bit of time wasted. If I actually find them, it will be a massive achievement.”
The woman shrugged and said no more. She turned her gaze to the battered muscular monster and asked, “What about this guy?”
The muscular monster looked at them imploringly. “Save me, take me with you. I’ve worked hard for the organization. I’m still useful!”
The curly-haired man remained unmoved. After a moment of thought, he said calmly, “He’s injured and now a cripple. He’s not of much use and will only hold us back. Let’s just squeeze out the last of his remaining value.”
“No!!!” The muscular monster’s eyes widened in terror.
In the next second, the curly-haired man pulled out a syringe and stabbed it into him.
Before the muscular monster could resist, the liquid in the syringe spread rapidly through his veins. His whole body jerked violently, and he let out a scream of agony. His body began to twitch and mutate uncontrollably, and he soon lost his reason, gradually turning into an unrecognizable monster.
“Another potion wasted, but the effect was even faster than expected. I hope this guy can make enough of a scene to attract the Investigation Bureau’s attention and stall for enough time,” the curly-haired man said coldly as he watched the process.
With the newborn monster about to go out-of-control, the curly-haired man turned around. “Let’s move out.”
Following his words, the others began walking toward the entrance of the abandoned warehouse.
Just then, the sound of a small pebble being dropped on the ground suddenly echoed from ahead.
In the vast, silent environment, the sound was jarring.
The four of them stopped in unison, all looking toward the source of the sound.
Even though the surroundings were dim, a brilliant egg-shaped gem could be clearly seen lying on the ground.
The curly-haired man’s face changed instantly. “Not good, get back—”
Before he could finish, the egg-shaped gem erupted with an incredibly dazzling light.
「Purification」 was squandered as a flashbang.
The four were forced to squeeze their eyes shut by the intense light.
Swoosh—
The sound of a blade slicing through bone and flesh flashed by within the endless radiance. The skeletal man, the thinnest of the four, was the first to be hit. His head was split vertically in half, blood and brain matter flying as he died on the spot.
Sensing something was wrong, the man with glasses and the woman with the medical bag turned their heads at the same time.
Swoosh, swoosh—
Two more heads fell to the ground.
Their headless bodies remained standing, not yet toppling over.
The slaughter happened too fast, taking less than three seconds in total.
The light from the egg-shaped gem gradually faded, and Yue Shi’s blade had already kissed the curly-haired man’s legs.
Rate on N.U.
