Aftermath

Inside the library of the Nightwatchers base.

Lu Yuan leaned against a chair in the corner, feeling a bit lightheaded; since he wasn't needed outside for the moment, he took the chance to rest for a while.

Ink was still floating in mid-air, staring blankly at a light gold knowledge light orb with those bead-like eyes.

Just then, the library door was pushed open.

Hans walked in, his left arm wrapped in bandages and his face somewhat pale.

His gaze swept across the library, and after seeing Lu Yuan, he walked over quickly, lowering his voice: "Old Morgan just contacted me via the crystal; there's news."

Lu Yuan's narrowed eyes opened as he sat up straight: "How is the inner city?"

"The rift has been sealed, the crisis in the inner city is basically cleared, and the viscount definitely had problems; he's been contained," Hans sat down opposite him, "But there's something troublesome."

"What?"

"The doctors in the inner city are all gone."

Lu Yuan frowned: "What do you mean 'all gone'?"

"Literally," Hans's expression grew solemn, "Old Morgan had someone check; Dr. Brin disappeared three days ago—his clinic is closed, and no one is at his residence. The other doctors registered in the inner city have all vanished as well."

He paused, adding: "The only one who remained was found dead in his home."

"Contamination?"

"No," Hans shook his head, "He was murdered—killed cleanly and efficiently. There were only slight signs of struggle at the scene; it was a simple homicide."

Lu Yuan fell silent for a moment.

If those doctors were all members of the Deep Sea Church, the one who was killed was likely someone who refused to go with them.

"So, Dr. Brin really was problematic," Lu Yuan said, his tone calm.

"Eighty percent chance," Hans nodded with a frown, "To be able to withdraw in advance at this critical juncture and take the other doctors with him... it'd be a miracle if he wasn't from the Deep Sea Church."

Lu Yuan's heart sank upon hearing this, and he asked: "Doesn't the Church have a vetting mechanism? Weren't these doctors checked?"

"I asked," Hans sighed, "Old Morgan said the Church arrived at Gelimu Port late, and the Archbishop admitted they truly hadn't thought to investigate those doctors."

"After all, those people have been rooted in Gelimu Port for too long—some were here even before the Church arrived. The nobles and merchants in the inner city all know them; who would have thought..."

Hans didn't finish, but the meaning was already clear.

The profession of a doctor was indeed too easy to infiltrate.

They could freely move between social classes, contact a large number of patients, and even enter noble manors... as long as they maintained the facade long enough, no one would suspect them.

Moreover, Lu Yuan sighed; if this were the case, then Gelimu Port might truly be finished.

"Has anyone checked the medicine those doctors prescribed or the people they treated?" Lu Yuan voiced his inner concern.

Hans was startled, then his expression grew grave: "You mean..."

"If they really were from the Deep Sea Church, the potions they handled over the years, the patients they contacted..." Lu Yuan's gaze darkened, "Especially those in power; who knows if they've been tampered with?"

Hans's expression shifted as he clearly realized the point he had overlooked.

He didn't answer immediately but stood up: "I have to tell Old Morgan about this."

"Go ahead," Lu Yuan said with some helplessness, "By the way, what else did Old Morgan say?"

"He told me to quickly investigate the doctors in the outer city," Hans continued, "If the ones in the inner city are gone, those in the outer city might not be clean either."

Lu Yuan thought of Laisen, whom he was impersonating; that man's death was also related to the Deep Sea Church.

"One more thing," Hans reached the door and turned back, "Old Morgan said he won't be returning tonight; there are too many things to handle in the inner city."

"What kind of things?"

"Lockdown," Hans's tone was heavy, "A large number of electric lights in the inner city were destroyed in tonight's battle; they have to gather torches quickly to replenish the light sources."

Lu Yuan understood his meaning.

There were things in the darkness of this world; places without light were the domains of the eerie.

"And then there are the corpses," Hans continued, "The scent of blood will attract strange things, so they must be burned as soon as possible. The corpses of the mutants are even more troublesome; if they aren't handled properly, they could cause secondary contamination..."

He sighed: "In short, it's a huge mess, and Old Morgan said he has to keep an eye on it."

Lu Yuan nodded: "Go on then, be careful."

Hans gave a word of acknowledgement and pushed the door open to leave.

After the door closed, the library returned to silence.

Only Mina's occasional murmurs echoed in the air.

Lu Yuan leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the void.

The doctors had all vanished...

The Deep Sea Church had operated in Gelimu Port for so many years; how many hidden pieces had they actually placed?

Hopefully, it would all end after tonight...

At the edge of his vision, greyish-white text floated quietly:

【Gelimu Port Status: +2, 46/50】

Lu Yuan stared at that number, his brow furrowed; Gelimu Port really was riddled with holes from infiltration.

Yet it was still four points short; what exactly had been missed?

...

North of Gelimu Port, on a hillside more than ten li away.

The night wind howled, making the bushes rustle.

Dr. Brin stood on a massive rock, letting the darkness envelop him, followed by several grey-cloaked figures.

His gaze pierced through the night, looking toward the distant Gelimu Port.

From this angle, he could vaguely see the skyline over the inner city. That thick black mist was slowly dissipating, as if being driven away by some power.

A grey-cloaked cultist stepped forward, his voice somewhat nervous: "Mr. Brin... the black mist has dissipated, the seal was successful."

He paused, asking cautiously: "Did we... fail?"

Brin did not answer immediately.

He gazed quietly into the distance, his lips slowly curling into a smile.

"Fail?"

He chuckled softly, his tone as calm as if he were discussing the weather.

"No, we succeeded."

The cultists looked at each other, their eyes filled with confusion.

Brin turned around and took a small vial from his coat.

The vial contained a pale blue liquid that gave off a faint fluorescence under the moonlight.

It was a very common potion in the inner city—almost every doctor would prescribe it, and every pharmacy sold it.

Brin toyed with the vial, his gaze falling on the pale blue liquid.

"Guess how many people we've..."

His voice was very soft, as if he were talking to himself.

"...saved over the years?"

The cultists were still puzzled, but they sensed something from Brin's tone.

Someone showed a look of sudden realization, followed by fanaticism.

Brin tucked the vial back into his coat, his expression calm.

"Mother will remember the dedication of the brothers and sisters who sacrificed themselves tonight."

His voice remained calm, yet it carried a certain solemnity.

"We will take care of their families."

The cultists bowed their heads in unison, chanting under their breaths.

Brin took one last look at the distant Gelimu Port—the city that sat silent in the night.

"May Mother..."

He murmured in a low voice, his tone devout and satisfied.

"...enjoy her meal."

Turning around, several grey-cloaked figures disappeared into the depths of the night.

Only the sound of the howling wind remained on the hillside.