The rain gradually intensified.
【Environmental Perception: Surrounding pollution concentration is rising exponentially! Suggested immediate evacuation!】
Grey-white text continued to emerge, but Lu Yuan frowned and chose to ignore it.
He had no other choice anyway; as long as his Sanity did not drop, everything else was manageable.
Lu Yuan followed behind Old Morgan, weaving through the streets of the outer city.
Allen Kraus walked at the very front, his golden great blade sweeping out from time to time to sever the flesh trees blocking their path.
The branches that fell to the ground were still writhing, and a thick liquid seeped from the severed ends, as if they were consciously trying to crawl toward the nearest Nightwatchers.
However, they were kicked away, rolling several times across the ground before burrowing into the earth.
As the group left the inner city, screams echoed from the distance behind them, gradually fading away.
The flesh trees within their field of vision became scattered and sparse; clearly, the outer city was much safer at this moment.
"Why are we retreating?"
Old Morgan asked as he walked, his tone heavy.
"With your strength, dealing with these things should not be difficult."
Allen Kraus did not stop his pace, his voice drifting back from the front.
"Believers of Bountiful only appear in two places."
Old Morgan's footsteps faltered slightly.
"First, the Kingdom of Life."
Allen Kraus's voice was calm, as if he were stating a simple fact.
"Beyond the eastern borders of the Empire, ten thousand miles ahead, there is a city built by the eerie."
"The people there do not die."
Hearing this, Lu Yuan's brow furrowed.
"They do not age, and they do not die," Allen Kraus continued. "Their flesh continues to grow and heal... no matter the injury, they will recover."
"That is the territory of Bountiful."
Old Morgan remained silent for a moment, saying nothing.
Lu Yuan could feel that Old Morgan's breathing had become heavy.
"And the second place?" Old Morgan asked.
"Sacrifice."
Allen Kraus's voice suddenly turned cold.
"To the eerie, believers of Bountiful are an absolute delicacy."
"Flesh that continuously grows and continuously heals..."
He paused.
"The food that certain entities crave the most."
Lu Yuan's pupils contracted slightly.
In this moment, Lu Yuan finally understood what those doctors had actually done; the Deep Sea Church used them to sow seeds, turning ordinary people into believers of Bountiful.
Ultimately, they were meant to be the final link in a sacrifice; Gelimu Port had been a massive pasture from the very beginning.
What was being raised inside were not cattle or sheep, but mutated humans.
"Wait," Old Morgan suddenly spoke, his voice tinged with confusion. "Bountiful... why can you speak that name directly?"
Allen Kraus severed an approaching branch without looking back.
"Bountiful is not something you can just call out."
"It is only under these current circumstances that the name can be mentioned."
His voice became low.
"And one's original intent must be pointed directly at that entity without the slightest deviation."
"Otherwise..."
Allen Kraus paused.
"We would all become its believers, so if we manage to leave alive, never mention this name!"
"Furthermore, Bountiful is extremely protective of its believers."
Allen Kraus's voice rang out again.
"If what is happening here reaches its awareness..."
Silence.
For a long time.
"The Empire cannot bear the consequences."
Allen Kraus severed a thick branch, blood splashing onto his robe.
"So even if we must all be sacrificed, the fact that Bountiful has appeared must be reported."
"Leaving alive is our primary objective now; secondary to that, the Deep Sea Church must be completely eradicated! The fact that they could obtain something related to Bountiful is too great a threat!"
Lu Yuan listened and watched Allen Kraus's back, his heart understanding the situation.
But could their group really make it out alive? Would it have been better if he had left this place earlier?
Lu Yuan took a deep breath, casting aside these impractical 'what-ifs'... now he could only place his hope in Allen Kraus and his own golden finger.
He hoped it would be of some use against that so-called barrier.
While Lu Yuan was distracted, a red "vein," about half the thickness of a person, suddenly appeared in his vision.
That vein fell vertically from the sky.
It passed through the rain curtain and through the flesh trees.
It dropped toward a certain direction in the distance.
Lu Yuan subconsciously looked at Old Morgan and Allen Kraus.
Both of them should have been able to see that "vein" within their field of vision, but they showed no reaction to it.
Lu Yuan looked at the surrounding streets again, confirming one thing.
Did it seem that only he could see that thing?
Lu Yuan did not make a sound, silently memorizing the direction where the "vein" fell.
Nightwatchers base.
By the time the three arrived, the flesh trees surrounding the base had already closed in within a hundred meters.
Blood-red branches swayed in the rain like countless arms reaching toward the sky, attempting to grasp any living thing they could touch.
At the entrance of the base, a battle was underway.
Mary stood at the very front, her enchanted longsword swinging as the runes on the blade flashed.
A silver halo bloomed from her, enveloping several Nightwatchers behind her.
That light was a few shades dimmer than usual, but it still burned stubbornly in the rain.
A Nightwatcher threw an alchemical grenade.
Boom!
The explosion tore into the surface of a flesh tree, sending flesh flying and leaving a charred wound.
It was effective.
But the wound was healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Another Nightwatcher held up a mithril torch, attempting to ignite the approaching branches.
The flames licked at the surface of the flesh.
But something strange happened.
The mithril fire... would not catch.
The life energy contained within that flesh was too rich, overwhelming the combustion of the mithril.
The silver-white flames struggled for a few moments before finally flickering out.
"Mithril is useless!" the Nightwatcher's voice was filled with terror.
Mary gritted her teeth and continued to swing her sword.
"Retreat into the base! Delay them as much as possible!"
Dozens of civilians huddled trembling behind the Nightwatchers, some crying and others praying in low voices.
Old Morgan walked forward quickly.
"Take all the Nightwatchers and retreat."
Mary was stunned, turning to look at him as she asked in a low voice.
"These people..."
"Those who want to follow, follow us."
Old Morgan's voice was soft, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.
"Those who are unwilling to leave, hide in the deepest part of the base."
He paused.
"Perhaps there is still hope."
Old Morgan's expression was grave, and combined with the flesh trees that had suddenly risen, Mary understood; the Nightwatchers code clearly stated that there was only one reason to abandon one's duty.
Mary's lips moved, but in the end, she said nothing.
Allen Kraus stood to the side in silence.
Lu Yuan noticed that his fingers tightened slightly.
His knuckles turned white against the hilt of the golden sword.
"Gather your things, we depart in five minutes," Old Morgan said in a deep voice.
The Nightwatchers began to quickly collect weapons, ammunition, and holy water.
Mary's injuries had not yet healed, and after the battle, her condition was not good; she had to be supported by another Nightwatcher.
Among the civilians, some wanted to follow, while others stood dazed in place.
Taking advantage of the gap while everyone was packing, Lu Yuan looked at the vein hanging from the sky.
It seemed to be connected to his clinic.
Rate on N.U.
