"Come in."
The door was pushed open, and Karl stood at the doorway, his small face tight.
"Grandfather sent me to get you."
"What is it?"
Karl pursed his lips, his gaze dropping downward.
"Something happened to the mayor."
Lu Yuan sat up.
"What happened?"
"He's dead," Karl's voice was very low. "Over at the warehouse... Grandfather wants you to go take a look."
He stood at the door and did not come inside, his fingers unconsciously tugging at the corner of his clothes.
He had clearly seen the scene already.
Lu Yuan did not ask further.
The mayor was dead.
It was unexpected, yet within reason.
He still remembered the prompt given by the greyish-white text that night; clearly a Knowledge transcendent, yet he had eerie power within his body.
The pathfinders had also mentioned that the mayor carried an aura of pollution.
A person with eerie power in their body would eventually meet with trouble.
He just hadn't expected it to happen so soon.
"Let's go."
Lu Yuan got up and did a quick tidy-up.
The two of them went out the door.
Karl walked in front, his pace very fast, and for once, he didn't pester Lu Yuan with conversation.
On the way, townspeople were gathered in small groups, whispering in low voices.
Seeing Lu Yuan, some nodded while others avoided his gaze.
The atmosphere was off.
The warehouse area was at the edge of town, consisting of several low stone houses with the endless desert behind them.
A dozen people were gathered at the entrance of the largest warehouse.
Herman stood at the very front.
He wasn't biting his cigarette holder, and his expression was very dark.
Seeing Lu Yuan arrive, he walked over, his voice hoarse.
"You're here."
"What happened?"
Herman didn't answer directly, stepping aside to make way.
"See for yourself."
Lu Yuan stepped into the warehouse.
A scent rushed toward him.
Familiar.
It was exactly the same as when the two mutated individuals were being cremated.
He didn't rush inward but stopped first, surveying his surroundings.
The warehouse was large, with boxes of sandworm oil and various materials stacked against the walls.
Lu Yuan continued walking deeper.
In the deepest part of the warehouse, there was a half-open door.
Behind the door was a stone staircase leading downward.
And right at the entrance of the stone stairs.
A corpse lay there.
It was the mayor.
The old man who had been blowing the bone flute on the high platform just a few days ago was now lying on his back on the ground, his eyes wide and his mouth gaping.
A large hole had been torn open in his chest.
His ribs were bent outward, and shredded meat and internal organs were scattered everywhere.
At the edge of the hole, something was writhing.
Small, brown things like earthworms were slowly crawling out of the chest cavity.
【Detection target: Host remains after parasitic reproduction】
【Status: Host deceased, parasites are leaving the nest】
【Warning: This type of parasite is infectious; keeping distance is recommended】
Lu Yuan couldn't help but take a step back upon seeing this.
As expected.
With eerie power in his body, he was eventually consumed by the backlash.
Footsteps sounded behind him.
Herman walked in and glanced at the corpse on the ground.
He didn't speak, just stood there.
Silence lasted for quite a while.
"...I knew this day would come sooner or later."
Herman's voice was very low.
"I warned him, but he wouldn't listen."
He paused and sighed.
"It's better that he's gone."
Lu Yuan glanced at him.
Herman's expression was complex.
There was helplessness and self-reproach, but more than that, there was a sense of relief.
It was like watching a stubborn person who finally didn't have to suffer anymore.
Lu Yuan didn't press for details.
"Let's deal with these things first."
He pointed at the parasites still writhing in the mayor's chest.
"Otherwise, if they crawl out, it'll be more trouble."
Herman snapped back to reality and nodded.
He looked at the corpse, his voice hoarse.
"Let's give him some dignity. Burn him, and don't let anyone else see him like this."
Lu Yuan did not object.
A moment later, fire oil was brought in.
It was poured on, and a torch was tossed in.
Flames rose, and those writhing things made a hissing sound, quickly burning to ash.
The mayor's corpse also shriveled and blackened in the flames.
Herman stood nearby, watching the flames without saying a word.
Lu Yuan's gaze fell toward the door leading underground.
"What's down there?"
"His private vault," Herman's voice was somewhat hoarse. "He usually didn't let anyone in."
"Do you know what's inside?"
Herman was silent for a moment.
"Roughly. He was researching sandworms... trying to make a name for himself."
He gave a bitter smile, his tone full of helplessness.
"I warned him, but it was no use. He's been like that since he was a kid; once he set his mind on something, nine bulls couldn't pull him back."
After a slight hesitation, Lu Yuan spoke up.
"I want to go down and take a look."
Herman looked at Lu Yuan, clearly surprised by the request.
"I'm going down too."
His tone was calm.
"He was the mayor after all. No matter what's down there, there has to be an accounting."
Lu Yuan did not refuse.
"Prepare first. Sandworm oil, silver powder—bring everything we can carry."
Herman nodded and turned to go make arrangements.
Taking advantage of this gap, Lu Yuan walked around the warehouse, checking corners and boxes.
He found nothing unusual.
It seemed the source of pollution should only be below.
Herman returned quickly, carrying a bag of items.
"Sandworm oil, silver powder, fire starter."
Lu Yuan took them and nodded.
"I'll go down first; you follow behind."
The two walked toward the door. Herman followed behind, lighting a torch soaked in sandworm oil to prevent anything from hiding in the darkness.
The stone stairs were very narrow, allowing only one person to pass.
The deeper they went, the stronger the scent became.
Lu Yuan's right hand had already quietly gripped Timekeeper, and his footsteps were light.
After more than twenty steps, a small space appeared ahead.
A basement.
Or rather, a laboratory.
Several sandworm oil lamps hung on the walls, still lit, emitting a dim yellow light.
【Environmental Perception: Low-concentration pollution residue detected】
There was pollution, but the concentration was not high.
Lu Yuan stepped inside.
Herman followed behind, and as he saw everything, his expression grew uglier.
A long table was covered with various vessels and tools.
Several glass jars contained things preserved in liquid; they looked like sandworm organs, but their forms were distorted.
A few notebooks were stacked in the corner.
On one wall, symbols were painted in black pigment.
Lu Yuan approached the wall to examine them closely.
He didn't recognize the symbols, but the way they were arranged...
It looked like some kind of ritual array.
Lu Yuan frowned, his gaze falling toward the long table.
Inside one of the bottles, a mass of black liquid was slowly writhing.
【Detection target: mutation extract (concentrated)】
【Traits: High-concentration source of pollution, can accelerate parasite reproduction】
【Warning: Highly toxic, contact prohibited】
This thing was the source of the eerie power inside the mayor.
Lu Yuan withdrew his gaze and walked toward the notebooks in the corner.
He picked one up and flipped it open.
The handwriting was messy, but legible.
"Seventeenth experiment, failed. Host completely mutated on the third day; parasites failed to survive..."
"Twenty-third experiment, partial success. Survival extended to seven days, but still unable to achieve symbiosis..."
Lu Yuan flipped through a few more pages quickly.
The mayor was conducting experiments.
Using mutation extract from sandworms, he was trying to cultivate some kind of "symbiote."
And he wasn't doing it alone.
Someone was providing him with materials and methods.
The notebooks didn't mention the person's name, only referring to them as "him."
"He said it will definitely succeed this time..."
"He brought new samples..."
"He guaranteed that once symbiosis is complete, I will obtain true power..."
Lu Yuan closed the notebook and tucked it into his shirt.
This experiment log was useful, but not enough.
He continued searching the basement.
In a drawer of the long table, he found a thick manual.
The cover was yellowed and the edges were curled, clearly flipped through many times.
Lu Yuan opened it and scanned it quickly.
It didn't record experiment processes but various recipes.
Methods for refining sandworm oil, techniques for making silver powder, and some potion ratios he didn't understand.
Several pages were specially marked with dense annotations written beside them.
【Detection target: Sandworm Potion Recipe Manual】
【Contains multiple potion-making methods; some recipes have research value】
Lu Yuan tucked the manual into his shirt as well.
Herman stood nearby, letting Lu Yuan flip through the books, while he stared at the glass jars, his voice sounding dry.
"I knew he was researching, but I didn't expect... it would be this big."
He looked at the laboratory and the symbols on the wall, silent for a long time, also realizing that the things here definitely could not be allowed to leak out.
Especially that writhing liquid in the bottle.
Herman had been to too many cities and knew very well what a source of pollution meant to the outside world. It meant that once the things here were exposed, the Nightwatchers would immediately come knocking.
Everyone involved in the experiment would be treated as a heretic.
When that time came, not just the mayor, but the peace of the entire Sandworm Town would be shattered.
Herman withdrew his gaze and looked at Lu Yuan, speaking tentatively.
"Let's burn this place..."
Lu Yuan knew what Herman was thinking and simply nodded.
"I'm taking these two." He patted the items in his shirt. "They might be useful."
Herman glanced at him, clearly letting out a sigh of relief, and did not object.
"Take them. They'd only be burned anyway."
The two did not stay in the basement for long.
They splashed sandworm oil in the corners of the basement. The moment the torch was applied, a raging fire swallowed the things underground.
The liquids in the jars seemed to feel something and began to twist, repeatedly slamming against the glass. The immense force caused the jars to fall off the table.
But the jars were clearly reinforced.
They rolled a few times on the floor and fell into the sea of fire.
When they stepped out of the warehouse, the sky had already darkened.
The townspeople were still gathered outside, and seeing Herman emerge, they all looked toward him.
Herman stood at the door and remained silent for a while.
"The mayor is gone."
His voice wasn't loud, but it was clear.
He didn't explain the cause of death or mention the laboratory.
He simply said he was "gone."
Low murmurs rose from the crowd.
Herman didn't say more, turning toward Lu Yuan.
Only now, he had something extra in his hand.
The bone flute.
"Take this."
Lu Yuan glanced at him.
"This is the mayor's."
"He's gone." Herman handed over the bone flute. "This thing brought disaster; we don't want to keep it."
He paused.
"Karl told me you learned the flute quickly. For people like us, there's no difference between using the real thing and an imitation; we can't play anything worthwhile anyway."
This was the truth.
The level of Ancient Music Theory determined the bone flute's effect. The townspeople's levels were too low; the real thing and an imitation truly made no difference to them.
"Besides..." Herman's voice dropped. "He was the mayor, but he was also my older brother. There's definitely someone behind this. If you can find them..."
He didn't finish.
But Lu Yuan reached out and took the bone flute.
It felt icy to the touch and was heavier than expected.
【Sandworm Bone Flute (Special)】
【Material: Made from the bone of a special existence, with an indestructible effect.】
【Trait: Playing this flute with Ancient Music Theory can summon certain hidden entities.】
【Note: When the level of Ancient Music Theory is low, use with caution. It is easy to summon, but hard to dismiss...】
Lu Yuan glanced at the prompt; since when did this thing start using idioms?
Without thinking much, Lu Yuan tucked the bone flute into his shirt.
"I'll do my best."
Herman nodded and said no more, for he knew that the moment Lu Yuan accepted the flute, the events here would not enter the Nightwatchers' archives.
And just then, Lu Yuan suddenly noticed a figure in the distance.
Standing in the shadow of an adobe house, they were looking toward him.
It was Morris.
The captain of the pathfinders was alone.
He didn't walk over but simply raised his hand and made a gesture to Lu Yuan.
Follow me.
Then he turned and disappeared into the darkness.
Rate on N.U.
