【Target Detected: Unknown Seed】
【A seed originating from the Land of ??. You seem to have encountered its mutated sibling before?】
Lu Yuan’s pupils constricted the moment he saw the prompt.
If this was true, it meant there was a seed beneath every other copper pillar as well.
The goal of the entity that had been lurking beside him was now glaringly obvious.
Lu Yuan cast aside his stray thoughts and pointed at the spot.
“Here, pry it open!”
Heinrich glanced at him without questioning. He tilted his head, signaling two Holy Armored Army knights to step forward.
They thrust their copper swords into the seams of the copper plates, pressed down on the hilts, and pried with force.
A corner of the copper plate flipped up, revealing the packed earth and stone beneath. The knights flipped the plate aside and began digging with the tips of their swords.
Bolen walked over, leaning on his cane, watching from the side. He was clearly curious about what Lu Yuan had discovered.
After only a few stabs of the sword...
The blade hit something hard. A knight brushed away the surrounding dirt with his fingers.
He pulled an object out from the soil.
It was a fist-sized stone, dull and grey. It felt heavy in the hand and showed no signs of being special.
It looked no different from the surrounding rubble.
If not for the greyish-white text, no one would have given it a second look.
Lu Yuan took it and turned it over a couple of times.
It was cold, heavy, and rough to the touch. There was no pulse, nor any trace of an aura.
But the greyish-white text had spoken.
This was the Unknown Seed.
The seed in the North Ward had grown into a hyphae core and destroyed most of the pipe network layer.
Regardless of this seed's current state...
He had to take it away.
Leaving it here was too dangerous; if it started growing, the consequences would be catastrophic.
Lu Yuan stuffed the stone into his tool box and snapped the latch shut.
“Let’s go!”
Though the team was confused, they didn't ask questions. They simply knew the pipe network layer was unsafe and that they needed to leave immediately.
The team retreated rapidly along the markers they had left.
Wolf was supported by the Imperial Iron Guard.
Bolen moved incredibly fast with his cane. The old man seemed to have a technique where the cane barely touched the ground as he walked.
Heinrich and two knights guarded the rear, while Bo Er stayed by Lu Yuan’s side with his short-shotgun in hand. The nun followed behind Bolen, holding the end of the line.
The only sounds in the pipe network tunnel were the rapid footsteps and breathing. The light from the march lamps flickered against the copper walls.
The numbered arrows they had carved on the walls flashed past one by one.
On the way back, they only encountered a few small greyish-white Little Ghouls. Bo Er, at the front, killed them all with one shot each.
After about five or six minutes.
Bolen had just started to speak.
“Lu Yuan, that thing you just grabbed, what is—”
The greyish-white text suddenly surged forth.
【Environmental Perception: High-risk pollution detected approaching...】
The moment Lu Yuan saw the text, he didn't hesitate for a second.
His consciousness sank into his chest.
He triggered it.
【Timekeeper · Stasis (Activated)】
【Sanity: -40... 74/120】
Nearly half of his Sanity was instantly drained, causing a noticeable wobble in his vision.
A nearly visible ripple of distorted light spread out from Lu Yuan as the center.
In the next instant.
A mass of black substance shot toward them from an unknown direction.
An extremely pungent stench exploded in the air.
But because Lu Yuan had activated his defense in advance, the black water froze in the space before him, as if it had slammed into an invisible wall.
The liquid was twisted into irregular shapes, suspended in mid-air.
The black liquid emitted a powerful foul odor, but fortunately, the impact had been weakened enough to be resisted.
Stasis held firm.
Bo Er’s voice came from behind him: “What the hell is that?”
Lu Yuan didn't wait for Stasis to fully dissipate.
【Timekeeper · Acceleration (Activated)】
【Sanity: -1... -1... 73/120】
...
The world slowed down.
Lu Yuan shouted to the people behind him.
“Meet at the exit!”
Then he lunged forward instantly.
In the vision provided by Acceleration, everything in the pipe network tunnel moved in slow motion.
The black water fell slowly behind the Stasis field, sliding through the air like congealed ink.
The figures behind him were reacting at an agonizingly slow pace—Bo Er was turning his head, and Heinrich was drawing his sword.
But Lu Yuan wasn't looking at them.
He was looking ahead, at a corner not far away.
A twisting figure was gradually manifesting.
Its skin flickered, constantly blending into the surroundings.
The copper walls, the pipes, the shadows—the entity’s body merged with the environment, its silhouette appearing and disappearing.
But its eyes were not invisible.
A pair of grey eyes.
They floated within the distorted silhouette, devoid of pupils; the entire eyeballs were grey.
In his accelerated state, Lu Yuan captured its full appearance.
It was the same kind of entity that had appeared beside him earlier and been chased away by Lake.
But it was clearly weaker.
This one’s invisibility wasn't complete; it couldn't hide its eyes.
The attacker clearly hadn't expected its ambush to be blocked.
In the accelerated perspective, Lu Yuan saw the expression on its face—if that melting, twisting mass could even be called a face.
It was astonishment.
But Lu Yuan had no time to admire it.
He swept past the figure, less than a meter away, catching a clear scent of decay from its body.
He ran at full speed during Acceleration. The markers they had left flashed by one after another, and the numbered arrows became blurred lines in his peripheral vision.
‘Their goal is definitely the stone in the tool box. No doubt about it.’
‘Wolf had no reaction for days outside, but he went berserk the moment he got near the copper pillar. It’s no coincidence. There are seeds buried under the pillars, and the aura leaking from them triggered the hyphae inside Wolf.’
‘So, was Wolf’s infection part of a scheme? But that would be difficult. How could they control Wolf’s infection, ensure he didn't say anything, and then have him join this mission?’
‘By running with the seed, I’m actually protecting the others. It most likely won't chase people who don't have the seed.’
‘The main problem is that I can't judge this thing's strength. If it’s also Rank 4, our entire group combined wouldn't be enough to fill the gaps between its teeth. I can't afford to gamble.’
‘Run.’
Acceleration lasted for about twenty seconds.
The pipe network tunnel receded rapidly beside him.
His footsteps blurred into a single sound in the accelerated world. Lu Yuan consumed Sanity with every step, feeling as if something in his brain was being sucked away bite by bite.
He couldn't keep going.
【Timekeeper · Acceleration (Deactivated)】
【Sanity: 49/120】
Lu Yuan could clearly feel that his body had reached its limit.
His knees were weak, his heart was racing, and every breath felt like swallowing fire. His chest burned with pain.
But Lu Yuan didn't stop.
Following the numbered arrows he had carved earlier, he ran all the way to the relay point.
Finally, a light appeared ahead.
The light of many march lamps, densely lined up on both sides of the pipe network tunnel.
There were also footsteps and the sound of Glock’s voice.
“Who’s there!”
Lu Yuan burst out of the pipe network tunnel.
His footsteps faltered, and he braced himself against the wall to steady himself.
He didn't stop to catch his breath.
“Lu Yuan.”
His voice was raspy.
“There are enemies in the pipe network. Mutated transcendents. They can turn invisible and have long-range attacks.”
“Their target is this.”
Lu Yuan patted the tool box.
“Dug it out from under the copper pillar. It’s related to the North Ward hyphae core.”
“The others are retreating behind me.”
Glock’s expression darkened. Standing behind him was a support team of six people, fully armed and radiating a dangerous aura.
“How did you escape?”
Glock didn't approach immediately. Instead, he looked at Lu Yuan with suspicion.
“Timekeeper.”
“Then it’s correct. Are you injured?”
Only after hearing 'Timekeeper' did Glock step forward quickly.
“I’m fine, but the people behind me might be in trouble! If they run into them, they might not be able to win.”
“Lu Yuan, you stay here. I’ll take men to meet them.”
Glock didn't hesitate and turned to arrange for people to go in and provide support.
Then his movements stopped.
Because he saw something walking out from the darkness deep within the pipe network.
At this moment, Lake was no longer pretending. The pollution aura of an Eerie transcendent was being emitted without any concealment.
【Environmental Perception: High-risk pollution source approaching... Please stay away...】
Lu Yuan instantly became alert and looked behind him.
Under the distant light, a figure flowed out.
It was Lake.
His deep grey uniform was gone. He was now wrapped in a humanoid silhouette reconstructed from grey meat-strips.
It was very incomplete.
A chunk was missing from his right shoulder, revealing the writhing things beneath.
But it was clearly Lake. His brown short hair was still on his head, appearing in clumps stuck to a grey, fleshy scalp.
His body was still slowly writhing, with things constantly rising and falling beneath the skin.
Glock’s hand went to the weapon at his waist.
“He’s one of us,” Lu Yuan said.
Glock glanced at Lu Yuan and let go of his hand, though he didn't relax completely.
It was obvious that whatever was in front of them didn't look like anything good.
And was there such a person in the team?
Glock’s expression shifted slightly as he stared intently at Lake.
Lake walked into the light of the relay point and stopped.
The grey meat-strips on his body were even clearer under the illumination.
They were like thick earthworms twisted together; some were still writhing, while others had already taken shape.
Then he spoke. His voice was normal, but it completely clashed with his appearance.
“The one I chased was strong. Rank 4, mutated transcendent. I didn't catch him, but I heavily injured him. He’s not easy to deal with.”
“I smelled a similar aura on my way here, but he’s already left. How did you escape?”
“I have a transcendent item.”
Lu Yuan answered as he calmed his breathing.
“Also, I think I know why they came.”
Lu Yuan took the stone out of the tool box.
“Their target is very likely this. There are probably similar ones under the other two copper pillars. After this commotion, they might have already been taken.”
Lake took the stone.
Grey 'fingers' turned it over a few times.
Those 'fingers' were as slender as a normal human's, but the surface patterns were those of a worm.
He looked at it for a few moments.
Then he tossed it back to Lu Yuan.
“You keep it for now.”
He turned and stepped back into the darkness deep within the pipe network.
“I’ll go get them.”
Glock instinctively spoke: “Lake?”
But Lake’s figure had already disappeared into the areas the march lamps couldn't reach.
Glock looked in that direction. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again.
He turned to look at Lu Yuan.
“What exactly is he?”
Lu Yuan didn't answer.
He stood at the relay point, clutching the stone in his hand.
His breathing finally slowed down.
Rate on N.U.
