Purge

The Baron, who had been shivering in the corner, seemed to have his spine ripped out the moment he saw that puddle of sludge.

He fell to his knees, his hands clutching his hair with a death grip. The liquid flowing from the corners of his eyes was no longer bloody tears, but a murky black mucus.

"That was... that was Mother's vessel! That was the supreme glory of our family stepping onto the transcendent path!"

The Baron snapped his head up, his eyeballs—corroded by the exorcism powder until only the whites remained—locking onto Lu Yuan.

The skin on his body began to crack inch by inch, and countless tiny fleshy sprouts grew frantically. His entire person looked like a balloon being blown up to its limit.

With a suicidal madness, he roared and lunged at Lu Yuan.

【Gazing directly at a high-level mutated creature. Sanity check in progress... Check passed.】

Lu Yuan used this opening to finish reloading his revolver.

"It's all you! You did this! I'm going to tear you apart! I'm going to sacrifice you to Mother!"

Facing this desperate struggle of a cornered beast, Lu Yuan did not meet it head-on.

He calmly slid to the left, firing his revolver again.

Bang! Bang!

Two bullets precisely struck the Baron's knee joints.

Crack.

The charging Baron's figure buckled, and he slammed heavily onto the floor.

But he seemed unable to feel the pain, still clawing at the ground with both hands like a rabid dog with a broken spine.

He dragged his mangled body toward Lu Yuan inch by inch, muttering incoherently.

"Mother... look at me... I am your most loyal child..."

However, the only response he received was a deathly silence.

No miracle descended, and no power was granted.

That puddle of sludge still lay quietly on the bed, emitting a nauseating stench.

The Baron's crawling movements gradually slowed down.

He lay on the floor, reaching out his hand to touch the sludge, but it finally stopped in mid-air.

"Why..."

The Baron's voice became weak and trembling. Once the madness faded, all that remained was an endless void and the despair of being abandoned. "Why won't you save me... Why have you forsaken me..."

He finally realized that in the eyes of his great 'Mother', he and his nephew were merely consumables to be discarded at any time.

"Because you're useless."

A cold voice rang out above his head.

The Baron froze.

He suddenly flipped over, attempting a final struggle. His hand, which had already transformed into a sharp claw, lunged savagely toward Lu Yuan's abdomen.

Bang!

The gun fired.

A wisp of blue smoke drifted from the hot muzzle.

A bloody hole appeared in the center of the Baron's forehead. That claw slumped powerlessly just a few centimeters away from Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan looked at the Baron's lifeless corpse and let out a long breath of murky air. His back was already soaked with cold sweat.

"Whew... lucky."

Lu Yuan wiped the sweat from his forehead, looking at the Baron's mutated corpse with lingering fear.

If a high-level mutant were in peak condition, they could counterattack even after being hit in a vital spot.

Thanks to Old Morgan's Exorcism Gunpowder Type-3, the high concentration of silver powder and intense light had neutralized nearly ninety percent of the Baron's combat effectiveness, leaving him like a blind man capable only of impotent rage.

Otherwise, it was truly uncertain who would have survived tonight.

Lu Yuan crouched down, enduring the disgust to search through the Baron's mucus-covered formal coat.

Unexpectedly, he actually found a slip of paper.

As he pulled out the stationery, the familiar smell of rotten fish instantly filled his nostrils.

By the fading light of the fire, Lu Yuan could see the contents clearly:

'Take advantage of the empty base tonight to clear out those doctors. Also, transfer the hatchling to the dock warehouse. "Mother" is hungry.'

There was no name at the bottom, only an emblem of intertwined thorns and tentacles.

Lu Yuan's eyes turned cold as he tucked the letter into his breast pocket.

Is this what Old Morgan wanted?

In fact, Lu Yuan had realized the moment he stepped into the manor.

He had been dangled out like bait by the Nightwatchers. After all, the mutation characteristics of Thorn Manor were too obvious.

Unless the Nightwatchers were completely incompetent, it was impossible for them not to have noticed.

'It doesn't matter, though. I don't have to pay back the points now, and I can even squeeze more out of Old Morgan.'

Just as Lu Yuan was thinking this...

Rapid whistles and footsteps echoed from outside the window.

Hearing the footsteps, Lu Yuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. How long had they been squatting outside to arrive right after the explosion?

He would leave the rest to the professionals.

He put away his gun and adjusted the slightly messy collar of his trench coat. Looking at the corpses strewn across the floor, his eyes regained their calm.

A few seconds later, following a burst of gunfire and strange roars, a team of men headed straight for the room Lu Yuan was in.

Bang!

With a violent kick, the heavy oak door was slammed open, hitting the wall with a loud bang.

The ones who rushed in were not the disorganized ordinary patrol guards Lu Yuan had expected, but a well-equipped and highly disciplined mixed squad wearing black uniforms.

Their movements were synchronized as they instantly occupied every tactical blind spot in the room. Their alchemical crossbows and firearms were locked onto Lu Yuan in the center of the room.

Leading them was a middle-aged man in a senior guard uniform.

He had a thick beard and looked rugged, but his hawk-like eyes held a seasoned killing intent.

Lu Yuan keenly noticed that an alchemical grenade—an item not issued to ordinary guards—was hanging from this "officer's" waist.

'One of us?'

Lu Yuan made a judgment in his mind.

The leader's gaze quickly scanned the scene.

When he saw the monster corpses corroded beyond recognition by silver powder and the Baron with a hole in his head...

And finally, Lu Yuan standing by the window unharmed, his pupils constricted slightly.

A hint of wariness flashed in those eyes.

Then, that wariness turned into satisfaction.

The bait plan was a grand success.

Their eyes met for just a second, reaching a certain understanding.

"Dammit! What kind of living hell is this!"

The leader suddenly roared in fury, his voice making the windows vibrate. "The Baron was actually infected by heresy?! What have those Imperial people been doing! And you, you're actually carrying an alchemical weapon. Take him away!"

"Take him away immediately! Question him thoroughly!"

Hearing the order, several ordinary guards who were unaware of the situation immediately rushed forward to handcuff Lu Yuan.

"Hold on!"

The leader swung his hand, stopping the impulsive subordinates.

He turned around and pointed to a young team member who also had a sharp and indifferent gaze—clearly another one of their own.

"You, take a few men and escort him out! This guy is a suspect; don't let him escape! The rest of you, seal the scene. No one is allowed to get close!"

"Sir!"

The young team member strode forward and moved behind Lu Yuan.

He did not produce any shackles, only pressing his hand lightly on Lu Yuan's shoulder with a touch of subtle politeness.

"Let's go, 'suspect'."