Three days later.
Lin Qiye sat in the restaurant on the fourth floor of the cruise ship, basking in the morning sun as he leisurely took a sip of coffee.
He, An Qingyu, and Jiang Er had been traveling aboard the Shang Xie Association's ship for three days. According to the nautical chart, they were already approaching the waters along Great Xia's border. Before long, they would enter Great Xia's territory.
Lin Qiye set down his coffee cup and looked through the bright floor-to-ceiling windows toward the deck at the bow.
Two enormous "Mystery" corpses were bound to the deck by strands of invisible threads. Judging from their outlines, one resembled an octopus, while the other... was half-human, half-seahorse.
At that moment, many members of the Shang Xie Association stood near the two "Mystery" corpses, curiously watching the young man in a white surgical robe who held an assortment of strange blades.
An Qingyu crouched halfway down on the deck, meticulously cutting open every inch of the Mysteries' flesh with a scalpel, gray light flickering in his eyes.
Even with everyone watching him, his hands did not tremble in the slightest. It was as though he was not dissecting two monsters, but carving some precious work of art with his scalpel.
It had been three days since the two Mysteries were hauled aboard. During those three days, An Qingyu had dissected them on the deck without sleep or rest, like a tireless machine.
Meanwhile,
At the very top of the cruise ship, a door that had remained shut for days slowly opened.
Jinian emerged from the Block Room in a research coat and monocle, her face haggard. She pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a long breath.
"Finally finished..."
She slowly made her way to the window