Polluter Hidden in the School

Across from Sanjiang Middle School, in a steamed bun shop, Luo Jun sat at a table near the door and ordered a basket of steamed buns and a side dish.

He wasn't actually hungry, but he was curious about what the Snake Meat Filling in the steamed buns tasted like.

The scanning function, which costs fifty points, only lasts for ten seconds. Although Luo Jun tried his best to speed up, he couldn't get here before the red dot disappeared. He could only determine from his memory that the other party was hiding in this school.

The student was replaced? This is a middle school, right? The replacement's identity should basically match the original's characteristics, otherwise there's no way to hide it. Unless the other person is a prodigy who became an explorer in his teens, has the strength of the Heart Refining Realm, and unfortunately became Polluter... It all seems too far-fetched.

Judging from this, she must be a teacher?

The scope has narrowed down considerably... Luo Jun doesn't recognize many of the Polluter. Unless they're from the Savage Wilderness and you can tell at a glance they're not human, it's difficult for Luo Jun to judge them by their appearance.

Moreover, how to break in to investigate is also a problem. Schools are different from ordinary public places. A stranger coming in will attract a lot of attention. If you force your way in, you will definitely alert the other party. If they are prepared, it will be even more difficult to find him.

Even if we managed to infiltrate, such a large school would likely have hundreds of teachers, making it impossible to pinpoint a target in a short time...

Moreover, it's evening now, close to school dismissal time, and there are many parents gathered at the school gate, as well as many private cars parked on the roadside. The location we just saw was quite far away, and judging from a rough look, that red dot could probably be hidden among these people...

Waiting here indefinitely isn't a solution. We could wait until the students are dismissed and the teachers leave, then use the ability to detect the highest-scoring enemy to pinpoint their location again. Statistically speaking, there's probably only one enemy within a kilometer right now.

However, this ability has a very short duration, and its accuracy is limited if the distance isn't close enough. If the opponent is hiding inside a building with a group of people, finding them within ten seconds can be quite difficult. But if everyone is out in an open area like a playground or street, taking them down becomes much easier.

Now we can only hope that the other side will refrain from using their detection abilities for the time being. If they detect that an enemy is so close, it will raise their alarm.

For Luo Jun, the most difficult part of this mission was taking into account the ordinary people... Although this population of over ten million, along with the entire city, was just a backdrop created by the Chaos Mission, Luo Jun was still unwilling to indiscriminately kill innocent people if the situation allowed, not to mention that it would deduct points, and it would be dangerous if things got out of hand.

Moreover, he is still in his original form, and even if he disguises himself, it's not guaranteed. It would be best if he could unlock the Midnight Mask as soon as possible, then he would be able to act more freely.

This mission appears to be a confrontation between two sides, but there are actually many things to consider. At least in the early stages, before abilities are unlocked and the situation of both sides is unclear, it is best to rely on strategy.

Luo Jun checked the remaining numbers on both sides: the enemy had 48 men left, and his own side had 50.

It seems I've killed two people so far... That makes sense. Such a large city, and it's been stripped of its vitality. It's only been half an hour. Even if I detected the enemy, we probably haven't even had a chance to meet them yet.

Just as Luo Jun was making his calculations, the situation suddenly changed. One person remained on his side, leaving only 49!

Someone died?!

While Luo Jun was still in shock, he heard a scream from the school gate. Turning around, he saw a figure fall from the sky and land on the playground, startling the parents who were waiting anxiously outside the school gate.

"Someone jumped off a building! Security guard, come quick! Something's happened!"

More than one parent noticed this and immediately became agitated. Luo Jun rushed out of the steamed bun shop and looked up at the spot where the body had landed. It was a five-story Teaching Building, and when he saw it, the body had already fallen to the third floor. Considering the reaction time of the screaming parent, the person had most likely fallen from the roof!

Another teammate just died... Is that a coincidence?

Luo Jun didn't care about anything else. He pushed off the ground with his toes, and the asphalt road cracked with a loud bang. He soared into the air and flew directly from the opposite side of the road at the school gate to the Teaching Building more than a hundred meters away.

This scene was witnessed by many parents, who exclaimed in surprise once again.

"What is that? Is it a person?"

How did he fly there?

What was that loud bang we just heard?

While the parents were in a panic, Luo Jun had already landed on the rooftop. But there was no one left on the rooftop. Luo Jun's ears twitched, and he heard footsteps coming from the Rooftop Stairwell not far away!

Luo Jun dashed forward and kicked open the iron gate. The gate flew backward, hitting a man who cried out in pain as he tumbled down the stairs along with the gate.

Hearing the voice was that of a woman, Luo Jun didn't hesitate for a moment. He rushed forward, flung open the iron gate, and grabbed the woman's hair.

The reason he didn't kill the person was because he wasn't sure if they were the murderer or the Polluter. To avoid losing points, he still needed to confirm the other person's identity.

The woman was no pushover either. Upon realizing she had been captured by Luo Jun, she didn't hesitate to retaliate, extending two fingers and swiftly and fiercely stabbing towards Luo Jun's eyes!

Judging by her skills, she was definitely not an ordinary person. Having confirmed her identity, Luo Jun snorted coldly and was about to strike, but at the same time, he heard the woman shout, "Damn Polluter!"

Luo Jun was slightly taken aback when the woman's two fingers pierced his eyes. However, with his strength attribute of over 300 points and the ninth level of the Body Tempering Art, his physical fitness had long surpassed the Limit of living beings. His eyes were like two iron galls. After the woman pierced his eyes, she not only did not cause any harm, but also injured her fingers, causing him to withdraw them in pain.

"What kind of monster are you?" the woman roared. "Are your eyes so hard? A savage Polluter from the Savage Wilderness?"

Luo Jun frowned slightly. Wasn't this woman a Polluter?

He took out his Fate Peering Glasses and determined the situation. "Kill the Polluter with a single blow!"

The Event Difficulty is 101 points!

This proves that this is an impossible event; the woman in front of them is definitely not an enemy, but an ally!

"I'm not Polluter..." Luo Jun released the woman. "We're teammates."

"Teammate?" The woman was taken aback, took a few steps back, and looked at Luo Jun with continued vigilance, "Trying to lie to me? You're not Polluter, so how come you're on the rooftop?"

"I didn't lie to you... I jumped up here." Luo Jun felt a chill run down his spine. If he had impulsively killed this woman, he didn't know how many points he would have lost... Who knew how high her rating was! (The rules have been amended earlier; killing a teammate will deduct corresponding rating points.)

"Jump?" The woman looked at her suspiciously. "Are you kidding me? This is a five-story Teaching Building, twenty or thirty meters high. Who could jump up here with their vital energy sealed off... Did you unlock the abilities of the Foundation Establishment Realm? There were only two dead on the other side; even if you had them both, it might not be enough."

"I did kill those two..." Luo Jun continued, "They gave me eight hundred points, just enough for me to unlock!"

Why should I believe you?

"You can try using your detection capabilities," Luo Jun said.

"If I had detection capabilities, would I need you to teach me?" the woman scoffed. "Isn't there another one that can measure the highest point? It only costs ten points." Luo Jun spread his hands. "I'm confident that it's your most valuable teammate within a one-kilometer radius!"

The woman narrowed her eyes slightly, subtly using her ability, then her expression softened somewhat. "You really are... I'm sorry, I haven't seen you before, I was a bit paranoid." As she spoke, she extended her hand.

Luo Jun also reached out and shook her hand. "Likewise."

"Let's get to know each other," the woman introduced herself. "My name is Zhuge Lan, a third-year student at the Puhua Mountain Academy."

"Zhuge Lan? You're from the Zhuge Family?" Luo Jun was slightly taken aback. The Zhuge Family in the Southwestern Branch was one of the Great Family in the country. This Zhuge Lan should be Zhuge Chi's cousin.

Upon closer inspection, Zhuge Lan is tall with shoulder-length hair, delicate features, and fair skin. She does bear a resemblance to Zhuge Chi in her features, but compared to her older brother, this girl has a more capable and rugged air about her.

"Every time people mention me, they always think of the Zhuge Family first..." Zhuge Lan pouted, seemingly dissatisfied. "Oh well, what can I do? I haven't made a name for myself yet. Sooner or later, I'll make sure that when people mention the Zhuge Family, they say, 'Ah, that's the Lineage that produced Zhuge Lan!'"

"That's a bit difficult." Luo Jun shook his head. "The Zhuge Family has produced many talented people, and it has accumulated its reputation over a century. If you want to become a representative, you would have to reach the Ascension Realm."

"How do you know I can't?" Zhuge Lan raised her head. "My ideal is to become the first Zhuge Family to reach the Ascension Realm!"

This girl is ambitious and outspoken, quite unlike Zhuge Chi's humble personality.

"By the way, what's your name?" Zhuge Lan raised her hand. "You took down two guys with an average score of 400 so quickly, you're no ordinary person, are you?"

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"My name... is Lin Feng." Luo Jun gave another false name. "I scanned this area and found an enemy, so I came here."

"Lin Feng... I've never heard of him..." Zhuge Lan sized him up. Although he had a stubble beard and many scars on his face, she could tell he wasn't very old. "Are you also a student at some school?"

"No, I'm just a Rogue Cultivator." Luo Jun shook his head. "Let's get back to business... Who was that person who just fell down the stairs? Was it done by Polluter hiding in this school?"

Zhuge Lan nodded. "That person was a professor from the Creation Faction at Tianjing University. His identity after being teleported in was that of a teacher at this school. I discovered a Polluter here through scanning and encountered him when I infiltrated the school to search for him. Because we had met at Exchange Meeting before, we recognized each other and decided to cooperate to find this Polluter."

"A professor from the Creation Faction?" Luo Jun was taken aback. Those who could become professors at the Explorer Academy were all top experts from their respective schools. How could he die so early on?

"No matter what kind of expert they are, as long as they haven't reached their Peak, once they lose their vital energy, they're just an ordinary person with an exceptionally strong body..." Zhuge Lan sighed. "In comparison, the Polluter's body, having been modified by the rules of another world, might have some advantages. However, Professor Zhao experienced, and the fact that he was Counter-kill shows that this Polluter's methods are also extraordinary."

"So he found the Polluter on the Rooftop and was killed there?" Luo Jun asked.

Zhuge Lan nodded and said, "Professor Zhao located the Polluter through scanning, but the other party obviously also discovered us. The location kept moving, and we couldn't find him before the location was fully established. We could only confirm that he was on the top floor of the Teaching Building, so we split up. I searched the top floor, and Professor Zhao searched the roof, but we didn't expect..."

At this point, Zhuge Lan punched the wall. "I should have gone to the rooftop. Professor Zhao is Essence Speed Faction, he doesn't have enough hand-to-hand combat experience. If I went, maybe..."

"Now is not the time for regrets." Luo Jun looked at Zhuge Lan: "How many points are you worth?"

Zhuge Lan was slightly taken aback, then replied, "Three hundred and eighty points. Why are you asking that?"

Luo Jun narrowed his eyes. The two he killed only scored an average of a little over one hundred points. If the current strength was used as the scoring standard, everyone was without vital energy. Apart from him, the oddball, the strength difference between the others should not be significant, and their scores could not differ by more than three times.

That means this score should be judged based on the perfect state!

"Based on your understanding, how many points do you think Professor Zhao deserves?" Luo Jun asked.

"Professor Zhao is definitely much better than me!" Zhuge Lan said, "I'd conservatively estimate at least 600 points or higher..."

"In other words, that Polluter has already gained 600 points," Luo Jun analyzed. "He has likely unlocked the Foundation Body Refinement Realm... and may even have unlocked the Foundation Establishment Realm!"

"So what!" Zhuge Lan's defiant spirit flared up. "We still have to fight!"

Luo Jun frowned. This woman's personality was too reckless... The mission could only seal the vital energy. The physical strength improved by the Body Refinement Realm Strengthening Realm was still there. If the opponent had only unlocked the internal circulation of the Body Refinement Realm, at most her strength would have increased two or three times. If her Innate Potential was not strong, she could still try her luck even without vital energy.

But if she even unlocks the Foundation Establishment Realm, that would be a qualitative leap. The defensive and power boosts from her Qi would be overwhelming compared to those in the Body Refinement Realm! Where does she get such confidence?

"I don't need you to fight," Luo Jun advised. "I'm also at the Body Refinement Realm now. Leave the direct combat to me, but I'll need your help to find him."

How can I help?

"With something this serious happening, school definitely can't let out on time." With that, Luo Jun led her to the Rooftop, glancing at the tightly closed school gates in the distance. "There are two main Teaching Building here. Before the police arrive, let's activate the fire alarms separately, and maybe even start a fire. The fire doesn't need to be too big, just enough to make smoke look scary. That way, teachers and students will all take refuge on the playground. I also have a single-point scan to pinpoint his location."

Zhuge Lan's eyes lit up upon hearing this, then she frowned and said, "What if he doesn't come out?"

"It's fine even if he stays in the Teaching Building," Luo Jun laughed. "The building is basically empty, with only him left. I can rush in Force Kill without worrying about accidentally hurting anyone else."

"What if he's already escaped in the meantime?" Zhuge Lan continued to ask.

"I bet he won't run away!" Luo Jun laughed. "If I were him, I wouldn't run away!"

As they spoke, footsteps echoed from the Stairwell, likely the school security guards or a PE teacher coming up to check on things. To avoid being discovered, Luo Jun pulled Zhuge Lan around to the back of the Stairwell, then, carrying her in his arms, jumped off the roof from a shady spot. The two then split up, each sneaking into a different Teaching Building...

(End of this chapter)