In the Midst of Evil

After hearing this, Tang Chuan began to think.

He could understand what Nokton meant, and it led him to speculate that perhaps some unknown entity had infiltrated the human world, doing its best to imitate the reactions humans were supposed to display in various situations.

That made things deeply unsettling.

Quintessa did not have much Fantasy Attribute she could use now.

But what if it was not even a fraction of it?

This was something created by a deity.

Even a tiny trace was enough to detect many deeply hidden mysterious things.

Yet Quintessa's repeated investigations had turned up no obvious clues.

But the diary, together with Nokton's investigation, seemed to indicate that something undetectable was still shrouding this planet's civilization.

It lurked in every corner. Even high-ranking officials, even the attendants in this hotel, might have been infiltrated by them.

Yet he still found it difficult to notice them, unable to identify who they were.

Fortunately, this bizarre thing was most likely lurking on a mental level. His mind was guarded by the Divine Core; without the power of the Supreme Main Gods, there was no way anyone could find an angle to invade it.

There was also a small possibility that some cosmic mysterious lifeform exceptionally skilled at concealing its identity was secretly stealing this civilization.

Like the Skrulls in Manwei Movie, able to take on human appearances without being detected.

Only people extremely close to them, after spending a long time together, might discover the slightest inconsistency.

If that was the case, then he had even less reason to worry. If such creatures were truly that powerful, they would have occupied this planet long ago. They would not need to resort to so many tricks or fear being discovered by other visitors from the cosmos.

The Fantasy Weapons, Chiliu, the Divine Core, and the effects of the second course of treatment—those were all his trump cards.

No matter how he looked at it, no evil thing lurking in the shadows could break through them so easily.

Tang Chuan asked Nokton, "How did you deal with those people? The ones acting strangely."

Nokton replied, "I erased them directly. I did not want to leave any hidden dangers for us. Still, I feel that may not have been thorough enough. Somewhere deep down, I have the feeling that our investigation was still being watched by something unknown. A hidden danger has been lingering in my heart."

Tang Chuan muttered, "I have the same feeling. We may have been watched from the moment we entered this planet's orbit.

All records of that evil riot have been completely erased. The entire planet is living in an illusory prosperity, which means that Exile Star's upper ranks have most likely already fallen.

And Aivi, who was responsible for receiving us...

He probably has a problem too. He asked too many questions, as if he were desperately trying to uncover our identities and intentions.

He deliberately brought us to this area, and then the hotel we picked at random turned out to have secretly installed surveillance cameras.

I have reason to suspect that this entire district has most likely been occupied.

Perhaps even among the people who drank and played cards with me earlier tonight, there were some mixed in with that force..."

Nokton's gaze flickered as he said, "Should I investigate again? Since we have already been treated as potential prey, let me serve as bait and draw out whatever is hiding in the dark."

Tang Chuan waved a hand. "Dawn is almost here. Do not go out. Act tonight instead. I will give you some equipment then."

Nokton nodded. "All right. What should we do now?"

Tang Chuan came back to himself.

Nokton did not need sleep.

Or rather, the useful genes Star Hunters chose to devour were usually ones with extraordinary senses and strong recovery abilities.

They had very little need for sleep. Even when sleeping, they remained half-alert, ready to deal with unexpected situations at any moment.

That was a necessary trait for a hunter.

Tonight's activity had not been taxing for Nokton at all. He could keep going for several more days without any pressure.

As for Tang Chuan...

He did not actually need sleep either.

But he was afraid of dying. He had put all his points into physical survival attributes, relying on the Divine Core for his mental attributes without improving them at all.

So the traits of Azure Star humans still affected him deeply.

For example, after going two days without sleep, his whole body would feel miserable.

It was only psychological, but it had become something of a habit.

Tang Chuan thought for a moment and said, "I want to nap for two hours in a bit. Do whatever you want—watch television, play games, clean the room... whatever suits your mood."

Nokton fell silent for a moment before saying, "Please lend me the Cosmic Television remote. I will stand guard for you while you sleep."

Tang Chuan was briefly surprised. Then he casually tossed him the Cosmic Television remote in his hand. "You like watching television?"

Catching the remote, Nokton shook his head. "I do not know how you did it, but the Cosmic Television you created can freely search even information from mysterious civilizations that do not release their materials to the public, as well as expensive paid tutorials.

My hunting skills are still too weak. I want to watch training videos from high-level hunters and strengthen my hunter attributes."

Tang Chuan understood. Yawning, he lay down on the other sofa and snapped his fingers. His Fantasy Attribute transformed into a large floral pillow beneath his head, while a huge red blanket descended steadily from the air and covered his entire body.

At the side.

Only after seeing Tang Chuan lie down did Nokton nod, withdrawing his gaze. He sat cross-legged on the floor and began searching for hunting videos featuring high-level Star Hunters.

In truth, the genetic talents of Star Hunters allowed them to devour five useful genes in a short period of time and complete their final evolution. The chosen among them could even devour genes a sixth time and achieve a godlike evolution.

But their civilization adhered to the principle of survival of the strong. Weak fifth-rank hunters had no rights within the clan at all, and low-level hunters looked down on them as well.

Moreover, every gene they devoured required them either to hunt high-level creatures themselves or pass the clan's assessments, after which sequence cells for the next stage would be assigned according to their results.

That also took time.

So unless they believed they had reached the qualifications for the next stage of hunter, they generally would not choose to devour genes and evolve.

Nokton felt that he had already reached the level of an intermediate hunter, but he still lacked far too much knowledge and refinement to become a high-level hunter.

Learning was a hurdle no intelligent civilization could avoid.

As he watched television beside him, a large pair of headphones suddenly appeared over his ears, startling him.

When he realized Tang Chuan had given him headphones because he found the noise bothersome, he finally relaxed. He bowed apologetically toward Tang Chuan, then continued watching television.

Tang Chuan did not fall asleep immediately either. Covered by the blanket and leaning against the pillow, he held the diary in his hands, reading as he gradually worked up the urge to sleep.