Potion

Lu Yuan looked at the potion and map that Morris handed him and remained silent for a few seconds.

The conditions were much more lenient than he had imagined.

The other side was almost unilaterally providing the medicine, maps, and intelligence. He only needed to make a move at a crucial moment, and could even escape if things went wrong.

Either these three people are really short-handed.

Either...

They were very confident in their abilities and didn't expect to be of any help; they just wanted to have an extra layer of insurance.

In either case, he won't lose out.

"Can."

Morris nodded and gestured to Vincent.

Vincent pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it over swiftly and decisively.

Lu Yuan took it and unfolded it to take a look.

It is a simple map.

The above is a charcoal sketch of the general layout of Sandworm Town, including the streets, the distribution of houses, and the surrounding environment.

The location of the Quarry was marked, with "Hunting Spot" written next to it.

A section of land to the north of the town has been fenced off, with a sign next to it reading "Warehouse District, suspected to be conducting research here."

There is also a location that is specially marked.

The mayor's house.

The sign next to it reads: Suspected Contamination.

As Lu Yuan looked at the line of text, he recalled the prompt the system gave him when he first met the town mayor.

He possesses Knowledge Transcendent and mysterious powers within him.

A strange force, suspected Contamination... all pointing in the same direction.

It seems the information the Pathfinder was indeed quite reliable.

Sandworm are very special creatures.

Morris's voice came from the side.

"They are naturally highly resistant to Contamination, and under normal circumstances, it is almost impossible for them to be Mutation."

He paused, his tone carrying a hint of certainty.

"But you saw it today too."

Lu Yuan recalled the dark brown Sandworm from noon, and the countless eyes inside its mouthparts.

"The fact that Sandworm can Mutation... suggests that someone here has some shady dealings."

Morris pointed to two marks on the map.

"Warehouse District, the mayor's house."

"It's most likely related to those two places."

Lu Yuan looked at the map and memorized the markings.

He had never been to the Warehouse District, but he had personally witnessed the mayor's unusual behavior.

I'll keep an eye on it.

We'll contact you if anything comes up.

Morris raised his hand and patted Lu Yuan's shoulder, the force neither too light nor too heavy.

"Don't contact us first, and remember not to go out tonight. This desert isn't safe at night, especially since we hunted Sandworm today."

Lu Yuan nodded.

The Pathfinder operate prioritize secrecy.

Morris didn't say anything more.

He gestured towards Heller Vincent.

The three figures began to retreat, one step, two steps, gradually disappearing into the shadows of the building.

There were no footsteps.

There was no movement.

It was as if it had never existed.

Lu Yuan stood still, looking at the shadow.

After a moment, he looked away and down at the pink potion in his hand.

At the edge of vision, gray and white text quietly emerged:

[Detection Target: Special Sanity Recovery Potion]

[A precious potion that can quickly restore sanity, but it will burden the mind.]

[WARNING: Taking two bottles in a short period of time may cause serious side effects]

There are side effects, but they are within acceptable limits.

My rationality is indeed too low right now. Even after recovering last night, I only have 38 points of rationality left, which is less than half. If I encounter any unexpected situation, I could easily run into problems.

He didn't hesitate any longer.

Uncork the bottle, tilt your head back, and drink it down.

The medicine entered my mouth, and a cool sensation slid down my throat into my stomach.

Then comes the mind.

My previously confused thoughts became clear, like mist dispersed by a gentle breeze.

The heavy feeling that had been weighing on my heart dissipated considerably.

At the edge of my field of vision, gray and white text flickers:

[Sanity: +15...53/120 (Total)]

Lu Yuan stretched his neck.

I feel much better, and this clarity hasn't dissipated yet; I expect there will be further recovery effects.

The burning pain in my left hand seemed to have lessened a bit, but I still couldn't make a fist properly.

It seems that the "accelerated injury healing" aspect is better than expected.

He carefully put the empty bottle away and turned to walk towards the Quarry.

In the distance, Sandworm are still being dismantled.

The townspeople wielded long-handled knives, slowly cutting into the enormous body.

Brownish-yellow blood splattered everywhere, gleaming eerily in the sunlight.

Lu Yuan stood at a distance, watching that scene.

The mayor's house.

Warehouse District.

The Mutation of Sandworm.

He connected these pieces of information in his mind.

This town is far more complex than it appears on the surface.

It was already afternoon when we got back to Herman's house.

Herman isn't here; he's probably still busy at the Quarry.

Martha was tidying up in the kitchen; Karl had disappeared somewhere.

Lu Yuan returned to his room and closed the door.

He took out the map and spread it out on the bed.

Warehouse District.

The mayor's house.

My gaze moved back and forth between the two labels, memorizing their positions.

He had personally witnessed the mayor's unusual behavior, but he had never been to the Warehouse District.

However, now is not the time to delve into this.

Lu Yuan folded the map and put it away, then leaned against the wall and closed his eyes to rest.

He needs to recover; he needs to wait.

Let's wait until we're more rational, and until the timing is more opportune.

The sunlight outside the window gradually slanted westward, casting long shadows on the ground.

After an unknown amount of time, there was a knock on the door.

"Dinner's ready."

It was Karl's voice.

Lu Yuan opened his eyes and stood up.

Martha cooked dinner.

Stewed Sandworm meat served with desert flatbread and a small dish of pickled root vegetables.

The taste wasn't great, but in a place like this, being able to eat something hot is already a luxury.

Lu Yuan slowly chewed the piece of meat in his mouth, his gaze sweeping across the dining table without making a sound.

Herman sat opposite him, a cigarette holder dangling from his mouth, looking somewhat absent-minded.

He glanced at Lu Yuan every now and then, then quickly looked away, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

Karl sat down beside Lu Yuan, eating his rice with his head down, occasionally glancing up at him. Clearly, there was still a lot he hadn't finished saying during the day.

The little girl sat quietly next to Martha, occasionally poking at the meat in her bowl with her spoon.

The atmosphere was somewhat somber.

Lu Yuan noticed Herman's unusual behavior but did not speak up.

The silence lasted for quite a while.

Herman finally took the cigarette holder out of his mouth and glanced at Karl.

"Karl, after you finish eating, go help your mom clean up the kitchen."

"But I haven't..."

"Go."

Karl pursed his lips, reluctantly stood up, and followed Martha into the kitchen.

The little girl was taken away with her.

Only Lu Yuan and Herman remained in the restaurant.

Herman put the cigarette holder back in his mouth, took a drag, and exhaled a puff of smoke.

He didn't speak immediately, but just looked at the darkening sky outside the window, his fingers tapping lightly on the table.

Authored by Lu Yuan et al.

"That Sandworm at noon today..." Herman finally spoke, his voice a little hoarse, "You saw it too."

Lu Yuan nodded.

"Something's not right." Herman flicked his cigarette ash, his tone devoid of emotion. "The Sandworm weren't like this before."

He paused for a moment, as if carefully choosing his words.

"The mayor has been acting... a bit strange lately."

Lu Yuan raised his head and looked at him.

Herman didn't meet his gaze, but stared at the cigarette holder in his hand.

"You brought me here not just because it was on the way, right?" Lu Yuan asked.

Herman's fingers paused for a moment.