Deprivation

Without a word, Morris punched him in the face.

The three Second Order Pathfinder coordinated perfectly, their punches and kicks moving like the wind, and gradually gained the upper hand in pure hand-to-hand combat.

Although Grego is Third Order, his fighting style relies too heavily on machinery.

Without the added benefits of those parts, his fighting skills were far inferior to those of these three Pathfinder who had spent years traversing the wilderness.

Heller executed an over-the-shoulder throw, slamming Grego to the ground.

Vincent followed up with a kick to his stomach.

Grego groaned and spat out a mouthful of blood.

But Lu Yuan's expression did not relax in the slightest.

He had told Morris before entering the yard that Grego was conducting symbiotic experiments, and that a parasite had hatched inside the mayor's body.

Morris replied, "Take care of Grego first, then we'll deal with the bugs."

The Pathfinder's assessment was that Grego was the core threat, and the bugs were merely a byproduct.

But Lu Yuan didn't think so.

He stood in the corner, his right hand always resting on the Time Bestower in his pocket, his gaze not on the battle, but scanning every shadow in the courtyard.

Where are the insects?

Grego has been hiding at the mayor's house for so long; he must have had a backup plan.

Just then, his gaze froze.

Something was moving in the shadows of the corner of the yard.

A fleshy red shadow, much larger than the one inside Red's body, was crouching against the wall.

It didn't rush to make a move.

It is waiting.

Lu Yuan's pupils suddenly contracted.

The thing was about half a person's height, its body covered with ring-shaped grooves, and it had no eyes, only a huge round mouth.

Its mouthparts were open, and inside were countless eyes.

It looks exactly like the eyes inside the mouthparts of the Mutated Sandworm.

Those eyes, fixed on the few people fighting, gleamed with a kind of greedy light.

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

[Detection target: Parasitic Broodmother (Mutated Sandworm variant/adult)]

[Characteristics: Extremely fast speed, extremely high attack power, high intelligence, and will choose the best time to attack]

[WARNING: Extremely dangerous!]

Upon seeing this, Lu Yuan's heart sank.

This thing has been waiting.

The Pathfinder and Grego were both severely injured.

"Careful!"

But before Lu Yuan could finish his warning, the insect had already moved.

Its speed was incredible, several times faster than the larva inside Red's body.

A flesh-red afterimage streaked across the battlefield.

Pfft!

Vincent froze.

He looked down, staring incredulously at his abdomen.

The insect's mouthparts were stuck in his stomach, and blood was gushing out.

"Vincent!" Heller roared, trying to rush over.

But the insect reacted even faster, twisting its body and sweeping its tail horizontally, sending Heller flying.

Heller slammed into the courtyard wall, groaned, and couldn't get up for a long time.

Morris's expression changed drastically.

Damn it!

He tried to help, but Grego seized the opportunity to retaliate, sprang up from the ground, and grabbed him by the neck.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Grego let out a maniacal laugh.

"This is my masterpiece! A perfect Symbiote! Three years of painstaking work! Once I've achieved symbiosis with it, I can embark on a new path!"

His eyes were crazed, and his face was filled with a morbid fanaticism.

"That good-for-nothing mayor thinks he can control it? He's not even worthy of being its food!"

The situation instantly turned one-sided.

Vincent lay on the ground, bleeding from his abdominal wound, his life hanging in the balance.

Heller leaned against the wall, struggling to stand up, but his body was too weak.

Morris, his face flushed red, was being choked by Grego, unable to break free.

The insect slowly turned around, and all the eyes in its mouthparts looked at Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan stood in the shadows, his gaze icy.

His right hand was already gripping the pocket Time Bestower Pocket Watch in his pocket.

The third capability of Time Bestower Deprivation.

It can Deprivation the target of time, but Lu Yuan is not clear about the specific effects. However, judging from the performance of the first ability, it shouldn't be too different.

The cost is a minimum of 80 sanity points.

He has 75 points now.

There are two goals at hand.

Grego, and that bug.

Lu Yuan's gaze fell on the slightly warm Metal Ring on his wrist.

Morris once said that one can invoke the sanity of others.

He also said that his rationality might be a little low, and that he should concentrate more when he uses it.

The current situation left Lu Yuan with no time to think further.

His mind was focused on the Metal Ring, and at the same time, he activated the Time Bestower ability.

Extraction.

In an instant, the Metal Ring became extremely hot.

Three waves of rationality were clearly visible in Lu Yuan's perception.

It's very light.

It was as faint as three thin streams.

Lu Yuan frowned slightly.

So little?

Morris said he looked to be only in his early fifties.

Heller is even less, around forty years old.

Vincent is the weakest, probably because of his serious injuries; he's only around thirty years old now.

Three Second Order Pathfinder, combined, only have a little over 120 points?

Lu Yuan was somewhat surprised.

He thought that the Metal Ring could only transmit a limited amount of rationality, which was why the perceived value was so low.

After all, Morris said that this thing was for "temporary support".

Since it's about providing support, it's impossible to share all of one's sanity, right?

It should only be a part.

Lu Yuan didn't think much of it and decisively drew all of them.

All of it, not a single bit left.

The situation is critical, so we can't worry about anything else.

Three torrents of reason surged into his body.

Lu Yuan originally thought it would be a bit difficult.

After all, they are three Second Order rational beings; even if it's only a portion, it won't be a small amount.

But the actual feeling...

Surprisingly easy.

When those three streams of reason entered his body, it was like three small streams flowing into the sea, without even a splash.

It was accepted with ease.

One hundred.

150.

190...

The numbers are climbing rapidly, but I feel no discomfort whatsoever.

Lu Yuan was taken aback.

He had expected it to be somewhat difficult, but it was surprisingly easy. However, the next second, his attention was drawn to something else.

The bodies of the three Pathfinder are undergoing dramatic changes.

Morris's gaze was the first to glaze over.

He was still struggling, trying to break free from Grego's grip, but the next second, his body suddenly went limp, as if all his strength had been drained away.

Heller was even worse.

He had just propped himself up halfway when suddenly his eyes rolled back, and he fell backward, convulsing violently and foaming at the mouth.

Vincent was already seriously injured and unconscious; at this moment, he could barely breathe, and the rise and fall of his chest was so faint as to be almost invisible.

Lu Yuan's expression froze for a moment.

Etc.

This reaction is wrong.

If it were just a loss of some rationality, it wouldn't have come to this, would it?

Unless...

He didn't just take a portion.

It's all of them.

Lu Yuan suddenly realized a problem.

He always felt that the three Pathfinder were "lacking" in rationality.

But relative to what is this "few"?

Compared to himself.

His sanity cap is 120 points.

The combined strength of three Second Order Pathfinder is roughly equivalent to that of him alone.

Lu Yuan remained silent for a moment.

No wonder Morris said his rationality was "maybe a little low".

In their eyes, how rational could a wounded Night Watcher, with a medical mark on his badge, possibly be?

Lu Yuan glanced at the three men lying on the ground and knew he had to hurry, or his three teammates would die at his hands.

But now is not the time for guilt.

Grego stood there, stunned, his madness gradually replaced by bewilderment.

"What... what's going on?"

He looked at Morris, who was limp in his arms, and then at Heller, who was convulsing on the ground, completely bewildered by what had happened.

The Parasitic Broodmother stopped moving, its eyes inside its mouthparts turning in confusion.

Lu Yuan emerged from the shadows.

He looked at Grego, then at the insect.

Two goals.

They were very close.

Perfect.

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

[Current Sanity: 195/120 (Overload)]

[WARNING: Your sanity is severely overloaded. Please release it as soon as possible.]

The next moment, two invisible waves emanated from the Pocket Watch.

The air seemed to freeze.

Centered on Grego and the Parasitic Broodmother, a distorted realm quietly took shape.

Grego's pupils suddenly contracted.

He sensed it.

The world has changed.

The air became thick, as if we were in deep water.

My limbs felt incredibly heavy, and every movement required ten times the effort.

"This is..."

He wanted to speak, but the sound was terribly slow to escape his throat.

Time.

Someone is manipulating time.

The Parasitic Broodmother let out a piercing scream.

Its body was shrinking violently, the ring-shaped grooves were getting deeper and deeper, and its skin began to crack and peel off. One by one, the eyes in its mouthparts closed, shriveled, and turned to ash.

Ten seconds.

Twenty seconds.

Its life was passing by at a visible speed; a hundred years were compressed into this short moment.

Finally, the insect collapsed to the ground, turning into a pile of withered remains.

But Grego was still standing.

His skin was aging, wrinkles were appearing, but his mechanically modified body continued to function stubbornly.

Lu Yuan frowned, feeling somewhat anxious.

A single Deprivation can kill an insect.

But they couldn't kill Grego.

The vitality of the Third Order Mechanical Augmentor was more tenacious than he had anticipated.

What to do?

Lu Yuan's gaze fell on Grego's chest.

There, the outline of a piece of metal could be vaguely seen pulsating beneath the skin.

Mechanical Core.

The lifeline of all Mechanical Augmentor.

Lu Yuan gritted his teeth.

The second blow Deprivation, and then poured out.

This time, he did not cover his entire body.

Instead, they concentrate all their efforts on that one point.

Grego froze.

The next second, his eyes widened suddenly, and an incredulous look of horror appeared on his face.

A sharp pain shot through my chest.

That's an alarm indicating core damage.

Impossible.

Grego lowered his head, his eyes trembling as he looked at his chest.

He could feel the Mechanical Core that had been with him for over a decade crumbling.

Metal rusts, Gear crack, and those intricate structures crumble under the erosion of time.

"No... it's impossible..."

His voice was hoarse and filled with despair.

He tried to reach out to protect his chest, but his arm froze in mid-air halfway up.

The core has completely stopped rotating.

Grego swayed, his knees buckled, and he fell straight forward.

His eyes were still open, filled with resentment and fear.

He never understood how a mere First Order Night Watcher doctor could possess such power, even until his death.