Harvest

Lu Yuan pushed open the door and went inside.

My head was buzzing, like a swarm of flies buzzing around my ears.

He sat on the edge of the bed and found his hands trembling uncontrollably.

My vision was somewhat blurry; the Flame of the oil lamp cast a long, trailing shadow, like some kind of wriggling creature.

My mouth tastes bitter, and even swallowing saliva feels difficult.

That's incredibly irrational.

Lu Yuan picked up the kettle from the bedside table and poured himself a glass.

He paused as he raised the cup to his lips.

Because Lu Yuan noticed something moving in the water.

Tiny, white insects clumped together at the bottom of the cup.

Lu Yuan frowned, poured out the water, and poured himself a new cup.

Besides.

This cup had even more insects, huddled together in dense swarms, with a few even crawling up the sides of the cup.

Lu Yuan stared at the insects for a few seconds.

Then, he brought the cup to his lips and drank it all in one gulp.

All I could taste in my mouth was water.

It was cool, with a hint of the saltiness characteristic of the desert.

There were no insects.

There was nothing there.

It's an illusion.

Lu Yuan put the cup back on the table and lay back down on the bed.

There seemed to be something wriggling on the ceiling, but he couldn't be bothered to look.

Just close your eyes.

Just as my consciousness was fading, a slight tingling sensation came from my chest.

It's for Time Bestower.

The two tentacles seemed to have reappeared, gently wriggling on the skin of his chest.

It's not a hallucination.

Lu Yuan could tell the difference.

Strangely, that feeling made him feel inexplicably at ease.

It was like some kind of comfort.

He didn't think much of it and fell into a deep sleep.

When I woke up again, sunlight was already streaming in through the cracks in the window.

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

[Sanity: +12...32/120]

The effects of the medicine wore off, and only the amount of sleep returned to normal.

Lu Yuan sat up and rubbed his temples.

My head is still a little foggy, but at least I won't see those messy things anymore.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Lu Yuan?"

It was Morris's voice.

Lu Yuan was taken aback.

They woke up so quickly?

"Come in."

The door was pushed open, Morris walked in.

His face was still somewhat pale, with obvious dark circles under his eyes, but he seemed to be in relatively good spirits.

"Excuse me." Morris stopped at the doorway, his gaze sweeping over Lu Yuan. "Herman told me that last night was all thanks to you."

Lu Yuan leaned against the headboard.

"Thanks to the Mechanism-Suppressing Gear you provided, they're just the right amount to counter that thing."

He paused.

"Good luck."

Morris paused for a moment.

He walked to the wooden stool beside the bed, but did not sit down; he simply stood there, as if considering his words.

"Last night..." he began, his tone hesitant, "What happened?"

Lu Yuan looked at him.

What do you want to ask?

"My reason," Morris looked up, meeting Lu Yuan's eyes directly, "Has been emptied."

His tone was calm, but Lu Yuan could sense what was pressing down beneath that calm.

"It wasn't just me; Heller Vincent were the same. All three of us were drained of our sanity at the same time."

Morris paused, his gaze falling on Lu Yuan's wrist.

Is there a problem with the ring?

Lu Yuan glanced down at the Metal Ring.

He can tell the truth.

Tell Morris that he drained the three people's sanity to activate the Time Bestower ability.

But then I'd have to explain what Time Bestower is, explain why I can contain so much reason, explain far too many things.

"I don't know." Lu Yuan shook his head, his expression calm. "Last night was too chaotic. I only remember that when the insects attacked, Huan suddenly became hot, and then you all collapsed."

He paused, then looked at Morris.

"It could be some kind of interference, or it could be a defect in the ring itself. I'm not familiar with this stuff."

Morris stared at him for a few seconds.

"... That's true." He nodded. "This thing is meant for emergencies, so it's normal for it to have some problems."

His tone was casual, as if he had accepted the explanation.

But Lu Yuan noticed that Morris's gaze remained unchanged.

That wasn't a look of belief.

Lu Yuan didn't point it out, and Morris didn't press the matter.

There was a moment of silence between them.

"This is for you."

Morris took a small bottle from his pocket and placed it on the wooden stool beside the bed.

The liquid is pink, just like the previous bottle.

"I have one Sanity Restoration Potion left."

Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow.

"Need not..."

"Take it." Morris interrupted him. "Also, I'll report this matter and it will count towards your points. Although you're Night Watcher, not Pathfinder, the Empire's merit system applies to everyone."

He turned and walked towards the door.

"Heller Vincent are still resting; Vincent's injury needs further observation. Grego took quite a few things with him when he escaped; let's go check them out today, maybe we'll find something."

Morris stopped at the door and glanced back at Lu Yuan.

"Do you want to come along?"

Lu Yuan thought for a moment.

"Wait me a moment."

Morris nodded and went outside.

His expression changed the moment the door closed.

Lu Yuan.

The Night Watcher.

Medical markers.

First Order.

Morris silently noted this information down in his mind.

How could the rationality of First Order Transcendence being be so exaggerated as to drain the life force of three Second Order?

He understood the mechanism of that ring very well.

How could a mature product that has undergone numerous tests and verifications suddenly break down?

Unless...

It's not a problem with the ring.

Lu Yuan made it himself.

But there were no signs of Contamination on him, so he didn't seem like an enemy.

And he did indeed save the three of them.

There's no need to antagonize them.

Suppressing his doubts, Morris walked out of the courtyard.

When I get back, I need to investigate this person thoroughly.

Grego's belongings are in the mayor's house.

But before that, the body must be dealt with.

Lu Yuan and the other two stood in the courtyard, looking at the withered body on the ground.

Grego's body was even more gruesome than it had been the night before.

The skin clung tightly to the bone, as if all the moisture had been drained away.

The facial muscles had completely atrophied, and the lips were dry, cracked, and everted, revealing the blackened gums inside.

The strangest thing was those mechanical parts.

Gear, connecting rods, metal pipes... things that should have been precise and shiny are now all covered in rust, as if they've been buried underground for decades.

Morris glanced at it and raised an eyebrow.

Heller frowned as well.

The two exchanged a glance but remained silent.

Lu Yuan stood to the side, his expression calm.

He knew what the two of them were thinking.

This manner of death is highly abnormal.

Mechanical Augmentor's bodies age, but not this quickly.

It's even less likely that mechanical parts would rust along with it.

Unless... something accelerated time.

He used Deprivation twice last night, and the effect was more obvious than expected.

That's a bit silly.

But what's done is done, and there's no point in dwelling on it.

Lu Yuan remained expressionless, squatted down, and began to examine the body.

Morris glanced at him but didn't ask any further questions.

Very sensible.

He didn't have anything valuable on him.

Lu Yuan stood up and clapped his hands.

Even if it existed, it would be unusable.

All the mechanical parts were rusted shut, and the medicine bottles were either broken or spoiled.

The "Deprivation" was so thorough that it rendered everything on Grego's body useless.

"Let's go see what he's planning to take with him," Lu Yuan said.

The group entered a side room of the mayor's house, where several packages and boxes were piled up in the corner.

Morris opened one of them and flipped through it.

"Clothing, dry rations, alchemy materials..." He shook his head upon seeing this, "Most of it is ordinary stuff."

Lu Yuan didn't speak, his gaze sweeping over the items before finally settling on a leather shoulder bag.

He walked over and opened it.

There was a manual inside, with a few words written on the cover:

Symbiote

Lu Yuan turned to the first page.

These are Grego's research notes.

"Experiment 47: The Host selection criteria were improved, prioritizing individuals with strong physiques and weak will, resulting in a significant increase in the parasitism success rate..."

"63rd experiment: Successfully resolved the rejection problem. The survival time of the new generation of larvae has been significantly extended..."

"Experiment 89: The first stable symbiotic larva was successfully cultivated. It survived for more than two weeks, Host's mobility remained normal, allowing for the First Order of testing..."

"Experiment 127: The Parasitic Broodmother's intelligence has broken through the critical point, and it has begun to exhibit independent judgment. This is a major breakthrough, but it has also brought new problems; it has begun to have its own thoughts. I need to complete the symbiosis as soon as possible and suppress it with my consciousness, otherwise the consequences will be unimaginable..."

Turning the pages further, he found even more detailed records. Lu Yuan closed the manual.

I see.

Grego was eager to form a symbiotic relationship with the insect, not to gain power.

Rather, it was to suppress it with one's own consciousness before it completely spiraled out of control, a method resembling Eerie Transcendence variant.

Judging from this progress, he seems to be only one step away from success.

Unfortunately, he didn't live to see that day.

"What did you find?"

Morris's voice came from behind.

"Research log." Lu Yuan handed him the manual. "Grego's experimental records; you should find them useful."

Morris took the manual, quickly flipped through a few pages, and his expression turned somewhat grim.

"This guy is a madman."

"Most people in the Ascension Society are like that," Lu Yuan said noncommittally.

He looked at Lu Yuan.

"Lu Yuan, you can choose the rest first."

Lu Yuan glanced at him.

"Fine?"

"In principle, it's not possible," Morris shrugged. "But this is Sandworm Town; principles don't apply here."

He paused.

"The spoils of war belong to whoever kills them; it's only right."

Lu Yuan didn't stand on ceremony anymore.

He walked over to the pile of belongings, his gaze sweeping over the bottles and jars.

Most of it consisted of alchemical materials, a few bottles of potions, and some loose mechanical parts.

He picked up several bottles of what looked like useful medicine and put them in his pocket.

Then he noticed a leather shoulder bag in the corner.

When you open it, it's mostly filled with miscellaneous items.

But a badge was hidden in the interlayer.

Lu Yuan took it out.

It is made of bronze and is thicker than a regular badge. The surface is engraved with a clock pattern, with the hands fixed in a certain position.

There is a thin slit on the back, as if there is a hidden layer.

Lu Yuan tried to open it, but couldn't break through.

After thinking for a moment, Lu Yuan put the badge into his pocket.

That's all.

Morris nodded.

"We'll take the rest away and deal with them." He glanced at Lu Yuan. "Thank you for your cooperation."

Lu Yuan turned and walked outside.

Contact me if you need anything.