Purge Mission

The runes on the Bronze City suddenly lit up.

It was no longer the faint, eerie light it had before, but instead burst forth with a dazzling bronze glow.

The light spread from the city walls into the city, extending along the bronze structure on the ground, like blood being re-injected into dried-up veins.

A sense of holiness then arose.

It was a warm and profound power, carrying a certain ancient and solemn strength.

It collided head-on with the Mutation black clouds in the sky.

Those churning black eyes began to spasm.

They closed one after another, as if they had been burned.

The bronze light seeped into the dark clouds, peeling away the layers of those eyes.

The dark clouds began to recede.

The scorched areas turned into ashes that slowly drifted down, covering the entire Bronze City with a thin layer of black ash.

A moment later, the sky brightened again, and the moon remained hanging in the sky.

The dark clouds completely dissipated, and all those pitch-black eyes closed, sinking into the unseen depths.

Only a faint, lingering smell of burning remained in the air.

[Sanity: +2...39/120]

The holy aura brought a slight return of reason, but that was all.

As his sanity dropped below 40 points, Lu Yuan's vision began to distort slightly. There seemed to be many twisting little insects in the air above the Alchemy Workshop room.

They meandered and twisted in the air, occasionally passing through buildings and disappearing into the stone.

Lu Yuan didn't know why the hallucination he was seeing looked like this.

He merely frowned slightly and looked away.

My gaze swept past the shadow.

Only then did they realize that what had initially appeared to be a thick shadow seemed to have something writhing inside it?

Lu Yuan looked closely, and everything seemed normal.

The Gray-White Text still didn't provide any notification.

"It seems I did indeed bring something out of the Sea of Knowledge..."

Coming to my senses, I found the Alchemy Workshop completely silent.

Everyone was looking towards the inner city.

The bronze glow there was slowly receding, like a giant heart completing a beat and returning to calm.

Lu Yuan stood at the door, his gaze lingering on it for a long time.

This is what the Guardian truly look like when they take action.

It's not about standing there and intimidating your opponent with your imposing presence, but about directly rewriting the rules of the battlefield.

One person wiped out most of the Ghoul in the entire city.

Lu Yuan glanced down at the numbers at the edge of his field of vision.

[Rationality: 39/120]

The Mutation fluctuations generated by the Guardian's attack caused him to passively lose his sanity.

Although the sacred aura has recovered somewhat, the net loss is still considerable.

Lu Yuan withdrew his gaze, turned around, and walked back to the Alchemy Workshop.

The Night Watcher at the door remained alert, but the despair in his eyes had faded considerably.

Someone was whispering something, their tone filled with relief at surviving a disaster.

Some people had already collapsed to the ground, completely relaxing their nerves that had been tense all night.

Lu Yuan frowned slightly as he looked at the pitch-black scene outside.

The Guardian cleared the Ghoul from the ground.

But what about underground?

The cave entrance is still there, the Fungal Carpet is still there, and those densely packed things covering the entire cave wall are still wriggling underground.

This intervention was merely a temporary measure to stop the bleeding, especially since the Bronze City seemed to be influencing the Guardian as well...

Lu Yuan closed the window and sat down in the corner.

The rooms on the second floor have been temporarily requisitioned, so if you want to rest, you can only stay on the chairs placed on the first floor for the time being.

Meanwhile, Grok arranged for two-person shifts to guard the area in order to prevent any accidents.

The rest of the people stayed in the Alchemy Workshop to rest.

Some people were staring at the ceiling, while others were gazing out the window in a daze.

The older Night Watcher from the Seventh Squad sat on his cot, his lips moving silently as if he were muttering something.

It's very quiet outside.

After the Guardian intervened, the Ghoul's screams completely disappeared.

Only the faint hissing sound of the Marching Lamp and the occasional whispered conversation from afar remained.

Lu Yuan closed his eyes tightly, trying his best to rest for a while.

The night passed quickly.

As the first rays of dawn peeked over the horizon, the entire Alchemy Workshop outpost fell silent for a moment.

Then someone let out a long sigh of relief.

A string of Gray-White Text appeared unchangingly before Lu Yuan's eyes.

[Sanity: +12...51/120]

The defensive effect remains stable; with proper rest, the defense will recover to its fixed value.

To reach the Second Order, at the current pace, it will take almost another month.

As night fell, a carriage came to a stop outside the Alchemy Workshop.

Two Night Watcher got off the vehicle and unloaded four small wooden crates and a leather bag.

"Lu Yuan? This is something I brought for you."

"It's me."

"Miss Laurina asked us to send it over. She said you know how to use it."

After saying this, the two Night Watcher shouted.

"Come and help me move your supplies!"

Lu Yuan moved the wooden box aside and then opened it.

The first box contains medicine.

Six bottles of Sanity Restoration Potion, each with a label handwritten by Laurina.

Three bottles are labeled "Perfect," and three bottles are labeled "Excellent."

The second box contains four bottles each of Healing Potion and Anti-Pollution Potion.

The third box contained a row of small, sealed tin cans.

Lu Yuan unscrewed the lid of a jar, and a familiar oily smell wafted out.

It's Refined Sandworm Oil, packaged in small bottles specifically for field operations. Each bottle lasts about three days, and there are eight bottles in total.

The fourth box contains ammunition.

Still Silver-Plated Bullets, four boxes.

There was a letter inside the bag.

Laurina's handwriting is clean and neat.

"The potion was made using materials from Headquarters, but its quality is inferior to the Alchemy Workshop's equipment; only three perfect bottles were produced."

"I've mixed some Sandworm Oil for you. I'll use the rest to refine a potion that you should be able to use. By the way, your sanity is probably very low, remember to drink a Perfect Sanity Potion..."

The letter was unsigned.

Lu Yuan's gaze paused slightly as he looked at those lines of text.

It's obvious that this was hastily produced by Laurina at Headquarters using unfamiliar equipment.

Only three bottles were of perfect quality; given this rejection rate, she probably stayed up all night.

Lu Yuan folded the letter and put it into his inner pocket.

Then he picked up a bottle labeled "Perfect Sanity Potion," uncorked it, and drank it all in one gulp.

[Sanity: +10...61/120]

My rationality has returned considerably, enough to sustain me.

He didn't drink a second bottle.

Laurina stated that for perfect quality, the interval between consecutive doses should not be less than six hours.

Lu Yuan sorted and organized the medicines and supplies, and distributed some of the medicines to his team.

When the Night Watcher in the group took the medicine bottle, he glanced at Lu Yuan.

"This medicine... is it of such high quality?"

"Don't waste it." Lu Yuan patted him on the shoulder.

Just as the other Night Watcher were collecting their supplies, Glock arrived with new orders.

"The branch just finished an emergency meeting." He stood on the first floor of the Alchemy Workshop, gesturing for everyone to look over. "The mission has been assigned."

What mission?

"Two." Glock held up two fingers. "First, clear out the Ghoul and Carrion Ghost that haven't returned to their nests."

"After the Guardian took action, most of the ground was cleared away, but a small number remained hidden in completely dark indoor spaces, in corners with incomplete bronze structures, and in areas where the Guardian's power couldn't cover everything. We took advantage of the daytime to eliminate them all."

"Secondly, we are clearing the Fungal Carpet. The branch has begun allocating Alchemy Flame and Holy Water, distributing them according to area. The Fungal Carpet area in the North Spinning District City is very large, and different teams will be assigned to handle it later."

"Furthermore, it's daytime now, and the Guardian have just made their move, so the Ghoul's activity should be at its lowest. Those that are alone are basically defenseless."

Just then, Boer walked over.

"Captain Lu, those eight brothers from last night specifically requested to work with you again."

Lu Yuan did not respond to that statement.

"Departure time?"

"Meet at the department entrances in one hour."

"I see."

After Boer left, Lu Yuan organized his equipment.

Revolver, full magazine, six Silver-Plated Bullets.

Forty-eight rounds of spare ammunition belt.

Two cans of Refined Sandworm Oil.

Bring one bottle of the excellent quality Sanity Potion, and save the perfect one for six hours before drinking it.

Two bottles of Healing Potion and one bottle of Contamination medication.

There was also Alchemical Fire Powder that had just been delivered, but Lu Yuan didn't take it; he gave it to Boer instead.

An hour later, at the department entrance.

Eight grey-robed Night Watcher stood in a row, their equipment significantly more abundant than the previous night, with two additional red iron canisters bearing the insignia of Alchemy Flame hanging from their waists.

Some people also carried canvas bags on their backs, containing Holy Water Flask and Alchemical Fire Powder.

Boer nodded when he saw Lu Yuan.

"Captain Lu and his men are all here."

"Set off!"

With Lu Yuan's command...

The Ninth Squad sets off again.

On the way from the branch office to the North Spinning District, Lu Yuan saw clearly what had happened last night.

Blood.

Blood was everywhere.

On the streets, on the walls, on the doors, on the window frames.

Some of them had dried, turning into dark brown marks.

Some were still wet, gleaming unnaturally in the sunlight.

The first street was alright. There were scattered traces of blood and signs of a struggle, and occasionally you could see broken lampshades and bullet casings.

The further North Spinning District, the more shocking the traces become.

There are huge scratches on one wall, five parallel grooves that run from the corner of the wall all the way to the eaves.

At the end of the scratch was a large pool of dried blood, with scraps of cloth and fragments of leather boots scattered around the edges.

But there was no body; it was clearly dragged away.

The door of a textile workshop was kicked open, the hinges broke, and half of the wooden door lay askew on the ground.

The bloodstains at the doorway stretched from inside the house all the way to the street, trailing for more than ten meters.

Some people tried to escape, but they couldn't get away.

There was something else on the ground.

Puddles of dark brown pus were scattered throughout the streets; some had already dried up, their edges blackened, and they emitted a pungent, sour stench.

Those are the traces left by the Guardian's power; each puddle of pus was once a living Ghoul.

Further on, Fungal Carpet began to appear on the ground.

A pale green film spread along the grout lines of the floor tiles, and its edges began to yellow and curl under the sunlight.

The daytime sunlight and the copper surface were constantly killing them.

However, it is clear that this speed is far from enough.

"Start cleaning," Lu Yuan said upon seeing the situation.

Boer took the lead, unscrewing the iron can at his waist and pouring the Alchemical Fire Powder into the densest area of Fungal Carpet.

Then he struck a match.

Laugh--

The Alchemy Flame were bluish-white, carrying a faint Holy Light attribute, producing no thick smoke, and were much hotter.

The Fungal Carpet contracted violently the moment it came into contact with the Flame, hissing and crackling, its edges charring and curling, peeling off piece by piece from the copper-colored floor.

The cleaned ground revealed the corroded copper structure beneath.

The black pits range in size from shallow ones where only a layer of skin is visible to deep ones where you can stick your finger in.

"It's really badly corroded." Boer squatted down and took a look, his brows furrowed deeply.

"Hmm." Lu Yuan frowned slightly as he looked at the scene before him.

Fortunately, the runes on the Bronze City are mainly inscribed on the massive city wall at the junction of the Outer City.

The team advanced along the street, clearing as they went.

In some places Fungal Carpet is very thin and disappears when burned.

In some places, the coating is very thick and requires repeated burning.

After entering the heart of the North Spinning District urban area, Lu Yuan stopped.

At the edge of my field of vision, grayish-white text flashed briefly.

[Environmental Perception: A weak Source of Pollution has been detected...]

Lu Yuan signaled the group to stop.

Looking around, a faint, almost invisible black mist swirled in front of a two-story textile workers' dormitory.

The windows are intact, and the door is closed.

From the outside, there was nothing unusual about it.

"There's something in that building," Lu Yuan said in a low voice.

Boer immediately placed his hand on the weapon at his waist. "How many?"

"Most likely, only one."

As Lu Yuan finished speaking...

Two Night's Night Watcher stepped forward, drawing their bronze swords.

One person stood guard at the door, while the other kicked it open.

The room was dark, the curtains were drawn, and only a small patch of light shone in from the doorway.

You can't see anything, but you can smell something.

It had a fishy, foul odor mixed with a sour, rotten smell.

As the door was kicked open, the black mist in Lu Yuan's vision instantly thickened.

"Second floor, left side."

The stairs were made of wood, and they creaked when you stepped on them.

The second-floor corridor was short, and the door on the left was ajar, with an even stronger stench seeping from the crack.

The Night Watcher exchanged a glance, then kicked it away.

A Ghoul was huddled in the corner.

It didn't pounce, nor did it roar.

Curled up in a ball, limbs tucked in, its gaping mouth tightly shut, its three layers of teeth intertwined.

It is trembling right now.

An extremely evil aura emanated from him; it was the power of Guardian.

At this moment, the Ghoul's grayish-red flesh was covered with charred spots, and the edges were slowly curling up.

"Solve it."

The bronze sword pierced the back of his head.

A muffled thud.

The Ghoul's body twitched once, then remained completely still.

Lu Yuan stepped forward and squatted down next to the corpse.

At the edge of vision, grayish-white text appeared:

[Target detected: Ghoul]

[Status: Dead. Due to prolonged exposure to a copper environment and its Eerie Aftershock, extensive necrosis of the body's surface tissues occurred. The internal organs retain only slight activity.]

[Forbidden Studies - Seeker: +0.1...11.5/100]

It went up.

Unlike previous observations of Living Ghoul, this corpse provided new information: the way the Eerie Aftershock damaged the Ghoul's physical structure.

Clearly, the so-called Eerie Aftershock are the power of the Guardian.

Lu Yuan was filled with curiosity about this power.

More importantly, this may be an opportunity to elevate Forbidden Studies and rationality.

"Mark the location of this body; send someone to collect it later."

Boer was somewhat surprised. "Take it back?"

"Bring them back to the branch." Lu Yuan stood up, his tone calm. "The Guardian's power left traces within them; these traces will dissipate over time. Preserve them now; they can be used later to study the Ghoul's structural weaknesses."

Boer thought for a moment and nodded.

"I've noted it down."

Over the next two hours, the team cleared the Fungal Carpet from four streets and found two more lone Ghoul.

They were all hiding indoors in the dark, all weakened to the point of being almost unable to move, and all killed with a single blow.

Lu Yuan also inspected them.

The second one is almost identical to the first, except the gray-white text no longer jumps.

But the third one was different; it was larger, and there were obvious signs of secondary proliferation on its flesh membrane.

[Detection Target: Ghoul (Evolutionary Individual)]

[Forbidden Studies - Seeker: +0.1...11.6/100]

Individuals at different stages can provide new information.

Lu Yuan instructed Boer to mark all three corpses.

"All recycled."

In the afternoon, the group returned to the Alchemy Workshop.

Six hours have passed.

Lu Yuan drank the second bottle of perfect-quality Sanity Potion.

[Sanity: +10...71/120]

He stood by the window, looking out at the street.

The sun is shining brightly.

But this city is very bad.

Every wall in sight bore bloodstains, and every alleyway bore drag marks.

There were also puddles of dried pus on it, marking the place where Ghoul had died.

Occasionally, one could see patrol teams of Night Watcher on the road, their footsteps heavy and weary.

The residents who were lucky enough to survive cautiously peeked out of the building, glanced outside, and then retreated back inside.

Someone is crying in the distance.

The sound was intermittent, and it was impossible to tell where it was coming from.