Evacuation

When everyone crawled out of the sewer exit, they looked utterly bedraggled.

Hans was the first to emerge, covered in blood from head to toe.

But he had no time to worry about himself. He immediately turned and dragged the unconscious Valentin up. The once-elegant captain of the Second Team had reverted to human form, his face deathly pale and his breathing incredibly weak.

Hans's expression changed drastically after just one glance at Valentin's condition.

He then pulled up Lu Yuan, along with the unconscious Gray and Ed, and finally dragged Toby out of the sewer.

"Get in the carriage! Now!"

Without wasting a second, Hans stuffed all the wounded into the rear compartment of the black carriage, then seized the reins tightly.

The carriage jolted violently over the gravel road, its wheels crushing through puddles and spraying mud everywhere.

Hans sat in the driver's seat, the reins stretched taut in his hands as the whip cracked through the air again and again.

He had to get back to base before Valentin completely collapsed.

"Doctor Lu! I'm leaving the back to you!"

Hans's voice came through the wooden wall of the carriage, muffled by the fierce wind.

Lu Yuan knew it was time for him to step in. Inside the dim carriage, he knelt beside the stretcher, doing his best to steady himself amid the rocking vehicle.

The carriage was full of people. Ed and Gray were unconscious.

But their breathing was steady, and neither was in serious danger. After a simple examination and treatment of their wounds, Lu Yuan left them alone.

Toby was merely exhausted, leaning against a corner and gasping for breath.

The most troublesome case was Valentin.

The captain of the Second Team was in terrible condition.

His tailcoat had been reduced to strips of rags, and the exposed skin beneath had taken on a deathly gray, decayed appearance.

The blood vessels beneath his skin had turned black and writhed madly like living things. He was clearly on the verge of losing control.

Lu Yuan reached out and pressed a hand against Valentin's still-bleeding chest.

The instant his fingertips touched the skin, gray text appeared before his eyes.

[Target contacted: Valentin (near death from backlash)]

[Information analysis: Eerie Transcendence Tier II (unstable)]

[Transcendence Path: Deep Bloodthirster]

[Traits: Burns blood in exchange for extreme physical strength, possessing the ability to fly and transform into a beast. Currently in a state of "Spiritual Exhaustion" due to excessive blood depletion. The Eerie is backlashing against the host.]

[Fatal weaknesses: Holy items; silver weapons striking the heart directly.]

[You have contacted a new Transcendence Path (superficial). Forbidden Studies—Seeker: +0.1]

Seeing the row of red words reading "Fatal weaknesses," Lu Yuan's hand, which had been reaching for the spare bottle of Holy Water in the first-aid kit, froze in midair.

For the current Valentin, Holy Water might directly take his life.

Lu Yuan's eyes sharpened. He decisively pushed the Holy Water to the very back, then took out a large bottle of saline solution and Hemostatic Powder instead.

"Don't use Holy Water!"

Almost at the same time, Hans, who was driving, suddenly turned his head and shouted, "Valentin can't use that stuff!"

"I know."

Without turning his head, Lu Yuan's hands did not pause in the slightest.

He cleaned away as much of the clothing stuck to Valentin's body as possible, washed the wounds with saline, then quickly sprinkled Hemostatic Powder over them and applied pressure bandages.

"Valentin's reaction is severe. I can only stop the bleeding for now."

[Basic Medical: +1, 2.3/20]

[Forbidden Studies—Seeker: +0.2]

As the system notifications appeared, Lu Yuan wiped the blood from his hands. Given his current conditions and abilities, this was all he could do.

By the time Hans drove the carriage back to the underground base beneath Old John's Tavern, it was already late at night.

The medical team, which had been on standby, swiftly took Valentin and the others away to the Deep Monitoring Room.

Lu Yuan and Hans, meanwhile, were taken to the Purification Quarantine Zone on the other side.

It was a sealed room filled with steam and the smell of disinfectant.

"Don't take it personally. It's the rule."

Hans took off his mud-covered coat and tossed it into the incinerator.

"After coming into contact with a High-Tier Mutated Creature, physical infection isn't the only concern. Mental contamination is even more dangerous."

"We have to stay here for two full hours and make sure our sanity hasn't gone out of control before we can leave."

Lu Yuan nodded and found a place to sit.

"What happened to Valentin?" After thinking it over, Lu Yuan still asked.

"Eerie Transcendence." Hans lowered his voice.

"He borrowed the power of something from the Bloodthirsty Ghost category. But what kind of Bloodthirsty Ghost it is, no one knows except the chief captain."

"Why?"

"To stay alive." Hans exhaled a ring of smoke. "The Eerie Path may be powerful, but its weaknesses are far too obvious."

"If someone learns what he fears, a specially made bullet could take his life. Among the Night Watchers, secrecy means survival."

Lu Yuan fell into thought.

This made him even more certain that joining the Night Watchers had been the right choice.

There was systematic knowledge here, ways to gain experience, and the cover of an official identity.

Of course, that was only if he had enough means to keep himself alive.

Two hours later, the quarantine ended. After a preliminary examination by a Night Watcher, the two were finally allowed to leave.

Hans led Lu Yuan to the office area.

"The people above are pushing hard. The report has to be submitted tonight, Doctor Lu. I'm afraid you'll have to go home late."

Lu Yuan felt somewhat helpless upon hearing that. He had not expected that even after transmigrating, he would still have to write reports.

But since he had already joined, and he was one of the few people still conscious, there was no helping it. He could only write it first.

So Hans pulled Lu Yuan over, and they began drafting the report.

This report on the fall of the Waterworks mainly emphasized the "premeditated internal demolition," the existence of the Meat Mountain Aggregate, and the recommendation to immediately inspect the city's entire underground Pipe Network.

At the end, Hans stopped writing. After thinking for a moment, he said, "I won't mention your name in this report."

Hans looked at Lu Yuan and continued, "The Waterworks incident involves too much. There may be traces of cultists behind it."

"Right now, you're just a Doctor who has only recently entered the field. If your name appears in a top-secret file like this, we may not be able to guarantee your safety."

Hans lit a cigarette and continued with a weary expression.

"I know this goes somewhat against the terms I promised you, but the Black Pine Forest Water Plant incident shows that Grim Port has been far too unsettled lately."

"Besides... the Night Watchers are severely short-handed. Of course, I'll convert the credit that belongs to you into points. You won't lose a single point."

Lu Yuan did not blame him when he heard this.

Instead, he was rather relieved. Hans had not tried to fool him, which at least showed that the Night Watchers' attitude toward him was not a problem.

"Deal." Lu Yuan had no objections. Making a fortune quietly was the best way.

"Ten points in total. You can exchange them for quite a few things at the Supply Office. I'd suggest weapons, but of course, that depends on you."