Large-Scale Contamination

He had just heard on the way here that a large-scale contamination incident had suddenly broken out in the Dock District.

Almost all of the base's combat personnel had been urgently dispatched, including Hans and Mary.

Now, aside from logistics staff and Hidden Sentries, there was hardly anyone to be seen at the base.

Lu Yuan immediately realized something was wrong.

A large-scale contamination had occurred at this time. If someone came looking for him now...

Lu Yuan's heart gradually sank.

"Old Morgan."

Lu Yuan knocked on the iron bars.

Behind the counter, Old Morgan, who had been wiping down a hunting rifle, lifted his eyelids and glanced at Lu Yuan. "Why aren't you hiding at home at a time like this? What are you doing here?"

"Mo Shui said someone looked into my records." Lu Yuan lowered his voice and stared directly into the old man's eyes.

Old Morgan's hand paused as he wiped the gun.

He slowly set down the hunting rifle, a glint flashing through his cloudy eyes.

As an old hand who had spent decades at this base, he naturally knew what that meant.

Someone had their eye on Lu Yuan.

After all, who would pay attention to a Doctor who had merely been conscripted? Old Morgan thought of that sewer mission, and of the inexplicable discussions about Lu Yuan that had sprung up throughout the base.

"I'm just a Doctor. I don't want to die without knowing why," Lu Yuan said calmly. "So I need a little... protection."

"I can write you a note. You can stay here with me for a while. During that time, no one can transfer you away. Once Mary and the others return, everything will be fine."

Old Morgan fell silent for a moment before speaking.

"You can also take the things I've prepared for you and go home first. After all, you're only a Doctor right now. But that would be risky."

Lu Yuan understood what Old Morgan meant.

Old Morgan had offered him two options. The first was to hide from this "coincidence," even if it was not a "coincidence" aimed at him.

But anyone with ulterior motives would definitely not let it go. As long as he stayed holed up here with Old Morgan, nothing could possibly go wrong.

The second was that Old Morgan would prepare some things for him, letting him deal with whoever was hiding in the shadows and only dared to trip him up in secret.

After all, this "coincidence" could not possibly have been arranged for Lu Yuan.

So they would not deploy anything too excessive just to deal with a minor character who had gotten mixed up in it.

But that would be risky.

Lu Yuan was no soft persimmon for anyone to knead.

"Prepare some things for me."

Lu Yuan made his choice.

At his words, Old Morgan turned and walked into the depths of the storeroom.

After a burst of rummaging, he emerged holding a black sphere wrapped in oil paper and slammed it heavily onto the counter.

"'Exorcism Gunpowder—Type 3.' A failed product cooked up by those lunatics in the Alchemy Department."

Old Morgan snorted.

"This thing isn't very powerful, and it's hard to detonate when it encounters people."

"But if what you encounter isn't human, it contains highly concentrated Flash Vine powder and the Holy Church's Exorcism Powder. That's enough to make most Eerie things drink a bitter cup."

Old Morgan looked at Lu Yuan meaningfully. "As long as this thing goes off, I'll have a reason to bring people over immediately, even if the other party really is human..."

Lu Yuan took the heavy black sphere and stuffed it into his trench coat pocket.

[Contacted alchemical knowledge. Insufficient knowledge. Acquisition failed.]

Do I know too little about Alchemy?

Lu Yuan looked at the prompt before him.

"Thanks."

"Don't thank me so soon. This thing is expensive, and it'll be put on your tab. Just remember not to die outside."

Lu Yuan left quickly upon hearing that.

By the time he left Old John's Tavern, the sky over Grim Port had completely darkened.

A muffled peal of thunder rolled overhead.

"Splash—"

Rain had begun to fall at some point.

But the rain smelled strange, carrying an Eerie, viscous feel. The instant it touched his skin, it felt slick and slimy, while a nauseating salty-fishy stench filled the air.

Fortunately, no strange information appeared upon contact.

Lu Yuan raised his collar and hurried back to the clinic.

The moment he reached the entrance, he saw a thin figure huddled beneath the eaves, seemingly waiting for something.

It was Brent.

"Doctor Lu!"

Seeing Lu Yuan return, Brent hurried over, his face pale and ugly, his voice carrying a faint sob.

"Please... save my sister!"

"Come inside and talk."

Lu Yuan opened the door, pulled the ice-cold boy indoors, and handed him a dry towel. "What happened?"

"My sister... something seems to be happening to my sister too!"

"Doctor Lu, please save her. She's my only family..."

Brent was overwhelmed with emotion, and his voice had already broken into sobs as he spoke.

Hearing this, Lu Yuan looked at the helpless boy before him and patted his shoulder.

"Don't panic. Explain it clearly first. What exactly is wrong with your sister?"

Feeling the firmness of Lu Yuan's hand, Brent seemed to find a pillar to lean on. He forcibly suppressed his emotions and began speaking haltingly.

"Ever since my uncle died... my sister started acting strange too. Mina first refused to eat and kept staring blankly out the window. Then... every night, Mina hummed songs I couldn't understand."

"I called Mina, but she didn't react. Then when daytime came, she was fine again! When I asked Mina about it, Mina said she didn't know."

"My sister is still so young. I'm afraid she won't last more than a few days..."

As Brent spoke, tears began falling again.

"At night?"

Lu Yuan pondered it, recalling a possibility.

"Don't be afraid."

Lu Yuan turned and entered the Pharmacy. He diluted the Silverlight Grass Mixture with water into three portions, then handed them to Brent.

"Take this home and have your sister—Mina—drink it. Remember, she must drink it at night."

"After she drinks it, you must pay close attention to her condition! If it works, use this to hold things together the next day. If it doesn't, bring your sister to me immediately."

"If I'm not here, go to the tavern next door and find Mary. Tell her I sent you. They'll settle you both in."

At last, Brent could no longer hold back and burst into tears, wiping them away in great handfuls.

"Thank you, Doctor Lu. Thank you, Doctor Lu."

Then Brent took several silver shields from his pocket.

He placed them on Lu Yuan's desk.

"Doctor Lu, this is the consultation fee. You have to accept it!"

This time, Lu Yuan did not refuse. He merely nodded silently.

Brent wiped away his tears, tucked the medicine close to his body, then took out a newspaper before leaving.

"Doctor Lu... lately, you absolutely, absolutely must not eat fish, and don't go near the sea either... Those fish... they're all the kind... that killed my uncle."

Brent spoke in broken fragments, but he still pointed to the article and showed it to Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan lowered his gaze.

It was today's Grim Morning Post.

A sensational headline was printed on the front page in bold, heavy type:

<Nearshore Fisheries Enjoy a Bumper Harvest! Fish Prices Plummet, a Blessing for the Slum District!>