Rout?

Lu Yuan carefully put Lausen's letter away.

That doctor...

"Old Morgan," Lu Yuan looked up, "How many doctors does Grim Port have?"

Old Morgan raised an eyebrow and flicked his cigarette ash.

"Not many. The church makes up the majority. There are only two or three truly qualified doctors in the inner city, and even fewer in the Outer City." He glanced at Lu Yuan. "What, interested in a fellow practitioner?"

A doctor examined Lausen and advised him to stay away from the seaside or leave Grim Port.

Old Morgan's eyes narrowed.

"What's his name? He's the one who can give that kind of advice."

"If I remember correctly, it should be Bulin. What a coincidence, isn't it?"

"I don't believe in coincidences," Old Morgan sneered. "You'll understand once you've spent enough time in Grim Port. There are no coincidences here. I'll send someone to investigate."

Before the words were finished, gray and white text suddenly appeared at the edge of their field of vision:

[Environmental Perception: Numerous unusual Source of Pollution are approaching; vigilance is advised]

Lu Yuan's expression changed slightly.

This kind of warning, every time it appears, means big trouble.

Old Morgan noticed his expression and his eyes narrowed. "What's wrong?"

Before he could finish speaking...

"Bang!"

The conference room door was suddenly pushed open.

A Night Watcher rushed in, covered in blood and looking anxious.

It's Leonard.

"Captain Morgan!"

His voice was urgent, and he was breathing heavily. "The Holy Armor Army has been subjected to a massive attack! The Defense Line is faltering!"

Before the words were even finished, the entire base began to shake.

Dense gunfire, explosions, and shrieks came from all directions, mixed with a strange low murmur, like countless people singing at the same time, or like the sea weeping.

Old Morgan stood up and stubbed out his cigarette on the table.

His expression showed no sign of panic; rather, it was as if he had anticipated this moment.

How many?

"I don't know..." Leonard took a deep breath, suppressing his anxiety, "They're everywhere... ten times more than during the last attack on the base!"

"It's finally here."

Old Morgan sneered and strode towards the door.

Lu Yuan followed closely behind.

The two walked through the corridor, climbed the stone steps, and pushed open the door leading to the ground.

A pungent, fishy stench hit me.

Lu Yuan's pupils suddenly contracted.

In the darkness, the firelight illuminated half the sky.

The rain continued to fall, mingling with the flowing blood, and the entire perimeter of the base was shrouded in a Blood Mist.

And deep within that Blood Mist, countless figures were surging.

They were a group of... monsters.

It stands about three meters tall, with a hunched back, and its entire body is covered in bluish-gray scales that shimmer faintly in the rain.

Their faces were so distorted that human features were almost unrecognizable, and their eyes were completely degenerated, leaving only two sunken eye sockets, as if they had been gouged out.

Its pointed ears drooped back, and its large mouth, which almost took up its entire face, was filled with a dense array of sharp teeth.

The most bizarre thing is that certain parts of their bodies emit a faint black glow, like lanternfish in the Deep Sea.

But the light falling into the eyes can cause a moment of dizziness.

[Large numbers of the Deep Sea Aberrant detected: Fishmen (highly Contamination defective products)]

[Characteristics: Deep Sea pressure adaptation, group resonance, Contamination aura; a flawed product that completely abandoned its human identity but failed to Mutation due to cowardice midway.]

[Weaknesses: Strong light, high temperature, dehydration]

But that's not the worst part.

Behind those Fishmen, Lu Yuan saw an even more disgusting sight.

Countless humans with fanatical expressions were embedded inside the body of a gigantic monster.

Only their heads were visible, merging back-to-back with the monster, chanting the same prayers, their faces bearing the same maniacal smiles.

Those people... used to be residents of Grim Port.

[Sanity: -1, 34/70]

[Sanity III: +0.2, 21.2/70]

"It seems the final assault is about to begin," Old Morgan remarked, looking at the Holy Armor Army's Defense Line.

Lu Yuan followed his gaze.

Golden armor shimmered in the Blood Mist, and the Holy Armor Army soldiers seemed to be retreating steadily, their Defense Line constantly shrinking.

Lu Yuan frowned.

Strangeness.

The Holy Armor Army is not large in number; the Third Battalion stationed here has only about a hundred men at most. However, as an army directly under the Empire, their combat strength seems somewhat weak.

Moreover, the armor worn by each person is Alchemical Product.

But Lu Yuan felt that something was off.

Although the Fishmen's attack was fierce, the Holy Armor Army's retreat was... remarkably orderly.

"Contract the Defense Line!"

Xi Wading's voice pierced through the noisy battlefield.

"Assemble all personnel, centering on the Night Watcher Base!"

The soldiers quickly retreated, abandoning the outer positions and forming a tighter square formation.

The Fishmen roared excitedly, thinking their prey was cornered, and surged forward like a tide.

Then.

Xi Wading suddenly looked up.

A cold smile appeared on that blood-stained face.

That's enough.

His voice wasn't loud, but every Holy Armor Army soldier present heard it.

The golden armor simultaneously emitted a dazzling light.

Some kind of alchemical Formation or legion Blessing circulated among the soldiers, and the previously "exhausted" soldiers instantly straightened their backs, their eyes burning with fighting spirit.

Spears pointed forward, forming a military formation.

The muskets fired in unison, the flashes of fire blending together.

"Do you really think that an army directly under the Empire's control can be so easily suppressed?!"

Xi Wading's voice boomed like thunder.

"Finally, you rats have shown yourselves!"

He took the lead, his longsword sweeping across, unleashing a burst of Holy Light that cleaved the Fishmen in front of him in two.

"First squad, follow me!"

"Second squad, seal off the flanks!"

"Third Squad, cover the rear!"

The enormous Fishmen were knocked down in droves, black blood splattering everywhere.

The Holy Armor Army is called the Holy Armor Army not just because of their armor.

Rather, it's because those armors respond to the wearer's will.

As long as morale remains high, they will always be able to fight against the uncanny.

What was originally a "precarious" Defense Line instantly turned into an invincible meat grinder.

Just then, a dark shadow swept past Old Morgan.

Before Lu Yuan could even see clearly, the dark figure had already appeared beside Old Morgan.

It was a man draped in a black cloak, moving like a ghost.

Lu Yuan recognized him.

Eger.

The Night Watcher's Hidden Sentry Team. He was the one who led the team to the scene of the incident Priest Andrew last time.

Eger usually seemed carefree, but his expression was unusually serious at this moment.

He whispered a few words in Old Morgan's ear.

Old Morgan's eyes narrowed.

"Found it?"

"Location confirmed." Eger's voice was soft. "Decapitation?"

"Proceed according to plan," Old Morgan said decisively. "Negotiations with Xi Wading are complete; prepare for the decapitation!"

Eger nodded, then vanished into the rain in a flash.

Old Morgan turned to look at Lu Yuan and quickly explained:

"The Deep Sea Church's attack methods are very systematic," Old Morgan explained quickly. "The Mutated Creature lead the charge as cannon fodder, the believers mingle in the middle to guide the direction, and the real commanders hide at the rear."

A cold smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"I've been looking for the person hiding in the back, and this time, I've finally caught them."