As Underhanded as Me
Captain Chen released Professor Liao without a word and said coldly, "What is it? Who should we give it to? When are we leaving?"
"Someone will bring the items over shortly. Take this signal device. The target is a young man in a hospital gown with a mask and horns. It can help you find his location. Whether you can save your family depends on your own speed." Professor Liao seemed quite composed.
Suddenly, the sound of flapping wings came from afar. Captain Chen turned around and saw a pair of bright red wings sprout from the back of the female doctor, who came to him carrying Bronze Tree more than three meters tall.
Captain Chen took the Bronze Tree, strapped the signal device to his left forearm, and without saying a word, his black wings flapped rapidly behind him as he flew towards the Morgue.
The Pride Flying Species possess almost abnormal abilities, which can be summarized in four words: believing in oneself.
Take, for example, the Giant Species on the overpass earlier. Its mask was buried inside its body. With its enormous vitality, it was practically unkillable as long as the mask wasn't Destruction. After the Giant Species was restrained, the Flying Species named Xiao Du swung its sword straight down and accurately hit the mask.
In reality, no one knows where the mask is inside the Giant Species, not even Xiao Du. But all you have to do is believe, believe that you can hit it.
They stubbornly believe they can do anything; this belief can, to some extent, alter reality. Powerful Flying Species are either mentally ill, protagonists, or both...
"I can!" Captain Chen thought of the woman who had been silently waiting for him to come home, and his daughter who had just learned to call him "Dad," and said firmly, "I absolutely can!"
His black wings flapped wildly, and carrying the Bronze Tree, he was like a black streak of light, dispersing the cold air as he rushed towards the signal point.
On the other side, Lu Li led Lilith to search for all living creatures, hunting them down and arranging their corpses in a circle according to the ritual requirements. If it weren't for the Marine Species creatures being blown up and attracting a large number of creatures with their strong blood, he really wouldn't have been able to gather so many offerings.
The space shook, and the shaking became more and more frequent. Lu Li looked up at the distance, and the subtle connection with the Bronze Tree told him that the Lu Li between them was rapidly shortening. Silently calculating the time in his mind, Lu Li grinned and said, "The speed isn't slow, it should be enough."
Time ticked by, and suddenly the pervasive cold air was blown away. A streak of black light landed in front of Lu Li. Captain Chen had arrived with the Bronze Tree, and now there were only one or two minutes left.
"Thank you for coming and delivering both items." Lu Li, freeing one hand from his muscle restriction, took the Bronze Tree from Captain Chen's hand and said with a smile.
"Two items?" Captain Chen was taken aback.
"Yes, two..." A shadowy tentacle jutted out from the ground, piercing Captain Chen's stomach. The tip of the shadow split into five smaller tentacles, which wrapped and bound Captain Chen in the opposite direction.
"This ceremony is still missing a chief priest with unwavering will and immense power." Lu Li smiled and thanked him, "Thank you, but please, go to hell."
"So that's how it is..." Captain Chen suddenly realized that he was a sacrifice. Looking back on everything, although it seemed that the explosion was true, he wondered if he had been too reckless. If this whole thing was a setup, then he was essentially a sacrificed victim.
Professor Liao's face flashed through Captain Chen's mind, and something suddenly dawned on him: his deputy's backer was Professor Liao, and only the abilities of the Insect Species could make him so easily believe there was a bomb...
The Bronze Tree was placed in the center of the ritual array made of monster corpses. A pale yellow light flickered, and the shadow tentacles behind Lu Li placed Captain Chen in front of the Bronze Tree. Kao Zhong began to recite strange prayers.
The serpentine patterns on the Bronze Tree came to life again, and Bronze Three-Eyed Snake emerged from it, standing silently in front of Captain Chen with its huge mouth open. The surrounding monster corpses slowly decayed, and a black and red aura wafted from the decaying bodies and entered Captain Chen's body.
At this moment, Lu Li also withdrew his shadow tentacles. The ritual had already begun, and there was no need to continue restricting his movements, or rather, he was already unable to move. The black and red aura that had flowed into Captain Chen's body appeared on his skin, condensing into one symbolic character after another.
The Domino Effect finally spread here, and the continuous reaction caused the Morgue to collapse with a loud rumble. The structure went awry, and the once towering ceiling gradually lowered, causing the vast space to shrink.
As Lu Li finished reciting the prayer, Captain Chen's body was covered with black and red runes. The Bronze Three-Eyed Snake opened its mouth wide and swallowed Captain Chen whole. The black and red runes appeared on the bronze snake's body, and its third eye was also stained red.
Lu Li sensed the connection and quickly manipulated the bronze snake back to the Bronze Tree. It circled the Bronze Tree, bit into the largest Bronze Fruit, and swallowed it. The vibrations in the Morgue dimension stopped abruptly.
Lu Li glanced at the black and red runes on the bronze snake. He could see that one of the runes would occasionally break, and the red in the bronze snake's third eye was slowly fading. After estimating the time, he commanded the bronze snake to lie down on the Bronze Tree.
With a look of Bronze Tree regret, Lu Li cast another spell, taking Lilith with him and disappearing from the Morgue, leaving behind only a bronze snake that had swallowed a Bronze Fruit.
When Lu Li opened his eyes, the Shadow Assassin and a few remaining Claw Ghost were kneeling before him. The Shadow Assassin was holding three Shadow Mask, the same three that Lu Li had given to Black Red Face and the others earlier. After learning that the hospital had obtained the Shadow Mask, Lu Li ordered the Shadow Assassin to infiltrate the hospital and retrieve them. He then summoned nine Claw Ghost and sent them to a small space within the hospital to assist the Shadow Assassin. It seemed that despite the loss of a few Claw Ghost, the mission had been successfully completed.
Taking the mask, Lu Li glanced at the Bronze Tree projection beside him. This thing could be used for spatial teleportation as long as there were enough offerings. Unfortunately, the water inside was a bit deep, and with the time limit, Lu Li couldn't take it with him, so he had to leave it there.
This is the last small space separated from the Bronze Tree. The item attached to it is a flower bud that has not yet bloomed outside the hospital. Because it is far away, it has not been discovered by the hospital. Lu Li observed that, in terms of Domino Effect, this space will be the last to collapse. Therefore, he set this place as the meeting point and informed the Shadow Assassin through Claw Ghost.
Cancel the summoning, put away the eight masks, and Lu Li appeared on a small road in the city with Lilith. At their feet was a bright red, unopened flower bud. Lu Li picked it, sensed the somewhat turbulent space inside, and revealed a victorious smile.