Mental Pollution

Two panel marks, one red and one blue, intertwined like two yin-yang fish beneath a gloomy haze, spinning before finally taking the shape of a seed mark.

Its Seed Mark was somewhat similar to the one in Lincon's hand, but far more complex.

Its outline was azure, with red, web-like veins flowing within.

In an instant, the light flared brightly.

A 3D model of the entire Longwind Fortress appeared before Lincon's eyes.

At the very center of the model, a tiny seed glowed with radiant light, continuously transmitting misty vapor through itself to every corner of the territory.

[Seed of Life]

[An anomalous species centered on binding the main class Longwind Fortress Guardian with the secondary class Plant Cultivator. Bound to the Lord, it cannot be stripped away. Its growth is highly dependent on Sunlight and the Lord's level.]

[Current Stage: Germination]

[Form: Seedling]

[Daily Sunlight Consumption: 50]

[Ability: Glimmer Life Sphere]

[Glimmer Life Sphere: Centered on the Seed of Life, creates a stable domain with a radius of 500 meters. Within the domain, soil is slowly purified, air is filtered, and the growth speed of sunlight-type plants increases by 50%.]

[Advancement Requirements: Lord's Talent reaches Level 2, Seed Mark Talent reaches Level 2, Reputation reaches 50,000.]

"This is the Seed of Life!"

Lincon could almost hear his own heartbeat pounding in his chest. An unprecedented thrill flooded his mind.

If the Rune Blueprint had given Lincon diverse ways to use Runes, allowing him to develop a new kind of industry for survival in the Dark Age through Runes—

Then the Seed of Life was like the solid foundation jointly laid by his main and secondary classes for improving and building a magnificent structure.

No wonder the mission required him to completely clear the Dark Creatures from the fortress.

To develop, he first had to stabilize the inside. If Dark Creatures were still causing trouble within a Lord's territory, it could not be considered a qualified territory.

Lincon had previously worried that even if he temporarily cleared the threats within the fortress, Dark Creatures would soon infiltrate and emerge inside again as Dark Erosion continued.

But now, that probably would not happen.

As the Seed of Life merged with the fortress, the Glimmer Life Sphere should be able to slow the erosion of darkness.

"This should count as a passive enhancement ability, but the daily Sunlight consumption is really not low."

Lincon glanced at the remaining Sunlight on his panel.

[Remaining Sunlight: 521]

After upgrading the Sunlight Potato and Giant Mushroom, he had lost quite a bit of Sunlight.

His original plan had been to find suitable plants to advance and strengthen his own combat power.

Now, it seemed that plan would have to be postponed for the time being.

The Seed of Life consumed 50 Sunlight a day. With the amount of Sunlight he had accumulated, he only had enough for ten days at most.

"I need to increase the number of Dark Creatures I kill. Otherwise, I won't even have enough to sustain the Seed of Life, much less summon plants to protect myself."

Lincon stood there pondering for a while, then prepared to head back and properly study the Seed of Life.

But just then, his ears twitched as he suddenly heard someone cry out from a nearby building.

Lincon frowned slightly and walked over with his lantern to investigate.

Beyond a stretch of low ruins and crumbling walls stood a house that was barely intact.

That was already considered pretty good within Longwind Fortress, yet screams and smashing sounds kept coming from inside.

"What happened? I clearly already cleared all the Dark Creatures from the fortress."

A trace of confusion flashed through Lincon's eyes as he stepped forward and knocked on the tightly shut door.

The screams and smashing sounds inside abruptly stopped, but after only a brief pause, they resumed.

"Elder Li, calm down. There are no Dark Creatures here."

"Guan Teng, why not ask that lord to come? Maybe he has a way."

The room was filled with noisy shouting, and there were even muffled groans from someone being pinned beneath heavy bodies.

Then, a figure staggered over, found a lamp, opened the door, and rushed outside.

Yet after only taking a few steps, he looked up and saw Lincon standing outside.

"My... my lord!" Guan Teng cried in astonishment.

Lincon remained expressionless, his gaze passing through the crack in the door and into the room.

At that moment, more than a dozen people had split into two groups inside the house.

Several women clutched children as they huddled in the corner, while seven or eight young men surrounded an elderly-looking yet broad, powerful man.

"Li Zhouhai? What's wrong with him?"

Upon hearing that, Guan Teng, whose body had been tense and whose hand had reached behind him for a knife, immediately relaxed.

At first, he had suspected the person before him might be a Dark Creature in disguise. After all, those things loved taking advantage when people let down their guard.

But this man was carrying a lantern and had accurately called out Li Zhouhai's name. He had to be the real one.

Guan Teng hurriedly said, "My lord, Elder Li was probably infected when he fought a D-Rank Anomaly Calamity earlier. He's not in his right mind now."

"Infected?"

Lincon raised a brow and followed Guan Teng into the house.

The people inside had not expected Guan Teng to bring Lincon back so quickly, and their faces all showed surprise.

In that brief moment of distraction, Li Zhouhai, who had been pinned beneath them, suddenly exerted force and instantly threw them all aside, smashing them into the wall.

"Not good!" Guan Teng shouted as he rushed forward.

He remembered Li Zhouhai telling him that this city lord was a spellcaster whose abilities did not focus on strengthening his body.

Li Zhouhai had gone mad from Mental Pollution, and they were inside a room. His lord might not be able to dodge in time.

But Guan Teng had barely taken two steps before a large hand seized the back of his collar and dragged him aside.

Before he could react, a lantern had already been placed in his hand.

"Hold this."

Lincon slowly stepped forward, frowning at Li Zhouhai.

Li Zhouhai's eyes were bloodshot and unfocused, and he looked like an enraged giant bear.

Sensing Lincon's arrival, every strand of his graying hair stood on end. He suddenly charged at Lincon, muttering nonstop.

"You're not my family. Don't think you can fool me!"

With every step he took, the muscles on his body swelled another round. By the time he reached Lincon, he was nearly three meters tall. His massive fist was like a huge millstone; an ordinary person struck by it would suffer broken bones at best and might die on the spot at worst.

Yet Lincon merely casually assumed a fighting stance, his gaze completely unruffled by the danger rushing toward him.

His main class had reached Level 8, and his strength was now nearly on the same level as his mental power.

He had been wondering where he could test his strength. Mad Li Zhouhai was the perfect target.

"A D-rank strength-type ability user. His strength shouldn't be too far off, right?"

With that thought, Lincon did not dodge Li Zhouhai's punch at all and directly met it with one of his own.

Bang!!

The sound of the two fists colliding was like two hard stone blocks crashing together—dull, yet brimming with power.

Lincon did not take a single step back, while Li Zhouhai staggered backward several steps in a row.

Lincon immediately shifted his stance and stepped forward half a pace. His straight punch exploded out, its fist cutting through the air and producing a brief sonic boom.

"Pssh..."

After the sharp whistle, the crushing punch landed. Li Zhouhai's swollen body seemed to cave in slightly as he was sent flying backward and slammed against the wall.

The breath rushed out of his mouth, and his body visibly shrank at a speed discernible to the naked eye.

Everyone present was dumbfounded. They had only seen Li Zhouhai charge forward aggressively, only to somehow be sent flying into the wall without seeming to accomplish anything.

Lincon slowly withdrew his fist, dissatisfied with Li Zhouhai's performance.

"Looks like I'll have to wait until he's awake to get an accurate measure of his combat strength."

The current Li Zhouhai was no different from a raging bull. He was even worse than Viper had been, without the slightest combat technique.

Lincon let out a breath, walked over to Li Zhouhai, held two fingers together like a sword, and drew a wisp of flame from a nearby candleholder. He inscribed the Purification Rune in the air, transforming the ordinary candle flame into Purifying Fire, then pressed it against Li Zhouhai's forehead.

Boom!!

The Purifying Fire instantly burst into a brief blaze before quickly dimming.

Li Zhouhai's bloodshot eyes slowly closed, and the fierce expression on his face was gone.

Lincon clapped his hands, turned around, and retrieved the lantern from Guan Teng.

"Have Li Zhouhai come see me after dawn."