Chapter 127

Translated by Wangmama

127

Lu Yan finished washing up and tucked the freshly cleaned rabbit into his pocket.

According to the system, carrying a pollutant with him at all times would further dilute the "human" scent clinging to his person.

The Rabbit Butcher poked its head out of the pocket and whispered, "Mama, when are we going home?"

Lu Yan's face remained impassive. "Call me brother. Or uncle."

Rabbit: "Mama."

After several fruitless attempts at correction, Lu Yan gave up the futile exercise.

He tried using his fourteenth talent, Mental Remodeling, on the Rabbit Butcher. Unfortunately, after a long stare-down with the creature, he failed to access the familiar interface.

[Give it up. This little pollutant has no brain to speak of.]

[It possesses a certain degree of cognitive function, but what's driven it this far is nothing more than an unshakable obsession.]

Lu Yan sighed and tucked the rabbit back into his pocket.

Through the fabric of his clothes, the Rabbit Butcher wrapped its arms around him.

At four in the morning, a brilliant flash of firelight streaked across the pitch-black sky.

Lu Yan opened the balcony window and watched a burning bird soar past. Wherever it flew, the sky blushed like the first light of dawn. In this world veiled in pale red, the radiance remained dazzling and searing—a blatant display of its owner's formidable power.

The crimson bird flew by like a meteor, and like a meteor, it died out.

[07 and 01 have arrived. 07 doesn't actually need to glow like that; this is 01 showing off. After all, this is Lu Zhi's territory. It's also a warning for her not to get any ideas.] The system's voice was low. [Stay away from the West District. That's the affluent area. Lu Zhi is hosting 01 and 07 right now. 01 is a real dog, and his nose is sharper than any hound's. Don't let him catch your scent.]

Lu Yan asked, "Is Zong Yan... alright?"

[That depends on what you mean by 'alright.' If you're talking about strength, he's probably at his most powerful since becoming a pollutant. If you mean his personality and will...] The system paused. [...He no longer remembers he was ever called Zong Yan.]

Lu Yan's brows slowly drew together. "Can I go out now?"

Before leaving, he'd sent Tang Xian'an a message saying he was tired and hoped not to be disturbed. But disappearing for an entire day would raise suspicions.

[You hold a slaughterhouse work permit. In theory, you can come and go from the inner world freely. However, I must remind you: to prevent butchers from taking private jobs and skimming the 35% service fee, anyone leaving the slaughterhouse must be checked by other staff. And starting at midnight on the 11th, the slaughterhouse will be temporarily sealed. Entry only, no exit.]

No matter how much Lu Yan smelled like a pollutant, he looked nothing like "Zhu Tu," the name on his permit.

[If you're bored, you can wander around the slaughterhouse during this time.]

Lu Yan fell silent.

He lowered his gaze, quietly using a napkin to repeatedly wipe his weapon.

The room was unlit. Lu Yan's crimson pupils glowed like twin blood moons.

***

X City, Pollution Disease Prevention and Control Center.

Perhaps because the eve of a major confrontation was upon them, the entire base was shrouded in a stifling atmosphere.

Even the peripheral staff, unaware of the specifics, instinctively hushed their voices and softened their footsteps, avoiding unwanted attention.

The contract signing was scheduled for the outskirts of X City. Nearby residents had already been evacuated. Staff from the Fifth Research Institute had spent the past week erecting a barrier. If a real fight broke out, its protective value would be negligible, but it was better than nothing.

All necessary instructions had been given during yesterday's briefing. Headquarters had no desire to add more pressure to the already strained mental states of the Awakened. No further meetings were called, leaving everyone to their own devices.

Every Awakened had their own way of unwinding before a mission. As long as it stayed within legal bounds, Headquarters wouldn't interfere.

Tang Xian'an woke up around four in the morning.

His sleep was always poor, but this time, the disturbance was external.

If he had to describe it, he could sense a highly conspicuous "energy signature" passing by—a blatant show of force.

Only an S-Class pollutant could radiate such an aura.

After a moment's focus, Tang Xian'an identified it as 07.

The current rating system had been established years ago. But as the enemy's pollution values climbed ever higher, even within the S-Class, significant disparities had emerged.

The energy signature he'd just felt ranked within the top five in his experience.

Pollution was worsening, and pollutants were thriving on richer "nutrients." Both pollutants and Awakened were experiencing rapid growth.

Even Tang Xian'an's long-stagnant spiritual power threshold had recently surged from 11,000 to 13,000.

For humanity, this was no cause for celebration.

Once awake, sleep wouldn't return. He found himself missing his boyfriend. But knocking on someone's door in the dead of night wasn't exactly proper behavior. He waited until dawn to send Lu Yan a message: Awake?

No reply.

Lu Yan lived a regimented life. Unless severely injured and requiring deep recuperation, he rarely slept in, let alone remained unconscious for hours.

By nine a.m., Tang Xian'an went to knock on the door. Still no response.

Tomorrow was Lu Yan's birthday, but with the contract signing, there'd likely be no time for celebration.

Tang Xian'an had considered moving it to today.

It would have been their first birthday together. Possibly their only one.

After a moment's thought, he approached the front desk. "Has Clairaudience left today?"

The receptionist shook her head. "We haven't seen Mr. Clairaudience leave."

They were on 24-hour duty. If Lu Yan had left through normal channels, someone would have noticed.

Tang Xian'an returned to the 11th floor.

His hand rested on the staff dormitory door. A moment later, the lock succumbed to age and failed.

An alarm blared inside the room. Tang Xian'an pushed the door open and silenced it.

He called the front desk. "No need to send anyone. I lost control of my talent for a moment."

When spiritual power thresholds rose too rapidly, Awakened occasionally experienced leaks. This was especially common among combat-types.

He closed the door and surveyed the room.

Lu Yan was indeed gone. There were no signs of a struggle. The bed was neatly made.

Even if 01 himself had come, Tang Xian'an believed Lu Yan wouldn't have been taken without leaving a trace.

If nothing was amiss, he'd likely left on his own.

Tang Xian'an pressed his lips together, an inexplicable unease stirring within. Still, he chose to close the door behind him.

The contract signing was tomorrow at 6 p.m., with assembly at 2 p.m.

Lu Yan always had good judgment. He should return before then.

But the simple fact of his absence left a bitter taste.

Though not all Awakened ate, the Prevention Center still provided a lavish lunch.

Tang Xian'an pulled out a chair and sat down. Looking up, he saw Zhou Qimeng across from him, engrossed in a handheld game.

Zhou Qimeng glanced beside him. "Morning, Team Leader Tang. Where's Dr. Lu?"

Tang Xian'an paused, his eyes narrowing slightly as he answered slowly, "Yan Yan was exhausted. He hasn't gotten up yet."

Lu Yan's message yesterday had indeed mentioned needing rest.

The moment the words left his mouth, Zhou Qimeng's game console slipped from his fingers with a plop into his bowl of soup.

At the next table, Yan Bei, who had been whispering with Yuan Chen, sprouted two small green flowers from his head.

Yuan Chen set down his fork, speaking with deliberate slowness. "Knowing you all these years, I think this is the first time I've seen you bloom green flowers. Are they different from the other colors?"

Yan Bei's unique aberration was no secret among the other experimental subjects.

But in all his years at the Institute, he'd only ever produced black and white blossoms.

Yuan Chen was concerned about Yan Bei's condition.

Yan Bei lowered his gaze, his words contradicting his tone. "...I'm fine. Also, on this mission, we might encounter the Hound. Possibly the Firebird too. Are you sure you're ready?"

Yuan Chen looked away. "I understand."

"They're pollutants now."

Yuan Chen replied, "So what if they are? Gu Zheng isn't the one at fault. Even if no one else understands, I thought at least you—"

His voice rose slightly before he forced it back into silence.

Eyes from nearby tables had turned their way.

Among those participating in this mission were 03, 05, and 06. Notably absent was 08. The psychological assessors had deemed 08 unfit for field duty.

Both 08 and 05 resisted. The difference was, 05 protested by locking himself in his room in silence; 08 couldn't control his rage, displaying clear violent tendencies that forced staff to reapply his restraints.

Decades confined in the First Research Institute had mellowed Yuan Chen's temper.

At least on the surface.

***

Lu Yan watched the sky gradually lighten. At eight in the morning, he left his room.

The Rabbit Butcher was already asleep in his pocket.

He carried his butcher's permit. Barring unforeseen circumstances, at midnight, the inner world's rules would recognize him as a "Black Butcher."

The advantage: other slaughterhouse workers wouldn't view him with suspicion. The disadvantage: if he encountered any Awakened, they'd likely shoot on sight.

On the whole, joining the "Butcher faction" would make things far more convenient than siding with the "Awakened."

So Lu Yan kept the work permit.

Unlucky humans only entered the inner world randomly between midnight and six a.m., so daytime butcher activity was sparse.

Lu Yan decided to use the opportunity to explore the slaughterhouse.

The entire complex, centered on X City's downtown, covered nearly 200 square kilometers. The entrance was the Pork Alley he'd seen before.

Thanks to the City Lord's spatial abilities, the slaughterhouse had access points all over the world, allowing other pollutants to visit the meat market.

Last time he'd come to Pork Alley, Wang Yu had held an umbrella for him. Now his good son was addled, so Lu Yan had to pull the curtain of his veil lower, shielding himself more completely.

Though butchers here were few, surprisingly, the market wasn't lacking in pollutants.

Lu Yan's odd appearance wasn't particularly conspicuous among so many aberrations.

[Besides recruiting new butchers, the slaughterhouse has been distributing flyers worldwide. Advertising a meat festival from November 10th to 15th, with a thirty percent discount.]

[Of course, any pollutants lingering here won't be able to leave once the 11th arrives. They're just cannon fodder Lu Zhi arranged for herself.]

[She knows this business practice isn't exactly honorable. But as long as all the outsider pollutants are killed and the blame pinned on the Awakened, the slaughterhouse's reputation remains spotless.]

The pollutants who came here to buy meat were mostly those too weak to hunt on their own, aside from recluses like the City Lord or high-level pollutants with a taste for special cuts.

It was one reason the slaughterhouse could act with such impunity.

During the day, the butchers still honed their blades, buzzing with anticipation for the night's hunt.

In the center of the market, a clearing held a red-hot grill. A meat pig, captured by the butchers yesterday, was skewered atop it.

Lu Yan listened from the periphery. This pig, plump and of the highest quality, had been crowned the Pig King. It commanded the highest price today. The butcher who'd caught it had even received a reward from the slaughterhouse.

A long, thin iron rod pierced the creature from head to tail. Over the roaring flames, yellow fat dripped and sizzled.

The Rabbit Butcher poked its head out. "Does Mama want meat? I can trade my scissors for it."

Pollutants had no universal currency. All trade was barter.

Lu Yan shook his head. "I'm not hungry."

Aside from the West District, Lu Yan spent twelve hours walking the entire slaughterhouse, mapping the butchers' active zones.

By eight p.m., he returned to his room. Once more, he began cleaning his weapon.

But this time, his lips moved silently. Anyone close enough would have heard a string of addresses.

In his mind, a map of the slaughterhouse took shape. Red dots glowed in various sectors, eventually connected by a thin white line that traced a perfect circle.

It was his hunting list.

…

For many in X City, the world remained unchanged right up until 11:59 p.m. on the 10th.

News about the Pollution Disease on television kept people on edge. Those strange mutants had become the stuff of nightmares. But by and large, the world still felt normal.

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