Yang Liya had already fainted, and the Netherflame was gradually extinguishing, so the other Hunters gathered around the water purification room also began to slowly approach the pool.

Then, they saw the stark naked Lu Luo.

"Who's there? Stop, don't move!"

The Hunters aimed their guns at Lu Luo. They were wondering what had happened to the Nightmare Demon centipede that had been on a killing spree just moments ago—how had it disappeared upon reaching this place?

What was this pale, naked figure before them? Was it related to the Nightmare Demon centipede?

These were serious questions that both the Hunters and Church members needed to contemplate.

Is this man so pale because of a mutation? Could he be an Exotic Species? And the Nightmare Demon centipede… has it transformed into a man?

Of course, what really caught the male Hunters' attention were certain areas that would normally be pixelated.

The sheer size made them feel somewhat inadequate.

They're staring at your pixelated parts. Better cover up and leave them some confidence.

Lu Luo covered his Ding Ding, looking at the people by the poolside somewhat uneasily.

"Uh, I'm Lu Luo. Could you please get me a pair of pants?"

A few minutes later, Lu Luo finally got a pair of pants. The remaining two Hunter team leaders looked at him dubiously.

Thanks to Circle Studio, they had seen Lu Luo before, either in photos or during their regular duties.

Although there were some similarities, the Lu Luo before them had skin that was far too pale, and even the hair on his body had turned white.

And when they said "hair," they weren't just referring to the hair on his head.

"Lu Luo?"

"Are you really Lu Luo? How did you end up like this? Where's the Nightmare Demon centipede?"

Although Lu Luo was quite a talkative person, this obviously wasn't the time for small talk.

"The situation is quite urgent, so I'll be brief. This pool here has been contaminated.

Fortunately, the water inside hasn't flowed out, so you can rest assured about the Church's water purification for now.

As for the situation at the water plant, you'll need to contact Ludie and Luo Sen.

I'm not entirely sure why my skin and hair have turned white, but I suspect it's from being soaked in the water.

You've all taken baths, right? People are usually all clean and pale after a bath, and so am I.

Maybe my skin and hair color will return to normal in a few days. Don't worry about these details; they aren't important."

The two Hunter team leaders glanced at each other, their expressions skeptical.

"Since you yourself said these things aren't important, can you get to the point?"

Lu Luo breathed a sigh of relief when they stopped focusing on his skin and hair.

"Regarding the Nightmare Demon centipede, she disappeared because she naturally decomposed in the pool, and the water in it subsequently evaporated.

I can't be sure if she's dead or not, but seeing as the surrounding Netherflame has extinguished, I suspect she's gone.

Also, before Zhuang Yanshan died, he said some strange things, including this:

'My time to die has come!'

Alright, I've said what I needed to. Can I go now?

My sister is waiting for me, and if I'm too late getting back to her, she could be in trouble."

Although Lu Luo didn't show any anxiety, he was genuinely worried.

If he hadn't been afraid of attracting more trouble and wasting even more time, he would have turned and left already.

However, it was clear Lu Luo's answers didn't satisfy the curiosity of the two Hunter team leaders.

His explanation was indeed too simplistic to satisfy the Hunters, the Church, or the Council.

"Hey, wait. We'll tentatively believe you're Lu Luo for now, but you definitely need to come back with us to cooperate with the investigation.

Even if you don't return to the bureau now, you still have to accompany us to see Luo Sen and Ludie."

Lu Luo's expression turned grim; he really couldn't afford to wait.

But if he chose to leave right then, the two fully armed Fifth-Tier Hunter captains would very likely try to apprehend him.

In his current state, completely unequipped, could he really outrun them?

Most likely, he would just waste more time and create an utterly inexplicable and messy situation.

The atmosphere grew extremely awkward. Just as Lu Luo was caught in his dilemma, the unconscious Yang Liya actually woke up.

"Alright, let him go."

"Captain Yang?"

"I said, let him go. He's helped us more than enough these past couple of days.

If it weren't for him this time, many wealthy people in the East Ring would likely be drinking water tainted by Netherflame by now.

Those people should be burning incense in Lu Luo's honor!"

Yang Liya's reasoning was simple: the water from the water plant was purified by ordinary machinery and mostly intended for the poor.

Whereas the water from the Church's purification pool was very expensive and primarily used by the wealthy. That's why she said the rich should be thanking Lu Luo.

"Fine then, Lu Luo, you can go. But after everything is settled, you must remember to report to the Security Bureau."

"Got it!"

Apart from Noah's Star, Lu Luo had lost nearly all his equipment. His Jet Belt had been reduced to scrap, a hefty loss of over a hundred thousand.

He didn't have any spares for such equipment. Deprived of his means of rapid movement, Lu Luo had no choice but to snatch a motorcycle from one of the Hunters.

As he mounted the motorcycle, that sensation of being watched returned.

Turning his head to scan the crowd, Lu Luo's gaze finally locked onto a little girl in a purple dress and black leather boots.

Human. Other: Unknown.

Lu Luo gave the little girl a meaningful look. She smiled back and even waved at him, as if saying goodbye.

Never mind anything else, the Observer's prompt itself is problematic. 'Human. Other: Unknown.'

Even Sixth-Tier individuals like Yang Liya, Ludie, or Qiao Xing wouldn't be labeled as 'unknown.'

But this little girl doesn't look as strong as them. She must have some special quality, I suppose.

Unfortunately, Lu Luo no longer had time to linger.

He had to find Lu Yu. He revved the motorcycle's throttle a few times and sped off towards the hospital.

「Inside the hospital.」

"Sister-in-law, how did you and Second Brother meet? Did he pursue you?"

"Him, pursue me? Uh..."

Qi Xinzhu's expression was a bit awkward. Come to think of it, it was probably me who had always been pestering Lu Luo, right?

And when I was at Lu Luo's home, I was quite forward, but Lu Luo didn't do anything to me.

Mm, Lu Luo really is a very upright man.

Lu Yu didn't notice Qi Xinzhu's embarrassment. However, her capacity for self-amusement was quite good, and she immediately began to spin tales in her head.

"Even though there are many women in the Wasteland Alliance, a girl like you, Sister-in-law—from a good family, beautiful, and a Church member—must be highly sought after, right?

So! I'm guessing it was Second Brother who pursued you. But he used to be so awkward, completely clueless about chasing girls.

He's changed so much this past year. Perhaps it's because he met you, Sister-in-law, that Second Brother has transformed like this."

Listening to Lu Yu continually flattering her, Qi Xinzhu experienced the power of adulation for the first time.

Usually, Lu Luo's compliments were purposeful, but Lu Yu was different. Lu Yu's praise was so spontaneous, and it made Qi Xinzhu feel genuinely comfortable.

"Alright, we've been talking for a while. Have some water."

Qi Xinzhu opened a water bottle and was about to pour some water into a cup when her phone suddenly rang. It was an unfamiliar number.

"Hello? Who is this?"

"It's me."

"Lu Luo? Is everything resolved?"

"Mm, I'm heading your way now. Wait for me."

"Okay. Everything's normal here, and Zhou Kai and the others are on their way too, so it should be fine.

And... I'll be waiting for you."

After hanging up, Qi Xinzhu turned to Lu Yu with a smile.

"Lu Luo will be here in a little while, and then we'll most likely be able to leave the hospital.

He knows a lot of Hunters and is well-connected."

"That's great!"

She had just finished speaking when her phone rang again. This time, it was surprisingly Gu Fangyi.

"Brother Gu, what's wrong?"

"The hospital is empty!"

Qi Xinzhu froze for a second, then immediately furrowed her brow. Her call with Gu Fangyi hadn't even disconnected when the line began to fill with electrical static. "BZZT... BZZT..."

"Lu Yu!"

"Huh? What's wrong?"

Qi Xinzhu hesitated for a moment but decided to tell Lu Yu the situation.

"There might be a problem here. Be careful."

"A problem? What's happened?"

"We might have been targeted."

Qi Xinzhu picked up the water bottle again, but Lu Yu, from behind her, cried out,

"Sister-in-law, the bottle! The bottle!"

Only then did Qi Xinzhu look at the water bottle. As she tilted it, not only water poured out, but also a large mass of black hair—very, very long strands of it.

"This is hair! Sleeping Witch, Qin Wanyu!"

Qi Xinzhu sensed something was terribly wrong. Holy Radiance began to glow in her hands.

And Gu Fangyi, though unable to communicate from his sniper position, supported them with his actions.

BANG!

A Second-Tier aberration at the room's window had its head blown off by Gu Fangyi.

Qi Xinzhu incinerated the hair entangled around her hand, grabbed Lu Yu from the bed, smashed through the window, and jumped down from the third floor.

The third floor was about nine meters high. Even carrying someone, this height posed no challenge for Qi Xinzhu.

As Qi Xinzhu landed, her own hair flying, she was just about to lead Lu Yu away from the hospital when her hair was violently yanked.

"UGH!"

What pulled at Qi Xinzhu's hair was none other than more strands—strands of other women's hair!

These strands entwined with Qi Xinzhu's own, gripping her scalp tightly, trying to drag her back into the hospital.

Qi Xinzhu might hesitate and agonize over many things, but not combat. In battle, she possessed excellent instincts and awareness, honed by frequent training excursions with Lu Luo.

Thus, in emergency combat situations, Qi Xinzhu typically acted with great decisiveness.

CLANG!

The alloy shortsword concealed at her waist instantly severed the ensnaring strands.

Qi Xinzhu immediately enveloped her entire body in Holy Radiance. The radiance pulsed violently, repelling the surrounding hair.

She pulled Lu Yu up from the ground, and her Jet Belt instantly activated.

FWOOSH! FWOOSH!

With a powerful leap, she pulled Lu Yu along as she astonishingly began to run straight up the hospital wall.

A bird's-eye view at that moment would have shown the entire hospital ground covered in black hair.

These black strands twisted and writhed, stretching towards the fleeing Qi Xinzhu, slithering up after her.

In addition to the black hair, numerous aberrations were also scrambling towards the rooftop at incredible speed.

Upon reaching the rooftop, Qi Xinzhu tossed Lu Yu onto the water tower.

But in that brief interval, several aberrations had already scaled the wall to confront Qi Xinzhu—a mix of First and Second Tier, all appearing to be recently mutated.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Gunfire echoed from a distance, each shot exploding an aberration's head.

However, a key characteristic of aberrations was their chaotic nature. While some would die from a headshot, many had vital points located elsewhere in their bodies.

A faint Holy Radiance flowed along Qi Xinzhu's shortsword. With a vigorous flick, threads of Holy Light shot from the blade's tip. These threads, imbued with a sharp and indomitable will, sliced all surrounding aberrations in two with a single sweep.

While dispatching the aberrations, the Holy Radiance also purified the encroaching hair, creating a relatively safe zone for Qi Xinzhu.

CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!

Crisp applause sounded from the other side of the rooftop. Qi Xinzhu turned to look and saw Qin Wanyu leisurely strolling towards her.

"Such sharp skills, such agile movements. We meet again, Miss Qi Xinzhu.

"The last time we met, I thought your hair was exceptionally beautiful, so I've coveted it ever since.

"You're a Priest of the Church, aren't you? Helping others should be a priest's duty, right?

"So, could you help me? I truly, truly want your hair!"

Only when Qin Wanyu drew closer did Qi Xinzhu realize she wasn't walking at all, but was being carried along by her hair.

These writhing strands made Qi Xinzhu feel nauseated.

Although there were girls she disliked, like Bai Yuetong, she had never felt such revulsion before.

"Qin Wanyu, you said it yourself: a priest's duty is to find joy in helping others.

"But you, as you are now—can you even be considered human?"

Qi Xinzhu was no slouch when it came to words. After all, back in the Inner Ring, she had often independently led prayer services.

It was only in Lu Luo's presence that she sometimes seemed a bit slow.

Often, it's the truly intelligent women who appear slow-witted, while those who feign cleverness are, in fact, quite foolish.

Qi Xinzhu's retort clearly stung Qin Wanyu.

"Human? Of course... not anymore!

"I am now an Exotic Species—and a Fifth-Tier Lord at that—the Black Domain Witch!"

The Black Domain Witch? That's different from the intel Gu Fangyi provided.

The Qin Wanyu they described should have been a Third-Tier 'Sleeping Witch.'

Actually, if Lu Luo were present, he would quickly understand Qin Wanyu's growth rate.

After all, the Nightmare Demon had developed from an egg into an Eighth-Order catastrophe in merely four and a half years.

The mutation of an Exotic Species was just that preposterous; with enough potent Dark Energy, their mutation speed defied all logic.

Qin Wanyu's own first mutation had already shown immense potential.

Even at the Third Tier, she could already use her hair strands to create a barrier-type Domain effect—an innate talent.

This was unlike the Domain effects someone like Ganmu needed extensive practice to master.

Qin Wanyu's control over her hair-strand Domain was so precise it was as if she were commanding her own limbs, able to manipulate it at will.

That's what you call talent. Humans value talent, and Exotic Species are no different.

"A Fifth-Tier Lord?" Qi Xinzhu murmured.

"Heh, that's not important," Qin Wanyu chuckled. "Actually, while you were puzzling over my identity, you must have considered another question, haven't you?

"Specifically, whether Lu Luo truly counts as human. Have you thought about that, Qi Xinzhu?"

Of course, I've thought about that, Qi Xinzhu mused. But it's not really important to me.

"If Lu Luo considers himself human, then he is human!" she declared.

In truth, there was another part to Qi Xinzhu's conviction, but she didn't voice it.

Qin Wanyu neither confirmed nor denied Qi Xinzhu's statement. She slowly approached, stopping less than five meters from Qi Xinzhu.

This is already very close, Qi Xinzhu thought, puzzled. Why hasn't Gu Fangyi fired yet?

Even though she's a Fifth-Tier Lord, if Gu Fangyi makes the first move and I use my full Outburst, I'm still confident I can escape her grasp.

"Are you waiting for Gu Fangyi?" Qin Wanyu said. "Don't bother. He can barely protect himself right now; you should be more concerned about your own situation.

"Qi Xinzhu, I truly envy you, being able to be with him all the time.

"In those last few days before I left, his feelings for me had actually changed quite a bit.

"From a very reserved boy, he'd become a man who would often look at me with a peculiar gaze and tell me strange things and jokes.

"If it weren't for that incident, perhaps... I would be the one standing beside him now!"

Qi Xinzhu couldn't tell if the regret in Qin Wanyu's tone was genuine or feigned, nor did she care to find out.

Though often very zen-like and composed, there were certain things she would never concede—Lu Luo being one of them.

"No, you're overthinking it, Qin Wanyu," Qi Xinzhu retorted. "As long as I'm here, you will *never* have a chance!"

"Oh? I wonder if you have the strength to back up those words!" Qin Wanyu sneered.

WHOOSH!

Innumerable strands of hair snaked towards Qi Xinzhu like black vipers. Simultaneously, her Holy Radiance flared, becoming intensely dazzling.

But a gunshot shattered the standoff.

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