Pollution throughout the territory

Hall didn't mince words, saying: "He's an alderman for Sorey."

"Member?"

Perhaps because he was nervous about the immortality, Xia Ren suddenly became alert and began to wonder if this was another conspiracy of theirs.

But then he realized that he was just a city councilor and was not qualified to join the Youth League.

"No wonder."

Xia Ren sighed.

The dozen or so people with the highest power in a city are the ten governing council members, the justice of the Dispute Arbitration Court, and the chief sergeant of the police station.

But living in a place like this is indeed very luxurious.

They came to the door of one of the villas. Hall was about to knock on the door, but Xia Ren had already noticed something and forced the door open, breaking part of the door frame.

Walking inside, you will first see a magnificent living room. All the furniture is extremely luxurious, and even the wallpaper on the wall is probably worth a lot of money.

Hall skillfully turned on the light and saw a mess.

The sofa overturned, and the velvet inside was scattered all over the floor. The chandelier in the center of the living room was broken into half. Only the other half was still barely holding on, emitting a faint light. There were traces of fighting everywhere, even the entire jade coffee table. They were all smashed into several pieces.

There were still large areas of blood stains on the floor, but they had all solidified. Xia Ren squatted down and observed briefly. Judging from the degree of dryness of the blood, it was at least morning.

Hall was startled by the scene in front of him. Even though he had seen many bloody scenes, he was still a little scared when faced with this situation.

Because this was completely unlike the destructive power that a fight between humans could achieve, it was as if several strong lions had wreaked havoc in the living room.

Following the trail of blood, Xia Ren left the living room and walked to a nearby room.

The wooden door of the room was also damaged. There were several holes in it, two of which seemed to have been hammered with fists. The largest one in the middle had a large area of ​​broken wood, probably kicked open.

Pushing open the broken door, you can see that the interior of this room is actually very small, only less than five square meters. Even if it is used as a utility room, it is not enough.

In fact, this room does have other functions.

The floor in its center was lifted up, revealing a narrow staircase below. Judging from experience, this staircase should be connected to the basement.

Looking in through the stairwell, one could only see a deep darkness, and the pungent smell of blood overflowed from it.

Qin Yun was a little disgusted by the smell of blood. She raised her hand to cover her nose and asked, "What's down here?"

“You’ll have to see it to find out.”

Xia Ren said, taking the lead to walk down the stairs.

Qin Yun turned her head and looked outside the door. Hall looked frightened and did not dare to come in.

"Don't worry about him, he has outlived his usefulness."

Xia Ren's voice came from the bottom of the stairs.

Qin Yun then followed him down the stairs and quickly merged into the dark space.

Hall was stunned in the living room for a while, then walked into the small room cautiously, stretched his head and looked down.

There was no movement.

He became bolder. Although the psychological shadow Xia Ren brought to him was indelible, if compared to surviving, the latter was obviously more important.

"It's better to take advantage of the time when they are gone..."

Hall struggled for a few seconds and decided to take this opportunity to escape. Who knew if they would kill him when they came up.

He turned around quietly, fearing that he would disturb the two people if he made any noise. It was not until he passed through the living room and reached the entrance that he breathed a sigh of relief.

After leaving this community, he planned to pack up his things quickly, leave this place as quickly as possible, hide in the chaotic areas of Nanzhou, wait a few years to see the situation, and then consider whether to come back.

No, even if there is no movement by then, he will definitely not be able to come back. The boss is probably in trouble and has lost his backer. Those enemies are eager to eat him alive.

Hall had already thought of a way out for the future, but as soon as he walked out of the door, he saw two mysterious men wearing black robes standing outside the door.

After being stunned for a second, Hall was about to say something when one of the men in black robes stretched out his hand and strangled him directly by the neck.

Hall's 150-pound body was actually lifted up by the opponent with one hand.

The black-robed figure's arms were as hard as steel, and Hall felt a strong suffocation. He tried all his strength, but couldn't break even one of the opponent's fingers.

"Click."

Hall's legs, which were kicking wildly in the air, lost their strength and fell down. His neck had been strangled, and his body was casually thrown on the lawn in front of the door.

The two men in black robes walked straight into the door without even looking at them.

…

…

On the other side, Xia Ren and Qin Yun have entered the basement.

This place is wider than expected. The lights are on in the basement, and the space inside is about the same as a small parking lot.

There were even more messy bloodstains here, large swaths of blood were spilled, and the walls and pillars of the basement were covered with bloodstains, forming a horrific scene like hell.

The smell of pollution was as strong as the smell of blood. Xia Ren felt that the infected area on his tentacles was itchy, as if it was reacting to the environment in front of him.

A fat corpse was nailed to the wall not far from the entrance to the basement. A black, about one meter long iron rod as thick as a little finger passed through his chest and inserted straight into the hard concrete wall.

The whole body of the corpse was covered in scars, and one forearm was torn off and left somewhere unknown. The white bones were exposed between the torn flesh, which looked very horrifying.

Xia Ren raised his drooped head. The face that was purple and swollen due to congestion could hardly be seen as it was before he was born. However, when he just entered the room above, Xia Ren saw a family photo on the ground, with the figure of the man on it. Sitting in the middle, it is inferred that he should be Hall's boss, the councilor of Soli City.

But, how could he die here?

Xia Ren looked at the iron drill that caused him fatal injuries.

This is a weapon often used by Foundation investigators. The iron drill has been treated with Hades water and has a certain restraint effect on pollutants. It is equivalent to a weakened version of the Holy Sword of Physics.

And the investigator who recently appeared in Sori City...

After thinking about it, it seems that only a housing agency is the most likely.

While Xia Ren was thinking, Qin Yun shouted from the other side: "There is a corpse here too!"

Xia Ren let go of his hand and allowed the congressman's head to drop again.

When he came to Qin Yun's position, he found a figure wrapped in a black robe sitting on the ground, with his back leaning against the wall and no longer breathing.

Lifting the black hood covering the corpse's head, the two saw that the short hair on the corpse's head showed a strange twist, like some kind of mold.

Xia Ren immediately became vigilant and asked Qin Yun to step back. Just when he took out the crowbar and wanted to further check the condition of the body, footsteps came from the entrance to the basement.

"Has Hall come down?"

Qin Yun said doubtfully.

She was about to go to the stairs to check the situation, but Xia Ren pulled her behind her.

"Something's wrong."

This is not the sound of a person's footsteps.

Xia Ren's perception ability has reached level three. Under normal circumstances, within a radius of 100 meters, he would definitely be able to detect any suspicious aura approaching in advance.

But this keen awareness relies on his tentacles. Looking back on the past, every time his tentacles evolve, his abilities will be improved.

And now his tentacles are infected by an unknown blue fungus, which directly makes it difficult for him to detect the danger in advance. In addition, the pollution smell in this basement is really strong, which further interferes with his judgment.

The footsteps were getting closer and closer. Xia Ren frowned, holding the crowbar in one hand and looking towards the stairs.

In the darkness, two figures gradually walked out.

They were wearing the same black robes as the corpse in the basement, covering their whole bodies without leaking any trace.

The two walked down the last staircase, first looked around the basement environment, and finally focused on Xia Ren and Qin Yun.

One of them made a strange crackling sound in his black robe, and then the other one made a similar sound.

Xia Ren immediately realized that they were communicating - communicating in a way that humans could never do.

Xia Ren was able to determine from this that these two figures in black robes were the heretics who committed serial murders and sacrificed ordinary human lives to the old gods!

However, just when he was about to strike first, the other party seemed to have noticed his intention one step ahead, and without any explanation, he flew towards him.

"Stay away!"

Xia Ren pushed Qin Yun away.

As expected, these two heretics definitely carry deadly fungi that even the Shoggoths cannot digest. Two of the four in his party have already been infected with this fungus. Qin Yun must not let Also suffered bad luck.

The tentacles are equivalent to Xia Ren's own body, and are defenseless on the surface. As long as they are touched, the infected area will expand, so they must not be used as a means of attack in battle.

Alone and armed with a crowbar, he faced the two attacking pagans.

The crowbar has been strengthened several times, and its attack on pollutants can be described as a club's critical blow. No matter how powerful these two heretics are, they cannot withstand a few blows.

However, the opponent seemed to have sensed the danger of the crowbar in advance and voluntarily gave up the frontal attack. When he was still two meters away from Xia Ren, he suddenly changed direction, outflanked him from both wings at the same time, and rushed towards Xia Ren from the left and the right.

The tacit cooperation between the two put a little pressure on Xia Ren. No matter which side he attacked first, the other person might find an opportunity to attack.

And at such a close distance, it was already too late to use the Eye of Lulim, and with Lily's past experience, he did not dare to use source control, lest the rootless water would also be contaminated by fungi.

But after all, he has experienced so many battles, and Xia Ren's combat experience has been honed to perfection.

Compared with the dangers encountered before, the current level of danger can only be regarded as childish.

Huge tentacles stretched out from the back of the head, and the densely packed white suction cups on them stuck to the ceiling, creating a strong adsorption force.

Although the tentacles cannot be used for attacks, there is no problem in using them as a means of displacement.

With this power, his body was like a ghost, forcibly raised into the air, and the surrounding force was instantly resolved.

The two pagans did not expect this situation, and their movements were momentarily slow.

Xia Ren seized the opportunity, hung in the air, swooped down towards one of them, and at the same time swung the crowbar and hit the opponent's front door.

The heretic also reacted quickly. He was about to be shot in the head. When Qianjun launched his attack, he raised his arms in an attempt to block the blow.

But he obviously underestimated the power of the crowbar and Xia Ren's strength.

The moment the two came into contact, the heretic let out a miserable wail, and his body flew out and hit the pillars in the basement hard. The force was so great that the load-bearing pillars made of reinforced concrete collapsed. It was hit so hard that it almost collapsed and almost broke.

The entire ground shook, and a terrifying loud noise echoed in the empty basement, but what Xia Ren didn't expect was that the pagan lying on the floor did not die on the spot, but was still trying to get up again.

The misery of his companion did not affect the movements of the other heretic.

In a short period of time, he had already seen Xia Ren's flaw, and jumped directly on the spot. The target was not Xia Ren, but the tentacle.

Xia Ren's flexibility relies heavily on his tentacles, which are attached to the ceiling and are simply fixed targets.

His idea was good, and his insight was very keen, but unfortunately, his tentacles could be retracted and released freely, and he confidently missed the target with one strike.

The remaining heretic reacted quickly, and his body twisted strangely in mid-air, turning his belly upwards.

Taking advantage of the momentum when he jumped, he grabbed the ceiling with his limbs like a gecko.

Xia Ren had just retracted his tentacles, and his body was still in mid-air, still one meter above the ground. He looked at the opponent's posture, and immediately felt a hint of danger in his heart.

"Kakakaka..."

The heretic made a sound like a board breaking, his limbs exerted force, and his body was like a meteorite, falling rapidly towards Xia Ren.

In mid-air, Xia Ren had nowhere to use his strength, so he could only stretch out his legs and kick the opponent's chest to avoid physical contact between the two of them as much as possible.

He felt like he was stepping on a stone slab, and the hardness of the other person's body was simply outrageous.

The effect of force is mutual. The heretic himself is very fast, and Xia Ren's kick caused his chest to dent directly.

However, at the moment when the two briefly came into contact and separated, due to injuries, the heretic opened his mouth and spit out a mouthful of sticky blood, which fell straight towards Xia Ren's face. He could not dodge, so he could only stretch out his hand and block it with the back of his hand. Dirty blood.

The heretic was kicked out by Xia Ren, and Xia Ren himself fell to the ground due to the strong reaction force.

Qin Yun watched the battle anxiously from a distance. She wanted to step forward to help, but she also knew that with her own strength, she could only add chaos in the past.

The heretic who was kicked away by Xia Ren happened to land near the entrance and exit of the basement. He vomited a few more mouthfuls of blood, then covered his chest and tried to escape.

At this time, Xia Ren was still lying on the ground. The impact just now hit his mind. The vision in front of him was dark, and he was also accompanied by severe tinnitus.

Qin Yun couldn't just watch the enemy escape. She bit her lip and was about to chase towards the stairs. Unexpectedly, when she passed by Xia Ren, he grabbed her ankle.

"Don't chase him, let him go."

"But."

Qin Yun lowered her head and met Xia Ren's firm gaze.

When she raised her head again and looked at the stairs, the figure of the heretic had disappeared, leaving only a black blood stain on the ground.

"Why should you let him go? What if..."

"it does not matter."

Xia Ren stood up from the ground and moved his body.

Then, he looked at the back of his left hand.

The dirty blood that just fell on it has been thrown away by him. Although nothing can be seen on the surface for the time being, in fact, the skin on the back of the hand stained by the dirty blood has been infected by the unknown fungus like a tentacle. .

Xia Ren and Qin Yun briefly explained.

Just a few seconds ago, when he hit the ground, he felt a strange sensation through the fungus on the back of his hand.

This feeling is - connection.

His connection with the heretic.

Like the parent body, and its ramets.

"That's why I want to let him go. If nothing unexpected happens, the heretic will definitely go back and report, and I can use this to track their lair."

Hall said that his boss had mentioned something beyond, and that boss, who is now dead in this basement, should have been killed by the housing agent.

Another member of the heretic died here together. According to Hall's description, Xia Ren was basically certain that his boss had been contaminated and had even become a heretic.

Therefore, if you want to obtain a substance called "transcendence" that can inhibit the growth of fungi, the only currently known method is to investigate the heretics.

Qin Yun felt a little incredible when she looked at Xia Ren who was telling her plan.

He actually made such a bold and correct decision in such a short period of time.

Having been with Xia Ren for so long, Qin Yun has rarely seen him display his talents in this area so intuitively.

"Is there something on my face?"

After Xia Ren finished speaking, seeing Qin Yun still looking at his face blankly, he couldn't help but ask.

"No, it's just that it looks pretty."

Qin Yun was a little incoherent.

Xia Ren felt a little baffled, but he didn't pay much attention.

He walked to the weighing column that was about to collapse, took out the crowbar, and thrust it into the chest of the infidel who was still struggling.

The latter gave a final wail and then died.

Because he was afraid of the fungi on the pagans, Xia Ren did not dare to let the crowbar swallow up the energy in his body.

Later, he tried to use Ice Slavery to control the opponent, but all he got was an empty body.

These pagans have sacrificed their souls together.

Xia Ren looked through it briefly and found that there was nothing special on him. Except for his clothes, there was nothing.

"Why was no fungus found on the ordinary people who were sacrificed?"

Qin Yun couldn't help but asked in confusion.

"I guess I won't know until I find their lair."

Xia Ren didn't look good, partly because of his health, and partly because this matter was indeed very difficult.

"Anyway, let's go back to the hospital first."

…

…

The two returned to the hospital, and Xia Ren first treated the infection on the back of his hand.

Using his status as an A-level investigator, he applied for several old seal papers from the Foundation, pasted them on the back of his hands, and then wrapped his left and right sides in layers of bandages.

Although it feels disgusting, like having feces on your hands, the old seal can restrain contamination to a certain extent. Although I don't know if it is useful for this fungus, it is at least a kind of psychological comfort.

During this process, he had been sensing the whereabouts of the heretic. Fortunately, the other party was seriously injured, and perhaps to cover up his whereabouts, he had not left Soli City yet.

Qin Yun, Lily, and Lu Yi were all in the room.

Xia Ren sat on the chair and pondered for a long time. Suddenly he raised his head, looked at Qin Yun and said, "I need you to go back to your hometown."

"Hometown?"

Because she had been out for so long, Qin Yun didn't realize what Xia Ren was talking about.

"It's my hometown in Jupiter City, the house I live in, Jingwan Community, fifth floor."

"What are you doing back there?"

Qin Yun said anxiously that her first reaction was that Xia Ren wanted to get away from him and go to a safe place.

Xia Ren paused and said seriously: "I need you to go back and help me get something."

"what?"

…

…

"Don't do anything too dangerous."

"rest assured."

Xia Ren smiled at her.

Upon hearing this answer, Qin Yun left the ward worriedly, even though she knew it was a comfort.

She will take a plane soon and return to Jupiter City, the place where the two lived peacefully for a while.

After Qin Yun left, Xia Ren looked at the remaining two people.

He stepped forward, rubbed Lily's head, and then handed Lu Yi a sum of money.

"This is your salary for the next few months. Stay here, take good care of Lily, and don't go anywhere."

Lu Yi took the money. Although she didn't know how to count, but just looking at the thickness and face value, it was definitely more than a few months' salary.

But somehow, she, who had always been obsessed with money, was not so happy at this time.

Lu Yi didn't know why she felt like this, and she didn't know how to express it, so she simply nodded and remained silent.

After explaining everything, Xia Ren turned around and walked out of the door naturally.

…

…

Ten o'clock the next morning.

On a short-distance flight over most of Maryland.

Xia Ren was sitting in the first class cabin, looking at the sea of ​​clouds outside the window.

A few hours ago, the infidel had left the city of Soli by plane.

Originally, as the other party, it was 100% impossible for him to pass the airport security check, let alone take a plane, but the faction he joined seemed to have a lot of power, and they even arranged him on a special flight with only a few passengers. .

The Foundation is already looking for the person behind all this, but it seems that the investigation has encountered some invisible resistance and has been unable to uncover the truth.

He began to suspect that his initial guess was correct, and that there might really be someone involved in this matter.

In order to avoid being detected by the pagans, Xia Ren took a plane on a different flight than him, deliberately staggering the time, but the destination was the same.

Planes are different from other means of transportation. He doesn't believe that no matter how powerful the opponent is, he can still jump out of the plane midway.

The impact of fungal infection has been continuously tormenting Xia Ren's will, and as time goes by, this pain is becoming more and more painful.

"It would have been nice if we could have left the contact information of Jiufeng and Yi Zhiyu."

Xia Ren is now eager for someone to help him, but he still can't figure out the doctor's attitude towards him, and Xia Ren can't take the initiative to contact him.

Recall that among the people he has met since coming into contact with pollution, the only one he has been able to contact is the longevity of cattle.

No.

It suddenly occurred to him that there was another person who also left his contact information.