Chapter 149: The Spreading Corruption

Killing Qin Ran during their clash was an instinctive move from Lu Xin.

Until now his experience fighting Ability Users was limited to that one Puppet-type. Back then he had detailed materials analyzing the Puppet-type’s strengths and weaknesses in great detail.

But Qin Ran was different.

According to the materials provided by the Special Cleaning Department Qin Ran’s abilities were unknown.

So when facing him Lu Xin was on high alert, holding absolutely nothing back.

He only worried Qin Ran would be too difficult to handle never expecting him to be so easy instead.

Because he was so easy to deal with Lu Xin killed him almost immediately. Then another thought suddenly struck him.

…

…

The Special Pollution Source 041 incident.

To this day the Qinggang City Research Institute hadn’t provided a real explanation for that event. But on the surface it seemed Cui Wang had killed Qin Ran then transformed into him. After that countless people appeared seeking revenge against him…

The final investigation led to the discovery of a Pollution Source at the lakebed.

And at that time the Pollution Source had already contaminated eight people…

It all started with killing Qin Ran.

Realizing this Lu Xin immediately tried to put Qin Ran’s heart back.

Unfortunately it was useless.

The blood vessels around the heart were torn and a fist-sized hole gaped in the ribcage, blood gushing out.

Qin Ran’s face rapidly turned pale, life draining away.

Only that dying smile remained fixed on Qin Ran’s face growing stiff.

His eyes were still slightly open staring straight at Lu Xin.

Being watched by him felt extremely unsettling.

…

…

“Qin Ran is dead. What happens now?”

Looking down at the dead Qin Ran Lu Xin mulled over this question.

The next moment he sensed something, tensed up and instantly retreated three or four meters.

Before his eyes changes began to occur on Qin Ran’s dead body. A tree started growing out of him.

It looked like an ordinary tree at first its roots anchored within Qin Ran’s body. A trunk extended upwards eventually sprouting a single vine. But this vine seemed alive like a serpent.

“Swish…”

After the vine grew out it suddenly shot towards Lu Xin its tip splitting open to reveal rows of sharp teeth.

The vine moved incredibly fast almost like a bullet.

But with his sister’s help Lu Xin reacted faster than the vine, dodging it with a slight turn of his head.

However the vine seemed relentless continuing its forward path. Behind Lu Xin about twenty meters away was the group of Happy Town residents hiding in the shadows clutching various ‘weapons’ and secretly watching.

The vine instantly wrapped around the resident closest to the front.

Lu Xin realized something was wrong and hastily reached out tearing the vine in two in an instant.

But the Happy Town resident was still quickly entangled by the vine.

His previously somewhat numb face which only bore a smile began to change. His eyes rolled upwards showing large whites then the eyeballs seemed to rotate completely within their sockets before the pupils reappeared.

But now those pupils were fixed deadly still on Lu Xin.

“Zhang Sihuo you dared to harm me…”

He gurgled producing a muffled sentence.

His eyes filled with hatred screamed Qin Ran’s other name but his gaze was locked onto Lu Xin.

Shouting he brandished the scythe in his hand and charged at Lu Xin.

In his eyes Lu Xin seemed to have become Qin Ran.

Watching his stumbling figure Lu Xin didn’t kill him instead shifting slightly and taking two steps back.

At that moment details about Special Pollution Source 041 flashed through his mind. Cui Wang who had become Qin Ran back then encountered the same thing. People sought revenge on him kill one and two more would appear multiplying endlessly…

So he knew he couldn’t kill this ‘Avenger’ right now.

However before Lu Xin could figure out a solution the ‘Avenger’ stopped.

He seemed intimidated by Lu Xin halting after just two steps forward.

His eyes brimming with hatred stared fixedly at Lu Xin then he raised the scythe and slit his own throat.

“Zhang Sihuo I will kill you…”

Because of the gash in his throat his voice sounded strange like air escaping a puncture yet filled with an uncanny horror:

“Even if I die I will definitely kill you…”

…

…

“Self-destruction…”

Seeing this scene Lu Xin instantly recalled something else.

According to Cui Wang who had turned into ‘Qin Ran’ back then after the number of people seeking revenge reached four he didn’t dare kill them anymore and just locked them up. However once those four avengers realized their revenge was hopeless they immediately attacked and even devoured each other completing the ‘revenge’ and ‘being killed’ steps thereby initiating the next stage.

Did this town resident commit suicide because he felt he couldn’t kill me thus completing this step?

As he thought this Lu Xin saw that the tree growing from Qin Ran’s body had already sprouted a second vine. Then two vines rapidly extended forward like two parallel swaying snakes rushing towards the other residents again.

But this time Lu Xin didn’t let them reach the town residents intercepting and severing them directly.

However the severed vines seemed to possess their own life continuing their flight and wrapping around two more residents.

Soon they were shouting words of vengeance glaring fiercely at Lu Xin yet attacking each other.

Lu Xin’s heart sank slightly.

Even when severed these vines retained some vitality.

Given such a wide area this was enough for them to capture or rather pollute some people.

This method of pollution seemed almost impossible to intercept through physical means.

The only way was to first clear the surrounding area leaving it no targets to pollute.

But the crucial problem was the large number of Happy Town residents gathered around. They seemed devoid of fear even after witnessing such intense fighting even after seeing three among them become abnormal or even commit suicide due to this incident. They just foolishly remained in place and Lu Xin even had the faint sense they were closing in…

“These residents are too foolish…”

Thinking about this Lu Xin recalled the second of the three major principles of combat for Ability Users mentioned in the materials:

Combat itself is never the decisive factor preparation for combat is.

…

Did Qin Ran choose to hide in this town precisely because its residents had this characteristic?

…

…

While Lu Xin pondered these questions the number of vines had already grown to four.

The ‘tree’ growing from Qin Ran’s body was also visibly enlarging. From an initial height of about one meter it had now grown four times taller. The tree’s surface had the color of raw flesh as if skinned while the wildly waving vines were bright red like snake scales. They spread in all directions surrounded by countless dancing tendrils.

The heavy stench of blood filled his nostrils.

It felt as if countless shouts or cries angry roars or shrill laughter echoed among the densely packed houses nearby.

Fine scattered mental tendrils already covered an area dozens of meters around.

The Red Moon’s light cascaded down from above and the air seemed to ripple like water trembling minutely.

…

…

“Crash…”

Just as the grotesque tree on Qin Ran’s body grew at a frantic pace its area of influence expanding rapidly the sound of shattering windows came from behind the row of rooms.

Immediately bright lights flared up as four motorcycles sped away towards the hillside behind.

Those must be Qin Ran’s companions. Seeing things go south they immediately fled the town on their bikes.

Lu Xin’s body blurred as he rushed towards the group of town residents lifting them and tossing them into the rooms. Since these residents didn’t know how to take cover he had to help them. Seeing the retreating shadows of the motorcycles he couldn’t spare the effort to chase them for the moment.

While moving he pulled a flare gun from his bag and fired it into the air in the direction they fled.

The bright signal flare illuminated a patch of sky also lighting up the town.

Lu Xin knew Gecko would see the flare and intercept those few people. As for himself he needed to deal with Qin Ran.

…

…

“How can I interrupt this process?”

Having fired the signal flare Lu Xin abruptly looked up towards ‘Qin Ran’s’ corpse.

His body was already slightly tensed preparing to dash out and tear the corpse to shreds.

But Mom standing nearby gently shook her head: “Tearing him apart now will just help him spread you know…”

Lu Xin narrowed his eyes pulling back his excited sister who wanted to charge forward.

He understood Mom’s meaning. Although Mental Monsters exhibit characteristics of life they aren’t truly living creatures. Their essence is that of a Pollution Source. So when their mass or rather psychic power is relatively low they can be easily torn apart.

Once torn apart they lose their living characteristics and the broken pieces dissipate directly.

But when its magnitude reaches a certain level tearing it apart won’t destroy it; it merely turns into two Pollution Sources.

If that happened Qin Ran’s pollution speed might even double.

“But if I don’t tear it apart…”

Lu Xin frowned sharply looking over.

He saw that Qin Ran was currently growing rapidly.

The range covered by his mental fluctuations already exceeded thirty meters. On the seven or eight-meter tall grotesque tree of flesh and blood the vines and humanoid ‘fruits’ now numbered eight. It resembled a man-eating tree with humanoid catchers struggling and thrashing wildly.

Meanwhile the number of town residents charging at him with various weapons had reached sixteen.

The situation’s development seemed very similar to the Special Pollution Source 041 incident back then.

But this time ‘Qin Ran’s’ pollution was spreading much faster.

And there was almost no time interval in between.

Although it was the same type of pollution incident the level this time was on a completely different magnitude.

…

…

“How can I stop him from polluting the surrounding town residents?”

“Why is the pollution spreading so much faster this time?”

“What would happen if I directly destroyed Qin Ran’s body the Pollution Source itself?”

“How can I eliminate him?”

“…”

Lu Xin’s mind raced but he couldn’t find an answer immediately.

He looked at Mom and saw her frowning slightly seemingly pondering the same problem also without a ready answer.

Should I just call Father over to handle it?

Lu Xin considered it but quickly shook his head. The timing wasn’t right.

He knew his father’s temper. Father wouldn’t tolerate the annoyance of these ‘Avengers’ hunting him; he would just eliminate them all.

Temperamentally Father would practically become Qin Ran’s best friend.

He would help Qin Ran eliminate all the ‘Avengers’ as quickly as possible drastically accelerating Qin Ran’s pollution ability…”