Chapter 439: Shattered Powers

“Is this the Cardinal of the Technology Church?”

“A foreigner…”

“What is his purpose in doing this?”

Lu Xin felt a shudder of dread as countless thoughts raced through his mind.

He couldn’t deduce the Technology Church’s aim from this single phenomenon.

But he could tell that the Queen’s situation was extremely dire.

The man standing like a cross had already engulfed half of the Queen’s body; it looked as if two beings were merging like malleable clay—their blood vessels and nerves interlinked, with much of their skin already fused.

Separated by the light cocoon, Lu Xin couldn’t sense the state of their Mental Power, though he did notice some hints.

The Queen was at a severe disadvantage and was clearly in agony.

……

“A Queen so powerful, yet she’s being bullied to this extent?”

A numb chill ran over Lu Xin’s scalp as he instinctively scanned the surroundings – Mom was nowhere in sight.

Realizing this, he quickly said, “Send the message immediately. I need to know why they’re doing this…”

At that moment, an Undercover Unit widened its eyes, staring at the town’s Queen within the light cocoon.

It too seemed startled, standing in a daze.

But then another Undercover Unit emerged from the vortex—a smiling one.

It first raised its hand and slapped the previously frightened Undercover Unit, then quickly grabbed a ballpoint pen and a speed note pad to record Lu Xin’s words, and even made a rapid sketch of the light cocoon.

After that, it gave Lu Xin a heavy nod.

With a forced smile that conveyed confidence, it dove into the vortex.

……

“Phew…”

Lu Xin was somewhat awed by the Undercover Unit’s professionalism; after a brief pause he turned back toward the light cocoon.

Now, he had no idea what answer Chen Jing and the others might offer, nor whether their investigation would reveal the true purpose of the Technology Church, but he could clearly see that the Queen’s condition was critical.

Though he preferred to act only after receiving Chen Jing’s advice, he couldn’t afford to wait any longer.

After a moment’s contemplation, he slowly stepped forward.

He extended his hand and tentatively pushed the milky light orb, feeling a soft, elastic resistance.

His palm rebounded with a slight, tingling sensation.

This light orb was a manifestation of a different kind of Mental Power—containing immense strength yet unusually stable.

It was as if an overwhelming Mental Impact had been compressed and stabilized in a small space; by initial estimates, the orb’s mental energy was at least over 100,000.

“Doll!”

After testing it, Lu Xin immediately turned and called out, “Doll!”

Doll nodded slightly, pointing her parasol tip forward.

At that moment, Doll was surrounded by a powerful mental vortex; the overall force had reached a terrifying magnitude. Though she only lightly tapped with the tip of her parasol, an incalculable force surged forth.

“Buzz buzz buzz…”

The tremendous Mental Impact struck the light orb, causing it to break apart.

The orb trembled, its glow rippling outward like water patterns.

The light cocoon itself shuddered, much like a resilient bubble in a storm.

“Not good.”

Lu Xin realized something was amiss and immediately tried to stop Doll.

He saw that after the Mental Impact, the Queen inside the orb wore a pained expression.

Splash!

Chaotic mental ripples appeared on her body as flesh and blood tumbled to the ground like muddy water.

Meanwhile, the roots growing from the Queen’s body dug deeper, and more flesh was being devoured by that cross-like force. This external attack seemed to inflict even greater harm and pressure on the Queen.

“This cocoon has extended from the Queen’s body…”

“Attacking the cocoon, in turn, harms the Queen…”

“Then what should we do?”

“……”

Just as Lu Xin was frantically searching for answers, the blond man within the light cocoon suddenly opened his eyes.

His eyes were an eerie blue, as unfathomable as deep ocean waters.

The disturbance of the light cocoon startled him, and he slowly opened his eyes wider.

Through the cocoon, he glanced at Lu Xin, his face briefly registering surprise.

But that look quickly faded into an expression of cold indifference.

His two ashen hands slowly rose; between his arms and body, fine, sticky white strands could be seen.

“Ah…”

Between his hands and above his chest, the pale flesh began to swell.

It was as though something inside was desperately struggling to break free.

The skin slowly split apart, revealing a real human face that looked overwhelmingly pained.

Like someone who hadn’t drawn a breath in ages, it opened its mouth wide at the first hint of struggle.

Taking a deep breath, it suddenly let out a piercing, agonized scream.

Lu Xin could only catch fragments of the scream—the pitch was so extreme that it was nearly impossible to grasp.

Yet that scream instantly echoed from the light cocoon across the barren Wasteland.

“Buzz buzz buzz.”

The dark red Mental Radiation enveloping Happy Town trembled under the shock of the scream.

And across the Wasteland, the crowds sprawled on the ground—and even those still sleepwalking in the distance—seemed drawn to the sound, raising their heads.

With vacant eyes and stiffly twisted necks, they all turned to face the light cocoon.

“Crack…”

Their bones produced crisp sounds as they slowly took a step toward Lu Xin and Doll.

Not only them, but even the scattered dark red Mental Radiation around them shivered.

It was as if a vast dark red sea was slowly tilting.

An immense and inexorable force began to press in.

Lu Xin felt the overwhelming pressure and furrowed his brow.

“Block them.”

“Yes!”

Doll nodded briefly, turned, and with a gentle spin twirled her parasol.

The immense mental power already concentrated around her intensified with the movement; chaotic mental radiation transformed into various patterned shapes and spread heavily in all directions.

“Splash…”

A nearby sleepwalker collapsed to the ground instantly.

In the distance, more crowds stumbled as the surrounding mental radiation shattered in rings.

The blue-eyed man inside the light cocoon looked at Doll in surprise.

In the next moment, the face on his chest furrowed fiercely before abruptly opening wide.

Once again, he let out a high-pitched, formless scream.

The forces around began pressing forward once more, while sleepwalkers on the ground struggled to raise their heads.

But Doll stomped angrily, and her powerful mental force surged outward.

A tremendous wave swept around her, colliding with the gathering Mental Radiation.

……

“This foreigner can control the surrounding Mental Radiation?”

Lu Xin keenly noticed this.

The Mental Radiation originally belonged solely to Happy Town’s Queen, after all—it enveloped an area spanning fifty kilometers with unimaginable density.

But now, the Mental Radiation had changed drastically.

That Calamity Archbishop now possessed the ability to manipulate it.

Judging by this, if he continued his fusion with the Queen to achieve his ultimate goal…

He could inherit Happy Town?

……

At the same time, Qin Ran, who had just fled, reached the other end of Happy Town. There stood a tall RV that had been modified—its exterior was sheathed in thick glass, and inside were rows of computers.

“Whoosh whoosh whoosh.”

As Qin Ran sprinted toward the RV, urgent footsteps rang out from the opposite side.

Lifting his head, Qin Ran saw another version of himself running over with a panicked expression.

The two simultaneously looked up and met each other’s gaze.

The other Qin Ran was taken aback and stammered, “Y-y-you…”

“Bang!”

Without hesitation, this Qin Ran raised his gun and fired squarely at the other’s forehead.

The other Qin Ran collapsed silently to the ground.

This Qin Ran took a deep breath, glared in disgust at his doppelgänger, and reached for the car door.

“Rat-a-tat-tat…”

But as his hand touched the RV’s doorknob, machine-gun fire suddenly erupted from behind. Qin Ran’s body trembled and he collapsed, blood gushing profusely, while the other Qin Ran advanced with a submachine gun, breathing heavily.

He scanned the surroundings cautiously to ensure no other “self” remained.

Then he flung open the RV door and rushed inside.

“I…”

As he stepped into the RV and was about to speak, a smiling face suddenly appeared before him.

Shocked, this Qin Ran urgently reached for his gun.

But a sudden chill ran through his abdomen as a dagger stabbed into his lower abdomen, twisting viciously.

Qin Ran’s eyes glazed over as he slowly collapsed out of the RV.

“Can’t hold them back. Truly can’t hold them back.”

The door shut again, and the first-arrived Qin Ran shook his head at the few people remaining in the RV, remarking,

“What on earth is that monster?”

“……”

Inside the RV, the space was remarkably spacious.

Besides this Qin Ran, two others were seated—one a scruffy young man in a white coat with a bushy beard who constantly clutched a grimy coffee cup, with cigarette butts arranged like a lotus in a nearby ashtray, and the other an old man with his cap pulled low, sitting silently as if he disliked speaking.

It wasn’t until Qin Ran asked the question once more

that the young man slightly raised his head, smiled, and replied, “He was once severely contaminated.”