Chapter 127: Chapter 127: A Question of Yes or No (Seeking Full Subscription)
They haven’t seen the moon? What does ’moon’ mean then? Is it a mispronunciation, or did Li Xiaomin mislead me?
With time pressing, Lu Luo could only temporarily set aside this question. What he needed to do now was to obtain as much information as possible about that bizarre entity from these people.
"Did all of you fall into a nightmare state together?"
"No."
One after another? Or in batches?
"Is it impossible to speak of his appearance?"
"No."
"You simply cannot see his appearance?"
"Yes."
"Are tentacles one of his characteristics?"
"No."
"Does he have fangs and sharp claws?"
"No."
Lu Luo frowned slightly. After asking a few more questions about the other party’s characteristics, he felt even more baffled by the situation.
The appearance of this creature was not developing in the direction he had anticipated.
Ding Peng and You Xiaoqi, standing beside him, grew impatient. If it were them, they would have taken individuals into an isolation room for harsh questioning. If a mutation occurred along the way, they would simply kill them. Why bother making it so complicated?
"Asking questions like this is too ambiguous to elicit effective answers," You Xiaoqi said, her discontent evident. "Better to be more direct. Even if mutations happen, it doesn’t matter as long as not too many die."
Ludie always told them to learn from Lu Luo, and You Xiaoqi had always resented this, even more so now. She had thought Lu Luo would have some special method for solving the case, but it now seemed that this way of questioning was just a shot in the dark. How long would it take to get answers?
Lu Luo glanced at the impatient You Xiaoqi and shook his head. "Although I haven’t obtained the information I wanted, it doesn’t mean I haven’t received any information at all."
"What do you mean?"
"Things have developed in the direction I least wanted and in the worst possible way."
"Be clearer, you bastard!" You Xiaoqi snapped.
Lu Luo was silent for a while before slowly speaking. "A creature without any features of an Exotic Species can only be human."
Upon hearing Lu Luo’s assessment, everyone fell silent for a moment. But You Xiaoqi still didn’t understand. Why would it be worst if the creature was human?
"So what if it’s a human? In the end, they all have to be killed. What’s the difference?"
Lu Luo smiled, perhaps at You Xiaoqi’s rudimentary way of thinking as a Hunter. "Humans are the most difficult creatures to deal with. I have always believed that the complexity of the human heart is on par with any cutting-edge technology in the world. If an Exotic Species is causing trouble, then its mode of thinking is definitely that of an Exotic Species. An Exotic Species will only seek benefits, which could be hunger or possibly other desires. Some Exotic Species may possess great intelligence, but intelligence is not wisdom. The intelligence of Exotic Species will only make them release their desires more rationally; it won’t stop their instincts. Humans, however, are different. Even the weakest of humans—be it a Scavenger, a street vendor, or a disabled person—all possess their own wisdom. The effects of wisdom are far more complex than those of intelligence."
"So what? Humans still have desires, just the same."
"No, it’s far too different. Human desires are much greater than those of Exotic Species, and the ways humans fulfill their desires are far more outrageous than those of Exotic Species. For example, some people lie low for ten years, even decades, just to accomplish one thing—a single act of revenge, or a deed of gratitude. Such situations, such acts, require tremendous wisdom, something that Exotic Species could never achieve."
"So what do we do now?" Ding Peng asked.
"Find a way to confirm who this person is."
Because he had to maintain the emotional stability of these girls, Lu Luo could not question them too aggressively. After every few questions, there would be a break, allowing Qi Xinzhu to help restore their mental state.
It was now 1:00 a.m. The sky was completely dark, but apparently, due to fear, none of the girls felt sleepy in the least.
"Is he human?"
"Yes, and no."
The first question wasn’t as smooth as I imagined, Lu Luo thought. Human, yet not human? Could it be half-human, half-aberration? He knew he couldn’t continue to pursue this ambiguous line of questioning, as it would only serve to muddle his thoughts.
"Can you only see him under certain conditions?"
"Yes."
"Is the specific environment a real one?"
"No."
"Is the specific environment time-related?"
"Yes and no."
Another ’yes and no,’ Lu Luo suppressed the doubts in his heart.
"Do the specific conditions have to be at night?"
"No."
"Does he only appear after midnight?"
"No."
Lu Luo felt like he was onto something. It was a specific time, yet not a specific time. The meaning of ’time’ here differed, leaving only one possibility!
"Can you see him only when you’re asleep?"
"Yes."
"Does he have the ability to enter your dreams?"
"Yes."
"In your own dreams, are you lucidly aware?"
"Yes."
"In the dream state, does he possess irresistible power?"
"Yes."
"Does he torment you in your dreams?"
"Yes."
Lu Luo’s rapid succession of questions was asked quickly, and the girls answered just as promptly. In the midst of their brisk exchange, it seemed they were gradually getting closer to the truth. This energized everyone; they felt that if Lu Luo continued to question them in this manner, perhaps they really could get the answers they sought. Even You Xiaoqi and Ding Peng were secretly nodding in approval of Lu Luo’s approach at this moment. This guy’s thinking is so clear, they thought.
Lu Luo himself thought he could go on asking, but then he suddenly saw one of the female students’ necks twist abruptly. A tilted head wasn’t unusual, but this sudden ninety-degree tilt was not normal.
[High concentration of Dark Energy detected. The second female student, at a 42-degree angle to your left, is undergoing severe mutation. Please handle it promptly.]
"Get back!" Lu Luo yelled, pulling out his Rose 390 and firing without hesitation.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
With three consecutive shots, Lu Luo blew the mutant student’s head clean off!
Screams followed!
Whether it was the remaining girls or the students from the other dormitory, they were all screaming in terror. They had thought Lu Luo was their savior, there to rescue them, someone they could trust. But the scene just now made them realize that when Lu Luo took action, there was absolutely no trace of mercy. The trust that had just been established between them crumbled in an instant.
Lu Luo felt somewhat helpless. If he hadn’t fired immediately, the girls near the mutant would have met a grim fate. He now dared not separate the twenty-three female students for surveillance. What if one of them underwent a high-degree mutation and the guard couldn’t handle it? For now, they could only be quarantined together. He was saving people, but he didn’t explain that to the students. He knew that the will of ordinary people was very fragile; they wouldn’t be able to accept such logic and reasoning, so explaining was pointless. Moreover, the close-up headshot was still too shocking for these girls.
Now, the only thing in the girls’ eyes when they looked at Lu Luo was terror.
Lu Luo didn’t care. At this point, he could no longer afford to consider their feelings. "You’ve seen what just happened; the girl underwent a mutation. There’s no need for hostility towards me. After today and tomorrow, we might never cross paths again. The best way to overcome fear is to face it. Mutations are constantly occurring. Answer my questions carefully. Only by finding that thing can we hope to save ourselves. I hope you cherish this opportunity."
Lu Luo’s words had some effect, at least. It was now almost 2:00 a.m., and the longer things dragged on, the greater the danger these people were in. Moreover, at night, both the Exotic Species virus and Exotic Species themselves become more active, which was very problematic.
"Alright, let’s continue. Does this person have a gender?"
"Yes."
"Female?"
"No."
"Male."
"Yes."
"Is he of the same age as you?"
"No."
"Is he in his twenties?"
"No."
"Is he in his thirties?"
"No."
"You don’t know his age?"
"Yes."
"Did he assault you in your dreams?"
"No."
Hearing it was a male whose age they didn’t know, Lu Luo immediately wondered if the person could be some sort of incubus, but it didn’t seem to be the case now.
"Is his purpose your flesh and blood?"
"No."
"Is it to create fear? To collect fear?"
"No."
Neither of these purpose-driven questions yielded a ’yes’, which took Lu Luo by surprise. Previously, Wang Le and Li Xiaomin had both said that the person wanted their flesh and blood—the information didn’t match! He needed to figure out that guy’s motive. Once he could confirm the motive, the investigation would become a lot easier. But now, it seemed like he had hit a dead end!
Not guessing the motive was fine; he could change his approach. There were still some pieces of information he hadn’t asked about yet.
"You girls who saw him, did you collectively go somewhere more than a month ago, before this incident occurred?"
The question was a bit long, and several girls seemed to fall into reminiscence. They then whispered to each other for a while. Lu Luo didn’t stop them, letting them discuss. At this moment, all he needed to do was prevent any further mutations.
Two minutes later, the girls’ discussion concluded, and they gave a unanimous answer.
"Yes."
"Was it within the school?"
"Yes."
"The place you went together—was there someone you would meet there regularly?"
"Yes."
Lu Luo immediately tensed up; this person could very well be the culprit.
"So, is this person from the school?"
"No."
"Has this person been to the school?"
"Yes."
"Does he come to the school often?"
"Yes."
"Is he a Transcendent?"
"Yes."
Lu Luo narrowed his eyes slightly; the truth was drawing near. Not someone from the school, but a Transcendent.
"Is he an externally hired or temporary teacher employed by the school?"
"No."
"The place you all visited together—was it for a course or some kind of on-campus training?"
"No."
Lu Luo nodded. These two questions essentially ruled out the possibility that this person was a teacher, which significantly narrowed down the scope.
"Is this person a stationed guard or security personnel?"
"No."
Not an externally hired teacher, nor a guard or security personnel, yet still a Transcendent.
"Is this person a member of the Dawn Church?"
After Lu Luo asked this question, Qi Xinzhu’s expression visibly stiffened. Is it related to the Church again? she wondered. The others also glanced at her, but fortunately, she maintained her composure.
"Yes."
Just as she answered, one of the girls suddenly grabbed her roommate in front of her. She looked at Lu Luo with a bewildered expression and said in a very muffled, unnatural tone, "Why dig to the root of it here? I just want to survive."
This tone didn’t seem to be the girl’s own. After she finished speaking, her body suddenly underwent a grotesque transformation. A black arm, thick as if formed from agglomerated pus, suddenly emerged, swatting towards the surrounding girls. The girl’s arm now resembled a thick, black tree trunk; if that slap landed, very few in the group would survive.
Luckily, Lu Luo reacted instantly. The Wraith Blade hacked off the pus-coated black arm. He then reversed his grip and plunged the blade into her body. You Xiaoqi and Ding Peng had also rushed forward, subduing the mutant and pinning her to the ground. This mutant’s transformation was extremely powerful, at least high-level Second Tier; it was definitely not an ordinary entity. It was only because Lu Luo and the other two worked together that they could suppress her so quickly.
Lu Luo twisted his blade, activating Phantom Pain, preparing to kill this Exotic Species.
But just then, the girl spat out a clump of thick black pus. The pus quickly floated up, suspending in mid-air as a black sphere, giving Lu Luo and the others an ominous feeling.
"Be careful!" Qi Xinzhu cried out.
POP! POP! POP!
Four black tentacles suddenly shot out from the sphere, consecutively penetrating the bodies of several girls. These girls were killed on the spot. But after killing them, the black sphere didn’t extend any more tentacles; instead, it abruptly vanished.
The multiple deaths plunged the scene into complete chaos.
Lu Luo hacked his blade into the ground, shattering the mutant at his feet. His expression was grim as he looked at the remaining dozen or so female students. They looked terrified and panicked, with copious amounts of blood splattered on their faces. If they were to experience any more shocks in this state, they could possibly undergo a transformation at any moment.
Lu Luo knew that he probably couldn’t continue questioning.
"Just now, was that the voice of that thing?" Ding Peng asked. As a Hunter, he was unusually sensitive to Exotic Species and had naturally noticed the difference in the mutated girl’s tone.
This wasn’t good news. The enemy’s ability to do this indicated they had certain abilities and means to control these girls. The reason the entity hadn’t acted more decisively yet was likely because these girls still possessed something it needed.
"Yeah, it must have been," Lu Luo replied.
"What are you planning to do next?" Ding Peng asked.
At this point, Lu Luo found himself in a dilemma. If I continue to question them and provoke the enemy into taking action for its own safety, then these girls’ lives can’t be saved. But if I don’t investigate further, even if this person holds back this time, they will definitely act again in the future.
"This is very troublesome," Lu Luo muttered to himself.
As he grappled with this dilemma, Han Shiyu suddenly called out, "Lu Luo, come over here! We have the results." It seemed the autopsy was finished.
"Alright."