Chapter 159: Chapter 159: Hunting the Lord’s Team (Requesting Full Subscription)
Gu Fangyi’s concern was also Qi Xinzhu’s.
No matter how you looked at it, Li Qingshu did not seem like an easy target—a Fourth Tier expert, and one with a high Sequence at that. Such a person was too dangerous.
"He’s already dead," Lu Luo said indifferently.
Qi Xinzhu and Gu Fangyi exchanged glances, their expressions slightly stern.
"Then do we have any leads on his identity?"
"No leads, but I speculate that he’s most likely from Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals."
Qi Xinzhu’s brow furrowed slightly. A Fourth Tier expert was considered a high-level practitioner even in the Inner Ring, and such people were all notable figures.
"Fourth Tier, isn’t that the level of a Hunter squad leader? I feel that Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals doesn’t have that kind of capability."
"He’s probably not from Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals. He should be from Blue Sky Biotech."
Lu Luo had conversed briefly with Li Qingshu and managed to glean some intelligence from his short words. This person was definitely from the Inner Ring.
Not from the Fourth Ring, yet working for Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals—that only left the parent company, Blue Sky Biotech.
"So what do we do now?"
"No need to rush. The person’s dead, and we’re not the ones who should be anxious. Besides, those who die outside the wall aren’t really considered people. So, everything continues as usual. We’ll proceed with our originally planned activities outside the wall."
Lu Luo wasn’t in a particular hurry. The wedding prepared by Nightmare Demon was still six months away.
The matters concerning Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals and Song Hana also needed to be dealt with once they returned inside the wall.
But this time, it had to be settled cleanly.
"This time, let’s try to make more money. Once we return, we’ll settle the contract with Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals."
"Ah? Brother Luo?"
Gu Fangyi was somewhat puzzled. Lu Luo’s original policy had been to delay the execution of the contract as much as possible.
That way, they would have essentially mooched off two years of development time.
Given their current rate of growth, paying the 750,000 in two years should be very easy for them.
But if they were to fork out 750,000 now, it would be an extremely challenging task.
Moreover, 750,000 would be enough for Lu Luo to break through to the Third Tier. Using it to support Lu Luo’s advancement would yield the greatest benefit.
If it were used to pay the penalty fee, it would greatly slow down Lu Luo’s promotion speed, and even hinder the growth of Circle Studio as a whole.
"Brother Luo, why the sudden interest in settling the contract?"
From Gu Fangyi’s perspective, Lu Luo’s eagerness to resolve the contract issue seemed strange.
In the past, he seemed like the type who wouldn’t pay until the very last day.
"Well, if the contract is settled, Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals will have no more business with us."
"Brother Luo, are you thinking of..."
Gu Fangyi had some guesses about Lu Luo’s intentions, but he still didn’t voice them.
Decisions made by Lu Luo didn’t require questioning; only agreement or execution was necessary.
Gu Fangyi was tactful, but Qi Xinzhu wasn’t as much. She, too, had picked up on the implications in Lu Luo’s tone.
"Lu Luo, are you planning to act against Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals?"
"Not Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals, but Song Hana!"
"But you don’t have any evidence, do you?"
Lu Luo curled his lips.
"Red Shell was released by her, and the 404 incident was also her doing. These two points alone are enough for a death sentence. It’s a pity that nobody inside the wall believes us."
Qi Xinzhu had also heard a little about the 404 incident.
"Do you plan to make your move inside the wall?"
Lu Luo nodded silently. He hadn’t thought this matter through completely and wanted to end the somewhat serious conversation.
Yet, after a moment of contemplation, Qi Xinzhu suddenly said,
"I can provide an alibi for you at the Church."
This? The Church’s Saintess blatantly shielding a murderer—is this a distortion of human nature? Gu Fangyi was stunned. Was this the same Qi Xinzhu who initially didn’t even want to kill Exotic Species?
Lu Luo was also stunned. Good! Finally, we’re on the right path.
"Alright, now is not the time to discuss this. Our purpose for coming out here is to make money, and currently, we are still losing money. The most urgent task is to head to the swamp area as soon as possible to collect blood sacs. Paying the breach of contract fee to Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals requires 750,000, and that’s not a small sum. Without a sufficient harvest, it will be very difficult to come up with that much money."
"Understood!"
"Understood!"
「Time once again returned to dusk.」
Within the space of the Nightmare Demon, they had already wasted a whole day.
Now, Lu Luo and his companions still had to make do with spending another night in this place.
As before, Qi Xinzhu and Gu Fangyi rested while Lu Luo stood guard alone.
He refused Qi Xinzhu’s offer to heal him. Qi Xinzhu’s own condition wasn’t good, and she needed rest and recovery.
His Constitution had now reached 50, an extremely astonishing number.
A normal Third Tier top-grade physical Exotic Species might only just be able to reach this level of Constitution.
As for humans, unless they were pinnacle strength masters who had cultivated to the absolute extreme, they could never reach this level.
A Constitution of 50 gave Lu Luo a physique that feared neither extreme cold nor heat, along with vastly extended endurance.
Bored, he squatted on a treetop, intending to study the abilities brought by the "Shadow of the Underworld" and "Poisonous Seed," two skills derived from Third Tier Devourer abilities.
After reaching Third Tier, the Devourer had already shown very potent effects and potential.
It was no longer just about devouring energy to enhance oneself. Even a bizarre power like Shadow Attraction could be stripped and utilized by the Devourer.
This undoubtedly indicated its high priority. Sequence S02 was indeed well-deserved.
Before Lu Luo could even start researching his skills, a cacophony of sounds gradually reached his ears. A group of humans was approaching the tree hollow.
Judging by the sound, it didn’t seem like a small team.
"Gu Fangyi, Qi Xinzhu, be alert."
Both immediately woke up and clambered up from the dry grass.
Having gained some experience outside the wall, Qi Xinzhu promptly smeared some dirt on her face to cover her overly attractive features.
But even so, her beautiful figure was still impossible to hide completely.
In an environment like the one outside the walls, the boundaries of human desire had long since vanished.
Sometimes, when men sought to vent their desires, any female would do; they didn’t care about appearance at all.
Lu Luo always considered himself a reasonable person. He would not kill without reason.
He wouldn’t initiate an attack on other teams, provided they didn’t pose a threat to them.
And this team was clearly not just ordinary mercenaries or Scavengers.
This was a very large team—their total number probably exceeded 50 people.
And in terms of individual strength, they were much stronger than the team from Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals—considerably so.
[A total of 51 personnel: among them, 5 without energy reflections, 6 at Entry Level, 21 at First Tier, 14 at Second Tier, 5 at Third Tier, and 1 at Fourth Tier. In addition, they have heavy weapons, heavy material transport vehicles, and energy maneuver armor.]
Hearing the Observer’s report, Lu Luo was somewhat surprised by the strength of this team.
With such a configuration, unless they encountered a Lord-level Exotic Species, they could virtually sweep through anything.
Even if they did encounter a Lord-level Exotic Species, they would still have the power to fight.
The team moved directly towards Lu Luo’s tree hollow. At this distance, they could definitely spot the trio’s whereabouts.
However, the team’s commander did not order them to stop; instead, they continued moving forward until they halted not far from the tree hollow.
Lu Luo knew he had to show himself at this moment.
"Please hold. This is our camp."
The man leading the other team was tall, named Zuo Mingliang, a captain of the mercenaries affiliated with the Hongtu Armed Group.
Upon seeing that Lu Luo’s group consisted of only three people, a female scout at Zuo Mingliang’s side emphasized,
"Confirmed, there are only three of them."
The mercenaries of the Hongtu Armed Group were of high quality. Although they wanted to laugh at Lu Luo’s rather cute toy soldier outfit, they managed to restrain themselves.
However, upon hearing the scout say there were only three of them, their eyes still inadvertently revealed a hint of amusement and contempt.
Neither Lu Luo nor Gu Fangyi liked that kind of look; they had grown up amidst such gazes.
Qi Xinzhu also disliked that look. Lu Luo didn’t even bother to put on an act in front of her, so what were *they* pretending for?
Zuo Mingliang didn’t speak; the female scout beside him had already walked up.
"The three of you, we need to requisition this tree hollow. We have several ordinary researchers who need a relatively safe and stable environment. So, please make way." Lu Luo couldn’t tell if she was acting on her own, but Zuo Mingliang hadn’t stopped her when she came over.
A 50-person team, speaking so politely to a three-person team—they already felt they were being very friendly.
If it weren’t for the important personnel and renowned researchers in their team, they would have simply taken action directly upon encountering such a small, scattered group.
In the female scout’s mind, since she had already spoken, shouldn’t Lu Luo and his companions leave quickly?
But the outcome was obviously not so. Lu Luo took off his somewhat comical hat, then glanced at his companions behind him, as if asking for their opinion with his eyes.
Only after seeing both Qi Xinzhu and Gu Fangyi nod slightly did Lu Luo put his hat back on.
"Okay, my companions and I will leave now."
Caving in like this didn’t cause a psychological burden for Lu Luo himself. He was just worried that Gu Fangyi and Qi Xinzhu might feel burdened, which is why he had asked them.
Moreover, he didn’t mention anything about compensation. Their current condition was extremely poor, and they couldn’t afford any more risks.
The opposing team’s lineup was too formidable, with Fourth Tier experts present, along with a large number of Second and Third Tier members. Lu Luo wouldn’t dare to start a fight here.
Even if he was confident he could escape, Gu Fangyi and Qi Xinzhu wouldn’t make it; they would certainly die.
Therefore, he made a reasonable concession.
Just then, a woman emerged from the center of the crowd—a commoner.
"Wait, the three of you. My name is Li Tanya. I’m very sorry for requisitioning your tree hollow. I can represent them and offer you 5,000 yuan in compensation. In addition, we may need some help from you."
Lu Luo was somewhat puzzled. Seeking help outside the walls was not a rational action.
As for the 5,000 yuan, he accepted it without hesitation.
"Hmm? Go on."
"We are from the Life Science Research Institute, jointly established by the Hongtu Armed Group and the Church. Due to the Nightmare Demon issue, the danger level outside the East Ring walls has greatly intensified.
"So, we are no longer able to go to the East Ring for Exotic Species sampling. Our current objective has shifted to the Lord-level Exotic Species in the Southern Ring C04 region, Ganmu.
"Considering that the three of you have managed to reach this place, you must possess significant combat ability. Although our team is strong, we are not familiar with the Southern Ring. The guide we hired is also not well-informed about Ganmu.
"Therefore, if the three of you are interested, the Hongtu Armed Group is willing to invite you to become our temporary guides and combat personnel at the price of 20,000 yuan per person. You will not need to fight to the death, just help us as much as possible during any battles."
Li Tanya’s offer was quite generous. However, unfortunately, Lu Luo was not from the Southern Ring.
So he was also unfamiliar with Ganmu from the Southern Ring.
Furthermore, a Fifth Tier Lord-level Exotic Species was not an easy opponent to deal with.
Although Li Tanya’s team was formidable, the outcome of a fight against a Fifth Tier Lord-level entity would still be uncertain.
"Sorry, we are just ordinary Scavengers. Monsters as powerful as Lord-level Exotic Species are too far out of our league."
Lu Luo promptly declined Li Tanya’s proposition, taking Qi Xinzhu and Gu Fangyi with him as he left.
Watching the three depart, Zuo Mingliang nodded at Li Tanya. The female scout beside them piped up again.
"Dr. Li, we can complete the company’s assigned mission. There’s absolutely no need for additional complications. And to give that kind of person 5,000 yuan in compensation is really..."
"Ms. Liu, your strength might be decent, but your understanding of people is still not deep enough. There are many reasons why I extended a kind invitation to them.
"Have you ever considered what it means that three Scavengers can make it this far, dare to come this far? It means they possess absolute strength. If they joined our team, it would be somewhat helpful.
"Even if they do not join, they will remember my past goodwill. At the very least, this goodwill should prevent them from attacking us from behind during our operation. Do you understand?"
Liu Yu lowered her head in embarrassment.
"Er, I understand."
Although Li Tanya was an ordinary person and Liu Yu was a Third Tier Transcendent, the gap in their status and influence seemed quite significant.
"Alright, we’ll rest here tonight. By tomorrow, we should be able to enter the Silent Swamp of sector C04."
「Forced to move, Lu Luo and his two companions walked a bit further, stopping by a larger lake.」
Lu Luo the Fusioner made himself a fishing rod and simply started fishing.
He also conveniently cast a spell of light for illumination—it was the only Holy Radiance skill he knew, one he’d picked up without any formal training.
Lighting a lamp overhead at night was actually quite dangerous, but neither Gu Fangyi nor Qi Xinzhu stopped him, mainly because they were afraid Lu Luo would be unhappy.
They both believed that Lu Luo, being injured, having lost all his supplies, and then having his hard-found little nest taken over by others, must be in a very bad mood.
However, Lu Luo wasn’t actually thinking about those things at all. What he was considering was where to find food and water.
"Brother Luo, are you okay?"
"What could be wrong with me?" Lu Luo looked puzzled.
Thinking Lu Luo was still trying to put on a brave face, Qi Xinzhu took the initiative to hold his fingers, letting Holy Radiance flow from her fingers into his body.
"Lu Luo, if you’re unhappy, you can curse at me."
Her request is so strange!
"I’m really okay, and I’m not in a bad mood! You guys don’t think that after I killed a Fourth Tier expert, my ego would inflate to the point where I can’t see the situation clearly, do you? That team is intact and well-equipped, with a hidden Fourth Tier expert, and even energy maneuver armor—the danger level is extremely high. We’re all injured. I figure, unless you’ve had a cerebral hemorrhage for the past ten years, you wouldn’t even think of attacking them, right?"
"You’re really not angry?"
"Really not angry."
"Then, let me treat your wounds."
Qi Xinzhu placed her palm on Lu Luo’s back and began to heal the injuries he had sustained from the fight with Li Qingshu.
Lu Luo was severely injured. Due to the Shadow Pressure, he had suffered multiple bone fractures and cracks throughout his body.
His left chest was pierced through, and his right leg had a comminuted fracture. Such injuries would have left anyone else bedridden.
But Qi Xinzhu had barely started using Holy Radiance when her stomach growled, and the Holy Radiance was interrupted.
"Er, I’m so hungry," Qi Xinzhu said.
"I’m hungry too, Brother Luo. What should we do?" Gu Fangyi asked.
Lu Luo was speechless.
What seemed like an excellent team was, in reality, full of big eaters. Looking at the deep pool of water in front of them, Lu Luo smacked his hand.
"We should have asked them for some food when we left. That was careless."
"Makes sense."
Lu Luo threw his homemade fishing rod aside.
"Damn it, no more fishing! There are no fish in this world anyway."
He dove headfirst into the water.
BOOM, BOOM!
After the water rippled violently a few times, Lu Luo emerged from the shore carrying a huge, deformed Exotic Species.
"Lu Luo, Exotic Species from the water are almost never edible—they’re either highly poisonous or too heavily mutated. You’re not going to make us eat this, are you?"
"I know, but I also know that this kind of monster is valuable. Wait for me to dig out its brain and oil, and then I’ll go exchange it for some food for you guys."
Although Lu Luo, dripping with water and mud, looked quite disheveled,
when Qi Xinzhu heard him say he would trade it for food for them, she thought that Lu Luo, at this moment, was very handsome.
"Oh, is that so! Then be careful."
"Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing."
After killing the Exotic Species, Lu Luo picked up the plastic-wrapped brain and oil of the creature and once again headed towards the Hongtu Armed Group’s encampment.
He was preparing to engage in a second negotiation with this large team that hunted Lord-level Exotic Species.