Who hid My Corpse!

"Hopefully they'll take a detour." The subordinate shrugged and asked, "Captain, shouldn't we head back now? With our current equipment, we can't go any deeper, can we?"

Yuri uttered a thoughtful "Hmm," "That's enough, mark the coordinates. We'll come back later... Hmm?"

He suddenly felt something was amiss.

The soil beneath his feet, already a heap of mud, was trembling ever so slightly, as if it were boiling water.

"What's going on?" The subordinate also noticed and became immediately alert, "Is there a medium-sized pollutant passing nearby?"

Yuri didn't speak but quickly bent down and plunged his hand into the mud, feeling the earth beneath the mire.

The earth was trembling.

"Cap, Captain!" The subordinate suddenly cried out in terror, "What is that over there?!"

Yuri immediately raised his head.

Through his mask, Yuri witnessed a scene he would never forget.

Countless pollutants were gushing out from the very depths of the Polluted Land.

These monsters, which were supposed to be devoid of any intelligence, were now moving like migrating animals, all heading in the same direction, stirring the earth into a quiver with the commotion they created.

And the place they were heading for was obviously...

After a brief moment of surprise, Yuri drew his sword from his waist and twisted the hilt.

Fire then ignited the blade.

"Alert the camp!" Yuri bellowed at his subordinate, "The pollutants are running wild... All hands to battle! We mustn't let them invade Lyra!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a vast shadow enveloped him.

He looked up and saw a gigantic pollutant, already upon him.

...

Clang.

Deni also ignited his blade.

He didn't know what exactly was happening, but he had seen the changes in Yong Xin with his own eyes.

Now, all that remained of Yong Xin was skeletal remains; his flesh and blood scattered about the office like dandelions caught in a gust of wind.

Scattered dandelions could be seen as beautiful.

Scattered flesh and blood only served to chill the bone.

This transformation was clearly not something humans could possess.

It could only be... a pollutant!

The regulations of the Devil's Army dictated that any non-human transformation on a person, no matter the nature of the change or the identity of the individual, had to be executed immediately to prevent contamination from invading Lyra.

And now, this obvious pollution had erupted inside Lyra itself, in the core of the Sky Tower.

Deni had thought about calling for help, but it was late at night, and the Sky Tower was almost empty. Moreover, the majority of the Skeleton Corps were still out searching for Gerard's whereabouts. He didn't even know where to find anyone, and he worried if he left hastily, would the contamination spread unchecked?

By then it would be too late.

Considering this, Deni realized he only had one choice.

That was to eliminate the source of the pollution!

Even if the source was Yong Xin, the person with the most power in the Fourth District since Bishop Hallman had passed away, and someone whom he wished to ingratiate himself with.

Holding the ignited sword, Deni took large strides forward, ready to eradicate the monster before him.

But as he approached, he hesitated.

Because he didn't know where to strike.

At that moment, the only remaining human-like part on Yong Xin's body was a clump of dry bones, which also looked like they could fall apart at any moment.

But he didn't have time to think too much about it, and simply slashed at the thickest part of the skeleton.

Yet, even such an attack was unsuccessful.

With a "clang," the fiery blade was caught by an arm turned to white bone.

"What... are... you... do... ing?"

Yong Xin's voice echoed from all around.

Deni was stunned.

Because he saw the scattered flesh in the room rapidly reattaching to the dry bones, bit by bit, layers upon layers, quickly forming the figure of Yong Xin.

In less than a minute, Yong Xin was restored to his original state.

He sat calmly in the chair, his expression indifferent, looking no different from before, as if nothing had happened.

His hand still clutched Deni's flaming blade.

The hand roasted by the flames kept sizzling, but he acted as if he felt nothing.

"You're a bit too tense," Yong Xin slowly pushed back Deni's blade, "Put away your sword, Mr. Deni, nothing happened tonight."

Deni looked down at his sword being pushed back.

Yong Xin's body had not been modified, and his arms had long since been replaced with cybernetic limbs, so theoretically, their strengths shouldn't even be on the same level.

Yet Yong Xin had effortlessly pushed his own sword back.

"... Nothing happened tonight?"

"Yes, Mr. Deni, nothing has happened tonight," Yong Xin said flatly, looking at Deni. "Earlier, I was just feeling a bit uncomfortable, ah... that's right, Mr. Deni, I've heard that you've been wanting to be transferred back from the Devil's Army, haven't you?"

Yong Xin spoke as if he was making casual conversation with Deni.

"I can completely understand; staying on the front lines for too long makes one want to change their way of life."

Deni understood what Yong Xin meant; after a moment of silence, he asked, "Can you help me?"

"Why not?" Yong Xin smiled at Deni. "You should also know, for me... it's not a difficult task."

Deni did not immediately respond.

Yong Xin then leisurely added, "Moreover, Mr. Deni, you should know that some words are not so easily believed by others, and if spoken out loud, one would be seen as a madman."

Deni's pupils contracted slightly.

Yong Xin's words made Deni recall a certain solitary figure.

...So that's how it is?

"Think it over, Mr. Deni," Yong Xin leaned back in his chair and gazed at Deni, "I believe you will make the right choice. The New Chaser Association also welcomes you."

Deni looked at Yong Xin for a long time.

After a while, he nodded, "I understand, nothing happened tonight."

"Good," Yong Xin nodded with a smile.

Having made his decision, Deni saluted Yong Xin, sheathed his sword, and turned to leave.

But when he tried to open the door, he found it locked.

Yong Xin's sigh sounded behind him, "It's a pity, Mr. Deni, you've still made a different choice... Honestly, it's a loss, for dawn is coming, but you chose to die before the dawn."

Deni's body stiffened slightly, but he didn't turn around, only speaking in a low voice, "I don't understand what you mean."

Yong Xin gently crooked his finger.

Then, a piece of bloody flesh burst from between the clenched fingers of Deni, quickly returning to Yong Xin's body.

"This is my flesh," Yong Xin said in a languid tone, "where did you think you were taking it?"

Before Yong Xin's words had finished, Deni's sword unsheathed once again, the flames rekindled and instantly tore through the darkness.

The next moment, he was rushing at Yong Xin, his sword aimed straight at Yong Xin's head.

"That's why I said..." Yong Xin said softly, "It's quite regrettable."

After a while, a figure in a black robe pushed through the office door, his eyes immediately landing on a body lying in a pool of blood.

"Lord Yong Xin, this is..."

Yong Xin glanced at the man in the black robe and said indifferently, "Just a little accident, clean it up quickly, dawn is almost upon us."

The black-robed figure nodded repeatedly and set about tidying up the already chaotic office.

After that, Yong Xin fell silent, just quietly watching out of the window, his heart full of unease.

Deni was just a minor incident.

But what truly troubled him was the mutation that had started just before, its cause unknown.

Even though the power of "Domination" had returned to his body, the reason remained unclear.

And there was another thing,

since a little while ago, he had this feeling,

as if someone,

was watching him.

...

In Taoyuan Village, Bai Wei slowly retracted his hand from the giant tree, a slight smile spreading across his lips.

"So it turns out,"

"you were here."