Lu Luo followed Han Shiyu to the tent set up by the Academic Affairs office for her to perform an autopsy.
The bodies of Wang Le and Li Xiaomin had already been dissected by Han Shiyu. Although they had mutated, because Lu Luo killed them during their mutation process, they still retained so human characteristics.
"Professor Han, have you found anything? What type of virus caused the mutation?"
"I can’t say I’ve made any specific discoveries. These two students had already completed their mutation, and I haven’t found the virus you ntioned. Although their bodies are weak, their overall condition is relatively healthy. I didn’t find the Exotic Species virus you spoke of in their bodies. How should I put it... I don’t think their mutation was caused by a virus."
Han Shiyu’s words overturned Lu Luo’s previous conjecture. Not caused by an Exotic Species virus? Then what caused the mutation? It couldn’t have happened for no reason, right?
"Their bodies, are they really completely fine?"
"Because the mutation itself damages so of the body’s structure, it’s difficult to determine exactly what happened to them. Unless those other girls co in for so live examinations, we can’t rule out possibilities one by one. However, I can’t be sure that live examinations would definitely yield useful results."
Lu Luo nodded. He decided to tell Han Shiyu what had just transpired. "Professor Han, I just asked those students many questions and got so answers."
"Oh? You have clues already?"
"This matter might have been orchestrated by mbers of the Dawn Church."
Han Shiyu’s hand, which was packing her things, paused for a mont. However, her expression remained unchanged; she seed unconcerned that Church mbers were suspects.
"Professor Han, aren’t you surprised by this outco at all?"
"Why should I be surprised? Not everyone in the Church truly serves the Dawn. Many people have joined the Dawn Church recently, but so of them have impure motives; they’re only seeking power. Is it really so strange that so degenerates and scum erge from those dominated by power and desire?"
Han Shiyu calmly stated her views, which also seed to reflect her current attitude towards the Church. It appeared she, too, was dissatisfied with its current state.
"Professor Han, you must also be aware of so things happening within the Church now, right? For example..."
Lu Luo looked directly into Han Shiyu’s eyes. In his heart, he still hoped she wasn’t involved in the ’bride incident’.
Han Shiyu, however, had long seen through Lu Luo’s underlying concerns. "I know you asked Qi Xinzhu about the Apocalypse Riders. You’re currently investigating the Flower of Life and the Fruit of Life, aren’t you?"
Lu Luo nodded; he had to approach this topic carefully. "Professor Han, do you know anything about the Fruit of Life?"
"I left the Inner Ring eight years ago; I’ve been away from the center of power for a long ti. I’m not actually interested in the Church’s sordid affairs anymore. Right now, I just want to quietly pursue what I’m after."
Eight years? Lu Luo imdiately recalled Ludie’s incident, which had happened seven years ago. Had Han Shiyu left the Church’s center of power before that? However, Han Shiyu had essentially answered his question. At least she wasn’t connected to Ludie’s case, which brought Lu Luo a asure of relief.
"Alright, I believe you, Professor Han."
The questions Lu Luo had just asked were incredibly bold. What was Han Shiyu’s standing compared to his? His manner of questioning had bordered on insubordination. Whether Han Shiyu chose to speak or not, he wouldn’t have dared to say another word.
Seeing Lu Luo’s expression, a mixture of curiosity and trepidation, Han Shiyu suddenly chuckled. "Heh, you insincere fellow. I can indeed tell you a little sothing about the Fruit of Life."
Ah, a light at the end of the tunnel! Professor Han Shiyu still cares about us youngsters from Dawn! My ability to fish for information has improved.
"Please, Professor Han, I’m all ears."
"The Fruit of Life was originally docunted in an ancient to left behind by a first-generation Life Holy Knight of the Life Knights Group; it describes a supre ancient alchemy. After the death of that generation of Life Holy Knights, these forbidden texts were sealed away. I have so knowledge of alchemy, so I have heard whispers of this.
At that ti, the second-generation Life Holy Knight was gravely weakened from nurous battles, his body failing, just as the Black Tide approached. If the second-generation Life Holy Knight were to die, the remaining mbers of the Life Knights Group would have struggled to resist the Black Tide. So, his subordinate knights stole the refining thod for the Fruit of Life and gave it to alchemists to produce it.
Undoubtedly, the Fruit of Life was successfully created, and the second-generation Life Holy Knight was rejuvenated. Working together, they ultimately repelled the Black Tide. But after that incident, the Second secretly killed all the knights involved, and he himself committed suicide atop the Wall of Sighs.
I’m not familiar with the refining process for the Fruit of Life. But I can tell you responsibly that the Church has definitive records of this item; it truly can extend life."
After hearing Han Shiyu’s words, Lu Luo remained silent for a long ti. So, sothing capable of almost defying fate actually exists. Alright, I’m one step closer to the truth, but it seems to be of no use right now. Knowing the effects of the Fruit of Life won’t help with the current case. The Fruit of Life can only be considered a personal matter. For now, I still have to focus on the anomalous incident. And I’m getting very close to the mastermind behind it all.
"Thank you, Professor Han, for sharing such confidential information with . However, knowing this now doesn’t seem to make much difference. Oh, by the way, Professor Han, do mbers of the Church usually co to the school to proselytize? This person might be heavily involved in the current situation."
Han Shiyu thought for a mont, an uncertain look on her face. "Yes, there is one. His na is Wu En, a very old priest. But Priest Wu En is already over ninety and can barely walk steadily. In his youth, he even participated in the 343 Black Tide War. Now, he could pass away at any mont. Are you sure he’s involved?"
Lu Luo frowned slightly. Based on Han Shiyu’s description, this Wu En didn’t seem like the person behind this. "Does he have any relatives, friends, or family?"
"No, Priest Wu En is also a Believer of Light. He dedicated his entire life to the Church, childless and without a partner. Not long ago, he returned from a pilgrimage to the Inner Ring. He even told it would likely be his last."
Lu Luo nodded. According to Han Shiyu, it was unlikely Wu En was the culprit. Just as Lu Luo was about to turn away, he suddenly stopped. "That female student who mutated into a Second Tier Exotic Species, what did she say earlier?"
[The woman just now said: Why dig into it here? I just want to live.]
Looking at the information provided by the Observer, Lu Luo suddenly had a flash of insight, as if he had figured sothing out. Qi Xinzhu had once told him that the Dawn Disc is in the First Ring, a place all Believers of Light make pilgrimages to. Old Priest Wu En had just returned from a pilgrimage there, which in itself wasn’t problematic. However, Qi Xinzhu had also ntioned that Believers of Light in the First Ring could undergo mutation; this type of mutation is very special and is called Holy Judgnt by the Church. Lu Luo didn’t know what was so special about this Holy Judgnt mutation, but if Wu En was indeed involved, many things would start to make sense.
"Professor Han! Can you check if these two female students were pregnant?"
Han Shiyu was taken aback; she wasn’t sure why Lu Luo was asking this, though she had already examined the two girls’ bodies during the autopsy. "Their bodies have already mutated, so I can’t determine if they were pregnant. Why do you suddenly ask this?"
"If ’Yue’—the word for moon, or month—is supposed to an nstruation, that’s why I’m asking. Professor Han, please co with ."
Lu Luo led Han Shiyu directly to the dozen or so remaining female students involved in the anomalous incident.
"Lu Luo, what are you implying?"
"Exactly. Help examine all of them."
Under the rather surprised gazes of the Circle Studio mbers, Han Shiyu, Qi Xinzhu, and You Xiaoqi began to lead female students away. Often, the examinations had to be done forcibly. Fortunately, these students didn’t mutate during the process. After several trips back and forth, the expressions on Han Shiyu’s and the others’ faces grew increasingly grim.
Once all the examinations were complete, Lu Luo looked at their expressions and already knew the answer. Han Shiyu removed her mask and nodded at Lu Luo. "You guessed correctly. All these girls are pregnant, and not for very long. Moreover, they are completely unaware of their pregnancies. Another point is that their pregnancy state is sowhat different from that of normal won, which is why I didn’t notice it imdiately."
"Can you elaborate on the differences?"
"Their pregnancies... well, to put it simply, they’re not carrying human children!"
Lu Luo nodded. This conclusion perfectly matched his earlier speculation. "Professor Han, please co with for a mont."
Lu Luo’s subsequent deductions were really not suitable to discuss with others. The matter of the Fruit of Life alone was enough to make a powerful individual like Ludie go into hiding for years. Informing the other mbers of Circle Studio about the situation would only create more trouble; Lu Luo himself could only investigate secretly. But if his theory proved true, they would need a reliable level of force. Although he had advanced to Second Tier, he didn’t believe he could handle this matter alone. Therefore, he chose Han Shiyu. With her strength, she could manage even if sothing unexpected occurred.
The two returned to the autopsy tent. Han Shiyu spoke first. "You have a conclusion?"
"Yes, but it’s not convenient to discuss with them. I can only tell you."
"It seems this is quite a serious matter! Go on."
"First, we must establish one thing: mutation is not an irrational process of change. In an area with scarce Dark Energy like the Fourth Ring, specific conditions must be t for mutations to occur. Furthermore, for such concentrated and controllable mutations, there must be exceptionally special conditions."
Han Shiyu nodded. She had studied the principles of mutation. Indeed, in a unique place like the Fourth Ring, eting certain conditions was difficult. "Your point about the principles of mutation is well made."
"Professor Han, you’ve already ruled out the possibility of a virus in these female students. Since it’s not a virus, the options for such controlled effects are even more limited."
Han Shiyu nodded again. "So, you thought of pregnancy?"
"Exactly. Pregnancy, in so ways, is very similar to a viral infection, yet vastly different. Using special Exotic Species embryos to control these girls, rather than a virus, is an extrely clever tactic. The perpetrator understands human nature well, and also knows Exotic Species. Consuming flesh and blood—tentacles—nightmares—old Believer of Light—pilgrimage—pregnancy—Fruit of Life—Yue. These clues seem chaotic, but if you discern the key connections and rearrange them, the true answer erges."
"Continue."
Lu Luo opened a bottle of purified water, dipped his finger in it, and began to write the information he had gathered on the table as he analyzed. "Everything I’m about to say is my personal speculation. Many parts lack evidence; it’s purely conjecture."
"Mm, I understand. Go on."
"Wu En: a decrepit old Believer of Light, childless, without a partner, his posture stooped, his gait faltering. It’s hard to imagine such a person having any desires. Perhaps Wu En truly had no worldly desires. But I have a bold, yet plausible, hypothesis: Wu En did have a desire—to eternally serve the Dawn Disc to which he was loyal.
Therefore, Wu En went to the Inner Ring to perform a Believer of Light’s final pilgrimage! Weakness is a crucial factor for mutation. When a person is sufficiently weak and the Dark Energy is sufficiently potent, mutation can occur at any ti. This Wu En—a desireless, weak, devout old Believer of Light. On the verge of death, he indulged his final desire: he wished to serve the Dawn forever. So, at that ti, Wu En likely intended to die in the Inner Ring, before the Dawn Disc.
But unfortunately, his wish was shattered; intense Dark Energy invaded his body. At this point, Wu En must have undergone so sort of mutation—the mutation of a Believer of Light, which is what you call Holy Judgnt, right? Let’s pause here. Professor Han, last ti Qi Xinzhu spoke of these matters, she was very vague, and I couldn’t quite grasp the principles of Holy Judgnt. Can you tell now, what exactly is the Holy Judgnt mutation?"
Han Shiyu’s expression changed slightly when she heard the term ’Holy Judgnt’. From her reaction, it was clear that the so-called Holy Judgnt was no minor mutation. "Holy Judgnt, also known as Divine Adjudication, is the most peculiar mutation humanity has discovered to date. This mutation allows individuals to completely retain part of their sanity, abilities, and their entire Holy Radiance. One could say that, except for the fact that the essence of their life transforms into that of an Exotic Species, they are otherwise no different from normal. However, within the walls, humans cannot accept the existence of Exotic Species. Ultimately, their fate is decided by their Holy Radiance—a truly tragic and lantable end. They did not betray the Holy Light, but the Holy Light betrayed them!
The original aning of Holy Judgnt was to commorate those Believers of Light whose minds were corrupted by Exotic Species and Dark Energy during battles against them. But in recent decades, many Believers of Light near the First Ring, as well as high-ranking mbers of the Four Great Knight Groups, have, to varying degrees, shown signs of Holy Judgnt. However, most instances of Holy Judgnt mutation were suppressed by the Church; not many people know about them."
Han Shiyu spoke in detail. Lu Luo knew, without needing to be told, that this was another secret of the Church’s upper echelons.
"Alright, mutating yet still retaining complete Holy Radiance... it seems this so-called Holy Judgnt is even more outrageous than I imagined. However, such a powerful mutative effect from Holy Judgnt also helps explain so of the gaps in my theory. Assuming Wu En’s appearance didn’t change after undergoing the Holy Judgnt mutation, and you said Holy Judgnt preserves all the Holy Radiance of a Believer of Light. Therefore, he must have bypassed the Inner Ring’s detection asures, so those in charge didn’t realize he had undergone the Holy Judgnt mutation, allowing him to return here, to the Eastern Fourth Ring."
"Even if everything you’re saying is plausible, what about the subsequent events? How do they relate to this incident?"
"If Priest Wu En truly mutated due to his final wish—to serve the Dawn—then everything he did afterward becos explainable. After mutating, Priest Wu En likely retained part of his human will. He felt his human life force dwindling. He wanted to fulfill his wish, and to do that, he couldn’t die here. Therefore, he needed the Fruit of Life.
If I’m not mistaken, within the Church, Priest Wu En was probably soone of high seniority but little actual power. He could freely access certain areas of the Church and consult records, but he held no concrete authority. He found the thod to create the Fruit of Life from the Church’s records, and he had already begun attempting to make it.
He now possesses the ability to manipulate dreams. He used so unknown thod to make all these girls pregnant. My guess is, tentacles in their dreams. What he implanted in them is different from a normal pregnancy. So, these past few days should have been the ti for him to ’refine’ the students and harvest the ’fruits’. I don’t know if these girls were his first test subjects, but if Circle Studio hadn’t intervened, he might have already succeeded.
The sequence of clues can probably be arranged like this: Old Believer of Light—Pilgrimage—Wish—Mutation—thod—Dream Manipulation—Obtaining the Fruit of Life."
Although this was all Lu Luo’s speculation and sounded rather tenuous and far-fetched, Han Shiyu sohow felt he was right. "How can you deduce all this from such limited clues? Have you done similar work before?"
[Of course. The Host was the top detective on the national server—so good, he was silenced by being drowned in the river.]
"Ahem, perhaps I’m just rather gifted!"
Lu Luo suddenly recalled the black tentacles that had just vanished. Those tentacles had pierced the girls’ abdons; had they already taken what Wu En wanted? If so, then this Wu En might have already completed refining his own modified version of the Fruit of Life.
Han Shiyu frowned and glanced at the ti. "It’s already past 4 A.M. In just over three more hours, Wu En should arrive at the school with Qiao Xing. If all your deductions are correct, is he planning to harvest the ’fruits’ tomorrow? But Qiao Xing will be here as well. How would Wu En dare?"
Thinking about Qiao Xing extorting 200 yuan, Lu Luo said, sowhat unexpectedly, "Perhaps it’s collusion?"
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