Yan bei's roots intertwined in front of him, forming a web to resist the doctor's intrusion. Undoubtedly, the doctor was a monster that could serve as a boss even in "Resident Evil." His slender fingers pierced into Yan bei's roots, and wooden debris fell to the ground, filling the air with the fragrance of plants.
The doctor's back was exposed, with eyeballs like bubbles protruding from it, rolling and occasionally glancing at him with a spirited and disdainful look. In reality, the doctor couldn't understand why Lu Yan hadn't attacked or fled, but instead stood there, indifferent, as if watching a play.
The doctor advanced step by step, and Yan bei's roots became increasingly fragile, like a small tree that could break at any moment. When Yan bei was in a tree-like state, he couldn't move. If he couldn't seize the initiative in the attack, he could only passively endure the blows.
Lu Yan seemed to be waiting for the system's notification.
"You have only one chance. For you, a Pollutant with a contamination value of 7000 is deadly. Unless you're willing to let your mutation degree exceed 95 directly."
The rise in mutation degree was not entirely disadvantageous. With the same spiritual power threshold, Lu Yan could gain higher physical strength. However, if the mutation degree rose too quickly in a short period, it could easily enter another inhuman realm—the domain of pollutants. Once entered, this state was irreversible.
From the moment the doctor opened the door until now, only 30 seconds had passed. Yan bei's arms also began to undergo tree-like transformation, with more white roots emerging and entwining with the monster in front.
In the sudden pain, the eyes on the monster's back finally stopped watching Lu Yan and shed blood-red tears due to intense pain.
"Up."
Almost as soon as the system spoke, Lu Yan leaped down, wielding the Hellfire fiercely into the most crucial eye on the monster's back. It had silver pupils, which instantly closed tightly, gripping the blade with unbelievably tough eyelids.
As the flames spread, the doctor let out a miserable scream, disregarding the small tree person right in front, turning to strangle Lu Yan's neck. Several slender and resilient branches blocked the monster's path. The new branches were weak, only causing the doctor to pause for a second, but in a battle, that second was enough.
Without waiting for the system's instructions, Lu Yan followed his instincts, opened his mouth, and bit down hard on the eyeball on the doctor's back.
The monster struggled on the ground, and a few blood-red tentacles pierced through Lu Yan's waist and abdomen, covering his scaly body, which looked like paper-mâché armor in front of these tentacles.
"Talent 159 - Slashing."
Unsurprisingly, Lu Yan felt a sharp pain around his waist. He could guess that a bloodline had been cut on his waist. If he didn't leave, he might really be cut in half.
But as if he were unaware, he continued to bite the eyeball on the doctor's back.
The catfish opened its mouth, revealing ferocious fangs, biting the monster's flesh.
The Hellfire went deeper by half an inch. The flames of judgment burned in the void, surging through the doctor's limbs and bones.
It emitted a piercing cry, and Lu Yan, too close, was temporarily blinded by the fragmented and sharp cries. But his strength did not diminish. He had only one thought in his mind—consume it.
The doctor couldn't bear the burden, falling to the ground. From start to finish, he never understood how he had turned from a hunter into prey.
...
...
Yan bei watched silently. The doctor lying on the ground had stopped struggling, and only its long hands occasionally trembled autonomously, and the flesh tendrils on top occasionally twitched.
Lu Yan was still feeding. In the quiet room, there was the sound of chewing.
Besides eating, Yan bei couldn't think of other words to describe the scene for a while. Pure, straightforward, like a beast.
The deep red blood had already solidified, sticking to Lu Yan's face like thick syrup. He raised his head, looked at Yan bei, and his originally pitch-black eyes had turned completely silver.
Although Lu Yan wished his eating habits looked better, the situation was urgent, and conditions did not allow for it. He touched his waist side, and the bloodline had at least healed halfway, cutting into the bone. Lu Yan even suspected that if he stood up now, his upper body might break in half.
Regeneration was slowly repairing his injuries, including the damaged spleen.
"Congratulations, host. The collection progress of this fish has reached 1/2."
The aftermath of merging pollutants had begun to show. Lu Yan looked at his hand, and the fingertips were excessively long, with an extra joint resembling a cat's claw, curving with a crescent moon-like arc.
The monster's body strength was difficult to pierce even with a silver longbow, but now, Lu Yan, with his new fingertip, cut the doctor's red muscles like tender beef. Lu Yan waited for a long time until the distortion in his hand ended and returned to normal levels. Nevertheless, his hand bones were still a bit longer than before.
Lu Yan took off the key hanging from the doctor's waist.
"Congratulations, host, you have obtained the basement key x1."
From this, it could be seen that, as people reached middle age, they inevitably hung keys on their belts at their waists.
Lu Yan touched his waist. The severed half of his body had seemingly glued back together on the surface. He asked the system, "After defeating the boss, shouldn't there be a supply box dropping?"
System: "[No way, no way. Can someone really treat reality as a role-playing game? How about you guard the corpse here and see if the doctor turns into a giant blood bag?]"
Yan bei's roots had retracted, but there were still lingering white roots on his limbs, making movement difficult. Not only were there flower buds on his head, but also a few tender green leaves.
Lu Yan walked over and said, "I'll carry you."
Yan bei obediently lay on Lu Yan's back, gently sniffing and catching a whiff of the scent of blood on Lu Yan.
The doctor's blood was foul.
Surprisingly, Lu Yan's blood smelled unexpectedly sweet, reminding him of the nutrient solution he had drunk at the Disease Prevention and Control Center.
Yan bei remarked, "Among the Harbingers I've encountered, the direction of mutation usually follows a single path. But on you, it seems there are several distorted directions."
Lu Yan didn't answer this question. In fact, he wasn't very clear himself about the directions in which he was mutating.
So, Yan bei reassured him, "You can trust me; I'll keep it confidential."
The three powerhouses of the Romanek Manor had only encountered two, and the exploration team had already suffered heavy losses.
Yan bei was injured, and his mutation degree had exceeded 80; under any circumstances, he shouldn't continue using his talents.
Lu Yan was slightly better, but he was also in a wounded state. Michael was trapped in the tunnel, whereabouts unknown.
Among the three monsters in the manor, the wife was the earliest pollutant to start mutating. There was even an unborn child in her belly transformed from the placenta of an unknown creature.
Lu Yan suspected that the lady of the manor had already reached S-rank.
"[Just a bit more.]" The system admitted, "[She's about to give birth. In nature, no matter what species, they are at their weakest during childbirth. Even pollutants are no exception.]"
"[This is your chance. Of course, you can decline. In fact, I never approved of you reaching Kroman Manor at this point. It's too dangerous for you now. Even though danger and opportunity always coexist.]"
After consecutively devouring the merchant and the doctor, Lu Yan's spiritual power threshold had surged to 5900.
Originally, the Pope had also increased his spiritual power threshold through devouring. However, that was the result of decades of accumulation. Even the researchers of Facility 03, knowing that the Pope couldn't die, didn't dare to let him binge-eat like Lu Yan.
"Eating" was the most straightforward and crude way of merging with pollutants.
When Facility 03 performed fusion surgery on people, just dealing with pollutants involved dozens of procedures, aiming to minimize side effects.
For anyone else, they might have already been torn apart by pollutants. But for Lu Yan, it was just a bit uncomfortable in his stomach.
The feeling of being overfed wasn't pleasant.
Lu Yan pushed open another room, letting Yan bei lie on the bed. It was a child's room, dusty and adorned with many plush toys in the corners.
"Wait here; I'll go find Michael."
He didn't intend to take Yan bei to the basement; it was too dangerous.
Yan bei's body couldn't endure another round of battle. Even though the sensation and perception of pain had been transferred to the nerves of the opponent, the injuries were real.
Both the doctor and the merchant were dead, and there wouldn't be much danger in the entire castle except for resembling a scene from a horror movie.
Yan bei raised his head, looking dazed. "Are you going to leave me behind?"
In a foreign land, facing consecutive dangers, perhaps due to the bridge effect, he had become quite attached to Lu Yan.
Lu Yan replied, "No."
Yan bei lowered his head, and his long hair fell on the bed, covering most of the arms that had already mutated into tree roots.
Most of his lower body had already turned into vegetation. Even walking independently was challenging.
"Is it because... I'm a burden?" His voice vaguely carried a hint of nasal tone.
Yan bei turned to look at the wall, not wanting to look at Lu Yan.
After a moment of hesitation, Lu Yan patted his head. "No. It's because the place I'm going might be very dangerous."
Suddenly, Yan bei felt a bit less uncomfortable.
A red flower blossomed from his chest, starting from the position of his heart.
"This, I'm giving it to you."
[Congratulations, the host has obtained a hidden item: Yan bei's Red Flower.]
[This is a gift from Yan bei to someone he likes, even though he doesn't understand what love is.]
[Effect: Can resist one fatal injury; the injury will transfer to Yan bei.]
Yan bei shook off the dust on the blanket, covered his legs, lay down on the bed, and softly said, "Then come back soon; I'm afraid of the dark."
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