The pouring rain cascaded down upon the city. Due to the near-complete shutdown of industrial operations, the water quality in Changjia remained decent.
Lu Yan hadn't brought an umbrella, but he didn't mind the rain. Though only a few seconds had passed, his younger brother's face had already blurred in his mind, leaving only a haunting silhouette.
Exhaling a sigh, Lu Yan pushed open the door before him.
It was a Western restaurant, evident from its decor, suggesting that the owner had spared no expense. The piano in the corner was shrouded in thick dust.
"The truth lies within the kitchen's freezer," he muttered to himself.
On the map, the location marked by the red dot was now close by.
Lu Yan pushed open the door to the kitchen, and a foul stench assailed his senses.
"The power has been out for too long; everything in the freezer has gone bad."
Especially the meat and eggs. Initially, there were insects crawling around the kitchen because for decades, even the hatched flies had disappeared. However, the nauseating stench remained.
There was no light here, only darkness enveloped the room. Unlike ordinary darkness, this darkness seemed to devour sources of light.
If it weren't for his new set of eyes, Lu Yan would likely be blind in this darkness.
"This used to be the favorite restaurant of the Lord or perhaps the insurance salesman. It's where he proposed to his beloved," a voice echoed in his mind.
"The girl didn't accept his proposal because she suffered from a rare disease, and Changjia was just a small island country with limited medical facilities. She needed to go to a better, bigger hospital."
"So, the Lord used his talents to establish the Blissful Sect, beginning his life of deceit and manipulation."
"You make it sound like you're whitewashing his actions," Lu Yan retorted.
"No. He became a deity of faith, feeling the power and realizing that his talents could be used in such ways. He enjoyed wealth, status, and even more beautiful women. The girl he once loved became ordinary to him, and he gave up on treatment. But he came up with a solution. One that would keep them together forever."
"He devoured her brain. From that moment on, he became a pollutant, his brain mutating."
The Blissful Sect thrived in Changjia, and his reputation on this tiny island even surpassed that of the local president. The Lord was cautious, ensuring that Changjia wouldn't attract external attention prematurely. However, as time passed, his body gradually aged.
The Lord wanted his divine kingdom to endure for eternity.
He began frequently inhabiting others' bodies, a process known as "divine descent," reducing humans to mere vessels manipulated by his mind.
Yet, human bodies were inherently fragile. And the orderly human society was not the true divine kingdom the Lord desired.
So, he completely abandoned human bodies and assumed his current form.
With mass deaths among the believers on Changjia Island, it finally drew external attention and triggered action from the divine kingdom.
It was then that the Lord realized that there were not only "pollutants" like them in this world but also some fearless humans in the midst of evolution.
He was defeated, but he never believed he would perish. He was the apex existence among mental pollutants. As long as "thought" existed in the world, he and the Blissful Sect would endure.
- Until now.
Lu Yan violently opened the freezer, finding bags of ingredients stacked inside. The meat had long decayed, and even the sewage had dried up, leaving only the lingering stench.
Amid a pile of rubbish, he unearthed a small, fresh brain.
The Lord still resisted fiercely, emitting a high-pitched scream. Lu Yan felt even dizzier, as if he could fall asleep at any moment.
The mist filled the cramped room, its concentration so high that Lu Yan felt like he was submerged in white milk.
Though his actions were indeed affected, his hands remained steady throughout.
Grasping the brain, he heard it scream, "How is this possible? Why haven't you passed out yet?"
The sensation of holding this brain felt like grasping a heavy solid ball. Its surface was riddled with grooves, resembling weathered and compressed jerky, dry and tough.
The Lord thrashed violently, but Lu Yan's hook-like nails dug deep into its flesh, rendering it unable to break free.
Resisting an unprecedented wave of drowsiness, Lu Yan unsteadily raised the knife in his hand.
"Friend, perhaps there's been a misunderstanding between us. You don't understand me. In fact, on Changjia Island, my followers and I live happily. The outside world is so dangerous, and I've provided them with stability and peace. Even from a human perspective, you cannot comprehend my efforts..."
As the Lord spoke, a surge of electrical current burst from its brain cortex.
Ordinarily, this voltage would be enough to kill several elephants, but Lu Yan only felt a slight numbness in his arm.
This was unscientific because Harbingers' talents tended to specialize either in physical strength or mental power. It was rare to find someone who excelled in both. And pollutants like the Lord were not supposed to exist.
The Lord initially thought Lu Yan was a mental Harbinger, but now it seemed it had miscalculated.
Hellfire pierced through its body, like dropping Mentos into cola, and the white brain matter burst forth, splattering everywhere in the kitchen. The Lord's true form was over ten meters tall, but it compressed itself for easier escape.
Lu Yan inevitably recalled the previous brain's words, "Wasting food."
The Lord emitted an agonizing scream from Lu Yan's palm. "I don't understand! Let me die in peace! Why can you find me? Why are mental attacks ineffective against you?!"
Once, about six months ago, in the botanical garden, a brief encounter with it had left Lu Yan bleeding from seven orifices.
It couldn't comprehend how, in such a short time, Lu Yan had grown to this extent.
—It was simply unheard of.
There was no precedent before, and no one could replicate it afterward.
Hellfire had a cauterizing effect, causing the brain in his hand to emit a burnt grease smell, gradually turning its bright red surface to pale white.
Unfortunately, Lu Yan hadn't brought any onions, ginger, or garlic, and the brain smelled too foul to be appetizing.
Silently, Lu Yan continued to hack away. The brain became riddled with holes, until only a dried-out husk remained.
Something hard was inside it. Lu Yan tore open the outer layer, revealing a ring.
"It's a wedding ring. She agreed to marry him that day."
On the map, the red dot blinked rapidly before disappearing completely.
Lu Yan asked, "Is it dead?"
"Dead. But as long as humanity exists, still thinking, the Lord, or pollutants in this form, will not die."
"But there won't be another big brain appearing in the short term."
Feeling hungry, Lu Yan touched his stomach. But this thing wasn't quite palatable, too gamy.
After some thought, he took off his gloves and sliced open a gash in his palm.
Lu Yan dumped the Lord's remains into it.
The system shed a tear: "Poor big guy, he's so dimwitted, yet he has to be your garbage can."
Since he couldn't find any onions, ginger, or garlic, Lu Yan, with years of cooking experience, thought this wouldn't taste good. But it turned out crispy and fatty, though he couldn't eat too much of it. Thankfully, the Lord had been considerate enough to compress itself into a small lump.
Leaning against the wall, Lu Yan emerged. Not because he was full, but because his head was pounding.
He didn't measure his current degree of mutation, but he figured it shouldn't be too low.
"Congratulations, host, on completing the S-level mission, Divine Kingdom Operation, in 9 days and 13 hours. Although clouds of darkness and mist still shroud this land, the greatest calamity has been resolved."
"You are... a hero. Though it sounds cliché, it seems fitting from a human perspective."
Too tired to speak, Lu Yan understood now why not allowing prisoners to sleep was considered torture.
He dragged a chair, intending to nap on the table. Now, even if ten tails wagged in front of him, all Lu Yan could think about was sleep.
"But I don't recommend you sleep immediately."
"Stop bothering me," Lu Yan retorted.
The system said, "Ning Huai's mutation level has reached 99. Can you really sleep now?"
Lu Yan abruptly opened his eyes, got up, bloodshot.
For the first time in his life, he cursed aloud, "Damn."
Unlock exclusive early access to 100s of Chapters before anyone else by becoming a valued member of my Patreon community.
As a cherished member of our Patreon community, here is what you'll get:
For just $5, you'll receive:
- Early access to 100s of chapters before they go public. (You can find all the novels I'm translating HERE.)
- Your name will be prominently featured on the "Wall of Gratitude".
- The power to vote on which novel I translate next.
- You Get Ad-free Chapters.
If you decide to pledge $10, you'll get all the perks from the $5 tier, plus:
- You get to suggest a Novel for me to translate.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in gold).
And if you're feeling generous with a $20 pledge, you'll unlock all the perks above:
- You get to recommend an abandoned Novel and I will immediately start translating it.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in blue).
Plus, you can Cancel your membership at any time.
Don't let this amazing opportunity slip through your fingers!
