Upon hearing Lu Yan's response, Tang Xunan's expression revealed his surprise, "Dr. Lu, you know me?" He hesitated for a moment, "Does that mean I'm quite famous now?" Lu Yan glanced at him, "Yes, you're second in the world." Tang Xunan was pleased for half a minute before asking, "Then who's the first?" Without lifting his head, Lu Yan replied, "Me." He wasn't joking. Ever since R'lyeh devoured Shen Qingyang, Lu Yan had collected six Kingfish. Even if Tang Xunan, at 103 years old and still living as a human, considering the current threshold of spiritual power, would have to yield to him.
Tang Xunan subtly changed the subject, "Dr. Lu, how are you planning to save Zhizhi?" "Surgery," Lu Yan raised the knife in his hand, "What follows will be rather academic. If you can't stomach it, you're welcome to close your eyes. But no matter what I do, do not interfere." Tang Xunan reassured, "Don't worry. Illness leads to insight into medicine. Though I've never undergone surgery, I've been modified hundreds of times and am quite adaptable." He said this with a trace of pride. Lu Yan hummed in response, unbuckling his shirt under Tang Xunan's astonished gaze. The lines of his neck and shoulders were smooth and elegant, the seawater dripping down his hair, gathering in beads and sliding into the shadows.
Tang Xunan turned his head away, pretending to admire the scenery, his head so low it almost buried in the sand, his ears reddening. Lu Yan traced his fingers across his chest, leaving shallow marks, then carefully cut through the skin with his knife. The blade entering his chest brought a swollen, dull pain. Lu Yan's control over his body was now exceptionally strong, such that he could regulate the flow of his blood.
The cross-section of the wound was vivid red, but only a few drops of blood seeped out. Before the apocalypse, this might have been hailed as a medical miracle. To avoid damaging the heart with the surgical knife, his hand gently probed through the incision on his chest, grasping his still-beating heart. This heart was much smaller than that of a normal adult.
After waiting a few minutes, Tang Xunan couldn't help but sneak a peek, just in time to see Lu Yan calmly removing his heart from his chest. Tang Xunan was not faint-hearted, but in that moment, he was profoundly shaken, even wondering if he was still dreaming. Lu Yan set the removed heart aside, the pain causing his hand holding the knife to tremble slightly.
The system spoke sternly, "After the heart is removed, you can survive for about 40 minutes, and Subject 0 has only 3 minutes. You need to complete the heart transplant within three minutes of removing Subject 0's heart." Lu Yan steadied his spasming muscles by gripping his right wrist with his left hand. The knife steadily made an incision in Yu Zhizhi's skin, he meticulously opened up her chest cavity, and finally, at the deepest part, saw that tiny heart. A normal heart is red, but Yu Zhizhi's heart was semi-transparent, resembling fragile glassware, with bright red blood flowing between her ventricles.
The intense pain caused Yu Zhizhi's eyelids to crack open, her body struggling, blood pouring out, significantly obstructing the surgical view. "Sleep," Lu Yan commanded calmly, using his talent. Lu Yan possessed Talent 111 - Delirium, with its superior being Talent 11 - Prophecy, characterized by a certain degree of command over reality. Since merging with the six fish, Lu Yan could occasionally borrow some superior talents, albeit unpredictably. This time, it seemed to take effect. Yu Zhizhi's gaze became vacant, and she quickly lost consciousness.
Lu Yan's blood had a tremendous attraction to pollutants, and so did Yu Zhizhi's. The combined effect of their surgeries attracted pollutants as effectively as a top-tier omega would attract alphas during their heat in a world full of them. The nearby pollutants became vicious, and even the birds that had flown away returned, aggressively heading towards the island.
There was no need for Lu Yan's instructions. Tang Xunan stood in front of them both, at 19, untrained in combat, but instinctively picked up the dust on the ground. It was a broken sword, its blade snapped in half. This was the first time Tang Xunan held a sword, yet it resonated with him, conveying emotions of profound sadness and sorrow. So much so, that Tang Xunan's golden eyes involuntarily welled up with thin layers of tears.
...
Lu Yan's surgery continued, his forehead dripping with fine sweat.
Yu Zhizhi's heart structure was far from ordinary, with blood vessels resembling intricate networks, encasing the glass-like heart.
This unique cardiac structure stumped even the world's leading cardiac experts. Clinical medicine thrived on empirical evidence, demanding countless iterations before perfection. Yu Zhizhi's condition left no room for error.
Fortunately, Lu Yan possessed omniscience. With precise and swift movements, he skillfully dissected delicate strands, revealing the translucent heart within. Carefully, he cradled it in his hands.
The pollutants around them shrieked louder as Lu Yan exchanged his own crimson heart for Yu Zhizhi's. With meticulous stitches, he secured the delicate vessels.
As Yu Zhizhi's new heart began its slow, rhythmic beat, vitality surged through his chest. Lu Yan breathed a sigh of relief, then placed Yu Zhizhi's heart into his own chest cavity.
Several main vessels connected to the heart, their cross-sections emitting faint white threads, reminiscent of silk spun by silkworms.
A slight twinge in his chest indicated a mild rejection reaction. For the final step, Lu Yan sewed up his own incision. With his chest being an awkward angle for observation, an eye emerged on the back of his hand.
The needle was a small fishbone extracted from a tuna.
After ten minutes of crude stitching, Lu Yan fastened his buttons just as the sound of helicopter blades filled the sky.
Looking up, Lu Yan saw a military helicopter hovering above the island. Moments later, a figure leaped from the open hatch.
With pristine wings sprouting from his back and white feathers fluttering down, it was Bai Ze.
Bai Ze's expression brimmed with joy. "Captain Tang! Mr. Lu!"
He had been searching the nearby waters for a month, visiting Polaris Island just yesterday, finding nothing but ice and tundra. It was only the sudden outbreak of pollutants that made him return mid-journey.
On New Year's Day, the world witnessed the "Blood Moon Phenomenon" once again. Pollution levels surged globally, agitating the pollutants and inciting panic among the populace. Rumors of the apocalypse spread like wildfire.
Despite efforts by the Disease Prevention and Control Center to quell the rumors, internal chaos prevailed. The disappearance of Tang Xunan and Lu Yan at the epicenter of the pollution only added to the fear.
Tang Xunan was a stalwart in the Special Operations Department, a beacon of stability since its inception. Many grew up hearing tales of his exploits. While his condition was precarious, nobody had imagined his silent demise.
This was the mightiest harbinger in human history, responsible for countless miracles. If he were to depart, it would be in a blaze of glory.
Many clung to the hope that Tang Xunan still lived, trapped awaiting rescue. However, as time passed, this belief waned.
In the present world, a harbinger missing for two months near a pollution source likely spelled doom.
Sorrow pervaded the Special Operations Department, yet no one dared propose a memorial service. "Seeing is believing," they said. As long as no body was found, Tang Xunan was merely missing.
Bai Ze, as Tang Xunan's deputy, flew daily sorties over the vast ocean, searching tirelessly. Though they found some fragments of pollutants from the sea bed, it brought no joy. The remnants carried a pollution value of 6400, indicating they were merely a minuscule part of the main pollutant, which likely reached around 18,000.
Upon receiving the test results, silence enveloped the group like death.
"...Is Captain Tang really alive?" someone ventured.
No one could offer assurance except for Bai Ze, who declared firmly, "He's alive."
But Bai Ze felt like a taut string, liable to snap under the slightest pressure. He struggled to contain his excitement.
As he landed, he immediately contacted the duty officer. "Xiao Wang, I've sent you the coordinates. We've found Captain Tang and Subject 0! Send a ship!"
Lu Yan was mildly surprised. "Two months?"
Considering the time he spent unconscious and on the ship, Lu Yan had only assumed he'd been missing for half a month.
The system chimed in, "Nothing is impossible in R'lyeh; time is distorted here."
Bai Ze touched down, folding his wings. He approached Tang Xunan and pounded his shoulder. "I knew you were alive! My kid hasn't even met his godfather yet! You really had me worried, damn it."
However, the more Bai Ze pounded, the more something felt off. Tang Xunan's expression seemed bewildered, even seeking help from Lu Yan.
Bai Ze's smile froze, turning to Tang Xunan, "What's going on? Hit your head or something?"
He sensed more discrepancies, like Tang Xunan's youthful features, the broken yellow dust in his hand, and the soft palms that seemed unaccustomed to holding a blade.
Lu Yan wrapped Yu Zhizhi in his clothes, lifting him up. "This is the nineteen-year-old Tang Xunan."
Bai Ze froze, grabbing Lu Yan's shoulder, panic creeping into his voice. "Then where's the real Tang Xunan?"
But even as he asked, Bai Ze regretted it. He feared Lu Yan's response. As long as Tang Xunan remained missing, Bai Ze could comfort himself with the hope of his return. But if Lu Yan revealed anything grim, even Bai Ze couldn't continue deluding himself.
Turning to the system, Lu Yan asked, "You said he's alive."
"He is. He's been reborn within the body of the Black Dragon you encountered. But he's no longer human; he's a pollutant."
The system's tone was unusually light, "But it's fine. Haven't you already met Subject 0? Her heart beats within your chest now, along with her talents. Tang Xunan was right; now, you are the hope."
"This is the apocalypse, and there must be a harbinger."
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