Chapter 439 - 394: The Real Threat

Chapter 439: Chapter 394: The Real Threat

Black Banner Country.

In a mountain hollow, Lu City walked into a cave. Two short blades were immediately pressed against his neck.

"I am Lu City." He raised his hands. "I’m here to see the Prophet."

A calm voice echoed from within the cave. "Let him come."

The two blades withdrew. Lu City glanced at the unknown figures holding the knives in the shadows before walking into a chamber deeper inside the cave.

He saw the Prophet sitting by the cave wall. Beneath his short, dark green hair, his eyes were still covered by a black blindfold.

"You came to see me. What is it?"

"Many of the elite Ascender units have been withdrawn from the front lines. Top combatants like Soloma’s Adam and North Star’s Bai Xuewu have all returned to their home countries."

Lu City had been infiltrating the allied forces to gather intelligence, and his primary focus was the movements of powerful Ascenders.

"They’re likely being transferred to Fahe," the Prophet said.

Lu City’s heart skipped a beat. "Lord Prophet, you... you already knew?"

The Prophet remained noncommittal. Lu City paused for a moment before continuing, "I believe this is an opportunity. Without the top-tier Ascenders to hold the line, if we were to strike suddenly from within, the allied forces would surely fall into chaos."

"Strike from within."

"Yes. For example, we could attack when the allied commanders and other high-ranking officers are in a meeting. If we could eliminate them, the soldiers would lose their command structure and become a disorganized mob."

"Lu City, are you aware that our goal is proliferation, not murder?"

"..."

"You have these thoughts because you haven’t completed your transformation. You haven’t fully accepted the calling and become one of us."

Any Parasite could tell who was one of their own, to say nothing of the Prophet, their leader.

Hearing this, Lu City could no longer hold back. "Lord Prophet, forgive my bluntness! I don’t know how you got those Parasites to name you their leader, but I don’t think you’ve completed the transformation either... You’re still human!"

The corners of the Prophet’s mouth turned down slightly. "You think I’m human?"

"That’s right. Although I can’t distinguish between humans and Parasites, from the first moment I saw you, I felt that you still retained your human consciousness—that you hadn’t been replaced by the spores!"

"..."

Lu City knelt before the Prophet, pressing his forehead against the cold stone.

"Lord Prophet, I want to be like you—to retain my consciousness as a human, to be free from the torment of the spore addiction, and to stop the transformation process. Please, teach me how!"

Although Lu City had been resisting the final transformation with strength that surpassed ordinary Ascenders, he had recently begun to feel that he couldn’t hold on much longer.

He had a premonition that if he inhaled the spores just two or three more times, he would complete the transformation and become a Parasite.

At that point, his self-awareness would be replaced by the spores. Even if he kept his memories, it would no longer be him.

He had no other choice but to come to the Prophet and beg for help.

"Lu City, your words just now violated the tenet of ’proliferation above all’."

Lu City’s heart sank. If the Prophet wouldn’t help him, he had no path left but complete transformation.

"However, you are correct." The Prophet stood and walked over to Lu City. "My consciousness has indeed not been fully replaced by the spores."

"I am still human."

"!!"

Lu City snapped his head up, his face ecstatic.

He never imagined his sixth sense had been right. Even without any evidence, he had guessed correctly!

"Prophet, I—"

"I can help you fulfill your wish," the Prophet interrupted, "but only after you complete a mission for me."

"A mission." Lu City suppressed his excitement. "What kind of mission?"

The Prophet raised his head, his gaze seemingly piercing through the black blindfold and the thick cave walls, reaching to the far east.

"Soldiers can’t kill us, nor can ordinary Ascenders. But *they* tell me a true threat has emerged."

’They...’

Lu City knew the Prophet was referring to the "voices."

The "gentle whispers" that every spore-infected individual heard in their dreams and hallucinations.

"There are two targets in total, but you only need to deal with one of them."

"Do I need to kill someone? No problem." Lu City didn’t hesitate.

Ever since he left the academy and killed several of his fellow students, he knew there was no turning back.

Hands stained with blood can never be washed clean.

"There is a problem," the Prophet said. "You are not their match."

"..."

Lu City looked surprised.

Even if he wasn’t a top-tier Ascender, as one of the best students in his class at the academy, his strength was far beyond that of an ordinary Ascender. Especially as his transformation neared completion and the spores’ enhancement grew stronger... ’If even I’m no match, who could the target be?’

"Although you are not their match, we will help you. You only need to create an opportunity," the Prophet said.

"Prophet, may I ask who the target is...?"

"An instructor at the North Star Spiritual Power Development Academy, Shi Jingyi."

Lu City froze for a moment.

...

Night. Base No. 2, affiliated with the Strategy Research Room.

Three levels underground, two groups of people in tactical uniforms were changing shifts in front of a cell.

"Time’s up. You guys can leave."

"Finally, shift change. I’m exhausted~"

"Hey, if you go out tonight, remember not to look up at the sky. Don’t want to get killed by the Rule."

"I’m not that stupid. Besides, once a Rule is announced, we have to go back to the dorms. We’re not allowed to leave the base anyway."

After the shift change was complete, the few armed guards who were leaving had just reached the elevator when they saw people taking it down from the surface.

The guards exchanged glances. ’Why would someone be coming at this hour?’

The elevator doors opened, and three people walked out.

One was a scholar in a white lab coat with somewhat messy hair. Following him was a sturdy man with a buzz cut wearing a green jacket.

The third was a young man dressed all in black, with a fair, handsome face and eyes as dark as ink.

The armed guards didn’t recognize the young man in black, but they knew the scholar in the white lab coat. They straightened up and said in unison, "Dr. Zhang!"

Zhang Minglu waved his hand. "Alright, you can go. We have business to attend to."

"Yes, sir!"

Watching the three of them walk toward the cell, the armed guards began to discuss in low voices.

"Why is Dr. Zhang here in the middle of the night?"

"I don’t know... The one with him is a Dragon Soul captain, right? Who’s the other guy?"

"No idea. But to be here with Dr. Zhang and the captain, he must be someone important."

"Are they going to see the Parasite?"

"Of course... This is where they keep the Parasites. What else would they be here for?"

Even though he was quite far away, Guan Tong clearly caught their conversation.

After entering the second stage of Sublimation, his five senses had been greatly enhanced. Not only could he see and hear from a distance, but he could even perceive sounds that ordinary people couldn’t.

Sounds below 20 hertz and above 20,000 hertz were outside the hearing range of most people. Guan Tong couldn’t hear them before either, but now he was acutely aware of the most subtle noises, a sensation he was still getting used to.

Just like now, even before entering the room where the Parasite was held, he could already hear a mumbling sound coming from within.

"Great Prophet... lead us to the homeland of our dreams..."

’Is it praying?’

"Dr. Zhang!"

The armed guards in front of the cell immediately saluted upon seeing Zhang Minglu.

Zhang Minglu took out his identification. "We need to have contact with the Parasite for no more than 30 minutes. Here’s the authorization."

A guard took it and confirmed it via a remote check.

"Understood, Dr. Zhang. We will notify you in thirty minutes."

The guards opened the heavy cell door, and the three of them entered.

The space inside wasn’t large. A man was prostrated on the bed, hands pressed together, muttering something under his breath.

Hearing the noise at the door, the man instantly looked up, his expression shifting from pious to ferocious in a split second.

Zhang Minglu turned to Guan Tong and said, "As you know, during the ’Third Kind of Contact’ Rule, all Parasites held by the Human Federation nations were sent to the Sisiya Landing Site. This one was captured on the front lines by the allied forces after the Rule ended, and we’re certain he’s a Parasite."

Guan Tong nodded.

"Although I don’t know how you’re going to identify them... I’m really looking forward to the results!"

The excitement in Zhang Minglu’s eyes was hard to conceal.

When he received Guan Tong’s call and heard that he wanted to try identifying Parasites, he was overcome with surprise and delight.

The problem of the Fire Worship Cult was significant, but the Parasite issue was just as big and in urgent need of a solution.

If Guan Tong could really distinguish Parasites from humans, his method would be the key for humanity to completely eradicate this dangerous threat.

So, without a second thought, he made arrangements overnight to witness Guan Tong’s attempt alongside Dragon Soul.

"Damned humans! The Divine Kingdom will not forgive you! The Lord Prophet will purify you all!"

The Parasite in the cell roared. Now Guan Tong understood why Zhang Minglu had said he was one hundred percent certain this guy was a Parasite.

These Parasites—less intelligent, quick to anger, and incapable of lying to hide their identities—were the easiest to identify.

The real difficulty for humanity lay with the ones who would deny being Parasites to their dying breath.

Guan Tong walked forward.

"Human!"

The Parasite lunged, but in the next instant, a dozen or so Shadow Lines shot out from Guan Tong’s sleeves, binding the creature so tightly it couldn’t move at all.

"Let go—MMMPH!"

Its mouth had been gagged as well.

Zhang Minglu and Dragon Soul watched silently from behind, making no move to intervene.

Guan Tong walked up to the immobilized Parasite, stared at it for a moment, and raised his right hand.

When humanity had asked the Nanomites Swarm how to identify Parasites, the only comprehensible phrase in their reply was "Mind Network."

’So...’

Guan Tong pressed his palm to the Parasite’s forehead and silently recited in his mind:

’Establish Mind Network.’