Chapter 587 - 577: Sound Source Pollution 29

Watching Hugh Finch jog over, Moira Lynch said with a hint of resignation, "You’re finally here. I haven’t found anything. You should take a look for yourself."

After arriving, Hugh Finch first surveyed the surroundings before his gaze fell upon a rundown little convenience store in the distance.

The convenience store was truly ancient, stocked with nothing more than simple snacks and drinks. The interior was dark, with only a single service window.

Through the window, you could clearly see everything inside.

Customers would pick out what they wanted through this window, and the owner would get it for them.

Moira Lynch had noticed this little store earlier and had already scanned it with her spiritual power.

A half-empty bottle of soda still sat on a table, suggesting the owner had left in quite a hurry.

And in the store’s most prominent spot, there were several snowing Crystal Balls.

Hugh Finch leaped through the window into the store and went straight to the shelf where the Crystal Balls were displayed.

’Is the thing Hugh’s looking for inside a Crystal Ball?’

Moira Lynch wondered, watching his actions.

But in the next second, Hugh Finch grabbed the shelf holding the Crystal Balls and lifted it straight up.

The floor space he revealed was covered in a thick layer of dust, along with a shattered Crystal Ball.

The moment he saw the broken Crystal Ball, a flicker of excitement flashed in Hugh Finch’s eyes.

As his fingers touched the Crystal Ball, a purple light erupted from his fingertips like a spark.

At that same moment, the once-shattered Crystal Ball was restored to its original state.

Before Moira Lynch could even register her surprise, a familiar ripple of energy rapidly expanded outward from the Crystal Ball as its epicenter.

’This is all too familiar.’

Fortunately, the previous incident had drawn everyone toward the southeast corner, so it would take them some time to get here.

"Quick, have your Spiritual Body eat it."

She couldn’t tell if that energy pulse was a one-time event or if it would be continuous. The best solution was to have the Spiritual Body consume the object.

After all, after Snowy ate that seed, no one had managed to find her.

’As for whether there would be any side effects...’

’Based on her understanding of her own Spiritual Body, there most likely weren’t any.’

’Besides, judging by how eager Snowy had been, that seed must have not only been harmless but also incredibly nourishing for it.’

Hearing Moira Lynch’s words, Hugh Finch summoned his Spiritual Body, the Silver Serpent, without a moment’s hesitation.

Normally, whenever the Silver Serpent was summoned, it would immediately seek out Moira Lynch and affectionately coil around her for a while. This time, however, the moment it appeared, it was instantly captivated by the Crystal Ball in Hugh Finch’s hand.

And as its master, Hugh Finch could clearly feel the intense craving radiating from the Silver Serpent.

"Go on, eat it."

A look of reluctance crossed Hugh Finch’s face, but he still held the Crystal Ball out to the Silver Serpent.

The Silver Serpent, seeing this, didn’t hesitate for a second. Its mouth opened to an unbelievable size, and it swallowed the Crystal Ball in a single gulp.

As the Crystal Ball settled in its belly, the Silver Serpent quickly fell into a deep slumber.

"It must have been a sudden intake of too much energy. It’ll wake up on its own once it’s finished digesting," Moira Lynch explained simply.

With her current level of power, she could already see figures rapidly approaching their position.

Seeing this, Moira Lynch returned the convenience store to its original state, grabbed Hugh Finch’s arm, and the two of them vanished on the spot.

Inside the apartment, Barry Wallace, who had just finished packing four large suitcases and a massive woven plastic duffel bag, was startled by the two people who had suddenly appeared in his room.

"You scared me to death! When did you get back? How do you walk so silently?"

Hearing this, Moira Lynch smiled. "We just got back. You were so focused on packing that you didn’t notice us."

"Yeah, that’s right," Hugh Finch chimed in. "Is this all your luggage? If there’s anything else, we can help you take it to the car."

"Great, thank you so much! All this stuff is really important to me."

Moira Lynch and Hugh Finch each pulled two suitcases, walking ahead, while Barry Wallace followed behind, carrying the woven duffel bag on his back.

Just before they walked out of the apartment building’s hallway, Moira Lynch suddenly stopped and sniffed herself.

Feeling that the scent of disinfectant had mostly faded, she pulled a bottle of it from her Space Button and sprayed herself and the other two liberally.

She didn’t stop until she was certain the smell of disinfectant clung to all three of them.

After stepping out of the building, they happened to see a large crowd of people searching the area for something.

Barry Wallace clearly knew these people. He asked curiously, "Auntie Miller, what are you all looking for?"

The woman called Auntie Miller looked up. "Oh, it’s Barry. Are you moving?"

Barry Wallace nodded. "Yeah, that’s right. It’s not safe living alone, so I’m going to move in with some relatives."

"Relatives? You mean those two behind you? I don’t think I’ve ever heard you mention them," Auntie Miller asked.

"They’ve been studying abroad and only got back recently, just in time for this whole ’Noise Sickness’ thing. Anyway, I can’t talk right now, we’re in a hurry. We should get going."

Just as the three of them were about to leave, a group of people suddenly blocked their path.

Looking at the hostile crowd before them, Barry Wallace asked, "Auntie Miller, what’s the meaning of this?"

"Barry, something very important just went missing in our complex. You can leave, but we need to check your luggage and search you first. Otherwise, you’re not going anywhere."

As soon as she finished speaking, the others chimed in with their agreement.

Seeing this, Barry Wallace was about to say something, but Hugh Finch, who was standing beside him, said, "Let them search. It’s not like we have anything to hide."

’They weren’t afraid of being searched.’

’A pat-down was even less of a concern. All their important things were stored in the air-raid shelter and their Space Buttons.’

’The Space Buttons were disguised as accessories—one as an earring, the other as an inconspicuous silver ring on a finger.’

After a thorough search of their luggage and a pat-down, nothing was found, naturally.

Throughout the process, Moira Lynch would periodically spray herself, Hugh Finch, and Barry Wallace with the disinfectant.

She sprayed almost every single time one of the searchers touched them.

Don’t ask why. The reason was simply that she was a severe germaphobe who couldn’t stand being touched by anyone outside her family.

Having been blocked and searched, Barry Wallace was no longer his cheerful self.

He forcefully slammed shut his suitcase, which they had rummaged through and left a mess. "You’re done searching. Can we leave now?!"