Chapter 604 - 594: Sound Source Pollution 46

They entered the living room to find a table laden with food.

Knowing Moira Lynch and her companions preferred smaller crowds, the only other people in the living room were Professor Wallace and his son, Barry Wallace.

"I heard..."

At the dinner table, Professor Wallace brought up what had happened at the mission hall earlier that day.

"The fact that you killed that infected person in a single blow has attracted the attention of Novus’s leadership. They want to meet you. I told them you’re distant relatives of mine whom I happened to run into on the road," Professor Wallace said.

The implication was clear: they had to attend this meeting.

’Might as well go. If things go as expected, they’ll probably try to recruit us.’

They weren’t opposed to the idea. Receiving official protection would be a good thing, provided they could keep their true identities hidden.

"By the way, Professor, do you know anything about a pink Medicine?" Moira Lynch asked suddenly.

"Pink Medicine? Why do you ask?"

Hearing Professor Wallace’s question, Moira Lynch guessed he must know about, or had even seen, the pink Medicine.

"No reason, just curious. At the mission hall today, I noticed a broken vial near the poor soul who was bitten to death by the infected. There was a little bit of a pale pink liquid left inside."

Upon hearing this, Professor Wallace explained, "That Medicine is a recent development here in Novus. I only saw it for the first time today myself.

"Apparently, the person who developed this Medicine awakened a special talent that allows them to extract unique factors from other substances. Injecting these factors into one’s body can supposedly lead to a massive boost in combat strength.

"I’m extremely curious about this Medicine, so I’ve already put in a request with the research institute for a sample to study.

"However, they told me that this Medicine is exceptionally rare at the moment, so I’ll have to wait a few more days before I can get my hands on a finished product."

Professor Wallace was thinking that if the Medicine’s effects were real, they could research the formula and distribute it to all the survivors. Everyone would experience a rapid surge in power.

His words sent Moira Lynch deep into thought.

’A talent that can rapidly raise one’s level?’

After dinner, Professor Wallace and his son peppered Moira Lynch with questions for hours, not letting up until the early morning.

When she finally got back to the room prepared for her, she lay down on the soft, comfortable bed, closed her eyes, and opened the Communication Corridor.

"Moira, you know more types of talents than we do. Is there really a talent that can improve one’s talent level in a short amount of time?" Hugh Finch asked.

"I can’t say for sure. I know of a few talents that can raise one’s talent level in a short time, but without exception, the user always pays a heavy price.

"Plus, some of the improvements aren’t permanent; they’re temporary."

’But the world is a vast and strange place. It’s possible a talent like that exists and just hasn’t been discovered or recorded yet.’

"Just look at me. Before I came along, a mutated spiritual-spatial talent had never appeared either."

Talent mutations, while rare, were not unheard of. But Moira Lynch’s was clearly no ordinary mutation.

Hers was more like two separate talents had been kneaded together into one.

"You two are overthinking this. Why don’t we just go meet the person who makes it and ask them what the deal is?"

Neither Moira Lynch nor Hugh Finch wanted to acknowledge Kai York’s suggestion.

’Talking to an idiot will just lower our own IQ.’

"Right, what’s the plan for what Professor Wallace mentioned? About the Novus leadership wanting to meet us. Have you guys figured out how you’re going to bluff your way through it?" Kai York asked.

"I can’t be bothered to explain. We’ll just play dumb," Moira Lynch stated bluntly.

Hugh Finch remained silent, which was his way of agreeing with her.

After all, he couldn’t come up with a better explanation either (though in truth, he was just too lazy to try). Some things only get more complicated the more you try to explain them, creating more openings for suspicion. It was like trying to hide a stain by painting over it—you just make a bigger mess.

It was better to explain nothing and cultivate an air of mystery. With their strength, no one in Novus should be capable of harming them anyway.

Besides, as long as the Novus leaders weren’t fools, they wouldn’t try anything. On the contrary, they would come to rely on their power.

「The next day」

Moira Lynch’s eyes snapped open at precisely five o’clock.

It wasn’t that she wasn’t sleepy anymore, but a sudden, mournful wail echoed in her ears, scaring the last vestiges of sleep right out of her.

Moira Lynch sat up in bed, rubbing her temples.

’I forgot to retract my spiritual power last night. That noise that just woke me must have come from several kilometers away.’

Today was the twenty-third day of the game. In less than eight days, it would all be over.

’The light of victory is just ahead. Keep pushing!’

At seven o’clock, after breakfast, Professor Wallace was ready to take Moira Lynch and her two companions to their meeting.

"Professor, isn’t it a bit early for this?" Moira Lynch asked.

"Not at all. The mayor is eager to meet you," Professor Wallace replied, before leading them out the door.

「Half an hour later」

They arrived at the door to the mayor’s office.

Inside the office sat a middle-aged man in a suit with gentle features.

As soon as he saw them enter, he stood up and greeted them warmly.

"You must be the ones who took care of the infected at the mission hall yesterday. It’s true what they say—heroes can be found among the young. Thank you so much for what you did. If you hadn’t intervened when you did, there’s no telling how much damage that infected person might have caused. That would have been a dereliction of my duty as mayor."

The mayor warmly led Moira Lynch and the others to the sitting area. Then, with a light wave of his hand over the table, six vials of pale pink Medicine materialized on its surface.

"Here. Three of these are a reward from Novus for your courage and valor. The other three are a personal gift from me, as thanks for protecting our citizens."

The three of them looked at the six vials of pale pink Medicine on the table but didn’t immediately accept them.

"Mr. Mayor, you’re too kind. We were only doing what anyone should. Besides, even if we hadn’t stepped in, I’m sure the guards at the mission hall could have handled that infected person," Hugh Finch said with a smile.

Hearing this, the mayor let out a hearty laugh. "You’re right, but it would have been too late by then. So, you’ve earned these."

"In that case, we thank you, Mr. Mayor."

Hearing Hugh Finch’s acceptance, Moira Lynch reached out and swept the six vials of Medicine into her bag.

The moment her fingers touched the vials, Moira Lynch felt a faint fluctuation, but she gave no sign of it.

Based on how the mayor had just conjured the items from thin air, she concluded that he must have awakened some kind of spatial talent.