Chapter 401 - 341: Greed-Spawned Madness

Chapter 401: Chapter 341: Greed-Spawned Madness

The investigation team, who had been struggling through the snow while closely tailing Lloyd and his companion, suddenly received some bad news:

"Huh? One of those two just vanished?"

"What? What do you mean, ’vanished’? Did he fall off a cliff? Which one was it?"

"It was the stronger one, the one suspected to be Tier Five. My inspiration suddenly can’t find him anymore."

"Infighting?"

"Doesn’t look like it. The other guy is only Tier Three. Besides, no fight broke out between them. Maybe he activated some kind of ability? Or used some sort of Holy Artifact or piece of equipment? Have you guys heard of gear that can break an inspiration lock?"

"I’ve heard of it, but it’s rare and extremely valuable. It just proves that guy’s some rich young master. He came well-prepared for this trip. He must be after the bounty. Otherwise, why would he trade fast cars and beautiful women for this godforsaken place, freezing his ass off?"

"Damn it! He’s already so rich, but he still has to come and steal our bounty. To them, this might just be an adventure or a game, but he’s trying to snatch away our only lifeline! These rich people are disgusting! I’m going to hang their corpses from the lampposts!"

"Yeah, I knew from the start those two were up to no good. The Tier Three one was playing dumb with me earlier, pretending he didn’t know anything about a bounty. Hmph..."

"Alright, enough nonsense. Pick up the pace and keep a close eye on the Tier Three. Don’t let him get away too. We don’t have a guide. If we lose him, we’ll be running around like headless chickens!"

"Ugh... my inspiration is getting tired. Someone else take over watching them."

The five members of the investigation team discussed among themselves, rotated surveillance duty, and quickened their pace.

After following for a while longer, one of them suddenly made a suggestion:

"Hey! You guys remember? A little further ahead, there’s a treacherous mountain path with a dangerous cliff to the right. We should try to get there before those two and block their path..."

"Good idea! If they still don’t know what’s good for them, that would be the perfect place for them to have a ’little accident’... Besides, on a dangerous mountain path like that, it would be hard for even a Tier Five to use his full power, no matter how strong he is."

"But... isn’t that going too far? We have no quarrel with them, and there’s no need to offend the family behind that rich young master, is there?"

"No quarrel? They’re trying to steal the bounty that’s our only hope for survival! That’s a mortal enmity! Do you want to go to the Great Expansion front lines? Do you have any idea how many people die or go crazy there every day?"

"That’s right. If you don’t want to go to the Great Expansion to die, then don’t get cold feet now. In a godforsaken place like this, any kind of accident can happen, and it won’t leave any clues. We won’t have to worry about any family’s revenge."

These people were clearly from a legitimate, formal investigation team. They were all Extraordinary Beings from the Legal System, and none had prior criminal records.

At first, they probably hadn’t thought about going this far. They just wanted to claim this important bounty.

But out here in this remote and desolate wilderness, it was as if their inner greed had found a comfortable greenhouse. It began to take root, sprout, and grow ever deeper...

Though they weren’t motivated by an "uncle’s inheritance," their mindset had undergone a similar, significant change. Murderous glints appeared in their eyes. All their anger at their lot in life, all their dissatisfaction with their harsh environment, was converted into hostility toward the two people ahead of them.

They looked like savage beasts that had torn off their human skin.

This wasn’t because of anyone else’s influence, nor was it Lloyd’s [Twist]. It was simply because, without the Shelter and constraints of Order and morality, the greed in their hearts faced no obstacles. It easily overcame Rationality and ethics, easily giving birth to malicious intent.

But ironically, it was as if the world rewarded wickedness, and good news soon found them:

"Huh? I’ve got a lock on the Tier Five again. Looks like the equipment he was using to break the inspiration lock has stopped working."

"Mmm... I’ve found him again too. He looks to be in bad shape, very weak. Maybe they really did have a falling out. Or maybe it’s a side effect of that special equipment?"

"The Tier Three is in even worse condition. He seems to be... clutching his head and wailing? Like he’s suffering from severe Spiritual Contamination?"

"Looks like those two ran into some kind of danger. They managed to get away, but not without paying a heavy price. They’re staying put to rest and catch their breath."

"This is a golden opportunity! Let’s hurry up and circle around them! We’ll go to that mountain path and cut them off!"

This string of good news was a shot in the arm for the whole team. It sparked a sudden burst of powerful motivation, and they didn’t hesitate to draw upon their Spiritual Power to maintain their speed.

The five members of the investigation team easily bypassed Lloyd and his companion’s location and hurried toward the planned mountain path.

Though inwardly excited, they maintained a minimum of composure. The five continued to take turns using their inspiration to maintain a lock, using their Spiritual Power sparingly to keep everyone in peak condition for the potential fight to come.

Just as they arrived, the person on watch discovered that Lloyd and his companion were on the move again. They must have rested enough and were preparing to continue up the mountain.