Chapter 1075: Chapter 44: Ghoulification
[Midnight City - Outer City - Rot Three District]
[Recently, the residents of the outer city have noticed abnormal behavior in Mike’s family. They have become photophobic, taciturn, and go out less, visibly thinning. The monster meat hanging behind the window is left to rot before disappearing. Neighbors have smelled a putrid odor wafting from Mike’s house, and there are murmurs similar to prayers when it’s quiet at night.]
[Task: Investigate the anomalies of Mike’s family]
[Progression: Completely resolve this task]
[Hint: Ghouls, Frenzied People, the Senkar Tribe, and some heretical beliefs or infections share characteristics similar to Mike’s family]
[Base Reward: 1 Credit; 2 Squad Points]
A task from two days ago. A task left unaddressed for too long will be withdrawn and handled by Midnight City to prevent escalation. Therefore, tasks left for some time without being withdrawn or taken usually mean: the reward for this task is modest, or there have been no changes for a long time—perfectly suited for the Holy Light Squad to continue honing their skills.
"Lu Li, after this task is over, you and I will go to the task hall to select the next task."
On the lift to Midnight City, Kiluat said.
"Squad Points are not only used for ranking improvement; you can think of them as a kind of precious currency, which can be exchanged for things that both the academy shilling and strange currency cannot buy."
Besides understanding the task model, Lu Li, as vice-captain, must also understand the use of Squad Points. That way, when Kiluat sacrifices himself... Lu Li can smoothly take over the position of captain of the Holy Light Squad.
Ten minutes later, the lift descended into the Midnight City encampment. The tower’s light sphere was like the first light of dawn, emitting a hazy and gentle glow.
The Rot Three District is on the outskirts of the outer city, perhaps it can be called a slum—a chaotic area built with interlocking shanties lacking management.
"The 100th place on the ranking has 63 Squad Points, and we are still 40 Squad Points away from entering the ranking..."
Kiluat felt a bit embarrassed. The bottom 50 positions on the ranking change frequently, and the ranking can drop sharply due to the consumption of Squad Points. Even so, the Holy Light Squad is still a long way from entering the rankings.
After all, the Holy Light Squad previously had no interest in touching the ranking; once the Squad Points accumulated to a certain amount, they were quickly exchanged.
"If we accumulate 80 Squad Points, we can steadily remain at the bottom of the ranking," Yege said at this time.
Even though neither Lu Li nor Kiluat had much interest in the ranking, having Lu Li and still not being able to enter the ranking made them feel ashamed.
Anyway, Lu Li’s replenishments allowed the Holy Light Squad not to spend Squad Points to exchange for items, and the remaining two months were enough for them to appear at the bottom of the ranking—
Provided Lu Li doesn’t advance to a higher grade before then.
Entering the Rot Three District, many churches spread their faith here and distribute resources. It’s like a trade: you provide faith, I provide food and water.
Bypassing those churches, they arrived at the task location, Mike’s home.
A small house linked with surrounding shacks. In the outer city or slums, such interconnected shanties, almost forming long houses, are very common—they save the cost of building one wall, or even two walls, which can save quite a bit of money.
Yet, an accident occurring is also a big hassle. Such as fires, or plagues.
It seems things shouldn’t be like this.
Lu Li observed the surroundings. Mike’s family hadn’t been dealt with, and there were no barricades around. Residents nonchalantly passed by the shanties, and neighbors hadn’t moved away.
A suspected plague should not be taken lightly. The handling method should be Deep Sea City dealing with it immediately rather than waiting for the Giant Tree Academy to handle it.
Due to some reasons?
Lu Li thought, but unfortunately, this part wasn’t in the Giant Tree Academy’s teachings.
The good news is, Mike’s family hasn’t spread the plague outward. But it seems it’s getting close, for when asking the nearby residents, they said that Mike’s family hadn’t been seen leaving the house all day.
"Keep your distance, Yege, protect Lu Li and Naxi." Kiluat donned a lozenge-shaped hand shield, not activating the second form, approaching the window.
After a short observation, Kiluat backed away from the window, making specific gestures to signal his teammates to come closer.
"What’s going on." Yege looked at the dust-covered window.
"Very strange... I seem to have seen Mike’s family but..." Kiluat couldn’t explain the scene he saw. She had Naxi drink the Revealing Potion and approach the door.
Bang—
The latch broke, the door was kicked open, and the rising dust almost obscured the sight.
"Three pollution sources! Weak!" said Naxi, keeping a distance from the shanty.
But Kiluat had already seen the scene inside the small house, and also saw the source of the pollution.
"Is there anything else?" Kiluat asked with a tone of uncertainty.
"No, I can’t find anything."
"...You guys come over then," Kiluat said, even lowering the hand shield and dropping the guard.
With questions lingering, Yege and the others approached the shanty, the dust settled, revealing the three outlines bound to wooden chairs.
They... or rather, they are emaciated and weak, their skin showing gray-brown spots similar to livor mortis, wrinkled from thinness, hair patchy, and scattered fallen hair around their burlap clothes and wooden chairs.
"Did they do it themselves? Or someone else..." Naxi felt he was speaking nonsense, but there was nothing in the room besides Mike’s family.
Lu Li opened his pouch, retrieving a Retrospective Elixir before closing jaws bit down on his wrist.
"Let me do it this time."
Yege took the elixir and said. Sequence Potions have side effects, such as contamination, after all, they are also part of the strange ones.
After drinking the potion, Yege started observing the surroundings, and a moment later shook his head disappointedly, "They were tied here one hour ago."
"Anyway, it seems our luck is pretty good." Kiluat didn’t dwell too long.
They did nothing and completed the task, and they could also get the progression reward.
Naxi checked around the shanty, and in the bedroom floor, found a sloppy Array for sacrificing to the Ghoul God.
This was the source that would turn Mike’s family into ghouls.
After destroying it, they returned to the front of Mike’s family.
"How to handle it?"
Kiluat asked for Lu Li’s opinion.
"Can it be cured?"
Lu Li swept his gaze over the ghoulifying couple and the child, just seven or eight years old.
"Not sure... Naxi." Kiluat looked at Naxi, who understood and, powered by the Protection Potion, approached Mike’s family’s husband.
"Don’t move, I don’t want to accidentally kill you..."
He mumbled to the senseless Mike, taking out a bandage from his satchel to secure the head, then using a sharp scalpel to cut open the skull, and peel it back.
The dark gray mass adhered, drawing out sticky threads; Naxi leaned back to avoid the nauseating smell, observing the decaying, withered gray-black brain in the skull.
"Already at the third stage... irreversible."
Returning the skull, Naxi retreated to his teammates’ side.
Uncovering the skull seemed not to harm Mike, who still swayed drowsily.
"Then, sell to Giant Tree Academy or send them to their relief." Kiluat regretfully looked at the senseless child, raising his head to ask Lu Li.
Lu Li silently drew out the Homogeneous Item dagger.