I can see experience bars after being transported to another world.

The runes on the bronze city wall suddenly lit up.

It was no longer the faint, eerie light it had before, but instead burst forth with a dazzling bronze glow.

The light spread from the city walls into the city, extending along the copper structure on the ground, like blood being re-injected into dried-up blood vessels.

A sense of holiness then arose.

It was a warm and profound power, carrying a certain ancient and solemn strength.

It collided head-on with the mutated black clouds in the sky.

Those churning black eyes began to spasm.

They closed one after another, as if they had been burned.

The bronze light seeped into the dark clouds, peeling away the layers of those eyes.

The dark clouds began to retreat.

The scorched areas turned into ashes that slowly drifted down, covering the entire bronze city with a thin layer of black ash.

A moment later, the sky brightened again, and the moon remained hanging in the sky.

The dark clouds completely dissipated, and all those pitch-black eyes closed, sinking into the unseen depths.

Only a faint, lingering smell of burning remained in the air.

[Sanity: +2...39/120]

The holy aura brought a slight return to reason, but that was all.

As his sanity dropped below 40 points, Lu Yuan's vision began to distort slightly. It seemed that there were many twisting little insects in the air above the Alchemy Workshop room.

They meandered and twisted in the air, occasionally passing through buildings and disappearing into the stone.

Lu Yuan didn't know why the illusion he was seeing looked like this.

He merely frowned slightly and looked away.

My gaze swept past the shadow.

Only then did I realize that what was originally just a thick shadow seemed to have something writhing inside it.

Lu Yuan looked closely, and everything seemed normal.

The gray text still didn't provide any notification.

"It seems I did indeed bring something out of the sea of ​​knowledge..."

When I came to my senses, the alchemy workshop was completely silent.

Everyone was looking towards the inner city.

The bronze glow there was slowly receding, like a giant heart completing a beat and returning to calm.

Lu Yuan stood at the door, his gaze lingering on it for a long time.

This is what the Guardians truly look like when they take action.

It's not about standing there and intimidating your opponent with your presence, but about directly rewriting the rules of the battlefield.

One person cleared out most of the ghouls in the entire city.

Lu Yuan glanced down at the numbers at the edge of his field of vision.

[Rationality: 39/120]

The alien fluctuations generated by the Guardian's attack directly caused him to passively lose his sanity.

Although the holy aura has recovered somewhat, the net loss is still considerable.

Lu Yuan withdrew his gaze, turned around, and walked back to the alchemy workshop.

The night watchman at the door remained alert, but the despair in his eyes had faded considerably.

Someone was whispering something, their tone filled with the relief of surviving a disaster.

Some people had already collapsed on the ground, completely relaxing their nerves that had been tense all night.

Lu Yuan frowned slightly as he looked at the pitch-black scene outside.

The guardians cleared the ghouls off the ground.

But what about underground?

The entrance to the cave is still there, the fungal carpet is still there, and those densely packed things covering the entire cave wall are still wriggling underground.

This intervention is merely a temporary measure to stop the bleeding, especially since the Bronze City seems to be influencing the guardians as well...

Lu Yuan closed the window and sat down in the corner.

The rooms on the second floor have been temporarily requisitioned, so if you want to rest, you can only stay on the chairs placed on the first floor for the time being.

Meanwhile, Grok arranged for two-person shifts to guard the area in order to prevent any accidents.

The rest of the people stayed in the alchemy workshop to rest.

Some people stared at the ceiling, while others gazed out the window in a daze.

The older night watchman from the seventh squad sat on his cot, his lips moving silently as if he were muttering something.

It's very quiet outside.

After the guardian intervened, the ghoul's screams completely disappeared.

Only the faint hissing sound of the marching lights and the occasional whispered conversation from afar remained.

Lu Yuan closed his eyes tightly, trying to rest for as long as possible.

The night passed quickly.

When the first rays of dawn peeked over the horizon, the entire Alchemy Outpost fell silent for a moment.

Then someone let out a long sigh of relief.

A string of gray and white characters appeared unchangingly before Lu Yuan's eyes.

[Sanity: +12...51/120]

The defensive effect remains stable; as long as you rest appropriately, it will recover to a fixed value.

To reach the second tier, at the current pace, it will take almost another month.

As night fell, a carriage stopped outside the Alchemy Workshop.

Two night watchmen got off the vehicle and unloaded four small wooden crates and a leather bag.

"Lu Yuan? This is something I brought for you."

"it's me."

"Miss Laurinna asked us to send it over. She said you know how to use it."

After saying this, the two Night's Watchmen shouted.

"Come help me move your supplies!"

Lu Yuan moved the wooden box aside and then opened it.

The first box contains medicine.

Six bottles of sanity restoration potions, each with a label handwritten by Laurena.

Three bottles are labeled "Perfect," and three bottles are labeled "Excellent."

The second box contains four bottles each of healing and anti-pollution agents.

The third box contained a row of small, sealed tin cans.

Lu Yuan unscrewed the lid of a jar, and a familiar oily smell wafted out.

It is refined sandworm oil, packaged in small bottles specifically for field operations. Each bottle can burn for about three days, and there are eight bottles in total.

The fourth box contains ammunition.

Still silver-plated bullets, four boxes.

There was a letter inside the bag.

Laurena's handwriting is neat and tidy.

"The potion was made with materials from headquarters, but its quality is not as good as the equipment from the Alchemy Workshop. Only three bottles were made to perfection."

"I've given you some sandworm oil. I'll use the rest to refine a potion that you should be able to use. By the way, your sanity is probably very low, so remember to drink a Perfect Sanity Potion..."

The letter was unsigned.

Lu Yuan stared at the few lines of text, his gaze pausing slightly.

It was obvious that this was something Laurinna had hastily produced at headquarters using unfamiliar equipment.

Only three bottles were produced of perfect quality. Given this rejection rate, she probably stayed up all night.

Lu Yuan folded the letter and put it into the inner pocket of his body.

Then he picked up a bottle labeled "Perfect Rationality Potion," uncorked it, and drank it all in one gulp.

[Sanity: +10...61/120]

My rationality has returned to a lot, enough for me to continue using it.

He didn't drink a second bottle.

Laurena stated that the interval between consecutive doses of perfect quality should not be less than six hours.

Lu Yuan sorted out the medicines and supplies, and distributed some of the medicines to his team.

When the night watchman in the group took the medicine bottle, he glanced at Lu Yuan.

"This medicine...is it of such high quality?"

"Don't waste it." Lu Yuan patted him on the shoulder.

Just as the other Night's Watchmen were collecting their supplies, Glock arrived with new orders.

"The branch just finished an emergency meeting." He stood on the first floor of the Alchemy Workshop, gesturing for everyone to look over. "The mission has been assigned."

"What mission?"

"Two." Glock held up two fingers. "First, clear out the ghouls and carrion that haven't returned to their nests."

"After the Guardians made their move, most of the ground was cleared away, but a small number were still hiding in completely dark indoor spaces, in corners with incomplete copper structures, and in places where the Guardians' power did not cover them completely. We cleared them all out during the day."

"Secondly, the removal of the creep is underway. The branch has begun allocating Alchemy Flame and Holy Water, distributing them according to area. The creep area in the North Textile City is very large, and different teams will be assigned to handle it later."

"Furthermore, it's daytime now, and the Guardians have just made their move, so the ghouls' activity should be at its lowest. Those that are alone are basically defenseless."

Just then, Bor walked over.

"Captain Lu, the eight brothers from last night specifically requested to join you again."

Lu Yuan did not respond to that statement.

"Departure time?"

"Meet at the department entrances in one hour."

"I see."

After Bo'er left, Lu Yuan organized his equipment.

Revolver, full magazine, six silver-plated bullets.

Forty-eight rounds of ammunition are available in the spare belt.

Two cans of refined sandworm oil.

Bring one bottle of the excellent quality sanity potion, and save the perfect one for six hours before drinking it.

Two bottles of treatment medicine and one bottle of anti-pollution medicine.

There was also some alchemical fire powder that had just been delivered, but Lu Yuan didn't take it and gave it to Boer instead.

An hour later, at the branch office entrance.

Eight grey-robed Night's Watchmen stood in a row, their equipment significantly more extensive than the previous night, with two additional red iron canisters hanging from their waists, marked with the symbol of alchemical flames.

Some people also carried canvas bags containing holy water bottles and alchemical fire powder.

Boer nodded when he saw Lu Yuan.

"Captain Lu and his men are all here."

"Set off!"

With Lu Yuan's command.

The Ninth Squad sets off again.

On the way from the branch office to the North Textile City, Lu Yuan saw clearly what had happened last night.

blood.

Blood was everywhere.

On the streets, on the walls, on the doors, on the window frames.

Some of them had dried and turned into dark brown marks.

Some were still wet, and they gleamed unnaturally in the sunlight.

The first street was alright. There were scattered traces of blood and signs of a struggle, and occasionally you could see broken lampshades and bullet casings.

The further north you go into the Fangcheng District, the more shocking the traces become.

There are huge scratches on one wall, five parallel grooves that run from the corner of the wall all the way to the eaves.

At the end of the scratch was a large pool of dried blood, with scraps of cloth and fragments of leather boots scattered around the edges.

But there was no body; it was clearly dragged away.

The door of a textile workshop was kicked open, the hinges broke, and half of the wooden door lay askew on the ground.

The bloodstains at the doorway stretched from inside the house all the way to the street, trailing for more than ten meters.

Some people tried to escape, but they couldn't get away.

There is something else on the ground.

Puddles of dark brown pus were scattered throughout the streets; some had already dried, their edges blackened, and they emitted a pungent, sour stench.

Those are the traces left by the guardian's power; each puddle of pus was once a living ghoul.

Further on, a fungal carpet began to appear on the ground.

A pale green film spread along the grout lines of the floor tiles, and its edges began to yellow and curl under the sunlight.

The daytime sunlight and the copper ground were constantly killing them.

However, it is clear that this speed is far from enough.

"Start cleaning," Lu Yuan said upon seeing the situation.

Boer took the lead, unscrewing the iron can at his waist and pouring the alchemical fire powder into the densest area of ​​the fungal carpet.

Then he struck a match.

laugh--

The alchemical flames were bluish-white, carrying a faint holy light attribute, producing no thick smoke, and were much hotter.

The fungal mat contracted violently the moment it came into contact with the flame, hissing and crackling, its edges charring and curling, peeling off piece by piece from the copper-colored floor.

The cleaned ground revealed the corroded copper structure underneath.

The black pits range in size from shallow ones where only a layer of skin is visible to deep ones where you can stick your finger in.

"It's really corroded." Bor squatted down and took a look, his brows furrowed deeply.

"Hmm." Lu Yuan frowned slightly as he looked at the scene before him.

Fortunately, the runes on the Bronze City are mainly engraved on the huge city wall at the junction of the inner and outer cities.

The team advanced along the street, clearing as they went.

In some places, the fungal carpet is very thin and disappears when burned.

Some areas are very thick and require repeated burning.

After entering the heart of the Beifang urban area, Lu Yuan stopped.

At the edge of my field of vision, grayish-white text flashed briefly.

[Environmental Sensing: A weak source of pollution has been detected...]

Lu Yuan signaled the group to stop.

Looking around, a faint, almost invisible black mist swirled in front of a two-story textile workers' dormitory.

The windows are intact, and the door is closed.

There was nothing unusual about it from the outside.

"There's something in that building," Lu Yuan said in a low voice.

Bor immediately reached for the weapon at his waist. "How many?"

"Most likely, only one."

As Lu Yuan finished speaking...

Two Night's Watchmen stepped forward, drawing their bronze swords.

One person stood guard at the door, while the other kicked it open.

The room was dark, the curtains were drawn, and only a small patch of light shone in from the doorway.

You can't see anything, but you can smell something.

It had a fishy, ​​foul odor mixed with a sour, putrid smell.

As the door was kicked open, the black mist in Lu Yuan's vision instantly thickened.

"Second floor, on the left."

The stairs are made of wood and creak when you step on them.

The second-floor corridor was short, and the door on the left was ajar, with an even stronger stench seeping from the crack.

The Night's Watchmen exchanged a glance. Then one kicked it away.

A ghoul was huddled in the corner.

It didn't pounce, or even roar.

Curled up in a ball, limbs tucked in, its gaping mouth tightly shut, its three layers of teeth intertwined.

It is trembling right now.

He was surrounded by an extremely evil aura, the power of a guardian.

At this moment, the ghoul's grayish-red flesh was covered with charred spots, and the edges were slowly curling up.

"Solve it."

The bronze sword pierced the back of his head.

A muffled thud.

The ghoul's body twitched once, then remained completely still.

Lu Yuan stepped forward and squatted down next to the corpse.

At the edge of my field of vision, grayish-white text appeared:

Target for detection: Ghoul

[Status: Dead. Due to prolonged exposure to a copper environment and its eerie aftereffects, extensive necrosis of the body's surface tissues has occurred. Slight residual activity remains in the internal organs.]

[Taboo Studies - Seeker of Knowledge: +0.1...11.5/100]

It went up.

Unlike previous observations of living ghouls, this corpse provided new information about the way the eerie aftershocks damaged the ghoul's physical structure.

Clearly, the so-called eerie aftershocks are the power of the Guardians.

Lu Yuan was filled with curiosity about this power.

More importantly, this may be an opportunity to elevate taboo studies and rationality.

"Mark the location of this body, and send someone to collect it later."

Bohr was somewhat surprised. "Take it back?"

"Bring them back to the branch." Lu Yuan stood up, his tone calm. "The Guardians' power left traces in their bodies, and these traces will dissipate over time. Preserve them now; they can be used to study the ghouls' weak structures later."

Bor thought for a moment and nodded.

"I've got it."

Over the next two hours, the team cleared the fungal carpet from four streets and found two more lone ghouls.

They were all hiding indoors in the dark, all weakened to the point of being almost unable to move, and all were killed with a single blow.

Lu Yuan also inspected them.

The second one is almost identical to the first one, except the gray-white text no longer jumps.

But the third one was different; it was larger, and there were obvious signs of secondary proliferation on its flesh membrane.

[Detection Target: Ghoul (Emerging Individual)]

[Taboo Studies - Seeker of Knowledge: +0.1...11.6/100]

Individuals at different stages can provide new information.

Lu Yuan instructed Boer to mark all three corpses.

"All will be recycled."

In the afternoon, the team returned to the Alchemy Workshop.

Six hours have passed.

Lu Yuan drank the second bottle of perfect-quality sanity potion.

[Sanity: +10...71/120]

He stood by the window, looking out at the street.

The sun is shining brightly.

But this city is very bad.

Every wall in sight bore bloodstains, and every alleyway bore drag marks.

There were also puddles of dried pus on it, marking the place where ghouls had died.

Occasionally, you can see patrol teams of night watchmen on the road, their footsteps heavy and weary.

The residents who had miraculously survived cautiously peeked out of the building, glanced outside, and then retreated back inside.

Someone is crying in the distance.

The sound was intermittent, and it was impossible to tell where it was coming from.