Chapter 212: The Bounty Has Risen

The mechanical voice didn't seem to provide any more information about that laboratory; it simply shifted the topic back to the Flame City Cannon.

"The threat assessment of the Flame City Cannon to the Church needs to be raised again; later the Church will notify the Supervision Bureau, and its bounty should be increased. Only a sufficiently high price can motivate those mercenaries to sniff out its trail more vigorously."

"Understood."

Min Tianyou replied, intuitively sensing that the underground laboratory must hide deeper secrets, but if the voice was unwilling to mention them, he saw no need to investigate further.

"Compared to the Flame City Cannon, I think the illusionist codenamed Shepherd is more worth our attention."

"He never showed his true face throughout; he was constantly shrouded in a remarkably sophisticated illusion, and even I cannot easily see through it without exposing my own abilities."

"His concealment of his identity is extremely cautious; I suspect he may be hidden within Tianmian City, perhaps even…"

Min Tianyou paused briefly and voiced a bold conjecture.

"Perhaps he is lurking inside the Church or the Supervision Bureau; if not, why would he go to such lengths to mask his appearance?"

The mechanical voice seemed unsurprised by this.

"Shepherd, huh… That design draft is crucial to Co-Absorption; they won't give it up easily."

"Are you setting a trap?" Min Tianyou immediately understood.

"It's just a matter of preparing more; if they remain fixated on that draft, they will inevitably have to pay a price."

The mechanical voice's tone was flat, "Perfect, we can sweep away the newly spawned Worms inside Tianmian City."

In Tianmian City, what could hide from his eyes?

Beyond that, Min Tianyou now has a more pressing question.

"…And those Old World Undead—weren't they supposed to be identified and 'handled' by the Heresy Tribunal? I heard after returning today that the Supervision Bureau has also drawn elite units to form several special task forces to deal with this?"

The holographic projection's light screen rippled slightly as the mechanical voice sounded again.

"Hmm, the number of Undead is still growing, and the Dome's operations are swift; they are conducting large‑scale screening and captures."

"Captures?" Min Tianyou furrowed his brow, "What do they intend to do? Research?"

As far as he knows, the number of Undead seized by the Dome is not insignificant; if it were truly for research, such blatant captures would be unnecessary.

Because of those Undead matters, many towns under Dome jurisdiction have become increasingly anxious.

"The purpose is still unclear, but we have already, through specific channels, established a preliminary cooperation framework with the official organization of the Old World; we will safeguard their safety within the limits of our capability."

Min Tianyou pressed his lips together.

Ensuring safety… is it out of compassion or selfishness?

Perhaps both.

He was silent for a few seconds, then asked a question that had been circling in his mind for a long time:

"Those bodies occupied by Undead… their original owners, where have those souls gone?"

The question silenced both ends of the communication for a moment.

In the mirror, Min Xingyao also lifted her head, her eyes fixed on the space beyond the glass, awaiting an answer.

When the mechanical voice sounded again, it seemed to state a cold fact.

"When the consciousness of an Old World Undead successfully anchors and occupies a body, its original soul is forcibly expelled; without any external protection, it is merely swept into the temporal‑spatial turbulence and torn apart."

Min Tianyou closed his eyes, his Adam's apple rolling slightly; although the answer was cruel, it was not entirely unexpected.

He exhaled softly, unsure whether it was relief or a deeper sense of helplessness.

"…I understand."

He was about to signal that the communication could end when Min Xingyao in the mirror suddenly spoke, her voice coming through the glass with a slight tremor.

"What about you?"

Min Tianyou was startled, looking at his sister in the mirror.

Min Xingyao stared beyond the mirror, as if she could pierce the glass, look past Min Tianyou, and directly "see" the presence hidden behind the mechanical voice.

"What price have you paid to bring all this about?"

————————————————————

Ying Duo emerged from the screen of Luo Jinyou's gaming console in the bedroom; he hadn't expected the console could serve as a teleportation anchor. He had previously been debating whether to get a television, but now saw no need for it.

Having been running around outside for so long, Ying Duo's stamina bar had already been drained by more than half; after returning to the bedroom, he prioritized sleeping on his own bed for the night.

His stamina slowly recovered during rest, and the 【Mild Fatigue】 status in the HUD had disappeared.

The task on the Dome side wouldn't yield results for at least a day or two, so in the meantime Ying Duo planned to check on Luo Jinyou's condition.

After all, the doctor had said Luo Jinyou would awaken after dreaming, and now he had free time to see how he was doing.

Ying Duo headed straight toward the Academy infirmary.

The hallway had few students; occasional curious or inquisitive glances fell on him before quickly shifting away.

The infirmary door was ajar, the scent of disinfectant drifting out; Ying Duo pushed it open and found the interior quiet, with only one person on the bedside by the window.

Luo Jinyou had indeed awakened.

He was half‑reclined against the headboard, his complexion still a bit pale, and he was holding a bounty notice that Professor Luo De'an had brought him that morning.

Ying Duo's gaze swept over the paper Luo Jinyou held; without pausing, he walked straight to the chair beside the bed and sat down.

"What are you looking at?"

Ying Duo asked.

Luo Jinyou had already sensed Ying Duo's approach, and simply handed the bounty notice to him.

"The latest wanted notice issued by the Supervision Bureau."

Ying Duo took it; the paper was somewhat rough, but the printed content was exceptionally clear.

It concisely described the Flame City Cannon's latest "record", noting that it had triggered a massive geological collapse in the Black Stone Mountain Range, prompting an upgrade in its danger rating.

It also included a silhouette left from a previous underground auction, still showing the unremarkable appearance, but the cannon on its shoulder was especially conspicuous.

At the bottom was the bounty amount, which had reached "30,000,000", and it was marked "dead or alive, a hefty reward for any effective leads."

At the signature, it was the seal of the Supervision Bureau and the Church.

The Supervision Bureau seems to have confirmed that the collapse of the Black Stone Mountain Range was his doing.

Luo Jinyou said this, still feeling somewhat relieved; at that time they had only run into the Shepherd and the Dark Raven; if that Flame City Cannon had also been present then, they might not have been able to hold out until the Supervision Bureau's support arrived.