Chapter 25: Solemnly Spouting Nonsense

Bang!

With a kick to the door, Luo Ke dashed into the warehouse. When he witnessed the scene unfolding before him, he was filled with both rage and a sense of absurdity—not a simple mood swing, but a speechless, cynical exasperation.

Mark lay prone in a pool of blood, his breathing faint but his life clinging on with stubborn tenacity. The reason for this was the massive creature clinging to his back: a Spinal Crawler! Without it, even the superhuman Mark would never have survived such grievous, fatal wounds.

This was a warehouse for miscellaneous supplies. Not far from Mark, a lid on an empty crate was propped open at an angle, the gap just wide enough for a Spinal Crawler to crawl out. The markings on the crate indicated it had come from the R49 wreckage site. The last time the Dust Hunters had encountered a massive swarm of Spinal Crawlers was during that very mission. It was likely that this creature had been accidentally brought aboard hidden within the supplies a week ago.

Important supplies were sorted and inspected in batches, but miscellaneous items like crates didn't undergo such tedious scrutiny; they were just piled up here. After all, this dirty work was left to the Dust People, who, working with reluctance and resentment, simply tossed them inside, making it easy to miss something.

Of course, this was all Luo Ke’s deduction. He hadn't ruled out Charles, but Mark hadn't transformed into a噬极兽 (Abyssal Beast) yet. He hadn't reached that point, so why would Morgan bother telling Charles the truth? Mark dying outright would have been the perfect ending; Charles had no reason to bring a Spinal Crawler aboard to create a side plot. As for Morgan, forget it—he only wavered the moment Mark fully transformed. Right now, he was likely still caught in internal conflict, hesitating.

As he breathed in the scent of blood permeating the air, the words of Bai Yuekui surfaced in his mind: "Some events are immutable nodes. No matter how the trajectory changes, it cannot shake the answer derived from precise calculation."

"Mark is the bridge between humanity and the Mana ecology. The projections regarding him will not easily shift; he will ultimately walk the path laid out for him."

It seemed this was a "plot kill." As the most critical event point in the entire story, it wasn't as easily altered as others. The threads of cause and effect would self-correct, compelling Mark to walk the correct path at the designated time. The Spinal Crawler being brought aboard by accident was just that simple—no conspiracy. But unexpected coincidences were harder to guard against than conspiracies.

However, it was certain that Mark’s attack was orchestrated by Charles. In a roundabout way, the "Yellow-Haired" one had pushed Mark toward this fate. On this Lighthouse, a man with mediocre schemes but ruthless methods could truly do whatever he pleased.

"Forget it, this works too. Facing what must happen sooner or later isn't a problem," Luo Ke shook his head, then pulled his mask tight and rushed out, shouting, "Someone’s dead! Someone’s dead!"

After the city defense forces entered, Luo Ke blended into the crowd to watch the commotion.

"Move!" Mo Cheng’s angry roar came from afar.

The main group of Dust Hunters arrived. When they saw the horrific state of Mark, their faces were etched with rage and sorrow.

"Who! Who did this!" Jeff growled, scanning the crowd with a grim expression.

Just then, Ran Bing stumbled over from behind. She collapsed to the ground, staring in disbelief at Mark being carried out on a stretcher, her eyes blurring with tears.

Countless people were whispering. The inauguration ceremony for the new city lord was only half an hour away, and for the successor to be sabotaged at this moment made it hard not to suspect foul play.

"Why is there a dead Dust Person too?"
"What on earth is happening?"
"Could there be a murderer among us?!"
"Wait, what is that white thing on Captain Mark's back?"
"A Spinal Crawler!!!"
"It's a Spinal Crawler!"

The crowd scattered in panic, watching from a distance. Fear and shock rippled through the air. Some of Charles’s spies also looked suspicious, quietly slipping away to report the situation. The medical staff trying to stop Mark’s bleeding were terrified, trembling and unable to move.

"He's still alive! What are you just standing there for!" Ran Bing barked, stepping forward to bandage him herself.

A group appeared in the distance: Charles and the Light Envoy, followed by a throng of Law Enforcement Priests. Charles looked at Mark and the corpse of the Dust Person with shock, feigning grief and rage as he waved his sleeve. "Who is so vicious! Are they trying to destroy the future of our Lighthouse!"

"Vanti, order the Law Enforcement Office to cooperate with the city defense forces immediately! Investigate thoroughly and find the murderer who harmed Captain Mark!"

With that, he bowed his head in faux pity, praying piously, "May the Lord of Light and Shadow bless Captain Mark through this crisis."

Seeing Charles's genuine display, the crowd was moved and joined in the prayer, "May the Lord of Light and Shadow bless Captain Mark through this crisis!"

Fei Xue and the others instinctively felt something was wrong, but in the current crisis, they couldn't spare the thought.

Watching from a high vantage point, Luo Ke sneered. This Yellow-Haired guy was truly the most shameless person alive; his acting was top-tier, and his "thief calling for a thief" routine was masterful.

*Clack, clack...*

"Why is everyone crowded here?" Dr.嘉丽 (Gali) appeared in high heels, first rolling her eyes at Charles. "What? If you don't move, are you really going to let the great Lord of Light and Shadow save Mark?"

Charles’s eyes flickered as he forced a smile. "What would Dr. Gali do? I imagine Captain Mark might be turned into a specimen, then worshipped by the people of the Lighthouse for generations to come?"

"Don't give me that passive-aggressive tone," Gali ignored him, turning to Ran Bing and the others. "If you want to save him, let me take over. Besides, such a perfect live Spinal Crawler has immense research value!"

Gali’s title as a "mad scientist" wasn't just for show. Countless test subjects had died by her hand over the years. If Mark fell into her hands, he really might end up exactly as Charles described.

Mo Cheng immediately drew his gun to her head. "Get lost!"

Ran Bing pressed his arm down. "Dr. Gali, please do your best."

"That’s more like it. Take him away," Gali smiled, signaling her subordinates to remove Mark.

The crowd dispersed, but a sense of unease spread wildly. Charles added fuel to the fire, claiming Mark was infested by a Spinal Crawler and had a slim chance of survival, and that even if he lived, he would be a blight—the Captain Mark they knew was gone. He also boasted about the Light and Shadow Association and himself, saying that in times of turmoil, only the Lord of Light and Shadow could soothe their pain and fear.

Of course, the investigation and manhunts were underway. Victor immediately thought of Luo Ke, who had jumped off the Lighthouse. Aside from that Dust Person, no one else could have beaten the Lighthouse's strongest fighter so miserably.

The Law Enforcement Office was searching with everything they had, turning both the Upper District and the Dust District upside down. It actually scared many into hiding their contraband. They were truly searching, not just putting on a show, because besides Charles and the Light Envoy, only the six assassins knew the truth. Charles had kept even his own people in the dark!

Luo Ke initially thought Charles would hide the killers or dispose of them secretly, but his next move was brilliant—the highest level of playing the fool.

That afternoon, at the Fire Execution Platform, the six men knelt on the ground in shackles. Morgan sat in his wheelchair on the high platform, overlooking them with a complex expression, his thoughts unreadable. Victor stood behind him.

Morgan had actually suspected his son, but Charles played the part so well that he convinced his father it was merely jealousy, never imagining he would be so reckless. Besides, Charles was his own flesh and blood; a father is always easily deceived by a son's gentle compromises.

Charles stood before the platform, righteous indignation on his face. "After great effort, we have found the perpetrators who attempted to murder Captain Mark! It is them!"

"Burn them! Burn them! Burn them!" the people roared, venting their anger.

Charles pressed his palm down, and silence fell instantly. He spoke in an tone of immense outrage and regret, "Captain Mark is currently in critical condition, infested by a Spinal Crawler. He may die, or worse... lose his soul and become a mere shell. But, as the leader of the Light and Shadow Association, I will uphold everyone's hope in this time of crisis!"

Good grief—the way he said that, it sounded as if Morgan, sitting right above him, were already dead.

He continued, "The sequence of events is clear. These four were torturing a poor Dust Person when Captain Mark caught wind of it and rushed to intervene. However, these two were traitors among the Dust Hunters, and the six of them conspired to murder Captain Mark!"

The crowd was in an uproar, mostly confused.

"Most importantly, these six are not the masterminds," Charles began his straight-faced lying. "You all remember Dust Person 4048 who caused such chaos on the Lighthouse recently, don't you? He had been getting close to Captain Mark to lower his guard, all to strike when the moment was right!"

Charles was blatantly shifting the blame. Since 4048 had already jumped off, it wasn't like he was going to grow wings and fly back up, was it?

Luo Ke, hidden in the crowd: "???"

He laughed. "Yellow-Haired, you really are something else." He had intended to just cut him down, but now, he felt that killing him without some proper torture would be a disservice to the Lord of Light and Shadow.

No rush. Everything was still in his calculations. Charles wouldn't be jumping around for much longer. When Luo Ke got ruthless, it wouldn't be as simple as just killing his physical body.

Brothers, this chapter might feel a bit suffocating, but don't worry. I've left Charles for last on purpose because I feel such an odious character shouldn't be killed off easily; that would let him off too cheaply. Everything is still under Luo Ke's control. His goal is to completely destroy Charles from multiple angles. Only when Charles falls from all sides can he and Mark truly establish their authority and leadership among humanity.