Chapter 288: Chapter 285: Luo’s Sterilization Method

"Good news. According to the confession from the Sect’s regional head, Mr. Klaup, we’ve rounded up all the believers in the Semi-submerged Area. Wiped them all out." It seemed Klaup had mostly been using his position to build a private guard for his fortune. The underlings he recruited were all aimless thugs, forming what was a barely passable armed force in the Semi-submerged Area.

Rorschach glanced at the Count’s Captain of the Guard, a young man who was carefully sipping red wine while constantly adding sugar to it. ’In truth, Elgin and Klaup are the same kind of person.’

’If I were in charge of the Sect, I would have integrated myself into the daily lives of the masses, handing out eggs and whatnot to the women and old folks. Then I’d casually have them repeat a few lines from the scriptures. *That* would have been much harder to round up all at once!’

"See? Now that’s efficiency. You should learn a thing or two!" The Count was very pleased and told his Captain of the Guard to learn from the Rorschach Mage. The Captain of the Guard drank with a look of indifference. He was just trying to make a living under the Count; he couldn’t win a fight against the Sect or a Mage.

The Count was very happy and told Rorschach something he hadn’t mentioned during their first meeting. "Although it’s been too short a time for me to get more of the information you want, I did hear a while back that the Marquis has a new Magic Consultant. Rumor is she’s a great beauty."

Truth be told, the Count’s initial offer to recruit Rorschach was driven by a ’keeping up with the Joneses’ mentality; if the Marquis had a Mage, he had to have one too.

Singrev reacted sharply. "Why the hell didn’t you tell us from the start!"

The Count shot the Dwarf a sideways glance as if he were an idiot. "Tell you from the start? What could you have offered me at the start? You do work for me, I give you information. That’s perfectly fair."

"Alright... Do you know what kind of relationship that Marquis has with the... Magic Consultant?" the Dwarf asked, stealing a glance at Rorschach. Unfortunately, the young mage’s expression was a perfect poker face.

"I don’t know. It’s just a rumor. But the timing of her appearance roughly matches the time frame you provided. You’ll have to find out the rest for yourselves!

"And don’t say I didn’t warn you. The Marquis is the highest-ranking noble acknowledged by the rules of the Shadow Land—he’s practically the Monarch of Shadow City. He’s nowhere near as open-minded as I am." The Count shot Singrev a glare.

"Show any disrespect in front of the Marquis, and you’ll have your tongue torn out!"

"Quit with the scare tactics!"

Rorschach finally spoke. "Thank you for the information and the warning, Mr. Elgin. But you’re celebrating a bit too soon. There’s bad news to go with the good. The Sect has a larger organization above this one, and they will likely arrive in a few days. We should be gone from the Semi-submerged Area by then, but I felt you should be warned."

The Count could no longer enjoy his wine. He shot up and grabbed Rorschach’s shoulders. "So you’re saying you pissed off the Sect and are skipping town, and now I... I and my Guard have to face their wrath?"

"You are the Lord of this place. Whether the Sect’s superiors will get angry and take it out on you, I can’t say."

"You..." The Count ground his teeth, as if Rorschach were a deadbeat lover leaving him to deal with the consequences.

"Given our ’pleasant’ cooperation, I can offer you a way to defend the Semi-submerged Area, based on my research into the ’Living Water Body.’"

"You’ve dealt with that, too?" The Count finally realized there was more to Rorschach than met the eye. "It’s even more active today than yesterday—it nearly overturned the train! We had to temporarily abandon that section of the line and switch to the Yellow Line..."

’What’s going on?’ Rorschach hadn’t expected the Living Water Body to become more active now that Klaup was captured. ’That shouldn’t be. Is there another reason?’ "Take us to see it."

The circuit for the Count’s private train overlapped with existing metro lines, but it also ran through abandoned sections and tracks that had never been opened for unknown reasons. The sewer where the Living Water Body was raging was adjacent to one of these abandoned sections.

They walked carefully inside the sewer. Storm City had more cloudy days than sunny ones, so rain was frequent. The underground drainage system had been highly developed since the conquest of the Old Empire. The sewer they were currently walking through was large enough to fit a horse-drawn carriage, its arched walls made of brick.

Of course, the water flowing through the channel was not clean. All sorts of filth and silt flowed slowly by. There wasn’t much water for the "Living Water Body" to move around in, and it bubbled like frying oil.

An attendant held a lantern before the Count, while the Captain of the Guard led a small squad "guarding" him. The thick, foul stench was so overpowering it made their eyes water, and everyone felt as if their nostrils would rot away right there. Rorschach and his party, however, followed behind, strolling casually within their [Air Filter Bubbles].

The only issue was that Little Coal Ball desperately wanted to pick up the trash and was repeatedly stopped by Freddy. In the end, the poet simply picked her up and carried her.

"We’re here. Don’t go any further," the Count shouted, his voice echoing in the tunnel. "See for yourselves."

Sure enough, in the deeper, more flooded area ahead, the light revealed thick tentacles wrapped in filth, writhing chaotically and slapping against the brickwork. It was a terrifying sight.

"Throw our dear Mr. Regional Head out there." The poor Mr. Klaup had already been handed over to the Count and carried here by his guards. At the Count’s order, four guards grabbed the corners of a burlap sack. Chanting in unison, they swung the sack for a moment before heaving the hundred-some-pound bag in a graceful arc.

Still in a stupor, the sack’s contents didn’t struggle at all. The "Living Water Body" made a clean catch before brutally tearing the bag and the flesh within to shreds.

From the bagging onward, their treatment of the regional head started to look more and more like the work of a Dark Zone gang. Rorschach didn’t lift a finger to help or hinder, merely observing as the Count and his men pronounced judgment on the Sect member.

’In reality, Klaup hadn’t done anything truly evil, aside from abusing his "maids." From Rorschach’s perspective, the conflict between the Count and the regional head was just a dogfight. The difference was that the Sect’s dog carried the ’rabies virus’ and would eventually contribute to Mother Earth’s awakening. So, this was for the best.’

He observed the Living Water Body and asked the Count, "You didn’t dispose of the other believers this way too, did you?"

"Of course we did." The Count took a cruel sort of delight in the scene. Little Coal Ball was also clapping her hands, while the guards at the front took a few steps back, their grips on their long spears tightening.

"In that case, Mr. Elgin, have you ever considered that feeding a lion flesh and blood will only make it stronger?"

"But shouldn’t it be full by now? Including today’s, that’s more than ten of them, some fat, some thin!"

That was it. The Count thought the Living Water Body was a single entity that could get "full." It wasn’t hard to imagine that if it continued its rampage, he would likely start capturing residents of the Semi-submerged Area to sacrifice to the "Living Water Body." Following his logic, he would sooner or later create a homegrown Shadow Land Cult.

However, the "Living Water Body" was a colony of microorganisms. The more it was fed, the more it would split and multiply. Its population limit was likely immense.

Rorschach shook his head. "Stop feeding it like this." With that said, he raised his staff, and it burst with brilliant light.

From his staff and his free hand, five large Fireballs condensed one after another, instantly sending a scorching wind whipping through the tunnel. When the five masses of plasma slammed down, the carriage-sized tunnel filled with an explosive blast of steam. Had Rorschach not thrown up a barrier, everyone would have been cooked alive by the high-pressure steam, just like the "Living Water Body" in this section of the tunnel.

With "Luo’s Sterilization" complete, the young mage steadied himself, not forgetting to use the [Stone Shaping Skill] to repair the shattered tunnel wall.

Although the overfed microorganisms in this area were now annihilated, they were still present throughout the water systems of Shadow City. They would surely repopulate this area in time, but as long as no one stimulated them with herbs and flesh, it shouldn’t become a major issue.

Rorschach looked at the stunned and uncertain Count. "The Living Water Body in this area will be quiet for a while, Mr. Elgin. Let me give you an idea on how to use it to resist the Sect."

"Ah... please, go on. I’m all ears!" The Count’s tone toward the younger man was suddenly incredibly earnest and humble.