CHAPTER 54: CHAPTER 54: THE DEVIATION OF HOLY LIGHT!

Leaving Qian Ming’s home, Lu Luo didn’t speak or call a car. He simply walked step by step along the chilly streets of the wealthy district.

"Brother Luo, did you find anything? I feel like the whole process was just a mess, but getting 5,000 yuan isn’t too bad."

"Brother Kane, what do you think about that old lady?"

"She was quite nice, even gave us fruit to eat. In these 20 years, the only time I had fruit was at the orphanage anniversary, when the Church came for inspections."

"Yeah, the old lady was pretty nice, but why..."

"Brother Luo, are we still going to follow up on this commission?"

Looking at the gloomy sky over the Wasteland, Lu Luo’s thoughts gradually drifted. Was it because of the Church that Qian Ming’s mother acted that way? What on earth did the symbol of the hand holding flowers mean? Not having enough information is really frustrating. I definitely need to read up more when I get back.

"Of course. Keep an eye on this place. When the old lady goes to the Church again, we just follow her, and then..."

Lu Luo didn’t continue. Although he already had a plan for the follow-up, the gradually aging silhouette of Qian’s mother kept haunting his mind.

"Brother Luo? What’s wrong? What do we do when the time comes? Shall we head back now?"

Lu Luo stopped in his tracks, silent for a moment.

"Maybe we don’t have to wait that long! Yes, let’s go back, now!"

...

In the villa, Qian’s mother held Qian Ming’s hand, speaking earnestly, "Aming, with your status and position, what kind of woman can’t you have in the Fourth Ring? Loads of women are lining up to get into our family. Li Manting ran away; we can just find another one. Why get so hung up on this one person? Listen to Mom, stop looking, alright!"

Qian Ming glanced at his mother. A muscle twitched at the corner of his eye, his lips moved slightly, then he lowered his head again.

"Mom, I really love her."

"What do you know about love? She just likes your money. What’s there to miss about that kind of woman? The Holy Light will guide you to a better woman."

Qian Ming looked at his mother, whose temples were turning gray. There had been too many changes in her lately.

"Mom, you’re not well. Stop going to the Church."

"What nonsense are you talking? I’m in perfect health. You should work less and rest more at home. There’s food in the kitchen; you can eat it yourself. I’m going upstairs to pray."

Qian’s mother paid no attention to Qian Ming. Talking to herself, she didn’t notice that as she spoke, her silver hair was turning dull and her face was becoming even more haggard.

"Mom, you... Aren’t you going to eat?" Qian Ming never managed to say what he truly wanted to say.

"Hmm, I’m not hungry. You eat by yourself."

The conversation between mother and son did not continue further.

After Qian’s mother left, Qian Ming buried his head in his knees. The man, over forty years old, looked like a perplexed child at that moment.

Meanwhile, Qian’s mother returned to her attic and opened the Holy Radiance-filled Tome.

When Qian’s mother’s fingers touched the Tome, the Holy Radiance within her began to flow constantly into it.

"The Holy Light will protect Aming. Everything will get better."

As the Holy Radiance flowed out of her, Qian’s mother grew noticeably older.

Her cheeks became more emaciated and withered, as terrifying as a living skeleton.

PLOP! A piece of dry skin fell onto the table. Qian’s mother glanced at it casually and paid it no mind.

Soon, a dark red, viscous tentacle emerged from the Tome, coiling around the old lady’s withered skin and quickly retracting.

It was as if the old lady was completely unaware of any of this, continuing to infuse her Holy Radiance into the Tome.

The depletion of Holy Radiance made the aura of death around Qian’s mother more intense. If it weren’t for the life still present in her eyes, no one would believe she was alive.

The Tome grew purer and purer, and by now, it had started to look somewhat like a screen.

Just then, a young woman’s face suddenly appeared in the Holy Radiance—it was Qian Ming’s fiancée, Li Manting.

Qian’s mother stared at the gradually solidifying figure. Her body began to tremble, and for the first time, a hint of hesitation appeared in her once-resolute eyes.

"How could it be you? How could it possibly be you?"

The face of Li Manting drew closer to Qian’s mother, a mix of resentment and elation on her face.

"Mother! It is the Holy Light that guided us to meet!"

The Holy Radiance gradually enveloped the attic, shining out from the skylight.

Even Lu Luo and Zhou Kai, who were on their way back to the villa, could now see it clearly.

"Brother Luo, what is that?"

As Zhou Kai asked, Lu Luo had already rushed toward the villa.

"It’s Holy Radiance."

...

Qian Ming was completely unaware of what was happening in the attic. He walked to the kitchen mechanically and opened the pot where his mother usually left food.

After looking at the food inside, Qian Ming stopped.

He suddenly covered the pot, as if making some important decision, and turned to walk up to the third floor.

Just as he was about to reach the third floor, BAM! Lu Luo kicked open the villa’s main door and yelled at Qian Ming.

"Qian Ming, get back!"

BOOM!

The door to the third-floor room exploded instantly, and the intense impact sent Qian Ming flying backward, crashing heavily to the ground.

As he fell, his head happened to hit the wall, and he immediately passed out.

A monster with many human limbs, resembling a spider, revealed its two faces at the entrance on the third floor.

One protruding face was Qian’s mother’s, while the other, fixed on the humanoid spider’s head, was that of Qian Ming’s fiancée, Li Manting.

The monster’s chest and abdomen were completely opened up. Inside, there was neither a heart nor any other internal organs.

There was only a book that kept pulsating—that Tome.

Li Manting’s mouth opened, and a beam of Holy Light shot out toward Qian Ming, but Lu Luo, arriving just in time, blocked it with the Wraith Blade.

[Here we go again, a new one. Full of hatred, pain, and a strong desire for revenge. An unnamed Second Tier Exotic Species, let’s temporarily classify it as a Humanoid Species. Its life force isn’t high, but it contains a large amount of Holy Light power within its body; other features unknown. Tsk tsk, an Exotic Species that can use Holy Radiance. This world is truly terrifying!]

Li Manting’s head spoke to Lu Luo: "HISS... HISS... HISS..." The sibilant sounds reached Lu Luo’s ears, but he didn’t understand a single word.

[Observer translation: You have no idea what kind of torture I’ve suffered! I gave everything for Qian Ming, yet he betrayed me! Qian Ming, Xu Fan, and all of them—all humans must die! I don’t want to fight you. Move aside!]

[Another Exotic Species has communicated with you, and it doesn’t even want to fight. Does your appeal extend beyond humans?]

Were ’they’ that Li Manting mentioned the Church? Xu Fan must be Qian Ming’s mother. But what about Qian Ming? Was he involved too? Something’s not right. Qian Ming probably wasn’t involved. If he were, there would have been no need to ask for our help. But he definitely knew something.

Lu Luo looked at Xu Fan’s head, which had almost withered into a skull, and shook his own head slightly.

As for Li Manting’s harsh words, he could only offer a silent laugh. If all humans had to die, then what did that make him?

Lu Luo took off his jacket, his gaze sharpening.

"Sorry, but Qian Ming is my client. If you kill him, who will I ask for my payment?"

"HISS... HISS!"

[Observer translation: Then go die with them.]

A beam of Holy Radiance sprayed from Li Manting’s mouth. Lu Luo no longer tried to withstand it directly, instead rolling aside to dodge, letting the Holy Radiance blast through the room.

"Here we go."

[Sequence S-11-Observer, Overclocking Mode activated. As is tradition, let’s have a chuunibyou entrance line: "Pierce the fog of these events with your blade, Lu Luo Beast!"]

[The secondary body, Xu Fan, has extended scythe-like blades that have locked onto Qian Ming. Host, please consider your response strategy promptly.]

[Continued analysis of the current Exotic Species’ weaknesses is underway. Observer’s level is relatively low. Please be patient...]