Chapter 81: A New Day Today
"The offer is good, but I refuse."
Since the other party was being so sincere, Lin Ye didn't want to waste their time any longer.
"Though I anticipated this, may I ask why? Is it for so-called justice? Or for those commoners who are worth less than weeds?"
The priest wasn't angry, merely curious.
"Neither. I just don't like you people. It's that simple."
Lin Ye showed a somewhat ethereal smile. Since coming here, he'd decided not to do things he disliked anymore.
"What a pity."
The priest sighed genuinely.
"Come then, evil cultist. It's time for our final showdown."
Lin Ye said with a smile, gripping a high-potency tranquilizer like he was reciting dramatic lines. His trump card was already in hand, and his ultimate move prepared. He only needed the enemy to reveal theirs.
In battle, timing was crucial. When uncertain but not desperate, Lin Ye preferred to counterattack.
"Righteous officer, it's time to apologize for the precinct's arrogance."
Father Matthew played along cooperatively.
Meanwhile, throughout the city, cultists' bodies twisted grotesquely, transforming into flesh-and-blood trees that served as temporary ritual nodes.
They weren't particularly devout - their faith simply burned like fire, consuming their bodies.
The withered Mutation Flesh Plant at the church's center suddenly erupted with frenzied growth. Father Matthew walked into it - he too was but a sacrificial lamb.
Lin Ye watched as the plant consumed the priest. If his guess was right, the ritual was meant to summon such plants at the city center, on a much larger scale.
That would have been beyond his ability to handle.
"Sir! Are you alright?"
Nora's panting voice came through the earpiece. Having just dealt with a group of cultists, she saw the monstrous plant now towering over the church spire.
"Fine. It's over. Come pick me up - and bring a flatbed cart too."
Lin Ye swapped positions between the high-energy sphere in his glove space and the tranquilizer syringe. Using his special ability, he exchanged the activated sphere with the newborn plant's core.
BOOM!
Holding the squirming plant core, Lin Ye retreated to safety as the explosion shredded the church's interior with gore.
This plant was formidable - difficult to destroy externally. Given time to develop more cores and root underground, the entire city would become its fertilizer.
Unfortunately for it, Lin Ye wasn't about to allow that.
Earlier, with its roots buried deep, Lin Ye couldn't easily deal with it. Now that it had surfaced, he showed no mercy.
Post-explosion, Lin Ye collected useful materials from the still-active plant remains and retrieved his discarded firearms.
In an intact room deep within the church, he found Father Matthew's belongings - a notebook and typical cultist paraphernalia.
He also discovered a personnel register listing Emerald God Cult affiliates in the city, including several precinct officers.
When Nora arrived with the cart, Lin Ye loaded it with loot that wouldn't fit in his storage space.
"Here. Need me to take care of them?"
Lin Ye handed her the register casually.
"No need. Most should be dead already. Lieutenant Grace and I will handle the rest."
Nora stored the register and helped load the cart into the sports car's rear compartment.
"To the precinct."
A thief wouldn't leave empty-handed. With such a high-ranking identity granted by the system, Lin Ye intended to make full use of it.
Soon the car stopped outside the precinct.
Under the officers' awed gazes, Lin Ye wheeled his cart into the chief's office. Before closing the door, he told Nora:
"Overtime's over. The city's secure tonight. You may rest, Officer Nora."
"Yes, sir!"
Nora straightened and saluted.
Morning sunlight streamed through the windows onto her face. The city still stood - today was another new day.
Closing the office door, Lin Ye used the chief's computer to access and download classified data on spiritual energy weapons before entering the faint green portal that appeared there.
……………………
[Station Mission Complete. Reward: Special Metal Treasure Chest*1 (Based on difficulty)]
[Additional Mission 1 Complete. Reward: Additional Mission Chest*1]
[Additional Mission 2 Complete. Reward: Additional Mission Chest*1]
[Additional Mission 3 Complete. Reward: Additional Mission Chest*1]
[Please Draw Today's Card]
"My turn! Draw!"
Ignoring the piled loot in the shelter's center and sparing no grief for the missing fat rat, Lin Ye proceeded directly to his daily draw.
This time it revealed a 2-liter bottle of orange juice. The card dissipated, leaving an actual bottle in its place.
Lin Ye examined it thoroughly - by all appearances, ordinary orange juice with sliced oranges on the label, though the script was unfamiliar.
System inspection yielded the usual limited information:
[Orange Juice]
[This is a card]
[Note: One of the Abyssal Relic Card Box's cards]
"Any special effects?"
The juice remained silent.
Pouring some into a cup, Lin Ye checked again:
[A Cup of Orange Juice]
[Card Derivative]
[Note: Edible]
Remembering the goose leg rice and duck blood vermicelli, this suddenly seemed normal.
"Whatever. Today's draw doesn't count."
Lin Ye took a sip - tasted like regular orange juice.
Setting the cup down, he began organizing loot. After categorizing the spiritual energy weapons and materials, he checked their system info:
[Spiritual Energy Rifle]
[Mass-produced low-tier Federation weapon. Limited effectiveness against mid-tier spiritual energy users]
[Note: A failed experiment]
[Spiritual Energy Grenade]
[Mass-produced low-tier Federation weapon. Decent power but ineffective against mid-tier users]
[Note: A failed experiment]
[Mutation Flesh Plant Core]
[Commonly found in Emerald Capital. Basic nutrient source for many plants]
[Note: A weed's core]
[Mutation Flesh Plant Material]
[Excellent mutation material]
[Note: Also makes good fertilizer]
"A weed, huh? How terrifying."
Lin Ye remarked wryly.