Chapter 151: A Gift That Shouldn’t Have Been Accepted

When that piece of flesh and skin was cut off Lu Xin’s back, all the Avengers swarmed toward the flesh, devouring it greedily.

Qin Ran also appeared abnormally quiet and eerie. That grotesque tree, looking like bloody flesh, still maintained its upward growth posture. Countless Vines stretched forcefully outward, their tips bearing twisted, humanoid “Tentacles.”

But he seemed to have been pressed on pause; he stopped all movement and remained completely still.

Stranger still, the Small Town residents who had rushed over, torn apart, and consumed that small piece of flesh also ceased their actions.

They remained in their prone positions on the ground, their expressions turning vacant.

As if by eating that piece of flesh, they had completed their revenge, leaving no more resentment behind.

By this point, Lu Xin became even more certain of the Logic Chain behind Qin Ran’s Ability.

There seemed only one way to stop his Contamination at this stage: to complete the revenge.

But he possessed another Ability: the transference of hatred.

Therefore, those whose hatred he transferred were effectively under a Curse—one that could only be broken upon death.

Perhaps because he was an Ability User, or perhaps due to the protection of his family, the Curse had only managed to Contaminate a portion of his skin. But if it were anyone else, the entire person would likely be Contaminated.

And that meant only one outcome: death.

Moreover, before death, every single Avenger one killed while fighting back or trying to save their own life would further fuel Qin Ran’s Contamination.

But now that the Contamination had been halted, what would the outcome be?

…

Lu Xin looked toward Mother, wanting to hear her suggestion.

But Mother, at this moment, frowned delicately, her gaze fixed intently on Qin Ran, seemingly deeply captivated by some change occurring on him.

Lu Xin also looked up. He saw that the Human-Fruit Tree wasn’t entirely motionless either. The surface of its trunk was slowly writhing, raised contours gradually forming the shape of a human face. Looking closely, it bore Qin Ran’s likeness.

“It’s perfect…”

The grotesque bark face moved its mouth. The voice was somewhat muffled, but it was unmistakably Qin Ran’s voice.

“This is the first time I’ve felt such rapid growth…”

Where the eyes should be, the bloody flesh stretched taut to its limit, then tore open sideways, revealing two hollow eyes.

Those eyes stared fixedly at Lu Xin. His face wriggled and distorted, expression savage, like a Maniac.

Yet, the tone of his speech was strangely calm: “Truly enviable power. The speed of my growth is directly proportional to the Psychic Magnitude of the cursed target. How incredibly strong must you be to allow me to complete the fifth tier of Contamination so quickly?”

Lu Xin remained silent, watching Qin Ran.

The Human-Fruit Tree currently bore sixteen Human-Shaped Fruit.

Around it, over thirty other Small Town residents lay prone on the ground.

Lu Xin faintly felt another puzzle piece clicking into place.

As seen from the previous Special Contamination Incident involving 041, “Qin Ran’s” contamination speed increased exponentially.

Each subsequent tier was double the previous one, but correspondingly, the time required was also doubled. Therefore, during the previous incident, the risk assessment for Special Contamination Incident 041 wasn’t particularly high, because this method of contamination meant its speed was inherently restricted.

And contamination speed is often the crucial standard for determining the risk level of a Special Contamination Incident.

But this time, during Lu Xin’s direct confrontation with Qin Ran, he discovered Qin Ran’s contamination speed was completely different from before.

This time, the speed was frantic, almost insane…

According to Qin Ran, this was somehow related to Lu Xin himself?

…

“You are special. I’ve already guessed why you are so special.”

“Never expected that, at this final moment, the Escaped Laboratory mission would… be unexpectedly completed.”

“…”

While Lu Xin was thinking, the face on the tree trunk slowly spoke.

Simultaneously, an eerie smile appeared on that face as it began to slowly merge back into the trunk.

“Mm!”

Lu Xin’s body jolted violently. He snapped his head up, staring at Qin Ran.

“Escaped Laboratory?”

This was the first time Lu Xin had heard this name, and it evoked an extremely strange sensation within him.

It was also at this moment that Mother, standing not far away, suddenly had her face turn cold. Her usually exquisite and elegant smile seemed instantly shrouded in shadow. The light of the Crimson Moon shone down, rendering her delicate features indistinct, shifting between light and shadow.

“It must end now…”

Mother spoke softly, but her voice carried a distinct chill.

“Alright!”

Lu Xin responded in a low voice, his body tensing.

He too wished to swiftly deal with Qin Ran.

Because his experience facing Ability Users was limited, he dared not delay even the slightest, fearing anything might go wrong.

So, even though some doubts arose within him, they didn’t affect his resolve.

Even if he had questions, they could wait until Qin Ran’s combat ability was completely dismantled…

“Swoosh!”

The moment this thought crossed his mind, his body had already bounced forward.

His waist slightly arched, his posture natural, he instinctively assumes the stance most suited for a sprint.

And he timed his move precisely as Qin Ran’s face began merging into the tree trunk.

From his observation of this Flesh-Blood Monster Tree, Lu Xin intuitively felt that this was when Qin Ran was most vulnerable.

When Lu Xin lunged, a small portion of Qin Ran’s face had already fused into the trunk; all the vines and branches began to tremble faintly, especially the Human-Shaped Fruit growing upon those branches, which were rapidly unfurling. Since each fruit is composed of innumerable spiritual entities shaped like people, it now looked as if they were all opening their arms.

Opening their arms forcefully, as if yearning to embrace something…

“Every ability system fundamentally contains three types of capabilities…”

“If Qin Ran’s Curse and his method of utilizing the Human-Fruit Tree to inflict Contamination upon others represent two of his abilities…”

“Then, he should possess a third ability…”

Lu Xin struck precisely at this moment to forestall Qin Ran’s third ability.

Because he didn’t know what that ability was.

Certain details suggest that until Qin Ran’s face fully integrated into the trunk, he likely couldn’t activate that third ability.

“You… mustn’t harm him!”

But right at this instant, a loud cry suddenly erupted from the pitch-black house behind him.

The voice was hoarse and tense, like the croak of a duck with its neck squeezed tight, exceptionally eerie.

The moment this voice sounded, Lu Xin’s heart gave a boom.

Instinctively glancing in that direction, his pupils narrowed sharply.

He could see a large head emerging from behind a doorway; it looked rather peculiar. Its owner was covertly staring at him; despite obvious nervousness, they gazed unflinchingly and uttered this demand loudly.

Crucially, at least for that fleeting moment, Lu Xin’s heart lurched violently.

He had an involuntary reluctance to refuse this plea, an urge to heed it and abandon his attack on Qin Ran.

The ungainly features on that oversized head appeared somewhat endearing now…

“It seems you’ve accepted a gift you shouldn’t have…”

Qin Ran, whose face was nearly fully merged back into the trunk, noticed Lu Xin’s distraction.

A bizarre smile twisted his lips.

Simultaneously, upon those stretched-out vines, dozens of fruit shaped like humans were on the brink of fully opening their embrace.

…Yet in that very instant, Lu Xin’s briefly hesitated form abruptly accelerated again!

He shot forward like a blurred silhouette under the moonlight, crossing over a dozen meters in an instant to appear directly before the Human-Fruit Tree.

His palm thrust straight into the tree trunk, seizing Qin Ran by the throat, which had largely already sunk into the bark.

His eyes, void of any emotion, gazed at him earnestly, calmly, indifferently…

“What… is this?”

True surprise finally manifested on Qin Ran’s face.

He had distinctly seen Lu Xin lost in thought an instant prior, seemingly hesitating about whether to charge at him.

But the next second, Lu Xin was upon him, choking his neck in the final instant before his head vanished into the trunk.

“It’s that person who sells Roses, isn’t it?”

Lu Xin regarded him placidly. “Accepting his gifts causes one to feel affection toward him, correct?”

“My Little Sister has already gone to find him.”

“Perhaps you don’t understand… what my Little Sister does to things she fancies…”