Lin Juan had trained with his master in the mountains since childhood and had gone down the mountain with him on various errands, experiencing all sorts of harsh environments. But none of them were as disgusting as the thing overhead.
How to describe it?
It was like a sticky, gooey mass mixed with all sorts of rotten, stinking, bug-infested meat.
The others didn’t say it out loud, but their expressions clearly agreed.
“Does this thing have any weaknesses?” Lin Juan wanted to deal with it as quickly as possible.
“Hey, you, doesn’t Captain Sheng spray fire? Can you burn it?”
“It’s not spraying fire; it’s the supernatural ability Starfire.” Sheng Tianzong quietly corrected him.
“Doesn’t matter how it comes; roast it with fire first.” Lin Juan stood beside Sheng Tianzong and directed, “See if you can char it.”
“Does Mr. Lin have a way to deal with it?” an ability user asked.
Faced with weird phenomena, they instinctively activated their supernatural abilities.
It was well known that ordinary physical force did little damage to weird phenomena. Only supernatural abilities could deal them heavy blows.
“Bake it dry, and then I can make my move.” Lin Juan cracked his knuckles. “You guys can’t seriously expect me to punch this gooey mess directly.”
Once it was dried out, it shouldn’t be so disgusting anymore.
Lin Juan really couldn’t convince himself to lay hands on the viscous Impermanent Snail that looked just like a giant booger.
“Huh?” The ability user looked bewildered. “Punch it directly?”
“Stop talking nonsense and do as Mr. Lin says.” Sheng Tianzong cut off their conversation. “We don’t have much time left.”
With that, he released his supernatural ability Starfire.
Towering flames spread from his hands. The wind-type ability user followed right after, and the two coordinated seamlessly. The blaze rode the gale like a giant beast opening its maw, lunging toward the Impermanent Snail.
Sizzle sizzle.
The Impermanent Snail took the attack, its sticky mass roiling as it let out a shrill scream.
“No ‘shell’—its defenses are weak. Everyone, put some effort into it!” Zhuang Yufeng shouted loudly.
The attacks were effective, encouraging the ability users. They all unleashed their supernatural abilities one after another.
Lin Juan saw such a wide variety of supernatural abilities for the first time and couldn’t help taking a few extra glances.
But good times didn’t last. Under the barrage of supernatural abilities, the Impermanent Snail fought back.
The surrounding scenery changed rapidly. The “shells” around them converged toward the center, as if trying to crush them into paste with their power.
Once they drew close enough, countless shard-like small shells shot out from between the shells. Some flew at them, while others gathered around the Impermanent Snail’s main body, blocking the flames for it.
With the “shell” protection, the Impermanent Snail got some relief. It grew enraged, its sticky body slowly gathering. At the front, it condensed a massive head that was sort of like a snake but not quite.
The huge head had no eyes, nose, or mouth—just a bald stretch that elongated flexibly and lunged at them.
Chunky “shell” pieces clung to it like armor, firmly encasing its vulnerable interior.
As Zhuang Yufeng had said, the hardest part about the Impermanent Snail was its hard shell all over.
And the bluish-black mucus its body automatically secreted when under attack.
Mucus dripped from overhead. Lin Juan looked up, momentarily distracted, and a layer had already formed underfoot.
The mucus was like quicksand, dragging people into the abyss.
They had no choice but to find higher ground to stand on.
Sheng Tianzong cooperated with his teammates, scorching the Impermanent Snail while dragging it downward.
At the front of the Impermanent Snail’s elongated neck, a slit slowly cracked open, revealing a mouth full of fleshy tumors that constantly secreted mucus.
The mucus splattered on the ground, corroding pits wherever it landed.
Seizing the moment, Lin Juan leaped up and casually grabbed a nearby rectangular object. “Lend me this.”
It was big enough and sturdy enough. Lin Juan didn’t care what it was originally for—he treated it like a brick and smashed it toward the Impermanent Snail.
Clang clang clang. A few blows flattened the “shell” that an A-rank supernatural ability Starfire couldn’t burn through and wind blades couldn’t cut. Even the gooey stuff inside got smashed along with it.
The thing in his hand was also smashed to pieces from the brute force.
Lin Juan retreated a few steps and gathered power in his legs.
Boom—
Under the terrifying force, the Impermanent Snail was kicked flying, crashing into a hard “shell” and smashing a huge gash in it.
Meanwhile, outside.
Director Liu’s supernatural ability was more scholarly. He knew he wouldn’t be much use inside and that someone needed to command things outside, so he stayed put.
After Lin Juan and the others entered, he immediately stationed people to guard the hole Lin Juan had punched out. While directing the rescue efforts in an orderly manner, he anxiously awaited news from inside the “shell.”
At first, updates came every few minutes. But after half an hour, no matter how Director Liu asked from outside, there was no more news from within.
Director Liu tried to tell himself not to panic and to trust the abilities of those inside, but his heart remained suspended high, unable to settle no matter what.
He couldn’t help but feel anxious.
Time ticked by, every second of waiting excruciating. Lu Mingxuan paced restlessly, checking the time one moment and the fissure the next, hoping Lin Juan would emerge from the crack the very next second.
After who knew how long, the invisible “shell” ahead shuddered violently once, then a few more times. Then came a boom—something had been smashed open.
Director Liu hurriedly led people over.
Lu Mingxuan rushed to follow.
By the time they arrived at the source of the noise, Lin Juan and the others had already come out of the “shell.”
Everyone looked disheveled—not from injuries, but from the mucus they’d gotten on them while fighting the Impermanent Snail.
Lin Juan had the most on him and looked the most wretched.
Seeing him, Lu Mingxuan dashed over in one stride. “Little Uncle!”
Lin Juan reached out to block him. “Don’t touch me. The mucus is poisonous.”
Lu Mingxuan slammed to a halt, circling around him like a big golden retriever around its owner. “Little Uncle, are you okay? Are you hurt? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?”
“No, none of that.”
While they spoke, Sheng Tianzong had already given Director Liu a rough report of the situation. Director Liu and his people also saw the weird phenomena smashed to bits amid the mucus.
Everyone fell silent.
“It’s over just like that?” A young ability user behind Director Liu looked stunned.
How much time had even passed?
And according to Captain Sheng, aside from one teammate getting polluted at the start, they’d had no casualties throughout.
Far better than expected, by an order of magnitude.
“What else?” Lu Mingxuan said proudly. “That’s how strong my Little Uncle is!”
With the pollution source eliminated by Lin Juan, there was no need to trouble him further. Director Liu arranged the follow-up matters and took Lin Juan and Lu Mingxuan to find the Lu Family people.
Lin Juan also took the time while Director Liu handled the aftermath to clean himself up simply.
He returned the discarded protective suit to the ability users.
With the mutant snail’s death, the hospital’s pollution value dropped rapidly. Lin Juan suddenly remembered something and asked, “What was that thing I smashed the weird phenomena with just now?”
He’d grabbed it at random without looking, just feeling it was handy.
Zhuang Yufeng, who had come with him, paused for a moment before saying, “It was the pollution testing device we brought.”
“Huh?” Lin Juan recalled Zhuang Yufeng telling him earlier that the materials were hard to find, production difficult, and there weren’t many units available. “That’s expensive, right?”
“It’s okay.” Zhuang Yufeng had no idea why Lin Juan was asking but saw his interest and gave him a rough rundown of the production process.
The more Lin Juan heard, the heavier his heart sank.
Making one detector not only required rare metals and other precious materials but also parts from weird phenomena bodies, infused with an A-rank ability user’s supernatural ability to function.
In summary, it was costly.
As the pollution value fell, the alarms lifted. The Lu Family was escorted to a small conference room to wait for Lin Juan.
On the way, Lin Juan mentally calculated how much savings he’d have left after compensating for the smashed pollution testing device.
Once done, he sighed inwardly.
People really shouldn’t harbor lucky thoughts.
Destined to be poor meant destined to be poor—it wouldn’t change just because he’d switched worlds.
When the two sides met, Old Master Lu asked after Lin Juan’s condition with concern. Lin Juan explained everything one by one.
Lu Yanzhou keenly noticed his low mood and tugged his sleeve. Once Lin Juan looked over, he asked quietly, “You’re unhappy. Did something hard to solve happen?”
“How did you know?” Lin Juan was surprised and whispered back.
“Micro-expressions.” Lu Yanzhou didn’t explain much. “What is it? Can I help?”
“I smashed their pollution detector.” Thinking of the savings about to leave him, his heart ached. “It’s expensive. Very expensive!”
Lu Yanzhou raised a brow, his eyes clearly saying: That’s it?
Lin Juan pursed his lips and muttered softly, “I don’t have as much money as you.”
He’d finally built up some savings, hadn’t even warmed them up, and now they were leaving him.
Just thinking about it hurt.
“Ask them how much compensation they want. I’ll write the check.”
Lin Juan was astonished. “You’ll pay?”
The young man was already handsome. The surprised expression blooming on his face made that pretty face even more vivid.
“Who else?” Lu Yanzhou couldn’t hold back and reached out to touch his forehead. “Since we’re married, my money is yours, isn’t it?”
