Qi Xiang teased the Mutated Rat King with the Crystal Core in her hand while shooting Wei Heng a look. ’Pikachu, you’re up.’

Wei "Pikachu" Heng didn’t much want to play the bad guy, but he was genuinely curious about the direction of the rat’s mutation. Besides, Miss Qi’s temper made her a real handful.

Resigned, Wei Heng had no choice but to pull out the syringe Qi Xiang had given him earlier.

But unexpectedly, the moment the Mutated Rat King saw the syringe, it seemed to realize what was happening. It snatched the Crystal Core from Qi Xiang’s hand in a flash and vanished in an instant.

Wei Heng: "..."

He turned to Qi Xiang and said with a sigh, "Couldn’t you have just gotten it over with while you were teasing it?"

Qi Xiang stood up, dusted off her hands, and said righteously, "I plan on keeping this little guy in the future. How could I be the bad guy?"

Wei Heng stared at her, his face blank. ’...So I guess that makes me the perfect person to be the bad guy?’

Ye Junhan ignored the two of them and turned to Gu Xi. "I heard from Feng Xiao that you made a new discovery in the swamp."

"Mhm, a very interesting... tadpole?" Gu Xi wasn’t even sure if that’s what it was.

Her gaze drifted toward the depths of the swamp, shrouded in mist and miasma, as she recalled the day’s discoveries. "It’s very small and has chameleon-like characteristics, allowing it to change its skin color to match its surroundings," she summarized. "Most importantly, it can block detection by spiritual power, and even evade infrared cameras..."

At this point, Gu Xi turned to Ye Junhan beside her and stressed, "It blocks them *actively*."

This meant that if the tadpole didn’t want to be found, it was nearly impossible for humans to ever track it down.

Furthermore, based on Gu Xi’s observations, the tadpole’s intelligence was significantly higher than that of the other mutated creatures in the swamp.

’As for its combat strength?’ Since she hadn’t fought it directly, Gu Xi couldn’t make an accurate assessment.

But at the very least, it was extremely fast, and her spiritual power was unable to inflict any effective damage on it.

"I feel like... it’s very dangerous." Gu Xi frowned slightly, her voice low. "...But I’m not sure if it’s the target we’re here for."

Ye Junhan followed her line of sight into the depths of the swamp. He understood her meaning and its implications, but ultimately, he just lowered his gaze, concealing his emotions.

...

Ever since Ye Junhan’s return, Gu Xi had stopped going out to "fish." Instead, she spent every day with the research team, appearing deeply interested in the swamp’s mutated creatures.

The Mutated Rat King, on the other hand, was now free from Gu Xi’s suppressing presence. It was nowhere to be seen and had all but made a home for itself in the swamp.

However, ever since word got out that the little creature was evolving again, it was officially on the Special Service Team’s radar. Team members on daily patrol were tasked with keeping a close eye on its whereabouts...

But the little creature was extremely cunning. As if terrified that someone would try to draw its blood, it would bolt the instant it spotted a member of the Special Service Team in the distance.

On the rare occasion it was caught, it was completely caked in muck, making for a... rather comical sight.

Gu Xi had been holed up with the research team for the past two days and had no time to bother with it. Qi Xiang, however, often tagged along with the patrol teams to toss it a few Crystal Cores from afar, trying to build up some affinity...

But the rat was just too shrewd. Ever since seeing Wei Heng with the syringe, it refused to let Qi Xiang get close, no matter how many Crystal Cores she used as bait. It would only dart in to grab the cores before running off.

Sometimes, Qi Xiang even suspected the reason the little thing always showed up caked in mud was to prevent them from drawing its blood.

’So deviously clever.’

After feeding the little rat, Qi Xiang left the Miasma Forest and returned to the main camp several kilometers away, heading straight for the research team’s temporary laboratory.

Inside the makeshift laboratory, Gu Xi stood with her back to the entrance, leaning against a simple lab bench and studying some data. Beside her, Chen Jia was explaining something in a low voice.

"The miasma concentration over at the swamp has dropped quite a bit more. Visibility has improved from less than two meters to a point where we can now see clearly for about ten meters."

Qi Xiang walked over, glanced at the data on the screen, and said, "At this rate, we should be able to try entering in about a week."

"About right." Gu Xi swiped at the Light Screen before her, seemingly uninterested in elaborating on the topic.

She lifted a finger to the Light Screen and turned to ask Chen Jia, who was gazing downward, lost in thought. "What does this data point mean?"

"That’s a mutation parameter. It’s based on a standard the institute published a few years back..." Chen Jia followed her gesture and began to explain in a low voice.

When she finished, she pushed up the cool frame of her glasses and looked up at Gu Xi. "Miss Gu, there’s something I’ve actually been very curious about. If you don’t mind my asking, what method are you using to lower the miasma concentration in that forest?"

Hearing this, Qi Xiang glanced over at her, raising an eyebrow. ’So she finally asked. Can’t hold it in any longer, huh?’

’Still, Chen Jia’s expression is perfectly composed, and she’s meeting Gu Xi’s gaze without flinching. It’s hard to tell if she’s asking for herself or if... someone put her up to it, making her the one to stick her neck out.’

"If it’s not too much trouble, would you be willing to share?" Chen Jia asked, looking at Gu Xi.

Qi Xiang noticed that everyone else in the lab had secretly pricked up their ears. Her gaze swept inconspicuously over the group, pausing for a fraction of a second on three individuals in particular.

Gu Xi swiped across the Light Screen, then looked up at Chen Jia. "You’re that curious?"

"Yes," Chen Jia admitted openly. "It’s not just me; everyone is pretty curious."

"I’m not the one lowering the miasma’s concentration," Gu Xi said, having no intention of hiding it. She saw Chen Jia frown in surprised confusion. "But the small camp in the Miasma Forest... didn’t you..."

Gu Xi explained, "My ability can indeed repel the miasma here, and I did create the small camp inside. But I’m really not the one who is lowering the overall miasma concentration."

"Then who is?" Chen Jia asked instinctively. At the same time, the profiles of every member of the Special Service Team flashed through her mind, but none of them seemed to fit the description...

Gu Xi looked up toward the distant Miasma Forest. After a long pause, she said, "It’s a... a friend of mine."

"A friend?" Chen Jia repeated, surprised, and followed her gaze into the distance.

Gu Xi nodded, murmuring softly, "Mhm, a... friend... who considers me one of its own."

Standing beside her, Chen Jia clearly heard what she said and froze for a second.

’It was mainly the sheer amount of information in Gu Xi’s words that had stunned her. First, the phrase "considers me one of its own" was incredibly suggestive... and a friend of Gu Xi’s...’

’Putting the two together, Chen Jia could only think of one person: the legendary figure from City A.’

Gu Xi offered no explanation. After a moment, her gaze returned to the Light Screen, and she began focusing on the data regarding mutated fish monsters.

’Everything she’d just said was the truth. But as for how others might misinterpret her words?’

’...That was none of her business.’