"Do you have a map?"
"Yes."
"Please mark the residences and workplaces of these victims."
No kidding, the nuns of the Bountiful Church were indeed very responsible, they actually remembered the victims' addresses.
The town was small, so if they tried a little, they could indeed remember everyone.
"They were probably attacked on the road, the killer should still be in the town..."
As they spoke, Loren connected the victims' residences and destinations on the map according to possible routes of movement, and in the end, every route converged on one area.
Loren circled that area and said,
"Let's go check here, the problem should originate from this place."
"Move out!"
Loren checked the submachine guns' ammunition, though the bullets might not be needed much for this operation.
Several nuns followed Loren and the others;
they also knew some low-tier Abundant Magic, which could help to some extent.
Each nun had some mutation;
besides their uniformly branch-like eyeballs, different parts of their bodies had been replaced by plant tissue, so they were somewhat stronger than ordinary mages.
"It's right here."
Using the map, Loren found the spot. It was at an intersection, where a huge tree grew by the roadside. Its emerald leaves rustled in the breeze, some leaves had already turned a withered red, and several bright red apples hung from its branches, glistening.
Other than that, it was eerily quiet.
Because the God of Bountiful Harvest's territory had a much better environment than other places, there were many small animals. Since his transmigration, Loren had always heard birdsong, but here it was so silent.
"Master Mentor, can I eat an apple?"
Anna pointed at the apples on the tree. She stared at the tempting color, feeling a little hungry.
"This tree might belong to someone. We can't steal things, and didn't you just eat so many desserts?"
Loren frowned and tapped Anna on the head, then led everyone back to the church.
Hearing Loren's words, Scarlett looked awkward and threw the necklace she had into the dirt.
"Oh dear, whose necklace fell?"
"Huh? It's mine, thank you."
A nun picked up the necklace and thanked Scarlett.
Just as Scarlett proudly said no need to thank her, Loren suddenly pulled Scarlett over, pressed his knuckles against her head and drilled a few times.
"You stole that necklace, didn't you? I don't owe you food or clothes, so why steal?"
"I can't control myself... It's not stealing, it's... ow ow ow..."
Loren suddenly increased the pressure. Tears welled in Scarlett's eyes;
every time Loren saw her use that innocent moonlit face to act so foolishly, he couldn't keep a straight look.
In the end, Loren reluctantly let her go;
Scarlett had interrupted his train of thought.
"Did you find anything?"
Back at the church, Naclis finally asked Loren;
she had long sensed his thoughts.
"The killer is that tree."
"A tree?"
The nuns didn't fully understand Loren at first, but they quietly listened to his explanation.
"To be precise, this thing is called a false tree. Essentially, it's a kind of insect. The leaves are larvae, the apples are adults, and the tree is the mother insect.
"The false tree is carnivorous. After sensing prey, it will fling larvae onto the victim. When the larvae have eaten the prey down to bone and skin, they crawl back onto the mother. The mother cannot move and survives off the larvae's excrement."
From that simple description, the nuns felt a chill, but Loren wasn't finished:
"When the larvae mature, they become beetles that look like apples. The adults will find an opportunity to fly onto prey, then when the prey moves to a suitable spot, they burrow into the victim's body, eating the flesh as they grow, eventually forming into a sapling shape and producing new larvae.
"False trees grow quickly but require a lot of energy. The fact that that false tree is so large means the missing people are definitely more than those on the list."
False trees only grow in the God of Bountiful Harvest's territory because only here can they be sustained;
that was why Loren could quickly guess the killer was a false tree.
"Then what should we do? Kill the false tree directly?"
Loren shook his head at the nun's suggestion.
"We can't attack it directly. If threatened, the larvae will be rapidly matured within seconds, turning into adults and scattering to seize any chance to survive.
"Also, false trees can understand human speech, which is why I had you all return to the church first."
Loren was actually a little pleased that a false tree had appeared here, because false trees were experience-rich targets. If not considering the impact on others, a false tree's combat ability wasn't strong, but it gave a lot of experience.
Although a single false tree's experience wasn't huge, each larva provided experience.
"Solving it isn't difficult. Douse it thoroughly with gasoline mixed with rubber—use a lot, completely cover the false tree, then set it on fire. False trees fear fire.
"As for any that escape, get people with flamethrowers to burn them nearby;
ideally, let none get away."
This world had no cars, so gasoline was mostly used as a weapon and couldn't be gathered quickly in large amounts. The nuns asked Loren to wait a day.
Actually, fire magic would be better, but it's not part of the Abundance Sequence and is forbidden here, so Loren had to settle for flamethrowers.
The church didn't publicize the false tree incident;
they only blocked the thoroughfare. Revealing the false tree information rashly might drive the creatures away, and Loren didn't want to be compromised by foolish allies. Fortunately, most people here had normal intelligence.
"Let's go back for now. We'll deal with the false tree tomorrow."
By the time they finished, it was already dark. The nuns escorted Loren and the others home.
"It seems nothing can stump Master Mentor. Is there anything he can't do?"
Luna still looked at Loren with adoring eyes;
every move Loren made seemed supremely handsome to her.
"There is one thing the master cannot do."
Mirrorheart said suddenly, and Luna instinctively wanted to object.
"Then tell me, what can't Master Mentor do?"
"Be the submissive."
Mirrorheart said this expressionlessly and then went into the kitchen to start cooking, leaving a baffled Luna behind.
"What... be the submissive?"
While Luna pondered this profound question, dinner time came quickly. Watching Scarlett and Anna bicker at the table and Loren stop them, Luna felt a warm surge of happiness.