When Lu Zicheng led the team to the West Port Forbidden Zone, he had anticipated a tough battle, even going so far as to apply for reinforcements from Deep Space in advance. But when they arrived at the divined location, everyone fell silent.
The desolate, silent alley held an unsettling sight—Lin Yuan was nailed to the wall, his blood splattering across half of it.
Four daggers pierced through his limbs, carefully avoiding his vital points.
His own sock was stuffed into his mouth, the stench making his eyes water as he moaned miserably.
He was still alive—useful for providing evidence.
"Good thing the divination worked out this time, pinpointing the location perfectly."
Lu Zicheng sucked on a lollipop, arms crossed as he yawned. "We were this close to botching the mission."
Chen Qing acknowledged with a quiet hum. "This time, it's confirmed—it's him. We can wrap up."
Li Yijie's expression darkened as he muttered, "As long as there's a medium—like blood or tissue—divination is foolproof. Last time... that was negligence on our part."
The captains exchanged glances and shrugged in unison.
This mission turned out to be surprisingly straightforward.
"This time we owe it to that newbie's profile. If he hadn't provided the clues, the mission might have been a failure after all. It goes to show you can't rely solely on divination."
Lin Wanqiu studied the man pinned to the wall, a sly smile tugging at her lips. "It's no wonder someone talented enough for the Omega Sequence would be so exceptional. Even without supernatural abilities, he's a standout."
Li Yijie felt his pride take another hit—his status as a Fourth Rank Spiritualist couldn't outshine the rookie's profiling skills. To him, psychology was child's play, something anyone could master.
What wounded his ego even more was his colleagues' attitude.
Especially Lin Wanqiu.
Li Yijie silently scoffed, "This is a so-called 'super rookie'? When recruiting him failed back then, everyone said he was just a brat who didn't know his place. Now that he's in the Omega Sequence, suddenly their tune's changed."
That kind of flip-flopping was common among captains.
Typically, captains were the direct superiors of rookies, serving as their guides and mentors.
The hierarchical divide was stark.
But once a rookie joined the Omega Sequence, everything shifted.
Captains transitioned from mentors to Guardians.
Suddenly, every captain would spare no effort, throwing resources and time into nurturing that rookie.
After all, when one person rises, everyone around them benefits.
A developed Omega Sequence member wouldn't just achieve Holy Land Level—they might ascend to Demigod status, capable of even challenging Supremes, real-world entities of catastrophic power.
Take the legendary pair, the King of Qing and the Red King—they were the strongest duo of the First Generation Omega Sequence.
The prestige of the Omega Sequence was unimaginable.
If a team boasted an Omega Sequence member, the captain would immediately resign their post to focus solely on the Guardian role, effectively abandoning any further team leadership.
Lin Wanqiu was now in a peculiar situation—her entire squad had perished during the Black Cloud City operation.
She herself had been penalized.
Now, with an Omega Sequence member in her jurisdiction, she naturally needed to seize this opportunity.
"Sometimes, I really envy Captain Lu and Deputy Captain Chen. They've barely begun leading a team, and yet they've only got one member—and that member happens to be an Omega Sequence. Talk about divine favor."
Lin Wanqiu sighed wistfully. "Not like my squad—filled with idiots. I repeatedly warned them to stay cautious, and yet they managed to sleep like dead pigs in a city fort inn. Not everyone can be like Investigator Gu—both clever and gifted."
Her words were clearly meant for Lu Zicheng and Chen Qing.
She sought to convey her goodwill through the two senior leaders.
"Haha, guess that's just luck," Lu Zicheng remarked, scanning the area. "Now the question is—who caught Lin Yuan?"
Chen Qing's enchanting eyes, glowing eerily white, lingered for a moment before she replied, "Not sure. Whoever it was left nearly no traces—they even deliberately erased footprints, and there are no fingerprints on the daggers. Moreover, I suspect Lin Yuan's memories have suffered some kind of trauma; his short-term memory has vanished."
Lin Wanqiu stepped forward, her holy light-infused gaze scrutinizing the man nailed to the wall. She murmured, "I see—Soul Loss Secret Medicine. His memories from the past hour are gone, but everything prior remains intact. Clearly, whoever captured Lin Yuan doesn't want us knowing their identity."
She turned her head and asked, "Captain Li, can you use divination?"
Li Yijie cleared his throat. "I can, as long as they aren't concealed by a Mythical Weapon."
Lu Zicheng narrowed his eyes. "Someone's helping us from the shadows—and they can subdue a Third Rank Heavenly Master?"
Suddenly, he lowered his head. "What's this?"
He stooped down and picked up a beetle's shell, his pupils shrinking violently for an instant.
Chen Qing leaned closer to take a look, her entrancing gaze trembling intensely.
Lu Zicheng and Chen Qing spoke in unison.
The other captains looked perplexed. "What's a Parasitic Gu?"
Lu Zicheng didn't answer. His usually lazy and nonchalant demeanor vanished, replaced by genuine fear. His voice turned hoarse. "An extremely high-level Gu Worm that only Sixth Rank Gu Masters can create. I crossed paths with one eight years ago."