Trickster Hunter.

Chapter 556 Blood-Eating Feast
"And what about that illegal infected person?" Sun Hang asked.

"This infected individual carries a highly dangerous and extremely unstable meme that can cause secondary infections in almost all types of infected individuals and cause the infection process to exceed the danger threshold in a very short time," the mastermind immediately replied. "After the infection process exceeds the danger threshold, it manifests as coughing up blood, general weakness, and skin and muscle dissolution. After the meme mutation enters the second stage, tumor-like fruits will grow on the infected individual's bones. All intelligent beings within a certain range of these fruits will be affected, experiencing an irresistible urge to devour them."

"How does it spread?"

“Direct contact infection,” the mastermind continued. “Besides the illegal infected person carrying the original meme, one person was infected because they came into contact with the blood of the illegal infected person. The other infected people were infected because they ingested the tumor-like fruit—the infection process of contact infection is slower, with a delay of about seven to eight minutes from infection to the mutation of the meme and the growth of the tumor-like fruit, while for infected people who directly ingest the tumor-like fruit, this process is shortened to twenty to thirty seconds.”

"What is the power of this meme?"

“Assimilation and proliferation,” the mastermind said. “Currently, the Celestial Pivot Tower has named it ‘Blood Feast,’ with the temporary artifact number 2407. The memetic sample has been contained and is being stored in the Celestial Pivot Tower’s underground containment area.”

"Does this thing have any weaknesses?" Sun Hang ignored the rather childish-sounding name and continued to ask.

“Afraid of fire,” the mainframe replied. “Both the flesh and blood dissolved by the ‘Blood Feast’ and the tumor-like fruit are extremely afraid of high temperatures. Under the scorching heat of over 300 degrees Celsius, the memetic reaction will disappear in ten seconds. When the temperature rises to 450 degrees, the tumor-like fruit will degrade on its own.”

"It seems to have a fairly obvious weakness. Those hunters should be able to handle it, right? There shouldn't be so many casualties, should there?"

"Quite the opposite," Zhulong continued. "Judging from the information provided by the mainframe alone, 'Blood Feast' is almost unsolvable for ordinary hunters in a confined environment. The high-speed train makes it impossible for the hunters in the carriages to escape, and the rule that weapons are prohibited on high-speed trains deprives them of most of their means of countermeasures. Considering that the first batch of tumor-like fruits only takes seven to eight minutes to form, they may not be able to find a way to deal with it in such a short time."

Once the tumor-like fruit forms, everyone in the entire carriage will be controlled by the 'Blood Feast' ability... I'm quite curious, how come there are four survivors? Is it because their abilities are immune to the effects of the 'Blood Feast'?

"Of the four survivors, three are from Liangzhu, two belong to the Liangzhu Mystery Research Institute, one is a free hunter active in the Liangzhu region, and the other is from Kuaiji, a city near Liangzhu, and is a registered hunter of the Kuaiji Mystery Research Institute," the mastermind said.

"Isn't that obvious...? The hunters on the high-speed train from Liangzhu to Chang'an must all be from Liangzhu or the surrounding area," Sun Hang couldn't help but complain.

"Sorry, your suggestion has been adopted and the information is being streamlined," the mainframe immediately said. "The four survivors, three men and one woman, are named He Dawei, Shen Rui, Cheng Ming, and Yu Duo. He Dawei's infection source is 'C1053·Muddy Pool Monster Fish,' and his abilities include gill-shaped mutated organs, underwater respiration, and toxin resistance. Shen Rui's infection source is 'J2856·Living Lacquer,' and his abilities include skin discoloration, dehydration resistance, and toxin resistance. Cheng Ming's infection source is 'D804·Hemolytic Cactus,' and his ability is photosynthesis. Yu Duo's infection source is 'D929·Crimson Daffodil,' and her abilities include internal toxin synthesis, toxin secretion, and toxin resistance."

"Three out of the four people have toxin resistance... no wonder they survived..."

“Research shows that toxin resistance has no effect on the ‘Blood Feast’,” the mastermind said. “In fact, He Dawei, Shen Rui, and Yu Duo were all affected by the ‘Blood Feast’… When the rescuers arrived, the only person who remained conscious was Cheng Ming.”

"what?"

“It’s quite rare that Cheng Ming was unaffected by the ‘Blood Feast’. He even managed to put the other three people into a coma through physical means, thus preventing them from being infected by the ‘Blood Feast’,” the mainframe said. “According to his report, he originally wanted to save more people, but the infection rate of the ‘Blood Feast’ was too fast, and he only had time to save the three people closest to him.”

"Why wasn't Cheng Ming affected by the 'Blood Feast'?" Zhulong frowned. "Could you send me his detailed file?"

"File is being transferred... File transfer complete."

"Hiss... This hunter's abilities... can only be described as mediocre." Zhulong said with a puzzled sound while looking at Cheng Ming's file. "The only noteworthy point is that he devoured the monster that was the source of infection... Wait, is there any record of his source of infection, the 'Hemolytic Cactus'?"

"There is no record of it. The creature has already been devoured by Cheng Ming. The Tian Shu Tower confirmed its existence based on on-site surveillance footage. The creature only has a symbolic number and code, and its file is empty. For more information about the creature, please consult the file of the infected person 'Cheng Ming'," the mainframe replied.

“We’ve come full circle… But speaking of which, this Blood-Melting Cactus and the ‘Blood Feast’ have quite a few similarities,” Zhulong muttered. “Cheng Ming was also infected by the cactus, with a large amount of blood seeping from his body, which is very similar to the initial infection symptoms of the ‘Blood Feast.’ In addition, Cheng Ming, while unconscious, seemed to frantically devour the Blood-Melting Cactus, an action very similar to the situation where people affected by the ‘Blood Feast’ are attracted to the tumor-like fruits… Could it be that there is some connection between this ‘Blood-Melting Cactus’ and the ‘Blood Feast,’ which is why Cheng Ming was not affected by the ‘Blood Feast’?”

The mastermind: "The Celestial Pivot Tower is currently investigating this information."

“I’ve read Cheng Ming’s report as well. Even he himself doesn’t know why he wasn’t affected by the ‘Blood Feast’…”

Zhulong wanted to say something more, but Yang Qiaoxi interrupted him directly: "Why can't you get the point right? The point isn't why Cheng Ming survived, but that illegal infected person! Why was the illegal infected person on the high-speed train? That's the most important thing to be concerned about, isn't it? There are only a few dozen people in a carriage. What if this illegal infected person had gone out of control in a crowded downtown area? How many people would have been infected?"

"We are currently investigating station staff, but we haven't found any leads yet," the mastermind replied mechanically.

"Could it be some kind of cult?" Zhulong pondered. "But to bypass all the inspection procedures and put such a dangerous illegal infected person on a high-speed train... it's hard to imagine the power behind this organization."

"Is this difficult?" Sun Hang asked.

“Even members of the Federal Parliament would find it difficult to do,” Zhulong said. “It requires more than just power.”

"We've checked all the CCTV cameras in the station and train areas, and there's no evidence of the infected person boarding. The infected person appeared in the car's CCTV footage thirty seconds before the train departed, but no trace of her was found in other areas connected to that car. The technical department has confirmed that all CCTV footage has not been maliciously modified." "So, this infected person appeared out of thin air in the car?" Zhulong's brow furrowed even more. "Teleportation, or some other method… but whatever it is, it should be related to time or space-related abilities. Dealing with these kinds of ability users is the most troublesome…"

"This isn't our problem," Sun Hang said, glancing at Zhulong with some confusion. "This is something the people at Tian Shu Tower should be dealing with. What does it have to do with us?"

Zhulong pointed to himself, then to Sun Hang, and said, "But we are people from the Heavenly Pivot Tower, and you are also..."

He glanced at Yang Qiaoxi and Suyue beside him, but did not continue speaking.

“The only thing that has to do with us is that this group of people are here to participate in a hunting operation. Apart from that, there is no reason for me to get involved in this matter.” Sun Hang shrugged. “Illegal infected people, cult organizations… If we have to trouble ourselves two thousand kilometers away with something like this, then I think the Xia State Federation and human civilization as a whole are beyond saving.”

"You're really quite arrogant..." Yang Qiaoxi said somewhat unhappily, "It's as if you're the only hunter left in the entire Xia Prefecture."

“So, this is none of our business.” Sun Hang turned to look at the collapsed area. “Compared to the big guy in this pit, ‘Blood Feast’ isn’t even worthy of carrying its shoes.”

“The Tian Shu Tower has already established a special investigation team, so we don’t need to worry about this matter,” Zhu Long said. “However, Cheng Ming has not given up on participating in the hunt.”

"That does surprise me a bit." Sun Hang's expression showed a hint of astonishment. "I thought that after escaping death, this guy would at least take a long vacation to rest... This guy's ability to adjust is quite impressive. What about the other three?"

“The other three are receiving treatment at the local research institute for strange objects, and the operation has been temporarily cancelled,” Zhulong said. “Cheng Ming said that he participated in this operation for the reward, so he cannot give up.”

Yang Qiaoxi glanced at Zhulong speechlessly: "Weren't all the people involved in the operation attracted by the exorbitant bounty? Isn't what he said just a waste of breath?"

“The Heavenly Pivot Tower investigated Cheng Ming’s background. His mother has late-stage lung cancer and needs a lung transplant to prolong her life. Currently, the only institution that can provide transplant organs is the ‘Number Four Biological Research Institute,’ which belongs to the Heavenly Pivot Tower and has the capability to clone and cultivate human organs. He earns his earnings to pay for his mother’s organ cultivation and transplantation,” Zhulong added.

“Such filial people are rare these days…” Yang Qiaoxi sighed. “Speaking of which, is your Tian Shu Tower really that heartless? Cheng Ming has already sold his life to you, is it so hard for you to help his mother grow an organ for free? And you still want to charge for it?”

"The rewards that monster hunters deserve are clearly stated in the hunter contract. Only those hunters with special contributions can enjoy more privileges... Although I really want to help him, I don't have the authority to set this precedent." As Zhulong spoke, his gaze shifted to Sun Hang.

Yang Qiaoxi also looked at Sun Hang and asked, "Does this guy Sun Hang have that authority?"

“He should have it…” Zhulong scratched his head. “After all, he was the one who killed Chimera 17. With his contribution, it shouldn’t be a problem for Tian Shu Tower to provide Cheng Ming’s mother with an organ for free.”

"I thought you were really something, but you can't even offer a free organ?" Yang Qiaoxi gave Zhulong the middle finger.

Zhulong could only offer a wry smile in response: "My authority is not enough to change the rules of the Tian Shu Tower. At most, I can help Cheng Ming with the cost of organ cultivation. If I remember correctly, ten million should be enough."

“Have that so-called No. 4 Biological Research Institute provide Cheng Ming’s mother with a free organ transplant, and waive all surgery fees as well,” Sun Hang said. “In addition, this matter must be kept secret from Cheng Ming himself until the hunting operation is completed.”

"Are you worried that Cheng Ming will abandon the operation if he finds out?" Zhulong asked doubtfully. "I've looked at Cheng Ming's file. He's not particularly capable. Even if he survives the hunt, you're unlikely to choose him... It would be better to just send him back."

“No…” Sun Hang shook his head. “My intuition tells me that this person is a bit strange. I want to see him in person… No, wait a minute.”

"what?"

"Master, modify the instructions from before. On the surface, keep this a secret from Cheng Ming, but in private, you can use some methods that won't make him notice anything unusual to leak it to him... As for the specifics, figure it out yourself," Sun Hang said.

"What are you doing now?" Yang Qiaoxi asked, puzzled.

"I just want to confirm whether Cheng Ming's motive for participating in the hunting operation is really to raise money for his mother's organ transplant."

“What’s there to confirm? It’s obvious!” Yang Qiaoxi said. “For a low-level hunter like him, trying to scrape together that much money with his salary and subsidies would take forever. By the time he does, his mother’s grave would be half a person tall. If you hadn’t offered this exorbitantly priced bounty, he might have resorted to some crooked schemes to make money.”

“You’re right, but I still want to give it a try,” Sun Hang said. “Anyway, just like Zhulong said, if he really is after his mother’s medical expenses, then it would be a good thing for him to give up the mission and go back to be with his mother… Anyway, the mainframe will handle this.”

"To be honest, it feels like..." Yang Qiaoxi sighed, "like taking off your pants to fart, it's all unnecessary."

(End of this chapter)