The fairy maid cheers for her deceased master today.

Claws emerging from the black mud tore through the air.

Elena's pointed ears twitched, and she abandoned her attempt to reach the hidden compartment, instead rolling to the side.

His movements were lightning fast, narrowly dodging a sneak attack.

Then vines sprouted from the ground and wrapped around the attacker's body. The black mud monster hissed and struggled to break free.

"A mere trick," Elena sneered. "I know you all too well."

However, three swamp creatures also approached from the front. These creatures, too, did not have a defined form; they were like clumps of black mud, wriggling towards them.

Some of the black mud on their bodies dripped onto the floor, making a sizzling, corrosive sound.

Elena frowned, raised her hand, and manipulated a vine to light the gas lamp in the room. The black mud creatures instinctively took several steps back, seemingly testing the light's intensity.

Under the gaslight, the mess inside the office became even clearer.

"You bastards...you've ruined my precious detective agency!"

Although she doesn't have a formal business license, in Elena's heart, this is her business.

He snapped his fingers again, and green light flashed from his fingertips. Trellis with barbs sprouted from the ground and began to entangle the alien creature in front of him.

Furthermore, the green poisonous fog slows down the movement of the swamp aliens.

Therefore, even though the Black Mud Alien subconsciously struggled desperately, it could not break free.

Elena seized the opportunity to rush towards the bookshelf, her fingers touching the hidden compartment, and pressed the button at the mechanism.

Click.

A hidden compartment pops up.

The jet-black pendant lay there quietly, emitting a faint glow. This was the surprise she had prepared for the jazz.

It's good that the pendant is okay! I got it!

Irene put the pendant in her pocket and turned to leave.

Then she froze.

The entrance to the firm.

Densely packed, all visible to the eye were different species.

Black mud surged in from outside the door like a tide.

"This...this is impossible! There's clearly no contaminated area yet!"

Alien disasters are typically divided into three stages.

First, there's the initial stage, where typically only a few mutants are born naturally. These mutants are few in number, easy to deal with, and not powerful. Mutants at this stage are called "wandering mutants."

Then comes the mid-stage. In the mid-stage, some Xenomorphs begin to pollute the surrounding environment, eventually forming contaminated zones. Xenomorphs capable of polluting the environment are also known as "territorial Xenomorphs."

Therefore, in the middle stage, when the polluted area becomes fully established, all species appear in large numbers at the same time.

In the later stages, the most dangerous period begins. The contaminated area expands further and begins to emit "contamination radiation." Staying inside for an extended period, even without being directly attacked by alien species, will result in high concentrations of invisible pollution, causing serious consequences.

At this point, the contaminated area becomes extremely stable and difficult to purify, and may even "breed" other alien species, or even give birth to extremely dangerous superior alien species.

Based on Elena's common sense, there are currently no signs of a clearly contaminated area. Most of what she's encountered are likely wandering mutants.

But where did all these swamp creatures come from? Why are they gathered here?

Unless... someone did it intentionally?

But the thought only flashed through my mind. Impossible; I'd never heard of such a possibility before.

Anyway, forget about everything else and just get out of there!

"Act Five: The Feast of the Man-Eating Flowers!"

Elena slammed her hands on the ground. Immediately afterward, a giant carnivorous plant burst forth from the earth, devouring the approaching alien species. But even more alien species surged forward.

The carnivorous plant roared and tore at the doorway in fury, eventually creating a large gash in the entrance. Then, it was corroded by the black mud and quickly withered away.

But Elena seized the opportunity.

Thick vines, like giant pythons, rushed towards the doorway, clearing a path for Elena. She seized the opportunity and rushed out.

The black mud monsters rushed in from all directions, but were stopped by the vines.

A few of the alien creatures' sharp claws broke through the vines, slashing her arm and drawing blood. This black mud had already solidified into sharp limb shapes, showing a tendency to evolve into more advanced alien species.

A sharp pain shot through me.

Irene didn't stop. She managed to break out of the office and ran wildly through the alley.

She began to think that the detective agency's remote location might not be a good thing. If possible, the detective agency should be located in a more bustling area.

Behind them, the black mud monsters pursued relentlessly, like a swarm of rats.

Footsteps and the rumbling of the black mud echoed in the empty alley. Elena's heart pounded like a drum. She couldn't turn back. She couldn't stop.

Suddenly, a clump of black mud appeared out of nowhere and flew out.

Irene instinctively dodged, but slipped and fell due to losing her balance.

Good news, we dodged it.

Bad news—Elena caught a glimpse of the pendant lying on the ground.

He looked down, reached into his pocket, and found it empty. The swamp monster had just torn his pocket!

"How could that be!"

Elena turned her head and saw the surging swarm of swamp monsters about to devour the pendant in front of her.

That was the surprise she had prepared for X! She couldn't let it slip away like that!

Without much thought, Elena raised her hand and unleashed her magic.

The enormous green light summoned more plant vines, which built a sturdy cage, thus protecting the pendant.

Irene scrambled to her feet, rushed to the pendant, hurriedly picked it up, and held it in her hand.

But in that brief delay, the black mud monsters had already surrounded them. Eerie hissing sounds echoed outside the vine cage.

Elena realized something was wrong.

His own unconscious actions have put him in mortal danger. He may not be able to escape.

Despair?

No. What arose spontaneously was a feeling of resentment.

"I am... the Holy Path Fairy who is most skilled at dealing with alien species!"

Clutching the pendant, Elena watched the noisy swamp creatures outside the vine cage. The creatures lunged forward, seemingly trying to squeeze through the gaps in the vines.

"If we were to lose to you like this... it would probably disappoint you, Sir."

Green light flowed through her body. This was her last bit of magic.

"You must know... I won't fall here! I have to go back!"

We must never break our promises.

"Since that's the case, let's give it our all!"

The ground began to tremble.

Countless vines grew wildly from beneath her feet, spreading outwards at an alarming rate.

The swamp aliens, like a tidal wave, were all entangled by glowing green vines.

Elena felt her power rapidly draining away, as if her life itself was slipping away.

But she didn't stop.

"Everything... is within this detective's plan!"

Irene closed her eyes and formed a hand seal. It was the last move she had originally reserved.

Now, there are no other options.

"This is the final blow... The final act, the root of the World Tree!"

The green light reached its peak in an instant, transforming into a towering tree that illuminated the entire sky.

Then, the oldest alarm sounded from the nearby clock tower.

■

X sat in the workshop, looking up at the night view outside the window.

Angel was dozing off beside him, her blue eyes half-closed.

"Why hasn't Elena come back yet?" Angel asked groggily.

"Something might have held us up," Ax said, but he had a bad feeling about it.

Time passed second by second.

The night grew deeper.

Ax felt increasingly uneasy. Just now, he thought he heard the tolling of a clock tower in the distance... Could it be... No, he was just imagining things. There was no way it was such a coincidence.

But the unease did not dissipate at all.

Ex stood up, nearly causing Angel, who was leaning against her, to fall to the ground.

"Let's go find her."

X remembered that Elena had said she was going back to the firm.

Angel immediately snapped back to reality: "Yes, Master!"