When Lu Luo turned, Chu Qi also saw the ghoul's headless corpse. She seemed somewhat taken aback and a bit uncertain.
"Lu Luo, are you okay?"
"There's one Specter Species left."
Lu Luo didn't say if he was alright. Instead, he clutched his wound, sensing the surrounding air, trying to find Yuanjing Kong.
"Specter Species?"
"Yes, a Specter Species called Yuanjing Kong. It's disappeared now. Maybe it escaped?"
Lu Luo didn't sense Yuanjing Kong's presence nearby, nor had the Observer given any hints. It seemed it really had run away.
After hearing what Lu Luo said, Chu Qi's feeling that something was off intensified.
"You faced off against an Aberrant Species and a Specter Species alone and managed to survive?"
"Not one Aberrant Species; there were two ghouls, both killed. As for the Specter Species, I had no way to deal with it. Besides, I wasn't alone; I was with Brother Kane."
Hearing Lu Luo's admission, Chu Qi was even more lost for words. She had clearly come to help, but now it seemed she hadn't been of any use at all.
"Is what you're saying true?"
"No, it's boiled."
"Huh?"
Chu Qi then realized Lu Luo was teasing her, but she still wanted to make up for something. It wasn't easy for the company, having supported so many fostered talents, to find someone like Lu Luo.
If he were to mature, he would become an important asset to her—one she absolutely had to secure.
"Lu Luo, let me explain. Lan Tian Biotech isn't what you imagine. On behalf of the company, I apologize for what happened today..."
"There's no need for such an elaborate explanation. I'm fine here. If you genuinely want to help, then go find Brother Kane."
Lu Luo showed no interest in her explanation. Dragging the ghoul's corpse, he headed straight to his room, with Chu Qi following.
Chu Qi frowned deeply. Lu Luo's attitude made her realize that even if she helped him this time, he was unlikely to join Lan Tian Biotech.
However, she still chose to continue helping Lu Luo. Someone like him was definitely worth investing in. If only she could get him to join her...
"I never thought you and Zhou Kai could become friends," Chu Qi tried a different approach.
Lu Luo smirked.
"Nonsense. Brother Kane and I have bled together."
That statement might have been a joke before, but now, it was literally true. And it could be used to tease Chu Qi at this very moment.
Chu Qi's expression turned a bit awkward. Lu Luo's unyielding stance made him difficult to deal with. She nodded at him.
"Alright, I'll go find Zhou Kai. You should treat your wound. And, regarding this incident, I am truly sorry."
Just as Chu Qi was about to leave, Lu Luo called out to her again.
"Hey, wait a second. Apologies don't mean much. How about something more substantial? Do you have any Dark Spirit Stone? Just 1 gram will do."
The Dark Spirit Stone was the only thing Lu Luo currently lacked to synthesize the Wraith Blade.
Previously, his plan was to find Gu Fangyi and get it from him. Gu Fangyi was quite strong and proficient in using Dark Energy, so he likely possessed Dark Spirit Stone.
However, now that Chu Qi had arrived, she was clearly a better option. Lu Luo didn't particularly care about her apology. Whether she was sincere or had ulterior motives, he couldn't tell.
Rather than an apology, he preferred to exchange that sentiment for something tangible, like Dark Spirit Stone.
Chu Qi frowned. Dark Spirit Stone was incredibly expensive, but she guessed Lu Luo might need it to restore Dark Energy.
In the end, Chu Qi didn't refuse. The company was already on bad terms with Lu Luo because of Song Hana. At this moment, she wanted to make amends as much as possible, so she took out a small bottle.
"Here are 3 grams of Dark Spirit Stone. Use them for now."
"Boss... Erm, thank you. You can go now."
[Blind guess, were you about to say 'Boss, you're generous'?]
Lu Luo kept quiet. Of course, he kept quiet. How could he admit it?
When he used to be a detective, if a client offered additional compensation, he would usually say, "Boss, you're generous." It had become a professional habit.
"Okay, Lu Luo, be careful."
"Hey, wait again. Do you have a mobile phone?"
"Yes, here. Need anything else?"
"No, that's all. Thanks a lot. And Boss... Take care on your way out!"
After Chu Qi placed the 3 grams of Dark Spirit Stone and a mobile phone on the table, she left immediately.
[From a purely neutral bystander's perspective, to be honest, putting it plainly, this girl isn't bad, aside from her small chest.]
Lu Luo shook his head. This woman wasn't simple; she was ambitious and skilled at hiding her true intentions.
Once I break free from Lan Tian Biotech and join the Hunters, I can freeload at high-end establishments. Girls and such won't matter then.
Lu Luo tossed the two ghoul corpses into a corner. With a slight movement of his hand, black tendrils extended from his palm.
"Let's begin."
[You are devouring the Life Energy of Second Tier aberrants. You have gained 1 Sequence Value and 144 Energy Points.]
[You are devouring the Life Energy of Second Tier aberrants. You have gained 1 Sequence Value and 147 Energy Points.]
The two ghouls provided Lu Luo with 291 Energy Points and 2 Sequence Values. Quite a satisfying haul.
As Second Tier aberrants, these ghouls were significantly weaker than the unknown aberrant from the exhibition hall, yielding far less energy.
His unactivated Sequence D-03-Strong currently lacked 10 Sequence Values. With just a few more, he could acquire a new talent for free, which was a satisfying prospect.
As for the Energy Points, although Lu Luo really wanted to immediately upgrade Strength to 5 and see if he would awaken a new talent in that aspect, he ultimately calmed himself.
The danger hadn't passed. He needed a powerful weapon like the Wraith Blade to enhance his combat capabilities and his ability to deal with Specter Species.
He needed to conserve the remaining Energy Points for unforeseen circumstances, so he couldn't use any of the 291 points yet.
Lu Luo took out the synthesis materials he had previously collected and arranged them on the table.
"Synthesize—Wraith Blade."
[Wraith Blade synthesis: Zhang Zhe's Pocket Watch + Sleeping Witch's Hair + Aberrant's Hand Bone + 1 gram of Dark Spirit Stone + 249 Energy Points]
A white light, characteristic of a Fusioner, emanated from Lu Luo's hands. It enveloped all four items, gradually merging them into a quiescent sphere of light.
[Fusioner has begun synthesis. Please wait patiently for 300 seconds.]
Five minutes, huh? Not too bad.
Taking advantage of the synthesis period, Lu Luo immediately picked up the phone. He dialed the only number he remembered, but the voice from the earpiece said:
"Hello, the number you have dialed is currently unavailable. Please try again later. Hello, the number you have dialed is currently..."
Hearing this voice, clearly a man pinching his nose to sound like a woman, Lu Luo was speechless. You're the captain of the Demon Hunters, for crying out loud! Can't you act a bit more professionally?
"Hey! Ludie, I have an emergency! I need you!"
"An Airplane! Hey, a Four-of-a-Kind with two kickers! Yes! We won! Money, money!"
The sounds of a card game continued in the background, making Lu Luo fume. But there wasn't much he could do. Ludie, that old sly fox, was notoriously hard to reach outside of work hours. Lu Luo yelled into the phone.
"If you wait any longer, you'll just be collecting my corpse!"
This time, the other end of the line finally offered a different response.
"Are you really in that much trouble?"
"Come on, the people of the Wasteland need you."
"Alright, alright. You guys carry on. Some damn fool needs my help. I gotta go."
One of Ludie's card buddies chimed in, "What damn fool? It's bloody midnight and they're still calling you? Absolutely no consideration!"
Ludie replied, his voice dripping with smugness, "Sigh, what can I do? The people of the Wasteland need me, after all."
Lu Luo listened in silence as Ludie bragged to his card buddies, all while Lu Luo himself was being called a 'damn fool'. How could he possibly be in a good mood?
[The great Observer Sequence has extracted an important piece of intelligence from their conversation just now. The 'damn fool' they are referring to is you!]
Damn it! Did you really need to repeat that?