312: A warning from someone calling themselves a "Dimension Cleaner"!

Lingxiao Hall, High-Spec Biological Laboratory.

That arrogant "Judgement" messenger, the glowing octopus, was currently being stuffed into a transparent, specially-made container.

The container was connected to thousands of conduits thinner than a strand of hair, which were sizzling as they extracted golden energy liquid.

"Gently... be gentle! It hurts! That's my origin!"

The octopus pressed against the glass wall, its mental fluctuations carrying a sob. "You are abusing a prisoner of war! According to the 'Pan-Dimensional Convention,' I have the right to remain silent!"

"Silent?"

Su Qingying, wearing a white lab coat and holding a data tablet, didn't even look up.

"In my laboratory, there is only the difference between being sliced and being about to be sliced."

She pushed up her glasses; that momentary coldness actually bore a ninety percent resemblance to Lu Chen.

"Also, your origin energy purity is very high. I just fed a little to 'heavenly craft,' and its calculation speed increased by 30%. So, please cooperate and squeeze a bit more out."

Octopus: "..."

It was in despair.

What dimension did this demon couple come from? The man was into violent demolition, and the woman was a cold-blooded blood-sucker!

Lu Chen stood to the side, holding a tentacle he had just broken off the octopus (already roasted), dipping it in mustard and eating it with relish.

"Hmm, the texture is good. It's chewier than Deep Sea Clan sashimi."

Lu Chen commented indistinctly while eating, "Qingying, later have Fatty develop a new product called 'God's Sashimi.' It'll definitely be a big hit."

Just then.

"Buzz—"

The space in the laboratory suddenly distorted without any warning.

It wasn't an attack.

It was more like a high-dimensional... projection.

A blurry humanoid phantom, like an old TV's static screen, abruptly appeared in front of Lu Chen.

He had no face, only a mass of constantly changing garbled code.

But the aura emanating from him was ten thousand times more dangerous than that octopus.

It was a kind of... deathly, decaying scent, as if he had just crawled out of a grave.

"Who?"

Lu Chen swallowed the meat in his mouth, his gaze instantly turning cold.

Although he looked nonchalant, his muscles were tense, and the golden light in his left eye was flickering wildly.

To be able to directly invade this place without alerting "heavenly craft," the opponent was a tough nut to crack.

"Don't be nervous, young Ascendant."

The phantom spoke.

The voice sounded like two rusted pieces of iron rubbing together, piercing, yet carrying an eerie calmness.

"I am not one of those fools from 'Asgard'."

The phantom pointed at the octopus in the glass tank. "Those 'Judicators' who only know how to execute rigid programs are not even considered trash in my eyes."

Lu Chen raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued.

"Oh?"

He tossed the skewer in his hand aside and looked at the other party with a half-smile, arms crossed.

"Quite the big talker."

"Since you're not an accomplice of those fools, are you here to sell insurance?"

"Let's get this straight first: I have no money. I only have this octopus. If you want it, take it to settle the debt."

The octopus in the tank slammed against the glass frantically: "Save me! Your Excellency, save me! I am from the Council's..."

"Shut up, waste."

The phantom waved a hand casually.

The octopus in the glass tank was instantly silenced as if a mute button had been pressed; its mouth was open, but it couldn't make a sound.

The phantom looked back at Lu Chen, the mass of garbled code seemingly smiling.

"I am called the 'Scavenger'."

"Or, you can call me... the 'Dimensional Cleaner'."

Hearing these words, Lu Chen's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Scavenger? Another Scavenger? The competition in your line of work is quite fierce; do you need to rush to register a trademark?"

"No, no, no."

The phantom waved its hand. "That Fourth-level civilization you encountered before was just a cleaner holding a broom to sweep the floor."

"And I..."

The phantom's voice lowered several notches, carrying a hair-raising chill.

"I am responsible for handling... 'viruses'."

"That is, existences like you."

Lu Chen laughed.

He laughed very happily, as if he had heard some grand compliment.

"Virus?"

"I'm flattered. I've always felt that I was the miracle drug of the Milky Way Galaxy."

"You are very confident."

The phantom said indifferently, "But confidence cannot save you. By capturing this 'Judicator,' you've effectively poked a hornet's nest."

"Asgard's 'Purification Council' has already activated the highest-level emergency response plan."

"Those are not minor characters who come to their deaths in toy ships like this one."

"That is a 'Seraphim' class main fleet, equipped with Causality Weapons capable of erasing entire timelines."

"They won't reason with you, nor will they play games with you."

"They will directly... pop this bubble."

After speaking, the phantom paused for a moment, seemingly waiting for Lu Chen to show a look of fear.

However, it was disappointed.

Not only was Lu Chen not afraid, but he even turned his head and asked Su Qingying, who was recording data:

"Wife, did you hear that? 'Seraphim' class."

"The name makes it sound like the kind of ship that's encrusted with diamonds and is particularly valuable."

Su Qingying didn't even turn her head: "I've recorded it. If we can capture one, we might be able to analyze 'time reversal' technology."

Phantom: "..."

Are these two missing a screw in their heads?

Is that the point?!

"Are you here to warn me?" Lu Chen turned back and looked at the phantom.

"In a way."

The phantom shrugged (if that mass of garbled code counted as shoulders).

"I just feel that it would be a shame if an interesting 'virus' like you were killed just like that."

"Here's a suggestion."

"Take your core clansmen and use that 'South Heaven Gate' passage to flee."

"Flee to the desolate zones deep in the dimensions; perhaps you can linger on for a few hundred million years."

"This is the only way to survive."

Lu Chen finished listening.

He was silent for two seconds, then walked up to the phantom.

The distance between the two was less than ten centimeters.

Lu Chen reached out and lightly patted the phantom's "face."

Although his hand passed through, it was extremely insulting.

"Old man."

"You might have misunderstood one thing."

The corners of Lu Chen's mouth curled into an extremely arrogant and extremely crazed arc.

"The reason a virus is terrifying..."

"...is not because it runs away."

"But because it is... infectious."

"Flee?"

Lu Chen sneered, turned, and walked toward the huge floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the vast sea of stars outside and that brilliant golden passage.

"That is an option for losers."

"Since that whatever 'Purification Council' wants to come and pop the bubble."

Lu Chen suddenly turned back, the divine light in his eyes more dazzling than a star!

"Then, before they can make a move..."

"I'll first take their 'Asgard'..."

"...and infect it into my 'back garden'!"

The phantom's mass of garbled code fluctuated violently, seemingly shocked by Lu Chen's madness.

A long time passed.

The phantom let out a low chuckle.

"Hehehe..."

"Madman."

"A complete and utter madman."

Its figure began to slowly fade.

"Since you want to seek death, I'll be watching from the side."

"I hope when the time comes, your bones will be as hard as your mouth."

"Right."

At the last moment before disappearing, the phantom left behind a meaningful sentence.

"Be careful of that octopus."

"The things in its head... might make you regret opening that door."

The voice dissipated.

The laboratory returned to peace.

Only that octopus was still screaming silently in the glass tank.

Lu Chen looked at the place where the phantom had disappeared, the arrogance on his face slowly receding, replaced by a hunter-like calmness.

"Regret?"

Lu Chen pulled a cigarette from his pocket. He didn't light it, just held it in his mouth.

"The thing I regret most in my life..."

"...is not coming out sooner to see this outside world..."

"...where there are actually so many durable sandbags."

He looked at Su Qingying, his gaze becoming incredibly gentle yet firm.

"Wife, stop the slicing."

Su Qingying was stunned. "What? You're going to release it?"

Lu Chen spat out the cigarette and grinned, revealing a row of forest-white teeth:

"No."

"Directly search its soul."

"I want to know the position of every single screw in that 'Seraphim' fleet!"