Unlike the previous entomologists, these people came from the Magic Realm, and if not silenced, they would inevitably attract more attention.
Then, Quentin’s silencing operation failed, more than half of his children died, and he didn’t have time to grieve as he hastily moved the laboratory.
"Sample #584, the sole surviving specimen, extremely precious, must not be abandoned."
"Sample #001, this is the original experimental sample, of significant importance, cannot be discarded."
"Sample #6921, a very mature specimen, with further research projects..."
"Special sample code SSNI..."
Counting one by one until the last, Quentin realized he couldn’t move everything; the laboratory held his life’s work, every bottle and jar was a treasure, none superior or inferior, all priceless.
Suddenly, the earth shook, and the laboratory began to violently sway.
The vessels containing specimens shattered everywhere, formalin solution flowed all around, and the samples he treasured were scattered on the ground.
Quentin, not understanding the cause, switched his view to the swarm outside the barn and saw the ground bulging and a woven network of vines raising the entire laboratory from underground.
The Mages had found him!
Quentin felt no fear, staring at the collapsing laboratory, fury unspeakable in his heart. He growled lowly and directed the swarm to relentlessly attack the intruders.
The familiar flames scorched the sky, the high temperature distorted the air, and the dry, scorching environment made the swarm uncomfortable, each one twisting and curling up until they were dry and burning.
Several millipedes, each over three meters long, burrowed out of the ground. They were the strongest guards of the laboratory, impervious to swords and spears, incredibly powerful, top predators from the ancient times that Quentin had revived.
It turned out that impervious to swords and spears ≠ fireproof, even top predators from the ancient times feared fire.
Under the targeted strike of the intense flames, the millipedes’ chitinous layers cracked, pairs of legs burned to charcoal, and they couldn’t hold on for a few seconds before their swelling gases hissed out of their bodies, curling up and turning to ashes.
"Bastards, look what you’ve done!"
Quentin rushed out of the collapsing laboratory, his crimson eyes locked on the vulgar intruders, his chest heaving, panting hot gas.
What was this thing, man, insect?
The lower half of Quentin’s body had been replaced by segmented limbs of a millipede, the high temperature had burned away his white lab coat, and on both sides of his chest and abdomen, rows of legs wriggled, rubbing together to make soft rustling noises.
Wayne’s scalp tingled at the sight, the image was extremely impactful, causing goosebumps all over his body.
He could tolerate tentacles but couldn’t stand insects, especially magnified ones combined with humans. He waved his hand, stirring up a swath of vines that wrapped around Quentin and slammed him hard onto the ground.
"Eh, it’s over already?"
"This villain’s pretty weak!"
The fight ended in an instant, hardly even qualifying as a battle. Wayne had come in, wrecked the place, destroyed the homeowner’s life’s work, and slapped them down.
After the battle, Darcy and Bishop Keith led their subordinates in to clean up the scene.
They cleared the laboratory, packing the intact vessels to take with them. The rest, not understanding insects enough to discern which samples were important, chose some with strange shapes and set the remainder alight.
Soon, one of the Mages unearthed the most significant discovery of this mission.
The statue, half-man half-insect, bore a striking resemblance to Quentin, drawing Bishop Keith’s close attention. After studying the statue around, he confirmed it was a demon from Hell.
"Thousand-Eyed Demon!"
Wayne’s mind floated with a string of question marks. Was the bishop mistaken? Where were the thousand eyes? If anything, it seemed more like a Millipede Demon.
Hell was Heaven’s sworn enemy, and when it came to demons from Hell, Bishop Keith was the expert, leaving Wayne with no right to question.
He was merely curious; the Black Sorcerer worshipped the Evil God of Hell, causing an insect disaster in Jianhe County, and Bishop Keith invited Darcy to investigate together...
Could there be a possibility that Keith had known about the worship of the Evil God locally from the start, worried that his own power wasn’t enough, and dragged Darcy along as a fall guy?
"Pastor Wayne, involving the worship of the Evil God, could you entrust the custody of the Black Sorcerer and the Evil God Statue to our Heavenly Father’s Court?" Bishop Keith asked Wayne solemnly.
Wayne made a grand gesture, replying breezily, "I could, but I need to check with the Lundan Headquarters first. They have to give the nod."
No problem, we’ll follow the procedure!
Bishop Keith watched the statue being loaded onto the bus and circled Wayne several times, but seeing the latter adamant, he turned to find Darcy.
Keith: Good buddy, give a brother a hand.
Darcy: Who’s your brother, you heretic? Don’t just say whatever you want. Didn’t you see my leader right there?
A group of people returned to Jianhe City, safe but shocked.
Bishop Keith immediately contacted the Lundan Diocese, explained the backstory of the Thousand-Eyed Demon and the Evil God Statue, and that the statue was now seized by the Naturalism Church. He admitted his lack of power to reclaim it and hoped the Archbishop would send someone to deal with it.
Moreover, following this night, the previously inconclusive investigations were traced back to the Thousand-Eyed Demon. The Dean had been right; inside Jianhe University, the worship of the Evil God was spreading.
"Bishop Keith, the Pastor of the Naturalism Church in Jianhe County is called Wayne, is that correct?"
"Good, you may ask for his assistance in the investigation. Regardless of his demands, reasonable or not, you must meet them. Ensure he accepts the commission."
"No questions, follow orders."