Chapter 77: Lungbane
On the other side of the world, in a private mansion, there was a grand celebration.
Lights and laughter filled the air as fancy cars arrived.
Handsome men and beautiful women stepped out, bringing expensive gifts.
Today was special for the house's owner. It was the birthday of the leader of the Specter Syndicate.
This organization was known for many terrorist attacks.
Despite their evil deeds, many influential families protected them, making it impossible for the Elders to eradicate them.
The Specter Syndicate had existed for over 200 years, creating deep roots and vast connections.
But the arrival of the Shadow changed everything. Once the number one secret organization, the Specter Syndicate fell to the top ten, losing every battle against the Shadow.
They even tried to use political power to regain their spot, but it only weakened them further.
Other organizations seized the opportunity and attacked their properties, causing a downfall.
Yet, as an old organization, they managed to avoid total collapse.
Today was both their founding day and the leader's birthday, making it crucial. Security was tight, with every entry and exit guarded and monitored.
Inside the mansion, Feng Lan mingled with guests, sipping a cocktail without worry. No one knew her true identity except her sisters and Grandma Su.
Even Xu Qianghua had never met her in his past life.
She wore a dark emerald gown with a high neckline and long sleeves, detailed with delicate lace. The floor-length gown highlighted her slender frame and subtle hourglass figure.
A human mask covered her true face, making her look ordinary among the other guests. Feng Mei created this mask, but only she and her sisters could wear it as they had identical physical qualities.
Her target was the Head of the Syndicate, a man who had caused immense harm after the game merged.
When cultivator families tried to eliminate this threat, they had to sacrifice five families to uproot most of the Syndicate.
The boss escaped and allied with an alien race, trading human information for refuge.
Xu Qianghua wanted to freeze the Syndicate's structure by killing its main members.
This would be temporary if the world did not change, but as the game merging would soon scatter everyone.
The Head of the Syndicate and his higher-ups played the game on the second day, planning to let their subordinates join on the third day.
And while they joined, they were instructed to pick the same city as their birth spot to better coordinate, which is why they were able to get a better start than others even if they started late.
On the third day, players could select their starting locations.
Officially, avatars would be teleported, but in reality, players would merge with their avatars and be transported to starter locations.
Players could choose a continent based on their cultivation level, with only Foundation realm cultivators allowed in the middle continent due to its high spiritual qi.
Back at the mansion, the commotion died as the leader and his confidants entered.
Feng Lan smiled, waiting for her poison to work.
Soon, the target and many Syndicate personnel along with some other guests began coughing and clutching their chests in pain.
Other guests noticed and quickly called for nearby doctors.
The medics, hired for such emergencies, checked the afflicted people, now on the ground, rolling and screaming.
They tried to find out why this was happening and soon found inflamed lung tissue constricting airways at an alarming rate.
The rapid spread baffled the doctors, who had never seen anything like it.
Feng Lin secretly smiled at the futile efforts of the doctors as they tried to poke some holes in the patients' bodies while using oxygen masks, hoping the victims could live a little longer before being taken to a private hospital for advanced treatment.
However, they would be disappointed as this was the work of Feng Lan's new poison, which she created with multiple deadly poisons used to kill victims with lung problems.
She called it Lungbane, a clear, odorless liquid, making it nearly undetectable.
It could be mixed into drinks, food, or even dispersed into the air.
The poison could be administered through ingestion, inhalation, or even skin absorption. It was most effective when inhaled, as it directly targeted the respiratory system.
Lungbane was harmless to a healthy individual and would pass through the system without noticeable effects.
But for someone with bad lungs or a history of respiratory issues, the poison began to take effect within minutes.
The first symptom was a slight tightness in the chest and a dry cough.
As the poison interacted with damaged lung tissue, it caused severe inflammation and constriction of the airways, leading to wheezing, sharp chest pains, and symptoms resembling severe asthma or acute respiratory distress.
The victim's oxygen levels dropped rapidly, causing hypoxia, pale and blue skin, and fluid-filled lungs, ultimately making breathing impossible and leading to death.
This was the first time she used this type of poison, which meant no one in the world other than her and Feng Rui could treat the patients in time.
So now, Feng Lan just watched as her target rolled on the ground, unable to breathe, while the doctors tried in vain.
And as time passed, the victims soon started to show the symptoms that happened when they were in the final stage of the poison.
After a few more minutes, all the people rolling around in pain stopped their eyes and mouths still open. They were dead, and they did not die peacefully as seen from their expressions.
But this did not affect Feng Lan, who had already left the venue.
She went to the beach attached to the mansion and dug up her swimming gear, buried a few hours before with her team's help.
Soon, she put on her gear and walked toward the sea leisurely. Disappearing into the waves, she was not worried about the guards as they were inside trying to lock the place down.