The elder sister miner guarding the jar is dead, blood slowly flowing from the small hole in her chest, soaking the straw on the ground.

Jack used a small caliber handgun, which isn't particularly powerful. It's hard to inflict effective damage on the vast majority of "monsters" in the broad sense. Even when aiming for humans, one must hit a weak spot like the heart or brain to take a person's life.

The mercenaries chose to use this gun essentially for testing purposes.

Testing whether the target was human or monster.

If the agile miner didn't die after taking this lethal shot, it would mean she, like other townsfolk, was no longer human.

At least not the normal humans known in their perception.

In that case, Yun You and the other two could completely let go of their concerns, using any means at their disposal to destroy the town and expedite the efficiency of finding organs through slaughter.

It's difficult for normal people to attack their kind, but if these so-called "kind" merely look human and are essentially not, then people can kill without burden.

Unfortunately, the final test results showed that the elder sister miner was still human, perhaps only having mental issues.

And the feeling that comes from directly killing someone is ultimately different.

The only comfort was that the elder sister miner expressed gratitude to the three before she died, muttering repeatedly, "I... I..."

Perhaps she was relieved.

Still, the three didn't understand why she acted this way.

"Let's not dwell on it too much,"

Jack took a deep breath, suppressing the discomfort in his heart, and said to the two beside him, "Even though the task list indeed tells us to rescue trapped individuals as much as possible, we must prioritize saving ourselves first before considering rescuing others."

"Mercenaries, we still need to prioritize the interests of the employer and ourselves, there's no debate about that."

To this, Yun You and Frost Moon both nodded, showing agreement.

Mercenaries live for profit; they don't need grandiose reasons to act—they just act.

Repentance is something only the living are qualified to do. The urgent task is to ensure the mission is successfully completed.

Thus, Yun You gently closed the elder sister miner's eyes, inwardly muttering an apology, and refocused her attention on the jar.

From the outside, it looked like an ordinary jar, covered in dried mud, with severely faded paint on the surface, and the rice paper tattered, with ink visibly diffused here and there.

It truly was an old item. If taken to an antique shop in Nest City, it might sell for a decent price.

However, Yun You suspected that most wealthy collectors wouldn't dare buy this jar, let alone keep it nearby.

Because it constantly emitted a peculiar scent.

At first whiff, it smelled strangely fragrant, like the thick floral scent tropical plants give off when fully mature, somewhat pungent yet irresistibly alluring.

But upon closer sniffing, one could catch a whiff of a "rotting stench," as if the small ceramic jar was soaking rotten fish and animal entrails, mixed with rancid blood, filled with an ammonia odor.

What's more unnerving was that amidst the obnoxious stench, there was a strong chemical reagent smell, something acidic but also carrying a toxic odor, unmistakably unsure if it was poison or acid.

Even through ceramics and talisman paper, it spread this scent out, even permeating the corpse of the elder sister miner.

Yun You had never encountered such a smell anywhere, not even in the fish stalls and dumps in the black market, which wouldn't stink this badly.

"These organs buried for who knows how many years truly smell fierce,"

The little girl quipped, taking out a simple air filter from her pocket and fitting it to her nose, then instructing the two behind her, "Better put on the gas masks..."

"Although they won't block the stench, at least they can fend off toxic gases."

"Hmm..."

The two nodded repeatedly and promptly put on their gas masks.

Then, Yun You gritted her teeth, gently lifted the talisman paper from the jar, ready for combat at any moment.

She thought that hastily uncovering the talisman seal might cause the organs inside the jar to "revive," turning into monstrous shapes and pounding the trio.

The little girl's imagination had always been rich...

But in reality, none of that happened.

No terrifying monsters leapt at their faces, no earth-shaking commotion.

The jar lay quietly there, holding only a brown lung.

It was only the left half, palm-sized, with a severed trachea protruding from it. Judging by the color and shape, it appeared healthy, though the alveoli seemed slightly darkened, looking like signs of poisoning.

That rancid smell emanated from the darkened parts.

Yun You stared at the organ for a moment, and the reconnaissance chip sent through some analytical information.

[Intelligence analysis complete]

[Target type: Human organ]

[Organ age: This is a bit complex, the physiological age of this organ doesn't exceed 18 years, yet its internal cells have undergone thousands of replacements and transformations, proving this organ has lived over 1000 years, never showing signs of aging.]

[Target strength: Based on cell analysis, this organ has extremely high strength, its durability comparable to civilian-grade special steel, with exceptional regenerative capacity. Unless more than 90% of its structure is completely obliterated, its cells will continually regenerate.]

The chip's information further confirmed this lung was indeed the organ of that young king, possessing immortality.

Yun You donned gloves and extracted the lung.

Even though it had been detached for so long, this piece of human organ continued to wriggle, executing "breathing" actions via the trachea, though it was unclear whom it was providing oxygen to.

"You both really aren't interested in immortality?"

Yun You cradled the lung, smiling as she gazed at Jack and Frost Moon, asking, "If we take it back and study it properly, it might unlock the power of eternal life~"

Upon hearing this, the two shook their heads promptly.

"I'll pass,"

Frost Moon shook her head vigorously like a tambourine, her face filled with repulsion.

"Even though I have replaced many body organs, I still prefer using steel and chips to replace innards over disgustingly mysterious rotten flesh from unknown origins."

"At least they won't turn me into rotten flesh, and won't betray me..."

Beside her, Jack echoed, "Indeed."

"My body is something I fully control; I wouldn't want my organs continuing to live as 'me' after I die, surviving into eras I can't even imagine."

"I'd prefer to die cleanly and thoroughly; it suits me better."

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