After two days of travel, it was natural to spend a night on the road before returning.
Once again, Shu Jun dreamed of his strange self.
The dream became even more vivid, and he found himself back in his own home in the “real world”, not surrounded by darkness as before.
It was daytime in the dream. He had drunk most of the juice and left it on the small table, and the ice cubes in the glass pitcher had long since melted. Outside the window, the river that ran through the city sparkled like a warm pink ribbon. The wind was cool and refreshing but carried a strong smell of decay.
After joining the team, Shu Jun’s residence had moved from a small apartment to a large flat, and he had even installed a swimming pool on the balcony. But now, instead of clear water, the pool was filled with overflowing brownish-red blood. Shu Jun suppressed a wave of nausea and approached to take a closer look—the blood in the pool swayed gently, and chunks of flesh that looked like internal organs floated on the surface.
“His other self” was sitting by the side of the pool, still with his black hair and eyes. That thing was bare-chested, wearing familiar swimming trunks, and seemed to have been startled by Shu Jun’s footsteps as it slowly turned its head.
Its form was still fragmented, and many parts were still in a state of skin cracking. The face had recovered slightly, but the blood vessels under the skin were blackened, resembling a corpse that had been eroded to death.
But compared to the previous time when the whole body needed mosaic, this time it was barely acceptable.
…He wondered if it had anything to do with his recovered memories. Shu Jun narrowed his eyes.
The foul smell kept him glued to the spot, and the air became as thick as glue. The thing slowly sank into the blood pool in front of him, and the putrid blood flooded up to his chest. It moved toward Shu Jun step by step, causing ripples in the blood pool.
Shu Jun remained unmoved. “Just say what you want to say. Don’t give me an impromptu performance.”
“I remember now.” The thing’s voice was exactly the same as Shu Jun’s, but with some ethereal echo, as if it were coming from an empty shell. “Zhu Yanchen has been deceiving me since I was twelve years old. All humans are the same.”
The blood in the pool began to leave the influence of gravity, climbing up along the pool’s edge and wrapping around Shu Jun’s ankles.
Shu Jun frowned as countless negative emotions flooded into his mind. The world turned blood-red in an instant, and he was almost unable to think because of those emotions.
“We’ve been kept in the dark. Everything before was Zhu Yanchen’s ruse—he knew he was terminally ill and deliberately induced you to heal him. He was the one who held me back at the beginning, and he has a deep understanding of the Erosion Swamp. Maybe everything is under his control…”
“He has already gained immunity as he wished. Now he wants to use your ability to take the leadership position. Non-human beings will always have different intentions. When Zhu Yanchen snatches the position with the help of me and my brethren, will he really let us stay? Nurture tens of thousands of aliens who will quickly lose their labor capacity? He only needs to use his identity as a collaborator to stab us in the back…”
“I cannot forget those companions who died in confusion. I dare not forget them. Humans are fundamentally untrustworthy. In just half a year of memories, who knows if they are true or not…”
Shu Jun covered his throbbing head and waved dismissively. “Stop. Hold on a second. Let’s not act like we’re old friends. You are you, and I am me. As soon as you come up, you’re already starting off by talking about my identity. It’s really annoying.”
The monster in the pool was taken aback by this unexpected reaction, and it froze in the pool of blood and didn’t make a sound for a while. Even the blood crawling up his leg stopped for a moment.
“You can’t change who you are, and for humanity, you represent disaster. Even if you have a brain, how much drugs can that woman surnamed Ai make? It’s just some sweetness given to you by Zhu Yanchen. Once he uses you to obtain the drug, you must immediately kill all human witnesses. This is the most logical choice…”
“Yeah, yeah, keep addressing me as ‘you’. That makes me feel so much more comfortable.” Finally, Shu Jun suppressed his chaotic emotions and breathed a sigh of relief.
The monster flipped its remaining eye and stared coldly at him.
Shu Jun picked up the tablecloth on the small table and wiped the blood off his leg. “Stop staring. Do you have anything else to say?”
The monster in the blood pool: “…”
“I understand your grievances, and now you can get out.” Shu Jun twisted the blood-soaked tablecloth.
“You should feel the resentment and hatred of those departed—are you going to turn a blind eye to it?”
Familiar faces floated up from the blood pool. All of them were the Blackbirds members who had died on missions. They stared blankly with wide eyes, and their dull pupils faced towards the sky.
Shu Jun’s previously indifferent demeanor disappeared in an instant.
“Before, I only thought you were being chatty, but now I think you deserve a good beating.” His voice was filled with a hint of coldness. “Let me ask you a question. Can synthetic humans win according to your plan?”
The monster remained silent.
“Then what’s the point of all this nonsense? All I’ve heard from you is that you want me to kick Marshal Zhu out early and seek revenge on humanity.”
Shu Jun grabbed the handle of the glass jug on the table, and his veins were popping out from the back of his hand.
“Yes, revenge, and then what? Destroying them unilaterally won’t solve the fundamental problem. Even if an individual is powerful, the number of synthetic humans is too few, and their lifespan is limited. As long as humans give up development and disperse for a few years, when we weaken, they will retaliate.”
“And we don’t have any system-related knowledge, and even if we did, we wouldn’t be able to teach someone to use it proficiently in the short term. Not to mention the casualties in battles—who will treat the survivors who are on the brink of death? Who will maintain the operation of the ‘real world’? I understand that some people are willing to sacrifice everything and die like this. But what about the children who haven’t joined the team yet? Are they also going to be buried with us?”
“If my team members want to live… To let them live, I can give up not only my pride but also my revenge. Although I haven’t lost my most important person, it’s a bit painful to stand around talking about this—unfortunately, I happen to be the Blackbirds’ captain, and this is where I stand.”
The monster’s eroded body showed signs of movement as it considered its response.
“Don’t waste any more time. I’ve already thought about everything you’re thinking about.” Shu Jun stopped by the pool and poured the pale red juice on the monster’s head. “If you can’t come up with a constructive suggestion, then it’s best if you leave now.”
“You will be betrayed,” it said in a slow and deliberate tone a few minutes later, as if cursing. “You will definitely be betrayed.”
“Oh.” Shu Jun shook off the remaining juice from the pitcher. “Sorry, I’ve thought of that too.”
He wiped his hands, and his pupils, which had been raised, became a thin line. “If A’Yan betrays me, I will stand in front of him and let him watch me dig out his heart. After the battle, as the leader who made a major mistake, I will naturally atone with my death without bothering you.”
Shu Jun squatted down, ignoring the sea of negative emotions around him, and gave a cold smile to the thing.
“By the way, if he doesn’t betray me in the end, I might pursue him.”
Monster: “……”
Seeing the other party stunned, there was a bit of mockery in Shu Jun’s smile. He let go of his hand, and the empty pitcher slammed onto the monster’s head. The blood pool boiled violently, and the thing let out a mournful roar. It glared at Shu Jun with eyes full of lifelessness.
The dream shattered instantly.
Shu Jun opened his eyes calmly and couldn’t help but roll his eyes. It turned out he was facing Zhu Yanchen, who was changing his clothes—he was about to return to Y City. As the leader of the NPC team, Yu Jin went to meet Hu Yan early in the morning. Zhu Yanchen couldn’t reveal his face on ordinary occasions, so he even wore a simple mask to sleep. With great difficulty, he relaxed, changed back into his clothes, and showed Shu Jun a straight look.
Shu Jun wasn’t embarrassed but looked calm.
The scene in the dream was very clear. Half of his bold words that he would “pursue” were to anger the thing, but half were sincere. The emotions that had stirred him the day before had long since subsided, and now was a good time to verify them—as an adult, if he was as calm as water in this situation, his emotions might just be overwhelming his friendship.
Zhu Yanchen noticed Shu Jun’s gaze, and his movements slowed by a few fractions of a second for a moment. The pale skin was warmed by the soft light, with a hint of jade-like color. Although he had what Shu Jun had, he couldn’t help but feel his heart beating a little faster.
Indeed, he had really fallen.
“I dreamt of that thing again.” Shu Jun sighed and got straight to business.
Zhu Yanchen changed into a high-necked inner shirt and frowned at the words.
“Its demands are still the same—wanting to retaliate against humans. I suspect it’s from an Erosion Swamp, but I can’t figure out how it’s influencing me.” Shu Jun got up and put on his coat neatly. “The scene it appears in is becoming more and more specific, and I’m a little worried.”
“I understand.” Zhu Yanchen nodded calmly. “It’s already in the plan. When we return to Y City, I will look at your brain scan as soon as possible.”
“Not just this issue, A’Yan.”
Shu Jun smiled bitterly.
“I know myself. If we miss that day, I’m not sure if I’ll go crazy in the unknown despair. I can resist that thing’s provocation just because I’m lucky—I haven’t lost my loved ones, and I met you earlier.”
He didn’t know if he was seeing things, but Zhu Yanchen’s expression didn’t change at all, his ears turned a little red.
“But if the target had lost a loved one or a partner, I suspect it would succeed.” Shu Jun rubbed his lower lip with his finger. “When people are desperate, they can do anything.”
“A’Yan, is there another solution to the brain shock? I suspect that ‘it’ is not only targeting me.”
Zhu Yanchen frowned. “Speaking of that, I have a guess…”
“Hey, didn’t you two go eat breakfast?” As Yu Jin entered the tent, Zhu Yanchen immediately put on his mask.
Shu Jun quickly changed the subject. “What’s up? Can’t we spend some time together in the morning? Have you finished your meeting?”
“Forgive me, ancestor.” Yu Jin grumbled. “There are enough troubles… We just received notice that Y City is now under lockdown with the highest level of alert. Didn’t that Zhu Yanchen guy come back? Those big shots are holding some kind of concert at the Grand Theatre, and almost everyone with a head and a face is going. Now we have to stay outside the city for another day, and I don’t know if they’ll pay us more.”
Shu Jun and Zhu Yanchen exchanged glances.
“I understand.” Zhu Yanchen spoke up, and he grabbed Shu Jun’s wrist. “Anyway, let’s go eat first.”
Yu Jin: “Hey, hey, hey, can you be more human? I haven’t finished complaining. Can you let me vent?”
“No.”
“Although we have an agreement, it doesn’t mean I don’t have a temper—”
“This trip has caused you a lot of trouble, and my share will go to you,” Zhu Yanchen quickly responded.
“…Alright, you two can go now.”
Outside the tent, Zhu Yanchen’s voice became lower. “We must find a way to get into Y City.”
“Related to the guess you just mentioned?”
“Well, there might be ‘something’ in the command center.”
Zhu Yanchen grabbed the inspiration that had flashed by that day—indeed, the command center could block large-scale Erosion Swamps and only allow a certain level of erosion substance to exist. But not all those who had brains were necessarily “large-scale Erosion Swamps”. Monday was a perfect example.
Even if they were unable to communicate with the outside world due to the threat of purification, a sole sentient Erosion Swamp in the command center could do a lot of things—such as waiting for suitable prey.
Weak Erosion Swamps may not be able to do much, but if they use the power of experienced players…
The malicious information in Shu Jun’s brain may well have been implanted by it. And at that time, there were definitely more experienced players than just Shu Jun in the command center. Zhu Yanchen secretly clenched his fist.
Today, the bigshots were gathering at the Grand Theatre, and the guards were sure to be partly withdrawn. If Shu Jun’s nightmare source was really in the command center, there could be trouble.
Zhu Yanchen adjusted his emotions and continued to explain quickly, “There are indeed other solutions to brain shock. Synthetic humans are physically unstable and will begin to collapse as they age. Eventually, the erosion substance will invade all parts of the body—including the brain.”
“As biological tissue, the artificially implanted brain fragments will also be eroded, and their suppressive ability will be weakened. If synthetic humans are lucky enough not to die in battle… when their bodies begin to deteriorate, they do have a possibility of ‘realizing the truth’. This is also one of the reasons why you have a fixed ‘retirement’ time.”
“Luo Duan.” Shu Jun’s pupils contracted as he murmured.
“That’s right.” Zhu Yanchen’s voice was dry. “In any case, we’d better confirm it.”
Shu Jun closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them. “I understand. I’ll take care of Hu Yan; you take care of Yu Jin—I’ll take you with me in five minutes.”
The escape route for the synths wasn’t ready yet. In any case, the flames of war couldn’t be ignited now.
Luo Duan walked alone to the lowest level of the command center.
The mist obscured his figure. As for the temperature detector and other equipment, there was someone “human” helping him. The cold Erosion Swamp surrounded his neck, slowly swaying, feeling like a noose and also like the embrace of a dead lover.
He played with Yi Ning’s access card between his fingers with a calm, unwavering gaze. Even when he saw the jar of brains in front of him, Luo Duan didn’t even twitch his eyelids.
“Is this the place?” He stopped at the deepest part of the command center and murmured softly.
The Erosion Swamp rubbed against his neck, giving a definite answer. “Use your ability… to send me in.”
A warm and familiar voice. Luo Duan knew it was fake, but there were too many lies in his life—one more didn’t matter.
“If we use water vapor… Well, it can be done. The problem is… Hmm, what’s wrong?” The erosion substance poked his shoulder, and he turned his head.
“They… are here.”
That voice said.
“They… are here again.”
After two days of travel, it was natural to spend a night on the road before returning.
Once again, Shu Jun dreamed of his strange self.
The dream became even more vivid, and he found himself back in his own home in the “real world”, not surrounded by darkness as before.
It was daytime in the dream. He had drunk most of the juice and left it on the small table, and the ice cubes in the glass pitcher had long since melted. Outside the window, the river that ran through the city sparkled like a warm pink ribbon. The wind was cool and refreshing but carried a strong smell of decay.
After joining the team, Shu Jun’s residence had moved from a small apartment to a large flat, and he had even installed a swimming pool on the balcony. But now, instead of clear water, the pool was filled with overflowing brownish-red blood. Shu Jun suppressed a wave of nausea and approached to take a closer look—the blood in the pool swayed gently, and chunks of flesh that looked like internal organs floated on the surface.
“His other self” was sitting by the side of the pool, still with his black hair and eyes. That thing was bare-chested, wearing familiar swimming trunks, and seemed to have been startled by Shu Jun’s footsteps as it slowly turned its head.
Its form was still fragmented, and many parts were still in a state of skin cracking. The face had recovered slightly, but the blood vessels under the skin were blackened, resembling a corpse that had been eroded to death.
But compared to the previous time when the whole body needed mosaic, this time it was barely acceptable.
…He wondered if it had anything to do with his recovered memories. Shu Jun narrowed his eyes.
The foul smell kept him glued to the spot, and the air became as thick as glue. The thing slowly sank into the blood pool in front of him, and the putrid blood flooded up to his chest. It moved toward Shu Jun step by step, causing ripples in the blood pool.
Shu Jun remained unmoved. “Just say what you want to say. Don’t give me an impromptu performance.”
“I remember now.” The thing’s voice was exactly the same as Shu Jun’s, but with some ethereal echo, as if it were coming from an empty shell. “Zhu Yanchen has been deceiving me since I was twelve years old. All humans are the same.”
The blood in the pool began to leave the influence of gravity, climbing up along the pool’s edge and wrapping around Shu Jun’s ankles.
Shu Jun frowned as countless negative emotions flooded into his mind. The world turned blood-red in an instant, and he was almost unable to think because of those emotions.
“We’ve been kept in the dark. Everything before was Zhu Yanchen’s ruse—he knew he was terminally ill and deliberately induced you to heal him. He was the one who held me back at the beginning, and he has a deep understanding of the Erosion Swamp. Maybe everything is under his control…”
“He has already gained immunity as he wished. Now he wants to use your ability to take the leadership position. Non-human beings will always have different intentions. When Zhu Yanchen snatches the position with the help of me and my brethren, will he really let us stay? Nurture tens of thousands of aliens who will quickly lose their labor capacity? He only needs to use his identity as a collaborator to stab us in the back…”
“I cannot forget those companions who died in confusion. I dare not forget them. Humans are fundamentally untrustworthy. In just half a year of memories, who knows if they are true or not…”
Shu Jun covered his throbbing head and waved dismissively. “Stop. Hold on a second. Let’s not act like we’re old friends. You are you, and I am me. As soon as you come up, you’re already starting off by talking about my identity. It’s really annoying.”
The monster in the pool was taken aback by this unexpected reaction, and it froze in the pool of blood and didn’t make a sound for a while. Even the blood crawling up his leg stopped for a moment.
“You can’t change who you are, and for humanity, you represent disaster. Even if you have a brain, how much drugs can that woman surnamed Ai make? It’s just some sweetness given to you by Zhu Yanchen. Once he uses you to obtain the drug, you must immediately kill all human witnesses. This is the most logical choice…”
“Yeah, yeah, keep addressing me as ‘you’. That makes me feel so much more comfortable.” Finally, Shu Jun suppressed his chaotic emotions and breathed a sigh of relief.
The monster flipped its remaining eye and stared coldly at him.
Shu Jun picked up the tablecloth on the small table and wiped the blood off his leg. “Stop staring. Do you have anything else to say?”
The monster in the blood pool: “…”
“I understand your grievances, and now you can get out.” Shu Jun twisted the blood-soaked tablecloth.
“You should feel the resentment and hatred of those departed—are you going to turn a blind eye to it?”
Familiar faces floated up from the blood pool. All of them were the Blackbirds members who had died on missions. They stared blankly with wide eyes, and their dull pupils faced towards the sky.
Shu Jun’s previously indifferent demeanor disappeared in an instant.
“Before, I only thought you were being chatty, but now I think you deserve a good beating.” His voice was filled with a hint of coldness. “Let me ask you a question. Can synthetic humans win according to your plan?”
The monster remained silent.
“Then what’s the point of all this nonsense? All I’ve heard from you is that you want me to kick Marshal Zhu out early and seek revenge on humanity.”
Shu Jun grabbed the handle of the glass jug on the table, and his veins were popping out from the back of his hand.
“Yes, revenge, and then what? Destroying them unilaterally won’t solve the fundamental problem. Even if an individual is powerful, the number of synthetic humans is too few, and their lifespan is limited. As long as humans give up development and disperse for a few years, when we weaken, they will retaliate.”
“And we don’t have any system-related knowledge, and even if we did, we wouldn’t be able to teach someone to use it proficiently in the short term. Not to mention the casualties in battles—who will treat the survivors who are on the brink of death? Who will maintain the operation of the ‘real world’? I understand that some people are willing to sacrifice everything and die like this. But what about the children who haven’t joined the team yet? Are they also going to be buried with us?”
“If my team members want to live… To let them live, I can give up not only my pride but also my revenge. Although I haven’t lost my most important person, it’s a bit painful to stand around talking about this—unfortunately, I happen to be the Blackbirds’ captain, and this is where I stand.”
The monster’s eroded body showed signs of movement as it considered its response.
“Don’t waste any more time. I’ve already thought about everything you’re thinking about.” Shu Jun stopped by the pool and poured the pale red juice on the monster’s head. “If you can’t come up with a constructive suggestion, then it’s best if you leave now.”
“You will be betrayed,” it said in a slow and deliberate tone a few minutes later, as if cursing. “You will definitely be betrayed.”
“Oh.” Shu Jun shook off the remaining juice from the pitcher. “Sorry, I’ve thought of that too.”
He wiped his hands, and his pupils, which had been raised, became a thin line. “If A’Yan betrays me, I will stand in front of him and let him watch me dig out his heart. After the battle, as the leader who made a major mistake, I will naturally atone with my death without bothering you.”
Shu Jun squatted down, ignoring the sea of negative emotions around him, and gave a cold smile to the thing.
“By the way, if he doesn’t betray me in the end, I might pursue him.”
Monster: “……”
Seeing the other party stunned, there was a bit of mockery in Shu Jun’s smile. He let go of his hand, and the empty pitcher slammed onto the monster’s head. The blood pool boiled violently, and the thing let out a mournful roar. It glared at Shu Jun with eyes full of lifelessness.
The dream shattered instantly.
Shu Jun opened his eyes calmly and couldn’t help but roll his eyes. It turned out he was facing Zhu Yanchen, who was changing his clothes—he was about to return to Y City. As the leader of the NPC team, Yu Jin went to meet Hu Yan early in the morning. Zhu Yanchen couldn’t reveal his face on ordinary occasions, so he even wore a simple mask to sleep. With great difficulty, he relaxed, changed back into his clothes, and showed Shu Jun a straight look.
Shu Jun wasn’t embarrassed but looked calm.
The scene in the dream was very clear. Half of his bold words that he would “pursue” were to anger the thing, but half were sincere. The emotions that had stirred him the day before had long since subsided, and now was a good time to verify them—as an adult, if he was as calm as water in this situation, his emotions might just be overwhelming his friendship.
Zhu Yanchen noticed Shu Jun’s gaze, and his movements slowed by a few fractions of a second for a moment. The pale skin was warmed by the soft light, with a hint of jade-like color. Although he had what Shu Jun had, he couldn’t help but feel his heart beating a little faster.
Indeed, he had really fallen.
“I dreamt of that thing again.” Shu Jun sighed and got straight to business.
Zhu Yanchen changed into a high-necked inner shirt and frowned at the words.
“Its demands are still the same—wanting to retaliate against humans. I suspect it’s from an Erosion Swamp, but I can’t figure out how it’s influencing me.” Shu Jun got up and put on his coat neatly. “The scene it appears in is becoming more and more specific, and I’m a little worried.”
“I understand.” Zhu Yanchen nodded calmly. “It’s already in the plan. When we return to Y City, I will look at your brain scan as soon as possible.”
“Not just this issue, A’Yan.”
Shu Jun smiled bitterly.
“I know myself. If we miss that day, I’m not sure if I’ll go crazy in the unknown despair. I can resist that thing’s provocation just because I’m lucky—I haven’t lost my loved ones, and I met you earlier.”
He didn’t know if he was seeing things, but Zhu Yanchen’s expression didn’t change at all, his ears turned a little red.
“But if the target had lost a loved one or a partner, I suspect it would succeed.” Shu Jun rubbed his lower lip with his finger. “When people are desperate, they can do anything.”
“A’Yan, is there another solution to the brain shock? I suspect that ‘it’ is not only targeting me.”
Zhu Yanchen frowned. “Speaking of that, I have a guess…”
“Hey, didn’t you two go eat breakfast?” As Yu Jin entered the tent, Zhu Yanchen immediately put on his mask.
Shu Jun quickly changed the subject. “What’s up? Can’t we spend some time together in the morning? Have you finished your meeting?”
“Forgive me, ancestor.” Yu Jin grumbled. “There are enough troubles… We just received notice that Y City is now under lockdown with the highest level of alert. Didn’t that Zhu Yanchen guy come back? Those big shots are holding some kind of concert at the Grand Theatre, and almost everyone with a head and a face is going. Now we have to stay outside the city for another day, and I don’t know if they’ll pay us more.”
Shu Jun and Zhu Yanchen exchanged glances.
“I understand.” Zhu Yanchen spoke up, and he grabbed Shu Jun’s wrist. “Anyway, let’s go eat first.”
Yu Jin: “Hey, hey, hey, can you be more human? I haven’t finished complaining. Can you let me vent?”
“No.”
“Although we have an agreement, it doesn’t mean I don’t have a temper—”
“This trip has caused you a lot of trouble, and my share will go to you,” Zhu Yanchen quickly responded.
“…Alright, you two can go now.”
Outside the tent, Zhu Yanchen’s voice became lower. “We must find a way to get into Y City.”
“Related to the guess you just mentioned?”
“Well, there might be ‘something’ in the command center.”
Zhu Yanchen grabbed the inspiration that had flashed by that day—indeed, the command center could block large-scale Erosion Swamps and only allow a certain level of erosion substance to exist. But not all those who had brains were necessarily “large-scale Erosion Swamps”. Monday was a perfect example.
Even if they were unable to communicate with the outside world due to the threat of purification, a sole sentient Erosion Swamp in the command center could do a lot of things—such as waiting for suitable prey.
Weak Erosion Swamps may not be able to do much, but if they use the power of experienced players…
The malicious information in Shu Jun’s brain may well have been implanted by it. And at that time, there were definitely more experienced players than just Shu Jun in the command center. Zhu Yanchen secretly clenched his fist.
Today, the bigshots were gathering at the Grand Theatre, and the guards were sure to be partly withdrawn. If Shu Jun’s nightmare source was really in the command center, there could be trouble.
Zhu Yanchen adjusted his emotions and continued to explain quickly, “There are indeed other solutions to brain shock. Synthetic humans are physically unstable and will begin to collapse as they age. Eventually, the erosion substance will invade all parts of the body—including the brain.”
“As biological tissue, the artificially implanted brain fragments will also be eroded, and their suppressive ability will be weakened. If synthetic humans are lucky enough not to die in battle… when their bodies begin to deteriorate, they do have a possibility of ‘realizing the truth’. This is also one of the reasons why you have a fixed ‘retirement’ time.”
“Luo Duan.” Shu Jun’s pupils contracted as he murmured.
“That’s right.” Zhu Yanchen’s voice was dry. “In any case, we’d better confirm it.”
Shu Jun closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them. “I understand. I’ll take care of Hu Yan; you take care of Yu Jin—I’ll take you with me in five minutes.”
The escape route for the synths wasn’t ready yet. In any case, the flames of war couldn’t be ignited now.
Luo Duan walked alone to the lowest level of the command center.
The mist obscured his figure. As for the temperature detector and other equipment, there was someone “human” helping him. The cold Erosion Swamp surrounded his neck, slowly swaying, feeling like a noose and also like the embrace of a dead lover.
He played with Yi Ning’s access card between his fingers with a calm, unwavering gaze. Even when he saw the jar of brains in front of him, Luo Duan didn’t even twitch his eyelids.
“Is this the place?” He stopped at the deepest part of the command center and murmured softly.
The Erosion Swamp rubbed against his neck, giving a definite answer. “Use your ability… to send me in.”
A warm and familiar voice. Luo Duan knew it was fake, but there were too many lies in his life—one more didn’t matter.
“If we use water vapor… Well, it can be done. The problem is… Hmm, what’s wrong?” The erosion substance poked his shoulder, and he turned his head.
“They… are here.”
That voice said.
“They… are here again.”
