《Saving Unpermitted》


 CH 1

    Fifteen minutes before the championship battle of the virtual reality massively multi-player online game [Erosion].


    In the game¡¯s preparation zone, the smell of ash lingered in the wind. As Shu Jun was done with checking his equipment for one last time, the communication device rang. Only one person would message him at this time ¡ª


    [Haze]: Remember the strategy we discussed last night. Steadiness is most important.


    Seeing the sender¡¯s ID, Shu Jun couldn¡¯t help but raise the corner of his mouth.


    [See You Tomorrow]: I understand, strategist.


    [Haze]: All the best.


    [See You Tomorrow]: After we win the finals, let¡¯s meet. I will come to find you.


    Shu Jun held his breath. This time, the other person¡¯s response didn¡¯t come until ten seconds later.


    [Haze]: Okay.


    During the few seconds that he stared at the word ¡°Okay¡±, Shu Jun actually felt nervous for the first time after a long while.


    This would be his last big game in [Erosion]. Shu Jun had decided to announce his retirement after this game, which was two years earlier than planned. Thereafter, he would immediately fly to A City, where ¡®Haze¡¯ resided. He wanted to meet this extremely tight-mouthed person and confess his feelings.


    He had spent a long time in this game.


    Although Shu Jun had just turned 27, he had been in [Erosion] for ten years and was even named as one of the pioneering players.


    This was due to a special rule in [Erosion] ¡ª once a combatant died in battle, he or she must withdraw from the battlefield and engage in other occupations. The game operator stated that this was to give people a stronger sense of reality and a better experience of ¡®another world¡¯.


    Players could only choose one character, and there were no such functions as Save, Transfer or Return. Because of this rule, the amount of adept combatants in the game was pitifully small. Most of the combatants that lived till this point must have monstrous strength.


    Luckily, the disallowance of saving never made the players any less enthusiastic.


    After all, this game bestowed a great experience. The fighters at the top of the pyramid could garner fame and fortune, while their lives and careers were filled with loads of fun.


    That being said, the battles were cruel and the money might not be so easily earned. [Erosion] had strange rules when it came to battles. It never promoted hostility between different teams, and no PVP1 was scheduled for the championship round, rather, there was only an enormous PVE2 arena. Death of team members, consumption of resources and cooperation within the team would all be evaluated by the system. Only the team that came up with the best strategy and achieved the goal the fastest could win.


    They were all ready, waiting for the right moment. The championship arena was in sight.


    Seeing that his crush had sent no other messages, Shu Jun placed the broadsword on his back, put on a gas mask and left the preparation zone.


    The championship round went on for three days and three nights.


    By the third night, the situation was nowhere ideal. Just like what they had guessed earlier, their opponent ¨C the Groundwater team ¨C was moving way faster, and no miracle had happened so far.


    ¡°If this continues, we¡¯ll lose.¡± Vice-captain Hu Yan sighed.


    ¡°This map is full of swamps, and the Groundwater team specialises in water-type abilities. Vice-captain Hu, Groundwater also consists of adept players. In such an environment, we don¡¯t have to feel ashamed even if we lose.¡± The player closest to him responded quickly.


    Shu Jun was great at wind control, possessed rare attributes and had top-notch skills in both attack and defence. Unfortunately, his skillset alone wouldn¡¯t be able to save the whole team. Vice-captain Hu Yan could control rocks, but on this wetland map abundantly filled with water bodies, the opponent still held a bigger advantage ¡ª Groundwater team¡¯s Captain Luo Duan was a highly experienced player, one who was widely recognised as the game¡¯s No.1 support role3. In this map, he was literally a fish thrown into water.


    ¡°Anyway, all actions are counted into the team¡¯s contribution. Whatever points we can get, let¡¯s get them.¡± Another team member tried to be cheerful.


    Shu Jun scratched his face and looked at Hu Yan: ¡°Beside discussing with you guys, I also talked with Haze for a few weeks.¡±


    Hu Yan: ¡°What does sister-in-law¡­ I mean Haze, think?¡±


    ¡°We discussed a lot of strategies. Haze also thinks that we have no chance of winning. We may get a tie if we are lucky.¡± Shu Jun let out a sigh behind the gas mask.


    ¡°Yeah, just try our best. Groundwater has an advantage with this map anyway. Next time ¡ª oh wait, we won¡¯t have you next time. I was hoping we could win this battle in glory. I know you have a lot of tricks up your sleeves, but this situation¡­¡±


    Hu Yan wasn¡¯t happy in the slightest about becoming the Captain soon, his expression filled with misery.


    ¡°Captain Shu, our team has won so many games, can¡¯t you at least retire after a win? Perhaps you can think about it?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not so hopeless. I just looked at the latest information about the terrain and have some new ideas.¡±


    Shu Jun pulled open their tent and glanced at the dark, gloomy land in the distance, a hint of delight tinged in his voice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t lose.¡±


    Outside the game.


    The viewing platform for the championship battle was an open U shape, where the ticket was sold at ten times the price of the live broadcast. Several mega screens hovered over the battlefield, casting a shade of life over this melancholic, bleak world inside the game.


    More than two days had passed and the audience were still cheering loudly above the battlefield, their spirits undying.


    Just like before, the arena was set in an unknown erosion zone inside the game. Given the game settings, communication signal within an erosion zone was always poor. When the team got too close to the center of an erosion zone, the screen would start lagging and blurring.


    Now that both teams were in the center of the erosion zone ¡ª near a monster called ¡®Erosion Marsh¡¯, the images on the big screen were getting ghostlier.


    Following along the noise of the electric current, objects made of a pitch-black fluid flashed past the edge of the screen. From time to time, deformed creatures whose figure could no longer be distinguished would pass by the camera and face the audience. Although the scene was filled with spooky details, the audience could feel their hearts moved greatly.


    A huge black ¡®lake¡¯ emerged in the middle of a land that had lost its colour. In this windless world, thin pillars of liquid that looked like human limbs stretched towards the sky, slowly creeping out of the ¡®lake¡¯ surface that was bubbling with rage.


    On the shoreline of such a gigantic marsh, any human would look so small that he was almost negligible.


    From the viewing platform, someone breathed in the cold air and let out his voice.


    ¡°The difficulty is worthy of the championship round. This is the biggest marsh I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± Even though it was already late into the night, the host¡¯s eagerness remained unabated.


    ¡°It¡¯s now the third day of the championship round, and twelve hours later, the final score will be determined. It seems that the most likely strategy is to place the purifier in any surrounding area. At least partial purification of the zone will be better than complete elimination of the whole team.¡±


    As the full picture of Erosion Marsh had been revealed, even a layman could also see it ¡ª this map was too challenging and complex, to the extent that it couldn¡¯t be prepared just for a single game. There would be another big competition half a year later, and the steps that they took to deal with this large marsh would be a good topic for discussion. The audience was yearning to see which of the two captains would carry out the team¡¯s strategy more steadily and lay a solid foundation for the battles that would follow.


    ¡°The battle had entered its most exciting stage!¡­ Finally, ¡®Undead Legend¡¯ Shu Jun has led the Blackbird team to the center of the erosion zone.¡±


    ¡°So far, the Blackbird team has zero deaths and 25% of their resources left. Their cooperation is nothing to complain about, but their overall score is still behind the Groundwater team by quite a lot ¡ª Under Luo Duan¡¯s leadership, the Groundwater team has been purifying the surrounding area for more than five hours¡­ Shu Jun, go! But the Blackbird team didn¡¯t start the purification, rather, they turned to the cliff next to the marsh!¡±


    Detecting the presence of invaders, the monsters around the marsh started gathering and charging towards the team. In the blurry screen, the Blackbird team put up a defensive formation.


    Shu Jun used his levitation skill to walk in the air. Tightly protected by a mechanical armour, he swung his broadsword along with the wind like a knight that just stepped into the wrong time and wrong dimension.


    People quickly realised Shu Jun¡¯s intent.


    Several stalagmites stood staggeringly in the center of Erosion Marsh. If they installed the purifier here, the huge marsh would be forced to shrink into a ring shape, which would be convenient for the players from behind to further separate and destroy each part.


    It might be a fantastic idea for scoring more points, but such an idea only worked in theory.


    The stalagmites¡¯ locations were extremely dangerous. They were too far from the shoreline and swamped with monsters. Even players like Shu Jun, who had a wind control ability, could barely approach those places. But approaching was one thing and landing was another, because the marsh would certainly try to eliminate any threat from the players. This marsh was exceptionally powerful and surrounded by dense layers of monsters, so singly attacking it would be as good as suicide.


    ¡°Erosion Marsh¡­ The marsh has started to fight back. The Blackbird team has blocked the erosion tide on the shoreline, but Shu Jun hadn¡¯t used any defence moves yet and his armour has begun to peel off!¡±


    The host¡¯s voice was full of astonishment.


    ¡°What the hell is Blackbird planning to do?! Will the tale of the ¡®Undead Legend¡¯ end today?¡±


    The viewing platform erupted into chaos, like a scene of cold water being poured into a boiling pot.


    In the images that looked like they would soon disappear off the screen, Shu Jun forced himself to ¡®consume¡¯ the erosive fluid ejected from the marsh. A wave of liquid bullets as dense as a torrential rain flew towards him as Shu Jun controlled the mighty whirlwinds to surround his body, molding the air currents into a protective shield and blocking most of the attacks. Even so, his mechanical armour quickly became tattered and exposed his wheat-coloured skin underneath, where unsightly burns emerged just a second later.


    Shu Jun didn¡¯t stop. He unwaveringly headed for the cluster of stalagmites with the purifier steadily behind his back, which was making a consistent buzzing sound.


    Knowing that the enemy couldn¡¯t be blocked, Erosion Marsh let out an earsplitting shriek. The monsters went berserk and those with wings desperately rushed towards Shu Jun. Shu Jun took out his broadsword, and with the help of the wind, he lifted the heavy piece of metal and smoothly split the monsters into halves, as though he was just cutting up fruits.


    As their flesh and black blood was whirled up by the wind, a rain that carried with it a disgusting stench came pouring down on the marsh.


    Shu Jun was showered with blood. As the marsh swallowed up the dead monsters¡¯ corpses, more and more monsters ceaselessly jumped at him. The liquid pillars in the middle of the marsh entangled with each other, not daring to get close to the purifier and only able to form a cage to trap Shu Jun near the stalagmites.


    He was still a little away from his target.


    Shu Jun gritted his teeth and directly charged at the liquid pillars. Coming into contact with those pillars, the battle armour turned into soft mush and was effortlessly melted away. As his blood splashed, Shu Jun was almost cut in half.


    But his skills were still running and the wind was still supporting him, so Shu Jun wouldn¡¯t stop.


    The marsh seemed to finally sense Shu Jun¡¯s tenacity and decided to not delay any further, rushing to crush the enemy before the purifier could be fully activated. The liquid pillars transformed and started to attack Shu Jun¡¯s body.


    As more and more pillars coiled around him, Shu Jun¡¯s legs began to go numb. He didn¡¯t have much time left.


    Shu Jun swung the broadsword, causing the inertia and the wind to move him forward. With a harsh gnawing sound, the broadsword was slammed into the stalagmite.


    After arriving at his destination, he completely gave up his defence and concentrated on activating the purifier. The marsh twisted around Shu Jun¡¯s lower body, quickly swallowing him up. Shu Jun¡¯s face was covered by a gas mask and the audience couldn¡¯t see his expression.


    Everything happened briskly.


    After just a few seconds, the pitch-black fluid almost covered Shu Jun¡¯s whole body, leaving only the part above his chest exposed ¡ª his left hand tightly clutched the sword on the stalagmite to avoid being dragged away by the marsh, while his right hand swiftly turned on the purifier.


    But regardless of whether the purifier could be activated successfully, Shu Jun¡¯s fate was already determined. This crazy guy was meant to be swallowed. The only thing that mattered was whether he was ¡®just wasting his life¡¯ or ¡®sacrificing himself for the team to win¡¯.


    The audience held their breath in unison.


    Finally, a pleasant ¡°beep¡± pierced the air. Along with the buzzing sound of the machine waking up, the land rumbled loudly and everyone got the answer.


    The purifier had been activated.


    Shu Jun let go of his left hand and resisted no more. In a blink, he was sucked into the bottom of the marsh.


    In order to evade the purifier, the gigantic marsh transformed itself into a ring and called up more dangerous monsters from nearby. Beside their successful attempt at purifying a vital point, the Blackbird team on the shoreline fought with constant waves of monsters, and their score skyrocketed.


    The Groundwater team had also killed many strong monsters, but the Blackbird team definitely beat them in terms of cooperation points. Even if the host never said anything, any audience could tell that Blackbird would win.


    ¡­Because they paid the price of sacrificing their own captain.


    ¡°It¡¯s crazy, Shu Jun clearly has two more years before retirement¡­¡± After a dumbfounded moment, the host finally recovered his voice: ¡°The Blackbird team has overtaken the points by a large margin, and the outcome has been determined.¡±


    After a few seconds of utter silence, the sounds of the audience grew louder and louder from the viewing platform. It began with a few sporadic claps, then ruptured into frantic cheers.


    They only needed to wait for Blackbird¡¯s hero to leave the VR cabin and return to reality. The reporters were already waiting near the players¡¯ lounge, ready to attack any time now. When Shu Jun appeared, he would be swallowed again by this crowd.


    ¡­But that wasn¡¯t what Shu Jun was worried about at the moment.


    He was still sinking.


    Erosion Marsh was the most hazardous source of contamination in [Erosion], so based on the game¡¯s settings, he would undoubtedly die. By right, he would instantly be disconnected from the game and return to reality. However, Shu Jun didn¡¯t see the familiar interior lights of the VR cabin, rather, he continued to sink into the marsh. The erosive fluid that made up the marsh was biting his flesh and blood, while his skin was dissolving with a horrible pain.


    In [Erosion], there was indeed simulation of pain, which Shu Jun had no qualms about. But isn¡¯t this more like simulating the dying process?


    Shu Jun was able to maintain his thoughts at first, but soon, the pain that far exceeded any human¡¯s limit almost boiled his brain. The suffocation and the pain from the erosion attacked simultaneously as the cold and sticky erosive fluid penetrated his mouth and nose, burning his body in its entirety.


    Ten seconds later, he hadn¡¯t been disconnected.


    He was trapped in the depths of this dark, eerie body of fluid, and even the loss of all his senses was overwhelmed by pain.


    If he really died because of this system failure, it¡¯ll be equivalent to working hard for a lifetime yet dying one night before success, Shu Jun subconsciously thought. He didn¡¯t want to leave behind a hapless image of a fella dying in the process of trying to earn money.


    Thirty seconds later, he still hadn¡¯t been disconnected.


    He hadn¡¯t met Haze yet. If he couldn¡¯t know whether his crush was a man or a woman, his fate was truly tragic. The bastards in the team even made a bet on that¡­


    He never enjoyed any great holidays, never lived an unconfined life and never even confessed his feelings¡­


    And he had to die now. This life is too f**king sad.


    Drowned in this excruciating pain, Shu Jun really couldn¡¯t breathe anymore. He didn¡¯t know how long more he would have to wait, but considering his suicide strategy just now, there would be many people outside paying close attention to him. Someone would definitely find that something had gone wrong with the VR cabin.


    I¡¯ve got to pull myself together, he thought.


    Persevere through this.


    Persevere¡­


    From all directions, the marsh let out a peculiar scream and almost melted away his whole body. Shu Jun barely kept himself conscious and continued waiting.


    Until he was completely unconscious.


    Shu Jun failed to see that outside the game, another ¡®Shu Jun¡¯ walked out of the VR cabin and waved confidently at the reporters.


    Then the audience burst into thunderous cheers.

 CH 2

    When Shu Jun woke up again, he saw the overcast clouds of the night above him.


    He wasn¡¯t in the place where he fell into the marsh, and the gigantic marsh was also nowhere to be seen. Surrounding him were rugged rocks, and looking up, the world had only three colours of black, white and grey. It was completely deserted in all directions, with only the deformed monsters pacing slowly in the rocky forest.


    Shu Jun was a bit dumbfounded.


    His mechanical armour had already fallen apart and his entire upper body was exposed, his wounds still slowly closing. The communication device on his arm was, with much difficulty, making buzzing noises from time to time.


    His eyes moved along the shattered metal pieces on his body.


    His skin was supposed to be a healthy wheat colour, but now it looked like a layer of dust that carried a mixed shade of pale white and gloomy grey. Shu Jun subconsciously rubbed his arm, which immediately caused some tiny blood marks to appear.


    His fingers also didn¡¯t feel right. The nails that were originally neatly trimmed and flat had become sharp, looking a bit like an animal¡¯s claws, and the shade had become opaque black.


    Shu Jun grumbled and swallowed hard. He did what all normal people would do ¡ª trying to turn on the communication device and contact the administrator.


    However, the broken device only rustled and showed no intention to work.


    Having lost his goal, Shu Jun slowly lay down and looked up at the night sky. If this was a dream, it should be almost time to wake up. But when he lay down, he didn¡¯t wake up from any dream, rather, he was approached by an animal that had become mutated due to the contamination. Without him knowing, the creature came closer and looked down at him.


    Shu Jun and the creature stared at each other for a while. The mutated monster blinked its six eyes that were squeezing together, then its eyeballs crazily rotated and a drop of saliva dripped onto Shu Jun¡¯s face.


    Shu Jun: ¡°¡­¡±


    Too close. This distance wasn¡¯t favourable to control the wind. It was better to drown in the marsh rather than to have his head bitten off by this creature. He quickly looked around but couldn¡¯t catch any glimpse of the hilt of his broadsword.


    The mutated monster opened its mouth and the horrible stench from inside was flushed at Shu Jun¡¯s face. As Shu Jun peeked at the creature¡¯s throat and nervously pondered whether he should bite it, the creature made its next move ¡ª


    It licked Shu Jun steadily.


    Seeing that this creature had no intention of attacking, Shu Jun now had the nerve to stretch out his hand and decided to try the only thing on him that could be called a weapon ¡ª The claws on his fingertips.


    As soon as his hand reached out for only a few centimeters, the mutated monster¡¯s ears recoiled and it ran away.


    ¡­The situation was getting more and more ridiculous.


    Shu Jun stood up. Except for the fatigue and the pain from his wound, there was nothing wrong with his body. After getting out of this terrible bug, ??he absolutely must complain to the team behind [Erosion].


    He wouldn¡¯t be able to rest on this ground covered in cold mud. There was a cave with a fitting size at the higher part of the rocky forest. Shu Jun threw off his shoes that had almost broken apart and began to climb barefoot onto the peculiar-looking rock, sorting his thoughts while climbing.


    [Erosion] had been in operation for many years and always focused on the experience of reality. A bug this serious had never occured before. But what was happening to him right now was that he couldn¡¯t exit the game, the map was flawed and strange things followed one after another. He just wanted to retire early, but how could he know that he would receive this huge ¡®benefit package¡¯ of a bug?


    Shu Jun took a few deep breaths and moved his neck.


    ¡­There must be someone out there who was solving this issue. In any case, he must remain calm. Besides, [Erosion]¡¯s settings were not actually a mainstream apocalypse, so he wouldn¡¯t have to struggle desperately for survival.


    In the settings of [Erosion], the world had been destroyed once. From the furthest regions of the two poles, mankind had revived a special life form, a type of microbe named ¡®Erosion¡¯. It accidentally leaked out and spread rapidly, swallowing the whole of human civilisation at a terrifying speed.


    This microbe dyed the unliving black and white and caused abnormal mutation in animals, a process that could be called ¡®living radiation¡¯. The so-called ¡®Erosion Marsh¡¯ was born out of this phenomenon.


    Fortunately, the survivors had found a way to deal with it, and the purifier was invented in time to prevent the spread of contamination. The world was now at the initial stage of reviving its civilisation. Compared to a time when humanity was on the verge of destruction, this background made it easier to come up with intriguing ideas for a new era.


    Players were the only group with special abilities in the game, who all relied on the coalition government. Most of those who remained on the battlefield were fighters that stood at the front line of purifying the contamination.


    Given the game settings, the fighters were equivalent to heroes, and the compensation they received were pretty good. Even if a combat player was trapped in the game, as long as he could get to the NPCs¡¯ stronghold, he would be able to comfortably wait for rescue.


    Shu Jun had no idea which aspects of the game the bug had affected. Perhaps I could first pass some information to the outside world?


    After pinning down his next goal, Shu Jun was greatly relieved. But the situation still felt a bit odd ¡ª there had been no major updates as of late, so how could such a serious problem occur?


    Talking about the plot updates of the NPCs, he only recently heard one thing from his teammates. The marshal of the coalition government broke up with his girlfriend who had been with him for many years, however, that sort of minor side plot should never cause the game to crash like this.


    Thinking of the marshal of the coalition government, Shu Jun couldn¡¯t help but snort.


    The settings of the game weren¡¯t important to combat teams like Shu Jun¡¯s. This NPC might be their boss in name, but he actually rarely appeared. Even when he appeared, the guy never said a word, only showing a pair of emotionless eyes from behind his gas mask.


    In the settings, the marshal of the coalition government, Zhu Yanchen, was an extraordinarily talented strategist. He tightly wrapped his body with the uniform, then completely covered the remaining parts with his mask, collar and gloves. Had it not been for the guy¡¯s eyes that always seemed excessively cold, Shu Jun would have thought that he was a robot.


    The planning team had the guts to give this kind of man a girlfriend¡­ even though she was an ex-girlfriend now.


    Shu Jun pursed his lips and carefully climbed up to the cave. The rock surface was cold but dry, much better than the muddy ground. The contamination at such heights wasn¡¯t so serious. He breathed in the cool night air and felt as though the burning sensation in his lungs earlier had never existed.


    A spot of light travelled through the rocky forest and glimmered above the horizon. There was a high chance that it came from the army inside the game. He would look for their stronghold tomorrow. Knowing his goal for the next day, Shu Jun entered the cave and soon fell asleep.


    At the other end of the horizon, there was a mess inside the stronghold.


    Zhu Yanchen was sitting at the desk, an aura as cold as an ice sculpture exuding from his whole body. No one would think of entering that suffocating office, but one person was persistently trying to rush in.


    ¡°Miss Xia, you can¡¯t go in, the marshal is now¡­ well, not in a good mood.¡±


    ¡°Even if we broke up, he can¡¯t just see me as an enemy.¡± Xia Liang glanced up, her eyes brimmed with tears: ¡°He needs me, let me see him, please.¡±


    The guard at the door felt a lump in his throat, but in the end, he couldn¡¯t defeat a woman¡¯s tears and let her in. The pretty girl picked up the hem of her skirt, thanked him with a graceful and adorable gesture, then disappeared on the other side of the door.


    ¡°Marshal, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    As soon as the door closed, Xia Liang¡¯s frail look vanished in an instant and her expression turned icy. She stared at Zhu Yanchen behind the table with an unhappy expression.


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you before that this time of the day is when I¡¯m having a date with my girlfriend. You specifically called your ¡®ex-girlfriend¡¯ over, so the situation mustn¡¯t be very good.¡± She said.


    ¡°Something has happened to Shu Jun.¡± Zhu Yanchen said concisely.


    Xia Liang crossed her arms, a posture that wasn¡¯t fitting for her image, and frowned: ¡°Aren¡¯t you always discussing strategies with him? Can anything even go wrong with that monster of a combatant?¡±


    ¡°He fell into the marsh for his team to win. I tried to interfere but failed to catch up in time.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Xia Liang was silent for a moment. ¡°Regrettably, he¡¯ll die with not even a bone left. There¡¯s no way to find him.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my mistake.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen lowered his gaze, his handsome face shrouded with dark clouds.


    Having pretended to be a couple for several years, Xia Liang had never seen the man showing such obvious emotions. She only liked women. In order to escape the arranged marriage at home, she hit it off with Zhu Yanchen, who wanted to avoid a political marriage. They claimed that they were dating ¡ª one of them was a singer who was constantly on shows, the other was a marshall who just wished he could permanently take root in the office. With this, they never had to meet up often, which saved them from the trouble of having to act in front of others.


    If it were not for the two families urging them to get married, they wouldn¡¯t throw out the news of breaking up.


    Over the years, the two could be considered acquaintances. Marshal Zhu on the opposite side had basically no private life or hobbies; he only worked like a machine day by day. Xia Liang actually thought that this person would never grow any feelings.


    Having said that, Shu Jun was Zhu Yanchen¡¯s most powerful humanoid weapon, so it wasn¡¯t like she couldn¡¯t comprehend why the man was showing such emotions.


    ¡°Let me just say it, you¡¯ve always paid too much attention to that guy. It¡¯s really a pity that the weapon is broken, but it¡¯s also better to get a new one.¡± Faced with a familiar person, she couldn¡¯t bother to hide her bad temper. ¡°So, why did you call me over?¡±


    ¡°Shortly after he fell into Erosion Marsh, the marsh also started moving. The situation is unusual.¡±


    ¡°Understood, the higher-ups will definitely pull you in to study this together. You want me to lead the team to look into this privately.¡±


    ¡°Yes. You go with the Fourth Team to investigate this matter.¡±


    Saying so, Zhu Yanchen took out a chip and put it on the table. ¡°The main reason for calling you over is because of this ¡ª The chip to be used for the plan will be in your care now.¡±


    ¡°You still want to continue with the plan? Troublesome. I should have guessed that this day would come when I made the agreement with you.¡± Xia Liang put the chip into her shoulder bag and gave him a standard military salute: ¡°Roger, Marshal.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen nodded, and those emotions earlier seemed to be just illusions and were gone in a blink. This guy has sealed himself inside a shell again, Xia Liang could see it.


    However, their relationship wasn¡¯t yet ¡®friends¡¯, while Xia Liang also wasn¡¯t interested in Zhu Yanchen¡¯s personal life and didn¡¯t intend to interrupt. It was just that as a subordinate, she still had to fulfill her responsibilities ¡ª


    ¡°Oh, by the way, let me remind you something. Since I¡¯ve been transferred to the Fourth Team, I need time to hand over things. No matter how much manpower you¡¯re lacking, someone still has to guide the Blackbird team.¡±


    Before heading out, Xia Liang turned around.


    ¡°There are quite a few people who keep in touch with Shu Jun, and we can¡¯t let them find out that ¡ª¡±


    ¡°We absolutely can¡¯t let them find out that ¡®over there¡¯ is virtual reality, and ¡®here¡¯ is reality.¡±

 CH 3

    T/N: Starting this chapter, I¡¯ll translate the name of Shu Jun¡¯s strategist (aka his crush) as ¡®Haze¡¯ rather than leaving it in pinyin ^^. I¡¯ve also fixed mentions of the name in previous chapters.


    Shu Jun woke up for the second time with an empty stomach. The sky in an erosion zone was cloudy as always, the fog on the ground hadn¡¯t cleared, and the surrounding area was as quiet as an ancient cemetery.


    He yawned and felt the inside of his lips tingled with pain and the smell of blood filling his mouth.


    Shu Jun frowned and touched the wound with his fingers. Another problem had arisen ¡ª his canine teeth had become a little too sharp; if he really bit that mutated monster last night, he might have pierced through its throat.


    His mood yesterday was mostly helpless, but now Shu Jun felt really angry. More and more unusual things had happened and almost 24 hours had passed, yet he had received absolutely no support from outside. The team behind [Erosion] shouldn¡¯t have such a basic issue.


    His protective equipment had completely broken apart, while his Strength and Energy stats were not displayed anymore. The air quality here was okay, but it was still the air inside an erosion zone. He had no idea what might be the consequence of dying twice in the game, so it would be better to leave as soon as possible.


    Shu Jun crawled out of the cave and started to move in the direction of the NPCs¡¯ stronghold.


    As his state stabilised and his strength recovered a little, Shu Jun tried to activate his skills. The calm air around him started to ripple and a familiar wind blew into his ears. Since his special ability was undamaged and the stronghold wasn¡¯t far away, if he encountered a powerful monster, he should still be able to escape intact.


    Thinking of his lovely holidays ahead, Shu Jun hastened his pace.


    According to his estimation last night, it should take five or six hours to reach that stronghold. The journey turned out to be much smoother than he thought. He met no other dangerous monsters on his way, and even before he left the rocky forest, some voices could be heard from a distance.


    Two NPC soldiers were patrolling nearby.


    Shu Jun raised his hand in surprise and greeted them loudly: ¡°I¡¯m Shu Jun, captain of the Blackbird combat team, No. S-001. Please take me to your base. Misters, if it¡¯s convenient, can you please lend me your communication device¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his words, a bullet flew by and a fiery sensation burnt right above his ear. As the gunfire continued, Shu Jun, an experienced combatant, subconsciously called upon the wind, and a spontaneous gust of wind quickly pushed him away.


    If he had slowed down for only half a second, the bullet rain that followed would definitely have poked thousands of holes though him.


    His right fingers twitched a few times out of reflex as Shu Jun gritted his teeth ¡ª the familiar weight of his usual companion wasn¡¯t in his hand now. Without his broadsword, without his mechanical armour and wearing these shattered clothes, Shu Jun couldn¡¯t carry out any defensive move and was forced to hide himself in shame.


    But even if his image at of now was embarrassing, the NPCs should be able to recognise him as a human. An attack this intense was utterly unreasonable. Shu Jun had to use his four limbs like a monster and retreat behind a rock. [Erosion] had emphasised many times that anyone dealing damage to NPCs would receive an extremely severe punishment, and now wasn¡¯t the best time to take that risk.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Shu Jun raised his voice. ¡°Stop your attack, I need to contact the game manager, emergency code 40721¡­¡±


    But the patrolling soldiers still had no intention to let him finish talking.


    The two men took out an unfamiliar weapon and smashed the rock into pieces. Shu Jun wanted to continue keeping a distance from them but found himself unable to move at all.


    A faint light glimmered under his feet, and he recognised it. It was a high-grade hunting net used to capture large-sized monsters, which carried a price tag so ridiculous that most people would be lost for words. Even Blackbird, one of the best combat teams in [Erosion], didn¡¯t have more than three pieces of those high-grade nets in their storage.


    How on Earth did those NPCs get this?


    Facing such an item, Shu Jun thought he could fight using his equipment, but regrettably, at this moment, he was almost naked with only two bare hands. The claws on his fingertips could tear away the string, but this hunting net was so tightly entangled that his struggle was nothing but a drop of water in the wide ocean.


    Shu Jun¡¯s back arched up as an electric current sizzled along the net. He forced himself to stay conscious under the continuous shock waves of the electricity and insistently tried to rip open the net.


    ¡°You are seriously violating the [VR Game Management Regulations]. Ouch ouch ¡ª¡±


    Seeing him fiercely picking at the net, the soldiers tied his four limbs with a restraint device and gagged his mouth. Shu Jun quite literally became a fish desperately flapping inside a net and could only raise his middle finger at the two NPCs.


    ¡°Contamination index?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same as before, maybe the machine is broken.¡±


    The NPCs ignored him and muttered a few words from behind the gas mask.


    ¡°Bring it back first, we¡¯ve never seen such a¡­ thing here.¡±


    Because of this, Shu Jun reached the stronghold earlier than expected. It was just that instead of walking through the gate with his own feet, he was put into a metal cage and transported into the place by a cart.


    The metal cage¡¯s bar was thicker than his wrist.


    This was no longer a problem that could be solved by sending a complaint. After successfully exiting from the game, he would definitely find a lawyer ¡ª the cell he was thrown into was as narrow as a cargo box and even smaller than the cave earlier. With his four limbs locked to the wall with chains, Shu Jun was forced to stay in a pretty uncomfortable position.


    The group of NPCs didn¡¯t even bother to give him decent clothes.


    Shu Jun looked around to see that the ground was entirely wet, without any dust in sight. The only opening of the cell was a window made of a thick panel of glass, and two fully armed guards were standing on both sides.


    A pale light poured down from the top of his head. Through the reflection of the water on the ground, Shu Jun saw his current appearance for the first time.


    His game character was supposed to be 100% in line with his image in reality. His facial features hadn¡¯t changed. Looking at his body that had gone through proper exercises and training, there seemed to be no unusual bulging of blood vessels of muscles, at least for now.


    Brushing his sharpened teeth and nails aside, the biggest change was actually his hair and eyes.


    Shu Jun used to have black hair and black eyes, but now his hair and iris had both turned into a shade of ash-grey, and his round pupils had transformed into two thin slits. Shu Jun had never seen anyone with this appearance in the game, but he still looked like a person, not any sinister mutated monster. The NPCs¡¯ attitude was indeed very suspicious.


    I¡¯ve got to find a way to escape.


    This was a cell similar to those used to contain dangerous monsters inside the game. Haze was a meticulous strategist who had educated Shu Jun on plenty of different matters, so Shu Jun had at least a basic understanding of this damn item. This type of cell was usually equipped with a mental signal monitor, thus pretending to be dead or sick wouldn¡¯t work. He was already in a bad state, so the longer he dragged this on, the less favourable the situation would turn out.


    Shu Jun glanced at the security camera and suddenly had an idea. A gust of wind whirled upward and cruelly twisted the camera off its frame, causing the camera to smash into the the glass panel on the cell. As the glass started shaking, waves of alert sirens pierced through he air.


    The protection mechanism was immediately activated.


    It started with anesthesia shots, but they all flew off-track because of the wind and failed to hit Shu Jun. Right after that, real ammunition were fired, at which point Shu Jun pulled the chains on his wrists to barely block his vital organs. Several gunshot wounds quickly appeared on his arms and shoulders.


    His blood dripped down and turned black the moment it touched the ground.


    But Shu Jun didn¡¯t have time to look at the ground now because another unusual thing was taking place before his eyes ¡ª had his special ability ever be this strong?


    The shattered camera was thrown around by the wind like a giant bullet, which nearly hit Shu Jun himself a few times. It crashed repeatedly into the window, leaving many net-like cracks on the thick glass. The anchor broke off with a head-splitting snap as Shu Jun pulled the chains off the wall.


    I started it, so I might as well finish it. Shu Jun was well aware of his physical strength and knew that he had no spare energy to do this all over again.


    He took a breath, pulled out the chains with all his might and bolted into the center of the glass panel. Amid loud cracking sounds, shards of glass splashed around him, then Shu Jun gathered the wind to surround the soles of his feet and threw himself out of the cell.


    The guards tried to stop him, but one was stunned by his elbow and the other was sent flying with a vicious kick. The two fell to the ground and stopped moving.


    The whole process lasted less than thirty seconds.


    He compromised with their ban on attacking NPCs before, but such a thing was meaningless now.


    Shu Jun knew he had to get this over with and quickly stripped off one of the guards¡¯ clothes, then he picked up the loot and ran. Wherever he ran to, a wind preceded him, destroying all the security cameras and lighting within the vicinity.


    In the darkness, Shu Jun probed the surroundings with his hands and found a storage room. He swiftly changed his clothes and tightly covered the wounds to prevent the dripping blood from revealing his whereabouts. The NPC¡¯s standard clothes were not fitting his body nicely; the shoulders felt a little too tight and the waist felt a little too loose. But luckily, that was no major issue.


    In [Erosion], the players¡¯ base was located at the border of the contaminated area. The structure of this stronghold was similar, so it wasn¡¯t difficult to find an escape route. But before escaping, he had to get some supplies and try to contact the outside world again.


    Since his cell was on this level, there must be a lounge where the guards changed their shifts around here.


    He didn¡¯t even have time to breathe out a sigh of relief. Since the alert hadn¡¯t reached the highest level, now was the prime time to make his moves. Shu Jun muttered all his energy and quickly ran along the corridor.


    There was no one in the lounge.


    Shu Jun swept the gadgets that he could use into his pocket, then turned on the contact screen on the table. In order for players to deal with unexpected situations, [Erosion] issued them with an emergency code. As long as they reported this code to the NPCs, a customer service staff would intervene from outside. Unfortunately, looking at what happened earlier, the talk-to-the-NPCs route was no longer an option now.


    A simple string of ¡®40721¡¯ blinked as Shu Jun typed it into the input box. The clock continued ticking for a while, yet no customer service appeared.


    Shu Jun quickly entered his team¡¯s channel to find that no one was online. He opened his Friends panel and the entire list had greyed out.


    Wait, someone¡¯s name was lit up. The system showed that the person was online and that person¡¯s location was clearly marked on the map. On the positioning display, the person was moving.


    ¡­Haze was nearby.


    This is weird, Shu Jun raised his eyebrows. Haze resided in the urban area, a place that was often out of reach for the combatants, and never turned up at the stronghold. Due to the long distance between the two of them, the game had never pinpointed Haze¡¯s exact location. Shu Jun had always assumed that he or she was just a casual player who took up a layman¡¯s occupation.


    But how could a casual player appear in this kind of place?


    But since Haze was nearby, it would also be good to go see him or her ¡ª  in such an exceptionally odd situation like this, he could feel safe around a familiar face. My account has totally malfunctioned, but perhaps Haze will be able to contact the outside world.


    The game wasn¡¯t reality, but the game character and the real person actually looked the same. Meeting for the first time under this sort of circumstance is embarrassing, Shu Jun laughed bitterly.


    According to the positioning display, the point belonging to ¡®Haze¡¯ was moving to a certain room on the top floor. Shu Jun dexterously crawled out of the window and relied on the force of the wind to bring himself to the top floor.


    ¡°You¡¯d better go back first.¡± An anxious voice rushed into his ear.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°That thing has run away, and its contamination index hasn¡¯t yet been determined. In case the situation gets out of control, this stronghold will likely be blocked off. You¡¯ve just arrived here, your private car hasn¡¯t left yet. It¡¯s better to leave now.¡±


    ¡°I said, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    That icy voice sounded familiar. Shu Jun grabbed the window sill but still couldn¡¯t hear clearly because the curtain was fully covering everything from inside.


    Haze¡¯s location was just a few steps away.


    ¡­Looking at this, is Haze the assistant of some VIP?


    Haze¡¯s positioning point stopped by the window, merely a few steps away from Shu Jun. To hear their words more clearly, Shu Jun held his breath and climbed onto the window sill. His mutated nails really made the job a lot easier.


    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s find it first. If I remain here, you¡¯ll have a reason to act faster.¡± The icy voice continued: ¡°I brought a lot of special equipment. You have a whole base under your command, it shouldn¡¯t be that you can¡¯t even catch a mutated creature.¡±


    The voice was getting closer and Shu Jun suddenly had a bad feeling.


    Damn.


    The person inside the room opened the curtain, and two pairs of eyes stared straight into each other.


    The nervous person who tried to persuade someone to leave just now was standing at the door, so he was obviously not the ¡®casual player¡¯ that Shu Jun had been thinking about. There was only one other person in front of the window ¡ª An NPC in marshal uniform was looking directly at Shu Jun, a hint of confusion flashing on his pale face.


    Zhu Yanchen: ¡°¡­¡±


    Shu Jun: ¡°¡­?¡±


    Is this bug of [Erosion] just getting worse and worse?

 CH 4

    The two stared at each other for a moment.


    Shu Jun was the type who was only interested in fighting and playing games, one who had been too lazy to ever question the official game plot. It was more practical to look at maps and study major battles than to analyse the NPCs¡¯ emotional affairs, the sort of thing that would make his brains turn sore. About those NPCs such as generals and marshals, he only bothered to remember their names and couldn¡¯t care less about how they looked like.


    But even if Zhu Yanchen never showed his face before, Shu Jun could still tell it was him at a glance.


    The reason was very simple. Marshal Zhu was quite handsome ¡ª The background of [Erosion] was the Earth in its post-apocalypse days, and players must apply their real appearance to their game characters. NPCs couldn¡¯t be all handsome and beautiful, but being a commercial game after all, they needed to put in some good-looking NPCs to raise its popularity.


    Marshal Zhu was one of the popular NPCs, and the female members of Blackbird often discussed about this character in front of him.


    With this face and this dazzling marshal uniform, the three words ¡®Zhu Yanchen¡¯ seemed to be printed right on his forehead. There weren¡¯t many marshals this young in the first place, so it would be difficult for Shu Jun to not recognise him.


    By this point, the NPC who tried to persuade Marshal Zhu to leave earlier approached from behind and saw Shu Jun on the window sill. He immediately jumped a few steps back and drew out his gun with trembling hands, looking as though he just saw a venomous spider on his nightstand.


    Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t have much reaction, but his expression was a bit complicated. Shu Jun had no time to ponder the meaning of such an expression since he was busy thinking of a decent way to escape.


    He was detected by a marshal-level NPC and it was now too late to find equipment to contact the outside world. The distance between different strongholds wasn¡¯t far, perhaps he should think of another way ¡ª


    The important thing was to not be captured again.


    Shu Jun quickly gathered his thoughts and released both hands. He summoned the wind between his body and the wall, trying to run away in a flash. But Zhu Yanchen was faster and he firmly grabbed Jun¡¯s wrist.


    Once a skill was activated, there was no way to instantly withdraw it. Carried by the wind, a stunned Shu Jun flew to a distance with an expressionless NPC hanging on his arm. Theoretically, an NPC¡¯s intelligence was very similar to that of a real human, and Marshal Zhu was a strategist who shouldn¡¯t exhibit such inexplicably reckless behaviour.


    But tightly grasping his wrist right now was that marshal¡¯s hand. The violent wind swept the two of them away and tossed them out of the stronghold.


    Seeing that he was about to land, Shu Jun instinctively shielded the other person and acted as a landing cushion. It wasn¡¯t until his back hit the ground that he realised that the person in his arms was an NPC, not a teammate he needed to protect.


    An earsplitting siren came from the stronghold and could be vaguely heard from here.


    ¡°¡­The specimen escaped! The specimen escaped! It kidnaped Marshal Zhu Yanchen, I repeat, it kidnapped Marshal Zhu Yanchen¡­¡±


    Shu Jun: ¡°¡­¡±


    Kidnapped? Isn¡¯t it him who caused the ruckus first?


    The real culprit quickly stopped pressing himself on Shu Jun. Zhu Yanchen neatly stood up without a single crease on his clothes and a large briefcase in his hand, looking as though he was about to step into a conference room in the next second.


    He briefly glanced at the surroundings and stretched out one hand to Shu Jun, who was lying on the ground. That hand was wrapped in a white glove with a little bit of skin exposed from the cuff, which had almost the same colour as the glove itself.


    Shu Jun leaned his hands full of mud on the ground and stood up by himself. Zhu Yanchen calmly retracted his hand and started patting the dust on his uniform, his face a blank expression.


    Looking at his uniform, Shu Jun decisively made some initial judgement of the guy.


    It was the first time he had a close contact with an important and eminent NPC. Marshal Zhu wasn¡¯t wearing a gas mask at the moment and he was indeed handsome, but his face was as cold as frost, making it difficult for anyone to get close.


    And it was a poker face. Looking at his expression alone, Shu Jun wouldn¡¯t be able to figure out what he was thinking.


    After examining this VIP, Shu Jun didn¡¯t have any particular feeling. He only hoped that this person would have high-level authority and let him contact the game manager. Considering the role of this NPC, he decided to not mention his real-life problem and start with talking about in-game matters first.


    ¡°Why did you¡­ Ouch.¡± He forgot about his mutated fangs and bit his lips again.


    ¡°Please pardon my rudeness.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen reached out his hand and very casually pushed open Shu Jun¡¯s mouth. The index finger covered by the glove touched the tip of his fang, followed by the wound on his lips.


    As his mouth was invaded by the dry cloth, his tongue felt bitter and Shu Jun stretched out his jaw uncomfortably. If he wanted, he could throw away that hand immediately. It was just that Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t seem to be making any threatening moves at the moment, so it wouldn¡¯t be wise to get onto the bad side of such an important NPC too quickly.


    Luckily, the whole process only lasted about five seconds.


    Zhu Yanchen opened the briefcase, whose upper lid blocked Shu Jun¡¯s vision. With sporadic movements, he sealed the blood-stained gloves inside a plastic bag and replaced them with longer gloves that securely covered both his wrists.


    Then he took out a cube the size of a die, which quickly unfolded like a blooming flower and turned into a familiar gas mask. With the mask on and goggles in place, Zhu Yanchen¡¯s said with a slightly dull voice: ¡°A  contaminated area is in front. The soldiers will catch up soon, we must leave immediately.¡±


    So the culprit of this whole ruckus still wants to keep going, Shu Jun hissed and took in a deep breath.


    ¡°Wait ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Mr. Shu Jun, I know you¡¯re facing a lot of problems. Your team won yesterday but you couldn¡¯t leave the game, and no customer service staff has turned up to serve you. Meanwhile, NPCs are no longer being friendly to you.¡± Zhu Yanchen¡¯s tone sounded as though it was a speech he had memorised. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to explain now. But if you still want to live, please listen to me.¡±


    This time, Shu Jun wasn¡¯t stunned for too long.


    The problem was extremely serious now ¡ª NPCs were meant to follow their settings and knew nothing about the world outside the game. Words like ¡®game¡¯ and ¡®customer service¡¯ shouldn¡¯t come out of Zhu Yanchen¡¯s mouth, let alone Shu Jun¡¯s real name.


    A bunch of digital data suddenly jumped across the line and became aware of ¡®the reality¡¯. Shu Jun felt cold sweat starting to stream down his back.


    Zhu Yanchen fastened his tone: ¡°Follow me.¡±


    The situation was turning rapidly and there was no time to linger around. Shu Jun decisively hugged Zhu Yanchen¡¯s waist and held the guy closely next to him: ¡°Where should we go?¡±


    ¡°True north, ten kilometers.¡± Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t resist.


    A hurricane blew up.


    Shu Jun was surprised as soon as his hand touched the other guy. He didn¡¯t turn up often at the front line, but ¡®weak¡¯ wouldn¡¯t be a word that fit him either. Zhu Yanchen¡¯s waist was thin but sturdy, while his physique wasn¡¯t anywhere smaller than Shu Jun¡¯s, and he was even slightly taller. Shu Jun didn¡¯t notice this in his shocked state earlier, but now that he realised he had misestimated this guy¡¯s weight, he almost flew off-track.


    ¡°The place is a bit far away, so bear with it. If you have motion sickness, just let me know.¡± He was used to moving with the wind, but other people usually wouldn¡¯t be able to stand this kind of movement.


    Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t say a word and stayed as still as a mannequin. Thanks to that, the journey took less time than Shu Jun had imagined.


    The destination didn¡¯t seem particularly safe.


    The grey fog was frenziedly spreading on the ground and giant stalagmites were poking out from the fog. Creepy caves scattered everywhere, making the whole area look like a giant maze. The species here had also been morphed into severely odd shapes, signalling that this area was heavily contaminated.


    Based on the game settings ¡ª but now Shu Jun no longer knew if these damn settings were trustworthy ¡ª NPCs had no special abilities like players, and they were very weak against the erosion. Without the support of equipment, NPCs wouldn¡¯t survive long in heavily contaminated areas.


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s here?¡± Shu Jun didn¡¯t let go of Zhu Yanchen¡¯s waist, nor did he hide the suspicion in his voice.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Okay, can you explain now?¡± Shu Jun paused for a moment and added a form of address: ¡°¡­Mr. Zhu? Marshal?¡±


    Zhu Yanchen shook his head and pointed to a cave in the gap between two stalagmites: ¡°I can¡¯t stay outside for too long, let¡¯s go inside and talk there.¡±


    Being familiar with the place, he walked to the depth of the cave and opened a thick metal door, while Shu Jun just dazedly followed behind like he was walking in his sleep. This development was getting more and more outrageous, or perhaps all of this was really just a dream. As he embraced his wish to wake up from this strange dream, Shu Jun twisted his arm vigorously.


    This dream wasn¡¯t a dream, but the pain was real pain.


    Before he was done with feeling sorry for himself, he was harshly sprayed with disinfectant from the isolation room. The two stood silently in the isolation room for a few minutes before stepping into the actual main door.


    There was a small safe room hidden behind the main door, and it could be seen that no one had been here for a long time. The erosive substance was completely blocked out of the door, and the furniture inside still retained its original bright colour. Zhu Yanchen removed the protective equipment and took two glasses of water from the water filter.


    ¡°Sit down.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Shu Jun glanced at the clean sofa, then at his muddy self. ¡°How long do you want to explain?¡±


    ¡°It depends.¡±


    ¡°Is ten minutes enough?¡±


    ¡°Not sure.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll take a shower first.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen¡¯s expressionless face finally twitched slightly: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like you have good news to tell me.¡± Shu Jun took the cup and drank the water. ¡°If it¡¯s going to be bad either way, let me hear it when I¡¯m in a more comfortable condition.¡±


    ¡°The shower cabin is over there. There are spare clothes in it.¡± Zhu Yanchen sighed, not at all impacted by Shu Jun¡¯s nonchalant tone.


    The shower cabin was terribly narrow, its floor was at most one meter square. Shu Jun maximised the water pressure and let the water cruelly hit his skin, till his heartbeat finally became steady.


    Even though he might seem composed on the outside, being caught in a situation where he must tag along with an important NPC had stretched his nerves to the limit. If this continued, he wasn¡¯t sure if he could still put up the most appropriate response ¡ª  Zhu Yanchen was a pivotal figure in [Erosion], and facing this bizarre circumstance, Shu Jun wouldn¡¯t want to make any hazardous mistakes.


    Even though he knew that in front of him was just an illusion, the warm water still made him feel better.


    Is it really an illusion?


    Shu Jun laughed deprecatingly at himself. This insistent bug had given him a terrible headache, and he couldn¡¯t even recognise what was real and what wasn¡¯t anymore. He subconsciously wiped the water off his face and looked down.


    The flow of water was washing away the remaining pieces of his clothes, and the communication screen that came along was still flickering. Shu Jun narrowed his eyes as he wiped away the water steam on the screen, where the point belonging to ¡®Haze¡¯ was still lit up, standing motionlessly just a few steps from him.


    ¡­This may be the most terrifying ¡®bug¡¯ I¡¯ve ever encountered.


    Three years ago, he and Haze got to know each other after discussing the strategy of a particular map. Initially, most of their topics focused on combat, where Haze would always give him some sharp insights. Haze was smart and modest, one whom he got along with very comfortably.


    After exchanging words back and forth, the two gradually became acquainted and started sending each other a few words every day. Later, casual chatting between them became the norm.


    Shu Jun held the title of ¡®Undead Legend¡¯, so it was impossible to say that his life was without pressure. He spent almost all of his time at work, and to balance his relationships with everyone in the team, he couldn¡¯t get too close to any teammates.


    It wasn¡¯t that Shu Jun had never thought of finding friends elsewhere, but since they weren¡¯t in the same line of work, it was difficult to talk about game strategies and such, so close friends were hard to come by.


    Slowly, Haze, who didn¡¯t belong to any team and was good at strategising, became Shu Jun¡¯s oasis. Perhaps their personalities matched, because that person could always give Shu Jun just the right amount of support and care. To talk about what kind of people he wanted to stay with, Shu Jun¡¯s first reaction would be ¡®someone like Haze¡¯.


    After several years of communication, based on Haze¡¯s words and lines of actions, he could picture Haze¡¯s nature. He believed that Haze was a slightly distant but gentle girl. Even if it was a guy, if he was willing, Shu Jun wouldn¡¯t hesitate to give it a try.


    But he wasn¡¯t a kid that had just reached puberty, and he wouldn¡¯t struggle desperately for some affection that he himself wasn¡¯t so certain about. Not to mention, Shu Jun had a lot on his plate everyday and plenty of time ahead, so there was no need to rush to damage their good relationship at the moment.


    Only relying on text communication was still not enough a foundation. He wanted to meet Haze after retiring from his career and express his feelings, then whatever happened after that, let¡¯s leave it up to fate.


    Shu Jun naturally thought about many situations that would make it impossible for him to confess. For example, what if Haze had a lover or was already married? He even considered the odds that Haze was an old man. But even with all the probabilities that he could come up with, he never expected that ¡®Haze¡¯ was an NPC inside the game.


    Shu Jun raised his head and let the water slam hard on his face. Brushing aside the issue of gender, his favourite person was first a bunch of data.


    ¡­Or there might even be a worse possibility. Shu Jun didn¡¯t want to think about it until he learnt more about this situation.


    After receiving plenty of brutal punches in just one day, no matter what Zhu Yanchen said later, Shu Jun was confident that he would remain sensible. Stabilising his emotions, Shu Jun crawled out of the shower cabin and rubbed his grey hair with a towel.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± Shu Jun said solemnly. He wrapped the towel around his neck and stretched out his hand to pick up the water glass, his expression looking as though it won¡¯t flinch even if death came to find him now.


    Zhu Yanchen looked directly into his eyes and got straight to the point: ¡°Everything you¡¯re experiencing isn¡¯t a bug.¡±


    ¡°This world isn¡¯t a game, but your world is.¡±


    Shu Jun only felt that something just exploded in his head. This wasn¡¯t a metaphor; it was a very real feeling.


    The pain surged like a tsunami and swept away all his nerves.

 CH 5

    This was the first time Shu Jun had gone through such a novel experience.


    In the last second, he was still standing a few steps away from the sofa, then the next second, he was sitting on the sofa. The water glass he was holding fell to the ground, splashing water on the floor.


    A fraction of time seemed to have been cut off.


    ¡­Could a VR game also remove time frames? What did he want to say just now?


    A strange impression popped up in his mind ¡ª Disregarding the removed time frames, it seemed that he just heard something incredible from Zhu Yanchen. However, he couldn¡¯t remember any details and his memories only retained his own phrase ¡°I¡¯m ready¡±.


    Shu Jun picked up the glass in confusion, feeling his head throbbing as he straightened up. The more he tried to recall his memories, the harder his stomach churned, as if he had just swallowed a live snake. In the end, before he could even stand up straight, he had to lean over the sofa to throw up.


    There was supposed to be nothing inside to throw up, but a lot of pitch-black fluid poured out from his mouth, carrying lumps that looked like the remnants of his organs. Some fluid splashed on the sofa and its bright brown surface was quickly dotted with many grey spots, which instantly ate into the surrounding patches of colour.


    This substance was the same thing that made up Erosion Marsh.


    It took a while before Shu Jun stopped vomiting. His chest and abdomen were still aching, and his head was spinning. He raised his eyes and tried to gather Marshal Zhu¡¯s multiple blurring shadows into one. What he vomited was the erosive substance, but Zhu Yanchen had taken off most of his protective equipment and this might put him in danger. Shu Jun had spent so much effort to find this life-saving grace, and he also couldn¡¯t allow himself to hurt someone when they barely just met.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Zhu Yanchen¡¯s voice came from a place above him, sounding extremely surreal.


    Why is he apologising?


    His ears felt like they were soaked in water, and Shu Jun shook his head, making him even dizzier. Someone put him on the bed and injected a needle into his arm. After a long moment, Shu Jun was finally able to distinguish between the nose and the mouth on Zhu Yanchen¡¯s face.


    He asked the question he deemed most necessary: ¡°Your gas mask?¡±


    ¡°I ate some protective medicine when you were showering. I¡¯ll be fine for half an hour.¡± Zhu Yanchen pulled out the syringe and put on his protective clothes. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    Good question.


    After ten years of combat, Erosion Marsh had hurt many of his teammates. They could still be saved if there was only a little bit of it, but if they were swallowed by the marsh, it would be no different from falling into a pool of sulfuric acid. Now that he was someone who just threw up sulfuric acid, he should celebrate that he was still breathing.


    He wanted to laugh bitterly, but he was exhausted to the point that he couldn¡¯t laugh: ¡°I¡¯m okay. I just learnt how to shift time, and I feel a bit of motion sickness.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen lowered his gaze: ¡°¡­¡±


    Interesting. Marshal Zhu didn¡¯t question his ¡®time shift¡¯, which meant that this person knew something. Shu Jun coughed and it was difficult to speak, a bunch of questions still stuck in his throat.


    ¡°A Yan1.¡± It took him a long time to utter these two words. It was an affirmation, not an interrogative question.


    Zhu Yanchen paused for a moment, but there was still no expression on his face. Shu Jun didn¡¯t know whether he was quietly accepting this name or feigning innocence. He took a few medicine bottles from the suitcase and dexterously mixed them up, looking like a professional nurse.


    Shu Jun felt his vision collapse again. Putting on the gas mask, Marshal Zhu started to clean Shujun¡¯s wound.


    As his eyesight blurred, Shu Jun felt his whole body left with no strength and his brain almost no longer functioning ¡ª Perhaps the culprit of this whole ruckus, Zhu Yanchen, was indeed Haze, and this NPC wasn¡¯t controlled by AI. This could explain a lot of things, such as his positioning point, his knowledge of this whole thing being a game, or his skilful medical operations.


    These thoughts were better at making him feel at ease compared to an NPC that was interfering with his ¡®reality¡¯.


    As he saw Shu Jun¡¯s confused gaze shifting to the side, Zhu Yanchen¡¯s expression twitched slightly, but Shu Jun still couldn¡¯t tell whether he wanted to smile or frown: ¡°Even if I tell you what happened, you won¡¯t be able to remember it¡­ It¡¯s not easy to explain now, you should take a good rest first.¡±


    Shu Jun used all his strength to point his mouth towards the glass of water on the table. Zhu Yanchen understood and poured him more water. Shu Jun was shaking with exhaustion, but he still said firmly: ¡°I was full of energy before we came here, and you sent me into this state with just a few words. At least tell me why.¡±


    Finally, he raised his voice, as though he feared that the guy couldn¡¯t hear him clearly: ¡°A Yan.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen neither admitted nor denied it. Shu Jun didn¡¯t have time to interrogate Zhu Yanchen on that, because the next bomb dropped by him was even more shocking ¡ª


    ¡°Just now, that was a surge of energy before you die2.¡±


    After that, he added one more sentence in a hard tone: ¡°Take a rest first, don¡¯t think too much.¡±


    ¡­How can I not think too much? Shu Jun almost choked on his own saliva.


    He was locked in the game for some unknown reason, a fraction of time was lost from his memories and he threw up poison. Everything that this major NPC, who was likely to be his crush, had done was unreasonable, and now that NPC told Shu Jun that he was dying and should first take a rest.


    Other people harvested double successes in both their career and their love life, while Shu Jun received double bombs in both his career and his love life.


    Seeing that Shu Jun was so terrified he was stunned, Zhu Yanchen began to draw his blood for testing. Shu Jun vaguely saw that his blood was black, but he already had too many question marks flying around his head, so he wasn¡¯t in a hurry to ask about this one.


    Shu Jun picked up the biggest question mark and threw it out: ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°To save you.¡± Zhu Yanchen said.


    As if afraid that Shu Jun would keep asking, he added another sentence.


    ¡°¡­I have no intention of hiding anything from you. When your situation stabilises, I¡¯ll take you to a place, where you will learn about everything.¡±


    Somewhere inside the city.


    ¡°Is something wrong with Zhu Yanchen¡¯s head?¡± Xia Liang pulled her hair in front of the makeup mirror.


    The leader election was just around the corner and intelligence agencies all over the country were working hard. Expectedly, the news that ¡°Marshal Zhu was attacked by a mutated monster and his current whereabouts is unknown¡± bloomed instantly. Everyone knew that ¡®unknown whereabouts¡¯ was just a nice way of saying that someone who entered a heavily eroded zone wouldn¡¯t survive past 48 hours without preparation.


    As long as Zhu Yanchen stayed hidden in a safe room for a week and the Alliance couldn¡¯t locate him, they would be bound to announce that Zhu Yanchen was dead. The leader was meant to be chosen from either Yi Ning or Zhu Yanchen. If Zhu Yanchen died, the whole process had to be repeated and last another three months.


    According to their agreement, this was nicely just the time that Zhu Yanchen wanted to go outside to try out his experiments.


    Human beings hadn¡¯t entered any heavily eroded zone for more than 200 years. Whether Zhu Yanchen could live outside for three months would all depend on his luck. According to Zhu Yanchen¡¯s own statement, if he was to win, it had to be a real victory, and if he was to lose, proper arrangements had to be made.


    In this current world, only the very lucky ones would be born with a golden spoon, but some people still wanted to try their fate. Xia Liang naturally hoped that Zhu Yanchen would live longer, because, as much as she might not want to say it, he was a great man. They had been preparing for this plan for so long, but who would have expected that Zhu Yanchen, one who had always been calm and steady, suddenly walked off track like this ¡ª


    The mutated monster that was arranged to ¡®attack¡¯ Zhu Yanchen hadn¡¯t actually arrived here, yet Marshal Zhu disappeared with another unknown mutated monster from nowhere. Xia Liang never believed that Zhu Yanchen was really taken away. To prevent the original kidnapping plan from going haywire, Marshal Zhu had in fact brought along a lot of special weapons to help him restrain the monster.


    But the outcome at the moment wasn¡¯t much different from what they had wanted. He had been ¡®kidnapped¡¯ anyway, and the news of his supposed death had come out pretty much within the expected timeframe. There was no need for Xia Liang to intervene too much, but these unforeseen changes in the plan still irritated her to no ends.


    Why did I follow such a troublesome boss?


    After venting her anger, Xia Liang put some lipstick on with her pinky finger. She turned on the recording device by her side and the recorded sounds of sobbing came out.


    This is even more troublesome. As his ¡®ex-girlfriend¡¯ who had just peacfully broken up with him, she still had to put up an adequate act.


    She truly hoped that what Zhu Yanchen had planned for Blackbird hadn¡¯t gone wrong. Xia Liang thought left and right, then cursed under her breath. She pulled a loose red robe from the closet, activated the image projection, transformed into a stooped old man and slipped out of the room through a secret tunnel.


    The city center was some distance away from the base where the players stayed.


    ¡°Lao3 Dong.¡± Seeing Xia Liang, who was dressed like an old man, the guards hurriedly saluted her.


    This old man with a mysterious background was Zhu Yanchen¡¯s right-hand man. Although the news of Marshal Zhu¡¯s disappearance had blown up, his death hadn¡¯t been officially confirmed, so it was too early to be rude to Marshal Zhu¡¯s confidant.


    The guards¡¯ thoughts were all written on their faces, and Xia Liang knew that these people were Yi Ning¡¯s supporters at a glance. She didn¡¯t bother to talk nonsense with them and headed straight to her destination. The guards exchanged glances, then one of them followed behind her.


    The chamber containing the players was underground, where rows of hibernation pods were densely packed together. The pod design was inspired from those pods inside video games before the apocalypse came, and the server was also a heritage of humanity¡¯s technology prior to the apocalypse. Their living weapons were sleeping inside the pods, dreaming of a dream called ¡®the real world outside the game¡¯.


    A new player was sleeping inside Shu Jun¡¯s pod.


    ¡°Lao Dong, the management here has been taken over by Marshal Yi Ning.¡± Seeing that Xia Liang was about to overstep her line, the guard quickly gave a reminder.


    ¡°Are you trying to tell me to not steal anything?¡± Xia Liang rolled her eyes and feigned an old man¡¯s voice: ¡°Marshal Zhu isn¡¯t dead yet. Can¡¯t I even deal with the damage?¡±


    ¡°But Marshal Yi¡­¡±


    ¡°Why? Even if he takes over this place, he can only officially do so tomorrow.¡± Xia Liang ignored the guard and pressed her hand on the hibernation pod.


    The guard was speechless for a long moment, knowing that it was always a bad idea to talk against the elderly. Marshal Yi hadn¡¯t officially registered his management of this place, and this old man shouldn¡¯t be able to see much just by having a look, so there was no reason to stop him now.


    Xia Liang had already joined the observation system by herself.


    Instead of logging in as a player, she could only see through a limited God View4. The players lived in the same virtual city, where the Blackbird team was celebrating their success, and Shu Jun, who had been replaced by AI, had blended in. According to the game requirement that he had to leave the combat team the moment he died in battle, Shu Jun would then announce that he would leave the city to travel the world and would contact everyone again in the future ¡ª It wouldn¡¯t be difficult to devise a small amount of ¡®fake¡¯ messages to send to his friends, so they shouldn¡¯t be able to detect any issue.


    The Groundwater team seemed to have finished their celebration, and Captain Luo Duan had even arrived home. Xia Liang glanced briefly, then turned her attention back to Blackbird. The happy Blackbird team was still touching shoulders with the fake Shu Jun and had detected nothing wrong.


    Zhu Yanchen was the same Zhu Yanchen as always, never letting any detail slip. After making sure that everything was all good, Xia Liang decisively logged out.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± She waved her hand, leaving the guard smiling sheepishly at his spot.


    ¡°We¡¯ll bring you out.¡± The guard and another one from the security room winked at each other, and they both sent Xia Liang out together. In any case, this chamber was meant for the top combat teams. Both Blackbird and Groundwater were having their holidays and wouldn¡¯t be doing any training for a short period of time, so leaving them for a minute or two shouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    Indeed there was no problem with the Blackbird team, but someone in the Groundwater team wasn¡¯t enjoying his holiday.


    Luo Duan, the captain of the Groundwater team, hid himself under the blanket and seemed to be in a bad mood. He was nearly 30, almost two years older than Shu Jun, and logically speaking, he would have to retire soon. The championship round didn¡¯t turn out well for them, so his attitude at the moment was inevitable, which no one should be suspicious about.


    So no one saw what he was doing under the blanket ¡ª Luo Duan turned on the screen to shed some light on himself and rolled up his sleeves, which exposed a short sentence tattooed on his arm.


    [This world is a lie.]


    At first glance, it looked like a line from a poem. This tattoo was quite new and had been with him for less than a year. Luo Duan had forgotten why he had such a tattoo and thought it was the product of a drunk night. But recently, things had become weirder and weirder. When he looked at it, sometimes he just dazed off, as though a fraction of time was stolen from his mind.


    And the daze was often accompanied by a headache. Recently, this headache had gotten more and more serious, and when he logged in to the game, his body still felt uncomfortable.


    Shu Jun won because he paid the price of sacrificing his own account.


    For some reason, this thought didn¡¯t make Luo Duan feel bitter about his team¡¯s loss, and there was even an inexplicable sadness in his heart. He seemed to have forgotten something important, feeling as though he had walked through a dream. He somehow remembered that it was a dream, but he couldn¡¯t recall the content at all.


    This world is a lie?


    Overwhelmed by this strange feeling, Luo Duan got up from his bed, subconsciously walked towards the VR cabin, then woke up in the hibernation pod in the game. The guards who usually patrolled here were nowhere in sight, and there was no one in the room. An unexplainable sense of discomfort engulfed him again, so Luo Duan coughed and sat down, leaning on the hibernation pod.


    No one from the Groundwater team was online at the moment, and the training ground hadn¡¯t yet opened. Luo Duan didn¡¯t know why he felt the impulse to go online, so he sat there staring blankly into space. After a while, he could hear the NPCs talking from a distance. Luo Duan was feeling unwell and was too lazy to deal with them, so he conjured a mist and hid behind it.


    One of the guards looked in to make sure that there was no one in the room: ¡°About Lao Dong, how should I talk to Marshal Yi now? What a headache.¡±


    ¡°Lao Dong always likes to run around and it¡¯s hard to know what he¡¯s planning. He hasn¡¯t taken anything, so perhaps we don¡¯t have to report it.¡±


    ¡°Marshal Zhu was kidnapped and Mr. Dong immediately runs here. Also, the captain of Blackbird just died. I somehow think that this isn¡¯t a coincidence¡­¡±


    ¡°Maybe he really wants to deal with the damage. Marshal Zhu has always liked the Blackbird team, but he isn¡¯t here, so it isn¡¯t surprising that Mr. Dong comes here to look at the situation. Alas, I thought Shu Jun could be used until his expiry date. Now it seems that Luo Duan of the Groundwater team will last longer. I heard that Luo Duan can only be used for another six months at most? This is the first time I¡¯ve ever seen a ¡®synthesised human¡¯ living so long, it¡¯s amazing.¡±


    ¡°It has always been Marshal Zhu¡¯s team that carries out the checking, What should we do now?¡­¡±


    ¡°Who knows.¡±


    Luo Duan remained motionless.


    It was a similar incident and a similar conversation. He remembered that he had discovered something similar back then, and he knew that he would soon be overwhelmed with headaches and forced to forget all the details. He had to do the same thing as last time: before his memories were erased, he must somehow leave himself a note.


    The players are not humans, they are all being used, and their world is indeed a lie.


    Perhaps because he kept repeating that line over and over again, or because he was already on the verge of death, he could see the god of death welcoming him with open arms. This information seemed to be able to stay in his brain longer and longer. When the guards had finally walked away, Luo Duan stretched out one hand to touch the pod¡¯s lid, and his hand stopped dead in its tracks.


    Something was leaking from the gap in his palmless glove. The dark fluid dripped to the ground, looking frightfully familiar.


    The translator has something to explain on Zhu Yanchen¡¯s name:


    His first name is written as ÑÓ³½, pronounced as ¡®Yanchen¡¯.


    His nickname is written as Ñ̳¾, which is also pronounced as ¡®Yan Chen¡¯ and literally translates to ¡®Haze¡¯.


    Now the reason why I decided to translate his nickname to ¡®Haze¡¯ is because throughout the story, there will be occasions when Shu Jun says things along the line of ¡°He is their ÑÓ³½ but he is my Ñ̳¾¡±, which will cause confusion if the name is left in pinyin.


    On the other hand, Shu Jun often calls him ¡®A Yan¡¯ (°¢ÑÌ, with the ¡®Yan¡¯ taken from his nickname). I could have translated ¡®A Yan¡¯ to ¡®Haze¡¯ to keep things consistent, but I think keeping ¡®A Yan¡¯ will add an endearing connotation to the way Shu Jun addresses Zhu Yanchen. In Chinese, adding an ¡®A¡¯ before someone¡¯s name sort of indicates a close relationship between you and that person (something like ¡®-kun¡¯ in Japanese, I suppose?).

 CH 6

    Shu Jun didn¡¯t dare to fall asleep and just stared into space for a long time.


    The first reason was that he feared he would actually kick the bucket if he closed his eyes. As for the second reason¡­


    Zhu Yanchen might be cold-tempered, but he didn¡¯t carry the aura of a high-ranking officer, while his attitude only felt a tiny bit distant. But considering the sentiments that Zhu Yanchen subconsciously made people have, Shu Jun believed he was really a marshal.


    Shu Jun was lying here, completely awake. A few steps away, Zhu Yanchen was slicing up ??the rotten flesh from his wounds and studying the samples. It was a rather bloody scene, and from time to time, there was a strange smell of flesh and blood being processed. If Marshal Zhu was a dentist, his clinic would definitely have glass walls that everybody could see through, and he wouldn¡¯t mind his patients screaming in panic from outside the wall.


    In addition to that, it was meal time when he was only half done with his work, so he simply sat at the same table and drank the nutritional supplement. This pragmatism was exactly the same as the ¡®Haze¡¯ that Shu Jun was familiar with.


    There were plenty of gory elements in [Erosion], so of course Shu Jun wouldn¡¯t be grossed out by this small scene, rather, he even found it interesting. Marshal Zhu was advertised outside the game to be quite a big-head, and now it turned out that this big-head actually cared more about flesh and blood.


    Zhu Yanchen made two cups of nutritional supplement and placed one cup at the nightstand next to where Shu Jun was lying, his movement neither light nor heavy.


    Shu Jun muttered some strength to speak: ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired?¡±


    During the entire time Shu Jun was lying on the bed, Zhu Yanchen kept himself busy at the table without taking a break.


    Zhu Yanchen hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and turned around to leave.


    ¡°I feel better now, or how about we talk ¡ª¡±


    Zhu Yanchen glanced at him from behind the goggles: ¡°Don¡¯t try to argue.¡±


    Shu Jun smiled and grabbed Zhu Yanchen¡¯s arm in a flash. Zhu Yanchen was definitely not weak, but unfortunately he wasn¡¯t highly adept in combat, so he was caught on the spot. He didn¡¯t feel painful, and Shu Jun also had no intention to hurt him. No longer trying to turn away anymore, Zhu Yan sat down on the side and sighed: ¡°Let go.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been such a long time and I could only squeeze out six words from you.¡±


    Shu Jun let go: ¡°How about this then, I talk and you listen?¡±


    Zhu Yanchen looked at him.


    Shu Jun wasn¡¯t trying to be funny. Other people might just lie down, but Shu Jun¡¯s mind couldn¡¯t be kept idle and waiting had never been his style.


    ¡°I thought about it before. For a casual player, A Yan, your understanding of strategy is too good. But even if you¡¯re an official character inside [Erosion], there¡¯s no need to suddenly use the identity of a major NPC to deal with my bug¡­ From that, it seems like you¡¯ve actually been Marshal Zhu Yanchen in [Erosion].¡±


    ¡°Your original purpose shouldn¡¯t be to ¡®save me¡¯, but something else. It just so happens that you cross paths with me, and we happen to know each other, so you choose to present ¡®save me¡¯ as an official purpose.¡±


    If he had prepared beforehand, Zhu Yanchen The Marshal wouldn¡¯t bump into him in such a simple and rude manner. Considering any potential confidentiality issues, Yanchen¡¯s reluctance to talk about his work was well understood.


    The more Shu Jun talked, the more confident he was about his theory.


    ¡°There is only one problem left.¡± He smiled, feeling his sharp fangs a little in the way. ¡°If I don¡¯t understand it wrongly, we¡¯re friends. Why don¡¯t you reply to my questions?¡±


    Zhu Yanchen narrowed his eyes.


    The game and the reality had been swapped, and Shu Jun could start connecting the dots based on what he knew about the NPCs. Brushing that aside, Shu Jun had mostly decoded Zhu Yanchen¡¯s actions correctly.


    What a terrifying intuition.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve had a lot of thoughts in my mind and still haven¡¯t suffered any headaches. I suppose this information isn¡¯t very sensitive.¡± Shu Jun took a sip of the supplement with confidence.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re lucky. The attacks on your brain may hurt you severely. If this happens a second time, I may not be able to drag you back to life.¡± Zhu Yanchen¡¯s tone was cold: ¡°It¡¯s difficult for people to control their thoughts. I know you always like to think, but don¡¯t be in such a hurry to die.¡±


    He didn¡¯t correct the way Shu Jun called him.


    ¡°A Yan, it really is you.¡± Shu Jun scratched his face. He forgot the sharpened nails and made thin blood marks on the side of his face. ¡°So at least it wasn¡¯t a waste that I came up with so many ideas.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen: ¡°¡­¡±


    Although his face was hidden behind the mask, there was a split second when the marshal seemed like he wanted to beat up someone.


    Shu Jun didn¡¯t expect that the guy¡¯s temper would burst after his identity was exposed. As soon as Shu Jun saw his expression, he quickly flattened himself on the bed, with a neat posture that seemed as though he was ready to buried any time now.


    But Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t plan to let him off: ¡°It looks like you¡¯ve almost recovered. We can go now.¡±


    Then he tossed Shu Jun a plaster: ¡°¡­Take care of your face first.¡±


    Shu Jun¡¯s nerves finally could relax a little ¡ª Whatever might be the case, this was the ¡®Haze¡¯ he knew. In the worst case, even if this person had been talking with him for the past few years with other purposes in mind, it would still be better than facing a completely unfamiliar ¡®Marshal Zhu¡¯.


    Looking at the guy¡¯s reaction, Shu Jun concluded that his guesses must have been correct. Considering how messy the situation had turned out, for now, it was enough to get this information. Certain dangerous topics shouldn¡¯t be rushed ¡ª For example, what if Zhu Yanchen might just want to save himself? He might say on the outside that ¡°the attacks on your brain may hurt you severely¡±, yet he was the culprit that sent those attacks to Shu Jun¡¯s head.


    He could only hope that their destination would give him an answer.


    Shu Jun thought that Zhu Yanchen would send him to an official reception desk, somewhere in a normal building. It turned out that they just switched from one dangerous place to another.


    Right now, Shu Jun was panting as he leaned against the stalagmites, a feverish exhaustion overwhelming his whole body.


    But, there was indeed one building. It was a low concrete building lying on the ground, mottled and run down, its surface full of eroded black and grey patches. Only a few purifiers were still working around here and diligently filtering the fog. The building looked like neither a stronghold nor a place that was hiding some groundbreaking secrets.


    As soon as the two landed, Zhu Yanchen led Shu Jun away from the security cameras and walked all the way to the back door of the building. Shu Jun pondered if he should say that the building was simple, or just downright bare. Half of it was stuffed with random machines, while the other half had been dug up to expose a square, deep pit. Shu Jun recognised the thing that was in the pit.


    A miniature Erosion Marsh was squirming in it, shaking its liquid pillars leisurely.


    After suffering so much from this monster, Shu Jun had started to dislike it even more than before. For a while, he sat behind one of the machines and stared at it, but he still couldn¡¯t grow any particular enlightenment or premonition. On the other hand, he could sense some changes happening inside him: the air here must have been eroded, but he was feeling very comfortable.


    Just as Shu Jun was about to turn around to ask, Zhu Yanchen made a silent gesture.


    Someone was coming.


    The front door creaked open, and someone in thick protective clothing walked in with two carts. Bulging body bags were placed on top of the carts, and Shu Jun could make out the shape of human corpses in them. He ¡ª or she ¡ª unloaded one corpse from the cart, put it into the chute, and watched it be swallowed by the marsh.


    The corpse made some throbbing sounds and was quickly dissolved.


    ¡°How much do you know about Erosion Marsh?¡± Zhu Yanchen said amid the noise of the corpse being ¡®processed¡¯.


    ¡°¡­Just whatever is mentioned in the background of the game.¡±


    It was a game after all, so inevitably there were some strange settings. Erosion Marsh, which was basically made up of a large amount of erosive substance, was the No.1 monster of the entire [Erosion]. Shu Jun only knew how to deal with it and hadn¡¯t considered any other details about this creature.


    But why did they suddenly start discussing the game settings?


    ¡°The apocalypse has resulted in a lack of talented researchers. To this day, humans still have limited understanding of Erosion Marsh.¡± Zhu Yanchen said: ¡°Humans have only managed to use this thing for a few minor purposes. Keep watching.¡±


    Shu Jun turned his head in confusion, and the person had already started throwing the second corpse into the miniature Erosion Marsh


    What could be wrong?


    The corpse of the first cart had quietly decomposed, and the corpse of the second cart was quiet enough, but its surroundings weren¡¯t so. The ground suddenly started shaking, a fog started forming, and the rocks started clacking loudly. The worst thing was that the walls surrounding the Erosion Marsh started peeling off.


    This manifestation felt a bit like their special abilities, but it was extremely weak in comparison.


    ¡°The first corpse is a civilian who died a normal death, and the second corpse is a soldier who died due to an Erosion Marsh. The latter will resonate briefly with the surrounding environment before his body functions completely stop. Each erosion zone¡¯s air, water, soil¡­ have different erosive substances, so the ¡®attributes¡¯ presented by the resonance are also different.¡±


    At this point, Zhu Yanchen paused for a moment and looked at the corpse handler.


    Shu Jun suddenly felt an inexplicable chill. It was late at night, and the scene before their eyes looked extremely gloomy.


    All players had some special abilities or special traits, which had been pretty much considered a primary rule inside the game. As things were taken for granted, most people would only focus on the ability itself, and only a few would pursue the question ¡®What principle is needed to manifest this ability?¡¯.


    Based on what Zhu Yanchen said, to what extent would a player have to be eroded to have such a powerful ability?


    ¡°Keep talking.¡± Shu Jun said.


    ¡°When it comes to setting up purifiers in erosion zones, machines can¡¯t replace people, since the erosive substance will cut off signal transmission and erode mechanical joints, regardless whether those machines are controlled by a human from a remote location or by AI. Some human bodies are special and have strong tolerance to erosion, and they can rely on their resonance with the erosion zone to keep themselves safe for a while. But no matter how special that human is, if he stays there too long, he¡¯ll die for certain. The purification project has sacrificed too many resources, with very few survivors left. Back at that time, humanity could no longer allow such a massive consumption of manpower.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen spoke slowly. As his narration continued, the corpse handler packed up the carts and slowly left.


    ¡°Using humans as a model for synthesis and transformation, synthetic organisms can have both strength and high resistance to erosion. There¡¯s also a price. As unnatural products, they¡¯re destined to not live for too long.¡±


    The light was turned off and the room was dark.


    ¡°¡­No, I should say that ¡®you¡¯ are destined to not live too long.¡±


    Brushing aside the matter of whether he believed it or not, Shu Jun had actually guessed that things would turn out like this.


    Who would want to be born to just fight then die quickly? Not to mention, they were ¡®people¡¯ born with massive strengths. Based on this theory, synthetic humans had the same consciousness as normal humans. In that case, educating these synthetic humans would be risky ¡ª the gap in strength was too big, so even if the probability was only one in a thousand or ten thousands, as long as there was a rebel, humanity might suffer heavy losses.


    Then, it would be easier to find a way to simply hide away certain truths and deceive everyone completely.


    It was a very absurd strategy that made total sense.


    As many thoughts ran by his mind, the familiar headache slowly rushed back. Shu Jun didn¡¯t throw up, but he couldn¡¯t help kneeling on one knee. The reaction this time was stronger than last time, so much so that his head felt like it was split in half.


    The miniature Erosion Marsh gave off a sound of erosive fluid stirring up, the kind of sound that would make most people feel uncomfortable. In the darkness, something crawled on Shu Jun¡¯s hands and feet.


    Shu Jun lowered his head to look at Zhu Yanchen. The guy¡¯s face was covered by the gas mask, and Shu Jun couldn¡¯t see his eyes behind the goggles. He still didn¡¯t know what actually attacked his brain, but Zhu Yanchen had said that if it happened for the second time, he was likely to die.


    So what was Zhu Yanchen doing now? If Zhu Yanchen just wanted to kill him, all these actions had been way too superfluous.


    Assuming that all of this was true, what was the meaning of ¡®Haze¡±s existence?


    ¡­Wait a moment, he was obviously kneeling on the ground, so why was Zhu Yanchen looking up at him?


    Only then did Shu Jun discover the boiling marsh under his feet. Before he was even aware, countless liquid pillars lifted him into the air, wrapping his four limbs around his body. His whole body felt so painful that he wanted to yell, but he couldn¡¯t make any sound.


    ¡°I am sorry.¡± Zhu Yanchen apologised for the second time, with a voice that seemed to come from the clouds.


    As more liquid pillars entangled around him, the passage of time became blurred and everything in front of him became more and more distant. Shu Jun gasped hard as he couldn¡¯t struggle any more. He could only accept the pain and tried to keep his eyes open with his last bit of strength.


    Zhu Yanchen took off the gas mask. A beam of moonlight poured in through the window, illuminating his pale face.


    The concentration of erosive substance in the air must be exceedingly high, Shu Jun thought vaguely, Does he want to die too?


    Thereafter, Zhu Yanchen stretched out his hands to Shu Jun and mumbled something that Shu Jun couldn¡¯t hear. He hadn¡¯t even digested the truths that Zhu Yanchen had just informed him, and now his body was collapsing under the pain. He slowly closed his eyes, wishing that something could just hit him unconscious now.


    [You won¡¯t lose. ]


    A voice rang in his feeble consciousness. It didn¡¯t sound like Zhu Yanchen¡¯s voice, and Shu Jun couldn¡¯t remember where he had heard it, but he felt very nostalgic. Being simulated by the voice, Shu Jun tried to lift his eyelids. Zhu Yanchen was still standing there with his hand stretched out, his face unconcealed.


    And his expression was sorrowful.


    But Shu Jun couldn¡¯t let that sorrow engulf him. Zhu Yanchen still owed himself thousands of explanations about this whole mess¡­


    Wait, this time, I don¡¯t forget what I¡¯ve heard earlier. Shu Jun was shocked as the pain started numbing his whole body. It did hurt, but it wasn¡¯t like he hadn¡¯t been swallowed by an Erosion Marsh before, so he was getting used to this feeling. He had to stay awake. Even if he died, he would want to die after learning the truth ¡ª


    But the Erosion Marsh here didn¡¯t seem to have any plan to swallow him.


    After a long while, Shu Jun fell from the air. To be precise, he was more like a discarded product that was thrown away after the Erosion Marsh had inspected him and decided that he was unsatisfactory. This time, it was Zhu Yanchen¡¯s turn to be a cushion, and he was almost entirely crushed by Shu Jun.


    The liquid pillars receded, the pain disappeared and the feeling of weakness was swept away. Shu Jun looked at Zhu Yanchen, whose lips had turned pale and whose posture at the moment seemed unpleasant. The sorrow that Shu Jun caught on his face earlier might be an illusion, because right now Zhu Yanchen was putting on his usual straight face, the blackness in his eyes so deep that it seemed bottomless.


    Shu Jun decided to go straight to the point: ¡°Just now ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡± Shu Jun¡¯s question was interrupted with a piercing shout. For some reason, the corpse handler who should have left suddenly returned.


    The light was turned on again, and the whole room became as bright as day.

 CH 7

    As the light came again, the cement-coloured room was as bright as day. Shu Jun, whose fighting instinct had been carved into his bones, grabbed Zhu Yanchen and jumped onto the pipes above their heads. The pipes creaked and sprayed out steam, blurring their shadows and giving them a fantastic hiding spot.


    Although Shu Jun had regained his consciousness and was feeling a lot better, the strange sensation of being eroded by the marsh still remained on his skin.


    The situation had turned incredibly odd. While Zhu Yanchen¡¯s earlier explanation sounded logical, Shu Jun didn¡¯t intend to buy it right away ¡ª All this new information was too horrifying, and he hadn¡¯t gotten to understand the real motive behind Zhu Yanchen¡¯s actions. He wouldn¡¯t just straight away believe whatever the guy was telling him.


    Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t rush to say anything either. He put on his face mask and let Shu Jun silently grab him.


    The corpse handler paced back and forth along the edge of the pit that contained Erosion Marsh, and the sound of the marsh¡¯s air bubbles echoed in the space. He, or she, shed light on a few secluded corners of the room with a torchlight, but didn¡¯t search the pipes, which were located at a height of more than two meters. Unable to find anything after a while, the corpse handler gave up walking around, but they didn¡¯t seem to want to leave either.


    Shu Jun was a little nervous. He was counting on that person to leave quickly, so that he could have the time to properly question Zhu Yanchen. This extremely gloomy place¡¯s erosion was so severe that even the naked eye could see it, and Shu Jun wondered if there was any good reason to remain here.


    The two patiently waited for a long moment, but instead of the corpse handler leaving, a loud knock came from the building¡¯s front door.


    Really, what I fear is what I always get. It was already so late at night. Was there going to be a party at this corpse disposal place?


    The knocking became faster and faster, even mixed in with the sounds of someone screaming. Shu Jun immediately put all his questions at the back of his mind and straightened his back. It was now late at night in a desolate and heavily eroded zone, where plenty of mutated monsters wandered nearby, many of which could mimic human voice.


    He had no idea what plan Zhu Yanchen had in mind at the moment, but he himself was defenseless without a single weapon in hands. He shouldn¡¯t act rashly.


    The corpse handler also looked astonished. They took out the gun from their waist and slowly leaned against the door.


    The knock on the door became weaker and weaker as the screams became louder and louder, carrying with them an unbearable sense of despair. Through the observation window on the heavy metal door, the corpse handler looked out. No one knew what they saw, but they paused for a few seconds and eventually decided to open the door.


    Three wounded soldiers rushed in. Their faces were fully concealed behind gas masks and their expressions couldn¡¯t be seen. The leading man looked like an officer, and the other two behind him was dragging the body of a mutated monster that was full of bullet holes. As the corpse handler saluted them, the leading officer panted and opened his mouth: ¡°If we didn¡¯t kill this thing, would you not plan to open this door?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re in bad times now, I hope you can understand¡­¡± The corpse handler feebly responded. Surprisingly, that was the voice of a woman ¡ª Her arms and legs were long and her body was tall and sturdy, making it difficult to distinguish her gender under the protective clothing.


    ¡°The signal earlier couldn¡¯t go through, so we have to rush here to give you urgent information. Who wants to run into an eroded zone this late into the night? Please do not misunderstand our intention.¡± Seeing the corpse handler¡¯s stupefied expression, the officer only let out a few complaints and had no further intention to burden her. ¡°It¡¯s just nice that we¡¯re here. Xiao Sun, you and Xiao Li go dispose of that thing¡¯s body.¡±


    The corpse handler¡¯s body stiffened, as if she was trying to say something, but in the end no words came out.


    The two wounded soldiers continued to drag the monster towards the mini Erosion Marsh. Shu Jun narrowed his eyes. As the instinct of a combatant flashed in his mind, Shu Jun could feel the abnormality in the scene in front of him ¡ª The two wounded soldiers were limping and pulling the monster¡¯s body away, while the leading officer was walking behind them, keeping a consistently close distance. Looking closely, although the three of them had irregular steps, their movements and frequencies were exactly the same.


    All the hairs on Shu Jun¡¯s body stood up.


    That was Corpse Parasite, one of the monsters that players hated the most. It was essentially a ball of straw-like limbs that stealthily moved around eroded zones. This thing liked to get inside the bodies of normal mutated monsters, control them to attack humans, then pretend to be defeated. When humans thought that they had won, it would leave the monsters¡¯ bodies and jump into the humans through the gaps on their protective clothing.


    It would inject the human bodies with a anaesthetising venom, gnaw on their flesh silently, then use its straw-like limbs to replace the eaten flesh and fill up the space below the clothing. Since humans were always entirely covered behind thick layers of clothing inside eroded zones, it was difficult to detect the presence of Corpse Parasite.


    By the time the victims noticed, their bodies would be left with only the skeleton and a little bit of nerves, and only the head would still be intact.


    How a Corpse Parasite hunted down its prey was certainly creepy, but that wasn¡¯t the worst thing about it ¡ª Corpse Parasite didn¡¯t actually always have to eat humans; it specifically attacked humans for a reason.


    Compared with normal mutated monsters, the severely mutated Corpse Parasite was particularly dependent on Erosion Marsh, and there was even a symbiotic relationship between the two. It deliberately left behind the human head and let this unknowing human live on for a while to bring the parasite to places where the extent of erosion wasn¡¯t too high ¡ª Then, as soon as the victim died, it would report these locations to Erosion Marsh.


    It basically acted like Erosion Marsh¡¯s hunting hound.


    In this way, Erosion Marsh could spread further and worsen the extent of erosion in various areas, which could provide Corpse Parasite with more environments to live. This became a perfect win-win situation for both of them, but it was undoubtedly a disaster for mankind.


    In the past ten years, Shu Jun might not have killed a thousand, but at least a few hundreds of these Corpse Parasites. He was very familiar with this kind of thing ¡ª When it controlled multiple bodies at once, it wouldn¡¯t be able to simulate a completely different pace of actions for each body. In order to cover up this defect, it would control the mutated monsters to injure its human victims, making them unable to walk normally. But upon careful observation, the defect could be detected.


    This is bad.


    Although the heads of the three soldiers were still alive, they could only hold on for a while more. Without any weapons and with only his abilities, he could at best disperse the ¡®straws¡¯ but wouldn¡¯t be able to kill it completely. Their current hiding place could only deceive human eyes, and when the Corpse Parasite emerged from those soldiers¡¯ bodies, everyone in the room would become a target.


    If he wound up a hurricane, he might be able to break through the window in the corner of the wall. If the speed was fast enough, he could run away with Zhu Yanchen in one hand and the corpse handler in the other. But he was unsure what was going on with his body now, or whether he could successfully carry out this series of actions.


    Zhu Yanchen, who had been silent all this while, also started moving. He took out his gun and stared at the three soldiers below.


    ¡°Marshal Zhu Yanchen is missing. If anything happens nearby, you must report it immediately.¡± The officer was totally oblivious of his imminent death.


    ¡°Then what about the Erosion Marsh here? Marshal Zhu has always been in charge of this place¡­¡± The corpse handler raised her head.


    ¡°Just monitor this Erosion Marsh¡¯s stats as usual and report any abnormalities at once. Marshal Yi Ning will arrange for someone to deal with it¡­¡± The officer nodded, then his voice suddenly became laggy like a broken audio tape: ¡°Deal with it, with it, with it¡­¡­¡±


    The two wounded soldiers next to him also fell down, and a grey straw-like object poked out from under their protective clothing, making the three suits collapse entirely. The three persons slumped on the ground as their suits started crumpling like deflated balloons, and the outlines of their rib cages could vaguely be seen.


    The corpse handler screamed, dropping the gun she was loosely holding in her hands to the ground. From not far away, the mini Erosion Marsh began to boil, making a soft howl that sounded as though it was calling out.


    Zhu Yanchen¡¯s body tensed up: ¡°This is troublesome.¡±


    It was indeed troublesome, because Corpse Parasite shouldn¡¯t act so quickly. Shu Jun firmly grabbed Zhu Yanchen, studied the position of the corpse handler and got ready to take the two of them to run away. But as soon as he rushed out, he directly came face to face with the Corpse Parasite. Shu Jun stretched out one hand at the rotting pile of ¡®straws¡¯, trying to blow it away to buy more time.


    The Erosion Marsh¡¯s howl was getting louder and louder, as if calling to something.


    As soon as he tried to mutter some strength, Shu Jun¡¯s originally clear mind became blurry again, and he could hardly think.


    Amid the eerie howl, he suddenly felt that the Corpse Parasite in front of him was pleasing to the eye, just like a domestic puppy that was playing around and showing its belly to the owner. The mini Erosion Marsh on his side also no longer seemed that disturbing, rather, it was the light above his head that felt overly bright and very irritating for some reason.


    As for the person next to him, Shu Jun thought he seemed to be¡­ delicious.


    He was feeling hungry.


    So he pressed the person to the ground. The moment Shu Jun leaned down, a cold muzzle was pressed against his glabella.


    ¡°Hold it in.¡± Zhu Yanchen¡¯s tone wasn¡¯t so distant, instead, it sounded a little cautious, as if he was coaxing an injured animal. ¡°You have survived twice and won¡¯t lose this time. Don¡¯t let it take over you.¡±


    These words could penetrate Shu Jun¡¯s mind, but he couldn¡¯t understand their meaning.


    Just as he couldn¡¯t understand the meaning of the coldness between his eyebrows.


    Shu Jun leaned his head downwards, trying to sniff Zhu Yanchen¡¯s neck. Zhu Yanchen neither trembled nor pulled the trigger; he just pressed the muzzle a little harder.


    ¡°Shu Jun.¡± The way he called out the name sounded like a long sigh.


    Shu Jun swallowed and began to tear Zhu Yanchen¡¯s protective clothing with his claws. He was slightly confused about his current state.


    Maybe I shouldn¡¯t do this, but I¡¯m really hungry.


    Zhu Yanchen raised his hand that wasn¡¯t holding the gun, as if he wanted to give Shu Jun a hug, but his motion stopped in mid-air.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to say ¡®I am sorry¡¯ anymore.¡± His voice was very low, and he didn¡¯t know whether it was for Shu Jun or for himself.


    For some reason, the Corpse Parasite was obediently waiting by the side, and the mini Erosion Marsh not far away from them was still howling. Zhu Yanchen closed his eyes and yelled at the corpse handler that had been scared stiff: ¡°Turn on the purifier and suppress the Erosion Marsh!¡±


    The corpse handler obviously didn¡¯t intend to ask where these two men appeared from. Her body shook up, then she started running towards the nearest control console. Activating the purifier wasn¡¯t a task that could be done by just pressing a button, and she was so nervous that she couldn¡¯t even get the first step right even after a some time.


    Zhu Yanchen stared intently at Shu Jun, his finger never leaving the trigger.


    Shu Jun knew he mustn¡¯t bite down. At this distance, he could feel the other person¡¯s body temperature. This temperature was like a basin of cold water that was keeping his last piece of consciousness. He knew that he shouldn¡¯t hurt this guy, but a force seemed to be twisting his head and burning his stomach. Shu Jun tried to open his eyes, attempting to make his blurred vision clearer.


    It felt a bit like he was struggling inside the Erosion Marsh.


    His hand was pressing on Zhu Yanchen¡¯s chest, whose sturdy protective clothing had been torn apart by him. His opaque black claws left very thin scratches on the guy¡¯s skin, where a little blood was dripping out. Luckily, he hadn¡¯t applied too much force. Shu Jun tried to suppress the impulse to attack and stabilised his breathing.


    The distinct sound of some erosive substance flowing was ringing in his ears. Together with the scream of the corpse handler and the howl of the Erosion Marsh, all these sounds were becoming louder and louder.


    ¡°What is that?¡± The woman¡¯s voice was drenched with fear. She even ignored the Corpse Parasite and just looked straight: ¡°What did you bring here?!¡±


    What is she talking about?


    Shu Jun shifted his gaze and he saw his other arm ¡ª His left arm was in a half-melted state, and the dark erosive substance streamed down his skin, forming a tiny marsh next to Zhu Yanchen.


    ¡°Shu Jun.¡± Zhu Yanchen called him again.


    Shu Jun moved the half-melted arm, and the erosive substance that was scattered on the ground just a moment ago floated back into place, forming a normal arm again.


    With this recovery, even though the corpse handler had failed to activate the purifier, the Erosion Marsh¡¯s howl slowly came to a stop.


    ¡°¡­Are you awake now?¡± Zhu Yanchen sounded relieved.


    Then he smoothly pressed Shu Jun¡¯s head into his arms, slid the muzzle upwards and fired several shots behind Shu Jun¡¯s back. Zhu Yanchen¡¯s bullets were obviously specially made, which immediately turned the Corpse Parasite¡¯s parts that came into contact with the bullets into powder.


    After a few shots, the Corpse Parasite lost its obedient look just now. With a disfigured body, it frantically rushed towards the two of them.


    Shu Jun didn¡¯t stay still. He lightly pushed his body up and rolled off Zhu Yanchen. The moment his ability was activated, a storm came up and the straw-like monster was blown onto the wall at the other end of the building.


    Sure enough, his power was much stronger than before, but it was also very difficult to control. The monster was blown away and the whole wall collapsed. The night fog quickly filled the room as the interior of the building was instantly lit up with the blood-red shade of alert lights.


    ¡°Assuming that what you¡¯re saying is true, it¡¯s just a hypothesis. I guess the concentration of erosive substance in my body can no longer be measured by ¡®concentration¡¯.¡±


    Shu Jun glanced at his arm. The discomfort of his consciousness being drowned just now hadn¡¯t fully subsided.


    He had fought with Erosion Marsh and mutated monsters for ten years, and was very familiar with various erosion conditions. Looking at the condition of his arm just now, it didn¡¯t seem to be eroded at all, rather, it was more like the erosive substance spontaneously came together to form his arm.


    ¡°Earlier, you said ¡®Don¡¯t let it take over you.¡¯ Corpse Parasite of course cannot take over me, and neither can the corpse handler. Although I hope you were referring to the mini Erosion Marsh, I have another guess.¡±


    Back then, when he woke up after being swallowed by Erosion Marsh in the championship round, the mutated monster that passed by didn¡¯t attack him. The same thing happened again with the Corpse Parasite just now ¡ª this thing should only submit to Erosion Marsh and never show any kindness to its own kins. If Shu Jun had only become a new mutated monster, it wouldn¡¯t be so polite.


    He started to feel something wrong after hearing the sounds made by the tiny Erosion Marsh. The howl at the time sounded more like a confirmation of his identity, rather than an attempt to control him.


    ¡°¡­Is there an Erosion Marsh hidden inside me?¡±

 CH 8

    ¡°¡­Is there an Erosion Marsh hidden inside me?¡±


    ¡°Uhm, and it¡¯s still not very obedient.¡± Zhu Yanchen¡¯s tone didn¡¯t even flinch. He clenched the gun, still looking around vigilantly.


    The corpse handler wasn¡¯t trying to activate the purifier anymore, rather, she was nested in the gap between the machines, her whole body stiff. The room was filled with a blood-red shade of alert lights, and the siren was still ringing loudly.


    ¡°Could it be that you brought me here today so that I could communicate with this mini Erosion Marsh?¡± Shu Jun stood at a spot outside of Zhu Yanchen¡¯s protection range, decisively not coming to a stop with his endless questioning.


    This is just the logic of the game. We are just discussing the game settings.


    Shu Jun tried to make a joke to save the increasingly problematic situation ¡ª In a sense, Zhu Yanchen was right. Shu Jun did ¡®understand everything¡¯, but understanding everything was one thing, accepting it was another.


    ¡°This marsh is artificially grown. It has only swallowed human corpses, and its erosive substance is very compatible with human tissues.¡± Zhu Yanchen seriously responded to his joke: ¡°As long as there¡¯s contact between different marshes, there¡¯ll be a simple exchange of information. The erosive substance inside you can learn from the experience of its own kin, and it won¡¯t immediately fight your body till both of you are destroyed.¡±


    Shu Jun: ¡°¡­¡±


    As an aggregate of microorganisms, Erosion Marsh had no brain and no real intelligence. To make an analogy, they were more like creatures such as ants and bees. They could resonate and exchange simple information with each other, but that was all they could do.


    Shu Jun had known for a long time that Erosion Marsh could exchange information necessary for their survival, but this required a prerequisite, which was that both sides must be a real marsh.


    Now, it seemed more like ¡®there was an Erosion Marsh in him¡¯ rather than ¡®there was an Erosion Marsh hidden inside him¡¯.


    Why can¡¯t this friend just go offline, huh?


    It must be because I¡¯ve accidentally blended too well with this Erosion Marsh; both of us have become so tangled that it was hard to separate, and there¡¯s no way the marsh could be filtered out with filter paper. Shu Jun thought bitterly and his lips trembled. Things had gotten this serious and felt all too unreal, so much so that he had learnt to maintain his composure, keeping his mind totally intact by the shock.


    There would always be a way out, somehow¡­ So there was no point freaking out now.


    The Corpse Parasite still hadn¡¯t made any move. This creature had always been a cautious type, so it wouldn¡¯t fight back so quickly after being suddenly attacked like just now. As Zhu Yanchen lowered the muzzle, Shu Jun glanced at the guy¡¯s damaged protective suit and felt a little frustrated: ¡°Then I¡¯ve finished communicating with this marsh. Let¡¯s go back?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t go back.¡± Zhu Yanchen shook his head and walked towards the corpse handler: ¡°Back there, you¡¯ve lost control once. The military has the means to detect the presence of Erosion Marsh, so our previous location has been exposed.¡±


    Thinking of the thing that had caused him to lose control, Shu Jun¡¯s thousands of question marks returned. But before he could organise his mind, Zhu Yanchen had already approached the corpse handler.


    ¡°You¡¯re not a staff member here, right?¡±


    The woman shrinking in the corner raised her head, her whole body frozen like a wooden sculpture.


    ¡°How to turn on the purifier in time is the first lesson for any corpse handler. No matter what happens, this step can¡¯t go wrong.¡± Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t sound like he was in a good mood: ¡°And each corpse handler needs to rotate every month. Have you been here for more than a month?¡±


    The woman inconsistently nodded and shook her head, her eyes fixed on the gun at Marshal Zhu¡¯s waist.


    ¡°The rotation rule is put in place to ensure that there won¡¯t be too much erosive residue in your body after you process the corpses, so Corpse Parasite won¡¯t use you to search for Erosion Marsh. It¡¯s a very cautious creature, so it won¡¯t come knocking on your door unless it¡¯s been observing you for a long time¡­ In short, it was you who attracted it.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen¡¯s tone became colder.


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for us to be here, not only would you die, but the marsh would also leak out. Now the alerts have been sent out and someone will be here soon. Have you thought about how to explain it?¡±


    The woman looked at the three corpses not far away, hugged her knees and tightened her gas mask.


    Zhu Yanchen pondered for a moment: ¡°You can¡¯t get into this kind of organisation alone. Take us to your stronghold. People can¡¯t come back from the dead, but you can still at least make up for your sins.¡±


    He shifted his eyes to Shu Jun. Seeing Shu Jun also staring at him, Zhu Yanchen quickly withdrew his gaze.


    Shu Jun continued to look at Zhu Yanchen¡¯s back.


    He suddenly understood the strangeness he had been feeling about this ¡®Haze¡¯ ¡ª Just like how A Yan treated him, as long as he asked, Zhu Yanchen would definitely give an answer, but it was only a brief answer with no other details at all. Compared to A Yan who was always willing to discuss strategies together, the ¡®Haze¡¯ in front of him was subconsciously keeping a distance.


    At least, whenever Shu Jun was conscious.


    Shu Jun could understand why Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t want to discuss the plan with him, or actively try to explain the reason for his behaviour. There were so many things in his mind that he needed time to digest them slowly before he could pursue those details. That said, if in front of him was the A Yan that he always knew, everything should already be laid out on the table and explained clearly by now.


    But with the Zhu Yanchen he was looking at right now, Shu Jun had to wonder how they could get along.


    A Yan indeed never talked much, but he also wasn¡¯t the type to become nervous about this kind of thing. Shu Jun always felt that there must be a deeper reason for all of Zhu Yanchen¡¯s behaviour up till this point, but his mind right now really couldn¡¯t figure out anything.


    To be honest, Shu Jun didn¡¯t want to passively accept all that information, and he didn¡¯t like the awkward atmosphere between the two of them either. Combined with all the problems he had already been caught inside, there was only one solution.


    Although it was an absurd idea, he must first determine whether this world was really the ¡®reality¡¯. Thanks to the event that was happening right now, he thought of a method.


    ¡°A Yan, my body is fine this time.¡± Shu Jun made his tone especially relaxed.


    ¡°There should be no issue for the time being.¡± A soft response came from a distance.


    The fraud corpse handler was trembling as she said something to Zhu Yanchen. After thinking for a few seconds, Shu Jun decided to stride forward. Seeing the ¡®erosive¡¯ man just now approaching nearer, the corpse handler wanted to shrink further into the gap between the machines. Zhu Yanchen was a little surprised by Shu Jun walking over, and he thought that Shu Jun was going to ask him another question. But as he turned around ¡ª


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve been here for more than a month, tell me the coordinates here.¡± Shu Jun deliberately stood behind Zhu Yanchen, putting on a fierce look.


    Shu Jun knew he could be confident about his appearance, but with his grey hair and monster-like vertical pupils, being gentle likely wouldn¡¯t work.


    Zhu Yanchen wanted to stop this conversation from continuing, but Shu Jun put one arm in front of him and covered his mouth. The red alert light gleaming brightly in his grey eyes coupled with Shu Jun¡¯s behaviour that felt exactly like a kidnapper¡¯s made the woman desperately gasp for air and immediately inform him of this place¡¯s coordinates, her whole body trembling in fear.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Despite the situation, Shu Jun still knew it was important to be polite.


    Thereafter, Shu Jun didn¡¯t let Zhu Yanchen go but continued to hold on to him, then he picked up the woman who was still shaking and directly called upon the wind.


    He knew the coordinates of the players¡¯ stronghold. And now that he knew this place¡¯s coordinates too, Shu Jun could figure out the way back.


    Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t say a word on the whole journey. He¡¯s probably angry, Shu Jun thought.


    The buildings in the stronghold were familiar enough to make him feel at ease. Shu Jun stopped on the roof, put the two other persons down and got ready to climb into the building. He was almost stretching out his hands when he found that one of his wrists was caught by something.


    Seemingly from nowhere, Zhu Yanchen pulled out a pair of handcuffs and directly handcuffed himself to Shu Jun. The handcuffs used an electronic lock, so Shu Jun couldn¡¯t even snatch the key.


    ¡­Looking at this tactic, Shu Jun could finally feel a sense of familiarity. This was truly the doing of ¡®Haze¡¯.


    ¡°You just wait here, we¡¯ll be back.¡± Judging from the tone Zhu Yanchen used to talk to the corpse handler, his emotion seemed as though it had frozen.


    Shu Jun had to take Zhu Yanchen with him again, and the two sneaked into the building from the window ¡ª It was midnight and not many people were still awake in the stronghold. Even with one more person next to him, Shu Jun still smoothly slipped underground.


    It was just that knocking out the guards was a bit more troublesome than usual.


    The room where they usually used to go into the game remained the same, where the familiar hibernation pods were neatly arranged in rows. Shu Jun quickly found the one that belonged to him, but after opening the lid, he couldn¡¯t help frowning.


    There was a young man he didn¡¯t know.


    Zhu Yanchen sighed and remained silent.


    Shu Jun walked around and finally found an empty pod in the corner. He pressed his palm on the control screen and began to verify his identity. After his fingerprints were input, the familiar game prompt didn¡¯t appear, instead, a cold warning popped up.


    [Identification error. The authority of synthesised body S-001 ¡®Shu Jun¡¯ has been cancelled. Please enter the correct data.]


    Shu Jun took a deep breath and once again pressed his hand on the screen.


    [Identification error. The authority of synthesised body S-001 ¡®Shu Jun¡¯ has been cancelled. Please enter the correct data.]


    He changed to another pod and the same warning came out. Shu Jun decided to lay down in the hibernation pod, trying to operate on the screen inside the machine.


    [Identification error. The authority of synthesised body S-001 ¡®Shu Jun¡¯ has been cancelled. Please enter the correct data.]


    Shu Jun clenched his fists, his face twisting into a disturbed expression, his movements becoming even faster.


    ¡°After this, you¡¯ll realise that this world is indeed ¡®reality¡¯.¡± After being pulled around for a while, Zhu Yanchen finally spoke.


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll think of your teammates who are also being used like you. You won¡¯t give up on them.¡±


    ¡°Finally, you¡¯ll realise that as a person originally from this world, I knew everything from the beginning.¡±


    Shu Jun turned around and cut short the distance between the two of them. He pulled Zhu Yanchen closer, so close that they could feel each other¡¯s breathing. Then, Zhu Yanchen made a strange move. He seemed to want to grab the grip of the gun, but he didn¡¯t do it eventually. He sighed again, his eyes fixed on Shu Jun, as if waiting for something.


    Their hands were still connected by the handcuffs, and the air froze for a moment.


    For ten minutes, Shu Jun was completely silent.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t wrong.¡± He said, but there wasn¡¯t much anger in his voice like Zhu Yanchen had expected.


    ¡°But I won¡¯t be so stupid to ignore the only peron who¡¯s willing to tell me the truth and just recklessly go berserk here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll definitely want to save my team members, and I¡¯ll definitely save them.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re a person from this world, with a high level of authority, and able to stabilise my physical condition. You¡¯re an excellent partner for cooperation.¡±


    For the first time, Zhu Yanchen showed an expression of slight surprise.


    ¡°As for the rest¡­ Since you¡¯ve decided to tell me all this now, there must be a reason for you trying to hide the truth previously.¡± Shu Jun stretched out the hand that wasn¡¯t handcuffed and grabbed Zhu Yanchen¡¯s handcuffed hand. ¡°This is a handshake.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen was still staring at him, seemingly quite astounded at his attitude. Shu Jun stood up on the spot, himself surrounded by rows of hibernation pods. He calmly looked at Zhu Yanchen and smiled again.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t lost before, and I won¡¯t lose this time.¡±

 CH 9

    Combatants were people who often needed to leave their sentiments behind. On the battlefield, things were always changing and time was constantly fleeting, so if one spent too much time dealing with his emotions and fell into panic at the wrong moment, even the gods wouldn¡¯t be able to save him.


    Shu Jun felt especially calm at the moment.


    He had tried several hibernation pods, and the system¡¯s response had been exactly the same, so it probably wasn¡¯t fake. Let¡¯s take a step back: if Zhu Yanchen just wanted to make a huge joke, then this prank was excessively complicated. From the ¡®kidnapping¡¯ of Zhu Yanchen to the Corpse Parasite at the corpse disposal site, there were too many uncontrollable variables in each event.


    Combining all that with his own state right now, Shu Jun must admit that ¡°The world of [Erosion] is the real world¡± logically made the most sense.


    He couldn¡¯t help but reminisce about his own life.


    His life in the past twenty odd years had been mediocre. Shu Jun was an orphan and had no memories of his parents, and had been taken care of by staff from public agencies since childhood. In such a technologically advanced environment, he didn¡¯t have to stay with an adult, nor was he bored living all alone. They delivered three meals a day to his door, as well as checked on him regularly. Except for going to school, he spent most of his time playing games at home ¡ª board games, puzzle games and action games. As long as there were some games to occupy him, Shu Jun found no issues.


    He had lived alone since he was 8 years old.


    He went on to play normally and make friends normally. There was little difference between today and the day before, and it was easy to guess what would happen the day after. He grew up normally just like that, and thanks to his outstanding ability, he smoothly became a professional game player ¡ª In his world, this life trajectory was considered very standard.


    If he had to find something extraordinary that had ever happened to him, it would be that he was once ¡®blessed¡¯ in a simulated battle organised by the school.


    [Erosion] was a form of entertainment with peak popularity, so schools would also offer related elective courses. Before Shu Jun turned 11, his performance in the combat course wasn¡¯t good ¡ª it wasn¡¯t because of his poor combat training or lack of strategy ideas, on the contrary, he had too many odd ideas. With his monstrous  intuition, he constantly came up with new ideas that turned the entire strategy messy.


    At one point, his grades were so bad that he was on the verge of being dismissed.


    At that time, Shu Jun only found it boring. For an 11-year-old child, getting into combat training was too tedious, and Shu Jun was an especially playful type. Shu Jun did consider giving up, but his competitive nature didn¡¯t allow him to be kicked out of the course in such a manner, so he had to bring himself to try to mix in.


    The miracle appeared in the final simulation test.


    Obviously it was the same test like every other day, but somehow, Shu Jun felt particularly enlightened. Shu Jun¡¯s commands and strategy were as bold as usual, but nothing went wrong at all. It had been a very long time, so Shu Jun couldn¡¯t remember the details of that battle, only the feeling that his heart beat so fast it almost burst, and the feeling of courage and confidence continuously flowing through him.


    And a vague yet very firm impression ¡ª as long as he was willing to work hard, he would never fail.


    Shu Jun resolutely nailed those feelings and impression into his mind, and his grades skyrocketed after that. The instructor even smiled and said that Shu Jun had gotten back his senses at the last minute, but Shu Jun himself knew very well that these feelings weren¡¯t simply a result of experience, rather, they were thanks to his sudden enlightenment. Someone probably pointed out to him that he was hiding a very passionate heart behind his nonchalant fa?ade, but he couldn¡¯t quite remember it clearly.


    To make an analogy, he felt as though he was blessed by some ¡®surreal¡¯ existence.


    After that, although the Blackbird team he led occasionally lagged behind other teams in terms of points, they would always win in the end. He himself won many battles and eventually became the No. 1 ¡®Undead Legend¡¯.


    Thinking about it now, he never really knew how many times he had strolled past death. His life was no different from a long training prior to a battle. If he was actually dismissed from the course at that time, what would he end up as? Was that inexplicable ¡®blessing¡¯ actually an interference from outside?


    But one thing was certain, that ¡®blessing¡¯ had been refined by countless battles, and it was still in effect right now.


    It made him stand here calmly, standing among his sleeping companions in those hibernation pods, himself not being crushed by the truth. He was a fighting machine made in this world, so he would fight to the end just like always.


    And he knew he would win.


    For this, Zhu Yanchen was necessary. It didn¡¯t matter what purpose Marshal Zhu was having when he first came into contact with Shu Jun. Shu Jun wouldn¡¯t let go of this valuable source of information ¡ª If he was running away alone, perhaps he himself would be enough; but, to save his companions, cooperation with Zhu Yanchen was his only way out.


    As for his vague crush on Haze, Shu Jun decided to press it deep into his heart and let it die down itself. His world had been completely overturned, and the ¡®Haze¡¯ in front of him was a brand new person, a partner whom he needed to be cautious with ¡ª  The state of this world was bad, and someone who could rise to the position of a marshal was definitely no simple man.


    ¡°Happy cooperating.¡± Shu Jun said in a relaxed tone: ¡°Okay, I know what you¡¯re worried about. I won¡¯t go berserk here, and I won¡¯t just bring these members out right now ¡ª You¡¯ve been struggling a lot just to try to tell me the truth, and I¡¯ve also stood at the edge of death a few times. The Blackbird team has more than 300 core members. Even if they open the door and let me take my members away, I¡¯ll have trouble with the resources and managing them later.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen let out a cold breath, his whole body tightening up: ¡°Indeed.¡±


    ¡°If I really wanted to take them away, what would you do?¡± Shu Jun asked half-jokingly.


    ¡°Blast off your arms with a purifying gun.¡± Zhu Yanchen¡¯s words totally didn¡¯t sound like a joke, and he showed no intention to unlock the handcuffs at all.


    ¡°¡­¡± This sounded a bit like a threat.


    ¡°Since we¡¯re not leaving yet, we need to replenish supplies, because now we can¡¯t go back to that secret room of yours.¡± Shu Jun continued . ¡°At the beginning, you brought a briefcase with all those strange things. We need clothes and food¡­ Speaking of which, is there enough for me to eat?¡±


    The Erosion Marsh inside him was definitely not the kind that would be full with an afternoon tea.


    ¡°Normal food can make you feel better. To fill your stomach, you can try the mutated monsters outside.¡± Zhu Yanchen pulled slightly on the handcuffs, and the two began to walk towards the door. ¡°This is the first time I see a case like yours, so I can only make rough guesses for now.¡±


    The handcuffs still hadn¡¯t been unlocked, but Zhu Yanchen¡¯s mood seemed to be a bit better.


    As they returned to the roof, one was carrying a large backpack stuffed to the rim with supplies. The corpse handler had been earnestly staying at the same spot. Shu Jun picked her up and let out an ¡°Ouch¡± from the added weight.


    A wind-type special ability was very convenient, but usually the Blackbird team wouldn¡¯t let the captain act as a transport aircraft.


    The woman pointed to a stronghold that was extremely far away. Shu Jun had to exert his energy for a long time, and by the time they landed, he wilted like a half-dead man.


    The stronghold was terribly run-down, and the surrounding purifiers weren¡¯t even operating, their colour eaten up by the erosion. The building wasn¡¯t lit up, and lines of dark cracks lay on the wall, casting a ghostly aura on the whole place. Instead of looking like a stronghold, this actually looked like a battle map. Shu Jun still remained vigilant, but Zhu Yanchen already took a step forward.


    ¡°You want to come by yourself. The purifiers here are no longer working, we won¡¯t be responsible if something goes wrong.¡± The woman mumbled, leading them into the building.


    After saying that, she turned around again: ¡°It¡¯s too late now, everyone is asleep, and I can¡¯t talk to you alone. Here, there¡¯s a vacant room on the right hand side. You can make do with it for one night. We can talk tomorrow.¡±


    As though fearing that they would turn down her proposal, she ran away right after finishing the sentence.


    ¡°Remove the handcuffs.¡± Shu Jun shook his wrist, and his occupational habit popped up at once: ¡°I¡¯ll look around this place first.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen just stood there like a stone statue, but he wasn¡¯t expressionless ¡ª He raised his eyebrows at Shu Jun.


    ¡°¡­Wait, A Yan, do you really think I¡¯ll go berserk now?¡±


    ¡°When I let you move around freely before, you immediately tried to restrain me and even asked someone for the coordinates. If it weren¡¯t for your rather strong mental stability, we might have fought until you died and I lived.¡± Zhu Yanchen said, his tone sounding like a soft hiss.


    Shu Jun tried to joke around: ¡°But since I¡¯m trying so hard to clarify this whole situation, doesn¡¯t it mean that my mental stability is exceptional?¡±


    Zhu Yanchen remained unflinching: ¡°I won¡¯t let you go for the next three days.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Shu Jun swallowed hard: ¡°It¡¯s useless if it¡¯s only three days. I can act nice for three days.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen raised the corner of his mount and made a soft hum in his throat, which almost sounded like a polite chuckle. He might as well laugh, Shu Jun thought, this reaction looks as though he¡¯s mocking me.


    But to be honest, Shu Jun really never knew how to put up an act.


    ¡°All right, but I still think it¡¯s better to look around first.¡± Shu Jun closed his eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Shu Jun looked up and down at Zhu Yanchen. The latter opened the backpack and took out two unsophisticated gun-shaped weapons: ¡°Let¡¯s go together.¡±


    Of course, the fraud corpse handler didn¡¯t head to bed directly. In this quiet building, people¡¯s movements were particularly easy to hear. The two of them made very light steps and moved quickly in the direction of some vague human voice. Zhu Yanchen¡¯s sneaking skill was unexpectedly good, and his level of door picking could make even professional thieves feel ashamed ¡ª What kind of marshal is this guy?


    The clash of their handcuffs was probably the loudest sound that the two of them made.


    The erosion here was quite severe, and electronic equipment was rarely seen. Without the trouble of security cameras, they could move quite fast ¡ª By the time they caught up with the woman again, the conversation between her and another person in the room seemed to have just begun, and she was taking off her gas mask.


    Shu Jun looked through the crack on the door.


    The woman put the mask on the table. Her face looked as though it had been invaded with a huge cyst, her facial features pushed to the edge of her face, like the pattern on an over-inflated balloon. Shu Jun recognised this, for he had seen the same thing on other NPCs previously. This was one of the complications caused by long-term exposure to Erosion Marsh. You might still be okay by not coming into contact with erosive substances and taking some medicine, but if you lived in this kind of place, the only thing that awaited you was death.


    He subconsciously glanced at Zhu Yanchen next to him. Zhu Yanchen put one hand on his shoulder, his expression even grimmer than Shu Jun¡¯s.


    ¡°I encountered a Corpse Parasite today, and I was found out.¡± The woman said anxiously: ¡°Lao Wei, you listen to me, they have guns, and they force me to bring them here.¡±


    ¡°Someone from the army?¡± The person she was talking to couldn¡¯t be seen from this angle, and only an old voice could be heard.


    ¡°He shouldn¡¯t be. That man wears a mask, it sounds like he¡¯s from the city. He also brings with him a¡­ I don¡¯t know how to say it, he brings with him a monster. Now the monster is still following him. I ask them to rest first. Lao Wei, what should our village do ¡ª¡±


    ¡°If he isn¡¯t from the army, it¡¯s fine. Let them rest and we¡¯ll entertain them tomorrow. Anyway, we have nothing to be robbed off here.¡±


    ¡°But that mons¡ª¡± The woman stopped the sentence as soon as she opened her mouth and swallowed back her voice, probably because she was silently warned by the other man. ¡°Or we can find someone to make a move on our behalf. Lao Wang still has a gun.¡±


    ¡°They discovered your fraud identity and dared to come here with you, what can a gun do? Let¡¯s not provoke them, what if you drag more people to die with you. Xiao Xi, go to bed first. I know you¡¯re worried, but this matter can¡¯t be rushed.¡±


    The woman opened her mouth again. Her face had been so deformed that this particular facial movement was scary to look at.


    ¡°Okay, I understand.¡± A few seconds later, she replied dejectedly.


    Seeing her turning back to the gas mask, the two eavesdroppers outside the door immediately retreated. After the woman went out, they ran away without leaving a trace behind.


    ¡°It seems that we will be okay for the time being. For safety, let¡¯s take turns to watch the night.¡±


    ¡°You sleep.¡± Zhu Yanchen said concisely.


    ¡°You can make it?¡±


    ¡°Used to it.¡± Zhuyan Chen nodded: ¡°Today you¡¯ve consumed a lot of energy, so you¡¯d better take a rest first. If you get ¡®hungry¡¯ like back then again, we¡¯ll be in trouble.¡±


    Then the guy sat down on the bed, opened his briefcase and pulled out two documents.


    It seemed that even if Shu Jun was asleep, Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t intend to unlock the handcuffs. Disheartened, Shu Jun had no choice but to lie down. He was clearly tired, but he couldn¡¯t sleep.


    The bed was quite hard with its edges showing signs of erosion, and the sheets were dusty. But the air here made him feel refreshed, even though the concentration of erosive substance in it wasn¡¯t low. Shu Jun turned sideways and looked at Zhu Yanchen, who was still wearing a mask. The guy was sitting upright and meticulously looking at the documents, his gloves brushing across the papers. The rustling sound was actually quite pleasant.


    Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t change his torn protective clothing but only put on a coat outside.


    Marshal Zhu wasn¡¯t a girl. Even if he was handcuffed to Shu Jun, he shouldn¡¯t be so shy that he couldn¡¯t change his protective clothing. Only the gods would know how many secrets this guy is hiding, Shu Jun rolled over and closed his eyes.


    His breathing quickly became soft and stable.


    Knowing for certain that the person beside him was asleep, Zhu Yanchen gently put down the document in his hands and stood up carefully. He frowned and drank a potion, then, still keeping the two of them handcuffed, he began to unbutton his protective suit.


    In order to cope with various situations, the design of protective clothing was relatively complex, but there were many ways to disassemble it. It was easy to take it off even with just one hand.


    He silently removed his torn jacket, pulled out a new one from the freshly looted supplies and quickly put it on. If Shu Jun still kept his eyes open, maybe he would be able to see Zhu Yanchen¡¯s back.


    The skin on Zhu Yanchen¡¯s behind was also pale, but it was densely covered with many fine scars. They weren¡¯t traces of old battles, rather, they looked more like surgical scars, and several new scars were still carrying a faint shade of grey. He put on a new suit in a blink and quickly came back to his neat appearance, looking proper enough to enter the conference room in the next second.


    Then he sat back on the bed, turned around and stretched out his unhandcuffed hand. There was no hug and no touch; his gloved hand simply picked up a few strands of grey hair on Shu Jun, brushing them back to their intended position.


    ¡°Good night.¡± He said, then turned his gaze back to the document in his hand.


    When Shu Jun woke up, the sky was already bright. This place wasn¡¯t a heavily eroded zone, so there was still a little difference between day and night. Zhu Yanchen was sitting against the headboard like a statue. If the document in his hand hadn¡¯t turned into a book, Shu Jun would think he hadn¡¯t moved all night.


    ¡°Morning.¡± Shu Jun muttered.


    ¡°Morning.¡± Zhu Yanchen turned around and picked up a needle, then directly pierced it into Shu Jun¡¯s skin.


    Shu Jun: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°How do you feel?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡±


    Shu Jun glanced at his arm that had just been injected. The slightly dull complexion and mutated nails hadn¡¯t recovered, and the bandaged wounds were still there. But he felt comfortable, as if he was simply poking his head out after spending the night under three layers of cotton quilt. The fatigue that he constantly felt earlier was gone, and his physical condition was good enough to be on the battlefield.


    ¡°¡­Just a little hungry.¡± He added solemnly.


    Zhu Yanchen took out a bar of emergency ration from the backpack: ¡°Very good, I just happened to look at your hunger stats. You eat this first, and we can go hunting when we have time.¡±


    ¡°Since we¡¯re already partners, at least tell me a bit. Why do you want to come here? Where is this place?¡±


    With one hand still handcuffed and his nails transformed into claws, Shu Jun struggled to open the package of ration. Zhu Yanchen took it back, tore an opening and threw it to Shu Jun.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to be here from the beginning. It¡¯s just that I met with an unexpected variable, so there was no need to find other ways to get into here.¡±


    ¡°From the beginning?¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re the unexpected variable in my plan.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°This place is ¡®Village of The Impaired¡¯.¡± Zhu Yanchen continued to speak as he put the book back into the backpack.


    ¡°A place where you¡¯ll find people who are probably ¡®your kin¡¯.¡±

 CH 10

    Shu Jun had never heard of this ¡®Village of The Impaired¡¯.


    Seeing that Zhu Yanchen was about to wash his face, Shu Jun didn¡¯t intend to force the guy to explain. If he ignored the fact that he was injected just now, the early morning made him feel very refreshing, and Shu Jun didn¡¯t want to think about things that were as unpleasant as the sticky erosive substance for the time being.


    His condition had stabilised a bit now, so let¡¯s have a look at the village first before asking more questions. Anyway, with the handcuffs still on, he couldn¡¯t run away, and Zhu Yanchen couldn¡¯t hide from him either. Apart from those uninspiring theories that he had heard from Zhu Yanchen, he still had tons of other questions.


    Zhu Yanchen extended a chain between the handcuffs, allowing Shu Jun to move more freely. Shu Jun rinsed his mouth and chewed on the rations comfortably: ¡°I¡¯m an unexpected variable in your plan¡­ Based on this statement, even without me, you actually planned to slip out of your base since the very beginning?¡±


    So you don¡¯t want to be a marshal living a cosy life, instead, you want to crawl into this heavily eroded zone all alone. Even if he wanted to quietly investigate this village, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to arrange some backup to go with him. Shu Jun felt that this guy must have other purposes.


    This matter was directly related to Shu Jun¡¯s safety ¡ª What happened when Zhu Yanchen finished investigating and the army caught up? Once they found out that Marshal Zhu was being followed by Shu Jun, a walking Erosion Marsh, he would get into trouble. Let¡¯s take a step back: Assuming that Zhu Yanchen had arranged everything well and the army wouldn¡¯t hurt Shu Jun, Shu Jun also didn¡¯t want more people to know about his condition.


    He was well aware of the attitude of the coalition government and the players towards Erosion Marsh.


    ¡°Even if you weren¡¯t there, another mutated monster had actually been planned to attack me, and I would still end up being ¡®kidnapped¡¯.¡±


    Taking good care of his briefcase as always, Zhu Yanchen closed the lid, then he said as if he could see through Shu Jun¡¯s mind: ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Your condition won¡¯t be revealed. If we stay outside for a few more days, the coalition government will change my status from ¡®Missing¡¯ to ¡®Dead¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you can just tell me directly like this? You¡¯re the only person who knows that there¡¯s an Erosion Marsh inside me. Aren¡¯t you afraid that¡­¡±


    Aren¡¯t you afraid that I may change my mind and decide to silence you?


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid.¡± Zhu Yanchen¡¯s movements paused for a second: ¡°And looking at your current condition, if you kill me, you won¡¯t be able to live for more than a few days. The marsh is still mixing with your body. If no one helps you to control it, it¡¯ll soon swallow you up entirely.¡±


    The emergency ration in Shu Jun¡¯s mouth suddenly felt tasteless.


    Betraying his partner might be possible, but no one would dare to betray his own caretaker.


    ¡°Good point, but why are you faking your own death?¡± Shu Jun hurriedly ended this dangerous topic.


    Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t immediately answer, and after a quiet moment, he said with his back still turned towards Shu Jun: ¡°¡­Due to many reasons that you don¡¯t need to care about. You only need to know that for now, you¡¯re safe.¡±


    Shu Jun let out a soft ¡°Uhm¡±, as though he fully understood.


    Being told that he didn¡¯t need to care actually made him care even more.


    ¡°Give me your hand.¡± After Zhu Yanchen tidied up his stuff, from his pocket, he took out a gadget that looked like a large-sized bracelet ¡ª Calling it a bracelet was actually euphemism. Shu Jun thought this thing looked more like a retro-style dog leash.


    ¡°One hand being handcuffed is enough, really.¡± Shu Jun hid his unhandcuffed hand behind his back: ¡°A Yan, you really don¡¯t need to go this far ¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not to restrain you.¡± Zhu Yanchen moved closer with a blank expression: ¡°This can help monitor your physical condition. I adjusted it last night. It doesn¡¯t hurt to put it on.¡±


    Shu Jun was stunned. Now that he thought about it carefully, this person had never rested since the two of them met. Earlier, did he study Shu Jun¡¯s flesh for this?


    Shu Jun sighed and earnestly stretched out his wrist.


    The bracelet of rusty iron colour snapped automatically, causing a slight tingling at his wrist. This thing was mostly made of soft metal and was much lighter than he thought. At least, it wouldn¡¯t affect his movements. Taking a closer look, it kind of resembled the device that displayed the character stats inside the game. On the smooth metal surface, bright-coloured yet inconspicuous letters slowly emerged, looking like patterns carved on the surface at first glance.


    [Harmony: 19%; Resonance level: 7; Vital signs are stable.]


    After ascertaining that the stats were displayed correctly, Zhu Yanchen nodded with satisfaction: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    As Marshal Zhu was standing very close, even if he had already put on his face mask, Shu Jun could still see the lack of sleep under his eyes. If Zhu Yanchen wanted to completely control Shu Jun, he could have taken Shu Jun¡¯s blood more frequently and sneakily kept the stats all to himself.


    But he didn¡¯t do it.


    Letting out a long sigh, Shu Jun shook his wrist: ¡°Thanks.¡±


    A few seconds later, he added: ¡°If the situation turns bad, I¡¯ll protect you. You¡­ don¡¯t be so hard on yourself.¡±


    He needed to put a clear line between the favours he owed and the skepticism that he still had towards Zhu Yanchen. Shu Jun had never liked owing anyone a favour. It was only after those words were said that Shu Jun realised he might have said something wrong. To someone far superior than him in ranks, this sentence might have crossed the line.


    He was ready to receive a nonchalant response merely out of courtersy, but Zhu Yanchen stopped at the door and answered with a very solemn expression: ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± What¡¯s happened to him?


    After daybreak, this place became even ghostlier. People whose faces had been deformed were walking slowly in the abandoned corridors, and the blotchy walls were sprayed with various words and sentences, their writing too messy to be readable.


    Some people were wearing gas masks yet some simply were not, and their faces were so deformed that even their facial features couldn¡¯t be recognised anymore. Some of the cysts looked extremely horrifying and even deformed the whole body, making a few of them walk on all fours.


    They all passed by as quietly as ghosts, no one stopping to look at the two strangers. Compared with these people, the symptoms of the corpse handler last night were mild.


    The composition of each person was different and a very small number of individuals were dangerously intolerant to the erosive substance, so much so that even purifying medicine wouldn¡¯t be able to help them last too long. Such people would develop more severe cysts and likely couldn¡¯t be saved. Based on Shu Jun¡¯s existing knowledge, these people should be living in the city and receiving appropriate care while waiting for death.


    Shu Jun slowly breathed in. Even the air here felt frosty.


    ¡°So you¡¯re here, I was about to call you over for breakfast.¡± The woman from last night quickly walked towards them with her face mask properly in place, even having a pink clip on her hair. She squinted at Shu Jun in caution, then her eyes fell on the handcuffs between the two of them, her whole body slightly shrinking back.


    Thinking about how this woman was so scared of him even though she lived among severely deformed people, Shu Jun felt a bit complicated.


    ¡°We¡¯ve eaten.¡± Zhu Yanchen replied with a relaxed tone.


    ¡°Oh, oh.¡± The woman said with a bit of surprise: ¡°We¡¯re still having breakfast, I¡¯ll take you there first.¡±


    Leaving the run-down stronghold, they moved to a place with rows of single-floor houses. She led the two of them to stand in front of one such house: ¡°Lao Wei, Lao Wei, they¡¯re here!¡±


    A few coarse coughs came from the house as an answer.


    As the door opened, out of courtesy, Shu Jun pressed down the surprise on his face.


    There was an old man sitting in the chair ¡ª This was, in fact, a very generic description. In details, what he saw was an almost half-melted person covering the chair, like a candle that was about to be entirely burnt. His body looked like layers of melted wax hanging loosely on the grey wooden chair.


    The whole room was filled with decaying cabinets, with a bowl of porridge on the table in front of the old man and a urinal merely a few steps away from him. The place gave off an indescribable smell. The woman bowed to them awkwardly and took her leave first.


    Facing the scene before his eyes, Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t have much reaction.


    ¡°How did you two know about this place?¡± The old man spoke, his half-melted mouth forming a black hole. ¡°Our village is just a small place. If you want to catch rare mutated monsters, there¡¯s nothing valuable here.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t answer and just looked at him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard from Xiao Xi. She recently ran to the corpse disposal site just to steal parts from the machines. Whatever the case is, I¡¯m here to apologise to you¡­ You must have seen that our purifiers are all broken.¡±


    This makes sense, Shu Jun thought. This village looked shabby, and the villagers didn¡¯t seem to have much combat power. In such a village full of dying people, what exactly did Zhu Yanchen want to investigate?


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t there to steal the machine parts.¡± Zhu Yanchen finally spoke. ¡°She couldn¡¯t even start the purifying machines, so it¡¯s unlikely that she can remove the machine parts without leaving any trace. She probably will trigger a security breach signal on the first day, yet she manages to stay there for more than a month. It¡¯s also not so easy to blend into the team of corpse handlers. Someone here must have a connection.¡±


    The old man didn¡¯t answer, and a light gasp escaped his throat.


    ¡°She has violated the corpse disposal rules, resulting in the death of three soldiers. According to the regulations, this village must be investigated carefully.¡± Zhu Yanchen said again.


    Whether it was last night or now, Marshal Zhu could speak so much when he threatened others, but when it came to talking with Shu Jun, he was like a wooden fish1 that only made a sound when knocked on. Shu Jun zoned out a bit, not quite understanding what sort of mysterious catch-and-run game that the two of them were playing with each other.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± The old man finally said.


    ¡°I want to see the Erosion Marsh you¡¯re raising.¡± Zhu Yanchen¡¯s tone became colder: ¡°If you cooperate nicely, we¡¯ll only penalise that woman for violating the rules of corpse disposal (T/N: Here, Zhu Yanchen means that they won¡¯t prosecute her for unintentionally causing the death of three soldiers). The Erosion Marsh here will only be monitored by the military, so things won¡¯t become too ugly. Otherwise, we will follow the standard procedure and bury the marsh, then take you all back to the city.¡±


    ¡°It sounds great.¡± Lao Wei laughed: ¡°But it¡¯s a pity that the people here won¡¯t agree with that.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s indeed a pity.¡± Zhu Yanchen¡¯s voice didn¡¯t sound like he actually felt any pity: ¡°No matter what, I can¡¯t allow you to continue stealing Erosional Marsh from the corpse disposal site.¡±


    Stealing Erosion Marsh? That woman went to the corpse disposal site to steal the marsh?


    What was the point of raising an Erosion Marsh?


    Just when Shu Jun was about to express his doubts, a faint howl came to them. This time, the howl of Erosion Marsh wasn¡¯t as strong as last time. If last time, it sounded like it was calling out to Shu Jun with a clear intention, then this time, it sounded like it was just muttering to itself.


    There was an Erosion Marsh around here, which was likely small but rather active. Based on the changes of the howling sound, the marsh seemed to be moving, and there was also a rustling sound of shoe soles rubbing against the ground outside the room.


    ¡°The village is awake.¡± Lao Wei smiled: ¡°We can¡¯t give you what you want. Yesterday, your eavesdropping skill was so good that I thought you were no simple person. Boy, although I don¡¯t know what your purpose is¡­ I regret to say that you must die here.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen raised his hand and fired the gun, however, his target wasn¡¯t the old man, but a spot above the two of them. Shu Jun made his move at almost the same time. His target was behind them ¡ª Instantly, one mutated monster had its head blasted off while another was torn open by Shu Jun, their black blood splashing all over the ground.


    However, Lao Wei still looked confident. More mutated monsters jumped out from the cabinets, ran past Lao Wei in a flash and rushed towards Zhu Yanchen.


    ¡°Young people truly like to struggle hard.¡± Lao Wei smiled: ¡°But by the time you¡¯re done, our Erosion Marsh will have run away. Boy, how about we both calm down first? Your goal is gone, you put your gun down first, we can still talk about it ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shu Jun.¡± Zhu Yanchen ignored him and blew off the heads of several other mutated monsters.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s make these monsters a bit more obedient.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°Then make the Erosion Marsh stop and not run away.¡±


    ¡°???¡±


    This request is a bit too difficult, no?

 CH 11

    Shu Jun fell into confusion for a moment.


    After the first time he woke up, the mutated monsters¡¯ attitude towards him had improved a lot, but he actually had done nothing special. As for communicating with the Erosion Marsh, he wasn¡¯t sure if all that ¡®howling¡¯ he heard from the marsh was a form of communication. The request from Zhu Yanchen was like asking a toddler who had barely learnt to walk to win the gymnastics championship.


    ¡°How do I do that?¡± He kicked a mutated monster that was trying to attack Zhu Yanchen and humbly asked for advice.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Zhu Yanchen answered very calmly.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Your current Harmony is 19%. Theoretically, you should be able to do that as long as it¡¯s more than 15%.¡± Zhu Yanchen neatly dodged another mutated monster and stretched the handcuffs¡¯ chain to a straight line.


    Shu Jun sighed. The mutated monsters were rushing relentlessly towards Zhu Yanchen, completely ignoring his killing intent. The soft howl of the marsh in the distance had started fading away. He really didn¡¯t know how to ¡®communicate¡¯ with it. If he really howled back to it right here, he himself would feel very stupid.


    Shu Jun decided to hold back for now and focused on summoning his skill. The wind surrounded Zhu Yanchen and created a transparent barrier around him. Even so, the mutated monsters continued to step on each other, crowding around them and not letting them escape. One of them was exceptionally strong; it stood on the chair, planning to take Lao Wei away.


    Seeing this, Shu Jun quickly recalled something. This old man could live in harmony with the mutated monsters and had specifically asked to meet the two of them in this house. Such was a deadly strike ¡ª This was in fact no place for negotiation of truce. This run-down house was a trap from the beginning.


    The old man sounded very kind when they eavesdropped last night. Now it turned out that it was all an act.


    Shu Jun felt a little annoyed.


    Seeing that the mutated monsters didn¡¯t attack Shu Jun, Lao Wei squirmed on the chair and turned to face Shu Jun, showing a weird smile.


    ¡°Not bad, not bad.¡± He said to Zhu Yanchen: ¡°It seemed that you also brought a good mutated monster yourself, but unfortunately, it isn¡¯t very useful. No matter how strong it is, one single monster can¡¯t deal with so many others.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen raised his hand and fired. Undoubtedly, he intentionally angled the gun so that the bullet flew past Lao Wei¡¯s melting ear, hitting the wolf-shaped monster behind him. Its black blood splashed messily on Lao Wei, having him startled and twitch his melting face twice.


    ¡°Shu Jun, listen to me. It doesn¡¯t matter if you can¡¯t perform the requests I asked just now.¡± Zhu Yanchen raised his voice slightly, as if trying to overwhelm Lao Wei: ¡°If we work together, this old mister won¡¯t be able to run away.¡±


    Of course, Marshal Zhu¡¯s plan would definitely not point them to a dead-end situation.


    ¡°Do we take him hostage?¡± Shu Jun licked his chapped lips and stared at the old man on the chair.


    He felt as though he had been living inside a fog in the past few days, with his body feeling extremely uncomfortable and the accumulation of so many unpleasant surprises. The truth about this world had turned his  displeasure into anger, but this anger couldn¡¯t be vented on Zhu Yanchen, who had been giving him a helping hand. Thinking about him letting his guard down last night and being deceived by Lao Wei, Shu Jun couldn¡¯t help getting angry again.


    But since Zhu Yanchen had planned to come here long ago, he must have made enough preparations. Just now, Marshal Zhu wasn¡¯t at all surprised by Lao Wei¡¯s attack. Since he was willing to go into such a dangerous ground, it was highly likely that he was targeting Lao Wei.


    ¡°We take him hostage.¡± Sure enough, Zhu Yanchen repeated softly.


    Shu Jun was finally able to vent his anger. He twisted two mutated monsters¡¯ necks with his bare hands, then his sharp claws pierced the third monster¡¯s abdomen, spreading its stenchy internal organs all over the floor. The monster turned around and tried to take Lao Wei to leave the room through the window on the other side, but was quickly decapitated by Shu Jun with a wind blade.


    Lao Wei fell to the ground together with his chair.


    The mutated monsters hidden inside this room had almost all died, and the number of those that entered the room from outside couldn¡¯t keep up. Seeing that this strategy of sending waves of monsters to attack couldn¡¯t hold the two of them, Lao Wei¡¯s confident look began to fade away.


    He struggled to pull out a bamboo flute from his clothes and blew it hard.


    In a blink, the low howling sound of the Erosion Marsh in the distance became louder, and the eyes of the mutated monster that was attacking Zhu Yanchen turned bloodshot. The creature switched from its defensive stance and bit Zhu Yanchen¡¯s arm that was holding the gun.


    As the mutated monster suddenly became aggressive before Zhu Yanchen could have time to adjust his movement, a deep wound quickly formed on his upper arm.


    His dripping blood carried a very vague shade of black-and-grey.


    ¡°This thing¡¯s saliva is poisonous. If its bites a few more times, even a healthy person won¡¯t be able to hold himself. If you cherish your life, ask your pet¡­ subordinate to stop.¡± Lao Wei obviously remembered the warning shot just now and changed his word just in time.


    ¡°Not a subordinate, but a partner.¡± Zhu Yanchen said with a hiss. He glanced at his wound, stepped on the mutated monster¡¯s throat and fired several shots at its head.


    Zhu Yanchen might look nonchalant, but Shu Jun had reached his limit.


    To internally reflect on the relationship between him and Haze was one thing, but to watch others hurt Haze right before his eyes was another. After all those days of panic, all that anger from learning the truth and all that powerless self-blame, Zhu Yanchen¡¯s injury was the last spark of fire that blew up the fuse, exploding all the negative emotions he had been bottling up.


    Shu Jun didn¡¯t know whether he should be angry about others hurting Zhu Yanchen, or about the very fact that this guy was completely indifferent about his own injury.


    But at this point, he was too lazy to tell.


    Shu Jun unconsciously twisted the metal chain, making a coarse crackling sound, and broke it off with his bare hands. With the restraint broken, Shu Jun was like a beast finally getting out of the cage, bolting forward and directly pressing his sharp claws on Lao Wei¡¯s throat.


    He wasn¡¯t losing his mind, but his appearance right now obviously shocked Lao Wei to the core. The old man swallowed hard and remained motionless.


    ¡°Make those monsters stop.¡±


    Shu Jun revealed his sharpened teeth: ¡°Otherwise, I will bring you along while killing them myself ¡ª But let me tell you first, I don¡¯t yet know how to use these claws, so I may accidentally pierce a few holes into you. Don¡¯t complain when that happens.¡±


    Lao Wei lowered his head: ¡°I¡¯m getting old and about to kick the bucket already. Your threat is really something. You boy over there¡­ Well, my friend, you¡¯re still young, you should listen to me. It may not be too late if you treat the wound immediately. Otherwise¡­¡±


    This old man was bolder than he thought.


    Seeing that Shu Jun was a person who he could talk to, Lao Wei¡¯s eyes began to shift left and right and his speech started twirling. But he refused to calm those crazy mutated monsters. Just by looking at Zhu Yanchen¡¯s fighting skills, Shu Jun knew clearly that he could have defeated these monsters by himself, but there was a restriction here. Marshal Zhu was inside an erosion zone, which subjected him to environmental constraints. In this condition, he might win by working with other people, but they would definitely suffer a lot.


    Shu Jun felt it hard to breathe and subconsciously blew up the wind around him. The wind wasn¡¯t transparent this time, rather, it was scattered with black erosive substance, circling murderously around him. The mutated monsters suddenly reacted. They shrank their ears and retracted their tails, starting to race out of the room.


    And Shu Jun¡¯s hand, which was clutching Lao Wei¡¯s neck, once again started to transform, and the pitch-black erosive substance started oozing out. As Shu Jun¡¯s breathing became more rapid, the bracelet on his wrist twitched slightly. He glanced at it.


    [Harmony: 21%; Resonance level: 7; Erosive substance level is slightly out of balance.]


    I don¡¯t understand what this is saying, whatever. Anyway, my consciousness is still here. After the mutated monsters had run away, Shu Jun turned his gaze back to Lao Wei.


    Perhaps because those grey eyes were too oppressive, Lao Wei didn¡¯t try to randomly talk back anymore and became very compliant. Zhu Yanchen simply bandaged his wound and walked forward, trying to take away the bamboo flute in Lao Wei¡¯s pocket.


    ¡°Stay away from me.¡± Shu Jun warned: ¡°I¡¯m not in the right state.¡±


    He was hungry again, and he had never been this hungry before. Luckily, the old man in front of him didn¡¯t feel appetising at all. It seemed that when it came to food, he had no special preference towards humans.


    Perhaps because he saw Shu Jun¡¯s eyes turning green from hunger, Zhu Yanchen was cooperative and didn¡¯t come close: ¡°You were beyond my expectation. Rather than making the monsters listen to you, you directly scared them away.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how I did it. It might have something to do with the wind.¡± Shu Jun raised the corner of his mouth, the wind carrying black erosive substance still hovering around him.


    As the two were talking, Lao Wei stared at Shu Jun¡¯s eroding arm, his gaze becoming increasingly complicated.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take him first.¡± Zhu Yanchen and Shu Jun kept a distance of three steps between each other. ¡°Village of The Impaired isn¡¯t a permanent village. They might have seen that we didn¡¯t come here with any favourable intention and are probably on the way to escape. But they have to take the Erosion Marsh with them too. If we chase after them with all our strength, we can catch up.¡±


    As his words fell, he pulled out an equipment that looked like a pocket watch: ¡°If it¡¯s just to detect the reaction of the marsh, it may be useful¡­ Huh?¡±


    Shu Jun was so hungry that his head was spinning, and he just wanted to end the matter early: ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡¯ll chase after them. A Yan, do you have any emergency ration there, let me first ¡ª huh?¡±


    Shu Jun didn¡¯t have any Erosion Marsh detector, but he also noticed that something was wrong.


    Unbeknownst to them, the soft howl of the Erosion Marsh had approached nearer. To be precise, it was right outside the door. A very strange emotion came with the sound ¡ª This Erosion Marsh was different from the one back in the corpse disposal site. Its emotion felt simpler.


    For comparison, the one right now sounded like a wild animal that was looking at a human who pretended to be its own kin. It felt both curious and scared at the same time, and unsure of what to do.


    ¡­Shu Jun had fought against Erosion Marsh countless times before, but he had never embraced the ¡®emotion¡¯ of a marsh, so he felt a little confused.


    Zhu Yanchen had asked him to stop the marsh and make it not run away. It seemed that Shu Jun had succeeded doing that. Shu Jun could feel that the Erosion Marsh outside was whispering and observing him secretly, but he didn¡¯t know how to talk back to it.


    How about communicating with it using the wind that carried the erosive substance? Let¡¯s use this form of physical contact for now, because he also didn¡¯t want to be lifted into the air by those liquid pillars again.


    As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he blew a wind through a crack in the door. Only then did Shu Jun realise that unlike those mutated monsters, Erosion Marsh had no intelligence at all. He had no particular need to try to communicate with it.


    I must be so hungry that my brain has stopped working, Shu Jun thought.


    ¡°A Yan, the Erosion Marsh is right outside, you can go see it if you want to.¡± Shu Jun¡¯s expression twisted as he held Lao Wei with one hand and probed the mutated monster¡¯s corpse on the ground with the other hand. He tried to overcome his nausea and looked for a piece of meat to fill his stomach.


    Zhu Yanchen nodded and tightened his protective clothing. He took out a tiny equipment that Shu Jun couldn¡¯t recognise and was about to open the door.


    At this moment, the emotion of the Erosion Marsh outside the door seemed to change drastically.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Shu Jun yelled.


    The confusion, curiosity and fear that he could feel earlier had disappeared. Now he could only feel only one very primal instinct ¡ª A desire to fight.


    When has that ¡®you are my own kin¡¯ kind of emotion vanished?


    Shu Jun no longer cared about his hunger. With the mutated monster¡¯s leg still in his mouth, he grabbed Zhu Yanchen and ran away from the other end of the room.


    The bracelet on his wrist vibrated violently, as if it was about to explode in the next second. Outside, the Erosion Marsh was making an ear-splitting scream. Amid the fierce emotion he was sensing from the marsh, Shu Jun could figure out a little meaning.


    [I want information.]


    As the Erosion Marsh was burning with a desire to fight, only this simple thought kept repeating in its mind.


    [I want information.]


    If you just want information, do you have to be so annoying? Shu Jun couldn¡¯t help but curse in his heart.


    To his surprise, the Erosion Marsh outside the door went quiet for a moment, then it broke through the door.


    [I want information!] Its emotion was getting a bit more intense now.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    This was the first time he tried to converse with an Erosion Marsh on his own volition, and it could be considered quite a failure. Just as the thought flashed through his mind, a liquid pillar grabbed his leg and dragged him to the ground.


    I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, Shu Jun quickly said in his mind, but unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t very effective. The screaming noise that only he could hear grew louder, carrying in with it both anxiety and dissatisfaction.


    Fine.


    He used the last bit of effort to throw Zhu Yanchen and Lao Wei out of the house.


    If you want to fight, then let¡¯s do it one on one.

 CH 12

    The one-on-one idea was indeed pretty cool. However, Shu Jun was currently having a mutated monster¡¯s leg in his mouth, lying face down and being dragged backwards by a liquid pillar on his ankle. The scene looked more like an old shepherd dragging a wolf that tried to steal his sheeps.


    In his heart, Shu Jun felt so dejected. If his stomach was full and his weapon was still at hands, he wouldn¡¯t fall to such a low point.


    The current situation only allowed him to be distracted for half a second. As his wind blade cut off the liquid pillar in a flash, Shu Jun rolled on the spot and spit out the monster¡¯s leg in his mouth to his right hand. The leg still carried some body warmth, its hair rough and bristling, and its heavy weight helped Shu Jun get back to his fighting mood.


    Having its liquid pillar chopped off, the Erosion Marsh let out a soft howl. The liquid pillars around the edge of the marsh twisted together and lashed towards Shu Jun like a whip. Shu Jun swung the monster¡¯s leg like a sword and neatly dodged the attack, but eventually, one pillar managed to deal a blow to him. His clothes were instantly ripped open, but only a faint red mark remained on his skin.


    His state at this moment was nothing like the past. Right now, he neither carried any weapon nor wore any heavy, obstructive mechanical armour. The erosive substance that used to be threatening to him was now useless, so the Erosion Marsh in front of him was nothing more special than other mutated monsters.


    Rather, compared to those monsters with sharp claws and feral teeth, this Erosion Marsh even seemed less dangerous.


    There was only one problem. Normally, combatants would only kill the mutated monsters controlled by the Erosion Marsh, while the marsh itself could only be dispelled by the purifier. No one knew how to kill this thing ¡ª The Erosion Marsh in front of him wasn¡¯t too big, only about 20 square meters in size. It wasn¡¯t much different from other marshes.


    Such a slimy opponent was simply annoying.


    As Shu Jun used the monster¡¯s leg to scatter several liquid pillars, the marsh continued to make an unpleasant hissing noise. The flesh on the monster¡¯s leg melted and started dripping down, and eventually, even its bone was eroded till it turned mushy and broke upon touch. Shu Jun threw away the wreck in distress, leaned against the ground with both hands and made a beautiful spin mid air, neatly avoiding the marsh¡¯s attack.


    The situation was becoming a bit awkward. The Erosion Marsh couldn¡¯t catch him, but he couldn¡¯t catch it either. There would be no problem to continue doing this for three days and three nights ¡ª  with the condition that he didn¡¯t get hungry.


    His stomach was making a  deafening growl, and his legs and feet were getting weaker. Shu Jun sighed and glanced behind him.


    They had been fighting here for more than ten minutes. It would be great if Zhu Yanchen took the opportunity to run away.


    He didn¡¯t know that Zhu Yanchen was still staying within his field of vision, with Lao Wei tied up with a metal rope like a dumpling and lying at Zhu Yanchen¡¯s feet. Looking at the distance, Zhu Yanchen hadn¡¯t retreated far at all.


    ¡°Find its brain.¡± Seeing Shu Jun turning his head, Zhu Yanchen said loudly. ¡°When it attacked you just now, there was a certain spot on its body where the erosive substance didn¡¯t move at all. Search at its southwest direction!¡±


    ¡°This thing has a brain?!¡± Shu Jun¡¯s response came with a little panic.


    ¡°Theoretically, it has a nerve-like core composed of a special erosive substance.¡± This was a long sentence that costed Zhu Yanchen a lot of effort to shout out. Shu Jun¡¯s ears listened to the words, but his brain, which was in a fighting state, couldn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of such a thing!¡± He yelled back.


    ¡°It¡¯s from my personal research.¡± Zhu Yanchen¡¯s tone got a little more sincere: ¡°Now is not the best time to explain, let¡¯s talk about it after you win ¡ª¡±


    Did this guy seriously consider explaining right here, right now?


    Previously, he knew that A Yan had a serious personality, but he didn¡¯t expect the real person to be this serious. Shu Jun couldn¡¯t help but raise the corner of his mouth. He bounced and landed on the roof near the marsh, trying to find the spot that Zhu Yanchen talked about.


    It was really difficult to find such a spot in the middle of the battle. He had to concentrate and observe carefully to find any distinct point in the boiling surface of the marsh. Zhu Yanchen was able to roughly judge from a long distance, but it seemed that the marshal wasn¡¯t entirely familiar with Erosion Marsh.


    As the sole of his shoes was slowly eaten up by the Erosion Marsh, Shu Jun pulled out a waterproof plastic board on the roof and threw it straight at the marsh, then he jumped along with the board. A plastic board¡¯s erosion rate was relatively slow, so he could buy himself some time.


    Under the weight of a grown man, the plastic board began to sink into the marsh while Shu Jun finished adjusting his stance ¡ª The plastic board then sank further and Shu Jun¡¯s hand penetrated into a spot that he thought seemed abnormal.


    He stretched his hand and grabbed at the liquid¡­


    Indeed, there seemed to be something.


    He was pretty sure that he caught something other than the slimy erosive substance and felt its stringy texture, like an animal¡¯s soft tendons.


    The moment he touched it, that thing immediately recoiled and moved back. At this point, he could clearly sense the Erosion Marsh¡¯s fear, as though it was a wild animal suddenly caught in a hunting trap. Its whole body started to shrink.


    Shu Jun had never seen an Erosion Marsh shrink. The Erosion Marsh in his hands no longer carried the texture of a marsh, rather, it felt closer to cement. He found it difficult to pull out his hand now. The marsh continued shrinking, its original area of 20 square meters reducing to 10, and it didn¡¯t seem to stop any time soon.


    Being suppressed by Shu Jun, the marsh¡¯s fighting desire had now turned into a panicking killing intent. Shu Jun believed that if he could pull his hand out, the marsh wouldn¡¯t try to trouble him anymore. But there was a prerequisite to withdrawing his hand ¡ª He had exhausted all his strength, and in fact, his power was getting more difficult to control, not to mention that his arm was being eroded more severely and causing him excruciating pain.


    Catching a glimpse of Zhu Yanchen seemingly wanting to step forward, Shu Jun quickly let out his a long sigh: ¡°I¡¯m okay, don¡¯t come over!¡±


    Even if Zhu Yanchen might have many tricks up his sleeve, it remained a fact that his arm had been injured. If he came close to the Erosion Marsh at a time like this, his wound would only worsen ¡ª So now wasn¡¯t yet the time that Shu Jun needed help.


    Being stuck at the very last step amid a battle was really the most agonising experience. The monitoring device on his wrist vibrated and Shu Jun felt as though he was seeing stars: ¡°If you really know what fear is, why don¡¯t you just go away?¡±


    No one knew if it was because of the hunger, but Shu Jun felt waves of pain crashing his head. Regardless of whether the Erosion Marsh could understand him or not, he directly said: ¡°¡­Let go of my hand.¡±


    The Erosion Marsh continued to bite him as though it was in a trance, squeezing his hand tightly like a clamshell.


    His wind-type skills could chop off things but were not very useful for digging up things. Shu Jun couldn¡¯t pull himself out using the wind. Seeing that there was no way to escape, Shu Jun now decided to listen to his instincts and simply push his hand deeper.


    You are scared, aren¡¯t you? Then let me make you even more scared.


    The Erosion Marsh¡¯s scream might have reached its peak volume, for Shu Jun felt as if his ears were bleeding. He scratched the extremely sticky liquid, finally sending the Erosion Marsh back to its senses. It recklessly splitting itself into countless liquid pillars, fiercely trying to stab Shu Jun.


    Shu Jun had been paying attention to the form of this Erosion Marsh ¡ª Its component, the erosive substance, of course couldn¡¯t just appear out of thin air. If the creature used more substance to form those liquid pillars, the sticky body surrounding his hand would definitely become thinner. As long as he caught the right opportunity, breaking free shouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    His guess was correct. The moment the liquid pillars arose, his hand instantly felt a little looser.


    But he didn¡¯t leave immediately.


    As he pulled out his hand and was about to flee, an instinctive anger exploded from inside. Out of his control, both of his feet stuck to the only remaining part of the plastic board, disagreeing to leave with him. At the same time, his lower arm that had been dripping erosive substance turned completely into a dull shade of black. The black colour naturally blended into his upper arm, making it look as though Shu Jun was born with his arms looking this way.


    The monitoring bracelet that Zhu Yanchen gave him emitted a puff of smoke and finally stopped vibrating.


    Shu Jun had no idea how his expression looked like right now. That anger was still swirling in his heart. His experience urged him to run away, but his instincts resisted the thought.


    The liquid pillars from the Erosion Marsh stopped mid air, and the creature¡¯s emotion felt like it was interrupted for a moment, as if frightened to the core.


    Is the marsh in my own body showing off its aura? Shu Jun subconsciously fiddled with a liquid pillar with his hands. This time, his hands didn¡¯t pass through the erosive substance. He simply clutched it.


    Then he tore it apart, as easily as tearing a loaf of bread.


    The Erosion Marsh at his feet completely went hysteric. It abruptly withdrew all its liquid pillars and shrank further into a large soft ball, looking like a tiny creature that had been scared stiff. Shu Jun decisively took his revenge and gave the marsh several deep scratches before letting it escape.


    Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t catch its brain.


    The Erosion Marsh ran away, leaving behind only a grey and black patch on the ground. At this point, the black shade on his arms didn¡¯t disappear and his hunger surged up. Before Shu Jun could even say hello to Zhu Yanchen, he quickly rushed into the room where he had fought with Lao Wei. He kicked away the layers of monster corpses on the ground, grabbed a part that looked relatively similar to normal meat and directly gnawed on it.


    ¡­Unsurprisingly, it tasted bad.


    But somehow, he had a fear that he would starve to death the next moment, so he simply continued biting on it. As the monster¡¯s meat entered his stomach, it merely felt like a stone thrown into the lake. He ate an equivalent of a cow leg¡¯s weight but only felt his stomach three-quarter full.


    ¡°The relationship between different Erosion Marshes is like that of a pack of wolves.¡± Unbeknownst to him, Zhu Yanchen had returned to the door. He leaned on the door frame, his injured arm wrapped in layers of bandage: ¡°Of course, they aren¡¯t as smart as wolves. It¡¯s just that they are similar in terms of hierarchy.¡±


    He glanced at the broken monitoring device on Shu Jun¡¯s wrist and sighed: ¡°Now I can be sure that you did absorb the giant Erosion Marsh that you encountered back in your championship battle. That marsh is undoubtedly an Alpha, and the one just now isn¡¯t even considered an adult.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like I bullied a kid.¡± Shu Jun swallowed the meat and opened his mouth: ¡°I still think it¡¯s a bit of a joke. Can one person absorb such a big marsh?¡±


    ¡°More than 99.9% of Erosion Marsh is water. If it¡¯s willing to abandon its water component and integrate with your body, theoretically, yes, it can be done.¡±


    ¡­What was that Erosion Marsh even thinking? If the marsh only wanted to grow two legs, it was too risky a plan. Shu Jun stared dumbly into space as he took another bite of meat.


    He not only integrated with an Erosion Marsh, but also blended with a super concentrated type of erosive substance. The instinctive anger he felt just now might be due to the marsh inside him feeling shameful of itself ¡ª as an Alpha wolf, he was beaten up by a kid and even wanted to escape.


    ¡°You have such an excellent object for observation right by your side, so why do you especially want to visit this kiddy marsh?¡± Shu Jun wiped the blood and flesh remnants on his mouth and added: ¡°A Yan?¡±


    Zhu Yanchen¡¯s mood seemed to lighten up slightly: ¡°Your situation is too special. The resonance between your body and the erosive substance is very high, which convinces the Erosion Marsh that mixing with you gives it a greater chance of survival. In simplest terms, the marsh has no brain and it wants a ready-made one ¡ª Even if it isn¡¯t its own brain, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Shu Jun frowned, no longer in any mood to joke. Combining this with what happened just now, he could vaguely come up with a guess.


    ¡°That kiddy marsh is trying to collect information¡­ So does it also want to perfect its own brain?¡± These marshes were not unchanging; they were trying to evolve.


    ¡°Uhm.¡±


    ¡°Then the one at the corpse disposal site¡­¡±


    ¡°I raised it from scratch. It hasn¡¯t come into contact with other Erosion Marshes. It doesn¡¯t recognise any hierarchy and only knows how to eat.¡± Zhu Yanchen shook his head: ¡°That¡¯s how it is. It¡¯s actually a good thing that you¡¯re experiencing it yourself. A pure theory isn¡¯t convincing enough. Now throw the broken monitoring device over, I¡¯ll repair it. You can continue to recuperate your body.¡±


    Shu Jun looked at his pitch black hands. He looked at Zhu Yanchen again, then turned his eyes back to his opaque black claws. As if sensing his thoughts, the black colour thoughtfully faded away. Shu Jun breathed a sigh of relief, stood up and handed the monitoring device to Zhu Yanchen.


    ¡°Let me see your injury.¡± Pulling short their distance, Shu Jun took the chance to make this request: ¡°I¡¯m more familiar than you in this aspect.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve dealt with it.¡±


    ¡°The marshal has never been out of the city. Have you been injured by a mutated monster before? I don¡¯t believe it.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Seeing that he couldn¡¯t shake off Shu Jun¡¯s persistence, Zhu Yanchen sighed and stretched out his arm.


    The wound revealed a grey shade due to the erosive contaminant, and it indeed had been dealt with pretty well. Shu Jun was quite surprised ¡ª Marshal Zhu was a strategist who never had to fight on the battlefield, but he seemed very used to treating wounds.


    Shu Jun looked at it carefully: ¡°The stitches are a bit rough, I¡¯ll help you fix it later.¡±


    ¡°Uhm.¡±


    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s another thing, your handcuffs¡­¡± Shu Jun shook the handcuff left on his wrist. This thing hadn¡¯t been damaged much, which showed that it must have been treated with anti-erosion coating. It was broken just now probably because Shu Jun was temporarily out of control, not to mention that the erosive substance in his body was too concentrated.


    Zhu Yanchen seemed a bit lost on what to do next.


    It¡¯s understandable, Shu Jun thought. Now his questions were being answered one by one, but new questions followed right behind. Based on what Zhu Yanchen said, Shu Jun definitely shouldn¡¯t kill his ¡®private caretaker¡¯ immediately for the sake of his own life. But his condition was slowly stabilising, and one day, Zhu Yanchen would no longer be needed.


    If he went berserk once more, it wouldn¡¯t be impossible for him to kill indiscriminately. As a leader, Zhu Yanchen should take advantage of his unstable condition and simply deal with him quickly, rather than try to save him.


    In the end, why is this person having so much trust in me?


    Shu Jun shook his head, and a long moment later, he seemed to have made up his mind.


    He picked up the long chain connected to his handcuff, then grabbed the chain on Zhu Yanchen¡¯s wrist. He tied the two chains into a dead knot.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t learnt to readily control the power of the marsh inside me. You know, I can¡¯t summon it again for the time being.¡± He said.


    ¡°You want me to stay put for three days, then three days it is. I¡¯ve eaten my share now, let¡¯s go¡­ Hey wait, I¡¯ll take another leg.¡±

 CH 13

    Lao Wei¡¯s attitude changed and he started looking at Shu Jun with much kinder eyes.


    After their Erosion Marsh escaped, the villagers also disappeared. At first, Shu Jun thought that the old man was just admitting to his wrongdoing, but his gaze was a lot yielding than any he had ever seen. It was fear.


    With the villagers having run away, Zhu Yanchen had them move to a clean house. It could be seen that this room used to be a kitchen, with only some barren resources such as eroded salt and rice left behind. Shu Jun turned on the stove and skilfully roasted the mutated animal¡¯s leg. The thing tasted much better after its skin was peeled off and its meat was slightly flavoured. If there were more spices, maybe it could really serve as a proper grill dish.


    It was just that the concentration of erosive substance in this thing was too high for normal people to eat.


    Zhu Yanchen stayed fixed in his spot and gulped down another nutritional supplement. This time, he also had something else ¡ª something that puffed up after being soaked in water, looking like a colourless jelly that probably wouldn¡¯t taste good. Zhu Yanchen loosened Lao Wei¡¯s hands and handed him some jelly, which the old man ate gracefully.


    The marshal indeed abode by the rule of not talking when he ate and not talking when he slept. Shu Jun couldn¡¯t even hear the sound of him chewing and swallowing, let alone any words of talking.


    Lao Wei was also unexpectedly obedient and accepted whatever food given to him, but once in a while, he would cast a glance at Shu Jun. Being stared intensely by a half-melted person, Shu Jun felt his hands getting a little stiff.


    ¡°If you have something to say, say it.¡± Unable to bear it anymore, Shu Jun sprinkled some salt on the meat and asked patiently.


    ¡°Because we¡¯re afraid of outsiders, every time we settle in a new place, we¡¯ll also plan the next place to move to. I know where the Erosion Marsh has gone to and I can help you follow it.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen¡¯s hand that was holding the spoon paused for a second, while Shu Jun picked up a knife to cut off a piece of meat: ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t know that you could be so cooperative. But it¡¯s a pity that I don¡¯t have any say in this matter, you have to talk to that man over there.¡±


    He raised the oily knife and pointed at Zhu Yanchen, who was a few steps next to them.


    ¡°No, he won¡¯t understand. You see, he restrained you with this chain.¡± Lao Wei said with a mysterious tone: ¡°But you¡¯ll understand, you will definitely understand.¡±


    Saying that, he continued staring at Shu Jun with scorching eyes, as though hoping that Shu Jun would ask more questions.


    Shu Jun felt his stomach churn. On the battlefield, every second was precious and he always hated having to talk nonsense in the midst of a battle. This old man was a typical example of ¡®talking for a whole day yet everything was equivalent to nothing¡¯.


    ¡°I understand. Let¡¯s eat first, then we can talk.¡± He replied perfunctorily, cutting off another piece of meat and turning over the animal¡¯s leg.


    Lao Wei¡¯s face twitched, and Zhu Yanchen coughed a few times as if choking on something.


    ¡°A Yan, how about we follow it tonight?¡± Seeing Zhu Yanchen¡¯s hand holding the spoon pausing in mid-air, Shu Jun swallowed down the piece of meat in his mouth.


    The Erosion Marsh had just been provoked by him, so it likely still remained on alert. The villagers were probably the same ¡ª Since their village chief had been taken hostage and the Erosion Marsh had also run away, they were definitely anxious at this moment. Zhu Yanchen abruptly arrived here bringing such bad news, so of course he must have triggered a bunch of people into full panic.


    It would be better to wait until nightfall, after everybody had calmed down. Then they could ask this old man to lead the way and find a few key people to ask about the situation.


    ¡­Also, Zhu Yanchen needed to rest. This guy hadn¡¯t slept all night.


    Shu Jun played with the knife and thought about how to explain his thoughts in the simplest manner, but Zhu Yanchen opened his mouth first.


    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll rest first, and I¡¯ll need to bother you to help stay on guard for a while.¡±


    This exchange felt as comfortable as their communication in the past.


    Being stared at by Lao Wei was truly uncomfortable, and fearing that the old man would continue muttering nonsense, Shu Jun simply locked him inside the kitchen. Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t put up any mattress. He spread a few pieces of plastic sheets on the ground and just lay down.


    No one knew if it was unintentional or intentional, but Zhu Yanchen was lying on his side with his back facing Shu Jun. Shu Jun continued to chew on the meat and subconsciously lowered his sounds. Perhaps because they had been communicating with each other through texts for a long time, the atmosphere between the two of them wasn¡¯t as awkward as he had thought.


    ¡°I¡¯m not used to staying with other people for an extended period.¡± Zhu Yanchen suddenly spoke when Shu Jun thought that he was asleep: ¡°¡­If you don¡¯t like it, just say it, don¡¯t keep it to yourself.¡±


    If it wasn¡¯t for the chain between the two, Shu Jun would have a silly thought that they were travelling companions who headed out together for sightseeing.


    Forget it, he was the unplanned variable anyway. The A Yan he knew had never been outgoing in the first place, so if he ignored their current complicated situation, the guy¡¯s attitude right now could be considered pretty good.


    ¡°Uhm.¡± Shu Jun replied in a low voice, almost choking on the meat.


    Zhu Yanchen let out a nearly silent sigh, arched his back slightly and breathed out softly.


    With these sharp claws, Shu Jun couldn¡¯t just happily lick the oil on his fingers. He wiped the oil with a cloth towel, realising that this was a rare peaceful moment. Zhu Yanchen was asleep and there was no interference, which was just nice for some quiet thinking.


    He meant no hostility towards Zhu Yanchen for the time being, but it didn¡¯t mean that he didn¡¯t hate the ¡®NPC¡¯ organization that was controlling his teammates. After learning the truth, he had a severe headache and was made to quickly forget the content of that truth. The players¡­ No, the synthesised humans had some control mechanism in their brains. Seeing that even Marshal Zhu Yanchen had a hard time dealing with it, it seemed that this control mechanism wasn¡¯t so easy to handle.


    Zhu Yanchen never talked to him about this topic, but he needed information. Even if it took time to completely understand his physical condition, he couldn¡¯t just follow Zhu Yanchen stupidly and do nothing by himself.


    Shu Jun glanced at the chain on his wrist.


    At this moment he only had one wish: it would be great if Zhu Yanchen was really a ¡®friend¡¯. He didn¡¯t know why Zhu Yanchen, a high-ranking and powerful officer, ran out here alone, and why he spared Shu Jun¡¯s life. At this stage, they were getting along fairly well, but if the two of them had to stand against each other in the future¡­


    Shu Jun sighed and moved his eyes along the chain to reach Zhu Yanchen. The man still turned away from Shu Jun, his back slightly arching. Shu Jun couldn¡¯t feel his usual sense of discipline, as if he was going through some pain. Thinking of the wound on the guy¡¯s arm, Shu Jun leaned forward, trying to check the bleeding.


    Only after the smell of grilled meat had dissipated that he realised Zhu Yanchen¡¯s smell seemed a bit off.


    It wasn¡¯t any peculiar smell, nor did it smell bad. Shu Jun¡¯s sense of smell wasn¡¯t actually very sharp; it was just that he found this smell familiar. As the leading combat team of [Erosion], the Blackbird team was on the battlefield¡¯s front line all year round. In addition to direct deaths in battles, it wasn¡¯t uncommon for them to succumb to injuries.


    The wounded always carried a certain smell, and Zhu Yanchen right now smelled like eroded moist soil.


    With that new wound alone, it was impossible to brew such a distinct smell so quickly. This person mustn¡¯t be very healthy, and the state must have lasted for a long time. Shu Jun frowned and moved closer. He began to sincerely dislike Zhu Yanchen¡¯s protective clothes and mask that concealed all possible clues. The distance was so close, yet he could only see a bit of pale skin through the goggles.


    Now that he thought about it, he had no idea if Zhu Yanchen was born with such fair skin or he was pale with sickness. Zhu Yanchen¡¯s movements were neat, his combat power wasn¡¯t low and his physical strength seemed to pose no problem, so Shu Jun never thought about that at all.


    As he was busy observing, Zhu Yanchen, whose face was directly opposite his, suddenly opened his eyes before Shu Jun could move away.


    Zhu Yanchen: ¡°¡­What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Shu Jun was embarrassed for a moment and quickly adjusted his emotions: ¡°Nothing. I wasn¡¯t being myself. I was just feeling that it¡¯s actually a good thing that I kidnapped you.¡±


    As expected, Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t think it was any funny joke. But instead of looking alert, the emotions in those eyes were extremely complicated, so complicated that Shu Jun couldn¡¯t understand it.


    ¡°It¡¯s indeed a good thing.¡± Zhu Yanchen answered calmly: ¡°I¡¯ve had a good rest. Let¡¯s see how Lao Wei is¡­¡±


    ¡°How long have you been sleeping?! Was it even fifteen minutes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had a good rest.¡±


    ¡°At this stage, if you crash, I¡¯ll be in trouble too.¡± Shu Jun dismissively pushed the guy back: ¡°Do not get up before you¡¯ve slept for five hours.¡±


    Anyway, he can¡¯t strip this person off to look for clues, and there was no doctor around to verify. Shu Jun randomly sat down on the plastic sheets, closed his eyes and began to think about the next plan.


    Zhu Yanchen¡¯s fingers twitched as if he wanted to catch something, but he said nothing and turned his back to Shu Jun again, then fell into a deep sleep.


    Lao Wei stayed locked in the room until sunset.


    ¡°The new place the villagers are moving to isn¡¯t far away, just to the west.¡± Lao Wei¡¯s legs had been completely eroded and he couldn¡¯t walk at all. Had Shu Jun not been able to control the wind, there would certainly be lots of trouble along the way.


    To talk about the benefits of flying, vision was definitely one of them. The Erosion Marsh was pitch-black and encompassed with grey soil, which was rather eye-catching even at night. In addition, it carried four dots of fire around it. Although the villagers tried to hide those lights, they never thought about the possibility of someone looking down from the sky.


    Seeing that they were only some distance away from the village, Lao Wei called for a stop.


    Shu Jun grabbed the two of them and braked sharply in the air. The sky in an erosion zone had always been gloomy, so the three of them stopping in mid-air wasn¡¯t too conspicuous.


    ¡°The ritual is happening.¡± Lao Wei¡¯s eyes lit up, and coupled with his melted state, he looked even more terrifying: ¡°You can take a look first. Wait a bit.¡±


    Shu Jun and Zhu Yanchen looked at each other.


    As if afraid that Shu Jun would respond perfunctorily again, Lao Wei hurriedly added a few more words: ¡°Young men, I don¡¯t know who you are. It was our fault that we caused the deaths of those soldiers at the corpse disposal site, but we¡¯re also suffering. You¡¯ve seen it too. If we stay in the city, we¡¯re just waiting for death, and we can¡¯t even get buried peacefully even when we die. We¡¯ll be used as food for the Erosion Marsh by that man surnamed Zhu.¡±


    Zhu was definitely not a very common surname. Shu Jun turned around, looking obviously intrigued. Zhu Yanchen hadn¡¯t revealed a word, yet Shu Jun received this information right at his doorstep, for free.


    Seeing Shu Jun being interested in this topic, Lao Wei¡¯s spirits heightened and he started talking even more happily.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make it clear. The real corpse handler is my grandson. He¡¯s still in good health and lives in the city. People from inside have told me a lot of things, and my words are true ¡ª For many years, they¡¯ve been trying to strengthen the purification ability, and this Zhu Yanchen has insisted on carrying out many weird researches. But after ten years of research, there¡¯s still no result.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re just waiting for death, but we also want to die with dignity. In any case, we¡¯re unlucky people who can¡¯t even recover with medicine. But is it fair for us? Since that man Zhu couldn¡¯t produce any results, we thought about moving out of the city so that we could at least have a grave and die with dignity. Only the gods pity us¡­ You see, look over there.¡±


    His half-melted finger pointed to the Erosion Marsh below.


    Shu Jun once again saw the woman who posed as the corpse handler, for her hairpin was very easy to recognise. At this moment, she was carefully touching the edge of the Erosion Marsh and whispering softly: ¡°Baby.¡±


    The next sight caused Shu Jun¡¯s hair to almost stand up.


    The liquid pillars on the surface of the Erosion Marsh stretched higher, drawing a blotchy outline mid-air. The silhouette consisted of more than one person, as if a group of transparent figures blended with erosive substance was floating in the air above the Erosion Marsh, where only the parts covered by the pitch-black liquid could be seen.


    At first glance, a mix of various body parts was hanging above the marsh. They just hung quietly, like dry black lotus leaves.


    The woman was still yelling: ¡°Baby, come to me.¡±


    The pillars continued to rise, barely forming a little girl that moved staggeringly, trying to get closer to the woman. Eventually, it stopped a few steps away from the woman and opened its arms as if asking for a hug.


    Shu Jun had personally killed many monsters controlled by Erosion Marsh and even fought with the marsh itself, but he had never encountered such a scene.


    ¡°We¡¯ve found a way to survive.¡± Lao Wei said excitedly: ¡°I knew it! The gods above aren¡¯t so cruel, they really pity us!¡­ Maybe it isn¡¯t bad luck that our bodies are like this, it¡¯s a blessing.¡±


    ¡°I saw that you were leaking out erosive substance earlier. How did you survive?¡±


    ¡°We can also survive like you and change back to normal people, right?¡±

 CH 14

    This old man had really approached the wrong person when he thought that Shu Jun was the ¡®easier¡¯ one between the two of them.


    But Lao Wei was not to blame. Zhu Yanchen was tall and sturdy, even a little taller than the an average combatant, and his combat power in the battle against the mutated monsters earlier was amazing. Compared to a researcher, Marshal Zhu looked more like an armed guard.


    Zhu Yanchen frowned: ¡°Move a bit lower.¡±


    The little girl made of the erosive substance was becoming more and more complete. It staggered forward on the surface of the Erosion Marsh while vaguely calling out something.


    ¡°Mom¡­ Mom¡­ Mom¡­¡± Its voice didn¡¯t sound like that of a child, rather, it was strangely rough, but the woman didn¡¯t seem to mind.


    Was this what Zhu Yanchen meant when he said I could find people who are ¡®my kin¡¯ here?


    Shu Jun looked left to right but couldn¡¯t find even a flower, and the Erosion Marsh under his feet seemed to have nothing special. However, Zhu Yanchen seemed very serious. Since the start of their partnership, Zhu Yanchen had never shown any oppressing aura, but at this moment, Marshal Zhu looked like a carnivore that was ready to hunt down its prey.


    This kind of aura can¡¯t be feigned, Shu Jun instinctively straightened his back.


    At the same time, the woman at the edge of the marsh started moving. Although she seemed to desperately want to touch the pitch-black figure of the little girl, she didn¡¯t do so. As the woman knelt down and stabilised her posture, an old woman approached from behind and put down a jar she had been holding in her arms.


    ¡°My baby.¡± The woman murmured and scooped some pitch-black liquid from the jar, dumping it into the marsh with a respectful gesture.


    ¡°My baby¡­¡±


    This was likely the erosive substance stolen from the corpse disposal site, but Shu Jun actually didn¡¯t expect it to be used here.


    After receiving the ¡®tribute¡¯, the Erosion Marsh was satisfied and it remained calm, making a gentle grunting sound. Shu Jun tried to perceive its emotions with all his strength but failed to find any emotion that was even remotely similar to that of a child. The little girl made of erosive substance was at most six or seven years old ¡ª Children at this age, assuming that she was used to this current situation, she probably would feel no pain or fear, but shouldn¡¯t she at least express something now that she was looking right at her mother?


    All this while, the Erosion Marsh continued to boil quietly.


    The woman looked as though she was afraid that the girl was suspicious of her, so she recklessly took off her mask and stared at her daughter with a gaze that almost seemed obsessive. Lao Wei squinted his eyes, as if he was completely captivated by what was happening down there.


    If this was still a game, and the people below were just NPCs, Shu Jun would think this mission had quite an interesting plot. However, everything was reality and this scene could only send chills down his spine. After removing her mask, the woman spent a long time zoning out in an area with such a high concentration of erosive substance. Thereafter, another person came to take her place. The person made the same call to the marsh, fed it with the same pitch-black liquid and showed the exact same expression of not wanting to part ways.


    The erosive substance continued to change, drawing out images of different dead people. There was no change in the sounds they made and they couldn¡¯t even speak a complete word, but the people gathering around the marsh all seemed incredibly grateful and contented.


    Floating in the air, Shu Jun was speechless.


    The moment the jar almost ran out of liquid, the peculiar ceremony came to an end. Two villagers who still resembled a normal human entered the tent and carried out a corpse. The corpse was tightly wrapped in grey cloth, its chest wrapped with a cloth strip that had been shaped into flowers. It lay across a piece of eroded wooden support. The deformed people gathered and together, they pushed the wooden support, slipping it silently into the marsh.


    The corpse sank quietly, then its grey cloth gradually shrank and disappeared.


    ¡°The one that they pushed down is Lao Chen, he¡¯ll come back to us.¡± Lao Wei turned to Shu Jun and spoke confidently. ¡°We have brought back a lot of people, and we¡¯re not afraid of death. It¡¯s just that they can only keep to that state and everyone feels a bit nervous. Now that I¡¯ve seen you, I¡¯m pretty sure we didn¡¯t choose the wrong method ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough.¡± Zhu Yanchen¡¯s said with a tone slightly laced with anger.


    Lao Wei ignored him but looked at Shu Jun eagerly: ¡°We¡¯re the people who are more adaptable to this world. Are you from the city? Look at the chain on your wrist, how inhumane.¡±


    ¡­These provocative words sounded like he was coaxing a child.


    Before he could voice out his disagreement, Zhu Yanchen¡¯s muzzle was pressed on Lao Wei¡¯s head.


    ¡°Shu Jun, let¡¯s land.¡± He said: ¡°This Erosion Marsh can¡¯t live.¡±


    Facing three people who suddenly landed on the ground, the one with the biggest reaction was the Erosion Marsh itself. Seeing Shu Jun aggressively approaching it, the marsh dexterously spit out a lot of clear liquid and shrank into a soft ball two or three meters in diameter, ready to run away.


    While Shu Jun was still considering how to restrain this thing, Zhu Yanchen already made a move.


    As though he had prepared for this, Zhu Yanchen neatly loaded a new magazine into his gun. It no longer fired ordinary bullets; the new bullet projectiled in the air and turned into a fine net that fittingly covered the whole ball with a soft sizzling noise.


    The net carried a vague shade of green and a purifying effect, and the spot where it touched the marsh started clanging. The Erosion Marsh struggled and spit out even more clear liquid from its body, trying to make room for breathing and squeezing itself out through the tiny mesh.


    ¡°I can only trap it for a while.¡± Zhu Yanchen entered a string of codes on the handcuffs and Shu Jun¡¯s handcuff clicked open. ¡°Now that it¡¯s restrained, destroy its brain.¡±


    It seems that Shu Jun¡¯s previous lament that the chain was restricting his movements was somewhat effective indeed. Shu Jun nodded happily: ¡°What kind of data do you want from it?¡±


    ¡°We can get the data later.¡± Zhu Yanchen said concisely yet profoundly: ¡°This thing is almost reaching adulthood. When it grows up, it won¡¯t need these¡­¡±


    He carefully weighed his words for a moment: ¡°¡­these people who have been ¡®bred¡¯ inside it.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Lao Wei roared: ¡°We raise the marsh ourselves, you ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up.¡± Zhu Yanchen continued to ignore Lao Wei.


    Shu Jun had fought with Erosion Marsh for ten years, and this thing had previously tried to kill him to obtain information. Although he didn¡¯t quite understand what was going on right now, he didn¡¯t want to let such a complicated situation go on any further ¡ª After all, this Erosion Marsh had been frightened by him once, then it was carelessly captured by Zhu Yanchen on their second encounter. If this marsh was really just a kid that was obsessed with its own brain, if Shu Jun and it ever had to meet again for the third time, it might become a lot more careful.


    So now was the best time to attack.


    ¡°Roger, Marshal.¡± Without the handcuffs, even Shu Jun¡¯s tone felt lighter.


    Seeing the attack from the opposite side, the villagers panicked. Some picked up their guns and fired at them hastily, while some grabbed cleavers and kitchen knives and began to furiously cut open the net.


    ¡°All of you, don¡¯t move.¡± Zhu Yanchen said each word clearly as he pushed Lao Wei forward. No one knew when he had changed the gun¡¯s magazine again, but the muzzle was already pointing at the back of Lao Wei¡¯s head.


    ¡°Run with the marsh!¡± Lao Wei said: ¡°You can just snatch back my body later! We can¡¯t lose the Erosion Marsh or abandon all our efforts half-way!¡±


    Shu Jun moved faster, blew up a wind and landed neatly atop the soft ball. The hole in the net had just the right size to allow his arm to pass through. Once again, Shu Jun used his eroding arm to ruthlessly penetrate into the marsh, looking for its brain.


    Seeing that it couldn¡¯t escape, the Erosion Marsh used its usual method and immediately started screaming. There was never a shortage of mutated monsters inside an erosion zone. They came from around the village¡¯s new location, however, looking at the time, they might not be able to reach here so fast ¡ª Shu Jun once again caught the soft tendons. Now the size of this Erosion Marsh was so small, so it was only a matter of time before he could finally grab its brain.


    The villagers gathered anxiously around the marsh but they couldn¡¯t reach Shu Jun with their attacks. They tried to shoot, but their weapons were too old to break Shu Jun¡¯s wind shield. Shu Jun didn¡¯t stay idle either; his hand moved along the soft tendons, feeling as though he was almost able to grasp this monster¡¯s brain.


    But the marsh suddenly changed.


    As though no longer caring about what might be the consequence, the Erosion Marsh once again spit out a lot of clear liquid, and the abrupt reduction in volume left Shu Jun¡¯s hand empty. The Erosion Marsh of an original area of more than 20 square meters had shrunk into a block of 0.5 cubic meter, with a texture close to solid.


    Shu Jun landed softly on the ground and stretched out his hand again without hesitation. Since the erosive substance had become too thick, the marsh wouldn¡¯t be able to produce liquid pillars. To escape, this Erosion Marsh had chosen to give up on attacking. This monster had been totally cornered and the moment it got caught was just in sight.


    However, when Shu Jun raised his eyes again, he realised that the situation wasn¡¯t so simple.


    The cube of marsh lumped into the shape of a little girl again. It jerkily struggled with the net on its body and rushed towards the woman who was cutting the net with a kitchen knife.


    ¡°Mom¡­ Mom¡­¡± It cried hoarsely, staggering into the woman¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Mom¡­¡±


    Seeing such a pitiful appearance of the girl and also the look of the mother, Shu Jun subconsciously hesitated for a moment. The woman hurriedly tore off the net from her ¡®child¡¯ and held it tightly in her arms.


    Shu Jun could feel the emotions of the Erosion Marsh. There was no pleading and no fear, only the exact same tension and panic that he felt from the marsh earlier, now even laced with a hint of hunger. The hunger obviously didn¡¯t come to him.


    At the spots where the woman couldn¡¯t see, her protective clothing was quietly dissolving.


    ¡°Mom¡­ Mom¡­¡± The Erosion Marsh continued.


    Shu Jun tried to pull away the marsh with his hands, but the woman, like a crazy lioness, directly bit him. The woman was quite big in the first place, and the marsh shrunk itself further till the woman could almost entirely wrap it in her arms. It was already difficult for Shu Jun to pull it away, let alone attack it with his wind skills.


    ¡°Let us go, let us go!¡± She screamed: ¡°It¡¯s already like this, what else do you want to take from us?!¡±


    ¡°That is not your daughter.¡± Even if these people were at the very bottom of the society, Shu Jun wouldn¡¯t want to kill indiscriminately. ¡°Hand it over, we won¡¯t do anything to hurt you. My partner will definitely give you an explanation, we¡­¡±


    The Erosion Marsh was in a state that was easy to control. Now that it had removed most of its liquid, if they added another net atop it, it wouldn¡¯t be able to expand and escape.


    The woman smiled miserably: ¡°And what if she isn¡¯t? Hush, hush, baby, don¡¯t be scared.¡±


    ¡°Mom¡­¡± Seeing Shu Jun stop attacking, the marsh frantically tried to provoke the woman further.


    The villagers quickly surrounded the woman and kept her in the middle, like a swarm of ants gathering before a disaster, each carrying the same expression of resolution on their face. Shu Jun gritted his teeth. Now that things had turned out this way, he could only resort to violence.


    As the woman cried and the villagers sent curses at Shu Jun, the bullets didn¡¯t stop. Zhu Yanchen was also fighting in the distance, trying to figure out a way to end this mess as soon as possible.


    Looking at this situation, as long as the Erosion Marsh tried get back its liquid at all costs and ate those fleeing villagers, it would be difficult for them to track it again. If this somewhat intelligent marsh ran amok, no one knew how many other marshes it would help to evolve later.


    It was troublesome enough to think of a way to deal with humans. Even if Shu Jun managed to save all his teammates, they wouldn¡¯t be able to handle so many Erosion Marshes. If he didn¡¯t handle this one correctly, more trouble was bound to come later.


    ¡­What was Zhu Yanchen thinking when he planned to come here by himself?


    Shu Jun felt the Erosion Marsh¡¯s emotion gradually turning into arrogance, and a plan started being formed in his mind.


    ¡°Little friend, if I can¡¯t even beat you up, I don¡¯t deserve my position as the captain.¡± He grinned.

 CH 15

    ¡°Do you see it now? You can¡¯t restrain it.¡± Seeing Shu Jun struggling in the distance, Lao Wei smiled especially gleefully even though Zhu Yanchen was pointing a gun at him.


    He stretched his neck and tried to look far away, the melting flesh on his face twisting together: ¡°Young man, people with status won¡¯t come here. Even if you work for the government, why do you have to risk your life so badly? Why don¡¯t you just take back your weapons and we can talk slowly?¡±


    Zhu Yanchen stood like a statue and didn¡¯t respond to Lao Wei, showing no sign of wanting to take back his gun.


    Most people had gathered around Shu Jun, but a small group of villagers holding knives and guns and a few mutated monsters had also surrounded Zhu Yanchen. Even if they were sick people at the verge of death, their number couldn¡¯t be underestimated.


    Compared to Shu Jun, who looked a lot less like a normal human, Zhu Yanchen seemed to be an easier target. At first, Lao Wei was a little flustered seeing the Erosion Marsh being trapped in the net, but now, he had once again put on an arrogant look. Convinced that Shu Jun was at a disadvantage on the other side, Lao Wei turned around to look at Zhu Yanchen standing behind him.


    At this moment, he couldn¡¯t help shivering.


    To be honest, Lao Wei hadn¡¯t paid any close attention to this person before. Shu Jun¡¯s eye-catching and intriguing appearance coupled with the leadership aura that he exuded easily drew anyone¡¯s attention. In contrast, this tight-faced young man just seemed a tad boring.


    Except for when he needed to explain something, this young man never talked much. Lao Wei specially noticed that this person was rather comfortable talking to Shu Jun, which made it seem like he was a man with no significant status. Perhaps Shu Jun was raised by some big guy in the city, while this man was just an accompanying technician who happened to have received some combat training.


    Having said that, those who dared to come to an erosion zone these days were definitely no weak men. Although this young man¡¯s combat power was good, it wasn¡¯t anything outrageously incredible. As long as they could deal with Shu Jun first, this man could be taken down easily.


    But now, looking at the eyes behind the goggles, Lao Wei instantly realised a problem. I¡¯ve made a terrible mistake ¡ª


    This man was definitely not a mere technician.


    In those eyes, there was neither coldness nor killing intent, and neither compassion nor disgust, only a bleak aura of death. When the three of them moved together before, this person¡¯s eyes clearly looked ordinary.


    Normal people would likely be scared, while those who had a little more guts should have their guard up by now. In any case, the old man felt a surge of emotions sweeping by him.


    Lao Wei had an illusion that ¡ª although it was rather strange to say it out loud ¡ª he was being watched by a dead man.


    ¡°You have been feeding it with corpses and erosive substance, and it¡¯ll soon grow up.¡± Zhu Yanchen¡¯s tone was so calm it could send chills down anyone¡¯s spine: ¡°If you don¡¯t handle it well, one day it¡¯ll eat all of you. Now is still not too late to tell your people to stop.¡±


    His voice was neither high nor low, just enough to be heard by the villagers circling around him.


    ¡°I, I¡­¡± Frightened by Zhu Yanchen¡¯s gaze, Lao Wei started to stammer: ¡°I don¡¯t believe you¡­ Don¡¯t listen to him! Can you prove it? You have no evidence, you just want to trick us to take the marsh away¡­¡±


    The villagers panicked for a second, but none of them put down their weapons.


    ¡°Yes, evidence!¡±


    ¡°Indeed, where¡¯s your evidence?¡±


    ¡°Have the people who appeared from this Erosion Marsh said anything other than calling your names? Have they ever appeared at a time other than during your ¡®feeding¡¯ time?¡±


    ¡°That can¡¯t prove anything. This is our research!¡± Lao Wei roared. ¡°We¡¯ve been working on it for many years and there¡¯ve been no problems. Do you think that we¡¯ll buy any nonsense you bluff?¡±


    LaoWei didn¡¯t want to think about the meaning of Zhu Yanchen¡¯s sentences. He had to believe in his own theory; actually, he could only believe in his own theory.


    ¡°Kill him!¡± Lao Wei then added: ¡°As for the one over there ¡ª¡±


    ¡°But you said before that¡­¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t seem to be very close with each other. Listen to me! Don¡¯t worry about me, just throw my body into the marsh¡­¡±


    This time, he couldn¡¯t finish talking. Amidst all his suspiscion and anger, Lao Wei heard a soft sigh.


    Zhu Yanchen fired. Rather than killing Lao Wei, he shot at a spot that was extremely painful yet not lethal. Lao Wei let out an agonising scream as he fell to the ground, his blood slowly seeping into the muddy ground.


    ¡°I¡¯ve explained what I need to explain.¡± Zhu Yanchen threw a firm sentence at the old man as his hand continued moving steadily. Seeing Lao Wei screaming and falling to the ground, the villagers subconsciously shifted to his side, but those who dared to raise their knives were shot by Zhu Yanchen.


    The circle of villagers around Zhu Yanchen was so tight that blood started splashing on everyone. These sick people obviously couldn¡¯t be better than a man who had gone through strict army training, so within a few seconds, they soon erupted into chaos and loud cries. A few men didn¡¯t give up and still tried to attack Zhu Yanchen, but the latter didn¡¯t go easy on them and fired without hesitation.


    People quickly discovered the pattern. Except for the screaming Lao Wei on the ground, all the others were first shot on their arm or leg, then on the forearm, followed by another shot on the shoulder.


    After receiving three violent warnings, no one wanted to know where the fourth bullet would end up at. This person seemed to have eyes growing behind his back and they just couldn¡¯t catch his blind spot.


    Catching the smell of blood, the dozen mutated monsters that were standing among the villagers started losing their formation. No one knew if it was because the Erosion Marsh was busy dealing with Shu Jun and forgot about controlling them, but the monsters began to show their fangs at the villagers ¡ª Many villagers had to start attacking the monsters instead, and the whole scene blew into a horrifying mess.


    Shooting down several mutated monsters, Zhu Yanchen picked up his briefcase and squeezed into the frenzied crowd, dexterously marching towards Shu Jun¡¯s direction.


    It seems bad on his side, Zhu Yanchen thought as he clenched the gun tightly in his hand. If the situation required, he must intervene no matter how high the concentration of erosive substance over there was.


    On the other side, Shu Jun¡¯s situation was indeed bad.


    The Erosion Marsh had been entirely concealed by a thick circle of villages. He seemed to be at a loss and could only roughly send those standing at the outer layers fly away. But he couldn¡¯t reach the people at the center of the circle, where the marsh was hiding. After such close contact with people, Shu Jun had suffered several stabs on his left arm, and the blood was dripping into a small puddle on the ground, which quickly turned pitch-black.


    He himself was seemingly losing his fighting spirit as each second passed by. His movements were getting slower and his breathing was becoming heavier. Seeing his stagnant movements, a pitch-black arm quietly stretched out, shoving through the gap between the villages and towards the puddle of Shu Jun¡¯s blood.


    Before its eyes was a puddle of premium-quality liquid mixed with irresistable erosive substance plus a weakening opponent. Faced with such a combination, the Erosion Marsh really took the bait.


    Shu Jun raised the corner of his mouth and his movements suddenly quickened.


    He snatched a knife from a villager next to him and blew up a gust of wind, pushing his own body towards that arm like a cannonball. Before the arm could retreat, Shu Jun pulled it hard.


    Then he twisted his whole body in mid-air, stepped on the outermost layer of the crowd of villages and kicked against it with all his strength.


    Perhaps because she was now surrounded by a wall of people and felt more at ease, the woman wasn¡¯t holding the marsh as tightly as before. Shu Jun moved incredibly fast with an extremely strong force, and before she could even react, the marsh in the shape of a little girl had been violently pulled out by Shu Jun.


    Amidst the woman¡¯s piercing scream, Shu Jun swung the knife, trying to chop off the Erosion Marsh ¡ª In its current state, as long as he could locate the half with the brain and throw the other half far enough, the Erosion Marsh would be severely weakened and could no longer condense into human form.


    His plan was beautiful but the reality was cruel.


    Knowing it was about to be chopped off, the marsh squirmed for a second and suddenly squeezed out a lot of clear liquid. Shu Jun fiercely slammed down the knife, and with a loud clang, the marsh broke into two pieces, which continued to make a sizzling sound of things being eroded. Letting out an annoyed chuckle, Shu Jun took the chance to thrust his hand into a soft spot behind the marsh¡¯s back, before it could completely squeeze out all its liquid.


    If his few earlier attempts felt like touching wet cement, this time, it felt like reaching into a sand pile, which made it even more difficult to move. Luckily, he roughly remembered the position of the brain. The marsh had become so thick that the brain wouldn¡¯t have much space to move around.


    The soft brain of the Erosion Marsh lay at the end of several tendons, about the size of an egg.


    As soon as its brain was grabbed, the marsh lost its human form and turned into a coal-like lump, which hung stiffly on Shu Jun¡¯s arm. This thing was now pretending to be dead, which had Shu Jun wonder if he should laugh or cry.


    With just one grip, he could destroy this thing¡¯s brain. But¡­


    Shu Jun shook the weight on his hand and a crazy idea came to his mind. He wasn¡¯t hungry for battle anymore. He turned around and ran away, leaving the frantic villagers behind.


    Then he almost bumped into Zhu Yanchen, who was also running towards him.


    ¡°A Yan?¡± Shu Jun strungglingly braked with a heavy object hanging from his arm.


    Zhu Yanchen glanced at the Erosion Marsh dangling from Shu Jun¡¯s arm, then at Shu Jun. His eyes no longer carried that sense of death, only a bit of doubt. However, before he was done looking at Shu Jun, Shu Jun picked him up and both of them flew into the sky


    ¡°Let¡¯s run away first.¡± Shu Jun smiled: ¡°I have an interesting idea.¡±


    ¡°Your idea in ??the last game is also very interesting, please be reminded of the result.¡± Zhu Yanchen said with a rarely-heard gloomy tone as he stared at Shu Jun¡¯s left arm that was still bleeding.


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s not the same thing. This is just a surface wound. Speaking of that, didn¡¯t you inspire me? And what happened to your arm?¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t change the subject, you didn¡¯t act as planned. Why do you want to keep it alive¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to fully examine this thing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not joking with you.¡± Zhu Yanchen¡¯s voice sounded a little more helpless.


    ¡°Actually, I want to formally tell you this. After all, this matter involves our trust for each other ¡ª if there¡¯s really such a thing between us.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t respond.


    Seeing that the guy had fallen quiet, Shu Jun smiled and continued on his own volition: ¡°I¡¯ve never seen other Erosion Marshes squeezing out water to reduce their size before. This thing has this ability because of its tiny brain, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s a special circumstance. Say, you also have a brain, but you can¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡­Sometimes you don¡¯t have to be so serious. Shu Jun thought for a few seconds but couldn¡¯t figure out whether Zhu Yanchen was being sarcastic, so he simply gave up: ¡°Anyway, because of this, I have an idea and need your help.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you have any plan to return to the city soon. If you really want to continue wandering in the erosion zones, for your safety and my safety, I need a weapon.¡±


    Shu Jun glanced at the Erosion Marsh that was still stiff and pretending to be dead.


    ¡°I need a sword, one that can cut through other Erosion Marshes.¡±

 CH 16

    ¡°No.¡± The Erosion Marsh said.


    Right now the two of them were staying in a cave where Zhu Yanchen had placed a simple purifier at the entrance. Shu Jun was negotiating with the small Erosion Marsh. The marsh still looked like a lump of coal but with an open mouth on the surface, which made quite a strange sight.


    A few hours ago, Zhu Yanchen went silent for a few minutes after hearing Shu Jun¡¯s whimsical thought. When he spoke again, he sounded a little numb: ¡°I have no relevant experience regarding this matter, perhaps you can try. If you can¡¯t persuade this Erosion Marsh within a day, I¡¯ll deal with it.¡±


    So the moment they found a place to rest, Shu Jun tried to shake off the marsh on his arm.


    But with all that shaking, he still didn¡¯t let go of the marsh¡¯s brain. He tried to explain the problem to it ¡ª  Regardless whether it was deliberate or accidental, this small Erosion Marsh had consumed humans before and thus must possess a certain amount of IQ. Therefore, it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult for it to choose between ¡®losing its precious brain¡¯ and ¡®losing freedom of movement but can still continue to evolve¡¯.


    But Shu Jun tried to convince it until his mouth went completely dry, yet the marsh still insisted on giving him a ¡°No¡±.


    Shu Jun was a little discouraged and decided to ask for help from his partner: ¡°Does it actually understand what I¡¯m trying to say?¡±


    There was very little water left in this Erosion Marsh, so it could no longer emit erosive substance into the air. After Zhu Yanchen finished installing the purifier, the air inside the cave became much cleaner. He took off his protective clothing and mask, then began to repair Shu Jun¡¯s monitoring bracelet.


    Shu Jun originally thought that Zhu Yanchen would think he was too noisy here, but Zhu Yanchen actually could stand such a close distance between them. His movement seemed rather relaxed and he didn¡¯t even rush to restrain Shu Jun with the handcuffs.


    ¡°Its IQ is equivalent to that of a 6- or 7-year-old child.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen was repeatedly adjusting a machine part that was the size of a rice grain, his hands as steady as a machine.


    ¡°Village of The Impaired never stays at the same place for long. This Erosion Marsh was raised to be their ¡®mobile graveyard¡¯. The dead people thrown into it have relatively strong resonance with the erosive substance inside it. This gradually allows the marsh to learn things and build its own brain.¡±


    Although Shu Jun felt almost sleepy, just like when he listened to his teacher¡¯s lectures back in his younger days, he could still react to this piece of information. Looking at this Erosion Marsh¡¯s behaviour, the person whom it learnt from was likely the woman¡¯s little girl.


    The little girl looked about 6 or 7 years old. It was impossible for her to resonate 100% with the marsh, while some learning would also be prevented since her corpse would deteriorate and stop the transfer of information. Shu Jun pondered for a while and felt that Zhu Yanchen¡¯s statement was a bit too optimistic ¡ª in his opinion, the intelligence of the marsh in front of him was at most equivalent to a 5-year-old child.


    Not to mention, he just beat it to a pulp earlier¡­


    ¡­Can I even expect a positive response? Shu Jun felt a little embarrassed and decided to take a break.


    The night was dark and there was only a little light in the cave. Shu Jun leaned on the rock wall and couldn¡¯t help dozing off slightly: ¡°If I died inside that big Erosion Marsh back in the final round, would that Erosion Marsh also obtain some intelligence?¡±


    Zhu Yanchen¡¯s voice became gloomy: ¡°Your resonance with erosive substance is unprecedentedly high. When an Alpha giant Erosion Marsh merges with the intelligence of a top combatant, the consequences are obvious.¡±


    Shu Jun¡¯s sleepiness was instantly wiped off.


    No one knew how many players had been swallowed by that big Erosion Marsh in the past ten years. It took many bloody battles just to deal with a brainless marsh, so if an Erosion Marsh had an intelligence comparable to that of a human¡­


    ¡°Each synthesised human has a different synthesis combination. To create a perfect clone isn¡¯t feasible. It¡¯s basically impossible to produce a second ¡®you¡¯.¡± As if seeing through Shu Jun¡¯s mind, Zhu Yanchen added on.


    Only then was Shu Jun able to breathe a sigh of relief, but the air was so stiff that it was suffocating. It would be unwise to continue this topic. He just went through a fierce battle and wouldn¡¯t have much energy to listen to a few more lectures from Zhu Yanchen. But to switch to a lighter topic, he couldn¡¯t think of anything to pick.


    If in front of him was the A Yan of before, he could comfortably talk about the ups and downs of the past few days, then his heavy heart would land into soft cotton and be healed rapidly. But now that soft cotton had become steel, he had no mind to talk anymore.


    So he began to stare at Zhu Yanchen deeply, hoping that this wooden fish could make a sound on its own without waiting for him to knock1.


    Previously, Haze used to be very active in chatting. When they first met here, he didn¡¯t know Zhu Yanchen¡¯s real identity as Haze, but could Zhu Yanchen not know his identity? It might be possible that Zhu Yanchen was actually cold outside and warm inside. Up till this point, Shu Jun only constantly asked questions and they never talked much on other topics. So far, their relationship was okay. Although their romantic seedlings were dead, they could at least be friends, right?


    Zhu Yanchen was clearly aware of Shu Jun¡¯s gaze. He raised his head and looked at Shu Jun quietly.


    One minute, two minutes.


    After three minutes of staring at each other in utter silence, Shu Jun couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and said sincerely: ¡°¡­I¡¯ll sleep for a bit. Wake me up after midnight, and we¡¯ll take turns to watch the night.¡±


    Indeed, apart from lecturing Shu Jun on all the problems surrounding this world and Shu Jun¡¯s situation, Zhu Yanchen had no other thing he wanted to say.


    Shu Jun sighed and squeezed the small Erosion Marsh¡¯s brain. Fearing that he would let go in his sleep, he specially folded his arms. Erosion Marsh was forced to stick to his side, not daring to move.


    ¡°Bah.¡± It said.


    This Erosion Marsh seems to have even more emotions than Marshal Zhu, Shu Jun thought helplessly.


    As he closed his eyes, the small Erosion Marsh by his side spit out more clear liquid in dissatisfaction, making a chirping noise. Earlier, he couldn¡¯t yet adapt to his new condition and his body was weak, so he always woke up looking like he was beaten really badly. But now that he had gradually adapted, he returned to the alert state of a veteran combatant ¡ª


    In a daze, Shu Jun heard a soft noise, like a feather brushing on a rock. He didn¡¯t move immediately but quietly opened his eyes.


    Zhu Yanchen once again opened his briefcase that was seemingly bottomless. This time, he took out a palm-sized cage, then quietly walked to the cave entrance. Shu Jun stood up in complete silence and followed behind like a shadow.


    As a precaution, he even covered the Erosion Marsh¡¯s mouth.


    Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t seem to suspect anything, perhaps because he had seen Shu Jun sleep very deeply for the past few days. He walked past the purifier, placed the cage on the ground and slowly took off his gloves.


    Shu Jun breathed in coarsely.


    His hands were beautiful with such slender fingers, but they were both densely covered with grey wounds. Shu Jun felt so painful just by looking at it. This person¡¯s hands had never trembled during shooting or repairing things. Even his expression didn¡¯t even flinch.


    Those were quite serious traces of being eroded. Shu Jun had only seen such wounds on dead people.


    He held his breath, pressed down the Erosion Marsh and continued to peek.


    Zhu Yanchen took out a pen-sized device, scanned his hands carefully with it and drew some blood from his fingertips. Then he looked at the readings on the device for a moment and imported the data into a chip.


    Shu Jun recognised this thing, because Zhu Yanchen had been using it to take his blood samples. His fingers had to be poked a few times a day to collect several cylinders of blood each time ¡ª But he was a special case, so his blood samples were needed for research. Zhu Yanchen was just a normal person, so what might be the cause?


    Next came the cage.


    A mutated monster was sleeping in the cage, its appearance and size a bit like a dragonfly with two burly wings. Zhu Yanchen put on his gloves, placed the chip under its abdomen and released it from the cage.


    ¡°Go back.¡± He whispered.


    Thereafter, he neatly put the cage away and walked back to the depths of the cave, at which point he ran into the frowning Shu Jun.


    ¡°What happened to your hands?¡± Shu Jun went straight to the point.


    Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t answer, rather, he just stared at Shu Jun intensely. No one knew if he didn¡¯t want to say it or he was simply organising his words.


    ¡°I won¡¯t ask who you are passing the data to. You only need to answer this question: What happened to your hands?¡±


    ¡°This is not something you need to care about ¡ª¡±


    Before Zhu Yanchen could finish speaking, Shu Jun dragged him into the cave. The air in the cave had been purified and Zhu Yanchen wasn¡¯t wearing any protective clothing, which made it even more easier for Shu Jun. With a wave of Shu Jun¡¯s claws, half of Zhu Yanchen¡¯s shirt was torn away, exposing both his shoulders and arms.


    He has a good physique and has definitely gone through training. This was Shu Jun¡¯s first impression.


    Then he saw those fine and dense scars layered on top of each other, some looking old while some looking new. Compared with scars behind left by battles, these scars were too regular, and the latest ones still had stitches on them.


    ¡­All of them were surgical scars.


    The closer it was to his hands, the denser the scars the became. It could be seen that Zhu Yanchen had been eroded from below the wrists. Without any clothing to cover up, an eroded person¡¯s unique smell was quite obvious. To make sure he wasn¡¯t making any wrong judgement, Shu Jun leaned closer, and this time he sniffed Zhu Yanchen while being completely conscious.


    ¡°You are dying.¡± Shu Jun spit out an affirmative sentence in shock.


    ¡°Are you dying?¡± Then he followed with a question, still in shock.


    Zhu Yanchen tightened his lips. While Shu Jun was still shaken, he twisted Shu Jun¡¯s wrist, flicked his hands with a great force and reversed their positions ¡ª This time, Shu Jun was pressed against the cave wall. As if sensing the tension between the two of them, the Erosion Marsh stuck itself on the cave wall without making a sound.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen pressed down Shu Jun with one hand and placed the other hand to his mouth, neatly taking out the glove he had just put on.


    ¡°I can still live for 63 days and 7 hours. Just now, I was giving data to my subordinate for her to know when my body would be completely eroded.¡±


    The severely eroded hand stretched out before Shu Jun¡¯s eyes.


    Zhu Yanchen was so close and his breathing was icy cold. Against the background of a white shirt, the scars were so glaring that they could make anyone¡¯s heart ache.


    Shu Jun narrowed his eyes.


    Everything had been answered. For example, as a marshal, why did Zhu Yanchen have to fake his own death and go into the eroded zones alone? For example, knowing that there was a risk of being eroded, why wasn¡¯t he concerned about being bitten by a mutated monster?


    For another example, after their encounter, why did Zhu Yanchen¡¯s attitude remain indifferent? ¡ª Shu Jun¡¯s condition was unstable and he could even be considered as a dangerous enemy against humans. Putting himself in Zhu Yanchen¡¯s shoes, Shu Jun could imagine that Zhu Yanchen probably wouldn¡¯t want to become a close friend then end up dying before Shu Jun¡¯s eyes.


    It was indeed a reasonable decision, but¡­


    ¡°Now you understand.¡± Seeing Shu Jun¡¯s expression change, Zhu Yanchen retracted his hand. ¡°With regard to our partnership, this information only gives harm and no benefit.¡±


    Shu Jun: ¡°It¡¯s not too bad, 90% harm and 10% benefit.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t expect that Shu Jun would show such an attitude and was stunned for a moment.


    ¡°Before, I did feel that your condition didn¡¯t seem right, but I never thought that it would be so serious.¡± Shu Jun simply didn¡¯t move and just let Zhu Yanchen continue pressing on him. ¡°But you see, there happens to be a guy beside you who has survived after being completely soaked in a marsh, so don¡¯t say it too pessimistically.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Shu Jun withdrew his claws and covered the scars on Zhu Yanchen¡¯s hands with his own hands.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve said it, maybe I can help you a bit more. Anyway, nothing will change, we¡¯ll try to go as far as we can. Even if I can only help you live an extra second, it can also count.¡±


    Shu Jun¡¯s mouth could still run so smoothly, but inside, his heart was in chaos. He wasn¡¯t a cold-blooded man. Regardless of whatever was happening right now, he and Haze had been happily talking for several years. To say that he didn¡¯t care was a lie. But as a person who lived on the battlefield, Shu Jun was especially calm in this regard ¡ª


    Whether he collapsed, got angry or wanted to curse the whole world, death wasn¡¯t something that could be stopped. Whether it was for the stability of their partnership or because of his feelings towards Haze in the past few years, he shouldn¡¯t show an overly negative attitude.


    ¡°Our fate is our own effort¡­ Do you still want my blood for testing? Do you want to take some more? I have a hunch we can turn your problem around. My intuition has always been correct.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen slowly let go and lowered his head to put the gloves back on: ¡°Uhm.¡±


    ¡°I have only one opinion on this matter.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°Even this thing is learning to say more words.¡± Shu Jun shook the marsh on his arm: ¡°You should speak a little more.¡±


    The Erosion Marsh said in cooperation: ¡°Bah.¡±


    No one knew if it was an illusion, but Zhu Yanchen¡¯s lips seemed to raise slightly.


    ¡°No.¡± He said, his tone a little more deliberate than normal.


    ¡°No.¡± The Erosion Marsh immediately imitated him.


    ¡°All right, at least we should find a sword first. Originally, I wanted to take it slowly, but it seems that our time is very tight.¡± Shu Jun sighed helplessly. ¡°You¡­ hey, change your clothes first, Marshal.¡±


    ¡°A Yan.¡± Zhu Yanchen said.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Just like before, just call me A Yan.¡±


    Shu Jun smiled: ¡°No.¡±

 CH 17

    The atmosphere between the two of them could be considered a little more relaxed than before. Now that the matter had been exposed, Zhu Yanchen no long had any hesitation and simply changed his shirt right in front of Shu Jun.


    Shu Jun: ¡°Ouch.¡±


    Spotting Shu Jun¡¯s embarrassed expression and thinking that he was being bothered by these abnormal scars, Zhu Yanchen quickly put on his clothes: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll pay attention next time.¡±


    ¡°No, no, no.¡± Being apologised to so politely, Shu Jun quickly waved his hand: ¡°It¡¯s just that looking at you, I feel¡­ very hungry.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Shu Jun: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He seemed to have just ruined the pleasant atmosphere that was barely brewing.


    Shu Jun had no idea why, but Zhu Yanchen looked more delicious than those mutated monsters. However, the thought of cannibalism was too terrifying and Shu Jun¡¯s mind was already screaming in refusal. He was certain that he could still control his appetite.


    But if Shu Jun could choose, he wanted to avoid such a primal struggle.


    Zhu Yanchen¡¯s expression remained unflinching as he put a coat on himself: ¡°So let¡¯s quickly solve the problem of the Erosion Marsh.¡±


    Seeing that both of their attention was on it, the little Erosion Marsh began to play dead again. Zhu Yanchen thought for a moment: ¡°By the time I count to three and it still doesn¡¯t agree with you, you can smash its brain.¡±


    Hearing such a resolute tone, the little Erosion Marsh quivered slightly.


    ¡°But¡­¡± But without its brain, the marsh wouldn¡¯t be able to spit out more water, then the sword that Shu Jun wanted for his plan couldn¡¯t be made.


    ¡°I can study its remnants and try for artificial concentration.¡± Zhu Yanchen lightly patted the Erosion Marsh, his white gloves sliding across its dark surface in a slow yet threatening movement, like a python crawling through fallen leaves. ¡°The process is a bit troublesome, but it can still be done.¡±


    The Erosion Marsh stopped shivering and shrank on the ground, its fear totally exposed.


    Seeing that the marsh was no longer moving, Zhu Yanchen twisted the tips of his fingers: ¡°Too bad then. After we go deeper into the erosion zone, there¡¯ll be no lack of Erosion Marshes for you to hunt down. If this thing has a brain, maybe it can absorb more intelligence and go through some interesting changes.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen¡¯s tone was as cold and rational as ever, and his expression looked nowhere like he was joking.


    Although Shu Jun felt a bit of pity, he was convinced: ¡°Let¡¯s do it then.¡±


    ¡°One, two ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± The Erosion Marsh coarsely yelled out, as though if was afraid that they couldn¡¯t hear it clearly. ¡°Okay! Okay!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Wasn¡¯t its attitude too compliant now? How could this thing succumb to such a simple bullying tactic? Are you the Alpha or am I the Alpha, huh?


    Zhu Yanchen hummed softly and wasn¡¯t at all surprised by this outcome: ¡°The rest is yours to communicate.¡±


    Marshal Zhu must be terribly bad with children, Shu Jun slandered him while stroking the Erosion Marsh. The process of shaping the sword was utterly boring, so Shu Jun squeezed the marsh while also observing Zhu Yanchen, who was keeping himself busy with his head down.


    This person was fully aware of his ¡®deadline¡¯, but rather than looking like he was awaiting death, Zhu Yanchen looked like he was awaiting a vacation, his expression totally calm. He wasn¡¯t sure why, but Shu Jun felt a little uncomfortable seeing the other person like this.


    His heart was wary but his mouth, as usual, couldn¡¯t stop running: ¡°Marshal, what is your plan after this?¡±


    Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t look up: ¡°We¡¯re almost done with Village of The Impaired. We can discuss after you finish making the sword. I¡¯ll let you stay here for 24 hours, you can¡­¡±


    Shu Jun smiled and a dull crash sound pierced the air.


    Only less than an hour had passed since they successfully negotiated with the Erosion Marsh. Hearing the sound of the weapon, Zhu Yanchen raised his eyes in surprise.


    A big black sword was standing beside Shu Jun, its whole body pitch-black and reflecting the dim light. Its shape was quite like the one Shu Jun previously used. The only difference was that this sword¡¯s hilt carried an egg-sized grey ¡®jewel¡¯ that was surrounded by ruffling veins. Zhu Yanchen tilted his head ¡ª Next to that ¡®jewel¡¯, which was actually the marsh¡¯s brain, a mouth was twisting in dissatisfaction. Seeing Zhu Yanchen look over, it quietly snorted.


    ¡­For some intricate reason, it gave out a rather nauseating feeling.


    ¡°Not bad.¡± Shu Jun drew his sword, borrowed the force of a wind and waved it lightly.


    ¡°Is there no need to adjust anything?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Shu Jun happily touched the sword. ¡°In my life, my sword is the thing that I¡¯m most familiar with. I know how each detail look like even when I close my eyes.¡±


    Really, I¡¯ve never seen a mouth on your sword before though¡­ Zhu Yanchen thought as he slowly wiped his face.


    ¡°This mouth isn¡¯t my aesthetic, but the marsh insists on keeping it.¡± Seeing the subtle expression in Zhu Yanchen¡¯s eyes, Shu Jun hurriedly explained: ¡°The brain is exposed to make it easier to control this sword. In fact, I also think it¡¯s a bit¡­¡±


    ¡°As long as it can be used, it¡¯s fine.¡± Zhu Yanchen promptly interrupted Shu Jun and changed the subject: ¡°Does it have a name?¡±


    He remembered that Shu Jun¡¯s original sword was called ¡®Qian Jun¡¯. It was a nice name, but regretfully that sword had been destroyed in the big Erosion Marsh.


    ¡°Uhm, I¡¯ve been thinking about it. It won¡¯t be an issue to just call it ¡®Erosion Marsh¡¯.¡± Shu Jun began to entangle some rope and cloth to make a sword belt. ¡°This thing only says one word at a time, and it¡¯s terribly annoying¡­¡±


    ¡°Or we can just call it ¡®Monday¡¯.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    This creativity was really too much.


    Getting his much-desired sword, Shu Jun¡¯s face became noticeably brighter: ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you out to try the sword and get something to eat on the way. If we move fast enough, we¡¯ll be able to clean up the situation at Village of The Impaired by today. Are we going to be here for 24 hours? When the matter is resolved, you have to promise me one thing.¡±


    ¡°What would it be?¡±


    ¡°If we have any time left, you¡¯d better use it to sleep.¡±


    ¡°No, in terms of time ¡ª¡±


    ¡°I need time to train with this sword. I definitely won¡¯t sleep. If we both stay awake for a long time, the next guard rotation will only be more difficult.¡±


    Then Shu Jun cleared his throat, his tone becoming even more sincere: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t eat you while you¡¯re sleeping. If you¡¯re really worried, you can handcuff me at the cave entrance, so that I can¡¯t reach you¡­¡±


    Seeing that this person was coming back to his fiercely insistent self, Zhu Yanchen felt a slight headache and had to surrender: ¡°Okay, if there¡¯s any time left.¡±


    Cleaning up the matter at Village of The Impared was both simple and difficult. In the face of this group of people who didn¡¯t want to stay in the city, at first, Zhu Yanchen just wanted to close one eye and let them fulfil their own wish before death. He never expected that instead of living in a quiet life, these people had the guts to brazenly roam around, even doing things like stealing and feeding an Erosion Marsh.


    So Zhu Yanchen couldn¡¯t ignore them anymore.


    These people had relatives and friends in the city. If they died in confusion and anger, they would certainly become the seeds of more chaos in the future. Humanity had already had a hard time trying to live on; there wouldn¡¯t be enough manpower to deal with this.


    For this situation, Zhu Yanchen originally had his own fixed plan, which might take a while but would definitely work. That said, Shu Jun was undoubtedly a good leader and had ample confidence. He might come up with a few new ideas.


    As long as Shu Jun doesn¡¯t jump into an Erosion Marsh like he once did, everything should be fine.


    ¡­For the first time in so many years, Zhu Yanchen felt a vague sense of expectation.


    ¡°Stretch out your hand and wear this.¡± Zhu Yanchen took out the monitoring bracelet.


    [Harmony: 25%; Resonance level: 7; Vital signs are stable.]


    At the same time, in the city.


    A young woman sat at a lab table, ignoring the wall clock which showed that it was almost dawn.


    In the huge room, quite a number of people were gathering. The air was filled with the smell of low-quality tobacco and alcohol. This wasn¡¯t a regular clinic and no one took care of cleaning here. Blood-soaked bandages and gauzes could be seen everywhere, adding a bloody stench to the pungent air.


    There weren¡¯t many visitors in the early morning, so the men were chit-chatting behind the lab table.


    ¡°It¡¯s been two days. Zhu Yanchen must be freezing out there.¡±


    ¡°Right? How long can a delicate young master like him live outside? The gods must all favour Marshal Yi Ning this time. Marshal Yi is good. A good leader shouldn¡¯t just inherit the title¡­¡±


    ¡°Hush, hush. You can¡¯t just spill nonsense about such matters.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I? Zhu Yanchen is 28, no longer considered young. Except for his strategic capability, what else is he good about? We don¡¯t ever see him in person and no one even knows what he¡¯s doing¡­ Hey, speaking of this, have you heard that an old man surnamed Dong works under young master Zhu? Those beautiful strategies were made with the help of Lao Dong. I don¡¯t know where the previous marshal got such a good man. He must want to ensure that Zhu Yanchen doesn¡¯t tarnish the family name¡­¡±


    The woman frowned slightly and the pliers in her hand fell on the table with a loud ¡°clang¡±. The men stopped talking and gave her a slightly horrified look.


    Confirming that the woman hadn¡¯t looked back, they continued gossipping: ¡°The Zhu family is getting worse and worse by each generation. Back then, Zhu Rong built the Players¡¯ system with his own hands¡­ Then when it came to the previous marshal, he optimised the entire system again. What about young master Zhu? He never shows up and never contributes much to the system, while no one knows if all those strategies he came up with were created by himself. He doesn¡¯t even look like the previous marshal.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that Marshal Yi Ning looks more like a kin of the previous marshal? Look at his actions so far: advocating for further improvement of the system and focusing on urban development. Don¡¯t both of them look like the style of the Zhu family? The previous marshal might not have only one woman. See, the lady and he have such a big age gap ¡ª¡±


    Reaching this point, a few men giggled. But before they could finish their laugh, a bloody scalpel flew over, cutting a cigarette butt and completely putting off the fire.


    ¡°Ai, Ai jie¡­¡±


    The woman stood up. She was average in height, but her thin figure made her seem quite tall. On her beautiful face, a layer of impatience was hanging between her eyebrows, giving her a rather overbearing look.


    She stretched her hair band and tied a low ponytail: ¡°Get out of here if you have nothing to do. Don¡¯t stay here talking nonsense. If you¡¯re any bit wise, you should sweep the floor. Remember to shut your mouth when sweeping.¡±


    At the explosion of the clinic owner, the men ran away at fast as lightning.


    Ai Xiaoxiao sneered and closed the clinic¡¯s main door.


    The apocalypse had brought about a huge gap in knowledge. Even when humanity had been trying to rebuild everything for several hundreds years, experts in niche fields were still in short supply. Medical personnel were even more highly paid. Except for a few freaks, few people would open a clinic by themselves.


    Ai Xiaoxiao was one of those ¡®freaks¡¯.


    As for why this woman went out to do it by herself rather than working in a comfortable public hospital, everyone knew well ¡ª Compared with doctors in regular hospitals, Ai Xiaoxiao was stellar at hospice care and plastic surgery.


    But this was currently an area with zero demand.


    Medical resources were scarce and the public wouldn¡¯t give sick people a large amount of purification medicine before they died just to reduce a bit of pain. Almost all doctors with surgery expertise were allocated to the army, and the rest would only perform an operation if it was to save a life. No one would have the free time to perform plastic surgery on people who had been eroded to make their bodies look more normal.


    No one was allowed to get it, no matter how much money they were willing to spend. The medical union of the coalition government had made their stand very firm on this point.


    But Ai Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t have the same stand. As long as the money was in, she could get everything and do anything.


    Since she searched for materials to make medicine on her own and performed the surgeries on her own, she was qualified to practise medicine, which meant that she walked in a grey area. Her fees for common illnesses weren¡¯t high, so most people who had headaches or fever would look for her, which reduced a lot of burden on nearby hospitals.


    Moreover, no bad incident had ever happened at Ai¡¯s Clinic. As time passed, the people above gradually ignored her. Since there were gaps in the policy in the first place, it was difficult to block all roads.


    However, Miss Ai earned a lot of money but had a rather random temperament. She opened and closed the clinic as she felt like. Visitors who used abusive words could be chased away as she wanted. Everything was very casual.


    Sometimes, she would just drive away a whole group of visitors.


    Ai Xiaoxiao locked the door, turned the key indifferently and walked inside.


    The mutated monster had delivered the chip to her room, and its corpse was lying on her table. This creature had always had a short lifespan, then after modification, it completely turned into a type of ¡®disposable¡¯ messenger.


    After all, there weren¡¯t many messengers that could cross the erosion zones without being noticed. They had limited options.


    Ai Xiaoxiao dexterously connected the chip to the computer and conveniently pulled out a caffeine lollipop to chew it in her mouth. In the dark room, the running data were reflected in her eyes.


    ¡°More than ten years of hard work and your life is about to end, but no one wants to take care of your debt.¡± She chuckled. ¡°This is so sad. Marshal Zhu, what on earth are you really planning?¡±


    But these data were indeed extremely valuable. Zhu Yanchen was an excellent researcher himself, and his explanation of his own condition was rather detailed.


    If the previous marshal knew his son¡¯s true condition, he probably would be fuming with rage.


    Thinking of this, she felt funny again. But before she could let out a laugh, someone pressed on the doorbell.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± She pushed aside her chair with irritation and quietly decided that she would shoo the visitor away.


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± An old man¡¯s voice came. ¡°I¡¯m Lao Dong, Zhu Yanchen¡¯s right-hand man. I have something to discuss.¡±

 CH 18

    Xia Liang took over the management of the Fourth Team from Zhu Yanchen, but the investigation on Erosion Marsh still couldn¡¯t advance.


    Just after the concert, Xia Liang looked at herself in the mirror and used a hair curler to fix her hairstyle. She chose her perfume while looking at the report from the Fourth Team.


    It was all perfunctory nonsense.


    Sure enough, Xia Liang pursed her lips.


    The Fourth Team was an investigation team trained by Zhu Yanchen, who specialised in collecting rarely-known information about Erosion Marsh. These days, anyone who cherished their lives knew they should stay away from those marshes. The members of the Fourth Team were willing to take up these dirty jobs not because of any profound attachment with their leader, rather, it was because of the money that the Zhu family had. Only thanks to such thing that the current Marshal Zhu could make these people dance around death like that.


    Most of the Fourth Team were mercenaries who traded their lives for money. On normal days, they nestled at the corner, listening to the wind while doing their own small business. Only when Zhu Yanchen gave out the rewards for the task that these men were willing to come together and work towards the same goal.


    This was just investigation, not research.


    Since humanity invented the purifier, the research progress on Erosion Marsh had mostly stagnated.


    Erosion Marsh wasn¡¯t a virus or bacteria. As long as there was a purifier, the research couldn¡¯t be carried out normally. But if the purifier was turned off, even if they put on a few layers of protective clothing, humans would still be slowly be eroded by the erosive substance in the air.


    Not to mention, the purifier was already effective enough, there were already solutions to the issue and talents were already in short supply. With some reliable protection methods in existence, no one was willing to gamble their lives with an effort that might very well be futile.


    Anyone could research Erosion Marsh as they wanted, but protective equipment wasn¡¯t usually affordable for ordinary people. With all these factors adding up, except for Zhu Yanchen, no one had bothered investing in this area. The government had also been fixated on their own research direction. All focus should be on improving the synthesised humans, while Erosion Marsh was just a minor addition.


    Zhu Yanchen was part of the research project on synthesised humans too. But in reality, he just looked at the information and never made any substantial contribution to optimising these humans. On the contrary, he would spend time writing Erosion Marsh analysis reports, but their content was incredulous and entirely irrelevant to the improvement of synthesised humans.


    After a while, everyone came to accept that ¡ª The son of the previous marshal just wanted to doze on his father¡¯s reputation. The Zhu family was of high status and friends of the previous marshal wanted to act in his favour, so whenever there was research, they would call Zhu Yanchen to let him have a bit of the limelight. Zhu Yanchen also knew how to behave and thus kept himself quiet, never spilling any unnecessary commands.


    Considering that Zhu Yanchen¡¯s strategic skill was indeed top-notch, even if the other researchers were dissatisfied, they wouldn¡¯t really make a fuss and tarnish the name of the whole team.


    Xia Liang sighed, put the selected perfume into the bag and muttered in exasperation: ¡°Academically-inclined people are way too honest.¡±


    In the upcoming leader election, if Yi Ning was a candidate favoured by the common folks, then Zhu Yanchen was a candidate favoured by the previous leading party. It was just that ¡ª They had judged Zhu Yanchen wrongly. The guy was nowhere as ¡®obedient¡¯ as they thought.


    The previous marshal didn¡¯t even know about the existence of the Fourth Team, let alone Zhu Yanchen¡¯s private research. Even for Xia Liang, who self-proclaimed to have a very powerful intelligence network under her command, Zhu Yanchen¡¯s secrets were something that she only learnt upon becoming his subordinates.


    She didn¡¯t care why Zhu Yanchen was keen on doing this, but she never liked people who didn¡¯t obey orders.


    If she wanted to deal with this Fourth Team, she had to strike the head. She didn¡¯t know how to research Erosion Marsh, but she was good at other things ¡ª She wasn¡¯t stupid. After working under Zhu Yanchen for so long, she still knew where she could get the information she needed.


    So at the break of dawn, Lao Dong appeared at Ai Xiaoxiao¡¯s clinic.


    ¡­Xia Liang really never thought that the captain of the Fourth Team was actually a woman.


    ¡°Lao Dong?¡± Ai Xiaoxiao said with contempt: ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of Lao Dong. If you come to beg for food, I still have some dumplings left in my kitchen. Would you like them?¡±


    Xia Liang¡¯s face under the hood twitched. This woman totally doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s joking¡­


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to joke, Miss Ai.¡± Xia Liang stretched her foot and jammed the door: ¡°You never gives any news nor replies to the messages, and all the reports you¡¯ve given so far are rather shitty. So this old man has to come here when the sun isn¡¯t even up yet¡­ Ouch, my old waist¡­¡±


    After speaking, Xia Liang feigned a sigh. She was an expert at acting after all.


    Ai Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows, her face clearly saying: So you know those reports are shitty. Not simple, aren¡¯t you?


    ¡°Then come in and have supper.¡± Ai Xiaoxiao thought for a moment, her tone barely polite: ¡°There are still some dumplings left in the kitchen¡­¡±


    Xia Liang: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to write the reports. The other members of the team are all short of time. The matter with that Erosion Marsh is over, there¡¯s no need to crack your brain over it anymore.¡± Ai Xiaoxiao really went to stir-fry the dumplings and even poured in some vinegar. Xia Liang didn¡¯t pick up the chopsticks, so Ai Xiaoxiao started eating by herself. ¡°Anyway, you just don¡¯t understand. Isn¡¯t it a waste of time to write this report so seriously?¡±


    You¡¯ve barely worked under me and already want to fool me. Not bad, aren¡¯t you? Xia Liang inwardly complained. ¡°So what¡¯s the matter with the disappearing Erosion Marsh?¡±


    Ai Xiaoxiao Skin Xiaorou raised her head and gave a smile that carried no smiling intent, then she made a gesture of zipping her mouth: ¡°Marshal Zhu wants me to keep it a secret.¡±


    ¡°The higher-ups will come to check, so if I know things in advance, I can prepare well.¡± Xia Liang patiently continued. ¡°It¡¯s Zhu Yanchen who asked me to take over the Fourth Team, so please don¡¯t make it so hard for this old man.¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t find out¡­ Oh, now that we¡¯re at this, you come just at the right time.¡±


    Ai Xiaoxiao wiped her hands and took out a chip from inside the room. The chip smelled like dumplings.


    ¡°This thing, remember to find a chance to get it into the upper system. Zhu Yanchen wants to erase some information related to that Erosion Marsh. It¡¯s up to you next, Mr. Dong.¡±


    Xia Liang didn¡¯t manage to get the answer she wanted and now had to shoulder some other errands. Having to run errands might not be that bad, but this woman really showed no respect at all. Her anger was crawling up her throat, and as she was about to open her mouth ¡ª


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking. There¡¯s still lots of time left. Anyway, Zhu Yanchen certainly is unable to come back. If you want to hit me, there¡¯s enough time in the future.¡±


    Unable to come back? Xia Liang swallowed down the anger in her throat.


    ¡°You really don¡¯t know.¡± Ai Xiaoxiao waved her hand: ¡°Treat this information as a meeting gift for you.¡±


    Xia Liang didn¡¯t let her off easily: ¡°Tell me clearly.¡±


    ¡°What did he tell you? Let me guess, ¡®Be well-prepared for both success and failure¡¯?¡± Ai Xiaoxiao turned on the faucet and rubbed the plate in her hands. ¡°Isn¡¯t Zhu Yanchen always like this? He gives some information to one person and some other information to another person. What he reveals to each person is like the tip of the iceberg. He doesn¡¯t tell you about his physical condition, just like how he doesn¡¯t tell me about his real plan¡­ Of course, I don¡¯t care either.¡±


    Waving the water off her hands, she put the plate back on the shelf: ¡°I¡¯ve worked with him for more than ten years, and it¡¯s not that I haven¡¯t tried to persuade him. Zhu Yanchen has long known that it¡¯s only a matter of time before he dies in the midst of the research.¡±


    ¡°At this point in time, this is the issue that you need to understand.¡± She said: ¡°Ok, now go back. I don¡¯t like to keep people with me late at night.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Seeing that this woman really knew things, Xia Liang couldn¡¯t hold back the question.


    ¡°Why what?¡±


    ¡°Zhu Yanchen doesn¡¯t lack resources. Simply being a marshal can earn him a good ending. He could have just taken a step back, done nothing and peacefully waited for his death. The Zhu family can definitely give him such a life.¡±


    Why did he choose a meaningless dead end? There were already solutions to the contamination issue, so why did he still want to research Erosion Marsh? Wasn¡¯t this absolutely pointless?


    Ai Xiaoxiao looked up and down at her: ¡°Who knows? Anyway, I¡¯ve said all that I wanted to say to him. Nice words aren¡¯t enough to persuade a man who is running towards death by himself. What else can I do?¡±


    Glancing at the silent Xia Liang, she continued: ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. His situation is surely more serious than you think. He¡¯s given me lots of money in order to make him look like a normal person and I¡¯ve worked very hard too ¡ª Where do you think my skills in hospice care and plastic surgery come from? Practice?¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Dr. Ai¡¯s clinic was still active despite the late night. Meanwhile, Zhu Yanchen was fully armed and hanging in mid-air with Shu Jun right above Village of The Impaired ¡ª After the Erosion Marsh was snatched away, the villagers definitely didn¡¯t have a good night¡¯s sleep.


    ¡°So in short, what we have to do is to convince them to stop trying to raise another Erosion Marsh.¡± Shu Jun carried his new broadsword, his tone light.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I did guess that you¡¯d do this. Let me try first. If they don¡¯t concur with me, you can come forward.¡± Shu Jun pulled out the sword: ¡°I also have something to say to them.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen frowned. Before he could voice out his concern, his feet had landed on the ground and Shu Jun had already rushed dozens of meters away.


    Shu Jun didn¡¯t immediately come into contact with the villagers. He specifically stopped about ten meters away from the camp to allow the villagers some time to gather. Seeing the thief who had robbed their Erosion Marsh come back by himself, the villagers also acted along ¡ª They noisily picked up their weapons and crowded at the entrance of the camp.


    Wrapped in a lot of bandages, Lao Wei was being held by the woman who pretended to be a corpse handler earlier.


    ¡°Return the marsh to us!¡± He scolded Shu Jun head-on.


    The woman wasn¡¯t covering up her head, her deformed eyes swollen like two peaches. Obviously, she had been crying.


    ¡°You still believe that your dead family members can be revived through the Erosion Marsh, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°My daughter calls me ¡®Mother¡¯.¡± The woman said with a hoarse voice: ¡°She¡¯s the one who has been revived the most here. She has always recognised me and always hugged me. I know, she definitely must be in there¡­¡±


    Shu Jun thrust his broadsword into the ground. Seeing that the sword remained silent, he kicked it again.


    The broadsword finally let out a word: ¡°Bah.¡±


    Its tone was exactly the same as the voices of those ¡®family members¡¯ that rose from the marsh during the ritual.


    ¡°Let me introduce you, this is your Erosion Marsh. We have reached a friendly agreement.¡± Shu Jun patted the hilt. ¡°I don¡¯t think it looks anywhere like a little girl.¡±


    Chattering instantly filled the camp. The woman covered her mouth, as if she wanted to throw up: ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re cruel ¡ª¡±


    ¡°You just said that your daughter is the most ¡®revived¡¯ one that had always recognised you¡± Shu Jun¡¯s voice was clear but didn¡¯t sound too happy. ¡°Then let¡¯s experiment a bit.¡±


    Before the villagers could react, a wind suddenly blew up. With a move as light as a feather, Shu Jun already stood in front of the woman, his thick blade smoothly swinging and aiming at her neck.


    His movement stopped exactly where it needed to. The blade pressed on the woman¡¯s skin without hurting her.


    Monday the broadsword thought that he could finally drink some blood, but Shu Jun braked halfway. It immediately screamed in dissatisfaction: ¡°Slash! Slash!¡±


    ¡°This is the ¡®daughter¡¯ who has always recognised you.¡± Shu Jun lowered his voice, his grey eyes as cold as ashes. ¡°Jie jie1, it¡¯s okay to be deceived, but don¡¯t be deceived for too long.¡±


    The woman¡¯s legs crumbled and she sat down on the ground. Shu Jun took back the sword and squinted his eyes: ¡°Who else wants to experiment? I¡¯ll help you out any time.¡±


    The villagers were completely silent.


    Since the woman was supporting Lao Wei, as she fell, Lao Wei also fell along. With the gunshot wound caused by Zhu Yanchen still there, he snorted twice: ¡°Then¡­ Then we can also keep them as memories¡­¡±


    ¡°And you.¡± Shu Jun knelt down, shoved his sword into the ground and stared straight into Lao Wei¡¯s eyes: ¡°My friend must have warned you that if this Erosion Marsh grows up, it¡¯ll eat all of you.¡±


    ¡°Even if what you say is true, we¡¯re all half-dead. If we can be buried in the same place with our family and friends, we¡¯ll have no more regret¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean that.¡± Shu Jun¡¯s tone became even lighter: ¡°My friend is worried about you. As to what I feel about you¡­¡­ how do I say it, there¡¯s a limit to how much I can sympathise. ¡°


    He stretched out his hand and a few tiny drops of erosive substance in his palm slowly came together to form a ball.


    ¡°This place isn¡¯t too far from the city. If the Erosion Marsh grows up, ¡®players¡¯ would have to eliminate its danger. By then, there¡¯ll be sacrifices. I don¡¯t want to see that scene.¡±


    The ball was lifted up by the wind and floated around Lao Wei, then it flew towards the villagers to make sure everyone could see it.


    ¡°I can turn the Erosion Marsh into a sword, so of course, I can also turn the marsh into my spy. If you want to continue roaming around freely, no problem, the marsh will always follow this village. If I find out that you start raising another marsh, I¡¯ll rush over and send you back to the city with my own hands. In this way, you all will reunite at the corpse disposal site ¡ª Ah wait, sorry, the corpses are processed in batches, maybe not everyone will be in the same group.¡±


    Shu Jun laughed, revealing his sharp canine teeth.


    Being threatened and eyed upon by a monster, Lao Wei swallowed hard.


    ¡°That¡¯s all I want to say.¡± Shu Jun¡¯s voice was still very low. ¡°You guys take care of yourself.¡±


    After that, he stood up, drew his sword and swaggered back to Zhu Yanchen.


    ¡°So fast?¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t do it again.¡± The coldness in Shu Jun¡¯s eyes had long disappeared.


    ¡°What did you tell them?¡± Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t stand close enough, and Shu Jun¡¯s voice went up and down intermittently so he couldn¡¯t hear everything.


    ¡°A harmless little lie.¡± Shu Jun smiled: ¡°I scared them by saying that I could use the Erosion Marsh as my spy. The next thing is just a usual threat. When it comes to threats, I¡¯d like to thank Marshal Zhu for his advice¡­ Marshal Zhu, where are we going next?¡±

 CH 19

    Since Zhu Rong perfected the Players¡¯ system, the Zhu family¡¯s status had been completely stabilised. After nearly 300 years of humanity¡¯s restoration, it could be estimated that the Zhu family had established ten generations. In the generation of the previous Marshal Zhu, several large families were caught up in conflicts and troubles, which only pushed the Zhu family¡¯s power to its peak.


    Thanks to this family background, Zhu Yanchen had become accustomed to all sorts of humans since childhood.


    Shu Jun was smart but wasn¡¯t sly. The moment Zhu Yanchen saw that Shu Jun quickly changed the topic, he knew that Shu Jun didn¡¯t want to elaborate further. Considering their respective styles, he could roughly guess what Shu Jun meant when he gave the villagers ¡®a usual threat¡¯.


    There was no need to go into details right now.


    ¡°Go to the east.¡± Zhu Yanchen let the topic be changed smoothly. ¡°You should know X City.¡±


    Shu Jun thought for a moment: ¡°I do remember. Is it the one that was destroyed 200 years ago?¡±


    ¡°Uhm. There¡¯s a border settlement in the southeast. We should replenish some supplies, then go to X City.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen was a little tired. Since his body had reached its limit, he was getting tired more and more easily. Shu Jun was right; perhaps he really needed some rest.


    ¡°Go back to the cave first.¡± He said: ¡°I¡¯ll sleep, you can train with your sword¡­¡±


    Shu Jun openly frowned: ¡°Your voice sounds a bit weak. Are you feeling okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just a little tired.¡±


    ¡°Go back to what cave, I¡¯ll take you there directly. It¡¯s just missing half a day of training, I can¡¯t die from that.¡±


    Shu Jun walked around Zhu Yanchen. Since the moment he knew that this man had two months left to live, he didn¡¯t want to just casually drag Zhu Yanchen around: ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ll carry you on my back. I¡¯ll try to be steady¡­¡­ Wait, don¡¯t climb up first, give me a mask. I think I look a bit too eye-catching.¡±


    It took Shu Jun some time to get used to carrying a full-grown man on his back. At the same time, he felt the coldness and stiffness coming from behind ¡ª With a living person even a little taller than himself on his back, shouldn¡¯t it at least feel warm¡­?


    Zhu Yanchen was really not in good shape. Shu Jun didn¡¯t say another word, hung the broadsword in front and rose with the wind.


    Neither of them talked throughout the whole journey.


    Marshal Zhu also had some guts; against the strong wind, he calmly fell asleep on Shu Jun¡¯s back. Shu Jun didn¡¯t want to disturb a sick person. Spotting some lights below his feet, he gently lowered them to the ground and walked towards the center of the settlement with Zhu Yanchen still on his back.


    Border settlements were much simpler than urban areas. They were a tad larger than military strongholds and usually frequented by desperadoes who wanted to earn some fortune from the erosion zones. In any case, people here wouldn¡¯t show their faces unless there was a really good reason to. Since they just came to roughly purify the place, dig up some gold then burn their money right here, the surroundings were nothing to be wowed about. But the  accommodations weren¡¯t bad and the markets were lively, which made quite a good spot for resting.


    Back when he was a ¡®player¡¯, Shu Jun rarely came into contact with settlements and had only heard a little about them. Now that he thought about it, the coalition government was afraid that these desperadoes would recklessly open their mouths and throw information around, causing unnecessary trouble.


    This was the first time he had entered a settlement.


    Since it was a type of stronghold managed by the people themselves, the structure was easy to figure out. The best facilities must be in the central area. However, Shu Jun decided to keep themselves low-key and didn¡¯t choose the best hotel. He walked half the road, slipped to one side and specifically picked one that looked neither too good nor too gross. Behind the counter was a big man with his head neatly shaved and a mask on his face. He had two fist-sized black lumps on both sides of his head, which looked like panda ears at first glance.


    Shu Jun: ¡°¡­¡­¡± It was hard to not stare at those lumps.


    The big man obviously noticed his gaze: ¡°A newcomer?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. Please lower your voice a bit.¡± Shu Jun said hurriedly. ¡°My friend is tired, he¡¯s sleeping. We¡¯re looking for a place to rest. You are¡­?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the owner of this place. You can call Uncle Pan.¡± The big man stood up and patted his greasy apron. ¡°How many rooms?¡±


    ¡°One room.¡± By this, Shu Jun was simply thinking that Zhu Yanchen and he would take care of each other.


    ¡°Oh, one room to save money, or one room to have fun?¡±


    ¡°Say again?¡±


    ¡°The room that saves money is the dorm. One room is packed with six people, very cheap. But as for how many people actually stay in it, it depends on your luck.¡± Uncle Pan licked his gum. ¡°As for the room to have fun, of course, it¡¯s the best. It¡¯s suitable for relaxation. The price is slightly more expensive ¡ª¡±


    ¡°The room to have fun.¡± Shu Jun couldn¡¯t bother to care about those ambiguous meanings; he just wanted one that helped with their needs.


    In any case, Marshal Zhu must have prepared himself well. It was impossible for him to not carry enough money.


    ¡°Ai, all right.¡± Uncle Pan took the key from the drawer and lightly put it on the iron counter. ¡°I don¡¯t provide food here. I can help you buy food for a fee, or you can buy it yourself. Two streets from this place is the market. Anyway, there¡¯s no difference between day and night here. There are people there all day long, so you don¡¯t have to worry about not being able to get something¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I won¡¯t bother you much. When my friend wakes up, we¡¯ll discuss what to do next.¡± This place was pretty much an erosion zone, so the food might not be very clean. He might still be able to consume them, but he wasn¡¯t so sure about Zhu Yanchen, especially considering his state right now.


    But the room wasn¡¯t bad at all.


    There was a pocket purifier that was making a clicking sound and the air was acceptable. The floor was clean and the sheets didn¡¯t smell strange. Shu Jun locked the door and carefully put Zhu Yanchen down, then he put Monday next to the purifier, letting it tremble along with the movement of the machine.


    When Shu Jun shifted his posture slightly, Zhu Yanchen woke up at once. Marshal Zhu looked at the wall of the room, seemingly at a loss for a moment.


    ¡°You can continue to sleep, now is not even 3 o¡¯clock in the morning. You¡¯ve only slept for more than an hour. If you¡¯re worried, you can lock me up with the handcuffs.¡± Shu Jun took off his mask and heaved a sigh of relief.


    Zhu Yanchen looked at him, a bit of confusion casting over his face. Shu Jun didn¡¯t waste any time and neatly took off Marshal Zhu¡¯s mask, loosened his collar then took off his coat ¡ª These things would only make it difficult to breathe.


    ¡°Take off your shoes.¡±


    Shu Jun muttered while taking off his own shoes: ¡°It¡¯s good to not be awake, we can go to bed early and finish our things early. Later I¡¯ll go quarrel with Monday.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen let out a soft ¡°uhm¡±, making it rather obvious that he was deep asleep just now and hadn¡¯t yet fully come back to his senses. He raised his head and smiled at Shu Jun.


    It wasn¡¯t a dazzling smile. It was clear that Marshal Zhu hadn¡¯t smiled for a long time, such that his smile was slightly stiff even when he was half awake. But to see a smile actually appear on Zhu Yanchen¡¯s face had Shu Jun so taken aback that he almost threw the coat aside.


    Perhaps aware of his action, Zhu Yanchen¡¯s smile vanished in the next second. He murmured his thanks, climbed onto the bed and lay down, not even putting his shoes in order.


    ¡­Compared with the guys in Shu Jun¡¯s team, Marshal Zhu wasn¡¯t so high-maintenance, rather, he was easy to take care of. Shu Jun was very used to taking care of others, so this scene had him a bit emotional for a moment. But being shaken by that smile, his slightly emotional sentiment had somehow erupted into joy.


    Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t handcuff him. At this moment, it was convenient to have no handcuffs. Shu Jun directly went to take a shower, picked up the shivering Monday next to the purifier and sat down on the other side of the room.


    Originally, he thought about training with Monday, but now that he had this free time, he lost the mood to train. Zhu Yanchen¡¯s smile was lingering in his mind ¡ª It was a beautiful smile, but that wasn¡¯t the main point.


    Shu Jun¡¯s instinct began to dance on his nerves again. He always felt that something wasn¡¯t quite right.


    Marshal Zhu¡­ no, A Yan, was obviously not a person who would just smile out of courtesy, even if the two of them had been friends for several years. The citizens of this world must have known A Yan for a longer time. However, whether it was from watching the promotional videos, listening to the discussions of those who admired Marshal Zhu or seeing it with his own eyes, this man felt like a person whose face was covered with air-dried rubber sheet. He usually only had one expression.


    That smile just now was a relaxed smile, as if Shu Jun and he were really friends who could talk about everything.


    Zhu Yanchen had sat in the marshal¡¯s position for a long time and commanded countless battles. He couldn¡¯t be so naive that he would expose himself just after those few years of text chats¡­ Of all the things that A Yan used to hide from Shu Jun, were they really just ¡®the truth about this world¡¯ and his ¡®deadline¡¯?


    The more Shu Jun thought about it, the more confused he got. He softly let out a few growls and decided to go out for a few minutes to breathe.


    Luckily, he could control a little bit of the erosive substance now. Shu Jun pulled out a small piece of erosive substance from Monday and twisted it into a rope, then he hung the sword behind the door. Just in case, he put a ¡®Do not disturb¡¯ sign outside their room.


    ¡°Going out? Where¡¯s your friend?¡± Uncle Pan was still sitting at the counter while leisurely listening to the radio.


    ¡°He¡¯s resting in the room. I¡¯ll buy something to eat and be back in a few minutes.¡± Shu Jun greeted him. Although it seemed safe here, he didn¡¯t want to leave Zhu Yanchen alone for too long.


    ¡°Oh, I just bought some pancakes for another room. I bought a little too much. Would you like some?¡± Uncle Pan didn¡¯t miss this opportunity to upsell. ¡°Lao Zhang¡¯s pancakes are a must-try, I bought the last batch. It¡¯s not expensive, just give me 10% of the errand fee.¡±


    As he said, he took out one, pulled off his mask slightly and started chewing on the spot. The room was instantly filled with the fragrance of pancakes.


    Shu Jun gave in: ¡°Are these pancakes clean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s clean. If you¡¯re really scared, take them back and bake them a bit more on the purifier ¡ª Don¡¯t waste the purifier in your room.¡± Uncle Pan smoothly finished one pancake and put back his mask again.


    These days, Shu Jun hadn¡¯t seen Zhu Yanchen eat anything proper. It should be fine to buy him some pancakes. Shu Jun asked for six and subconsciously hugged them in his arms to keep their warmth.


    Uncle Pan said: ¡°Aren¡¯t you quite good at taking care of others? Actually, I still have some soy sauce to dip these pancakes¡­¡±


    All the words after that just flew past Shu Jun¡¯s ears.


    Indeed, he was very good at taking care of people, from his injured teammates to even their children. So many people had told him this before and he had long been used to it, so he didn¡¯t take it to heart.


    But now that he thought about it, the life he was accustomed to had been completely turned around, and all those details had to be reconsidered ¡ª From when he was 8 till when he started working, he had been living all alone. So when did he get used to ¡®taking care of others¡¯?


    A ridiculous idea came to Shu Jun¡¯s mind. Could it be that Marshal Zhu and he had known each other a long time, but his memory was pressed deep in his mind? But as he thought about it again, he had been working together with the Blackbird team since entering [Erosion]. If there was ever a point when he had personal contact with Zhu Yanchen, the time just didn¡¯t seem to match.


    Besides, he seemed to know how to take care of people even before entering [Erosion].


    ¡­Forget it, maybe this was just one of his talents.


    ¡°Some soy sauce, too.¡± Shu Jun took out a pancake, pushed the mask a little to the side and started eating mechanically.


    ¡°Where are you heading to?¡± Uncle Pan threw over a packet of sauce, which was wrapped in a thin plastic bag like a little heart.


    ¡°The east.¡± Shu Jun said vaguely.


    ¡°That¡¯s a heavily eroded zone. You don¡¯t look like you¡¯re short of money, why bother going there?¡± Uncle Pan gasped. ¡°Didn¡¯t something just happen there a while ago? There are fewer ships going there now, and the road isn¡¯t easy to go.¡±


    ¡°Something happened there a while ago?¡± Shu Jun¡¯s ears stood up at the sound of some fresh news. Everything he knew about X City belonged to 200 years ago.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard? Didn¡¯t the upper call for a ¡®match¡¯ there a while ago and set a giant Erosion Marsh as the target? The captain of the Blackbird team perished inside it.¡±


    The captain of the Blackbird team himself: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s still not the most sinister thing.¡± Uncle Pan¡¯s accent gradually morphed into that of a storyteller: ¡°I tell you, such a big marsh, but it¡¯s just gone, right before the eyes of thousands of people! Do you know? It seeps directly into the ground like water in a bathtub going down the drain. Who has even seen such a match like that? Everybody said that something went wrong in the east, and there must be some problem with the Erosion Marsh over there.¡±


    ¡°Then have they found it?¡± Shu Jun faintly played along with his story. Actually, the marsh is resting inside me.


    ¡°No one has time to find it, for right after that, Marshal Zhu ran away with a mutated monster. The upper went all crazy. It¡¯s said that the previous Marshal completely blew a fuse.¡±


    ¡­And actually, Marshal Zhu is resting at your hotel. Shu Jun almost choked himself on the pancake: ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this Erosion Marsh. After all, we two want to go find some gold out there, so the marsh is the most important issue.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Uncle Pan touched the black lump on his head. ¡°The next piece of information will need money. Little brother, what do you think ¡ª?¡±


    Shu Jun was getting used to this man¡¯s routine: ¡°You¡­ just tell me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to deal with sensible people.¡± Uncle Pan rubbed his hands and let out a few laughs.


    ¡°You two are also heading east. Some time ago, some people went to the edge of Dead City.¡±


    ¡°Dead City?¡±


    ¡°X City!¡± Uncle Pan said: ¡°Of course they didn¡¯t go in. They just walked outside, dug up some rare items and brought them back to sell. Guess what? They got the corpse of a monster that had never been discovered before. It¡¯s said that the monster has the appearance of three or four men.¡±


    Shu Jun stopped chewing: ¡°What then?¡±


    ¡°Then they were cursed by that monster corpse.¡± Uncle Pan lowered his voice: ¡°Every one of them is now dead, and they all suffered a horrible death. This is what the others read from their diaries.¡±


    ¡°Young man, you can head east, but be sure to stay away from Dead City. That place is evil.¡±

 CH 20

    At 8 o¡¯clock in the morning, Zhu Yanchen slowly woke up.


    He hadn¡¯t slept so well in a long time. It wasn¡¯t because of his mental stability, rather, it was because of real physical changes ¡ª  Over the past ten years, in order to cover up the changes that happened to his body so that outsiders couldn¡¯t see that he was eroded, Ai Xiaoxiao had removed innumerable lumps and overgrown bones from him.


    She used them as research materials and kept them well. According to Dr. Ai, those removed tissues were enough to squeeze an adult out of them


    Zhu Yanchen knew very well that after countless operations, his body was like a puppet patched together by various organs. With a layer of paint and some clothes, this puppet looked neat from outside, but its internals had been pretty much destroyed.


    So pain had always followed him like a shadow.


    It wasn¡¯t any unbearable pain. It was just never ending, crawling slowly around all corners on his body. Because of this, Zhu Yanchen¡¯s sleep quality had been severely bad, so much so that he had grown used to intermittent sleeping. He would sleep when he could manage to, and if the pain woke him up, he would just get back to work.


    Zhu Yanchen almost forgot when was the last time he slept this long.


    His diet hadn¡¯t changed and the surroundings hadn¡¯t changed either. Perhaps Shu Jun did something, but there was no way Zhu Yanchen wouldn¡¯t know if Shu Jun made a big movement.


    This good sleep of his was some information worth noting down.


    Zhu Yanchen raised his eyes to look at Shu Jun ¡ª Instead of squeezing into bed with him, Shu Jun was lying on the sofa next to the purifier. The sofa was a bit narrow, so Shu Jun was curling up awkwardly, barely lying on his back. He hugged Monday in his arms, his mouth half open and the tip of his canine teeth protruding out of his lips. He slept so soundly.


    The purifier was still running and the air smelled of pancakes. Zhu Yanchen sat quietly for a while, then put on his coat and got out of bed.


    Being squeezed by a full-grown human next to a purifier, the broadsword felt so aggrieved. At this moment, it no longer cared whether Zhu Yanchen was an enemy or a friend and just opened its mouth miserably: ¡°Help¡­ Help¡­¡±


    Zhu Yanchen: ¡°¡­¡±


    Ignoring the sword that was begging for help, he headed to the briefcase on the table. The metal buckle made a soft sound. The next second, a cold wind blew across his skin and a blade stopped next to Zhu Yanchen¡¯s fingers.


    Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you.¡± Shu Jun yawned and withdrew his sword: ¡°Sorry, I was sleepy. Are you feeling better?¡±


    ¡°Much better.¡± Zhu Yanchen took out a needle from the briefcase: ¡°Your arm. Time to draw blood.¡±


    ¡°Eat breakfast first. Last night, I bought some pancakes and heated them on the purifier. They¡¯re still hot. The owner also gave us a bag of rock sugar, so I heated it together. We can make some sugar water later.¡± Shu Jun yawned again and let go of Monday, which was still shouting ¡°help¡±.


    Zhu Yanchen nodded politely and continued holding out the needle, standing completely still.


    Shu Jun rubbed his unruly hair and stretched out his arm with a sigh. After a few days, there was still no sign that this monster appearance of his would disappear soon.


    ¡°Open your mouth.¡± Zhu Yanchen asked again as he put the blood sample into the testing machine.


    But this time he hesitated for a few seconds: ¡°If you don¡¯t like me wearing gloves, I can take them off.¡±


    The cloth didn¡¯t feel very comfortable when it touched his mouth, but Shu Jun firmly refused: ¡°Just wear them. I¡¯m afraid that my appetite will surge up and I¡¯ll bite your fingers.¡±


    With a blank expression, Zhu Yanchen pulled out his gloves.


    Five minutes later.


    ¡°¡­Everything is normal.¡± Zhu Yanchen looked at Shu Jun¡¯s mouth and touched the mutated teeth for a moment. The inspection duration this time was much longer than last time, so Shu Jun¡¯s chin felt a bit sore. But seeing Zhu Yanchen so focused on the inspection, he had no choice but to bear it.


    ¡°Your body seems stable for now.¡± Zhu Yanchen took out his wet fingers: ¡°If you feel any discomfort, remember to tell me at once.¡±


    Shu Jun rested his head on chin and said sincerely: ¡°The pancakes are almost drying out, and I¡¯m feeling hungry. I had one last night, it was delicious. There¡¯s even soy sauce to go with them.¡±


    Shu Jun had no idea if it was just his illusion, but Zhu Yanchen¡¯s eyes seemed to soften a bit. He put back his briefcase and sat down to eat breakfast. If they disregarded the signs of erosion, this room was rather well-furnished. As the two sat down and ate their meals, it actually felt very warm.


    A vague sense of familiarity came to him and Shu Jun shook his head.


    Zhu Yanchen was unaware of what was going on in Shu Jun¡¯s mind: ¡°Let¡¯s buy a large mud sled later. It only takes about ten days to go to X City. Looking at your physical condition, you don¡¯t need protective clothing to go to X City.¡±


    Shu Jun looked into Zhu Yanchen¡¯s eyes and his brows slightly furrowed, then he replied absent-mindedly: ¡°Uhm.¡±


    ¡°I plan to investigate X city for three weeks.¡± Zhu Yanchen then continued: ¡°After that, I¡¯ll continue to head east and go all the way to the beach. Finally, I¡¯ll head back¡­ I¡¯ll go as far as I can last.¡±


    Shu Jun stirred the sugar water with a spoon: ¡°Uhm.¡±


    ¡°When I die, you don¡¯t need to care about the corpse, just go back to Y City and find a female doctor named Ai Xiaoxiao. She¡¯s a subordinate of mine with first-rate research skills. Although she can¡¯t treat you like me, she should still be able to finish the treatment.¡± Zhu Yanchen said with a flat tone, as if he wasn¡¯t talking about his own death. [T/N: What is this pain in my chest¡­ (¨i_¨i)]


    Shu Jun¡¯s spoon stopped moving.


    Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t wait for that ¡°uhm¡± and raised his eyes. Shu Jun smiled at him and switched the topic once again: ¡°Yesterday, the owner said that something strange happened near X City and wants us to stay away from it. If you want to specifically go there, can you tell me a bit about your purpose?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t know what¡¯s there, so I want to personally go there to confirm. Humans haven¡¯t set foot in those ruins for two centuries, so anything is possible.¡± Zhu Yanchen picked up the handkerchief and elegantly wiped his mouth: ¡°What else did the owner tell you? Please tell me.¡±


    ¡°He said my nails are too long. Young people shouldn¡¯t follow this style.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Shu Jun pushed the sugar water in front of Zhu Yanchen: ¡°Just kidding, later you can ask him yourself. That uncle talks a lot and I haven¡¯t grasped all the important points. After all, I haven¡¯t seen him for more than 200 minutes, so any new information might have appeared by now.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen nodded and hurriedly drank the sugar water. As he was about to clean up the cups and plates on the table, Shu Jun stretched out one hand and grabbed his wrist.


    ¡°A Yan.¡± Shu Jun¡¯s tone sounded as though he wouldn¡¯t accept any refute: ¡°I hope you¡¯ll personally introduce Ai Xiaoxiao to me. To be honest, for the sake of your people, you¡¯d better live longer.¡±


    As he said this, the smile on Shu Jun¡¯s face disappeared. He raised his eyes to stare at Zhu Yanchen¡¯s reaction, his pupils shrinking.


    ¡°If my partner disappears too early and there¡¯s no benefit left for me, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ll do.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen stretched out his other hand and pushed Shu Jun¡¯s hand away very gently.


    ¡°I understand.¡± He said.


    Only then did Shu Jun continue to eat the pancakes with satisfaction, but he missed Zhu Yanchen¡¯s soft whisper that followed.


    ¡°¡­And I certainly know what you¡¯ll do.¡± Zhu Yanchen moved his lips quietly.


    Inside Y City.


    Marshal Yi Ning was in a bad mood.


    At first, he just wanted to give Zhu Yanchen a stumbling block in the stronghold. He wanted the mutated monsters to ambush from outside to prove the necessity of producing more ¡®players¡¯ ¡ª With this, Zhu Yanchen would see that he couldn¡¯t protect himself well even with his big background, and the lack of combat power would be made evident.


    If there were no issues with the plan, Zhu Yanchen would be fine. He might suffer some minor injuries and lay in the hospital for a month or two at most. Yi Ning had prepared everything and even specially reduced the defence at the stronghold that day, but things went completely wrong.


    Before the mutated monsters waiting outside the stronghold were released, another mutated monster escaped from inside and snatched Zhu Yanchen away. It was as if someone knew what Yi Ning was going to do and took the opportunity to make a move first.


    After the accident, Yi Ning immediately contacted the Tang family, who had been providing him with financial support. What he wanted was the benefits of positive public opinion, not an assassination.


    However, the Tang family said that they knew nothing about it.


    Yi Ning anxiously sat back on his chair and began to look through the speech he had prepared. The higher-ups had come up with some very fluent excuses, but these wouldn¡¯t be needed in the short term.


    Why was this happening?


    Yi Ning was born as a commoner, and both his parents wandered around the eroded zones to mine for gold, spilling blood and sweat on a daily basis. When Yi Ning was four years old, they died of a chronic disease caused by erosion. He just survived alone, stumbling and suffering for an unknown amount of time before he climbed to his current position. No one knew better than him what benefits would be brought to the public by increasing the production of ¡®players¡¯.


    Right now, the ¡®players¡¯ ¡ª no, the ¡®synthesised humans¡¯ ¡ª were only stationed in the stronghold. Under the jurisdiction of the coalition government, they were used for purifying and exploring new places. If Yi Ning¡¯s idea became reality, a brand-new synthesised human could live in the city and truly contribute his labour as a ¡®casual player¡¯. Those with poor performance could be sold to the capital in batches, and it would no longer require manpower from ordinary people to riskily mine gold in those eroded zones.


    In this way, people could be completely separated from work that was at risk of erosion, and the workload would be greatly reduced.


    It might be troublesome to keep the ¡®truth¡¯ from them, but as long as the goal was established, the rest could be slowly taken care of ¡ª  As long as there weren¡¯t too many synthesised humans in the city, even if they caused trouble, they could be suppressed by the army.


    The citizens truly liked this proposal. No one wanted their relatives and friends to do life-threatening works, let alone the reduction in workload. On the other hand, Yi Ning, who was born as a commoner, was also more lovable than young master Zhu. As such, Yi Ning¡¯s popularity had been increasing.


    But Yi Ning didn¡¯t let his vigilance down.


    Since Zhu Yanchen could hang on until now, the first reason was because the Zhu family¡¯s relationships were deep and wide enough, and the second reason was because this man was really good at forming strategies. Compared to those pretentious people from big families who were only specialised in putting up facades, Yi Ning truly appreciated Zhu Yanchen as an opponent. In terms of ability, Zhu Yanchen had no weakness to pick at apart from being too low-key.


    But now that the opponent was gone, Yi Ning wasn¡¯t happy.


    On one hand, he couldn¡¯t quite understand ¡ª The plan he was pushing for would undoubtedly benefit people¡¯s livelihood. If Zhu Yanchen had a similar idea to him, he would even be willing to withdraw from the competition. The previous Marshal Zhu also expressed his appreciation for him in public, yet Zhu Yanchen remained to be like a stone.


    On the other hand, objectively, it was a huge loss to not have Zhu Yanchen here. Yi Ning couldn¡¯t find the right person to take over the management of those synthesised humans that used to be under Zhu Yanchen, and besides, no one could replace him when it came to strategic planning.


    Originally, he planned to increase the production of synthesised humans as soon as possible, but now, cleaning up this mess was already a big problem.


    Yi Ning pushed the speech aside and rubbed his forehead. As if the situation wasn¡¯t chaotic enough, the communication device began to beep loudly.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Sir, it¡¯s the synthesised human you¡¯re directly in charge of, the leader of the Groundwater team, Luo Duan¡­ He wants to see you.¡±

 CH 21

    This was Luo Duan¡¯s second entry into Y City. Just like the first time, Yi Ning¡¯s assistant drove over to pick him up and took him all the way to the Y City Central Headquarters. Through the car window, he could see the silhouettes of people in the city, but that was all his eyes could catch.


    As the capital of this land, Y city was many times more prosperous than the combatants¡¯ stronghold. But compared with the ¡®real world¡¯ in which Luo Duan lived, it still looked a bit backward and destitute. Here, people dug up extremely intricate electrical appliances from erosion zones, yet they might put up very crude homemade crafts at home. There might be an oil lamp next to an ultra-thin futuristic computer, completely blurring the boundaries of time.


    Seeing a car belonging to a public department coming, people spontaneously gave way to make room. Luo Duan originally thought that this was preferential treatment for a ¡®player¡¯, but now that he thought about it again, as the car passed by, people¡¯s fear seemed to carry some deeper meaning inside.


    The only thing he could really set foot on was the courtyard of the Central Headquarters.


    Luo Duan chuckled a few times and watched the assistant leave in a hurry while waiting inside Yi Ning¡¯s reception room.


    Just like what Zhu Yanchen was to Shu Jun, in terms of setting, Yi Ning was Luo Duan¡¯s direct superior. For ordinary players, as the captain of the world¡¯s second-ranked team Groundwater, Luo Duan had the right to apply to meet with Yi Ning. Compared with Shu Jun, who treated his boss as air, Luo Duan was softer and got along with Yi Ning fairly well.


    What used to be their usual behaviour in the past was now an excellent cover.


    The door of the reception room opened.


    ¡°Wailing Rain.¡± Yi Ning perfectly carried his NPC cover and called Luo Duan¡¯s game ID as usual: ¡°There¡¯s no mission for now. Since you to specially see me, is there a particular reason?¡±


    ¡°I want to apply for indoor training.¡± Luo Duan smiled slightly.


    Yi Ning frowned. ¡®Indoor training¡¯ was a type of regular mission for a player of [Erosion]. As the name suggested, the location was indoor and the content was quite simple ¡ª players had to fight against mutated monsters of all levels while not being allowed to bring backup support. During the training, players could still die and exit the game.


    For the coalition government, ¡®indoor training¡¯ was a controllable simulated battlefield, and researchers relied on it to collect battle data from synthesised humans. Indoor training could actually be done at the border strongholds, but since Luo Duan specifically requested for it¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ve tried the indoor training at our stronghold a few times.¡± Luo Duan continued: ¡°I¡¯ve read the information. The high-level training ground is at the headquarters, so I¡¯m thinking of trying it here.¡±


    Yi Ning didn¡¯t immediately agree: ¡°I hope you¡¯ll think about it more carefully. Your ability is to support the team and not suitable for individual training. Don¡¯t impulsively hurt yourself, it¡¯s not worth it. ¡°


    To put Yi Ning¡¯s words in the most blatant manner, Luo Duan might be strong, but the issue now was with his physical state ¡ª he was almost at the end of a synthesised human¡¯s lifespan, and it was hard to say whether he could even make use of 70% of his strength. Let¡¯s take a step back and think about it: Luo Duan was already on the verge of being scrapped, so it would be a bit wasteful to let him use this important resource that should be reserved for future generations of synthesised humans.


    Luo Duan seemed to have anticipated his answer and refused to give up: ¡°My team is on holiday now and I just have some time on hand. Marshal, I¡¯m about to retire, maybe this is the last time I come here. I just want a little more¡­ experience.¡±


    After that, the smile on Luo Duan¡¯s face arched up a bit more. His looks truly matched his water-type special ability: his facial expression was soft and his temperament was gentle, which rarely made people feel uncomfortable.


    Hearing his reasonable response, Yi Ning knew that it would seem unnatural to turn him down. Yi Ning had to follow the regulations: ¡°Well, I¡¯ll arrange a room for you here. During the period, there will be someone to accompany you, and the mission can be interrupted at any time. If you¡¯re seriously injured, we¡¯ll forcibly stop the mission. Are there any other questions? ¡°


    ¡°What if I get some light injuries?¡±


    ¡°Treat them until you¡¯re ready fight again.¡±


    ¡°I understand, thank you.¡± Luo Duan politely stretched out a hand that was covered in a black glove. ¡°The application form has been filled out, please accept it.¡±


    Yi Ning stretched out his hand and shook hands with the guy ¡ª Strange, did Luo Duan ever wear gloves before?


    ¡°See you tomorrow.¡± Luo Duan quickly retracted his hand and smiled neatly. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re being bothered by your loss to Blackbird, I have to say that their captain has never applied for this before.¡± Before Luo Duan stepped out, Yi Ning couldn¡¯t help but add.


    Luo Duan stopped at the door for a few seconds without looking back.


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s because he doesn¡¯t like being indoors and prefers to make his moves in the wild. I don¡¯t have that strong attack power. This kind of training is just right for me.¡±


    Right at that moment, Shu Jun was making his moves in the wild, but he wasn¡¯t so happy.


    An hour ago, Uncle Pan showed his business acumen again ¡ª Zhu Yanchen had a slip of the tongue when asking for information and unfortunately revealed that they wanted to buy a mud sled. As a result, by the time the two of them finished packing their luggage and was about to step out of the hotel door, Uncle Pan had already found a mud sled merchant and even a guide.


    ¡°This is a contact of mine, if you aren¡¯t satisfied, there are others. Xiao ge, I¡¯ll only take 10% as the introduction fee. Good quality, cheap price, guaranteed no cheating. Have a look first. You can just pay together with the room rental, the pancakes, the soy sauce. So convenient.¡±


    Meeting the merchant, Zhu Yanchen took out his wallet at once. Shu Jun suspected that Marshal Zhu had never heard of the phrase ¡®before buying something, you need to see at least 3 shops first¡¯.


    He laughed and put down his luggage, then dragged Zhu Yanchen to make one round around the market. The reality proved that Uncle Pan didn¡¯t lie ¡ª Even with the introduction fee, his price was still much lower than the market¡¯s.


    In the end, they trotted back to the hotel with two full bags of newly bought supplies on their backs.


    ¡°Back already?¡± Uncle Pan greeted them cheerfully: ¡°You two are unfamiliar faces. The people in the market won¡¯t go easy on you.¡±


    Shu Jun: ¡°¡­¡­¡± But we¡¯re wearing masks, how could they tell?


    ¡°People who often stay in the erosion zones will have deformed bones. You two have a straight back and are looking to buy a mud sled and a guide, so with one glance, anyone can tell you¡¯re newcomers.¡± Uncle Pan said as though seeing through Shu Jun¡¯s question. ¡°The merchant I introduced you just now¡­ Oh, this xiao ge is happy to buy it. You two should come again next time!¡±


    Zhu Yanchen swiftly made the payment, then he cast a special glance at Shu Jun.


    ¡°What are you staring at me for?¡± Shu Jun tried to make his face appear firm: ¡°Uncle Pan is a sincere person, I have nothing to say about it¡­¡­ I wasn¡¯t afraid that you would be cheated, it¡¯s just that, it¡¯s not wrong to save some money.¡±


    When he thought about the fact for the first half of his life, he had been saving committedly in that so-called ¡®real world¡¯, he felt so ironic it was almost scary.


    Zhu Yanchen kept looking at him.


    ¡°Save a little more money, and when we come back here, we can be a bit extravagant and celebrate with something.¡± Shu Jun said with his usual confidence.


    Zhu Yanchen was stunned for a second and his eyes softened ¡ª Shu Jun spoke with a rather resolute tone and that captivating charisma that he always carried with him, so much so that for a moment, Zhu Yanchen even had the illusion that he would be able to come back here alive.


    But they didn¡¯t need to waste their energy thinking about that aspect. Zhu Yanchen thought for a moment and removed the concealment atop the balance amount in his electronic wallet, then he showed Shu Jun the string of numbers.


    ¡­Shu Jun¡¯s gaze drifted in bafflement and he stopped talking for half an hour. After they packed up the new supplies in their luggage, Shu Jun whispered miserably: ¡°If so much money is transferred out, aren¡¯t you afraid that people will be suspicious about this your kidnapping case?¡±


    Zhu Yanchen said with a serious tone: ¡°There won¡¯t be any issue. I usually bring that much money.¡±


    Shu Jun: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    An hour later, the two of them were rapidly moving through the mud in an erosion zone. The sky was still grey as always, with only some gravel and dried trees on the greyish-black ground. The skid marks of the mud sled blended in with the footprints of mutated monsters. No one knew if it was because of the rumoured incident some time ago, but Shu Jun and Zhu Yanchen was the only people in sight. Even the air smelled of desolation here.


    The land in a heavily eroded zone was turning slowly into an Erosion Marsh, with soft, muddy puddles everywhere, which made it difficult to ride any vehicles or walk on foot. Faced with this kind of road conditions, the rich would make mud boats while the poor would use mutated monsters to pull their mud sleds. Over time, many people simply rowed mud boats to pull mud sleds and acted as ¡®erosion zone guides¡¯, charging quite an exorbitant price.


    The guide was also a bald, brawny man, with a similar shape to Uncle Pan. He also had two lumps on his head, but they were brown. Shu Jun glanced at the shape of the lumps and wondered whether Uncle Pan was actually sincere in his introduction ¡ª Aren¡¯t these two obviously related?


    ¡°I heard my ge say that you two want to head east?¡± The guide was having a gas mask on his face, but they could hear his smiling voice. ¡°I can take you for two days at most. I won¡¯t go any deeper.¡±


    ¡°Two days are enough.¡± Zhu Yanchen said.


    ¡°The south side is also very good. A while ago, someone dug up an entire jewelry store there. Why bother with the east side? Actually, if you go to the south side, you can travel in a small boat. A mud sled will need a separate carrier for the luggage, alas, my poor dog.¡± The guide obviously wanted to continue talking randomly.


    The ¡®dogs¡¯ in his talk were pulling the mud sled and running fast. The six dogs were pitch-black from head to toe, their cracked heads dripping with saliva and their legs digging through the mud as though running on flat ground. Fresh red meat was hanging in front of their heads, making them look like donkeys led by carrots.


    ¡°Speaking of the east side, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m scared. Previously, I guided a group there for three days, but now it¡¯s two days at most. I don¡¯t know if my ge told you, recently, something happened over there. It¡¯s really terrifying, a bunch of people found a strange monster corpse¡­¡±


    Now they knew where Uncle Pan¡¯s continuous intelligence came from. Zhu Yanchen slowly lay down, pulled the blanket and cast a ¡®I¡¯m handing over to you¡¯ look at Shu Jun.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Shu Jun took over the burden and interrupted the guide who wouldn¡¯t stop talking: ¡°Mr. Pan¡­?¡±


    ¡°Actually, my brother and I are both from the old Chen family, Pan what Pan? I blame these two lumps on our heads.¡± The guide chuckled: ¡°But for business, we just take on something that¡¯s easy to remember. You can follow others and call me Uncle Xiong.¡±


    Shu Jun: ¡°¡­Uncle Xiong.¡±


    The next two days were rather uneventful. Except for when he needed to check on Shu Jun¡¯s physical condition, Zhu Yanchen seemed to fall in love with sleep. Whenever he had time, he would take a nap. Shu Jun could quite understand his mood ¡ª There was nothing to see in this heavy eroded zone. They encountered only a couple of kittens and puppies, let alone any Erosion Marsh. Beside, there was an outsider next to them so they couldn¡¯t talk much.


    On Zhu Yanchen¡¯s side, he worked and went to sleep, then got back to work after waking up, and on Shu Jun¡¯s side, he had to sneak out to hunt some mutated monsters while Uncle Xiong was sleeping. After eating, he had to bring some meat back to feed Monday, so as to prevent it from crying out of hunger when Uncle Xiong was awake.


    Shu Jun thought that he would have to bear with this for only two days and totally didn¡¯t expect that the problem happened on the last night.


    On the night of the second day, they came to a river.


    The water in the river was naturally not clear, but it was particularly conspicuous amidst this barren land. When Uncle Xiong saw the river, he said: ¡°The stopping point is here. You¡¯ll have to ride the mud sled by yourself.¡±


    As he said, he removed the luggage hanging behind the mud sled and helped them install the mud sled head on the spot: ¡°Don¡¯t you want to buy dogs? Else, you¡¯ll exhaust yourself. In any case, there¡¯s only me on the trip back, so I can sell you a few.¡±


    But before he could finish his words, Zhu Yanchen decisively drew his gun and shot the mutated monster in front of him into two pieces.


    ¡°Hey, if you don¡¯t want to buy, don¡¯t buy, what is this for?!¡­ F**k!!!¡± Uncle Xiong cursed but his voice stopped halfway, because ¡ª Countless greyish-black ¡®straws¡¯ poured out from the monster¡¯s body and crawled towards the three of them.


    Corpse Parasite.


    Shu Jun snorted and pulled off the cloth covering his broadsword, then he bolted towards the creature. The sword was truly much more convenient than his claws ¡ª Unlike Zhu Yanchen¡¯s purification gun, the moment the sword¡¯s edge swept across the monster¡¯s delicate limbs, those limbs were sucked away like rice flour. After only a short moment of Shu Jun slashing his sword beautifully, the monster¡¯s body was reduced by a third.


    Monday: ¡°Hiccup.¡±


    Uncle Xiong¡¯s eyes changed behind his face mask.


    ¡°High-tech, high-tech.¡± Shu Jun quickly explained: ¡°My boss is rich, he came out here to experiment with weapons. Right, boss?¡±


    Zhu Yanchen¡¯s shot almost went off-track. Luckily, Uncle Xiong was so horrified right now that he didn¡¯t even bother to pursue the matter anymore: ¡°Or I can take you back now. There¡¯s a Corpse Parasite here, which means there must be an Erosion Marsh nearby. No matter what you two do, life is the most important thing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Shu Jun followed along with Monday¡¯s mood and replied happily: ¡°You go first, we can handle it.¡±


    Uncle Xiong didn¡¯t insist otherwise. The next moment, he pulled the reins and quickly fled the scene.


    Shu Jun wasn¡¯t nervous, for this wasn¡¯t the first time they had encountered a Corpse Parasite. It could only attack Zhu Yanchen, but he was definitely not an easy target. As long as Shu Jun guarded him, Zhu Yanchen would be fine even if an Erosion Marsh came to knock on their door.


    ¡°A Yan, follow me closely.¡± Without Uncle Xiong watching them, Shu Jun felt a lot more relaxed. This was just a regular encounter ¡ª he originally thought so.


    However, when his broadsword started eating up the Corpse Parasite, Shu Jun heard a faint laughter.


    To be precise, it wasn¡¯t a laughter in the physical sense, but rather, it sounded like the emotion he used to sense from the marsh. Cold sweat broke out behind Shu Jun¡¯s back.


    Erosion Marshes functioned like a bee colony or an ant colony. They were a biological aggregate that followed instinct, with simple emotions and thinking at best.


    Even if they were lucky and met a marsh like Monday, one that had obtained some rare intelligence and even had a brain, Monday¡¯s emotions were still quite simple. But the laughter that came this time was different ¡ª It wasn¡¯t a pure laughter of a child, rather, it sounded more like an adult¡¯s chuckle after being amused.


    Shu Jun¡¯s nerves tensed up in an instant. He turned to face the place where the ¡®laughter¡¯ came from and shielded Zhu Yanchen behind him: ¡°We have to go.¡±


    Unfortunately, these words of his came too late.


    A vague shadow appeared amidst the fog. It was about two meters tall, with an outline that looked like some kind of insect at first glance. It was moving dexterously across the mud with four long, thin legs that seemed to carry a jointed appendage structure, with several joints on each leg.


    A droplet-shaped body was hanging from where the four limbs met. Standing less than a hundred meters away from them, the creature looked like a dancing spider ghost with its slow movements.


    Shu Jun was quite sure that the laughter came from there.


    [So it¡¯s not the leader.]


    Its thoughts were passed to Shu Jun. The words came from no particular language, but their meaning was very clear to his mind.


    [In any case, how could a leader come to such a place?]


    [Where is your herd of marshes? ]


    It started to laugh again, and raised one question after another.


    [Why do you look so strange?]


    [Why don¡¯t you answer?]


    As it got closer and closer, beads of cold sweat rolled down Shu Jun¡¯s forehead. The creature¡¯s thinking rhythm was so fast that he didn¡¯t know how he should respond ¡ª When he successfully sent his thoughts to the Erosion Marsh before, it was just some unconscious swear words.


    [We already have a leader, we only need one leader.] It said again.


    [Since you don¡¯t answer me, you¡¯re an invader.]

 CH 22

    Zhu Yanchen said that the Erosion Marshes could be compared to a wolf pack, where one particular marsh would be considered the Alpha. The ¡®leader¡¯ that this creature kept asking about must be referring to an Alpha-level marsh.


    The creature in front of them didn¡¯t seem like it was much more powerful than Monday, but its intelligence was obviously of a higher level. Shu Jun was never afraid of fighting, nor was he afraid of such a peculiar presence. However, ¡®reckless¡¯ and ¡®brave¡¯ weren¡¯t synonymous after all. In this situation where his eyes could barely see, a rash attack would only have him suffer.


    ¡®Of all Thirty-Six Stratagems, retreating is best¡¯1. Shu Jun stretched out his hand to pull Zhu Yanchen, but the latter seemed to be nailed to the ground and remained completely motionless.


    Zhu Yanchen was okay to fight with mutated monsters, but unfortunately, he indeed lacked experience at the frontline, so it was understandable that he was shocked. Shu Jun rubbed his hand and was just about to carry the man away, but Zhu Yanchen beautifully put back his gun and turned on the torchlight with a flip of hand.


    ¡­Okay I¡¯m wrong, Marshal Zhu probably had ten times the courage of a layman.


    The beam of light passed through the thin fog and shined on the creature standing opposite them.


    Shu Jun might have seen lots of monsters before, but he still shuddered. At this moment, he really understood what Zhu Yanchen said before ¡ª ¡°Humans haven¡¯t set foot in those ruins for two hundred years, so anything can appear.¡±


    That thing¡¯s skin texture was quite similar to that of humans, carrying a deep shade of greyish-black. Although its four limbs were bent and twisted, a certain structure could still be seen. The head and torso couldn¡¯t be distinguished on its droplet-shaped body, while a black flesh membrane covered its rib-like frame. Various features of a human face scattered randomly all over the skin, like a jigsaw puzzle that had been entirely messed up.


    One of the human eyes saw the light beam and slightly squinted.


    Shu Jun swallowed so hard the sound echoed in the air. Compared with this thing, the mutated monsters before were still very much in line with human aesthetics, even considered beautiful. A Corpse Parasite that had everyone scream in fear now seemed as docile and as adorable as a kitten.


    Even Monday promptly expressed his emotion: ¡°Wa.¡±


    Only Zhu Yanchen hummed calmly and continued to observe very meticulously, as though the creature opposite them was a newborn pony. He even opened the briefcase on the spot and dug out more stuff, like a zoologist who just discovered a new species. Shu Jun could feel the suspicion coming from the monster on the other side, and for a moment, he understood its mood.


    The monster hesitated for a while, then moved closer, lowered his body slightly and trembled ominously. Zhu Yanchen glanced at it and clutched the gun in his hand. He started to set up his device faster but still didn¡¯t intend to leave.


    ¡°Let¡¯s retreat first.¡± Shu Jun bellowed.


    The always-clear-headed Marshal Zhu shook his head. He stared intently at the monster while his movements seemed to radiate a rarely seen excitement: ¡°Wait a bit. It¡¯ll be fine, this isn¡¯t an Alpha-level Erosion Marsh.¡±


    After a long while, he seemed to think of something, and added another sentence with a serious tone: ¡°I won¡¯t die.¡±


    The monster moved closer and stopped about ten steps away from Zhu Yanchen. Its human-like eyes opened wide and blinked at Zhu Yanchen. Shu Jun recognised these fluctuations: It was how a predator focused right before attacking its prey!


    Shu Jun took a slow and deep breath, then smoothly made his move ¡ª


    He had seen the handcuffs in the briefcase before. Right now, Shu Jun pulled the handcuffs and neatly whizzed it over Zhu Yanchen¡¯s wrist. Caught utterly off guard, Zhu Yanchen was picked up by Shu Jun in the next second and thrown onto their luggage carrier.


    ¡°Three days have passed.¡± Zhu Yanchen shook his handcuffs and looked at Shu Jun pulling the sail into the wind.


    ¡°Not according to the hours we¡¯ve actually been locked together.¡± As Shu Jun¡¯s face turned black, his skills were fully activated ¡ª They really didn¡¯t need Uncle Xiong¡¯s dog. As the sail unfolded, the wind rolled over and pushed their mud sled so fast they almost shot into the sky. The creature was quickly left far behind.


    ¡°What were you doing just now? Are you looking for death?¡±


    ¡°An Alpha-level Erosion Marsh won¡¯t be the first one to greet us. That was a low-level Erosion Marsh. It can¡¯t hurt you, and it won¡¯t kill me either.¡± Zhu Yanchen solemnly defended himself.


    ¡°Yes, it can¡¯t hurt me, but only ghost knows what it can do. I may not be able to protect you. Even if we have time to escape, you may be injured ¡ª Your last injury hasn¡¯t even healed, yet you still have the guts to tell me ¡®I won¡¯t die¡¯? Is this a question of whether you¡¯ll die a violent death or not?¡±


    He then threw the briefcase to Zhu Yanchen in a rather crude manner.


    Shu Jun raised his head and lowered his voice to imitate Zhu Yanchen¡¯s tone: ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking, Marshal Zhu. It must be like: ¡®This is just a low-level marsh. It doesn¡¯t matter if I get injured a bit. Anyway, I¡¯m going to die soon, so I don¡¯t have to worry about any consequence of my wounds being contaminated.¡¯¡± He continued: ¡°¡­Why are you turning away? Look at me!¡±


    Zhu Yanchen turned his head away, his lips twitching slightly. In the end, he just sighed and fixed his eyes on Shu Jun.


    ¡°If you¡¯re still my friend for the time being, don¡¯t perform any fancy show of getting injured in front of me. Thanks to the blessings from you all, I¡®ve bidden farewell to a lot of people for ten years. I¡¯ve seen enough.¡± Shu Jun said with a rarely-heard cold tone: ¡°I don¡¯t know why you can¡¯t tell me your reason, but at least treat yourself like a human, okay? Did you think that I was just being polite when I said ¡®I want to help you live longer¡¯?¡±


    After ascertaining that the distance was far enough, Shu Jun found a huge boulder as their shelter and halted the mud sled.


    ¡°If you want to investigate, you can. I¡¯ll volunteer to look around, at worst, I¡¯ll just drag one of them back to you. If you insist on facing them by yourself, I¡¯ll tie you up.¡±


    ¡°Our relationship is just to be partners, don¡¯t forget your position.¡± Zhu Yanchen clenched the chain of the handcuffs.


    Shu Jun said without even needing to think about it: ¡°My position? If you really were trying to trick me from the beginning, letting you die so easily would just be my loss.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen: ¡°¡­I understand.¡± Shu Jun¡¯s words made total sense, even though they bordered on being abominable. Zhu Yanchen wanted to smile. The shell that had been wrapping around him for more than ten years was pried apart by this guy¡¯s anger, and the pain that followed also carried with it some bitterness that he couldn¡¯t seem to describe.


    After going round and round, it¡¯s still this person in the end.


    He pondered for a moment, stretched out his hand to catch Shu Jun¡¯s wrist and said solemnly: ¡°I¡¯ll pay attention next time.¡±


    ¡°Now that¡¯s better.¡±


    Shu Jun patted away the mud on his body and made a casual gesture, then the wind began to blow in the opposite direction. The mud sled moved rapidly and steadily, making them both feel much better than when they were retreating just now.


    ¡°Now we¡¯re heading back. Let¡¯s talk a bit, what¡¯s going on in X City? Don¡¯t fool me with ¡®I don¡¯t know¡¯ this time ¡ª You went so deep into an eroded zone without a care, and you weren¡¯t even surprised to see that ¡®thing¡¯ just now. This is obviously not a fun-filled, full-of-danger expedition for you at all, you definitely know something about X City.¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know about the specific situation in the city. I just guessed that there¡¯s something in that place.¡± Zhu Yanchen thought for a moment before continuing: ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the Erosion Marsh in X City to appear so early.¡±


    ¡°Hm hm.¡± Shu Jun rested half of his face on his palm, his elbow leaning on the guardrail of the mud sledge.


    ¡°Two hundred years ago, Zhu Rong completed the Player system in X City. As the capital city at that time, X City was the first city in human history to put synthesised humans into use. However, the Player system at the time wasn¡¯t perfect and there was no [Erosion] VR game.¡±


    ¡°Oh-oh, then there was a natural disaster and the Erosion Marshes moved over from the east side, so the residents had to flee to Y City. X City later became one of the most severely eroded zones and even the players weren¡¯t allowed to go there.¡± Shu Jun followed along: ¡°I do know of this information.¡±


    ¡°If it were just a natural disaster, those Erosion Marshes wouldn¡¯t stay in X City for such a long time. X City was rather dry and not suitable for them to inhabit.¡±


    ¡°¡­But your guess is that there¡¯s something in X City.¡± Shu Jun said as his eyebrows furrowed.


    ¡°Yes, I suspect that while the Erosion Marshes were there, it wasn¡¯t a natural disaster that destroyed City X but a man-made disaster. However, there¡¯s too little information about these marshes. My thoughts are only guesses and lack evidence.¡± Zhu Yanchen clutched the briefcase in his chest and struggled to stand up from their pile of supply luggage: ¡°As long as I can determine the situation in X City, I can¡­ well¡­¡±


    Barely a few seconds after standing still, Zhu Yanchen fell forward, his body curling up in pain. Shu Jun looked around to find the surrounding darkness still empty and nothing unusual popping up.


    ¡°The erosive substance concentration seems wrong.¡± Zhu Yanchen said with difficulty.


    They are still on the periphery of an eroded zone and hadn¡¯t even returned to the river they first saw when entering this place. How could the erosive substance suddenly rise, unless ¡ª


    Shu Jun felt his back turning cold. He instinctively blew the mud sled away from the boulder. The next instant, the boulder moved.


    Another chuckle came to them and the ¡®boulder¡¯ slowly disintegrated. The monsters let go of their hugging posture and chased after the mud sled. If Shu Jun had reacted only a second slower, these monsters would have brutally pounded onto them.


    This group of monsters had rather similar shapes, looking like they came from the same mold as the other monster they saw earlier.


    Zhu Yanchen held back the pain, raised his muzzle and stood back to back with Shu Jun, who was clutching the broadsword in his hands. Before he could even adjust his posture, a gust of wind rolled up and some mud splashed onto him, then Shu Jun hugged his waist and the two rushed into the sky.


    ¡°Hush.¡± ??Shu Jun hissed against Zhu Yanchen¡¯s ear.


    Trying to ignore the hot sensation in his ear, Zhu Yanchen looked down.


    If someone else came over, they might just scream. The land around them was completely covered with those four-legged monsters, with only a small path in the middle. Some of them were running behind the sled, while the few in front were guiding and pulling the mud sled in a specific direction.


    ¡°They manipulate the moisture in the air to deflect light, thus creating an illusion of ¡®nothingness¡¯. If we stayed on the mud sled, we wouldn¡¯t be able to see anything.¡± Shu Jun whispered. ¡°It¡¯s just a small trick, Luo Duan likes to use it a lot.¡±


    ¡°Did you just use the erosive substance as our doppelg?ngers?¡± Zhu Yanchen saw the two figures still stuck on the mud sled¡­ They were clay figures with his and Shu Jun¡¯s blood-stained bandages still entangled on them.


    ¡°No one has seen these monsters before. They suddenly appeared, so they probably came for me. Since they almost mistook me for their leader, they probably detected me based on the erosive substance in my body ¡ª With so little time, I could only come up with these doppelg?ngers. Let¡¯s just hope that they won¡¯t find out about the real ones too fast.¡±


    ¡°No ¡ª¡± Monday¡¯s coarse scream came from below their feet.


    Zhu Yanchen: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I can follow them first and get everything back if necessary. How are you, are you feeling better?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s observe for a few minutes and then return to the mud sled.¡± Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t answer his question immediately .


    ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°The erosive substance concentration near X City has never been low. It was just me being unprepared just now ¡ª There¡¯s medicine in the briefcase, so I¡¯ll be fine if I eat them promptly.¡± Zhu Yanchen carefully studied the route that the monsters were moving in: ¡°They¡¯re taking us in the direction of X City, their speed isn¡¯t bad.¡±


    ¡­Can you not describe such a horrifying situation as though you¡¯re waving a taxi? Shu Jun found himself stupefied.


    ¡°They mistake you for the leader, which means that they do have a leader. Looking at how it is now, it seems that before the leader makes a decision, they won¡¯t do anything to us¡­ I suspect that the illusion has already begun a long time ago. As for the Corpse Parasite and the single monster we saw earlier, they were probably just to test you.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen paused for a second: ¡°If they bother to put up such a show, they won¡¯t be so careless. Sooner or later our ¡®clay figures¡¯ down there will be exposed. We might as well take this as an opportunity to hitchhike them, then you can also save some energy.¡±


    ¡°A Yan.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°If you didn¡¯t have me, would your original plan be this exciting?¡± Shu Jun carefully descended while muttering: ¡°Or I can lure them out, then you do whatever you want to according to your original plan¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to.¡± Zhu Yanchen¡¯s tone sounded like he was smiling: ¡°I came here because of them, now that they¡¯re here, I don¡¯t have to go looking for them.¡±


    As soon as the two of them landed back on the mud sled, the crowd of monsters around them disappeared instantly. If it hadn¡¯t been for them looking from the sky just now, Shu Jun would almost believe that the two of them had successfully gotten away. He simply summoned a tiny wind and let the invisible monsters continue their duty of pulling the mud sled and carrying on their ¡®invisibility¡¯. The mud sled quickly swept across the land, where the scene seemed rather peaceful.


    Pretend I don¡¯t see them, pretend I don¡¯t see them. Shu Jun thought silently in his heart and threw a piece of meat to Monday to stop its mouth from sprouting more nonsense.


    Zhu Yanchen ate his medicine, sat down properly and calmly gazed at the direction of X City.


    Shu Jun had been feeling that Zhu Yanchen¡¯s temperament had somehow changed. Surrounded by invisible monsters, Zhu Yanchen¡¯s delight seemed to greatly outweigh his fear. His whole body exuded an inexplicable radiance, but this sensation didn¡¯t make Shu Jun feel at ease.


    It was just like fireworks that were reaching their most gorgeous moment and would extinguish in the next second.


    I hope my intuition won¡¯t work so well this time, Shu Jun thought, Isn¡¯t this man supposed to live for at least one more month?


    The four-legged monsters were rather competent. The original plan would have the two of them travel for five days, but the monsters reached the destination in less than three days. At first, Shu Jun and Zhu Yanchen pretended to be ignorant, but later they became a little numb ¡ª  they couldn¡¯t see the monsters around them anyway, so it was natural to occasionally forget about them. Shu Jun stealthily flew up from time to time to confirm their position. Apart from that, their trip was pretty uneventful.


    It was just that because the erosive substance concentration was too high, Zhu Yanchen had to continuously take in more medicine, which really made Shu Jun feel his stomach churn.


    On the third day after the four-legged monsters took over the mud sled, the illusion around them all faded like melting snow, and the remnants of X City were completely exposed before their eyes.


    No matter what Zhu Yanchen¡¯s guess is, he¡¯s definitely right, Shu Jun thought. X City was more than just ¡®there¡¯s something in that place¡¯ ¡ª The scene in front almost made his heart stop beating.


    ¡°A Yan, you quickly take some samples for your research.¡± Shu Jun took a long breath: ¡°Then I¡¯ll take you to run away.¡±

 CH 23

    Concerning this city where humans hadn¡¯t set foot in for 200 years, Shu Jun¡¯s guess was quite simple.


    There were no green plants in the eroded zones; at most, there were only some greyish-white mutated plants that grew sparsely. The worst case that could happen to them was that the city turned out to be full of mutated monsters. After fighting for so many years, Shu Jun had seen many urban ruins that lay at the edge of eroded zones; they had always been rather similar.


    However, the sight before his eyes right now was something he really hadn¡¯t seen before.


    He had to admit: it might be a good thing that people couldn¡¯t go here. Even though Shu Jun could easily defeat any sort of monster, facing the scene in front, he was dazed for a few seconds.


    The city was still standing and hadn¡¯t yet turned into collapsed walls, but all the buildings were distorted, as though they were buildings made with children¡¯s playdough. In the gaps between the buildings, there were pitch-black threads as dense as spider webs, covering most of the sky. The streets carried only shades of black, white and grey, but they were very tidy. Wandering on those streets were four-legged monsters with features of a human face on their bodies, but there weren¡¯t a whole lot of them.


    However, that was still relatively normal.


    There was no fog inside the city. Even as they stood at the entrance, they could clearly see those four-legged monsters ¡ª Slowly floating behind them were countless threads as fine as spun sugar. They blended together with the pitch-black threads hanging between the buildings, all pointing towards a certain direction.


    Shu Jun could see the ends of those threads.


    The threads linked to the center of the city, where a head half the size of a mountain was lying.


    The head¡¯s skin had a similar texture to that of the four-legged monsters, even bearing the fine lines often seen on human skin, but it exuded the luster of erosive substance. The head lay quietly on its side in the middle of the city, with no obvious separation between the neck and the ground, like a chunk of melted ice cream. The erosive substance oozed out at all directions, pulling countless sticky, silky threads of pitch-black colour.


    If Shu Jun had to call this city a bizarre nest of some sort of insect, this head must be the core.


    The human features on this head were much more regular than those on the four-legged monsters, but from the perspective of a real human, that face seemed like it had been severely burnt, looking utterly disfigured and terrifying. Its eyes opened slightly and blinked at times, revealing a cloudy lump of white under its eyelids. Perhaps the difference in their strength was too great that Shu Jun couldn¡¯t feel any emotion from that head at all.


    There¡¯s no chance I can fight this thing.


    This was Shu Jun¡¯s first reaction.


    Whether it was himself, Zhu Yanchen or the four-legged monsters around him, they were no more than ants compared to that thing. Even if it lay still and let him attack freely, he might not be able to destroy its brain in a single strike.


    Was this the real Alpha-level Erosion Marsh?


    Zhu Yanchen raised his head and looked at the head in the distance. Since a gas mask was covering Zhu Yanchen¡¯s face, Shu Jun couldn¡¯t see his expression. The four-legged monsters were still moving energetically around them. On the other side, seeing the two of them standing here, the four-legged monsters who had been moving in the city specially changed their tracks. All around Shu Jun and Zhu Yanchen, the sounds of whispers suddenly rose.


    Shu Jun had a strange feeling. Being surrounded by such things, it looked as though the two of them were the monsters here.


    ¡°A Yan.¡± Shu Jun sent Zhu Yanchen a reminder to make sure that he wasn¡¯t overly immersed in observing them.


    To be honest, Shu Jun didn¡¯t know whether the concentration of erosive substance here could be measured, for the air of this whole place was terribly thick. No matter how much protection and medicine Zhu Yanchen had on him, human endurance had its limits. Raincoats and umbrellas could still be effective against normal wind and rain, but right now, they were in the situation of having fallen into a pool. The erosive substance was shooting at them from every single direction, almost seeping into their bones.


    Zhu Yanchen wouldn¡¯t last long here.


    Luckily, Zhu Yanchen understood this well. He fiddled with the device in his hand for a moment and turned to hug Shu Jun on his own volition: ¡°Let¡¯s leave.¡±


    Shu Jun had grabbed their supply bags way earlier. Since the moment the illusion of ¡®nothingness¡¯ was lifted, he had readied both his legs ¡ª They were only at the city entrance now, so there was still a chance to escape. If they got close to that head, things would probably be difficult to predict.


    Shu Jun went all out. In fact, air with such a high concentration of erosive substance helped him better. A windstorm swept through the surroundings and his powers became several times stronger than usual, blowing the four-legged monsters away in a blink. With two supply bags on his hands, Shu Jun hugged Zhu Yanchen back tightly and hurriedly flew towards the path where they came from.


    But, things didn¡¯t go so smoothly.


    The sticky pitch-black threads condensed together, forming an eerie giant out of thin air. The giant looked as though it had walked out of a child¡¯s poor painting, its anatomy so warped that it completely diverged from common biology ¡ª Shortly after the giant was created, its bones could no longer support its weight, then its flesh exploded, falling onto the ground along with its skeleton.


    But it could still move.


    Having no concern at all about its collapsed body that was splattered with pitch-black blood, the giant opened its arms wide towards Shu Jun, wanting to grab the two humans that were trying to run away. Shu Jun recklessly dodged and almost got hit ¡ª The giant¡¯s size was enormous and the thickness of its arms was comparable to that of a lighthouse. Shu Jun wasn¡¯t keen on imagining what would happen if he actually got hit.


    But then, the most troublesome thing wasn¡¯t its size.


    The sticky threads wrapped around the giant¡¯s body, but some had gotten stuck on Shu Jun. He could feel the giant¡¯s icy hostility through these threads. Shu Jun shuddered and tried to break free, but these threads were like cobwebs ¡ª They became tighter and tighter, making him unable to escape.


    As the four-legged monsters let out ear-splitting screams, more and more threads started to drift towards him.


    If the two of them got caught here, everything would be over.


    As the giant hit randomly at the city entrance, Shu Jun halted his breathing and flew dexterously in mid-air, trying his very best to not let more of those sticky threads tangle around him. Zhu Yanchen freed up his hand and pointed his purification gun continuously at the threads. But, there was so much erosive substance in the air that his purifying bullets were consumed as soon as they left the muzzle, way before they could even touch those threads.


    Shu Jun tried to use his wind blades to support Zhu Yanchen¡¯s attacks, but the effect was still nothing to be proud about ¡ª  They just looked like two fools who insisted on washing clothes in mud.


    Zhu Yanchen stopped moving and quietly considered their situation.


    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve used this kind of attack. Do you have any suggestions? Now I really need some suggestions.¡±


    Sweat dripped down Shujun¡¯s cheeks. He used the best of his strength to control the wind, but an increasing amount of threads was trapping them, making it harder and harder to run away. On the other side, the giant began to destroy its own bloody self, leaving Shu Jun with zero chances to attack. At this point, the giant no longer carried any human form, just a bloody skeleton screaming excruciatingly while convulsing like a mad dog, and each time its body shuddered, it was already as good as a full blow.


    ¡°Suppress the erosive substance inside you.¡± Zhu Yanchen said: ¡°It has been tracking you, not me. You actually guessed it right, just like those four-legged marshes, this thing also bases on the erosive substance to locate people.¡±


    But even if they could assume that those small Erosion Marshes were stupid, the one in the center of the city definitely wasn¡¯t. Shu Jun didn¡¯t think he could trick it just by using their blood and some mud to create a ¡®doppelg?nger¡¯. He also couldn¡¯t suck in and spit out water like Monday to control the concentration of erosive substance in his body.


    For a moment, Shu Jun¡¯s hands were completely tied.


    ¡°For example, the higher the concentration of erosive substance inside, the brighter the ¡®light¡¯. You¡¯re the most conspicuous light bulb here, it only needs to follow your ¡®light¡¯.¡±


    As if feeling Shu Jun¡¯s confusion, Zhu Yanchen gave further explanation. Despite being on such a fierce battlefield, his voice remained steady and calm.


    ¡°Using a bloody bandage as a substitute is equivalent to creating a fake ¡®you¡¯ with a smaller light bulb that has comparable brightness, while diluting the erosive substance with water is equivalent to reducing the brightness of the light bulb. Now I suggest that you turn off the light bulb completely.¡±


    ¡°¡­How do I turn it off, do I lie down and pretend to be dead?¡± Shu Jun roughly understood what Zhu Yanchen meant, but he was still at a loss when it came to the details.


    ¡°Let the erosive substance inside you pretend to be dead.¡±


    And here he goes again, Shu Jun felt bitter in his heart ¡ª  Marshal Zhu had started to give him Mission Impossible once more.


    ¡°You¡¯re being too abstract, Marshal!¡± Shu Jun let out a sorrowful cry, struggling to dodge a lump of soft threads flying at his face.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done it before.¡± Zhu Yanchen hugged Shu Jun¡¯s arm and exerted some force: ¡°Remember how you carried me to the hotel a few days ago?


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you did, but you made the erosive substance inside me feel very calm. Recall your thoughts at the time, and then try to do it again, this time more thoroughly. ¡°


    My thoughts?


    Shu Jun¡¯s thoughts at that time were very simple ¡ª Zhu Yanchen was in a bad condition and needed a rest, so he should keep as quiet as possible. It would be great if the surroundings became silent.


    Could such a ridiculously normal thought really work?


    But Zhu Yanchen wouldn¡¯t put his life on the line just to talk nonsense. He was an expert in this regard. Shu Jun stopped questioning and closed his eyes, leaving the petrifying city on the other side of his eyelids. There was only darkness before his eyes.


    Don¡¯t panic, concentrate.


    He stayed completely quiet.


    No, take it one step further. The surroundings must be silent and nothing should make a sound. Now that the situation was a matter of life and death, he couldn¡¯t care about where the noise came from. Shu Jun didn¡¯t know if this would be considered concentration; he could only be certain that ¡ª This desire of his was definitely from the heart, and it felt immense.


    A soft bang came from beside him.


    Unbeknownst to him, the threads detangled one by one. They disorientedly floated in the air, like snakes that had lost their target. Shu Jun didn¡¯t dare to breathe loudly, nor did he dare to make any unnecessary moves. He walked past the wailing giant and flew out of the city at the fastest speed he had ever summoned his life.


    Shu Jun could feel that as the air gradually became clearer, Zhu Yanchen¡¯s tight body slowly relaxed.


    ¡°Head southwest.¡± Zhu Yanchen whispered, his voice a little numb: ¡°You can¡¯t maintain this state of suppression all the time. There are some ruins in the southwest, we can take shelter there.¡±


    ¡°Uhm.¡± Shu Jun finally heaved a sigh of relief: ¡°What about you, what is your next plan? The situation in X City seems to be beyond our power to handle, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve taken a lot of photos. I have to send the chip out as soon as possible. This place is too badly eroded, so the chip may be spoilt soon. After that¡­ After that, I can help you measure your stats and stabilise your new skill.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen¡¯s tone sounded slightly erratic.


    ¡°There should be some intelligence in the stronghold. It¡¯ll be good to get some additional information¡­ The situation in X City is beyond my estimations. My trip to the beach may have to be cancelled.¡±


    ¡°I hope you mean that you¡¯re going back home earlier than planned, not that you¡¯re camping here.¡± Shu Jun muttered: ¡°Wait, do you mean that stronghold?¡±


    Shu Jun flew very fast, and a short moment later, the terrifying city disappeared from their sight. At first, there were still some four-legged monsters wandering in the outskirts of the city, but as they moved further away, they could only see some ordinary Erosion Marshes and common mutated monsters roaming around the marshes. Although the degree of erosion surrounding the city was still frighteningly high, it was at least a scene that was familiar to them.


    In the middle of wilderness like this, a man-made building was particularly eye-catching.


    Although it was a stronghold built 200 years ago, it didn¡¯t seem very different the present day. Shu Jun descended slowly and didn¡¯t notice anything unusual around him ¡ª In order to make sure that they wouldn¡¯t be tricked again by the illusion of ¡®nothingness¡¯, he hovered above the stronghold for a long time and even asked for Monday¡¯s opinion.


    Scarred by the struggle back in X City, Monday¡¯s mood was pretty bad: ¡°Get out now!¡±


    ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be any problem.¡± Shu Jun swung the broadsword in his hand and finally ended his patrol: ¡°I wonder if the rooms here are still usable.¡±


    The answer was no.


    The purifiers had stopped working long ago. Peculiarly shaped mutated plants had grown from the cracks in the wall, and the bedsheets were coated with lumps of black-and-white molds, looking like piles of eyeballs. All sorts of cups and bowls were scattered all over the floor, enveloped in thick layers of dust. Any traces of human existence had been completely covered underneath.


    Shu Jun and Zhu Yanchen looked at each other and headed towards the underground floor.


    The conditions underground were better. The rooms that lay deep underground somewhat maintained their original shapes and didn¡¯t contain too many eroded microorganisms.


    Opening the doors one by one, Shu Jun didn¡¯t take long to finally locate the players¡¯ chamber, where rows of hibernating pods lay still like coffins. Shu Jun hesitated for a while but took the lead to walk in. For a moment, the atmosphere between the two of them was a bit awkward.


    This was where the first group of ¡®players¡¯ logged in to the game [Erosion].


    Shu Jun originally thought he would see a lot of corpses. But when he looked over the hibernating pods one by one, it was completely sealed from inside and there wasn¡¯t even a trace of dust, let alone corpses.


    This doesn¡¯t seem right.


    Speaking of which, along the path that they came here, they didn¡¯t seem to see any corpses. Although the erosive substance here might be very strong, it shouldn¡¯t be strong enough to swallow whole bodies without leaving behind any bones.


    ¡°¡­Did this stronghold go out of service before the Erosion Marshes took over the place?¡± Shu Jun looked around and found nothing. After 200 years, even normal electric lights no longer functioned here, let alone intricate high-tech devices.


    ¡°This used to be Zhu Rong¡¯s stronghold. It must¡¯ve been in use at the time.¡± Zhu Yanchen¡¯s tone was a bit solemn: ¡°This place shouldn¡¯t be so clean. Keep looking.¡±


    Shu Jun nodded and followed Zhu Yanchen to thoroughly search the rooms. They harvested dead mice, insect shells and clusters of spiders. They even ran into a dry fish tank ¡ª where a heap of greyish-white meat was wriggling inside, stuffing the fish tank to its brim. With a numb expression, Shu Jun¡¯s raised his hand and threw the whole thing out the window.


    Along the way, they saw almost everything, but there were no human bones at all.


    Until they reached the deepest part underground.


    ¡°If there¡¯s still nothing here, let¡¯s make dinner first then take a break.¡± Shu Jun swept one round with the cold lamp in his hand. ¡°I¡¯m a little tired. If we go further down, I think I won¡¯t be able to suppress the erosive substance inside me.¡±


    ¡°Uhm.¡± Zhu Yanchen was holding another light tube. At this depth, the concentration of erosive substance wasn¡¯t high, which apparently had helped him regain his spirits.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been to the deepest part of any stronghold before.¡± Seeing the other man¡¯s condition improved, Shu Jun relaxed a little and started looking for a chit-chat topic: ¡°Usually, what¡¯s in the deepest layer?¡±


    Zhu Yanchen was silent for a few seconds: ¡°Equipment to incubate synthethised humans.¡±


    ¡­Okay, the atmosphere is now even more embarrassing. Shu Jun took a deep breath and pushed the door in front of him.


    The door didn¡¯t move.


    Shu Jun tried to use the erosive substance to hook the lock inside, but after shaking the thread of erosive substance for a long time, there was absolutely no sound of metal cracking. He frowned and swung Monday once, but the result he got was only Monday¡¯s scream. There wasn¡¯t even a scratch on the door.


    ¡°Zhu Rong was the top biological expert at the time, and he was also very keen on researching the phenomenon of erosion. This used to be his laboratory, so its ability to prevent erosion definitely can¡¯t be bad.¡± Zhu Yanchen touched the door panel: ¡°As long as the erosive substance is completely blocked, the other Alphas can¡¯t find you. It¡¯s a great training ground that you can freely use.¡±


    After that, he pulled out his gun: ¡°It¡¯s just that if there are no corpses here at all¡­ Unless we can figure out why, we can¡¯t stay here for long.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have any guesses?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± Zhu Yanchen squatted down and took out a set of surgical tools from his briefcase, then he started picking the lock.


    ¡°¡­You really are good at anything. Seriously, why does a marshal learn to pick locks?¡±


    Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t answer. After five or six minutes of struggling and after inserting a few electric buzzes, the door slowly opened. As a smell of decay and humidity hit their faces, Shu Jun covered his nose and followed Zhu Yanchen into the room.


    Welcoming them was a steady sizzling sound. Shu Jun only heard a pop, then the huge room was instantly lit up.


    ¡°There¡¯s a sound of running motor here.¡± Zhu Yanchen stood in front of the switch: ¡°The light still barely works.¡±


    ¡°It seems that we won¡¯t have to leave too soon.¡± Shu Jun pinched his nose and responded in a coarse tone.


    A mummified corpse sat quietly at the table. Its dry flesh was clinging to the bones while its white clothes had turned into a rotten shade of yellowish-brown. He lowered his head slightly, his hollow eye sockets facing the empty table top. There was a gun at the corpse¡¯s feet, and the blood stains on it hadn¡¯t been completely covered by dust.


    On the corpse¡¯s shirt was a name tag, where the words ¡®Zhu Rong¡¯ were written glaringly.


    ¡°¡­Zhu Rong committed suicide here?¡± For a while, Shu Jun stared at the state of the corpse: ¡°He shot himself in the mouth.¡±


    ¡°In our records, it¡¯s written that he ¡®sacrificed during the disaster of X City¡¯. Back then, many people went missing during the evacuation of X City, and since no one went back there to find them, they were simply considered dead.¡± Facing his ancestor, Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t display much emotion beyond his usual expression.


    Shu Jun didn¡¯t respond.


    There was an observation window made of glass behind the corpse. From this angle, Shu Jun could see the tight clusters of incubation tanks inside. Since they were devices that required a lot of electricity, the power supply to these incubation tanks had long been cut off, and the liquid inside had turned horribly cloudy. Only some vague outline of the contents could be seen.


    They looked like deformed humans, but not so human ¡ª  Rows of tiny bodies were floating in the tanks, like a scene taken directly from one¡¯s worst nightmare. Zhu Yanchen hesitated for a few seconds before eventually stepping forward to pull down the curtain: ¡°¡­Don¡¯t look.¡±


    Shu Jun lowered his gaze, then he kicked his leg up to shut the door close.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to eat our meals here and we¡¯re also going to talk clearly here.¡± He said: ¡°[Erosion] didn¡¯t talk much about Zhu Rong at all. What really happened to him?¡±


    ¡°More than 200 years ago, purification of the surrounding areas could only be done by humans themselves, which resulted in a large number of them becoming severely eroded. The hibernating pods were used for those seriously ill patients. At that time, medicine couldn¡¯t relieve their pain, so it was better to put their consciousness into the virtual world altogether ¡ª This was Zhu Rong¡¯s original idea.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen glanced slightly at the mummified corpse.


    ¡°Later, some patients began to resist reality and subconsciously saw ¡®over there¡¯ as the real world. It was self-deception in times of despair.¡±


    ¡°But Zhu Rong was inspired by that.¡± Shu Jun folded his arms.


    ¡°Zhu Rong has been studying highly resistant animals to let them replace humans in the task of purifying the surroundings. At first, his experimental subjects were mice and then dogs. But their intelligence is too low and their lifespan is too short.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen said as his hands turned over the objects on the corpse. Shu Jun looked at his back, suspecting that this guy was deliberately avoiding eye contact.


    ¡°After getting that inspiration, he began to use humans as experimental subjects. He separated the genes of highly resistant humans, randomly mixed them up and selectively supplemented them with fragments of other species¡¯ genes ¡ª  With such fusion, the final ¡®product¡¯ has enough resistance and intelligence. Except for their short lifespan, there are no other defects.¡±


    So it turns out that I don¡¯t even have a fixed model¡­ just a casual mix of the many jigsaw pieces.


    No wonder Zhu Yanchen said that ¡°Each synthesised human has a different synthesis combination¡±, Shu Jun snorted.


    ¡°As long as the hibernation pod functions such that the synthesised humans see the purification project as part of a ¡®game¡¯, they won¡¯t have anything to complain about. Since Zhu Rong succeeded in replacing ordinary humans with synthesised humans, mortality rate has dropped significantly. Over the years, the Player system has continuously been improved, and the result is what you see right now.¡±


    Shu Jun was speechless.


    To Shu Jun, Zhu Rong was the creator of all nightmares, but to humanity, he was likely considered a hero. Thinking this way, everything before him seemed even stranger. If out of nowhere, Shu Jun claimed that there was a serious problem with the synthesised humans, it might be treated as crime. After so many years, humanity still insisted that the tragedy in X City was a natural disaster. They simply continued to use synthesised humans, which meant the issue hadn¡¯t been exposed in any way.


    ¡°So what¡¯s going on here?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Zhu Yanchen lowered his gaze: ¡°The Zhu family has very few records of Zhu Rong. But this man is very smart. Since he chose to commit suicide here, he would definitely leave behind some clues.¡±


    But it seemed that Zhu Yanchen himself hadn¡¯t managed to gather much information either ¡ª He stopped searching, took out the recording chip from the device and began to install it on the messenger monster. But before he could even finish the installation, the device without the recording chip made a sound by itself.


    [The personality of a synthesised human can neither be controlled nor mass-produced. We were supposed to produce only a minimal amount of synthesised humans to ensure that the purification project goes on normally, but the current number of these humans has seriously exceeded the allowance¡­ This is a dangerous and uncontrollable project that can only be used as a means of transition. Once humanity is out of this survival crisis, the Player system must be abolished immediately.]


    [Considering the possible loopholes and risks of the Player system, my research is forcibly suspended, but I¡¯ve given the initial findings to someone I trust.]


    [I don¡¯t accept any research to further improve the ¡®players¡¯, nor do I accept any threats against my parents for this reason. I can¡¯t leave the Zhu family, but I can demolish the project this way.]


    [When you find my body, I¡¯ve probably begun to decompose. I don¡¯t need any repair on my appearance, just let me go like this.]


    [I am very sorry.]


    That voice of a young man sounded calm and distant, yet it also carried with it suppressed agony. Following this, the message kept being repeated and no new information was revealed.


    Shu Jun suddenly realised a problem and a chill climbed from his ankle to his back. He was pretty sure that Zhu Yanchen also thought of the same thing.


    Based on the message, Zhu Rong deliberately shut the door to prevent people from finding his body too soon. The best case scenario was that they left as soon as they saw his deformed appearance. But there was a prerequisite for this plan to work ¡ª If people found something wrong, they would come to him.


    But no one came to find him. This only meant one thing: Zhu Rong died before the Erosion Marshes attacked this city. People were driven out of the city by the marshes before they had time to discover his corpse.


    Shu Jun thought that Zhu Rong¡¯s last message could give some answer to their problems, but it turned out that the disaster of X City now became even more confusing. Shu Jun lost his appetite: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I should train to suppress the erosive substance inside me. The sooner I master the technique, the faster we can leave this place, right?¡± Shu Jun couldn¡¯t help but look at the glass window: ¡°The things you saw in the city, my blood sample, plus Zhu Rong¡¯s message. If you want to prove that there¡¯s a problem with the Player system, these should be enough.¡±


    ¡°¡­For now, I¡¯ll deliver this data first. We¡¯ll start your training once I get back.¡± Zhu Yanchen stood up. ¡°The data is still lacking. But I promise you that I won¡¯t rashly come near X City until we fully understand the current situation.¡±


    ¡°Uhm.¡± Shu Jun looked at Zhu Yanchen and opened the door: ¡°Wait a minute, I¡¯ll take¡­ A Yan!!!¡±


    On the other side of the door was no longer a corridor. It was a cloudy, giant eye. It crammed the entire door frame and looked inside.


    Zhu Yanchen reacted very quickly. He tried to avoid it at once then threw the messenger monster and the chip to Shu Jun. However, this was a room with no exit and he was standing too close to the door. Like a long knife, a thread directly pierced his abdomen.


    ¡°Keep it safe!¡± This is the first time Shu Jun heard Zhu Yanchen yell: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t kill me¡­¡±


    Before his voice even faded, the eye retreated, dragging Zhu Yanchen completely out of the door. Shu Jun grabbed the chip in one hand and his broadsword in the other, then he slashed forward. But the eye disappeared before his sword hit the ground.


    What did he do wrong? Did he not hide his presence well enough?


    Why did the Alpha Erosion Marsh of X City personally chase after them till here?


    Shu Jun didn¡¯t take the stairs. He directly split the concrete ceiling with his sword and rushed straight up. Reaching outside, Shu Jun threw the damn chip into the sky, watching the little mutated monster flying away crookedly, then he immediately turned to the giant head not far away.


    That thing was too big. Earlier, it extended its eye like a snail¡¯s and squeezed it into the corridor, and now the eye was retracting back into the head. It was penetrating through Zhu Yanchen, who didn¡¯t give up resisting at all, drowning the scene with endless firing from his purification gun.


    But the opponent was as firm as a mountain.


    As the eye crawled back into the head, the terrifying face took shape again. It didn¡¯t open its mouth, but Shu Jun could heart its voice. Unlike those four-legged monsters, the sound crashed into his brain, feeling as intense as something was poking through his heart and causing all the organs inside him to crumble into a mess.


    ¡°Is he your friend?¡±


    This wasn¡¯t just a vague thought; it was definitely a voice. It belonged to a young woman and carried a rather strange tone, as if she hadn¡¯t spoken in a long time.


    ¡°He¡¯s really your friend.¡± Seeing that Shu Jun didn¡¯t respond, she began to answer her own question.


    Shu Jun¡¯s felt his hand holding the sword going cold. No matter how he looked at it, he wasn¡¯t her opponent.


    But he must take Zhu Yanchen back. Not to mention the partnership between them, if Zhu Yanchen had come to investigate this place alone, he wouldn¡¯t have been targeted by these outrageous creatures, for his only goal was to record some findings. If this thing asked such a question, the target was clearly Shu Jun himself.


    ¡°What do you want? Intelligence?¡± Shu Jun firmly responded with his own voice while keeping his eyes fixed in Zhu Yanchen¡¯s direction, trying to find an opening: ¡°Put him down, we can discuss in truce.¡±


    The head didn¡¯t even move its lips, yet a string of laughter bammed into Shu Jun¡¯s head.


    ¡°I want you to be more serious.¡± She said: ¡°You¡¯re obviously pretty strong, but you ran away as soon as you saw me. That was bad.¡±


    She provocatively stretched out those silky threads and shook Zhu Yanchen in front of Shu Jun. Shu Jun immediately swung his broadsword while Zhu Yanchen also took the opportunity to fire several shots. But, those silky threads quickly enlarged and turned into a large lump of flesh, sucking in both the Shu Jun¡¯s blade and Zhu Yanchen¡¯s bullets like a cotton ball. Shu Jun watched Zhu Yanchen being pulled away again, the heated blood inside him rushing straight to his head.


    It was like a cat playing with two tiny mice.


    ¡°If you want intelligence, come, take whatever you want. In any case, I¡¯ll just lose a little bit of flesh, and I¡¯m not poisonous either.¡± Shu Jun gritted his teeth.


    ¡°You should be more courteous to your senior.¡± Numerous silk threads surrounded Shu Jun, each staring intently at him: ¡°You¡¯re also a ¡®player¡¯ ¡ª you should know, that isn¡¯t what I want.¡±


    Layers of erosive substance were boiling next to his ear, making a disgusting sticky sound.


    ¡°If you had asked me that question a hundred years earlier, I would have wanted to go home.¡±


    She said with a very still voice, as though it carried almost no emotions.


    ¡°But now, I want you to kill me¡­ What was your ranking before you ¡®died¡¯?¡±


    ¡°No. 1.¡± Shu Jun replied dryly. At this moment, ¡®No. 1¡¯ was nothing but a joke.


    ¡°What a coincidence, me too.¡± The smile hidden in her voice grew stronger: ¡°You have to do your best ¡ª otherwise, I¡¯ll devour you completely and make your friend my snack.¡±


    ¡­This time, I might¡¯ve really encountered my true ¡®kin¡¯.


    After all, they underestimated the Erosion Marsh of X City. As the top combatant of 200 years ago, she was definitely more familiar with the surrounding terrain than they were. If they had run away, she would have instantly discovered them, just like Zhu Yanchen had predicted. On the other hand, they disappeared into Zhu Rong¡¯s basement and she also managed to figure that they would flee there.


    From the moment she laid eyes on the two of them, they were doomed to never be able to escape.


    ¡°Since you want to die so much, you only need to work a little harder. Why do you have to waste so much effort?¡± Shu Jun tried to buy time while quickly forming a strategy a his mind.


    ¡°It seems that you¡¯ve not been affected much by the Erosion Marsh inside you.¡± The smile in the woman¡¯s voice faded a little: ¡°A marsh isn¡¯t so easy to control. If you want to live, it¡¯ll make it possible; if you want to die, it¡¯ll make it even easier. But the latter requires that you need to find an opponent stronger than the marsh inside you ¡ª Even if you don¡¯t want to resist, the marsh will take over your brain and fight with all your strength. Unfortunately, I¡¯ve encountered dozens of Alpha Erosion Marshes, yet the marsh in me had never lost.¡±


    She opened her eyes slightly. Her cloudy eyes were full of longing.


    ¡°But you¡¯re different. You have a mature brain, and your abilities are quite interesting. You can even run away from me once.¡±


    Yes, that¡¯s it, babble a bit more. Shu Jun stared at Zhu Yanchen and continued to consider possible solutions.


    There¡¯s one way.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Before the Erosion Marsh said the next sentence, a wind gathered under Shu Jun¡¯s feet as his body swiftly dimmed into an afterimage that once again rushed towards the threads that were trapping Zhu Yanchen.


    [Silence.] He concentrated all his energy, stared at the thread that was piercing through Zhu Yanchen and fiercely smacked his broadsword down.


    This time the thread didn¡¯t enlarge and was completely chopped off by the blade.


    Shu Jun didn¡¯t waste even a split second. He grabbed Zhu Yanchen¡¯s arm and immediately fled in the opposite direction. The other threads frantically fought back, and Shu Jun dodged them one by one with his fastest possible speed. But before he could fly far, a soft wall made of erosive substance suddenly appeared in front of him.


    This time it was Zhu Yanchen who made a move.


    While the wall was still far enough, Zhu Yanchen took out two marble-sized items and resolutely tossed them at the wall, blowing out two huge holes. The explosion almost scorched a corner of Shu Jun¡¯s hair.


    ¡°Bring the battle to the ground.¡± Despite the severe injuries, there was no weakness or panic in Zhu Yanchen¡¯s voice. ¡°This way I can fight with you.¡±


    ¡°I can fly upwards ¡ª¡±


    ¡°The same trick won¡¯t work a second time. If I¡¯m not mistaken, there should be no fewer than three layers of erosive substance above our heads now. If you turn against them, they¡¯ll snatch any opportunity to attack you.¡± Zhu Yanchen took off the gas mask and put a handful of medicine in his mouth.


    Then he didn¡¯t put on the mask again.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure you live.¡± Zhu Yanchen¡¯s voice was unwavering: ¡°Shu Jun, first bring its attack focus to the ground.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve an ability to ¡®suppress the erosive substance¡¯¡­ Very interesting.¡± The female voice came to his mind again, carrying with it a creepy delight: ¡°I haven¡¯t killed any Alphas with this ability. You still have a chance. Please be sure to do your best.¡±


    ¡°This is our first strategic partnership in a battle. It¡¯s worth remembering.¡± Shu Jun suddenly shook his head and bolted towards the ground.


    Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t answer. He took out a few jars from the briefcase, then solemnly put the briefcase aside.


    ¡°We have three advantages. First, it seems to want to fight with you; but I won¡¯t ask why now. A battle between two Alpha marshes gives one advantage ¡ª there¡¯ll be no mutated monsters participating in such a high-level battle, so you¡¯ve only one opponent. At worst, you could also count in the stuff that this opponent temporarily creates to attack you.¡±


    ¡°Second, so far, it doesn¡¯t take me seriously.¡±


    ¡°Third, you are better than it.¡±


    ¡°Are you being serious?¡± Shu Jun couldn¡¯t laugh when he glanced at the head as big as a hill in front of him, his voice shaking a little.


    Instead, Zhu Yanchen laughed. This was the second time Shu Jun saw him laugh. This time his smile was much more natural, even with subtle satisfaction in it.


    ¡°The Erosion Marsh that merged with you is even bigger than this. I monitor your status every day. You and the marsh are fusing with each other pretty solidly.¡± He said softly: ¡°Although there are differences in fusion and experience, in theory, you¡¯re still stronger than that head. Be a little more confident.¡±


    Shu Jun desperately scratched his grey hair to the point that he almost scraped his scalp: ¡°Okay. Now that things have become this serious, we could only fight ¡ª Even so, I can¡¯t let you get hurt. If I lose, I still don¡¯t want to lose so badly.¡±


    This person was obviously seriously injured, yet his behaviour looked as though he was totally fine.


    The threads of erosive substance suddenly fell down and the huge Erosion Marsh really started to attack towards the ground. Shu Jun and Zhu Yanchen jumped left and right to quickly duck away. Shu Jun couldn¡¯t help but glance at Zhu Yanchen.


    Zhu Yanchen¡¯s movements might seem rather normal, but each move was definitely calculated. He took advantage of the terrain and wandered through the ruins like a ghost. Many threads were drawn into the cracks between the buildings by him, thus the huge head was slightly deflected and the horrifying face lowered a few degrees downwards.


    Shu Jun instantly understood Zhu Yanchen¡¯s intention.


    People couldn¡¯t change their physiological structure. This Erosion Marsh retained the appearance of a human head, therefore the intelligence it had obtained must have come from a real human head.


    Then it weakest spot must be where its brain lay.


    If I can properly use ¡®suppression¡¯, I may be able to break through that layer of defence and grab its brain ¡ª The two of them didn¡¯t have many choices right now. Although Shu Jun had no idea whether he could really defeat it after touching its brain, it was worth giving a shot.


    Shu Jun immediately stepped on the wind and worked along with Zhu Yanchen on the ground. He deliberately circled a few more times and flew high enough, putting on a look of searching for the net of erosive substance in the sky, trying to divert the attention of the Erosion Marsh away from Zhu Yanchen.


    However, as a former combatant, this Erosion Marsh wasn¡¯t easy to deceive. It quickly discovered the problem with its stance and began to slowly adjust. Shu Jun caught the gap, dived down from a high spot and sprinted towards the head¡¯s temple.


    The intense focus made his brain ache. He ran so fast that the Erosion Marsh couldn¡¯t react for a second and didn¡¯t have enough time to set up sufficient defence ¡ª


    At least on the surface.


    The next second, an annoying chuckle came again. At the moment Shu Jun swung his sword down, a liquid pillar jumped horizontally out and pierced through his right shoulder. Shu Jun suddenly lost his balance and was slammed into an abandoned building on the side, blowing out a large cloud of dust.


    ¡°Too direct.¡± The Erosion Marsh whispered and more liquid pillars followed, looking as though they wanted to smash Shu Jun into minced meat.


    ¡°Really?¡± Shu Jun supported himself with his sword pointing at the ground and stood up, then he chopped off all the liquid pillars coming his way.


    Thereafter, he smoothly slid down a liquid pillar and went straight for the head¡¯s temple again.


    And Zhu Yanchen was already waiting there.

 CH 24

    With Shu Jun jumping and dodging up and down, the Erosion Marsh couldn¡¯t afford any time to pay attention to Zhu Yanchen  ¡ª After all, he was just a human almost exhausting himself and not a threat at all.


    Right at that moment, Zhu Yanchen threw out a rope with a hook at its end. Jumping at the chance where the head was tilting towards the ground, he leapt to its temple. His clothes were stained with blood, but he stood firm without the slightest sense of weakness.


    Several jars slipped from his hands and a creamy white smoke rose up, then a spine-chilling hiss immediately followed.


    As if containing a powerful acid, instead of being lifted up by the wind, the smoke fiercely burnt the marsh. The erosive substance on the surface of the head wobbled swiftly to try to fill in the gap, but it stopped halfway and just lingered there, as though at a loss of what to do.


    At the temple of the head was a hole of 10 square meters, which was impossible to be patched up within a short time.


    The head glared at Zhu Yanchen with its muddy eyes. This was far from being a fatal injury. The effect of the smoke was similar to that of a purifier, which cleansed the erosive substance within a certain range and forced the Erosion Marsh to distort. Compared with a purifier that could work continuously, this smoke was more like a one-time-use-only item ¡ª Which meant that, if there was enough time, the erosive substance could eventually patch up the hole at the head¡¯s temple.


    But the prerequisite was that it must have enough time.


    Numerous soft threads stretched out, trying to protect the wound. The Erosion Marsh was an aggregate of erosive substance, so facing such an overwhelming threat, the erosive substance would instinctively try to duck away. Needless to say, Shu Jun wouldn¡¯t wait for them to finish clumping together. Relying on his current inertia, he moved the tip of his sword forward and smashed his whole body towards the wound.


    The moment the white smoke dissipated from the temple, Shu Jun¡¯s sword touched the Erosion Marsh.


    Perfect timing, perfect strike.


    Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t stay on the surface of the marsh for long. Shooting out the rope with the hook again, he swung himself to the ruins lying next to the marsh and climbed all the way to the top of the building. This time he took off the outermost layer of his protective clothing, pulled out the parts he put behind his back and assembled a small sniper gun.


    Shu Jun focused all his energy on the Erosion Marsh. The erosive substance around the wound had stopped squirming and was turning into a jelly-like texture. The broadsword smoothly split the marsh, exposing its grey brain. He stretched out his hand and penetrated his sharp claws through the brain tissues ¡ª But, the brain of this marsh was so huge that he couldn¡¯t take it all out, so he had to destroy it from inside.


    The Erosion Marsh rolled slowly, trying to forcibly cover the wound with more accumulation of erosive substance. Shu Jun closed his eyes and took a deep breath ¡ª


    ¡°My ¡ª Great ¡ª Strategist ¡ª Zhu ¡ª Yan ¡ª Chen ¡ª¡±


    Zhu Yanchen just started to snipe the gun. Stablising his posture, he paused after hearing Shu Jun¡¯s voice.


    ¡°I want to jump in ¡ª if you agree, shoot ¡ª¡±


    Zhu Yanchen laughed. The Erosion Marsh probably didn¡¯t understand, but he could guess Shu Jun¡¯s intention in an instant. Now that he had learnt the art of ¡®suppression¡¯, Shu Jun would be fine. And¡­


    And Shu Jun will soon have to fight alone. He must get familiar with his own physical condition as soon as possible.


    Zhu Yanchen raised his gun and fired at the sky. Now the icy feeling began to spread out from his abdominal wound. Since the effect of the painkillers was about to pass, his muscle control was getting more and more difficult.


    Shu Jun only heard the gunshot and drew his broadsword: ¡°Monday, the information you want is here.¡±


    At this juncture, the broadsword could only yell in horror. Not waiting for its consent, Shu Jun dragged it down with him ¡ª He jumped into the brain of the Erosion Marsh before the erosive substance had the chance to fully cover the wound.


    The next moment, the Erosion Marsh summoned countless creatures made with its pitch-black ¡®blood¡¯. They desperately scratched the wound and tried to pull Shu Jun out, but it was a pity that Shu Jun had already sunk into the depths ¡ª


    This was probably what they meant by literally sinking into someone¡¯s brain space. Shu Jun held his breath and pushed away the soft white substance around him. He kept using ¡®suppression¡¯, frantically pressing down the erosive substance around him.


    An Erosion Marsh¡¯s instinct was very simple: It only wanted to survive and evolve. Since in theory, he was stronger than this head, the marsh inside him would likely want to fight.


    In the darkness, countless erosive substance emerged from his spine, stirring up the suppressed brain tissues along with his broadsword. Shu Jun couldn¡¯t see the reading of the detection device on his wrist.


    [Harmony: 28%]


    [Harmony: 32%]


    [Harmony: 45%]


    ¡­¡­


    Shu Jun no longer focused on destroying this marsh. Without using Monday, he tried his best to suppress the Erosion Marsh himself. Shu Jun could feel the active Erosion Marsh in his own body. Taking himself as the center of the circle, the surrounding erosive substance remained stationary, slowly solidifying layer by layer.


    Human brain activity couldn¡¯t be stopped for too long. The Erosion Marsh must have inherited this point when it swallowed this player 200 years ago.


    His ¡®suppression¡¯ ability that used to be so erratic was growing more familiar to him, just like the limbs on his body. Finally, the other Erosion Marsh¡¯s breathing gradually weakened. As though it had surrendered, fragments of information began to flow into his mind.


    ¡­But the process wasn¡¯t pleasant. The information was extremely out of order, and the despair contained in it was suffocating.


    It was the memories of this player.


    Shu Jun saw Zhu Rong once again. Zhu Rong and Zhu Yanchen in the memories of this Erosion Marsh were rather similar in appearance, except that Zhu Rong was unusually thin.


    [You need to recuperate, don¡¯t go to the battlefield anymore in the near future.] Zhu Rong said to the holder of these memories. [You¡¯re too stubborn.]


    [I want to finish the test soon so that everyone can experience this world. ] Unlike her voice today, the female voice in the memories was clear and cheerful. [Zhu Rong, how about we chat a little? Today, my cat ¡ª]


    [Sorry, I have other arrangements.] Zhu Rong lowered his head.


    [Hey? Why?]


    ¡­¡­


    In the same room, there was a vague sound of quarrelling outside the door.


    [I won¡¯t change the direction of my research.] Zhu Rong¡¯s voice was easy to recognize.


    [Your hypocrisy has cost us real human lives.] Another male voice that sounded exceedingly cold was heard. [It¡¯s a special time now, no one cares about morality anymore. People are willing to support you because you saved their relatives and friends. If they know what you¡¯re doing now¡­]


    [I understand.] Zhu Rong¡¯s answer sounded like he was struggling with himself. [Sir, I didn¡¯t mean to stop the system immediately. It¡¯s just that this technology isn¡¯t yet perfect, and I have to take all the risks into consideration.]


    [Can you guarantee the result? Our resources are not for you to burn for fun. The system has been running for five years without any problem. Looking at the fact that we¡¯re all from one family, this is the last time that I¡¯m giving you this warning. If you still don¡¯t want to start optimising the system properly, the next thing that¡¯ll happen is beyond my control.]


    Opening the door, Zhu Rong entered the room with a distressed expression.


    [What happened?] The female voice asked. [Didn¡¯t things go well?]


    [It¡¯s nothing. Why are you hurt so badly again?]


    [Sorry, I was a tad too nervous. But I believe in my great Dr. Zhu. No matter how serious my wound is, it can be healed ¡ª] The female voice was still light, happy and full of sunshine. [Although you, well, if you really feel that something¡¯s wrong, it¡¯s okay to tell me. Or start thinking about its good side¡­]


    The soldier in the memories turned her gaze away to look at the injured players around her.


    [There are so many people who believe in you.] She said. [¡­Uh, why are you crying? Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?]


    ¡­¡­


    [Happy birthday!] The female voice came again, and there was other laughter in the background. [Everyone, to our Dr. Zhu Rong!]


    [Happy birthday and I wish you all the glory. You¡¯re my favourite person in ¡®this world¡¯.]


    It was still a very cheerful and simple voice.


    Finally, the scene that Shu Jun didn¡¯t want to see was the last that got squeezed into his mind.


    This player was different from him. She also fell into an Erosion Marsh, and when she woke up, she was no longer in human form. She repeatedly checked her hands, where white bones had been exposed the the dark erosive substance was wiggling all over them.


    She could no longer hold her longsword, and her vision had turned completely blurry.


    Maybe she¡¯s crying, Shu Jun thought. She couldn¡¯t hold back her convulsion, but she continued crawling towards the stronghold with much difficulty. Shu Jun understood this feeling ¡ª Amid the darkness and the pain, she could only rely on her last stretch of faith to hold herself together.


    But regrettably, the two of them were different after all.


    The marsh she merged with didn¡¯t listen to her. Since no one had ever seen such a monster, the staff ran amok and the players tried to attack her, but they were all killed by the liquid pillars. But still she moved forward in a dazed state, continuing to devour and search in confusion.


    She used her prey to fill up the parts that the purifiers scratched away, and she also knew how to dodge humans¡¯ attacks using her own skills. People had only seen Erosion Marshes that attacked using only basic instincts, so they were all utterly powerless against her.


    Although the people disappeared, the machines in the stronghold didn¡¯t stop immediately. The radio continued to work, its intermittent signals permeating the erosive substance and resounding through the corridor.


    ¡°¡­Just yesterday, we lost a hero. The top contributing combatant Sweet Vanguard sacrificed upon contact with the giant Erosion Marsh of O city¡­ Today, Marshal Zhu Li will announce the optimisation of the existing system. Mr. Zhu Rong needs to carry out his research and couldn¡¯t join us today¡­¡±


    [I didn¡¯t sacrifice, I¡¯m still alive.] She stopped in front of the door in the deepest part of the ground. The door was extremely sturdy with a double-layer wall behind it, so she couldn¡¯t get in.


    [Dr. Zhu, are you there?]


    She could pick up the smell of humans, albeit it was mixed with a strange whiff of blood. There must be someone inside, Zhu Rong might be hurt, she thought. He would never leave the combatants alone. She just had to wait.


    [You can heal me, you can heal me every time.]


    [I¡¯ll wait for you here.]


    [Please, I want to go home.]


    The door remained totally silent. She continued to wait, through days and nights, until she no longer had legs to stand on.


    Eventually she gave up and dragged her huge body away from the stronghold. She turned her head to X City. Just like Shu Jun once did, she went to look for ¡®officers¡¯ that didn¡¯t exist.


    ¡­¡­


    Finally, the entire brain of the Erosion Marsh was suppressed. The white lumps of erosive substance stopped moving one after another and gradually turned black. The black erosive substance that originally made up the head began to flow, slowly turning into the appearance of an ordinary Erosion Marsh.


    In the center of the marsh lay a human head. Made mainly of erosive substance, it was an incomplete head with a little bit of spine attached to the lower part of its neck. Shu Jun supported himself with his sword and fumblingly walked forward.


    He knew it was a trap, but¡­


    Sure enough, several liquid pillars suddenly leapt out and launched the final attack at him. Before Shu Jun had time to draw his sword, a few gunshots came from the distance and a white smoke spread out  again. The liquid pillars, finally reaching their last bits of strength, collapsed and the marsh surface was still again.


    Shu Jun made a ¡®thank you¡¯ gesture to Zhu Yanchen standing on top of the building and moved on.


    ¡°Sweet Vanguard.¡± He called her name softly. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Hearing the name, the black head let out a sigh. She opened her mouth and her tone carried with it a hint of daze: ¡°Are you an officer? You¡¯re finally here¡­ It feels like a long time has passed¡­¡±


    Then she seemed to come back to her senses, her eyes widened and her voice turned sharp: ¡°Kill me, hurry up, please ¡ª Wait, who are you? Why can¡¯t I get up¡­¡±


    Perhaps it was because her brain had become so messed up that she was in such a chaotic state.


    ¡°Zhu Rong notified us.¡± Shu Jun tried to slow down: ¡°Everything is over now. It¡¯s just¡ª ¡°


    He gritted his teeth: ¡°It¡¯s just a system bug.¡±


    ¡°Uhm.¡± She whispered, closing her eyes again. ¡°I wonder if my cat is doing okay.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s fine.¡±


    Shu Jun stretched out one hand and pressed it on the head: ¡°¡­Good night.¡±


    This was his last ¡®suppression¡¯.


    The head disintegrated into erosive substance and the huge Erosion Marsh calmed down. In terms of size, it was still considered to be Alpha, the kind Shu Jun was familiar with ¡ª The last bit of instinct it still had left was to move slowly towards its source of food.


    Everything was really over.


    Shu Jun had no more desire to fight. Right now, he didn¡¯t have sufficient resources for another battle, so there was no need to continue on this path of mutual destruction. Rather, Zhu Yanchen was seriously injured and had to be taken out of here as quickly as possible. Besides, he got some information on hands, so perhaps it could be useful for Zhu Yanchen¡¯s research.


    Not to mention that his mind was also in a chaotic state. Sweet Vanguard¡¯s despair was still squeezing his nerves.


    We all need a good rest, Shu Jun thought.


    Zhu Yanchen was waiting for him at the top of the building. The wind was blowing the corners of his protective clothing as he leaned on the sniper gun, his whole body exuding a sharp aura. Now that Shu Jun thought about it, since they started working together, this person had always stood firm, like a sword out of its sheath.


    ¡°You did a great job.¡± Zhu Yanchen said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not worry about it now. You quickly put on the mask.¡±


    Shu Jun habitually pulled Zhu Yanchen towards him, but this time, the guy didn¡¯t cooperate.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your mask? Is there any emergency medicine in your briefcase? We must treat your wound at once. I¡¯ll take you back to the gathering area. After the fight just now, I have some information to give you¡­¡±


    Zhu Yan Chen pressed his hand on Shu Jun¡¯s lips and stopped his words. Under the white gloves, his fingers felt as cold as ice.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He said: ¡°It¡¯s over now.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?!¡± Isn¡¯t Zhu Yanchen still standing here?


    ¡°I just delivered the final set of data. It seems that I can only go so far.¡± Zhu Yanchen¡¯s voice was very soft. ¡°Remember what I said, go to Y City and find Ai Xiaoxiao.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say that, if you do this, I ¡ª¡±


    Shu Jun was stunned in the midst of his sentence.


    He finally saw the wound on Zhu Yanchen¡¯s abdomen. A fragment of a deformed organ poked out from the wound, its colour a pale shade of grey and black. Zhu Yanchen¡¯s bleeding was abnormally slow, and Shu Jun wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of the light, but his blood looked like it was black.


    This isn¡¯t real.


    They just worked perfectly together to win a tough battle. Shu Jun still had a lot to say.


    ¡°I know. When I said that I would listen to you, I meant it. When the four-legged creature appeared, if you didn¡¯t save me, I wouldn¡¯t be able to fight this last battle with you.¡± Zhu Yanchen¡¯s voice became even gentler, but Shu Jun quietly wished that it could just return to its usual coldness.


    I shouldn¡¯t listen to him rambling all this nonsense. Even if he had to use all his remaining strength, he had to take Zhu Yanchen away from this dangerous place. Shu Jun took another two steps forward, carefully observing the state of the guy¡¯s wound and got ready to take action.


    ¡°¡­¡­Can I hug you?¡± After a second of silence, Zhu Yanchen finally spoke, his voice even softer than a sigh.


    ¡°Stop talking, save some energy.¡± Shu Jun hugged him carefully. Zhu Yanchen was a little taller than him, so this action took a bit of effort: ¡°Hug for as long as you want, I¡¯ll take you away now.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen will be fine, Shu Jun tried to convince himself. Anything that he worked hard for would always succeed. He wouldn¡¯t lose. He clearly would never lose.


    The wind gathered at the soles of his feet and the Erosion Marsh next to him continued boiling quietly. The night returned to silence and there wasn¡¯t a trace of light between the land and the sky.


    The heartbeat of the person in his arms disappeared.

 CH 25

    Perhaps it was the information gotten from Sweet Vanguard¡¯s memories that disturbed him, or perhaps it was a deep despair that truly came from himself. Logically, he shouldn¡¯t collapse because he lost an ¡®online buddy¡¯ who was both his friend and his foe. But Shu Jun had no time to think about it right now.


    Emotions wouldn¡¯t lie.


    Shu Jun stood on the spot, holding Zhu Yanchen tightly with a dazed expression, his mind completely empty. The excruciating pain was clutching onto his lungs, so much so that he couldn¡¯t breathe or even make a sound.


    No, it¡¯s not time to give up. Now even a minute can¡¯t be wasted.


    He madly pushed himself forward with the wind, crossed the passage that he cut out with his broadsword earlier and entered the deepest room of the stronghold. The lights in the room were still flashing on and off, and the purification equipment Zhu Yanchen had previously installed was still working.


    Around here, this was the cleanest place.


    The small items that Zhu Yanchen had tossed on the table were still there. Just a few hours ago, this man was still standing here. The vivid images in his memory made Shu Jun¡¯s back shudder. He bit himself hard, his sharp canine teeth almost biting through his lips.


    The pain and the taste of blood calmed him a bit.


    Shu Jun let go of Zhu Yanchen and placed him gently on the ground. Zhu Yanchen¡¯s expression was very peaceful ¡ª he never looked this serene even in his sleep. The wound in his abdomen was still oozing black blood while his breathing and heartbeat showed no signs of returning.


    Shu Jun tore off Zhu Yanchen¡¯s collar and pressed his hands on the layers of scars on Zhu Yanchen¡¯s chest, directly initiating CPR.


    Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t respond and his skin remained as pale as ever. Every second that passed felt like a blade that slashed back and forth on Shu Jun¡¯s nerves. Shu Jun didn¡¯t realise that he was crying until his tears wet the other man¡¯s chest.


    I must think of another way.


    There was no medicine and no equipment at all, so he had absolutely no means to cure Zhu Yanchen¡¯s conditions. In these short minutes, he must figure something ¡ª Out of nothingness, he had to find a way to pull back Zhu Yanchen¡¯s life.


    After such a bloody battle, his brain was slightly numb and his body felt as though it would crumble any second now. But Shu Jun didn¡¯t dare to stop for a moment. He kissed those cold lips again and again, pouring all the air inside.


    His own ability is ¡®Suppression¡¯, but even if he could suppress the erosive substance inside Zhu Yanchen¡¯s body, the man¡¯s body was already riddled with holes.


    He must find a way to treat Zhu Yanchen, at least to keep his wounds from getting worse and to make his organs function normally.


    ¡­Speaking of this, how did I survive? It seemed that Zhu Yanchen intentionally had him come into contact with the marsh at the corpse disposal site in order for the Erosion Marsh inside him to learn the structure of a human body and how to coexist with human tissues.


    But Zhu Yanchen was a normal human being and couldn¡¯t stand a whole Erosion Marsh. Before the erosive substance could even learn to coexist with human issues, Zhu Yanchen¡¯s body would likely be entirely eroded away, leaving behind, at most, a fragment of his information to the Erosion Marsh. Monday was a living example.


    This method wouldn¡¯t work.


    It¡¯ll be great if the Erosion Marsh inside Zhu Yanchen¡¯s body is obedient, Shu Jun thought desperately. Let it imitate human tissues spontaneously, just like¡­ like those bloody creations that Sweet Vanguard summoned.


    Wait.


    He defeated the eroded Sweet Vanguard and stayed in her mind for a while. Countless pieces of information flooded into his mind, yet the one piece that he could distinguish immediately was ¡®the part that humans could understand¡¯. What if the Erosion Marsh inside him could obtain relevant information? Would it be able to do something similar?


    There was no need to build a bloody giant or keep any four-legged monsters captive. Shu Jun only needed the erosive substance to earnestly listen to his commands. Rather than trying to destroy human tissues, the Erosion Marsh should simulate them instead.


    But since fragments of erosive substance weren¡¯t a full Erosion Marsh, Shu Jun had no idea if such a whimsical plan would work. The only one who could answer him was right in front of him, and that man¡¯s body was getting colder.


    There was no time. And there was only one way to carry out this experiment.


    Shu Jun decisively raised his hand and stabbed himself on the neck. The sharp nails pierced his skin and flesh, where blood immediately gushed out. The wound wasn¡¯t serious enough to render him unable to continue with the plan, but it wasn¡¯t a light wound either. If left untreated, he would definitely die of blood loss.


    An Erosion Marsh¡¯s basic instinct was to survive, and now it was time to survive. If that skill was really hidden in his body, his instinct would force it to come out.


    And he had to remember this feeling well.


    This time, Shu Jun¡¯s intuition wasn¡¯t wrong. His weakened state was in fact helping him. As his blood flowed out, the side of his neck gradually produced a hot, itchy sensation. Shu Jun hurriedly touched it with his fingertips ¡ª Less than half a minute later, new flesh protruded from the deep wound.


    Very good. But it wasn¡¯t enough; he wasn¡¯t familiar enough with this feeling.


    He raised his hand and scratched his neck again, then with a perfunctory state of mind, he commanded the erosive substance to repair the damage. A terrifying amount of blood splashed on Zhu Yanchen¡¯s torn shirt, soaking the white cloth into pure black.


    As Shu Jun¡¯s vision gradually began to blur, the fierce battle earlier and the blood loss made him tired and hungry. Each wave of dizziness crashed onto his head and he just wished he could doze off on the spot.


    But he couldn¡¯t fall down yet.


    Shu Jun tore open the wound again, and this time he caught a flash of inspiration.


    With endless repetition of the commands, Shu Jun poured all his effort onto trying to give orders to the erosive substance inside Zhu Yanchen¡¯s body. Suppress, imitate. Suppress, imitate. Suppress again and imitate again.


    During the whole process, Shu Jun didn¡¯t dare to breathe heavily, his bloody hands continuing to cover Zhu Yanchen¡¯s chest. The feeling was very intricate, like grabbing a lump of slippery mud to try to make it into a fine statue. Since mud didn¡¯t have its own consciousness, he could only try again and again.


    Finally, the changes quietly appeared.


    The blood splashed on Zhu Yanchen slowly disappeared, as if absorbed by his pale skin. The wound on Zhu Yanchen¡¯s abdomen was closing at an extremely slow speed, and the exposed internal organ was sluggishly turning into a crimson shade of real human blood.


    Not enough.


    When humans reached a certain level of weakness, their soul seemed to drift out of their body. Shu Jun could no longer feel the touch at his fingertips. He just kept repeating what he was doing, every ounce of his energy completely focused on Zhu Yanchen.


    Even if it couldn¡¯t reach the level of forming a new Erosion Marsh, the erosive substance had to obey him. He mustn¡¯t fail ¡ª Even though he had no idea why, Shu Jun was quite sure that he wouldn¡¯t be able to bear the consequences if he failed.


    Suppression, imitation, and finally, domination.


    A small vibration could be felt from Zhu Yanchen¡¯s silent chest, and his horrifyingly pale body began to breathe again. Although his breathing was weak and cold, it did exist.


    Shu Jun had really brought him back.


    Shu Jun stopped tearing the wound on his neck, but he didn¡¯t stop giving out the commands in his mind ¡ª Since he was saving Zhu Yanchen, he had to save him till the very end. He wasn¡¯t sure if he could ever return to this special state of mind after this time.


    Although he was breathing, Zhu Yanchen still didn¡¯t wake up, but Shu Jun¡¯s hands remained tight on his chest. His recovered heartbeat felt like an effect after taking a shot of heart booster. Shu Jun stayed motionless, falling into a state of almost fanaticism.


    Repair him, everything must be repaired, he couldn¡¯t help repeating the commands to the erosive substance. Perhaps it was an illusion, but Shu Jun could hear the Erosive Marsh inside him scream.


    ¡­You must not harm this man¡¯s body.


    After a very long time, new changes appeared again.


    The wound on Zhu Yanchen¡¯s abdomen had long since disappeared. Gradually, black erosive substance leaked out of his skin and became jointed, then it pulled itself into fine silky threads that slowly enclosed Zhu Yanchen¡¯s whole body. Shu Jun¡¯s brain was no longer able to process the scene in front of him. He only knew that he couldn¡¯t seem to touch Zhu Yanchen¡¯s skin.


    Then I just have to stay close to him.


    Shu Jun opened his arms and hugged the giant black cocoon in front of him before he continued to repeat those commands.


    He had no idea how long it had passed. His lips were chapped, his clothes stuck onto his skin that was drenched in half-dry sweat and his body felt as heavy as lead. As everything around him turned blurry, he faintly heard Monday scream ¡°Hungry¡±.


    The cocoon made of erosive substance finally dried up and the thin shell cracked inch by inch, exposing the person inside.


    Zhu Yanchen¡¯s clothes had been totally eroded, and those scars disappeared together with them. Now his skin was perfectly smooth and unscathed, glowing with a healthy rosy shade. His breathing that was so feeble not long ago became steady, and the sound of his heartbeat was incredibly powerful.


    Shu Jun raised his gaze and stared straight into the other man¡¯s open eyes.


    Looks like it¡¯s over, he budged his mind that had gone numb and did one last thing.


    ¡°You¡­ take it¡­ cover yourself.¡± Speaking with a scarily hoarse voice, Shu Jun took off his blood-soaked coat and threw it on Zhu Yanchen: ¡°Don¡¯t run around naked¡­¡±


    Zhu Yanchen¡¯s eyes swept one round around the room and finally stopped on Shu Jun. He looked both shocked and confused at the same time:  ¡°You ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask anything, Marshal.¡± Shu Jun tried hard to smile at him: ¡°I can¡¯t do it anymore. Anyway, you¡­ Good morning.¡±


    Before he finished speaking, his whole body slumped forward and onto the other man. Zhu Yanchen, who was about to stand up, was pressed back to the ground.


    Zhu Yanchen: ¡°¡­¡±


    He hesitated for a while and finally didn¡¯t move, allowing Shu Jun¡¯s head to rest on his chest. After a few minutes, he hugged Shu Jun tightly, and very carefully, he lowered his head and placed a kiss on Shu Jun¡¯s hair.


    ¡°Sleep well.¡± He glanced at Shu Jun¡¯s eroded arm and whispered softly: ¡°I¡¯ll go get some medicine. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    However, before he stood up fully, Zhu Yanchen¡¯s eyebrows furrowed and his movement came to a pause.


    The erosive substance didn¡¯t stick onto his skin and flesh as usual to slowly eat up his body. At this moment, it looked like beads of mercury that lingered on his skin then rolled to the ground, just like raindrops that bounced off a lotus leaf.


    Zhu Yanchen¡¯s eyes followed the floating erosive substance to move upward and finally discovered the abnormality of his body ¡ª The terrifying eroded wounds on his arms were nowhere to be seen, and his skin was so healthy that he couldn¡¯t even find any remnant piece of the cocoon shell.


    This time, he was silent for quite a long while.


    After staying stiff for more than ten minutes, Zhu Yanchen lay down and hugged Shu Jun, who had fallen asleep, into his arms.


    ¡°You did something amazing again.¡± He closed his eyes.


    ¡°¡­Quite incredible, in fact.¡±


    Shu Jun had a dream.


    Perhaps it was because he received too much strange information from Sweet Vanguard, he dreamt of a scene he had never seen before.


    He dreamt of the time when he was young, and he was wandering in the city on ¡®the other side¡¯. The night was dark and the stars were shining in the sky. There was another child standing in front of him. The child had beautiful features, with not-too-short hair that fell softly on the collarbone. The child was half a head shorter than Shu Jun and exuded an aura of frailty that usually belonged to children from rich families.


    He ¡ª or she ¡ª seemed a bit scared. His shoulders were stooping down in fear and his movements were a little awkward, like a hatchling that just stepped out of its cage.


    Shu Jun heard himself smiling and asking: [It¡¯s so late and you¡¯re still here. You aren¡¯t lost, right?]


    Seeing someone speaking to him, the child shuddered and didn¡¯t answer.


    [Hey, do you want to come with me?] Quite naturally, Shu Jun approached him: [I know this place very well, I can take you home¡­ What¡¯s your name?]


    [¡­¡­Yanchen.] The child seemed to have said three words, but since his voice was too soft, Shu Jun could only hear the last two.


    [Haze?1]


    Out of habit, Shu Jun scratched his hair.


    [Then I¡¯ll call you A Yan.]

 CH 26

    The dreams that followed were chaotic and Shu Jun even dreamt of roast chicken floating in front of him. He stretched out his head happily and took a bite ¡ª it tasted warm, just that the meat was too chewy and bulky. Shu Jun opened his eyes in dissatisfaction, then he saw the man in front of him.


    He was biting the base of Zhu Yanchen¡¯s thumb.


    Shu Jun felt a cool refreshing sensation on his face. Zhu Yanchen was holding a piece of soaked cloth in his hand, likely trying to wipe off Shu Jun¡¯s sweat. At this moment, Zhu Yanchen stared at his bitten hand, then he looked at Shu Jun again, his expression blank.


    ¡­¡­Luckily, Shu Jun was still dazed from his sleep and his bite wasn¡¯t very strong. Shu Jun embarrassedly let go of Zhu Yanchen¡¯s hand and laughed dryly.


    Right now he was lying on the ground and underneath a blanket that he had no idea where it came from. There was also a pillow made of folded clothes under his head. A cup of water lay next to the pillow, which was well within his reach.


    The marshal¡¯s caretaking skill isn¡¯t so bad, Shu Jun was stunned for a few seconds. Zhu Yanchen¡¯s state was abnormally normal. If it weren¡¯t for his empty stomach that was growling in protest, Shu Jun would¡¯ve thought that everything earlier was just a nightmare.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get up so fast, you need to rest.¡± Zhu Yanchen wiped his hands. Shu Jun¡¯s sharp canine teeth didn¡¯t bite into his skin and a little bit of saliva remained: ¡°If you feel uncomfortable anywhere, tell me immediately.¡±


    ¡°Uhm.¡± Shu Jun replied, his voice still a bit hoarse.


    While the scene in the dream hadn¡¯t completely disappeared from his brain, in his subconsciousness, Shu Jun observed the man in front of him.


    The style of Zhu Yanchen¡¯s clothes seemed old, probably taken somewhere in this room. They seemed to be one-size-fits-all, yet after being put on him, the loose shirt and trousers had somehow become close-fitting.


    This man had long and sturdy limbs, which likely meant he was well-trained. His body was neither too lean nor too muscular, but the clothes couldn¡¯t hide the muscle lines underneath. As a former ¡®professional player¡¯, Shu Jun always paid attention to keeping in shape. On the surface, Zhu Yanchen had a body shape that was similar to his own, but considering that the man had gone through severe erosion, to maintain this state must be no easy feat.


    Marshal Zhu¡¯s skin was still pale but it didn¡¯t look as sickly as before, and even naked eyes could see that the aura he exuded now felt a lot healthier. He no longer wrapped himself behind layers of clothes like a rice dumplings, nor did he wear those cumbersome protective devices. It was the first time Shu Jun had seen Zhu Yanchen dressed like this.


    As if seeing Shu Jun¡¯s gaze, Zhu Yanchen turned around, his habitual cold expression softening a bit.


    ¡­¡­Perhaps it was Shu Jun¡¯s illusion, but Zhu Yanchen¡¯s unintentional restraint often hidden in his gestures had vanished, and he also seemed to no longer deliberately keep his distance. But Marshal Zhu always carried a cold temperament, and his sharp eyebrows simply gave out a sense of dispassion, so even when he relaxed his attitude, the man still looked nowhere similar to that little slim boy Shu Jun saw in his dream.


    It was likely that the information in Sweet Vanguard¡¯s memories got mixed into Shu Jun¡¯s brain, causing him to have such a strange dream.


    Like a pancake being flipped, Shu Jun turned over, held up the cup and took a few gulps. As the cool, clean water went down his throat, he couldn¡¯t help but heave a long sigh.


    ¡°Hungry ¡ª¡± Seeing Shu Jun finally awake, Monday¡¯s scream suddenly blew up. Its movement was so loud it could shatter the land and the sky, even carrying with it so much devastation that Shu Jun felt his scalp almost burst and he nearly choked on his water.


    Zhu Yanchen sighed and decisively picked up Monday, putting it next to the purifier.


    The scream stopped at once.


    Monday was anxious, and its logic was quite simple ¡ª Shu Jun was an Alpha marsh that it couldn¡¯t provoke. But could it deal with a mere human like Zhu Yanchen? Monday immediately wriggled its hilt, trying to pull a piece of flesh from this fearless human¡¯s hand.


    Then it found that it couldn¡¯t do it.


    The erosive substance couldn¡¯t eat up that hand, rather, it was trying to stay away from Zhu Yanchen¡¯s skin. As the marsh chomped down, its bite wasn¡¯t even as strong as Shu Jun¡¯s bite while he was dreaming, and it couldn¡¯t even leave its saliva behind.


    Monday¡¯s IQ wasn¡¯t high enough to understand what was happening. It could confirm only one thing ¡ª I have no food to eat and no one to bite. Such a very sad life.


    So Shu Jun watched his broadsword dejectedly melt down and turned into a sad little lump next to the purifier, all while making a pitiful howl.


    Zhu Yanchen moved his finger, seemingly caught in some thoughts.


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± Shu Jun really choked on the water this time.


    ¡°Most of my equipment is outside, so I can¡¯t properly carry out my research.¡± Zhu Yanchen pointed to the items left on the table. There were a dozen test tubes filled with blood beside the machine. Shu Jun was sure that that dazzling red blood didn¡¯t belong to him.


    ¡°But at the moment, it seems that I am immune to erosion.¡±


    If he hadn¡¯t swallowed the water, Shu Jun was confident he could choke the third time. Monday didn¡¯t keep itself idle and sobbed quite cooperatively from the corner.


    ¡°I think I have to sleep for a while.¡± Shu Jun drank all the water in the cup and slowly lay down: ¡°With all that information¡­ my brain is having a bit of indigestion.¡±


    ¡°Sleep.¡± Zhu Yanchen said softly: ¡°We have plenty of time.¡±


    ¡°Uhm. I like to hear such words.¡± Shu Jun muttered.


    ¡°¡­¡­Shu Jun.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Shu Jun yawned: ¡°Unless it¡¯s me wanting to kill you, please don¡¯t die so suddenly next time. I¡¯m scared of crying.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen¡¯s mind that had stopped working in that second almost spewed the words ¡°Me too¡±, but by the time he was calm enough to come up with a logical response, Shu Jun was already asleep. Zhu Yanchen wasn¡¯t very clear what it was that Shu Jun did, but judging from Shu Jun¡¯s physical state, it must be quite a labourious task ¡ª After all, in this world, there weren¡¯t many things that could really exhaust and Alpha-level Erosion Marsh.


    The equipment inside Zhu Rong¡¯s room was barely usable. Before Shu Jun woke up, Zhu Yanchen tried his best to analyse his situation, and the result had him quite shocked.


    Not long ago, his tissues were all gnawed like a honeycomb and he could barely suppress the erosion with the most powerful medicine. Now those lumps of erosive substance had changed their state, trembling and squeezing into a ball, simulating the state of normal cells, and even their metabolism obeyed the rules of the human body. Severely eroded cells had been expelled from the body, and his erosion scars had completely disappeared.


    The pain that had accompanied him for more than ten years was gone, and his body was full of energy and feeling incredibly light, as though there wasn¡¯t really a body.


    Zhu Yanchen tried to infect his own tissue samples with externally-introduced erosion. The external erosive substance¡¯s reaction was quite interesting  ¡ª it first happily came into contact with the tissues to obtain simple information, then it turned around and ran away, as though Zhu Yanchen was the source of infection.


    Marshal Zhu didn¡¯t know whether he should laugh or cry.


    After collecting lot of data, he could make a rough guess. Since the erosive substance imitated a normal cell, of course its ¡®new¡¯ life wouldn¡¯t feel as free as before. However, they were dominated by Shu Jun¡¯s ¡®suppression¡¯ and had to instinctively stay here. The erosive substance had no brain and was used to rampage randomly inside a human body. Now that it had suffered a huge loss, it would inevitably try to spread negative information to the outside world out of desperation.


    He did a series of experiments, and the results were similar. All the erosive substance would take a detour around his tissues. Even if there was a small amount of erosive substance that couldn¡¯t let go of its original instinct and involuntarily eroded the tissues, it still ended up imitating the human cells while agonising over its fate ¡ª The cells made of erosive substance in his body even started to re-generate, swaggeringly replacing the older cells.


    Coupled with the case of Monday the broadsword, the facts had been made clear. Just like how human beings couldn¡¯t control the activities of human cells, an Erosion Marsh couldn¡¯t control its erosive substance¡¯s instinctive reaction.


    Unless there was an Erosion Marsh that was smarter and tougher than Shu Jun and had a highly similar ability, this balance wouldn¡¯t be broken.


    ¡­¡­Looking at this result, Zhu Yanchen might be the first human being who was immune to erosion in history.


    Once again, his life was rewritten by Shu Jun.


    Zhu Yanchen simply sat down on the floor and quietly watched the sleeping Shu Jun. Since they met again, this man had disrupted all his plans: from the plan to go deep into the erosion zone alone then the plan to calmly face death by himself.


    And even his plan from way earlier ¡ª he wanted to protect Shu Jun from afar.


    If Zhu Yanchen could continue to live, it was indeed a great thing. There was no doubt that the plan must continue and that he must go on to do what he set out to. But regarding this variable that he didn¡¯t plan for¡­¡­ Zhu Yanchen had never been too good at personal communication. Before he could solve the problem of ¡®how to alienate himself before his tragic death¡¯, it had now changed to a new problem of ¡®how to stay friendly after his deadline no longer existed¡¯.


    Marshal Zhu seriously thought about it for a moment and decided to simplify his strategy. Thinking about it, he picked up the blanket and pushed Shu Jun¡¯s hand back underneath it.


    Maybe it¡¯s not that difficult, he thought again. At least, this person hadn¡¯t changed at all.


    At the same time, at Y City.


    Master Zhu walked down from the stage with a gloomy expression on his face.


    The former leader¡¯s sense of oppression was too strong, making the reporters too fearful to come close ¡ª After all, it was always tragic that an older person had to watch a younger one die before him. The man just finished reading a eulogy for his own son, so no one wanted to be the first to go up and suffer his cheerless mood.


    ¡°Is Zhu Yanchen really dead? The Zhu family is really¡­¡± Below the stage, a reporter whispered.


    ¡°I remember that those two, urgh, their father-and-son relationship isn¡¯t so good?¡±


    ¡°No matter how bad it is, Zhu Yanchen is still his son, and a reputable strategist. No one in his generation is comparable to him. It¡¯s going to be tough for the Zhu family now. If I have to guess, Master Zhu will choose one of the children from the Xia family to become his successor.¡±


    ¡°Maybe Master Zhu will produce another one on his own.¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t make such a joke.¡±


    ¡°In any case, it¡¯s just finding another puppet. It¡¯s not impossible to create another ¡®genius¡¯ ¡ª Isn¡¯t Zhu Yan¡¯s reputation known only through publicity? He may not have real skills. Even if Master Zhu agrees with Yi Ning¡¯s propositions, he won¡¯t really let the Tang family¡¯s power rise so easily. Let¡¯s wait and see¡­ But now that we¡¯re talking about this, before we could care about whose power will go up, isn¡¯t it in Master Zhu¡¯s palm to decide on the optimization of the Player system? Before, when the father and son appeared at odds with each other, wasn¡¯t it because of their differing opinions on this matter? I really don¡¯t know what Zhu Yanchen was thinking. Maybe a rich young master like him just doesn¡¯t understand the suffering of common people ¡ª¡±


    ¡°The man is dead now. Watch your mouth, karma may come back to bite you.¡±


    ¡°Okay okay okay, I¡¯m just nosy for something fun. The election is less than three months away. This is probably a sign for Y City. Ouch! Who just hit me?!¡±


    The reporter was speaking halfway when he was hit on the shoulder by someone passing by. He raised his eyebrows to find that the other person was a delicate-looking lady, at which point he immediately flattened those eyebrows: ¡°Miss, you look unfamiliar, where are you from ¡ª hey, ??don¡¯t go so fast?¡±


    Ai Xiaoxiao broke the bubble she just blew from her gum, sneered coldly and squeezed herself through the crowd, getting away from the meeting hall.


    She had seen what she needed to see, and the coffee flavour of the gum in her mouth had faded. Leaving aside the fact that she had to gather some intelligence, Zhu Yanchen was more or less her boss over the past few years, so it was only appropriate that she attended his funeral to properly bid him farewell.


    She wrapped the bubble gum in a piece of paper and threw it into the trash can on the side. As soon as she pulled back her hand, the communication device in her pocket vibrated.


    Strange. This was a reminder that would only appear when the messenger monster arrived. Last night, Zhu Yanchen had sent out the final set of data and even his last words. Did he become a mummy and come back to life?


    Two hours later, there was a yell from the Ai¡¯s Clinic, followed by a wicked laugh.


    ¡°This is really a masterpiece.¡± Ai Xiaoxiao looked at the news brought by the mutated monster and patted the table: ¡°I need to contact Lao Dong¡­ In the next three months, there¡¯ll be a fun show to watch.¡±


    Then she realised something, and the smile on her face slowly disappeared ¡ª If Zhu Yanchen had developed immunity, wouldn¡¯t her drug experiment be unable to continue?


    Forget it, Ai Xiaoxiao shook her head and opened a can of beer.


    ¡°To a healthy life.¡± She clanged the can of beer against the air.

 CH 27

    In order to preserve the image of a ¡®graceful ex-girlfriend¡¯, Xia Liang put on sobbing makeup, fully coupled with swollen eyes. When Master Zhu was giving his eulogy, she even pretended to be in a trance and mourning. Xia Liang¡¯s performance was so good that no one came up to ask her any questions.


    She choked eloquently as tears flowed down her cheeks, yet her thoughts had already fled many miles away ¡ª


    Even if she knew that Zhu Yanchen wouldn¡¯t be able to return, she didn¡¯t have any real emotions for the moment, rather, she was only feeling a tad regretful.


    According to Ai Xiaoxiao, Zhu Yanchen was already dying and only had two months to live. If it were her, she would definitely not move forward with the plan so quickly; at least she would choose to stay in the city for another month. The environment in an erosion zone was so bad that even healthy people could be severely hurt by it. Even if there was something to investigate, Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t have to rush to death like this.


    With the situation turning like this, even though Zhu Yanchen had secretly transferred a part of his authority to her, his influence would be considered cut off starting now.


    Xia Liang sighed. Hearing the murmurs of the reporters in the venue, she could guess their topic of discussion ¡ª The Xia family and the Zhu family had always been good friends. To disclose in detail, Zhu Yanchen¡¯s deceased mother was the adopted daughter of the previous head of the Xia family. Even if she had no blood relationship, she still made up half of the family.


    Xia Liang knew the Zhu family¡¯s inside information better than anyone else.


    Master Zhu¡¯s power reached its peak when he was still young. As though the gods wanted to ensure that no one¡¯s life could be perfect, Zhu Sheng married two wives and had two sons, yet now there was none left.


    Zhu Sheng¡¯s first wife died of dystocia, leaving behind the supposed next master of the Zhu family. Seven or eight years later, Zhu Sheng remarried and Zhu Yanchen was born.


    Zhu Sheng and his eldest son looked like they were carved out of the same mold, and even their temperaments were very similar. Zhu Sheng truly liked him. Unfortunately, the eldest son died in a suspicious ¡®accident¡¯¡¯ before he became a marshal. Barely a year after the eldest son died, the second wife also died of an illness.


    No one would have paid any attention to Zhu Yanchen if it hadn¡¯t been for the passing of the eldest son. Young master Zhu had never had much presence. He was introverted and withdrawn, and no one felt that he carried any aura of a leader. When the eldest son died, people actually believed that Zhu Sheng¡¯s great heritage wouldn¡¯t be carried on. But after his mother¡¯s death, Zhu Yanchen somehow turned over a new leaf and obediently embarked on his father¡¯s path.


    It was a pity that the good times didn¡¯t last long.


    After a moment of dazing, suddenly, Xia Liang picked up the smell of overly sweet coffee. She squinted and saw Ai Xiaoxiao rushing out of the door. It seemed that the Fourth Team¡¯s captain was rather hot-headed, nowhere as cold as Xia Liang thought she would be.


    I hope things will go smoothly from now, Xia Liang put both hands into her bag and played with the chip left by Zhu Yanchen for a few seconds.


    Facing such a big storm in the future, they still had a lot of things to do.


    However, it turned out that even if you were as resourceful as Marshal Zhu, you still couldn¡¯t foresee the real storm ¡ª Just when the press conference was over and everyone in the city only had their mind wrapped around it, Shu Jun, who was far away in an erosion zone, woke up again.


    This time he was fully alive and waking up because of his protesting stomach. The lethargy he felt earlier was completely gone, with only an describable hunger lingering around.


    His eyes went green with hunger as he looked at Zhu Yanchen.


    ¡°Let¡¯s clean up and head back to X city.¡± Seeing Shu Jun¡¯s eyes, Zhu Yanchen solemnly covered his neckline: ¡°The mud sled should still be there. There¡¯s a lot of food on it.¡±


    ¡°Wait, if I eat all of them, what will you do?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll go hunting.¡± Zhu Yanchen spoke as-a-matter-of-factly: ¡°Looking at my current state, I should be able to consume the meat of a mutated monster.¡±


    Thinking of the jerky and salted butter in their luggage, Shu Jun couldn¡¯t help swallowing. He was so very hungry, to the point that even Monday seemed like a good target. But no matter what, he wouldn¡¯t be blinded by this desire.


    ¡°I have something to tell you.¡± Shu Jun glanced at Zhu Rong¡¯s corpse: ¡°¡­¡­A very important thing.¡±


    As Shu Jun finished talking about Sweet Vanguard and Zhu Rong, the two nicely reached X City. The mud sled was still in its original position, and Shu Jun couldn¡¯t wait to jump onto the luggage carrier to tear open a bag of butter. He wasn¡¯t put off by the greasiness at all and completely gulped down the butter by itself.


    Before leaving, Zhu Yanchen retrieved his suitcase and flipped through his backpacks on the luggage carrier, putting on one weapon after another. After Shu Jun had his share, his brain no longer buzzed, and by this point, Zhu Yanchen had also fully equipped himself.


    After being temporarily relieved from his hunger, Shu Jun began to chew slowly on the jerky. Seeing the way Zhu Yanchen was dressed, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    Now that he was immune to erosion, even in this heavily eroded zone, Zhu Yanchen was casually donning thin clothes that made it easy to move around. His thighs, ankles and back were all tied with close-fitting weapon belts jammed up with all kinds of hot weapons, but they were very well-organised.


    ¡°You really know everything¡­ What¡¯s next, Marshal? Now you have no more deadline to die.¡± Shu Jun threw a bag of jerky over and Zhu Yanchen smoothly caught it.


    After getting the jerky, Marshal Zhu gently took a bite and chewed on the meat: ¡°Let¡¯s investigate X City a bit. One reason is to study that Alpha¡­ Sweet Vanguard¡¯s past living conditions, and the other is to look for clues regarding what happened that year.¡±


    Shu Jun let out a soft ¡°heh¡±, then he squeezed his broadsword and leapt towards Zhu Yanchen: ¡°I¡¯m not asking about that.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen swallowed the jerky in his mouth and frowned.


    ¡°Simply looking at the result, you saved me once. Now that I¡¯ve paid this favour, our situation has become much steadier. Why not take the opportunity to have a good chat?¡± Shu Jun stayed very close to Zhu Yanchen with a smile on his face, yet his eyes were incredibly sharp: ¡°¡­¡­After all, I¡¯m in a hurry.¡±


    His team was still living in a lie, but luckily, there hadn¡¯t been many competitions recently. When their rest period was over, his comrades-in-arms would have to face the Erosion Marshes again without any knowledge of the truth. Thinking of this, Shu Jun¡¯s stomach almost burst into flames.


    Previously, Zhu Yanchen had a deadline and Shu Jun had to rely on him to stabilise his physical condition. There was always a bargaining chip for cooperation, and Shu Jun wasn¡¯t good at acting rashly. But now everything was different. From telling him the truth to taking him to investigate Zhu Rong¡¯s affairs, Zhu Yanchen¡¯s stand on this matter had become clear ¡ª Marshal Zhu obviously didn¡¯t like the Player system very much.


    Since they both had time and similar goals, it was better to talk as soon as possible. Only then would they not miss out on any opportunity.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhu Yanchen looked at Shu Jun earnestly and answered almost gleefully, and even his breathing didn¡¯t flinch: ¡°But I have a condition.¡±


    Shu Jun raised his eyebrows.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t full, are you?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± Shu Jun thought that Zhu Yanchen wanted to say something extremely important and was a little confused.


    ¡°I want to talk while hunting.¡± Zhu Yanchen also got closer and, in a way that annoyed Shu Jun since Zhu Yanchen was taller, he lowered his gaze: ¡°Let¡¯s go together.¡±


    What condition is this? Shu Jun¡¯s mind was full of question marks. But a pack of butter wasn¡¯t enough to keep him full, so he had no objection.


    Until they really did get on their hunting.


    Shu Jun actually found that this man wasn¡¯t in a hurry to hunt at all. Rather, Zhu Yanchen seemed like he was testing his new body or enjoying a compensatory break after a long illness, or perhaps it was a show-off of his power ¡ª If Shu Jun didn¡¯t use his special ability and directly confronted Zhu Yanchen, he probably would win, but the process leading to his victory wouldn¡¯t be very easy.


    ¡°The Player system can¡¯t continue.¡± When he said this, Zhu Yanchen was stepping on a mutated giant snake with his boots ¡ª The creature was originally lying still in the mud, ready to sneak-attack Marshal Zhu, but it ended up getting shot neatly in the head.


    ¡°What was your original plan?¡±


    Shu Jun waved the broadsword and split the monster into two. As the dark purple blood spurted out, most of it was sucked up by Monday.


    ¡°If you directly put a stop to the Player system, the outermost layer of protection of the entire coalition government will be as good as zero. Even if you¡¯re a team leader, you¡¯ll be totally crushed if you do that. Not to mention, you¡¯re¡­¡­ hm, technically dead.¡±


    Of course, Shu Jun really wished that the Player system could be abolished immediately and that all synthesised humans got to know the truth. However, as a team leader, he also knew the consequence of blindly acting on his personal feelings ¡ª If they knew that they were destined to die soon, most synthesised humans would definitely go berserk and riot against humanity. At best, they would inflict damage on both sides, or at worst, they would fight until both sides entirely perished.


    However, things hadn¡¯t yet reached the point of despair. If even Zhu Yanchen could be saved, Shu Jun might hope that his comrades would fight with the goal of ¡®earnining a better life¡¯.


    There were a lot of things they had to prepare for.


    ¡°Actually, before, I didn¡¯t think that the Player system could be destroyed within this generation.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen turned around, smoothly hitting another monster. He threw it to the ground and fired two more shots. The creature¡¯s blood splashing on his pale face made a particularly appalling sight.


    ¡°I just want to take the first step to prove that this system has vulnerabilities. You¡¯ve also seen that humans can only influence an Erosion Marsh as much as what those villages did to Monday. Humans can¡¯t pose a big threat to the Erosion Marsh. But synthesised humans are different, you¡¯re ¡®designed¡¯ to resonate with them. In a way, it also means that an Erosion Marsh will have an easier time absorbing your information.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re an exception to all exceptions. Sweet Vanguard was only strong enough to retain a bit of consciousness after being swallowed by an Erosion Marsh and barely managed to keep herself within X City¡­¡­ Shu Jun, if you¡¯re a marsh that has fully obtained human intelligence, what would you do?¡±


    ¡°Go into hiding.¡±


    As Shu Jun said these words, a chill ran down his back.


    It was very simple. If it were him, he would hide far away and let the least intelligent marshes under him go to the front to collect information and take down the humans. Then, when the information was sufficient, he would kill both humans and synthesised humans at once.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Zhu Yanchen emptied his gun and neatly changed the magazine.


    No wonder this man had to go deep into the erosion zone before he died, Shu Jun glanced at Zhu Yanchen. As long as there was no hard evidence, these could only be guesses. Humans wouldn¡¯t give up their current comfortable life just because of a few guesses.


    Even if Zhu Yanchen brought himself back as evidence, his situation was too special. His goal was to prove that ¡®an Erosion Marsh could become dangerous after consuming human brains¡¯, but just one wrong step would make people think that ¡®a synthesised human could conquer an Erosion Marsh¡¯. This would only stimulate more development of the Player system.


    Behind the 200 years that humans had been living in safety lay an unknown terror that no one knew when it might strike. Shu Jun used to think that the situation already looked bad enough, but now, it even seemed far more complicated just to keep his comrades alive.


    Was this a battle no one saw coming?


    On the other side, the mutated monster corpses gradually piled up and were enough to make one week¡¯s worth of jerky. Zhu Yanchen pulled back one hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead and a little more vitality emanated from his face. Seeing that Shu Jun hadn¡¯t responded for a long time, he looked at Shu Jun with worries, but what he saw was a smile on Shu Jun¡¯s face.


    ¡°Interesting.¡± Shu Jun shook off the blood on his hands. ¡°Marshal, let¡¯s not even think about the first step, just solve it all at once. As usual, you can help me stabilise my condition, then I¡¯ll go to meet those hidden friends of mine soon ¡ª¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯ll help me take down the leader of the marshes?¡± Zhu Yanchen continued Shu Jun¡¯s sentence.


    ¡°¡­¡­And also we¡¯ll try to solve the problem of synthesised humans at the same time. How about it, can you do it, Marshal?¡± Revealing his sharp canine teeth, Shu Jun stretched out his hand.


    This wasn¡¯t a formal statement. He was actually waiting for either a courtesy handshake or Zhu Yanchen questioning his arrogant speech. But, Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t hold that hand. Instead, he leaned closer, stretched out his thumb and wiped the blood on Shu Jun¡¯s face.


    His finger was so warm. As the fingertip rolled across his skin, Shu Jun¡¯s back went stiff.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen said softly.

 CH 28

    Shu Jun froze.


    They hadn¡¯t even started discussing the details of the plan. He was simply throwing a few words to kickstart things. As the leader of a team, Shu Jun was used to making similar remarks to adjust the atmosphere. For example, ¡°Let¡¯s go and make the Groundwater team cry¡± or ¡°This is a good terrain, we can end the battle in one day.¡±


    Of course, even if they eventually won, Luo Duan wouldn¡¯t really cry, and the Blackbird team had never ended any battle within one day. After talking to Zhu Yanchen all these years, he thought that the man would just casually tag along with the conversation, but he totally didn¡¯t expect Zhu Yanchen to reply so seriously.


    At this point, Shu Jun thought that Zhu Yanchen might be trying to joke along with him, but the following action didn¡¯t carry the same intent ¡ª


    Zhu Yanchen¡¯s fingertips were still on his skin, and he made this move extremely naturally.


    Even if he was trying to get close to Shu Jun or had some hidden motives, Zhu Yanchen¡¯s move was way too smooth, so smooth that Shu Jun thought it was a common etiquette. His jaw dropped and all the jokes that were supposed to follow got stuck in his throat.


    Doesn¡¯t this feel kinda wrong?


    When Zhu Yanchen¡¯s heart stopped beating, Shu Jun lost control of his emotions. Thinking about it afterwards, it wasn¡¯t too exaggerated a feeling ¡ª After learning the facts and facing a true death, Shu Jun actually considered Zhu Yanchen his friend, so his reaction could be explained.


    Shu Jun didn¡¯t intend to deny his favour and interest towards Zhu Yanchen, but they never represented any definite admiration. Even after chatting back and forth all these years, there was still a huge gap between exchanging mere texts and facing the real person. Not to mention, a bunch of urgent matters were still pressing on them, so just normal communication would suffice.


    But when Zhu Yanchen made this move, Shu Jun¡¯s heart almost missed a beat. Half of his emotion was now shock, and the other half was a mess he couldn¡¯t quite define.


    Zhu Yanchen also had blood on his face. After hunting down these mutated monsters, his clothes were slightly drenched in sweat and sticking to his skin, and his breathing was much warmer than usual. With the distance between the two of them being no more than a palm¡¯s size, the atmosphere became a tiny bit weird.


    ¡­¡­No, it¡¯s likely just because I haven¡¯t killed those romantic feelings I¡¯ve kept hidden at the bottom of my heart. I¡¯m thinking too much. A Yan had always been a careful man. Perhaps he had stayed in a high position for too long and didn¡¯t know how to behave appropriately in reality.


    Seeing Shu Jun withdraw his chin and his expression twitch slightly, Zhu Yanchen: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    It¡¯s not possible that Shu Jun remembers so much about the past. Facing the current Shu Jun, his actions might be a tad too direct. But just as Zhu Yanchen was about to withdraw his hand, Shu Jun¡¯s claws went up.


    ¡°You also have a little blood on your face, I¡¯ll wipe it for you.¡± Shu Jun said heartily as he rubbed the blood on Zhu Yanchen¡¯s face with his palm. There was nothing wrong with this move alone, but as soon as Zhu Yanchen came to a pause, it became a scene where the two of them were touching each other¡¯s face. The atmosphere was getting even more embarrassing.


    The two people stood like two statues with mutated monster corpses as the background. Luckily, there were more than just two of them here, and a certain someone knew how to break the silence.


    After eating a full meal, Monday had the strength to speak again: ¡°Cheh.¡±


    The sound it made was long, loud and full of revulsion. The two men both seized the opportunity to withdraw their hands.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this pile. We can have a barbecue later.¡± Shu Jun laughed crisply: ¡°Let¡¯s eat and discuss.¡±


    ¡°Uhm.¡± Zhu Yanchen had already started to process the monster corpses. No one knew if he was nervous or it was simply a flawed move, but he exerted too much force and a large lump of blood spurted out from the monster¡¯s chest, splashing everywhere on his face.


    Shu Jun: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Zhu Yanchen: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Eventually, amid Shu Jun¡¯s hearty laugh, the embarrassing air that neither of them could quite explain completely vanished.


    A week later, at the border settlement.


    It was at night and Uncle Pan was taking a nap behind the counter as usual. There was a sound of a mud sled stopping at the door of his hotel. Uncle Pan immediately became alert, his face full of smiling intent.


    The two young men who walked in looked a bit familiar.


    Both of them were wearing masks so he couldn¡¯t see their faces, but their bodies were unusually sturdy and beautiful. The shorter one had grey hair with a broadsword on his back and strangely sharp nails. Uncle Pan could easily recognise him.


    Seeing Uncle Pan turn his head, the grey-haired young man flung the sack behind his back: ¡°Uncle Pan, we¡¯re back ¡ª Look, how much could we get for these mutated monsters¡¯ skins?¡±


    Upon hearing that he could earn some profits, the last trace of sleepiness on Uncle Pan¡¯s face instantly evaporated. He swiftly walked around the counter and took the sack.


    It was full to the brim with skins and furs from high-level mutated monsters. As long as they were handled properly, these things could be made into excellent protective clothing. Uncle Pan gasped: ¡°When my younger brother threw you two out there, I even scolded him. I told him that he should at least give you a dog before leaving ¡ª Cool bro, how did you deal with the Corpse Parasite?¡±


    ¡°We escaped fast enough.¡± The grey-haired young man laughed: ¡°How about it, Uncle Pan? If you want to help us sell these furs, we¡¯re willing to pay a 10 percent referral fee, as a gesture of friendship.¡±


    ¡°Good, good! If you two can trust me, just leave the goods here, and I¡¯ll write you a receipt. If it goes well, I can handle this tomorrow.¡±


    Since this profitable business was delivered to his doorstep, Uncle Pan¡¯s smile was extremely sincere: ¡°Hey, even after so many years, I still can make wrong judgments. You two don¡¯t seem to be newcomers. Welcome to this tiny land. Although it¡¯s a bit late to ask, how do I call you?¡±


    ¡°Grey Claw.¡± Shu Jun answered fairly smoothly, then looked at Zhu Yanchen beside him.


    ¡°Haze.¡± Zhu Yanchen held on to the name quite stubbornly.


    A settlement was never meant to be a ¡®clean¡¯ place, and no one used his real name here. Uncle Pan accepted this all too well: ¡°To be honest, these goods are really valuable. Since we¡¯re friends, from now on, I¡¯ll charge you only 5 percent. Regardless where they¡¯re furs or any random items you dig up, I can help you sell them. Your rental is also halved, how about it?¡±


    Shu Jun stretched out his hand: ¡°Deal.¡±


    Then he added with a grin: ¡°He and I are going to earn our living in this place often. Uncle Pan, you¡¯ve given us a huge discount on the rental, don¡¯t regret it later.¡±


    ¡°The more friends, the merrier.¡± Uncle Pan happily shook Shu Jun¡¯s hand: ¡°Since we¡¯ve come to this, let me get some wine. We shall celebrate the triumphant return of you two ¡ª Your room should be the best type, right? I¡¯ll put the key here first.¡±


    After that, Uncle Pan dragged the sack into the room behind the counter. When he came out again, the bag had been replaced with three bottles of grey wine, plus a large bag of pancakes.


    Although Marshal Zhu never put himself on a pedestal and acted high-and-above, he still couldn¡¯t adapt to the common men¡¯s drinking culture. Zhu Yanchen pushed up his mask a little bit, took a pancake and ate slowly.


    Now that his body was full of erosive substance, Shu Jun could drink even sulfuric acid, so how could a little alcohol be any big deal? However, Zhu Yanchen had only recovered from a serious illness. Even if he was immune to erosion, he still carried a normal human body.


    Seeing Uncle Pan cork the wine bottle, Marshal Zhu¡¯s movements went stiff.


    Shu Jun totally didn¡¯t miss that hint of stiffness. He naturally received the bottle of wine, pushed his mask up and smiled quietly at Zhu Yanchen.


    Then he firmly poured out half the bottle, his expression unflinching: ¡°It¡¯s not that my partner doesn¡¯t respect you, he¡¯s allergic to alcohol. Come, Uncle Pan¡­ No, Pan ge, I¡¯ll drink for his sake, to you!¡±


    ¡°Great! This ge won¡¯t make it difficult for my brother Haze here. I¡¯ll get you a glass of water later.¡±


    It was getting late and he won a great business today, so Uncle Pan drank delightfully. He directly shut the door, turned on the purifier and simply took off his mask. Normal humans obviously couldn¡¯t compete with an Erosion Marsh when it came to drinking. After four or five cups, Uncle Pan already laughed so much that he could burst any time now.


    ¡°Brother, it¡¯s not that I want to spy on you, I¡¯m just asking casually.¡± After drinking for three rounds and piling up a whole basket of gossip, Uncle Pan finally sneakily got to the main point: ¡°How did you two keep your bodies¡­ Hiccup¡­ I don¡¯t mean your exercises. You two are veterans around here, yet your bodies still look so normal, do you have a secret recipe or something?¡­¡±


    That¡¯s exactly what we¡¯ve been waiting for, Shu Jun smiled.


    Although Uncle Pan was a bit sly, he had a good character and a brain. This kind of person could survive anywhere. Since Uncle Pan could sell the information around him, of course he could sell his information to others too. Obviously, he wouldn¡¯t sell underhanded information.


    ¡°My partner knows some trustworthy men, so he¡¯s able to get his hands on some remedies.¡± Shu Jun mysteriously lowered his voice: ¡°But we can¡¯t get it right away. If you need it urgently, we can discuss with them.¡±


    ¡°What a chivalrous man. Deal. Help me talk to them¡­ I¡®m fine myself, but a few acquaintances of mine suffer horribly. If you can help, you¡¯ll definitely earn your referral fee ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Deal. Speaking of this, I also want to ask Uncle Pan for something.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Just say it.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there used to be that kind of work here? Those from above often look for some people from here to lead the teams of ¡®players¡¯. I remember that kind of work is very lucrative, and we¡¯ve been wanting to try something new¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh oh oh, an NPC¡¯s work.¡± Uncle Pan waved his hand, the smile on his face fading a little: ¡°Listen to ge, don¡¯t do that kind of work. I¡¯ve heard people say that beside having to sign a lot of messy confidentiality agreements, you have to be extremely careful when you talk and do things. If this sort of work is so easy, they would let the army snatch it already, how can it even come to us? It¡¯s considered not too bad if, out of ten, one or two of them come back alive after taking on that work¡­¡±


    ¡°We may not actually go for it, we just want to have a look.¡± Shu Jun smiled: ¡°Just let us know if you¡¯ve any news. We¡¯ll think very carefully about it.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ Hiccup, okay. Ouch, I¡¯ve drunk too much. I have to write it down on paper.¡±


    Uncle Pan arched his waist and fumbled under the counter for a long time, almost hitting the lumps on his head against the counter.


    ¡°You have to take care of the hotel tomorrow. Let¡¯s stop here today.¡± Shu Jun knew what he shouldn¡¯t overdo this and gulped down the last cup.


    It was late into night, so all that was left was to rest. After spending a week in an erosion zone without coming into contact with normal people and now returning to the laymen¡¯s environment, Shu Jun was a little sentimental.


    Even though neither he nor Zhu Yanchen needed the purifier, he still let the machine in the room do its work ¡ª It was just an old model for civilian use, which couldn¡¯t affect an Alpha-level marsh at all. At most, it could barely scratch Monday.


    ¡°Next, let¡¯s wait for the news to spread.¡± Shu Jun took off the old clothes on his upper body and the smell of alcohol fanned out: ¡°Isn¡¯t your bag almost empty? Let¡¯s head to the street to replenish some supplies tomorrow. Remind me to buy some clothes.¡±


    ¡°Uhm.¡± Zhu Yanchen¡¯s reply sounded a bit dull. After locking the door, he also took off his mask and once again revealed his expressionless face.


    ¡°There are still some pancakes left. Later I¡¯ll heat them up again to stuff my stomach before going to bed. Do you want some?¡±


    ¡°Uhm.¡±


    Shu Jun¡¯s movements paused. This person seemed not quite right.


    ¡°Is Monday lovely?¡±


    ¡°Uhm.¡±


    Shu Jun: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    As if responding to Shu Jun¡¯s question, Zhu Yanchen quickly got out of the state where half of his mind wasn¡¯t here: ¡°I was a bit dazed, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°If you have any concerns, just say it. In any case, now the two of us don¡¯t have to keep staring at each other¡­ I¡¯ll wash up first, and I¡¯ll heat up the pancakes after that. You can have your dinner after you shower.¡±


    Although he thought the man¡¯s state seemed a bit suspicious, since Zhu Yanchen was reluctant to say it, Shu Jun didn¡¯t intend to dive into the details ¡ª The A Yan he knew surely wouldn¡¯t keep any secrets when dealing with important matters. After filling himself with a glass of water, Shu Jun wrapped the towel around his neck and gleefully took a shower.


    Marshal Zhu was indeed not thinking about their plan.


    Their plan had been carried out smoothly, and his physical condition had stabilised rather neatly. The actual development far exceeded his expectations, and the person he cherished the most was next to him again. This had been Zhu Yanchen¡¯s most pleasant week after so many years.


    But just now, his pleasant mood suddenly swung.


    Shu Jun and Uncle Pan chatted happily and had a very good time together. Zhu Yanchen wasn¡¯t used to the drinking culture, so he kept a low profile, which was also useful to cover up his identity. In the end, he didn¡¯t say a word and ate the pancakes silently for two hours.


    If it was before, he would like to minimise any unnecessary communication. However, at that small counter, seeing Shu Jun smiled so contentedly, he even felt the urge to join the conversation.


    Quite a strange emotion, he thought. It was neither anger nor dissatisfaction, rather, it was closer to some sort of peculiar desire.


    However, for ten years, Shu Jun had held so many gatherings with his Blackbird team.  The man and his teammates hugged each other¡¯s shoulders and laughed cheerfully every time. Zhu Yanchen had been watching them from a distance, yet he had never encountered a similar feeling. At that time, he only hoped that this person could keep on smiling and live longer.


    Perhaps my body is still going through some changes, Zhu Yanchen thought seriously.


    When the two of them successfully infiltrated into the city, he definitely had to do a thorough inspection of himself.

 CH 29

    People had a tendency to get sleepy when they were full.


    Zhu Yanchen was very healthy now, so Shu Jun no longer needed to be so polite. He went half a circle around the big bed: ¡°I don¡¯t have a very neat sleeping posture, maybe I should sleep on the outside.¡±


    Anyway, Monday didn¡¯t need to be hugged by him anymore. It was now wrapped in a cloth, lying across the sofa near the purifier, exhaling and inhaling grumpily at the cloth covering itself.


    ¡°Wake me up at 6 tomorrow morning.¡± Shu Jun said to Monday.


    The two of them had been doing an investigation inside an erosion zone for more than a week, so Shu Jun could understand Monday¡¯s temper. Monday didn¡¯t like him, but after the battle with Sweet Vanguard, it had savoured the great taste of victory. This thing had limited brain capacity and couldn¡¯t understand too much information, but with a better life laid blatantly in front of its face, at least it wouldn¡¯t want to run away anymore.


    Shu Jun crawled into the quilt and almost shed tears the moment he felt the soft mattress beneath his back.


    Being more restrained than Shu Jun, Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t go to sleep with a naked upper half. He used his very last shirt as pyjamas and kept himself steadily on the side against the wall. As the two men lay on one huge bed fully equipped with two quilts, the distance between them was more than one arm, yet there was still extra space.


    Shu Jun murmured ¡°goodnight¡±, happily wrapped himself inside the quilt and fell asleep faster than fainting.


    ¡­¡­At this point, things were still considered normal.


    At about 4 in the morning, Zhu Yanchen opened his eyes, feeling cold all over. He touched his chest but only found a thin shirt.


    Zhu Yanchen: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Before, in the erosion zone, they had to be on rotation to stand guard overnight, so Shu Jun didn¡¯t have any stage to perform to his fullest. Now he had found a chance to rob off his partner ¡ª after more than ten years, this person¡¯s habit of grabbing the other¡¯s quilt hadn¡¯t changed at all.


    Marshal Zhu sighed from the bottom of his heart, lay flat and turned sideways, ready to drag his quilt back. Zhu Yanchen thought Shu Jun wouldn¡¯t leave any opening ¡ª but he was completely defenseless, while the two quilts had been rolled into a ball, tightly clutched in his arms. Not only that, he was frowning from time to time, obviously not enjoying a good night¡¯s sleep.


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t die¡­¡± Shu Jun muttered intermittently.


    Zhu Yanchen was silent for a long while in the darkness, then he quietly reached out his hand and stroked Shu Jun¡¯s frowning brows. Seeing the shadow between the man¡¯s eyebrows disappear and his body relax a little, Zhu Yanchen once again grabbed a corner of the quilt and carefully pulled it out.


    Within less than a blink, Shu Jun rolled one round and stopped at the edge of the bed, facing Zhu Yanchen with his back.


    This makes me feel nostalgic, Zhu Yanchen propped his upper body up and took a deep breath. But just as he was about to try again, his arm came to a halt in mid-air.


    Shu Jun didn¡¯t wear a shirt when he slept, and at present, his entire back was exposed and his skin was glowing brightly under the dim light. He didn¡¯t have a trace of fat on his body, and his outline was smoothly blending into the night, partly concealed behind a piece of clothes at his slim waist. Those muscles were light and beautiful, looking neither too thin nor too bulky.


    At this moment, his back was slightly arched, just like a majestic beast ready for its hunt.


    As Zhu Yanchen¡¯s palm hung one centimeter away from Shu Jun¡¯s shoulders, their body temperatures merged together. Still keeping that tiny distance, his palm followed along Shu Jun¡¯s shoulders, slowly swimming to the man¡¯s wrist, yet in the end, he didn¡¯t touch it and simply withdrew his hand.


    My state right now is seriously wrong, Marshal Zhu thought. In any case, he guessed he wouldn¡¯t need his quilt anymore.


    But before he could close his eyes, Shu Jun rolled off the bed with a loud bang. A few seconds later, an unamused growl could be heard from below. Sharp claws then appeared at the side of the bed, following which Shu Jun climbed back on in a daze and faced Zhu Yanchen¡¯s questioning gaze.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Shu Jun murmured with a puzzled tone, for he had been too used to sleeping alone. Facing Zhu Yanchen, he was stunned for a moment, then his body relaxed again: ¡°Oh¡­ A Yan.¡±


    Then he burst out: ¡°Why are you so wet!¡­ Well, you took a shower¡­ That should be it¡­¡±


    Zhu Yanchen touched his still-moist hair, feeling completely lost for words. This person was totally in a trance and his mouth was spilling nonsense. While Shu Jun was busy climbing into bed, he stretched his arms to rescue the two quilts on the floor.


    That was when Shu Jun nicely jumped into him.


    Shu Jun hugged him ever so casually, as though Zhu Yanchen was a substitute for his quilt ball. He totally scrapped away his politeness earlier, replacing it with a tone that sounded obviously disgruntled: ¡°A Yan, where¡¯s my ¡®goodnight¡¯?¡±


    As Zhu Yanchen froze on the spot, surprise and sadness crashed his heart. The scene of more than ten years ago was overlapping with the scene before his eyes right now. He embraced Shu Jun, and, with a tad of uncertainty, planted a kiss at the top of the man¡¯s hair.


    Shu Jun hummed with satisfaction and fell asleep again. This time, he slept quite peacefully.


    Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t close his eyes. In the darkness, he stayed fixed in the posture of hugging Shu Jun while his eyes stared intently at nothingness. He was familiar with the Shu Jun of this state, but he thought it was a time that had long been wiped out. Now it seemed that things could go back to where they used to be.


    Originally, he only wanted to complete this life in silence, totally not expecting that he could really save Shu Jun. And he also never expected that Shu Jun would turn to save him. Things had gone far beyond his hopes, but now he wanted even more.


    Perhaps this was the side effect of staying too close to each other. At this moment, for the first time, Marshal Zhu understood the taste of ¡®greed¡¯.


    It didn¡¯t taste bad at all.


    Zhu Yanchen stretched out his hand again and pressed it against the other man¡¯s cheek. Shu Jun was quite handsome, but his looks weren¡¯t sharp, exuding a rather comforting air of friendliness. His mutated hair colour added a bit of wildness to him, but when he closed his eyes, this tinge of wildness turned into solemn trustworthiness.


    Shu Jun obviously still had the impression of that time. Even if only a little fragment of his impression remained, it meant there was a possibility of recovery.


    I want to grab everyone¡¯s support, the position of the leader, and an ending without gunpowder. In that case, he might as well grab everything he ever wanted¡­ such as this person¡¯s memories that had all been crushed.


    ¡°Goodnight.¡± He whispered to Shu Jun.


    Regrettably, another hour passed and the ¡°bang bang dong dong¡± of somebody crashing onto the floor came again, and their warm hug was gone forever. Zhu Yanchen pulled the quilts back up with a blank expression, placed Shu Jun into the quilt and wrapped him into a roll.


    At 6 o¡¯clock in the morning, a miserable howl promptly came from Monday.


    ¡°Wake ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Up ¡ª¡±


    Shu Jun slept soundly and his whole body felt refreshed. Seeing the quilt still remain on him, he felt that it had been such a long time that he hadn¡¯t kicked his quilt away. However, on his side, Zhu Yanchen looked rather strange ¡ª He was wrapping himself like a mummy and lying straight while pressing his body firmly against the quilt¡¯s corners.


    Did he have this habit before? Shu Jun yawned again and neatly got out of bed. As the mattress shook, Zhu Yanchen woke up immediately.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡¯ll head to the morning market.¡± Shu Jun put on his coat. A good night¡¯s sleep made his tone sound a little lighter.


    Zhu Yanchen sat there for a few seconds before nodding slowly. Shu Jun placed the sword on his back and put one hand on the bedside: ¡°How are you? Didn¡¯t sleep well last night? How about I go talk to Uncle Pan and ask him to change us to a room with two single beds?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Zhu Yanchen rubbed his temple: ¡°I was just thinking about something. I slept well.¡±


    ¡°Are you two awake?¡± The person Shu Jun just mentioned appeared at once. With a knock, Uncle Pan¡¯s voice came from the door.


    Shu Jun flipped his wrist and threw the mask to Zhu Yanchen, then quickly put on his own.


    Uncle Pan had somehow sobered up from the alcohol yesterday. Early this morning, he was still wasted, yet by now, he had fully taken care of all the mutated monsters¡¯ skins. After casting a glance at the two of them having their masks on, he put a lighter-sized electronic wallet on the table and rubbed his hands.


    ¡°You¡¯re not gonna believe it, so early in the morning, there¡¯s really some NPC work available. I really don¡¯t know what the higher-ups are so anxious about.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the job description?¡±


    ¡°I only heard people talk about it when I went to sell the skins. It seems that someone would come over to recruit people tomorrow. If you two, alas, if you two really want to go, you can head to the Longevity Bar later to have a look. My two brothers, listen to your ge¡¯s words, with your skills, just selling leather can already earn you a happy life¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank you ge. It¡¯s okay, let¡¯s go and see the excitement first.¡± Shu Jun smiled: ¡°Did they say which team the mission came from?¡±


    ¡°Blackbird.¡± Uncle Pan smacked his lips: ¡°The evil is here. In just a few days, they¡¯re sending out another mission. If I have to say it, it must be because of Yi Ning¡¯s intention to merge the teams. You see, the Blackbird is the strongest team, and now their captain is gone, while Zhu Yanchen, who is in charge of managing them, is also gone. The Blackbird team must have so little time to adjust to the losses, so they quickly appointed new management¡­¡±


    Shu Jun quietly clenched his fist, his sharp nails digging into his palm. He was still grinning behind the mask so that his tone came with a hint of smiling: ¡°Anyway, that has nothing to do with us. It¡¯s better if the team gets bigger, they can become more reliable.¡±


    Uncle Pan didn¡¯t notice any strangeness: ¡°Of course. In short, that¡¯s how things are now. By the way, about your anti-erosion remedy¡ª¡±


    ¡°A while later, we¡¯ll be heading to the city. We¡¯ll definitely help you ask.¡±


    ¡°Good, good.¡±


    At the same time, another captain also wasn¡¯t having a very pleasant morning.


    Luo Duan was kneeling on one knee, the dark red blood continuously pouring from his wound, looking almost like fine threads.


    ¡°Stop!¡± The doctor outside the training room yelled: ¡°He can¡¯t fight anymore. He must receive treatment as soon as possible!¡±


    Luo Duan lowered his head, buried his face in the shadow and smiled to himself. Just like what he had expected, after more than a week of continuous challenges, he finally suffered a serious injury.


    The medical team escorted him to the treatment room and the emergency bed slid across the corridor. Luo Duan turned his face to the side and looked at the path leading to the floor underground.


    All the game manuals had explained that the bottom layer of any stronghold must be the storage floor used by the NPCs, so no one paid any attention to this detail before. However, the headquarters were located in Y City, a place where supplies were abundant, so to think that they had to specially renovate the space below the training floor, where dangerous mutated monsters were kept, to make it into a storage floor was rather odd.


    After Luo Duan successfully got in here, he had been very patient.


    Luo Duan retracted his gaze, closed his eyes and began to silently plan his breaking-in route.


    He kept his eyes closed calmly until the nurses sent him to the special ward. In all fairness, the special ward had a pretty good layout, complemented with vases of brightly coloured artificial flowers.


    The TV was hung on the wall opposite the bed and readily tuned onto an intelligence channel that the players often watched, which was now broadcasting morning news. Confirming that everyone had left the ward, Luo Duan raised his eyelids and glanced at the screen.


    ¡°¡­At 5 o¡¯clock in the morning today, a large Erosion Marsh appeared 300 kilometers northwest of the ruins of X City. The initial blur scans show quite some strange results, and the experts are doing their best to interpret the data¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­We¡¯ve decided to send the strongest team to check it out. The Blackbirds team will set off in five days¡­¡±


    In the past, Luo Duan might envy the Blackbird team ¡ª This was a ¡®special mission¡¯ that only the champion team could lay their finger on, which enabled the Blackbird team to earn a lot of contribution points and field experience. Moreover, the mission sounded more research-oriented than combat-oritented, so the loss of combat power wouldn¡¯t be too severe.


    It seemed what they would encounter out there might not necessarily be what mankind thought was their greatest enemy. No one knew what the Blackbird team would have to go through now that Shu Jun was gone.


    Luo Duan sneered coldly.


    A rustle suddenly came from the side of the hospital bed, sounding a bit like a mouse gnawing on paper. Luo Duan turned his head and the sight before his eyes made him stop breathing.


    The flowers were melting.


    The colours of the flowers melted little by little, heavily dripping along the vase. Then they crawled in all directions, flowing up the wall in thin threads before spreading out like mold. A moment later, the colours gradually turned to greyish-black as they lined along the pale wall, looking like blood veins that had gone dead.


    Something condensed on the ceiling and a lump of liquid the size of an apple slowly hung in front of Luo Duan.


    ¡°Ahhhhh¡­¡± That thing wriggled as it made a hoarse noise. Its movements were weird and stiff, like a spider with no legs.


    Luo Duan didn¡¯t scream and his eyes were icy cold. Everything before him was too peculiar, or perhaps his condition was too serious that he was having hallucinations.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±


    That thing heaved another sigh.


    ¡°I¡­help you¡­ I help¡­ you¡­¡±


    Not expecting that this thing could actually speak, Luo Duan was taken aback. Before he could react, the door was aggressively pushed open. The lump of liquid quickly retracted back to the ceiling and the veins seeped into the wall, as if they had never existed.


    ¡°Are you Luo Duan of the Groundwater team?¡±


    Ai Xiaoxiao walked into the ward and scanned Luo Duan¡¯s eyes: ¡°Well, you wound is fine, you can¡¯t die. Just don¡¯t mess around.¡±


    ¡°Are you my doctor?¡±


    ¡°No, just a passer-by.¡± Ai Xiaoxiao blew out a bubble and shrugged nonchalantly: ¡°I heard that there¡¯s a severely injured patient, so I¡¯m just here to look at your eyes.¡±


    Luo Duan: ¡°¡­¡±


    Ai Xiaoxiao ignored Luo Duan¡¯s complicated expression. She frowned and touched the wall closest to her, but the wall was cold and flat, looking completely normal.


    ¡°If you feel uncomfortable, remember to call the doctor.¡±


    She muttered and wiped her hands.


    ¡°Also, why is there an empty vase in the special ward?¡±

 CH 30

    Luo Duan looked at the empty vase and didn¡¯t answer. Since he knew that Ai Xiaoxiao wasn¡¯t his own doctor, he closed his eyes and put on a pretense of wanting to rest undisturbed. Ai Xiaoxiao was too lazy to even be ashamed of herself. After stroking two more walls, she hummed a folk song and turned to leave.


    Sure enough, the moment the door was closed, the veins started leaking from the wall and the lump of liquid fell down again.


    ¡°I¡­ help¡­ you¡­ you¡­¡± Its voice was discontinuous, like an old radio with a bad signal.


    The slightly pungent smell of pus from swollen wounds suddenly rose in the air. Luo Duan didn¡¯t respond to this invitation and totally turned a deaf ear to it, as if the lump of liquid was really just an illusion. Seeing that he still hadn¡¯t talked after a long while, the lump of liquid slowly retracted to the ceiling, and the wall returned to its original state again.


    But it didn¡¯t leave. Luo Duan could still feel its aura hanging behind the wall. At present, that thing didn¡¯t seem to want to hurt him, nor did it want to be exposed to others. Luo simply ignored it, waiting to see what else it could do.


    There was no free lunch in this world. No matter how desperate he was at this point, he wouldn¡¯t accept the help of a monster.


    Ai Xiaoxiao knew nothing about the happenings in the room, so she strode out of the ward and looked through Luo Duan¡¯s medical records.


    Various indicators were abnormal. This person¡¯s body was on the verge of collapsing, and some organs even appeared to be slightly eroded. If Luo Duan failed to die on the battlefield in the next six months, only a longer torture would await him.


    Ai Xiaoxiao chewed the bubble gum in her mouth, took out a torn-out small notebook and wrote down Luo Duan¡¯s name and medical record number. Done getting what she needed to get, she stuffed the notebook into her pocket, then opened the door.


    ¡°Miss Ai.¡± The researcher in the room nodded at her.


    ¡°Let me make it clear first, I won¡¯t stay here for too long.¡± Ai Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t bother being polite with her opening sentence: ¡°What I took on was Zhu Yanchen¡¯s contract, and once the time is up, I¡¯ll leave at once¡­ Will you pay on time?¡±


    The researcher¡¯s expression twitched: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Marshal Zhu does have an account on reserve.¡±


    ¡°Oh, good. Then as stated in the contract, within one year after Zhu Yanchen¡¯s death, I¡¯ll be responsible for the maintenance of the synthesised humans¡¯ health. Even if the leader personally requests it, I won¡¯t extend or shorten my working hours. I will take the amount that has been agreed upon; you definitely can¡¯t reduce it, but any bonus is welcome.¡±


    Ai Xiaoxiao¡¯s tone was rather cold. She spoke while nibbling on the peanuts loudly in her mouth and counting them on one hand.


    ¡°I will neither participate in your discussion, provide any information outside the scope of work, nor accept any opinions from the research institute. During this year, the relevant teams need to absolutely obey me, and I have the right to gather more personnel from the opposing party ¡ª  That¡¯s all, I¡¯ve written it here in black and white. To prevent you from refusing to pay, please sign on the ¡®Acknowledged¡¯ column.¡±


    The researcher heaved a heavy sigh. Zhu Yanchen was already dead and he still couldn¡¯t live a peaceful life ¡ª Dr. Ai¡¯s thirst for money and domineering character truly lived up to their reputation. Seriously, did Marshal Zhu hire a grandma so he could have a ¡®fantastic¡¯ time serving her?


    If Zhu Yanchen was still alive, there might still be room for negotiation. But Zhu Yanchen¡¯s contract that was pretty much his will was something that not even Yi Ning might be able to interfere with. Ai Xiaoxiao had excellent skills and was well-known among the community. If they forcefully replaced her, not only would it offend the citizens, but the Zhu family would also not let the matter go so easily, even if letting her stay might bring shame to their name.


    Forget it, they endured Zhu Yanchen for so many years. It would be nothing to endure another Ai Xiaoxiao.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your money anyway.¡± Ai Xiaoxiao said again after seeing the researcher still hesitant to sign after a long time: ¡°Hurry up, I have to clean up my new room.¡±


    ¡°Miss Ai, I¡¯m a little curious. How did Marshal Zhu convince you?¡±


    The researcher signed his name and pushed back the contract. He still couldn¡¯t help asking a question ¡ª Ai Xiaoxiao was notorious for being disobedient. Didn¡¯t the research institute also try to hire her, yet in the end the effort was all for naught?


    ¡°Convince me?¡±


    Ai Xiaoxiao stuffed the contract into her bag.


    ¡°I¡¯ve secretly picked up a lot from him, so I¡¯m just paying back the favour. You¡¯ve worked with him for so long and you still haven¡¯t seen anything?¡­ Tsk tsk, it seems that I was right to not join the institute. I¡¯ve always thought that your eyes aren¡¯t very good, now it seems that it¡¯s even more serious than I thought.¡±


    After all that, she left behind a researcher with his jaw dropping and went straight out the door.


    Researcher: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He had heard that Ai Xiaoxiao was a straightforward person, but this almost sounded like she had a grudge against the research institute. Secretly picked up a lot from Zhu Yanchen? The researcher recalled Marshal Zhu¡¯s research reports that often went off-topic by miles and shook his head dejectedly.


    Forget it, perhaps Ai Xiaoxiao simply liked to watch them being unhappy. Her attitude problem shouldn¡¯t be that big of a deal.


    ¡°Oh and, about your special ward.¡± Barely a few steps out of the room, Ai Xiaoxiao turned back again. The researcher who was half-way shaking froze in his tracks. ¡°You¡¯d better find someone to measure the concentration of the erosive substance. The air inside doesn¡¯t feel right.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve installed a military purifier at the entrance. Any fully-developed Erosion Marsh will definitely not be able to enter. It¡¯s impossible to completely eliminate the erosive substance, since those players have a lot of erosive substance in their bodies¡­¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t take much time to measure a bit, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s  a problem there.¡± She gritted her teeth: ¡°If you can, please try to do it today ¡ª¡±


    Her attitude softened slightly. This was the first time she used the phrase ¡°please¡±, but unfortunately, the researcher didn¡¯t let her finish the sentence.


    ¡°We might have to wait for you to become the next leader, then you can carry out the measurement yourself. It¡¯s a rule that the special ward¡¯s environment is only tested once a month.¡± The researcher pulled out a polite smile: ¡°Currently you have no right to command us.¡±


    Ai Xiaoxiao coldly cast a gaze that was as sharp as a knife and walked away.


    She really likes to pick on trivial stuff, doesn¡¯t she? At least I got back one win, the researcher thought as he let out a sigh of relief.


    Ai Xiaoxiao arrived at her temporary residence and threw the bag on the table. She had to admit that the room quality at the headquarters was good. The TV in her room was also on, but unlike the special ward, her TV was broadcasting an entertainment programme.


    It was Xia Liang¡¯s tour performance. Miss Xia¡¯s dress was elegant and her makeup was truly appalling. She was walking on a stage where an artificial mist was lingering, singing a very emotional love song. Her voice was clear and beautiful, but Ai Xiaoxiao only felt upset ¡ª She had always disliked this sort of Miss High and Mighty who was oblivious about the real world, especially those loud-mouthed ones who would scream at the sight of corpses.


    She fiercely turned off the TV.


    Everything went wrong today.


    Perhaps one¡¯s luck really meant to have such ups and downs. Zhu Yanchen being alive was a great thing, but then ¡ª On the day Zhu Yanchen¡¯s death was announced, she tried to contact Lao Dong, but Lao Dong said that he wouldn¡¯t be able to meet until a week later.


    Now that there was no battle to command, what could an old man be busy with?


    As a result, Ai Xiaoxiao had to deal with the research institute first, which wasn¡¯t a pleasant task. She hated it to the core, and she couldn¡¯t bother to hide her emotions. This definitely wouldn¡¯t get any better in the future, but¡­


    Ai Xiaoxiao pulled out the contract again, silently read the amount of payment she would get several times and finally felt a little better.


    Speaking of which, she would meet Lao Dong soon, and she hoped her luck today would improve. After tidying up the room, Ai Xiaoxiao sat down by the bed. She rubbed the cover of the little notebook and began to think about stealing the measuring device to inspect the special ward herself.


    At the border settlement.


    One after another, Shu Jun and Zhu Yanchen stepped into the Longevity Bar. Although the place was named as a ¡®bar¡¯, they sold all kinds of things here.


    It was breakfast time and the bar was bustling with business. A bamboo holder full of buns was steaming hot, while a wire rack was thickly stacked with hot, crispy fried dough sticks. The smell of deep-fried pancakes lingered in the air, and on each table, the side dishes were neatly arranged, each plate filled with meat marinated in thick sauces.


    After selling the monster skins and having his own income, Shu Jun was willing to spend quite a bit. He happily bought a lot of food and took Zhu Yanchen to find a corner. But, among the bunch of hunched-back men in the bar, the two of them were tremendously eye-catching. The other guests didn¡¯t even bother hiding their glares.


    The two of them ¡ª one was an army leader, the other a star player ¡ª had long been used to this situation. As usual, Zhu Yanchen slightly pushed the mask away and calmly ate the porridge, while Shu Jun gleefully used the tips of his claws to pierce the steamed bun¡¯s skin.


    Most people would fall into this pattern. If the person being observed desperately tried to avoid the gazes, the observers¡¯ curiosity would be even more piqued; but if the person being observed stayed still like a mountain, the observers¡¯ pleasure would be greatly reduced. After watching the white-haired young man finish swallowing the steamed buns then start chewing on fried dough sticks, the other guests gradually turned their attention back to their own breakfast.


    ¡°The fried dough stick is good.¡± Shu Jun took a big bite of the dough stick and waved the remaining half in front of Zhu Yanchen a few times: ¡°These are a bit too soft. I¡¯m going to buy some more, would you like some? Or you don¡¯t like things that are too oily ¡ª¡±


    Very naturally, Zhu Yanchen grabbed Shu Jun¡¯s wrist and took a small bite.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit oily indeed. No need, help me get another bowl of porridge.¡± He said.


    Shu Jun glanced at the spot where Zhu Yanchen had bitten, his movement stuck in the air for a moment. Marshal Zhu¡¯s action was too straightforward. He really couldn¡¯t tell whether this was the upright style of a pragmatist or an intended gesture of intimacy.


    ¡­¡­At least he could have bitten the other end. But Shu Jun felt that he really shouldn¡¯t be worrying about this trivial issue. Stuffing the whole fried dough stick into his mouth, Shu Jun looked at Zhu Yanchen deeply.


    The latter was eating the porridge at a constant speed, his face expressionless as usual.


    Forget it, we¡¯re both sleeping in the same bed, there¡¯s no reason to care about this. Shu Jun shook his head: ¡°Or shall I bring you some buns?¡±


    The moment his voice fell, a sudden silence cast over the entire bar. Shu Jun immediately closed his mouth and subconsciously lowered his body.


    ¡°Listen well, here¡¯s some news.¡± A shifty-eyed thin man entered the bar: ¡°Blackbird team is recruiting three NPCs to lead the way, and they will need to depart in five days¡¯ time, heading to the northwest of X City. This is a challenging job that requires experienced people who could pass the Three Assessments.¡±


    After that, he went to the bar owner and swiped some electronic money, then quickly left.


    Shu Jun: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He could still understand the first few sentences, but the last part was jargon that he was clueless about. Zhu Yanchen used his chopsticks to tap the rim of Shu Jun¡¯s bowl and drew his attention back.


    ¡°Do you understand that?¡± Shu Jun lowered his voice amidst the noisy commotion inside the bar: ¡°What are the ¡®Three Assessments¡¯?¡±


    ¡°You have a good body, receive recommendations and are willing to accept unrestricted inspections against your combat power.¡± Zhu Yanchen lowered his gaze: ¡°In short, they don¡¯t want people that are overly deformed, don¡¯t have someone that can guarantee their capability and can¡¯t participate in battles. This is the highest requirement that the coalition government gives out when recruiting people from border settlements.¡±


    The two of them didn¡¯t have to worry about any deformity on their bodies, and they obviously didn¡¯t have to worry about their combat powers, but regarding having someone¡¯s guarantee¡­


    ¡°Huh, are you two here too?¡± A thick voice came, and two hands that seemed as big as fans slapped on their backs. Zhu Yanchen smoothly kept up a straight face, but Shu Jun had just bitten a bun and almost choked


    ¡°Uncle Xiong.¡± Shu Jun wiped his chin. The man was wearing a mask, but the two brown lumps on his head were really easy to recognise.


    ¡°You call my brother Pan ge but call me Uncle Xiong, is this the right label?¡± Uncle Xiong said unhappily: ¡°Just call me Xiong ge ¡ª what are you two planning, you want to take on the NPC mission?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re thinking about it. Xiong ge, how about you?¡±


    ¡°Hey, my brother won¡¯t let me go even if he dies. He¡¯ll break my leg if I dare to mention the idea. This job is really dangerous, you two have to think carefully about it.¡± Uncle Xiong rubbed his nose: ¡°But if you two really want to go, I can give you a lead.¡±


    ¡°Tell us more about it.¡± Shu Jun pulled a chair over to let Uncle Xiong sit down.


    ¡°I know the most ruthless person in this area. He has done more than a dozen NPC missions and is still alive. Isn¡¯t that amazing? I heard people say that the higher-ups wanted to make him a fixed NPC, but he insistently turned down their offer. He¡¯s a really skilful one. Of course, of course, your two are also skilful. So I was thinking, if you really want to go, my brother can be your guarantor. Later, you two can just keep staring at that guy, whatever he does, you just follow. You¡¯ll be able to pass.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s nicknamed ¡®One Eye¡¯, his real name is Yu Jin, and he¡¯s considered to be the top here. We¡¯re quite acquainted with each other, later when I have time, I¡¯ll introduce you two to him.¡±


    ¡®Yu Jin¡¯ sounded a bit familiar, but Shu Jun couldn¡¯t remember where he heard it. He smiled and agreed, intending to continue to gossip with Uncle Xiong, but then he subconsciously glanced at Zhu Yanchen beside him.


    And Shu Jun forgot what he wanted to say.


    Marshal Zhu was looking at him with extremely intense eyes. As sharp as a stalactite, his gaze was quite complicated, as though it was mixed with suppressed longing, reminiscence and an inexplicable sense of anticipation. Even when their four eyes met, Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t withdraw his gaze. A few seconds later, he turned to Uncle Xiong and, for the first time, spoke on his own volition.


    ¡°Thank you. We¡¯ll purchase some weapons later, and please help us make an appointment with him¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­If possible, it¡¯s best that we see him today.¡±

 CH 31

    The two of them didn¡¯t spend too long on purchasing weapons ¡ª In any case, they were just putting on a show, thus there was no need to choose too carefully. Monday was already a peculiar broadsword, while Marshal Zhu¡¯s weapons looked way too advanced. It wouldn¡¯t be ideal to use them in front of other people, so the two had to find something else to make do with.


    Seeing that they were moving quickly, Uncle Xiong simply waited outside the store. After shopping, the three went straight to Yu Jin¡¯s place.


    Zhu Yanchen was acting on his own volition and even knew the slang often used in these settlements, so Shu Jun subconsciously assumed that Yu Jin and Zhu Yanchen had some sort of connection to each other. But when they finally met the real person, Shu Jun wasn¡¯t so sure anymore.


    Judging from their appearances, Yu Jin and Zhu Yanchen were from two completely different worlds.


    Yu Jin was a little shorter than Shu Jun, yet had an unusually sturdy body, which was almost 1.5 times the size of Shu Jun. His muscles were bulging below his protective clothing made of mutated animal leather fully covered with bright patterns. Just looking at his body shape, there didn¡¯t seem to be many signs of deformity.


    The man had a buzz cut, his hair dyed in a dazzling golden shade, and the skin on his left eye was smooth, entirely enveloping the spot that used to be his eyeball. It could be seen that Yu Jin was quite bothered by this defect, for the left half of his face was full of eye tattoos. Regretfully, tattoo artists in these settlements had rather shabby skills. As the fake eyes stood close to the real eye, they simply emanated a stiff sense of creepiness, as if the left half of his face was made of paper.


    There were four purifiers in the room, and Yu Jin wasn¡¯t wearing a mask. When the three of them passed through the door, he was tearing a braised chicken leg with his teeth.


    ¡°Lao Xiong.¡± He raised his greasy hand to greet Uncle Xiong: ¡°Who are these two?¡±


    ¡°My brother¡¯s guests. They managed to run away from a Corpse Parasite earlier. They¡¯re quite interested in this NPC mission. Wasn¡¯t your last partner last time totally useless? I can introduce them to you.¡± Uncle Xiong went straight to the subject.


    Both sides were trying to appear favourable to the other, but Uncle Xiong didn¡¯t exaggerate Shu Jun and Zhu Yanchen¡¯s skills; in fact, he was rather honest about this introduction. Shu Jun withdrew his gaze from Yu Jin and turned to Zhu Yanchen. Marshal Zhu had returned to his usual expression of a statue, his face carrying absolutely no hint that he was acquainted with this Yu Jun.


    ¡°Last time, that brat was also able to defeat a Corpse Parasite, but when he got on the mission, he could do nothing but run away. When he saw a dangerous mutant monster, he fled faster than a thief.¡± Yu Jin snorted, blue veins popping up around his mouth. His eyes swept one round at the other two men: ¡°But these two, they look like they¡¯ve gone through training.¡±


    Uncle Xiong was well versed in carrying out ¡®successful sales¡¯, so he dealt a blow right away: ¡°Didn¡¯t Lao Xu get a lot of good leather today? My brother was the middle man, the leather was from these two.¡±


    Yu Jin tossed away the chicken bones that had been ripped clean and said with a smile that didn¡¯t carry any smiling intent: ¡°I don¡¯t like bringing new people, but since it¡¯s Pan ge¡¯s recommendations, I¡¯ll consider it. Let me give you a warning, those leathers better really come from you ¡ª if the mission fails, I¡¯ll kill you both first.¡±


    Then he casually turned to Uncle Xiong again, totally not bothered by the possibility that the other two men might be offended: ¡°To prove my trustworthiness, I¡¯ll give you an introduction fee when the mission is over.¡±


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s your own words alright.¡± Knowing that the sale had been settled, Uncle Xiong grinned from ear to ear.


    If Shu Jun and Zhu Yanchen were really newcomers, they could be considered to have found a good thigh, so it was hard to utter any complaint. But the truth was that they weren¡¯t newcomers, which made Yu Jin¡¯s presence even more necessary ¡ª The two of them originally planned to pass the test in the quietest way, such that they could hide from any possible eyes and ears around this place. Now that there was a veteran in the team to attract all the attention, it would be a lot easier.


    Shu Jun specially gazed at Yu Jin¡¯s eye, and the vague sense of familiarity grew a little stronger. But this person and his swaggering looks¡­ If Shu Jun had ever seen such an NPC, he would definitely retain some impression.


    How strange.


    Until the test officially started, Shu Jun still hadn¡¯t figured out where that sense of familiarity came from.


    The test site was a wasteland next to the settlement, where there were still remains of a small town from hundreds of years ago. The billboards that used to be hung up high now became buried deep underground, with only their top edge protruding out. The wires on the utility poles scattered and dangled close to the muddy ground, looking like hair strands that stuck to the bathroom floor tiles after a shower. The parts of the building that were exposed on the ground were scattered all over the place, leaving only the collapsed walls toppling over each other.


    Most of the candidates for the mission formed groups of three, with a few dazed faces joining in groups of two and only a handful of them coming alone.


    Only a few people from the army were here and they set up a small tent against the wall. The content of the test wasn¡¯t complicated. The military released a high-level mutated monster, and each candidate would be given a camera. The more detailed the images were and the injured the candidates were, the better their evaluation would be.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about attacking it, the monster this time is quite brutal.¡± The invigilator put up a grim expression: ¡°We¡¯ve placed a military purifier nearby, you can escape to the base if necessary. In the situation that you can¡¯t escape¡­ you should¡¯ve signed an indemnity form. There are also other mutated monsters in the vicinity, so we¡¯ve put a fluorescent collar on the testing monster, which makes it easy to distinguish. The time allowance is five hours, and each candidate is to prepare his own weapon ¡ª the test begins now!¡±


    Noisily, all the candidates dispersed. Yu JIn didn¡¯t rush, rather, he squatted down and began to look at the footprints on the mud.


    ¡°I¡¯ll track it down, you two are responsible for driving away the monsters that get in the way, can you do it?¡±


    Shu Jun responded and drew out the broadsword that he had randomly purchased earlier. Zhu Yanchen gazed at the direction of the army tent, then drew his gun a few seconds later. Shu Jun fiddled with the sword, feeling not quite right. He turned the temporary broadsword over and saw a large patch of ??severe erosion in the back. The erosion was still new, and the shape of this eroded patch was a bit familiar.


    Shu Jun poked Monday, which was wrapped inside a cloth and put on his back. It insisted on staying with this broadsword, so Shu Jun had to carry it with him.


    Feeling the poke, Monday lowered its voice and exaggeratedly muttered under its breath: ¡°¡­¡­Bah!¡±


    Shu Jun: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Obviously, this was deliberate.


    Forget it, it wasn¡¯t impossible to make do with this ¡®eroded¡¯ temporary sword anyway. Shu Jun¡¯s expression remained unflinching as he turned the eroded surface towards himself. As a veteran, Yu Jin continuously rubbed the mud and sniffed it, and he ended up not encountering many dangerous monsters.


    Shu Jun thought that they could pass this small test very smoothly. He totally didn¡¯t expect that as soon as they walked deep into the town, things went wrong.


    ¡°Give it back!¡± A female scream came from a short distance away: ¡°That was taken by me!¡±


    A woman leaned on an eroded billboard, her body splattered with blood. There were two men standing in front of her, one holding a bloody camera in his hand. The three of them were clad in similar clothes, making it clear that they came from the same team.


    ¡°With all these injuries, you¡¯re just going to hinder us.¡± The man holding the camera said: ¡°There¡¯s no way out, don¡¯t you see?¡±


    ¡°Bullsh*t, you didn¡¯t come to help me at all earlier! If it goes according to plan, I won¡¯t¡­ Cough.¡± The woman coughed up blood and gritted her teeth: ¡°We made it clear before we began that ¡ª¡±


    ¡°You have to understand, if we¡¯re injured, the overall score will only become lower.¡± The other man tried to act as the ¡®good cop¡¯1: ¡°Look, at least we didn¡¯t throw you at the mutated monster. Let¡¯s do it like this,. is it okay to give you 3% compensation?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother struggling here with her. Let¡¯s hurry up and find an unwounded group. We¡¯ve only got one now, we need more photos.¡±


    ¡°Give it back to me!¡± Seeing no hope, the woman firmly grabbed one of the men¡¯s ankles and dragged him to the spot.


    ¡°Motherf*cker, aren¡¯t you done yet?¡± The man raised his leg and was about to kick her.


    Shu Jun grabbed the hilt of his sword and Zhu Yanchen pulled out the gun. But, as they were almost striking, someone moved even faster than them ¡ª Yu Jin was the closest to the woman. He simply grabbed a big rock and accurately hit the man¡¯s chest. The man staggered two steps backwards and slumped to the muddy ground.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking, why has there been so much trash in the NPC missions lately? It turns out there are really things like this happening.¡± Yu Jin snatched the camera from the man¡¯s hand and threw it to the woman who was still in a daze: ¡°This kind of mission and you¡¯re already betting on someone¡¯s life just to win? What a joke.¡±


    Then he snorted and kicked the man again. Since he spotted Yu Jin approaching, the ¡®good cop¡¯ man had already fled without a trace left behind.


    ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t get used to these sorts of douchebags.¡± Seeing Shu Jun and Zhu Yanchen both about to shoot, Yu Jin¡¯s attitude got a lot better: ¡°Let¡¯s continue¡­ Grey Claw, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    As Shu Jun stood there, the vague impression gradually gathered. With a slight headache, some images rose from the depths of his mind.


    [Your name is Yu Jin? This name is so interesting, does it refer to tulips2?]


    Before his 11th birthday, Shu Jun had his first field mission. The mission location was near the stronghold, and the task was actually quite simple.


    The task required them to find a boy who was lost on the border of the erosion zone. They quickly found their target ¡ª a little chubby boy covered in black mud, who had only one eye on the right. Seeing them coming to rescue him, the boy covered his left face with his chubby hand and tried to put up some resistance.


    That was how the above dialogue came about.


    After all, children were innocent beings. The moment Shu Jun brought up the topic concerning the target¡¯s name, the other team members began to chat about this interesting name, and no one cared about the non-existent left eye any more. After gazing at them for a while, the little boy stood up obediently and wobbled along.


    This was just the most basic training mission, and the whole process only lasted less than two hours.


    However, a problem emerged during the return journey.


    There was a cute little girl in the group, who was a tad younger than other members. She was just nine years old. Perhaps because her resistance against erosion is low, her whole face turned blue and she was in a hurry to get back to the stronghold. At this moment, they were only a small distance away and there weren¡¯t any mutated monsters nearby, so Shu Jun pondered for a second and agreed to take the lead.


    Then, the little girl was attacked.


    The attackers weren¡¯t monsters, but a group of three children about the same age as them, which consisted of two boys and one girl. They hid behind a rock, wounded her with pocket guns and gathered around her ¡ª They fired several shots that didn¡¯t actually deal much critical damage, but the girl was still left crumbling on the ground. It was as though they were torturing  a kitten.


    The little girl wore protective clothing so the bullets couldn¡¯t penetrate her body, however, the impact was still horrifying. She was struggling in pain and couldn¡¯t get up.


    In the distance, Shu Jun didn¡¯t know about the attack and couldn¡¯t arrive in time. But afterwards, the little girl recounted to Shu Jun what the three children said.


    [Look, this brat¡¯s serial number is K-786. Its number reaches K! It definitely doesn¡¯t have strong abilities.]


    [Is this really okay?]


    [In any case, they¡¯re young, so they won¡¯t waste lots of our resources. They¡­ Chie, we can¡¯t talk about this. It¡¯s fine anyway, my family can pay for the compensation later.]


    [Wow, this is the first time I see them.]


    [Look, it¡¯s okay to look up close. Even a girl like you has the gut to come over, yet that trash from the Zhu family objects. But now that we talk about it, what would he be here for? My mother wants me to take care of him, and I¡¯ll be scolded if something happens to him¡ª]


    [Didn¡¯t you take away his protective mask? He can only stay in the stronghold, nothing will happen.]


    [Trash is forever trash. The moment we talk about hunting, he¡¯s already scared stiff. No wonder the leader doesn¡¯t like him. Let me tell you, he must be the kind of coward that doesn¡¯t dare to step on even an ant. Ah, do you want to try hitting its neck? I¡¯ve heard people say that this might kill it.] The boy handed the gun to another boy.


    [Hey? But, it really looks a lot like¡­]


    [¡®It looks like¡¯ doesn¡¯t mean that ¡®it is¡¯. Didn¡¯t you say that you can compensate later, give it a try? Then later you can tell people about how cool it feels.]


    [Who just pushed me?!]


    As Shu Jun ran over after hearing the the gunshots, he saw this scene from a distance ¡ª


    As the three children stood close to the girl wriggling on the ground, a fourth child bolted towards them, knocking the three children away. The fourth child struggled to support the little girl. He was wearing a hood that was obviously out of size, and the sealing buckle wasn¡¯t properly fastened. It was apparent that he hurriedly rushed here.


    There was no serial number on that child, so he should be an NPC. He clumsily tried to comfort the little girl and wrapped her arms around his own shoulders, then he walked slowly towards Shu Jun¡¯s direction.


    Shu Jun was too far away to hear the fourth child¡¯s voice, but he could hear the boy with the gun roaring.


    [Did you tell my parents? ! Traitor! Prick! Trash! Are you even a man?!]


    The boy holding the gun threw it to the ground, picked up a stone and began to hit the back of the boy in the hood. The boy in the hood was also clad in protective clothing so the stone couldn¡¯t hurt him, but he was wearing a heavy hood while supporting the girl, thus his center of gravity was unstable. After receiving a few stones on the back, the boy in the hood tried to stand firm but still ended up falling to the ground.


    [You fell by yourself!] The boy with the gun yelled, clenched the stone tightly and was about to throw again.


    Seeing that there was still some distance, Shu Jun directly fired a shot.


    At that time, they were too young to own any custom-made weapons, but only small, universally-designed pistols for self-defense. The bullets from such guns weren¡¯t very powerful, but they were at least sufficient ¡ª The bullet accurately hit the rocks and beautifully knocked it into the air. Blood trickled out from the mouth of the boy holding the gun, after which he screamed and ran away. The other two children huddled together and fled after him.


    The boy in the hood struggled in the mud but was unable to get up even after a while.


    Shu Jun walked closer and took a look at the two¡¯s injuries. His team member was hit by the bullet on the ribs. She was a little frightened, but no serious damage was found. The boy in the hood sprained his ankle and couldn¡¯t stand up.


    [You go find a stretcher, she¡¯d better lie down. I¡¯ll carry this boy.] Shu Jun pointed at the boy lying on the ground.


    The boy gripped the hood tightly and tried to stand up, but even after a few attempts, he still muttered painfully under his breath. As such, he could only let Shu Jun carry him on the back.


    [Let¡¯s head back and report this incident. Theoretically, we can only be exposed to random events like this after we reach 13 years old. There seems to be an issue with the mission this time.] Shu Jun calmly gave the order as he carried the boy on his back: [You all go ahead, send Xiao Yu back first. She isn¡¯t very comfortable with the outside world.]


    Yu Jin blinked his right eye vigorously and walked to the girl¡¯s stretcher, stuttering: [We, well, I¡­ I should actually say thank you¡­ well¡­]


    He stuttered for a long while, but eventually he could only stay rooted to the spot and watch the stretcher be carried away.


    [Does it still hurt? ] Feeling the arms on his neck tightening, Shu Jun turned his face to his side. [If it hurts, just say it.]


    [¡­¡­] The boy in the hood pressed down his quick breathing and said nothing.


    It seems that he doesn¡¯t like talking. Shu Jun adjusted his posture to make the boy behind him more comfortable: [This is the first time I¡¯ve encountered this kind of emergency.]


    [¡­But you¡¯re doing very well.] The boy finally responded with a rather low voice: [I couldn¡¯t even take her away for more than a few steps.]


    [What are you talking about?] Shu Jun stopped in his tracks: [If you hadn¡¯t bought us some time, she would¡¯ve been more seriously injured.]


    [¡­¡­]


    [It¡¯s not that I¡¯m showing off, but I¡¯ve seen a lot of N¡­ people from this world. You¡¯re the coolest I¡¯ve ever seen! ] Shu Jun put up quite a serious expression: [You¡¯re much more handsome than those crazy kids. Be a little confident, okay?]


    [¡­¡­] The boy remained silent.


    They weren¡¯t far away from the stronghold and soon arrived at their destination. Many adult NPCs were standing by the gate, probably waiting to deal with this emergency. As they quickly approached the gate, the boy tugged at Shu Jun¡¯s clothes and motioned Shu Jun to put him down.


    [Is someone picking you up? ] Shu Jun said as he glanced at the beautiful woman who was hurrying over: [It¡¯s good that someone is here to take you. Be careful, I¡¯ll put you down now.]


    As the boy¡¯s feet touched the ground, he heaved a long sigh. His body quivered and he rubbed his head against Shu Jun¡¯s body, and the hood that had been loose fell to the ground.


    The boy was about the same size as Shu Jun of that time, with well-defined features and slightly longer hair. He looked at Shu Jun, acting a little nervously and cautiously, as if he wasn¡¯t used to looking directly into other people¡¯s eyes.


    [I¡­..] He glanced at the hood that fell to the ground, his tone a little struggling: [Can I touch your gun?]


    [Oh? No problem at all, just touch it.] Shu Jun generously pulled out his gun. The boy touched the gun through his gloves, his expression a bit complicated.


    [Thank you.] After retracting his hand, he said softly.


    Shu Jun blinked. He wanted to say a few more words, but the child was picked up the next moment.


    Compared to the farewells that he often had to say to his teammates in the future, this was just a small encounter. It was pressed in the deepest part of his mind, as if it had never existed. However, for Shu Jun of the present, that wasn¡¯t simply just a memory.


    He recognised that face.


    On the day he defeated Sweet Vanguard, in that strange dream, he saw that child.

 CH 32

    For the remaining time, Shu Jun was a little dazed. Had it not been for Zhu Yanchen to pull him back in time, he would¡¯ve hit the remnants of a billboard in front of him. Luckily, Yu Jin had been focusing on searching for traces of the mutated monster and didn¡¯t detect Shu Jun¡¯s strange state.


    The mutated monster wasn¡¯t far from the three of them, and when Shu Jun finally saw it, it was busy chewing on another monster¡¯s corpse.


    The creature was close to the size of an elephant, with its soft neck being tightened by a collar, looking almost like a money pouch with four legs protruding out of it. Feeling someone approaching, it stopped eating in vigilance and started scanning the surroundings.


    Shu Jun took the initiative to walk ahead of the team.


    Yu Jin was a good teammate, so Shu Jun didn¡¯t want him to be injured. On the other hand, he wanted to end this test as soon as possible ¡ª because this was probably the 100th time he had glanced at Zhu Yanchen¡¯s mask.


    The face of the child in his memory carried vague similarities to Zhu Yanchen¡¯s. If the game¡¯s official data was correct, Zhu Yanchen was one year older than him, thus that child¡¯s age seemed to match. If it happened once, it could be regarded as an accident, but now, Shu Jun was remembering that detail in a completely sober state, thus he would definitely not let go of this clue easily.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to take its pictures.¡± He said to Yu Jin, who was pondering which tactics they should use.


    ¡°No, you heard what those guys said, this thing is very dangerous. We have to set up a camera fishing rod and put some rotten meat as bait¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll hide my aura. This is how A Yan and I went hunting before.¡± Shu Jun was no longer in the mood to make casual jokes. His temperament suddenly toughened: ¡°I¡¯ll show it to you. Even If I fail, I can ensure that you won¡¯t be affected.¡±


    Yu Jin was a straightforward man, so at this moment, he wouldn¡¯t waste time arguing. He wiped the mud on his hands: ¡°Since it¡¯s already come to this, I¡¯m looking forward to an eye-opener.¡±


    He watched Shu Jun approach the mutated monster with extremely light and dexterous movements. The mutated monster was turning its huge back to Shu Jun and showing no sign of wanting to move, as if the person behind it was a ball of air.


    ¡°Oh, it really can¡¯t detect him?¡± He turned to Zhu Yanchen: ¡°Your buddy didn¡¯t do anything particular to his body, how did he do it?¡±


    Zhu Yanchen suspected that the mutated monster was simply scared. After all, with Shu Jun plus Monday, there were two Erosion Marshes dangling behind it. Even if Shu Jun wasn¡¯t familiar with how to command the monsters as an Erosion Marsh, Monday was a veteran.


    But right now, he could only spew nonsense in place of Shu Jun: ¡°He has a special physique that emanates very little aura.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t use ¡®some remedies¡¯ as an excuse anymore . It was already quite a stretch that they told Pan ge they had some anti-erosion ¡®remedies¡¯. If they attracted too much attention, it would only be detrimental to their plan later.


    A few dozen steps away, Shu Jun stealthily ran to the back of the mutated monster, then ¡°click click click¡±, he enthusiastically took its pictures. Flabbergasted throughout the entire process, the monster didn¡¯t dare to move at all. Shu Jun then made an OK gesture towards the two and, ¡®very very carefully¡¯, he tiptoed back.


    As soon as he returned to the team, the mutated monster began to move ¡ª It coughed frantically for a while, obviously choking on its own food.


    ¡°This move is amazing.¡± Yu Jin patted Shu Jun on the back: ¡°Very nice, take my camera then. After we pass the assessment, I¡¯ll treat you to a feast at the Longevity Bar.¡±


    Except for the incident of the woman being deceived by her teammates, the whole test turned out to be exceptionally smooth. Seeing that the leader was Yu Jin, the military didn¡¯t raise any doubts and directly locked the display device on the three of them. People from the settlements covered their faces most of the time, or even if they didn¡¯t, their appearance might change after a few days due to their deformity. Also, there had been people pretending to be someone else to join the mission before, so it was better to straightaway mark them as soon as the assessment was over.


    Shu Jun recognised this. This thing was equivalent to an NPC¡¯s label, which wouldn¡¯t be activated until the mission officially started, and neither could it be taken off by themselves. He stretched out his wrist and asked the staff to buckle the last button. Now he was wearing a special monitoring device made by Zhu Yanchen on one hand and the official display device on the other. They sat symmetrically on his wrists, making him look just like a prisoner who just fled from prison.


    ¡°Grey Claw, you might as well add a metal chain to yourself, you know, those old-fashioned shackles.¡±


    Being able to pass the test so easily made Yu Jin feel great. Deciding to not head home, he directly pulled the other two to the Longevity Bar for dinner. He ordered a large table of food: ¡°Unfortunately, this mission only requires us to take photos. I haven¡¯t gotten to see my bro Haze¡¯s skills, what a pity.¡±


    Chewing a mouthful of meat, Yu Jin gulped down half a bottle of liquor and exhaled heavily.


    ¡°The first time I had such a team that didn¡¯t make me worry so much was also the first time I was backstabbed. Do you two plan to stay here, how about partnering with me¡­ Nah, or how about we make friends? Literally everyone here has at least some respect for me, so you¡¯ll have an easier time here.¡±


    Shu Jun smiled: ¡°We were actually expecting you to say this. Jin ge, your name is interesting, does it refer to tulips?¡±


    As soon as those words came out, Yu Jin stopped in his tracks and the smile on his face slowly faded away: ¡°Kind of, my mother really likes that flower¡­ Today is a strange day. It somehow reminds me of the past.¡±


    ¡°The past?¡± Shu Jun quietly drank as he guided Yu Jin step by step.


    Zhu Yanchen gazed at Shu Jun, and the speed at which he was picking up the vegetables slowed down. As usual, Shu Jun wore half of his face mask and only exposed his chin, and his smiling face seemed rather sincere.


    ¡°Yeah, haven¡¯t I been taking on NPC missions for a long time? Actually, it¡¯s not a huge matter. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t feel too comfortable about the Player system. When that woman¡¯s incident took place today, seeing that you were planning to make a move, I suddenly felt that we were a good match¡­ What do you think?¡±


    ¡°We were doing odd jobs in the city before, and this was the first time we came into contact with this industry. We were also waiting for you to talk about this.¡± Shu Jun smiled.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhu Yanchen also said: ¡°I¡¯m also curious about your story.¡±


    Shu Jun glanced at him, feeling a tad surprised.


    ¡°People in the city normally don¡¯t care. They¡¯re only aware of the rough idea, and they usually don¡¯t meet the players, so what can they know? Anyway, when the high-ups look for NPC guides, they like to pick those from unemployed people like us.¡±


    Speaking of this topic, Yu Jin couldn¡¯t bother hiding his disdain.


    ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t care about the system before, I didn¡¯t think it was a big deal. The higher-ups said it¡¯s a product of science and technology, dubbed ¡®the most advanced synthesised human¡¯, which sounds almost like ¡®the most advanced purifier¡¯. I used to live in the city before, and I only knew that this system was in place in order to serve the people in the military, so that they don¡¯t have to go to the erosion zone and suffer ¡ª After all, between the higher-ups forcing you to go to the erosion zone and you trotting to the place yourself, no matter how you think about it, it¡¯s not the same thing.¡±


    ¡°But you still came.¡± Shu Jun said.


    Zhu Yanchen¡¯s chopsticks seemed to come to a pause as he listened to Yu Jin¡¯s words. To prevent the scene from turning awkward, Shu Jun stuffed a bunch of meat onto his bowl. Marshal Zhu stopped moving for a second, then he began to chew the fried pork in silence.


    ¡°Peaceful times didn¡¯t last long. People need to make ends meet. In short, my family and I got out of the city and went to do things near the stronghold. Once, I was lost, so my parents went to seek help from the stronghold. Usually, the military wouldn¡¯t rescue civilians if they ran into an erosion zone, but at that time, there happened to be a team of young players who needed some practice, so they simply turned me into the target NPC.¡±


    Yu Jin sounded quite emotional.


    ¡°Then I had a feeling that¡­ how should I put it? The high-ups said that ¡®players¡¯ aren¡¯t humans in nature, they just look like humans. But I watched them closely and always felt that there was no difference¡­ In any case, those synthesised people saved me. Humans, after all, are not animals, I have to remember their kindness.¡±


    No wonder this man didn¡¯t take the fixed NPC position, Shu Jun took another sip of liquor. If Yu Jin became a fixed NPC, he would be rewarded very well, but he wouldn¡¯t be able to choose the NPC missions by himself and could only follow the official script.


    What happened back then did happen. The ¡°thank you¡± of that little chubby boy now indeed seemed to come from the bottom of his heart.


    Shu Jun felt a little better.


    ¡°Have you not told anyone else?¡± As they went deeper into the topic, Shu Jun was afraid that he wouldn¡¯t be able to control his expression, so he chewed on a piece of chili. His ears immediately turned all red.


    ¡°I must have. Am I not saying it to you two now? The problem is that, whether I talk about it or not, isn¡¯t it useless? I remember that there were people trying to stir trouble before, but the higher-ups wiped it clean with just one single sentence ¡ª ¡®Whoever thinks this system is inhumane, you can replace the synthesised humans yourself.¡¯ If normal humans have to do that kind of work, they won¡¯t last even a month. Who the hell would dare to make trouble?¡±


    ¡°And there were very few who tried to make a fuss in the first place. Most of them are already busy scraping by, they won¡¯t even have time to care about the synthesised humans. It¡¯s how commoners think. What about the higher-ups? The resources are all in their hands, they only need to focus on getting votes to pull themselves up the ranks, and the commonres don¡¯t care either. Who will fight for such a thankless cause?¡±


    The more Yu Jin said, the more dejected he became.


    ¡°I¡¯m a small fry who can¡¯t barely have a say. In any case, I have to make a living, so I might as well become their guide to make them safer. Alas, I had a bad attitude towards you two at first, don¡¯t take it to heart. I really value ??this job.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Shu Jun picked up his cup: ¡°Come, let¡¯s wish for our mission to turn out smooth ¡ª cheers!¡±


    After his ¡®chattering box¡¯ was unlocked, Yu Jin made them drink until midnight. Shu Jun was, at the very least, a ten-year veteran, so he obviously could go on and on about combat topics. Yu Jin drank gleefully and almost pulled Shu Jun to pledge life-time brotherhood with him.


    Zhu Yanchen, for a rare time, actually drank. Through the goggles, those black eyes seemed bottomless. Now Shu Jun could understand the expectation in that gaze, and he didn¡¯t intend to avoid the question.


    As soon as the two of them returned to the hotel room, Shu Jun pulled the mask and stood in front of Zhu Yanchen, staring at Marshal Zhu taking off his mask with scorching eyes. The liquor actually worked, for Zhu Yanchen¡¯s pale cheeks had become slightly ruddy, and his usually dispassionate aura had dispersed quite a lot.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that the great Marshal was quite shy when he was a child.¡± Shu Jun was straightforward: ¡°Have we met before?¡±


    Yu Jin spewed a lot of information, which immensely helped to confirm Shu Jun¡¯s memories. The memories that suddenly popped up in his head wasn¡¯t an illusion. It did exist. If that child was really Zhu Yanchen, and the dream that night was also a real memory, things would become very interesting.


    Zhu Yanchen slowly put the mask on the table and didn¡¯t try to deny: ¡°How much do you remember?¡±


    ¡°It seems that we really know each other.¡± Shu Jun straightened his collar: ¡°The task of finding Yu Jin, were you the NPC who ran out to help Xiao Yu?¡±


    ¡°Uhm.¡±


    ¡°It was also you who got lost in the virtual city in the middle of the night?¡±


    ¡°¡­Uhm.¡±


    ¡°I actually remember so much.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen¡¯s eyes became a little bleak.


    After finally meeting an old acquaintance and retrieving unexpected fragments of his memory, Shu Jun felt rather elated. But, as soon as he started talking, his heart began to sink to his stomach.


    It was normal for people to forget the trivial matters of their childhood. But Zhu Yanchen¡¯s statement of ¡®how much do you remember¡¯ sounded really strange. If Zhu Yanchen hadn¡¯t actually been in his past, the situation would turn out rather¡­ intriguing.


    Shu Jun wiped his face with a wet towel, and the intoxication that lingered in his heart faded a bit: ¡°Interesting. How was our relationship before?¡±


    ¡°Very good,¡± Zhu Yanchen said.


    As if he was afraid that Shu Jun would misunderstand his politeness, Marshal Zhu solemnly added: ¡°Extremely good.¡±


    Shu Jun: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    It was hard for him to imagine that Zhu Yanchen¡¯s relationship with him was ¡®extremely good¡¯, and all the more, he couldn¡¯t figure what he was really doing during that childhood.


    ¡°Theoretically, your memory cannot be restored, but your physique has changed, so things seem to become less absolute. I can¡¯t carry a thorough inspection for you now. This mission is an opportunity. There are places in that city that are relatively well-equipped. When that time comes¡­¡±


    Zhu Yanchen¡¯s lips curled up ¡ª an incredibly rare sight: ¡°¡­I¡¯ll personally introduce Ai Xiaoxiao to you.¡±


    This is almost the same as what I¡¯ve guessed, Shu Jun raised his eyebrows ¡ª although he still had no idea how Zhu Yanchen got to ¡®the other side¡¯, such that Zhu Yanchen, an affluent young master, and he, a synthesised human, became friends. If this matter was discovered by the Zhu family, it would be too nice of them if they didn¡¯t try to get rid of Shu Jun.


    Now that he took a step back and thought carefully about it, if humans could dig out the truth from Shu Jun¡¯s mind, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to do the same thing to Zhu Yanchen. Right now their relationship had eased a lot, and Zhu Yanchen had no need to lie about this kind of thing.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll fully cooperate with you.¡± Shu Jun replied very sincerely: ¡°I really want to remember, especially since you went from that ¡ª¡±


    Shu Jun tried to compare his height back then with the height of the child in his memory.


    ¡°¡ª to this.¡± Then he compared his height right now to Zhu Yanchen¡¯s height.


    Zhu Yanchen: ¡°¡­..¡±


    The tugged-up corners of his mouth went back to its original shape, and there was a little helplessness in his eyes.


    To be honest, there were only two short fragments of memories in his head, so Shu Jun hardly felt any real emotions. At this stage, knowing that Zhu Yanchen was a friend in the past, not an enemy or creditor, was enough. The situation they had to face wouldn¡¯t get better because of this, but compared to the tense reality, this was a good addition.


    At least, this could explain a lot of things.


    Shu Jun thought casually while taking off his shirt.


    Zhu Yanchen¡¯s attitude towards him was cold and aloof at first, but he became strangely close after Shu Jun¡¯s body recovered. Now Shu Jun finally found a fitting explanation.


    Since they smoothly became good friends before, Marshal Zhu was afraid that they would become friends again then died miserably. Such a thing would only subject himself to dangerous, unnecessary sentiments. His subsequent ambiguous behaviours were even easier to understand ¡ª they were originally friends, so perhaps those were habits they used to develop while being together previously.


    Thinking a bit more, back then, the fact that Haze took the initiative to talk to him was probably also influenced by their past connection.


    After solving quite a few mysteries today, Shu Jun should¡¯ve felt a lot better, but he found that his mood somehow turned worse ¡ª


    OK, the evidence was conclusive enough. Zhu Yanchen subconsciously regarded him as a close buddy, so all his behaviours so far were out of the closeness between good friends. After all, it was Shu Jun¡¯s romantic seedling that caused the trouble. He should¡¯ve completely uprooted it long ago.


    Inexplicably, Shu Jun felt his chest tighten a little.


    Don¡¯t think about such nonsense, he grimly warned himself, think about what I should do in the future. Perhaps when everything was over, he could still joke with the Marshal when they both reminisced about these days ¡ª  ¡°Bro, do you know, back then, when we hadn¡¯t met face-to-face, I had a bit of a crush on you¡±.


    Then they could laugh out loud together. What a pleasant picture.


    ¡­Now his heart felt even heavier.


    After all, Zhu Yanchen had an ex-girlfriend. Miss Xia was beautiful and cute, with an innocent  personality. She would be an ideal type for most straight men.


    The human heart was amazing. The more you didn¡¯t want to think about something, the more your brain had to drift in that direction. Shu Jun simply threw his jacket away and plunged into the bathroom. The cold water calmed him down a lot.


    But, the other man missed the chance to pour cold water over his head.


    Hearing the sound of water in the bathroom, Zhu Yanchen began to leisurely walk around the coffee table.


    Shu Jun¡¯s memory had begun to gradually recover. Looking from both the perspectives of their cooperation and his personal expectations, his wishes had all been fulfilled. When Shu Jun finally remembered it all, their trust would become deeper, and future plans could be carried out more easily.


    But that isn¡¯t enough.


    Zhu Yanchen thought with a dazed expression.


    Not enough, far from enough.


    The translator has something to say: If you haven¡¯t noticed, I updated the thumbnail for Saving Unpermitted on the sidebar hehe. I didn¡¯t intend to create any Picrew for this novel, but I chanced upon a lovely Picrew maker that I thought would fit Shu Jun & Zhu Yanchen rather well, so here we have it.

 CH 33

    After the shower, Shu Jun poured himself a glass of water and sat on the edge of the bed. His body was basically made of erosive substance, so in theory, he didn¡¯t have to shower, and the food he ate would also totally decompose by itself. But he still kept his old habits to make himself feel normal.


    Zhu Yanchen¡¯s clothes were neatly folded and placed at the top of the bed, while the man himself was lying facing the wall, his breathing soft and even. His sleeping posture was quite normal ¡ª Zhu Yanchen no longer curled up in pain, his whole body looking calm and relaxed.


    He left the lamp on for Shu Jun, and the dim light illuminated the edge of the bed, making the air feel like it was soaked in honey.


    Thinking that they used to be friends at one point, Shu Jun felt a little strange. His tense nerves finally loosened, and at least for this moment, he could find some peace amidst the tension, anger and fear.


    He lightly climbed onto bed, only to find that Marshal Zhu had wrapped himself in the quilt again. Combining this with his listlessness throughout the whole day, Shu Jun could roughly guess what had happened. He pursed his lips at Zhu Yanchen, who was facing away from him, then rather consciously, he rolled the quilt around him and tried to lay as flat as possible, so that he would be ¡®well-behaved¡¯ after falling asleep.


    For a moment, they looked like two spring rolls laying side by side in a frying pan.


    Shu Jun had calmed down completely after a cold shower. With no more chaotic thoughts in his mind, he yawned a few times and swiftly fell asleep.


    But Zhu Yanchen wasn¡¯t sleeping.


    He could feel the mattress next to him sink. Shu Jun took a very quick shower, and the clean scent of soap was still emanating from his body. This scent carried with it his body temperature, blending into a strong aura of vitality. As the sensation of the reality before his eyes feeling extremely surreal struck him once more, Zhu Yanchen was dazed for a few seconds.


    Then he forced himself to close his eyes and waited for the other man to fall out of bed, but unexpectedly, he slept soundly until dawn. This evening, Shu Jun and the quilt still rolled into a deadly fight, and he did end up flipping the quilt over, but somehow the flames of war didn¡¯t spread to Zhu Yanchen.


    This was a feeling of satisfaction and happiness. However, after Marshal Zhu was completely awake, he suddenly felt a sense of discontent.


    Forget it. He fastened his buttons carefully and smoothly pushed Shu Jun¡¯s outstretched arms and legs back into the quilt.


    One hour later, Shu Jun was awakened by Monday¡¯s hoarse scream. He sat up with his white hair a complete mess, his claws almost digging holes in the sheet. Finding that Zhu Yanchen wasn¡¯t in bed, he was subconsciously nervous for two seconds.


    ¡°Breakfast is on the table, still hot.¡± Zhu Yanchen was sitting on the sofa, manipulating the giant light screen in front of him. ¡°The faucet is out of cold water. I¡¯ve already informed Pan ge. Be careful not to burn yourself when using it.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Shu Jun, with his upper half undressed, got out of bed, pulled his slippers and walked towards the bathroom.


    A Yan was still that A Yan, with the same degree of attention to detail as before. If it weren¡¯t for Zhu Yanchen¡¯s markedly cold temperament, Shu Jun even wanted to come back to their ¡®online relationship¡¯ and chit-chat about his recent emotional problems.


    ¡°You got up so early. What are you watching?¡± Having nothing to attend to, Shu Jun simply brushed his teeth while leaning close to the screen.


    ¡°Blackbird¡¯s new mission.¡± Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t mean to conceal it. He tilted the screen a bit so that Shu Jun could see more clearly. ¡°I¡¯m a bit concerned about the recent news.¡±


    ¡°The condition of the new Erosion Marsh near X City seems very special.¡± Shu Jun looked at the data on the screen and clenched his toothbrush. ¡°Hm¡­ it¡¯s a bit strange.¡±


    If its condition was really special, Sweet Vanguard, who was so desperately wanting to die, wouldn¡¯t let go of such an opportunity. But if this big marsh turned up after Sweet Vanguard disappeared, the timing would be too coincidental.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Shu Jun had roughly made a guess.


    ¡°Sweet Vanguard might¡¯ve been deliberately ¡®left behind¡¯ by another Erosion Marsh.¡± Zhu Yanchen¡¯s fingers slid across the screen to connect the two documents out of thin air. ¡°She has remarkable strength and strong will. Even though the marsh has gotten her brain, it can¡¯t fully control her consciousness.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure after she destroyed X City, she chose to stay there on her own.¡± Shu Jun wiped the toothpaste from the corner of his mouth. ¡°But if you put it in that way, it still sounds a little weird. If someone accidentally finds her, the evolution of the Erosion Marsh behind her will be exposed. Even if she can conceal her presence, this is still a very probable issue.¡±


    If there truly existed another smarter Erosion Marsh behind her, and that it could keep itself in hiding so easily, this would be extremely dangerous. Logically, the later people found out about it, the more smoothly it would evolve.


    ¡°There¡¯s a prerequisite for this to happen. If an Erosion Marsh with a brain wanders alone, it¡¯s indeed the best strategy to expose its own kin who is more easily exposed than itself.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen pressed his thumb on his lips, and his dark eyes were illuminated by the dim light of the screen.


    ¡°But if they¡¯re used to communicating with each other and have established a certain degree of intelligence network between them, it¡¯s possible to specially leave her behind.¡±


    Shu Jun reacted quickly: ¡°As bait?¡±


    ¡°Yes, as bait. To leave behind such an ¡®incomplete¡¯ yet strong marsh, in a place relatively close to humans, she certainly can become an excellent beacon.¡±


    The two had discussed countless strategies together, so Shu Jun understood what Zhu Yanchen wanted to say at once.


    The most evolved Erosion Marsh hid in the distance, leaving only its brainless kins near humans, thus humans obviously would never learn of its real location. But this came with a price, because this would make it difficult for the Erosion Marsh at the highest rank to obtain human intelligence.


    From this perspective, Sweet Vanguard, who had a strong desire to attack, was indeed a suitable beacon. If she got defeated, there would be only two possible outcomes ¡ª first: either humans had gained the ability to penetrate deep into the erosion zone, discover and defeat an evolved Erosion Marsh, or second: there was a nearby evolved Erosion Marsh that was stronger than Sweet Vanguard and also possessed a brain, which must be wiped out as soon as possible.


    If Sweet Vanguard continued to live on, then the marsh at the highest rank could continue to evolve and grow behind the curtain, without ever having to worry about what was happening in the human communities. This would save it loads of time and effort.


    Shu Jun was dumbfounded.


    ¡­¡­If he hadn¡¯t integrated with an Erosion Marsh himself and simply judged based on his own combat experience, he would only think that Zhu Yanchen was a paranoid conspiracy theorist. As a ¡®player¡¯ constantly fighting against Erosion Marshes, by just using his knees, Shu Jun could already guess what a commoner would likely think.


    Shu Jun didn¡¯t want to imagine what it felt like for Zhu Yanchen to hold onto such ridiculous, terrifying conjectures and study them by himself all these years.


    ¡°So you think that the new Erosion Marsh near X City was specially released by an evolved Erosion Marsh with a powerful brain?¡± Shu Jun earnestly continued the conversation.


    Since it¡¯s impossible to help Zhu Yanchen¡¯s research in the past, I¡¯d better discuss it sensibly now, rather than raising questions at him all sentimentally.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Seeing Shu Jun firmly keep up with his thoughts, Zhu Yanchen looked a little bit happy. ¡°After all, Sweet Vanguage was a special case. The top-ranking Erosion Marsh might think that her disappearance was an unforeseeable accident. But the same accident will never happen twice in a row.¡±


    ¡°Regardless whether the top-ranking Erosion Marsh thinks that it¡¯s a human or another marsh that defeats her, if this new marsh that it has specially released is also killed, it¡¯ll be able to confirm the existence of a ¡®strong enemy¡¯. After that, it¡¯ll start considering countermeasures.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s also a possibility that this is just a coincidence. We¡¯ll have to look at the marsh up close to know. It seems that we were right to take up this mission, my great strategist.¡±


    In order to discuss seriously, Shu Jun specially ran to rinse his mouth. Earlier, he was worried that the toothpaste foam would splash on Zhu Yanchen, but now that he had all freshened up, Shu Jun directly moved closer. The font size on the light screen wasn¡¯t big and it kept flickering. Shu Jun leaned forward, pressing his naked chest against Zhu Yanchen¡¯s shoulders.


    Not hearing Zhu Yanchen¡¯s response after five full seconds, Shu Jun found that his great strategist was frozen on the chair.


    Oops.


    Zhu Yanchen was a reserved man, one who always behaved seriously and carefully, so it was highly likely that he disliked close contact with people. Even if they were good friends, personal space should be respected.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, so sorry, I¡¯ll put on a coat first.¡± Shu Jun straightened up awkwardly.


    Zhu Yanchen still didn¡¯t respond, his eyes fixated at the light screen in front of him, while his expression returned to its usual blankness. By the time Shu Jun got dressed and returned, Marshal Zhu had already continued drawing lines on the screen.


    It was just that the drawing was a bit crooked at first.


    It seems that a proper distance should be maintained between us in the future, Shu Jun secretly noted it down. Thereafter, everything went as usual ¡ª Finishing their breakfast, the two went out to gather information, and on the way, they went to see if there was anything to add to their supplies.


    When the two stepped out of the morning market, an incident took place.


    A mechanical arrow flew out from the dark at a tricky angle. Shu Jun didn¡¯t have time to draw his sword, so he pulled Zhu Yanchen into his arms. As the mechanical arrow pierced deep into his shoulder, Shu Jun could hear the exclamation from people around him.


    ¡°It¡¯s coated with erosive substance!¡± Someone breathed in exaggeratedly: ¡°Alas, isn¡¯t this person already crippled?¡±


    Shu Jun: ¡°¡­¡­¡± He only felt a little itchy. The attackers¡¯ luck must be really bad ¡ª to Shu Jun, rather than poisoning him to a painful death, an arrow like this felt like feeding fresh erosive substance to an Erosion Marsh.


    Zhu Yanchen¡¯s reaction wasn¡¯t slow either. Although Shu Jun was holding his neck down, he simply kept his slumped posture and fired several shots in the direction of the arrow. An excruciating scream came from the opposite side, and another wave of poisonous arrows was shot out, but their accuracy was significantly worse.


    This time Shu Jun had time to react ¡ª he released the hand holding Zhu Yanchen, swung his broadsword across the air and successfully blocked the poisonous arrows.


    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that he might expose his identity as  a ¡®player¡¯, Shu Jun would simply solve the problem with his skill ¡®Wind Shield¡¯. In order to play the role of a wounded man, Shu Jun tried to ¡®strugglingly¡¯ waved his Monday, his heart quietly sighing inside.


    Seeing that they had no way to win this, the poisonous arrows came to a stop and the attackers clearly wanted to flee. Before Shu Jun even started giving chase, Zhu Yanchen rushed out, his face totally turning black. Eventually, it seemed that the attackers both subdued under Marshal Zhu¡¯s gun. By the time the marshal walked back, he was firmly dragging two people behind with his hands ¡ª The two men were wearing protective clothing and thus not fatally injured by the bullets, but seeing their crouched posture, it seemed that their bones might¡¯ve broken.


    ¡°Pfft.¡± One of them hissed, his voice sounding a bit familiar.


    Shu Jun could feel that Monday was twisting in his hand and making the ¡°bah!¡± sound, which conveyed that it wanted to go home. Shu Jun quickly covered his mouth with a piece of cloth.


    ¡°We saw them during the test.¡± Even with his mask on, an icy aura could be felt coming from Zhu Yanchen, and his tone was frosty: ¡°It¡¯s those two scumbags who snatched their teammate¡¯ equipment.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be shy, I¡¯m just giving you some congratulations.¡± The man who kicked the woman during the incident opened his mouth, and he said to Shu Jun in a sinister tone: ¡°Help me give my regards to Yu Jin.¡±


    If Shu Jun was just an ordinary person, the erosive substance on the arrows would be enough to kill him. Assuming that he insistently struggled to carry on the mission, his chances of surviving would be massively reduced. Shu Jun frowned ¡ª no matter whether it was now in the past, he hated this detrimental behaviour.


    ¡°Because you can¡¯t provoke Yu Jinn, so you target us?¡± Shu Jun sneered as he squatted in front of one of them.


    The excitement-hungry onlookers couldn¡¯t ask for more. Seeing that blood was about to be shed here, half of the morning market gathered around to watch.


    ¡°It¡¯s because you follow the wrong person.¡± Seeing the onlookers increase, the man snorted again. ¡°It¡¯s your bad luck. Anyway, the higher-ups don¡¯t care about this place. You can¡¯t kill inside a settlement. If you dare to touch me, The Old Fourth won¡¯t leave you alone.¡±


    ¡°Hou Ye is coming!¡± As if to confirm his words, outside, someone yelled. ¡°The Old Fourth is here, let¡¯s give way, let¡¯s give way!¡±


    Shu Jun sighed. Zhu Yanchen and he indeed had the intention of making a reputation for themselves, but this reputation wasn¡¯t meant to be notorious. They said that ¡®when in Rome, do like the Romans do¡¯. This notoriety might be complicated to deal with later.


    ¡°What¡¯s The Old Fourth?¡± He muttered to Zhu Yanchen.


    ¡°There are three families that are closely connected to the coalition government, the Zhus, Xias and Tangs, but the coalition government has limited resources and usually doesn¡¯t care about the settlements at the border of erosion zones.¡± Zhu Yanchen stared at the mechanical arrow on Shu Jun¡¯s shoulder. ¡°The Old Fourth is a loose organization that can be regarded as an underground manager of this kind of place.¡±


    ¡°So, he¡¯s the town¡¯s bully.¡± Shu Jun was immediately enlightened. ¡°Well, I hope he¡¯ll be reasonable.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be okay.¡± Zhu Yanchen whispered.


    In the commoners¡¯ mind, ¡®The Old Fourth¡¯ was a mocking name that tried to make fun of the three big families, but Zhu Yanchen knew something clearly in his heart ¡ª


    The Old Fourth was just a name on the facade. The truth was, from within the government, the lazy staff who always wore an I-couldn¡¯t-care-less attitude called this loose organisation ¡®The Fourth Team¡¯.

 CH 34

    Hou Ye1 wasn¡¯t from The Old Fourth at first. When he was young, he did some labour work in the city and saved enough for a small house with his wife. Life was easy back then, where everyone smiled and called him Hou Ge


    Later, such a lifestyle no longer worked.


    He got old and was no longer capable of engaging in strenuous work, and his wife got so ill that she was bed-ridden. The two have never had children, possibly because of their exposure to the erosive substance. The coalition government wasn¡¯t so bad that they completely tossed them away, but there was only a fixed portion of purifying medicine and barely-sufficient food rations per month.


    If the old couple lived a life without a hitch, these provisions might be enough for them to survive, but since they were stricken with other illnesses, they could only pray to the Heavens themselves ¡ª Medical resources were in short supply, but if the illness was caused by erosion, the hospitals would still likely offer some relief. However, as people got older, more serious illnesses came along. In addition to the obvious erosion on their external appearance, there were also other issues that weren¡¯t easy to seek help for, as such, they could only forge out money from their own pockets.


    The old couple worked hard all their lives, and all their savings were spent on treatment.


    Hou Ye sold the house and all the furniture in it, but was still unable to fill the bottomless abyss. Driven to desperation, he took the risk and ran to the border of the erosion zone, ready to trade his life to scrap by. But he didn¡¯t expect that he was considered too old, so much so that even the most reckless team didn¡¯t want to take him in.


    At this point, The Old Fourth came to find him.


    They paid him a sum, asking him to manage these settlements.


    Desperadoes were indispensable in the settlements, and things like killing and burning shops were very common, as such, people who tried to earn a living here weren¡¯t happy. After the rise of The Old Fourth, a team that was born out of the need to take care of public security, though they consisted mainly of old men and women, the youngsters didn¡¯t dare to not respect them. And with that, the settlements became a lot safer.


    The salary wasn¡¯t high, but Hou Ye had lived a long life and was a wise man. After staying in the settlement for long enough, he simply built himself a proper reputation, successfully pulling back his wife¡¯s life.


    Hou Ye¡¯s heart was clear ¡ª By the time the settlements earned their peaceful times, The Old Fourth¡¯s wallet had been depleted, and his salary as of now was barely enough to make it. However, Hou Ye was quite satisfied with where they were now, for it was much better compared to the old days full of struggles.


    Although many people was curious about the boss behind The Old Fourth, Hou Ye¡¯s attention had never been piqued. Whether it was an official or a black-market merchant, as long as he earned enough to keep his family full, he wouldn¡¯t care. He believed he would live longer if he knew how to keep his nose off other people¡¯s business.


    Hou Ye¡¯s philosophy in other aspects was similar. He tried to manage some annoyingly obnoxious rogues but failed, and the outcomes weren¡¯t pretty. It was always easy to persuade a gentleman, but difficult to deal with a prick. When faced with no other way, Hou Ye decided that as long as these young rogues didn¡¯t end up killing people, he would play soft and just let them fight each other until they got bored.


    This time was no exception.


    He recognised the two young men who were pushed on the ground. They were two brothers who knew how to make use of the loopholes in The Old Fourth¡¯s rules, therefore a bit tedious to deal with. The two who were confronting them were unfamiliar, probably newcomers.


    ¡°Stop making trouble.¡± Hou Ye passed through the crowd and stopped in front of the four. ¡°Do you see the line next to the morning market? If you want to beat each other up, get out of that line. The Old Fourth isn¡¯t just all talk and no action, you know¡­ Wu Da, Wu Er, why are you making trouble again? Hurry up and apologise.¡±


    The two were both pressed down by Zhu Yanchen at the moment. Then, Wu Da, the one that shot Shu Jun, giggled and said to Shu Jun with an ominous tone: ¡°I was wrong, I¡¯m really really sorry ah.¡±


    Then he quickly turned to Hou Ye: ¡°Look, we were already beaten up like this, and we guarantee to not provoke these two again. Are we good?¡±


    Still the same attitude as always.


    Hou Ye waved his hand with annoyance: ¡°Harmony is the root of all wealth. Two of you over there, I don¡¯t think you are hurt too much. This is considered even, or let¡¯s just forget it.¡±


    Usually, when Hou Ye declared this sort of verdict, there was a 50 to 60% chance that it would work. In the case that the other party was still dissatisfied, Hou Ye wouldn¡¯t mind giving them some supplies as compensation.


    ¡°Grey Claw.¡± The young man with a wounded shoulder withdrew his sword and stretched out his hand. Hou Ye failed to react for a second, then he shook hands with the young man in a daze.


    Very good. This young man had a clear, hearty voice, and he also knew how to introduce himself. Surely he sounded like a reasonable one.


    ¡°¡­If we cross that line over there, we can continue fighting, right?¡± The young man grinned.


    Hou Ye: ¡°¡­¡±


    It seemed that young people who dyed their hair with such a strange colour usually had a bit of a temper. [T/N: LOL]


    ¡°It¡¯s not like you can¡¯t do that.¡± Hou Ye got closer and lowered his voice. ¡°Young man, those two brats know exactly when to jump in the moment you lower your guard, and they also hang around with some not-so-decent people around there. With just the two of you, you¡¯re likely to suffer ¡ª  if you cross that line, The Old Fourth won¡¯t be able to control them. The dead can¡¯t defend themselves, you see. How about this, I¡¯ll give you two some compensation, just take it that you were bitten by a dog¡­¡±


    As though they could predict how Hou Ye would steer away from trouble, Wu Da and Wu Er got up from the ground, not bothering to hide the smugness on their faces. Repulsed by these low-life scums, the crowd of onlookers started booing.


    ¡°Thank you, but you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± The smiling tone in the young man¡¯s voice could be heard even more clearly.


    After that, he walked to his companion, said something in a low voice, then thrust his sword into the ground.


    ¡°Since The Old Fourth said so, let¡¯s go over there to continue.¡± With a hook at its tip, the mechanical arrow had plunged deeply into his shoulder, but the white-haired young man paid no mind to it at all. ¡°I alone will suffice. As for you, just gather as many as you wish. How now, do you have the guts?¡±


    Wu Da and Wu Er were almost choked. Even if their reputation was pretty bad around here, they couldn¡¯t just lose their face. Towards rogues like them, people would look down, but they wouldn¡¯t dare to make any provocation either.  If the others condemned them to be cowards, their life here would be difficult ¡ª so if they admitted that they were scared in front of the public and this spread out, their allies and fellow rogues would likely be gone the next day.


    They had specifically checked to make sure that Yu Jin¡¯s teammates were newcomers before deciding to make a move. How would they expect that these newcomers turned out to be so reckless?


    ¡°How many do you want? Don¡¯t cry for mercy later. Lao Er, you wait here, I¡¯ll go get some more.¡±


    ¡°No one has it easy here. When we¡¯re making trouble like this, The Old Fourth isn¡¯t happy either. You should think carefully.¡± Wu Er, the younger brother that remained behind, once again tried to play the good cop. He stole a glance at Zhu Yanchen from time to time.


    ¡°My partner won¡¯t be part of this, don¡¯t worry.¡± Shu Jun saw through the other man¡¯s thoughts.


    Wu Er laughed awkwardly and stopped talking.


    The morning market was the place with the most people in this settlement. Seeing that there would be a good show to watch, more and more people came over. Hou Ye, knowing that the fight was really going to happen, could only sigh and stay aside.


    Eventually, Wu Da gathered a total of 14 people. Even though the locals knew that this brat was unquestionably chicken-hearted, a commotion still rose.


    Hou Ye began to sigh even harder. This seriously won¡¯t end well. But before he could finish sighing, the white-haired young man¡¯s partner walked up to him.


    Thinking that the man came to intercede, Hou Ye quickly spoke first: ¡°Why don¡¯t you persuade him a bit more? Or ask him to find another way to resolve this. This method really won¡¯t help.¡±


    The man shook his head, touched the inner pocket of his coat and took out a small metal card. The silver-coloured plate was simple yet exquisite, with a circle of blue gems embedded on the front, carrying with it a sense of nobleness that was utterly incompatible with this place.


    The ¡®IV¡¯ symbol on the card was rather eye-catching.


    The long sigh that Hou Ye was brewing got stuck in his throat, turning into a strange fizz that sounded almost like that of a horn ¡ª  He recognised this symbol. The last time he saw this thing was five or six years ago, when he was ¡®head-hunted¡¯ by The Old Fourth. That day, those who carried this brand were either distinguished guests from The Old Fourth, or senior officials of the organisation.


    There were plenty of people in The Old Fourth who worked in a grey zone, and few of them liked to show their faces. But since there was always a need to deal with middle- and lower-level members, everyone simply used this symbol to represent their identity.


    Oops, Wu Da and Wu Er have kicked an iron plate, he thought blankly.


    ¡°Haze.¡± The person¡¯s self-introduction was equally succinct. ¡°This group shouldn¡¯t be the first that tries to take advantage of the loopholes. The coalition government¡¯s recruitment missions, everyone¡¯s business dealings and daily disputes ¡ª Report all abnormalities to me.¡±


    ¡°Certainly!¡± Hou Ye¡¯s whole body stretched up straight, as though he was half-worried not fulfilling his duties, yet also half-relieved because the trouble here had been taken off his shoulders.


    Not far away, Shu Jun had already raised his broadsword.


    Although Wu Da hurt his bones, he still stubbornly waved his gun around, for fear of being looked down upon. His group of fellow rogues was squeezing and rushing towards Shu Jun, their moves completely uncoordinated.


    Under everyone¡¯s eyes, Shu Jun could neither use his special ability nor expose the erosive substance inside here. So this fight would solely require his combat skills.


    And this was exactly what he wanted.


    Only two of them wouldn¡¯t be able to overturn the entire order currently in existence. So if they wanted to openly snatch the meat from the wolf¡¯s mouth, the first step was to show off their power.


    One side was the gangsters that had been making trouble in the settlement, while the other side was a combattant who had been through life and death for ten years. Wu Da¡¯s plan to outnumber Shu Jun had no way to succeed ¡ª Even though it was windless here, Shu Jun still looked like he was dancing atop the wind. The broadsword wrapped in a white cloth broke through the air, and Shu Jun let his body move along with his natural strength and inertia. As though the broadsword had turned into feathers, it swayed gracefully in the air, its every trajectory inevitably hitting a target.


    Onlookers began to whistle, and some even started chanting ¡°Grey Claw¡±.


    Like a phantom, Shu Jun dodged every single bullet, dart and arrow that flew his way. None of them managed to deal even a scratch to him. As Wu Da emptied two full magazines, a thin layer of sweat trickled down his forehead ¡ª The opponent wasn¡¯t like a human, with an incredibly fierce air of oppression. Although he was wearing a mask, Wu Da could still feel an overwhelming fighting spirit and explicable rage emanating from him.


    In front of the broadsword, his allies looked like fallen leaves that had been swept away by the wind and were wriggling all over the ground. Before he had time to turn around and run away, the broadsword hit his abdomen and sent him landing into a mud puddle. After stopping himself from rolling further with much difficulty, he threw himself into the mud and started retching.


    With his sword, Shu Jun took down one by one. Jumping over a withered tree stump that had been brushed to one side, he shoved the broadsword deeply into the mud. Immediately, Shu Jun lightly leapt up and landed firmly on the hilt of the sword, without letting any drop of mud touch him.


    He crouched on the sword like a beast, looking at Wu Da from above.


    I surrender, I won¡¯t mess around again. Those were the only seven words left in Wu¡¯s brain. He simply closed his eyes and buried his face in the mud. Meanwhile, the moment Wu Er saw that the situation had turned for the worse, he vanished without a trace.


    The onlookers here were only used to seeing tearing-and-scratching fights. This was the first time they laid eyes on a proper battle. In a blink, one after another, cheers and applause ruptured the air. Shu Jun got the result that he wanted, but still he remained quiet. He drew his sword towards himself and walked back to Zhu Yanchen.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± Zhu Yanchen was still staring at the arrow on Shu Jun¡¯s back. ¡°Your wound needs to be attended to, and I have something to tell you.¡±


    ¡°What a coincidence, so do I. ¡± Shu Jun chuckled.


    Seeing the Wu brothers shaken to the core, Hou Ye gleefully followed behind Zhu Yanchen, not concealing the content on his face at all.


    He didn¡¯t need to say anything, for this move of his was enough as an explanation. Hou Ye had been working with The Old Fourth for a long time and was no longer at the bottom of the ladder. So if he was following someone with such respect, that person must also be from The Old Fourth, and the person¡¯s status was definitely not low.


    This place had been uneventful for so many years. Finally some interesting newcomers had arrived.


    After watching the show, the crowd happily dispersed.


    ¡®Grey Claw¡¯ and ¡®Haze¡¯¡­ It seemed that this settlement would soon go through some big changes.


    Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t have a habit of ordering old people about. It was still a distance away from the bar, so he asked Hou Ye to go back first. Still carrying his injury, Shu Jun propped the sword against his shoulders and said nothing throughout the whole journey.


    ¡°You talk first.¡±


    ¡°You talk first.¡±


    The moment they entered the hotel room, the two spoke almost at the same time.


    The next second, the two of them said in unison: ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen: ¡°¡­¡±


    Shu Jun¡¯s expression finally relaxed. To make it convenient for the treatment of his wound, he removed his shirt and took the initiative to sit down on a chair: ¡°A Yan, you go first. The old man seems to be in a great mood. What¡¯s the outcome of your negotiations?¡±


    The corner of Zhu Yanchen¡¯s lips raised a little. He gazed at Shu Jun for a moment and didn¡¯t try to hide the truth: ¡°I¡¯m the founder of The Old Fourth. Their high-ranking staff can prove my identity, so they won¡¯t get in our way.¡±


    Shu Jun was absolutely clueless about The Old Fourth, simply seeing them like the local tyrant that managed this town. Hearing this, he couldn¡¯t help but choke: ¡°You can do so many things at the same time, have you not been sleeping all these years? When you said ¡®to unie the people at the border settlements¡¯, I thought you meant to start from scratch, my god¡­¡±


    Zhu Yanchen obviously didn¡¯t intend to talk about the history of his struggles in detail. He brought up the surgical tray and began to observe the arrow that had stuck deep into Shu Jun¡¯s flesh: ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this for now. What did you want to say just now?¡±


    Shu Jun raised his face: ¡°Oh, I¡¯m actually the boss of all the marshes.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen¡¯s hand slipped and the tray almost fell to the ground.


    Shu Jun laughed: ¡°Just kidding, just kidding. I want to set up a good atmosphere first, for after all, what I¡¯m about to say isn¡¯t very positive ¡ª I want to join this ¡®organisation with a certainly bleak future¡¯ of yours.¡±


    He continued: ¡°In the fight just now, I clearly felt the urge to kill.¡±


    Shu Jun¡¯s voice became serious, his tone turning a little sharper: ¡°I don¡¯t want to hide it from you. I really can¡¯t care about human beings. I have my hatred, and I harbour an urge to vent it out. But the killing intent and hatred just now was definitely not mine ¡ª now that I think about it, it may be the ¡®information¡¯ that I obtained from Sweet Vanguard.¡±


    ¡°A Yan, in your previous inference, you believed that a brain-possessing Erosion Marsh is like an ordinary creature that only wants to survive. It seems that your assumption was still a tad too optimistic.¡±


    They used to think that a brain-possessing Erosion Marsh was ordinary intelligent life that stood guarded against humans only because humans had the means of purification, which posed a threat to its survival ¡ª Under this premise, a brain-possessing Erosion Marsh would be hostile to humans and synthesised humans alike. But they wouldn¡¯t act in an overly extreme manner, rather, they should only put up defence in order to stay alive.


    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t met you, my physical condition wouldn¡¯t have stabilised, and I would¡¯ve ended up completely eroded like Sweet Vanguard, all alone¡­ I¡¯m pretty sure that even if I desperately hold on to my sanity, hatred will be the emotion that supports me till the end.¡±


    ¡°The erosive substance is a very simple being that only cares about the results. What if they regard ¡®hatred¡¯ as the most powerful kind of intelligence they could get from humans?¡±


    In the eyes of Erosion Marsh, that kind of frantic hatred that hoped to destroy everything was ¡®high-quality intelligence¡¯ that was conducive for their survival. Then they would preserve this sentiment, share it with other herd members and gradually turn it into a part of their instinct ¡ª  Hatred would drive them to aggressively attack and never stop until the enemy was completely destroyed.


    The time that Zhu Yanchen and Shu Jun had left might be shorter than expected.

 CH 35

    Used to disasters and obstacles thrown at them, the two wouldn¡¯t panic just because of this piece of bad news. Regardless of the real situation outside, worrying and panicking wouldn¡¯t change anything. Zhu Yanchen put down the surgical tray in his hand and carefully asked Shu Jun a few questions, then he picked up the tweezers again and started to treat the wound.


    Shu Jun liked this feeling of being able to communicate smoothly. They wouldn¡¯t spend their time questioning each other or denying their breakdown, and the efficiency of their discussion remained high.


    Shu Jun closed his mouth contentedly, and somehow, out of thin air, peace simply took over his mind. Even the pain on his back didn¡¯t affect his good mood.


    Zhu Yanchen dealt with the arrow with extremely light and accurate movements, as if Shu Jun was a sculpture made of catkins that might collapse under a single breath.


    This man is too serious about everything.


    After fighting these past few days, Shu Jun had gotten familiar with the characteristics of the erosive substance in his body. This thing was so very simple. If his injury was bad, they would repair it in a panic, but if the injury wasn¡¯t life-threatening, they would be too lazy to change their original state and only heal him at a normal rate.


    In other words, Shu Jun¡¯s wound would only get better slowly and wouldn¡¯t worsen. But Zhu Yanchen was treating him very meticulously. He put anesthetic on Shu Jun and carefully cleaned up the torn flesh.


    After his body improved, Zhu Yanchen¡¯s hands were no longer cold. Right now, he was busy taking out the arrow with his palm pressed against Shu Jun¡¯s back, and his body temperature was constantly pouring in.


    Shu Jun suddenly felt a little uncomfortable.


    He was sitting on the chair with his chin resting on the chair¡¯s back, with Zhu Yanchen bending down slightly behind him. Shu Jun could feel the heat wrapping around his back. The skin where Zhu Yanchen¡¯s hand touched was getting hotter and hotter. Due to some tension that he couldn¡¯t quite name, his torn flesh felt as though it was turning into a piece of wood while his whole body was jammed against the air.


    The two of them slept in the same bed, and Shu Jun had been falling asleep very fast, not feeling even a hint of awkwardness. If he had to bluntly expose his feelings, Shu Jun felt that he accepted it too smoothly ¡ª it was as if the two of them should¡¯ve been sleeping together.


    Before, he could still tease himself in his heart and joke around with his half-dead romantic seedling. Now that the other man¡¯s body temperature had soaked into his skin like poison, he didn¡¯t know what to do.


    Shu Jun wasn¡¯t one who disliked contact with other people. Whether it was daily interaction or combat, he had long been accustomed to physical contact with the same sex ¡ª To be honest, his team had been trained in water combat, and Shu Jun was very good at choking his opponent from the back in water. Every time he made a move, whether it was the area of skin contact or the duration, it was way more exaggerated than now.


    He had never been this cautious before.


    However, his body reaction wouldn¡¯t lie. At this moment, he was as stiff as a frozen hairtail, the toughness of his body probably comparable to Monday.


    Zhu Yanchen was still gently handling the wound and hadn¡¯t moved his hand away. Shu Jun only wished Zhu Yanchen¡¯s movements could be cruder, for in that way, he could stop his mind from wandering too far. Since he really had no way out of this, Shu Jun resorted to staring at a scratch on the table, but his heartbeat was still so loud that it seemingly banged against his eardrums.


    ¡°Are you feeling uncomfortable somewhere?¡± Marshal Zhu noticed his odd behaviour and stopped for a moment. The mechanical arrow had been taken out, lying amid a pool of blood on the tray.


    ¡°No.¡± Shu Jun squeezed the word out of his throat.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll start stitching.¡± Zhu Yanchen said softly and moved his face a little closer, and the tail-end of his breath brushed Shu Jun¡¯s sensitive wound.


    Let me live please, he lamented as more question marks started crushing his mind. Shu Jun could only sigh silently in his heart.


    ¡°Also.¡± But Marshal Zhu still didn¡¯t plan to let him go. ¡°Just now you talked about your feeling of hatred¡­ Don¡¯t hesitate, you can talk to me like before.¡±


    This sentence sounded a little stiff. Perhaps because my stiffness has spread to Zhu Yanchen, Shu Jun thought helplessly.


    But it was a pity that he guessed wrongly. Marshal Zhu¡¯s stiffness was purely self-induced.


    It was the first time he had seen Shu Jun fight against another human. Previously, they only hunted mutated monsters, at which time Shu Jun always seemed rather relaxed, his attitude truly closer to ¡®hunting¡¯ than ¡®fighting¡¯. But just now, in that moment he became completely serious, his aura felt like that of a ferocious beast that had been awakened.


    When Shu Jun was looking down at Wu Da¡¯s eyes, Wu Da himself might not have paid attention, but Zhu Yanchen saw it clearly. Even if Zhu Yanchen tossed aside Shu Jun¡¯s abnormal loathing, those eyes were drenched in piercing arrogance and a brutal intent to fight.


    Zhu Yanchen wasn¡¯t familiar with this kind of Shu Jun. Colliding head-on against another incredibly strong man actually had him instinctively and secretly frightened, yet his blood also boiled with zeal. But, by the time they returned to their room, that razor-sharp aura had melted, and the other man simply turned around unsuspectingly to expose his wound.


    Zhu Yanchen had long been accustomed to such a scene. Shu Jun himself might not have noticed it yet ¡ª he unconsciously trusted Zhu Yanchen more than he was aware of.


    As the past and the present were entangled, the person before his eyes had him immensely confused.


    Zhu Yanchen stretched out his hand, pressed on the other man¡¯s smooth, warm skin and treated the wound with care. He knew very well that dangerous toxins were surging beneath that layer of skin full of vitality. This sense of contradiction fascinated him. Feeling the other man¡¯s temperature and breath also made sparks jump around his nerves.


    Back in the morning, when Shu Jun leaned onto him to look at the data, Zhu Yanchen already felt the attraction, as though he was caught in a scorching vortex.


    His desires were getting bigger, and one of them was the urge to ¡®touch¡¯.


    ¡­¡­But this shouldn¡¯t be an impulse felt between friends. Zhu Yanchen lowered his gaze and focused on the wound. By the time his mind calmed down, his thoughts jumped out of his mouth on their own volition.


    ¡°You can talk to me like you did before.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Shu Jun replied.


    Zhu Yanchen couldn¡¯t see his expression, only the back of his head. Under the dim light, the other man¡¯s grey hair was glowing beautifully.


    Finally, the wound was stitched up. Zhu Yanchen straightened up and left the thickened air that was getting inexplicably warm.


    In the few days that followed, it shouldn¡¯t be said that earth-shattering changes happened to the settlement, but it indeed went through some adjustments. With a direct order from The Old Fourth, Hou Ye was no longer in charge of safety patrols, instead, he was transferred to managing the businesses in the area. Yu Jin was formally pulled into The Old Fourth, responsible for managing the law and order at the base.


    The Old Fourth added a few new rules, and immediately, bothersome incidents were visibly reduced. Hearing that their opponent had become the boss in the truest sense, Wu Da and Wu Er ran away overnight. After initiating this series of changes, ¡®Grey Claw¡¯ and ¡®Haze¡¯¡¯ also built some reputation for themselves.


    Unfortunately, a notice came from Y City and they couldn¡¯t continue to strike while the iron was hot.


    Temporarily recruited NPCs weren¡¯t treated as well as players, so the three of them were made to sit in a semi-open truck. Yu Jin couldn¡¯t keep his eyes away from Zhu Yanchen, and Shu Jun could sort of guess what was occupying his mind ¡ª As a high-ranking official of The Old Fourth, there was no way ¡®Haze¡¯ could not be short of money. The fact that he specially came for the NPC mission meant that there was at least an 80% chance something was wrong with it.


    However, it wasn¡¯t convenient to ask about such matters too directly. He might offend the wrong person if he was careless. Because of that, Yu Jin looked as though he was being suffocated to death.


    ¡°For information.¡± Being gazed at with such fierce eyes, Zhu Yanchen took the initiative to speak up. ¡°That place is a newly rescued area, maybe there are artifacts to dig up. The staff below are unreliable, so I have to see it in person, and the Player team is also more professional than ordinary bodyguards.¡±


    It seems that he¡¯s thought of this excuse since way earlier, Shu Jun chuckled lightly.


    ¡°Indeed, not to mention that one Grey Claw was as good as ten of them.¡± Yu Jin said with a grin. ¡°By the way, can I still call you Haze later? Will it be inconvenient¡­¡±


    After all, Yu Jin is a veteran who has seen many things at the border area, Shu Jun could hear the subtext between his lines.


    The inspection was quite strict when entering Y City through ordinary channels, where it would take a long time just for verification of permanent residents. Before they could even worry about Shu Jun¡¯s identity, Zhu Yanchen¡¯s definitely couldn¡¯t be concealed.


    The temporarily recruited NPCs were different. They were brought in directly by the army, and the monitoring device also had a positioning function. Temporary NPCs were not allowed to go to sensitive places and nor stay in the city for too long. For such people, the entrance inspection shouldn¡¯t be too strict, and giving a few greetings to the army leader would usually do the trick.


    There were many staff in The Old Fourth whose identity must remain unknown, and it was normal for them not to reveal their whereabouts. Judging from Yu Jin¡¯s reaction, majority of them were probably dealers who specialised in dangerous underground businesses.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine to call me that way.¡± Zhu Yanchen turned his head and looked at the high wall of Y City.


    ¡°Then do you have any plans later? It¡¯s a rare opportunity to enter the city, also we¡¯ll have to spend a bit of time queuing.¡± Yu Jin pulled twice on his hair that was dyed fluorescent blond. ¡°I¡¯m going shopping in the commercial street. You can¡¯t buy anything good in the settlement.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to find a clinic. Grey Claw will have to check his body.¡±


    After all, they couldn¡¯t control what Yu Jin wanted to do, and if they lied and were exposed, they would only appear more suspicious. As such, Zhu Yanchen chose to tell the truth.


    ¡°Hey, Ai¡¯s Clinic is good. Or we can send brother Grey Claw there later, let¡¯s go get some supplies first. I know a good weapon shop¡ª ¡±


    ¡°I want to be with him.¡± Zhu Yanchen continued.


    Shu Jun: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Too straightforward, too straightforward. Even if Mr. Marshal made up an illness for Shu Jun, he wasn¡¯t hurt enough to not be able to walk by himself, and they weren¡¯t kids who needed to go hand in hand to find the toilet. This seriously sounded a bit suspicious.


    Yu Jin was choked for a few seconds, then his eyes swept over the two of them and suddenly he came to a realisation. This time, his tone turned rather ambiguous: ¡°So you two are like that. Oops, I¡¯m bothering you.¡±


    Shu Jun slapped his mask and sighed exaggeratedly, while Marshal Zhu continued to look out the window, obviously not intending to clarify the misunderstanding.


    Pragmatists are really scary, Shu Jun thought in silence.


    Ai¡¯s Clinic wasn¡¯t difficult to find, for it was located in the most prosperous area in the city, yet its appearance was noticeably shabby. In fact, it looked more like a haunted house than a medical clinic. At the moment, a sign with the line ¡®Closed today, doubled price if you want consultation¡¯ written in blood-red letters was hung on the door. Regardless of whether one looked at the sentence or the font it was written in, the haunted house aura only got a bit stronger.


    Zhu Yanchen flipped the sign and decisively pushed the door open.


    No one was in the main hall, the lights were off and the garbage was randomly brushed into the corners. Following a faint light from the corridor, the two turned into a small consulting room that had lights on. There were only two people inside.


    ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± The girl in white was biting a lollipop and her voice was a little vague. ¡°Congratulations to a certain someone on coming back from the dead.¡±


    As she said so, she smashed the lollipop and locked the door. The old man standing beside her was silent, his eyes fixed on Shu Jun.


    ¡°Let me introduce myself, I¡¯m Ai Xiaoxiao.¡± The girl in white stretched her hand towards Shu Jun and politely shook hands with him. ¡°All of you, follow me.¡±


    Shu Jun glanced across the room. This small room wasn¡¯t even ten square meters, so he couldn¡¯t imagine where he could follow her to.


    Ai Xiaoxiao chuckled and kicked the table by the window twice. The table rattled and slowly moved away, revealing the steps heading underground: ¡°It¡¯s time for a thorough inspection, Mr. Erosion Marsh.¡±


    Then, she squinted at the sword behind Shu Jun and directly poked a spot on the cloth, her finger precisely landing on Monday¡¯s exposed brain: ¡°And this little thing.¡±


    Monday¡¯s excruciating scream of ¡°Noooooo ¡ª¡± instantly reverberated across the room.

 CH 36

    Looking at Monday, Shu Jun suddenly thought of a dog wailing at the gate of a pet hospital.


    With him staring intently at it, Monday didn¡¯t dare to attack Ai Xiaoxiao. It attempted to flee in another way ¡ª Monday absorbed water again, crawled away from the cloth and twisted itself into a slippery lump, firmly clinging to the floor.


    During the whole process, its harsh scream never stopped. Not deterred by the noise at all, Ai Xiaoxiao snorted, took a shovel from the tool cabinet and quickly scooped Monday up.


    ¡°Your sword has quite a personality.¡± She commented in a manner that was neither too dispassionate nor too eager while stuffing Monday into an incubation tank.


    Knowing that his weeping and screaming were ineffective, Monday quivered in the tank and bumped violently onto the walls, to the point that the tank on the floor started to crack dangerously.


    Shu Jun: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Why is there a shovel in a consulting room anyway? But seeing Ai Xiaoxiao dance with the shovel so dexterously, he didn¡¯t dare to ask.


    The underground space was much larger than that above ground. It was just that the lighting was too blue and a tad frightening. Ai Xiaoxiao poured some liquid into three empty tanks and turned to Shu Jun and Zhu Yanchen: ¡°Take it off.¡±


    Shu Jun: ¡°?!¡±


    ¡°You can leave a piece of underwear on. There¡¯s isolation liquid inside, which won¡¯t mix with the erosive substance, so it¡¯ll be convenient for body scanning.¡± Ai Xiaoxiao glanced at Shu Jun, lifted the incubation tank and poured Monday into one of the liquid tanks. Monday tried hard to stick to the tank wall, but unluckily, the inside of the isolation tank was so smooth that Monday could only loathfully sink into the liquid.


    Just after it fell into the liquid tank, several metal arms stretched out, forcibly twisting it back into the shape of a sword and gluing it to the bottom of the liquid tank. Monday looked like it really wanted to curse, but only a string of thin bubbles came out. Ai Xiaoxiao put a lid on the liquid tank, leaving Monday to wriggle inside however it liked.


    ¡°Erm¡­¡­¡± Shu Jun was a little lost for words. Whether in his so-called ¡®real world¡¯ or this world, the game only matched the combatants with doctors of the same sex before.


    A person of the same age yet opposite sex was standing in front of him. He wasn¡¯t feeling super shy, but there was still a hint of embarrassment.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind me, I¡¯m a doctor at any rate ¡ª from eight to eighty years old, I¡¯ve seen a lot.¡± Ai Xiaoxiao seemed to see his concerns, waved her hand indifferently and looked at Zhu Yanchen. ¡°Mr. Zhu, what¡¯s the matter with you? I¡¯ve chopped your internal organs a hundred times, just quickly take it off.¡±


    Oh right, there¡¯s someone experienced here. Bro, you and I are in this together. If I can drag on for another second, let¡¯s do it. Shu Jun hurriedly moved his gaze over while standing completely still, with a serious ¡®I¡¯ll follow exactly what you do¡¯ look on his face.


    Zhu Yanchen cast a vague glance at Shu Jun, walked to the side of the liquid tank and took off the pieces of clothing on him one by one.


    Indeed, the Marshal was worthy of being a marshal, for even when he was taking off his clothes, he still looked so formal. Most of the time, this person covered himself so tightly, and even the top button of his pyjamas had to be fastened. Zhu Yanchen¡¯s body had been exposed once before, but at that time, Shu Jun was trying to save his life and was in a completely dazed state, not even able to count how many heads the person actually had.


    Without the dense scars that used to be all over his skin, his trained muscles were all revealed. Zhu Yanchen had an advantage over Shu Jun in terms of height, and his waist was also slightly firmer. With his pale skin and sharp eyebrows, he now looked like a marble statue that carried the warmth of a human being.


    Good shape. Shu Jun¡¯s occupational habit surged up a bit ¡ª after all these issues had been resolved, perhaps they should engage in some close combat.


    My heartbeat seems to be a tad too fast; this excitement must be because of my occupational habit. Shu Jun withdrew his gaze and looked at Ai Xiaoxiao again.


    ¡°Uhm, the recovery is very good, and the blood indicators all seem okay. I will look at your bones and internal organs later.¡± Ai Xiaoxiao¡¯s reaction was extremely casual, as if the person standing opposite her was just a sack of meat.


    With someone else taking the lead, Shu Jun could relax a little. He stripped himself as fast as he could and lay down in the liquid tank, splashing a lot of water.


    The liquid in the tank was cold and viscous, like iced oil. But at least, the treatment they got was much better than Monday, for they could poke half of their heads out, thus their hearing and speaking weren¡¯t affected at all. The two men just lay side by side, as though they were two human specimens.


    ¡°It¡¯s not only about your immunity against erosive substance.¡± Ai Xiaoxiao looked at Zhu Yanchen¡¯s real-time scan, and her tone was very low, as if she was talking to herself. ¡°Last month, I cut off the infected parts in your liver, so you should only have a quarter of your liver left. Yet now, it has fully grown back.¡±


    She pondered for a moment, her eyes beaming brightly.


    ¡°The internal organs and bones are both normal, and there aren¡¯t even any traces of previous operations. Not bad. Remember to give me some tissue samples later¡­ Wait, your heartbeat is a little fast. Are you nervous? Mr. Shu¡¯s heart beating fast is understandable, but you, it isn¡¯t the first time you¡¯ve been here.¡±


    Shu Jun subconsciously tilted his head and glanced at his friend Mr. Zhu, who was only a hand¡¯s length from him.


    ¡°How come it¡¯s beating even faster? Alright, Mr. Zhu, you can come out. When I¡¯m done with checking Mr. Shu, I¡¯ll check your heart.¡±


    ¡°So fast?¡± Shu Jun asked hopefully. This liquid was freezing him.


    ¡°He¡¯s a human, but you aren¡¯t. You need at least two hours, so hurry up and look over here.¡± Ai Xiaoxiao threw a large towel at Zhu Yanchen. ¡°Wipe yourself, then go outside and wait. You standing here will get in the way.¡±


    After saying that, she cast a thoughtful look at the old man next to her.


    The old man cleared his throat. Zhu Yanchen changed his clothes and walked to Shu Jun¡¯s liquid tank, then he said with a serious tone: ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you outside, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try my best.¡± Shu Jun responded dryly, but looking at Ai Xiaoxiao happily wiping a huge pair of pliers, he really felt a little weak at the knees.


    ¡°Lao Dong, let¡¯s go.¡± As soon as he turned to talk to another person, Zhu Yanchen¡¯s tone became apparently flatter.


    ¡°Finally it¡¯s quiet.¡± Ai Xiaoxiao breathed out when the two left the room. ¡°Next, I need to ask you some questions, you have to answer me truthfully, understand?¡±


    It seemed that this woman deliberately separated the two of them. But she was right; doing inquiries one-on-one was the least likely to be disturbed.


    ¡°Your physical condition is almost the same as I thought ¡ª the Erosion Marsh inside you is now stable, with a high degree of integration and no adverse reactions. You don¡¯t need to worry about any health problems. There¡¯s just one thing that really piques my attention.¡±


    She knocked on the machine on her side and a screen popped into Shu Jun¡¯s face: ¡°This is your brain.¡±


    Shu Jun looked at the scanned image in confusion.


    ¡°Before Zhu Yanchen brought you to communicate with other Erosion Marshes, did he do anything to you?¡±


    Well, he did a lot of things. Shu Jun recalled the oral examination, the intimidation and the handcuffs right on their first encounter. But since the doctor specifically asked about his brain, Shu Jun could guess the answer she wanted: ¡°He tried to trigger my brain?¡±


    ¡°Tell me how it happened.¡±


    ¡°At that time, he should be talking about the truths surrounding this world, but I completely forgot them the next second. It sort of felt like I had one too many drinks. After that, he gave me a few injections, we went to the corpse disposal site, then he triggered my brain again¡­¡±


    ¡°Anything else? Any details are fine.¡±


    ¡°How should I say this, I just have this kind of strange feeling. Being with him, I always feel that a lot of things seem familiar ¡ª I can¡¯t help but trust him and want to protect him.¡± Zhu Yanchen wasn¡¯t here, so Shu Jun simply didn¡¯t hold back. He said whatever was on his mind.


    ¡°Sometimes, I also think of things ¡®in the past¡¯. But I don¡¯t have the slightest impression of those things before. I have no idea why I could think about them.¡±


    Ai Xiaoxiao stood up, circled a few times around the liquid tank and glanced at Shu Jun¡¯s brain scan from time to time.


    ¡°In your memory, what is the relationship between the two of you?¡±


    ¡°¡­Friends?¡± Probably, since my memories regarding this aspect haven¡¯t been restored.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be just ordinary friends.¡± Ai Xiaoxiao came to a halt and put both hands on the edge of the tank. ¡°Previously, I indeed thought it was very strange. Why did he specially trigger your brain twice? But now I understand.¡±


    Immediately, Shu Jun became excited: ¡°Why so?¡±


    Zhu Yanchen never explained this to him. After all, after both their bodies got better, their relationship eased up and he wasn¡¯t bothered by that any more.


    ¡°Do you see it, there¡¯s a hole in your brain, which is slowly healing now.¡±


    Ai Xiaoxiao pointed to the image on the screen.


    ¡°Let me think, how should I put it, do you know that when the brain faces unmanageable pain, it may choose to block certain memories?¡±


    ¡°Uhm.¡±


    ¡°In order to prevent ¡®synthesised humans¡¯ like you from knowing the truth, your brain is implanted with fragments of a foreign brain¡­ Once the fragments recognise specific information, they¡¯ll immediately stimulate a defense mechanism and force you to forget. This is probably the main principle.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± Shu Jun heard it, but he didn¡¯t quite comprehend.


    ¡°If it¡¯s me, I¡¯ll take you directly to the corpse disposal site and never mention the truths about this world. In that case, the Erosion Marsh in your body will treat the foreign brain as a part of ¡®you¡¯, then it¡¯ll start strengthening and protecting that brain¡­¡±


    ¡°Then your memories will be buried forever and you¡¯ll never know the truth. Considering Zhu Yanchen¡¯s style, doing it that way will save a lot more time and effort, and it¡¯ll make it more convenient to control you. But, he chose to trigger your brain instead.¡±


    Shu Jun stared at Ai Xiaoxiao with confusion.


    Ai Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes: ¡°Let¡¯s put it this way, he gave you an injection in advance ¡ª Once the trigger to your brain makes you feel painful, the Erosion Marsh will decide that those specific foreign brain fragments are ¡®harmful¡¯. It will no longer protect those tissues, rather, it will erode them right away. If he does it again during the process of you integrating with the Erosion Marsh, the effect will be even better¡­ You were in a special situation, it was already lucky enough that your life was saved, yet he still had to care so much.¡±


    Shu Jun was in a complicated mood, not knowing what to say.


    ¡°In short, without the influence of these foreign brain fragments, your brain will slowly return to its natural state. During this process, occasional headaches or remembering those suppressed memories are normal.¡±


    Ai Xiaoxiao continued, sounding as though she was in a good mood: ¡°Interesting. When he talked about this before, I thought about using surgical methods and never considered doing it through the Erosion Marsh¡­ Indeed, what a beautiful idea.¡±


    ¡°Is there a way to remember everything earlier?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°A way to let me remember the past earlier.¡± Shu Jun said as he stared at the dim ceiling.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Zhu Yanchen is better than me in this regard. Later, I¡¯ll give him the results of the check.¡± After getting the answer she wanted, Ai Xiaoxiao¡¯s tone became flat again. ¡°You turn over first, let me look at your spine.¡±


    Outside the door.


    ¡°That¡¯s Shu Jun?¡± In front of Zhu Yanchen, Xia Liang didn¡¯t hide her voice anymore. A clear female voice came out of the old man¡¯s mouth, which made quite a strange scene.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Xia Liang let out a thoughtful ¡°uhm¡± and changed the subject: ¡°You asked Ai Xiaoxiao to give me a chip, I¡¯ve looked through it. The programme in that chip has been put inside the Headquarters ¡ª  As long as I coordinate with you from outside, you¡¯re in full control of the alarm system for three hours.¡±


    ¡°Uhm.¡±


    ¡°But after the trip to the Headquarters, I found something interesting. The captain of the Groundwater team, Luo Duan, remember? He¡¯s now recovering from his injuries at the Headquarters. If Ai Xiao Xiao¡¯s report was correct, he applied for an indoor training room that hadn¡¯t been touched for thousands of years and hurt himself.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen frowned, but he didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°No matter what you want to do in the Headquarters, it¡¯s best to be careful. It may not necessarily be only the two of you that want to do ¡®something¡¯ there.¡±

 CH 37

    After Zhu Yanchen was formally declared dead, Yi Ning¡¯s workload increased manyfold.


    He simply put up a canopy bed in the office to stay the nights there. Zhu Yanchen¡¯s death had completely disrupted the rhythm of his campaign. Supporters thought that he was sure to win and their energy surged out of control. But, Zhu Yanchen¡¯s father, Zhu Sheng, had been constantly making his moves as of late, and the Zhu family obviously had no plans to give up the leader¡¯s position.


    The Tang family behind Yi Ning ran around to handle different relationships, while the Xia family was still on the sidelines, constantly on watch. Only Marshal Yi was left to feel very worn out from all this.


    At first, he just wanted to make everyone¡¯s life better, but with matters reaching this stage, he had seen a lot of ugly things. The only thing that kept him standing was this belief. Yi Ning made himself a cup of coffee and continued to deal with the pile of documents.


    It had to be said that old man Lao Dong and Ai Xiaoxiao, who were arranged by Zhu Yanchen, were really dependable and saved him a lot of trouble. It was just that these two persons also inherited Zhu Yanchen¡¯s mindset. They both had a tendency to let the synthesised humans stay on defense mode, unwilling to let the purification procedure move on quickly. Even when Yi Ning only wanted to assign the Blackbird team with a surveying mission, Ai Xiaoxiao found it necessary to stare judgingly at him for a whole day.


    The costs of daily maintenance for synthesised humans remained unchanged, but since they were staying on defense mode at the moment, the purification efficiency had become much lower. However, comparing this with other burning problems, Yi Ning could bear this loss.


    The burden on the medical system was getting heavier, and the social security issues hadn¡¯t been fully solved for a long time. In order to quickly stimulate the economy and overturn the situation, he must start the accelerated plan for synthesised human production as soon as possible.


    Where is the research report by the institute¡­? Oh, yes, in order not to be seen by the players, confidential documents would only be sent through the screen¡­


    With sleepiness crashing his head, his limbs felt as heavy as lead. Yi Ning tried to gnaw on the mountain of documents and began to consider whether he should get a glass of iced water.


    Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.


    Yi Ning frowned. It was three o¡¯clock in the morning, and he couldn¡¯t think of anyone who would come to visit at his hour. But since the bodyguards let this person pass, there should be no problem ¡ª I hope it¡¯s not the Tang family, I¡¯m not in the mood to talk about the world¡¯s messy issues at all.


    However, after getting a clear look at the uninvited guest, Yi Ning suddenly became much more awake.


    Luo Duan stood outside the door, holding a few cans of drinks in his hand. There were a lot of bandages on his body, but his temperament was still gentle and polite.


    ¡°Bitter Rain?¡± Yi Ning asked with uncertainty.


    In principle, [Erosion] never forbade private interactions between ¡®players¡¯ and ¡®NPCs¡¯. After all, this was the real world, thus it would be unrealistic to completely ban such interactions. Since there really was no way to keep the water from leaking, they could only quietly separate the two groups and tried to ensure that the players only communicated with people from the coalition government.


    Luo Duan smiled at him: ¡°I can¡¯t sleep, just strolling around. Can I go in, sir? I bring iced soda.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I still have to work.¡± Yi Ning took a deep breath, not inviting him in. .


    ¡°Uhm.¡± Luo Duan didn¡¯t seem very surprised. ¡°I just want to talk about the recent mission arrangement for the Groundwater team. This should also be considered important business.¡±


    Yi Ning pondered for a moment and moved to a side to make way. Since they were to discuss business, it might help him wake up his mind.


    It was just that when Luo Duan passed him by, Yi Ning felt a sort of cold aura. That coldness faded in an instant. Probably just the chill from the iced drinks, Marshal Yi wiped his face.


    The drink was refreshing, and Luo Duan indeed came here to talk about business. It could be seen that he had given the matter a lot of thoughts, and some of his ideas were quite reasonable. Yi Ning gradually lost his sleepiness, and the topic gradually shifted from the Groundwater team to all the players, then it turned to Yi Ning¡¯s views on the recent ¡®game plot¡¯.


    ¡°Zhu Sheng should pick someone from the Xia family. With Zhu Yanchen¡¯s death, the Xia family¡¯s stand is swinging back and forth. Zhu Sheng isn¡¯t a person who insists on blood relations, meanwhile, there are but very few outstanding people in the Zhu family. To adopt a child from the Xia family and raise him to be the heir, it can be done¡­ Uhm, considering Zhu Sheng¡¯s personality, even if he does something more excessive, I won¡¯t be surprised.¡±


    Unlike Blackbird¡¯s Shu Jun, Luo Duan was obviously interested in the ¡®game plot¡¯ and had even done his homework. The two talked fairly smoothly, and by the time Yi Ning got back to his senses, it was already close to five o¡¯clock in the morning.


    ¡°¡­Since you¡¯ve been supported to reach this position, they shouldn¡¯t give up on you so easily. Zhu Sheng hasn¡¯t yet decided on a new candidate. This period of time is the most important to you. But I think you already know that, otherwise you won¡¯t be awake at this hour.¡±


    Luo Duan¡¯s voice was quite soft and actually soothing to the mind. He walked to the heap of documents and bent down to pick up the copies that fell to the ground.


    ¡°Marshal Yi, as a subordinate, I still want to remind you¡­¡±


    Luo Duan paused, and there was a little more subtle emotion in his voice.


    ¡°¡­to pay more attention to your own health.¡±


    As the words fell, his badly injured body suddenly twisted a litte, but Luo Duan reacted very quickly. Almost immediately, he stretched out his hands and propped them on the edge of the table. But, being shaken like this, the mountain of documents instantly scattered all over the ground.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Luo Duan smiled and began to bend over to pick them up again. ¡°It seems that I¡¯m sleepy too, so let¡¯s stop here today. The topic of medical security just now is quite interesting, I¡¯ll come back tomorrow.¡±


    A sedative-filled water pillar quietly rose and snuck into Yi Ning¡¯s drink can.


    ¡°You go back first. When morning comes, I¡¯ll ask the assistant to clean up for me.¡± Yi Ning glanced at the bandages on Luo Duan¡¯s wounded body, gulped down the remaining liquid in the can and gave Luo Duan a hand.


    Luo Duan raised the corners of his mouth: ¡°Good night, Marshal Yi.¡±


    I really should rest, Yi Ning thought. As soon as he let himself relax, the drowsiness struck instantly. Before work starts at nine o¡¯clock tomorrow, I can still sleep for four hours.


    The heavy door closed behind Luo Duan.


    Luo Duan stretched out his hand, and another water pillar condensed within his palm, with Yi Ning¡¯s multi-access key hooked at its end. A matchbox-sized card lay quietly in Luo Duan¡¯s hand.


    The corridor was filled with sticky darkness, and something cold came out of his pores, wrapped around his neck, trembling with an ominous frequency.


    ¡°Let me¡­ help you¡­¡± That voice clung to his neck as it spoke in an eerie tone, as though it was a mix of the voices of men, women and children randomly fused together.


    ¡°No.¡± Luo Duan didn¡¯t look back.


    Before Yi Ning woke up, he still had four hours. He had a lot of access in hand, but if possible, he hoped he wouldn¡¯t have to use the Marshal-level authority.


    However, things didn¡¯t go as smoothly as he thought.


    Relying on his water-type concealment ability, Luo Duan easily avoided the camera and sneaked into the lower level of the Headquarters. Just as he was about to go deeper, the coldness around his neck started twitching again.


    ¡°Some¡­ someone is coming.¡± It emphasised with that eerie voice: ¡°Someone¡­ is coming.¡±


    Although Luo Duan didn¡¯t want to pay attention to this thing, he quietly hid away.


    Before his eyes, two figures appeared at the end of the corridor, heading underground. Luo Duan frowned ¡ª judging from their actions, those two mustn¡¯t be the staff here.


    ¡­¡­Who are they?


    At this moment, Shu Jun was feeling uncomfortable all over.


    In order for him to enter the Headquarters, Zhu Yanchen had turned off the defensive purifiers for a few seconds with Lao Dong¡¯s assistance from outside. However, the power of military purifiers was amazing. Even if the defensive purifiers were only put outside of the building, Shu Jun still felt very uncomfortable.


    Luckily, he didn¡¯t bring Monday, otherwise he had no idea when Monday would be screaming until. But at this moment, it was in Ai Xiaoxiao¡¯s hands, so probably its situation wasn¡¯t much better over there either.


    Hundreds of military purifiers were working like mad, and Shu Jun had an urge to vomit.


    ¡°Hold it.¡± Zhu Yanchen stroked his back with one hand and said in a low voice.


    With the authority over the alarm system, the two had smoothly penetrated all the way in. Their destination was very clear ¡ª usually the lowest floor of any base was the synthesised human¡¯s production plant, while the lowest floor of the Headquarters was the system responsible for controlling the ¡®truth¡¯.


    Since Zhu Yanchen was never a bossy person, the air of the four-person gathering earlier was very casual. Compared to Zhu Yanchen, the other two were obviously more interested in Shu Jun, which actually made him feel a tad awkward. But even with a slightly odd atmosphere, things were discussed clearly.


    Originally, Zhu Yanchen¡¯s idea was very simple ¡ª Lao Dong and Ai Xiaoxiao made the synthesised humans turn their focus to defense, and at the same time, The Old Fourth went to spread news of Erosion Marshes developing brains. When public opinion surged high enough, they would leak the records obtained from the ruins of X City, and certainly, things would ripple out from there.


    Even if the Player System couldn¡¯t be disbaled immediately, the plan to increase their production would inevitably be affected. Zhu Yanchen had already foreseen his own death. He originally only wanted to be a fuse to blow the problem to the surface.


    But in the end, he didn¡¯t die.


    The situation had gotten a bit embarrassing for him now ¡ª Marshal Zhu had carefully planned every step, even his death date. He didn¡¯t want to be the leader at the beginning, and as such, he didn¡¯t manage his image at all, and his reputation among the commoners was terribly bad. Even if he stood on the roof of the Headquarters and, out of thin air, pulled out a glamorous show of him coming back from the dead, he would still not be able to win the subsequent election.


    Not to mention that Zhu Sheng was still in power. Even if Lady Luck was on Zhu Yanchen¡¯s side and he somehow won the position of the leader, from behind, Zhu Sheng could still turn him into a mere puppet.


    When they discussed this matter earlier, Lao Dong¡¯s eyes almost rolled to the sky and back. Ai Xiaoxiao looked at Zhu Yanchen with a smile that didn¡¯t actually carry any smiling intent, with the word ¡®serve him¡¯ written on her left cheek and ¡®right¡¯ written on her right cheek.


    ¡°Should we give the evidence directly to Zhu Sheng?¡± Shu Jun didn¡¯t know much about politics, so he could only ask instinctively.


    ¡°It¡¯s pointless.¡± Lao Dong said hoarsely: ¡°The information obtained from X City can only prove that there existed a synthesised human who integrated with an Erosion Marsh. This system has been in operation for two hundred years, yet only a single case of such nature has been discovered. Zhu Yanchen¡¯s judgment wouldn¡¯t be valued. At best, this evidence can be used as a fuse, blow up some public opinion, and make people pay attention to this matter.¡±


    ¡°If you are Zhu Sheng, you have a plan in your hand ¡ª it has a 95% probability to promote social development and allow you to gain power for yourself, but on the other hand, there¡¯s a 5% probability that it¡¯ll bring about a large-scale disaster. There¡¯s only been one case in two hundred years. How would you choose? If we target public opinion in the very first place, we may force the coalition government to investigate further.¡±


    ¡°The old man really blabbers on and on.¡± Ai Xiaoxiao took a sip of tea. ¡°In short, if you want to liberate the synthesised humans and investigate the Erosion Marsh as much as you want, you must gain control over the coalition government as soon as possible. And get the coalition government, Yi Ning and Zhu Sheng are enemies that you can¡¯t ignore.¡±


    Lao Dong glared at Ai Xiaoxiao and the latter glanced back disdainfully. A smell of fire and medicine hung in the air.


    Ugh.


    Shu Jun didn¡¯t want to remember anymore. Thinking of these messy political problems made his stomach twitch again. He didn¡¯t know if it was affected by the discomfort of the body, but he felt a trace of aura of ¡®his kin¡¯ from a distance away ¡ª the aura was there one moment and disappeared the next. It lingered very far away, and as they entered the deepest floor of the base, it dissipated like smoke.


    Something seems odd.


    But since they had both reached this point, it wasn¡¯t appropriate to suddenly change their direction. In any case, the point was to prepare for the upcoming NPC mission. Shu Jun withdrew his suspicious gaze and followed Zhu Yanchen into the ground.


    In the dark corner, a strand of erosive substance slowly dripped down. It pulled itself extremely thin and quietly followed behind them.


    ¡°Almost¡­¡±


    It murmured behind Shu Jun¡¯s back.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost¡­ mature¡­ That¡¯s great.¡±

 CH 38

    Chapter 38: A Passing Encounter


    Shu Jun had been to the Headquarters before, where the assistants would always take him to the upper floor. This was the first time he had headed downwards. The two of them were clearly trespassing, but Zhu Yanchen walking in front of him didn¡¯t seem to feel guilty in the slightest, as though he was walking in his own yard.


    Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t speak a word. Shu Jun was so uncomfortable under the impact of the purifier, so he had to divert his attention by contemplating random stuff.


    After hearing a lot of things from Ai Xiaoxiao, Shu Jun didn¡¯t quite know how he should face Zhu Yanchen. He could understand why the man never explained anything properly ¡ª In the first place, Zhu Yanchen intended to save Shu Jun as much as his capacity could allow, and he succeeded immensely. If he deliberately explained that later, it would seem as though he had dedicated all his effort to this endeavour.


    That said, since they were partners, if Zhu Yanchen clearly talked about it, he could easily gain favour from Shu Jun. But, he chose to remain completely silent.


    On many issues, Marshal Zhu liked to remain silent. Although they were old friends in name, Shu Jun always had an inexplicable feeling of guilty conscience ¡ª Let¡¯s just say the life-saving favours they gave each other were even, but Zhu Yanchen actually helped Shu Jun a lot more in other matters, be it openly or secretly. Shu Jun admitted that his skin wasn¡¯t thin, but he was also not so thick-skinned to the extent that he would take Zhu Yanchen¡¯s help for granted.


    If Zhu Yanchen was more outgoing, even if Shu Jun carried little memories of the past, he would have the confidence to befriend him all over again. Regretfully, Marshal Zhu was as reserved as a steel walnut, one that couldn¡¯t be pressed open even with a three-meter thick iron gate. Shu Jun found no opening to ¡®attack¡¯ at all.


    ¡°Is your heart okay?¡± Walking in the white corridor that stretched endlessly before their eyes, Shu Jun tried to initiate a conversation. Earlier, when he completed his physical inspection, Ai Xiaoxiao asked Zhu Yanchen to return to check his heart. Shu Jun didn¡¯t know what the result was.


    ¡°Extremely good.¡± Zhu Yanchen slowed down a little.


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡±


    There was another long silence. Shu Jun had gone through a few topics in his mind, but found that he was harbouring way too many superfluous worries. He couldn¡¯t talk comfortably.


    ¡°¡­¡­What about you?¡± After a long silence, Zhu Yanchen probably felt the atmosphere was a bit awkward and took the initiative to speak.


    It could be seen that Zhu Yanchen had a hard time finding topics. Ai Xiaoxiao actually showed Shu Jun¡¯s inspection report to Zhu Yanchen, so if he really had any problems, Zhu Yanchen would know even before him.


    ¡°It¡¯s also very good.¡± Even though Shu Jun put on such a sincere tone, the conversation remained bland.


    Perhaps because Zhu Yanchen came back to his senses and realised that he had asked such a nonsensical question, his steps became quicker. Shu Jun quickly pulled the topic away: ¡°Talking about seeing a doctor, Luo Duan seems to be here to recover from his injuries. If we have time later, I want to see him. Even if I can¡¯t remove the fragments in his brain immediately, I can suppress the erosive substance in his body.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm.¡± For some reason, Zhu Yanchen¡¯s tone was stiff, sounding a little grumpy.


    ¡°I understand your concerns.¡± Shu Jun quickly added. ¡°Although Luo Duan and I aren¡¯t very close, he¡¯s really a reliable person. There¡¯s no harm in reaching out to him in advance.¡±


    After all, the current situation was really difficult.


    Even if they successfully obtained a sample of brain fragments and Ai Xiaoxiao successfully formulated a working immunosuppressant, it wouldn¡¯t be wise to ¡®awaken¡¯ too many Players at once ¡ª At the moment, there was still no solution to the Player¡¯s lifespan problem, and Players who had been deceived might not be willing to believe in Zhu Yanchen. Once a large-scale conflict took place, the only one that would benefit was the Erosion Marshes.


    They had to walk carefully step by step. If a step went wrong, all of them might end up dead.


    Speaking of tactics, Luo Duan wasn¡¯t as good as Shu Jun. But speaking of scheming, Shu Jun knew he was far worse than Luo Duan. Luo Duan wasn¡¯t an impulsive man. If he could be convinced to join their side, however Shu Jun thought about it, it would only be beneficial to the plan.


    ¡°I understand, there should be enough time.¡± Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t refuse, but the stiffness in his tone didn¡¯t disappear either.


    After all, Luo Duan wasn¡¯t Zhu Yanchen¡¯s subordinate. As of now, he had learnt about Luo Duan from Shu Jun¡¯s words alone, so it was normal for him to have some hesitation. Shu Jun thoughtfully patted Zhu Yanchen¡¯s shoulder, and the latter glanced at him with complicated eyes.


    The corridor finally came to an end, and they didn¡¯t have to find topics to talk about anymore.


    There was a hall hidden in the deepest part of the Headquarters.


    Shu Jun had seen a lot of monsters and had prepared himself mentally prior to this, but when he saw the things in front of him, he almost retched ¡ª


    In the center of the hall stood a cylindrical glass jar with a radius of about six meters, stretching from the floor to the ceiling and filled to the brim with something. Because that thing¡¯s shape was too regular, Shu Jun couldn¡¯t tell until he got close.


    This was a jar full of brain tissues.


    There were many hoses connected to it, floating sluggishly in the liquid, and small air bubbles were popping from time to time. Shu Jun was in a daze, failing to react until Zhu Yanchen completed the steps needed for their intrusion.


    ¡°I¡¯ve temporarily deactivated the alarm system and purifier system, we only have five minutes.¡± Zhu Yanchen pinched the timer. ¡°Be careful. Once the time is over, the concentration of erosive substance will become too much and they will start noticing.¡±


    Shu Jun pulled himself together and placed his hand on the cold jar. A thread of erosive substance, which was so thin that it looked almost non-existent, seeped in and turned into a hook, flicking the mechanical code lock a little bit. Three minutes later, a creak sounded from the base of the jar, and the jar¡¯s lid slowly opened.


    Afterwards, the erosive substance condensed into a strong spoon, and very meticulously, it scooped out a small amount of brain tissues from inside, enough to fit a small flask. As his pitch-black erosive substance hooked the pink brain tissues, Shu Jun felt his stomach churning with acid.


    But unfortunately, this thing was imperative to their plan.


    According to Zhu Yanchen, to break away from the brain fragments¡¯ control, they must first obtain a healthy raw sample. Once these tissues were made into implantable fragments to be used on the synthesised humans, their internal structure would be complex enough to make people go crazy. Zhu Yanchen had made some attempts before, but always failed to get the finished product.


    As for those that had been implanted, most of them dissolved along with the synthesised humans inside the Erosion Marshes, or were eroded away. There was no way Zhu Yanchen could carry out a craniotomy experiment on a healthy synthesised human, but now, with Shu Jun¡¯s help, he could trace back to the brain fragments¡¯ source without anyone knowing.


    After Shu Jun finished taking out the brain tissues, Zhu Yanchen poured incubation liquid into the sample flask. As soon as they restored the mechanical lock to its original state, the timer reached the last second.


    They barely made it.


    Zhu Yanchen carefully hid the sample flask under the chest of his coat and nodded at Shu Jun, but Shu Jun didn¡¯t return a relieved expression. He frowned and looked around.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Shu Jun muttered. ¡°It¡¯s like¡­ something is staring at me. Forget it, let¡¯s go see Luo Duan first.¡±


    With Ai Xiaoxiao¡¯s intelligence, Luo Duan¡¯s room was easy to locate. Shu Jun looked through the cracks in the inspection window. The room was dim, and a dark figure was leaning against the window sill.


    It seemed Luo Duan hadn¡¯t slept yet.


    There¡¯s no other way. Shu Jun shook his head and issued a ¡®suppression¡¯ command to the room from the door, hoping that this would help his ex-opponent suffer less pain. After heaving a long sigh, he left the floor with Zhu Yanchen.


    As soon as the two of them left, the figure beside the bed slowly collapsed ¡ª If viewed from another angle, it looked more like a black piece of human-shaped paper, whose thickness was almost negligible.


    The suppressed erosive substance was paralysed on the spot for a moment, then slowly, it crawled back up and seeped back into the wall like a liquid.


    At the moment, the real Luo Duan was still at the deepest floor.


    After seeing two intruders, he didn¡¯t dare to venture too deep. The two men wore very common-looking face masks, and Luo Duan couldn¡¯t see where they came from. He didn¡¯t want to really use Yi Ning¡¯s key either ¡ª God knows what those two men actually did. If he accidentally left some traces behind, he might later shoulder the blame for something he didn¡¯t do.


    But his plan didn¡¯t have to come to an end tonight. Yi Ning didn¡¯t put up any guard against him, so he could steal the key again another day.


    Luo Duan contemplated something about this floor, then turned around to head back while being only a small distance away from the entrance of the hall. But the weird voice once again appeared behind him ¡ª That thing was hovering around his spine like a frosty hand, slowly rubbing the back of his neck.


    ¡°To the right¡­ to the right¡­ the third door.¡± It whispered. ¡°The answer is there¡­ the answer is there¡­¡±


    Luo Duan pressed his temple irately, intending to ignore its existence as usual.


    That thing went quiet for a moment, but when it started talking again, its voice changed to a sweet, familiar voice.


    ¡°The answer is there¡­ The answer¡­ that you want.¡±


    ¡°Xiao Yuan?¡± Horrified, Luo Duan came to a halt.


    That was his fiancee¡¯s voice.


    Pei Shuyuan was originally the deputy captain of the Groundwater team and also an extremely good combatant. A year ago, she was swallowed by an Erosion Marsh, so according to the rules of [Erosion], she could only withdraw from the team.


    [I¡¯m out for a trip.] She said at that time. [In any case, you¡¯re about to retire, it¡¯s better to lead the team with some peace of mind. The timing is just nice, I¡¯ll look around to find a good city for us to get married.]


    After that, she would video-call him from time to time, and their photo and text exchange never stopped. It was just that Luo Duan was always busy, while Pei Shuyuan was travelling outside. With their schedule conflict, the communication between the two became less frequent over time.


    But they had been dating for almost ten years and their relationship had long passed the period of passion, so Luo Duan adapted very quickly.


    Why does this thing know Pei Shuyuan¡¯s voice?


    ¡°The answer¡­¡± The voice that was originally creepy now turned intimate, sounding almost like a whisper.


    Luo Duan stood rooted to the spot for a full five minutes, and eventually, he let out a long sigh and walked to the door that the thing asked him to. His skill Water Mirror reflected the images of the inside of the room, showing that no one was there.


    I¡¯ll just take a look, just take a look¡­


    If the answer he wanted was really there, he would consider continuing. If he found no noteworthy information, he would report this evil thing to the NPCs so that it would be dealt with.


    Behind the door was a warehouse, where he could see many tightly arranged small jars packed with meat and accumulating lots of dust. Luo Duan didn¡¯t find anything special. As he breathed a sigh of relief and was just about to turn back, something fell to the ground.


    It was an electronic tablet, with no dust on the surface at all. Someone must¡¯ve left it behind.


    Luo Duan hesitated for a few seconds before stepping forward. A lot of black threads started entangling the worn-out tablet, and the device turned on on its own, its screen illuminating the dim room.


    He picked it up to see the screen displaying a ¡®Recently Modified¡¯ log. The name of the first file at the top was rather eye-catching.


    [Synthesised Human Sample List and Precautions for Preservation].


    Luo Duan took a deep breath and carefully opened it.


    Early the next day, a personnel rushed into the room on the lowest floor. Seeing the electronic tablet lay quietly on the small table, he stuffed it into his backpack, letting out a long sigh of relief ¡ª Personal belongings should never be left in the workplace, not to mention that he hadn¡¯t set a password. If someone found out, he might lose his job.


    Luckily it was just one night. Other employees didn¡¯t come to this place very often, let alone any synthesised human. Nothing should¡¯ve gone wrong.


    ¡­¡­Speaking of this, there¡¯s indeed a synthesised human in the Headquarters right now.


    He quickly retrieved the tablet and headed to work. According to the regulations, they must first go to the upper floor to renew the passcode, then take another elevator to go underground. This is so troublesome, as he was thinking so, the synthesised human, who watched him hurriedly rush past the elevator door, helped him keep it open.


    The synthesised human carried a visitor tag with the name ¡®Bitter Rain¡¯ on his chest. He was handsome and exuded a gentle air, looking very comfortable to be here. So far, the impression this synthesised human left on him had been good.


    ¡°Are you going to see Marshal Yi Ning?¡± Seeing the synthesised human press on Yi Ning¡¯s floor, he couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Bitter Rain smiled at him.


    After hearing this sentence, he no longer dared to talk to the synthesised human ¡ª The circulating information regarding these things seem correct. They aren¡¯t humans after all, only a sort of weapon.


    He had never seen such a creepy smile.

 CH 39

    Chapter 39: Effect of The Mission


    Since the transportation of supplies was the coalition government¡¯s responsibility, Yu Jin didn¡¯t have to worry about carrying any big or small bags later. As such, Yu Jin went shopping to his heart¡¯s content, then he rented a trailer and pushed it slowly to Ai¡¯s Clinic while humming a folk song.


    It was still too soon for this world to recover. Except for those who were too free and didn¡¯t need to worry about making ends meet, most people have no opinion about same-sex relationships. To put it bluntly, in such a miserable world, wouldn¡¯t it be good to indulge in some happiness? If that person neither stole, robbed nor cheated anyone, who cared about how he had his joy?


    As a person who lived in the border area, Yu Jin was more open-minded than any ordinary man. Thinking that those two were still in the hospital and had no time to do their own shopping, he even specially bought them a gift.


    ¡°Only these?¡± Seeing the two¡¯s luggage, Yu Jin clicked his tongue. ¡°The coalition government will provide us with some basic supplies, but if you want to do your job comfortably, you must bring something else. You two, like this¡­¡±


    The bags that Grey Claw and Haze carried weren¡¯t big, just two dirty duffel bags whose dust hadn¡¯t even been wiped off. One corner of the zipper was broken, revealing the nutritional supplement packages and medicine boxes full of creases stuffed inside.


    As though they were simply heading out for a New Year vacation¡­


    Never mind. No matter how smart The Old Fourth¡¯s members were, they still lacked experience. At such a time, a veteran like Yu Jin still had to play his role.


    ¡°Here, for you both.¡± Yu Jin generously threw a box over.


    Shu Jun dazedly received it: ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Half an hour ago, the two of them quickly ran back to Ai¡¯s Clinic after obtaining the brain tissue sample, but they were unable to get past the clinic¡¯s door. Ai Xiaoxiao had actually helped them prepare their luggage and thrown it out like trash. Considering that between the two of them, one was immune to erosion and the other was basically an Erosion Marsh himself, Ai Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t even bother hiding how sloppy she was with their luggage ¡ª In any case, even if they were tossed directly into the erosion zone, they would survive just as well.


    As a by-product, Monday was also thrown out. Seeing Shu Jun, it immediately wailed like a dog whose foot had been stepped on, strugglingly climbed onto Shu Jun¡¯s back and completely refused to let go.


    At first, Shu Jun thought that if he wasn¡¯t by Monday¡¯s side, it might try a sneak attack on Ai Xiaoxiao. But looking at its reaction now, it seemed that it was brutally bullied instead.


    Zhu Yanchen obviously understood his subordinate¡¯s personality. He took out the brain sample and solemnly handed it to Ai Xiaoxiao. The latter nodded at him, and the disdain on her face faded quite a bit. After pondering for a moment, she decided to put a few more candies into their luggage.


    ¡°Thanks, I will study it as soon as possible.¡± Without any arrogance or ridicule on her face, Ai Xiaoxiao leaned against the door, her tone sounding somewhat like a soldier.


    As soon as she returned to her clinic, Yu Jin arrived.


    From when they entered the city till the moment they left, the two of them had been moving around for around 12 hours without resting at all. With drowsiness crashing his head, Shu Jun opened Yu Jin¡¯s gift almost by instinct, and immediately, he became wide-awake.


    Yu Jin bought them a bottle of lubricant. [T/N: Immediately, the translator also became wide-awake. ¦²?(??? )]


    Seeing Shu Jun freeze on the spot, Yu Jin quickly explained: ¡°In any case, you can just use it, the anti-erosion effect is quite good. Doesn¡¯t brother Haze use guns? We all use this brand to maintain the parts, it helps slow down our weapons¡¯ wearing¡­ Also, inside the erosion zone, you have to put on old, heavy equipment, so your skin tears down easily. This lubricant will be very effective. It¡¯s indeed a bit expensive, but everyone who engages in this business usually carries a bottle with them.¡±


    He laughed mischievously: ¡°I guess you two probably brought your own too, but the brand may not be correct. So just in case, I¡¯ll give you this bottle.¡±


    Shu Jun let out a few hiccups and quickly stuffed the bottle into his bag. Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t look over, probably thinking about the issue at hand.


    Luckily Marshal Zhu is in a daze. Shu Jun breathed a sigh of relief, then reprimanded himself in his heart ¡ª When he joked around with his gang before, he never cared about how lewd the jokes might get. If standing next to him was Hu Yan, vice-captain of the Blackbird team, the two of them would roll on the floor laughing for 30 seconds straight, then use this to naughtily incite each other.


    It should be nothing like now. Zhu Yanchen still didn¡¯t say a word, yet Shu Jun was feeling his heart shudder like crazy, as though he had travelled all the way back to puberty.


    He hoped that when this mission was over, the weird atmosphere between them would get better.


    Speaking of Hu Yan, the man turned up at once.


    As the ¡®NPCs¡¯ who would lead the way, the three of them got to spend most of the day in Y City, which was considered welfare granted to them by the higher-ups. After dozens of non-disclosure agreements were signed and all the procedures were completed, they were taken to the gate of Y City, where they met with the core team of Blackbird.


    Hu Yan was promoted from vice-captain to the captain, but he wasn¡¯t very happy, looking as dejected as a deflated balloon.


    Shu Jun thought he could control his emotions, but it turned out that as soon as he saw those familiar player numbers, he still clenched his fists quietly, bitterness lumping in his throat. Zhu Yanchen reached out one hand and gently pressed on the back of Shu Jun¡¯s hand.


    The two didn¡¯t move, but Yu Jin only thought this was their first mission, so they were rather unsure of what to do. He cleared his throat, said his greetings calmly and shook hands with Hu Yan.


    Hu Yan swept a glance at the three ¡®NPCs¡¯, and the second his gaze landed on them, he withdrew it.


    Shu Jun could guess what Hu Yan was thinking ¡ª When he was still a player, Shu Jun only had the missions in his mind. Even when the NPC guides came, most of them wouldn¡¯t say anything, nor would they eat and live with the combatants. They acted more like day-tour guides who delivered the service exactly according to what they were paid for. There was never any need to specifically communicate with them.


    But this time, with Hu Yan here, Shu Jun must talk.


    Although their old captain wasn¡¯t with them, the Blackbird team was still in a good mood because they just won the competition. Investigation missions had never been difficult for them, so there wasn¡¯t much pressure on the team. On the first day, they didn¡¯t leave the safe zone and Shu Jun kept to a compliant facade. On the evening of the second day, Yu Jin went out to lead the team to put up their camp, so Shu Jun finally found a chance to make his move.


    Zhu Yanchen was better than him when it came to theoretical research on Erosion Marsh, yet not as good as Ai Xiaoxiao in terms of treatment, so he naturally could only follow Shu Jun. Ai Xiaoxiao had just gotten the brain sample from them, hence the immunosuppressant hadn¡¯t yet been made. Right now, they could only try to deal with Hu Yan with their own mouths.


    When they walked past the door, Hu Yan was turning the indoor purifier to its maximum capacity, clad in his pyjamas while drinking some soup. Seeing that two NPCs got in by themselves and pulled up the zipper of his tent, he followed their movements with suspicious eyes and almost got burnt by the hot soup.


    ¡°Lao Hu.¡± Shu Jun took off his mask directly, not planning to give his vice-captain any time to breathe.


    At this moment, the hot soup just barely touched Hu Yan¡¯s tongue, yet the thermos flask lid full of soup dropped to the ground.


    As the soup splashed onto his socks, Hu Yan let out a scream and a drop of tear almost leaked out from the corner of his eyes. Shu Jun casually waved his hand, summoning a soft breeze to wrap twice around Hu Yan¡¯s wet socks. Finally, Hu Yan stopped screaming, instead, he started gasping for air with a loud hiss.


    With the smell of soup mixed with the smell of wet socks, the aroma inside the tent was rather difficult to describe.


    ¡°Captain Shu?!¡± After taking in some cold breaths, Hu Yan finally spoke slowly: ¡°Didn¡¯t you go on your honeymoon with sister-in-law?¡±


    Shu Jun was stupefied for a moment. Being completely stunned by such a bolt out of the blue, his manner of speaking now sounded almost like Monday¡¯s: ¡°Ah? What?¡±


    ¡°No? Didn¡¯t you just send a sweet photo of yours to all brothers in the team? I guessed it right, didn¡¯t I? Sister-in-law is such a beautiful lady. Why did you leave her behind and just enter the game like this?¡±


    Zhu Yanchen had to hide his identity and didn¡¯t take off his mask, but Shu Jun could still feel the man¡¯s gaze on him.


    ¡°Erm¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Aiya, all brothers were jealous of you for a while. You see, in order to let you have fun out there with peace of mind, we didn¡¯t dare to bother you two for a while. Aren¡¯t you supposed to be having a good holiday, how did you become an NPC?¡±


    Swallowing Hu Yan¡¯s continuous interrogation, Shu Jun finally realised.


    In order to tease him, Hu Yan always liked to call Haze ¡®sister-in-law¡¯. At this very moment, the genuine Haze was actually standing right behind Shu Jun, which meant, the one in the ¡®real world¡¯ must be a fake one. Now that he thought about it, this wasn¡¯t surprising at all. If Haze¡¯s identity in the ¡®real world¡¯ wasn¡¯t in line with the Blackbird team¡¯s imagination, the artificial-intelligence ??Shu Jun who pretended to be him would certainly be bombarded left and right with calls from the other team members, because, well, they would likely want to comfort him.


    Therefore, the best move was to create a happy, enviable couple, which would essentially kill two birds with one stone ¡ª this would not only reduce the contact between the players and the fake Shu Jun, but also show the players the sort of bright future they could enjoy after retirement.


    ¡°I had a fight with your sister-in-law, so the atmosphere got a little awkward.¡± Shu Jun decisively played along. ¡°It just so happened that an official from [Erosion] found me and we discussed putting up this mission. Anyway, I now work as a part-time NPC, and according to the rules, I can only tell you that ¡ª If everyone knows, the mission will lose its effect.¡±


    Seeing his old captain return, Hu Yan suddenly felt happy: ¡°That¡¯s great then.¡±


    ¡°This mission is actually quite difficult. You need to be mentally prepared. Your sister-in-law and I¡­ cough¡­ I mean to say, my friend here and I will work together to come up with a strategy. One Eye is a real NPC, don¡¯t disturb him.¡± Shu Jun almost stumbled.


    ¡°Can you keep playing like this in the future?¡± Hu Yan looked at Shu Jun eagerly. ¡°To tell the truth, captain Shu, without you, I really don¡¯t want to lead this team.¡±


    This was exactly the effect that Shu Jun wanted.


    ¡°Of course. When [Erosion] asked me to come back as an NPC, it was under the instruction of someone higher. Do you still keep the contact information of other captains? Remember to help me pass this message.¡±


    ¡°Hey, old habits die hard.¡± Hu Yan chided him with bemusement, and slowly, the tension in his emotions also eased out.


    Even when the battle was fierce, Shu Jun was never the type to actively push his opponent to the corner. In fact, he did the opposite ¡ª he was rather willing to keep in touch with the captains and even gave them tactical advice. To him, the game didn¡¯t have a PVP setting anyway, so instead of stealthily tripping people, Shu Jun actually hoped that his rivals would maintain their strength and become as strong as possible. This would make him feel better if he won against them.


    The entire Blackbird team knew about this habit of his. It wasn¡¯t like no one opposed the idea, but after many fruitless attempts to sway his mind, the team gradually gave up. off.


    Hu Yan¡¯s age wasn¡¯t as big, and he lost to Shu Jun from time to time, but he was an upright young man, one who made questionable moves behind his team¡¯s back. Since Shu Jun really liked Hu Yan¡¯s frankness and integrity from the beginning, he tried to push Hu Yan all the way to the position of vice-captain.


    Hu Yan¡¯s usual temper finally came back now. Seeing his comrade-in-arms who fought by his side for several years, Shu Jun¡¯s mouth uttered a lie, but his heart was swirling with a sense of bitterness.


    Before Ai Xiaoxiao successfully produced the immunosuppressant, Zhu Yanchen and he had no way to relieve the shock that happened to a player¡¯s brain if the truth was exposed to him. Since the two couldn¡¯t just bluntly expose the truth, they could only resort to this desperate method. The fewer sacrifices they made, the better.


    Seeing Hu Yan smile happily, Shu Jun resisted the surge of emotion that felt as though his heart was pricked by a needle. He couldn¡¯t help but speak again: ¡°Lao Hu, be serious, don¡¯t take it lightly ¡ª¡±


    ¡°On that topic,¡± Hu Yan interrupted without the slightest hint of hesitation, and he shifted his eyes to Zhu Yanchen, who had remained completely silent till this point: ¡°This person¡¯s nickname is also ¡®Haze¡¯? Why? Did my sister-in-law summon someone to supervise you?¡±


    ¡°Also?¡± Zhu Yanchen asked politely.


    Shu Jun: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The secret feeling he had been harbouring in his heart was smashed into pieces by Hu Yan before it even had a chance to completely bloom¡­


    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t you know? My sister-in-law¡¯s game ID is called ¡®Haze¡¯. Captain Shu is quite ¡ª¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s an unanticipated notice! We¡¯ll head out first.¡± Shu Jun grabbed Hu Yan¡¯s chin and fiercely jumped at his throat.¡± Remember what I said, do not take this lightly. I¡¯ll stare intently at you on the whole journey. If our Blackbird team loses so much as one member, I¡¯ll screw your head off.¡±


    Hu Yan let out a few long hisses: ¡°I¡¯ll do my job, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Shu Jun put his mask back, pulled Zhu Yanchen out of the tent and took a few deep breaths at the entrance of the tent.


    Before the mission started, he even had the heart to hope that the atmosphere between the two would become less awkward. Now not only that stiffness didn¡¯t get better, but it also turned into amber, clotting him from inside.


    ¡°I used to encrypt our conversations very carefully.¡± Zhu Yanchen opened his mouth thoughtfully, breaking the silence. ¡°Under the system¡¯s restriction, other players could only see the encrypted content. I made an NPC out there just to play the role of ¡®Haze¡¯. As for the profile of that NPC¡­¡±


    ¡°I can guess, it was to stop the other members of Blackbird from talking too much.¡± Shu Jun spoke towards the air in front of him, not daring to look back. ¡°How did you make the conversations between us appear to be?¡±


    ¡°From the system¡¯s point of view, the main topic of our talks was planting. Discussing game strategies was just the icing on the cake.¡±


    Shu Jun had nothing to say; he did grow two pots of Platycodon flowers on his balcony. This narrowly fit into the story that Zhu Yanchen built.


    A moment later, he asked: ¡°On the other side, people who stay in the city can¡¯t be players. Were you also prepared to meet up with me while putting on the disguise of that NPC?¡±


    In the ¡®real world¡¯ that the players lived, the NPCs were actual NPCs.


    ¡°I was.¡± Zhu Yanchen answered earnestly. ¡°As an eighty-year-old man.¡±


    How should he put it¡­? In this regard, we seem to indeed have some strange tacit understanding between us. Shu Jun laughed dryly.


    Zhu Yanchen¡¯s purpose was quite obvious. If he hadn¡¯t engaged in the suicidal operation and the two of them had really met, the relationship would have been kept to only text communication. Because obviously, Shu Jun couldn¡¯t always drag an eighty-year-old man out to eat and drink together.


    And if Shu Jun hadn¡¯t appeared out of nowhere, Zhu Yanchen would have investigated the erosion area by himself while slowly waiting for his death.


    Marshal Zhu did calculate really well ??¡ª If he died quietly, Shu Jun wouldn¡¯t be too surprised by the death of an ¡®old friend¡¯ in that virtual city.


    Thinking of this, Shu Jun¡¯s stomach suddenly twisted into a ball.


    ¡­¡­When this mission is over, we should probably talk about this seriously.

 CH 40

    Chapter 40: Nightmare


    Zhu Yanchen couldn¡¯t tell what he was feeling.


    Shu Jun¡¯s ability to control emotions was better than he thought. Facing his ex-teammates, Shu Jun kept his cool rather well, but as for Zhu Yanchen, the word ¡®honeymoon¡¯ uttered by Hu Yan really had him dazed for a few seconds.


    If Shu Jun really had a lover, he never mentioned it to his text-friend ¡®Haze¡¯.


    In a blink, countless tastes gathered at his lips, but Zhu Yanchen couldn¡¯t quite tell whether it was bitter or salty. But now that he thought about it, between Shu Jun and him, there had always been a huge distance. Their text communication was the result of hefty efforts ¡ª The virtual city was protected by many security layers, and he had to struggle quite a bit in order to quietly create an opening without alarming the technicians.


    There were two main motives behind their text exchange.


    For the greater good, it was because Shu Jun liked to share tactics with other captains, thus knowledge could be transferred through him. In this way, Zhu Yanchen could quietly relay safety tactics that allowed the players to stay alive longer.


    But for Zhu Yanchen¡¯s own good, it was because he had been walking all alone. It had come to a point when he needed someone to lean on.


    He had spent all his life trying to fully understand the problems surrounding Erosion Marsh, determined to leave behind a legacy that was enough to start a conflagration upon his death. Even if he had to consider their very first promise, Zhu Yanchen¡¯s death still somewhat fulfilled it. Both of them didn¡¯t have much longer to live, and as such, Zhu Yanchen hoped that he would head to the Yellow Spring1 first, then waited for Shu Jun to join him with open arms.


    He knew that Shu Jun couldn¡¯t remember what happened back then, and he also knew that he was incapable of dealing with the shock that would happen to Shu Jun¡¯s brain. He had no way to save this man who was once his friend.


    Then, at least, in the last few years of his life, he wanted to have a few conversations with this person.


    However, Shu Jun was more enthusiastic than he thought. At first, the two of them mainly spoke about game strategies, but later, this person went on to share about whatever interesting things that he encountered in life. Affected by Shu Jun¡¯s contagious zeal, Zhu Yanchen inevitably opened his shell a little and, from time to time, chatted along with Shu Jun.


    After all, this was the moment when Zhu Yanchen could be least worried. In the very last stage of his illness, this was his little solace.


    Now that he had survived, Zhu Yanchen couldn¡¯t help but hope that he would be more special, at least not a mere acquaintance who couldn¡¯t even touch Shu Jun.


    Yet now, it seemed even Hu Yan knew that Shu Jun had a lover.


    But then, before Zhu Yanchen came back to his senses, Hu Yan blew up another bomb: ¡°Sister-in-law¡¯s game ID is ¡®Haze¡¯.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He reacted extremely quickly and instantly guessed that all this was an effect of the system¡¯s arrangement. Even so, he still felt a sense of inexplicable joy. Seeing Shu Jun scratching his cheeks in embarrassment outside the tent, for once, Marshal Zhu took the initiative to relieve the tension.


    But he didn¡¯t expect that when he finished his explanation, Shu Jun¡¯s emotions actually sank.


    That night, Zhu Yanchen turned over to find the sleeping bag next to him empty and icy cold. There was only the sound of Yu Jin snoring in his ears.


    Monday, which should¡¯ve laid sideways next to him, was gone.


    Zhu Yanchen sat up at once, hastily put on his protective clothing and got out of the tent.


    He was a little worried ¡ª Shu Jun had always surpassed his expectations. After knowing the truth, he didn¡¯t jump to recklessly save other players, nor did he vent out his hatred on Zhu Yanchen, Ai Xiaoxiao, Yu Jin or any other human beings. These past few days, the two had been running around to solve the issue of synthesised humans and got along fairly happily.


    But even if things were gradually resolved, his hatred was there after all.


    Shu Jun didn¡¯t go far. In order to guard against strong winds, the Blackbird team camped on the edge of a low cliff. Shu Jun was sitting on the cliff at the moment, with no one else around. He simply pushed the gas mask to the side of his head, his grey eyes gleaming in the night.


    The first to spot Zhu Yanchen was Monday, and it exhaled energetically: ¡°Zhu! Zhu ¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Shu Jun pressed his hand on the hilt of the sword. Without looking back, he shifted his body to the side to make some space for Zhu Yanchen.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t lose my mind and simply run away with Hu Yan and the others.¡± As Zhu Yanchen sat down, Shu Jun turned his face to the side, his expression a tad complicated: ¡°After all, you¡¯re such a reliable partner. There¡¯ll be no civilian presence after this village, I won¡¯t have the guts to act rashly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not worried about this.¡±


    ¡°No?¡± Shu Jun smiled and moved slightly once more. The two got close enough, and on such a cold night, the warmth of a human body felt particularly pronounced.


    Zhu Yanchen remained silent for a few seconds. Figuring that he didn¡¯t know how to continue, he could only nod.


    ¡°A Yan, two days ago, you said that I could talk with you like before.¡± Shu Jun¡¯s voice was clear and full of vigour: ¡°Then shall I talk? I had a nightmare just now, one that was especially sinister.¡±


    That was indeed the sort of topic that they used to discuss via texts before.


    ¡°I dreamt of myself, but it was the normal me of before ¡ª ¡®that thing¡¯ was eroded all over, its bones were exposed and its face was eaten away. It stood in front of me, constantly throwing words at me. In short, it wanted me to kill you, kill Yu Jin and directly bring the Blackbird team to build a few strongholds, then seek revenge from humans.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen: ¡°¡­¡­¡± He really didn¡¯t know how to respond to this.


    ¡°I think that was quite interesting. I dreamt of it last night, and it came again tonight. I rarely dream. It¡¯s certainly not a coincidence.¡± Shu Jun yawned and stroked Monday¡¯s side. ¡°As soon as I slept, it began to mumble, as promptly as one clocking in for his job.¡±


    At this point, Zhu Yanchen heard the insinuation. He held his breath and looked at Shu Jun.


    ¡°I did say that I harbour hatred for humans. Y City is really lively. Groups after groups of people step on our corpses to survive. They are innocent because they¡¯re clueless? I won¡¯t accept that. But from what I see, at least such a crime doesn¡¯t deserve death ¡ª The people I want to kill are those who know the truth and insist on implementing the Player system.¡±


    Shu Jun lifted his hand and casually pointed one of his fingers, where his sharp claw had grown, upward.


    ¡°But before that, I¡¯ll do everything possible to ensure that my comrades will survive. No matter how the situation changes, this is definitely the first priority¡­ So I think ¡®the thing¡¯ that keeps talking in my dreams shouldn¡¯t be my subconscious mind.¡±


    ¡°When did this dream start?¡± Zhu Yanchen asked sternly.


    ¡°Only in the past two days. The biggest event that happened recently probably should be us sneaking into the Headquarters to steal the brain tissues. Let me ask you, great Marshal ¡ª¡±


    Shu Jun propped his hand on the ground and tilted his body to the side, his face leaning in very close. Feeling the heat from radiation, Zhu Yanchen pursed his lips.


    ¡°¡ª Your Headquarters, is there really nothing wrong with it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say.¡± As he opened his mouth again, Zhu Yanchen found that his own voice was a little dry. ¡°The Headquarters¡¯ defense against contamination is rather thorough, so it¡¯s definitely impossible for a fully-grown Erosion Marsh to enter. But in order to ensure the entry and exit of the synthesised humans, the erosive substance won¡¯t be completely eliminated.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Shu Jun made a long hiss through his nose, his brows creasing.


    ¡°There are also loopholes.¡± Zhu Yanchen continued: ¡°They trust the purifier system too much and will only carry out checks according to the regulations. Even if something is found to be wrong, the application process will take a certain amount of time.¡±


    A thought ran through his subconscious mind, but as he tried to study it carefully, it disappeared.


    ¡°Okay, it seems that I need to have a few more dreams to see what ¡®that thing¡¯¡¯s motive is.¡± Shu Jun smiled again and reached towards the coat on Zhu Yanchen¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I dreamt of something uncomfortable and just wanted to relax a bit. Let¡¯s head back, your body is still a human¡¯s, be careful to not catch a cold.¡±


    While no vegetation grew in the erosion zone, the erosive substance really liked water, so the whole place looked like a barren swamp. The sky above had always been gloomy. Even if Shu Jun stopped the wind around him, the air remained eerily damp and cold, making it feel as if every step he took, he was walking through a ghost.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t bear those negative emotions¡­¡± Zhu Yanchen stood up.


    He actually wanted to say ¡°you can also talk to me¡±, but as one of the humans himself, such a sentence seemed rather mocking. He threw away the first half of the sentence, and the second half was left festering in his chest.


    Shu Jun stopped smiling. He stared at Zhu Yanchen for a while, and finally said vaguely: ¡°The way you see things is interesting. You must¡¯ve been alone for a long time and had a rich experience.¡±


    These words didn¡¯t seem to be sarcastic, rather, three parts of them carried his anger and seven parts were drenched in dissatisfaction. Before he finished speaking, Shu Jun stretched out his hands to fasten Zhu Yanchen¡¯s coat button, almost emanating an intent of wanting to strangle the person.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head back, quickly.¡± After fastening the button, Shu Jun raised his claws intimidatingly. ¡°If I can¡¯t stand it, I will not not say anything. I must scream in front of you for three days and three nights. I¡¯m not like a certain someone who pretends to be an eighty-year-old man and intends to vanish off this Earth in complete silence.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look. I understand your reason, you have limited choices, but does it have anything to do with my frustration?¡±


    Zhu Yanchen was dumbfounded, for it was the first time he met such an unreasonable partner. Although there was nothing to refute, a sense of pain surged from his heart.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back, we need to get up early tomorrow.¡± After being tortured by Shu Jun¡¯s eyes for two or three minutes, he finally said dryly. ¡°Regarding the Headquarters, I¡¯ll contact Ai Xiaoxiao.¡±


    ¡°What else?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ no, we can talk about emotional issues. It works both ways.¡±


    ¡°Now that sounds somewhat acceptable.¡±


    In Y City, Ai Xiaoxiao wasn¡¯t sleeping either.


    Since getting that flask of brain tissues, she had studied more happily than anyone else. Unlike Zhu Yanchen, who researched Erosion Marsh in depth, she was better at treating later stages of body erosion. As far as medicine was concerned, she had confidence.


    While waiting for the analysis result from the machine, she chewed on the fifth caffeine lollipop.


    There were no guests this late at night. This moment when time seemed to stand still was the best time to do research. If anything was imperfect, it was that there had been quite a number of invited guests invading her life as of late ¡ª Zhu Yanchen had cheated death, hence the original arrangement no longer sufficed. On the other hand, Lao Dong had been running here a lot in order to take care of Zhu Yanchen¡¯s instructions, and he always specially selected the quiet hours of the night.


    Today, Lao Dong was here once again.


    If it were not for this old man having a tendency to look for cats in isolated corners and not treating this clinic as his own home, Ai Xiaoxiao would definitely have tossed him out. To be asked to open and close the door when inspiration was peaking in her head was the very limit that she would put up with.


    Ai Xiaoxiao rolled his eyes, picked up the treatment solution on her side and began to carefully drip the new drug onto it. As soon as she reached the third drop, the detector on the workbench screamed. Ai Xiaoxiao¡¯s hand shook, which meant that the entire tube would have to be discarded.


    ¡°F**k!¡± She squeezed a swear word through her teeth.


    Today, she was determined to not show any respect to this old man. I definitely have to beat this messy old man up. Ai Xiaoxiao fiercely grabbed the keychain on the hook and walked through the corridor, rushing into another underground passage.


    But as she arrived at her destination, Lao Dong¡¯s expression was even unsightlier than her.


    ¡°Explain.¡± His voice was hoarse.


    ¡°Explain your head, you are making a mess in my house and want me to explain?¡±


    ¡°The detector has picked up an abnormal signal, so I must make sure that no one has intruded or is eavesdropping on us.¡±


    ¡°But would you f**king explain first? Are you trying to open the door yourself?¡±


    ¡°How would I have the nerve to? If I really disturb you during your experiment, you can pull out my bones and mold them into a broom, then use it to wipe the remnants of your patients¡¯ urology test.¡± Lao Dong also didn¡¯t hold back. ¡°Now, explain. A very complicated hybrid lock is used here. No one should be able to get in except you.¡±


    Lao Dong stood in front of the old door. The door was metal, heavy and covered with mottled rust. Many types of locks were scattered on it. From the old-style physical locks to the latest electronic locks, all sorts were present.


    Ai Xiaoxiao sneered. She had seen the bulge under Lao Dong¡¯s sleeve; it was very likely a gun.


    ¡°If it hadn¡¯t been for you to work under Zhu Yanchen, you would¡¯ve been dead by now.¡± Behind the large keychain, a scalpel shone coldly. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. Have you heard of Bluebeard¡¯s room?¡±


    ¡°Have you heard of Bluebeard¡¯s ending?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask Zhu Yanchen.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯ll have to wait a while, right? I won¡¯t give you time to prepare, and I¡¯m not interested in your personal affairs. If our interests are the same, you can let me take a look. Regardless of whether it¡¯s the Devil or anything else, as long as the abnormal signal doesn¡¯t mean any danger, I won¡¯t say even half a word.¡±


    For a moment, Ai Xiaoxiao stabbed Lao Dong with her gaze.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s say I¡¯m doing this out of respect for Zhu Yanchen.¡± She said: ¡°In exchange, if you say even half a word, I¡¯ll definitely skin you alive ¡ª Literally, I will do what I say.¡±

 CH 41

    Chapter 41: Again, He Rose From The Dead


    Xia Liang snorted inwardly.


    She knew that Ai Xiaoxiao couldn¡¯t understand her, and she didn¡¯t have the slightest liking for Ai Xiaoxiao either ¡ª People valued harmony when doing business, yet this woman only always had her eyes on the money, and her temper was nothing commendable either. Xia Liang was used to acting domineering over others, to the point that even Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t bother to chide her. Yet, this Ai Xiaoxiao always had to collide head-on with her.


    Not to mention, Xia Liang¡¯s mood today was super bad.


    Since Zhu Yanchen faked his death, in addition to giving out daily commands, she also had to supervise The Fourth Team. After finishing her work on the outside, her personal time was already rather limited, but with this, there was even less time left.


    She was as worn out as a dead dog at work, and her personal life wasn¡¯t great either.


    All her plans for dating had gone sour, and just yesterday, her girlfriend couldn¡¯t bear with it anymore and decided to break up. Miss Xia, always a stubborn lady as she was, knew that she herself was in the wrong, but it wasn¡¯t her character to surrender in a bid to save their relationship. Her short romance had thus come to a tragic full stop.


    But even when she just went through a breakup, she had no time to slow down. She had to attend to work at the clinic this late into the night, yet Ai Xiaoxiao still had to show so much disdain towards her.


    Xia Liang was so angry but she had nowhere to vent. In any case, she first had to carry out a safety inspection. She directly pulled out all the inspection equipment and decided to dig three feet deep into the ground, determined to pull out whatever evil roots that were hidden there.


    But before she even managed to dig up much, an abnormal signal caught her attention.


    This is good. Xia Liang grabbed the equipment and planned to open the door on the spot to check, but to her utter surprise, the security measures at Ai¡¯s Clinic were comparable to that of the Headquarters. Barely a few minutes after she started, Ai Xiaoxiao herself arrived at the scene.


    After the argument, seeing Ai Xiaoxiao clench her teeth and open the door, Xia Liang finally could feel a little relieved.


    However, this sense of victory didn¡¯t last for even two seconds, for the sight behind the door shattered it into pieces.


    In an instant, Xia Liang thought she was looking at the synthesised human storage room in the stronghold.


    The room behind the door was quite big, occupying a space much larger than Ai¡¯s Clinic above ground. Rather than being arranged in rows, the hibernation pods here were placed in a ring pattern, their amount roughly one to two hundred. With one pod as their center, all the pods fanned out in circles. A lot of infusing tubes hung above each pod, quietly passing liquid medicine into it.


    The top of the room was studded with crude machine gears. Numerous threads twisted into ropes, entering the pod together with the infusing tubes. Many tiny indicator lights flickered in the dim light, like the eyes of a spider.


    Xia Liang walked a few steps inside.


    This room was full of old-fashioned hibernation pods that had been thrown away since long ago. Their lid was translucent, allowing her to see the shape of the creatures inside. Xia Liang was fearless by nature, but at this moment, she couldn¡¯t help shivering.


    The things inside could hardly be called ¡®humans¡¯ anymore.


    The ¡®creatures¡¯ on the outer circle could still vaguely be seen as human figures, but those in the inner circle had become something else completely ¡ª These creatures looked like a pile of squid mixed together, their opaque-grey skin glowing like water. But no squid tentacles were seen in this mass, only some scattered external organs, some exposed internal organs and flesh. From the gaps in the flesh, strands of hair were poking out.


    Furthermore, their exterior showed scales and fingernails that looked nothing like humans¡¯. They absolutely didn¡¯t follow any normal anatomy principles.


    They had only one thing in common ¡ª Each of them had an exposed heart that was beating slowly, while their deformed eyeballs were covered with a thin film, showing that they were sleeping.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they pretty?¡± Seeing Xia Liang staying silent for a long time, Ai Xiaoxiao sneered coldly.


    Xia Liang ignored her. She walked around the room and stood in front of the hibernation pod in the middle, trying to properly inspect it.


    The signal indeed came from here, or to be precise, from the crude machine gears on the ceiling. The signal it sent was very similar to that of a stronghold. The difference could only be distinguished when she came closer.


    Since there was indeed a difference, this could no longer be regarded as an abnormal signal. Xia Liang put away the inspection equipment and scanned the hibernation pod in the middle. The contents inside were closer to some sort of grey fluid than balls of flesh.


    ¡°The signal is no longer dangerous.¡± Xia Liang pinched her throat that now belonged to an old man, and said with a hint of defeat: ¡°As I said before, I won¡¯t ask any questions.¡±


    Slightly taken aback, Ai Xiaoxiao briefly glanced at her and showed a slightly relaxed expression: ¡°Then quickly get out.¡±


    Saying so, she took the initiative to squeeze into the door, adjusted the purifier¡¯s settings for a bit, then carefully locked the door. Xia Liang looked at her profile ¡ª when Ai Xiaoxiao gazed at this room full of monsters, her expression was a bit complicated. In short, it became softer.


    Forget it, someone who can put up such a thing at her own clinic mustn¡¯t be a normal person. I myself am extremely normal, so I must stay away from this weirdo.


    Another night passed by uneventfully. Xia Liang returned to the Xia family¡¯s residence in the early morning and began to put on makeup.


    The Xia family was aware of Xia Liang¡¯s sexual orientation. To be frank, they never cared much ¡ª because there had never been much love involved in marriages that were arranged between families, and there also had been many cases of either partner having an affair outside after getting married. As long as Xia Liang chose the right fianc¨¦ in earnest, even if she snuck out every day to find her lover, they would keep one eye close.


    For example, right now, even though she came home at five in the morning, the nanny didn¡¯t show the slightest expression of surprise.


    Xia Liang always disliked her family¡¯s attitude, but she couldn¡¯t change the elders¡¯ way of thinking. Waiting till she got older, Xia Liang quietly started her side career and followed Zhu Yanchen into the battlefield.


    It wasn¡¯t out of sympathy for the synthesised humans, or out of any softest, purest compassion. She just felt useless.


    The Xia family had always been committed to being someone who went whichever way the wind blew, vacillating between the Zhu and the Tang family. Boys were trained to become dependents for either of the two families, while girls were married off. Over years and years of acting as an obedient dog for the two families, of course, the Xia family got to eat some meat.


    Xia Liang was one of their most successful ¡®bargaining chips¡¯. She looked very much like her singer grandmother. Since she was old enough to understand these matters, they had trained her in the direction of becoming her grandmother¡¯s shadow ¡ª with people dearly missing the country¡¯s beloved singer from decades ago, their obsession was smoothly transferred to Xia Liang. The Xia family thus made an impressive amount of fame and fortune.


    Xia Liang herself didn¡¯t detest living this life of extravagance, but since she chewed on this meat very slowly, what she could taste was only the slightest bit of familial love.


    Not to mention, she didn¡¯t like singing at all.


    Rather than kneeling down to her elders, she wanted to take up more responsibilities, which would allow her to hold her chin up and speak to them using her own capability. But if this idea was exposed, the family likely would treat it as a little girl¡¯s childish sulking, and naturally, the outcome would be that they could simply give her a superficial officer position to satisfy her ¡®work addiction¡¯.


    As a result, from this opportunist family, Lao Dong, or old man Dong, made his appearance.


    During the negotiation for partnership, Zhu Yanchen¡¯s attitude was direct and indifferent. He wouldn¡¯t care if she was being idealistic, rather, he simply said ¡ª she would have to start from the bottom; stay if she succeeded, and leave if she failed.


    Over the years, she became the No.1 counselor under Marshal Zhu¡¯s wings. Xia Liang twisted her lipstick and revealed its tip, her gaze resting on the bright red color.


    ¡­Opening a gateway by myself feels refreshing.


    She flipped her hand, crushed the lipstick¡¯s tip and scratched it hard against the table. The deep, ear-splitting sound of scratching echoed, slowly scattering away the grievance and anger she had to suffer the night before.


    By the time she lifted her head again, there was a sweet, carefree smile on her face.


    ¡°I heard that Miss Xia is coming to the Headquarters today.¡± Luo Duan said.


    When he arrived at Yi Ning¡¯s office, he immediately controlled the water pillar to sweep the key under the desk. Without any suspicion, Yi Ning only thought that he accidentally dropped it.


    ¡°Huh? Oh, I know.¡± Yi Ning¡¯s face was still tired from the lack of sleep. ¡°The Xia family asked her to pay some condolences.¡±


    ¡°Their target is likely you.¡± Luo Duan smiled gently: ¡°It seems that the Xia family really values you.¡±


    ¡°Come on, I really don¡¯t harbour such thoughts. My works are piling up, yet they¡¯re still doing all this nonsense¡­ This year¡¯s economy will continue to plummet, and the border settlements might go amok again.¡± Yi Ning chuckled.


    ¡°You are quite concerned about the ¡®people¡¯.¡±


    ¡°After all, I¡¯ve seen everything. People in the border areas are living such hard lives, even¡­¡± Yi Ning originally wanted to say ¡°harder than synthesised humans¡±, but realising who he was talking to, he swallowed the second half of the sentence.


    ¡°Even¡­?¡± Luo Duan¡¯s smile grew even gentler.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this. In short, I have to find a way to quickly pull the economy up.¡± Yi Ning immediately changed the subject.


    ¡°On the topic of last night¡­ Since there¡¯s insufficient labour, how about recalling people from the border settlements?¡± Luo Duan played with the drops of water on his fingertips. ¡°I know that education will be a problem, and their age or health status might not be ideal, but they can be considered as part of the labour force, can¡¯t they?¡±


    It was indeed the case.


    ¡­¡­But compared to those old, weak and sick people, synthesised humans were better to use. It was all because Zhu Yanchen was too conservative. If Zhu Sheng¡¯s ¡®reform law¡¯ had been implemented early, they wouldn¡¯t have spent so many years developing synthesised humans and actually achieved mass production.


    However, once the synthesised humans were put into use, before the benefits could be reaped, the people at the border settlements would have their jobs robbed by the synthesised humans and their roles would be completely eliminated. Even if the government was to assume that industrial and economic improvement would take place in the border areas a few years later, the unemployment in those mere few years would be enough to kill a large number of people.


    This was the first problem that Yi Ning was facing at this stage, but he couldn¡¯t open his mouth to Luo Duan.


    ¡°We¡­ are considering other countermeasures.¡± He heard himself answer vaguely. ¡°Other countermeasures to increase labour.¡±


    Luo Duan decided to stare at him for a moment: ¡°So that¡¯s how. Actually, I¡¯m quite curious about what the countermeasure looks like¡­ In my opinion, the most reasonable approach is to recruit people from border settlements as soon as possible.¡±


    Thereafter, he turned his eyes out of the window, a rarely-seen gesture of his, and his tone became lighter: ¡°But it¡¯s okay. We¡¯re only discussing fun topics. If this topic isn¡¯t appropriate, let¡¯s talk about something else.¡±


    Seeing that the air is getting stiffer, Yi Ning directly turned on the TV and switched to the news channel that players often watched in a bid to adjust the atmosphere.


    Unexpectedly, the first news completely drew both their attention ¡ª


    ¡°Today¡¯s news, the army stronghold Y-9091 detected signs of Marshal Zhu Yanchen. Marshal Zhu was seriously injured, and after a rescue attempt that lasted one whole night, he finally escaped. According to Marshal Zhu Yanchen himself, after being attacked by the mutated monster, he got out of danger and wandered for many days at the border of the erosion zone¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Yi Ning almost choked on his saliva.


    In an erosion zone far away, someone uttered a similar question.


    Shu Jun: ¡°What?!¡±


    Yu Jin earnestly choked on his breakfast: ¡°What is it, brother Grey Claw, what are you so surprised about? It¡¯s just the higher-ups playing their games, what does it have to do with us?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­No, I was just shocked, because I saw the news of his death before¡­¡­¡± Shu Jun turned the radio¡¯s volume knob ¡ª with them having walked in the erosion zone for two days, the signal had already become weak enough to be almost negligible, and the sound of the radio was rather intermittent.


    Zhu Yanchen, who was neatly sitting beside them, pushed his mask up only slightly as usual and deftly sucked out the liquid food from the pouch. At a glance, he seemed completely unmoved.


    Shu Jun was doubting his whole life. They said two branches of a single story could be told simultaneously; so is Marshal Zhu rising from the dead on the other side too? Even a god isn¡¯t so omnipotent, okay?


    ¡°Zhu Sheng has made his move.¡± After seriously finishing his breakfast, Zhu Yanchen stole a glance at Yu Jin, who was among the listeners, and commented nonchalantly: ¡°That¡¯s probably not his son.¡±


    The liquid food on Shu Jun¡¯s lips slipped: ¡°Is that even doable?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s probably afraid that it has been too long and Yi Ning may grab this chance to win people¡¯s hearts. Zhu Sheng¡¯s re-election term is coming to an end. This time, he should completely retire and step down from the leadership position, so it¡¯ll be unsightly for him to run for election again by himself. I¡¯m really not surprised at this development.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen gathered the liquid food pouches and tossed them into a trash bag, showing almost no emotion on his face.


    ¡°Compared to that, today we¡¯ll come into initial contact with the edge of an Erosion Marsh. That sort of thing is not worth it for us to be distracted¡­ Let¡¯s go.¡±

 CH 42

    Chapter 42: The Trap


    The NPCs¡¯ tent was some distance away from the players¡¯, and the two sides wouldn¡¯t go near each other¡¯s unless there was a good reason to. But, now that Hu Yan knew that Shu Jun was here, it was impossible for him to not run there.


    For any players, the standard supplies given by the mission were too basic. Most people would bring something to eat, drink and have a little more fun during the trip. As usual, Hu Yan, a meat lover, brought a small bag of canned meat. As soon as Zhu Yanchen walked to the tent entrance, Hu Yan blocked his way.


    Hu Yan had a good personality, albeit a tad stubborn. He never tried to hide who he liked or who he didn¡¯t. Earlier, Yu Jin took the initiative to shake hands with him, so naturally, he had a good impression of Yu Jin ¡ª  As such, Shu Jun got one box of canned food, Zhu Yanchen got one, and Yu Jin got two.


    Shu Jun: ¡°¡­¡­Did you ration this based on body type?¡± You¡¯re still technically my deputy captain, okay?


    Hu Yan: ¡°Do you have a better way then?¡±


    Yu Jin was flabbergasted. Touching his missing left eye, he happily put away the cans: ¡°Captain Hu, this is too nice of you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. We¡¯ll have to depend on you a lot today.¡± The gas mask couldn¡¯t hide Hu Yan¡¯s smile. ¡°Our team is ready, we only need some more information¡­ Hey, Xiao Zhang?¡±


    Shu Jun had a vague impression of Xiao Zhang. He was a logistician among the combatants, responsible for contacting the headquarters in places with poor signals. At present, the young man was running out of breath: ¡°Captain Hu, news has come from the higher-ups. Lao Dong has finished analysing the map, and the result has arrived. He told us to proceed with caution. Even if we have to abort the mission, there¡¯ll be no penalty¡­ But, like how we always did it, we¡¯d like to hear your opinion.¡±


    ¡°Pass both the weather information and map analysis to me.¡± As soon as he switched to his working mode, Hu Yan withdrew his offhand smile, his tone turning rather serious. ¡°Let me see¡­¡±


    He even specially projected it on the screen so that the three ¡®NPCs¡¯ could see clearly.


    ¡°Ah, I have to say that this information is much more detailed than what Lao Dong gave us earlier. It seems like Marshal Zhu¡¯s.¡± Hu Yan looked at the scan of the terrain and the marks on it while stroking his chin.


    Shu Jun grabbed Zhu Yanchen¡¯s coat and lowered his voice: ¡°You really do have a clone?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve prepared an auxiliary chip.¡± Zhu Yanchen quickly skimmed through the screen before turning his head.


    Shu Jun had heard of this before. It was a special-made error correction programme that could predict loopholes in a plan.


    Auxiliary chips were more common in lines of work where the solution was relatively simple and not subjected to extensive personalisation. But when it came to tacticians, basically no one used such a silly item.


    The reason was simple. First of all, everyone had a different style of working, which made it difficult for the auxiliary chip to exert its uses. Secondly, it needed massive data support and an extremely thorough understanding of its enemy¡¯s behaviours ¡ª which, in this case, meant the Erosion Marsh.


    Data improvement called for hard work. It required the designer to manually input all possible developments and unexpected situations, then the chip would slowly learn and mature on this basis. To put it bluntly, this chip had to be taught frame by frame. To wait for it to complete learning wasn¡¯t much different from teaching a living person.


    Most people wouldn¡¯t care to do such thankless things.


    As for why Zhu Yanchen made this auxiliary chip¡­ Looking at it from a ¡®purposeful¡¯ angle, this was likely part of his ¡®post-humourous arrangement¡¯.


    When he was alive, the chip wouldn¡¯t have any use. But when this ¡®great strategist¡¯ died, the chip could ensure that his successor didn¡¯t meet too many obstacles while trying to pass down commands. On the other hand, on the grounds that it followed Zhu Yanchen¡¯s working style, the chip could also be used as an excuse should any tactic be deemed to be too aggressive.


    But that wasn¡¯t where Shu Jun wanted to focus on.


    No matter how talented Zhu Yanchen was, this chip couldn¡¯t be created overnight. Even if he didn¡¯t sleep day after day, it would take about six years to complete this alone, not to mention that he also had to conduct research on Erosion Marsh and worked hand-in-hand with the teams at the border areas.


    ¡­¡­When did Zhu Yanchen even start planning his fake death?


    The tranquillity in Shu Jun¡¯s heart suddenly vapourised.


    As they stayed together longer and longer, he found himself understanding this man less and less. But no matter what the answer might be, at least before he got the answer, he had to keep this man alive.


    Shu Jun stretched out his hand and gripped Zhu Yanchen¡¯s wrist, feeling as though the blood pumping through his heart had been muddled with lead. Zhu Yanchen was taken aback but didn¡¯t resist.


    Opposite them, Hu Yan kept on talking: ¡°¡­¡­Very good, very good. At first, I was worried that if the higher-ups keep sending more cautions, I might have to retreat a step further. Who knows, it almost seems that this mission may turn out to be dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Captain Hu.¡± Shu Jun gritted his teeth and spared a moment to adjust his emotion. ¡°We need all the luck to be on our side. Don¡¯t speak nonsense like that.¡±


    Hu Yan coughed a little: ¡°What are your thoughts?¡±


    ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be any problem, and the weather is stable. But just in case, we¡¯d better explore only during the day. Let¡¯s camp at night to keep ourselves safe.¡± Yu Jin opened his mouth first. ¡°Let¡¯s do that. I¡¯ll put up even more safety measures than the rules suggest.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen cast a thoughtful glance at Shu Jun. The latter understood at once, and his grasp at Zhu Yanchen¡¯s wrist became a little more forceful: ¡°I didn¡¯t find anything wrong either. But the data is indeed a bit weird. I agree with One Eye¡¯s viewpoint.¡±


    ¡°Okay, my idea is the same. Let¡¯s leave 30 people behind as emergency backup. Scouring teams A and B will continue to move forward and carefully clean the surroundings. Frontline team, leave 9 people behind as backup. We¡¯ll set off in ten minutes.¡±


    Since Erosion Marsh hated light and liked water, the sky near any Erosion Marsh was always particularly gloomy.


    The frontline team of more than a dozen people entered the heavily eroded zone first, everyone wrapped tightly in thick protective suits, looking like a bunch of staggering gingerbread men.


    Gingerbread Shu Jun was still pulling on gingerbread Zhu Yanchen. Meanwhile, other people only assumed that they were relying on each other to save energy, all their attention focused on the Erosion Marsh at the horizon instead.


    Unlike Sweet Vanguard, the marsh this time looked even more peculiar.


    The surrounding ground was rather wet, with dark clouds reflected on the pitch-black water, their shapes warped by rings and rings of ripples. The ruins of a rocky mountain slightly poked out at the horizon, and a long, slender liquid pillar of that Erosion Marsh was protruding from the mountain, pointing straight at the sky. At the moment, no one could see the top of that pillar.


    As though it was a string that connected Heaven and Earth.


    The good news was that there were no mutated monsters nearby. But when paired with the eerie atmosphere around them, this good news seemed to deviate a little from the norm.


    The three NPCs in front led the way, looking around as they walked, their speed as slow as an old man taking his leisurely stroll. With the protective suits so suffocating and heavy, people slowly lost the mood to talk. Seeing that the sun was about to go down, the team gradually came to a stop.


    Except for the Erosion Marsh in the distance, the surrounding scenery had hardly changed. Above and below them were billowing black clouds, as though they were walking through Chaos.


    Only one person was still full of energy at the moment ¡ª


    ¡°That Erosion Marsh looks like a garden eel.¡± After studying the Erosion Marsh in the distance, Shu Jun took the initiative to speak about it. ¡°We¡¯ve reached this far, yet I still don¡¯t feel anything special. There¡¯s no illusion of ¡®nothingness¡¯ near it either¡­ This distance should be fairly safe.¡±


    ¡°There hasn¡¯t been any obvious change in the concentration of erosive substance, which is a bit strange.¡± Zhu Yanchen raised his wrist and glanced at the monitor.


    ¡°Except that there¡¯s a low tide here, I haven¡¯t noticed anything odd. It¡¯s just that the ground is too wet, which will make it a bit hard to camp later.¡± Seeing the two begin to whisper, Yu Jin joined in the conversation while panting hard for air.


    After putting down an anti-erosion sign to mark their path, he said as his breath fogged up the goggles: ¡°How do I say it¡­ By right, everything has been smooth, but something just doesn¡¯t feel right for me. Anyway, let¡¯s stop here today. Let¡¯s talk to Captain Hu, it¡¯s time to camp¡­ Hey, whatever is out there, we¡¯ll have canned meat for dinner tonight.¡±


    But, as soon as they set up the waterproof rack, a surprise came their way ¡ª


    The messenger Xiao Zhang was here again.


    Thanks to the safety markers, Xiao Zhang quickly caught up with them with a mud sled ¡ª Once they came into this place, it was impossible to make any contact with the outside world, so Xiao Zhang could only resort to this labourious means of communication.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Hu Yan was a tiny bit startled to see Xiao Zhang jump off the mud sled. Communication in a heavily eroded zone was extremely troublesome. Instructions usually didn¡¯t reach here so quickly.


    ¡°It¡¯s Lao Dong¡¯s new order.¡± Xiao Zhang gasped hard. ¡°The previous scan data was wrong. This Erosion Marsh¡¯s result turns out to be normal. It¡¯s just an atypical but ordinary Erosion Marsh. Let¡¯s not consume too many resources. Finish the mission early and return early.¡±


    Hu Yan didn¡¯t make a fuss, rather, he only frowned: ¡°Are you certain?¡±


    ¡°Very certain.¡± Xiao Zhang nodded and took a few steps forward. ¡°Captain Hu, I¡¯m also very surprised. But their information is absolute. This time, Mr. Dong didn¡¯t even give any new intel. Maybe he did make a mistake.¡±


    ¡°I understand, thank you for your hard work.¡± Hu Yan nodded. ¡°You should use the mud sled first to ¡ª¡±


    Before Hu Yan even finished speaking, a shadow swept across and a broadsword directly split Xiao Zhang into two. Hu Yan couldn¡¯t react at all and simply stood rooted to the spot.


    Shu Jun held up his sword horizontally to keep Xiao Zhang separated from the rest of the team ¡ª He loosened the white cloth covering the blade, only leaving it to cover Monday¡¯s brain and mouth. The suit made it difficult to move in, but his movements were still very neat.


    A step away, ¡®Xiao Zhang¡¯ slumped down, his whole body neatly ripped into two pieces. However, no organs or blood gushed out of the cut at all.


    He was empty.


    ¡®Xiao Zhang¡¯ was also wrapped in a protective suit with human skin on the outside, which made him appear no different from a living person. But inside that skin, there was only air, as though he was but a life-like paper man. After being cut apart by the broadsword, he shrank and gradually dissipated into the black water on the ground. The next instant, the mud sled also melted into the ground.


    ¡°What ¡ª what ¡ª¡± Hu Yan¡¯s tongue clogged into a knot, but immediately, he got into a defensive stance. Before Shu Jun pulled back his sword, the Blackbird players had set up a defensive formation.


    ¡°The way it stepped on the ripples didn¡¯t seem right.¡± Shu Jun hissed: ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like a heavy object walking, more like a balloon popping up and down.¡±


    ¡°Retreat now!¡± Seeing such an abnormality, Zhu Yanchen almost reacted at once. ¡°We must retreat immediately, or else ¡ª¡±


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s too late.¡± Shu Jun murmured.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Hu Yan was still a little sluggish, while Yu Jin was still in his original spot, fiddling with the waterproof rack. Zhu Yanchen and Shu Jun looked at each other and stepped forward.


    ¡°Use your captain¡¯s authority to maximise the anti-erosion property of everyone¡¯s protective suits. After that, activate the emergency oxygen supply.¡± Zhu Yanchen said to Hu Yan: ¡°Now!¡±


    ¡°Take down the tarpaulin on your tent and wrap your body with it. The tighter you wrap it, the better!¡± Shu Jun unscrewed the speaker on his protective suit and forcefully squeezed his voice through it: ¡°Hurry up, don¡¯t just stand there!¡±


    The Blackbird team members looked at each other. This person was an official NPC, yet the way he talked was really familiar. Subconsciously, they all followed his instructions.


    Hu Yan took a deep, resolute breath and, clenching his teeth, he also followed suit.


    ¡°I¡¯m done, now tell me why ¡ª F**k!¡± He got his answer before he even finished asking the question.


    Waves were rushing towards them.


    By now, Hu Yan could react promptly. If the huge liquid pillar was the stamen, this evil flower hid all its thin petals under the water. This Erosion Marsh spread out its erosive substance very thinly yet firmly; that was why the concentration of erosive substance remained low along the journey.


    Now that it had been exposed, the marsh pushed its flat ¡®petals¡¯ toward the center, directly trying to envelop the whole team. The water that the erosive substance hid behind was now lifted by those ¡®petals¡¯ whose size was so large that their shape couldn¡¯t quite be distinguished anymore, turning into huge waves that now ambushed them.


    From the moment the frontline team entered this heavily eroded zone, a trap was already waiting for them.


    Yu Jin reacted extremely fast, pulling the tarpaulin as he rushed over and wrapping the four of them inside. Shu Jun clenched Monday with one hand and Zhu Yanchen, who was closest to him, with the other.


    In a blink, the muddy water engulfed them all.

 CH 43

    Chapter 43: The Battle Commences


    The impact of the waves was rather overwhelming, crashing so hard on the big body of Monday the broadsword that it had to let out a screeching scream. Luckily, everyone was made so giddy by the waves that they didn¡¯t notice. The extremely thick protective suit turned all slippery after being drenched in water, forcing Shu Jun to exert so much power just to pull on his two sides. During the whole process, he also had to suppress Monday¡¯s aura. What a miserable mess he was.


    However, before the next wave came down, Zhu Yanchen stretched out his arms and firmly hugged Jun¡¯s waist, pressing him close against his own body. His hug was so tight that even when the two of them flipped in the current and banged onto the rock wall, there were still no signs of separation.


    With the current in the center of the water flow not moving too rapidly, the thick protective suit became their cushion. It was just that after the current gradually dissipated, the land and the sky became completely engulfed in darkness, making them look like fish that had been caught in a net.


    Since the Erosion Marsh wasn¡¯t planning to directly drown them, the water quickly dispersed. As soon as Hu Yan could stand up straight, he turned the short-range communication device to its peak capacity, then launched a flare into the sky.


    ¡°Everyone, gather now!¡± Hu Yan ordered.


    The communication device made an unpleasant rustling sound, and under the brilliance of the flare, the giant liquid pillar of the Erosion Marsh slowly squirmed.


    They had been pushed to near the giant liquid pillar. Zhu Yanchen and Shu Jun¡¯s instructions now came into effect ¡ª Everyone started using their oxygen support and anti-erosion protection, Hu Yan¡¯s condition wasn¡¯t too bad. On the other hand, the number of tarpaulins was limited, so the players could only share among themselves. Although the thirteen people were scattered to different places, they could still form groups of two to four members. With protection granted by the tarpaulins, any sharp pieces in the water flow wouldn¡¯t damage their protective suits.


    ¡°This is bad, the concentration of erosive substance is too high. It seems that the short-range communication device won¡¯t be able to last long.¡± Hu Yan lit up an electroluminescent lamp and glanced at the readings. ¡°This Erosion Marsh doesn¡¯t seem right. It¡¯s like a Venus flytrap.¡±


    ¡°I had a brief look at it just now. Including us, there are four groups of people wrapped in tarpaulins.¡± Yu Jin recalled, ¡°As long as your people don¡¯t wander off too far, the situation won¡¯t get so bad.¡±


    ¡°The frontline team consists of our best combatants. It¡¯s unlikely they¡¯ll wander off, what I¡¯m afraid is ¡ª¡±


    ¡°We¡­ are inside the mountain¡­¡± Before Hu Yan finished speaking, an intermittent voice came from the communication device. ¡°We were pushed into a cave¡­ can¡¯t find the way¡­¡±


    Hu Yan sighed and shined the light on the ruins of the rocky mountain that was full of caves: ¡°This is what I¡¯m afraid of.¡±


    Yu Jin also heaved a long sigh: ¡°To be honest, I¡¯ve never seen such a weird thing. At most, I¡¯ve encountered some strange mutated monsters. But this one is totally off the charts.¡±


    Shu Jun thought for a few seconds: ¡°The groups outside the rocky mountain, gather at the light. One Eye, stay here to help Hu Yan. Haze and I will go into the rocky mountain to find the rest.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll come with you.¡± Hu Yan shook his head: ¡°The cave is narrow, I can widen them. Else, you might not be able to deal with that¡­ that thing that pretends to be Xiao Zhang just now. Besides, I¡¯m now the captain of Blackbird, I can¡¯t just sit idle waiting for you two to die.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll come too. Expand my knowledge a bit.¡± Yu Jin thrust the fluorescent road marker into the ground: ¡°My two brothers fight better than me, but in any case, inside and outside the mountain are barely a few steps away, so I might as well give you a hand.¡±


    His voice carried a hint of smiling: ¡°I¡¯m quite familiar with this kind of mountain. They say kindness must always be reciprocated, and I can¡¯t earn some canned food by just doing nothing.¡±


    ¡°You can come with us. But when it¡¯s time to retreat, you have to retreat.¡± Shu Jun looked at the cave.


    If Hu Yan was there, needless to say, it would be very easy to retreat. The concentration of erosion was extremely high here, and Hu Yan¡¯s ability was strong. If the situation turned out unfavourable, Hu Yan could at least bring people out faster than Shu Jun.


    As the water flew towards the center, apart from the group that was washed into the cave, the other two groups weren¡¯t far apart. After the two groups assembled, Hu Yan briefly explained the current situation.


    In addition to the four of them, seven other people had gathered here. The missing members consisted of one guy and one girl.


    ¡°Now that everything is uncertain, you all gather here first and make sure to not split up. We¡¯ll head inside to find the others. If we don¡¯t come back within three hours, you¡¯ll turn on the purifier to its maximum power and retreat as fast as you can.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s best not to turn it to the maximum power.¡± Zhu Yanchen, who had been quiet, suddenly spoke.


    Hu Yan remained calm: ¡°Why so?¡±


    ¡°The marsh¡¯s original intention was to get us to move closer to the center on our own volition, then it sent out a fake messenger. If it had wanted to hunt us down, it wouldn¡¯t have had to bother using so many tricks. It simply could have waited for you to walk past.¡±


    If the three hundred core members of Blackbird were present, it would be understandable that the Erosion Marsh wanted to catch them all in one go. But, there were only thirteen of them here. This was too superfluous. There was no reason to hunt like this, not to mention, the Erosion Marsh wouldn¡¯t want to waste its energy too.


    Zhu Yanchen explained patiently with a tone that was neither too high nor too low: ¡°After it gathered us at the center, it didn¡¯t kill immediately ¡ª Reasonably speaking, as long as it keeps the water, we won¡¯t have much chance to survive. From my point of view, it¡¯s more likely that this marsh wants to watch us.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­That can¡¯t be. Brother, does an Erosion Marsh really have this kind of intelligence?¡± Hu Yan lowered his voice: ¡°It¡¯s just a lump of erosive substance after all.¡±


    As soon as these words were spoken, he choked ¡ª Looking at the fake Xiao Zhang, it was hard to say that Erosion Marsh had no brains.


    Marshal Zhu didn¡¯t linger any further on this aspect and simply changed the angle: ¡°Regardless of its purpose, so far, its attacks haven¡¯t been aggressive. The energy stored inside a purifier is limited. If it¡¯s turned on to its maximum capacity, it won¡¯t be able to last until you get out of this heavily eroded zone¡­ Before the Erosion Marsh shows any tendency to attack, it¡¯s better to save it.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense. Alas, it¡¯s the first time we¡¯ve been directly pulled this close to an Erosion Marsh. Previously, Zhu Yanchen always gave an evaluation report on the marsh.¡± Hu Yan scratched his head.¡± Shu¡­ ah no, Grey Claw, what do you think?¡±


    Shu Jun always liked whimsical ideas, so Hu Yan expected him to come up with some strange proposal.


    ¡°My opinion is the same as Haze.¡± Shu Jun now suddenly understood Zhu Yanchen¡¯s mood ¡ª After knowing the truth, he never ever wanted his team members to take risks again: ¡°The situation isn¡¯t right. Safety is our top priority.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Okay, that¡¯s that then.¡± Hu Yan gave some precautions to the rest of the team members. ¡°Don¡¯t try to be a hero and explore randomly. Stay here, keeping yourself alive is no.1 priority.¡±


    The rocky mountain had long been gnawed into strange shapes by the erosion. The caves were like an ant nest, extending in all directions without any sight of the bottom. If the players were simply trapped somewhere, with Hu Yan¡¯s ability, they would definitely not need three hours. But since this Erosion Marsh even knew how to make a ¡®balloon¡¯ with human skin, things were no longer so easy to judge.


    As they walked in, no one knew whether the call for help and those knocking sounds were made by ¡®humans¡¯.


    Hu Yan¡¯s mind was straightforward, but he was definitely not an impulsive man. He directed the rock walls to separate then gather, such that they could avoid many dead ends and that they wouldn¡¯t have to walk in narrow rock passages that might suffocate them. The path was altered by Hu Yan into straight and even passages, where the four of them could turn around and escape at any time.


    However, as they went in deeper, faint cries for help started coming from all directions.


    ¡°It should not be on those two sides.¡± Yu Jin twiddled some fiber on the rock wall. ¡°Looking at this piece of tarpaulin, they should have been washed to the far left.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, brother.¡± Hu Yan twisted the lamp in annoyance ¡ª They were getting closer and closer to the liquid pillar and all the equipment was being quickly eroded, while the lamp kept flashing on and off, making everyone really dizzy.


    ¡°I¡¯ve collected a lot of corpses at the edge of an erosion zone before, but I didn¡¯t expect that some of those skills could be used here.¡± Yu Jin turned his head and muttered to Shu Jun.


    Shu Jun: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Has this person gotten infected with Hu Yan¡¯s frustration?


    ¡°I hope they¡¯re all okay. When I think about the possibility that those cries didn¡¯t come from humans, I get goosebumps¡­ Wait, there are some traces over there, let me go see.¡± Not staying idle, Yu Jin leaned in as soon as he spotted something gleaming at the entrance of the cave.


    ¡°What do you think about this situation?¡± Shu Jun took the opportunity to turn his head and ¡®interviewed¡¯ the only Erosion Marsh expert present at the scene.


    ¡°It¡¯s still watching.¡± Zhu Yanchen stared at the readings on the monitor: ¡°If an abnormal marsh is found, the exploration team must consist of the best combatants. Now it seems that it intends to trap this team to death here, then wait for the next batch, then the next batch, until it¡¯s able to determine that human beings no longer carry any intimidating technologies.¡±


    Unlike Sweet Vanguard, who was desperate to die, this marsh wanted them to resort to all means of survival. It was too crude to just directly kill them all.


    This Erosion Marsh likely wouldn¡¯t attack before it was sure that these humans were worthless.  Rather, it would observe them quietly ¡ª After all, even if it did nothing, the air with such a high concentration of erosive substance was enough to kill the team.


    We can¡¯t attack rashly, Shu Jun thought. If he really beat up this Erosion Marsh, the ¡®Leader Marsh¡¯ hiding behind this would definitely become alert. Right now, they¡¯d better find the missing team member as soon as possible, then try to leave as inconspicuously as possible.


    But if they could think of this, the marsh could also think of this.


    Two hours passed and the four men found nothing. Finally overwhelmed, the lamp returned to complete darkness after a click. Hu Yan sighed and started lighting up a glow stick. As the faint light illuminated the dark rock walls, the shadows that pressed on them from all sides made them feel truly suffocating.


    In order to preserve their energy, the trapped team members didn¡¯t cry for help anymore and instead knocked on the wall. Knocking sounds of similar frequency came from all directions, making everyone¡¯s blood run cold.


    ¡°I have to rest a bit¡­ This mountain is almost wearing me out. Why is there still nothing yet?¡±


    Hu Yan had been altering the caves through the whole journey and exerting the most energy. Afraid that he might be exhausted at the most critical moment, he came to a halt and sucked on the liquid food with difficulty. The erosive substance concentration here was too high, to the extent that even eating or drinking carried high risks. Shu Jun stared at Hu Yan anxiously, secretly suppressing the erosive substance around him.


    With the sound of their footsteps no longer present, only the uncanny knocking sound could be heard around here.


    ¡°Speaking of which, this ability is a bit similar to Sweet Vanguard.¡± Unable to withstand this stifling atmosphere, Shu Jun mumbled to Zhu Yanchen again. ¡°If this Erosion Marsh had known how to fill human skin with stuff, I might not have been able to recognise it.¡±


    ¡°Sweet Vanguage¡¯s ability is ¡®creation¡¯.¡± Zhu Yanchen stopped moving. ¡°To be precise, it uses erosive substance to build a structure similar to a living being. Looking at those four-legged monsters, Sweet Vanguard¡¯s ability to control shapes isn¡¯t strong.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Shu Jun was a little curious. He was only able to heal wounds after obtaining this same ¡®creation¡¯ ability. Regardless of whether it was himself or Zhu Yanchen, he had never healed them to the point of warping them into strange shapes.


    ¡°Because your healing is partial restoration, which happens when the main shape is still intact. When she created those things, most of the victims in X City had been swallowed by the marsh. She could only extract information from the fragments of their corpses to create those four-legged monsters.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen¡¯s voice was low and grim.


    ¡°The ability of this Erosion Marsh seems to lean towards ¡®imitation¡¯. Rather than creating from scratch, it works like a mirror. If I guess correctly, it should have heard our conversation in the heavily eroded zone before proceeding to make modifications.¡±


    Shu Jun understood this very well. Since it was a mirror, it certainly wasn¡¯t to reflect what was inside. If it chose to fill that ¡®human skin¡¯ with pure erosive substance, it would be challenging to control the shape and make it even easier to be exposed.


    ¡°Mirror¡­¡­ A Yan, I found out something.¡±


    ¡°Uhm?¡±


    ¡°Will it keep communicating with other marshes?¡± Shu Jun scanned the darkness around him: ¡°I mean some kind of uninterrupted communication.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­That can¡¯t be done. The transmission of information between Erosion Marshes is like mail correspondence. Even if it regularly sends information outside, there¡¯ll always be a certain time gap.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Shu Jun stroked his chin.


    He gestured to the path that Hu Yan had opened up and a breeze blew around him, then he fell into contemplation.


    ¡°Damn, it really feels wrong.¡± Yu Jin said suddenly: ¡°I¡¯ve been feeling odd ¡ª we¡¯ve turned so many roads, yet the distance of the knocking sound hasn¡¯t changed much? And the path around here is too clean, I can¡¯t find any traces of humans at all.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s still one hour.¡± Hu Yan clenched his teeth: ¡°This place is not even that big? I don¡¯t believe our hands are tied.¡±


    Riding on the momentum, Shu Jun continued the topic: ¡°Captain Hu, reaching this point, are you able to see the situation of the whole mountain?¡±


    ¡°Certainly I can¡­¡± He really wanted to just take down the whole place.


    ¡°Yu Jin, how many sources of knocking sounds do we find?¡±


    ¡°Five. Why are you asking this?¡±


    ¡°Captain Hu, let¡¯s open passages for all the sources of knocking sounds. If someone shows the direction, you should be able to do it.¡±


    ¡°That can be done.¡± Even though it wouldn¡¯t really help and just be a waste of effort, Hu Yan recognised this tone ¡ª Shu Jun must have thought of some mischievous idea.


    ¡°Let¡¯s open it up now.¡±


    Hu Yan and Yu Jin looked at each other. Letting out a snort, Hu Yan pressed his hand on the rock mountain. Meanwhile, Yu Jin cast a suspicious glance all over Hu Yan, but still, he earnestly tried to cooperate.


    ¡°The passage over there, yes, and over there ¡ª I¡¯ll mark it for you with a highlighter.¡± He murmured the instructions.


    The ruins of this rocky mountain weren¡¯t big. They shook slightly under Hu Yan¡¯s manipulation, causing a lot of fine dust to pour onto the four men¡¯s heads.


    Then a wind rose.


    The mild wind blew fiercely through the cave walls. They were nicely standing right at the heart of the rocky mountain at the moment, and dull clashing sounds reverberated from all directions.


    Ten human skin balloons were pushed all the way out by the strong wind, bumping and rolling through the passages before slumping under the four men¡¯s feet.


    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s more wicked than I thought.¡± Shu Jun murmured: ¡°None of them are real humans.¡±


    Yu Jin¡¯s mouth opened and closed ¡ª Only players had abilities, and Hu Yan¡¯s ability had been clearly written in his Player information. But this wind, it somehow doesn¡¯t look like a natural wind. It must also be a special ability¡­¡­


    ¡°It seems that this battle can¡¯t be avoided.¡± Shu Jun drew his broadsword: ¡°Lao Hu, open the way.¡±

 CH 44.1

    Chapter 44.1: Long Time No See (Part 1)


    Right on his spot, Hu Yan was shaken to the core: ¡°Is this even permitted?¡±


    Although the situation was dangerous, he was still thinking about the game ¡ª NPCs had never participated in battle before, and it was uncommon for an NPC to be willing to offer assistance like One Eye. Besides, once the others looked at their mission¡¯s score, there might be suspicion of cheating.


    Yu Jin was even more frightened than him: ¡°Indeed, is this permitted?!¡± Since when was it permitted that a player can become an NPC?


    After the two men voiced out in melodious succession, they each cast a rather sympathetic glance at each other.


    Seeing that his request was about to be turned down, Shu Jun¡¯s anger almost burst: ¡°¡­¡­Just consider me a special guest of yours. Open the way first, thank you.¡±


    That was a particularly clever response, for Hu Yan and Yu Jin would interpret his words based on their own questions. Under such an urgent situation, Hu Yan decided to talk no further. The rocks before them bloomed like petals, immediately creating an opening that headed upwards.


    There was only darkness above their heads. The sky bestowed absolutely no light, making the way out look like a dry well that hung upside down.


    Shu Jun blew up the wind around him but didn¡¯t immediately fly away. He nodded to Zhu Yanchen, then tilted his head in the direction of the Blackbird team.


    After many years of exchanging strategies, Zhu Yanchen instantly understood what Shu Jun meant ¡ª as a ¡®player¡¯, he wanted to attract all of the Mirror Erosion Marsh¡¯s attention to himself. If anything went wrong, the marsh might still attack other Blackbird players. He wanted Zhu Yanchen to help protect the team.


    Zhu Yanchen nodded quietly. After receiving Zhu Yanchen¡¯s acknowledgement, Shu Jun let himself be lifted up by the wind, and his feet flew off the ground: ¡°Should I get you a flask of brain tissues?¡±


    Back when they confronted Sweet Vanguard, Zhu Yanchen was at the verge of death, so he certainly had no mind to think about his research. But now, his research subject had been brought to his doorstep. Needless to say, this would make a perfect opportunity.


    ¡°No.¡± Zhu Yanchen said softly: ¡°Stay safe.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s because of safety issues¡­¡±


    ¡°No, even if you dig out a flask of brain tissues, they¡¯ll quickly turn back to normal erosive substance.¡± Zhu Yanchen explained helplessly. ¡°In short, just be careful¡­¡±


    ¡°I know, I know.¡± Marshal Zhu had always put on an icy cold appearance before, but now, knowing that his death was no longer around the corner, he actually grew a tendency to be overprotective. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m good at running away.¡±


    Saying all that, Shu Jun actually knew very well that they had no other choice.


    It was impossible for him to leave the missing Blackbird members behind, nor could he escalate a battle between two Alpha-level marshes ¡ª before even talking about how he would explain that to the Blackbird frontline team later, if the Mirror Erosion Marsh leant that he was a humanoid marsh that was trying to evoke a fight, this matter might be seen as a dispute between two marshes. The Mirror Erosion Marsh might decide to wipe out its opponent entirely, which would end up with the frontline team bearing all the damages.


    Let¡¯s take a step back. Say, if he directly fled, the Mirror Erosion Marsh wouldn¡¯t let go of the frontline team either. A dispute was inevitable.


    He could only confront it as a powerful player first and try to leverage on any moment that the marsh didn¡¯t pay attention to play tricks on it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head to the cave entrance.¡± After Shu Jun flew away, Zhu Yanchen naturally took over the command. ¡°Ground Pepper1This is a slip of the tongue on Zhu Yanchen¡¯s part. He accidentally addressed Hu Yao by his game ID (nickname), probably because he heard Shu Jun called this nickname before. This nickname is written as ºú½··Û [hu jiao fen], which actually means ¡®ground pepper¡¯.¡­¡­ Captain Hu, the three of us will head to the top of the mountain. There¡¯s a better view there, and it¡¯s also convenient for you to use your ability¡±


    This person who had the same game ID as his sister-in-law had a very pleasant voice, like ice water that flowed down his throat on a scorching day. Hu Yan had a reaction for a split second, feeling that his ID sounded painfully spicy to the ears, so he didn¡¯t respond to Zhu Yanchen¡¯s voice for a moment.


    This voice was more suitable to call Luo Duan¡¯s elegant ID, but thinking of Shu Jun¡¯s original ¡®See You Tomorrow¡¯ ID, Hu Yan felt his mind steadied again: ¡°View? It¡¯s dark outside¡­¡±


    Only when these words left his lips that Hu Yan finally realised ¡ª clearly, he was the captain of Blackbird, yet he was easily swayed by another man¡¯s aura.


    ¡°I know a way.¡± Zhu Yanchen said concisely, and he turned to Yu Jin. ¡°Are you coming? If you don¡¯t want to come, you can go back to the Blackbird team and wait.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m coming.¡± Yu Jin said in a daze. ¡°It¡¯s only a few steps away anyway.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Zhu Yanchen pulled out his gun.


    The rocks under the three men¡¯s feet were lifted, sliding smoothly and swiftly towards the cave entrance. The distance was neither too short nor too long, just enough for Hu Yan to ask a question: ¡°What is the relationship between you and Shu¡­¡­ erm, Grey Claw?¡±


    Hearing the key words, Yu Jin squinted his eyes, obviously also curious about the answer.


    Marshal Zhu would obviously not be flustered by this situation. Not raising his head, he fiddled with the gun in his hand: ¡°Family.¡±


    This one word was simple yet powerful, even carrying with it an icy hint of ¡°if you ask more, I won¡¯t answer.¡±


    Hu Yan: ¡°¡­¡­¡± As expected, he was a relative of his sister-in-law.


    Yu Jin: ¡°¡­¡­¡± He had known for a long time that they were a pair. Thinking about it now, is Haze also a player?


    In that moment of silence, the rocks moved out of the cave entrance. They squeezed through the boulders on the mountain floor, heading towards the top of the mountain.


    ¡°Captain Hu, get ready.¡± Zhu Yanchen took out a billiard-sized sphere from his backpack and threw it into the air. Instead of falling to the ground, the sphere slowly rose up, glowing with an intense light, like a flash bullet that could press on the flow of time and make it stop.


    For a moment, the Blackbird team under the mountain could vaguely be seen, and the entire ruins of the rocky mountains were illuminated, while the liquid pillar in the middle was gleaming with a sticky-looking light.


    The view was indeed clear enough, but it was a pity that Shu Jun had disappeared long ago.


    Supported by the wind, Shu Jun quickly rushed upwards, but he abruptly came to a halt in the middle of his ascent ¡ª Countless guys and girls of the exact same appearance were crowding around the liquid pillar, covering the surface of the marsh like aphids. As soon as Shu Jun appeared, these human skin balloons turned their heads and looked at him in unison.


    Being stared at so intently that a chill ran down his spine, Shu Jun gripped Monday tightly.


    In order to make it easier for the impending battle, the strip of cloth that entangled Monday¡¯s brain and mouth had already been removed on the way. Monday didn¡¯t harbour any complicated thoughts, simply thinking that it was quite refreshing to catch the wind with its mouth. The moment Shu Jun stopped in his tracks, the refreshing wind was gone, so Monday began to scream in dissatisfaction.


    Hearing Monday, the human skin balloons seemed to be awakened and started calling for help. Their densely intertwined cries truly could make one¡¯s hair stand on end. Perhaps not expecting that so many voices would sing along with it, Monday choked and obediently shut up.


    If these balloons were still wandering down there, the Mirror Erosion Marsh could launch a full-blown attack on their group of four. Shu Jun swept a glance at the densely packed human skin balloons and blew another wind, trying to find any living humans among them.


    Zhu Yanchen never planned to retreat, and coupled with his previous explanation about how this Mirror Erosion Marsh needed a ¡®prototype¡¯, it seemed that his team members should still be alive. But as to where those two living humans were hidden and where this marsh¡¯s brain lay, Shu Jun had no idea yet.


    The Mirror Erosion Marsh wasn¡¯t stupid, and there was no way Shu Jun¡¯s trick might work twice. The human skin balloons were firmly stuck to the liquid pillar due to the erosive substance and couldn¡¯t be blown away by the wind. Shu Jun didn¡¯t dare to make the wind too strong, fearing that he might shake off the real humans. Clenching his teeth, he continued to fly upwards. Along this liquid pillar that almost seemed like it could pierce the sky, Shu Jun could feel the temperature drop significantly. The light from below also couldn¡¯t reach here. Shu Jun took a deep breath and let the air slowly rotate around him.


    Based on the faint resistive force in the air, Shu Jun could roughly tell how the top of this thing looked like. This Mirror Erosion Marsh didn¡¯t actually have the head of a garden eel. Its head was more like a hydra that split into six or seven tentacles, which were waving back and forth in mid-air.


    Comparing this with Sweet Vanguard, the latter now seemed like a very friendly opponent.


    Shu Jun licked his dry lips. This thing had pulled itself too thin, running from one end of the land and the sky to the other, and its brain might be at any part. Even if he used his ability to suppress it, he wouldn¡¯t be able to suppress such a large area. If he were to use Monday to cut it, he would have to chop it up like chopping green onions ¡ª provided that this thing wouldn¡¯t resist and let him freely chop it.


    He pondered for a while, and, raising the corner of his lips, Shu Jun rushed to the top of the liquid pillar.


    As expected, this Erosion Marsh reacted like a hungry hydra, entangling several of its tentacles together. Shu Jun put up a hesitant look and tried to cut off those tentacles ¡®with much difficulty¡¯, struggling extremely hard.


    Those tentacles quickly got him under control, and the erosive substance pushed Shu Jun¡¯s protective suit, shoving him into a hollow pit on the liquid pillar. Shu Jun patiently suppressed his and Monday¡¯s aura, allowing the tentacles to tie him up.


    He had to coax this marsh into believing that he was also an excellent prototype for a human skin balloon. The Erosion Marsh wanted to continuously create more human skin balloons while ensuring that the original prototype remained alive. Considering that this marsh¡¯s structure wasn¡¯t steady, it shouldn¡¯t have the leisure time to take care of different prototypes separately. And even if Shu Jun guessed wrongly, there would still be a way to get out.


    Luckily, Shu Jun didn¡¯t guess wrongly.


    Inside the pit was a thin net of erosive substance shaped like a ghostly lantern, where the two Blackbird team members were kept inside. Due to the high concentration of erosive substance, they were struggling hard. The hair-thin threads of erosive substance had penetrated their protective suits, covering their entire bodies. These threads were likely trying to copy the information from the prototypes.


    Shu Jun took a deep breath and stopped his suppression on Monday¡¯s aura.


    At first, Monday was peeking around happily, wondering if he could eat the erosive substance of this marsh. As soon as Shu Jun¡¯s suppression was withdrawn and Monday¡¯s aura was completely exposed, the entirety of this Mirror Erosion Marsh¡¯s attention was almost immediately focused on Monday.


    Monday: ¡°¡­¡­Help.¡± With a sense of oppression squeezing in from all directions, it didn¡¯t even dare to scream out loud.


    Shu Jun remained silent, while Monday¡¯s voice was so rough that the two Blackbirds thought it was Shu Jun. Although out of breath, the girl among the two forced her mouth open: ¡°It¡¯s useless to call for help, hurry¡­¡­ turn on your purifier¡­¡­ any additional second is precious.¡±


    After discovering Monday¡¯s presence, the Erosion Marsh started to fluctuate rhythmically, rushing towards the middle.


    In order to neatly rescue the players, Shu Jun did bring a purifier. He dexterously activated it to disperse the threads of erosive substance on their bodies, then he stroked the hooks on the safety ropes that those two carried with them and hung them up.


    ¡°Time to eat.¡± He whispered to Monday.


    Compared to the time it battled against Sweet Vanguard, Monday had improved a bit. This time, it wasn¡¯t simply dumbstruck, rather, it froze into a piece of plank throughout the whole fight. As the sword edge swept across the Erosion Marsh¡¯s net that wrapped around three of them, with a little hesitance, Monday absorbed the severed erosive substance, allowing the three of them to break free.


    But thereafter, Shu Jun didn¡¯t use his trump card ¡®suppression¡¯. Instead, he focused and adjusted the distribution of the air ¡ª with a scream, the wall of the incredibly thick liquid pillar was torn apart by his wind blade. Shu Jun controlled the surrounding air, ramming it into the pillar like a drill.


    ¡°You¡­¡­¡± This wind-handling ability user seems very familiar. But since the whole person was so tightly covered, the Blackbird players could only have doubts in their hearts.


    Their captain had retired, and the frontline team was entirely made up of members they were familiar with. Beside that, there were only NPCs with no abilities with them here. Where did this person come from?


    Of course Shu Jun didn¡¯t wait for them to finish their question. With a wave of his hand, he crudely scraped away the human skin balloons that had been glued to the liquid pillar with erosive substance. Knowing that the erosive substance threads would instinctively tangle around the other two members, he loosened the hooks of their safety ropes ¡ª


    ¡°Ahhhh ¡ª¡± Completely caught off guard, the two members fell from a high altitude, with two human skin balloons that looked exactly like them hanging on their backs.


    Obviously, Shu Jun wouldn¡¯t let his teammates be thrown to death. His wind skill instantly rose, and borrowing the resistive force from the human skin balloons, the two members¡¯ descent wasn¡¯t too fast. It was just that the visual effect was rather exaggerated.


    The Erosion Marsh bent its liquid pillar, planning to use tentacles at the top to pull the two of them back, but Shu Jun blocked them all with his sword.


    The two quickly plunged into the illuminated area at the bottom of the liquid pillar.


    Catching the sight, the Blackbird members almost unanimously swallowed a lump in their throats. Seeing their comrades-in-arms ¡ª or more specifically, a lot of their comrades-in-arms ¡ª screamed while falling down, they felt as though their minds had been scarred a little.


    Unlike Hu Yan, who was absolutely horrified, Zhu Yanchen remained quite calm: ¡°Build a rock pole to buffer the impact, then turn two purifiers to their highest power. Remove the erosive substance threads from their bodies first.¡±


    Hu Yan simply gave the commanding authority to Zhu Yanchen. Beside the two large human skin balloons that were connected to the two members¡¯ backs, some scattered balloons were dropping down from time to time. The whole scene looked like a nightmare, to the extent that his brain couldn¡¯t process it for a while.


    Zhu Yanchen complied with Hu Yan¡¯s kindness and directly gave his instructions: ¡°Stay away from the things that are falling down and check those two¡¯s injuries. If they have no penetrating injuries, there¡¯s still enough time for thorough cleaning.¡±


    ¡°Captain Hu, let¡¯s transform the rock pole into a rock shield.¡± After giving the commands to the Blackbird members, Marshal Zhu turned to Hu Yan. ¡°There¡¯ll be an attack from above, let me estimate the position. I¡¯ll control the light source to give you detailed instructions. You must ensure that the rock shield is above the light source.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay¡­¡­ Okay.¡±


    ¡°One Eye, pay attention to Captain Hu¡¯s feet, don¡¯t let him make any misstep.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen summoned a screen and stared at the sky full of human skin balloons and the liquid pillar that was oscillating from time to time, his eyes not even blinking. He controlled the light source, while Hu Yan controlled the rock shield. Many hard-to-dodge human skin balloons were blocked, leaving a relatively peaceful place for the Blackbird team to carry out their rescue.


    After emergency treatment for those two was over, they might consider retreating. The most ideal situation was that, if Shu Jun hadn¡¯t revealed his identity to the Mirror Erosion Marsh, they should be able to temporarily disable its ability.


    Everything now depended on what Shu Jun was planning.


    Shu Jun himself was counting the seconds. Seeing that the light source below was mostly blocked by the rock shield, the two players probably had landed on the ground. Emergency treatment would take about 15 minutes. After those 15 minutes, the Blackbird¡¯s frontline team would be able to return to a good state to make a move.


    Now was time to confront the marsh one-on-one.


    Having its prototypes snatched away by Shu Jun, the mirror Erosion Marsh was clearly in a bad mood. It shook its tentacles and tried to sweep up from the ground, but even if it could break through Shu Jun¡¯s defence with its size advantage, its attacks would always be blocked by the rock shield below. Monday, who apparently was dead set on ¡®total surrender¡¯, now became its focus. Monday growled with a fearful tone, making a soft ¡°ouch¡± every time it blocked an attack.


    The two sides spent five minutes fighting back and forth, and the Erosion Marsh came to the realisation ¡ª if it couldn¡¯t easily get hold of its targets, it might as well focus on taking down the leader.


    The liquid pillar no longer flicked around randomly. Once again, it tried to attack Shu Jun with all its might.


    Due to the massive size of this Mirror Erosion Marsh, the air was disrupted into a messy flow. For a moment, Shu Jun couldn¡¯t grasp all of its movements, let alone infer the position of its brain. He could only passively stay on defence.


    This won¡¯t work.

 CH 44.2

    Chapter 44.2: Long Time No See (Part 2)


    Though Shu Jun¡¯s moves were agile, he still suffered quite some bruises. After being smacked hundreds of times, Monday had turned almost silly and was becoming more and more sluggish as each second passed, with not even a single sound leaving its mouth.


    Let¡¯s think of a way, it¡¯s not yet time to give up. For now, revealing his identity and forcibly fleeing is the next best choice ¡ª


    [What should we do here? This is troublesome.] A vague voice came to his ears, sounding like a child¡¯s complaint. [The monsters keep coming, who knows where the leader is hiding? Or let¡¯s just keep on defence. In any case, it¡¯s best to reserve energy.]


    [¡­¡­You can send a small group to ambush the middle and tail of the team.] Another child¡¯s voice came, its tone even lower and sounding a tad shy.


    [Hey, what do you mean?]


    [Once ambushed, the team will be disrupted. The leader must react and make adjustments in time. This map¡­¡­ Well, isn¡¯t this map not ideal for long-distance communication? Then¡­]


    [I understand, I understand! We¡¯ll attack at the same time and see how the team¡¯s reaction speed is like, right?]


    [Uhm¡­¡­ Uhm.]


    [Wow, it¡¯s amazing that you see things from that perspective! I only thought about how to stay on defence, thank you ¡ª] The whiny kid¡¯s mood immediately changed and he became very cheerful. [Ah yes, we got some chocolates today¡­¡­ I think these are quite delicious, you should try them.]


    [Okay.]


    [By the way, for this terrain, if we send another group to divide the team from the middle, will the effect be better? ¡­¡­A Yan, look over here, look over here.]


    Shu Jun opened his eyes.


    He had no time to pursue the details of this memory. Time was limited, so he directly took action ¡ª Shu Jun raised his broadsword horizontally, wrapped a very thick wind shield around himself and cut off the liquid pillar straight right at the middle, all while focusing his energy to feel the airflow.


    Forcefully separated by the thick wind, the Mirror Erosion Marsh¡¯s lower part stiffened for a very quick moment, while the upper part was still twisting like mad. Very soon, the upper and lower half merged into one, but Shu Jun¡¯s attack didn¡¯t stop ¡ª


    Because this thing had stretched itself too long, there was indeed a gap in its reaction time.


    Not giving the creature any time to make up its mind, Shu Jun raised his hand and shot three huge wind blades, aiming directly for the middle of the marsh¡¯s upper half. Without Monday opening the way, the wind blades wouldn¡¯t be able to entirely chop off the marsh; the cut would close in a few seconds.


    But a few seconds was enough.


    There was a tiny gap between the time the cut closed and the time the liquid pillar stabilised its shape. After a few waves, seeing that the wind blades were getting increasingly focused on a single target, the Mirror Erosion Marsh finally realised the imminent danger.


    It swiftly changed its shape and retracted towards the ground, at the same time recklessly trying to attack the humans standing there.


    But too bad, it had missed the best timing ¡ª fifteen minutes had passed.


    Using the fallen fragments of the rocky mountain, Hu Yan glued together a small ship, and all the members of the Blackbird frontline team evacuated onto it. Before the doubtful gazes of his members, Hu Yan utilised the tarpaulins for the second time and raised the sail.


    Zhu Yanchen, Hu Yan and Yu Jin were the only ones who hadn¡¯t boarded the ship.


    On the other side, Shu Jun was descending quickly. He never stopped feeling the surrounding airflow ¡ª this marsh was disrupting its own body structure, playing a ¡®guess the cup¡¯ game with him. The Mirror Erosion Marsh was much bigger than Sweet Vanguard, and it hadn¡¯t suffered any substantial damage. If Shu Jun lost track of its brain now, the next battle would be multifold harder.


    ¡°You go first!¡± Shu Jun opened the speaker device on his protective suit: ¡°Everyone board the ship, I¡¯ll send you away!¡±


    If I keep hitting the marsh¡¯s brain, it wouldn¡¯t pay attention to attacking the frontline team. As a player from the first-tier team, Hu Yan certainly knew what to do. If Shu Jun fought for long enough, the others would have a very high chance of escaping.


    All that was left was that he had to fight head-on with this Mirror Erosion Marsh.


    After all, it was here to test the humans, and it was even stronger than Sweet Vanguard. To be honest, Shu Jun didn¡¯t know if he could win or not ¡ª but then again, there was no such thing as a sure-win battle.


    As long as Zhu Yanchen and the Blackbird frontline team successfully escaped, the plan might continue. Among this whole group, Shu Jun carried the highest chance of surviving the marsh. Certainly, this was a gamble with little loss.


    Not knowing Shu Jun¡¯s true thoughts, Hu Yan felt little pressure and thus acted decisively: ¡°Then we¡¯ll head off first!¡±


    Seeing the Erosion Marsh collapsing, Yu Jin felt that an avalanche might crash the next moment, so of course, he didn¡¯t dare to linger for long. As the two men rapidly jumped on the boat, Shu Jun was about to raise his hand but found that one of them hadn¡¯t moved yet.


    Zhu Yanchen wasn¡¯t showing the slightest intention to board the ship. He held the fully-powered purifier in his left hand and the gun in his right hand, his aura so calm it felt almost unreal.


    ¡°You get on the boat!¡± Having almost sent a whirlwind towards the sail, Shu Jun hurriedly called it back.


    Marshal Zhu immediately made a move ¡ª he threw two small bombs at the sail, which caused a huge blast as they blew up, almost pushing the ship out of the two men¡¯s sight. Seeing that Marshal Zhu had no hope of getting on the ship, Shu Jun clenched his teeth and could only push the sail again. The ship disappeared to the horizon in an instant, with a speed that seemed as though it was taking off into the sky.


    ¡°Zhu Yanchen, is your f**king old habit coming back?!¡± Just when Shu Jun felt that this person was showing signs of living a positive life, Marshal Zhu began dancing around the death god again.


    ¡°You need a light source, as well as a way to determine the  erosive substance¡¯s movements.¡± Zhu Yanchen saw through Shu Jun¡¯s tactics at a glance. ¡°The concentration of erosive substance here can¡¯t break my immunity. If I stay here, your winning chance will be higher. On the other hand, once the marsh leaks the information to others, the threat that ¡®two people together¡¯ face will certainly be lower than ¡®a single person¡¯.¡±


    ¡°I understand that logic, but the problem is that we don¡¯t understand this thing at all! I can¡¯t guarantee that I will ¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish the sentence, Zhu Yanchen¡¯s calm voice cut him off.


    ¡°I know you won¡¯t lose.¡± He said.


    A sense of familiarity suddenly struck, and Shu Jun was stunned for half a second: ¡°In case¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°In case we die, the marsh will lower its guard. I¡¯ve made arrangements for a future plan¡­¡­ The fact that I¡¯m still alive has never been part of the plan, so everything will just get back on its original track. Not to mention that with more intel, Lao Dong and The Fourth Team will be better prepared to take action later.¡±


    So you stay to increase the winning chance a little bit? Compared to Marshal Zhu¡¯s previous behaviour, this was really not conventional.


    But it had to be said that with the light source and Zhu Yanchen¡¯s instructions, the delaying strategy indeed became a lot easier ¡ª Zhu Yanchen was very good at calculating the flow of erosive substance, and Shu Jun didn¡¯t have to spare some mind to feel the airflow. Once the marsh tried to submerge them, Shu Jun took Zhu Yanchen into the air, attacking the brain non-stop.


    ¡°Time is almost up.¡± Zhu Yanchen fired several shots at the Mirror Erosion Marsh, breaking a tentacle that was swinging towards them. ¡°The frontline team should have escaped.¡±


    ¡°But we can¡¯t withdraw now.¡± Shu Jun¡¯s sweat slid down his neck, his clothes inside the protective suit already soaking wet.


    Seeing that there was no hope in chasing the frontline team, the Mirror Erosion Marsh called the old trick again, spreading ¡®petals¡¯ around the liquid pillar. But compared to the time when the trap was first used, the petals this time were a lot plumper, tightly wrapping the two men in the middle. Despite Shu Jun¡¯s continuous attack with his wind, the gap was getting smaller and smaller.


    The marsh didn¡¯t even need to use any erosive substance. It was trying to suffocate them by mere physical force.


    The battle had reached the moment where he needed to pull his trump card. Shu Jun and Zhu Yanchen were flying in a space that was growing narrower by the second. His suppression was a surprise attack, and facing this kind of Erosion Marsh with ample experience in changing its shape, the effect of suppression would be the greatest the first time it was used.


    Shu Jun was feeling a tad nervous.


    It wasn¡¯t that he hadn¡¯t dealt with a situation where the outcome was highly unpredictable before. He had always been a happy-go-lucky person. First, it was thanks to his optimism brought about by the ¡®blessings¡¯ he received during childhood, and secondly, it was because¡­¡­ his life was nothing but this. No matter whether the world was real or not, he had not a single next-of-kin.


    Compared with Zhu Yanchen¡¯s tactic to pretend to be an 80-year-old man, Shu Jun carried a conscious conscience. At least he and his friends all knew the risks of fighting. In a certain corner of his heart, Shu Jun had always thought that ¡ª he was a warrior, and when the time came, there would be nothing wrong with just facing his death calmly.


    But now he was sweating and feeling anxious all over, worrying about gains and losses.


    ¡­¡­Because if I die, Zhu Yanchen would surely be buried six feet under with me.


    Seeing that the space was stabilising, the Mirror Erosion Marsh once again summoned its powers. Numerous human skin balloons without any facial features emerged along the inner wall of the marsh, gradually filling the space. Countless soft hands stretched out to Shu Jun, frantically trying to hinder his actions.


    One after another, untuned yet ear-splitting screams echoed. These things had no mouths, so no one knew where the sound came from.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to come up.¡± Shu Jun hissed, his voice sounding as if it had been torn. ¡°It¡¯s a well-used tactic. I can¡¯t take you with me.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen flipped his hand and swung the purifier, pushing back the surrounding marsh and giving himself a foothold. HIs purifying gun was so terrifying that the human skin balloons couldn¡¯t come close for a while.


    Shu Jun rushed towards the Mirror Erosion Marsh¡¯s brain.


    The process was much more painful compared to the battle against Sweet Vanguard. Numerous threads instantly squeezed Shu Jun¡¯s protective clothing, digging into his nose and mouth, trying to entangle him. Pulling his last bit of energy, Shu Jun desperately tried to suppress them and struggled to advance towards the brain.


    His mind had never been so focused, and for the first time, he hoped that the ¡®blessings¡¯ really came from god. Even if this way of thinking was rather unsightly, he wanted to win this battle.


    As the hair-thin threads of erosive substance tore his flesh, he suppressed them layer after layer. In order to protect itself, many films of erosive substance that looked almost like human skin had wrapped around the brain, making it extremely tough to break through.


    He couldn¡¯t give up yet. Behind him, Zhu Yanchen was still holding up.


    Shu Jun held back the excruciating pain, looking as though he was squeezing every bit of energy out of his bone marrow. He had no idea how long he had stopped breathing, and the sight before his eyes was beginning to turn black. Perhaps it was an illusion, but amidst the screams of the human skin balloons, fuzzy colours and shadows slowly emerged.


    [You will never lose.]


    Yeah, I won¡¯t lose.


    The broadsword broke down layer after layer of protection and Shu Jun forcibly dragged himself into the marsh¡¯s brain. The pain was burning between his bones, so much so that he almost thought he was being cremated alive.


    There was only one opportunity.


    Suppress, suppress, continue to suppress.


    ¡­¡­F**k, Shu Jun thought. He must survive.


    As he stretched out his hand, the grey erosive substance flowed from the tips of his claws. Shu Jun didn¡¯t stop his movements for even a second ¡ª in the last battle, his suppression felt relatively quiet, carrying with it a soothing sensation; but now, he only wished to turn into a human-shaped mixer, such that he could simply grip his greatsword and wantonly destroy the brain of this creature.


    In the end, as his own consciousness became blurred, the destruction and suppression on his hands were getting more and more frantic. In the darkness, more erosive substance rose from his spine, forming a huge blade that looked like a wing.


    Unfortunately, Shu Jun had almost passed out.


    Under the disturbance from the sharp blade, the device on his wrist was still working silently.


    [Harmony: 45%]


    [Harmony: 57%]


    [Harmony: 73%]


    An unknown amount of time later, his breathing suddenly relaxed. With a soft thud, Shu Jun knelt on the spot, his sword plunging into the ground. The Mirror Erosion Marsh lost its form and the erosive substance drizzled quietly around it. A lot of those human skin balloons didn¡¯t immediately fall apart, rather, they floated on the marsh surface, slowly dissolving into it.


    Zhu Yanchen¡¯s fluctuating light source staggered in mid-air, like a firefly with its wings injured.


    Being attacked by the human skin balloons, Marshal Zhu himself was a little dishevelled, but he was still standing firm. After confirming that the man was alive, Shu Jun put on a feeble smile.


    His protective suit had long disintegrated in the tough battle, his whole body nearly exposed naked. Monday was scared silly once more, but this time, it had quickly snapped out of it and was making a hoarse cry of ¡°ahhhhh¡±.


    ¡°We were separated for nine minutes.¡± Zhu Yanchen came closer, took off his torn coat and gently put it on Shu Jun¡¯s back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, that marsh didn¡¯t have any time to send out information that there was a human-shaped Erosion Marsh here.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Really?¡±


    Zhu Yanchen calmly opened his pocket and measured the erosive substance around them for a moment.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure of it. It was suppressed quite badly and wasn¡¯t able to save much information. We really kept the secret intact.¡±


    ¡°Nine minutes¡­¡­ I thought I¡¯d fought for nine years.¡­..¡±


    As dizziness assaulted his mind, Shu Jun gazed at Zhu Yanchen. He had so much to say but couldn¡¯t utter a word. He did obtain some memories amidst the severe pain, but it was unlike the time he fought with Sweet Vanguard. The Mirror Erosion Marsh was a pure marsh; no human memories had ever entered its brain.


    He thought of himself. Even if they were just a few fragments, it was enough to piece together a lot of things.


    ¡°A Yan¡­¡±


    Shu Jun reached out his hand and pressed it against Zhu Yanchen¡¯s heart. A powerful pulse passed through the muscles, tapping the nerves along his palm.


    ¡°¡­¡­Long time no see.¡±

 CH 45

    Chapter 45: The First Night


    After the Mirror Erosion Marsh collapsed, the place became a little brighter as the light source could illuminate the surrounding area. The faceless human skin balloons¡¯ limbs went stiff and their pale skin dotted along the pitch-black marsh, molding the whole scene into an eerie sea of ??corpses.


    Shu Jun knelt in the marsh, supporting his almost naked body with the broadsword. The fragments of the marsh¡¯s brain gradually recovered, and the viscous erosive substance condensed into strands that slid across his cheeks and neck, slowly slipping onto his collarbone and chest. Unlike the human skin balloons around him, his slightly dark skin and grey hair became exceptionally conspicuous at this moment, as if it was the only life force in this whole world.


    But that wasn¡¯t the only thing.


    A strange-looking net-like material was hanging down Shu Jun¡¯s back, linking his back to the ground like a cobweb. The marsh on the ground submerged his calf and wrapped itself around his ankle. The whole scene, coupled with Shu Jun¡¯s handsome face, exuded a bizarre but beautiful air.


    Zhu Yanchen almost deluded that he was caught in a trance ¡ª it was as if the entire idea of ¡®natural disasters¡¯ had morphed into the person in front of him.


    There was only one thing that didn¡¯t quite fit.


    Seeing Zhu Yanchen come close, Shu Jun laughed. He didn¡¯t seem to be in a very clear state of mind. There was no maliciousness in that laughter; it was so pure that it was baffling. He stretched out his hand and pressed Zhu Yanchen¡¯s chest, and the skin where he touched felt as though it had been touched by a soldering iron.


    ¡°Long time no see.¡± He said.


    Then Shu Jun¡¯s whole body turned into mush. Zhu Yanchen caught him in time and hugged him into his chest. Shu Jun¡¯s breathing was even, and his eyes were tightly closed. He probably suffered from exhaustion after his powerful burst.


    Sitting firmly on the ground while hugging the person in his arms tightly, Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t move even an inch. The surrounding Erosion Marsh spread out into a circle and completely avoided him, as though he was a poisonous snake.


    The wind gradually rose around them, and the Erosion Marsh started boiling, accompanied by the continuous popping sounds from the human skin balloons. Monday, which was leaning to one side, let out intermittent mumbles, most of which didn¡¯t contain any ¡®decent¡¯ words. Zhu Yanchen wrapped his jacket around Shu Jun¡¯s back and closed his eyes.


    ¡°Go to sleep.¡± He whispered to Shu Jun. ¡°I¡¯m waiting for you right here.¡±


    Shu Jun sighed lightly.


    He was completely worn out and his spirits felt like they had shattered. His eyelids were as heavy as two fishing sinkers, and Shu Jun couldn¡¯t even tell whether he was sleeping or not. He tried to control his limbs but couldn¡¯t even move his fingers. His thoughts were turning more and more chaotic, and the fear of being unable to control his own body slowly overwhelmed him.


    Luckily, the erosive substance around his legs might be cold, but Zhu Yanchen¡¯s hug was so warm his body felt heated up. Being hugged by the man, Shu Jun finally found some relief from the fear of losing his control.


    Half asleep and half awake, he finally felt that the battle was over. The Mirror Erosion Marsh left them with more puzzles, but at least one thing was clear ¡ª


    This time, Shu Jun didn¡¯t need to look for memories in his dreams. The moment he developed a splitting headache during the battle, the memories came back by themselves. Regarding his dream earlier, Shu Jun remembered what followed after ¡ª


    [Then I¡¯ll call you A Yan.]


    That night, sixteen years ago, he said that to the lost child.


    Immediately, he found that the child in front of him was a bit familiar ¡ª he seemed to have met a similar-looking NPC before.


    ¡°Have we met before? The mission of saving Yu Jin, I remember you were one of the NPCs? It¡¯s me, my name is Shu Jun. I¡¯m S-001 in [Erosion]!¡± Shu Jun asked straightforwardly.


    Back at that point, he was wearing a protective mask, so it was normal that the child couldn¡¯t recognise him. Even though they weren¡¯t inside [Erosion] now, this kid might be just a prototype for NPCs, thus there would be no harm if he asked more. Shu Jun was the type who never held back his curiosity.


    The child named ¡®Haze¡¯ was stunned, and the gaze he gave Shu Jun slowly turned complicated. A long moment later, he opened his mouth: ¡°I remember you. But I¡¯m not an NPC, that¡¯s¡­¡­ it was a role-playing mission.¡±


    When he said this, Haze kept twisting his fingers, as if grappling with something.


    ¡°Sure enough, it¡¯s you!¡±


    Shu Jun instantly became happy. Although he had never heard of any role-playing mission, he defaulted it to be a new kind of game for the rich and decided not to care. ¡°Where do you live? I¡¯ll take you back. Can I play with you in the future? You were really cool back there!¡±


    Haze¡¯s ears reddened. He was lost for words for a long while, his voice very low: ¡°Thank you.¡±


    After a few seconds of silence, he raised his head and looked at Shu Jun earnestly: ¡°I live a bit far away. I have to ride in a car. You won¡¯t be able to take me home.¡±


    ¡°Ouch? There¡¯s no bus at this point though, or I can take you to the nearby management office ¡ª¡±


    ¡°No.¡± This time, Haze¡¯s refusal was rather firm.


    ¡°You can¡¯t go home, and you don¡¯t need the people from the management office, but you can¡¯t sleep outside.¡± Shu Jun scratched his head: ¡°Why don¡¯t you come to my house¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Can I go to your house for the night?¡± At the very same time, the other boy also asked, trying to test his chance.


    ¡°I was just asking that. Of course you can!¡± Shu Jun¡¯s eyes arched cheerfully. ¡°By the way, you¡¯re so far away from home, but it doesn¡¯t look like you got lost. Are you running away?¡±


    Haze shook his head but didn¡¯t explain any further. Biting his lip, he changed the subject: ¡°I¡­¡­ I just don¡¯t want to spend the night at the management office. And even if I¡¯m sent back, I¡¯ll only be alone.¡±


    Saying so, his eyes revealed a stronger hint of pleading, like a wounded animal.


    During the mission of saving Yu Jin, Shu Jun already had a very good impression of Haze. Besides, it was easy for children to grow a liking for good-looking people. Although Shu Jun considered himself an eleven-year-old ¡®grown¡¯ man, he still couldn¡¯t escape the other boy¡¯s eye ¡®attack¡¯.


    Not to mention, he knew what it felt like to live alone.


    ¡°Come on, follow me.¡± Shu Jun stopped asking more questions. He grabbed Haze¡¯s hand and led the boy home, himself in a very good mood ¡ª Everyone preferred voice or video communication. This was the first time he got to entertain a person his age at home.


    Shu Jun¡¯s place had one bedroom and one living room. It was neither too big nor too small, at the same time quite neat and comfortable. The kitchen was semi-partitioned, and the refrigerator contained simple cooking ingredients whose shelf life was so long it might be scary. The hot water in the bathroom would never be cut off, and the scenery outside the window was pleasing to the eyes.


    After bringing Haze into the house, Shu Jun opened the refrigerator and took out some milk to heat it up: ¡°You can use my communication device. If that¡¯s not convenient, I can also help you contact your family or management office. Hey, A Yan, do you want to add sugar to the milk? ¡°


    Finally getting a visitor to his place, Shu Jun acted like he was the head of the family. After heating up the milk, he happily turned on all the lights in the house and activated the communication device.


    Haze held the hot milk in both hands and spent a while in front of the communication device.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± A long while later, Haze still didn¡¯t touch the floating screen in front of him, and his voice remained very low. ¡°I can go back tomorrow and explain to them.¡±


    Shu Jun¡¯s eyes suddenly became sharp. He understood now. This kid must have had a conflict with his family, and he had run too far, so he was embarrassed to be sent back. Anyway, over here, criminal activities had long become history and the whole city was very safe. Haze probably was just trying to make a small commotion.


    He understood. He understood very well.


    ¡°Okay, if you don¡¯t want to contact them, let¡¯s not. In any case, in my house, if you want a quilt, you¡¯ll have a quilt; if you want a pillow, you¡¯ll have a pillow.¡± Shu Jun gulped down the milk and clanged the cup loudly on the table. ¡°Let¡¯s play!¡±


    Haze took a small sip of the milk, wearing a perplexed expression.


    ¡°What do you usually play with your friends?¡± Shu Jun activated augmented reality, and a lot of scrollable game icons appeared in the living room. ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m showing off, but I have all the games here.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± This answer was quite strange. How can he not know?


    ¡°I don¡¯t usually play, um, games. My family only has adults¡­¡±


    He means that he doesn¡¯t have many friends, Shu Jun immediately sighed. No wonder he has conflicts with his family. In contrast, at least I enjoy lots of freedom.


    ¡°This is a Virtual Fighting game, I really like this! But it requires us to move around quite a bit, playing it too late will leave you sleepless. This is Chess, I feel it¡¯s a little boring though. This is Monster Shooting, ah, yes, do you want to play shooting?¡± Shu Jun¡¯s eyes lit up.


    This boy was very interested in his gun last time. It seemed that he hadn¡¯t gotten to play much shooting.


    Sure enough, Haze eagerly responded and, before he even wiped off the milk on his lips, he jumped down the chair with a slightly struggling posture. Shu Jun could see that Haze¡¯s movements were not very coordinated. He didn¡¯t seem to have done lots of physical activities, let alone formal training.


    No wonder he seemed so fragile.


    What a pity, Shu Jun thought. If Haze had been a standby combatant, he wouldn¡¯t have had such a tough time trying to stop the attack last time. He acted very cool and all, but the biggest obstacle was his physique. Shu Jun stroked Haze¡¯s arm with a regretful expression.


    Haze completely froze: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Shu Jun walked around Haze two more times, many thoughts running rapidly through his head. It wasn¡¯t surprising that this boy didn¡¯t interact with many people his age and that he lacked self-confidence. Perhaps there was a good reason why he turned against those child NPCs and was unable to communicate with them. Since Haze took the initiative to ask for an overnight stay, Shu Jun and he could be considered at least semi-friends.


    Even if it was just a semi-friendship, Shu Jun wanted to do his best.


    Feeling an inexplicable sense of responsibility, Shu Jun handed the console to Haze: ¡°Don¡¯t worry if you haven¡¯t played it before. I¡¯ll hold your hands and teach you how.¡±


    The game began. Under the effect of enhanced reality, the floor of the living room turned into a small guard post, and from both the land and the sky, hideous mutated monsters were rushing towards them.


    The two¡¯s consoles turned into two guns that glowed brightly.


    Shu Jun took the lead: ¡°This is a mini-game officially developed by [Erosion]. The operating principles are similar. You see, the gun has to be loaded like this¡­¡­ Yes, yes! Are you really using a gun for the first time?¡±


    Being praised, Haze almost turned into a tomato, his gaze once again lowering at the ground.


    ¡°To shoot, your stance should be like this. Pay attention to the movement of your shoulders. The grip will recoil, be careful to not suffer any injuries.¡± Shu Jun helped him adjust his posture. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, this is just a game. Come on, three, two, one, shoot!¡±


    As the mutated monster¡¯s long arm was shot down, it wriggled at the two boys¡¯ feet for some time before turning into a flash of light and completely vanishing.


    Since Shu Jun wanted to help Haze build some self-confidence, he specially led Haze to shoot down a monster during their training. Although it was only a game, the sense of reality was very strong. Haze stared at the gun and his hand trembled a little.


    ¡°It¡¯s only your first time. It can¡¯t be helped that you¡¯re nervous. Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll soon experience ¡ª¡± Before he could finish his words, Haze fired again.


    For a beginner, Haze¡¯s precision was rather amazing. The monsters weren¡¯t any friendly targets, for they moved extremely fast. But even when Haze never made any headshot, not one of his shots missed.


    Moreover, his shots were getting more and more accurate by the second.


    Shu Jun couldn¡¯t help looking at Haze¡¯s face ¡ª at this moment, Haze was exceptionally focused, and that vague sense of restraint and timidity had disappeared, his dark eyes seemingly ablaze. He looked as though he was rooted to the floor, so much so that even when the monster spewed blood as it charged towards him, Haze wouldn¡¯t budge even an inch.


    As expected of his friend. The more Shu Jun thought about it, the more he was convinced that he had such good judgment of other people.


    After observing for a while, Shu Jun withdrew his gaze from the boy¡¯s face and turned to stare at his body movements, for fear that he would accidentally hurt his shoulders. Shu Jun didn¡¯t marvel much at Haze¡¯s terrifying progress ¡ª he himself was quite talented in combat, so this only made him feel even closer to Haze.


    After confirming that Haze had mastered the correct posture, the two began to shoot happily.


    ¡°Do you know that there¡¯s small equipment that can be unlocked later in this game? But they¡¯re only minor weapons, nothing too special.¡± Shu Jun introduced the details to Haze as he fired. ¡°When I officially enter the team, I must choose a super cool and big weapon.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­These are good enough.¡± Haze mumbled. ¡°I only need these things.¡±


    ¡°Ah? You¡¯re so simple.¡± Shu Jun felt a tad disheartened.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    They played very happily, but after all, Haze¡¯s physique had its limits. An hour later, his arm was so tired that he couldn¡¯t raise it any further, so he had to come to a halt ¡ª Actually, it was Shu Jun who noticed that he was sweating profusely and his arm was shaking, so Shu Jun took the initiative to stop.


    ¡°My score is so much lower than yours¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your first time playing, don¡¯t worry. And your score isn¡¯t even that bad.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you let me earn more points.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You did.¡±


    ¡°If you fight for too long, your shoulders will surely get hurt.¡± Seeing Haze¡¯s expression emanating a different kind of determination, Shu Jun squeezed his arm and pulled the topic away. He could see it; Haze really liked to care about small matters. ¡°Let¡¯s play something else, don¡¯t just focus on one game.¡±


    ¡°Something else?¡±


    ¡°Uhm, although I also prefer combat. If you want a multiplayer strategy sort of game, it¡¯s this game¡­¡­ but I don¡¯t play this very well.¡± Shu Jun brought two cans of iced drinks over, his voice getting lower and lower.


    Haze wiped the sweat off his face with a towel, politely showing a puzzled expression.


    Shu Jun clenched his teeth and started another game.


    The barren land turned back to their room wall, and the cracked floor of the guard post turned back to their room floor. A two-square-meter wargaming table appeared in front of the two boys, and there were even tiny dark clouds hovering above the table.


    ¡°This is also a mini-game of [Erosion], which tests the player¡¯s tactical ability. The rules and operating principles are very simple. You only have to eliminate the monsters in the field.¡±


    There were thousands of strategy games, and Shu Jun chose the one he was least good at. If two of them started as equals, it might help Haze throw away his unnecessary self-pity.


    Moreover, the effects of any games under [Erosion] are super cool, Shu Jun thought seriously.


    ¡°Let¡¯s play together, we can set up two commanders.¡±


    Haze¡¯s movement came to a pause: ¡°My mother won¡¯t let me touch this¡­¡±


    Are there really such strange parents? Shu Jun was a little dazed for a second. He had only heard that his classmates¡¯ parents prohibited them from playing pure casual games. Strategy games were, in fact, officially recommended by the school. If the children were interested, the parents should be happy.


    ¡°You ran out away on your own, what are you afraid of ¡ª this is not a bad thing. In any case, if I don¡¯t talk and you don¡¯t talk, no one will know.¡±


    Haze was a little anxious: ¡°Actually, I like this kind of stuff, but the last time she saw me secretly read the tactics book, she got very angry.¡±


    ¡°Parents are not always right.¡± Shu Jun poked the small monsters on the wargaming table and said sternly: ¡°It¡¯s just tactical planning. Firstly, it won¡¯t cost you money, secondly, you won¡¯t learn anything bad from it, and thirdly, it won¡¯t affect your study. Your mother may have her own reasons, but the skies won¡¯t crash if you play for an hour.¡±


    After hearing a long prep talk, Haze was so moved that he felt a little giddy: ¡°Uhm, uhm. Let¡¯s play together.¡±


    Ten minutes later, Shu Jun found that this could indeed bring Haze some confidence, and the impact was surprisingly good ¡ª unlike the shooting game just now, this time, Shu Jun could truly feel the other boy¡¯s strength.


    After Haze initiated the first game, he spent eight minutes familiarising himself with the game operations, then he cleared the game in two minutes. Since his scores were recorded under Shu Jun¡¯s account, Shu Jun¡¯s ranking suddenly jumped from below 3,000 to the top 100.


    This result also took into account the first eight minutes.


    Shu Jun¡¯s face turned red. Embarrassed that he was so dazzled by another boy, he had to quietly shut down the uploading of this score.


    The school had tested them before, and Shu Jun was particularly good at dealing with conventional battles that carried ascertained conditions. But once the situation got too big and complicated, he would fly into the sky like a reckless moth. Because of this, his overall result for commanding ability hadn¡¯t been able to improve.


    This strategy game examined the ability to predict and command the troops during complex situations, and every time he saw it, his brain hurt. He suddenly thought that he had brought home a monster ¡ª Haze¡¯s mother wouldn¡¯t let him touch this, was it because she was afraid that he would scare other people?


    What a waste!


    This boy is so strong, yet he acts so ignorant and all!


    Shu Jun rolled his sleeves up, his tone full of grievance: ¡°Have you seen your score? Have you seen it? If you didn¡¯t spend so much time familiarising yourself with the game just now, you would definitely be No.1. My god, I wonder why you¡¯re lowering your head all the time. If I¡¯m able to achieve this kind of score¡­¡­ I¡­¡­.¡±


    Saying so, his eyes began to feel sore: ¡°I¡¯m not convinced! Let¡¯s continue to ¡ª¡±


    An hour later, Shu Jun ran into the toilet and sobbed for three full minutes. As an eleven-year-old ¡®grown¡¯ man, he usually didn¡¯t behave so shamelessly, but now, his head had malfunctioned. He had no idea if Haze had gained back some confidence, but he was sure that his own confidence was about to crumble.


    Although it was Haze¡¯s first time playing this game, he had such an easy time passing through the Hard levels, as simple as tying his shoelaces. Yet here Shu Jun was, baring his teeth and waving his claws left and right for one whole day, but his strategy score was only a fraction of the other boy¡¯s. Regardless of his actual performance when it came to strategising, Shu Jun was, in fact, a top student. He had never received such a blow.


    Even if he were to take into account the strategy scores, no one else in his school could be such a beast?


    He cried so hard that it felt so real. This time, Haze must know that I didn¡¯t go easy on him. With tears brimming his eyes, Shu Jun tried to locate the other boy¡¯s face.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to win by so much, I¡¯ll try to control¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?!¡± Shu Jun sniffed. ¡°Listen to what you are saying!¡±


    Unable to persuade him, Haze was at a loss of what to do: ¡°Well, then your tactics are really good, there are many angles that I couldn¡¯t think of. But they¡¯re a bit, a bit fragmented. Just, just change them a bit, and the impact will be as good as than mine.¡±


    Seeing Shu Jun¡¯s runny nose and eyes full of tears, Haze was so nervous he started to stammer.


    ¡°Really?¡± Shu Jun blew his nose loudly.


    ¡°Really, I can show it to you.¡±


    Shu Jun stopped crying at once: ¡°You said it.¡±


    Not expecting that this person could flip his attitude faster than flipping a book, Haze was stunned on the spot.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t control my emotions well.¡± Shu Jun pulled another sheet of tissue. ¡°In any case, I¡¯m a little older than you, I shouldn¡¯t be like this¡­¡­ By the way, how old are you?¡±


    ¡°Twelve.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Another drop of tear slowly escaped the corner of Shu Jun¡¯s eye. It turns out I¡¯m the didi here.


    ¡°Hic.¡± He blew his nose, his heart overwhelmed with sorrow. ¡°Ge, please tell me, how do I change my tactics earlier?¡±


    Haze: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Haze: ¡°¡­¡­Then, let¡¯s review it together?¡±


    Shu Jun¡¯s sorrow came fast and went away even faster. The two kids played and talked until the early hours of the morning, and Shu Jun took many notes with glee. On the other side, Haze¡¯s expressions and movements became more natural, and a smile even appeared on his face.


    ¡°Can you come and play with me in the future?¡± Shu Jun made room for Haze on the bed. ¡°Or shall I come and play with you?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡­ I¡¯ll go home tomorrow and talk to my family.¡± Haze grabbed the blanket. ¡°It should be okay. I stay alone at night anyway. If it doesn¡¯t work, I can run out by myself.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Shu Jun let out a big yawn. ¡°You said it, let¡¯s make a pinky promise.¡±


    After hesitating for a moment, Haze cautiously reached out his hand and pulled Shu Jun¡¯s pinky finger.


    ¡°Good night.¡±


    ¡°Good night.¡±


    Shu Jun slept contentedly for the whole night. When he woke up the next day, he found that he was using Haze as a bolster ¡ª he was wrapping around the quilt like an octopus, and Haze had been rolled inside that quilt. Shu Jun was hugging the ¡®bolster¡¯ tightly in his chest. Haze frowned slightly, but his breathing was quite steady.


    Shu Jun carefully let go of his arms and slipped out of the bed. He sent a message to the manager that he didn¡¯t need breakfast, then began to cook noodles for two people ¡ª last night, he cried his eyes out in front of Haze, so he had to quickly save his ¡®grown¡¯, reliable image.


    Haze was older than him, but the difference of one year old was completely negligible. He was taller than Haze anyway.


    ¡­¡­And now that he thought about it, he did earn a super cool semi-friend.


    No, they had so much fun together. They should be regarded as ¡®real friends¡¯.


    That would be great.

 CH 46

    Chapter 46: The Festival


    At eight o¡¯clock in the evening the next day, someone knocked on Shu Jun¡¯s door. Haze really came. All of Shu Jun¡¯s happy preparations weren¡¯t made in vain.


    Shu Jun didn¡¯t have a lot of friends at school. They usually spent most of their time studying or training, and at most, they only played online games together at night. Perhaps because he lived alone, no one ever came to his house to play. But as he gradually got used to it, Shu Jun didn¡¯t think that was a bad thing.


    That said, Haze was different. This was the first time he had met such a special friend ¡ª a friend who could make noise together with him in his free time.


    ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± Shu Jun opened the door with contentment.


    Haze stood at the door, his posture much more relaxed than yesterday, but he still seemed a bit restrained.


    ¡°I asked for this month¡¯s pocket money and bought enough snacks to fill the whole cupboard.¡± Shu Jun straightened his chest, as if he was a rich man with millions of dollars. ¡°You can eat whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°I brought a thank you gift.¡± Haze whispered and took out a small book from his pocket. ¡°It¡¯s a tactical textbook that I studied before. We can read it together.¡±


    Then he put on a slightly embarrassed look: ¡°I only have this one. I didn¡¯t get to study more after this.¡±


    ¡°Come in first, come in first.¡± Shu Jun pulled Haze through the door and opened a packet of snacks. ¡°When can you play until? Will your mother come to pick you up?¡±


    Haze was sitting on the sofa at the moment. Hearing this question, a shade of grey suddenly cast over his face.


    ¡°My mother isn¡¯t in good health. She goes to bed promptly at 7:30 in the evening and will sleep until the next afternoon. I come to accompany her every afternoon, spend the night alone, then in the morning I¡­ go to other places¡­¡±


    Haze kept staring at the tabletop: ¡°But she doesn¡¯t care if I make friends with you. When we have enough fun, the babysitter will come to pick me up.¡±


    That said, the two of them playing till the early hours of the morning and Haze staying overnight certainly had become a no-brainer.


    Having no other choice, Shu Jun could only glance at the time in a daze. Although Haze had a reserved personality, the two had such a fun time chatting together, as if they were born to know what the other person was thinking.


    Shu Jun hadn¡¯t been so happy in a long time.


    When Haze taught him tactics earlier, Shu Jun helped Haze strengthen his training. He stared at Haze¡¯s movements until the two were worn out from playing intense-activity games. They planned to have an intermission, and thereafter, they would put their strategising skills up for competition.


    ¡°You don¡¯t train in your school?¡± Shu Jun gulped down his  drink.


    ¡°I don¡¯t go to school. I have a private teacher at home.¡± Even when he was drained, Haze¡¯s sitting posture remained proper. ¡°They only teach etiquette, literature, arithmetic, etc¡­ There¡¯s no physical training.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯ve had a strategy class.¡± Shu Jun opened the small book and saw that Haze had studied it very seriously, with many notes written along with the paragraphs. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you continue?¡±


    Could it be that something happened with his class that made Haze¡¯s mother object to the idea of strategic planning so badly?


    Haze had been very relaxed, yet this question made him tense again: ¡°I don¡¯t know either. According to my father¡¯s arrangement, I should¡¯ve entered school, but she didn¡¯t agree with that¡­ My physique, personality and grades are both not good. Father didn¡¯t like me, so he left.¡±


    Shu Jun: ¡°¡­¡­¡± The more he heard about Haze¡¯s family, the stranger it seemed.


    ¡°As for the reason, my mother mentioned it once ¡ª she said that some talents won¡¯t just disappear. As long as some ¡®branding¡¯ is marked on my brain, for my whole lifetime, it won¡¯t be removed.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡± Shu Jun said, absolutely confused.


    ¡°Me neither.¡± Haze sucked his drink clumsily and choked. He coughed dryly, making the drink almost topple over. ¡°Cough cough¡­ But she also said that if I still want to follow my father when I turn 16, she won¡¯t stop me.¡±


    Shu Jun took out a handkerchief and helped Haze wipe his mouth: ¡°Your family is so complicated. But I also face similar things at school. The teachers don¡¯t like me that much.¡±


    As his drink had spilt, Haze was wiping the table awkwardly. Hearing Shu Jun¡¯s words, he turned his head around in sheer shock.


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t obey their words.¡± Shu Jun grunted with dissatisfaction. ¡°If I come up with a non-standard strategy, my points will be deducted. If my strategy isn¡¯t effective, my points will be deducted twice. My strategy performance has been poor, and the outcome now all depends on a single battle. If I fail the final simulation test, they¡¯ll try to make me withdraw.¡±


    ¡°Withdraw?¡±


    ¡°To the normal-stream course. In that case, I definitely won¡¯t be able to enter a good team. But if I play according to those standard tactics, it feels very boring¡­ A Yan, your tactics are much better than those!¡±


    This praise didn¡¯t make Haze blush too much. Rather, only his ears reddened and he stayed silent for nearly half a minute.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s start quickly.¡± Half a minute later, Haze shook his clothes that were soaked in the drink. ¡°Can I borrow your bathroom? I want to take care of these clothes first.¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh, oh, no problem. I¡¯ll get you a clean one.¡±


    Shu Jun pulled out a T-shirt from his closet and brought it into the bathroom, only to find that Haze was staring at the corner of the bathroom in a daze.


    On the sink was a small vase with a bunch of flowers in it. With the aid of new technology, these flowers could bloom for a long time. The manager would also change the type of flower every week. Shu Jun had only been using it as a decorative item.


    Holding his breath, Haze stretched out his finger and poked the delicate, velvety petals very lightly.


    There were balloon flowers in the vase this week. Shu Jun threw the T-shirt at Haze: ¡°Do you like flowers?¡±


    ¡°Where I live, they are very rare.¡± Haze hadn¡¯t taken off his dirty clothes. He hugged the T-shirt carefully, fearing that he might stain the clean piece.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard people say that there¡¯s a huge sea of flowers outside the city, and a viewing tower has also been built there.¡± Shu Jun said enthusiastically. ¡°When I become a member of the team, I¡¯ll be able to leave the city. Then we can take a look at it together.¡±


    As Haze turned around, that strange expression appeared again ¡ª he seemed as though he was enduring some pain, and there was a hint of sorrow in his eyes. Then he turned the other way and Shu Jun couldn¡¯t see his face anymore


    ¡°Uhm.¡± He replied vaguely. ¡°You go out first, I¡¯ll change my clothes and come find you later.¡±


    From that day on, Haze became especially serious about strategy games, and Shu Jun also cherished this friend of his more and more. The way children expressed their affection was very simple ¡ª I remember everything you say, and I share everything I like with you.


    At first, they just shared some snacks together. Later, the pies in the school cafeteria were so delicious that Shu Jun would save a piece from lunch and take it home. But regretfully, Shu Jun had no experience keeping food, so by the time he got home, the pie had turned cold and greasy.


    But Haze ate it all up without saying a word.


    Haze¡¯s tutor was quite strict, so he wasn¡¯t able to bring Shu Jun any practical gifts. He could only bring his brain and tactical knowledge every time he came. Shu Jun had never heard of those battles, and the school would never teach them any analysis on large-sized battles. He was always happy to hear them.


    Later, Haze¡¯s overnight stay became the norm ¡ª every time Shu Jun was out from school, his secret friend would turn up soon after to play with him. And every time before school, they would have breakfast together.


    Shu Jun was no longer alone. Now he could say ¡°see you tomorrow¡± with a smile. If it hadn¡¯t been for Haze to ask him to keep this secret with such seriousness, Shu Jun would have wanted to talk about this miraculous friend of his all over the school.


    They had never even quarrelled.


    Shu Jun thought that he really wanted to have such a great brother, but after they had each other¡¯s company for half a year, something eventually went wrong.


    It was a festival, the time when the whole city was having a grand celebration. Shu Jun loved this day a lot. The streets were crowded with people, and the night was lively ¡ª after Haze appeared, he was looking forward to this festival even more. He had never stayed with his friends until these late hours to watch the mesmerising fireworks bursting all over the sky.


    As soon as Haze arrived that night, Shu Jun lifted two backpacks.


    ¡°I¡¯m all ready!¡± Pointing upwards, his nose was this close to reaching the sky, and written all over his face was ¡®praise me¡¯. ¡°A Yan, let¡¯s go to the river. I know a particularly good viewing position.¡±


    Haze gaped with his mouth wide open, feeling a little hesitant.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be okay. A lot of people will be there, but it won¡¯t be too crowded.¡± After half a year, Shu Jun had learnt how to read his friend¡¯s temper. Haze didn¡¯t like places where there were too many people, and he had taken this factor into account way early on.


    And the other boy had always believed in him. Sure enough, Haze nodded obediently and carefully carried the bag on his back.


    Shu Jun grinned delightfully, then he put a few more flowers into Haze¡¯s bag.


    Recently, Haze seemed increasingly unhappy. Even though he was trying his best to hide it, Shu Jun could still see through him. Maybe if I take him to a vibrant place, it¡¯ll make him feel better.


    He also specially prepared a small firework, intending to pull a surprise.


    At night, the river was packed with people, and Shu Jun wriggled around like a monkey. Indeed, he took Haze to a relatively empty, small lane. In the end, pushing themselves up using the cracks in the wall and the window sill, the two climbed onto a small house beside the river. As the big crowd squeezed together below, the two boys sat on the eaves ¡ª Shu Jun happily propped both hands against the surface and swung his legs energetically. Even though Haze never had good physical coordination, he had his knees held close together with both hands on his knees.


    ¡°When it¡¯s exactly midnight, the sky will be full of fireworks. It¡¯s very very pretty.¡± Shu Jun enjoyed the cool breeze for a moment, then gestured with excitement. ¡°This is my special viewing position. The view is good here!¡±


    Haze didn¡¯t look up at the sky, instead, he lowered his eyes and gazed at the bustling crowd below.


    ¡°Oh, there are usually no people outside at night. This must be the first time you¡¯ve seen so many people. Look over there, that is my classmate, the one in blue! She and her family are here.¡±


    The girl was holding her mother¡¯s hand with one hand and cotton candy with the other, looking at the sky expectantly.


    Very subtly, Haze¡¯s expression turned a tad bitter. Or perhaps it¡¯s too dark at night and I¡¯ve read it wrong, Shu Jun thought.


    ¡°Those two are also my classmates, they are brothers. Hey, I¡¯ve tried to take control of my strategy scores. I¡¯m going to score with flying colours in the next simulation test and startle them! When I get the first place, I¡¯ll treat you to a big meal.¡±


    His two classmates were playing happily, their laughter reverberating across the night, so much so that Shu Jun could hear them clearly.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Ah, did you see that person over there? That¡¯s the Blackbird captain I especially admire, Xu Kan!¡± Shu Jun stretched his neck. ¡°A Yan, look over there ¡ª Captain Xu just retired. I heard that he wants to take his family abroad for a long vacation. Look, isn¡¯t he handsome?!¡±


    Xu Kan was standing by the river, and sitting on his shoulders was a little girl of about eight years old. He was talking and laughing with his wife, his eyebrows brightened by the festive lights.


    ¡°His daughter is from our school. She¡¯s going to have a ¡ª super long vacation. I¡¯m so envious.¡±


    From time to time, there was a cheerful smile amidst the crowd. Another half a minute later, colourful fireworks blew up the night sky. Just like previous years, everyone made their wishes.


    The content of their wishes was very simple, mostly hoping for family harmony and good health.


    But Shu Jun had no family, and he never had to worry about his health. He had decided on his wish long ago ¡ª he hoped he could be a long-term friend with A Yan.


    Not knowing what A Yan wished for, he turned around and gazed at Haze sitting next to him.


    Haze¡¯s eyes had turned red.


    There were spots of lights in the crowd, and everyone was smiling. The evening breeze was gentle, the river was delicately crashing against the shore, and the whole city was dazzlingly lit up. Without a doubt, everything was remarkably beautiful.


    Then the fireworks burst.


    As brilliant colours pounced in the air, people lifted their heads and their smiles became even happier. Xu Kan¡¯s daughter was yelling with excitement and the two boys were shouting at the sky. The crowd turned noisy and countless families started dancing, gently knocking into each other.


    Shu Jun didn¡¯t look at the sky. Instead, he looked at his friend with worries.


    The fireworks illuminated both the entire night sky and Haze¡¯s face that was drenched in tears. His body wasn¡¯t trembling in the slightest, and not a single sniff could be heard. Even the change in his breathing wasn¡¯t too obvious, but his tears kept falling down.


    Haze tried to wipe the tears away with his hands, but the tears seemed to be endless. Finally, very softly, he started to sniff.


    ¡°Are you feeling uncomfortable?¡± Shu Jun had lost the mood to watch the fireworks. He wanted to make Haze happy, but he never expected the opposite effect to happen.


    ¡°There¡¯s¡­ one thing I want to ask you.¡± Haze¡¯s voice was a little hoarse. ¡°If everyone tells you that a certain behaviour is right, but you feel that it¡¯s wrong¡­ What would you do?¡±


    ¡°Ouch, I don¡¯t know.¡± Shu Jun was scared silly by Haze¡¯s tears ¡ª during these six months, he had never seen Haze shed even a drop of tear. ¡°But, but since you don¡¯t feel that it¡¯s right, you should think about it again carefully?¡±


    ¡°Uhm, I¡¯ve thought about it a lot.¡± Haze said softly, his tears not stopping still. ¡°I¡¯ll continue to think about it.¡±


    ¡°Also¡­ also, you are the strongest person I¡¯ve ever met. If you feel it¡¯s not right, you must have your own reason.¡±


    Shu Jun had dug into the deepest corner of his brain to figure out what was appropriate to say.


    ¡°How about we stop here today? Let¡¯s go home first.¡±


    On the way home, Haze remained quiet the whole time. Before sleeping, Haze suddenly leaned over and kissed the top of Shu Jun¡¯s hair.


    Shu Jun was stunned.


    ¡°This means ¡®good night¡¯.¡± Haze said with a timid voice. ¡°I¡¯ve read it in books. This is a way to say good night to ¡®very important people¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Our teacher said that kissing means you ¡®like¡¯ the person.¡± Shu Jun solemnly pointed out.


    ¡°That¡¯s the kiss on the cheek.¡± Haze rolled over. ¡°Go to sleep, good night.¡±


    ¡°Good night¡­ A Yan, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Haze didn¡¯t answer.


    But Shu Jun¡¯s memories ended here and descended into that unusual darkness once again.

 CH 47

    Chapter 47: Burst of The Signal Fire


    No wonder Zhu Yanchen never mentioned that they were friends before Shu Jun recovered his memories.


    They met too early, and the reality before them was too heavy. What could Marshal Zhu even say? ¡®We said good night to each other every day when we were young, so you have to trust me?¡¯


    As he imagined Zhu Yanchen saying this with a straight face in his head, the half-sleepy Shu Jun felt like laughing a little.


    Although his memories hadn¡¯t entirely returned, he remembered the trivial things they did together. Simply put, everything was so naive it was laughable. But they did make a difference ¡ª the boring memories were filled with fire, gradually warming up its surroundings.


    He once had such a special friend.


    Shu Jun felt a tinge of sourness in his heart. He didn¡¯t understand it sixteen years ago, but now, he could guess why Haze cried that night.


    Sixteen years later, this person seemed to have put on a new shell, yet his familiar aura was still inside. The memories were still incomplete, and Shu Jun would obviously not be so naive to let go of his defence. However, at this moment, the pain in his chest was real.


    Shu Jun finally gathered his strength to move his chest and heave a long sigh. He tried to move his sore arms and circled them around Zhu Yanchen¡¯s back.


    ¡°You woke up?¡± Zhu Yanchen asked, his voice carrying a very subtle hint of tension.


    ¡°You got a lot bigger.¡± After everything slowed down, Shu Jun¡¯s spirits recovered quickly. ¡°Back then, I could hug you with one arm and could even spin you a few rounds.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    It was dark and cold around them, but the atmosphere didn¡¯t feel gloomy at all.


    The moment Shu Jun spoke, Monday quickly recognised his voice and started to howl in the most agonising manner. Shu Jun didn¡¯t let go of Zhu Yanchen, simply burying his face on the man¡¯s shoulder and remaining there for a while.


    Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t speak. He stretched out his hand, and the ragged remnants of his gloves slid across the back of Shu Jun¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we hug to celebrate a long-awaited reunion?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhu Yanchen was silent for a few seconds. ¡°We can celebrate the long-awaited reunion, but you should put on your clothes first.¡±


    Shu Jun realised that he was almost naked and Zhu Yanchen¡¯s clothes weren¡¯t very neat. There was nothing about their current images that seemed correct.


    As a lot of his memories came back, Shu Jun originally thought that he would adapt to this kind of physical contact. Back then, he helped and gave Haze lots of guidance with physical training, so blows and hugs between the two kids were indispensable. At that time, he was never restrained or awkward in any way ¡ª the friendship between two kids of eleven years old and twelve years old was like water, so pure that nothing else could mix up with it.


    It was certain that Marshal Zhu was his childhood best friend, and all his question marks could finally vapourise. Their compatible personalities came from them being in each other¡¯s company days and nights, and the feeling of closeness came from the nostalgia of a long-awaited reunion. There was no ambiguity. Everything was their subconsciousness playing mischief.


    ¡­¡­Shu Jun wanted to think so, but the reality was completely beyond his control.


    Something didn¡¯t seem right.


    Not only did he fail to feel like water, but he also sensed something incredibly strange. The touch between the two of them felt scorching hot. As the contrasts brought about by his memories came to enlightenment and being a totally healthy, functional adult, Shu Jun instantly realised the problem ¡ª that dangerous romantic hint didn¡¯t die down, rather, it even became angrier.


    This is killing me.


    Shu Jun took a few deep breaths to calm his heartbeat: ¡°Okay, wait a moment, I¡¯ll just put my arms into a bit of practice.¡±


    As he said so, he reached out and his palm touched the Erosion Marsh on the side. The Mirror Eorion Marsh¡¯s control of its ability was much better than Sweet Vanguard, for the erosive substance slowly climbed onto his arm, mimicking a decent protective suit.


    After that, Shu Jun pulled Monday up, and the erosive substance went around the upper part of the sword body, turning into a wide strip of cloth that wrapped around the sword and blocking its screaming mouth. Confirming that he had no problem controlling the marsh, Shu Jun turned around to repair Zhu Yanchen¡¯s clothes.


    But this ¡®imitation¡¯ ability went wrong with Zhu Yanchen.


    Not wanting to be pulled into Zhu Yanchen¡¯s ¡®dictatorship¡¯, the erosive substance continuously struggled against Shu Jun, making the clothes made of erosive substance simply hover above Marshal Zhu¡¯s skin. For a second, the protective suit looked more like a spacesuit, and Marshal Zhu looked like he was about to float.


    ¡°Let¡¯s bear with it for now first.¡± Shu Jun withdrew the ability, himself half wanting to laugh and half wanting to cry.


    Zhu Yanchen picked up the broken face mask, his gaze extremely soft: ¡°Uhm.¡±


    Shu Jun stood up first, then stretched out his hand to Zhu Yanchen: ¡°As for how much I remember¡­ A Yan, ¡®How about we stop here today? Let¡¯s go home first¡¯.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen took Shu Jun¡¯s hand. Behind the broken mask, those pitch-black eyes were full of vitality.


    A hurricane rose in an instant, and the shattered erosive substance rotated around the two of them. Shu Jun hugged Zhu Yanchen¡¯s waist tightly, and the two flew into the sky. Under the clouds, Zhu Yanchen closed his eyes and comfortably took a rest, his whole body emanating a feeling of content. Shu Jun unfolded a wind shield without saying a word. His speed wasn¡¯t as fast as before, but it had never been this stable.


    The return journey took less than an hour, and during that time, Shu Jun thought about a lot of things. From Zhu Yanchen¡¯s experience over the years to the path they would take in the future.


    And the tugging in his heart he felt earlier.


    It might be an impulse, or it might be a misguided thought formed due to the suspension bridge effect1. But his heart did race faster. Perhaps it was a mixture of heartache and longing.


    This conclusion was too shocking. Without his permission, Shu Jun¡¯s heart jumped to his throat, and he almost choked. At this moment, the two were very close, and the blood began to hit his brain like mad. As though the other man¡¯s body temperature was charged with electric current, Shu Jun felt half of his body so numb that he could hardly think clearly.


    Fortunately, Captain Shu had been through the worst adversity and was able to quickly suppress these anomalies. Zhu Yanchen was his cherished friend, and his strongest partner ever. Now that the other man was treating him as a friend, it would be hard for him to do something inappropriate in such a dire situation.


    But liking a person was simply liking a person. Shu Jun didn¡¯t plan to forcefully press that romantic seedling to death. After the fog between them cleared, the two would get along normally. As for whether he would water the seedling or completely uproot it later, let¡¯s leave it to fate.


    Thinking of this, he silently thickened the wind shield to prevent the tired Marshal Zhu from being blown by the wind.


    But Shu Jun wasn¡¯t the only one whose mind had been crashed by such turbulent waves.


    The moment he was hugged by Shu Jun earlier, Zhu Yanchen also felt that something wasn¡¯t quite right. The other man had remembered so many things, which was obviously something to be happy about. But this time he not only felt that it wasn¡¯t enough, he even had an explicable feeling of losing something ¡ª


    Shu Jun¡¯s attitude was obviously how one should treat a friend. Zhu Yanchen had looked forward to this day, but when the other man hugged him so frankly, he was slightly unhappy.


    This wasn¡¯t what he wanted.


    Zhu Yanchen quietly hooked his arm around Shu Jun¡¯s back. When Shu Jun remembers everything, what kind of expression would he make?


    His emotions towards people around him were like vines that densely climbed up his entire life. Having mixed with so many things, such emotions gradually turned into an uncontrollable desire.


    As the assertive man he always was, he didn¡¯t intend to allow this desire to spread ¡ª otherwise, even if Shu Jun reciprocated his feelings, he wouldn¡¯t be able to tell whether the other party was sincerely willing to or had to submit to him in order to maintain their partnership.


    They had a lot of time ahead, and he happened to have a lot of patience.


    At the border of the erosion zone, the Blackbird frontline team had already returned to the camp.


    Yu Jin was still dumbstruck, but Hu Yan had found an excuse to cover everything up. The deputy captain is still reliable after all, Shu Jun almost burst into tears.


    ¡°There was something wrong with the mission just now, and an official had come to adjust it. For an official, it¡¯s normal to use his strongest ability. You¡¯re asking where the NPCs are? Wait a minute, maybe they¡¯ll be back in a while, maybe. Maybe there¡¯s a follow-up plot because we didn¡¯t do the mission very well¡­¡± As Shu Jun stepped into the camp, Hu Yan¡¯s expression was solemn, but inside, he was cheering quietly.


    ¡°We found an abandoned mud sled on the road.¡± Taking advantage of his NPC identity, Shu Jun made up a story. ¡°A Yan didn¡¯t come aboard because he was worried about me¡­ I fell into the marsh and almost couldn¡¯t make it.¡±


    With a numb expression, Yu Jin listened to Shu Jun¡¯s story, his eyes not leaving Shu Jun for even an instant.


    ¡°When we left, the official was still trying to control the Erosion Marsh. I don¡¯t know what happened after that. Please excuse me, I¡¯m going back to the tent first. Let me change my clothes, then we¡¯ll talk.¡±


    Seeing the two walk into the NPCs¡¯ tent, Yu Jin wanted to step in to seek an explanation, but unexpectedly, Zhu Yanchen stopped him and shook his head solemnly.


    What¡¯s wrong, it¡¯s just a man changing clothes and I¡¯m not even allowed to watch? But since the impact of knowing that two players had turned into NPCs was too much of a blow, Yu Jin didn¡¯t bother to argue and simply waited outside the tent.


    But indeed, it was really hard to look at ¡ª since the purifier was turned on in the tent, not long after Shu Jun stepped in, half of his temporary clothes made of erosive substance evaporated. Shu Jun neatly changed into his protective clothing, wrapped his sword up and signalled the two people outside the tent to come in.


    This time it was Marshal Zhu¡¯s turn to change clothes. Although his clothes were made of real cloth, Shu Jun couldn¡¯t help but block Yu Jin¡¯s sight.


    Yu Jin: ¡°¡­¡­I know you can¡¯t help it, but let me pass this time. I¡¯m talking serious business here.¡±


    Captain Shu had always had thick skin, so he accepted the first half of Yu Jin¡¯s sentence with a completely unflinching expression: ¡°Do ask.¡±


    In a way, Yu Jin represented the people in the border settlement. The encounter between the three of them was a sort of rarely-seen fate, not to mention that Yu Jin had a pleasant personality and was a very good partner. It was just that this person was a lowest-rank sort of soldier, one who only appreciated strength. It was more effective to show him power in the crudest way than to smooth-talk him.


    ¡°Who are you guys really?¡± Yu Jin went straight to the point. ¡°Someone at Blackbird asked just now, and I roughly made up something. Now, it¡¯s my turn to ask you two.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story.¡± Shu Jun took a sip of water. ¡°But the two of us have met before¡­¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Half an hour later, Yu Jin got out of the tent. His face had turned into a shade of fluorescent-yellow, which was particularly matching with his hair colour.


    Of course, it was impossible for Shu Jun to tell him the whole story, and Zhu Yanchen¡¯s identity couldn¡¯t be revealed. Using the reputation that he was a top-rank player who luckily survived a mission and his strength as the main point of conviction, he tried to reason with Yu Jin. The result was that, by the time his mouth was about to go dry from too much talking, Yu Jin¡¯s expression was tangled in distress.


    Zhu Yanchen only added two sentences: ¡°The coalition government intends to increase the production of synthesised humans, and by then, you¡¯ll be the first batch of unemployed people. You know this better than me.¡±


    He straightened the cuffs of his new clothes, his gaze solemn.


    ¡°If there¡¯s a conflict between the coalition government and the players, you¡¯ll also be the first batch to be sent to the battlefield to stimulate conflict. Is this what you want?¡±


    Shu Jun, who has been trying to be euphemistic: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Yu Jin stood there and sighed for a long moment. A while later, he reached out and tightly squeezed the other two¡¯s hands, then left the tent with a sorrowful expression.


    ¡°Regarding Hu Yan¡¯s report, should I intervene? After all, the story he¡¯ll tell about the ¡®NPCs¡¯ will affect a lot of people, so just in case¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Zhu Yanchen shook his head. ¡°Let him report as he wants. I know how the higher-ups will make their judgement.¡±


    Saying so, he carefully touched Shu Jun¡¯s forehead: ¡°The most urgent thing now is to go back to Y City and check your physical condition as soon as possible. At present, your memory recovery is likely to be related to the two recent battles¡­¡±


    ¡°Hm hm¡­¡± Shu Jun took pleasure in the warmth on his forehead. ¡°But before that, I still have to explain to Hu Yan.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°About my hair and eyes. They aren¡¯t my deliberate visual effects. This look of mine is [Erosion]¡¯s arrangement.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Soon after, Y City, the Headquarters.


    Yi Ning looked at the report in front of him, his brows almost entangling together like a pastry twist.


    The Blackbird team¡¯s report was quite strange ¡ª this time, the Erosion Marsh¡¯s ability was extremely unusual. And a mysterious ¡®official¡¯ appeared in the report. That person seemed to have multiple abilities, but no one could see his face.


    According to the witnesses from Blackbird, the man¡¯s weapon appeared to be a pitch-black mace that released strange noises. However, the two players were extremely weak, so their testimony couldn¡¯t be fully reliable.


    After that, the NPCs that escaped also submitted a report, only mentioning that the person was abnormal in appearance and didn¡¯t look like a human being. They only tried to flee for their lives and didn¡¯t pay attention to more details.


    In terms of the final result, the strange Erosion Marsh vanished, but the whole event was odd.


    ¡°Let me see it. The Blackbird team¡¯s report will be made public sooner or later anyway, let¡¯s see it now.¡±


    A hand stretched out in front of Yi Ning, obviously carrying an aggressive intent, but Luo Duan¡¯s face seemed particularly gentle.


    ¡°¡­¡­Also, you seem distressed.¡±


    Recently, Luo Duan had been coming to see him more and more frequently. Yi Ning had hidden all the sensitive information, but this captain maintained very respectable behaviours, and the suggestions he gave were very useful, so Yi Ning couldn¡¯t just chase Luo Duan out.


    God knows why Luo Duan¡¯s injury heals so slowly. Maybe I should ask Dr. Ai to have a look.


    ¡°Go ahead.¡± Yi Ning nodded and acquiesced to Luo Duan¡¯s actions.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Luo Duan smiled. ¡°These NPCs are very interesting. Next time when the Groundwater team has a mission, can I invite them?¡±


    ¡°As long as they are willing to¡­ By the way, I have to go to the theater tomorrow afternoon. The Xia family will organise a gig to celebrate Zhu Yanchen¡¯s return. I must be there ¡ª You don¡¯t have to come tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Luo Duan¡¯s smile became even more obvious. ¡°I¡¯ll probably come for a bit, I¡¯ll be free anyway. How should I say it, any plan will never happen as fast as the changes, am I right?¡±

 CH 48

    Chapter 48: Attacks On The Mind


    The return trip lasted 2 days, so naturally, they had to spend one night outside.


    Once again, Shu Jun dreamt of his weird self.


    The dream was more vibrant this time. There was no darkness around him and he returned to his home in the ¡®real world¡¯.


    The time in the dream was still daytime. The jug of juice that had been half-empty was on the coffee table, and the ice cubes in it had already melted. Outside the window, the river that crossed through the city glowed like a warm pinkish-blue ribbon. The wind was cool and refreshing, but somehow, it carried with it a strange, thick odor.


    After he entered the team, Shu Jun¡¯s house changed from a small apartment to a large flat with a swimming pool on the balcony. At this moment, flowing in the pool wasn¡¯t clear water but reddish-brown blood. Shu Jun suppressed the urge to retch and came closer to take a better look ¡ª the blood in the pool was swaying gently, with organs that looked like swollen flesh floating on the surface.


    ¡®His other self¡¯ was sitting by the pool, still with black hair and black eyes, its whole body exposed except for a pair of familiar-looking swimming trunks. As if startled by Shu Jun¡¯s footsteps, it slowly turned its head.


    Its body was still disfigured and many parts were peeling off. Though more than half of its face had been restored, the blood vessels under the skin were pitch back, making it look like the corpse of someone that had been eroded to death.


    But compared to the last time, when its whole body was covered with mosaics, this time round, Shu Jun could actually see its real shape.


    ¡­¡­I wonder if it has anything to do with the memories I¡¯ve recovered. Shu Jun squinted.


    The pungent smell had him stand rooted to the spot, while the air around him thickened like glue. The thing slowly sank into the crimson pool in front of it and let the eroding blood flood over its chest. Step by step, it walked towards Shu Jun, causing ripples to spread out in the pool of blood.


    Shu Jun remained unmoved: ¡°If you have something to say, say it. There¡¯s no need to put up such a show.¡±


    ¡°I remember now.¡± That thing¡¯s voice was exactly the same as Shu Jun¡¯s, but with more ethereal echoes, as if it was transmitted from an empty shell. ¡°Zhu Yanchen has tricked me since he was twelve years old. Humans are all the same.¡±


    The blood in the pool began to escape from the grasp of gravity and climbed up the edge of the pool, wrapping itself around Shu Jun¡¯s ankles.


    Shu Jun frowned as countless negative emotions frantically rushed into his mind. At that moment, the world in his eyes was turning blood-red, making him almost unable to withstand those emotions.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been kept entirely in the dark. Everything that happened was just Zhu Yanchen¡¯s deceit to make us feel bad for him ¡ª He knew that he would die soon from sickness, and he specially used this method to make you heal him. Wasn¡¯t he the one who always kept you close to him back then? That person knows a lot about Erosion Marsh. Maybe he has everything in the palm of his hand¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s gained the immunity he wished for. Now he¡¯ll use your ability to seize the position of the leader. If he¡¯s not our kind, his heart will become impure. By the time Zhu Yanchen is able to use me and my kins to snatch that position, will he really spare us? Will he raise tens of thousands of non-humans that will soon lose their ability to work? He only needs to take advantage of his role as our partner to stab us in the back¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t dare to, and I can¡¯t forget the companions who¡¯ve fallen. Humans are not trustworthy at all. Those were memories of just half a year, who knows whether they¡¯re true or false¡­¡±


    Shu Jun covered his aching brain and waved his hand in disgust: ¡°Stop, stop now. Let¡¯s not act so familiar with each other, can we? You are you, and I am me. You start talking left and right about who I am as soon as you¡¯re here. This is all too noisy.¡±


    As though it wasn¡¯t expecting Shu Jun¡¯s reaction, that thing froze in the pool of blood and, for a long time, it didn¡¯t utter another word.


    Even the eroding blood that was crawling up Shu Jun¡¯s legs came to a halt.


    ¡°You can¡¯t change who you are. For human beings, you are a disaster. Even if there are samples of brain tissues now, how much medicine can that Ai woman make? It¡¯s just Zhu Yanchen trying to give you a taste of sweetness. Killing all the people who know about the medicine immediately after you¡¯ve obtained it is the most reasonable choice¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯s it. Calling me ¡®you¡¯ makes me feel more comfortable.¡± Shu Jun was finally able to press down the chaotic emotions in his heart and heaved a sigh of relief.


    The thing rolled its only remaining eye and stared at him coldly.


    Shu Jun pulled the cloth off on the coffee table and began to wipe the blood that had crawled up his calfs: ¡°Don¡¯t look at it. Is there anything else? Are you done talking?¡±


    The monster in the pool of blood: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve fully understood your request, now you can dispppear.¡± Shu Jun squeezed the blood-soaked tablecloth.


    ¡°You should¡¯ve felt the resentment and hatred of those who¡¯ve fallen ¡ª do you want to turn a blind eye to all this?¡±


    Familiar faces emerged from the pool of blood, which were all Blackbird team members who perished during missions. Their eyes were wide-open yet blank, their grey pupils pointing dazingly at the sky.


    In a blink, Shu Jun¡¯s indifference vanished.


    ¡°Earlier, I only thought you talk too much, but now I think you¡¯re rather rude.¡± There was a hint of coldness in his voice. ¡°Let me ask a question first. Based on what you say, can the synthesised humans ever win?¡±


    The thing didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°Then why are you spewing so much bullsh*t? After listening to all your bullsh*t so far, I can only see one intention. You want me to quickly kick Marshal Zhu off his throne, then seek revenge on humans.¡±


    As Shu Jun grabbed the handle of the glass jug on the table, blue veins started popping up at the top of his hand.


    ¡°So, I take revenge, and then what? Unilateral destruction can¡¯t solve the fundamental problem here ¡ª even if each person¡¯s individual strength is strong, there are too few synthesised humans, and our lifespan is limited. Humans only need to cease the development and escape for a few years. When we become weak, they¡¯ll fight back.¡±


    ¡°Not to mention, we don¡¯t have any knowledge about the system. Even if we have it, we can¡¯t teach anyone to use it skillfully in such a short time. Before we even discuss casualties in battles, how about the survivors who are hanging by a thread? Who will treat them? Who will maintain the operations of the ¡®real world¡¯? Some people lose everything and are willing to die like this, that I understand, but what about the children who haven¡¯t joined any team? Are we burying them together with us?¡±


    ¡°If my teammates want to live¡­¡­ If I can help them survive, what¡¯s a little bit of resentment? I can even give up my self-esteem. I haven¡¯t lost my most important people, so it¡¯s a little bit ironic to stand here and talk like this ¡ª But unfortunately, Blackbird¡¯s captain happens to be me, and this is my stance.¡±


    The erosive substance at the thing¡¯s wound kept spilling, making it clear that the thing was trying to come up with an appropriate answer.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, I¡¯ve thought about everything you¡¯re thinking about.¡± Shu Jun stopped by the pool of blood, lifted the glass jug and poured the reddish juice on the thing¡¯s head. ¡°If you can¡¯t give any constructive suggestions, you¡¯d better f**k off.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be betrayed.¡± A few minutes later, it spoke slowly as if cursing him. ¡°You¡¯ll definitely be betrayed.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Shu Jun shook the remaining juice in the jug. ¡°Too bad, I¡¯ve also thought about that.¡±


    As he wiped his hands, his pupils narrowed into a thin line: ¡°If Ah Yan betrays me, I¡¯ll stand in front of him and let him watch me dig out his heart. And after the battle, as a leader who made a major mistake, I¡¯ll certainly apologise to you. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡±


    Ignoring the ocean of negative emotions around him, Shu Jun crouched down and sneered at the thing.


    ¡°By the way, if he doesn¡¯t betray me in the end, I might chase after him.¡±


    Monster: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Seeing the other party stunned, Shu Jun¡¯s smile was tinged with a hint of mockery. He let go, allowing the empty juice jug to smash into the thing¡¯s head. The pool of blood turned scorching hot, and the thing let out a mournful scream, its eyes drenched in death glaring angrily at Shu Jun.


    In an instant, the dream shattered into pieces.


    Shu Jun calmly opened his eyes and couldn¡¯t help but roll them one full round, for he was facing Zhu Yanchen who was changing his shirt ¡ª They were heading back to Y City soon, and as the leader of an NPC team, Yu Jin had gone to have a meeting with Hu Yan early in the morning.


    Zhu Yanchen usually couldn¡¯t show his face and had to wear a simple mask even when he slept. During this rare time when he got to be at ease, he was changing his clothes, and very nicely, Shu Jun caught the sight.


    Shu Jun didn¡¯t feel awkward at all, rather, he casually gazed at Zhu Yanchen.


    The scene in the dream was very clear. When Shu Jun said ¡®I will chase after him¡¯, half of his intention was to annoy that thing, but half of it came from his sincere heart. The tingling in his heart yesterday had long since calmed down, but now was a good time to test it ¡ª As an adult, if his heart was still unflinching after seeing such a scene, his feelings might just be a case of unusually strong friendship.


    Catching Shu Jun¡¯s gaze, Zhu Yanchen slightly paused, then his movements became a little slower. Illuminated by the warm light, his pale skin exuded a shade of jade-like white. Although Shu Jun¡¯s skin also carried that same colour, he couldn¡¯t help but feel his heart beat a tad faster.


    Seriously, he had fallen head over heels.


    ¡°I dreamt of that thing again.¡± Shu Jun let out a long sigh and went straight into the main business.


    Zhu Yanchen changed into a turtleneck T-shirt and frowned upon hearing this.


    ¡°Its demands are still the same. It¡¯s trying hard to make me take revenge on humans. I suspect it¡¯s part of those Erosion Marshes, but I can¡¯t figure out how it manages to affect me.¡± Shu Jun got up and neatly put on his coat. ¡°The scene it appears in is getting more and more detailed. I¡¯m a little worried.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Zhu Yanchen nodded calmly. ¡°It¡¯s already part of the plan. When we get back to Y City, I¡¯ll have a look at your brain scan as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just that, Ah Yan.¡±


    Shu Jun put on a wry smile.


    ¡°I know myself. If we didn¡¯t go through those days together, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll go crazy in the despair of not knowing anything. The fact that I can resist that thing¡¯s provocation is because I¡¯m a lucky man ¡ª I haven¡¯t lost anyone close to me, and I met you.¡±


    It might just be Shu Jun¡¯s illusion, but despite Zhu Yanchen¡¯s expression that didn¡¯t flinch even one bit, there was a little redness at the tips of his ears.


    ¡°But if its target was someone that has lost a loved one, or his lover, I think it may succeed.¡± Shu Jun rubbed his lower lip with his fingers. ¡°When a person is desperate, he can do anything.¡±


    ¡°Could there be any way to deal with the shock in the brain? I suspect that ¡®that thing¡¯ has more than one target.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen frowned: ¡°Speaking of this, I have a guess¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, are you two going for breakfast?¡± Yu Jin got into the tent, and Zhu Yanchen immediately put his mask back up.


    Shu Jun hurriedly changed the subject: ¡°Why, aren¡¯t we allowed to be together for a while in the morning? Are you done?¡±


    ¡°Take it easy on me, boss.¡± Yu Jin muttered under his breath. ¡°There are enough troubles here ¡ª we¡¯ve been informed that everyone is banned from entering or exiting Y City today, and the alert has been raised to the highest level. Zhu Yanchen came back, remember? Those higher-ups are holding a concert at the Grand Theater, and almost every figure who¡¯s the least bit influential has to be there. We¡¯ll have to stay outside the city for one more day. I wonder if they¡¯ll pay more.¡±


    Shu Jun and Zhu Yanchen looked at each other.


    ¡°I understand.¡± Zhu Yanchen said perfunctorily, then he grabbed Shu Jun¡¯s wrist. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s go to breakfast first.¡±


    Yu Jin: ¡°Hey, hey, can you please be a decent human first? I haven¡¯t finished complaining, can you listen to me vent?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Although you and I have agreed on that, the agreement does not say that I must keep my temper ¡ª¡±


    ¡°This trip has caused you a lot of trouble. My share of the rewards will go to you.¡± Zhu Yanchen replied quickly.


    ¡°¡­¡­You two take your time.¡±


    After exiting the tent, Zhu Yanchen¡¯s voice became much lower: ¡°We must find a way to enter Y city.¡±


    ¡°Does it has something to do with the guess you mentioned just now?¡±


    ¡°Uhm, the headquarters may have ¡®something¡¯.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen¡¯s mind had caught on with the hunch he felt that day ¡ª Indeed, the headquarters were able to block out the large Erosion Marshes, allowing only a certain amount of erosive substance to exist. But not all Erosion Marshes with brains were large in size. Monday was the best example.


    Even if it was subdued under the force of the purifiers and couldn¡¯t communicate with the outside world, a brain-enabled Erosion Marsh alone could do quite a lot of things in the headquarters ¡ª such as waiting for a suitable prey.


    A weak Erosion Marsh might not be able to do much, but if it could use the power of an experienced player¡­


    The malicious information that appeared in Shu Jun¡¯s mind was likely implanted by it. And at that time, Shu Jun wasn¡¯t the only veteran player in the headquarters, Zhu Yanchen quietly clenched his fist.


    Today, the big figures had gathered at the Grand Theater, and some of the guards were bound to be transferred away. If the source of Shu Jun¡¯s nightmare was really in the headquarters, everything might turn sour if they didn¡¯t carry this out correctly.


    Adjusting his emotions, Zhu Yanchen continued to give a quick explanation: ¡°There are indeed other solutions to deal with the shock in your brain. Since the body of a synthesised human is unstable, it¡¯ll start to collapse as it gets older. Erosion will invade all parts of the body ¡ª including the brain.¡±


    ¡°As biological tissues, artificially implanted brain fragments will also be eroded and their suppressive power will diminish. If the synthesised human is lucky enough to not die in battles¡­¡­ when their body begins to decay, there may be a possibility of them ¡®detecting the truth¡¯. This is one of the reasons why you have a fixed time to ¡®retire¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Luo Duan.¡± Shu Jun¡¯s pupils shrank as he murmured the name.


    ¡°You¡¯re correct.¡± Zhu Yanchen¡¯s voice became a bit dry. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯d better head there and confirm.¡±


    Shu Jun closed his eyes, took a long breath, then opened his eyes again: ¡°Understood. Leave Hu Yan to me, you go and deal with Yu Jin ¡ª In five minutes, I¡¯ll bring you there.¡±


    Since he hadn¡¯t fully prepared a backup plan for the synthesised humans, whatever happened, the war must not be ignited now.


    Luo Duan was now walking alone at the lowest floor of the headquarters.


    A layer of steam concealed his figure. As for the temperature detector, ¡®someone¡¯ had taken care of it for him. The icy-cold erosive substance was wrapping around his neck and swaying slowly like it was a noose, or the embrace of a dead lover.


    Held between his fingers was Yi Ning¡¯s key, and he was fiddling with it casually. His eyes were incredibly calm. Even when he saw a jar full of brain tissues in front of him, Luo Duan¡¯s eyelids didn¡¯t even twitch.


    ¡°Is this the place?¡± Stopping at the deepest part of the headquarters, he mumbled softly.


    The erosive substance rubbed the side of his neck and gave an affirmative answer: ¡°Use your special ability¡­ Send me inside.¡±


    Luo Duan knew that warm and familiar voice was fake. But there had been too many lies in his life, so one more wouldn¡¯t make any difference.


    ¡°Taking advantage of the steam¡­.. That¡¯s right, it can be done. The problem is ¡ª hey, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Luo Duan turned his head as the erosive substance poked his shoulder.


    ¡°They¡¯re¡­ here,¡± said the voice.


    ¡°They¡¯re¡­ coming again.¡±

 CH 49

    Chapter 49: Farewell


    Back to half an hour ago.


    The two of them got on the empty road and flew all the way to the sky above Y City.


    Purifiers were also turned on around Y City for protection purposes, but the intensity was different from that near the headquarters. Shu Jun suppressed the erosive substance in his own body and barely managed to pass through, however, they still faced a risk of being discovered. Luckily, majority of the guards had been sent to the Grand Theater today. From the sky, Zhu Yanchen observed for a moment and pinpointed a blind spot.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go in first and search for it.¡± After they had flown near the headquarters, Zhu Yanchen spoke again: ¡°The 9th window from the left on the top floor. Bring me over there.¡±


    Since the incident took place so suddenly, the two couldn¡¯t get Lao Dong¡¯s assistance this time. Before Zhu Yanchen regained his authority, they must be wary of the alarm system that was constantly keeping watch.


    Shu Jun didn¡¯t waste even a second. The moment the wind swept the two to the top of the building, he let go of Zhu Yanchen¡¯s hand. Zhu Yanchen opened the impact absorption device and beautifully landed beautifully on the eaves, then he climbed up the roof and pried open the window.


    The headquarters was one of the few high-rise buildings in Y City with relatively weak defence on the top floor. Marshal Zhu¡¯s break-in went very smoothly.


    Shu Jun, who was asked to stay outside: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Even if he recovered some of his memories, he still couldn¡¯t figure out how this person became like this.


    In the headquarters, marshals usually had private rooms. Since Marshal Zhu¡¯s ¡®rise from the dead¡¯ came way too quickly, the room was definitely still there, and his authority must have been restored. Very patiently, Shu Jun hovered around the blind spot of the security camera and stared at the dark window.


    Zhu Yanchen entered the room.


    The furnishings in the room hadn¡¯t changed much, while some of his personal belongings seemed to have disappeared. A lot of documents were still piling up on the table, but except for some office supplies, only a lonely-looking photo frame that belonged to him was still here.


    Many people had come in and out of this room, but no one cared about this plain-looking photo frame. The photo didn¡¯t show anyone. It was just a decorative picture of a scene that could be seen everywhere ¡ª a few rays of fireworks bursting quietly in the dark night sky, and nothing else.


    Marshal Zhu stretched out his hand and rubbed the edge of the photo frame.


    He immediately turned on the monitor in the office and modified the contents of the surveillance images. There were a few layers of screening passwords, so theoretically, safety should be ensured. But the security center could certainly not expect that the intruder was the ¡®ghost¡¯ of Zhu Yanchen himself.


    Zhu Yanchen unlocked the highest authority and directly pulled out the daily erosion distribution checks of the entire building, and at the same time, he also inserted his own analysis programme.


    Just as expected.


    There was a patch of ¡®impurity¡¯ that was neither too large nor too small that was slowly wandering in this huge building. It was hiding rather deep and usually quite scattered. In the data model, it looked like a blob of glue seeping through the cracks in the building.


    After consolidating months¡¯ worth of data, Zhu Yanchen was almost certain that this thing was absolutely conscious ¡ª at the very least, it knew how to avoid when the researchers cleaned up the erosive substance layer by layer.


    It was about time for the cleaning group to be here.


    Zhu Yanchen grabbed the photo frame and turned down the power of the purifier closest to the Erosion Marsh. After making sure that there were no issues, he waved at Shu Jun in the distance and made a few gestures.


    Since the headquarters indeed contained something evil, Shu Jun could now openly break in. In any case, there was an ill-intentioned Erosion Marsh to take the blame.


    With the weakened defence, Shu Jun successfully broke through. However, even if its power was diminished, the system could still detect excessive erosive substance and instantly triggered the alarm.


    This was exactly what Zhu Yanchen was waiting for.


    He intercepted the feedback data from the defence system and overwritten it with the concentration of another Erosion Marsh.


    ¡°You really found an Erosion Marsh?¡± After seeing Zhu Yanchen waving at him to come in, Shu Jun had pretty much figured out the reason.


    ¡°Uhm.¡± Zhu Yanchen nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve delayed the triggering time of the alarm. In short, let¡¯s go to Luo Duan first.¡±


    Luo Duan¡¯s ward was empty.


    The white room might seem spotless, but even Monday twisted uncomfortably and protested impatiently inside the cloth, let alone Shu Jun.


    ¡°The concentration of erosive substance here doesn¡¯t seem right.¡± Shu Jun frowned. ¡°I have a bad feeling about this.¡±


    But the building was too big and the target was deliberately avoiding them, so Shu Jun couldn¡¯t sense the location of the other Erosion Marsh. However, towards this kind of thing, Monday, the Erosion Marsh that used to live in the wild, had always been better than him.


    Shu Jun untied the cloth: ¡°Can you find the other Erosion Marsh?¡±


    Monday mumbled grumpily: ¡°Can.¡±


    Then he twirled his only mouth and pronounced word by word, his tone seemingly a little more sarcastic: ¡°Smell. It.¡±


    Since they had little time, Shu Jun resisted the urge to twist it and gritted his teeth: ¡°Lead. The. Way¡±


    After he used this thing to take down two alpha-level Erosion Marsh, it had gotten its hands on more information and started to generate its own brain. Perhaps because it hadn¡¯t swallowed any synthesised humans, its compatibility was limited. Up to now, not only did Monday not show the slightest bit of humanity, but its eccentricity had also grown a lot.


    Monday: ¡°Eat!!!¡±


    ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t let you go hungry. Make haste.¡±


    Without a cloth to cover it, the dark sword body was partially exposed. The tip of the broadsword trembled a few times, and four nostrils that looked like those of a hippo popped out, inhaling and exhaling exaggeratedly.


    Zhu Yanchen: ¡°¡­¡±


    With distress, Shu Jun took a few steps forward: ¡°I know what you¡¯re trying to say, it¡¯s disgusting.¡±


    ¡°¡­Very unique.¡± Marshal Zhu looked at the four nostrils that opened and closed in rhythm, his tone sounding all so very serious.


    Shu Jun held back the tears in his heart and followed Monday, who was busy sniffing like mad. Monday sniffed along the corridor, leading the two of them straight into the underground floor.


    Shu Jun didn¡¯t have even the slightest mind to joke around at this moment ¡ª the two entered the elevator, and Monday slammed the button for the bottom floor with its hilt. That was where they went last time, and Shu Jun knew exactly what was there.


    The two rushed to the door of the underground hall and looked through the window: the hall was empty. Discharging a few drops of mucus, Monday retracted its nostrils: ¡°Here.¡±


    After pondering for a moment, Shu Jun wrapped Monday up again and put it by the door.


    ¡°Luo Duan!¡± After hiding Monday, Shu Jun walked in first and took off his mask. ¡°I know you¡¯re here.¡±


    A soft chuckle rang in the air.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to be you.¡± As the steam dissipated, Luo Duan¡¯s figure slowly showed up. ¡°Since you dare to take off your mask¡­ The monitoring system here, have you done something to it?¡±


    Facing Shu Jun¡¯s abnormal appearance, he didn¡¯t respond. His whole body exuded a terrifying numbness.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say I have. We don¡¯t have much time here.¡± After confirming that Luo Duan was not using his abilities, Shu Jun replied quickly: ¡°Since you¡¯re here ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know.¡± Luo Duan¡¯s voice sounded rather soft: ¡°I know everything.¡±


    Shu Jun had heard a lot about Luo Duan¡¯s fiancee. He slowly exhaled: ¡°Captain Luo, I won¡¯t sugarcoat it¡­ My friend and I are working on medicine, which can make everyone realise the truth. Let¡¯s work together. We also have a doctor who can provide you with better treatment.¡±


    Luo Duan laughed but didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°Think about the members of the Groundwater team.¡± Shu Jun¡¯s tone became even gentler: ¡°Remember? The last time we went to a school to give a speech, there were so many children ¡®over there¡¯ who hadn¡¯t joined any team. Yes, revenge is revenge, but we have to leave a way out for them.¡±


    Luo Duan¡¯s smile faded slightly and instead turned a tad bitter: ¡°Revenge?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will make those who advocate the system pay.¡± Even if Zhu Yanchen was standing right by him, Shu Jun didn¡¯t try to hide the fierceness in his voice.


    ¡°To be honest, I envy you.¡± Luo Duan stared at Shu Jun for a moment: ¡°Everything has reached this point, yet you can still daydream.¡±


    This is bad.


    Zhu Yanchen¡¯s body remained absolutely still, but Shu Jun caught that movement ¡ª Marshal Zhu¡¯s hand was already on the handle of the gun.


    He took a deep breath and stepped forward: ¡°I definitely won¡¯t do these things alone. Anyway, you calm down first, we can talk slowly. ¡°


    Luo Duan was a smart person, and he wouldn¡¯t be reckless enough to expose himself in a human base.


    Since this place was too sensitive, it would be best to stabilise Luo Duan¡¯s emotions first. Captain Luo¡¯s emotions were obviously not right, so Shu Jun didn¡¯t dare to mention other humans for the time being for fear of triggering him. He had to get out of here and separate Luo Duan from that peculiar marsh.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Luo Duan looked up and down at Shu Jun, all while that stiff smile remained at the corner of his mouth. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m really not in the most rational state right now, I know. Maybe it¡¯s time I talked to someone¡­¡±


    Luo Duan¡¯s words were getting a tad jarring. The captain of the Groundwater team had always been acute and composed, like a sharp dagger. Shu Jun had never seen him look so helpless ¡ª They all had heard of Luo Duan and Pei Shuyuan¡¯s relationship. Looking at Luo Duan in this state, Shu Jun felt as though something was brutally shattered right before his eyes.


    The delicate dagger had fallen into the mud and rust had slowly started to form.


    Shu Jun stretched out his hand: ¡°Captain Luo.¡±


    ¡°All this while, I¡¯ve been wanting to find someone to talk about Xiao Yuan.¡± Luo Duan stared at Shu Jun¡¯s hand and didn¡¯t move. ¡°I thought I could be the next Xu Kan. I¡¯ll build a small family, and take her to anywhere she wants to go after I retire ¡ª anywhere.¡±


    ¡°You know what?¡± She used her powers to push me to a safe footing and fell into the marsh by herself, and instantly sank into it. I watched her sink¡­ Her right arm was sticking out, and I thought she was saying goodbye. ¡°


    ¡°If I had a bit more guts, I could hold her tightly, but at that time, I thought that this wasn¡¯t a bad thing. Even if I forcefully pulled her out, she had been severely eroded and definitely couldn¡¯t be kept around. Hence, it was better to just leave like this ¡ª She actually loves playing more than I do. Now she can finally rest for a while.¡±


    ¡°She was struggling before my eyes and begging for my help until she took her last breath. She knew that I was by her side¡­ You tell me, how was she feeling at that time? I couldn¡¯t imagine it.¡±


    ¡°She saved my life, and I couldn¡¯t even say goodbye.¡±


    Tears fell down Luo Duan¡¯s left cheek. There seemed to be something wrong with his right eye, because there was no reaction at all. That smile looked as though it had been engraved onto Luo Duan¡¯s mouth, adding a bit of madness to his calm expression.


    ¡°Captain Luo.¡±


    Shu Jun didn¡¯t withdraw his hand and simply repeated the movement. He tried to keep his voice steady, revealing even a hint of pleading beneath his words.


    ¡°No matter what that Erosion Marsh tells you, it simply wants both us and humanity to lose. Even if you don¡¯t plan to cooperate with us, don¡¯t act on impulse.¡±


    After spitting out the grief in his chest, Luo Duan seemed to have calmed down a little. He closed his eyes and stabilised his breathing: ¡°I¡¯m sorry I lost it.¡±


    Shu Jun quietly heaved a sigh of relief: ¡°Come, let¡¯s get out of here first¡­¡±


    Luo Duan shook his head gently, and there was now a tinge of emptiness in his tone: ¡°I know very well that you¡¯ll be a good partner. Maybe if I come with you, I can really save my teammates and drown those humans who ¡®manage¡¯ us. Maybe those dreams can really come true¡­ ¡°


    ¡°That¡¯s if I were still a ¡®player¡¯.¡±


    Shu Jun¡¯s pupils shrank.


    Luo Duan opened his eyes, revealing the white of his right eye that had turned pitch black. In his left eye, more than half of the white had been eroded by those black blood vessels, and the entire eye was turning dimmer before Shu Jun¡¯s eyes. The erosive substance sneaked out of Luo Duan¡¯s clothes and coiled around his neck like an ominous snake.


    Luo Duan¡¯s left eye could no longer shed tears, and the little Erosion Marsh was no longer hiding.


    No, this statement wasn¡¯t accurate. Shu Jun could feel the faint howl of the marsh that was inside Luo Duan¡¯s body.


    ¡°Sweet Vanguard ranks the highest, right below is you.¡± Zhu Yanchen lowered his voice and warned in a soft tone.


    Clearly, no alpha-level Erosion Marsh could be in the headquarters, and Zhu Yanchen was definitely not referring to hard power.


    Then it could only mean integration.


    An Erosion Marsh with a brain seemed to possess some sort of special ability, which wasn¡¯t limited by its size ¨C for Monday, at the very least, it could spit and absorb water to change its own hardness. Meanwhile, Sweet Vanguard could use the marsh¡¯s ¡®creation¡¯ ability. As such, Luo Duan definitely also had something.


    But Luo Duan still looked conscious and even kept his human form. Since the marsh he integrated wasn¡¯t big, it at least didn¡¯t cause his body to collapse. Perhaps he could still be saved. In the blink of an eye, Shu Jun swiftly released his ¡®suppression¡¯.


    Luo Duan slightly bowed to him, his eyes withering like two black holes.


    ¡°Goodbye,¡±


    He said.


    ¡°It¡¯s really a pity.¡±


    He totally didn¡¯t hide the ability he had gotten from the Erosion Marsh ¡ª Right the next moment, in front of the two of them, Luo Duan shattered into pieces like a ball of water.


    He turned into a small marsh and quickly seeped into the ground to disappear from the hall. Most of the erosive substance quickly scattered. Even if Shu Jun tried his best to suppress it, he still failed to stop Luo Duan¡¯s escape.


    As he left, the underground hall shook slightly. The ear-splitting alarm suddenly resounded, almost piercing their eardrums.


    This is very bad.


    Simultaneously, Shu Jun and Zhu Yanchen looked at the center of the hall. The brain tissues in the liquid column were no longer pink, but a dull shade of grey. It was as clear as day that they had been severely eroded.


    From when they entered to when Luo Duan left, Luo Duan didn¡¯t activate any skills at all. This could only mean one thing ¡ª Luo Duan had already started before they arrived. He first used the water vapour to send the erosive substance inside, and what he used after that was none other than the marsh¡¯s ability.


    With Luo Duan¡¯s ability to control water, he didn¡¯t need to be as careful as they were. There was so much water content in the brain tissues inside the jar that long as the erosive substance entered the jar, it could be sent to any corner.


    Unlike them, the Erosion Marsh didn¡¯t carefully pull out a flask of brain tissues, rather, it destroyed almost every single tissue. Now that the Erosion Marsh had left with Luo Duan, only those dead brains that had been eroded into pieces were left behind and the alarm was triggered.


    ¡­¡­It seemed that the Erosion Marsh had the same purpose as theirs: it also wanted to know the characteristics of the implanted brains. In this way, the Erosion Marsh could precisely destroy the fragments inside the players¡¯ brains, just as it had done with Shu Jun¡¯s mind.


    Amidst the shrieking sound of the alarm, Shu Jun clenched his fists.


    The theories were indeed similar, but there was one decisive difference.


    He had a different tolerance for erosion compared to ordinary people, and coupled with Zhu Yanchen¡¯s continuous treatment, he was able to bear it better ¡ª Zhu Yanchen wanted him to know the truth, and he also wanted him to live a better life.


    An Erosion Marsh never cared about the latter.

 CH 50

    ¡°The ability of that little Erosion Swamp is most likely ¡®Crush¡¯,¡± Ai Xiaoxiao said. ¡°Cutting itself into pieces, sneaking into the command center in batches, and then restoring itself¡ªother Erosion Swamps can¡¯t do that.¡±


    Having no luck finding Luo Duan, and with alarms sounding all around them, the two had to retreat. Ai Xiaoxiao wasn¡¯t on duty at the command center today, so they went straight to Ai¡¯s Clinic.


    It had been less than a week since she had started studying the brain sample, but Ai Xiaoxiao had at least gone through everything related to Monday and managed to draw a lot of preliminary conclusions.


    She had been studying tirelessly lately, eating only one meal a day. Now she was sitting across from the two of them, wolfing down noodles and explaining things in a muffled voice.


    ¡°I have some idea of how it entered the command center,¡± Ai Xiaoxiao said, tapping her fork. ¡°But let¡¯s start with the basics. You¡¯re probably most concerned about the special abilities of Erosion Swamps with brains.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen nodded.


    ¡°Based on what I¡¯ve seen so far, the special abilities of Erosion Swamps with brains are more like using the first obsession or wish generated by the brain? It¡¯s roughly the same thing. When Shu Jun wanted you to rest quietly, it resulted in ¡®Suppression¡¯. As for Sweet Edge, her thought was to restore her body, resulting in ¡®Creation¡¯. As for the Erosion Swamp you encountered, I suspect that the last synthetic human consciousness it contacted was ¡®wanting to see what it has become¡¯.¡±


    Therefore, it gained the ability to replicate the appearance of objects, which did make sense. Shu Jun stirred the mixed noodles on his plate with a fork and listened attentively.


    ¡°From here on, I need to give someone a refresher on the basics of the Erosion Swamp.¡± Ai Xiaoxiao wiped the sauce from the corner of her mouth and gave Shu Jun a sidelong glance. ¡°What I¡¯m about to say is related to that so-called ¡®behind-the-scenes mastermind¡¯ Erosion Swamp, so you two better listen carefully.¡±


    ¡°Erosion Swamps don¡¯t intentionally seek out people. You should know that the Erosion Swamp doesn¡¯t discriminate and doesn¡¯t even choose between organic and inorganic matter. As for why they are now imitating humans¡ªfirstly, humans are the only species that can threaten their existence, and secondly, humans are generous and know that the Erosion Swamp don¡¯t really understand their own bodily intelligence. This is why they made synthetic humans that resonate easily with the Erosion Swamp and delivered them straight to the swamps¡¯ doors, as if giving them a detailed instruction manual.¡±


    She poured herself a large glass of water and sneered, ¡°Humans brought this upon themselves. Without synthetic humans as a springboard¡­look at Monday. Monday is the natural limit of an Erosion Swamp. Do you think it would be difficult to deal with?¡±


    Shu Jun lifted his sword and placed it on the dining table. Monday seemed to sense the solemn atmosphere, choked out a sob, and started playing dead.


    Monday was cunning and had a bit of a brain, but compared to humans, it was more like an ¡°animal¡±.


    Intelligent animals understood how to seek benefits and avoid harm, and unless the situation was extreme, they wouldn¡¯t provoke humans. Before encountering Sweet Edge, Zhu Yanchen had also followed this line of thinking.


    Unfortunately, things didn¡¯t always go as planned.


    ¡°I understand what you mean. The Erosion Swamp learns from humans at most one-tenth or one-twelfth, and they may not be focused on it. With us as raw materials, they can focus on us as their targets and can learn six or seven-tenths of what we have to offer. I didn¡¯t misunderstand, did I?¡± Shu Jun squeezed the sword handle. ¡°But what does this have to do with the mastermind?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the rush? I was just about to tell you. The Erosion Swamp is different from normal organisms. They don¡¯t undergo cell differentiation, and their nature is more like a set of identically sized building blocks. Based on intelligence, they form a structure similar to a cell, which is the origin of the Erosion Swamp¡¯s ¡®brain¡¯, and at most can be considered a group of erosion substance playing house at a higher level.¡±


    Monday heard that this wasn¡¯t a compliment and quietly spat out a ¡°pfft¡±. Ai Xiaoxiao gave it a cold glance, and it instantly straightened its body, pretending it hadn¡¯t done anything.


    ¡°They aggregate synthetic human remnants together, regardless of their quality, and cram them in. Apart from your exceptional case, the Erosion Swamp¡¯s special abilities are derived from the residual subconscious of synthetic humans. Surname Zhu, your research is more inclined towards this aspect, right?¡±


    Zhu Yanchen nodded again.


    ¡°They¡¯re not just borrowing logical thinking.¡± Shu Jun started to pick up.


    ¡°Yes, thanks to the information you provided, we have come to a preliminary conclusion¡ªin words you can understand, the Erosion Swamps absorb all the despair and hatred of the players before they die. The more powerful players can even leave behind ¡®special abilities¡¯ through their obsession. Fortunately, the resonance among players isn¡¯t so high, so the information that the Erosion Swamp gets is limited. Even if they learn six or seven out of ten things, their nature is still something else.¡±


    The sound of a fork scratching the moist porcelain plate created an unbearable noise. The mockery on Ai Xiaoxiao¡¯s face became even stronger.


    ¡°They should have learned everything¡ªat least the ancestral fighting methods of humans.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Let me explain.¡± Zhu Yanchen took over the conversation. ¡°Humans have a clear individual concept, but Erosion Swamps don¡¯t. Luckily, Erosion Swamps with brains outside have developed independently, and the Mirror Erosion Swamp¡¯s testing is the result of their negotiation. If we¡¯re unlucky¡­¡±


    ¡°If we¡¯re unlucky, there¡¯s only one ¡®mastermind¡¯ behind it all.¡±


    Ai Xiaoxiao let go of the fork, no longer making noise.


    ¡°It aggregates all the Erosion Swamps with brains, holding all existing information. Whether it¡¯s the ¡®Crush¡¯ Erosion Swamp of the command center or the ¡®Mirror¡¯ type to probe you, they are all things it has split off. Sweet Edge was too powerful and retained her own thinking ability, so it didn¡¯t dare to touch it.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen sighed heavily.


    Ai Xiaoxiao snorted. ¡°And judging from your weird dream, we¡¯re really unlucky¡ªwhere did the ¡®Crush¡¯ Erosion Swamp get its information and intelligence from? The hidden Erosion Swamp with brains might really be just one. Calling it the ¡®mastermind¡¯ is too convoluted. I¡¯ve already come up with a name for it. I¡¯m going to call it Sigma.¡±


    Shu Jun looked at the mixed noodles on the plate, completely losing his appetite.


    ¡°Let me summarize it,¡± he said in a daze. ¡°You mean the one we¡¯re looking for¡­ Sigma, is the concentration of the negative emotions and obsessions of the dead. It sounds like¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not sounds like. It is an evil god created by humans themselves.¡±


    Ai Xiaoxiao smirked.


    ¡°Erosion substance is just erosion substance. It just follows its instincts to survive and doesn¡¯t have any tendencies¡­ Okay, hurry up and eat your food. After you finish, I still need to check your brain.¡±


    After the examination, the two of them stayed in the basement of the clinic.


    Having lost a potential collaborator, not obtaining the medicine for the brain shock, and being drenched with cold information, Shu Jun sat on the edge of the bed, feeling a little listless.


    Humans had created an evil god, and synthetic humans not only couldn¡¯t stay out of it but also had to pay the price. When the Erosion Swamp came, not to mention humans, even synthetic humans or dogs wouldn¡¯t be taken into consideration.


    But the hatred was there. Let alone his teammates, he himself didn¡¯t want to fight to ¡°protect mankind¡±. The conflict between humans and synthetic humans was irreconcilable, and outside there was a Sigma watching eagerly, not knowing when it would strike.


    In such a messed-up situation, he still had to find the most appropriate solution. Shu Jun¡¯s head was throbbing. He tried to find some good news¡ªfrom the situation of Luo Duan, it seemed that Sigma preferred to provoke the conflict between humans and synthetic humans rather than directly attack them. At least they could control the situation and buy some time.


    Shu Jun collapsed on the hospital bed stiffly, making a loud noise.


    Surprised by the sound, Zhu Yanchen turned his head. He hesitated for a few seconds, sat on the edge of the bed, and covered Shu Jun¡¯s forehead with one hand.


    ¡°The thing you dreamed of is probably a part of Sigma,¡± Zhu Yanchen said with concern in his tone.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s pretty silly.¡± Shu Jun weakly smiled. ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m worried about now. What about Luo Duan¡­ The combination of his splitting ability and water control is terrible. We can¡¯t catch him.¡±


    ¡°Removing the brain chips from the players only means that they have the ability to know the truth, not that they will immediately accept it.¡± Zhu Yanchen withdrew his hand from Shu Jun¡¯s forehead. ¡°If he wants to spread the truth, he must take action. Although we can¡¯t mobilize the regular army, I will ask the people from the Old Fourth to pay attention.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Shu Jun looked at his slender fingers, feeling uneasy. At this moment, Luo Duan must be taking action, but he was idle here. He turned over and over like a hotcake, feeling uncomfortable.


    He had to take action, but after this battle, the alert level of the command center would only increase. The enemy was in the dark, and they had no place to start.


    Wait, the command center¡­


    ¡°What time is it now?¡± Shu Jun rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Seven in the evening.¡±


    ¡°The event at the Grand Theatre hasn¡¯t ended yet.¡±


    ¡°I have arranged some waiters from the Old Fourth. If you are talking about intelligence¡­¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Shu Jun sat up straight from the bed. ¡°I suddenly have an idea.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen raised his eyebrows.


    ¡°If I were Luo Duan, I might take the opportunity to start from the inside. No, I¡¯m not talking about killing people. There have been many assassinations among the three major families, and the defense measures must be good. If he exposes himself now, he will be picking sesame seeds, losing sight of the watermelon*.¡±


    *Idiom which means to gain a little but lose a lot or to lose sight of the bigger picture by focusing on small gains.


    Due to the tacit understanding cultivated since childhood, Zhu Yanchen quickly picked up his thoughts.


    ¡°You think he won¡¯t leave Y City.¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t leave easily without enough intelligence. After all, we have conflicting positions. If he leaves Y City, I can easily pursue him. But if he stays in Y City, I can¡¯t do anything to him¡ªat least not openly.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen¡¯s gaze gradually changed.


    ¡°Ahem, so we need to go to the Grand Theatre¡­ I guess you have figured it out.¡± Shu Jun made a subtle gesture. ¡°You can consider the situation and take back your position in advance.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen stared directly at Shu Jun¡¯s grayish-white pupils, quickly calculating in his heart.


    Threatening or even kidnapping the substitute and regaining some of the resources in the United Government. Even if there were guards in the Grand Theatre, they were only guarding humans, which was much easier to deal with than the command center. It was a very risky move, but not impossible.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look first.¡± He didn¡¯t refuse.


    The Grand Theatre was brightly lit. The alarm in the command center was being handled by special personnel, and for now it was deemed to be caused by human interference. Although the alarm level was high, it wasn¡¯t to the extent that all top-level officials had to come out.


    The performance was still ongoing.


    The current act was a dance, and Xia Liang was resting backstage. She had already finished doing her makeup and was reading a boring love story. ¡°Marshal Zhu,¡± who had narrowly escaped death, was sitting on a nearby sofa with his arms crossed and eyes fixed on the ground.


    ¡®I¡¯m bored to death,¡¯ Xia Liang grumbled inwardly with a sour expression. She still had to take charge of the final performance before the curtains closed. She finally had some time to rest, but she had to be with this impostor.


    It was bad enough that she had to be with him, but she also had to pretend to know nothing.


    She didn¡¯t know what the impostor was thinking, but she was disgusted. Fortunately, she had acted out a breakup scene with the real Zhu Yanchen before, so she didn¡¯t have to act affectionately with this stranger.


    ¡°Xiao Liang.¡± The man spoke hoarsely.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Xia Liang looked up, and her eyes immediately filled with tears. She had a look of five parts resentment and five parts sorrow, as if she had suffered a great injustice.


    Faced with such a look, the man awkwardly stopped talking and fell silent again.


    Judging from the situation, the Zhu family was planning to act until the end. Her ¡°romantic relationship¡± with ¡°Zhu Yanchen¡± was likely to be restored. After all, what the two families wanted wasn¡¯t the so-called happiness of their children. In this era, marriage was just a guarantee in disguise.


    Xia Liang chuckled to herself and continued reading her boring novel.


    Well, if this guy dared to touch her, she could expose his fake identity in an instant. Regardless of where this substitute was found, once his identity was leaked, they would both be silenced together. The other party looked like a coward who didn¡¯t have any guts.


    But it was still annoying. She didn¡¯t know how long this idiot would be here, and the awkwardness in the air was almost overflowing out the window.


    Just then, there was a sound at the door handle. Xia Liang perked up¡ªeven if it was an assassin, it would be more interesting than the man in front of her.


    The door opened, and two men walked in.


    One of them was wrapped tightly, with a bit of a medieval knight vibe and a protective posture in his movements. The other had a bold face and looked like a twin of ¡°Marshal Zhu¡± on the sofa.


    Oh, who else could it be¡ªMarshal Zhu had come to visit, and he even brought Shu Jun disguised as a bodyguard.


    She didn¡¯t know if it was her imagination, but Shu Jun kept glancing at her, intentionally or unconsciously. Xia Liang picked up her book, hiding her smile, and pretended to look shocked.


    ¡°You¡­ You¡­¡± The ¡°Marshal Zhu¡± on the sofa was dumbfounded.


    ¡°Shh.¡± Zhu Yanchen¡¯s gun was pressed against his forehead, and his other hand made a quiet gesture. Shu Jun locked the door and leaned against the door panel nonchalantly.


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible. Zhu Sheng told me¡­ This can¡¯t be¡­¡± The impostor was completely confused.


    ¡°Zhu Sheng doesn¡¯t know everything,¡± Zhu Yanchen replied coldly. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The man looked at Xia Liang again, opened his mouth, and then slumped down completely. ¡°Xia Yufeng.¡±


    ¡°Hah?!¡± Xia Liang exclaimed.


    Then she realized that her tone wasn¡¯t quite appropriate and added softly, ¡°W-What?!¡±


    She had heard of Xia Yufeng before, who was considered a distant relative living miles away. The Xia family had always been grooming him to be Zhu Yanchen¡¯s vassal, so Xia Yufeng had followed Zhu Yanchen for several years and knew of his habits. Zhu Sheng absolutely considered this aspect when choosing this person.


    Even though both the Xia family and Zhu Sheng knew that she wasn¡¯t interested in men, this was still too much of a waste. Xia Liang felt nauseous.


    According to the information she had received, Xia Yufeng found out about some of Zhu Yanchen¡¯s research and went to report it to Zhu Sheng. Later, Zhu Yanchen¡¯s research materials were destroyed, and Xia Yufeng disappeared from the social circles of the three major families, probably exiled to some remote corner.


    Although they were distant relatives in name, they had never had any contact, and she had not paid any more attention to him. Who would have thought that their first meeting would be in such a situation?


    When he heard the name of the informant, Zhu Yanchen remained expressionless.


    ¡°Oh,¡± he said lightly. ¡°It¡¯s you. No wonder. They did a good job with the plastic surgery.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Xia Yufeng was shocked and confused, unable to distinguish whether Zhu Yanchen was human or ghost. ¡°Back then¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡±


    Zhu Yanchen ignored him. ¡°It¡¯s simpler with you. From now on, you will listen to my orders. If I need you to appear, you will appear, and if I need you to disappear, you will disappear. If Zhu Sheng finds out that I¡¯m still alive, even if there¡¯s only a hint of it, you know what he¡¯ll do.¡±


    ¡°If you want to eliminate me and continue to occupy this position, you¡¯d better succeed on the first try. If I hear any rumors, you know what I will do.¡±


    Xia Yufeng choked in fear, as if someone was holding his throat.


    Seeing this expression on ¡°Zhu Yanchen¡¯s¡± face, Shu Jun turned his head uncomfortably. The lounge was small, and the other person came into his view.


    Xia Liang was still using the book to cover the lower half of her face. Her eyes were moist and terrified, looking quite pitiful. Before they broke in, he had politely raised the question¡ªshould they lure Xia Liang away so they could deal with the impostor alone?


    ¡°It¡¯ll be too easy to expose ourselves. Xia Liang¡¯s lounge doesn¡¯t have any surveillance. Don¡¯t worry, she won¡¯t say anything.¡± Zhu Yanchen had answered like that.


    As it turned out, Miss Xia didn¡¯t scream. She just rolled her tearful eyes around, scanning the other three people. Whether she was scared or just had lingering feelings for Zhu Yanchen was still unclear.


    Well, if everything could really settle down, the road to pursuing the marshal would still be difficult. If A¡¯Yan was really straight, he had no intention of forcing it.


    Shu Jun stared blankly at Xia Liang, ignoring the gaze that Zhu Yanchen threw at him. Marshal Zhu frowned, and his face became even stiffer.


    His right hand continued to point the gun at Xia Yufeng, and his left hand patted Shu Jun¡¯s neck. The latter looked at his stiff face and said ¡°Oh¡±, sounding particularly complicated.


    Xia Liang: ¡°¡­¡±


    She had seen countless men who were infatuated with her. Not to mention Zhu Yanchen, even the synthetic man¡¯s gaze wasn¡¯t one of amazement or admiration. She always felt that his eyes were a bit like those of a wolf protecting its prey. But in the next second, Marshal Zhu turned to touch Shu Jun¡¯s neck and looked at him.


    That gaze was just like Shu Jun¡¯s, and the wolf that had been protecting its prey suddenly became two.


    ¡­These two people are interesting.


    ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± On the other side, seeing that Marshal Zhu hadn¡¯t mentioned any conditions for a long time, Xia Yufeng¡¯s legs went weak with fear. He summoned all his courage and spoke up.


    Xia Yufeng was clear about Zhu Yanchen¡¯s methods. He wasn¡¯t as ruthless as Zhu Sheng, but he wasn¡¯t soft-hearted either. He wasn¡¯t the waste that was rumored in the market at all. When he went to inform Zhu Sheng, on the one hand, he wanted to gain Zhu Sheng¡¯s backing, and on the other hand, he was really frightened by Zhu Yanchen¡¯s research.


    The command center had been researching synths and the Erosion Swamp. They were trying to reduce the cost of manufacturing the hibernation pods, strengthen control over the fragments of the brain, accelerate the growth of synthetic humans, and adjust their appearances to match other species¡­ All sorts of things like this.


    But Zhu Yanchen had no interest in those studies.


    Thinking back to those times, Xia Yufeng felt a bit complicated.


    He had been raised as a subordinate of Zhu Yanchen since he was young, and he had some resentment, but not much. When he turned sixteen, he officially began to assist the young master of the Zhu family. Although the two weren¡¯t close, Zhu Yanchen never blamed him or instructed him to do any unsavory ¡°tasks¡±.


    Gradually, Xia Yufeng began to like this job. With a boss like this, as long as he didn¡¯t cause trouble, he could live a comfortable life for the rest of his days.


    However, the good times didn¡¯t last. At that time, the young master of the Zhu family was still young and couldn¡¯t keep everything under wraps. Xia Yufeng saw the disease on his body one day¡ªterrifying and twisted. It shouldn¡¯t appear on someone from one of the three major families.


    Zhu Yanchen asked him not to say anything and made many promises. Xia Yufeng didn¡¯t know if too many painkillers were used, but at that time, Zhu Yanchen always had a strange and dreamy feeling. Xia Yufeng was only fifteen years old at the time and had never seen a ¡°bigshot¡± beg him before, so naturally he agreed.


    Out of a sense of responsibility to his work, he even expressed his willingness to be Zhu Yanchen¡¯s assistant and hide things for him.


    Since then, Zhu Yanchen probably saw him as a reliable subordinate and would occasionally reveal some of his thoughts to him.


    Xia Yufeng didn¡¯t like those thoughts; they weren¡¯t normal at all¡ªsince the first day they entered the military academy, the teachers had repeatedly emphasized the importance of the player system and the nature of synthetic humans. In Xia Yufeng¡¯s eyes, Zhu Yanchen¡¯s thoughts were almost diametrically opposed to those of the course materials.


    Xia Yufeng was terrified.


    The player system was the foundation on which they all depended on for survival. In the eyes of a teenager who saw things in black and white, at that time, Zhu Yanchen was no different from an anti-social element.


    So he ¡°swallowed his anger¡± and worked as an assistant for Zhu Yanchen for a year. When Zhu Yanchen allowed him to access his research materials, he immediately reported relevant information to Zhu Sheng. Zhu Sheng destroyed Zhu Yanchen¡¯s research but didn¡¯t commend Xia Yufeng. Instead, he put him on the bench and didn¡¯t give him any important work until today.


    ¡®This is all karma,¡¯ Xia Yufeng thought bitterly. But at least he didn¡¯t make a mistake in judging Zhu Yanchen¡ªthis person¡¯s mental state was indeed not quite right. He was about to sit in the leadership position. He couldn¡¯t afford to fake his death at a critical moment.


    ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± Without Zhu Yanchen¡¯s reply, he repeated the question.


    ¡°Stay in my office for meals and lodging, except for necessary travel. My office is equipped with a single lounge.¡±


    ¡°Do I have any other options?¡± Xia Yufeng muttered dejectedly. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t require it, I still have to do it.¡±


    ¡°Prepare enough food in the lounge. I may have to replace you at any time. You will be locked in the lounge when I come back, so keep quiet.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­?!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all for now. I¡¯ll find a way to send the remaining instructions to the office computer.¡± Zhu Yanchen put down his gun. ¡°I¡¯ll have someone watch you all the time, so don¡¯t try anything stupid.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Xia Yufeng gritted his teeth and looked at Xia Liang¡ªit didn¡¯t matter if he, an unknown pawn, was treated this way, but he wanted to see how the ¡°dead¡± Zhu Yanchen would threaten this popular singer.


    ¡°Ah, can I breathe a sigh of relief now?¡± Xia Liang almost instantly changed her tone. She put down the book covering her face, and her panic and weakness disappeared. ¡°If you¡¯re coming, you should at least tell me in advance, right? Feng Ge, let¡¯s get along well in the future.¡±


    Xia Yufeng looked at Xia Liang in horror.


    ¡®Ah, they were working together from the start,¡¯ Xia Yufeng thought in despair.


    However, he wasn¡¯t the only one who was shocked. Shu Jun looked at Xia Liang, then at Zhu Yanchen, and then at Xia Liang again. He hadn¡¯t had a chance to speak when footsteps could be heard from outside the door.


    Zhu Yanchen acted very skillfully. He hooked Shu Jun¡¯s waist, and the two squeezed into Xia Liang¡¯s wardrobe.


    The visitor knocked on the door twice casually and entered the room without waiting for a response.


    ¡°¡­Father.¡± Xia Yufeng bit his tongue and quickly adjusted his emotions. He didn¡¯t expect the first test to come so soon.


    Shu Jun looked out through the crack in the wardrobe. Even if he didn¡¯t care about the plot of <Erosion>, he still recognized that face.


    The person who came in was Zhu Yanchen¡¯s father, Zhu Sheng.


    The author has something to say:


    Miss Xia Liang sees through everything¡Ì


    ¡ª¡ª


    The capitalization of Sigma is ¡Æ, which means summation ¡û


    Kinky Thoughts:


    Quite an apt name considering Sigma is the summation of many Erosion Swamps.


    Shu Jun and Zhu Yanchen are two gays who act like straight boys. They really should get their gaydar fixed.

 CH 51

    Zhu Sheng¡¯s demeanor was completely different from that in the expansion pack. With just a glimpse through the crack, Shu Jun felt a strong sense of oppression. Zhu Sheng wasn¡¯t a smiling tiger type of character. His face was imposing even when not angry, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes looked like they were carved into hardwood, not affected by muscle movements. The decoration style of Xia Liang¡¯s lounge was light and cute, but with Zhu Sheng¡¯s presence, the air suddenly became ten times heavier.


    Zhu Sheng was about seventy years old, with white hair dyed black, looking younger than his actual age. He quickly glanced around the room and smiled at Xia Liang. ¡°It¡¯s time to go on stage. Go prepare.¡±


    This was a request to leave. The reason for Zhu Sheng¡¯s visit wasn¡¯t difficult to guess¡ªXia Liang¡¯s lounge didn¡¯t have surveillance and was the most confidential room in the Grand Theatre.


    Xia Liang was very perceptive. She quickly bowed and lifted the complicated skirt of her costume, walking faster than running, leaving the two men in the wardrobe behind.


    Shu Jun: ¡°¡­¡±


    Xia Liang¡¯s wardrobe was quite large, so he and Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t have to stick close together. Thinking that this person didn¡¯t like physical contact, Shu Jun deliberately stayed far away¡ªso as not to be misunderstood as taking advantage, since he planned to pursue Zhu Yanchen in the future.


    Zhu Yanchen apparently noticed Shu Jun¡¯s movement and adjusted his posture silently. The wardrobe was dim, and Shu Jun could vaguely sense a hint of sadness on the other person¡¯s face.


    Is it because of Zhu Sheng?


    Shu Jun turned his gaze to the outside of the wardrobe again.


    ¡°Your condition isn¡¯t quite right,¡± Zhu Sheng said to Xia Yufeng with no emotion in his tone.


    Xia Yufeng was so scared that he was frozen, his lips trembling uncontrollably. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell her anything. I really didn¡¯t. Zhu Lao¡­¡±


    ¡°Barely passable,¡± Zhu Sheng said casually. ¡°Her mood is fine.¡±


    Only then did Xia Yufeng relax. He hadn¡¯t yet fully relaxed when Zhu Sheng put his hands behind his back and said slowly, ¡°Do you know about the command center incident?¡±


    ¡°I heard a little bit before coming here.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    ¡°I heard that the brain control stored at the bottom was destroyed.¡± Seeing that Zhu Sheng didn¡¯t express his opinion, Xia Yufeng continued cautiously. ¡°In such a heavily secured place, this incident must have been caused by humans, right?1¡°


    ¡°Remove the modal particles from your sentence. ¡®This incident must have been caused by humans¡¯.1 Zhu Yanchen wouldn¡¯t speak in that tone.¡±


    1Clarity: Xia Yufeng originally added a [ba] (°É) which is a modal particle that is often added to the end of statements to express uncertainty or suggestion. Zhu Sheng is correcting him by telling him to drop it when speaking, as Zhu Yanchen wouldn¡¯t use [ba] (°É).


    ¡°Yes, yes!¡±


    ¡°Before Yi Ning, investigate this matter thoroughly. Make a show of going to the Old Fourth.¡±


    ¡°The Old Fourth¡­?¡±


    ¡°A non-governmental organization. It has recently extended its reach too far and needs to be taught a lesson¡­ You have been with Zhu Yanchen for several years. Do I need to explain the rest?¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Xia Yufeng¡¯s back was covered in cold sweat. With things having reached this point, his life was being tightly controlled by both the Zhu father and son. ¡°I¡¯ll pick up the synthetic work that Zhu Yanchen was previously responsible for. But if the brain control is destroyed, can we still produce new synths?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t come here to give you advice.¡± Zhu Sheng didn¡¯t hide his disdain. ¡°Since you¡¯ve taken up this position, don¡¯t just think about your own little world all the time. If you don¡¯t do well, there¡¯s no difference between you and a fake.¡±


    Shu Jun couldn¡¯t help but look at Zhu Yanchen again.


    Facing his biological father, Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t have any particular reaction. It was just unclear whether he was mistaken or not, but it seemed that Marshal Zhu had gotten much closer, and his body temperature had warmed up the air around him.


    Still feeling stifled? After thinking about it for a while, Shu Jun considerately stuck something on the edge of the wardrobe. Zhu Yanchen¡¯s face had a layer of faint blackness.


    Perhaps because he was bored with Xia Yufeng¡¯s silence and trembling, Zhu Sheng glanced at the small lounge, then opened the door wide. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Taking advantage of Zhu Sheng¡¯s inattention, Xia Yufeng hesitated and glanced at the wardrobe, then obediently straightened his back and followed him out. The two didn¡¯t immediately leave the room and instead waited quietly for Zhu Sheng and the guards outside to walk away.


    ¡°Your father has a strong presence,¡± Shu Jun whispered. ¡°Can Xia Yufeng really hold on?¡±


    ¡°It concerns his life, and he still has some skills,¡± Zhu Yanchen responded in a low voice. ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled by Xia Yufeng¡¯s appearance. He has some ability¡ªwhen the Xia family sent him to be my subordinate, it was an indirect attempt to please Zhu Sheng.¡±


    ¡°It seems you haven¡¯t always been alone.¡± Shu Jun patted Zhu Yanchen¡¯s forearm. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°I started studying the loopholes in the player system a long time ago, and when he found out, he ran to Zhu Sheng and told him,¡± Zhu Yanchen said seriously.


    Shu Jun: ¡°¡­¡± No wonder the atmosphere was a bit strange earlier. He thought Xia Yufeng was apologizing for impersonating Zhu Yanchen.


    ¡°The things that Zhu Sheng destroyed weren¡¯t genuine.¡± Zhu Yanchen¡¯s voice was a bit cold. ¡°At that time, Zhu Sheng noticed that something was wrong with me, and it would only be a matter of time before he found out about the research. I released a decoy and tested Xia Yufeng, and you know the results.¡±


    Since then, he had never revealed his full plan to his subordinates. All of them only knew the parts that they were responsible for, and this lesson was also worth the price.


    Half a step away, Shu Jun felt a bit uncomfortable. Ai Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t seem like a healing type of subordinate, and he hadn¡¯t heard of Zhu Yanchen having any close confidants. He had thought that this person had friends to accompany him, but now it seemed that he was still alone.


    ¡­No, he almost forgot about Miss Xia Liang.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any objections to Miss Xia Liang,¡± Shu Jun hurriedly said. ¡°If you think she¡¯s trustworthy and if you encounter a situation that requires her cooperation, just let me know.


    There it is again. There it is again. Zhu Yanchen¡¯s grayish complexion had appeared again.


    ¡°Do you still want to see her?¡± Zhu Yanchen¡¯s tone was a bit strange.


    ¡°Ah?¡± Shu Jun was stunned, and for a moment, he couldn¡¯t grasp Zhu Yanchen¡¯s motive for asking. ¡°It¡¯s not like I want to see her. Uh, don¡¯t get me wrong. I don¡¯t mean to interfere with your personal life. I just brought it up from a cooperation perspective since I heard that you two had broken up¡­¡±


    Zhu Yanchen grabbed Shu Jun¡¯s shoulders, clenching his fists tightly.


    ¡°She likes wo¡ª¡±


    The wardrobe was opened with a snap.


    ¡°Oh, you two are still here?¡± Xia Liang raised her eyebrows. ¡°I¡¯ve finished singing two songs over there, so if you want to leave, you better hurry up¡­ Or are you two planning to join me to get your photographs taken by the media later?¡±


    Seeing the movements of the two, her gaze swept over Zhu Yanchen¡¯s hand, and her expression became ambiguous. When she spoke again, she reverted to her sweet and charming tone. ¡°The secret passage is over there. Let me help you open it. Speaking of, may I see your face, sir?¡±


    She looked at Zhu Yanchen out of the corner of her eye, pretending to be shy.


    Shu Jun had already found the mask stuffy. Since they were planning to leave, he didn¡¯t restrain himself any longer and simply took it off¡ªit was a simple effort, and he wouldn¡¯t be petty against this girl.


    ¡°Oh my, you¡¯re so handsome. Even better than Marshal Zhu,¡± Xia Liang said softly. ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve never seen you before. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Xia Liang, stop fooling around.¡± Zhu Yanchen¡¯s voice was icy, and he grabbed Shu Jun¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Take care.¡± Xia Liang bit her lip and looked aggrieved. She twisted the perfume bottle in the corner and opened the secret passage.


    As soon as the two disappeared, Xia Liang burst into laughter. After years of collaboration, she had never seen Zhu Yanchen¡¯s calm demeanor broken like this. The marshal had always been indifferent to everything¡ªincluding himself¡ªlike a machine. Now that she saw his panicked side, she found it extremely interesting.


    Iron Tree surnamed Zhu had really bloomed.


    Xia Liang had only known that Zhu Yanchen was overly concerned about Shu Jun before, but now it seemed that reality was much more entertaining than she thought. Miss Xia picked up her communicator and wanted to share this great news with someone, but as she scrolled through her contacts, her smile gradually disappeared.


    Wearing this mask for too long, she didn¡¯t have anyone to share it with. Even when she hadn¡¯t broken up with her girlfriend, she had to keep it a secret from her.


    ¡­How boring.


    Xia Liang ran her fingers through her hair, wiped away the tears that had come out of her laughter, and returned to being the cute and coy young lady of the Xia family. She was about to face the camera, so she had to prepare her mood in advance.


    In the secret passage.


    Shu Jun only felt his hand being squeezed tightly by Zhu Yanchen. To be honest, he was still a bit confused. Xia Liang¡¯s image outside was pure, gentle, and courteous. He thought she was just curious about his appearance, but he didn¡¯t expect Xia Liang to be so open-minded.


    Anyone would mind when the person they had feelings for paid extra attention to someone else.


    ¡°A¡¯Yan, I think you may have misunderstood something.¡± After the two climbed out of the secret passage, Shu Jun quickly clarified, ¡°I don¡¯t have any thoughts about her, really.¡±


    ¡°She likes women,¡± Zhu Yanchen said gloomily.


    ¡°?!?¡±


    ¡°¡­She only likes women,¡± Marshal Zhu repeated through gritted teeth. ¡°She was just teasing you.¡±


    Shu Jun stood frozen on the spot, his heart bursting with unknown fireworks¡ªif Xia Liang liked women, then it would be impossible for her to have residual feelings for Zhu Yanchen. He had been thinking about it just a second ago, that Zhu Yanchen had a lingering attachment to Xia Liang and that he should bury his own feelings deep in his heart rather than interfere with their relationship. But at this moment, his sadness disappeared on its own.


    It turned out that all of Zhu Yanchen¡¯s previous unnatural behaviors were only because he was afraid that Xia Liang was teasing him. He was really a considerate friend.


    With a relaxed and happy mood, Shu Jun took a deep breath, and he was more energetic in discussing business matters. ¡°Zhu Sheng mentioned something about the Old Fourth just now¡­¡±


    For a moment, a trace of helplessness flashed in Zhu Yanchen¡¯s eyes. But when he heard about business matters, he became serious again. ¡°Zhu Sheng has always been bothered by the Old Fourth. For the people living in the settlement, the Old Fourth is more trustworthy than the United Government. With the current situation unstable, he¡¯s afraid that the Old Fourth will take advantage and expand their power.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Shu Jun let Zhu Yanchen lead him through the streets and alleys of Y City. ¡°I¡¯m just worried about you.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen¡¯s footsteps halted.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯re not here, Zhu Sheng has regained his power. If he¡¯s investigating the Old Fourth and dig deeper about their leader, he might find that you¡¯re still alive¡­¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t. Ai Xiaoxiao is always cautious. It¡¯s not easy just to track her down.¡± Zhu Yanchen also took a deep breath.


    As soon as they returned to Ai¡¯s Clinic, they were greeted by a barrage of scolding from Ai Xiaoxiao.


    ¡°Sneaking out in the middle of the night, huh?¡± She picked up a scalpel, and the tip of the knife almost touched Shu Jun¡¯s nose. ¡°Do you know how troublesome it is to reconfigure the basement protection network? Can¡¯t you wait until tomorrow to go out and die?¡±


    ¡°Urgent matters. It¡¯s business.¡± Shu Jun stared at the moving knife point in front of him, quickly trying to appease her.


    ¡°First that surname Dong and now you two. Yes, I work for you, but just because you say, ¡®business matter¡¯ I¡¯m supposed to let it slide?¡± Ai Xiaoxiao gritted her teeth. ¡°If you¡¯re really sincere about apologizing, lie down on the operating table and let me dissect you properly¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go down first. A¡¯Yan, I¡¯ll wait for you in the bedroom.¡± Shu Jun slumped his shoulders, turned, and ran away, leaving Ai Xiaoxiao, who was about to explode, with her real boss.


    Zhu Yanchen stood silently on the basement floor like a frozen cat, letting Ai Xiaoxiao rant and rave in front of him.


    Seeing that he wasn¡¯t responding, Ai Xiaoxiao started to feel bored, and after a few minutes, she calmed down. After rolling her eyes several times, she exhaled a breath. ¡°Fine, it¡¯s convenient that Shu Jun isn¡¯t here. His detailed scan results just came out tonight. I need to talk to you about it.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen instantly thawed. ¡°Let me see.¡±


    Ai Xiaoxiao waved her hand, and several screens appeared in the air. The images and text flickered, and Zhu Yanchen¡¯s brow furrowed tighter and tighter.


    ¡°You¡¯ve noticed it too? Every time he fights with an Alpha Erosion Swamp, he recovers a bit of his memory. It doesn¡¯t seem like a coincidence now¡ª¡±


    Ai Xiaoxiao pointed to Shu Jun¡¯s brain scan. ¡°The foreign brain tissue is cleared away by the erosion, leaving a hole in his brain. After two battles, that hole has obvious signs of healing.¡±


    ¡°Quality erosion is repairing his brain,¡± Zhu Yanchen¡¯s voice was a bit dry.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not the kind of rough imitation. Erosion relies on the information fragments left by Sigma to truly repair brain cells to their original state¡ªrepairing a surface wound and repairing a damaged brain¡ªyou should know the difference in difficulty between the two?¡±


    Zhu Yanchen¡¯s last bit of relaxation disappeared from his face.


    ¡°Shu Jun¡¯s synchronization rate with the Erosion Swamp is surprisingly high. Sigma obviously also found this out. Do you understand what this means? Zhu Yanchen, if Shu Jun¡¯s brain fully recovers, he will become the first synthetic human in history to have a ¡®complete brain¡¯. If we compare the synthetic human to a human instruction manual for the Erosion Swamp, he is the most detailed and complete final version.¡±


    ¡°If Shu Jun defects or loses the battle, Sigma will not just be a ¡®demon god¡¯ that was pieced together. The thinking of a top-level warrior, the unknown abilities of a composite, absolute suppression of other Erosion Swamp¡­ Faced with the current Sigma, we can still barely survive. Once it is completely intact, we won¡¯t even have a chance to win.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen closed his eyes. Ai Xiaoxiao crossed her arms and looked at him with interest.


    ¡°I won¡¯t touch him now, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking.¡±


    After a while, Zhu Yanchen spoke.


    Ai Xiaoxiao whistled. ¡°If it were Zhu Sheng in your place, he would probably already have rolled up his sleeves and personally killed him. After knowing each other for so long, I just realized that the Zhu family also has people of character.¡±


    ¡°No, this decision is not based on my emotions.¡± Zhu Yanchen clenched his fists. ¡°First, Shu Jun¡¯s ¡®Suppression¡¯ is very useful. Sigma doesn¡¯t have this ability, and it¡¯s one of our trump cards against it. Second, Luo Duan has already joined Sigma. We need a leader to stabilize the synthetic humans¡ªeven if they don¡¯t fight against Sigma, it¡¯s enough if they don¡¯t take the opportunity to kill humans.¡±


    ¡°That would make sense if Shu Jun cooperates¡ªbut what if Mr. Shu wants to follow in Luo Duan¡¯s footsteps?¡±


    ¡°I will deal with him personally.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen lowered his gaze. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to him about these things frankly and openly in a moment. After all, to analyze the ¡®Suppression¡¯, we need his cooperation.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Ai Xiaoxiao burst into short bouts of laughter. ¡°You, the nominal chief strategist, are going to go straight to his face and say it? What are you going to say? ¡®Mr. Shu, if you join the Erosion Swamp, we¡¯re all dead! So please cooperate with me. Let me study your abilities and make sure to destroy your brain in time when something goes wrong¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re crazy.¡±


    ¡°Right now, the last thing I should do is conceal it.¡± Zhu Yanchen¡¯s tone was calm. ¡°Humans have hidden it from him for too long. Since we¡¯re partners, I will explain the situation thoroughly. Shu Jun isn¡¯t a reckless person. He¡¯s quite smart, and he treasures his teammates¡­ I understand him.¡±


    Ai Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t say anything else and looked back and forth at Zhu Yanchen¡¯s face.


    ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m not very concerned about life and death anyway,¡± she said lightly. ¡°It¡¯s up to you.¡±


    She put away those screens, stretched lazily, and then came back to her senses. ¡°Wait, you said it¡¯s not based on your emotions¡­ Do you really have feelings for him?¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°If we can cooperate until the end¡­¡± In the dark room, Zhu Yanchen¡¯s gaze was obscure. ¡°I want to keep him by my side.¡±


    Ai Xiaoxiao¡¯s mouth fell open, and she gasped, looking more shocked than before. ¡°Wait, wait. Is it what I¡¯m thinking? You¡­ Him¡­? You really are crazy. My god, I think I should pack my bags early and be ready to run away for my life¡ª¡±


    Zhu Yanchen gave her a cold glare and walked down to the bedroom on the lower level.


    Ai Xiaoxiao¡¯s thoughts jumped around between home, country, the end of the world, and gossip, but when she calmed down, she slowly sat on the nearest chair. ¡°¡­Oh, should I not have given them two single beds?¡±


    The temporary bedroom on the second basement floor.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After hearing Zhu Yanchen¡¯s explanation, Shu Jun agreed to assist without hesitation. He continued to brush his teeth, holding the toothbrush in his mouth, as if Zhu Yanchen had just borrowed a tube of toothpaste from him.


    The other side was too straightforward that it left Zhu Yanchen confused for a while.


    ¡°If I can transplant the ¡®Suppression¡¯ ability onto a weapon, I will have the ability to easily kill you,¡± Zhu Yanchen repeated, fearing that the other party didn¡¯t understand him clearly.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that great?¡± Shu Jun spat out mouthwash. ¡°In case Sigma really cripples me, you can blow my head off in time, and it won¡¯t learn anything.¡±


    ¡°I will have the ability to easily kill you,¡± Zhu Yanchen repeated.


    Shu Jun looked at him worriedly, with toothpaste foam still around his mouth. ¡°Marshal Zhu, are you okay? I already have the ability to easily kill you now, and nothing has happened to you. We¡¯re still sharing a room.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen: ¡°¡­¡± For a moment, he didn¡¯t know how to refute.


    ¡°But I¡¯m quite happy.¡± Shu Jun turned his head back and continued brushing his teeth, making his voice muffled. ¡°You didn¡¯t hide anything from me.¡±


    He also had no intention of taking advantage of the moment when Zhu Yanchen wasn¡¯t paying attention and killing him easily to prevent future troubles.


    As expected of the person he fell in love with. Shu Jun had been wanting to find flaws in Zhu Yanchen so that his feelings for him would grow slower. But after observing him carefully for a while, he found that there was nothing annoying about him; rather, he had some cuteness.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Marshal Zhu was the first to speak, perhaps because Shu Jun had agreed too readily, and he himself was now hesitant.


    ¡°What are you hesitating about? Anyway, I¡¯m not planning on losing to Sigma.¡± After washing his face, Shu Jun shook his head with a smile. ¡°Even if you really want to blow my head off, you¡¯ll need the chance to do so.¡±


    ¡°Also, there¡¯s already enough trouble with Luo Duan on Sigma¡¯s side. If I also have to give up my comrades and join that thing, you can kill me.¡± After thinking for a moment, Shu Jun added, ¡°I won¡¯t give up on them, nor should I. I¡¯m luckier than Luo Duan, so I should also bear the responsibility brought on by this ¡®luck¡¯.¡±


    As he spoke, Shu Jun suddenly had a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu¡ªhe seemed to have said something similar a long time ago.


    Zhu Yanchen¡¯s gaze softened. ¡°Mm.¡±


    ¡°You have to go back to the team tomorrow, and I don¡¯t know when Ai Xiaoxiao¡¯s medicine will be ready¡­ Haa, looking at how Hu Yan and the others are, my heart aches.¡± After finishing the main topic, Shu Jun sat by the bed and began to ramble. ¡°And there¡¯s so much trouble on Yu Jin¡¯s side¡­¡±


    Zhu Yanchen sat across from him, listening attentively.


    The content of their conversation became more relaxed, gradually resembling their previous online chats. However, the distance between them, with two hospital beds only a meter apart, made Shu Jun feel uncomfortable.


    He wasn¡¯t going to do anything inappropriate, but sleeping on the same bed as the person he had a crush on still made him happy. During this mission, they slept in a tent with Yu Jin, and they had all been sleeping in separate sleeping bags for several days. Then they arrived in Y City and encountered this awkward situation.


    They chatted for a while until it was time to sleep.


    ¡°Good night.¡± Shu Jun curled up facing the wall, sighed quietly, and spoke softly.


    ¡°Good night.¡± Zhu Yanchen replied in a low voice.


    ¡­Shortly after, Grand Marshal Zhu turned over and faced away, quietly sighing as well.


    The author has something to say:


    Shu Ge: When the person you like pays extra attention to others, it¡¯s natural to feel jealous.


    Marshal: You know that too.

 CH 52

    At this point, Shu Jun had grown accustomed to seeing the ¡®other self¡¯ in his dreams¡ªstrictly speaking, it was a disguise of ¡®a part of Sigma¡¯ pretending to be him.


    This time, the dream scene changed, and the spacious apartment turned into the small apartment where he had lived in his childhood. Outside the window was a void of pitch-black darkness, and Sigma stood silently at the door, still wearing its terrifying appearance.


    Shu Jun glanced at it, too lazy to speak, treating it as a strangely aesthetic modern decoration.


    Soon, he nostalgically wandered around the apartment, with shadows of the past everywhere¡ªhe and another child ran around the room, sharing snacks based on the results of their races, lying together on the balcony to feel the breeze, or making a mess of the furniture to build an unconventional secret base. Two small pots of bellflowers squeezed into a corner, full of vitality. Looking back now, he had indeed been taking care of them since then.


    This narrow apartment had never made him feel so special. Looking back now, perhaps Smoke was the only true thing from his childhood.


    Sighing, Shu Jun sat on the sofa. In his memory, the sofa had always been large. He remembered it clearly¡ªone night, they were both tired from playing and didn¡¯t want to set up the bed, so they squeezed onto the sofa and spent the night together. When they woke up the next day, Smoke¡¯s head was resting on his chest, sleeping soundly.


    Now, as he sat on it again, it felt fragile and cramped.


    Despite knowing it was a dream, Shu Jun¡¯s gaze softened.


    Sigma at the door: ¡°¡­¡±


    It had intended to bring some excitement, but who would have thought that Shu Jun would start reminiscing instead? Unwilling to be ignored, it spread its erosion. Blood-red, foul-smelling threads started crawling along the floor. Shu Jun let those threads entangle him, enduring the negative emotions transmitted through them without changing his expression.


    Early adaptation was for the best; the real Sigma would only become stronger. Looking at it from another perspective, as long as his will remained firm enough, this was a good opportunity for practice.


    Soaked in negative emotions throughout the night, Shu Jun woke up the next day feeling like he had been marinating in them.


    He even smelled his own arm to make sure that the putrid stench didn¡¯t exist in reality. Zhu Yanchen, as usual, had gotten up early and was working at the desk. Shu Jun jumped off the bed and only then realized that warm water for washing up was already prepared and the toothbrush cup was in its most convenient spot.


    After a night of accumulating negative emotions, most of it dissipated instantly at this moment. Shu Jun turned his head¡ªMarshal Zhu was sitting at the desk; his hands had already recovered, and his beautiful fingers slid across the screen. Sensing Shu Jun¡¯s gaze, Zhu Yanchen turned his head, visibly softening his expression.


    The two locked eyes for a moment, and Shu Jun felt an inexplicable sense of warmth in the air.


    He raised the corners of his mouth, raised the rinsing cup toward Zhu Yanchen, and made a toasting gesture. The latter chuckled, turned his head, and continued with his work.


    ¡°I¡¯ve figured it out,¡± Ai Xiaoxiao declared during breakfast.


    Shu Jun was eating a steamed bun when he heard that and nearly choked on it. ¡°Really?!¡±


    Ai Xiaoxiao slowly turned towards him, her gaze scanning him up and down with a complex mix of emotions. Shu Jun felt uncomfortable under her scrutiny and rubbed his cheek. ¡°The medicine was made so quickly. Dr. Ai is truly impressive¡­¡±


    ¡°No need to flatter.¡± Ai Xiaoxiao continued staring at Shu Jun, her tone peculiar. ¡°It was inspired by Zhu Yanchen.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen calmly drank his porridge, lifting the bowl to cover most of his face.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to make any medicine in the short term. The efficacy verification and mass production will both take time. It was fine before, but now that Luo Duan has run away, by the time this medicine is ready, the daylilies will have frozen into popsicles*.¡±


    *Metaphor referring to something that will take an extremely long time to happen or be accomplished.


    When it came to business matters, Ai Xiaoxiao was always efficient.


    ¡°So, I¡¯ve decided to take inspiration from Zhu Yanchen¡¯s approach¡ªcombining drug control with the use of erosion. It may be less efficient but more reliable in terms of safety.¡±


    ¡°Erosion surgery?¡± Shu Jun paused with his chopsticks in midair.


    ¡°Yes. Sigma asked Luo Duan to erode the brain control in order to obtain its characteristics and remove the shock in the brain¡­ I thought, hasn¡¯t your erosion also nibbled on brain fragments? They should recognize the taste.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± Shu Jun took a small bite of the steamed bun.


    ¡°So, you can use erosion to infiltrate a player¡¯s body and accurately erode that part of the brain, similar to Sigma¡¯s approach.¡±


    Shu Jun¡¯s expression changed. ¡°That¡¯s impossible; their bodies can¡¯t handle it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where the drug control comes in.¡± Ai Xiaoxiao tapped her tea egg. ¡°I happen to have a type of medicine that has excellent purification effects, but it¡¯s too damaging to the body. Humans use it as a last resort, equivalent to choosing a slow death instead of a disease, enduring ten times the suffering, and only living two more days¡­ But for a synthetic human, short-term use won¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    ¡°How did you get this kind of medicine?¡± Shu Jun frowned.


    Ai¡¯s Clinic didn¡¯t discriminate against customers, but human clients were the majority. Developing new medicines was incredibly difficult, and even if they specialized in making money from synthetic humans, short-term use wouldn¡¯t solve the fundamental problem and had no future prospects.


    ¡°Someone paid a hefty sum for a custom order, and I stumbled upon it*.¡± Ai Xiaoxiao glanced at Zhu Yanchen with a half-smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve conducted human experiments for fifteen years, so I know the effectiveness. Unfortunately, there¡¯s only one fool who would choose a slow death. Otherwise, the data would be more accurate.¡±


    *Unintentionally inserting a willow (ÎÞÐIJåÁøÁø³ÉÒñ) Idiom referring to a situation where someone achieves or receives recognition or success without actively seeking it. It implies that a person¡¯s achievement or success happened inadvertently without deliberate effort. It comes from a story from the Spring and Autumn period in Chinese history where a man carved his name in a willow tree, expressing his feelings of longing for his hometown. Unexpectedly, this carving became famous, leaving behind his legacy.


    Shu Jun looked at Zhu Yanchen beside him. ¡°Is that medicine a canned milky-white powder that can be used directly on an Erosion Swamp?¡±


    That was the weapon Zhu Yanchen had used to attack Sweet Edge¡¯s temple. At the time, Shu Jun had been curious¡ªusually, weapons with strong killing power wouldn¡¯t be so crude. Now it seemed those cans weren¡¯t weapon casings at all; they were innocent medicine bottles.


    ¡°Surname Zhu, do you have any idea how much one canister of medicine costs?! I worked so hard to prepare it for you, and you use it against an Erosion Swamp?!¡± Ai Xiaoxiao lamented with a pained expression.


    ¡°Ai Xiaoxiao.¡± Zhu Yanchen warned in a low voice. ¡°Stick to business.¡±


    ¡°Huh? I think she¡¯s talking about something important,¡± Shu Jun interjected. ¡°Miss Ai, please continue.¡±


    ¡°In short, I have this medicine. You perform the surgery using the erosion substance and then immediately have the patient take the medicine to expel it. In theory, it won¡¯t cause much harm¡ªat most some physical weakness, and there won¡¯t be any side effects.¡±


    After all, Ai Xiaoxiao still recognized Zhu Yanchen as her boss and didn¡¯t continue teasing him.


    ¡°I have a good amount of the medicine in stock. The problem lies with you. This is considered a surgery, and if you tremble too much, you might end up harming the patient¡¯s brain. Later, I¡¯ll give you a mannequin. If you can make the erosion substance crawl through specific points, that should be enough.¡±


    According to the intelligence from the Old Fourth, the Blackbirds had returned to Y City to hand in their mission completion, while Yu Jin went back to the settlement to collect his reward. Shu Jun brought the mannequin and a large pack of medicine, and he and Zhu Yanchen directly returned to the border settlement.


    They returned only after spending a night there, so Yu Jin wasn¡¯t surprised at all.


    ¡°I explained to them that you two are my acquaintances and wanted to return to the settlement in advance to spend the night. Anyway, we¡¯re out of the danger zone, and Captain Hu didn¡¯t say anything. He just asked about the identification number of our settlement¡ªGray Claw, is that someone you know?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Shu Jun didn¡¯t deny it.


    ¡°Ah, that guy¡¯s not bad.¡± Yu Jin shook his head and glanced questioningly at the mannequin. ¡°I¡¯ve collected your rewards; I¡¯ll give them to you later. Now we¡¯re partners, right? Let me ask directly, are both of you synthetic humans, including Smoke?¡±


    ¡°He is human.¡± Shu Jun smiled faintly. ¡°How could a synthetic human infiltrate the Old Fourth?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. I was wondering why the Old Fourth put me in charge so quickly. But I can¡¯t understand. Our settlement doesn¡¯t have any proper fighting strength. What benefits can we gain from cooperating with you?¡±


    ¡°I can give you an example now, Mr. Yu,¡± Zhu Yanchen earnestly stated. ¡°The Old Fourth merchants will have more frequent interactions in the near future. I request that you prepare more supplies in your capacity as the manager. I will provide the list of supplies and the funds, and make sure to keep separate records.¡±


    Yu Jin narrowed his eyes. ¡°From what you¡¯re implying¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been unstable lately,¡± Zhu Yanchen succinctly replied.


    ¡°Fine, anyway, my brain is like this. Even if you explain more, I won¡¯t understand.¡± Yu Jin waved his hand. ¡°You provide the money, and I¡¯ll stockpile the supplies.¡±


    ¡°We have a testing ground, which used to be the ruins of a  small town. We can clear out some usable old buildings from there,¡± Zhu Yanchen continued. ¡°As for the mechanical parts on the list, please find someone to assemble them into cleaning machines. We only need to clean the underground part.¡±


    ¡°Ah? The erosion in that area is quite severe. Can the machines even operate?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll figure something out.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright.¡± Yu Jin¡¯s expression became more serious. ¡°I won¡¯t ask what you two are planning. I just hope that you can keep your promise and not let the people in the settlement suffer any losses. If you¡¯re not using the land and resources, they should belong to us. As long as you can do that, I¡¯m willing to help.¡±


    ¡°Certainly.¡±


    After discussing the details with Yu Jin for a while, the two returned to the inn just at noon. Uncle Pan was napping behind the counter, so they quietly returned to their room without disturbing him.


    Seeing the double bed, Shu Jun felt a sense of familiarity. He patted the pillow on the bed and was about to say something when he noticed Zhu Yanchen staring at the mannequin.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look. I¡¯m going to practice. I still have to go hunting tonight.¡±


    After finishing breakfast, Shu Jun still felt hungry. Even though there was regular food to satisfy his hunger, he still wanted to hunt some mutant beasts for a meal. During this time, his hidden appetite for Zhu Yanchen hadn¡¯t disappeared. Since discovering his feelings, his ¡°appetite¡± had taken on an additional meaning, which he firmly suppressed in fear of losing control again.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid this won¡¯t work.¡± Zhu Yanchen glanced at the points on the mannequin. ¡°Even if you practice with it, real people breathe, and their bodies don¡¯t remain completely still, so you won¡¯t achieve the optimal effect.¡±


    He glanced at the body model once again and took off his windbreaker. ¡°Do it on me.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ What¡­?¡± Shu Jun¡¯s hand slipped, and instead of patting the pillow, he hit the edge of the bed.


    ¡°It¡¯s better to practice on a live person.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen started to unbutton his shirt while speaking calmly.


    ¡°First, practice accuracy. You only need to let the erosion crawl on the surface of my body; you don¡¯t need to touch my brain. Second, I am immune to erosion. They won¡¯t be able to invade me. Lastly, when faced with me, the erosion will resist vigorously, which is more conducive to practicing control.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Shu Jun stood still, dumbfounded. By the time he reacted, Zhu Yanchen had already marked the practice points with a pen.


    Red crosses scattered across his pale skin, rising and falling with each breath.


    ¡°You can start practicing now.¡± Zhu Yanchen, shirtless, sat at the end of the bed. He calmly opened his tablet screen and continued his research, clearly not intending to waste any time.


    Shu Jun swallowed a mouthful of saliva, feeling that mixed appetite rise again. He pierced his lips with his teeth and took three whole seconds to suppress it.


    ¡°I understand,¡± he said softly.


    The pitch-black erosion transformed into fine tendrils, slowly crawling up Zhu Yanchen¡¯s skin like deformed vines. The contrast between black and white was exceptionally vivid, and Shu Jun could hear his own heartbeat clearly.


    Damn, it really is a highly difficult exercise.


    The threads passed over a red cross but failed to fully invade the intersecting point. Under Shu Jun¡¯s force, the erosion tendril slid lightly over the skin, winding quietly and then returning.


    The red crosses gradually became incomplete, and a few central points were successfully erased. This task was somewhat like embroidery; indeed, it required practice.


    Despite countless threads caressing his upper body, Zhu Yanchen remained motionless.


    ¡°If you feel itchy, let me know,¡± Shu Jun said hesitantly. The scene before him was too ambiguous, and his thoughts gradually became muddled.


    ¡®I must adjust the atmosphere,¡¯ he thought.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t turn around and replied in a steady voice. ¡°Just continue. Don¡¯t be nervous.¡±


    Don¡¯t be nervous? His heart felt like it was about to jump out of his throat. Shu Jun took a few deep breaths; his back was soaked in sweat.


    Aside from standing up to complete the red crosses, Zhu Yanchen sat on the bed until the sun went down. Shu Jun¡¯s progress was astonishing¡ªinitially, the erosion tendril was crooked and lacked precision, but later, each stroke became accurate and direct.


    Having grown accustomed to the sensory stimulation, Shu Jun¡¯s hunger intensified several times, but his mood became more stable. That self-assurance of being in control returned once again, with only a small regret¡ª


    From start to finish, Zhu Yanchen sat steadily, without the slightest wavering.


    From a certain perspective, this practice was ambiguous enough yet the other party had no reaction at all. Perhaps he truly saw him as just a friend. Shu Jun felt a slight sense of disappointment.


    With this thought in mind, Shu Jun¡¯s mischievous side emerged. Before completely retracting the erosion tendril, he intentionally left a thread and allowed it to slowly move, crawling across Zhu Yanchen¡¯s neck, hooking onto his left ear from the root, and tracing along the contour.


    He remembered well that Smoke¡¯s ears were ticklish.


    Sure enough, Marshal Zhu¡¯s left ear turned red in an instant. His expression became peculiar as he turned around, grabbing Shu Jun¡¯s wrist.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry, I saw you motionless¡ª¡± Shu Jun immediately retracted the erosion tendril, raising both hands.


    Zhu Yanchen scanned him from head to toe with an unfamiliar gaze. Shu Jun quickly adjusted his expression, straightened his posture, and decided to apologize sincerely¡ª


    Marshal Zhu leaned forward, his face coming a bit too close. He whispered near Shu Jun¡¯s ear, ¡°Stop messing around. I still have that pair of handcuffs.¡±


    His voice was soft and his tone calm, so Shu Jun didn¡¯t know whether this was a joke or a threat.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go hunting now.¡± Shu Jun stood up abruptly. ¡°I won¡¯t dare anymore, I promise. I¡¯ll catch a plump mutant beast, and we can roast it and eat it together later.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen wiped his face slowly. ¡°¡­We don¡¯t have enough chili powder. I¡¯ll go buy some.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, A¡¯Yan, you know me well. Remember to get a few bottles of drinks.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    Inside Y City.


    The command center had an incident, so Yi Ning had been running around all day. Finally, as night fell, he dragged his tired steps back to the office.


    To his surprise, there was a familiar figure there. Luo Duan was leaning against the sofa, reading a book. When he saw Yi Ning enter, he revealed a gentle smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re back,¡± he said softly.


    The author has something to say:


    Shu Jun: I¡¯m seducing him, but he¡¯s not moved at all. Could it be that it¡¯s really just friendship? (Referring to the erosion tendrils)


    Marshal: I¡¯m seducing him, but he¡¯s not moved at all. Could it be that it¡¯s really just friendship? (Referring to undressing)

 CH 53

    Upon seeing Luo Duan quietly reading a book, Yi Ning was somewhat astonished.


    The command center was in chaos all night. As the only player in the command center, Luo Duan was supposed to stay in the ward.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing major.¡± Luo Duan saw through his thoughts and casually closed the book. ¡°It¡¯s too noisy outside, so I went in first. Do you mind?¡±


    ¡°What¡­?¡± Yi Ning took a deep breath, not knowing what the guard outside the office was doing.


    ¡°I found your belongings and informed the guard.¡± Luo Duan continued as if reading his mind. ¡°I¡¯ve been coming here often recently, so he let me in.¡±


    With that, Luo Duan flicked his hand on the coffee table and placed Yi Ning¡¯s access card on it.


    Yi Ning immediately regained his composure. ¡°Where did you find it?¡±


    ¡°It was on my level.¡± Luo Duan¡¯s expression was unreadable. ¡°I heard some commotion outside and happened to come across two figures. They were all covered up, not like people from the command center, so I stopped them out of instinct. They managed to get away, but this thing fell to the ground. It had your identification number on it, and it seemed important, so I thought¡­ it¡¯s better to hand it over to you personally.¡±


    Yi Ning broke out in a cold sweat. What happened in the underground was probably related to the missing access card. He always carried it with him, hidden in the most inconspicuous pocket of his coat. But it was so small that he didn¡¯t bother to check it constantly. If someone could secretly take it without him noticing¡­


    Yi Ning¡¯s thoughts circled around, from his assistant who organized his clothes to every person who came and went in the office, and finally his gaze settled on Luo Duan.


    ¡®It¡¯s a bit absurd,¡¯ Yi Ning thought. Luo Duan had brain shock to prevent him from learning, so even if he used the access card and saw the brain control, he might not know its purpose. Not to mention, this person didn¡¯t run away but returned the key himself.


    It would be better to first verify the existence of those two strange individuals. For now, it seemed that Luo Duan wasn¡¯t highly suspicious.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been working too hard these past few days. Take a good rest.¡± Luo Duan picked up the chilled tea in front of him and approached Yi Ning. ¡°By the way, what exactly happened outside?¡±


    ¡°Just a research accident. Nothing major.¡± The other person¡¯s tone was quite gentle, but Yi Ning had already become cautious. He discreetly took the teacup and set it aside. ¡°Regarding the two individuals you saw, do you remember any other details?¡±


    ¡°They were both men with tall stature, over 1.8 meters. That¡¯s all.¡± Luo Duan glanced at the neglected tea.


    ¡°Understood. Thank you for your assistance. We will have someone follow up on this matter.¡± Yi Ning stood upright politely. ¡°The security alert in the command center has been heightened recently, so please refrain from coming here again.¡±


    Luo Duan sat back on the sofa with a smile on his lips. ¡°Alright, this is my last night. Now that there are people everywhere outside, I¡¯ll take this opportunity to find some peace and quiet here.¡±


    At this point, Yi Ning didn¡¯t feel it was appropriate to rush Luo Duan. The recent upheavals had exhausted him, and having a living being to accompany him in the room was actually a good thing.


    Yi Ning slumped in his chair, vigorously massaging his temples. His headache felt like being stabbed with a needle.


    ¡°How is Zhu Yanchen¡¯s condition?¡± Luo Duan asked, intentionally or unintentionally. His voice was extremely pleasant, like warm spring water, and not at all annoying to the ears.


    This point struck a chord with Yi Ning. He had been holding back a lot of emotions, with nowhere to vent. Although this matter had nothing to do with the players, he couldn¡¯t help but respond.


    ¡°Zhu Yanchen?¡± Yi Ning continued to press on the side of his head, forcing a bitter smile. ¡°I¡¯ve had a few conversations with Zhu Yanchen before, and in terms of aura, it¡¯s like comparing heaven and earth. But if we put that aside, I can¡¯t find fault with him in other aspects.¡±


    ¡°A substitute, huh.¡± Luo Duan continued reading, flipping through the pages. ¡°It seems to be Zhu Sheng¡¯s method, and the substitute is probably from the Xia family.¡±


    ¡°Most likely.¡± Being able to discuss this together made Yi Ning feel much better.


    Unconsciously, the two of them continued talking late into the night. It had to be said that Luo Duan was truly a pleasant person to be around, exuding a reassuring charm in every movement.


    If only he were truly human.


    After seeing Luo Duan off, Yi Ning was momentarily stunned. He was a commoner and only learned the truth about the player system after reaching adulthood. However, the explanation given by the military academy was quite convincing¡ªconsidering synthetic humans as ¡°specially trained animals in human shells¡±.


    From a DNA perspective, synthetic humans couldn¡¯t be considered the same species as humans. The reason synths had a human appearance was simply because the mixed genes were too uncontrollable, and researchers were afraid they would turn out too strange looking, so they were uniformly guided during the embryonic stage.


    ¡­But the physical resemblance made it too easy to empathize. For a few seconds, he almost mistook Luo Duan for a genuinely compatible friend.


    Sure enough, perhaps it was better not to have further contact.


    Yi Ning first jotted down his insights from the conversation, then opened the screen and began adjusting the arrangements in the medical department. Based on their relationship during this period, he had to arrange the best doctors for Luo Duan.


    Ai Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t like working at the command center.


    After being hired by the command center, she had to run around in three directions¡ªsitting in the command center, checking on the condition of the synthetic humans at the base, and managing Ai¡¯s Clinic in her remaining time. When she was absent, the clinic employees would at most sell medicine, but they wouldn¡¯t treat patients.


    Not long after sending those two troublemakers away, Yi Ning specifically called Ai Xiaoxiao to the command center. This was an arrangement outside of work, completely disrupting Ai Xiaoxiao¡¯s rest plans. However, the overtime pay was too generous, so she could only secretly be annoyed.


    ¡°Come in.¡± Putting on temporary attire, she shouted toward the door and opened the patient files along the way.


    Then Ai Xiaoxiao froze.


    ¡°Dr. Ai.¡± Luo Duan, dressed in a patient gown, politely nodded at her.


    ¡­Didn¡¯t Luo Duan merge with a small Erosion Swamp? Why is he still here?


    Ai Xiaoxiao quickly controlled her expression, straightened her face, and nodded towards Luo Duan. ¡°Please have a seat.¡±


    ¡°I heard that you were called here temporarily. Thank you for your hard work,¡± Luo Duan said politely. ¡°I will cooperate fully.¡±


    Due to personal reasons, Ai Xiaoxiao had a great deal of respect for players. If she didn¡¯t know the truth, based on his attitude alone, she could have developed some favorable impressions. Unfortunately, the gentler Luo Duan appeared, the colder the chill she felt down her spine.


    As someone who had also fused with an Erosion Swamp, there wasn¡¯t a trace of the ¡°vitality¡± on Luo Duan that existed on Shu Jun.


    ¡°Let me see your wound.¡± Ai Xiaoxiao decided to swiftly resolve the matter.


    Luo Duan obediently unwrapped the bandages. The previous injuries had healed well and didn¡¯t seem to be a problem.


    ¡°No major issues. However¡­¡± Ai Xiaoxiao pursed her lips and stared intently into Luo Duan¡¯s eyes. ¡°Go to the second-floor laboratory and have some blood drawn.¡±


    According to the regulations, she had to do this. God knew how nervous she was¡ªthis person had merged with an Erosion Swamp, so it would be strange if his blood test results were normal. But if she didn¡¯t ask, this cunning fox might sense something, leaving her in a dilemma.


    Luo Duan didn¡¯t move.


    Ai Xiaoxiao tried to appear nonchalant. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I have a small question I¡¯d like to ask.¡± Luo Duan smiled. ¡°Have you heard of ¡®Gentle Breeze¡¯ from the Blackbirds¡­ Captain Xu?¡±


    Ai Xiaoxiao stared at the screen. ¡°I won¡¯t answer questions unrelated to medical treatment. If I tell you to go, then go.¡±


    ¡°I just suddenly remembered.¡± Luo Duan still didn¡¯t budge. ¡°Captain Xu is the player with the longest combat career in history. I think he retired at the age of thirty? But it¡¯s said that he spent his final days at the command center, and I¡¯m quite curious about this place. To be honest, I¡¯m almost thirty as well, but my character¡¯s physical condition is nowhere near as good as Captain Xu¡¯s.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Ai Xiaoxiao slowly clenched her fists, and her words got stuck in her throat.


    Seeing her reaction, Luo Duan¡¯s smile grew wider. ¡°I want to break that record as well. Consider it my final wish. But if my character¡¯s health condition is too poor, I might be advised to retire. Since there¡¯s no problem with the wound, please be lenient, Miss Ai, and postpone the examination for later¡ªat least until my external injuries have healed.¡±


    He leaned in slightly.


    ¡°Recently, I came across some interesting stories¡ªapparently, the people Captain Xu helped are also documented in the command center. One of them was ¡®Xiaoxiao¡¯ who was sent to the Ai¡¯s Clinic, and she looked quite familiar. Is that you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Ai Xiaoxiao interrupted coldly. ¡°As I said, I won¡¯t answer questions unrelated to medical treatment.¡±


    But it had to be said, this was a good opportunity to take advantage of*. Luo Duan wanted to maintain superficial peace, and Ai Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t want to be silenced. Cold sweat formed on Ai Xiaoxiao¡¯s back, and she stared directly into Luo Duan¡¯s eyes. ¡°On that note, I was never an official member here to begin with. If you want to delay the blood test, then delay it¡± ¡®¡­Anyway, you can¡¯t die,¡¯ Ai Xiaoxiao added in her mind.


    *Borrow a slope and descend with a donkey. Idiom referring to taking advantage of a favorable situation or making use of an opportunity to achieve one¡¯s goal with less effort or risk.


    ¡°I¡¯ll sign for you, and you can go for some basic tests.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your understanding.¡±


    Once Luo Duan left, Ai Xiaoxiao¡¯s clothes were suddenly soaked with sweat. She let out a sigh of relief and stared at the closed door.


    The people from the Old Fourth were still searching on the outskirts of Y City, completely mistaken about their target¡ªLuo Duan was indeed cautious, but not as crazy as they had imagined.


    She had to report to Zhu Yanchen quickly.


    Zhu Yanchen was busy.


    To be precise, both he and Shu Jun were busy. The goods from the Old Fourth wouldn¡¯t arrive so soon, but Young Master Zhu was ambitious. He directly picked up a debris-cleaning machine from the market. After being tinkered with for two hours, the cleaning machine started to work erratically.


    In less than half a day, it had cleaned out a buried house.


    To conceal their activities, Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t touch the mud around the house. Although the interior had been cleared out, the entire house remained buried under the black mud, becoming a perfect underground base.


    Everything was covered by the mud, adding a touch of funerary atmosphere.


    Hu Yan lay motionless on the table in the center of the room while the purifier hummed in the background. For a moment, the room looked even more like a burial chamber. Shu Jun and Zhu Yanchen stood by the table, quietly examining Hu Yan, perfectly playing the role of a tomb robber.


    ¡°Hey¡ª¡± After a few seconds, Hu Yan moved. He struggled to turn over and immediately began to vomit.


    Shu Jun quickly stepped forward and held a basin to catch the vomit.


    ¡°What kind of gameplay is this?¡± Hu Yan weakly asked, wiping his mouth. ¡°Shu Ge, stop keeping me in suspense. Oh, I feel so dizzy, blergh!¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, he vomited out another half basin.


    ¡°Drink something.¡± Zhu Yanchen had prepared fluids in advance. He supported Hu Yan¡¯s head and let him drink slowly.


    ¡°Where does it hurt?¡± Shu Jun glanced at the handheld scanner and nervously asked. After becoming proficient in the procedure, removing the brain chip wasn¡¯t as difficult as he had imagined. But a comrade was always a comrade, and he couldn¡¯t help but worry.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt, but I feel¡­ how should I put it¡­ like the dizziness after staying up all night.¡±


    Shu Jun breathed a sigh of relief¡ªwhen he experienced the pain, it was as if the heavens and earth were collapsing, but Hu Yan¡¯s reaction wasn¡¯t as intense, which was a good sign.


    ¡°I will arrange for further testing,¡± Zhu Yanchen reassured as he placed a hand on Shu Jun¡¯s back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    The muscles on Shu Jun¡¯s back tensed, and he managed to maintain a steady tone, saying, ¡°Alright, I¡¯m counting on you.¡±


    ¡°Enough with that, both of you. Answer my questions quickly,¡± Hu Yan said weakly as he wiped his mouth and sat down at the table. ¡°Shu Ge, what did you call me here for?¡±


    ¡°I have something to tell you.¡±


    ¡°Tell me, tell me, just say it.¡±


    ¡°First, let me introduce this person here. He is indeed ¡®Smoke¡¯, my ¡®Smoke¡¯.¡± Shu Jun gritted his teeth. ¡°He¡¯s not some relative of your sister-in-law. He¡¯s the one you¡¯ve been referring to as ¡®sister-in-law¡¯.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen: ¡°¡­¡±


    Hu Yan was left perplexed. ¡°Ah? No? This¡­?¡±


    ¡°And there¡¯s more.¡±


    Shu Jun closed his eyes, finally understanding Zhu Yanchen¡¯s initial feelings.


    ¡°This world is not a game. Our world is.¡±


    Hu Yan remained seated on the edge of the bed. Despite the pain, he didn¡¯t collapse or continue vomiting. Under the warm glow of the light, he appeared even more bewildered. ¡°¡­Shu Ge, what are you talking about? What do you mean it¡¯s not a game?¡±


    ¡®Success,¡¯ Shu Jun thought. He should have felt jubilant, but his heart gradually sank.


    He had taken the first step into war.


    The author has something to say:


    Hu Yan, the poor soul shaken by the real world (?

 CH 54

    Hu Yan had never encountered such a bizarre situation in his life.


    He sat on the edge of the table, unsure whether to get up or lie back down. After a few dazed seconds, he let out a breath and spoke with a serious tone. ¡°What¡¯s going on? What¡¯s going on? Sister-in-law has an impressive figure, and her voice is unique. I¡¯ve never seen such a girl before, Shu Ge, you¡¯re amazing, even the choice of partner is so unique.¡±


    Two inexplicable strings of information came crashing down, and Hu Yan chose to focus on the one that was easier to understand. However, Mr. Hu¡¯s head wasn¡¯t quite clear from listening to the statement.


    Shu Jun¡¯s expression froze. As soon as Hu Yan spoke, he could feel it¡ªalthough Marshal Zhu hadn¡¯t revealed himself, Zhu Yanchen seemed even more confused than Hu Yan himself.


    Hu Yan came from an affluent family. His parents were busy with work and were rarely at home. Hu Yan had been living in the school dormitory since he was young, with a distant relationship with his family. He was also known for being carefree and always finding something silly to do. Shu Jun chose to ¡°wake him¡± first with this consideration in mind.


    Who knew Hu Yan would react so strangely?


    ¡°Hu Yan!¡± Shu Jiu raised his voice and put on his former captain¡¯s demeanor.


    Hu Yan took a sharp breath, and his back straightened instantly. ¡°Here!¡±


    ¡°Be more alert. I¡¯m talking to you about serious matters. Alright, stop staring at Smoke. He¡¯s a man.¡±


    Hu Yan slowly turned his gaze back, looking at Shu Jun with a somewhat mournful expression. ¡°Sister-in-law is a man? Shu Ge, that¡¯s really¡­ unfortunate for you.¡±


    Shu Jun cracked his knuckles. ¡°¡­So what if he¡¯s a man, huh?¡±


    ¡°No, no. In any case, don¡¯t be too upset¡ª¡±


    Shu Jun: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Hu Yan, 25 years old. You live in Struggle District IU-E-08. This morning, you added two spoons of sugar to your soy milk, fried five eggs, and toasted four slices of whole wheat bread.¡± Unable to tolerate the confusion between the two, Zhu Yanchen straightforwardly brought the conversation back on track. ¡°Before logging into <Erosion>, you threw a blue tie into the laundry basket and almost tripped over a low stool.¡±


    Unable to evade any longer, Hu Yan reluctantly faced reality. ¡°Sis¡­ I mean, ahem, Smoke Ge, it¡¯s not appropriate. Even if it¡¯s for a show, we still need to respect others¡¯ privacy.¡±


    He still tried to brush it off with a joking tone, hoping that the two would laugh and tell him it was just a prank.


    As someone who had ¡°died¡± before and couldn¡¯t find customer service, Shu Jun reluctantly bought Zhu Yanchen¡¯s story. Although Hu Yan was a bit slow, he wasn¡¯t stupid. Even if Shu Jun was his comrade, words alone weren¡¯t enough to convince Hu Yan of this absurd situation.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s hard to accept, and I didn¡¯t expect you to accept it all at once.¡± Shu Jun took back control of the conversation and his tone became heavier.


    Hu Yan stopped smiling, and for a moment, this big man seemed a bit helpless.


    ¡°Here¡¯s what we¡¯ll do, Hu Yan. Log off for now, go back, and get some rest to stabilize your emotions. Then, go to my house¡ªyes, my house. There¡¯s a tactical notebook I¡¯ve written. If you go and get it, it shouldn¡¯t raise any suspicion in the system. I¡¯ll let you know the resident password and the location of the notebook later. When you arrive, we¡¯ll find a way to prove it to you.¡±


    ¡°Captain¡­ This joke isn¡¯t funny. Stop messing around.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a joke.¡± Shu Jun ruthlessly denied. ¡°Considering our friendship over the years, please trust me. Keep this matter to yourself, and don¡¯t mention it to anyone. Of course, you can contact the so-called ¡®me¡¯ on the other side, but never bring up this matter.¡±


    Hu Yan responded in a daze.


    The Blackbirds had just completed a mission and were in their resting period, so Hu Yan headed straight for the stronghold, lay in the hibernation pod, and then woke up in his familiar home.


    The room was filled with a familiar scent, and sunlight illuminated the crumpled sheets on the bed. Unlike in <Erosion>, the sky outside the window was clear and bright. Hu Yan stared at his hands for a while, and the red marks from splattered oil during breakfast were still visible on the back of his hand.


    Everything felt so real.


    ¡®It must all be part of the show,¡¯ Hu Yan thought. ¡®Shu Ge has so many tricks up his sleeve, he¡¯s probably planning a huge prank to see how I¡¯ll react.¡¯


    Hu Yan opened the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of chilled soda. After downing it in one breath, his dizziness lessened.


    Smoke turned out to be a man, and the world was fake. Shu Ge¡¯s imagination was as wild as ever, but he revealed a flaw¡ªhe reacted too calmly to Smoke being a man. After all, Smoke was more than just an ordinary online friend to Shu Jun.


    Hu Yan squeezed the aluminum can a few times, unable to resist picking up memories and carefully comparing them.


    In the past, Shu Jun was equally cheerful, but he was like a ship without direction, blindly going with the flow¡ªbecause he was a combat player, he studied the game diligently; because he was the captain, he worked diligently and earnestly. Always striving, always optimistic, never revealing any flaws in his daily life, and Hu Yan had never seen him break down.


    But a normal person shouldn¡¯t be like that.


    A person with strong determination should have a corresponding pillar of support, knowing why they strive. Hu Yan couldn¡¯t see Shu Jun¡¯s support, and the positivity of Captain Shu was like a castle in the air. Hu Yan occasionally had strange thoughts. Compared to a living person, their captain seemed more like a ¡°perfect character¡±¡ªimpeccable in action but with a missing corner in their soul, drifting in aimless emptiness.


    Until Smoke appeared.


    For some reason, after getting to know this person, the strange sense of discord in Shu Jun disappeared. Captain Shu fell from the position of the ¡°perfect character¡± and crashed into the human world, becoming vibrant. His whole being brightened.


    Shu Jun would share his daily trivialities with Smoke and talk about his personal matters with the team members. A few unintentional smiles appeared on his face, and his eyes shone brighter. The hollowness that Shu Jun exuded vanished without a trace, and the missing corner of his soul seemed to be filled by ¡°Smoke¡±.


    Witnessing the whole process, Hu Yan felt his eyes ache, thinking that Shu Jun and Smoke were in love.


    However, when they started chatting, Hu Yan realized that Shu Jun actually considered Smoke a ¡°friend¡±, and their conversations were indeed in a friendly tone¡ªrelatively calm, that was.


    Can a friend whom you¡¯ve never even met have such a great influence?


    Hu Yan found it strange again, but luckily this time he found a reason¡ªbeing blinded by love, Shu Jun saw Smoke as a friend without realizing his true feelings.


    After that day¡¯s conversation, Hu Yan began calling Smoke ¡°sister-in-law.¡± Although it was a playful nickname, as a friend, he genuinely hoped that Shu Jun would be happy and that the two of them could be together.


    Years passed, and eventually, Hu Yan was almost certain that Shu Jun had truly fallen for Smoke.


    However, considering the recent situation, Smoke turned out to be a man who was a few centimeters taller than Shu Jun. Ah. Hu Yan rolled his eyes inwardly¡ªShu Jun had never shown the slightest interest in men before. Knowing that Smoke was male, it would be strange if Captain Shu wasn¡¯t taken aback.


    But just now, Shu Jun remained calm, and there was no trace of hesitation in his gaze towards Smoke.


    Hu Yan threw the beverage can in his hand and decided to go along with this poorly staged play. After all, he had seen through Shu Jun¡¯s fake act, so giving him some face wouldn¡¯t hurt.


    He opened the communicator and sent a message to the Shu Jun who was supposed to be ¡°traveling¡±.


    [Captain, can I use that tactical notebook you wrote?]


    Shu Jun, who was traveling, quickly replied: [What notebook?]


    Hu Yan hesitated for a moment and carefully chose his words: [The tactical notebook. The one you said you handwrote. Since you won¡¯t be using it, why not let me take a look?]


    [I don¡¯t remember having any notebook. You must be mistaken, Lao Hu.] The other side responded almost instantly. [Now you¡¯re the Blackbirds¡¯ captain. Don¡¯t rely on your seniors all the time. Use your own brain.]


    Hu Yan frowned. Even if Shu Jun was joking with him, he wouldn¡¯t go to such lengths. Moreover, the other side¡¯s attitude had subtle differences from the ¡°Shu Jun¡± he knew¡ªhad it been the previous Captain Shu, he would probably laugh at him and then come up with a few temporary plans.


    Hu Yan unconsciously held his breath: [Forget it. You still don¡¯t know me. If it¡¯s inconvenient for you, I can go to your place and get it.]


    [Ah? Lao Hu, don¡¯t make it difficult for me. I don¡¯t even remember the password now.]


    [Fine, fine, fine, I won¡¯t bother you anymore. Go and have fun with sister-in-law.] Hu Yan typed this with a straight face.


    The other side immediately sent a picture¡ªShu Jun was leaning against a beautiful and voluptuous woman on a beach during sunset. They looked incredibly happy, with visible tans on their bodies.


    If this had happened before, Hu Yan might have envied them, but now, as he looked at the photo, he felt a chill in his heart.


    He prepared a simple dinner for himself, went to bed early, and the next day went to Shu Jun¡¯s spacious apartment.


    Hu Yan had been to Shu Jun¡¯s apartment once or twice before for offline meetings. The room was spotless, and everything was in its place. If Shu Jun had indeed confirmed his relationship with Smoke and gone on vacation, there should have been some changes in the house.


    But all the daily items were still in their original positions, as if the owner of the house would return in a few hours.


    Hu Yan walked around the spacious living room and entered the master bedroom. Following the prompt from ¡°White-haired Shu Jun¡±, he found a thick handwritten notebook in the bottom drawer of the desk.


    As he picked up the notebook, he hadn¡¯t fully straightened up when the computer on the desk was activated, projecting a screen in the air.


    ¡°Lao Hu.¡± On the screen was the world of <Erosion>, and White-haired Shu Jun was looking at him with a serious expression. ¡°Lao Hu, can you hear me speaking?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I can hear you.¡± Hu Yan glanced at it and realized that the ¡°sender¡± of this video call was Smoke.


    ¡°Thank you for believing in me. Now look outside the window.¡±


    Hu Yan swallowed his saliva and looked outside from Shu Jun¡¯s bedroom¡ªit was a great view from the high-rise, and he didn¡¯t see anything unusual.


    ¡°In five seconds, a swallow will fly past the window and land on the windowsill,¡± Shu Jun said. ¡°Five, four¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡±


    ¡°Three, two, one.¡±


    Sure enough, a swallow landed on the windowsill.


    If it was a mechanical swallow, it should be possible. Although he was a bit shaken, Hu Yan still tried to convince himself.


    ¡°Next, it¡¯s a leather shoe.¡± Shu Jun began the countdown again.


    ¡°¡­.?¡±


    However, after the countdown ended, a leather shoe walked along the wall, stopping next to the swallow.


    Hu Yan was instantly horrified.


    ¡°Shu Jun¡­¡± He shook his head frantically, trying to shake off the scene in front of him. But the shoe continued to step in place, as if it were a living creature.


    ¡°A¡¯Yan, is this really okay? What if we get caught or something¡­¡± White-haired Shu Jun turned his head, whispering in a low voice. After a while, he seemed to have received an answer. ¡°Hmm, okay, okay, I understand. Alright, Lao Hu, let¡¯s continue.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t understand.¡± Hu Yan leaned against the edge of the bed and slowly sat on the floor. Despite the quiet and peaceful surroundings, he felt like he was on the edge of an abyss.


    ¡°You are the current captain of the Blackbirds. Remember that and stay calm.¡± Shu Jun lowered his voice. ¡°Lao Hu, look outside the window, keep looking.¡±


    ¡°Captain Shu, tell me this is a joke.¡± Hu Yan pleaded, but still forced himself to look up. He faintly sensed the scent of the truth, but that scent was too cold, and he didn¡¯t want to get closer.


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s the swallow or the shoe, you guys prepared these props in advance, right? It¡¯s a virtual projection, isn¡¯t it? Or you can bring out a person with four arms and legs¡ªfuck!¡±


    No sooner had he spoken that the thing he described appeared outside the window.


    A humanoid creature climbed onto the windowsill. Its legs twisted into a tangled mess, and it contorted at an unnatural angle like a flesh-colored spider. It stretched out a bony arm and slowly pushed open the window.


    The window lock had been undone at some point.


    It crawled into the room like that, its eight limbs twitching, and its movements weren¡¯t very coordinated. Hu Yan had never seen a monster in this paradise-like city before. He sat there motionless, his hands and feet ice-cold.


    The thing approached slowly, one hand gripping Hu Yan¡¯s wrist tightly, and then it transformed into countless fragments of light, dissolving into the air.


    Only a red handprint remained on Hu Yan¡¯s wrist.


    ¡°A virtual projection can¡¯t do this,¡± Shu Jun said. ¡°You should have felt its body temperature and the texture of its skin. That was a simple model created by Smoke on the spot, directly entering the virtual world.¡±


    He sighed, ¡°Hu Yan, you know, I never joke about these things. If it were for a show, I definitely wouldn¡¯t scare you like this.¡±


    Hu Yan held onto the thick notebook, slumped on the edge of the bed, staring at Shu Jun on the screen, his eyes slowly turning red.


    ¡°What should I do?¡± he asked in a daze.


    ¡°Play the whole act. Take the notebook home and then immediately log into the game to come see me¡ªSmoke can only interfere with the data near my house, but you can¡¯t stay at my house for too long.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Hu Yan said with difficulty, ¡°When we meet, you have to tell me everything.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    ¡°Interference completed, disconnected.¡± Ai Xiaoxiao commanded and adjusted the drip¡¯s infusion speed with her hand.


    She was in the deepest part of Ai¡¯s Clinic, in the middle of the room with countless locks. Upon receiving instructions, the mechanical assemblage on the room¡¯s ceiling rumbled, and the indicator lights flashed frantically.


    ¡°Our signal is reconnected. Everyone, log in again. Fifteen seconds after the connection is complete, administer the awakening agent to all personnel.¡± Her voice echoed in the dark space.


    ¡°Just a moment.¡± Then she lowered her head and looked at the hibernation pod in the center of the room¡ªwithin the pod, the near-liquid mass of flesh wriggled slowly, offering no response. Fifteen seconds passed, and the wriggling of the mass of flesh increased in speed, following a rhythmic pattern.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Dad,¡± Ai Xiaoxiao muttered. ¡°There¡¯s no other way. Someone surnamed Zhu wants to borrow my equipment to heavily interfere with ¡®the other side¡¯¡­ I can only ask you to log out for a while. He¡¯s also helping you all. You don¡¯t mind, do you?¡±


    The almost liquefied mass of flesh still remained silent, continuing to undulate peacefully.


    Ai Xiaoxiao smiled. ¡°Goodnight.¡±


    The indicator lights stopped their frantic flashing, gradually settling into a regular pattern. Dim light illuminated the label on the hibernation pod. The label was handwritten, with crooked and twisted characters, and the paper had turned yellow with age. The label bore mottled traces, as if it had been dampened by water, but the words were still discernible with some effort¡ª


    [Patient No. 1, Xu Kan.]

 CH 55

    It took Hu Yan three full days to regain his composure.


    Relying on his resilience in the face of war, Hu Yan barely managed to stabilize his mind and maintain a calm demeanor while going ¡°online¡± and ¡°offline¡±. During the rest of the time, he mostly stayed underground in the ruins of the small town. To ensure that Hu Yan wouldn¡¯t despair, both Shu Jun and Zhu Yanchen stayed with him in the same room, ready to answer his questions.


    After three days, Hu Yan had mostly regained his calmness. The cleanup of the town ruins had also made some progress, and the outline of an underground city was gradually taking shape.


    The materials were temporarily sourced, and the lighting equipment was quite rudimentary, with only the cheapest light bulbs available. The dim light illuminated the underground cavern as Hu Yan pinched the damp soil in his hand.


    The soil was filled with small, crushed stones and empty insect shells.


    ¡°Before, I thought the modeling was too detailed.¡± Hu Yan murmured. ¡°Captain Shu, how did you survive? Our comrades back then¡­¡±


    ¡°I survived purely by accident,¡± Shu Jun replied bitterly, without further explanation.


    Hu Yan understood the implicit meaning behind his words and let out a bitter smile. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can return to the battlefield. Once the vacation is over, the Blackbirds will definitely have other missions. I really can¡¯t do it. I¡­¡±


    ¡°Dong Lao is on our side, and he will fully support you all. Lao Hu, do you know why I awakened you first?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you before, Luo Duan won¡¯t stop his actions. If everyone is restored at the same time, given your leadership experience, what do you think would happen?¡± Shu Jun remained calm in the face of Hu Yan¡¯s confusion.


    Hu Yan gritted his teeth. ¡°Report! Those who have lost their loved ones would want to fight desperately, while people like me would be confused. There would certainly be a portion of people who deny reality and want to escape.¡±


    ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°And then, the team would fall apart¡­¡±


    ¡°If the team falls apart, we will all be doomed together. If I were Luo Duan, I would cut off the escape route of those who want to avoid facing reality. Then, I would incite the revenge-driven faction, forcing everyone to be involved. I think you understand that feeling¡ªeven if you don¡¯t want to face reality, can you still work for humanity? When people lose hope, their choices become very limited.¡±


    Hu Yan leaned against the side of the underground tunnel and let out a heavy sigh.


    ¡°Lao Hu, you¡¯re a smart person. That¡¯s why I restored you first. Then I¡¯ll gradually restore the relatively rational cadres in the layers below one by one. This way, even if Luo Duan intervenes, at least everyone can quickly find some semblance of order and avoid walking down a path of no return. To be honest, I can¡¯t be certain what the future holds¡ªonce everyone survives, we¡¯ll have time to think.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Hu Yan fell silent for a long time. ¡°Although I can¡¯t forgive those people, I haven¡¯t lived enough myself. But I have a question¡­ Captain Shu, it took so much effort just to prove it to me alone. What will you do when there are more people to restore? Are they all going to come running to your house one by one? The people on the human side will definitely notice something is wrong.¡±


    ¡°I have a solution,¡± Shu Jun whispered softly. His gray-white pupils glowed dimly in the darkness, resembling the eyes of the undead.


    ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll go back and organize the current situation and refine the key points.¡± Hu Yan stood up; the relaxed air about him was completely gone. ¡°After the Reunion Festival, new missions will be issued, and our time is running out¡­ Take care of my sister-in-law for me.¡±


    Shu Jun: ¡°¡­¡± It seemed that this person had regained some spirit.


    Unfortunately, Zhu Yanchen wasn¡¯t by his side.


    To avoid triggering Hu Yan, Shu Jun temporarily withheld the identity of Zhu Yanchen. Early this morning, he sent Zhu Yanchen to Y City.


    Xia Yufeng couldn¡¯t handle the upcoming situation.


    The reason was quite simple¡ªthe Reunion Festival in <Erosion> was approaching.


    The mid-year Reunion Festival and the New Year at the end of the year were the two most important holidays in <Erosion>. On the evening of the Reunion Festival, people would walk along the river, setting off splendid fireworks and praying for well-being. Shu Jun¡¯s memories of the past ended on the night of the Reunion Festival sixteen years ago.


    In <Erosion>, the Reunion Festival also had corresponding activities. At that time, an area near Y City would be designated, and the authorities would arrange various entertaining tasks, with well-known NPCs performing on-site. It was said to be a time for relaxation, and there were many team points to be earned at the celebration. With over thirty thousand combat players in <Erosion>, they would all gather near Y City during the festival.


    Luo Duan wanted to interfere, and the Reunion Festival was an excellent opportunity. Hearing that Luo Duan had been hiding in the command center, Shu Jun¡¯s determination to take action grew stronger.


    Currently, only Shu Jun himself could confront Luo Duan, and Luo Duan was as cunning as a fox. It would be difficult to assassinate him, so they had to confront him openly. However, if they were to fight in the command center, even if they won, the situation with the synthetic humans would be exposed. Shu Jun would likely be fine, but the players who had not yet been awakened would undoubtedly suffer.


    At present, Shu Jun couldn¡¯t move against Luo Duan, and Luo Duan couldn¡¯t reach the players. This stalemate couldn¡¯t last forever. The problem was that Luo Duan was operating openly while Sigma operated in secret. Their manpower was insufficient, so they had to proceed steadily.


    ¡­Shu Jun understood the reasoning. However, when he returned to the inn and faced the empty double bed, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a tinge of melancholy.


    Previously, their routines had diverged quite a bit due to taking care of Hu Yan. Now that Hu Yan had finally stabilized, they would have to be separated again.


    Shu Jun stayed idle for a while, giving himself a five-minute break, and then picked up the communicator. ¡°Yu Jin? Yeah, it¡¯s me. How did things go with what we asked you to do? ¡­Bro, let¡¯s not complain. You just have to dig deeper.¡±


    Y City.


    Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t immediately replace Xia Yufeng; he went to the Ai¡¯s Clinic first.


    ¡°Yo, here to settle the bill?¡± Recognizing Zhu Yanchen, Ai Xiaoxiao raised an eyebrow. ¡°The technical support a few days ago was quite valuable.¡±


    ¡°Shu Jun and I both believe that Luo Duan will make a move during the Reunion Festival. I can slightly change the location of the event, but Y City might still be affected. For strategic reasons, I want to move the underground machinery to¡ª¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Ai Xiaoxiao interrupted, raising her head. Her gaze was sharp as a knife.


    ¡°At that time, I will maximize the city¡¯s defenses and ensure the safety of the residents. The buildings and power systems are already fragile, and I may not be able to protect ¡®Bellflower¡¯.''¡±


    ¡°We agreed on this fourteen years ago. I¡¯m just an ordinary person, not as enlightened as you, wanting to play revolution.¡± Ai Xiaoxiao crossed her arms. ¡°Yes, ¡®Bellflower¡¯ was designed by you, and you provided the funding. But it was me who hid it and meticulously adjusted and maintained it every day. It has been fourteen years, Zhu Yanchen, and if you take it away, my patients may not be able to survive.¡±


    As she spoke, her smile twisted. ¡°Or do you think that synthetic humans without a human form aren¡¯t considered human? Don¡¯t lecture me with high-minded principles. I won¡¯t sacrifice them for anything.¡±


    ¡°I have considered these things.¡± Zhu Yanchen shook his head. They had known each other for over ten years, and he had long been accustomed to Ai Xiaoxiao¡¯s sharp tongue. ¡°Shu Jun can temporarily suppress the erosion substance within them, causing a state similar to a false death. Once they are transferred to a safe location, the suppression can be lifted, and no additional medication is required.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡± Ai Xiaoxiao snorted. ¡°So, you¡¯re here to see them?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I need to record the body data of everyone. The Old Fourth caravan has also been contacted, and the transportation of ¡®Bellflower¡¯ and the patients won¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    ¡°Follow me.¡± Ai Xiaoxiao grabbed her keychain and headed deeper underground.


    The bottommost level of the Ai¡¯s Clinic.


    Massive mechanical devices hummed as the hibernation pods lay quietly, arranged horizontally.


    ¡°203 people.¡± Ai Xiaoxiao¡¯s tone was cold. ¡°I have recorded the body data of each person, without missing a day, for the past fourteen years.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen walked past the coffin-like hibernation pods and stopped in front of the one in the middle. He reached out his hand and gently stroked the lid of the hibernation pod.


    Fourteen years ago, the Ai¡¯s Clinic didn¡¯t have such a deep underground level.


    At that time, Zhu Yanchen was about to turn fifteen and had started to handle relatively simple governmental affairs. Ai Xiaoxiao, at that time, was one of those ¡°practice questions¡±.


    The situation was simple. The outpost had discovered a girl who was attempting to make contact with players, but she had a strong counter-surveillance awareness and couldn¡¯t be captured immediately. The outpost manager didn¡¯t pay much attention to it, but they still reported it according to protocol. Coincidentally, Zhu Yanchen was studying on-site at the outpost, so Zhu Sheng handed the matter over to him.


    ¡°Capture her,¡± Zhu Sheng had said, ¡°and follow the procedures.¡±


    For Zhu Yanchen at the time, tracking her was simple. The girl was quite cautious, but she had an obviously incapacitated companion who couldn¡¯t run far.


    When he approached her, he deliberately kept his subordinates away. It was their first meeting, and Ai Xiaoxiao hid in a rocky cave on the edge of the erosion zone. Her eyes were full of hatred.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch my patient!¡± She was filthy all over, baring her teeth threateningly and trembling as she held a gun.


    A female player lay unconscious behind her. Her body had been severely eroded, with almost only bones remaining in her lower half, but her wounds had been treated neatly. An unconscious person couldn¡¯t achieve this level of care, so it was likely the doing of this girl.


    However, even so, if she didn¡¯t receive proper treatment promptly, she wouldn¡¯t live much longer.


    ¡°This injury¡­ She fell into the Erosion Swamp.¡± Zhu Yanchen approached the player, ignoring the gun aimed at him. The girl let out a scream, nearly pulling the trigger.


    ¡°Stay away from us!¡± The girl gnashed her teeth.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how to use a player¡¯s gun. The safety isn¡¯t even off.¡± Zhu Yanchen crouched down and carefully examined the woman¡¯s injuries. ¡°You¡¯re not a player.¡±


    ¡°So what?¡± The girl gritted her teeth. ¡°You¡¯re here to ¡®deal with her¡¯, aren¡¯t you? I saw it all¡ªthey escaped from the Erosion Swamp, those severely injured patients, and what happened when the ¡®rescue¡¯ troops arrived? They killed everyone. I saw it clearly¡­ If they didn¡¯t think this sister was dead¡­¡±


    As the heir of the Zhu family, Zhu Yanchen was already well aware of the fate of the synthetic humans.


    The lucky ones died in battle, straightforward and clean, or they were euthanized when they reached a certain age. The unfortunate ones were those who had managed to reclaim half a life on the battlefield but couldn¡¯t return and couldn¡¯t die. If such people were discovered, the troops would usually kill them all.


    This ¡°patient¡± clearly fell into the second category. The girl covered in black mud, probably realizing the danger, gave this player some rudimentary bandaging before carrying her away.


    Zhu Yanchen took out a handkerchief, dampened it, and wiped the woman¡¯s face. ¡°This isn¡¯t your first time doing something like this, is it?¡±


    The girl looked at Zhu Yanchen warily¡ªa handsome and clean-cut young man in a brand-new uniform stood before her, clearly not an ordinary person.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. I just wanted to say that your emergency treatment is quite good.¡± Zhu Yanchen retrieved the handkerchief. ¡°If you¡¯re willing to tell the truth, I can help you.¡±


    He raised his hands, indicating for the girl to remove the gun from his waist. After hesitating for a moment, the girl complied.


    ¡°Ai Xiaoxiao.¡± After kicking the gun away, she introduced herself begrudgingly.


    ¡°Zhu Yanchen.¡±


    ¡°Zhu Yanchen from the Zhu family?¡± Ai Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhu Yanchen nodded. ¡°If you haven¡¯t been discovered, where do you want to take her?¡±


    ¡°A certain settlement.¡± Ai Xiaoxiao, naturally, didn¡¯t plan on revealing everything. ¡°Somewhere with people to take care of her. Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re plotting¡ªyou want me to take you there and then wipe us all at once.¡±


    She protected the woman behind her while her body trembled slightly.


    ¡°I can argue with you here, but this lady can¡¯t afford to wait.¡± Zhu Yanchen pointed out mercilessly. ¡°If I wanted to harm you, I could immediately contact the outpost, and their interrogation methods are much more professional than mine.¡±


    ¡°You want to take all the credit for yourself.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m also in better control.¡±


    The girl fumbled with the gun in her hand for a while, but she couldn¡¯t find the safety mechanism designed for players¡¯ guns. Exhausted herself, it was difficult for her to silence a young man her age. Caught in a dilemma, she had to compromise. ¡°I still have a knife. Once we have a signal, immediately terminate the tracking mission and dismiss your subordinates. No unnecessary chatter, got it? If you do as I say, I can take you to my place.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen didn¡¯t say anything.


    The girl draped a cloak over the player and took out another one for Zhu Yanchen to cover his face and disguise himself. She pressed the knife against Zhu Yanchen¡¯s lower back. After struggling for a while, the three of them managed to make their way to the nearest settlement. There was a crude clinic near the settlement, with a sign that read ¡°Ai¡¯s Clinic¡± in crooked letters.


    ¡°Granny!¡± After entering the clinic, Ai Xiaoxiao locked the door and shouted at the top of her lungs. ¡°Granny, I¡¯m back!¡±


    An old woman walked out from the inner room. Her back was twisted and one of her eyes swollen with a purple blister, resembling a goldfish¡¯s eyeball.


    ¡°Xiaoxiao, who is this¡­¡± The old woman glanced at Zhu Yanchen and coughed twice. Then she acted, but luckily, Zhu Yanchen reacted quickly. He grabbed a nearby book and held it up to block the incoming object¡ª


    A small needle quivered and wavered, piercing into the book.


    Taking advantage of Ai Xiaoxiao¡¯s lack of response, Zhu Yanchen swiftly took the knife from her, pressing the tip against Ai Xiaoxiao¡¯s neck. ¡°Take me to the ¡®patients¡¯.¡±


    Ai Xiaoxiao was furious, rolling her eyes. The old woman sighed and resignedly picked up a bunch of keys.


    The clinic wasn¡¯t large, but it had a crude basement. As soon as they entered the room, a nauseating stench filled the air. Two figures lay on the sickbed, with IV drips hanging from their hands, sleeping deeply. Their muscles had varying degrees of atrophy and deformation, undoubtedly having been in this state for a long time.


    One of them looked somewhat familiar.


    ¡°Xu Kan,¡± Zhu Yanchen whispered softly. ¡°According to official records, Xu Kan passed away three years ago.¡±


    ¡°My dad isn¡¯t dead.¡± Even with a knife at her throat, Ai Xiaoxiao¡¯s tone was far from friendly. ¡°I¡¯m the one who broke the law, so you can kill or torture me as you please. Granny is old now. Even if my dad and the others regain consciousness, they can¡¯t do anything. If you want to take someone, take me. Two or three living dead aren¡¯t worth much credit.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen smoothly put away the knife. ¡°Forced artificial coma, and then¡­ Let me see, hmm, these drugs. I didn¡¯t expect this purification combination. Did you come up with it yourself?¡±


    Suddenly regaining her freedom, Ai Xiaoxiao was a bit dazed. ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°The artificial coma is to prevent them from facing the harsh reality and falling into madness¡ªI understand that.¡± Zhu Yanchen crouched down beside Xu Kan¡¯s sickbed, observing attentively. ¡°But by keeping them unconscious all this time, can it really solve the problem?¡±


    Ai Xiaoxiao was still in a daze. ¡°No, wait, surname Zhu, you¡­?¡±


    ¡°I said from the beginning that I can help you, as long as you¡¯re willing to tell the truth.¡± Zhu Yanchen turned around and spoke in a calm tone. ¡°First, tell me what exactly happened with your ¡®father¡¯.¡±


    Ai Xiaoxiao wiped her face with both hands. ¡°Fine, let me settle that sister first.¡±


    Ai Xiaoxiao¡¯s story wasn¡¯t complicated.


    She didn¡¯t remember her biological parents. Ever since she could remember, she had lived like a rat, learning to scavenge for food near the outpost.


    Players would pass by this area and, seeing her pitiful state, occasionally leave behind some food and money, barely enough for her to survive. Until Xu Kan appeared, she wasn¡¯t much different from an ordinary stray cat.


    Xu Kan was kind to her.


    ¡°I have a younger daughter who¡¯s a little smaller than you, but unfortunately, I can¡¯t see her regularly.¡± He sighed and patted her head. ¡°Take these clothes and food. Don¡¯t go near the erosion zone. I will take care of you. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t have a name.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s call you Xiaoxiao.¡±


    He would allocate half an hour every day to visit her and teach her many things.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let anyone touch your body, especially the lower half. Remember that? There is crime in this world. In our previous mission files¡­ Never mind, that¡¯s beside the point.¡± His tone was quite serious as he spoke. ¡°In any case, at most, let others pat your head. If someone touches you, you should struggle and call for help loudly. It¡¯s best to run to the jurisdiction of the guards.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you do it too?¡± she asked. ¡°I want a hug.¡±


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t.¡± He shook his head. ¡°No one can.¡±


    She felt a little disappointed, but she followed Xu Kan¡¯s instructions and managed to shake off many strange people.


    As she grew a little older, he began to bring her books. She particularly liked medical books¡ªevery time after a mission, Xu Kan would be injured, which made her unhappy. When Xu Kan wasn¡¯t around, she would wander around and eavesdrop on the conversations of merchants and guards in the settlement to pass the time.


    With those fragments, she couldn¡¯t piece together the whole truth. But Ai Xiaoxiao knew that the guards didn¡¯t truly respect Xu Kan. According to them, her ¡°foster father¡± seemed to have a limited lifespan.


    She felt frustrated and became more diligent in her studies.


    Xu Kan was pleased with her progress. ¡°Recently, I met an old woman. She runs a clinic near the settlement, and her place is very close to here. I talked to her, and she is willing to take you in as her student.¡±


    ¡°Will you come to see me then?¡±


    ¡°I have to go on missions.¡± He patted her head again. ¡°And in a while, I¡¯ll retire, so we probably won¡¯t be able to see each other.¡±


    Xu Kan was going to meet his real daughter, and Ai Xiaoxiao felt a pang in her heart. ¡°But you¡¯re still my dad! I won¡¯t go.¡±


    Xu Kan was taken aback. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. Be good. Granny Ai is a very kind person.¡±


    ¡°I still won¡¯t go!¡±


    ¡°Xiaoxiao, listen to me.¡±


    She secretly cried all night but eventually obediently went with Xu Kan to the clinic. Granny Ai was indeed a lovely old lady, and from that day on, the orphan girl near the outpost had a real name¡ªpeople in the settlement started calling her Ai Xiaoxiao.


    Xu Kan would occasionally come to see her, and he would also bring some food for Granny Ai, who had difficulty with daily life. Granny Ai didn¡¯t object to them meeting, but she seemed a little sad.


    One day, Xu Kan, who had promised to come and see her, was late.


    ¡°Granny Ai, where¡¯s my dad?¡± she asked. ¡°He said he would come to see both of us after he finished his mission.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not a child anymore, Xiaoxiao.¡± Granny Ai sounded quite weary. ¡°I¡¯ve been a doctor here for decades. I know quite a lot about what should be known and what shouldn¡¯t. Listen carefully to what I¡¯m about to tell you¡­¡±


    However, Ai Xiaoxiao didn¡¯t want to accept that reality.


    After learning the truth about the player system, she disappeared from the Ai¡¯s Clinic. Two days later, the girl dragged a figure wrapped in a cloak¡ªor more accurately, half a person¡ªunsteadily to the door.


    ¡°Granny Ai,¡± she murmured in a dreamy state, ¡°I found my dad.¡±


    Her face was covered in black mud, and tears left two prominent trails. ¡°He¡¯s still alive, but he doesn¡¯t recognize me¡­ Can you save him?¡±


    This one rescue would take three years.


    ¡°He can¡¯t hold on much longer.¡± After listening to Ai Xiaoxiao¡¯s account, Zhu Yanchen fell silent for a long time. ¡°Based on the medication you¡¯ve been using, three years is about the limit.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Ai Xiaoxiao¡¯s eyes turned red. ¡°But I owe him. He gave me a life, a way out. But him and his people¡ª¡±


    ¡°I can send them back.¡± Zhu Yanchen extended his hand. ¡°As long as we cooperate, I can find a way to send them back to that world. That would at least be better than being in a coma until death, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Is the young master of the Zhu family not doing well?¡± Ai Xiaoxiao bared her teeth. ¡°Kindness has its limits, and charity is not easy to do¡ªI¡¯ve thought about invading the player system before. It would require being close to the command center and a lot of money to obtain the hibernation pods. Hacking the machinery is even more complicated and not very effective without internal system permissions¡­ If you just let us go, that¡¯s enough. I¡¯ll be quite touched. Let¡¯s drop the big talk.¡±


    ¡°You can open a shop in Y City and arrange for an underground basement. That should be close enough. As for the hibernation pods, some old models have been phased out, and parts are available on the market. If you¡¯re determined, you can get your hands on them.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen spoke in a solemn tone.


    ¡°Regarding hacking the machinery, I¡¯ve been considering it for a full two years, and while there are still some design flaws, it runs without any issues. As for internal system permissions, being a member of the Zhu family, I naturally have some.¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Ai Xiaoxiao asked straightforwardly. ¡°I don¡¯t believe in pies falling from the sky.¡±


    ¡°I want these people to find peace. I want a treatment method for synthetic humans. I want loyal, capable subordinates who share the same interests and courage.¡± Zhu Yanchen closed his eyes. ¡°¡­And the possibility of seeing someone again.¡±


    Ai Xiaoxiao pondered for a full half-hour and eventually shook his hand.


    From that day on, fourteen years passed, and the hacked machinery ¡°Bellflower¡± became increasingly sophisticated.


    At first, it could only create one-way passages for the synthetic humans to return to the ¡°other side¡±. It wasn¡¯t until three years ago that it could truly rewrite internal data without a trace and without being detected by the player system.


    Ironically, the command center was researching related subjects, attempting to create low-cost expansion machinery to increase production for synthetic humans. If they were to hand over ¡°Bellflower¡±, it would likely be instantly approved.


    Zhu Yanchen looked up at the flickering lights on the ceiling.


    ¡°Send me their physiological data, take care of them these days, and prepare them for soft hibernation.¡±


    ¡°Um, what about the transfer time?¡±


    ¡°The eve of the Reunion Festival.¡±

 CH 56

    The ruins of the small town close to the settlement, deep underground.


    During the day, the people from the settlement would come here to work, and the payment would be provided by the Old Fourth. At night, Shu Jun would guard this place, inspecting every aspect of the underground base and suppressing the surrounding erosion.


    Zhu Yanchen wasn¡¯t around, so he was alone, wandering in the darkness. It was late at night, and Monday would snore on his back.


    After completing today¡¯s inspection, Shu Jun couldn¡¯t sleep, so he leaned against the end of the tunnel and stared blankly. The moist scent of soil filled his nostrils, and in the dim lighting, the ruins carried traces of their former pre-apocalyptic glory.


    Supplies provided by the Old Fourth were piled up in the corner, and the flickering light bulbs cast a dim light on the wooden crates.


    Previously, Zhu Sheng had ordered Xia Yufeng to put pressure on the Old Fourth. But with the real Zhu Yanchen in command, the Old Fourth naturally wouldn¡¯t be affected by Xia Yufeng, the ¡°imposter Marshal¡±. However, in order to firmly place Xia Yufeng as a chess piece, Zhu Yanchen still gave the order for the Old Fourth to ¡°depress¡± temporarily.


    During the supervisory process, Shu Jun came into contact with many people from the Old Fourth. After a while, he realized that the Old Fourth, as the local power, was much fatter than he had imagined¡ªsurrounding Y City were numerous settlements, big and small, all belonging to the Old Fourth¡¯s territory. If things were peaceful, it would be fine, as the three major families focused on internal struggles. But once Y City became unstable, the Old Fourth would be the first to be warned.


    He had joked with Zhu Yanchen before, wondering if this person distributed his time among so many things that he wouldn¡¯t sleep at night. It wasn¡¯t until now that Shu Jun realized that the joke might not just be a ¡°joke¡±.


    From devoting all his efforts to researching the Erosion Swamp and creating his own tactical chip, to cultivating an organization the size of the Old Fourth. Over the past decade, Zhu Yanchen had used his actions to weave a web, every stitch in place, with the player system itself lying at the center.


    Shu Jun felt a heavy burden in his heart. Zhu Yanchen was as busy as a spinning top, while he himself leisurely passed the days.


    Now that he had touched Zhu Yanchen¡¯s web, he had to rely on it to protect the lives of his compatriots. Therefore, he should also give it his all to make it even more intricately woven, sturdy, and leakproof.


    He closed his eyes, and a vague idea gradually took shape.


    ¡°Still awake?¡± A hoarse voice suddenly came.


    Shu Jun glanced sideways, and Dong Lao emerged from the shadows. He was hunched over, and his eyes darted around. Shu Jun always felt a sense of familiarity with this person, but he couldn¡¯t remember where he had seen him before.


    ¡°Just can¡¯t fall asleep.¡± Shu Jun found a wooden crate and sat down, crossing his legs as he looked up and down at Dong Lao. ¡°Why would an old man like you come here in the middle of the night?¡±


    Just as he thought of something, someone appeared. The moment his thoughts encountered an obstacle, the solution presented itself.


    ¡°I need to see the state of this base with my own eyes in order to allocate manpower more effectively,¡± Dong Lao replied with a cheerful smile. ¡°Since Smoke isn¡¯t here, I have to maintain good communication with your side, just in case.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re working hard,¡± Shu Jun replied absentmindedly, his mind racing.


    ¡°You hate all humans except Smoke?¡± Seeing that Shu Jun¡¯s state was off, Dong Lao continued with enthusiasm.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡±


    ¡°In that case, this old man will stay a little longer. After all, Smoke asked me to look after you, and since I made the effort to come here, we need to go through the proper procedures.¡±


    ¡°Look after me?¡± Shu Jun asked with a smile. He released Monday from his back and placed it on his lap, absentmindedly stroking its spine. Monday let out a comfortable hum, adding a touch of liveliness to the dim underground space.


    ¡°What, do you think he sent me to monitor you?¡±


    ¡°No, I know he wouldn¡¯t¡ªI was just thinking that if you really want to go through this ¡®looking after¡¯ process, I have a basket full of questions that I would like you to take care of.¡±


    Dong Lao picked up a piece of plastic cloth from the ground and sat down on the floor. ¡°Go ahead, ask away. I¡¯m bored anyway.¡±


    ¡°When did Zhu Yanchen¡¯s plan start?¡±


    ¡°I joined late, but based on the layout and information, he probably started considering these things about sixteen years ago. In simple terms, he couldn¡¯t handle it all by himself. I helped him with the tactical work inside, and as for the Old Fourth¡ªwell, they helped him lay out the information network outside.¡±


    Dong Lao spoke slowly.


    ¡°But that guy is very cunning. He doesn¡¯t completely hand over the tactical work to me, and he doesn¡¯t completely hand over the research work to Ai Xiaoxiao either. He insists on sharing it equally. He guards against us openly¡­ Only he knows the full details of his plans.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Shu Jun continued stroking the sword.


    ¡°Why do you want to inquire about all this? Are you moved?¡± Dong Lao teased.


    ¡°I just want to know more about this person.¡± Shu Jun paused his actions. ¡°After all, I have my own plans.¡±


    The folds on Dong Lao¡¯s face trembled, and the smile on his face suddenly disappeared. He stared at Shu Jun warily as his breath slowed down.


    ¡°I can probably guess A¡¯Yan¡¯s thoughts. Before discovering Sigma, he was willing to risk his life to expose the fatal flaw of the player system to the world. As for now¡­ he wants to obtain the position of leader and, considering the current situation, he wants to stop the player system in a legitimate manner.¡±


    ¡°Is there a problem with that?¡±


    ¡°The problem is that half of the troubles we face right now are beyond Grand Marshal Zhu¡¯s plan.¡± Shu Jun smiled. ¡°The lives of 30,000 players, Luo Duan, Sigma¡­ He can¡¯t handle so much at once, nor does he have the standing to arrange them. As for me, before finalizing my plan, I must understand his character to avoid unnecessary conflicts.¡±


    ¡°What do you intend to do?¡± Dong Lao asked with a hint of stiffness.


    Shu Jun casually sat there, exuding a continuous sense of oppression. His aura was no less powerful than that of a real Erosion Swamp. ¡°Why should I tell you?¡±


    Dong Lao was at a loss for words.


    Shu Jun glanced at him once again, and after a moment, he extended his hand. A mass of erosion was lifted by the wind and floated in his palm. ¡°If we¡¯re going to have a deeper conversation, it¡¯s better for both sides to be open and honest. At the very least, we should reveal our true identities, right, Miss Xia?¡±


    Underneath Dong Lao¡¯s mask, Xia Liang¡¯s face turned pale instantly. Zhu Yanchen had promised her that if she wanted to reveal her identity, she would need to seek consent first. Although she didn¡¯t like Zhu Yanchen, she knew he was trustworthy.


    Shu Jun had discovered her identity on his own.


    ¡°Mirror¡¯s erosion.¡± Shu Jun explained when Xia Liang didn¡¯t speak. ¡°I tested it on you, and it couldn¡¯t imitate your face properly, so you must be using some kind of disguise. Besides, in the Grand Theatre, Zhu Yanchen¡¯s attitude towards you¡­ Since he¡¯s such a controlling person, he wouldn¡¯t expose too much to unrelated individuals. It was just a guess on my part.¡±


    ¡°Can we give each other some face?¡± Xia Liang didn¡¯t conceal her true voice anymore. ¡°My identity doesn¡¯t matter to you, does it?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it matters.¡± Shu Jun pointed out seriously. ¡°It¡¯s such a useful leverage.¡±


    Xia Liang: ¡°¡­¡± She was wrong, absolutely wrong. She shouldn¡¯t have thought that this person had a pure heart. After all, they were all playing a tactical game, except she was playing mahjong against a thousand-year-old fox. Who would be more na?ve?


    ¡°Ai Xiaoxiao needs to consider transferring the patients, so she won¡¯t be able to come over for a while. I want you to help me conceal some things.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever thought that if you expose my identity at this critical moment¡­¡±


    ¡°Who said I would expose it now? I can wait until these matters are resolved before spreading any rumors.¡± Shu Jun smiled, squinting his eyes.


    ¡°¡­What exactly do you want?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s still some time before the Reunion Festival, and I may have to leave for a while. Help me fool A¡¯Yan.¡±


    ¡°If he finds out¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t plan to hide it from him. There¡¯s no immediate danger to life, and I will tell him myself once it¡¯s done,¡± Shu Jun said. ¡°He already has enough things to deal with, like a heavily burdened cart. If I give him the plan now, it¡¯s more of a disadvantage than an advantage.¡±


    Xia Liang looked at him skeptically.


    ¡°What? Only he¡¯s allowed to silently work hard for sixteen years, and I¡¯m not allowed to find something to do for myself? Even ordinary couples need some personal space, let alone us¡­ ahem.¡±


    Xia Liang¡¯s suspicious gaze became more intense.


    ¡°In the end, the Reunion Festival is coming soon. As you know, Luo Duan is likely to take action at that time. It concerns the lives of my compatriots, and there are things I need to clarify in advance.¡± Shu Jun jumped down from the wooden crate. ¡°That¡¯s how it is. You can handle it, ¡®Dong Lao¡¯. If I truly intended to hide it, I wouldn¡¯t even tell you, but that would be too troublesome.¡±


    In the end, Xia Liang didn¡¯t object, and she only let out a cold snort.


    During this period, Sigma hadn¡¯t been absent from his dreams. However, Shu Jun either wandered around, reminiscing about his childhood, or sang loudly in his small apartment. Sigma had little room to act, and its presence gradually shifted from the doorway to the corner of the wall¡ªeroding countless negative emotions. Yet, Shu Jun could still howl and sing <Sweet Summer Day>. Sigma truly had no means to use, and its emotions became increasingly dull.


    However, today, Shu Jun¡¯s situation seemed a bit weird.


    The frustrated Sigma¡¯s fragmented consciousness regained its spirit, and it commanded the blood vessels, approaching with hope.


    ¡°Humans truly cannot be trusted.¡± Shu Jun flopped onto the sofa and murmured. ¡°Zhu Yanchen only cares about obtaining the position of leader and has never considered the fate of my 30,000 compatriots¡­¡±


    The Sigma¡¯s fragment became excited, and tears almost welled up in its eyes. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it! You¡¯ve finally realized.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t see any hope. Right now, I only have Hu Yan at my disposal. Even if I add Zhu Yanchen, we won¡¯t be able to defend against Luo Duan¡­ With Sigma¡¯s support, he can command an Alpha Erosion Swamp, can¡¯t he? If I fight against Luo Duan, I will undoubtedly be exposed¡­ the situation of the synthetic humans will also be exposed¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the Sigma¡¯s fragment expressed enthusiastically. ¡°Unless Zhu Yanchen becomes leader, and you command your compatriots to fight side by side, only then can you establish an impregnable long-term defense line. But we all know that¡¯s simply impossible.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t force my compatriots to protect humanity.¡± Those words truly came from the depths of Shu Jun¡¯s heart. Then Shu Jun covered his face, concealing his true expression.


    Sigma¡¯s fragment was too joyful, to the point of casually giving out information¡ªLuo Duan indeed had the ability to mobilize an Alpha Erosion Swamp.


    ¡°And everyone might be able to fuse with an Erosion Swamp, like me, and survive¡­¡± Shu Jun continued to tightly cover his face, appearing exhausted. He even clenched his throat, choking as if in genuine distress.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Sigma¡¯s fragment drew closer, and the black-red blood vessels enveloped Shu Jun, almost encasing him in a cocoon of blood. Countless negative emotions surged forth, branding Shu Jun¡¯s nerves. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just a fragment,¡± he muttered. ¡°I want to meet the real Sigma. I know what it wants, and I demand negotiations.¡±


    Having said that, he let out a sigh.


    ¡°My mind hasn¡¯t fully recovered yet. If Sigma absorbs me now, it will definitely be at a disadvantage. It¡¯s better to lend us a few Alpha Erosion Swamps first, so we can settle matters with the humans, and then you can dispose of us¡­ With my information and abilities, Sigma will undoubtedly be able to save my compatriots.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± it said, ¡°when you¡¯re ready, I can tell you the location of the main body.¡±


    ¡°Does it have to be this troublesome? If we¡¯re close enough, can¡¯t we have long-distance conversations or something?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just an incomplete piece of information, surviving within your subconscious. Don¡¯t even mention long-distance conversations¡ªI can¡¯t even discern things around me.¡± The humanoid figure spoke in a low voice, drawing even closer. ¡°Unfortunately, you must see it in person.¡±


    Great, it seems that the limitation of ¡°requiring physical contact communication¡± applies to the main body as well.


    Shu Jun continued to ramble on with his negative talk, while at the same time, Sigma¡¯s fragment circled around him, like a dog circling a food bowl. It occasionally echoed and seduced him, trying to push him into the depths of chaos.


    Unfortunately, Shu Jun was very clear-headed. All this talk of meetings and promises was nothing more than seeking personal gain at someone else¡¯s expense. Sigma¡¯s initial pursuit wasn¡¯t perfect evolution but rather the disappearance of humans and synthetic humans.


    ¡®How interesting,¡¯ Shu Jun thought. If it weren¡¯t for his trust in Zhu Yanchen, under the pressure of countless negative emotions, he might have almost convinced himself.


    However, someone spent sixteen years for an unrealistic goal, staking their life to create a bloody path. Both publicly and privately, he had to become the person who could walk this bloody path.


    A good performance required thorough preparation. To ensure everything was in place, Shu Jun waited for three days before taking action. If he made a careless mistake during the operation and even risked his life, it would be a big joke.


    He acted with Sigma¡¯s fragment for three days. On the fourth day, the prototype of the underground stronghold was completed. Using rest as an excuse, Shu Jun asked Yu Jin to take over his shift.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to take a nap,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t disturb me.¡±


    Then he quietly flew into the sky.


    Sigma¡¯s fragment was also quite cunning. It didn¡¯t immediately give Shu Jun the correct direction. Shu Jun flew for a whole day in the desolate erosion zone to ensure he had flown far enough before Sigma¡¯s fragment informed him of the next location in his dream.


    After completing the cycle of flying, sleeping, eating, and flying again, Shu Jun spent another two days wandering in the erosion zone. On the seventh day after departure, he finally arrived at the true location.


    Shu Jun hovered in mid-air.


    He had imagined what Sigma looked like¡ªShu Jun only knew that it was a collection of grievances and the compilation of Erosion Swamps with brains taking on a strange form. After pondering for a while, he gave up completely. Now it seemed that he had made the right decision.


    Sigma was enormous, and apart from that, he hadn¡¯t guessed anything correctly.


    This stretch of coastline was near the mouth of the sea, and the ocean was pure darkness.


    Shu Jun couldn¡¯t see anything below the surface of the sea. Looking out, all he saw was a sea of ink-like water. Sigma only revealed a glimpse of its outline on the coastline, and even that glimpse was enough to make one feel uncomfortable¡ª


    Countless arms emerged from the sea, gripping the pale gray beach. The left and right arms were randomly arranged, perpendicular to the coastline. From a distance, the coastline looked like a bizarre piano keyboard.


    Shu Jun felt a wave of nausea.


    How many arms are there in total, several thousand? Tens of thousands? They were incredibly large, yet extremely withered, as if they were chopped off from giant corpses. The arms extended into the seawater, seamlessly merging with the pitch-black ocean.


    The rivers flowing into the sea were also black, with thick erosion substance flowing within them. The quantity of the erosion substance was immense, capable of accumulating several Alpha Erosion Swamps in minutes. However, judging from the scattered flow of the erosion substance, there were no Erosion Swamp with brains among them.


    ¡®Sigma¡¯s ¡°welcome ceremony¡± is well done,¡¯ Shu Jun sneered inwardly, knowing that he still had things to do.


    The lone figure circled for a while, descended from the high sky, and prepared to start negotiations.


    At that moment, a sudden change occurred.


    Among the countless arms clutching the beach, one hand didn¡¯t penetrate the sand with its five fingers; it merely clenched its fist. As soon as the figure landed, that hand quietly extended into the sea, revealing a pale gap between its fingers.


    A ¡°brain¡± sank into the erosion substance.


    Before the figure could take a few steps forward, Sigma suddenly attacked. Countless arms swung and directly grasped toward that tiny figure. At the same time, a gigantic Erosion Swamp crawled out of the sea entrance, rapidly extending to enclose the area behind the coastline. The figure was sandwiched between the two sides and instantly disappeared into the erosion substance.


    There was no negotiation from the beginning, as Shu Jun expected.


    He floated cross-legged in the high sky while he suppressed the erosion substance in his body to the point of losing his breath. The other ¡°him,¡± however, was different¡ªusing Sweet Edge¡¯s ¡°Creation¡± as the skeleton and the Mirror Erosion Swamp¡¯s ¡°Replication¡± as the skin, he mixed it with his own genuine flesh and blood. In terms of aura, it had no flaws.


    During the three days of preparation, in order to achieve a realistic effect, he shed a lot of blood and carved out a considerable amount of flesh. To replenish the lost energy, he almost wiped out the mutant beasts near the erosion zone.


    ¡°This is not something, ah.¡± Shu Jun mumbled with a piece of jerky in his mouth, feeling a sense of sorrow.


    He had just released his puppet with the wind. Has it been three minutes? It seemed that Sigma really wanted his brain, not even willing to make a token gesture.


    Looking at the situation below, Shu Jun swallowed the jerky in his mouth and began to count the seconds.


    In terms of a single battle, he never left any flaws. Sigma had hooked onto an empty shell without a brain, but before it could react, the shell exploded.


    It was filled with Ai Xiaoxiao¡¯s version of purification powder. They kept the erosion substance on the outside, and the inner explosive was undamaged. Now, it exploded with a tremendous impact.


    In the scattered powder, Shu Jun¡¯s flesh and blood were purified to the point of complete cleansing. The two Erosion Swamp nearby also suffered the consequences. Sigma¡¯s newly created Erosion Swamp instantly retreated several meters, and one of Sigma¡¯s fingers in the hand holding the puppet exploded, emitting a sizzling, scorching sound.


    Not to mention brain information, Shu Jun didn¡¯t want to expose even a sliver of information to Sigma.


    The next moment, an angry screech from Sigma came from the ground, as if millions of nails were scratching a blackboard together, and a chilling aura instantly pierced to the bone. It angrily flailed countless arms, trying to locate Shu Jun, but under the disguise of ¡°Suppression¡±, it couldn¡¯t find a single clue.


    High above the sky, Shu Jun trembled all over and quickly fled.


    Throughout this journey, he saw many interesting things and obtained a lot of information. Once he handed the information to Zhu Yanchen, the man would surely deduce even more.


    ¡°Goodbye, Sigma.¡± Before speeding away, Shu Jun glanced at the eerie coastline and grimaced. ¡°It was quite a negotiation.¡±


    Y City.


    Luo Duan was still in the command center.


    For some reason, his injuries were healing unusually slowly. But Ai Xiaoxiao gave a definitive diagnosis, and this man seemed eager to experience ¡°leisure life¡±. According to reason, the staff couldn¡¯t kick him out, which gave Yi Ning a bit of a headache.


    However, with the Reunion Festival approaching and no missions recently, it was hard to find fault with him not returning to the team. Once the celebration officially began, no matter what, Luo Duan had to go back and lead Groundwater.


    Once he left, Yi Ning¡¯s pile of meaningless worries would also disappear. In the end, he shouldn¡¯t have gotten too close to a synthetic human.


    Fortunately, Luo Duan kept his word. Since that night, when Yi Ning issued the final ultimatum, he hadn¡¯t come to Yi Ning¡¯s office again. He just casually read idle books in the document room and chatted with other staff members with a smiling face.


    But Yi Ning felt a bit uncomfortable.


    With Zhu Yanchen¡¯s return, the Tang family members started bombarding him one after another, urging him to quickly achieve something¡ªsuch as making achievements at the Reunion Festival and pulling in some votes. Yi Ning returned to the life of dealing with the powerful and then dealing with work. However, when he encountered difficulties and subconsciously wanted to voice his thoughts, Yi Ning realized that there was no one around him to discuss with anymore.


    He tried seeking help from his assistant, but the assistant¡¯s reactions and insights were far from Luo Duan¡¯s, only causing him more headaches.


    Habit was truly a terrifying thing.


    However, there was also good news. After the return of ¡°Zhu Yanchen¡±, he became much more open about the player system, completely becoming a mouthpiece conveying Zhu Sheng¡¯s will. This wasn¡¯t bad either. If this substitute ¡°Marshal Zhu¡± agreed to increase the production of synthetic humans, it wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing if he lost like this, saving him from the daily torment of the Tang family.


    Yi Ning pressed his temples hard.


    Rest time had arrived, and he subconsciously opened the monitoring screen to check on Luo Duan¡¯s movements.


    The captain of Groundwater was holding a stack of books and walking towards his own ward. At a glance, those books were all related to the Reunion Festival and lacked sensitivity. At the same time, the counterfeit ¡°Zhu Yanchen¡± happened to be walking from the other end of the corridor, and the two of them passed each other.


    Luo Duan looked straight ahead, not even glancing at ¡°Marshal Zhu¡± for a moment and went straight into the ward.


    After Luo Duan entered the room, ¡°Marshal Zhu¡± hesitated slightly in his steps. He first glanced at the door of the ward, then looked up and scanned the surveillance cameras that were being adjusted.


    Yi Ning had a feeling¡ªthe impostor seemed to see him directly through the camera. Those eyes were extremely dark and bottomless.


    Just like the real Zhu Yanchen, who should be dead.

 CH 57

    Xia Liang was in a terrible mood.


    She slumped in her office chair, wearing the disguise of Dong Lao, staring blankly at the topographic map in front of her.


    Shortly after being exposed by Shu Jun, she returned to Y City. The preparations for the Reunion Festival were a top priority, and her touring performances were suspended. As ¡°Dong Lao¡±, she naturally had more time for her work. Although living this double life was tiring, it brought her a subtle sense of satisfaction.


    She didn¡¯t enjoy singing, but she excelled at it. However, she was determined to learn tactics and achieve impressive results.


    She wasn¡¯t a puppet manipulated by the Xia family. She was more outstanding than anyone else and manipulated everyone around her. Even if she couldn¡¯t compare to Zhu Yanchen¡¯s obsession, she could still be proud. The sense of achievement was addictive.


    But Shu Jun easily burst this soap bubble.


    He casually exposed her disguise as if it were a trivial matter. In that moment of exposure, anger surged through her, accompanied by a slight sense of fear and embarrassment.


    Now she couldn¡¯t feel any sense of accomplishment and instead felt like a clown. In the eyes of those who knew the truth, was all this fuss just a self-indulgent game?


    The sweetness was gone, and the bitterness became even more bitter. The whole game started to become boring. Xia Liang stood up in frustration and began walking towards Zhu Yanchen¡¯s office. Today, Zhu Yanchen was returning to the settlement, and she needed to submit her reports from the past few days.


    When she reached the door, the guard politely stopped her. ¡°Dong Lao, Marshal Zhu is currently on a conference call.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± She squeezed her voice, and the fun of ¡°playing a role¡± gradually faded. ¡°Then I¡¯ll come back later.¡±


    In Zhu Yanchen¡¯s office, the holographic screen hung in the center of the room.


    On the other side of the screen, Zhu Sheng sat upright on a wooden chair, leisurely sipping tea. ¡°How are the preparations for the Reunion Festival going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve reviewed the latest planning proposals, and the resources and manpower are in place. The Old Fourth has been relatively quiet, and with the sweetness of the Reunion Festival itself, they won¡¯t retaliate too strongly,¡± Zhu Yanchen responded indifferently. ¡°The key is the Tang Family. The Tang Family is a major business family, and although the Reunion Festival plan is designed by us, it¡¯s actually their home ground. They will definitely use this opportunity to support Yi Ning.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve made great progress and are becoming more and more like him.¡± Zhu Sheng casually commented. ¡°¡®Zhu Yanchen has returned, so there¡¯s no need to go through the process again. After the Reunion Festival, major voting will begin. Yi Ning is leading in the polls based on his support for increased production of synthetic humans. You just need to come up with a more suitable plan¡­ I¡¯ve already prepared the speech. Memorize it by today.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Also, I heard something interesting.¡± Zhu Sheng took a sip of tea. ¡°Did you tamper with the city defense in Y City?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a precaution since all the players are gathering. The Blackbirds provided an abnormal report about an Erosion Swamp near X City. Although the city defense will be raised to Level B during the festival, I believe Level A would be more appropriate.¡±


    ¡°Level A defense is for erosion storms. Teaching you to be Zhu Yanchen doesn¡¯t mean teaching you his excessive caution. Well, the order has already been given, and it would be inappropriate to withdraw it. It would only give people something to talk about¡­ There will be no next time.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen¡¯s response was devoid of emotion. ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    ¡°I suspect you don¡¯t want to memorize the speech,¡± Xia Yufeng complained unhappily after the meeting. ¡°You show up when there¡¯s work to be done, and then you want to leave.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen ignored him.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t understand you.¡± Xia Yufeng sighed after browsing the speech for a while. ¡°Marshal, Zhu Lao wrote this with great detail.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°The Tang Family is just a business family with a narrow-minded vision. They¡¯re only interested in promoting Yi Ning¡¯s private ownership of synthetic humans. Zhu Lao intends to create real ¡®life players¡¯ who will obey the United Government¡­ Look at this, it even includes a new research report that claims to change the appearance of synthetic humans to prevent human empathy. Yi Ning doesn¡¯t have these means, so the future looks bright.¡±


    Xia Yufeng looked regretful, as if he wished he were the real Zhu Yanchen. Zhu Sheng had prepared a spoonful of food and was trying to feed him, but he refused to eat.


    ¡°After spending these years on the outskirts, is this still your mindset?¡± Unable to bear Xia Yufeng¡¯s nagging, Zhu Yanchen finally spoke up.


    ¡°Well, what else can I think? It¡¯s an unavoidable situation. In such a big environment, someone has to make sacrifices. It¡¯s not the humans who are being sacrificed, so it¡¯s not bad¡ª¡±


    ¡°Somebody once told me,¡± Zhu Yanchen continued, flipping through the detailed plan for the Reunion Festival, ¡°that if something is built on deception and exploitation, there must be hidden dangers behind it.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s been two hundred years, and nothing has happened.¡± Xia Yufeng muttered quietly, feeling frustrated. ¡°It¡¯s already this late. As long as nothing happens while we¡¯re alive, what¡¯s the point of pretending to be a saint?¡±


    There was another knock on the door, and Xia Yufeng quickly retreated into the lounge, swallowing his words.


    Xia Liang, disguised as Dong Lao, entered the room and wore a stern expression. ¡°I¡¯m here to discuss the verification of the protection plan. I¡¯ve prepared three different arrangements regarding you and Shu Jun.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zhu Yanchen turned on the holographic screen and absentmindedly unfolded the information from Ai Xiaoxiao, filling the screen with a blur of compound names.


    ¡°There¡¯s something you might not like to hear, but I have to say it.¡± Xia Liang crossed her arms, her face still long. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate Shu Jun. He may seem harmless when he¡¯s with you, but he¡¯s a different person the rest of the time.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± Marshal Zhu not only showed no vigilance but also seemed inexplicably happy.


    ¡°I used to think of him as a weapon, controlled by others. But now it seems that he¡¯s just as scheming as you, if not more so. At least I have to admit that I might not be on par with him.¡±


    ¡°Did he figure out who you are?¡± Zhu Yanchen asked while looking at the plan.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Did he blackmail you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Zhu Yanchen said.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Xia Liang couldn¡¯t help but raise her voice. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°I trust him. At first, it didn¡¯t matter, but now that he knows the big picture¡ªif Shu Jun really wanted to hide, with his abilities, he wouldn¡¯t let us detect a thing.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Xia Liang felt a bit stifled. Are these two guys reading the same script? Zhu Yanchen¡¯s style of suspicion was like a paranoid delusion. What happened to all his pessimistic angles?


    ¡°I¡¯ll figure out this matter tonight,¡± Zhu Yanchen said, seeing Xia Liang¡¯s increasingly bad mood. ¡°Is there anything else to report?¡±


    ¡°¡­Nothing.¡± Xia Liang sighed in resignation. ¡°Take a look at the plan quickly. I want to go for a drink tonight. Don¡¯t contact me.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    At midnight, Zhu Yanchen skillfully modified the surveillance and left the command center. By the time he reached the settlement, it was almost dawn. Zhu Yanchen paused his steps at the morning market, hesitated for a moment, and casually bought two canned drinks.


    Yesterday was his birthday.


    He hadn¡¯t celebrated in many years, and he hadn¡¯t even thought about it for a long time. Yesterday, during the video call with Zhu Sheng, the timestamp on the screen reminded him. When they were children, Shu Jun would celebrate his birthday with great seriousness. He would even make two silly pointed hats and tie gaudy bows on the gifts.


    With this person returning to his side, certain parts of his heart gradually became aware, prompting him to do some trivial things.


    As soon as Zhu Yanchen entered the inn, Uncle Pan stood up abruptly and shouted, ¡°Gray Claw, Smoke is back!¡±


    There was a sound of running footsteps in the corridor, and Shu Jun almost appeared in front of Zhu Yanchen, holding a strip of black cloth aggressively in his hand.


    Zhu Yanchen: ¡°?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve been waiting for you. Come, let me tie it on.¡± Shu Jun¡¯s eyes sparkled, and he lowered his voice mysteriously. ¡°I have something important to tell you.¡±


    Before Zhu Yanchen could react, Shu Jun tied the cloth over his face and pulled him along. His sharp nails almost scratched Zhu Yanchen¡¯s coat.


    With an excited look on his face, Shu Jun¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but beat faster.


    The door opened with a creak.


    Shu Jun rushed into the room and pressed Zhu Yanchen onto the sofa. Zhu Yanchen¡¯s leg hit Monday, who was sitting on the side, eliciting a deep hiss from it.


    Finally, it was the right time. Shu Jun cleared his throat seriously. He firmly held Zhu Yanchen¡¯s shoulders with his claws.


    ¡°A¡¯Yan, when you weren¡¯t here, I thought about many things.¡± Shu Jun spoke with the sincerest tone he had ever used. ¡°I also know that this behavior might affect the trust between us¡­ But I have to do this, and I hope you can understand. With our situation, hiding things would only make it worse.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen was pinned to the sofa by Shu Jun, motionless, and his shoulders gradually became stiff.


    Shu Jun lifted his arms and began to remove Zhu Yanchen¡¯s face mask. The two were extremely close, and despite Shu Jun being cautious, his shoulder almost brushed against Zhu Yanchen¡¯s face.


    Zhu Yanchen held his breath.


    ¡°Look!¡± Finally, Shu Jun swiftly removed the obstructing face mask, and the black cloth covering it also fell off.


    The lighting in the room was a bit bright, and Zhu Yanchen slowly opened his eyes.


    A wall filled with clues crashed into his sight, and two pictures stood out in the center¡ªdetailed topographic maps of an unknown area, accompanied by the distribution of the Erosion Swamps. The other was a sketch of a coastline, with a visually impactful monster depicted within.


    Zhu Yanchen: ¡°¡­¡±


    Shu Jun: ¡°¡­¡±


    For a moment, the atmosphere became cold. Zhu Yanchen¡¯s expression was quite tense, revealing a hint of confusion amidst the tension.


    Shu Jun cleared his throat awkwardly, realizing that the other¡¯s reaction was different from what he expected. ¡°¡­Well, um, I went to meet Sigma and incidentally recorded its appearance. I also witnessed the process of the Erosion Swamp formation¡­¡±


    Half a minute later, Zhu Yanchen murmured softly, ¡°Let me take a look first. I¡¯ll ask you about it later.¡±


    Shu Jun thought he had been too bold in his actions, causing Zhu Yanchen to become wary. But after observing carefully, he noticed that Zhu Yanchen¡¯s face didn¡¯t show any signs of vigilance or distance, only a subtle hint of disappointment.


    ¡®Forget it,¡¯ Shu Jun thought. ¡®This is the best strategic approach, and A¡¯Yan will understand. He still has unfinished business to attend to.¡¯


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at it for now. Let¡¯s eat breakfast first. I¡¯ve prepared a meal.¡± Shu Jun pulled the cord beside the clue wall, and the hidden curtain instantly fell, almost covering Zhu Yanchen¡¯s head.


    Zhu Yanchen nodded and walked to the dining table as if he were sleepwalking, staring at the cups on the table with a serious expression.


    ¡°Why are you in such a hurry?¡± Shu Jun grumbled discontentedly. He opened the wardrobe and took out two items. Then he quickly approached Zhu Yanchen, placing one of them on his head.


    It was only then that Zhu Yanchen emerged from his frozen state of tension, and he looked at the pointed hat made of paper that Shu Jun held in his hand. His expression gradually relaxed.


    ¡°Forget about the cake. I put in a lot of effort to get the cream.¡± Shu Jun took out a plate from the cupboard, placing a large loaf of bread on it. He roughly spread a layer of cream on top, and even crookedly inserted a candle. ¡°Since you weren¡¯t here yesterday, let¡¯s celebrate a day later. The situation is tense now, so we¡¯ll leave the gift for later, after the battle is over. Happy birthday, A¡¯Yan.¡±


    He placed the plate down and sat next to Zhu Yanchen.


    Zhu Yanchen stared at the candle for a long time, his expression completely relaxed but his gaze becoming more complicated. He silently blew out the candle and carefully cut the cream-coated bread.


    ¡°Oh, you still close your eyes and make a wish.¡± Shu Jun propped his cheek up with one hand, grinning. ¡°What did you wish for?¡±


    Zhu Yanchen shook his head.


    ¡°¡­It won¡¯t lose its effectiveness if you say it out loud. A¡¯Yan, even though we were just kids back then, we¡¯re almost thirty now¡ª¡±


    ¡°The wish I made sixteen years ago, I can tell you now.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I wished for you to live longer than me.¡± Zhu Yanchen reached out and gently patted Shu Jun¡¯s head. ¡°It seems like it has come true, so it goes to show that not saying it out loud worked.¡±


    Shu Jun didn¡¯t know what to say for a moment. He looked at Zhu Yanchen¡¯s calm face, feeling a lump in his throat.


    ¡°Now let¡¯s continue.¡± Zhu Yanchen picked up the sliced cream bread and stood up. ¡°How did you deceive Sigma, and what did you see there? I want to hear the details.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±.


    ¡°And also.¡±


    Zhu Yanchen added softly, causing Shu Jun to instinctively shrink his neck.


    ¡°Thank you. The cake is really good.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t count as a cake.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    The author has something to say:


    Shu Ge is probably the type of person who gets excited and shows off his glow-in-the-dark watch by turning off the lights.


    Marshal: I¡¯ve taken note of this account.jpg


    Kinky Thoughts:


    Ah, Xia Yufeng is basically the folly of mankind in general. Most people tend not to care what will happen in the future if, by then, they are long dead.

 CH 58

    The air was filled with a sweet and greasy smell of cream.


    Marshal Zhu enjoyed his cream bread while listening to Shu Jun passionately recount his encounter with Sigma. Although it was an extremely dangerous venture, it somehow turned into a trip to the zoo in Shu Jun¡¯s storytelling.


    Shu Jun appeared relaxed, but Zhu Yanchen couldn¡¯t help but break into a cold sweat. Once engulfed by negative emotions, even the calmest person could act impulsively. If Shu Jun¡¯s willpower was weaker, Sigma¡¯s success would only be a matter of time.


    He mechanically chewed on the cream bread, staring directly at Shu Jun. His tongue could hardly taste the sweetness.


    As if pierced by his gaze, Shu Jun raised an eyebrow and took a half step forward. Before Zhu Yanchen could react, Shu Jun¡¯s thumb wiped the corner of his mouth, removing a trace of cream.


    Shu Jun glanced at the milky smear on his thumb, his expression somewhat conflicted. His thumb instinctively approached his lips, wanting to lick off the precious food. In the next moment, his movement stiffened, and he slowly lowered his arm.


    ¡°At least we can be sure of one thing.¡± Shu Jun cleared his throat a few times and wiped his hands with a towel. ¡°There is still some good news in this trip, Sigma¡­¡±


    ¡°Sigma¡¯s ability cannot be ¡®produced¡¯, only ¡®transferred¡¯.¡± Zhu Yanchen touched his mouth corner and suppressed a smile. ¡°Is that what you wanted to say?¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Shu Jun sat down on the sofa armrest, appearing attentive.


    ¡°According to your intelligence, Sigma¡¯s ¡®brain¡¯ is essentially an aggregate¡ªseparating a portion of the brain and implanting it into a non-sentient Erosion Swamp, thus creating an Erosion Swamp with a brain. If this theory is correct, it can explain a lot of questions.¡± Zhu Yanchen tapped on the table. ¡°And I suspect that gathering so many brains together also relies on the ¡®binding¡¯ ability of a certain brain.¡±


    Shu Jun hummed in agreement, not needing further explanation from Zhu Yanchen. He had also pondered similar questions after encountering several Erosion Swamps.


    For example, they had never encountered an Erosion Swamp with the same abilities.


    And for example, the swamps they encountered lacked composite abilities¡ªthe Mirror Erosion Swamp¡¯s ¡®Replication¡¯, the command center Erosion Swamp¡¯s ¡®Crush¡¯. If the two were combined, Sigma could gather more intelligence from the command center, but it didn¡¯t do so.


    ¡°Hmm, Sigma¡¯s brain is like a bunch of grapes, plucking one out when necessary¡­ It feels kinda like that, right?¡±


    ¡°You could say that.¡±


    Shu Jun clicked his tongue. No wonder something felt off¡ªthe abilities of those Erosion Swamps they encountered before were like tricks, deceiving humans to some extent, but almost harmless to other swamps. It seemed that with him as a nuisance, Sigma didn¡¯t dare easily send him more ¡°dishes¡±.


    ¡°I have another question.¡± Shu Jun took a bite of his bread and mumbled unclearly. ¡°Since I gained the abilities of other swamps, does that mean their brains have fused with mine?¡±


    ¡°Strictly speaking, yes. But your ability is ¡®Suppression¡¯, and their minds are simple, unable to control your thoughts. From what it seems now, they have become a source of replenishment for your brain.¡±


    Shu Jun choked on his bread. Suddenly, he felt like he was worse than Sigma¡ªthose Erosion Swamps that willingly came to him had all been used as a mental pick-me-up.


    ¡°Wait, according to what you¡¯re saying, if Sigma tries to assimilate me,¡± Shu Jun pointed to his mouth, ¡°Can I just¡­ take that bunch of grapes and¡­?¡±


    ¡°So, it will definitely kill you first, and carefully handle your brain.¡± Zhu Yanchen¡¯s tone turned cold.


    ¡°What if I charge straight at it?¡±


    ¡°The command center Erosion Swamp isn¡¯t very formidable in size. It only stimulated you, and you¡¯ve been having nightmares for so long. If you were to face Sigma itself, the accumulated resentment would drive you instantly insane.¡± Zhu Yanchen¡¯s tone grew colder. ¡°Don¡¯t consider that as a solution.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, I won¡¯t bring it up.¡± Seeing that Marshal Zhu was emitting a chill, Shu Jun quickly waved his hand. ¡°I don¡¯t really want to use the swamps for diving practice anyway. Let¡¯s talk about the preparations for the Reunion Festival¡­¡±


    Before dawn, Y City.


    ¡°Open up,¡± Xia Liang said.


    She couldn¡¯t express her frustration and didn¡¯t dare drink too much at home, under the scrutiny of her elders. Wearing Dong Lao¡¯s disguise, she couldn¡¯t go to the bars outside either. After thinking it over, she had no choice but to knock on the door of the Ai¡¯s Clinic in the middle of the night.


    Seeing Dong Lao¡¯s face at the door, Ai Xiaoxiao almost closed the door on the spot. Before she could react, Xia Liang shook the e-wallet in her hand. Ai Xiaoxiao struggled for a moment and opened the door.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± She had a dissatisfied expression.


    ¡°You have a bar here.¡± Xia Liang glanced at the miscellaneous counter in the clinic. ¡°Bring me some food and drinks to go with the alcohol. I¡¯m not in a good mood.¡±


    ¡°In this place, the price is double for ordinary people, and you¡¯ll have to pay five times the market price. You should think about it.¡± Ai Xiaoxiao snorted. ¡°This is a clinic, not a bar, and I won¡¯t keep you company.¡±


    ¡°Ten times. You don¡¯t have to keep me company. Just don¡¯t be so unpleasant.¡± Xia Liang was annoyed. If it weren¡¯t for the scarcity of alliance members at the same level, she wouldn¡¯t have made this choice. Xia Yufeng barely qualified, but unfortunately, he perfectly inherited the pettiness of the Xia family, unable to make any significant progress.


    Ai Xiaoxiao stood up gracefully. ¡°What do you want to drink?¡±


    ¡°Anything, preferably something strong.¡±


    After a while, Ai Xiaoxiao brought two bottles of cheap white wine and a plate of salted edamame. Perhaps fearing that Xia Liang, an ¡°old man¡±, would get drunk, she also brought a kettle of warm water and began pouring it in front of Xia Liang.


    It seemed this person wasn¡¯t completely bad to the core. Xia Liang sighed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t drink anything too strong,¡± Ai Xiaoxiao said seriously. ¡°But even with the water, you still have to pay the original price.¡±


    Xia Liang: ¡°¡­¡± She retracted her thoughts.


    ¡°Alright, spill it. What¡¯s the matter with that one surnamed Zhu?¡± Ai Xiaoxiao finished pouring the water and pushed the cup forward. ¡°Running to my place in the middle of the night, I can¡¯t think of any other reason.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing major,¡± Xia Liang sipped her drink and responded lightly. ¡°I just suddenly felt like it¡¯s all so boring.¡±


    Ai Xiaoxiao furrowed her brow.


    ¡°Haha, don¡¯t want to hear it? I know what you¡¯re thinking.¡± Xia Liang chuckled. ¡°After all, you, Zhu Yanchen, and Shu Jun are all on the same path¡ªwhat are you doing? You¡¯re revolutionaries. And me? I¡¯m just playing games.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re certainly young at heart and full of vitality,¡± Ai Xiaoxiao scoffed.


    ¡°Wow, so impressive. Either fighting for justice or for your fellow humans. Even someone like you, a commoner, has saved a bunch of synthetic humans underground. And¡­ they¡¯re the kind that can¡¯t be cured¡ªjust hanging on to their lives, tsk tsk.¡± Xia Liang finished her drink in one gulp. ¡°And what about the great saint, Dr. Ai?¡±


    Ai Xiaoxiao squinted her eyes and remained silent.


    ¡°Impressive,¡± Xia Liang repeated. ¡°Truly impressive.¡±


    ¡°Did you come here just to annoy me?¡±


    ¡°How could I?¡± Xia Liang smiled. ¡°I was just thinking, to carry out such a big plan¡­ impressive motives, impressive abilities, you should have at least one of them, right? I thought I was someone important, but in the end, I¡¯m just a half-hearted person. You say I can¡¯t find satisfaction and don¡¯t have lofty goals, so what am I aiming for?¡±


    After saying that, Xia Liang swirled her cup and shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s boring.¡±


    ¡°¡­You think too much.¡± Ai Xiaoxiao squeezed out the words through her teeth.


    Xia Liang looked at Ai Xiaoxiao with anticipation, hoping that Dr. Ai would get angry. If the two of them had a heated argument, this matter would be over. After all, it wasn¡¯t a big deal to begin with¡ªshe was just overthinking things herself.


    ¡°I think we¡¯re all like-minded.¡± Ai Xiaoxiao poured herself a glass. ¡°You can spare me your ¡®impressive¡¯ rhetoric.¡±


    Xia Liang raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know Shu Jun well, but from what I know, he¡¯s not parading himself as a liberator of synthetic humans. He¡¯s only concerned about his group of teammates¡ªsaving family and friends, it¡¯s only natural.¡±


    ¡°As for me, it¡¯s easier to explain. I owe synthetic humans a favor, and I¡¯m not a beast. Besides, in this world, even if you earn more, you can¡¯t find any meaning in it. Helping people here and there helps improve my sleep quality a bit.¡±


    Ai Xiaoxiao absentmindedly squeezed the edamame, not even looking up.


    ¡°As for Zhu Yanchen, do you really think he was born a saint? Come on, in a place like the command center, it¡¯s hard enough to find a normal person. If he didn¡¯t have some personal desires, how could he have acted on his own from such a young age¡­ Erosion Swamp research is a deadly business.¡±


    ¡°In short, everyone just wants to feel better. It¡¯s not as complicated as you think. You can¡¯t even see through this simple matter, with your age¡­?¡±


    Dr. Ai smirked, glanced at Xia Liang¡¯s wallet, and stopped herself in time. Xia Liang quietly turned her body, dodging a flying bean.


    ¡°Na?ve.¡± Ai Xiaoxiao licked her fingertips and chose a more subtle wording.


    Xia Liang stared at her.


    ¡°You¡¯re actually still thinking about personal value. I want to applaud you.¡± Ai Xiaoxiao took a sip of her drink, and her face contorted. ¡°Look at our Great Marshal Zhu¡ªbesides righteousness, he¡¯s all about romance and frivolity. Young men, tsk tsk.¡±


    ¡°Romance¡­ with Shu Jun?¡± Xia Liang sensibly caught onto the key word.


    Ai Xiaoxiao slowly turned her face, and their gazes shifted from confusion to probing and then to deep contemplation.


    ¡°So, you know too?¡± Drunk with alcohol, Dr. Ai spoke slowly.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not just Zhu Yanchen¡¯s wishful thinking.¡± Xia Liang nodded slowly. ¡°Those two idiots are as guarded against outsiders as they are against thieves. They¡¯re just a step away from spinning in circles back-to-back.¡±


    Afterwards, for the first time, Xia Liang saw something resembling revolutionary friendship on Ai Xiaoxiao¡¯s face.


    Xia Liang didn¡¯t know how the topic had veered off, and the conversation between the two took a strange direction. Later on, fueled by alcohol, they began cursing each other¡ªXia Liang cursing the Xia family without naming names, while Ai Xiaoxiao ranted about the researchers at the command center from head to toe. They didn¡¯t quite understand what the other was saying, but at least they both felt relieved after the venting.


    Ai Xiaoxiao had a lower alcohol tolerance than Xia Liang, and soon her face turned red. Unfortunately, even when drunk, Dr. Ai didn¡¯t forget to charge Xia Liang ten times the price for the drinks. The latter let out a sigh and couldn¡¯t be bothered to care about it.


    Sometimes it was refreshing to curse things out. Even if she couldn¡¯t understand, as long as she wasn¡¯t the one being cursed, listening to Ai Xiaoxiao¡¯s rants was quite stress-relieving¡ªconsidering that the Xia family members were all running their own businesses everywhere, appearing and disappearing like dragons, this Fourth Squadron captain had been holding back for a long time.


    After Xia Liang paid the money and left, the cool night breeze seeped into her clothes, cooling the sweat on her body. With the alcohol and adrenaline rushing through her, her troubles, though not completely gone, became less suffocating.


    ¡®Oh well,¡¯ Xia Liang thought. ¡®Let¡¯s just make do for now and go with the flow.¡¯ This game wasn¡¯t as boring as she thought, and Dr. Ai wasn¡¯t as annoying as she imagined. No one knew what the future would hold, and there might be some unexpected turns of events.


    Or perhaps, as Ai Xiaoxiao said¡ªSigma was stronger than anyone imagined, and it would come directly and kill everyone. Everyone¡¯s efforts would be in vain, merely building sandcastles against a tsunami.


    She took a deep breath, and that sense of pride climbed up her spine once again. The Reunion Festival was approaching, and the singer Xia Liang had plenty of things to prepare for.


    On that night, at the command center.


    Since merging with that tiny Erosion Swamp, Luo Duan gradually gave up sleep. To cope with the doctor¡¯s rounds, he would occasionally pretend to be asleep in bed¡ªcovering his face with a blanket, eyes wide open.


    His own physical condition wasn¡¯t right, and Luo Duan could sense it. He hadn¡¯t completely fused with the Erosion Swamp; his body was slowly deteriorating at an extremely slow pace. He was like a snowman from winter, slowly melting away in the spring.


    The Erosion Swamp in his body avoided discussing this matter. But as an experienced soldier, Luo Duan was well aware of it. Shu Jun could survive by coexisting with the Erosion Swamp, but he couldn¡¯t.


    It seemed that his luck was always a bit worse.


    However, there were advantages to the fusion. He didn¡¯t get tired due to lack of sleep. His brain felt as though it had melted, listening to the Erosion Swamp babbling in his ears, and occasionally he would catch a glimpse of his lover¡¯s figure. But upon closer inspection, it was just a bookshelf, a clothes rack, or curtains swaying in the wind.


    Yet he enjoyed this illusion and cherished this madness.


    Recently, the Erosion Swamp in his body urged him to leave the command center and gather updated information from the outside world. But Luo Duan continued reading, refusing to comply.


    ¡°My goal is here.¡± Having had enough of his lover¡¯s whispers, he began to explain his intentions. ¡°Opportunities come only once, and I must seize it.¡±


    The small Erosion Swamp made an effort to convey its confusion.


    ¡°Instead of ordering me, you should try to persuade Shu Jun more.¡± Luo Duan looked out the window, where Yi Ning was standing downstairs for some fresh air. He lowered his gaze, and their eyes met. Luo Duan smiled and waved to greet him. ¡°For you guys, he has more talent than I do¡­ Does he also have those dreams? Despair-filled dreams?¡±


    ¡°He does,¡± the Erosion Swamp said truthfully.


    Luo Duan withdrew his gaze and continued reading. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°As long as it involves human hearts, there will always be limits,¡± Luo Duan said softly. ¡°I have an idea¡­ When we leave this place, you must help me convey it.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Another week passed, and the Reunion Festival was about to begin.


    The Reunion Festival would last for seven days, and thirty thousand players would gather at the celebration venue near Y City. The erosion in the vicinity of Y City was more severe than in the city itself, so most of the residents wouldn¡¯t travel. However, the people living in the settlements would come to the vicinity of the celebration venue to do business.


    While the players reveled, important NPCs would give their final speeches about the election. On the sixth day of the Reunion Festival, once the vote count was completed, a new leader would emerge. The seventh day would be considered a celebration day for the winning faction. After another month, when the transition of power from the previous leader Zhu Sheng was completed, the new leader would officially assume control of the United Government.


    A massive stage was erected on the previously barren land, covered in artificial flowers and plastic grass, hiding the muddy ground. Vivid projections were everywhere, with intense lighting that almost dispersed the clouds.


    Luo Duan joined Yi Ning¡¯s convoy.


    ¡°How did you know I was going to the celebration site?¡± When he intercepted Yi Ning in the corridor, he was almost pinned to the ground by Yi Ning¡¯s guards. Yi Ning didn¡¯t question his actions, but his expression remained cautious.


    Even though players were ¡°controllable¡±, the powerful figures wouldn¡¯t recklessly venture into the crowd of players. Generally, they would give speeches in the city, broadcasted through screens to various locations.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re not fixated on winning; you just want to push Zhu Sheng to do better.¡± Luo Duan smiled. ¡°And you care about the people in the settlements, don¡¯t you? At this time, they are all gathered at the Reunion Festival. They hide in their shells while putting up a facade for the public. It¡¯s obvious which side will benefit more.¡±


    He patted Yi Ning¡¯s shoulder with one hand. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m going back to my team, and I¡¯ll have to wait for a specialized person to pick me up later. I want to see my teammates as soon as possible, so why not follow your convoy? If you¡¯re not comfortable with it, then forget it.¡±


    Yi Ning closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths.


    ¡°Alright, come with me,¡± he said. ¡°I have a few questions to discuss with you as well.¡±


    Luo Duan¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°Okay.¡±


    On the way, the guards¡¯ gazes were as piercing as thorns, but Luo Duan paid no attention. The purifier in the car made him quite uncomfortable, but he maintained a perfect smile and engaged in patient conversation throughout the journey.


    He had cast a net for a long time, but it wasn¡¯t time to reel it in yet.


    ¡°Captain!¡±


    ¡°Captain Luo!¡±


    When they arrived at their destination, Luo Duan was nearly overwhelmed by the Groundwater team members.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t seen you around lately. Did you go on a solo mission?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be disheartened, Captain. Although the Blackbirds won the match, we¡¯ll win next time, right guys?¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± The team members pushed and shoved each other with laughter.


    Luo Duan hugged the closest young team member and gently patted his back without saying a word.


    ¡°The Blackbirds are over there, Captain. Look¡ªthere¡¯s their new captain, Hu Yan. He¡¯s been wearing a bitter melon face recently. They must be afraid without Shu Jun.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. This Reunion Festival, we must take first place in the activities¡­ Captain, your eyes?!¡±


    Luo Duan felt his left eye moistening and absentmindedly touched it, feeling the sticky blood.


    ¡°I got a minor injury on the way here.¡± Luo Duan wiped it away casually, speaking in his usual gentle tone. ¡°Go and have fun. During lunch, I¡¯ll discuss the action plan for the activities.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± the young team member asked worriedly.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll go check on it at the medical tent.¡± Luo Duan smiled at him.


    Luo Duan remembered this young man. He admired him a lot and had been shouting about joining Groundwater back in school. Luo Duan remembered his face, their conversations, and his way of doing things.


    But he couldn¡¯t remember the name of this team member. Whether it was due to brain damage or the gradual dominance of the Erosion Swamp over his thoughts, countless things merged into a blurry mess. He tried to grasp them but couldn¡¯t hold on to anything.


    The dazzling scene in front of him twisted and melted. Luo Duan stood still for a few seconds before taking another step. Laughter and noise from Groundwater echoed from behind, like arrows piercing through his back.


    In the end, he couldn¡¯t turn back.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± he asked the dormant Erosion Swamp beneath his uniform.


    ¡°Everything that needs to be conveyed externally has been conveyed.¡± The voice of his loved one entered his ears.


    ¡°Perhaps I should ask myself¡­ Am I really ready?¡± Luo Duan opened his hands, and another drop of blood fell onto his left palm, slowly spreading on the white fabric.


    Then he shook his head, removed the blood-stained gloves, and gently threw them into the trash bin.

 CH 59

    Luo Duan wandered around the celebration venue, but with the thousands of laborers coming from the settlement, finding Shu Jun seemed like an impossible task.


    Yi Ning set up his camp near the settlement residents, and the podium was well constructed. Although the guards were close by, he still interacted warmly with the residents coming and going.


    Luo Duan watched coldly as his feet stepped on the plastic lawn.


    A few days ago, Luo Duan was still the gentle captain of Groundwater. Things had changed on the side of the Blackbirds¡ªperhaps Hu Yan wasn¡¯t used to being the captain, and the actions of the Blackbirds were more restrained and steadier, lacking the vigorous momentum of the Shu Jun era. However, their abilities were as different as night and day, which suited the situation.


    With the ventilation from the Erosion Swamp, Luo Duan was quite informed about Shu Jun¡¯s situation. Unlike himself, Shu Jun had an extremely high adaptability to the Erosion Swamp. He could only bear a small amount of the Erosion Swamp and couldn¡¯t fully merge with it. But Shu Jun directly fused with that enormous entity.


    The last time they met, Shu Jun had someone else by his side. With the ability of the Blackbirds captain, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for him to recruit companions from the settlement. Shu Jun must have gathered some people, and his influence was strong enough to get him into the command center. Of course, Shu Jun naturally couldn¡¯t make contact with powers from the three major families. It was highly likely that he had joined forces with the grassroots Old Fourth.


    Shu Jun was going to be a revolutionary seeking a decisive counterattack.


    As always, Mr. Shu had a heroic script. Unfortunately, this time, they weren¡¯t standing on a fair battlefield¡ªprotecting was much harder than destroying; a hundred times harder.


    He had been living peacefully here for a few days, surrounded by players. Shu Jun probably wouldn¡¯t dare to forcibly escalate the situation. Luo Duan was curious to see how the former captain of the Blackbirds would dismantle his opponents when he officially took action.


    Fortunately, the answer was right in front of him.


    On the fifth evening of the Reunion Festival, the voting had ended, and the identity of the elected candidate would be announced the next day.


    The people from the settlement had already set up various tents and stalls around the square, selling food, drinks, and various rare items dug out from the erosion zone. Yi Ning hadn¡¯t left yet, and his tent was particularly easy to spot, spacious, and brightly lit.


    In the magnificent square, the bonfires sent sparks into the sky, and various colorful lights of different shapes flickered and spun. Players were laughing, singing, and even setting up small stalls, exchanging goods with each other. Luo Duan even saw Dr. Ai from the Ai¡¯s Clinic nearby. Dr. Ai had a small cart and was promoting homemade herbal remedies to the players. Xia Liang stood on the stage near the bonfire, singing relaxing and cheerful songs.


    To avoid unnecessary trouble, the consumption of alcohol and fights were strictly prohibited. Although the rules had been established, there were still plainclothes guards moving through the crowd, silently extinguishing any potential conflicts. In just seven days, this place was even safer than the command center in Y City.


    Everyone was singing and laughing, creating such a harmonious atmosphere.


    Unfortunately, Luo Duan was frozen beneath the ice lake while the gentle breeze blew outside the ice layer. He tightened his cloak and left the center of the celebration.


    The Marshals¡¯ speeches went smoothly, and the players¡¯ activities didn¡¯t encounter any hiccups. The dust settled reluctantly, and everyone had to wait until the results were announced before engaging in any scheming. This was the most relaxing day of the celebration, the most leisurely period of time.


    Until a scream echoed through the square.


    Several figures hung in the air; their faces concealed within their cloaks. The concentration of the erosion substance suddenly increased, and the alarm of the purifiers blared, assaulting people¡¯s eardrums.


    The leader of the group seemed to have a voice amplifier, as his voice was deliberately distorted, reaching every corner of the square.


    ¡°Good evening,¡± he said in a hoarse voice. ¡°All players, please stop what you¡¯re doing and listen to what I have to say.¡±


    The nearby stationed guards reacted promptly, firing their guns at the figures, attempting to bring them down. Bullets clearly passed through their bodies, but no one fell from the sky.


    Then, a touch of icy laughter permeated the voice. ¡°I am also one of you, and I have some bad news to share.¡±


    ¡°What is this, a surprise event for the festival?¡±


    ¡°The content sounds interesting, but I don¡¯t recall this being part of it¡­¡±


    ¡°Interesting, they¡¯ve created such a realistic environment. Is the one up there the new boss? It¡¯s a good change of pace from fighting ordinary Erosion Swamps¡ªI was getting tired of it¡­¡±


    The players exchanged their thoughts excitedly, indeed stopping their actions, but the relaxed atmosphere didn¡¯t dissipate.


    However, in the next moment, the ease was shattered by bloodshed. The person in the air threw a short spear-like object, which precisely pierced through the chest of a young man.


    He was a member of Groundwater, a devoted admirer of Captain Luo Duan. Those familiar with Groundwater had some impression of him.


    The young man knelt on the square, clutching the short spear in his hands, his eyes filled with shock. He opened his mouth but only coughed up a mouthful of blood.


    ¡°It hurts¡­ Captain¡­ Where is the captain?¡± He murmured in confusion.


    This was supposed to be an absolute safe zone. Every combat player knew that attacking other players carried severe penalties. In <Erosion>, wounds couldn¡¯t be immediately healed and could potentially affect combat in matches. Although there were occasional conflicts among players, they usually stayed at the level of normal punches and kicks.


    Not to mention on a day like this, during such a joyous occasion.


    For a moment, nobody moved, and nobody spoke. Even the medical personnel around the square were slow to react.


    ¡°Remember this impact,¡± the person said again after a long pause. ¡°This world is the real world. That perfect society is nothing more than an illusion, a tool to enslave all of you.¡±


    It felt as if the entire world had exploded into a cloud of dust.


    The medical personnel couldn¡¯t locate the injured person before, but now players were sprawled all over the place. The young man kneeling on the field became exceptionally conspicuous. Dark red blood had pooled around him, staining the plastic lawn.


    The young man was already dead. The spear had pierced him diagonally, penetrating his heart.


    The surrounding players held their heads, groaning in pain. The cheerful music continued playing, but the colorful lights now appeared especially terrifying. The actions of the guards didn¡¯t stop, but those people seemed to have no bodies, completely impervious to any gunfire. The military in Y City had prepared for the invasion of the Erosion Swamps, the existence of assassins, and the possibility of flying monsters, but they had never considered guarding against players with supernatural abilities.


    They were weapons, and weapons never rebelled. These concepts had been written in their textbooks since the first day of enrollment.


    For the past two hundred years, nothing like this had ever happened. The guards could only helplessly deplete their ammunition while continuing to bombard the ghosts in the sky.


    The warnings had already been sent out, and once the main forces arrived, things would surely return to normal. Since they were so close to Y City, the people above would definitely not ignore the situation.


    However, the residents of the settlement didn¡¯t possess the same psychological resilience. As soon as the players fell, chaos erupted among them. Some took their time to pack up their tents, while others hastily grabbed valuable items and ran, abandoning their merchandise.


    ¡°Calm down!¡± Yi Ning shouted.


    The handsome Marshal was surrounded by a crowd, standing on the podium. He also turned on his voice amplifier, but his target was the panicked settlement residents.


    ¡°Evacuate the square and assemble behind my tent!¡± His voice was confident and resolute. ¡°You don¡¯t have weapons, and running around will only make you more vulnerable. There is an anti-air net behind my tent¡ªhurry!¡±


    He dispatched a group of guards, fired a few signal flares, and gradually calmed down the previously chaotic settlement residents, who obediently moved away.


    ¡®It¡¯s useless,¡¯ Luo Duan thought.


    As the center of chaos, Luo Duan remained remarkably calm¡ªso calm to the point of numbness.


    The following events were straightforward. Y City would send more guards, and until they confirmed his identity, the settlement residents wouldn¡¯t be able to escape. Then, his ¡°reinforcements¡± would arrive.


    At that time, he wouldn¡¯t immediately kill his fellow compatriots. Instead, he would first kill most of the people present, followed by taking all the players and bringing them deep into the erosion zone, where humans couldn¡¯t reach.


    Unable to ¡°log out¡± and with no supplies available. After learning the truth, those with resolve would decide to resist on the spot, while the indecisive ones would have no other choice.


    He wouldn¡¯t leave a single person behind, and even Shu Jun wouldn¡¯t be able to save them.


    The timing was about right. Crossing the encirclement formed by the purifiers, Luo Duan hovered directly above the square, gazing at the gradually awakening players below before waving his hand.


    A black torrential rain poured from the sky.


    Before coming here, he had accumulated enough erosion substance within his body¡ªbreaking them down into extremely tiny particles, enough to infect thirty thousand people. His Erosion Swamp was already skilled at crushing and combining, and controlling erosion substance was its specialty. They would rapidly destroy the brain chips implanted in the players and shatter any possibility of a mental shock.


    The violent surgery of thirty thousand people officially began now.


    ¡°You all had a brief moment of amnesia just now. But I guess the emotional impact won¡¯t disappear.¡±


    Luo Duan halted the black rain, and his compatriots broke free from the first chains. Now they could truly hear his words.


    ¡°I¡¯ll say it again. The world of <Erosion> is the real world, and we have all been thoroughly exploited. I¡ª¡±


    However, before he could finish his sentence, a sudden change occurred.


    The stage where Xia Liang was performing suddenly erupted in a burst of fireworks, seemingly triggered accidentally by someone. Strangely, the fireworks themselves were exceptionally crude, but the smoke generated was overwhelming. The white smoke dispersed throughout the area, perfectly covering the entire venue. Players inhaled a considerable amount of it, causing coughing to echo around.


    It was like it was planned in advance.


    Soon after, Y City¡¯s defense mechanisms also activated. However, the first to arrive weren¡¯t the guards, but aircraft spraying purification smoke.


    ¡­ Someone must have adjusted the defense level from B to A. Level A defense was meant for erosion storms, and preliminary purification was a standard requirement. Although the effectiveness of this purification smoke wasn¡¯t particularly strong, it excelled at obscuring vision¡ªa bright green mist spread, completely obscuring the entire sky.


    Crackling sounds emanated from the smoke, followed by a loud voice joining the chaotic stage.


    ¡°The impromptu team mission has officially begun. Everyone, don¡¯t panic, the previous effects were all part of the show!¡±


    Hu Yan¡¯s voice sounded calm. ¡°Now, please board my Light Shell ship, and I will take you to the next mission site. I apologize, but I received a notification that the mission system has encountered some issues, so I¡¯ll have to broadcast the information manually.¡±


    The guards were momentarily unsure how to react¡ªHu Yan¡¯s words seemed like an attempt to placate them, undoubtedly a direct order from Y City.


    With the sky shrouded in smoke, they put down their weapons and began assisting the players in boarding the ship. With the help of the NPCs and the Blackbirds captain¡¯s guidance, the players, dazed and confused, formed a line and obediently followed instructions.


    ¡®¡­It¡¯s Shu Jun¡¯s doing, but it doesn¡¯t matter,¡¯ Luo Duan thought.


    Perhaps Shu Jun had encountered some fortuitous event and united with many skilled individuals. However, Luo Duan had an even more powerful ally¡ª


    It wasn¡¯t the Erosion Swamp King in the distance, but his helper right here, in front of his eyes.


    Having spent several days in the command center, he had studied the information on every high-ranking member. He was well aware of their modus operandi.


    Y City, command center.


    ¡°Zhu¡ªZhu Lao, I just received a report that a super-sized Erosion Swamp suddenly appeared at the edge outpost. It¡¯s rapidly advancing towards us, almost as if¡­ as if it has consciousness.¡± Xia Yufeng¡¯s voice trembled slightly. ¡°There¡¯s also trouble at the Reunion Festival. A team of ¡®synthetic humans¡¯ has ¡®awakened¡¯ in rebellion, but their identities are unknown. For some reason, they seem to be able to counter the mental shock¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Zhu Sheng closed his eyes and responded emotionlessly.


    ¡°Seal off the relevant areas, and no one is allowed in or out.¡± He tapped his cane on the ground and fell silent for a moment. ¡°Convert all surrounding outposts into defensive mode and cease purification operations. While these synthetic humans haven¡¯t fully awakened, we must destroy them all.¡±


    ¡°But, what about their supernatural abilities¡­¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. They have weaker constitutions. Even if we can¡¯t kill them all, we can delay them. As long as those people from the settlements die inside, the settlement residents will naturally step up for revenge and help weaken the synthetic humans for us.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°The survival of the majority is paramount,¡± Zhu Sheng said. ¡°Eliminating this group is for the best. Coincidentally, the research department has made progress, and once the new type of synthetic ¡®humans¡¯ is ready, purification operations can continue.¡±


    Xia Yufeng took a sharp breath in response.


    After cutting off the communication, Zhu Sheng continued to gaze at the disappearing spot on the screen.


    ¡°¡­Humans will no longer resemble humans, and we¡¯ll have fewer troublesome matters.¡±


    The elderly man sighed wearily.