《Little Mushroom》


 Chapter 1

    The cave was dim and damp, illuminated by the faint fluorescence of the plants. The stone walls were wrapped with vines that were a dark green, dark purple or thick black, just like large groups of entangled snakes.


    A black flying insect staggered in. It had six hard wings and three mouthparts. The next second, a huge purple and swollen vine rose from the tangled up vines and split apart like a mouth. It closed in the next moment, swallowing the flying insect in its stomach. The vine wriggled slowly and the swollen part was gradually restored to its original state.


    There was a sound like wings flapping in the cave. A drop of mucus dragged a translucent filament down from the top of the cave onto the sticky moss on the ground. It wriggled slightly and the mucus was quickly absorbed, disappearing into the ground.


    There was a corner illuminated by the fluorescence of a green fungi. In the gap between the rock and soil, white water gushed out like a tidal wave. Covering a large area was white mycelium. It grew, spread and stretched out hundreds of millions of antennae, finally creeping toward the centre. It gathered and lengthened until it formed a body. A foot stepped on the soft moss, sinking into the moss until only a white ankle was revealed.


    An Zhe looked at his ankle. This was a human limb that supported the skeleton, muscles and blood vessels. Joints could move but they weren¡¯t flexible due to the limitations of the skeleton. The stratum corneum formed the fingernails, smooth, round and transparent. The final product was degraded and took the sharp tip of an animal¡¯s claws.


    He raised his leg and took a step. The moss, that had previously sunk down from being stepped on, was wet and elastic. It gathered together again after he left, like an upright earthworm. This time, he stepped on something else under his feet¡ªthe arm of a human skeleton.


    In the darkness, An Zhe looked at the skeleton. Fungi and vines had taken root deep in the bones.Dark green vines were wrapped around the hip and leg bones while brightly coloured little mushrooms grew in the ribs like blooming flowers. Fluorescent mushrooms were born from its hollow eyes and sparse teeth. The green glow was like quicksand, blurred in the fog of the cave.


    An Zhe looked at it for a long time. Finally, he bent over and picked up a backpack made of animal skin beside the skeleton. The contents inside the backpack weren¡¯t affected by the moisture. There were a few pieces of clothing, human food and water as well as a black chip half the size of a palm with the number ¡®3261170514¡¯ on it.


    Three days ago, the skeleton was a living human being.


    ¡°3261170514.¡± The young man¡¯s voice had been hoarse and intermittent, the green fluorescence of the cave shining on his face. ¡°My ID number. This is my ID card. I can go back to the human base with it.¡±


    An Zhe asked, ¡°Can I help you go back?¡±


    The human smiled, his fingers of his right hand gently drooping against the side of his body. The chip rolled from his hand, hidden in the moss. He leaned back against the mountain wall, raised his head and pressed his left hand to his chest. There was a huge wound there. Grey bone spurs pierced his back and the skin around it was festered. Some of it was grey and the flocculent flesh covered the surface of the bone spurs. The other part was dark green and moved up and down with the rhythm of his breathing.


    He gasped a few times before whispering, ¡°I can¡¯t go back, little mushroom.¡±


    His shirt was thoroughly stained, his skin pale, his lips dry and his body trembled irregularly.


    Anzhe looked at him and didn¡¯t know what to say. He could finally only mutter the name of this young human. ¡°An Ze?¡±


    ¡°You have almost completely learned the human language.¡± The human looked down at his body.


    In addition to the pus and blood, there were also white mycelium on his body. They had become part of his body. The mycelium grew in a winding manner and clung to An Ze¡¯s torso and limbs. The purpose of the mushroom was to stop the bleeding for this dying human being. However, instinctively, the mycelium also absorbed and digested the fresh blood.


    ¡°Can you learn so much from eating my genes? The pollution index of this place is truly very high,¡± the human questioned.


    Fragments of knowledge unfolded in An Zhe¡¯s mind. After five seconds of conversion, he knew the pollution index meant the speed at which genes were transformed. Now genes were flowing into An Zhe through the human blood.


    ¡°Maybe¡­ when I die, you will eat all my body¡­ and gain many things.¡± An Ze looked at the top of the cave and his lips flattened. ¡°I seem to have done something meaningful, although I don¡¯t know if it is good or bad for you.¡±


    An Zhe didn¡¯t speak. His entire body moved in An Ze¡¯s direction. He held An Ze¡¯s shoulder with his newly grown human arm and a large number of mycelium came and piled up beside An Ze, supporting An Ze¡¯s crumbling body.


    In the silent cave, there was only the sound of the dying human gasping.


    After a long time, An Ze finally spoke again. ¡°I am a person whose life has no meaning.¡±


    ¡°¡­I have nothing outstanding so it is normal for them to leave me behind. In fact, I¡¯m very happy not to go back to the human base. It is the same as the wild where only valuable people live¡­ I¡¯ve wanted to die for a long time but I didn¡¯t expect to meet you, a gentle creature, a little mushroom, before I died.¡±


    An Zhe didn¡¯t have a clear sense of some of these terms, such as value, such as death. He focused on one noun again, ¡®human base.¡¯


    He leaned on An Ze¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°I want to go to the human base.¡±


    An Ze wondered, ¡°Why?¡±


    An Zhe raised his left arm and his fingers dangled in the air. It was as if he was trying to grab air but he had nothing to grab. Just like his body. His body was empty. A huge hole was born from the deepest part of his body and there was no way to fill it, no way to heal. There was only the endless emptiness and panic that haunted him day by day.


    He organized the human language and slowly spoke, ¡°I lost¡­ my spore.¡±


    ¡°Spore?¡±


    ¡°My¡­ seed.¡± He didn¡¯t know how to explain it.


    Every mushroom will have spores in their lifetime. Some were numerous while some only had one. Spores were the seeds of mushroom. They were born in the gill and scattered on the wind, putting down roots and become a new mushroom. Then this mushroom would gradually grow up, having their own spores. A mushroom¡¯s only mission in life was to nurture and mature the spore. However, he lost his own spore when it was far from mature.


    An Ze slowly turned his head. An Zhe could hear the click of his bones as he turned, like an old human machine.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go there.¡± The human¡¯s voice was hoarse and slow. ¡°You will die.¡±


    An Zhe repeated the word. ¡°¡­Die?¡±


    ¡°Only humans can enter the human base and you can¡¯t escape the judge¡¯s eye.¡± An Ze coughed a few times before taking a hard breath. ¡°Don¡¯t go¡­ little mushroom.¡±


    An Zhe was at a loss. ¡°I¡­¡±


    A human hand suddenly grasped An Zhe¡¯s mycelium. The human had used a lot of strength and his gasping became more rapid.


    ¡°Listen.¡± After a violent tremor and gasp, An Ze slowly closed his eyes and spoke in a low voice. ¡°You have no attack or defense. You are just¡­ a little mushroom.¡±


    Sometimes, An Zhe regretted telling An Ze that he was going to a human base. If he hadn¡¯t told An Ze, An Ze wouldn¡¯t have spent his last moments stopping An Zhe. He might¡¯ve been able to listen to An Ze tell a story. Maybe An Zhe could¡¯ve taken him from the dark cave to look at the changing aurora in the sky for the last time. However, An Ze¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t open again.


    The short memory dissipated in the air, just as An Ze¡¯s life suddenly dissipated in this world. An Ze was only a snow-white skeleton.


    However, he still wanted to go against An Ze¡¯s wishes.


    He slowly opened his five fingers. On the delicate skin and lines of the palm, there was a brass-coloured, metal bullet case that was very heavy. There were some incomprehensible and unusual lines on it. This was what he had found in the place where he lost his spore. He hadn¡¯t let go of it once he found it.


    If there was a one-in-a-million chance that he could retrieve his spore then the possibility lay on this shell, which was a human creation.


    He sighed and placed the bullet shell into the animal skin backpack left by An Ze. He leaned down and picked up the clothes An Ze had worn. It was a blood-stained grey long-sleeved shirt, black pants and black leather boots.


    Having done all this, he walked outside the cave. The slightly loose clothes rubbed against his skin and small electric currents were transmitted from his fine nerve endings in the skin of the centre. It was the first time he was in a human body and he hadn¡¯t adapted. He frowned and pulled up the sleeves of his loose shirt.


    The cave was long and winding. The vines were piled up on the cave walls and pushed each other. As An Zhe passed through the cave, they receded and occupied the top of the cave.


    After three turns, the wind entered. It was very humid. The mushroom opened the dead vines that fell from the mouth of the hole. Mushrooms, his kind, stretched out endlessly in his vision. They seemed to rise to the sky, everything calm and silent. Through the canopy, the dim light of the sky entered. The sky was grey with some green luster. An Zhe could smell the rain, fog, snakes and rotten plants.


    It was currently evening. He sat down at the entrance of the tunnel under the canopy of grey mushrooms. He took out a dark yellow map from his backpack. There were different shades of colour on the map, marking the degree of risk in different regions. An Ze had once pointed out the approximate location of the cave where they lived. This was the blackest area on the map, which meant the danger level was six stars and the pollution level was six stars. It was called the ¡®Abyss¡¯. On the map, the area where the Abyss was located was also marked with many strange symbols. An Zhe checked them one by one according to the index on the lower right corner of the map. These symbols meant there were mushrooms, man-eating vines, man-eating bushes, simply mammalian monsters, mixed-type mammalian monsters, common reptile monsters, highly poisonous reptile monsters, winged monsters, amphibious monsters, mixed polymorphic monsters and human-like monsters in the Abyss. At the same time, there were valleys, hills, mountains, ruined human cities, road sites and other topography.


    Up north and down south, his eyes went all the way up. Above the brightly coloured map was a pure white area marked by a red five-pointed star. The right side of the five-pointed star had the name of this area: Northern Base.


    The green light of the sky was becoming brighter while the background became darker. At midnight, An Zhe could barely recognize the stars in the sky. He knew the brightest one was called Polaris and could indicate a direction.


    He pointed the upward arrow in the upper left corner of the map in the direction of Polaris. He stepped on rotten wood, leaves, mycelium and soil, walking out step by step.


    The night wasn¡¯t dark. The changing green lights that humans called the aurora illuminated everything ahead. Only mushrooms filled his vision. They were yellow, red or brown mushrooms with large caps. Small, dense mushrooms were gathered on the mountain rocks. Round bacterial packages were scattered on the ground. Once they matured, spores would be ejected like fog and rain. These spores would land and divide in the moist soil, growing into spherical sacs like their mother. There were also mushrooms without caps. There were just white or yellow hyphae grouped together or separated radially, floating in the air like seaweed.


    However, this wasn¡¯t only a world of mushrooms. There were vines, moss, bushes, man-eating flowers and strange-shaped trees quietly lurking in the night. In the jungle of plants, there were some dark shadows and some strange shapes. Beasts or mixtures of beats and humans ran in the jungle, howling and fighting. Animals fought with animals, animal fought with plants or plants fought with plants. High and low howling hit the eardrums while the stones and mud were mixed with fresh blood. An Zhe saw a pine tree bend its trunk to swallow a snake with two tails. He also saw a giant toad stretch out a long, bright red tongue to grab a bat with human arms from the air. Five minutes after swallowing the bat, a pair of black wings grew from its back. This was only one of the thousands of scenes the mushroom had seen and he had grown used to it.


    At this moment, a grey beast came over. It had four eyes and was covered with scales, feathers and fur. The head was like a crocodile and a giant wolf. Its seven teeth were exposed to the outside and it leaned close to An Zhe, sniffing him with a bloody nose.


    An Zhe didn¡¯t move. He quietly leaned against a mushroom and breathed evenly as his entire body was sniffed. The huge monster seemed to get nothing and dragged its heavy feet away.


    An Zhe realized that nothing would notice him, even if he used a human body as a shell. Perhaps it was because mushrooms were everywhere, nutrient-free. They weren¡¯t aggressive and were sometimes poisonous. Thus, he and the creatures of this world lived in peace.


    Maybe it was as An Ze said. He was just a little mushroom.

 Chapter 2

    An Zhe walked for a long time.


    After many days and nights passed, the distance he moved on the map was only the size of a human¡¯s little fingernail. He was an entire finger¡¯s length away from the Northern Base. He didn¡¯t have the human means of transportation and didn¡¯t know how long it would take him to get there.


    Finally, he smelt the damp and dark air fading away and felt the soil under his feet becoming harder.


    In the evening, the sun sank like a deep red eye. The distant black hills accepted it and the sun gradually disappeared. The twilight and aurora floated together. An Zhe unfolded the map and tried to identify the characters and symbols.


    He had just walked past a dried up river that was the boundary of the Abyss. After the boundary was a place called the ¡®Second Plains.¡¯ It had three stars in danger level and two stars in pollution level.


    Indeed, the undulating terrain of the Abyss, the rifts in the ground that could be seen everywhere and the tangled shadows of tall trees in the middle of the night were all gone. This place was unobscured and had a panoramic scene of a flat and endless twilight.


    Still, An Zhe was uneasy. The dry air of the Second Plains wasn¡¯t suitable for a mushroom. He couldn¡¯t find any soil to absorb nutrients so he could only recover his physical strength using human means, such as sleeping.


    He had walked for so long and finally found a small depression with scattered green and yellow grass. He sat down with his arms holding his knee and found a suitable position to curl up in.


    A mushroom spent most of its life sleeping but this was the first time he had fallen asleep in a human pose. A sleeping mushroom quietly stayed in one place, waiting for the passage of time. However, a human¡¯s sleep seemed different. Soon after closing his eyes, endless darkness rose up like a tide. His body became lighter like he was gradually losing his body.


    He didn¡¯t know what moment it was but there was a whining wind in his ear. It was the sound of the wind in the wilderness, his favourite thing previously.


    However, this wind now had no meaningless. He lost his spore while rolling around in the wilderness. There had been human voices on the wind. He couldn¡¯t remember the syllables clearly and could only think of a few parts. In human language, there were some fragments that couldn¡¯t be put together.


    ¡°It is¡­ strange, very¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­What to do?¡±


    ¡°Take¡­ over here¡­ sample.¡±


    The next moment, an unspeakable pain radiated throughout his body. The feeling was light but deep. A void appeared in his consciousness that could never be filled. He knew that he had lost the most important thing ever since.


    Fear spread all over his body and from then on, he started to fear the wind and lived in the cave. His heart beat faster and fear suddenly struck. It was the fear of losing his spore.


    He opened his eyes and realized he was dreaming. Only humans could dream. Then the next moment, this breathing completely stopped.


    He knew the source of the fear. A black creature was standing in front of him. Two blood-red eyes glowed brightly. An Zhe¡¯s entire body was tense and his eyes moved down. It was as tall as a human with three pairs of thin and sharp sickle-like forelimbs flashing as coldly as moonlight.


    After realizing what this was, his body trembled. It was a distant sensation from the first ancestor a thousand years ago. A mushroom would die from the bite of a group of termites. The beasts in the Abyss might be dismissive of mushrooms but they might be a rare delicacy on the Second Plains.


    The moment this idea appeared, An Zhe subconsciously rolled to the side! There was a dull thudding sound against the ground. The sharp forelimbs of the arthropod monster plunged into the ground beside An Zhe. It was the place where he had just been lying.


    An Zhe quickly grabbed his backpack and climbed up. He ran to the bushes nearby while the arthropod monster¡¯s dense footsteps rang in his ears. Once the sound became a bit smaller, he turned around and looked back. Under the aurora, he could finally see the entire picture of this thing. it was a huge black monster, like an ant magnified by thousands of times.


    Fortunately, its body looked too heavy and a human¡¯s running speed was faster than it. An Zhe ran into the bushes ahead of it. Then he fell. In the blink of an eye, he was shrouded in the shadow cast by the monster. There was a sharp wind and the forelimbs of this monster descended towards his arm.


    An Zhe¡¯s sleeves were suddenly empty. The soft cloth hung down and nothing was cut. This seemed to surprise the monster and it paused. At the same time, the mycelium spread and regrew in the folded sleeves, once again forming a complete human arm.


    He rolled down on the spot to avoid the monster¡¯s next blow. He used his arm as support to get off the ground and fell into the low bushes. Two thick bushes blocked his body. This wasn¡¯t enough for him to escape the monster¡¯s eyes. He took a few short breaths and at this moment, his body started to change. The outline of his arms, fingers and other limbs were blurred. Something was surging underneath, turning into mycelium in order to escape in a more flexible manner.


    At this point¡ª


    Bang!


    A white glow crossed through the air and the meteor hit the joints between the monster¡¯s head and abdomen. There was the sound of a dull impact and the white light exploded silently mixed with a red glow.


    An Zhe was in the bushes and watched the huge thing break into two pieces from the middle, crashing to the ground. The shrub leaves rustled from the shock and fell. The monster¡¯s head was less than half a metre away from An Zhe. The blood-red eyes were still looking in his direction.


    In the Abyss, An Zhe had seen things cut into three and were still able to move. He was thinking of being a little bit further away from this thing when he suddenly heard a voice that wasn¡¯t far away.


    ¡°That is the last uranium bomb. After picking up the body, return to the base.¡± It was a man¡¯s voice and it was very thick.


    ¡°Arthropod shells aren¡¯t cheap. I didn¡¯t expect to finally catch one.¡± There was the voice of another man, this one a bit sharper than the last.


    After a brief conversation, they no longer talked. Footsteps came over. It was the sound of thick leather boots stepping on the sand, mixed with the sound of sand friction.


    They were humans. After An Ze¡¯s death, An Zhe hadn¡¯t seen a human for a long time. He quietly raised his head from the bushes. The bushes rustled and the first man called out, ¡°Be cautious!¡±


    The next moment, the black holes of three muzzles were pointed at him.


    An Zhe just looked at them. He inevitably remembered the chaotic memory of the night he lost his spore. However, An Ze¡¯s existence had showed him the kindness and friendliness of humans. He thought about his current situation and said, ¡°H¡­ Hello.¡±


    Under the glow of the aurora, the scene in front of him was clear. There were three people in dark clothes and they were all men. They had wide brown belts around their waists with magazines tied to them. The man standing in the middle was tall while the other two were slightly shorter.


    The man in the middle was the one who had spoken first about the ¡®last uranium bomb¡¯. His voice was very calm. ¡°A human?¡±


    There was a moment of hesitation. Then he thought of the weapon that had stopped the monster and he replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your name? What¡¯s your ID number? Where is your teammate?¡±


    ¡°An Zhe, 3261170514, lost.¡±


    The man frowned and looked down at him. This person¡¯s eyebrows were thick and black, his nose was high and his lips were thick. The combination of facial features didn¡¯t give An Zhe a dangerous feeling like the beasts of the Abyss. An Zhe pursed his lips and looked back.


    Three seconds later, another man appeared next to the first. He was a small, dark-skinned ma who aimed his gun, full of threats. He looked at An Zhe and ordered in a low voice. ¡°Take off your clothes.¡±


    An Zhe got up from the bushes. He unbuttoned the first button of the grey shirt, then the second. The skin of his neckline was exposed. His skin was a smooth milky white and was a bit like the colour of his mycelium.


    The next moment, he heard the third man whistle. It was a pale-rosy skinned, yellow haired man with many wrinkles on his face, which meant human aging. His eyes were grey-blue and he stared at An Zhe.


    An Zhe lowered his head, undid the remaining buttons and took off his shirt. The grey-blue eyed man approached him and made a second whistle, looking him up and down. The man¡¯s eyes were very sticky, like the drooling beasts in the Abyss. After looking at An Zhe again, he went around to An Zhe¡¯s side. The next second, An Zhe¡¯s wrist was grabbed by him. He rubbed his fingers against the skin of An Zhe¡¯s wrist, thumb against the wrist bone. Then he asked in a slightly sharp voice, ¡°What is this?¡±


    An Zhe looked down at the back of his hand and wrist. There were some red marks where he had been scratched by the bushes while escaping from the monster¡¯s attack. He turned his head and motioned to the bushes behind him. ¡°The leaves.¡±


    There was a brief silence. After a moment, the man smacked his lips together. ¡°Do you want to take the rest off on your own or shall I take them off for you?¡±


    An Zhe didn¡¯t move. He probably knew what they were doing. There were similar scenes in An Ze¡¯s memory. Genetic contamination occurred between monsters and monsters and between people and monsters. The first way to confirm if a stranger was contaminated was to check if they had any wounds.


    However, this man made him feel uncomfortable. It was the same way he felt when he was a mushroom and a snake crawled over his cap. Thus, he looked up at the man in the centre. An Zhe had seen many ferocious beasts in the Abyss and could judge their danger. Now he had the feeling that this man was the least aggressive among the three.


    ¡°Horsen.¡± After a brief look, the man in the middle spoke in a heavy voice. ¡°Don¡¯t act sick in the wild.¡±


    Horsen sneered and looked at An Zhe in an even more unbridled manner.


    Three seconds later, the man spoke to An Zhe, ¡°Follow behind me.¡±


    An Zhe obediently followed the man to the rear of the monster head. There were no wounds on his body apart from being scratched by the bushes.


    The man asked, ¡°How long have you been separated from your teammates?¡±


    An Zhe thought about it and replied, ¡°One day.¡±


    ¡°You have a great life.¡±


    ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be many monsters here.¡±


    ¡°However, there are many bugs.¡± This man spoke in a very brief manner but he seemed reliable.


    An Zhe did up the buttons of his clothes and whispered, ¡°Are you going back to the Northern Base.¡±


    The man replied, ¡°En.¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡± An Zhe asked. ¡°Can you take me with you? I have my own food and water.¡±


    ¡°I say no.¡± It was the short, dark-skinned human.


    Just as he spoke, the man An Zhe was following stepped out and looked at the other two. ¡°He isn¡¯t injured. Take him?¡±


    Horsen smiled as he watched An Zhe and whistled a third time. ¡°Why not take him? There isn¡¯t much to him.¡±


    Then he looked at the remaining human. ¡°Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    An Zhe looked over into the dark-skinned man¡¯s gloomy eyes.

 Chapter 3

    The aurora cast a green luster on the ground. This reflected off the man¡¯s dark skin, forming a strange dark green that was like the skin of a lizard or a toad. Finally, the man said, ¡°We aren¡¯t judges. We can¡¯t confirm that he is 100% human.¡±


    ¡°You say.¡± Horsen folded his arms and dragged his words out for a long time. ¡°The pollution level of the Second Plains is only two stars.¡±


    The dark-skinned man was silent again as he said, ¡°The average variation time of the Second Plains is four hours. It takes four hours.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Horsen declared. ¡°We will pack up the spoils. If he doesn¡¯t change during that time, we¡¯ll take him with us.¡±


    The dark-skinned man finally nodded. The three of them glanced at each other and seemed to agree.


    ¡°My name is Vance.¡± The tall man in the middle turned to An Zhe, introducing himself.


    An Zhe greeted him. ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°Horsen.¡± There was a bit of annoyance on his face.


    The remaining dark-skinned man was silent for a long time before spitting out a few syllables. ¡°Anthony.¡±


    An Zhe also greeted him and said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°No need for thanks.¡± Vance smile. ¡°We are all fellow humans. We just had a teammate die and we¡¯re short of manpower.¡±


    After that, he went to the head of the monster and commanded the rest of the humans. ¡°Pack up the body and leave quickly.¡±


    Then Vance took out a pair of gloves and a long dagger from his backpack and threw them at An Zhe. ¡°You go and cut off the legs.¡±


    An Zhe caught them and gave a reply. Then he took a dozen steps forward and stopped beside the half of the monster¡¯s body. He put on the gloves and started to observe the body.


    The arthropod was large in size and the shell itself was smooth. However, there were some long, sharp burrs and protruding tubercles. He looked down at the monster¡¯s legs. There were six legs, thin and long. They were divided into three seconds and covered with dense, black and glossy hair.


    On the other side, Vance and Anthony dealt with the monster¡¯s head. They removed the shell off its head, letting the brain and other fluids flow out before scraping the inside. Horsen stood guard on the perimetre.


    Thus, An Zhe held the dagger and concentrate on cutting the monster¡¯s join. After five minutes, one joint was cut and one leg was separated from the monster¡¯s body, falling to the ground. At the cutting site, white and viscous liquid that was like brain fluids slowly infiltrated the yellow sand.


    He heard Horsen¡¯s teasing voice. ¡°Baby, don¡¯t be so disgusted that you vomit.¡±


    An Zhe was unresponsive and quietly continued to cut the next joint. He didn¡¯t have any feelings for the monster. He even felt that it was much cleaner than the beasts that lived in the Abyss.


    However, Horsen didn¡¯t want to let him go. Footsteps were heard behind him as Horsen walked over, right hand on An Zhe¡¯s shoulder, fingers caressing the shoulder.¡±Baby, how old are you this year?¡±


    An Zhe heard a type of greed from this tone. It was the greed of beasts in the face of food. It was just that based on his limited cognition, humans didn¡¯t feed on the same kind. Therefore, he answered calmly, ¡°19 years old.¡±


    An Ze was 19 years old. Since he ate An Ze¡¯sgenes, he was probably 19.


    ¡°You look like you¡¯re only 17.¡± Horsen¡¯s laughter came from his chest and his hoarse voice was sharp and pointed.


    An Zhe frowned and didn¡¯t know how to answer.


    ¡°Horsen.¡± At this moment, Vance¡¯s voice came from not far away. ¡°Concentrate on guard duty.¡±


    Horsen snorted and squeezed An Zhe¡¯s shoulder before walking away.


    An Ze once again realized that each individual human might have different characters. For example, An Ze was different from the humans who took away his spore while Vance was different from Horsen. An Zhe was very grateful to Vance.


    He bowed his head to continue cutting the joints. Each level was divided into three seconds and after cutting them, he neatly placed them in a pile. The shell gave off a metallic luster and was as hard as stone. Once stacked together, they made clear impact sounds.


    By the time all six legs were dismantled, Vance and Anthony had also completed the dismantling of the head and came to the other half of the body. Vance glanced at the neat pile of legs on the ground and smiled. ¡°You are quite serious.¡±


    Then he said to Horsen, ¡°You drive the car over there.¡±


    Horsen didn¡¯t speak. He just turned and walked away. An Zhe stood to one side and watched Vance and Anthony take on the monster¡¯s chest and abdomen. He asked, ¡°Can I help you?¡±


    Vance spoke as he used gloves and held a long pliers the size of a human leg. ¡°You haven¡¯t come outside much, have you?¡±


    An Zhe replied, ¡°¡­En.¡±


    ¡°Just stay there.¡± Vance used the pliers to pry open the shell over the connection between the monster¡¯s chest and abdomen. The edge of the shell was irregular and there were sharp black thorns at the connection to other shell pieces that flashed with a grey light. ¡°There are many thorns and those with no experience can easily be contaminated,¡± Vance explained. ¡°The pollution level of the Second Plains isn¡¯t high and there is the possibility of infection.¡±


    An Zhe obediently stepped back and watched them dismantle the corpse. One black shell after another was opened. The viscera and body tissues flowed all over the ground.


    He was watching when there was a dull rumbling sound. An Zhe looked to the right and saw a black, rectangular armoured vehicle like a huge crustacean monster. He knew this very well. There were five armoured vehicles in An Ze¡¯s former team. The car got close and Horsen jumped out of it. Vance didn¡¯t raise his head as he said, ¡°Help him carry the things into the car first.¡±


    An Zhe hummed in agreement and picked up the pieces on the ground. Then she carefully tied them together with ropes and handed them to Horsen. Horsen took them and placed them in the storage room of the armoured vehicle.


    The huge monster became smaller and smaller and more shells were picked up by An Zhe. He was tying up a stack of shells with rope when his movements suddenly stopped. At this moment, the sharp piece of shell under his hand¡ªthe spiky tips on the surface had several condensed liquid drops They were dark and hard to find without careful inspection.


    He looked down at the stains on the ground and confirmed that all the liquid in the monster¡¯s body was white, yellow or transparent. What were these dark liquid drops? He remembered the blood that came out of An Ze¡¯s body before he died.


    An Zhe turned to look at Vance and Anthony. Both of them were intent on dismantling the body, looking calm as usual. Thus, An Zhe acted as nothing happened and lowered his head, continuing to tie up the parts.


    After a long time, the dismantling finally finished. The three people seemed convinced that An Zhe wouldn¡¯t suddenly become a deadly monster.


    ¡°Get in the car and return to the base.¡± Vance ordered. ¡°An Zhe, you come too.¡±


    An armoured vehicle could hold seven or eight people. There was room inside to rest and it was simply divided into three compartments. However, each compartment was very low and narrow so people had to bow their heads to walk inside.


    An Zhe was arranged in the outermost space with the door to his right side. He lay down on his backpack. Anthony was in the front driving, Vance was next to him and Horsen was in the innermost compartment.


    The door was closed and they were plunged into darkness. Only a dim light shone from a small window to the side. After a burst of shaking, the armoured vehicle started slowly driving forward. There were occasionally bumps but not too much.


    An Zhe looked at the darkness in front of him and felt like he was floating in a black tide that wrapped around him as he moved to the Northern Base, which he knew nothing about. He was surrounded by a slight bewilderment and was dazed as he sat quietly in the darkness.


    The light from the small window grew stronger and the surroundings were a bit brighter. The car stopped and An Zhe heard Horsen get up. He took three steps and opened the door to get in the cab, going in to replace Anthony. Anthony went back to Horsen¡¯s original position and lay down. He breathed heavily and moved a lot, causing the floor to shake. Then Vance asked loudly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Anthony replied, ¡°I¡¯m a bit tired.¡±


    A long time passed until it was Vance¡¯s turn to replace Horsen. An Zhe instinctively curled up. He knew that Horsen would be sleeping next door to him and was disturbed. There was a delay in the sound of a human lying down next door.


    An Zhe opened his eyes wide as he waited. The next moment, there was the rustling sound of footsteps and a man headed straight to him.


    ¡°Baby¡­¡± Horsen¡¯s voice was low and hoarse. He legs squeezed into An Zhe¡¯s folded legs and his arm went around An Zhe¡¯s shoulder. An Zhe reflectively moved but was pressed to the ground by a greater strength. ¡°Vance, that guy doesn¡¯t know what you do¡­ but I have been with more mercenary teams than he has ever seen.¡±


    An Zhe struggled and gasped a few times. ¡°Please don¡¯t do this.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it?¡± Horsen smile. In the dark environment, his smile seemed very fierce.


    An Zhe didn¡¯t answer and Horsen released the hand against his shoulder to undo his belt. He seemed very happy that he could hold down An Zhe with one hand. His smile became bigger and his tone was rude and mocking. ¡°Baby, what can you do with this strength? You can¡¯t drive or use heavy weapons. You can only wait to die when meeting monsters? What did your teammates take you out to do? To watch?¡±


    He held An Zhe¡¯s neck as he spoke, leaning close, his stubble against An Zhe¡¯s neck. The acrid smell of smoke drifted over. ¡°I¡¯ve seen many prostitutes like you but this is the first time I¡¯ve seen one so beautiful. What mercenary team were you originally with?¡±


    An Zhe made a sharp gasp as Horsen pressed against him tightly, hot tongue moving over his skin. An Zhe turned his head and coughed from the smell of smoke. His right hand fumbled in the darkness and finally grabbed the dagger that Vance had given to him.


    Just then, a huge sound was heard next door from Anthony¡¯s place, like something had been knocked to the ground.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Horsen laughed loudly and called to Anthony, ¡°It can be you in a moment.¡±


    However, his words didn¡¯t seem to have any effect because there was the sound of footsteps coming this way. Horsen cursed and held An Zhe up against the wall, forcibly pulling at An Zhe¡¯s shirt.


    An Zhe no longer resisted and gripped his dagger, quietly looking at the dark corridor. White mycelium spread on the ground beside him, as if planning something. The next second, all his movements became still. A monster with a human torso and three pairs of slender legs stretching out behind it walked through the corridor with curled, soft wings, two blood-red compound eyes shining on its head.

 Chapter 4

    The skin of this thing was black¡ªthe colour of Anthony¡¯s skin. However, his human face had been distorted. The original place where the eyes were was covered with dense brown scales. The nose extended downward into a huge fissure. The mouth protruded outward and a long, curly black tube protruded from the middle. He stopped, the edges of his wings scraping against the wall of the car and making a loud noise.


    ¡°Anthony, what are you doing?¡± Horsen¡¯s voice was full of displeasure. ¡°I don¡¯t like to be looked at.¡±


    Once he finished, he bowed his head again. An Zhe felt the teeth biting his shoulder and neck. The skin was grinded by the teeth and fine pain overflowed. However, An Zhe couldn¡¯t care. He was tense and looking at Anthony who had changed into a monster.


    One second, two seconds, three seconds.


    The wings behind Anthony vibrated slightly and the mouth moved in the air.


    ¡°Are you afraid?¡± On top of him, Horsen felt the stiffness of his body and vaguely scolded, ¡°Why are you pretending?¡± Then he gripped An Zhe around the waist and bit him severely.


    At this moment¡ª


    There was the humming of the wings flapping. Anthony¡¯s six slender legs lowered and his body tilted forward, accumulating power. Then he rushed towards them like a slender spider!


    Wind was heard in this small space. An Zhe¡¯s pupils shrank and his body instantly changed. It switched to the soft and sensitive state of the mushroom body. Mycelium rolled around the car, almost filling the entire space and temporarily blocking Anthony¡¯s vision.


    Immediately afterward, An Zhe felt the body on top of him stiffen. Horsen coughed a few times and then his limbs moved in a panicked manner, ¡°Fuck, this is¡ª¡±


    He looked over and saw Horsen biting countless soft mycelium. They entered his airways and esophagus, causing him to choke and cough with panic and pain. At the same time, countless mycelium were cut by Anthony¡¯s forelimbs. The mycelium were soft and easy to break, with no toughness at him. It could only buy five or six seconds of escape time.


    An Zhe estimated the distance between himself and Anthony. He quickly rolled up his clothes with mycelium and flowed out of the gap between Horsen¡¯s messed up body, regaining his freedom. His mycelium rushed to the door like a white tide. He changed back to a human state at the door, pressing the door¡¯s switch.


    There was a muffled sound and the door popped open. An Zhe instantly recovered all his mycelium and pulled at Horsen¡¯s collar. The two of them fell off the car together and onto the sand. It was at least safer here than the small space of the carriage.


    However, after a moment, Anthony also emerged from the car door. There was a harsh buzzing sound as he flew up four or five metres before swooping down sharply. An Zhe got up quickly when Anthony was flying up and ran to the rear.


    He saw Horsen lying on the sand with blank eyes and Anthony¡¯s sharp forelimbs piercing his chest. An Zhe had seen too many monster hunts and escape methods in the Abyss. He knew how to escape and thought Horsen did as well. Even so, it wasn¡¯t until the blood splattered that Horsen screamed and grabbed Anthony¡¯s front legs with both hands, kicking Anthony¡¯s body away as he frantically tried to escape.


    The ground roared. An Zhe turned his head quickly and saw the armoured car that had driven quite a distance away make a sharp turn. It was heading to this side. Vance had finally discovered that something was wrong.


    An Zhe gasped for a few moments before running in the direction of the armoured vehicle. Through the window, he could see Vance¡¯s anxious expression. Before he got there, the door of the armoured car opened. Once it passed by An Zhe, a pair of strong arms suddenly pulled him from the ground. He cooperated with Vance to enter the cab. Vance quickly threw him to the other side of the cab and slammed the door shut.


    An Zhe muttered, ¡°They¡­¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t save them!¡± Vance slammed the steering wheel again and the armoured vehicle turned back to its original direction. The accelerator was stepped on and the vehicle sped north.


    An Zhe leaned back in the passenger¡¯s seat and took a few breaths. Once his breathing calmed down, he looked in the rearview mirror. The mutilated Anthony and the dying Horsen were tangled up in a ball, rolling on the ground. Anthony raised his forelegs and abruptly lowered them, piercing Horsen¡¯s body and nailing it to the ground. Then he looked up after them. After five seconds, Anthony seemed to give up on chasing the armoured vehicle. He bowed his head and his slender mouthpiece pierced Horsen¡¯s head. Horsen¡¯s body twitched before softening.


    The car was moving fast. After a while, their figures had disappeared between the yellow sand shrubs and could no longer be seen.


    Vance asked, ¡°Anthony mutated?¡±


    An Zhe turned to look at Vance and saw that his eyes were a bit red.


    An Zhe bowed his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    He was still alive but Vance lost two of his teammates.


    ¡°Sorry for what?¡± Vance reluctantly smiled. ¡°Those who go outside to work often die. We are used to it.¡± Perhaps the next one to die was himself.


    Nevertheless, An Zhe felt guilty. Anthony was infected. An Zhe had found traces of suspected human blood on the ant shell at that time. If he had told Vance then they might¡¯ve found that Anthony was infected in advance.


    He bowed his head and told it.


    Vance was silent for a moment before his voice lowered, ¡°Anthony didn¡¯t become an ant. He might¡¯ve been infected before. We met a group of mutant wild mosquitoes before running into you.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ he was stabbed again?¡±


    Vance looked out the window and spoke after a long silence, ¡°The Second Plains pollution level is very small. It is two stars. If he was stabbed then such a small injury might not mean infection. However, anyone who says it will be left behind by the team. That¡¯s why many people won¡¯t say it after they¡¯ve been injured.¡± His voice lowered. ¡°¡­Because we want to go home.¡±


    An Zhe wondered, ¡°What about Horsen?¡±


    If Anthony had been found to be infected early, Horsen might not have died.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Horsen is dead.¡± Vance lit up a cigarette and took a breath. ¡°He did many wicked things and there are at least five lives under his hands. Anthony and I wouldn¡¯t have worked with him this time if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that there isn¡¯t enough staff. What was he doing at the time? Bullying you?¡±


    An Zhe didn¡¯t speak and Vance turned to look at him.


    In the twilight, the boy¡¯s silhouette seemed quiet and peaceful, like a crystal clear waterdrop. This type of person appearing in the dangerous wilderness might have inexplicable difficulties but Vance didn¡¯t ask.


    Similarly, An Zhe didn¡¯t know what to say to Vance. He was thinking about the scene before Horsen¡¯s death Horsen seemed to have lost his mind briefly and didn¡¯t wake up until he was stabbed. What did Horsen do before that? He took a bite of the mycelium.


    An Zhe frowned. He himself didn¡¯t know if he was poisonous as a mushroom. Now he suspected himself to be a poisonous mushroom.


    Along the way, the vegetation became scarcer. There were no creatures in the endless desert, only their armoured vehicle travelling alone.


    In the evening, when the aurora appeared again in the sky, Vance planned to stop and rest. He pressed the cigarette butt against the steering wheel and opened the gate connected the cab and the rest room. He jumped down and a sound rang out in the dark rest room. ¡°Sleep first. We will arrive at the base after driving for a day and a half.¡±


    An Zhe also came to the gate. In order to have an open view, the location of the cab was very high. In addition, to save room for the storage compartment, the rest of the vehicle was in a low position. The height difference between the cab and rest area was more than one metre high.


    He stood there with a bit of hesitation. After a brief three seconds, Vance seemed to see the hesitation. ¡°You sit there first.¡±


    An Zhe sat at the edge, his legs dangling. Then Vance reached out and held his upper body, helping him down. An Zhe landed safely and steadily. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Vance smiled, his voice revealed a slow gentleness. ¡°My brother was afraid of heights and I often helped him like this. He¡¯s around the same age as you.¡±


    In an effort to explore the law of human communication, An Zhe tentatively asked, ¡°He also went with you to the wild?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Vance replied. ¡°We used to be together.¡±


    ¡°He isn¡¯t here this time?¡±


    ¡°He died. Two months ago, he was killed by a judge at the gate of the base.¡±


    Judge. An Zhe heard this word for the third time. The first time was An Ze, trying to dissuade him from going to the human base, saying, ¡°You can¡¯t escape the eyes of the judges.¡±


    The second time was Anthony, who didn¡¯t want An Zhe to join the team. He said, ¡°We aren¡¯t judges and can¡¯t confirm he is 100% human.¡±


    In addition, it seemed to be a term that appeared frequently in An Ze¡¯s memories. Thus, An Zhe repeated, ¡°¡­Judge?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Vance¡¯s voice became high with surprise. ¡°Where the hell did you come from?¡±


    An Zhe whispered, ¡°I didn¡¯t deal with people before.¡±


    ¡°I can see it.¡± Vance unscrewed a knob on the wall of the car and a dim white light turned on at the top of the wall, barely illuminating the small space. He took dry food out of a grid on the wall. An Zhe also took out food and water from his backpack and sat down opposite Vance.


    He heard Vance say, ¡°The base has a system called the Judges Act. There is an organization that belongs to the military and it has a very high standing. It is called the Trial Court. Members of the court are judges. They are usually on duty at the gate of the base and they all have a license to kill people. Killing won¡¯t violate the law.¡±


    After listening to this sentence, An Zhe thought back and found something relevant in the memories he obtained from An Ze. He asked, ¡°Do the judges determine if the people who enter the base are human beings or infected people?¡±


    ¡°Yes. In addition to the infection that can be seen, there are some that can¡¯t be seen. The mutation process hasn¡¯t yet begun or the mutation level is too high and they look no different from humans. The base calls this type of person ¡®heterogenous¡¯.¡±


    An Zhe¡¯s eyes became wide. In that sense, he was a different kind.


    Vance unbuttoned his jacket and put it to one side. He unscrewed the bottle of the kettle and continued, ¡°The population of the base is too dense. If a heterogenous enters the base then there will be a crazy massacre, followed by large-scale infections. Whether a person is human or a heterogenous, the judgement process is called a trial.¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡± An Zhe wondered, ¡°How can they discover a heterogenous?¡±


    ¡°What else can they do?¡± Vance frowned. ¡°They are shot on the spot.¡±


    An Zhe didn¡¯t speak. He just lowered his head and took a bite of the compressed biscuit. He had just learned to eat the human way and human food was a bit rough for him. Swallowing scratched his mouth and throat. He ate slowly but his heart was beating quickly.


    Slowly, he asked again, ¡°Can they really recognize all the heterogenous people?¡±


    Vance took a large sip of water. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes, a trace of mourning in his tone. ¡°Who knows? Death isn¡¯t proof. No one knows if the people killed were really heterogenous. My brother was like that.¡±


    An Zhe didn¡¯t speak. Vance seemed to have answered the question but An Zhe just listened quietly.


    ¡°He¡­ went to the First Plains with me at that time. This place has a lower pollution level than the Second Plains and I kept watching him. I was sure he wasn¡¯t injured.¡± Vance smiled but his voice was hoarse. ¡°However, there wasn¡¯t an ordinary judge at the door of the base that day. It was their boss and everyone calls him ¡®The Judge.¡¯ Other judges who kill will give reasons but he doesn¡¯t. He doesn¡¯t accept any defense. Even if it is a top member of the base, killing is killing. He was like that on that day. He just looked at my brother and fired.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it but there is no way. This type of thing happens a lot. He has killed many people and too many people in the base hate him, which isn¡¯t bad for me. Maybe one day, I¡¯ll be killed by him.¡±


    Saying this, Vance looked at his right hand for a while. Then he threw the kettle aside and lay on the pillow. His eyes were still looking at the top of the car and he finally got back on track, answering An Zhe¡¯s initial question. ¡°They would rather kill by mistake than let one go. If a heterogenous really mixes into the base then they will definitely be found. It has been a whole year since an incident of a heterogenous attack occurred.¡±


    In order to hide his uneasiness, An Zhe closed his eyes and rubbed his eyes with his left hand.


    Vance told him, ¡°Kid, go to sleep.¡±


    An Zhe lay next to him. No matter what happened tomorrow, at least tonight was safe. There were no monsters and no Horsen. There was only Vance, who was good to him.


    Before going to sleep, he held the bullet cartridge and looked at the door at the end of the aisle. If¡ªIf he now quietly opened the door, got out of the car and left, returning to the monster wilderness, he could still live. He wouldn¡¯t face trial and wouldn¡¯t be killed on the spot. He didn¡¯t know how long he could live in the wilderness but it would definitely be longer than tomorrow.


    Was the spore more important than his life?


    ¡ªYes.


    For the creatures in the Abyss, death was the most trivial thing. In just a short day outside the Abyss, he witnessed Anthony¡¯s mutation and Horsen¡¯s death. Human life wasn¡¯t precious. An Zhe closed his eyes. He knew he had to go to the Northern Base.


    Early the next morning, they continued to drive towards the base. Since only Vance was driving and he lacked energy, their rest time became irregular. From the afternoon, they started to rest and continued to drive north at midnight on the third day. Once the aurora dimmed and the sky looked white, Vance stated, ¡°We¡¯re almost here.¡±


    An Zhe looked forward and a circular city gradually emerged on the horizon, covered in the grey fog of the morning.


    ¡®City¡¯, he knew this word. Humans congregated in cities, just like mushrooms gathered in the rainy season.


    The armoured vehicle continued forward. After the early morning mist gradually dispersed, more details in front appeared. The circular city had grey steel walls, the height of the tallest mushroom. 20 people could be stacked on top of each other, one person¡¯s feet on the other person¡¯s shoulder, and they might not be able to go over the wall. Steel fangs and thorns protruded from the wall, sharp and cold, like winter rocks and soil.


    The edges of the city walls were covered with surveillance equipment and laser devices. Any intruders would be found immediately. Out of the two city gates, one could only enter and one could only exit. They were now heading for the one that could only enter.


    Later, An Zhe saw many Vance-like teams coming back from all directions. Some were light equipment while some were wearing heavy equipment. They held weapons and were in teams of four or five, driving similar armoured vehicles into the designated area. Once they stopped, they got out of the car and walked to the city gate, the car and people being checked separately.


    Vance got out of the car first. An Zhe grabbed his arm and jumped out. He felt that Vance¡¯s arm was a bit tense and thought that perhaps the gate evoked Vance¡¯s bad memories of his brother.


    They walked together to the gate, where there was a long queue. The head of the queue was somewhat turbulent but the situation couldn¡¯t be seen. People were entering in turn. An Zhe was behind Vance as they walked to the line, looking around as he walked.


    Soldiers in black uniforms stood on both sides of the gate holding two guns, a hot weapon and a laser gun at their waist. Behind them were huge heavy weapons, right at the gate. It could be imagined that if a monster tried to invade, they would be blown up by these heavy weapons.


    As he looked around, he was attracted by a figure in black. In an open position under the city wall in the distance, the man was also wearing a black uniform and seemed like a loose, undisciplined soldier. Unlike his colleagues standing on guard, he was leaning against the city wall, looking down and slowly wiping a black gun. However, the black and silver uniform on his body seemed much more refined than others, perhaps due to his slender body.


    Vance glanced over and for some reason, his pace accelerated a lot. He pulled An Zhe forward and just as they were going to join the end of the line-¡ª


    An Zhe saw the man in the distance slowly raising his head. Underneath the black uniform cap, a pair of cold green eyes were exposed. An Zhe suddenly stopped. He felt a chill around him and was frozen.


    Vance turned back. ¡°What are you¡ª¡±


    His voice came to an abrupt end.


    A shot rang out.


    Vance¡¯s tall body shook in place. Then he fell to the ground with a thud, eyes wide open and throat rattling. Blood spilled from his temples and after twitching several times, there was no movement from his body.


    An Zhe couldn¡¯t even reach out to grasp a corner of his clothes. He didn¡¯t have time to think about what happened in that moment. He could only raise his head to look at the officer in the black uniform. It was because at this moment, the officer was slowly turning the dark muzzle¡ªit was pointed at him.

 Chapter 5

    Vance¡¯s blood spread out before An Zhe¡¯s eyes, a deep red. The people in the queue heard the movements and turned to look over here. Seeing what happened, they turned back as usual, as if nothing had happened.


    However, Vance died. A man was killed at the gates of the human base and no one disputed it.


    An Zhe suddenly realized that this person was the Judge, the man Vance had mentioned to him a day earlier. He was the master of the Trial Court, the judge of whether everyone who entered the gate was human or heterogenous. He could decide the life and death of any person, no matter who, with no reason needed.


    Now it was An Zhe¡¯s turn to stand trial. At first, his heart beat hard. The moment the muzzle pointed at him, An Zhe realized he was really going to die. Yet looking at the judge¡¯s cold green eyes, he gradually returned to calm. Coming to the Northern Base was a decision he had to make. So this trial was his end, no matter the outcome.


    He was quiet and counted the seconds in his heart.


    One, two, three.


    The sound of the gun didn¡¯t ring out. The judge pointed the gun at him and walked slowly to this side. The people on the queue sped up their pace. They spontaneously moved forward and after a few moments, this place was empty with only An Zhe remaining.


    11, 12, 13.


    By the 14th second, the judge had come to him. The ring finger clasped the handle of the gun as he lowered the muzzle. Then he put away his weapon. An Zhe heard him say, ¡°Come with me.¡±


    The tone was cold and plain, like this eyes. An Zhe stood there waiting for him to leave but three seconds later, the man hadn¡¯t moved.He looked up in disbelief. Then he heard the judge¡¯s voice that was colder than before. ¡°Reach out your hand.¡±


    An Zhe held out his hand.


    Click.


    He shivered at the icy feeling. One end of the silver handcuffs was around his wrist while the other was held by the officer.


    An Zhe was led away like this. Curiously, when Vance had been shot, the people in the queue didn¡¯t respond. Now that he was taken away by the judge, they turned their heads and whispered to each other.


    An Zhe only had time to look at the fallen Vance¡¯s body when he was dragged through the gate of the city. Inside the gate, he found it wasn¡¯t a narrow passage but a vast area divided into several spaces with white lights everywhere. The lights reflected on the steel walls, like a grey shade reflecting the light of winter.


    The heavily armed soldiers and heavy weapons were no less than there were outside. In the tight encirclement of heavy weapons and soldiers, there was a long white table. Three officers in black uniforms like the judge were sitting at a long table. An Zhe guessed that they were the judges. A human was sitting opposite them and a judge asked, ¡°How is your relationship with your wife? She didn¡¯t go out of the city with you this time?¡±


    Based on An Ze¡¯s memories, An Zhe learned that in addition to changes in appearance and behaviour habits, the mind and memory would also be affected. Thus, an interrogation was one of the ways to identify a heterogenous species.


    Then the man who brought him in looked over to the judges and said, ¡°Hurry up.¡±


    After the central judge said, ¡°Yes,¡± he looked at the person on trial opposite him. ¡°You can go.¡±


    The man looked like he survived a disaster. He got up with a smile on his face and quickly sped through the gate passage. Only then did An Zhe know that the man who brought him over was indeed a judge. He didn¡¯t say ¡®hurry up¡¯ to speed up the interrogation but to show he had judged that the man on trial was a human.


    The next person on trial came from the queue to the long table. The distance between the queue and the long table was very long and there were several door-shaped machines in the middle. They were placed at certain distances and the person had to go uphill and downhill. An Zhe realized that this was to show the actions of the person to the judges as much as possible.


    However, he couldn¡¯t see anymore because the next second, he had turned a corner and was led into a long corridor. The man took out a black communication device and said, ¡°The Trial Court, Lu Feng, is applying for genetic testing.¡±


    An Zhe guessed that the two words in the middle were his name. Then a mechanical door opened in front of them. Lu Feng went straight in while pulling An Zhe. He staggered and also followed.


    It was a silver-white room with unknown machinery from the ground to the ceiling. Six soldiers were standing guard around the room. Behind the workbench at one end of the room was a young man with short blond hair, blue eyes and wearing a white lab coat. An Zhe was dragged over and had to stagger to keep up.


    ¡°Colonel Lu actually came here.¡± The man pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and raised his voice defiantly. ¡°Don¡¯t you solve all problems with bullets?¡±


    Lu Feng spoke coldly, ¡°Doctor, please cooperate.¡±


    The doctor glance at Lu Feng as if to laugh. He got up and told An Zhe, ¡°Come with me.¡±


    After going with him, An Zhe was arranged to live on a silver-white platform. His limbs were fixed with mechanical bracelets and foot rings. The doctor ordered, ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±


    Immediately after, there was a pain in his arm. He turned his head and saw the doctor slowly pulling a tube of bright red blood from his body. The doctor said, ¡°The colour of your blood is healthy.¡±


    An Zhe replied, ¡°Thank you for the compliment.¡±


    The doctor was amused by his answer. ¡°The blood will be sent for genetic testing, which takes one hour. The full body enhancement scan is expected to take 40 minutes so don¡¯t move.¡±


    He finished speaking and blue light rose on the silver platform. There was a low hum that had no direction. Every grain of air was the source of the sound. The sound coming from all directions reminded An Zhe of the distant nights in the Abyss. The sound of waves came from the distant sea. When the night was darkest, there would be howls of unknown creatures in that direction. The waves that couldn¡¯t be described with human language would sweep over the land during the rainy season.


    The electric current was like countless ants crawling and biting him. 40 minutes wasn¡¯t a long time for a mushroom. However, An Zhe thought it might be the last 40 minutes of his life so he cherished it, carefully looking up at the mechanical lines on the ceiling.


    It was unknown how much time passed when he heard Lu Feng speaking outside, ¡°Seran told me that your inspection has been upgraded.¡±


    ¡°You are very well informed,¡± the doctor said. ¡°We found that when the human body mutates, some special segments of the DNA are activated. We named it the target. There are two types of target, animal variation and plant variation. The improved gene detection is carried out using two processes at the same time. One is the animal target detection and the other is plant-based. This takes one hour in total.¡±


    Lu Feng stated, ¡°Congratulations.¡±


    The doctor smiled. ¡°Colonel, if the time and cost of genetic testing are greatly reduced then won¡¯t your Trial Court be closed?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re boring.¡±


    They stopped talking.


    Meanwhile, An Zhe looked at the silver-white ceiling and wondered what his species was. He was a mushroom. The doctor said that the variation was divided into animal variation and plant variation. An Zhe felt that first of all, a mushroom wasn¡¯t an animal. Second, mushrooms didn¡¯t seem to be plants. He had no leaves. An Zhe was confused. He tried hard to classify himself as a plant but didn¡¯t find enough evidence.


    It took him too long thinking about this. Before he came up with any results, the blue light disappeared from him like low tide.


    ¡°Yes.¡± The doctor¡¯s voice was heard and the mechanical rings loosened automatically.


    He heard the doctor continue to say, ¡°Colonel, can I ask you why you took him for a genetic test?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    The doctor obviously choked.


    He helped An Zhe up, helped An Zhe sit down on a side chair and touched An Zhe¡¯s head. ¡°Good, take a rest here. I¡¯ll go see the result of the blood test.¡±


    An Zhe sat down.


    The judge, the colonel, was sitting opposite him and still staring at him with cold green eyes. This was a young face with a sharp outline. A few locks of black hair hung over the forehead under the cap and touched slanting eyebrows. The tip of the brow and the corner of the eye were plated with a thin layer of cold light, like a knife had scraped it.


    An Zhe was cold after being stared at by such a pair of eyes. Mushrooms were afraid of the cold. Thus, he turned the swivel chair around and turned his back to the colonel. He felt colder. A long time passed before the doctor¡¯s footsteps were heard again, unfreezing the room.¡±The genetic report is normal. You can go.¡±


    After a few seconds of silence, Lu Feng asked, ¡°You are 100% sure he is human?¡±


    ¡°It might disappoint you but we haven¡¯t found any targets. It is dissimilar to the other infected people and heterogenous species.¡±


    Having said this, he added, ¡°look, the child doesn¡¯t want to talk to you.¡±


    Then the colonel ordered, ¡°Turn back.¡±


    An Zhe silently turned back. He avoided Lu Feng¡¯s eyes because he really wasn¡¯t human. He avoided it but as a result, he didn¡¯t know how he provoked the colonel. The colonel¡¯s voice was like ice water as he questioned, ¡°What are you afraid of?¡±


    An Zhe was silent. He intuitively sensed that saying something in front of this person would be a mistake and perhaps his handle would be caught.


    Finally, Lu Feng raised his eyebrows. ¡°You aren¡¯t going?¡±


    An Zhe jumped out of the chair and left with this person. This time, he was freed and not handcuffed. In the uninhabited corridor, they had walked halfway through when Lu Feng suddenly opened his mouth. ¡°The first time I saw you, my intuition told me that you aren¡¯t human.¡±


    An Zhe almost went into cardiac arrest. After a full three seconds, he finally said, ¡°That¡­ what about the second glance?¡±


    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve applied for a genetic test.¡± The colonel reached out and handed over the report sheet on the genetic examination. ¡°You better be.¡±


    An Zhe could only take the list that showed he was normal. For a while, there were only monotonous footsteps in the silver-white corridor.


    Near the exit was a turn. They ran into a team led by a judge in black uniform. Behind the judge, two heavily armed soldiers escorted a man over. Next to them was a tall, short-haired woman with a troubled face.


    The judge saw Lu Feng and said, ¡°Colonel.¡±


    Lu Feng looked at the man who was detained. The man¡¯s throat spasmed a few times before he called out loudly, ¡°I¡¯m not infected!¡±


    The judge told Lu Feng, ¡°There is a high degree of suspicion of infection but there was no conclusive evidence. The family urged for a genetic examination.¡±


    Lu Feng let out a faint hum and the soldiers escorted the man to move on. They had just rubbed shoulders with Lu Feng when¡ª


    Bang!


    Lu Feng took back his gun and walked forward without looking back. ¡°No need.¡±


    The man¡¯s body fell forward instantly and he was dragged by the soldiers. The woman who followed screamed and fell to the ground.


    An Ze turned to look at Lu Feng¡¯s face. This person¡¯s eyes were so cold. An Zhe had never seen such eyes. He knew that An Ze was always gentle, Vance was generous, Horsen was full of greed and Anthony was vigilant. They were unlike Lu Feng, who had nothing in his eyes. For the judge, killing might be more normal than breathing. He wouldn¡®t have any mood swings because he was used to it.


    An Zhe and Lu Feng came to the exit of the corridor. At the exit, two soldiers in plain clothes were waiting for him with a body covered in white cloth. An Zhe knew it was Vance. His eyes were hazy and he took a step forward, trying to remove the white cloth to look at Vance¡¯s face. However, he was stopped by the soldiers.


    The soldiers handed a blue chip to him, speaking in a steady tone. ¡°It has been confirmed that there are no survivors in the AR1147 mercenary team. The equipment and materials have been recovered by the base. This has been converted into currency and distributed to the family members in combination with the pension. Please claim the remains.¡±


    An Zhe asked, ¡°Where are you taking him?¡±


    The soldier replied, ¡°The incinerator.¡±


    His body trembled and he didn¡¯t reach for the ID card.


    Lu Feng¡¯s voice rang out, ¡°You don¡¯t want it?¡±


    An Zhe didn¡¯t speak. After a long time, he looked up at Lu Feng. ¡°He really¡­ wasn¡¯t injured.¡±


    In the cold green eyes, he saw his own image, slightly wide-eyed and with a type of calm sadness. Lu Feng was still expressionless, like it had nothing to do with him. Just as An Zhe thought the man was going to turn around and leave, An Zhe saw him step forward.


    The black butt of the gun raised the edge of the white cloth, revealing Vance¡¯s right hand. An Zhe half-knelt down to see. On the ring finger, there was a tiny red dot, like the most insignificant stab wound. However, on the edge of the red dot, an ominous drop of black liquid was slowly oozing out.


    He choked and in a flash, those scenes came to mind.


    There was human blood on the shell of the ant. That day, Vance told him that some people hid the truth of their injuries because in places with low pollution levels, there was still a probability of not being infected. In addition, they wanted to go home.


    So, so¡ª the person stabbed by the ant¡¯s shell wasn¡¯t Anthony, it was Vance.


    An Zhe was unable to breathe. His fingers trembled as he took Vance¡¯s ID card. He put it in his pocket and turned to look at Lu Feng, only to find empty space. He stood there and looked outside. He saw a sharp black back slowly disappear under the grey canopy of the city gate.


    Moments later, a sudden noise came from behind him. He turned to see the woman whose companion was killed. She stumbled out, only to be stopped by the soldiers.


    ¡°Lu Feng! Judge¡ª!¡± She struggled hard, crashing down in front of her, waving her arms in the air and screaming, ¡°You will die¡ª!¡±


    The hoarse, sharp voice emerged from her chest and echoed through the layers of the building¡¯s interior. However, she couldn¡¯t get a response from the judge. The surroundings were quiet and the two bodies were carried away in turn. In the empty corridor, there was only the intermittent sound of a woman crying.

 Chapter 6

    It wasn¡¯t until a long time later than the woman against the wall stopped sobbing. Her eyes were red and her hair was messy. She leaned against the wall and looked at the sky in the distance without saying a word. She was like drops of water on a leaf that would be broken when touched.


    An Zhe asked carefully, ¡°You aren¡¯t going?¡±


    She shook her head, her voice hoarse, ¡°What does that dead person have to do with you?¡±


    It took a long time for An Zhe to find the right words in his memories. ¡°My¡­ friend. He saved my life.¡±


    ¡°My man saved me.¡± The moment she said this, she hung her head, her shoulders and back shaking as she occasionally cried. She never talked again.


    An Zhe tightly held the ID card belonging to Vance. In this heart, the heart that belonged to a human, came a dull feeling. It was something he had never felt when he was a pure mushroom.


    This feeling finally dispelled a bit and he found the strength to follow the flow of the distant crowd, raising his legs to walk through the channel. At the end of the city gate channel was a row of mechanical gates. An Zhe chose the far left and as he walked past, a soft, mechanical female voice was heard. ¡°Please show your ID card and look at the camera.¡±


    The ID card belonging to An Ze was placed on the white light platform at the right end of the gate. Then he looked up at the black camera in front.


    ¡°ID3261170514. Name: An Ze. Origin: Outer City 6th District. Departure time: 27 days ago.¡±


    The camera made a slight noise and the white light turned green.


    ¡°The face recognition has been passed. Welcome home.¡±


    There was a ding and the floodgates rose. An Zhe walked through. The glare of the morning sun made him squint. Then after 30 seconds, the fuzzy world became clear and a huge grey city appeared before his eyes.


    He was in a large area of open land and on the ground, the words ¡®buffer zone¡¯ were written in dazzling green paint. In front of his eyes, human creations rose from the ground, tall concrete buildings higher than the highest plants An Zhe had ever seen. They stood there, crowded and stacked as they blocked his view. He looked up and saw the orange sun hidden behind the tallest building. The remaining exposed half was like a drop of dilute blood that would flow down the wall the next moment.


    An Zhe turned back. The people who went through the mechanical gates dispersed and then spontaneously gathered together to go in the same direction. An Zhe moved forward and followed them. After taking hundreds of steps, he turned a corner and saw a sign that said ¡®rail transit.¡¯ A train stopped on the trace and the body said: Entrance ¨C District 1 ¨C No. 3 Supply Station ¨C District 5 ¨C District 6 ¨C Urban Affairs Office ¨C Exit.


    He followed the crowd to a train and found a corner seat in the slightly empty carriage. The front seat contained two strong men who were talking in whispers.


    ¡°You came back from Basin 3? You really risked your life this time.¡±


    ¡°Six people died.¡±


    ¡°Okay, are you back?¡±


    ¡°The military is still appraising and deciding but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have to go to the wild again until my next life.¡±


    ¡°Ohh.¡±


    ¡°We entered a school in the No. 411 abandoned city. It was full of mutant plants and no one dared enter.¡± The man smiled. ¡°We went in and pried three hard disks from the library¡¯s reference room. They are priceless and it depends on how much value is in there.¡±


    An Zhe listened quietly. He didn¡¯t understand but he knew the man in front of him was happy, so he was a bit happy. He knew that happy people didn¡¯t mind helping others so he called out, ¡°Sir.¡±


    The head didn¡¯t turn as the person asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°How do I get to District 6?¡±


    ¡°Get off at the supply station and change to train 2.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Five minutes later, the train started. There was a mechanical voice reporting the platform name. Everything was strange to An Zhe. After several twists and turns and asking for directions, he finally got on the No. 2 train at the supply station. Then he got off the train correctly and arrived at District 6.


    An Ze¡¯s ID number was 3261170514. This wasn¡¯t only a proof of his human identity but also represented his address. It was the 6th District in the Outer City, building 117, door number 0514.


    However, shortly after getting off the train and when he was trying to find someone to ask for directions, he was suddenly pulled by a young boy. ¡°Hello friend. Welcome, would you mind looking at this?¡±


    Before An Zhe could speak, he had a white paper filled with large bloody letters shoved toward him. It said: Resist the tyranny of the judges. He didn¡¯t understand but he didn¡¯t ask. He just wondered, ¡°Do you know how to get to Building 117?¡±


    The boy requested, ¡°It is one the way so do you mind going with us, do you?¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯re all comrades.¡± The boy raised the white paper on his hand. It said in big red letters: Repeal the Judges Act.


    They weren¡¯t the only ones holding paper. Soon, they were pulled into a group of people. There were around 40 of them, each one holding a similar white paper or long banner. The sentences on the paper and banner were similar.


    ¡°We will voluntarily bear the cost of genetic testing.¡±


    ¡°The judges are human sinners.¡±


    ¡°Dissolve the court and seek justice for the innocent.¡±


    At the same time, the crowd slowly moved forward and An Zhe could only move with them.


    The city¡¯s roads were narrowed. The sun shone on buildings and cast undulating shadows on the ground. In addition to them on the road, there were many adults who walked with their heads bowed. They looked up to this side but quickly looked away.


    An Zhe questioned, ¡°What are we doing?¡±


    ¡°A silent demonstration,¡± the boy replied. ¡°We will wait until the day the Trial Court is dissolved.¡±


    ¡°¡­Oh.¡±


    After walking for half an hour, he asked the boy next to him again, ¡°Where is Building 117?¡±


    ¡°In front, we¡¯re almost there.¡±


    After another hour and a half, An Zhe asked again, ¡°Where is Building 117?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±The boy scratched his head. ¡°I forgot about you. We walked past it. It is behind us.¡±


    As he spoke, he turned to a place, ¡°That direction. It isn¡¯t far away. The building number is written on the side and you can see them.¡±


    An Zhe told him, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    An Zhe returned the paper to the boy. ¡°I¡¯ll give this back to you.¡±


    ¡°No need!¡± The boy returned the paper to his hands. ¡°Remember to come again next week. We are meeting in Building 1!¡±


    Thus, An Zhe stacked the ¡®resist the tyranny of the judges¡¯ paper together with the genetic report sheet. He held it in his arms as he left these strange young people and walked in the direction indicated.


    As he walked, he felt the surrounding environment become familiar. The memories in his mind that originally belonged to An Ze were awakened and he followed his intuition to turn a few corners, smoothly arriving in front of the building labelled ¡®117.¡¯ This was a rectangular building that was 10 stories high and was very wide. He entered Unit 0 and climbed the steep stairs to the fifth floor. He entered a dark corridor and found room 14.


    A white seal was pasted on the door. An Zhe gently tore it open and revealed the sensing area below. He stuck the ID card on it and the door lock popped open as he went inside.


    This was a very small room. It was smaller than the cave where he once lived but it was more spacious and brighter than the rest area in the armoured vehicle. There was a wooden desk with a dozen old books against the wall, paper and notebooks stacked to one side. The desk was facing a single bed with a cabinet at the end. There was a glass of water, a mirror and some clutter. In addition, there was a one-person wardrobe at the end of the bed.


    The window was on the other side of the bed and the grey curtains were half open. The sun shone in and the quilt was shining with the same colour. There was a dry fragrance that reminded him of An Ze¡¯s smell.


    He went to the bed and reached for the big mirror that showed his face. He looked like An Ze, with soft black hair and eyes of the same colour. Many places were similar but there were some different details. Moreover, he didn¡¯t have An Ze¡¯s gentle and calm look.


    At that time, An Ze had said to him, ¡°I feel like I have one more brother. I¡¯ll give you a name, little mushroom.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a deep impression of anything, little mushroom?¡±


    There were only two things in his limited memories that were profound. One was when he lost his spore and the other happened when he was very young, probably when he was as long as a human finger.


    During the mushroom growing rainy season, he was hit on his slender stem by a splash of rain and his waist folded. Then, like any injured creature, try to grow back and live. Gradually, there was a vague consciousness and he healed.


    Since then, he seemed to be different from his own kind. He could control his own mycelium, he could flow between the jungle ad wilderness and also found the sounds and movements outside. He was a free mushroom.


    ¡°Poor little thing.¡± At that time, An Ze had touched his hair. ¡°Did it hurt when you broke?¡±


    ¡°I forgot.¡±


    An Ze had said, ¡°Let¡¯s call you An Zhe.¡±


    He said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Thinking of this, An Zhe smiled into the mirror. Once the man in the mirror smiled, he seemed to see An Ze¡¯s shadow again.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he told the mirror.


    An Zhe put down the mirror and sat at the desk. What next?


    Thinking this, An Zhe reached out his left hand and gazed at the tip of his finger in the light. The snow-white mycelium quietly started to spread from his fingertips, condensing into a solid body. He picked up the dagger and cut a thin piece. Then he picked it up with his right hand, placed it to his mouth and pushed it in gently, biting it. He had decided to explore if he was poisonous or not.


    Soft, sweet and delicious¡ªthis was his first impression. The next second, the whole world in front of him shook.

 Chapter 7

    Immediately, he became lighter, floating in the air. The sunlight from the window turned into a vast sea of water and the paper and notebooks on the table turned into a vast expanse of whiteness. An Zhe blinked. He didn¡¯t feel uncomfortable but he felt that all his movements had become very slow and erratic. He couldn¡¯t control his body. It was as if he was flying and was about to fall.


    Then¡ªthe world before him gradually darkened and he completely lost consciousness.


    He was awakened by the cold. Once he opened his eyes and woke up, he found that the continuous grey buildings outside the window were immersed in the golden-red sunset and onto him. He had passed out for at least seven or eight hours. It turned out that the toxicity of his mycelium was to make people sleepy.


    The temperature in the room was much lower in the evening then it was in the day time. An Zhe lay on the bed and wrapped himself in a quilt, restoring the temperature. After the numbness from the cold dissipated, he was hungry again.


    An Zhe preferred to use mushrooms to absorb nutrients but along the way, he couldn¡¯t find even a piece of wet soil in the entire base. He could only eat food. Human beings were truly troublesome creatures. An Zhe frowned.


    Fortunately, An Ze¡¯s residual memories told him where to go to eat. The base was divided into eight districts. Districts 6, 7 and 8 were the main living areas. Here, each building was a community and the first floor was the hall. Water and food were provided on a daily basis. Children under the age of 16 had a free quota while adults over the age of 16 needed to pay using the base currency. The currency unit was the letter R.


    There weren¡¯t many people in the hall. It was approximately 50 people. There were only two windows for selling food. One was a mud-like dish made from the tubers of some type of plant and the other was a soup made from the same plant tubers. An Zhe searched his memories and remembered that this plant was called a potato.


    An Zhe paid by credit card.


    For mashed potatoes, the price was 0.5 and his balance was 9.5


    For potato soup, the price was 0.3 and his remaining balance became 9.2.


    An Zhe stared at the number that represented the balance of the card and realized that he would be on the verge of starvation in a few days. He felt like a mushroom rooted in dry soil and was facing death at any time.


    This feeling became more apparent when he returned to the fifth floor after eating and spent 0.1R in the common water room. Thus, he added finding a source of money on his things to do. After screwing on the cap of the standard stainless steel bottle, An Zhe held it in his hand and was about to turn around when a voice was heard behind him. ¡°An Ze?¡±


    The voice was loud and trembling as it echoed in the small space. An Zhe turned around. In the corridor stood a young man who was tall and handsome. At this moment, the man was staring at An Zhe, lips shaking. It was difficult to judge if his expression was shock or joy.


    ¡°An Ze?¡± He exclaimed again. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re back? You¡¯re not¡ª¡±


    Here, he shut up again. His face was blue like he didn¡¯t know how to continue. However, An Zhe knew what he wanted to say. It was because he knew this man. The man¡¯s name was Josie.


    Josie was An Ze¡¯s neighbour and friend who grew up with him. Sometimes, Josie would take care of An Ze. More often, An Ze would take care of him. The remnants of these memories appeared before An Zhe.


    Still, his understanding of Josie wasn¡¯t entirely derived from An Ze¡¯s memories. As a mushroom, he had met this person. His observations and An Ze¡¯s memories combined to complete the real cuase of An Ze¡¯s death.


    An Ze was a person who lived by writing. His job was to write novels, essays or poems for people¡¯s amusements. He contributed it to the base every month and the base would regularly publish such pamphlets to people. However, just three months ago, the base removed this department to save manpower and resources.


    At that time¡ª


    ¡°An Ze, what are you reading?¡± Josie asked.


    ¡°I want to prepare for the selection test of the base¡¯s supply station.¡± An Ze drew a circle in the book. ¡°I think I would like the work there and the salary is good.¡±


    Josie frowned.


    ¡°You want to get away from civilian status?¡± He asked. ¡°The test is difficult.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°An Ze.¡± Josie¡¯s tone became harsh. ¡°You¡¯ve always known that I want to go out into the wild with you.¡±


    An Ze smiled. His tone was very light, like coaxing a wayward friend, but there was also a helpless sigh. ¡°I¡¯m not fit to go outside.¡±


    ¡°I will protect you.¡± Josie grabbed his shoulder, voice soft. ¡°I can¡¯t live without you. Follow me into the wild and we won¡¯t go to any dangerous places.¡±


    The fragments of memories were roughly the same. Eventually, under Josie¡¯s soft persuasion, An Ze promised to go on an adventure into the wild. Josie was the member of a large mercenary team. He did some work and introduced An Ze very smoothly. An Ze was responsible for the distribution and statistics of materials.


    However, in the wild, anything could happen. One day, the team lost its way and entered the edge of the Abyss. By the time they found out that the mushrooms here were unusual, it was too late. The monsters in the Abyss wouldn¡¯t let go of any food.


    For humans, even the edges of the Abyss were terrible. Three of the five armoured vehicles were damaged. The people on these three panicked and moved to the intact armoured vehicles. As they were escaping, An Ze pushed Josie to barely dodge the attack of a winged monster in the air and tripped over the vines on the ground.


    Josie paused for a second. After this second, this survival instinct surpassed everything. Between pulling An Ze up and escaping, he chose the latter. He flew forward and was pulled by the captain into the armoured vehicle. At this moment, An Ze stared at their figures while being stabbed through the chest by the monster¡¯s bone spurs.


    Immediately, the mercenary team used the heaviest firepower to start a fierce battle with the monsters and then withdrew. Their movements were too loud and they woke up An Zhe. He came out to look for the spore but returned empty-handed every time. This time was the exception. He took advantage of the fierce fighting to quietly bring An Ze deep into the cave.


    Thus, facing Josie at this moment, An Zhe had nothing to say. The first reaction of any creature facing death was to escape. Josie did nothing wrong but An Zhe didn¡¯t like him.


    ¡°You¡­ are a bit different.¡± Josie¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple moved. ¡°Is your injury okay? You escaped from the Abyss?¡±


    An Zhe just looked at him calmly.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not An Ze. You¡¯re not human.¡± Josie took a sharp step back, his face white. ¡°You are a different kind.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± An Zhe passed by him. ¡°I accidentally ate a poisonous mushroom and can¡¯t remember who you are.¡±

 Chapter 8

    After speaking, An Zhe ignored him and went straight forward. No footsteps were heard behind him until he used his ID card to open the door. Then Josie hurried to this side and grabbed his shoulder. ¡°Are you really An Ze? But you¡ª¡±


    The stack of genetic test reports on the table was delivered to Josie.


    Josie muttered, ¡°This is¡­¡±


    An Zhe lowered his head and found the outermost piece of paper had the phrase about resisting the judges. He slowly yanked the paper away and Josie looked at the genetic test report.


    ¡°You¡­¡± He glanced through it hurriedly before looking up at An Zhe. ¡°You really escaped from the Abyss?¡±


    ¡°I was saved.¡± An Zhe replied. ¡°I forgot other things.¡±


    Josie¡¯s hands trembled as he held the genetic report. The corners of his mouth rose as he looked up and smiled. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m so excited. I didn¡¯t expect you to come back.¡±


    He put the genetic report on the table. Then he leaned toward An Zhe, the muscles of his brow twitching as he looked slightly excited. ¡°You¡­ how much have you forgotten?¡±


    An Zhe took a step back.


    ¡°I have forgotten everything.¡± He declared, ¡°Please don¡¯t disturb my life.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you remember who I am?¡± Josie¡¯s voice lowered a bit. ¡°We grew up together.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Can you go out now?¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡± Josie obviously hadn¡¯t expected the other person to treat him with such an attitude. ¡°You weren¡¯t like this before.¡±


    Then after a moment, his attitude softened again. ¡°I won¡¯t disturb you. Have a good rest and I¡¯ll come to see you tomorrow. I¡¯m so happy. An Ze, we are the closest people in the world.¡±


    An Zhe remained silent and didn¡¯t speak until Josie turned away. Then he gently closed the door. He felt it was unrealistic that Josie let him go so easily and left the room, but perhaps Josie had fled because of guilt.


    The room was quiet again. An Ze leaned slowly against the bed, hugging the pillow as he felt a smoke-like discomfort. This discomfort wasn¡¯t for himself but for An Ze. The agreement between humans and humans was probably so fragile. Josie wouldn¡¯t be the person closest to An Ze. Once An Zhe retrieved his spore, he would return to the Abyss, find the quiet cave and take root next to An Ze¡¯s white bones, spending the rest of his life as a mushroom.


    ¡­His spore.


    Outside the window, it was night and the aurora was rolling in the dark sky as always. An Zhe sat at the table and turned on the lamp.


    First, he had to find a job so he didn¡¯t starve to death. At the same time, he had to look for information on his spore. The only clue was the brass-coloured casing.


    Thinking of this, An Zhe anxiously touched his pocket. He was always afraid that this thing would be lost¡ªokay, still there. As a mushroom, he could hide it on his body but this wasn¡¯t possible as a human. It was too small and might slip out of his pocket at any time. Eventually, An Zhe opened a drawer in his room and found a black leather rope, hanging the bullet casing from it.


    There was a small black machine in the drawer. He tried to observe the details of its appearance and finally found some information from his memories. This was a communication device. Everyone¡¯s ID number was the communication number. Humans could use the communicator to talk over long distances. However, this was only inside the base because there was no signal outside.


    He charged the communicator. He didn¡¯t use it but just seeing it ¡®powered up¡¯ seemed to make humans feel a great pleasure. Having done this, he finally settled down and started to look at the desk.


    The notebook on the desk was something An Ze had written in and his handwriting was beautiful. On the side near the wall, more than two dozen books were placed. This was probably because An Ze previously loved to read. An Zhe browsed the names on the spine of the books before reaching out and picking up a simple grey book with the title ¡®Base Manual.¡¯


    He turned the page and saw only one sentence: Human interests takes precedence over everything else.


    An Zhe subconsciously pursed his lips and turned to the next page. The second page was the table of contents. The entire manual was divided into four parts: Base law, the rules of life in the base, the functional areas introduction and a map.


    An Zhe skipped the base law part. He knew he was a safe and secure mushroom. A mushroom that was safe and secure wouldn¡¯t violate the rules of any species. The section on the rules of life explained in detail the schedule of the living area. Every day at 6 o¡¯clock in the morning, power would turn on and water and food would be available for one hour. For dinner, it would start at 6 o¡¯clock in the evening. The power supply time was a bit longer and wouldn¡¯t be cut off until 9 o¡¯clock in the evening. Every residential area was equipped with a tall alarm tower. There were three types of alarms, namely ¡®assembly¡¯, ¡®evacuation¡¯ and ¡®emergency shelter.¡¯ The assembly alarm was a short high-frequency beeping while the evacuation alarm was a gradual wave sound signal. The emergency shelter alarm was sharp and long. Residents of the base must follow these rules of living and the instructions of the alarm tower. The rest of their lifestyle was up to them.


    An Zhe was a bit puzzled when he saw this. He felt that under such rules, everyone could lie down in their room and eat and drink regularly. Then he soon realized the intentions of the base.


    Although everyone could live freely, living at the base required paying a cost. In order to obtain the currency circulating around the base, people had to go out to find work or become mercenaries, collecting valuable materials from the outside and handing it over to the base in exchange for compensation.


    However¡­ in cases where everyone went to the least dangerous area and just grabbed something, it would be enough to maintain their eating and drinking needs.


    An Zhe continued to flip through the book. The next section was an introduction to the functional areas of the base.


    The first area that appeared in the book was about the ¡®supply station.¡¯ The supply stations were divided into 1, 2 and 3, of which 1 and 2 were owned by the military and were built at the entrance and exit of the base, responsible for currency, combat readiness and the verification and exchange of materials. Every time a mercenary team returned from the field, the staff at the supply station would calculate the materials they harvested into currency while the weapons and armoured vehicles were confiscated. They weren¡¯t allowed in the city and wouldn¡¯t be regained until the mercenary team re-applied to go outside. The mercenary teams could also exchange currency for guns, bullets, armour, fuel or even buy armoured vehicles of different models.


    Unlike the first two supply stations, the location of the 3rd supply station was in the city. It was responsible for the exchange of civilian goods. Using the base currency, civilians could exchange for living supplies, food and ingredients, alcohol, electronics and many other items. They could also conduct housing transactions.


    Opposite the 3rd supply station was the ¡®free market¡¯. Sometimes, the things that mercenaries got from human remained weren¡¯t needed by the military. At this time, they could bring the confirmed safe goods into the city and trade them freely.


    At this point, An Zhe saw a small line of notes below.


    Note: The free market isn¡¯t an official base facility.


    Note: Employment and contractual relationships established through the free market aren¡¯t protected by base law. The consequences are at your own risk.


    An Zhe only saw the word ¡®employment¡¯ and nothing else. In other words, the free market was a place that offered jobs.


    He continued down and there was a brief introduction of each residential area. The densely populated areas were Districts 6 and 7. The remaining areas had very few humans and the buildings were vacant while District 8 was a centralized refuge with complete safety facilities.


    After that, it was a briefing of the Trial Court. An Zhe remembered the judge colonel with cold green eyes and read slowly, reading word by word.


    The court¡¯s role wasn¡¯t only to identify the heterogenous at the city gates. They would also conduct daily patrols in densely populated areas of the city, conducting a secondary screening and eliminating hidden dangers. The main patrol route was around the supply station but the residential buildings would also be inspected from time to time, especially if abnormal behaviour was reported.


    Inexplicably, An Zhe thought of the sentence, ¡®You better be.¡¯


    If possible, An Zhe hoped that Lu Feng would stay at the gate forever and that the judge didn¡¯t have to lower his pride to come to the residential buildings.


    Looking through, the other areas had little to do with him. For example, the city affairs office, the city defense office, the main city, etc. As mentioned above, the base consisted of the outer city, or Acropolis, and the main city. The main city was an important base for scientific research. The energy and military facilities were located here and it was the political centre of the base. All people were forbidden to enter unless they held special permits or a residence permit.


    Finally, after browsing the base map, An Zhe closed the book. He once again realized that humans were different creatures from mushrooms.


    The second book he opened was ¡®Supply Station Assessment Manual.¡¯ As soon as he saw the cover, the memories related to it came to mind, much clearer than other memories. An Zhe thought that maybe this meant it was very important for An Ze to go to the supply station.


    In that case, why promise Josie to go out to the wild with him? He thought for a long time before finally coming to the conclusion, ¡®An Ze is such a human.¡¯


    An Ze missed the test. This year¡¯s recruitment test for the supply stations was held 15 days ago when An Ze had already turned to white bones. Still, it didn¡¯t matter. One year later when the supply station recruited people again, An Zhe would try it if he was still alive in the human base. In this way, he could tell An Ze what it was like after returning to the cave.


    Reading for a long time consumed a lot of his energy. After attempting to read two pages of the assessment manual, An Zhe was sleepy and finally went to bed. The next morning, in order to avoid meeting Josie, he left his room at four in the morning. He went downstairs and took a train to the supply station. He was going to the free market opposite it to find a job.


    It was 7 o¡¯clock in the morning when he got off the train and there was still a thin white mist in the air. The free market was a large circular building with four entrances and exits. He entered from the nearest one.


    The smell of hard alcohol penetrated into his nasal cavity. Four long tables were set up at the entrance. People dressed as mercenaries slammed their fists on the table and talked loudly, alcohol in front of them. Sometimes, someone would ask for more alcohol. Then the waiter would fill the alcohol and take out a small machine, sticking the ID card to it before handing the charges to the customer.


    A dark-skinned mercenary was drinking alone. He saw An Zhe and raised his eyebrows with a grin, shaking the glass in his hand. ¡°Child, what are you looking for? Did you come to learn how to drink?¡±


    A short-haired woman next to him immediately hit him on the chest with her elbow, voice hoarse but full of joy. ¡°Article 32, minors can¡¯t drink.¡±


    The man replied, ¡°Drinking is drinking. Will he be taken away by the judge?¡±


    The woman burst out laughing. ¡°An underage child doesn¡¯t know the judges¡¯ strength.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll know soon.¡±


    An Zhe stood beside them, trying to say that he wasn¡¯t a minor. However, in the gap when he thought of these words, the two of them were pressed together, lips to lips and all wrapped around each other. He realized that no one really cared.


    Thus, he looked away from here and looked elsewhere.


    The smell of potato soup wafted from the right doorway. It was much richer than the potato soup served in the lobby on the first floor of the residential building. It was mixed with a meaty scent that made humans happy. A mercenary was buried in a white, plastic soup bowl for his breakfast.


    The smell made An Zhe a bit hungry since he hadn¡¯t eaten breakfast.


    Further down, there were similar scenes. The hall was filled with a lively atmosphere and in addition to the long tables selling food and alcohol, there were many stalls selling clothing, backpacks and gloves. Going further, there were fewer and fewer stalls selling fixed items. Instead, there were many strange and miscellaneous things at the stalls that An Zhe couldn¡¯t recognize.


    ¡°This is the newly unearthed smartphone from Waste City 511 that can be powered on with electricity.¡± As An Zhe was walking, a young man in black clothes and a backpack appeared in front of him like a monkey. The man was very thin with narrow eyes. The moment after he stopped An Zhe, he quickly pulled out a black cuboid from his back and shook it in front of An Zhe. ¡°Look at it? I¡¯ll give you a 10% discount and give you the charging cable. You can play games with it.¡±


    An Zhe replied, ¡°Thank you, no need.¡±


    The young man quickly took out something white from his bag. ¡°Then I¡¯ll change the model. This colour is very suitable for you. It is new and the last fruit machine before the apocalypse. The price used to be 10,000 but now it is 100.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, I don¡¯t need it.¡±


    The man continued pulling out another object. ¡°No need? If you have a phone then do you need a power bank? It can be used to charge your phone in cases of a power failure at the base. The capacity of this one has run out and it can only be charged twice more. I¡¯ll give you a discount. It is only 30R.¡±


    An Zhe told him honestly, ¡°I don¡¯t have any money.¡±


    The expression of the young man in black instantly stiffened and he returned the things to his backpack. He raised his legs, ready to leave as he whispered, ¡°Why come to the black market if you have no money?¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute,¡± An Zhe stopped him.


    He turned around but his attitude was extremely negative. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m looking for a job.¡± An Zhe asked, ¡°Do you know where to go?¡±


    The young man frowned. He turned back and examined An Zhe from head to toe. ¡°It turns out that you¡¯re a job seeker.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± An Zhe replied truthfully.


    ¡°Then your qualifications are good.¡± The young man said. ¡°Once you gain money, remember to buy a mobile phone from me. Oh, I¡¯m staying at the black market this month.¡±


    An Zhe, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He asked, ¡°So where should I go?¡±


    ¡°Yes, over there.¡± The young man pointed to one corner. ¡°Go down to the third underground floor and look for the boss.¡±


    An Zhe was grateful and smiled at him. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You look good. Find a reliable person. If you develop well then remember to buy a phone from me!¡±


    ¡°¡­Okay.¡±


    Three floors below the ground.


    Humid¡ªthis was the first impression An Zhe had of this place. A mushroom should like this type of water-rich air but the pungent smell that came with the humidity made him frown.


    He looked around. In the dim light, this was a beehive-like space. The corridor twisted and turned and the walls were made of countless narrow compartments with simply plastic sheeting. There was no air flowing and water vapour condensed on the plastic sheets, dense and small drops of water. The entire space emitted a subtle buzzing. Listening carefully, it was the effect of many people¡¯s whispering voices converging and echoing, with occasional high-pitched laughter.


    An Zhe hesitated before taking a few steps forward.


    He looked at the small compartments on both sides. The left hand side was empty while the right contained a long-haired woman with her head down. Once she heard his footsteps, she looked up before looking down again.


    An Zhe continued and heard the voice of a woman.


    ¡°What is the climate like in Basin 2?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± This time, it was a low and soft male voice, a little sticky. The end syllable was dragged out a long time and it was suspected that his nose was blocked. ¡°The weather was comfortable but there were too many earthquakes. We encountered three earthquakes in a month. The worst one was when everyone was outside. I was alone in the car and almost thought they wouldn¡¯t be able to come back.¡±


    The woman laughed. ¡°They can¡¯t come back but you can drive away.¡±


    ¡°The last time I talked to the team, the captain said he was going to teach me to drive. As a result, it turned out he was just coaxing me. He said he would bring me next time and coaxed me. I stayed with them for a month and only got 300. Is this still expensive?¡±


    ¡°You just listened to the soldier¡¯s words.¡± The woman asked, ¡°You aren¡¯t used to being cheated yet?¡±


    An Zhe¡¯s footsteps stopped.


    He recalled Horsen¡¯s face and greedy eyes and suddenly knew what type of work was done on the third underground floor. In addition, there was the note in the manual: employment and contractual relationships established through the free market aren¡¯t protected by base law. The consequences are at your own risk.


    He didn¡¯t want to find out the consequences.


    An Zhe was quietly planning to leave. He had just turned around when he bumped into a soft body.


    ¡°Yo.¡± A high-pitched female voice was heard. ¡°Baby, is this your first time?¡±


    The word ¡®baby¡¯ was deep shadow for him and An Zhe reflexively stepped back. In front of him was a tall woman with honey-coloured skin and blue eyes. Her long brown hair was curled at the ends and her eyes were slender and upturned as she smiled at him.


    ¡°Are you a buyer? Or are you here to sell yourself?¡± The woman blew in his ear and smiled.

 Chapter 9

    ¡°None.¡± An Zhe stepped back again, his back against a plastic sheet. ¡°I went the wrong way.¡±


    ¡°You went the wrong way?¡± The woman wondered. ¡°The second underground floor is the casino. Where do you want to go?¡±


    She held a cigarette between the fingers of her right hand. She sucked it with her red lips and smiled. ¡°Beware of losing yourself.¡±


    An Zhe looked around but he was forced into a corner by the woman and there was no way to get out. This beautiful woman was more difficult than the monsters of the Abyss.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± She spat out a mouthful of white smoke and said, ¡°I won¡¯t eat you.¡±


    ¡°Then can you let me go?¡±


    The woman smiled again.


    ¡°Go?¡± She raised her eyebrows. ¡°Only those with nowhere to go will come to the third floor. Where can you go when you leave?¡±


    Then she grabbed his shoulder and pulled him forward. ¡°Are you scared here? You don¡¯t have to be here. I¡¯ll give you a big room.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± An Zhe lowered her head. ¡°However, I really went the wrong way.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°I was just looking for a normal job.¡± He explained, ¡°Then someone told me to come to the third underground floor.¡±


    ¡°You can only see people on the first floor of the black market.¡± The woman heard his words and blinked, eyes like smoke. ¡°You don¡¯t even know this?¡±


    ¡°I know now.¡± He knew about the free market from the base manual and that it was known as the black market.


    ¡°Base laws don¡¯t protect the black market.¡± The woman leaned against the way while smoking. Instead of pressing An Zhe tightly into the corner, she left a gap.


    An Zhe thought it was a signal that she was going to let him go. He had just stepped out when he saw two tall, black men behind her. There was one to the left and one to the right, blocking any direction he might go in.


    ¡°Anyone who comes to the third floor can¡¯t go out.¡± The woman¡¯s voice was no longer sweet and charming. Rather, it contained a cold chill. ¡°Still, you should count your luck.¡±


    An Zhe looked up at her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a chance,¡± she said. ¡°Boss Shaw¡¯s workshop is short of staff. If he wants you then you can work with him. If he doesn¡¯t want you¡ª¡±


    Her words came to an abrupt end and she turned in one direction. ¡°Come on.¡±


    An Zhe thought about it for three seconds before following after her. The cubicles were dense and he seemed to be walking in a maze built in a beehive, the lights getting dimmer and dimmer. Finally, a door on a grey wall appeared at the end of the space.


    The woman raised her hand and knocked on the door. ¡°Boss Shaw, I want to talk to you about business.¡±


    There was a squeak and the door opened. He was an old man with white hair. He wore black clothes and there was a bow tied at his neckline. He glanced at the woman. ¡°Du Sai, you¡¯re a rare guest.¡±


    The woman smiled as she extinguished the cigarette she was smoking on the wall. ¡°I found you for something.¡±


    ¡°How big is the job?¡± The man known as Boss Shaw glanced at her before turning to look at An Zhe.


    The woman¡ªDu Sai put her elbow on An Zhe¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It isn¡¯t big or hard. I¡¯m just afraid you won¡¯t agree and specifically found a meeting gift for you. I heard that your last apprentice died after drinking and that you¡¯re looking for the next one. You find women ugly and like men who are stupid. Look at this child who entered my house.¡±


    Boss Shaw¡¯s blue eyes turned and stood on An Zhe. ¡°He looks obedient.¡±


    ¡°He actually is obedient.¡± Du Sai played with her hair. ¡°I saw him and instantly felt that Boss Shaw would like him.¡±


    Boss Shaw smiled. Then he said to An Zhe, ¡°Reach out and let me see.¡±


    An Zhe stretched out his hands. His fingers were white with a slight pink to them.


    ¡°Du Sai, where did you get this person?¡± Boss Shaw wondered. ¡°How can a child like this be willing to come to the third floor?¡±


    ¡°He was tricked.¡±


    An Zhe, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He heard Boss Shaw order him, ¡°Make a fist. Do it slowly.¡±


    An Zhe slowly closed his five fingers.


    Boss Shaw added, ¡°One more time, slow down.¡±


    An Zhe slowed down.


    ¡°Slow down a bit more.¡±


    In the end, An Zhe slowed down to the point where it was hard to detect with the naked eye. Although he didn¡¯t know why Boss Shaw did this, it wasn¡¯t hard for him. In his mushroom form, he had to control thousands of fine mycelium at the same time. Now he only had five human fingers.


    At the end, even Du Sai came over.


    ¡°Boss Shaw, you¡¯ve found a treasure.¡± She lit another cigarette and said, ¡°His hands are steadier than your last apprentice.¡±


    Boss Shaw looked at An Zhe¡¯s hands and smiled. ¡°Lend him to me for a few days. If he is easy to use then I¡¯ll accept it.¡±


    Du Sai stated, ¡°You have to pay the child money.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    An Zhe was worried. He definitely needed money but listening to the phrase ¡®easy to use¡¯, he always felt it was a bit dangerous. Du Sai seemed to see through his concerns and patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Boss Shaw might not be a good person but his craft is expensive.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a good person?¡± Boss Shaw snorted. ¡°I¡¯m the biggest good person in this base.¡±


    He turned to An Zhe. ¡°You stroll through the store first. I have something to say with this crazy lady.¡±


    An Zhe was obedient. He turned to look at the nearest shelf and found some odd-shaped vials full of liquids and solids. The bottles were printed with naked human bodies. Further down, there were some books with similar covers¡ªhe knew this. A large part of the reason for the close of the base department that An Ze previously contributed to was that the base¡¯s books were ignored while pornographic books circulated by the black market were popular.


    Below the shelf was a transparent glass drawer filled with cigarettes. Next to it was a drawer filled with many mechanical USB drives.


    At this time, the conversation from Boss Shaw¡¯s side could be heard.


    ¡°The child is good. Ms Du has always been stingy. The fact that you sent me a big gift means the job you want to talk to me about must be unusual.¡± The sound of a lighter came from Boss Shaw and the concentration of smoke in the room doubled.


    ¡°He is a child I picked up.¡± Du Sai giggled a few times. ¡°It really isn¡¯t simple asking Boss Shaw to do things.¡±


    ¡°Anything is fine as long as the money is enough,¡± Boss Shaw stated in a relaxed tone.


    ¡°You might not dare to do it.¡± Du Sai said slowly.


    ¡°I dare as long as you add more money.¡±


    Du Sai sneered and uttered, ¡°The Judge. ¡°Do you still dare to do it?¡±


    An Zhe didn¡¯t know how the Judge could be linked to these two people in the black market. There was a burst of silence from Boss Shaw. Eventually, he said, ¡°I only do dead people, not living people, because I¡¯m afraid of getting into trouble. You want to create the biggest trouble for me.¡±


    ¡°To tell you the truth, I have a friend who loves the colonel and is going mad. Thus, I have to get him.¡± Du Sai explained. ¡°You know that any living person doesn¡¯t dare approach within three metres of the Judge. The only way is to buy a fake from you. My friend will play at home and never cause any trouble. What is the price? Boss Shaw just needs to say it.¡±


    Boss Shaw just laughed and didn¡¯t talk.


    At the same time, An Zhe slowly moved inside the store. He was walking when he kicked something. He lowered his head and saw a white and miserable hand lying alone on the concrete floor. Looking at the state, it was just broken off but the break was smooth and clean. No flesh or blood could be seen.


    An Zhe bent down and poked the skin of the hand. It was very soft and like a human hand, but not. This was a fake hand. He stopped exploring and got up. At this stop, he saw a man standing behind a glass window. In the dim light, a pair of dark eyes stared at him with half the body hidden in the darkness. It was a bit scary.


    An Zhe watched him for a long time. Three minutes later, he didn¡¯t see the person breathing. Maybe it was a doll like that fake hand.


    ¡°Scared?¡± Boss Shaw¡¯s voice suddenly rang out behind him.


    An Zhe replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Boss Shaw asked, ¡°Is it similar?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s similar.¡±


    Boss Shaw laughed hoarsely. Then he pressed a switch on the side and the lights here became much brighter.


    An Zhe finally saw the entire picture of the man in the glass window. He was a man in black clothes, tall and slender with good features. Once the light hit his face, it reflected a thin layer of white shimmer, adding a sense of ambiguity for no reason.


    ¡°The head of the AR137 mercenary team Hubbard, have you heard of him?¡± Boss Shaw questioned.


    An Zhe didn¡¯t speak and only Boss Shaw¡¯s voice continued to ring in the room. ¡°One of the most powerful mercenaries who led his team to a place with a five star danger rating like he is going to play. Isn¡¯t he rich?¡±


    ¡°En.¡±


    He knew that supplies brought back from the outside could be exchanged with money at the base¡¯s military supply station and that powerful mercenaries weren¡¯t short of money.


    Boss Shaw pointed to the man in the window. ¡°This person was his deputy. They grew up together since childhood and became mercenaries together as adults. They had a friendship of over 20 years. Last time, he went out to the wild and he died. No body was left and it was terrible.¡±


    Having said that, Boss Shaw laughed and continued, ¡°Three months after this man died, Hubbard came to me. He had lost his soul and spent more than half his net worth to buy this person from me. I can¡¯t make a mistake with a single strand of hair.¡±


    ¡°I also don¡¯t dare make any mistakes. Apart from the fact that he isn¡¯t alive, everything else is the same.¡± Boss Shaw sighed. ¡°After all, that person will be watching such a doll in the second half of his life.¡±


    ¡°I used to do this type of thing to make people happy. They were the inflatable types. Later, everyone felt that they were living people. If a person dies outside, the easier it is for their loved ones to go crazy. I started this craft and it is valuable.¡± Boss Shaw patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Learn from me and after 10 years, you will have more money than any mercenary.¡±


    An Zhe looked up at him and remembered the previous conversation with Du Sai. ¡°Are you going to make the Judge?¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Boss Shaw laughed. ¡°The Judge is too busy killing people and he can¡¯t be bothered taking care of this type of trouble.¡±

 Chapter 10

    ¡°Mr Hubbard, it¡¯s me, Scott Shaw.¡±


    As Boss Shaw sent a message to Hubbard, An Zhe was holding a human head and practicing doing eyebrows.


    The hot needle pierced a tiny hole in the skin made of silicone rubber and then An Zhe implanted the fibers that simulated human hair. Once the molten silicone rubber cooled again, this hair was firmly rooted inside the doll¡¯s skin. Boss Shaw¡¯s eyes were spent and it was difficult for him to carry out such high-intensity work. An Zhe guessed that this was one of the reasons why he was so anxious to find an apprentice.


    Scott Shaw put down the communicator and took the doll out of the glass window, placing in on a seat in the middle of the room. All the joints of the doll could be easily rotated. He folded the doll¡¯s legs, clasped the elbows with the hands and finally twisted the head to make it slightly droop. The light passed through the eyelashes to cast a shadow. The doll was sitting in a commanding and slightly melancholy posture.


    An Zhe looked up. The dim light cast a dark shadow on the doll¡¯s face and the only subtle difference between silicone rubber and human skin was offset. He was completely like a silent, living human.


    There was excessive silence. The surrounding windows and containers filled with things that might be considered obscene in human cognition were also strange in this atmosphere. This strange atmosphere was broken by a push of the door. The white light outside entered, reflecting on half of the doll¡¯s body. An Zhe squinted as he looked at the man who appeared at the door.


    He was a tall man with half-long curly black hair. His eyes were brown and his features were cold. An Zhe could imagine him walking in the wilderness with a gun. An Zhe waited for him to come in but the man just stood at the door, eyes stopped on the doll in the middle of the room. He stood still for so long that he seemed to have become a doll himself.


    It wasn¡¯t until Boss Shaw coughed and said, ¡°Come in,¡± that the man seemed to awaken and move. He strode into the room and slowed sharply as he approached the doll. An Zhe watched as he raised a hand to touch the face of the doll. His fingers hung in the air but he didn¡¯t lower them. In the quiet room, there was only the man¡¯s slightly trembling breathing sound, very light. It was like a butterfly was perched on the doll¡¯s eyelashes and he was afraid to disturb it.


    Eventually, he took back his right hand and stared at the doll while saying, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°No need for thanks.¡± Boss Shaw came over and watched this person with his blue-grey eyes. ¡°Thank you for giving me enough data.¡±


    Hubbard smiled but his eyes were still lowered.


    Boss Shaw pointed to the human-sized box next to him. ¡°Shall I place him here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± He finally put his hand on the doll¡¯s shoulder, slowly bent down to pick up the doll and put it in the box.


    Boss Shaw stood aside. ¡°I didn¡¯t know Captain Hubbard was such an emotional man.¡±


    ¡°There are some things I couldn¡¯t say.¡± Hubbard half-knelt on the ground, slowly closing the lid. His fingers holding the lid were white and it was a long time before he got up again.


    Boss Shaw told him, ¡°The doll needs maintenance every two months. Send him over when it is time. If I develop any new craftsmanship then I¡¯ll use it.¡±


    Hubbard said, ¡°Scott Shaw never did a loss-making business.¡±


    Boss Shaw smiled cheerfully. ¡°Captain Hubbard has a lot of power. It isn¡¯t possible for me.¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°A few days ago, I got a big job. This person¡¯s data isn¡¯t easy to find so I want to ask you to do it.¡±


    Hubbard wondered, ¡°Boss Shaw still has data that he can¡¯t obtain?¡±


    Boss Shaw grinned. He raised his arm and made a shooting gesture at Hubbard. Hubbard smiled. He turned and pulled the handle of the box as he walked to the door.


    ¡°Please wait a minute,¡± An Zhe suddenly called out.


    Hubbard turned back. An Zhe quickly walked to him, unbuttoned his shirt and took out the casing hanging from his neck. He inquired, ¡°Sir, do you know where I can find something like this?¡±


    Hubbard was silent as he reached for the brass-coloured casing. He turned it and looked at it in the light. An Zhe¡¯s heart thumped.


    ¡°There are no such models at the supply stations and on the black market.¡± A minute later, Hubbard let go and the casing fell back against An Zhe¡¯s chest. He turned away, leaving these final words.


    ¡°It is a military item.¡±


    His back gradually moved away. An Zhe reached for his chest and held the casing, slightly dazed.


    In the silent room, Boss Shaw smiled.


    ¡°Hubbard said it was from the military so it must definitely be true.¡± He said as he closed the door. ¡°What, did you sleep with someone in the military? Du Sai¡¯s business is truly big.¡±


    An Zhe slowly shook his head. If it was from the military, what should he do?


    ¡°Tsk. Have you lost your soul as well?¡±


    An Zhe replied, ¡°I want to find its owner.¡±


    ¡°Why? This man didn¡¯t give you money?¡±


    An Zhe felt that Boss Shaw¡¯s thinking wasn¡¯t right.


    He refuted, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°A military item can definitely be recognized by military people. I will teach you a way.¡± Boss Shaw was serious.


    ¡°What is the method?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t go to the main city or the wilderness. Inside the outer city, the city¡¯s defense station and the justice court are all military sites. You can go there in the middle of the night and hook up with one of them. The military might be strictly controlled but there are inevitably morally corrupt personnel.¡±


    An Zhe, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He thought about it and asked, ¡°Who in the military will go out into the wild?¡±


    Boss Shaw flicked his forehead. ¡°Who do you think drew the map of the wilderness?¡±


    It hurt and An Zhe bit his lip.


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel wronged.¡± Boss Shaw said. ¡°Even the judges are only at the base for half a year. All members of the military have to go outside.¡±


    An Zhe was silent as he bowed his head and continued to work on the eyebrows. He realized that he might have to stay at the base for a long time. By the end of the day, the eyebrows were finished and Boss Shaw was satisfied, letting him off work.


    An Zhe wanted to drink potato soup on the first floor of the black market. Today was the third day he worked for Boss Shaw. Boss Shaw had paid a month¡¯s salary in advance and his ID card now had 60R on it.


    Then as he went up to the ground, he suddenly felt that the atmosphere was obviously wrong. The past liveliness was gone and people were moving in a hurry. The exits were sparsely populated. He was a bit puzzled but the lure of potato soup was greater. He walked over. Just as he was close to getting potato soup, An Zhe¡¯s body suddenly stopped. He stood still for a second. He turned around before turning back.


    ¡°Come back.¡± The cold voice came like snow on top of a mountain.


    An Zhe thought he was unlucky as he turned around again, walking a few steps and coming to the Judge at the door. The Judge wasn¡¯t alone. There were three young judges with him who were dressed simply. He had encountered the Trial Court¡¯s daily city patrol.


    He heard Lu Feng say lightly, ¡°Stiff body movements and evasive movements, score a point.¡±


    The young judge behind him was holding a pen and paper. He listened to Lu Feng¡¯s words as he carefully watched An Zhe. Then he bowed his head to the paper and wrote something. An Zhe looked at them but happened to encounter Lu Feng¡¯s eyes and immediately glanced elsewhere.


    ¡°Dodged my eyes. Score another point.¡± There was no change in Lu Feng¡¯s tone and the young judge behind him continued to record it.


    An Zhe felt that this scene was a bit familiar. He thought about it and confirmed that the Judge wasn¡¯t simply performing patrol tasks. He was teaching new people, just like Boss Shaw and his apprentices. However, Lu Feng didn¡¯t use the same method as Boss Shaw. He taught very bluntly and wasn¡¯t a qualified mentor.


    An Zhe waited for the next deduction. Then he found that although Lu Feng¡¯s teachings were very rigid, this person¡¯s attitude wasn¡¯t perfunctory as he asked, ¡°The result?¡±


    ¡°Reporting to Colonel.¡± The young judge replied, ¡°Combining all the indicators, the person on trial belongs to the human race.¡±


    ¡°The reason for the abnormal indicators I mentioned?¡±


    ¡°He is frightened of you.¡±


    Lu Feng¡¯s lips curved.

 Chapter 11

    For the first time, An Zhe saw Lu Feng smile¡ªalthough they had only met once and the smile was minimal. It was just that in this minuscule smile, An Zhe saw that the Judge was slightly looking for something today. Then the little smile disappeared and Lu Feng¡¯s expression face returned. Only his long, white fingers played with his dark gun, the action completely dangerous.


    An Zhe wondered, ¡°Can I go now?¡±


    Lu Feng was still expressionless as he asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    An Zhe answered truthfully, ¡°I work here.¡±


    ¡°First or second floor?¡±


    ¡°¡­Third floor.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    There was a long silence until the sound of the young judge¡¯s recording stopped. Then the young judge said, ¡°There are no abnormalities in the language while being interrogated. This corroborates the judgment that the person on trial is human.¡±


    An Zhe saw Lu Feng glance at the young judge but it didn¡¯t look like a compliment.


    He asked again, ¡°Can I¡ª¡±


    Lu Feng interrupted. ¡°You can go.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± An Zhe turned quickly and returned to the entrance, sitting down at the store selling potato soup. He really wanted to drink it today.


    The price of the base-supplied potato soup in the residential area was 0.3R while the price here was 1R. The difference between the two was very obvious. Here, the concentration of soup had increased by at least three times. In addition to the potatoes that were almost completely boiled and melted, the soup had minced meat and perhaps a little bit of milk. The sweet aroma floated in the air.


    The spoon was white. An Zhe picked up the spoon and scooped up the soup. He blew the white steam and then put it in his mouth, swallowing it. In the midst of the dense water vapor, he squinted while eating in a satisfied manner. It would¡¯ve been better if there was no Judge present. An Zhe ate slowly, serious and quiet, without making any noise. After approximately 20 minutes, he finished eating and began to adjust his mindset, ready to pass by the Judge and leave here.


    The moment he left his seat and turned to the door, there was a shrill sound from Lu Feng¡¯s transmitter. An Zhe passed by this person and could hear Lu Feng speak coldly toward the correspondent, ¡°Trash.¡±


    An Zhe was in a state of shock as he left the black market.


    At this moment, it was evening and the sun had sunk. The western sky was a grey blue and the wind was becoming cold. After another two hours, the base would lose power. The supply station opposite the black market was closing and there was a steady stream of people leaving.


    The supply station, the black market and the train station formed a triangle with a wide square in the middle. People came from all directions, like migrating ants, and filled the square and train platforms.


    The train ran from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. at every hour. It always arrived on time. The time on the schedule was approaching and there was a slight roar in the distance that gradually became louder. After a short and violent shaking, the train stopped on the tracks like a silver snake. The doors on one side open and a dozen carriage doors slid open. People on the train poured down. Some of them were returning from other parts of the city to their living areas while some had just returned from the wilderness.


    At this moment, a soft mechanical female voice was broadcasted. ¡°Passengers, due to an equipment failure, please get off immediately and wait. Waiting passengers, temporarily don¡¯t board the train and wait.¡±


    ¡°Passengers, due to an equipment failure, please get off immediately and wait.¡±


    The mechanical instructions played in a loop. The people who first heard it were confused before they quickly rushed to the periphery. This action infected other people and within three minutes, an atmosphere of panic spread across the station. Everyone hurried to the square.


    An Zhe was waiting to get on the train when he was suddenly in the midst of a chaotic crowd. Although he didn¡¯t know what happened, he knew the rules of human life. He turned around and intended to follow the crowd.


    However, the crowd pushed each other and he was caught. Someone bumped into his back and there was the sound of high heels. An Zhe turned back, smelled a familiar scent and found it was Du Sai, the master of the underground third floor. She looked like she had just got off the train. Once their eyes met, Du Sai also recognized him. It seemed to be a subconscious gesture as she grabbed his wrist without speaking and pulled him to run.


    In the square, there was the sound of people falling and being trampled on. However, Du Sai pulled him through the crowd, so quickly it was like she had experienced this thousands of times. It wasn¡¯t until they followed the fast-running man in the front to the edge of the square that they stopped.


    A row of black armored vehicles was neatly parked at the edge of square, one every 10 metres. The body had a silver shield logo painted on it. An Zhe had read the base manual and knew that it represented the city¡¯s defense station. The full name was the Outer City Defense Station. AT this time, soldiers with live ammunition were getting off the vehicles in turn, blocking all the exits.


    An Zhe still didn¡¯t know what was happening. He had been running too fast just now and was a bit out of breath. Meanwhile, Du Sai bent over, gasping violently and coughing a few times.


    An Zhe reached out and patted her shoulder. Half a minute later, Du Sai seemed to barely be recovering. At this moment, there was still chaos in the square. People ran to the edge of the square and were stopped by a wall made up of soldiers.


    An Zhe helped Du Sai to a corner with slightly less people.


    He asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°This used to happen often.¡± Du Sai straightened up and looked at the crowd in the square. ¡°There is a heterogenous type mixed in.¡±


    She took a breath and continued, ¡°There must¡¯ve been a heterogenous on the train. The time it took to check the train carriages was too long. The heterogenous attacked and there were deaths in a few carriages. They must be spreading out to check.¡±


    ¡°This hasn¡¯t happened in a long time,¡± she said. ¡°Didn¡¯t the Judge see it?¡±


    An Zhe told her, ¡°He was on patrol today.¡±


    Not only that, An Zhe heard Lu Feng receive a message and coldly reply ¡®Trash.¡¯ Now that he thought about it, Lu Feng should¡¯ve received the news of a heterogeneous mixing into the base. At this time, An Zhe felt her hand grasping his tremble slightly.


    ¡°Is he here?¡±


    An Zhe hummed in reply.


    As if to confirm his words, the next moment, there was a dull bang and something white flew through the air. It shot down from a height, like dazzling lightning cutting through the evening sky and fell straight through the shoulder of a person not far away from An Zhe and Du Sai.


    An Zhe turned his head and looked at the place where the light came from. He saw that on top of the grey-white building that was the black market, a slender figure stood. At this moment, the figure was slowly lowering the black weapon in his right hand. The binoculars held in his left hand were passed to the young judge following him.


    ¡°The magnesium flare has marked the position!¡± The next moment, there was a short command from the city¡¯s defense. ¡°Ready!¡±


    The moment the order was given, a sharp noise erupted from an armored vehicle in the vicinity. There was a shrill scream and a combustion bomb with thick smoke hit the positions indicated by the magnesium flare.


    All of this happened in a flash. There was the pungent smell of burning and bodies in the crowd fell heavily to the ground. Smoke rose from his body and screams rang out through the square at once.


    Du Sai¡¯s grip on him suddenly tightened. She said, ¡°That man was sitting right behind me.¡±


    ¡°However, he didn¡¯t attack people. I¡¯m fine.¡± She seemed relieved. ¡°That was a white phosphorus bomb. He should be dead.¡±


    She looked at the top of the black market building. Lu Feng¡¯s figure had disappeared from the top of the building but she still stared over there. An Zhe watched her. In the twilight, Ms Du¡¯s mature face suddenly showed an unusual serenity.


    After a minute, the screams around them gradually faded. On the ground where people retreated from, the black and twisted limbs stopped convulsing and remained motionless. The others in the square seemed relieved but the blockade of the city defense station wasn¡¯t loosened.


    ¡°The colonel saved me once five years ago.¡± An Zhe heard Du Sai suddenly speak. ¡°IT was at the city gates and it is almost the same as it is now.¡±


    An Zhe didn¡¯t speak as he felt the atmosphere gradually calm down. That day at the gate, he understood why some people hated Lu Feng. Today, he understood why some people didn¡¯t hate him.


    Three minutes later, the soldiers of the city defense station forcibly separated a path in the crowd and Lu Feng took people over to look at the four corpses. Due to their location, An Zhe and Du Sai were very close.


    He put on snow-white gloves, knelt on one knee, pulled out the corpse in the centre and ordered briefly, ¡°Knife.¡±


    The judge by his side handed over a sharp knife. Immediately after, he saw Lu Feng cut the belly open with no expression. The charred body had a pungent smell but the interior of the exposed abdominal cavity didn¡¯t have the organs that humans should have. Instead, there were dense, small and multi-coloured, yellowish transparent things in the thousands or millions.


    An Zhe stared and felt like it was insect larvae, something like spiders, and squirmed slightly. He saw Lu Feng frown and the knife cut sharply, opening up the esophagus and throat of the body. Similar things were constantly falling out.


    ¡°The parasitic type and highly prone to spread.¡± Lu Feng got up, took off his gloves and threw them on the body. Another judge immediately handed him new ones.


    Then he ordered, ¡°Check everyone.¡±


    Du Sai¡¯s body suddenly softened and she fell forward. An Zhe was sharply reminded of what she had said a few minutes earlier. She said the man was sitting right behind her. He tried to support Du Sai¡¯s body but her movement was too large. Lu Feng¡¯s eyes glanced over to this side.


    Lu Feng¡¯s eyes were stopped on her cheek and An Zhe followed his gaze. In the chaos just now, he hadn¡¯t looked at her face carefully. Now that he did, he saw that on her forehead, there was a small blister-like thing. It was shining brightly and something in it seemed to slightly squirm.


    ¡°I¡­¡± As if feeling something, Du Sai slowly reached out and touched the place. She trembled and as she stared at Lu Feng, two streams of tears falling as she took a few steps towards him.


    There was the first time An Zhe had seen such an expression on a human face. He couldn¡¯t tell if Du Sai¡¯s expression was love or hate. Perhaps despair occupied most of it.


    A shot rang out.


    She fell forward. An Zhe failed to catch her and there was a dull sound as the human body fell to the ground.


    At this moment, An Zhe was only a short distance from Lu Feng and he glanced at the other person. Those cold green eyes suddenly to have nothing in them.


    Lu Feng suddenly reached out to him. An Zhe flinched. The Judge didn¡¯t pull the trigger. This wasn¡¯t the hand holding the gun. Rather, his fingers fell on An Zhe¡¯s face and paused briefly. An Zhe remembered the moment when Du Sai was shot. Part of her blood had splashed on his face. It was hot at first and soon became cold.


    The cold liquid was wiped off, bright red staining the snow-white gloves, the warmth of the touch briefly staying on his cheek.


    An Zhe shivered and closed his eyes.

 Chapter 12

    Maybe three seconds, maybe four seconds later, Lu Feng¡¯s fingers left his face and the temperature was fleeting in the evening wind, quickly dissipating.


    An Zhe opened his eyes again and saw this person¡¯s back leaving, just like at the gate of the base that day.


    At this moment, white lights suddenly lit up the square. An Zhe squinted. Lu Feng¡¯s figure in his vision blurred and once his vision cleared again, the black figure was lost in the vast sea of people. Soldiers from the city¡¯s defense station came forward and took away Du Sai¡¯s body. Her long brown hair flowed like honey under her light. Her eyes were closed and her expression very serene. It was unknown what she was thinking at the last moment. An Zhe didn¡¯t know and perhaps even she didn¡¯t know.


    Many people were looking to this side. Once the city¡¯s soldiers went away, they started to whisper. An Zhe¡¯s hearing was good and he captured a few words. Many people knew the hostess of the third underground floor of the black market. Some of them lamented the departure of a beautiful woman while some of them were afraid they were infected by the monster.


    Soon, the guidance of the mechanical female voice rang out. ¡°Please stay where you are. After 30 minutes, the Trial Court will begin to examine each one of you.¡±


    The voice was soft but no one appreciated. People glanced at each other briefly and then seemed to realize that at this time, no one knew if the person around them was a real human or not. The crowd squirmed like an ant colony as everyone tried to separate from the people around them, whether they knew the person or not. Eventually, the chaotic crowd became a sparse square. An Zhe stood at the edge, beside the blood stains left by Du Sai. His eyes were gazing at the trembling expressions of the humans around him. The human base was fundamentally no different from the Abyss.


    A shrill voice was suddenly heard in the distance. ¡°There¡¯s something on his face!¡±


    Then came the sound of action, as if someone had hit out. After that, there was a loud argument and 30 seconds later, a gunshot ended it all.


    There was dead silence. The silent atmosphere enveloped the square and even the sound of breathing was quiet. If someone told An Zhe that his current location was actually a cemetery and the people around him were actually tombstones then he wouldn¡¯t doubt the truth of this sentence.


    He glanced around, wondering where Lu Feng was. However, there were too many people and he couldn¡¯t find Lu Feng. At last, An Zhe retracted his gaze and looked at the marble floor of the square which was illuminated by the white light.


    Suddenly, his gaze stopped. Five metres in front of him, at the foot of a man, was a small flash of brass. His first reaction was that the bullet casing around his neck had fallen off. He quickly touched his neck and found something cylindrical across the layer of shirt. It wasn¡¯t lost.


    He stared at the ground and took a few steps forward. The man next to him scolded An Zhe and distanced himself.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I dropped something,¡± An Zhe explained.


    After walking past a few people, he arrived there. He crouched down and picked up the brass-coloured, cylindrical bullet casing from the ground. The moment he got it, his hand trembled slightly. It was his. The weight, pattern and size were all very familiar. He couldn¡¯t tell the difference between the one he was holding and the one around his neck. His heart beat hard a few times. He gripped it and got up.


    He thought about how five minutes ago, Du Sai touched the blister on her head that was caused by the parasitic worm. She realized that she couldn¡¯t survive and would be executed by the Judge. Yet while afraid, she seemed to want to be closer to the Judge, taking a few steps in that direction. Before she could reach Lu Feng, the bullet penetrated her body.


    Where was Lu Feng at that time? An Zhe looked at the dark blood on the ground not far away. At that time, Lu Feng had been standing where An Zhe stood, or not far away, and fired.


    What was a bullet casing? It was the coat of the bullet, he knew. An Ze had similar knowledge in his memories. Once the bullet left the barrel and shot out, the casing would be ejected backward and land on the ground.


    There was no doubt that the casing he picked up now belonged to Lu Feng, the master of the Trial Court. What about the exact bullet casing An Zhe picked up in the wilderness where his spore was taken? Did it have something to do with the Trial Court?


    An unspeakable feeling rushed into An Zhe¡¯s heart. He felt a type of fear that couldn¡¯t be accurately described. If the spore was related to the Trial Court, he could imagine the difficulty of recovering it. He couldn¡¯t directly ask. Asking about the spore was no different from admitting that he was a mushroom.


    In the midst of such thoughts, the 30 minutes were over. The mechanical voice was heard again. ¡°The buffer time is over. Please queue in an orderly manner to receive the infection screening. After passing the screening, please leave by yourself.¡±


    The instructions played out repeatedly and a large light shone on the opposite side of the square. People started to move in that direction for screening. Standing next to An Zhe appeared to be a father and son. One of them was older with a beard while the other was a 13 year old underage boy.


    He heard the boy ask, ¡°Why wait 30 minutes?¡±


    ¡°The judges aren¡¯t machines. They can¡¯t see that you have been infected after just being bitten by a bug.¡± The father whispered. ¡°You haven¡¯t been to the gate which also has 30 minutes of queuing time.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Then he wondered, ¡°How will it appear?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me,¡± his father replied. ¡°I don¡¯t know how they see it.¡±


    ¡°I heard they just want to kill¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡± The father¡¯s voice was filled with a hint of fear. ¡°Do you want to be shot?¡±


    As if to verify the father¡¯s words, a gunshot rang out at the end of the square. They immediately fell silent.


    The judges were quick to check the crowd and an interval between gunshots occurred. For a period of time, it was very uniform. Every 10 minutes, there was at least one gunshot, sometimes several consecutive ones. After these consecutive ones, the judges no longer shot for a long time. The father beside An Zhe said, ¡°it¡¯s almost over.¡±


    The moment he spoke, there was the sound of gunfire again and the boy trembled.


    Humans who were judged to be infected were killed on the spot while people judged to be safe left through openings. There were fewer and fewer people in the square. People spontaneously gathered into loose teams and slowly moved forward. Every time a shot rang out, An Zhe counted. By the time he was approaching the exit, the number had reached 73. He saw the stone pillar at the exit and saw Lu Feng leaning against it, a slender silhouette under the light. Two judges were by his side and further to the side, there were soldiers of the city defense station with bloodstains on the ground in front of them.


    No, there was more than blood. There were brass-coloured bullet casings scattered on the ground.


    The father and son soon passed through the safe passage. An Zhe was next. He took a few steps forward and stopped in front of Lu Feng. Lu Feng was taller than him. An Zhe had to look up to gaze into Lu Feng¡¯s eyes. Then he felt Lu Feng¡¯s eyes scanning him from top to bottom. ¡°What¡¯s in your hand?¡±


    An Zhe hadn¡¯t expected that even such a small thing in his hand would be found. In front of the Judge¡¯s cold eyes, he could only raise his hand and open his five fingers to reveal the casing lying in his palm. It was like those scattered casings on the ground, representing a human who was executed by the Judge.


    Silence spread among them.


    After a long time, An Zhe heard Lu Feng¡¯s voice. ¡°Go.¡±


    The wind was too strong in the middle of the night and the sound was also blown away. Lu Feng¡¯s voice transmitted to his ears was lower than usual. An Zhe silently turned and walked into the deep, dark night.

 Chapter 13

    ¡°At 7 p.m. on May 17th, a parasitic monster invaded the Outer City¡¯s supply station square with a new parasitic method. The Trial Court has supplemented the trial rules for this new parasitic method. At present, the danger in the base has been ruled put. Please rest assured while travelling.¡±


    ¡°In order to improve the accuracy of the trial and ensure that the judges are fully present, the opening time of the city gates will be shortened to 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 2 to 6 p.m. Please pay attention to the time when returning to the city.¡±


    ¡°According to the observations of the Lighthouse, the breeding season for arthropods and parasitic monsters has begun early. IN order to prevent an air invasion, the base¡¯s ultrasonic disperser has increased the working intensity to level 3. In addition, the danger levels of the Second Plains, the Sixth Basin and the Southwest Canyon have been updated to four stars. Please pay attention to outdoor safety and have full body protection. The same message has been released to all the teams in the wilderness.¡±


    ¡°At 7 p.m. on May 17th, a parasitic monster¡­¡±


    The radio repeated three times before Boss Shaw raised his hand to turn it off, bowing his head to continue grinding the mold.


    An Zhe was still doing eyebrows in the corner but this time, they weren¡¯t ordinary eyebrows. Boss Shaw had drawn the specific shape and direction on the doll¡¯s blank face with grey pen. An Zhe was practicing the eyebrows for the Judge doll.


    Du Sai was dead but the order introduced by Du Sai had to continue. Boss Shaw had already received half the price as a deposit and the negotiated delivery time was one month later. The store would have to deliver it to the door and the location was Room A in Building 13 of District 6. At that time, the customer would pay the other half.


    Lu Feng¡¯s eyebrows, like his hair, was pure black. It was a very distinct colour. The long eyebrows were slightly slanted, formed a sharp eyebrow peak and then gradually narrowed. The ends were folded into a thin and sharp tail. The eyebrows alone took Boss Shaw an hour to draw. After receiving the head of the doll, An Zhe not only strictly followed the template of the eyebrows, he would also occasionally raise his head to look at the photos of Lu Feng on the tablet in front of him to check for errors.


    The tablet was delivered at seven this morning by a young man in black who tried to sell him the phone. He said it was a gift from Mr Hubbard to Boss Shaw. After giving the gift, he glanced at An Zhe. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve found a good job. Do you have money to buy a phone from me?¡±


    An Zhe was sorry. His salary was only enough to drink potato soup. He had to refuse and the young man sighed with disappointment before leaving.


    He had sent a tablet with several close up photos of Lu Feng. Most of them looked like yesterday when he was patrolling the black market. The angle was very reasonable and An Zhe was in one of them. However, the focus of the photo was Lu Feng and the other places were very blurred. He was just a white shadow in a corner of the photo, a bowl of potato soup in front of him.


    Boss Shaw exclaimed, ¡°Hubbard really has many hands in the black market. It isn¡¯t a small matter to get photos of the Judge. Although there isn¡¯t any specific data, the photos are well taken and it can be around the same.¡±


    Saying this, he moved the photo back and forth several times. ¡°This face really drives a woman crazy. Do you like it?¡±


    According to the physical sex of human beings, An Zhe wasn¡¯t a female so he didn¡¯t go crazy. He just felt uncomfortable. He had a bit of a physical fear of the Judge. In this human base, only Lu Feng suspected that he wasn¡¯t human. An Zhe thought that if he one day died in the human base, it would be because he was shot and executed by the Judge.


    An Zhe replied, ¡°I don¡¯t like him.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯re in the opposition party,¡± Boss Shaw said. ¡°I hate the opposition party the most. My last apprentice was one.¡±


    An Zhe wondered, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°He took my salary and had the face to ask for a half day¡¯s rest every week to go protest.¡±


    An Zhe, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not the opposition party either.¡±


    Boss Shaw told him, ¡°I¡¯m don¡¯t care if you¡¯re in the opposition party or the supporter party.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ won¡¯t ask for leave.¡±


    Facing Boss Shaw¡¯s kind smile after hearing this, An Zhe tentatively asked, ¡°Can I live here?¡±


    Based on his observations over the past few days, Boss Shaw¡¯s store wasn¡¯t small. There were a few empty containers in a corner and one person could stay in these containers.


    Boss Shaw asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    An Zhe knew that people in the base generally didn¡¯t move easily since they were assigned a unified residence from an early age. Of course, living there was another thing. Most mercenaries spent most of their lives in the wilderness and the men and women on the third underground floor rarely returned to their homes. However, he really didn¡¯t want to go back to Building 117. Josie¡¯s entanglement was making him tired.


    ¡°My neighbour.¡± He explained to Boss Shaw. ¡°He¡¯s always¡­¡±


    Before he could figure out the right wording, he saw Boss Shaw raise his eyebrows. ¡°He wants to sleep with you?¡±


    An Zhe confirmed that there was only one thing on Scott Shaw¡¯s mind.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡± An Zhe denied it. ¡°He just keeps trying to get close to me.¡±


    ¡°There is a difference between this and wanting to sleep with you?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± An Zhe replied. ¡°We used to be good friends.¡± He carefully recalled what Josie had done. There was no way to tell Boss Shaw some things so he could only replace An Ze¡¯s name with ¡®I.¡¯


    ¡°I grew up with him and we are neighbours. I contributed to the newspapers of the city for a small fee and he worked outside as a mercenary. Sometimes I wouldn¡¯t have money or he wouldn¡¯t have money. We took care of each other.¡± An Zhe started the story.


    ¡°Then I wanted to take the test for the supply station. He didn¡¯t want me to take the test. He said¡­ it was too hard. I should go out with him to do some easy work.¡±


    Here, Scott Shaw sneered. An Zhe glanced at Boss Shaw, wanting his comments. An Zhe couldn¡¯t understand why Josie would say this to An Ze. ¡°Why did he want to do this?¡±


    Boss Shaw held a doll arm and used a small tweezer to polish it while saying, ¡°If you pass the test of the supply station, you will no longer be a civilian and your status will become higher. What can he do? He will be an ordinary mercenary all of his life. Will you be with him?¡±


    Here, Boss Shaw looked up at An Zhe. ¡°Maybe you will go in and get hooked by a senior officer of the supply station and your friend won¡¯t be able to hold you.¡±


    However, An Ze wouldn¡¯t.


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Even if you won¡¯t, he thinks you will do so.¡± Boss Shaw finished polishing one nail and sprayed varnish. Then he turned to the next nail. ¡°Who can say? People are so ugly.¡±


    ¡°Thus, don¡¯t mingle with such unpromising people¡ª¡±


    An Zhe lowered his eyes. He felt that Boss Shaw was indeed a good person, an elder who would provide life guidance to young people. Occasionally, some monsters in the Abyss would also behave like this.


    Then he heard Boss Shaw¡¯s next words. ¡°How about you pay attention to the third floor and find the leader of a large mercenary team on Hubbard¡¯s level. Keep him and let your friend see you walk around with him. If your friend dares to find you then you can call on your man to beat him up. The female captain of AR1104 will definitely like you but she looks like an orangutan.¡±


    An Zhe told him, ¡°The Judge¡¯s fingers are longer than this.¡±


    Boss Shaw was shocked. He cursed and started to get back to work. He now had no time to give An Zhe life guidance. Looking at the hard-working Boss Shaw, An Zhe couldn¡¯t help smiling.


    Thus, he lived on the third underground floor.


    Without Josie, the world was much cleaner. An Zhe paid in advance and bought a fold-out bed, living between two empty shelves in a corner of the store. At night, with the lights off, the doll limbs, eyes and head would accompany him to sleep. Occasionally, he would be stopped by mercenaries asking for his price when he went out but Boss Shaw taught him a useful phrase, ¡®I have someone.¡¯ These words could handle almost all mercenaries. According to Boss Shaw, the reason this sentence could deal with them wasn¡¯t because these people had the virtue.


    At that time, Boss Shaw had held a cigarette and said, ¡°Your appearance is very good. You look like you would have a powerful person. Hey, I have to quickly find you one.¡±


    An Zhe didn¡¯t speak. In fact, all he had was the doll that hadn¡¯t been fully formed yet, The doll was being made day after day and grew to look more like Lu Feng.

 Chapter 14

    ¡°How did you move the colonel to one side again?¡± Boss Shaw shouted as soon as he entered the store.


    An Zhe had just sat up in bed. He rubbed his eyes and spoke in a low voice, ¡°I can¡¯t sleep well if he is next to me.¡±


    ¡°You have many things to do.¡± Boss Shaw came over and knocked hard on his head. ¡°Didn¡¯t you sleep with his head in your arms the other day?¡±


    An Zhe couldn¡¯t speak and buried his head back into the quilt. A head was a head and Lu Feng was Lu Feng. As a heterogenous species that had encountered the Judge¡¯s suspicion many times, he didn¡¯t need a reason to be afraid of this person.


    Boss Shaw told him, ¡°I¡¯ll withhold your wages.¡±


    An Zhe was forced to get out of the quilt and slowly put on his coat.


    Boss Shaw¡¯s tone lightened up. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t go out to hook up with mercenaries. You should just do it with me.¡±


    An Zhe wondered, ¡°Why?¡±


    Boss Shaw hadn¡¯t said this yesterday.


    ¡°You are so small, no, you can¡¯t.¡± Boss Shaw told him. ¡°Those soldiers will bully you.¡±


    ¡°Why bully me?¡±


    Boss Shaw replied, ¡°It is fun.¡±


    Having said that, he tapped An Zhe¡¯s head again.


    An Zhe frowned and felt that Boss Shaw had just bullied him. However, there was no way. He was currently like a parasite and had to rely on Boss Shaw¡¯s salary. He could only get up, wash and put in a day¡¯s work.


    Today was the 30th day of making the doll. In order words, they had to complete the doll and deliver it by the end of the day. Boss Shaw had done the body and limbs as early as 10 days ago. Well, it was mainly An Zhe under his guidance. After doing this, he chose one of the simulation props sold in the store and combined it with the doll. Finally, through the black market, he obtained a lifelike black uniform for the doll to wear. The Judge¡¯s body was perfect and there was only the head left.


    At this time, An Zhe was holding the doll¡¯s head and checking the hair he had implanted himself was beautiful. Meanwhile, Boss Shaw started the hot furnace to one side and stirred the transparent colloid in the small, white porcelain pot. Then he dripped green dye drop by drop. At first, the dye was a dark green mass in the pot. After a moment, countless tiny tentacles stretched outward. The stirring caused an even distribution and the colloid became light green before gradually deepening. An Zhe had finished checking the hair and had nothing to do. He watched and recalled Lu Feng¡¯s eye colour.


    In the light, it was a cold green like winter, like the colour of frozen green leaves in transparent white ice. An Zhe often felt cold when he saw those eyes. In the dim light at night, Lu Feng¡¯s eyes was a deep, dark green like the deep light at night, hiding many unknown things.


    He thought as he watched the colour. Once it coincided with the colour in his memory, he called out, ¡°That¡¯s it.¡±


    Boss Shaw smiled and put out the hot furnace. ¡°You have good eyesight.¡±


    An Zhe didn¡¯t speak and just handed over the mold to Boss Shaw. The translucent colloid was poured to the ball-shaped mold and cooled. Then the whites of the eyes were embedded and the eyes were ready.


    The two eyeballs were then mounted into the doll¡¯s eye sockets. The doll¡¯s eyelashes were also implanted by An Zhe one by one. Now black eyelashes lightly covered the green pupils. They looked cool and delicate and extremely similar to the real person. An Zhe felt anxious and picked up the black military cap on one side, fastening it on him.


    The next work was to adjust the joints and polish the details of the facial contours. By the time it finished, it was 7 in the evening. An Zhe quietly watched the doll and the doll also watched him quietly. He almost thought it was the colonel himself.


    The doll that looked exactly like the colonel was folded and placed in the box and onto the trolley. Boss Shaw clapped and said, ¡°It is ready for delivery. I¡¯ll get Jin Sen, he is cheap.¡±


    Jin Sen was the young man in black clothes who sold mobile phones and passed the Judge¡¯s data to Boss Shaw. However, Boss Shaw¡¯s communicator called again and again but there was no reply.


    Boss Shaw frowned. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Was he discovered?¡± He tried calling Hubbard¡¯s communicator but the next moment, a voice came from the receiver. ¡°The person you dialed has left the base. Please leave a message.¡±


    Boss Shaw turned to look at the tablet on the workbench. He opened it and pressed a few buttons to delete all the photos. Then he told An Zhe, ¡°The situation isn¡¯t right. Hurry to get rid of the goods. There is nothing else to do tonight so go and deliver it with me.¡±


    Thus, An Zhe came to District 6 that he hadn¡¯t stepped foot in for a month.


    Building 12 in District 6, unit 4312 was the location of their customer. The box was very heavy and An Zhe and Boss Shaw took turns lifting it up the stairs to the third floor. Unlike Building 117 where An Zhe previously lived, all those in Building 13 were women. Along the way, An Zhe met several people. Most of them had short hair, a tall stature and strong facial features. Looking at them, An Zhe was inevitably reminded of Du Sai.


    Du Sai was a very special woman. She was tall but she was most slender than all the women An Zhe had seen while a the same time, her breasts were fuller than others. Her body was unusually soft because of this slender plumpness. It was rare on the third underground floor.


    At the same time, he saw Boss Shaw¡¯s gaze examining the passing women. Finally, Boss Shaw said, ¡°There is no second Du Sai.¡±


    An Zhe didn¡¯t speak and gently rang the 12th door. ¡°Hello, we came to make a delivery.¡±


    No one opened the door. An Zhe knocked loudly on the door. ¡°Hello, we are here for a delivery.¡±


    Still no one opened the door. Boss Shaw stepped forward and slammed on the door a few times. ¡°Is anyone there? There is a delivery from the third underground floor.¡±


    There was silence.


    In the silence, footsteps were heard behind them. An Zhe turned his head and saw a middle-aged woman in a grey dress. He asked, ¡°Hello, are you the resident of number 12?¡±


    The woman shook her head and looked at the door. ¡°Are you looking for her?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± An Zhe replied. ¡°She ordered something and we came to deliver it.¡±


    The woman¡¯s face was blank as her eyes shifted to the box Boss Shaw was pulling. ¡°What goods?¡±


    ¡°They are premium goods and we can¡¯t say anything else.¡± Boss Saw replied. ¡°When will she come back?¡±


    The woman looked at him. Her mouth was tight and she didn¡¯t speak for a moment. Boss Shaw couldn¡¯t stand it and said, ¡°She¡ª¡±


    He was interrupted by the woman. ¡°She¡¯s dead, don¡¯t you know?¡±


    The atmosphere became silent.


    ¡°Dead?¡± After a brief silence, Boss Shaw raised his voice. ¡°There is still my final payment. Who will pay it?¡±


    The corners of the woman¡¯s mouth pulled, looking like a smile yet not a smile. ¡°The Judge killed her. You should go find him for the payment.¡±


    Boss Shaw¡¯s neck shrunk back like a duck and he didn¡¯t speak for a moment.An Zhe suddenly felt choked up. He stared at the woman and asked, ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡±


    The woman didn¡¯t seem to have heard him. She turned around, raised her hand and brushed her ID card over the opposite door to walk in. The moment the door was closed, two simple syllables were heard from inside.


    ¡°Du Sai.¡±


    An Zhe once again flashed back to Du Sai¡¯s expression directed toward Lu Feng before she died and didn¡¯t know what to say. There was also a moment of silence from Boss Shaw. After a long time, Boss Shaw laughed. ¡°Do you know how much this order is?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°It is higher than Hubbard¡¯s price.¡± Boss Shaw looked at the trolley case on the ground with narrowed eyes. Then he stated slowly, ¡°She played with so many men. I didn¡¯t expect her to have a heart.¡±


    An Zhe opened his mouth. ¡°Du Sai said that the Judge saved her.¡±


    ¡°Stupid.¡± Boss Shaw sighed and shook his head. ¡°The Judge is that type of person. Even if he saved her, it is because he wanted to kill a heterogeneous. She had been mixing with men since she was a child and isn¡¯t a little girl. Why couldn¡¯t she understand that this isn¡¯t worth it?¡±


    An Zhe didn¡¯t speak.


    He didn¡¯t understand why Du Sai liked Lu Feng. However, Lu Feng was different from others. He just couldn¡¯t say what the difference was. A long time passed before Boss Shaw spoke. ¡°The person isn¡¯t here. What to do with the goods? It can¡¯t be discarded. What if it is found and the Trial Court looks for me?¡±


    An Zhe suggested, ¡°Take it back to the store?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not.¡± Boss Shaw shook his head. ¡°I suddenly can¡¯t get in contact with Jin Sen. I¡¯m afraid something has happened.¡±


    Then he looked at An Zhe like he remembered something. ¡°I remember that your home is also in District 6?¡±


    He pushed the box over. ¡°You live there and don¡¯t have to be afraid of being seen. In that case, take the goods back tonight and leave it at your house. After a few days, if no one checks then I will find someone to take the order.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    Boss Shaw looked down at his watch and frowned. ¡°I have to go back. The last train is soon.¡±


    An Zhe thought about it and found it was feasible. He didn¡¯t live at home and could keep the doll temporarily stored there.


    Boss Shaw patted him on the shoulder. ¡°You can do it.¡±


    Then he quickly left to catch the train. However, it turned out that it wasn¡¯t possible.


    District 6 was a circular area and Buildings 12 and 117 weren¡¯t far away. This was why Boss Shaw was certain that he could bring it home. However, the doll was solid and couldn¡¯t be considered light. He dragged this huge box at the speed of a turtle and slowly moved down the road. By the time he reached Building 117, it was completely dark.


    There were indistinct shadows everywhere and the outline of the building could only be seen thanks to the aurora. An Zhe felt hopeless as he stood at the door of the building and thought about climbing to the fifth floor. This thing was really heavy. An Zhe desperately turned around, no longer facing the dark staircase. He planned to stop first and rest for a while.


    There was a burning breath behind him and he was suddenly held by a man.


    ¡°An Ze!¡±


    It was Josie¡¯s voice.


    ¡°I saw you through the window and came down immediately.¡± Josie hugged him tightly. ¡°Where have you been? Why did you only come back now? Why didn¡¯t you tell me? I¡¯ve been looking for you?¡±


    He gasped as he continued, ¡°You must not leave anymore. Where have you been?¡±


    Boss Shaw was right. Josie regarded An Ze as his personal belonging.


    Thus, An Zhe calmly told him, ¡°Please let go.¡±


    Not only did Josie not let An Zhe go, he tightened his arms instead. Josie asked, ¡°Are you angry with me?¡±


    An Zhe hadn¡¯t spoken yet when he whispered again, ¡°I was wrong. I apologize to you, I apologize as much as possible. An Ze, I love you.¡±


    An Zhe, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Boss Shaw was right again. Josie really wanted to sleep with An Ze.


    An Zhe told him, ¡°Thank you, I have someone.¡±


    ¡°Are you really angry?¡± Josie smiled. ¡°When you are angry, you like to deliberately anger me.¡±


    An Zhe was really tired of this human. He struggled to get free but was forcibly turned around by Josie. ¡°Look at me, An Ze.¡±


    Bang!


    A shot rang out. Josie was stunned. He reflexively let go of An Zhe and looked around.


    An Zhe also followed the source of the sound and saw a person standing in the shadow of the black buildings. This person had just fired a shot at the sky before approaching this place. Slender and tall, it was a figure he was extremely familiar with.


    Only military personnel could legally carry guns in the city. Among all the branches of the military, there was only one person who could shoot at will.


    An Zhe thought that he had once again bumped into the Judge¡¯s city patrol. It was too coincidental. Before he had time to think carefully, he heard Lu Feng¡¯s familiar and cold voice. ¡°Who is he?¡±


    An Zhe replied, ¡°A neighbour.¡±


    Lu Feng came to him. It was such a close distance that any individual could recognize this as the Judge. An Zhe felt Josie stiffen a bit.


    ¡°AD4117, this is my communicator¡¯s number.¡± Lu Feng¡¯s tone seemed casual. ¡°The next time this happens, you can contact me if you are willing and he will be arrested for indecent assault.¡±


    An Zhe looked up at Lu Feng and couldn¡¯t respond for some time. However, since this person was a colonel of the military, it seemed that he indeed had the obligation to maintain the law and order of the city.


    An Zhe nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    He felt Josie behind him become even stiffer. However, An Zhe had no thoughts about managing Josie. It was because Lu Feng¡¯s was gently on the handle of the trolley of the box. He asked lightly, ¡°Shall I help you bring it up?¡±

 Chapter 15

    An Zhe and Lu Feng looked at each other. Lu Feng had his usual indifferent expression, his eyes calm and serious. An Zhe couldn¡¯t speak smoothly. ¡°No¡­ No, I don¡¯t need it.¡±


    If there was something else in the box and the Judge wanted to help, he might not be willing to have too much contact with this person but he wouldn¡¯t refuse. However, this box currently contained nothing good. An Zhe placed his hand on the lever and tried to take it back from Lu Feng. ¡°I can do it.¡±


    ¡°You can?¡± Lu Feng looked at him, eyebrows slightly raised. ¡°Do you live on the first floor?¡±


    ¡°¡­I live on the fifth floor but I can do it.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Lu Feng¡¯s hand held An Zhe¡¯s fingers and it was unknown what force he used but An Zhe¡¯s hand was pulled away from the lever. There was a click and the lever was pushed back into the box, Lu Feng held the handle on the side with one hand and easily lifted the entire box.


    An Zhe, ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    He hurriedly said, ¡°I really can do it.¡±


    Lu Feng asked, ¡°The fifth floor?¡±


    Yes.


    An Zhe realized that he had just sold his floor.


    Before he could react, Lu Feng had already started walking toward the door of the unit. An Zhe could only keep up. Before entering the building, he glanced back at Josie and saw the man watching them with surprise. Boss Shaw had said that if he hooked up with a powerful mercenary, Josie would have to detour whenever seeing An Zhe. Now it seemed that this statement was true. Even if he was next to the Judge, not a mercenary, and had nothing to do with Lu Feng.


    It was just that in this moment of distraction, An Zhe fell behind Lu Feng by several steps. The colonel¡¯s legs were longer than his and he had to speed up his pace to keep up as he walked into the corridor with Lu Feng.


    In order to save electricity, only small emergency lights were on in the corridor. This place was very dark and narrow. In the silence, the sound of Lu Feng¡¯s military boots stepping on the ground was extremely clear. Based on An Zhe¡¯s understanding of Lu Feng, this person would ask, ¡°What¡¯s in the box?¡±


    Strangely yet fortunately, Lu Feng didn¡¯t speak until they reached the fifth floor.


    An Zhe stood at the door of No. 14, took out his ID card and swiped the door. The curtains in the room weren¡¯t drawn so as soon as the door opened, the aurora shone through the window. The bright colour covered most of the dark sky, mainly green with the edges an orange-purple. An Zhe entered the door, turned on the small lamp in the room and out of the politeness of human society, he looked at the colonel at the door. ¡°Please come in.¡±


    Lu Feng walked in and placed the trolley box by the wall. An Zhe saw his expression and felt that this person was currently in a good mood and didn¡¯t want to leave. He tentatively asked, ¡°Do you want to continue patrolling?¡±


    Lu Feng leaned against the wall and lightly replied, ¡°No.¡±


    The cold green eyes stared at him. An Zhe always felt that even today, the Judge didn¡¯t fully believe he was human and was still looking for possible cracks.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± An Zhe whispered.


    ¡°Go back to the city to rest.¡± He heard Lu Feng say.


    An Zhe tried to talk to him in a human style. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going back to the Trial Court?¡±


    ¡°Too far.¡±


    ¡°¡­Oh.¡±


    He felt that under the present circumstances, he should ask the colonel to sit. However, he really wanted this person to leave. It was because while there seemed to be only one colonel in this room, there were actually two.


    He inquired, ¡°So when are you going?¡±


    Lu Feng glanced at him.


    An Zhe lowered his eyes and pursed his lips.


    Lu Feng stated, ¡°Go and pour me a glass of water.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a tone of negotiation or suggestion at all. This person spoke it like an order.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    He picked up a drinking glass from the table and opened the door. It was far to the public water room at the end of the corridor. He walked over and faced the red and blue buttons, wondering if Lu Feng wanted to drink hot water or cold water.


    Soon, he pressed the blue button representing cold water. There was no ice water here or else he would¡¯ve gotten ice for Lu Feng.


    He held the water glass and walked back to his place with a heavy heart at the thought of continuing to face Lu Feng. The Judge helped him carry things up the stairs late at night and actually came in to have a glass of water. Was he thirsty from patrolling outside all night? If he told this experience to Boss Shaw tomorrow, Boss Shaw had only one thing on his mind and would definitely say, ¡°He wants to sleep with you.¡±


    Wrong.


    An Zhe stopped moving. He suddenly remembered why Boss Shaw had left the box with him.


    It was because Jin Sen selling mobile phones at the black market suddenly couldn¡¯t be contacted. Boss Shaw felt something was strange and could no longer bring the Judge¡¯s doll back to the store.


    He frowned and started to recall Lu Feng¡¯s every move. The Trial Court liked to patrol in groups. For example, Lu Feng had brought three people to the entrance of the black market. Why was he alone now and why did he appear downstairs? Moreover, Lu Feng seemed to have a mind-reading ability. Any abnormalities in the past would be discovered by him. Yet why didn¡¯t he ask what was in the box?


    An Zhe had just placed his hand on the doorknob and now he stopped. He felt that the Judge had perhaps come to catch him. He quickly pulled out his communicator and called AE77243, Boss Shaw¡¯s number. The following words appeared on the communicator¡¯s black and white electronic screen: Can¡¯t answer.


    Alarm bells rang in An Zhe¡¯s head. Just then, a cold and life-threatening voice was heard from inside the door. ¡°Come in.¡±


    An Zhe¡¯s heart jumped several times. He took a deep breath and opened the door. He saw Lu Feng still standing in his original position, head slightly bowed, trolley box beside him while it was unknown what he was thinking. An Zhe took two steps and handed over the cup. ¡°Colonel, your water.¡±


    Lu Feng was motionless. An Zhe suddenly realized something. He slowly turned towards the other side of the room. Then he met the real Lu Feng¡¯s eyes. Lu Feng sat at the desk with his legs crossed. In his seated position, he held a piece of paper in his hand and looked up at An Zhe.


    An Zhe knew true despair. Yet at this moment, he could only slowly step forward and place the cup on the desk. ¡°Your water.¡±


    Lu Feng picked up the cup, placed it against his lips and took a sip. Then he frowned slightly. ¡°It¡¯s cold?¡±


    An Zhe didn¡¯t want to talk. It seemed he had done another thing wrong. Lu Feng put the water cup and paper back on the table before looking at him.


    An Zhe quickly opened his mouth.¡±I was wrong.¡±


    Lu Feng didn¡¯t speak. After a full 10 seconds, he inquired, ¡°What crime did you commit?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t give you hot water.¡±


    Lu Feng¡¯s tone was light. ¡°Cold water is fine too.¡±


    An Zhe saw the bloody flyer that protested the atrocities of the Trial Court and his heart became cold again. ¡°I participated in an illegal event.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    It was over. There was only one crime he might¡¯ve committed. What was the crime of making the Judge¡¯s doll? An Zhe hated that he hadn¡¯t taken a closer look at the base¡¯s laws at the time. He searched his mind for nouns, Doll, a not so good use for a doll¡ª


    Suddenly, the words that Lu Feng spoke downstairs to Josie appeared in his mind and An Zhe despaired. ¡°¡­The crime of an indecent assault?¡±


    A slight smile appeared in Lu Feng¡¯s eyes like he was trying not to laugh. ¡°Have you read the base¡¯s laws?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Lu Feng ordered, ¡°Come here.¡±


    An Zhe stepped forward.


    ¡°Reach out.¡±


    An Zhe held out his hand.


    Lu Feng¡¯s words were still brief and in a commanding tone. ¡°Put it on.¡±


    An Zhe wondered, ¡°Where should I put it?¡±


    ¡°On me.¡±


    An Zhe hesitated before slowly placing his hand against Lu Feng¡¯s left chest. The silver buckle and badge pinned on his chest were cold and there were some lines on the surface. An Zhe couldn¡¯t understand why Lu Feng asked him to do this.


    Click.


    The cold, silver handcuffs were once again placed around An Zhe¡¯s wrists.


    Lu Feng was expressionless. ¡°The crime of indecent assault.¡±


    An Zhe, ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    Immediately after, Lu Feng raised his communicator. He said, ¡°The arrest was completed and one prohibited object was seized.¡±


    ***


    The corridor of the city¡¯s defense station was darker and colder than the residential building. An Zhe was taken to the ground floor. In the dim light source, surrounded by iron doors, he realized that this might be a human prison. He was locked up in one of them.


    ¡°Tomorrow is the trial.¡± Lu Feng locked the iron door and explained, ¡°You have 10 hours to prepare your defense.¡±


    ¡°¡­I have no defense.¡±


    ¡°I think so as well.¡±


    Having said that, he turned around and left without looking back, leaving only one sentence. ¡°Have a good rest.¡±


    An Zhe pressed against the iron door and watched Lu Feng¡¯s figure disappearing into the corridor. A whisper came from opposite him.


    ¡°I tried to persuade them but it was unavoidable.¡±


    ¡°Why is Hubbard out in the wilderness? He should also be in prison. He asked me to take a photo and the two of you pitted me. Once we go out, pay me money.¡±


    ¡°You should go to Du Sai. She hasn¡¯t given me the final payment for the order.¡±


    ¡°Then take me to find her.¡±


    They were the voices of Boss Shaw and Jin Sen. An Zhe squinted in the dim light as he tried to identify the two men locked up on the opposite side. ¡°Are you here as well?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Jin Sen answered. ¡°I was selling my phones when I was taken away by the people of the Trial Court.¡±


    Boss Shaw sighed. ¡°After I separated from you, I was arrested before I entered the station.¡±


    Jin Sen asked, ¡°What about you? How did you get caught?¡±


    An Zhe didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°Master,¡± he called out.


    Boss Shaw wondered, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    An Zhe asked, ¡°Am I really easy to bully?¡±


    ¡°You know it?¡± Boss Shaw replied lazily. ¡°Why are you asking this?¡±


    An Zhe didn¡¯t answer. Then he asked, ¡°What crime did you commit?¡±


    ¡°Do I have to say it?¡± Boss Shaw gave an answer. ¡°The crime of illegally stealing a judge¡¯s information.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Boss Shaw wondered. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the same?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Boss Shaw chuckled. ¡°Your tone has changed. Someone bullied you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± An Zhe¡¯s tone was apathetic.


    The author has something to say:


    Very angry!

 Chapter 16

    In the quiet space, Jin Sen yawned. ¡°The prison bed is quite soft.¡±


    An Zhe looked at the space around him. In the small prison room that was two metres long, there was a one metre long plastic soft board with a blanket on it. This was probably the so-called bed. He went over there and sat down cross-legged. He wrapped himself in a thin blanket and leaned back against the wall.


    Footsteps came from the end of the corridor and there was the glare of lights shining in the corridor. The soldiers of the city¡¯s defense station were holding flashlights to inspect the rooms. As they passed by, a soldier on the left said, ¡°There are three more.¡±


    ¡°The Trial Court. Colonel Lu is really great. The city¡¯s defense office is now the logistics team of the Trial Court.¡±


    ¡°The Trial Court wants to completely take over the city¡¯s defenses but the director is still holding on.¡±


    They shone the flashlights over the prisoners¡¯ faces and spoke no more. They continued moving forward as they checked one by one before going up the other entrance. Once they disappeared, there was silence in the entire underground space. There was only the breathing of the prisoners and An Zhe could feel that there were few people. Water drops fell on the plastic board in the distance and Boss Shaw muttered, ¡°The city¡¯s defense station is wasting water.¡±


    However, the sound of the water droplets was heard without interruption. It was evenly uniform and then Jin Sen said, ¡°It is a watch.¡±


    An Zhe listened hard and recognized that the sound came from next door to him. The sound was uniform and it wasn¡¯t water droplets but the sound of an old mechanical watch moving. In the darkness, the second hand rotated at a constant speed and time was infinitely elongated.


    Finally Jin Sen wondered, ¡°Boss Shaw, you have a lot of experience. How long will we be locked up?¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be long,¡± Boss Shaw replied. ¡°The illegal theft of a judge¡¯s information depends on the use. We didn¡¯t harm the Judge.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. You made a profit,¡± Jin Sen refuted.


    ¡°Then I¡¯d rather be locked up for a few more years.¡±


    Jin Sen sighed. ¡°The Judge is a judge. I was detained just for taking a photo. I should¡¯ve kept selling my phones honestly. I was taking a photo and was taken away by the people of the Trial Court. I was scared t death at first.¡±


    Boss Shaw didn¡¯t speak but a clear young male voice came from the cell next door to An Zhe. ¡°The crime of illegally stealing a judge¡¯s information, I¡¯ve seen it.¡±


    Boss Shaw asked, ¡°How many days did it take to be released?¡±


    ¡°The shortest is three days and the longest was three years. One was executed because he wanted to assassinate a judge.¡±


    Boss Shaw tentatively inquired, ¡°¡­Did he do it?¡±


    ¡°Attempted.¡±


    ¡°Yet he was executed?¡±


    ¡°That is what the Judge¡¯s Act provides.¡± The voice was calm. ¡°Without absolute security for a judge, there can¡¯t be the absolute authority of the judge.¡±


    Boss Shaw muttered, ¡°That¡­ we didn¡¯t mean to harm him. How long would it be?¡±


    The voice replied, ¡°Look at the judge¡¯s mood.¡±


    An Zhe gripped the blanket. He felt that the Judge was in a very good mood. Then he heard Jin Sen ask curiously, ¡°Brother, what did you do?¡±


    ¡°Sedition and the crime of spreading panic,¡± the voice told them.


    Jin Sen seemed confused. ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°I wrote for the cultural department and was arrested by the city guards.¡± The person next door explained. ¡°Then the cultural department was closed down and I wasn¡¯t released.¡±


    An Zhe thought that this person was originally An Ze¡¯s peer. He heard Jin Sen say, ¡°How long will you be locked up here?¡±


    ¡°For life.¡±


    Jin Sen was clearly silent for a moment. ¡°You are playing with me.¡±


    The man smiled and didn¡¯t answer. An Zhe thought about it. According to An Ze¡¯s memories, this had been a very safe job. He asked the person next door, ¡°What did you write?¡±


    The human said, ¡°I wrote the science and history of the base. My pen name is Poet, have you heard of it?¡±


    An Zhe replied, ¡°No.¡±


    Poet suggested, ¡°Do you want to hear it? Your voice is very good.¡±


    ¡°Your voice is also very good.¡± An Zhe thought this person wanted to speak so he said, ¡°I want to hear it.¡±


    ¡°Stop.¡± Boss Shaw called out. ¡°You are guilty of sedition and don¡¯t even think about inciting this child.¡±


    ¡°You are just listening and don¡¯t have to be afraid of getting caught.¡± Poet laughed. ¡°After all, you have already been caught.¡±


    His words were very reasonable.


    ¡°It took me a long time to sort things out. After being locked up here, I¡¯ve had very few opportunities to talk about it. However, you should generally know these things.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± An Zhe answered.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Poet wondered. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be a bit more careful.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about where to start¡­¡± His rate of speaking slowed down. ¡°I will start from the Desert Age.¡±


    ¡°Before the Desert Age, it was a ¡®big prosperous period¡¯ on Earth. There was a total of seven billion people on Earth and in the plains area, you could meet a village or city after driving for an hour. The cities were full of people while the outskirts of the city contained farmland, livestock farms and factories. They provided countless materials for the cities. There were wars at that time but they were all wars between countries. Animals and plants weren¡¯t a match for human weapons.


    At this point, he paused like he was sorting out his thoughts. After a while, he continued, ¡°That was 2020. It was more than 100 years ago.¡±


    ¡°I was once a mercenary and I went to the ruins of a research institute in a capital city. There, I dug up a piece of data, a geomagnetic study that began in 2020.¡±


    No one spoke and he kept talking. ¡°From that year on, they detected the rapid decline of the Earth¡¯s magnetic field. Do you know the magnetic field?¡±


    Jin Sen opened his mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me Brother. I have no culture.¡±


    Boss Shaw didn¡¯t speak.


    ¡°The base doesn¡¯t teach these things.¡± Poet continued. ¡°In short, the geomagnetic field disappeared.¡±


    ¡°Then what exactly is the geomagnetic field?¡± Jin Sen wondered honestly.


    ¡°The earth is a huge magnet and the South Pole and North Pole are its positive and negative poles. The geomagnetic field is everything.¡± Poet said. ¡°After the disappearance of geomagnetism, compasses failed, there was a global biosphere disorder and all human industry shut down, unable to generate electricity. These were the lightest consequences of the geomagnetic field disappearing.¡±


    ¡°The geomagnetic field¡­ its most important role is to protect Earth. Earth is suspended in the universe while surrounded by cosmic rays and solar wind. After encountering the geomagnetic field, these things will be deflected into other directions without harming the surface creatures. Thus, in 2020 when the geomagnetic fields disappeared, the entire Earth was directly exposed to solar storms and cosmic rays. The radiation outside was too strong and most of the land was directly blown away by storms. Water disappeared, the atmosphere became thinner, there were droughts, skin diseases, cancer, etc¡­ half of the world died and this became the Desert Age.¡±


    Jin Sen swore. ¡°Fuck.¡±


    ¡°However, the Desert Age ended quickly¡± Poet laughed and continued, ¡°From the time the geomagnetic changes were discovered in 2020, humans had already proposed countermeasures and this was divided into plans A and B. I searched through a lot of information in the abandoned city to find them.¡±


    Jin Sen¡¯s voice had become respectful. ¡°Say it.¡±


    ¡°Plan A was to build huge magnetic field generators in two special locations in Asia and North America. One would be called the ¡®Eastern Magnetic Pole and the other the ¡®Western Magnetic Pole.¡¯ The two north-south poles of Earth would be replaced with the east and west magnetic field generators. They would resonant to charged particles in the solar wind to form a new magnetic field that covered the whole world.¡±


    Jin Sen hit his palm a few times. ¡°Fierce.¡±


    ¡°Plan B was to construct large underground cities and shift the focus of human life from the surface to underground, protecting it from rays and solar wind.¡±


    Jin Sen continued to clap. ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°In 2040, Plan B was successful and the underground cities opened.¡±


    ¡°In 2043, Plan A was successful and weak magnetic fields covered the planet. The climate no longer deteriorated and organisms no longer died from cosmic radiation. Human technology began to recover and the period between 2040 and 2043 was known as the ¡®Dawn Age.¡¯


    Speaking up to here, Poet sighed softly. ¡°However, the hardest time for humans had just begun.¡±


    An Zhe¡¯s eyes became wide.


    ¡°I know.¡± This time it was Jin Sen opposite him. ¡°The Catastrophe Age came.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Poet replied. ¡°Cosmic radiation brought about unknown genetic variations that were terrible.¡±


    ¡°It started out as super bacteria and fungi and viruses were breeding in human cities. They infected everyone without distinction and the cities were full of corpses. Anyone who has visited the ruins in the wilderness would know about this.¡±


    ¡°How did they survive?¡± An Zhe questioned.


    ¡°It was destiny to survive.¡± Poet explained. ¡°In your genes, if you have immunity to these bacteria then you would survive. If not, you would die. The last remaining people were all those who were immune. Out of the three billion people who survived the Desert Age, only 100 million were left. Nevertheless, this wasn¡¯t the hardest time for humans.¡±


    ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°Then it is everything you know. It might be an unknown evolution brought about by the cosmic radiation or a virus we can¡¯t detect but the full-scale mutation of living things appeared. The entire world was occupied with these things. There must be something special about them since any humans who came into contact with them would become infected, gradually losing human characteristics and becoming assimilated. They like to attack humans since human genes are delicious to them. Thus, the war began. This is the greatest war in the history of humanity.¡±


    Poet took a breath before continuing, ¡°The scattered humans couldn¡¯t resist the attacks of monsters and humans started to integrate their remaining resources to establish human bases. Our ID number starts with a three, indicating that this is the third human base. The Underground City Base, the Virginia Base, the Northern Base and the Southeast Base, these four bases are the fate of humanity. After the base was formed, humans could catch their breaths and you can have your current life.¡±


    This sentence seemed to ease the atmosphere in the prison but it soon became freezing again with the next statement.


    ¡°Unfortunately, the bases aren¡¯t safe places.¡± Poet coughed and his voice gradually became lower.


    ¡°In 2061, a tide of mutant rats broke out and the Southeast Base fell.¡±


    ¡°In 2073, a sea alien sneaked in and the Virginia Base fell.¡±


    ¡°Fuck.¡± Jin Sen suddenly interrupted. ¡°No wonder why you were arrested for sedition and maliciously spreading panic. The city¡¯s defense station should seal your mouth.¡±


    ¡°However, I didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± Poet laughed. ¡°I just mixed in with my boyfriend¡¯s team of mercenaries and collected information around human sites. Then I put them together for publication and ended up sentenced to life.


    Jin Sen muttered, ¡°Your tongue should be cut off for life. You even have a boyfriend.¡±


    Poet laughed again. ¡°The base is so boring. Why can¡¯t I have a boyfriend?¡±


    He no longer cared for Jin Sen. ¡°To this day, only the Northern Base and the Underground City Base can be operated. These two bases protect the magnetic field generator which is why the aurora around the base is brighter than anywhere else. The aurora is the flor of solar wind particles.¡±


    Then Poet sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know if there is any contact between the two bases. After all, they are separated by the entire Pacific Ocean. I said before that the most difficult time for humans wasn¡¯t the Desert Age or Catastrophe Age It is because the most difficult time is now. Who knows what will happen in the next moment?¡±


    The moment he spoke, the ground beneath them shook violently. Dust fell from the ceiling of the prison and landed on An Zhe¡¯s head. He coughed but there was a stronger vibration. Jin Sen jerked up and shouted, ¡°Is it an earthquake?¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t an earthquake.¡± An Zhe heard Poet next door rising up from the ground and say something that An Zhe couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°An earthquake is transverse waves and longitudinal waves. Currently, there is no regular shaking and the source is very shallow¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªThere¡¯s something underground!¡±


    An Zhe understood this sentence.


    Thump!


    Suddenly, a loud noise came from the depths of the corridor, accompanied by the sound of an iron door falling to the ground.


    Thump! There was one more sound. The shock was 100 times more violent than before. An Zhe grabbed the railing of the iron door and stood firmly. He could hear it. A huge living thing was pounding on the floor from below.

 Chapter 17

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Jin Sen yelled. ¡°Below me!¡±


    He was right. The next moment, An Zhe felt the ground shaking under his feet. This feeling was very close and very real, like a sledgehammer beating across the floor. Just then, there was a loud bang at the end of the corridor. The iron door made a crashing sound and the prisoners there yelled with panic.


    ¡°They are also over there.¡± Poet¡¯s words suddenly accelerate. ¡°Underground creatures, are they rodents? They live in groups and the Southeast Base was¡ª¡±


    He hadn¡¯t finished speaking when he changed his words. ¡°No, rodents don¡¯t have this much power. Underground¡­¡±


    There was the clatter of footsteps and a group of soldiers in black quickly descended the stairs. Flashlights shone and a voice came from the loudspeakers in the corridor. ¡°Don¡¯t panic, the foundation of the city¡¯s defense station is very strong, with cement and special steel plates added. We are trying to find out the reason. Don¡¯t panic.¡±


    If they hadn¡¯t been shouting and quickly opening the prison doors to let the prisoners out, these words would be more credible. At the same time, there was a harsh chirping from outside, the alarm going up and down like waves.


    ¡°The evacuation signal is ringing.¡± Jin Sen banged on the door vigorously. ¡°Brother! Open it for me!¡±


    A soldier hurriedly opened three prison doors in the distance and then came over. Boss Shaw was on the outside. The soldier soon found the corresponding key to the door, quickly inserted it into the lock and the door was opened. Boss Shaw rushed out and the soldier quickly said, ¡°Turn right and go upstairs to find the exit!¡±


    Boss Shaw stumbled a few times before running to the right. Dust fell from the ceiling and the soldier wiped his face before standing in front of Poet¡¯s door.


    At this time, Jin Sen shouted, ¡°He has been imprisoned for life! He is dangerous! Release me first! I¡¯m a good citizen!¡±


    The soldier seemed to hesitate. Then as the ground shook more and more, he turned to open the door of Jin Sen¡¯s prison. Jin Sen¡¯s hands grabbed at the iron door as his voice trembled violently. ¡°Brother, hurry up.¡±


    An Zhe saw the soldier¡¯s hand shaking several times before the key was inserted into the lock.


    Jin Sen told him, ¡°You are my brother¡ª¡±


    His voice came to an abrupt end. The floor creaked and his entire body was lifted as a huge black object surged up against the cracked ground and dirt.


    There was a dull sound as Jin Sen¡¯s body was squeezed by the monster against the ceiling. His eyes popped up as something sharp pushed against his abdomen and blood mixed with viscera dropped down. There was a terrible scream and An Zhe¡¯s pupils dilated. He slowly turned his head to see the soldier who had opened the door was being crushed by the iron door, sharp points penetrating his thigh and right chest. He held his leg on the ground as he twitched and coughed violently. A large mass of blood came out, probably because his lungs were punctured.


    There was a bang and the black thing fell back down in a heavy manner. It created a hole in the ground where the bottom couldn¡¯t be seen. Jin Sen¡¯s body fell in and was no longer visible.


    The shouts of other soldiers came from deep in the corridor. ¡°Get out¡ª!¡±


    Then the next second, the ground cracked and a huge roar came from over there. Iron doors fell to the ground and the ceiling broke and fell. Two cries of fear rang out before coming to an abrupt halt.


    An Zhe heard the sound of chewing. The prelude was the sound of water. Then a dull friction, the sound of limbs squeezing each other and finally the sound of bones creaking and breaking. The sounds came from the end of the corridor and the hole opposite An Zhe.


    The soldier in front of him twitched. His flashlight fell to the ground and rolled a few times, the pale beam of light hitting the dark hole.


    At the same time, mycelium stretched out from the gaps in the iron door and gathered together around a keychain scattered on the ground, slowly dragging it back to the iron gate. Inside, the keys rubbed against the ground and made a noise. An Zhe saw the soldier looking frightfully to this side but he couldn¡¯t manage so much. He also knew the soldier didn¡¯t need to be handled because the soldier had taken his last breath.


    An Zhe asked next door, ¡°What door am I?¡±


    Poet¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°17. Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± An Zhe replied. He estimated that his iron door was right next to Poet¡¯s iron door. Poet¡¯s vision was limited and he wouldn¡¯t be able to see the scene of An Zhe taking the keys.


    The mycelium was recovered. An Zhe quickly grabbed the keys, found number 17 and removed it. The chewing sound accelerated.


    The mycelium held the number 17 key and once again protruded from the iron door. Part of the mycelium was attached to the iron door to detect the position of the keyhole. Another part of the mycelium inserted the key inside. The mycelium was fragile and the strength was limited. More and more mycelium gathered together and the key was finally twisted. There was a click and the lock popped open.


    An Zhe grasped the remaining keys tightly and headed to the door next to him. His hands shook a little as he turned the number 18 key. Then the soldier¡¯s flashlight shone onto he keyhole and to the left. The chewing sound stopped completely at this moment.


    ¡°My god¡­¡± A young man rushed out the door, stumbling. An Zhe didn¡¯t even have time to see his face as he dragged this person over the soldier¡¯s body. The two of them ran to the only safe right corridor. The ground was still trembling, indicating there were more than two of these things under the ground.


    Just then, the emergency light in front flashed a few times before being completely extinguished. The front path fell into complete darkness. An Zhe heard Poet next to him gasp a few times. ¡°Don¡¯t look back.¡±


    Still, An Zhe couldn¡¯t help turning his head back. A bug. A black worm as wide as half the corridor.


    Its body resembled a snake but it was divided into distinct segments. At this moment, it was emerging from the huge hole in the ground, holding its head up in the direction of An Zhe and Poet. It couldn¡¯t be said that this was the head. It didn¡¯t have any structure of the head, only a round mouthpiece filled with teeth.


    Behind it, another identical worm was coming over. Two mouthpieces with dense teeth rubbed against each other, looking at this side in unison. They headed over here, the speed not slow at all. There were only a dozen metres between then and An Zhe could smell them.


    Poet gritted his teeth and shouted, ¡°Go!¡±


    However, the ground gave a sharp shake and a huge force threw An Zhe into the wall. There was a sharp pain from his left arm, as if he had hit a deformed iron door. He propped himself up with his arm and Poet pulled him as they ran through the darkened corridor in the direction they remembered. Anything could happen in the dark. Perhaps a third worm would appear in front of them or they might hit a wall because they couldn¡¯t see anything.


    ¡ªAn Zhe really hit the wall. His head slammed into a piece of metal and it hurt. His entire body had hit something. The net moment. something wrapped around his waist, trying to raise him up and standing upright again.


    The wall had hands.


    ¡°Is there any living people behind you?¡± It was very close and Lu Feng¡¯s voice rang out faster than usual.


    An Zhe¡¯s heart almost stopped before he replied, ¡°No one.¡±


    Everyone inside was dead.


    ¡°Prepare the uranium bomb, the maximum equivalent.¡± Lu Feng had just finished speaking when a dazzling white light came from here and rushed deep into the corridor. Before An Zhe could react, he was pressed down by Lu Feng and rolled over the ground, pressed below this person.


    The next moment, there was a dull explosion and white light flashed in front of his eyes. Lu Feng¡¯s figure was a dazzling shadow on An Zhe¡¯s retina. He closed his eyes, clutching at Lu Feng¡¯s cuffs with his right hand. He gasped for a short time because he had been running too fast just now.


    The ground was still shaking violently. Three seconds later, he was pulled up from the ground by Lu Feng and there were others beside him. The lights turned on here and Lu Feng ordered, ¡°Go.¡±


    An Zhe followed them and climbed up the stairwell. He didn¡¯t have much energy left but the magical thing was that Lu Feng¡¯s hand helping him seemed to have a special skill. Whenever he couldn¡¯t keep up, he would be pulled and taken forward. It was unknown how long An Zhe followed blindly before the cold air outside finally filled his respiratory tract. He almost leaned on Lu Feng as he gasped.


    Lu Feng told him indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°Apprentice! Apprentice!¡± A man came up and grabbed his hand, pulling him away from Lu Feng. It was Boss Shaw. An Zhe finally became better and his vision cleared. He said, ¡°Poet¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± A voice was heard from behind him. An Zhe turned to see a young and beautiful man leaning against the wall. Due to the strenuous exercise, he was gasping hard. Once he finally recovered, the man spoke quickly, ¡°You are very good at hitting people.¡±


    An Zhe, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Before he could say anything, Lu Feng¡¯s voice rang out.


    ¡°Director Howard, you¡¯re late.¡±


    An Zhe looked forward and saw a row of soldiers standing in front of him, headed by a tall man in the uniform of the city¡¯s guards. His hair was grey and there was a majestic hook nose. The emblem on his shoulder was the same as Lu Feng. He also had the rank of the colonel and seemed to be in charge of the city¡¯s defenses.


    Howard¡¯s voice was calm and cold as he was. ¡°I had prepared for an indiscriminate bombing so it was very difficult when Colonel Lu entered an area beyond his authority.¡±


    ¡°After all, my prisoners are still inside.¡± Lu Feng¡¯s tone was cold. ¡°The ultrasonic dispersal instrument is in this place. You dare to do indiscriminate bombing?¡±


    ¡°The Trial Court doesn¡¯t have to worry about the equipment of the city¡¯s defense station,¡± Howard declared. ¡°You should see if the people coming from underground are infected.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t worry about the work of the Trial Court.¡±


    Howard¡¯s eyes stared heavily at An Zhe. An Zhe briefly looked at his and realized this person was staring at his left arm. It was bleeding from his injury in the underground corridor.


    Lu Feng¡¯s right hand gripped An Zhe¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I will take him away and monitor him during the buffer period.¡±


    Howard told him, ¡°Thanks for the trouble.¡±


    Then he turned to the soldiers of the city¡¯s defense station. ¡°Prepare for the bombing.¡±


    Thus, An Zhe was taken away by Lu Feng in front of Boss Shaw.


    Lu Feng¡¯s office in the city¡¯s defense station was in the main building¡¯s auxiliary building. It was a room without any decorations. The moment An Zhe entered, Lu Feng locked the door.


    An Zhe thought this might be a precautionary measure. If An Zhe was infected and turned into a monster, he wouldn¡¯t be able to run out of this room.


    He saw Lu Feng walk to the grey desk, open the drawer and pull out a bunch of white things that he threw at An Zhe. An Zhe subconsciously caught it and realized it was a roll of bandages. The Judge¡¯s intention was to let him bandage his wound. He sat down in front of another table and chair near the window and started to make the bandages. He thought that although the Judge could convict people at will, he might be a good person.


    He had hurt his left arm. It was a small injury and not very painful, but it was cut by the iron door and blood seeped out. An Zhe tore off a bandage that was around half a metre long and started to use his right hand to wrap it around his left arm. It didn¡¯t work.


    It wasn¡¯t easy to wrap it with one hand and it couldn¡¯t be tied. Human fingers weren¡¯t as flexible as the mycelium, not to mention that only one could be used. Moreover, he wasn¡¯t particularly familiar with human limbs. However, An Zhe felt that as a human on the surface, it would be too embarrassing if he couldn¡¯t even tie a bandage. Thus, he frowned and continued to tie a knot.


    He felt a gaze. Lu Feng was watching him.


    He continued to tie it. However, the thought of the Judge watching his every move made his knotting technique become worse. After three minutes of hard work, not only did the knot fail but his hand shook and the bandage wrapped around his arm was released. The moment it was released, An Zhe was so angry that he wanted to spread out his mycelium.


    A chuckle came from opposite him.


    In fact, it wasn¡¯t a laugh. It was just a short breathing sound but An Zhe could hear it. The tone was sneering and it was a laugh.


    An Zhe, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The Judge was laughing at him.

 Chapter 18

    Just then, a hand appeared in front of him. The fingers were very long and the skin was cold and white. An Zhe was too familiar with this shape. After Boss Shaw had finished it, this hand was placed in the container by his bed and he could see it every day before going to sleep. It was Lu Feng¡¯s hand.


    The hand picked up one end of the bandage and his other hand picked up the other end, wrapping it around An Zhe¡¯s arm a few times in a slightly tight manner. Then An Zhe saw the 10 fingers tie a knot in the bandage. Lu Feng had helped him bandage his arm, despite laughing at him in the last second.


    An Zhe pulled down the sleeves of his shirt and told this person, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Lu Feng didn¡¯t speak.


    There was a huge blasting sound from downstairs. It was very dull like it came from the depths of the ground. An Zhe looked down. The structure of the city¡¯s defense station was a spacious atrium surrounded by four buildings. The building where he had been detained tonight was the shortest one. At this moment, the building was in a state of chaos. The people inside were evacuated while soldiers armed with heavy weapons entered. The explosion sounds constantly rang out and the building creaked. Glass was broken and some rooms collapsed. The solid and magnificent building 30 minutes ago gradually became a ruin. The dust and smoke from the uranium bombs shrouded it like white fog. The soldiers of the defense station were heavily armed and set up an isolation belt around them, raising radiation signs.


    The uranium bombs used by the military were depleted uranium bombs. They had strong penetration and weak radiation but long-term exposure would still cause harm to the human body and required special treatment.


    Most of the people inside the building were evacuated outside the city¡¯s defense station. Meanwhile, Boss Shaw, Poet and the other prisoners were placed in temporary tents in the atrium, monitored by five gunmen. An Zhe could see them.


    Then he saw Lu Feng get up and walk to the window. The sky outside was covered with the green aurora and it was very dazzling. Lu Feng stood in front of the window and his figure blurred into a black outline. He turned to look at the other side of the atrium.


    An Zhe followed his gaze and glanced over there. At the other end of the atrium was a huge black device that looked like a black circular disc, surrounded by layers of octagonal coils. The discs were recessed smoothly from the edge and there was a thick, black cone-shaped object in the centre. There were radial and very sharp objects, something like a line or a pole, connecting the black cone with the coils. The entire installation was larger than two buildings. If he stood under the disc and looked up, he wouldn¡¯t be able to see the sky in all directions.


    As he gazed there, the human creations always made him feel huge and strange. In his peripheral vision, Lu Feng took out his communicator and dialed a number His cold voice was like snow in the depths of winter.


    ¡°The Trial Court, Lu Feng. Requesting a transfer to the Lighthouse Centre.¡±


    The two of them were close so the sound from the receiver entered An Zhe¡¯s ears. The other side said, ¡°Transferring, please wait.¡±


    Around 20 seconds later, a male voice rang out. ¡°What¡¯s going on in the city?¡±


    Lu Feng reported, ¡°There is an underground invasion of large worms, suspected to be in groups. At present, the city¡¯s defense station is safe.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± The other person said. ¡°The worm group might be extremely high. We will immediately send a research team to the city¡¯s defense station. You pay attention to protecting the dispersal machine.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    He had just hung up when his communicator rang again. This time, someone had called it.


    Lu Feng asked, ¡°Howard?¡±


    ¡°The underground of Building 3 can¡¯t be blown up anymore. My men have found crawling tracks and are fighting monsters underground.¡± Howard explained. ¡°There are people injured. The seriously wounded have been killed while the lightly wounded are being sent out. You have to watch.¡±


    Lu Feng looked down. ¡°I can see.¡±


    After that, he added, ¡°The worms are dangerous. People should be sent out the moment they come into contact with mucus.¡±


    Howard cursed but Lu Feng¡¯s tone remained unchanged. ¡°Pay attention to the disperser.¡±


    ¡°There are no traces of any tracks toward the dispersal device.¡± Howard¡¯s tone was a bit furious. ¡°The foundation under the dispersal device is stronger than the other buildings. Colonel Lu, you should concentrate on doing your own job.¡±


    Lu Feng spoke lightly. ¡°Thanks for the trouble.¡±


    Then he hung up. Based on tone, this wasn¡¯t a pleasant call but Lu Feng didn¡¯t seem to care. He leaned against the window in a slightly lazy posture, his eyes watching the soldiers coming and going in the atrium. An Zhe knew that he was monitoring the safety of the soldiers.


    There was nothing to do. An Zhe continued to look at the huge instrument in the atrium. Based on the conversation between Lu Feng and others, An Zhe guessed that this was the ¡®ultrasonic dispersal device.¡¯


    He was familiar with the term since it was often mentioned in the base manual. There was a total of 10 dispersal devices in the outer city of the base, which were managed by the dispersal centre located in District 1. Previously in Boss Shaw¡¯s store, he heard the base radio say it was the breeding season for arthropods and parasitic monsters. In order to prevent an air invasion, the base had increased the working intensity of the ultrasonic disperses to level III.


    Therefore, the function of this instrument was to protect the entire base from the invasion of air monsters, such as arthropod insects and birds. An Zhe didn¡¯t know how it worked. He only felt it was amazing.


    After examining every detail of the disperser, he turned his attention to the room. This office wasn¡¯t large and there was nothing other than two sets of tables and chairs, gun racks and several filing cabinets. There were many things neatly packed in the filing cabinets such as data piles and folders whose content couldn¡¯t be seen. There were a few base manuals, instrument operation guides and ¡®Base Constitution I Law¡¯ that was as thick as four fingers. The legal part of the original base manual was abridged.


    An Zhe¡¯s gaze continued to move. There were several glass jars placed on the next level of the filing cabinet. Most of them were empty but there was one to the side that seemed to be filled with dozens of plant seeds. Next to it was a bag containing similar soil samples. There was a white ¡®safe¡¯ label on them.


    An Zhe thought of his spore again. His spore was probably similar to the seeds. Would the spore that had been taken from him also be placed in a glass jar or some other container? An instinctive discomfort rose when he thought of this scene and he also seemed to be in an airtight container. The spore was his most important thing and he still didn¡¯t know where it was. All the clues had been interrupted by the colonel.


    In order to find the spores, he had to probe the information from Lu Feng. However, he was just a mushroom. He knew he wasn¡¯t like a human. He also knew that Lu Feng¡¯s observation ability was terrible and it was likely he would be suspected as soon as he spoke.


    Or perhaps he should observe Lu Feng for a while.


    Thinking of this, he suddenly regained his spirit. He turned his head and happened to meet Lu Feng¡¯s eyes. The eyes were dark green under the light and his expression was casual. It was unknown how long this person had been looking at An Zhe.


    An Zhe thought he was being suspected again but he had to get through it. He blinked at the colonel. The colonel¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change and his tone was flat. ¡°You can go.¡±


    The buffer period had passed.


    An Zhe asked, ¡°Do I have to go back down there?¡±


    The prisoners were living in makeshift tents in the atrium.


    Lu Feng spoke lightly. ¡°Yes.¡±


    An Zhe bit his lower lip for a moment. His desire for his spore defeated his fear of the colonel. ¡°It is cold there.¡±


    Lu Feng glanced at him. ¡°You are a prisoner.¡±


    ¡°However, I didn¡¯t commit an indecent assault.¡±


    Lu Feng stared at him and smiled after two seconds.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Lu Feng stated. ¡°There is the crime of illegally stealing a judge¡¯s information and the sentence will double.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t teal it. I was just doing things with your information.¡±


    ¡°Oh. The crime of using a judge¡¯s information illegally for profit, the sentence has doubled once again.¡±


    An Zhe replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t profit from it either.¡±


    Lu Feng watched him with folded arms. ¡°If it isn¡¯t for profit, was it for your own use?¡±


    An Zhe, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He couldn¡¯t say anything.


    Lu Feng watched him with slightly raised eyebrows. ¡°How much profit?¡±


    An Zhe told him, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°What is your salary?¡±


    ¡°60R.¡±


    Lu Feng once again smiled.


    ¡°How pitiful. The boss lied to you. Once you get out of prison, remember to find him to raise your salary.¡±


    An Zhe felt that he was being laughed at again. This was the third time it had happened tonight and he decided that Lu Feng was the worst bully in this base. Before he had thought about what to say, he saw Lu Feng look down at his watch.


    ¡°It¡¯s early in the morning.¡± An Zhe heard the familiar firm tone of command from this person¡¯s voice. ¡°Go down and sleep.¡±


    Just then, the cold wind came in through the window and straight into An Zhe¡¯s face. The difference in the base¡¯s day and night temperatures was very large. He made a small sneeze and saw the opposite Lu Feng frown, seemingly disgusted.


    Lu Feng¡¯s tone was cold. ¡°Delicate.¡±


    An Zhe confirmed he was being despised but the wind was so cold that he couldn¡¯t hold back another sneeze.


    An Zhe, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He was really afraid of the cold and wanted to find clues around Lu Feng. It was just that looking at the colonel¡¯s expression, he might be thrown out the window if he didn¡¯t leave. He could only lower his head, gather the neckline of his clothes together and stand up to turn away. He had just arrived at the door when he heard Lu Feng behind him. ¡°Stop.¡±


    An Zhe was stunned and turned back.


    Lu Feng was still leaning against the window as he glanced to the right side of the room. ¡°You can go there.¡±


    An Zhe followed his gaze and saw there was a door on the right wall. He walked over and opened it. This was a lounge with a simple bed and table. There was a hanger at the door with a black uniform coat hanging from it. An Zhe realized whose room this was. He muttered, ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t sleep tonight.¡± Lu Feng told him. ¡°You can choose to sleep here or outside.¡±


    An Zhe weighed the two options and answered decisively. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Lu Feng didn¡¯t say anything He turned to the window and continued to look downstairs. The noise outside remained unbroken and it was still chaotic. An Zhe walked into the room. He closed the door and looked around the place. The room was full of indifference and there weren¡¯t many signs of human habitation. Only some folders stacked at the end of the bed.


    There were several magazines on the wooden table and next to them was a short, silver military knife. However, this wasn¡¯t what attracted An Zhe¡¯s attention. A book was open in the middle of the table and there was black handwriting in it.


    6. 16: Normal.


    6. 15: Normal.


    6. 14: Normal.


    An Zhe realized what this was. It was the work record manual for the judges. At the time, the protests against the Trial Court had a sign saying to make the work records public. However, based on the perfunctory nature of Lu Feng¡¯s record, it would be useless even if it was made public. He turned forward until May. Among a series of ¡®normals¡¯, there was one difference.


    5.17: Parasitic intrusion, resolved. The report to be submitted.


    5.18, Normal, 5.17¡¯s report has been submitted.


    He went forward again.


    5.11: abnormal, suspected object ID3261170514 (very low risk level), genetic examination passed, allowed into the city.


    An Zhe, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    It seemed that at the city gate that day, Lu Feng not only discovered that An Zhe was abnormal but also that he was weak. However, he didn¡¯t stop there. Intuition drove him forward. Boss Shaw said that all military personnel, even the Trial Court, would go out on missions. There had been shell casings from the Trial Court when An Zhe lost his spore.


    An Zhe¡¯s heart thumped as he turned over dozens of pages before a distinctive record suddenly appeared before his eyes.


    2.20: Back to the city. Samples handed over to the Lighthouse.


    His eyes paused on this. An Zhe turned forward and the records on the page suddenly became a lot denser.


    2.12, the wilderness, the Abyss: Collected four additional map records, seven plant samples, four animal samples, seven secretion samples and three mixed polymorphic monster behaviour information videos.


    2.13, the wilderness, the Abyss: Collected 13 plant samples, three animal samples, 14 secretion samples and six mixed polymorphic monster behaviour information videos.


    He went to the Abyss. An Zhe¡¯s eyes widened and his eyes stopped at the last record on the page.


    2.14, the wilderness, return trip: Collected an abnormal fungus sample (spore).


    An Zhe¡¯s mind was blank for a moment and his hand holding the paper trembled.

 Chapter 19

    During his time as a mushroom, he didn¡¯t have much of a concept of time. The sun rising and setting were just natural changes and he didn¡¯t know how long it had been since he lost his spore.


    February 14th, according to the human season, was the time when winter hadn¡¯t yet passed. That¡¯s right, in his memories and dreams, there was the chilling wind on the night when he lost his spore.


    There wouldn¡¯t be a second mushroom in the world who lost a spore in the same winter. It turned out that his meeting with Lu Feng was much earlier than the encounter at the gate. The Judge, separated from him by a wall, was the one who personally took the spore from him.


    He paused and turned this work manual back. On the next page on February 20th, Lu Feng returned to the base and wrote that he handed over the samples to the Lighthouse.


    After pausing on this line for three seconds, An Zhe turned the log back to June 17th and returned the black ballpoint pen to the page like it had never been read.


    An Zhe looked away from the manual to the wall behind the desk. A judge had the supreme power to shoot anyone in the base or order all agencies in the city to cooperate. In an emergency, they could mobilize all the soldiers of the city¡¯s defense station, just like Lu Feng had at the supply station that day. However, despite this high position, LuFeng¡¯s residence here was more deserted and simpler than An Zhe¡¯s own room. Even the walls were only lightly painted, revealing the grey cement texture behind it.


    On this grey wall, a little taller than a person, was a sentence written in red paint.


    ¡°Human interests takes precedence over everything else.¡±


    An Zhe shuddered. The dungeon was too cold and he still didn¡¯t feel easy. He shifted his gaze tot he bed, hesitated for a few seconds before lying on it.


    His hand sank onto the pillow. He didn¡¯t dare wrap himself in the quilt as usual and just placed it lightly on his body. The quilt, pillows and sheets were all base-based materials and there was no difference between the quilts of a prisoner and this one. However, An Zhe felt it was very different. He was sleeping on the Judge¡¯s bed while a brief conversation between Lu Feng and someone else drifted from the office on the other side of the wall. It was an indescribable feeling, dangerous but safe.


    Anyone in this situation would lose sleep, let alone a mushroom. However, he didn¡¯t have insomnia for too long. As he was thinking wild thoughts, his body gradually warmed up due to the warmth of the quilt and the world in front of him gradually blurred. He fell into a dream just like this.


    An Zhe was awakened and he was convinced it was only a short time after he slept. The last time he was in the wilderness, he felt his spore being dug away from him. This time, he felt a hand patting the pillow next to him.


    An Zhe¡¯s spirit awakened and he opened his eyes into cold green eyes. It was the murderer who took away his spore. Lu Feng raised the quilt and spoke very quickly. ¡°Evacuate.¡±


    Needless to say, the moment he woke up, An Zhe realized that the building beneath him was shaking slightly, just like the prison. Were the worms appearing below this building?


    After a short period of thought, the wave-shaped alarm sounded for a long time. It was the evacuation signal.


    He didn¡¯t have much time to think and quickly got out of bed and put on his shoes. Lu Feng grabbed his shoulder with the right hand and took him outside of the room. Cold air poured in through the open door and An Zhe instinctively fought back a chill as he came from the warm quilt to this situation. Then he felt Lu Feng holding his hand pause.


    A black shadow covered him and his body sank. Lu Feng had taken his coat off the hanger and threw it on him. It was too late for An Zhe to say thank you and he could only reach out to close the coat around him. Lu Feng kept moving, quickly picking up the work manual and ballpoint pen from his desk and shoving it into the pocket of An Zhe¡¯s coat. Then he grabbed An Zhe¡¯s wrist and walked away. Two judges were already waiting at the door. Once they saw Lu Feng, they called out, ¡°Colonel!¡±


    Then the two of them stared at An Zhe.


    Lu Feng didn¡¯t say anything and their group headed downstairs via the nearest emergency passage. The emergency passage was dark. The monster attack had affected the power system and only the green fluorescent indicator light appeared brightly. The stairs were narrow and steep and only two people could go side by side. It happened that the other three people were moving too fast. An Zhe was dragged by Lu Feng and stumbled several times. He realized that unless he became mycelium, not only would he be unable to keep up with the pace but he would also slow Lu Feng down.


    He just wanted to say that Lu Feng didn¡¯t need to pull him, he could walk by himself, when a force came from his shoulder. Lu Feng had grabbed his shoulder and twisted him to the side and rear. The inertia of gravity was still there and An Zhe crashed onto Lu Feng¡¯s back, his forehead hit the badge on Lu Feng¡¯s chest and then the epaulettes as he slid backwards. In this position, he was taller than Lu Feng and he instinctively leaned forward to hold into Lu Feng.


    Then he was carried by the man in a piggyback position. Holding onto the Judge¡¯s neck, An Zhe recalled the chaotic but seemingly logical series of actions and found it amazing.


    The key was that this person effortlessly carried him, easily jumping down a few steps and steadily landing before running. He pulled open the window of the second floor and borrowed the platform outside the window of the first floor. There was only a whistling sound in An Zhe¡¯s ears and somehow Lu Feng landed downstairs.


    Lu Feng clearly didn¡¯t have the obvious strong muscles of Vance or Howard but through the layers of clothing, An Zhe could still feel the terrible explosive power. A human body was different from soft mycelium.


    After Lu Feng landed, the two other judges also fell to the ground in short intervals. An Zhe had held on tightly when Lu Feng landed and felt that this was clearly a hard human body. The gap between human and human was even greater than the gap between human and mushroom, An Zhe realized.


    Then three seconds later, he realized that everyone in the atrium was looking at him. It was early in the morning and the light fog couldn¡¯t stop other people¡¯s eyes. Boss Shaw came out from the nearest tent. He first glanced at Lu Feng and then An Zhe before immediately beginning to blink at An Zhe.


    Lu Feng put him down. An Zhe also released his grip on this person¡¯s neck and landed.


    He said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Lu Feng replied lightly. ¡°Go to the tent.¡±


    The tent was just a few steps away from here. An Zhe responded with a hum and turned around, only to bump into Howard.


    Lu Feng asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Things have changed. The Lighthouse people arrived and turned on the radar to show that all four buildings have worms underneath them. It isn¡¯t just one or two. They are living in groups. There is a worm nest under the city¡¯s defense station. They are breaking through the ground to attack the people in the building.¡±


    ¡°A full evacuation?¡±


    ¡°Everyone will be evacuated and you as well.¡± Howard was resolute and decisive.


    Lu Feng ordered, ¡°Show me the radar imaging.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t look, it is hopeless.¡±


    ¡°The dispersal device is here.¡±


    Howard¡¯s voice was cold and he went tit-for-tat. ¡°We can¡¯t protect the dispersal device. How many times do you want me to say it? After the evacuation, I will immediately contact the dispersal centre to improve the work intensity of the other nine dispersal devices.¡±


    An Zhe looked back and saw that Lu Feng¡¯s face was cold. His right hand was touching the gun at his waist as he repeated word for word. ¡°Show me the radar imaging.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Howard seemed angry but he feared the Judge¡¯s privilege of being able to kill anytime and anywhere. He waved his hand in one direction.


    A man in a simple shirt came from the other side with a black instrument in his hand. Lu Feng picked it up and glanced at the screen. An Zhe watched the temperature on this man¡¯s face drop from zero to minus 18 degrees. His voice was so cold that it could freeze out ice.


    ¡°The target of the monsters isn¡¯t the people in the building, it is the dispersal device.¡± He looked up at Howard and spoke very quickly. ¡°The atrium has the disperser and the foundation can¡¯t be broken due to the reinforcement. They can only come out from the four buildings.¡±


    Howard stated, ¡°The Lighthouse¡¯s report doesn¡¯t support your conclusion, Colonel Lu.¡±


    ¡°I spend half the year in the Abyss.¡± Lu Feng¡¯s fingers pressed against the butt of his gun, his eyes narrowed slightly and the cold deterrence freezing everyone present. ¡°Howard, I¡¯ve seen more monsters than you have ever seen.¡±


    Howard was silent for three seconds. Then his eyes widened like he suddenly thought of something and his expression changed immediately. ¡°The other dispersal¡ª¡±


    Lu Feng ordered, ¡°Contact the other dispersal centres immediately.¡±


    The judge behind him took out a communication device, dialled a string of numbers and pressed the speaker key.


    Beep!


    There was the monotonous sound of waiting for someone to pick up.


    Beep!


    Beep!


    In the atrium, there was silence.


    After nine seconds of waiting, the communicator sent a rapid busy tone. After another three seconds, the busy tone stopped. No one had answered and the communicator had hung up.


    Howard quickly took out his communicator and after dialling a few numbers, he ordered the other side, ¡°This is Howard from the city¡¯s defense station. Transfer me to a dispersal centre, any is fine. Do it immediately.¡±


    ¡°Please wait a moment,¡± the operator¡¯s voice was heard.


    After this, there was a long silence. Three minutes passed before the operator¡¯s voice was heard again, his voice holding a small quiver.


    ¡°We have lost contact with the dispersal centres.¡±

 Chapter 20

    The moment the operator¡¯s voice was heard, Lu Feng¡¯s expression changed. He turned and walked quickly, the lighthouse researcher trotting to keep up. Just then, a car parked outside the city¡¯s defense station and a young judge ran over. ¡°Colonel!¡±


    Lu Feng told him, ¡°Assist the city¡¯s defense station.¡±


    ¡°Colonel, do we need to call a Trial Court?¡±


    Lu Feng¡¯s eyes swept over the sparse flow of people. ¡°Close the city gates and meet in District 5.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the judge replied. ¡°Colonel, please pay attention to safety.¡±


    Lu Feng didn¡¯t speak. He slammed the door shut and started the engine. Then he spun the steering wheel and the black car turned around quickly. It drove like an arrow in the direction of the dispersal centre in District 1. He was closely followed by Howard¡¯s car and the heavy armoured vehicles of the city¡¯s defense station.


    In the back seat, the researcher armed with a communicator was also talking to people and was being questioned.


    ¡°They are going after the dispersal centres.¡± The researcher said. ¡°We have to prepare for the worst.¡±


    ¡°It is now suspected that the special frequency bands used by the ultrasonic dispersers drives out arthropods and pods while attracting underground worm organisms. There is no doubt that this is a premeditated attack.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the rest of the dispersal sites are being contacted.¡±


    At the same time, the alarm tower in the middle of the city suddenly rang. The constant sharp and long sounds were deafening. The sparse number of people on the streets in the morning changed their expressions when they heard it. They glanced at each other before starting to run to the nearest building. The meaning of the continuous long sounds was ¡®emergency shelter.¡¯


    At the same time, the street broadcast started. A soft mechanical voice said, ¡°Alarm, due to the failure of the ultrasonic dispersal devices, insects, birds and worms might appear in the city in the near future. Before confirming the problem, please close the doors and windows immediately and stop travelling. If there are suspicious circumstances, please immediately call the emergency communications and contact the city¡¯s defense station. The military base will do its utmost to protect your security.¡±


    ¡°Alarm, due to the failure of the ultrasonic dispersal devices, insects, birds and worms might appear in the city in the near future¡­¡±


    There were repeated bangs of windows closing from all sides of the residential buildings. The staff and prisoners of the city¡¯s defense station were quickly transferred to a nearby residential area. A steady stream of armoured vehicles drove out from various garrisons where the city¡¯s defenses were located, scattering in all directions.


    An Zhe, Boss Shaw and Poet were in the same room. The city¡¯s defense station was too busy right now. One of them was guilty of incitement, one of illegally stealing a judge¡¯s information and the remaining one was accused of strange crimes. In a word, there were no lethal charges so there were no soldiers to supervise them. Only the door was locked.


    ¡°The dispersion centre remotely manages all the dispersers in the outer city.¡± Poet looked out the window. ¡°In the wild, even a small flying insect might infect humans. The base uses a special frequency ultrasonic band to disperse them and ensure the absolute safety of the residents. Nothing can fly into the base. If there is something wrong with the dispersal centre then we will be exposed to the possibility of infection. For insects in the breeding season, human flesh is the best breeding ground for eggs.¡±


    An Zhe sat on the bare bed with folded knees and asked, ¡°What will happen?¡±


    Poet reached out and pinched the back of his neck. ¡°Suppose a little bug laid eggs in your skin last night. The bug¡¯s genes and human¡¯s genes will fuse. Three days later at most, you will be a sac with millions of eggs in you. Small bugs will fly out of your eyes and the respiratory tract and onto other people¡ª¡±


    Boss Shaw muttered, ¡°Don¡¯t scare the kid.¡±


    Poet spoke slowly. ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡±


    An Zhe thought back to the day when Lu Feng cut open the stomach of the heterogenous species at the supply station. His abdominal cavity and respiratory tract had been full of translucent bugs. He inquired, ¡°Then what?¡±


    Poet shook his head. ¡°We can only pray that there is no major incident at the dispersal centre or the dispersal machines are soon repaired. Otherwise¡­¡± He sighed softly. ¡°Otherwise, either the entire base will be infected or Judgment Day will reappear.¡±


    An Zhe frowned and looked out the window at the empty streets. Then he listened to Boss Shaw ask, ¡°Do you know Judgment Day?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard a bit about it,¡± Poet replied.


    Boss Shaw sighed. ¡°I thought I could live as long as I stayed honestly at the base.¡±


    ¡°The base has been safe for too long.¡± Poet was still looking into the distance. ¡°I always forget that safety is temporary and danger is eternal. Living is not what we deserve. To live is a gift.¡±


    An Zhe didn¡¯t understand and didn¡¯t know how to ask questions.


    He only had one question. ¡°What is Judgment Day?¡±


    Boss Shaw¡¯s eyes moved to him ¡°I forgot to ask you. What¡¯s wrong with your clothes?¡±


    An Zhe, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He was wearing Lu Feng¡¯s coat and his coat pocket had Lu Feng¡¯s work manual and pen. Boss Shaw¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Where were you when I was in the tent with Poet last night?¡± He asked. ¡°Did you sleep with him?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± An Zhe always felt that Boss Shaw was questioning him and whispered, ¡°He didn¡¯t sleep.¡±


    Boss Shaw chuckled. ¡°How do you know he didn¡¯t sleep? You slept with him. Say it.¡±


    An Zhe knew he couldn¡¯t say it and pretended to be deaf and dumb. ¡°What is Judgment Day?¡±


    Poet asked him, ¡°Do you know how the Judge¡¯s Act came about?¡±


    An Zhe replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Poet looked at Boss Shaw. ¡°This old gentleman must know.¡±


    Boss Shaw raised his head proudly. ¡°I know.¡±


    Poet wondered, ¡°Your age?¡±


    Boss Shaw didn¡¯t answer and just said, ¡°When I was young, everyone supported this bill.¡±


    Poet sat down at the corner of the bed with An Zhe. His gray prison uniform was worn in some places and his long black hair was simply tied up behind him. His face was very calm but when he spoke, there was a type of frustration in his tone. Perhaps this was the tone commonly used in Poet¡¯s profession. ¡°The Judges¡¯ Act has lasted nearly 70 years. I think the Northern Base is very grateful for it but I don¡¯t know much about it. There are too few old people in the base.¡±


    Boss Shaw¡¯s interest seemed to finally shift away from the issue of where An Zhe slept and he played with the small doll parts he took out of his pocket. ¡°I also listened to people talk about it when I was a child.¡±


    Poet stated, ¡°You speak.¡±


    ¡°Everyone was scared after the Southeast Base was finished. At that time, the degree of heterogenous mutation wasn¡¯t as great as it is now. If people returned from outside the base, they just had to go through a whole body examination and it would be fine as long as there were no wounds and other abnormal places. There were soldiers in every part of the base and once a mutation was found, kill it immediately.¡± Boss Shaw explained ¡°The ultrasonic dispersers hadn¡¯t been invented yet and flying insects would cause disorder at the base. The big ones with obvious mutations were killed by soldiers. The small ones couldn¡¯t be caught and the base was full of insect catching traps. Minors weren¡¯t allowed to leave the base so they formed insect killing teams and killed insects everywhere.¡±


    Poet said, ¡°The era of military chaos.¡±


    ¡°Almost.¡± Boss Shaw continued. ¡°I was an insect catcher when I was a kid. More than 10 years later, there was an ultrasonic dispersal instrument and not a single insect could fly into the entire base.¡±


    ¡°By then, the Judge¡¯s Act was in place.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Boss Shaw replied. ¡°However, the bill wasn¡¯t introduced because of the insects. It was because of a surveillance video. A water tower supervisor routinely inspected the surveillance and saw something happen in the corner. The place was too dark and it was unclear, so no one found it at the time. The moment the video was watched, the monitor was frightened. He never could¡¯ve imagined that scene.


    An Zhe was interested in Boss Shaw¡¯s story and he saw Poet listening with all his attention.


    He heard Boss Shaw continue, ¡°He saw a man with a strange posture walking toward the circulating purification pond. Then that person sat down like he had no bones. I heard that the man in the video looked like a humanoid leech. After sitting down, he stretched his legs into the pool.¡±


    Poet asked, ¡°It was a heterogenous species, polluting the water with secretions?¡±


    Boss Shaw smiled. ¡°Heh, I won¡¯t scare you that way.¡±


    Poet raised his eyebrows.


    ¡°That person¡¯s leg became a translucent white thing and it exploded. A large piece of it spread into the water. It was impossible to describe.¡± Boss Shaw shook his head. ¡°Then that person¡¯s entire body also flowed into the pool and the water level rose by a dozen points. I heard people say that it was like white flowers stuffed with meat. This water pool was part of the base¡¯s water circulation system.¡±


    ¡°The water that drains out from the outlet is the base¡¯s drinking water. The worse news was that the video was more than 20 hours old.¡±


    Poet frowned slightly. His stomach seemed to be churning and after his Adam¡¯s apple moved several times, he finally managed to speak. ¡°The entire city was exposed.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Boss Shaw nodded. ¡°The Lighthouse gave the results of the study and found it was a mollusc aquatic heterogenous. Spreading in the water might be its breeding method. In short, there was a risk of infection throughout the entire base and no one was safe. Immediately after that, the bill was passed.¡±


    Poet opened his mouth. ¡°There is a saying that the first-generation judges and Trial Court didn¡¯t belong to the military but were subordinates of the Lighthouse.¡±


    ¡°It is true that after the aquatic heterogenous¡¯ invasion, the Lighthouse scientists studied humanoid forms and had more of an understanding of their characteristics. They formed the Trial Court and organize to check everyone in the base for 10 days. No one had a wound but anyone could be infected. There was no inspection method and they could only rely on visual observation and intuitive judgment. Although you did nothing, only drank water, if the Trial Court wanted you to die then you would be dead.¡± Boss Shaw sighed. ¡°In those 10 days, blood really flowed. It was said that half the entire base died.¡±


    ¡°This is around the same as the information I collected previously.¡± Poet said, ¡°These ten days are the legendary Judgment Day.¡±


    ¡°As for you who play around with pens and writing things, you talk about those ten days being ¡®Judgment Day¡¯ and say it is what God¡ª¡± Boss SHaw frowned.


    Poet smiled. ¡°On the last day, all the world will be judged before God and you will go to Heaven or to Hell. This is Judgment Day.¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡± Boss Shaw frowned as he dusted the dirt off his sleeves. ¡°The Virginia Base heard about it and yelled at the decision of our base. They sent scientific research teams with machines to identify the heterogenous species. They also used drones to place opposition leaflets everywhere, rebuking the Northern Base for losing humanity and violating human rights. Then what happened?¡±


    Poet whispered, ¡°Three years later, a humanoid marine heterogenous invaded the Virginia Base and its fall was declared.¡±


    ¡°Thanks to Virginia¡¯s silliness, the Judges¡¯ Act officially continued. Any judge can shoot and kill. If the judge can¡¯t decide, it will be handed over to the judge¡¯s discretion and they won¡¯t be held responsible for any wrong killings. The judge is God.¡± Boss Shaw grinned. ¡°It is a pity that God is crazy. There were so many people killed that couldn¡¯t be stopped. The Lighthouse scientist in charge of the trial changed one after another. Three went mad in 10 years and two committed suicide. No one wanted to take this position so the military took over.¡±


    ¡°The military people have been stationed in the wilderness for many years and have seen many monsters. Their ability to distinguish the heterogenous species aren¡¯t bad and their psychological quality is also strange. The judge¡¯s replacement rate stopped from one going crazy every three years to one growing crazy once every five years. Lu Feng was less than 20 years old when he became a judge. I thought he was too old and bet he wouldn¡¯t even last three years.¡± Boss Shaw shrugged. ¡°I lost a lot of money. He is now in his seventh year. Hubbard said that he has killed as many people as the previous judges together and that it has multiplied every year. Everyone knows he isn¡¯t far from madness.¡±


    ¡°The person being tried or the person trying them, it is hard to say who has the bigger psychological pressure.¡± Poet leaned against the wall. ¡°However, since Colonel Lu is in the mood to sleep with the child, it seems he is far from losing control.¡±


    ¡°No, that isn¡¯t right.¡¯ The moment he finished speaking, he frowned and changed his words. ¡°For a callous man like Colonel Lu, this is one of the harbingers of madness.¡±


    He came close to An Zhe, a similar look to Boss Shaw in his eyes. ¡°How was he? Did he hurt you?¡±


    An Zhe folded his clothes tightly around him and huddled in a corner, not wanting to talk to them.


    Thump!


    There was a bang. The atmosphere in the room froze and all three people looked at the source of the sound. A colourful beetle crashed into the window.

 Chapter 21

    Downstairs, from an unknown place, a woman screamed. Perhaps she also saw the bug.


    The beetle crawled slowly on the glass. It was as large as a palm and there were small, dense bumps attached to the eight slender feet. These bumps clung smoothly to the glass surface. The centre contained a large needle tip with a small white point that was its suction cup. A long, brown tentacle dragged behind it like a tail, leaving a trail of dark brown liquid on the glass. It seemed to want to come in.


    Poet reached out and slid his finger between the gap in the two windows. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It is tight and it can¡¯t come in.¡±


    ¡°One generation isn¡¯t as good as another generation,¡± Boss Shaw exclaimed. ¡°The longer it gets, the uglier. It is just like that worm thing before.¡±


    ¡°It is the gene fusion.¡± Poet watched the glass. ¡°The higher the fusion, the stranger the appearance and the stronger the infection ability. I know a scientist who said that human research over the past century still hasn¡¯t explained the principle of infection.¡±


    Boss Shaw answered, ¡°Oh.¡±


    He uttered a senseless tone but his body was shrinking into a corner of the room, as far away from the window as possible. ¡°Can you draw the curtains?¡±


    ¡®I would like to see the city.¡± Poet drew the curtains halfway. The room was shrouded in darkness and his outline showed a strange sadness in the gloomy. ¡°This¡­ I don¡¯t know how long the city will last.¡±


    An Zhe looked out. In the morning, under the dim sky, the grey city stretched out. Half of it was hidden by the faint white fog. The sun was rising and the fog was disappearing. A few giant mechanical structures were exposed to his vision. They were high and pierced the sky. Humans always had many strange devices. These devices could ensure the safety of the base but sometimes they couldn¡¯t, just like right now.


    At this time, Poet turned to An Zhe. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be afraid at all.¡±


    An Zhe pursed his lips and didn¡¯t know how to answer. Poet put down the curtain and smiled at him. ¡°You are really strange.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too quiet, as if what happens next doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Poet stated, ¡°There are very few people in our time with your personality.¡±


    An Zhe smiled. ¡°Maybe.¡±


    There had to be a difference between a mushroom and humans. He tried to make himself seem more human by asking Poet, ¡°So what do we do now?¡±


    Poet thought about it for three minutes before answering, ¡°Pray.¡±


    ¡°Pray that the ultrasonic dispersers aren¡¯t completely damaged or pray that the insects are just a mindless group without brains, surviving through instinct.¡±


    ¡°Then pray that our glass is strong enough not to be easily crushed.¡±


    The moment he spoke, there was a constant sound outside the window. It was the sound of countless bugs crashing against the glass. Boss Xiao stared gloomily at Poet. ¡°I pray that you become mute.¡±


    Poet panicked and quickly closed the curtains. ¡°Don¡¯t look.¡±


    ¡°I saw it.¡± Boss Shaw stated. ¡°A tide of insects is coming.¡±


    The next moment, his expression suddenly changed. ¡°Quickly! Check the vents!¡±


    Poet looked at a corner of the room. ¡°The vent is there!¡±


    They looked in the direction above An Zhe¡¯s head. It was a hole leading to the outside world, protected by a wire mesh. However, due to years of disrepair, it had rusted to reveal a gap. Poet saw this and tore off his sleeves, handing it to An Zhe. ¡°Block it first!¡±


    An Zhe stood up. The vent wasn¡¯t small and he used his right hand to ball up the cloth and stuff it in. ¡°It isn¡¯t enough.¡±


    Poet tore off another piece. An Zhe held the original ball with one hand and took the new cloth with his other hand. His right index finger suddenly ached.


    An Zhe¡¯s movements stopped for a moment before he stuffed in the cloth as normal. The vent was completely blocked and he sat down on the bed again. Boss Shaw and Poet went around to check if there were any other gaps in the room while An Zhe raised his index finger in front of his eyes.


    There was a pin sized red dot. The texture of the skin had faintly changed to white mycelium. As the other two people were facing away from him, he pulled sharply and broke off these mycelium. New mycelium grew from the break and reassembled into a human finger, a new finger without any wounds. An Zhe didn¡¯t know if this was useful or not. The ripped mycelium didn¡¯t seem to have any problems but he had no other way.


    ¡°There are no other holes.¡± Poet turned back and declared.


    An Zhe replied, ¡°¡­En.¡±


    However, the sound of bugs striking the glass increased more and more. The glass rattled like it would be broken in the next moment. The radio in the corridor continued to broadcast instructions but it was just nonsense like, ¡®Please close the doors and windows. Don¡¯t panic.¡¯


    Poet sat down, his face slightly pale. ¡°Listen to God.¡±


    ¡°You shut up quickly.¡± Boss Shaw looked serious as he yelled at Poet before glancing at An Zhe.


    An Zhe was baffled. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Quick, call your man.¡±


    An Zhe, ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    ***


    District 1, the dispersal centre.


    The huge, black ultrasonic disperser stood under the grey sky like a giant flower blooming in the city. The car drove on the road as the buildings continued to retreat while the shadow of the dispersal instrument in front of him was rapidly magnified.


    ¡°If the dispersal centre is destroyed¡­¡± Lu Feng¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°Will the other dispersal devices still work?¡±


    ¡°It is possible for them to stop working.¡± The researcher was silent for a moment before replying. ¡°The operation of the disperser is too complex. In order to ensure that the outer city is completely covered by ultrasonic waves, the intensity and waveband of all dispersers are uniform and remotely dispatched by the dispersal center. If the centre is damaged and the emergency procedures aren¡¯t started in time, I¡¯m afraid there will be very serious consequences.¡±


    ¡°However, this is only the worst-case scenario. The probability is very small.¡± he continued, ¡°The No. 1 disperser owned by the dispersion centre is the largest ultrasonic disperser in the entire outer city. The power is too strong and it will cause adverse effects to the human body. Therefore, there are no permanent residents in District 1 and not many personnel at the dispersal centre. In a situation of insufficient manpower, there might be other reasons for the temporary loss of contact. It isn¡¯t necessarily¡ª¡±


    His voice abruptly stopped as his eyes pierced through the window at the ultrasonic disperser ahead of them. More than 100 years ago, in the spring of the peaceful years, leaves grew and gardener sprayed the plants with insect repellent to protect them from insects. At this moment, the ultrasonic disperser¡ªthe black flower with grey, white, black and yellow protrusions¡ªhad giant worms crawling on its surface. No, it wasn¡¯t just worms.


    The researcher¡¯s breath suddenly trembled violently. ¡°No¡­¡± he muttered. ¡°Colonel, do you see it?¡±


    Lu Feng hit the steering wheel! The car made a thrilling sharp turn on the narrow road and headed back in its original direction! The rear armoured vehicles flashed their lights in anger but the next moment, they all sharply turned around. At the end of the road, the black bugs flew up and fell like fireworks. The bodies of the arthropods struck the glass and the entire car moved forward like a stray bullet.


    In the car, the communicator¡¯s sound was turned to the maximum and the operator¡¯s violently trembling voice rang out.


    ¡°Colonel, District 2 emergency communication, the insect tide has broken out, asking for support.¡±


    ¡°District 3 emergency communication. A large number of insect monsters were found during the evacuation and they are requesting support.¡±


    ¡°Emergency communication from the city¡¯s defense station.¡±


    ¡°Emergency communication from the city office.¡±


    ¡°District 8 emergency communication¡ª¡±


    ¡°Connect me to District 8.¡± Lu Feng interrupted quickly. ¡°Can the underground shelter safely receive emergency refugees from the entire city?¡±


    ¡°Colonel Lu!¡± The opposite side¡¯s voice was faster. ¡°A small group of mosquitoes has entered through the ventilation system and there are more than 10 people infected on our side. We are requesting support from the Trial Court!¡±


    There were three seconds of silence. Lu Feng ordered, ¡°Kill the infected people. The rest of you, take refuge and wait for support.¡±


    He hung up the communicator.


    ¡°Colonel.¡± Then a young voice was heard. ¡°The courtroom has been gathered and there are no casualties.¡±


    ¡°Decentralized support for each district. District 8 is the priority.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    He hung up the communicator.


    ¡°Colonel.¡± The researcher in the car forced himself to be calm. ¡°We should go back to the main city.¡±


    Lu Feng¡¯s voice was soft. ¡°The main city?¡±


    ¡°The main city has an independent defense and dispersal system that guarantees absolute security.¡±


    The car¡¯s speed slowed down. There was a fork in the road ahead. Lu Feng wondered, ¡°What about the outer city?¡±


    ¡°The entire city outside the base has been exposed and the bug type monsters have physical advantages and are pervasive. The danger of this insect tide is higher than the rodent tide that occupied the Southeast Base.¡± The researcher¡¯s tone gradually regained its calm. ¡°You are a judge but in this case, you can¡¯t save anyone.¡±


    There was enough of an argument to allow the researcher to regain his sanity and composure. He even smiled as he said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense to go anywhere else now. You can¡¯t reduce the casualties. You know I¡¯m right. You can¡¯t protect anything else but we can protect ourselves.¡±


    Just then, a sound was heard from the communicator again. The situation was urgent so Lu Feng had set it to emergency mode. After three seconds, the communication was automatically answered. It wasn¡¯t the operator¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Colonel.¡± It was a clear-spoken voice, slower than Lu Feng¡¯s habit of talking, with a soft lightness between words. ¡°Your things are still here with me.¡±


    Lu Feng asked, ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°Next to the city¡¯s defense house.¡± An Zhe replied. ¡°¡­There are many insects hitting the glass.¡±


    His voice shook at the end like he was afraid. Lu Feng made a half-turn with the steering wheel and drove down one of the roads. The researcher looked at the abandoned road and his eyes widened. His body almost bounced up from his seat if it wasn¡¯t for his seat belt. He suddenly called out, ¡°You¡ª¡±


    Lu Feng didn¡¯t seem to hear his words and only spoke into the communicator, ¡°Wait.¡±

 Chapter 22

    An Zhe was taken out by Lu Feng with the uniform jacket wrapped around his head. Of course, Poet and Boss Shaw were also taken out but they had to cover their heads with their own hands.


    A small ultrasonic jammer was turned on by Lu Feng at the door of the building, temporarily clearing a space of 10 metres. An Zhe safely got on the car and Poet and Boss Shaw also rushed in, the three people crowded onto the back seat.


    Lu Feng returned to the driver¡¯s seat and said, ¡°it¡¯s overloaded.¡±


    An Zhe inexplicably felt that the judge was targeting him again.


    Boss Shaw took the initiative to say, ¡°Reporting to the colonel, I¡¯m not human and I¡¯m not overloaded.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Lu Feng stated.


    He dialled a number. ¡°The ultrasonic jammer rescue plan is feasible and it is recommended to organize a large-scale evacuation of residents.¡±


    Then Howard¡¯s voice came from the communicator. ¡°Transfer to the underground shelter?¡±


    Lu Feng replied, ¡°I¡¯m going to District 8¡¯s shelter to confirm the safety.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the trouble.¡±


    Lu Feng started the engine and their car headed in the direction of District 8. Along the way, Lu Feng¡¯s communicator went crazy. The city office sent a call for help and District 5 asked for reinforcements. Just after District 5 received reinforcements, the Trial Court called again to say there weren¡¯t enough people.


    Lu Feng¡¯s answer became very mechanical.


    ¡°Please transfer to the city¡¯s defense station.¡±


    ¡°Please transfer to the city¡¯s defense station.¡±


    ¡°Please transfer to the city¡¯s defense station.¡±


    ¡°Hard work, please transfer to the city¡¯s defense station.¡±


    ¡°Lu Feng, you fuck¡ª¡±


    This time it was Howard. Lu Feng directly hung up the communicator. After hanging up, he frowned slightly and questioned the researcher beside him. ¡°Have you received any communication from District 6?¡±


    ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be any.¡±


    Lu Feng called a number. ¡°District 6?¡±


    ¡°Hello, this is District 6¡¯s city office. Can I please ask you to¡­¡±


    The operator¡¯s tone was steady and even An Zhe was surprised.


    Lu Feng raised his eyebrow even more. ¡°This is the Trial Court¡¯s Lu Feng. What is the situation in District 6?¡±


    The other side paused. ¡°Everything in District 6 is normal. Why are you¡ª¡±


    Lu Feng interrupted again. ¡°Everything is fine?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lu Feng simply hung up and glanced at the researcher. The researcher was stunned at first and then he couldn¡¯t hide his excitement. ¡°There is only one explanation. District 6¡¯s ultrasonic disperser emergency procedure was successfully started.¡±


    Poet exclaimed, ¡°Wow.¡±


    Lu Feng continued to call people on the communicator. ¡°This is the Trial Court¡¯s Lu Feng. Please reconfirm that everything is normal is District 6. Please confirm that the dispersal machine is working normally.¡±


    ¡°Everything is fine.¡± The operator¡¯s voice was a bit confused. ¡°Colonel, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Lu Feng¡¯s reply was brief and direct. ¡°Immediately raise the wall, confirm the supply of materials and prepare for emergency shelter.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Howard, the situation has changed. The entire city will take refuge in District 6.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± That side said. ¡°The city¡¯s defense station will be responsible for the rescue and transfer of residents.¡±


    ¡°Received.¡± Lu Feng replied. ¡°The Trial Court is responsible for screening the people.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the trouble.¡±


    After the communicator hung up, Lu Feng dialled a number again. An Zhe noticed that the number was extremely short.


    ¡°This is the main city, the United Front Centre. Hello, Colonel Lu.¡±


    ¡°The Trial Court, Lu Feng. Requesting a citywide trial permission.¡±


    ¡°Please give the expected mortality rate and the duration of the execution.¡±


    Lu Feng was silent for three seconds. ¡°60% and five days.¡±


    ¡°Please wait.¡±


    ¡°Judging the entire city¡­¡± An Zhe heard Poet muttered. ¡°This is¡­¡¯


    Boss Shaw stared straight ahead. ¡°Judgment Day.¡±


    Five minutes later, a sound came from the communicator. ¡°The execution is allowed.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The car turned around and headed in the direction of District 6. Along the way, An Zhe felt that Lu Feng was extraordinarily silent.


    Once the entered the road of District 5, a huge armoured vehicle of the city¡¯s defense station was parked in front of them. An ugly ultrasonic instrument was temporarily installed on the roof of the armoured vehicle and they were rescuing the residents of the building. Lu Feng stopped the armoured car and opened the door.


    He told them, ¡°I¡¯m going to a meeting to prepare for Judgment Day. You go with the city guards.¡±


    An Zhe could only blindly obey the judge¡¯s order. It wasn¡¯t until he was crammed into an armoured car by the soldiers of the city¡¯s defense station that he suddenly remembered he forgot to return the coat to Lu Feng. Lu Feng hadn¡¯t even asked for them.


    It was too late to go out again and find Lu Feng. There was a muffled sound as the compartment of the armoured vehicle closed, the light disappeared and they headed to District 6. In the dark, people were all around him. Poet grabbed his hand tightly while grasping Boss Shaw¡¯s sleeve with the other hand. The carriage swung slightly and in this hot and humid air, there was nowhere to cry.


    ¡°Did you hear that?¡± Poet spoke up. ¡°On this Judgment Day, the expected mortality rate is 60%.¡±


    An Zhe said, ¡°En.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a bit scared.¡± Poet muttered. ¡°Will we live?¡±


    An Zhe didn¡¯t know. He was a bit nervous but it wasn¡¯t because of Judgment Day. It was because of the bug bite. Poet seemed to feel his stiffness and patted him on the back. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid and go to sleep first.¡±


    An Zhe gentle hummed and closed his eyes. The car shook slightly, letting people easily enter the dream.


    The world was darkening and a scene suddenly appeared before his eyes. The earth, the wind, the vague but wide field of view and the strange fluctuations that humans couldn¡¯t see. He was flying, surrounded by the wind, his body very light. Where was he flying to? He saw a fuzzy grey city where the temperature came from¡ª


    An Ze woke up with a sharp jolt.


    He looked at the darkness in front of him blankly. The scene was just too vague. He didn¡¯t know what it meant. However, he had encountered a similar scene. In the cave of the Abyss, when his mycelium absorbed An Ze¡¯s blood and rooted in An Ze¡¯s internal organs and bones¡ªthe human knowledge came to him.


    An Zhe took a breath and lowered his head. The bitten finger restlessly rubbed against his thumb. In the Abyss, no monster would think of fighting mushrooms. However, he would occasionally bump into some living creatures. His mycelium would be priced by the thorns of vines but he hadn¡¯t been infected. He didn¡¯t know if it was due to luck or any other reason.


    What about this time?


    ***


    The disaster suddenly occurred as well as this trial.


    It was late at night and dim, yellow lights were on at the entrance of District 6. A large number of people lined up like a long snake against the wall and stretched out with no end in sight. There was the sound of insect wings fluttering in all directions. It could be imagined how they stared at the city with jealous eyes as they looked at the city like it was a warm room where they could reproduce. At the same time, there was the sound of rumbling wheels and the vibration of the ground as it was crushed by heavy armour arriving. The military was constantly rescuing residents from various residential areas and rail transit trains were also responsible for the transportation of residents. Sometimes, they were insects on the train but people couldn¡¯t care about this. Once the residents reached the outskirts of District 6, they were placed at the end of the line and awaited trial.


    The process was a black river of countless people. They slowly moved forward. After passing the trial, they could enter the safe District 6.


    The mechanical broadcast kept emphasizing the words ¡®please observe the queuing discipline¡¯ and ¡®please be patient¡¯. There were occasional screams as a living person mutated and soldiers patrolling the queue immediately killed him. After a few shots, the crowd changed from their initial restlessness to silence. They were advancing very slowly and no one wanted to come forward, but the soldiers drove them all the time.


    However, the main source of the gunshots wasn¡¯t from the centre of the line but the gates of the wall.


    ¡°70 years,¡± an old man muttered. ¡°Judgment Day has come again.¡±


    The nine year old boy being held by the old man looked up with fear but he didn¡¯t get any comfort worth mentioning. The old man¡¯s eyes were empty and he only held the boy¡¯s hand more tightly.


    Outside, it was the insects killing people. They were rescued from the insect tide but in District 6, people were killing people. God judged the world and there was still good and evil as a basis. In front of the Trial Court, some people could do nothing but face death.


    The night deepened and the sound of the wind came from the distance, like a distant tide. There was a gunshot and a man fell down in front of An Zhe. Two soldiers dragged his body away. There was a huge garbage incinerator in every residential area and now it played the role of incinerating bodies.


    Another shot was fired and another man fell down. The ranks were shrinking and more people had been killed than those who entered the city through the trial.


    The line kept moving forward and An Zhe saw the structure of the trial.


    The first was a buffer zone, closely guarded by the city guards. If a person had a mutation characteristic that could be discerned with the naked eye then the guards would kill them first. After the first pass, there were four judges on both sides of the gate, each with a veto that allowed them to kill at any time as long as they thought this person wasn¡¯t human, regardless of whether their colleagues¡¯ judgment was consistent with them.


    They shot and killed around a quarter of all the dead. The process of eggs spawning was different from being wounded. The process was very slow and many people¡¯s infection characteristics weren¡¯t obvious. More often than not, the judges looked at each other and let the person pass.


    At that time, the person would face the bloodiest place, the last level.


    Lu Feng.


    He didn¡¯t have a solemn posture of sitting or standing upright. He was lazily leaning against the door, seemingly carelessly playing with the gun in his hand. He used this gun to exercise the highest and final rights in the trial.


    Another shot was fired and he executed a 12 year old child, who was still watching Lu Feng as he fell down dead.


    A young judge was pale. His throat squirmed as he bowed down, trying to contain his nausea. Lu Feng¡¯s eyes shifted over there. ¡°Replacement.¡±


    The judge was led away by the soldiers and for a short time, no one was on trial. The city office staff in white shirts stepped forward toward each judge, bringing them a bottle of ice water with green mint leaves. However, Lu Feng didn¡¯t want one. Less than a minute later, a new judge arrived and the trial process resumed.


    Boss Shaw and Poet pushed each other, none of them wanted to go forward. Finally, An Zhe was pushed first. The guard glanced at him and made a pass gesture. An Zhe continued to move forward. The four judges examined him and let him go.


    An Zhe walked in front of Lu Feng. The judge¡¯s green eyes stared at him, light slightly dim without any emotional colour. The eyes were still like the first day they met. An Zhe slightly lowered his eyes.


    Coincidentally, he had only been at the human base for a month but this was the fourth time he faced the judge¡¯s trial. In the morning, he was stung by a bug but nothing happened except for strange images flickering in his mind. If Lu Feng couldn¡¯t see the problem¡ª


    He was just thinking this when he saw Lu Feng raise his left hand and lower it slightly¡ªa gesture to pass. An Zhe sighed with relief and walked through. Lu Feng¡¯s coat and work manual were still with him but it was obviously inappropriate to give to Lu Feng now.


    He stopped at the entrance.


    There were large military trucks in front of him, squeezed together in the most space-saving way. Each one could hold 60~70 people. People who passed through the gate could choose to get on a vehicle. After the vehicle was full, the military would take them to the shelter¡ªsome vacant residential buildings. If even the vacant buildings were full, they would be allocated to normal buildings and stay in the same room as the residents. In short, there was still somewhere to go.


    If they were a resident of District 6 or had close relatives and friends in District 6, they could do their own activities. Within a minute, Boss Shaw and Poet had come in.


    ¡°Phew.¡± Boss Shaw sighed. ¡°I¡¯m alive.¡±


    ¡°When we were rescued from the city¡¯s defense station, he made sure we weren¡¯t infected and then we stayed in the car the whole way. It is natural to pass.¡± Poet smiled.


    Boss Shaw stared at him. ¡°Who was the first person to stand trial?¡±


    ¡°I forgot,¡± Poet replied.


    Boss Shaw patted An Zhe on the shoulder. ¡°Where is your home? I have to find a place to sleep. I haven¡¯t slept for two days.¡±


    An Zhe told him, ¡°I won¡¯t go home.¡±


    Boss Shaw frowned. ¡°Then what will you do?¡±


    An Zhe tightened his fingers on his clothes. ¡°I will wait for him to be free so I can return his things.¡±


    Boss Shaw patted his head. ¡°Forget it, I can¡¯t go to your house.¡±


    He added, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll find my lover too.¡±


    An Zhe watched his master leave, unable to understand why he used the word ¡®too.¡¯


    Then he heard Poet say, ¡°¡­Boss Shaw has been operating on the third underground floor for so many years and at least 90% of the pornographic books and movies are from his store. It is said that when he was young, he had countless lovers.¡±


    An Zhe discovered that his master seemed very famous. ¡°You know him?¡±


    ¡°The base is big.¡± Poet laughed. ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know what Boss Shaw does?¡±


    ¡°However, when he is old, he isn¡¯t very romantic.¡± Poet continued. ¡°Now that I mentioned the third underground floor, I am reminded of Du Sai. Have you seen her? Du Sai is the most beautiful woman in the outer city.¡±


    An Zhe nodded.


    Poet sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know where she is now. I would feel sorry if she died¡­¡¯


    An Zhe didn¡¯t speak.


    Poet was imprisoned and naturally wouldn¡¯t know that the owner of the third underground floor of the black market had died in the prelude to the breeding season. Then looking at Poet¡¯s slightly hesitant expression, An Zhe suddenly understood something. One person would be saddened by the death of another. This was their unique emotion. This might be one of the reasons why humans were more afraid of death than other creatures.


    ¡°You¡¯re showing that expression again,¡± Poet told him.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Like everything that happens here has nothing to do with you and you are just watching.¡± Poet put an elbow on An Zhe¡¯s shoulder and hoked, ¡°You seem to be watching us or pitying us. For a second, I thought you were a god.¡±


    An Zhe blinked, not understanding. He wasn¡¯t human. He was a heterogenous after all.


    ¡°It¡¯s gone now.¡± Poet sighed. ¡°Now you are like a little fool.¡±


    An Zhe, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Poet patted him on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m leaving too.¡±


    An Zhe wondered, ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Wherever I want. The city shelter has no room for me and I want to escape from prison.¡±


    He smiled at An Zhe. ¡°Goodbye.¡±


    An Zhe watched his back disappear into the darkness. Poet was a prison with no communicator and no ID card. An Zhe didn¡¯t know where he could go. An Zhe thought that perhaps he would go to his boyfriend. Or maybe he would go to someone else to tell the story of the base. Then within three days, the city guards would take him away again.


    After Poet walked away, only An Zhe was left standing at the foot of the wall. This was an open space. He wasn¡¯t the only one staying here. There were many people lingering beside him and some people gathered in the distance, doing something unknown.


    The temporarily raised separation wall wasn¡¯t high and it was translucent, so he could see Lu Feng¡¯s back.


    The aurora rotated and changed shape in the sky. Every night, the colour of the sky was different from that of the previous night. The bodies were constantly being towed away from the gate but few people came in. The sound of gunfire and death seemed to be the only eternal thing. The night breeze blew in a bloody scent. An Zhe couldn¡¯t see Lu Feng¡¯s expression. He just thought that such a back was very good-looking, very lonely.


    One person would be saddened by the death of another. Would the judge be saddened by the people he had killed? Perhaps he was used to it.


    There was the sound of footsteps behind him. ¡°Why are you here?¡± It was a voice that seemed to know him.


    An Zhe turned around to see the young judge who was often with Lu Feng. This person was holding a bottle of mint water and his face didn¡¯t look good, but his expression was still very gentle. ¡°You aren¡¯t going back?¡±


    An Zhe nodded. ¡°I want to return something to the colonel.¡± He took off his coat and requested, ¡°Can you hand it over for me?¡±


    The judge smiled. ¡°Are you waiting for him?¡±


    An Zhe thought about it. He only wore the colonel¡¯s coat once but everyone seemed to think they had some type of relationship.


    He said, ¡°Me and the colonel¡­¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± The judge¡¯s answer was unexpected. ¡°I just haven¡¯t seen the colonel with anyone else.¡±


    He reached out, ¡°Give it to me.¡±


    An Zhe confirmed that the work manual and pen were both in place before folding the coat and handed it over. The judge¡¯s hand held it and the judge slightly lowered his good-looking eyelashes.


    ¡°The colonel has been waiting for a long time,¡± the judge whispered. ¡°You really won¡¯t wait for him?¡±


    At this moment, the aurora in the sky suddenly changed, like lightning had sharply lit up the sky and the ground. An Zhe¡¯s heart was pounding and an irresistible instinct filled it. He couldn¡¯t help looking at Lu Feng¡¯s figure at the city gates, tall and lonely in the night. He suddenly had the perception that if he left now, he would never have anything to do with this man for the rest of his life.


    He grabbed the coat again. The judge stared at him.


    ¡°I¡­¡± An Zhe declared. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for him.¡±


    The judge smiled softly, unfolded the coat and re-draped it on An Zhe. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    An Zhe turned to look at Lu Feng. During the time they were speaking, Lu Feng had killed two more people. He asked, ¡°When will he rest?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, perhaps in two or three hours.¡±


    An Zhe told him, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Then he heard the judge inquire, ¡°How do you know the colonel?¡±


    An Zhe flashed back to that day.


    ¡°At the city gate¡­¡± He skipped the matter of the spore. ¡°He suspected I wasn¡¯t human and took me to do a genetic test. I passed.¡±


    The judge raised his eyebrows.


    An Zhe continued, ¡°Then I was arrested by him.¡±


    The judge¡¯s eyes curved as he smiled. ¡°I know. You have a lot of guts to make that type of thing.¡±


    An Zhe, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Then I was a bit afraid of the cold at the city¡¯s defense station. He lent me his room for one night.¡± An Zhe counted down with his fingers. ¡°Then my friends and I were trapped in a room. I didn¡¯t know what to do and called him. He helped me come here.¡±


    After finishing, he wondered, ¡°Does the colonel often help others?¡±


    If this was the case, Lu Feng was a really good man.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, he has no one around him,¡± the judge answered.


    Then he added, ¡°Sometimes I want to help people but there is no chance. No one would seek help from the Trial Court.¡±


    An Zhe pursed his lips. ¡°You¡¯re really good.¡±


    He added, ¡°You aren¡¯t like a judge.¡±


    The judge¡¯s temper was very mild, even among all the people An Zhe had met. The judge smiled. ¡°A lot of people say that. Perhaps a talent like the colonel is more qualified.¡±


    ¡°It seems so.¡±


    He thought that Lu Feng¡¯s cold personality was the reason he could make the most accurate judgment.


    ¡°This year is the seventh year that the colonel has worked for the Trial Court.¡± The judge explained. ¡°The heterogeneous look no different from humans in appearance but we have to judge their true species. Sometimes we are mistaken and killed people by mistake. This is the world¡¯s most difficult thing to do. If the Judge looks at other judges, he could tell the judge if they are correct or not. However, for the Judge himself, no one can tell whether he is right or wrong. The things the Judge are fighting are unimaginably huge. There are the lurking heterogenous, the doubts of others¡­ and himself.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, I thought that colonel has something other than indifference that supported him for seven years in the Trial Court. I hope you can understand him.¡± The judge told An Zhe.


    This judge always directed the subject to Lu Feng and An Zhe saw through him. Then at this moment, the judge frowned slightly and glanced at the wall near them. There were many people gathered there and it kept increasing. An Zhe originally thought they were residents of the district coming to see but they all looked very serious like they were attending a big party. They were talking. Their voices were very low but An Zhe could vaguely catch a few words.


    ¡°The ratio¡­ terrible¡­¡±


    ¡°4,000 people.¡±


    ¡°¡­Start.¡±


    An Zhe saw the judge beside him frown and gesture to the guards in the distance. A team of guards came over but those gathered under the wall dispersed. There were hundreds of them and the scale was even bigger after dispersing. New people were constantly coming from the district and joining in.


    In the crowd, someone waved and An Zhe confirmed the person was waving in his direction. An Zhe looked over and saw a familiar young face. It was the person he met on the first day he entered the human base, the one who led him to Building 117. At that time, he had been protesting.


    An Zhe suddenly knew what these people were doing and he stared at them with wide eyes. The person in the lead took out a half-folded piece of white paper from his clothes and unfolded it. The large words ¡®Protest the atrocities of the judges¡¯ was written in red on the white paper.


    The person next to him also unfolded his own paper. ¡®Immediately reveal the rules of the trial.¡¯


    ¡°Please publish the trial standards.¡±


    ¡°Refusal to repeat the Judgment Day.¡±


    ¡°Give an accounting for the dead.¡±


    ¡°Killing for no reason is not accepted.¡±


    ¡°Refusal to maintain the safety of the base with indiscriminate killing.¡±


    ¡°Requesting a regular assessment of the mental state of the judges.¡±


    ¡°To the Trial Court: please be responsible for the base¡¯s population loss rate.¡±


    ¡°The current trial judge¡¯s homicide rate is much higher than the previous generation. Please give the base an explanation.¡±


    Under the aurora, these white flowers unfolded like flowers and converged together in a silent and flowing ocean. The white was the ocean while the blood-red words were the waves of this ocean.


    The people outside the wall shook. They stretched their necks and looked through the translucent barrier to see the situation on the opposite side. The atmosphere of silence was broken by this sudden change and people whispered loudly.


    An Zhe stared at the gate. At the city gate, Lu Feng¡¯s figure moved slightly as he glanced sideways into the city to see. It was just a bland glance. He turned back around like he saw nothing, loading his gun and pulling the trigger. Another person fell into a pool of blood, a short-haired girl.


    If An Zhe remembered correctly, this was the 11th person killed in a row by Lu Feng. It was the 12th person¡¯s turn. He was a man with bronze skin and his terrified eyes frantically looked between Lu Feng, the judges and the deep pool of blood on the ground. He couldn¡¯t take a step forward.


    A guard with a gun came up and drive him forward. The man¡¯s facial muscles twitched and he stared at the crowd standing silently on the opposite side. Finally, he gritted his teeth, closed his eyes and sat on the ground. ¡°I won¡¯t go!¡±


    This move greatly inspired the protesters behind the wall and they raised their banners higher. Outside the wall, a second person sat down.


    Then a third.


    A fourth.


    It was like a torrent sweeping through. In just five minutes, they all sat down like fallen dominoes. No one spoke and no one stepped into the trial area. The aurora danced wildly in the sky and silently watched Like¡¯s expression at the refusal to cooperate.


    Judgment was ahead and the insect tide behind. It was as if by sitting here, they could resist anything ahead and behind, gaining eternal life¡ª


    Lu Feng¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. He lowered his eyes slightly and replaced the magazine in his gun with a new one. His slightly sloping eye and thin eyes looked severe and harsh in normal times. Now when he lowered his eyes, he seemed to give off an extremely indifferent disdain.


    There was a gentle click and the magazine was replaced. He ordered, ¡°Bring him up.¡±


    The guards of the city¡¯s defense station hesitated for a moment. After the scene was completely still for 10 seconds, two guards stepped forward and roughly pulled the man sitting down. Lu Feng slowly lifted his gun.


    All eyes were on them. In the crowd, a woman sobbed and this sob spread like a virus, becoming a sobbing ocean. Cries came from everywhere, like they were facing a slaughter instead of a trial. Perhaps the essence of Judgment Day was a massacre, whether 100 years ago or 100 years later.


    Just then, the sound of an armoured vehicle broke the tense atmosphere. Howard led a team of guards and got off the car, asking Lu Feng, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Lu Feng¡¯s tone was flat. ¡°The residents refuse to cooperate.¡±


    Howard looked around and frowned before rebuking slightly, ¡°Lu Feng, aren¡¯t you killing too many?¡±


    Lu Feng¡¯s tone remained the same but his voice was slightly hoarse. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°The situation is urgent today.¡± Howard¡¯s deputy handed him a megaphone and he spoke into it to the residents. ¡°It is about the safety of the base. A large-scale infection might occur at any time. Please cooperate with the work of the Trial Court and the city¡¯s defense station.¡±


    No one moved. Perhaps the infection that could break out at any unknown time was less frightening than the gun of the judge in front of them.


    Howard apparently noticed everyone¡¯s silence. After glancing over at the banners of the protestors, he thought for a moment before saying, ¡°We will take a step back from each other. The Trial Court will make the trial rules public and the residents will re-enter the trial process.¡±


    ¡°Howard.¡± Lu Feng¡¯s tone was light.


    The crowd suddenly exclaimed! It was because Lu Feng¡¯s muzzle slowly turned in Howard¡¯s direction. Howard froze before frowning. ¡°Colonel Lu, what are you trying to do?¡±


    Howard¡¯s guards came forward, loaded their guns and aimed it at Lu Feng! It was a stalemate. Only Howard sneered. ¡°Colonel Lu, I¡¯ve been out all day but I swear I haven¡¯t touched an insect today.¡±


    Lu Feng told him, ¡°You¡¯ve been infected.¡±


    ¡°I understand that the Trial Court wants to take over the city defense station and doesn¡¯t want to make the trial rules public.¡± Howard spoke in a low voice. ¡°However, now it is about the base¡¯s survival. Colonel Lu, you should limit your abuse of power.¡±


    The moment these words emerged, the crowd started to stir.


    Lu Feng¡¯s fingers tightened on the trigger. He didn¡¯t say a word but his movements showed what he wanted to do. The same was true of the city guards. Their movements were even bigger. Obviously, as long as Lu Feng fired at Captain Howard, they would immediately shoot him to death.


    A deathly silence spread like ice. In the suffocating silence, a man shouted from inside the wall.


    ¡°Resist the power of the judge!¡±


    All the people, those inside the wall and those outside the wall, shouted this slogan.


    ¡°Resist the power of the judge!¡±


    ¡°Resist the power of the judge!¡±


    ¡°Resist the power of the judge!¡±


    The voices became louder and louder but the central Lu Feng never moved. An Zhe stared at Lu Feng¡¯s back and almost forgot to breathe. He didn¡¯t know much about Lu Feng but with his shallow understanding, he knew that Lu Feng was really going to shoot.


    He would die.


    The young judge next to An Zhe also muttered, ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡±


    The aurora beat sharply and the atmosphere was as cold as ice. At this moment¡ª


    A shrill siren tore through the deep night, overshadowing the shouts. A white light suddenly appeared on the distant road and this light kept flickering as it got closer. The crowd had to move to avoid it as a white mechanical car with a red triangle painted on it rushed forward. As the car arrived, the door opened and a young man in a white coat poked his head out. An Zhe recognized him. He had been at the city gates a month ago and An Zhe¡¯s genetic testing had been done by this young doctor.


    ¡°I¡¯m the person in charge of the Lighthouse¡¯s detection department.¡± The doctor took the megaphone and gasped a few times. ¡°The first generation of the gene coupling agent was successfully configured an hour ago. It can achieve rapid target imaging and will only take¡­¡±


    He was out of breath and gasped again before declaring, ¡°¡­It only takes five minutes.¡±


    The people didn¡¯t move as he jumped out of the car and ran over. He opened a disposable syringe and stepped forward. ¡°Director Howard, if you are willing to cooperate.¡±


    Howarrd rolled up the sleeves of his fully enclosed protective uniform and had his blood drawn. Then he raised his eyebrows and stared at Lu Feng. Everyone else also watched Lu Feng. An Zhe knew they were waiting for a result, for Howard¡¯s genetic test to show as normal to prove that the Judge was indeed indiscriminately killing.


    One of the protestors behind An Zhe muttered, ¡°We¡¯re going to change history.¡±


    An Zhe saw Lu Feng lowered his muzzle, face blank as he leaned lazily against the wall and wiped his gun. He seemed to care about nothing.


    What was he thinking? An Zhe wondered.


    Three minutes later, Lu Feng finished wiping his gun and buckled it back at his waist, his eyes lightly sweeping over the surrounding crowd. An Zhe stared at him and for a moment, their eyes met for a few seconds.


    An Zhe immediately stood by the judge¡¯s side to make his position clear. Lu Feng seemed to smile but An Zhe couldn¡¯t see clearly because the man turned back the next second.


    There was a minute left. The crowd doing the demonstration became more riotous and louder.


    Half a minute.


    10 seconds.


    They started the countdown.


    ¡°Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one¡ª¡±


    The light on the roof of the detection car shone red and bright. The ominous sound of the siren suddenly sounded. ¡°Alarm¡ª¡±


    For a few seconds, the crowd fell into silence.


    Bang!


    Shots rang out. There was no need for Lu Feng to do it. The guards at the gate fired.


    The silence spread to here and no one spoke. Finally, the doctor opened his mouth. ¡°Colonel¡ª¡±


    Lu Feng said nothing. He only turned and walked toward the city, bypassing everyone including An Zhe. The silent crowd was like frozen puppets. They reacted only when he came near, slowly creating a path. His figure entered An Zhe¡¯s eyes and overlapped with the figure that turned away from the city gates one month ago. An Zhe saw him turn away but didn¡¯t see him walk to anyone.


    The judge suddenly touched An Zhe¡¯s elbow. An Zhe reacted immediately. he held Lu Feng¡¯s coat and work manual as he chased after Lu Feng. However, the Judge had long legs and he had to trot to catch up.


    ¡°Colonel.¡±


    Lu Feng didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°Colonel, wait a minute.¡±


    Lu Feng didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°Colonel¡­¡± An Zhe gasped for breath. He didn¡¯t have much strength and his voice was affected by this run. It was a bit softer as he frowned, ¡°Please slow down. I can¡¯t keep up with you¡­¡±


    The colonel stopped and turned his head to look.


    An Zhe hadn¡¯t finished gasping yet as he looked up. ¡°Colonel¡­¡±


    ¡°Speak well.¡± Lu Feng glanced at him and ordered coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t be coquettish.¡±


    An Zhe, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Rainbow Turtle: Lu Feng

 Chapter 23

    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± An Zhe whispered.


    He handed the work manual to Lu Feng, who raised his eyebrows and took it.


    ¡°Your clothes too.¡± He took off the coat and handed it to Lu Feng. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Lu Feng placed the coat over his arm and looked down at An Zhe.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t need to wait for me.¡± He stated. ¡°Just put it at the gate.¡±


    An Zhe didn¡¯t answer. He and Lu Feng stared each other in the eye for a few seconds before carefully saying, ¡°You¡­ are you okay?¡±


    Lu Feng shifted his gaze. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    He had a light tone, as if nothing had just happened.


    An Zhe muttered, ¡°¡­Oh.¡±


    He continued, ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡±


    Lu Feng stared at him. The green eyes always made An Zhe think of some cold things and combined with the city¡¯s cool breeze and the fact that he just took off the warm coat, he flinched back slightly.


    Lu Feng reached out and threw the coat back into An Zhe¡¯s arms. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll send you back first.¡±


    An Zhe put on the coat again. After wearing it, Lu Feng raised his legs and walked forward and An Zhe followed.


    On both sides of the road were people holding banners. They looked serious, their mouths taut and drooping. The banners in their hands hadn¡¯t been put down and the paper was blown by the night wind.


    Everyone gazed at them silently, postures tense as the green, purple and orange colours of the aurora shone on their faces, mixing with their skin to create a strange, metallic colour. From those eyes, An Zhe saw clear hatred and alert vigilance. If they weren¡¯t afraid of Lu Feng¡¯s gun and his privilege to kill people at any time, they probably would¡¯ve done something.


    Those same eyes fell on An Zhe. It could be said that a large number of them were looking at him. An Zhe couldn¡¯t help leaning toward Lu Feng. Now he knew why Lu Feng wanted to send him back. He actively approached the Judge so his opponents were staring at An Zhe like wolves.


    Fortunately, the size of the crowd wasn¡¯t small but it wasn¡¯t large compared with the whole city. Within five minutes, they left the demonstration area and set foot on the road to the residential area.


    The buildings in the residential area were illuminated by the aurora. The grey cement road was divided into black and grey patches by the light and shadow. They cast long shadows on the ground, those irregular patches of light stacked layer by layer.


    An Zhe didn¡¯t know what to say to Lu Feng and Lu Feng also didn¡¯t take the initiative to speak.


    Although it was night, this place wasn¡¯t peaceful. A large military truck rumbled past them and stopped at the fork in the road. The door opened and the residents who entered the district gate to take refuge were released. A group of soldiers and a staff member of the city office in a white shirt and holding a record book led them into a building for placement.


    A man asked the soldier, ¡°How long will we need to take refuge here?¡±


    The soldier replied, ¡°Look at the situation.¡±


    Another resident asked, ¡°I heard that District 6 is okay. Can you guarantee the safety of District 6?¡±


    The soldier said, ¡°There is no exact information. Wait for the Lighthouse to study it.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡± Someone else wanted to ask a question but was immediately interrupted by the soldiers. ¡°Follow me quickly.¡±


    Footsteps were heard and they entered the building. An Zhe looked up at the right on the upper right side of the building. This was Building 55. Lu Feng¡¯s footsteps didn¡¯t stop as he walked another 30 meters and came in front of Building 56. Building 56¡ª


    Something in An Zhe¡¯s heart was touched. He looked up at the sign and then the dark unit door in the middle of the building. This area was close to the isolation gate. The military had started to resettle people in Building 55 and it would soon be Building 56.


    Lu Feng¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°Do you want to go in?¡±


    An Zhe shook his head.


    Lu Feng¡¯s tone was flat. ¡°Go in if you want.¡±


    An Zhe, ¡°¡­¡±


    He suspected that the judges and the Judge was trained in mind-reading.


    He said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Lu Feng turned and headed for Building 56. An Zhe walked next to him, taking an ID card out of his pocket. There was a series of numbers printed on the card: 3260563209. This represented Room 9, floor 2, unit 3, building 56.


    This wasn¡¯t An Zhe¡¯s room or his ID card. It belonged to Vance, the man who took him to the Northern Base. On that day when Vance¡¯s body was carried away, the soldier handed the ID card to An Zhe as a relic and he had been carrying it with him ever since.


    An Zhe opened the door with this ID card. It hadn¡¯t expired, indicating that the base hadn¡¯t yet reclaimed the right to use the room. He went in and turned on the light. It was a simple room and the quilt was piled on the bed like the owner had just got up and left. On the table were some household goods, water glasses, cigarette boxes and a lighter. This was Vance¡¯s home.


    It had been a month since Vance¡¯s death and An Zhe sometimes remembered him. He kept wondering why Vance still chose to return to the base despite the possibility of infection. However, after witnessing the death and fear of so many people today and passing by Building 56, he felt that he understood Vance in a sense.


    He was dominated by his own instincts, risking deep to go deep into the base to find his spore. Humans might not agree with his motive. Unlike monsters dominated by instincts, humans were a species dominated by emotions. They did things that didn¡¯t conform to common sense and didn¡¯t need too many reasons. As long as he understood this, he wouldn¡¯t be confused by the inexplicable behaviour of humans.


    An Zhe thought so as he pressed the ID card gently under the cigarette box. He remembered Vance smoking. Having done all this, he turned and left. Lu Feng was leaning on the door frame and waiting for him. His eyes fell on An Zhe like a falling snowflake and seemed different from the past.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± An Zhe asked.


    ¡°I subjectively believe that you are human.¡± Lu Feng declared before turning and walking out.


    An Zhe followed silently, not wanting to make a sound. The Judge was constantly doubting that he wasn¡¯t human.


    Back on the road, Lu Feng¡¯s communicator rang and there was a doctor¡¯s voice. ¡°The detector has been put into the trial process at the gate and the residents¡¯ emotions have been somewhat appeased. Five more devices will be sent by the Lighthouse tomorrow but the speed still can¡¯t keep up. Judge, you might have to come back.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Lu Feng¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°I¡¯ll go back during the day.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, have a good rest tonight.¡± The doctor paused before continuing, ¡°Director Howard is dead. What next? You are the only colonel left in the outer city with executive power. The colonel of the city office is a civil servant and the deployment of emergency supplies alone can make him lose his hair.¡±


    ¡°The Trial Court will temporarily take over the city¡¯s defense station and all troops will temporarily be placed into rescue work. After Judgment Day, I hope that the Lighthouse can help us formulate a plan to restart the dispersers everywhere.¡±


    The doctor said, ¡°Of course.¡±


    Lu Feng hung up and started to dial the Trial Court to arrange affairs. An Zhe quietly pricked his ears and listened. The Judge¡¯s wording was simple and clear, his tone as cold as ever. Many things had happened tonight but Lu Feng was still Lu Feng.


    An Zhe turned to look at Lu Feng¡¯s side profile and understood the doctor¡¯s meaning. This man would return to the city gate tomorrow. He himself acquiesced to go back. The young judge said that the colonel was fighting against unimaginable monsters. Perhaps Lu Feng was already used to it. His only abnormal behaviour tonight was to turn around and leave.


    Once the call was over, they had arrived at Building 117. It seemed that Lu Feng knew the road better than him. The two of them successfully came to his place. After turning on the light, everything was the same except for one thing missing by the wall. However, even if ten guts were given to An Zhe, he wouldn¡¯t dare ask the man where the doll was now after being seized.


    An Zhe asked Lu Feng standing by the door, ¡°Would you like to come in and sit down?¡±


    ¡°No need. You rest.¡±


    An Zhe hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°That¡­ where are you going?¡±


    Lu Feng frowned slightly like he was thinking. After a brief moment of thought, he replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    The communication screen showed that it was 11 at night. After counting the hours, he came to the conclusion that the colonel hadn¡¯t rested for nearly 40 hours.


    He knew that today¡¯s incident was urgent. Many things were temporarily arranged by Lu Feng and Howard. They did their best to settle the residents in District 6. However, like the soldiers, the staff of the Trial Court and the city¡¯s defense station, they might not have a residence or office for a while. Or they might simply be arranged to rest in the residential area near the gate for the night.


    However, he felt that Lu Feng might not want to return to the gate. An Zhe felt very complicated. His fingers subconsciously tensed and he pursed his lips.


    Lu Feng asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    His voice was a bit low and the hallway lights behind him were very dark. Perhaps it was due to the light but his silhouette wasn¡¯t as strong as usual.


    An Zhe made up his mind. Even if it was just for his spore, he had to build a better relationship with the colonel.


    ¡°If¡­ if you don¡¯t have a place to go¡ª¡± An Zhe looked up at Lu Feng. ¡°You can stay here with me.¡±


    Thanks to LostMySoulFromStress for the fanart

 Chapter 24

    It was very difficult for humans to take back spoken words. Thus, it turned out like this.


    In the common washroom on the fifth floor, next to a sink covered with traces of brown rust, in front of a row of faucets, An Zhe held a glass of water in one hand and a toothbrush in the other as he carefully washed. He knew the living habits of human beings and imitated them every day. However, today, this attitude was more caution than usual because the colonel was beside him.


    After finishing, he carefully gathered his things and looked at Lu Feng. Lu Feng had just washed his face with cold water and his hair was wet with a few crystal droplets of water, like melted snow beads. An Zhe silently handed him a towel.


    Lu Feng took it and briefly said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    An Zhe believed that what he did was in line with human etiquette and that sharing was a common human action. He handed his cup over to Lu Feng.


    ¡°Do you want to use it?¡± He wondered. ¡°But there is only one.¡±


    Base supplies were tight and the daily necessities allocated to everyone were limited. If there were any additional needs then they had to go to the black market to buy their own. An Zhe only had one cup and one toothbrush. The black market was no longer there so he had no place to buy them from.


    Lu Feng stared at him for five or six seconds before finally moving.


    An Zhe bowed his head, the dim yellow light in the bathroom casting a light gold colour on the edge of the cup. Lu Feng¡¯s long fingers held the porcelain white cup handle and took the cup from him. It was the right hand that had held the gun. His fingers had a thin layer of calluses and once An Zhe released his hand, he lightly rubbed his fingers together.


    Lu Feng didn¡¯t use his toothbrush. Instead, he used the cup to get water and gargled with liquid toothpaste. Once Lu Feng was finished, he put away the cup and the two of them walked out.


    It was currently 11 at night. Normally, the bathroom and corridor would have water and electricity cut off according to the rules of the base. However, today all six districts entered an emergency containment and the restrictions on water and electricity had been lifted. Many people couldn¡¯t sleep due to panic. Thanks to this, there were still other people in the bathroom even in the middle of the night. These people had secretly looked at Lu Feng and An Zhe while washing and An Zhe had found it. He knew that Lu Feng must¡¯ve found it as well but the colonel didn¡¯t seem to care much.


    An Zhe walked in front. The bathroom floor was wet and there were a few water stains on the ground. He had to walk looking down to avoid these places. Once he got to the door, he hit a dark shadow in front of him. An Zhe looked up.


    ¡°You¡ª¡± It was Josie¡¯s voice.


    An Zhe subconsciously stepped back and bumped into Lu Feng¡¯s chest. He saw Josie looking at him and wanting to say something. Then Josie¡¯s eyes shifted and he stiffened. An Zhe was also in a semi-frozen state. Josie was blocking the door so An Zhe couldn¡¯t go in or out. Just then, his shoulders sank slightly. Lu Feng¡¯s fingers were on it.


    Josie¡¯s eyes were wide open and An Zhe could almost see the shaking in his pupils. The next moment, Josie lowered his head and stepped back and to the side, giving way at the door with a respectful gesture.


    Lu Feng held An Zhe¡¯s shoulder and exerted a bit of force, taking An Zhe out the door before letting go. All of this happened in a moment. An Zhe¡¯s heart was pounding wildly and his entire body was tense out of fear that Josie would shout ¡®An Ze¡¯ in front of the Judge or say ¡®He isn¡¯t like An Ze.¡¯ However, they had taken a dozen steps but Josie still hadn¡¯t said a word.


    An Zhe turned back to look at Josie. The man¡¯s hands were hanging by his side, tightly clenching his clothes while his lips were tight. An Zhe suddenly realized one thing. In this place, the Judge was in control of everyone¡¯s life and death. Therefore, most of the people in the base didn¡¯t dare to talk to the Judge, including An Zhe.


    They walked through the corridor and back to their room. Lu Feng didn¡¯t ask about Josie¡¯s identity or what entanglements he had with Josie. Strictly speaking, the relationship between An Zhe and Lu Feng could only be counted as strangers.


    Back in the room, Lu Feng sat at the desk and started to record things in the work manual. He quickly wrote in the 6.18 column: Judgment Day, countless killed.


    An Zhe stood by and watched it. He once again had the question, ¡®What is the significance of such a work manual?¡¯


    He said, ¡°You write very little.¡±


    Lu Feng closed the manual. ¡°It is to cope with the inspection.¡±


    His tone took it for granted.


    An muttered, ¡°¡­Oh.¡±


    Then he said, ¡°I¡¯m going to change my clothes.¡±


    Lu Feng spoke lightly. ¡°Yes.¡±


    An Zhe took off his day time clothes and wore very soft white cotton pyjamas. After changing, he opened the quilt and got into the bed. The base rooms had only a standard single bed but the bed wasn¡¯t narrow. He could even roll around on it. An Zhe guessed it might be because the base had many burly bodies The area filled with mercenaries was relatively large.


    After that, he lay down on the bed that was more than enough to hold another person. He lay down and looked at Lu Feng. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±


    He found Lu Feng looking at the supply station assessment manual on his desk.


    Lu Feng inquired, ¡°Do you want to go to the supply statiom?¡±


    ¡°En.¡±


    It was a pity he could never go. The outer city had been occupied by bugs.


    ¡°Go to the city affairs office tomorrow,¡± Lu Feng told him. ¡°In recent years, there are many newborns and the main city doesn¡¯t have enough staff. The city affairs office is entrusted to recruit people from the outer city.¡±


    With that, he got up from the chair, took off his coat and put it over the back of the chair. Then he walked toward An Zhe. An Zhe knew that those green eyes were watching him.


    He heard Lu Feng continue to say, ¡°You are useless but you can take care of children.¡±


    An Zhe tried to refute his previous remark but found himself unable to refute them. He felt humiliated and covered himself with the quilt. He heard Lu Feng laugh and then the side of the bed sank as Lu Feng lay down. The cold air was so close that he could hear Lu Feng¡¯s breathing. The things that happened today were like a dream. As a heterogenous species, he was going to spend the night with the Judge.


    ¡°So¡­¡± An Zhe exposed his eyes above the quilt as he whispered, ¡°Are you still doubting if I¡¯m objectively a human?¡±


    ¡°You passed the genetic test and the 30 day observation period.¡± Lu Feng was expressionless. ¡°You are objectively a human.¡±


    ¡°What is the observation period?¡±


    ¡°After being infected, within 30 days, the infected person will surely lose their human intelligence. The probability is infinitely close to 1.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ will there be those who don¡¯t lose their sanity?¡± An Zhe tentatively asked, ¡°Although they are heterogenous, they still maintain a human appearance and thoughts. They just have more abilities and can become other creatures.¡±


    He knew he was a heterogenous but he also kept his mind.


    ¡°Do you think the human will is strong?¡± Lu Feng questioned.


    An Zhe didn¡¯t know how to answer but Lu Feng didn¡¯t seem to need it.


    ¡°In fact, it isn¡¯t worth mentioning. The Lighthouse has done many experiments.¡± Lu Feng spoke lightly. ¡°Human will can¡¯t overcome the survival instincts of a heterogeneous. Instead, the heterogeneous species will gradually digest the thinking ability of the human and use it for their own survival. For example, the Lighthouse¡¯s report on today¡¯s insect tide hasn¡¯t come out yet but I think they conspired to attack.¡±


    An Zhe slightly widened his eyes. This was the first time that Lu Feng had spoken so much and the weight of his words was also very heavy. He said that the human will unique to humans wasn¡¯t worth mentioning in the face of genetic fusion. Humans were such weak creatures.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± After being subjectively and objectively judged as a human, An Zhe was relieved and dared to say a few more words to Lu Feng. ¡°If the willpower is strong¡­¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t about strength. There are no ifs.¡±


    An Zhe frowned and thought seriously. ¡°For example, if you are infected¡ª¡±


    Lu Feng directly covered him with the quilt.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill myself straight away,¡± Lu Feng declared coldly. ¡°Sleep.¡±


    An Zhe felt that the colonel might be sleepy and unwilling to speak any more nonsense with him. In fact, An Zhe was also sleepy. He calculated that Lu Feng had gone 40 hours without rest while he himself only slept for two or three hours in Lu Feng¡¯s room early yesterday morning. He fell asleep almost the moment he closed his eyes.


    Once he woke up again, An Zhe didn¡¯t know what time it was. He sat up on the bed and the whole room seemed like it was still night time. Only a faint glimmer of light shone through a gap in the curtains, like faint sunlight shining through the plant branches and leaves in the Abyss. After opening the curtains, the room was still dark and it was cloudy outside.


    He took out the communicator and glanced at it. It was 11 in the morning. Suddenly, An Zhe felt that he had forgotten something. He was agitated and completely woke up. The first thing he did was to look at the bed. There was nothing. Only he was present and it was the same for the room.


    Then he found the paper on the table with a ballpoint pen next to it. An Zhe got out of bed and came to the table, picking it up. It was the poster protesting the atrocities of the judges. He turned it over and saw a few words in black writing on the back.


    Gone.


    If there is something then call me.


    Lu Feng.


    An Zhe didn¡¯t know why but he smiled. He thought that Lu Feng¡¯s note was as simple as his work manual. He put down the note and went to the closest to choose clothes to go to the city affairs office. He thought for a long time before finally taking out a grey sweater.


    Grey¡ªAn Zhe looked up. The sky was grey and hung very low above the buildings. Thick grey clouds were gathered and spread from the city to the horizon, like it was going to rain heavily.


    An Zhe was very happy. Mushrooms like rainy days not to mention Lu Feng gave him news yesterday. If he could be recruited at the city affairs office then he could go to the main city. The Lighthouse was in the main city and he would be one step closer to recovering his spore.


    He decided not to care about the matter of Lu Feng taking away his spore.

 Chapter 25

    On top of the street telephone pole, the radio installed looped a mechanical female voice.


    ¡°At present, District 6 has sufficient supplies and normal supply of water and electricity. The garrison has achieved a full range and comprehensive protection for the ultrasonic disperser.¡±


    ¡°This is a message from the weather station. The sky is cloudy and there is a probability of heavy rainfall. All residents, please close your doors and windows and reduce your travel.¡±


    ¡°The city affairs office¡¯s personnel screening for the main city has begun. Residents who meet the requirements should go to the city affairs office as soon as possible. Repeating that residents who meet the requirements¡­¡±


    There was the only sound apart from An Zhe¡¯s footsteps on the entire street. After the incident at the base, the city gates were closed and no one was allowed in and out. Various areas were paralyzed and the atmosphere in District 6 was similarly tense. The road to the city affairs office was empty everywhere. Only the leaflets opposing the Judges¡¯ Act were scattered on the ground. After walking a while, An Zhe noticed that occasionally armoured vehicles from the military would pass by at an extremely fast speed, all heading toward the gate.


    The base was divided into eight districts. The dispersal centre, the city¡¯s defense station and the Trial Court jointly ensured the safety of the city. The city affairs office and the supply station managed the city¡¯s affairs. The Trial Court was located by the city gates, the city defense station¡¯s headquarters were in District 5 and the dispersal centre was in District 1. The headquarters of the city affairs office was built in District 6. Fortunately, the city affairs office didn¡¯t have any casualties and maintained normal operations. They could even recruit people.


    The city affairs office was located in the centre of District 6, behind the train station and next to the alarm tower. The main building had seven floors with a large service hall in the centre. At this moment, the sky was completely overcast. It was obviously noon but the atmosphere was so dim it seemed like 5 or 6 in the evening. The dark clouds seemed to pour on the buildings of the city affairs office.


    It wasn¡¯t until An Zhe entered the hall that he finally felt the breath of living people. There were 500~600 people here, divided into two long lines and all with young faces.


    The recruitment requirements were repeated on the radio and An Zhe heard them. They must be between 18~25 years old, have no illness, no disability, no criminal record and no record of inappropriate speech. An Zhe thought about it for a moment. He might¡¯ve been in jail but he had just been convicted by Lu Feng and perhaps there had been no time to enter it into the system.


    Once the basic requirements were met, there were additional requirements: applicants for civilian employment must have completed at least level three of basic education and non-civilians must¡¯ve received rewards over 5,000 base currency as mercenaries.


    These two requirements alone could screen out most of the young people in the base. For example, Josie as a teenager chose not to study the basic courses of the base but trained with a mercenary group. However, his achievements as a mercenary weren¡¯t outstanding and the meritorious service hadn¡¯t reached over 5,000.


    An Zhe walked to the end of the civilian line. Perhaps he had come late or the weather was too bad, because no one else came in behind him.


    The man originally at the end of the civilian line heard An Zhe¡¯s footsteps and looked back. Their eyes met. An Zhe felt a bit of awkwardness in the air. The next moment, An Zhe shifted his gaze to the wall next to him and the young man quickly turned back to the front.


    They could be regarded as acquaintances. This was the boy who first pulled An Zhe into the protest line and called him a ¡®comrade-in-arms.¡¯ Just yesterday at the city gate, he was among those who protested the Judge and he had greeted An Zhe. However, An Zhe was wearing the Judge¡¯s clothes and left with the Judge.


    He didn¡¯t want to talk to An Zhe and An Zhe didn¡¯t want to talk to him. They lined up in silence like this. The interviewer was a man with thin silver-rimmed glasses and delicate facial features. Strangely enough, the line was shortened very quickly. Everyone was simply asked a few questions before being led to a passage behind the hall. Occasionally, a few people were asked to leave but the number was very small.


    In an hour and a half, the line only had a few people left. Then it was the turn of the boy in front of An Zhe.


    The interviewer made a pause gesture and picked up the communicator.


    ¡°Can you please trouble Colonel Lu to come as quickly as possible, in at least five minutes.¡± An Zhe heard him say. ¡°We are making an exception to send these people to the main city. The security of the main city is the most important thing and no mistakes can be made. The Judge must be present.¡±


    ¡°Main city?¡± The boy in front of An Zhe was surprised. ¡°We are going to the main city? It isn¡¯t the city affairs office?¡±


    ¡°The situation is something we don¡¯t want to see. The dramatic changes in the weather can¡¯t be predicted and recovery of the dispersal centre isn¡¯t something that can be accomplished in a short period of time. In order to ensure the safety of the main city, the judges must evacuate with us. Human interests above everything else. Please remember this sentence.¡±


    He put down the communicator as he said this and glanced at the boy in front of him. The boy put the ID card on the sensor and a message jumped out on the screen.


    Name: Colin


    Age: 21


    ID£º3260070412


    There was another screen in front of the interviewer and it should contain more detailed information.


    Colin said, ¡°I completed basic courses in mathematics, physics and biology.¡±


    The interviewer nodded and returned the ID card. ¡°Go to the right.¡±


    It was An Zhe¡¯s turn next. After swiping the card, he replied according to An Ze¡¯s previous experience, ¡°I completed a course in literature, language and economics.¡±


    ¡°It is a good result,¡± the interviewer said.


    Just then, the sound of heavy rain was suddenly heard from outside. The interviewer stuffed the card back into An Zhe¡¯s hand and spoke very quickly. ¡°Go!¡±


    An Zhe quickly followed Colin into the passage on the right. Behind the passage was a glass corridor bridge that was currently being hit by huge and dense raindrops. The outside situation couldn¡¯t be seen at all. They hurried forward and saw that the corridor bridge was connected to the platform of the train station. There was a black-clad ground traffic commander next to the platform.


    ¡°My dad doesn¡¯t know yet!¡± Colin asked, ¡°Are we going to the main city now?¡±


    The commander grabbed his arm and shoved him into a carriage. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡±


    An Zhe was also crammed in. The train was full while Colin frantically dialled a number on his communicator but failed to get through. They went all the way down to the last carriage, which was empty.


    An Zhe sat down in a corner, the rear window of the train behind him. The rear scene was clearly visible and the tracks were submerged in the rain and fog. Colin sat the furthest distance away from An Zhe and kept calling on his communicator, muttering to himself, ¡°No, there is something wrong. I have to go back¡ª¡±


    He almost jumped out of his seat when he heard the sound of all the train doors closing at the same time. Colin hammered on the door a few times but it didn¡¯t move at all. Instead, it attracted the train staff.


    ¡°Sit down!¡± The conductor was a strong minute. ¡°You will be able to go to the main city in a minute. What¡¯s the problem?¡±


    ¡°My dad doesn¡¯t know yet!¡± Colin called out. ¡°I can¡¯t just go. Are you hiding something from us?¡±


    The conductor was silent for three seconds before saying, ¡°Your dad will be happy for you.¡±


    Colin gasped in his seat. ¡°No, no¡­¡±


    He repeated ¡®no¡¯ for a long time but didn¡¯t say anything else. He just continued to use his communicator.


    An Zhe waited quietly in the corner. Five minutes later, there was the sound of a door opening and a few voices. Around 10 minutes later, the entire carriage suddenly became quiet.


    ¡°The Judge is here to check.¡± Someone whispered in front of him.


    There was the sound of footsteps. There were two people and the distinctive sound of military boots that was easy to recognize. An Zhe looked up as the footsteps got closer. He looked right into Lu Feng¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°My god.¡± The young judge behind Lu Feng saw him and said, ¡°We thought you weren¡¯t here.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ am.¡± An Zhe looked into Lu Feng¡¯s eyes, a faint uneasiness in his heart as he asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    It was the first time he had seen this in Lu Feng¡¯s expression, even though Lu Feng¡¯s appearance didn¡¯t look any different from the past. It wasn¡¯t cold. It was very¡­profound.


    Lu Feng told him, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    A voice came from his communicator. ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡±


    Lu Feng replied, ¡°Confirmed the safety.¡±


    ¡°Received.¡±


    An Zhe¡¯s uneasiness magnified as he looked up at Lu Feng. Lu Feng also watched him but remained silent.


    Just then, Colin suddenly quivered and spoke hoarsely, ¡°I know¡­ I know¡­¡±


    He turned to look at the train conductor. ¡°The disperser is still ineffective, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I have studied physics. Ultrasound. Ultrasonic waves are sound waves. Sound waves are transmitted through a medium. Now that the rain is heavy, the air temperature density and pressure have changed. This means the medium has changed. We need to adjust the frequency parameters again but¡ª¡± Colin pulled the conductor¡¯s arm, eyes red and trembling. ¡°However, the dispersal centre is gone and there is no way to adjust it. Isn¡¯t this right? The original frequency has failed in the heavy rain, right?¡±


    His trembling words had just finished when a scream suddenly came from the front carriage.


    Bang! The glass next to An Zhe was also hit by something.


    A black flying insect was mixed in with the raindrops and slammed onto the glass of the train. An Zhe stared out the window. The six red eyes of the flying insect stared at him. It was as big as a human head. The insect stared at him before it fly up in the rain and hit another window.


    The ping-pong impact sounds were heard continuously outside the entire train. After a sharp whistle, An Zhe saw outside the window, the ground commander in a fluorescent uniform making a ¡®forward¡¯ gesture.


    There was a shaking sound before the train slowly started moving forward.


    Colin yelled and kept pressing something on his communicator.


    Meanwhile, the ground commander was swarmed by countless large and small insects. The insects had become a fuzzy shadow due to the rain curtain. Just five or six seconds after the ground commander¡¯s body was surrounded by these shadows, he fell toward the ground, blood splashing. The speed of the train increased and after a bend, his figure completely disappeared.


    An Zhe watched it all with wide eyes. He stood up and stared out the window behind him.


    Shadows.


    Overwhelming black shadows that were round, long, and irregular. Huge worms meandered on the ground while insects with huge sickles moved quickly and jumped. When did they come? Perhaps the second the heavy rain started.


    The roof rattled and a few cracks appeared in the outer glass of the window, but the inner glass was still intact.


    The train sped up, moving forward while An Zhe watched the entire city.


    It wasn¡¯t rain in the sky. This stuff, a mixture of red and green raindrops was the blood of monsters and humans, monster limbs and human limbs. The window cut off parts of the sound but he still heard screams and the sound of retching in the carriage. After the heavy rain started, he had stayed in the carriage for 10 minutes. He didn¡¯t know what type of slaughter was going on outside but he could imagine it.


    How many people were alive and how many would die? He couldn¡¯t imagine not seeing the whole city.


    ¡°The base prepared for the worst yesterday,¡± the young judge whispered. ¡°The transfer of young and effective personnel was a means of emergency but we didn¡¯t expect the accident to come to quickly.¡±


    His voice was a bit hoarse. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. If we were given a few more days then the army might¡¯ve taken back the dispersal centre but¡­¡±


    However. there was no time. No one could predict what happened next. An Zhe wanted to say that it was like the Abyss. No one knew what would happen the next second. He placed a hand on the carriage¡¯s glass, blood-stained and mixed with some tissue. He stared outside, short of breath.


    In this way, the train quickly left District 6. The blood gradually lightened and the water washed the windows, turning them back to transparent.


    In the Abyss, he had seen countless monsters bit, struggle, become wounded and die. However, he had never seen anything like this¡ªa one-sided massacre, an instant fall.


    The man in front of him trembled intermittently. ¡°Just¡­ in this way, it is just¡­ gone?¡±


    It was gone. All it took was rain.


    An Zhe saw a flock of black birds flying in the upper edge of his vision towards District 6. It took a few seconds before he noticed that the wings of the birds were flat and moving straight forward. They weren¡¯t birds but the human jet fighters. They came from the direction of the main city and arrived at District 6 in less than a minute, hovering directly above the alarm tower in District 6.


    He thought it might be aid from the main city for the outer city. Thus, he asked, ¡°Do you want to save people?¡±


    ¡°Human genes can¡¯t be acquired by monsters,¡± he heard Lu Feng say.


    Lu Feng¡¯s voice was smooth with a trace of coldness. There were several footsteps as Lu Feng also came to the rear window and stood behind An Zhe. An Zhe could feel his breath. At this close distance, An Zhe just needed to step back a bit and his shoulder would touch Lu Feng¡¯s chest.


    He heard Lu Feng speak into the transmitter, ¡°Get ready.¡±


    Yes, human genes couldn¡¯t be obtained by monsters. Every time one person died, there would be one more heterogeneous species with high intelligence in the world. Therefore, whether it was in the wild or at the base, once an infection occurred then the person must be killed immediately, their body destroyed in the incinerator. Therefore, the main city must send troops to save as many people from the outer city as possible, to avoid more people being infected by the insects¡ªAn Zhe thought so.


    He hummed. ¡°En.¡±


    Poet and Boss Shaw were inside. He hoped they could be rescued.


    Suddenly, there was the sound of cloth rubbing and Lu Feng extended his hand. An Zhe didn¡¯t know what he was going to do and just watched the scene in front of him. The train drove out from the building area and entered the huge buffer zone between the outer city and the main city. The buildings of Districts 6, 7 and 8 were getting further and further away in his field of view, becoming a grey jungle in the rain and fog.


    A dazzling white light suddenly lit up from there!


    An Zhe instinctively squinted but the strong light still came from his eyelids. His eyes were scarlet and bright before suddenly returning to darkness. Lu Feng¡¯s hands had completely covered his eyes.


    In the silence and darkness, An Zhe¡¯s senses were infinitely enlarged. Three seconds later, the train¡¯s floor and the entire ground shook slightly. The silver-white train drove forward along the established track. The moment the last carriage left the outer city area, a huge mushroom cloud rose from District 6.


    The author has something to say:


    The first volume, Judgment Day is over.


    The second volume is called Rose.

 Chapter 26

    After the train moved at a high speed for 10 minutes, the city was completely left behind. Lu Feng retracted his right hand and An Zhe saw there was a thick cloud in the direction they came from. The fighter jets had returned to the main city, flying over the top of the train with a whistling sound and disappearing from view.


    An Zhe didn¡¯t say anything. After staring quietly for dozens of seconds, he returned to his original position and sat down.


    The moment he had gone on the train, he was still thinking that he would inform Boss Shaw about his whereabouts once communication was restored. Now it seemed unnecessary.


    He looked out and saw a black figure. Lu Feng had sat down in the seat next to him and the young judge following Lu Feng was on the other side.


    ¡°Colonel, there is news from the Trial Court. 21 people were evacuated from the Trial Court. Nine people died and four were infected and killed.¡±


    Lu Feng asked, ¡°What about the city¡¯s defense station?¡±


    ¡°There is no data at this time.¡±


    Next, there was no sound. An Zhe stared out the window but there was really nothing to see. In the fog and rain, only the empty concrete floor could be seen.


    This was a buffer zone. From the gate to the outer city. Even each area in the outer city had a huge buffer zone with no buildings. The purpose was that in the event of a large-scale invasion, it would earn precious time for the military to respond without allowing the heterogenous species to rush directly into populated areas.


    Some time passed and there was noise in the carriage. it was Colin regaining his consciousness after he fainted for a while. He got up from the aisle and returned to his original position. He was pale as he bowed his head. He took out a pair of black-rimmed glasses and repeatedly wiped them on his clothes, never speaking again. At this moment, An Zhe felt that this body was different from the person he had originally met.


    An Zhe turned his head and looked at Lu Feng. Just then, Lu Feng retracted his gaze from Colin and glanced at An Zhe. They stared at each other while An Zhe grasped his clothes with anxiety. Lu Feng only glanced at him lightly before looking away. An Zhe felt that Lu Feng was strange this time, even though they had slept on the same bed all of last night.


    Thinking about it, An Zhe questioned, ¡°What¡¯s next?¡±


    Lu Feng answered, ¡°Based on the courses you have learned, you might teach children to recognize words.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°I will listen to the arrangement of the main city.¡±


    An Zhe raised his courage. ¡°Will you go to the Lighthouse?¡±


    He knew there was a high probability that the spore would be in the lighthouse. Lu Feng glanced at him. An Zhe felt like Lu Feng was looking at someone intellectually handicapped. Lu Feng told him, ¡°I belong to the military. The next task is to recover the dispersal centre.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    He whispered, ¡°Then you refuel.¡±


    Lu Feng quietly watched him for a few seconds. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    They didn¡¯t speak anymore. An Zhe wondered if the colonel might not be very talkative. After 10 minutes, the train arrived at the station and Lu Feng went to the beginning of the train. At the same time, there was a broadcast in the carriage. ¡°Dear passengers, in order to ensure the safety of the main city, please line up for a second inspection.¡±


    The people on the train started to line up with An Zhe and Colin coming last. The second test was a genetic test using a machine and the person testing was still the young blond doctor in a white coat. After An Zhe and Colin had blood drawn, the doctor turned on the machine and said, ¡°Wait for five minutes.¡±


    An Zhe obediently pressed a cotton swab to the place where blood was drawn and stood aside. The doctor smiled, ¡°It¡¯s you again.¡±


    An Zhe greeted him. ¡°Hello.¡±


    The doctor told him, ¡°The Judge actually took someone to do a genetic test. Our entire testing department was surprised.¡±


    An Zhe told him, ¡°Now he believes I¡¯m human.¡±


    ¡°He might¡¯ve just been looking for a fault.¡± The doctor shrugged. ¡°The people of the Trial Court will always have a mental problem.¡±


    ¡°He is okay.¡±


    The doctor cast an admiring look at him. ¡°You are the first person I have ever met who spoke up for Colonel Lu.¡±


    Then the doctor¡¯s eyes moved to his left arm again. ¡°Are you injured?¡±


    An Zhe noticed that his relatively large movements had pulled up his sleeve, exposing his left arm wrapped with a bandage.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°It is time to change the medicine.¡± The doctor lifted the medical box next to him and pulled out a new roll of bandages. ¡°I¡¯ll put it on you.¡±


    The doctor seemed to be an easygoing and kind-hearted man. An Zhe whispered, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The doctor removed his original bandage while praising, ¡°This knot is good.¡±


    An Zhe thought about it and decided not to tell the doctor that Lu Feng had done this for him or the inspection department might be surprised again. They seemed to think that Lu Feng was a type of bad guy with no bottom line.


    The moment this thought came out, An Zhe suddenly frowned. At this moment, he seemed to understand why Lu Feng didn¡¯t talk to others. The Judge¡¯s position was destined to be like this. He was thinking so when he heard Colin call out from next to him, ¡°Doctor.¡±


    The doctor bandaged An Zhe and looked at him. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Now the outer city has fallen, there is no need for the Trial Court to exist.¡± Colin requested, ¡°Can we know the principles of the trial?¡±


    An Zhe thought that Colin was really a firm opposition party.


    ¡°Why do you want to know? The doctor leaned against the detection car and watched him with folded arms. ¡°Do you have any family or friends killed by Lu Feng?¡±


    ¡°My mother,¡± Colin replied. ¡°She went to the wild and never left the armoured car all the way.¡±


    ¡°There are a few tiny monsters so it isn¡¯t impossible.¡±


    ¡°However, she didn¡¯t look or act differently.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± The doctor hummed lightly. ¡°So? If all relatives of those killed by the Trial Court asked the inspection department for a statement then we won¡¯t have time to ensure the security of the front gate.¡±


    ¡°However, it is different now. You have time.¡± Colin raised his voice. ¡°I just want to know why.¡±


    Looking at him, the doctor smiled.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, it¡¯s different now.¡± The doctor spoke gently. ¡°You are now a person of the main city and will slowly know a lot more information.¡±


    He casually wondered, ¡°Do you think that after being infected, the human body is slowly eroded?¡±


    ¡°Otherwise?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± The doctor stared up at the sky. ¡°Once the infection occurs, your DNA strands¡ªall the DNA structures will change in an instant. You are doomed the moment an infection occurs.¡±


    ¡°Impossible.¡±Colin refuted. ¡°I have studied biology. A virus needs time to spread and there will be a latency period.¡±


    The doctor directly interrupted him.


    ¡°Next, the structures of the DNA strand affects the composition of RNA. The changes in RNA affect the production of proteins and the biological characteristics of humans start to change. These things will happen in a short period of time. Your skin, appearance, expression, movement, ways of thinking, language skills¡­ all of this will change. The training that judges receive before becoming formal judges is how to observe this difference with the naked eye.¡± He smiled and continued, ¡°Once the accuracy rate reaches 80%, they will graduate and be formally employed. Do you think that your shallow observation of human behaviour can compare to their 10 years of training?¡±


    ¡°80%.¡± Colin raised his eyes. ¡°Then the Trial Court can¡¯t completely screen heterogeneous species and there is no guarantee that they aren¡¯t doing large-scale indiscriminate killing, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I have to tell you one thing.¡± The doctor stared at Colin. ¡°Lu Feng¡¯s score is 100%.¡±


    Colin stood in place for a few seconds before muttering, ¡°¡­No way.¡±


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t use mediocre criteria to determine the limit of other people¡¯s abilities, especially after entering the main city.¡± The doctor¡¯s voice was light. He was speaking to Colin but his eyes were on An Zhe. ¡°At least, whenever his judgment was checked, he has never been wrong once. The detection department and the Trial Court are closely linked. I have seen his assessment results and all indicators for the Judge are full marks. However, this might not be the reason he could find heterogeneous species with a 100% accuracy.¡±


    ¡°He seems to have an innate talent, an intuition. After discovering his talent in this rea, the detection department will draw his blood once a month. Unfortunately, we couldn¡¯t find any results.¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Colin frowned. ¡°This is against science. Intuition can¡¯t be used as a scientific basis and the infection method you said at the beginning is also¡ª¡±


    There was a short ringing sound and the machine lit up with a green light.


    ¡°Here are your new ID cards and communicators. Get in the car and the main city will assign you a place to live.¡± The doctor put two blue chips and communication devices into their hands. ¡°Wait for news from the communicator.¡±


    Colin took it. ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°I know it goes against some of the principles of biological science but the scariest thing about this era is¡ª¡± The doctor stared at Colin, blue eyes seemingly covered with frost as he clearly enunciated every word. ¡°We found that the system of human science isn¡¯t worth mentioning.¡±

 Chapter 27

    ¡°Human science is like climbing but we have stepped out onto air 100 years ago.¡± The doctor smiled. ¡°It is just like we still can¡¯t explain why the geomagnetic field suddenly disappeared so long ago.¡±


    Then he stopped speaking. ¡°Go.¡±


    Colin lowered his head and walked in the direction of the shuttle bus without saying a word. An Zhe said goodbye to the doctor before also boarding the bus.


    He didn¡¯t know where Lu Feng was. An Zhe couldn¡¯t see him. This man was very busy and it seemed he didn¡¯t want to deal with An Zhe anymore today. Lu Feng was probably already gone.


    After confirming that the last two men were on board, the shuttle bus left the train station along the track. This was the last one and it was crowded inside, with nearly 100 people standing. Their starting point was inside a building and they couldn¡¯t see outside. It wasn¡¯t until three minutes later that the shuttle bus passed through a tunnel and rain and light came in. Suddenly, the front of them was bright and there was a faint inhalation sound within the bus.


    An Zhe¡¯s gaze passed through the crowd of people and out the window. It was another buffer zone but just behind the buffer zone were countless grey-blue, shimmering glass buildings.


    An Zhe¡¯s eyes widened slightly.


    When he first came to the human base a month ago, he had felt the magic of human architecture. The buildings were higher than the biggest mushrooms, extremely magnificent and tall. For a mushroom who had never seen anything like it before, it was grand and tall.


    Now it was different. As someone who had become accustomed to the specifications of the outer city, An Zhe once again felt that the tall buildings were looking down on him. The residential buildings in the outer city mainly had 10 floors. The buildings here were different. After he counted to 30, the buildings had already receded and disappeared from view because he took too long. This was the most he could count.


    At the same time, they were extremely densely packed together and intricately intertwined in An Zhe¡¯s view. The rain was becoming lighter. Heavy rain in summer always passed quickly. Golden sunlight shone through the clouds and onto the glass walls at the top of the buildings.


    An Zhe once heard the full story of the establishment of the base from Poet. At first, the geomagnetic field had weakened and then disappeared. Two magnetic field generations were built to solve this problem and the main city of the Northern Base protected one of them.


    It wasn¡¯t until later that mutations in bacteria, animals and plants occurred that humans started to gather to save themselves and the entire Northern Base was born. Therefore, the main city was established much earlier than the outer city. At that time, many things hadn¡¯t happened yet. The magnetic field generator and the main city were the peak of human science, technology and construction capabilities at the time.


    Then it went downhill.


    The mechanical guidance voice said, ¡°Dear passengers, due to the scarcity of living resources in the main city, the Lighthouse and Eden-affiliated residential area are full. You will temporarily be placed in the military residential area. Please find the corresponding address according to your ID card number and wait for the next instructions.


    An Zhe took out his new ID card. The card number had changed and it was now 3124043702.


    3 for the human base, 1 for the main city and the remaining numbers represented the specific residential location.


    People inside the bus started to talk to each other and they found their addresses were very scattered.


    ¡°I see,¡± someone said. ¡°The people in the Lighthouse and Eden don¡¯t do dangerous work and won¡¯t die, so the residential areas are full. However, the military often loses its personnel, leaving many spaces to fit us in.


    The rest of the people agreed. Not long after, the shuttle bus stopped and let down them. There were a few pothers who lived in Unit 04 of Building 24 with An Zhe. They walked into the building and hurriedly started learning to use the elevator. This wasn¡¯t available in the outer city.


    Finally, Colin got off the elevator on the 36th floor while An Zhe went to the 37th floor. There were no other buttons above 37 which meant this was the top floor. Two doors were facing each other with a white seal pasted. An Zhe tore the seal of door 02 and swiped to enter.


    The living areas in the main city were obviously larger than the outer city. This was a one-bedroom suite with a separate bathroom and kitchen. The living room had a simple coffee table and small grey sofa. On the wall opposite the sofa, a black square object was hung. The structure and colour of this square reminded him of the tablet computer he once played with Boss Shaw. An Zhe went forward and pressed the button below it.


    ¡°¡­has been safely transferred to the main city and the emergency defense status of the main city has been turned on. According to the United Front Centre, the base will enter a 5~10 year period of closure until the next generation is grown. At the same time, the Lighthouse speculates that external monsters will have a high intelligence mutation. The insect wave was a collective action of insect monsters during the breeding season. In order to avoid the potential dangers of genes leaking, the Lighthouse has suggested that the United Front Centre be cautious when sending out soldiers, no longer carrying out high-risk operations and shifting the focus to resource production, R&D and combat readiness in order to find a way to overcome the current predicament. Next is the Lighthouse researcher, Mr Chen.¡±


    The screen switched from an announcer wearing a suit to a serious-looking middle-aged man in a white coat.


    ¡°It is well known that arthropod monsters don¡¯t have a survival advantage in high-risk areas. However, in the breeding season, they need nutritious and genetically superior flesh to act as a breeding ground for the insect eggs. We guess that this is the reason for their collective attack on the human base. After all, reproduction is the priority of all species. However, it is unknown how they produced a sense of community wisdom. I am afraid it is related to the ingestion of human genes by some individuals.¡±


    The announcer asked, ¡°What do you want to convey about this situation?¡±


    ¡°It is unfortunate that the outer city of the base has fallen completely but we have finally eliminated the possibility of further leakage of human genes. We didn¡¯t give the monsters a chance to thrive, which is also a victory.¡± The researcher declared. ¡°What I want to tell you is that you don¡¯t have to worry about the safety of the main city at present. The main city is the crystallization of the peak of human science and technology. Its safety is certain and it won¡¯t be invaded by outside monsters. At the same time, you don¡¯t have to worry about the future of the human species. I have received news that the reproduction technology has further improved. The number of newborns in Eden has surged in recent years and the base will enter a period of population expansion. Our future is bright¡­¡±


    The researcher gushed and generally pacified people. Once he finished, the announcer switched to a military staff and asked him to give everyone the latest developments in fieldwork.


    An Zhe thought that the main city¡¯s news broadcast was a lot more detailed than the outer city¡¯s monotonous broadcasts. He found it interesting. Once the news finally finished, the screen became a monotonous grey and started to play some meaningless music before he turned it off.


    It was already evening. Looking out from his bedroom window, stars appeared and a cylindrical tower-shaped shadow stood in the distance. It was too large, occupying almost a quarter of An Zhe¡¯s vision and it was taller than all the other buildings, like a giant monster dormant in the centre of the city. The thin aurora rapidly changed around it. An Zhe wondered if this was the legendary magnetic field generator.


    He watched for a long time before opening the door and planning to have dinner. The main city, like the outer city, had public restaurants on some floors. This was when he found the seal of his neighbour¡¯s place was torn off.


    An Zhe had no intention of investigating when his neighbour had come back and what type of person they were. Today had a thrilling beginning and he didn¡¯t like it. He intended to make it a peaceful end.


    Thus, he was as calm as possible the next morning when he received news on the communicator that all civilian personnel transferred from the outer city would gather at the gates of the Garden of Eden.


    Last night, An Zhe had read the map and base manual of the main city. He knew there were 20,000 permanent residents in the main city, 70% of whom were military personnel. The remaining 30% were scientific researchers and various civilian personally. The outskirts of the main city were composed of the armament areas, military bases, tarmacs, train stations and residential areas. Meanwhile, the interior was the core area and contained three important institutions for the base.


    The first was the United Front Centre. It was for the military and responsible for dispatching armament and supplies. The second was the scientific research centere. The function was the same as its name and since the sign was a simplified lighthouse, it was just called the Lighthouse. The United Front Centre and the Lighthouse each had a building and the two buildings were connected by a covered bridge. They were called the Twin Towers.


    The third one had the relatively long name of ¡®Breeding, Growing and Education Centre.¡¯ It had two functions. One was to provide food and nutrition for the base. An Zhe thought that this might be the place where humans grew potatoes. The other function was to breed babies. Human babies grew up in this place and received initial education. Since the name was too difficult, it was also called ¡®Garden of Eden.¡¯


    An Zhe¡¯s future place of work was the Garden of Eden.


    He looked at the twin towers in the distance and then the Garden of Eden. In fact, he was filled with some expectations because he had never seen human children. His spore was a small, soft white thing. He didn¡¯t know if human babies were the same.


    Could caring for human babies give him experience for the future when he had to care for his own spore?


    ¡­It didn¡¯t seem to be the case.

 Chapter 28

    ¡°Do not go gentle into that good night¡ª¡±


    An Zhe and Colin walked down a long, narrow white corridor. There was the sound of simultaneous reading, a collection of tender voices vibrating around them like there was an echo. This was the sixth floor of the Garden of Eden and the man who brought them here was in his 30s and called Lin Zuo. He looked gentle in his white short and thin gold-rimmed glasses.


    The two of them were taken to the office and Lin Zuo questioned, ¡°How is it going here?¡±


    Colin replied, ¡°Very good.¡±


    Lin Zuo told them, ¡°The conditions in the main city are better than the outer city.¡±


    An Zhe realized it. During the time when he was in the outer city, he never thought there was a giant building like the Garden of Eden in this world.


    In this corridor, excluding the officer, there were 10 rooms. Five of them were classrooms and five were children¡¯s dormitories. The dormitories were full of small beds and each one could accommodate 100 people. According to Lin Zuo, the Garden of Eden consists of 10 such corridors and each one held children of the same age. In other words, there were 4,000 children close to the age of six.


    ¡°Once the children turn six years old, most of them will be sent to the outer city for adoption. However, now that the outer city has fallen, the main city has to take over the education work after they are six years old. There is a shortage of manpower so it is fortunate that you are here.¡± Lin Zuo continued, ¡°We don¡¯t dare to hand over children under the age of six to newcomers so this group of children will be assigned to you once they turn six years old.¡±


    An Zhe said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°At present, further educational arrangements haven¡¯t been. Can the two of you follow me to familiarize yourself with the process?¡±


    Colin nodded. ¡°En.¡±


    Lin Zuo smiled and took a few manuals off the shelf. ¡°This is the textbook and the rotation arrangement. Take a look at it first and ask me if you have any questions.¡±


    An Zhe took his share.


    There were two education courses here. One was language and literature and the other was mathematics and logic. An Zhe had received the language and literature textbook. The six year old children had already mastered basic reading and grammar. The textbook consisted of short fables and poems. An Ze had learned these things well so there were no syllables or words that An Zhe didn¡¯t recognize.


    After examining the textbook, it was time for class. An Zhe moved a set of tables and chairs to sit in the back corner of the classroom. He held a child¡¯s seating chart. Lin Zuo had told him to attend class and gave him the task of recording the children¡¯s attendance. If a child took the initiative to answer questions or ask questions, they should be given extra points. If they whispered or did irrelevant actions then points should be deducted.


    The children all turned their heads and looked at him. Their skin was very soft and their eyes were pure and clean. They wore uniform white clothes, black shorts and had similar short hair styles. Thus, it was hard to distinguish if they were male or female for a while. They whispered a few times as they continued to look at An Zhe. An Zhe smiled at them.


    Several of them also smiled at him. One of them blinked, eyelashes fluttering as he asked, ¡°Are you the new teacher?¡±


    An Zhe said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Wow.¡± Another child whispered. ¡°You¡¯re beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The cub replied, ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    Another child asked, ¡°What is your name?¡±


    An Zhe told them his name.


    One child said, ¡°My name is Bai Nan.¡±


    ¡°My name is Jisha.¡±


    ¡°My name is Du Cheng.¡±


    Of course, there were some indifferent children, such as the one in the corner who looked at him before turning back. However, the excitement around An Zhe didn¡¯t last long because Lin Zuo came in. The children immediately dispersed away from An Zhe and went back to their seats. Lin Zuo looked around to confirm that no one was absent before starting the lecture.


    He was talking about the poem An Zhe previously heard in the corridor. It was the last one in the textbook and more complicated than the other contents. He had heard the children in a classroom reciting it when he walked along the corridor.


    The children first read the poem from beginning to end.


    ¡°Do not go gentle into that good night.


    Old age should burn and rave at close of day.


    Rage, rage against the dying of the light.¡±


    ¡°Though wise men at their end know dark is right.


    Because their words had forked no lightning they


    Do not go gentle into that good night.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    After it was read once, Lin Zuo stood at the podium and asked, ¡°Is there anything you don¡¯t understand?¡±


    One child raised his hand. An Zhe compared it to the seating chart and saw it was the child called Bai Nan. Bai Nan stated, ¡°I don¡¯t understand anything.¡±


    The other children laughed.


    Lin Zuo told Bai Nan, ¡°Narrow the scope of the question.¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡± Bai Nan scratched his head, his tone hesitant. ¡°Why can¡¯t we go gently into the night?¡±


    On the form, An Zhe added one point for Bai Nan. Then he glanced at Lin Zuo and waited for the answer.


    He didn¡¯t know the answer to the question Bai Nan asked. In the Abyss or at the human base, he had seen too many times when twilight gradually replaced the day. Every night, he gently landed on the ground with no resistance.


    Lin Zuo¡¯s eyes swept over them, lips slightly tightening in a serious arc.


    ¡°This is the last text of your course this year,¡± Lin Zuo told them. ¡°It has different meanings from all the previous texts so it might be a bit difficult for you.¡±


    He turned and wrote the words ¡®Do not go gentle into that good night¡¯ on the whiteboard and then turned to the children under the stage.


    ¡°This is a poem composed of metaphors and symbols,¡± Lin Zuo said. ¡°Do not go gentle into that good night. It means to not accept death meekly.¡±


    An Zhe¡¯s eyes widened slightly as he wrote down the sentence on his notebook. Later, Lin Zuo started to explain from the first sentence and An Zhe carefully took notes. After speaking, the children read the verses again from beginning to end.


    ¡°And you, my father, there on the sad height,


    Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray,


    Do not go gentle into that good night.¡±


    An Zhe¡¯s pen paused as he was taking notes. He looked out the bright window. Not far away, the twin towers were shining in the sunlight. The city slowly unfolded and the edge disappeared into the blue sky. He knew that the city hadn¡¯t yet entered that good night and was trying not to enter it.


    After a day of classes, Lin Zuo got off work and handed the children over to An Zhe and Colin. They were take the children to dinner with the life teacher and then gather in the dormitory to watch today¡¯s news. In order to enhance their feelings with the children, An Zhe would answer any confusion they had about the news. They could only leave work after the news was released.


    The well-fed children were mentally active and they argued and talked in the corridor. An Zhe felt like 10,000 mosquitoes were screaming in his ears but he tolerated these human children. Even in the Abyss, monsters would treat their children gently¡ªbut only their own.


    It wasn¡¯t until it was news time and the life teacher took out the grading sheet that the children became quiet. They spontaneously formed a circle around the big projection screen and sat in the middle.


    He looked at the screen when he suddenly felt something touch his finger. He looked down and saw that it was the child called Bai Nan who sat beside him and grabbed An Zhe¡¯s finger. An Zhe didn¡¯t have too much physical contact with humans. He had a deep memory of when he bumped into Lu Feng and was hurt by the badge on his chest. However, the body of the child was soft and different from Lu Feng.


    The human child stayed quietly beside him, just like the spore remained quietly in his body. An Zhe obtained a false peace through this illusion and touched Bai Nan¡¯s head.


    Then Bai Nan leaned against him and clung to his arm. At the same time, another child called Jisha leaned over. This child looked like a girl as she wriggled toward him. Colin was also receiving affection from several children. It seemed the nature of all biological children was to get close to adults.


    Even so, there was still a lonely child sitting cross-legged in his own position, unmoved. An Zhe remembered that he was called Sinan. Sinan also never asked questions in class. He glanced at Sinan and smiled but Sinan just turned away back to the big screen.


    The news had begun.


    ¡°After the combing of District 6, the number of monsters in the outer city has decreased significantly. The military¡¯s second air formation took off at 6 a.m. this morning and landed in District 1 to support the outer city. Colonel Lu Feng of the Trial Court will direct the existing team to carry out the recovery operation of the dispersal centre¡­¡±


    An Zhe suddenly heard a familiar name. Since coming to the main city, he had never seen Lu Feng. This person had gone to the outer city again.


    Suddenly, Bai Nan whispered, ¡°It¡¯s the Judge.¡±


    Jisha added, ¡°I¡¯m so scared.¡±


    An Zhe asked them, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Bai Nan replied, ¡°The news often talks about how many people were executed by the Judge.¡±


    Jisha added, ¡°He often goes to the Abyss. The Abyss is so scary.¡±


    An Zhe touched her head. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡±


    Jisha wrinkled her nose.


    ¡°You are human and the Judge will protect you.¡±


    Jisha continued to wrinkle her nose.


    Bai Nan wondered, ¡°Teacher, have you ever met the Judge?¡±


    At the same time, the news said, ¡°Here is a line from a war correspondent.¡±


    The camera flashed. A reporter was interviewing an officer in a black uniform. At first, An Zhe thought the figure was Lu Feng but the next moment, he discovered this wasn¡¯t the case. The man was the young judge who was often next to Lu Feng. His name was shown and it was Seraing.


    An Zhe softly responded to Bai Nan¡¯s question, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What does he look like? He doesn¡¯t show his face on the news,¡± Bai Nan inquired.


    Jisha also interjected, ¡°Is he very fierce?¡±


    The children all looked over, seemingly interested in the question.


    ¡°He¡­¡± An Zhe recalled Lu Feng¡¯s appearance and tried to judge using human aesthetics. ¡°He is a bit fierce but he looks good.¡±


    ¡°What does he look like?¡±


    This child¡¯s question was harder than before. An Zhe didn¡¯t know how to make a comparison. He was thinking hard when he suddenly remembered the colour of Lu Feng¡¯s eyes. This type of cold dark-green was like the aurora in the sky.


    He replied, ¡°Like¡­ the aurora.¡±


    The children had doubts in their eyes. At this time, An Zhe saw the life teacher give him a thumbs up.


    ¡°You deserve to teach language and literature,¡± the life teacher told him.


    An Zhe didn¡¯t know if the teacher was complimenting or criticizing him so he just smiled.


    Time in the main city passed day by day. Before he knew it, he had lived here for almost a month.


    Life in the Garden of Eden was very peaceful. At most, there were some arguments between the children. On several occasions, An Zhe walked under the Twin Towers but both towers needed a card to enter. He didn¡¯t have permission to enter. In order to see the spore, he first had to know where it was in the Lighthouse and be able to enter the Lighthouse. Now these two goals were far away.


    At the same time, the news became increasingly more encouraging. Just 10 days ago, Colonel Lu led his team into the heart of the dispersal centre and carried out a detailed plan of action. The news specifically emphasized that the Trial Court regularly went to the Abyss and they were extremely experienced in dealing with monsters.


    Five days ago, the military officially recovered the dispersal centre and cleared the remaining monsters, carrying out a large-scale cleanup and disinfection. A team dispatched from the Lighthouse entered and started repairing the equipment.


    Today, An Zhe intended to continue listening to the news but this day, Lin Zuo had to work the night shift so An Zhe got off early.


    It was 6 o¡¯clock in the evening in summer and the sky was still bright. Only a thin layer of grey-blue slowly spread in the western sky. An Zhe swiped his card and the glass door of the Eden building slowly slid open. He went out along with Colin, who also got off work early.


    It wasn¡¯t regular off-work hours and there were few pedestrians on the street. An Zhe walked through the streets, taking the short path to the shuttle bus. He and Colin didn¡¯t like each other so even if they were going the same way, they were far apart.


    The world was originally very quiet. Just as An Zhe was able to pass through his small street onto a wide road, there was the sudden sound of footsteps behind him. Then a white shadow passed by him. An Zhe frowned at the short white figure. He was certain that it was a little girl.


    The children in his class, both boys and girls, were very similar in appearance and age. This child was undoubtedly a girl. She had a particularly slim body, black hair that fell loose to her shoulders and she wore a white dress.


    The road was ahead and there was a car driving on it. An Zhe called out, ¡°Be careful!¡±


    Just as a car rushed past on the road, the girl seemed to be frightened and suddenly stopped. She gasped and looked back at An Zhe. Her eyes were frightened and she looked distraught.


    An Zhe wondered, ¡°Can I help you? Are you a person of the Garden of Eden?¡±


    Unexpectedly, his words caused the girl¡¯s state to worsen. She shook his head and ran straight towards the road!


    An Zhe quickly followed.


    At this moment, a black figure appeared at the corner of the street. His actions were clean and simple as he stood straight in front of the girl. The girl stepped forward and the man leaned down to pick her up. The man took a few steps as the girl struggled violently, but she couldn¡¯t do anything.


    An Zhe who had just arrived here, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Their eyes met.


    An Zhe greeted him. ¡°¡­Hellow.¡±


    Lu Feng replied, ¡°Hello.¡±


    An Zhe wanted to ask him if the dispersal centre had been recovered but at this moment, he had more important words to say. These words had been brewing for a month. On the train that day, Lu Feng had been in a bad mood. He wasn¡¯t very happy and An Zhe speculated on the reason¡ªin this world, few people could look at the colonel rationally. Combined with the colonel¡¯s actions of saving the little girl from the dangerous road, his sentence was even more justified.


    ¡°Colonel,¡± he stated.


    Lu Feng slightly raised his eyebrows. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    The girl was still struggling. Her eyes were dull, her hair was messy and she didn¡¯t look right. Lu Feng casually patted her on the back. His technique was rough but at least his intentions were good.


    Thus, this sentence was once again corroborated. An Zhe glanced at the little girl before looking back at Lu Feng and declaring sincerely, ¡°You are a good person.¡±


    There was a slight smile on the colonel¡¯s face. It wasn¡¯t a sincere smile but rather like he was hearing An Zhe¡¯s obvious lie. The next second, he used one hand to control the little girl while raising his communicator with the other hand. ¡°Intersection 7, the target has been captured.¡±


    He glanced at An Zhe lightly as he spoke.


    An Zhe, ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

 Chapter 29

    An Zhe stood in place. The evening wind blew his hair. He watched a silver car with the Eden logo swerve around the corner and stop in front of them. A man in white work clothes hurried down and took the little girl away from Lu Feng. ¡°Thank you for your help.¡±


    Lu Feng spoke lightly, ¡°Be careful after this.¡±


    The man returned to the car. ¡°This was an accident.¡±


    He no longer spoke. The man closed the door and the car sped off in the direction of the Garden of Eden. Lu Feng turned back. An Zhe felt a bit angry. Then he saw Lu Feng glance at him lightly. ¡°I am a good person?¡±


    An Zhe finally knew how to describe his mood. He felt that Lu Feng had deceived his feelings, if a mushroom had feelings. He didn¡¯t want to care about this man anymore. He turned around and walked down the road. He hadn¡¯t taken a few steps when his shoulder was pressed down.


    ¡°Lead the way,¡± Lu Feng stated. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to get back to the residential area.¡±


    An Zhe, ¡°?¡±


    He asked, ¡°You don¡¯t recognize the road?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t come back here for many years.¡±


    An Zhe thought that this was a bit reasonable. The colonel was either in the abyss or at the city gates. Maybe he hadn¡¯t been in the main city for at least seven years. Meanwhile, An Zhe had been in the main city for a month and the way back was familiar.


    Thus he asked, ¡°Where do you live?¡±


    Lu Feng seemed to think before taking out a blue ID card from his pocket and handing it over. An Zhe accepted it. The colonel¡¯s card was different from his. He looked down and there was a string of numbers in bronze font on the back of the card.


    3124043701.


    An Zhe, ¡°¡­¡±


    He recalled his new ID number and spoke without any expression, ¡°I¡¯ll take you there.¡±


    The colonel seemed to have noticed his expression. ¡°You aren¡¯t willing?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Thus, he took Lu Feng to the free shuttle bus of the main city. There were seats on both sides of the bus and two seats were connected. He sat next to the window and Lu Feng was beside him. Lu Feng was a handsome man and was wearing the uniform of the Trial Court, which was very conspicuous in the crowd. This was why everyone glanced their way when they got on the bus.


    An Zhe told this person, ¡°Get off at the terminal.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Lu Feng said. ¡°Where do you live?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m near you.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Originally, Eden¡¯s residential area was near here but An Zhe had joined later and was assigned to the military residential area. The shuttle bus kept stopping and would take around 40 minutes to arrive at the terminal.


    The children of Eden looked well-behaved but this actually wasn¡¯t the case, especially when they asked questions. Throughout the day, An Zhe would have periods of listlessness¡ªsuch as now. In the past, he would choose to snooze in the vehicle for a bit. Now Lu Feng was next to him and he thought it was better to stay wide awake.


    Therefore, An Zhe chose to look out at the scenery. There were the Twin Towers, Eden and various buildings and structures. He had been staying in a human city for two months and it still felt like a dream.


    Looking at it, An Zhe¡¯s eyelids gradually lowered. Then he lost consciousness.


    A soft mechanical voice rang out, ¡°We have arrived at the terminal. All passengers, please get off in an orderly manner and see you next time.¡±


    Lu Feng looked at An Zhe leaning on his shoulder.


    The setting sun shone through the bus window and there was a golden glow at the end of his eyelashes. An Zhe¡¯s sleeping face was very quiet and the light breathing was the only dynamic. He looked non-aggressive and there was no vigilance or alertness to anything outside. He was like a child who hadn¡¯t yet grown up. Lu Feng thought it was good for him to sleep like this.


    Then the bus slowed down ad stopped. The people on the bus got up, their footsteps ringing in the aisle.


    An Zhe opened his eyes. He found that he was sleeping more comfortably than any other time. His eyes moved slowly to the side as he saw the black clothes with the silver emblem. His spirit woke up and he straightened up. He saw Lu Feng looking at him, eyes not indifferent but he didn¡¯t seem angry about what happened just now.


    Lu Feng told him, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    An Zhe rubbed his eyes. He fell asleep fast and woke up quickly as he followed Lu Feng off the bus. The evening wind brought a slight coolness and he pointed to a building in front. ¡°Building 24 is there.¡±


    Lu Feng uttered a short, ¡°Thank you,¡± and headed in that direction.


    An Zhe followed.


    Halfway there, Lu Feng opened his mouth. ¡°You can just take me up to here.¡±


    An Zhe didn¡¯t speak and continued to follow him. In Unit 4, Lu Feng pressed the elevator button for the 37th floor and An Zhe also rode on the elevator to the 37th floor. The simple choice of 01 or 02 naturally didn¡¯t require guidance from others.


    An Zhe looked at the remnants of the seal that had been torn off last night on door 01 and thought that the colonel still didn¡¯t know his bad behaviour had been seen through. The seal on the door of his neighbour had been torn a month ago. An Zhe had witnessed it himself. This showed that Lu Feng had stayed here for one night at that time and there was no way he couldn¡¯t not know the road.


    Yet Lu Feng actually lied about not knowing the road and asked An Zhe to lead the way. This showed that Lu Feng was playing a trick on him and making him do worthless labour. Unfortunately, the man¡¯s lies were seen through when he saw Lu Feng¡¯s ID card.


    At this time, he heard Lu Feng say, ¡°You are very responsible.¡±


    This man really thought An Zhe was doing his duty to show the way. An Zhe¡¯s expression became more ruthless at this thought and he looked over at Lu Feng, who was also looking at him. An Zhe learned from Lu Feng. He turned around indifferently, came to door 02 and swiped his blue ID card.


    The sensor emitted a beep and a green light turned on. This was followed by a click and the door lock automatically opened. An Zhe turned back and glanced at Lu Feng.


    Lu Feng briefly paused before saying, ¡°It¡¯s a coincidence.¡±


    An Zhe was expressionless.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Lu Feng¡¯s eyes seemed to have a bit of inquiry. Then a second later, he seemed to have figured out everything, the expression in his eyes turning into a smile as the corner of his lips rose.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to you. A month ago, I had a night-long pre-war meeting in the main city and then I went to the outer city.¡±


    ¡°Seal.¡±


    ¡°The military knew I was returning to the main city and sent someone to clean it up.¡±


    An muttered, ¡°¡­Oh.¡±


    Still, he had no intention of trusting the man anymore. He turned around and went home. At this moment, Lu Feng¡¯s door suddenly issued a short and urgent, ¡°Di¡ª¡±


    He turned his head and saw Lu Feng swiping his card. The card was clearly correctly attached to the sensor but it was a red light. Lu Feng frowned. An Zhe stared at him suspiciously. He saw Lu Feng dial a number and briefly describe the current situation.


    There was an explanation from the communicator. Lu Feng hung up the phone and glanced at An Zhe. ¡°The ID card was upgraded three years ago in the main city. Mine wasn¡¯t upgraded at the time.¡±


    An Zhe thought he might¡¯ve really wronged Lu Feng. However¡ª


    The main city¡¯s roads weren¡¯t complicated at all and the buildings had prominent numbers on them. As long as the shuttle bus was taken, even he as a mushroom knew where to get off. For a moment, he wavered. In the end, he thought of the spore and suggested, ¡°Then you¡­ go to my place first?¡±


    Lu Feng gladly followed. He brought the Judge to the sofa, turned on the TV for him and entered the kitchen. Before entering the kitchen, he asked, ¡°Have you eaten?¡±


    Lu Feng said he hadn¡¯t. The intention of this sentence was to imply that Lu Feng could go downstairs to the collective canteen to eat but Lu Feng¡¯s answer had a hidden meaning. It meant An Zhe would cook for two people today.


    An Zhe cut two potatoes. The canteen in the main city served food as well as raw ingredients. During this month, An Zhe gradually got used to cooking his own soup. It would be richer and more delicious than the canteen. He placed the potatoes and small pieces of bacon into the pot. Then he poured in water, added milk, turned on the fire and covered the lid before returning to the living room.


    The news was talking about the smooth progress of the rehabilitation work at the dispersal centre. Lu Feng was reading An Zhe¡¯s textbook on the sofa, seemingly in a good mood. This person would bully others when he was in a good mood and wouldn¡¯t care for others when he was in a bad mood. For example, a month ago on the train, he didn¡¯t seem willing to talk to An Zhe at all.


    After the impulsive emotions that rose due to being deceived had subsided, An Zhe was calm. He had thought seriously about his relationship with Lu Feng during the time he was cutting potatoes in the kitchen.


    The key to finding the spore was to build up a good relationship with Lu Feng. The premise of having a good relationship with a human was to understand his preferences. Thus, An Zhe sat next to Lu Feng and saw this person reading a small poem in the textbook about an autumn scene.


    Lu Feng wondered, ¡°Do you teach this?¡±


    An Zhe told him, ¡°I¡¯m still learning.¡±


    Lu Feng¡¯s initiative to ask questions made An Zhe confirm that the man was in a good mood. Therefore, he called out, ¡°Colonel.¡±


    Lu Feng put down the textbook and glanced at him, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Before on the train,¡± An Zhe lowered his eyes slightly and whispered, ¡°You didn¡¯t seem to want to talk to me. What did I do wrong?¡±


    Lu Feng stared deeply at him.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± he replied. ¡°It was my problem.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Do you care?¡±


    ¡°¡­En.¡±


    After a brief silence, Lu Feng reached out. His fingers rested on An Zhe¡¯s neck for a moment before lowering to take out the casing hung around An Zhe¡¯s neck. An Zhe looked up at him with a bit of panic. He didn¡¯t know when Lu Feng had found the existence of the casing.


    ¡°I killed the black market boss and you were next to her. Did you work under her?¡±


    An Zhe shook his head. ¡°I only followed Boss Shaw.¡±


    ¡°3260563209 at the gate,¡± Lu Feng continued. ¡°Was he your teammate or boyfriend?¡±


    ¡°Friend.¡±


    Lu Feng held the casing around An Zhe¡¯s neck. ¡°Who is this?¡±


    An Zhe didn¡¯t speak. He couldn¡¯t. However, silence was also an answer. In the silence, Lu Feng didn¡¯t ask again and the casing was released.


    ¡°I¡¯ve killed many people but you have been there for the last few mass killings.¡± Lu Feng broke the silence. ¡°The fact that you can still say I¡¯m a good person surprises me.¡±


    An Zhe looked back and found this was the case.


    The first time they met, Lu Feng killed Vance. The next time they met was Du Sai. That night in the outer city, he killed another 73 people. A month later, he stood at the wall again on Judgment Day and fired numerous gunshots. Finally, on the train leaving the outer city, Lu Feng was by An Zhe¡¯s side when he gave the order to blow up District 6. Lu Feng killed many people An Zhe was connected to.


    However, this didn¡¯t prevent An Zhe from thinking that Lu Feng was a good person. First of all, he knew that Lu Feng was very accurate when it came to judging heterogeneous species. Secondly, even if Lu Feng recognized him as a heterogeneous and killed him or when District 6 was bombed, An Zhe was one of them currently. Once he came to the human base, he accepted human rules.


    Lu Feng was the man who carried out the death penalty.


    An Zhe wondered, ¡°Because of this¡­ are you sad?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Lu Feng stared at him. ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡± An Zhe only said one word. What was the reason for his emotional fluctuations?


    Lu Feng seemed to see what was in his heart.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t violated my principles.¡± He stated, ¡°No one can judge if I¡¯m right or wrong.¡±


    An Zhe recalled the words of the young judge, Seraing, and asked, ¡°Are you uncertain about the right or wrongs of the people you killed?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m sure.¡± Lu Feng looked out the window, his green eyes like a frozen look, empty and with a distant silence. ¡°I just sometimes think about¡­ the choices I¡¯ve made. What am I judging and who will judge me in the end?¡±


    An Zhe didn¡¯t fully understand the words. Humans might say nonsense that no one else could understand when they went mad. Even so, An Zhe felt like he understood again.


    He watched Lu Feng and declared, ¡°I don¡¯t hate you for these things.¡±


    He added, ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡±


    Lu Feng stared at him in the long silence. It lasted for such a long time that An Zhe got the illusion that these eyes weren¡¯t a frozen lake but gentle water. Twilight slowly entered this room as Lu Feng reached out his right hand and rubbed An Zhe¡¯s head.

 Chapter 30

    An Zhe lowered his eyes slightly. The feeling of being touched on te head by the Judge was wonderful. He felt that Lu Feng was currently in a very soft state. He would be very happy if he comforted this man with his previous words. Thus, he smiled at Lu Feng.


    Then he saw Lu Feng¡¯s eyes become awful. The fingers that were originally touching An Zhe¡¯s head lowered and pinched his face. An Zhe felt it was better for this person to be in a bad mood. At least then he wouldn¡¯t casually bully people. An Zhe escaped from Lu Feng. ¡°I¡¯m going to check the pot.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    An Zhe returned to the kitchen and found that it had already started to boil, foam rising up and almost pushing off the lid. He had mastered enough cooking skills these days. He lifted the transparent lid and evaporated the water, the foam quickly subsiding. The bacon had been cooked in the boiling water and the small potatoes had become soft. The small amount of milk made the soup slightly white. The salty smell was sweet and fragrant. It was a smell that An Zhe really liked.


    He took a spoon from the side and crushed the softly cooked potato pieces with the bottom of the spoon. The small pieces gradually dissolved in the soup under his stirring and grinding, the pot of potato soup becoming more intense to the naked eye.


    He didn¡¯t know when Lu Feng also came into the kitchen but this person leaned against the door frame and spoke lightly, ¡°Can I help?¡±


    An Zhe naturally didn¡¯t expect the colonel to be familiar with working in the kitchen and replied, ¡°No.¡±


    However, Lu Feng didn¡¯t leave. He just looked at An Zhe before glancing around the small kitchen. Finally, his eyes stopped on the silver tap at the sink. ¡°It is leaking?¡±


    ¡°En.¡±


    The kitchen tap had been leaking from the first day he moved in. No matter how tightly An Zhe closed it, water would drip down. The sound wasn¡¯t obvious during the day but at night, when everything was silent and even the lights of the distant Twin Towers were off, the sound of dripping would echo through the room, sometimes disturbing his sleep. Disturbing his sleep was nothing. The important thing was that he was afraid to pay for more water.


    Then An Zhe saw Lu Feng take off his coat and put it to one side. Lu Feng rolled up the sleeves of his uniform shirt and raised his hand to turn off the black sluice above the water pipe, a place that was out of An Zhe¡¯s reach. Then he unscrewed the tap.


    An Zhe watched silently. He felt that Lu Feng¡¯s move had only two possibilities. One was to completely destroy his tap while the other was to help him repair it. He felt intellectually that it was the former but he emotionally preferred to believe it was the latter.


    Just then, there was a knock on the door. Lu Feng was unloading the eight pieces of the tap and didn¡¯t raise his head. ¡°Go.¡±


    His tone made it seem like he was the master of this place. The real master An Zhe put down the spoon and went to the entrance to a soldier in a military uniform. The man looked around the living room and said, ¡°Colonel Lu asked me to come here.¡±


    He had a loud voice.


    Lu Feng¡¯s calm voice was heard from the kitchen, ¡°Here.¡±


    The soldier walked to the door of the kitchen and saluted. ¡°Colonel Lu, I¡¯m a logistics officer. I was negligent about the matter of your ID card. It was our mistake¡ª¡±


    He suddenly paused, his eyes shifting to the tap parts in Lu Feng¡¯s hands as he looked like he saw a ghost. Then he continued, ¡°¡­For this, we sincerely apologize and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Talk less nonsense.¡± Lu Feng¡¯s cold voice interrupted.


    The soldier said, ¡°¡­I¡¯ve sent you a new ID card.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Lu Feng didn¡¯t look at the soldier as he reassembled two parts together in his hand. ¡°Put it down.¡±


    There were potato skins piled up next to the sink along with a kitchen knife. There was water in the sink. The colonel was holding tap parts in his hand. The soldier held the ID card for a moment, not knowing where to put it.


    An Zhe could only say, ¡°Give it to me.¡±


    After receiving the ID card, it was to send off the guest. At the door, the soldier glanced at the colonel in the kitchen and then An Zhe. He deliberately lowered his voice but due to the loudness, his low voice wasn¡¯t very quiet. ¡°¡­What is the colonel doing?¡±


    An Zhe stated, ¡°Fixing the tap.¡±


    ¡°The Judge will fix the tap?¡± The soldier looked at him suspiciously. ¡°Then you and he are¡­¡±


    ¡°We are now neighbours.¡±


    ¡°What about the past?¡±


    ¡°Before¡­¡± An Zhe thought of how they once slept in each other¡¯s beds and said, ¡°We could be considered friends.¡±


    The soldier¡¯s mouth flattened unnaturally. ¡°¡­Oh.¡±


    He didn¡¯t seem to believe it. It might be that Lu Feng rarely disassembled other people¡¯s taps. An Zhe calmly sent away the soldier. Once An Zhe returned to the kitchen, he saw that the tap had been put back in place.


    Lu Feng twisted the sluice. The tap didn¡¯t drip water anymore.


    ¡°Wow,¡± An Zhe exclaimed.


    Looking at the tap, he felt that the Judge didn¡¯t always stand superior to others. In addition, this person seemed to know how to do everything.


    ¡°You¡¯re so good.¡±


    His voice was soft and charming. The aroma of the potato soup had completely spread out and the room was filled with dense water vapour. Lu Feng calmly replied, ¡°You are also good.¡±


    Once the potato soup was thoroughly cooked, An Zhe divided it into two bowls and served it with two packets of compressed biscuits as a staple. Lu Feng ¡®s mood seemed very happy, although An Zhe didn¡¯t know if it was because of the food. He racked his brains to try and get information on the Lighthouse from Lu Feng¡¯s mouth so he asked Lu Feng many questions.


    ¡°What are you going to do next?¡±


    ¡°Wait for the arrangement.¡±


    ¡°Will you work in the Twin Towers?¡¯


    ¡°Probably.¡±


    ¡°Is the Lighthouse in regular contact with the military?¡±


    ¡°Not often.¡±


    ¡°The doctor who works in the Lighthouse¡­ do you know him well?¡±


    ¡°Not familiar.¡± Lu Feng¡¯s face was expressionless.


    The obvious indifference made An Zhe dismiss the idea of continuing to ask but it would seem more suspicious to stop at this point. Thus, he continued to ask, ¡°The little girl today¡­¡±


    The next second, Lu Feng glanced at him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask.¡± He stated. ¡°In addition, don¡¯t talk at dinner.¡±


    An Zhe shut up in disappointment. He didn¡¯t get anything about the spore by the time dinner ended but the Judge seemed to have a much better attitude toward him. An Zhe opened the door and sent Lu Feng back.


    Lu Feng told him, ¡°Goodbye.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye.¡±


    He saw Lu Feng put the new ID card on the sensor. The green light turned on and the door lock opened smoothly. Lu Feng pushed open the door. Then he suddenly didn¡¯t move, his entire body seemed still.


    This performance was very rare so An Zhe quietly poked out his head to look into the room. Then he also became overwhelmed.


    The room wasn¡¯t empty. There was a huge open box next to the sofa right in front of the door. On the sofa sat an officer in black uniform. The office with black hair and green eyes was looking coldly at the door.


    Standing at the door, Lu Feng turned his head and looked at An Zhe with the same eyes.


    An Zhe, ¡°¡­This wasn¡¯t me.¡±


    It really wasn¡¯t him. The Judge¡¯s doll had never been seen since An Zhe was captured. He thought this evil thing had been blown to pieces in District 6. How could it appear in Lu Feng¡¯s house?


    Just then, Lu Feng¡¯s communicator rang and the person on the other end had a loud voice. It was the logistics soldier who came to deliver the card. ¡°Colonel, have you returned to your place? Can the new ID card be used normally?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, yes.¡± Then Lu Feng questioned, ¡°I¡¯m just wondering what is going on with the doll in my living room?¡±


    ¡°Doll?¡± The soldier was slightly puzzled before suddenly realizing, ¡°Previously when the Trial Court evacuated, they saved important materials and items. The soldier in charge of the evacuation saw this and thought it might be a piece of important military equipment, so he brought it as well. We didn¡¯t know how to deal with it so we placed it in your place.¡±


    Lu Feng repeated, ¡°Important military equipment?¡±


    ¡°Yes, although we are in the main city, we know there are some organizations in the outer city who oppose the Trial Court. We judged that the doll might be a prop for the Trial Court to attract enemies, not to mention that the cost of manufacturing seems to be very high¡­¡±


    Lu Feng said nothing.


    The man finally found that something was wrong. ¡°Colonel, was I mistaken?¡±


    ¡°No, thank you.¡± Lu Feng hung up the call.


    After hanging up, he ordered An Zhe, ¡°Come here.¡±


    An Zhe was desperate. He hadn¡¯t been convicted for his previous case. The sudden worm attack meant he was able to leave the prison. Did this person want to repeat old things and convict him?


    He walked over.


    Lu Feng roughly picked up the doll from the sofa, put it back in the box and pushed the suitcase toward An Zhe. An Zhe was confused as he grabbed the lever handle.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you.¡±


    An Zhe, ¡°¡­¡­¡±

 Chapter 31

    Holding the handle, An Zhe wondered, ¡°I¡¯m not guilty of committing an indecent assault now?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Lu Feng turned back to the bedroom. ¡°The crime of indecent assault is based on the will of the victim.¡±


    This man had enough shamelessness to call himself a victim.


    An Zhe had seen through this man. He pulled the box home and placed it in the most inconspicuous corner of the room. He wouldn¡¯t let the Lu Feng inside see the sun.


    At this time, the news on the TV finished broadcasting and it became the weather forecast for tomorrow. The sweet host said the plains where the base was located would usher in a rare windy day so please close the doors and windows.


    When he was initially a mushroom, he was afraid of the wind because the wind would blow a mushroom away. Later, after his body changed from the breakage, he gradually became less afraid of the wind. Rather, he liked the feeling of being blown by the wind.


    After washing, he went back to the bedroom and read the textbook for a while. As night started to deepen, An Zhe planned to go to sleep.


    Just then, a low strange noise entered his ears. It was long and undulating, like the wind echoing in the narrowest canyon. Sometimes it was a vey low whine and sometimes it was sharp. It sounded like the window outside was blowing in the room but he couldn¡¯t find the source of the sound.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time An Zhe heard such a sound. For many nights in this room, the low and distant sound accompanied the sound of dripping water in the kitchen in a strange harmony. The combination of these two sounds often made him imagine that he was still in the Abyss. Outside his cave, the wind would blow from the deep forest while the mucus and saliva secreted from plants and animals dripped on the mossy stones. Sometimes the structure of the cave and the wind produced a type of strange resonance, causing low sounds to come from all directions.


    However, tonight¡¯s sound was louder than ever before. An Zhe could finally be sure that the source of the sound was in his room.


    He frowned, closed his eyes and carefully perceived the surroundings. Apart from the wind outside the window, the sound was coming from near his body.


    An Zhe opened his eyes and got up from the bed. He stood barefoot on the floor and picked up a flashlight on the table. He turned it one, kneeled down and opened the sheets, shining the flashlight at the bottom of the bed.


    A dark round hole appeared in front of him. It was on the wall the bed was resting against, where it met the floor. It was the size of a person¡¯s skull and was like the opening of a man-made pipe. There was a black hole and he couldn¡¯t see anything. He could just feel the wind blowing from it.


    After looking at the opening for half a minute, An Zhe lowered the sheets and crawled back into bed. A human¡¯s room always had some weird structures. He had to go to bed early tonight. Tomorrow was a very important day.


    ***


    ¡°Your body


    Still struggling


    Wants to return.¡±


    ¡°The nameless wildflower


    it is already blooming abundantly.¡±


    An Zhe watched Bai Nan silently write a poem on the test paper. Today was the final exam for this group of children. He was responsible for patrolling the examination room to prevent cheating.


    The low sound from last night was also heard in the classroom but everyone seemed accustomed to it. An Zhe had also found a hole in the corner of the classroom. It seemed to be a common thing in human architecture. He hadn¡¯t noticed it before because it was too noisy during the day and this covered up the sound. Today, the windy weather made the windy sound even louder.


    He walked past Bai Nan¡¯s position and moved forward. Jisha¡¯s paper was a mess, full of smears and changes. Only the English questions had neat words. An Zhe looked down at them and it seemed that a few weren¡¯t correct.


    Most of the children were in the same position as Jisha. Some of them didn¡¯t even make efforts to change their answers and the papers in front of then were almost blank. Of course, there were a few children who completed their papers well.


    An Zhe walked around and came to a corner of the classroom next to the indifferent child called Sinan. Sinan¡¯s papers had all been completed. It had only been 30 minutes since the exam started and he was faster than everyone else.


    At this point, he wasn¡¯t even checking them nor was he in a daze. Instead, he used a black pen to draw in the blank space of the test paper. It wasn¡¯t appropriate to call it drawing. There were just some irregular black lines that were tangled in a chaotic manner, like vines in the Abyss. There was a type of madness that broke through the paper. By the end of the one and a half hour examination, the frantic lines had covered the entire test paper and only the handwriting of the answers could still be seen.


    After collecting the papers, the children were taken back to their bedrooms by the life teacher. An Zhe took the papers back to the office where Lin Zuo and Colin were inside. Lin Zuo had just finished the mathematics and logic test paper. He saw An Zhe come in and said, ¡°You and Colin share the task.¡±


    An Zhe obediently responded and came next to Colin. Colin read out the name and grades of the children while An Zhe entered the grades into a computer form.


    ¡°Sinan,¡± Colin read. ¡°100 points.¡±


    An Zhe entered the score and whispered, ¡°He is good.¡±


    He had read the mathematics and logic rest papers. Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division were the simplest content in them. There were also geometric and logic questions that An Zhe thought he couldn¡¯t necessarily answer.


    At this time, Lin Zuo spoke up from where he was marking the language and literature test papers. ¡°Sinan is a very rare genuis.¡±


    ¡°En.¡±


    Lin Zuo continued, ¡°However, I¡¯m going going to promote him to Class A.¡±


    After this one month, An Zhe had learned the rules of the children¡¯s education.


    The life teacher had a form for adding and subtracting points. There was also a record of the points in class as well as the usual assessment scores. Finally, there was the final examination scores. The two children with the best results in this class would be promoted to Class A and continue to receive education in the main city. They would grow and enter various institutions in the main city according to their specialties. Other children would enter the military base for training and assessment. One month later, the military would also select a dozen or so Class B children to continue training according to the situation. Once the children grew up, they would become military soldiers. The remaining children were classified as Class C and would be sent to the outer city for adoption by the residents there. Without adoption, they would continue to live collectively in the areas allocated by the outer city and become residents of the outer city.


    Yet Lin Zuo said he had no plants to let Sinan enter Class A.


    An Zhe wondered, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°He has a problem with his character,¡± Lin Zuo explained. ¡°He also isn¡¯t suitable for entering the military. He is personally lacking in emotions and sometimes hates the base. The result of his evaluation is that he will be placed in Class C. I will have to trouble the two of you later.¡±


    ¡°¡­Okay.¡±


    ¡°He is a very strange child,¡± Lin Zuo muttered. ¡°The life teacher told me he would frequently wake up at night and sometimes tremble, but the teacher couldn¡¯t find the cause. I heard the caregiver who took care of him before he was three years old say that he lost a friend. This might¡¯ve left a psychological shadow on him.¡±


    One morning passed and the final grade was calculated. Five children, including Bai Nan, were selected. They and the outstanding children of other classes were sent to the seventh floor of the Garden of Eden for education while Lin Zuo was rotated to the third floor to take new children. An Zhe and Colin officially became the class teachers for the remaining children. Their task was to take the children to a military base and take care of them during the military training and assessment.


    The main city was very efficient. In the afternoon, they took a shuttle bus to a military training ground in the city along with the children from other classes.


    The wind on the training ground was very strong and brought fine sand, but the children were very excited as they ran around in the open field. The personnel from the military responsible for screening them came over and An Zhe and Colin were left idle. They could look around.


    Sitting side by side on the iron bench, Colin suddenly spoke. He and An Zhe hadn¡¯t communicated with each other all month.


    ¡°I¡¯m willing to let go of my hatred for the Judge,¡± he said.


    An Zhe glanced at him and found that Colin¡¯s gaze went through layers of buildings and stared at the grey Eden in the distance with a very cold expression. Colin looked over there and continued, ¡°It is because the entire city is as cold and callous as the Judge.¡±


    An Zhe asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Have you seen the Garden of Eden? It is like a hive.¡±


    Garden of Eden was a huge hexagonal building and it was indeed similar to a hive. An Zhe didn¡¯t say anything and Colin kept talking to himself.


    ¡°Garden of Eden is the queen bee who produces tens of thousands of children every year. From the age of three, they are subjected to difficult assessments to select a small number with the highest IQ, letting them stay in the future for scientific research or something else. These children are useful to the main city and are the male bees, so they can get the superior living conditions of the main city. The others are worker bee who are assigned to the outer city with poor conditions. The base controls the food and water supply and the worker bees can only become mercenaries, desperately going out into the wild to bring supplies back to the base to survive. These supplies are used by the base to benefit the main city.¡±


    He sneered, ¡°This is how the entire base operates. The people valuable to the main city are the talented ones. They bombed District 6 without any distress at all. It is because the people of the outer city were originally what they discarded.¡±


    An Zhe, ¡°However, the main city is only big enough for a few people to live in.¡±


    Colin turned to him. ¡°Do you think they¡¯re doing the right thing?¡±


    An Zhe hesitated for a moment before nodding.


    ¡°You think they are doing the right thing because you survived. You are standing here in the main city.¡± Colin was agitated and his chest moved up and down a few times. ¡°Human interests take precedence over everything else so everything they do is right. However, those who died, those who were killed by them, your loved ones and friends, what did they do wrong? Aren¡¯t they human?¡±


    An Zhe didn¡¯t speak. He wasn¡¯t confused by Colin¡¯s questions because the Abyss also had groups of creatures. Based on his long-term observation, it was most important for the group to live than a single animal. He didn¡¯t think that Colin was wrong but this type of person might be better suited to live in the Virginia Base.


    Colin stared into his eyes and finally said, ¡°I see. You have no feelings at all.¡±


    Their conversation stopped.


    An Zhe turned his eyes back to the children, who were much more adorable than Colin. However, at this time, the children were in chaos because some of them were fighting. An Zhe stood up and walked to the children, Colin following. It was Sinan and another strong boy who fought. Sinan¡¯s eyes were a bit red as he pressed the boy to the ground.


    ¡°Let him go,¡± Colin ordered. ¡°Sinan, points deducted.¡±


    Sinan still didn¡¯t let go of the boy. Colin could only step forward and forcibly separate them. After all, adults were much stronger than children. Sinan stood to the side with a cold face. An Zhe looked down at him and asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Sinan didn¡¯t say anything but the other boy yelled, ¡°When you talk at night, you call out Lily¡¯s name! Lily has been taken away and locked up. You can¡¯t find her!¡±


    An Zhe saw Sinan clenching his fists.


    Lily, this sounded like a little girl¡¯s name.


    ¡°Who is Lily?¡± he asked.


    Sinan finally answered. ¡°My friend.¡±


    ¡°Where is she?¡±


    ¡°Garden of Eden,¡± Sinan¡¯s voice was as cold as ice. An Zhe remembered Lin Zuo mentioning that Sinan lost a friend and guessed the cause of the dispute. The boy had brought up Sinan¡¯s sadness.


    ¡°I¡¯m not angry.¡± He knelt down and stared at Sinan, patting the boy¡¯s shoulder gently. ¡°I will tell him not to mention this thing later.¡±


    Sinan¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. He was clearly a child but there was an indifference to him that was different from other children.


    An Zhe could only touch his hair and stand up. The children in the training field were a mess while Colin was educating the other child. His education was much more successful than An Zhe. As long as he mentioned the word ¡®penalty¡¯, the child was obedient.


    An Zhe was inspired and said, ¡°Next time you aren¡¯t allowed to fight or points will be deducted.¡±


    Sinan only said, ¡°You don¡¯t want me to stay in the main city anyway.¡±


    While other children stumbled over their words, this child knew everything. An Zhe felt helpless but no one could help him.


    Just then, a black car stopped and three people got off it. An Zhe looked over and met the eyes of the person in the middle.


    He blinked.


    Lu Feng also saw him. This person slightly raised his eyebrows before coming this way.


    An Zhe wondered, ¡°You¡¯re here too?¡±


    ¡°I have a meeting.¡± Lu Feng answered. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°There are two children fighting,¡± An Zhe explained with a bit of helplessness in his tone.


    ¡°It is good to fight.¡±


    He made An Zhe involuntarily smile. Then he leaned down to Sinan, ¡°The next time you fight, I¡¯ll hit you.¡±


    Lu Feng stared at him.


    ¡°You talk so well,¡± he stated coolly. ¡°Not only will they continue to fight, they will hit you.¡±


    An Zhe, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He adjusted his expression and tried to make himself look a bit fierce. If he was fierce then he would educate the children and everything would go well.


    Lu Feng¡¯s lips curved up before he moved his gaze to Sinan. The eyes stopped sharply.


    ¡°Stay away from him.¡± The next moment, Lu Feng coldly ordered. An Zhe didn¡¯t understand and almost reflexively listened to Lu Feng¡¯s words, taking two steps back.


    Lu Feng took two steps first and separated An Zhe and Sinan. He put on gloves and grabbed Sinan¡¯s jaw, forcing the child to look at the sun. The sunlight stung and the pupils shrank.


    ¡°He has a problem.¡± Lu Feng held onto Sinan. ¡°Contact the Lighthouse.¡±

 Chapter 32

    ¡°Preliminary infection, 20 units of the infection process, 13 animal targets, pointing to an arthropod mutation.¡± The doctor came over with a thick stack of report sheets and placed it in front of Lu Feng. ¡°Where did you go and why is there a heterogenous species?¡±


    Lu Feng picked up the report.


    The doctor folded his arms. ¡°You didn¡¯t shoot him on the spot.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with the infection characteristics of children,¡± Lu Feng answered.


    ¡°Then don¡¯t kill him and leave him to me as a sample.¡±


    ¡°Feel free.¡±


    ¡°It is an arthropod mutation and there is nothing to say.¡± The doctor looked at the stack of report sheets in the other person¡¯s hand. ¡°Get ready for the meeting. An infected person actually appeared in the main city and it is a child of the Garden of Eden. I have reported it and it isn¡¯t a small matter.¡±


    ¡°Arthropod.¡± Lu Feng wondered, ¡°Is there a connection with the previous events?¡±


    ¡°The final results of the insect tide event was just released today. It was characterized as a collective behaviour of the mutation insects under the pressure of the breeding season.¡± The doctor¡¯s voice was low and his expression was serious. ¡°However, we don¡¯t know how they are connected together or if there was a commander.¡±


    ¡°Even so¡­ the main city is solid from top to bottom and things from outside can¡¯t come in.¡± The doctor took a deep breath and thought while closing his eyes, ¡°Even if something happened in the main city, it should be a heterogenous sample at the Lighthouse escaping. Why is it a child of Eden?¡±


    Lu Feng read the report once again before glancing at An Zhe. As Sinan¡¯s teacher, An Zhe had the responsibility to go to the Lighthouse with them.


    ¡°Where has he been?¡± Lu Feng questioned.


    ¡°He is always with the other children,¡± An Zhe replied. ¡°When I got off work yesterday, they were watching the news together before sleeping. There was an exam in the classroom this morning and then we went to the military base in the afternoon.¡±


    Lu Feng ordered, ¡°Contact his teacher and life teacher.¡±


    An Zhe agreed. After calling Lin Zuo to explain the situation, An Zhe had a thought. ¡°I can ask him¡­ he is very clever.¡±


    Lu Feng hummed in reply. Therefore, An Zhe walked to the glass-sealed door. Sinan was isolated from others as an infected person and he was now in a silver-white laboratory.


    In the laboratory was a very small figure. Sinan sat alone on the silver-white dissection table with his head slightly lowered. He still had the same expression, like everything that happened outside had nothing to do with himself.


    There was a noise behind An Zhe. It was Lu Feng¡¯s communicator ringing wildly which showed that the situation was serious. In only a few minutes, three groups of people had come to him. Lu Feng said something to the doctor and walked out to the corridor.


    There was a sound transmission device inside and outside the door. An Zhe picked up the device. ¡°Sinan.¡±


    Sinan looked at him.


    ¡°Do you know what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± An Zhe asked.


    Sinan nodded.


    ¡°Then do you know why? Did you encounter anything strange in the Garden of Eden?¡±


    Sinan¡¯s black eyes stared straight at him, seemingly penetrating him. At this moment, An Zhe suddenly understood why a heterogenous species could be distinguished from humans with the naked eye. This look was like¡­ something different from humans. He wouldn¡¯t feel strange if such eyes existed on a monster in the Abyss.


    After a minute of silence, Sinan replied, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Think again,¡± An Zhe tried to guide the child. ¡°What did you do yesterday? Were you with your classmates?¡±


    Sinan just looked at him with a dark expression and stopped talking, no matter what An Zhe asked. Just as they were deadlocked, the doctor¡¯s communicator rang and An Zhe glanced over.


    The doctor pressed the speakerphone and Lin Zuo¡¯s voice was heard. His tone was smooth but the speed was extremely fast. An Zhe knew that this was the man pretending to be calm.


    ¡°We¡¯ve retrieved all video from the past three days. He has been with other people and will leave the surveillance area when going to the toilet or during occasional free time. This is normal. The maximum time he left the surveillance for was only three minutes and he could only move on the corridor of our floor.¡± Lin Zuo reported. ¡°There is nothing abnormal at Eden. Did it happen on the way to the training base or at the training base? I heard the infection rate of children will be much faster than that of adults.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Mr Lin. A child¡¯s infection rate might be faster than that of adults but according to the degree of morphological changes in his tissue cells, it has been at least 15~20 hours since he has been infected.


    Lin Zuo¡¯s side was silent for a moment. ¡°In this case, he was indeed infected in the Garden of Eden. Nevertheless, the other children and teachers of Eden are normal and there are no signs of infection.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t panic,¡± the doctor reassured him. ¡°We are awaiting further orders from our superiors. By 3 o¡¯clock at the latest, the Lighthouse will join with the Trial Court in screening the children who have been active on the sixth floor during that time. Please be prepared to cooperate.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for understanding. If there is nothing else then¡­¡±


    Lin Zuo called out, ¡°Wait.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any other clues?¡±


    ¡°Not a clue but I hope it helps you.¡± Lin Zuo explained, ¡°Sinan has always been a strange child. His IQ is very high but his mental state has always been very¡­ free. I watched him grow up and I am sure that his cognition or senses are different from other children.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for telling me. I will study it.¡± The doctor answered. ¡°The Judge is back and we¡¯re about to leave. We will talk after meeting in person.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Lu Feng walked back into the room.


    ¡°How is it?¡± The doctor asked.


    ¡°The Garden of Eden and the training base are already under martial law. The number of people is being counted and we will leave in 10 minutes.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Lu Feng looked at Sinan in the laboratory. ¡°How is he?¡±


    The doctor shrugged.


    Lu Feng walked forward and stood next to An Zhe. Sinan¡¯s eyes slowly shifted to Lu Feng. At this time, An Zhe found that the originally black eyes had a faint radial pattern, like spider webs extending outward.


    Lu Feng stated, ¡°10 hours.¡±


    An Zhe was stunned because he knew what Lu Feng meant. In 10 hours, Sinan would transform from a human child to an irrational monster. An Zhe tried to communicate with Sinan a bit more and shouted his name. However, Sinan¡¯s eyes stayed focused on Lu Feng and didn¡¯t move. Lu Feng stared back.


    Sinan opened his mouth. It was a child¡¯s tender voice but the words were spat out in a cold tone. ¡°You will all die.¡±


    Lu Feng smiled. He took the communication device from An Zhe and declared, ¡°No one will die. Humans will live.¡±


    After saying that, he hung up and turned away. An Zhe made a comparison. When it came to a cold expression and tone of voice, the colonel was better.


    Some researchers took over the handling of Sinan and the partition door rose. The doctor declared, ¡°The child is weird.¡±


    Lu Feng suggested, ¡°I¡¯ll come someone in to question him.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the effort.¡±


    At this time, the wind sound was once again heard in An Zhe¡¯s ears. He looked around and found a similarly hidden round hole at the junction of the ceiling and the wall.


    ¡°Lu Feng.¡± An Zhe gently pulled at Lu Feng¡¯s sleeve. ¡°What is that?¡±


    Lu Feng followed his gaze to the ceiling. ¡°The vents.¡±


    An Zhe blinked.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t seen it before?¡± The doctor wondered. ¡°The outer city doesn¡¯t have it because it was built later.¡±


    The doctor was always willing to explain things to people to An Zhe continued to ask, ¡°What does it do?¡±


    ¡°Supply air.¡± The doctor¡¯s answer was very simple and then he explained, ¡°The magnetic field hadn¡¯t completely disappeared when the main city was built and the industrial capacity of human beings was still at its peak. In order to build a base that can resist cosmic radiation and solar wind to the greatest extent, the walls of all buildings are four or five times thicker than ordinary buildings and the materials are special materials. It is totally enclosed and the ventilation system provides clean air.¡±


    ¡°The main city can survive and the ventilation system is at least first-class.¡± The doctor smiled. ¡°Once the artificial magnetic poles were built, various variations began. Before the disperser was invented, the insects were everywhere. In the main city, a three-layered filtration and strangulation system was added to the ventilation system to ensure that no insects could contaminate the air supply.¡±


    ¡°So no matter what, as long as we control the city gates, the main city is absolutely safe.¡± He tapped out an email on the computer while talking to himself, ¡°Why is there an infection? It doesn¡¯t make sense at all. In addition, the other children in Eden are fine.¡±


    Then his eyes shifted to Lu Feng. ¡°I heard that a girl escaped from Eden yesterday.¡±


    ¡°I asked. The girl is fine.¡±


    The doctor¡¯s frown increased as he tapped out some information on the keyboard. Lu Feng looked at the computer screen. ¡°Are you in contact with the Underground City Base?¡±


    ¡°Several things have happened recently and I¡¯m a bit¡­ scared.¡± The doctor took a deep breath before continuing, ¡°I want to know to what extent the monsters on the North American side have evolved. However, the emergency channel between our two bases has always been a matter of fate and I can¡¯t wait for the reply.¡±


    Then he clicked send. An Zhe saw that he had sent the same file to another recipient with the note ¡®Research Institute.¡¯


    ¡°Okay,¡± The doctor turned off the interface and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to coordinate the instruments.¡±


    Lu Feng told him, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the Garden of Eden first.¡±


    The corridor of the Lighthouse was long and white, illuminated by a cold light. There was a tea room in the corridor and as they pushed open the door, two researchers in white were kissing in the tea room. After hearing the footsteps outside, one person holding the other turned and their figures disappeared into the depths of the tea room.


    The scene seemed to arouse Lu Feng¡¯s disgust and he frowned. ¡°Where is their discipline?¡±


    ¡°There is no way,¡± The doctor stated. ¡°The more we study, the more disappointed we become. The atmosphere of timely fun is now spreading from the top of the bottom of the Lighthouse. We can¡¯t ask us for the discipline of the military. Sometimes I feel desperate myself.¡±


    Lu Feng didn¡¯t say anything. He just took An Zhe and the doctor forward in a different direction.


    The following afternoon, An Zhe blindly followed Lu Feng because he didn¡¯t know where he should go. He was only a temporary worker of the Garden of Eden and hadn¡¯t received any orders or instructions. Nevertheless, Lu Feng didn¡¯t seem unhappy about being followed by him. Even when the man checked the children of Eden one by one, he let An Zhe rest in the lobby.


    Thus, An Zhe sat on a sofa in the lobby and read a book. On the wall opposite him, there was the blood-red slogan of ¡®human interests above all else.¡¯ At 4 o¡¯clock in the afternoon, the doctor brought people to the Garden of Eden. He was a bit depressed as he set up the detection equipment in the lobby with a few of his men.


    Seraing was sent by Lu Feng to cooperate with the doctor¡¯s work. The young judge saw the instrument in the middle of the hall and frowned. ¡°Only one?¡±


    ¡°Otherwise? The other one is staying at the main city¡¯s entrance to receive the mercenaries returning back to the city.¡± The doctor explained.


    ¡°This means there were only two instruments in the entire base?¡± Seraing wondered.


    ¡°Baby, do you have any misunderstandings about our current industrial production capacity? For a high-precision instrument such as the tester, two is already the limit.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You go through it first and then we will use the instrument to screen it slowly.¡± The doctor explained.


    Seraing stated, ¡°The Trial Court didn¡¯t have any special training for children.¡±


    ¡°I believe that the Judge¡¯s eyesight will be able to determine the infected people.


    Once he finished speaking, Lu Feng¡¯s footsteps were heard.


    ¡°The investigation of the fifth, sixth and seventh floors are complete.¡± Lu Feng was speaking into his communicator. ¡°No suspected infection has been found.¡±


    An Zhe saw the doctor¡¯s hand shake as he debugged the detection instrument.


    Lu Feng walked over to him. ¡°I will hand it to you.¡±


    The doctor¡¯s face was somehow pale. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Then he added, ¡°There are many different samples in the Lighthouse and the Garden of Eden has been infected. I¡¯m afraid that something will happen to the Lighthouse. Can I apply to the United Front Centre for the judgment of the Trial Court?¡±


    Lu Feng wondered, ¡°My level of authority?¡±


    ¡°You and I have the same authority,¡± the doctor replied.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    He went to the elevator¡¯s entrance.


    An Zhe silently greeted him. He saw the man look back at him. The look was saying, ¡®Come here.¡¯ An Zhe put down his book and obediently followed. This was when it happened.


    ¡°Lu Feng.¡± The doctor suddenly called out.


    Lu Feng didn¡¯t look back. ¡°What is it?¡±


    An Zhe turned back and saw the doctor was looking over here, his blue eyes blank and eyes slightly red.


    ¡°100 years ago, people only had a 30% chance of being infected. They wouldn¡¯t change at all from minor scratches or stab wounds. However, the situation has been worsening over the years. In particular, the infection rate has increased dramatically this year. Even a wound the size of a needle¡¯s eye can cause infection. I keep thinking if there will be a day when we do nothing yet our genes will mutate and we will become a heterogeneous species.¡±


    Lu Feng didn¡¯t move and didn¡¯t speak. There was just a ding as the elevator arrived and the silver door smoothly opened.


    The doctor¡¯s voice trembled slightly, ¡°There are no monsters or heterogeneous species in Eden. This child¡¯s infection happened for no reason. We don¡¯t know what caused the infection and how it spreads. The Lighthouse can¡¯t catch this virus nor do we know how to defend against it. If this reaches us like an epidemic¡­ then the most vulnerable child will be infected first because of their physical constitution.¡±


    He gasped. ¡°So what are we going to do?¡±


    ¡°Dr Ji,¡± Lu Feng¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°You are wavering.¡±


    Then he put his right hand on An Zhe¡¯s shoulder and led him into the elevator without turning back.

 Chapter 33

    They arrived downstairs and after getting off Lu Feng¡¯s car, An Zhe told him, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°No need for thanks. Have you eaten?¡±


    ¡°I will cook myself.¡±


    ¡°Potato soup?¡±


    ¡°En.¡±


    Lu Feng wondered, ¡°Do you like it?¡±


    An Zhe thought hard for a moment. ¡°I like it but I also don¡¯t have the money to buy anything else.¡±


    Lu Feng nodded. ¡°I can see it. I¡¯ll treat you to something else tonight.¡±


    An Zhe asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°As thanks for bringing me a heterogeneous species.¡±


    This sounded right. Lu Feng said it was because he noticed Sinan.


    This meant An Zhe was given a chance to pick and choose from the food area. Against the menu given by the base, he ended up buying tomatoes, potatoes and frozen beef. The price of beef was very expensive and there was a special sign next to it saying it would be discontinued. He hesitated to buy it but during his moment of hesitation, Lu Feng already swiped his card. The balance displayed on the credit card machine made An Zhe feel the difference between people.


    There was a simple approach to the ingredients. An Zhe didn¡¯t have any instructions so he still boiled soup.


    After cooking for some time, An Zhe found one thing. He stood in place as he silently watched the water in the pot slightly churn. The soup was very rich, the potatoes had completely softened and the sweet and sour tomato scent was mixed with the aroma of beef. It was a flavour different from potato soup and was very delicious. But¡­


    Lu Feng glanced at him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± An Zhe looked up at him.


    Lu Feng¡¯s green eyes stared at him. Through the white mist, he didn¡¯t seem very fierce.


    ¡°I¡­¡± An Zhe stuttered, ¡°I seem to have done too much.¡±


    ¡°Too much?¡± Lu Feng walked over and leaned down to look at the pot.


    An Zhe knew it was really too much. There were more ingredients so more water was needed. When he made potato soup, in order to make the potatoes softer and the soup thicker, he liked to add a lot of water and then slowly cook down this water into a small portion of soup.


    However, this soup seemed to have a different principle from potato soup. If he cooked it again, the ingredients would be scattered and then it would become a pot of mixed unknown objects. He estimated that the soup was more than enough for three people.


    Lu Feng stated, ¡°There is a lot.¡±


    An Zhe tried to think and finally came up with a solution. ¡°I can invite Colin to come and eat.¡±


    Lu Feng looked over and stared lightly at him. From this light glance, An Zhe keenly caught a hint of Lu Feng¡¯s emotions. It seemed that cooking a lot of soup was a serious mistake.


    Lu Feng ordered, ¡°Seraing lives in 3202, send him a bowl.¡±


    After ringing the doorbell of 3202, Seraing quickly opened the door.


    ¡°Is it you?¡± He seemed slightly surprised.


    An Zhe handed him a thermos. ¡°I cooked some soup and will give you a bowl.¡±


    ¡°Wow, thank you. I was about to go out for dinner.¡±


    An Zhe gave him the soup. ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    Seraing added, ¡°You¡­ why did you give it to me? Maybe the colonel will like it.¡±


    An Zhe was silent for a while because he didn¡¯t know how to answer. In the end, he said, ¡°The colonel has some as well.¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡± Seraing laughed. ¡°So the colonel told you I live here?¡±


    An Zhe nodded. Seraing took An Zhe through the door, placed the thermos on the living room table and took out something wrapped in pink from a drawer. It looked like a human snack. He stuffed it into An Zhe¡¯s hand. ¡°Please eat sugar.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Seraing inquired, ¡°Are you used to living in the main city yet? What floor are you on?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in 3702.¡±


    ¡°My god.¡± Seraing smiled. ¡°What a coincidence.¡±


    At this moment, a strong wind blew from outside and there was a whine from the pipe in Seraing¡¯s room. An Zhe searched for the source of the sound.


    ¡°The ventilation pipe was originally closed but it will be opened for a period of time in summer when the wind is strong to avoid the interior of the pipe from being too wet. During this time, it will make noise and sometimes it will be too noisy for people in the main city to sleep. Still, don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Seraing spoke softly before smiling again. ¡°The colonel probably already calmed you down.¡±


    An Zhe was confused. First, he wasn¡¯t afraid and there was no need to appease him. Second, Lu Feng didn¡¯t appear him at all.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t.¡± An Zhe stated.


    ¡°¡­Maybe he forgot.¡±


    An Zhe felt that Seraing thought of Lu Feng too kindly and thought the relationship between them was too good. He returned to 3702 where he found the colonel had set up the tableware himself. Unfortunately, even if a bowl had been given away, there was still too much.


    The colonel watched him with cold green eyes. ¡°You can.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t waste the resources of the base.¡±


    An Zhe scooped up a small piece of beef with a spoon and tried to swallow it. After eating his share, Lu Feng had forced him to face the rest of the pot. Now he had eaten half of it.


    Lu Feng¡¯s tone was flat. ¡°Continue.¡±


    An Zhe ate a piece of potato and a spoonful of soup. He didn¡¯t think it was possible. There was a limit to the amount of food eaten by humans, even if this soup was delicious. He would break.


    An Zhe turned his head and looked up at Lu Feng. He saw this man looking at him, eyebrows raised slightly and a hint of quiet pleasure in his expression.


    An Zhe, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He should¡¯ve known. Lu Feng¡¯s purpose wasn¡¯t to conserve the resources of the base at all. His happiness was based on bullying An Zhe. An Zhe raised his eyebrows and became a bit angry. This time, he was resolute. ¡°I won¡¯t eat anymore.¡±


    ¡°The crime of wasting food.¡±


    An Zhe retorted, ¡°Then you did it as well.¡±


    Lu Feng folded his arms and seemed to look An Zhe up and down. ¡°Smart.¡±


    An Zhe could hear what he meant. He vowed that the next time this person came to eat, he would cut off a piece of his own mycelium to poison Lu Feng. He didn¡¯t plan to deal with this man anymore and put down the spoon.


    Lu Feng just smiled and reached out to put the rest of the soup in front of him. It seemed that the Judge was going to do it himself. After observing his performance for a while, An Zhe decided to reduce one piece to half.


    After the meal, he sent Lu Feng out and the colonel had a conference call in the evening. Walking to the door, Lu Feng seemed to suddenly remember something. He took a translucent box out of his pocket and threw it at An Zhe.


    ¡°Use it if you can¡¯t sleep.¡±


    Back in his house, An Zhe opened the box and found a pair of white umbrella rubber noise-proof earbuds. He pondered it over and over again, still swaying between whether Lu Feng was a good or bad person. Finally, he defined this man as a changeable person for the time being.


    The wind outside continued to increase and the sound from the hole sharpened. This was indeed at a level that would make it difficult for humans to fall asleep. However, An Zhe didn¡¯t plan to use the earplugs, at least not now.


    An Zhe stood in front of his bed. He had been thinking about one thing all afternoon. If he couldn¡¯t move freely in the Lighthouse, when would he be able to find his spore?


    He had thought it was an insurmountable problem but now he had a method. All the buildings in this city were connected by the ventilation ducts. He turned to look at the window of the room.


    The window was small, only as big as two textbooks, and there were two metal sliding doors next to it. He went to the window and pushed the sliding door inward with a click. The door closed tightly so that no one could see the room from the outside.


    The mycelium.


    The mycelium spread out from An Zhe¡¯s body. His clothes slipped to the ground along with the bullet casing pendant around his neck, making a slight noise. At the same time, a mass of white mycelium emerged from the neckline, rolling to the bottom of the bed and looking quietly at the dark hole.


    As a mushroom, An Zhe had a vague perception of the outside world. Vision and hearing were integrated while smell and touch couldn¡¯t be distinguished. It was no longer a picture or sound, a special touch. Human language couldn¡¯t describe such changes.


    The hole was covered with three layers of thin wire mesh, enough to block all small and large insects. However, it couldn¡¯t stop a soft mushroom.

 Chapter 34

    Snow-white mycelium protruded and lightly rested against the surface of the metal mesh. Then it drilled in between the tiny crevices of the metal mesh. It was safe. At least here, there were no lethal weapons and just the mesh barrier.


    After the first mycelium passed through the three-layered mesh and reached the pipe, the remaining mycelium also moved forward and gathered together because they were too soft and flexible, appearing in a newly liquid state. The snow-white tide permeated through all three layers of metal mesh and reunited behind it. A forward-extending pipe appeared in An Zhe¡¯s perception. The wall of the pipe was smooth overall but some spots of rust had appeared and the smell of rust spread out, like the smell of blood. Wind was blowing from the end of the pipe.


    An Zhe continued forward, his mycelium like tentacles against the wall of the pipe as he flowed forward smoothly. The pipe was straight and after turning at a right angle, it was still straight, He continued to move forward and a crossroad appeared in front of him. A horizontal, thicker pipe was connected to the current pipe he was in.


    The wind was becoming bigger and the direction of the airflow was complicated, indicating that this huge pipeline system was like a tortuous maze.


    An Zhe briefly hesitated before stretching out a long piece of mycelium that stayed in the pipe. Then he continued to move forward. Lu Feng might not think he was smart but An Zhe felt he wasn¡¯t stupid. He decided to mark his path with this mycelium so that no matter where he went, he could return along the original path.


    After making this decision, An Zhe was relieved and went through the intersection in his original direction. After a right angle, a faint light appeared from in front of him. An Zhe came to the source of light. It was another vent. The voice of a familiar newscaster was heard and it was likely he came to the vent of another person¡¯s home.


    ¡°In over a month, the main city has recalled a total of 12,000 mercenaries and officially entered the recovery period. During the expected recovery period of 10 years, the main city¡¯s scientific research team will be devoted to investigating the source of infection¡­¡±


    ¡°Tap tap tap.¡± A knocking sound was heard. An Zhe originally entered here by mistake. He didn¡¯t want to peep into the privacy of other humans and planned to leave but the next moment, he temporarily dispelled this idea.


    The door opened.


    ¡°Colonel Lu.¡± A woman¡¯s voice was heard and the tone was very strong.


    Colonel Lu. This was Lu Feng¡¯s room. An Zhe quietly moved out of the vent in order to be able to hear more clearly. He was really curious about Lu Feng¡¯s life. Then he heard a familiar cold voice. ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°Hello Colonel Lu, I¡¯m a staff member on the 21st floor of the Garden of Eden.¡±


    Garden of Eden. An Zhe pricked his ears, if he had such things as ears now.


    Lu Feng asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± The woman smiled. ¡°First of all, congratulations on returning from the outer city. Secondly, on behalf of my superiors, I want to ask if you wish to donate sperm to Eden.¡±


    Lu Feng¡¯s answer was straightforward and heartless. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a shame. If you are interested in the future, please be sure to contact us. Your genes are excellent and if they aren¡¯t used effectively, it will be a loss to the entire base.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Lu Feng¡¯s tone wasn¡¯t tempered by her praise. ¡°Is there anything else?¡±


    ¡°The flowers planted by Mrs Lu are blooming.¡± The woman said. ¡°She asked me to give you a bouquet. The work in the main city is very busy and the madam asks you to take a break and take care of yourself.¡±


    After a brief silence, Lu Feng wondered, ¡°Is her health okay?¡±


    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Lu Feng¡¯s voice was lower. ¡°Tell her hello for me.¡±


    The conversation ended there. Once the door closed again. there were no other movements in the room. The weather forecast said the windy weather would continue and the temperature would drop.


    The sound came to an abrupt end. Presumably, Lu Feng had turned off the TV. Then the footsteps gradually approached as Lu Feng returned to the bedroom and sat down at the desk. After the sound of a few papers being turned, the room fell silent and there was only Lu Feng¡¯s breathing.


    An Zhe wanted to stick out a few mycelium from under the bed to see what the colonel was doing but he didn¡¯t dare. Eventually, he returned to the vent.


    At the crossroads, he chose the direction of the wind, dragging the slender mycelium to mark the path before moving on.


    The cold, blood-scented wind blew his mycelium and the pipes were connected to other pipes, each opening connected to another complicated pipeline structure. At the same time, an intersection appeared in front of it. It was just a short path but it made An Zhe aware of the complexity of the entire system. He didn¡¯t have a roadmap and only knew the approximate direction of the Lighthouse. He could imagine the difficulty of entering the lighthouse from the pipeline.


    However, he could keep looking. He wasn¡¯t an impatient mushroom.


    After several turns, An Zhe was completely unable to distinguish his direction and he didn¡¯t know the passage of time. He only knew that when travelling along the direction of the wind, the pipe openings would become wider and wider and the wind would also increase. He guessed it was because he found the backbone of the ventilation system. Sometimes, he worried that his mycelium would be broken but there was no way to strengthen it or leave another strand. Mycelium was like human blood to mushrooms. Excessive blood loss would lead to death and he couldn¡¯t use it up.


    Sometimes, there would be a metal net in front of him or sharp turbines that could cut at flesh and joints. At this time, he had to carefully slide along the blade to prevent being cut.


    An Zhe didn¡¯t know how long he had been gone. Only the wind and the rusty walls of the pipes accompanied him.


    In front of him was an infinitely stretched out black pipe and behind him was the same. This made him return to the time when he lost his spore and he wandered aimlessly in the Abyss. Maybe he could retrieve it tomorrow or maybe he would never find it.


    Once the diametre of the pipe became as big as two people, An Zhe saw a fuzzy red light ahead. He went forward, carefully crossing a large turbine and then he fell out of the pipe.


    He fell onto a hard and rough metal floor illuminated by a dim right light. He looked around in all directions and found this was no longer the interior of the pipe. It was an empty and spacious cylindrical space as large as the lobby of Eden. It was a place where the wind combined with the red light from above, so high that An Zhe couldn¡¯t feel it.


    Then his white mycelium gathered on the ground to form a human body and skin. It was very cold so the mycelium spread on him and densely wove together to form a loose white robe, blocking the cold from outside.


    An Zhe stood barefoot on the metal floor and looked up.


    A huge turbine was at the top of the space, occupying his vision. Around the turbine was a dark red laser light curtain, similar to the outer city walls. An Zhe knew that this was one of the human defense systems. If a creature wanted to forcefully pass through it then an alarm would trigger.


    He looked through the iron teeth of the turbine and saw the sky outside where the aurora was still shining. This place was connected to the outside world and An Zhe realized it was the air inlet of the ventilation system. Once the turbine started, the outside air would be continuously drawn in and transported through the pipes in all directions.


    An Zhe retracted his gaze and looked forward. In the centre of this cylindrical space was a rectangular metal workbench. It was probably the operating platform of this entire system. He went up to it but found this wasn¡¯t the case.


    On the metal table, there were three rectangular boxes and mottled handwriting next to the small boxes which seemed to be plated. An Zhe slightly leaned over and wiped away the dust and rust to read the writing.


    It was a letter.


    To the latecomers:


    I am Kang Jinglan, the head of the underground ventilation system¡¯s engineering construction team in the Northern Base. The ventilation system took one year to design and nine years to construct. The cost was 110 million yuan per kilometer.


    Opponents have suggested that the construction period be postponed because of the difficulty of the base construction and the huge amount of manpower and resources consumed. However, after discussion, we believe that once the weakening of the geomagnetic field continues, the human economy will inevitably collapse with 10 years. Within 50 years, the surviving humans will completely lose the R&D production capacity for heavy industry and the focus of production materials and scientific research will be tilted to the medical field. We have no time.


    Fortunately, this year the underground ventilation system was successful completed together with the above-ground base. Fellow humans can now live in the tight protection of the base. This is the only thing I am happy about. Due to the cosmic radiation, despite being tightly protected, I still suffer from a variety of cancers and immune system diseases. I have asked the base to keep my ashes at the core of the ventilation system, so that for every generation of engineers entering for the system maintenance, I will know that the base is still safe and the great species of humanity is still alive.


    May you have a bright future.


    Sincerely.


    Salute.


    June 2030.¡±


    These were the ashes. So the remains in this box were once a human body. It was a tomb and these writings were a legacy the human left for later people. It was perhaps more appropriate to call it a epitaph.


    An Zhe looked to the right side and saw an almost identical metal plaque. The bottom was welded to the box on the table and contained a letter with the same tone.


    ¡°To Mr Kang Jinglan and to the latecomers:


    I am Liao Pingan, the head of the Northern Base¡¯s underground ventilation system engineering maintenance team. The ventilation system is overhauled every six months and the overall maintenance is performed every two years. It is currently operating in perfect condition.


    As Mr Kang expected, the weakening of the geomagnetic field didn¡¯t stop and it completely disappeared in December 2030. Fortunately, the artificial magnetic pole project was a success soon afterwards and Earth is once again protected by a magnetic field. Humans no longer suffer from diseases caused by radiation exposure. Unfortunately, the cosmic radiation has caused infectious mutations of bacteria, fungi and viruses. Humanity has ushered in an unprecedented catastrophe. I have witnessed the shrinkage of the human population, the collapse of the economic system and the gradual loss of industrial capacity. The base has invested all remaining human capacity into military production, a military base construction and the base expansion. A steady stream of guns, ammunition, nuclear weapons, aircrafts, armour and tanks are being produced. I don¡¯t know what the intention of the base is and I don¡¯t know if this behaviour has accelerated the depletion of human resources. I can only hope that the base has far-reaching intentions.


    During this catastrophe, I was unfortunately infected with deadly bacteria. At the end of my life, I still feel endless panic about the future of the base so I chose to be buried here with Mr Kang, waiting for the next generation of engineers to report the safety.


    May you have a bright future.¡±


    Sincerely.


    Salute.


    September 2052.¡±


    Next came the third urn with an epitaph.


    ¡°To Mr Kang Jinglan, Ms Liao Pingan and to the latecomers:


    I am Yang Ye, head of the Northern Base¡¯s underground ventilation system maintenance team. The ventilation system is overhauled every six months and the overall maintenance is performed every two years. It is currently operating in perfect condition.


    I have to tell my two predecessors that in this era, the ventilation system no longest exists as one of the countless infrastructures of the base but has played a brilliant role in protecting humans. 2053 was the beginning of a global biological variation. The human base took the military as the main force while civilian mercenaries are an assisting force as we plunged into a grand defense war. In the absence of resources and industrial construction capacity, the solid military power and weapons left to us by the previous generation played an unimaginable role, ensuring the safety of the remaining humans. The ventilation system has been transformed into one of the fortifications of the main city to protect people from the invasion of monsters.


    At present, the Northern Base is still safe and the military and mercenary teams are constantly returning with samples of monsters from the outside world. They as also recovering scientific research equipment, civilization materials and other necessary materials from human waste cities. The scientific research of the base is focused on the principle of infection and the reproduction of the human race. We haven¡¯t found a direction for the former for the time being while the latter has been initially conquered. A large number of new lives have been born and the population has started to rise. Although the environment is still bad, I believe everything will improve.


    I died happily of old age under the patronage of the base.


    May you have a bright future.


    Sincerely.


    Salute.


    January 2104.¡±


    An Zhe carefully read it before looking to the side blankly. There were no other boxes. 2104 was a very distant year and perhaps the next generation of engineers would soon be lying here, telling the story of a recent occurrence like the fall of the outer city or something else.


    At this moment, there was a grand sound from all directions as the mighty night wind blew in from the air inlet. An Zhe shuddered. The strong wind was like an irresistible torrent, making him unable to open his eyes. He raised his elbows in front of him, resisting the strong wind blowing while slightly lowering his head.


    Just then, he experienced a pain in his body. A piece of snow-white floated up in the wind. Then it flashed and instantly disappeared.


    An Zhe turned back. The white mycelium he had deliberately left to mark the route was only a short piece on the ground that trembled in the wind. The gust of wind blew his mycelium and it was unknown where the broken piece flew to.


    His pupils shrank as he looked in the direction of the pipes. Six dark holes were arranged there, looking exactly the same.

 Chapter 35

    In the dim light, the six round, black holes were like the compound eyes of insects watching him.


    An Zhe subconsciously took a step back, bumping into the metal platform behind him. His body became unstable for a moment and his hand rested on the epitaph. The inscriptions on the epitaph brought a sensation of ups and downs. He didn¡¯t know why but this cold, lonely metal table standing in the empty space with the ashes of the dead made him feel safe.


    An Zhe gently breathed out and tentatively walked forward, coming in front of the row of openings. He climbed into the entrances of these six pipes one by one but still couldn¡¯t find any traces of the mycelium. It was too thin and would shrink back after breaking. Finally, it was blown by the wind and this place was too dark.


    An Zhe looked around blankly. There were four sides to this cylindrical space, his front, rear, left and right sides and there were the six duct entrances. This was 24 in total and they all headed to different directions. This was the origin of the whole city¡¯s ventilation system.


    He knew he had two options. Find his way back before dawn and try again tomorrow night or¡­ don¡¯t go back.


    He could abandon his human identity right now and disappear from the main city. As a mushroom, he would wander the underground pipeline for a long time, regardless of day and night. As long as he wandered long enough before he dried out, he could sneak into the Lighthouse.


    The wind was stronger and he shook gently. He knew the decision he was about to make would decide his fate in the future. However, even if he decided to go back, could he really go back? An Zhe didn¡¯t know.


    Looking at the six holes, he gritted his teeth and climbed into the middle one on the right side. He wasn¡¯t sure if this was the original road or not but he could only use fate to decide.


    In fact, it would be more convenient to climb into the hole in the form of mycelium but there were three human predecessors living here. He didn¡¯t want them to see any heterogeneous species coming in. Thus, it wasn¡¯t until he was thoroughly back in the pipe that An Zhe turned into a mass of mycelium.


    The mycelium sped up and moved in the direction of the wind, the wind pushing him from behind. An Zhe turned a few corners and passed many intersections. Now he just wanted to find a pipe connecting to a human room as soon as possible. It would be better if the room had a window so he could sneak out through the window. He could find the nearest shuttle bus stop while it was dark and quietly stick to the bottom of the bus. The bus would take him to the terminal near Building 24 and then he could slip back to his own corridor. As long as the night was deep enough, no one would find out.


    In this way, he wandered for a long time. Just as the pipes were becoming smaller and smaller, a faint light appeared in front of him. He had come to the mouth of the pipe. This was a ventilation duct located on the ceiling.


    Looking down from the pipe, a cylindrical transparent container appeared in the centre of his vision. Inside was a slightly cloudy liquid where a flesh-coloured thing floated. It was very small, around the size of two human fists. A large transparent tube was connected to one end of this flesh-coloured object while the other end was connected to a complex-looking device.


    There was a special sensation rising from this device. An Zhe couldn¡¯t describe the exact feeling, only that the container had a living object. He suddenly choked. He knew. This was a baby. No, an embryo, an embryo for a human baby.


    Looking to the side again, there was another of the same device. More than that, the entire spacious room was full of such things. An Zhe¡¯s vision was limited and he couldn¡¯t perceive how big the room was, but he knew that the base could produce 5000~10,000 babies a year.


    So this wasn¡¯t anywhere else. He had accidentally come across the Garden of Eden.


    An Zhe was relieved since Eden was a place he was familiar with. At the same time, he felt it was even more difficult. He knew how much humans cared for their children. Almost all areas of Eden were covered by cameras and guarded by people 24 hours a day so that no one could hurt the children.


    Thinking about it, he became angry again. If the mushroom world had cameras then how could his child be stolen by Lu Feng?


    Then after three seconds, An Zhe found the error in his logic. Even if there was a camera, he couldn¡¯t prevent Lu Feng from stealing the spore. The key wasn¡¯t the camera but the existence of the bad person.


    ¡­Wrong.


    The key to this matter was how to get out.

 Chapter 36

    ¡°Tick¡ª¡±


    ¡°Tick¡ª¡±


    ¡°Tick¡ª¡±


    It was unknown where it came from but an instrument was making a monotonous sound. However, there was also another sound in the room.


    ¡°Thump thump.¡±


    ¡°Thump thump.¡±


    ¡°Thump thump.¡±


    It sounded like a human heartbeat but it couldn¡¯t be because the sound was permeating the whole room. The four walls seemed to have a mechanism that played the sound. At this moment, footsteps came from the end of the room. There were two humans and they walked and talked like they were recording something.


    After a while, a brief dialogue rang out.


    ¡°Zone 4 is normal.¡±


    ¡°Zone 6 is normal.¡±


    ¡°No. 113 has stopped developing.¡±


    ¡°Continue the observation.¡±


    ¡°No. 334 has proliferated abnormally and must be destroyed.¡±


    ¡°No. 334 was transplanted too early.¡±


    ¡°There is no way. My report wasn¡¯t approved. The superiors are determined to offset the high abnormal rate with the high birth rate.¡±


    ¡°The abnormal rate of the embryos has been increasing for the past two years. This isn¡¯t a wise decision. The embryo must stay with the mother for a least one month to ensure successful development.¡±


    ¡°The mother¡¯s flowering period is too short. If the time is extended then the birth rate won¡¯t be enough.¡±


    ¡°Why is it so hard?¡±


    ¡°Optimistically, the overall number of children is improving.¡±


    The footsteps faded away. Only the heartbeat was still ringing in the entire room. The light in the room was dim and soft. It was a stable nest or a huge hollow organ. The powerful heartbeat was like proof of life.


    An Zhe slowly exited the pipe and felt a bit uncomfortable. This place seemed to have strange fluctuations that affected his body. Fortunately, after seeing the layout of the room, he finally regained his perception of direction. He had to go near the outside of the building.


    After turning around in the pipe many times, he found many vents. These vents led to one small room after another. Now it seemed that people were sleeping and there was a person in every room. He couldn¡¯t go out to check but he could hear the breathing sound. It was very weak and must be the breathing sound of children. The window was closed and there was a red light camera at the top of every room. He couldn¡¯t escape through this type of room.


    Thus, it was a long time before An Zhe finally managed to find a vent on the ceiling of the corridor.


    He carefully emerged, spreading his body flat on the ceiling as he moved down the corridor. The cameras were pointing down and were unable to capture the ceiling.


    The layout of each floor in the Garden of Eden was similar. He recognized that this should be a corridor for handling chores, there the warehouses for cleaning tools, household items, food and supplies were located.


    An Zhe was slightly excited. By lay, in this type of corridor, there would be a door leading to a small terrace. It was occasionally used for drying things and sometimes the staff would smoke there. He soon successfully found the door and stretched his mycelium through the crack. It was bright outside, showing it was already daylight.


    Before An Zhe had time to think carefully, his attention was completely diverted. On the empty terrace, on a concrete fence stood a girl in a white dress. Her back was to An Zhe as she faced outside, slowly opening her arms and leaning forward¡ªlike she would fall at any time.


    An Zhe¡¯s human figure appeared and he took a few steps forward, grabbing the girl by the shoulder and pulling her off the fence back to the ground. ¡°You¡­¡±


    The girl turned back. An Zhe was startled. He had seen her before. Just two days ago, she ran from the Garden of Eden to the road outside and was stopped by Lu Feng. Finally, she was taken away by the staff of the Garden of Eden.


    At this time, she glanced at An Zhe and it was almost an empty look. She didn¡¯t have the bright colours of the children in An Zhe¡¯s class and for a moment, An Zhe had thought the girl was a lifeless doll. An Zhe knew that his current image wasn¡¯t ordinary. He wore a robe made of mycelium and perhaps looked like a human going out with a sheet¡ªbut normal humans didn¡¯t go out wearing a sheet.


    Yet this girl looked like she didn¡¯t see anything out of the ordinary. She didn¡¯t seem to realize how unusual An Zhe¡¯s clothes were or how abruptly An Zhe appeared. She also didn¡¯t seem to recognize him or remember his existence at all. Three seconds later, she slowly turned back to look in front of her.


    It was early morning and the aurora had just disappeared. A thick white mist flowed through the dark grey city. Undulating waves were rushing into the grey-blue sky. At this angle, half of his field of view was blocked by the cylindrical magnetic field generator not far away. It was larger and taller than every building and was like a mountain, an island in the sea fog or a spiral ladder connecting the sky to the ground. The street lights flickered with the morning stars in the sky but they were overshadowed by such a huge image.


    This girl was looking up at the infinite sky above.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to jump.¡± Her voice was very soft but her words were clear. ¡°I want to fly.¡±


    An Zhe told her, ¡°You will fall.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Her tone was too dull and unlike children of this age. The morning wind came and her white skirt and black hair. She looked unusually slender and soft. Women and girls outside generally didn¡¯t have this type of appearance. Du Sai had such characteristics but it was more visible in this girl.


    An Zhe stood behind her. He had just protected a human child and he paid for it. His existence was exposed to the girl and now he was in extreme danger. He couldn¡¯t reveal any flaws.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± he asked.


    ¡°There are a few times when the surveillance will be messed up and they hadn¡¯t found it yet.¡± The girl explained. ¡°I will use that time to go out and see the sky.¡±


    ¡°You can look at the sky during free time.¡± An Zhe wondered, ¡°What class and what floor are you on?¡±


    He seriously fulfilled his duties as a teacher and couldn¡¯t let this child stay in such a dangerous place.


    She replied, ¡°I¡¯m in the Garden of Eden.¡±


    ¡°What class are you in at the Garden of Eden?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have classes on those floors. Boys are there.¡± She stated.


    An Zhe patiently explained to her, ¡°There are girls in the class as well.¡±


    There were many girls in the class such as Jisha, although they were dressed like the boys. They didn¡¯t wear dresses or have shoulder-length hair like the girl in front of him.


    ¡°Those girls aren¡¯t girls.¡± She turned to look at An Zhe. ¡°The 20th floor and above are real girls.¡±


    An Zhe wondered, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± He knew very little about this human base.


    For the first time, the girl¡¯s face was something other than blank. She smiled and declared with a hint of pride, ¡°Then you don¡¯t know the Rose Declaration.¡±


    An Zhe inquired, ¡°What is it?¡±


    The girl turned around and lay on the railing, the sun rising in the sky. ¡°Then you don¡¯t know about the bacterial infection.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± He knew about the disaster that killed most of the world¡¯s humans.


    She told him, ¡°Only people with good genes survive.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Human treatment was ineffective against the strong mutant bacteria. They could only escape infection by virtue of innate immunity. A person¡¯s genes could resist the disease and they could survive.


    ¡°Once those people survived, they found that very few living children were born in the world.¡± She reached out and combed her hair, pausing for a while like she was organizing her thoughts. ¡°After the infection, the females who survived had defects in their fertility. There were only a few and the defects were relatively small.¡±


    An Zhe didn¡¯t speak. The girl wrinkled her nose and continued. ¡°Scientists will give them a genetic test. If they score 60 points or less than they have completely lost the function of fertility. If it is more than 60 points, it is possible to give birth to a normal child. Then there was the Rose Declaration. You are a boy so the declaration doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°What is the declaration?¡±


    ¡°I just recited it. Do you want to hear it?¡± She suggested.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Her tone was calm as she recited, ¡°The 23,371 women with a fertility score above 60 in all four human bases voted to pass the following declaration, with zero refusals: I voluntarily dedicate my life to the fate of humanity, to accept genetic experiments and accept all forms of assisted reproduction to continue the cause of the human race¡¯s struggle for survival.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± she said, ¡°Thus, I¡¯m on the 20th floor. Now you know.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± An Zhe told her. ¡°Still, you should be careful not to come to such a dangerous place.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to jump.¡± Then she wondered, ¡°I come here every week and you aren¡¯t here.¡±


    She looked at An Zhe again. ¡°I wanted to see the sky so I came here. Why did you come?¡±


    An Zhe answered, ¡°I can¡¯t find my way back.¡±


    ¡°I know the way. I have a secret passage.¡±


    An Zhe thought about it. ¡°I also have no clothes to wear.¡±


    ¡°I also know where the laundry is.¡±


    An Zhe requested, ¡°Can you tell me?¡±


    Rather than answering directly, she wondered, ¡°Are you a lower class student?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a teacher.¡±


    ¡°Promise me one thing.¡± Her eyes seemed more energetic as she spoke to An Zhe. ¡°Promise me one thing and I¡¯ll find clothes for you and take you to the secret passage.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Find a boy called Sinan on the 6th floor and tell him that I¡¯ve been hit with a tracking agent and can¡¯t go out to play with him later. This time next week, you can come here again and tell me what he said.¡±


    An Zhe was silent. The girl glanced at him. ¡°Can¡¯t you do that?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± An Zhe glanced at her. She blinked, looking like a normal child. In the end, An Zhe told her, ¡°I might not be able to do it.¡±


    ¡°You can find him on the sixth floor.¡±


    An Zhe didn¡¯t speak.


    She seemed to be in a hurry as she opened the door of the terrace. ¡°I¡¯ll get you some clothes.¡±


    Before he could stop her, she disappeared through the door. If the Sinan she mentioned was the Sinan that An Zhe knew then this boy was no longer in the Garden of Eden but at the Lighthouse. An Zhe just didn¡¯t know what would happen to her if he told her the news. He knew that human emotions would cause her pain.


    By the time the girl came back, pulling him through the dark empty corridor and finally stopping at a small open door in a pile of debris, he still hadn¡¯t thought of the wording.


    ¡°If you can get in then you can do down to the first floor.¡± She pointed to the door.


    The door was half open. Strictly speaking, due to years of despair, it was no longer tightly closed but was released. However, the chain-shaped rusty metal latch was still hanging on the door and embedded in the wall, so that only a small width was opened. It was enough for a child moving sideways to enter.


    An Zhe said, ¡°I¡¯ll try it.¡±


    He went to the door and leaned in slightly. It was impossible for an adult to pass through here but after all, he was a mushroom. His body had become a state of mycelium under the cover of clothing and after losing the restriction of human bones, he easily entered through the door.


    ¡°Your body is so soft,¡± the girl marvelled.


    ¡°I have one request. Can you not tell anyone I¡¯ve been here?¡± An Zhe asked.


    ¡°If you come here next week¡ª¡± Her voice came to an abrupt end.


    ¡°Lily?¡± A woman¡¯s voice was heard.


    ¡°You¡¯re here again.¡± The voice slightly rebuked the girl.


    An Zhe turned to the side to hide and heard Lily say, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Madam.¡±


    ¡°This time, I¡¯m the one who found you.¡± The woman called ¡®Madam¡¯ spoke softly. ¡°If it was them, you would be locked up again.¡±


    Lily said, ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    Then there was the sound of footsteps. They seemed to be going out. An Zhe looked through the gap and saw Lily behind held by a lady in a long dress. Their figures gradually walked away in the dim corridor.


    Lily hadn¡¯t finished her words but he knew what she wanted to see. It seemed he had entered an agreement with Lily. He would come here again next week and tell her Sinan¡¯s reply.


    He glanced around. There was a dim, damp environment around him and he faintly saw some gray-green mould on the wall. The ground was also covered with grey-white powder debris. This was a small and steep stairwell. It obviously hadn¡¯t been used for a long time.


    An Zhe found the position of the stair handrail and walked down little by little. It had no windows and was darker than night. This place wasn¡¯t much better than the pipes.


    Each floor had 20 steps. An Zhe walked while counting the number of floors. Once he descended to the sixth floor, the door of the staircase had a gap around the same size as the 20th floor. He exited and reached the utility room on the sixth floor.


    Bright lights shone on him. Lily had given him the clothes of the Eden staff, which included a snow-white shirt. It was no different from the previous clothes. He went out and glanced at the wall clock in the corridor. It was seven o¡¯clock. He had to go to the training base from Eden so he was already late.


    An Zhe hurriedly downstairs and accelerated his pace to the door. The bright red slogan ¡®human interests above all else¡¯ in the hall was particularly dazzling on the snow-white wall. The staff in white uniforms were walking around and the voices of children were heard in the distance. An Zhe felt alive again.


    Then the glass door in the lobby opened and he bumped into a man head-on.


    An Zhe, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    It was Lu Feng. Behind Lu Feng was Seraing. He saw Lu Feng¡¯s eyes narrow and felt some danger from the action. Sure enough, Lu Feng questioned, ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Facing this person, An Zhe¡¯s mycelium was about to explode. He shouldn¡¯t be at Eden right now. He should be at the training base with Colin.


    ¡°I¡­¡± He looked up at Lu Feng.


    Those cold green eyes stared at him like they were saying, ¡®You can start lying now.¡¯


    An Zhe replied, ¡°¡­I went to the wrong place.¡±


    He really did go the wrong way and was completely lost in the underground of the city. If he hadn¡¯t come to the Garden of Eden or found the terrace in time, he might¡¯ve continued being trapped in that place, losing his identity as a human and never coming out again.


    And¡­


    Lu Feng, this bad thing, An Zhe would have nothing to do with him ever since.


    An Zhe lowered his eyes. He didn¡¯t know why but he felt that the current colonel wasn¡¯t as abominable as before. He heard Seraing gently say, ¡°Today you should be going to the training base to work. You didn¡¯t remember that you have to change places?¡±


    An Zhe didn¡¯t say anything. The sun rose from behind the artificial magnetic pole in the distance and the golden light shone on the silver buckle of Lu Feng¡¯s uniform. His voice was a bit hoarse. ¡°I¡¯m going to be late.¡±


    Lu Feng didn¡¯t speak but he didn¡¯t say anything to make things difficult for An Zhe. An Zhe felt that based on Lu Feng¡¯s knowledge of his IQ, Seraing¡¯s reason was convincing enough. An Zhe moved forward, trying to bypass Lu Feng and leave here.


    From the side, Lu Feng¡¯s voice was suddenly heard. ¡°I¡¯ll send you.¡±


    Lu Feng¡¯s car was stable and fast, the speed was at least twice as fast as the shuttle bus. Once it stopped at the training base, the clock showed it was only 7:25. This was five minutes before An Zhe needed to be at work.


    An Zhe got down from Lu Feng¡¯s car and felt those going to the training base to work looking at him. In any case, it wasn¡¯t the first time people stared at him. An Zhe headed to the card-swiping device in front of the door. People came one after another, using their ID card to open the gate and enter.


    An Zhe paused. He had discovered one thing.


    There was the sound of footsteps behind him. He turned back and saw Lu Feng staring at him with raised eyebrows.


    An Zhe muttered, ¡°¡­I forgot my card as well.¡±


    He heard Lu Feng gently hum. The slender fingers grasped an ID card and placed it on the sensor. There was a ding and the gate opened. It was Lu Feng who used his ID card to help An Zhe open the gate.


    At the same time, the colonel¡¯s voice was heard in his ears. ¡°So stupid.¡±

 Chapter 37

    Even a mushroom knew that these words weren¡¯t good words. However, An Zhe couldn¡¯t refute it.


    He walked past the door. The guard at the sentry box had seen the scene but was intimidated and didn¡¯t dare speak. An Zhe understood him. The rank of the Judge wasn¡¯t the highest but in terms of killing, the authority was the highest. No one wanted to offend Lu Feng.


    ¡ªAn Zhe as well. Thus, he said, ¡°Thank you, Colonel.¡±


    ¡°No need for thanks. Go ask for leave in the afternoon.¡±


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±


    Lu Feng squinted casually and spoke lightly, ¡°Follow me to the Lighthouse.¡±


    ¡°What are we going to do?¡±


    Lu Feng explained, ¡°Dr Ji has something to ask you.¡±


    An Zhe doubted the truth of this sentence. Why would Dr Ji be looking for him?


    For a moment, he suspected that Lu Feng wanted to arrest him for entering Eden. However, he felt that his performance this morning was perfect and even Seraing took the initiative to speak for him.


    An Zhe, ¡°¡­¡±


    He suddenly realized that he didn¡¯t seem very smart in Seraing¡¯s eyes. Still, even if he wasn¡¯t a smart human, he was a sane mushroom. Going to the Lighthouse was something he really wanted.


    He said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Lu Feng gave a faint hum and turned to leave.


    ***


    As the children were being trained by the military instructor, An Zhe saw on a bench beside them. He would be called over if the instructor needed help with things like timing or scoring. There was nothing to do and the office didn¡¯t have any books he was interested in. He could only take a guide on the operation of various weapons.


    Rather than sitting with him, Colin sat on the bench next to him. Colin had made a new friend who was a boy in his 20s and a teacher of language and literature for the next door class.


    At this time, the book open in An Zhe¡¯s hand explained in detail a large fighter plane called ¡®PL1109¡¯. This was a masterpiece of human technology in the year of the magnetic field chaos. It used the base¡¯s independent cruise system to accurately locate the path in the absence of magnetic fields. It sounded great but An Zhe had no interest in it. Since he hadn¡¯t slept all night, he started to faintly doze off.


    On his right side, Colin¡¯s greetings with the language teacher were over. They exchanged names and started to talk, the content of their conversation entering An Zhe¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Do you like the main city?¡± Colin asked. An Zhe was keenly aware that Colin was going to start preaching again.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I like it?¡± The boy replied. ¡°The main city has given us a secure life.¡±


    He also seemed to be a talkative person. The moment this sentence ended, the boy added, ¡°We have been in the main city for a month. What do you think of it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it,¡± Colin declared.


    ¡°Why?¡± The boy wondered. ¡°I don¡¯t have to be a mercenary and go out and die. I never thought about it before but I thank my mother every day for forcing me to finish the three courses. Although she mainly wanted me to finish the language and economy courses before going to the supply station. This way, she wouldn¡¯t have to go out to the wild to make a living.¡±


    Colin was silent for a moment before asking, ¡°Where is your mother?¡±


    ¡°She died in the wild. It was only a few years since they adopted me. My father didn¡¯t come back and then she didn¡¯t come back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± The boy smiled. ¡°I¡¯m used to it. What about you?¡±


    ¡°My mother was killed by the Judge. My father¡­ he stayed in District 6 when we went to the main city.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± the boy also said.


    The exchange of experiences seemed to rapidly pull the relationship between the two of them closer. There was a brief silence as the boy looked at the children on the training ground. He placed his arms behind his head and sighed. ¡°I have been in the outer city for so long that I forgot we all came out of the main city when we were young.¡±


    ¡°I remember quite clearly.¡± Colin stated. ¡°I wanted to be a biologist when I was five or six years old. I did well but I didn¡¯t get to stay in the main city.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to be an officer when I was a child,¡± the boy muttered. ¡°I fell down at the final assessment and the military didn¡¯t want me.¡±


    ¡°Fate is fickle.¡±


    ¡°Our qualifications weren¡¯t enough. Even if we stayed, it would¡¯ve been hard.¡± The boy sighed. ¡°It might not necessarily be happy to stay in the main city. I heard that some people wanted to study the human archives. As a result, they had excellent mathematical talent and could only calculate trajectories in the Lighthouse for the rest of their lives. If you think about it, you wanted to be a biologist. As a result, the base feels you are more suitable for you to be a linguist. How hard would it be for you to translate documents? If I was you then I would suddenly die.¡±


    ¡°This is why I don¡¯t like the base,¡± Colin stated. ¡°It is like a cold-blooded machine.¡±


    ¡°You have to think of yourself as a small part. Your genes are the model and determine what place you work in.¡±


    Colin gave a rare smile. ¡°You¡¯re fun.¡±


    The boy said, ¡°We learn to use metaphors when learning language.¡±


    ¡°However, people aren¡¯t parts. The base does everything in the name of serving human interests but we have been losing our humanity.¡±


    ¡°What else can we do? We can¡¯t eat the base¡¯s rice for free and need to have some value.¡± The boy stood up and stared at the children in front of him.


    ¡°I really like kids.¡± The boy suddenly smiled in a very happy manner. ¡°I love this job so much. Maybe one day, I will teach a child who is a once-in-a-lifetime genius who will save the world.¡±


    Then he talked to himself, ¡°I have to prepare for my lessons.¡±


    An Zhe looked at him curiously before glancing back at Colin. Colin didn¡¯t speak anymore. An Zhe thought that Colin wouldn¡¯t find his comrade this time.


    In the outer city, Colin had protested against the judges. What banner would he raise in the main city? An Zhe thought it might be things like ¡®Against the classification of humans¡¯ or ¡®we want freedom.¡¯


    An Zhe¡¯s mind gradually became confused and more sleepy. He tried to concentrate by looking at the military illustrations. He hurriedly turned over the fighter plane page and looked at the weapons section. There were different types of bombs, such as the uranium bomb or hydrogen bomb, that could blast a mushroom to pieces. However, he wasn¡¯t afraid. Humans were different from the monsters in the Abyss. Humans were regular creatures. As long as he obeyed the rules, he could live.


    He spent the morning like this. At noon, the children finished training. Several children gathered together. Some felt the training was too difficult and didn¡¯t want to go eat so they surrounded him on the bench.


    An Zhe gently applied a band-aid to a child while comforting a short-haired girl who felt the training was too difficult. ¡°Have strength. You can be an officer after training.¡±


    The girl wondered, ¡°Can¡¯t I just be eliminated?¡±


    An Zhe told her, ¡°No.¡±


    He thought that even if the child didn¡¯t stay in the main city, she should train well. Otherwise, once they grew up and if the outer city had resumed operating, the children with too poor physical fitness wouldn¡¯t be adopted and no mercenary team would be willing to take them. If they couldn¡¯t be admitted to the city affairs office or the supply station, they could only go to the third underground floor, regardless of whether they were male or female.


    He had stayed there for a month and knew the people there weren¡¯t doing well. Therefore, he said, ¡°All of you have to train well.¡±


    The girl held his arm and complained, ¡°However, I will need to train every day even if I become an office.¡±


    An Zhe touched her hair and thought about it. ¡°Still, there is a nice uniform.¡±


    A boy looked at the soldiers on the training ground and stated, ¡°Ugly.¡±


    ¡°Their rank isn¡¯t high enough,¡± An Zhe told him seriously. ¡°Wait for you to upgrade to¡­ a colonel. They look good.¡±¡¯


    ¡°Really?¡± The child asked.


    ¡°Is it that man over there who looks good?¡± Another child wondered.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    The child pointed behind him.


    An Zhe turned around. Two or three metres away from here, the colonel in a black uniform was leaning against a telephone pole. He was so close and the children weren¡¯t afraid of him. Perhaps it was because at this time, Lu Feng was looking at An Zhe with slightly raised eyebrows, some happiness in his expression.


    An Zhe, ¡°¡­¡±


    The words he said just now were probably heard.

 Chapter 38

    In Lu Feng¡¯s car, An Zhe fell asleep.


    He woke up due to an instinctive feeling of danger. He opened his eyes and found that the car had stopped at the door of the Lighthouse. The colonel had opened the door on his side and was staring down at him from a high position.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you sleep last night?¡± The colonel¡¯s voice was cold enough to freeze.


    An Zhe was still dazed. He rubbed his eyes and sobered himself before getting out of the car. As a result, he was so sleepy that he didn¡¯t stand firmly and he fell forward toward Lu Feng. A pair of powerful arms held him. An Zhe finally stood firmly and didn¡¯t fall, but he became really awake.


    The interior of the Lighthouse was as quiet and busy as ever. As they walked down the corridor on the first floor, four soldiers carrying two corpses covered in white cloth passed by. Seraing followed them with a slightly pale face. Once he saw Lu Feng, he briefly explained, ¡°There was an experimental accident and they were exposed.¡±


    Lu Feng slightly nodded and took An Zhe to the elevator to go to the 10th floor.


    Dr Ji stood in the middle of the 10th floor¡¯s corridor. ¡°You came.¡±


    Lu Feng asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°I want to borrow your little cutie for something.¡± The doctor turned to An Zhe. ¡°Come with me.¡±


    An Zhe didn¡¯t know how he had become Lu Feng¡¯s but he followed. The doctor took him to the familiar laboratory where Sinan was locked up. Through the transparent glass wall, An Zhe could see Sinan.


    However, it wasn¡¯t Sinan. An Zhe pressed himself to the glass wall. Inside was a black insect.


    It was a bit bigger than Sinan¡¯s original size and was half the size of an adult. There were two black compound eyes on top of the skull, a dark silver colour flowing in them. Between the two compound eyes stretched out a pair of antennae while long translucent wings dragged behind it. Its abdomen was slender and covered with dark grey hair. The same hair also covered the limbs.


    It was like a bee.


    At this moment, it was flying around this transparent prison, its body constantly hitting the glass wall. It seemed to want to escape but its chest, abdomen and limbs were constantly shaking like it was bearing great pain.


    ¡°Its condition is abnormal. The brain waves are very different from the previous records in the database. I suspect that it still retains some human consciousness and this is fighting against the instincts of the heterogeneous species. I can¡¯t communicate with it effectively so I would like to invite you to try.¡±


    In this way, An Zhe stood in front of the communicator.


    ¡°Sinan,¡± he called out. Sinan¡¯s wings fluttered but he seemed to hear nothing and continued flying around the space. However, An Zhe was sure there was a moment when the eyes glanced at him.


    ¡°Sinan,¡± he asked. ¡°Do you remember Lily?¡±


    The rustling sound briefly stopped and moments later, the grey bee hit the glass wall even more violently. He gazed at Sinan and gently wondered, ¡°Do you have anything to say to her.¡±


    Sinan¡¯s wings trembled wildly but he had lost his human voice organs. He could only present his thoughts to the doctor through irregular troughs and crests on his brain waves.


    Dr Ji said, ¡°The brain waves have changed. He understands. Who is Lily?¡±


    An Zhe¡¯s eyes were slightly dazed. His conversation with Lily was a secret that no one knew but now there was other way.


    An hour later, the door of the lab opened. An Zhe turned around. The first thing that caught his eye was a white dress.


    ¡°Mrs Lu?¡± Dr Ji¡¯s voice was slightly surprised. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    An Zhe raised his head and saw a woman with the gentle posture of a lady at the door. She had long black hair, loosely twisted up behind her head. She wore a light blue mask and only a pair of gentle black eyes could be seen. Her body was slightly plump and this made her look kinder. The girl she was holding with her right hand was Lily. There were also two Eden staff members to the left and right.


    ¡°The distortion rate in the Garden of Eden has increased in the past three months. I have to submit a report to the Lighthouse and ask them to make a final decision. I also received the Lighthouse¡¯s application for Lily to assist in a certain job and came here.¡±


    Dr Ji said, ¡°I troubled you.¡±


    ¡°This is an unusual outing.¡± Mrs Lu handed Lily over to Dr Ji. ¡°Please treat her kindly.¡±


    ¡°Please rest assured.¡±


    The transfer was over and Mrs Lu slowly turned her head. On the other side of the room was Lu Feng. He had been watching her since the laboratory door was opened.


    ¡°You¡¯re here too,¡± she stated.


    Lu Feng¡¯s eyes slightly drooped as he said, ¡°Mother.¡±


    ¡°It seems to be an important study.¡± Mrs Lu looked at him.


    At this moment, one was at the door to the room and the other was in the corner of the room. They were diagonal to each other as their eyes met. Mrs Lu looked gentle while Lu Feng¡¯s eyes were calm.


    An Zhe witnessed this scene and his intuition told him that there were unknown undercurrents in this gaze, but he couldn¡¯t understand.


    10 seconds later, Mrs Lu opened her mouth. ¡°I should go.¡±


    The two staff members with her turned around and they protected her. The footsteps went away and Dr Ji closed the door.


    ¡°This year is the 35th year that Mrs Lu has worked for the Garden of Eden.¡± His eyes seemed to be stunned. ¡°She is really a great woman. Why didn¡¯t you say a few more words to her?¡±


    Lu Feng stared at the closed silver door. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other in a long time.¡±


    ¡°That is why you should speak to her even more. Did your work in the Trial Court make you cold-blooded and ruthless?¡± Dr Ji wondered. ¡°Remember when I helped you mess up the monitoring on the 20th floor when you were a child so you can run to see her. The sugar that Mrs Lu gave me was delicious.¡±


    ¡°Dr Ji, speaking less isn¡¯t bad for you.¡±


    Dr Ji shrugged. Three seconds later, he suddenly said, ¡°I did it seamlessly at the time. Do you think that the monitoring has been repaired after so many years?¡±


    Lu Feng glanced at Lily and then An Zhe. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to be.¡±


    Lily was already pressed against the glass wall. Her eyes were staring at the bee-shaped heterogenous species behind the glass. There was the joy of seeing something new in her always apathetic eyes. ¡°Is this a bee?¡±


    The grey bee leaned against the glass wall. In contrast to her, its movements finally became briefly stationary yet a moment later, it convulsed painfully.


    ¡°It looks to be in pain.¡± Lily glanced at An Zhe, apparently recognizing him. ¡°Did you want me to come and see the bee?¡±


    An Zhe¡¯s voice was low. ¡°It is Sinan.¡±


    Lily was stunned. Just when An Zhe thought she was going to show sadness, she suddenly laughed.


    ¡°Sinan.¡± She crossed to the glass wall and told the grey bee, ¡°You¡¯re going to fly.¡±


    She had no fear in her eyes. She had never seen a monster kill or warned to stay away from heterogeneous species. A bee was no different from a human in the eyes of the child. She wasn¡¯t even surprised that Sinan had become a bee. Presumably it was because in the eyes of a child, the world was always so unpredictable.


    ¡°It is messy again.¡± Dr Ji watched the instrument. ¡°Just three seconds ago, its brain waves were very close to human.¡±


    Dr Ji patted Lily on the shoulder. ¡°Lily, help us with a request.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡¯


    ¡°Sinan¡¯s consciousness is fighting the bee¡¯s consciousness. Perhaps you can help him wake up. Can you keep talking to him?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lily nodded. ¡°Can you turn me into a bee?¡±


    ¡°If you also become a bee then Eden will shoot me. It would be better if you could communicate with him. We need to know how he was infected. The source of the infection must be in Eden but nothing has been found so far. Only by finding it as soon as possible can we ensure the safety of the main city.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Lily put her hand on the glass wall. ¡°Will you pay me?¡±


    Dr Ji asked, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be on the 20th floor.¡± Lily placed her cheek against the glass.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, that is beyond my ability.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guessed.¡± Lily looked back at the grey bee. ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±


    She did work hard all afternoon but Sinan¡¯s condition was either good or bad. He only gave normal feedback a few times but according to Dr Ji, this situation was much better than before. He decided to continue to invite Lily tomorrow.


    The doctor was busy with other research tasks and Lily didn¡¯t like to communicate with other people so in the next few days, An Zhe would also accompany Lily and Sinan at the Lighthouse.


    At seven in the evening, Lily¡¯s physical strength and energy as a child had run out and she was sent back to Eden. An Zhe could also get off work. He had fallen asleep in the car at noon and was almost killed by Lu Feng. This time, he learned his lesson and spent the whole journey awake.


    Similarly, he faced the door to his place in an awake manner. It was a closed door.


    One second, two seconds, three seconds.


    Then Lu Feng¡¯s amused voice rang out behind him. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you going in?¡±


    An Zhe took a deep breath. Going into the pipe last night was one of the two wrong decisions he had ever made in his life. The other was to go to the windy wilderness on the night of February 14th.


    He regretted it.


    The colonel naturally understood his predicament and told him, ¡° The main city¡¯s office takes three days to replace an ID card. You have to find a place to stay until then.¡±


    With then, he calmly swiped the card at his door and walked in.


    On the other side of the door, An Zhe stared at him, frowning slightly while biting his lower lip gently. It seemed like he was thinking about something.


    Lu Feng didn¡¯t speak and just watched him. Time went by quietly.


    Then An Zhe turned and pressed the elevator button. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go find Seraing.¡±

 Chapter 39

    The colonel¡¯s place looked like no one had ever lived it in. It was almost the same as his lounge in the outer city¡¯s defense station. As for why An Zhe knew what the colonel¡¯s room looked like, it was because he felt the surroundings were too cold when the elevator door opened.


    An Zhe turned his head and met Lu Feng¡¯s eyes. The colonel leaned his arm against the door frame. ¡°Come back.¡±


    An Zhe¡¯s mouth flattened.


    In fact, he and Seraing weren¡¯t familiar with each other. He had thought about it when he pressed the elevator door. If Seraing wasn¡¯t at home or refused his request, he could only awkwardly turn to Colin for help.


    He glanced back at Lu Feng and suddenly felt a bit sad and aggrieved. This man knew he had no friends at the base. Lu Feng saw his wronged expression and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    An Zhe lowered his eyes and didn¡¯t know what to say. He actually wanted to ask to stay in Lu Feng¡¯s place but he was afraid of being rejected by the colonel.


    Then he heard Lu Feng laugh softly.


    ¡°I was teasing you.¡± Lu Feng came over and pulled him away from the elevator. ¡°First eat dinner and then sleep with me at night.¡±


    Dinner was eaten in the public canteen. The food wasn¡¯t delicious and Lu Feng opposite him had actually ordered mushroom soup.


    However, if it was sleeping with Lu Feng¡­ it was naturally better than sleeping with Seraing and far better than sleeping with Colin. An Zhe attributed this to the fact that he was only familiar with Lu Feng. After all, he had a sleeping relationship with this man twice before.


    After taking a shower in the colonel¡¯s bathroom, he dried himself and quickly went to the bed wrapped in a large white towel. He sat on the edge of the bed. He had no pyjamas.


    The colonel¡¯s room seemed to be much better than his room. This might be special treatment given by the military. However, no matter how special the treatment, there wasn¡¯t an extra quilt or an extra pillow. He consciously moved the pillow in the middle of the bed to the outside.


    Then his eyes were drawn to the cluster of red at the head of the bed. There was a simple glass bottle with three bright flowers in it. There were a thorny stem and dark green leaves. Two were already in full bloom while the other one was a bud.


    This was the first time An Zhe had seen plants in a human base. This steel-made city didn¡¯t seem to allow anything other than humans to exist. The fragrance of the flower floated in the air. Lu Feng had been in the living room listening to his subordinates¡¯ reports. At this moment, he ended the call and returned to the bedroom.


    Lu Feng noticed him looking at the bouquet.


    ¡°It is my mother¡¯s.¡± He explained.


    ¡°Mrs Lu?¡±


    Lu Feng spoke lightly. ¡°Yes.¡±


    His eyes were on the three flowers. Then after a long time, he looked outside. The sky was dark outside the window. The buildings cast dark shadows and the hexagonal Eden stood far away from the artificial magnetic pole.


    An Zhe followed his gaze. Eden truly did look like a hive. His thoughts suddenly moved and he glanced back at the three bright red flowers beside the bed. The colour and shape were a bit familiar to him. It was from a long time ago, when An Ze read a book about when human civilization was still prosperous and it was a common plant.


    ¡°Rose¡­¡± He murmured.


    ¡°It is a rose.¡± Lu Feng¡¯s voice was light.


    When the children in his class had free time, they would play house games and stimulate planting flowers, using different coloured paper as flowers. However, there seemed to be real roses in the Garden of Eden.


    ¡°Does the Garden of Eden grow roses?¡±


    Lu Feng¡¯s answer was short. ¡°No.¡±


    Just as An Zhe thought his answer was over, Lu Feng spoke again.


    ¡°She likes plants but the base doesn¡¯t.¡± His voice was calm. ¡°I trained in the wilderness since I was 16 and collected some seeds. The Lighthouse gave them to her after determining it was safe.¡±


    ¡°Then the madam planted it?¡± An Zhe asked.


    ¡°En.¡±


    An Zhe suddenly remembered the sealed plant seeds in Lu Feng¡¯s office cabinet a month ago. He thought that Lu Feng must pay great attention to his mother. Today at the Lighthouse, Mrs Lu was going to submit some reports and looked like a researcher. Thus, he wondered, ¡°Is Mrs Lu a scientist?¡±


    Lu Feng was silent for a while before replying. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Then Lu Feng suddenly stated, ¡°You know the girl from the Garden of Eden.¡±


    An Zhe nodded. Lu Feng had seen Lily and An Zhe had nothing to hide.


    ¡°How much do you know?¡±


    An Zhe guessed that the colonel was asking him how much he knew about Eden. He recalled Lily¡¯s words and replied, ¡°I know the Rose Declaration.¡±


    He saw Lu Feng looking out the window like he was recalling the past. Lu Feng opened his mouth. ¡°It was said that when she was 12 years old, due to her intellectual talent, the base believed her involvement in scientific research would make a greater contribution to humanity than giving birth and she was sent to the Lighthouse to study.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡±


    He was always curious about people with superior IQs.


    ¡°Then she applied to be transferred back to the Garden of Eden, to take on reproductive responsibilities while studying improved techniques for the cultivation of embryos.¡±


    ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°No then. She is still doing so.¡±


    An Zhe recalled the appearance of Mrs Lu. Even though she was wearing a mask and only her eyes could be seen, she left a deep impression on him. He exclaimed, ¡°She is very beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    An Zhe looked back on today and wondered, ¡°Do you have a good relationship with her?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    An Zhe blinked. ¡°Why?¡±


    He felt that Lu Feng was very concerned about his mother.


    ¡°She always thought I would go to the Central United Front but in the end, I chose to go to the Trial Court.¡± Lu Feng¡¯s tone was dull. ¡°Maybe I killed too many people.¡±


    ¡°She can¡¯t accept it?¡±


    ¡°It is me who doesn¡¯t want to maintain her feelings anymore.¡± Lu Feng picked up a pillow and threw it over.


    An Zhe caught the pillow and stared at Lu Feng. Strangely, he understood what this person was talking about. In order to always be correct, always awake and always indifferent, the Judge must exile himself completely. Exile¡ªthis was the word that abruptly appeared in An Zhe¡¯s mind.


    ¡°The Garden of Eden and the Trial Court are doing opposite things. Is it because you can¡¯t be shaken?¡± An Zhe asked.


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Lu Feng leaned over, pulled the pillow out of An Zhe¡¯s arms, raised An Zhe up and placed the pillow under his head. ¡°You can¡¯t open your eyes.¡±


    An Zhe lay on the soft pillow and his consciousness gradually blurred. He was really sleepy and had been struggling for energy tonight.


    Before he completely fell asleep, he saw Lu Feng picking up a silvery-white box. This was something a staff member had given to Lu Feng when they left the Lighthouse. An Zhe didn¡¯t know what it was and didn¡¯t think he needed to know. The colonel always had his reasons for doing things.


    ***


    An Zhe¡¯s folded clothes were placed to the side and some grey dust fell from the collar. It wasn¡¯t dust that belonged to either the training ground or the Lighthouse. However, Lu Feng knew there was a problem with the monitoring of Eden during that time and the confusion made it impossible to trace An Zhe¡¯s whereabouts.


    Lu Feng¡¯s gaze shifted and his finger pressed the button of the box. The silver box opened and cold, white air escaped. Below the frozen layer was a slender needle filled with something turquoise.


    His gun was placed next to the box. His eyes paused on these two items and he turned to An Zhe, fingers clasped around the handle of the gun.


    Just then¡ª


    An Zhe rolled over and leaned gently against him.


    He fell asleep. He was like a small animal under the quilt. His milky white neck and shoulders were exposed, his eyebrows stretched out and his eyelashes slightly curled. His breathing was even and calm.


    His fingers exposed under the quilt were slightly curled up but very relaxed. There was no sign of tense nerves. He slept here without any vigilance like he was sleeping in a¡­ safe place he trusted with all his heart. He believed that no one would hurt him here.


    Lu Feng suddenly remembered the day two months ago.


    The day they met for the first time, An Zhe had stared into his eyes and told him, ¡°He really isn¡¯t injured.¡±


    Arguments, questioning and anger were things he encountered countless times a day.


    However, it was the first time he saw such eyes. They weren¡¯t questioning or puzzled, they were just sad. There was a naive calm in the sorrow, as if as long as Lu Feng gave a reason, this person would accept everything and forgive everything.


    Up to then, Lu Feng had ignored everyone¡¯s plea but on that day, he picked up the white cloth covering the body to reveal the man¡¯s wound.


    The wavering of a person started with the first soft heart.

 Chapter 40

    An Zhe dreamed.


    He seemed to be standing above the abyss of black water, facing an endless empty world. The dangerous breath grabbed him like a hand. There must be something watching him in the dark distance and he couldn¡¯t breathe.


    He felt danger and subconsciously looked around, taking two steps back. In front of this dangerous gaze, he wanted to find someone or be close to someone to get a sense of security. Thus, his hand moved uneasily and gently grabbed onto the corner of Lu Feng¡¯s sleeve. His breathing became a bit short like he was afraid.


    Lu Feng closed the lid of the silver cold box and threw the empty disposable needle into the garbage can at the head of the bed. Then he placed the gun at a place that could be reached from the head of the bed.


    After doing all of this, An Zhe¡¯s somewhat short breaths calmed down but his beautiful eyebrows were still slightly furrowed.


    There was a tiny, bright red bead of blood on the side of An Zhe¡¯s neck. Then within three minutes, the blood had solidified into a small red dot the size of a pinhole. The thing that was injected into his body wouldn¡¯t cause his body any damage apart from this blood spot.


    He was a soft-skinned small animal, fragile and in need of comfort. It was as if he could be easily destroyed while also easily protected.


    Lu Feng stared at him with no expression. After a long time, he reached out his hand and rested his fingertips on the warm skin of An Zhe¡¯s eyebrow. The furrowed eyebrows slowly relaxed and three minutes later, An Zhe was sleeping calmly again like he did at the beginning.


    ***


    Once An Zhe woke up, the entire room was already lit. It was the brightness of the morning and the panic about being late caused him to be completely awake. Then he found the towel he had used to wrap himself last night had slid down a lot, exposing his shoulders. His hand was clinging to a corner of a human¡¯s clothing and he was leaning against this human body, face resting on the other person¡¯s shoulder.


    If this man was Seraing, An Zhe would apologize to him in a manner that conformed to human etiquette. If this man was Colin then An Zhe would leave immediately. However, this man was the colonel who often directed killing intent at him.


    An Zhe quietly let go and stared up at this person. However, Lu Feng didn¡¯t want to kill him this time. The man reached out and pulled up the quilt to cover An Zhe¡¯s exposed arms and shoulders. He spoke lightly, ¡°It is 8:30.¡±


    An Zhe¡¯s work location today was still the Lighthouse but the work was very boring. Lu Feng seemed to have no work to do today and also accompanied him. The scene in the laboratory could be summarized as Sinan watched Lily, Lily watched Sinan, An Zhe watched Lily and Lu Feng watched him.


    After half a day, Sinan¡¯s situation actually improved steadily. The time it took for his brain waves to stabilize increased from a short one or two seconds to a stable four seconds. During this brief period of awakening, he would regularly hit the glass wall like he was telling Lily he was there. The doctor was pleased to hear the results and said he would leave for a while, letting them continue on their own.


    During the times when Sinan completely lost his mind, Lily would talk to An Zhe.


    ¡°I still want to fly.¡± She declared. ¡°It is so big outside.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you go out?¡±


    ¡°No, they say it is too dangerous outside. When I was a kid, I begged them to let me go out for five minutes but they never said yes. I was angry with them every day.¡±


    ¡°Mrs Lu will comfort me and tell me not to care about them. She said that the entire base is Eden¡¯s child. Sometimes the child will be capricious and sometimes it will hurt its mother in turn but it is understandable. What¡¯s more, the things we eat, the place we live and the electricity we use are all the base¡¯s things.¡± Lily signed but this action was a little out of place for a child her age.


    An Zhe touched her head.


    ¡°Only Mrs Lu can go outside. She is a scientist.¡± Lily continued, ¡°I want to be a scientist too.¡±


    ¡°I heard them say that the embryo has to grow in the body for at least five months before it can be removed, which is very painful. However, Mrs Lu and the Lighthouse team have been shortening this time and now it only takes a month.¡±


    An Zhe quietly listened to her. Just then, Lu Feng¡¯s communicator rang and he picked it up. An Zhe faintly heard the voice on the other end saying something like ¡®sample¡¯, ¡®growth¡¯ and ¡®verification¡¯. After hanging up, Lu Feng told him, ¡°I¡¯m going out.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lu Feng¡¯s footsteps headed down the corridor. Then Lily suddenly leaned against An Zhe and asked in a mysterious tone, ¡°The colonel is Mrs Lu¡¯s child. Did you know that?¡±


    An Zhe watched the girl. After two days of contact, she was much livelier. He asked, ¡°Do you even know this?¡±


    ¡°It is because I¡¯m smart.¡± Lily slightly raised her chin. ¡°They only sleep while I know everything.¡±


    For the things she said before, An Zhe didn¡¯t have much interest. Then once she mentioned Lu Feng, he felt some curiosity. ¡°What do you know?¡±


    ¡°There are photos of the colonel stored in the madam¡¯s communicator. I have seen it.¡± Lily swung her legs on the chair and continued, ¡°They said that the colonel is the madam¡¯s real child and he wasn¡¯t grown with the assistance of machines.¡±


    An Zhe thought that the relationship between Lu Feng and Mrs Lu was really special. The children of Eden themselves didn¡¯t know the identity of their parents. The only number that had been with them since birth was their ID card number.


    He heard Lily continue, ¡°There seem to be two reasons. The first is that the colonel was in a precarious state at the time and wasn¡¯t suitable for in vitro culture. The other one is just a guess.¡±


    An Zhe inquired, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°The madam stayed outside the Garden of Eden. Later, she would go to the Lighthouse for meetings and talk to people outside. My guess is that the madam had a lover outside. Maybe the colonel is the child of the madam and her lover.¡±


    At this point, Lily stared at An Zhe. ¡°Are you Colonel Lu¡¯s lover?¡±


    An Zhe pondered on the meaning of the word for a moment before shaking his head.


    ¡°Have you ever been paid for sperm?¡± Lily wondered. ¡°Although you don¡¯t have a lover, you might already have a child.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± An Zhe frowned. ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    An Zhe slowly shook his head and didn¡¯t speak. He didn¡¯t have a human child but he had his spore. He just didn¡¯t know where his spore was now. He would ask Lu Feng but he was afraid to reveal his heterogeneous identity. If he continued to search the ventilation ducts, he was at risk of getting lost and being exposed at any time.


    The only thing he knew was that according to Lu Feng¡¯s manual, the spore was most likely in the Lighthouse. He was now in the Lighthouse but facing the complicated authority gates and secure laboratories, he had no idea how to find the spore.


    It was clear that he and the spore must be close. In the Lighthouse for the past two days, An Zhe felt sad whenever he thought of this.


    Lily wondered, ¡°You aren¡¯t happy?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t a complete mushroom. An incomplete mushroom couldn¡¯t be happy. Just then, a slight thumping sound was heard again. Sinan had recovered his consciousness and Lily immediately ran over to Sinan. An Zhe felt even more depressed.


    Then footsteps were heard in the corridor. Lu Feng and the doctor had come back together. The doctor was talking to Lu Feng. ¡°What have you done to it?¡±


    ¡°What could I do to it?¡±


    ¡°It lay as unmoving as the dead until you spent two days in the Lighthouse. Then it suddenly started to grow. I don¡¯t think this is a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, it is soaked in a nutrient solution and keeps floating randomly. So why is it that when you move next to the incubator, it drifts near you?¡±


    Lu Feng¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°Isn¡¯t this your research?¡±


    ¡°You have to first provide us with enough information. What special connection do you have with it?¡±


    ¡°I took it, sealed it and sent it to the Lighthouse.¡± Lu Feng¡¯s tone gradually became cold, a sign that he didn¡¯t want to continue the topic. ¡°Nothing more.¡±


    ¡°This is a key project. You have to cooperate with the research.¡±


    ¡°Feel free.¡±


    The voices came closer and the two of them returned to the laboratory. The doctor walked back to the instrument while Lu Feng took out the base armament book from An Zhe¡¯s backpack and read it to pass the time.


    An Zhe recalled their conversation just now and gradually felt a bit more suspicious. He slowly turned toward Lu Feng.


    Lu Feng felt his gaze and looked up from the page toward him.


    An Zhe stared at him. ¡°What have you done?¡±

 Chapter 41

    Lu Feng glanced at him lightly and didn¡¯t directly answer the question. Instead, he just made a sound. ¡°Hmm?¡±


    An Zhe saw he was reluctant to answer. He considered the possible clues before plucking up his courage. ¡°Something near you¡­¡±


    Lu Feng raised an eyebrow. ¡°Nothing is near me.¡±


    ¡°The doctor just said¡ª¡±


    ¡°I went to see a project.¡± Lu Feng¡¯s tone was casual. ¡°Nothing else.¡±


    An Zhe was going to die of curiosity. He wanted to ask what project Lu Feng had gone to see but the man was saying he didn¡¯t do anything.


    ¡°A lab called him.¡± The doctor went back to the monitoring instrument. ¡°He worked normally and came back after cooperating. However, he might have to go there a few more times.¡±


    After saying this, the doctor started to focus on the previous video of Sinan.


    Lu Feng¡¯s way of thinking was hard to figure out. If An Zhe didn¡¯t grasp the key points then the doctor couldn¡¯t answer the questions. An Zhe was unable to get any news and sat next to Lu Feng, uneasy and frustrated because he didn¡¯t get any answers. He also hated himself for not asking too much because he was afraid of revealing his identity. He even made up his mind to wait for Lu Feng to go again before following.


    Then he heard Lu Feng¡¯s light tone from next to him. ¡°Focus on your work.¡±


    An Zhe, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    At 5 in the afternoon, it was time for Lily to go back. Once she went back, Sinan no longer knocked on the wall in a sober manner and started to bump around the cell. An Zhe briefly recorded today¡¯s situation and the doctor told him that he could go back.


    An Zhe glanced at Lu Feng. Lu Feng told him, ¡°I¡¯ll stay here.¡±


    The doctor explained, ¡°He¡¯s on duty tonight.¡±


    ¡°¡­Oh.¡±


    A variety of experiments were conducted in the Lighthouse, most of which were related to the heterogeneous research. Sometimes improper conduct of the experiments would cause staff to be infected, so the Trial Court also had permanent staff assigned to the Lighthouse.


    Thinking of this, An Zhe suddenly felt that things were a bit more difficult. He didn¡¯t have an ID card and couldn¡¯t return to his home. If Lu Feng didn¡¯t go back with him then he had nowhere to go. He was thinking this when he saw Lu Feng take out the ID card from his uniform¡¯s chest pocket.¡± Go back by yourself.¡±


    An Zhe took it. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The doctor interjected, ¡°Tsk.¡±


    An Zhe wondered, ¡°Will you eat dinner here?¡±


    Lu Feng continued to read the armament book as he spoke lightly, ¡°Yes.¡±


    An Zhe asked, ¡°What will you eat?¡±


    ¡°The lab next door and Eden have combined to create a new compression nutrition powder.¡± The doctor spoke while tapping the keyboard. ¡°For the time being, it is only used within the Lighthouse.¡±


    Saying these words, the strength of his tapping on the keyboard increased by a lot. ¡°It is the worst thing I¡¯ve ever eaten in my life.¡±


    An Zhe stood in place and thought for a moment. He realized that the ventilation duct and the Lighthouse were nothing. The only thing that could really help him find the spore was Lu Feng. He suggested to Lu Feng, ¡°Do you want me to bring you a meal?¡±


    Lu Feng glanced at him with cold eyes, mood unable to be seen. An Zhe also saw him turn to the ¡®PL1109¡¯ fighter plane page. Lu Feng didn¡¯t answer and An Zhe whispered, ¡°Then I¡¯ll bring it for you.¡±


    ¡°Tsk.¡± The doctor made another sound.


    ¡°I want it too,¡± the doctor demanded.


    Lu Feng told him, ¡°You don¡¯t.¡±


    Instead, the doctor turned to An Zhe. ¡°I want to drink tomato soup.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it won¡¯t be available.¡±


    He didn¡¯t lie. The food supply in residential areas was different every day except for potatoes, depending on the output of the Garden of Eden at that time. However, there were tomatoes among today¡¯s ingredients.


    An Zhe stood in front of the container filled with tomatoes and hesitated for a moment. Then he turned to the cabinet with fresh mushrooms opposite him. He remembered when he ate with Lu Feng yesterday. Out of the potato soup, tomato soup and mushroom soup served in the canteen that night, Lu Feng had chosen the mushroom soup. His choice had made An Zhe uncomfortable but¡­


    He worried about it for two minutes before finally grabbing two mushrooms. The mushrooms grown at the base were grey-white, with rounded stems and soft umbrella caps. He often came here to buy things and the staff in the ingredients area recognized him. ¡°Are you cooking with mushrooms tonight?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± An Zhe replied.


    ¡°Do you need any more ingredients?¡±


    Under the guidance of the staff, An Zhe bought fresh meat and seasoning and swiped Lu Feng¡¯s card. Originally, the cost of these ingredients would make him feel it was a huge amount but it seemed insignificant when compared to the balance.


    An Zhe picked up the knife, took a deep breath and started to cut the mushrooms. They were very soft and everything was divided into two halves. The mushroom soup took a lot less time than other soups. After boiling small pieces of fresh chicken bones, he put the seasonings in and added the mushrooms. After a while, a light fragrance came filled the room. An Zhe put on the lid of the pressure cooker, set the time and left the kitchen. He had nothing to do so he added water to the roses in the colonel¡¯s room, cleaned the room and turned on the TV in the living room.


    Now was the time when the news was broadcasted. The image appeared and An Zhe saw a familiar figure. It was Hubbard, the mercenary captain who once ordered a doll from Boss Shaw and also helped Boss Shaw get Lu Feng¡¯s information.


    At that time, if he hadn¡¯t led the team and gone out on a mission then he probably would¡¯ve been charged as well.


    ¡°The recall of mercenaries is going smoothly. This morning, all members of the AR137 mercenary team have returned to the base. This is the only team capable of performing six star missions apart from the military of the base. They bring back valuable samples and the latest updates from the outside world. Our reporter has interviewed Mr Hubbard, the captain of AR137.¡±


    On the screen, Hubbard wearing field gear had just got off his armoured vehicle. A reported was interviewing him.


    ¡°Mr Hubbard, welcome back.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The staff member next to them was directing them to check their blood. ¡°Welcome to the main city.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Hubbard replied. ¡°I was surprised by the situation at the base.¡±


    ¡°Your return date is a bit later than the other mercenary teams. Did you encounter difficulties in the middle?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Mr Hubbard¡¯s response was short. ¡°The signal wasn¡¯t good and I didn¡¯t receive the recall order.¡±


    The reporter smiled. ¡°Where did you come back from?¡±


    ¡°The outer perimeter of the Abyss.¡±


    ¡°What is the situation there?¡±


    ¡°The monster forms are more varied.¡±


    ¡°The Abyss is a really terrible place. What did you bring back from there?¡±


    ¡°Specimens.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your contribution to the base,¡± the reporter said.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    An Zhe thought that Hubbard could compete with Lu Feng in the matter of not talking a lot. However, his eyes didn¡¯t look as good as Lu Feng¡¯s eyes.


    The scene cut back to the news host. ¡°As far as we know, the returned mercenary teams will be included in the military and continue to serve the base.¡±


    After this, there were a few irrelevant news. There weren¡¯t many things to be reported every day in the main city. Most of the time, the host broadcasted the progress of the Lighthouse¡¯s research. There were many professional terms that made An Zhe sleepy.


    Then the kitchen¡¯s pressure cooker let out a sound, waking An Zhe. He opened the lid and the rich aroma slammed into his nose. The soup was very thick and white mushrooms floated in the soup. He took a bite and was satisfied. An Zhe filled the soup into three thermoses and planned to take it to the Lighthouse.


    He was walking to the kitchen door when he choked. The news screen was showing a silver laboratory surrounded by complicated machinery. In the centre of the laboratory was a cylindrical glass water tank containing a pale green clear liquid. In this water tank that was the height of one person, a small white thing floated quietly in the center.


    An Zhe¡¯s eyes widened and he stepped toward the TV screen. At this time, the camera zoomed in on the little, white object. It was a white, fluffy mass. Its main body was like a cloud floating in the water, the size of which was the same as the mushrooms used in cooking today. In addition, the small white mycelium stretched out, gently floating in the water.


    An Zhe almost stopped breathing. He would never mistake his spore¡ªalthough it seemed to have grown a bit bigger compared to when they left.


    An Zhe raised his hand, fingers trembling a bit as they stuck to the cold screen of the TV. It was as if he was touching the surface of the glass water tank and the only thing separating him from the spore was a glass wall. Then the next moment, the newscaster¡¯s voice broke the illusion. ¡°Four months ago, the abnormal fungus sample collected by the Trial Court was listed as a first-class observation object. It is a special type of eukaryote and there has been no variation in the basic morphology. Therefore, the Lighthouse believes that the sample has valuable research value. Perhaps through studying the sample, it can reveal the process and principle of biological infection variation.¡±


    An Zhe frowned. His spore had indeed been taken away for research.


    The newscaster then added, ¡°According to the researchers, the sample has been in a semi-dead state for the past four months. However, in the last two days, it has recovered its activity and increased its body size. This is exciting news¡­¡±


    An Zhe¡¯s heart was beating. He knew that the spore recognized him. Otherwise, why did it only grow during the two days when An Zhe was at the Lighthouse? The spore sensed him and must¡¯ve wanted to come back to him.


    The broadcaster continued, ¡°The laboratory contacted the Trial Court and confirmed that the growth direction of the sample is similar to its original morphology.¡±


    At the same time, on the screen, the spore drifted in one direction. An Zhe thought this must be the direction of his laboratory and that the spore wanted to find him. The next second, a figure appeared next to the glass water tank. His body was outside the camera and there was only a fuzzy reflection. It was unknown who this person was. An Zhe wanted this man to stay away from his spore.


    However, the situation was the opposite. This person reached out and gently touched the surface of the water tank. His fingers were long and the joints were beautiful. An Zhe frowned. He was familiar with the shape of this hand. The man¡¯s sleeves, as well as the silver buckles, were familiar to him.


    An Zhe gritted his teeth. He confirmed that the man who tried to touch the spore was undoubtedly Lu Feng, that bad thing.


    At this moment, the spore fluttered to the bad thing in front of it. The white mycelium reached out and touched the fingers across the water tank.


    An Zhe, ¡°?¡±

 Chapter 42

    An Zhe watched his spore stretch out the mycelium to touch Lu Feng across the glass. Once Lu Feng¡¯s hand left, the mycelium drooped and there was a faint sense of loss.


    Seeing the spore¡¯s behaviour, An Zhe felt a bit sad like he had experienced it in person. When Lu Feng raised his hand, An Zhe didn¡¯t want him to be close to the spore but when he let go, An Zhe wanted him to stay longer.


    In the short span of a second, the camera switched to a researcher in a white coat who said that the sample showed an unprecedented inertia when it came to infection variation.


    ¡°After four months of analysis and research, the sample extract has never been infected by any organism. Similar, when we infected the sample with a mutated biological extract, we didn¡¯t observe any changes in its structure.¡± The Lighthouse researcher explained. ¡°The Lighthouse thinks this might be the breakthrough point for us to overcome the variation.¡±


    An Zhe tightly clenched the handle of the thermos. Humans said that his spore was the breakthrough to overcome the variation. This showed that his spore would be protected very tightly. Finally, the broadcaster summed up the news with a positive tone and said that the future of the base was bright, thanking the researchers for their efforts.


    The news time was over and it was followed by the weather forecast. According to the observation of the Lighthouse, the area where the base was located would experience significant warming in the next three days. They reminded all areas, especially the Lighthouse laboratories and the Eden crop breeding area to pay attention to their responses.


    An Zhe was unable to listen anymore. He left the house and got on the shuttle bus. Along the way, he was thinking about how to get close to his spore. First, he needed to know the exact location of the laboratory. Then he needed to observe the working rules of the researchers. Generally, the researchers wouldn¡¯t stay in the laboratory for 24 hours a day. If he could get into the lab through the ventilation pipe when no one was around, he could try to recover the spore.


    Then he could find a way to get out of the human base and return to the Abyss. The experimental sample was stolen and the humans were bound to pursue it to the end. An Zhe would have no choice but to escape.


    Thinking up to here, An Zhe turned his head blankly and saw the brightly lit city through the glass of the bus. The aurora had risen and the green light was rolling through the night sky, rapidly changing, just like the passing of time.


    There was the radio broadcast and he arrived at the Twin Towers.


    An Zhe held the thermoses and opened the door with Lu Feng¡¯s ID card. He entered the corridor and went upstairs. In the silver corridor, every laboratory was brightly lit and different instruments emitted sounds of different frequencies, coming and going. An Zhe found the doctor¡¯s laboratory but only Dr Ji and his assistant were inside.


    ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± The doctor looked up at him. ¡°Lu Feng will come back later.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± An Zhe placed the thermoses on the table, opened on and gave the doctor a bowl. The performance of the thermos was excellent and the soup was still hot. The strong aroma escaped with the steaming white mist, filling the entire laboratory.


    ¡°Oh my god.¡± The doctor picked up the cutlery that was handed over. ¡°You¡¯re so kind.¡±


    An Zhe smiled.


    The doctor wondered, ¡°Aren¡¯t you eating?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait for him to come back.¡±


    ¡°Tsk.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not waiting for him,¡± the doctor muttered before looking at his assistant. ¡°Keep playing it.¡±


    The assistant replied, ¡°Okay.¡±


    An Zhe looked at the computer interface in front of the doctor. The central window was playing Sinan¡¯s video. Under this was another window that was partially covered. He could said the mailing list. Dr Ji was sending an email to the ¡®Underground Base¡¯ and ¡®Research Institute¡¯ respectively.


    An Zhe¡¯s eyes shifted back to the video of Sinan. Lily was chatting endlessly with the grey bee. One second, she asked, ¡°Do you have honey?¡± The next second, it became, ¡°Is it more fun to be a human or a bee?¡±


    He opened his mouth. ¡°It is getting bigger.¡±


    It was easy to notice that the bee was getting bigger.


    The doctor ate a piece of chicken and squinted at the screen. ¡°Yes.¡±


    The assistant added in a timely manner, ¡°It has gained 10 kg.¡±


    The doctor wondered, ¡°What did it eat?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t eat.¡±


    The doctor ordered, ¡°I see.¡±


    He continued, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have thought about it at mealtime. I was happy.¡±


    An Zhe asked them, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°The changes and growth of heterogeneous species not only violate the pre-existing definition of biology, they also challenge the law of conservation of energy.¡± The doctor watched Sinan. ¡°Living things take energy from the outside world and transform it inside themselves. Then when a human becomes a heterogeneous species, their body size can increase tenfold and their muscle mass is many times higher than a human. Where does all that energy come from? Human flesh and blood is their petri dish and can¡¯t provide so much. Thus, it comes from nothing.¡±


    An Zhe didn¡¯t speak. He didn¡¯t have any knowledge but the creatures in the Abyss were indeed very large.


    ¡°Forget it.¡± The doctor sighed. ¡°Our knowledge system is completely ineffective and it isn¡¯t something that can be determined in one or two days.¡±


    He continued to eat the bowl of delicious mushroom soup but his eyes remained on the screen. Once he was almost finished, An Zhe asked, ¡°Do you want any more?¡±


    The doctor didn¡¯t answer. An Zhe glanced over and found him staring at the screen.


    ¡°Replay,¡± the doctor ordered.


    The assistant played the video back to one minute ago. Lily was leaning against the glass wall, speaking in a tired manner. ¡°Don¡¯t hit the wall. It hurts.¡±


    Then she said, ¡°Talking might be tiring but the Lighthouse is more interesting than the Garden of Eden.¡±


    Just then, Sinan regained a brief sense of soberness and his lips, covered with fur and thorns, tapped gently on the glass.


    Lily said, ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡±


    The limbs trembled gently and knocked several times in a row. The doctor raised his eyebrows. ¡°Replay it at 0.5 times the speed.¡±


    The screen zoomed in and slowed down, focusing on the tapping on the glass.


    ¡°The interval between the first and second taps is the same. Then there is a long pause before there is a tap and another long pause.¡± The doctor took out a notebook and quickly wrote in it with a pen. ¡°After this pause, it taps three times in succession at the same interval.¡±


    He recorded the numbers 2, 1, 3 on the paper.


    Once the video finished, the doctor said, ¡°Play the next video where it is sober.¡±


    The assistant started to adjust the pace. He looked like a Ph.D student as he asked, ¡°Do you suspect it is delivering a message with the frequency of tapping?¡±


    The doctor muttered, ¡°This absolutely isn¡¯t normal¡­ but he is just a six year old child.¡±


    He asked An Zhe, ¡°What do you teach in your math and logic courses?¡±


    An Zhe replied, ¡°Arithmetic, geometry and reasoning.¡±


    ¡°Do you tell them any extracurricular stories? For example, radio codes or something.¡±


    Then he continued without waiting for a reply. ¡°No. He didn¡¯t get into Class A so he wouldn¡¯t have such a high IQ.¡±


    An Zhe told him, ¡°He gets full marks on his test papers. He couldn¡¯t enter Class A due to a psychological factor.¡±


    The doctor nodded to show he understood and started watching the next video. In the video, Sinan¡¯s time of awareness was short and he quickly knocked twice at different intervals than before. The doctor wrote two points on the paper that were very close together. ¡°The next video.¡±


    In the next video, Sinan knocked seven times at the same time interval.


    In the next video, Sinan was aware for a full five seconds. The first half of the video was amazingly consistent with the first video: 2. 1. 3. Once the third tap was completed, he paused for a short period of time and then quickly tapped twice. This video was like the first and second ones were joined together.


    The doctor recorded it in his notebook and the video continued to play. In the fifth video, he tapped seven times in a row. In all subsequent sober episodes, his tapping maintained such a cycle until 5 o¡¯clock when Lily was taken back to the Garden of Eden.


    The doctor¡¯s notebook recorded a string of numbers.


    2, 1, 3, 1, 1, 7, 2, 1, 3, 1, 1, 7, 2¡­


    The assistant suggested, ¡°Should we found someone in the mathematical department to decrypt it?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the doctor replied. ¡°The message he wants to convey is very short and it shouldn¡¯t be difficult¡­ let me think.¡±


    An Zhe frowned and looked at the string of numbers. Humans communicated through language and he didn¡¯t know how numbers should take on the function of transmitting information unless there was some text in the numbers.


    ¡°2, 1, 3¡­¡± The doctor¡¯s frown loosened slightly.


    An Zhe hesitated for a moment before suggesting, ¡°B, A, C?¡±


    ¡°The alphabet.¡± The doctor quickly wrote the three letters ¡®bac¡¯ on the paper. An Zhe looked at the previous notes. After 2, 1, 3, Sinan had tapped twice in succession so it should be ¡®bacaa.¡¯ The sixth letter was 7 and 7 corresponded to the letter ¡®g¡¯ in the alphabet.


    Consistent with his thinking, the doctor wrote ¡®bacaag¡¯ but drew a line under the two consecutive ¡®a.¡¯


    The assistant opened his mouth. ¡°The interval between the two taps is very short and might be expressing something else.¡±


    ¡°11.¡± The doctor suddenly said. ¡°The two short strokes don¡¯t represent two separate ¡®1¡¯ but the number 11.¡±


    The letter corresponding to 11 was ¡®g¡¯ and the string of characters became ¡®backg.¡¯


    The doctor questioned, ¡°How is his English?¡±


    An Zhe answered, ¡°It is also full points.¡±


    A foreign language accounted for almost 50% of the content in the language and literature classes. If these children grew up and entered the Lighthouse, they could check the records of human civilization and high language skills were needed.¡±


    ¡°Back.¡± The doctor read out a word before moving the ¡®g¡¯ to the front. ¡°Go back. It is a very concise sentence and wouldn¡¯t be so short in other languages. And¡­¡±


    The assistant added, ¡°Based on Lily¡¯s understand, if she can notice then she would understand.¡±


    The doctor nodded. ¡°He wants her to go back. What does that mean?¡±


    The video continued and Lily spoke in a lethargic manner, ¡°The doctor said the base is currently in danger. You have to help us or everyone will become a monster. It is terrible.¡±


    The assistant said, ¡°If they¡¯re good friends, it means Eden is a safe place. He knows or predicts that the outside world is dangerous so he will have her go back.¡±


    ¡°However, the boy was infected in the Garden of Eden and became a heterogeneous species.¡± The doctor pondered on it. ¡°Is it that the first heterogeneous infection occurred in the Garden of Eden and once the Trial Court¡¯s investigation moved there, it headed somewhere else? It is the strategy of threatening the east to strike in the west?¡±


    The assistant asked, ¡°Do you want to have a meeting to discuss it?¡±


    The doctor glanced at the door of the laboratory. ¡°Why hasn¡¯t Lu Feng come back yet?¡±


    He took out his communicator to call but there was a busy tone. The assistant said, ¡°Maybe he entered a signal-shielded laboratory.¡¯


    An Zhe was keenly aware of the opportunity and asked, ¡°What is he doing?¡±


    ¡°It is the afternoon project.¡± The doctor explained. ¡°They found that the colonel can promote the growth of a sample. He has to go over there and take care of the child.¡±


    An Zhe suggested, ¡°I can go to him.¡±


    The doctor smiled. ¡°The two of you have very good feelings.¡±


    He continued, ¡°Okay, go and bring him back. This way, the two of you can also eat dinner. The laboratory is a high level one and it is a combination of the military and the Lighthouse. Take the elevator to the 13th floor, cross the bridge and look for room D1344.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    He turned and left the laboratory. Obviously, Lu Feng was with his spore again. Perhaps this person was close to the glass water tank or extending his hand and playing the game of touching each other with the spore. He didn¡¯t know why this happened but he absolutely didn¡¯t believe that Lu Feng was promoting the growth of the spore. It was just that when the spore was taken, it wasn¡¯t yet mature enough to grow on its own. It could only grow inside or around An Zhe.


    The elevator arrived. There were two other people inside, two researchers who were talking about the recent weather.


    ¡°The temperature rose after the strong wind. The weather recently has been very extreme.¡±


    ¡°Summer is here and it is normal. The base of more afraid of the cold than the temperature rising.¡±


    ¡°That is true.¡±


    ¡°Still, I heard that this is due to the fluctuation of the magnetic field¡¯s strength.¡±


    ¡°Is there a problem with the artificial magnetic poles?¡±


    ¡°The lab next door detected several abnormal fluctuations. There isn¡¯t a problem with our eastern magnetic pole so everyone agreed that the western magnetic pole must be adjusting the frequency manually.¡±


    The researcher smiled. ¡°Has there been any new advances in the technology of the Underground City Base?¡±


    ¡°That is my guess, otherwise no one would dare to move the magnetic poles. They have teamed up with the System Warfare Centre an applied to start the high-frequency, short-wave communication to the Underground Base.¡±


    ¡°Everything is getting better.¡±


    Everything was really getting better. An Zhe was going to see his spore. The elevator door opened and An Zhe got out.


    The bridge that connected the Lighthouse and the United Front Centre was wide and transparent on both sides, made of glass or other materials. The D1344 laboratory was easy to find and he knocked on the door.


    A female voice was heard. ¡°Please come in.¡±


    The moment An Zhe entered, he saw the glass water tank in the middle. It was exactly the same as it was on the news, with a small white object. Next to the white object was Lu Feng in a black uniform. He put his finger on the water tank and the spore wandered over to find him. Then the man removed his finger and placed his fingertip at another distant location. The spore slowly shifted its direction and went to the new location. Once it was about to catch up, Lu Feng changed positions again, taking care not to let it touch.


    An Zhe saw this scene and was so angry that he forgot to breathe. Lu Feng¡¯s expression seemed impassive but he was completely happy. He seemed to be having fun bullying the spore.


    Just then, Lu Feng glanced at him and raised an eyebrow. Surrounded by sophisticated instruments, surveillance equipment and dozens of researchers, An Zhe was doomed to only look at the spore from a distance. No, he could do something else and take this spore-bullying man away.


    He walked to the water tank but hatefully, the spore didn¡¯t approach him. Rather, it still lingered near Lu Feng.


    Lu Feng¡¯s tone was light. ¡°What is it?¡±


    An Zhe¡¯s tone was very bad as he told this person, ¡°You should go back to eat.¡±


    Lu Feng looked at him with a bit of a smile. Bullying the spore had given this person so much happiness.


    He saw Lu Feng walk to a researcher and say, ¡°I¡¯m going.¡±


    ¡°Please come again tomorrow.¡±


    An Zhe gritted his teeth and finally glanced helplessly at the spore floating in the nutrient solution. Then the door of the laboratory closed mercilessly in front of him. He and Lu Feng walked down the corridor. He asked, ¡°Are you coming here again tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Are you playing with the sample?¡±


    Lu Feng answered, ¡°I¡¯m cooperating with research.¡±


    An Zhe wouldn¡¯t believe his evil words. Silently, they turned a corner and reached the bridge leading to the Lighthouse, lined by the night lights of the city and the aurora in the sky. Lu Feng seemed to feel his emotions. ¡°Are you unhappy?¡±


    An Zhe didn¡¯t speak. Lu Feng stopped and looked at him. An Zhe turned to glance at the aurora outside and the entire world seemed quiet for a second. Just then¡ª


    An Zhe¡¯s pupils shrunk!


    At this moment, a tingling sensation covered his body. The light was too strong and he subconsciously closed his eyes. The aurora in the sky burst out like daylight, like green lightning cutting through the sky.


    The next moment, Lu Feng grabbed his shoulders and pulled him down with a lot of force. He was crushed to the ground and the two of them rolled on the ground. This all happened in a few seconds.


    An Zhe wasn¡¯t hurt because Lu Feng¡¯s arm protected him. He opened his eyes and found himself back in the corridor. Lu Feng pulled him up.


    An Zhe¡¯s head buzzed as the glanced at the bridge before freezing.


    The aurora was dissipating¡ªall the aurora. After the brief explosion just now, the aurora was like the tide escaping from the night sky. The colour faded in just 10 seconds and then disappeared completely. A brilliant galaxy crossed the blue-purple night sky.


    He had never seen such a scene before. Then An Zhe¡¯s eyes moved down and the lights of the entire human city flickered, reflecting the galaxy. The corridor lights went out madly and chaos came from the laboratories as several researchers ran out.


    Lu Feng dragged An Zhe back to a place where the outside couldn¡¯t be seen. He faced a researcher who hurried out and asked in a deep voice, ¡°¡ªWhat about the magnetic field?¡±

 Chapter 43

    ¡°The emergency power is turned on.¡±


    ¡°Emergency internal communication channels are turned one.¡±


    ¡°Emergency defense system is turned on.¡±


    ¡°Ventilation system is on.¡±


    ¡°Radiation defense window has been lowered.¡±


    ¡°All departments, please be on standby.¡±


    In the corridor, there were clumsy footsteps and shouts. The radio was turned on but it was a human female voice instead of a mechanical voice.


    Then dull noises were heard in all directions. An Zhe looked toward the corridor and saw a steel curtain suddenly fall, blocked all the windows. It looked very thick and An Zhe remembered Poet¡¯s words. Once the magnetic field disappeared, the cosmic rays and solar wind would immediately hit the surface of the earth.


    Thus, he knew that Lu Feng had pulled him into the corridor, leaving the space where the cosmic radiation might reach. The buildings in the main city were the peak of human science and technology. The thickness of the walls and the special materials prevented a radiation attack. Once the lights in the United Front Centre went out madly, they steadily turned on again. It was just that this time, they were much weaker than before.


    In a nearby lab, the sound of a researcher called someone on the communicator was heard. He was too anxious, making his voice loud enough to be heard from the corridor.


    ¡°D1342 is requesting increased power supply! The instruments can¡¯t stop!¡±


    A voice was heard from another laboratory. ¡°Requesting emergency power in D1343, otherwise precious samples will soon be inactivated.¡±


    Who would answer their request? An Zhe didn¡¯t know. He glanced in the direction of D1344 and subconsciously grabbed Lu Feng¡¯s sleeve.


    Lu Feng looked down at him. ¡°It¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    An Zhe nodded.


    The broadcasts continued. ¡°Personnel of the equipment centre, the city defense station, the emergency response department and the logistics supply department of the United Front, you are invited to the 17th floor¡¯s meeting room. Please don¡¯t take the elevator and use the emergency stairs.¡±


    ¡°The Lighthouse¡¯s magnetic field observatory office, please link up the system warfare centre immediately.¡±


    ¡°The Lighthouse¡¯s magnetic field observatory office, please link up the system warfare centre immediately.¡±


    The volume of the radio was at the maximum and it echoed in the corridor.


    An Zhe asked Lu Feng, ¡°Will we return to the Lighthouse?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait for orders.¡± Lu Feng watched the bridge like he was thinking of something. Then his gaze returned to An Zhe. ¡°Don¡¯t run around and follow me.¡±


    An Zhe said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    He heard the radio say, ¡°Personnel from the command office, joint staff, Trial Court and operations centre, please go to the communication centre on the 14th floor of the United Front. Please don¡¯t use the elevator and take the emergency stairs.¡±


    The moment Lu Feng entered the communication centre, An Zhe could hear voices inside.


    ¡°The Northern Base is calling the Underground Base, please answer.¡±


    ¡°The Northern Base is calling the Underground Base, please answer.¡±


    ¡°The Northern Base is calling the Underground Base, please answer.¡±


    A person wearing large black headphones was talking with more than a dozen display screens in front of him with some curves and parameters jumping. However, he was only talking to the communication channel. There was empty noise coming from the opposite end.


    In the middle of the hall was a middle-aged man in a black military uniform. His features were cold and dignified and the epaulettes indicated that he was a lieutenant general. He nodded when he saw Lu Feng come in. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡±


    There were other soldiers who came in after Lu Feng. Their ranks and department weren¡¯t the same but their expressions were all cold and solemn. There were chairs in the communication centre. They spread out and sat down, An Zhe sitting quietly beside Lu Feng.


    The lieutenant general received a call and 30 seconds later, he hung up and told the officers in the hall, ¡°Based on the Lighthouse¡¯s magnetic field observation office, the strength of the global magnetic field plummeted five minutes ago. However, there are no abnormalities from our protected eastern magnetic pole.¡±


    ¡°Obviously, there was a major failure with the western magnetic pole on the other side.¡±


    An Zhe listened to the lieutenant general. He knew what the magnetic field meant to humans.


    The magnetic field protected everything on the planet. Once it was lost, the cosmic rays and solar wind would enter. In this short time, it would bring about a severe drought to the entire world. Exposed humans would be affected by radiation and suffer from various malignant diseases, dying or mutating. If there was no magnetic field protection for a long time, the entire planet¡¯s atmosphere would be scattered by the solar wind and the world would become a dead desert.


    The two magnetic poles manufactured by humans were located in the Northern Base and the Underground City Base. Both of them maintained a weak magnetic field covering the world and were inseparable. If one of them had a problem then the other would lose its effect.


    There was no need for extra communication between them. The aurora appearing in the sky at night told the other that they were still there and still safe. Now the aurora was gone.


    At this time, the person debugging the equipment said, ¡°Reporting. The artificial magnetic field has disappeared and the ionosphere is disturbed. Short-wave communication isn¡¯t feasible.¡±


    The lieutenant general frowned and spoke after three seconds of silence. ¡°At all costs, turn on the long-wave communication.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    In the era when humans lost satellites and ground relay stations, long-distance communication became very difficult. Only short-wave radio waves could penetrate through the ionosphere into the atmosphere. However, the artificial magnetic field was weaker than the original and communication was very unstable. Now that the magnetic field completely disappeared, the ionosphere was disordered and communication became even more difficult.


    Long-wave communication was different. It was ground to ground, using the earth and sea as a medium. It was stable and reliable, but the start-up costs were high. Only the oldest code could be used to transmit messages. At the same time, it was one-way. This meant that if the other party couldn¡¯t turn on long-wave communication, they wouldn¡¯t be able to communicate.


    The message was passed down layer by layer. Finally, the communication centre received the feedback message and the long-wave communication device was turned on. The dispatcher picked up the instrument and sent codes of different intervals and lengths. This was inputted into the system in turn and uploaded to the communication channel.¡±


    ¡°The Northern Base is calling the Underground Base, please answer when you hear it.¡±


    There was a long silence.


    ¡°The Underground Base is the most well-built of the four human bases. It is difficult to imagine that it will encounter a disaster.¡± An officer said, ¡°I hope it is just equipment failure.¡±


    He had just spoken when there was a shrill noise from the receiver! It was a rustling, stabbing, chaotic sound that seemed to come from the infinite universe, like the breath of a dying giant monster. Everyone in the room held their breaths until 20 seconds passed.


    ¡°Beep.¡±


    ¡°Beep beep.¡±


    ¡°Be, beep¡ª¡±


    The telegram finished and the dispatcher¡¯s body trembled as he quickly recorded it.


    Five minutes later, the lieutenant general asked, ¡°What did they say?¡±


    The dispatcher was pale and his lips were trembling. He read the paper where the signals were located and spoke. ¡°They said that¡­ the Underground City Base¡­ encountered a heterogeneous invasion. The losses are heavy. They are¡­ resisting and repairing the magnetic pole.¡±


    ¡°The ammunition stockpile is already less than one-fifth¡­ the nuclear weapons reserve is exhausted and the number of soldiers is insufficient. Requesting¡­¡± The dispatcher gritted his teeth and continued, ¡°Requesting support.¡±


    There was silence.

 Chapter 44

    Silence often meant facing a critical decision. To save or not save.


    ¡°Can we still get in touch with the Underground City Base?¡± A voice broke the silence.


    ¡°There is no reply.¡±


    ¡°The first meeting in the conference room is over. Based on existing resources, if we guarantee the city¡¯s survival then we can maintain this for three to ten days.¡±


    ¡°What if we don¡¯t guarantee the city¡¯s survival?¡±


    ¡°If it is only the Twin Towers and Eden then resources are guaranteed to last for 15 to 30 days without considering climate factors.


    ¡°In extreme cases, if the core personnel is transferred to the underground refuge in Eden then long-term survival can be considered.¡±


    ¡°Then there is still a bit of hope.¡±


    It was silent again. Finally, someone wondered, ¡°Can¡¯t we save them?¡±


    The lieutenant general looked around the room. An Zhe had heard the broadcasts to convene meetings and knew that at this time, the room was full of the highest-ranked officers of the command office, the staff department and the operations centre. Unlike the logistics and city defense personnel who met in the first meeting room, they had all been on the front lines.


    Even An Zhe knew how dangerous the front lines would be at this time. What would make the most well-equipped human base on the verge of falling so that even the artificial magnetic pole couldn¡¯t be kept?


    Perhaps it would already be a dead city before the reinforcements arrived. Perhaps before reaching its destination, the reinforcements would crash in a storm onto the ground or into the sea. Or perhaps the Northern Base helping the Underground City Base would deplete their own armaments supply so that the next time there was a heterogeneous attack, they wouldn¡¯t be able to resist.


    In the long silence, An Zhe heard Lu Feng speak. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡±


    The lieutenant general stared at him for a long time before saying, ¡°You are the best candidate.¡±


    An Zhe glanced at Lu Feng. He knew why the lieutenant general said that Lu Feng was the best candidate.


    In different areas of the same continent, there were still huge differences between the monsters. The Northern Base and Underground City Base were separated by an ocean and the monsters¡¯ habits and fighting methods might be completely unknown.


    Who could best adapt to this unknown? It was people who often went to the Abyss. Monsters in the Abyss were chaotic and crazy. Almost all patterns of variation were found in them.


    Then another officer said, ¡°I¡¯m good at commanding large joint operations. I will apply to go.¡±


    ¡°The captain of AR137.¡± Lu Feng suggested. ¡°Contact him and ask if he will go voluntarily.¡±


    ¡°Mr Hubbard has agreed to go.¡±


    The meeting was adjourned. As Lu Feng left here, he was stopped by the lieutenant general.


    ¡°Who will take over the work of the Trial Court?¡±


    ¡°My deputy.¡±


    ¡°Can he do it?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    After going on, Seraing came over since the Trial Court¡¯s work was in the same building. He whispered, ¡°Colonel.¡±


    Lu Feng responded lightly. In the dim light, Seraing¡¯s eyes were red. Lu Feng left because he had many things to prepare.


    Seraing asked him to rest in the Trial Court¡¯s office. On the way, An Zhe excused himself. He went to the 13th floor and saw that the doorway of D1344 was still lit up. There were the voices of researchers saying the time was tight. It was precisely due to this that all research must be completed quickly. An Zhe lowered his head. His body was too fragile and soft and he couldn¡¯t rush in. He returned to the first floor lobby.


    The lobby was filled with people. Seraing came to him but An Zhe didn¡¯t speak. He just watched it all quietly. The busily moving crowds, the constant sound of the radio, the bright lights and the intermittent electricity supply. All of this happened so quickly. The fate of humanity was as fickle as the aurora in the sky.


    At 11 o¡¯clock in the evening, the equipment centre sent a message that the task had been completed.


    At 12 midnight, the logistics supply office sent a message that the task had been completed.


    At 1 a.m, PL1109 planes finished their maintenance and the fighter plane formation was prepared.


    There was a dull roar from afar. The ground commander needed a wide field of vision. The separation curtain rose, the hot rays and strong winds spread and everyone retreated deep into the lobby to the safety area. In the distance, a row of lights lit up and An Zhe glanced over there. The lights of the wings and nose outlined the huge fighter plane. There were three PL1109 fighter planes.


    An Zhe knew that PL1109 was a masterpiece of human science and technology. There was a full-radiation shielded shell and an independent cruise system without the need for the magnetic field guidance. Humans had long foreseen and prepared for the coming disaster but no one knew exactly how this prediction and preparation would work.


    In addition, An Zhe finally knew why the road surface of the base was so smooth, solid and wide, as well as the reason for the military base being connected to the city centre, the huge buffer zone, the tarmac and runways everywhere¡­ People built it 100 years ago not due to beauty or order. It was because everything in the main base was to deal with a possible war.


    Another gate opened and several officers in black combat fatigues came out.


    Among the group of people, An Zhe could see Lu Feng instantly. This man¡¯s body was upright and his lines were clean and clear. It was different from the elegance and coldness in his judge¡¯s uniform. It seemed more casual and magnified his bad nature. However, An Zhe wouldn¡¯t call him a bad thing tonight. Lu Feng was a very good human being.


    Lu Feng came toward him, original uniform coat slung over his arm and Seraing took the coat.


    ¡°Follow Seraing and don¡¯t run around.¡± Lu Feng told An Zhe. He added to Seraing, ¡°Look after him.¡±


    They were clearly very simple words but An Zhe felt a threat from it, as if he would be punished if he ran away. He frowned and looked up at the man.


    Lu Feng reached out and rubbed his hair. His eyes weren¡¯t as cold or bad as usual. An Zhe even felt they were a bit soft. This man was determined to go the Underground City Base on the other side of the planet. An Zhe felt he should say something, such as telling Lu Feng to pay attention to safety or to take care of himself¡­


    He opened his mouth and felt that the colonel was probably used to such a life. Lu Feng seemed able to handle everything without advice. In the end, An Zhe only said, ¡°¡­I cooked mushroom soup tonight.¡±


    No matter how good the thermos, the soup wasn¡¯t as delicious as when it was boiling hot.


    Lu Feng smiled lightly. ¡°Thank you. Once I come back, make it again for me.¡±


    Those eyes, shimmering like the deepest part of the jungle in summer nights, stared down at An Zhe. He seemed to lean down slightly For a moment, An Zhe felt that Lu Feng wanted to get close to him but this feeling was fleeting.


    ¡°Maybe I won¡¯t come back.¡± Lu Feng¡¯s voice was slightly hoarse. ¡°Take care of yourself.¡±


    An Zhe just made a sound. ¡°Hmm.¡±


    He watched Lu Feng¡¯s back heading away into the temporary boarding bridge.


    This was the first time he watched Lu Feng¡¯s back heading away and couldn¡¯t think clearly. He didn¡¯t know why this person could always go forward, why he could shoot his colleagues without hesitation and how he could sacrifice his life at any time.


    Outside, the sandstorm came along with the wind, covering the night and making the flying dust and gravel seemed like the endless night fog. In this dark night, the buzzing of the engine was heard and the PL1109 fighter planes set off smoothly.


    They spread their wings that resembled a huge bird and flew further and higher in An Zhe¡¯s vision. It became smaller and smaller until it was a slightly invisible black spot. Finally, it disappeared into the brilliant Milky Way. There was a distant roar and the fighter planes accelerated again.


    An Zhe couldn¡¯t find them at all. Everyone looked up at the endless night sky. There was a solemn silence in the lobby and it took a long time before people dispersed. An Zhe was still standing there when gentle footsteps were heard behind him. It was Seraing.


    ¡°I sometimes wondered why the colonel chose me as his successor. What qualities and guidelines does he think a judge should have?¡± Seraing spoke. ¡°Now I think it is contrary to what other people think. It isn¡¯t coldness, it is kindness.¡±


    ¡°Human interests above all else. It isn¡¯t kindness to one person but to the fate of humanity as a whole. This is the source of his unshakable faith.¡± Seraing¡¯s voice was soft and hoarse. ¡°I hope that people 100 years from now won¡¯t have to face everything we are facing, if there are still humans at that time.¡±


    An Zhe didn¡¯t speak. He just stared at up the starry night sky, a vast ocean of endless glory.


    Seraing draped a coat over him. ¡°Once the aurora is lit again, the colonel will return.¡±

 Chapter 45

    ¡°Even if it is wrong, it is still correct.¡±


    The Trial Court¡¯s work office was connected to the training area, with the words ¡®human interests takes precedence over everything else¡¯ on one side and the above sentence written on the other side.


    Below this sentence was a row of silver photo frames. The first photo frame was blank and then continued forward. The second photo frame contained a black and white photo and showed an officer approximately in his 30s, wearing a judge¡¯s uniform. The wall was engraved with his date and birth and date of death under the frame. He was 36 years old and died seven years ago.


    The next frame was still a black and white photo with the date of birth and date of death. An Zhe moved forward. The next photos were similar in the years of birth and death and the age of their lives was moving forward. Thus, An Zhe knew these were photos of the previous judges and the blank photo frame at the very edge was undoubtedly left for Lu Feng.


    Thinking of this, An Zhe stopped for a moment, an indescribable weight pressed on his heart. If he could, he hoped that Lu Feng¡¯s photo wouldn¡¯t be hung up anything soon. Just like when Lu Feng boarded the plane tonight, he had hoped this person could stay, stay in a safe place.


    Still, Lu Feng had made his choice.


    An Zhe followed Seraing and continued to move forward. Then a strange scene appeared at the end of the photo gallery.


    On the grey-white wall, there was a rectangular area that was white and around the size of a photo frame. There was nail marks at the four corners of the white area and it seemed that this place once had a photo frame but it was taken off. Below, the place where the date of birth and date of death were engraved as also scraped away, leaving only mottled traces. An Zhe worked hard to identify it but could only see that it was a string of letters beginning with the capital P.


    Seraing saw him stop here and explained, ¡°It is said that thsi was the first judge and the person who introduced the Judge¡¯s Act and established the trial system.¡±


    An Zhe wondered, ¡°His photo has been taken away?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Seraing explained, ¡°In the end, he questioned the legitimacy of the judge system and betrayed the base.¡±


    An Zhe nodded. The human mind was hard to fathom and he didn¡¯t ask.


    Seraing put him in a lounge. The geomagnetic field had disappeared and everything was in chaos. The logistics department and emergency response department must be in a state of chaos. All the residents living at the base were panic stricken but they had to sleep first and wait for the military¡¯s refuge arrangements.


    Footsteps could be heard upstairs and next door, Seraing was talking to people like he was arranging the follow-up work of the Trial Court.


    In the dark room where the outside couldn¡¯t be seen, An Zhe could only hear his heart beating. Inexplicably, there was a strange feeling. He looked up into the depths of darkness and the feeling was indescribable. He seemed to feel a huge wave. He, Seraing, the entire human base and everything in the world were just a tiny part of the indescribable wave, which vibrated and changed, making tiny ripples. There was a saying in the textbook called ¡®the torrent of fate.¡¯ An Zhe thought this was very appropriate. The only thing that wasn¡¯t appropriate was that the fluctuations seemed to exist around the entire world and it wasn¡¯t just a metaphor or his imagination.


    Just then, his communicator rang. It was a call from the doctor.


    The doctor asked him, ¡°Lu Feng took off. Where are you?¡±


    An Zhe truthfully told him.


    ¡°Just be safe. I finished the emergency meeting at the Lighthouse and will be going back to the laboratory to rest. You should also have a good rest.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The doctor seemed to be climbing the stairs. After a while, he spoke again, ¡°I was thinking about Sinan¡¯s actions this morning. He reminded Lily to return to the Garden of Eden. Did he predict the disappearance of the magnetic field? Heterogeneous species have different sensing organs and perhaps certain organisms have a sensitivity to the magnetic field.¡±


    An Zhe said, ¡°Maybe.¡±


    Thinking about it, he added, ¡°But it is far away.¡±


    He naturally knew that every species was different. In the Abyss, some monsters had great hearing and sensitivity. Some could smell prey thousands of metres away or hear their breathing. However, it was a bit unreasonable for Sinan to sense a heterogeneous invasion occurring all the way on the other side of the world from the Northern Base. There was no long-wave communication technology between the heterogeneous species.


    The doctor didn¡¯t reply to him. There was only an uneven breathing sound on the other side and An Zhe thought this person might be walking. Then after three minutes, the doctor didn¡¯t reply but his breathing became more rapid. The sound was a bit unsettling in the darkness.


    An Zhe asked, ¡°Doctor?¡±


    There was still no reply. An Zhe frowned. Then at this moment, he heard the doctor speaking really quickly. ¡°Let Seraing answer the phone.¡±


    An Zhe quickly walked out of the lounge. Seraing answered the communicator and soon frowned before hurriedly saying, ¡°I¡¯ll be right there.¡±


    Then he grabbed his gun on the table, called a few people and strode out. An Zhe glanced in the direction Seraing headed to and chose to follow. However, these people were too fast. He climbed the stairs too slowly and was one step late.


    By the time he came to the corridor where the doctor¡¯s laboratory was located, he heard a gunshot in the depths and the sound of a body falling to the ground. The doctor was standing in the middle of the corridor and walked over to An Zhe.


    ¡°I¡­ I saw him in the distance and he didn¡¯t look quite right.¡± The doctor gasped, pupils slightly enlarged and his face pale with a frightened expression. An Zhe looked forward and saw Seraing putting away his gun. The man who had fallen to the ground was the doctor¡¯s assistant. This person had worked with the doctor this afternoon to repeatedly check Sinan¡¯s video.


    Seraing told the doctor, ¡°The infection is confirmed. Was it an experiment exposure?¡±


    Infection? An Zhe immediately thought of the only source of infection in this place, Sinan.


    ¡°Impossible.¡± The doctor exclaimed. ¡°He doesn¡¯t have permission to open the glass cover and he can¡¯t touch the heterogeneous species.¡±


    Seraing told him, ¡°I¡¯ll go in and see.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± The doctor suddenly raised his voice. ¡°Don¡¯t go.¡±


    Seraing stopped and stared at the doctor.


    ¡°Do you remember when I said that if one day, we are infected without having any contact with a heterogeneous species at all?¡± The doctor¡¯s voice was trembling. ¡°This is so abnormal that¡­ we have to prepare for the worst.¡±


    Seraing frowned, ¡°What do you have to support your point of view?¡±


    ¡°There is no way to prove it.¡± The doctor shook his head. ¡°However, you also know that when a monster¡¯s tissue fluid is injected into the tail of the experimental animal, the gene change can be observed at the same time from the head of the animal. These tissue fluids didn¡¯t enter the body¡¯s fluid circulation system at all yet all the genes in the animal¡¯s body were changed. Since this thing can happen, why can¡¯t we be infected without touching the monster?¡±


    At this point, his entire body was trembling.


    ¡°Seraing.¡± The doctor¡¯s voice was completely hoarse. ¡°Downstairs is full of live heterogeneous species and at least 100 staff.¡±


    Seraing looked solemn. ¡°I¡¯ll go down right away.¡±


    ¡°Protect yourself. The further away you are from all living things there, the better.¡±


    He didn¡¯t say heterogenous or humans. He said ¡®living things.¡¯


    Seraing nodded and moved quickly downstairs.


    In the silent corridor, only An Zhe and the doctor were left. The doctor seemed to collapse. He leaned against the icy wall and An Zhe supported him.


    In the silence, the doctor suddenly opened his mouth. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid?¡±


    An Zhe shook his head. The doctor stared at him. ¡°You seem to have something¡­ people in this era don¡¯t have.¡±


    An Zhe didn¡¯t speak and quietly listened to him. The doctor¡¯s eyes rested on An Zhe for a long time before he took a short breath, his lips trembling like he gained some extraordinary inspiration. ¡°You are naive and¡­ seem like a bystander.¡±


    ¡°Everyone lives in fear but you are calm. It is out of place with everyone else.¡±


    Then he seemed to smile. ¡°I know why Lu Feng likes to be with you.¡±


    An Zhe watched the doctor. The doctor¡¯s young face revealed a faint gauntness and he looked tired. An Zhe wondered, ¡°Is there anything I can do to help you?¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± The doctor stared into his eyes and shook. ¡°You¡­ just live safely.¡±


    An Zhe thought about it. ¡°I will try.¡±


    He didn¡¯t talk anymore. In the corridor, the doctor¡¯s words to himself echoed. ¡°No physical contact and no air transmission. Will this type of thing really happen?¡±


    No one answered him but there was the clear sound of gunshots downstairs. Then there was the second sound.


    A third.


    The sound continued nonstop, reverberating in the building for a long time. With one gunshot after another, the theoretical system that humans used to explain this world completely collapsed.


    The doctor¡¯s hand on An Zhe¡¯s arm was tense and his fingers shook. ¡°¡­Why?¡±

 Chapter 46

    The gunfire stopped and a few people came up from downstairs, including Seraing.


    ¡°These people aren¡¯t infected?¡±


    Seraing replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    The doctor asked the survivors where they were today. There was no problem with the food, water and air. They were all supplied by the Lighthouse and even the air was sent by the ventilation system. If any of these three had a problem then the entire Lighthouse would¡¯ve fallen. However, all the survivors had one thing in common. During the time when the magnetic field disappeared, they didn¡¯t have close contact with the experimental materials. Some of them had been sorting out the data in the office while some had gone to other floors to attend meetings and came back¡ªjust like Dr Ji himself.


    The infected staff all had one thing in common. They were in close contact with a heterogeneous species. This wasn¡¯t real contact but they were close to the heterogeneous species. For example, a researcher¡¯s assistant who spent the entire afternoon writing code in a small office and fitting a data model was still judged to have a genetic infection. The only suspicious thing was that a laboratory was right across the wall from him that held two reptile monsters.


    Seraing consulted the military and with the heterogeneous research centre as the axis, all upper and lower floors were closed for inspection. All personnel were forbidden to enter.


    ¡°Water, food or air can all be sources of infection.¡± In the Trial Court¡¯s lounge, Dr Ji and An Zhe were sharing a room and the doctor spoke to the white wall. ¡°However, this isn¡¯t the case.¡±


    ¡°Is it the radiation?¡± He spoke again. ¡°If every monster is a radiation source, at first, the radiation is weak and only serious injuries will cause infection. Then even minor injuries will cause infection. Once the radiation intensity gradually increases¡­ as long as you stay near the monster then your genes will change due to the radiation.¡±


    An Zhe thought this made sense but the next moment, he saw the doctor bury his face in his hands, taking deep breaths in a near-collapse state. ¡°However, our instruments can¡¯t detect it.¡±


    An Zhe thought that the doctor was going crazy. In the same position, he could understand the root cause of the doctor¡¯s madness.


    This research¡ªthe study of monsters¡ªhow painful was it, how complicated was it, how many resources were needed and how dangerous was it? Still, they hadn¡¯t known what they were facing until now. It was like walking in the darkness and even the last crutch had been lost. They knew the cliff wasn¡¯t far away but didn¡¯t know when they would fall.


    An Zhe saw the doctor slowly raise his head, blue pupils dazed and facial muscles trembling. This was a type of desperate fear and horror, as if facing a huge, indescribable existence. In front of him were white walls of nothing. The scariest thing in the world was the unknown.


    An Zhe handed him a glass of water. The doctor drank it and reluctantly smiled. ¡°Thank you. I don¡¯t know how many days the base¡¯s water supply will last.¡±


    The doctor was right. From the night the aurora disappeared, the entire base had entered an emergency state. There was solar wind and radiation outside so no one could leave the buildings, but the heat from outside was transmitted through the thick walls. The temperature in the room reached 30 degrees Celsius but there were no temperature control measures so the dryness was terrible. Only the basic equipment was operating and every day at 8 a.m and 8 p.m, the base would regularly distribute compressed biscuits or a pack of nutritional granules as well as a bottle of drinking water.


    Three days later, only one bottle of water was handed out in the morning.


    This place was the Twin Towers, the place where the military command centre and scientific researchers were located. An Zhe sometimes thought that if the resource supply of the Twin Towers had already reached such a point, what about the ordinary residential buildings outside?¡±


    ¡°It takes 12 hours for the 1109 fighter planes to fly from the Northern Base to the Dungeon Base and the return flight is also 12 hours. 120 hours have passed and we haven¡¯t heard anything yet.¡± The doctor wrote some complicated formulas on the paper with pencil. ¡°I believe in Lu Feng emotionally but we have to plan for the worst.¡±


    Five days later, there were no nutrients.


    The elevators were stopped and An Zhe quietly slipped out of the Trial Court office. He climbed the stairs and saw at least three couples kissing in a corner. Perhaps they weren¡¯t couples but for the moment, they were inseparable.


    ¡°Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil.¡±


    ¡°For you are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me.¡±


    ¡°Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.¡±


    ¡°I shall dwell in the house of the Lord, forever.¡±


    He passed a conference room on the 13th floor where a dozen officers and researchers were gathered to recite the Bible. At least half of them had tissues stuffed in their nostrils because the high temperature and dryness easily caused nosebleeds.


    In fact, the high temperature and dryness weren¡¯t suitable for the survival of a mushroom. An Zhe hadn¡¯t slept well for the past few days and he sometimes felt that he was drifting in the ups and downs of destiny. Sometimes he felt like he was being spread out in the sun and would be baked dry. Then he woke up and felt hungry.


    However, he could wait, it was okay. Just this morning, the doctor had told him, ¡°Even though things are getting worse, you seem to be getting calmer.¡±


    An Zhe truly wasn¡¯t afraid. He was a calm mushroom. He had stayed quietly in the Twin Towers for the past few days with the doctor and Seraing. Many people had become familiar with him. He had observed the dark red lights representing the working status of the surveillance camera and pricked his ears to listen to every broadcast.


    Just yesterday, the light went down. Then just this morning, the doctor was informed that all research activities were terminated due to a lack of power.


    An Zhe took a deep breath and stood in front of laboratory D1344. The door was silent and even the sound of the machines had stopped. The researchers were gone. The laboratory door was tightly closed and the sensor of the door flashed lightly.


    The next second, he took out Lu Feng¡¯s ID card.

 Chapter 47

    The Underground City Base.


    On the open ground, the upper half of the artificial magnetic pole stood, looking like a magnetic tombstone in yellow sand.


    The location of this place was excellent, with high mountains on all sides to block storms and cold snaps. In the middle of the wilderness was a river. The geological structure was stable and solid enough to support the construction of an incredible underground city. The size and capacity of this underground city were comparable to that of a main city in its peak.


    In the beginning, when the four human bases were in their infancy, it was predicted that if the day came when humans could no longer resist, the underground base would be the last to fall.


    Now the open plains area was covered in blood. There were the blood of monsters, heterogeneous species and humans as well as broken limbs and remnants of heavy weapons.


    A black fighter jet passed by quickly, dropping several large bombs. There was the sound of dull explosions and the howling of the monsters was deafening. This was soon drowned out in the billowing smoke.


    The fighter jet rose high before hovering steadily in the sky. Lu Feng held a walkie-talkie in his hand and spoke into it, ¡°The ground monsters have been cleared.¡±


    Next to him was Hubbard, the legendary mercenary captain of the outer city. Hubbard looked at the tunnel entrance and said, ¡°It is hard to clear inside.¡±


    Lu Feng also glanced over there and didn¡¯t speak, acquiescing to Hubbard¡¯s point of view. In the past few days, he had co-commanded air operations with this mercenary captain and had established a sufficient tacit understanding, not to mention they were originally the type of people to penetrate the Abyss. No one knew the habits and lethality of these things better than them.


    The underground city was easy to defend and difficult to attack. It was a safe and strong fortress and naturally had the advantage of preventing radiation. However, its structure also meant its doom. Once it was breached by the heterogeneous species, everything would be a mess.


    Now it had been breached.


    ¡°The thing they lack most is firepower. Their birth rate can¡¯t keep up and the number of soldiers isn¡¯t enough. They can only increase their armament consumption and overdrafted it in advance. Now there is no way to defend effectively.¡± Hubbard¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°We brought enough equipment and came in time. There is still a chance of winning.¡±


    Just then, a voice was heard from the intercom.


    ¡°The underground city thanks you for your generous support.¡± The operator¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°However, due to our humanitarian principles, we must inform our compatriots of the Northern Base that contactless infections have been observed inside the base. There are unpredictable conditions and infections can occur anytime and anywhere¡­¡±


    ¡°The Northern Base has received it.¡± Lu Feng interrupted the operator. ¡°Please prepare for a ground response.¡±


    Hubbard frowned.


    Lu Feng said, ¡°The fighter planes will temporarily hover while I take people down.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± Hubbard said. ¡°Listening to him, the inside is more dangerous than we think and you won¡¯t be able to go back.¡±


    ¡°You have no obligation.¡±


    ¡°I have no one to care about.¡±


    Lu Feng¡¯s tone was light. ¡°I don¡¯t either.¡±


    Hubbard smiled and asked, ¡°You don¡¯t?¡±


    Lu Feng met his eyes, cold green eyes showing no emotions. However, this time he didn¡¯t speak.


    ¡°Sometimes you stare out the window for a long time,¡± Hubbard said.


    ¡°I left a man at the base.¡± Lu Feng leaned against the window. ¡°He has a shell casing from someone I killed around his neck.¡±


    ¡°Who did you kill?¡±


    Lu Feng didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°So he had an affair with you.¡± Hubbard mused like he was remembering something, ¡°I met a boy who had a shell casing from you. He asked me if I knew where it came from.¡±


    Lu Feng smiled.


    Hubbard added, ¡°Then your relationship is very complicated.¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡± Lu Feng came forward. ¡°My relationship with everyone is very complicated.¡±


    His voice was cold and he ordered the pilot, ¡°Be prepared to glide.¡±


    This time, Hubbard didn¡¯t block him. Instead, Hubbard stared at Lu Feng¡¯s back in a thoughtful manner.


    Under the blood-red sunset in the western sky, the fighter planes landed. The hatch opened and Lu Feng walked off the PL1109 into the underground, blood-filled city.


    ***


    The Northern Base.


    The moment he was about to place the ID card against the sensor, An Zhe heard footsteps behind him. He turned his head and saw a soldier patrolled led by a familiar judge.


    The judge saw him and asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    An Zhe replied, ¡°I¡¯m helping Dr Ji get something.¡±


    ¡°Is the doctor still doing research?¡±


    An Zhe hummed and didn¡¯t speak. The judge didn¡¯t ask anything else and just said, ¡°Go back early. The military has something to do today.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    They walked past. An Zhe took a deep breath and touched the ID card to the sensor. Fortunately, the access control system hadn¡¯t been turned off yet and the door lock opened.


    An Zhe pushed open the door. It squeaked due to friction and he closed it immediately after entering. In the dim light, the huge instruments were dark outlines. The centre of the room contained a glass cylinder standing silently. A ray of dim light under the glass box illuminated it and a cluster of small bubbles emerged from the ground and floated above it.


    An Zhe held his breath. Before he opened the door, he had been prepared for the worst. He would be caught, his spore had been transferred or there were others in the laboratory¡­ at this moment, his heart stopped completely.


    Then his gaze passed through the glass water tank into the pale green culture medium and saw a white cluster floating alone in the centre. An Zhe trembled, his lips curved up and his heart jumped a few times. He wanted to run over right away but he could hardly move due to excessive emotions.


    The little white thing was wandering in the liquid under the dim light like it was wandering in the deep sea. An Zhe stared at it without blinking. Just then, he saw the quietly floating spore suddenly spread out its mycelium. Perhaps it was more appropriate to describe it as a blast. Then it floated forward at a speed that definitely wasn¡¯t slow and suddenly stopped at the glass wall like it was hit.


    An Zhe took a few steps and arrived at the glass water tank. His palms and then his entire body attached to the glass wall. His spore was also clinging to the glass wall, the mycelium touching the layer of glass. It obviously wanted to get closer to him.


    An Zhe couldn¡¯t help smiling. When Lu Feng was beside him, the spore hadn¡¯t seemed to see him but now it recognized him. He couldn¡¯t bear to blink as he watched the spore stretch out delicate mycelium to him. Due to the obstruction of the glass, it could only work harder to attach them to the glass, almost becoming a small white pancake on the inside of the water tank, every strand of mycelium emphasizing how much it wanted to be close to An Zhe.


    An Zhe leaned against the glass, a long lost comfort surrounding him but separated by an unbreakable membrane.


    He had to get it out of the water tank. An Zhe struggled to tear himself away from the water tank and moved to the side where there was an operating station. According to the general rules of human machines, he tried to press the largest button. The screen of the console turned on and there was an indicator light by the side of the card slot. He swiped Lu Feng¡¯s card and the indicator light turned green. This person¡¯s authority was almost couldn¡¯t be blocked throughout the base.


    Then facing the shapes that were exactly the same, with only a few complex symbols on the buttons, An Zhe fell into a daze. How to open the water tank?


    He moved his fingers up the operating station before finally pressing the most central button.


    Three seconds later, the water in the water tank fluctuated and the spore was helplessly swept up in the current, swirling to the centre of the water tank. Looking at the spore moving helplessly in circles, An Zhe also felt his head was spinning in circles and pressed a random button anxiously.


    The next moment, a red laser light turned on at the top of the water tank. Even An Zhe standing next to it could feel the heat. The mycelium of the spore exploded a bit before falling down weakly like it would be dried out in the next second.


    An Zhe suspected it was screaming silently. He frowned sadly. Was this the type of torture the spore suffered every day in the human laboratory? However, he didn¡¯t have time to think about anything else and pressed another button. The red light became a pulsing light and the spore moved helplessly again and again.


    An Zhe quickly pressed a button in the distance. This time, the red light disappeared and he was relieved. However, the next morning, there was a buzzing sound and blue sparks shone brightly in the water tank. Then the water¡¯s surface started to shake slightly and the spore in the water also trembled like crazy.


    An Zhe, ¡°!¡±


    He had electrified the water.


    He was in a mess, pressing one button after another until finally, there was a bang and the light green solution was slowly removed from the container. An Zhe pressed a button next to it and there was a click as the top lid of the water tank opened.


    The water tank was too high. An Zhe had to bring a chair over and stood on it before finally being able to reach the top of the water tank. However, the culture medium had been discharged and the spore couldn¡¯t float to this height.


    An Zhe saw the spore sticking to the glass wall and slowly crawling up along the glass. It slid down while crawling, sliding for a while before continuing up again.


    This little thing wasn¡¯t fully matured and hadn¡¯t inherited his ability to move freely. An Zhe reached out a hand. His arms and fingers turned into white mycelium that descended the inner wall of the container and touched the spore.


    At this moment, it was like a current penetrated his body and he was reborn. He had taken back apart of himself and there was a strange fluctuation around him.


    Holding the spore, he carefully fished it all. All the spore¡¯s scattered mycelium were neatly connected and rolled between his mycelium.


    An Zhe smiled at it. His mycelium connected with the spore and carefully incorporated it into his body. The spore¡¯s body was completely integrated into his body and a euphoric emotion passed through him. The spore had finally returned to the place where it should be raised. The human¡¯s culture fluid was useless. It was only the nutrition in An Zhe¡¯s body that would allow it to grow until it matured.


    This time, there was no bad thing to dig it away, although An Zhe didn¡¯t know why the spore took the initiative to approach that guy.


    In fact, it was a good thing the spore hadn¡¯t approached An Zhe when he was in the laboratory the other day. Once it showed a tendency to approach him, the researchers would immediately observe him and his identity would be doubted. Thus, An Zhe one-sidedly decided that his spore was extraordinarily smart.


    Thanks to the return of the spore, the empty space in his body was finally refilled. All his uneasiness fell to the ground. It was a feeling beyond description, like he had gained a new life. An Zhe walked to the window, pressed the button and raised the steel sheet.


    The glare of the light came in and he squinted. Outside, there was wind and sand. In the golden morning, a bright red sun shone intensely.


    An Zhe slowly turned his head, looking at the silver-white laboratory where machines were placed side by side. The wires were clear and the test tube racks in the cabinets were neatly arranged. From this laboratory, he could imagine what the entire base looked like.


    This was the base of humanity. Its past, present and future had nothing to do with him.


    His hands gripped the edge of the window, knuckles white as he pushed open the clear, three-layered glass window.


    The window had only been opened to the size of a finger when a hot wind covered with gravel blew over his fingers. The strong wind from the outside was filled with radiation from the universe. The huge wave contained countless tiny ripples and An Zhe seemed to hear the Abyss calling him back.


    He could go, leave here and return to the Abyss. It was equally cruel outside and he didn¡¯t know if he could survive, but he had recovered his spore. He wasn¡¯t afraid of anything.


    ¡­He wasn¡¯t afraid of anything.


    An Zhe gently pressed his left hand against his abdomen, forehead against the window edge as he closed his eyes, his entire body suddenly trembling slightly.


    He gripped the edge of the window with his right hand and pulled it back, applying the opposite force. There was a soft click and the window closed, followed by the radiation-proof metal layer. He took a few breaths, placed his fingers against the metal plate and clenched his fingers like he had made a difficult decision.


    Once the radiation was isolated, the tingling sensation in his body gradually faded away. It was just like when Lu Feng held him that night, blocking An Zhe with his body and rolling them away from the area with radiation. In fact, Lu Feng would do this for anyone else. However, this scene left a deep impression on An Zhe, just like he remembered every time Lu Feng left.


    An Zhe walked out of the laboratory. At this time, two soldiers were passing by in the corridor. The previous patrol of soldiers had long gone and now it was another group. An Zhe met their eyes and smiled in greeting before turning and walking toward the stairwell.


    In the dim stairwell, he could only hear his own heartbeat, beating again and again, faster than usual. The human heart beat faster when they were afraid but he didn¡¯t know what he was afraid of.


    He wouldn¡¯t be able to conceal it for long, he knew. Once order was restored and research resumed, they would be able to discover that the human laboratory had lost something important. He had to go. The sooner the better.


    Still, he couldn¡¯t control himself from taking something out of his shirt pocket. It was the badge on Lu Feng¡¯s jacket that he had taken off. He held this object in his hand and thought that he would wait until the aurora appeared again and he heard news of the PL1109 plane returning. Then he would leave.


    There was nothing good about the city. Only potato soup was good.


    If¡­ if his spore hadn¡¯t been close to Lu Feng then he would¡¯ve left.

 Chapter 48

    There were few people in the stairwell or perhaps it was just that the people in a hurry were less than usual. Going up and down the stairs was physically exhausting. An Zhe took a deep breath and struggled. When the solar wind directly hit the earth, the atmosphere would be blown away at a terrible speed and dissipate into the universe. Although only a few days had passed, the oxygen content in the air provided by the vents was obviously not enough. The military broadcasts reminded people every day to avoid going out and unnecessary physical exertion.


    An Zhe came to the first floor corridor and the atmosphere here was even more solemn. An Zhe remembered the patrolling judge telling him to go back early and he hurriedly returned to the Trial Court. The doctor was tapping on his laptop in the corridor and saw him. ¡°You¡¯re finally back. Where di you go?¡±


    An Zhe replied, ¡°I went out for a walk.¡±


    He sat next to the doctor. Dr Ji was a very gentle person and in the past few days, they had developed a good relationship.


    ¡°Don¡¯t run around,¡± the doctor told him. ¡°At least, not today.¡±


    An Zhe inquired, ¡°What happened?¡±


    The doctor looked away from the computer screen toward him. Dr Ji¡¯s face was slightly tired and his lips were pale. There seemed to be an endless deep emotion in his blue eyes that weren¡¯t positive. He pushed a bottle of water in front of An Zhe. ¡°Are you thirsty?¡±


    An Zhe shook his head. He was fine. Although mushrooms were existences that needed water, today his spore had returned to his body and he felt very stable. The demand for water didn¡¯t seem so urgent.


    ¡°Every aspect is in short supply. Forget food and water, even the oxygen isn¡¯t enough.¡± He heard the doctor whisper. ¡°By today at the latest, the military will transfer people. If you came back late, you would¡¯ve missed the transfer and could only stay here.¡±


    An Zhe had some doubts.


    ¡°Where will the transfer be to?¡± He had thought the Lighthouse was the last refuge.


    The doctor fixed his eyes on the empty wall in front of him. ¡°The Garden of Eden.¡±


    ¡°There is a crops growing centre, a stable food supply and a large amount of pure water reserves. All the base¡¯s resources are there.¡± The doctor explained.


    Having said that, he smiled. ¡°The name ¡®Garden of Eden¡¯ is aptly named. Now it really is the last Eden.¡±


    ¡°There had been voices of opposition when the Garden of Eden was originally built. Crop growing, drinking water supply, growing children¡­ they protested that concentrating so many resources necessary for human survival in one place would bring great risks, even if it was extremely beneficial to Eden.¡± The doctor lowered his voice. ¡°However, facts always proved that the base¡¯s ability is limited. In the fact of a huge disaster, all human resources can only be concentrated in the Garden of Eden. We must sacrifice everything to protect it. If the Garden of Eden doesn¡¯t exist then humanity will no longer exist.¡±


    An Zhe understood what the doctor meant. The Garden of Eden was a place for mothers and children. He looked at the doctor and asked, ¡°Is everybody going?¡±


    The doctor glanced at him but it was difficult to describe the meaning of that look. It was like the life teacher at the Garden of Eden looking at a wayward and ignorant student. In addition, there was a touch of sadness. Thus, An Zhe knew the answer and didn¡¯t speak.


    The morning was spent in silence until Seraing came back. However, he was in a hurry. He was busy with work.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to stay here until this evening.¡± He glanced at An Zhe. ¡°The emergency response department doesn¡¯t recognize you so you should follow me.¡±


    The doctor said, ¡°Just give him to me. I won¡¯t leave him behind.¡±


    Seraing thought for a moment. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Outside, the huge wind never stopped. This was a force from the universe and it shook the entire human city. The hurricanes that the solar storm created were bigger than all disasters recorded in history. An Zhe stuck a finger to the wall and could feel a slight tremor, like a dying animal¡¯s last gasp. In fact, An Zhe already felt it was a miracle that human creations could persist in such a huge storm for so long.


    At one in the afternoon, someone knocked on the door. It was a team of fully armed soldiers headed by three civilian officers with badges representing the ¡®emergency response department¡¯ on their chests. The officer in the lead nodded slightly. ¡°Doctor, please come with us.¡±


    The doctor asked, ¡°Is the transfer starting?¡±


    ¡°It has started and it is expected that we will transfer 500 people.¡± The officer answered. ¡°The military will do everything possible to ensure your safety. We have arranged a place for you in Eden.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Then the next moment, he glanced at An Zhe. ¡°However, he has to follow me.¡±


    ¡°According to the transfer plan, you can bring an assistant.¡± The officer told An Zhe, ¡°Please show us your ID card so we can verify your identity.¡±


    ¡°My assistant is gone.¡± The doctor draped an arm around An Zhe¡¯s shoulder and smiled. ¡°It seems like you don¡¯t have your ID card.¡±


    An Zhe told him, ¡°I only have the colonel¡¯s ID card.¡±


    ¡°Give it to them,¡± the doctor ordered.


    An Zhe obediently took out Lu Feng¡¯s ID card. The officer took it and swiped it on a portable machine before obviously becoming stunned.


    ¡°Lu Feng went to the Dungeon Base and there is no news yet.¡± The doctor raised an eyebrow and spoke slowly. ¡°If his family¡¯s child can¡¯t get asylum¡­ I don¡¯t think it is right.¡±


    The officer went to the side and called a number. Then he returned here and said, ¡°An exception will be made and he will be transferred as your assistant.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± the doctor said.


    ¡°You see.¡± They walked down the hallway and the doctor scolded An Zhe. ¡°You were running around all morning. If you came back late¡ª¡±


    An Zhe pursed his lips as he saw the situation in the corridor.


    Dozens of researchers in white coats were lined up with soldiers guarding them. One woman was agitated. ¡°My assistant has to follow me. I don¡¯t accept such a transfer plan.¡±


    The officer told her, ¡°You don¡¯t have an assistant quota in the transfer plan, Dr Chen.¡±


    ¡°My research is inseparable from my assistant. I can¡¯t do those tasks alone, not to mention that he isn¡¯t inferior to me and can independently lead large projects.¡± The woman called Dr Chen exclaimed. ¡°I have to trouble you to ask your superiors.¡±


    ¡°If you decide that you can¡¯t continue your research because you have lost an assistant, you might have to stay here.¡± The officer¡¯s voice was cold and heartless.


    There was a brief pause and she remained silent.


    An Zhe followed Dr Ji in the other direction. There seemed to be an argument upstairs and the sound of heavy objects falling to the ground could be heard.


    An exit was opened on the first floor of the United Front Building. An Zhe boarded the military¡¯s heavy armoured vehicle and briefly glanced at the scene outside. The sun was so dazzling that it almost burned his retinas and the dry and hot air rushed into his lungs. The original flat ground was full of deep ditches like it had been clawed by a giant monster.


    Surrounded by people¡¯s breathing, the armoured vehicle filled with 30 people. He listened to the people next to him discussing the transfer. The Lighthouse only had a total of 500 places which was one-tenth of all staff.


    Someone asked, ¡°What about our equipment and materials?¡±


    ¡°After we leave, the Lighthouse will be completely powered off. The laboratories will be graded according to the importance and important samples will be transferred to the Garden of Eden.¡±


    There was a bang and the door closed. The armoured vehicle started and the compartment was dark and silent. The doctor grabbed his hand.


    An Zhe suddenly felt that this scene was extremely familiar. A month ago, during the overwhelming insect tide, he also boarded the military vehicle in the same manner and came to District 6 for Judgment Day. It had been Poet who grabbed his hand in the dark compartment back then and now it was the doctor. At that time, the standard for people entering District 6 was to not be infected. Now the standard for entering Eden was if they could make enough contributions to the base in the future.


    No matter if it was the outer city or the main city, a trial took place all the time.


    The journey was short and coincidentally, he and the doctor were arranged at the end of the sixth floor where he once taught children to read poetry. In Eden, he had his first formal lunch in many days, a bowl of potato soup. It might not be as delicious as the one cooked by himself but after eating compressed biscuits and nutrition granules for a few days, this was already rare good food.


    The doctor seemed to have a lot of worries. At night, An Zhe went out to grab water for him.


    There were people in the tearoom. The lady who clashed with the officer during the day was weeping against the wall and there was another researcher next to her, patting her on the shoulder. ¡°Perhaps the Lighthouse can hold on.¡±


    ¡°It ¡®s impossible.¡± Her voice was hoarse. ¡°The oxygen content of the planet¡¯s air is less than half the original. After the air filtration system is activated, fresh oxygen will only be given priority to the Garden of Eden. Residential areas, the military bases and even the Twin Towers will only receive the secondary supply and won¡¯t be able to survive.¡±


    Then she looked up, saw An Zhe and whispered, ¡°Who is this? Is he one of ours?¡±


    The researcher next to her answered, ¡°It is said he is the assistant of Dr Ji from the testing centre.¡±


    She muttered, ¡°Dr Ji can bring his assistant¡­ because his work is better than ours.¡±


    ¡°This is the way it is. Don¡¯t be sad for him. If we can get through this disaster then we can train new assistants.¡±


    Her nose was red and her eyes full of tears. Once she heard this, she laughed bitterly before reaching out to cover her face, trembling.


    ¡°Do you think¡­¡± She paused. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ do you think it is just because of my assistant that I¡¯m sad?¡±


    ¡°The inhabitants of the main city were glad they weren¡¯t the ones abandoned when the outer city was blown up.¡± She spoke in an intermittent voice. ¡°However, they were still abandoned. We stand here today at the expense of everyone else in the Lighthouse¡­ maybe tomorrow we will be disqualified. The sea will submerge and the areas exposed to the water will be less and less. The time is coming. We¡­ why are we insisting on holding on? For the sake of humanity as a whole?¡±


    ¡°For the benefit of the entire human race.¡±


    She bowed her head and gasped violently. ¡°This era is killing people but humans are killing themselves.¡±


    ¡°Still, you must accept it, Dr Chen.¡± The other researcher whispered. ¡°As the winners, we aren¡¯t qualified to mourn for them.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­ I¡¯m just a fellow human being like them and emotionally can¡¯t accept it.¡± She finally wiped away her tears and smiled reluctantly. ¡°Or do you want to say that we aren¡¯t qualified to have emotions either?¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡±


    They stopped talking and An Zhe picked up the glass of water and walked out the tearoom. The moment he looked up, he saw Seraing¡¯s figure flashing down the corridor, opening the door and entering the room that belonged to the doctor and An Zhe. He quickened his pace, wanting to say hello to Seraing.


    The door wasn¡¯t closed and a glimmer of light came out. An Zhe held the doorknob and was about to push the door when he heard Seraing asking, ¡°Where is An Zhe?¡±


    The doctor answered, ¡°He transferred with me. Are you looking for him?¡±


    ¡°He has been following you? I just received a call from the emergency response department. The important sample from the D1344 laboratory that was preparing to be transferred has disappeared.¡±


    ¡°Disappeared?¡± The doctor wondered. ¡°The sample related to Lu Feng? That weird thing, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it died and evaporated into thin air.¡±


    An Zhe¡¯s heart beat quickly as his fingers trembled and he quickly turned to the other side of the corridor.


    ¡°No,¡± Seraing told him. ¡°The reason the emergency response department came to me was that the instrument recorded some usage at 6 in the morning. The operator was the colonel. Where is An Zhe? I have to find him.¡±


    ¡°He went to get some water.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± There was the sound of a door opening and Seraing went out.


    An Zhe stood behind the wall around the corner and gripped the glass of water in his hand. He knew that he would be found one day but he hadn¡¯t expected it to be so soon. The two researchers in the tearoom had seen him and soon, Seraing would come here to find him. He couldn¡¯t be found.


    An Zhe clearly recognized this and looked around the corridor to find an available vent. Then he realized that once he became a mushroom, his clothes and ID card would be left here as conclusive evidence.


    His chest heaved a few times before he made a decision in a second. He turned and ran toward the utility room at the end of the auxiliary corridor. There was a small half-open door leading to the emergency stairwell that wouldn¡¯t be found anytime soon. This stairwell had another exit on the 22nd floor. He and Lily had been here once. As long as An Zhe found the original terrace, he could leave the building or find another place to hide. It didn¡¯t matter as long as he left the sixth floor as soon as possible.


    An Zhe successfully found the small door and went in. He entered the dark stairwell and started to climb the stairs. This place seemed to be close to the building¡¯s outer wall. The wind was loud and there were long echoes. The air was hot and it was full of a suffocating, damp heat.


    He couldn¡¯t hear anything in the darkness but the wind until he bumped into something small. An Zhe¡¯s first reaction was that a heterogeneous monster had hidden here. Then his fingers touched smooth human hair and he heard a child¡¯s soft gasp.


    He hesitated before asking, ¡°Lily?¡±


    ¡°An Zhe?¡± Lily also called out.


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re here!¡± Lily exclaimed. ¡°I¡­ I heard the Twin Towers was starting to move and I was going to find you. Sinan? Has Sinan moved?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. They said that important samples would be transferred.¡±


    The moment he said this, he suddenly remembered that heterogeneous species could infect without contact and the Lighthouse might not let Sinan enter the Garden of Eden. However, Lily seemed relieved. ¡°Sinan must be important.¡±


    She leaned against the stairs for a while before saying, ¡°Did you come to find me as well?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± An Zhe told her, ¡°I¡¯m here to hide.¡±


    ¡°Does someone want to capture you?¡± Lily asked before saying, ¡°It¡¯s safe here.¡±


    An Zhe knew that Lily was a child different from the other humans.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be here for a few days.¡± He touched Lily¡¯s hair. ¡°Can you not tell anyone that I¡¯m here?¡±


    The next moment, the stairwell became as bright as daylight, bright white lights hitting him and Lily. Lily subconsciously screamed and leaned back against him. He reached out to protect the little girl and looked up.


    Madam Lu in a long white dress stood in the bright light. Next to Madam Lu were two Eden workers with bright flashlights.


    ¡°Lily.¡± Madam Lu¡¯s gentle voice was filled with a mild rebuke. She was clearly speaking to Lily but her eyes were on An Zhe. ¡°Why are you still running away this time?¡±

 Chapter 49

    Lily whispered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, madam. I was just worried about Sinan.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything you can¡¯t say to me?¡± Madam Lu reached out to her and Lily obediently left An Zhe to be held by Madam Lu.


    The last time they met at the Lighthouse, Madam Lu wore a mask and An Zhe could only see her eyes. This time, he finally saw the lady¡¯s features. The lines of her face were soft, her eyebrows were curved but her thin lips didn¡¯t smile. She slightly squinted and this added a bit of firmness to her gentle expression. Lu Feng didn¡¯t look like her at all.


    Yet inexplicably, An Zhe felt that her facial features were similar to Lily. If all the people in the base were grown from Eden¡¯s embryos and all the embryos were from the women in Eden, then Lily might indeed be the youngest daughter of Madam Lu¡¯s blood.


    In this way, Lily¡¯s behaviour when she saw Madam Lu was understandable. After all, she was the lady¡¯s child, not his child. In this world, only the spore would never take the initiative to leave him.


    Madam Lu watched him and An Zhe didn¡¯t know what she would do with him. He heard Madam Lu ask, ¡°Is he your friend? Were you looking for him in the stairwell?¡±


    Lily and An Zhe glanced at each other and Lily¡¯s sly eyes turned to Madam Lu. ¡°He doesn¡¯t want to go back. Can I invite him for a visit?¡±


    She added, ¡°We can have dinner with An Zhe. It is delicious.¡±


    An Zhe knew that the little girl was trying to help him hide from the people searching below but he didn¡¯t think Madam Lu would agree. After all, his sudden appearance here was too strange.


    To his surprise, Madam Lu nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Lily let out a ¡®wow¡¯ and said, ¡°Madam, today you¡¯re very good.¡±


    Madam Lu lowered her head and touched Lily¡¯s hair. ¡°I have always loved you.¡±


    Lily affectionately rubbed against the lady¡¯s hand. ¡°I like you too.¡±


    An Zhe was taken to the 22nd floor of the Garden of Eden. The atmosphere was peaceful. Soft music played in the corridor and the white walls were full of images of flowers, butterflies, bees and clouds. It was like another world compared to the outside.


    In the spacious corridor, An Zhe also met other women. They all wore long white dresses, had dark or chestnut brown hair and had quiet faces. Whenever they saw Madam Lu, they gave her a friendly greeting.


    In a cubicle of the public canteen, An Zhe had dinner. It was sugared milk, half a roast chicken and a bowl of vegetable corn soup.


    After dinner, Madam Lu said, ¡°It is time to send your friend away.¡±


    Lily acted coquettishly. ¡°Let him stay a bit longer.¡±


    The lady indulged her request. ¡°Then come with me to water the flowers.¡±


    Thus, Lily took An Zhe¡¯s hand and they walked through the white corridor and came to another round room. An Zhe saw the lush red and green colours in the room. The centre of this room had a flowerbed that was several square metres in size and lush red roses were growing in them.


    ¡°My lover used to bring me some seeds from the wild.¡± Madam Lu told An Zhe. ¡°Later, Lu Feng would do the same. I remember you stayed with him that day.¡±


    An Zhe nodded.


    ¡°He rarely wants to be close to anyone else.¡± Madam Lu picked up the silver watering can placed on the flower rack. Just then, something flashed in An Zhe¡¯s vision, He subconsciously turned his hand and saw the TV screen in the room. No one had pressed the remote control. It had turned on automatically.


    ¡°This is a message from the emergency response department.¡± The broadcaster spoke much faster than usual. At the same time, a photo of An Zhe was shown on the screen. ¡°This suspect urgently needs to be captured. If there is a witness who can provide his whereabouts then immediately contact us.¡±


    An Zhe¡¯s body slightly tensed. The hour-long peace seemed to be just an illusion and the world was still a crisis for him as he glanced at Madam Lu.


    Then he heard Madam Lu whisper, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡±


    Madam Lu¡¯s behaviour was unexpected. He initially thought she was a staunch supporter of the base¡¯s rules but this didn¡¯t seem to be the case.


    An Zhe muttered, ¡°You¡­¡±


    Madam Lu smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t help you escape but I won¡¯t hand you over for the time being.¡±


    An Zhe wondered, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°They always have many reasons to arrest a person.¡± Madam Lu looked away from the screen. She lowered her head and watered her rose bushes, crystal water drops rolling down the edge of the crimson petals, falling from the green leaves to the soil. ¡°For example, they arrested my mother 40 years ago.¡±


    An Zhe didn¡¯t know what she wanted to say but she seemed to want to tell a story. He had met many people who wanted to tell him a story, as if everyone had some memorable past hidden in their hearts.


    Therefore, he didn¡¯t speak. He just listened quietly, the fragrance of roses surrounding them. Lily leaned down and plucked some petals, holding them in her hands before throwing them into the air. The petals fell down like rain, sprinkling on her hair and body. One petal fell on Madam Lu¡¯ hair.


    ¡°In the four human bases, 23,371 agreed to the following declaration with zero votes of rejection: I voluntarily dedicate my life to the fate of humanity, to accept genetic experiments and accept all forms of assisted reproduction to continue the cause of the human race¡¯s struggle for survival.¡± Madam Lu repeated the Rose Declaration that An Zhe had heard from Lily in a very light tone. However, her voice seemed clearer and more cheerful than the little girl.


    ¡°This declaration was one with a prerequisite. It was on the premise of having basic human rights. They would accept genetic experiments and accept all forms of assisted reproduction. In addition, the initiator of the declaration reached a consensus with the bases that women would manage the women.¡±


    Her fingers touched the soft edges of the rose. ¡°However, that was almost 70 years ago. At that time, everything seemed hopeful. The future of humanity was in front of us. As long as we continued, things would turn out for the better. If I was one of the 23,000 women at the time, I would¡¯ve agreed without hesitation. Everyone was sacrificing themselves and I would be willing to contribute as much as I could for the benefit of humanity.¡±


    ¡°During that time, the embryo in vitro culture technology wasn¡¯t mature and children had to stay in their mother¡¯s body for at least seven months. The base hoped for a large population so the uterine rest time shouldn¡¯t exceed 15 days.¡± Madam Lu gazed up at the steel ceiling. ¡°The task of childbearing was too heavy. The women¡¯s entire lives were destroyed and life was passing by them. They hoped the base could relax the requirements but no one agreed.¡±


    ¡°The women who voluntarily signed the Rose Declaration and the girls who were born afterwards took dedication to this declaration as a matter of course. We need a large population too much. The Lighthouse and the military think so, most of the main city and the outer city think so and even the women managing other women think so.¡±


    Her tone was so gentle that it evoked emotional resonance. An Zhe quietly listened and saw Lily sitting still on the edge of the flowerbed.


    ¡°To fight for the protection of basic human rights, some women launched a protest movement. 40 years ago, my mother was the initiator of that protest movement, even though she was one of the first initiators of the Rose Declaration.¡¯ Madam Lu smiled. ¡°However, all the images and texts of the protest were destroyed. I was too young to remember many things. I can only remember one night when the soldiers of the United Front broke in. My mother locked me in my room and then a gunshot was heard¡­ I saw blood flowing through the door into my room. Later, I was sent to the Garden of Eden.¡±


    ¡°Later, they found the most effective way to keep reproductive resources firmly in their own hands and deleted a phrase in the declaration. The new generation of girls was gathered and not allowed to leave, only being taught about their responsibilities by the Garden of Eden, nothing else. In this way, the base doesn¡¯t have to worry about the decline in fertility, nor do the girls know the pain of losing their human rights due to uninterrupted births.¡±


    She looked at the surrounding walls and seemed to be seeing the entire human base through the walls. ¡°I feel pain about this but I also know my pain is only a trivial part. In this place, someone dies every second. The only way for humans to survive in this era is to turn themselves into a creature. People with different responsibilities are different organs of this creature. The Lighthouse is the brain, the military is the claws and teeth, the people of the outer city are the flesh and blood, the building and walls are the skin and Eden is the womb.¡±


    An Zhe glanced at her and she seemed to read An Zhe¡¯s eyes. ¡°I have never resented this place.¡±


    She leaned over and picked up Lily, who buried her head in Madam Lu¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I just often get confused slightly.¡± She stroked Lily¡¯s hair with her fingers. ¡°We resist monsters and heterogeneous species. We resist foreign genes contaminating human genes and want to avoid our unique willpower being ruled by beasts¡­ yet in order to achieve this purpose, everything we do is in violation of the rules of human nature. The collective we have formed, everything it does¡ªgaining resources, strengthening itself and breeding offspring¡ªjust reflects the nature of beasts. Humans actually aren¡¯t any different from the monsters. It is just that the flexibility of our brains have made us deceive ourselves. Humans are just one of the animals. We are born like all life and will die like all life.¡±


    Madam Lu¡¯s eyes had a dead look. ¡°Human civilization is as worthless as its science and technology.¡±


    She stopped talking and stared up at the ceiling for a long time. An Zhe saw her palms press against a dark knob and then turn it slightly.


    The radiation-proof metal on the ceiling was opened. This was the top floor of the Garden of Eden and there was a limitless sky outside the glass. At night, the solar wind stopped temporarily and the silent twilight and Milky Way poured down together.


    An Zhe whispered, ¡°There will be a better day.¡±


    Perhaps there would be a day when judges didn¡¯t have to kill their fellow humans, soldiers didn¡¯t have to die in the wild and the girls of Garden of Eden would be free again.


    ¡°No,¡± he heard Madam Lu say. ¡°The time is coming when the world will be completely broken.¡±


    ¡°Lily.¡± She turned to the little girl in her arms. ¡°Do you want to fly?¡±


    An Zhe saw her gentle side profile, heard these words and suddenly got a chill.


    He heard Lily ask in a clear voice from where she was holding onto Madam Lu¡¯s neck, ¡°Can I? Like Sinan?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    At this moment, An Zhe finally understood Sinan¡¯s intentions behind sending Lily back to the Garden of Eden. It was contrary to their guesses at the time.


    Go back to Eden¡ªnot because it was safe.

 Chapter 50

    Lily raised her head from Madam Lu¡¯s shoulders, dark eyes staring at An Zhe. Her eyes always had a special colour, misty, that reminded An Zhe of the creatures in the Abyss. In fact, every lady and girl on the 22nd floor had such a worldly look. If the judges were here then they might conclude these females weren¡¯t human. If such a person was born in the Garden of Eden and couldn¡¯t leave for a lifetime, they must be different from the outside humans.


    An Zhe¡¯s head suddenly felt some pain. The same type of fluctuation appeared again in his mind but it was far less grand and scary than what he had felt at night. It was much more specific and much closer, as if the source was just beside him.


    He stared at Madam Lu. The light changed and he saw a rainbow in her eyes. ¡°You¡­¡±


    An Zhe took a few steps back. Behind him was a red alarm bell installed in every room. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to be human?¡±


    Madam Lu watched him and tears rolled down from her eyes.


    ¡°Humans have no hope,¡± she declared.


    ¡°Wait until Lu Feng comes back¡­¡±


    He hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Madam Lu suddenly laughed. At the same time, tears kept falling from her eyes. Her entire body was shaking like a leaf in the autumn wind and her right hand covered her mouth so that only intermittent laughter could be heard.


    ¡°Humans¡­ they have caused me and my children too much pain.¡± An Zhe finally heard her speak. She might be pitying Lu Feng but the next moment, Madam Lu¡¯s voice became hoarse.


    ¡°Lu Feng¡­ he is firmer than me. He is like this base. He can sacrifice everything for the sake of humanity but he will never get what he wants.¡± The lady reached out for a bright red rose. The thorns pierced her hand but the pain made her voice calmer. ¡°He wants to protect everything that will be destroyed. His belief is a castle in the air¡­ he won¡¯t die well. The fact that I can¡¯t see the day he goes crazy, that I can¡¯t see the day when this base collapses¡­ is my only regret.¡±


    The hopeless, sad hatred hidden in her voice made An Zhe¡¯s eyes widen. He had no idea what was going on and stared at her in disbelief.


    The rose petals slipped from Madam Lu¡¯s hand and her voice softened. ¡°What I want to do is leave here. What is your purpose for coming to the human base and coming to him, little heterogeneous?¡±


    An Zhe stared at her and couldn¡¯t say anything.


    However, Madam Lu didn¡¯t seem to want to hear her answer. Her neck was getting longer and her entire body was changing. She stretched and bent in strange arcs, swelling and swelling¡ª


    Dark lines appeared on her body. Her body turned elliptical and her arms became an arthropod¡¯s slender foot. A part of transparent wings tore through the dress and emerged from her back. In just one minute, she had become a half-human, half-bee creature.


    The weird fluctuations were becoming fiercer but they only shrouded Lily¡¯s body. Then Lily¡¯s body changed the same way.


    ¡°The time is coming. Human genes are too weak to perceive what is happening in the world. They couldn¡¯t tolerate variation and a loss of choice but other creatures aren¡¯t strong.¡± She whispered softly. ¡°We will all die. I don¡¯t hate humans. I have worked for the base for 35 years, relieving women of a lot of pain and allowing the base to give birth to more babies every year.¡±


    She smiled. ¡°However, in the face of this disaster, all work is futile. It just proves the insignificance and powerlessness of human beings. I just want to experience the things I never got to in the last moment of peace.¡±


    Her wings sparked in the moonlight. The bee¡¯s body was large, slender and beautiful.


    Lily¡¯s change was completed first. She had become a slightly smaller bee, fluttering beside Madam Lu. She was skilled in flying like she was born a bee instead of a human.


    An Zhe glanced at Madam Lu but saw her closing her eyes with a slight frown.


    Her quiet face had a slightly pained look. Then an indescribable change occurred on her head. Compound eyes full of iridescence rose and antennae grew out from her head. The human bones were distorted and hardened into a hard, honey-coloured shell. The creature¡¯s hugeness and beauty far surpassed the insect monsters that An Zhe had previously seen. In this hexagonal hive, she was the queen bee.


    There was the rustling sound of wings shaking. The transparent insect wings shook like flowing white gauze and then her body flew up, slowly rising toward the dome and speeding up when she got close!


    There was a heavy tremor and web-like cracks appeared in the solid glass dome. An Zhe thought that the material of the dome should be very strong but with the second and third strikes, countless fine glass fragments fell to the ground and onto the rose petals like dew drops.


    The alarm was triggered. The entire room turned red and the alarm sound was deafening. There was the clatter of footsteps and staff members in white clothing broke through the door. Then they saw the scene in front of them and all froze.


    A huge hole was created. The Lily bee flew out, rising upward and her figure soon disappeared into the darkness.


    The queen bee was slower. She hovered above the dome, turned her head and glancing down. Perhaps she still had some nostalgia for this place. Then she slowly turned her head back and her wings moved slightly like she had made up her mind to fly upwards.


    However, the next moment, the fluttering of the wings shook and there was silence. The wings that stopped moving gave off an ominous feeling. The huge queen bee was bathed in moonlight as she slowly turned and her bright compound eyes stared straight down at An Zhe and the entire Garden of Eden.


    The queen bee¡¯s right forelimb moved, the tip giving off a cold and sharp silver light. This point gradually enlarged as an entire pair of forelimbs and then the huge skull descended back through the hole.


    A strange feeling rose in An Zhe¡¯s heart. This action was too weird for someone who had made up her mind to leave here. Madam Lu, who was free, wouldn¡¯t come back here unless the one who now ruled the queen bee was no longer Madam Lu. It wouldn¡¯t happen unless the monster¡¯s instincts easily defeated the human spirit.


    What would a complete heterogeneous do facing the Garden of Eden?


    All of this happened in a few seconds. An Zhe stared at the staff members still frozen on the spot and spoke in a hoarse voice, ¡°¡­Leave.¡±


    However, the queen bee raised her head the moment he spoke. A very strong and indescribable wave flowed from her and swept all over this area! An Zhe¡¯s head was sore and some blurry pictures unfolded before his eyes.


    Previously when An Ze died, An Zhe had absorbed his blood and tissues and An Ze¡¯s memories had appeared in his mind like a picture. In the outer city, on the day the insect tide came, he was bitten on his finger by an insect. That night, he dreamed about insects flying in the wild.


    At this moment, An Zhe faced the snippets of memories and realized what was happening. The queen bee was infecting them without contact.

 Chapter 51

    ¡°We are the people most closely connected to the fate of humanity.¡¯


    Her mother had told her this when Madam Lu was a little girl. Her mother¡¯s belly had been slightly bulging and a new life was in its infancy.


    ¡°We are the people most closely connected to the fate of humanity.¡¯


    Once she grew up, she told other girls this sentence. She took on the role of breeding offspring for the base while also being involved in the research of embryo culture technology. This research had extreme value so she was the only fertile woman who could freely enter and exit the Garden of Eden and the Lighthouse. One day, in the corridor of the Twin Towers, she met a handsome, green-eyed soldier.


    Later, she had a child, a child whose birth had nothing to do with her duties. Due to their work, she couldn¡¯t often see her child¡¯s father. They could only occasionally talk through a communicator.


    ¡°I sometimes feel that¡­ I betrayed the Rose Declaration,¡± she said.


    ¡°Why do you think so?¡± The voice on the other end of the communicator was steady. ¡°Aren¡¯t you growing a new life?¡±¡¯


    ¡°Having a child with my lover, this was a right that women only had before the declaration.¡± She placed a hand on her lower abdomen. ¡°I have the freedom to use my womb without violating the rules and causing losses to the base¡¯s resources. I feel very happy¡­ although this idea is dangerous.¡±


    The memories An Zhe received were intermittent, with only a few key nodes.


    ¡°He is going to the military,¡± Madam Lu said. ¡°I suggested he go to the United Front and now the distribution is over. Once you come back to the base, you will meet him.¡±


    ¡°Does he look like me?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The only way he isn¡¯t very similar to you is his personality. The base doesn¡¯t allow people to know their kingship but you will know him as soon as you meet.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to seeing him.¡±


    ¡°You will see him.¡± Madam Lu said, ¡°Pay attention to your safety in the wild.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± The man said. ¡°This time, we have recovered very important scientific research material, some of which is related to your field.¡±


    She laughed. ¡°You worked hard. My research has been going well lately.¡±


    ¡°I miss you.¡± The voice of the man suddenly lowered. ¡°Last night, I dreamed about the day when humanity will get through this disaster. We were both alive as well as our children. We were as happy as ordinary people.¡±


    Her voice was equally gentle. ¡°Come back early.¡±


    Everything was full of hope but the joy-related memories of her life were over.


    10 days later, she could no longer call her lover and couldn¡¯t get information about him. She was ready for the worst.


    On the day when she made up her mind to go to the United Front Centre to find the whereabouts of her lover, she met her child. She didn¡¯t see him very often. It was as if in the blink of an eye, the child who came up from the 6th floor to the 22nd floor to meet her had grown into an adult, a handsome young military officer.


    Her heart might be full of worry but she felt some comfort seeing him. ¡°You are here.¡±


    Lu Feng¡¯s voice was low. ¡°Mother.¡±


    Then she saw the pattern on his black uniform and the badge on his chest.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the base assign you to the United Front?¡± She was slightly puzzled.


    He told her, ¡°I¡¯m in the Trial Court.¡±


    ¡°Why did you go to that place?¡± She asked him anxiously. Few people wanted to join the Trial Court unless it was a last resort.


    ¡°I volunteered.¡± The young officer¡¯s green eyes seemed to have mixed emotions but in the end, he was calm. ¡°I will play a greater role in the Trial Court than I would in the United Front.¡±


    No matter what she wanted to say, she finally shook her head helplessly. Everyone knew how crazy the people of the Trial Court became. It wasn¡¯t a place where people should end up. As they were separating, Lu Feng called out to her from behind. ¡°Mother.¡±


    Madam Lu looked back at him. Lu Feng stared at her, voice slightly hoarse as he asked, ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± She replied. She didn¡¯t intend to let the child know her worries and just smiled. ¡°Take care of yourself.¡±


    Then she went and knocked on the door of the Information Management Office at the United Front Centre. ¡°This is the Information Management Office. What do you want to inquire about?¡±


    ¡°The first combat sequence commander under the United Front Centre, Lieutenant Gao Tang. Is he still in the wild?¡± She asked.


    The opposite person tapped the keyboard a few times.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± the staff member told her. ¡°The lieutenant general has been confirmed dead.¡±


    Her fingers were cold but she was still calm. It was the fate of every soldier to die for the base.


    ¡°In the¡­ in the wild?¡±


    ¡°At the entrance of the city,¡± the staff member said. ¡°The Trial Court records show that Lieutenant General Gao Tang was convicted of infection.¡±


    She was in a trance and could hardly stand.


    ¡°Madam?¡± The staff member asked her.


    ¡°The Trial Court¡­¡± She muttered. ¡°Is their judgment accurate?¡±


    ¡°They have a high probability of being accurate. The accuracy rate of each member of the Trial Court is controlled at 80%. This year, the average accuracy rate of the trainee who just joined is 90%¡­ Madam, do you need help? Madam?¡±


    She stood frozen in place as she recalled Lu Feng called out to her in a slightly hoarse voice. She suddenly trembled.


    Perhaps her excessive behaviour scared the staff member. He said, ¡°Your level of authority is relatively high. If you require, I can apply for the detailed records, the ID card number of the trial judge and the accuracy date for that day¡­ Madam?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Her eyes widened like she had heard something horrifying. ¡°Don¡¯t check¡­ don¡¯t check.¡±


    Her memory was like a blank tide. She lost her lover and from that day on, she and Lu Feng gradually became estranged. She also lost him. In fact, she lost her children every day.


    On the day the outer city was blown up, Lily heard the distant sound and entered her arms.


    ¡°Why did they blow up the city?¡±


    ¡°To make humanity safer.¡±


    ¡°However, the people there are also the children of Eden.¡± Lily wondered, ¡°If the children aren¡¯t important then why keep us locked up here?¡±


    ¡°They have their own reasons. In order to reach a higher goal, they have to make some choices.¡± She hugged Lily and explained gently, ¡°The main city and the outer city are our children. Sometimes the children are willful and sometimes they hurt their mother and their fellow kin. It is only when we understand them that we won¡¯t feel pain.¡±


    As she spoke, the blood seeping under the door and the badge of the Trial Court on Lu Feng¡¯s chest overlapped with the mushroom cloud rising in the distance.


    Lily asked the same thing. ¡°Do you understand?¡±


    She didn¡¯t answer. She just pressed her forehead against Lily¡¯s forehead and closed her eyes. ¡°I wish for you to never go through this pain again.¡±


    Like sad music at the end, An Zhe quietly opened his eyes.


    He found himself lying next to the rose bed. He looked up and saw green leaves swaying and shards of glass flickering. A dark shadow passed over his eyes, making him look up again. The hole in the dome that could only accommodate the queen bee¡¯s size had become larger and occupied nearly three-quarters of the dome. Its broken edge was shining with light and a bee as long as a human arm was flying through it.


    The fluctuations had disappeared and there were no traces of the queen bee in the doom. However, the glass had been shattered and outside, artillery fire exploded like fireworks. It was the human army fighting. He wondered if they had killed the queen bee but it was difficult to hit a bee in the vast sky at night. An Zhe saw a small bee flying high and disappearing under the silver light of the moon.


    Then there were a few dark shadows, accompanied by the buzzing of wings as five, ten, countless bees swarmed from all directions. Some bees still had white cloth fragments on their bodies. An Zhe turned to the direction they came from. The 22nd floor was empty and no one could be seen at all. They had all turned into bees.


    Bees¡ª


    Another erratic memory appeared in An Zhe¡¯s mind.


    It was a bee, a normal flowering bee who didn¡¯t eat people.


    It was summer, the season when bees reproduced. However, it mistakenly flew into the human city. This city was inaccessible and people¡¯s doors and windows were closed. It wanted to find edible pollen but it wasn¡¯t possible.


    Then it saw it. Behind the glass was a bright red, blooming rose.


    A woman was taking care of this flower. She stood by the window, looking at the rose with a smile. Then she stared at the sky outside for a long time. She seemed to want to open the window and touch the sky outside.


    The bee waited a long time, waiting as the woman left and came back, waited until she looked outside and shed a tear. She seemed to have finally made a decision and pushed open the window. The wind outside poured in and she closed her eyes like she was flying with the wind.


    The bee had been hungry for a long time. It attached itself to the rose¡¯s stamen and pollen covered its furry hind limbs. It probed its slender mouthpiece into the centre of this flower. However, it was soon discovered.


    The woman reached for it, fingers shaking and eyes quivering with slight madness. It was as if this was the first time she had seen such life. She was slow and didn¡¯t seem like she was going to dust it off, but the bee¡¯s instincts meant that what happened next was bound to occur.


    Once her finger was only a few millimetres away and about to touch it, the bee subconsciously stung her.


    The bee died, part of its internal organs pulled out and stuck on the woman¡¯s finger. A bee could only use its stinger once in its life.


    However, it didn¡¯t seem to die. Its body fell into the rose bushes while its consciousness became a part of this woman¡¯s consciousness. It stayed dormant for so long that no one knew of its existence. Even the woman thought she was just stung and not infected.


    ¡ªUntil a part of its consciousness was gradually activated by strange fluctuations in the distance.


    The memory of the bee was simple. After this experience, it was even lacking. Once An Zhe opened his eyes again, these things gradually faded out of his mind. The roses in front of him were still bright and he wondered who had given the flower to Madam Lu that year.


    Only two people would give her flowers, her former lover and Lu Feng. Their reason for giving her flowers was just to make her happy.


    Thus, once the rose blossomed, she was moved by this beautiful scene and she wanted to bathe in the sun and air outside. Then she happened to meet the bee who came for the flower.


    The outside wind poured in and An Zhe gradually awakened. He sat up from the ground. Everywhere around him was empty. There were torn clothes, communicators and the debris of what people were carrying on the ground. He could imagine that while he was affected by the strong wave and fell into the memories of Madam Lu and the bee, everyone present was infected by the wave. Thousands of people turned into bees and flew through the opening in the dome into the sky.


    He was an exception. He still maintained his human form, just like that time with the insect bite. He didn¡¯t mutate.


    At this moment, the feeling of danger rose in An Zhe¡¯s heart. He looked up at the dome and saw three small military helicopters suspended above it. They were the ones who had just opened fire on the swarm. They found a hole in the dome and the windows of the helicopters were facing him.


    Simultaneously, there was the sound of footsteps at the door. An alarm sounded and the emergency lights and red alarm lights went wild. The floor shook as armed emergency response soldiers rushed through the door, surrounding An Zhe. Every soldier had a heavy weapon that was aiming at him.

 Chapter 52

    The Underground City Base, the core area.


    ¡°Thank you for your assistance.¡± The officer in white took off his cap. ¡°We thought the Northern Base wouldn¡¯t come.¡±


    The most chaotic moment was over. The sound of gunfire and explosions ceased, only echoing in the distance. The ground was full of broken glass and instruments. An officer was speaking very quickly. ¡°The condition for no-contact infection is to be close to the monster. Clean up the corpses first!¡±


    Then there was a gunshot as the officer fell down, shooting at another officer of the Dungeon Base.


    ¡°This is our judge.¡± The officer in white spoke from next to Lu Feng. ¡°After the fall of the Virginia Base, we set up a Trial Court like you. It has been the patron saint of our base for years.¡±


    A team of engineers, under the protection of the soldiers, walked through the half-collapsed steel arch and entered the artificial magnetic pole device for repairs.


    Looking at it, Lu Feng asked, ¡°How were you invaded this time?¡±


    ¡°A strong strike. They came from the giant rainforest 300 kilometers away with only one purpose¡ªto obtain human genes and to occupy the underground base. as you know, the underground city is warm and safe. It is the most suitable place for living creatures.¡±


    ¡°What was their purpose for destroying the magnetic pole?¡±


    ¡°Human genes. Our thinking skills and knowledge are constantly leaking out. We can only guess that they know a bit and know that destroying the magnetic pole will cause humans to fall into chaos. This is conducive to their offensive.¡±


    ¡°There were too many of their and our armaments were inadequate. Our research and development capabilities are declining and we couldn¡¯t suppress them. We had no choice but to ask for your help.¡± The officer rubbed the butt of his gun. ¡°Why are there still such ample reserves of ammunition and thermonuclear weapons at the Northern Base? Did you have a technological breakthrough?¡±


    ¡°Not for the time being.¡± Lu Feng took off his blood-stained gloves while answering the officer¡¯s question. ¡°There are enough troops at the Northern Base and we can use the numerical advantage to reduce the weapons consumption when fighting on the front lines.¡±


    ¡°The opposite is true. The reason for the large armament consumption at our base is the shortage of troops.¡± The officer frowned.


    ¡°I see¡­it is due to the much-maligned rose incident.¡± The officer didn¡¯t wait for Lu Feng to answer as his eyes became complicated. ¡°The Northern Base always seems to make these choices.¡±


    ¡°I really admire your arbitrariness,¡± he finally said.


    Lu Feng suddenly looked up in one direction. It was the buffer zone and it was empty, with no buildings worth mentioning. The officer realized that it was the direction of the Northern Base.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Lu Feng couldn¡¯t describe the feeling. It was as if in that place, something was happening. ¡°I might have to go back.¡±


    ***


    The Northern Base.


    An Zhe was escorted from the 22nd floor. An hour ago, this place was filled with soothing music and a soft atmosphere but no it was a mess. No one was walking in it and in a corner, a tea table had collapsed. There were fallen glasses and milk spilled on the ground, soaking a white dress. There were some honey-coloured things on the white dress, like fur from a bee.


    ¡°How many people have been infected?¡± The head of the emergency response department shouted into his communicator.


    ¡°The 21st, 22nd and 23rd floors!¡± There was a shrill voice from the communicator. ¡°All the women in the Garden of Eden who met the Rose Declaration¡¯s standards, all the staff and even the embryos in the culture equipment on the 20th floor. There were also some people from other floors!¡±


    The officer¡¯s fingers tightened and he almost crushed the communicator.


    His deputy asked, ¡°What now?¡±


    ¡°Clean up the scene. Are you stupid?¡± The furious officer turned sharply but it was to An Zhe, not the deputy.


    Under the grim white light, his face was as cold as stone.


    ¡°What happened on the 22nd floor?¡± The harsh voice entered An Zhe¡¯s ears like thunder, hurting his head. The officer guarding him pressed him forward and he felt the bones of his shoulder almost being crushed.


    The pain made him tremble slightly and An Zhe¡¯s eyelashes lowered. He said, ¡°Madam Lu has mutated.¡±


    ¡°Where were you at the time?¡±


    ¡°¡­In front of her.¡±


    ¡°Why did she mutate?¡± he yelled. ¡°The Garden of Eden doesn¡¯t even have any water dripping above the 20th floor. How can the women there mutate?


    ¡°Many years ago¡­ she was bitten by a bee.¡± An Zhe replied truthfully. The officer in front of him looked so violent that An Zhe subconsciously stepped back but the soldier pressed him forward.


    ¡°If she was bitten many years ago then she would¡¯ve mutated already!¡± The officer yanked at An Zhe¡¯s wrist.


    ¡°Senior colonel, calm down. The situation now¡ª¡± The deputy trembled.


    The cold muzzle of a gun was placed against An Zhe¡¯s temple.


    ¡°Do you want to speak for him?¡± The senior colonel exploded. ¡°I saw this man when he was transferred. He is from the Lighthouse, not the 22nd floor. Wasn¡¯t there a bee sample in the Lighthouse? I said for a long time that the scientists are lunatics for raising heterogeneous species in the Twin Towers. Sooner or later, something will happen. They want to kill the base, just like the former fusion faction.¡±


    The deputy asked, ¡°Do you want to contact the Trial Court?¡±


    ¡°No need for the Trial Court.¡± The major held the trigger, his voice cold. ¡°He can¡¯t be separated from the infection.¡±

 Chapter 53

    An Zhe closed his eyes.


    He knew what had just happened to humanity. The disappearance of the mothers and children meant this human base had completely lost its future. In this case, he wouldn¡¯t be surprised no matter what the senior colonel did.


    ¡ªJust then!


    ¡°Senior colonel!¡± A familiar voice rang out from the end of the hall. It was the doctor.


    An Zhe looked over.


    ¡°He is from the Garden of Eden and now he is helping the Lighthouse with a study.¡± The doctor said. ¡°Please let me handle him.¡±


    ¡°Everyone is infected and only he is alive. He is also wanted tonight for taking the sample.¡± The senior colonel¡¯s voice was low. ¡°Is the Lighthouse covering for him? What research are you doing and why can people be infected without contact?¡±


    ¡°Regardless of whether this matter is related to the Lighthouse or not, you have to give him to me. At least I can discover something. If you kill him then there is nothing.¡±


    The senior colonel chuckled. ¡°Then you will continue with the dangerous experiment?¡±


    ¡°Tonight¡¯s events have absolutely nothing to do with the Lighthouse¡¯s experiments.¡± The doctor stated coldly. ¡°On the contrary, we will investigate why this happened.¡±


    ¡°Your group have been saying this for more than 100 years that you can find the cause of the infection. Yet you¡¯re still in the dark and no clues have been found. How can the Lighthouse guarantee that it won¡¯t be more dangerous to leave him alive?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee it.¡± The doctor stared at the senior colonel. ¡°However, I know that the base can be no worse off than it is now.¡±


    After this brief sentence, the senior colonel¡¯s hand holding the gun trembling. The doctor¡¯s words seemed to make him lose all his strength. He spoke slowly, ¡°There has to be progress after an hour.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± the doctor said.


    There was a bang as the door of the interrogation room opened and the soldiers escorting him stood guard outside. Through a layer of glass, An Zhe and the doctor stared at each other. The soldier¡¯s actions were rough and An Zhe was almost slammed in. His back and shoulders were still in pain.


    However, the doctor didn¡¯t greet him. There was no time and perhaps he wasn¡¯t in the mood. His first words were the same as the senior colonel. ¡°What happened tonight?¡±


    An Zhe truthfully told him. Unlike the senior colonel, the doctor believed him after a brief period of thinking about it.


    ¡°You¡¯re saying there was always a different gene lurking in her but it only showed up now?¡±


    An Zhe nodded.


    ¡°She killed the women and offspring of the base. Was this out of hatred for the base? Are you saying that she developed a contactless infection because she was in a certain range while awake?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡± An Zhe shook his head. ¡°When she first became a bee, she just wanted to leave here. Then the bee came back.¡±


    ¡°You think her mind was replaced at that time?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The doctor suddenly laughed but his laughter was hoarse. His eyebrows furrowed, the corner of his eyes sagged and it was more like an ugly cry than a laugh. ¡°She isn¡¯t immune either.¡±


    An Zhe watched him quietly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that.¡± The doctor took a deep breath.


    An Zhe told him, ¡°I don¡¯t know anything.¡±


    ¡°Sinan¡­ the fact that Sinan can occasionally be sober is already a one in a millionth chance.¡±


    Then the doctor asked, ¡°Do you know the fusion faction?¡±


    An Zhe shook his head.


    ¡°100 years ago, the scientific research strength of the base was very high. Many scientists believed that other organisms could acquire a large body and stronger power through the mutation, adapting to the environment using mutual infection. So why can¡¯t humans?¡± The doctor started explaining.


    ¡°The first looked at the radiation¡¯s effect on the human body but the more complex the genes of the organism, the lower the chances of a favourable mutation. Humans exposed to cosmic radiation could only get multiple body cancers or other genetic diseases.¡±


    ¡°Later, they thought that genetic infection was a means of human evolution and the ¡®fusion faction¡¯ developed. They did a lot of crazy experiments, infecting monsters with various monsters or infecting humans with monsters. They created countless heterogeneous species in order to observe how human genes changed and how to keep the human will. Then they discovered the fragility of the human will and also found that human intelligence was easily obtained by the heterogeneous species. However, some individuals were able to stay away and control the mutation with human thoughts¡ªalbeit for a limited time.¡±


    An Zhe listened quietly and saw the doctor make a self-deprecating smile. ¡°This was good news. They applied for more samples and finally eliminated all influencing factors, coming to a conclusion. There is no external way to help a person keep their will. Whether a person can wake up after being infected doesn¡¯t depend on the person¡¯s tenacity. If a person is infected, there is a one in 10,000 chance of retaining consciousness. The other 9,999 will lose their will. It is just a matter of probability. Everything is random, everything is irregular and everything is uncontrollable. Randomness is the most terrible thing for scientists. On the day this conclusion was reached, three scientists in the fusion faction committed suicide.¡±


    ¡°However, some people didn¡¯t lose heart and continued their research. They believed this wasn¡¯t a random result. We just hadn¡¯t found the determining factor or that the determining factor exceeded the range that human technology can understand.¡±


    ¡°¡­And then?¡±


    ¡°Then there was no fusion faction. All the samples were killed and the research called off.¡± The doctor¡¯s voice was soft. ¡°In that year, a humanoid water heterogeneous species polluted the water source of the outer city and the entire outer city was exposed. The Trial Court was established and blood flowed like a river for 10 days¡­ That heterogeneous species was a fusion experiment that had acquired human intelligence.¡±


    An Zhe tried to think about and digest the meaning of the doctor¡¯s words. Then he heard the doctor suddenly say, ¡°I have spoken to him for a sufficient amount of time. Have you made a judgment?¡±


    An Zhe froze. He looked up and saw a door on the other side of the glass open. Seraing and another judge came out and stood behind the doctor. He stared at the side of his interrogation room that was a smooth mirror.


    ¡°It is a one-way mirror. Seraing has been watching you,¡± the doctor explained.


    Seraing watched An Zhe. ¡°According to the rules of the Trial Court, I still think he is human.¡±


    ¡°I think so as well.¡± The doctor seemed to finally sigh with relief. ¡°Even Lu Feng left An Zhe safely by his side.¡±


    ¡°Lu Feng¡­¡± Suddenly, the doctor¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°If Madam Lu was already infected and gradually became stimulated, infecting Sinan without losing her mind completely, why didn¡¯t Lu Feng see it?¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Seraing lowered his eyelids and stated, ¡°The Trial Court can never judge if the ladies of the Garden of Eden are infected or not.¡±


    The doctor hesitated. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°The environment in which they grew up is so different from ordinary humans that no woman would meet the standards of the Trial Court.¡±


    The doctor was startled. Five seconds later, he burst out laughing. He bowed his head, his body trembling as his hands clung to the armrest of the chair. He laughed for three minutes before his expression became blank. The colour in his cheeks faded, leaving only paleness.


    ¡°The source of the disaster in the outer city not long ago, do you remember?¡± The doctor suddenly asked.


    ¡°I remember.¡± Seraing replied. ¡°It was the arthropods¡¯ breeding season.¡±


    ¡°This can explain why Madam Lu infected so many people. She wanted to leave the Garden of Eden, whose sole purpose is human reproduction. Even if she abandoned her human form and consciousness for this purpose, so that she could be free¡­ the moment she completely got rid of her human body, she was controlled by the biological instincts of the queen bee¡­ now it is the breeding season of the arthropods. What she did as a human and what she is doing as a queen bee, she¡­¡±


    The more the doctor spoke, the more intermittent his voice became. In the end, he closed his eyes in pain. ¡°She can never get rid of it.¡±


    After a long silence, his voice was hoarse. ¡°She can¡¯t escape.¡±


    An Zhe¡¯s eyes widened as he realized what the doctor was saying.


    A creature¡¯s instinct was to live and to reproduce. No one could escape it. The lady had fallen into it forever. Perhaps it was only in that moment, the fleeting moment when she had become a bee but wasn¡¯t a bee, that she briefly got what she wanted. Then the eternal, ignorant black curtain fell over her eyes.


    ¡°The Rose Declaration is an inevitable choice for the long-term development of the base but it does violate the standards of human nature. The Trial Court, the mercenaries, the emergency response system¡­ many systems violate this. If I wasn¡¯t looking at it from the perspective of the base, I would support her resistance.¡± His voice became very low. ¡°However, does her resistance make sense? She even¡­ took all our embryos.¡±


    ¡°No one has done anything wrong. The ending is the same.¡± He stared at the blank wall, his eyes looking like he was on the verge of breaking into pieces. He could only maintain his sanity by murmuring, ¡°This¡­ this fucking era.¡±


    This era of the geomagnetic field disappearing wasn¡¯t a disaster for humanity, it was simply a trampling.


    It first made humans aware of the fragility of their physical bodies, made them realize the futility of the technology they were so proud of and then denied the legitimacy of the base¡¯s actions, finally proving that even humans weren¡¯t independent of an animal¡¯s will.


    However, it wasn¡¯t appropriate to say so. It was because the world didn¡¯t care about human existence at all.


    An Zhe placed a hand on the glass of the interrogation room, trying to get close to the doctor to comfort him.


    ¡°Okay.¡± He saw the doctor take a deep breath, regaining a certain degree of calmness. ¡°Now it is your turn to explain two things.¡±


    ¡°First, since Seraing thinks you¡¯re human, why weren¡¯t you infected by Madam Lu? Second, why did you go into the D1344 laboratory and take the inert sample?¡±


    An Zhe lowered his eyes and didn¡¯t speak.


    ¡°You have to tell me.¡± The doctor pleaded. ¡°If I don¡¯t get any results, you will fall into the hands of the senior colonel.¡±


    An Zhe remained silent and shook his head.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t seen the military¡¯s interrogation method.¡± Dr Ji got up from the chair, standing in front of the glass wall and staring at An Zhe. ¡°If you don¡¯t know why you aren¡¯t infected, we will wait for Lu Feng to come back and for power to be restored before returning to the Lighthouse to do a thorough examination. However, you have to tell me where the D1344 sample is.¡±


    An Zhe still didn¡¯t speak and the doctor concluded, ¡°Is it something that you can¡¯t tell me and Seraing?¡±


    An Zhe nodded.


    ¡°Why? You¡¯re a good boy.¡± The doctor¡¯s eyes were complicated as he repeated, ¡°The sample is too important. Where is it?¡±


    The author has something to say:


    In my belly.

 Chapter 54

    An Zhe hadn¡¯t slept for 20 hours. It had been around five or six hours since the incident with Madam Lu and it was now midnight. He didn¡¯t reveal anything to the doctor so once the time limit passed, the senior colonel lost all patience and ordered he must be tortured to extract a confession.


    The interrogation room was well-equipped and the method of human torture didn¡¯t cause blood and flesh to fly. It was very civilized and in the form of electrocution. The current passing through his body felt like thousands of highly venomous ants gnawing at the nerves in his entire body at the same time.


    It hurt. He had never experienced such pain before.


    An Zhe closed his eyes and gasped, trembling all over as sweat flowed down his body, every skin cell twitching. Had his spore ever been treated like this in the laboratory? Perhaps.


    An Zhe lost almost all sober consciousness in the midst of the boundless pain. He mind was chaotic and he seemed to think a lot, but he didn¡¯t know what he was thinking. He just felt it was very important.


    He didn¡¯t know how long it had been. This painful ordeal stretched out every second and was as long as a lifetime. Suddenly, he heard a noise coming from the corridor outside.


    ¡°Doctor¡ªthe frequency of the magnetic field is increasing!¡±


    This shout that was like thunder sobered up An Zhe¡¯s mind. The atmosphere of the interrogation room also changed. An Zhe¡¯s heart jumped a few times. The magnetic field frequency was increasing, meaning the magnetic field was recovering. This meant the Underground City Base had been saved. It also meant that Lu Feng was coming back, if he was still alive.


    The doctor¡¯s eager voice could be heard. ¡°Increasing? Isn¡¯t this a big deal? Can it be restored to the normal frequency?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Someone unknown replied. ¡°However, the aurora has already appeared and the frequency fluctuations show that the Underground City Base is performing a manual frequency modulation, indicating that they are safe.¡±


    ¡°My god¡­¡± The doctor¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°It¡­ it was really saved. Communication? Is communication restored? Quickly contact the military and have them open an emergency channel. What happened here was too big. We have to tell Lu¡ª¡±


    ¡°Doctor.¡± Seraing suddenly interrupted. He whispered, ¡°I just received an urgent message from the military, telling us that we¡¯re not to contact the colonel in any form.¡±


    There was a brief silence before the doctor asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± Seraing stuttered. ¡°Perhaps it is because of Madam Lu and An Zhe.¡±


    In a flash, An Zhe suddenly remembered what he had been thinking about. He was the one who stole the important sample. Madam Lu was a heterogeneous who infected the Garden of Eden. Both he and Madam Lu had a direct connection to Lu Feng.


    He still wasn¡¯t fully awake. He didn¡¯t know where the strength came from but at this moment, he gained an amazing calmness. He coughed a few times before speaking weakly, ¡°¡­I will speak.¡±


    The current disappeared and his mind became somewhat clear. Now he regretted what he just said to the doctor about Eden, Madam Lu and the queen bee. Still, he believed that the doctor would be able to understand his intentions.


    However, the side effects brought about by the electrocution were too great. He couldn¡¯t speak at all and his mind was drowsy. His entire body kept shaking and cramping. Finally, the doctor opened the door of the interrogation room and gave him a glass of glucose water.


    An Zhe was finally better.


    ¡°My words before are false. I am a heterogeneous species.¡± An Zhe stated. ¡°There is a type of fluctuation that can induce contactless infection and heterogeneous species can sense that fluctuation. Five days ago, I was in contact with Sinan at the Lighthouse and became infected. I destroyed the inert sample because you said it was very important to humans. Then I went to Eden to avoid pursuit and Madam Lu was very friendly to me. I was affected by the breeding season and infected the women there, with Madam Lu as the centre.¡±


    The doctor looked at him and frowned. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying that I¡¯m a heterogeneous species who has acquired human intellect. I was infected five days ago.¡± An Zhe¡¯s voice was very light and certain. He knew his lies were clumsy but the doctor¡¯s ingenuity meant he would certainly understand.


    The doctor suddenly twitched and his voice trembled. ¡°You¡ª¡±


    Suddenly, snow-white mycelium appeared in the air. The doctor¡¯s eyes widened but the next moment, the mycelium forcibly covered his mouth and nose. Once a person was suffocated, they would instinctively open their mouth to try to brief. The mycelium took this opportunity to enter the doctor¡¯s mouth.


    After a violent cough, the doctor¡¯s eyes suddenly became dazed. The next moment, he fell forward, completely unconscious.


    Seraing pulled out his gun.


    ¡°If Lu Feng comes back or the military asks then tell them what I said earlier¡­¡± Looking at Seraing, An Zhe¡¯s tone filled with a slight sense of appeal. ¡°Then when I lost my mind and wanted to attack the doctor, you killed my and my body evaporated. There is no such person as me in the world anymore.¡±


    Seraing pointed the gun at him. ¡°¡­Why would you do that? What the hell are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± An Zhe slowly gripped the badge of the Trial Court in his hand. He was a mushroom but he couldn¡¯t say that he was a mushroom. He was about to leave, which was something he had decided from the beginning. After he left, it was meaningless how others saw him.


    He knew how important the human base was to Lu Feng. The reason he could enter the base was because the Judge had chosen to believe him under the premise of a different intuition. He knew how valuable such trust was.


    If Lu Feng came back, he would know the truth and know how much his mother hated and was disappointed with the base, how she became a semi-active heterogeneous species and finally destroyed all of Eden. In addition, the person he had always been around and trusted was a heterogeneous who always had a scheming attitude toward the sample.


    What would happen to Lu Feng? Could he accept it? An Zhe didn¡¯t know but he knew he didn¡¯t want Lu Feng to face this type of thing. It wasn¡¯t because he was worried about how the base would look at Lu Feng. He and Lu Feng couldn¡¯t be considered to have a deep friendship and he was even badly bullied by this man. He just¡­


    He just thought that Lu Feng was a very good human.


    The madam said that Lu Feng must not have a good end. Her greatest regret was that she couldn¡¯t see the day when Lu Feng went crazy. Then¡­ Lu Feng could never be shaken. This was An Zhe¡¯s only wish worth mentioning regarding this human base.


    The madam had left and there was no evidence of death., Let what happened tonight be a common accident.


    ¡°I mean,¡± he whispered, ¡°I¡¯m no longer human.¡±


    There was a bang and Seraing¡¯s bullet hit An Zhe¡¯s right shoulder. After the gunshot, the bullet was embedded into the opposite wall. An Zhe shook and all his clothes fell to the ground. The body inside had disappeared without a trace. Only a white shadow appeared in front of Seraing before suddenly disappearing, like it was an illusion.


    An Zhe quickly entered a vent in the corner behind him. He couldn¡¯t care what Seraing thought. He used the fastest speed to move through the intricate pipes, rampaging through searching one room after another until he found an empty office with a window. He pushed open the window using his human figure and the aurora rushed toward him. He used the windowsill to support his arm and jumped down, quickly turning into mycelium and sliding down the outer wall to the ground.


    The aurora had just appeared and the power supply hadn¡¯t fully recovered. There was no one outside and no monitoring. He turned into a human, dressed in a robe made of mycelium, and quickly ran.


    Anyone could catch up at any time and this was the most stressful moment of An Zhe¡¯s life. He crossed the main city and returned to the outer city. At the abandoned supply station in the outer city, he picked up a backpack full of simple clothes, compressed biscuits and a map. The map was the most important thing. Carrying the backpack, he went out along the rail transit route. It was a long journey and he walked the entire night, but it didn¡¯t matter.


    By the time the aurora faded and the eastern sky had lit up with a hint of redness, An Zhe had reached the gate of the outer city.


    The inspection office, the Trial Court¡­ the buildings at the city gates were exactly the same as when he entered, only the outer city had become empty and everything was locked. An Zhe turned around and came under the wall. He climbed to the top of an armoured car and reached out, his fingers turning to mycelium as he climbed the wall. Perhaps it was due to the solar wind for a few days but a strange scene appeared on the wall. It was evenly covered with a layer of sand and the fine grains of sand seemed to be integrated with the steel wall, embedded in each other. Once the mycelium was placed there, the small white sand fell down but the layer inside was still sand.


    After a slow climb, An Zhe stood on top of the wall. Then something trembled around him. An Zhe shifted his gaze and found two black bees as big as humans near the heavy machine guns on top of the wall. There were a few in the distance as well. It could be imagined that they flew out of the Garden of Eden not long ago and temporarily stopped here.


    The black bee was awakened by his movements. Its wings quivered and there was a gesture that showed it was about to fly. An Zhe pursed his lips and made a decision within a moment.


    The next moment, a part of his body turned into the more flexible, softer and weightless mycelium. He rushed forward and wrapped himself around the black bee. His body fell onto the stinging hairs on the black bee¡¯s spine.


    The black bee was frightened. Its wings buzzed and vibrated as it flew rapidly into the sky.


    An Zhe firmly sat on its back. The cool morning wind blew across his face. He squinted as he looked back at the entire human base. The sun rose and the golden rays of the glorious dawn flooded over the grey city. Suddenly, he heard a roar coming from a distance that was both near and far.


    His eyes slightly widened as he saw the distant black point gradually becoming larger. It was the shape of a familiar warplane, the PL1109. Its dark shape was coated with the golden shimmer in the cloud of dawn and there was a team of wingmen guarding either side. The flying speed gradually slowed as the entire flying formation slowly descended with the appearance of preparing to land.


    Lu Feng had returned safely. It might¡¯ve seemed impossible to rescue the Underground City Base but the colonel seemed to be an omnipotent man.


    Stimulated by the sound, the black bee flew faster into the distance, the wind blowing up An Zhe¡¯s sleeves.


    Looking there, it was unknown why but An Zhe smiled despite the early morning wind making his eyes astringent.


    He remembered the first time he saw Lu Feng under the city gates. That day, the judge of humanity, the colonel gazed at him from a distance with cold green eyes under the brim of his black hat. The madam¡¯s roses had withered but he hoped the colonel would always be the colonel.


    ¡ªGoodbye.

 Chapter 55

    ¡°A1 module is okay.¡±¡¯


    ¡°The D3 module is okay.¡±


    ¡°Engine¡­¡±


    The entire plane shook violently.


    ¡°The engine has an unknown fault!¡±


    ¡°Start the emergency landing procedure!¡±


    ¡°Capture, the emergency program has failed!¡±


    ¡°Change to manual mode!¡±


    The entire plane was shaking wildly and the roar of the engine was intermittent. Hubbard gripped the armrest tightly and checked that the seatbelt had been fastened.


    ¡°Failure?¡± Lu Feng asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you check it before take-off?¡±


    Next to him, Hubbard frowned. ¡°Has the flight been attacked by flying heterogeneous species?¡±


    Another officer said, ¡°No, we¡¯ve been safe all the way.¡±


    Hubbard squinted. ¡°Speaking of which, three hours ago, our crew plane crashed.¡±


    The cabin shook as the plane moved up and down. Finally, it stabilized and landed on the ground. The cockpit door was pushed open. The co-pilot and pilot were white as the polite knelt down and vomited near the trash can.


    ¡°My god¡­¡± The co-captain muttered. ¡°We were almost finished. There must be a problem with the engine. I¡¯ve never seen anything like this. This aircraft can¡¯t be used and it has to be overhauled.¡±


    They might¡¯ve almost died but they had landed safely. The moment he got off the plane, Lu Feng looked up at the city in the sunlight. In the outer city, a group of bees flew up and disappeared into the sky.


    ¡°Bees?¡± Hubbard wondered. However, they had no time to continue the discussion. A line of officers from the United Front Centre stood neatly under the landing ladder.


    ¡°Welcome back.¡± After saluting them, the leader looked solemn. ¡°I congratulate you on behalf of the base.¡±


    Hubbard had no rank and didn¡¯t care about the military¡¯s red tap. He bluntly asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the base?¡±


    The officer¡¯s mouth tightened as he replied, ¡°An indescribable disaster.¡±


    Then he turned to Lu Feng. ¡°Colonel Lu, please come with us.¡±


    Lu Feng scanned around and didn¡¯t speak. He just got into the car with them.


    Hubbard stared in the direction they left in. There was still a senior staff member around him and at this time, the officer said, ¡°The relationship between the United Front Centre and Colonel Lu isn¡¯t very good.¡±


    ¡°I heard that on his first day as a judge, he killed a lieutenant general of the United Front.¡± Hubbard stated with folded arms.


    The officer didn¡¯t speak but closing his mouth was a default agreement.


    ***


    The United Front Centre.


    ¡°This is the way things are.¡± The general at the end of the long table stated.


    The base had a severe hierarchical system but the Trial Court was the exception. At first, it was a joint organization of the Lighthouse and the military, mainly composed of scientific researchers and not too many high ranking titles were presented to the judges. Later, the Trial Court was stationed in the outer city almost all year round and the ranks of the outer city were even more limited. The directors of the city defense office and city affairs office were all colonels so no one had proposed to upgrade the ranks of the judges for many years.


    However, everyone knew that the judge had the power to judge, mobilize and issue orders beyond all levels. The actual power was far more than what a colonel could have. Due to this, the existence of this position seemed alarming and frightening but the base couldn¡¯t abandon it.


    Lu Feng¡¯s voice was very light and no ups or downs could be heard. ¡°How many people are left at the base?¡±


    ¡°The preliminary statistic is that 8,700 survived.¡±


    ¡°At present, the United Front Centre has sent flying formations to track the bee¡¯s trajectory.¡± The general continued, ¡°Colonel Lu, I must repeat that the two direct suspects in this disaster are related to you.¡±


    Lu Feng declared, ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I¡¯m absolutely loyal to the base.¡±


    ¡°The base believes in you.¡± The general said. ¡°You know what you have to do.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Lu Feng¡¯s voice was light. ¡°The PL1109 formation had an unknown fault and can¡¯t perform the flight mission. I will apply for a change.¡±


    ¡°The change is allowed.¡±


    ***


    At night, twilight came. An Zhe didn¡¯t know where his black bee was flying but he was about to be dried out by the wind. Thus, when the black bee landed for a short rest, he became mycelium again and covered his entire head.


    Unsurprisingly, the black bee fell asleep.


    This place was very dry. It was a flat desert and not suitable for mushrooms to survive. An Zhe took out human clothing from his backpack and put them on. He ate some compressed biscuits and drank water. Then he used the body of the black bee to shelter from the wind and planned to sleep for one night.


    There was the roar of a plane from the sky. An Zhe looked up and watched it fly south. Today, there were more than 10 planes flying to the south. An Zhe thought about it for a long time before finally having a guess.


    The black bees were also flying south. The bees must have a destination and they were flying to a place that was suitable for the survival of bees. These human planes were chasing the bees, their purpose to kill these bees because they were bees that had acquired human genes. Arthropods were a very vulnerable group of monsters in the wild. If they weren¡¯t eliminated, human genes would spread throughout the wild due to the food chain. It would be very dangerous if these monsters united to attack the base.


    As for why humans could track the bees, he didn¡¯t know. It just seemed that his black bee wasn¡¯t being hunted.


    An Zhe looked at the aircraft. It was small and seemed to be some type of fighter plane. It flew unsteadily and quivered in the air. He frowned and watched quietly as after a violent shaking, the plane exploded in a burst of fire in the sky and fell quickly.


    It was the same scene he saw twice during the day. The human plants were frequently experiencing accidents although the reason why was unknown.


    An Zhe wrapped his clothes tightly around himself and closed his eyes. Roars kept coming from the sky but he hid under the black bee. It was night and the humans shouldn¡¯t see him. Just as he was about to wake up, a loud noise made him open his eyes.


    The wind was very strong and the roaring sound was very loud. It was so loud that it was strange, causing An Zhe to open his eyes and look at the source. 100 metres away, a small fighter plane suddenly shook in mid-air and the nose tilted downward. Then it smashed into the ground, with one wing breaking. The entire plane rolled sideways.


    The ground shook and smoke rose from the plane.


    An Zhe frowned even more and he rose to walk that way. Sometimes it was hard for him to explain the motive behind his actions, just as when he dragged the dying An Ze back to his cave.


    The cabin door was deformed and cracked. An Zhe tried his best to push the door of the engine room open and a human body rolled out. He was wearing the dark blue uniform of a military pilot and was covered in blood with his eyes tightly closed. An Zhe leaned down and carefully tested his breath.


    He was dead. He climbed into the cockpit and saw another man who died in the seat of the cockpit. An Zhe went in and saw the cabin and weapons cabin behind it. He thought that the two people in front had no breath and couldn¡¯t be saved, but maybe he could find some materials here.


    Thus, he went into the back compartment. The next moment, he was completely frozen. In front of him was a man¡ªmotionless with his head resting against the back of the front seat. An Zhe was about to stop breathing. He quickly hurried over and raised the man¡¯s upper body to see the face.


    This was Lu Feng. Lu Feng was also dead. An Zhe completely couldn¡¯t describe his mood at this moment. Lu Feng¡­ he was dead? He had no time to think about why Lu Feng was here and could only test this person¡¯s breath in a trembling manner.


    The next mood, his mood was full of ups and downs. Lu Feng was breathing. This cabin was in good condition, the fastened seatbelt had prevented dealt and Lu Feng hadn¡¯t been hit by anything. He must¡¯ve just passed out from the crash.


    In the small space, there was a burning smell everywhere and a plume of smoke came from the cockpit. He knew they couldn¡¯t stay in this place for long.


    Lu Feng¡¯s gun was hanging from his waist. An Zhe took it and pulled Lu Feng up, raising this man¡¯s arm over his shoulder and trying to move him out of here.


    However, it wasn¡¯t too hard for him to move. The space between the seat and the front wall was too narrow while the sharp burning smell was becoming heavier. There were hisses from the communicator mixed with the operator¡¯s cry, ¡°The United Front Centre is calling for Colonel Lu, please answer.¡±


    ¡°The United Front Centre is calling the PJ103 fighter plane, please answer.¡±


    The smoke was becoming heavier and the engine roared. An Zhe gritted his teeth and pulled hard.


    He saw Lu Feng open his eyes.


    Immediately afterward, Lu Feng turned around and clasped him. Lu Feng kicked open the emergency exit door on the side and steel debris rolled down along with the smoke. Then he yanked and the two people rolled down to the ground. Lu Feng didn¡¯t stop here. He held An Zhe¡¯s wrist with one hand, gripping his shoulder with the other hand and ran. The two of them fell into a slight depression in the terrain not far away.


    An Zhe felt a bit of pain and subconsciously embraced Lu Feng. The next second, a deafening explosion was heard in his ears.


    The ground of the shallow pit trembled and rocks rolled down. An Zhe looked up and saw bright and intense fireworks explode in the night sky. Raging flames burned around the fighter plane and heat came from everywhere. The flames were like lightning that couldn¡¯t be extinguished for a long time and the debris of the plane flew in all directions. A man¡¯s broken hand flew high in the sky along with the fireworks. It stayed briefly at the highest point before falling. The hand landed not far from them, stirring up a cloud of dust.


    The plane blew itself up, just like the two accidents that An Zhe had previously witnessed.


    Three seconds later, the sound of the explosion stopped and the surrounding area was silent. There was only the sound of the wind, the flames as they were blown by the wind and smoke billowing.


    Just barely. If he hadn¡¯t gone into the plane then perhaps Lu Feng would¡¯ve died in that explosion and he would¡¯ve never known who died. Or, even if he went into the plane, Lu Feng didn¡¯t wake up in time and both of them died.


    His heart was a bit stuffy from escaping from death. His ears were buzzing and he could only hear their breathing. Then after a long time, he heard Lu Feng whispering, ¡°¡­Thank you.¡±


    An Zhe took a few short breaths, his body in pain. The places that hurt when he rolled to the ground were nothing. It was the aftermath of the electrocution and rough treatment by the soldiers that was more serious.


    An Zhe looked up. In this way, he and Lu Feng watched each other. In the few seconds since they met, the pain of the current piercing his limbs rose from the depths of An Zhe¡¯s consciousness. He seemed to be in that icy interrogator room again but this time, the interrogator was Lu Feng. Lu Feng was more dangerous and frightening than anyone else.


    Lu Feng looked at him for a long time and An Zhe couldn¡¯t understand his expression. Then he heard Lu Feng speak in a very low tone. ¡°An Zhe?¡±


    An Zhe didn¡¯t speak.


    The name on his ID card was An Ze but he called himself An Zhe. Even if there were many cases of unauthorized name changes due to dissatisfaction with the randomly assigned names in the outer city, the flaw itself still couldn¡¯t be hidden.


    These eyes¡ªit was as if they could see through everything. They were the same eyes as when the two people first met. The day An Zhe walked through the gates, he had been ready to die under the Judge¡¯s gun but that day, Lu Feng let him go. However, he escaped. The trial came two months late.


    He heard Lu Feng ask in a cold voice, ¡°Where is the sample?¡±


    An Zhe couldn¡¯t answer this question. It was just that the tone and power of the Judge were more frightening than the electrocution. He bit his lip tightly before finally saying, ¡°I ate it¡­ it is no more.¡±


    Lu Feng¡¯s fingers touched his belly, pressing down gently. Through the layer of fabric, the touch was clear and horrible. An Zhe was numb with terror and he realized that if Lu Feng knew the spore could still be taken out, this person wouldn¡¯t hesitate to dissect An Zhe¡¯s body, just like he cut the mycelium with a knife six months ago.


    An Zhe had no way to think. His mind was blank and he could only watch Lu Feng. Under the moonlight and firelight, the colonel¡¯s face was expressionless. His thin and cold eyebrows and dark green eyes didn¡¯t show any emotion or even a trace of temperature. There were no fluctuations and this person would always be flawless, cold and ruthless.


    An Zhe was gasping lightly. He had originally hidden Lu Feng¡¯s gun behind him and continued to quietly push back, trying to hide it even more. In any case, without a gun, Lu Feng couldn¡¯t¡­ couldn¡¯t do anything to him.


    However, such an action allowed Lu Feng to discover the existence of the gun. He stared at it and his actions were incredible, not tolerating the slightest resistance. One hand held An Zhe firmly while the other hand quickly grabbed the gun.


    An Zhe gasped violently, struggling desperately to resist.


    Bang!


    A shot rang out.


    An Zhe¡¯s mind was blank for a moment. Then he found that he was still alive. He heard the distant sound of a heavy object falling, accompanied by a monster¡¯s howl. He turned his head and saw a lizard monster had been attacked by Lu Feng. It struggled before falling down.


    An Zhe was cold all over. He knew that in this world, he and that monster were the same type and that he and Lu Feng were eternal enemies. They could never reconcile.


    At this moment, intermittent and distorted sounds were once again heard from Lu Feng¡¯s communicator. ¡°Everyone¡­ United Front Centre calling¡­ 03 fighter, please respond¡­¡±


    Lu Feng¡¯s cold voice answered the call. ¡°PJ103 has received the call. The strike aircraft has crashed and the pilot is confirmed dead.¡±


    ¡°Please¡­ task progress¡­ send¡­ coordinates.¡±


    The sound was becoming more distorted and intermittent. If it wasn¡¯t a problem with the communicator then it was clear that the communication network in the wild had collapsed again. In the words of the mercenary teams during that month An Zhe spent in the outer city, the signals in the field were never good.


    He listened to Lu Feng saying, ¡°The target is under control.¡±


    ¡°¡­Order, confirm¡­ the type of mutation, lost¡­ clues¡­ kill. Please¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard it.¡± Lu Feng¡¯s voice was hoarse and there seemed to be a slight tremor at the end, before it became a rigid indifference. ¡°Answered.¡±


    The cold muzzle touched An Zhe¡¯s forehead. For the first time in his life, An Zhe realized he was so close to death and fear firmly controlled him. He hesitated before saying, ¡°No¡­ no.¡±


    ¡°PJ103, please immediately¡ª¡±


    The broadcast from the communicator pushed all emotions to the apex. Then the next moment, it came to an abrupt end.


    Buzz.


    The sound of the current got louder and there was a rustling sound followed by a long beep. Finally, it disappeared after a sudden high-frequency beep.


    Instead, there was a gentle female voice. ¡°Sorry, the base signal has been interrupted due to the solar wind in the ionosphere. This is a normal situation so please don¡¯t panic. All activities will continue as usual and the communication signal will be restored from time to time. A public broadcast will be sent to you so please keep listening.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, the base signal has been interrupted due to the solar wind¡­¡±


    An Zhe was still locked together with the other person. They were so close and his sense of danger reached the limit. Lu Feng could kill him at any time yet he could also feel Lu Feng¡¯s heartbeat and breathing. Lu Feng¡¯s face might be calm but the frequency of his heartbeat wasn¡¯t smooth.


    Lu Feng¡¯s fingers gripped An Zhe¡¯s shoulders and tightened. This just touched his wound and a layer of water vapour covered An Zhe¡¯s eyes as his body trembled and he whimpered.


    The cold muzzle was still touching his temple and there wasn¡¯t the slightest bit of warmth in his body. The fear and shadow of death didn¡¯t recede. An Zhe opened his mouth but at this moment, he could barely speak. He knew that he had collapsed¡ªif a mushroom could collapse.


    All the scenes of his life flashed in front of him. He couldn¡¯t catch any of it or get anything. Just the night before, he had still been thinking about how to lie to protect the colonel.


    ¡°I¡­ won¡¯t give it to you.¡± He reached out to protect his belly, his voice trembling violently as he cried out intermittently, ¡°I hate¡­ you.¡±


    The muzzle suddenly trembled.


    ¡°¡­please keep listening.¡±


    The final words of the broadcast finished. Everything was quiet. The fire of the wreckage went out, the voice of the communicator stopped and all contact was cut off. Here, there were no traces of human existence. The wilderness on all sides and the continuous desert were directly connected with the night sky. It was as if humans never existed. No humans, no human civilization and no human base. All of it¡ªall the struggles and entanglements had suddenly disappeared as the signal disappeared. There were only the two of them left in this ancient desert.


    Then there was a dull sound and the gun dropped to the ground. Lu Feng closed his eyes and pulled An Zhe into his arms.

 Chapter 56

    An Zhe trembled violently the moment he was embraced.


    He fell on Lu Feng, forehead against this person¡¯s shoulder. It was hard to describe his mood at this moment but he felt like his heart was being held tightly by one hand. Intense pain drowned him and warm liquid poured out of his eyes. He knew that he was crying, knew that it was tears¡ªsomething that only humans could possess. However, he felt it for the first time¡ªthe feeling that his heart was being torn into pieces.


    Why had it become like this? He thought that if it had been two months ago and his heterogeneous identity was revealed, he wouldn¡¯t be so sad and feel that he had betrayed Lu Feng¡¯s trust.


    If it wasn¡¯t for Lu Feng¡¯s friendship these days, he might not be so scared when confronted with Lu Feng¡¯s gun. If Lu Feng hadn¡¯t hugged him, he probably wouldn¡¯t feel¡­ so wronged.


    He just didn¡¯t know why Lu Feng had dropped the gun. He had never experienced such a fierce emotion before and couldn¡¯t deal with other things. He didn¡¯t understand anything but he cried for a long time. Once no more tears came out, he was slightly exhausted.


    The night deepened and once he finally calmed down, An Zhe noticed that there was silence all around them. It was like there was nothing in this world except the two of them. He was buried in Lu Feng¡¯s shoulder, chest leaning against Lu Feng¡¯s chest. The slight tremor of a heartbeat came across the fabric but it was unknown who it belonged to.


    They were both alive.


    He rubbed his eyes and his voice was a bit hoarse. ¡°Why did it fall?¡±


    ¡°The engine is faulty.¡± Lu Feng replied. ¡°I¡¯m going to get the black box.¡±


    An Zhe hummed and let go of Lu Feng. This hug seemed to have been too long. Once they separated, the wind from the wilderness poured in toward the places that had originally been intimately close. It was very cold and An Zhe shook slightly. Lu Feng placed his coat around An Zhe and walked toward the wreckage of the plane. This was a small fighter plane and the wreckage wasn¡¯t large. An Zhe watched Lu Feng pry the tail with parts scattered on the ground, taking out a bright orange box.


    ¡°I saw several planes falling down,¡± he said as he recalled what happened during the day.


    Lu Feng lightly hummed. Even if An Zhe was a mushroom, it knew it was strange for so many planes to have engine failures at the same time.


    ¡°Why?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t analyze it until I return to the box.¡± Lu Feng put away the box and walked back to him. ¡°Where do you live?¡±


    ¡°On the ground.¡±


    Lu Feng raised his eyebrows. An Zhe shut up and stopped speaking. This phrase ¡®on the ground¡¯ really wasn¡¯t like something a human would say.


    Then Lu Feng soon noticed the only unusual things in the wilderness¡ªthe black bee and the backpack on the ground. He went there, followed by An Zhe. However, the pain from An Zhe¡¯s ankle just arrived. Lu Feng glanced back at him. An Zhe bit his lower lip and limped to keep up.


    ¡ªThen he was carried back by Lu Feng. He was familiar with the colonel doing this type of thing and found his place with ease. They were very close and it didn¡¯t seem to be the distance that a human and heterogeneous species should have. Just for tonight, the colonel wasn¡¯t a colonel and the heterogeneous wasn¡¯t a heterogeneous.


    Holding Lu Feng¡¯s neck, An Zhe vaguely felt the outline of a string. His fingers lowered and he touched something warm and cool. There was a hard pendant hanging around Lu Feng¡¯s neck.


    The escape from Lu Feng killing him seemed to have increased his courage. The shape of the pendant was too familiar so his fingers touched Lu Feng¡¯s neck and he gently fished it out. Lu Feng said nothing, seemingly acquiescing to this action. At the end of the silver metal chain, a brass-coloured bullet casing flicked in the faint dark light of the aurora.


    His own shell casing pendant represented the missing spore. So what did Lu Feng¡¯s represent? An Zhe didn¡¯t know and only made a gentle sound.


    He heard Lu Feng lightly stating, ¡°My father.¡±


    An Zhe didn¡¯t say anything. After around three minutes, he put the pendant back inside Lu Feng¡¯s clothes. An Zhe lay his head on Lu Feng¡¯s shoulder, his arms holding on tightly and he didn¡¯t move anymore.


    Through the clothing, Lu Feng felt the person on his back tense nervously before gradually relaxing, entire body leaning on Lu Feng. After what happened today, An Zhe could still lean on him without any precautions. This boy always did something unexpected.


    An Zhe¡¯s warm breath touched his neck and shoulders. An Zhe had the normal weight for a person his age but he wasn¡¯t heavy for Lu Feng. He leaned on Lu Feng without any vigilance, as if all the dangers and fears in this world had nothing to do with him.


    Lu Feng remembered the year he joined the Trial Court. There was no particular reason for entering the Trial Court. He just wanted to protect everyone. In fact, he protected some people and hurt many others. He didn¡¯t mean it but he became an object of hatred.


    As they walked, An Zhe¡¯s breathing gradually became lighter and gentler. He had cried for a long time today and should be tired. Like all the little things in the world, this little heterogeneous might be able to fall asleep.


    Lu Feng also remembered that time when the insects were raging in the city. He had received a call from An Zhe, whose voice had been soft and almost afraid. It was his seventh year as a judge and this was the first time he had ever received a request for help. No one else would do so.


    In such an era, protecting everyone was just a doomed illusion. However, Lu Feng felt that if he could at least protected someone¡ªwhen he was asked for help, such a fleeting expectation had risen in his heart.


    By the time he was put down, An Zhe was about to fall asleep. Lu Feng placed his coat on An Zhe as a blanket but this person obviously hadn¡¯t taken care of anyone. The badge on the coat scraped against An Zhe. An Zhe took it off in a half-asleep state and found it was the one he had been holding in the base. When he escaped in mycelium form, his clothes, including this badge, had fallen on the ground. Now the badge had returned to Lu Feng.


    Holding it, An Zhe sobered up a lot. He carefully asked, ¡°What did the doctor say to you?¡±


    Lu Feng looked down at him. ¡°What do you want him to say?¡±


    An Zhe¡¯s voice was small. ¡°¡­Nothing.¡±


    Lu Feng did have a plan to explain it seriously but then he saw the little heterogeneous holding his backpack and curling up in a small manner. In the moonlight, the pair of dark eyes stared at him seriously, as if it was easy to produce emotional fluctuations.


    Lu Feng sneered faintly. ¡°Do you think you have that much ability?¡±


    An Zhe completely turned his back to this person.

 Chapter 57

    An Zhe didn¡¯t accept this evaluation from Lu Feng. He felt that Lu Feng was emphasizing his weakness again. It wasn¡¯t the first time this person had said such a thing.


    ¡ªAlthough he really couldn¡¯t infect all of Eden. He couldn¡¯t even infect one person.


    Still, he couldn¡¯t accept that his lie had been broken because he was weak, not because the lie wasn¡¯t good enough. He could only comfort himself by saying that perhaps it was only Lu Feng who didn¡¯t believe his words. Only Lu Feng was hateful.


    An Zhe declared, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to sleep here.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Lu Feng wondered.


    An Zhe sullenly repeated, ¡°No.¡±


    Lu Feng asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    An Zhe turned his back to this person and buried himself in the coat. He didn¡¯t want to say anything, he just wanted to resolutely expel the colonel from this space. After thinking about it, he carefully explained the reason, ¡°You might be infected by contactless infection.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Lu Feng¡¯s voice was very low. ¡°The bee is alive.¡±


    An Zhe, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Then he heard Lu Feng question, ¡°It is alive so why is it unconscious?¡±


    This time, An Zhe wouldn¡¯t open his mouth even if he was killed. As long as he revealed a bit of information, Lu Feng would be able to clearly guess the situation. However, tonight the colonel didn¡¯t make things difficult for him. The colonel just said, ¡°I will keep watch.¡¯


    An Zhe hummed before asking, ¡°Are you cold?¡±


    Lu Feng replied, ¡°I¡¯m not cold.¡±


    An Zhe closed his eyes while holding the badge tightly to his body. He had overdone it tonight and he fell asleep extra fast. Then halfway through his sleep, he was woken up by the cold.


    The magnetic field accident had caused the solar wind to blow for a few days and the atmosphere had become thinner. The temperature difference between day and night had grown to a terrible level.


    An Zhe was cold all over. He opened his eyes and sat up, subconsciously looking around for Lu Feng¡¯s shadow. He easily saw the colonel not far away. Lu Feng was leaning against a strangely-shaped stone eroded by the wind with the branches of some shrubs stacked in a cone shape in front of him.


    An Zhe rubbed his eyes and held Lu Feng¡¯s coat while walking over there. The colonel had covered An Zhe with the coat and was only wearing the inner uniform shirt. He handed over the coat and asked again, ¡°Are you cold?¡±


    Lu Feng was playing with a lighter in his hand.


    ¡°Wear it yourself,¡± Lu Feng told him. ¡°I thought you would get some more sleep.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ah?¡±


    Lu Feng threw the lighter to him. ¡°Come with me to collect firewood.¡±


    It seemed the colonel had long known An Zhe might be awakened by the cold and planned to make a fire. Then he said that he thought An Zhe would sleep longer. An Zhe translated the colonel¡¯s rare euphemism and finally came to the conclusion that the colonel really wanted to say, ¡°How can you be more coquettish than I thought?¡±


    An Zhe, ¡°¡­¡±


    He followed Lu Feng. For a time, there was only the sound of their footsteps, the wind and the faint howling of monsters in the distance. As they walked, they saw shrubs growing sporadically in the wilderness. The plants had died under the attack of the solar wind and were dried up, making them suitable for burning.


    ¡°Have you been looking for branches?¡± An Zhe asked.


    ¡°No, there are monsters and I can¡¯t go too far.¡±


    An Zhe said, ¡°Oh.¡± He wanted to tell Lu Feng that in fact, many monsters had no interest in mushrooms. Then he realized that Lu Feng was protecting him. After thinking about this, he subtly felt a bit happy.


    The sandy ground of the desert was very soft and there was only a slight friction when stepping on it. It was still a bit inconvenient for An Zhe to walk so Lu Feng didn¡¯t let him follow closely. Instead, Lu Feng ensured that he stayed in sight while collecting branches around then and placing them in An Zhe¡¯s arms.


    Once the branches in An Zhe¡¯s arms increased and he couldn¡¯t hold anymore, Lu Feng stated, ¡°This is enough.¡±


    They walked back side by side. In the moonlight, the dunes undulated like snow piles and the wreckage of the plane in the distance was like an ugly tumour. Suddenly, Lu Feng¡¯s footsteps paused. An Zhe immediately stopped. His intuition caused his back to become cold and then he heard a sound. In the silent wilderness, a sound that couldn¡¯t be accurately described was heard. He knew that Lu Feng had heard it was well.


    ¡°Rustle.¡±


    ¡°Rustle.¡±


    ¡°Rustle.¡±


    The creepy sound echoed irregularly in the wilderness, very low but very clear. It was like it was ringing in their ears. The first two intervals were very long while the last interval was extremely short.


    ¡°Rustle.¡±


    Once the sound was heard again, Lu Feng pressed An Zhe¡¯s shoulder down and the two people lay in the sand, hiding behind a layer of bushes.


    ¡°Rustle.¡±


    Under the aurora, a huge dark shadow appeared at the border of the rolling sand dunes. It had a rough oval shape and the structure of the body was ambiguous. The epidermis was rugged like a mass of decaying rotten flesh joined together roughly. A smooth sarcoma swelled in the middle of the body and the surface was covered with large and small eyeballs. This was the head. Countless legs grew under this black body, thick and thin. Some were like the hind legs of reptiles, some were the limbs of insects and some were like human arms.


    These feet surged and supported the creature moving heavily on the rugged ground, leaving wavy traces more than five metres wide on the sandy ground. It came parallel to the writing of the plane crash. Every time it moved, a rustling sound was emitted from its body and spread out evenly. This might be the vocal organ.


    An Zhe held his breath and watched the indescribable monster¡¯s middle crack open a gap, exposing the dense thorns and fans inside.


    ¡°Snap.¡±


    There was a harsh metal friction sound, followed by chaotic metal collisions as the metal was broken, chewed and swallowed.


    The creature was eating the pile of wreckage. Despite living in the Abyss for so long, An Zhe never knew there were monsters that could feed on metal. In the Abyss, there wasn¡¯t a shortage of armoured vehicles that had lost their owners or broken gun parts but no monster would care about them. Perhaps this monster¡¯s purpose wasn¡¯t the metal but the bodies of the two pilots inside. It was conceivable that for a strange creature to bite and swallow metal, the human flesh and bones would be as eaten as easily as mud.


    It also didn¡¯t immerse itself in enjoying this huge burning wreckage. It ate it in less than five bites.


    ¡°Rustle.¡±


    The mouth closed and the rustling sound was heard again. Then it turned in one direction. 100 metres ahead was the still sleeping bee.


    Click.


    The entire head of the black bee disappeared into the creature¡¯s body. An Zhe¡¯s eyes widened as he watched the monster¡¯s body stretch and a pair of translucent, metal wings appeared, shaking a few times. It made the sound of leaves shaking in the autumn breeze. This was how the wings that once belonged to the black bee appeared.


    ¡°Rustle.¡±


    The next second, all eyes on the head turned in Lu Feng and An Zhe¡¯s direction.

 Chapter 58

    ¡°Rustle.¡±


    The sound wave seemed to make a ripple in the air. Suddenly, An Zhe realize that it wasn¡¯t relying on the eyes but on sound to mark their position. Countless limbs squirmed and it moved to this side.


    Bang!


    The sound of gunfire filled the night sky. The wind blew around An Zhe as Lu Feng ascended a rock at an unimaginable speed and fired the first shot. The rustling stopped. The eyes on the body slowly turned and a dull, intermittent hissing could out. The trachea must be full of pustules. The second shot hit it in the upper right eye.


    The hissing amplified and An Zhe¡¯s eyes suddenly widened.


    Blood. Black-red blood gushed out of the eye wound. No, it wasn¡¯t gushing. It was spewing out. Lu Feng fired a few shots and the gap gradually festered and grew larger. Blood and water shot out like a fountain and the monster¡¯s howl was amplified by several times.


    An Zhe looked up at Lu Feng and saw that this man¡¯s eyes were cool, as if everything was expected.


    He looked back at the monster. Its wings trembled but its body was too heavy to fly completely. It fluttered madly as it crashed directly into the rock where Lu Feng was standing. There was a loud noise and the rock trembled, dust and stone fragments falling down together. Lu Feng stood on top but he didn¡¯t move at all. He stood high, looking down at the huge mass of meat.


    The act of hitting the stone made it bleed faster. It was like a water pouch that had been opened. An Zhe watched this unthinkable scene and suspected that the monster¡¯s body was composed of countless liquids.


    After the 10th impact, the sound weakened and its huge body slowly fell to the ground.


    It wasn¡¯t just blood. Tissue blocks and weirdly shaped organs flowed out from the breach. The heart and lungs were integrated into one. They were semi-solid and flowed out. Then an indescribable smell spread throughout the area. Even the monsters in the Abyss didn¡¯t have such indescribable organ structures inside their bodies.


    An Zhe, ¡°¡­?¡±


    His mind seemed blank as he stared up at Lu Feng. Lu Feng raised his eyebrows and jumped down to his side. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡±


    An Zhe spoke with disbelief, ¡°It died so easily.¡±


    ¡°En.¡± Lu Feng retracted his gun, the butt gently turning around in his cold, white five fingers before he placed it in the gun holster at his waist. An Zhe was in great confusion and even began to wonder what it would be like to be shot. He felt a bit scared.


    Lu Feng watched him with a slight smile in his eyes before turning and walking away.


    The monster¡¯s ugliness was beyond An Zhe¡¯s imagination and the speed at which it died was beyond his imagination. There were many huge and ugly monsters in the Abyss but the pile of minced meat in front of him clearly didn¡¯t meet the criteria in the Abyss where the ugly monsters were stronger.


    The monster¡¯s body fell like this on the sand dunes and black-red pus flowed from its body, staining the ground a dark colour. The same pus also stained the bushes now to it, like drops of dew slowly hanging day. After a minute, the leaves of the bushes absorbed it.


    Lu Feng glanced at his watch. 30 minutes after the death of the monster was confirmed, he approached it. An Zhe followed although he was still a bit stunned.


    The weird body reflected a strange metallic lustre under the aurora. Although every part of the body was from different creatures, they were firmly connected and grew from inside the body. Thinking of its previous action of swallowing the black bee, An Zhe realized that it swallowed the genes of an organism and would immediately grow this part of the organ.


    After observing the monster for a long time, Lu Feng told An Zhe, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°There may be many such things here. We will find a safe place,¡± Lu Feng explained.


    An Zhe looked around. There was nothing in his field of view, only the desert. He inquired, ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    Lu Feng answered, ¡°There are ruins ahead.¡±


    An Zhe wondered how he hadn¡¯t seen the ruins when he was flying in the sky. Then he thought again about how he rode on a bee while the colonel¡¯s transportation was an airplane. It was natural for the colonel¡¯s field of view to be wider. He heard Lu Feng ask him, ¡°Can you go?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t a mushroom scared of pain.


    ¡ªAlthough it really did hurt a bit.


    The colonel glanced at him before ordering, ¡°Come here.¡±


    In the end, An Zhe returned to Lu Feng¡¯s back. He hugged Lu Feng¡¯s neck and buried his head in Lu Feng¡¯s shoulder. He could feel Lu Feng¡¯s breathing and movement when walking. The undulating hilly are was actually only suitable for four-footed reptiles to move around. Once they stepped on it, the sand would slightly sink and this wasn¡¯t suitable for the strength of the bones and muscles. It seemed that only feetless creatures could take to this environment like swimming in water. There were many places in the world that weren¡¯t suitable for human activities. Walking here consumed extra physical strength and it took more effort to carry a person. However, Lu Feng didn¡¯t seem to regret it. In An Zhe¡¯s limited memory, the colonel never regretted anything except that he didn¡¯t like to talk.


    In the silence, An Zhe looked back and saw the endless dark sky. There was a line of deep footprints in the white sand that was like a profound symbol.


    Suddenly, he remembered that day in the Garden of Eden. It was the day he passed by an empty corridor and several officers in white were gathered in an unoccupied room, chanting a beautiful rhyme and holding a silver cross. At that time, the geomagnetic field had disappeared and the power supply was interrupted. Everyone had been in a state of fear but these people had quiet expressions, as if they had obtained a force that could support them to move forward.


    ¡°Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil.¡± He retold this poem to Lu Feng. ¡°For you are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me.¡±


    Lu Feng¡¯s voice seemed to bring a hint of gentleness to the cold wind. ¡°Is there anything else?¡±


    An Zhe continued, ¡°Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.¡±


    ¡°I shall dwell in the house of the Lord, forever.¡±


    ¡°They believe in God.¡±


    An Ze wondered, ¡°God?¡±


    He remembered the word ¡®God¡¯ or ¡®gods¡¯ appearing in the article An Ze had written for the base. Lu Feng made a light hum in response.


    An Zhe asked him, ¡°What about you?¡±


    Lu Feng didn¡¯t respond.


    He didn¡¯t speak. The only thing disturbing the silence was the night wind. Then An Zhe started reading the poems from the children¡¯s textbook to Lu Feng, simple or complex. It wasn¡¯t until ¡®Do not go gentle into that good night¡¯ finished that he was done. Then he repeated it from the beginning. He had nothing to say to Lu Feng so he wanted to say something to make the night a bit more lively. This was all he could do.


    The wind was strong and sound was soon blown away, but they were so close that An Zhe knew Lu Feng could hear it.


    By the time all the verses were repeated twice, they had gone a long way.


    An Zhe didn¡¯t know what type of training that the colonel had received in the military but he knew this road and this night was too long. It seemed to be a lifetime, to the edge of the world or the end of their lives. This whole process of physical consumption also exceeded the limits of a normal human.


    An Zhe quietly turned a part of his body into lighter mycelium. he was afraid that this change was too minimal so after a while, he quietly changed another section. Finally, he heard Lu Feng say, ¡°Do you know why it was so easy to kill that monster?¡±


    An Zhe didn¡¯t know why Lu Feng suddenly asked this and stopped reciting poetry. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Low-level variations are genetic mutations. The high-level variation monsters can be divided into two types. A mixed type and a polymorphic type.¡± Lu Feng started explaining.


    ¡°After mixing the edible genes, you will have part of the original organism as well as the genes and characteristics of many organisms coexisting in it. However, there is a buffer stage.¡± Lu Feng moved forward and continued. ¡°The original genes and the newly acquired genes have a period of conflict, during which the gene chain will change dramatically and conflict with the function of the original organs. The body will be in chaos. Therefore, intelligent mixed-type monsters will have a long interval between eating genes. It needs to build stable genes. That monster just now was too greedy.¡±


    An Zhe wondered, ¡°What about the polymorphic type?¡±


    ¡°Polymorphic types are the highest-level variations currently observed. The number isn¡¯t large and they are mainly concentrated in the Abyss. This method of variation isn¡¯t the coexistence of genes but a free conversion. For example, from a bee to a plant¡­ sometimes it can be partially changed.¡±


    ¡°The genetic sequence of polymorphic variants are more stable than mixed ones.¡± Lu Feng spoke lightly. ¡°Even so, don¡¯t eat too much at once or it can have an impact on the mind. The Trial Court once collected a case where an animal and plant polymorphic monster had an incomplete conversion. It went through complete organ fibrosis and died on the spot.¡±


    An Zhe was a bit afraid and silently hugged Lu Feng¡¯s neck. He always felt there was something in the colonel¡¯s words.

 Chapter 59

    On the way, they saw another mixed monster.


    It was different from the monster that had fallen under Lu Feng¡¯s gun. It was slender and grey-black, like a stick insect that had been enlarged tens of thousands of times. It had huge, thin wings on its back that were unique to butterflies. Two thin antennae stretched from its forehead and it was unknown where the eyes were. It was five metres long and had six slender feet. When Lu Feng and An Zhe crossed a high slope, the creature had been eating a two metre long lizard. The smooth chitin body reflected light under the aurora and gradually became rough scales while it was eating.


    The light and flexible body allowed it to move quickly. After eating the head of the lizard, the stick insect lay down its torso and jumped forward, grabbing the remaining lizard corpse and running into the distance. There was no time for it to discover Lu Feng and An Zhe.


    This might be what Lu Feng called a clever mixed monster. It knew how to find hidden places to hide after acquiring genes to then go through the chaotic stage.


    An Zhe gazed at the snow-white wings and spoke sincerely, ¡°So beautiful.¡±


    He himself was white. He liked the colour of his mycelium but he couldn¡¯t stretch out beautiful wings. He was ashamed of his soft mass. As early as that rainy season where he was broken by the rain and hurricane, he had lost the appearance of a mushroom and was defined as a ¡®variation from the basic form of the species.¡¯


    He heard Lu Feng¡¯s cold voice. ¡°Do you want to eat it?¡±


    An Zhe, ¡°¡­¡±


    He denied it. ¡°No.¡±


    Lu Feng ordered, ¡°Don¡¯t eat it.¡±


    An Zhe whispered, ¡°I can¡¯t beat them.¡±


    Lu Feng¡¯s lips curved slightly.


    As a heterogeneous, he was even being controlled by a human and couldn¡¯t eat freely. An Zhe was furious He felt he should have the right to eat freely. Then his stomach growled.


    Lu Feng questioned, ¡°What about your things?¡±


    An Zhe recalled the amount of food and found it wasn¡¯t enough for even a meal. He said, ¡°Wait.¡±


    He thought about it before asking Lu Feng, ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡±


    An Zhe felt this human was hard-mouthed. He found the remaining half of the compressed biscuit in his backpack. He broke off a piece and brought it to Lu Feng¡¯s mouth, feeding it to him. The colonel didn¡¯t refuse. An Zhe continued to feed him. When feeding the third piece, he remembered that compressed biscuits were too dry and should be taken with water. There was half a bottle of water left. He took it out but he didn¡¯t know how to feed it to the colonel.


    He could only say, ¡°Stop for a moment.¡±


    So, at dawn, he and Lu Feng divided the remaining half a bottle of water behind a large stone. Water was something that made mushrooms happy. An Zhe was licking his lips when Lu Feng stuffed a compressed biscuit into his mouth.


    The cool fingers inadvertently touched his lips as An Zhe took the biscuit and slowly swallowed it. At this moment, he felt very comfortable despite obviously running out of food and water and not knowing how they would live tomorrow.


    He told Lu Feng, ¡°You eat. I¡¯m not being active.¡±


    Being inactive meant he didn¡¯t need to eat a lot of things.


    Lu Feng didn¡¯t speak and just rubbed his head. An Zhe gazed up at this person. He felt that in the faint morning light, the colonel¡¯s usual cold eyes were rendered slightly mild.


    Suddenly, there was an illusion. Although he might be completely different from Lu Feng and although the two of them didn¡¯t have any common language but¡ªif the signal never recovered, if he and Lu Feng were both heterogeneous species or if he and Lu Feng were both humans, if they were still alive¡ªone day, he and Lu Feng might be very good friends.


    He himself wasn¡¯t a very good human individual. He was even a worthless individual. Nevertheless, the colonel was very good to him. So if Lu Feng became a heterogeneous, An Zhe wouldn¡¯t dislike him as long as he wasn¡¯t too ugly.


    However, this wasn¡¯t possible at all. Lu Feng was human and he was unfortunately a mushroom. Still, if he had been a human from the beginning, perhaps an ordinary member of the outer city, he wouldn¡¯t have known Lu Feng at all. Thus, he was lucky to be a mushroom.


    They continued to walk forward. An Zhe felt that the night had passed ad his legs weren¡¯t as pained any more. He didn¡¯t need to be carried on Lu Feng¡¯s back and could walk on his own. As he was put down, he saw Lu Feng frown slightly while looking to the side.


    There were two human skeleton fragments scattered not far away. The skull and fractured spines were far apart. The hand bones were missing while a grey leg bone was inserted obliquely into the sand, like a flagpole or tombstone.


    They approached and Lu Feng leaned down to wipe the grey dust on the bones with his fingers. ¡°It is new, within two days.¡±


    The moment he finished speaking, An Zhe¡¯s gaze became confused. There should be no humans in the wilderness so there shouldn¡¯t be any fresh human bones. He wondered, ¡°Is it a pilot?¡±


    Lu Feng looked around. ¡°There is no debris.¡±


    They carefully examined the bones again. There were traces of monster bites on the bones and tattered pieces of clothing were buried under the thin sand. They were grey-black and weren¡¯t the clothing of the base. Lu Feng¡¯s expression became thoughtful because this incident was by no means normal.


    However, they had no other clues and could only move on. After another half an hour, something distant appeared in the fog. It was a line of grey spread out on the horizon like the edge of a huge city.


    An Zhe said, ¡°I seem to see it.¡±


    This must be the city ruins that Lu Feng had mentioned. Lu Feng told him, ¡°I also saw it.¡±


    ¡°Can we find food and water at the ruins?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Lu Feng explained lightly, ¡°I often stay in ruins.¡±


    ¡°¡­Oh.¡±


    Colonel Lu was a man who freely came and went from the Abyss. Still, it was a happy thing that they wouldn¡¯t starve to death. He walked a little lighter and took a step forward ahead of Lu Feng. At this moment, the ground under his feet suddenly softened! Then it sank. He had fallen down.


    An Zhe, ¡°!!!¡±


    His heart was beating fiercely and he was so frightened that he was about to take the shape of mycelium. Then there was the flash of an electric light and a heavy force came from his left arm. It was Lu Feng firmly holding him. An Zhe hung in the air, relieved. Then he was pulled up by Lu Feng. His leg was fine while his arm started to hurt sharply. He sucked in a low breath and Lu Feng reached out his hand, running it all the way from his shoulder to his wrist. ¡°It isn¡¯t broken.¡±


    An Zhe glanced over at that place.


    It was a sinister three metre deep pit, covered with some brittle and thin wooden boards and then covered by sand. It looked no different from the surroundings but as soon as you stepped on it, you would fall into the pit.


    An Zhe felt strange and saw that Lu Feng was also slightly frowning.


    ¡°It is a trap and newly made,¡± Lu Feng stated.


    First, human bones appeared in this place and now there was a trap¡ªa human made product. Was someone alive in the wilderness?


    Suddenly, Lu Feng looked over to a certain place. ¡°Who is it?¡±


    There was a mound above the ground. It looked flat in the hills and after Lu Feng spoke, there was no response. Even so, Lu Feng pulled out his gun and ordered in a low voice, ¡°Come out.¡±


    There was no movement.


    10 seconds, 20 seconds, half a minute.


    Then there was a rustling sound from there followed by a dull squeak. As An Zhe watched, the dirt on the mound fell to the ground and a lid-like object opened. A figure crawled out from it. At first glance, An Zhe thought it was a groundhog. Then he looked again and saw that it was a human, a living human without the slightest sign of variation. He wore shabby denim clothes that were somewhat like the clothes next to the bones.


    Once he stood up, it was revealed he was a thin boy with pale skin due to the lack of sun. However, there were some freckles scattered on his cheeks. He looked at them, completely choked up.


    An Zhe stared back silently.


    A full two minutes passed before the boy stuttered, ¡°You¡­ you are¡­ people?¡±


    His words were unskilled and his pronunciation very strange. It was unlike the general tone of the base people.


    Lu Feng stated, ¡°Take us out of this place first.¡±


    The boy stared at them, his hands trembling by his side before he ran over. ¡°Wait a minute!¡±


    He came to them using a roundabout route before turning to lead the way, taking the two of them through many twists and turns while stuttering, ¡°Yes¡­ sorry, we are afraid¡­ afraid of monsters approaching so we dug¡­ a lot of traps. They can¡¯t get through. I¡­ we can also observe¡­ no, I didn¡¯t expect someone to come here You¡­ are you okay?¡±


    Seeing his head hang down in a remorseful manner, An Zhe told him, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    Once the boy reached the mound, he pushed a device and a heavy iron lid opened with a creak, revealing a dark hole.


    ¡°You¡­ are you outsiders?¡± The boy seemed to suddenly react to something and turned to them. He looked at Lu Feng first but seemed frightened by Lu Feng¡¯s blank expression. Thus, he stiffly turned to An Zhe.


    An Zhe said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± The boy gasped a few times, face flushed with excitement. If he wasn¡¯t half a meter away, An Zhe suspected that he would be able to hear the boy¡¯s throbbing heartbeat.


    An Zhe asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± The boy seemed to finally be reacting to what was happening and was breathless.


    ¡°Hello.¡± It was Lu Feng who opened his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m from the Trial Court of the Northern Base. Do you need help?¡±


    ¡°We¡­ we need help.¡± A flash of light burst in the boy¡¯s eyes as he turned into the tunnel. He ran deeper while shouting, ¡°Grandpa!¡±


    Following him, Lu Feng and An Zhe also walked into the deep and winding tunnel. The iron lid was closed and it was dark and shady, but there was a faint flash ahead. Unable to see the path under his feet, An Zhe carefully supported himself using the wall. Then Lu Feng grabbed his wrist and led him forward.


    This was a steep downward staircase and it was easy to fall. After walking down a slope of around 100 metres and turning a corner, it became slightly more spacious. The steam lamp on the wall emitted a faint white light. Looking in the distance, it was deep and there was the sound of footsteps inside, creating endless echoes.


    Lu Feng inquired, ¡°Did you dig this?¡±


    ¡°No, not me,¡± the boy replied. ¡°It was a mine a long time ago. Many of us hid here.¡±


    Lu Feng continued questioning the boy. ¡°How many people are there? How long have you lived here?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± The boy lowered his head slightly. ¡°I¡¯ve been here since I was born. Many people later¡­ all died. My uncle went out and now it is only me and my grandfather here.¡±


    Before entering the place where the ¡®grandpa¡¯ that the boy called out to was located, An Zhe heard a heavy gasp that was like an animal on the verge of death.


    He saw a 10 metre square hole containing a wire bed that was less than a metre wide. An old man with grey hair was lying on the bed. An Zhe approached and saw that the old man¡¯s body was covered with grey-yellow blankets. His cheeks were sunken, his eyes were cloudy and his body was shaking as if he was enduring great pain. He didn¡¯t respond even when they came to the bed.


    ¡°He¡¯s sick,¡± the boy stated.


    Then he sat on the bed, took his grandfather¡¯s hand and called out loudly, ¡°Grandpa! The people outside have come to us. They say they are from a base. There really is a base!¡±


    The old man wasn¡¯t awake and wasn¡¯t affected by the euphoria in the words. Still, he frowned at the chaos and turned his head like he was trying to escape the noise.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to a place with a lot of people!¡± The boy seemed used to it and wasn¡¯t affected by the old man¡¯s negative attitude. Rather, his tone was even more excited. Just then, the old man¡¯s dry mouth moved and he emitted a few vague syllables.


    ¡°What?¡± his grandson asked.


    An Zhe also listened carefully. The old man¡¯s lips moved and he repeated the syllables again.


    ¡°Time¡­¡± His throat was hoarse and his mouth was leaking air, his voice like broken wind. ¡°The time¡­ is coming.¡±


    The boy turned apologetically to Lu Feng and An Zhe. ¡°Grandpa always says this. He thinks he is seriously ill and will die.¡±


    Then he turned to the old man again. ¡°We are going to a place where there are humans. There must be medicine.¡±


    The old man just turned around. The boy spoke up to here and had to give up. Even as they left, the old man was still muttering, ¡°The time is coming.¡± An Zhe thought this phrase was familiar but he couldn¡¯t remember where he heard it.


    Then the boy took them to a slightly larger square room that was connected to three dark cave forks, like a heartland extending in all directions. The rugged walls were pasted with yellowed paper that contained the mine map and operating precautions. There was a small square table in the middle and two old sofas next to the table. The excessive moisture had eroded the leather of the sofa.


    Lu Feng talked to the boy.


    The boy¡¯s name was Xi Bei. According to him, when the unprecedented disaster came, the mind collapsed. However, the radiation didn¡¯t penetrate through the ground so some people inside survived and they continued to the present day. They would go to the nearby ruins to collect necessities of life and they would be killed and eaten by the monsters outside. He was his mother¡¯s only child. In the beginning, there were dozens of people but now only he and his grandfather as well as several older uncles were left to depend on each other.


    ¡°I knew that everyone definitely hadn¡¯t died, they must¡¯ve built a new home somewhere. We just couldn¡¯t find out. My grandfather previously said that when we found another exit out of the mine, the outside had changed and living people were gone.¡±


    ¡°The radio had no signal and there were monsters outside. We couldn¡¯t go out and could only stay here, but we knew there must be others.¡± Xi Bei¡¯s voice trembled with a bit of excitement as he took out a shabby, thin book from a small grid to the side.


    ¡°Two years ago, we found a car outside. Aside from a dead person in the car, there was this thing. That¡¯s how I knew there are people outside. I¡­ have been waiting for you. We¡­ my companions have been searching and praying for rescue.¡± He looked at Lu Feng with hope in his eyes.¡±


    Lu Feng¡¯s voice was slightly lower as he said, ¡°The base welcomes you.¡±


    Meanwhile, An Zhe reached out for the thin booklet. The yellow steam lamp illuminated the cover and the title was ¡®Base Monthly.¡¯ These words touched some fragments of memories stored in his mind. This was a booklet distributed by the people of the base.


    This booklet was produced in the distant human base and acquired by mercenaries or soldiers along with pornographic novels and weapon illustrations. It boarded an armoured vehicle leaving the base and after a long distance, it was left in the wilderness forever. Then the survivors in the desert took it out of the wreckage of the vehicle and kept it in the mind, knowing that it represented the distant human homeland.


    The title page had turned yellow and there was a line written, ¡®May we have a bright future.¡¯ An Zhe turned the page and it was a table of contents. An Zhe¡¯s hand turning the paper suddenly trembled. His eyes stopped on one line in the contents which were two extremely simple words.


    [Winter Day]


    The ellipsis extended all the way to the right edge of the paper and at the end, there were two other characters written, representing the author¡¯s name.


    An Ze.


    An Zhe¡¯s breathing briefly paused and the next moment, he saw the line after Winter Day. It was called ¡®One day in 2059.¡¯ 2059 was a distant era in history so the name illustrated a point, This was an elegant historical article.


    The author¡¯s name was Poet.


    The two names sat quietly side by side on the page.


    An Zhe¡¯s fingers touched the paper. His fingers had once touched An Ze¡¯s shoulder covered in vines and was once grasped by Poet in a dark vehicle. Now he caressed the names of the two individuals and their silhouettes clearly appeared in An Zhe¡¯s mind. He turned to the page and the two pages were next to each other. Winter Day was a short poem about winter when snowflakes fell on the supply station square. An Ze said the snow was soft like snow-white dove wings.


    An Zhe could hear all the details of his voice. He seemed to hear An Ze describing it to himself. At this moment, An Ze seemed to be alive again and Poet was once again standing in front of him with a smile, telling him the history of the base¡ªthese were the records left by them in this world.


    An Zhe¡¯s eyes were blurry. He clearly hadn¡¯t thought of these two men for a long time but their figures appeared in front of him so clearly that it was like they had met yesterday. He was reunited with them like this, just as the boy called Xi Bei suddenly met a visitor from a human base.


    ¡°Originally, there were two uncles here but they went out to find something to eat and they haven¡¯t returned for more than a day. I think¡­¡± Xi Bei lowered his head. ¡°I think¡­ they might not be able to return.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m late.¡± Lu Feng apologized.


    ¡°No!¡± Xi Bei shook his head sharply and grinned at Lu Feng, speaking in a husky voice, ¡°There are monsters outside and you must be in a difficult situation. The fact that you¡¯re here, I¡¯m already¡­ already very grateful. There are other humans in this world and we have a home. It is¡­ good.¡±


    The light of the steam lamp reflected in his black eyes where there was a bright and excited spark. Combined with the subtle expression on Xi Bei¡¯s face, it presented a pure, sad joy.


    An Zhe quietly looked at Xi Bei¡¯s face and knew it was an emotion he could never understand. He lowered his head and saw the yellowed pages of the monthly magazine, An Ze¡¯s voice and smile once again resurfacing before his eyes.


    His eyes were blurry. Just a few hours ago, he was still disregarding the efforts of humans to maintain their will. He thought that he wouldn¡¯t dislike it if Lu Feng became a heterogeneous species. However, this idea was slightly shaken at this moment.


    ¡®Humans are humans,¡¯ he thought. He knew that the base had no medicine and that it was the end for humanity. However, they were truly immortal.

 Chapter 60

    ¡°Last month, one of my¡­ uncles was bitten by a monster outside and died. Then a few days ago, another uncle went out to look for resources. In those days, the temperature suddenly increased and there was a sandstorm. He also didn¡¯t come back. Finally, there were the two uncles I mentioned previously.¡± Xi Bei¡¯s fingers clasped the rolled-up paint on the table and he spoke slowly, ¡°I¡¯m left here with Grandpa but Grandpa¡¯s illness is getting worse. Previously, he could still talk to me but his mind hasn¡¯t been clear these days.¡±


    ¡°He sometimes yells in pain and sometimes he says things I don¡¯t understand.¡± Xi Bei stared at Lu Feng hopefully. ¡°Can you cure him?¡±


    Lu Feng said, ¡°Perhaps back at the base, we can figure out the case.¡±


    He didn¡¯t guarantee a cure. An Zhe looked at the base¡¯s monthly magazine. On this page, an obituary was posted stating that a gentleman who had contributed to the monthly magazine had died of illness. His serial novel was discontinued.


    In the base, at least in the outer city, few people could live to be 50 or 60 years old. People who were fortunate enough to enter old age were faced with diseases. The intensity of the artificial geomagnetic field was weaker than the original geomagnetic field. The incidence rate of genetic diseases, mainly cancer, was still high. More than half the elderly people died from this. Living on the edge of the knife for many years meant the survivors had endless stress and psychological trauma. This was also a chronic disease that couldn¡¯t be eradicated.


    ¡°Thank you¡­ thank you.¡± Xi Bei exclaimed. ¡°My grandfather has raised me and taught me how to understand our generator. My grandfather has been repairing it. When everyone said there was no one else in the world, it was Grandpa who kept us waiting. He said there is an aurora in the sky, indicating that there are human organizations left in the world.¡±


    Lu Feng asked, ¡°Is he an engineer here?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Xi Bei replied.


    Lu Feng¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°Why do you know that the aurora represents a human organization?¡±


    Xi Bei thought about it before explaining, ¡°This is a magnetite mine. Grandpa is an engineer in this area. He said¡­ he used to work at a research institute and it had been studying magnetic poles. Grandpa¡¯s teacher told him that the cause of the disaster was a problem with the magnetic poles but the institute was trying to find a solution.¡±


    ¡°The Highland Research Institute,¡± Lu Feng stated lightly. ¡°A research base on artificial magnetic piles.¡±


    Xi Bei nodded. ¡°It was called this.¡±


    ¡°I have temporarily lost contact with the base.¡± Lu Feng didn¡¯t continue the topic and shifted it. ¡°Once communication is restored, I will take you back to the base.¡±


    Xi Bei nodded forcefully. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Thus, they stayed there. It was unknown when the communicator would recover. Xi Bei took them around to give them a general understanding of the structure of the cave.


    The place where they were now was the core area. Before the disaster happened, this was a temporary rest area for miners and engineers. There were rooms for people to live in, basic living facilities and some mining machines left behind, including a generator and many tools. Since it was deep underground and hard on all sides, this was a safe area as long as the hole was protected. Outside the core area was a number of deep mining holes. They were the product of previous excavations along the vein.


    ¡°It might be dark but there are no monsters. You can rest assured.¡± Xi Bei told them.


    At noon, Xi Bei went to cook. An Zhe was interested in the kitchen here but he and Xi Bei weren¡¯t familiar with each other. He didn¡¯t dare to break into another person¡¯s territory and found something else to do.


    Mushrooms liked water and humans also needed drinking water. Water was very important, sometimes more important than food. Therefore, people in the mines put in a lot of effort to collect enough water.


    The period when it rained outside was the concentrated water storage time. Every time, a large amount of rainwater was collected, purified with alum powder and stored in a large cement bucket. Still, the weather was unpredictable after all and no one knew when the next rainfall would happen. After many years, the people living here had created a catchment system. Along the largest and deepest mind, they cut complicated lines on the entire stone wall. The inside of the mind was extremely humid and due to the temperature difference between day and night, fine water droplets would condense on the wall. Once these water droplets reached a certain weight, they would flow down and slowly gather in the artificial nicks, falling drop by drop into a water collection bottle at the bottom. After hundreds of plastic water bottles were filled, they would have nearly 100 litres of water.


    According to Xi Bei, the recent batch of water bottles was almost full and ready to be gathered.


    Therefore, An Zhe and Lu Feng each took a plastic bucket and steam lamp. They heated to the main road of the pit to help Xi Bei recover the water. An Zhe first picked up the plastic bottle at the entrance, poured water into the bucket and put the bottle back. He continued to go forward, looking for the next one.


    Then he realized that Lu Feng hadn¡¯t moved and he glanced back. The man was leaning on the stone wall, watching him work. Some time passed before he took a few steps forward to gather water with An Zhe. An Zhe was puzzled by the attitude just now but the colonel¡¯s next moves were serious so he didn¡¯t question it.


    The mine extended deep into the ground with a metal track in the middle. He and Lu Feng were on one side each, filling their own buckets.


    This was a magnetite mine and it was rugged on all sides, covered with traces of excavation. The main area seemed grey0black and the light from the lamp was also dark in this humid and foggy environment.


    Humans might not like this environment but the moisture made An Zhe feel comfortable. He even felt that the spore was rolling around comfortably in his body. He smiled, the corner of his eyes slightly curving as he rubbed his belly gently as a response to the spore. Putting the spore in this place made him feel safe.


    He moved along the mining track and more and more water filled his bucket. Once he finally reached the end of the water collection system, the plastic bucket filled with water had become the world¡¯s deepest thing.


    The last bottle of water was poured in and An Zhe worked hard to lift the bucket and turn around. In front of him was a long, dim and dark mind. The plate where he entered had become a faint spot of light like Mars. The bucket in his hand was so heavy and the road so long. He had to go back but he was now almost unable to hold the bucket. It would be impossible for him to carry the bucket back.


    An Zhe suddenly stopped.


    Footsteps rang out in the cave and Lu Feng came to him. The colonel asked, ¡°You aren¡¯t going?¡±


    The tone at the end rose slightly, as if with derision. An Zhe was unable to speak as he looked at the end of the mind and felt his IQ extinguishing little by little.


    Lu Feng glanced at him and spoke lightly, ¡°If you had gone here first and started filling the water¡ª¡±


    An Zhe, ¡°¡­¡±


    This person wasn¡¯t very nice. If he had come here with the empty bucket first and then gone all the way back, collecting water while walking, then he just needed to take a trip with the bucket. Now, not only did he carry an increasingly heavy bucket all the way, he had to carry it back.


    He also finally knew why Lu Feng hadn¡¯t moved when this person saw An Zhe¡¯s movements. This man, this man¡ª


    This man clearly anticipated the consequences from the very beginning but just watched as if nothing had happened.


    An Zhe decided to be angry. He was a self-respecting mushroom so he walked back with the heavy bucket, trying to speed up. However, Lu Feng¡¯s legs were long and he effortlessly kept pace with An Zhe. It wasn¡¯t until they took a dozen steps that the man reached out and held his shoulder.


    ¡°Look over there.¡± Lu Feng pointed.


    An Zhe looked.


    A two metre square cart was parked on the metal track. It contained several pieces of ore and was apparently a cart used for transporting stones. Suddenly, his hand lightened. It was Lu Feng who grabbed his bucket, placed it in the cart and also put his own bucket on it.


    An Zhe was just thinking that the colonel wanted to save energy by using this means of transportation when he heard the colonel order lightly, ¡°You come up too.¡±


    An Zhe gazed at the mine cart with a bit of hesitation. He always felt that Lu Feng¡¯s eyes were full of interest and he seemed to want to play some weird games. In the end, he didn¡¯t obey but didn¡¯t refuse so he was picked up by Lu Feng.


    The inside of the mine cart was very spacious. He turned his back to Lu Feng and sat down with his arms around his knees. Lu Feng hung the lamp at the front of the cart and slowly pushed the small mine cart along the track, the sound echoing gently in the mind.


    Surrounded by mountain walls, this place was isolated from the world and there were no dangers lurking. The yellow light of the lamp illuminated a small area in front. Sometimes, the ore would shine with a star-like fluorescence and it was like a human fairy tale had appeared in this place.


    An Zhe watched in front while leaning back against the cart, feeling relaxed. The nature of a mushroom was to sit and he didn¡¯t like moving. He wasn¡¯t resentful about being pushed like this. Although he couldn¡¯t see Lu Feng, he somehow felt that this person should also be very happy now. The happiness of a mushroom was obviously based on laziness. He just didn¡¯t know what the happiness of the colonel was based on.


    He looked ahead and snorted coldly in his heart.

 Chapter 61

    Lunch at noon turned out to be mushroom soup. Xi Bei said it was planted in the mine by himself and was clean. Mushrooms grew quickly and the amount left over was enough to eat for several days.


    An Zhe heard this and silently shrank back into the corner. Xi Bei looked so kind and friendly but unexpectely, he was a mushroom killer. Still, he had become an accomplice to eating mushrooms.


    Before starting to eat, he noticed Lu Feng looking at him. An Zhe thought that the colonel must be remembering the bowl of mushroom soup he wasn¡¯t able to eat before leaving the base. It seemed to be a regret and humans didn¡¯t like this, so it seemed today¡¯s meal made up for it.


    After the meal, Xi Bei took them to see the grain reserves. There wasn¡¯t much, only some mushrooms, dried meat strips and a packet of salt.


    ¡°The meat was stored from before,¡± Xi Bei explained. ¡°Traps can catch small monsters. They say that eating the monsters who are too strange can cause an infection. So we eat those that aren¡¯t too strange and look like animals.¡±


    ¡°Low variation monsters can be eaten 24 hours after death.¡±


    ¡°My uncles were right.¡±


    Lu Feng asked him, ¡°What monsters are there here?¡±


    ¡°There are birds, many lizards and big mice,¡± Xi Bei replied.


    ¡°However, after the sandstorm, I saw two particularly ugly things.¡± Xi Bei spoke with a slightly pale face. ¡°They were extraordinarily large and I was afraid they found me. I only watched them through a telescope and have never seen such things before. Do you know what they are?¡±


    ¡°This should be the Eastern Hills and originally, the pollution level wasn¡¯t high.¡± Lu Feng stated. ¡°However, in the past five days, there was a magnetic accident resulting in a secondary mutation and mixed-type monsters appeared.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±


    Lu Feng¡¯s voice was slightly dull. ¡°Small monsters will converge through the food chain into large mixed monsters.¡±


    Xi Bei¡¯s face turned a bit white.


    An Zhe listened to Lu Feng¡¯s words. It could be imagined that the monsters killed and devoured each other, decreasing the number of monsters but greatly increasing the mutation level. Perhaps even more terrible was that the same thing was happening all over the planet. Every day was becoming more chaotic than yesterday.


    Lu Feng looked at Xi Bei. The shape and colour of his eyes combined with his cold and sharp outline. Xi Bei obviously wasn¡¯t used to looking at the colonel and pulled off the piece of paint from the table.


    Lu Feng asked, ¡°Has anyone ever mutated in the cave?¡±


    ¡°Yes, some uncles were bitten by monsters and then they bit others.¡±


    ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°Let them go.¡±


    The communicator still wasn¡¯t working but the colonel fulfilled his duties. In the afternoon, Lu Feng borrowed a pen and paper from Xi Bei and briefly documented the situation here.


    Evening was rest time. There was only one generator in the entire mine that could be used and the line was also wet and aging. Only one empty room in the entire mine had electricity and they lived here.


    An Zhe took a shower, dried his head and leaned on the bed to play with magnets. In the mine, magnets were everywhere.


    He held one piece in each hand and put the two poles of the magnet together, trying to touch them to each other. There were clearly only air between the two black magnets but no matter how much strength he used, he couldn¡¯t let them near each other. It was like there was an invisible force pushing them out.


    He frowned, not knowing why this was happening. He didn¡¯t understand a lot of human knowledge, just like a lot of the world¡¯s knowledge couldn¡¯t be understood by humans. Still, he stubbornly wanted to put them together. He felt that as long as he used enough strength, nothing couldn¡¯t be pressed together.


    Footsteps were heard and Lu Feng entered the room. His coat had been washed by An Zhe and now it was air drying. An Zhe looked up and saw that the colonel was only wearing a military-style black vest at this time. The smooth and graceful lines of arm and shoulder muscles were exposed. The trouser legs of his combat suit were tucked into black boots, making him look more upright and beautiful. His hair was simply brushed and a bit messy, his forehead covered with glistening drops of water.


    An Zhe watched him. After leaving behind the judge¡¯s uniform and the badge, Lu Feng seemed to just be a promising young officer with authority. Even though his eyebrows was still as cold as the past and the temperature of the green eyes hadn¡¯t risen, An Zhe felt that this person was much more relaxed. An Zhe suddenly remembered that according to the method of human age, the 20s was clearly an age where everything was just beginning.


    The person in his 20s was looking down at the communicator but the communicator just replayed the same message. Lu Feng turned off the communicator, placed it on the table and sat down next to An Zhe.


    In any case, there was no way to put the two magnets together so An Zhe glanced at Lu Feng. Lu Feng spoke lightly, ¡°They reject each other.¡±


    An Zhe frowned.


    Lu Feng took the two magnets and placed them in opposite directions. The two magnets quickly joined together before they were thrown aside by Lu Feng.


    An Zhe took them back and played with there again. No matter how many times he tried, the result was the same. There was insurmountable resistance between the same two poles and they could never be put together. Meanwhile, the opposite poles had an unimaginable attraction and only needed to be placed a bit closer to each other to automatically join together.


    An Zhe inquired, ¡°What¡¯s between them?¡±


    He was a mushroom and An Ze hadn¡¯t taken physics classes. The knowledge of the two people couldn¡¯t explain this phenomenon.


    Lu Feng answered, ¡°The magnetic field.¡±


    ¡°Is it the same as the artificial magnetic field?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t I see it?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t see it.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t we see it?¡±


    Lu Feng stuffed him into the quilt. ¡°Many things are invisible.¡±


    An Zhe hummed. The quilt was a bit hot so he put his arms and shoulders out. Lu Feng saw a blue bruise appear at the neckline of An Zhe¡¯s soft white t-shirt and he reached out to pull it down. The originally smooth and flawless milky while skin was now full of blue-purple traces that were very uniform, to the point where the source couldn¡¯t be found.


    An Zhe didn¡¯t speak. He just removed Lu Feng¡¯s hand and restored his collar.


    Lu Feng¡¯s eyes were still focused there. He naturally recognized these marks. If the base needed to torture repeat offenders to extract confessions, they would use high-intensity electricity torture. No one could stand it and confessed. The aftermath of the electrocution was diverse, from physical to psychological problems. The marks on the skin were just one of them. Many people would never be able to get rid of this painful nightmare for the rest of their lives.


    Nevertheless, An Zhe just wrapped the quilt tightly around himself and slightly lowered his eyes while saying calmly, ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡±


    Lu Feng saw this quiet expression. He sometimes wanted to bully this person and sometimes wanted to treat him well.


    Lu Feng saw An Zhe wriggling on the bed to make room for him to lie down. The bed wasn¡¯t very big so they were very close once Lu Feng lay down. An Zhe saw a new scar on Lu Feng¡¯s arm that seemed to be caused by a blunt object. This wasn¡¯t all. There were also faint bruises and scratches on his shoulders.


    An Zhe reached out to touch the longest one but halfway there, he was afraid of hurting the colonel and retracted his hand, curling up in the quilt.


    The colonel¡¯s eyes seemed mild. ¡°Sleep.¡±


    An Zhe hummed and closed his eyes. His lashes cast a faint shadow in the light, making him look softer and quieter. He was relaxed all over and Lu Feng could easily recognize it. This little heterogeneous seemed so sure that Lu Feng wouldn¡¯t hurt him despite his body being covered with marks from the electrocution.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time that he had been puzzled by the other¡¯s actions. For example, the night he left the city gates and had nowhere to go, An Zhe had told him so unguardedly that he could stay there. At that time, Lu Feng thought the boy had other intentions or was as simple as his appearance, as if he didn¡¯t know that people shouldn¡¯t invite strangers to stay overnight.


    Lu Feng thought this and had to ask, ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you afraid of me?¡±


    An Zhe was questioned and slowly opened his eyes. In the dim light, his eyes seemed to be covered with a soft and beautiful mist. It had only been a short time since he seemed to have fallen asleep and his voice was sullen. ¡°What should I be afraid of?¡±


    Lu Feng didn¡¯t speak. He just propped up his upper body and looked down at An Zhe, eyes heavy. His other hand picked up the gun next to the pillow and the cold barrel touched An Zhe¡¯s cheeks. An Zhe saw this and frowned slightly. He seemed angry again as he pushed the gun away and turned around¡ªalso pulling away the quilt with this action.


    Lu Feng looked at the slender neck and thin shoulders that slightly undulating with his breathing. Such a person seemed easily injured but also easily protected. After a long time, Lu Feng turned off the lamp and lay down again.


    Lu Feng¡¯s body caused the bed to slightly sink and the part of the quilt that was pulled away by An Zhe was brought back to him. It was like on a summer night, the tail of a dragonfly flicking lightly on the calm surface of the lake. The ripples touched more than just the placid water.


    In the silence, he couldn¡¯t tell if it was emotions driving him or a subconscious action but Lu Feng embraced An Zhe from behind. His arm pressed on An Zhe¡¯s arm and An Zhe moved slightly. At first, An Zhe planned to put it down but he had nowhere to place it. Therefore, he moved up a bit and placed his fingers on Lu Feng¡¯s forearm just like how he used to roll the mycelium on the stone or tree trunk beside him.


    Lu Feng felt his movements.


    An Zhe¡¯s voice was very light. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that I will infect you?¡±


    Lu Feng didn¡¯t answer, just as An Zhe hadn¡¯t answered his question just now.


    The Judge believing in a heterogeneous species or a heterogeneous species believing in the Judge, it was unknown which one was more absurd¡ªfor whatever reason. Perhaps the day they met was the beginning of the most ridiculous story in the world.


    However, in the darkness where no one¡¯s face could be seen, it didn¡¯t seem to matter what they did in this isolated place at this unknown time. Everything was forgotten, everything was acquiesced.


    Listening to this gentle breathing sound, Lu Feng closed his eyes.

 Chapter 62

    An Zhe dreamed.


    Rain, the sound of rain.


    Water droplets hit the broad leaves, flowing down the staggered veins and dripped at the edges, falling into bushes or down the roots of old trees, seeping into the wet soil. In the wet rain season, he seemed to have experienced many such scenes. His memory started from there, when the whole world was raining.


    He floated down from a mushroom umbrella cover and was blown into the soil by the wind before it rained. He seemed to be asleep until he smelled the damp water vapour after the rain.


    Everything was out of his control. In the moist soil, the mycelium stretched out, grew, split, spread outward and converged. He grew from a spore smaller than gravel into a mass of mycelium and then pulled out the stalk to grow an umbrella cover.


    Everything was logical. Mushrooms, unlike humans, didn¡¯t need to be taught generation from generation. He had no impression of the mushroom who produced him. He just clearly knew what he wanted to obtain in the soil, as if this was his own experience. He also knew when he should be born, what he should do and when he should die. His mission in life was to produce a spore.


    Then it would grow, he would die and the spore would continue to grow. In the rain, since ancient times, countless spores had fallen in turn.


    The sound of rain rang in his ears and all around him. It was in his body, his mind and his memories. It was everywhere, as if urging something to happen. What followed was a type of fluctuation from the distant sky, a boundless void, a boundless horror¡ªuntil he opened his eyes.


    The quartz clock hanging on the wall showed it was nine in the morning. No one was around him and he was wrapped in the quilt. However, the feeling of being embraced by Lu Feng seemed to still linger, the heat staying on his skin and burning him. Lu Feng had originally held An Zhe¡¯s upper body and shoulders down but in the middle of the night, An Zhe was uncomfortable at being pressed and pulled out. The man¡¯s arms lowered a bit and were placed on his waist, the palm of his hands close to An Zhe¡¯s belly.


    When he was held by Lu Feng, he seemed to be able to isolate the danger outside. He felt very peaceful but this person was the greatest danger. An Zhe couldn¡¯t remember what type of mood he was in when he fell asleep.


    An Zhe stared at everything in front of him, empty of thought. He moved his fingers, his bones soaked in softness. It was like he had napped for too long and he had no energy in his body.


    The atmosphere around him was humid like it had just rained.


    He recalled the weird and bizarre dream as he sat up on the bed, stretching his arms. It was so cruel to take the spore from his stomach. Only an officer with the surname of Lu would do it this way. He controlled the flow of the spore in his body. Three minutes later, white mycelium stretched out and the spore appeared in the palm of his right hand.


    A small spore had been only half the size of a fist when placed in his body. Now it was the same size as his fist.


    He carefully examined it with the light of the steam light. There were subtle antler-like branches at the end of the spore¡¯s mycelium, bright white and transparent like snowflakes that had started to change shape.


    He touched it with his left hand and it stretched out mycelium to wrap around him affectionately. He could feel its lively energy. It was about to mature. He didn¡¯t know exactly when the spore would mature but it must be soon.


    Their mycelium would no longer tangle together and it would become a mushroom that could survive independently. Once it matured, it would automatically leave him like it was being blown by the wind.


    Planting a spore was the instinct of a mushroom. Where would he plant it? Would it grow up in the distant future? An Zhe didn¡¯t know. He just felt the faintness before leaving, as if all things in the world seemed to be separated.


    At this moment, there was a noise from the corridor. His spore raised its mycelium and seemed to be listening to the sound. Then it moved it a trembling manner, rolling toward the source of the sound like one pole of a magnet to the opposite pole. An Zhe reached out and clasped it tightly. Fortunately, before Lu Feng came in, he put this little thing back in his body.


    Lu Feng stood at the door and watched him with raised eyebrows. ¡°Get up,¡± he said.


    An Zhe obediently got up to eat and they spent the next few days like this. An Zhe would help Xi Bei cook and clean the mine while Lu Feng often went outside. An Zhe was afraid he wouldn¡¯t come back but the colonel was safe every time. Sometimes, he caught a small flying bird and handed it over for cooking.


    More often, they stayed in the cave with nothing to do. After reading all the books here, An Zhe read him a love story and an entire weapons illustration book at the colonel¡¯s request, who was too lazy to ready it himself.


    Finally, they started playing chess with small stones. They were very simple games such as five-in-a-row, flying chess, etc. Lu Feng taught him first and then they played together. An Zhe lost more and won less. He secretly suspected that the colonel had thrown the game the few times he won because every time he won, the colonel would smile slightly.


    At dinner, Xi Bei told them, ¡°You have a great relationship.¡±


    ¡°There were some people in the cave who had been in love and Grandpa gave them a marriage certificate.¡± Xi Bei sighed softly and set aside his chopsticks. He said, ¡°I want to fall in love but there are no other people here.


    Lu Feng was silent while An Zhe comforted Xi Bei, ¡°There are people at the base.¡±


    ¡ªEven though there were only 8,000.


    Xi Bei seemed to be comforted and picked up his chopsticks in an energetic manner.


    After seven days, communication still wasn¡¯t restored. Xi Bei told them the unfortunate news that there wasn¡¯t enough food for two days. They had to go to the city ruins several kilometres away to search for supplies.


    Thus, they left some dry food for the grandfather and placed the remaining mushrooms and jerky in their backpacks as well as several bottles of water. Xi Bei took a small alcohol stove from the kitchen. Before all the people in the mine died, they used to go to the city to find supplies so they were well-equipped.


    ¡°In the past, this used to be a dirt road that we could travel by bike.¡± Xi Bei¡¯s tone was slightly chagrined as he spoke. ¡°Now it is so sandy that it is impossible to ride.¡±


    An Zhe reluctantly looked at the bicycles stacked in the corner before leaving. He had never seen such a thing before. Lu Feng placed his elbows on An Zhe¡¯s shoulders and spoke lazily, ¡°Once we come back, I¡¯ll take you for a ride.¡±


    As they prepared everything and were ready to open the lid at the top of the cave, there was the sound of heavy, slow footsteps from the depths of the cave.


    An Zhe turned back. Under the dim light, a skinny old man held the wall and moved around the corner. His hair was grey and scattered while the corners of his mouth trembled like a candle shaking in the wind.


    Xi Bei stepped forward. ¡°¡­Grandpa?¡±


    The old man¡¯s blurry eyes stared at him with no expression or recognition. The old man just opened his mouth and declared, ¡°I¡¯ll go too.¡±


    Xi Bei held his shoulder. ¡°You stay here. We¡¯ll be back in a day or two and we¡¯ll bring food.¡±


    The old man spoke in his still hoarse voice. ¡°I¡¯ll go too.¡±


    No matter how Xi Bei tried to persuade him, the old man only said this sentence. His stagnant face showed an unusual soberness because of this persistence. Xi Bei was forced to glance at Lu Feng.


    Lu Feng stared at the old man for a long time before finally saying, ¡°Take him with us.¡±


    Xi Bei responded by helping the old man go out. This person¡¯s steps were faltering and anyone who saw it would know that his twilight life was coming to an end.


    At the mouth of the cave, Lu Feng said, ¡°I¡¯ll take him.¡±


    Xi Bei shook his head and placed his grandfather on his back. ¡°Grandpa is very light.¡±


    An Zhe looked at the old man¡¯s skinny body. His illness had consumed him until there was only a skeleton left. They came to the ground and the sunlight poured down. An Zhe squinted. it would take a while to get used to it again.


    He saw the old man close his eyes on Xi Bei¡¯s back. His face was covered with brown spots that would appear in a human¡¯s twilight years but his face looked peaceful in the sun. His mouth moved as he spoke. ¡°People grow on the ground.¡±


    These were the only words from the old man¡¯s mouth these days that didn¡¯t sound like nonsense. He looked up at the grey sky. At this time, the sky was faintly green and he could see the aurora despite it not being night. This was different from before.


    Lu Feng told him, ¡°The magnetic field is being tuned.¡±


    An Zhe nodded. He didn¡¯t know the meaning of this sentence but as long as the magnetic poles were fine, everything was fine.


    They walked in the deep and shallow sand. On the open wasteland, it was like they were the only life. Wind blew from an unknown distance. For 10,000 years, 100 million years, it blew like this. The living creatures on the ground were renewed. Some died and some were new, but the wind wouldn¡¯t change. When it blew into the crevice of stones, a strange whining sound was heard in the wasteland.


    At this vast cry, An Zhe spontaneously grabbed the corner of Lu Feng¡¯s sleeve and walked with him.


    Lu Feng lightly glanced back at him. ¡°Shall I carry you?¡±


    An Zhe shook his head. He could walk on his own. Lu Feng didn¡¯t say anything and looked back ahead.


    A long time passed and An Zhe was tired, his arms a bit sore. Over the past few days, as the spore gradually matured, his physical strength seemed to be getting worse. He wanted to let go of Lu Feng¡¯s sleeve but he didn¡¯t want to let go.


    Lu Feng¡¯s wrist moved and An Zhe understood what this meant. He had annoyed the colonel so he obediently let go. Then his hand was held by the colonel.

 Chapter 63

    On the way, they saw the wreckage of a plane. The shape of the plane was exactly the same as the one Lu Feng flew in. An Zhe estimated the direction and this plane should be the one that crashed before Lu Feng. He had witnessed it fall.


    After three or four plane crashes, he no longer saw the base¡¯s planes appear in the sky. Presumably, the base had also noticed this strange change and no longer sent fighter planes out. Still, this plane was in a better condition than Lu Feng¡¯s one. It didn¡¯t explode and everything was well-preserved apart from disfigurement from the damage.


    Lu Feng walked over and removed the black box of the plane. He hesitated for a moment before climbing through the cracked cabin door that had bite marks on the edge.


    A monster had eaten the pilot¡¯s body. The blood-stained clothes had dried and bones were scattered around the cockpit. The skull was rolled under the console, of which only half was left. There were sharp tooth marks on the edge.


    An Zhe also followed him in. There was a moment when Lu Feng wanted An Zhe to leave so he wouldn¡¯t be scared by this scene. Then he saw An Zhe¡¯s calm eyes and realized that An Zhe wouldn¡¯t be scared of human remains.


    Below the console was a flight manual. The flight manual was a pilot¡¯s reference book and recorded the basic operating steps, instrument usage and various solutions to unexpected situations.


    Lu Feng reached out and grabbed the flight manual. An unknown change had occurred in the manual. The black handwriting had penetrated deeply into the paper while tiny black tentacles stretched out from the colour, making all the writing on the paper distorted in strange ways, like some type of evil symbol.


    An Zhe looked at the paper and struggled to identify the characters. This page was about various types of engine failures. This was how he knew that the plane had crashed because of an engine failure. Until the moment the plane crashed, the pilot was still looking at the manual to find a possible solution. Then the moment the plane crashed, the manual fell to the ground and people died.


    After being pulled out of the plane by Lu Feng and set on the ground, An Zhe heard Lu Feng say, ¡°The plane I was in also crashed because of an engine failure.¡±


    An Zhe frowned.


    Lu Feng continued, ¡°However, there were problems with other parts.¡±


    An Zhe wondered, ¡°Is there a problem with the manufacturing?¡±


    ¡°The PJ fighter planes have performed flight missions many times and have also undergone maintenance before takeoff.¡±


    They went ahead to where Xi Bei and the old man was waiting.


    An Zhe didn¡¯t understand the cause of the plane¡¯s failure and asked, ¡°So why?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± The colonel rarely spoke these three words.


    Then he added lightly like he remembered something, ¡°The PL1109 also had an engine failure but it landed safely.¡±


    The PL1109 was the base¡¯s most advanced fighter plane. Listening to Lu Feng¡¯s meaning, it seemed all aircrafts were now at risk of failing. Not long ago, when An Zhe left the human base, he had looked back at the main city and seen the slowly falling PL1109. It turned out that at that time, Lu Feng had already made a trip to the edge of life and death.


    ¡°That¡­¡± An Zhe whispered. ¡°Then you won¡¯t take a plane in the future?¡±


    Lu Feng said nothing and only rubbed An Zhe¡¯s hair.


    They met Xi Bei and briefly talked about the situation before moving on. Everything in their field of view was the wilderness.


    Xi Bei looked around. ¡°There really are fewer monsters. There used to be quite a lot here.¡±


    An Zhe knew what this meant. Whether large or small, many creatures died and became part of the mixed-type variants. Since the total number of monsters had decreased, this place looked much safer but the individual monsters were much more dangerous.


    However, all these changes occurred within 10 days. The weak monsters were swept away. This process was too fast. An Zhe recalled the monster who greedily ate the gene. Its actions seemed too impatient.


    There was a similar scene in his memory¡ªit was the end of autumn in the Abyss.


    In winter, the Abyss would become wet and cold. After snowfall, the ground and trees were icy. Many monsters would no longer come out and would hide in warm caves. In order to survive the entire winter, they would furiously kill each other, desperately eating more blood and flesh to store nutrients for the winter. Or they would tow enemies into the cave as food reserves. The month before winter arrived was the most dangerous and bloody time in the Abyss.


    Now the same killings were happening outside.


    The journey wasn¡¯t long. All along the way, they were cautious enough to choose hidden routes to walk. Perhaps it was luck but they didn¡¯t encounter any horrible mixed-type monsters.


    They departed at 8 o¡¯clock and it was 9:30 in the morning when a city half buried in sand appeared in front of them.


    It was big. As they approached, the end couldn¡¯t be seen at all. From now on, the roads of the ruins could be faintly seen among the endless buildings. Unlike the regular, horizontal buildings of the Northern Base, these buildings were scattered and irregular. Tall buildings and short buildings stood together. Round buildings and rectangular buildings were scattered. The road was a zigzag and in the centre of the city stood a dark red tower. Half the overpass had collapsed and there were dense, dry vines hanging from it. The central road contained buildings of all colours but because there were too many colours, they were unified in An Zhe¡¯s vision and gradually blurred into foggy grey.


    An Zhe looked into the distance. If he hadn¡¯t seen it with his own eyes, he would¡¯ve never imagined that there was such an intricate city in the world. If he was a resident here then it would be easy to get lost.


    Dark clouds obscured the sun. The sky was cloudy and covered with a faint mist.


    ¡°Follow me,¡± Xi Bei told them. ¡°The people of our mine often come here to find supplies and there is a stronghold in the city. In fact, it is okay to live in the city but we are afraid of monsters. Grandpa doesn¡¯t know why but the cave is the safest. My third uncle used to feel that life in the cave was too hard and went to live in the city. Then there was no news of him.¡±


    Xi Bei walked through the buildings and they came to a densely populated area. Large grey residential buildings were crowded next to each other and there was a square in the distance. A white sphere could be seen in the centre of the square. In the quiet city, there was only the sound of the wind passing through the buildings and their footsteps.


    Lu Feng was responsible for watching the surroundings. Since Xi Bei was carrying his grandfather, he bowed his head and said, ¡°We will arrive soon after that square.¡±


    Just then, the old man¡¯s throat made a sound.


    His vocal cords vibrated and constantly emitted a fixed syllable. There was phlegm in his throat and his voice wasn¡¯t clear. It was barely audible. ¡°Ru¡­¡±


    ¡°Ru, ru¡­¡±


    Xi Bei wondered, ¡°What?¡±


    Lu Feng¡¯s footsteps suddenly stopped.


    An Zhe glanced over and found this person staring at the square ahead.


    The next moment, this person spat out a short syllable. ¡°Run!¡±


    There was no time to think. An Zhe was yanked on the arm and subconsciously followed Lu Feng, who ran into the nearest building. Xi Bei didn¡¯t know what was happening but he quickly followed with his grandfather.


    An Zhe was familiar with the structure of this housing building. The moment he entered the corridor, he was met with a skeleton in grey-white clothes, leaning against the wall like it had been integrated into the grey-white wall. However, he couldn¡¯t take a closer look. His body was weak and he moved slowly upstairs. Lu Feng carried him horizontally and quickly climbed up the stairs. The stairwell was very spacious and there were the bodies of three tenants on the first floor. Once they got to the eighth floor, a door was open and Lu Feng rushed in with An Zhe. Xi Bei followed and once he entered, Lu Feng closed the door. Every piece of furniture in the room was covered in dust and there was a skeleton lying on the sofa in the living room.


    Three was a three bedroom, two common room apartment. It was from north to south and a piece of the living room protruded out the building where there was a huge floor to ceiling window.


    Lu Feng put An Zhe down. He was breathing a bit hard because he had run too fat just now. An Zhe had never seen him like this.


    Then the next moment¡ª


    He saw Xi Bei looking out the window, pale and with a lost gaze.


    An Zhe looked forward.


    White.


    A white, spherical monster half a storey high was taking strange steps. It was almost floating as it slowly moved here with ghostly footsteps. This was the thing he had seen in the square in the distance. An Zhe had thought it was a white decoration but it was actually a huge monster.


    It came straight to this side and once it was two streets away, An Zhe saw what it looked like. An indescribable mass of grotesque feet like octopus or snails were growing underneath it. The first half was responsible for walking while the second half dragged behind it. Its body was almost round and covered with a translucent membrane that shifted between pale and grey. Under the membrane, there were countless black or flesh-coloured objects that were difficult to describe. They were organs, dense tentacles, limbs or other things that were constantly moving.


    The close it got to this neighbourhood, the more details that could be seen clearly. It was a mixed-type monster that was completely beyond the scope of human understanding. The location of its eyes couldn¡¯t be seen at all. Xi Bei was staring at it like he would die from panic the next moment.


    It was getting closer.


    The people in the room held their breaths.

 Chapter 64

    It crossed the road covered by yellow sand and came to the neighbourhood. It was only a few hundred metres away and the soft feet rubbed against the road, making rough sounds.


    On this smooth, grey-white membrane, no ears or eyes could be seen. There were no tentacles or breathing holes. How did it perceive the world? Hearing, vision or sound waves? This would determine how they should escape.


    Xi Bei stuttered, ¡°What¡­ what to do?¡±


    Lu Feng was silent. He walked to the window and reached out to push it. The window seemed to be frozen or rusted. When it pushed it the first time, it didn¡¯t move. His arms became taut and force was exerted. Then the window made an extremely ugly squeaking sound and a small triangular gap was opened.


    The black muzzle protruded from the gap but the colonel wasn¡¯t aiming at the monster. It was at the opposite street. There was a slight noise¡ªa silencer was used¡ªthat couldn¡¯t be heard from beyond 10 metres away. The bullet left a fleeting silhouette on his retinas and the next moment, it hit the window of a building on the next street.


    The bullets he used in the field were different from the ordinary humans used when judging humans. The warhead made of depleted uranium alloy had penetration and crushing strength on the armour-piercing level.


    There was a loud noise as the entire glass broke and fell down to the ground. The monster¡¯s movements paused. Lu Feng raised his gun and fired a few more times. Broken glass fell in the direction he aimed.


    The monster did hear it and the creeping feet changed direction. It seemed to stop moving for a while before slowly moving toward the location of the sound. After three minutes, it stopped again, gave up on his direction and continued to walk toward where they were.


    Xi Bei subconsciously stepped back, his face pale. ¡°It¡­ it¡­ can you fight it?¡±


    Lu Feng¡¯s thin lips twitched slightly. He stared at the monster with narrowed eyes, his expression calm and terrible. The next moment, he reached out and removed the silencer. Then he pulled the trigger!


    ¡°Bang! Bang! Bang!¡±


    A series of blasts exploded violently in the area around the monster. In the city that was too quiet, the sound was as shocking as thunder.


    The monster was stuck in place again but at that time, a sharp chirp was suddenly heard at the other end of the city.


    Then a huge shadow rose from that direction. A hawk-like bird flew across the sky and stretched out wings that were dozens of metres in length, gliding faster than a bullet as it dived straight toward the white monster!


    The monster made a high frequency scream as the white membrane cracked and dozens of thorn-like tentacles stretched out and tangled around the eagle¡¯s beak.


    There was a deal sound as the eagle¡¯s steel-like wings pierced the monster¡¯s body. The monster was in pain and the tentacles shrank back like they were electrocuted. The flying eagle took the opportunity to withdraw and immediately flew upward. Once away from the attack range of the tense group of tentacles, it circled around in the sky before swooping down again with the harsh sound of the wind. Its sharp beak was inserted directly into the centre of the white monster¡¯s body.


    Suddenly, white and flesh-pink liquid splashed out. The sharp beak bit something and the white monster twisted and struggled frantically. Its body was so loud that the surrounding houses trembled and the ground shook. In this grey human city, two unimaginable monsters were biting at each other like this.


    The ground hundreds of metres around them was covered with a dark slime. This battle ended with the white monster completely unrecognizable, the internal organs gone. The flying eagle held a string of organs in its mouth as it turned and flew away.


    An Zhe sighed with relief. Only then did he understand Lu Feng¡¯s intention behind firing so frequently. There wasn¡¯t necessarily only one monster in this city. He exposed the location with the sound of gunfire, attracting other monsters.


    He heard Xi Bei ask, ¡°You¡­ how did you know there was that bird?¡±


    Lu Feng pulled back his gun, put on the silencer and turned around, his series of actions flowing cleanly. ¡°I didn¡¯t know. I made a gamble.¡±


    An Zhe looked in the direction where the flying eagle had disappeared. In this case, a flying monster seemed to show unparalleled advantages. They escaped death and didn¡¯t talk anymore. In the silence, an old voice was suddenly heard.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost time.¡± The grandfather¡¯s voice was hoarse. ¡°I¡¯m 60 years old and that is enough.¡±


    Lu Feng glanced in the direction of the old man and asked, ¡°When?¡±


    The old man opened his mouth as he stared at the distant sky with an irrational and crazy look. ¡°Come¡­ when it comes.¡±


    ¡°What is coming?¡±


    ¡°Unimaginable, unimaginable¡­¡± His voice was filled with dying hoarseness. ¡°It is bigger than everything and invisible. In this world¡­ it is coming soon.¡±


    Lu Feng¡¯s voice was low. ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m dying¡­ I can feel it, I can hear it.¡± His voice was slow, like a whisper elongated countless times.


    ¡°What can you hear?¡±


    ¡°I hear¡­¡± The old man spoke intermittently. ¡°Chaos¡ª¡±


    As he spoke, the old man stared up at the dark sky above the city. An Zhe followed his gaze. The sky was so low, horribly low, as it hung heavily above the horizon. The aurora was so bright and the green light was also lower, mixing with the dark clouds. Lu Feng had said the reason why the aurora was so bright was because the base had made the frequency of the artificial magnetic field stronger in order to resist distortion.


    ¡°People grow on the ground and die on the ground. The sky¡­¡± The old man looked peaceful, his voice gradually becoming lighter and quieter. ¡°The sky will only get deeper and lower.¡±


    Once the last words came out of his mouth, he slowly folded his hands together. His eyes slowly closed.


    Xi Bei¡¯s legs softened and he knelt down in front of the old man, placing his hands on the skinny knees. ¡°Grandpa? Grandpa?¡±


    There was no response. The old man¡¯s chest stopped moving. He had left. Death was in an instant.


    Xi Bei started crying as he buried his face in the old man¡¯s knee.


    Once he finally raised his head again, An Zhe whispered, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ okay.¡± Xi Bei stared blankly at this grandfather¡¯s face and murmured, ¡°Grandpa previously said that he isn¡¯t afraid of death. He said that everyone alive has their own mission. His mission was to protect everyone in the mind. To watch the mine survive until this day, he already¡­ it is okay.¡±


    Xi Bei looked up at the old man¡¯s face, his withered, dusty face. His white hair was messy and tangled in some places. In the dark underground, no one could live decently.


    He muttered, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m going to find a comb.¡±


    He got up in a depressed manner and went to the other room. A late life was dead.


    In this room, this was another long-dead life. An Zhe turned to look at the sofa in the living room that had a skeleton on it. Its flesh and blood should¡¯ve naturally rotted because the sofa was covered with green, yellow and brown mottled traces, which were traces of mold growing.


    ¡°It started out as super bacteria and fungi and viruses were breeding in human cities. They infected everyone without distinction and the cities were full of corpses. Anyone who has visited the ruins in the wilderness would know about this.¡± The words once spoken by Poet rang in his ears.


    He looked out the wind. Dead buildings, a dead city and buildings full of skeletons. Each skeleton was a dead life.


    Lu Feng saw that An Zhe¡¯s gaze was still so calm as he looked into the distance. However, under the reflection of the dark sky, the subtle movements in this quiet and beautiful face combined together to present an indescribably light, smoke-like sadness.


    Lu Feng watched the city and stated, ¡°When the human bases were built, there was a comprehensive search and research. The strength of the base wasn¡¯t sufficient and many small cities didn¡¯t receive timely rescue.¡±


    An Zhe stared at the endless buildings that were like the ocean. It would take at least several hours to walk from one end of the city to the other. He gently wondered, ¡°Is this a small city?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    An Zhe¡¯s eyes widened slightly.


    A city that was extremely big in his view was just a small city that was too late to be rescued for the humans. So how magnificent was the human world before the age of disaster? He didn¡¯t know.


    Since there were scattered humans around this city who were struggling to survive the disaster, were there more places where countless people who hadn¡¯t been rescued continued to struggle, despair and die? This city was full of skeletons and the base wasn¡¯t safe or peaceful. The entire human world was full of crying.


    Such a grand world was gradually falling. Imagining this scene, he seemed to see a huge sunset gradually sinking into the black horizon at dusk, a protracted death. In this dead silence, there was the sound of something falling to the ground in the bedroom next door.


    Lu Feng called out, ¡°What happened?¡±


    There was no answer, only Xi Bei¡¯s trembling gasps. Lu Feng frowned, held his gun and turned to walk over. An Zhe followed closely.


    The room was empty. There were no monsters or enemies. Only Xi Bei¡¯s back was facing them, trembling violently. At first, An Zhe thought he was crying. Then after walking to his side, An Zhe saw he was staring at a comb in his hand.


    It was difficult for An Zhe to describe the wooden comb but it wasn¡¯t one but two fused together. There was the most common type of wooden comb. It had a 10 centimeter handle and fine comb teeth. The handles of two equally common wooden combs grew together closely, as if carved from the same piece of wood. The comb teeth were tilted 45 degrees, one of the left and one to the right like a two-headed snake.


    However, if they were two ordinary combs at first, how did they fuse together?


    Wood, a piece of wood, was the most common and safest thing. Yet due to this appearance that was beyond common sense, it brought the most unparalleled terror.


    Lu Feng strode to the dresser where Xi Bei had obtained the comb. This was obviously a woman¡¯s room before the era of disaster. On the ivory dressing table, there were countless bottles, jars and large and small tools.


    Lu Feng reached out to wipe the dust on the mirror. He wiped off one layer but there was another layer below. The dust seemed to grow inside the mirror. The mirror was always foggy, distorting their figures into a black mass.


    An Zhe saw this and suddenly remembered when he climbed the wall of the outer city. The sand had fallen down but sand was still inside, as if the wall had become a mixture of sand and steel.


    Lu Feng no longer looked at the mirror. His eyebrows furrowed as he glanced over the large and small makeup tools. Finally, he reached out and grabbed a pair of long, rusty tweezers. No, they weren¡¯t tweezers because the metal tweezers had already come in contact with a plastic eyebrow trimmer. They were glued together and the ¡®X¡¯ shaped cross-linked parts were integrated into one in a seamless manner. It was unclear if it was steel, plastic or a brand new material that humans didn¡¯t know about.


    Xi Bei¡¯s fingers trembled and the comb fell to the dusty ground.


    ¡°This city¡­¡± he said. ¡°Is there anything strange? We¡­ let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t this city,¡± Lu Feng told him.


    He stared at the glued tweezers and eyebrow trimmer and declared, ¡°The engine.¡±


    These words were like a thunderbolt. There were complex mechanical structures inside the engine and once the delicate structures were damaged¡ª


    If the interior of the engine also experienced a weird fusion and changed like this comb, the plane crash was destined.


    An Zhe leaned over and picked up the comb. He couldn¡¯t see any traces of stitching and the carvings on the handle were chaotic and crazy. It was unknown how they mixed together, like the tentacles of the black handwriting in the flight manual.


    An Zhe¡¯s eyes became bigger. Suddenly, the words that Madam Lu had spoken when she transformed into a queen bee flying in the boundless sky filled his ears. She had said, ¡°Human genes are too weak to perceive what is happening in the world.¡±


    ¡°We will all die. All work is futile. It just proves the insignificance and powerlessness of humanity.¡±


    These thoughts crossed An Zhe¡¯s mind like lightning flashed across the sky.


    If, if¡­ when people and monsters, or monsters and monsters had a spatial overlap or proximity, genetic contamination would occur¡ªno, this was wrong, completely wrong.


    ¡°Genes¡­¡± he muttered. ¡°It isn¡¯t genes¡­¡±


    The problem wasn¡¯t the genes at all. Humans thought that genetic modification was the root cause of the pollution. However, pollution was the mixing and reorganization of the flesh and blood between a living thing and living thing. Their own characteristics had changed but this change was done through genetic changes.


    If things mutually contaminated each other, if the properties of a living thing changed instantly, why couldn¡¯t other objects? What was the difference between a biological body with a DNA spiral and other inanimate matter? Thus, paper and wood would also contaminate each other, as would steel and plastic.


    Then it would be the case for all tangible things in the world. It was just that this process was happening gradually. This torrent was just starting. The pollution of genes was a precursor and it was shown to humans.


    In these days when the geomagnetic field disappeared, the mixed-type monsters ate wildly and took the genes of other creatures to grow themselves. They were like humans hoarding food to deal with winter. Had they already felt it?


    Xi Bei¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°In the end¡­¡±


    He couldn¡¯t finish.


    What type of era was this? What type of disaster were they facing? What exactly was happening? What was it? What was it?


    An electric light cut across the sky. The windows shook and the wind cried out in the distance, making a long noise that poured into the room. Their clothes were blown in an agitated manner.


    An Zhe looked up and he and Lu Feng stared at each other, the cold green eyes as dark as the sky outside. The moment they looked at each other, thunder was heard in the sky. The sky became lower and between the vast sky and earth, rain poured down.


    In the rain curtain, everything outside couldn¡¯t be seen or heard. There was an endless grey, endless nothingness, endless horror.


    Madam Lu¡¯s gentle voice and the grandfather¡¯s hoarse voice overlapped together in An Zhe¡¯s ears. ¡°The time is coming.¡±

 Chapter 65

    Then they found more evidence in this room.


    The windows were difficult to push open because the steel edge had already been fused to the base.


    Looking at the skeleton, the leg bones had disappeared into the sofa. The ugliest existence was an inverted chandelier on the ceiling of the bedroom. Its lampshade and metal brackets were mixed and melted into each other, flowing down softly like the final burning of a candle. The original white lampshade was covered with black dust and each dust was a black spot the size of a needle. They were clustered closely together like they would squirm at any moment.


    This strange thing that shouldn¡¯t have happened was beyond the limits of human cognition and science. It made An Zhe have an illusion that this world was like wax melted by fire, gradually mixing together.


    Xi Bei returned to the living room. He sat on the floor and picked up his grandfather¡¯s body, raising him away from the chair. He took his grandfather away like the chair was the most terrible monster that would separate his grandfather¡¯s body from him. Once away from the chair, he placed his grandfather on the ground but the muscles of his cheeks were twitching nervously. The floor was also a monster.


    The next moment, his entire body was shocked and he suddenly took a few steps back. His own existence was also a source of pollution. An Zhe saw his panicked and helpless expression and stepped forward. He had just taken a step when Xi Bei¡¯s horrified gaze fell on him and Xi Bei took another few steps back. If everything in this world polluted each other then it was only by staying away from all things that they could preserve themselves.


    An Zhe could understand Xi Bei¡¯s fears and offered to distance himself.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡­¡± Xi Bei¡¯s teeth were shaking. ¡°I need¡­ quiet.¡±


    Lu Feng took An Zhe to the bedroom. After stepping into the bedroom and seeing the flowing chandelier again, Lu Feng suddenly stopped. An Zhe looked up at the colonel and saw that the green eyes seemed to have become ice.


    The next moment, Lu Feng took his communicator from his coat pocket. He held it tightly, his knuckles white.


    An Zhe watched from the side. Xi Bei had collapsed and An Zhe knew that Lu Feng¡¯s condition, as a human, wouldn¡¯t be any better than Xi Bei. What¡¯s more, the colonel had more thoughts than Xi Bei. While overcoming the fear brought about by the crazy world, he must also think about the human base in the distance¡ªfor the human base, he must calm down.


    If the engine failed due to contamination of substances then the communicator must be the same. There was a screwdriver in the drawer of the bedside table in the bedroom. Lu Feng picked it up and turned the screws on the communicator.


    The shell, the chip with complicated patterns, the interlaced wires and countless small parts were spread out on the bed. Lu Feng picked them up one by one and examined their structure in the light.


    There were many parts to the communicator. After watching for a while, An Zhe also took out some simple structural parts from the stack in order to check if they met the standard of human machinery.


    After closing the bedroom door, it seemed like there were only the two of them in this world. None of them spoke. In the midst of the rain, nothing was heard except for the sound of parts being checked. Lu Feng¡¯s progress was fast and these parts seemed normal.


    An Zhe suddenly felt choked up.


    He looked at a small chip board in his hand. There were two strands of red copper wire side by side, each strange twisted with dozens of fine copper wire. They should be parallel with a distance of several millimeters in the middle. However, at this moment, they were loose and bent in a strange way. The two copper wires were close together and indistinguishable from each other. This was absolutely unusual.


    For a moment, a brief moment, An Zhe suddenly had a thought. If the communicator was completely broken due to the fusion of materials, what would happen if Lu Feng could never return to the base?


    However, he wasn¡¯t such a bad mushroom. He looked at the chip in his hand and bit his lip. With some pain, he finally pulled at a corner of Lu Feng¡¯s sleeve.


    There was a concealed buckle on the inside of Lu Feng¡¯s boots and a sharp dagger was placed in it. Now this dagger was taken out. An Zhe shone the flashlight on the chip from the side while the blade pointed at the tangled copper wires little by little. There were signs of adhesion between the copper wires but fortunately, it was found in time and could be separated.


    Once it was finally cleared up, An Zhe¡¯s spirit was tense but he also felt a bit dizzy. He seemed to be sick. His health was becoming weaker and weaker since the spire showed signs of maturity. Lu Feng checked the remaining parts again and assembled them in order. Then he pressed the button and turned it on.


    The next moment, the sound wasn¡¯t the ¡®Sorry, the base signal has been interrupted due to the solar wind in the ionosphere¡­¡¯ that An Zhe was used to.


    ¡°Beep¡ª¡±


    ¡°Beep¡ª¡±


    ¡°Beep¡ª¡±


    The sound of the rain was loud as thousands of large raindrops splashed on the window, making a constant noise. This was a heavy rain that only appeared in the summer season and the window had become a grey waterfall.


    The raindrops seemed to knock on An Zhe¡¯s soul.


    In a trace, he vaguely heard a soft female voice coming from the communicator but his dizziness was worsening. The world in front of him became a blur of colourful lights¡ªthe next second, he fell straight down in front of him.


    Before he lost consciousness, he had only one thought¡ªhe hoped the spore wouldn¡¯t come out so quickly.

 Chapter 66

    At the end, he saw Lu Feng¡¯s face. He had never seen such a distressed look on the colonel¡¯s face before. However, he couldn¡¯t say anything. There was darkness in front of his eyes and his body was empty.


    Gently¡ªsomething in his body broke.


    So painful.


    Then came the second one.


    He tried to figure out what was happening. Finally, his consciousness seemed to find a light spot in the void and he saw what was going on. The thin, snow-white mycelium had stretched to a point of near-transparency, fragile to a thrilling level. There was a sharp pain and it broke.


    His spore.


    The mycelium in his body was connected to each mycelium of the spore. Now the mycelium was breaking one by one. It wasn¡¯t done by himself but by the spore actively leaving¡ªno, it wasn¡¯t this.


    It was time for maturity and the life instincts were separating them.


    An Zhe couldn¡¯t stop it. It was hard to say if there was a deep relationship between a mushroom and its spore. Their relationship wasn¡¯t like human parents and children but he still didn¡¯t want the spore to leave him so quickly. It was so dangerous outside. If the spore left him then it would die if it encountered something¡ªespecially Lu Feng.


    However, he had lost all his senses and couldn¡¯t say anything. He could only speak to the spore in his heart.


    ¡®Don¡¯t come out. Don¡¯t come out. It¡¯s too dangerous.¡¯


    The fear of death peaked when there were only three mycelium remaining.


    ¡®Don¡¯t come out¡ªplease.¡¯


    He sweated as he opened his eyes. The ceiling was in front of him and he blinked slowly. The next moment, his spirit stirred.


    ¡ªIt was still here.


    He could still feel the spore in his body and the three mycelium teetering to hold it, as if the spore had finally decided to heed his request. The next moment, the doctor¡¯s voice entered his ears. For a moment, he thought he had returned to the base but then he realized this voice was coming from the communicator.


    After correcting the distorted copper wire, Lu Feng had contacted the base. It might be wrong but in this moment, An Zhe felt lost.


    ¡°¡­I can tell you with certainty that humans are finished.¡± The doctor¡¯s pessimistic voice came from the communicator. An Zhe moved and found that he was lying in Lu Feng¡¯s arms, wearing his coat. Then Lu Feng saw that he woke up.


    He seemed to want to say something but An Zhe used his eyes to tell this person to focus on the call. Then he weakly pressed his forehead against Lu Feng¡¯s chest.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a predictable disaster at all. It is a mass extinction. I can tell you that all living things, all non-living things and all the laws of physics will become extinct.¡±


    Lu Feng told him, ¡°I saw the fusion of matter.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t fusion. Our latest definition is distortion, which is an overall distortion at the micro level. Did you know that a silicon atom has changed to become something we don¡¯t know under the microscope? It isn¡¯t genetic pollution at all. It is a change at the quantum level. We can¡¯t observe anything. According to the principle of uncertainty, we can¡¯t overcome it. We can¡¯t overcome it using 10,000 years of science and technology progress. We can only accept death.I¡­I¡­ at present, we only know that the magnetic field can protect the planet from this change. After the two bases increased the strength of the magnetic field, the distortion temporarily stopped. Still, you know that the situation is always worsening.¡±


    It was as if nervousness was making him babble. ¡°IN the past, we would only be infected through serious injuries and later it was minor injuries. It became an infection as soon as we were touched and then contactless infection. I thought this was the worst situation. The result? The basic structure of this world is in chaos and it is obviously a process of gradual strengthening. The world is becoming more and more chaotic. Now our magnetic field can temporarily block it. Then what? Our magnetic field has a maximum intensity of 9 and it is currently at 7. It is almost the end. Tomorrow, the day after tomorrow or six months at the latest, our artificial magnetic poles will be damaged due to distortion.¡±


    ¡°The base wants you to come back but in fact, if you want to find somewhere to spend the rest of your life then I won¡¯t stop you,¡± the doctor said. ¡°It¡¯s almost over.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    The doctor suggested, ¡°If you haven¡¯t found An Zhe then don¡¯t look for him. Let him go, let yourself go, live well and die well. We are going to die anyway. Even if you bring the sample back, we can¡¯t study the results. This isn¡¯t something that science is capable of, although the base still wants the last glimmer of hope.¡±


    There was a pause before the doctor spoke again, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I collapsed. I was infected by the base¡¯s pessimism. Don¡¯t listen to my words just now. You must take that sample back. Since that sample is inert when it comes to infection, it might be inert to the distortion. This is the final breakthrough, the last hope. Either you die outside or you bring it back. However, according to An Zhe¡¯s performance when he suddenly disappeared, he might be a heterogeneous with very strange abilities and form. You must be careful.¡±


    The doctor¡¯s self-deprecating tone and miscalculation of An Zhe¡¯s strength made An Zhe¡¯s lips curve but at the same time, he understood that the base was still clinging to his spore.


    ¡°Have a good rest,¡± Lu Feng told the doctor. ¡°I have sent coordinates to the United Front.¡±


    He hung up the communicator before glancing at An Zhe. Lu Feng asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°What just happened?¡±


    An Zhe shook his head.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±


    An Zhe whispered, ¡°No, I can¡¯t tell you.¡±


    He suddenly noticed that Lu Feng¡¯s eyes were so cold they were frightening.


    ¡°En.¡± Lu Feng¡¯s fingers moved smoothly along An Zhe¡¯s hair, his voice light. ¡°So you can¡¯t tell me where the sample is either.¡±


    An Zhe lowered her head. He had nothing to say about the spore. It was that way in the past and the same now. In this world, the quiet time was in vain. Like the end of a dream, he and Lu Feng finally returned to a few days ago.


    The Judge and heterogeneous, pursuer and defector. He wouldn¡¯t hand over the spore and Lu Feng wouldn¡¯t let him go. He didn¡¯t want to look into Lu Feng¡¯s eyes and he changed the topic, ¡°Is the base¡¯s situation currently bad?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯re going back?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going back.¡±


    ¡°But the doctor said¡­ there is no hope,¡± he whispered.


    He immediately realized the folly of his words. Even if the base was about to perish, it was impossible for Lu Feng to not return. After a long silence, Lu Feng declared, ¡°I¡¯m a person of the base.¡±


    An Zhe¡¯s lips thinned. Lu Feng belonged to the base, just like he belonged to the Abyss. They couldn¡¯t live together peacefully. Lu Feng had already sent coordinates to the United Front while An Zhe refused to say the location of the spore. It wasn¡¯t difficult for him to imagine what would happen to him next.


    He stared at Lu Feng. Thanks to the rain curtain outside, the light was dim. He couldn¡¯t see Lu Feng, nor could he understand Lu Feng.


    The world was changing and becoming crazier. Even the doctor said that it was the end for humans. At the last moment before humanity¡¯s death, what was Lu Feng thinking? An Zhe didn¡¯t know and just watched Lu Feng quietly.


    ¡°I sometimes feel that if the base was to perish in my lifetime,¡± Lu Feng¡¯s voice was low. ¡°Everything that I did before¡­¡±


    He stopped and didn¡¯t speak, his mood fluctuating like a ripple on the water before soon freezing.


    ¡°There might be a miracle.¡± An Zhe could only say this sentence gently. It was the only thing he could think of to comfort Lu Feng.


    Lu Feng looked down at him. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s possible?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s like¡­ it is like the world is so big but your plane happened to crash beside me.¡± He continued, ¡°If not, you would be dead.¡±


    If Lu Feng had died, An Zhe wouldn¡¯t be safe in the human city right now and everything would be different.


    However, he saw Lu Feng just looking down at him. An Zhe was lying in his eyes and Lu Feng looked like this. He gazed down at An Zhe and there was only a cold chill in the green eyes without any temperature. ¡°Do you know how big the world is?¡±


    An Zhe thought about it. In his limited memory, he hadn¡¯t travelled a lot and hadn¡¯t seen many things. He was just an inert mushroom. However, the world must be huge so Lu Feng¡¯s plane falling in front of him must be a miracle.


    Thus, he slowly nodded. He wanted to make Lu Feng happy but now Lu Feng was looking so scary. Seeing Lu Feng¡¯s expressionless face, An Zhe couldn¡¯t help shrinking back a bit.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know.¡± Lu Feng¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°I didn¡¯t happen to fall in front of you. It was because I was supposed to find you.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± An Zhe couldn¡¯t stand these eyes and wanted to leave, but he was held by Lu Feng. He muttered in a hoarse voice, ¡°There were many planes that day. You went to kill the bees. You accidentally¡­ accidentally met me and wanted to capture me.¡±


    ¡°Already killed.¡± Lu Feng¡¯s voice was calm.


    An Zhe¡¯s eyes became wide. He trembled. ¡°¡­Who?¡±


    ¡°Her.¡±


    An Zhe only heard one syllable. He didn¡¯t know if the word was him, she or it but there was only one possibility for the word spoken from Lu Feng¡¯s mouth. (Remember, Chinese has a lot of gender neutral terms)


    Madam Lu. He had killed Madam Lu himself.


    An Zhe couldn¡¯t breathe and his chest moved up and down a few times.


    Lu Feng looked at him, fingers reaching the side of An Zhe¡¯s neck. The index finger and middle finger were brought together, pressing against the fragile and warm carotid artery. There were no traces of emotional ups and downs in his voice. ¡°My last task is to kill you. The order from the communicator, didn¡¯t you hear it?¡±


    An Zhe heard it.


    His pressed neck was slightly sore and he reached out a hand to grab Lu Feng¡¯s wrist but he couldn¡¯t push this person away. He had to speak with a sore throat, ¡°But the world¡­ the world is so big. You couldn¡¯t know where I was.¡±


    Lu Feng stared at An Zhe.


    The An Zhe held in his arms was so small. The doctor said that An Zhe must be abnormally powerful if he could escape from the baes an in instant but Lu Feng knew him. An Zhe was so fragile and so small that everyone seemed able to harm him, whether physically or mentally.


    Lu Feng couldn¡¯t clearly hear the words. He only saw that An Zhe¡¯s eyes were red, as if desperately trying to show that this was an accident, a coincidence. He seemed to be trying to deceive himself into believing something, so as to excuse this.


    Lu Feng reached to take something out of his uniform pocket. It was a thin glass bottle the length of a thumb, filled with pale green liquid and a label attached to the middle. The label had a barcode and a series of numbers printed on it.


    An Zhe looked at this thing and wondered, ¡°What is this?¡±


    Lu Feng replied lightly, ¡°A tracking agent.¡±


    An Zhe heard the name. He remembered that Lily once said that she was hit with a tracking agent. Human names were always simple. The moment he heard this name, he knew the usage.


    ¡°The Lighthouse said that by irradiating the tracker with a special frequency pulse wave, it can obtain a characteristic frequency. After irradiation, the tracker is divided into two parts. One part is injected into the target¡¯s body and the other part is stored. The stored tracking solution is injected into an analyzer and it can indicate the direction of the tracking field with the same frequency, no matter how far away.¡±


    An Zhe closed his fingers around the cold little tube, holding it in his hand.


    ¡°Did you hit me with a tracker?¡± His voice trembled slightly. ¡°When did you do so? I¡­ I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    As he spoke, a thought crossed his mind.


    His voice was lower. His throat was sore and he was almost speechless. ¡°Have you long suspected that I¡¯m a heterogeneous?¡±


    ¡°You passed all the judgment criteria so I didn¡¯t kill you.¡± Lu Feng¡¯s voice was even colder as he opened An Zhe¡¯s fingers, pulled out the tracker and placed it back in his pocket. ¡°However, I must be responsible for the security of the base.¡±


    An Zhe stared at him, tears slipping down from a corner of his eyes. He thought Lu Feng would wipe it off but Lu Feng didn¡¯t. The line of water became cold on his cheeks. Lu Feng spoke very little but it was enough to show his personality. He had mercilessly killed Madam Fu who was a queen bee.


    He knew what type of man the colonel was from day one. Perhaps Lu Feng¡¯s kindness to him in the past few days was just a fleeting illusion.


    After resuming communication with the base, where did An Zhe get the self-confidence that Lu Feng had been treating him in a special manner, thinking that Lu Feng would let him go?


    Lu Feng watched An Zhe¡¯s eyelashes gradually lower before An Zhe finally leaned against his chest, closing his eyes. The soft water in the eyes of this little heterogeneous was also covered up. He seemed to be broken after everything was honestly confessed, Lu Feng thought.


    ¡ªJust like everyone he had killed.


    An Zhe¡¯s eyes opened again. He looked up, voice so low that Lu Feng had to lean closer to hear it.


    ¡°When Madam Lu became a queen bee, she completely lost her mind. Before that, she told me¡­ she doesn¡¯t hate the base, she just wanted to experience a new form of life. She doesn¡¯t hate you.¡±


    In this deadly silence, Lu Feng didn¡¯t speak. Time passed and just as An Zhe was about to touch Lu Feng¡¯s cheek to confirm this person was alive, he saw Lu Feng¡¯s cold lips slowly curving up.


    His voice was very light but certain. ¡°She hates me.¡±


    An Zhe stared into his eyes. Madam Lu said that Lu Feng would never get what he wanted, that he wouldn¡¯t die well and that he would eventually go mad.


    ¡°Why?¡± An Zhe questioned.


    ¡°After I was born, her relationship with my father was discovered by the base and she could no longer meet him at will. I killed her father and killed many of her children. When her little daughter escaped from the Garden of Eden with her help, the daughter met me. In fact, just across the street from where you and I met Lily, she was standing there to meet her friend.¡±


    Lu Feng rarely spoke such long sentences. An Zhe was accustomed to listening to every word that came from this person so by the time Lu Feng finally finished speaking, he was almost out of breath.


    The silence lasted three seconds. ¡°There were very few things that made her happy in life but they were all ruined by me. She hated me like everyone in the base.¡±


    Looking at him, An Zhe opened his mouth. In the end, he knew what he wanted to say.


    ¡°I don¡¯t hate you,¡± he declared.


    There was a long silence.


    ¡°Why?¡± Lu Feng¡¯s hoarse voice suddenly entered his ears.


    ¡°Why¡­ what?¡±


    ¡°Why are you¡­¡± Lu Feng stared at him. ¡°Why can you always forgive me?¡±


    An Zhe stared up at him but didn¡¯t see the cold Lu Feng.


    The colonel¡¯s voice trembled imperceptibly and he asked again, ¡°Why?¡±


    An Zhe wanted to explain it but he couldn¡¯t. He didn¡¯t have the IQ of humans, nor did he know the many languages they spoke. He had to think about it for a long time.


    ¡°I know you,¡± he eventually said.


    ¡°You¡¯re not even human.¡± Lu Feng¡¯s fingers were gripping his shoulders, eyes still so cold but something collapsing in his voice. Lu Feng almost trembled as he asked, ¡°How do you know me?¡±


    This person had to ask.


    An Zhe couldn¡¯t say anything and desperately shook his head.


    He was pushed step by step into a dead end by Lu Feng and wanted to cry again. He didn¡¯t know why this person was so bad and why this person didn¡¯t hesitate to dissect everything. An Zhe himself was like a judge wanting to acquit a prisoner, only for the prisoner on trial to keep stating his crimes. This man had to be tried or sentenced to death. He wanted to make An Zhe hate him.


    An Zhe didn¡¯t know why things had reached this point. Obviously, at the beginning, they were just talking about whether the base could survive. The world was so large. Wasn¡¯t it a miracle that Lu Feng fell before him?


    Lu Feng said no, all of these things were deliberate and inevitable. But no, it really wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°Still¡­¡± He raised his arm to Lu Feng and the human fingers slowly changed. The snow-white mycelium climbed Lu Feng¡¯s black uniform and over his epaulettes and silver spikes. Tears continued to fall from An Zhe¡¯s eyes. He couldn¡¯t see Lu Feng¡¯s expression and only knew that Lu Feng¡¯s hands holding him were shaking as they held him tighter.


    He knew that Lu Feng must¡¯ve recognized him as the mushroom rolling in the Abyss and his voice choked, ¡°Still, I met you¡­¡±


    In this broad world, Lu Feng had to go to the Abyss. In such a big Abyss, An Zhe had to roll over the empty plains. They shouldn¡¯t have met. He had never harmed anyone or any animal. He just wanted to raise his spore quietly and didn¡¯t want to be so angry or sad. Why was there a human such as Lu Feng in the world?


    This human was holding him so hard as if to kill him. An Zhe leaned back against the bedpost, struggling desperately but his struggle had no effect at all. Even so, he was unwilling to escape as mycelium because he wasn¡¯t willing to show weakness.


    He desperately bit Lu Feng¡¯s neck with all his strength. The moment the blood poured into his mouth, An Zhe stopped.


    ¡®What am I doing?¡¯ he thought.


    However, he didn¡¯t have a chance anymore. This moment of hesitation was enough for Lu Feng to regain the upper hand. His shoulder was held tightly and his back hit the bedpost as his jaw was forcibly lifted by one hand.


    ¡ªLu Feng kissed him.

 Chapter 67

    He kissed so fiercely, so irresistibly, so bloody that An Zhe couldn¡¯t breathe at all. He tilted his head but was pressed back again.


    He had just been feeling sorry for Lu Feng but now he was shaking with anger. His mycelium was spreading out, his only instinct to resist as he wanted to strangle this person. However, he entered a trance as a scene appeared before his eyes.


    A figure fell down in front of him. His heart suddenly flinched as he caught the person, holding him tightly. ¡°An Zhe?¡±


    In a trance, An Zhe realized that this was a fragment of Lu Feng¡¯s memory. He had just drunk Lu Feng¡¯s blood and obtained something. It happened to be the scene where he just passed out.


    ¡°An Zhe?¡± Lu Feng called his name several times in a row but the person in his arms didn¡¯t respond at all. The person just frowned as if he was suffering great pain. Lu Feng didn¡¯t know why An Zhe had suddenly become like this and could only hold on tighter. This person seemed to be suddenly dying¡ªjust like this fickle world.


    An Zhe realized the feelings of that moment. Right now, his feelings and Lu Feng¡¯s feelings coincided.


    Lu Feng was afraid. He was actually afraid. What was he afraid of? Afraid of losing this man in his arms. It was like¡­ if he lost this person, he had lost everything.


    An Zhe¡¯s body trembled violently. This man¡ª


    What could Lu Feng be so good to him yet so fierce to him?


    The strength of the hands on his shoulders briefly awakened him from this scene. His consciousness was split into two halves. Half was being kissed by Lu Feng almost in punishment while the other half was immersed in the past memory, witnessing this man holding him and shouting his name over and over.


    However, An Zhe didn¡¯t wake up. He looked so pained, so cute. He was so fragile but bearing such an intense pain.


    Lu Feng wiped away the sweat on An Zhe¡¯s forehead and An Zhe subconsciously grabbed Lu Feng¡¯s wrist like a life-saving straw. What was Lu Feng thinking at that moment? He was thinking, ¡®I can hurt him, I can do anything as long as he wakes up.¡¯


    An Zhe closed his eyes. He was still resisting but he didn¡¯t have much strength. He seemed discouraged and in the end, he could only give up all resistance, letting Lu Feng take his lips and his spirit, his everything.


    It was like a long war. The intense emotions of this long standoff slowly exhausted him. Once Lu Feng finally let go, An Zhe leaned against his chest and said nothing. Lu Feng just hugged him, equally silent.


    The blank time stretched indefinitely. The Judge and the heterogeneous had nothing to say. In the long silence, Lu Feng suddenly opened his mouth. ¡°How did you become human?¡± he wondered.


    ¡°It is because of An Ze.¡±


    He leaned into Lu Feng¡¯s arms. They had confessed to each other completely and in that kiss that had been driven by each other¡¯s impulses, they had cut each other apart. Thus, he didn¡¯t hide anything. In fact, he wasn¡¯t a heterogeneous. He was useless and couldn¡¯t infect anyone. He was actually a human-infected mushroom.


    At this moment, Lu Feng glanced at his mycelium. The white mycelium was still stained with blood from where he had been bitten by An Zhe just now. It turned out that this little mushroom would be very fierce when angry. The blood was disappearing bit by bit as it was absorbed by the mycelium.


    An Zhe also looked there. He suddenly declared, ¡°You will die.¡±


    Lu Feng gripped his fingers and asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m growing in you.¡± An Zhe was expressionless. I¡¯m eating your blood, your internal organs, your flesh and I¡¯m growing on your bones.¡±


    Lu Feng¡¯s other hand slowly clasped An Zhe¡¯s wrist, fingertips scratching the white skin and leaving a light red mark, much like the white mushroom leaking juices after being broken in the rain. He whispered, ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re talking about?¡±


    An Zhe shook his head, his throat frozen and his eyes full of tears. He looked up at the green moldy wall and the twisted chandelier. The windows had been torn by the wind and rain came in, along with the whine of the wind. He thought that he didn¡¯t know how to define his emotions but if he wanted to stay with Lu Feng, there was really no way. He stared at the sky beyond his reach.


    Lu Feng told him, ¡°You¡¯re crying again.¡±


    An Zhe turned back to look at Lu Feng. At this angle, he needed to slightly raise his head. In this way, they watched each other. It was unsure why but looking at Lu Feng, An Zhe laughed. His lips were slightly red and his beautiful eyes were covered with water marks.


    Thus, Lu Feng also smiled. He held An Zhe¡¯s face and muttered, ¡°¡­So silly.¡±


    An Zhe just stared at him. After a long time, he opened his mouth. ¡°Will the base come to pick you up?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    An Zhe didn¡¯t speak and Lu Feng wondered, ¡°Do you like the base?¡±


    The moment he heard the word ¡®base¡¯, the pain of electrocution spread all over An Zhe¡¯s body again. He shivered physiologically and buried himself in Lu Feng¡¯s arms again. Lu Feng hugged him while gently patting his back. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    An Zhe shook his head. It wasn¡¯t until three minutes later that An Zhe moved again. He looked up at Lu Feng and held hands with him tightly.


    He seemed to be waiting for something, Lu Feng thought. He had an idea and did it. Lu Feng leaned down slightly and kissed An Zhe again.


    There were no intense actions and no resistance. It was a deep, quiet kiss.


    An Zhe¡¯s soft lips no longer resisted. During the interval where they took a breath, Lu Feng gazed at his expression. He was gasping lightly and quickly, his eyelashes slightly lowered and the water droplets on his eyelashes shimmering lightly. An Zhe¡¯s hands clung to Lu Feng¡¯s shoulder with a type of timid, gentle innocence. Due to his whiteness, it was close to compassion. There was a divinity in the compassion¡ªlike some type of spiritual charity that he wanted to give at this moment.


    Yet he was still crying. Lu Feng kissed his tears away, as if this would erase all the sorrows between them.


    In the end, the rain outside gradually stopped. In the evening, the sky was shining with a cloudy yellow light.


    An Zhe knelt on the bed. His fingers trembled as he hugged Lu Feng and slowly laid him flat on the bed.


    Lu Feng¡¯s eyes were closed. He had fallen asleep and his breathing was even. Nothing could wake him now. It was easy to do this. During the kiss, a part of the tip of his tongue turned into soft mycelium and the colonel couldn¡¯t detect this.


    The sleeping Lu Feng couldn¡¯t capture him anymore, couldn¡¯t hold him. An Zhe smiled. In fact, Lu Feng never captured him. An Zhe suddenly understood this. Leave or stay, he had to decide for himself.


    Suddenly¡ª


    An Zhe¡¯s vision darkened and the pain struck violently. The last mycelium also broke. Something was separating from him, like a human losing his arm or an eyeball. However, it wasn¡¯t this, it wasn¡¯t something insignificant. The existence of the spore was far more important than limbs or organs.


    His body suddenly became empty. It was a deeper and emptier voice than the loss of the immature spore. It was like his connection with the world was suddenly cut off. The most important thing to him had come out and he only had a broken and decaying body. It was a shell of a body.


    An Zhe suddenly felt choked up. At this moment, he was convinced he heard fate whispering in his ear like a demon. He looked ahead, raising a trembling hand.


    Just before this moment, he thought he had a choice. He really thought he had a choice. However, once it happened, he found he had no choice.


    He was completely astonished.


    The spore came out of his body and was held in his hand. An Zhe gazed at the little white thing and finally managed to smile at it.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    He continued, ¡°I¡­ what am I going to do? Do you want to follow me? I might not be able to¡­ support you.¡±


    The spore¡¯s mycelium just touched his fingertips. An Zhe knew it didn¡¯t understand. Then the next moment, the spore¡¯s mycelium suddenly moved slowly in one direction. They left An Zhe¡¯s fingers, falling down onto the surface of Lu Feng¡¯s black uniform and continuing to crawl forward.


    An Zhe looked at this scene. It wasn¡¯t the first time the spore had made such a move and An Zhe couldn¡¯t help smiling. ¡°Why do you like him so much?¡±


    The spore stopped on the edge of An Zhe¡¯s hand and scratched his fingertips again, unable to speak. An Zhe gently sighed and placed it on Lu Feng¡¯s body. After being put down, it used its soft mycelium to crawl onto Lu Feng¡¯s chest and spontaneously entered his pocket. It seemed happy, as if it had long wanted to do so.


    An Zhe watched this scene. He couldn¡¯t understand why the spore was so close to Lu Feng or why things had come to this point. He took a piece of paper from his backpack, placed it on the coffee table and wrote on it.


    ¡°It is mature and not the same as before. You can raise it in a place where it is always wet.¡±


    ¡°It needs a lot of water and is afraid of rodents and insects.¡±


    ¡°If you are doing research, don¡¯t let it be hurt too much. Don¡¯t let it die.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for taking care of me all this time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going.¡±


    Leaving the note aside, he reached into Lu Feng¡¯s front chest pocket and took out the bottle filled with the tracking agent, opening the lid. The pale green liquid poured out and flowed down through the gap in the floor. Finally, he let go and there was a clear sound as the bottle was smashed against the floor.


    As if making a crucial decision, he reached out to remove the badge from Lu Feng¡¯s chest, placing it in his pocket. He carried his backpack and took one final glance at Lu Feng before walking out of the room.


    Xi Bei saw him and asked, ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    An Zhe replied, ¡°Go out and see what happens.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Xi Bei seemed to have regained a bit of calmness. ¡°Be aware of your safety.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    He pushed open the rusty security door and took one step back. Then he glanced back into the room, looking through the skeleton on the sofa to the door of Lu Feng¡¯s room. The grey door seemed to hold a silent appeal. If it was possible, if he had no worries, he would¡¯ve liked to stay beside Lu Feng like the spore. However, this wasn¡¯t possible.


    He closed the door and walked upstairs. The stairs were so high and his body seemed to have lost all strength. It took him a long time to climb to the top floor and after going through the opening, he arrived on the roof of the building.


    After the rain, the air outside was horribly cool.


    The artificial magnetic field had disappeared for a few days and the atmosphere was thin. As early as when the Lighthouse was still active, he heard human scientists predict that this year¡¯s climate would be extremely unusual and winter would come at least three months early.


    ¡ªThe winter of his life was coming.


    The moment his spore had matured, the instructions from his life instincts flashed and he received the instructions from fate. Just as he never saw the mushroom who raised him from the moment he landed on the ground, he was doomed to fail to protect his mature spore.


    The outside was dry and hurricanes were blowing all the time. Monsters were scary and in the Abyss, there were rodent monsters and arthropod monsters. The spore might accidentally be trampled on by giant monsters or be affected by fighting. At the last moment, An Zhe could only choose to believe in Lu Feng.


    It was because An Zhe was going to die.


    The life of a mushroom wasn¡¯t very long. He was already considered one of the longest. Everyone had a mission and once he finished it, he completed the meaning of being alive. For a mushroom, raising the spore was the only mission.


    An Zhe shook slightly in the cold wind and he hugged his arms. There was no more need to feel. His body was crumbling. He had seen dead mushrooms before. When their spore fell, their cap would gradually break, curl and then wither. Finally, all the tissues, the mycelium, the stem and the roots in the soil, they would all melt into a pool of dark liquid. Then they would be eaten up by everything else in the soil.


    He would start to experience the process he had witnessed countless times. He didn¡¯t know how long this process would take but it must be soon, before humanity was completely destroyed. Previously, he really wanted to return to the base with Lu Feng, no matter what happened next.


    However, let Lu Feng think he was still alive in the wilderness. The Judge had seen too many deaths.


    There was a broken garden on the roof. He sat in the flower bed, hugging his knees as he faced the east and watched night fall and the sun rise. This place wasn¡¯t too far from the base. The bee had only flown for a day.


    It was as he expected. Once the sun shone above the city through the early morning mist, heavy armoured vehicles arrived at the square in front of the community. They must¡¯ve been clearly told the situation because they had enough heavy weapons. To some extent, it was enough not to be afraid of monster attacks. For example, the huge flying eagle hovered in the sky and stared at them but didn¡¯t dare to move further.


    The grey clouds, the flying eagle, the sprawling ruined city and the armoured convoy was like a scene from a dream. The wind made a sharp noise again.


    An Zhe watched the figures of Lu Feng and Xi Bei step out of the building. After a brief negotiation with the military, they got in the car. An Zhe could vaguely see the figure of the doctor. Once the door closed, the convoy immediately started and left the ruins. When Lu Feng left, would he look back at the city from the car window? He wouldn¡¯t know that the place where An Zhe was going to was the Abyss. He would go back to the cave and find An Ze¡¯s bones. It had all started there and it would end there.


    Facing everything that was destined to die, Lu Feng had Lu Feng¡¯s fate and he had his own fate.


    It was over.

 Chapter 68

    The armoured vehicle.


    ¡°Congratulations. We will arrive back at the base in 15 hours.¡±


    Lu Feng asked, ¡°How is the base?¡±


    ¡°The distortion caused widespread panic and confusion. Some of the precision instruments couldn¡¯t be used. Fortunately, the artificial magnetic pole is functioning properly.¡±


    ¡°Did the distortion occur when the magnetic poles failed?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lu Feng told the doctor, ¡°These days, the survivor and I had been living in a magnetite mine where there is no distortion.¡±


    ¡°It is due to the magnetic field. The magnetic field can resist distortion to some extent.¡± The doctor explained. ¡°At that time, the Lighthouse was in chaos. Our last hope was to exchange all the research results with the Dungeon Base but we didn¡¯t get anything. All their research was based on biological genes.¡±


    ¡°Then I illegally accessed the communication channel with the research institute.¡±


    Lu Feng raised his eyebrows.


    ¡°After the discussion and combining some clues, such as when the distortion occurred, we thought this might be related to the magnetic field. Thus, we temporarily increased the strength of the artificial magnetic poles. For the time being, we¡¯ve earned some time for survival.¡±


    The doctor leaned against the car seat. ¡°Still, according to the prediction, the distortion will gradually increase and it will beat us in three months.¡±


    He paused and looked at the grey sky in the distance as well as the brown eagle hovering in the sky. ¡°It is hard to imagine all the efforts that humans made to survive from ancient times to the present are in vain and to become witness to the event of the total destruction of humans.¡±


    He looked back at Lu Feng. ¡°Honestly, you are a lot calmer than I expected.¡±


    ¡°How did you get hit?¡± He added, ¡°I don¡¯t know what type of species An Zhe but he managed to slip out of the base¡¯s tight defenses. It is normal to miss him. Even if you catch him, you won¡¯t be able to keep him. Don¡¯t worry about it too much.¡±


    Lu Feng didn¡¯t speak. He just held out his hand. A soft, snowy little thing rolled out of his sleeve and he looked at it.


    Strangely, a soft thought filled his mind. He seemed to have returned to the moment when An Zhe stayed quietly beside him. At night, they slept together. An Zhe always turned his back to Lu Feng but once he was asleep, he would turn over and lean gently against Lu Feng¡¯s chest. In the morning, he wouldn¡¯t know why. He would furrow those beautiful eyebrows and turn back. Then Lu Feng hugged him from behind.


    It turned out that these were the most memorable few days of his life. The snow-white mycelium was affectionately wrapped around his finger.


    The doctor froze. ¡°How did you get it? You brought it back?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What about An Zhe?¡± The doctor spoke very quickly. ¡°Did you kill him?¡±


    The spore seemed frightened by this man¡¯s sudden loud voice and shrank back into Lu Feng¡¯s sleeve. Then after a while, it appeared again and lovingly rubbed itself against Lu Feng¡¯s neck. Lu Feng answered, ¡°He left.¡±


    ¡°How can you be willing to let him go? What exactly is he?¡± The doctor¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Can he protect himself?¡±


    Lu Feng touched the soft spore and didn¡¯t answer. In the darkness, his side profile was a silent silhouette.


    The doctor stared at him and suddenly frowned. ¡°Where is your gun?¡±


    ***


    The roof.


    An Zhe watched the convoy disappearing into the distance before moving his stiff body and standing up from the flowerbed. Yesterday¡¯s heavy rain had filled it with water. At this time, some filament-like creatures were wriggling in the water. They had been born yesterday.


    Then once the sky cleared up, the accumulated water would soon dry up. Shortly after birth, they would face eternal death. This was true of all living things. Will his spore live longer than these dead creatures? He hoped so.


    An Zhe patiently waited for an opportunity. Once the eagle landed, he climbed onto its back. The flying eagle didn¡¯t pay any attention to him, perhaps because he was too light and undernourished. An Zhe found a place to wait on its spacious back that was covered in scales, not feathers. There were some intertwined translucent tentacles growing between the gaps in the scales. The eagle hunting around the city. Once it swallowed a vine that resembled flesh and wrestled with a giant monster with bat wings for 30 minutes, it lost and left this place.


    An Zhe set the direction of its flight using the North Star. After discovering that the trajectory had deviated, he slipped off. He absorbed the nutrients of the soil for a night and hesitated for a long time before taking out a black gun and a dozen rounds of ammunition from his backpack.


    This gun belonged to Lu Feng but he found it in his backpack after Lu Feng left. The colonel often took An Zhe¡¯s belongings, including the backpack, for granted so An Zhe speculated that he left the gun in here.


    He succeeded in using the sound of gunfire to draw a butterfly-winged monster as a mount.


    Three days later, he landed again. As he was looking for the next riding target, An Zhe encountered an extremely ugly monster. This monster had many characteristics of an arthropod monsters and took mushrooms as food. An Zhe wanted to escape but his body was already very poor. Just as he was almost eaten, Lu Feng¡¯s gun protected him. He accidentally shot the monster¡¯s soft abdomen and when it paused for a short time, he rolled into a muddy stream and fled.


    It was cold and monsters who were afraid of the cold started to go south. Of course, they also preyed on each other in the process. Sometimes, there were no traces of life on the plains and only one or two extremely large winners could be met. Sometimes, the creatures were like a black torrent, migrating to the south. An Zhe integrated in with them and flowed down the stream.


    10 days later, he finally got on a bird that was flying south. After more than 20 days on the soft back of the flying bird, he saw a long, huge shadow on the horizon, like a scar on this world.


    According to humans, the core of the Abyss was a long and narrow fault zone caused by a magnitude 8.0 earthquake during the time of disaster. This place had extremely abnormal radiation and this caused it to give birth to countless terrible monsters. The core fault zone expanded outward and the north of the Abyss was a vast plain covered with a dense forest, filled with all types of mushrooms and countless dormant monsters. To the south was a huge, rolling highland and mountain range.


    The bird came to the edge of the Abyss. It was tired and found a dead piece of wood to perch on to rest.


    The branches suddenly shook. The bird¡¯s feathers shot up and its wings vibrated as it screamed.


    It was unknown when but dense black vines appeared on the dead wood and had already firmly entangled around the bird¡¯s feet. The snow-white bird flapped its wings as it was dragged to the centre of the densely branched tree. Its beautiful neck was raised high and its pointed and long beak reached out to the grey sky. Then the vines wrapped around its neck and cracked open, the mouth that had sharp fangs biting at the bird¡¯s neck.


    Blood splattered and the five or six metres long bird was broken into two, small feathers scattered to the ground.


    An Zhe held his backpack and landed on the feathers on the ground. He stood up and stood on rotten ground where black liquid was flowing. After taking a few steps, he looked up and saw the bird being eaten by thousands of vines.


    Then the vines scattered in a contented manner.


    The dense forest, the vines and the giant mushrooms combined to block the light of the sky and the sound of fighting.


    This was the Abyss, a place where even people¡¯s bones were eaten. There were no rodents or arthropods because they were too weak yet the creatures that were 100 times stronger than them weren¡¯t invincible. The soil of the Abyss was so nutritious due to all the flesh and blood that it was soaked in, which might be while the mushroom population flourished.


    An Zhe walked through the place. The ground was covered with moss, dead branches and fallen leaves, so soft that it was close to a swamp. Creatures walked on it without making a sound.


    He clearly felt that the atmosphere of the Abyss had changed. Usually, killing fights would happen all the time and powerful monsters often strolled the forest to patrol their territory. However, he walked a long way today and only encountered a silent python.


    They all seemed dormant.


    However, An Zhe didn¡¯t care about the coming and going of the monsters. He gazed at the endless place where even the sun couldn¡¯t shine.


    On his left side was a dark red mushroom 10 metres high. It stood between several huge stones and mucus constantly flowed from the cap. The huge body seemed to be breathing, rising and falling as it took in the air.


    An Zhe placed a finger on its stem and felt the texture that was wrapped in mucus. He had never seen such a mushroom before.


    Suddenly, his eyes filled with fear as he gazed around in all directions. His pupils shrank and his body was cold. He was shaking.


    He couldn¡¯t recognize it. He didn¡¯t recognize it.


    The next moment, his breathing was rough as he ran in a stumbling manner through the dense forest. This was the Abyss, with blood-soaked soil, swamps with black water and monsters watching secretly. It was the Abyss but it was no longer the familiar place from his memories.


    The Abyss was so big. How could he find his original home? He tried to recall the characteristic mushrooms that he relied on to remember the route.


    Thus, he kept walking, constantly searching while using his legs and mycelium. After a day, after the night and in the morning¡ªhowever, every plains looked the same and every cave was empty.


    There were no clues and no familiar place. He didn¡¯t know how many sunsets he saw and how many times he was disappointed by an empty cave.


    He didn¡¯t know how long it was but he couldn¡¯t move and his mycelium was no longer as soft and flexible as before. They were melted and breaking, his human body becoming extremely weak as his life was consumed.


    At a quiet lake, a dead rattan tripped him. Sharp stones cut his knees and palms. He knelt down on the ground, burying his face in his palms while shaking. He couldn¡¯t find it, he couldn¡¯t find the cave.


    The life of a mushroom was only one season. The old one died while the new one grew. The appearance of the Abyss changed with new generations of mushrooms. The road he remembered all this time was no more.


    He desperately looked at the sky covered by mushrooms and dead wood. He hadn¡¯t known things would be like this¡ªso cruel.


    Lu Feng was right. He didn¡¯t know how big the world was. He couldn¡¯t find it unless his life was eternally long. However, he was a mushroom and he was dying. He was destined to die on the way to the cave.


    Nothing in the world was eternal. Not even his initial oath.


    Salty tears flowed into the small wounds on his face caused by thorns. The pain was sharp but it was far from the despair in his heart. He gasped as he peered into the silent puddle. He was in a trance. There was a sound in the water, an indescribable frequency calling for him to leave and the entire world became blurred and unreal.


    Jump down, jump, it will all be over.


    There would be no more happiness or pain.


    He went to the lakeside step by step under the bewitchment of that call. The water was so clear, reflecting his appearance. He and An Ze looked so much alike that when the waves of water blurred his outline, An Ze seemed to be the one calling him.


    He was born without knowing anything and would die without knowing anything. In the Abyss, in this¡­ sad place. As if a switch in his memory was touched, a voice suddenly filled his ears. It was his own voice.


    ¡°There on the sad height,¡± the voice gently said. ¡°Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do not go gentle into that good night.¡±


    ¡°Do not go gentle into that good night.¡± He had asked, ¡°What does it mean?¡±


    Lin Zuo, the teacher at the Garden of Eden, had replied, ¡°Don¡¯t accept the destruction gently.¡±


    After a brief pause, the words changed again.


    ¡°Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for you are with me.¡± He was softly reciting a poem to someone. That day, they walked a long way together and didn¡¯t know what they would meet in front of them.


    On that day, in the wilderness, that man walked with him in the darkness while the ancient wind blew. What had that person been thinking then?


    In the face of the fate that told his eventual demise, did that person feel the same despair? How did he go on?


    He¡­


    An Zhe lowered his head and found that he had somehow taken out the judge¡¯s badge. The sharp edges of the badge stung his already bloodied hand. The illusory trance suddenly receded and he took a few steps back. He thought, ¡®What was I just doing?¡¯


    There was a severe pain in his ankle. The stone that had just cut his palm had hit his ankle. He stooped to move the sharp grey stone away, so that other creatures wouldn¡¯t trip over it. Then he suddenly found something. There was a dark charcoal mark on the stone, as if it had been written with a scorched tree branch. A crooked, ugly arrow was drawn, pointing southeast.


    He fell deep into thought. With his limited knowledge, there were no creatures in the Abyss who could draw arrows. This strange grey stone, he seemed to have seen it once or twice elsewhere in the Abyss. He had just been so focused on finding the cave that he hadn¡¯t paid attention.


    He looked around and finally chose to go in the direction indicated by the arrow. After walking for a long time, another grey stone appeared abruptly on the flat ground, half buried in the soil and half exposed. The exposed part had an arrow drawn on it.


    An Zhe continued to walk. It wasn¡¯t only the grey stones that were marked. Sometimes, there were marks on the tree trunks or white bones. After five days, he found that he was walking south of the Abyss, walking near the highlands. The environment of the highlands was dry and harsh so few monsters would go here.


    Yet on the same day, he couldn¡¯t find any other stones.


    He stood blankly under a tree, trying to look around and wondering if he had gone the wrong way. Suddenly¡ª


    A small stone hit his shoulder.


    ¡°Are you lost?¡± The laughing voice of a man was heard behind him.


    An Zhe turned around to the direction of the man¡¯s voice. A tall, slender and handsome dark-haired man stood by a tree, holding a grey stone in his right hand and winking at him. ¡°The road sign is here. I haven¡¯t put it down yet.¡±


    Looking at him, An Zhe slowly frowned.


    ¡°Tang Lan?¡± He called out a name.


    ¡°Do you recognize me?¡± The man smiled in an uninhibited manner. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you at the base.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you either.¡± An Zhe spoke after confirming the man¡¯s appearance. ¡°I know Hubbard.¡±


    The moment Hubbard¡¯s name was mentioned, the casual smile disappeared from the man¡¯s face.

 Chapter 69

    ¡°Hubbard.¡± Tang Lan muttered the name. ¡°He¡­¡±


    He seemed to be speechless. It was only after a dozen seconds that he opened his mouth again, his voice slightly hoarse. ¡°¡­Is he okay?¡±


    An Zhe recalled his memories of Hubbard.


    During the time when the insect tide raged and District 6 was bombed, Hubbard was on a mission outside the city. This was a wise move. Not only did he avoid the extermination of the outer city, he also avoided being arrested by Lu Feng for ¡®illegally stealing the information of a judge.¡¯ Later, he led the team back safely and was welcomed by the main city. Then the legendary mercenary captain met Lu Feng. He and the colonel took the PL1109 plane to the Underground City Base for rescue. When An Zhe was in the mine, he and Lu Feng occasionally chatted. According to Lu Feng, Hubbard and Lu Feng had completed the rescue task and came back safely together.


    ¡°He¡¯s fine,¡± An Zhe replied.


    Tang Lan¡¯s eyelids lowered and he seemed to smile. He didn¡¯t ask anything else and just said, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    An Zhe stared at Tang Lan.


    The first time he knew of this person was in Boss Shaw¡¯s store when he saw a beautifully made, almost real doll. Boss Shaw said it was made by Hubbard who spent half his assets. Hubbard was the captain of the most legendary mercenary team in the entire outer city. Tang Lan was the vice-captain that he had a life and death friendship with who didn¡¯t return after an adventure. Not even the dead body was found.


    Next to the doll was a label with various data. The first line was the name: Tang Lan.


    Now the alive Tang Lan was standing in front of An Zhe. He was safe and didn¡¯t look like he had suffered any injuries. He had actually survived in the depths of the crisis-ridden Abyss and lived so well.


    ¡°You survived.¡± An Zhe asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go back?¡±


    A hint of a helpless smile filed Tang Lan¡¯s eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t go back.¡±


    With that, he buried the marked stone in his hand into the soil.


    ¡°I have a map so I can go back.¡± An Zhe told him. ¡°¡­Do you need it?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t need it.¡± Tang Lan stated, ¡°I¡¯m not human anymore.¡±


    An Zhe, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Tang Lan smiled and took out a gleaming dagger, carving an arrow on the tree next to him before asking, ¡°Do you know what I¡¯m doing?¡±


    An Zhe replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°After being infected, most people are unfortunate and completely turn into monsters. On the other hand, there are 1 in 10,000 people who are more fortunate and sometimes they are like people. I¡¯m showing the way to those who are lucky¡ªjust like when I was first shown the way.¡±


    An Zhe didn¡¯t speak. He found he had the special ability to identify a person who wanted to tell a story.


    However, Tang Lan¡¯s story was short. ¡°That day, Hubbard and I had a small argument. He wanted to go deeper while I thought it was time to go back. In short, it wasn¡¯t pleasant. I didn¡¯t see him that night and kept watch in another car.¡±


    ¡°There are always things in the Abyss. At 12 o¡¯clock, a monster found us. I had never seen anything so dangerous.¡± Tang Lan finished marking the arrow and put away his dagger, his voice clear and sharp. ¡°I warned the others and led the monster away in the other direction. Later, I died. I should¡¯ve died miserably.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why but I woke up again and became something very powerful. I¡¯m fused with the monster but I¡¯m still awake.¡± He played with the dagger and spoke to An Zhe. ¡°What about you?¡±


    An Zhe pondered on the wording.


    Just then, Tang Lan turned his head violently, his eyes shooting at the centre of the forest like an arrow. A rustling sound had come from there. He whispered to An Zhe, ¡°Go!¡±


    The moment he finished speaking, a huge black shadow emerged from the forest!


    An Zhe¡¯s arm was caught and Tang Lan placed him on Tang Lan¡¯s back with an indisputable force. The next moment, there was a huge cracking sound and a pair of black wings spread from Tang Lan¡¯s back!


    An Zhe suddenly left the ground. Behind him, the mountain-like monster¡¯s claws slammed down but Tang Lan flew faster, leaving the dense forest behind almost instantly. Looking down, everything on the ground grew farther and smaller as they rose while the tall mountains in the south were getting closer.


    He asked Tang Lan as the wind blew toward him, ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    The wind was becoming stronger and his voice was blown away. In the midst of this, Tang Lan asked him, ¡°Have you ever heard of the fusion faction?¡±


    He carried An Zhe higher and higher, gradually approaching the highest mountain peak. As the sky got closer, the highland shone a red-gold as it reflected the setting sun. A white building at the top of the mountain gradually emerged at the junction of the sky and the mountain peak.


    The first thing that caught An Zhe¡¯s eyes were the two cylindrical white towers with a smooth appearance. They were divided at two ends and connected by lines in the middle. Between the two white towers was the main body of the building, an oval, three-storey low-rise building, flanked by auxiliary buildings and various other scattered buildings. The open space in front of the main building was filled with all types of strange devices. Behind the building was a flat land with dozens of tall wind power generation towers. The snow-white, three wind turbines were rapidly rotating in the howling wind.


    A huge, dark green vine was divided into dozens of strands and surrounded the entire building ground. Its branches were placed on the fence and the white tower. When Tang Lan took An Zhe to the ground, a vine came over and sniffed them before leaving.


    The huge black wings on Tang Lan¡¯s back were slowly retracted into his body. Tang Lan¡¯s body trembled lightly and his fists clenched, some pain appearing on his face. An Zhe watched without blinking until Tang Lan opened his eyes again.


    At first glance, Tang Lan¡¯s eyes were dark and inhuman but he recovered within three seconds. Tang Lan explained, ¡°The conversion process is a bit confusing and uncomfortable but I¡¯m already lucky.¡±


    He looked at the vine. ¡°This guy can¡¯t be human anymore.¡±


    An Zhe glanced at the vine. ¡°Does it have a human consciousness?¡±


    ¡°Some.¡± Tang Lan stepped forward and An Zhe followed. The strong wind on the mountain blew their clothes as they gradually approached the oldest white building in the centre.


    Six o¡¯clock in the evening was when the sunset was at its peak.


    In the southwest sky, the clouds were tumbling as a huge red sun burned while sinking, the golden red light illuminating the open door and the figure standing in the middle.


    An Zhe wasn¡¯t very clear about the age of this human except for the fact that the man was at least the same age as Boss Shaw. The human was at least 60 or 70 years old. However, he didn¡¯t show any aged posture. An Zhe approached and saw he was wearing a black suit and a silver-grey shirt with a bow tie. His white hair was neatly brushed back and his face had become calmer and kinder as the years passed. He had mild grey-blue eyes.


    These eyes made An Zhe feel that this person had seen all the storms and changes in the world.


    ¡°Sir.¡± Tang Lan stood in front of the man and his voice was respectful. ¡°I brought a new member back.¡±


    The man smiled and looked at An Zhe, those grey-blue eyes couldn¡¯t help giving people a feeling of closeness. An Zhe watched him as he extended his right hand to An Zhe. An Zhe hesitated for a moment before shaking hands in a slightly rusty posture. The other person¡¯s palm was warm and dry while his handshake movement was gentle yet powerful.


    ¡°Welcome to the Highland Research Institute. We take the liberty to call ourselves the fifth base of humanity.¡± The man said. ¡°I¡¯m Polly Joan.¡±

 Chapter 70

    ¡°You can call me Polly or Joan, whatever you want,¡± Polly Joan said. He was polite and kind, with grey-blue eyes like a gentle ocean, the best elder in human stories.


    An Zhe told them his name.


    ¡°You¡¯re young. Are you from the Northern Base?¡±


    An Zhe nodded.


    ¡°How did you become like this?¡±


    Polly Joan slowly took An Zhe into the white building while asking. The floor was very smooth. Apparently someone cared for it well. Tang Lan stepped forward and stretched out his arm to help Polly but Polly just waved his hand.


    ¡°I¡­¡± There was a wave in his vision as An Zhe slowly looked around.


    The interior of this white building was a large hall. It had three floors in total, but the central part of these three floors wasn¡¯t separated by layers like an ordinary building. Rather, it was open. A spiral staircase spiralled upstairs and when viewed from the lobby, the translucent dome could directly be seen. At this moment, some creatures were gathered on the second and third floors, looking down at him from above with curious eyes.


    There were around 40 creatures, most of which had human characteristics or could be considered one-third humanoid. One-third of them were exactly the same as humans and one-third were creatures with the biological characteristics of humans. For example, a gentleman on the second floor whose face was covered with grey-black hair. There was also a person on the third floor whose hair was like curly vines that moved slightly. The rest of the one-third were like monsters or something strange. For example, a bunch of rotten meat hanging from the railing of the second floor.


    ¡°They won¡¯t hurt you,¡± Polly Joan told An Zhe. ¡°If some of them lose their will and get out of control, the others will control them.¡±


    As he spoke, An Zhe could feel that the eyes of these deformed humans weren¡¯t the cold eyes of beasts and he could understand the meaning in them¡ªcuriosity or scrutiny. There was no viciousness at all.


    ¡°We are all infected, all heterogeneous species. Fortunately, we have retained part of our will and Mr Polly brought us together.¡± Tang Lan patted his shoulder. ¡°We will try to control ourselves and not kill others, only fighting against the monsters outside. There is no Trial Court here. You can rest assured.¡±


    Polly Joan coughed a few times before saying, ¡°The members of the institute have no hierarchy. We take care of each other, the strong protecting the weak. You are welcome to join this home.¡±


    An Zhe slowly retracted his gaze.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he whispered.


    Tang Lan asked him how he had become a heterogeneous. After a moment of hesitation, An Zhe replied, ¡°I followed a friend out¡­¡±


    He knew this was a place where heterogeneous species lived together but he was still different from the people here. They were monster-infected humans and he was a mushroom, so he had to conceal his true identity. This meant he told the story of An Zhe, who came to the wilderness, was injured and then¡ª


    ¡°I became like this when you woke up.¡± He combined it with Tang Lan¡¯s story and made up such a lie.


    ¡°Are there any places that are different from a human?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then you must¡¯ve got some type of complete polymorphic variation.¡± Polly looked at him gently and asked, ¡°Do you know what you merged with? Or can you control your transformation?¡±


    An Zhe thought about it and shook his head.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t common,¡± Polly mused. ¡°How did you survive the Abyss?¡±


    ¡°Nothing attacked me,¡± An Zhe answered truthfully.


    Polly thought about it. Just as An Zhe thought he was going to be severely tortured, Polly Joan opened his mouth. ¡°This can be explained.¡±


    An Zhe wondered, ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°The creatures in the Abyss, as well as other powerful species, seem to have another sense. They sometimes don¡¯t judge the racial identity of other monsters using appearance. A powerful polymorphic monster can turn itself into a mouse but other monsters can still sense its huge attack power and avoid it.¡±


    Polly Joan paused before continuing, ¡°If they really aren¡¯t interested in you then this proves you have incorporated with some powerful genes or you aren¡¯t part of their diet.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re special,¡± he stated.


    An Zhe whispered, ¡°I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    He really didn¡¯t know. Mushrooms in the Abyss were just as dangerous as the animals in the Abyss. They were either highly toxic or filled with an illusory fog that could make animals go mad. It was already a miracle to produce such a small and harmless mushroom in the jungle of poisonous mushrooms. He even had his own sense of independence.


    Polly told him, ¡°All the members of the institute have different variations. If you like, I can do some research on you in a way that won¡¯t hurt you.¡±


    An Zhe agreed. He had no reason not to promise.


    Then Polly Jean asked him some questions. He didn¡¯t ask any further about the mutation process. Rather, he asked An Zhe how it had been in the wild, did he suffer, was he afraid of any animals and if there were any new habits after the genetic changes. He seemed to just be an elder who purely cared for An Zhe. However, after recognizing his non-human identity, An Zhe was still afraid of human researchers. He didn¡¯t dare to be close to Polly as he answered the questions one by one.


    He also had a preliminary understanding of the institute¡¯s status. The first floor of the institute was the hall, laboratory and instrument room. The second floor was inhabited by humans with animal variations and the third floor was for the plant variations. Mr Polly recorded the experimental data while some people maintained the equipment, some grew potatoes in the back land and others were responsible for hunting. Those responsible for hunting were the ones infected with extremely fierce monsters such as Tang Lan. As they hunted, they would lay down road signs everywhere. No one could understand the road signs apart from humans. The directions indicated by the road signs were for heterogeneous species returning home and weren¡¯t limited to the Abyss.


    Tang Lan said this place was related to the fusion faction but the people here weren¡¯t the product of deliberate fusion. Rather, they were killed in the wild and fortunately retained some human consciousness, following the road signs to the institute. The doctor said this was a 1 in 10,000 chance.


    The addition of a new member was something to be celebrated. The institute specifically prepared a welcome part for An Zhe. The main food was potato bacon soup made by a small tree heterogeneous.


    ¡°Do you like to drink potatoes?¡± The man scooped the soup into a bowl and handed it to An Zhe. His voice was slightly hoarse, like rough bark rubbing together.


    An Zhe reached for the bowl of hot soup. He blew it and the warm white mist covered his face.


    ¡°I like it. Thank you,¡± he said.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll make it tomorrow.¡± The man looked at him. ¡°How old are you?¡±


    ¡°19 years old.¡±


    ¡°Then call me Uncle. You are around the same age as my son. He lives in District 7. Where do you live?¡±


    ¡°District 6.¡±


    The man said, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him in five years. His name is Bai Ye. Do you know him?¡±


    An Zhe shook his head gently.


    ¡°Hopefully he is well.¡± This was the end of their conversation.


    During the meal, the people of the institute sat in a circle, regardless of their position. Polly Jean sat among them and everyone was close to him.


    They were equally close to An Zhe. During the meal, at least 10 people took the initiative to talk to An Zhe. Some of them were mercenaries from the outer city and some were soldiers of the base. They were curious about the process of his variation and asked what was happening at the base, or if he had seen their own relatives or friends. An Zhe didn¡¯t tell them that the outer city had been abandoned. He just said ¡®I haven¡¯t seen them¡¯ and ¡®I don¡¯t know.¡¯ He had a type of melancholy feeling but no news seemed more comforting to the human heart than the real answer.


    At the end of the meal, Tang Lan took An Zhe to an empty room. A young man with feathers on his body brought a quilt to the room.


    ¡°It was just dried yesterday.¡± He offered to help make the bed. ¡°It is cold at night so you should remember to close the window.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± An Zhe told him. Just like today¡¯s uncle who gave him the meal, the young boy¡¯s kindness made him grateful and a bit confused.


    After making the bed, the boy pulled a red fruit from his clothes and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll give you something to eat.¡±


    After that, he took out a wrapped piece of dried meat. ¡°This is given to you by everyone.¡±


    An Zhe took it. The dried meat was very heavy. He didn¡¯t know what the living standards of the institute were but in this era, dried meat was precious no matter the place.


    ¡°Thank you. It is too much for me to finish.¡±


    ¡°Eat slowly.¡± Tang Lan, who was standing behind him, smiled and reached out to fix his collar.


    ¡°We will give all newcomers presents. I found this place a year ago and everyone was very kind to me.¡± The young boy said. ¡°It is too hard to be a heterogeneous in this world, to hide from monsters and find something to eat by yourself, to remember that you are a person and that you can¡¯t go back to the base when you¡¯re homesick. Just go to the institute.¡±


    He spoke while smiling at An Zhe. An Zhe also smiled back.


    There was no wind in the room. It was very warm and the lamps on the ceiling were shining brightly. An Zhe held the jerky and remembered this month of trekking through the forest and swamp of the Abyss. It was like a dream.


    The boy told him, ¡°Don¡¯t cry. There will be a home in the future.¡±


    His tone was firm and warm, as if he had unlimited dependence on this belief. This was something that An Zhe hadn¡¯t seen at the human base.


    ¡°Is this always the case here?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Eh?¡± The boy froze at first before laughing. ¡°You will get used to it soon.¡±


    The moment he finished speaking, he suddenly stopped. There was a sharp, shrill cry from the corridor.

 Chapter 71

    Then there was the sound of something breaking. Tang Lan frowned and strode out. The screams continued and there was the sound of fighting. The boy flinched sharply and grabbed An Zhe¡¯s arm like he was seeking protection. However, he still staid, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Someone has become a monster but Brother Tang can fight it.¡±


    They looked out the open door and saw a human figure rolling in the open space in the centre. Dense tentacles grew on his back and his facial features were distorted and deformed into a mass of grey swelling. His limbs attacked wildly as another part of his body turned into a vine to fight. Tang Lan joined in and subdued the monster without much effort.


    ¡°Lock it up,¡± Tang Lan ordered. The thing was taken down and Tang Lan came back to the room.


    ¡°We have human consciousness now but we don¡¯t know when it will be gone,¡± the boy whispered. ¡°That¡¯s why I cherish the time when I can be a person.¡±


    Just then, a sound came from the window. An Zhe looked down and saw a large instrument in the open space in front of the building lighting up.


    ¡°Mr Polly seems to be doing this these days. It looks different from the previous research.¡± The boy muttered.


    An Zhe looked over there and saw a red light from the machine as it lit up. He asked, ¡°What is that?¡±


    Tang Lan didn¡¯t speak and just stared out the window. At the top of the mountain, the aurora and the starry sky became so low that it seemed they could reach out and touch it. There was silence in the room. A long time passed before Tang Lan opened his mouth.


    ¡°Mr Polly is a fusion scientist,¡± Tang Lan explained softly. ¡°The fusionists believe that one day, we can find a way to peacefully fuse human and monster genes. People won¡¯t become monsters with only instincts but will also possess a strong body and can adapt to the harsh environment.


    ¡°Like this.¡± He showed An Zhe his arm which was faintly covered with black scales. ¡°The human body is really too fragile.¡±


    ¡°Later, it didn¡¯t succeed. A fusion experiment ran away and the giant leech infected the base¡¯s water source. Half of the entire base died because of this so the base no longer allowed any similar experiments. The fusion scientists became the sinners of the base. However, other research was also fruitless. Only fusion seemed like it had a small bit of hope. Therefore, the fusion scientists defected and left the base to find another place to continue experimenting.¡±


    ¡°If they want to study fusion then they must do live experiments. Once they do experiments, they will create intelligent monsters who have acquired human thinking but aren¡¯t human. The base can¡¯t allow this to happen so they have been sending troops to intercept and kill. In the end, the fusion scientists found this place.¡± Tang Lan stared up at the starry sky. ¡°The Highland Research Institute is a place where the artificial magnetic pole was previously studied. It is behind the Abyss, the terrain is high and armoured vehicles can¡¯t be driven here. There are also many ready-made equipment, some of which can cause magnetic interference and render the military aircrafts and radar ineffective. After settling down here, the scientists protected the heterogeneous species while continuing the research and it has continued to the present day.¡±


    An Zhe wondered, ¡°Have you found a way to integrate them now?¡±


    Tang Lan shook his head.


    ¡°No rule can be found. In the beginning, they thought it was related to willpower. Later, they thought it was related to the type of foreign gene but they were incorrect. People with a weak will can wake up in a confused manner and plants with weak pollution ability can devour people. A weak-willed person after being infected by a very powerful monster won¡¯t necessarily lose consciousness. The reason for retaining your will is just luck. Later, the magnetic poles failed and the comprehensive pollution proved that this is irrelevant to genes. Gold and iron can also pollute each other. Under a microscope, an iron atom becomes something we can¡¯t understand. Mr Polly¡¯s previous research was all wrong and he is resolved to find a new way.¡±


    An Zhe had heard the same argument from Dr Ji and he said, ¡°The base also thinks so.¡±


    Tang Lan didn¡¯t speak for a long time.


    ¡°An Zhe.¡± Tang Lan suddenly called out his name. ¡°Can you feel a type of volatility?¡±


    An Zhe nodded. He could always feel it.


    ¡°After becoming a heterogeneous, many people can feel it.¡± Tang Lan whispered, ¡°In addition, it is becoming stronger and stronger.¡±


    In the morning, An Zhe opened his eyes in the bed. He had a headache and his dreams were filled with the wilderness, the howls that filled his ears, the sound of beast claws stepping in mud and crying¡ªhe didn¡¯t know who was crying. In the forest, the fluorescence of a beast¡¯s eyes was quietly reflected. He ran away like crazy, looking for something, but he could never escape and never find it. The huge, ethereal wave was still entangled over him like a shadow. It seemed that everything in the world, even the dewdrops on the tip of the leaves, was its incarnation.


    An Zhe used his arms to support his body and sat up with much difficulty. His body seemed to have rusted. Not only was he unable to move flexibly, he also became thin and brittle. With every move, he suspected that he would stop forever. This was how he knew that he was one step closer to the irresistible death.


    An Zhe hugged the quilt and sat in bed for a long time before feeling that his condition had recovered somewhat. He stared at this warm room. What happened yesterday was like a dream and only today did he acquire some feeling of realness. He had come to a human world in a different sense and the people here treated him well¡ªbut his original intention of leaving Lu Feng was to prevent Lu Feng from seeing his death.


    What about the people here who were kind to him?


    An Zhe¡¯s nose was a bit sour. He felt guilty but before he could make any further choices, someone knocked on his door. It was the boy from yesterday who brought a tray of breakfast. The tray was filled with a steaming hot cup of liquid and a bowl.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t wake up in the morning so we didn¡¯t call you,¡± the boy told him. ¡°Uncle Shu has cooked potato soup again. You should drink it.¡±


    An Zhe thanked him.


    The boy put the tray on the table and An Zhe looked down at the bowl of rich soup. Small pieces of potatoes floated up and down in the soup and the bacon gave off a generous aroma. The aroma was mixed in with the white mist and he stumbled across the room.


    The curious coincidence meant he never got the thought of leaving again.


    Life at the research institute wasn¡¯t as methodical as the base. People didn¡¯t have fixed tasks or positions but they had a spontaneous division of labour. The institute accepted him so he knew he had to give something in return. He wanted to do something since the institute¡¯s people were so welcoming.


    At first, he would go out to collect edible plants with the boy in a safe area. Later, his body couldn¡¯t bear the cold wind and he could only stay at the base to help with planting or cooking. After that, he couldn¡¯t even support such work. People at the institute thought he was suffering from an unidentifiable disease. This was a common thing. In this world, any disease could happen. Even the entire world was ill.


    One day, Polly came to see him. From that day, An Zhe followed Polly Joan to a white building on the west side of the main building. Although his body was gradually weakening, his mind was still clear enough to be qualified as an assistant. There was also a silent Indian man working as an assistant in Polly¡¯s laboratory. He was good at repairing various equipment.


    This was a rigorous laboratory, filled with machines on all sides and displays connected to the machines. The largest one had an optical cable line that extended from the laboratory to the ground and was connected to a device called a ¡®Simpson Cage¡¯ outside.


    The main components of the Simpson Cage were four mechanical towers that were five metres high, just like the scaled-down versions of the two white towers outside the institute. An Zhe watched them for a long time and confirmed there were many similarities with the huge artificial magnetic pole at the base. He immediately thought about how the Highland Research Institute was originally the place where the artificial magnetic poles were first developed.


    The four towers formed a rectangle that was 10 metres long and 20 metres wide. Once the Simpson Cage was activated, the entire cubic rectangular space would be filled with a glowing red light similar to a high-frequency laser, like a scarlet sea of fire. Everyone at the institute knew that they couldn¡¯t walk into the open Simpson Cage or they would die in an unsightly manner.


    From the laboratory¡¯s manual, An Zhe learned that the Simpson Cage was the most cutting-edge masterpiece in the field of high-energy physics at the height of human science and it directly contributed to the success of the artificial magnetic poles.


    ¡°Until now, we don¡¯t know the cause of the geomagnetic field. Some people think it is due to the flow of molten iron in the Earth¡¯s liquid core and others think it is due to the rotation of the electric layer in the mantle, but there is no strong enough evidence. We don¡¯t know the reason why it is produced so it is impossible to know why it disappeared. This is beyond the limits of our cognition. Similarly, we can¡¯t produce the electromagnetic field unless we create a magnet half the size of the Earth.¡± Polly explained to him. ¡°Still, one of the physical laws we have is that magnetism is generated by electricity and the movement of the electric charges generates a magnetic field.¡±


    ¡°One of the contributions of the Simpson Cage is that it can show the wave dynamic field between basic particles, thereby analyzing the way they interact and reproducing some phenomena. Thus, we got the idea of the artificial magnetic poles. You lack knowledge of physics so I can¡¯t explain it more deeply. In short, the two artificial magnetic poles emit pulse waves of special frequencies, causing the resonance of charged particles in the solar wind. It is like we are holding a horn and telling them to please go there. The resonance and motion of the particles creates a magnetic field and the planet is protected.¡±


    An Zhe nodded. He understood but it was only this level of understanding. His work didn¡¯t require him to have a deep knowledge of physics. He just needed to look at the instrument.


    Sometimes, Polly corrected the frequency of the Simpson Cage outside and another assistant would follow, leaving An Zhe to be the only one in the white building. He sat there, the low night shining outside the window. The machines beeped monotonously and the spectrometer connected to the Simpson Cage drew complex curves, although it was unknown what they were recording.


    The curves were noisy and tangled together without any regularity. An Zhe couldn¡¯t help thinking of the chaotic and scary lines that Sinan had drawn on paper in the Garden of Eden. Closing his eyes, An Zhe felt the empty fluctuations becoming more and more intense. He felt the passing of his life every day. He was afraid but sometimes, he felt that he was gradually approaching eternity.


    Polly returned and started to analyze the chaotic curves. An Zhe picked up a kettle and poured him a cup of hot water.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± he finally asked.


    ¡°I want to find that thing,¡± Polly replied.


    Looking at the screen, An Zhe asked again, ¡°¡­What is it?¡±


    ¡°Something that causes the world to change.¡±


    ¡°It must be everywhere. If it is in this world, it must be in the Simpson Cage,¡± Polly muttered.


    An Zhe frowned.


    Polly picked up a compass. ¡°We can never see the magnetic field but the direction of the compass tells us that it exists. This is also true for other invisible things in the world. Our knowledge is too shallow and we can only trace the appearance they project into the world.¡±


    ¡°Look here.¡± Polly highlighted a smooth curve. ¡°Everything in the world interacts and there is a lot of information from the traces of interaction. For example, this line is like the compass and represents a magnetic field.¡±


    ¡°We assume that the world is changing because something huge is coming¡­ but the magnetic field can resist it to a certain extent. Since the magnetic field can resist it, it must have a similar presentation to the magnetic field.¡± Polly¡¯s grey-blue eyes were staring at the cluttered screen with fascination. ¡°It is huge, beyond our perception. It changes the essence of this world but it is here. I think there must be a specific receiving frequency and then we will be able to see the shadow it casts on the world.¡±


    ¡°And then?¡±


    Polly shook his head slowly. ¡°We must first know what it is before we can think about how to deal with it.¡±


    Still, could they really find it? An Zhe stared at the screen in a loss. Polly opened his mouth as if he knew what An Zhe was thinking.


    ¡°It might be very slim but¡­¡± Polly only spoke half his sentence before sighing softly. ¡°After all, we have created many masterpieces previously unimaginable to humans.¡±


    An Zhe read the fluctuations in his tone and repeated the words. ¡°A masterpiece that is unimaginable to humans.¡±


    Then he saw the flickering light in Polly¡¯s eyes. Polly Joan stared out at the boundless wilderness outside the window, at the grey haze that covered the sky and the howling of beasts that came from all directions. There were strange fluctuations in the sound and the human spectrum couldn¡¯t interpret them.


    ¡°Just for humans,¡± he whispered. ¡°Before we were broken, we thought we had learned about the whole world.¡±


    In this moment, An Zhe saw loneliness that spanned all of eternity in his eyes.

 Chapter 72

    ¡°The colonel, the dignified judge, can only be placed under house arrest in my laboratory.¡± Dr Ji put a pile of information on the table and laughed. ¡°Do you need me to bring you a meal?¡±


    The person sitting in the soft chair that originally belonged to Dr Ji wasn¡¯t the doctor himself but the Judge in a black uniform. His arms were held in an inattentive manner and his legs were crossed. A silver badge was missing from his chest but the silver spikes of the uniform filled in the colour gap, making his clothing and appearance still impeccable.


    Frosty eyes swept over the silver-grey lab. ¡°Do you think I want to stay here?¡±


    ¡°I suggest you be nice to me. I¡¯m not demanding and it is enough to return 1/100th of our friendship since childhood.¡± The doctor added, ¡°You have to understand the situation. The Trial Court is finding it hard to protect itself. If even me, your only friend in this base, no longer accepts you then you will be immediately torn up by the people outside. I heard that the United Front Centre has held three meetings with the theme of whether a judge¡¯s qualification to kill should be abolished from the Judges¡¯ Act.¡±


    At this point, he winked playfully. ¡°Do you regret choosing to come back from the wilderness?¡±


    He intended to stir up this man¡¯s mood swings but he didn¡¯t succeed. Lu Feng¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change when he heard this sentence.


    Ever since the discovery of the exchange of components between non-contact genetic contamination and inanimate substances, the base had fallen into a panicked atmosphere. Perhaps the magnetic poles will be defeated by the distortion at any moment and they would become monsters or merged with this steel base. The 8,000 people were the elites and leaders of the military and the Lighthouse. They were the most superior group of humans in existence. Due to their superior IQ, they could better predict the terror of the doomsday that would surely come. The dying base maintained a kind of tight peace, like a lake covered by a thin layer of ice. It seemed as solid as gold but in fact, as long as a stone was thrown then the entire thing would collapse.


    The cause of the incident was a shooting 10 days ago.


    ¡°If it was someone else, it would be fine. But you¡­¡± The doctor stared at the indifferent Judge and gritted his teeth.


    The man killed was a respected scientist of the Lighthouse, who had made outstanding contributions to calculating trajectories and improving artillery shells. He was a giant among men in the military industry. Naturally, researchers in the entire field loved him and the military also respected him.


    10 days before, Lu Feng and Seraing encountered the scientist in the corridor of the United Front Centre and they even nodded to each other in greeting.


    However, the moment they passed each other, Lu Feng pulled out Seraing¡¯s gun that was hanging from Seraing¡¯s waist. His marksmanship was always accurate and his action of pulling the trigger was fast and decisive. The bullet hit the back of the weapons expert and exploded like fireworks. Then a dead body fell to the ground.


    It shocked the entire base.


    The students and friends of the deceased claimed the deceased had been quick-witted, courteous, gentle and showed no signs of infection at all. They asked the Trial Court to give a judgment.


    However, the person was dead and the genetic testing equipment had been completely shut down due to the destruction of core components during the wave of material fusion two months ago. There was no basis to support the Judge¡¯s judgment. In this regard, the Judge¡¯s only statement was that he acted in full accordance with the Trial Court¡¯s rules.


    Many old issues were found and the call for the Trial Court to publish the trial conditions reached the highest peak. However, the powers given to the Trial Court by the Judges¡¯ Act meant they were unable to send Lu Feng to a military court and controversy over the Judges¡¯ Act reached its peak. A young man named Colin claimed to be the pioneer of the Anti-Judge Movement in the outer city. In the wake of the disaster that left only 8,000 people in the city, he had survived because he was a teacher working in the Garden of Eden, Now, the enthusiastic young man once again screamed the slogans that used to ring through the outer city, slamming the relentless trampling of human nature by the base¡¯s military system. He quickly gained a large number of loyal fans.


    IN this regard, the United Front Centre chose suppression. It was just that the humans of the base were mainly members of the Lighthouse and the Garden of Eden. The United Front Centre had to limit their strength and couldn¡¯t fight hard. As long as one person died, the number of humans would be reduced by one-eighth. A riot in a 8,000 person society seemed to be an unsolvable problem.


    As this reached the peak, a little-known fact from the Lighthouse was circulated and distributed everywhere.


    It was a top secret archive from the ¡®fusion faction¡¯ many years ago. There were doubts about the existence of this faction but they did have unquestionable scientific research capabilities. After a decade of experimentation and observation, they estimated that the probability of a living person infected with a gene could retain a certain level of human consciousness was 1 in 10,000. 1% were likely to regain a certain level of human consciousness within three years after becoming a monster.


    To make matters worse, this data was accompanied by an objective note. 1 in 10,000 and 65.5% were theoretical estimates. The real probability in reality might be slightly higher.


    On the day of the data breach, the entire base was in a frenzy. In response, Colin wrote a long article titled, ¡®100 years of the Trial Court ¡ª An Unverifiable Sin¡¯.


    At the same time, a crazy soldier lurked outside the Trial Court and fired at the Judge. It was said that his beloved officer and comrade-in-arm died under the Judge¡¯s gun. Unfortunately, the Judge was a soldier who was 100 times better than him in all respects and wasn¡¯t hit by the bullet at all. Still, this move inspired others. For a time, the Trial Court became a target of all kinds.


    This was until Dr Ji submitted an application to the Lighthouse.


    Dr Ji proposed that the spore sample from the Abyss showed unprecedented inertia to infection and distortion. If the mechanism could be studied and applied to humans then humans might also obtain this valuable characteristic. However, this strange spore showed an unusual closeness with the colonel of the Trial Court. Once it came into contact with the colonel, its growth rate and cell viability would increase.


    Therefore, Colonel Lu had to cooperate with the research project and the base must also ensure the safety of the colonel, who might be humanity¡¯s last hope.


    This was how a colonel surnamed Lu appeared in Dr Ji¡¯s laboratory.


    ¡°The end of the expected three months is coming. Although there is no precise evidence, the fate of humanity is counting down.¡± Dr Ji sat next to Lu Feng and said. ¡°Originally, the main city never cared about the judge system but now they are about to face the trial, just like the outer city. You have to understand that once the magnetic pole is defeated by the distortion, all people are at risk of infection and everyone will face trial. They might all die under your gun. Although the Trial Court hasn¡¯t done anything yet, it has become everyone¡¯s spiritual enemy. The complete distortion will eventually come. They hope that they can be the 1 in 10,000 or 65%. Overthrowing you can allow them to live longer. This has nothing to do with you. Fear of death is a biological instinct.¡±


    At this point, he frowned slightly and whispered, ¡°No matter how much the Trial Court has been forced over the years, not one word about the trial rules have been leaked. I believe you must have a reason for doing so. Still, I want to ask you another question. The data of the fusion faction, did you know it before?¡±


    Lu Feng¡¯s eyes crossed him to stare at the spore floating in the green culture.


    Since he was in the room, the spore¡¯s mycelium stretched in a relaxed manner. It grew a bit and the spore was now as big as a person¡¯s palm.


    ¡°Are there any results?¡± Lu Feng asked lightly.


    ¡°Unfortunately, no. This little thing is a liar like An Zhe. Now its only function is to act as your shield and I don¡¯t know how long it can block you.¡± Dr Ji stared into Lu Feng¡¯s eyes.


    These eyes¡ªthe green eyes. The Northern Base mainly consisted of Asians, although there were some other mixed-races. Therefore, black pupils were common and other colours such as blue or brown weren¡¯t uncommon. However, the frost green was too special. Sometimes the doctor had an illusion that these eyes were some type of inorganic material with no feelings, like the man¡¯s usual gaze.


    It seemed that no matter how many people he killed or how he was treated by others, Lu Feng was unmoved. There was no need to understand and no need to forgive. He had always been so lofty.


    A sense of powerless chagrin filled the doctor¡¯s mind.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t care about you, let alone try to comfort you. You don¡¯t care.¡± He took a deep breath and spread open his hands. ¡°Every time I try to convince myself that you are a good person, you use actions to tell me that you are really¡­ you are really fucking talented at being indifferent.¡±


    He examined Lu Feng¡¯s face. This person¡¯s facial features were exquisite and strong, like he was a carved doll. Unfortunately, the material he was made out of was frozen ice that wouldn¡¯t change for thousands of years. The situation outside was so tense that the doctor was afraid that someone would smash the laboratory door and throw a stone at the Judge, but this man showed no signs of internal pain or torture. On the contrary, the man¡¯s drooping eyelashes showed a solemn calmness, like a black butterfly perched on the window of a solemn temple.


    The Judges¡¯ Act still hadn¡¯t been repealed and Lu Feng¡¯s authority in the system was still very high. At this moment, the computer screen next to him was playing real-time surveillance videos of the crowded base to confirm that no one was infected.


    The doctor gave up and made a sarcastic remark, ¡°I¡¯m curious about what expression you will have to make when you are sent to the gallows by everyone in the base.¡±


    Having said that, he stared into Lu Feng¡¯s eyes, trying to capture the man¡¯s emotional fluctuations. Unfortunately, Lu Feng wasn¡¯t attracted by the fierce gaze. He was looking at the spore, the entire culture instrument or perhaps something in the voice.


    ¡°Thank you, I deserve it,¡± the cold voice declared.


    Dr Ji¡¯s fist on the table loosened and clenched. Finally, he leaned back against his chair and said, ¡°I should push you out. You have long been crazy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sober.¡± Lu Feng finally turned his gaze to the doctor. ¡°Is there anything I can do in the lab to help?¡±


    ¡°Look at your little fungus and make it grow faster,¡± the doctor replied. ¡°If you can, help me pay attention to the communication channel of the research institute.¡±

 Chapter 73

    The Judge was placed under house arrest but this violent battle didn¡¯t end with the compromise between the two sides. Instead, it intensified.


    People stopped working to protest and their collective protest took place at the entrance of the artificial magnetic pole device.


    According to plausible rumours, the base¡¯s policymakers were furious. However, in this time of confusion, they no longer had absolute control. They eventually made a great concession. They would temporarily disable the killing rights of the Trial Court. The members of the Trial Court would still conduct a routine inspection but those suspected of being infected wouldn¡¯t be immediately killed. Instead, they would be taken to a military training camp at the other end of the base for decentralized observation. Secondly, the Judge wasn¡¯t allowed to carry a gun and had to stay in the Lighthouse¡¯s laboratory to cooperate with research. He wasn¡¯t allowed to go out. It was difficult to say if this was the base¡¯s protection or defense against the Judge.


    The atmosphere of the base finally eased. After all, their main target was Lu Feng. Colonel Lu was the Judge of this generation and his degree of arbitrariness and the number of people he killed was amazing to everyone. If the Trial Court executed 5,000 people a year then 4,500 people would¡¯ve fallen under his gun. The remaining 500 people were executed by the other judges because the Judge wasn¡¯t at the Trial Court.


    After a brief period of calm, the people started to blame the Lighthouse for not making any progress worthy of mention. Dr Ji, the one in charge of the project, was Lu Feng¡¯s old friend. The ¡®last hope of humanity¡¯ was obviously a lie. It was a one-sided cover. They demanded that the Lighthouse should produce enough convincing results or they had to surrender Lu Feng.


    ¡°They are relying on the premise that the human community can no longer afford to lose a single life in order to do everything.¡± The doctor poured himself a glass of water. ¡°Their rhetoric is full of loopholes but this is the only way for them to vent their fear.¡±


    He raised the cup to his lips but his hands were shaking and water splashed out of the cup onto the table. The doctor took a sip but a pained expression appeared on his face and he leaned over and retched.


    ¡°I also live in great¡­ great fear. I want to vomit.¡± He trembled. ¡°The cold snap has arrived. Winter is coming. It is the time when monsters are the most insane and in need of nutrition.¡±


    ¡°We all know that humans are only a piece of oily fat in the eyes of monsters. In the prime of the base, the monsters were constantly trying to attack. You guess¡­¡± The doctor smiled and whispered. ¡°When will they find out that the human base is already fragile to this point? When will they gather to capture the human base? Just like they previously swarmed the Underground City Base.¡±


    Lu Feng told him, ¡°You calm down first.¡±


    ¡°Do you think that everyone is as lacking in feelings as you? The essence of humanity is to empathize and panic spreads exponentially in a crowd. At this time, you can keep calm and prove how inhumane you are¡­¡± The doctor took a deep breath. His harsh language somewhat relaxed his emotions and he seemed a bit better. ¡°Please infect me with your nature. What were you thinking when you couldn¡¯t keep working?¡±


    Lu Feng glanced at him casually. ¡°Human interests takes precedence above everything else.¡±


    The doctor laughed helplessly. After laughing, he took a deep breath and seemed to calm down at least. He approached the large petri dish with the spore.


    ¡°The most ridiculous thing I¡¯ve ever heard of is that they think a small, white fungus can save all humans. In fact, the composition of the fungus isn¡¯t different from what we use to cook mushroom soup.¡± Repeating the words of an outsider in a righteous manner, the doctor sounded like a serious teacher criticizing a student who failed. ¡°Have you heard? If you continue like this, they will eventually cook you into a bowl of mushroom soup. You must take the initiative to show that you are different.¡±


    The snow-white mycelium in the nutrient solution shuddered and the spore slowly drifted toward Lu Feng. It clung to the inner wall of the glass like it could get closer to Lu Feng.


    Lu Feng¡¯s voice was low. ¡°Don¡¯t scare it.¡±


    ¡°It understands. I bet it understands. These days, we have fed it countless monster extracts and it has eaten it. An Zhe is a small monster with a polymorphic variation and his spore must be the same. If it doesn¡¯t have its own consciousness and intelligence, it wouldn¡¯t escape every night to sleep with you.¡±


    ¡°So what is your progress?¡± Lu Feng slightly frowned.


    ¡°It eats up the monster genes but it is still the spore. It is absolutely stable. These gene extracts haven¡¯t disappeared and my guess is that it can subjectively control the transformation of forms, just like An Zhe could become a human. If humans also have this nature then we wouldn¡¯t need to be afraid of the distortion.¡±


    ¡°You want to infect humans with it.¡± Lu Feng asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that all infected people will be occupied with the consciousness of a mushroom?¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t enough to consider this problem yet.¡± The doctor pressed his forehead against the glass. ¡°The point is that this damned little thing doesn¡¯t infect anyone at all. It disappoints me, just like An Zhe.¡±


    By the time he said this, the spore was actively floating on the surface of the nutrient solution, slowly climbing up and then flowing out of the gap of the lid and falling freely. It was picked up by Lu Feng and lay lazily on Lu Feng¡¯s hand, like a carefree¡­ little kid. These actions showed that it was indeed a creature with its own consciousness.


    The doctor said, ¡°It can move, it can think but it doesn¡¯t have a nervous system. Do you know what this means? I am a biologist. The distortion phenomenon has collapsed a physicist¡¯s cognitive system. Meanwhile, this spore is the existence that has destroyed my cognitive system.¡±


    The Judge wasn¡¯t interested and didn¡¯t pay attention to how a biologist¡¯s cognitive system was destroyed. He held this soft spore in his hand and wondered, ¡°How did An Zhe disappoint you?¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have any infectiousness worth mentioning.¡± The doctor sighed. ¡°You have slept together yet you are still a person and show no signs of infection. Your will hasn¡¯t been affected by him and you haven¡¯t become kind at all. He and his spore can¡¯t infect people.¡±


    Lu Feng glanced at him lightly, seemingly thinking about something. Just as the doctor thought he was going to say something worthwhile, the colonel told him, ¡°I haven¡¯t slept with him.¡±


    The doctor stared straight at him. ¡°Then you disappoint me more than An Zhe.¡±

 Chapter 74

    An Zhe woke up from a peaceful dream.


    In the dream, he had no eyes, no ears and no organs that a human could perceive. He seemed to have returned to that time long, long ago when he was buried in soft and moist soil. However, it wasn¡¯t soil and he seemed to be not far from Lu Feng. He was as close to the colonel¡¯s breath as he was to death.


    After opening his eyes, he stared at the grey ceiling in a daze. He had been trying to keep himself from thinking about the people and things in the Northern Base. He could feel the memories passing. He had almost forgotten the appearance and behaviour of Poet, the doctor and Colin. Everything that happened in that city was going away but Lu Feng was appearing more and more frequently in his dreams.


    Sometimes he would open his eyes and feel like that person was around him. The dark green vines hanging by the wind were covered with white frost before they had even withered. It had frozen to a bright, clear colour like Lu Feng¡¯s eyes were looking at him.


    Then the coldness of the outside world soon wrapped around him again.


    Outside the window, the grey clouds sat low on top of the mountain and the hard ground of the mountain was covered with white frost. Winter was here.


    The people of the Highland Research Institute still cared about him. 10 days ago, he received a woolen scarf and a pair of rabbit fur gloves. Every day, he was wrapped in these warm things as he left the main building and headed to Polly¡¯s laboratory.


    The Simpson Cage consumed a lot of energy and the wind turbines had limited power. The Simpson Cage could only be turned on for two hours a day. The rest of the time, Polly would do something else. Sometimes, he would teach An Zhe some physics and biological knowledge. For example, everything was composed of molecules and atoms. Atoms could be split into the electrons, protons and neutrons. However, it was far from the end and no one could see what made up the material basis of this world.


    ¡°A blind man can only reach out to touch the world to perceive the world, but what he feels obviously isn¡¯t the whole picture. Our understanding of the world is as shallow as the blind. We are destined to see only the appearance. We have many hypotheses but no one to verify if they are correct,¡± Polly told him.


    As he spoke, the laboratory window was blown open by the howling north wind on the mountain top. The brown-skinned Indian man got up to close the window and Polly reached out for the folded scarf.


    The scarf was wrapped around An Zhe¡¯s entire neck. He buried himself in the soft warm cloth and asked Polly, ¡°Are you cold?¡±


    ¡°As I get older, many places become dull.¡± Polly Joan¡¯s gentle grey-blue eyes watched him. An Zhe could see his reflection in this person¡¯s eyes, a wrapped up white ball. However, before he could look for a long time, he coughed. It was so cold outside but his lungs were burning with fire. It hurt.


    Polly ran a hand down his back and passed the hot water that was on the table to him.


    ¡°Are there any antibiotics?¡± He asked the Indian man called Rum.


    ¡°There are some left.¡±


    The coughing An Zhe shivered and took the medicine. The room was lit with a charcoal stove but he still felt very cold.


    ¡°I can¡¯t find the cause of your illness.¡± Polly wiped the fine sweat on An Zhe¡¯s forehead with his fingers and there was palpable pain in the grey-blue eyes as he whispered, ¡°There aren¡¯t any advanced instruments here¡­ sorry.¡±


    An Zhe shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    Polly said a human¡¯s understanding of the world was always superficial and sometimes An Zhe felt that his understanding of humans was just superficial. He had never expected to be treated like this by humans when he returned to the Abyss.


    For example, Polly wasn¡¯t a medical expert but due to the weakness of An Zhe¡¯s body, he started to read the medical literature in the database and Rum would help retrieve it.


    Sometimes, An Zhe felt guilty for their kindness. It was because he wasn¡¯t human and he felt this kindness was for the human skin he stolen. He started to fear that the prototype would be revealed on he day he died.


    He once told Polly that there was no need to worry about this. At that time, Polly used the back of his hand to test the temperature of An Zhe¡¯s forehead and whispered, ¡°You are like my child.¡±


    In Polly¡¯s absence, he asked Run why Mr Polly was so kind to him.


    Rum had replied, ¡°Sir loves everyone here.¡±


    ¡°Half of my body was mouldy when I came to the institute and my consciousness wasn¡¯t awake.¡± Rum rolled up his trouser legs to show his sturdy calves full of scars and bulges like earthworks. The always taciturn man spoke a long sentence, ¡°He spent half a year saving me, regardless of day or night. I couldn¡¯t believe there was such a person in the world.¡±


    He also added, ¡°I wasn¡¯t a good person previously. I killed my teammates when I was a mercenary and now I have rescued three compatriots from the outside, which is atonement. It is good to be a good person and it is better to be a person than a monster. Many people here are like me. There is no one who doesn¡¯t love Mr Polly.¡±


    An Zhe clearly remembered that at that time, he inexplicably thought of what Lu Feng was doing. Immediately after, he shook his head and kicked the silhouette of that person who was the complete opposite of Polly out of his head.


    Rum was an amateur music lover. When he had nothing to do, he would play the harmonica from worn-out sheet music and he would sometimes teach An Zhe. The sound was pleasant but Rum said humans had instruments that were millions of times better than the harmonica. Together, they could play an extremely magnificent symphony.


    At this time, Polly came to them and joked, ¡°If Run had been born 100 years old then he would¡¯ve been an outstanding musician.¡±


    The always reticent Rum smiled and then took out a worn radio. He turned the tape over and pressed the play button. An intense or gentle rhythm would be emitted from the rusted machine. It was the sound of countless instruments, each with its own tone and melody. These sounds and melody combined to form another magnificent sound. Music reverberated in this laboratory. Below the white building, a man whose left arm had turned into a beast¡¯s claw beckoned this way. Rum hung the radio on the outside railing and turned up the volume.


    Light and smooth music passed through the frosted window glass. There was a report before the music on the tape was played that said this was Beethoven¡¯s Spring Sonata. An Zhe listened to it. Spring in the Abyss was also beautiful but he probably couldn¡¯t see it.


    It was at this time that he received a message from the Northern Base.


    The long silent communication channel flashed red. There was only one unknown object in the communications list.


    An Zhe called up the communication interface. The text message sent by the unknown person only had two lines that said:


    ¡°Winter has arrived.¡±


    ¡°Monsters are behaving differently. Pay attention to safety.¡±


    An Zhe glanced back at Polly. ¡°Sir.¡±


    ¡°It is news from Dr Ji of the Northern Base,¡± Polly told him. ¡°In these years, he has secretly been in touch with me.¡±


    The words ¡®Dr Ji¡¯ left An Zhe in a trance. He asked, ¡°¡­Do you want to reply?¡±


    ¡°Reply. You can send a message for me.¡±


    ***


    The Northern Base.


    The communication channel lit up, showing there was a reply from the Highland Research Institute.


    ¡°Received.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the reminder. The base should also pay attention to security.¡±


    The doctor passed by and saw the communication screen. He said, ¡°Colonel Lu, it is hard to imagine the Judge doing such a thing. You are still a kind person.¡±


    Lu Feng¡¯s expression was light as he watched the text on the screen.


    ¡°Who is on the opposite side?¡±


    ¡°Someone you can never imagine,¡± Dr JI replied. ¡°Polly Joan.¡±

 Chapter 75

    The warning from the Northern Base was concise.


    Polly stated, ¡°They¡¯ve found it too.¡±


    An Zhe gazed outside.


    The Highland Research Institute was on the highest mountain. Looking down, they could see the Abyss. The huge fault zone resembled a fierce wound on the grey-white skin of the earth. The dense forest and swamp were the plasma and pus of this wound. Far away¡ªthe distant east was the sea or a huge lake. In short, the end couldn¡¯t be seen. When everything was quiet, whispers mixed in the wind and there was a looming large wave in the fog.


    In short, it was like a monster sitting quietly on the ground.


    This wasn¡¯t the Abyss that An Zhe was familiar with. He had experienced it before. The Abyss of the past was a place full of blood and looting. It was never so calm. A dark shadow appeared in the distant sky. The shadow grew larger as it got closer and finally stopped over the white building.


    Tang Lan gathered his wings with a cry and landed directly in the corridor outside. Then he pushed open the door of the laboratory.


    ¡°Sir, I¡¯m back.¡± He finished and turned to Run. ¡°Have there been any attacks recently?¡±


    Rum answered, ¡°No.¡±


    Polly Joan raised his head and examined Tang Lan from top to bottom, as if confirming his condition. If the one doing this was Lu Feng then An Zhe would feel that he was trying to decide if this person should be shot or not. Meanwhile, Polly¡¯s grey-blue eyes examined Tang Lan with the kindness of an elder, as if he was worried that Tang Lan was injured outside.


    Sure enough, Polly wondered, ¡°Was there danger outside?¡±


    ¡°It was dangerous but I wasn¡¯t injured. I am more experienced.¡±


    Polly said, ¡°You are just reassuring me.¡±


    Tang Lan smiled, his eyebrows sharp and beautiful, a vicious and cold killing spirit hidden. An Zhe remembered that Hubbard was the best mercenary leader and his vice-captain must not be a slouch either.


    Polly Joan questioned, ¡°How is it outside?¡±


    Tang Lan replied, ¡°It is pretty much what you expected. They are balanced.¡±


    Then he pulled a data cable out of a drawer and connected a miniature camera to the computer. Hundreds of pictures were loaded onto the large screen.


    At first glance, these pictures were empty. They only showed the indescribably strange landscape peculiar to the Abyss, as if it was a landscape photo taken by curious tourists. However, when looking closely, one couldn¡¯t help holding their breath.


    One of the most striking photos was a huge lake from an aerial view. The lake had frozen and the ice had covered the brown algae, the floating branches and fallen leaves. Yet just below the ice surface, there was a huge, irregular black shadow¡ªthe back of an aquatic creature. It just stayed underwater like this, the shadow seeming like an abstract painting.


    Right at the shore of this lake, the grey vines were tangled around the dead branches of the dense forest. The next photo was a close up of the vines. The appearance was as smooth as an earthworm and there were radial star-shaped patterns under the skin. The black blood vessels seemed to be moving in agitation again and again. An Zhe immediately realized that this wasn¡¯t an ordinary plant. The vines throughout the forest were all monsters with the same tentacles.


    ¡°Only one was taken here because it found me,¡± Tang Lan told them.


    Polly took the remote control to glance through the photos.


    ¡°They have gone through three months of killing and now they are all large monsters. The small monsters are completely invisible.¡± Tang Lan continued. ¡°I fought with them a few times. Sir, I am sure that out of the entire institute, I¡¯m the only one with the strength to escape from them but I can¡¯t fight them all. Moreover, all the monsters in the Abyss are polymorphic. I¡¯m not sure how terrible they are now.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Polly nodded slowly, his grey-blue eyes showing a solemn expression. ¡°If genes are a resource then they have completed the integration within the Abyss. Now the monsters have also reached a balance of power and their intelligence might¡¯ve been greatly improved during the integration process. They understand that a battle might result in losses for both. If this guess is correct, some monsters should now leave the Abyss and hunt outward. Humans must also be one of the targets they hunt but they haven¡¯t noticed for a while. We will have to prepare to defend against the collective attack of monsters at all times.¡±


    ¡°It is true but one point is different from your guess.¡± Tang Lan refuted.


    ¡°What did you find?¡±


    Tang Lan controlled the computer and changed it to a photo. It was hard to imagine how ugly this photo was. An Zhe had no sense of aesthetics but he was sure that this photo could be described as ugly¡ªbecause it impacted human senses to the greatest extent. On the surface of two dense molluscs were organs that couldn¡¯t be described with the human language. Tentacles were flowing with mucus as they touched each other. In the next photo, their tentacles separated. In the photo after that, one of them headed in another direction.


    ¡°Six cases have been observed in a similar situation. The monsters didn¡¯t occupy their individual territories and stand still as you originally predicted. They walked the Abyss, testing each other and then separating.¡± Tang Lan¡¯s voice became solemn and low. ¡°I suspect the worst is happening. Sir, they seem to be communicating. I don¡¯t know what they are communicating but whenever they come into contact with each other, I can feel the fluctuations in them becoming stronger.¡±


    He continued, ¡°I suspect they are perceiving each other and testing if the other has the genes they need.¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± Polly replied. ¡°In the institute, you are one of the people most sensitive to this volatility.¡±


    ¡°I am becoming more sensitive to it recently.¡± Tang Lan¡¯s face paled. ¡°It is everywhere in the air and every monster has it. Sometimes I feel that even the stones on the ground are vibrating. It is getting harder and harder to keep thinking. I shouldn¡¯t have come back so early but I can feel that my own fluctuations are being incorporated into them. Sir, I¡­ I¡¯m a bit abnormal.¡±


    Polly held his hand, voice calm. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡±


    ¡°100 years ago, when the genetic sequence of an organism was the most stable, some species were extremely sensitive to changes in the magnetic field. You happened to have fused with one such creature.¡±


    ¡°However, it isn¡¯t the magnetic field. I can feel that the magnetic field is another type of fluctuation.¡± Tang Lan closed his eyes. He half-knelt down, his forehead against the back of Polly¡¯s hand as he spoke in a hoarse voice, ¡°Sir, do you already understand what is happening? You didn¡¯t seem to feel any surprise when I said this.¡±


    ¡°Still, you won¡¯t tell us because the truth is something we can¡¯t afford. However, I really¡­¡±


    The more he spoke, the more intermittent his words became and in the end, he couldn¡¯t sustain it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, don¡¯t be afraid¡­ Child.¡± Polly¡¯s right hand grasped Tang Lan¡¯s shoulder, his voice like a gentle ocean. ¡°I will protect you to the last moment of my life.¡±


    Tang Lan raised his head and stared directly at Polly Joan as he solemnly vowed, ¡°We will also protect you and this institute to the last moment.¡±


    ¡°I never asked you but if the day comes when the institute no longer exists¡­¡± Polly spoke slowly. ¡°I ask you not to plunge into the flood of monsters and heterogeneous species. Instead, go to the north to protect the human base.¡±


    ¡°The judges will kill all heterogeneous species. The base will never accept us.¡±


    Polly looked out into the wild twilight.


    ¡°Even so, at the last moment, I still want to believe in human kindness and tolerance to the fullest extent.¡±


    Tang Lan¡¯s lips curved slightly as he gazed up at Polly Joan. ¡°That is because of your noble, bright and clear character.¡±


    Polly smiled and shook his head.


    ***


    After Tang Lan¡¯s departure, the Simpson Cage¡¯s energy level reached a critical value. A dazzling scarlet light was shining on the platform below the white building and a heat wave rose. If it wasn¡¯t clear that this was a high-energy field made by the machine to capture the basic particle vibration frequency and track the interaction of these basic particles, An Zhe would almost think there was a raging sea of fire downstairs.


    The large screen in the laboratory was the terminal and operating table of the Simpson Cage. However, due to design defects, sometimes it was necessary to manually adjust the rods of certain precision devices when going downstairs if they wanted to adjust the parameters of the Simpson Cage.


    On the big screen, the lines were still cluttered but they weren¡¯t static. Whenever Polly adjusted the parameters, these lines would change from one type of mess to another type of mess, eventually cluttering together.


    Still, Polly analyzed the lines, calculated the functions, adjusted the parameters and changed the receiving frequency again and against. The ever-changing lines jumped on the screen.


    Music interrupted An Zhe¡¯s thoughts. The old tape recorder in the corridor was playing the ups and downs of Symphony No. 5, the Fate Symphony. Rum stood by the window with a score in front of him. He was playing the harmonica to the score, imitating the melody of the symphony. It was unknown how long it took him to stop.


    He wondered, ¡°Do you understand music?¡±


    An Zhe shook his head.


    Run pointed to the recorder. ¡°After listening to a song, do you know how to blow it out?¡±


    An Zhe increased the frequency of his head shaking. He could only appreciate one-ten thousandth of the ups and downs of this complex symphony, let alone reproduce it.


    ¡°There needs to be a score.¡± Rum turned the sheet music and whispered.


    He said ¡®score¡¯ but his eyes were on the screen in the middle of the laboratory.


    It was as if a virtual string in the sky was gently moving. The chaos and complex thoughts instantly became clear. An Zhe suddenly had wide eyes. ¡°The volatility is a symphony. Polly, he wants to find the score. Then¡­ then he can do many things.¡±


    Rum looked at An Zhe with dark eyes. ¡°You are smarter than me.¡±


    An Zhe also looked at the screen. Could the secret of the distortion disaster be analyzed from these lines? His eyes were lost.


    Or perhaps this never-ending chaos was already a truth in another sense.


    An unspeakable silence enveloped the laboratory and An Zhe lowered his head. The fate of humanity was as elusive as that line. All this might have nothing to do with a mushroom but he sometimes felt it was difficult to breathe.


    It was hard to explain why but his fingers were on the keyboard as he faced the communication channel with the Northern Base.


    The movements of his fingers weren¡¯t flexible anymore, just like his mycelium could no longer stretch out. His fingertips would tremble with difficulty when he hit the keys. Without fiber optics and a base station, the communication cost was very high. Just like the telegraph communication of the last century, he had to save words.


    He sent: How is the base?


    It seemed an absurd coincidence. At around the same time, the communication channel lit up and a similar message was sent from the Northern Base.


    ¡°How is the research institute?¡±


    The Northern Base could pay anything for the purity of human genes. They hated monsters and the Trial Court would never tolerate heterogeneous species. It seemed that only Dr Ji, a kind-hearted scientist, would tolerate the existence of the fusion faction and care about its condition.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine,¡± An Zhe replied.


    Pretending that everything was going well was a unique human skill that he had learned. A few seconds later, the other side also replied. ¡°The base as well.¡±


    An Zhe pondered for a long time in front of the communication channel before slowly tapping the next sentence, ¡°Is the Judge well?¡±


    He thought about it and pressed the backspace key, deleting the words.


    Just after he deleted it, the Northern Base sent a message.


    ¡°Has the institute discovered a new type of variant individual recently?¡±


    An Zhe thought a bit before replying, ¡°Not yet.¡±


    He replied before sending the revised sentence.


    ¡°Is the Trial Court well?¡±


    The other side replied, ¡°The Trial Court is working.¡±


    An Zhe felt a bit more relaxed.


    ¡°Good luck.¡± He politely sent a closing remark. ¡°Good night.¡±


    The other side¡¯s reply was also brief.


    ¡°Good night.¡±


    Looking at these two words, An Zhe removed his fingers from the keyboard and took out the silver badge. His body was getting weaker more quicker and was reaching its last moments. His knuckles were stiff as he tried to hold the badge in his hand.


    There was a noise from the stairs. It was Polly going upstairs but instead of returning to the room, he stood silently against the corridor¡¯s railings, his back to the room.


    An Zhe stood up, opened the door and came to Polly. The music stopped. Downstairs, the Simpson Cage was burning with flames and night came. Far away, there was a long howl from the distant sky.


    Polly asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you staying inside?¡±


    An Zhe shook his head as he thought about what Tang Lan had said earlier.


    ¡°Sir, did you understand anything?¡±


    Polly stared at him. ¡°Sometimes I think you are more receptive than anyone else. You are special. You seem to be weaker than everyone yet you don¡¯t seem to be afraid of anything.¡±


    An Zhe¡¯s eyelids slightly lowered.


    He hummed. ¡°En.¡±


    ¡°However, I haven¡¯t got the final answer.¡± Polly reached out and fastened the first row of buttons on An Zhe¡¯s coat. ¡°Would you like to hear a simple story?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°It was a scientist¡¯s hypothesis a long time ago.¡± In the cold wind, Polly¡¯s voice was very mild.


    ¡°If today, you travel through time and space to a year later. There, you go through time and space back to a year ago, here. Now there will be two indentical you in front of me.¡±


    An Zhe thought about it. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You know that a unit of matter is an atom and there are electrons in the atom. There are no two identical leaves in the world but all electrons are the same. So how do you tell that the electrons are two different individuals?¡±


    An Zhe replied after thinking about it, ¡°They¡¯re in different positions.¡±


    ¡°But space isn¡¯t a measure of position, nor is time. These two things only make sense to humans in four dimensions. In a higher dimension, time and space are just horizontal and vertical coordinates on a piece of white paper, like this.¡± Polly took a piece of chalk out of his pocket and made a dot on the railing in front of them. ¡°An electron moves freely through time and space. The left is the past and the right is the future. It crossed time and walked forward a second.¡±


    Then his pen drew a forward slash to the lower right. ¡°After crossing time, it is here.¡±


    ¡°After that, it crossed time again and walked back a second, stopping here.¡± The chalk drew a line to the bottom left.


    Now there were three dots and two lines on the railing. They formed an acute angle with the opening to the left and the two points on the left was a vertical line. Polly drew this vertical line. ¡°Our time is in this second. What do we see at this time?¡±


    An Zhe thought about it for a long time.


    In the end, he said, ¡°Two electrons.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we see two identical electrons. They are essentially one but they appear in two places at the same time.¡± Polly drew countless star-like electrons next to them. ¡°An inaccurate estimate is that our planet has 10 to the power of 51 identical electrons that make up what we can see. How can we prove that this isn¡¯t the same electron that is repeatedly oscillating on the time axis billions of times?¡±


    ¡°Similarly, how can we prove that the existence of the entire universe we see isn¡¯t the result of one or more basic particles vibrating in space and time?¡±


    An Zhe frowned. He couldn¡¯t prove it.


    He struggled to digest this sentence with his limited cognition.


    ¡°So you and I are the same electron?¡±


    Polly smiled softly and placed his arm around An Zhe¡¯s thin shoulder, like an elder holding an innocent young child.


    ¡°This is just one of the countless conjectures that humans made about the nature of the world. It isn¡¯t the truth, nor is it inconsistent with the truth. It is difficult for us to verify. I just gave this example to show that our body, mind and will are smaller than an electron when compared to the entire world.¡±


    An Zhe gazed into the distance. He was just a simple mushroom without the brain of a scientist. He didn¡¯t have rich knowledge or the far-sightedness to think beyond the emotions. He couldn¡¯t understand such a system and only knew the world was really in front of him. He gently stated, ¡°But we are all real.¡±


    The moment he spoke, the expression on his face suddenly blanked out for a second. His brow furrowed and his lungs hurt.


    He clutched at the railing, his body trembling violently as he spat out a large mouthful of blood and fell forward. Polly¡¯s arm trembled as he caught An Zhe¡¯s falling body and held An Zhe in his arms.


    ¡°Rum!¡± He shouted in the direction of the lab, his voice anxious.


    An Zhe knew that Polly wanted to cure him or to find the cause of his illness, using measuring his temperature, antibiotics, a defibrillator¡­ those things. He sat out more blood and Polly reached out to wipe it with his sleeve. Blood stained the sleeves of the white shirt. An Zhe looked at Polly and smiled reluctantly.


    ¡°There is no need.¡± He grabbed Polly¡¯s arm slowly with his fingers, gasping a few times before whispering, ¡°¡­I really don¡¯t need it.¡±


    Polly held him tightly. ¡°Hold on again.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± An Zhe stared into his eyes and it was like seeing the endless sea and sky.


    He was actually okay. He wasn¡¯t at his weakest moment yet. At least he could move and his thoughts were clear.


    He would die, whether it was today or tomorrow. He could die like this. Polly was the best eldest in the world, treating him like a beloved child. Polly was so good to him¡­ At the end of his life, he could die with such tender love, something that the rest of the people in this era didn¡¯t dare expect. However, if he died like this, Polly wouldn¡¯t accept his death, the fact that Polly couldn¡¯t find the cause and could do nothing. An Zhe knew that for scientists, an unsolvable problem and the unexplained truth were the most profound depression.


    He could also die as a monster¡ªhe wasn¡¯t afraid of Polly hating him anymore. Polly had given him enough.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± He looked up at Polly. He was relieved making the decision and the pain was nothing. He repeated again, ¡°I¡¯m sorry Polly.¡±


    Polly watched him.


    ¡°I¡­¡± An Zhe smiled. He coughed a few times and his tears fell down, exactly the same as the temperature of his blood. He gasped hard before managing to tell Polly, ¡°I¡­ lied to you. I¡¯m not a monster infected person, I was a monster originally. I¡¯m not human. I¡­ just ate a human¡¯s genes. I just¡­ look like a human.¡±


    Polly seemed to be stunned for a second. Then the next moment, his grey-blue eyes filled with a gentle sadness. ¡°No matter what you are, hold on, okay?¡±


    An Zhe shook his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sick. My life span¡­ only so long. Can¡¯t be changed¡­ can¡¯t be saved.¡±


    He finished speaking and Polly hugged him. They watched each other, falling into a sad silence.


    A species¡¯ established life expectancy was more irresistible than disease or injury. From the moment of birth, their end was fated. No one could avoid that threshold, the threshold set by God¡ªif God existed.


    In the unspeakable silence, the cold wind roared. In the midst of the sound of the wind, Polly spoke to An Zhe.


    The moment the voice entered his ears, his heart shook sharply. This sentence was so familiar that he seemed to return to that night three months ago where he faced Lu Feng. The wind that day was also very strong.


    Polly Joan asked, ¡°What¡¯s in your hand?¡±


    To this person, An Zhe had nothing to hide. He slowly opened his fingers. A silver badge lay still in his hand, the symbol of a judge¡¯s identity. Polly¡¯s eyes fell on the badge and An Zhe swore he could see some type of long-distant sadness in the grey-blue eyes. Then Polly Joan took something out of the pocket of his jacket and held it in his palm.


    An Zhe¡¯s eyes widened slightly. It was also a silver badge. They were almost identical badges.


    ¡°You¡­¡± An Zhe paused. ¡°You are¡­ a judge?¡±


    ¡°I used to be.¡± Polly whispered, ¡°I am a defector.¡±

 Chapter 76

    ¡°I will take up arms for human security.¡±


    ¡°I will try every one of my fellow citizens fairly.


    ¡°As wrong as it is, it is still correct.¡±


    Polly recited this passage slowly.


    ¡°The Trial Court swears.¡±


    An Zhe froze as he heard the last sentence of this oath.


    After spitting out two mouthfuls of blood, his body had become lighter and his senses gradually dulled. The strong winter wind blew into his face but it no longer made him shiver with cold. It was like he was an ethereal spirit who would dissipate into the wind at any moment. He propped himself up again, leaning against the railing and looking down at the two badges.


    The hexagonal badge was engraved with a pattern. The Trial Court¡¯s symbol was two intersecting prismatic crosses, like indicating directions on a map. The cross stars indicating north, south, west and east were slightly larger and the corners elongated downward to assume a shape similar to a cross. The northeast, southeast, southwest and northwest leaning cross stars were small and hidden.


    An Zhe had seen this sharp and angular shape more than once. The dark, silver cold texture, sharp angles and straight lines all revealed a striking soul of killing and murder.


    Polly¡¯s fingers rubbed against the surface of the cross. He must¡¯ve traced its shape more than once because the pattern of the badge was deeply worn.


    ¡°It is a drawing by one of my colleagues. ¡°In the howling cold wind, Polly looked toward the distant night sky. ¡°We hoped that the cross star will point in the right direction for humans.


    ¡°You¡­ aren¡¯t you a fusion scientist?¡± he whispered.


    ¡°I am.¡±


    Polly¡¯s tone was light like a sigh. ¡°I am the leader of the fusion faction and the founder of the Trial Court. The fusion faction is the predecessor of the Trial Court.¡±


    An Zhe suddenly remembered the long corridor in the Trial Court where portraits of each generation of judges were lined up with the date of birth and death. However, the photo frame at the end was removed and the name and date of birth and death were also scraped away. Only a vague letter P was left. This was the record of the first judge but for some reason, it was erased by the later people.


    The Northern Base was a place of mixed races. He didn¡¯t know which language the word ¡®Polly¡¯ was transliterated from but ¡®Polly¡¯ could vaguely approximately be spelt with English letters.


    It was just that in his mind, the beliefs of the fusion faction and the Trial Court were completely different. One hoped that humans and monsters could merge safely while one mercilessly killed all the heterogeneous species who tried to enter the base. These two were completely different, to the point where An Zhe didn¡¯t know what to ask. Polly told him, ¡°It was an accident.¡±


    An Zhe had heard many people tell the history of the base. Those peaceful narratives were like limited lights. They lit up every corner of the dark room with lights, so he could piece together the entire room.


    ¡°It seems that the ability to keep your will or not depends on probability but we still believe that everything in nature can be traced, even though we have a limited ability to see the rules. Our research is ongoing all the time and it is getting deeper and crazier in that field.¡± At this point, Polly closed his eyes slightly and faint pain appeared on his face. ¡°An experiment¡¯s body split into two parts for unexplained reasons but it had a unified consciousness. Half of it escaped from the laboratory and the other half remained in the observation room. Since it seemed to be there all the time, we didn¡¯t find the anomaly in time. The escaped half caused a terrible disaster.¡±


    An Zhe knew the disaster. A leech had polluted the entire outer city¡¯s water source.


    ¡°The outer city was fully exposed and the base must identify the heterogeneous and humans, eliminating the heterogeneous in time. The fusion faction was the main culprit of the disaster but we are also the ones most familiar with the differences between the heterogeneous and humans due to our study of infection and variation.¡±


    Suddenly, An Zhe understood what had happened. In the first place, the Trial Court was originally from the Lighthouse, not the military.


    ¡°All the experimental projects were stopped, the samples destroyed and the experimental bodies were killed. However, the base gave the fusion faction the opportunity to atone. We set up the Trial Court overnight, worked out the trial rules and tried the entire city. In those 10 days, we killed half of the base¡¯s population.¡± Polly spoke slowly, ¡°The infection was under control and the purity of human genes preserved. Later on, the trial system continued like this. The disaster encountered by the Virginia Base proved its validity.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been in the fusion faction for 10 years and a judge for four years,¡± Polly spoke slowly. There was a smile on his face but it was more like silent crying. ¡°My original intention was to let everyone have a peaceful life but I killed my compatriots every day. Every day of those 14 years, my sins became deeper.¡±


    An Zhe told him, ¡°However, you also protected the base.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Polly said. ¡°I killed innocent people every day.¡±


    An Zhe defended him. ¡°You made detailed rules and acted in accordance with the rules. You didn¡¯t kill innocent people.¡±


    Polly¡¯s answer was a shock. ¡°There are no trial rules.¡±


    An Zhe¡¯s expression was blank for a second as he tried to digest the content of this sentence. He spoke with much difficulty. ¡°No¡­ne?¡±


    ¡°To be precise, there are no 100% certain rules for determining a heterogeneous.¡± Polly¡¯s voice sighed. ¡°We have made trial rules using our research results. From all aspects¡ªtheir appearance, action and thinking¡ªwe can judge the species through the biological difference from the external information. However, we can¡¯t guarantee that it is absolutely correct. In fact, the detailed rules can only determine 80% of the heterogeneous species. The remaining 20% we can only rely on experience and intuition and¡­ expand the scope of the execution. it is better to kill by mistake than to let one go.¡±


    ¡°The first iron clad rule of the true trial rules is that it can never be disclosed to the outside world no matter the circumstances. We don¡¯t really follow any rules and the Trial Court always leaves room for manslaughter to ensure absolute security.¡± Polly¡¯s voice gradually became lower. ¡°When I was stationed at the outer city¡¯s gate, whenever I executed a life, there was a 80% chance it might be a true heterogeneous and a 20% chance it was a human. However, for the sake of insurance, I directly shot them. In addition, among those 80% heterogeneous, 1 in 10,000 might have human consciousness and 65.5% might have their human consciousness restored after many years.¡±


    His voice grew hoarse. ¡°I still remember those four years.¡±


    An Zhe imagined a scene like that and imagined himself being a judge.


    He inquired, ¡°So you left the base?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t compete with the pain in my heart. In the war between heterogeneous and humans, I couldn¡¯t hold on to the end.¡± Polly stared up at the night sky and spoke after a long silence. ¡°At first, I was miserable about killing my compatriots. Later, even the death of a heterogeneous couldn¡¯t be tolerated. I had been with them for too long and knew that every monster has its own life. I have blood on my hand and was guilty. Later, I betrayed the base with a few colleagues and came to the Highland Research Institute to continue the research of the fusion faction. We accepted the heterogeneous species and I have been atoning all my life. Now it has been 100 years.¡±


    100 years.


    An Zhe was slightly puzzled as he looked at Polly. Polly seemingly understood his doubts and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve lived too long.¡±


    ¡°In the wilderness, the most inevitable thing is infection.¡± Polly rolled up his sleeves and revealed messy black lines on his right arm.¡± I was infected by a member of the institute by accident and I left them before I lost my consciousness.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it was because the person who infected me was sober or perhaps the small probability came to me.¡± Polly smiled. ¡°I thought only a few seconds had passed but it had actually been decades. My consciousness seemed to have travelled through time and space in an instant. Could you guess where I woke up?¡±


    An Zhe shook his head.


    ¡°I was still in the research institute. They recovered me, even though I was a monster at that time. They didn¡¯t give up. Just as I once protected them, they also protected me. Emotions between humans are like this. What you give, you get. In this day and age, trust between humans is more precious than life but I actually got it.¡±


    An Zhe saw the gentle and serene look in Polly¡¯s eyes and understood why Polly and the members of the institute had such a deep affection.


    ¡°I don¡¯t regret leaving the baes but I can never forgive myself for escaping and my incompetence.¡± Polly finally stated.


    An Zhe told him, ¡°It is because of your high moral character.¡±


    Thinking about it, he added, ¡°It is because you¡¯re so kind.¡±


    Polly loved everyone so much that he was in such pain. In peaceful times, he must be a man who couldn¡¯t even kill an ant¡ªsuch a person had to raise his gun to kill his fellow people.


    ¡°Kindness¡­. kindness is the most significant weakness of humans. Kindness to myself is the starting point of selfish desires and kindness to others is the cause of shaken beliefs. I couldn¡¯t be completely indifferent and merciless so I wasn¡¯t destined to be a qualified judge.¡±


    They were silent for a long time.


    Thinking of Polly¡¯s words, An Zhe frowned slightly and remembered a man.


    ¡°One of the judges told me something.¡± An Zhe spoke softly. ¡°The source of a judge¡¯s faith isn¡¯t coldness but kindness. It isn¡¯t kindness to individuals but kindness to the fate of humanity as a whole. If you firmly believe that human interests takes precedence above everything else then you won¡¯t be shaken.¡±


    Polly looked at him and wondered gently, ¡°How can I have faith firmly?¡±


    ¡°If we don¡¯t have a kind heart for everyone, how could we dedicate our lives to the benefit of humanity as a whole?¡±


    An Zhe was shocked. His fingers trembled slightly and he finally knew why he every time he faced Polly, he would always remember Lu Feng who was so different from Polly.


    Polly closed his eyes, his voice still hoarse. ¡°This is the cause of all the suffering of the judges.¡±


    ¡°Abandoning humanity, killing innocent people indefinitely and eventually being executed by the base. Or staying sober and finally going crazy with unbearable pain. There are only these two destinations for a judge.¡± Polly explained slowly. ¡°The moment the rules were formulated, they were destined to die.¡±


    An Zhe couldn¡¯t describe his feelings at this moment, He couldn¡¯t breathe as he looked at the cross star badge in his hand.


    ¡°If¡­ if there is a judge,¡± he said. ¡°He has been sober for many years and has always been guarding the gate. His judgment is never wrong¡­¡±


    He suddenly understood something and his voice trembled. ¡°Everyone hates him because other judges only kill dozens of people every year while he has killed dozens. Actually¡­ it isn¡¯t because he particularly likes to shoot people. It is because he can shoot to minimize more killings.¡±


    He understood, he finally understood. He fought the cold and asked Polly, ¡°What type of man would he be?¡±


    Polly¡¯s answer was simpler than imagined. ¡°He is a lonely man.¡±


    Something fell suddenly. The boulder rolled down and hit An Zhe¡¯s heart. He couldn¡¯t speak until Polly asked, ¡°What are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Mist rose in An Zhe¡¯s eyes. ¡°I was thinking¡­ thinking¡­¡±


    He was thinking about Lu Feng.


    He once thought that Lu Feng was cold and unforgiving. He once admitted that Lu Feng¡¯s conviction was firm. He knew that the colonel would give his life for the sake of humanity. He also knew that Lu Feng would suffer and there would be loneliness. It just wasn¡¯t until today that he knew there was an unimaginable beast rooted in his heart.


    He once said that he knew Lu Feng but it wasn¡¯t until this moment, when he was thousands of miles away from Lu Feng and would never meet that person again, that he fully understood Lu Feng.


    ¡°I know this judge you are talking about. Tang Lan mentioned him to me many times. If I can, I really want to meet him.¡±


    ¡°He¡­¡± Holding the badge firmly in his palm, An Zhe¡¯s tears finally fell down. ¡°He has been a judge for seven years and killed many people¡­ everyone hates him.¡±


    ¡°Still, he was good to me.¡± An Zhe smiled but his eyes were hot and his nose red. ¡°In fact, he was good to everyone.¡±


    ¡°You say that you¡¯re a monster but as a judge, I haven¡¯t found the difference between you and humans. What about that judge?¡± Polly asked.


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t sure.¡± An Zhe¡¯s fingers trembled slightly as he gazed at the mountains in the distance. ¡°The first time we met, he let me go.¡±


    ¡°Sir.¡± He asked, ¡°If a judge let go of a heterogeneous the first time, would he let go the second time?¡±


    Polly just glanced at him gently.


    ¡°He also let me go the second time. He let me go many times. Later, he knew I was a heterogeneous. But¡­¡±


    He wanted to say something but nothing came out. His heart was being clenched tightly by one hand. He wanted to get rid of this imprisonment that couldn¡¯t be escaped, but he couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± He confirmed that he couldn¡¯t say a complete sentence and spoke intermittently. ¡°I¡­ when I think of him, I¡­ want to cry.¡±


    Polly held An Zhe in his arms. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, child.¡±


    ¡°Live and you will see him again.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t meet him anymore.¡± An Zhe grabbed Polly¡¯s arm like he was grasping the last live-saving straw in the stormy sea of emotions. He couldn¡¯t stop crying and he finally closed his eyes in a trembling manner, resting his forehead on Polly¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯d rather¡­ I preferred to have never met him.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    An Zhe couldn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°You can say anything to me, child.¡± Polly murmured. ¡°You don¡¯t have to fool me, you don¡¯t have to fool yourself.¡±


    An Zhe choked and he cried even more. He couldn¡¯t understand human kinship but facing Polly, he seemed to know. This person was like a kind father, a loving priest or a tolerant God, who knelt in the temple of the lord and could confess everything like an ordinary man. However, he wasn¡¯t facing anyone else or God, he was facing himself.


    ¡°I¡­¡± An Zhe opened his mouth, body trembling with severe pain and his mind blank. Finally, he crossed the emotional barrier and blurted out, ¡°I want to see him¡­¡±


    ¡°I want to see him.¡± He repeated this sentence. ¡°Sir, I want to see him. I want to see him. I don¡¯t regret that I left him but I¡­ I regret it.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­ I know¡­¡± Polly patted him on the back, comforting him.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know¡­¡± An Zhe¡¯s words were contradictory, his emotions torn to pieces and sorrow drowned his soul like the ocean. He wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the pain of this pervasive longing killed him.


    ¡°Child, I¡¯ve lived decades more than you. You are young and you don¡¯t know too much.¡± Polly spoke gently.


    ¡°I..¡± An Zhe looked up blankly, unable to refute it, nor did he argue. There was something in his chest that he couldn¡¯t grasp or see, but he couldn¡¯t describe it.


    He glanced over Polly¡¯s shoulders at the endless night sky and muttered, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ what?¡±


    Thump thump.


    In the brief silence, An Zhe heard his heartbeat. He suddenly had a hunch that Polly¡¯s next words might change his life. He heard Polly¡¯s breathing.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that¡ª¡± In the silence, Polly declared, ¡°You love him.¡±


    An Zhe¡¯s eyes widened.


    In the sky, the aurora changed and the dark green light was like a rolling tide from south to north, dissipating and then regenerating.


    He trembled violently. A strong intuition struck his soul like a meteor hitting the ground and light lit up everything in this world. He didn¡¯t know what Polly¡¯s three words meant but he knew it was correct. He was completely dumbfounded and forgot even his sadness as he stared blankly at the aurora in the distance. This lasted until Polly let him go and gently wiped his tears with a handkerchief.


    ¡°But why would I?¡± he murmured. Before he could answer, he was embroiled with a more pressing question.


    ¡°Then¡­ will the judge also love me?¡± He looked at Polly almost like he was praying. ¡°Does he also love me? I¡¯m just¡­ a heterogeneous.¡±


    ¡°Did he say anything to you?¡±


    An Zhe shook his head. The briefness of their relationship was terribly. ¡°Still, he kissed me.¡±


    It was just that An Zhe didn¡¯t know the meaning of the kiss. On that day, the power of words was too weak and they could only do that.


    ¡°You are still alive. Did he let you go?¡± Polly wondered.


    ¡°I left him. He has always been a qualified judge and I knew he wouldn¡¯t let me go. I just wanted to leave him and find a place to die, but his gun was left in my backpack and I could return to the Abyss.¡±


    ¡°His gun was left in your backpack?¡± Polly repeated the sentence.


    An Zhe hummed and a faint smile appeared in his eyes. ¡°He always likes to leave his things with me.¡±


    Polly Joan¡¯s hand slowly stroked his hair.


    ¡°Silly boy, you have to know.¡± Polly told him. ¡°A judge¡¯s firearm can never leave them. This is an iron-clad rule that was established 100 years ago.¡±


    An Zhe stared at him silently before finally biting his lips.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know. I really didn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°For whatever reason, he must love you too.¡±


    ¡°Will a judge like a heterogeneous?¡±


    Polly replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know. However, I have lived with many heterogeneous species for 100 years¡ªif you think I am still qualified to be a judge.¡±


    Looking at the grey-blue eyes that seemed to know everything, An Zhe thought that Polly must know the reason why Lu Feng liked him but didn¡¯t dare to ask. Polly must have a reason for not saying it.


    Heavy images emerged in front of An Zhe¡¯s eyes. Inside the city gates, a woman who lost his husband cursed him hoarsely. At the supply station¡¯s square, a bullet went through Du Sai¡¯s head but she fell toward him. Countless silhouettes appeared, those hoarse shouts, the trembling fear and the love that seeped into the bone marrow. Countless black shadows rose up, surging together and stretching out their hands, a pile of love, hatred and fear that knew each other well, pushing him to the top of the mountain where the cold wind roared and allowing him to look down at this group of beings.


    No one approached him, no one knew him and those who admired him would rather make a false doll with his body then take the initiative to even say a word to him.


    As for¡­ as for the Judge¡¯s pity and preference, this was something no one dared to expect. What type of creepy fear and unimaginable honour would it be? As a heterogeneous, he was in opposition to humanity yet he had a vague expectation that he would gain and¡ªand he got it.


    At least, from the moment when Lu Feng put his gun in An Zhe¡¯s backpack, in this one second out of billions of years¡ªin the second the Judge left his gun to a heterogeneous, he betrayed his life¡¯s faith to love him.


    Then like the fairy tales in children¡¯s textbooks, the midnight bell rang. One returned to the Abyss and one returned to the base.


    Like a sandstorm that was gradually ending, in the bells, the dust settled. An Zhe¡¯s heart returned to its ordinary frequency little by little. He had received an unimaginable gift but he was completely calm instead.


    He felt it was enough, everything was enough.


    ¡°If one day, humans are safe and you see him¡­¡± He requested of Polly. ¡°Please¡­ please don¡¯t tell him that I¡¯ve been here.¡±


    ¡°No one can lie to a judge.¡±


    ¡°Then tell him that I was here and then left. I¡¯ve gone far away and might be anywhere in the world.¡±


    Polly gazed at him with a gentle and sad expression. ¡°I really hope God will take care of you.¡±


    An Zhe slowly shook his head.


    ¡°I can¡¯t love him, nor can he love me.¡± An Zhe spoke these words gently.


    ¡°Unless¡ªunless it is the day when humans fall. However, I hope that day never comes.¡± In this moment, calm enveloped him.


    In the gap between the aurora and the clouds, there were countless, translucent white ice debris. They were falling down and the quiet mountains and night were alive because of these flying things. It was snowing.


    An Zhe held out a hand and the hexagonal snowflake fell on his finger. The beautiful shape was gradually lost due to the temperature of his skin and became crystal water droplets.


    ¡°I have only known you for three months but this is my lifetime.¡±


    The wind blew louder and thousands of snowflakes fell into the grey corridor, like catkins rising in the spring breeze. An Zhe raised his head, thinking that everything he had forgotten was spread before his eyes, drifting in shimmering fragments.


    The stormy waves subsided and the dark tide stopped surging altogether. He wasn¡¯t happy or sad, he just felt the snow was very beautiful. The joy and sorrow of his life, the encounter and parting, the birth and death of all tangible things in this world¡ªthey were like fleeting snowflakes.


    ¡°Is it cold?¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t cold anymore.¡±


    An Zhe remembered the shape of the snowflake and in that second, he got eternity.


    The aurora shone on the Abyss.


    From the laboratory, there was the sound of glass breaking.

 Chapter 77

    The aurora flickered sharply.


    Crash.


    The sound of glass breaking ripped through the silent night and An Zhe turned back to look at the laboratory. Polly also stared at the window over there. ¡°Rum?¡±


    Fog was attached to the window glass, making what happened inside a blur. Only the shadow of a man could be seen.


    ¡°Sir!¡± Rum¡¯s voice was rarely so excited. He slammed open the door with one hand, the shutters making a banging sound as they opened. His voice was clear but had a tremor. ¡°The screen, the screen¡­¡±


    Polly glanced inside the room. The big screen was still showing the messy patterns like before.


    Yet Rum said, ¡°Just now¡ª¡±


    An Zhe coughed a few times and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    After confirming he was still awake, Polly strode into the laboratory. An Zhe quietly swallowed blood and followed. His body was in a strange state, weakened to the extreme and painful to the extreme, yet it was because it reached this limit that it seemed empty.


    In the laboratory, Rum had dropped a glass bottle filled with antibiotic granules. The shards of glass were scattered everywhere on the ground but no one had the mind to clean it up.


    Polly came to the big screen where the lines still waved like a clump of wriggling worms. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Rum¡¯s lips twitched as he said, ¡°It clearly¡­ it was clear just now.¡±


    An Zhe couldn¡¯t describe Polly¡¯s expression at this moment. It was like too many intense emotions were mixed together, turning it blank. Polly¡¯s hand trembled slightly as he placed his right hand on the instrument¡¯s joystick. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Rum¡¯s eyes seemed hesitant or he might be trying to remember. Polly stared at him and three seconds passed before he answered, ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡±


    Polly Joan watched the screen and An Zhe stood behind him. At the height of human science and technology, this experimental institution had been used to study the artificial magnetic poles. Many equipment might¡¯ve been lost due to years of disrepair but it was still a qualified and functioning physics laboratory. In this breathless silence, he saw Polly using the joystick to pull the wave line back.


    Polly asked, ¡°At what time?¡±


    ¡°Just now.¡±


    He was silent for a moment as he weighed his words. ¡°It just blinked.¡±


    Polly took a deep breath and turned the instrument¡¯s recorded time back three minutes ago. Then he played it frame by frame on the small screen.


    The beating and wriggling black lines varied in depth. Some formed curves and some were scattered black dots like stars. They were tangled together like this, like fat. Every frame changed their shape but this change was irregular. After spending nearly half a month in the laboratory, An Zhe had long known that what the Simpson Cage captured was the frequency of basic particles interaction. Polly always described it as ¡®frequency.¡¯


    However, the complexity and chaos of this frequency were beyond the scope of humanity¡¯s existing science. Polly strove to find a way to receive and process them to make them clearer, just like a person heard a song and tried to write a score or when they constantly adjusted the frequency of the radio to receive a clear signal. It was just that this work had no progress for ages. Polly once said that facing the chaotic lines, he was like a mortal who wanted to hear the will of God, like an ant trying to interpret human language.


    An Zhe watched the still-moving big screen and sometimes turned his worried eyes to Polly. He found that Rum was the same. In this protracted experiment, there had been too many failures. If Rum¡¯s ¡®clear¡¯ moment couldn¡¯t be reproduced then An Zhe would rather that Polly had never received the news.


    One frame passed after another. The flames in the fireplace burned and from time to time, the firewood emitted a crackling sound that was especially thrilling in the silent laboratory.


    A ghostly image jumped off the screen like a ghost.


    An Zhe couldn¡¯t resist holding his breath.


    On the grey-black background, all the lines suddenly disappeared and this was followed by countless dense, white dots, translucent, faint white dots hidden in the background. Human language couldn¡¯t be used to describe what type of shape they had and there seemed to be no regularity. They gathered in some places and spread out in some places. There were no white spots scattered in the centre of the figure but circled it like a crater. The grey and black irregular circle looked like an ominous and sinister eye. It was like¡ªit was like humans in the age of civilization had taken a photo of an immensely magnificent nebula and then turned it into lifeless black and white.


    ¡°Yes, it is this one,¡± Rum stated. ¡°Is the machine broken?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Polly slowly shook his head. Perhaps his mood was too excessively tight but his pupils were slightly dilated. ¡°This is the unprocessed original picture. The previous lines were removed from the original picture.¡±


    An Zhe slowly thought about the meaning of this sentence while Rum tried to give Polly a preventative shot. He thought for a moment before repeating, ¡°That¡­ or the machine is broken.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Polly shook his head and marked a dazzling red star at the time node where this image frame had appeared. He spoke much faster than usual and it was difficult for him to hide his excitement. ¡°If the particle frequency changes suddenly, the analyzer can¡¯t get a result in a short time. It will show the original picture for a short time, proving we are right. Call Tang Lan over here.¡±¡¯


    Some time later, Tang Lan pushed open the laboratory door, he was a dull black-blue colour. He was obviously a bit weak. ¡°Sir, is there something you needed from me?¡±


    Polly asked, ¡°Were you asleep? I¡¯m sorry to wake you up.¡±


    Tang Lan shook his head. ¡°I woke up when Rum called.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t sleep well?¡±


    ¡°I just wanted to come to you.¡± Tang Lan stated. ¡°The fluctuation suddenly amplified and for a second, I felt a very sharp noise. Then I woke up.¡¯


    ¡°How about now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay now.¡±


    Polly didn¡¯t speak for a long time until Tang Lan questioned, ¡°Sir, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Our approach is correct. Once the fluctuation was amplified, it showed this anomaly in real time. This type of wave can be captured by the Simpson Cage in a method similar to the magnetic field.¡± Polly looked solemn.


    Tang Lan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Isn¡¯t this good news?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m thinking of a question.¡±


    No one spoke in the laboratory and only Polly¡¯s voice was heard. His gaze moved away from the small screen with the frame capture and shifted to the big screen filled with complex lines. ¡°We want to capture the frequency of the fluctuation and analyze the cause of the distortion. However, what if it is currently showing the artificial magnetic field of Earth struggling with the unknown fluctuation from the universe?¡±


    ¡°I see what you mean.¡± Tang Lan looked up. ¡°The magnetic field can resist the fluctuation but the Simpson Cage receives both of them at the same time. It is a mutual disturbance.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve been thinking. If the magnetic field can completely resist the fluctuation, why is there still genetic infection on Earth? It makes sense if the two of them are deadlocked. The fluctuation has always affected the planet but the magnetic field is also resisting, so that material hasn¡¯t been completely distorted. The frequencies of the two are tangled together.¡±


    ¡°In that case¡­¡± Tang Lan frowned. ¡°Sir, if you want to use the Simpson Cage to analyze the fluctuation then you have to either wait for the fluctuation to overcome the magnetic field or for the artificial magnetic field to no longer work.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Polly spoke slowly.


    ¡°However, once the fluctuation prevails, material will be distorted and the Simpson Cage will be affected.


    ¡°No, there¡¯s a way.¡±


    Everyone looked at Polly and no one spoke. In the silent laboratory, they only listened as Polly continued, ¡°The Highland Research Institute has its own movable independent magnetic pole that can generate a small magnetic field with a limited range. This is the research result of the past. It was how we can survive when the artificial magnetic poles failed a month ago.¡±


    ¡°If the artificial magnetic field that envelopes the planet disappears¡­ we can adjust the position of the independent magnetic poles so that it protects the core equipment of the Simpson Cage while at the same time, exposes the receiving area to the greatest extent.¡± Polly¡¯s grey-blue eyes were narrowed slightly as he gazed down at the burning sea of fire.


    ¡°Then we can parse the pure frequency of the fluctuations.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right¡­¡± Polly took a deep breath and the fire of hope that filled his eyes went out. ¡°But¡ª¡±


    His words came to an abrupt end before they finished. The room suddenly became silent and no one spoke. Finally, Tang Lan said, ¡°The fluctuation can only be seen¡­ if the artificial magnetic field fails?¡±


    He looked out at the night sky, his voice rough.


    Polly sat down slowly in front of the computer, facing the communication channel of the base and he was slow to act. He murmured, ¡°It is only in the face of death that you can see the truth.¡±


    Standing in the corner, An Zhe quietly watched as it all happened.


    Polly¡¯s speculation was well founded. If there was only that strange fluctuation left in the world then the instrument might show its full picture.


    In fact, this was possible. Polly was now facing the communication channel and he must be considering his wording. As long as either one of the Northern Base or Underground City Base promised to close the artificial magnetic pole, the truth would be revealed. But then what? What would happen to the two bases after losing the magnetic field? The disaster a month ago directly reduced the surviving population of the Northern Base to 8,000.


    An Zhe couldn¡¯t imagine what type of struggle Polly was facing now. The benevolent scientist had left the base because he couldn¡¯t stand to see a few people sacrificed for the majority. However, the world seemed to be like this. It killed the living, killed the benevolent and made the truth seekers feel despair.


    Facing the screen, Polly slowly closed his eyes.


    Then Tang Lan interjected. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±

 Chapter 78

    ¡°No.¡± Polly told him, ¡°We can¡¯t make such an unreasonable request.¡±


    ¡°The base has an emergency system. As long as they are prepared, they can survive.¡±


    ¡°What if the device is damaged due to distortion during the short period the artificial magnetic poles are closed? Once the magnetic field protection is lost in winter, the environment will be worse than it was in summer. I can simulate a reverse force field with the independent magnetic poles within the range of the Simpson Cage. This will cancel the artificial magnetic field and create a non-magnetic space.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand your expertise but the artificial magnetic field itself is very complicated. The frequency must be difficult.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it is much simpler than the previous work.¡±


    Tang Lan refuted, ¡°Still, the quickest way is to have the base shut down the magnetic poles for a short time.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Tang Lan looked at Polly. ¡°I know your research is correct. You have been exploring this disaster for decades. As long as you can see the fluctuation, you will definitely find a solution. You are always too kind.¡±


    ¡°In addition, we¡¯re just making a request. They might not necessarily agree. The Northern Base only believes in human interests and we are different. Every year, they send people to try and wipe us out.¡± Tang Lan whispered with his hand on the keyboard. ¡°This is my personal initiative. All¡­ all the consequences have nothing to do with you.¡±


    Polly just looked at him like he was a wayward child.


    The slightly pale fingertips rested on the keyboard.


    One second, two seconds. The suspended fingertips sat silently over the keys. Three seconds, four seconds. Suddenly, a trembling voice was heard.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± The trembling fingers fell, leaving behind only a string of garbled text in the input field. It was like Tang Lan was facing a terrible thing as he even took two steps back, eyes slightly red. ¡°I can¡¯t do it.¡±


    Polly shook his head like this result was expected. ¡°Silly boy.¡±


    Tang Lan¡¯s eyes were bloodshot.


    An Zhe saw all of this by the fireplace. The choices faced by humans were often difficult and the pain in the heart sometimes exceeded the pain of the body. Polly was right to say that kindness was the most significant weakness of humans. Under the weight of the cruel world, Tang Lan would be miserable and Polly would be 100 times more miserable. Thus, An Zhe watched Polly for a long time, waiting for this person to make a choice from the pain in his heart. This was the impermanence of fate. Polly would still face the dilemma of a judge after 100 years.


    In this silent standoff, the aurora flashed again. Rum reflexively looked at the big screen and An Zhe was the same. The ghostly image once again appeared on the screen. This time, it took more than three seconds to disappear. The strange scatter plot was burned onto An Zhe¡¯s retinas.


    At the same time, Tang Lan reached up and held his temple. ¡°I heard it again.¡±


    What did this mean? Even An Zhe knew this meant that the unknown fluctuation from the universe had suddenly strengthened. It turned out that it wasn¡¯t gradual as humans had predicted. It could climb in leaps and bounds.


    After five seconds of silence, the aurora flashed again. It was like the heart of a huge thing suddenly shrank and the entire world was plunged into complete darkness. On the screen in the laboratory, the dense light spots shook.


    ¡°It¡¯s coming.¡± Tang Lan closed his eyes and buried his face in his palms, voice hoarse. ¡°It¡¯s coming, I hear it. Soon, it will exceed the strength of the magnetic field. Sir, you don¡¯t have to worry now. The distortion has come and it can¡¯t be stopped.¡±


    ¡°We¡­ we¡­¡± He lowered his head. ¡°We¡­ for what?¡±


    He laughed dumbly. It was that type of laughter¡ªthat type of despair. An Zhe thought there was probably blood in his throat.


    Just now, their humanity had tortured them about whether to ask the base to close the magnetic poles or now. They had been hating this cruel world and the cruel fate they had to fight against. They were also suffering in their hearts. They thought they had a choice but the next moment, they knew how ridiculous all the struggle and hatred was. This was the most meaningless resistance of all¡ªof course, the meaning of all humans was meaningless.


    This world didn¡¯t care about anything. It wasn¡¯t ruthless and cruel, it just didn¡¯t care. It didn¡¯t care about their happiness and it naturally didn¡¯t care about their pain.


    It seemed to be a natural change, just slowly moving forward. It naturally didn¡¯t intend to let humans know the real reason. This wasn¡¯t necessary. It was only the humans who were truly obsessed.


    Humanity would be destroyed, life would die and Earth would collapse. Still, it didn¡¯t care.


    An Zhe stared blankly at the sky outside.


    After the intermittent flashes, the aurora above them started to tremble madly. The green light scattered into dazzling meteors at a horrible speed. A large meteor shower burned and then disappeared, the remnants darting through the dark night sky.


    In the laboratory, the machine gave a long beep. An Zhe suddenly looked up and saw a snowflake on the big screen.


    Polly¡¯s right hand clung tightly to the armrest of the seat and his hoarse voice showed his age. ¡°Open the independent magnetic poles¡ª¡±


    He spoke at the same time there was a creepy howl, each voice difficult to describe using human language. They pierced the tympanic membrane. Outside the window, under the mountain, in the Abyss¡ªthe monsters were calling out beyond common sense.


    A huge flapping sound came from the dense forest, as if thousands of birds were rising into the air. They had been lurking in the Abyss for a long time, testing each other and deadlocked with each other. Once the magnetic field was finally going to collapse, these terrible monsters started to move in unison.


    Why? He didn¡¯t know.


    The first black shadow flew over the Highland Research Institute.


    Polly came to the Simpson¡¯s Cage operating desk.


    Tang Lan asked in a low voice, ¡°Sir, is it too late?¡±


    Polly stated, ¡°It¡¯s too late.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to continue?¡±


    There was a brief silence. Polly suddenly said, ¡°Human vision is like the moon in the water. It seems to be in reach but the moment we touch the water, it is broken.¡±


    ¡°We thought the broken moon was also meaningful so we reached out to fish it up, only to find our palm full of water. Even more absurdly, the water flowed out of the palm of the gaps in our fingers.¡±


    He looked at the numerous light spots like it was a distant still. ¡°Still, if you give me a second chance and let me stand by the water, would I still want to fish it out?¡±


    Polly Joan¡¯s eyes were red and trembling, his voice choked up as he closed his eyes and finally said, ¡°I would.¡±


    Tang Lan took out a black walkie-talkie from his pocket. He stared at everything in front of him, drooping eyes dim as he declared, ¡°Prepare to defend.¡±

 Chapter 79

    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Dr Ji walked behind Lu Feng and asked. Lu Feng was standing in front of the laboratory window with the brightly lit Garden of Eden and Twin Towers in front of him.


    As he approached, he realized the colonel wasn¡¯t in an aimless daze. The man was playing with the communicator and the bright screen remained on the contact interface. The doctor glanced at the familiar name.


    ¡°Hubbard¡ªwho is this?¡± Dr Ji stood beside him and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Do you still have friends I don¡¯t know about?¡±


    Lu Feng didn¡¯t answer and Dr Ji didn¡¯t follow up. In the presence of the colonel, it was normal for questions to not be answered.


    As he spoke, the white spore drilled out of Lu Feng¡¯s collar. It seemed to look carefully at the doctor before quickly going back into hiding.


    ¡°It¡¯s so small.¡± Dr Ji chuckled.


    Lu Feng scooped it out and placed it on his palm. It was originally the size of a large palm but now it was only the size of a jujube pit. It desperately hid itself on Lu Feng¡¯s hand like it was afraid of Dr Ji.


    ¡°I won¡¯t cut you today,¡± Dr Ji told you. ¡°You have become too small. Be good and eat more nutrient solutions. Grow up and I will cut you.¡±


    Lu Feng sent Dr Ji a cold look.


    Dr Ji folded his arms. ¡°I¡¯m not cutting you. Why look so fierce?¡±


    These days, the base had realized that the existing technology was unable to completely analyze why this spore was inert and they retreated. They could only break the jar and concentrate all researchers in another direction. Today, they finally developed a method for making mycelium extract. The extraction solution was diluted and the base intended to pour it on the surface of important equipment. They used this simple method on the premise that the inert spore would produce an inert extract. The inert extract would form a protective layer or simply pass the inertia to the device, making the device no longer afraid of infection. In this way, the extract could also infect other substances.


    They immediately flew 20 litres of the solution to the Underground City Base by plane.


    In response, the Lighthouse¡¯s senior officials laughed at themselves, stating that science had failed and they could only use unknown witchcraft. Still, this was all they could do since all science seemed to have failed. No one knew what to hope for.


    Dr Ji reached out. ¡°Give it to me to play.¡±


    Of course, he didn¡¯t receive anything. Lu Feng didn¡¯t even look at him. Nevertheless, Dr Ji was still staring at the mycelium exposed by the spore. ¡°Tomorrow, another litre of extract can be produced. It is quite a lot. The base requires us to first ensure that the key device of the artificial magnetic pole is protected.¡±


    Lu Feng closed his fingers and not even a single strand of the mycelium could be seen.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do this,¡± Dr Ji told him. ¡°You might have a good relationship but don¡¯t treat it like a son. Colonel Lu, have you noticed that since you came back from the wilderness, you haven¡¯t been so emotionally lacking.¡±


    Lu Feng still didn¡¯t speak and only Dr Ji was chatting in the room. He always talked a lot when he was nervous. In the past month, the number of words had skyrocketed.


    It wasn¡¯t until three minutes later that Lu Feng asked, ¡°When will you start using the extract?¡±


    ¡°The Lighthouse is still discussing it because we can¡¯t rule out the possibility that after the distortion begins, all substances will start to fuse without discrimination. At that time, the most likely result is that it has no effect. The best result is that the inertia is passed onto us. The worst case scenario is that all our devices lose their function and become mushrooms.¡±


    Lu Feng¡¯s cold voice was finally heard and it seemed to be covered with an extra layer of frost. ¡°Why use it if this is possible?¡±


    ¡°Your Trial Court likes to kill all the bad possibilities but the situation is different now. You know that no matter what we do, the situation can¡¯t be any worse. There will be another meeting and the Lighthouse will determine if it can be used or not.¡±


    ¡°What is inertia?¡±


    ¡°No infection.¡±


    The spore came out of Lu Feng¡¯s hand and crawled along the uniform¡¯s cloth to the epaulettes on Lu Feng¡¯s side away from the doctor. Lu Feng leaned slightly to the side and this movement revealed a trace of something on the windowsill. It was a small liquid bottle with a label on it, ¡®Mix-III¡¯ written on it. Next to the bottle was a blank syringe.


    Dr Ji¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°That is the extract of a mixed-type heterogeneous. What are you doing with it? You shouldn¡¯t disturb the laboratory things. It is very dangerous.¡±


    Lu Feng glanced at him and spoke words that weren¡¯t related to the current topic. ¡°At the Underground City Base, there was no magnetic field and the contactless infections and distortions were happening.¡±


    The doctor couldn¡¯t understand this person¡¯s thoughts and just nodded.


    Lu Feng stated, ¡°Many of the soldiers I entered the underground city with were infected but I wasn¡¯t.¡±


    The doctor seemed to understand what he was trying to say and fell silent, just watching Lu Feng quietly. Lu Feng continued. ¡°If the spore is inert then An Zhe is also inert.¡±


    Dr. Ji nodded.


    Lu Feng spoke lightly, ¡°However, he can change between mushroom and human form. In his human form, there are absolutely no abnormalities in the genetic test. So if I have been infected by him and became inert, you won¡¯t be able to tell.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I admit that I¡¯ve had that thought. Still, what is the point? It is precisely because we can¡¯t detect this infection at all that the decision to spray the extract on a large scale was taken. We won¡¯t know until the day when the comprehensive distortion comes if this extract can protect humans.¡±


    ¡°There is also the risk of all of us becoming fungi.¡±


    ¡°So what?¡± The doctor watched this person as if he had some type of vague hunch and his tone became aggressive.


    Lu Feng suggested, ¡°Infect me with a monster extract. If I am still human after the 30 minutes buffer period then it proves An Zhe has given me an inert infection and there are no adverse reactions. The extract can be applied.¡±


    The doctor stared at him with no trace of surprise, as if he had long guessed this man would say such a thing. He watched Lu Feng and his eyes gradually became colder and heavier. Then he shook his head. ¡°Why is it you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been with him for a long time. I also stayed with him during the distortion time after the Underground City Base incident.¡± Lu Feng spoke lightly. ¡°If he can infect others then I¡¯m the one most likely to be infected.¡±


    ¡°It is me.¡± Dr Ji sneered and approached Lu Feng while raising his voice, ¡°Before the dungeon incident, you only stayed with him for a while before leaving. It was me who was with him the whole time. We slept in the same room. He was like a kitten and I was inseparable from him. I had a lot of close contact with him that you don¡¯t want to know about. If you can be infected by him, why can¡¯t I?¡±


    Lu Feng wasn¡¯t provoked by his words and was still emotionless. ¡°You still have many tasks to do. You can¡¯t take any risks.¡±


    ¡°Then you know it is a risk?¡± The doctor was furious as he took a few breaths before shouting, ¡°I can¡¯t take risks but you can task risks? What is so memorable for you to sacrifice yourself for?¡±


    Lu Feng didn¡¯t say anything and Dr Ji grabbed the liquid bottle from the windowsill. The bottle was already opened. He inserted the needle tip with a fierce action, raised the injection handle and quickly filled the syringe.


    ¡°If the experiment has to be done, it can only be me.¡± He held the needle, his blue eyes filled with ice as he spoke very quickly. ¡°You have done too much. You have to fucking live for me.¡±


    Lu Feng didn¡¯t stop his actions. He just quietly watched with those cold green eyes as still as a lake. He reached out and pulled up his sleeve. On the vein of the wrist, a blood spot represented what had been injected. ¡°If I¡¯m okay in half an hour then you can use the extract.¡±


    The doctor stood in place, his chest heaving as he stared at Lu Feng.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡± His eyes turned red with anger and his voice was hoarse, as sharp as glass rubbing together. ¡°You hopeless¡­ self-harming patient.¡±


    ¡°The base will be okay losing a scientist. What about losing a judge? Did you even think about it?¡±


    Lu Feng was still silent.


    Just then, the shrill ringing of the communicator was heard. Dr Qi picked up while gasping and just three seconds after answering, his face changed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go there straight away,¡± he told the person on the other end.


    His face was solemn after hanging up. ¡°A slight distortion was observed again and the intensity of the magnetic field was increased to the strongest level. The time for the collapse of the magnetic field is about to come. I am going to an emergency meeting and it will take around half an hour. You stay here and don¡¯t go anywhere unless everyone starts evacuating.¡±


    Then he hurried to the door.


    ¡°Wait.¡± Lu Feng stopped him and Dr Ji paused. He was still angry so he didn¡¯t turn his head.


    Behind him, Lu Feng asked, ¡°An Zhe isn¡¯t affected by the distortion like the spore?¡±


    ¡°Even if humans die, he will live.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The doctor slammed the door and went out.


    Lu Feng still stood there before turning around and looking out the window. Under the aurora-filled sky, the grey-black city was a sprawling jungle. The aurora changed, casting a strange grey-green shadow on the buildings.


    Just then, a sharp hissing was heard in the city. The direction was the interior of the city, the military base. The hissing that cut through the sky was just the beginning. A moment later, more beasts roared from there.


    The emergency lights at the military base suddenly turned on but soon went out. At the same time, there were sharp sirens and explosions, followed by the high frequency evacuation alert that covered the entire base.


    However, Lu Feng¡¯s eyes only stayed on that place for a short time. Then he glanced out at the boundless wilderness beyond the base. There was a flutter as a huge bat-shaped winged monster flew from the distant mountains into the air. Then thousands of similar black shadows rose from there.


    The communicator turned on. Lu Feng typed a few words on the call interface, which had the label of this laboratory. Seconds later, a message from Hubbard popped up.


    ¡°Received. I will arrive in half an hour.¡±


    The total collapse of the magnetic field would take place within this half an hour.


    Outside the base, monsters suddenly appeared from the sky and land. They seemed to have been dormant for a long time and the moment they had been waiting for finally came. They poured toward the base like a tide.


    The emergency lights in the hallway flashed frantically. The doctor came out of the meeting room and hurried to the laboratory. He was followed by two soldiers.


    ¡°Doctor, please evacuate with us as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°The military can¡¯t protect the entire base. The drones have seen the tide of monsters advancing here and we can only take the artificial magnetic pole as the defense position.¡±


    ¡°I have to bring something,¡± Dr Ji quickly said. ¡°Give me five minutes. Colonel Lu is also at the laboratory.¡±


    ¡°Please evacuate with us immediately.¡± The soldier with the United Front logo on his chest added, ¡°The special instructions are for evacuated personnel to concentrate on the magnetic pole centre. Colonel Lu¡¯s presence will further increase the confusion of the crowd, leading to unnecessary disputes. Therefore, he¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    The emergency alarms rang at higher frequencies and the harsh buzzing sounds were linked to the highest level wartime alert, reminding people to evacuate immediately in a safe direction. The corridor was in a state of chaos while the howling of monsters in the distant wilderness was clear and audible. The soldiers and scientists in white coats were in a mess.


    The laboratory door neared. A look of disbelief suddenly appeared in Dr Ji¡¯s eyes. The door of the laboratory was wide open. He had rushed away when he left and forgot to lock the door. He strode inside and saw a soldier with a black cloth around his right arm holding a sniper rifle and aiming at the figure standing in front of the windowsill. His pupils shrank. The black cloth around this man¡¯s right arm was the sign of the Anti-Judges Movement.


    The communicator was on but he couldn¡¯t care as he shouted, ¡°Lu Feng!¡±


    A gunshot rang out along with this call. The person by the window shook and fell to the ground with a dull noise.


    Dr Ji¡¯s eyes opened wide with disbelief and his lips trembled. ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± The gunman was quickly controlled by the two soldiers who followed the doctor. Dr Ji strode in and couldn¡¯t care about anything. On the way, he knocked down the equipment and test tubes shattered, the debris splashing to the ground. He walked around a cabinet and half knelt in front of Lu Feng¡¯s fallen body. ¡°Lu Feng? Lu Feng?¡±


    The body hadn¡¯t closed his eyes. His limbs were motionless and the doctor reached out to touch the scorched muzzle of the gun. His communicator flashed again. The doctor was still trembling when he read the message but this time, his eyes were cold.


    A soldier handcuffed the shooter and raised his foot to head to this side.


    ¡°Don¡¯t come.¡± Dr Ji¡¯s cold voice came from the laboratory. ¡°Colonel Lu¡¯s death is confirmed.¡±


    The military boots paused.


    ¡°We¡¯re sorry.¡±


    The pale Dr Ji smiled wryly. ¡°I¡¯m not surprised in regards to the Judge¡¯s death.¡±


    ***


    The cabin of the PL1109.


    Hubbard leaned against the cabin wall. He and Lu Feng weren¡¯t good friends but it also seemed to be a life-threatening friendship. ¡°It took a lot of effort to get that thing out of the house next door but you actually still have this type of thing.¡±


    Lu Feng told him. ¡°Well done. According to Scott Shaw¡¯s testimony, you were the one who provided the specific information.¡±


    Hubbard smiled and didn¡¯t continue this topic. He asked, ¡°What was it like to be under house arrest?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    As he spoke, he glanced at the others in the cabin.


    An officer next to him said, ¡°We all came back from the Underground City Base together, Colonel Lu. We promise not to inform the military.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank them.¡± Hubbard wiped the gun in his hand while telling Lu Feng ¡°It is a monster siege and we are going to fight again. It was obvious in the underground city that you are experienced. Everyone can see it. I don¡¯t mind working with you again. It is very cost-effective for both of us.¡±


    The officer stated, ¡°This is on the premise that the colonel is still willing to serve the base.¡±


    Lu Feng slightly smiled.


    ¡°Start checking the equipment.¡±


    To one side, Hubbard was cleaning his gun. It was a silver, semi-automatic gun. His fingers were resting on the butt of the gun. There were scratches there that vaguely spelt out ¡®Tang.¡¯ His eyes were fixed on the string of letters.


    The officer asked, ¡°Who is this?¡±


    Hubbard replied, ¡°A friend. We¡¯ve known each other for 33 years.¡±


    ¡°Really long.¡±


    Hubbard stared at the words and after a long time, he smiled. ¡°It is a pity.¡±


    ¡°What is?¡±


    ¡°We were born together but finally couldn¡¯t die together.¡±


    ¡°How can there be such a good thing?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lu Feng watched their conversation with folded eyes. His eyes were half-covered and no emotions could be seen. The other people naturally didn¡¯t expect the Judge to empathize with their emotions. At least, until Hubbard discovered something. ¡°Where is your gun?¡±


    Lu Feng answered, ¡°I gave it to someone.¡±


    Hubbard smiled and seemed to understand everything. Compared to the military¡¯s standard supplies, the leader of the mercenary group was obviously rich. He took out a black gun and handed it to Lu Feng. The moment it was taken, Hubbard whispered, ¡°He will live.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±

 Chapter 80 - When You Walk Gently Into That Good Night

    The engine roared and the PL1109 slowly took off. It was accompanied by an entire fleet of fighter jets, which formed the base¡¯s air combat forces. On the vast plains, monsters came like a tide toward the base.


    Through the window, Lu Feng looked north-west of the base. Among the howls of the monsters, the nearest ones weren¡¯t from outside but were inside the base where the military base was located.


    Previously, people demanded the abolition of the Trial Court¡¯s ability to kill. Those suspected of being heterogeneous would be transferred to the military camp. In order to demonstrate the correctness and nobility of this move, the head of the Anti-Judges Movement, Colin voluntarily became one of the core observers and watchers.


    Thus, when the distortion came, it was the first place where monsters broke out. It was too far to see clearly but it must be a scene where flesh and blood splashed.


    However, no one could care about this anymore. The heterogeneous species that mutated from humans were just the weakest of the monsters. There was a slime-covered monster, an ugly octopus that was as tall as the Twin Tower, its tentacles wrapped around the Twin Towers. In the towers, the lights madly flashing were extinguished as the tentacles pierced the glass, its sharp teeth swallowing humans. Screams came one after the other and could even be heard from the air.


    After the huge noise, the glass corridor bridge connecting the Twin Towers collapsed. A few human figures fell along with the building debris. They were caught in the monster¡¯s mouth and the sound of the building collapsing covered the chewing of bones and flesh.


    ¡°Blow it up?¡±


    ¡°Blow it up.¡±


    They couldn¡¯t care about how serious the consequences would be. They could only release bombs. If they continued attacking then the last refuge of humanity would be turned into ruins.


    Large uranium bombs were thrown down. In the mushroom cloud, the monster¡¯s body shattered into numerous segments and fell to the ground. The two towers of the Twin Towers slowly tilted into the clouds before collapsing.


    It was full of dust. The frenzied attack and resistance lasted an hour. Then they couldn¡¯t bomb the monsters anymore.


    Apart from where the artificial magnetic pole was located, the rest of the base was either occupied by monsters or razed to the ground. Or it was first occupied by monsters before being razed to the ground. Only ruins were left in the dense smoke.


    The monsters were only targeting the living.


    At this moment, they were all aiming at the entrance of the magnetic field centre, which was the last wartime camp of humanity. In order to protect the magnetic pole, the defenses there were of the highest specification, filled with copper and iron walls. The huge, ugly, indescribable monsters densely packed in front of the magnetic field centre and hit it, trying to enter.


    The air formation could no longer drop another bomb because their artillery had been used up. Now only a few heavy thermonuclear weapons remained.


    If they were to kill the huge monsters around the magnetic field centre, the aftermath of the thermonuclear weapons would flatten the entire artificial magnetic pole. Even if they didn¡¯t harm the magnetic pole, the huge destructive force of the thermonuclear weapon would directly destroy the base¡¯s power supply system, accelerating the death of the people there.


    At this point, all the ground fighters had died. The interior of the magnetic field centre was unknown. Apart from the 1,000 people temporarily transferred to the magnetic field centre, no one survived.


    Meanwhile, the air formation was helpless.


    One of the more chilling things was that this was the time of distortion. Distortion meant that materials were fundamentally changed. Perhaps in the next second, the plane would crash, the magnetic pole would be damaged or there would be contactless infection of the 1,000 people and the magnetic pole would be broken from the inside.


    More brutal than death was to witness the total demise of the city.


    The aircraft formation hovered silently, like a floating ghost after the entire base died. Then the communicator rang. It was a message from the temporary command office at the magnetic field centre.


    ¡°This is the military guarding the entrance of the magnetic field centre. Our firepower is consumed by half. Without considering other accidents, the defense time is expected to be three hours.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why the base is being targeted by monsters but the current situation isn¡¯t something that we can handle, nor can it be handled by the air formations.¡±


    ¡°I am asking the air formation to immediately end the combat mission or it will just be a burden to the base defense.¡±


    ¡°In addition, a large number of flying monsters has been detected moving here. In order to preserve human life, please fly away from the base and find a safe place to land.¡±


    ¡°Although I don¡¯t know how long you can survive, please live.¡±


    ¡°Air formation, please leave the base immediately.¡±


    The aircraft formation hovered for a long time.


    ¡°I¡¯m repeating the order. Please leave the base immediately.¡±


    ¡°The base blesses you.¡±


    The communication is over. There was no sound from the channel. In the cabin, only the sound of people¡¯s tense breathing could be heard. The officers watched the land turning into ruins below them and it was hard to describe the expression in their eyes, whether it was hatred, despair or something similar to ashes.


    Finally, the voice of the pilot of another plane came from the communication channel. ¡°PJ143 calling PL1109.¡±


    ¡°Where will you go?¡±


    The officer of the PL1109 looked at Lu Feng. ¡°Colonel Lu is rich in field experience.¡±


    In other words, it was up to Lu Feng to decide where to evacuate to. Lu Feng took over the communication terminal.


    ¡°The No. 7 Plateau has the military¡¯s six-star refuge camp with life support facilities.¡±


    ¡°Gorge 313 to the northwest of the Central Basin has no powerful deadly monsters and there is water.¡±


    ¡°If your fighter plane has enough fuel, you can consider the Underground City Base.¡±


    He uttered the three locations in a bland tone and then said, ¡°Please choose on your own.¡±


    ¡°PJ179 asking PL1109 where it is going.¡±


    Lu Feng was silent. He glanced around at the people in the cabin.


    ¡°The Abyss,¡± he finally replied. ¡°Going to aid the Highland Research Institute.¡±


    ¡°The place of the fusion faction?¡± An officer suddenly looked up. ¡°That is heterogeneous territory.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    The same inquiry came across the communicator.


    ¡°Are you going to rescue the enemy?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the region filled with monsters more dangerous?¡±


    ¡°Please explain the reason.¡±


    ¡°It is my personal decision. The Highland Research Institute is the only existing human settlement outside the base.¡± Lu Feng¡¯s voice was light. ¡°Please choose your own direction.¡±


    The captain of PL1109 didn¡¯t raise any objections. After a brief hesitation, he operated the steering device. The engine roared and the aircraft slowly turned south. There was a sound from the communicator again.


    ¡°Can I ask¡­ who are you?¡±


    ¡°The Trial Court¡¯s Lu Feng.¡±


    There was silence. PL1109 climbed up to the sky. Its wing lights came out as it headed to the Abyss in this vast night. Above the base in the hovering formation, the first fighter plane followed PL1109 to the south.


    The second one. The third. The wings lights and tail lights merged into a flowing river of lights at night until there were only two left.


    ¡°PJ254 and PJ113 have decided to stand by and die with the base.¡±


    ¡°I wish you victory.¡±


    The captain of the PL1109 replied, ¡°I wish us a bright future.¡±


    ¡°Take care.¡±


    ***


    The Abyss, the Highland Research Institute.


    Once the magnetic field failed, the image on the screen changed. All the chaos had disappeared, leaving only noise evenly distributed on the screen. It couldn¡¯t be called regular or irregular. It was chaotic yet showed an indescribable neatness.


    Polly stared at the screen like this. He was just staring at the screen but An Zhe felt he was looking through the screen to a huge, indescribable object. He remembered what Tang Lan had said to Polly an hour ago. At that time, Tang Lan asked if Polly had already understood something but didn¡¯t want to tell them because they might not be able to face the truth.


    At this moment, facing Polly¡¯s eyes, the same thought rose in An Zhe¡¯s mind. He asked, ¡°Do you understand anything?¡±


    In the silence, Polly replied, ¡°Maybe not exactly but it is a frequency.¡±


    ¡°Frequency?¡±


    ¡°Atoms, electrons, photons and matter are made up of basic particles. What are the basic particles made up of? Strings. Strings are lines of energy in a two dimensional space. Once they start to vibrate with a specific frequency, they become particles in our space-time.¡±


    ¡°The Simpson Cage is a masterpiece in the field of high-energy physics. People first used it to verify that the string theory was correct. Now it may indeed be right.¡±


    An Zhe said softly, ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter so I¡¯ll use an analogy. When you pick up a violin, you pluck different strings. The strings oscillate because of the plucking and different oscillations make different sounds. We call the energy units through the universe ¡®strings¡¯ and the various frequencies at which the strings oscillate produce different particles that make up our world.¡±


    ¡°The physical laws of the world we live in have been stable previously because our strings have been playing a constant piece of music. Thus, electrons are electrons, atoms are atoms and physical formulas have always been those formulas. Now¡ª¡±


    An Zhe¡¯s eyes widened as he understood what Polly wanted to say.


    ¡°The scariest thing isn¡¯t that this theory is correct. It is that¡­ now is the time when the music changes. The strings of the universe will be played in another way. Or perhaps the frequency of the universe has always been chaotic but humans were born in the short stable period. Once this stable period ends, it will all go back to chaos.¡±


    The composition of the bottom layer of the world, the law of physics was a symphony played using a score. Now that old tune was over and a new prelude was about to begin. There was never a fixed law. Only eternal, chaotic terror.


    An Zhe looked out the window. A grey light slowly lit up the sky. It seemed that only three or four hours had passed since it became night but the morning light had started to rise.


    ¡°Every law is collapsing and materials are distorting from their fundamental nature. You, me, the earth, the sun and the galaxy. The rotation is accelerating.¡± Polly stated.


    An Zhe inquired, ¡°What will happen in the end?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Polly slowly shook his head. ¡°Biological and non-living creatures will be mixed, all tangible things will change, time and space will be bent and everything will change. Some things can¡¯t be understood but only one thing is certain.¡±


    An Zhe waited for the answer.


    ¡°We¡¯re all going to die.¡±


    An Zhe coughed violently again. He seemed to be coughing out all the blood in his body. His weakness was happening faster than the distortion of matter. He hugged his knees on a chair near the fireplace. He was still alive and it seemed he was destined to witness human extinction at the end of his life.


    Tang Lan was outside. The institute was full of half-human, half-monster species. Some had powerful fighting power while others were just ordinary animals and plants, even slower and more awkward than humans.


    Every branch of the huge vine that surrounded the institute was up in an aggressive posture.


    Creeping dark shadows climbed up from the Abyss, like a black tide flooding up. Only the crawling monsters were slow. The flying monsters had circled the top of the mountain and were diving down. Why did they gather to attack the human bases after the magnetic pole was defeated by the fluctuation? Was there anything special about this time? Or was it just because humans were weak and easy to prey on.


    It shouldn¡¯t be.


    Polly muttered, ¡°What do they want from this?¡±


    Through the intercom, the sound of whistling wind and Tang Lan¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°Half of the Abyss monsters are leaving and half are coming here. The flying monsters have come up first.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t hold on. Sir, what should we do?¡±


    The Highland Research Institute had its own small arsenal of weapons. There was a gunshot and a bird fell into the centre of the Simpson Cage.


    The light from the Simpson Cage was too bright and An Zhe could clearly see this scene. The tip of the wings first came into contact with the crimson lasers and caught on fire, instantly turning into glittering powder. The bird raised its neck and seemed to want to scream, but its body quickly fell due to gravity and it fell into the sea of fire.


    Then its body was completely shattered and the glittering dust permeated the Simpson Cage like a spring sandstorm, like firewood burning in the fireplace crackling. A life disappeared like this, from form to soul.


    An Zhe shuddered and took a few breaths. It wasn¡¯t necessarily a simple way to die but it must be better than him now, whose time was a bit late. Polly lifted him up and fed him some glucose water, but the warm liquid flowing into his esophagus tortured him like a knife. He leaned on Polly.


    ¡°The Simpson Cage is a powerful, high-energy particle field. Its energy is too great.¡±


    An Zhe nodded and watched the bird¡¯s death. Only then did he understand why Polly strictly banned the people of the institute from approaching the Simpson Cage. Just then, Rum called out from where he had been staring at the screen. ¡°Sir.¡±


    An Zhe glanced in that direction. On the screen, a few clear white lines suddenly appeared in the disordered noise and chaotic curves. They intertwined in a strange but regular way and slowly rotated.


    At the same time, the sparks in the Simpson Cage went out and the last traces of the bird disappeared from the world. On the screen, the lines slowly disappeared.


    Polly Joan stood up, his pupils shrinking and his voice quivering as he muttered, ¡°This is¡­ it¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°I think¡ª¡± Polly rushed to the console and quickly tapped a few buttons before ordering, ¡°Lead other monsters into the Simpson Cage.¡±


    He said so and they did it. The people of the research institute were equipped with more than a dozen simple communicators to communicate with each other. The heterogeneous group led by Tang Lan were temporarily blocking the monsters from 100 metres and Polly directed the people who weren¡¯t able to fight into the white building behind the Simpson Cage.


    The monsters were targeting the people in the institute so their attack target would naturally shift here.


    At this time, Polly informed Tang Lan to create a gap. An indescribable monster with star-shaped tentacles dived straight down but the flames of the Simpson Cage covered the door of the white building. It had to go straight through if it wanted to rush to the white building. It didn¡¯t hesitate to choose an angle that was least affected by the sea of fire and glided down.


    On the screen, there were suddenly several clear curves. They were tangled with each other, as clear as the long ripples left by ducks swimming on the lake. Polly stared at the curves. Once the monster¡¯s body disappeared, the curves also disappeared and it became irregular white noise again.


    ¡°In the past, there were monsters or heterogeneous species who were burned by the Simpson Cage but the curves were very confusing. It seemed that it was due to the magnetic field.¡± Polly explained. ¡°So these curves must represent the frequency of a monster itself. If a different monster came in¡ª¡±


    He hadn¡¯t finished speaking when there was a dull sound. A man who had killed the bird monster with a gun had hit a smaller monster and it also fell into the range of the Simpson Cage. The same glittering dust rose and on the big screen, several lines that were completely different from the previous creatures but still clearly visible appeared.


    Polly¡¯s breathing was short.


    ¡°In the world of basic particles, every living thing has its own frequency and every substance, every element has its own frequency. They are independent of each other when the fluctuation is stable and infect each other when the fluctuation is chaotic.¡±


    He stared at the curves on the screen and the calculated parameters. The expression on his face could be described as mad. ¡°The frequency captured by the Simpson Cage can be reproduced with the magnetic field generator. In the beginning, we precisely reproduced the geomagnetic field. If we send the captured monster frequencies, the creatures within the artificial magnetic field will be infected with this frequency.¡±


    He quipped, ¡°At the end of the death, God finally let me see a corner of the truth. Should I thank him?¡±


    He seemed to be inspired by something divine or inspired by a flash of light.


    ¡°Is the classification of the species itself a string of numbers that can be expressed using parameters? Are we in a high dimensional or low dimensional world that can be summed up in a few words?¡±


    ¡°We studied geomagnetism so we got the frequency that represented protection and confrontation. This allowed us to last over 100 years in this era. In fact, we have already been exposed to some truths.¡±


    He wrote and drew on pieces of paper again and again. An Zhe quietly watched Polly¡¯s back. Truth was so important to humanity, even in the impending moment of death. To him, it didn¡¯t make much sense. Humans used various complex theories to represent the world but in his eyes, the world was the world. There weren¡¯t so many things that could be analyzed and explained. It was just a complicated representation.


    Polly was still talking.


    ¡°The wave of one frequency covers the wave of another frequency. There are strong and weak fluctuations among them. There are the strongest fluctuations that can cover everything in the world and also the weak and small fluctuations. Humans have weaker fluctuations so it is easy to be infected by other creatures and lose consciousness.¡±


    He stared at the monsters coming from outside and his grey-blue eyes showed an almost neurotic look. An Zhe knew this represented his scientist¡¯s brain going crazy. It was spinning at a frenzied speed, processing and getting so much information that he could only sort out his thoughts by speaking quickly. An Zhe heard Polly murmur, ¡°What do they want? To get the most powerful frequency? Or do they sense that the magnetic field generator can emit a specific wave?¡±


    ¡°Or, or¡­¡± His eyes widened. ¡°Is there an absolutely stable frequency?¡±


    He grabbed a piece of paper. ¡°Dr Ji once told me that the Northern Base had found a completely inert sample.¡±


    He picked up the communication equipment.


    An Zhe watched the scene quietly. Polly had said many things he didn¡¯t understand. Even so, he understood a bit. How did he gain consciousness a long time ago? He couldn¡¯t remember. It must¡¯ve been a variation by coincidence, a ripple in this grand fluctuation, a slight ripple.


    Thus, there was him. Then there was his fate. Later, he met An Ze. The fate of humanity was a piece of music that was in flux.


    An Zhe gave a slight cough and stood up from his chair. If he didn¡¯t pay attention then the pain wouldn¡¯t be worth mentioning. Polly heard him get up and even at the moment of excitement, Polly still spoke to him in a gentle tone, ¡°Don¡¯t get up. You don¡¯t need to help here and should have a good rest.¡±


    Then Polly threw himself into his research and discovery.


    An Zhe picked up a piece of paper and wrote a few words on it. He folded it, handed it to Run and walked toward the door. Rum opened his mouth but An Zhe made a ¡®shh¡¯ gesture. Standing outside the door, through the translucent glass door, he stared at Polly with tenderness and sadness. There was a click and he locked the door from outside.


    The sound awakened Polly, who was immersed in his research.


    An Zhe turned and walked down the stairs. His steps were slightly unstable and his internal organs felt like they were burning. Eventually, he passed the people on the first floor of the white building. He descended the steps of the front door and came to the scorching flames of the Simpson Cage.


    He shouldn¡¯t have been here. He was a member of the Abyss and it was his kind attacking humanity. Now he stood with humans who acknowledged him and treated him well.


    The fire rolled up and the heat burned his face. He leaned over and coughed up blood a few more times. A heterogeneous shouldn¡¯t have been standing here. Did he feel happy or miserable about joining a human community?


    It took time for a mushroom to wither. The melting of mycelium was a slow process. He had closed his eyes countless times and felt he wouldn¡¯t help them the next second, yet he still opened them.


    What kept him here up to this time? Probability? Polly said that probability was fate. Yes, then fate let him come here!


    The vines protecting the institute fell to the ground with a bang. Tang Lan¡¯s wings were bleeding as he staggered in the air, fighting against a giant eagle who dived down. The sharp beak pierced Tang Lan¡¯s shoulder and blood splattered. He didn¡¯t even groan. He just held the bloody wound with one hand while the other hand turned into a claw that pierced the giant eagle¡¯s eyes.


    Blood was dripping on the ground. Did humans regret having a different happiness and suffering from other living creatures?


    An Zhe smiled as he took another step toward the Simpson Cage, the tongues of fire licking at his face like a hot summer. He heard the sound of banging on the glass from the white building but he didn¡¯t turn back.


    Burning along with the Simpson Cage was the sun. The huge sun was sinking, a magnificent golden red luster shining on half the horizon. The battle of the institute was still ongoing and howls, blasting sounds. blood, the morning light and the light of the fire mixed together.


    Uncle Shu, who cooked potato soup for him, was picked up by a monster and dropped. His body hit the ground heavily, his eyes stiff as blood flowed from them. Blood soaked the ground and death was everywhere. Everything in the world became slow motion in his eyes as An Zhe stepped forward.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± The uncle¡¯s hoarse voice barely managed to speak as he cried out with a torn heart, ¡°Don¡¯t kill yourself¡­¡±


    A creature¡¯s instinct was to live and a species¡¯ instinct was to continue. Humans never went gently into that good night.


    Facing the Simpson Cage, An Zhe finally felt the panic of death. He looked at Uncle Shu and asked softly¡ªbut also asking himself, ¡°But can you still live?¡±


    Uncle Shu¡¯s consciousness was no longer clear. He slowly shook his head and looked up at the distant sky. His eyes suddenly stopped. After two seconds of silence, he wheezed a few times and showed an excited expression.


    A low hum that was different from the howl of a monster was heard in the sky. An Zhe suddenly raised his head. Far away on the golden horizon, a group of neatly arranged black shadows flew to this side, long tail dragging through the clouds.


    ¡°Fighter¡­ plane.¡± An Zhe heard Uncle Shu say.


    He knew it was a plane. Looking up at the familiar shape, An Zhe suddenly felt a sincere joy.


    They didn¡¯t send any help signals to the Northern Base yet the fighter formation of the Northern Base came to support the institute. Not long ago, Polly urged Tang Lan to help the base if the institute ceased to exist, regardless of suspicion. Now it was the base who came to help the institute regardless of suspicion. It was at the moment when everything was destined to end.


    Polly was right. His race was despicable and noble. One could use the greatest malice to speculate on human behaviour while also believing in human kindness and tolerance. However, the artificial magnetic poles had failed. What about the base? What happened to Lu Feng? Or did the base no longer exist? Where would he be? An Zhe knew that Lu Feng would give everything for the base until the day when the base no longer needed him.


    Tears fell from An Zhe¡¯s eyes. His love and hate seemed worthless in this grand doomsday. Lu Feng had Lu Feng¡¯s mission and he had his fate.


    He took one more step.


    Boom¡ª


    A miniature nuclear bomb was released from the ejection hole of PL1109 and blocked the upward path of the monsters below with a loud nose. A mountain peak was destined to be a target but it was also destined to be easy to defend against attacks.


    ¡°Open the hatch.¡± A cold and calm voice was heard.


    ¡°Ready the glider.¡±


    ¡°There is a bit of a problem. Wait a minute,¡± the flight technician told him.


    The fighter plane was diving and the hatch opened with a mechanical creaking sound. Lu Feng took the glider wing handed over by a soldier.


    Hubbard asked, ¡°Do you want to go down?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°It was for the benefit of humanity when you assisted the underground city.¡± Hubbard watched him. ¡°Now? Will the Trial Court help the heterogeneous?¡±


    Lu Feng just glanced at the mercenary captain. After receiving the glider and starting the debugging, he asked lightly ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Hubbard whispered. ¡°I always feel that I will regret it if I don¡¯t come.¡±


    Click.


    The door of the cabin opened.


    ¡°My god.¡± The flight technician stepped back. ¡°Is it on fire? What is that?¡±


    Wind came in from the outside. Lu Feng stood at the entrance of the cabin and looked down. Suddenly, he froze. Before a sea of fire, An Zhe gazed up at the visitors from the Northern Base.


    At this moment, it was as if time was still. He saw Lu Feng and so Lu Feng saw him.


    An Zhe shivered violently as he met Lu Feng¡¯s eyes. Parting was the long-cherished plan but the meeting was so unexpected. He hadn¡¯t expected to see Lu Feng and he knew that Lu Feng had no idea he would be here.


    A blast of air from the fighter plane blew his clothes and he subconsciously extended his hand to the air. Those green eyes stared at him. A judge with the mission to kill heterogeneous species came to aid the fusion base, while a monster stood in the centre of the institute of humanity.


    It was ridiculous from beginning to end but as the brilliant light poured down, they suddenly became bright in each other¡¯s eyes. Yes, this was Lu Feng.


    An Zhe¡¯s eyes curved and he smiled at Lu Feng. In his limited memory, he had never shown such an expression to Lu Feng. It was so far away but he saw a smile slowly appear in those green eyes¡ªthere seemed to be infinite tenderness.


    Hubbard fired at a monster in the air while the fighter jet dropped uranium bombs around the institute. The artillery fire soared into the sky and the sound of explosions was mixed with the howling of the monsters. This was a loud sound that flowed into the symphony from the depths of the universe.


    Meanwhile, the monsters from the Abyss kept pouring in. The sandstorm was coming after the magnetic field disappeared. The last piece of human territory was falling. Humans¡ªthey were going to be extinct.


    The two people stared at each other for a long time, like the deepest hatred between them and also like the moment of relief. On this day, they came together again, freely¡ª


    Free¡ª


    An Zhe slowly closed his eyes and leaned forward.


    Like a leaf withering in late autumn.


    In the raging fire of the Simpson Cage, as the sun slowly rose and the human sunset slowly fell, his body turned into flying dust, dissolving, floating and ending.


    In the laboratory, on a screen full of noise, the erratic, irregular points suddenly gathered and rotated. The analysis program started. Three seconds later, several slowly intertwined frequency curves appeared on the screen.


    Just like fate.


    Looking at the parameters jumping on the screen, Polly Joan switched to the communication channel that was the emergency channel connecting the Northern Base and the Underground City Base. He wondered if they could hear it as he tried to suppress his trembling with calmness.


    ¡°This is the Highland Research Institute.¡±


    ¡°Please adjust the frequency of the artificial magnetic pole emission.¡±


    ¡°A1 channel, 2, 5, 2.7.¡±


    ¡°A2 channel, 9.13, 5, 3, 1.¡±


    ¡°D3 channel, 4, 0, 7.¡±


    ¡°Runge wave, level 6.¡±


    ¡°Adams features, grid 3.¡±


    ¡°The configuration is complete, please start.¡±


    ¡°Repeating.¡±


    ¡°A1 channel, 2, 5, 2.7.¡±


    ¡°A2 channel, 9.13, 5, 3, 1.¡±


    ¡°D3 channel¡­¡±


    Behind him, Rum¡¯s fingers completed these parameters in an almost trembling manner before he pressed the centre button. The tops of the white towers at both ends of the Highland Research Institute glowed with a dazzling light.


    Invisible silent waves radiated outward between the two white towers like ripples. In the east and west, great fluctuations were issued by two human poles.


    It was like the first bell of the new year. Everything was silent.

 Chapter 81

    ¡°Lu Feng!¡±


    Hubbard shouted as he saw Lu Feng¡¯s fingers hold onto the edge of the cabin door until it became white. The slightly drooping eyelashes and empty eyes seemed to be trying to cover up their master¡¯s loss but the trembling fingers exposed everything. In the midst of the sea of fire, his voice was hoarse but still calm and powerful. ¡°Prepare to attack.¡±


    Unexpectedly, this attack wasn¡¯t that difficult. The monsters¡¯ attacks seemed to slow down a lot. They were finally no longer obsessively and crazily attacking like they were looking for something. Rather, they were just carrying out an ordinary hunt.


    In this ordinary hunt, some monsters turned around and went in the direction of the Abyss. Some continued to attack the institute. Most of the monsters that had entered the research institute were killed by the Simpson Cage. Then the energy of the Simpson Cage was exhausted and started to gradually go out. Even so, the research institute started to fight back and effectively resisted their attacks.


    As for the monsters on the periphery, they were firmly blocked by Pl1109¡¯s miniature nuclear bombs and heavy weapons. This was a wilderness mountain. Apart from the tiny yard at the top, there was no need to hold back. Just like above the vast plains of the Underground City Base, the fighter formation was really playing its role here.


    The inside monsters were gradually killed and wiped out. Heavy weapons set up an insurmountable defense line around the research institute. The monsters from the Abyss were naturally intelligent enough to think. After a bit of deliberation, they turned around and retreated.


    They came suddenly like a tsunami and fell back slowly like the tide. On this sad mountain peak, everything fell silent two hours later. Red, white and all types of liquids were filling the open space in front of the institute. At noon when the sun was most dazzling, the blood glistened.


    PL1109 landed slowly and human officers visited the white building where Polly Joan was located. They didn¡¯t seem to be bothered by the differences between humans and heterogeneous at the research institute. They just eagerly asked what happened. They regarded the Highland Research Institute as compatriots. After explaining about the stable frequency, Polly Joan thanked the Northern Base for its selfless support.


    ¡°How is the base?¡± he finally asked.


    However, only silence was the answer. In the suffocating silence, a sudden sound came from the emergency communication channel.


    ¡°This is the Northern Base.¡± Dr Ji¡¯s voice quivered slightly. ¡°Hello, I would like to ask about the situation.¡±


    ¡°This is the Highland Research Institute. Greetings.¡± Polly responded. ¡°The monsters have retreated. The number of survivors is 37.¡±


    ¡°The Northern Base¡­ the monsters are ebbing.¡± Dr Ji¡¯s voice was hoarse in the midst of the electrical current sounds. ¡°The base personnel have retreated to the core laboratory of the magnetic field centre. The number of survivors¡­ 342, with 136 seriously injured.¡±


    ¡°Air strikes are ineffective, thermonuclear weapons are unavailable , the light weapons are in danger and the soldiers are in distress.¡± He gasped heavily as if suppressing something. ¡°Monsters are no longer attacking humans frantically but they still haven¡¯t given up on eating existing humans. I¡­ we¡¯re still defending the core laboratory¡­¡±


    Polly gazed silently at the blank screen.


    ¡°Are you hurt?¡± he finally said.


    Dr Ji¡¯s voice finally had a tremor of emotion in the formulaic tone. ¡°I¡¯m injured. Mr Polly, we¡¯ve never met but¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t continue. After a short breath, he changed the subject. ¡°I have served the base for 20 years. I am very smart but I haven¡¯t helped the base obtain any breakthrough, Mr Polly.¡±


    ¡°In the past, I heard people from the Northern Base say you presided over the development of genetic testing equipment. Now they say that you have extracted a stable solution, which might be the reason why the artificial magnetic poles haven¡¯t gone wrong in today¡¯s distortion storm.¡±


    ¡°Thank¡­ thank you.¡± The opposite Dr Ji said. ¡°We will defend the magnetic pole to the last moment but please also¡­ be prepared for the magnetic field to disappear. Please¡­ take care.¡±


    Then there were chaotic breathing sounds. There was an intermittent current sound then murmurs, voices giving out orders, gunfire, screams, items falling and walls collapsing. Inside the Highland Research Institute, there was silence.


    Finally, someone asked, ¡°That¡­ are we going to die?¡±


    If the Northern Base was unable to hold on then the global magnetic field couldn¡¯t escape the fate of disappearing. The PL1109 formation can bring support fire but it was limited. How many days could they hold on with the magnetic field gone? Despite the endless sacrifices and stable frequency, there was still no hope of life.


    Humans were still looking at the full moon in the water. No one answered. It was dead silence, the air like a clump of rotten meat. Someone laughed slightly, like a knife scratching on frozen, rotten meat. It was full of mockery. However, in this dead silence, the hissing current suddenly paused and another strange sound came.


    ¡°Hello.¡± The other side¡¯s pronunciation was jerky and only a few syllables could barely be distinguished.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, the instrument failed and I wasn¡¯t able to successfully send a message to the emergency communication channel. This is the Underground City Base¡¯s command centre.¡±


    The air was stagnant.


    ¡°This is the Highland Research Institute,¡± Polly replied. ¡°What is the status of the Underground City Base?¡±


    ¡°Everything is fine at the Underground City Base. After the monsters collectively attacked the base two months ago, we closed the ground gates and adopted a full blockade mode. Today, the plains aboveground were filled with a large number of monsters but due to the geographical advantage, we haven¡¯t been invaded.¡±


    Polly moved slightly. He heard the other side continue, ¡°The Underground City Base thanks the Northern Base for its selfless assistance two months ago. In particular, Colonel Lu Feng for making the rescue decision.¡±


    ¡°After learning of the situation in the north, the weapons, materials and ammunition provided by the Northern Base to us have been loaded on a transport aircraft. The transport aircraft¡¯s formation has taken off from the Underground City Base six hours ago and it is accompanied by 1,000 airborne troops. They will arrive at the Northern Base in half an hour for rescue.¡±


    ¡°We are asking the Northern Base to hold on for 30 minutes.¡±


    There was the sound of something slipping. Then Dr Ji¡¯s very low but very determined voice was heard.


    ¡°We can do it.¡±

 Chapter 82

    On the communication channel, Polly Joan¡¯s voice was heard.


    ¡°The stable frequency has covered the entire world. Please don¡¯t worry about material distortion.¡±


    ¡°The Underground City Base has received it.¡± The operator¡¯s voice suppressed his excitement. ¡°I might not know what you did but thank God, thank you.¡±


    The news kept coming.


    ¡°The Northern Base is still defending.¡± It seemed that someone else had taken Dr Ji¡¯s position and it was a young voice.


    Then there was news from the Underground City Base.


    ¡°The transport formation has landed.¡±


    ¡°Asking the survivors of the Northern Base to indicate your location.¡±


    ¡°Starting the break through.¡±


    They were still picking up the full moon in the water.


    The sun gradually rose and in the howling cold wind, the winter sun was dazzling without any traces of temperature. On the test tube rack, the glass sparkled and there seemed to be another heartbeat in the still air.


    The residents, the latecomers, the heterogeneous, the military officers¡ªthey just stood in front of the communication channel, waiting, waiting for news of the Underground City Base¡¯s rescue and the situation of the Northern Base. Even the vine that was guarding the institute stretched a branch through the window.


    There were occasional whispers.


    ¡°How many people died?¡±


    ¡°Uncle Shu is dead. The body is downstairs.¡±


    ¡°Where is Tang Lan?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see him.¡±


    The breakout and counterattack began. No one made any reports on the communication channel and everyone held their breaths while waiting.


    In the quiet tension, Polly Joan got up from the computer. His steps faltered, whether it was because of his age or emotion. There was a squeak as he pushed open the door and first stared at the extinguished Simpson Cage. Everywhere outside was full of blood and corpses but the Simpson Cage was clean. Immediately, he shifted his eyes forward.


    Outside the laboratory door, the black figure half leaning against the wall raised his head. The pair of eyes seemed empty, like a green ocean covered by 10,000 years of ice. They just saw each other and knew each other¡¯s identity.


    Polly Joan¡¯s grey-blue eyes were full of sorrow.


    ¡°Child,¡± he spoke gently.


    Lu Feng didn¡¯t answer and looked down at the piece of paper that Polly Joan was holding. Polly¡¯s fingers trembled slightly and he flattened the paper with a few words written on it. An Zhe¡¯s handwriting wasn¡¯t beautiful but the points were simple and clear, like a lake in spring.


    ¡°Polly, thank you for your care. I¡¯m the inert sample of the Northern Base and my frequency might help you. If not, sorry. Also, please remember our agreement.¡±


    Polly Joan asked, ¡°Is he really that inert sample?¡±


    ¡°The sample is part of him.¡± Lu Feng¡¯s fingers took the white note, his voice slightly hoarse. ¡°What did you agree on?¡±


    Polly replied, ¡°If one day, the Northern Base¡¯s judges come here¡­ just say that An Zhe has left.¡±


    Lu Feng¡¯s eyes turned red. Then heavy footsteps were heard behind him. It was a dark-skinned Indian man. Rum held An Zhe¡¯s backpack and silently handed it to Lu Feng. There were some things neatly packed in the backpack. The base¡¯s monthly magazine, a silver cross star badge and a black gun.


    Lu Feng¡¯s fingers grasped the backpack and he lowered his head, staring at the contents inside but not seeing them clearly.


    ¡°He was picked up by our people on the Abyss¡­ he was a good boy and did well here.¡± Looking at the other person, Polly whispered, ¡°I know the base couldn¡¯t hold him. Did you always know he was here?¡±


    Lu Feng¡¯s eyes finally moved from the backpack to Polly Joan.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know,¡± he said.


    Polly Joan¡¯s eyes were trembling and they closed in pain. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    The unexpected reunion was the last farewell. There was such cold torture in the world. The cold wind blew through the top of the mountain. After a long silence, Lu Feng asked, ¡°Where is he?¡±


    ¡°The Simpson Cage is a high-energy field and collider. Any matter entering it is blown to pieces by a stream of high-energy particles. I think you saw it.¡±


    The backpack fell to the ground and the barrel of the gun reached Polly¡¯s temple. Lu Feng¡¯s cold eyes stared at Polly.


    ¡°Where is he?¡± He repeated the question, all emotions erupting at this moment and there was a vague madness in the cold eyes. He was like a prisoner already sentenced to death, but he had to confirm his sentence over and over.


    A sad smile appeared on Polly Joan¡¯s lips. His loving eyes stared outside the window and he knew that he needed to give a good faith lie, despite them both knowing everything. ¡°His frequency was sent all over the world and he will save everything from distortion. He is right next to you, he is everywhere.¡±


    Lu Feng stared at him like this. They were deadlocked until there was a bang. Lu Feng¡¯s fingers trembled as he released the gun. Once the gun landed on the ground, it banged against the iron railings of the corridor and stirred a long metal buzzing.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Lu Feng¡¯s voice was hoarse. ¡°I¡­¡±


    He closed his eyes, clenched his fists and didn¡¯t go on.


    ¡°No need.¡± Polly gazed at him with pity. ¡°You can shoot me, you can vent your emotions at will, child.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Lu Feng spoke hoarsely. ¡°If he was still here then I would.¡±


    This was the calmest and most desperate thing Polly Joan had ever heard.


    They stood side by side in the corridor in the middle of winter until the bloody sunset swept across the mountains and the Abyss, until a voice was heard from the communication channel in the laboratory. Over the current sound, an excited shout was heard.


    ¡°Low tide¡ªlow tide!¡±


    ¡°The beast tide is dispersing.¡±


    ¡°The breakout was a success.¡±


    Cheers of victory rang out from the channel. The words celebrating victory were mixed with sporadic messages. For example, the airborne troops of the Underground City Base sacrificed over 600 people. For example, the true number of survivors of the Northern Base was a few hundred. For example, there was a request asking what the institute had found.


    Sadness and joy overlapped slowly, despair and hope went hand in hand. Everything was lucky, everything came with a price. There were the sacrifices of countless people, the sacrifice of one person.


    A line of tears flowed slowly from Polly Joan¡¯s eyes. Suddenly a cloud of white floated over from Lu Feng¡¯s shoulders and fell on Polly¡¯s clothes. It stretched out white mycelium and touched him.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Polly held it and asked.


    Lu Feng explained, ¡°The inert sample. His most important thing.¡±


    Polly Joan naturally knew who Lu Feng was referring to. There was only one ¡®him¡¯ between the two of them. He stared at the white mycelium and reached out to touch, the mycelium gently wrapping around his fingers. Polly whispered, ¡°Why did it take the initiative to come to me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°This is an asexual spore, a fungal breeding body.¡± Polly mused. ¡°He never told us what species he was. So he is¡ª¡±


    Looking at the spore, Lu Feng said, ¡°He is a mushroom.¡±


    His voice was hoarse but there was endless pity and tenderness. ¡°He is just¡­ a little mushroom.¡±

 Chapter 83

    It had been three years since the final battle.


    On that day, the eastern pole and western pole sent out an absolutely stable frequency together. Since then, materials no longer polluted each other and humans found no change from distortion. Later, this frequency was called the Bell.


    The Highland Research Institute, who discovered the Bell, and Mr Polly Joan would forever be remembered in human history.


    The Highland Research Institute.


    Green vines covered the windows and railings. The mutant vine that had been guarding the institute had died naturally a year ago. Its seeds spilled onto the soil of the institute and sprouted branches this spring. The distant mountains were covered with a layer of snow-white mist and the mist was lush green. Everything was normal, everything was calm, like a spring day in 2020.


    In the corridor outside the laboratory, there was a wheelchair. Polly Joan sat in it. Wind blew from the Abyss to the top of the mountain and through his white hair. Behind him was Lu Feng.


    ¡°In 2020, I was 15 years old and studying physics at university.¡± An old voice was heard. ¡°Later, I often dreamt that I came back to that year. I stood on the podium, in the tutor¡¯s office and in the middle of the playground, loudly proclaiming that the geomagnetic field was going to disappear and we should prepare well in advance.¡±


    Polly paused and a helpless smile appeared on his face. ¡°Sometimes they believed me and sometimes they didn¡¯t. However, every morning I opened my eyes and saw this terrible world.¡±


    ¡°It is fortunate. This world is still terrible, or even worse, but at least we don¡¯t have to count down the days until extinction.¡±


    Polly Joan lowered his head and looked down at the copy of Base United Daily News in his hand. The date on the cover was April 2164.


    134 years after the disaster, humanity seemed to have finally integrated into this world of mutual killing.


    Many people would bring up the last battle. The Northern Base chose to rescue the Highland Research Institute. Otherwise, the Highland Research Institute wouldn¡¯t be able to persist until they managed to analyze the stable frequency. The Underground City Base chose to assist the eastern magnetic pole or the magnetic poles wouldn¡¯t collapse and there would be no frequency. Both decisions were made based on the kindness of the human heart and they won a dangerous victory.


    There was only one fighter plane formation to protect the Highland Research Institute and there were only 1,000 airborne troops to rescue the Northern Base. The last struggle of humanity against extinction wasn¡¯t a magnificent war but a deep cry. Its existence, evolution and extinction might consider itself important but the world¡¯s changes proved again and again that it was weak and insignificant.


    Yes, in fact, the human community had died.


    After being infected by the absolutely stable frequency, they finally obtained permanent and stable immunity. Sometimes, there was even a chance that they could obtain the genes of monsters, acquiring these powerful shapes yet still being sober. This might be a triumph for the fusion faction¡ªalthough it didn¡¯t use the theories and methods of the fusion faction.


    After the peaceful fusion with the monster genes, the strength of humans was enhanced and they no longer relied so much on a limited number of weapons. They started to fight monsters in the monster way and attacked and defended in a simple manner. Some humans chose to leave the base, returning to the abandoned cities or forming small settlements in the wild.


    In short, the city disintegrated. There were fewer than 5,000 survivors worldwide and they could no longer organize great social structures or armies. Centred on the eastern magnetic pole, the western magnetic pole and the Highland Research Institute, small settlements radiated outward in a star shape.


    Although the outside monsters who needed food still stared at them, the monsters no longer needed human genes. Of the monsters who lived to the present, most had already acquired human genes. From another angle, the frequency covering the world meant the monsters also gained stability. Still, it was an undeniable fact that humans¡¯ intellectual superiority had long ended.


    The Bell rang, humans survived and the era of humanity had come to an end. They seemed to be living in this world as an ordinary species.


    ¡°Some people say this is a fall but I think it is a rise.¡± Polly stared straight ahead and mused. ¡°We are just going through the journey our ancestors have gone through, with new achievements and cognition.¡±


    In the open space in front of the white building, young scientists in white coats moved between instruments.


    Suddenly, there was a loud noise. A young man in the middle was raising a beaker full of clear water. The situation was obvious. By sampling and reproducing the frequency of the material, they succeeded in infecting other materials with the frequency of distilled water, turning the dark turbid water in the beaker into a glass of clear, pure water.


    Many things were being redefined and new theoretical systems were beginning to emerge. It was unknown if this was correct or not but they were slowly moving forward.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t know what these frequencies are, whether they represent the fundamental composition of a substance or if it is just a term referring to the nature of matter.¡± Polly¡¯s voice was hoarse due to old age. ¡°Acquiring the frequency of a particular substance can in turn change the real world. This is an unexpected achievement beyond expectations.¡±


    ¡°We are still small and we¡¯ve only obtained a superficial projection of the real world in a crude way, but this projection is enough for us to protect ourselves for a while.¡±


    Facing the endless wilderness, he muttered to himself. ¡°100 years, 1,000 years from now, will we know more?¡±


    Lu Feng pushed Polly¡¯s wheelchair to a waterfall-like green vine. Spring was when all things recovered and these vines with strange shapes had white flowers. The flowers had different shapes and shades but they also existed on one vine at the same time.


    ¡°Am I overly optimistic?¡± Polly smiled. ¡°It is a puzzle if there will still be humans 100 years later.¡±


    Survival was still grim and clouds were still around. Fertility and reproduction still didn¡¯t have an effective solution. Polly Joan¡¯s hand stopped on the third page of the often flipped through Base United Daily News. This page covered two things.


    The first was a report from a scientist who happened to merge with a bird and gave birth to an egg. The egg hatched in the form of a bird but the hatchling suddenly changed to human form when he was one year old. In the second report, a fertile woman from the Underground City Base claimed that when her life came to an end, she would walk into the Simpson Cage and donate her frequency for research.


    ¡°My life is coming to an end.¡± Polly closed the daily news and stated. ¡°Some people have finally survived. For many years, I have been asking myself if I had redeemed my sins. Still, I can¡¯t face everything I did back then. I can only wait for God to judge what is right and wrong.¡±


    Lu Feng wondered, ¡°Did you leave the base for this?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I couldn¡¯t face my heart. After all, I couldn¡¯t agree with the Trial Court¡¯s conviction.¡± He glanced at Lu Feng. ¡°I can¡¯t compare to you.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything.¡±


    Polly shook his head. The spring wind blew across the mountains and the light fragrance of the vine flowers was scattered with the wind.


    ¡°You faced everything I couldn¡¯t face in the past and you persisted for the longest time.¡± He looked up and held Lu Feng¡¯s hand. ¡°Human interests above all else. Thank you for keeping the base and the artificial magnetic poles to the end. This is the ultimate reason for humanity¡¯s victory.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°I heard they have started to compile the chronicles of the base. 100 years from now, how will people judge the Trial Court?¡± Polly stared at the white sky to the east where dawn was rising, his eyes containing a type of distant peace. ¡°Some people will criticize it and some people will praise it. The only thing I can be sure of is that everyone will remember it.¡±


    ¡°He continued, ¡°I¡¯ll remember you more, child.¡±


    Lu Feng¡¯s eyes rested on a snow-white petal. The sun shone on it like a translucent golden crystal.


    ¡°There is no need.¡± His eyes were narrowed and his voice flat, as if everything Polly said had nothing to do with him.


    The light also illuminated the dark silver buttons and trim on his black uniform. He stood tall and straight, his outfit neat and his facial features perfect. His eyes were different from ordinary people, the cold and light look leaving an indelible impression on passersby. The new vines twined around the corridor in the morning light and he stood in the surging spring, but he was incompatible with all of it.


    In the courtyard and in the corridor, many people quietly turned their heads to glance at him. The last generation of judges, he had too many unresolved hatred and mysteries. There were various opinions in the Northern Base. Some people said that he died in an assassination and some people said that he killed himself with a bomb. Only the researchers knew that the Judge would stay here forever¡ªbut no one knew the reason.


    ¡°Look at me, child.¡±


    Lu Feng looked at him. Although the other person¡¯s grey-blue eyes were cloudy, they were still bright. They were too clear and filled with kindness, wisdom and sorrow, as if they could see through all the appearances of the world.


    ¡°Sometimes, I think that you are free and sometimes you aren¡¯t.¡± Polly stated. ¡°Three years have passed and everything is going well. Can you still not face the past?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡± The answer was unexpected. Lu Feng stared directly at him, tone calm and without hesitation. ¡°I have no sin.¡±


    ¡°No judge would say that.¡±


    ¡°Human interests above all else.¡± Lu Feng leaned slightly to the side, his silhouette backlit by the endless morning light. ¡°I have never wavered in my faith.¡±


    ¡°Yet you live in pain.¡±


    ¡°I have suffered for the trial.¡± Lu Feng declared. ¡°Now, losing him is my only pain.¡±


    ¡°I have never seen such a gentle, calm child before.¡± Polly closed his eyes as he remembered the past. ¡°He came to Earth from an unknown place, as if to suffer. Yet human suffering didn¡¯t harm any of his essence. I don¡¯t have much time left. I just want to see him alive again before I go.¡±


    In the long silence, they stared at the laboratory behind them.


    Across the wall, young assistants were busy recording data. They were busier than ever, as if it was a special day today. Looking through the window, a transparent square cabin that was like a crystal coffin was placed on the white ground. Inside the crystal coffin was a pale green nutrient solution. In the nutrient solution, snow-white mycelium was growing and spreading, intertwined with each other and forming a snow-white cocoon that faintly had the shape of a human body.


    It grew very quickly, from a spore the size of a jujube pit to a soft mycelium polymer, like the young bird that suddenly turned into a human baby. One day, it showed a human body. On countless nights, Lu Feng leaned over and stared at the familiar outline through the filaments.


    ¡°Is this him?¡± he asked Polly Joan.


    ¡°He is an asexually reproduced mushroom and there is no difference between his body and the spore. I can only tell you that there is no difference in the genes and the frequency is the same. They are the same in a biological sense.¡± Polly smiled and spoke softly, ¡°Ancient legend has the story of a phoenix gaining new life in fire. In fact, it is true for those creatures with simple structures. Death is a new life and reproduction is the way to continue life.¡±


    ¡°¡­Will he remember?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Polly shook his head. ¡°It depends on whether the soul or memory also has an established frequency. A mushroom knows from birth what type of nutrition it needs. Where does this memory come from? I tend to think that based on the unknown measure of the universe, they are the same creature. You don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡±


    Lu Feng gazed at the distant sky with always cold and calm eyes. ¡°I hope he forgets it all.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°The human base and I have only caused him pain. I hope he never feels this.¡±


    Polly shook his head. ¡°How do you know what the world is like to him?¡±


    Lu Feng¡¯s voice dropped gently. ¡°Thus, I will accept all results.¡±


    Polly didn¡¯t speak. In the silence, an instrument in the laboratory suddenly made a loud sound. The experimenters shouted and there was the sound of ping-pong objects falling to the ground. The voices came on and off so that the people outside knew what was going on inside.


    The sun rose and the morning light shone on Polly Joan¡¯s old body. It was like he finally finished his last matter as he turned his wheelchair in a relieved manner in the direction of the laboratory, his eyes becoming more gentle.


    Lu Feng didn¡¯t look back.


    Polly wondered, ¡°He has woken up. Why aren¡¯t you looking at him?¡±


    There were some chaotic noises from the laboratory. A long time later, Lu Feng finally spoke.


    ¡°You once asked me what I thought of him.¡± Lu Feng¡¯s voice came from a distance. ¡°I thought about it a lot.¡±


    In the long silence, golden sunlight flowed from the eastern mountains and a red sun leapt out of the sky. He closed his eyes in the wait. The statue of the waiting man, the portrait of the pilgrim, everyone looked like him. Everyone had shown this look the night before the trial.


    He stated calmly, ¡°He is the one who judges me.¡±


    A door opened and gentle footsteps stopped not far away. On the top of the mountain, in the light and misty breeze, a clear and soft voice was heard.


    ¡°Lu Feng?¡±

 Chapter 84

    An Zhe sank into a dream.


    He had such a dream long ago¡ªthe day he left Lu Feng.


    Sometimes, when it was clear during the day and when he was awake, he would fall into the dream again. It was probably the hallucination of a dying man. He didn¡¯t mention it to Polly. The coughing up blood, high fever and pain everywhere had already caused Polly too much worry.


    In the dream, his body was divided into two halves, half at the Highland Research Institute and half in an unknown place with no pain and without the heavy human body.


    In the dream, he had no eyes, no ears, no sense of smell and no human consciousness. It was like the feeling of being buried in the rain-soaked soil when he was born. Mushrooms had their own senses that couldn¡¯t be described with the human language.


    He knew that he wasn¡¯t far from Lu Feng¡¯s side. This must be a delusion after leaving Lu Feng but this didn¡¯t prevent him from getting closer to Lu Feng in his dream.


    The dream wasn¡¯t always happy. Sometimes, he was placed in a closed container and accompanied by cold liquids. In the beginning, Dr Ji was next to him. Later, it was Polly and many people coming and going. He had nothing to do. If Lu Feng was next to him then he would wrap around Lu Feng. If Lu Feng wasn¡¯t present, he would soak in the liquid and reflect on his life.


    Those distant memories surfaced of being in the soil, in the rainy season, in winter and at the base. When thinking of certain things, he would lean closer to Lu Feng, this person¡¯s fingers touching his mycelium. He seemed to finally be staying quietly with this person and didn¡¯t want to wake up. In the real world, he and Lu Feng could never do this.


    However, when he recalled his memories a few hundred times, he still had no dreams and chose to wake up. He found himself alive. Now looking back on that day, he no longer remembered the emotional fluctuations that left many other places blank.


    He just remembered he was standing by the door and Lu Feng turned from a lush spring. He stared like this and didn¡¯t dare to go forward. He had too many dreams and fished for the full moon too many times.


    Until Lu Feng came to him. He had cried many times when this person was absent. His heart would tremble violently whenever he thought about Lu Feng but at this moment, when he really saw Lu Feng, he couldn¡¯t help smiling.


    He reached out to touch Lu Feng¡¯s silhouette. Was this person thin or not? He couldn¡¯t tell. It had been too long, he hadn¡¯t seen this person for too long.


    Only then did a line of tears slip from the corners of his eyes. He retracted his hand and stared at Lu Feng, only to be hugged by this man. Lu Feng wiped the tears off his cheeks and his head fell on Lu Feng¡¯s shoulder. An Zhe¡¯s voice was hoarse as he whispered this person¡¯s name.


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Lu Feng stated.


    The people in the lab congratulated them. Polly had even brought a person back to life¡ªhe couldn¡¯t imagine the principle at all. The people in the laboratory used many terms such as genes, frequencies and samples. He heard it all through a fog but human technology was so amazing that he accepted it.


    It had been three years since he jumped into the Simpson Cage. The outside world had calmed down.


    The era of genetic confusion ended with a ringing bell and his frequency was sent to the whole world. It was impossible to evaluate if this was good or bad because at that moment, all tangible things were infected by the frequency and gained stability. Humans were always human and monsters were always monsters. They could undergo polymorphic mutations but the governing consciousness was always the master from the moment the bell rang.


    As for why this was the case, Polly¡¯s explanation was that after many experiments and comparisons, the frequency resolved by the Simpson Cage was closer to the definition of matter itself.


    For example, facing an apple and an orange, the human knew it was an apple and an orange, but the apple itself didn¡¯t know it was an apple and the orange didn¡¯t know it was an orange. They would never know and only humans knew.


    Just like a mushroom didn¡¯t know its beginning and a short-lived cicada didn¡¯t know the seasons, the biology of humans could only be analyzed through appearance errors, They didn¡¯t know what made up themselves and what made them human. It was an incomprehensible system.


    It was just that when the Simpson Cage analyzed the basic particles, they briefly glanced at an insignificant reflection of truth and saw the clues of real definition, grasping several frequencies worth mentioning. In this symphony of the universe, human beings were most likely to be disturbed by the notes of other creatures while this inexplicable mushroom with his own consciousness was the stable frequency that could tolerate everything. Once this stability was given to the world, a short-lived peace came.


    ¡°This is probability,¡± Polly Joan said, ¡°Probability is fate and life is chance.¡±


    An Zhe had just been fed a slice of apple by Lu Feng when he heard this. The newly picked apple just needed to be bitten and it was full of a sweet and slightly sour juice. An Zhe forgot what he wanted to say and was blocked by another piece.


    ¡°What about an orange?¡± He asked, ¡°What is the taste of an orange?¡±


    Lu Feng had told him to wait for autumn. Polly invited them to eat apples and future oranges.


    On the way back to the room, An Zhe finished eating half an apple and the other half was left to Lu Feng¡ªhe had intended to cut the colonel¡¯s pieces but Lu Feng didn¡¯t let him touch the knife. An Zhe didn¡¯t argue with the colonel over this type of thing. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that the other person was Lu Feng then he wouldn¡¯t even want to cut the apple. He was sleepy and it was time for a nap.


    However, he couldn¡¯t sleep. He held a tablet and looked down at it. The tablet stored all the data he had searched for in the 10 days since he woke up. An electronic version of the Base United Daily News, research records copied from Dr Ji¡¯s computer, laboratory manuals copied from Polly¡¯s computer and many other similar things.


    Lu Feng sat beside him. An Zhe quickly turned around and didn¡¯t show it to this person. Lu Feng laughed softly and stuffed the remaining half of the apple into An Zhe¡¯s stomach.


    The apple might be delicious and the colonel was also very good but An Zhe didn¡¯t want Lu Feng to be by his side when looking at this information. He was always suspicious and felt that Lu Feng was watching his screen.


    The hateful thing was that as soon as he woke up, he found that Lu Feng had occupied his former room in the institute. Everything in the room was exactly the same as before he died but the owner had changed. He tried to get Lu Feng to move next door but Lu Feng told him with no expression, ¡®If you don¡¯t want to be in the same room as me, continue to sleep in the nutrition tank.¡¯


    An Zhe, ¡°¡­¡±


    Three years hadn¡¯t made this person¡¯s character kinder, not even the slightest bit. Thus, he could only share a room, a desk and a bed with the colonel. In the end, An Zhe felt so suspicious that he couldn¡¯t continue to look at the materials and was sleepy to the point where he had to sleep.


    ¡°It¡¯s boring.¡±


    In bed, Lu Feng held him from behind and he looked at the white walls in a dazed manner.


    The colonel¡¯s voice was icy like the frozen stream. ¡°Where do you want to go?¡±


    ¡°I think¡­¡± An Zhe stared at the wall, slight confusion in his eyes. He had a place to go. It was a place that apart from him, only Lu Feng knew about. An Zhe had never mentioned it even to Polly.


    ¡°I want to find An Ze,¡± he whispered.


    In the cave where it all began, An Ze¡¯s bones were still waiting for him. He had a lot to say to An Ze.


    He remembered every word An Ze had said to him. An Ze said that he was a person whose life was meaningless. An Zhe wanted to tell An Ze about the upheavals at the Northern Base and the source of the last bell.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for meeting Lu Feng and An Ze, nothing would¡¯ve happened. Thus, fate fluctuated with countless coincidences. However, the Abyss was so large that he couldn¡¯t find the cave. In addition, no one was willing to accompany him to find it. It became a distant wish.


    ¡°But I can¡¯t find it,¡± he murmured. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything and don¡¯t remember.¡±


    ¡°I will go with you and look for it,¡± Lu Feng whispered in his ears.


    An Zhe¡¯s eyes widened.


    Everything was like a dream. The next day, after saying goodbye to Polly, their armoured vehicle was dropped by the transport aircraft into the middle of the Abyss. The captain was the pilot of PL1109. Before bidding them farewell, he instructed them to remember to look for Hubbard and Tang Lan. They had disappeared after the monster siege at the institute. Now the only thing that could be confirmed was that Tang Lan was still alive despite being seriously injured. Their corpses hadn¡¯t been found within 10 miles.


    ¡°I seriously suspect that they healed up, got lost and then lay eggs.¡± The captain made a final inference and left on the transport plane.


    Lu Feng opened the door of the armoured vehicle and settled down. The ground was like velvet grass. An Zhe stared into the distance. It was late spring and the dark green of the Abyss spread in an endless manner. The leaves rolled in the wind and the sound of birds flying could be heard far away. He had come to this place again.


    He stared at Lu Feng, who had unexpectedly accompanied him here. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Lu Feng raised his eyebrows. ¡°Don¡¯t you want me to come?¡±


    ¡°It will take a long time. Don¡¯t you work for the humans?¡±


    ¡°The Trial Court is dissolved.¡± Lu Feng watched him while speaking. ¡°If there is a war or if I am needed then I will go back to the base.¡±


    There was no pain, hatred or anything else in those cold green eyes. He seemed to have lost something, making him feel relieved. An Zhe reached out to remove a falling soft leaf from Lu Feng¡¯s shoulder and was embraced by Lu Feng.


    ¡°Now I want to be with you.¡± He heard Lu Feng say lightly in the silence.


    ¡°¡­Why?¡± He held Lu Feng¡¯s shoulder and rested his chin on the man¡¯s shoulder. He didn¡¯t say what he was asking but he knew that Lu Feng knew. The two of them always didn¡¯t need to say much. He knew he liked Lu Feng but he didn¡¯t know why Lu Feng liked him.


    Lu Feng took a step forward so that An Zhe¡¯s back rested against the car. He raised his head to see Lu Feng. Those eyes were just as quiet and clear as they were when they first met at the base¡¯s gates.


    Lu Feng watched him for a long time. For three years, he often dreamed of that day. At that time, his soul was caught in a thorny quagmire that he was unable to extricate himself from. This was how he met An Zhe.


    An Zhe was a human, a heterogeneous, a monster. He should be killed, he shouldn¡¯t be killed. He was everything that couldn¡¯t be defined, he was the craziest possibility. He was like everyone in a pool of blood.


    ¡°Why did you walk into the Simpson Cage?¡± Lu Feng suddenly asked.


    An Zhe thought about it before shaking his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Then An Zhe whispered, ¡°So you don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Lu Feng leaned his head against An Zhe¡¯s forehead and spoke softly, ¡°Because you are a small mushroom.¡±


    This perfunctory answer made An Zhe raise his eyes with disgruntlement. Then he saw the undercurrents surging in the green eyes and his gaze couldn¡¯t help softening.


    In the Abyss, everything grew. In fact, he remembered every sentence Polly had said.


    The entire universe was in constant turmoil and human consciousness was a glimmer of light produced in a transient stability. A story took place in the book but the book was burned by fire. The frequency of the magnetic field was like cold air and could resist that fiery heat. His frequency turned the paper into asbestos, keeping it alive in the fire.


    However, the flames were still burning. The unknown fluctuation and the unpredictable upheavals would come again. Perhaps at hotter temperatures or in completely strange forms. Maybe it was the next second and maybe 10,000 years. But¡ª


    It didn¡¯t matter. All of them had received an end they couldn¡¯t expect.


    He leaned against the car and smiled at Lu Feng. Lu Feng leaned over and kissed the corner of An Zhe¡¯s eyes. Then he turned to one side and started to calibrate the compass and navigator.


    He fiddled with the compass and navigator while An Zhe continued to read through his information, which was almost the same as before. After five minutes, he had completely read all of it and clicked the lock screen button.


    At this time, Lu Feng also finished his work. They came from the south. There was a lake in front of them, a dense forest to the east and a swamp to the west.


    ¡°Where to go?¡± Lu Feng asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± An Zhe¡¯s attitude was a bit pessimistic.


    Lu Feng suggested lightly, ¡°To the east.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Lu Feng put aside the navigator and explained, ¡°I don¡¯t know where your cave is but I know where I saw you for the first time.¡±


    It was okay not to say this. The moment he said it, An Zhe¡¯s mood became completely bad. He looked up at Lu Feng, eyebrows furrowed slightly and eyes red like he was about to cry. Lu Feng felt a rare moment of helplessness and reached out to hold An Zhe¡¯s face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t like me at all.¡± An Zhe frowned.


    ¡°I like you.¡±


    An Zhe raised his voice. ¡°Then what about my spore?¡±


    Lu Feng hadn¡¯t mentioned his spore to him at all. This man was so far previously so An Zhe didn¡¯t dare ask. He could only find news materials in order to figure out where the inert sample went. However, it was nowhere. It wasn¡¯t until he turned to the end that he saw something about an ¡®inert extract¡¯ and there was a photo of a glass bottle with a spore the size of a jujube pit.


    Now Lu Feng kept his mouth shut and the spore was nowhere to be found. There was only one possibility. It was raised to death.


    Hearing this sentence, a smile appeared in Lu Feng¡¯s eyes. An Zhe was so angry that he couldn¡¯t sleep properly.


    ¡°You raised it to become smaller and smaller.¡± His eyes were misty and he was about to cry. ¡°Now it is dead.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°It is dead.¡± An Zhe grabbed his arm, throat choking. ¡°You aren¡¯t good at all¡­ give it back to me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡± Lu Feng reassured him. ¡°What is your spore to you?¡±


    ¡°It¡­¡± An Zhe tried to describe it in human language but he could only say, ¡°It is a spore.¡±


    ¡°Is it important?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s important.¡± An Zhe was trembling with anger. ¡°I can die but I must plant a spore. I thought you would protect it so I gave it to you.¡±


    ¡°More important than your life?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°For any creature, only one¡¯s life is the most important.¡±


    ¡°The spore is the most important thing.¡± An Zhe retorted in a relentless manner. ¡°You aren¡¯t a mushroom.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Lu Feng¡¯s voice was still gentle. ¡°So it is your child?¡±


    An Zhe bit his lip. In the mushroom world, there were no parents, no children, no loved one and no friends. The mushrooms in the Abyss were different from other mushrooms. He couldn¡¯t use human relationship to describe his relationship with the spore. He couldn¡¯t say it was his child and could only say, ¡°I gave birth to it.¡±


    ¡°I raised it.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t take care of it at all.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Lu Feng wondered, ¡°Then why did it see you in the Lighthouse but actively drifted to only me?¡±


    This old thing was mentioned again. An Zhe was still worried about Lu Feng raising the spore to death and then he suddenly remembered the appearance of the spore. Neither was a good thing. He didn¡¯t know and could only say, ¡°I gave birth to it.¡±


    Lu Feng smiled again.


    The sky spun.


    An Zhe was pressed under the body of this man. Lu Feng¡¯s fingers lightly slid across his belly. In the weakest and softest place, the slightly cool fingertips caused a shudder.


    An Zhe gasped softly.


    Lu Feng lowered his head and whispered in An Zhe¡¯s ear. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you can give birth to another one.¡±

 Chapter 85 - Extra 1

    An Zhe frowned up at Lu Feng. He wasn¡¯t happy and his eyes were red. In the end, he didn¡¯t talk to Lu Feng. He reached out and grabbed Lu Feng¡¯s wrist, trying to take it away.


    However, this man¡¯s strength was much greater than his. He couldn¡¯t move at all and after several attempts, he simply turned his fingers into mycelium that wrapped around Lu Feng¡¯s arm and dragged it away. Even so, the soft mycelium was less powerful than his human form and even broke with a bit of force.


    ¡°Don¡¯t drag it.¡± Lu Feng spoke in his ear, voice low.


    An Zhe ignored him.


    Lu Feng smiled softly, His fingers touched the mycelium, separated them and once again put his fingers on the skin of An Zhe¡¯s belly.


    He asked, ¡°Is there anything else?¡±


    ¡°No more.¡± An Zhe¡¯s tone was bad.


    He had his spore taken once by this man, how could he let it be dug out a second time¡ªnot to mention that he really had no new spores.


    Strangely enough, the original spore was lost and no new spore existed in his body, but the feeling of loss also left him. There was no cavity in his body that could never be filled and his spirit no longer cared for the spore whose location was unknown¡ªjust like when An Zhe was born a long time ago. The moment he woke up, he couldn¡¯t be more complete.


    An Zhe looked down at his mycelium, his white, soft, flexible mycelium. He hesitated slightly and reached out his other hand to touch his belly. This hand was also held by Lu Feng. He subconsciously remembered the days when he was in the institute and he closed himself in an unoccupied room, carefully turning part of his limbs back to mycelium. A tangled mass was revealed after his human bones and skin had disappeared. It was a grey-black object. The original mycelium had shrunk and liquefied. After a short time, all of his body would become a pool of black liquid and dry out on the floor or in the corner. This was how a mushroom died. At that time, he had turned back into a human and stared at the endless night sky outside the window, looking at the night of his life and feeling the huge fear that every create felt when they faced death that would cover them with no discrimination. He could feel the cold deep into his bone marrows. He had trembled, closed his eyes and waited for everything to dissipate before going out and living with the people of the institute like a normal human.


    Lu Feng didn¡¯t know about these things.


    This cognition made An Zhe¡¯s eyes feel sore. He thought of the fear and despair at that time and looked up at Lu Feng, his heart more aggrieved than before. Lu Feng clearly understood his look.


    ¡°Are you really crying?¡± The colonel touched the corner of An Zhe¡¯s eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    An Zhe shook his head. ¡°In any case, I won¡¯t give it to you.¡±


    After saying that, he struggled to leave Lu Feng¡¯s restraint but was restrained in another way. The two people fell onto the grass and he was underneath Lu Feng!


    It was mid-February and the soft grass meant he wasn¡¯t hurt. Spring had come extraordinarily early to the Abyss this year. An Zhe glanced sideways and saw a white and plump mushroom had just unfolded its umbrella cover. It wasn¡¯t fully unfolded but presumably, it wouldn¡¯t take long before thousands of spores came out from under the umbrella cover, diffusing outward like a mist.


    Other mushrooms had many spores while he only had one and it wasn¡¯t here. He bit his lip. Just then, he heard Lu Feng comfort him, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡±


    He didn¡¯t speak and Lu Feng continued, ¡°I don¡¯t want a spore.¡±


    ¡°What about my spore?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°I want to know.¡±


    Lu Feng picked up a strand of his mycelium. He asked, ¡°Other mushrooms have many spores. Why do you only have one?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°When did you know you were a mushroom?¡±


    An Zhe thought carefully. ¡°A long time.¡±


    ¡°Was there an opportunity?¡±


    ¡°It was raining.¡±


    ¡°What else?¡±


    ¡°I broke but I didn¡¯t want to die yet.¡±


    ¡°Did it hurt?¡±


    An Zhe shook his head.


    Lu Feng asked, ¡°Is there anything else?¡±


    An Zhe could only think of one thing. ¡°It was raining.¡±


    Lu Feng seemed to think about it before wondering, ¡°Can you blend with many creatures and can you tell how much you have integrated? Is it active or passive?¡±


    An Zhe shook his head. He did come into contact with living things, either actively or passively, but he didn¡¯t know if he had acquired the genes. The only time was when he completely absorbed all of An Ze¡¯s blood and tissue, gaining the ability to become human.


    He heard Lu Feng inquire, ¡°Have you seen a snake?¡±


    An Zhe nodded. He had certainly seen a snake.


    ¡°A snake will shed its skin and the original skin will become scrap while it crawls out of the original skin. Many creatures do this.¡±


    For a while, An Zhe didn¡¯t know what Lu Feng wanted to express and just listened.


    ¡°However, My Polly says this is still different from your life form. There is a trait in some single-celled eukaryotes.¡± Lu Feng explained lightly, ¡°When the environment is bad, it will stop growing. The man part of the body will form a cyst that falls into a deep sleep and is revived in the right environment.¡±


    An Zhe frowned. He seemed to understand what Lu Feng was saying but he still couldn¡¯t express it accurately.


    ¡°You are a fungus. It might not be the same species but you are all simple-structured organisms.¡±


    An Zhe felt that Lu Feng¡¯s words weren¡¯t good and pushed the man out.


    Lu Feng didn¡¯t move and just watched An Zhe with a smile in his eyes. ¡°Haven¡¯t you remembered?¡±


    An Zhe stared at his mycelium. ¡°You mean, I¡­ my spore grew into me?¡±


    Curiously, he didn¡¯t feel surprised when he said this sentence. It was like he was saying something ordinary. He was in a daze as he thought about the whole thing.


    ¡°Polly said that when you got rid of the basic form of the mushroom, you also acquired new properties or merged with the properties of other simple structured creatures, obtaining a new life form. The spore was a cyst-like existence. It was the life that was spared after the decay of your shell. That¡¯s why you think it is more important than your own life, because it is indeed your life. You might¡¯ve obtained eternal life in this way.¡±


    An Zhe¡¯s eyes widened slightly.


    Lu Feng continued, ¡°In addition, the first time I saw Polly, he was in pain. At that time, the spore came to Polly. I think you knew him.¡±


    An Zhe nodded. He did have a vague impression of the sad Polly as well as many memories of being close to Lu Feng. It was just that he didn¡¯t know what he was doing at the time. He felt his whole body shake.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he told Lu Feng sullenly. If this was indeed the case then he was wrong. He had thought about the man in the worst direction. Lu Feng hadn¡¯t violated his desire at the time and did raise the spore.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Lu Feng leaned close to him and there seemed to be some unspeakable waves in the green eyes that had always been indifferent. His voice was low as he declared, ¡°¡­You are alive.¡±


    Yes, he was alive. He was alive. The golden rays of light reflected on the green grass and the glittering dust in the breeze gently floated like a dream.


    An Zhe gently held onto Lu Feng¡¯s sleeve.


    Then he remembered another thing¡ªsomething he had long hated. A long time ago, he had opened the door of the laboratory and saw the spore. He thought the spore belonged to him and would float in his direction, but it went to where Lu Feng was.


    He told Lu Feng about this.


    Lu Feng quietly replied, ¡°It was you who was thinking of me.¡±


    An Zhe¡¯s eyelids slightly lowered.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know,¡± he answered. ¡°At that time¡­¡±


    He and Lu Feng couldn¡¯t be considered to have a good relationship. Thinking of this, he had a thought. Could his and Lu Feng¡¯s current relationship be considered good?


    His fingers gripping Lu Feng¡¯s sleeve gradually tightened but the smoke-like thoughts dissipated the moment he looked up and met Lu Feng¡¯s eyes. It was February 14th, four years ago when he and Lu Feng met in the wilderness of the Abyss.


    Later, they got along briefly. Then he slept for three years and Lu Feng spent three years with the spore. They didn¡¯t know each other for too long and didn¡¯t have much experience getting along. It was really nothing compared to the relationship between other people. Yet for both of them, a heterogeneous and a judge, there was no one else like the other.


    In the midst of the wind, he stayed silent along with Lu Feng. A long time passed before he heard Lu Feng whisper, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°What are you thanking me for?¡±


    ¡°Many things.¡± Lu Feng¡¯s voice was soft but his eyes never left An Zhe¡¯s face. He reached out and gently lay a hand on An Zhe¡¯s face, his voice hoarse. ¡°Thank you for waiting all night for me on Judgment Day.¡±


    An Zhe smiled, obviously very happy but also a bit sour. His voice was slightly hoarse as he said, ¡°Then I also thank you for letting me go.¡±


    The colonel¡¯s pale lips curved as he bowed his head and kissed the corner of An Zhe¡¯s eye. His cold green pupils reflected An Zhe¡¯s appearance, who suddenly felt this colour was gentle.


    As Lu Feng watched him, An Zhe was pressed to the grass. At first, he felt that this person¡¯s eyes were very gentle but then a dangerous instinct rose, like a predator was watching him from the forest who would rush over the next moment.


    This intuition reached its peak when Lu Feng leaned down and completely pressed the weight of his entire body on An Zhe, head buried in An Zhe¡¯s neck.


    ¡ªThey were so close, without any gaps. Lu Feng¡¯s breathing and heartbeat filled his ears.


    An Zhe reached out to hold Lu Feng¡¯s shoulder and analyzed the current situation with his limited knowledge. Then he whispered, ¡°Do you want to sleep with me?¡±


    He heard Lu Feng gently laugh in a slightly low and hoarse tone.


    Then Lu Feng wondered, ¡°Who taught you this?¡±


    ¡°Boss Shaw.¡±


    ¡°Scott Shaw.¡± Lu Feng accurately stated the name of Boss Shaw. ¡°What else did he say?¡±


    ¡°It is almost the same.¡±


    In short, Boss Shaw¡¯s language revolved around these words.


    Lu Feng replied, ¡°If I do, what do you think?¡±


    An Zhe thought hard about it.


    ¡°That¡­¡± He muttered, ¡°Boss Shaw is really amazing.¡±


    He had thought that Boss Shaw¡¯s words were unreasonable but now even the Judge was saying it.


    He told Lu Feng exactly what he thought.


    Lu Feng buried his head in An Zhe¡¯s neck and laughed, sounding very happy. After laughing, the man turned over and lay next to him on the grass. An Zhe turned to look and saw that this man was indeed relaxed. He never thought that the judge who always lived in the darkness would have this look.


    Lu Feng asked, ¡°Who else wants to sleep with you?¡±


    ¡°Horsen, when I came to the base in their car.¡± An Zhe recalled. ¡°There was also Josie and some mercenaries on the third floor.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like them very much.¡± An Zhe recalled the eyes of those who had the thoughts.


    Seeing Lu Feng watch him, the cold arc of the brow stretched out and expression clear, like the mountain wind blowing through the wilderness at this moment. An Zhe was a bit fascinated. If time came again, if Lu Feng wasn¡¯t a judge, if he had been an ambitious and powerful young officer, perhaps he would always look like this.


    Lu Feng stated, ¡°I¡¯m not like them.¡±


    An Zhe watched him with puzzled eyes. He saw the colonel smile in a very good-looking manner, like a frozen stream that just melted in this season.


    ¡°Go.¡± He got up from the grass and reached for An Zhe in the light of the sun. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to An Ze.¡±


    An Zhe also reached out and was pulled up.


    ¡°What is different?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Everywhere is different.¡±


    An Zhe stared at him suspiciously.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    The colonel didn¡¯t answer this time.

 Chapter 86 - Rose

    ======The first rose, 2103


    ¡°We have no other way.¡±


    ¡°Everything in the world is devouring humanity and our numbers are decreasing day by day.¡±


    ¡°Child.¡± Madam Lu took the gold rose badge from her chest, placed it on her palm and slowly closed her fingers. She could feel the undulating and soft lines of the rose petals, as if touching a real rose.


    ¡°Everyone has to take up the weapons they have available to fight against this era.¡± Her voice was as gentle as a wave of water.


    ¡°However, you won¡¯t get anything Mother.¡±


    ¡°No individual will benefit from it. It is humanity as a whole that will benefit. Once humanity gradually gets rid of the bad situation then we as individuals will get better, even if it is hundreds of years later. The truth is that when you save everyone, you will be saved yourself.¡±


    ¡°Still, we can¡¯t rule out a situation where our salvation is much later than everyone else¡¯s salvation.¡± She stated. ¡°That¡¯s when we will take up arms to protect ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Will there be that day, Mother?¡±


    ¡°There will be a day.¡± Her voice was shockingly determined. ¡°Unless¡ªunless all of us are saved, we are doomed.¡±


    ¡°Child, you must remember something. In any case, humans are made to love each other.¡±


    ¡°Child, do you love them?¡±


    ¡°Love.¡±


    She gave the badge to her young daughter.


    ======The second rose, 2105


    There was a loud bang. The heavy object fell to the ground and spun around. Her mouth hit her on the back of the neck and she fell heavily to the ground. There was the bang of the bedroom door being closed. Then there was a click as the door was locked.


    She should¡¯ve fainted but in the last second before fainting, a glittering golden object slipped from the pocket of her jacket. The colour brought back her last consciousness. Her ears were buzzing like there was the roar of an airplane. There was a sharp pain like her head was being split apart and a numbness like she had lost all his limbs. In the midst of this, she stretched out her hand to grasp the golden rose badge and gasped for breath.


    She wouldn¡¯t let herself faint. She had a gentle temper but her willpower was stronger than ordinary people. This was also recognized by her mother.


    Her mother was such an outstanding and excellent woman. Aunt Lin Shan had said that her mother showed extraordinary leadership talent when she was a young girl and was even one of the initiators of the fertility law in the Rose Declaration that saved humans. Up until now, when the oppression of women was becoming more and more serious, beyond the original agreed ceiling, her mother and her peers had picked up weapons to safeguard their freedom and dignity.


    It seemed like a long time. Half an hour, an hour or two hours. Through the bedroom door, she heard a rough knock at the entrance. There was the sound of high heel shoes walking across the ground. This was her mother, Madam Lu. Everyone knew that Madam Lu had been elegant all her life. She always wore a crimson dress and black high heel shoes in a beautiful manner. She never changed with age.


    The door opened and the guests came in. Their footsteps were heavy and there was the sound of military boots colliding with the ground. She felt danger but these things happened frequently these days.


    The next thing that followed was the sound of words that seemed to be deliberately lowered. She vaguely heard some words like ¡®change¡¯, ¡®stop¡¯ and ¡®concentration¡¯. In the past three months, her mother had been talking frequently with some people. Although her mother deliberately avoided her, the words she inadvertently overheard were the same.


    She probably knew what had happened. For half a year, the ¡®roses¡¯ had been fighting against the endless oppression and the base had tried to reach a settlement with them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t agree.¡± Her mother raised her voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you need to come with us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already made many trips with you.¡±


    ¡°This time it is different, Madam.¡±


    ¡°Is there anyone else?¡±


    ¡°There is only you, Madam. The marshal wants to negotiate with you in person. You can also choose to bring other people.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to ask Lieutenant General Lin Shan to accompany me with her guards.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Madam.¡± The officer said after a moment of silence.


    The officer appeared to dial a number while her mother went to the filing cabinet near the bedroom door.


    The officer hung up the communication.


    After a moment, Madam Lu stated, ¡°I will prepare some materials. Once Lieutenant General Liu Shan arrives, I will go.¡±


    There was the sound of the filing cabinet opening and everyone in the living room was silent. It was so long that she almost lost consciousness. Yet she was still wondering why her mother had knocked her unconscious.


    Why? Why?


    Because¡­


    Because¡ª


    She thought about it as she was losing consciousness.


    ¡ªUntil a shot rang out.


    She trembled all over and her hands were sweaty. Her gold badge slipped from her hand and hit the ground with a clear sound the next moment. Her crumbling faith was the same as this badge. In this difficult to measure time, she struggled to grip the badge in her hand again, bringing her fist to her chest.


    For a long time, blood slowly flowed through the gap in the door like the tentacles of an octopus. She looked away from there toward the warmly decorated room. She didn¡¯t know if it was sadness, hatred, pity or nothingness in her eyes.


    The next moment, she completely lost consciousness.


    ======The third rose, 2105


    She was taken to a place where she stayed with girls of the same age in a few small rooms. Food and water were delivered to her every day. She knew that many things happened outside for at least three months, because such a life lasted for three months.


    She had been thinking about why her mother knocked her out if her mother didn¡¯t know the danger that was going to happen. If her mother knew the danger, why not take precautions earlier? If killing Madam Lu with the gun could solve the problem, why did the chaos last for three months? If it was predicted that the chaos would last for three months, why choose to kill her?


    Sometimes, she suspected that her other deliberately killed herself. In addition, her mother knocked her out to keep her alive.


    Her mother said that apart from the women closely related to the declaration, the other members of the base were indifferent to the opposition. Of course, there was a way to make them care. It was to let them see that the thing that oppressed them was so huge that it would one day crush everyone.


    Or maybe she would never know the truth.


    No matter what, her mother Madam Lu and Madam Lu¡¯s companions had failed. It was because she and her companions were brought to a large, white hexagonal building that she had seen every day when she opened the curtains. It was called the Garden of Eden.


    In the hall, an old, strange woman took her hand.


    ¡°Child.¡± The lady asked. ¡°Do you love humanity?¡±


    ¡°In any case,¡± she spoke softly, looking into the lady¡¯s eyes. ¡°Humans are made to love each other.¡±


    She went in. She knew that years later, she would be known as Madam Lu. It was as if her mother was still alive.


    ======The fourth rose, now.


    There was a dark green monster.


    An Zhe squatted down to look at it.


    It was dying. There were three bowl-sized bloody holes in its abdomen and a thick, black liquid was flowing out. The skin composed of thin scales and the protruding thorns and pimps on its body undulated weakly. Four of the five eyes were compound eyes, covered with an ominous white glaze. The fifth was rightly closed. The compound eyes on the back were dim.


    It was hard to see a critically wounded and dying monster in the abyss. This meant it had just barely won in a fight and the bloody breath hadn¡¯t yet been discovered by other hunters.


    It wasn¡¯t very big and was as long as a newborn human baby. Of course, this didn¡¯t mean that it was always this long when alive. It was because polymorphic monsters in the Abyss could freely transform between forms. Polly said that under the former theoretical system, it was unbelievable. It was because some materials disappeared out of tin air while some materials appeared out of thin air. However, if it was explained using the fluctuations and frequencies then this switch of form was just a change in frequency. It was easy to do.


    Now, it might be in this state when dying because it wanted to die in this form. This might be its original form or its favourite form.


    An Zhe touched the head lightly with mycelium but there was no reaction.


    ¡°It¡¯s dying.¡± He frowned as he looked at the monster.


    Lu Feng said only one thing from beside him. ¡°It¡¯s raining.¡±


    An Zhe raised his head. The sky was covered with clouds and there was a ¡®patter¡¯ as the rain fell between the trees, branches and leaves to splash on the ground. The next second, another drop fell on the monster¡¯s wound. It twitched for a while, seeming to feel pain.


    The summer rain came quickly. Just a few seconds later, dense raindrops hit the leaves like drums. Lu Feng covered An Zhe¡¯s shoulders and head with his uniform coat. An Zhe stated, ¡°When I came here, there seemed to be a cave nearby.¡±


    He grabbed Lu Feng¡¯s hand and stood up, hesitating for a few seconds. Finally, he picked up the small monster that was trembling with pain and went to the hill nearby.


    ¡°The form isn¡¯t quite right.¡± Lu Feng said.


    An Zhe didn¡¯t feel it. There were many such landforms in the Abyss.


    The cave entrance was there, a deep opening among the tangled vines.


    The monster in his arms was still trembling. A long time ago, he dragged the seriously injured An Ze back to the cave in a similar manner. He knew that the hole in front of him definitely wasn¡¯t the one in the past but he strangely felt that time and fate overlapping with each other and he was walking down that road again.


    However, once he stood at the entrance of the so-called cave, he finally believed in Lu Feng¡¯s judgment.


    This hole wasn¡¯t a common irregular opening. It was vaguely arched. This was an abandoned building squeezed into the current shape for the raised ground. There were indeed some ruins of human cities in the Abyss. There were various buildings with different functions in the ruins. In the past 100 years, the creatures of the Abyss had grown and spread in them.


    They walked in and there was only darkness with the occasional fluorescence of plants. An Zhe put the monster down and placed the flashlight in the right position. The flashlight lit up a limited space. It was a wide hall with decaying furnishings. It seemed to be a church with mottled walls and traces of monsters living there. However, it seemed to have been abandoned a long time ago.


    There was the sound of a carapace moving against stone as the injured and dying monster moved five centimeters toward them. An Zhe reached out and touched the fluff on its feet. The monster¡¯s head turned. There were no mammalian pupils in the insect¡¯s compound eyes. It was difficult to recognize the focus of its vision but An Zhe knew it was looking at him.


    Why was it watching him? What was it thinking? What type of feelings would the monster with five eyes have when it was dying? An Zhe didn¡¯t know that the white mycelium was creeping up the monster¡¯s body and gently covering its deepest wound.


    The feet moved like it was approaching An Zhe but the next moment, its body didn¡¯t move. It was going to die.


    An Zhe looked at it but didn¡¯t take back his mycelium. There seemed to be a gaze coming from the side. He turned his head and found Lu Feng leaning against a dilapidated pillar in the church hall, arms folded and eyes directed here, watching An Zhe¡¯s every move.


    Lu Feng asked, ¡°Do you do this often?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes.¡± An Zhe answered while folding his arms.


    He knew what Lu Feng was asking. If he met an injured creature in the Abyss, he would drag it back. Occasionally, a seriously injured creature would survive because he got it into a safe cave. Most of the time, it was seriously injured and would die.


    The same was true of An Ze.


    Lu Feng was still watching him. ¡°Did you have any awareness by then?¡±


    An Zhe recalled it and shook his head. At that time, he was just a mushroom. He didn¡¯t even know how to describe the living condition of a mushroom in the human language. He pursed his lips and continued, ¡°If my mycelium breaks, I will hurt. I¡¯m afraid to die.¡±


    ¡°So when I see them dying, I try to help.¡±


    After a long time, he saw Lu Feng smiling. ¡°It is what you do.¡±


    The coat was wet due to the rain and this place was particularly dark and wet. Fortunately, there was some charcoal blocks in the backpack. They set up a bracket, made a fire and turned off the flashlight.


    ¡°Are you cold?¡± Lu Feng asked An Zhe.


    An Zhe shook his head but leaned back against Lu Feng, who reached for his shoulder. They didn¡¯t speak anymore. An Zhe just leaned on Lu Feng¡¯s shoulder and watched the dancing flames.


    ¡°Can I find An Ze?¡± he asked after a long time.


    He and Lu Feng had agreed to stay in the Abyss for one month and then the base for one month.


    Lu Feng didn¡¯t hate the Abyss. An Zhe even thought that the colonel preferred the Abyss more than the base. The colonel knew a lot about the Abyss and could collect many samples for the institute during the one month. However, no matter how familiar Lu Feng was with this place, the Abyss was still very large.


    Lu Feng stated, ¡°As long as the cave is still there.¡±


    An Zhe recalled everything in the Abyss. ¡°The cave might be covered with mushrooms, it might be flooded with water, it might¡¯ve collapsed due to fighting monsters¡­ there are times when a cave comes alive. It wakes up and leave.¡±


    He declared, ¡°Still, I have to find it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I promised An Ze.¡±


    ¡°Even though he doesn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°It is what I have promised myself.¡±


    An Zhe was speaking to himself while Lu Feng just stroked his hand. In the end, the told An Zhe, ¡°He won¡¯t be angry because you are late.¡±


    An Zhe nodded. An Ze was a very nice man. He put away his thoughts and continued to watch the flames. Slowly, he spoke about the things in the Abyss and Lu Feng just listened.


    It was unknown how long it took but An Ze suddenly thought that everything about his life as a mushroom had been told to Lu Feng. Lu Feng knew about the rainy season, the grass, An Ze and Josie, all the people he knew and all the things he had encountered. On the contrary, he didn¡¯t understand Lu Feng¡¯s past.


    ¡°You¡­¡± He wondered. ¡°Have you ever promised something that you couldn¡¯t do?¡±


    An Zhe had already thought of an answer. He thought that Lu Feng wouldn¡¯t easily make promises or have any unrealistic fantasies. Yet to his surprise, after a brief silence, Lu Feng replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    There was the crackle as the firewood gradually decreased, the burning flames becoming a red light among dark charcoal. The surroundings dimmed and dust rose. The staircase on the 22nd floor of Eden was also a dark and dusty place.


    ¡°On that day,¡± Lu Feng heard a gentle female voice in a trance. ¡°On the day when all of us are free, I won¡¯t have to secretly meet my children like this.¡±


    Ji Balan wasn¡¯t Madam Lu¡¯s child but he also often came to the 22nd floor. At this time, he was sitting on the handrail of the emergency stairs, swinging his legs. ¡°Madam, you will definitely see that day.¡±


    The lady touched his head. ¡°Here is our great scientist.¡±


    Ji Balan raised his head and whistled. ¡°Lu Feng and I will see that day too.¡±


    The lady¡¯s eyes moved from Ji Balan to Lu Feng. ¡°Are you going to the Lighthouse too?¡±


    Lu Feng shook his head.


    ¡°Then you are like your father.¡± The lady kissed his forehead. ¡°You need to protect the base once you grow up.¡±


    Then the lady took one of his hands and one of Ji Balan¡¯s hands. She held them together and placed her hand on it.


    ¡°We will all see that day. On that day¡ª¡± Her face was full of gentle joy. ¡°On that day, we will be together along with your father. You promise me.¡±


    ¡°I promise.¡±


    ¡°I promise Madam.¡±


    ¡°I promise you too.¡±


    Lu Feng¡¯s story was short but An Zhe watched him and heard it. This time, Lu Feng was the one watching the dying fire.


    An Zhe reached out a hand. He straightened up and tried to hug Lu Feng like Lu Feng hugged him. The colonel seemed to understand. He adjusted his angle and leaned toward An Zhe. An Zhe hugged his shoulder. He was a bit unaccustomed to it but it was okay.


    ¡°You once told me that she became a bee due to a rose from many years ago.¡± Lu Feng stated. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about who gave it to her.¡±


    An Zhe was startled. On a day when the ultrasonic disperser hadn¡¯t yet been invented or when the disperser failed briefly, a bee strayed into the city. It was attracted by the flower and stung Madam Lu¡¯s finger. The bee¡¯s faint frequency lurked in her body and was awakened by the great, unknown fluctuation from the universe.


    In the base, only Madam Lu had roses. It was because she loved these things and others loved her. Lu Feng¡¯s father and later Lu Feng would send her the seeds after the Lighthouse had confirmed their safety¡ªonly these two people.


    An Zhe gently held Lu Feng¡¯s hand. The firewood was burnt and the dim red light had faded. The wind echoed through the church like another windy night.


    ¡°I want you to go to the United Front Center,¡± Mrs Lu had told him.


    It was the last time Lu Feng had talked with her before joining the military. At that time, he was in a small field base flanking the base, at a distance where the base¡¯s communications could barely reach.


    ¡°It is the best place for you. It might be out in the wilderness but it is also the safest.¡± She told him. ¡°After so many years of serving the base, this is my only selfishness. I want you to live. I want all my children to live but I only know you.¡±


    Lu Feng didn¡¯t speak.


    ¡°If it is somewhere else then I won¡¯t stop you. Just don¡¯t go to the Trial Court. I¡¯m afraid of that place.¡± She whispered. ¡°Last year, there was another shooting incident in the Trial Court. The many dramatic changes in the base started a bloodbath and the Trial Court is bleeding every day. That place is too painful.¡±


    ¡°Are you listening?¡± She asked after a moment of silence.


    ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Then you promise me.¡±


    ¡°You must promise¡ª¡±


    Suddenly, there was a current sound.


    ¡°Beep¡ª¡±


    This was immediately followed by soothing music and a gentle female voice. ¡°Sorry, the base signal has been interrupted due to the solar wind in the ionosphere. This is a normal situation so please don¡¯t panic. All activities will continue as usual and the communication signal will be restored from time to time. A public broadcast will be sent to you so please keep listening.¡±


    ¡°¡­please keep listening.¡±


    Once all the wood was burned to loose, white ash, the church sank into darkness and silence.


    Just then, there were countless faint green lights. The insect monster An Zhe had picked up had died. An Zhe looked over and saw its body gradually disintegrating, becoming little green fireflies. They were like bright green smoke or a swarm of fireflies.


    They enveloped An Zhe and Lu Feng like a dream at first. Then they rose up, illuminating the entire dilapidated church, showing the mottled status of the weeping Virgin Mary on the left wall and the huge crucified Jesus in front. Withered vines hung from the shoulders of the Virgin Mary and her cheeks were scratched by the claws of a beast. Jesus¡¯ body was covered with mildew. Their eyes were the only clear things. They stared at the world silently from behind the vines, mildew and dust.


    The light flew away.


    Destiny drifted in the world.

 Chapter 87 - Summer Day

    Summer in the Abyss had arrived.


    Looking down from the Highland Research Institute, the vast dark green land with highs and lows was like an ocean connected with the light blue sky. In the distant mountains, a group of black-winged monsters were circling, making long cries.


    The cries and the wind reached the top of the mountain. In the corridor, the leaves of the vines were swaying and white petals streamed to An Zhe from the end of the vines. He raised his hand to catch one, holding it in his left hand while using his other hand to fiddle with the end of the vine.


    Lu Feng reached out to help remove the petals from his collar and hair. An Zhe felt this man¡¯s actions and turned around, pulling the vine in front of Lu Feng. ¡°Look.¡±


    He had just found a new white flower bud on the vine. Of course, the fact that there was a new flower bud, whether the flower bud was large or small, black or white, wouldn¡¯t arouse Colonel Lu¡¯s interest. The colonel just leaned down indifferently to kiss him on the forehead.


    ¡°Che.¡± Dr Ji opposite them made a sound in a tone similar to admiration. He was leaning against the window sill, his left hand shaking a reagent bottle while his right hand was hanging by his side.


    In the final battle to guard the Northern Base, Dr Ji had lost his entire right arm and right leg. The conversation with the Highland Research Institute had been completed by him while he was in terrible pain. As for why he survived and didn¡¯t die of excessive blood loss, it could only be attributed to God¡¯s mercy.


    Later, Dr Ji lost part of his body and applied to the HIghland Research Institute. His brain wasn¡¯t affected but in this era without prosthetic limbs, a missing arm and leg were enough to bury a scientist¡¯s life. He didn¡¯t come here to continue his research. He came due to his admiration for Polly Joan and his willingness to contribute his body for new research. With the help of dozens of volunteers like him, the institute measured six safe frequencies for transmission, one of which was the ability to regenerate limbs.


    In short, Dr Ju was now like a new person, although he hadn¡¯t fully adapted to his new limbs.


    An Zhe turned his head to look at Dr Ji, wanting to see what he was doing at this time. Dr Ji was watching Lu Feng while at the same time, he held out his hands and clapped for the two of them.


    ¡°I saw it, Colonel Lu.¡± He stated. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t seen it, I really thought you were going to be a gentleman and a qualified father all your life. Oh, you¡¯re too young. Then a qualified brother.¡±


    Lu Feng took off the last petal from Lu Feng¡¯s neck and glanced at Dr Ji with a flat expression. ¡°Ji Balan,¡± he said. ¡°I overestimated your personality.¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine.¡± Dr Ji raised his hands in surrender. ¡°It is my fault. I underestimated the moral standards of the Judge.¡¯


    Lu Feng didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°I was wrong, I admit it. It isn¡¯t that your personality is too noble. It is that my moral standards are indeed relatively low.¡± Dr Ji continued to beg for mercy but he rolled his eyes. He saw Lu Feng holding his wrist and started looking for safety.


    ¡°If I was given such a little baby¡­¡± He grinned, extending his hand and making a gesture. ¡°I would tie him to the bed and then¡­.¡±


    Lu Feng sent him a cold look.


    ¡°¡­Then dissect him.¡± Dr Ji shut his mouth when he was done.


    ¡°Dr Ji¡¯s brain is out of order.¡± Lu Feng lowered his head to look at An Zhe. ¡°You can consider treating him with mycelium.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t necessary!¡± Dr Ji was shocked. ¡°I¡¯ll just go.¡±


    Lu Feng¡¯s proposal of murdering Dr Ji didn¡¯t arouse any interest in An Zhe. An Zhe just stood on tiptoe and kissed the side of Lu Feng¡¯s face.


    Dr Ji repeated again, ¡°Che.¡±


    Lu Feng told him, ¡°You can go.¡±


    ¡°Are you treating your best friend like this? Colonel Lu.¡± Dr Ji protested.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even have the qualifications to watch you play house?¡± Dr Ji¡¯s voice was mixed with a hint of heartbreak.


    ¡°No.¡±


    The words ¡®play house¡¯ aroused An Zhe¡¯s interest and he looked up at An Zhe.


    ¡°So cute.¡± Dr Ji looked at him with eyes shining with a strange light. ¡°You will cry for a long time after dissection.¡±


    An Zhe always felt that Dr Ji was possessed by something. Perhaps it was Boss Shaw.


    Dr Ji sighed and turned his attention back to the pale blue reagent bottle.


    ¡°Colonel Lu, you really won¡¯t try this?¡± He asked. ¡°Extract 1014 has no side effects. In combination with the small magnetic pole frequency modulation, one of the three subjects had perfect night vision after being injected with it. You were the one who brought it back from the Abyss a month ago.¡±


    Sunlight penetrated through the gaps in the vine leaves and touched the slender glass tube, causing the reagent to sparkle. Lu Feng just glanced at it.


    Facing the doctor¡¯s expression of anticipation, An Zhe replied for Lu Feng, ¡°He doesn¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°Tsk.¡± Dr Ji turned away with his reagent and fiddled with the communicator. ¡°Polly is calling me. Goodbye.¡±


    An Zhe replied, ¡°Goodbye, Doctor.¡±


    Lu Feng really didn¡¯t want the extract, An Zhe knew. Moreover, the colonel didn¡¯t need these strange enhancements or skills. He came and went from the Abyss at ease. An Zhe thought for a long time while his mycelium wrapped around the green vine that he had coveted for a long time.


    ¡°Don¡¯t eat anything.¡± Lu Feng saw his movements.


    ¡°This one can be digested.¡± An Zhe defended himself.


    He stretched out a strand of mycelium to show Lu Feng. The mycelium crawled to the colonel¡¯s black uniform cuff and a green new leaf was formed on the silver cufflinks, trembling gently in the wind.


    This was An Zhe¡¯s latest fun. He had tried many things since discovering he could safely merge with all living and non-living things¡ªexcept those ugly things. On one successful occasion, he turned himself into a room of catkins and almost choked the colonel.


    However, fusion wasn¡¯t always safe. As Lu Feng had explained a long time ago, polymorphic monsters sometimes made mistakes when changing shape. Not long ago, he had drunk potato soup. Out of his love for it, he went to the laboratory to fuse with a small tuber of potato and unexpectedly fell unconscious, waking up three hours later. Polly said that it was because the mushroom and potato were so different in frequency that they repelled each other. This was also the case when fusing with other things. Although the result was always good, the process was full of uncertainty. It was just like how a piece of sodium would dissolve in water, but the process of dissolving in water would cause an explosion.


    Since then, Lu Feng prevented him from eating indiscriminately. However, An Zhe wanted to eat this small piece of vine. This behaviour wouldn¡¯t harm the life of the vine itself and the vine was nothing unusual, just a quiet, beautiful flowering vine.


    An Zhe gently scraped at the skin and liquid oozed out.


    It was¡­ quiet. As the mycelium dipped into the pale green juice, the wind of the Abyss blew through the icy sky. The vine attached to the institute, the sun, the moon, the stars, everything in the sky shone. An Zhe closed his eyes and his body seemed to stretch out as well. Lu Feng was right beside him and he didn¡¯t have to worry about anything. He let Lu Feng half carry him to sit down on the long wooden bench in the dark green corridor.


    Perhaps his condition was normal and the vine was normal. Lu Feng didn¡¯t allow him to eat this vine but Lu Feng didn¡¯t stop him either. It was the default.


    He lay in Lu Feng¡¯s arms, clutching this person¡¯s hand. His thoughts scattered like he was soaked in warm water.


    ¡°It has been growing here for many years. It used to be a vine that didn¡¯t blossom.¡± An Zhe stated. ¡°Then some winged animals came with pollen and it had white flowers. It felt very beautiful and was very happy.¡±


    He whispered the emotions he felt from the vine while reaching out to hug Lu Feng¡¯s shoulders. He drilled into this person¡¯s arms, his head rubbing against Lu Feng¡¯s neck, his cheek against the slightly cold silver spies of the chest tassels. It was very comfortable.


    Lu Feng made a ¡®hmm¡¯ to show he was listening.


    The emotions and memories of the vine were simple things and some couldn¡¯t be described with human language. An Zhe searched for some words. ¡°It also wants to have blue flowers. Then¡­ I also hope that there will be birds, butterflies or bees coming over again, pollinating it and then it will bear fruit.¡±


    After that, there was nothing to say.


    Lu Feng rubbed his hair. At this time, Lu Feng¡¯s communicator turned on. He picked up the communicator and An Zhe also looked at the screen. It was a message from the doctor who had already left. ¡°You really won¡¯t consider Extract 1014? Your friend really needs you. He needs a guinea pig.¡±


    The doctor hadn¡¯t given up on his extract. An Zhe smiled as he watched Lu Feng touch a button on the communicator and reply, ¡°No.¡±


    The doctor replied, ¡°Why is your attitude so indifferent? Isn¡¯t night vision a good thing? Don¡¯t you need it? Every time you go to the Abyss, I¡¯m worried about your safety. If you are injected with Extract 1014 then I¡¯ll be able to relax.¡±


    He was speaking the truth.


    Lu Feng wondered, ¡°Aren¡¯t infrared glasses easy to use?¡±


    ¡°Then you can consider Extract 1015. It is pure black membrane wings. The average wingspan is 4.3 meters. You can fly and it is very handsome. I sincerely hope you can experience the feeling of gliding in the air.¡±


    ¡°Are you considering it?¡±


    Lu Feng answered, ¡°No.¡±


    The doctor responded quickly and the resentment in his rapid typing could be felt across the screen. ¡°Times have changed, Mr Judge.¡±


    ¡°You have to forget the theory of human lineage, let go of the stereotypes in your heart and embrace foreign genes.¡±


    Lu Feng¡¯s response was still simple and indifferent, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t right. Do you need psychological counseling?¡±


    ¡°There is no need.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re hopeless!¡± The doctor even issued an exclamation. Then came the message, ¡°When will you be cured of your bloodline and moral cleanliness? You once banished yourself but you haven¡¯t come back yet? I want to pour extract on you.¡±


    Obviously, the doctor was in a bad temper. He was always like this after the promotion of his extract failed.


    Lu Feng still looked calm as he replied, ¡°I am normal.¡±


    ¡°Choose one of 1014 and 1015 and I will believe you.¡±


    Lu Feng, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Look, you are hopeless.¡±


    Lu Feng frowned slightly. After a long time, he typed out one word on the interface and sent it. ¡°Ugly.¡±


    There was a brief silence.


    The doctor, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The doctor, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The doctor, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The doctor told him, ¡°You¡¯re truly good.¡±


    Lu Feng let go. An Zhe held the communicator and watched with a smile. He thought the doctor should¡¯ve known¡ªhe had already guessed it a long time ago.


    After the ¡®Bell¡¯, many people voluntarily accepted some certified and safe frequencies. Some people grew wings, some people gained the ability of photosynthesis and of course, some had harmless rejections. A few sporadic ones got nothing despite fusing with the frequency.


    However, Lu Feng refused this type of thing. Of course, the reason wasn¡¯t what the doctor mentioned. Lu Feng didn¡¯t care about the pedigree of his bloodline being contaminated by monsters. The real reason was simple.


    Lu Feng thought that these monsters, or heterogeneous species, were very ugly. He could coexist peacefully with the humans in the research institute who had fused with other genes but letting him grow something else was impossible. He was disgusted.


    An Zhe put the communicator aside and looked up at Lu Feng¡¯s face. The angle was just enough to see all the details. Lu Feng had an unforgettable face but few people would look carefully at his facial features. More people didn¡¯t even dare look directly at this face.


    An Zhe thought that his eyebrows and eyes were the best. They were beautiful and bright, like the cold and clean wind on top of the mountains in the Abyss. He reached out to touch the colonel¡¯s long, thin eyebrows. When making the doll in the past, Boss Shaw would repeatedly look at the blank head of the doll with only the eyebrows and hair implanted in it and would sigh admiringly.


    Further down, there were the narrow and long dark green eyes half-covered by eyelashes. The shape was clear and cool and An Zhe could vaguely see his own reflection inside. An Zhe felt that if a human looked like this, he really had the qualification to abandon all things ugly.


    Looking down at the communicator, the doctor¡¯s latest message was, ¡°Then do you mean I don¡¯t look good?¡±


    The colonel didn¡¯t reply.


    An Zhe turned back to look at Lu Feng and leaned into Lu Feng¡¯s arms again. He didn¡¯t know why, he just wanted to do this. He was a bit groggy. Lu Feng drew him closer and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    An Zhe shook his head. Then he suddenly remembered a question. He stared at Lu Feng and didn¡¯t speak.


    An Zhe was a mushroom who often went to bed early and woke up early. His eyes were black and white, bright and clear. Now it was different from its usual peacefulness. There was an extra layer of fog and wetness.


    Lu Feng bowed his head and got closer. He heard An Zhe whisper, ¡°I am also a heterogeneous.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Lu Feng stated. ¡°A little heterogeneous.¡±


    ¡°Do you think mushrooms are ugly?¡±


    ¡°You are fine.¡± Lu Feng replied. ¡°White looks good.¡±


    ¡°What if I was a grey mushroom?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°What about a black mushroom?¡±


    ¡°Also good.¡±


    ¡°What about colourful mushrooms?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Lu Feng looked at him with no expression. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a white mushroom to eat.¡±


    This person had a characteristic. The more he made fun of people, the more serious he looked. Thus, An Zhe was also expressionless as he said, ¡°I¡¯ll eat you.¡±


    Lu Feng laughed softly and picked him up, changing An Zhe¡¯s posture. Lu Feng was originally holding him sideways and now they were facing each other.


    An Zhe fell forward like he was boneless, just barely touching Lu Feng¡¯s forehead. It was unusual. He still had bones but at this time, there was a feeling of laziness in every bone. He didn¡¯t back away. Lu Feng¡¯s nose was high, causing him to feel a bit itchy. Thus, he rubbed against it before burying his head in Lu Feng¡¯s shoulder.


    Lu Feng hugged him and rubbed his head. He also seemed to smile as he hugged An Zhe tighter.


    The communicator turned one and off, on and off again. Dr Ji was still tirelessly sending out messages of slander. Lu Feng glanced at the doctor¡¯s angry words, remembered the previous conversation and turned to An Zhe.


    He asked, ¡°Are my moral standards high?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± An Zhe didn¡¯t understand for a while. He thought about it and answered, ¡°You¡¯re a good person.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    An Zhe felt that his answer might¡¯ve been a bit perfunctory and added, ¡°You¡¯re very good to us.¡±


    Lu Feng asked, ¡°How about to you?¡±


    ¡°To me¡­¡± An Zhe mused. ¡°Sometimes you aren¡¯t so good.¡±


    ¡°You can answer it again.¡±


    An Zhe couldn¡¯t speak and Lu Feng laughed again. His small laugh caused his chest to tremble slightly. An Zhe was very close to him and could feel it. Lu Feng didn¡¯t speak anymore, so An Zhe started to think.


    Naturally, Lu Feng was good to him. He would inevitably get injured in the Abyss. Sometimes, he only had a bit of blood on his arm and Lu Feng¡¯s attitude when treating it made him feel that he had broken an arm. If An Zhe wanted to do something, he wouldn¡¯t stop it. If An Zhe didn¡¯t want to do something or didn¡¯t agree to do something, even if this rarely happened, Lu Feng wouldn¡¯t ask for it.


    However, this man often bullied him regarding small matters. This man had revealed his essence from the moment when he arrested An Zhe.


    Lu Feng was also good to Dr Ji, although the two of them seemed to sarcastically argue every day. Then what about other people? Naturally, there was nothing to be picky about the way Lu Feng treated them.


    If the institute encountered danger, no matter who was in the room with Lu Feng, Lu Feng would inevitably let that person leave first and he would face the danger alone. If someone asked for help, Lu Feng wouldn¡¯t refuse.


    Still, it was limited to this. He wouldn¡¯t have any superfluous conversation with anyone other than Polly if it wasn¡¯t for work. The relationship between people in the institute was actually very harmonious. It was common to tease and make fun of each other. There were also many peaceful conversations and cooperation. However, the Judge obviously didn¡¯t join in.


    An Zhe thought that the colonel had been standing at a distance to protect people for so long that he had forgotten how to integrate with them, or he had never learned it at all. An Zhe told Lu Feng, ¡°You can also lower your requirements for yourself a bit.¡±


    ¡°How to lower it?¡±


    An Zhe knew what Lu Feng wanted to lower and replied, ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Lu Feng¡¯s voice was cold but seemed to have a laugh in it. It was a very young voice.


    An Zhe thought that he was a mushroom who had just joined human society to a certain extent and still had a lot to learn. However, the same was true for Lu Feng. That¡¯s why An Zhe said, ¡°For example, if you want to be friends with people at the institute, you can eat with everyone and bring them fruits when you come back from the outside.¡±


    This method might not be suitable for Lu Feng. He was just giving an example that Lu Feng would understand.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± Lu Feng stated. ¡°I eat with you and bring you fruits.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s different.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Lu Feng used the nasal tone that was common when teasing An Zhe. ¡°How is it different?¡±


    An Zhe didn¡¯t want to talk to this person so he bit Lu Feng¡¯s neck. It seemed to hurt so he gave a kiss after the bite to make up for it.


    Lu Feng¡¯s voice contained laughter. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    An Zhe always felt that he and the colonel had been talking about different things from the beginning. He wanted to raise his upper body to rub against Lu Feng¡¯s face. Thus, he placed his hands on Lu Feng¡¯s shoulder and leaned back a bit.


    At this moment, his body softened for no reason. He almost couldn¡¯t stabilize himself and he planted forward. He planted himself on Lu Feng¡¯s body.


    Lu Feng supported him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    An Zhe shook his head. He couldn¡¯t describe how he was feeling now. Lu Feng reached out to touch his forehead but found nothing. An Zhe held onto his shoulders, gasping for breath and unable to use any strength. He muttered, ¡°I am uncomfortable¡­¡±


    ¡°Where are you uncomfortable?¡±


    An Zhe wrapped himself around Lu Feng. It was difficult to describe his current feelings in human language. It was like¡­ like being called by the season, waiting for something to happen. The last time he had this feeling was when the spore left. Still, this time it was different.


    Was he going to make a new spore again and start a round of withering and rebirth? No, that wasn¡¯t right. Currently, he just wanted to be close to Lu Feng. Lu Feng took this hand. The colonel¡¯s hand was very cold but the next moment, An Zhe realized something. Lu Feng¡¯s body temperature was normal while he himself was very hot.


    He rubbed against Lu Feng¡¯s shoulder, shaking his head and closing his eyes. Then he saw some blurry scenes in front of him.


    Wind. The summer wind blew from the south of the Abyss. The jungle was a dark green sea that undulated in the wind. The new leaves of the vine also shook gently this summer. Summer was its flowering period. In the gap between the leaves, the snow-white flowers grew like mushrooms emerging from the soil after the rain. The petals dotted the sky.


    Then wait. What was he waiting for? Waiting for the birds, waiting for the butterflies. What would the birds and butterflies do?


    An Zhe grunted uncomfortably. The source of the problem was the vine. He had ignored Lu Feng¡¯s warning and ate the juice from the fresh vine, causing these strange symptoms to appear. It was just like how he fell unconscious for three hours after eating the potato¡¯s genes.


    Lu Feng raised An Zhe¡¯s head and patted his cheek gently. ¡°An Zhe?¡±


    An Zhe was sober but he couldn¡¯t control his body. Lu Feng lifted An Zhe slightly away to check his condition, making An Zhe very uncomfortable. An Zhe continued to lie on Lu Feng while whispering, ¡°The vine¡­¡±


    ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    An Zhe pulled done the soft vine hanging from the corridor to in front of him. ¡°The vine.¡±


    Lu Feng held An Zhe and was slightly relieved. An Zhe¡¯s present appearance didn¡¯t seem like he was in pain. Lu Feng patted An Zhe¡¯s back. An Zhe hummed and thrust himself back into Lu Feng¡¯s arms.


    Lu Feng glanced at the flowering green vines hanging down like a waterfall. Beyond the vines were the white institute buildings. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t far from their residence. There was a faint floral fragrance in the wind that was always present. At this moment, there was also a fresh, almost scentless smell. It was like the small of grass and white flowers after the rain. It was like a growing mushroom. After a few rainy seasons, it became the mushroom¡¯s own breath.


    The Judge let out a rare sigh. He held An Zhe¡¯s shoulder and made An Zhe look at him. Fingers tightly clenching the fabric of Lu Feng¡¯s sleeve, An Zhe raised his eyes, wet eyelashes covered with tiny drops of water.


    ¡°You are a mushroom,¡± Lu Feng told him. ¡°You can¡¯t just eat anything.¡±


    An Zhe looked at the vine. There was no vine more normal in the world than this but it still made him very uncomfortable. Only being close to Lu Feng could relieve it, just like the vine waiting for a butterfly.


    He frowned and glanced back at Lu Feng. Lu Feng also looked down at him. Then he was picked up.


    ¡°Will you remember this time?¡±


    The author has something to say:


    He will really remember it this time.


    Then I strayed into ABO setting and turned off the lights. That¡¯s all for tonight.

 Chapter 88 - Hero

    1.


    ¡°Remember: bravery, strength, self-sacrifice. These are the heroism of our time and the common heroism of humanity.¡±


    In Eden, Tang Lan was memorizing these words.


    ¡°Collective heroism, individual heroism, they all share¡ª¡±


    Hubbard covered his face with the illustration of a gun. ¡°You aren¡¯t finished yet?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m almost done.¡± Tang Lan closed the book and looked at the ceiling. ¡°Hubbard.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to be a hero?¡±


    Hubbard pulled down the book, revealing chestnut brown eyes. He also looked at the ceiling and replied after three seconds, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Some time passed before he asked, ¡°What about you?¡±


    Tang Lan answered, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    2.


    The reinforcements from the Northern Base arrived at the Highland Research Institute.


    The heavy weapons were on the plane and Colonel Lu was in charge of the air operations. The rest of the lightly-armed troops used large gliders to land. They spread out in an orderly manner to clean up the monsters attacking the institute.


    Hubbard was on a large open space to the right of the institute. Behind it was a steep cliff. There was a bright red triangle sign erected on the edge of the cliff that red ¡®easy to fall, no access¡¯. The main body of the institute covered most of his field of view. His heavy machine gun killed a small monster and there were no other enemies.


    The reason he came here was because he had looked up into the air during the melee.


    There was a bloody and chaotic battle taking place in the sky. A huge monster died and fell. Then Hubbard looked up and saw a person in black in the air.


    No, it wasn¡¯t a person. He had a human body but behind him was a pair of huge black wings. He was a heterogeneous.


    By the time Hubbard saw him, the figure was falling down. Thus, he only existed briefly in Hubbard¡¯s vision.


    Yet this brief second was enough to leave his soul blank.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± His teammates shouted at him but he didn¡¯t hear it clearly. It was as if the sound was coming from a far away place.


    Hubbard rushed to the place where the man fell. This place was neglected. It was covered in vines and weeds grew wildly at his feet. Nothing can be seen on the surface and the cliff was behind him.


    His eyes narrowed as he stepped forward with the machine gun. He opened the vines and searched through the waist-height grass. There seemed to be the illusion of panting in his ears. He turned sharply only to see the grass swaying in the wind.


    ¡°Is someone there?¡± he shouted.


    The panting sound seemed to increase but there was also a noise coming from behind him to the right. He looked there and his eyes stopped sharply.


    A thousand metres away, the left rear side of the institute building. It was the place where the wind turbine was located. Several triangular sails were spinning wildly in the wind.


    At this moment, several white thorny tentacles were rolling up the column of the power generation tower and twisting the shaft in the center of the windmill. The tentacles were strong and the rotation of two power generating towers was gradually stopping.


    The purpose of the monster obviously wasn¡¯t limited to this. The thorns and bumps on the tentacles were rising. Hubbard had spent most of his life in the wilderness and experienced hundreds of battles. He knew the monster was about to uproot the power generating tower.


    The heart of the melee was the open space in front of the institute. People were unlikely to notice the power generating towers in the distance, not to mention that the colour of the monster was so similar to the tower.


    Of course, the most important reason was that there was no time. The third power generating tower stopped spinning. The tentacles were shaking slightly because of the force.


    Hubbard wasn¡¯t clear on the importance of these towers but it could be imagined. The communication equipment and scientific research facilities of the institute, including the device that created the sea of red fire An Zhe had just walked into, all needed a lot of power supply.


    He took the large handheld uranium bomb launcher from his back and aimed forward. Few soldiers could use this weapon flexibly. It had enough firepower but it had a terrible weight and was extremely difficult to aim. The recoil could crush the shoulders of an ordinary person.


    Hubbard knew the key weak points of the tentacle monster but the existence of the research institute buildings seriously blocked his aim and the weak points weren¡¯t shown.


    Hubbard backed away. All his thought processes and decisions were completed within three seconds of seeing the monster. He stepped back, back and back.


    The wind was becoming louder. Within a few seconds, he had already crossed the ¡®no access¡¯ sign. He glanced back and saw the endless sky. Then he looked down and saw that he was only one step away from the edge of the cliff. The ground under his feet was shaking slightly and there was the sound of stones rolling down.


    It was still a bit short of the position where he could kill the monster without damaging the buildings and the power generating towers.


    In fact, he never wanted to be a hero. Nevertheless, he continued to take a step back. There was once again the sound of loose stones falling.


    The crosshairs of the weapon¡¯s sight were right on point. This type of launching weapon had enough penetrating power, enough firepower and enough range.


    Bang!


    The huge recoil threw him backwards. The edge of the cliff trembled and the already loosened stones collapsed like an avalanche.


    The wind rang in his ears as he fell down. His vision was full of the glorious dawn, the sun leaping out from one side of the mountain and the dazzling golden light hitting his retinas. Just after this fleeting moment, another figure appeared from the top of the cliff, leaping in his direction.


    A few drops of blood fell on Hubbard¡¯s cheek. It was like it was a dream. He reached out¡ª


    Tang Lan¡¯s hand that was pale from blood loss grabbed his.


    A shadow covered the sky and the bloody wings unfolded. The wind in the mountains blew to the east and blood stained his clothes. Tang Lan had no strength to flap his wings. He just grabbed Hubbard and slipped in the wind, like a paper plane that was folded incorrectly and had been lost when he was a child.


    Hubbard stared into this person¡¯s eyes. Tang Lan¡¯s eyes were as handsome and cold as before and there were two bleeding scratches on his cheeks. Tang Lan also looked at Hubbard and laughed.


    There were many things in Hubbard¡¯s eyes that Tang Lan could see. Hubbard wanted to ask him why he was here, what he had experienced and why he would sacrifice himself to follow Hubbard off the cliff.


    Tang Lan just laughed and clasped Hubbard¡¯s hand tighter. Hubbard responded to him with the same intensity.


    There was only the roaring wind as they fell to an unknown fate, but there was nothing to fear.


    ¡°You have been a hero,¡± Tang Lan declared. ¡°I¡¯ll be a hero too.¡±


    In the distance, the mountains stretched out. The morning sun was shining.

 Chapter 89 - Mutter

    1.


    An Zhe was in the car.


    The morning light entered the armoured vehicle from the skylight.


    This was the fourth time that he had gone to the Abyss with Lu Feng.


    He woke up but he didn¡¯t get up. He couldn¡¯t get up. He wrapped himself in the quilt and didn¡¯t leave it until Lu Feng placed a glass of milk in front of him.


    Lu Feng asked, ¡°Are you feeling better?¡±


    An Zhe nodded.


    ¡°Does it still hurt?¡±


    An Zhe shook his head. After shaking his head, he nodded again.


    Lu Feng slightly frowned and came to An Zhe. He reached for the thin quilt and An Zhe let him pull it away.


    The quilt was made of a delicate fabric that was smooth and soft but it seemed rough compared to the crystal white skin.


    This skin was now covered in marks. The slightly lower part of the left chest had a place with broken skin and it was red. Originally, there was nothing wrong with this. An Zhe got up in the morning and put on his coat, but the material happened to rub against this wound. It had stung and An Zhe let out a small gasp of pain.


    Lu Feng opened the drawer, took out alcohol and cleaned a cotton ball. Then he applied the medicine. Thus, the skin on the chest reddened again. This soft skin was too delicate, like a white mushroom growing in the rainy season whose juices would flow out when pinched.


    After applying the medicine, the wound was cold and An Zhe wrapped himself tightly in the quilt again. Lu Feng embraced him across the quilt and he leaned his head against Lu Feng¡¯s right shoulder, leaning on this person.


    ¡ªSuddenly, An Zhe realized that this man was the culprit of the wound and that he shouldn¡¯t live with him peacefully. An Zhe tried to withdraw but he was already held by Lu Feng. He struggled to no avail. In the process, the fabric of the quilt rubbed against his wound.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± Lu Feng ordered.


    An Zhe, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Not only did this person¡¯s tone not contain the slightest bit of guilt, he seemed to be criticizing An Zhe for moving. Too abominable.


    The moment he raised his eyes, he could see Lu Feng¡¯s neck and Adam¡¯s Apple¡ªhe grinded his teeth against it.


    Lu Feng just hugged him tighter and he couldn¡¯t move at all. An Zhe thought about it and was still very unhappy. This wasn¡¯t a momentary unhappiness but a gradual and progressive one over many days. He had always wanted to find Lu Feng. It was just worth mentioning now that he had a wound.


    He sullenly stated, ¡°You¡¯re too fierce.¡±


    Lu Feng wondered, ¡°Is it?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Lu Feng pulled him closer. ¡°I have paid attention.¡±


    An Zhe, ¡°?¡±


    If this was the consequence when he was paying attention, what about when he wasn¡¯t paying attention? Did he want to take a person apart and eat them?


    An Zhe frowned. ¡°Impossible.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°I struggle every time you go too far.¡± An Zhe added, ¡°I also cry.¡±


    Lu Feng watched him.


    ¡°Then you ignore me. You will also become more ferocious.¡±


    The new day started with being criticized by the little mushroom. Lu Feng looked down at the mushroom in his arms. This person¡¯s voice was soft and sweet as he muttered a complaint. An Zhe was finished but Lu Feng still wanted to hear him speak more. Thus, he asked, ¡°Is there anything else?¡±


    An Zhe glared at him, meaning ¡®this isn¡¯t enough?¡¯


    Lu Feng told him, ¡°I thought this was the way to care for you.¡±


    An Zhe, ¡°?¡±


    He wondered, ¡°Is it?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lu Feng told him. ¡°You should learn to control your behaviour.¡±


    An Zhe, ¡°?¡±


    There was no way he had done something wrong.


    He stared at Lu Feng, voice cold as he stated clearly, ¡°You have a problem.¡±


    ¡°You see, you are being coquettish again.¡±


    An Zhe confirmed that he and Lu Feng truly were different species. If he could reach for the pillow, the first thing he would do was throw the pillow at Lu Feng¡¯s face. However, now both hands were being held by Lu Feng and he could only use his eyes.


    After a long time, Lu Feng smiled first. He bowed his head to kiss the corner of An Zhe¡¯s lips. An Zhe turned his head to avoid it but he was restrained. His chin was raised and he was kissed deeply until he couldn¡¯t breathe. Then Lu Feng gently kissed the corner of his eyes.


    Lu Feng breathed on the side of An Zhe¡¯s ears and no longer touched him across the quilt. Lu Feng¡¯s right hand went inside and held him by the waist. There must still be the red mark from last night there.


    An Zhe trembled and opened his mouth. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t hear you.¡±


    An Zhe said again, ¡°Then you can¡¯t see it every time I cry?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not hitting you,¡± this man stated. ¡°It is no use crying.¡±


    ¡ªThe new day began with the colonel being silently cursed.


    2.


    An Zhe was still in the car.


    The starlight entered the armoured vehicle from the skylight.


    This was the fourth time that he had gone to the Abyss with Lu Feng.


    Once An Zhe muttered for the third time, the colonel offered a solution. He was expressionless as he leaned back against the bed. ¡°You do it yourself.¡±


    His tone seemed like he was back at the genetic testing station at the city¡¯s gate, next to the testing equipment as he said, ¡°You come on your own.¡±


    An Zhe faced him. After hesitating for a moment, a few mycelium crept toward the colonel. Then he leaned over to kiss the colonel¡¯s throat. He kissed the side of the colonel¡¯s neck while pondering on the next step.


    Then he realized that while he was wearing loose white pyjamas, the colonel was still neatly dressed. Thus, An Zhe started to fight with the shirt buttons.


    He was familiar with this shirt. After all, he was a heartless washing machine. However, this shirt didn¡¯t open despite the relationship between them. It became even more difficult to undo the buttons thanks to the angle.


    After finally undoing the first one, he told Lu Feng, ¡°You do it yourself.¡±


    It was just like Lu Feng sometimes spoke to him. Colonel Lu was unmoved. The mycelium climbed up a bit more. The colonel eventually condescended to undo the second button himself. Meanwhile, An Zhe continued to think.


    ¡°A person who comes out of the third underground floor¡ª¡± he heard Lu Feng¡¯s voice that was filled with a slight laugh and a bit of hoarseness. ¡°¡ªshould be more skilled.¡±


    An Zhe, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He whispered, ¡°I didn¡¯t learn anything.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t go back and study again.


    ¡°I can see.¡± Lu Feng said. There was a distinct magnetic field in his voice when he lowered it. This set off a stimulus in An Zhe from his ears to the bottom of his spine.


    Thus, he remembered the events of that year. The first time he met, he had said that he worked on the third underground floor. Then the colonel had replied with an ¡®oh.¡¯ An Zhe was curious about the colonel¡¯s impression of him at that time.


    The colonel seemed to read his meaning and said, ¡°At that time, it wasn¡¯t clear that you are a mushroom. I thought that if you weren¡¯t doing those things on the third floor, you wouldn¡¯t be able to live at the base.¡±


    He casually glanced at An Zhe and continued, ¡°It seems that even now, you can¡¯t support yourself.¡±


    There were a few more mycelium.


    The colonel stopped talking. An Zhe¡¯s biggest wish was for the colonel to be unable to speak, just like his doll.


    An Zhe¡¯s thin white fingers were resting on Lu Feng¡¯s chest. He wanted to hold Lu Feng¡¯s hand after the buttons were undone. Then he saw the colonel looking there as if thinking about something. It was an expression he only had when thinking about business.


    A few seconds later, Lu Feng stated, ¡°I was fooled by you before.¡±


    An Zhe cocked his head.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t even know about the crime of indecent assault and you were an illegal worker with a monthly salary lower than the minimum.¡± The colonel counted off these things thoughtfully. ¡°This can¡¯t be explained by a simple and limited intelligence.¡±


    An Zhe, ¡°¡­¡±


    He ordered, ¡°You stop.¡±


    However, it was clear that the colonel¡¯s hearing was selective.


    ¡°That night was also abnormal. You invited me to stay at your place.¡±


    ¡°It was because you had no place to go.¡±


    ¡°The problem was that you gave me your toothbrush. You didn¡¯t understand human social etiquette at all.¡±


    An Zhe didn¡¯t speak, like his hearing had also become selective.


    ¡°Unless it was a poor flirting method you learned on the third floor. But you were good that night.¡±


    An Zhe knew the colonel was talking about the night of Judgment Day. He invited the man to sleep in his room all night.


    An Zhe went to hug Lu Feng. His forehead was against this person¡¯s chest and there was a warm and strong touch through the cloth. An Zhe could hear the steady heartbeat in his ears. The past was like a dream.


    An Zhe envisioned another possibility.


    ¡°Then.¡± An Zhe paused. ¡°If at that time¡­¡±


    If at that time, he was really wrong¡ª


    If he was really a worker of the third underground floor or if he was a mushroom without thoughts, blinding following Boss Shaw¡¯s advice and approaching the Judge¡ªwhat would Lu Feng do that night?


    A heterogeneous with ulterior motives and the Judge with nowhere to go.


    At that time, they didn¡¯t know each other well and were on guard against each other. It was a time of death, protests and betrayal. What if at that time, An Zhe had leaned over to kiss Lu Feng or unbuttoned his coat?


    An Zhe didn¡¯t know. He only knew that today, thinking of Lu Feng¡¯s back on the night of Judgement Day, his heart trembled violently. He stared into the green eyes, as if returning to the moment when the bloody night wind roared across the city.


    Therefore, that expression appeared on his face again. The quiet, sad expression.


    God loved the world.


    God didn¡¯t love the world.


    The bed, desk and furnishings in this place were all set up like the standard rooms at the bast. At night, the room was dark. The wind came from an unknown place, just like the night on that day. An Zhe was the same as that time. In soft, white cotton pyjamas, his face gave off an unworldly air.


    Lu Feng¡¯s fingers pressed against An Zhe¡¯s shoulders and An Zhe¡¯s eyes became real again. An Zhe lowered his eyelashes slightly before raising his eyes to meet Lu Feng¡¯s eyes. His eyelashes twitched slightly, like the delicate shaking of the flowers and leaves after the butterfly landed on them.


    Lu Feng stared at him for a long time, like staring at the twilight on the snowfield.


    Once the twilight came, An Zhe leaned over and kissed him gently. Silently, he kissed these lips again and again.


    The past flickered before fading.


    Note: This is the actual last chapter. It is officially marked as complete by the author. Thank you for joining me on this journey. This is probably my number one favourite danmei novel and I hoped you all loved it as much as I did.