Chapter 33: The Gathering Storm
This line of text was the final blow that shattered Chi Wan’s hope.
Her trembling fingers paused over the screen of her optical computer, her helpless and bewildered pupils reflecting the cold, pale blue light.
And the overwhelming red.
Under the rapid corruption of her body, she couldn’t even hold the short knife steadily.
[Host, hold on! I… I have a way!]
[Wait for me, just give me a few minutes, I’ll be right back!]
After the System’s anxious voice vanished, Chi Wan’s entire world was consumed by the squelching sound of the red slime intertwining.
Her mind went blank. Memories from her childhood to adulthood flashed rapidly before her eyes. Looking at the slime that was about to submerge her, the countless rolling eyeballs caused her head to throb with excruciating pain.
She had lived at school since she was young, growing up alone. She studied hard, maintained high grades, and was the “perfect child” in the eyes of the neighbors.
Her parents, who were always separated more than they were together, often only gave her their retreating backs.
Distant and unreachable backs.
Even so, home was the warmest place in her heart.
Yet, upon arriving in this world, the System told her that her home in the 21st century was merely a mechanical virtual world.
She, Chi Wan, was like duckweed without roots.
In this instant, Chi Wan suddenly felt so tired.
Tired enough to give up struggling.
The slime rose past her neck and chin, swallowing her tears.
Submerging her bit by bit.
Her skin turned gray and green under the rapid increase in her pollution level.
Every patch of skin felt as if it were being gnawed on by countless insects—a piercing pain and an agonizing itch.
Although her body was weak, Chi Wan suddenly felt a surge of unwillingness.
She wanted to become strong.
The System had said she was supposed to be a Guide with special abilities, the only Guide in the galaxy with an offensive ability.
Although her destiny and abilities had been stolen, she still wanted to make one last gamble.
If she could awaken her ability, she could enjoy the same treatment as a Sentinel. Then, she could leave the Chi family or even leave the Federation, possessing the ability to survive well on any planet.
Instead of being just a Guide.
A Guide who, despite being SSS-rank, could only depend on Sentinels.
Chi Wan began to struggle desperately.
She tried to break free from the slime that wrapped her so tightly she couldn’t breathe.
The dagger in her hand tried hard to slice through the thick, viscous liquid.
Futile.
Still futile.
She tried every method until the skin on her wrists began to turn gray-green, until her rationality was nearly cannibalized.
Her strength was almost completely exhausted.
Chi Wan finally sank heavily into the slime.
A faint silver light flickered in her palm.
But she didn’t see it at all.
[Host, I succeeded! I’m getting you out of here!]
The System’s voice pulled Chi Wan’s consciousness back slightly.
After a bout of intense dizziness, she collapsed onto the ground. Unable to move, she weakly opened her eyes to look at the dusty ground before her.
She really made it out…
“Why did you…”
[Hehe, I don’t have much skill, but I just exchanged all the points I’ve accumulated over the years for one teleportation opportunity…]
As it spoke, the System’s voice seemed to carry a nasal tone of guilt:
[I’m sorry, Host. It’s my fault for being incompetent and unable to help you more.]
The corners of Chi Wan’s mouth curled into a faint smile.
Silly System, even if I died, I wouldn’t blame you.
Her heavy eyelids could no longer hold up, and they slowly closed.
“Young Master, there seems to be a person lying up ahead.”
Inside a black, modified, anti-pollution light armored vehicle, a man browsing interstellar news on a star screen didn’t even lift his eyelids:
“Isn’t it normal to encounter dead people these days?”
“No, Young Master, she looks very familiar. She looks like the apple of the Chi family head, Chi Yuzhou’s eye!”
…
“Controlling motion with stillness, controlling stillness with motion. Interesting.”
Shen Yu sheathed his sword crisply. Behind the ground full of massive red internal organs, the giant red slime collapsed with a bang.
Like a sinkhole, a gaping abyss opened up.
“Let’s go.”
Walking into the black depression, a new space appeared before their eyes.
Shi Ye and the deputy commander of K3 Base, Tan Yan, were already waiting inside.
In front of them, a massive pollution source was continuously releasing pollution fog.
Behind Shi Ye, a gigantic head resembling an octopus lay dead. It was covered in countless gunshot wounds and knife marks. There was a gash three meters long on its head, from which a liquid of indistinguishable color flowed.
“Rank 8, mid-grade crystal. No ability element.”
Shi Ye weighed the crystal in his palm as he spoke.
“Leave the rest to them to sterilize.”
Shi Ye and Shen Yu decided to lead the Sentinels who weren’t wearing anti-pollution suits out of there first, leaving the sterilization of the pollution source to the Sentinels equipped with full protective gear.
The two walked back the way they came, one after the other.
“Where is Chi Wan?”
Shen Yu’s tone sounded casual.
Shi Ye paused slightly, his expression blank:
“I thought she was following you.”
Silence returned between the two.
“Then she must have followed Pei Yuan.”
Shen Yu said this, suppressing the worry in his heart.
Pei Yuan hated her the most.
He wondered if Pei Yuan had deliberately made things difficult for her.
But since she had retrieved his Purification Stone this time, he shouldn’t have been too harsh on her.
This subtle worry appeared for only an instant before he suppressed it.
“You came out quickly.”
Seeing Pei Yuan waiting outside the tunnel, Shen Yu spoke first.
His amber eyes scanned the surroundings, feeling increasingly anxious.
“Your speed was also beyond my expectations.”
Pei Yuan spoke, the smile on his lips undiminished:
“Was my deduction correct?”
“One dead end, three living paths. The three living paths are connected.”
A Sentinel standing nearby chimed in:
“Commander, you guessed the secret mechanism after just a simple investigation. That’s truly impressive. That Rank 8 pollution entity was a giant mutated octopus with three hearts. Each of the three tunnels housed one heart. All three needed to be destroyed simultaneously to reveal the pollution source.”
Shi Ye didn’t join the conversation. His gaze drifted, scanning the tunnel exits one by one, but he never saw that petite figure.
Pei Yuan naturally could tell that the minds of the two men before him were not on the mission right now.
Before he could speak, Shen Yu asked:
“Did Chi Wan not follow you?”
Pei Yuan leaned leisurely against a large tree nearby, his smile deepening:
“She did. I threw her inside.”
…
City of Embracing Moon
“We’ve thoroughly explored this area.”
“We can rest for a while. Good work, everyone.”
The team, having been busy for two days, finally got a moment to breathe.
Qi Ye threw aside the blood-stained knife in his hand and rotated his sore wrist. His gaze swept over his optical computer.
He wanted to find her, to see what she was doing now.
Was she obediently recovering at the base?
He found the two characters for “Chi Wan,” clicked on them, but found the interface was grayed out.
He then remembered that on his fifth day at the base, he had blocked her.
Qi Ye unblocked her.
Immediately, the system popped up a reminder—
[Detected that you have unblocked the user. Now synchronizing the rejected messages for you.]
[Twenty minutes ago, Chi Wan sent you a message. Content: “Qi Ye, I’m at Field Location 024, trapped in a… red swamp, save me”]
Every word on the optical computer was sharp and piercing.
Qi Ye’s brows instantly furrowed tight. His green eyes dropped to freezing point. Without any hesitation, he walked toward the light armored vehicle.
His pace was so fast it almost generated wind.
“Commander, what happened? Why the rush? Do you need help?”
Amidst the Sentinels’ shouts, Li Su watched the direction Qi Ye left, his gray-brown eyes thoughtful.
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