50
The Iron Wastes are burning.
A bottomless crack burst out from the depths of the endless wasteland.
It was as if fire from the abyss was constantly bursting out from the cracks, mixed with molten metal, like a wonderful fireworks display at a doomsday celebration.
It was more stunning than any fireworks display on any celebration day in the main city.
"How long will it take to cut the main city in half?" Fulu looked at the fire in the distance.
"It's early." Jiu Yi said.
Although flames could be seen and explosions could be heard, and the temperature in the air had clearly risen, the crack had not moved forward or become wider since it appeared in the Black Iron Wasteland overnight.
Like an incomplete death notice.
The poster for You Must Die was posted, but no release date was given.
"Could Ning Gu really be the savior?" Shouxi said, "He said he would give you half of the main city, so the main city will really be divided into two halves."
"Which half do you want?" Fulu asked with some anticipation.
"Of course it's the half from Lost Valley!" said Suki. "The boss died when he left Lost Valley."
"It's not that you will die," Fulu jumped up and down, "but you will turn into air, like a poet."
"A poet is consciousness," Suki said, "invisible and intangible."
"That's what Qi Hang is like," Fulu said. "It's good to be able to see it, but it's too sad not to be able to see it."
"Boss," Suki came close to Jiuyi, "Which one do you like?"
Jiu Yi turned his head and looked at the two of them. After several seconds, he shouted, "I want to live!"
"Alive—" Fukuroku, Shouki and others shouted together.
Who doesn't want to live
Jiuyi's sight slowly moved towards the main city, looking at the light streaks that seemed a little dim due to the strong contrast with the firelight. If there was an exit, then everyone under the light streaks could survive.
Those who cannot leave will collapse and melt along with this hopeless world.
Who doesn't want to live, even if it means giving up the body
Living is much easier for Jiuyi than for those people in the main city.
I think, I think, and I live.
"Why hasn't the car arrived yet?" Jiuyi said.
"Is the ghost town gone?" Fulu said.
"Is the caracal still around these days?" Jiuyi did not answer this question.
"Yes," said Fruth, "I came across it when I went to the gap."
"What is it doing in the gap?" Jiu Yi asked.
"Scratching my ears." Fulu replied.
"…Besides scratching your ears?" Jiu Yi asked again.
"Lick the fur." Fulu replied.
"Get down!" Jiu Yi roared.
Fulu, Shouxi and a few little bats ran back to the Lost Valley from the nearby entrance.
The caracal is also observing the changes in the Black Iron Wasteland. Recently, it can often be seen at several exits of the Black Iron Wasteland in the Lost Valley, but Jiuyi has never communicated with the caracal.
In the past, he would only come to the ground on celebration days to get some fresh air and see how much the main city had declined. He had only seen a caracal a few times, so he would definitely run away if he saw one.
Now that Lianchuan is no longer in the main city, there is no need to be afraid of seeing caracals.
Jiuyi looked towards the main city again, stood up and walked towards the exit.
Only the Lost Valley can give him a sense of security. It is huge and small, lively and deserted. Everyone is alive and everyone is dead.
Down-to-earth.
"The rift data hasn't changed in the past few days?" Minister Chen looked at the screen.
"No," Chun San crossed his arms and tapped his chin with his fingers, "There are no abnormal fluctuations in the underground monitoring."
"What about Betelgeuse?" Minister Chen asked.
"The Operations and Training Department has cut off the data transmission from Betelgeuse early this morning," Chun San glanced at him, "and it is no longer shared with us."
"It's too late," Minister Chen was not too surprised. "The top leaders already know that Betelgeuse's spiritual power is seriously leaking."
"That's not accurate either. A leak has to have a direction. Where is it leaking to?" Chun San smiled. "A leak that cannot be detected is not called a leak. It's called disappearance. Betelgeuse is disappearing."
"Why do you look so happy?" Minister Chen frowned.
"Nothing," Chun San turned and walked out the door, "I'm going out for a walk. I haven't had a rest in two days."
"Be careful," Minister Chen looked at her, "Take two people with you."
"It doesn't matter," Chun San turned around and smiled again, "Who knows who I am?"
Minister Chen sighed and turned his head to continue looking at the screen.
Chun San walked out of the City Affairs Hall door with a smile. She didn't want to show it so obviously, but she couldn't help it.
She felt that Minister Chen should be able to guess why she was so happy. The collapse might have already begun, and Lian Chuan might have obtained the spiritual power of Betelgeuse, which could make her forget all despair.
The moment a huge crack appeared on the Black Iron Wasteland, whether it indicated that the countdown to the last day had begun or not, it was the beginning of the collapse of the main city.
The barrier of Zone C, which had been massively damaged by the Traveler's impact, had completely lost its function.
The only areas that the main city can still control are areas A and B. All military forces are concentrated at the intersections in area A, while outside area B, there is chaos.
The vitality people unleash in despair is stronger than ever before.
Those people who usually draw the curtains when they see a patrol are enjoying their "last days" outside area B.
"Are you going or not?" Li Liang stood in front of the smashed bar counter and looked at Guang Guang. "Lu Qian and I will take you back first."
"No," Guangguang leaned against the wall and tilted his head, "Why should I leave?"
"It's too dangerous," Li Liang said, "We don't know when the travelers will come. It will only make things more chaotic. The number of city guards stationed here is less than half of what it used to be. The patrols have also abandoned areas other than Area B. We don't know when the travelers will come..."
"What's next?" Guang Guang asked, "At this rate, it won't be long before Area B can't be defended, and finally Area A, the City Affairs Office, the Interior Defense, the Training Department... Where else can we retreat to?"
Li Liang looked at her and said nothing.
"Why are you so worried about me?" Guang Guang also looked at Li Liang, "Do you like me?"
"Not really, I just have a crush on you. We've known each other for a long time," Li Liang said, "but it will take time to reach the point of liking you."
"Oh?" Guangguang smiled.
"So do you want to try to live longer?" Li Liang said.
"No," Guangguang came over, propping up the half-remaining bar with his arm, "I just need to know that one day in the future, someone will like me, that's enough. I want to live, but I want to die freely even more. I have enough courage to enjoy all my experiences."
Li Liang spoke after a long time: "The cleaning team will now have two missions in Area C every day. I will come to see you."
"If I weren't dead, I'd be here." Guangguang nodded.
Li Liang walked out of the bright entertainment store. Lu Qian was waiting for him outside the door with A01 astride, all weapons were activated.
The scenery on the streets has changed, and people often have the illusion of being on the edge of Zone D. People's hatred for hyenas has turned into courage without fear of death, and they often encounter attacks.
The city guards at the exit of Lost Valley have been withdrawn, and the bats' homemade weapons can easily flow into the main city, causing considerable damage.
"Did you leave weapons for Guangguang?" Lu Qian asked.
Li Liang glanced at him.
"When Long Biao was clearing out the warehouse yesterday, he discovered that one of our weapons was missing," Lu Qian said, "It was a non-binding equipment."
"What did you tell him?" Li Liang got on his bike.
"I forgot to report the loss of the mission." Lu Qian said.
"Which mission's losses?" Li Liang asked.
"Long Biao said he was going to input the data." Lu Qian said.
Li Liang smiled and said nothing.
"It doesn't make sense anymore, does it?" Lu Qian said, "Whether it's true or false."
"We still have a mission," Li Liang put on his goggles and received the mission information, "D area D8, illegal trespassing, these are real, let's go."
"Yes." Lu Qian replied.
Ning Gu sat on the ground, lowered his head and turned his back to Lian Chuan, and pushed aside his hair: "Can you see it?"
"I see." Lian Chuan looked at the small wound on the back of his head. It was a neat cut. It would not be so smooth unless it hit the knife.
"I've always wanted to know who I am, who my parents are, and where they are," Ning Gu said in a low voice, "The captain and his friends are so good to me. Although they punish me... they never really do anything to me. I always think that my parents must be very powerful travelers, very important people..."
Lian Chuan looked at his wound and listened to him.
"But the leader said," Ning Gu took a breath, "he doesn't know who my parents are. I'm just... a baby of unknown origin, a baby picked up by a traveler from the Black Iron Wasteland."
Ning Gu turned his head and looked at him: "I am just an abandoned baby, maybe just an illegal birth that cannot exist in the main city."
"No." Lian Chuan replied.
"Hmm?" Ning Gu looked at him.
"You are a traveler," Lian Chuan said, "Your abilities do not only come from Qi Hang's fragments. You have your own abilities, which you would not have if you were born illegally."
"Are you sure?" Ning Gu asked.
"Sure," Lian Chuan glanced at him, "I've cleaned up a lot of them, and I always check the information when I recover illegal births."
"I almost forgot... you used to be a murderous hyena." Ning Gu said.
"Qi Hang's ability is mental damage, it is absolutely impossible to awaken Betelgeuse," Lian Chuan said, "You can control it."
Ning Gu looked at him.
"Do I need to say more?" Lian Chuan said.
"Speak." Ning Gu said.
"Don't lament why I talk so much in the future," Lian Chuan said, "the amount of my words depends on how much brains the listeners have."
"I don't have that thing." Ning Gu said.
"You are the descendant of travelers," Lianchuan said, "You have the abilities of your parents."
"Crowd control?" Ning Gu whispered. "I've heard of it. Lin Fan mentioned it just now, but... that person disappeared a long time ago. Before I was born, there were only legends about him. Hammer mentioned him. They called him E. I can't be his child."
Lian Chuan was silent for a long time, seemingly thinking, but it was not clear.
"Are you feeling unwell?" Ning Gu asked, "Is the medicine useless?"
"Is there any storage equipment in the ghost town's medical room?" Lian Chuan asked, "Something like hibernation."
"… You mean e is hidden? Dormant?" Ning Gu was shocked.
"What I want to say is you," Lian Chuan looked at him, "a suitable body that can bear the fragments of Qi Hang and hibernate waiting for the day when the fragments are found."
"Shut up." Ning Gu said.
Lian Chuan said nothing more and leaned back in the recliner.
"Are you trying to say that this was not the captain's decision, but my parents'?" Ning Gu's voice was shaking. "Are you trying to say that my parents decided to use me to store Qi Hang's fragments when they gave birth to me?"
"Maybe I'm overthinking it." Lian Chuan said.
"Do you have any feelings?" Ning Gu suddenly came in front of him and shouted in a low voice, "When you told me this speculation, did you ever consider how I would feel? Huh? Lian Chuan? Are you a human being? Are you?"
"I don't care." Lian Chuan looked at him.
"Don't care about anything?" Ning Gu stared at him in disbelief.
"I don't care whether I am a human being or not," Lian Chuan said. "I can accept everything I've been through because there is no other choice. Choosing the wrong thing doesn't necessarily mean you'll die, but hesitating will cost you your life."
"I don't understand!" Ning Gu yelled.
"Don't dwell on these things," Lian Chuan said, "Why is it you, why do they decide your path like this, there is no reason."
"Who am I?" Ning Gu looked at him, "Who am I? Tell me, who am I?"
"You are you," Lian Chuan poked his chest, "What you see is you, what you hear is you, what you remember is you, what you have experienced is you, and when you live is you."
Ning Gu stared at him.
"You are the one who is different from others," Lian Chuan said, "Who am I? The precursor experiment subject? Lian Chuan? Betelgeuse? None of them are me, and they are all me."
Ning Gu still stared at him.
"You can think so much here," Lian Chuan closed his eyes, "because you are you."
"No one can decide my path," Ning Gu said.
Lian Chuan didn't say anything.
Ning Gu didn't say anything else.
After a long silence, Ning Gu frowned and clicked his tongue.
Lian Chuan opened his eyes.
"You said, I won't..." Ning Gu hesitated, "Older than Uncle Feng, right?"
"You're not really a bat, are you?" Lian Chuan said.
"What do you mean?" Ning Gu immediately glared at him.
"Uncle Feng is older than the captain," Lian Chuan said, "Even if you were the same age as Uncle Feng, would the captain have put you into hibernation in your mother's womb?"
"...Oh." Ning Gu nodded.
"I don't want to talk anymore." Lian Chuan said.
"You don't have to say it." Ning Gu said.
"Use your brain." Lian Chuan said.
"Didn't you say you didn't want to talk?" Ning Gu lay on the ground.
Lian Chuan didn't say anything else.
"Lian Gou, let me ask you something," Ning Gu lay there for a while and then turned his head to look at Lian Chuan, "What happened to your injuries? The medicine should be useful, but why are some healed and some not?"
Lian Chuan didn't say anything.
"Hey," Ning Gu sat up, "Hey."
"That is Betelgeuse's attack window. It can be restored a little, but there is no way to recover completely," Lian Chuan said.
The monster he saw in his dream flashed through Ning Gu’s mind. He sighed and lay back on the ground.
"It's okay." Lian Chuan said.
"You're used to it, right?" Ning Gu asked.
"Yeah." Lian Chuan closed his eyes.
"You just rest here. I want to go find Uncle Crazy later," Ning Gu said. "Why is he mixed in with those travelers in the basement? Does he know where the nail is? Does he know something else?"
"Wait until I recover a little." Lian Chuan said.
"You don't have to accompany me," Ning Gu said, "This is my own business. I don't need to worry about who I am, but no matter who it is, they can arrange my life but not my death. I need to figure out how to survive."
"Yeah." Lian Chuan responded.
"I am the savior." Ning Gu said.
“… Yeah.” Lian Chuan opened his eyes. This overconfident conclusion made him want to see Ning Gu’s current expression.
"Let me show you something," Ning Gu looked very serious, and reached into the small pocket on the inside of his boots, "I got it from Lost Valley."
"Stolen." Lian Chuan said.
Ning Gu looked at him: "What's the matter?"
"What is it?" Lian Chuan asked.
Ning Gu put a small metal bead in the palm of his hand and stretched it in front of him: "The yellow-eyed bat said that only the savior can open this thing. I squeezed it and it opened."
Lian Chuan picked up the small bead and looked at it carefully: "There is something on it."
"Amazing," Ning Gu said, "It took me a long time to find that there was something there. It was small dots, some big and some small, in groups, and the arrangement order was the same."
Lian Chuan took the cold light bottle next to him and looked at it carefully.
"Have you seen it?" Ning Gu asked.
"It looks like a password." Lian Chuan said.