Invasion - Chapter 100

Chapter 100

Lin Yuan put on her pure white Guide uniform. When she reached the gate, she touched the delicate lace on her skirt, feeling a sense of restriction, unable to take a step.

She had worn dresses of this style for more than ten years — beautiful, delicate, figure-hugging, and not easy to move in.

She had thought she was used to wearing this kind of clothing.

It turned out that one could never truly get used to uncomfortable things, only forced to accept them.

A car sent by the White Tower was waiting outside.

Actually, the White Tower was very close to her home; there was no need to take a car at all.

It was said to be a special arrangement, to commend her contributions, a sentinel from the Royal Guard personally driving to pick her up, to show how important this was.

The car window rolled down halfway, revealing a face Lin Yuan was familiar with.

Lin Yuan even froze for a moment before remembering his name.

Jiang Yangshuo, her former fiancé.

The alley at this moment was very quiet, the morning sunlight divided into two distinct halves by the courtyard walls.

Lin Yuan stood in the rising sunlight, the person in the car, shrouded in the shadows of last night.

Lin Yuan suddenly realized that a lot of time had passed.

So much so that the little girl in the white dress, her lonely back, had become a blurry figure in her memory.

Memories turning into long and fragmented images, even this former fiancé's name and face required some effort to recall.

Those suffocating days in the past, all those troubles, after experiencing so many things, seemed insignificant, no longer worth mentioning.

Lin Yuan smoothed her skirt and calmly greeted Jiang Yangshuo, getting into the car.

The vehicle started, slowly moving forward. She could see the giant White Tower through the car window.

The white, majestic tower, bathed in the morning sunlight.

The air in the car was silent. Neither spoke.

After a while, Jiang Yangshuo's voice finally rang out,

"I heard you… went to many places recently," his voice a little dry, as if these words had been repeated countless times in his heart before finally being spoken.

The Jiang Yangshuo in Lin Yuan's memory had been a man who was good at talking, with many friends, always elegant, always eloquent, she had rarely seen him hesitant like this.

But people changed, she herself wasn’t the same as before either.

She made a sound of affirmation, absentmindedly.

"Can you get used to it? I heard the conditions at the outposts are harsh, which places did you go to?”

"It’s fine," Lin Yuan said, "I've been all over the eastern region.”

Previously, to train herself, to practice coordination with Ni Ji, she had basically been to all the contaminated zones near the Dongbin Outpost and the Land of No Eyes.

Thinking about it now, having gone through so much, she could be considered an experienced warrior, a veteran.

Lin Yuan looked out the window, her gaze landing on the high spire of the White Tower.

The pointed, white spire was bathed in golden sunlight, the tower was too tall, looking up from the car window, she couldn't even see the window at the top.

But Lin Yuan knew there was a window at the spire. There, a person might be standing, looking down at everything on earth from above.

Today, she was going to the top of the tower again, to see that Queen who held the highest power in the empire.

Jiang Yangshuo's gaze fell on the side of Lin Yuan's face, his throat incredibly dry.

He had put in a lot of effort to get this opportunity to pick up Lin Yuan today.

Now, he had picked her up, she was sitting beside him, and he found himself not knowing what to say.

It had been a long time since he last saw Lin Yuan.

He deliberately tried not to think about her, but that slender figure had already been etched into his soul, unforgettable.

There were many images of Lin Yuan in Jiang Yangshuo’s mind. She still had that delicate and beautiful face, she was still wearing that familiar white dress, but something seemed completely different from before.

The girl sitting next to him, still with the same appearance, now exuded a certain aura, calm and composed, unfazed by external things.

It was the aura of someone tempered on the battlefield.

Making people feel a sense of awe, not daring to disrespect her.

He didn’t know when it started, but people around him would often mention Lin Yuan’s name.

They said she had opened the Golden Tree Contaminated Zone.

They said Her Majesty had personally summoned her.

They said the Royal Guard had specially selected a dedicated Sentinel for her.

They said she had once again done something astonishing, shaking the Land of No Eyes.

During that selection match, he, Jiang Yangshuo, a member of the Royal Guard, had also been standing in a corner, almost gnashing his teeth.

He wanted to go up to the arena, but he knew he wouldn’t win.

He could only stand in the audience, watching the strongest among the Royal Guard fighting desperately on the arena.

Just to win the place by her side.

That place was originally his, she originally only had him by her side.

Jiang Yangshuo really wanted to ask Lin Yuan to give him another chance, this time, he would definitely cherish her.

His heart was pounding right now, his chest aching.

It was just like the first time he saw Lin Yuan by the flowerbed. At that time, she had seemed ethereal, incredibly beautiful. He had sworn then, that he would treat her well. How had he forgotten?

His heart had pounded like a drum back then, a sweetness in his heart, which now was filled with bitterness and despair.

He opened his mouth several times, but the words wouldn’t come out.

He knew that this wasn’t a good time, the journey was too short, and before he could say the words he had practiced over and over, the car had already stopped.

Lin Yuan didn't even look at him, she pushed open the car door and got out, walking towards the tall White Tower.

Jiang Yangshuo silently got out of the car, following her.

After they entered the White Tower, several sentinels, seeing the two of them, enthusiastically came over to greet them.

"I've heard of you, Guide Lin, would you mind adding me as a contact?”

"It’s incredible, how did you do it? We all received weapons from the Land of No Eyes, all thanks to you, thank you.”

"I didn't participate in the selection last time. If there's a next time, I’ll defeat that Ni Ji guy and replace him. You can look forward to it.”

Those sentinels from the Special Operations Unit surrounded Lin Yuan, asking about the latest situation in the contaminated zones, sighing and lamenting.

Finally, when they added Lin Yuan on their personal terminals, each of their gazes subtly swept over Jiang Yangshuo, with a hint of mockery.

A Guide with a permed afro saw Lin Yuan from a distance, and ran over.

She intimately clung to Lin Yuan’s side, chattering non-stop. Jiang Yangshuo recognized her. She was from a noble family, the youngest daughter of a Marquis.

She asked Lin Yuan about the border outposts, occasionally exclaiming, full of interest.

Lin Yuan, as before, didn’t speak much, her face without much expression.

But Jiang Yangshuo knew that she was no longer that quiet little girl trapped in the White Tower.

Talking about outposts, contaminated zones, and Deviants — these terrifying things, she spoke with familiarity, effortlessly.

That relaxed confidence was no different from those powerful warriors who frequently went to battlefields.

He could hardly even join their conversation.

Nobles like Jiang Yangshuo, having lived in the White Tower for too long, their years almost entirely confined to this small space.

They led comfortable lives, even if they were sentinels, they almost never left the White Tower's protection.

They hadn’t seen real Deviants, nor had they ever left the capital. They didn't know what the real world outside was like.

In front of Lin Yuan, and those warriors who had truly entered contaminated zones, they often revealed their ignorance when talking about the world outside the White Tower.

Nicole, her arm linked with Lin Yuan’s, looked at Jiang Yangshuo with unconcealed disdain, a look of disgust, as if she was looking at an idiot.

Many people knew that Jiang Yangshuo had once been Lin Yuan's fiancé, but had then taken the initiative to break off the engagement.

Back then, it was Lin Yuan who had been mocked.

Now, it was gradually turning towards Jiang Yangshuo.

Jiang Yangshuo’s heart felt like it was being pierced by thin needles. Suffocation, anger, bitterness, and regret, all welled up at once, an indescribable mix of emotions.

Lin Yuan stepped into the sightseeing elevator to the top of the White Tower.

She had taken it last time she was here, and she knew that once she swiped the special elevator card, it would rapidly ascend, taking her to the top of the tower.

Lin Yuan's heart tightened a little, her body entering a state of excitement.

It was the physiological response she had when entering a dangerous battlefield.

But she was simply ascending the tower, going to meet Her Majesty, to have a brief conversation.

At this moment, a small team of sentinels had just returned from a mission.

They were fully armed, holding high-energy weapons, their bodies stained with blood, looking windswept and dust-covered.

Lin Yuan instantly found the familiar figure from the crowd.

Her gaze, through the elevator glass, landed on Ni Ji.

His soft black hair had some dust on it, a heat weapon at his strong waist, his straight legs in black military boots.

His gloved fingers tapped his personal terminal, communicating with his teammates.

She didn't know why, but the moment she saw Ni Ji, the tense feeling in her heart dissipated.

Her gaze fixed on him, she even thought about their dinner date tonight, she had to get things done quickly.

The elevator began to ascend, he didn't look up, seemingly not noticing her.

But the tips of his ears, visible in her line of sight, gradually turned red.

So he had seen her.

Indeed, how could a Sentinel like him not notice her, so close?

A slight smile appeared on Lin Yuan's lips.

Jiang Yangshuo was in the elevator with Lin Yuan, his gaze fixed on her.

He watched as Lin Yuan’s cold eyes softened when she saw that sentinel.

She even smiled.

Jiang Yangshuo had known Lin Yuan for more than ten years, and had never seen her smile at him.

Lin Yuan was like the ice of a snowy mountain, cold and unmelting, he had never seen her smile, since they were young.

This slight smile, like a blooming lotus, was captivating, yet it wasn’t for him.

Jiang Yangshuo felt a sharp pain in his heart. They had known each other since childhood, yet Lin Yuan had never looked at him like that, had never smiled at him like that.

If it hadn't been for this, he wouldn't have been momentarily confused, made that wrong step, tasted the bitter fruits of his actions, regretting it to this day.

"Is that Guide Lin in the elevator? The one Her Majesty summoned today?" Ni Ji heard a comrade beside him say in the hall. He glanced at the rapidly rising elevator, then looked back down at the intelligence in his hand, making a soft sound of agreement. "Yes, it’s her," he didn't seem to care much.

So the sentinels began discussing the gossip they had heard.

"I heard that Guide Lin used to be engaged to the Jiang family, but later broke it off."

"Jiang Yangshuo must regret it now, right?"

"I heard their compatibility was very high back then, 70%."

"Oh my god, 70% compatibility is incredibly rare, is Jiang Yangshuo an idiot? Why would he break it off?"

"Who knows, looking at how he’s following her around, he probably wants to get back together."

"That brat’s useless, only his face is pretty, I bet Guide Lin won’t get back together with him."

"You can't say for sure, Guides all like good-looking men, especially since his mental body is a cheetah."

"What about cheetahs? Cheetahs have poor stamina, mine’s a bison."

"Cheetahs are fluffy, very useful for chasing Guides, most Guides love fluffy things, don’t you know?”

The sentinels were chatting, when they suddenly felt a chill as if ice-cold seawater was engulfing them.

They stopped talking, shivering, inexplicably looking at Ni Ji beside them.

Ni Ji’s eyes were downcast, his expression cold and indifferent, silent, as if not interested at all.

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