Invasion - Chapter 106

Chapter 106

Ni Ji saw the message from Ji Xuan.

Among this team of sentinels, two were their companions, with the same goal, secretly operating in the shadows of the night.

These two people had both received the notification from Ji Xuan.

The content was very brief: "From now on, follow Avenger’s arrangements."

Each of them had their own code name. Ni Ji’s code name was Avenger.

The message, sent at the same time, that short sentence, didn’t stay on their personal terminals for long, self-destructing. It was a secret communication method that was hard to trace.

Clearly, something had happened to Ji Xuan in the White Tower.

The others received the notification, telling them to follow Ni Ji’s arrangements from now on.

But Ni Ji himself hadn't received any message.

Ni Ji knew that this was to protect him.

Something serious must have happened to Ji Xuan for him to hurriedly entrust everything to him like this.

He hadn’t even sent him a message, to protect his safety.

Ni Ji intertwined his fingers, gently rubbing them, nodded slightly to that person, and didn't say anything.

There were too many people here, unless necessary, they never acted too familiar with each other.

That person discreetly retreated, not letting anyone notice this small interaction.

The road conditions in the contaminated zone weren’t good, and the vehicle shook violently.

The sky, like a melting candle, slowly faded. The mushrooms along the road died, and the air was filled with fluff-like ashes, like a heavy snowfall.

Just at this time, the vehicle reached that place.

A giant, skeletal structure like an iron tower appeared in their field of vision.

A body, a mix of human and monster, frozen with a furious expression on its face, its head raised, roaring at the sky.

It was Ta Zi’s corpse.

This was a graveyard, the resting place of Ni Ji’s former comrades. A long time had passed, yet their bodies still remained as they were, standing here.

The vehicle slowly drove past the black skeletal structure, the sound of whistling wind in the air.

Ni Ji straightened his clothes, wiping the bloodstains from his face.

Trying to let those former companions see that he had recovered.

The strong wind swirled the white fluff in the air, and it landed on his shoulders and head.

Very gently, like the companions resting here saying goodbye to him.

Actually, nothing much had changed. Ni Ji, looking at his comrades' remains, thought, sitting amidst the flying fluff.

Back then, the companions around him had met their ends one after another, and now, it was still the same.

Perhaps even Vice-captain Ji, who was always extremely cautious, could not escape this fate.

For a moment, Ni Ji felt a pair of cold eyes, across space, staring straight at him from the distant top of the White Tower, watching them all, that feeling sent chills down his spine.

He lowered his eyes and, in the crowded vehicle, saw the small hand next to him, those fingers slightly curled, lightly touching the edge of his black uniform, her skin as white as snow.

At this moment, a strong desire welled up in Ni Ji’s heart, he wanted to hold that soft hand, to draw some warmth and strength from it.

He wanted to, very much.

But there were too many people around, all sentinels with sharp senses.

His gaze only lingered on that hand for a second or two before looking away.

In the swaying bus, the noise and chatter were loud.

The Sentinel Captain, who usually sat up straight, slightly leaned back against the cold metal wall of the truck bed.

Just then, a tentacle squeezed in between the wall and his back, poking his lower back.

The muscles in Ni Ji’s back, even his legs, instantly tensed.

That nimble tentacle poked his waist, then, after a while, pinched him.

Ni Ji couldn't help but turn to look at Lin Yuan beside him.

Lin Yuan was sitting properly, her dark eyes moving back and forth.

She knew!

Ni Ji knew very well that sometimes, Lin Yuan wasn't aware of the tentacles' actions, she had too many tentacles, each with its own will.

Sometimes, when Lin Yuan was asleep, or focused on fighting, the things the tentacles did to him couldn't be taken as Lin Yuan's own intentions.

But this time, it was clear that Lin Yuan knew, it was even possible that she was the one directing the tentacle to do this.

She, she had pinched his waist twice?

Lin Yuan’s face was expressionless, and with her hand, where others couldn’t see, she made a sign language gesture towards Ni Ji.

“Feeling any better?”

When they communicated before, it was often directly through their minds, incredibly fast, transmitting their will instantly, almost without any delay.

If that didn't work, they could also speak.

But she didn’t know why, Lin Yuan chose sign language, this slowest way of communication. As if time wasn’t of the essence, everything could be done slowly.

Just like the way his companions used to communicate with him.

“Nicole and I were playing, and she did this too, it made me feel better.”

Her fair, slender fingers moved in the shadows, a silent, slow conversation.

She was such a perceptive and gentle person, always able to notice his low mood.

“Are you feeling any better now?” That hand gestured these words.

Ni Ji, his eyes lowered, stared at the hands making sign language gestures towards him in the shadows.

Thinking that there was something different now, after all,

He was no longer as weak as he had been that year, he wouldn’t easily give up on himself again, he now had the courage to persevere, no matter what happened.

The person who gave him this courage was sitting next to him, touching his arm.

Ni Ji answered Lin Yuan's question with a smile.

He looked very handsome when he smiled, like a steep, snow-capped peak touched by the orange-red sunlight, so beautiful it was hard to look away.

The transport truck, full of sentinels, left the area of Contaminated Zone 35, leaving the city slowly reappearing in the world behind them.

The vehicle picked up speed, speeding along the long road.

A sentinel in the truck nudged his companion with his elbow.

His companion looked up, following her gaze, and through the gaps in the crowd, saw their usually icy captain.

Captain Ni Ji, holding his gun, his eyes downcast, was sleeping peacefully, a soft smile on his lips.

Captain Ni, on the battlefield, was almost like a man of iron, few had ever seen him truly sleep, he was always alert, always seemingly awake and vigilant.

Even the slightest movement would make him open his eyes, his sharp gaze sweeping over.

When had they ever seen him sleeping so peacefully in such a noisy place?

That smiling face made them think that perhaps what their companion had said was true.

Captain Ni was in love.

Ni Ji fell asleep on the shaking truck.

He was incredibly tired after such a long battle.

He would soon have to face an even more dangerous battlefield in the capital. He desperately needed a truly restful sleep.

He could only get this completely peaceful sleep when a certain person was by his side.

That person just happened to be right next to him.

Lin Yuan looked at the sentinel beside her.

He wasn't leaning his head against her as he did when they were together before.

Just holding his gun, his body slightly curled, towards her.

His complexion was poor, bloodstains at the corner of his mouth. His collar was loose, revealing a large purplish-red bruise on his shoulder, extending all the way to his collarbone.

Lin Yuan knew how exhausted he was, and also knew how burdened his heart was.

But he had curled up, leaning against the wall of the truck, sleeping beside her, smiling at her.

He always smiled at her, he looked truly beautiful when he smiled.

Ni Ji in his sleep, his fingers occasionally twitching, wanting to grab something subconsciously.

If it weren't for so many people watching, Lin Yuan felt that she should give him one of her tentacles to hold as he slept.

When this thought crossed her mind, she inexplicably felt that she had seen this scene somewhere before.

In a certain damp, dark place, a sentinel, his skin sweaty, his muscles tense, his strong arms holding a smooth tentacle.

And a black fishtail swaying in the air.

Why were these strange, nonexistent images constantly appearing in her memory?

【Did you do something inappropriate to Little Fish when I wasn’t there?】 Lin Yuan asked the tentacles.

【No, no, absolutely not.】 The tentacles shook the tips of their wrist feet in unison, denying it.

【Everything was done right in front of you.】

【Don’t blame us, maybe it's you, when we’re all asleep, who did something.】

【Yes, yes.】

【Like pinching his chin, his waist, you know, doing this and that to him.】

【Yes, yes.】

【Don’t interrupt, I also feel like I’ve tasted him somewhere before.】

【!】

【???】

【????????!!!!!】

【I’m talking about… mouthparts, lips.】

【Every time he speaks, I feel like it’s very strange, like I’ve definitely tasted it before, and I know how it feels.】

【Why can't I remember?】

【So strange, so many of us brains, can't a single one remember?】

The bus drove all the way back to the capital.

After getting off, Ni Ji reached out to Lin Yuan in the vehicle.

Lin Yuan could now easily jump down from such a small truck bed.

But she suddenly felt she could occasionally be a little weaker. So she placed her hand in the Sentinel’s black-gloved hand.

Ni Ji held her hand tightly, helping her down from the truck.

In that instant, she could feel his slender fingers subtly tighten, holding on for half a second longer, before finally, reluctantly letting go.

And there, they parted ways.

Ni Ji turned and walked towards the tall White Tower.

Lin Yuan and her friends walked back towards her home.

After they separated, Ni Ji, on the road, couldn't help but look back.

He saw countless powerful sentinels surrounding his Guide at the end of the road.

"This trip was incredibly tiring, want to go to Yuan Yuan’s for afternoon tea?"

"Ask Yun Luo if he’s coming, I have some new ideas, I want to spar with him."

"I wonder what delicious things Xiao Suo will make? That girl always makes so much food for us, I really like her!"

"Want to ask the gardener at Guide Lin's house for a bouquet of roses, the flowers in her garden are the best!"

They talked and laughed, walking towards that warm manor with its blooming flowers.

He wasn’t among them.

Ni Ji stood there, looking at the cheerful group, until they turned the corner and disappeared from his sight.

Finally, he turned around, his face cold, walking alone towards the towering White Tower.

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