Invasion - Chapter 112

Chapter 112

Lin Yuan withdrew from Ji Xuan's mindscape and found that the sentinel’s berserking state in the cage had stopped.

Although his body was still covered with wounds, the uncontrollably growing wings, insect body, and limbs were slowly receding.

The blue butterfly had become very small, like a moth. It landed on Lin Yuan's fingertip.

It gently flapped its wings twice, as if in gratitude, then, its weak wings beating, it flew towards Ji Xuan’s body, unsteadily landing on his shoulder before disappearing, merging into him.

Lin Yuan saw the large burn scar on Ji Xuan’s back, an old injury from long ago.

In his mindscape, Lin Yuan had seen the origin of this scar. It was a burn Ji Xuan had received in his childhood, when he had shielded his brother from boiling water poured by their father.

Those memories might have been exaggerated and distorted due to the pain, but they were things that had truly happened.

These twin brothers had had a difficult first half of their lives, after the younger brother, a Guide, died, he and his brother had shared a body, depending on each other to survive.

Having lived so tenaciously, so strongly, it seemed they were still going to die in this iron cage.

Lin Yuan looked down at the person in the cage, a complex emotion welling up in her cold heart, an emotion that should perhaps be called sympathy or pity.

It had been a long time since she had thought about such things.

When she was very young, a puppy that would often come to the Guide Academy to beg for food had died. Her classmates had all cried, only Lin Yuan had stood there expressionlessly.

“Why aren’t you crying, Lin Yuan? Weren’t you the one who fed this puppy most often?” The teacher had asked her.

Why should she cry? Lin Yuan had thought, standing there. It was already dead, crying wouldn’t change anything.

“This child has no empathy at all.”

“She lacks the most basic empathetic ability of a Guide, she’s not a proper Guide.”

“Yes, cold and indifferent, like a monster.”

Lin Yuan had heard those whispers.

Lin Yuan would sometimes wonder, what kind of thing was empathy?

Feeling other people’s emotions?

It seemed like a very advanced emotion.

Something a monster like her could never feel, no matter how hard she tried.

Until now, when she no longer deliberately pursued these emotions, she suddenly discovered that she did have such feelings in her heart.

She felt sad for the experiences of these brothers. And she sincerely hoped that the companions who had detonated the explosives below the tower would be successful, that they could avoid the Queen’s pursuit, and rescue these tormented brothers from this dark iron cage.

But who could avoid the Queen's powerful mental search, and break through to this place?

Almost at the moment Lin Yuan had this thought, a sentinel in a gas mask and black clothes rushed through the palace doors.

Seeing that figure appear, Lin Yuan’s heart was filled with surprise.

She had been very vigilant in this place, her mental power covering everything.

Yet someone had managed to intrude onto this floor without her noticing.

It meant that this Sentinel was someone who had exceptional control over his own mental power, no wonder he had been able to avoid the Queen’s search and reach this place.

The moment their eyes met, Lin Yuan knew who had come.

Even though he had different weapons, his face covered, without a single mental fluctuation leaking out, Lin Yuan recognized him at first glance.

She was too familiar with this sentinel’s every move.

Only, she hadn't expected the person who came to rescue Ji Xuan to be him.

It was Ni Ji.

Revolutionary Army, rebel, traitor. The one who detonated the White Tower, who angered the Queen.

The mysterious and dangerous villain in people's mouths, was actually her Sentinel.

Ni Ji appeared.

The Sentinels in the hall came back to their senses from their daze, and charged toward him.

Ni Ji, without a word, knelt down on one knee, a strange-looking grenade launcher on his shoulder, its muzzle pointed at everyone.

He wouldn't shoot me, would he?

This thought had just crossed Lin Yuan’s mind when Ni Ji’s weapon fired, a grenade flying towards her with a bang.

The grenade exploded in the hall, thick smoke billowing, instantly filling the place.

One by one, the sentinels in the palace collapsed in the smoke.

The ammunition Ni Ji used was from the Land of No Eyes.

Back then, when encountering Teng Lu, even Ni Ji — a sentinel with strong willpower — had been easily taken down by it.

This powerful anesthetic, not available on the market, quickly knocked out the sentinels, and the Guide was naturally also affected.

Only, no one saw that when Lin Yuan collapsed, the intruder in black instantly appeared by her side, catching her falling body.

The sentinel, his face completely covered by a gas mask, looked at the person in his arms,

And the fierce look in his eyes behind the goggles softened.

He couldn’t help himself, and reached out, gently stroking Lin Yuan's soft, black hair.

Ni Ji looked at the Guide in his arms.

Her eyes closed peacefully, sleeping in his arms, the shadows of her eyelashes falling on her delicate face, she looked very peaceful.

Like the countless times in the contaminated zones, when they had protected each other, sleeping side by side.

Since returning from the Land of No Eyes, they hadn’t had a chance to be so close.

Now, meeting unexpectedly again, on a battlefield filled with smoke,

That rainy morning, a few whispered words by the window. That time returning together on the bus after the battle, those subtle touches under the watchful eyes of others. The brief eye contact as the elevator ascended and descended.

That was all they had since coming back.

She had changed a lot, there were more friends and sentinels by her side, and he himself, walking on the edge of a knife, constantly in danger, he didn’t even have the time to get close to her.

Ni Ji's fingers hooked a strand of Lin Yuan’s long hair, her soft hair cold and smooth, a little like the feeling of those tentacles brushing against his skin.

He hadn't wanted to fall too deeply into this emotion, it would make him weak, he once hoped to just be friends with Lin Yuan.

But now, he knew it was too late, he had already completely fallen.

From the inside out, both his body and mind, longed for her.

The sentinel lifted the strands of black hair, hesitated for a moment, lowered his head, very carefully placed a soft kiss on the black hair, realizing his masked face was burning.

From now on, there might not be another opportunity to be alone with her. Perhaps even, he wouldn’t be able to escape from this battle alive.

This thought had given him the courage to steal this kiss.

So- sorry, he quietly apologized for his impulsiveness.

On this precarious battlefield, amidst gunfire and explosions, unexpectedly seeing her here.

A few strands of her hair, yet like his antidote, his Guide pheromones, his placebo.

Soothing all his unease.

Only a second or two, like stolen gold, incredibly precious.

Ni Ji slightly tightened his fingers, holding the person in his arms. Finally, he carefully placed her head on the ground.

A miniature killer whale swam out, whimpered, and nudged Lin Yuan's head.

Then, very unhappily, it bared its small teeth at its owner.

Ni Ji ignored it. He didn’t look at Lin Yuan, lying on the ground, he stood up and strode towards the cage where Ji Xuan was imprisoned.

He remembered the first time he had met Lin Yuan. In that snow-filled alley, he had mercilessly pressed his blade against the girl's neck.

And now, he had pointed a gun at her again.

I hope she won’t be angry with me when she wakes up. The powerful warrior thought, his heart heavy.

---

Ji Xuan’s condition was better than he had expected. Although he had been tortured, at least he still looked human.

His body was seriously injured, but his mind was still clear, he even slightly opened his eyes after Ni Ji injected him with the antidote, looking at him, his mouth open slightly as if trying to say something.

Ni Ji could sense the lingering presence of a strong Guide’s mental power.

Just a moment ago, someone had stood here, helping Ji Xuan, that feeling, too familiar, he didn’t even need to think about it to know who it was.

Lin Yuan.

Ni Ji resisted the urge to look back at the unconscious Lin Yuan lying on the ground. It was best to keep it this way, he couldn't let others know that Lin Yuan had helped them.

Ni Ji opened the cage, carried Ji Xuan on his back, moved far away from where Lin Yuan was, through the smoke-filled palace, his body like a shadow, down the long stairs.

Smoke filled the White Tower, the pre-planted explosives going off one after another in deserted areas.

The place was in chaos, the sentinels busy running around, looking for the perpetrators.

For so many years, the White Tower had never been attacked. In such a peaceful place, even the most elite soldiers were caught off guard.

A few Royal Guard sentinels, hurriedly running through the corridor, happened to see the traitor coming down from upstairs.

The traitor was alone, carrying a burden on his back.

The two sides met unexpectedly.

The sentinels were overjoyed. They were from noble families, after joining the Royal Guard, their duties had always been ceremonial, simple guard duty, they had never experienced a true battlefield since they were young.

At that moment, the young sentinels' blood boiled, nervous yet also excited. This felt like a pie falling from the sky, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a contribution.

One young man even started fantasizing about what kind of speech he would give after capturing the traitor, when being personally commended by Her Majesty.

He had only been stunned for a moment when, he realized, his companions had all been taken down.

He hadn’t even seen the man's movements, only heard a few terrifying cracking sounds.

His companions didn't even have the chance to scream before they collapsed around him.

That terrifying man had already closed in. Through his goggles, the young sentinel vaguely saw a pair of eyes, cold as ice.

An immense fear enveloped him. All his training was useless in the face of such palpable killing intent.

His body stiff, before he could even raise his arms to block, an intense pain came, and he lost consciousness.

Ni Ji placed Ji Xuan in the freight elevator, and was about to leave when he felt a faint touch grabbing the corner of his clothes.

"After you go down, there will be people waiting,” he crouched down again and explained to his tormented companion, “I’ll stay here and buy you some time.”

He would stay to draw attention, so Ji Xuan and the others had a chance to escape.

He would stay, he wouldn't leave, so he could clear his name.

For this rescue operation, too many of their companions lurking in the White Tower had been exposed, and there were very few left in the upper levels.

The flames of revenge had to stay here, so he would stay.

Ji Xuan's hand trembled slightly, then let go.

Before the elevator doors closed, he struggled to speak, and said two words to his comrade staying behind,

"Take care."

Take care, you must take care, stay alive.

All his gratitude, admiration, worry, and reluctance, were contained in these two short words.

The elevator descended, reaching the bottom floor of the White Tower.

A team of Royal Guard sentinels, holding guns and cannons, stood guard there, nervously aiming their weapons at the elevator exit.

If even one traitor emerged, countless bullets would turn him into a sieve.

The elevator stopped. Time at that moment seemed to slow down.

A heavy silence, everyone holding their breath, even the sound of sweat dripping from their foreheads could be clearly heard.

Ding—

The elevator doors opened.

Light poured out from inside, and in that empty space, there wasn't a single traitor alive.

The elevator walls were splattered with blood, and several blood-covered sentinels were lying on the floor, they were wearing Royal Guard uniforms, familiar faces, their own people!

Every one of them was seriously injured, their minds muddled, they could only let out weak moans.

Clearly, they had been through a fierce battle with the traitor before hiding in the elevator.

The sentinels guarding the elevator exit, having waited for nothing, before they could even move forward to check on them, urgent calls came through their walkie-talkies.

"Enemy sighted on the 10th floor, enemy sighted on the 10th floor."

"Nearby units, provide immediate support, immediate support!"

The 10th floor, for sentinels, was a distance they could reach in an instant. The sentinel captain, eager to make a contribution, waved his hand, and with a whoosh, led the group upstairs.

Only two soldiers stayed behind, helping the injured in the elevator.

They stopped the elevator and carried their injured comrades out one by one.

At the very bottom of the pile of injured, lay a seriously injured sentinel in a sentinel uniform.

His face was covered with blood, his features indiscernible. Only from his slightly open collar, large burn scars could be seen on his back.

The two remaining soldiers exchanged a look, and without a word, lifted the injured man onto a stretcher, running towards the White Tower gate.

The explosion had caused immense chaos.

Not much time had passed since the first explosion. The entrance was a complete mess, and many people inside the tower had been injured, the treatment pods in the White Tower weren't enough, and many were being carried and pushed out by their companions.

The two sentinels pushed the seriously injured man out all the way, not being stopped once.

The sentinels guarding the gate, seeing them coming out from the elevator, even came forward sympathetically to help.

"There are still many injured in the elevator. Go help them quickly!" One of them shouted.

The guards nodded and turned back.

Just like that, pushing the stretcher, they boarded an ambulance that had been waiting outside the White Tower.

At this time, the lights and sirens of police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances outside the White Tower were a chaotic symphony.

An ordinary ambulance quietly started and left, completely inconspicuous.

The moment the car door closed, the sentinel inside glanced at the entrance of the White Tower.

A team of well-trained sentinels were emerging from the White Tower, setting up a cordon, setting up roadblocks.

No longer allowing anyone in or out of the tower.

Too late. We're already out, he thought, reaching out and closing the car door.

The ambulance sped away.

The two sentinels in the ambulance wiped the sweat from their foreheads and checked Ji Xuan’s injuries.

That "Beacon" could still be alive was beyond everyone’s expectations.

For hundreds of years, there had been those who opposed the White Tower, but they had all ended in tragic failure. All of them knew the terror of that White Tower.

That Ji Xuan, codenamed "Beacon," could still be alive, be successfully rescued from the White Tower, from that terrifying Queen,

This, for all the rebels lurking throughout the empire, was no different from a powerful stimulant.

"I truly didn't expect him to succeed," a sentinel in the ambulance said in a low voice, unable to contain his excitement, “Captain Ni…Avenger… he’s too amazing.”

"Back then, when 'Beacon' made him take charge, I was a little unconvinced."

"What do you think now?"

"I never imagined he would go so far to save someone. Now I completely admire him, I just hope he can be safe.”

"Yes, I hope he’ll be safe."

The speeding ambulance, carrying the sentinels who were willing to risk their lives to overthrow the White Tower, sped away.

Inside the vehicle, Ji Xuan opened his eyes and looked at the White Tower, gradually receding in the distance.

A small butterfly rested on his shoulder, gently flapping its wings.

“Yes, I hope he’ll be safe,”

Two voices echoed this thought.

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