Invasion - Chapter 61

Chapter 61

Lin Yuan truly experienced the enemy's power this time.

She had once been a little arrogant, thinking that her mental body was incredibly powerful, invincible. She had almost never encountered a being with stronger mental power.

But here, the enemy’s mental strength was terrifying.

She clearly knew in her heart that it wasn’t Ni Ji, not the sentinel she knew.

But it felt too real, she still couldn’t help but take two steps forward.

The dim yellow light above, the damp chill from outside, the person with his hands tied, lying on the wooden bed.

Those hands, wearing black gloves, looked so familiar. Even the lines of his fingers, the way his muscles tensed, were almost identical to those in her memory.

The pale wrists were tied to the bedpost, the long, black fingers tightly clenched into fists, straining the ropes, suddenly struggling.

Lin Yuan subconsciously took a step forward.

She saw Ni Ji’s face.

The only light in the room shone on Ni Ji's uncovered face. Ni Ji, seeing her, closed his eyes in humiliation, turning his face away.

Lin Yuan vaguely felt a pair of giant eyes watching her in the darkness, peering into the deepest part of her heart, gripping her heart.

She reached out, turned Ni Ji’s face over, and found that her powerful companion was crying.

Lin Yuan suddenly thought, if she hadn't encountered Ni Ji, being tried, at the execution ground, would he have been sent here?

Even though she had clearly touched Ni Ji's mental sea later and knew he had his own escape plan,

At this moment, it was as if something was clouding her mind, making her forget those fragmented memories.

Her eyes only saw Ni Ji crying in her hands.

The sentinel bit his lip, tears silently falling from the corners of his eyes, onto the back of her hand, the tears burning her skin, so real, so hot.

She seemed to feel the person's humiliation, pain, shame, and vulnerability.

"Don’t cry, I’ll take you away," Lin Yuan murmured.

She saw Ni Ji slightly open his mouth, saying two words to her.

Those two words, Ni Ji had said them to her before, at the open bathroom door.

The same words, the same person, but with a completely different meaning.

Those thin lips, wet with tears, trembled slightly, pitiful and helpless.

He was clearly so tall, a powerful warrior, yet inexplicably, with a strange allure.

Lin Yuan even felt her own body being bewitched by the sentinel's appearance.

But her mind became clear at that moment.

The black and white bracelet on Lin Yuan’s wrist flowed, and a cold, short blade appeared in her palm.

She held Ni Ji’s hands, looked into his eyes, and slowly stabbed the blade he had given her into the center of his brows.

The sentinel under her hand disappeared.

Only the empty room, the messy bed, and the swaying light above remained.

Those strange voices came again, as if capturing Lin Yuan, echoing in her mind.

"Oh dear, it actually failed? There’s still such a powerful little thing nowadays?"

"So unexpected. I'm delighted."

"I want her, I really want to have her right now."

"Where did we go wrong, that you realized it?"

"Clearly, at first, we managed to confuse you for a bit."

【You did everything wrong.】

【Little fish isn’t like this.】

The tentacles, very unhappy, rushed to answer for Lin Yuan.

【Little fish is very sweet.】

【You imposter.】

【That fake sweetness can’t fool me, although I also kind of liked it.】

【Shut up.】

【Quickly shut up, you embarrassing thing.】

【We’re in front of the enemy.】

The outsider’s voice in her mind disappeared, perhaps even an ancient and powerful being had never seen a mental body like Lin Yuan’s before.

Lin Yuan opened the door.

But it wasn’t a corridor outside the door, but another room, the room Lin Yuan had been to, the servants’ quarters.

There was a small window in the room, a dead body sitting quietly by the window.

Lin Yuan walked into the room, to the corpse.

The familiar young woman sat there, her head lowered, her face pale, her eyes lifeless.

Lin Yuan had seen how she died, on that dark night when Xun Hua was sick, she had used a knife to kill the villain who had broken into the room.

With all her courage, protecting the bright moon in her heart. Sacrificing her young life.

Lin Yuan crouched down in front of the corpse, looking at her lowered eyelashes, reaching out to touch her cold face, softly calling out,

"Windsor."

The dead body suddenly opened its eyes and grabbed Lin Yuan's wrist.

"Miss Yuan Yuan," Windsor’s corpse looked at Lin Yuan, its voice cold and hoarse, its eyes dark and empty.

Lin Yuan shook off her hand, quickly stepping back.

In Windsor’s unfocused eyes, countless golden threads appeared. As if something was parasitizing this soulless body.

"Life is too humble, pain has no end," Windsor said coldly, slowly standing up, her long hair loose, one hand raising a small knife, stabbing towards Lin Yuan's face.

Lin Yuan grabbed her knife-wielding hand with both hands, Windsor's face grim, her strength frighteningly strong.

The two rolled onto the floor together.

That small fruit knife, stained with blood, was almost touching Lin Yuan’s eye.

"Do you know how I died? Those people hit me again and again, for a long time. Do you know how they treated Xiao Xun afterwards?”

Windsor pressed Lin Yuan down, her cold fingers holding the knife, her empty eyes staring at Lin Yuan, the bloody tip of the blade slowly moving forward.

"This is a world without light, life is too painful, you’re also a pitiful person, why don't I help you, end your suffering.”

Many strange voices rang out from all around.

Those voices, chaotic, meaningless, echoing repeatedly, disturbing Lin Yuan’s resistance.

Life is so painful, why not choose to sleep?

This is a dark world, without a single ray of light.

Even friends will eventually hurt each other one day.

The only destination for humans is death, pitiful and humble.

Give up struggling, return to our embrace.

The pain will only be for a short moment, and in the end, you’ll have eternal joy.

…

"Although it's very difficult, I still want to live," Lin Yuan, lying on the ground, her hands struggling against Windsor's blade, ignoring the whispers in her ear, her eyes only on her dead friend. "You once longed to live, you tried your best to keep Xiao Xun alive. You once believed that there was still light in this world, and you still believe it, don't you remember?"

Windsor, her face grim, froze, staring at Lin Yuan, the golden threads in her eyes starting to writhe and struggle.

Lin Yuan looked at her and reached out a finger, gently touching the center of her brows.

The tentacles emerged from the ground, surging up layer after layer, blocking everything from the outside world, protecting the two girls in their embrace.

Finally, those stubborn golden threads in the depths of Windsor’s eyes reluctantly receded like a tide.

"Miss Yuan Yuan?" Windsor, as if waking from a long dream, murmured softly.

That voice was very gentle, just like the one Lin Yuan had heard before.

The bloody knife in Windsor's hand was gone, she reached out and gently held Lin Yuan's hand.

Just like that time, in the small room, when the two girls had held hands, instantly understanding each other’s thoughts and what they wanted to do.

Windsor, holding Lin Yuan's hand, ran outwards. She knew where Lin Yuan was going, what she was going to do.

"Yuan Yuan, I’m so glad you came back to save us," her hand was as cold as ice, without a trace of warmth. She ran very quickly, as if she knew every path here, leading Lin Yuan as they sprinted, the surrounding scenes distorted, the roads twisting, sometimes dark, sometimes like thin ice on the surface of water, sometimes like an impassable thorn forest.

But Windsor, holding her hand, led the way, and Lin Yuan's every step found solid ground.

"Yuan Yuan, can you help Xiao Xun?" Windsor's voice was very gentle, with a hint of sadness, pleading with her friend. "Take him away, or help him find peace, he can't take it anymore.”

Lin Yuan looked at the girl running beside her, her body decaying as she ran. That body, having endured countless years, was dissipating as they went.

But there was a smile on her face. Not like someone who had died, like a young girl running in the moonlight.

Lin Yuan said, "Okay."

Windsor smiled brightly. She ran, laughing, her legs disappearing, her body disappearing, in the end, she took off the stone necklace around her neck and put it on Lin Yuan.

"I’m leaving first, Yuan Yuan," her arms around Lin Yuan’s shoulders, her remaining body flying up, like flickering ashes rising from a dying flame. Finally, she touched Lin Yuan's face with her forehead, "Don’t be sad for me, I hope you live happily, in the light."

Windsor was gone, her singing echoing in the dark world.

That cheerful song about rats that Lin Yuan had heard.

Lin Yuan ran amidst the singing, the pendant on her chest swaying, guiding her way.

And so, she saw the abyss, saw the golden tree in the abyss.

It was almost like a nest there, like an egg of some creature. Dark red blood vessels intertwined, pulsing with a powerful heartbeat.

A large, golden tree grew there, intertwining and merging with the dark red blood vessels, almost growing together.

The golden roots extended in all directions, the tumors pulsing, extending to who knew where.

Xun Hua's arms were spread out on the tree trunk, hanging from the branches. He was motionless, his features and limbs fused into gold, only half of his pale face still retaining its human appearance.

"She's here."

"Hee hee, she's here."

"It's a Guide, a new Guide."

Countless voices came from all around, Lin Yuan heard their joy, their strong desire.

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