Invasion - Chapter 89
Chapter 89
Shortly after Lin Yuan left the nest, Ni Ji discreetly followed.
This wasn't the first time he had quietly slipped out after Lin Yuan left.
It was dangerous, he knew. If Lin Yuan found out, the trust they had painstakingly built would instantly deteriorate.
But he had to act, he had to uncover the secrets here, find out why Lin Yuan had lost her memory, find a way to make Lin Yuan recover, and take her away.
Ni Ji stealthily moved forward, extending his senses as a sentinel to their maximum, listening carefully to every subtle sound in the distance.
At the same time, he completely suppressed his outward emotions, making himself like a mindless being, quietly moving in the darkness.
He had known Lin Yuan for a long time, and they often fought together, he was very familiar with Lin Yuan's ways of exploring the world, her style. Therefore, he also knew how to avoid her mental perception.
This was very difficult and very dangerous.
All the creatures here were adapted to the darkness, their movements silent, their hearing sharp. The slightest sound could be detected by them.
To avoid all the Deviants and also not be detected by Lin Yuan while following her.
For this, Ni Ji had patiently recuperated for several days, allowing his physical and mental strength to recover.
Quietly, carefully, using all his strength,
He followed,
From a distance.
He clearly heard the unique wriggling sound of the tentacles moving.
Lin Yuan was talking to Teng Lu.
Ni Ji stopped to listen, sensing that they were walking through a long passage.
He heard Teng Lu’s words.
“You can increase his sensitivity, tenfold, even a hundredfold, then, with the slightest touch, he'll cry and beg for mercy.”
“There are even more things you can do in a mindscape. That sentinel will find that he doesn’t even have the chance to beg for mercy, hee hee, that's the most interesting part.”
“You’ll get used to it soon, you’ll like this feeling. Many sentinels come here every day, plenty of toys for you to choose from, no need to focus on a single one.”
“You spoil that sentinel too much, he'll run away sooner or later.”
Ni Ji hid in the dark ceiling, holding his breath, listening to their fading footsteps.
He silently counted the distance they traveled, estimating the direction they turned.
Finally, he heard Lin Yuan's voice, "He won't, he promised me," that trusting voice tugged at his heart, making him lower his head slightly.
He heard a heavy door being pushed open, Lin Yuan and Teng Lu entered.
Ni Ji waited for them to go far away, silently jumped down from the ceiling, and bypassed a Deviant guarding the doorway.
Following Lin Yuan and Teng Lu’s footsteps, he entered the long passage.
This place was very similar to Lin Yuan's nest, perhaps connected somewhere.
The passages inside were intricate, with countless forks, the dark tunnels silent, only the dripping of groundwater from the ceiling occasionally echoing.
It was a giant underground maze.
The maze covered a vast area, if it weren't for the two people leading the way, there would have been no way for Ni Ji to find such a deep place on his own.
He quietly moved forward in the darkness, occasionally turning on the small flashlight on his shoulder.
As he went deeper, the decorations on the walls gradually became more ornate. Many tall, giant statues appeared on both sides of the long passage.
Those strangely shaped sculptures lurked on the ceiling and along both sides of the passage, looking down at the lone sentinel who had entered the darkness.
Ni Ji's fingers gently touched the wall, the tall underground palace, its walls cold and hard, made of some kind of special metal.
Intricate murals were carved on the smooth surface.
As Ni Ji’s fingers slid across, the metallic lines of those murals glowed with a soft light, revealing the stories recorded in the darkness.
Ni Ji had occasionally seen murals of this kind in other contaminated zones.
On the palace gate of the No. 5 Contaminated Zone, on the walls of the cave where the Crimson Egg resided, there had also been some fragmented murals.
It seemed like no one had paid much attention to these paintings.
No official organization had collected or publicized them either. It seemed that, for people today, history didn't matter, surviving in the present was the most important thing.
Ni Ji looked up at the vast murals before him.
This was the first time he had seen such vast and continuous murals.
The glowing lines flowed like water with Ni Ji's touch.
Large murals appeared before Ni Ji's eyes, completely recording the stories that had once happened.
First, there was a giant cruise ship, where the sailors discovered a strange egg in the deep sea, it was some kind of unknown deep-sea creature containing immense energy.
The people on the ship were all very happy. Human technology was highly developed at that time, but energy scarcity was the biggest problem humans faced.
In the mural, the silver-haired man in the captain’s hat, holding the box containing the egg, said those words, “We will change the future of mankind.”
The glowing lines flowed, arriving at the next set of murals.
Most of the crew on the cruise ship began to become strange.
A note beside the painting: "The beginning of human mutation."
A fierce battle broke out between the mutated monsters and the normal crew members. More and more crew members were infected and mutated. The situation became uncontrollable.
To prevent bringing such pollutants back to land, the captain made a painful decision. Sinking the entire Maria, along with all the crew on board, into the sea.
There was an inconspicuous image in the mural.
The captain locked the box that had held the egg — an exquisite, ancient wooden box inlaid with beautiful gemstones — in a secret compartment of his desk.
Ni Ji frowned, his fingers caressing that small mural, repeatedly lighting it up.
The captain in the image had a sad look, holding the small box as if entrusting his last hope.
The small box looked radiant and exquisite, as if possessing a magical power, similar to the technology of these walls, able to light up corresponding historical images under certain conditions.
It was just a mural, and no matter how detailed the carving, the full picture couldn’t be seen clearly.
But Ni Ji inexplicably felt that he had seen that box somewhere before, he thought for a moment, and remembered the dilapidated wooden box Lin Yuan had hidden on the golden beach of the No. 5 Contaminated Zone after handing over all those precious energy stones.
It had been just a broken, inconspicuous box, completely different from the radiant treasure box in the mural.
But Ni Ji keenly felt that these two boxes were the same thing.
Ni Ji’s fingers slowly slid over the illuminated images, and thought of that lonely girl.
So, alone, she had been searching for a huge truth, buried by history.
The flowing lines lit up one image after another. The giant Maria tragically sinking into the sea, but it had not stopped the spread of the mutation.
The crew members, mutated into monsters, crawled back to shore from the seabed, entering the human world.
From that moment on, a large number of humans were infected and turned into powerful Deviants, cities fell one after another, and the era of the Great Collapse arrived.
That glorious period of high technology, was later collectively referred to as the “Old Era” by those who came after.
Ni Ji saw this underground city among the many flickering murals.
This place had once been an underground fortress built by humans to seek refuge after the spread of Deviants around the world.
To reclaim the sky for humanity, countless scientists developed powerful weapons in the depths of this underground city.
A group of researchers hatched a worm jade, nurtured that ancient monster until it matured, and mixed its blood into human bodies.
And finally, the most powerful human weapons of that time were born, Sentinels and Guides.
Ni Ji looked further down, and saw sentinels and guides forming powerful teams, carrying high-tech human weapons, returning to the surface.
They conquered cities and lands, winning victories all the way.
That was history from hundreds of years ago.
In the mural, the soldiers were full of fighting spirit, with powerful weapons behind them, marching forward. The people seeing them off cheered, and it was a picture of human prosperity.
Ni Ji, his hand against the wall, looked at those murals shining in the darkness.
There were no records of what happened afterwards.
Why had humanity, from that moment, fallen to such a state of decline?
And this prosperous, giant underground city, why had it become an empty city, reduced to an underground lair for monsters?
Before he could think about it carefully, Ni Ji heard a sound from afar.
In the darkness, a large-scale, wet rustling came, something wriggling and rapidly moving.
It was the tentacles, they were leaving the center of the temple, moving at an incredible speed.
They were heading towards him, unhesitatingly, coming straight for him.
Ni Ji's pupils constricted.
He had been discovered!
He turned and ran.
The passages here were complex, and his vision was pitch black, but Ni Ji was a powerful Sentinel, his perception excellent, and his speed very fast.
When he ran at full speed, almost no one could catch up.
A Deviant guarding a passage entrance, just as it raised its head, sensing movement, a flash of blood-red blade light swept past, cutting it in half.
The sentinel jumped over its remains, not pausing, sprinting.
He could feel countless monsters gathering behind him, chasing him.
Among them, the sound of tentacles wriggling and the accompanying wet, dragging sounds were the most prominent, aggressive, relentless.
She was angry.
Ni Ji thought as he ran.
If he was caught by her again this time, she probably wouldn’t let him off so easily.
Perhaps, he would die at Lin Yuan's hands.
This thought flashed through the sentinel's mind, a pang of sadness in his heart, he didn’t want to think about it anymore.
His long legs swiftly moving, his figure like an arrow, shooting out from the dark tunnel.
At the tunnel exit, the guarding Deviant had a huge body, with a human-like head and a long, snake-like neck.
Ni Ji rushed out of the tunnel opening, drawing his saber, the long blade piercing the monster's head. He flipped over its algae-covered head.
Here was a fork in the road, two paths.
Turning right led to Lin Yuan's nest, turning left led to the stairs going to the upper levels.
If he turned left, ran all the way up, and escaped this underground abyss, it would be almost impossible for him to come back down here again, return to Lin Yuan’s side.
If he turned right, entered Lin Yuan’s lair, surrounded by monsters, being captured was certain.
And then, he might be executed, imprisoned, or die at those familiar, fair hands.
The sentinel, standing at the intersection, stopped.
The Deviant with the long neck caught up. Its pale neck, like noodles, wrapped around him. It opened its bloody maw, trying to devour this outsider.
At that moment, facing the monster's dripping saliva, a sense of despair welled up in Ni Ji’s heart, and he almost wanted to just let this monster devour him.
He really didn’t want to face Lin Yuan, face her disappointed and angry face.
His red blade grew like claws. Ni Ji, holding the blade with both hands, split the giant Deviant from the crack in its head.
The bright red blade, slicing downwards along the long neck, tore through the giant python-like monster.
The momentum of the blade didn’t diminish, red light flashing everywhere, fierce and domineering, chopping the monster's body and internal organs into pieces.
When Lin Yuan caught up, she saw the sentinel she was looking for surrounded by countless dismembered Deviant bodies.
He sat on a pile of bloody flesh and gore, holding a long blade, his expression fierce.
Countless Deviants that had rushed over from all directions crouched low in the darkness, growling softly.
They had completely surrounded him, but seemed intimidated, momentarily not daring to approach.
Lin Yuan's tentacles moved, carrying her up the platform. She coiled there, staring at the Sentinel surrounded by monsters.
When she discovered that the Sentinel had deceived her and had attempted to leave, the anger in Lin Yuan's heart boiled, uncontrollable.
She didn't really understand why she was so angry.
Teng Lu was right, many humans, many Sentinels entered this place every day.
This one, who wasn't obedient, she could just abandon. She could just go a few levels up and casually grab another one, it was very easy for her to get however many sentinels she wanted, of whatever appearance.
She also didn't really mind being deceived. Teng Lu always smiled in front of her, but she knew that Teng Lu kept many things from her. She just didn’t care, and she wasn't angry, at least.
Why was she so furious after discovering that Ni Ji had deceived her and had tried to leave?
Lin Yuan couldn't understand.
Fortunately, he hadn't tried to escape outwards, he had obediently returned to the area outside the nest, waiting for her here.
Lin Yuan swam around the Sentinel, feeling her mood slightly improving.
If he hadn't turned back towards the nest just now, if he had tried to escape to the surface, she didn't know what terrible things she would have done.
A tentacle reached out, bound the sentinel's wrists, its tip fiercely slapping the back of his hand.
The sentinel resignedly dropped his bloody red blade.
Another tentacle came over, wrapped around his waist, and lifted his entire body.
The bound Sentinel turned his head slightly and softly said, "No one else."
The Deviants lurking in the darkness all around let out mocking shrieks and growls.
Lin Yuan just said one word, “Get lost.”
No one understood what she was thinking. But she was furious; every creature in the underground knew this.
The Deviants who had wanted to stay and watch the show all retreated instantly.
Ni Ji, tightly bound by the tentacles, was dragged back to the nest and thrown onto the ground.
The bonfire in the nest had long since been extinguished, only the embers still glowed faintly.
Ni Ji looked up and saw Lin Yuan clinging to the wall.
Her expression cold, like a porcelain mask.
Ni Ji thought of the murals he had seen, and the strange sculptures that stood in the corridors of the temple.
From those murals, he knew that in this contaminated zone, isolated from the outside world, in this dark underground city, there had once been a powerful mental being, called a god, that had controlled the workings of this world.
Now, that monster was gone, replaced by Lin Yuan.
Looking at the expressionless Lin Yuan in the darkness, who had completely lost her memory, a sense of unspeakable sorrow and anger welled up in Ni Ji's heart.
He now knew why the Queen had sent Lin Yuan, a Guide, alone, into such a dangerous contaminated zone.
Although he didn’t know her purpose,
It was clear that they had sent Lin Yuan here, deep into this place, to accomplish a mission that was impossible to accomplish.
To turn her into this, into the Pillar here.
Ni Ji once had many teammates, they were all very good, very lovely people.
But they had been sent into contaminated zones by the high-ups in the White Tower, losing their lives for no reason.
Now, there was no one left beside him, only this one Guide.
His only companion, a warm and powerful girl.
But they had sent her here too, making her lose all her memories, turning her into this cold and indifferent creature.
She was such a good person, as warm as the moon.
Yet they wanted to trap her in the abyss, turn her into a man-eating god, forever living in this dark underground.
The flames of hatred burned in the Sentinel's heart, turning that red heart into a burning piece of iron.
He hated this filthy world, hated the seemingly pure White Tower.
He thought angrily, as long as he still lived, as long as he still had a breath left, even with his body broken, he would one day climb back to the White Tower, and tear down that foul tower, that decaying empire.
In the dim nest, the dripping of water echoed.
A faint red light illuminated half of Lin Yuan's face, the other half submerged in darkness.
This place no longer seemed like reality, but like a dream.
A crimson, terrifying nightmare that Ni Ji had once witnessed.
He looked at Lin Yuan's face, its expression cold and indifferent.
On the battlefield, most of the time they were together, Ni Ji was the more rational and calm one. Lin Yuan’s thinking was less conventional, and she was very emotional at times.
But Ni Ji knew that Lin Yuan actually had a more decisive and cold heart than his. Once she decided to do something, even if he pleaded with her, pulled at her, she would relentlessly move forward without looking back.
Now, with her memory completely lost, she might really punish him ruthlessly.
She was truly angry this time. After all, he was the one who had deceived her.
The girl with the cold expression coiled in the dim lair, her face expressionless, she climbed down from the wall covered with pipes.
An inexplicable panic rose in Ni Ji’s heart.
He repeatedly reminded himself that he was a battle-hardened soldier, any physical torture, any interrogation, would not break him.
Even if tortured until maimed, even if brutally abused, he could endure it through gritted teeth. Had he not experienced enough physical torment in this life?
As long as Lin Yuan still let him live, there was still a chance, still hope.
Cold tentacles wrapped around, restraining his limbs.
Ni Ji watched as Lin Yuan came to him, her lips slightly parting, and coldly said,
"As punishment for lying, I’m increasing your sensitivity tenfold."
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