Tang Xunan held Lu Yan tightly, almost causing discomfort with his grip.
Lu Yan could sense that the other's hands were trembling slightly. [This work is provided by Sito.net for online reading.]
Tang Xunan dared not imagine what would have happened if he hadn't withdrawn his knife.
Lu Yan patted Tang Xunan's back. "It's okay, I'm still alive."
The victims cooperated seamlessly, not even needing eye contact to convey the best possible outcome.
[Celebrating the victims' successful rescue of Princess Yan Yan from the strongest pollutant in the land.], the system commented. [01 teleported back and found himself at odds with the entire world.]
[I suggest he joins if he can't win; maybe he'll survive until the grand finale.]
Almost immediately after Lu Yan was rescued, the area where 01 was located was covered in artillery fire.
While firearms might not be effective against 01, they could, at the very least, provide some firepower suppression. This time was enough for Tang Xunan to move Lu Yan to a safe location.
All around Lu Yan were ordinary people who had survived this operation, preparing to be sent back to the surface.
He felt he wasn't as weak as he thought; he could even go back and kill a few pollutants on levels 1, 2, and 3. However, the system made him change his mind.
[Speaking of which, there seems to be an opportunity to take down Lu Cheng. Do you want to give it a try?]
01's expression darkened.
In the darkness, a long spear was thrown towards him, the tip flickering with electricity.
01 raised his hand, catching the spear's tip and leaving a small but noticeable cut in his palm.
Someone had drawn a bow, and an arrow imbued with frosty air shot towards 07 on the other side.
Once the hostages' safety was assured, the members of the Special Operations Department began the first round of counterattacks.
01 told 07, "Go and rescue the others. I'll handle this."
Tang Xunan looked at 01, drew his knife, and said to his teammates, "Leave this to me. Go to the ninth floor and protect the experimental subjects."
01 chuckled at his attitude. "So, you're telling me that even though you know what these beasts have done, you still protect them and hinder me, right?"
01 had thought that Tang Xunan, at some point, had been one of them, even if not in support, at least in understanding.
Gu Zheng also didn't want to kill too many people. It was pointless; he just wanted to take away the other experimental subjects.
His companions were powerful harbingers, destined to become formidable pollutants. Ordinary people were destined to be eliminated by evolution. And 01 would establish a new order on the ruins.
In Tang Xunan's golden eyes reflected the shadow of 01. "I'm not protecting them. I just can't let you take away others."
As he had told 07 earlier, there were better ways to resolve this. The experimental subjects could leave the First Research Institute but couldn't be taken by 01. They were still human, not pollutants.
Delayed justice might not be justice. Tang Xunan could understand 01 and 07's intentions, but he couldn't tolerate this "justice" built on the casualties of countless ordinary people.
Today, the First Research Institute might fall because of the pollutants' revenge, and tomorrow, it could be City A.
01 exerted immense pressure on him.
Berserker, Phoenix, Teleportation, Super Strength... with several talents stacked, Gu Zheng was a born warrior.
Tang Xunan's dragon scales shattered, golden blood splattering on the ground; 01's metallic prosthetics were shattered, and sparks and electric currents burst from the fractures.
One with wings, one with teleportation; in a few breaths, the underground eight floors of the research institute were nearly pierced through.
In another close encounter, 01 suddenly remembered something interesting. "Do you remember your deputy? Codenamed Golden Crow, with the talent of Phoenix."
Tang Xunan's movements visibly hesitated for a moment, followed by even more ruthless attacks. So fast that even the afterimages were indistinct.
His every move was filled with a frenzied willingness to exchange blows for blows.
"But do you know, when he was sent to the First Research Institute, he wasn't dead yet—"
Gu Zheng suddenly gave up all resistance, allowing the yellow dust to pierce his heart.
"The rumor outside is that you bit him to death."
A smile, anything but friendly, appeared on 01's face.
"He died because of the institute you wanted to protect, which implanted the talent of the Phoenix into me."
Gu Zheng reversed his grip, grabbing the blade of the yellow dust. "I admit, you're stronger than many people think. The talents of time and dragon bones make you even stronger than pollutants of the same level. But can you kill me even if I die?"
"Even if I die, as long as there's a single cell left, I can infinitely regenerate."
"Moreover, your mutation value is not low right now. Number 10. Are you sure you want to keep fighting me?"
...
A choking flame erupted from somewhere, and thick smoke billowed within the research institute. The blaze not only consumed the laboratories but also years of accumulated data, the collective effort of countless predecessors. The First Research Institute had faced destruction once in its history, and the researchers had built a new foundation amidst the ruins.
Some data had been taken away, forming the basis for the establishment of the Third Research Institute. The rest remained within the confines of the First Research Institute. Despite the somewhat mad experiments conducted there, they were not without achievements. Many individuals joined the rescue effort for the data, and the temporary prison holding the pollutants was in slight disarray.
A figure in a black robe stealthily arrived at the scene. Due to excessive blood loss, Shen Qingyang had fallen into unconsciousness, gasping for breath. The Prophet, using hypnosis, deceived the guards and left with him. By the time the guards regained their senses, one of the imprisoned pollutants had transformed into a pillow.
This type of psychic attack was not highly damaging but carried significant humiliation. The guard's expression changed slightly as he contacted headquarters. After returning to the surface with ordinary people, Lu Yan chose not to return underground and did not report his whereabouts.
He left his phone at home and retrieved the bow hanging on the wall from the shooting range. The system remarked, "[Lu Cheng will pass through this route.]"
The mentioned location was a small forest near the city walls with a moat not far away. Lu Yan was the best and most patient hunter. He waited for three hours, finally hearing the rustling of leaves.
Squinting his eyes, Lu Yan raised his bow, almost blending into the night. After a moment, the Prophet appeared in Lu Yan's field of view, carrying Shen Qingyang.
The Prophet ran fast, with a portion of his arm missing. Since faces covered both the front and back, his hair was sparse, revealing no traces of the handsome young man he once was.
A few kilometers away, the barking of dogs could be heard, the search dogs led by other staff. If Ah Bai didn't spend all his time at home watching beautiful female anchors, he would have been a search dog.
The biological structure of pollutants was no longer conventional, much like Shen Qingyang's weakness being the tentacles in his eyes. Lu Yan was aware that the Prophet's vulnerability lay in the face on his back.
Lu Yan remained calm, waiting for the opportunity when the Prophet revealed his back. At this moment, the system added, "[Shen Qingyang is severely injured now, almost losing mobility.]"
Considering Shen Qingyang had a criminal record as a pollutant, the probable outcome would be execution to prevent further harm to human society.
"I thought," Lu Yan paused for a moment, "Lu Cheng would escape alone."
He didn't seem like such a kind person.
"Lu Cheng's talent is precognition and hypnosis. Precognition allows him, to some extent, to unconsciously choose actions that benefit him and avoid harm."
Lu Yan had already pulled the bowstring taut; the arrow was ready. Without much thought, the silver arrow shot out, creating a sharp sound as it cut through the air. The arrow struck the Prophet in the throat, piercing his windpipe. Dark blood flowed out like a spring.
The intense pain caused the Prophet to stumble, emitting wheezing sounds like a bellows. However, he dared not stop.
On the escape route, the Prophet didn't even spare a glance for the archer. The Lord of the city, brought in halfway, saw the situation was unfavorable and made a run for it.
Not long after escaping from Qinglong Reservoir, the Prophet was caught up by other Harbingers, suffering significant injuries. Now, he just wanted to leave this troubled place quickly.
This operation turned out completely different from what he had foreseen.
Lu Yan mechanically repeated the action of shooting arrows, one, two arrows... the sharp arrows pierced through Lu Cheng's limbs. Red blood blossomed in the air, creating a mist of blood around.
In his line of sight, Lu Cheng had already fled to the edge of the moat. This distance exceeded Lu Yan's maximum range. Still, he released another arrow, aiming at the back of the Prophet's head.
The water surface displayed a faint blood color. Lu Yan, breathing slightly, put away his bow without showing any emotion.
The system commented, "[You've become soft, perhaps because Little Earth Octopus saved you? I don't know if this is a good or bad thing. You've changed, and I feel melancholic about it.]"
Lu Yan responded, "Waited for over a decade, this little delay doesn't matter."
After a moment of contemplation, the system stated, "[Regardless of your choice, I will always follow you.]"
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