Chapter 47: The Way Home
“Just as you said, this place is not safe. If we stay here for too long, something will most likely happen.”
As Xu Xunyue spoke to Zhu Hui, he sketched out a map of the city in his mind.
“This area is different from other old cities. A normal cataclysm zone will only produce an illusion-like environmental change before and after entering. But this city itself is already deep within a cataclysm zone, yet it still presents another appearance after getting close, maintaining its state from the day before the Cataclysm.”
Zhu Hui sat on the edge of the bed, listening intently.
“You mean… find the factor that keeps this place in this state?”
“That’s right. If we break it, the illusion before us might just fade away.”
The fake blue sky, white clouds, and blazing sun would also disappear, and the world would return to a cruel reality.
One could dive and swim in the seawater, but one couldn’t jump very high on land. To leave this place, they had to break the illusion before them.
“The deeper you go into a cataclysm zone, the more likely you are to see things you’ve never seen before. I’m more inclined to think that this factor is an inanimate object—let’s call it the ‘contamination core’ for now. It should be an objective existence, not controlled by the malicious creature I mentioned before,” Xu Xunyue said. “I’ve had two brief encounters with the malicious creature. Its spiritual power is very strong, capable of affecting so many Sentinels at once. But because its spiritual power is not of an offensive nature, it can’t defeat me in a purely spiritual power battle from a distance.”
Zhu Hui followed his train of thought.
“Then why do you say that the city’s phantom wasn’t caused by it—I know. Even you can’t construct a city phantom, so it’s even more impossible for it.”
Hearing this self-questioning and self-answering, Xu Xunyue couldn’t help but laugh. He cleared his throat and said, “That’s a potential reason. There’s also another very obvious point—the malicious creature’s actions are restricted.”
Whether it was the middle-aged couple or the immature youths, they—or rather, it—these cataclysmic beings had never directly attacked him and Zhu Hui, but had indirectly tried to make the outsiders expose themselves.
The malicious creature couldn’t control the cataclysmic beings here. It was unknown if it was because the distance was too far, or because it had been attacked by Xu Xunyue and had been mentally injured. At most, it could only use small tricks to interfere and guide.
This kind of small-scale harassment couldn’t cause any substantial damage, and was even less of a headache than the phantom city itself. Yet it still did it. The only possible explanation was that it wanted to lead the two of them away, to keep them away from certain places.
It wanted to protect something in this phantom city.
Perhaps it was that “contamination core.”
Once they found and destroyed the contamination core, this city would return to its original ruined state, and the outsiders would be able to escape. The malicious creature, which had been mentally attacked twice by Xu Xunyue, would not be able to keep them.
What was the relationship between this malicious creature and the Emperor… could it really be that deceased heir?
Unfortunately, the other party was not in the underwater city. This time, there was no way to catch him and confirm the situation.
An accident had occurred during the White Tower’s graduating class’s outdoor practical activity. It was not good for him and Zhu Hui to be stranded outside. The longer the battle line was drawn, the more unpredictable the situation in the Imperial Capital would become.
The graduating students of the White Tower were the fresh blood of the Empire, a group that all classes paid attention to. Regardless of whether they were familiar or not, people were paying attention to this big news.
They had to go back as soon as possible, while not too much time had passed.
It was imperative to break the contamination core and dispel the phantom.
“We’re going to the city center building,” Xu Xunyue stood up. “There are many people there during the day, but at night there are only security guards on duty… maybe some people working overtime. In short, there are fewer people at night. Pay attention to the fact that the flow of time here is sometimes fast and sometimes slow. Try to find the contamination core before the second day comes.”
“Okay.”
Zhu Hui didn’t even ask why. He nimbly climbed out of the window, his movements light and steady, not making a sound.
Xu Xunyue was also preparing to climb out the window, but he paused just as he was about to move.
Xu Xunyue: “What are you doing with your hand?”
Zhu Hui: “I, I’m catching you.”
Xu Xunyue: “…This is the second floor.”
As a child, he had been a master of climbing walls and windows. His physical fitness after awakening as a Guide could not have weakened. A mere second-floor window, he had climbed it countless times fourteen years ago. If a neighbor saw him, they would even say that this child was so energetic.
But time was short, and there was nothing to delay.
Looking at the other’s amber eyes, which were shining slightly in the darkness, and the arms that were a little hesitant but not withdrawn, Xu Xunyue let go of his hand.
This was the last time he would leave by climbing out a window.
But it was the first time someone had caught him.
The two of them embraced in a full hug under the window. The Sentinel’s body was warm and alive, bringing a throb from the depths of his soul. Xu Xunyue had never been more aware of the meaning of the dream star above the snowfield.
Although he was leaving here now, and would never be able to come back again, he did have his own way home, and the blessings of his lover.
If his parents and sister knew, they would surely feel as happy as he did.
Even if it was an endless dark night, even if he was in a desolate city in the deep sea.
At this moment, the clock in the bedroom showed the time as 22:00.
There were still nearly eight hours until dawn at a normal flow of time.
When they came out, the city seemed to be asleep. Xu Xunyue took Zhu Hui on a shortcut that was not suitable for drag racing. They actually didn’t encounter that group of drag-racing youths, only quiet passenger vehicles waiting in the night and a few pedestrians.
The two of them had a smooth journey to the city center building.
“This is the tallest building here. Many out-of-towners come here to take pictures. It’s the most famous place in the city, and also the closest building to us after we entered here.”
The building’s body was transparent, and the door was also transparent. It was pitch black inside, as if there was nothing there.
The side of the building that played the day’s news on a loop was still working diligently.
“The roof is where the aircraft take off. I feel a faint spiritual fluctuation from there… wait.”
Xu Xunyue pressed down on Zhu Hui’s hand, which was about to crush the main door.
Zhu Hui immediately stopped.
“Did you find something?”
“When we first came in, it was afternoon. I didn’t feel this spiritual fluctuation then. Although it’s indeed very faint, I shouldn’t have missed it at that time.”
“Then could it be an error caused by a different state?”
“That’s a possibility,” Xu Xunyue pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, “I remember there was an old-fashioned clock on the upper half of the building. What time is it now?”
Zhu Hui looked up.
“23:50.”
“…”
Xu Xunyue’s frown deepened.
“Is this time wrong?” Zhu Hui followed his thoughts. “The time we jumped out the window was 22:00. According to our speed, the current flow of time is normal.”
“The time is indeed not a problem, but I just remembered something.” Xu Xunyue lowered his voice and finally started a mental link conversation.
[Fourteen years ago, you were still young and might not remember, but I checked the time when the Cataclysm happened. It was 22:00.]
[The contamination core could only have been formed after the cataclysmic factors appeared. When we arrived here in the afternoon, the Cataclysm hadn’t happened yet, so I couldn’t feel it. Now it’s 23:50. At this time on this day fourteen years ago, the Cataclysm had already happened, so I felt it.]
[We didn’t meet anyone on our way here. Even if we saw them, they were very far away. And those people and vehicles that were far away from us were all stationary. At first glance, they seemed to be waiting, but it also fits the description of humans entering a transformation state after being contaminated by cataclysmic factors.]
[The contamination core can make this city completely reenact the old days. Perhaps, from 22:00 onwards, it is a reenactment of the process of “normal humans transforming into cataclysmic beings.”]
[If this speculation is correct, as time goes on, more and more “normal people” will transform into cataclysmic beings and be able to directly chase and kill us. Everything will be reenacted until the step of “the city sinks into the sea,” and then it will return to the day before the Cataclysm.]
[Be careful.]
Just as the information was transmitted, the door in front of them suddenly opened.
Xu Xunyue was blocked behind the highly vigilant Sentinel.
He looked forward and didn’t see any standing humanoids at the main door.
Of course, it wasn’t that there was nothing. In the upper left corner of the door, about three meters high, a spherical object wrapped in black mist appeared.
The black mist rolled and swirled around it. Then, it turned half a circle and made a sound.
This spherical object—no, it should be said, this head, it said intermittently:
“You… what are you doing here… in the middle of the night?”
The answer it got was a gunshot.
Bang!
A close-range headshot. The head rolled down from a height of three meters. The black mist slowly dispersed, revealing a broken face.
A huge muzzle appeared at its right temple. The right half of its face was directly blown away, and the bullet exited from its lower left jaw, red and white matter flowing onto the ground.
Without any communication, the two of them directly entered the building and rushed up the stairs.
Only an hour and fifty minutes had passed since 22:00. It was not long, not short. Now was the best time.
The speed at which every creature, every person, was completely contaminated by cataclysmic factors was different. They hadn’t encountered any directly attacking cataclysmic beings on their way here. Now they had only encountered one, which meant that most humans had not yet completed their transformation.
The faster they moved, the smaller the danger they faced. The more time passed, the more likely they were to be surrounded and consumed.
Fortunately, they were in the city center building at night, not a residential area at night.
Although cataclysmic beings could be attracted by the sound of battle, the number that could come in a short time was limited.
This time, Xu Xunyue didn’t pull Zhu Hui. He didn’t need to lead the way anymore. They just had to go up the stairs.
The snow wolf was sent by the Sentinel to cover their rear and also to stay by Xu Xunyue’s side. The Sentinel himself held a gun and a dagger, and he would kill any that came down from upstairs.
Bang!
Xu Xunyue narrowed his eyes, holding his own gun.
As an accompanying teacher of the Guide Academy, an Offensive Guide who had once led a squad in and out of a cataclysm zone, he of course also had a gun. It was just that he used it less frequently. Now that Zhu Hui was clearing the way, he didn’t even need to provide covering fire much.
But the speed of killing them one by one was still a bit slow…
[If you think it’s slow, why don’t you use your original power?]
[You are so powerful like that.]
[That is you. It’s just one of your states, not another person.]
[As long as you use that power, you can even dominate this land and make these ignorant fellows submit to you.]
In his mind, the chattering, multiple voices began to interject again, trying to tempt him.
Xu Xunyue had no reaction to this.
He raised his hand, pulled the trigger, and shot at the cataclysmic being that was chasing from behind and had pounced on the snow wolf.
Bang!
Power was something everyone craved.
But he didn’t need uncontrollable power.
Before he was sure he could completely master it, he would not take the risk.
Bang!
Besides, Zhu Hui was by his side.
And Zhu Hui was by his side.
Fighting together like this, they could also achieve victory, and they could also reach the end.
They could also protect the people they wanted to protect.
