Chapter 174: Dark Boundless Realm 29
“Have you explored the interior of the factory?” Kui Xin inquired.
“No, I only glanced at it from a distance while standing in a tree. No xenomorphs rushed out of the building,” Tang Guan explained. “It’s very dangerous; I wouldn’t advise anyone to approach the tobacco factory.”
Li Wanran seized the opportunity to say, “We recorded a little footage when the ‘door’ opened.”
“Was your camera equipment damaged?” Kui Xin asked.
“It was broken, so we only captured a small portion… It’s unclear whether the equipment was damaged by xenomorphs or…”
“I tried filming last night, but my recording device was burned. There was no xenomorph invasion into our world last night, so the damage to the camera might have different causes,” Kui Xin said.
Li Wanran remarked in surprise, “There was even this situation?”
Song Tingshuan furrowed his brows, about to speak, when suddenly the grass not far away shook, leaves rustling… Was it just the wind moving the vegetation?
No! It was a mass of colorless material brushing against the leaves!
The chameleon-like xenomorph suddenly launched an attack. Its rapid movement caused the camouflage illusion on its body to fail, creating a blurred halo at the edges, allowing everyone to see its outline.
The xenomorph opened its mouth, and a spring-like long tongue shot out, aimed directly at Song Tingshuan’s face.
In the next moment, a shadow raced past like lightning, severing the xenomorph’s long tongue into two segments. The fallen piece bounced and writhed on the ground, while the shadow did not stop its attack. It circled behind the xenomorph, raising its right arm to strike down.
With a loud crash, a translucent liquid sprayed out, splattering far away.
The chameleon-skinned xenomorph fell heavily to the ground, its body split in half. Its skin was surprisingly fragile, similar to that of ordinary creatures.
Song Tingshuan, shaken, looked at the blurred figure but saw the shadow melt into a pool of pitch-black mud, writhing as it retreated into the darkness.
“What was that?” Song Tingshuan stared in disbelief.
“A companion,” Kui Xin said curtly.
Suddenly feeling pressured, Song Tingshuan noticed that the xenomorph and the White Dove opposite him were evidently formidable opponents. They referred to each other by codenames and recognized one another. Now, a third person had emerged, clearly a member of their group as well.
An organization, a mature organization, that at least had three members within—Maotoufu, White Dove, and the recently appeared shadow. Who was the leader and spokesperson of this organization? Or perhaps none of them were?
The sound of vehicles roaring not far away drew closer, and the bright lights of headlights became glaring as Li Wanran’s and Song Tingshuan’s teammates arrived.
Kui Xin stepped back, and Tang Guan also looked towards the approaching vehicles, retreating into the shadows. They exchanged a glance, sharing a mutual understanding at that moment—they didn’t want to expose themselves to more people.
“The xenomorphs that ran out from the ‘door’ tonight vary in strength and pose a significant threat; we must clean them up quickly,” Kui Xin said. “Goodbye, we need to hurry to secure the area.”
After saying this, she turned and ran into the darkness.
Tang Guan also said, “Goodbye.”
He ran in the direction where Kui Xin had disappeared.
…
“Maotoufu,” Tang Guan called out to Kui Xin.
Kui Xin paused momentarily, turning back to look at him. “Speak.”
“Your strength is considerable. To improve efficiency, let’s split up to clear the area. I’ll handle the west side, you take the south side. What do you think?” Tang Guan said quickly.
“Agreed,” Kui Xin assessed him. “You seem quite confident in your strength.”
“Not bad,” Tang Guan replied.
Kui Xin reminded him, “Tonight is busy here, and there are some players observing from the outskirts. If they learn about the situation at the tobacco factory, they might come in. We don’t know the backgrounds of those players yet.”
Tang Guan considered briefly, “Okay, I’ll be careful.”
He didn’t ask Kui Xin how she knew about the players’ presence nearby.
“Wish you luck,” Kui Xin said before turning to head towards the south side of the Old Industrial Zone.
“Good luck to you too,” Tang Guan replied, before turning to leave.
The Phantom said, “This person is not simple. If you can connect with her, it might bring you benefits. She has power and a backing organization with companions—such players are rare; most others are scattered individuals.”
Tang Guan certainly understood that Kui Xin was no ordinary person, but given the difficult circumstances in the Second World, he found it best to keep his distance from all players to avoid dragging them down.
“You’re really a kind person,” the Phantom remarked, “Do you want to do something for the First World while you’re still alive? How ridiculous!” it said. “Don’t you want to struggle a bit longer to keep living?”
Tang Guan wanted to live… he still had family. But he couldn’t figure out what to do in a place like the Second World to survive. He had been tormented repeatedly by Mechanized Dawn for several weeks, and it was clear he would continue to be tormented until death or loss of experimental value.
“Foolish. Cowardly,” the Phantom criticized, “Go find companions in the First World! Get them to rescue you!”
“Why are you suddenly so kind, offering strategies?” Tang Guan sneered.
“Why am I being kind? I’m not! I’m doing it for myself,” the Phantom said. “When they experiment on you, you feel pain, and so do I, mentally bonded to you. Do you think I don’t want my freedom? Do you think I want to be trapped in your body for others to torment?”
Tang Guan asked, “What do you want?”
“Let’s cooperate for now, okay?” the Phantom suggested smoothly. “We’ll stop internal fighting in the First World and also cease strife in the Second World. Deal? Let’s make escaping our primary goal, or we both die there.”
Tang Guan remained silent.
The Phantom pressed, “Think about your family, Tang Guan. What will happen to them if you die in the Second World?”
“You weren’t like this before; you were determined to occupy my body,” Tang Guan said coldly.
“The situation has changed, and my thoughts should change as well—opportunities have arisen,” the Phantom replied. “A lifeline presents itself; if you don’t grab it, it will be a crime against the natural order… That girl’s abilities, did you notice?”
Tang Guan noticed. He had very keen eyesight and had seen that spatial vortex from a distance, that deep blue… familiar spatial vortex.
He had seen that kind of spatial vortex in Mechanized Dawn, which had used the vortex to transfer him from one holding location to another. The spatial vortex used by Maotoufu was extremely similar to that of Mechanized Dawn.
“Hehe, if the spatial vortex is caused by someone’s extraordinary ability… then is that girl somehow subtly connected to the holder of the spatial vortex ability in Mechanized Dawn?” the Phantom speculated. “She is a player. Think clearly—she means you no harm; she’s actually kind and friendly, probably doesn’t even know who you are… She might have crossed over to become an internal member of Mechanized Dawn. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! A chance for freedom! She is your lifeline! Go plead with her; she might soften and help you escape your cage.”
“If she is that person, then with her abilities, she must be highly valued by Mechanized Dawn, and her status within the organization is extraordinary; due to this, she would attract more attention and know much more information.” Tang Guan said calmly. “Mechanized Dawn knows I am a player already; I revealed secrets while in a confused state… If her identity is as you say, she likely knows that the captured crew member ‘Tang Guan’ has been possessed by a player, that I am similar to her, yet chose not to help me.”
“Do you think she doesn’t want to help you?” the Phantom screeched in his mind. “Damn, if she could help you, you wouldn’t still be in Mechanized Dawn… Tsk, tsk, tsk, cruel little girl, seemingly friendly to her kind but actually standing by while you die…”
“No. I think it’s not that she doesn’t want to help me; she just can’t help me,” Tang Guan whispered. “If I were in her position, I wouldn’t be able to help me either. I can’t ask someone to risk their life for a complete stranger; it might cost her life.”
“Foolish kindness! I want to vomit just hearing it!” the Phantom gagged. “You really love to think well of people! She’s just leaving you to die!”
“You don’t understand human emotions,” Tang Guan said. “So I won’t argue with you; it’s meaningless.” After a moment’s thought, he added, “But I agree to a temporary truce. You’re right; I want to live; I must live.”
The Phantom paused before weakly agreeing, “Fine. Start getting stronger from now on; stop acting half-dead all the time and go quickly devour a few xenomorphs to increase your combat power.”
“Okay,” Tang Guan replied.
He stood still, watching a black canine xenomorph with a blood-red single eye. This xenomorph’s eye was very peculiar; the single eye at the center of its forehead stared at Tang Guan, causing an involuntary sense of dizziness.
Strange illusions engulfed Tang Guan; this was the ability of the black canine xenomorph.
The black dog lunged at Tang Guan, who did not dodge or hesitate. He grasped the black dog’s head with both hands, activating his extraordinary ability, “Symbiosis”! The black dog let out a plaintive howl, its body gradually melting away, merging little by little into Tang Guan’s body.
Once the black dog fully integrated into Tang Guan’s body, he raised his head to gaze at the night sky, a lively, rotating blood-red single eye opening on his forehead— the black dog’s eye!
Tang Guan tiredly lowered his head; the blood-red single eye closed, and a cacophony of fierce dog barks began to echo in his mind…
The Phantom said, “What’s with this dull-witted dog barking like that? It’s so noisy, shut up!”
The black dog whimpered and fearfully closed its mouth, no longer barking.
Tang Guan sighed, “…sigh.”
“Go find a few more quick, Tang Guan! This is a rare opportunity!” the Phantom urged. “What are you thinking? It’s just a bit noisier in your head, right? That’s the price of symbiosis with other beings.”
“Symbiosis—is it me attaching to them, or them attaching to me?” Tang Guan said. “When my body is filled with symbiotic xenomorphs, and my spirit is entangled in the twisted psyche of monsters, will I still be myself?”
“Who knows?” the Phantom replied ambiguously. “That’s the price—the cost of becoming stronger, the price of survival. Everything has a price; haven’t you known that all along?”
