Chapter 41 The Barrier is an Illusion

Yun Zhao slowly opened his eyes.

The group was still on the street.

The rabbit had snapped out of its 'daydreaming' state, but its facial expression remained somewhat blank.

Reason returned, the world had never been so clear, and consciousness became clearer than ever before.

When those fluorescent lights disappeared, it was like a gently flowing brook...

The forest has long been blessed with timely rain.

The rabbit, however, sat on the ground, tears streaming down its face.

The four large men around him remained silent.

They had to break through three illusionary barriers before they finally found the person. Luckily, they arrived in time; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

When Duan Xi saw that Guide Yun had opened her eyes, it was as if she had seen a savior, and she desperately tried to wink at her.

Yun Zhao pursed his lips, unsure of what to say.

When her uncles had their accident, people in town would comfort her.

Yun Zhao felt annoyed and didn't want to pay attention. She would rather stay on the wall alone than listen to those meaningless and pale words.

Try to see things from another person's perspective.

She felt that the rabbit didn't need comfort.

Xie Tu said in a low voice, "The mission is important. Let's find a place to rest for an hour first, then we'll find Song Liang."

It's been at least a dozen hours since we came in, and no one has had a break.

They all knew about Song Liang's situation.

His parents are still alive, and he has an older sister, so the hallucinations shouldn't have much of an impact on him.

Xie Tu turned his head, ignoring the crying rabbit, and asked her, "Where did you lose your backpack?"

The rabbit wiped away its tears, got up, and silently led the way.

The group followed the rabbit to her 'home'.

Upon entering, you'll see a photo of the brother and sister on the wall.

They moved too fast just now, and Yun Zhao didn't actually see what the mutant looked like.

The man in the photo is very gentle, and he always has a doting smile on his face when he looks at his sister.

Upon seeing the photo, the rabbit could no longer hold back, squatted down, covered its face, and burst into tears.

Tao Haohao threw Zhou Tianqi onto the living room carpet, buried his head, and plopped down in bed without saying a word.

Duan Xi wanted to offer some comfort, but didn't know what to say. He sighed deeply and sat down next to Tao Haohao.

Xie Tu stood with his back to them, looking out the window at the street outside.

He has passed away.

Wang Jiayi sacrificed himself for the future of humanity.

Xie Tu didn't have time to save him, but he managed to retrieve the sniper rifle that belonged to him. This caused a mental upheaval, and he had to rest for two months before accepting missions again.

This old era.

With the person you care about most here, it's no wonder the rabbit was fooled.

However, this place is ultimately not their era; it is still too far removed from the lives of people living in the wasteland.

In the living room.

Apart from the rabbit wailing loudly, the others were deathly silent; the atmosphere was too oppressive.

Yun Zhao moved to a single sofa and sat down, breaking the silence with his voice, "Shouldn't we discuss the mission?"

Now that everyone except Song Liang has returned to the team, we need to plan our next steps: finding the key and rescuing Jiang Mu's team.

This contaminated area is composed of countless overlapping illusionary barriers.

In their search for someone, they overcame seven barriers, which may only be the tip of the iceberg in the contaminated area.

As for why the success rate was so high in the first two attempts...

Yun Zhao attributed this to the sentinels' keen perception; their intuition was sometimes frighteningly accurate.

"We need to figure out where Zhou Tianqi's spiritual body went first."

Xie Tu turned around, his voice low, "Rabbit, why did your spiritual body leave?"

Hearing the question, the rabbit stopped crying. She bit her lip and sobbed as she answered, "Dark matter has invaded the spiritual realm. There is a voice that has been trying to control Mianmian. I held on to my sanity and made it hide."

Her voice was slightly hoarse and trembling because she had just cried out loud.

"After it ran away, I could feel the mental connection getting weaker and weaker, as if it was about to disappear..."

These words sent chills down the spines of the people in the living room.

A deep spiritual connection exists between the physical body and the spiritual body, and there has never been a possibility of this spiritual connection being broken.

They are a community of life, inseparable.

When a sentry or guide dies, the spirit also dies.

Xie Tu turned to look at Yun Zhao, "Have you noticed anything?"

Yun Zhao shook his head, "Her mental realm contains only dark matter."

If there were other strange things, the rabbit, being conscious, couldn't possibly be unaware of them.

The rabbit bit its lip and nodded, "Yes, the connection is back now, and Mianmian is fine."

In the past, when the guides at the base performed rituals to help her, some dark substances would remain in the process.

But S-class guides are different.

The rabbit's mind and senses have never been so clear.

No matter what happens in the spiritual realm, she can see it.

Xie Tu's eyes darkened, and his voice turned cold. "It seems that the illusion barrier is not just for trapping us. Its true purpose... is to capture the spirits of the Sentinels."

What happens to a Sentinel who has lost their spiritual form?

Everyone instinctively looked at Zhou Tianqi on the ground.

He remained numb and empty-headed, seemingly oblivious to everything around him.

He lost his powerful sensory abilities.

They may even degenerate to mere instinct.

Yun Zhao gently moved his fingertips upwards, and countless strands of spiritual energy flowed into Zhou Tianqi's body.

The black lines outside the mental core had long been cleared away, but the sentinel's mental barrier was still blocked by a layer of gray mist. Green fluorescence followed the core, searching for a gap to slip through.

Still nothing.

If they force their way in, Zhou Tianqi's mental state will collapse, and he will be beyond saving.

Duan Xi stared at her movements and said hesitantly, "I'm more concerned about what Zhou Tianqi said."

"He said that the people and things in this city seem to have no attachment, and he can't get the key..."

"impossible."

Yun Zhao withdrew his mental energy and casually replied, "Aren't those mutants who want you to return to the Land of Illusions just obsessed with something?"

She paused for a moment before saying, "Isn't a mutant who impersonates everyone's family also an obsession?"

How could there be no obsession?

Tao Haohao couldn't help but ask, "Then why couldn't Jiang Mu's team get the key?"

Clearly, Jiang Mu's team was in the same situation as them; they were trapped by illusions as soon as they entered.

But just as the captain said, Jiang Mu and the others are very strong.

A simple illusion could not possibly wipe out an entire combat squad with S-class Sentinels and extensive experience.

The only possibility is that they couldn't find the key and can't get out...

Yun Zhao seemed to have thought of something, and her tone changed subtly: "Perhaps they haven't found the real contaminated zone 88."

What's the meaning?

Xie Tu instantly understood what she meant. "The barrier is an illusion, so the key and obsession don't exist. Only in the real city, in the real No. 88 contaminated zone, is the key and the gatekeeper located."

Among countless identical urban illusions, there must be one that is the real Pollution Zone No. 88.

Upon hearing this, the team members felt a chill run down their spines.

Every city is the same and cannot be marked because the space will automatically restore itself to its original state.

How do we distinguish the barriers we've crossed and find the real contaminated zone, number 88, within them?

No wonder! No wonder Jiang Mu's team couldn't get out!

Could they also be trapped here...?