Cold. Deathly silent. Only the low roar of the Fungus Master, ravenously gnawing at the roots from the depths of the earth, echoed like a never-ending death knell, shaking the vast tombstone of civilization that was the World Tree Server. Dark silver curved walls soared into the invisible darkness, the faint green light flowing through them like the last remaining flicker of light in the veins of a dying beast, swaying uneasily under the impact of the Fungus Master's pressure.
Xu Shuangyao leaned against the cold edge of the metal platform. Every breath she took pierced the piercing pain of the hideous teeth marks on her neck, and every heartbeat pounded like a drum against her chest, bruised by the blast from the Eradicator. Cold sweat, mixed with still-dry blood, streaked her pale face. She gazed at the Qingluo incarnation hovering nearby—a young man with green hair and silver eyes, cradling a flickering emerald light in his palm, like a single candle of hope in a dark tomb. The light illuminated the compassion and heaviness of his inhuman features, as well as the undeniable cruelty of his words.
The key. Delve into the chaotic, painful, and thorn-ridden core of Peidu's consciousness and unearth the buried dark seed known as the "Submissive Sclerotium." This is his only hope of freeing himself from the contamination, truly mastering the power of the Crown of Thorns, and ultimately confronting the Master of the Fungus, which is devouring the World Tree's core.
The price... might be that her consciousness was pierced by thorns, swallowed by darkness, and completely lost in that violent battlefield of memories.
Xu Shuangyao's gaze shifted from the faint emerald green in Qingluo's palm to Pei Du, who huddled in agony amid the dust on the platform. The shadow of the crown of thorns between his brows dimmed like a candle in the wind, each faint flicker accompanied by violent spasms in his body and an uncontrollable whimper of pain from deep in his throat. Sweat soaked his tattered combat uniform, clinging to his muscles, bulging and twisted with pain. His angular face now revealed only the fragility and confusion repeatedly ravaged by darkness. He was no longer the warrior who slashed the Eradicator with his sword, but more like a child tormented by recurring nightmares, unable to break free.
Trust... could she really still trust him? Trust the out-of-control beast that had nearly bitten through her glands and plundered her essence not long ago? Trust the "false god" who was contaminated by the fungal dome, his memory distorted, and could be devoured by the Crown of Thorns at any moment?
A sharp sting came from the wound on the side of her neck, like a cold mockery of her hesitation.
The platform beneath his feet shook violently! Even more violently than before! The towering wall overhead emitted a teeth-grinding metallic twisting sound! Large slabs of metal covered in dark green light stripes peeled off like rotting bark, falling with a dull thud in the distance, sending up a cloud of dust! The roar of the Fungus Master deep underground suddenly rose, carrying with it a sense of ecstasy and tyranny at the thought of breaking free! The pressure of decay, like sticky asphalt, instantly intensified, fiercely squeezing the remaining air in the space and also squeezing Xu Shuangyao's already tense nerves!
Time...is gone!
The last shred of hesitation in Xu Shuangyao's eyes was completely crushed by this apocalyptic shock! She suddenly closed her eyes and took a deep breath of icy cold air, thick with the smell of rusted metal and dust. When she opened them again, only a desperate, cold determination remained in her bloodshot eyes.
"Tell me...what to do!" Her voice was hoarse, but extremely steady, like a taut bowstring.
The data flow silently accelerated within his silver-white pupils. His suspended body drifted in front of Xu Shuangyao, and his hand, brimming with emerald light, slowly reached for her bloodstained forehead.
"Connect. Use trust as a bridge, will as an anchor. Touch him, and... accept my guidance." Qingluo's ethereal voice echoed directly into the depths of Xu Shuangyao's consciousness, carrying an unquestionable power. "The process... is like walking on a knife's edge. His pain, his darkness, his thorns, will all become part of your consciousness. Hold on to your core, and remember why you came."
Xu Shuangyao didn't hesitate. She extended her cold, slightly trembling left hand across the icy dust and firmly pressed it against the back of Pei Du's clenched fist, his knuckles white. His skin was scorching, his muscles hard as iron, conveying a violent tremor and a cold rejection that came from deep within his soul.
At the same time, she raised her head and met Qingluo's outstretched hand.
The fingertips touched the flickering emerald light.
Buzz——!!!
There was no excruciating pain as she had imagined, only a vast, gentle yet powerful torrent of will that instantly swept her consciousness away! The cold grave was no longer before her eyes, but countless swirling bands of light and distorted colors! Her consciousness was being pulled, as if she had fallen into a high-speed, kaleidoscopic tunnel!
The next second, the dizzying feeling disappeared.
My feet landed on a piece of land that was... extremely familiar yet strangely twisted.
Operating room. The core operating room of the Higanbana Project.
The pale light from the shadowless lamp was still blinding, and the cold alloy walls reflected the faint blue light of the instruments. The air was filled with the suffocating smell of disinfectant.
On the operating table, the young Pei Du closed his eyes tightly and his face was as pale as paper.
Next to the operating table, the young Xu Shuangyao, wearing a clean white sterile suit, with eyes above the mask focused and with a hint of pity, was carefully inserting the nerve connection wire into the connector on the back of the boy's neck.
Everything was exactly as I remembered it. Except... the atmosphere.
The air was thick with a cloying, sweet, fishy smell, like decaying fungi mixed with rust. The pale light seemed filtered through a dark red, tinging everything with an ominous hue. The green data streams dancing on the instrument screens were occasionally interrupted by fleeting black smudges that moved like living creatures. The shadows cast by the surveillance equipment in the corners were as thick as insoluble ink, as if a monster lurked within, preying on its prey.
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