Chapter 77
Si Chen shivered as soon as he entered the Space Fold.
After his transformation, his body had become very resistant to the cold and heat; however, this Space Fold seemed to be particularly cold.
There was a blood-red sun in the sky, most having already sunk below the horizon.
Si Chen took out his phone and looked at the time. It was 11:05pm.
There was some barely visible black dust floating in the air.
He waited for a long time, until the twisted door behind him disappeared, but no other candidates followed.
Si Chen thought for a bit. Space probably distorts when one passes through that door.
Although they all entered the Space Fold, everyone was teleported to different locations.
This was also a way to prevent cheating on the exam.
Si Chen took out the sealed leather bag, cracked the seal and took out the test paper.
It was an A4 sized paper, with writing on the front and back. It seemed to be a special kind of paper. It felt warm to the touch, like the skin of some animal.
Si Chen got closer and took a sniff. It smelled vaguely of tanned leather.
The words on it were slightly raised. Si Chen touched it and guessed it to be primate hair.
This was from a scalp.
[Candidate: Si Chen]
[Admission ticket number: X-13]
[Instructions for the Practical Exam]
-The high-dimensional invasion and the spread of high-dimensional creatures, brought about countless bloody and painful mutations.
-After this unprecedented catastrophe, the world’s top elites considered numerous strategies to ensure the continuation of human civilization.
-But in the face of godly power, all are but mantises before an oncoming car, overestimating one’s own capabilities.
-At this time, one crazy scientist proposed: Since humans can’t fight against gods! So why can’t we create gods?!
-In desperation, the “God-Creation Project” was launched and the “Kuafu Scientific Research City” and the “Khaos Manufacturing Institute” were established. This scientist was paying homage to Kuafu.
-As a moth flies into the flame, so does Kuafu chase the sun. They knew that they were overestimating their own abilities, but no one was willing to simply watch the world follow them to their graves.
-After a global recruitment, Kuafu selected hundreds of perfect test subjects and began the biological transformations.
-He wanted the experimental subjects to coexist with the larva of the god.
-In the end, after more than a decade, only 13 people successfully completed this transformation.
-This group of people became known as the “Children of God”.
-The High-dimensional invasion seemed to have been perfectly contained. However, decades passed…and the immortal Children of God brought fear into the people’s hearts.
-Some people reported seeing them being controlled by parasites in their bodies.
-Some people said they saw them eating people.
-Some people claimed they have become a new source of contamination.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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-Ktf Jtlivgfc bo Xbv kfgf cjlifv ab ajii ogjwfr.
-Ktflg fzqgfrrlbcr eqbc atflg vfjat, iboas jcv oeii bo mbwqjrrlbc.
-Lbk mjc j ubv yf rb qbkfgifrr yfobgf j rkbgv?
-Aera atf ilof bo jcbatfg wjc’r rbc kjrafv*
[The following are the test questions. Each question is worth 25 points. A full score is 100 points. Additional questions are 30 points]
[The candidates are asked to cherish one’s life and act within their ability.]
- What is Child of God Number 13’s favorite pastime?
- What’s in Room 13 of the Khaos Manufacturing Institute?
- What happens when you stand under the gallows after dark?
- How did Kuafu kill the Children of God?
- (Additional question) Collect the remains of a Child of God (points will be awarded based on completion)
[Remarks:]
[1. Please keep hold of your test paper. Do not throw it away. If your test paper is lost, the score will be automatically zero.]
[2. Please do not smear the test paper with a pen. The test paper can fill in the answers itself. Thank you for your cooperation.]
[3. After dark, please try to find a closed space to hide in and place your admission ticket at the door/window, etc.]
What can one say about it? It’s a very sensible test paper. It could actually write by itself.
Si Chen quickly read the above text.
His worldview seemed to collapse and reform in a very short span of time.
Obviously, the world he resides in isn’t the first world to experience the High-dimensional invasions.
There are many such unfortunate worlds in the universe.
They all perished due to the different High-dimensional civilizations.
If one were to consider carefully, some High-dimensional civilizations themselves must have been eliminated as well…
Similar to how big fishes eat small fishes and small fishes eat shrimps.
So, was Si Chen’s world a shrimp at the bottom of the food chain? Can just any High-dimensional creature take a bite?
Si Chen reviewed the Space Folds he had experienced before.
From the House of Mind to the Machine Crisis; both these worlds seemed to have been invaded by only one kind of High-dimensional civilization.
While his world has been invaded by different High-dimensional civilizations and turned into a beat up rag doll.
There was something else in the leather bag. Si Chen turned the bag upside down and shook it out. It was a map the size of a postcard.
On the map, his location was marked by a bright red arrow.
Not far ahead was the Kuafu Science and Technology City and the Khaos Manufacturing Institute was located in its center.
Additionally, red crosses were drawn on the map in 13 spots. Nearby were signs painted in black, piles of skulls representing death.
On the map, it was specifically states that ‘This it is the “Burial Place of the Gods” and should not be approached.’
One of the burial sites was very close to Si Chen’s location.
He climbed up a nearby hill and looked towards the direction of the red cross. There was little light left and within a radius of five or six miles, there was a layer of thick black mist.
But amidst the mist, a bright red gallows stood out. Atop were rows of what first appeared to be white doves of peace.
The doves looked small, making the gallows appear not all that big. However, Si Chen knew that this was an illusion, caused by the vast distance separating him from the gallows.
Those peaceful doves were mutants with terrifying strength. They were more like scavenging vultures than doves.
One test question actually required them to stand under the gallows after dark.
As for that Khaos Manufacturing Institute, it seemed even less of a good thing.
According to the background given in the test paper, Kuafu was obviously the big boss of this Space Fold.
But if these Children of God were cannibalistic and contaminated, well, they didn’t appear to be good things either, now did they?
Si Chen murmured, “…They can’t all be fatal questions, right?”
Si Chen has been taking exams since he was a child. He knew very well that the difficulty generally increase question after question. Bonus questions are given to legendary top students to widen the gap between them and ordinary achievers.
His eyes turned to question 1.
What is No. 13’s favorite pastime…?
Is it possible to dig out No. 13 and ask? But he doesn’t know how to perform necromancy.
And, looking at the time, it wouldn’t be long before dark.
Si Chen glanced at the time on his phone, [23:11].
It stood to reason that the time on both sides should be asynchronous.
But Si Chen felt that White King wouldn’t go out of his way just to let them die, giving them a bunch of useless information too while he was at it.
Midnight must be when it gets dark here.
There was no chance of there being proper buildings out in the wilderness. There were a few cars abandoned randomly by the roadsides but their windows were already smashed. No matter how you looked at it, they wouldn’t meet the requirements of a “closed space”.
Si Chen even saw an oily lump burned black on one driver’s seat. Who knows how many years these cars have been here?
He decided to take refuge in Kuafu Science and Technology City and started heading in the direction indicated on the map.
“Fortunately, the duration for this exam is 14 days. I wonder what the other candidate’s questions are?”
The test questions appeared to be targeted and customized, even asking questions such as “What is No.13’s favorite pastime?” The nameplates the others got weren’t “X-13”.
It was likely that each candidate got a different test paper.
Otherwise, copying answers would be all too easy.
There was still more than forty minutes before dark, so Si Chen quickened his pace towards the city.
Though he didn’t have the ability to shrink a mile into an inch, like White King seemingly did, his body had been strengthened and his movement speed was nevertheless astonishing.
Ten minutes later, Si Chen saw the outline of city coming into view.
Atop the plain was a ring-like metal wall. Looking down from a high vantage point, one could see circles within circles.
Four hoops in total.
The innermost circle was the fully enclosed “Khaos Manufacturing Institute”.
Outside, there were some core laboratories.
Further out from the center were the less important peripheral laboratories.
The outermost hoop was the residential area of the city.
The steel wall of the city was built extremely high. There was no gap along the entire surface of the wall.
Only at the bottom of the city wall, save for the large central gate, were small elevator-like doors every few hundred meters.
Si Chen accelerated forward. Two minutes later, he arrived at the foot of the city wall.
Looking closer, there were many scratches of pain and struggle on the walls of the city.
Si Chen stretched out his hand. He was 1.8 meters tall and his palm was only half the size of these paw prints.
The creatures attacking the city were at least three meters tall.
There was a metal iron pillar next to the small door.
When he was at work, he usually called this the “punch clock.”
Si Chen thought for a moment, took off the nameplate pinned to his collar and swiped it on the machine.
The long abandoned scientific research institute, gave an inconspicuous “beep”.
The metal door in front of him slowly opened, shaking off the dust on the floor.
Just as he was about to walk in, the Eternal Life Abyss suddenly came out onto his arm, grabbed his sleeve and pulled gently.
“Mom…” The Eternal Life Abyss pointed his tentacle to a spot not far away, his tone full of desire, “Little Abyss, want play.”
Si Chen was stunned and looked in the direction the Eternal Life Abyss was pointing at.
In one corner of the Kuafu Science and Technology City, was an inconspicuous pool of mud.
Deep black with little bubbles on the surface, it was only as big as the puddles that pooled in low-lying areas of the road after a rainy day.
…
Si Chen glanced at the time, 23:42.
Looking in, beyond the open door, there was a residential building a few meters away. With his speed, he should make it in time.
Si Chen has never read any parenting books. It was just that when he was a child, he too had wanted something very much.
Only that no one gave it to him.
So, he took a deep breath. “Three minutes.”
The Eternal Life Abyss made a happy “squeak”.
Si Chen quickly arrived at the edge of the muddy pool, uncontrollable struggle writ across his face.
But the Eternal Life Abyss had already broken away from his body and happily jumped into the mud.
A ball of black tentacles rolled happily in the mud, splashing it onto the Si Chen’s shoes.
The Eternal Life Abyss had grown six tentacles. Without a brain, it was like an asterisk shape. Lumps and eyeballs covered the surface of its tentacles. It was dizzyingly ugly.
Si Chen stood nearby with a dark expression on his face; his hands, stuffed unnaturally in his coat pockets. He was stiff all over.
The test paper in his pocket suddenly felt a little hot.
Si Chen took it out and took a look. The black font of Question 1 turned blood red, seeming to flow like blood.
[1. What is the Child of God Number 13’s favorite pastime?]
A line of small words appeared below.
[Playing in the mud.]
He was completely dumbstruck.
The author has something to say:
*The excerpt is from the RAP song “Weeds”, adapted from Lu Xun’s “Weeds”.
Thank you for the chapter! 😊
Thank you for the chapter 💕
Well, that answered that…pfft! Thanks for the update 🤣❤️🤣❤️🤣
Thanks for the chapter 🌹
Oh .. i thought it would be about white ghost, seems it is a questionnaire about how good of a mother si chen is.
Ahahah, nice
Thank you for your translation ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
Oooh another mystery 🕵🏽♀️
Thank you for the chapter, and for explaining the myth <3 <3 <3