Lian Chuan was already in front of the long table.
The three people behind the table froze simultaneously. In that brief moment, they didn’t even have time to react—Lian Chuan’s speed was beyond the legends told about it. Even if they witnessed it thousands of times before, it was still astonishing: despite being unarmed, he had already assumed a defensive stance.
However, beneath that astonishment, Secretary Chen and Xiao also harboured another emotion: an overwhelming unease.
The light of the Main City was gradually fading, this was the fact. Regardless of whether Main City’s citizens had noticed, the City Affairs Bureau had already convened numerous meetings to address this issue. However, all the equipment operated normally, and energy supply also remained consistent, so the technology department could never find any reason for it.
In the end, this phenomenon could only be categorised as one of the Main City Laws.
As for the other Main City Law, it was known as the Flash—an unexplainable flickering that would vanish in an instant, followed by the appearance of anomalies.
As for the nature of these anomalies and how they were anomalous, it all remained subject to fate. Secretary Chen, however, had his own secret speculation.
“Shall we continue?” The secretary asked after Lian Chuan had returned to his seat.
“Do you have anything else to add?” Xiao Lin looked at Lian Chuan.
“No,” Lian Chuan said, “I’m just answering the questions.”
Xiao Lin’s usual demeanour towards not only Lian Chuan, but also Lei Yu wasn’t particularly good, so his anger that day might’ve not been solely due to the deaths of three squad members, and it might’ve not even been one of the reasons.
In his view, the reality was that the least prestigious part of Internal Defense, that was the cleanup squad, had the audacity to use a mission as a pretext to directly eliminate three public order squad members without seeking authorisation—truly an unforgivable disaster.
If it weren’t for his protective halo as the Betelgeuse’s Synergiser, Xiao Lin would most likely have requested immediate elimination of Lian Chuan, with no chance of ever retrieving or resetting him.
“You weren’t supposed to come in touch with the target during today’s mission,” Secretary Chen stared at him, “Did you know Long Biao’s objective when he charged out?”
“I did,” Lian Chuan said, “He wanted to prevent us from sitting here and answering questions after the mission ended.
“Answer directly!” Xiao Lin snapped.
“A public order patrol unit was closing in,” Lian Chuan glanced at him, “He wanted to divert the target to avoid the unnecessary sacrifices.”
“Why didn’t you intervene?” Secretary Chen pressed on.
Lian Chuan sighed, “Ultimately, our mission wasn’t to eliminate public order squad members. If avoidance was possible, we aimed for it.”
“But he failed,” Secretary Chen said, “Afterward, he wanted to request support from other squad members—why did you stop him?”
“To protect the squad members.” Lian Chuan replied.
Xiao Lin sneered coldly, “Protect them? Protect them from what?”
Lian Chuan reclined in his chair, “Protect their memories from getting reset.”
Secretary Chen leaned his elbows on the table, clasping his hands together so tightly that his joints snapped with a ‘crack’.
.o0o.
“You’re acting a bit unusual today,” Lei Yu drove the vehicle with a cigarette in his lips while glancing at Lian Chuan. “It’s not surprising that you got under Xiao Lin’s skin, but even Secretary Chen got furious. He would have thrown hands at you if he could match your abilities, he really had to employ all of his patience to hold back… Even if everyone inside there knows about the resetting of memories, it shouldn’t be brought up publicly. You wouldn’t have acted like this before, so why are you being so impulsive today?”
“I’ll be more careful in the future.” Lian Chuan replied.
“Don’t let Xiao Lin get anything against us,” Lei Yu pulled a small black stick from his pocket and handed it to him, “Care for a smoke?”
Lian Chuan shook his head. Tobacco was a luxurious supply of the highest grade, and Lei Yu could only access the very last of those supplies. If others wanted to smoke, they had to resort to buying smuggled goods from Lost Valley, but the quality was consistently terrible.
However, he had no desire to smoke today.
Lei Yu deliberately avoided bringing up the Flash from that day. Lian Chuan could sense that this kind of deliberate avoidance concealed his sense of unease and fear. The probability of Flash occuring was extremely low, so low that Lian Chuan had never even experienced it in his lifetime. He found himself kind of excited about it instead.
In the midst of days where change went unnoticed, he found himself anticipating whatever it might bring, whether it was good, bad, the chaos, or even demise.
As the vehicle reached the entrance of the cleanup squad’s headquarters, a deafening blare came from the direction of the Light Spike, shattering the peaceful atmosphere, causing everything around to resonate with the frequency of the hum.
Immediately afterward, the second blare followed.
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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The Travellers have arrived.
Upon entering the equipment room, Lian Chuan’s communicator issued a soft ‘ding’.
It was Lei Yu’s private channel connection.
He leaped onto the equipment rack and positioned himself in front of the exoskeleton, awaiting its attachment. After making sure there was no one else around, he finally spoke, “Safe here.”
“Head to the headquarters immediately, we’ve received orders,” Lei Yu said, “Emergency activation of Betelgeuse.”
Lian Chuan was rarely surprised, but those words caused him to momentarily halt as he stepped off the equipment rack.
“Unknown mission, unknown target.” Lei Yu stated.
“Understood.” Lian Chuan swiftly turned and left the equipment room through the rear door, activating the transmitter on his leg.
While he was mounting A01, Boss appeared silently at his side.
“There will be no backup, and no one else knows about your mission, just you and Boss. Be sure to prioritise safety.” Lei Yu said before ending the communication.
Lian Chuan furrowed his brows.
.o0o.
Ning Gu sat near the carriage’s doorway. Few people lingered here due to the strong winds. In the past, some were carried away by them into the black fog, leaving behind not a single particle.
Ning Gu was also afraid, yet he would always sit here, peering outside from behind his goggles.
The interior of the carriage was illuminated up by the cold light flask, while the outside remained a still darkness. The black fog here was even denser than that back in the Ghost City, to the extent that he could almost see its weight.
“It doesn’t matter if you can’t see clearly,” Captain had once told him, “You can still listen, you can touch. There’s no excess in the human body. And even if everything else fails, our consciousness will remain.”
The black fog, the sound of the wind, the ever-changing hot and cold air currents.
And the section where the train travelled suspended above the tracks.
Was it flying, gliding, or maybe traversing through some unknown space?
“We’re getting close.” Hammer whispered, poking his back from behind.
Ning Gu pulled his hat down to cover his nose before slowly going back to Hammer’s side. With so many people travelling with them, he needed to conceal himself well. He hadn’t been this cautious during his previous two journeys, but this time was different. He didn’t know why Captain was against letting him go to the Main City, but he realised that if he were discovered this time, he might lose any chance of even visiting Tongue bay in the future.
Just like those former Travellers with unknown identities and origins, all locked up in the Ghost City’s basement.
“When we disembark, stay close to me,” Hammer reminded, “The first wave is the riskiest. The city guards will be blocking the old station exits, and the Hyenas will be there too. They’re better equipped than the city guards, but their numbers are limited. They mainly stay within the city.”
“Mn.” Ning Gu nodded his head.
There were plenty of regular ways to enter the Main City after getting off the train. The roads connecting the Main City branched out like spokes from its centre, and if one was lucky enough, after a wild chase, running through the main roads, passing under the bridge over the darkness in the road’s narrowest point and then the great archway above it, they would be able to start their tour around the Main City.
However, if the city guards were stationed on the bridge, they could easily turn them all into charred fragments, much like playing a shooting game, so Travellers would opt to enter the Main City through the ever-evolving smuggling passages created by the Bats. They traversed those routes called station exits, stretching through the extensive ruins and Black Iron Wasteland.
Some of them were secure, while others could lead into obstacles, especially during the Festival Day, when the Main City’s defences were at their tightest.
It all depended on luck—every revelry comes with its price.
Finding a new station exit required Bats to guide the way. Each Bat was like a level ten Land King, completely uninterested in altruism. Travellers had to negotiate with them, usually ensuring their safe entry into the Main City. After all, in case of confrontation, only the Travellers’ abilities could withstand the city guards’ firepower.
Pink snot bubbles didn’t count.
Typically, among the Travellers, there were many with abilities at the pink snot level that could only be used for self-amusement. However, there were also a number of those with formidable abilities. Just the presence of Li Xiang and Captain alone could secure a safe passage for them, so Ning Gu couldn’t comprehend why people would still disappear each time on their festive journey to the Main City.
“Awooooooo—!” Suddenly, a howl echoed through the carriage. Following that, a succession of shouts filled every carriage. The enthusiastic Travellers began to howl and stomp in sync, creating a rhythmic clamour.
That’s right, just like this.
This was probably the first cause of the deaths.
Amid the excited shouts and stomping, someone swiftly darted past Ning Gu with a piercing cry, and leaped out of the carriage door. The clamour inside the carriage immediately escalated, turning into a deafening din of approval for this fearless disappearance—even if it was fearless, reckless, and kinda deserved.
Hammer grabbed Ning Gu’s elbow and said nervously, “We haven’t arrived yet.”
“…I know.” Ning Gu replied.
The guy who jumped out of the carriage had already vanished from their sight, but Ning Gu continued to stare at the door. This was the first time he had witnessed it in person, even though he knew that people would jump out of the carriage before reaching the Main City—probably due to the frenzy getting to their heads.
The moment that guy jumped into the black fog, it appeared as if he was reaching out to embrace something. That image of that moment remained etched in Ning Gu’s mind for quite some time.
And for a brief moment, he even envied the guy. Those who jumped out, those who disappeared in the black fog, whether alive or dead, whether they existed or vanished, perhaps they had already found the answer they sought.
When they reached the actual stop, the Travellers surged out of the carriages like a tide amidst the shouts and screams. To avoid Li Xiang, Ning Gu and Hammer stayed by the train and didn’t rush forward with the first group.
Hammer impatiently tapped his foot, “Come on, come on, come on…”
“Let’s go.” Ning Gu said. The moment he spoke, Hammer was already grabbing his hand and pulling him out of the carriage door.
This marked Ning Gu’s third time arriving outside of the Main City’s and the third time he had jumped out of the carriage.
For the first time though, he didn’t stay there.
There was no wind. No relentless, howling gales.
There were no particles dancing in the wind.
Even his breathing seemed to drift.
He followed Hammer amidst a large group of Travellers, running forward. He didn’t really know the correct path, what direction of the station exit, or the whereabouts of the Bat who would guide them into the Main City—but he still ran ahead, filled with a hint of excitement.
It was at this moment that Ning Gu deduced the second reason why some of them never returned each time.
The people who jumped out of the train together soon dispersed in all directions, like dust scattered in the wind. Since they couldn’t use the cold light flasks, they split into several groups, each rushing forward, with some people even disregarding the general direction entirely.
“Are we heading in the right direction?” Ning Gu couldn’t help but ask.
“Look,” Hammer pointed ahead, “Do you see that light, very far away?”
It was indeed very far away, so distant that it felt like they wouldn’t reach it even if they ran all night—a small, bright point of light.
“That’s the Light Spike,” Hammer said, “Have you heard of it? It’s the Main City’s landmark.”
Ning Gu had heard of it countless times. He slowed his pace as he looked at that point of light.
Its location marked the core area of the Main City.
The safety district. District A.
The place where the Travellers once lived.
.o0o.
It hurt.
It felt like every inch of his skin and flesh was being torn apart, and every bone was breaking. Lian Chuan could even hear the sound of his bones cracking in his memories.
The rapid flashes of illusion-like light surrounded him, accompanied by a continuous, intensive ringing in his ears.
“Betelgeuse,” A voice sounded from ahead, “Activate.”
This was the voice of Betelgeuse’s designer; or rather, it conveyed the designer’s thoughts. The designer himself had disappeared before Betelgeuse was completed.
When he heard this voice, it meant that Lian Chuan was no longer himself. He was Betelgeuse.
All pain was instantly pushed beyond his consciousness. When he raised his head, his voice remained steady, “Copy.”
“Synchronisation test passed,” The voice expressed satisfaction, “All connections are operating normally.”
“Copy,” Lian Chuan replied. The chaotic flashes in his vision were subsiding, and although not completely gone. However, they wouldn’t hinder Betelgeuse’s reactions.
“Long time no see,” The designer said.
“I would rather not have to,” Lian Chuan replied.
“Safety code.” The voice chuckled.
9761, 8455.
Two numbers flashed in Lian Chuan’s mind, one of which was the fake code from before his memory reset, which he shouldn’t remember. And right now, he had to provide the only correct answer immediately, without any time for thought.
“8455.”
“May your mission go smoothly.”
“Betelgeuse safety verification passed,” This time it was the system’s voice, “Await the mission instructions after reaching the coordinates.”
“Betelgeuse requests permission to depart.” Lian Chuan reported.
Betelgeuse’s figure emerged from the secret tunnel beneath the Internal Defense Building and briefly touched the caracal that had been waiting at the exit. After exchanging the communication signals, the caracal leaped onto the wall and departed. Betelgeuse followed after him, heading to the southern outskirts of District D.
“It’s perfect.” Secretary Chen looked at the surveillance camera.
Someone walked over to him. The footsteps stopped right behind him, and a female voice remarked with a tinge of regret, “It’s a pity that being replaced is his inevitable fate.”
“It’s a bit premature to say this,” Secretary Chen lightly pinched his fingers, “However, the cargo Captain brought this time is quite special. Maybe it’s related to the Flash. We’ll need to wait and see the specifics once we retrieve it.”
“It would be for the best.” The woman’s voice didn’t sound particularly delighted.
“Next time, don’t come to my office,” Secretary Chen picked up his glass and took a sip of water, “Too many prying eyes.”
The person behind him didn’t speak.
He turned his head, only to see an empty chair and an untouched glass of water on the table.
.o0o.
The Main City had imposed an urgent night curfew, and the streets that were crowded in the afternoon were now deserted.
Betelgeuse streaked across the sky like a silve-black ink stroke above the silent streets.
His communicator received the contents of conversations from various frequencies, making it convenient for him to assess the overall situation. What he now knew was that the Travellers had already entered District D through the new station exit.
He wasn’t at all surprised with this; there were countless passages along the extensive border between the Main City and Black Iron Wasteland. The Bats could get in, let alone the Travellers guided by them.
After reaching the coordinates, the Betelgeuse’s mission appeared before him.
Retrieve the organism from inside the target container.
Lian Chuan examined the scan results on the screen. The container was just around the corner in front of him, beneath a half-collapsed wall.
As for his… Betelgeuse’s eyes, they were more useful than the scan, allowing him to see through the obstruction of the collapsed wall and debris, revealing the target mostly hidden beneath—a suitcase. He could even make out that there was a humanoid creature curled up inside it.
The scan results indicated safety, with no other suspicious objects detected in the vicinity aside from this suitcase.
Boss walked past him and crouched low. As he prepared to jump over and inspect the suitcase, Lian Chuan caught him by the tail. Causing him to instantly turn his head and bare his sharp, gleaming fangs.
“Someone’s there.” When Lian Chuan uttered this, not only Boss looked surprised, but he was also surprised himself.
This person managed to evade Betelgeuse’s sight, avoid top-tier sensors and data scanners in the Main City, to the extent that even when he sensed the danger, he couldn’t even determine that person’s whereabouts.
Thx for the translation!! 😚☺
Thanks for the translation!❤❤❤