Chapter 61: Amusement Park (Five)

Chapter 61: Amusement Park (Five)

The young man let out a pained groan as blood splattered from his body. Rong Mi staggered forward, and the Ice Butterfly's mental energy seized the opportunity to bind his arms and legs.

Behind him, the security robots continued firing until their target was completely incapacitated.

Rong Mi's gaze grew unfocused. He collapsed amidst the scattered blood, his side flames finally extinguished.

Cecil grabbed his wrist, prying open his still-clenched hand that held the knife handle.

The security robots rolled quickly into the elevator, dragging the youth's limp arm backward.

Cecil looked at his bloody palm and followed them out of the elevator.

"Call a medical robot, detoxify him, and apply the best healing agents. Don't actually let him die."

"I need his body intact for my purposes."

With the flames no longer interfering, the wound on Cecil's chest healed swiftly. The silver dagger that had pierced deep into his chest was expelled by newly grown tissue, clattering to the ground with a sharp sound.

"..." The man's gaze swept downward, his footsteps pausing slightly.

Though its body still possessed human organs and skeletal structure, they were now interspersed with high-density Ice Butterfly energy.

Yet, Rong Mi's silver dagger had effortlessly pierced through its body.

...Not a laser gun, nor any high-energy weapon enhanced by mental power.

This instinctively aroused its wariness.

The dagger appeared ornate, but apart from that, it seemed unremarkable.

Cecil was unfamiliar with this particular kind of silver metal. It bent slightly to retrieve the dagger, but as its fingertips touched the hilt, its eyes suddenly went blank for an instant.

As if someone had disrupted its consciousness, Cecil's gaze abruptly shifted away from the dagger, slowly standing up.

It stood there for a moment, then stepped over the dagger.

Moments later, treading on the large pools of blood dripping from Rong Mi's body, it passed by the security robot dragging Rong Mi and the medical robots rushing in from the opposite direction, venturing deeper into the passage.

Cecil turned the corner, and a few security personnel hurried over at its summons, unlocking the doors to the main tower's infirmary.

No one noticed a silvery-white figure slip out from under the young man's cloak, swiftly darting into the narrow space between the base and chassis of a security robot.

The wall-mounted scanners swiveled toward the robot but failed to detect any anomalies from its visual scan. Blood seeped from the joint between the robot's base and chassis, but it didn't trigger any abnormal alerts in its programming.

These security robots had all been splattered with red during the recent battle.

The wolf flattened itself within the crevice, emitting a faint whine from deep within its throat.

It tilted its head and gently licked one of its wolfish paws.

Ayin's breaths came in quick gasps, its fur stained with large patches of red – mostly Rong Mi's blood, but also its own.

There were two wounds on its hind legs and abdomen, scars left by laser gunshots.

To avoid attracting Chengdie's attention, Ayin hadn't even aided Rong Mi, let alone moved or made a sound when under attack.

It lay pressed tightly against the base, its pointed ears erect, icy-blue eyes vigilant for any movement outside, searching for an opportunity to escape and explore the structure of the main tower. It was completely focused, seemingly oblivious to the pain from its wounds.

The wolves had already picked up the approaching footsteps.

"How did the intruder slip in undetected?! Who's been out of the base?!! Order all sectors to account for their personnel!" A squad of security officers passed by the robot. "And how did that spare host who attacked Lord Cecil and escaped manage to shake off the mental domain sedative?! Where did he get a psychokinetic laser rifle?!"

"I don't know, but all weapons issued from the base have serial numbers. I'll check right away..."

"Search every room! The person must be in the main tower – how can we not find them?! Check the footage from the entrance and exit of the base! ...Damn it!"

"Captain, something really strange is happening tonight. Should we inspect the defense zones to see if any equipment has malfunctioned and isn't working properly?"

"I haven't received any system failure alerts... But computer systems can still make mistakes." The team leader pondered for a moment before suggesting, "In that case, go check the control rooms in the main tower."

"Just me?" The first security officer seemed hesitant now. "We still don't know where that hidden attacker who hurt Lord Cecil is... There was also an attack on a security officer in Building B, who was knocked unconscious..."

This security officer was new to the Ice Butterfly Symbiosis Association. He had previously worked for a security company, escorting trade starships, and while he had received some training, he had never actually encountered an attack. Hearing about Cecil's assault made him feel as though his own neck, chest, and entire body ached.

"We're short-handed," the team leader glanced at him. "All floors need increased patrols tonight to search for vulnerabilities. We also need someone to monitor outside the base for any signs of military activity..."

"Click." As the two conversed, the security robot beside them rolled forward, its overhead scanning lens swiveling around.

On the robot's base, a faint silver glimmer of mental energy appeared before the wolf.

Though the energy fluctuation was minute, it emerged abruptly, instantly triggering the robot's alertness.

The robot spun around on the spot, searching, but its scanner revealed no abnormalities.

The security team leader, alerted by the robot's actions, tapped its shoulder, disabling the automatic security search function on the holographic screen. As he typed in commands, he turned to his team member and said, "Take two security robots with you."

"The guns on these robots have been recently replaced; they're much more powerful now. They'll hold their own for a while if we do encounter an attacker."

"…Alright then." The security officer glanced at the robot's configuration. He swiped his access card in front of the robot's screen, switching it to a protective escort mode, then looked back up at the team leader.

"Would the military send someone to attack the base?"

"I've checked outside," a young man's voice rang out from behind the security team.

He had a refined demeanor, dressed in a shirt and suit, his leather shoes stepping unhesitantly on the bloodstained floor. His stride carried none of the unease one would expect, as if he were heading to a corporate shareholder meeting, his presence utterly incongruous with the atmosphere within the amusement park base.

"There's nothing unusual outside." As he spoke, he sheathed a silver dagger and tucked it into the inner pocket of his suit.

"The military wouldn't act that swiftly even if they have plans. Lord Cecil would have countermeasures in place."

"The base's defense system is robust. It'd take them considerable time to locate the spatial folding device, dismantle the fold, breach the defenses, and infiltrate. That gives us ample time to evacuate."

"Besides, no one in the entire Capital Star knows Ice Butterfly better than Lu Yi."

"However, his health is too poor for him to come."

As he spoke, he passed the security team and headed in the direction Cecil had just left.

Among the security robots, the wolf's sensitive snout twitched, picking up the scent of Rong Mi on the person.

The individual was carrying the dagger that Lu Yi had given to Rong Mi.

"Secretary Cheng is right," the security captain clapped a teammate on the shoulder. "Don't let your mind wander. Get back to your inspection duties."

The security robots followed the person's footsteps. The wolf regained its focus, turned around, and caught a glimpse through the gap of the medical room where Rong Mi was.

Ayin couldn't sense Rong Mi's condition. Yet, it had already seen several medical robots rushing into the treatment room.

The wolf tail swished gently, its sharp claws digging into the underside of the robot's base, leaving deep claw marks.

*

"Has there been any movement from the military?"

In the underground level of the Funfair Base's main tower, Cecil stood in their office, slowly removing their bloodstained clothes.

There were two knocks on the office door from the outside, followed by it being pushed open. Cheng Wen entered the office with ease, taking the bloodied suit that Cecil offered. "No news for now."

Looking up, he saw Cheng Wen's carrier body, unbothered and exposed before him.

Long, light blue hair cascaded over their shoulders. Under the light, he could vaguely see the pulsing, dark red, tubular shadows beneath their skin, resembling flowing veins.

Those were the ice butterfly's venom glands.

This body was increasingly assimilating into the appearance of an ice butterfly.

Suddenly, the skin on the back of the body turned black and rotten. The decay spread rapidly, causing large sections of smooth skin to sink in, with putrid black flesh falling away. But then, the ice butterfly's regenerative abilities took over, new flesh growing from the ruptured wounds.

Its growth had slowed down even before the wound could fully heal, and eventually ceased.

"My body is on the verge of collapsing," the Carrier of Chengdi suddenly pulled the half-transformed shirt back onto her shoulder and whispered, "Awen."

"Has the military really not made any moves yet?"

Cheng Wen: "..."

His gaze flickered slightly, his breath disrupted for an instant. He took a step forward. "General Lu?"

"The amusement park has received notice that it will be closed tomorrow for inspection," Cheng Wen said hastily, aware of the urgency. "I suspect that the military has finally detected the issue and decided to take action."

"The attention drawn by the Academy's operation was considerable. Cecil brought back personnel from the First Legion."

"The First Legion has been battling Ice Butterflies in war zones for years; their response should be prompt."

"Let's hope they succeed." Lu Tianchen murmured. "Unfortunately, I still have no clue where its true form is hiding."

"At least, we must prevent it from harming more people with impunity."

"I won't let it know about the military's actions." Lu Tianchen stretched out his hand. "Awen, help me find some clean clothes."

As he spoke, the flesh on his fingers rotted and fell off, revealing white bones beneath.

Cheng Wen handed him a freshly laundered shirt, her fingers trembling violently as they latched onto his bloodied bones.

"When the military attacks, whether they succeed or not, remember to escape," Lu Tianchen turned his head to glance at his bony hand. "Regardless of the reason, you've done quite a bit for the Symbiosis Association. The crimes you've committed are enough to spend the rest of your life in a military prison."

"Escape and hide in the Eastern Fringe. I secretly purchased a vacation home on a remote natural planet there."

"We used to talk about going on our honeymoon to a place that was almost isolated from the world, do you remember?"

"Hold tight and stay hidden, no matter what happens."

"...I remember," Cheng Wen said with difficulty. He was about to speak when he saw flesh beginning to grow back on Lu Tianchen's exposed bones.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the mist in his eyes, and stepped back to his original position. After a moment, Lu Tianchen's body returned to normal, and the voice of Butterfly Cecil emerged from his mouth once more.

"I don't think the Federation's military will be able to locate the base anytime soon," it said with a smile. "By the time I get a new body, they'll arrive right on time."

"In the entire Capital Star, no one is more troublesome than Lu Yi. It seems he has quite a rapport with my new favorite vessel."

"However, his body won't last much longer. I lent him a helping hand."

"I should receive news of his demise... sometime tonight."