Chapter 82

Chapter 82

Over the communication channel, Boli Joan's voice sounded.

"Stable frequencies have been established worldwide," he assured them. "There's no need to concern ourselves with matter distortion."

"The Dungeon Base has been secured," the voice of the Dungeon Base operator sounded, barely containing their excitement. "We don't know what you did—thank God, thank you."

Continuous updates were incoming.

"The Northern Base remains in defense." It seemed that someone else had taken over Dr. Ji's communication channel, a young voice spoke.

This was followed by news from the Dungeon Base.

"The fleet of transports has landed."

"Requesting survivors from the Northern Base to indicate their location."

"Initiating breakout operation."

- Still, they retrieved the moon from the water.

As the sun gradually ascended, its wintry rays sliced through the howling cold, offering no warmth. The test tubes on their stands shimmered with a frosty glow. In the hushed atmosphere, one could almost hear the rhythmic thudding of hearts.

Natives, newcomers, hybrids, officers - all stood vigil by the communication channel, waiting for news of rescue from the underground city, updates on the northern base. Even the vine that had always guarded the research facility extended a tendril through the window.

Occasionally, they whispered amongst themselves.

"How many of us have we lost?"

"Uncle Tree has passed away, his body is downstairs."

"Where's Tang Lan?"

"——I didn't see anything."

The counterattack and breakout had begun. The communication channel was silent, with no updates; everyone held their breath in anticipation.

Amidst this tense silence, Boli Joan rose from her seat in front of the computer.

His steps faltered slightly, either due to his age or the weight of his emotions. With a creak, he pushed open the door and his gaze first fell upon the extinguished Simpson cage —— beyond it lay blood and corpses, yet within the confines of the Simpson cage, an island of pristine cleanliness. Then, he shifted his eyes forward.

Outside the laboratory door, the figure, leaning against the wall in shadows, slowly raised its head.

- It was a pair of eyes that seemed to hold nothing within, their verdant depths frozen beneath layers of ice that spanned tens of thousands of years.

With a mere glance, they recognized each other's identity.

Boli Joan's gray-blue eyes were filled with sorrow.

"Child," he whispered softly.

Lu Fen didn't respond to him; instead, his gaze lowered, fixating on the piece of white paper that Boli Joan persistently clutched in her hand.

Boli's fingers trembled slightly as he held out the paper, its surface bearing hastily scribbled lines. An Zhe's handwriting wasn't particularly elegant—each stroke was straightforward, as clear and bright as a spring lake.

"Boli, thank you for your care. I'm that inert sample from the Northern Base. Perhaps my frequency might be of assistance to you. If not, I apologize."

Additionally, do remember our agreement, without fail.

"Is he really the inert sample we've been discussing?" Boli Joan inquired.

"The sample is a part of him." Lu Fen's fingers took the pristine white note, his voice slightly raspy. "What did you two agree upon?"

"Should the day come when an Arbiter from the Northern Base arrives here," Boli said, "tell them that An Zhe has departed freely."

A flush of crimson stained Lu Fen's eyes.

Heavy footsteps echoed behind him, and a dark-skinned Indian man came into view.

Rum holds An Zhe's backpack in his hands, silently presenting it before Lu Fen's eyes.

Inside the backpack, items are neatly arranged: a copy of "Foundation Monthly," a silver cruciform badge, and a black handgun.

Lu Fen's fingers grip the edge of the backpack. He lowers his head, staring intently at its contents, his expression indiscernible.

"His life was saved by our people from the depths... He's a good kid. He's been doing well here," Boli remarks softly, looking at him. "I know the base can't shelter him forever. Did you always know he was here?"

Lu Fen's gaze finally shifted from the backpack to Boli Joan.

"I don't know," he said.

Boli Joan's eyes trembled violently, and she closed them painfully.

"I am truly sorry," he said.

A serendipitous reunion turns out to be a final farewell, an icy torment unknown in this world.

The biting cold wind swept across the mountain peaks.

After a long silence, Lu Fen asked, "Where is he?"

The Simpson Cage is a high-energy field and collider; any substance that enters it is bombarded and disintegrated into fragments by a stream of high-energy particles." Boli murmured, "I suppose you've seen it."

The backpack hit the ground with a thud, and the barrel of the gun pressed against Boli's temple.

Lu Fen's icy gaze fixated on Boli.

"Where is he?" He repeated the question, each word weighted with pent-up emotion. A hint of madness shimmered in his icy gaze, as if he were a convict on death row, desperately seeking confirmation of his sentence.

A melancholic smile played on Boli Joan's lips as his affectionate gaze turned towards the infinitely vast sky beyond the window. He knew full well that what the person before him needed was merely a benevolent falsehood, even though both were acutely aware of the truth.

"His frequency is broadcasted worldwide, he will redeem all beings from distortion." Boli Joan remarked, "He is right beside you... He is everywhere."

Lu Fen simply stared at him, and they remained locked in this tense standoff. It wasn't until a clattering sound that his fingers, trembling, released their grip on the pistol. It hit the metal railing of the corridor with a loud bang, triggering an echoing metallic resonance that seemed to linger endlessly.

"Apologies," Lu Fen's voice croaked. "I..."

He closed his eyes, clenching his fists, and didn't continue.

"There's no need for that," Boli said with a tender look in his eyes. "You can shoot me if you want, let your emotions run wild, child."

"Thank you," Lu Fen said in a hoarse voice. "I would, if he were still here."

This was the calmest and most desperate sentence Boli Joan had ever heard.

Side by side, they stood in the depths of winter's corridor, watching as the sun bled across the mountain ranges and the echoes of triumphant cheers resounded from within the laboratory. Amidst the celebratory words, fragments of information surfaced: over six hundred paratroopers had been lost in the underground city base, the actual number of survivors in the Northern facility was barely one hundred, and there were pressing inquiries as to why the mutations had ceased – what secrets had the Highland Institute uncovered?

Sorrow and joy intertwined, despair and hope coexisted in a delicate balance. All was a blessing, yet all came at a price. Countless sacrifices for many, one sacrifice for all.

A tear slowly trickled from the corner of Boli Joan's eye.

Suddenly, a puff of white drifted down from Lu Fen's shoulder, settling upon Boli's attire. Delicate mycelium tendrils extended, gently brushing against him as if in curiosity.

"What is this?" Boli asked, picking it up.

"An inert sample," Lu Fen said. "Something of utmost importance to him."

Boli Joan was naturally aware of who Lu Fen was referring to; between the two of them, there was only one "he."

He gazed at the mass of mycelium.

"This is an asexual spore, a reproductive body of a fungus," he said, his gaze lingering thoughtfully. "He never disclosed to us his species classification, so he is a—"

Gazing at the cluster of spores, Lu Fen murmured softly, "He's a mushroom."

His voice was raspy yet brimming with endless tenderness and affection, "He's just a... little mushroom."