From the Abyss of Stars

109. The Final Enemy

 

【Jane Neria has left the team】

 

【Qiu Ran has left the team】

 

They all left, and it's good they did.

 

Although the Metro Brotherhood is likable, these people are more realistic than anyone else.

 

Agreeing to accept the Calamity-infected experimental subjects would not only bring in a group of young adults to expand the force, but these teenagers with Omega Energy are also good soldier material.

 

How many of them can actually return home in the end?

 

Li Aozi doesn't know either, the hope is very slim.

 

People from the Frost-Plated Republic might have a chance to go home, but after being away from society for years, they might have long been declared dead, making it very difficult to find their relatives.

 

Returning with their identity as Abyss Humanitarian experimental subjects, would the research and human experiments in the Abyss lead to their silence by the Frost-Plated Republic?

 

But what about the experimental subjects from the Outlands?

 

Most of them might come from wanderer families in the Outlands, with no fixed residence and no contact with each other, making it impossible to reunite with their families.

 

Besides, they were taken since childhood, stayed in Abyss Humanitarian for a long time, many children haven't even reached adulthood, and hardly have any survival skills.

 

Li Aozi could only choose to hand them over to the Metro Brotherhood, at least in this collective, they could rely on their Omega Energy power to support themselves.

 

It’s always better than staying in Abyss Humanitarian and eventually being made into Calamity Armament.

 

"I've done all I can, the rest is up to their own fate."

 

Li Aozi shook his head.

 

There's no charity in the Outlands, everyone can hardly take care of themselves. Even if he's doing this, it's out of selfishness, for his own peace of mind.

 

After all, compared to being a hero, Li Aozi prefers to be a happy fool. As long as he doesn't add points to 【Intelligence】 or 【Willpower】, he won't feel pain.

 

"Thinking about how to make the world better is a matter for philosophers and revolutionaries, I just want to hitch a ride and wait for enjoyment."

 

Li Aozi felt relieved, now that Qiu Ran was sent away, with no more concerns, he could let loose.

 

"The Domination form is still too scary. Now, in the entire Azure Star, I'm the only real 【Mutant】. If I transform in front of people, I'll probably be seen as an alien or a monster, right?"

 

He walked up the stairs, returned to the hall of the third-floor power room, and just as he pushed the door, the charging barrel of a Magnum explosive gun immediately pointed at him.

 

"Aren't you going to give me an explanation?"

 

Du Zexin tilted his head and said indifferently.

 

"Your body is quite good, waking up like this, but you sound like a resentful woman—" Li Aozi teased.

 

He just forgot that in the Frost-Plated Republic, people's views are more liberal. Du Zexin leaned back slightly, cautiously saying:

 

"Sorry, my sexual orientation is very normal, I'm a conservative."

 

"It's okay, it's okay, straight men are fine too—"

 

Li Aozi spread his hands, before he finished speaking, the gravitational field instantly captured the opponent, flinging him upwards, and Du Zexin was immediately slammed into the ceiling.

 

Bang!

 

Before he could adapt to the sense of direction, Li Aozi's blade was already pointed at his throat:

 

"I spared you, why are you pointing at me now?"

 

The auxiliary monitor of [Beautiful Wishes beta] was emitting white light, Li Aozi pursed his lips and whispered:

 

"Turn off the recorder and the black box, Du Zexin."

 

Du Zexin stopped resisting as well. Li Aozi didn't have any killing intent, so fighting was meaningless, and the various indicator lights on his body were all turned off.

 

Li Aozi shrugged, if the Omega Energy in his hands wasn't 【Gravity】, Du Zexin would probably be dead here.

 

"Don't be nervous, Du-mei— Mr. Du Zexin, I have no ill intentions towards you."

 

"No ill intentions?"

 

Lying spread-eagle on the ceiling, with a knife to his neck, Du Zexin found the statement absurd.

 

"Tell me, what do you mean by no ill intentions?"

 

"You're a smart person, I won't argue with you—how about this, I just need three sentences to dispel your guard."

 

Du Zexin tilted his head, showing no concealment of his contempt.

 

Li Aozi deliberately lowered his voice, saying:

 

"First sentence: David Lin was secretly tried by the Gemini Palace and imprisoned on Elf Island."

 

Du Zexin was taken aback, quite shocked.

 

"Second sentence: Frost-Plated Republic President Medvey Ostrovya and Tianhuan Prime Minister Chi Jieya couldn't reach an agreement on the disputed territory issue, war between the two countries is only a matter of time."

 

Du Zexin retracted his chin. Even through the helmet, Li Aozi could sense his tense nerves.

 

"Third sentence: Elf Island is on the sea, but there's no water."

 

Snap!

 

The faceplate opened outward, Du Zexin's face was solemn, his deep blue-purple eyes gazed at him, and he asked in a deep voice:

 

"Are you from David Lin's side? How do you know these things?"

 

Seeing this, Li Aozi smiled and extended his hand:

 

"Let me introduce myself—I'm Li Aozi, a short-lived ghost with not much time left. From a racial standpoint, I'm also a Frost-Plated person, and people like David Lin, who have aspirations, are what the Frost-Plated nation truly needs."

 

Du Zexin hesitated for a moment, reluctantly shook his hand:

 

"You know me, so I won't say much. You intentionally left me alive, what do you want from me?"

 

"Talking to smart people saves effort."

 

Li Aozi nodded, pointing above:

 

"Above us, is the inhumane Abyss Humanitarian lab—your mission should be to deliver supplies to Abyss Humanitarian, right?"

 

"That's right. But I don't know what research Abyss Humanitarian is doing, the higher-ups are also very secretive about it..." Du Zexin nodded.

 

"In short, Abyss Humanitarian is under the orders of the female leaders of the Frost-Plated Republic, conducting unethical human experiments here, trying to make all women in the Frost-Plated Republic master Omega Energy—thus completely achieving a matriarchal society where women are superior to men..."

 

Li Aozi briefly conveyed Dr. Chen Siqi's information and his own observations to Du Zexin.

 

Infant experiments, Calamity Armament, Cannibal, internal power struggles within the Abyss, psychic communications... the more Du Zexin listened, the worse his expression became.

 

"Have the higher-ups gone mad? It's not enough to pamper women into being privileged, now they want to completely reverse the gender differences, this is totally against nature!"

 

Du Zexin couldn't help but curse.

 

There was no need for Li Aozi to provide evidence, the corpses of Calamity Armament were everywhere, those hairless, expressionless, empty-eyed, sickly and deformed teenagers deeply shocked Du Zexin.

 

As someone who rose from the bottom, Du Zexin was more easily moved by the sight of teenagers' broken families and wandering bones. He personally walked up to examine the corpses of Calamity Armament, and his heart was shaken violently.

 

"My country actually did such things for the sake of women... actually harmed these children."

 

Du Zexin clenched his fists, his emotions turbulent.

 

He had only just entered the Law III department with his problem-solving skills, and didn't know what anti-human actions the Frost-Plated Republic had committed.

 

The gender discrimination issue in the Frost-Plated Republic had reached an anti-human level, which was beyond Du Zexin's imagination.

 

"When he sees David Lin's government fall, his family killed, reformist martyrs dismembered and burned, and Tianhuan taking advantage of the situation to invade... his once fervent patriotism will be completely extinguished."

 

Li Aozi thought to himself.

 

He walked to the kneeling Du Zexin and said:

 

"If you don't believe me, why not come with me to the second floor to see for yourself."

 

It was hard for Du Zexin not to believe him, but his faith in his country made it difficult to speak to Li Aozi, the 'defector'.

 

He shook his head and asked back:

 

"You said the second floor... what's there?"

 

"The professor, and the so-called 'Calamity-infected'."

 

Li Aozi said:

 

"I haven't seen a single Calamity-infected person along the way, I think it's very likely the professor has already taken action and gathered those infected on the second floor."

 

Du Zexin sighed: "A 【Biochemist】, who should use knowledge and power to save human lives and prevent viral infections, instead uses it in this way..."

 

Li Aozi shook his head: "It's hard to say, there are many such people."

 

"Then they are all disgusting scum."

 

Du Zexin couldn't hide his disgust:

 

"For her own curiosity, she even abandoned her own students?"

 

"So, what do you think?"

 

Li Aozi extended his hand:

 

"Will you join me in this battle? This may cause your country to lose powerful force, but if all women gain Omega Energy, the next generation of children may be born deformed, mentally retarded, and monstrous."

 

"If my country sacrifices humanity, justice, and the future of the next generation for such power, then such a country is not one I should fight for."

 

Du Zexin was still cautious, although he trusted Li Aozi's words more, it couldn't completely change his views.

 

"I'll go up with you to see and find the truth."

 

Du Zexin extended his hand and shook Li Aozi's firmly:

 

"This doesn't mean I'm on your side, just a temporary alliance."

 

【'Du Zexin' has joined your team】

 

【Current favorability: 57 (Ordinary)】

 

"That's enough."

 

With Du Zexin joining, Li Aozi was more confident in completing the mission, maybe he wouldn't even need to transform.

 

【Domination form】 is a killer move after 【Mutant】 advances to Alpha rank (α, the first Greek letter), players often rely on transforming to unleash a burst, either to take down a boss or to use the increased speed to escape.

 

He led Du Zexin into the elevator and pressed the button for the second floor.

 

Beep—

 

A probe extended from the control panel, aimed at Li Aozi, and a synthetic female voice came from the speaker:

 

【Access to this floor requires authorization, please perform iris authentication】

 

Li Aozi took out Anna's eyeball and aligned the pupil with the camera on the probe.

 

The pale red scanning light swept over the eyeball repeatedly, flickered for a moment, and the elevator started to operate.

 

【Authentication successful】

 

【Proceeding to—Basement Level 2】

 

Li Aozi had just put away the eyeball, looking relaxed.

 

Suddenly, Du Zexin, with high 【Intelligence】, realized something, scanning the elevator and noticing drag marks on the ground. He then looked at Li Aozi and asked:

 

"Where is Professor Anna's body?"

 

"What body?"

 

Li Aozi blurted out, then froze.

 

——When they came over, Professor Anna's body was nowhere to be seen.

 

Not only that, when Li Aozi carefully recalled, he suddenly realized that the body of Nurse Nordli, whom he had left in the ICU ward, also seemed to have mysteriously disappeared when he escorted Qiu Ran and the others away.

 

Anna, Nordli... their bodies were all gone.

 

Before Li Aozi could react to the eeriness and causal relationships, the elevator shook.

 

【Arrived at Basement Level 2】