"There really is... a god here?"
He Zheng stared, hardly able to believe his eyes.
He and Hu Jia had both thought they needed to find a god. But after hearing Ye Lin and An Ke's analysis, he had abandoned the idea completely.
There wouldn't be a god. More likely, it would be something connected to a god.
Now it seemed his first idea had been right all along. Which meant that if they followed the map, they could pass this round!
"Ye Lin?!"
Excited, He Zheng instinctively turned to him, eager to set out immediately.
Perhaps his confidence had taken a hit. Ye Lin's expression looked strange, as though he couldn't quite accept it.
"It's normal to get things wrong, Ye Lin. You're not a god yourself."
He Zheng teased him. With the weight off his mind, even his steps felt lighter.
Now he was only worried the kid would get stuck on it. The smarter someone was, the harder they found it to accept being wrong.
To his surprise, Ye Lin shook his head, showing no annoyance at all.
"I don't think I'm incapable of being wrong. I was just thinking... this seems a little too simple."
"We still don't know what those paintings mean."
A god did fit the question perfectly. But he couldn't understand the paintings.
Such enormous undertakings, appearing one after another...
If the Death Gaokao really was an exam, he didn't believe the questions would contain anything meaningless.
Especially the second painting...
(The person in the second painting died about a week ago. Much later than the bodies in the murals.)
(The first murals might have been made by humans, perhaps even planned when the base was built. But the second one, both the method of its "creation" and the time of death... It couldn't have been made by a human.)
The details of that second angel image flashed through Ye Lin's mind. He was certain he couldn't be mistaken.
He hadn't told He Zheng and the others because the answer behind it would drive them to despair.
If it hadn't been made by humans, an Aberrant was the only possibility.
An extraordinarily intelligent Aberrant that used human bodies to make paintings.
Where was it?
Was it still here?
Why had it done that?
"Simple? What's simple about it?"
"Don't forget, we nearly got wiped out several times just getting here. And this is your first exam. It's only normal for the difficulty to be lower."
"Fuck, honestly, it's already way harder than I expected! If you hadn't had that gun, even I would probably be dead!"
He Zheng grumbled. He wondered what those paintings meant too, but the answer was right in front of them.
Besides, they had no other options. They couldn't possibly refuse to take a look.
"Um, Brother He, I actually think there could still be trouble in the GOD area."
"It's normal for Ye Lin to be worried."
Hu Jia suddenly interjected, giving them both an ingratiating look.
The appearance of a god seemed to have proved he had been right.
At that moment, he felt a little more confident. Even his back straightened.
"What do you mean? Spit it out."
He Zheng raised an eyebrow impatiently. He had never liked Hu Jia.
Hu Jia faltered, clearly not expecting He Zheng to still look down on him. But he didn't dare get angry. He could only smile apologetically and explain.
"Right. I'll make it quick, Brother He."
"I think the murals mean what I first thought they did."
"There are probably quite a few 'gods' in that place marked GOD. If we choose wrong, our lives could be in danger."
Pointing toward the rows of large culture vessels nearby, Hu Jia spoke faster and faster.
"This is a biological laboratory! If the Aberrants are artificial, the gods could be some kind of biological weapon too! If the Aberrants can go out of control, so can the gods!"
"By the same reasoning, the gods depicted in the murals are clues telling us which one we should release!"
His logic was much clearer than before.
He Zheng paused. This time, Hu Jia's analysis sounded reasonable.
Even Ye Lin fell silent, offering no objection.
"Then which one do you think it is?"
"Christ? The Virgin Mary?"
He Zheng pressed him. But this time, Hu Jia evaded the question, the image of the corpse on the wall flashing through his mind.
"Well... We might have to get in there before we can tell."
"But I guarantee I remember every painting. We'll definitely be able to find it!"
Hu Jia assured them repeatedly, a strange gleam flickering in his eyes.
He already had an answer. He simply didn't intend to share it yet.
Thud!
A tremendous impact suddenly sounded outside.
They turned in alarm. The alloy door behind them had been struck so hard that a bulge half a centimeter deep jutted inward.
That terrifying strength far exceeded anything the Aberrants they had killed could muster!
He Zheng's face changed, horror surging through him.
Even without seeing outside, he could imagine how terrifying the monster out there must be.
The door was thick and strong, but he had no idea how long it could withstand blows like that.
"Go!"
Grabbing his fire axe, He Zheng started toward the God-Creation Zone marked on the map.
The moment he turned, Ye Lin caught his arm.
"The armory first!"
"What fucking armory? We don't have time!"
He Zheng glared at him, bewildered and angry.
Ye Lin didn't budge. He stepped directly into his path.
"If there are more Aberrants in here, what are you going to do without weapons?"
"Don't forget, this is where they came from!"
Seeing the empty magazine in Ye Lin's hand, He Zheng froze.
Shit. He had forgotten.
Right. If they met an Aberrant on the way, they might not be able to handle even one in their current state.
"Fuck! Fine, the armory first!"
"But what if we run into one on the way there? What then?"
He Zheng couldn't help asking as they ran.
This time, Ye Lin said nothing. He merely glanced coldly behind them.
If there was no other way, someone would have to die.
He didn't consider himself particularly bad. But he wasn't a good person either.
If his life were truly threatened, he would sacrifice every one of them without hesitation.
In the darkness, He Zheng looked at Ye Lin's expressionless profile and felt his heart jolt. A chill rose from deep inside him.
Ye Lin hadn't said a word, but He Zheng thought he knew the answer.