Bo Yin was the first to snap back to reality. “No, you’ve thought it through well, it’s just…”
“It’s just that we never expected you’d go this far for us!” Cook interrupted his superior, his eyes burning with intensity.
Eli added, “There are quite a few researchers in the military, but they rarely want to conduct studies related to the Polluted. It involves interacting with us and possibly going to the Dark Sky Zone.”
“As long as they develop weapons that effectively curb the Dark Sky Zone, whether there are Polluted or not won’t matter.”
“They can just stay in the lab—why wouldn’t they take that option?”
Wuning thought about it and could understand.
Currently, the survival rate for entering the Dark Sky Zone was very low, and exploration couldn’t be carried out without the accompaniment of the Polluted.
So researchers wouldn’t go.
If researchers didn’t go, there would be a lack of more data support, slowing down progress and making it even harder to curb the spread of the Dark Sky Zone.
This, in turn, led to increasingly heavy tasks for the Polluted, shorter lifespans, more dangerous and frenzied mental landscapes, and a greater divide from ordinary people.
Then others’ rejection of the Polluted grew stronger, they were less likely to treat the Polluted as comrades, and they wouldn’t provide support.
The Polluted, each unruly and difficult to control, in turn looked down even more on the military and government, gradually shifting from a force they had to rely on to a serious internal threat.
…What a mess.
Having grasped the current situation, Wuning belatedly felt a hint of embarrassment. She sighed and shrugged. “No wonder you were so shocked.”
“Saying it like that, I was a bit too naive.”
Garnet, however, disagreed. “If you want, we can take you to the edge of the universe. Then you’ll know how high the sky really is.”
“As for the thickness of the earth,” Sanchez continued with a light laugh, “there are countless ways to accurately measure down to the planet’s core. That’s not a problem either.”
Wuning was speechless for a moment, then couldn’t help but curve her eyes into a smile. “How romantic.”
Bo Yin packed up the medical kit. “Compared to what you’ve given us, this is just a small comfort.”
“Rest well. We’ll continue in five minutes.”
After saying this, he gently placed his hand on the back of the girl’s neck. “Would you give me some support, our very important Medic?”
Wuning’s heart suddenly felt a warm jolt, her cheeks flushing with heat as she hurriedly released her Mental Power.
Bo Yin leaned in, closed his eyes, and gently pressed his forehead against the girl’s.
Without the barrier of a mask, the touch of warm skin seemed to send a faint electric current crackling through Wuning’s entire body.
She abruptly fluttered her eyelashes.
Bo Yin slowly opened his eyes.
A gray tide surged toward her, crashing against her heart and sending up a spray of foam.
Wuning was almost mesmerized. Even after Bo Yin pulled away, she hadn’t fully regained her senses when Eli placed a filtration mask over her face.
The beautiful man whispered with a hint of jealousy and resentment, “Is the Major General more handsome than me?”
Wuning blinked. “Well… I’ve never seen the Major General’s face.”
Eli instinctively touched the side of his own face, his expression dimming as he thought of something. “No matter what, there definitely wouldn’t be two ugly, insulting scars.”
“…You know, I used to have a codename back at the academy,” Wuning said, cupping Eli’s face and looking at him earnestly.
“My codename was X. I’m an X-Agent. And you’re very beautiful—no less than the Major General.”
Eli’s crimson eyes softened again, turning misty and hazy. “Really? You’re an X-Agent?”
“Of course. This designation will stay with me for life.” Wuning leaned down and kissed Eli’s cheeks on either side, through the mask.
The man’s eyes crinkled at the corners, his tone turning cheerful and sweet. “Then I’ll be your exclusive Polluted. I’ve already been branded with your Marking.”
Cook, who had been eavesdropping all along, muttered jealously with resentment, “What kind of Marking is that? I wish I had one too.”
Eli shook his head smugly. “Oh, just keep being jealous then.”
For the next few hours, they advanced according to plan, not stopping even as night fell.
The closer they got to the central area, the more intense the fighting became, and the Polluted sustained varying degrees of injury.
Fortunately, their self-healing abilities stopped the bleeding and promoted recovery in time.
By the time they secured the last mission point, the sky had completely darkened. The Polluted, with their heightened senses, were unaffected, but Wuning felt as if she had gone blind.
Moonlight seemed trapped outside the cloud layer, unable to penetrate.
Wuning felt as if she had been picked up by someone else and struggled uneasily. The person holding her immediately whispered soothingly, “It’s alright, it’s me.”
It was Cook.
Wuning relaxed and asked softly, “Is the mission over? How are your injuries?”
Cook gave a brief hum in response.
This was a bit unusual, Wuning thought. It was so quiet around; no one was speaking.
She grew secretly tense, gripping Cook’s utility belt tightly.
Faint sounds of footsteps could be heard nearby, as if someone was approaching, or perhaps some unknown creature was lurking.
Darkness bred terrifying imaginings.
Just as Wuning’s heart was about to leap out of her throat, Bo Yin’s distinctive magnetic bass sounded by her ear. “Can you stand steady?”
Wuning quickly hummed in affirmation.
She was helped to stand upright.
“Next, you’ll stay inside the protective shield with the other Medics. Don’t be afraid,” Bo Yin added near her ear.
Wuning immediately understood that something must have gone wrong.
She was led by Bo Yin to stand somewhere. Before leaving, Bo Yin gave her hand a squeeze.
“…Did the mission fail?” she heard someone beside her ask, their voice laced with fear.
“It’s the evacuation that failed,” another person said. “The Shadow-phantoms can’t contact the warship.”
Wuning’s heart skipped a beat. “So are we waiting for emergency rescue now?”
“We need to first confirm that evacuation is impossible, then send an emergency signal. If that still doesn’t work, the protective shield has cloaking and isolation functions. It can hold for at least 48 hours, which is enough time for the military to send more people. Don’t worry, we’ll be fine,” the person said calmly. “This isn’t my first time experiencing this.”
Wuning caught their wording. “We? What about them?”
The person sounded surprised. “The Polluted? That’s not something for us to worry about.”
Wuning pressed her lips together, taking a deep breath, her previous resolve growing even stronger.
She couldn’t accept that Bo Yin and the others would end up dying without support, or losing their minds and being imprisoned as monsters.
After a while, someone approached—it was Bo Yin.
He walked over, led Wuning out of the protective shield, and bent down to pick her up. “Scared?”
“Not scared. Where are we going?” The girl felt a Starstone pressed into her palm.
“There’s an abandoned underground base and research facility here. Let’s go check it out.” Bo Yin adjusted his hold, looking down at Wuning in his arms. “There might be nothing there, or it might help us get out of here.”
Wuning looked at the Starstone glowing softly in her hand and raised her eyes. “Didn’t you consider sending scouts first to confirm it would help before taking me there?”
“According to protocol, we should stay put and protect the Medic for 48 hours. But I think this time is different—we must actively seek a way out,” Bo Yin explained calmly.
“The others chose to follow protocol, so only we are going.”
He tightened his arms. “It’s not suitable to split up now, and I won’t leave you here.”
“So even if there’s nothing there, you’ll still leave with us. I believe you’d also take the initiative to find a way out.”
After speaking, Bo Yin waited for the girl’s response.
Wuning looked at the Starstone in her hand again. “What about this?”
“Local specialty,” Bo Yin enunciated the two words clearly.
Wuning was amused and nodded. “Alright.”
Bo Yin led his companions away, heading toward the target location.
On the way, in the thick darkness of night, Wuning leaned close to Bo Yin’s ear. “I used to think this was wrong.”
Bo Yin hummed to show he was listening.
“I used to think you were too foolish. You should have left me inside the protective shield. It’s safe enough for 48 hours, plenty of time for you to make a round trip. Why bother bringing me along?”
It reminded her of the clichéd scenarios between male and female leads she used to complain about to the System.
Not knowing to split up when fleeing for their lives.
Insisting on bringing the female lead along even though they knew she’d cause trouble, and so on.
The difference was that Bo Yin was strong, seemingly indestructible and unbeatable.
Bo Yin sensed a change in her. “And now?”
“Now?” Wuning fell silent for a moment. “I don’t know.”
The man raised his hand and gently held the back of her head. “Are you worried I’ll get you killed?”
Wuning looked at the softly glowing Starstone in her hand. “You won’t. I trust you completely. You have the ability to keep me from becoming a burden.”
Bo Yin’s gaze calmly extended into the distance. “Then there’s no need to be uncertain.”
“If I couldn’t ensure your safe arrival, I wouldn’t have made this decision.”
“If I’ve made the decision, all you need to do is trust me and yourself.”
That’s right, he wouldn’t.
The pain of losing her would far exceed the agony of being corrupted. Even if he turned into a complete monster, he would never forget or resist it.
This world must operate and survive according to her blueprint.
Several hours later, they arrived at the abandoned base without major incident.
Eli stepped forward to inspect it and turned back excitedly. “The communication equipment works!”
Cook also climbed down from the fighter jet. “The backup fuel tank isn’t empty yet. It can get us to the nearest contact point.”
Bo Yin’s eyes darkened slightly. “Then, prepare to evacuate.”