Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 115: When the Rain Stops

At the moment when Monday started spewing water, Luo Duan left Sigma’s body.

It was an extremely painful process. For all these days, Luo Duan hadn’t eaten, relying solely on the energy provided by Sigma to survive. Completely detaching from its body was like a plant uprooting itself from the ground.

His feet didn’t revert to their original state; they directly transformed into two pools of erosion. With the support of the water flow, Luo Duan managed to stay upright without falling.

He saw Shu Jun detach from inside Sigma and crash into the water with a relaxed expression. At that moment, Luo Duan realized one thing clearly—Sigma had lost, and he had lost his most powerful weapon.

He felt neither anger nor despair, or rather, he couldn’t even find the initial fiery anger within him. Both pain and hatred carried a heavy dullness, as if covered in thick moss.

‘How strange,’ Luo Duan thought. He had expected his emotions to be more complex when witnessing such a scene.

Luo Duan raised one hand as the torrential downpour of erosion intensified. Murky water surged, forming enormous waves that knocked down one person after another who couldn’t maintain their balance. The rushing water continued to impact the mounds of soil and rocks at the edge of the deep pit, intending to submerge everyone hiding in the fortifications within.

Several wind blades flew past as Luo Duan controlled the water column, lifting himself higher.

“Being in Sigma for so long, you still have strength remaining. Impressive.” Luo Duan’s voice was steady, as if engaged in casual conversation.

Shu Jun used wind to lift himself up and barely stayed face-to-face with Luo Duan. Luo Duan wasn’t wrong—suppressing Sigma had drained Shu Jun of his physical and mental strength. He had very little energy left, even to conceal it.

The water catastrophe on the ground showed no signs of stopping. The turbid water surged faster and faster, and a massive whirlpool took shape. The downpour was so relentless that everyone’s heads remained lowered. Within Luo Duan’s sight, hundreds of pale bodies floated up to the surface, bobbing up and down with the water current.

“Let me tell you what will happen next. Even if you can reveal all the suffering of the synthetics publicly, these people won’t understand. They will only remember me and everything I brought. These people don’t even empathize with their fellow beings outside the city, so why would they care about us?”

Luo Duan took a step back, turned his head, and evaded several wind blades.

“What’s this? Planning to lecture me about morality?” Shu Jun forced a smile. “That’s unlike you.”

“I’m on the verge of death, that’s all. My body has become like this, and without Sigma, I won’t survive for long. I just wanted to warn you, if you’re hoping for reconciliation and coexistence… I’m telling you clearly, it’s impossible, at least not in this generation.”

“It seems like you don’t have any standing to care about the remaining people,” Shu Jun said without mincing words. “I’ve said before, I only intend to do whatever it takes to keep them alive, without thinking too much about it. By the way, if you stop now, maybe I can still find a way to save you.”

Luo Duan chuckled briefly. “Compassion for your compatriot?”

“You always like to bring things to the emotional side, but romance won’t win wars.” Shu Jun sighed. “Lao Luo, if you stop right now, I will take you back and discuss the punishment for ‘killing team members and plotting against your compatriots’. As for the humans… Having you in my grasp would serve as a certain kind of deterrence.”

“…Actually, I’ve been thinking all along, you’re crazier than me. Look at our positions. The heavens really know how to play tricks on people.”

Luo Duan shook his head. This time, he created a water shield to counter the frontal assault and neutralize the weakening force of Shu Jun’s wind. If things continued like this, he wouldn’t need to dodge anymore.

“Shu Jun, I won’t stop. How many of them have died? Tens of thousands out of millions, that’s not enough, far from enough.”

Shu Jun remained silent, his expression complex.

“But in this way, I can be at ease.” Luo Duan’s tone suddenly changed. “You really didn’t involve others in this war. That’s good. You haven’t reached the point of obeying humans to the extent of losing your sanity.”

Shu Jun stared intently into his eyes without responding.

Luo Duan’s killings were silent. More accurately, leveraging his advantage in abilities, his destructive power was on par with Sigma. Under their feet, cries for help and wails of despair echoed, and Shu Jun pursed his lips.

The air was cold and thick, permeated with the unique bitterness and stench of the battlefield. The whirlpool beneath them grew larger and larger, threatening to engulf the entire square. Another moment of silence passed, and Shu Jun launched another sudden attack. However, his power was running low, and Luo Duan easily dissipated the onslaught by shifting his position.

“Everything is different from what I imagined.” Amidst the towering water vapor, Luo Duan’s pale skin gradually peeled off, and black erosion seeped from his wounds. “I thought the scene would be more tragic, the revenge more satisfying… I thought you would maintain your previous leadership posture and say a few more words to me.”

“Should we slow things down a bit, maybe even shout ourselves hoarse?” Shu Jun tugged at the corners of his mouth but couldn’t manage to smile. “You made a good point—our positions really don’t align. In simple terms, I’m even more pessimistic than you.”

“Your body has limited endurance, and Sigma didn’t fill you with too much negative information. But I’ve been fed the whole package, seen things I should and shouldn’t have, and I can’t forget… I understand better than anyone else that humans won’t understand, won’t care, and won’t play the game of equal coexistence. Even if there are conscious humans, they definitely don’t make up the majority. At this stage of collective confrontation, deterrence is more effective than empathy.”

“I don’t believe in humans. I only believe in one specific person. Because of that person, I can let go of some defenses and consider an outcome other than mutual destruction.”

“I seek revenge for one person, and you forgive for one person. After all this talk, we are somewhat similar.”

Shu Jun didn’t answer directly. He just sighed heavily and reached out his hand again. “Stop now. I can still take you away.”

Luo Duan didn’t move.

Shu Jun looked at him sorrowfully—his former formidable opponent was now almost unrecognizable. Luo Duan was covered in wounds, with countless erosion oozing from his injuries, as if his entire body was melting. He fought desperately, driven by the water, but the exertion of his power only accelerated the collapse of his body.

Seeing no sign of a response, Shu Jun withdrew his hand, and this time the silence lasted longer than ever before.

“I haven’t forgiven them.” After an unknown time, Shu Jun spoke again. “I’m just very fortunate—that person I believe in happens to have the power to change the situation.”

Having said that, Shu Jun repeated slowly.

“I’m just luckier than you.”

Luo Duan couldn’t reply.

The sadness in Shu Jun’s eyes was too heavy, and he quickly realized the source of that sadness—his chest had been blasted open, and his body was rapidly dissolving into erosion, like ice melting in boiling water.

…Right, there seemed to be one missile left.

How straightforward, he thought. This war was truly nothing like what he imagined, devoid of any sense of heroism from beginning to end.

He mechanically killed, and humans died carelessly, without the sublimation of pain or the satisfaction he envisioned. Even in his death, he was simply shot down like a bird.

The world went from clear to blurry, then to darkness, all in an instant.

The wind held up Luo Duan’s body, preventing him from falling. It grew colder around him, and his ears felt as if submerged in water, with all sounds fading away.

No wonder Shu Jun, barely able to move, still came specially to launch some useless attacks—it was to adjust his position, to make himself more easily targeted. That hand that reached out just now was likely his last chance.

His last chance?

Since the moment he descended upon his compatriots, ready to strike, he no longer had the right to any chances.

Luo Duan summoned his final strength and struggled twice, shifting his body to free himself from the wind’s support. Falling, his body completely shattered into erosion, raining down along with the raindrops.

On the other side of the square.

Zhu Yanchen left the smoking mech cannon; his clothes were soaked in sweat. He let out a long breath and turned his gaze to the stunned Hu Yan and Yu Jin.

Hu Yan had originally intended to come and demand answers, but now Shu Jun was alive, and chaos seemed to be ending. It didn’t seem appropriate for him, a synthetic human general, to be standing on the rooftop of the human command center at this moment.

“Take Shu Jun away from here.” Hu Yan was still pondering his opening words when Zhu Yanchen, exhausted, spoke up. “Don’t go to the settlement area, don’t let any humans come into contact with him, not even the people from the Old Fourth. He needs rest now, and the environment must be safe.”

“Oh, okay,” Hu Yan responded dazedly.

“Hurry. Someone will come up here soon, and Shu Jun won’t last much longer either,” Zhu Yanchen said with a rare sense of urgency in his voice. “Quickly!”

Startled by his shout, Hu Yan extended the stone platform immediately. The military on the square was still busy rescuing people from the flooded areas and had no time to pay attention to this audacious synthetic human. Zhu Yanchen’s judgment was quite accurate. Just as Hu Yan reached Shu Jun’s side, Shu Jun dispersed the wind, causing his entire body to collapse.

“What about A’Yan?” Shu Jun mumbled in a dazed state after he steadied himself on the stone platform, clearly having exhausted a considerable amount of energy.

“He’s fine.” Hu Yan quickly picked up rubble from the ruins and swiftly headed towards the outskirts of the city. “He told me to take you away quickly.”

Shu Jun didn’t say anything. He let out a heavy sigh, and the sadness on his face not only didn’t dissipate but deepened.

“Since this is what he wants,” he muttered, “…Let’s go.”

“W-Why, shouldn’t we stay?” Hearing the strange tone in Shu Jun’s voice, Hu Yan almost hit the brakes on the spot.

However, Shu Jun had already fallen asleep.

Hu Yan spun in place for a few rounds, let out a sigh, and ultimately started walking towards the hiding place in the dense fog.

After sending away Hu Yan, Zhu Yanchen didn’t bother to dismiss Yu Jin. He simply gestured for Yu Jin to follow. Yu Jin stood dumbfounded on the square for a long time before he finally snapped out of it.

“Aren’t you… Aren’t you going to help with the disaster? Is it okay?” Yu Jin stuttered, his tongue twisting.

“With the current situation, my subordinates can handle it.” Zhu Yanchen’s mood wasn’t particularly high. “Let’s go. I have more urgent matters to attend to.”

“But… But can’t it wait until we finish cleaning up? Maybe you should take a break first. Your complexion—”

“We must strike while the iron is hot. If we wait for the situation to stabilize, it’ll be too late.”

Yu Jin reluctantly entered the command center. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that he would set foot in this building one day. And not only did he come here, but he was also brought along by a synthetic human. As he caught the gaze of the heavily armed soldiers in the hallway, his heart palpitated with guilt.

The command center was in no better shape than the square. The development of the war was too bizarre, and even though the command center was filled with experts, their mental state was no better than that of the civilians.

Zhu Yanchen’s destination wasn’t far. He swiftly pushed open the door and walked straight into the room. When Yu Jin saw the person by the window clearly, he almost sat down on the ground.

Zhu Sheng stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, watching the scene on the square. When he heard the noise, he slowly turned around.

“So, you’ve come to find me. Your reaction speed is quite good, worthy of being my son.” The old man’s tone was quite plain. “It was you who told Shu Jun to leave immediately… Truly leak-proof, not giving us old folks any time at all.”

“Leave you time to prepare for the war? With such a huge loophole in the player system, the three major families will be scrambling to clean up the mess—there’s no more effective way to shift the blame.”

Yu Jin was confused for a while but gradually began to understand—this time, one of the main reasons why Luo Duan rushed to attack was because the humans were ill-prepared. Now that the humans had the suppression weapons, the command center could easily reinforce them with a little time.

The situation in Y City was already dire, and it was easy to add fuel to the fire. Incite the citizens with a wave of hatred and make them hate the synths. Once people’s attention was diverted, the management oversights of the three major families could be swept under the rug, big or small.

With the suppression weapons, the United Government could even keep the player system and shift their focus to high-pressure management of the new-generation synthetic humans.

Yu Jin suddenly felt a chill, and shortly after, he almost immediately realized.

Before things spiraled out of control, Zhu Yanchen was preparing to take the initiative.

…He seemed to have stumbled into a genuine power struggle, the kind that would be written into history.

The author has something to say:

Shu Ge: Heavy-hearted.

Marshal: Heavy-hearted.

Only Monday is happily running around in the wilderness (…

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 114: Cloudy Water

Monday was feeling confused.

To be fair, it had been doing quite well lately. Ai Xiaoxiao had been focused on studying medicine and no longer bothered it; she even gave it delicious erosion candies. Monday loved the taste so much that with just one bite, its soul trembled—if it had a soul, that is.

Since following Shu Jun, it had cut through various Erosion Swamps, absorbing a lot of information, and its mind had become clearer. Monday was shocked to discover that, if it set aside the initial unpleasantness with Shu Jun and Ai Xiaoxiao, it was living an ideal life in the animal world—plenty of food, minimal responsibilities, and the freedom to sleep without worrying about being eaten by enemies.

Monday didn’t possess the concept of “self-esteem” or “racial honor”. Other creatures in the Erosion Marsh may be stronger, but they carried the scent of this “other species” called humans. Their thoughts were fragmented, their habits peculiar, and everywhere they exuded a sense of disharmony. In the vastness of the world, Monday had yet to encounter another Erosion Swamp creature like itself, let alone seek revenge on these individuals who weren’t even considered its own kind.

It also didn’t understand why Sigma insisted on pursuing humans when life by the seaside was so carefree. It particularly enjoyed Ai Xiaoxiao’s imitation seawater, turning its entire body into a floating paradise.

However, thinking was a tiring task, and Monday was too lazy to delve deeper into Sigma’s thoughts. After weighing the pros and cons for itself, it decisively decided to put the unpleasantness aside and enjoy this hard-earned, wonderful swamp life.

How great it was to eat mutant beast meat in the morning, sample some regular Erosion Swamp at noon, and have a couple of erosion candies in the evening. It wasn’t greedy at all, and Shu Jun didn’t give it a hard time. He even stroked its back.

Enough information, no more learning. Wasn’t its lack of interest obvious enough? Why should it suffer now?

As it thought and thought, Monday let out a fake cry a couple of times, but the culprit beside it remained unmoved.

“No!” Monday continued to scream.

“What’s wrong? Don’t want this information?”

Shu Jun’s suppression ability hadn’t stopped. Monday only knew how to mumble and pretend to be upset. The fire in its heart ignited a bit—while it and Shu Jun argued a bit, outside was a state of war. Shu Jun didn’t care much about the life and death of humans, but if there were too many unnecessary sacrifices, it would be difficult for him and Zhu Yanchen once the war was over.

“Huge, change. Troublesome.” Monday still refused to listen, struggling to utter the words. “Too, difficult. Not, hungry. Not, worth, it.”

“…” Rarely did this creature speak such a long sentence, and its content was truly disappointing. Shu Jun was momentarily speechless. Monday was even more realistic than he had imagined, without even a hint of ambition.

“No, want, be, influenced, by, information,” it continued bravely. “Humans, none, of, my, business.”

“Oh…” Shu Jun gritted his teeth. “Too lazy to care.”

Monday made several agreeing sounds, expressing its approval.

“That’s simple.” Shu Jun, almost exhausted from the suppression, had to negotiate with this stubborn creature, and it took great effort to maintain a friendly tone. “You first control it, go to the seaside, and disperse the remaining brains.”

“Tsk.” Monday was clearly dissatisfied.

“Indeed, once you merge with it, you will inevitably become a large Erosion Swamp and cannot revert back.” Shu Jun’s mind raced. “But once you gain control, you can give direct orders to the Erosion Swamps, just like me. Individual brains have low intelligence. As long as you divide them finely enough and squeeze out enough water, they won’t gather again… This way, by dispersing the brains, you won’t retain Sigma’s size either.”

If he personally controlled Sigma, he could only live as a huge Erosion Swamp. But Monday was different. That seemingly useless spitting ability had now become a guarantee for normal life.

“When I used you as a sword, I estimated it.” Considering Monday’s infuriating way of speaking, Shu Jun didn’t plan to give it too many opportunities to speak. “If Sigma compressed like you did before, it would probably only be as tall as a three-story building. If you discard the brains and separate out some erosion, you can control your body to the size of a bungalow. In that case, we can afford to keep you.”

Monday had already taken control of the erosion in the surrounding area. It made a long humming sound, lost in thought.

“If you’re willing, based on pure strength, you will become second only to me. Even if you want to run away on your own, there won’t be anything that can threaten you.”

“Candy…”

Shu Jun nearly rolled his eyes.

“Since I made this trip, I will get the recipe from Ai Xiaoxiao and have Zhu Yanchen make erosion candies for you.”

Monday pondered for a few more minutes, then with a solemn “okay”, it displayed a serious attitude.

With its innate wildness and Shu Jun’s assistance, Monday’s dominance in battle began to overwhelm. As a natural Erosion Swamp, whether in terms of invasion speed, categorizing, or controlling erosion, excluding the tricks, Monday’s techniques were several times more adept than Shu Jun himself.

How many hours had passed? How many days?

Shu Jun exhausted all his strength, tirelessly supporting Monday. Finally, the flow of erosion within Sigma gradually calmed down. The neural strands were threaded together by Monday, sticking close to its body. Shu Jun retracted his power and didn’t notice any signs of rejection.

Success.

While Shu Jun was savoring this heavy victory, the erosion around him suddenly condensed tightly—just as Monday gained control over Sigma, it eagerly twisted its body and started to discharge water on the spot.

Taking advantage of the erosion not yet solidifying, Shu Jun quickly climbed out of Sigma’s body. With Monday’s twist, the expelled water nearly formed a flood, scattering the human troops in disarray. The water mixed with erosion was particularly thick, akin to the Dead Sea, causing the injured lying flat to float on its surface.

Shu Jun: “…”

He was about to advise Monday, but he didn’t expect it to have any intention of staying a moment longer. It relentlessly squeezed out water while adjusting its form. Influenced by Sigma’s own information, the things it transformed into made people feel uncomfortable no matter how they looked—

Monday didn’t have many images in its mind. It transformed itself into an unusually large sword, with a dozen skinny human arms protruding from either side of the blade. Compared to Sigma, this Erosion Swamp looked barren, and the texture of its surface increasingly resembled the hard shell of an insect.

Shu Jun suddenly had an exceptionally ominous premonition.

Sure enough, once Monday adjusted its form, it immediately clumsily propped up its body and dashed towards the sea, its movements resembling a certain type of insect. Just as Shu Jun jumped off the sword, that thing disappeared without a trace, leaving behind a square that had almost turned into a pond.

After blowing bubbles for a while, Shu Jun silently floated up from the water and let himself drift on the water’s surface.

Although most people hadn’t realized it yet, the war could be considered over. Given the situation that unfolded in the end, Shu Jun decided to take half a minute to calm down and then go meet Zhu Yanchen. Everywhere was filled with water now, and it would probably take quite a while just to clean up the battlefield…

Wait, water?

Shu Jun’s nearly exhausted heart skipped a beat.

Water, a large amount of water mixed with abundant erosion.

…It seemed that even if the greatest threat was eliminated, the war was far from over.

In the square.

People truly hadn’t reacted. While Shu Jun and Monday were arguing within Sigma, the external struggle never ceased.

Even on the side of the synthetics.

After the war began, Hu Yan didn’t lead the synthetic army too far nor join forces with Yu Jin. Following Shu Jun’s instructions, they stationed themselves east of the city, where the attacking pressure was lower. With Y City as the tempting prize in front of them, there weren’t many Erosion Swamps and mutant beasts chasing after this tough nut to crack.

With their strong mobility and extensive combat experience, they stopped at the high ground chosen by Zhu Yanchen and even had time to prepare some hot meals for themselves.

Hu Yan couldn’t stomach it.

The fog around them was too thick, and they couldn’t see the situation inside the city. This battle seemed to have lasted for a hundred million years, and his skin felt as if it would turn gray from the saturated fog.

Can Shu Jun really defeat Sigma? Will humans make some unexpected moves? Are they already trapped with nowhere to go? It wasn’t until someone reminded him that he snapped back to reality.

“You should go to Y City,” Chai Xuyang dryly suggested. “Didn’t Shu Jun tell you to go there at a certain time?”

Hu Yan shook his head, almost forgetting about it. Shu Jun had told him to go to Y City and check on the situation at a certain time. Hu Yan, after all, was the strongest in terms of strength and defense within the team. Even if Sigma was still causing trouble, he could retreat unscathed.

…The time had come, which meant Shu Jun hadn’t defeated Sigma within the designated time. Hu Yan’s heart sank.

“Alright, you keep an eye on the team.” He nodded at Chai Xuyang, suppressing the uneasiness within him. “I’ll go and be right back.”

The surroundings of Y City had become a mess. The outer protective walls were destroyed by the swarm of Erosion Swamps, and human and animal corpses were mixed within the ruins of buildings. Mutant beasts still roamed above the debris, gnawing on pale gray flesh and entrails. Ordinary Erosion Swamps completely submerged the road surface, and Hu Yan gathered stones beneath his feet to create a path through the erosion.

Hu Yan had initially thought that there would be constant gunfire and cries of agony in the city. However, shrouded in the dense fog, there was a strange sense of desolation and barrenness around Y City. The pitch-black erosion surged within the ruins, and for a moment, he felt as if he were on another planet.

The sound of approaching footsteps behind him suddenly became especially loud.

Hu Yan’s hair stood on end. He gripped his suppression gun with his right hand and a stone spike with his left, almost attacking without even looking—fortunately, after getting a clear look at the figure, he stopped just in time.

“Yu Jin?”

Yu Jin was wearing a disgustingly thick protective suit, clumsily waving his hand to reveal half of his face. Fortunately, he was missing an eye, which gave him a distinctive appearance and made him easy to recognize.

“We encountered some trouble on our end. We fought off the onslaught of the Erosion Swamps, but many people died. Until now, the attacks of the swamps suddenly became chaotic… It’s as if they lost their orders and started mindlessly charging.”

“Has Sigma been defeated?”

“Probably, who knows. We waited for a while, but no one came from outside, and there was no news. So here I am, checking the situation. What about you? Are you here for the same reason?”

“We didn’t have many Erosion Swamps on our end. We came because of the captain’s orders.” Hu Yan waved his hand, causing more rubble to float out of the erosion, widening the stone path beneath his feet.

“Ah,” Yu Jin didn’t sound surprised. “At this stage, there’s no reason to involve you guys.”

Yu Jin was covered in black and gray bloodstains, but his clothes were intact. They were probably all his comrades’ blood. Hu Yan didn’t know what to say for a moment, and the two of them silently progressed through the mist.

Soon, a sound emerged from the fog.

Accompanied by the squelching sound of the compressing erosion, the ground trembled. The closer they got to the city center, the faster the fog dispersed. A massive black shadow emerged from the thin fog, along with countless bent and elongated emaciated arms. It didn’t quite look like destruction but more like irrational madness.

Hu Yan reacted quickly, grabbing the burly Yu Jin and using the stone platform to lift both of them onto the nearest high-rise debris. They moved between rooftops, making their way towards the vicinity of the central square—

The war was still ongoing. Sigma’s struggles weren’t particularly intense, but its size was truly massive. People on the square were exerting all their strength just to defend against its possible charges.

Its struggles created a small opening on the square, and people exposed to the outside were retreating from the exit. On the other side, in order to prevent Sigma’s struggling body from crushing them, the human army used their own flesh and blood to create a safe distance—almost sticking to Sigma’s body to maximize the effectiveness of their suppression weapons, with some individuals occasionally being swallowed by the Erosion Swamp.

Hu Yan had never seen humans so proactive. They were truly fighting with everything they had, as if they held onto hope.

“What’s going on?” The communication at this location was barely functioning, and Yu Jin didn’t hesitate to contact the people from Old Fourth inside the city.

“The Black Wolf jumped into Sigma, and after that, Sigma stopped attacking and started struggling. As for the specifics, I’m not sure.”

“Jumped into Sigma?!” Hu Yan’s nerves immediately tensed.

Yu Jin glanced at Hu Yan with some concern. After taking a moment to catch his breath, a stone platform appeared again, and this time Hu Yan propped it up towards the roof of the command center.

At that moment, Sigma in the center of the square, suddenly spewed out a large amount of clear water. It was as if a dam had burst, and the water swept away the Erosion Swamps on the ground, forming a grayish pond. Only the soil and rocks piled up around the giant pit managed to avoid being submerged by the water flow.

As an experienced warrior, Hu Yan had a clear view and almost immediately grasped the situation.

“It’s over, it’s over.” He gritted his teeth. “Yu Jin, quickly contact the people—if Luo Duan is still alive, things will be troublesome.”

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 113: Wild Animal

Time reversed back ten minutes ago.

“Missed. Neither I nor Monday felt any change.” Shu Jun stood intact on the roof of the command center, carrying Monday on his back. “A’Yan, your aim isn’t good enough.”

“Its size is too large, making it difficult to estimate the position of the brain.” Zhu Yanchen also stood on the rooftop. Only the two of them were present on the vast rooftop. Sigma was particularly sensitive to the presence of humans gathered together, so they intentionally reduced the number of people around.

“How many shots do you have left? Five? Four?”

“Three.”

“…Isn’t that more than half gone already?” Shu Jun sighed heavily.

“I know.”

Shu Jun took a deep breath and stood behind Zhu Yanchen. They leaned against each other intimately, their body temperatures almost blending together. Zhu Yanchen placed his hand on the console, while Shu Jun rested his head on Zhu Yanchen’s shoulder. The observation equipment was small, so they had to stick close together to observe the situation across from them.

If the situation weren’t so tense, it wouldn’t have been bad to be this close.

Unlike Zhu Yanchen, who was observing Sigma’s reaction, Shu Jun couldn’t discern the subtle changes in the Erosion Swamp. He focused all his attention on Luo Duan—he didn’t understand the Erosion Swamp, but he understood his longtime opponent.

“Luo Duan is commanding the group of Erosion Swamp with brains to move east. Based on his habits, Sigma’s brain must be on the west side. Hmm, this layout… It could be in the northwest. He always likes to hide weaknesses in the safest places.”

“Mm,” Zhu Yanchen softly responded. “…Are you okay to go down again later?”

“What’s the problem?”

“Just now…”

“I’m fine. I didn’t suffer any injuries at all. I ran away before Sigma caught the wolf, and it didn’t even touch me.”

Zhu Yanchen had fired a missile with a rare melancholy look on his face. Shu Jun tilted his head, and his gray-white hair brushed against the other’s cheek.

“What about Zhu Sheng?” Seeing that Zhu Yanchen’s mood was subtly off, Shu Jun casually brought up a topic.

“He’s still remotely commanding the situation on the square, with Xia Liang’s assistance. There shouldn’t be any problems there for now.” Zhu Yanchen’s entire body tensed, his eyes staring without blinking through the scope. His tone was steady, but his body was soaked with sweat.

Shu Jun pursed his lips and extended a claw to stroke Zhu Yanchen’s back. Monday, unhappy that its exclusive privilege was taken by Zhu Yanchen, twisted around, but Shu Jun simply ignored it.

“I’ve never seen you so nervous before. Didn’t we plan everything in advance?” Shu Jun tried to make his tone more relaxed. “Everything has been going smoothly so far, as long as we eliminate it in time.”

“…Luo Duan is an extremely cautious person. Sigma, on the other hand, is more animalistic and has a weaker understanding of ‘death’. They want to steadily wear us down, and Luo Duan is probably the one playing the role of ‘pulling the reins’. But ever since we entered the city, Luo Duan’s behavior patterns have become too aggressive.”

Shu Jun nodded in agreement. Zhu Yanchen wasn’t wrong; they had even speculated on similar scenarios, and the answer was “do their best”. The humans had limited preparation time: lure Sigma, feign weakness, and then strike when it least expected. This plan took various factors into consideration, minimizing sacrifices.

However, it wasn’t perfect. In the confrontation with Sigma, it was entirely possible for it to engage in large-scale destructive behavior.

Unlike the situation with Sweet Edge, humans had suppression weapons, so the strategy of targeting individual weaknesses wasn’t viable. Sigma’s possible approach would undoubtedly involve explosive erosion. To counter this, they had created a massive pit in the city center square for the purpose of holding “hostages”.

After the synthetic humans had left, Zhu Yanchen had set up numerous suppression mechanisms in the pit. They could at least help save over half of the population.

Unfortunately, the pit had limited capacity, and making it too large would raise suspicions. Shu Jun had to design it to appear as natural as possible. Still, millions of people remained outside the pit, and if Sigma were to unleash a similar ability, those people would likely face death.

Everyone knew that, in theory, this was an “inevitable” situation. However, understanding this didn’t necessarily mean accepting it.

With each missile Zhu Yanchen launched, it exploded near the edge of the abyss.

The missiles were limited, and the task of severely injuring Sigma within six shots was already an immensely pressurizing mission. Not to mention that if the injuries weren’t precise, Sigma could unleash its explosive abilities and initiate a massacre at any moment.

The hand that Shu Jun placed on Zhu Yanchen’s back became heavier.

Grand Marshal Zhu’s heartbeat raced, and Shu Jun could almost sense the blood pumping from his heart, carrying the intense heat throughout his body. And with just a swipe of his hooked claw, Shu Jun could pierce Zhu Yanchen’s heart.

This person.

“Sorry, I can’t give you encouragement.”

Shu Jun ruffled his partner’s back again and finally spoke up. “I don’t care about your people. No matter what they say, it’s all just empty words. We’ve reached this point, so let’s skip the formalities… I have one question.”

“Okay.” Zhu Yanchen’s black hair was damp with sweat, and his lips were tightly pursed.

“Sigma is essentially an aggregation of multiple brains, not a singular organism. Now that it has divided so many brains that it doesn’t need for combat, its control over the body should have weakened significantly, right?”

“That’s true.”

“So, if a completely new and sufficiently mature brain were to intervene, could it seize control of its body?”

Zhu Yanchen’s movement froze for a moment.

“You know about this.” Shu Jun smiled. “You kept it from me, didn’t you?”

“Because this is a war for humanity.” Zhu Yanchen closed his eyes. “If you were a member of humanity, even if I had to kneel down and beg you, I would do it… but this is a war for humanity.”

“Judging by your attitude, once my brain enters, I won’t be able to return to my original state?” Shu Jun’s expression remained unchanged.

“That’s correct. The black wolf that you control externally is your limit; it’s essentially a temporary puppet. But Sigma is an Erosion Swamp that has been growing for over a hundred years. To compete for dominance with it, you must directly connect your brain to its body.”

“It seems that there’s no chance of success when there’s a barrier in between. That’s troublesome.”

Finally, Zhu Yanchen turned his head to look at Shu Jun. “The plan continues. You go and help locate the position of Sigma’s brain.”

“Oh, my Chief Strategist, perhaps you should try begging me. Maybe I can fundamentally solve the problem for you. Luo Duan understands me, and given his nature, he’s probably certain that I won’t go this far for humanity.”

“I share his view.”

Zhu Yanchen’s voice lowered slightly. “The person I love is an outstanding leader who deeply cares for his compatriots. He wouldn’t make impulsive sacrifices due to personal feelings. If you were to become the new Sigma, it would be even more impossible for humans to accept a synthetic being—Shu Jun, you should understand this better than anyone.”

“The person I love? It’s rare to see you being so direct.” Shu Jun didn’t give a direct answer. He smiled and changed the subject. “Don’t worry, I know my limits.”

His A’Yan’s stance was too apparent. In fact, they both understood another fact—

Shu Jun had already revealed his true strength. Even if Sigma didn’t self-destruct, they would emerge victorious in this battle. The citizens of Y City wouldn’t let their guard down against synthetic humans. While Zhu Yanchen, as the new leader, could hold them back for a time, he couldn’t do so indefinitely.

Not to mention the general public, the three major families would never compromise.

‘…War is truly troublesome,’ Shu Jun thought.

Before transforming into his wolf form, Shu Jun approached Zhu Yanchen, who was still aiming and calculating, and gently kissed his earlobe.

“A’Yan, you’re still the same,” Shu Jun whispered softly. “There’s nothing wrong with seeking a stable approach, but…”

Shu Jun didn’t finish the second half of his sentence. He leaped off the high building. Vines extended to cushion his fall as he gracefully pierced into an Erosion Swamp. Several minutes later, the black wolf leaped away from Sigma’s side, biting down.

Zhu Yanchen was left alone on the rooftop, completely focused on calculating the movement of Sigma’s brain.

The word “but” that Shu Jun had said was spoken lightly, but his ears were filled with the pounding of his blood. Zhu Yanchen wasn’t sure if Shu Jun had truly said those words or if he was simply too anxious and experiencing an illusion.

Regardless of whether it was an illusion or not, at that moment, Zhu Yanchen could only aim as precisely as possible and then pull the trigger.

The missile flew out from the mechanical cannon and landed solidly on the edge of Sigma’s brain. Sigma’s body suddenly contracted, and its instinctive reaction couldn’t fool anyone. On the other side, Luo Duan appeared and began speaking to the black wolf. The distance between them was too great, and Zhu Yanchen had to observe Sigma’s condition, making it impossible to deduce the content from their lip movements.

Regardless, there was only one missile left, and the next shot absolutely couldn’t go wrong.

His hand gripped the trigger as he held his breath. However, just before he pressed the trigger, Sigma’s body swelled, and its physiological response became completely chaotic, with erosion flowing everywhere.

Zhu Yanchen immediately broke out in a cold sweat. The worst-case scenario had happened. Sigma’s external reactions were in disarray, and he couldn’t guess where its brain had gone. If he launched this missile now, it would be at most a matter of luck.

…He was just half a step too slow. Zhu Yanchen gritted his teeth and quickly thought of possible countermeasures.

Just at that moment, the black wolf leaped again, decisively diving into Sigma’s body.

The scene before him had a subtly familiar feel. It was like a long time ago, during the final match, when Shu Jun had descended into the Erosive Swamp.

Zhu Yanchen didn’t feel relaxed, grateful, or relieved at the sight before him. In that instant, disappointment and bitterness tightened around his heart. He stared fixedly at the struggling Sigma; his whole body frozen like a statue.

And then, something seemed off.

With Shu Jun’s power, as long as he wanted, he could quickly gain control over the real Sigma. But now, Sigma was convulsing unnaturally, expanding and shrinking, like a poisoned caterpillar. The two wills within its body were in conflict, and the intruder clearly didn’t benefit much.

Zhu Yanchen frowned, suppressing the jumble of emotions, and focused his attention on observing Sigma, determined not to give up any details.

Time passed second by second, and Zhu Yanchen’s expression twitched a few times. Surprise and confusion mixed on his face, and his finger slowly moved away from the trigger.

“Shu Jun, you really…”

Zhu Yanchen’s complex emotions couldn’t be felt by his boyfriend. If he wanted to, he could probably guess a part of it, but at this moment, Shu Jun had more important things to consider—

“I’ll keep them occupied over there. Can you give it more effort? Are you not full or something?” Shu Jun grumbled with frustration, swallowing a mouthful of erosion. “Can’t you see it’s two against one!”

There was no response from the other side.

“I’ve supported you for a thousand days, and you still can’t make an effort for a moment.” Shu Jun continued breathlessly, muttering to himself, using “Suppression” without holding back. “Can’t you show some progress? Weren’t you so eager for information back then? Well, here it is, served to you on a platter.”

Finally, his “collaborator” spoke up.

Monday had lost its sword-like form long ago, and only its milky-white brain floated within the erosion substance. It struggled to find the brain, attempting to entangle with it. Even with Shu Jun’s assistance and Sigma’s brain still in a dormant state before the explosion, this battle was far from easy.

“Wuwu…” Upon hearing Shu Jun’s scolding, it let out a pitiful whimper.

The author has something to say:

Shu Ge: A strong person won’t stumble twice in the same pit. I’ll never jump into the Erosion Swamp to sacrifice myself again! (plop)

Marshal: .

Monday: …I never expected that I would always be the one getting hurt. jpg

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Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 112: Luo Duan’s Plan

It was like stepping over a fence and crushing a group of ants with the sole of a shoe.

Luo Duan thought he would hesitate or feel a sense of satisfaction. In reality, he felt nothing at all. People gathered in fear not far away, but he couldn’t sense anything. He tried to imagine his fiancée’s face, but his mind was blank. His heart felt like it was encased in mud, hardened, and incapable of beating.

At this moment, there was only one thing on Luo Duan’s mind—he came to destroy this city, so he should give it his all to destroy this city.

Was he using Sigma, or had Sigma already assimilated him as part of an Erosion Swamp? Perhaps the “Luo Duan” as a human had long died, and he was just a corpse replaced by an Erosion Swamp.

But this question wasn’t important. The central square was right in front of them. As long as they killed everyone here, the three major families would lose their foundation and no longer have a reason to persist.

The biggest threat to him was Shu Jun, and Shu Jun was already severely injured. The second most threatening person might be Zhu Yanchen, but unfortunately, this person had hidden too well, and Luo Duan didn’t gather much information about him.

…It didn’t matter. In the face of the situation, even if Zhu Yanchen was a genius, he couldn’t save a dead city. Luo Duan just needed to take this final step steadily.

Sigma was very cautious. It didn’t rush forward immediately but instead avoided the purifiers surrounding the square and formed a circle with its massive body. It turned the side with long arms inward, restless just outside the purification circle.

Naturally, humans wouldn’t give up at this time. The soldiers protected the civilians on the outside and fiercely attacked those arms while the purifiers were still functioning. The combat was clean and neat, with the command likely coming from Marshal Zhu.

But it didn’t matter.

Luo Duan quietly commanded Sigma to disperse all non-combat abilities, utilizing the thick erosion around to create more Erosion Swamps with brains. These Erosion Swamps didn’t need to be highly combat-capable; they just needed to push forward and tear open a gap in the solid purification circle.

With that, Sigma’s brain became much smaller, deeply buried within its body, making it harder to find.

For a moment, the scene resembled a nightmare.

The once prosperous Y City was mostly destroyed, with the outer buildings completely devastated, transformed into desolate swamps under Sigma’s crushing force, leaving behind only some remnants of broken walls. The city center stood alone, firmly encircled by Sigma in its core, as if the entire city were a rat being strangled by a python.

More Erosion Swamps with brains rushed forward, each displaying peculiar abilities, sizzling and depleting the energy of the purifiers. Humans had no retreat, and this layer of defense was on the verge of being peeled open—

Suddenly, a missile flew from the direction of the command center.

It wasn’t large in size but packed a powerful punch, directly exploding on a part of Sigma’s body, reducing that small section of its form to erosion substance.

Luo Duan was hidden in the palm of Sigma’s hand. Through the enormous gaps between the black fingers, he gloomily looked outward—if it was just a random explosion, it wouldn’t be a problem. The surrounding erosion substance had piled up to a terrifying degree, and Sigma could repair the wounds at any time. But if its brain was hit by an explosion, things would become uncertain.

He made a gesture, and the erosion downpour in the city center intensified. The rain of death mercilessly fell, leaving gray spots on people’s skin with each impact.

While Shu Jun hadn’t recovered yet, speed and decisiveness were of the essence—currently, it seemed that humans hadn’t had their new weapons for long, and their stockpile of missiles wasn’t impressive.

Just as Luo Duan thought about this, another missile exploded. It didn’t blindly bombard but exploded near Sigma’s brain and got closer and closer to it.

…Who is it?

Another missile attacked, this time grazing Sigma’s brain, making Luo Duan’s heart tighten. Relying on his years of combat experience, he had a bad premonition.

“Hurry!” He ordered Sigma.

The humans inside the circle were still fighting desperately, whether with suppression weapons or purifiers, their energy wasn’t depleted. Sigma extended numerous arms, attempting to grab the people on the square. Its fingers barely touched the outer perimeter of the square before being scorched and swiftly retracted.

His plan was proceeding systematically but advancing carried risks. However, at this point, he couldn’t retreat anymore.

Luo Duan lowered his voice, instructing Sigma to shift the position of its brain while also requesting the repositioning of the surrounding Erosion Swamps with brains. The attack had to be accelerated; delaying in war never led to good results.

Sigma had no way to deal with the hot potato in front of it and could only obey Luo Duan’s advice. With the positions of the Erosion Swamps with brains changing, it threw the soldiers fighting against them into disarray. Sigma took the opportunity to shrink the encircling circle, bringing its body closer to the purification boundary. Finally, under the fierce assault of the Erosion Swamps with brains, signs of collapse began to appear on one side of the encirclement.

Excellent. Just a few more minutes, and he would hear the desperate cries of humans before their deaths.

Luo Duan tensed his nerves and whispered into Sigma’s ear without pause. But just as he focused on adjusting the formation, something unexpected happened.

A black wolf emerged from the surface of an Erosion Swamp, leaping from behind Sigma and pouncing fiercely with the wind.

It had condensed the erosion from the surrounding swamps, becoming larger than the previous black wolf. Its bite almost reached Sigma’s body, narrowly missing the brain. Sigma reacted violently, twisting its body as countless black hands reached out toward the black wolf.

However, the black wolf agilely dodged, leaping high and then lunging down for another bite. This time, the attack was accompanied by other actions—more vines sprouted from the ground, binding Sigma’s body in that area and slowing down its movements.

The binding speed was more than three times faster than before.

Luo Duan was momentarily stunned, unable to figure out how Shu Jun accomplished this. The black wolf’s movements were swift and smooth, full of energy, and didn’t resemble the actions of an injured creature at all.

A sense of foreboding grew stronger. Before he could utter the word “retreat”, the fourth missile exploded squarely hitting the edge of Sigma’s brain.

While Sigma’s attention was diverted, the soldiers on the square also took action. A group of people armed with suppression weapons rushed forward, fearlessly attacking Sigma’s body. Even if Sigma wanted to shift the position of its brain, with the nearby body constantly sustaining injuries, it couldn’t suppress its instinctive reaction to protect its brain and would once again expose its position.

Not to mention that Shu Jun was lurking nearby, ready to take a bite at Sigma at any moment. From the beginning, humans weren’t playing a defensive game. From Shu Jun’s “retreat” to leading Sigma to the square and exposing its body in front of the command center, everything had been calculated.

What a trap. Luo Duan held his breath. Whoever made the move—regardless of who they were—understood the Erosion Swamp as well as he did.

This couldn’t go on. Once Sigma’s brain suffered severe damage, its abilities would be dangerously hindered.

From a pessimistic perspective, they didn’t have much time left.

Sigma didn’t think so deeply. It was being attacked quite intensely, with numerous black hands flailing around it. A distorted humanoid form emerged from the palm of the black hand, urging Luo Duan with discontent.

“What should we do?” it asked stiffly and discontentedly. “What should we do?”

“It’s alright,” Luo Duan took a deep breath and reassured Sigma. “The abilities I asked you to prepare, are they ready?”

“They are ready,” it replied matter-of-factly. “Do you want me to use them?”

Luo Duan looked at the crooked-nosed and squinty-eyed humanoid figure with a complex expression and found himself unable to speak for a moment.

Sigma couldn’t grasp the deep meaning behind it and continued explaining, “Humans are really dangerous. I’m willing to use them.”

“…I know. Trust me. We will definitely not lose this battle. The plan remains the same; we’ll follow the previous agreement.”

Luo Duan stopped the torrential rain of erosion outside and signaled for Sigma to lift him up. The movements of the black wolf paused, and it didn’t attack him.

“Shu Jun,” Luo Duan said wearily, “I have something to say.”

Although the downpour had stopped, Sigma’s hands continued flailing, and the surroundings were still filled with rumbling noise. The black wolf stared at him emotionlessly, neither confirming nor denying.

“You can remotely control this wolf, right? However, when your original body is away, this wolf becomes very clumsy.” Luo Duan sighed. “Just now, you slipped away during our conversation, and then Sigma destroyed the wolf… It was all to make me believe that ‘you must control your erosion creation from within’. You deliberately revealed yourself inside the monster in front of the humans to make me believe that.”

The act began since the Synth-Human pretend war. Shu Jun knew he was watching, and it was intentional.

“You pretended to be defeated by me, assuming that I would misjudge the situation and think that you were using the ’empty city strategy’ to lure Sigma deeper. You knew very well that the central square was filled with humans, and driven by my revenge, I would choose to eliminate the people in front of me first before tormenting the three major families.”

“…You succeeded. Sigma and I were led here. In order to surround the crowd and press the human defenses, Sigma stretched its body and became the most easily analyzable ring shape. Next, your collaborator could launch missiles from the command center to analyze the position of Sigma’s brain. Once Sigma is eliminated, according to your abilities, you can slowly cleanse the surrounding erosion.”

The black wolf exhaled, narrowing its eyes. Shu Jun crouched down, assuming an attacking posture. “You understand it well. So, what’s your move? Are you ready to surrender?”

Luo Duan chuckled.

“Do you think I went through all this trouble talking to you because I wanted to surrender?”

The black wolf remained silent.

“When I was clear-headed, I never won against you, and now I wouldn’t dare to make any guarantees.” As Luo Duan spoke, his feet were caught in Sigma’s claws; his skin touching it, resembling a collapsed humanoid figure. “Since the moment I decided to attack, I’ve considered the possibility of losing.”

Sigma halted its digging motion. Its originally flat body showed signs of swelling.

Luo Duan stared at Shu Jun; his pupils devoid of any luster, resembling erosion substance. “Calculating the time, it should be about right.”

Without the noise from Sigma, their voices were clear, and the people on the square could hear them clearly.

“…What do you mean by ‘about right’?”

“There was once a powerful player who had a similar desire before his death—together with the destruction of the world, as death was too painful. Care to guess what ability he left behind?”

The fur on the black wolf instantly stood on end.

“If Sigma dissolves in place, you can take your time dealing with the erosion. But if Sigma ‘self-destructs’, there won’t be anything left of those purifiers as well as the command center… Oh, perhaps you may survive, but there won’t be anyone else. It’s a pity that now, it’s well-prepared, and the self-destruct ability has been successfully activated.”

“You—”

“That’s my plan.” Luo Duan spread his arms and raised his voice. “Now, let me reveal something that human researchers can’t possibly know—the Erosion Swamp is much more selfless than humans. It releases enough erosion with neural activity that even if it disappears, the next Sigma will emerge.”

The black wolf bared its teeth, anxiously tapping its paws. The people on the square seemed frozen, motionless.

“Your collaborator hasn’t fired yet. Is there only one missile left? You can stop this tragedy, if you want to… Just give up your humanoid form, take control of this massive Erosion Swamp, and become the new Sigma. Guess what? Will that final missile hit you?”

Luo Duan stood calmly in the palm of the black hand, overlooking the nearby crowd, and a hint of satisfaction finally appeared on his face.

The black wolf shook in place.

“Choose, Shu Jun,” Luo Duan said softly. “No matter how you choose this time, you won’t win.”

“I have only one question left. How do you guarantee that if I take over, I will be able to take over Sigma’s brain?”

Luo Duan clearly didn’t like this question, and his expression became complex. “Before the self-destruction begins, to avoid pain, Sigma’s existing brain will enter into a dormant state. It won’t compete with you, Shu Jun. Are you really going to do this for these humans?”

“I understand,” the black wolf interrupted, looking at the swelling Erosion Swamp, quickly and calmly answering. “Hmm, you don’t seem to be lying in this situation.”

He didn’t say anything more.

The giant wolf leaped high and plunged into the Erosion Swamp.

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