Chapter 170: Supporters and Outsiders

Description

“You’ve been promoted, senior employee. Put down what you’re doing and come here for a new assignment.”

Huang Mao, who always appeared honest and simple, froze where he was, still holding the worn gun he was cleaning, not knowing how to respond for a moment.

Back when jobs were assigned, his abilities were limited, and everything about his future was clear at a glance he wasn’t lucky either, so he ended up working in a city at the far southern end of the Western Hemisphere.

Over the years, Huang Mao had listened to a lot of advice from others and finally understood a few things. For example, the reason he never got promoted wasn’t because his current job performance wasn’t good enough, but because his ability level was too low.

A few days ago, a research institute was set up on the little hill. The project was highly confidential, but there weren’t enough people, so they brought in some folks from the nearest city. Huang Mao was one of them. After he arrived, he handled all sorts of odd jobs—cleaning, hauling heavy loads, that sort of thing—but now…

“Boss, I’m only Level Two.”

“The work we do here in the depths isn’t about power. You’re diligent and deserving of a senior employee’s treatment.”

If someone had said this to Huang Mao a few years ago, he would have stood up proudly, but now he just walked along nervously behind.

A young supervisor whose name he didn’t know led him into a meeting room, warmly asking about his personal situation, as if overnight he had become a caring superior concerned about his subordinates.

“Boss, may I ask, what exactly am I going to do…”

“Don’t worry, don’t ask too many questions.”

---

Wu Yan yawned, stretched, and fished out her phone from under her pillow to check if there was any new gossip online. Only after that did she lazily get up from bed.

She couldn’t even manage to get up to do one less thing.

There was nothing major online, just a message from a fellow writer sent before bed in the middle of the night, saying she was heading out for some big adventure and asking her to bring something back from Tianliang today.

“Hah, if you go out that late and come back even later, don’t sleep properly, and still go off adventuring…” Xu Chuyao muttered softly, scratching her head, “You’re acting like I’m the weak one.”

Tsk, it’s just that you earned enough points and you’re not making much of a fuss. Otherwise, when you get back, you’d just want to collapse in bed, unable to move for ten hours!

After a bit more grumbling, the big Thunder Lady grinned again. She glanced at her still-sleeping roommate, then looked at her system panel—the account balance had gone up by more than thirty again.

See, Xiao Ji, I told you, you never lose out by doing this.

Draw!

After twenty or so draws, blue and purple flashed by in turn in front of her eyes. No gold, but several purples.

Xu Chuyao automatically filtered out all sorts of underpants, silk robes, and little garters—there were way too many of those in her system inventory, more than she could wear in a lifetime.

Three purple rewards, two of which were Spirit Power Level Crystals—just one more and she’d reach mid-stage Level Three.

The last one was a new skill—

[Quick Discharge (Passive)]

Skill description: When receiving a sudden attack, the body automatically emits a strong electrical discharge, providing short-term elemental defense and repelling the enemy.

Activation time: 0.05 seconds. Duration: 2 seconds. Cooldown: 10 minutes.

Can be toggled on or off. In the on state, it triggers automatically.

Just like Rainbow Body, it’s an excellent functional skill. Of course, it’s not as rare as the only gold skill, Lightning, but in certain situations, it’s quite handy. Better keep it on—one more safeguard.

Xu Chuyao stretched leisurely, planning to grab a bite to eat, then head to the training grounds, punch a sandbag or two, and use a Daystone from her purse to summon her girlfriend back.

Bai Ni, Bai Ba, or Bai Ai—there should be one or two people.

---

Shen Ning couldn’t remember the path she took at first, and honestly couldn’t recall at all, because every time she just wandered, eventually stumbling into an open door. So this time, she didn’t bother with directions, just followed her intuition, walking as the mood struck.

“Cold and warmth are both just feelings. If you feel it, you can be neither cold nor hot.”

“Resentment! Forgetfulness! Joy!”

“Why is it that we can’t run here—because we are people, or because this place doesn’t allow running? If a bird came in, would it be able to fly in the sky?”

The confusing exchanges of the scholars’ assembly.

Shen glanced ahead, where several human silhouettes flickered amidst the white thunder—about seven or eight people. She decided to keep her distance for now, or perhaps move away quietly—

“Lady Queen, are you going somewhere?”

She turned her head. Behind her stood a man with a stone cap who looked like he was made entirely of mineral rock, making it impossible to tell his age or gender. Judging by his voice, though, he seemed like an older male.

“You…why are you calling me that?”

“Lady Queen, that’s what we all call you here, since we don’t know your real name.”

He was clearly no longer human, but his manner of speech was still stubbornly formal, carrying a hint of a foreign gentleman’s accent.

No matter what, this was the first time Shen Ning had received such friendly treatment here. She felt pretty good about it, though that title still made her a bit uncomfortable.

“My name is Shen Ning.”

The old gentleman pondered for a moment, then asked, “What’s your surname?”

“It’s just Shen.”

“Understood, Miss Shen.”

“It’s Shen, and my full name is Shen Ning—two characters together.”

After much explanation, the other party finally agreed to use her real name, without so many strange, honorific titles. Once they reached that agreement, communication became much easier.

The old gentleman introduced himself as Mei Long. He said he’d been here so long he couldn’t remember exactly how long, living alone until more and more workers arrived later on.

“Workers? How many?”

“More than twenty, nearly thirty, Miss Shen.”

Shen Ning was very surprised, because she’d always thought this was the first time the Soulstone mine had appeared, and she was the first to arrive.

She hadn’t expected that there had been others before.

Mei Long said he’d been an explorer. During one expedition, he fell by accident into a cave, landing on a Soulstone, and ended up in his current form. Since then, he’d drifted alone in the white mist, but after meeting the group of miners, more and more people started to show up, and the place gradually became more lively.

“It’s just a pity they’ve been eroded too deeply. Their speech is always muddled and hard to understand.”

“Eroded?”

It was Shen Ning’s first time hearing it described that way.

“This place exerts a shadowy influence on people—I call it erosion,” Mei Long explained. “It makes people sink into a particular memory, growing numb over time, until it takes away their feelings and makes them a part of this place, like fossils.”

The girl nodded lightly.

She had heard a similar explanation from Liu Ji before. Now it seemed that Liu Ji must have learned it from Mei Long.

“After you appeared, actually, I heard from the miners that they have a young relative with a special ability. She left by chance and wasn’t captured and brought here. You are special—the subsequent influence on everyone’s emotions proves this… Come with me, they’re waiting for you.”

By “they,” Mei Long meant the scholars over there.

While making introductions, Shen Ning took the opportunity to ask the question that had long puzzled her: why did people here always recite those strange lines?

“Instinct, survival instinct.”

“Yes, rational thought and speculation are the exclusive domain of humans—the consciousness’s grasp and reflection on abstractions is the source of emotions.” Mei Long waved toward the group, “Simply put, only when they say those things do they still feel like they’re human.”

Shen Ning widened her eyes. She seemed to understand a little, but not completely, since her humanities grades weren’t great.

She’d ask her girlfriend later—her girlfriend was good at those classes.

As the two approached, several scholars came over. The girl heard those odd, ancient-sounding phrases echoing around her:

Things like: “The sun rises, the moon falls, life is like a gourd seed,” and “If we stay in the mist forever, only occasionally returning to reality, then reality is the dream and the dream is reality,” and so on. Someone even said, “Random daily events, stroking the Thunder Lady of my girlfriend.”

“That’s not something they said, that’s what the system said,” a familiar voice whispered in her ear. “Focus a little!”

Shen Ning looked down—her own shadow twisted in the white thunder, full of oppressive energy.

So you all can come here by following me?

“Of course. There’s nowhere a shadow can’t reach. We didn’t say anything before, but you know why.”

So it was only after getting the right permission that they could come out for some air. Thank you, Qiong Qiong’s Thunder Lady.

Shen Ning nodded, but now wasn’t the time to talk to her shadow—she still had business to do.

Seven or eight scholars came over and gave the girl a rather disorganized salute. Though they didn’t say anything, the sentiment was clear.

These were the supporters Liu You had mentioned—

“Thank you. So, can I ask you for a favor?”

Shen Ning didn’t hesitate, directly explaining her purpose for coming: she wanted to find someone who might have entered from a side door, against the usual flow.

“No problem. They’ve been waiting for the door’s summons. Meanwhile, I’m in charge of interrogating suspects—my whole family is good at reasoning,” said Mei Long.

No sooner had he finished speaking than a white light gathered above the group, and a small door slowly emerged from the mist.

“There, it’s coming.”

“Oh, by the way, Mei Long, one more thing,” Shen Ning suddenly thought of something. “Earlier, you asked my surname, but…your surname isn’t Mei, is it?”

“My elders adopted a renowned form from a spiritual era past, a tradition of the family,” said the old gentleman, trying to perform a bow but finding his stone glove stuck to his waist pouch, so he could only press his hat and speak.

Just then, a clear voice sounded overhead—

“Bang, bang, bang! Help, help!”

A man who looked honest and simple tumbled in from the other side of the door.