Selfishness, cowardice, betrayal, meanness......

When I spoke that limited prophecy to Marx, to all those who ought to know all this, and left alone what was about to become a battlefield of blood and fire, these words pierced my heart like a sharp knife and tormented my soul.

"I ...... Is this really the right thing to do? "As I drifted away from the lights of the headquarters, I kept questioning myself.

"How many options do I have? How much more can I do? How long am I going to deceive myself......"

Before I knew it, my deplorable figure was at the last outpost on the edge of the ZoC border, where a small sentry team lurked, and among them was the smell of an EGO - Camille.

"Don't hide, several, haven't you received a new order?" I turned around and shouted, "Binah has already known your whereabouts, and you're just a live target here. ”

"It's better to pile up a few more makeshift bunkers, and there's a chance to defend against them." I shrugged my shoulders and added.

"Senior......" Everyone listened, and they drilled out of the insignificant "hidden device" with a stupid face, "The situation is also relatively tense now...... Marx's predecessors just let us try to hide ourselves and avoid direct firefights. Camille, the leader, said with embarrassment:

"I just can't think of it as self-defeating......"

"But at least you don't have to worry, the R&D department will carry out infiltration attacks, you just need to ventilate and report in time."

"It's just that there's nothing nearby that could be used as cover...... Camille said, tilting his head, "we'll change the garrison so that at least it's easier to evacuate." ”

"Well, that's fine." I nodded: "Don't forget to report to Marx." ”

"Yes." Camille said, immediately organizing his subordinates and preparing to leave this wide, unsafe area.

"Okay, great." I nodded, and turned sideways, ready to head into the darkness again.

"Senpai?" Seeing this, Camille suddenly stopped and asked quite puzzled, "Where are you going?" That's where the R&D department occupies. ”

"I ...... I'm going to gather intelligence. I turned my head and said simply.

"Is it okay to just go like that?" Camille said, frowning.

"Don't worry, they won't embarrass me." I smiled wryly and waved my hand at her.

"But...... But the evacuation is about to be prepared, how will you come back then? Camille said, her tone even more anxious and panicked: "When the R&D department calls, you won't be able to come back, don't you ......?"

"It's difficult...... I listened, and my heart immediately became nervous, "I must settle her as soon as possible." I thought.

"Camille!"

I slowly closed my eyes, and suddenly said in the tone of a military order:

"Yes! Predecessor! Camille was immediately ordered to stand up, standing firmly in the standard military posture, waiting for the next order, as usual—

"I'm going to give you two tasks that I have to complete, do you understand?"

"Yes...... Yes! ”

"First, protect everyone from here!"

"Second, ...... yourself You must live well! ”

"But...... But ......" Camille listened, her face full of sadness and unwillingness, and her words also brought a crying tone.

"Can you do it?!" My heart was horizontal, and I did my best to show a stern look and fierce words.

"Yes...... Predecessor...... I can ......" Camille could no longer suppress the flood of grief, and tears the size of beans burst out of her eyes, staining every choked word in her mouth:

"I ...... I'm going to ......," she muttered.

"Good...... I'm relieved. I raised the corners of my mouth and patted her on the shoulder: "I'll leave it to you later." As soon as I finished speaking, I turned my back to Camille, to all the souls behind me who were looking forward to survival, and together with my entangled fate, I walked into the unknown darkness without hesitation, never to look back.

Soon after, the R&D department assembled troops as scheduled and launched a final general offensive. I barely need to pass on any information - because the R&D department's attacks are so bold and strong that there is no need to dodge or hide at all, swaggering and blatantly rushing towards the organization's sphere of influence in almost all feasible directions, like crushing an ant......

The enemies, the ones who wield butcher's knives at the people I care about mercilessly, are rushing forward as if through the air, and they are constantly pounding at the results I least want to see.

And in the face of all this...... I'm just a spectator.

I stretched out my hand and tried to stop something, but they were unusually neat and sober to avoid my poor barrier of expansion; I suddenly poked my foot out and tripped over an enemy, but without the slightest anger or displeasure, she immediately got up from the ground, patted the dirt, took up her weapon, and charged forward without looking back, as if it were a humble pebble that had unsteady her, unremarkable and unworthy.

I know their weapons, a handle, a rod, a tool, spears, broadswords, rifles, grenades, egos, warhammers, and a variety of fancy items, or from back alleys, nests, or even wings of the world. In any case, they are real killing weapons, cold and sharp, all hungry for blood, begging to kill.

The equipment on their bodies, including the standard protective gear of the five-fingered regular army, the special equipment used by the Wings of the World Defense Force, and the various uniforms of the Twelve Finishers Association, and of course, a series of equipment such as various prostheses, tattoos, mechanical transformations, and flesh enhancements are all strengthened all the time, sharpening their claws, and strengthening their flesh and skin...... I know better than anyone how much of an advantage these powerful means of support will pose over unarmed, primordial ordinary people, and how much it will cost to get rid of them......

How many more lives do we have to sacrifice?

I don't dare to answer this question, but I know its answer better than anyone else—

All of them.

Yes, everyone.

Only by stepping on the corpse of the last member of the organization in the entire facility will the R&D department stop its crazy attack, and the even crazier plan ...... "library" will usher in a new chapter of its own.

But its cost...... It's just too high.

"Buzz ——!" Suddenly, there was a trance in my brain - it was my body, which in turn strengthened its resistance to aogito, and under the influence of the power of the apocalypse, my emotions were draining and my sanity was crumbling! My body immediately collapsed to the ground, my features twisted together, and I gritted my teeth and tried to hold on...... Wait –

......At this moment, with the injection of a larger dose of aogito, I finally regained my senses for the time being, and stood up trembling again.

"Hmm!" I...... My senses were a little more sensitive, filtering out the cacophony of mockery, and immediately there were clear and intimate sounds echoing in my ears—fighting, firing, screaming, death, but what creeped me even more was that these sounds came from people I knew well, people I remembered......

The last batch of R&D troops had already gone far into the organization's control area, and I was the only one left in the empty corridor.

I frowned tightly and decided to follow the hallway, in the direction of the cruel sound.

"Knock...... "I can feel ...... distance between us. I started running, then I switched to walking, and I even started squirming and pacing, but I never stopped. I also knew that as long as I turned the corridor in front of me, there was the gathering area where Marx and his children used to be. The pace is advancing, and the "voice" in my ears is becoming more and more real, but I am more and more frightened, and my heart is becoming more and more worried......

"What are you afraid of?"

“？！”

"Who?! Who is it?! ”

...... in the brain There's a voice in your head! It's a woman I've never heard of...... You can't go wrong!

"In the end...... If you don't have auditory hallucinations, you can't have auditory hallucinations. I looked around vigilantly, hoping for some clues...... But there is not the slightest result, nothing......

"Tsk......" I glared fiercely, and warned the voice with all my might: "Whoever you are, get out of here now!" Get out of here now! ”

No response. The silence was filled with unspeakable tension and embarrassment.

"Okay...... I'll find out sooner or later. I gathered up and steadied myself: "I...... I'm going to control my anger. ”

"Both...... It's all about avoiding the worst-case scenario. ”

I'm still moving on.

My weak steps finally stepped into the hall that had once been bustling again.

Not so long ago, it was a distribution center for the organization's personnel and materials, and countless decisions have since been sent everywhere like nerves, and they have been nourished by dense transportation lines like blood vessels. At least four heavy aircraft were assembled and commissioned here, and the fighters of two companies of the Ministry of Armed Forces were reorganized and reorganized here. Precious wisdom is condensed in every corner of this place, and countless lives have shed blood to protect the safety here.

And now, all that's left is a mess.

The R&D troops did not bother to clean up the materials and materials left behind by the organization to be destroyed in the future, and in the chaotic and dilapidated environment, it was almost obvious that there was a neat and specific route of travel—they were full of murderous intent, pointing to every exit from here.

"Perhaps...... Maybe they've already left, and their condition isn't serious...... "I comforted myself. Spread your legs again, follow the trail of the enemy's trampling, and continue to move forward.

Those voices...... It's getting closer.

Empty souls are mechanically shuttling through the same empty corridors. "Here...... There...... "I began to think about the past.

"Front...... Back ......"

“…… This was originally a staff cafeteria. I was in a trance and faced the scenes that flashed through my mind...... "I...... When I first started here, it was clean, spacious and bright, with a 24-hour supply of everything from staples, side dishes, desserts, snacks and beverages, but it opened my eyes. ”

"I remember...... I accidentally broke a cleaning robot in that area before. Worrying about compensation has been worrying me for a long time, for fear of leaving a bad impression on the ministers and for fear of being swept away. ”

"I was in this data room, and I completed the collation and collection of my first anomaly information."

"There...... It was the place where Gray and I first made a lifelong destiny...... It's been blown up. ”

"It's just around the corner and you can get to the dormitory...... But now, there's no going back anyway. ”

"As an ordinary person, I spend my life ordinarily. I don't have a chance anymore. ”

This time it wasn't intense anger, it wasn't pent-up pain. It's the worry that is as long as water, the sorrow as delicate as silk, and the reluctance that sticks together like a lotus.

"Why...... It has to be me? ”

"But...... Who else could it be? ”

Fate is full of injustices, and everyone has their own struggles - but mine is a little more unique.

But at least I've persevered until now, no matter how bad the past is and how hopeless the future is, I still have a present of my own......

Until he encountered the token of doom that seemed to be destined - blood.

Yes...... Just when I was feeling sad, I finally encountered a reality that I did not want to face, but I had foreseen it for a long time—a corpse, a piece of flesh that had no life, like a shell on the beach, silent and vivid.

"Damn...... Damn it......" It was like a thunderclap, violently and suddenly tugging at my tight heartstrings. I should have rushed straight to that place like a madman—"Don't...... Don't ......" I kept silently until I actually came to it and saw the last of the deceased......

But perhaps it can't be called a "relic", because this poor guy's face has been completely shattered, and there is no trace of his complete face, and he has been shot in at least eight places on his body, apparently chased by the R&D department during the evacuation operation, and was killed by the saturation attack that followed, and completely fell here, in the last trace of darkness before dawn.

He wasn't alone, and it was obvious that her entire outpost team had fallen into this sudden encounter as they moved closer to the larger forces. The enemy trampled on their corpses and continued to attack without impunity, stretching the blood-soaked dark red footprints to the end of the eye.

"Camille...... "I looked at the bloody scene in front of me, and my heart became even more nervous: "No...... This kind of thing won't happen. I kept saying to myself, "Even without me, they would be able to ......."

"Do you really think so?"

"It's you again!!" The voice...... The voice that suddenly appeared in his head was asking a provocative rhetorical question. Immediately, it ignited my soul, which was full of anxiety and anxiety: "Who are you? What do you want to do? Get out of my head! I roared angrily: "If you have the ability, you will come out!" ”

"Come out!!"

"Get out!!"

There was still silence all around me, except for the bloody air that echoed with my impotent roar.

"Okay...... All right. "I kept shaking my head and pinching my forehead." I...... I'll never be teased by you again, I promise. I said almost demonstratively to the voice in my head.

Even so, I still need to move forward......

I heard more unsettling noises, and I quickened my pace.

Bloodstains, bullet marks, corpses, scorch marks...... Broken blades, molten and solidified armor, corroded flesh, exposed bones. As my feet continued to move forward, the traces of battle and killing became richer and more complete in front of me, like a museum of murder methods.

I'm not afraid of these things, death and blood are all too familiar to me in the cycle of the past 10,000 years. But now, they are given a completely different meaning...... I can no longer ignore it.

R&D Department ...... The R&D department has caught up with the troops behind the pad, and the battle has entered a rather scorching ......

They...... Did they all die?

But I know better than anyone else that the organization has almost been exhausted by the flood of troops in the R&D department...... The Armed Forces Department relied on almost a hundred soldiers, and under the absolute pressure of the R&D Department, desperately protecting nearly 3,000 colleagues who were eager to leave the place - this was an almost impossible task.

"Bang ——!!!"

Finally...... My figure reached that subtle enough approach. I heard that...... Explosions, real explosions.

It seems that I am indeed quite close to the battlefield.

"I have to ...... now!" I almost subconsciously rushed straight into the battlefield where the artillery was flocking...... It's fast, there's no time for anything else.

The empty and dead silence in front of me came to an abrupt end, and I finally caught up with the vanguard of the R&D Department that was in full swing - yes, they still ignored me without any obstacles, and threw themselves into the annihilation battle in front of me. Faced with more corpses strewn across the ground, the soldiers of the R&D Department had little disdain to distinguish between enemy and friend, dead or alive, and if a figure dared to fall in front of them, it would immediately be shattered, kicked over, and thrown to the side of the road.

True...... I'll still be shunned.

"Seeing this, do you want to move on?"

At that moment, the voice popped out of my head and tortured me.

"What......"

This time, instead of showing my usual annoyance and anger—yes, the horrific sight had diluted my gushing emotions, and my pace had slowed.

"Forward...... Moving forward, why moving forward? I couldn't help but start self-doubting as well:

"I'm ...... now Really qualified to appear in front of them...... Is it? ”

Yes, intelligence, costs, consequences...... How pale and hypocritical these excuses I have concocted by myself. And I used this as a reason to choose to escape at the moment when my companions were in such a life-and-death crisis, and at the moment when I should have stood with them to the end.

Eventually, I began to regret and question myself why I was running away; I began to be afraid, afraid that I would be seen as a shameful traitor.

"Damn it...... Why!! I roared hysterically, my body trembling. I resent such a cowardly self, such an incompetent and furious self - yes! If I get out of control, the whole city can be in great crisis; But if I just stand here doing nothing, they're going to die right here! Rotten in this grave-like dung pit, you can't get out again!!

What else do I have to worry about? What do I have to be nostalgic? This sad city did not hear my sorrows, ignored my despair, and played with my fate like a joke. In a world of indifference, I floated like a stray dog in the noise, begging for food among the powerful, being called around, commanding, showing cold eyes, and wanton scolding—but here, I made close family members, I gained my own value, and I felt the warmth of the human world. It was only here that I truly felt alive!

So what is there to hesitate about now?

"Poof——! At this moment, the restriction suit, which detected a violent Kabbalah reaction, suddenly activated the shock module, and an unprecedented stream of high-voltage electricity immediately completely penetrated my whole body-"Ahh Accompanied by the conduction of the penetrating air, the high temperature and the scorched white smoke, the huge discomfort that rushed everywhere immediately made me scream bitterly: "Damn it! I gritted my teeth and stared at the unsightly clothes on my body, and there was a terrifying fierce light in my golden eyes—

"I'll ...... now!"

"Good, good. That's it. ”

Just as I was about to break free, the voice sounded in my head again, and my consciousness suddenly seemed to be shocked, and I was violently pulled out of my body by a powerful and unknown force majeure, and came to a large white and immaculate and vast area—void and quiet.

I was in a trance, but my mind was inexplicably calm.

"Welcome, Miss Devna."

With a burst of ethereal calls, the scenery in front of me suddenly turned upside down, step by step, staggered surge, my hands touched the air, my feet touched the earth, the all-encompassing endless white nothingness, but also gradually emerged a magnificent, resplendent towering tree, rooted in the boundless, in the top of the dome, stacked with emerald gold, all-encompassing, can be called the most dazzling miracle in history.

I stood under the majestic tree, looking up at the canopy, the seeds of light that were as brilliant as the starry sky, spreading everywhere all the time, and my restless soul was completely soothed, and all the pain of the past seemed to disappear at this moment, and no longer disturbed people's minds.

"Yes, that's good." I admired from the bottom of my heart, and as I took a step, I began to walk around its incomparably thick branches, and with each step, a completely different and magnificent scenery came to my mind, and I was deeply intoxicated—

"That's nice." I couldn't help but sigh again.

Suddenly, when I was in an unknown moment, a table appeared inexplicably around me under the giant tree, and I was surprised to observe it intently, and two plain chairs appeared without warning; When I tried to get closer to observe this incredible vision, suddenly an elegant porcelain teapot appeared on the round table, with two saucers, teacups, and cushions, also carved Qixiu. It seems to be a leisurely afternoon, waiting for a group of graceful and luxurious ladies to enjoy afternoon tea.

Soon, I was at the small round tea table and looked blankly......

"Long admired the name, Miss Devna."

At that moment, the voice suddenly appeared in my ears, as if she were beside me—"Please sit down, you deserve it." "She extended an invitation to me.

Speechless, I silently pulled out the armchair, stepped forward, and sat down.

"Finally...... You're here too. As soon as he finished speaking, a clearer figure gradually appeared on the empty chair opposite him—a young woman, with long brown hair, a ponytail tied sideways around her head, drooping behind her; Dressed in a plain white coat with a dark green shirt underneath; Delicate facial features, good countenance, and ...... It was like the blood-red eyes of the returnees.

"Sorry...... I've just woken up, and I probably don't quite grasp your taste. She picked up the teapot and poured the brewed strong tea into my cup, "Please use it." She first greeted me and said, "I hope you like it." ”

However, this obviously could not dispel my vigilance and doubts about her, I picked up the teacup, looked at the crystal clear tea, sniffed carefully, but did not immediately move, "It's a familiar feeling, thank you." I tentatively said to her, "It's going to be hard time when you wake up." ”

"Ah......" She waved her hand relaxedly, and while making tea for herself, she said casually: "According to the actual time, it is only three days." ”

"Three days?!" I listened, unusually vigilantly looking at the delicate period: "Three days ago the Seed of Light was launched...... Do you say ......"

"That's right." While adding rock sugar to the tea, the woman said lightly: "It was the seed of light that awakened me and allowed me to see the light of day again after 10,000 years of captivity underground. ”

"10,000 years ......" my mind frantically searched for all the information related to it: "Director, Research Institute, Women, Ministers, Cycle, Seed of Light, Angela, Visionary......" All the clues point to an incredible conclusion - the woman in front of me is the enigmatic name that appears in the countless indicators, formulas, parameters, and principles of the employee handbook, appears in the mouths of Ayin and the ministers, and is erased from almost all official documents-

"Carmen"

"Smack!" Thinking of this, I suddenly fell into an unprecedented horror, and my uncontrolled hands almost knocked over the tea cup on the table. And she...... The woman, Carmen, carried a silver teaspoon and stirred the sugar cubes in the tea, as if everything had nothing to do with her.

"It's really worthy of Ade...... Guessed who I was so quickly. She said, a smug and bright smile squeezed out of the corner of her mouth: "Yes...... Like Abram said, I have always been alive, living in that big jar of green liquid, a device called the 'Well'. ”

"You know what I'm thinking?!"

"Hee-hee...... Of course. She put down the teaspoon and took a small sip, "After all, everything here is made by me......," she said, and suddenly reached out and pointed straight at my forehead, "Even you now." ”

"Isn't it interesting? Hahahaha. ”

"Just like you, Adele, I've been here watching you for three days - Adele has been doing a great job, and that's been a great pleasure."

She smiled, so brightly, so innocently, as if it were just a innocuous little joke—and I had only accumulated uneasiness and chills. "Hmm......" I swallowed, carefully picked up the teacup, glared at her, and took a small sip.

"Speaking of which, Adele." Carmen dropped, "You out there...... Are you struggling with something? ”

"I ...... I think you know better than I do. I slowly put down my teacup and said to Carmen.

"But......" said Carmen, suddenly raising her head and staring straight into my eyes with those blood-diamond-like pupils, "I would like to hear what Adele told me herself." She said, the smile on her lips not fading.

"It's all because of ...... Because ......" I hurriedly raised the teacup and took a sip, a warm flow flowed down my stomach, and my heart was much more settled, I put down the teacup and continued: "Entangled with my companions, and myself; Tangled in the city, and tangled in ......"

"Not really." Carmen abruptly interrupted my statement and explained to herself: "He will not destroy mankind, and anomalies will not destroy mankind." She tilted her head and said, "They can't do it at all." ”

"Is that so?" I jerked my head up: "So Binah, she ......"

"Hee-hee...... She didn't lie to you. Carmen said, her mouth blooming, and she slowly leaned back in her chair, "She really doesn't know, I didn't tell her, and Ayin didn't ......."

"She made it up on her own, in the lobe company...... I guess it's going to be hard. ”

"Hah...... Ha...... That's right. I nodded, and muttered with a forced smile, "At least...... At least I don't have to worry about that. ”

"Actually......" Carmen said, picking up her teacup and taking another sip, "Well, there's no need to dwell on that." She said lightly.

"What did you say?!" I hurriedly leaned forward and asked, "Why...... Why?! ”

"Ade...... I'm really anxious. Carmen said, her eyes turned to the towering tree of light not far away, leaned her arm on the armrest, and continued to drink her tea.

"Uh-huh......!" Frustrated again, I had to regain my sharpness, sat back down, put my arms on the table, and asked softly, "Why don't you need to worry about my life, or that of my companions, please tell me." ”

"Because you're human." Carmen said, but her gaze did not return to the table, "The human 'heart' cannot be destroyed by an anomaly. Even if he is as strong as Him, he cannot stop the 'river'. ”

"But the Apocalypse still has a powerful power that is limitless to us, and a near-eternal life......" Carmen added, sighing slightly, "So...... He will be born again, He will take over your body, and He will come to the city again. ”

"Your 'heart' will be 'covered' and your body will be taken away." Carmen said, shrugging her shoulders, "But at least, you can use His power to save your companions before you are fully converted!" ”

"Hmm!" When I heard this, a fire burned in my heart again: "This is really ...... It's just wonderful. ”

"And Ah...... The closer you get to the moment of advent, the closer the power in your hands will be to the Apocalypse Deity. Carmen said, finally turning her gaze back—the corners of her mouth were raised.

"Closer to ......" I was shocked, almost incoherent with excitement: "...... That...... Does that mean I can ...... I can defeat Binah once and for all, destroy the R&D department, and resurrect ...... Resurrect Yui them! Can I still ...... back."

"That's not going to work."

Just as I was ecstatic and imagining, Carmen's extremely cold words instantly lowered my boiling enthusiasm to freezing point: "How can you agree to such a request? As she spoke, she lowered her eyebrows and looked down at the clear fragrant tea in the cup, raised her head, and kept shaking.

"You...... What did you say? "I kind of couldn't believe my ears.

"After all, I'm looking forward to what happens next." She said and laughed again.

"But don't worry!" Carmen suddenly changed her words: "I can separate your 'heart' from that monster's body, and then fill it with a completely new body made of 'light'!" ”

Her tone was so affinity and casualness that it was hard to tell whether it was serious or joking. But anger and fear had rushed into my mind, and there was no need for these details, "Why? Why are you doing this? I confronted her, "Don't you want them to live better?" Why don't they have a choice? ”

"Eh, the tea has cooled."

Carmen listened, but seemed not at all prepared to answer my question, but gently poured out the liquid from the teapot, pulled another tea bag from the porcelain plate on one side, and put it into the teapot, and soon a curling white mist rose.

"Come to Ade, try it." Carmen stared at me sincerely, smiled and said, "I think you'll be very familiar with this." ”

“…… Minister Binah ......, "When the fresh aroma of tea slowly wafted into my nostrils and stimulated my olfactory nerves, I immediately realized that this was the drink that Minister Binah admired and admired the most, black tea.

At that moment, I seemed to understand something: "She is with you...... No, they're ...... you."

Carmen didn't speak, seemingly acquiescing to my doubts.

"Original...... The reason why they do it is because ...... You ......" I said, my lips trembling uncontrollably: "It's you......"

"Or rather, they wouldn't have been able to do it without me." Carmen said, picking up the teapot and filling my cup to the brim.

"Even though it does...... Some are sorry for Ayin's good intentions. Carmen filled her teacup, "I know, Angela (AI) will do it." ”

"Radiance...... It can't just be spread out like that. Carmen said calmly: "Ayin is really too honest, that light ...... It was supposed to be a prize for the competent. ”

"So...... So...... "I got up from my chair tremblingly, and I could scarcely describe how I had pushed such a statement out of my mouth:

“…… That...... The one who really wants to take the light...... Be...... It's you ......."

"Hee-hee......" Carmen laughed, the corners of her mouth rising to the point of almost exaggeration: "How come?" How can I rob the light of people's hearts? ”

"I ...... It's just a better way to 'keep' and 'use' for them. ”

Ridiculous! Bitter fear immediately turned into angry outrage: "You are clearly quibbling!" ”

The voice was loud, but on such a wide scale around him, it could not add a ripple to the deathly silence.

Carmen didn't say anything, just quietly stretched out her hand and motioned for me to drink tea.

"Whew—" I frowned, reluctantly sat back in my seat, and took a sip of my teacup.

"The 'agreement' that Binah said must be with you." I made up my mind and was about to knock on the side, so I asked tentatively, "What kind of price can impress a person who is as silent as a tombstone?" ”

"Freedom." Carmen replied briefly, "I set her free." ”

"A freedom to start over, a freedom to bury the past." Carmen put down her teacup and said slowly.

"I can't imagine it. You're going to work with Binah—it's clearly your enemy. ”

"Hate?" Carmen couldn't help but laugh and said, "How can that kind of superficial thing shake my will to realize my ideals?" ”

"That'...... Does it have to be this way? ”

"Miracles and magic aren't free." Carmen said, revealing her trademark bright smile:

"When I was in that hot tub, draining the blood in my body; When my nervous system is completely stripped from my body and proliferated in a green tank; When I became the 'well' in people's mouths, when I first came into contact with the truth of humanity. I realized how ignorant and naïve I had been. ”

This should have been an unbearable painful past, but Carmen said it so indifferently, but there was no relief lightness, and every word was even more indescribably weird.

"People have a taste, Devna." Carmen shrugged and said, "Those who use power for personal gain, those who premeditate murder, those who force the good to become prostitutes, those who opportunist, those who are blind and blind, why are they the same as those who are high-spirited, those who help others, those who are brave in the face of righteousness, those who dedicate themselves to being scholars, and ...... What about those who are far-sighted, equally infiltrated by the light, and receive the same revelation? ”

"My ideal is to save humanity, to save humanity that is parasitic in the city."

"They live in pain, and the pain is heartbreaking." Carmen said earnestly, "But this kind of suffering is something that man has imposed on himself, it is a rabble, it is the ugliness of man, it is the monster for which you work day and night—the anomalous. The 'smell' of human beings repels the fragrance of enlightenment and wisdom, and drives people to sink into the quagmire of mutual construction. ”

"So...... It is a pity that this pain cannot be erased without any cost. Carmen pursed her lips and frowned slightly:

"It's human...... The test that must be passed. She said in an unusually natural tone, as if it were a matter of course.

"So, we have to sacrifice our lives like this? Our freedom? I asked rhetorically, exasperated by Carmen's ridiculous pout: "We don't even have the right to know all this!" ”

"To this...... I'm so sorry for you. Carmen sighed, took a sip of tea, and pretended to be helpless: "But after all, this is the price that must be paid on the way forward, and we must always accept it." ”

"The price? Accept? I was utterly furious: "You know how ridiculous you are? ”

"The people who are forced to choose between morality and their lives every day in the back alleys are despicable, they don't deserve it. Are those big guys who are pampered in the nest, take the oil and water scraped from the bottom, and give alms everywhere? Who is it that continues to give rise to such suffering, and who is it that makes the fat from the suffering of others? Are you going to let the poor people who are forced to become prostitutes and thieves bear the same price as the rich and wealthy who oppress them? Aren't you aiding the abuse, doing the same for the tiger?! ”

"Aren't you human?" I gritted my teeth and asked, "What do you rely on to 'balance' the 'smell' on your body?" You are hanging high in the world here, and you don't know the suffering of the world, how can you represent our efforts for thousands of years? On behalf of every urban person who is desperately alive? ”

"Just because you have a so-called 'ideal'?! Can you do whatever you want? I said almost snarling.

"That's enough, Deafna."

Carmen listened, and the smile on her face gradually cooled, "After saying so much, your throat must be very uncomfortable, come and have a cup of tea to moisten it." She said, almost like a threat.

"You're ......!" I gritted my teeth and glared at Carmen, but I had to sit down for the time being, pick up the teacup, and put the yellow water in my mouth.

"Hmm——!" But the moment my tongue touched the black tea, my sensitive taste buds immediately stuffed the strong irritating wind mixed with bitterness, spicy, sour, sweet and salty into my brain, almost causing me to crash on the spot, "Ahem——! I coughed violently, spitting out the disgusting tea like a flood, and trembled with palpitations: "This...... This thing ......."

"Hmm~" Carmen seemed to be completely unmoved, she sniffed the smell fiercely, closed her eyes gently, savored and enjoyed, as if her whole body was smooth and soothed.

"I've known for a long time that urbanites are sick, and they've become extreme, aloof, and selfish." Carmen stared at me with a smile, her blood-colored eyes bursting with an unprecedented fierce light: "You...... Also sick. ”

"This ...... What? I was a little speechless: "You mean I'm selfish? Do I think only of myself? ”

"I really...... I really want to trust you and believe that the sick can help themselves. Carmen looked at me sincerely, suddenly smiled bitterly, and said slowly: "But look at the current era, ignorant people blindly pursue pompous and vain things, wise voices will always be drowned in the tide of ignorance, talented people steal their lives, and performers are crowned with monkeys." How can such human beings be trusted to struggle out of the quagmire of self-destruction? ”

"That's because you're ignorant, you're incompetent! You don't have the power to inspire their enthusiasm! I immediately rebuked.

"Perhaps." Carmen shook her head and couldn't help but laugh, "Maybe you're right." ”

"But I tried, I tried." Carmen suddenly changed her words and said with a strange and penetrating smile: "Money, connections, time, passion, and life, I gave everything I had, and the comrades I gathered also gave their best. But the world it ...... It is what it is, and no matter how clever it is, it will not change in the slightest. ”

"You're sophistry!" I immediately argued, "What can be changed, everything can be done, I've seen it!" ”

"Puff......" Carmen listened, and her expression immediately returned to ease and ease: "Your friends are very embarrassed now, it's a pity but...... They have clearly failed. As she spoke, Carmen added defiantly:

"If Adai is afraid to accept the reality, you can just say it, and I will help you overcome it."

"You...... You ......" I glared at her through gritted teeth, "you must not insult their efforts like this...... If it weren't for the 'script', they wouldn't have been able to win! ”

"It would be great if it could come true." Carmen shook her head slightly, took a sip of black tea, and said:

"Unfortunately, it's too late."

"Anyway, I've arrived here, the place that really brings me closer to everyone's ideals, where I have the opportunity to make it a reality......" Carmen put down her teacup and sat down suddenly, her face losing its last hint of expression and becoming as cold as a sculpture—

"All 'diseases' will be cured by my hand, and all sins will be judged by me." She said in a slow tone, word by word:

"I'm the magistrate of the city."

There was a long silence.

I was stunned as I examined Carmen's words, with only grief and horror in my heart, "This is not fair...... I muttered: "The vast city, the fate of more than six billion people, is in your hands alone. ”

"The world is inherently unfair."

"It existed before we were born, and it will continue after our physical destruction."

"No...... No, I don't believe it, I don't believe it. I kept shaking my head mechanically, but my voice became louder and louder: "...... The world is subject to change, and eternity is a scam, a sugar-coated scam. ”

Carmen shrugged and took a small sip: "But that's the way it is, and your buddies can't change that...... Well, if they still have a chance. ”

"At least!" I suddenly roared, "I'm going to give everything I have to get them out of here alive, let the city make a change, and prove you wrong!" ”

"Then go ahead." Carmen immediately replied lightly.

"Go? I? I couldn't believe my ears for a moment: "Are you really asking me to do this?" ”

"yes." Carmen smiled and said:

"It doesn't matter, sooner or later I'll come back, and I'll go back sooner or later."

"I hope you don't break your word." I said earnestly and immediately got up from my chair: "We'...... They'll be sure to prove it to you! ”

"Goo-" Carmen didn't say much, just raised her head slightly, looked at the golden towering tree, and drank the black tea in her cup.

“…… It's really, a little bitter. She sighed silently.

"There's nothing for you to do here, please go back." Carmen turned to me slowly and smiled:

"So...... Goodbye. ”

As soon as the words fell, my broken soul immediately returned to the "container" with teeth and claws, and returned to the bloody battlefield and the miserable reality. In front of him is still a steady stream of R&D department combatants, and their ears are also sensitive and faithful to capture all the news of the survivors of the organization. I held out my hand, and it was still the same pitch-black claw.

"I ...... I'll be sure to prove it to you. I muttered to myself, slowly straightened up, stretched out my arms, spread my claws, clamped on the pieces of clothing that bound my body, and took a deep breath—

"Nourishing ——!!"

"Uhh——!!!!h

As I tried my best to tear at the machine, an extremely strong electric current erupted from it and began to disperse like an explosion—it rapidly channeled through the ground, pierced the air, and scorched the flesh that flowed everywhere, almost instantly splitting the entire corridor of R&D soldiers into powder. The lightning was like a bundle of sharp swords, cutting my flesh and blood all the time, and the pain of the volcanic eruption destroyed my spirit and reason like a storm, and even my howl was mercilessly drowned in the deafening roar of the five thunders, as if to erase all traces of me in the world......

But I ...... But I persevered!

Every piece of skin that was burned to soot, every drop of boiling and evaporated blood, every inch of cracked and charred bones were instantly filled and repaired with the rapid return of the power of the Apocalypse. And the damn machine will eventually be unable to withstand the powerful energy it contains, and it will be melted and sublimated in an instantaneous release, and completely disappear into this world.

"Uh...... ......"I trembled, feeling the power that flowed back into my body and filled my soul again. I am no longer afraid, and I have never been more determined and convinced than ever before.

"Huh...... "I condensed the black feather and took out the great sword in the midst of the flames, the sharp weapon that I had swung countless times—Bo Twilight.

"Wait for me, I will definitely keep you alive...... Get out of here. ”