Chapter 351: Drive Toward the Distant Stars!

Beneath the western mountains of Baicheng, in the deepest level of the nuclear bunker, all equipment and energy of the entire fortress are integrated and controlled from here.

Lin Xian initially assumed Genji Mochizuki was a manager, but he never expected that he himself was the central "brain" of this place.

Not only that, he was also the intellectual core of the entire Silent City.

This fact left the exploration team astonished—who could have imagined that a former global billionaire had truly digitized his own life?

Yet after scanning him, Lin Xian noticed some differences between Genji Mochizuki and Grace—he somehow felt that the Genji Mochizuki before him might not be entirely a robot.

Because robots cannot possess fluctuating Soul-Returning values.

In the vast main control room, lights blazed brightly, countless cables converging; Genji Mochizuki had drones transport a delicate tea table, and several service robots gracefully served tea. In this underground bunker amid the Star Abyss crisis, the setup made the exploration team feel strangely off—as if Genji Mochizuki wasn't afraid of death at all.

Lin Xian and the others had now removed the facial plates of their powered armor. He looked up at the robot handing him tea—its face exquisitely crafted, unmistakably styled after a neon Kabukicho maid—and suddenly thought: if Genji Mochizuki were like Grace, a robot, then death truly wouldn't matter.

"Someone doesn't want us to leave?"

Lin Xian stared at Genji Mochizuki, clad in a plain Daoist robe, sleeves folded, eyes half-lidded, and couldn't help saying: "You mean the Crimson World."

"No, no, no," Genji Mochizuki shook his head, correcting tone: "It's a prediction, not a specific reference—so I used 'existence,' not 'a person or organization.'"

He turned to Grace behind Lin Xian and spoke directly: "Would it be convenient if this robot did not participate in our discussion?"

"Of course." Lin Xian knew exactly what Genji Mochizuki feared, but it didn't matter—he ordered Grace to leave the main control room for safety.

Genji Mochizuki was satisfied, smiling as he continued.

"Hmm, let me guess—you're a mechanical aptitude user. The Apocalypse Orbital Train is indeed a solid plan; in my view, it ranks among the top five of the 'Apocalypse Survival Plan.' Now you're trapped in the Star Abyss, and you've sent a Crimson AI robot to scout Baicheng—oh, of course, it also scouted my Silent City. Combining your mechanical aptitude, I deduce your plan must involve Silent City—perhaps using aerial vehicles, propulsion engines, or some other device."

He paced back and forth as if thinking, then turned, his deep quantum pupils fixed on Lin Xian.

"But I don't fully understand your mechanical aptitude—I heard you can consume machinery and create it from nothing?"

Lin Xian was startled. He looked at Genji Mochizuki, whose appearance resembled a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old boy, and said directly: "Yes, but my plan is a superconducting magnetic anchor array."

To his surprise, Genji Mochizuki's gaze locked onto him. He opened his mouth, nodded slowly, and praised with unmistakable admiration:

"Add EDS distributed magnetic levitation coils to the train, then launch it to dock with Baicheng's track and escape? Wow… I can only say, brilliant idea—genius. How to describe it? Hmm, I love this bold, creative solution!"

"But right now, to exit Baicheng, the track must pass through Wangshan Pass—the very location of Silent City. Unless you deal with the Star Abyss overlord, your plan only completes its first phase."

He walked over, crouched before Lin Xian's desk, and studied him with keen interest.

"So let's cooperate—escape together, how about it?"

"Are we supposed to kill that S-class-plus monster?" Qian Dele sipped his tea and spoke up: "I don't think we have that kind of power."

"How exactly will we cooperate? Don't you already have a plan?" Kiki's eyes lit up, speaking directly.

Chen Sixuan stared at Genji Mochizuki, her brow slightly furrowed—somehow, in her eyes, he seemed extraordinarily complex. Not just her; others in the group also harbored doubts.

According to his account, only a few hundred people had remained in the Star Abyss for nearly two months—this was an immense trial. Given the current darkness infiltration density, without effective measures, no human could survive.

Remember, the first Eternal Night wiped out 99% of humanity—how much worse is it inside the Star Abyss?

Yet Lin Xian was also curious: if Genji Mochizuki had truly survived this long in the Star Abyss, what had he been doing? He asked directly:

"Are you referring to the Star Abyss behemoth—or the entity watching us?"

"Good question."

Genji Mochizuki seemed to have sensed everyone's doubts. He stood slowly, arms crossed, demeanor calm.

"First, you're puzzled about how Silent City became trapped and how we've survived here for two months."

"It's simple," he said bluntly, counting on his fingers before Lin Xian: "Supplies are transported via robots from Silent City's surface. For survival, I analyzed the internal tidal patterns on our first day and enforced strict adherence. To counter darkness infiltration, we have three assets: a unique disaster plant, the psychic aptitude user Star Ye Shizuki, and a reflective material I'm developing—currently at 10% progress, but already showing results."

"Second, why have I kept hundreds of people here so long? Beyond Silent City, there are other reasons—like the accelerated time flow here, which greatly aids my calculations of the dark particle dimension formula. Of course, ignoring danger and consequences, we're already out of time. Due to various factors and those damned Arrivalists, our current calculations show we have less than one year and ninety-six days—perhaps even less than one year left."

"Because under current conditions, global nightfall is secondary. Without solving darkness infiltration, based on current water and toxin levels, human civilization won't last three months."

Genji Mochizuki spoke rapidly, hurling one heavy revelation after another at Lin Xian.

He not only possessed a disaster plant but had also made progress resisting darkness infiltration—and even exploited time dilation to accelerate his research.

Undeniably, this man was ruthless.

Lin Xian's brow tightened: "You're using the time dilation effect here for scientific research?"

"Actually…" Genji Mochizuki raised a finger; his mechanical pupils rapidly contracted and expanded as he spoke to Lin Xian: "Beyond that, we've discovered something intriguing here—taboo objects, Red Men, oh yes—you've secured a Crimson AI brain, so you know their research progress outpaces both Phoenix Society and the Federation, right?"

At these words, everyone was stunned.

"So you mean the Crimson World also accelerated its darkness research using this time principle?" Lin Xian was shaken, yet something felt off.

"Impossible—the Crimson World is just a human organization. How could they survive this long in the Star Abyss…?"

Ningjing and the others stared in disbelief: "Could they have some disaster plant or taboo object too?"

"Disaster plants and taboo objects are still forms of darkness existence—double-edged swords. They can't completely block darkness disasters, especially here, where Guiti dwell," Qian Su Xun spoke up beside them: "If such things existed, humanity wouldn't have faced extinction. Even we must evacuate within a short time."

Lin Xian said nothing. Qian Su Xun's words held truth—his Yigoumofang was created through mechanical aptitude to achieve Yigou, and it only blocked the fear-inducing power of darkness infiltration, offering no defense against Guiti or physical entities. Also, by combining it with the Hell Black Chrysanthemum and partially converting the negative energy of the train's taboo object, the Infinite had gained a relatively safe environment.

But once marked, the outcome wouldn't be better.

"Then how could Crimson World researchers conduct experiments here?" Mo Nika asked.

Genji Mochizuki stood and walked to the center of the main control room. Everyone heard a hiss—then a large transparent liquid chamber rose from the floor, one on each side. As the liquid rose, two corpses appeared before them.

A man and a woman. Both limbs had been replaced with cybernetic prosthetics. The man's leg prosthetics were torn apart, his chest hollowed out. The woman's skull was half-devoured by a Guiti. Yet strangely, both had mechanical devices implanted at the back of their skulls. From the shattered cranial bones, everyone saw white, filamentous mycelium spreading through their brains.

Seeing those filaments, Lin Xian and the others immediately recognized them—they were the same mycelial network they'd encountered in Yijin City.

"What the hell is this—mechanical AI fused with mycelium?" Kiki exclaimed.

Qian Dele asked: "Were they both from the Crimson World?"

"Yes and no," Genji Mochizuki smiled helplessly: "Forgive my phrasing, friends—these two were researchers from the Crimson World, assigned to secret labs within the Star Abyss. But from another perspective, they weren't Crimson World people."

His words were cryptic—but what followed made everyone's faces darken.

"Strictly speaking, these people are aptitude users kidnapped by the Crimson World from across the globe, temporarily assembled into 'humans' using dark mycelium and digital memory converters."

"Assembled?" Lin Xian felt a chill—this simple word now filled him with dread: "You mean the Crimson World has taken over their brains?"

Genji Mochizuki tapped the air, approving: "That conclusion is spot-on."

"More precisely: Crimson researchers copy their uploaded memories, then use this converter to 'iterate' kidnapped aptitude users into vessels. The copied consciousness enters the Star Abyss to conduct research. Typically, a Gold-rank evolutionist survives only two to three days here; upgrading prosthetics improves survival slightly. A Rampage-rank lasts about a week—this efficiency is high. They use this method for mass, seed-like deployment. Combined with the time dilation ratio here, their experimental data advances exponentially in the outside world. For the original researchers, there's no impact—they're fanatics."

"What?!" Chen Sixuan was speechless: "They… they use kidnapped aptitude users as vessels for experiments in the Star Abyss?"

"I don't understand—why not just use robots?" Ningjing asked.

Genji Mochizuki shrugged: "Friend from Longshan No. 1 clearly lacks understanding of current information engineering. Didn't I just say? There are fewer than a handful of processors capable of achieving the initial structural level of human consciousness worldwide. Even AI robots only appear 'intelligent' through massive computational power and cloud networks. Standard terminal processing can't achieve deep intelligence, let alone support super-experiments."

"So the advantage of the Crimson World's mycelial-brain scheme is that it can rapidly replicate a professor-level researcher's consciousness and memory as digital life at extremely low cost. Though the lifespan is short—if you have a thousand engineering professors, a thousand biology professors, a thousand physics professors—wouldn't progress accelerate quickly?"

Genji Mochizuki's words echoed like demonic whispers. Lin Xian frowned—he now understood why, in Akse, bandits had openly priced kidnapped aptitude users. What kind of experiments needed so many people? He never imagined the Crimson World didn't just use them for research—they treated living humans as expendable materials!

"Also, the mycelium isn't fully controllable for the Crimson World—death rates remain extremely high," Genji Mochizuki continued.

"Occasionally, 'cowardly' individuals emerge. After the memory is transferred via mycelium into a human brain, some cognitive shifts or residual thoughts from the original aptitude user surface. This indicates the Crimson World's understanding of this mycelium is still in its infancy…"

Here, Genji Mochizuki tucked his hands into his sleeves, his expression somber, speaking with quiet regret:

"Oh, to be honest, the Digital Life Project was my initiative. Though the Crimson World's path of possessing living bodies with mycelium was beyond my wildest expectations, the technologies of consciousness upload, memory storage, and iterative loops all originated from the Mochizuki family. So I bear undeniable responsibility—30%? 20%? Perhaps…"

"So Baicheng has a Crimson World research lab, and you're monitoring them—trying to intercept their data and information, right?" Kiki said bluntly.

"Correct," Genji Mochizuki didn't hide it: "Miss, you're sharp."

Mo Nika scrutinized him: "So you're saying all this is to rapidly develop technology to resist darkness infiltration—to benefit humanity and ease your guilt?"

Her words were sharp, piercing. Lin Xian had known something of Silent City—after the apocalypse, cities leveraged industrial power and collaborated with factions to expand influence. He didn't believe Genji Mochizuki risked everything for humanity's sake—he suspected other motives.

Yet after Mo Nika spoke, Genji Mochizuki merely smiled without answering. Instead, Qian Su Xun, director of the Tech Research City, broke the silence:

"As humans, rapidly developing resistance to darkness infiltration is a universal consensus, isn't it? If the goal is the same, is there a difference between saving humanity and saving yourself?"

After Qian Su Xun spoke, Lin Xian noticed Genji Mochizuki's gaze was calm, fixed on him: "Captain Lin, I have a question for you. If your team used light vehicles and now understands the internal tidal patterns, you'd have at least a 40–50% survival rate escaping the Star Abyss. So why choose… oh, launching your train via a superconducting magnetic anchor array? That's an extremely risky plan."

Lin Xian understood his implication and spoke plainly: "As you said, the world's end may still be a year away—but without my train and my team, I won't survive a few days."

Lin Xian's words were honest. Everyone on the Combined Train was bound together by survival—including Hu Lushou and others. In dire straits, humans instinctively believe unity unleashes greater strength—this survival instinct is written into our genes.

"Bingo!"

Genji Mochizuki replied seriously: "We're the same as you—except I think further. My goal isn't just to drive Silent City out of the Star Abyss and survive another year."

He pointed to Qian Su Xun: "My companions and the 100, 00 residents of Silent City have greater ambitions. If we can crack the secrets of darkness infiltration and the Star Abyss, perhaps Silent City will have a chance…" Genji Mochizuki looked at Lin Xian, speaking calmly:

"To break through the Celestial Veil, carrying humanity's brilliant civilization, toward the distant stars!"

Everyone was stunned. Lin Xian studied Genji Mochizuki with deep regard—those words, spoken by a boyish face, stirred in him a surge of bold passion.

Genji Mochizuki's sleeves folded, his gaze serene. He stood like an unshakable mountain. People usually fear being seen through—but for him, it meant nothing. His eyes were deep as an abyss, unfathomable, yet astonishingly open—as if to say: "See—this is my path. Why hide it?"

He had drawn the loyalty of Qian Su Xun, Long Zhijie, and other powerful figures. They didn't care about a mere year—they intervened the moment they uncovered the Star Abyss and Crimson World's secrets. His vision no longer confined itself to petty boundaries.

Hearing Genji Mochizuki's words, Lin Xian felt his anxiety ease. He said:

"Tell me your plan."

At Lin Xian's words, every member of the exploration team tensed, listening intently.

Genji Mochizuki smiled faintly, looking at Lin Xian and the others:

"First issue: I'm watching the Crimson World, and they're watching Silent City. To execute our transfer, we must eliminate the expendable lab in Baicheng—otherwise, they'll sabotage our escape. To do so, we face three challenges."

"Red Men, internal tides, and the mycelial memory protection system."

"What protection system?" Kiki asked.

Qian Su Xun answered: "We've attacked their replicated humans multiple times—but each time we succeed, the mycelial memory self-destructs, preventing us from retrieving any data."

"Disgusting." Two voices spoke simultaneously—both silent since entering.

Huo Ge and Xiaoqing.

Huo Ge crossed his arms, eyes furious: "Murdering kin, using such vile methods—I don't understand. Do dark entities collude with these people?"

"Impossible," Genji Mochizuki said calmly. "They merely self-identify. Do you know the Crimson World's ultimate goal?"

Everyone turned to him.

"Fusion."

Genji Mochizuki smiled, eyes half-lidded: "They believe they can create a new world—a new species with eternal life, surviving in the dark dimension."

Kiki's face filled with astonishment: "They want to become Dark Lifeforms????"

Qian Dele suddenly understood and said, "Oh, I get it…"

Mo Nika added, "You forgot—they don't consider them Weird Bodies."

"Psychic abilities, genetic evolution, dimensional breakthrough," Chen Sixuan nodded gravely. "They call them gods."

"Asshole."

At that moment, a whisper came from the corner. Everyone turned—and saw it was Bai Bai, who had muttered under his breath. He hadn't expected his quiet curse to be so loud, so he immediately shrank his neck and picked up his teacup, pretending nothing had happened.

Lin Xian smiled and looked at Mochi Shinji: "The internal tide is limited, the city is dangerous, and the mycelium memory storage has a self-destruct mechanism—these three issues can all be resolved. Now let's talk about the Red Man Weird."

Lin Xian had heard the term "Red Man Weird" several times since entering, and had been curious. Now that the conversation had reached this point, he asked directly.

"All of them can be resolved?" Qian Su Xun blinked in shock. "We've been struggling for so long and haven't found a solution—you walk in, half an hour later, and you already have answers?"

But Mochi Shinji raised his hand to silence Qian Su Xun and spoke directly to Lin Xian.

"The Red Man Weird is simple. Didn't I just say their replication researchers used the bodies of psychics, combined with deep red world researchers' consciousness memory and mycelium converters? The Red Man Weird is a fusion of a mutated human weird and a special suppressor. I suspect its emergence wasn't their original goal—but it became a major problem."

Lin Xian's pupils shrank sharply. He stood up on the spot, every hair on his body standing on end, and shouted:

"You mean the Deep Red World has performed flesh grafts on Weird Bodies!!!!"

(End of Chapter)