Chapter 448

2: 6 a. .

【Scan progress: 9%】

At 2: 6 a. ., Lin Xiangang suddenly thought his group might not be able to leave Haiyan Island tomorrow—and the metal die flipped another number.

"Hey, Lin Xian, look quick!"

Kiki exclaimed: "The die's number changed again!"

"This time it turned to five—what does that mean?"

Lin Xian glanced over, paused—he'd noticed the die's change in real time for the first time. He checked the countdown timer and found no matching number; he couldn't help frowning.

"No connection, but this thing is definitely under some control—otherwise, how could it change like this…?"

"Strange thing," Kiki manipulated the metal die with telekinesis, trying to flip it—but no matter how she nudged it, the die remained utterly still and unresponsive.

"It's stopped again…"

Kiki perked up immediately and summoned the power armor's mobile computer: "Alright, let the lady herself study this properly."

"How are you going to study it?" Lin Xian asked.

"Record every number, every time it changes—anything with a pattern," Kiki said. "I think these numbers mean something. There's definitely a secret here."

Lin Xian nodded: "True. But unless we put it in a mechanical space, you'll have to hold it with your telekinesis—or use my custom electromagnetic arm—and that'll drain a lot of energy."

"I know. If there are no other effects, I'll just place it on the train and power it with the Infinity—should be fine. And let Director Ding take a look too," Kiki declared confidently.

Lin Xian thought for a moment—it was better than leaving it in the Black Star Forge—and said: "Then be careful. If it falls, it'll punch a hole clean through our train."

"No problem."

Kiki studied it for a while; the air fell silent. She glanced at Lin Xian, who was intently scanning the device, and hesitated.

"Lin Xian…"

"Hmm?"

"Don't overthink it. I think that countdown isn't really a big problem for you."

Lin Xian looked up. Her words sounded like comfort, but he caught a hint of tension beneath them. He realized this girl, though she spoke lightly, was genuinely worried about his unknown countdown. After a pause, he said: "Actually, I'm not that worried. We used to flee the night every day—life and death hung by a thread. We survived Dawn City's utter despair. Now, if I can truly encounter the Dark Civilization, it might even be a good thing."

Kiki looked at Lin Xian, her eyes flickering: "I know your plan with the Phoenix Society. What do you think the Foundation will do next?"

Lin Xian shook his head: "I'm not sure. We don't have much time. The Nightwalkers, the North American Defense Line, and the Storm Alliance have already united to investigate and Qingsuan the Deep Red World and the Foundation. With the Same-Device installed, all thirteen Star Abysses have launched action plans. The true face of the Dark Civilization will only take time to reveal. Our investigation of Star Abyss 13 and the Foundation isn't the main goal."

"I know. The main goal is the polar region. And incidentally, see if your role as the Sword-Bearer crossing the Pacific draws out the Foundation's forces in the Republic Islands and the Star Abyss seas. Look—we've already caught some traces."

Kiki floated over, glanced around to confirm no one was nearby, then casually straddled Lin Xian's lap, pressing herself against his chest, feeling the warmth of his torso, and whispered softly: "I keep thinking—you weren't always like this. You used to watch me eat a slice of bread like I was stealing it. Now you're playing the savior of the world?"

Lin Xian snorted, helpless: "Hey, this isn't some savior complex. We can't just follow the Phoenix Society's Dawn Center crew at a snail's pace, saving people one by one. They'll take two months just to cross South America. But if we take the ocean route, we'll reach the poles in under half that time. With Starhua Heavy Industry there, my mechanical abilities can advance rapidly. I'm thinking of myself too, okay?"

"Alright, alright, you're right~"

Kiki lifted her face to look at him: "By the way, Chen Yanxiu of the Sacred Revelation said the Dark Civilization's plan is to merge all life into one. Do you think that means something like the mycelium network? That's the first thing I thought of."

"The mycelium network in Yijin City does have a hint of that form," Lin Xian said. "Similar to humanity's digital consciousness cloud network—if life becomes like this, individual existence loses all meaning."

"So is this how advanced civilizations are born?"