Chapter 1461

He slowly lowered his hand.

Lin An listened silently to the Annihilator's account, showing no expression on his face.

He was not convinced by the Annihilator's so-called traitor rhetoric, but remained noncommittal.

People always defend themselves from their own standpoint; regardless of whether, in the Annihilators' eyes, Long An is truly a cancer of civilization or the genuine executioner of their race.

Lin An made no judgment on this point.

This is merely the typical overthrow of an individual after collective interests are harmed.

But what is this so-called collective, if not the product of individuals banding together?

Long An is actually quite like himself, or rather, in such an apocalyptic environment, every race's super-powerful beings would tread this path.

However, recalling the information Anna from the Aberrants had told him, Lin An could be certain that the world's Perfect One, Long An, was absolutely not as selfish as the Annihilators claimed.

At most, it merely consumes somewhat more resources.

"Did you kill all the mutants..."

"One is to keep survivors from being threatened by monsters, an extreme... 'Virgin Mary' mentality?"

"Two is that talent ought to be able to efficiently absorb the spiritual energy left after mutants die."

He muttered to himself.

Regarding the Perfect One he had fused with, Lin An had always been greatly curious. Although that being had vanished, he could feel that merging with its corpse had already affected him down to the marrow.

Moreover, Lin An had to admit that the mutant state's strength was terrifying—far more terrifying than any being he had ever seen!

Within a few hours, one could go from Fourth Stage advanced to being strengthened to the combat power capable of devouring an entire civilization.

Such an efficiency, horrifying to the extreme, now seems unbelievable when he looks back.

As for the Virgin Mary mentality...

He, Lin An, actually possesses this as well.

For example, toward An Jing Tian, toward the companions who first followed him, and even toward all members of Long'an Base—Lin An clearly knows that he has intentionally or unintentionally been protecting everyone.

In his view, as long as he doesn't die, rather than letting everyone take risks to grow stronger, it would be better for him alone to bear all the pressure and keep everyone safe.

He can be cold‑blooded toward outsiders, but he cannot accept harm befalling his own people.

The only difference is that Long An's version of this tendency is more severe—severe enough that perhaps he believes the entire civilization needs only him to fight and oppose all enemies.

This is evident from both the Annihilators and Anna.

One person fighting the entire high‑rank of alien species, and another person running off to slaughter all mutants...

"Perhaps this is a warning for me?"

In silent contemplation, Lin An wasn't sure whether doing this was good or bad. But after returning, he felt some of his ideas might indeed need to change.

In Lin An's mind, he also plans this time to clear all mutants from Earth, then wholeheartedly resist the subsequent catastrophes.

But looking at it now...

Keeping a portion might be better..

Just like...

Suddenly, the memory of the first Ascetic Practitioner flashed through Lin An's mind.

(A race without pressure will eventually head toward self‑destruction...)

In the brief silence, the Annihilator covertly observed Lin An's expression; seeing his angry, reproachful gaze, a strange hue suddenly flashed through.

What he said was actually a gamble: betting that by claiming Long An was bad and clearing himself, he could lessen Lin An's hostility toward him!

This monster certainly isn't allied with the original Perfect One!

Otherwise, there would be no reason for him to ask me these questions!

Unlike the cowardice and panic he showed when Lin An captured him.

The Annihilator truly fears death, but that doesn't mean he's low‑witted! In fact, after being captured by Lin An, he has continually strived to find a chance to survive!

In his speculation, either Lin An parasitized the Perfect One, or that Perfect One parasitized Lin An! Either way, their relationship is definitely not good!

This is crucial—it determines how he must answer thereafter in order to preserve himself!

He seemed not to notice the Annihilator's little scheming.

After a brief silence, Lin An gave a slight nod, signaling the Annihilator to continue answering.

"I want you to tell me all the information you have about the Aberrant Emperor!"

Like a command.

As Lin An let him continue, the Annihilator Overlord, who had prepared his remarks while Lin An thought, immediately began to answer quickly:

"Lin... Emperor! I actually don't know much about the Aberrant Emperor! I have no need to deceive you!"

"I only know that the last appearance of the Aberrant Emperor was seven years ago, when he confronted the Alien Emperor!"

"As for his information..."

"The Aberrant Emperor is very mysterious; at least I've hardly ever seen him act. He doesn't seem much like a Fourth‑Stage bodily evolution, but rather like a primordial human."

His eyes showing recollection, the Annihilator Overlord's gaze flickered as he added uncertainly:

"Perhaps it's psychic power? He was previously so ordinary, so ordinary that when the alien species regretted and began hunting us, he suddenly appeared."

"He first produced an infection source capable of threatening the alien species, and then created the first Aberrant..."

"The first Aberrant? Isn't the Aberrant Emperor himself an Aberrant? Who is the first one? Have you ever seen what the Aberrant Emperor looks like?"

He cut him off directly.

Lin An instantly conjured Chu An's appearance and asked solemnly.

The Annihilator's few short words revealed a lot of information.

He wasn't interested in the history between the alien species and the traitors, but Lin An was extremely concerned about the identity of the Aberrant Emperor.

If it really were Chu An, frankly, he wouldn't know what to do upon returning!

Even speaking from the most extreme angle, if all this is Chu An's conspiracy... then for him, what he will have to face upon returning is probably truly an unsolvable dead end!

He was slightly stunned.

The Annihilator Overlord instinctively looked at the shape condensed in Lin An's hand, then after a moment blankly shook their head.

"Lin... Emperor."

"I haven't really seen the Emperor of the Aberrants much either; in my impression, they were just ordinary, with little presence, about twenty-something, roughly around thirty years old."

"I say the first Aberrant... uh... is because we don't think he seems like an Aberrant. The first Aberrant, strictly speaking, should probably be a female..."

"I once suspected that the so-called Emperor of the Aberrants, his strength or rather ability, was also obtained from the corpses of "Long An". And that female Aberrant, there are speculations among the Alien Species, perhaps someone very familiar with "Long An"."

A bitter smile appeared.

The Annihilator Overlord anxiously looked toward Lin An.

He really doesn't know much, or rather, aside from the Emperor of the Alien Species knowing a bit more, others also don't know much about these matters.

The Emperor of the Aberrants is too mysterious, mysterious to the point that it actually seems more like a single person "creating" a race, and then inexplicably being able to stand against the Alien Species.

To be honest, his joining the Alien Species' forces is also because the Aberrants basically appeared out of thin air, and only showed up much later.

He wants to survive, and the original batch of human Awakened Ones who wanted to survive could only rely on the Alien Species.

Lin An's expression changed slightly.

Isn't that right?

The Annihilator denied the Chu An image they had conjured up. The appearance described conversely turned out rather frail.