Chapter 387: Dome Mutation Department

Alarm sounds outside the airship rose and fell, Ying Duo looked down through the porthole, and the docking platform reserved for headquarters was already surrounded by fully armed guards.

A dark crowd of people held energy weapons, their gun barrels all pointing at this 'illegally intruding' airship.

Someone was shouting through a megaphone, but the thick hull blocked their words so nothing could be heard.

But one could guess what they were saying.

Ying Duo withdrew his gaze and opened the team channel.

【Ying Duo: @Fang Zhiyan, we've arrived.】

【Ying Duo: Outside there's a crowd surrounding us, handle it.】

Less than three seconds after sending the message, a reply came.

【Fang Zhiyan: Arrived? That fast?】

Fang Zhiyan had just received word from the other side that the undead had been handed over to the bandits, the hostages were all safe, only the airship had been hijacked.

It was said that among the hostages were Mei Weis and two people from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Wensha family was already contacting an airship in a nearby city, hoping to bring the hostages back to Heavenly Dome City as soon as possible.

But Ying Duo's return speed—isn't it a bit too fast to be normal?

Perhaps Fang Zhiyan had learned the specific situation of Ying Duo needing him to come over and break the siege, and a message followed shortly after.

【Fang Zhiyan:...... You piloted the airship?】

Ying Duo did not answer that question, but his silence itself was the answer.

【Fang Zhiyan:......】

【Fang Zhiyan: I understand, wait a moment.】

At the same time, the security team captain on the platform was raising a megaphone, about to issue a third warning, when his waist-mounted communicator suddenly rang.

"Hello? What?...... Yes, understood!"

He hung up the communicator, and his expression turned somewhat subtle.

"Chief, what's wrong?" a nearby team member asked.

The Security Team captain fell silent for two seconds, then waved his hand, "Just disperse, those inside are from the Mutation Department."

The team members exchanged glances, Mutation Department? That's not surprising—everyone knows the people from the Mutation Department are all mentally abnormal.

The Mutation Department's position in the whole Dome is awkward; to say the most feared department is definitely the Mutation Department, but the most despised department is also the Mutation Department.

The Mutation Department is the only one that nobody wants to deal with, yet everyone wants to avoid.

Although the team members were full of doubts, they still obediently put away their weapons and quickly withdrew.

Less than a minute later, the platform that had just been tightly surrounded was already empty.

Fang Zhiyan's authority in the Dome is indeed considerable; Ying Duo turned to look at Bai Mu Yun and Luo Jinyou.

"Then I'll go find my teacher first."

Bai Mu Yun's brows furrowed, not sure if it was because Ying Duo had been frequently hovering around him lately, but he almost every day had a rather bad premonition.

"You want to come with me?" Ying Duo looked at him, "Perfect, I'll also have you show me the way."

Bai Mu Yun fell silent for a second; he certainly knew Ying Duo didn't really need him to show the way—this kid had a team channel, finding someone was easy.

"You'd better go on your own."

Bai Mu Yun refused Ying Duo's invitation.

——————————————

The corridors of the Mutation Department were very quiet; almost no one would willingly come to its territory unless they had business.

Because Fang Zhiyan had granted him permission in advance, Ying Duo passed through unimpeded, found his office, and opened the door.

Beyond the door was an extremely spacious space, a huge operating console, countless experimental instruments neatly arranged, and the air was filled with a faint preservative smell.

What was most eye‑catching, however, were the specimens displayed in transparent containers—all of them various aberrant species.

Some were only palm‑sized, while others were huge enough to occupy an entire wall; even though they were dead, they still exuded a suffocating pressure.

Some even retained a struggling posture, claws scraping the glass wall, leaving the final traces from before death.

Ying Duo's gaze swept over those specimens, finally landing on the person in the center of the room.

Fang Zhiyan stood before the operating console, holding a report; hearing the door open, he lifted his head, his dark‑red eyes falling on Ying Duo.

"You've come?" his voice was gentle, "Much faster than I expected."

Not just that much faster—in his plan, Ying Duo should still have several hours before reaching Heavenly Dome City, because a gang of bandits had ambushed him en route, possibly delaying his arrival even further.

But the result was that Ying Duo arrived much earlier than he had anticipated.

This also meant that some of his preparations hadn't been completed in time.

Ying Duo strode straight past the mosaic‑like blotches on the surrounding walls, walked straight up to Fang Zhiyan, and got straight to the point.

"So why have the undead of the Old World come to this world?"

Fang Zhiyan raised his eyebrows, not expecting Ying Duo to ask so directly right away.

But he did not avoid the question.

"It's a pity; this has been a topic I researched before leaving here, yet I never found an answer. I will travel ten thousand li to Tianmian City, also because the Divine Oracle of spacetime is there—I originally wanted to know their progress......"

"But I ended up with an unexpected gain," Fang Zhiyan said, smiling lightly and spreading his hands, looking especially satisfied with this rare journey, "Whether it's the true situation of the Undercurrent, or taking on a new student, both were beyond my expectations."

This, of course, isn't entirely true; Fang Zhiyan had many purposes when he first went to Tianmian City, but looking at the results, his biggest gain was actually the most easily obtained.

"For now I can only confirm that the Church did something to bring you to this world; as for the purpose...... of course this is just my guess, I suspect they want the undead to bring the Mutation back to your world."

The arrival of the Church and the Undead is definitely related; Yang Yixie had already confirmed this.

After they bombed the underground of Tianmian City, they themselves were all trapped in this world unable to return, which is the best proof.

But if we say the Church is the final boss of this game, although it fits the setting that the elder of the Newbie Village is the hidden boss, what about the Dome? What role does the Dome play here?

Yang Yixie thought this, and of course he also asked it outright.

Fang Zhiyan casually tossed the report onto the experimental table, as if pondering how to answer this question.

"The purpose of the Dome?" he repeated, his tone playful, "The Dome is always consistent."

"From beginning to end, the Dome will start researching those Undead only for self‑preservation."

"Our world has been invaded; we have to find the patterns in here, right? Where did they come from? Why did they come? Is there any way to stop them? Even… is there any way to use them?"