Chapter 248: Finding Barbara

"I promised!"

Naimi Xisi's conversation with Bu Lunna concluded satisfactorily. After finalizing, the two discussed many secret matters concerning future plans.

For example, using the Doctor's influence to create a faction of their own and broadly cultivate Psychic Sorcerers.

In their estimation, Hawkins Town unexpectedly turned out to be a good place.

The Hawkins National Laboratory, a secret site for studying superpowers, is known by only a few of the nation's leaders regarding its true research.

In the future, Bu Lunna only needs to find a way to cause another incident here, kill everyone, and report upward that the experimental objectives are completely destroyed.

Then this place will become a wasteland, unnoticed by gods and ghosts, serving as the two's headquarters.

To that, Naimi Xisi said he had an idea.

"Choosing a date is worse than crashing into one; Subject 11 meets a gruesome death under a monster's claw, Subject 17 forcefully storms the lab base, and perishes together with everyone there. What do you think?" Naimi Xisi curled his lips and smiled.

Bu Lunna immediately grasped the implication: he wanted to simply use this flamboyant appearance here to eliminate the laboratory staff and fake his death to escape.

Two birds with one stone.

Subjects 15 and 16 are already dead; if 11 and 17 also disappear, the experiment no longer needs to continue.

Because no Experiment Subject remains.

Bu Lunna felt a chill at Naimi Xisi's ruthless resolve, but after a moment of thought, he agreed.

"However, this has to wait a bit; I have something else to handle first," Naimi Xisi said lightly, recalling that he still needed to bring Wei Er back.

"Take me to the Rift leading to Ying Ying Ming Jie; I need to find someone inside."

"Ying Ying Ming Jie?" Bu Lunna was somewhat surprised, and only after Naimi Xisi's explanation did he understand.

"You are looking for the Gate? It's on the second underground level."

Bu Lunna said this, his eyes flickering. It seemed he knew the world behind that Gate quite well, even its true name.

That only strengthened his belief in Naimi Xisi's origins.

The two left the interrogation room and, under the Doctor's guidance, proceeded unhindered to the laboratory's lowest level.

Naimi Xisi, through a ring of glass, saw a wall that was heavily protected.

And at the exact center of the wall, a faintly writhing, red‑glowing fissure.

"Sure enough, it's a Rift."

Naimi Xisi frowned, noticing that on the particle emitter before the Rift was set a silver gem—the Throne.

"What is this for?" Naimi Xisi asked.

Bu Lunna sneered, "We discovered this gem can transmute energy into an unknown form that suppresses the Gate's spread, so we embedded the gem in the particle emitter and periodically bombard the Gate to slow its expansion."

Naimi Xisi raised an eyebrow at the news, somewhat surprised.

The Throne is undoubtedly a Mana Artifact; even if it transmutates energy, it does so into Mana.

Why can Mana suppress the Rift of Ying Ying Ming Jie? He had never heard of Mana restraining shadow energy.

Recalling the odd feeling he once sensed in the shadow energy behind the Rift, Naimi Xisi's gaze grew solemn.

He felt the world beyond the Rift was likely not simple, at least not a world composed solely of shadow energy.

Naimi Xisi whispered to Bu Lunna, "If I don't return, return the gem to Subject 11 and perform the ceremony I just taught you on the last day of next month."

Bu Lunna nodded, watching Naimi Xisi step into the Rift.

——

"I have no idea when Mr. Naimi Xisi will return. Hey, has Wei Er been properly hidden in his secret base?" Joice sighed in the car. Jonathan comforted her, "Mom, don't worry; you saw today that his abilities are impressive, just like a comic book Superman."

Dustin, standing nearby, shouted, "He's not a Superman, Jonathan brother; he's a Psychic Sorcerer!"

Jonathan replied helplessly, "Alright, alright."

"Speaking of that," Jim suddenly seemed to recall something, looking at the eleven children, "Do you also have this ability?"

Jim asked Subject 11, recalling the child's words at the police station today, who twisted an arm out of thin air and made Mike fly.

If it were ordinary times, he would have scoffed, thinking it a child's lie. But after Naimi Xisi kept shattering his worldview these past days, he had to believe it.

Mike and the others anxiously looked at Subject 11; when she gave a slight nod, they began chattering.

"Of course! Subject 11 is also amazing; she can close my door with her mind and even make me fly!" Mike boasted.

"Not only that!" Dustin added excitedly, "Subject 11 can use superpowers to locate others; we learned that Wei Er hasn't died through her!"

Nancy, hearing this, flinched, then quickly grasped Subject 11's hand, "Hello, I'm Nancy."

!

"Excuse me, could you help me find my good friend Barbara's whereabouts?" Nancy asked anxiously.

Unlike confirming Wei Er's status, Barbara's fate remains uncertain to this day, alive or dead.

Subject 11 paused, looking at Nancy's worried eyes, feeling something stir inside.

So this is what the meaning of a friend represents?

After I disappeared that day, did Mike and the others worry about me the same way?

Nancy, seeing Subject 11 not responding, called softly, "Subject 11?"

Subject 11 snapped back, firmly nodding, "Can... her... items, be found?"

Nancy quickly replied with joy, pulling a necklace from her bag.

It was Barbara's favorite necklace, a gift Nancy had given her, which Nancy found by Steve's pool after Barbara vanished.

Everyone hurriedly squeezed to the side of the car, leaving an empty seat for Subject 11 in the middle.

Subject 11 held a walkie‑talkie in one hand and the necklace in the other.

She pressed the walkie‑talkie's switch, broadcasting the radio, along with Subject 11's Spiritual Power.

Subject 11 walked for a long time in the dark spiritual realm, finally seeing an abandoned pool whose edges were covered by vine‑like black tentacles.

"I found her," Subject 11 said.

Nanxi was extremely agitated and hurriedly asked, "Where is she? Is she okay?"

Shi Yi gave no answer; in the darkness she stepped toward the pool, eventually reaching its edge and peering down.

"Ah!!!!" Shi Yi screamed, and a flood of blood gushed from both nostrils.

She seemed entangled by a nightmare, unable to awaken, while the others kept shaking her, trying to rouse her.

In the darkness, beneath the pool lay the corpse of a slightly plump woman; her abdomen was split open, all her organs exposed, and several monsters roamed the pool bottom, feasting on her flesh and blood.

Shi Yi's scream drew everyone's attention, and also the monsters' attention in the darkness.

She snapped open her eyes, a trace of fear in them, and said, "Be careful. They're coming."

(End of chapter)