Chapter 206: He Yun

Watching Gu Feng pace back and forth, his limbs seemingly nowhere to rest, Wu Chang gave him no time for further thought and gestured for He Yun to open the gate leading deeper underground.

In a hurry? Good—that's exactly right!

They only contacted Gu Feng upon reaching the entrance to the deeper underground precisely to deny him time to think, and precisely because of this, he dared lay everything bare before Gu Feng.

After all, what comes next is the boss battle: win, and the 88th Underground Shelter breaks its deadlock, shatters the time loop, and He Yun's secrets cease to be secrets.

Lose, and He Yun dies, everything resets, and all the words he told Gu Feng will be entirely forgotten.

As Wu Chang had predicted, when the gate to the deeper underground fully opened, Gu Feng panicked.

"We'll join you!"

Wu Chang smiled and asked, "Do you have any items that block the Miasma of Calamity?"

Gu Feng pulled out a metal ring, its center a thin, soap-bubble-like film shimmering with seven colors; he blew on the film, producing three soap bubbles that enclosed himself and his two Bureau members behind him.

As Gu Feng turned to look at Wu Chang, Wu Chang waved his hand, indicating he didn't need one.

Gu Feng assumed Wu Chang had his own method to block the Miasma of Calamity, only to see Wu Chang make no preparation whatsoever and step directly into the Miasma of Calamity with his bare body.

This froze Gu Feng's hand mid-retraction, his face filled with confusion as he stared at the Miasma of Calamity continuously seeping from the valve.

Could the Miasma of Calamity here not affect humans?

He very much wanted to test it, but after a moment's hesitation, he held back.

The Miasma of Calamity is a power of very high rank—even players of the Abyss's second layer cannot resist it; he had seen many players suffer greatly upon first encountering this Pillar of the Present World.

When he first met He Ping, he sensed something unusual about the man, so he spread word for outsiders to investigate his background, yet found not a single clue tied to the name "He Ping."

Running into a creature with no roots like this just as the Pillar of the Present World began malfunctioning is no good thing.

Fortunately, He Ping is merely a player from the Wasteland Realm; no matter how extraordinary, he can't cause major trouble. If He Ping were a player from the Abyss's second layer, he would have had to take him down before even heading deeper underground.

"Stay sharp once we move—any anomaly, immediately converge on me."

With that, Gu Feng and his two companions followed behind.

Wu Chang and He Yun passed through the gate, then took an elevator descending several hundred meters, arriving at the deeper underground.

Wu Chang looked at the sign nearby; the formal name of this space should be the Energy Mine.

Just as Wu Chang had seen in Zhuo Jie's resentment, the Energy Mine contained an entire factory and laboratory complex, and surrounding it were full supporting facilities to accommodate workers and researchers.

At a glance, it resembled a miniature underground shelter.

He Yun stared at the scene before her, jaw slack with astonishment, and said in disbelief:

"We actually developed this place? But why do I have no memory of it at all?"

Wu Chang asked, puzzled: "You remember nothing about any of this?"

He Yun led Wu Chang through the residential district of the Energy Mine, her hand brushing the outer walls of the buildings, her gaze fixed on the largest laboratory as she spoke in a dazed tone:

"I think I've seen this scene in a dream—I seem to have dreamed of living and working here too, but those memories were fragmented; I always thought it was just a simple dream."

Following instinct, He Yun arrived at the central laboratory, the largest in area; as soon as she approached, the facial recognition at the entrance activated and opened the door.

A cartoon projection of an unmanned mech appeared before them and said:

"Director He, good evening. Welcome back to the Energy Research Institute. I am your faithful assistant, 88. How may I assist you?"

He Yun stared blankly at Wu Chang and said, "It called me 'Director He.'"

Wu Chang shrugged. "Is there another He in this place?"

He Yun, bewildered, said: "88, I want to know what happened in this Energy Mine. Can you retrieve all related records for me?"

"No problem!"

A few seconds later, 88 said: "88 has sorted all relevant data chronologically and sent it to your mobile device. Please check."

After confirming the information, He Yun continued: "We need to reach the sealed shrine deeper inside. Can you find us a vehicle?"

"How many travelers? Any requirements for vehicle capabilities?"

"Five people total. Needs to be spacious and preferably stealthy."

Less than a minute later, the sound of tires screeching echoed outside the central research institute—a troop transport armored vehicle pulled up outside.

He Yun and Wu Chang took the front seats; the tardy Gu Feng and his two companions, along with the two high-damage weapons He Yun retrieved from the institute, were assigned to the rear cargo compartment.

The vehicle's driving was handed over to 88, allowing He Yun to browse the document 88 had sent her during transit.

He Yun flipped through the information at a speed rivaling quantum reading—not because her reading speed was extraordinary, but because the data within the document seemed already embedded in her mind.

Each time she saw the beginning, the subsequent content automatically surfaced in her mind.

Soon, He Yun put down her phone and looked at Wu Chang. "I don't understand—how could I have forgotten these things so completely, when they're so important?"

Wu Chang didn't need to guess—he knew it was Mercurius's doing. He asked: "What did you remember?"

He Yun sighed. "If you never came here before the 88th Underground Shelter became trapped in the time loop, then I'm starting to believe you really can commune with spirits."

"We once heavily harnessed the power of that shrine."

As He Yun spoke, the beginning of the 88th Underground Shelter's ascension—and its disaster—gradually surfaced.

The data 88 gave He Yun contained no record of where the Energy Mine's energy originated.

It only recorded that, from a certain day onward, He Yi and He Yun discovered this unique energy within the Stone Shrine and channeled it beneath the Underground Shelter, where they built the Energy Mine.

The establishment of the Energy Mine stabilized the Underground Shelter, freeing its inhabitants from survival struggles and allowing them to devote more time to studying this unique energy.

As research into the Stone Shrine's energy deepened, the Underground Shelter's technological tree soared far beyond that of any other shelter.

One year after the Energy Mine's construction, the 88th Underground Shelter permanently severed all contact with other shelters.

Because their resources had become overwhelmingly abundant, they no longer needed cooperation with any other shelter.

The only threat they needed to fear was the Energy Mine being discovered and other underground shelters attacking to seize it.

Two years after the Energy Mine's construction, the entire Underground Shelter had been fully renovated according to the properties of the unique energy—the very power grid now in use.

Three and a half years after the Energy Mine's construction, He Yun conceived a mad idea.

She wanted to control the Miasma of Calamity.

The Calamity Mist can manifest the monsters people fear most in their hearts, looking extremely terrifying, but they are not purely destructive energy.

The Calamity Mist is bound by the energy of the temple. Through He Yun's research, as long as it is handled in a specific way, the Calamity Mist will not only be harmless to people, but can actually cure illnesses and save lives.

From minor ailments like headaches and fevers, to major feats like regenerating severed limbs, it can do it all.

He Yun's plan was to capture large amounts of Calamity Mist, render them harmless, and then inject them into the underground shelter.

This way, everyone inside the shelter could enjoy the healing brought by the Calamity Mist, each person as if constantly popping health potions, no longer suffering from illness and pain, and even able to extend their lifespan.

Without a doubt, once this great undertaking was achieved, Shelter No. 88 would be directly elevated, becoming an existence on the second layer of the Abyss. He Yun's vision was beautiful, but as the person in charge of Underground Shelter No. 88, He Yun's brother He Yi did not agree with it.

The two clashed fiercely many times, and in the end He Yun convinced He Yi and began her plan.

As for the result of the plan, Wu Chang had already seen it within Zhuo Jie's resentment.

Unfortunately, the plan failed, and it failed thoroughly.

Learning about the past intelligence did not increase their certainty in acting; instead, it made He Yun's condition even worse.

Because according to the contents of the data, the root cause that ultimately led to everything failing was because she insisted on pushing forward her own plan.

Investigating a case for half a day, only to find that the culprit is myself — that feeling is simply awful.

Looking at He Yun's listless expression, Wu Chang consoled her:

"Do you remember what I told you? Your plan didn't fail because of you, but because bad people had mixed into the team. It was all that guy called Mercury scheming behind the scenes that caused your actions of using the Calamity Mist and going to the Stone Temple to make repairs to fail."

He Yun's mood did not improve because of Wu Chang's persuasion. She said: "But if I hadn't insisted on pushing that plan, Mercury wouldn't have had an opening to exploit, so..."

!

"I believe there must be a reason!" Wu Chang interrupted He Yun.

"Whether in my interactions with you, or during the séance, you are a leader worthy of trust. You definitely wouldn't try to control the Calamity Mist for your own reasons; there must be some unavoidable reason forcing you to do so, it just wasn't recorded in the data."

"Just like the specific implementation process of your plan, including your final exploration trip to the Stone Temple, didn't appear in the data either, did it?"

He Yun said self-deprecatingly: "What if I was successfully blinded? My brother has always been calm; his refusal must have had his reasons. I don't even trust myself now, so why do you trust me?"

"Then I trust you too." Wu Chang said with an unusually certain tone.

"Even if the whole world doesn't believe you, even when you yourself begin to doubt yourself, I still believe you."

He Yun's eye corners twitched slightly. Her expression softened a bit, but she still said: "What if I really am wrong?"

Wu Chang said indifferently: "Even if you're wrong, I still believe you. I've always protected my own rather than stood on principle. If you're wrong, then I'll find a way to help you be wrong together. If I can't do that either, then so be it — who hasn't done a few wrong things."

Faced with such a shameless answer, He Yun completely lost her temper. She leaned back in her seat, and after a while, asked:

"Why?"

Wu Chang seemed not to understand He Yun's words and asked in confusion: "Why what?"

"Why would you believe me? I've forgotten so many things, and my understanding of the underground shelter is even less than yours. In your eyes, I should have been a guy full of lies before, right? Why would you believe me?"

This question stumped Wu Chang.

To be honest, before discovering He Yun's amnesia, he had indeed considered He Yun a high-end player on his level, casually deploying selective expression and information misdirection.

But why could he so easily believe He Yun when she said she'd lost her memory, and be willing to help He Yun break the deadlock at the Stone Temple?

Because he lusted after He Yun's body?

That wasn't quite it. Although He Yun was his type, he still had Eileen outside. Even within the underground shelter, if he just wanted to lust after bodies, he would have joined the Bliss Sect long ago.

Fang Hui could be besieged by thirteen beautiful maidens; with his mysterious newcomer's reputation, shouldn't he have seventy-two?

Because he wanted this Pillar of the Present World, so he helped He Yun along the way?

There was some of that reason, but if he really only wanted to conquer the Pillar of the Present World, there were many things he completely didn't need to tell He Yun, and he would have treated He Yun more like a tool.

For example, Li Yubin from the previous instance — he treated him as a pure tool.

He had truly taken He Yun to heart, wanting to break the deadlock of this Pillar of the Present World together with He Yun.

But why?

In the Quiet Town instance, Count Germain and the Holy Mother — one considered himself a man-made god, the other considered herself the true god controlling the human world — and he ended up killing both of them.

In the Midnight Graveyard instance, learning that a mysterious organization connected to the second layer of the Abyss was plotting something, and that hired Iron Armor Guild players were guiding the instance out of control, he not only wouldn't back down because of it, but from then on hunted down those Iron Armor Guild bastards whenever he caught them.

In the Silent Voyage instance, the Gao Mu Nation and the Mi Empire joined forces, laying down layers of deadly traps, believing the people on the Star Leap were just offerings who had to die — but he insisted on letting everyone live well, and instead left none alive on the Blue Island ship that came to wrap things up.

The Pillar of the Present World was the same. He heard intelligence about the Pillar of the Present World from Christine. When Christine said the outcome of the Pillar of the Present World and the Wasteland Realm was already decided, he instead insisted on finding a way to fiddle with a Pillar of the Present World.

Perhaps, the reason was already obvious enough.

After a period of silence, Wu Chang slowly said:

"Perhaps, it's because of your determination to change?"

He Yun had guessed many kinds of answers, even including simple perfunctory ones, but she hadn't expected Wu Chang's answer.

Facing He Yun's puzzled gaze, Wu Chang smiled somewhat awkwardly. It was the first time he had revealed his inner thoughts in front of someone, and he felt unexpectedly a bit ashamed.

"You know, a place like Underground Shelter No. 88, we outsiders call it a Pillar of the Present World. Its general existence, Lone Peak has told you about, so I won't go into detail."

"Before I came here, I ran into a very high-ranking person."

Wu Chang gestured toward the car roof with his hand and said: "A superior being of such high status — that guy's existence is no worse than what's enshrined in the Stone Temple."

"At the time, He told me that the outcome of all Pillars of the Present World was already decided, unchangeable. He said I couldn't stop it, my companions couldn't stop it either, and getting involved would only put my life in danger."

Wu Chang shook his head and said: "I know He said this out of goodwill, but hearing this sentence made me feel very annoyed. Can you understand that feeling?"

He Yun nodded and said: "I can understand a little."

"A little isn't enough! You must understand more, be more dissatisfied!" Wu Chang wrinkled his nose and said discontentedly.

"All the changes that happened to the Pillars of the Present World clearly have traces of their people's involvement, yet they spout nonsense about how the outcome is already decided — what does that mean?"

"Doesn't it just mean to tell me that a group of people above people have already pre-booked the operating mode of this world? Their hands are big, their arms are long, their fists are heavy too — telling me not to overestimate myself and get close, better to stay far away?"

Wu Chang snorted disdainfully and said:

"Honestly, I don't like making trouble. Compared to being the bird that sticks out, I prefer to shrink in the shadows, watch others fight to the death, then drag the heavily wounded guy into the shadows and secretly eat them up."

"But I do this to make hunting more efficient; it doesn't mean I'm afraid of conflict."

"I'm the kind of person where, out of my hundred-and-some-odd jin, at least a hundred and eighty jin is a rebellious streak. The more some self-important bastard tries to control other people's fate, the more I want to wreck their plans."

"So, when you showed you wanted to break free of the underground shelter's cycle and end this whole predetermined fate, I felt I had to believe in you, just like I believe in myself."

After saying all this, Wu Chang looked at He Yun, wondering if his set of reasons could convince He Yun.

But judging from He Yun's reaction, the persuasion seemed to have worked fairly well.

The hesitation and guilt on He Yun's face faded considerably, and the confidence from when the two first met resurfaced on her face.

He Yun's gaze drifted to the window, not meeting Wu Chang's eyes, and she said;

"There's really no helping it. Your expectations of me feel heavier than even my brother's. That's bad—I was originally acting on the assumption of the worst possible outcome, but now I have no choice but to put in some real effort."

Wu Chang said: "I told you, I'll walk with you to the very last step."

As the two spoke, the armored personnel carrier had already arrived not far from the Stone Temple; a short distance further and they could see the massive metal gate blocking the Stone Temple.

Unlike the scene in the grudge, in front of the massive metal gate, a small-scale Stone Temple had now been built.

In front of the smaller temple, believers of the Bliss Cult were currently locked in a brawl with Meng Yawen and the helmeted man.

(End of chapter)