Love, death, and false man

Chapter 77, Section 73. The Information Pot

The cold wind pierced my collar like steel needles, leaving a fine stinging sensation on my neck.

Wang Ying wrapped her thin school uniform tighter around herself, the icy touch of the metal zipper seeping into her heart from her fingertips. On the cold subway platform and streets, the advertising screens flashed with blinding blue light.

Those advertising slogans should have been loud and clear, but to Wang Ying they were just a low hum, like the wail of some giant beast from the deep sea.

The sound was dull and sluggish, just like his slow and heavy thoughts at that moment.

Inside the subway car, various odors ferment in the enclosed space: a mixture of perfume and sweat, the sour smell of food scraps, and the ubiquitous chemical odor of disinfectant.

What was in the fire escape this morning was definitely a declaration of war. If there are enemies inside the Sixth Middle School, they will come knocking on our door very soon.

Just as Wang Ying predicted.

A mysterious number with no traceable origins asked him to meet at 12:41 on Line 3 of the subway, departing from Moon Terrace Station, during his lunch break.

Wang Ying was not a coward. He had no one to hold him back, not even his blood relatives. He had to bear the consequences of his actions alone, which made him invincible.

10/15—12:42
All I could hear was the whooshing sound of the subway. That person said that once you got on the subway, you would definitely know who he was.

Satellites can hijack any signal, and the virtual numbers they generate don't even need to be based on real servers. The numbers can be symbols of any form, not numbers, and it's even possible to directly overwrite the phone's memory data.

The other party may have had some reservations, so they chose a crowded place to meet, a subway car with about ten carriages and at least several hundred people riding at the same time.

If the incident were to occur on the subway, even if it were to escalate into a violent confrontation, and if one side were to indiscriminately kill passengers, the resulting massacre would create a Mandela Effect, posing a significant risk of exposure.

Such locations with terrifyingly high foot traffic are essentially safe zones for this historic battle, at least until 2030.

Wang Ying was reckless, wearing the school uniform of No. 6 Middle School. The reason he did not choose to generate real-time language and thought information was because he wanted to do so, so that all the mind control dogs would surface on their own and he would kill any who came.

He held onto each of the handrails, scanning the carriage from the back to the front, searching for the person he had invited. But everyone was too normal; they were all 1regs of the Soul-Sucking Lord, population units.

There were no warning signs, except that the subway whistled and the accompanying tinnitus became a little stronger.

"what's the situation?"

Wang Ying pressed his temples, his vision blurring as he saw color blocks and noise like those on a CRT television. Then, all the information generated by the electronic target on his retinal UI was displayed as loading, which would take less than a minute.

[Connection to [Hunter Channel] has been lost...]

Instantly.

A bizarre figure appeared out of thin air, seemingly unreal. The surrounding light was distorted. The figure wore a retro millennium-style nylon short-sleeved shirt, slightly dirty jeans, and stained sneakers. Most strangely, a cooking aluminum pot was placed on the head of the figure, obscuring its face.

He was like an invisible man; those around him paid no attention to him, and only Wang Ying could see him.

As a member of the Salvation Army, Wang Ying was also issued military equipment. He pulled a Colt M2000 pistol from his school uniform trousers and pointed it at the steamer head.

He immediately realized that he was not in the [Hunter Channel] at the moment, and that taking out the dangerous object would likely be noticed by the other people in the car, so he quickly looked at their reactions.

But no, the stark white light streamed across the ceiling of the car, pressing the passengers' shadows into gray, papery shapes that clung crookedly to the subway walls. They were either looking at their phones or staring blankly into the void, their pupils reflecting the endless darkness of the subway tunnel, their bodies trembling with the train's vibrations.

"Relax, I have made you observe me. All behaviors, thoughts, and phenomena that might interfere with our conversation will be drawn into my domain. A domain is a unique point with its own will, one of the ultimate manifestations of the Soulfire."

The sound from the steamer head was very ethereal, like a murmur from another dimension.

"who are you?"

Wang Ying remained highly vigilant and did not lower her pistol. She focused her gaze on him, but after only a short while, she felt dizzy, her stomach cramped, and the whites of her eyes began to turn bloodshot.

"Do not look at me. Although this is only my shadow, it still possesses power that is unimaginable to ordinary people. The more you perceive me, the more your soul will be drawn into my domain."

The steamer head has a gentle rim.

Similar to the Soul-Sucker's logic of extracting soul energy, the Steamer Head can also extract energy from those who have entered his domain. The difference is that the Soul-Sucker controls 99.99...99% of the entire universe. Wang Ying couldn't take it anymore, looked away, and vomited a puddle of water on the ground. Only after receiving the psychological suggestion that he had been detoxified did his mental state improve slightly.

However, the Salvation Army had no manual for dealing with such situations, and Wang Ying was completely overwhelmed by the man's boundless and terrifying aura.

“I come from 2984, the end of time. I am trying to stop the historical break in 2032, the beginning of the chain reaction of Earth’s collapse. This is some kind of terrible time-coordinated operation, which is both the beginning and the end. I need you to help me gather some clues.”

The steamer head spoke in a flat tone.

Why should I listen to you? Who exactly are you?

“I am one of the axes that control the [historical timeline] and constitute the infinite cycle of thousands of years. I do not belong to the three parties you know, but I am satisfied with the current stable opposition between the three parties.”

"Historical timeline?"

Wang Ying had only been a member of the Salvation Army for a week. He had disappeared from school for a long time, thinking he had gone mad due to multiple upheavals. He was only now getting the program running again, and he had never heard of any historical timeline.

"That's right, it records all the major historical moments. People who have mastered history are so few in number that there is no corresponding term. Although I deny their existence, you can think of me as a god for your convenience."

"god?"

"Yes, a terrifying new god has been born in the universe, wanting to tear apart all the old order. The historical break in 2032 was caused by him. He was born in your time, and I want you to gather information about him and find out who he is."

"But it's already happened, shouldn't you know that?"

"This new god has also become one of the axes that construct the millennium. Any actions, thoughts, and phenomena that can be explored from the future will be drawn into his domain. As I said, those who control the timeline of history are detached from the entire history and find it difficult to locate the starting point of his domain. Only at this moment in 2030 can we find him."

"2032...that's just two years from now, a historical break? What does that mean?"

"All known civilizations will be destroyed, and all information except for the means of production will be erased. I will stop this from happening and thus correct time."

"Why did you come to me? I've already joined the Salvation Army."

"Don't overthink it. It's not for any particular reason. You're not anything special. I'm searching for all the powerful people, and among all the universities in Binhai, I've found you to be the strongest. I used to have no interest in organizations, but now I've changed my mind a bit. This is not up to you. I command you."

Obey the will of the Supreme Being.

The thought of steaming the pot head was merely a fleeting thought when Wang Ying's nose began to bleed, and information and memories began to be brutally implanted.

Just as the Soul Master bestowed blessings upon the false man, the Steamer Head also granted Wang Ying a negligible amount of power.

Immediately.

Everything returned to normal, except for Wang Ying, who was dripping black blood from her nose inside the subway car.

The Salvation Army Retina UI generated by the electronic target also restarted.

[Reconnection re-established...]

[Abnormal fluctuations detected and reported to the server.]

[Soulfire Strength: 412 Joules.]

Peak intensity: 1142 joules.

[Soulfire Trait: Ember of Flame.]

But a mysterious code was branded into his consciousness, a strange silver color, invisible to the eye, as if etched into his soul.

[10240 Joules of Permanent Reserve Kinetic Energy (Activated/Deactivated)]

[Command: Find the truth of 2032 and prevent the cataclysmic destruction that disrupts historical continuity.]

(End of this chapter)