Ouroboros

Chapter 7

“Everyone get ready. Tianqiong’s seventh squad, the thirteenth A-level mission, let’s go!”

A low male voice sounded in his ears.

It passed through into his mind, numbing his auditory nerves.

【Warning! Warning! You have deviated from the destination coordinates! You have deviated from the destination coordinates!】

The warning light in the capsule flashed nonstop and the transparent panel before him flickered over and over again. White light flashed in front of him and it was followed by a sharp alarm sound.

【Illegal transition detected!】

【Illegal transition detected!】

Something went wrong!!

Ji Yushi gritted his teeth and tried to press the emergency button several times but the capsule continued to spin and jolt around violently. He could only use all his strength to grab the seats armrest to prevent him from being thrown around.

After what felt like a century, the capsule gradually stabilised. As soon as the capsule completely stopped moving, Ju Yushi quickly grabbed the nutrient solution handed over by a robotic arm and downed it in one go. It took him more than ten seconds to slowly recover.

Wait a second…..

Why did this scene…..give him a feeling of déjà vu?

It was as if he had already experienced it once before.

But that feeling disappeared very quickly. Before Ji Yushi could grab onto its tail, it had faded away.

[? ? p0754%$#37]

[: “”LRR”/’l’89”]

Indecipherable garbled characters were displayed on the panel. It seemed to be completely broken.

The voices of his teammates could be heard outside the capsule.

Stepping out of the capsule, Ji Yushi saw that the place they had arrived at was a forest. The sky was dark, and the forest was also filled with shadows. Except for the seven capsules which emitted some light, there were no other sources of light here. It was eerie and quiet.

The teammates were complaining about something.

Song Qinglan’s voice sounded, “I told you to sit on the pendulum ten times before the next mission. Tell me the truth, how many times did you do it?”

Another voice answered with some agony, “T-twice….Bleagh ——-”

Turns out, someone was vomiting.

Ji Yushi: “………”

Using the lights from the capsules, he could make out that the person vomiting was Li Chun. Some unknown substances even landed on his capsule nearby.

Ji Yushi held his breathe and retreated several steps.

He also felt a little sick.

The teammates complaints about Li Chun continued. Ji Yushi stood in the distance, waiting for the smell to dissipate and also waiting for their complaints to end.

Li Chun seemed to have finally finished vomiting. His voice was weak: “……..No, don’t you smell it? The air here smells bad.”

Someone said, “Chun’er, don’t make excuses. Rinse your mouth first.”

“Thanks Brother Wen……..Huh? Where’s Advisor Ji?”

Just as Li Chun asked this, Ji Yushi subconsciously answered, “I’m here.”

He had spoken so quickly it was as if he knew Li Chun was going to ask this.

Ji Yushi: “…….”

That feeling of déjà vu from earlier was back.

Song Qinglan seemed to have glanced in his direction. His expression was cold and then he looked down at the communicator.

Ji Yushi also looked at his communicator.

[1470.8.05 04:41:31]

This clearly wasn’t their intended time coordinate.

Song Qinglan must have also noticed this too. He ordered, “Duan Wen. Check the main control panel and see if there are any data leaks or data hijacking and contact the command centre immediately.”

“Yes.” Duan Wen worked quickly and soon returned to report, “Cap Song, our equipment seems to be locked.”

Ji Yushi walked over.

Equipments are locked?

Song Qinglan’s profile was very attractive. He furrowed his brows, “How is it locked?”

Duan Wen explained, ““The main control panel is offline, and the command centre cannot be contacted. The capsules also don’t work. It seems to be because of the electromagnetic waves here. The magnetic field here seems a little different but it’s still not certain. Perhaps the transition just now had something to do with it. Right now, all that we can use is the communicator. We’re basically trapped here.”

Everyone heard the news and one after another they began to cuss.

“What about the mission?”

“I even said that the mission would be over tomorrow and invited a girl out for dinner.”

“You’ve fucking slagged so many. It’s endless.”

At this moment, footsteps could suddenly be heard from the forest.

Adhering to the principle that a traverser must remain low profile and shouldn’t be discovered by the original residents of the land, everyone quietened down.

Duan Wen who was in charge of the machinery immediately turned off the capsules and changed into a hidden state under his control, turning them completely invisible.

Everyone waited quietly in the forest, motionless.

As the sound of chaotic footsteps approached, Ji Yushi suddenly had a strong hunch…….Sure enough, when he finally adapted to the darkness, he saw that it was a filthy looking drifter.

“Grrr—– grrr—-”

The drifter growled strangely and lashed out only to be thrown onto the ground by Li Chun. Soon afterwards, the man lashed out again.

“What the hell?!” Li Chun didn’t expect the other party to fight back. He only felt a strong stench flash by and then it was followed by a sharp pain in his shoulder, “Fuck!!!”

The drifter had left a vicious bite on Li Chun’s shoulder!

With a ‘thud’, the drifter was kicked three or four metres away by Song Qinglan!

Duan Wen supported Li Chun up, asking worriedly, “Chun’er! How are you?!”

Fortunately, the Guardian’s combat uniform had armour on the shoulders. Li Chun hissed in pain. Fortunately, that bite just now only left toothmarks and didn’t seem to have pierced through the skin.

In the darkness, Song Qinglan smoothly subdued the drifter and then raised his chin, “Chun’er, is this someone you have slagged? Seemed to have chased you all the way here.”

Amidst the teammate’s laughter, Li Chun had already tied the man to a tree.

And so Ji Yushi turned on the flashlight and walked over.

Under the strong light from the flashlight, the man’s grey and turbid eyes as well as his pale skin covered in blue-green blood vessels was revealed. There were also blood stains and small pieces of flesh on him which emitted a strong, disgusting stench.

“Grrrr——” The drifter’s expressions were hardly human. He still had his mouth wide open, trying to bite the people around him as he struggled against the rope.

The expressions of the teammates changed.

This scene was too shocking. Ji Yushi however looked on without flinching, as if he wasn’t disturbed by this at all.

Li Chun whispered in a small voice, “I told you the air here smells.”

Song Qinglan frowned. He looked at the man for a while before turning off the flashlight and speaking, “Alright, I should’ve checked my fortune for today before leaving. To think that we broke the record of being discovered by the original residents of the land the fastest. No one is allowed to report about this when we go back. If we get any more points deducted, those bastards in the ninth squad will surpass us.”

He stood up and continued, “For now, leave that person nearby. Someone will naturally find him and call the police. We can’t see anything in this darkness so we will need to get out of here to find a way to contact the Tianqiong in this time period. When we go out, pay attention to your surroundings. Be very vigilant as you may come across a murder scene.”

Everyone: “Yes sir!”

Everyone very efficiently got themselves equipped.

Soon, it was Ji Yushi’s turn to choose his weapon. He chose a pistol he had often used lately in the training rooms.

Song Qinglan stood beside him and said the guns name: “Diamond Bird.”

This man was very tall and when he didn’t smile, he would give off oppressiveness that couldn’t be overlooked.

While he was being looked down at like this, Ji Yushi somehow had the urge to continue his words, “Designed after the PPK style from the last century, Hitler and Bond have used it.”

Song Qinglan probably also wanted to say that just now. After being robbed of his words, he raised his brow slightly and appeared a little haughty, “Advisor Ji, you are very retro.”

Ji Yushi was a little surprised: “……..”

What was going on?

Song Qinglan’s words interrupted his thoughts, “If it was me, I would try to choose something that can protect myself better.”

Ji Yushi looked up at him.

“A small suggestion.” Song Qinglan raised his brow slightly and chose a weapon for himself, “But, it suits you.”

Song Qinglan picked up two military knives first. Ji Yushi watched him strap it to his calves. He then watched him choose a pair of gloves, a pair of fist hooks and finally a shotgun. It was all in the order he had predicted.

“Shen Mian?” Ji Yushi spoke up.

Regardless of whether or not he was in the army before, it wasn’t surprising for someone to be able to recognise this famous killing weapon.

Song Qinglan, “Yes, it suits me.”

Before setting off, Song Qinglan suddenly turned around, “Weapons should be used when they need to be used. It is best that they don’t leave your side, but do you know what you should say if you are discovered by the original residents?”

Being looked at by those dark eyes, it was hard not to see the teasing inside.

It seemed to say: You don’t look like a policeman.

Ji Yushi finished his words, “Just say I am the police.”

Walking out of the forest, Ji Yushi discovered that this place was a park.

Along the way, they found a half-eaten corpse under the streetlamp which could explain the blood and the pieces of flesh on the drifter.

Despite the park being in the middle of the most prosperous part of the city, the park at five o’clock in the morning was deserted. Except for the garbage that blew around with the wind and the occasional blood stains on the road, not a living being was seen. There were also no signs of human life in the nearby tall buildings. The entire city was completely dead silent.

Under this eerie atmosphere, everyone lined up and advanced.

“Cap Song, eleven o’clock, park management office.”

As if he was worried about disturbing something, Ji Yushi suddenly spoke up with a suppressed voice.

Ji Yushi had been very quiet the entire time. Song Qinglan looked in the direction he had pointed out.

Ji Yushi wanted to add a line ‘There seemed to be lights inside’ but Song Qinglan spoke first and tilted his head, “Split up. Let’s go and see.”

The teammates scattered around.

Only two were left on the main road; Ji Yushi and Song Qinglan.

A gust of morning wind blew. A few strands of hair on Song Qinglan’s forehead fell loose and his sharp black eyes were slightly squinted.

Ji Yushi was a little nervous. That sense of déjà vu was getting stronger. Could it be that Song Qinglan also…..

He hoped it was the case.

But Song Qinglan went straight to the chase, “Advisor Ji, how is your psychological endurance?”

Ji Yushi: “……..”

His face suddenly turned pale and his heart rate sped up. Like he was seized by a nightmare and trapped inside, he found it difficult to move.

But, it wasn’t because Song Qinglan asked that question.

Ji Yushi’s external appearance was calm but no one knew that his palms had already turned sweaty. He heard himself answer, “It might not be so good.”

Why was this Captain Song who judged books by its cover suddenly starting to care about him?

Was this newcomer treatment?

Song Qinglan looked up at the high-rises in silence and then said, “Being trapped here like this, it’s hard to say how long it would take for us to go back. That one at your place might get worried but I hope you can adjust.”

Ji Yushi asked, “Cap Song, do you go out of your way to talk to every newcomer during a mission?”

Song Qinglan had no intentions to be polite, “No.”

So, it turned out to be a vaccination shot for the ‘flower vase’.

Ji Yushi: “……..I understand.”

Song Qinglan walked off.

Ji Yushi remained in place for a few seconds, waiting for the chill in his body to fade.

But at this moment, there were still countless noises in his ears. His heart felt like it was about to come out of his throat and for a while he found it difficult to calm down.

“Jian Jian, please wake up…..Do your best. Don’t be taken away by it.”

“Let’s not think about it! Let’s not think about it! Jian Jian, look here. These things are new, they have never appeared before. Come, take a look!”

“Ji Yushi, you failed both the image and psychological test this time. Your psychological test results were especially low, and each attempt was worse than the other!”

“Ji Yushi, get a hold of yourself! You must learn to deal with brain overload, or you are not far away from becoming mad!”

“Jian Jian, you have to be able to distinguish between memory and reality. Overlapping memories will not do you any good.”

………..

Park Management Office.

The last one to arrive was Ji Yushi.

Tang Le was reporting: “Cap Song! A corpse was found in the bathroom!”

Song Qinglan found a communicator and was fiddling with it. When he heard the report, he placed it down and went to the bathroom to check.

They turned the corpse over and amidst the rotting stench, Song Qinglan used his military knife to pry open the closed eyelids of the deceased —- The physical changes of this corpse were exactly the same as the drifter they had encountered in the forest. Everyone started to discuss about this, and no one noticed that Ji Yushi only glanced at the door before silently walking away.

His eyes scanned over the office. Ji Yushi ignored the messy tabletop, skipped the keys, newspaper, register books etc. and his eyes fell directly onto the communicator.

As if he was guided over, Ji Yushi opened a drawer and found a charger for the communicator inside.

The communicator could finally be turned on.

Ji Yushi only looked at it for a minute or two before suddenly putting it back down!

He quickly scanned the office and found a box of mineral water in the corner.

“What’s wrong?”

Song Qinglan and his teammates returned to the office and just happened to run into this scene.

Ji Yushi held a bottle of mineral water in his hands. His face was extremely pale, his dark eyelashes cast a shadow under his eyes and his entire body was trembling slightly. He looked like he was enduring something.

Little did he know that appearance of his was like a porcelain vase that cannot withstand any hardships and would shatter with a single touch.

In front of everyone, Ji Yushi handed the mineral water to Song Qinglan with no psychological burden. His eyes were clear, “Cap Song, can you help me? I’m feeling a little uncomfortable.”

He seemed to be admitting his vulnerability.

A flower vase needs to be cared for.

Everyone: “………”

Fuck.

The grass on the grave of the last gay person who did this in front of Song Qinglan has probably started sprouting.

Cannot even unscrew a bottle cap, what kind of man is that?!

Unexpectedly, Song Qinglan just looked at him for a few seconds before unscrewing the lid and handing it back, “Did you find anything?”

Ji Yushi took a sip of water and swallowed a tablet.

“I found the communicator’s charging port in the drawer, and also a video.”

The author has something to say:

Ji (weak, cannot unscrew a bottle cap, killing machine) Yushi

Teammates: Damn, so he’s really here to seduce Cap Song and prove his charms?!!