Chapter 183.2 – Key (26)

◎ You are free (End of Key Arc) ◎

Zhuang Qingyan had a pair of beautiful peach blossom eyes, which should have given him a gentle and affectionate appearance. However, his eyebrows were long, his nose bridge straight, and his jawline sharply defined. When not smiling, his light-colored pupils always exuded a cold and indifferent sense of world-weariness, making it difficult for people to approach.

“Benevolence for all humanity? Do you think you can hide your dirty nature with some flowery words?”

Zhuang Qingyan exposed the truth with a single sentence, “You just want to control the switch of immortality in your own hands, artificially manipulating the survival of the fittest.”

“In your eyes, do ordinary people need immortality? No. Do violators need immortality? No.”

“Not to mention the entire Alliance, I’m afraid that half of the people here can’t enjoy your so-called ‘benevolence.’ The other half can only crawl at your feet like dogs, begging for your favor, and hoping for immortality that is impossible to achieve.”

Zhuang Qingyan’s mouth was indeed too sharp, hitting people right where it hurt with every word.

The opposing awakeners, enraged and ashamed, sent a flurry of black blades towards him. Zhuang Qingyan evaded in a distressed manner, blood streaming down from his mouth.

Song Ke sat up abruptly, the tubes swaying on both sides, her eyes unwaveringly fixed on his figure.

Zhuang Qingyan maintained a calm tone, a cool smile hanging on his lips, “Do you know why the Eternal Life Plan failed? Because LAK0017 cannot be replicated.”

“What?!” Everyone, including Gu Hongyi, was shocked.

Zhuang Qingyan sneered, “One-to-one replication? LAK0017 has dozens of extinct replicative genes in its body. Do you have the original samples?”

Replicative genes had disappeared from the Alliance for over twenty years, and they were even more untraceable after the outbreak of the apocalypse.

“—The so-called immortality is just a bubble.”

Zhuang Qingyan cruelly revealed the truth.

The venue fell silent for a second, followed by an explosion of condemnation and questioning. Angry awakeners overwhelmed Zhuang Qingyan’s lonely figure.

“Lies! You’re talking nonsense! Who gave you the right to deny immortality!”

“I don’t believe it. If it’s meaningless, why did Vincent insist on researching?”

Gu Hongyi shook his head slowly, “Xie Zhuo, do you think you can just make up some words, and everything will be fine? Let me tell you, it won’t pass. As long as I live, as long as Utopia exists, I will tirelessly dig out the secrets from your mind. You will face endless pursuit, hiding in the dark, unseen, becoming Utopia’s eternal enemy.”

“Xie Zhuo, you can’t escape.”

The political situation in the Alliance was complex. Although Gu Hongyi had stepped down, the power structure he left behind remained intact, exerting a dominating influence. The new leadership was practically marginalized, having no real say in Utopia.

Song Ke slowly clenched her fist, gazing at Zhuang Qingyan’s enigmatic profile, his deep eyes concealed by his eyelashes.

She looked for a long time, then averted her gaze and nudged Lu Xiaoyu, “Projection relies on consciousness, right?”

Lu Xiaoyu suddenly realized, “Yes, using terminals for deep-level connections. The old man seems to be in poor health and can only manifest himself using this method. If the projection dies, I can cut off his consciousness, preventing him from returning.”

He gestured with his damaged bionic arm, indicating his capability.

The balance between the two sides was precarious due to Zhuang Qingyan’s revelation. Breaking the equilibrium, Xie Lan issued the command, “Attack.”

A deafening roar, rolling smoke, and Song Ke gently called out, “Zhuang Qingyan.”

Zhuang Qingyan turned around, limping over to her.

“I think,” Song Ke gestured for him to crouch down, and she touched his eye corner, “the original tear mole was charming.”

She murmured softly, “Bring it back when you have the chance.”

“Okay,” Zhuang Qingyan replied hoarsely. Despite his heavy heart, he smiled and agreed with Song Ke, “I’ll listen to you.”

After looking at him for a few seconds, Song Ke suddenly leaned in, pressing her lips against his. Both of them had blood on their faces, and the kiss carried a hint of the metallic taste.

Zhuang Qingyan was somewhat surprised and reached back to hold her wrist, “Song Ke…”

Song Ke affectionately rubbed her cheek against his and then turned around, pressing him onto the medical bed. She swiftly removed the tubes with one hand and stood up.

“They bullied you.”

“…It’s okay.”

“It’s not okay,” Song Ke said seriously, “If you don’t fight back, they will keep bullying you. I don’t want that.”

She turned around, and her formidable awakened energy cut through the booming artillery, her voice echoing clearly in everyone’s ears.

“Hey, what you said doesn’t count.”

Both sides in the fight looked at her in astonishment.

Song Ke stood upright, looking up at the projection of Gu Hongyi, “If you die, Utopia is gone, and what you just said doesn’t count.”

From adolescence to adulthood, half of Zhuang Qingyan’s life was spent as a fugitive, constantly hiding, never having a moment to possess his true name, never experiencing a peaceful sleep. He carried the secret of all humanity, like a suffocating mountain pressing down on him.

But why? When this mountain fell, did anyone ask for his opinion?

Song Ke took a step forward, pulled a crystal from the space. It radiated dazzling golden light, with abundant energy flowing within. This was a level 5 crystal produced by the Armoured Sea Turtle, the only one in the world. She had it tested in Grace’s lab in Qianzhan City, and it triggered a red alert due to its dangerous radiation, equivalent to a medium-sized nuclear bomb. It was strictly prohibited for use.

“First time taking dr*gs, I’m a bit nervous.”

Despite missing a leg, Song Ke stood firm. She decisively crushed the crystal. A brilliant golden light soared into the sky, causing violent turbulence in the upper atmosphere, tumultuous waves in the sea, and a trembling ground beneath.

Song Ke’s whole body shone with dazzling brilliance, like flowing gold, and even the morning glow paled in comparison. Her frail body couldn’t absorb such a colossal amount of energy. Her veins and blood vessels swelled, and the magnetic field, which had been sealed, forcibly expanded several times. If there were an R-type tester here, the alarm would undoubtedly be blaring. People would be astonished to find that Song Ke’s level had skyrocketed from S8 to S9, then surpassed the detectable limit.

—Beyond S-level awakener.

Song Ke’s pupils turned a pure gold, and she soared into the sky towards the starship where Gu Hongyi was located.

No one expected her to be so reckless, assassinating the former leader in broad daylight. Everyone rushed to intercept, but Xie Lan made a decisive decision, “Protect her!”

Azure Phoenix soldiers and District B awakeners joined the battlefield.

“Hurry, all artillery aim, stop her!!” Simon was restless, couldn’t help but extend his body to observe the situation. Suddenly, a gap tore open in mid-air, purple lightning flashed, a tall figure fell with thunder, illuminating his alarmed pupils. Simon kept retreating, horrified, “No—protect me!!”

Boom! Boom!! Magnetic storm bombs engulfed Song Ke’s figure. The world became bright, all sounds disappeared, quiet and desolate.

“Song Ke!”

Zhuang Qingyan limped into the battlefield, various awakened abilities raining down on him. Disregarding them, he plunged forward headlong, no different from walking into death.

Yin Xiao currently in combat furrowed his brows as he saw projectiles descending. Swiftly, he grabbed Zhuang Qingyan, who was unresponsive, and in that moment, Zhuang Qingyan’s right leg gave way, kneeling down on a single knee.

His thoughts were rarely blank; a powerful palpitation pierced through him. Aaron, who had been watching him closely, brightened his eyes, and “Knowledge Deprivation” was activated!

A second later, Aaron was elated beyond measure – he had succeeded!

As the artillery fire scattered, Song Ke’s figure still hung in mid-air. The illusionary golden armor inch by inch shattered, her entire body damaged and incomplete. Her left arm was only half remaining. However, from within her, a torrential awakened energy rushed in all directions, a hurricane suddenly arose. The frontmost S-level awakeners emitted fearful screams, torn apart by the terrifying energy, organs and brain matter splattered everywhere, sweeping backward. The elites of Utopia dispersed like a bursting dam, evaporating instantly.

As if a humanoid nuclear weapon, wherever she passed, there were bloody fireworks.

Stepping on shattered limbs and bones, amidst a sea of blood and corpses, Song Ke condensed a golden spear, five meters long, in her incomplete palm. Intense radiation surged towards all limbs and hundreds of bones. At the unseen nape of her neck, a string of cold code slowly appeared: L-A-K-0-0-1-7.

—”LAK0017.”

Aaron was pushed back by telekinesis, retreating like a drowning person, sweating profusely. But he acquired a portion of Zhuang Qingyan’s “knowledge” and looked unbelievably at Song Ke, “L… LA…!”

“Mr. Gu, she is the experimental subject!”

Gu Hongyi suddenly looked up, “What did you say?”

Fragmented information flashed in his mind: S8 level awakener, dual ability, body healing, no known parentage, mysterious origins…

Burning with a terrifying light in his eyes, Gu Hongyi grabbed the communicator, about to speak when the cabin suddenly shook.

The all-annihilating golden spear penetrated the starship with a force like thunder, irresistibly piercing through Aaron and Gu Hongyi’s projections.

Song Ke locked her pupils on the two, threw a punch, a vast energy enough to obliterate souls. The terminal carrying Gu Hongyi’s consciousness disintegrated, the sturdy starship “cracked” into two, completely out of control, rapidly rotating and crashing to the ground.

Boom!!

Smoke and flames catalyzed into a mushroom cloud.

In the S-level Sky City Utopia, a technologically advanced skyscraper, heavy security guarded the office. Suddenly, a sharp alarm sounded, and people rushed into the room. The old man inside slowly fell, life indicators completely silent, brain activity completely ceased.

Song Ke, with bloodshot eyes, wildly swung the long spear, piercing through the hearts of awakeners, twisting off their heads.

Hundreds of black starships were simultaneously annihilated, S-level members of Utopia dying almost to the last. The radiation within her body also accumulated to its peak, uncontrollable chaotic energy.

Boom——!!!

A high-frequency sonic blast erupted, rendering everyone instantly deaf. A silence enveloped the surroundings, filled with the piercing noise.

With a loud clang, the golden spear dissipated, leaving Song Ke dizzy and her vision blurred. Her organs were corroded, and her final thought was that she couldn’t explode. If she did, no one else would survive.

With strong willpower, the rampaging energy was inexplicably suppressed, careening wildly within the magnetic field.

Puff. A slight sound, like a punctured balloon. Song Ke realized something, lowering her head to see her awakened energy leaking uncontrollably from within her. Her body shattered bit by bit into ashes.

Song Ke blinked slowly, the side effects more severe than she had imagined. Grace was right; Level 5 crystals should not be used recklessly. She lifted her gaze satisfied; luckily, the goal was achieved.

Song Ke landed weakly, steadying herself with a stagger. She touched the black collar with trembling fingertips and pressed the microphone.

Zhuang Qingyan’s shirt was soaked in blood, his head throbbing, and his vision hard to focus. He spat out a dry blood foam.

In the earpiece, Song Ke’s cheerful voice rang out, “Zhuang Qingyan, there is no need to hide from now on.”

Zhuang Qingyan’s face turned pale, crawling forward with bloodstains, and, relying on his senses, grabbed Song Ke’s hand. “Song Keke, you… don’t be like this. Didn’t we agree? Don’t save me, don’t care about me.”

“No, I care about you.”

A smile appeared in Song Ke’s eyes, the dimples on her cheeks forming a small curve. She stubbornly called his name, “Zhuang… Qingyan, thank you.”

—”You are free now.”

Intense energy suddenly erupted, flowing elegantly like auroras. Sparse electromagnetic waves lingered around Song Ke. It was a breathtaking sight that couldn’t be described in words. Her body quickly disintegrated, eroded by radiation. With a gust of wind, the ashes scattered over the sea.

“No…” Zhuang Qingyan murmured, panting, “Come back, Song Ke… Song Ke!!”

An unbearable pain pierced his mind, and he fell to the ground with a thunderous crash. In the last lingering moment of consciousness, a clear and melodious bird’s cry echoed through the sky over Loak.

Resonant and delightful, like jade breaking in Kunshan.

Because it was too ethereal, amid the incessant piercing noise, it seemed as elusive as an illusion.

*

In a laboratory filled with instruments, “Zhuang Qingyan” stared at the screen with dark circles under his eyes, muttering to himself, “Not good-sounding? What’s wrong with the name ‘Fire Seed’? The flowers that bloom in the ashes, like the phoenix in ancient civilization myths, have great commemorative significance.”

“Yeah, a unique limited edition worldwide, using the Phoenix gene that cost my mom a whopping fifty million Alliance coins, and you failed to integrate it.”

The young man with a teardrop mole at the corner of his eye flipped through the light screen in his hand, casually pouring cold water on his father, “Not only did you fail, even the experimental subject is scrapped. Indeed, it has great commemorative significance.”

“You! Get out, just get out!”

The side effects of “Knowledge Deprivation” took effect, and Zhuang Qingyan’s entire world suddenly collapsed.

*

As the sunset approached, the sky suddenly started pouring rain. The sea surged, and the dim vision couldn’t see five meters ahead.

New Asia Alliance, an isolated island in the east.

In early autumn, it shouldn’t have been rainy, but a week ago, a storm inexplicably swept across the sea, and it hadn’t dissipated until today.

A stiff little zombie buried its head in the sand, digging for shells. After a while, it suddenly ran out, stumbling, and hugged another figure sitting on the beach, shouting, “Ah, ah, ah, ah—ah, ah!”

The figure with a headscarf slowly stood up, pulled by the little zombie, and walked towards the “treasure” it had found.

On the beach lay a pile of something.

This something could only be described as an “unidentified object,” resembling fresh red meat, or a lump of soft and squishy seafood, twitching and wriggling.

The sea breeze blew off the headscarf, unexpectedly revealing its face, with a bluish-gray complexion, cloudy pupils, and grim undead markings covering the cheeks to the neck. Clearly, this was a Fallen, who had forgotten their name but vaguely remembered that when they were still human, people used to call them—Aunt Qing.

Aunt Qing’s eyes stared blankly, with the excited little zombie beside her, drooling. Aunt Qing bent down, picked up a broken fishing net, wrapped the soft flesh in it, and hung it around the little zombie’s neck.

Two shaky figures walked through the dense crowd of zombies, disappearing into the depths of the lonely island.