thefictionvixens Page 47
Page 47
Charles's pupils contracted sharply, and he stood up abruptly. "Explain yourself..."
"He...he took those ten iron lumps with him and left, leaving only two to patrol the perimeter of the lighthouse. Victor has been announced to temporarily take over the lighthouse's affairs!"
The Dustman was so excited he was incoherent. "We saw him lead those steel warriors down from the central elevator platform with our own eyes, no... he flew away directly towards the ground."
Upon hearing this, only heavy breathing and heartbeats remained inside the abandoned pipe.
Then, a long-suppressed, beast-like low laugh emanated from deep within Charles's throat, quickly infecting everyone present.
The laughter grew louder and louder, eventually turning into unrestrained maniacal laughter that echoed in the narrow space, carrying a sense of hysterical relief and the exhilaration of impending revenge.
"Hahaha, the Lord of Light and Shadow has not abandoned his people after all."
Charles laughed wildly, a venomous glint in his eyes. "He's gone. How naive of him to think he could rest easy with just two iron lumps and Victor? Utterly foolish and arrogant. That was his fatal weakness."
"Your Excellency, our chance has come!" a former priest roared fervently.
"That's right, let's act immediately!"
Charles abruptly stopped laughing, his face turning indifferent as he said, "Proceed according to plan. First, spread panic and tell everyone that the demon has temporarily left to draw upon more powerful fel energy from the ground. Second, closely monitor Victor and the two Iron Guards, looking for any openings to exploit. If we can't control him, we must hinder his actions. Third, gather all the forces we can mobilize and wait for his return..."
Undercurrents surged, and even under the brightest lights, there were still shadows that could not be seen.
Blue and white flames pierced the dim sky of the wasteland, and ten Iron Guards landed at the entrance of Ark Base No. 9 like steel warriors. Chen Yuan also landed steadily.
The alloy gate slid open silently, revealing a spacious, brightly lit passageway inside.
Chen Yuan stepped in, followed silently by his iron guards, their heavy footsteps echoing in the passage.
"Tsk, I haven't been back for a few days, and it's still the same here."
Chen Yuan walked straight into the depths of the base; he hadn't walked his dog for several days.
The heavy, silver isolation door opened after authorization was granted.
A familiar scene came into view: a three-cubic-meter high-strength alloy cage radiating a ghostly blue energy light.
The snake-dog that Chen Yuan had "carefully selected" was curled up in the corner, trying to shrink its body into a ball and minimize its presence.
The marks left by the energy-binding chains on its body are still visible, and the alloy "mask" that constricts its mouth means that even its roars can only produce pitiful whimpers.
After not seeing each other for many days, Chen Yuan's sudden appearance made the snake's body tremble violently. In its turbid but bestial vertical pupils, a deep-seated fear was revealed.
The snake-dog seemed to lack even the courage to look up at its so-called "master," instead burying its head deeper into its forelimbs, trembling like a small animal ravaged by a storm.
"Hey little puppy, haven't seen me for days, did you miss me?"
With a smile on his face, Chen Yuan walked to the cage and stared at the trembling snake-dog inside through the cold alloy bars.
He opened the system store and tapped the system interface a few times.
[Exchange Item: Classic Acoustic Guitar (with Tuner) - Cost: 5 Survival Points]
With a flash of light, a brown wooden guitar appeared out of thin air in Chen Yuan's hand. Chen Yuan casually strummed the strings a few times, producing some off-key noises, then cleared his throat and began to sing to the snake-dog pretending to be dead in the cage in an extremely gentle, even somewhat affectionate tone:
There are two cows on the opposite hillside.
"The bull said to the cow~"
I love you~
"The cow said to the bull~"
Aren't you ashamed?
The absurd song echoed in the cold metal room, forming an extremely ironic contrast with the ferocious beast that represented the wasteland before them.
After Chen Yuan finished singing, he tilted his head, smiled warmly, and looked at the snake-dog with extreme tenderness: "Was it good, little puppy? This is something your master specially learned for you. Was it good?"
He moved closer to the fence, his gentle expression gradually turning into rage. "Speak! Speak! Answer me! Look at my eyes!"
Upon hearing this, the snake-dog trembled even more violently, like a leaf turning in the wind.
Snake Dog: Tnt, we've only had a few peaceful days, and this lunatic is back again.
Turning its head to the other side, the snake dog no longer wanted to talk to Chen Yuan. It seemed that only by leaning against the cold metal wall could it get a false sense of security.
Chapter 64 The Salamander Horde
Chen Yuan narrowed his eyes, his rage growing stronger.
"I'm asking you!"
His voice turned cold, like the chilly wind of a snow-capped mountain, "Why...why won't you say?"
Patience is exhausted!
Extremely violent!
As if he had lost his mind, Chen Yuan suddenly raised the guitar in his hand, his face contorted with rage, and without the slightest hesitation, smashed it down on the snake dog's head again and again.
"boom!"
Wood chips flew everywhere, and the snake-dog's entire body was slammed against the cage wall on the other side. The energy binding chains tightened to their limit instantly, and the eerie blue light flashed wildly.
The second time, the neck broke!
"The Great Sumeru Hammer..."
Without stopping, Chen Yuan gripped the tattered guitar and, like wielding a war hammer, slammed it down again.
"Woo...wooo...ow!"
The snake-dog seemed to be stressed, whimpering and struggling frantically, but its limbs and neck were tightly bound by energy chains. Each struggle resulted in even stronger electric shocks from the chains, causing it unbearable pain.
Its vertical pupils dilated and blurred due to extreme pain and fear.
"Bang, crack!"
On the third strike, the guitar broke, leaving Chen Yuan with only a bare, wrecked guitar case.
Just then, the snake-dog, barely breathing in the cage, suddenly experienced a surge of violent and chaotic life energy (spiritual energy particles) that went completely out of control within its body, causing it to go berserk.
"Ok?"
Chen Yuan was somewhat surprised and instinctively took a half step back, squinting his eyes. He had never encountered this situation before.
The snake-dog's body swelled and convulsed unnaturally, and its skin churned like boiling lava.
The azure energy chains binding its joints and neck trembled slightly under the impact of this terrifying energy emanating from within.
"Crack!"
A crisp sound, like the soft cracking of a crystal, came from deep within the snake-dog's chest cavity—the sound of its life core, the Spirit Particle Core, disintegrating on its own.
The next moment, the snake-dog's body was instantly crushed as if by an invisible giant hand, and then collapsed into a corpse like a sandcastle.
The whole process was incredibly fast, completed in almost two or three seconds.
Chen Yuan stood there, seemingly having gained a deeper understanding of these things.
"Tsk..."
"Suicide is possible? That's interesting..."
Chen Yuan muttered to himself, then turned and left, no longer looking at the empty cage.
Snake Dog: Can I not commit suicide? Do you know how I've spent the past year?
Every day I'm treated like a football, kicked around by others.
Ora ora ora ora, and every day they have to endure hundreds or thousands of punches.
Both psychologically and physically, the snake-dog has endured too much.
The snake dog was overjoyed that the demon was away for a few days.
But once Chen Yuan returned, the snake dog could imagine what life would be like afterward, so it simply ended its own life to get rid of it as soon as possible.
The cold alloy door closed silently behind him. Chen Yuan walked through the empty corridor, his nano-combat boots making a slight echo as they stepped on the polished metal floor.
Just then, Loongson's voice suddenly rang out.
[Mr. Chen Yuan, based on real-time physiological and neural activity monitoring data analysis, significant abnormal fluctuations in your physiological indicators have been detected.]
[Adrenaline levels peaked during the previous interaction, exceeding the safe threshold by 137%, and are currently declining slowly.]
The electroencephalogram (EEG) showed abnormally high activity in the prefrontal cortex and a persistently hyperresponsive state in the amygdala region.
[Heart rate variability decreased, and skin conductivity remained persistently high.]
[Comprehensive analysis conclusion: You are currently experiencing significant emotional instability, specifically manifested as: a high tendency towards irritability (threshold lowered by approximately 65%), intermittent manic impulses (significantly increased tendency towards aggressive behavior), and mild but persistent depressive mood (manifested as decreased interest and dulled response to stimuli).]
Loongson's statement was devoid of emotion, yet every word struck a chord with Chen Yuan's sensitive nerves.
"Emotionally unstable?"
Chen Yuan paused slightly and asked, "So, I'm sick?"
[Mild symptoms, but can have a lasting psychological impact.]
Loongson responded swiftly: "Based on existing medical models and behavioral analysis, you have not yet met the diagnostic criteria for a pathological mental illness. Your current state is more likely a stress response and psychological fatigue syndrome accumulated from long-term high-pressure environments (wasteland survival, high-intensity combat, constant vigilance, and strained social relationships). It's similar to the systemic deviation caused by excessively worn precision instruments."
"Discrepancy? Please, don't use such technical terms, I don't understand."
Chen Yuan continued walking forward, but his steps were noticeably heavier. "So, I'm just tired. Like a machine, I need some oil and cooling down. That should do it, right?"
[This can alleviate the symptoms; more relaxation and rest are beneficial to your health.]
Loongson affirmed, "[Sustained high-intensity stress can impair cognitive function, emotional regulation, and physical health. You need effective relaxation and recovery; we strongly recommend immediate deep rest. Ensuring sufficient and high-quality sleep is one of the most effective ways to restore physiological and psychological balance.]"
"Relax...Sleep..."
Chen Yuan muttered to himself as he walked to the bedside. His nano suit seemed to disappear like flowing water, disappearing into a storage device beside him, revealing a slightly tired face underneath.
Looking in the mirror, Chen Yuan noticed faint dark circles under his eyes, an inescapable fierceness in his gaze, and a trace of bewilderment and weariness that even he himself was unaware of.
"Okay, I think I look a bit bad, I need to adjust my emotions."
Looking at himself in the mirror, Chen Yuan lay on the bed, relaxed, and fell asleep.
Based on visual scan analysis, your facial muscles appear tense, your pupils are slightly dilated, and there is poor microcirculation around your eyes, indicating overall signs of severe fatigue.
Loongson objectively responded: "Based on physiological data, we strongly recommend that Mr. Chen arrange his rest time appropriately."
"Okay, Loongson."