Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Lian softly hummed an unknown tune, her voice gentle and melodious, yet at that moment it felt exceptionally jarring. Her voice was like a breeze, but it carried a chilling eeriness, as if everything before her was merely a delightful game, and she was the master of that game.
Yan Kong lay there, helplessly enduring the absurdity before him. His anger burned brighter, yet it was suppressed deep beneath a profound fear. His thoughts were chaotic, and his eyes betrayed an unmistakable mixture of rage and wariness. This woman is definitely insane, he silently roared in his mind. Some sort of sadist or psychopath; otherwise, who would hum a song at a time like this? And such a cheerful one at that, which sent shivers down his spine.
"Alright," Lian suddenly spoke, her voice like the announcement of a nightmare, laced with an eerie delight. "Now it's time to replace your Brain-Computer. Soon you won't feel so uncomfortable."
"What?" The alarm bells rang loudly in Yan Kong's mind. He wanted to resist but still couldn't control his body. All he could do was glare at Lian with the fury of a beast trapped in a cage. He knew this woman meant what she said, which only deepened his fear.
Lian's movements were swift and decisive; her slender fingers split into several long metallic probes that quickly and accurately inserted themselves into the back of Yan Kong's head. At the moment of insertion, he felt a strange sensation as if cold metal pierced some distant corner deep within his brain.
Then, the familiar feeling surged back.
His stiff body trembled slightly as the darkness before him began to recede. A glimmer of light flashed by, and soon the entire world gradually became clear. Data surged forth like a torrent, familiar signals began to race across his vision: vital signs, spatial coordinates, temperature readings… His brain was once again filled with order; chaotic emotions were instantly suppressed, leaving only cold rationality.
"How does it feel?" Lian's voice rang out again, her tone casual as if she had just poured someone a cup of tea rather than completing an extremely precise and horrifying procedure. "Isn't it much better?"
Yan Kong's eyes glinted with cold light; he remained silent, merely staring at Lian as if he wanted to tear her apart with his gaze. His fists slowly clenched at his sides; the familiar strength returned to every part of his body, and he longed to stand up immediately and crush this bizarre woman underfoot.
But he did not move. He knew this was not the time. He needed more answers, and Lian… clearly possessed everything he wanted to know.
Lian glanced down at the instruments, her fingers gently adjusting a knob on the control panel. In Yan Kong's view, the data suddenly flickered before quickly turning into garbled nonsense. Those blinding symbols danced around for a few seconds before disappearing as if wiped away by an invisible hand. Moments later, everything returned to calm; the interface in his view became familiar and stable.
Yan Kong's body underwent subtle changes with these fluctuations. His taut muscles gradually relaxed; the excruciating pain in his head receded like a retreating tide, replaced by an unusual lightness. His breathing steadied, and the cold sweat on his forehead began to dry.
Lian straightened up and took a step back, lightly clapping her hands as if admiring her handiwork with satisfaction. "Everything is ready, Mr. Yan Kong." Her voice carried a cheerful tone that even hinted at a trace of pride.
Yan Kong slowly sat up, raising a hand to press against his forehead, closing his eyes as he took a deep breath. His heart was still filled with wariness towards Lian, but at this moment, he was more concerned about checking his own condition. He moved his stiff neck, swaying it side to side, producing a few faint cracking sounds. Then, he vigorously shook his head, trying to rid his mind of the lingering haze.
“Damn it…” Yan Kong muttered under his breath, his tone laced with both reluctance and a hint of fatigue. He opened his eyes again, his gaze sharp and cold like Leng Lie’s, as if the brief helplessness had been cast aside.
“It seems you’re feeling much better now,” Lian said with a light laugh, her tone still enigmatic.
Yan Kong did not respond to her words; instead, he stretched his arms and shoulders, feeling the familiar strength return to his limbs. Although the anger within him had not yet subsided, at least now he could finally regain control over his body.
Taking a deep breath, Yan Kong coldly asked, “That strategist who brought me here… what was his name? Feng Huo? Who is he?” His voice was tinged with suppressed anger and impatience; the power he had just regained made him eager to uncover all the answers.
A knowing smile crept onto Lian’s lips as her gaze fell upon a small recycling robot nearby. She nodded gently, and the little robot responded with a series of beeps. Its body opened up on one side, activating a projection device. A blue-white beam illuminated the tatami mat, projecting an image.
The playback was incredibly smooth; it showed Yan Kong's last memories before he fell. In the footage, Yan Kong wielded his daito with fierce determination, moving swiftly with each strike infused with destructive power. Opposing him was Leng Lie, ghost-like in his movements—silent yet precise enough to be elusive. Suddenly, Leng Lie vanished from the frame; in the next moment, he appeared right in front of Yan Kong. His hand rose as if casually dismissing the situation before delivering a swift chop to Yan Kong's neck.
“Bang!”
In an instant, the image showed Yan Kong collapsing to the ground, the daito slipping from his grasp with a clear metallic clink. Even as he fell, the Yan Kong in the footage stared wide-eyed as if unable to accept this outcome.
“Damn it…” The real Yan Kong gritted his teeth, gripping his knees tightly until his knuckles turned white. Flames of fury burned in his eyes as his chest heaved violently, as if he wanted to leap out of the image and tear Leng Lie apart.
The footage continued playing. Leng Lie stood still for a moment, glancing at the fallen Yan Kong before turning away slowly, leaving as if nothing had happened. Just as Leng Lie’s figure faded into darkness, a man dressed in Fog Capital Traditional Attire approached from the opposite side of the frame.
The man was tall and elegantly dressed, exuding an air of calm confidence. He paused beside Yan Kong, looking down at the figure lying on the ground with a meaningful smile. The man nodded slightly as if satisfied with some plan of his own before turning and signaling something off-screen before disappearing from view.
The projection ended with a beep from the small recycling robot, retracting the beam of light.
"This is Feng Huo, the Strategist," Lian said, her tone laced with an elusive hint of mockery. "It seems he has a particular interest in you."
Yan Kong's fist slammed down onto the tatami, producing a muffled thud. His eyes burned with anger and humiliation, the figure of Leng Lie etched deeply into his mind.
The fury within Yan Kong threatened to consume him entirely, yet Lian appeared completely unfazed. She observed his tense expression and thunderous demeanor, a faint smile playing at the corners of her mouth as if she were watching an absurd farce.
"Getting angry won't help," she said softly, though there was a teasing undertone. She slowly rose to her feet, shaking out the sleeves of her kimono, her gaze still fixed on Yan Kong. "I suggest you refrain from acting recklessly for a while, unless..." She paused slightly, lowering her voice as a chill seeped into her tone. "You would be very pleased to see me again."
The words swept over him like a cold wind, causing Yan Kong's spine to stiffen slightly. He felt a shiver run down his back, as if her words concealed a threat he could not easily dismiss. Instinctively, he wanted to retort but swallowed it down, forcing himself to calm.
After a few seconds of silence, Yan Kong finally spoke. "Thanks, Lian." His voice was low and tinged with reluctance, yet that simple gratitude felt remarkably genuine.
Lian raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised by his attitude. She paused for a moment before a faint smile appeared on her face—this one seemed to carry more sincerity than the previous teasing. "Rare," she murmured but did not delve deeper into the matter as she turned to walk toward the door.
Just as she stepped over the threshold, Yan Kong's voice rang out again. "Hey, what should I do now?"
Lian halted but did not turn back. Standing at the doorway, her gaze fell on the corridor outside as if speaking to the air. "You'll find out soon enough." Her tone was languid, yet her words hinted at something more. With that, she stepped away, leaving behind a light remark: "Just rest for now."
The room fell silent once more, leaving Yan Kong sitting on the tatami, staring down at his palms. The events of just moments ago still swirled in his mind. He clenched his fists tightly; his lips twitched slightly in frustration at his own powerlessness. Yet he understood that all he could do now was wait for that so-called "Answer" to arrive.
Comment 0 Comment Count