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墨書 Inktalez
Dark and damp, filled with a strange odor of rust and low-quality machine oil.
I hid in an abandoned subway ventilation shaft, the only place I could think of that felt least like a place where a "human" would linger.
Twelve hours had passed since I escaped the "Soul Crossing" stronghold. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the cold metallic mask of the "Cleaner" and heard his chilling words: "Format," "Activate," "Synchronize."
The flickering blue electric circuit patterns on my skin relentlessly reminded me—I, Zhou Mo, might truly no longer be "me."
I am the "Ouroboros."
A monster, a specimen.
The "Rebirth Ledger" had been silent within me for a long time, only just now regaining its faint pulse. The energy that had erupted as I fled had vanished without a trace, leaving behind an exhaustion that penetrated to my bones and a fear of losing control over my body.
I didn't know what to do next.
Go home? It must be crawling with "Soul Crossing" surveillance.
Wander around like a headless fly?
Sooner or later, I'd be caught by the "Cleaner" and subjected to that damned "formatting."
Just as despair began to engulf me, something in my pocket vibrated—something I had forgotten about.
It was Li Cheng!
I remembered!
It was the encrypted communicator that Detective Li Cheng had slipped into my pocket just before I left the police station last time, when no one was paying attention! At the time, I thought he was just trying to find some new way to keep tabs on me; I barely paid it any mind and stuffed it into the lining of my coat, almost forgetting it existed.
I never expected that now…
After a moment's hesitation, I pressed the answer button.
"Zhou Mo?" Li Cheng's voice came through the receiver, hoarse and weary, with what sounded like electrical static in the background.
"It's me." My voice was equally dry.
"You… are still alive." It was hard to tell if he was relieved or something else; "Those people… they were after you."
"You're only realizing this now?" I couldn't help but scoff.
"Cut the crap!" Li Cheng's tone turned stern, "The actions of 'Soul Crossing' are becoming increasingly rampant; in their latest operation, three officers were killed! Those people are not ordinary criminals!"
I fell silent.
They died… because of me.
"'Soul Crossing'… 'Cleaner'…" I murmured the two names softly.
"You really do know something!" Li Cheng's voice suddenly rose in pitch, "What does 'Ouroboros' mean?! Why do they call you 'Sample Ouroboros'?! What exactly are you?!"
"I don’t know!" I nearly shouted back, "If I knew, I wouldn’t be hiding here like a dog!"
There was silence on the other end for a few seconds.
"...I've looked into you," Li Cheng resumed, his voice tinged with suppressed confusion, "Your background is simple—an ordinary data analyst, parents deceased, living with your sister... until that 'incident' a year ago when you lost your memory. But after your sister Zhou Yu got into trouble, everything started to go wrong."
He paused, his voice carrying an almost imperceptible hint of… apprehension?
"When you escaped, the base of 'Soul Crossing'... exhibited unusual energy fluctuations. The technical analysts at the precinct detected unconventional energy signatures. It was very similar to what appeared near the abandoned laboratory before."
My heart sank. He was indeed tracking me, even analyzing me.
"What do you want?" I asked coldly.
"I want to know the truth," Li Cheng's voice was firm. "What exactly is 'Soul Crossing'? Who is the 'Cleaner'? What is this 'Ouroboros Project'... and what does it have to do with the 'monster' that killed my partner all those years ago?!"
His last words came out like a roar, filled with years of suppressed anger and pain.
I was taken aback. His partner? Monster?
"...I need your help, Zhou Mo," Li Cheng's voice suddenly softened, carrying a reluctant compromise. "Or rather, we need... to use each other."
"Use each other?"
"The people from 'Soul Crossing' left some traces when they operated at the archives management office. They seem to be searching for something, or... someone. Moreover, within the police force... it appears that someone is deliberately covering up all information related to 'Ouroboros.' The higher-ups are unusually sensitive to that term."
I immediately understood. He wanted to use me to lure out more clues about 'Soul Crossing' and 'Ouroboros,' perhaps even uncovering an insider within the police force. And I... I needed his resources. A relatively safe hideout, some known intelligence about 'Soul Crossing,' and even... weapons. More importantly, I wanted to know if the 'monster' he mentioned that killed his partner had any connection to me or 'Ouroboros.'
"Why should I trust you?" I asked, even though I knew I didn't have many options left.
"You don't have a choice, Zhou Mo," Li Cheng sneered. "You are currently the number one target of 'Soul Crossing,' and you can't explain yourself to the police either. Only I can temporarily offer you a bit of... limited protection. Of course, that depends on whether you can provide me with what I want."
It was a blatant transaction.
"...What do you want to know?" I took a deep breath and asked.
"Everything about 'Ouroboros,'" Li Cheng's voice turned serious. "Your abilities, your memories, those... inhuman traits of yours—what are they? Are they... controllable?"
I could feel him probing me like an experienced hunter carefully assessing the danger posed by his prey.
"I have amnesia, Officer Li," I emphasized the word "amnesia." "There are many things I want answers to as well. As for being 'inhuman'... if you're referring to my ability to see things you can't or occasionally disrupt some electronic devices, then perhaps."
I deliberately concealed the powerful energy that erupted at the 'Soul Crossing' base and the circuit-like patterns that appeared on my skin. Those were my last cards and my deepest fears.
"I only feel fear when it comes to the term 'Ouroboros,'" I added.
That was the truth; it felt like a poisonous thorn lodged in my mind.
"...I know a place that's temporarily safe," Li Cheng said after a moment of silence. "I'll send you the address. Let's meet there in half an hour. Don't pull any tricks, Zhou Mo; my patience is limited."
The call was disconnected.
I stared at the unfamiliar address on my phone screen, feeling a mix of emotions.
It was like trying to make a deal with a tiger.
But I had no choice.
Li Cheng had chosen to meet at an abandoned fish canning factory in the dock area.
The air was thick with the pungent smell of fish and rust, almost overpowering the stench of disinfectant clinging to me.
He arrived alone, dressed in his usual dark jacket, holding an unlit cigarette, his sharp gaze scrutinizing me as if confirming whether I had brought him any "surprises."
"You’re punctual," he remarked, his tone still guarded.
"I don’t have much time to waste," I replied.
"Those 'Soul Crossing' people seem to be looking for an encrypted file regarding the 'Ouroboros Project's early research' at the archives office," Li Cheng stated bluntly. "That file might be related to an important stronghold of theirs or… a key figure."
"Early research?" My heart skipped a beat.
"From the scattered clues I have so far," Li Cheng pulled an old metal lighter from his pocket, instinctively rubbing it in his hands, "there are at least three locations in Xinshen City where highly classified experiments related to 'Ouroboros' were conducted. One of them is the abandoned biotech company’s clinic lab you visited before. The other two… one might have been completely abandoned and all traces destroyed, while the other… is likely still operational."
He looked up, his gaze intense: "I want to know if the 'Soul Ledger' within you can help me locate that operational stronghold."
I studied him, trying to glean more information from his weathered face.
He was observing me as well, attempting to see through my facade.
"The 'Soul Ledger' is not omnipotent," I said cautiously, "and every time I use it, there is… a cost."
I wasn’t lying; the pain of memory contamination and emotional invasion still sent chills down my spine.
"But perhaps… I can sense some 'waves' that you might not detect," I added, throwing out a bait.
I could feel that special perception derived from the 'Ouroboros' structure within me had become more… acute after escaping the 'Soul Crossing' stronghold.
I had an almost instinctive ability to recognize certain energy fields and even… create slight disturbances.
It was a dangerous ability that could either help me or completely expose my 'inhuman' nature.
A flicker of barely perceptible light crossed Li Cheng's eyes.
"Very well," he nodded, "I need you to infiltrate the city’s police surveillance system and use your 'special perception' to filter out possible activity trajectories of 'Soul Crossing' personnel and… some areas with energy anomalies."
"Infiltrate the police system?" I frowned, "That’s too risky."
"I have a way to obtain temporary, untraceable access," Li Cheng said as he pulled a USB drive from his pocket and tossed it to me. "It contains some tools and… some blurry footage of known members of 'Soul Crossing.' Whether we find clues depends on you."
I knew this was both his test and his… exploitation.
We sat down in front of a dusty old computer.
Li Cheng operated it skillfully and soon connected to an encrypted network port.
On the screen, countless city surveillance feeds sprang to life.
"Let’s get started, Zhou Mo," Li Cheng fixed his gaze on me, "Let me see what value this 'sample Ouroboros' holds."
I took a deep breath, extending my slightly trembling hand to rest on the cold keyboard.
Closing my eyes, I tried to tap into that unfamiliar sense within me. At first, it was a chaotic and noisy torrent of data, nearly drowning my consciousness. But gradually, I began to discern some… special "frequencies" among the chaos.
Some energy signatures, cold and devoid of human warmth, flickered like fireflies in the vast stream of data.
"West of the city… near Longteng Building… there’s a strong energy interference…" I said instinctively, my fingertips unconsciously tapping on the keyboard as I pulled up the surveillance footage from that area.
On the screen, everything appeared normal. Cars flowed like water, and people moved about in a bustling crowd.
Li Cheng furrowed his brow, clearly skeptical.
"Zoom in on Area B3, Camera 17," I blurted out, guided by an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
The image enlarged. A man wearing a baseball cap hurried past with his head down. His profile… bore a striking resemblance to a member of the "Soul Crossing" I had seen on the USB drive!
Li Cheng's pupils dilated sharply!
At that moment, the man seemed to sense something, abruptly lifting his head to glance toward the camera! His gaze… was cold, sharp, filled with an inhuman alertness!
Simultaneously, I felt a wave of malicious energy pulsating back from the screen!
"This is bad!"
I instinctively tried to sever the connection, but it was already too late! The computer screen went black with a sudden jolt! A burnt smell wafted through the air!
"They’ve discovered us!" Li Cheng's face turned ashen as he grabbed me tightly. "Run!"
As we burst out of the processing plant, piercing sirens blared behind us!
Damn it! We were exposed!
Was it the "Soul Crossing" counter-surveillance capabilities? Or… had Li Cheng deliberately left a flaw to test my reaction? Or perhaps my damned "inhuman" perception was itself a double-edged sword, revealing my presence even as I tried to use it?!
I didn’t know. All I knew was that this forbidden conspiracy had been riddled with cracks from the very beginning. And we were already deep within it, unable to turn back.
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