Chapter 67: The Devil’s Sacrifice (17p2)
Divine Descent Federal Republic
Yuheng City
As far as the eye could see, there were all kinds of cold, tall buildings. There were few vehicles and pedestrians on the road, and it was very quiet.
The residents, who were like screws, were placed in various large financial companies and were engaged in scientific research from morning to night.
Yuheng City was also known as the City of Technology.
The headquarters of the Divine Moon Moth was the tallest building in the center of the city.
It was worth mentioning that the building shot up into the sky, and actually pierced the “sky,” with a large part of it exposed on the surface.
That part of the surface was where the [Dome Earth Vein] was located. The Divine Moon Moth’s mining field.
The difficulty of sneaking into the heavily guarded Divine Moon Moth from Yuheng City was too high, so Yu Jiao and Chow Chow planned to sneak in from the mining field on the surface.
Surface
Divine Moon Moth Mining Field
The endless, scattered [shining gold] was emitting a glistening, moist, white light, like snow in the endless grey sand, bright and refreshing.
Countless huge mechanical instruments were working in an orderly fashion, like magnificent, vast steel giants. The workers in their thick protective suits were as small as fleas.
Yu Jiao was ambushed outside the electric fence, like a venomous snake, waiting for an opportunity, observing with a long-range lens.
There, the hidden Chow Chow was flapping his magnificent black wings, passing through the undulating mechanical instruments, and slipping into the tall, pointed white building.
…Of course, Yu Jiao also wanted to follow him, but she was righteously refused by Chow Chow. “It’s too dangerous. You wait here. I promise! I’ll let you see the chaos of the Divine Moon Moth with your own eyes.”
Yu Jiao couldn’t persuade him, so she had no choice but to stay behind, holding a telescope and peeking.
…Wait!
Yu Jiao suddenly paused.
An unexpected person appeared in her field of vision.
—On a high mechanical operating platform, a tall, graceful figure was standing among the workers in their thick protective suits.
He looked very light.
Helan Duo.
Helan Duo had no protection and was thus exposed to the pollution on the surface.
…Why was he here?
Yu Jiao controlled the camera to focus and zoom in—
Helan Duo was in a simple white shirt and white trousers, his light beige high ponytail falling softly, setting off his tired face, which was like a drunken jade, a collapsed mountain.
Helan Duo looked extremely tired. His long, slender fingertips pressed his brow, and then he raised his hand and pointed to a few mines, tilting his head and saying something to the Divine Moon Moth employee beside him.
Suddenly, Helan Duo paused, his sharp eyes lifted, and he looked at the camera with a cold expression.
Yu Jiao immediately fell flat.
After a while, when she raised the telescope again, she only saw Helan Duo, rubbing his temples, and his back as he walked into the Divine Moon Moth.
“Lord Helan, this way, please—”
The staff member respectfully led Helan Duo to the lounge.
“Lord Helan, you’ve worked hard this sun day. Please rest here for a while. Mr. Moth will be here shortly.”
Facing the Divine Moon Moth employee, who was carrying out the duty of surveillance under the guise of service, Helan Duo returned a gentle smile. “Alright.”
As he spoke, Helan Duo poured two cups of tea, taking the role of the host. “Miss Huangying has also worked hard. You just told me so much about collecting shining gold. Here, have a cup of tea to soothe your throat.”
Huangying quickly waved her hands. “Not at all, not at all. Lord Helan is the one who has worked hard. You’ve been running around these days to save the Madam from her suffering. You must be exhausted.”
Helan Duo just smiled and said nothing.
Remembering the order from above to “investigate if the Apocalypse Cult is really going to trade with the Resistance to get the bishop’s wife back,” Huangying deliberately sighed:
“Alas, it’s all to satisfy the demands of those greedy robbers. Those people are truly despicable!”
“Oh?”
Helan Duo said, unfazed, “It seems Miss Huangying is also very troubled by this.”
Huangying: “Yes! The Divine Moon Moth has also been working overtime during this period—”
Realizing her mistake, Huangying quickly swallowed her words.
…That was close, that was close. I almost revealed a secret! This Helan old fox is too dangerous!
Huangying stiffly shifted her gaze, avoiding the smiling old fox, and casually turned on the LCD screen.
The pre-prepared current affairs news began to play:
“The bishop’s wife has been missing for nearly thirty sun hours. The robbers have made an exorbitant demand, asking for [sweet dew], [shining gold], and [tinder] as a ransom for the Madam.”
“The Metal Sun Day ceremony is imminent, and the Madam is an important part of communicating my God’s will. But now, her whereabouts are unknown, and her life is in danger.”
“The robbers have always been cunning and treacherous. Could this be another of their schemes? Will they really return the Madam after the ransom is paid? How will the cult and the council choose? We shall wait and see.”
“…”
Drip.
A light sound.
Helan Duo lowered his eyes, placed his teacup on the table, and sighed. “It’s so noisy… don’t you think? Miss Huangying.”
Helan Duo turned his head, his eyes smiling.
“…”
Huangying was startled and almost jumped up. She fumbled to turn off the news.
Helan Duo was pouring tea, as calm as ever.
Then, his tone was completely normal as he began to chat.
“…”
After a moment.
“Lord Helan, please wait a moment!”
Huangying shot to her feet.
—No! This person is too terrifying. If they keep talking, she’ll reveal all of the Divine Moon Moth’s secrets.
Huangying was filled with grief and indignation. She turned and took a light, head-mounted dream device from a nearby cabinet.
“Lord Helan, this is our Divine Moon Moth’s new product. Although it’s not as good as the virtual dream game field in Yaoguang City, the experience is still very real. Please relax!”
—Even if she couldn’t send this great Buddha away, she had to find something else for him to do.
With this thought, Huangying resolutely handed the dream device over.
Helan Duo raised an eyebrow.
A dream that could make all one’s wishes come true in a virtual world.
…It was indeed very attractive.
Helan Duo took it.
He was not worried that Nie Hongshen would tamper with it. Not to mention his own abilities, but the dream device itself.
Even if it was in the Divine Moon Moth, even if it was using its internal network, as long as the dream started, a sliver of its signal would inevitably connect to the entire Divine Kingdom’s star network.
And that was the territory covered by eleven’s “tentacles.”
Besides, no matter how real the dream was, how immersive, how unwilling one was to leave, Helan Duo was confident that he would absolutely not be addicted to it.
With that thought, the extremely confident Helan Duo put on the dream device.
At the same time.
Yu Jiao was thinking.
—She had never been one to put all her eggs in one basket. Although she had temporarily reached an agreement with Chow Chow, thinking of her cooperation with Helan Duo, she still wanted to sneak into the Divine Moon Moth to investigate.
But she was hampered by the strict security and patrols inside the Divine Moon Moth, and unlike Chow Chow, she had no way of becoming invisible…
Just as she was feeling troubled, the long-silent system suddenly said:
【You can use the reward from the first instance—[Concealment]】
【[Concealment]: After using this skill, your presence will be reduced to an imperceptible level. This skill covers all biological vision and camera surveillance until the skill effect disappears (Time limit: half an hour)】
?
It was really like someone had handed her a pillow when she was sleepy, but…
“Why didn’t you say so before?”
Yu Jiao was suspicious.
The system paused and said vaguely:
【The host didn’t ask…】
【Anyway! Host, hurry up and start moving!】
This guy was clearly hiding something, but Yu Jiao was not in a hurry to uncover it.
Fortune favors the bold!
Yu Jiao no longer hesitated and immediately activated [Concealment], slipping through the hole in the electric fence Chow Chow had left behind.
…
Inside the Divine Moon Moth.
Glistening glass walls, a complex network of light purple fluorescent pipes, and ascending and descending aerial elevators.
Researchers in white coats were hurrying back and forth, and the sound of their conversation, like that of mosquitoes, filled the air in an orderly fashion.
Yu Jiao adjusted the black-framed glasses on her face and brazenly mixed in.
As if she were in an empty place, she wandered around, investigating.
The access cards inside the Divine Moon Moth were strictly divided by authority. Although no one could see Yu Jiao, she could not freely enter and exit the various confidential research labs. She could only follow a high-authority female staff member and try her luck.
The researchers who met her all respectfully called her, “Supervisor Huangying.”
Yu Jiao followed this Supervisor Huangying and visited many labs and offices, learning a lot of key information. She even heard her complain to someone:
“My god, you don’t know how difficult that Helan Duo is! I almost got a secret out of him! Wow… if the boss found out, he would definitely kill me!”
Yu Jiao deeply sympathized.
“Luckily, I tricked him into a dream. Oh, I can’t talk anymore. I have to go to the bottom floor to report my progress.”
After swiping her access card, Huangying walked into a low-key, luxurious private elevator with a solemn expression.
Of course, Yu Jiao also slipped in.
The elevator went all the way down, and the light gradually grew dim, until they reached the bottom floor.
The silver-grey elevator doors slowly slid open.
A heavy curtain blocked the view, and on it was a painting of gorgeous colors.
It seemed to be from the Holy Bible’s “Saintess Chapter.”
“Sir.”
Huangying stood before the curtain and said seriously, “At present, the true intentions of the Apocalypse Cult are unclear, but Helan Duo is willing to cooperate with us, to exchange the cult’s stock of [sweet dew] for our [shining gold]. It seems he has the intention of paying a ransom.”
…Ransom?
Yu Jiao peeked her head out curiously. What ransom?
Huangying had no intention of explaining. She continued, “However, it could also be a feint, to confuse us, to make us think that this ceremony really cannot go wrong.”
A light sound of glassware came from behind the curtain, as if someone were pouring a drink.
Huangying was thinking of speaking again. “Please rest assured. I have successfully executed Plan D and have gotten Helan Duo to enter our special dream. I believe that, under the guidance of the plot, even someone as cautious as him will definitely reveal his true thoughts.”
A light sound came from behind the curtain, as if a glass had been set down.
“Not bad.”
His already deep voice was soaked in a rich wine, and when he spoke, it was as if he were exhaling a fragrant aroma.
—Nie Hongshen.
Yu Jiao was not surprised. She walked around the curtain, but she couldn’t find a gap to slip through.
Just as she was thinking this, she heard a ding, and the curtain was slowly drawn back.
A tall, handsome, and familiar figure was revealed. In the dim light, he was like a deep, rhythmic poem.
Nie Hongshen lifted his chin slightly and commanded in a heavy voice, “Open the projection. I want to see Helan Duo’s actions in the dream.”
Huangying: “Yes!”
Huangying followed the order to the letter, took out another dream device, and was careful not to touch the neural contact points.
She reminded him in a low voice, “Sir, please be careful not to accidentally touch these two small purple dots. Our R&D department has made the instrument especially powerful this time to take down Helan Duo. If you touch it, you’ll be immediately sucked in, and you won’t be able to get out until the plot is over. It’s very dangerous. You have to be careful.”
Nie Hongshen snorted. “Am I that stupid?”
Huangying: “No, no, no!”
She slapped herself in the face in her mind: You and your big mouth! You and your big mouth!
After slapping herself, she lowered her head and opened the projection. A water-mirror-like image unfolded.
Yu Jiao curiously leaned in closer.
But to her surprise, Nie Hongshen paused, and then his tone was sinister.
“I smell a bedbug.”
As his words fell, he turned and looked in Yu Jiao’s direction.
His gaze was as cold as a blade.
“…”
Yu Jiao: “?”
I thought the [Concealment] effect was very strong and I wouldn’t be discovered? Is this guy’s nose too much of a cheat!?
Seeing that the dog’s nose had already controlled his wheelchair and was slowly moving in her direction, with vigilance and caution, his thin insect legs tentatively extended.
Like a game of hide-and-seek—the ghost was coming to get her.
A cold sweat broke out on her. She was terrified as she dodged the sharp, terrifying insect legs in a difficult posture.
However, Nie Hongshen was like a stubborn piece of plaster, relentlessly pursuing her.
…It’s over.
Without an access card, I’ll be poked full of holes in this secret room sooner or later.
“Are you here?”
Nie Hongshen curled his lips into a cold, fierce smile.
At the critical moment, a flash of lightning went through Yu Jiao’s mind.
—”…Please be careful not to accidentally touch these two small purple dots… If you touch it, you’ll be immediately sucked in… and you won’t be able to get out until the plot is over… It’s very dangerous.”
Yu Jiao suddenly grabbed the dream device on the table and slammed it on Nie Hongshen’s bared, claw-like legs!
Nie Hongshen was taken aback.
“…”
From Huangying’s perspective, all of this was too unbelievable.
She watched with wide eyes as the boss, who had just been so confident, saying “Am I that stupid?”, had just run straight into the dream device, and his consciousness had been immediately sucked in!
***
Over there, Yu Jiao had just pushed Nie Hongshen into the dream. The next moment, she felt an irresistible suction from her fingertips—
She had just touched another neural contact point!
Her consciousness was forcefully pulled into the depths of the dream.
“…”
Like a fluttering willow catkin, falling onto a lake, a light sound in her ear.
Yu Jiao opened her eyes.
An extremely real, warm light fell on her skin. A maid’s soft reminder sounded in her ear, “Madam! The ball is about to begin!”
Hearing this, Yu Jiao blinked, dazed.
The woman in the mirror opposite her also blinked.
“…”
It was a face exactly like hers, but with eyes as red and beautiful as a ruby, and long hair as white as silk.
Someone asked softly from outside the door, “Are you ready? Hongyue?”
“…”
Yu Jiao was stunned.
—In this dream, she had become Jiao Hongyue!?