Chi Ting always wore a choker and it was easy for people to think it was just an ordinary decoration.
It wasn’t until this moment that the scarlet pattern underneath was revealed. It was an equilateral triangle with several crooked crosses stacked in the middle. It was obvious that these crosses weren’t branded all at once. The different depths were obviously from different periods of time. but this sense of deja vu, like stamping on an object, was still enough to make people feel extremely uncomfortable.
Noticing Yue Ren’s gaze, Chi Ting continued to introduce it. “You should’ve learned in the previous Ark Laboratory that the so-called superpowers are actually just people who alienated in a special direction. In this way, once the degree of alienation exceeds a certain level, there is still an inevitable risk of losing control. On the one hand, superpowers are responsible for protecting humans. On the other hand, they are strictly managed by the relevant departments. Generally speaking, we go to the Administration for a personal assessment every three months or so. These marks are the final assessment results. After regular assessments, if it is confirmed that the risk value of the superpower is too high, the Administration will directly deal with it to prevent their possible out-of-control behavior in the future. This will prevent internal accidents.”
Chi Ting was explaining this to Yue Ren. Once he finished speaking, he saw that the person around him still didn’t react. Just as he was about to say something else, he heard Yue Ren finally speak. “How could you allow such a thing to happen?”
The unconcealed low tone made Chi Ting subconsciously turn his head to look. Suddenly, he felt a chill on his neck and fingertips moving on his skin. He was stunned for a moment and didn’t move again.
After a few seconds, he smiled silently. “Once a superpower loses control, the damage caused is extremely huge. The risk level is far beyond that of an ordinary alien army. This policy was formulated after several major accidents broke out. Objectively speaking, there is nothing wrong with being prepared for danger in times of peace. If you have been to our world, you would fully understand this.”
In response, Yue Ren sneered with an unclear emotion. “I don’t want to understand.”
“Ah, it doesn’t matter if you don’t understand. We aren’t in the apocalypse anymore,” Chi Ting said, gently patting the hand that was still wandering behind his neck. He casually put the choker back on and thought about it. “Compared to these unimportant things, the most important thing is whether this person in front of me is also a superpower? There is no such arcade in our place. So this person… was brought to this instance from our world?”
Ji Xingque asked, “Why did the people in our world become NPCs in instances?”
Song Xuefeng added the key point. “He is no longer an NPC. It should be said that he is the energy pillar for the operation of this instance.
There was too much information at once. Ji Xingque couldn’t help scratching his head, causing a few pink hairs to pop up. “Looking at the extent of his pattern markings, he must be a level 4 risk superpower. Could it be that he can’t control himself, so this instance absorbs his energy so wantonly? But that doesn’t make sense. Someone must have put him here. Who could it be? If it is the designer… how could he bring people from our world here?”
A hand patted Ji Xingque on the shoulder, interrupting his increasingly confused thoughts.
By the time he came back to his senses, he heard Yue Ren’s flat voice saying, “Let me ask you a question. What is a level 4 risk?”
“Huh? Oh, this is… come here and look at the crosses in the marked area. Generally speaking, a single cross indicates one level of risk. As the risk level increases, the number of crosses used will continue to increase. In some ways, it can be regarded as a presentation of the degree of alienation.” Ji Xingque was naturally attracted by this question. “Like him, there are four crosses. This means he is a level 4 risk. This is basically the level that might be included in the destruction list at any time.”
“I remember that there seemed to be five crosses in Captain Chi’s marking area just now?”
Ji Xingque didn’t notice the difference in tone at all and responded, “How can our captain be the same? He is a special case for entering monitoring mode ten times and being released ten times! According to the official evaluation standards, it is necessary to be closely monitored above level 3. Only the captain is like this. Despite reaching a level 5 risk, all test indicators could still be perfect. We are different. You see, Old Song and I have this mark, which means we have basically reached a level 3 risk…”
As he said this, he pulled up the little tuft of hair on the back of his head to let Yue Ren see it. Then he found that this person’s attention wasn’t on him at all. He couldn’t help feeling speechless. “I’m explaining it to you. Are you listening?”
“Yes.”
The moment these words came out, the surroundings fell into silence again.
“If you are listening to me, why are you looking at the captain…” Before Ji Xingque could finish his words, he was pulled over by Song Xuefeng. “Old Song, what are you doing?”
Song Xuefeng pushed him to the front. “Be quick and decisive. Let’s see if you can burn all these threads at once.”
Ji Xingque asked, “You need a one-time blast?”
“Yes. Considering the problem of the overly tenacious vitality, it will likely be born again if it can’t be solved in one go.”
Ji Xingque’s attention was completely drawn after hearing Song Xuefeng say this. “Wait a minute. Let me evaluate it first.”
Ji Xingque, who was sandwiched between two people, was taken away. This made the gaze cast by Yue Ren even more distinct.
Chi Ting tried to hold back for a moment. In the end, he couldn’t help it and sighed helplessly. “You don’t have to look at me like that… you make me feel as if I’m so pathetic.”
Soon, Yue Ren snorted and laughed. Finally, he retracted the gaze that had lingered for a long time. “Yes, you aren’t pitiful. I am pitiful.”
“Ahem.”
The topic was finally over, but after a while, Chi Ting added, “No one really touched me.”
A few seconds passed before Yue Ren said, “Yes.”
He glanced at the other two, who were still assessing the situation. Then he asked before Chi Ting could speak again, “Speaking of which, this should be considered a demonstration, right?”
Chi Ting naturally knew what Yue Ren was referring to. He saw that Yue Ren didn’t continue to dwell on the markings and was happy to change the subject. “Right. The designer of this instance, No 7, wants to tell us in this way that our original world is also completely under his control, including ourselves.”
There was a brief pause as Chi Ting looked at the messy Starry Sky Arcade outside. “However, it is such a childish provocation. If it isn’t because of the previous destruction of several instances and he is deliberately giving us a warning, is he telling us through this declaration of war that we should go find him if we have the ability? Does this mean he wants us to go to the ultimate instance? Why did he issue this declaration of war to us?”
Yue Ren, who was originally in a bad mood, finally laughed out loud after listening to Chi Ting’s analysis. “Captain Chi, you really don’t have any awareness of being a player.”
“Hmm?”
Under such an inquiring gaze, Yue Ren pointed to the shocking scene in front of him with amusement. “Of course, there is nothing wrong with using this guy in front of you as a demonstration tool, but no matter how you look at it, No 7’s painstaking arrangement shouldn’t be to arouse your fighting spirit, right?”
Chi Ting was still a bit confused. Then after this hint, he immediately realized what was going on. “Uh…”
Indeed, the first reaction of most people in this situation wouldn’t be provocation, but rather an extremely helpless fear.
In this strange atmosphere, there was the Ark Laboratory that existed 20 years before the end of the world. Now there was a superpower who existed in the same time period as them. From all angles, their original world looked like a toy that could be manipulated by anyone. The unknown that couldn’t be explored was often the source of the deepest fear. People who thought a bit more might even completely deny their own existence because of everything they had experienced. For example, were they also just a tiny existence in the instance?
Once they fell into confusion, it was enough to make the life they had experienced and the things they insisted on completing along the way lose all the value they originally placed on it.
Thinking about this, Chi Ting felt that the designer’s arrangement was enough to completely shatter all beliefs for ordinary people.
But when it came to him…
Human emotions?
There might be some for him, but not much.
Rather than being afraid of some unimportant things, it was better to go directly to that stupid designer, pull his collar, and ask him the truth behind these worlds.
“I know what to do!” Ji Xingque’s cheers interrupted all the conversations. As Chi Ting walked over, he smiled and patted Song Xuefeng on the shoulder. “Plan S223. Old Song, you should remember it!”
Song Xuefeng asked, “…Can we change the plan?”
Ji Xingque didn’t give him room for rebuttal and pulled him over. “You also know that there will be a second chance to be reborn. This plan is definitely the safest. We are old partners, and we have tried it before. Just try your best to be sure. Being lazy is fun for a while, but working overtime will lead to disaster. I don’t need to tell you this, right?”
“……” Song Xuefeng sighed. “Okay.”
Chi Ting looked at the two people who had already drawn up the execution plan. He blinked and asked, “Do you need help?”
“No need, Captain. You should take a break once in a while. I’ll take care of this time.” Ji Xingque stretched his muscles eagerly and repeated several sets of warm-up exercises. His tone was already full of excitement. “It just so happens that I haven’t had fun for a long time. Just let me have some fun this time. My babies are thirsty.”
The impatience in these words was evident. This made Song Xuefeng sigh deeply after hearing it.
He really seemed like he didn’t want to take this job. His reluctant expression formed a sharp contrast with the excited figure next to him.
Chi Ting was amused by this situation where sadness and joy obviously weren’t mutually exclusive. He suggested, “Why don’t I come instead?”
Song Xuefeng glanced at the phantom standing next to him, who looked exactly like him, and shook his head. “No need.”
After saying this, he caught Chi Ting’s surprised expression and paused before saying, “It is too tiring for you to do it. I’ll do it myself.”
Chi Ting was slightly stunned. Then, after a moment, he didn’t act pretentiously. He waved his hand with a smile. “Okay, I’ll leave it to you.”
Then he turned around, took Yue Ren, and walked outside. “Don’t get in the way here. Come on, let’s go out and wait.”
“I’m not even allowed to look?” Yue Ren stuck his head out as he was pulled away. At a glance, he saw a wave of light instantly spreading out from under Song Xuefeng’s feet.
It was more than ten times larger than the previous time at the go-kart gas station. The invisible barrier instantly covered the entire area of the arcade.
Everything was shrouded quietly and silently.
Chi Ting’s timely reminder seemed particularly considerate. “With your small body, I suggest you walk away with me unless you want to be humanely destroyed.”
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