About a year ago, when the church was just built in the settlement, Zhao Yinyin could hear the voice of an old man in her mind from time to time.
At first she thought it was her hallucination, but later she found out that it was not the case. Not only would he answer her questions, but he would also occasionally teach her some knowledge that she had never known before.
Her grandfather passed away when she was very young. Sometimes she felt that the old man was just like her grandfather, always very kind.
Later, the old man told her that he was the Holy Son, and that he was the one enshrined in that church.
Yin Yin did not doubt what he said. It would be better to say that she had long suspected that his identity might be the Holy Son.
After all, besides the real gods, who else could be as omnipresent and omnipotent as him, communicating with her in her mind?
From then on, she began to confide all her troubles to the Holy Son without reservation.
Gods don't lie, let alone talk about the troubles of mortals.
There is no more suitable person to confide in than him...
As usual.
Yin Yin, who was huddled in an empty room on the second floor of the annex, told him all her troubles, including the conflicts with her good friends, the sadness of losing her family, and her helpless hesitation in the future.
Wiping away her tears, Yin Yin muttered in a low voice.
"...I'm sorry, I talked so much about myself, you may feel bored."
A long silence.
The kind voice slowly drifted into her mind.
"How could it be, my child?"
Although it was just a comfort that was not encouraging, a weak but strong smile appeared on Yin Yin's face, cheering her up a little.
After a moment, she seemed to have made some kind of decision and looked straight ahead.
"Sure enough, I should still apologize to Xiaoyang..."
Standing out of sight and looking down at the little girl, Luo Gan smiled faintly.
Is it really a child?
He would spend so much time worrying about such trivial things, but he would never do this. He would do whatever he decided to do immediately.
"If you don't want to do it, you don't have to do it."
Yinyin tilted her head.
"Why?"
Luo Gan wanted to tell her, because all this was meaningless. The people in this settlement would die soon. In this case, what difference did it make if he did such a thing or not?
But after thinking about it, he finally didn't say that.
Even the animals in the sheepfold have the right to spend the last second happily. They do not kill for the sake of killing.
So he changed his expression to a softer one.
"Time is a good medicine. It will heal all wounds equally. As long as you wait patiently, everything will be fine."
Yinyin hugged her knees tightly, buried her chin between her knees, and whispered softly.
"As long as it lasts long enough, everything will get better."
"Um."
The god guarding her nodded slightly. Although she couldn't see that person, she was sure that he was doing this action.
Yinyin believed in him.
But she couldn't agree with this.
Because she remembered very clearly that he had told her personally when she was worrying about whether to help the little sheep escape from this cage.
After hesitating for a moment, she whispered.
"But... didn't you tell me that there are many things that you don't have time to hesitate, and the questions you leave time to answer will definitely end up with regrets."
...Hmm?
Have I ever said this?
Facing the innocent-looking girl, Luo Gan couldn't help but fall into thought for a while.
Among all the chess pieces he selected, this little girl is the youngest one and the most special one.
It's not that he has special feelings for her, it's just that she and the others
Believers are different, they will always confide every trivial matter and trouble in life to him.
Most of the others have respect for the gods and feel honored that "only they can communicate with the gods face to face."
Therefore, even Zhao Tiangan, who is the father of this little girl, who does not believe in the Torch Faith in his heart, will adopt a humble and pious attitude when communicating with a higher being like himself, and carefully consider every word. Words and sentences.
And he himself logically took advantage of this reverence, using the face of the Holy Son to communicate with these believers who only had a superficial understanding of him.
Occasionally, their identities are used to give orders.
After all, even though the chip has been implanted in their brains, he cannot take over their bodies casually.
Completely taking over control of the body can only occur when "the mind wanders".
And this little girl seemed to regard him as someone to confide in.
She naively believed that gods would not gossip about mortal matters, so she told him almost everything.
Luo Gan acquiesced to her behavior.
Anyway, a few words of communication won't take up much computing power, and this chess piece might come in handy at a critical moment.
It was precisely because of this that during the day yesterday, he used the excuse of knowing a perfect hiding place to encourage the little guy to go to the basement.
After all, even if you go crazy with others, you can't guarantee absolute safety. After all, there are a group of special guests in the manor.
But it's absolutely safe to stay in that empty basement.
But now it seems that I have done something redundant. In order to let a chess piece live on the chessboard for a while, it has brought undue risks to the entire plan.
If she hadn't gone to the basement, it might have taken the Alliance a while to find the laboratory in the basement of the annex.
No matter how useful this chess piece is, the experiment in this settlement has come to an end. Besides, it is hard to say whether surviving is a true kindness to her.
There is no pain in dying in a dream, but if it falls into the hands of a mutant, then life is truly worse than death.
Thinking of this, Luo Gan sighed softly.
really……
My own practice is still not enough.
Of course, what concerned him more was actually another thing, why he said something like, "Questions left to answer in time will definitely end up with regrets."
Is it a pity?
That kind of thing can only happen to yourself.
They have paid enough price on this road and gave everything to their ideals at the last moment.
There was no possibility for him to turn back.
"I just think that escaping is not good... Lord Holy Son" Seeing that the voice in her head did not appear for a long time, Yin Yin asked nervously and cautiously.
She has nothing left.
If even the Holy Son ignored her, she might really be in despair.
"Well, I'm...I was just wondering when I said that. I'm sorry to keep you waiting." Luo Gan said with a soft smile.
A relieved smile appeared on Yin Yin's face.
"It doesn't matter...you have to answer the prayers of many people every day. It doesn't matter if you reply to me later, as long as you are still there."
Seeing that this little girl was still worried about him, Luo Gan couldn't help but smile.
If she knew that it was she who controlled her father and walked in front of the Alliance and was killed by those soldiers, I don't know if she would still be able to laugh.
"God's work is actually not as busy as you think."
Yinyin tilted her head.
"But won't there be many people praying to you?"
He said in a gentle tone.
"My children, most people don't actually ask God's will. Before they pray to me, they already have their own answer in their hearts... What they need,
Maybe it's just someone pushing them from behind. There are only a few children like you who leave everything to me to decide."
Hearing this, Yinyin couldn't help but feel her face get a little hot, and she whispered in shame.
"I'm sorry...for causing you any trouble."
"It doesn't matter. I don't think you are a trouble. Rather, I am happy to see you grow. You used to always ask for my opinion, but today you made your own decision to reconcile with your friends. You have already It’s a good thing to have your own opinion.”
Yinyin asked in confusion.
"Kami-sama, don't you want people to listen to you?"
"If everything was decided by God, I might be really busy."
After saying this half-jokingly, Luo Gan suddenly let out a soft tut when he came to his senses.
After all, he actually denied himself.
But it's no wonder, he knows very well that the Forerunners are not real gods, and the Son is not even a real one. They just need the clothes of gods to do things that are impossible for humans.
Of course he was very pleased that the settlements here were all subject to his will, but from the perspective of an elder, he still hoped to teach this child something more precious.
Of course he is a good child if he is obedient, but he will always be a child without his own opinions. He would rather she have her own opinions, even if it is completely opposite to the teachings he preaches.
Perhaps it was not his words and deeds that were contradictory, but deep down in his heart he actually did not want this little girl to die.
Let alone a living person.
Even if the flowers and plants are planted in pots, as long as they take the time to water them, everyone hopes that they will not wither.
Not counting those like-minded apostles, this was probably the most communication he had with mortals since entering the Holy Realm.
After thinking for a moment, Luo Gan came up with a compromise.
That means letting this special little lamb out of the sheepfold.
Anyway, for him, missing one or two is not a big problem, and it is unlikely that the alliance can study anything by relying on a single sample.
"If you trust me, I can show you a way."
Yinyin nodded seriously.
"Well! Tell me!"
Luo Gan said slowly.
"Abandon everything here, seek asylum from the Alliance, and then completely leave this place of right and wrong. I think they will consider it because you are still a child."
Yin Yin looked at him in confusion, her big eyes flashing with disbelief and surprise.
"But... aren't the Alliance people bad guys? They killed my father, and I heard... they are going to demolish your church."
Looking at the little girl who tried her best to prove that those people were villains, Luo Gan suddenly laughed out loud and almost burst into tears.
Unfortunately, he no longer has that thing.
Until those surprised eyes turned into confusion, he slowly continued.
"Listen, you may not understand at your age, but you will understand when you grow up...the things you are talking about now are not important at all."
Yinyin stared at the empty space with wide eyes.
"how come……"
Without explaining to her, Luo Gan continued in a serious tone.
"This settlement is sandwiched between two behemoths, and this is true for all settlements on this land. No matter what choice they make, the end result will definitely not be good. And you want to survive. , the only way is to stay far away from here."
Yinyin bit her lip and squeezed out a sentence.
"But why do you want to join the Alliance...can't you take me away?"
Luo Gan's expression froze slightly, and after a long silence, he said ambiguously.
"We still need a little time there..."
There would be no point in driving her into another sheepfold. Even if the other forerunners would take care of her for his sake, the experiments that should be carried out would definitely go according to plan.
ongoing.
Yinyin's eyes were filled with confusion and confusion.
"time?"
Luo Gan nodded and said patiently.
"Well...this is a huge project."
"New humanity and a new society will take a long, long time to build. We will build this utopia as perfectly as possible, and for this we need to sacrifice our lives, courage and determination. I know where it will become in the future. Heaven, the whole world will, but not now...can you give me some time?"
He didn't know why he had to ask for the child's consent, and he even used a gentle solicitation tone.
In fact, he didn't need to do this. After all, everything had been decided. Even if she shook her head, she couldn't change the fate of this settlement.
But he did it anyway.
perhaps……
He was just trying to convince himself.
Yinyin looked at the empty place with a vague understanding, nodded gently, and squeezed out a smile on her face.
"Okay...even though I don't understand it very well, you won't harm Yin Yin, right?"
The air was quiet for a while.
After a while, there was a sound.
"Well, I promise I won't hurt you...thank you."
He did not look into those innocent eyes, but left a single word and hurried away quietly.
That smile made him feel a twinge in his heart.
Although he had given up that thing long ago.
This may be his only regret since entering the sanctuary.
Sure enough, practicing is not enough.
Although she didn't hear the sound of farewell, Yin Yin could feel that he left here.
She jumped down from the chair with a whoosh, and was about to walk outside the house to find Xiaoyang to resolve the misunderstanding last night, but she heard a creaking sound from the floor outside the door.
This annex is an old house after all, and the wooden floor has aged like that.
She was slightly startled, walked quickly to the door, opened the door, and saw that familiar face not far from the door.
The little sheep looked at her blankly, holding a handful of chocolate candies in their hands, which were given to them by the brothers and sisters in the alliance last night.
At that time, she kept Yinyin's share, but she never found a chance to give it out. It wasn't until sister Chen Yutong stuffed another handful for her during the blood draw and asked her to share it with her good friends that she made up her mind. Came here.
But as soon as she walked to the door, she heard the sound in the room...
"...Yin Yin?"
"lamb?"
Yinyin stared at her blankly, her expression changing between panic and alertness, as if she had done something wrong, and said at a loss, "You...why are you here?"
"My brothers and sisters from outside gave me some chocolate, and I want to share some with you..."
Xiaoyang looked at her nervously, swallowed, and continued.
"who are you talking to……"
Yinyin's face turned slightly pale.
The Holy Son told her that she must not let the people in the north know that she could communicate with him, otherwise those people would not let her go because of their hatred for the torch.
"I……"
Looking at Yin Yin whose expression was full of nervousness and fear, Xiaoyang vaguely guessed something, but said nothing. He just gently walked forward and hugged her.
Seeing the lamb suddenly hugging her, Yinyin was stunned and did not react.
"……Eh?"
"It's okay, I won't tell anyone..." Looking at the helpless Yin Yin, Xiaoyang raised his head and gave her an encouraging smile, and whispered in a gentle voice, "This is the secret between the two of us.
...Okay?"
The lady has always taken good care of herself.
She didn't know if this was the right thing to do, but now it was time for her to report on her.
"...little sheep." Yinyin stared blankly at this sister who was two years younger than herself, her eyes suddenly filled with tears.
water.
There was regret, there was grievance...and there were many emotions that she couldn't express but were stuck in her chest.
Not just because of the hurtful words she said last night, but because she suddenly realized that the person who was most worthy of her talk and who cared about her the most was actually always by her side.
However, what made her feel ashamed was that she had never really taken a liking to this clumsy friend. She didn't even regard her as a friend in her subconscious. She just wanted to use the lamb's special identity to tease the servants.
Otherwise, why would I rather confide in an unknown god than tell her my true feelings honestly?
Otherwise, why would he, knowing that she couldn't escape, still drag her to do things that might get her scolded without explanation?
He has always led her around and treated her as his own pet, but he has never asked her what she thinks, whether she wants to leave here or whether she needs to hide for a while in a "place where no one can find her".
Even if something so serious happened last night, she didn't ask her any questions in a caring way. She was just worried about the change of identity and the loss of her only friend after losing everything.
Looking at the young lady whose tears suddenly burst into tears, Xiaoyang didn't know what she was thinking, and just patted her back gently in comfort.
"It's okay... the little sheep will stay with you."
I don't know how much time has passed.
A gray-green fog filled the window.
It was a color that Yin Yin had never seen before, and there was an ominous feeling in the hazy place where she couldn't see her fingers.
Also noticing the changes outside the window, Xiao Yang stopped and patted Yin Yin's hand gently, murmuring to himself.
"It's getting foggy……"
At this time, a slight creak suddenly came from the direction of the stairs.
Carrying the secret, Yin Yin immediately looked over there, but saw nothing. There was just an empty corridor.
Is it an illusion?
Just as she was thinking this, she suddenly caught a glimpse of a wet footprint slowly leaving the corner of the stairs.
It was like the boots that had just waded through the grass had stepped on it.
The moment she saw the footprints, her heart suddenly rose to her throat.
……ghost?!
…
The fog came up suddenly, unusually in the afternoon, and filled the entire Pinecone Farm in an instant.
The people who gathered at the gate of the manor had panic on their faces, thinking that the Alliance had activated the mind interference device and what happened last night would happen again soon.
Whether they were overseers, serfs, or servants of the manor, they all dispersed in a swarm, hid in their homes, and hurriedly took out the locks and locked themselves.
There is really no lock, so we can only find a piece of hemp rope and tie the family members separately to the pillar or next to the stove.
This saves players a lot of trouble.
When the "monsters" don't know where they will spawn, it is really dangerous for so many people to gather together.
But no one takes it lightly.
The sudden rise of the thick gray-green fog was obviously a trick created by the Torch Church. The players gathered at the door put on helmets and gas masks and spread out to guard against possible accidents.
"What's going on with this fog..."
"poison gas?"
"It's not like...it doesn't seem like my breathing is affected."
"It just smells a bit stinky."
"And it's so green too!"
They were communicating quietly in the communication channel.
Luo Yu glanced at the sky. He could still see clouds in the sky before, but now he could only see a shit-green halo.
The air was as thick as jelly and had a damp, musty smell, like clothes that had been left unwashed for a long time.
At this time, the call from the Heart of Steel came over the communication channel.
"...This is the Heart of Steel Air Command, we see you in the sky
Surrounded by thick fog, report the situation on your side immediately."
Holding the rifle and walking to the door of the manor, Lao Bai, who was wearing power armor, said solemnly.
"Everything is normal here for the time being. Can you visually inspect the scope of this fog area? Is it just our area, or is the entire area covered?"
"The fog area covers approximately more than a thousand square kilometers, and you are right in the center of the fog area."
"I suspect it's the work of Torch... Can you send a plane to the area to help us take a look? Focus on searching the area from Pinecone Wood Farm to Jinhe City."
"learn."
With such a heavy fog, the visibility on the ground should be very poor. I'm afraid I won't be able to see anything in the sky, so Lao Bai didn't hold out much hope.
What he was really worried about was that the mutants might take this opportunity to get out of the city.
But what concerned him more was how did this thick fog come out?
At this time, Luo Yu, who was standing aside, suddenly gently held his forehead and whispered.
"...It's spores."
Quitting was stunned and looked at him in surprise.
"spore?!"
"Hmm..." Luo Yu nodded solemnly and continued, "It's very similar to the spores of mutant slime mold... Xiao Yu told me."
Although Xiaoyu does not rely on spores to exchange information and reproduce, it developed in the environment of Qingquan City and has some understanding of the spores of general slime mold.
However, after hearing what he said, all the players had unexpected expressions on their faces, especially those who quit smoking, and looked at him in disbelief.
spore?
Why are there spores in Jinhe City?
There is no brood nest here at all!
Murderous Dagger swallowed.
"Wait... just ask if you don't understand, weren't all your fruiting bodies dead before?"
"It left another one in my body, which is the biological prosthetic body that increases HP recovery... And don't say strange things, what is my fruiting body? It belongs to Xiao Yu!" Luo Yu glared at him dissatisfied.
Murderous Dagger smiled sheepishly.
At this time, Lao Bai interrupted their communication and said.
"Now is not the time to talk about this... The situation has changed, and we have to temporarily evacuate key NPCs and equipment from here."
Suddenly remembering that he still had a task of one hundred thousand silver coins, Luo Yu said quickly.
"Remember to take that little sheep with you."
"Definitely, she is a key research material. No one can leave her behind."
Quit smoking and asked.
"Where are the local residents?"
"There are 40,000 to 50,000 people here...it is impossible to move everyone away, and it will be even more dangerous outside the wall."
After taking a look at the houses outside the manor, Lao Bai continued in a deep voice.
"Anyway, let's do our best."
At this moment, a deafening explosion suddenly came from behind everyone, followed by intensive gunshots.
Turning his head suddenly and looking behind him, Lao Bai's expression changed slightly.
This is the direction of the annex!
…
In the emerald green jungle, green heads were shaking, and the knotted muscles were covered with orange ammunition and awe-inspiring weapons.
Kuru stood in front of this group of mutants, staring at the thick fog-filled plain ahead, his pupils flashing with bloodthirsty murderous light.
The thick fog, which was too putrid for the weak old humans, smelled of a refreshing fragrance in his nose.
In that fragrance, he could smell killing and death...
Last night, he unfortunately suffered a defeat. Not only did his brothers suffer numerous casualties, but he also lost half of his arm.
Originally, a guy as incompetent as him should have been chopped into pieces and thrown into the pot, but the clan leader did not pursue his stupidity and instead forgave him mercifully.
Not only that, the church people helped him install
Equipped with a mechanical arm and a large number of mechanical prosthetics implanted in his broken body, his destructive power has been increased to a higher level.
In order to make up for the losses caused to the tribe by his mistakes, and to repay the church for giving him the opportunity to set foot on the battlefield again, he volunteered for this operation and vowed to bring back 50,000 heads for Lord Gaen.
To comfort the brothers who died last night, as well as the martyred apostles and executioners.
Looking at the thickening fog, a cruel smile gradually appeared on Kulu's face. The people of the church did not lie to him.
Under the cover of this thick fog, the originally insurmountable plain will be completely opened to them.
Even if the airship flying in the sky knew that they might be hiding in the thick fog, it would not know where to fire.
At this time, there was a light explosion in the distance.
That's the signal to attack.
Kuru took a deep breath, letting the smell fill his chest, and the blood flowing in his veins boiled like lava.
He raised his mechanical arm and the axe-like gun in his hand, and roared with a rough and savage voice.
"Kulu said, chop up those two-legged animals-"
"Leave no one behind!"
(Thanks to the leaders of "Fishing Alone in the Snow in the Yangtze River" and "Going to Dig Graves in the Middle of the Night" for the rewards!!!!)