Translator: CinderTL
The information revealed in the first half of the video led Feng Qi to realize that Little Black was likely a super spirit energy warrior developed by the technology research institute.
However, several questions remained unanswered.
First, why was Little Black hunting him down? And how could it pinpoint his exact location?
According to the technology research institute's records, he had already been assassinated. Why would they send Little Black after him again?
One possible explanation was that Little Black's programming included the command to eradicate all humans. Upon sensing a human presence, it would awaken from its dormant state and initiate a hunt.
But this explanation was too simplistic.
Although Suction Cup was a clone, she was still human. Why hadn't Little Black targeted her?
Could it be that Suction Cup, having been implanted with a rune crystal, was no longer considered human and therefore fell outside Little Black's detection range?
That explanation doesn't hold water. Compared to you, I think Suction Cup seems more human. She merely had a rune crystal implanted, but she's still essentially a clone. Look at yourself—what part of you resembles a human anymore?
Hearing this, Feng Qi lowered his head to examine his own appearance.
Feng Qi: ...
If Suction Cup drew power from domain creatures through the rune crystal, then he had directly fused their power into his own flesh. By comparison, he was far less human.
Even setting that aside, the second question remained even more inexplicable.
In a previous timeline, there had been some explanation regarding little black's origins.
It was suggested that little black might have come from Future City, the city where the technology research institute was located.
The Future People speculated that the city's destruction was likely closely related to little black.
But why would the technology research institute, which had already firmly controlled Future City, use little black to destroy it? Even their own base, the technology research institute, hadn't been spared.
It was as if they had blown up their own home before even wiping out humanity.
Logically, with a superweapon like little black, they should have deployed it to wreak havoc in other cities.
So, is it possible that little black went out of control after being developed? That it slaughtered all life in Future City and destroyed the entire city? This would explain why little black even kills domain creatures.
"Unclear. Can't rule it out. It's possible."
The third question was why the unconscious domain creatures harbored such intense hostility toward little black.
He had initially exploited this very animosity, using numerous domain creatures as his "timers" to prolong his stay in the dream.
Now that little black's origins were clear, its true nature remained an enigma.
To uncover the truth, he continued watching the video.
In the footage, a white-haired elder in a scarlet researcher's uniform gazed into the camera, his voice grave.
"Next, I will conduct various tests on the Spirit Energy Nanoworms."
"First, the spiritual energy filling experiment."
As the elder spoke, the scene shifted to the Spirit Energy Nanoworms. A drop of golden spirit liquid fell onto the nanoworm's surface.
A shocking phenomenon occurred: the drop was devoured in an instant.
More spirit liquid was dripped onto the nanoworm, initiating a stress test to determine its maximum spiritual energy absorption capacity.
Yet no matter how much spirit liquid was added, the nanoworm continued to devour it all.
When the 68th drop was absorbed, golden ripples spread across the nanoworm's back. The image violently shook, and hairline cracks appeared around the nanoworm.
The scene then cut back to the white-haired elder.
"The experiment cannot continue. We've used 50 milliliters of spirit liquid. If we allow the Spirit Energy Nanoworms to continue devouring energy, their strength will keep increasing, and they'll likely break free from the force field containment. We have no choice but to abandon the experiment."
Fifty milliliters?
Feng Qi was stunned.
The Spirit Energy Nanoworms had devoured energy fifty million times their own volume—and they hadn't even reached their limit.
What kind of monster is this?
No wonder little black could easily devour the Sky Giant Beast's compressed energy blasts. Formed from Spirit Energy Nanoworms, it's like an ocean of spirit energy reserves, rendering any form of energy-based attack utterly ineffective.
Hearing the Narrator's words, Feng Qi felt a headache coming on.
It seemed defeating little black would be a long and arduous task.
Next, the elderly researcher from the Scarlet Research Institute conducted various tests on the Spirit Energy Nanoworms.
These included pressure resistance tests, mental interference tests, and perception shielding tests.
The results sent chills down his spine.
The nanoworms appeared to have virtually no weaknesses. They could withstand physical damage and absorb magical energy attacks.
Mental interference abilities proved completely ineffective against the Spirit Energy Nanoworms, which were technological constructs.
Most critically, electronic interference and shielding also failed to affect them.
In other words, little black had no vulnerabilities, making it practically invincible.
At the end of the video, the old man looked directly at the screen and said:
"Feng Qi, if you're watching this, I know your emotions must be complex. But there is a way to deal with Little Black. By disrupting the timeline and destroying the technology research institute before Little Black is created, you can prevent its birth at the source. This may be the only solution."
"I must also point out that Little Black's origins may be more complicated than we initially thought. After years of covert and overt conflict, we've gained a deep understanding of the technology research institute. If they possessed a superweapon like Little Black, our cities would have fallen long ago."
"Furthermore, the materials used to create the Spirit Energy Nanoworms are unlike anything we've ever encountered. These materials don't exist in any known Domain Field, suggesting they may originate from what you call the... Heaven-Reaching Road."
"As for the Heaven-Reaching Road's true location and whether it's the same as the dark world we know, these remain mysteries. Every expert we've sent into the dark world has vanished without a trace, unable to contact us across space. Our Anti-Infiltration Plan has nearly failed."
"Perhaps only the enigmatic Mu Yao can help you find the answers."
At the end of the video, the old man smiled at the camera and said:
"Feng Qi, you are not alone. We are all your comrades, and in every timeline to come, we will fight alongside you. Humanity will prevail."
Hearing these words, warmth flowed through Feng Qi's heart.
After closing the video, he wasted no time and immediately began searching for the authorization account.
Upon opening the top-ranked video, a dignified man in a blue uniform appeared on the screen.
"This video has been specially preserved for you, Feng Qi."
"First, allow me to introduce myself. I am Zhu Baichang, the current Director of the Scarlet Research Institute."
"Regarding the authorization account, I must apologize. We are powerless to assist you. The Scarlet Research Institute is now considered a reactionary force by the outside world, making direct contact impossible. Any exposure would result in our immediate annihilation by various factions. We can only survive in our secret base, cautiously gathering information from the outside world."
"Within Star City Shelter, each resident is limited to a single account, and every resident has their own authorization ID. We have been unable to infiltrate the system, and three of our comrades were lost in the attempt. I sincerely apologize for this failure."
As he spoke, a look of remorse crossed the man's face before he continued:
"I have three pieces of news for you."
"First, to realize your Brain in a Vat Project, we've continued our research in that area. We've now developed a special container to preserve your brain and made significant progress in studying active substances. Perhaps the next time you traverse a timeline, you can choose to keep your brain at the Secret Base and access your memories directly."
"Second, our subsequent investigation into little black revealed that its special nature goes far beyond just Spirit Energy Nanoworms."
"In its aggregated form, it has actually become a completely new life form, which we can also call a domain creature. It's not simply a combination of countless Spirit Energy Nanoworms."
"Our ongoing research has also revealed that little black doesn't just have two forms—vaporization and solidification. Each Spirit Energy Nanoworm has three energy nodes on its back. It frequently switches between the first and second nodes, alternating between solid and vaporized states. However, the third form has never been activated. Perhaps unlocking this third form would fully unleash little black's true power."
At this point, the stern-faced man on the screen paused briefly before continuing:
"Damn it, I still don't understand how the Technology Research Institute managed to develop Little Black. If humanity could master the technology behind its creation and control it, we might finally win the long war against the Domain Invasion."
"Perhaps you should start there—try to acquire the Technology Research Institute's research on Little Black... But I have a feeling this technology is forbidden. The institute was destroyed, possibly by Little Black itself."
"Ever since its creation, this thing seems to be beyond control. Both domain creatures and humans are its prey."
Hearing this, Feng Qi's earlier suspicions were confirmed.
Little Black had likely been uncontrollable since its birth and had possibly developed its own consciousness.
The fact that Little Black could precisely locate and hunt him down remained a complete mystery.
"Third piece of news: my mentor, Wei Wei, has prepared a gift for you in Room 203. You might not need it, but if you do, you'll witness history."
At the end of the video, the dignified man on the screen smiled faintly and said:
"Good luck on your journey ahead, fellow traveler."
After watching the video, he was immediately filled with curiosity about what gift Wei Wei had prepared for him.
A new question surfaced in his mind:
Where had everyone from the Scarlet Research Institute base gone?
If they had been hiding in the Secret Base, they should have been able to survive the apocalypse. At the very least, there should have been corpses of Scarlet Research Institute personnel left behind.
But why was there nothing here? Could everyone have gone to fight in the Final Doomsday War when the apocalypse struck?
Driven by these questions, he began searching for information.
However, after an extensive search, he found no records whatsoever in the database.
It was as if everyone had vanished into thin air overnight, leaving no trace or explanation behind.
This deepened his curiosity about what had truly happened in the final moments before humanity's destruction.
"Narrator, what do you think?"
Don't ask me what I think. I've racked my brains trying to figure out what happened, but I still can't make sense of it. I didn't witness the eve of the apocalypse myself. The final battle I saw was the scene you accessed from Mu Yao's memories: Mu Yao single-handedly defending humanity's last glimmer of hope as the Domain Field enveloped the world, perishing alongside it.
If you want to know what truly happened before the destruction, you must continuously revise history, delaying the moment of humanity's extinction. Then, witness it firsthand—perhaps even participate in the Final Doomsday War yourself.
Hearing the Narrator's response, Feng Qi nodded solemnly.
Next, he typed "Wei Wei" into the search bar, hoping to find any messages she had left for him.
The search results jumped to a new page, and a pinned message box appeared at the top of the list.
Clicking on the message box, he found a series of text and video entries arranged on the screen.
1. Hey kid, we've made progress on creating Xiao Mu Qing.
The only problem is that Xiao Mu Qing can't survive for long after birth. She's extremely fragile and prone to dying young. Maybe you were right—without Mu Qing's rune crystal, I can't create Xiao Mu Qing... So we're planning to send someone to retrieve Mu Qing's remains.
7. We got them.
We've now sealed Mu Qing's remains in Room 101.
As for the rune crystal embedded in her body, we've removed it and are preparing to implant it into Xiao Mu Qing—what you call the Little Suction Cup. Wish me luck... and look forward to this beauty crafting a peerless weapon for you.
9. This crimson rune crystal is truly miraculous, brimming with boundless vitality. When we embedded it into Xiao Mu Qing's left arm, her vital signs began to transform. Her body rapidly fused with the crystal, gradually reaching a perfect state of harmony.
It's unbelievable how simple it was to sustain Xiao Mu Qing's life—just one rune crystal did the trick.
Now, let me show you Xiao Mu Qing's current condition (video attachment).
The video opened to reveal a nutrient tank, three meters tall and two meters wide, filled with a pale green liquid.
Inside, a tiny Suction Cup, embedded with a rune crystal, was swimming vigorously, its two small legs paddling furiously.
Compared to its current state, the Suction Cup in the video was remarkably agile. Its eyes were not the lifeless gray-white they are now, but brimming with vitality.
"Xiao Mu Qing, look over here! Smile for the camera!" Wei Wei's voice called out as the camera zoomed in on the nutrient tank.
As if hearing Wei Wei's voice, the Suction Cup turned its head toward the camera, a childlike, adorable smile spreading across its face. It then began gulping down the nutrient solution with gusto.
In no time, more than half the solution had been consumed.
Seeing this, Wei Wei set down the recording device, walked over to the nutrient tank, and pressed a green button on the side.
Immediately, a flexible tube at the top of the tank began to sway, and a large quantity of green liquid surged into the tank, quickly refilling it.
Returning to the camera, Wei Wei tucked a stray strand of dark hair behind her ear and sighed with a hint of exasperation.
"I can barely keep up with her feeding. Xiao Mu Qing eats so much! This is already the eighth time I've had to refill the nutrient solution today."
"The base is already running low on resources. I've decided to start rationing her food from today. Girls should eat less anyway—what if she gets too fat and can't find a husband? I'm doing this for her own good."
Feng Qi: ...
Hearing this, he was speechless.
He wondered if Wei Wei herself believed these words.
He continued scrolling through the subsequent entries.
36. My research on Xiao Mu Qing is complete. Next, I plan to focus on extending life. I hope everyone in the institute can achieve the same longevity as me.
Constantly witnessing the deaths of my old friends makes me so lonely QvQ.
62. I've finalized my research direction and target: the lobster.
Ignoring the cultivation system and focusing solely on biology, lobsters, if not preyed upon, starved, or diseased, can theoretically achieve immortality and infinite growth.
Every living organism has a life cycle.
Humans first undergo continuous growth, then reach maturity, followed by a period of decline and aging, ultimately leading to death.
This is because human cells divide and replicate during growth, but most cells can only replicate approximately 40-70 times before reaching their limit. After that, they cease self-replication and begin to age.
This is because human DNA contains a telomere, which prevents information corruption during replication. However, each cell division causes the telomere to shorten.
When the telomere wears down to a critical length, it can no longer maintain its structure or support further replication, leading to cellular senescence and aging.
Lobsters are an exception. Their growth is virtually limitless.
Their telomeres don't shorten, allowing them to theoretically replicate indefinitely and remain in a perpetual growth phase.
Therefore, I decided to start with lobsters to unravel the secrets of longevity.
Experiment Begins: I created an environment for the lobster free from predators, bacteria, and abundant in food.
I also assisted the lobster with its most challenging molting stages to ensure its survival, hoping to uncover the secrets of its longevity.
Theoretical Implications: If lobsters truly possess infinite growth potential, this specimen could theoretically grow indefinitely, potentially reaching the size of a hundred-meter-tall super-monster.
Of course, if it grew that large, it would likely collapse under its own weight.
This gave me a sudden idea: should I implant rune crystals into the lobster's body to enhance its physical structure?
Whoa, would this count as creating a completely new type of domain creature?
First, it was rune-augmented humans, and now it's rune-modified shrimp... This beauty is truly a genius! Ha ha ha ha!
194. The lobster has molted 479 times and now weighs over 400 pounds. Little Mu Qing's mouth waters at the sight. I'll have to keep her away from it in the future, or one day my experimental subject will end up as her meal.
QvQ Actually, I want to eat it too. I miss the days on the surface when I could enjoy spicy crawfish.
208. The weight gain has become too much for Mala (the name I gave it). I've decided to implant a rune crystal from a Great Strength Python, hoping it can survive the procedure.
If it doesn't... I'll tearfully devour five pounds of it.
211. The rune implantation was a success! The rune crystal is now fusing with Mala.
After all, I personally performed the surgery. As the pioneer of the world's rune augmentation project, I feel like shouting, "Who else?!"
233. Empowered by the rune crystal, Mala grows larger every day, its body expanding rapidly. I've had to transfer it to Laboratory 203. Now I'll monitor its continued growth and collect regular samples for research.
Watching its increasingly plump body, my mouth waters uncontrollably. It smells so delicious.
258. I'm starting to think this research direction might be a dead end. Mala is growing bigger every day, but we can't extract any useful information from it. It seems to have completely transformed into a domain creature, with fewer and fewer lobster traits remaining... Should we just eat it?
482. I've noticed myself aging rapidly. So I'm not eternally youthful after all? This is unbearable! Is this beauty going to turn into a haggard old woman?
But I haven't even developed the immortality technology yet! I'm going crazy!
522. The old woman came to see me today. I immediately grabbed her, desperate to learn the truth about the rebels, but she refused to tell me anything. She only exchanged a few words with Xiao Mu Qing before leaving. Pfft!
579. The Silver Moon Domain Field suddenly attacked. It seems we have no choice but to release Xiao Mu Qing. If Star City falls, the Scarlet Research Institute will be doomed.
603. Your weapon ran away from home! It successfully repelled the Silver Moon Domain Field, but it's badly damaged. Even the rune crystal is shattered. My poor baby!
609. Just as you predicted, Xiao Mu Qing refused to return after losing consciousness. Even when I obtained approval to personally retrieve her, she only showed affection but refused to come with me.
QVQ I've lost my child! I'll cry it out to relieve the stress.
709. I'm growing increasingly frail and probably don't have many years left. Why hasn't the old woman come to find me yet? I need her to extend my life a little longer.
I truly want to live another five hundred years!
I considered eating Mala before I die, but decided against it.
I remembered you once said that killing domain creatures grants you their innate abilities.
So I've decided to give it to you. Kill it and see if you can acquire a special ability like "immortality."
In Room 203, I've prepared ample energy sources for Mala to ensure its continued survival.
803. My mind is growing sluggish, and I need daily nutrient injections to stay alert. Research has become impossible.
No more fun. My time is running out. I won't be making any more videos for you. I've become too hideous and don't want to tarnish your image of me as the beautiful and valiant woman you remember.
807. My hands tremble as I type. This feeling of decline is truly awful—it's like my entire being is ill, leaving me utterly drained.
I feel like I'm just wasting the base's food by staying alive, so I've decided to go outside for one last look before I die.
It's been so long since I last went out. Even if I get caught, it doesn't matter anymore.
808. Approval granted! I'm going out for a Mala lobster feast. I can't wait!
809. This is my final message to you. I'm leaving now.
Before you came along, I often felt lost about humanity's future.
Our weakness compared to the enemy's strength made me lose hope. That's why our Salvation Plan had to rely on infiltration instead of direct confrontation.
But after meeting you, I became firmly convinced that humanity will ultimately triumph.
I never truly abandoned my dreams before, just occasionally felt lost.
It was like groping through the darkness for a way out, constantly fearing I might never escape this endless night.
With dreams as my steed and your flame as my guiding light, you illuminated the vast darkness of my life.
With you around, the future looks promising.
Carry on with our dreams, little Feng Qi. You can do it!
Mala lobster, here I come!
As I was preparing to leave the base under the escort of the Second Team Captain, something suddenly occurred to me, and I rushed back.
One last thing: there are seasoning packets in my room. Remember to eat them after you kill "Mala"!
QVQ Such a big one must taste especially delicious.
(End of the Chapter)