The Heartthrob Guide: Dodder of S-Class Sentinels

Chapter 257 Contaminated

"And what about young master Caesar?"

"Let him be. That kid won't give up until he rescues that girl. Fortunately, we're well-prepared this time and don't need his fighting strength."

“That’s right…but—” the assistant hesitated.

"But what?" Lauen turned his head without changing his expression, his eyes carrying a sharp warning.

"...It's alright. I'll go arrange it." The assistant was sweating profusely and dared not utter a word.

Once the assistant left, Laun withdrew his imposing aura and looked into the distance.

He silently took out an old object from his pocket—a butterfly-shaped ring. He had kept this ring for over fifty years, never having had the chance to give it away.

The man examined the ring one last time, a cloud of unreadable light flashing in his eyes, before finally abandoning it amidst the chaos of war…

The Tahir family is good in every way, except that they are all hopelessly infatuated.

Including him.

Why couldn't we have waited for him a little longer...?

The thought was quickly extinguished by the man; the image contained that person's mark, and she would be aware of any inappropriate thoughts he might have.

The scent of Su Ping in the air gradually faded. He knew without a doubt what had happened to her, but he could neither grieve nor mourn. He could only watch her die like a stranger.

What a terrible day—

Whether it was five years ago or today.

He lost the two people closest to him in the world one after another.

As Laun thought this, he raised his head and, in a corner where no one noticed, shed two emotionless tears…

At a single command, almost all the sentries in the city were mobilized.

The alarm blared sharply through Granville, piercing the black fog. The sentries stationed in various areas quickly assembled, their black uniforms forming a flowing shadow in the dim light. They charged fearlessly toward the aliens, and in the ensuing melee, it was impossible to distinguish one from another.

Caesar concentrated all his mental energy into his fist, let out a low shout, and slammed his fist, which had gathered all his power, into the heavy titanium alloy door of the control room with a sharp sound that tore through the air.

"boom--!"

A violent crash echoed down the corridor, and the door shattered into pieces.

"My darling!" He rushed into the control room immediately, only to be shocked by what he saw.

When a person wants to completely control the situation, they usually project their mental imagery into the external world. Only within their own imagery can they do whatever they want. However, since the imagery is too private, they generally won't project it unless absolutely necessary.

The existence of contaminated zones is essentially a manifestation of the spiritual world of those who have been contaminated. These images become distorted and violent because their owners have been contaminated. When ordinary humans or low-ranking sentinels enter this area, their consciousness is assimilated by the negative emotions within, thus becoming new spreaders of contamination.

But—what's the situation now?
Caesar stared blankly at everything, not knowing where he was. In the pure white space was an enormous tree, with giant vines coiling like serpents. The tree's root system was extensive and intertwined, like countless luminous rivers spreading through the pure white space. And at the deepest part of the interwoven roots, it was connected to a city he had never seen before.

Is this a mental picture of my baby?

Kaiser's heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively took a step forward.

In an instant, he was enveloped by the scorching heat and the incessant honking of cars. He felt as if he had entered a distant world, where the peace and tranquility were unbelievable.

Caesar realized something, but he didn't linger. Instead, he plunged headlong into this unfamiliar world.

"This kid actually managed to break in." Inside the space, the girl sensed the intruder. She released Lin Nan, stood in the air above the space, and calmly looked down at the man who was running around anxiously below.

"It does have some use as nourishment, but a greedy wildcat shouldn't have too many expectations." With that, she flicked her finger, and the large tree in the space shook its branches, countless vines attacking him—

Lin Nan felt as if her whole body was being torn apart. The tree in the picture was connected to her body, its roots climbing along her blood vessels and its vines entwining her spiritual core. At the slightest movement, she was dragged into a tearing pain, as if her consciousness was being forcibly ripped from her body.

She could feel that her spirit was no longer under her control. The vines that had once played and frolicked with her seemed to have changed, coldly and mercilessly launching attacks on Caesar. Each move, each strike, either wrapped around his neck or pierced his heart, precisely targeting his vital points, carrying undisguised killing intent.

After seeing clearly what the enemy attacking him was, Caesar was somewhat taken aback, followed by a surge of anger. However, he did not retaliate. Even when the vines grazed his throat, he simply dodged to the side at lightning speed.

My precious baby has been corrupted.

This space is very likely her most secret mental world.

He failed to protect her properly, and the real culprit who triggered the Granville turmoil was hiding in the White Tower, yet he was completely unaware of it.

He deserves to die!
If my baby really does become a mutant, then—

Amidst the countless tangled vines and branches, Caesar precisely found a gap, leaped out, and, relying on his familiarity with Lin Nan's spiritual body, predicted the trajectory of each attack. He nimbly sidestepped, jumped, and climbed upwards on the slippery branches.

The benefits of the mental link between the sentries were fully demonstrated at this moment. Even if Caesar could not see Lin Nan, he could accurately smell her location based on the mark.

Faster, faster.

There's still hope—

That was the only thought left in Caesar's mind.

On Lin Nan's side, she struggled to regain control, but the girl's will was too strong, and she was starting to feel overwhelmed. The spirit completely ignored her commands, and even when she resisted, it turned on her and tightened its grip on her nerves, causing her vision to go black.

She was defeated in agony, her vision blurred. The vines that wrapped around her were thick and long, with jagged, pointed heads, and were larger than the other vines in their messy, chaotic appearance.

It's number five...

Don't you recognize me...?

Lin Nan asked weakly.

(End of this chapter)