Deity Investigation Report

Chapter 368 Three-Stage Mysterious Power Training

"He's only recovered one level of power?"

Han Su sensed the power within his body and frowned slightly, indicating that there was still much to be done.

The entire battlefield had been cleared away, and he walked toward a hill on a mountain ridge.

That was the head of the largest mountain man. Its enormous body had been torn apart by the living bronze puppet, but because it was so large, it still retained a trace of life. It was this trace of life that distorted the terrain, preventing Gao Lie from advancing any further.

Han Su approached it and drew his gun without hesitation, but at that moment, he heard a faint voice beside him:

"This is the last mountain dweller, don't kill him..."

"..."

Han Su turned his head in surprise and saw that there was another living creature on this battlefield.

He was the independent investigator who had previously controlled this area. He had been torn to pieces by the Living Bronze Puppet, with only his head and half a shoulder remaining intact.

However, his own sequence was very strange, and even under these circumstances, he managed to retain a trace of his will.

Of course, judging from his appearance, he initially intended to deceive everyone and survive secretly, but he soon realized that he could not escape the corrosion of the copper rust at all. Even if no one killed him, he would be corroded to death in a few minutes at most.

Overwhelmed with grief, I looked at the chaotic battlefield, with severed limbs and broken arms scattered all over the ground. It felt like a nightmare, and I couldn't understand how this could have happened.

Everything was fine half an hour ago, so how did I end up taking on this task?

Driven by this feeling, when he saw Han Su walking towards the last mountain man, after all, he was the guard of the secret prison and had been with him for many years, which stirred up a last bit of reluctance in him.

He couldn't help but speak up: "They...they weren't formed by pollution. They survived a long history and were lucky enough to live to this era because of their different life forms."

“We… part of my job is to find suitable polluters for them, trying to prolong their lives, but we’ve never been able to create true mountain people. They’ve always been unique, so you…”

As he spoke, he even managed a bitter smile: "I know I shouldn't have provoked someone like you, but please, please let it go..."

"To preserve a seed for this ancient life..."

"..."

Han Su stopped slightly and looked at him: "You were the ones who started the killing, and now you're bringing this up?"

The independent investigator looked utterly distressed, his regret evident.

"Countless civilizations and races have existed in this world, and they all originated from the same source, only different forms resulting from the division of golden cells."

"If that's the case, what's the point of discussing the old versus the new, or whether or not to preserve the lineage?"

"It's just a race for life!"

"How many life forms will be born, and which life form will eventually become the carrier of civilization, are all just the results of naked competition. Your pity at this moment is completely worthless."

"You're willing to sacrifice even your own children for your ambitions, yet you spout empty words of compassion and mercy. It's laughable..."

"..."

After saying this, Han Su shot and killed the last mountain man, and then hastened the death of the independent investigator.

"Miss Ai, is there anything wrong with what I did?"

Upon returning to Gaolie, Han Su spoke in a low voice and quickly received a reply from Miss Ai:

"This confrontation destroyed the clandestine artillery team that Black Cliff City had invested heavily in training, as well as the entire Mountain Man Secret Prison. Furthermore, because these independent investigators joined forces to steal Black Cliff's real-world defenses, Black Cliff City's real-world foundation was severely damaged."

"The overall cost has far exceeded the limits that these three independent investigators and high-ranking officials in the two cities can bear..."

"but……"

She quickly added, "Mr. Butcher, don't worry, I've already written your report."

"Mr. Butcher's fierce fight against the attackers to protect the passengers on this high-speed train is a noble and commendable act of bravery."

“It is entirely reasonable to hold Black Cliff City accountable for its wrongdoing in this illegal attack, to uphold Mr. Butcher’s right to self-defense, and to seek compensation from them.”

"So, Mr. Butcher, you can rest assured that my report will not punish you!"

"at last……"

"..."

Miss Ai replied softly, "I admire your attitude towards life!"

What attitude is there towards life or not?
Han Su thought to himself that he was just annoyed.

When I returned to business class, the train had already restarted, as if nothing had happened. Only by looking back could I vaguely see the ruins of mountains and valleys in the deep night.

Xu Ji huddled at the back of his seat, shivering as he held his milk. Han Su glanced at him in surprise and said, "Weren't you playing a game? You've already shot twenty times?"

"without……"

Xu Ji said, trembling, "There was no signal just now."

That's not your problem.

Han Su sat down, thinking to himself that he had just been affected by the mountain man's impact and the field, which had cut off the signal inside the high column. He should give Miss Ai a heads-up and ask her to take care of the signal inside the high column so as not to scare that unserious guy.

"Speaking of which..."

While he was thinking, Xu Ji could no longer hold back and brought over another glass of milk with both hands:
What exactly is outside?

Han Su glanced at him and said, "You've realized it now too?"

"I'm not stupid..."

Xu Ji said, "I knew it when I saw my dream girl last time, okay? Where do all these weird things come from in this world..."

“We’ve never seen these strange things before, not at all. Just a few months ago, I remember when people mentioned you being kidnapped by a monster when you were little, everyone said behind your back that you had delusions…”

"..."

That can only be described as a matter of cognitive level...

Han Su sighed inwardly when faced with this question, realizing that it had nothing to do with what happened a few months or years ago.

The reality of this comfortable environment is built according to the form of civilization in Miss Ai's memory, and in this mechanical memory, the civilization she identifies with is so prosperous and stable.

Everything has a reason, and all logic is within the framework of cognition.

Therefore, the same applies to people living in the comfort zone of reality.

Either they are at the very core of the breeding ground, and for them, all these strange phenomena and things do not exist.

They are either on the edge of a comfortable reality, having already seen the irrationality beneath various seemingly reasonable appearances.

Or they might be like themselves, already excluded from the comfort of reality, and long since accustomed to all this bizarre and fantastical world.

However, he only gave Xu Ji a deep look and had no intention of guiding him into this world.

Mr. Xu had already made arrangements regarding Xu Ji's understanding of the world. When Xu Ji returned to Lin Yuan City, someone would naturally guide him to understand the world. In this process, he himself would not need to do it for him.

Of course, when Xu Ji can withstand the abnormal pollution, he will immediately use the mechanical fragments to awaken him and let him know his fate.

"The truth of this world has always been the same; it just depends on when you open your spiritual vision and see its true nature."

"Of course, in my understanding, the world has always been the same."

He sighed softly and said, "I've known since I was little that there are some people you can't mess with. They can say black is black and white is white. If you tell them that monsters exist in this world, they'll say you're talking nonsense. Then you're just a child's ramblings."

"It's the same now!" "..."

As he spoke, he stopped looking at Xu Ji's pale face and turned to look out the train window.

Miss Ai had calculated that the next twenty minutes would be safe, but she couldn't predict what kind of attack would come after that.

Because the current Miss Ai is not the same as the Mechanical Mother who was fully liberated in Lifeline 04, she has only opened three locks and has not been able to fully utilize her instinctive calculation ability.

Therefore, her database is based in Qinggang and radiates to the surrounding area. So, with Qinggang as the center, the closer to Qinggang, the more complete her data and the more accurate her calculations. But the farther away from Qinggang, the less information she has.

She was certain, however, that the attacks would be more intense.

After all, the three investigators who attacked the frogman tribe earlier were only lured by the bounty offered by the Black Table and used the terrain to their advantage. But later, the Black Table directly intervened and even sent a lot of powerful mercenaries.

He was also calculating his current needs and everything he might face after arriving in Lin Yuan City.

He closed his eyes to rest for a long time. When Miss Ai's alarm sounded again, he turned to Xu Ji and smiled, "Actually, I don't know why so many people are trying to kill you, but since I've caught up with this, I'll do my best to take care of them all for you."

"I suppose the cleaner you resolve things on the way, the safer your life will be when you arrive in Lin Yuan City, right?"

"..."

After he finished speaking, he picked up his briefcase and went out. Soon, the night was surging again, mixed with roars and crashes.

Xu Ji huddled in a corner of the sofa, his eyes glazed over. He secretly wiped away a tear from the corner of his eye and muttered, "With a brother like this, why bother going on blind dates? I might as well just grit my teeth and settle for him..."

"..."

White Lizard Squad...

The Demon Cult...

Unit 329...

The Stranger Alliance: Queen of Hearts...

As Miss Ai had predicted, the intensity of the attacks that followed was indeed much greater.

Han Su showed no mercy, and as he thwarted the attackers time and time again, he couldn't help but have some questions.

It seems that this level of attack has exceeded the limit of the bounty...

So, has some other force intervened?
However, the benefits are real. He can clearly feel the abundance of his golden cells, and the fourth division state has reached its limit.

The golden cells, which had grown strong again, were filled with mysterious power and even showed signs of further mutation.

"Is the gold cell about to begin its fifth division?"

Sensing this change, Han Su was also somewhat alarmed, his heart filled with a mixture of anticipation and vigilance.

Firstly, the increase in strength was something I had always hoped for, and I had ushered in an opportunity for transformation, which was certainly a good thing.

However, in life storyline 04, after splitting four times, he experienced the resurgence of his emperor consciousness. So what about now?

Is transformation good or bad?

I must say, this trip did not disappoint me; on the contrary, I gained even more. However, because of the huge gains, I pushed myself to my limit.

He felt like he wanted to have a good meal, but instead felt like he was about to burst from overeating. Now, there were less than forty minutes left before he reached Lin Yuan City, but he already had a sense of unease about how to deal with the attack below.
Is it to deliberately suppress one's own level to the fourth division of the golden cell, or to leap forward in one step?

"Mr. Butcher, please be careful!"

Miss Ai's warning arrived just as promptly: "Based on the existing data, I can confirm that the attack you suffered was specially arranged by someone. Someone is conducting research on your life level and even deliberately forcing you to the edge of the abyss."

"The edge of the abyss?"

"Yes, we've encountered similar problems before."

"Lifeline 04: After escaping from the castle with my fellow survivors, our growth rate was extraordinary."

"Its potential is unmatched by ordinary means!"

"Through other means, the golden cells can divide two or three times before reaching their limit. After reaching the limit, one must undergo the training of the third stage of the mysterious power, or one will stop progressing altogether."

"But the core of the third stage of training for the mysterious power is completely in the hands of the nobles, so those who become extraordinary through these means have no choice but to join the traveling knights or the nobles' servants."

"But our survivor squad is different. Our potential is extraordinary, so each of our golden cells has reached five divisions, reaching the edge of the abyss."

"However, by then, we also began to be severely affected by the mysterious will, and our own will was in danger of being annihilated at any time. Like others, we also had to undergo training by the Guardians in order to have any chance of making further progress."

"..."

Han Su immediately realized that his current situation was very similar to that of the survivor team: "You guys stopped?"

"No, we forced our way into the abyss!"

Miss Ai, or rather Li Manman, replied: "At that time, under the planning of the squad leader Chao Xiaobei, we attacked a Guardian's laboratory and obtained the Abyss First-Order Equation."

"Then we forcibly entered the abyss to gain the power to fight against the Guardians on the front lines, but later we found out that we had been tricked."

"The first-order equation of the abyss is just a smokescreen released by the Guardians to lure us into the abyss. Once we step in, there is no turning back, and we are under serious threat."

"Since then, I have been unable to live without brain and spinal cord strengthening injections."

“I suspect that you are in a similar situation to us. Although you are at risk of the emperor’s consciousness resurfacing, you are still able to control yourself and do not meet those people’s requirements. So they are deliberately creating conditions for you to be promoted quickly.”

"Once you reach the edge of the abyss, your dependence on the Guardians will increase dramatically, and you may even become completely unable to break free."

"Perhaps this is the prerequisite for the Guardians of the World to invite you to receive training."

"They want to make sure you're completely under their control before you even reach the Temple of the Wandering Knights."

"..."

If that's the case, then wouldn't I have to suppress my own state and give up this opportunity to break through?

For a golden cell to divide, it must undergo a large-scale massacre or sacrifice.

This journey, using Xu Ji as bait, has attracted so many madmen willing to sacrifice themselves—an opportunity that is usually hard to find.

However, Miss Ai's reminder made Han Su realize the danger involved, but the thought flashed through his mind and then he suddenly came to his senses.

wrong!

This time I can give up on breaking through and stay put, but what about later?
This is actually a dilemma. Sooner or later, one must move forward, which will inevitably lead to being controlled by those who are in control of the world.

Unless you can obtain the second-order equation of the Abyss in advance!
But on life timeline 04, even the survivor team, with their strength, never achieved this goal. On this life timeline, even with the other castle companions, the overall strength of the individual was much weaker than theirs. So what could they do?
This was an extremely difficult question, but the other party did not give Han Su enough time to think about it.

Ahead of Gao Lie, a series of mental assaults were already hitting him, gradually slowing his progress. Han Su knew that the strongest opponent that Hei Tai Zhuo had arranged with all his might had arrived.

He is a traitorous itinerant knight from the Southern Continent. He originally belonged to the Guardians of the World organization, but now he has become the leader of the Red Palm Knights, the third-ranked mercenary group in the world.

This is also the biggest opponent Han Su has faced since he set off, and he should go all out.

However, if one deliberately suppresses their own level breakthrough now, they will be constrained and may even suffer a setback.

"Unless Mr. Butcher possesses a large quantity of brain-strengthening injections, he can break through to his full potential and have enough room to maneuver against the Guardians..."

At the same moment, Miss Ai’s voice rang out softly, with a hidden meaning. Han Su’s first reaction was that it was impossible. The brain and spinal cord strengthening injection was also a strategic material of the Guardians of the World. How could it be so easy to obtain?
Moreover, even if we could get it, there wouldn't be enough time.

But this thought only lasted a moment before he suddenly realized what was happening. At that moment, he felt a slight tingling on his scalp, unable to describe whether it was surprise or shock. After a long while, he finally said:
"No way?"

(End of this chapter)