Forty-nine rules of the end times

Chapter 326 Origin Tracing Brigade
"It finally came out..."

Outside the northern border of Beixing, several people wearing trench coats took off their hoods, revealing young faces.

"Fortunately, the authorities haven't deployed many personnel here, otherwise it would be difficult to leave the country."

"Yes. After all, we ran away from the academy, so the authorities must be taking it very seriously and are searching for us everywhere."

"It may also be related to the fact that many border guards have been transferred away. I saw someone online saying that Soma and Beixing have been frequently moving troops recently."

As the group was talking, they noticed one of them was silent and asked him a question.

"Lu Cheng, what's wrong?"

"Exactly, you haven't said a word since leaving the academy. Did you regret it?"

"You surely know what the consequences will be if the academy finds out we're spore addicts!"

Lu Cheng remained silent, facing the gazes of the group.

He knew what the consequences of being discovered would be, which is why he decided to run away from the academy with several other addicts.

The thought that all my efforts have gone to waste inevitably gives me a sense of déjà vu.

I studied so hard before, hoping to graduate with excellent grades and be assigned to a good department. Later, I learned that there was an opportunity to be assigned to the Countermeasures Research Office...

Lu Cheng's heart sank, and he couldn't help but feel a bit of resentment towards Dean Zhou Qinfeng.

If Zhou Qinfeng hadn't told him about the allocation of the countermeasures research office, perhaps he could have pulled back from the brink and sought help in time, instead of ending up in this predicament.

But it's too late to say anything now; he's become a spore addict, so much so that he can no longer pretend to attend classes like a normal person.

Staying in the academy would surely expose him, so he had no choice but to escape.

"Forget it, just ignore him. He probably can't accept reality and still thinks he's a top student in the academy!"

"Wouldn't it be better to reach the Kingdom of Seri than to be a top student? No matter how good you are, you're still doomed in the face of the rules of the apocalypse! The Kingdom of Seri is different. If we can get to our home planet, we won't have to suffer from the Fire Thieves at all."

"That's so right!"

The group discussed the topics of the Celestial Kingdom and the Spore Mother Planet with great interest.

They believe that the official statements about spores and parasites are deliberately demonizing, a form of slander stemming from the fear of advanced societies by backward societies.

That's right, in their view, human society is a backward society.

In the spore society, everyone gathers amicably in front of a magnificent palace, enjoying peace and happiness—a dreamlike scene that is what an advanced society should have.

What they need to do now is escape backwardness and head to the advanced land of the Seri Kingdom.

And they hoped that one day they could leave Tianshui Star and go to the Spore Mother Star, which has countless magnificent palaces, so that they could escape the nightmare of rules created by the Fire Stealers and gain true liberation.

Lu Cheng was different from them.

He knew that he was consciously falling into depravity.

He doesn't try to glorify himself; he knows he's just a weak-willed drug addict who's gone astray.

He didn't believe that the Kingdom of Seri was some kind of paradise or a promised land. He wasn't going there on a pilgrimage; he simply wanted to obtain more spores, nothing more.

Therefore, he couldn't connect with the other fanatics at all.

At this moment, the group brought up the matter of Beixing and Soroma mobilizing troops again, their expressions full of contempt.

"They're just overestimating themselves. How could such mortals possibly destroy a sacred divine kingdom?"

"Sending a large army there would only bring shame upon ourselves!"

"The advanced will surely defeat the backward and barbaric. Let's just wait and see."

Before even reaching the Kingdom of Seri, the group already considered themselves citizens of the kingdom. Lu Cheng had nothing to say to them, feeling tormented by spore addiction, his whole body aching unbearably, and only wanting to get on his way as quickly as possible. Without uttering a word, he started walking.

His arrogant and dismissive attitude completely enraged the group, who quickly ran up and surrounded him.

"Lu Cheng, are you still putting on airs at the academy?"

"Could it be that he's going to infiltrate the Kingdom of Gods?"

Lu Cheng looked at the group, his eyes initially filled with anger, but slowly his gaze became somewhat strange and yearning.

This was the first time he had spoken to a group of people since leaving the academy.

“How could I forget… some of you are even more addicted than me. It’s been ten days since the rules ended, and instead of thinking about obtaining spores, you still have the mind to chat. Some of you must already be parasites…?”

He was talking to himself rather than addressing the group.

Upon hearing this, some of the men's expressions changed slightly, as if Lu Cheng had been right.

The next moment, blood gushed out.

"puff!"

One person clutched their neck and knelt down in disbelief.

The others were also stunned. They didn't expect Lu Cheng to make a move without warning, and that he would be an assassin!
“There must be parasites among you…that’s right…” Lu Cheng gripped a sharp blade made of mental energy in his hand, his face ruthless. “Instead of going to great lengths, I might as well get some spores from you first!”

"Stop, stop!"

"Lu Cheng, are you crazy?!"

"what!!!"

The screams, mixed with the smell of blood, lasted only a moment before subsiding.

Only a few corpses remained lying on the ground.

And Lu Cheng, who squatted down and made a smoking motion.

A short while later, Lu Cheng stood up, looking satisfied.

His judgment was correct; there was indeed a parasite among these people. Absorbing the parasite's spores finally brought him back from the brink of collapse after suffering from addiction symptoms for days.

"Ugh...ugh!"

Once he regained his senses, Lu Cheng looked at the gruesome corpses on the ground and couldn't help but gag a few times.

But he quickly stopped, his eyes turning cold. These guys got themselves into this mess.

Since they remember him as an outstanding student, they should also remember that an outstanding student's combat strength far surpasses that of an ordinary student.

Knowing the disparity in skill, yet still provoking them, is courting certain death.

"Although it has eased up a bit for now, the symptoms will definitely return in a few days... I need to get to the territory of the Black Flag Kingdom as soon as possible, where there is an inexhaustible supply of spores."

Lu Cheng quickly packed up and continued on his way to his destination.

……

After Guan Tong arrived in Yingqi, he could see many Beixing soldiers and armored vehicles on the streets and alleys.

Since the destruction of the Misawa family, there have been far too many people involved, so many that after all those people were thrown into prison, the entire Sakura Inori administration was no longer able to function properly.

Moreover, the parasite problem on Yingqi's side is equally serious. Even though some of them left immediately after learning about the establishment of the "Seri Kingdom", quite a few were left behind.

These factors combined have brought Sakuragi, now a nation, to the brink of collapse.

Taking one more step forward, this country will follow in the footsteps of most countries on Tianshui: its political system will dissolve, and its remaining citizens will become refugees and join other countries.

According to the principle of receiving people from the nearest location set by the Human Alliance, if this situation occurs, these migrants will undoubtedly be received by Beixing and become new Beixing people.

However, judging from Beixing's current practice of closing its borders, the decision-makers do not want this outcome.

Logically speaking, the addition of a large population should be a welcome development for every country in this era.

Guan Tong's guess was that there were too many parasites mixed in with Ying Qi's group. If Bei Xing were to take over, it would be like eating a chocolate with a poison pill; the harm might outweigh the benefit.

He met Shangyuan Zi at the former Basong manor, which the two are now using as a temporary base for their small organization.

Upon meeting, Shangyuan Zi first told him some news.

“Three days ago, Yingqi was placed under martial law. The military control was enforced by a unit transferred from Beixing.”

"Yes, I saw it when I entered the city. That's normal, isn't it? Sakura Inori's army is basically controlled by the Misawa family, so it's impossible for them to take power again."

Uehara Yukari nodded: "After the evidence was exposed and a large number of people involved were arrested, the Sakura Inori Army has been disbanded. Now only the Public Security Bureau remains, and the Director General has been replaced by Suzuki's former superior, a man named Yoshino."

"In addition, Suzuki was promoted to head of the Evidence Division... I think this might be related to you."

"Is it related to me?"

"Since Beixing knows the whole story, they will naturally prefer to put someone related to you in power. Besides, Suzuki contributed as a member of the investigation team, so this can be considered a reward."

"Hmm...did she tell you what she wanted to talk to me about?" Guan Tong asked.

Shangyuan Zi shook her head: "No."

"Never mind, we'll find out when we meet this afternoon."

"Guan Tong, if she were a parasite, what would you do?"

"Eliminate them." Guan Tong said without hesitation. "The parasites are no longer human; they are just monsters that retain the memories of their hosts. This was determined the moment they attacked humans."

Guan Tong believes that the parasite's aggressive behavior towards humans is an absolute blunder.

If the parasite can perform, or pretend to perform, peaceful coexistence with humans, it might be able to lull humans into complacency and even cultivate some "traitors".

However, when the parasite attacks humans because they refuse to transform, any human with a sound mind would never have the idea of ​​coexisting with such a monster.

Humanity will not stop until the parasites are completely eradicated from this planet.

Upon hearing this, Shang Yuanzi breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Seeing this, Guan Tong asked curiously, "Do you think I would have any other choice?"

"Yes. I am indeed a little worried that you might be too lenient because you have worked with her."

"...You must understand that the original host is already dead the moment it becomes a parasite. In this case, eliminating it is not heartless at all, but rather avenging the host."

"If I were a parasite possessed by spores, I would surely thank the person who destroyed the monster that took over my body if I knew this in the afterlife."

Uehara Zi: "I agree."

Guan Tong looked at her face, his gaze falling on the scales on her chin.

"It's starting to spread upwards again?"

Shangyuan Zi noticed Guan Tong's gaze and raised her hand to touch her chin: "The scales hadn't grown for a long time. But after Yuze Chun died, they started growing again, and very quickly."

"...Some of the abilities of your bloodlines are quite similar. Could there be some unknown connection between them?"

"That's what I think too, so I want to get some secret information from the Yuze family. There might be relevant records among them."

“Those documents should have been copied. The relevant departments in Beixing must have made a copy.” Guan Tong thought for a moment. “I’ll contact the countermeasures research office later to see if they can get you a copy.”

"Thank you so much."

"Since we are both members of the same organization, it is only natural for us to help each other. There is no need to say thank you."

Upon hearing Guan Tong's words, Shang Yuanzi asked, "Have you decided on a name for this organization?"

Not yet. Do you have any suggestions?

"You are the creator, so you should choose a name that is relevant to your goals and the organization's goals."

Guan Tong pondered for a moment: "Life is like a journey against the current, and we are all people rushing along. Since the end of the path we have chosen is the truth, let's name the organization 'Tracing the Origins Brigade'."

"The Origins Tracing Brigade?"

"how?"

"It's nothing. I thought you would choose a name like 'Shadow Legion' that would be more fitting for you."

Guan Tong was speechless for a moment: "The purpose of establishing an organization is to find like-minded people, not to find bodyguards for myself. What you said is too outrageous."

Shangyuan Zi was clearly joking, but then she became serious: "From today onwards, I am a member of the Origin Tracing Brigade. I hope you, as the leader, will guide me in the future."

"The title 'commander' is... alright." Guan Tong accepted it. "Okay, let's work hard together from now on."

(End of this chapter)