Chapter 112
Chapter 112
“Holy thunder!”
Qin Lan sprang from the bed as if someone had installed a coil beneath him.
That voice was far too familiar.
Xue Chuan!
It was absolutely that idi–that guy!
But… how was that possible?!
Xue Chuan had clearly sacrificed himself for the greater good and died gloriously. He had entered the spatial fissure and left no remains. They had even chosen a plaza and erected a memorial monument in his honor.
Qin Lan had finished writing the eulogy and asked the school’s Chinese Teacher to polish it.
How was he alive again?
“Wait…”
“I remember him saying the fissure connected to a space resembling a transit hub…”
“The other end connected to the world where anomalies existed.”
“Did he mean an instance? Did the fissure randomly send him into one? But weren’t the anomalies inside instances projections rather than their true bodies?”
Qin Lan’s thoughts became a tangled mess, his mind stuffed with question marks. He was bewildered and overjoyed at once.
Whatever the truth, he had to go to Luan Zimo.
Even if this was another trap set by the Abyss, Qin Lan had to confirm it for himself.
“It seems you really do know something?” Luan Zimo keenly caught the change in him. “Do you know the person–or thing–that sent the message?”
Qin Lan quickly calmed himself in the face of her probing.
“Coordinates.”
“Give me the instance’s coordinates!”
Rather than hurry, Luan Zimo adopted the teasing tone of someone watching a show.
“Oh?”
“I thought you were busy? In a terrible mood?”
“Now I’m in a rather bad mood myself, and I can’t seem to remember the instance’s coordinates. Whatever shall we do?”
Qin Lan was speechless.
This woman truly held a grudge.
But he needed something from her. He had no choice.
After a brief moment of thought, Qin Lan recalled the mysterious Han Chan’s teachings.
“What did Han say back then…? Oh, right. Compliments put women in a better mood.”
Qin Lan composed himself and spoke with great sincerity.
“Luan Zimo.”
“You’re quite beautiful.”
She froze.
Luan Zimo had never imagined he would suddenly say something like that.
She was about to answer when she heard the rest.
“Your waist is actually pretty slim, your chest is huge, and your ass is unbelievably perky.”
Qin Lan added one final observation.
“Perkiest of any girl I’ve ever seen.”
Dead silence.
Luan Zimo did not speak, but any normal human being could have sensed the storm steadily gathering on the other end.
Qin Lan did not.
“That should do it, right?” He rubbed his chin. “Han said girls are suckers for compliments. Tell them they have a pretty face, big chest, slim waist, and perky ass, and they’ll be happy…”
After five full seconds of silence, Luan Zimo’s voice came through the communicator, cold as snow in February.
“Qin…”
“Where are you right now?”
“Wait there… I’ll find you very soon… even if you’re at the ends of the earth…”
Warmth filled Qin Lan’s heart.
Wow. Han’s advice really worked!
She had refused to give him the coordinates a moment ago. Now she was worried he might be too far away and wanted to pick him up personally.
How could he trouble her like that?
Qin Lan politely declined Luan Zimo’s “invitation.”
“It’s fine. Don’t go to all that trouble… Send me the coordinates and I’ll leave shortly.”
“We can talk when I arrive.”
Then he disconnected.
“Mm. Luan Zimo isn’t as frightening as everyone claims…” Qin Lan nodded in satisfaction.
“It seems I misunderstood her in the instance. She certainly fights viciously and speaks sharply, but she’s actually rather considerate.”
Far away in the Central Region, Luan Zimo’s face looked like ice frozen for centuries.
She had crushed the communicator in her hand.
“He dared say something so outrageous… and then arrogantly hung up on me?”
Luan Zimo ground her teeth, forcing out each word individually.
The Anomaly Hunters around her were white-faced and scarcely dared breathe.
What happened to people who offended Luan Zimo?
Most of those who had experienced it were no longer capable of speaking.
“Good. Very good… Qin Lan… I hope you truly have the courage to meet me.”
“I’ll teach you the meaning of real despair…”
Her voice was frighteningly cold.
…
“You have news about Xue Chuan?”
Luo Yue’s head shot up, astonishment covering her face.
“That’s right. A friend in the Central Region gave me the information,” Qin Lan said seriously.
Well, perhaps “friend” was not entirely accurate.
“I can’t tell whether it’s real yet, but I’m going there… If he’s still alive, I’ll bring him back!”
Seeing Qin Lan’s determination, Luo Yue also relaxed.
She did not know Xue Chuan well. She had simply worried because Qin Lan had been in such a poor state recently.
Now his vitality had returned.
The change comforted her.
Lu Xingshan’s sacrifice and the loss of so many friends and colleagues had caused Luo Yue the same profound pain, but she understood better than most how much pressure Qin Lan carried.
Three years.
He had only three short years to surpass Lu Xingshan. Only then would he have a chance against the being from the Abyss when it broke through the seal again.
Aside from Qin Lan, Luo Yue, and a handful of others, no one knew the truth about the Abyss.
Everyone believed the crisis had ended, and the former relaxed atmosphere gradually returned.
The lingering shadow and crushing responsibility rested entirely on Qin Lan’s shoulders.
He could have fled.
He chose to stay.
Luo Yue was several years older than Qin Lan.
She had watched his progress since the day he joined the Anomaly Hunter Bureau and marveled at his growth.
Because of Lu Xingshan, she had also taken an interest in this young man who had only recently turned nineteen.
She was curious about his Talent and his strength.
As their lives intersected more often, Luo Yue gradually began to care for him as though looking after a younger brother.
She no longer watched only his progress. She worried about his safety too.
She had always been gentle and kind.
That was precisely why she understood how exhausting Qin Lan’s burdens were, and why her eyes had reddened when he decided to enter the fissure.
“You’re going to the Central Region?”
Luo Yue carefully studied the coordinates and offered a kind warning. “The Central Region is enormous. Far larger than you imagine.”
“Compared to it, Safe Zone 088 is one grain of rice in a whole barrel…”
“If you get tired, you can come back anytime.”
A long-absent smile returned to Luo Yue’s face, gentle warmth in her eyes.
“Remember, this will always be your home.”
Qin Lan nodded softly. “I know.”
His childhood memories were not particularly pleasant.
But Qin Lan had met many people here and made many memories.
As Luo Yue said, this place was his home.
That was why he had insisted on making the Qianshan Hospital incident public–to clear out the insects hiding in his home’s dark corners.
Now Qin Lan was heading somewhere far broader.
He boarded the dedicated train.
Through the window, he took one final look at the city.
Then his gaze shifted to the distant horizon.
“The Central Region…”