[Jian Neriya had left the team]

[Qiu Ran had left the team]

They all left, and it was for the best. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Although the Metro Brotherhood was likable, these people were more pragmatic than anyone else.

By agreeing to take in the Ersha Infected individuals who were experiment bodies, not only could they gain a group of young and robust members to expand their strength, but these teenagers in possession of Arcane Energy were also excellent warrior material.

In the end, how many would truly be able to return home?

Li Aozi didn’t know; the hope was very slim.

Those from Frost Plated might have a chance to return home, but having been detached from society for many years, they might have already been declared dead, and finding their relatives would be a very difficult task.

Returning as Mingji Humanity Experiment Bodies, would the research and experiments on Mingji People’s bodies lead to their silencing by Frost Plated?

And what about the experiment bodies from the Outer World?

Most of them were likely born to wandering families from the Outer World, with no fixed abode and no contact among themselves, virtually eliminating the possibility of reuniting with their families.

Moreover, having been captured from a young age and staying long term in Mingji Humanity, many of the children had not reached adulthood and barely possessed any survival skills.

Li Aozi could only choose to hand them over to the Metro Brotherhood, where at least in this collective, they could survive on their own by utilizing the power of Arcane Energy.

After all, it was better than staying in Mingji Humanity and being turned into Ersha Armament in the end.

"I’ve done all that I could; from now on, it’s up to their own fate," Li Aozi shook his head.

There is no charity in the Outer World; everyone is looking out for themselves. Even his actions were selfish, meant to make himself feel a bit better.

After all, compared to being a hero, Li Aozi preferred to be a happy fool. As long as one doesn’t choose [Intelligence] ([Will]), one won’t feel pain.

"Thinking about how to improve the world is a philosopher’s and revolutionary’s task, and I just want to hitch a ride and wait for the pleasure," he thought to himself.

Li Aozi felt a weight lifted off his chest. Now that Qiu Ran had been sent away, without any concerns, he could act freely.

"The Dominator Form is still a bit too scary; right now on Azure Star, I am the only true [Mutant]. If I transform in front of people, I might be seen as an alien or a monster, right?"

He walked up the stairs, returning to the third-floor power room’s main hall. As he pushed the door open, the energy storage barrel of a Magnum Burst Energy Gun immediately aimed at him.

"Don’t I get an explanation?"

Du Zexin, tilting his head, said indifferently.

"Your body isn’t bad you know, you even woke up, but your words are like those of a resentful woman—" Li Aozi joked.

But he forgot that in Frost Plated, people’s mindsets are rather liberal. Du Zexin slightly leaned back and cautiously said:

"Sorry, my sexual orientation is quite normal, I am a conservative."

"No problem, no problem, being straight is also good—"

Li Aozi shrugged, and before he could finish his sentence, a gravitational field suddenly captured the other party, flung him upward, and Du Zexin immediately slammed into the ceiling.

Bang!

Before he could adapt to his sense of direction, Li Aozi’s blade was already pointed at his throat:

"I had spared you; why are you immediately pointing at me?"

[Beautiful Wish BETA]’s deputy monitor was emitting white light; Li Aozi pursed his lips and whispered:

"Turn off the recorder and the black box, Du Zexin."

Du Zexin stopped resisting. Li Aozi had no intent to kill, and continuing the fight was pointless; all the various indicator lights on his body shut down.

Li Aozi shrugged, were it not for his mastery of [Gravity], Du Zexin might be resting here for good.

"Don’t be nervous, Du Mei—Mr. Du Zexin, I mean no harm to you."

"No harm?"

As Du Zexin sprawled on the ceiling with a blade pointed at his neck, he found the other’s words amusing no matter how he heard them.

"Why don’t you explain to me, what do you mean by ’no harm’?"

"You’re a smart man; I won’t argue with you—how about this, I just need three sentences to dispel your wariness."

Du Zexin tilted his head, his disdain unhidden.

Li Aozi deliberately lowered his voice and said:

"First statement: David Lyn was secretly judged at the Twin Palaces and is imprisoned on Elf Island."

Du Zexin was taken aback, quite astonished.

"Second statement: President of Frost Plated, Madeleine Austavia, and Prime Minister Chi Jieya of Sky Ring Country can’t reach a consensus on territorial disputes, and a war between the two countries is inevitable."

Du Zexin retracted his chin; even through the helmet, Li Aozi could feel his tense nerves.

"Third statement: Elf Island is in the sea but has no water."

Snap!

The face armor opened up around him, and Du Zexin’s expression became solemn. His deep blue, almost purple eyes looked intently at him, asking in a deep voice:

"Are you from the David Lyn Faction? How could you know all this?"

Seeing this, Li Aozi smiled and extended his hand:

"Allow me to introduce myself—I’m Li Aozi, a short-lived ghost with not much time left. Ethnically, I am also a Frost Plated person, and people of ambition like David Lyn are truly what the Frost Plated ethnicity needs."

Du Zexin hesitated for a moment and then cautiously shook his hand:

"I know you, so I won’t say much. You intentionally left me behind; what do you want from me?"

"Talking with a smart person really saves trouble,"

Li Aozi nodded and pointed upwards:

"Above us is the cruel Mingji Humanity Laboratory—you were sent on a task to supply Mingji Humanity, right?"

"Indeed. But I’m not clear on what Mingji Humanity is researching; the higher-ups have remained extremely secretive..." Du Zexin nodded.

"Put simply, Mingji Humanity is directed by the female rulers of Frost Plated, who are conducting human experiments without any scruples here, attempting to enable all women of Frost Plated to master Arcane Energy—thereby fully realizing a society where women domineer over men..."

Li Aozi summarized the information from Dr. Chen Siqi and his own observations for Du Zexin.

Experiments on infants, Ersha Armament, Infant Eaters, internal power struggles within Mingji, Psychic Communication... The more Du Zexin heard, the worse his expression became.

"Have the higher-ups gone mad? Isn’t it enough that they’ve spoiled women into privileged figures, and now they want to completely reverse the differences between genders, which is utterly against nature!"

Du Zexin couldn’t help but curse loudly.

No evidence from Li Aozi was needed when there were Ersha Armament corpses everywhere. The sight of those hairless youths with numb expressions, vacant eyes, and grotesquely malformed bodies profoundly shocked Du Zexin.

As someone who had climbed up from the lower ranks through academics, Du Zexin felt a stronger resonance with the sight of families of young people falling apart and their dislocation; he went forward and began examining the corpses of the Ersha Armament personally, feeling intense turmoil inside.

"My country has actually done such things for women... to harm these young children..."

Du Zexin clenched his fists, his emotions deeply shaken.

He had only just joined the Third Rule Department through his problem-solving skills and was still unaware of the anti-human activities Frost Plated had conducted.

The issue of gender discrimination in Frost Plated had escalated to the level of crimes against humanity, something unimaginable for Du Zexin.

"I guess when he sees David Lyn’s government toppled, his family murdered, the members of the Innovation Faction dismembered and burned, and Sky Ring taking the opportunity to invade... his passionate patriotism will completely cool down."

thought Li Aozi.

He approached the kneeling Du Zexin and said,

"If you don’t believe me, then why not come with me to check the second level."

It was hard for Du Zexin not to believe him, but his faith in the country made it difficult for him to voice agreement with Li Aozi, the ’Defector’."

He shook his head and countered,

"You mentioned the second level... What’s there?"

"The Professor, and so-called ’Ersha Infected Individuals’."

said Li Aozi.

"All along this route, I haven’t seen a single Ersha Infected Individual. I suspect the Professor has already taken action, gathering those infected on the second level."

With a heavy heart, Du Zexin said, "A [Biochemist], who should have been using knowledge and strength to save human lives and prevent virus harm, is instead using it here..."

Li Aozi shook his head, "Hard to say, there are quite a few like them."

"Then they all belong to disgusting scum."

Disgust was evident in Du Zexin’s tone:

"For her own thirst for knowledge, has she even abandoned her own students?"

"So, what do you think?"

Li Aozi extended his hand:

"Would you join me in this fight? It may diminish your homeland’s martial strength, but the outcome of all women gaining Arcane Energy might lead to the next generation of children being born deformed, intellectually disabled, and monstrosities."

"If my country, for such martial strength, abandons humanity, justice, and the future of the next generation, then it isn’t a country for which I should be fighting."

Du Zexin still kept his guard up, although he had come to trust much of what Li Aozi said, it couldn’t completely change his views.

"I will go up with you to see and search for the truth."

Du Zexin reached out his hand and firmly shook Li Aozi’s:

"This doesn’t mean I’m siding with you, but just forming a temporary alliance."

[’Du Zexin’ has joined your team]

[Current Favorability: 57 (Normal)]

"That’s enough."

With Du Zexin joining, Li Aozi felt even more confident about completing the task, perhaps not even needing to transform.

[Sovereign Form] is a move of [Mutant] promoted to Alpha Stage (α, the first Greek letter), where many players rely on transforming to burst out and either kill the boss instantly or escape using increased speed.

He led the other into the elevator and pressed the button for the second floor.

Beep—

A camera extended from the control panel toward Li Aozi; a synthetic female voice sounded from the speaker:

[Access to this floor requires authorization. Please undergo iris verification]

Li Aozi took out Anna’s eyeball and aligned the pupil with the camera of the probe.

A faint red scanning light swept across the eyeball several times, flickering momentarily before the elevator began to operate.

[Verification Successful]

[Proceeding to—Basement Level 2]

Just as Li Aozi put away the eyeball and relaxed, Du Zexin, who had a high Intelligence attribute, suddenly realized something. He scanned the elevator and noticed drag marks of blood on the floor; he then looked at Li Aozi and asked,

"Where is Professor Anna’s body?"

"What body?"

Li Aozi blurted out, then hesitated.

—As they had been walking, Professor Anna’s body had disappeared.

Not only that, Li Aozi also remembered carefully, realizing, that Head Nurse Nodley’s body, which he had left in the ICU ward before escorting Qiu Ran and the others away, had also seemingly vanished all of a sudden.

Anna, Nodley... their bodies had disappeared.

Li Aozi had not yet fully grasped the mysterious beginnings and causal relationships involved when the elevator jolted beneath his feet.

[Arrived at Basement Level 2]