After going through the emails, Feng Qi found answers to many of his long-held questions.
The messages confirmed that the Crimson Research Institute had been silently preparing a counter-infiltration salvation plan, aiming to sever the connection between the dark world and the real world at its source. They had also detected enemy forces lurking within human society, working to protect emerging talents from assassination attempts.
Still, Feng Qi had many unresolved questions.
He wanted to know if the Crimson Research Institute had identified the enemies hidden within humanity. Who were they really?
With these doubts in mind, he continued to scroll through the emails.
"Today, I talked to Wei Wei about the Path to Ascension, but she claimed to have never heard of it. This suggests that the Crimson Research Institute might have no connection to the Path to Ascension. However, it's also possible that Wei Wei herself doesn't know about it."
"After completing my physical examination today, I suddenly asked Wei Wei how old she really was. Without hesitation, she said, 'I'm eighteen.' At that moment, I wanted to ask her, 'Do you even believe yourself?'"
"The cloning plan for Little Suction Cup has finally made some progress! Check out this video showing what the little guy looks like in its early stages (video attachment). There's still a long way to go, though."
Feng Qi opened the video. On the screen, a small white tadpole-like creature swam energetically in a blue liquid.
["Wow, it looks pretty lively!"]
Feng Qi: …
Though it seemed like progress had been made, Feng Qi was certain that this wasn't the same Little Suction Cup from his visions.
From what he could deduce, Little Suction Cup's birth occurred after Mu Qing established the Dawn Rebellion, possibly even after her death.
In previous timelines, Mu Qing's body had always been handled with high confidentiality after her death.
He suspected that her body had been sent to the Crimson Research Institute to extract fresh genetic material and retrieve the special rune crystal embedded in her body.
Only then was Little Suction Cup officially created and later released by the institute during a crisis in Star City.
What puzzled him was this: If the Crimson Research Institute was truly on humanity's side, why did he die mysteriously at 29?
With lingering doubts, he continued reading the subsequent emails.
"Today, I participated in a high-level internal meeting at the Crimson Research Institute. Before attending, I underwent another round of comprehensive physical and mental evaluations. Everyone had to change into designated clothing in a secure area to ensure no listening devices were brought into the meeting.
During the meeting, I met several department heads from other divisions. After a vote, they agreed to officially include me in the core salvation plan. From now on, I'll be part of the effort to secure a future for humanity."
"At the meeting, I finally learned just how much the Crimson Research Institute has silently sacrificed to protect this world. Everyone involved has already mentally prepared themselves to face death if necessary.
Li Wuyi, the head of the Biochemical Division, told me that none of the institute's actions could be disclosed to the outside world. If exposed, the lurking enemy forces would undoubtedly target them and sabotage their plans.
This reminded me of a timeline where the dark forces learned about the Crimson Research Institute's plans through me, using me as an unwitting pawn to wreak havoc. Looking back, I feel so ashamed."
"During the meeting, I asked the institute's leaders a pressing question: Do they know who the enemies hiding among humanity are?
My question was met with unanimous silence.
Wei Wei finally broke the silence, revealing that they had captured agents of the dark forces before. However, these agents always chose to die rather than be interrogated. The implanted poison in their bodies would activate, causing rapid decay and leaving no trace behind."
"After officially joining the core project, I was finally allowed into the underground laboratory to see the Rune-Enhanced Humans, previously mistaken for domain-transcendent beings.
These individuals were researchers who had voluntarily sacrificed themselves for the experiments. Their contributions allowed the Rune-Enhanced Human project to progress steadily.
The ultimate goal of this project is to transform a group of strong individuals into pseudo-domain creatures, sending them into the dark world to locate and destroy the connection points between the two worlds.
If they never return, so be it. All respect to these brave souls."
"A major event occurred today: one of the Crimson Research Institute's branch bases was attacked. This base was located on the outskirts of Twilight City. Sound familiar?
Yes, it's the same base Mu Qing investigated in one of the timelines.
That investigation record made us suspect that Mu Qing's betrayal of humanity was connected to the Crimson Research Institute. We even speculated that the base held cruel experiment records of Rune-Enhanced Humans. Looking back now, it's clear we were wrong.
The current situation at the Crimson Research Institute is dire. It seems the dark forces have caught on to something and are probing for weaknesses. Destroying this branch base might just be the start of their testing.
The institute has issued a new mission to the domain combat squads, asking them to investigate the situation."
"In the aftermath of the Twilight City base's destruction, the institute held another meeting. Everyone agreed that there's a high chance part of the institute's secrets have been exposed.
The data stored at the Twilight City base was indeed sensitive. Moving forward, it's expected that the dark forces will launch more frequent and targeted actions against the institute.
I suspect that in one timeline, Mu Qing received an assignment from the Crimson Research Institute, which led her to annihilate the Twilight City base completely.
Her goal might have been to erase all data and clues, pushing her onto the path of becoming the feared World-Ending Overlord."
"Wei Wei was deeply saddened by the loss of the Twilight City base. A promising student of hers had been stationed there."
In the depths of winter, late at night, someone left the headquarters alone.
I followed, searching for a long time before finally finding her on a street corner outside the base.
She stood there in the biting cold, rubbing her hands together against the wind that carried temperatures of -20°C. Her eyes were vacant and lifeless, devoid of the passion and vitality she once had.
I could tell she was in immense pain.
Perhaps this is the heavy burden every "Pathfinder" must carry.
"Today, Wei Wei seemed much better emotionally. She brushed off her sorrow, saying she had grown used to it. Sadness can't be turned into strength, but anger can, and now she is brimming with motivation."
"She even joked, saying she wants to clone ten thousand Mu Qings to gang up on the dark forces. Haha."
"As an official core member of the Crimson Research Institute, I've recently taken on the task of analyzing rune crystals. My workload has increased significantly, often requiring me to stay in the lab for days on end. I may not be able to leave many messages in the future."
"I couldn't help but ask Wei Wei again about the rune crystal embedded in Mu Qing's body. This time, she didn't hide anything and revealed a major secret to me."
"She said that the rune crystal had existed since the founding of the Crimson Research Institute. It was reportedly obtained by the institute's first director from a mysterious individual."
"Oh, and I forgot to mention—"
"The first director of the Crimson Research Institute was the one who initially proposed the Rune-Enhanced Human Project. When the project was canceled, he fell into a deep slump. During that time, he encountered someone who gave him the rune crystal now in Mu Qing's body and helped him establish the institute."
"Wei Wei also said she had personally met this mysterious individual, who gave her something as well."
"I asked what it was, and she replied, 'Youth.'"
Reading this, Feng Qi's face showed visible confusion.
He began to suspect that Wei Wei's apparent eternal youth was a gift from this mysterious person.
But that only raised more questions.
Who was this mysterious individual, and why did they grant Wei Wei longevity?
And why give the rune crystal to the institute's first director?
As he pondered, his thoughts turned to the "mysterious girl" described by Lü Yue.
According to Lü Yue, she had lived for an unimaginably long time, constantly searching for miracles for humanity. Despite repeated failures, she never gave up. To Lü Yue, she was a miracle herself.
Could the mysterious person and the "mysterious girl" be the same?
With these doubts swirling, Feng Qi continued reading.
"When I pressed for details, Wei Wei admitted she didn't know what the mysterious individual looked like. She could only tell from the voice that it was a woman."
"Wei Wei jokingly speculated that this person might be an ancient monster, considering they've been around since the institute's founding. Anyone who's lived this long must be a monster, right?"
"Hearing this, I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow."
"Did Wei Wei consider herself while saying this?"
"Wei Wei said I've graduated and now have the ability to lead my own team. She informed me that I'll be heading to a newly built branch base as its director."
"Wow, I'm about to hit the peak of my career."
"Honestly, I've grown to love biological science. I'm confident I'll achieve great things in this field. Future me, just wait and see. I'm officially striking out on my own!"
"I've officially left Wei Wei's team and arrived at the new base. Headquarters even assigned three domain combat squads to ensure our safety. It's time to get to work and sprint toward a brighter future."
"Damn it, the base was hit by a probing attack from an unknown force. Thankfully, there were no casualties, but it seems the dark forces have set their sights on us. Will I meet another untimely death?"
"No way. I still want to contribute to humanity's rise. The butterfly's wings cannot be clipped just yet."
"The base was attacked again. I've requested reinforcements from headquarters, and ten domain combat squads are being sent to protect us. Meanwhile, I've moved all sensitive data to my private lab. If anything happens, I'll make sure it's all destroyed."
"Something big has happened. Our connection to headquarters has been severed, and the base's signals are being jammed. The dark forces seem to be preparing for an all-out assault. I hope we can hold out. If not, well… that's probably the end for me."
"Sitting in my private lab, I found myself wondering how I would die if this is truly my end."
"Humanity needs to advance under the shroud of lies. The Crimson Research Institute cannot reveal the existence of the dark forces to the public. Perhaps I'll die in a way that seems unremarkable in your eyes."
"The base's defenses have been breached. The dark forces are closing in on the core area where I am. I've destroyed all sensitive data—there's no way I'll let the secrets of the Rune-Enhanced Humans fall into their hands."
"The counter-infiltration plan must not be exposed to the dark forces."
"Now, I'll join the fight myself."
"It's been so long since I last trained, and I doubt I can change anything with my combat skills. But I refuse to die without a fight."
"This might be the last message I leave you. Unfortunately, I couldn't escape the fate of dying young."
"In my final moments, I've come to a realization: Our lives do have light. Thousands of me will continue to illuminate a path forward, even as I fade away."
"To you, the one who must bear this burden and keep moving forward, I wish you strength."
Feng Qi closed the messages and leaned back, his mind heavy with thought.
The sacrifices of countless individuals formed the fragile foundation upon which humanity's future rested. Despite the pain and the losses, their determination to push forward never faltered.
He stood up, gazing out the window at the distant stars.
"Life truly does have light," he murmured.