Listening to the narration, Feng Qi was reminded of his earlier encounter in the Flesh Cavern.
At that time, he had lured Little Black into the Flesh Cavern, using the distraction of its battle with the Goat-Headed Demons to destroy their revered idol and eliminate the unique lifeform housed within it.
It was through this act that he had gained his innate ability, "Blood Source."
So… are they now treating me as that idol?
[Well, well, looks like at this rate, you're heading down the pet-raising route. First was Suction Cup, then the Goat-Headed Demons. What's next on your roster of pets?]
Feng Qi rolled his eyes at the comment and turned his gaze toward the kneeling Goat-Headed Demons, asking:
"Hey, Narrator, any idea how I can get them to stand up and clear a path?"
[How should I know? Maybe try saying… "Rise, my loyal subjects"?]
Feng Qi: …
He raised his middle finger toward the sky in response. Stepping forward cautiously, he noticed that as he moved as though preparing to leave, the Goat-Headed Demons immediately stood and cleared a path for him.
Feng Qi walked through the opening without hesitation. When he turned to look back, he saw that the Goat-Headed Demons had all risen and were now following him.
Once he stopped walking, they, too, halted, raised their hands high, and dropped to their knees in unison.
Realizing they posed no threat, Feng Qi chose to ignore them and sprinted toward the city ruins. Surprisingly, the Goat-Headed Demons trailed behind him like loyal bodyguards.
After running for about half an hour, Feng Qi arrived at the city ruins again.
The area had deteriorated even further since his last visit. Building rubble and fragments of stone were everywhere, and many structures were barely holding together, supported only by the plants that had overgrown them. Without this natural reinforcement, they would have long since collapsed.
As he walked along the desolate streets, Feng Qi began to formulate a new idea. Unlike Suction Cup, which lacked self-awareness and made it impossible to collaborate on hunting Domain Creatures, these Goat-Headed Demons clearly had a degree of intelligence. Perhaps he could communicate with them and enlist their help in capturing prey, leaving the final blow to him.
This strategy could significantly boost his strength in a short period.
Turning around, he began gesturing at the Goat-Headed Demons, attempting some form of communication.
But every time he turned, the creatures would kneel again, raising their hands and muttering some kind of prayer in a language he didn't understand.
After a futile attempt at interaction, Feng Qi gave up on the idea and resolved to find another way to hunt.
However, he soon realized his plan wasn't as straightforward as he'd hoped.
Any Domain Creature they encountered on their journey would immediately flee upon seeing the massive procession behind him, denying him any opportunity to hunt.
The Goat-Headed Demons, true to their role as bodyguards, did not attack anything proactively. They simply followed him, scanning the surroundings vigilantly.
Despite this, their presence did provide some benefits. The path ahead was now unobstructed, unlike his earlier journey when activating his Blood Source ability had forced him to dodge and take alternate routes.
The route to the abandoned hospital was one he had traversed many times.
Climbing up a tall building, Feng Qi surveyed the area for Little Black's whereabouts.
As expected, Little Black was making its way from the Bone Pile Zone, its shrouded, foggy form clearly visible even from a distance.
Casting a glance at the Goat-Headed Demons who had followed him up, Feng Qi ignored them and scanned the city ruins. Something peculiar caught his eye.
It seemed that any Domain Creature he had personally killed no longer reappeared.
For instance, the Nightmare at the city ruins' entrance, the ape-like Domain Creature, and even the Crimson-Eyed Entity—all were conspicuously absent.
The most notable case was the Crimson-Eyed Entity. He had encountered it multiple times before, but ever since killing it and gaining the "Malice" ability, it had vanished completely.
[I have a theory: any creature you personally kill gets erased from the timeline. It's not just their death—they cease to exist altogether. This effectively removes any trace of their presence in other timelines. But that only applies to beings you've killed. Domain Creatures slain by others, like Little Black, still appear in other timelines.]
[Of course, this is just speculation. After all, Little Black killed the Crimson-Eyed Entity multiple times, and it still reappeared. But you kill it once, and it's gone for good.]
Hearing the Narrator's reasoning, Feng Qi nodded thoughtfully. It made sense.
Leaping off the building, he stumbled a bit upon landing but quickly regained his footing. Behind him, the Goat-Headed Demons jumped down in unison, their landings producing heavy thuds on the ground.
He continued toward the location of the Crimson Research Institute's secret base.
With the Goat-Headed Demons acting as his protectors, the journey proceeded without any unexpected interruptions.
Far off in the distance, massive figures clashed in the sky, their battle illuminating the heavens in bursts of light and shadow. The resounding booms echoed like thunder, audible even from miles away.
Clearly, not all Domain Creatures were united—there were internal conflicts among them as well.
The idea suddenly occurred to Feng Qi: could he somehow incite infighting among the Domain Creatures? If he could divide their forces or even start a war among them, humanity might gain a moment to breathe.
But the thought quickly evaporated. It was nothing more than idle speculation; he had no feasible plan to make it happen.
After a brief detour into wild musings, he chose to refocus on his current task. Beneath the crimson moonlight, Feng Qi led the Goat-Headed Demons through the ruins of the city. After traversing the desolate landscape for an indeterminate length of time, the abandoned hospital finally appeared in his line of sight.
From a distance, he could see Suction Cup squatting on the hospital rooftop, her hands resting between her knees as she gazed blankly at the blood moon.
The sight tugged at his heartstrings.
It wasn't hard to imagine how many years of loneliness Suction Cup had endured. She had remained here, witnessing the transition of human civilization from its peak to its collapse, all while being the sole survivor.
She had no clear path ahead, only a life of endless solitude and uncertainty.
[Feeling bad for her now? Didn't seem to stop you from leaving her behind when it suited you.]
The Narrator's words interrupted his moment of melancholy, snapping him out of his thoughts. Shaking off the sorrow, he led the Goat-Headed Demons toward the abandoned hospital.
As they approached the hospital grounds, he looked up and called out:
"Suction Cup!"
At the sound of his voice, Suction Cup, who had been gazing at the moon, turned her head toward him. Her dull gray eyes immediately lit up, faint starlight gleaming in their depths.
Without hesitation, she leapt from the rooftop, descending toward him in a blur of motion.
The Goat-Headed Demons immediately sprang into action. Green flames ignited in the air before them, their hands raised in preparation to attack.
But Suction Cup's speed was astonishing. Before they could launch their fiery assault, she had already landed directly in Feng Qi's arms.
Feng Qi stroked her head with a smile, his expression softening.
Seeing that Suction Cup hadn't harmed Feng Qi, the Goat-Headed Demons exchanged confused glances. They seemed unable to comprehend what had just transpired.
Suction Cup, for her part, did not react aggressively toward the Goat-Headed Demons. She simply stood there, entirely at ease.
Feng Qi wasn't surprised by her calm demeanor. Suction Cup only ever attacked when he was threatened or when an approaching target exuded clear hostility. Her heightened perception allowed her to react instinctively, eliminating threats with overwhelming force.
Since the Goat-Headed Demons harbored no ill intent toward him, they didn't trigger Suction Cup's aggression.
After affectionately ruffling Suction Cup's hair, Feng Qi continued forward, making his way into the abandoned hospital.
The interior had changed slightly since his last visit. While it was still overgrown with weeds, moss now covered much of the walls.
"Narrator, guide me."
[Take a left ahead, walk about fifteen meters, then turn right. The hidden door should be there. Seriously, do I have to do all the thinking for you? Pfft.]
"Got it."
Ignoring the snide comment, Feng Qi followed the instructions, arriving at the designated area. He cleared away the surrounding vegetation, revealing a cracked floor beneath. Clenching his fist, he punched the ground with force.
"Thud!"
With a dull sound, the floor shattered completely.
After removing the broken debris, a black metal hatch came into view, its surface adorned with a blinking light.
According to Wei Wei's earlier explanations, his genetic data was preserved in the system, meaning he wouldn't have to resort to brute force to access the specially crafted hatch.
But he wasn't entirely sure how to activate the system to verify his identity.
[If it's a genetic scanner, it'll need your blood. Try smearing your blood evenly across the hatch and see if it works.]
"Evenly smear my blood?"
Feng Qi: …
Choosing the simpler route, he pricked his finger with a nail, letting a single drop of blood fall onto the hatch's light.
The red light shifted to green, and after a few seconds of waiting, the hatch slowly retracted inward and slid to the side, revealing a descending passageway.
Cradling Suction Cup in his arms, Feng Qi stepped into the corridor.
Behind him, the Goat-Headed Demons followed closely, their protective formation reminiscent of a royal escort.
The passage led to the underground plaza of the Crimson Research Institute's secret base. Feng Qi didn't stop to examine the information behind the surrounding iron doors but instead headed straight to the elevator at the plaza's far end.
Pressing the elevator's down button, he waited as a green light scanned over him.
A few moments later, an electronic voice spoke:
"Access granted. Welcome home, Feng Qi."
With a metallic clink, the custom-made elevator doors slowly rose, revealing a metallic chamber within.
He stepped inside, followed by the Goat-Headed Demons. The elevator quickly filled with their bulky forms, though a few stragglers still tried to squeeze in.
Because of their persistence, the elevator's motion sensors were triggered, preventing the doors from closing. A warning light blinked, accompanied by an automated alert:
"Obstruction detected. Please clear the area to allow the elevator to function."
Hearing the Narrator's comment, Feng Qi promptly kicked the Goat-Headed Demon blocking the elevator's sensor.
"Move. You're in the way."
The demon stumbled backward, flying two meters before collapsing in a daze. Its confused expression barely registered before the elevator's metallic doors finally slid shut.
Watching the doors close, Feng Qi suddenly had a thought and asked, "Narrator, do you think this special metal door could hold off Little Black?"
[Let me remind you of that one time in a future dream when Little Black scared off a giant beast of the sky. Now, do some soul-searching—do you think it could? Really?]
"But what if it can?" Feng Qi muttered stubbornly.
[Ha. Sure, keep telling yourself that. Remember, wisdom is knowing not to argue with an idiot.]
Feng Qi: …
The metal elevator lacked any buttons to select a floor. As soon as the doors closed, the sensation of weightlessness washed over him. However, it lasted only a few seconds before the doors opened again, this time revealing a compact underground plaza.
The room was filled with various instruments. At its center, much like the Star City Shelter, stood a control console flanked by two massive screens.
Seeing the familiar setup, Feng Qi's heart raced with anticipation. This place might hold the Star City Shelter's access credentials—or answers to the countless questions plaguing him.
Wasting no time, he approached the console. After a brief search, he located the "Power On" button and pressed it.
With a mechanical hum, the console sprang to life. The screens flickered before settling on an options interface.
[Gene Technology Database]
[Domain Creature Analysis Database]
[Microbiology Projects Database]
[Spiritual Plant Analysis Database]
[Intelligence Collection Database]
…
Feng Qi's gaze landed on the last option: Search.
He clicked it immediately.
One thing was certain: this database wasn't connected to the outside world. Wei Wei had made that abundantly clear. Trying to search for external information here would be futile.
But the database had to contain information intended for him.
After a moment's thought, Feng Qi typed in the keyword "Little Black" into the search bar.
Almost instantly, a list of results populated the screen. At the top was a video file.
He clicked it.
The footage began with an elderly man, his hair completely white, dressed in the crimson uniform of the institute. He was standing in a laboratory surrounded by an array of intricate instruments.
The old man stared directly into the camera, his expression grave as he spoke:
"For this single Black Mist Particle, our Crimson Research Institute has paid a heavy price. Eighty-nine of our warriors have perished. I hope all our sacrifices will prove worthwhile. Now, I will begin studying this particle. The entire process will be recorded. Edit out the unnecessary parts later."
As his words concluded, the video transitioned abruptly.
The screen displayed a field of pure white, almost blinding in its brightness. Slowly, the camera zoomed in, revealing a tiny black speck.
The closer the lens got, the clearer the black speck became. It seemed to be footage from an electron microscope. As the magnification increased, the black speck was revealed to be a small, circular insect.
The creature appeared agitated, thrashing violently from side to side. However, it seemed bound by some invisible force, unable to escape.
The video shifted again, returning to the elderly researcher.
This time, his expression was even more serious as he addressed the camera:
"It's hard to fathom. The Black Mist Particle on Little Black's body is composed of nanoscale insects. What we perceive as black mist is actually an aggregation of these nanobots."
"These nanobots are made from unknown materials, seemingly indestructible. Intricate patterns resembling arrays are etched onto their surfaces, and they possess the ability to devour energy. More astonishingly, these nanobots can assemble into unique biological forms."
Hearing this, Feng Qi's heart skipped a beat.
Nanobots?
He immediately recalled Mo Fei's earlier message. Mo Fei had mentioned that the core members of the Institute of Technological Research were developing a type of nanobot capable of integrating with spiritual energy—a so-called "spiritual-energy nanobot."
The institute's ultimate goal was to embed Rune Crystals into these nanobot assemblies, transforming them into specialized super-soldiers.
At the time, Mo Fei had found the idea unbelievable.
Yet later, he had personally participated in designing the external framework for the spiritual-energy nanobots. He had even encouraged Feng Qi to bring back as much advanced technological knowledge as possible, believing it could advance the project.
Now, chills ran down Feng Qi's spine.
Could Little Black… be one of the Institute of Technological Research's spiritual-energy super-soldiers?