"You said he has no organization?" Zhao Yang asked. "None," Shui replied. "He doesn't need one. He just shows up—and people follow." "Were you drawn to him?" "I was paid." "And those possessed?" "They were infected by flesh nodes." "Have you seen Herlens himself?" "No. I've only seen his flesh."
Chen Mo:
"That sounds like you saw his toe."
Shui:
"I saw a part of him."
Zhong Li:
"Are you sure he's human?"
Shui:
"I'm not. He doesn't look human. He doesn't look like anything from Earth."
The courtyard fell silent. The particle man turned into a question mark, floating above Shui's head. The weather membrane gently retracted. Blood mist formed a barrier around the yard.
He Xuan sat in the corner, face pale.
"My father never told me any of this."
Zhao Yang:
"Is he still alive?"
He Xuan:
"I don't know. He's been missing for five years."
Zhong Li:
"Your father's time-type?"
He Xuan nodded.
"Stronger than me."
Hu Hao:
"Then maybe he's still strolling through some time segment."
Chen Mo:
"Or trapped in Herlens's timeline."
They began analyzing Herlens's behavior. Zhong Li pulled up magnetic field replays from the past thirty days, searching for anomalies before Shui's arrival.
He Xuan slowed time, examining Shui's magnetic field— and found faint foreign fluctuations inside him.
"Residual flesh node," He Xuan said.
Zhao Yang:
"You mean he was infected?"
He Xuan:
"Not infected. Modified."
Zhong Li:
"You mean he's Herlens's product?"
He Xuan:
"I mean he's Herlens's delivery."
Shui didn't argue. He just stared at the ground.
"I'm not a loyalist," he said. "I just complete assignments."
Zhao Yang:
"Do you know Herlens's goal?"
Shui:
"To become the ultimate lifeform."
Zhong Li:
"Do you know what he is?"
Shui:
"I don't. He's not human."
Zhong Li logged:
"Herlens · Goal: Evolution Obstacle: He Xuan's father Influence types: Loyalty / Infection / Contract Biological classification: Unknown"
They didn't press further. Shui had said enough. The rest—they'd have to uncover themselves.
Shui lowered his head, silent for a moment. Then looked up, a faint sneer on his lips.
"You think capturing me means you've won?" "He Xuan—your father is already dying." "And my boss—Herlens—is invincible."
The air tightened.
The particle man, still a question mark on the balcony, shuddered at the words. Its magnetic field surged— emergency construct activated.
Lu Ye looked up.
"It's moving."
The particle man began absorbing carbon crystals from the courtyard corner. Magnetic frequency spiked. Construct layer restructured. Its surface began transforming into diamond.
"It's evolving," Lu Ye whispered. "It's becoming a diamond particle man."
Zhong Li:
"Is it going to hit someone?"
Zhao Yang:
"Is it going to kill someone?"
Chen Mo:
"Is it going to hit someone really well?"
The particle man completed its transformation— a semi-transparent diamond form, arms like blades, magnetic resistance extremely high.
Shui tried to release carbonization waves— but the diamond particle man was unaffected.
Lu Ye:
"You can't carbonize it. It's no longer a carbon-based lifeform."
Shui stepped back. His magnetic field destabilized.
The particle man raised its arm— grabbed him— dragged him toward the crucible.
"You're insane," Shui struggled. "You can't use that thing."
Zhao Yang:
"You said you feared it."
Chen Mo:
"So we'll use it."
The particle man forced Shui into the crucible. The furnace activated. High-temperature magnetic fields began burning his soul layer.
Shui screamed. Magnetic field collapsed. Carbonization waves spiraled out of control— until he dissolved into a cloud of black mist.
Zhong Li logged:
"Shui · Cause of death: Crucible Soul layer incinerated No possibility of revival"
The courtyard fell quiet.
The particle man reverted from diamond form— became a comfort cat— and curled up beside He Xuan.
He Xuan stood frozen, face pale.
"My father… something really happened to him."
Zhao Yang:
"He said your house is nearby?"
He Xuan nodded.
"Five kilometers out."
They didn't hesitate. They got in the car.
Chen Mo drove. Zhao Yang took passenger seat. Lin Lan stabilized the magnetic field with the weather membrane. Hu Hao brewed tea. Lu Ye constructed a navigation particle man. Zhong Li logged speed and emotional fluctuations. Qin Hao sat in the back, ready to activate Life Rewind.
The car left S-Town. Dust flew. Magnetic fields trembled.
Five kilometers out, an old house came into view.
He Xuan rushed inside. The room was dim. Magnetic field chaotic.
His father lay on the bed— breath faint, consciousness layer nearly severed.
"Dad!" He Xuan knelt beside him. Magnetic field tried to connect— but was blocked by a strange ripple.
Qin Hao stepped forward, attempted Life Rewind— but the feedback was abnormal.
"This isn't natural aging," Qin Hao said. "His soul layer was torn by something."
Zhong Li tried to replay the past— but the image was blurred, as if deliberately erased.
Lu Ye stood at the doorway. Closed his eyes. Activated Eye of the World.
The particle man rose into the air, constructing a holographic magnetic scan net.
"I see it," Lu Ye whispered.
They didn't ask. They just waited.
But Lu Ye didn't speak. He simply looked at He Xuan's father— magnetic field trembling softly— the particle man brushed his shoulder.
The weather membrane retracted. Blood mist quieted. The wind outside the courtyard stilled.
The crucible, five kilometers away, lay silent— as if it had just completed a reckoning.
They didn't leave. And they didn't give up.
They simply began to face the true shadow of Herlens.