Since meeting Emrys, Ye Wenjie's physical condition had been deteriorating day by day.
Within a few days, this spiritual leader who orchestrated the Trisolarans' arrival and was the head of ETO, passed away in prison due to heart disease.
Her only last words were:
"The Fourth Wallfacer is not humanity's savior; he is the 'daemon' leading humanity towards darkness!"
But unfortunately, her final warning was like a splash of water in the ocean, silent and unnoticed by anyone.
"Ye Wenjie is dead."
This news was brought by Shi Qiang.
Emrys was flipping through an experiment report, not even lifting his head.
"Hmm, I know. She's not important."
"There's something—" Shi Qiang hesitated for a few seconds.
"The ETO organization is widely spreading news about you—it has triggered strong condemnation and questioning from some people. Do you need to come out and explain?"
"Hmm?"
Emrys finally put down the report in his hand and looked up at Shi Qiang.
"If it's just questioning from some people, I shouldn't need to come out and explain, right? So, this is the meaning of the Planetary Defense Council?"
"Yes."
Shi Qiang nodded, acknowledging it.
"The people from the Council hope you can clarify—regarding the ETO organization's 'rumors'."
"Interesting."
Emrys showed some interest and asked.
"What 'rumors' would make the Planetary Defense Council need me to personally come out and clarify?"
"They said—"
Shi Qiang paused, his expression very strange, but after thinking of a certain possibility, he finally said it.
"You are not human."
Suddenly, the temperature in the room plummeted.
Visible frost covered the floor, walls, and even the ceiling of the room. The biting cold frost and extreme white frozen air seemed like morning mist in a forest, slowly spreading and enveloping the entire room.
If, in the previous few times,
the psionic energy Emrys used was still in a controllable state, then this time, it had clearly reached the edge of extreme danger!
The temperature quickly dropped below zero.
But strangely, in these frost-covered areas, Emrys himself was surrounded by 'fire'. And that eerie blue fire, as if alive, roared and shrieked ferociously, gradually twisting into terrifying demonic faces.
Shi Qiang's pupils constricted sharply, and he shivered.
So cold!
This was definitely not an illusion, but reality!
His teeth chattered from the cold, and he knew this was the Fourth Wallfacer's superpower. He was about to open his mouth to advise Emrys to calm down a little, but then he met the other's eyes, and his heart suddenly tightened!
In his eyes flowed a pure, blazing gold, as dazzling as a star, unmixed with any emotion.
It gave people the feeling of a cold Sun!
"Very good, excellent."
Emrys' voice had no fluctuations, showing no emotional changes.
But at this moment, the calmer he appeared, the more uneasy Shi Qiang felt, even terrified and chilled to the bone!
He could clearly feel that this sentence seemed to have touched the Fourth Wallfacer's "Reverse scale"!
Just because of a sentence?
Or did Shi Qiang think of a certain possibility, trying hard to control his expression, fearing to reveal the slightest flaw, but his wildly beating heart betrayed his thoughts.
Suddenly.
A blank face was pressed close to Shi Qiang's, and if he hadn't had good psychological resilience, he would have screamed in fright long ago.
"Wh-what's wrong?"
Shi Qiang's heart was pounding in his throat, but he still tried to appear calm.
"Do you think—I am human?"
That face was Emrys'.
"Of course you are." Although Shi Qiang didn't understand why he was asking this, his intuition told him that if he answered no—the consequences would be severe!
"Brother, it's not me saying this about you." He raised his hand and patted Emrys' shoulder, looking indignant.
"What good can come out of the mouths of those ETO people? They can only deceive ordinary people; can they deceive your big brother? Don't let me brag—my eyes are more powerful than a hospital's X-ray!"
Emrys raised his hand and pointed at his heart.
"Your heart is beating very fast. Are you nervous?"
Shi Qiang's expression remained unchanged.
"I have heart disease, arrhythmia. This is normal."
Emrys stared at Shi Qiang meaningfully, then said faintly.
"Actually, they got half of it right."
"Brother!"
Shi Qiang immediately spoke, forcefully interrupting Emrys.
"I believe in you. With your appearance, you're definitely a pure-blooded human. You absolutely must not let your thoughts ran wild!"
Emrys, having been interrupted, seemed to lose interest as well. He gave Shi Qiang a deep look, then walked past him.
"Tell the Council that I will come out to clarify, in a way that everyone will be 'satisfied' with."
Emrys left.
However, Shi Qiang, standing in the office, felt his entire body drenched in his cold sweat.
His intuition, honed by years on the front line, screamed a warning at that moment. He even felt the God of Death's scythe brush against his neck, that chilling, bone-penetrating coldness, utterly terrifying!
He looked in the direction Emrys had left, muttering to himself.
"Are we, perhaps, wrong—"
: : :
Lower level of the laboratory.
Maximus was bored, watching 'Ultraman' on TV. Since coming to this era, he had grown fond of these 'childish' animations.
He couldn't quite pinpoint the reason.
Perhaps it was—that here, there was the peace they longed for but could not attain, a peace they would never get.
Boom!
Suddenly, a loud bang came from the end of the metal corridor, and the lights flickered.
—
Disturbed, Maximus couldn't help but frown, his gaze turning to the end of the corridor.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
However, the terrifying roars did not stop, but rather intensified. Finally, a heavy iron door somewhere let out a wail, flying out like a cannonball and embedding itself deeply into the opposite wall. "Roar—!!!"
A horrifying sonic roar, transforming into a tangible airwave, shattered the light tubes throughout the corridor. In the second before the light was lost, a colossal figure could vaguely be seen 'squeezing out' from the narrow doorway!
"Sigh—"
Maximus sighed.
Looking at the shattered television, a hint of savagery appeared in his eyes. He casually picked up the chainsword lying beside him, sneered, and stared into the depths of the dark corridor at the roaring behemoth.
"Don't you know, I—was just getting to the climax?!"
The next moment, Maximus pressed the button.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz—Rumble!
The ferocious chainsword roared, its sawteeth spinning at high speed from the blade, sucking in the surrounding air, grinding it up, and emitting a terrifying mechanical sound.
Ten seconds later.
In the darkness, Maximus walked back.
The difference was that the teeth of the chainsword were covered in finely minced flesh, and a trail of blood mixed with minced meat extended to his feet.
"Number 119 also failed—"
Maximus pulled out his communicator, his gaze turning to the depths of the dark corridor, a hint of complexity in his eyes.
"Emrys, are you sure this—can reproduce the 'Alchemy'?"