Chapter 81: The White-Eyed Child

Unable to find any information about the "Path of Ascension," Feng Qi decided to let it go. There were still too many things he needed to address.

With the imminent arrival of Little Black, Feng Qi turned his attention to searching for information about "Suction Cup." This time, he approached the task differently. Instead of looking for clues through Mu Qing, he directly searched the database for any records of Suction Cup. Previously, he had always tried to establish a connection between Mu Qing and Suction Cup, but now he decided it was better to start from Suction Cup herself.

Like Little Black, Feng Qi believed that if Suction Cup had lived for this long, there had to be records about her in the future. He entered keywords like "young girl," "white hair," and "immensely powerful" into the search bar and hit enter.

After a few seconds, relevant entries popped up.

As Feng Qi scrolled through the entries, he quickly found a record with a title referencing Suction Cup. It even included a photo of her sitting silently before a nameless grave, with a single flower planted in the soil in front of her.

"The Undying Flesh: Decoding the Origin of the White-Eyed Girl"

Author: Nowhere to Hide

Content:

(Attachment: "White-Eyed Girl Photo.jpg")

Hello everyone! It's been half a month since my last post—did you miss me?

Today, let's dive into a topic that many mystery-solving enthusiasts have probably worn out: the origin of the White-Eyed Girl. But I promise you, this time, I've compiled detailed historical records, so there's definitely something new here.

Without further ado, let's get to it.

The young girl in the photo is what we commonly refer to as the "White-Eyed Girl." The name comes from her distinctive gray-white eyes and snowy hair. The origins of this nickname are untraceable—it's been used for as long as anyone can remember.

Historical records state that the White-Eyed Girl first appeared in 2076, during a crisis when Star City faced the sudden expansion of the "Silver Moon Domain Field" from the east. The city was on the brink of annihilation.

At that time, most of Star City's forces had been deployed to support Future City, leaving the city vulnerable. The unexpected crisis meant there wasn't enough time to call for reinforcements, and the remaining defense forces were woefully inadequate to deal with the threat.

While panic engulfed the city's residents, our White-Eyed Girl made her debut.

Singlehandedly, she held back the tide of monsters surging from the Silver Moon Domain Field, halting its expansion. After a fierce battle, she successfully dispersed the terrifying domain, cementing her place in legend.

However, this battle came at a great cost. The rune crystal embedded in her left arm shattered, and she sustained severe injuries.

Attempts by Star City residents to communicate with or aid the White-Eyed Girl were met with distrust; she never allowed anyone to approach her.

In the years that followed, the White-Eyed Girl remained in Star City, becoming its unofficial guardian and a symbol of hope. Yet her origins remained an unsolved mystery, sparking endless speculation among the city's residents.

There are three predominant theories about her origin:

Theory 1: She's a rogue transcendent from the domain fields.

Many believe the White-Eyed Girl to be the only domain transcendent who sided with humanity. Much like how humans can have traitors, the White-Eyed Girl is seen as a defector from the transcendent beings.

This theory is widely accepted due to the existence of highly intelligent domain creatures resembling humans. The White-Eyed Girl might be part of a branch we haven't yet encountered.

Theory 2: She's an early participant in the Rune-Enhanced Human project.

This theory, however, is riddled with flaws. Historical records show that participants in the Rune-Enhanced Human project were exclusively adults, with the sole exception being Mu Qing, who was seven or eight years old at the time.

Judging by her appearance, the White-Eyed Girl looks no older than two or three. It's impossible for someone so young to have endured the rigorous experiments of the Rune-Enhanced Human project.

This theory can be safely dismissed.

Theory 3: She's the descendant of Rune-Enhanced Humans.

This theory holds some credibility. After Mu Qing's death, the Rune-Enhanced Human project was discontinued. However, many scavengers who had undergone rune enhancements successfully reproduced.

Their offspring sometimes inherited incredible powers, rivaling those of domain creatures. However, these "new humans" were often born with congenital defects and rarely lived past the age of a hundred.

Yet here we are, five centuries later, and the White-Eyed Girl shows no signs of aging. As the title suggests, she seems ageless and immune to the ravages of time.

Why does she help humanity? There are countless theories, but the most popular stories tie her to a nameless grave.

One legend says that during a mission to disperse a domain field, a Star City cultivator found the severely injured White-Eyed Girl. Unable to ignore her plight, he brought her back to the city and nursed her back to health.

During this time, the White-Eyed Girl grew attached to her savior.

However, humans are mortal. Eventually, her savior passed away, leaving the White-Eyed Girl heartbroken. She buried him in an unmarked grave in Star City, vowing to protect his home.

Even after losing most of her memories, the White-Eyed Girl still remembers that grave—it's the one thing she holds sacred.

The story, while touching, cannot be confirmed. However, what's clear is that the nameless grave holds profound significance for her.

Over the centuries, the White-Eyed Girl has become Star City's mascot and protector. Yet, she remains a mystery. No records shed light on her true origins, and she continues to avoid all human contact.

Her movements within Star City are unpredictable:

Some have spotted her fighting stray dogs for food in dark alleys.

Others have seen her atop tall buildings, gazing at the stars as if lost in memories.

Many claim to have witnessed her kneeling before the nameless grave at dawn, silently weeping while placing a flower at the base.

Time marches on, but for the White-Eyed Girl, only solitude remains.

This passage concluded Feng Qi's reading, leaving him deep in thought. He couldn't shake the image of the White-Eyed Girl kneeling before the nameless grave, her heart weighed down by memories of a long-gone savior.

Who was the person she once loved and protected? And what secrets lay buried in her mysterious past?

After reading through the article decoding Suction Cup's origins, Feng Qi felt both touched and pained.

Only now did he realize that Star City's residents were well aware of Suction Cup's existence and even regarded her as a mascot and protector.

As for the owner of the nameless grave, while Star City's residents were unsure, Feng Qi had a good idea. Could she really be Mu Qing?

The answer to this question could only be verified after finding the ice sculpture of Mu Qing's body, said to be hidden within the shelter. For now, there was no way to confirm it.

However, one thing was certain: Suction Cup had an undeniable connection to Mu Qing.

In the future, after Feng Qi was executed, it was Mu Qing who carried his body away. The ashes buried beneath the nameless grave belonged to none other than "the future him." Suction Cup wouldn't have any reason to worship him otherwise.

With time running short, he pushed aside the puzzle for now. Suction Cup's origins could be investigated later. For now, his priority was to check his private email inbox to see what the future him and Mo Fei had left behind.

He entered the code for the private email account into the database. After a few seconds of waiting, the email interface popped up. Feng Qi typed in the 12-digit password, unlocking the inbox. Several messages appeared on the screen.

Quickly skimming through the less significant ones, he focused on the critical information.

Email Contents:

"The organization has been secretly established. I've named it 'Breaking Dawn,' mirroring Mu Qing's 'Dawn.' Pretty catchy, right? Both signify the arrival of light! (laughing.jpg)"

"To root out the hidden werewolf among us, I've kept my guard up against everyone, even those like Lü Yue, who seem the least likely to be wolves. I assigned everyone different tasks, and Lü Yue's mission is to continue protecting new-generation prodigies…"

"I decided to send Jia Yi into the Crimson Research Institute to gather intelligence. Among the Breaking Dawn members, he's the most talented in learning. Even starting from scratch, he could infiltrate the Crimson Research Institute if he worked hard enough."

"The timing seems right. Today I received intelligence from Jia Yi about the Crimson Research Institute planning to establish a new research base outside Star City. This time, I'll feed each member completely different false locations. I've also borrowed a batch of stealth reconnaissance robots from Mo Fei and preemptively deployed them to these locations. If any secret organization shows up to sabotage one of these spots, I'll pinpoint the werewolf."

"Sitting in front of the monitor, I couldn't believe my eyes. None of the fake locations had any signs of sabotage, but the actual location—unknown to everyone but Jia Yi and me—was attacked by the secret organization."

"Could Jia Yi be the werewolf? Other than him and me, no one knew the correct intel. Now the secret organization has the correct information, and all evidence seems to point to Jia Yi as the undercover werewolf."

"It seems this secret organization has realized that I'm investigating internal issues and has decided to make a move against me. After the false intelligence operation, the Star City Military Department has opened a case against me."

"Things are looking grim. It's time to visit Mo Fei and entrust the email to him."

"During a visit to the Institute of Technological Research, I began doubting my suspicion that Jia Yi is the werewolf. During a routine security check, it was discovered that someone had implanted a chip in me—a device specifically designed for eavesdropping."

"Could it be possible that my conversations with Jia Yi were intercepted through this chip by the real werewolf? The werewolf, upon receiving the fake intel, might have realized I was suspecting members of the organization. They could have intentionally followed through with the false mission while providing the real intel to their secret backers, labeling me as a liability. That's why the secret organization targeted me."

"I no longer have time to uncover the truth. Today, the Star City Military Department came again, listing charges against me for secretly establishing Breaking Dawn, planting moles in the Crimson Research Institute, and ordering Lü Yue to assassinate humanity's new-generation prodigies. I can't defend myself against any of it."

"Death is coming sooner than expected. I've handed the email account over to Mo Fei and told him everything I know. Perhaps he can provide you with useful information."

"By the way, I told Mo Fei about my time-traveling experiences. The guy dragged me to a psych evaluation, refusing to believe me. I couldn't prove my claims, either. When I told him all the techniques I created were plagiarized, he called me insane. It wasn't until I made a solemn oath and swore up and down that he begrudgingly believed me."

"It feels heavy. Even though I knew this version of me would die, facing death still makes me reluctant to leave this world. I regret not having time for love or kids, but I've entrusted Mo Fei with the account permissions. He might help you solve this."

"Goodbye, beautiful world. I'm finally free… Keep fighting."

Reading these emails, Feng Qi sighed deeply.

In the end, the future him still couldn't identify the hidden werewolf within Breaking Dawn. All his efforts had been in vain. Worse yet, he couldn't escape his fate of being led to the execution platform.

["Even though the future you acted carefree when bidding farewell to this world, saying things like 'Finally free,' it was just to ease your burden. I bet he cried his eyes out—went through at least three boxes of tissues."]

"What's with the 'cried his eyes out' nonsense? That phrase is for describing women. Even if I cried, I'd do it like a real man!" Feng Qi retorted, rolling his eyes.

["Oh? And how does a real man cry? Like a thunderstorm? A raging tempest? Or a masculine whimper?"]

Feng Qi: …

With the narrator's sarcastic remarks, the heaviness in his heart faded a little, though he silently gave the narrator a mental middle finger.

He clicked on the second section of the private email inbox.

This section was labeled with Mo Fei's name, indicating it contained messages from him.