The Old Man and the Closer Truth（5）

Lin Yi held his breath, hiding in the shadows, his gaze fixed on the movements deep within the alley.

From behind a pile of scattered debris came the faint sound of footsteps—slow, heavy, and mechanical, as if some intricate device was operating with every step. Then, a tall, thin figure emerged from the gloom.

An old man.

He was hunched over, clad in a faded, tattered coat, with a section of his chest exposed, revealing a mechanical augmentation. Metal plating covered the region over his heart, faintly pulsing with a dim red glow, flickering in sync with his breathing and movements.

Lin Yi's pupils shrank. This man looked human, aged and frail, yet the mechanical parts integrated into his body blurred the line between man and machine.

The old man halted in the center of the alley, scanning the ruins around him. His face was etched with deep wrinkles, but his expression was devoid of warmth. His left eye had been replaced by a mechanical lens, its core emitting a faint red glow—similar to the mechanical beasts' glowing eyes, but more controlled and chilling.

"Come out."

The old man's voice was raspy, but it carried a weight of authority, as if he had already detected Lin Yi's presence.

Lin Yi froze. His instincts told him to step back, but seeing the old man's mechanical chest and eye, he knew that any movement would likely be detected. Controlling his breathing, he slowly stepped out of the shadows.

"Who are you?" Lin Yi didn't move any closer, keeping a cautious distance.

The old man did not answer immediately. Instead, he stared at Lin Yi, his red mechanical eye scanning him. Lin Yi could even hear the faint whirring of a scanning device.

After a few moments, the old man finally spoke.

"You... do not belong here."

Lin Yi's heart tightened.

The way the old man stated it as a fact rather than a question sent a chill through his spine.

"What is this place?" Lin Yi asked cautiously.

Instead of answering, the old man lightly tapped his metallic chest, an eerie smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

Before Lin Yi could probe further, the old man's entire body trembled violently, his face contorting in pain. His frame shuddered, and his mechanical parts emitted a low, distorted hum. Then, in a sudden outburst, he threw his head back and roared—a sound filled with raw agony and despair.

"There's no one left!" His cry echoed through the ruins, a soul-crushing lament. "This world... There's no one left but me!"

Lin Yi was stunned.

This man, who just moments ago radiated an eerie composure, was now wailing like a lost soul, as if he had endured an eternity of suffering.

The old man finally calmed, his shoulders sagging, eyes damp but still burning with emotion. The red glow in his mechanical eye dimmed slightly.

"I was Wang Yanfei's adjutant… Zhang Fu."

His voice was low and hoarse. "Twenty years ago, General Wang foresaw all of this. He ordered me to disappear, to escape the war, and to hide. That was my ability—'Concealment.'"

Lin Yi felt a tremor in his heart.

Wang Yanfei.

That was a name he could never forget. Once his closest friend, and later a legendary hero, Wang Yanfei had led the resistance against the alien invasion, ultimately perishing in battle.

"You're Zhang Fu?" Lin Yi couldn't believe it.

The old man—this worn-out relic of the past—was once the trusted second-in-command of Wang Yanfei?

Zhang Fu nodded.

"I followed my general's command," he said. "I hid for over twenty years. And today… I have finally found you."

Lin Yi took a deep breath, trying to steady his thoughts.

"Do you know what happened here?" he asked.

Zhang Fu hesitated briefly before speaking.

"Come with me. I will tell you everything." His tone was grave. "But time is running out. If you truly wish to know the truth, we must hurry."

Without waiting for a response, Zhang Fu turned and began walking further into the depths of the ruined city. His steps were slow but resolute.

Lin Yi hesitated for a moment, then followed.

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The deeper they ventured, the less chaotic the ruins appeared. Eventually, they arrived at a half-collapsed structure. A faded sign hung above the entrance, suggesting it was once a command post.

Zhang Fu pushed open the heavy iron door. Inside was a dimly lit room, littered with scattered documents, and dust-covered cabinets lining the walls. The centerpiece of the room was a decommissioned modification pod, its surrounding equipment long since broken, though the pod itself remained intact.

Zhang Fu approached an old desk, wiping away the thick layer of dust from the top, revealing neatly stacked files.

"These files," Zhang Fu said softly, "contain General Wang's training methods. They are the legacy he left behind before the war. He wanted you to take them back—to give them to his past self. It may be the only chance to stop the invasion."

Lin Yi stared at the files in disbelief.

Wang Yanfei's own personal training methods? Techniques that never existed in his time?

This was a link between past and future.

A way to alter fate itself.

"But…" Lin Yi hesitated. "I only have an hour left. How can I take all of this with me?"

Zhang Fu walked to a nearby cabinet, pulling open a drawer. He retrieved a small, intricate device and placed it in Lin Yi's hands.

"This is a Memory Capsule Generator."

Lin Yi examined the device—it was small, almost like a scanner, yet polished to a pristine shine, as if meticulously maintained.

"It scans documents and compresses them into a memory capsule. When you ingest it, the knowledge will be directly imprinted into your brain."

Zhang Fu's tone grew serious. "This device only has 20 uses left. Choose carefully. You must scan the most vital information before time runs out."

Lin Yi tightened his grip on the device, realizing the urgency of his mission.

"I understand."

Zhang Fu nodded, but his expression remained somber.

"This isn't just about martial arts," he warned. "These documents contain strategic insights, countermeasures against the alien fleet, ways to enhance human physique, and even experimental technology. It may hold the key to the war itself."

Lin Yi wasted no time. He quickly sorted through the files, selecting the most critical ones. The scanner emitted a soft glow as it absorbed the data, the light dimming with each successful scan.

Zhang Fu watched in silent reverence, his aged eyes filled with unspoken emotions—a mixture of nostalgia, duty, and farewell.

"Time is short," he murmured. "The invasion is coming. You must bring this knowledge back… and prepare General Wang for what's to come."

Lin Yi nodded, then pressed the red button on the device.

The scanner hummed one last time, ejecting a small, translucent capsule, its interior shimmering with flowing light.

Lin Yi didn't hesitate.

He swallowed the capsule.

A flood of memories surged into his mind.

Words, diagrams, equations—all embedding themselves into his consciousness.

The sheer influx of data made his vision blur, his skull throb, his ears ring. It felt as if his brain was being rewritten.

Inside his mind, Wang Yanfei's advanced techniques, human enhancement theories, alien battle strategies, and classified technological research all etched themselves permanently.

The pain was excruciating—his body shuddered violently.

His vision dimmed.

Then, Zhang Fu's voice echoed distantly in his ears.

"Time's up, Lin Yi."

"Go back."

"This is your mission."

A blinding white light engulfed him.

Then—darkness.