Chapter 124 The Eroded World
"Absolutely not!" Zhang Jie suddenly erupted in an uncharacteristic outburst, his gaze so terrifying it seemed lethal. Even he couldn't fathom the source of his agitation.
"You've misunderstood me," the angel protested with evident grievance. "I merely wish for you to cease writing 'Sniper King.' Witnessing your torment over plotlines pains me deeply..."
"I'm sorry..." Zhang Jie enveloped her in a remorseful embrace, a gesture she adored for its sense of belonging. Yet today, the angel seemed oddly distant, evading his arms.
"I'm not jesting; if you persist with that novel, I believe we both need to reflect..." Her eyes wandered elsewhere.
Zhang Jie stood there, bewildered. Was this the prelude to separation? He dared not believe it.
"If I abandon it, what would you have me do?" The system commenced recording; the moment Zhang Jie conceded, it would signify the end.
Serpent observed the unfolding narrative with keen interest.
"You could embark on a new book!" The angel's face brightened with a smile, one Zhang Jie would surrender all for.
"Haven't you always yearned to write a net-game story? Since inspiration eludes you now, why not shift focus and refresh your spirits?" Her words were so logical as to preclude rebuttal.
"Yet, it's not as straightforward as you suggest. First, negotiations with the website are required, and then, explanations to the readers. I'd be branded a eunuch..." Zhang Jie's voice was faint, his excuses transparent; he lacked the courage to conclude, or perhaps, mustered it to persist.
"It's of no consequence; I've already liaised via your QQ with the website administrators. They empathize with your predicament and admire your prose and talent immensely. They've prepared a salaried contract for you, guaranteeing 60,000 annually, with plans to prominently feature your next work..." How had the world shifted so? Zhang Jie was speechless, everything unfolding with dreamlike seamlessness. Compared to the sleepless nights of frenzied writing, this was infernal.
Zhang Jie was profoundly moved; from a rational perspective, relinquishing such prospects for a novel with dubious future was inconceivable.
"I..." Zhang Jie wondered why his body trembled.
The system's shutdown protocol activated, Serpent's emotions a complex tapestry—loss meant tedium, continuation, peril.
"I'll still need to consider..." Zhang Jie had intended to say "I agree."
"Jie, you're always so indecisive..." The angel's expression soured. As Zhang Jie moved to console her, she smiled again, gently patting his forehead.
"Yet, that's precisely my Zhang Jie..." Crisis averted; the world opted not to press further, lest it provoke the activator's psyche.
Whether fortunate or unfortunate, the story endured...
Returning to reality...
Troops continued to amass around Mount Wutai. Miyamoto's defensive array was an impregnable fortress. The Beast legion formed the innermost line, five hundred meters rear guarded by heavy tanks, soldiers erecting the final barrier. Virtually every tree hosted anti-material sniper rifles. Technical units encircled the mountain, conducting profound subterranean scans to forestall tunneling escapes. In surrounding cities, over three hundred armed helicopters stood ready. Per Miyamoto's strategy, upon 13's breakout, peripheral Beasts would promptly intercept—not to slay, but to curtail movement—followed by indiscriminate artillery barrage. Survivors would face the trees' snipers. In the worst scenario, should 13 penetrate, helicopters could delay him while troops converged on the breach point. Slaying him might elude, but exhausting him would suffice; even then, it would take days. With merely a day remaining, Show Mei's Yamata heavy troops would arrive. Ultimately, the fatigued agents were no match for Japan's ultimate arsenal. Crucially, Show Mei's safety was paramount; even an inadvertent early kill of 13 warranted no rebuke.
Now, it was merely a matter of time...
Night fell silently upon the clandestine Warehouse 5. Before Yamata rested a cube of pure steel, armored to ten meters thick. Its density evoked indestructibility even at rest.
In the cockpit, Show Mei scrutinized the steel via panoramic visual screens, anomalous data flickering in the corners.
Drawing a profound breath, Show Mei closed his eyes. This was the pivotal moment; no margin for error...
"Secret technique activate!" The command brimmed with dominance. As the words echoed, Show Mei's spine convulsed as if extracted, a pain hitherto unknown. The agony propelled him to his knees. Internal cameras allowed external scientists to witness the ordeal, yet aid was impossible—this was Show Mei's solitary "battle."
"Ah!" His body convulsed, as if cardiac arrest impended.
"He'll die!" Thoughts raced through Show Mei's mind. This was the consequence of his unilateral decision, hastening the secret technique's activation merely to hasten to the battlefield.
"Regret?" Show Mei self-inquired.
"I..." Kneeling, supported by one hand, trembling, "I do not!"
The thunderous roar echoed...
The scientists observed in stupefaction, bearing witness to Japan's pinnacle of technology.
"Boom... Boom... Boom..." Successive explosions resounded; perimeter soldiers curiously and fearfully gazed skyward as debris cascaded from the roof, now adorned with eight massive craters.
"Is this Yamata's ultimate weapon—the 'Yamata Divine Serpent'?" The researchers marveled dumbly.
Internally, Show Mei's perspiration cascaded like rain. His labored breathing mirrored a ten-kilometer marathon.
"Divine Serpent technique..." Exhaustion fragmented his speech, "Sever!"
As perimeter soldiers cautiously approached the gate, flashes of light preceded its disintegration into orderly fragments. The terror persisted as soldiers before the gate decomposed similarly. The fortunate survivors stared blankly at their comrades' remains, forgetting to cry out.
Within the warehouse, Yamata resumed its original form, the colossal steel block, like the gate and soldiers, reduced to rubble...
Silence was ephemeral; scientists erupted in applause. This was Japan's monumental triumph.
"Relay my orders!" Show Mei's weary face bore a confident smile. "Commence the full assault on Mount Wutai."
Zhang Jie adored today's park, solely for its serenity. This was the life he craved—the most tranquil existence.
Strolling to the park's rear gate, a tranquil lake lay before him, usually bustling with boats, but owing to the workday, devoid of patrons. The vessels docked shoreside, granting the lake repose.
Along the lake's narrow, meandering path led to a hilly meadow, unobstructed by great trees, where grass greedily absorbed the sun's warmth.
"Shall we rest a while?" The angel discerned Zhang Jie's affinity for the spot, for in fabricated memories, this was their inaugural kiss location. Recall that evening, a superstar performed at the adjacent stadium, yet without funds for tickets, they savored the peripheral ambiance as the angel described. Truly, Zhang Jie felt remorse for his inadequacy; even a single ticket eluded him.
At the concert's onset, fireworks ascended, transforming into that night's most luminous stars. The angel then bestowed her most precious first kiss upon Zhang Jie. The stadium's thunderous cheers seemed to celebrate their union...
"Trust me, I'll grant you happiness..." That was Zhang Jie's most solemn vow.
Reclining on the meadow, the grass beneath seemed to protest; who dared rival its greed for the sun's embrace?
"Do you still recall that night?" The angel began reminiscing, intent on binding Zhang Jie's psyche with crafted memories. Yet, at that moment, no one could succeed...
Zhang Jie comfortably closed his eyes, indulging in the sun's bliss...
This bliss was eerily familiar, as if experienced in dreams...
Where, Zhang Jie could not recall...
"If this is a dream, let me return to it..." The silent plea, like a droplet, rippled the system's lake.
In Serpent's white expanse, distortions and color shifts ensued, sky-blue encroaching upon the space.
"The feared has transpired..." Serpent lamented self-mockingly. "The system yields to a human's consciousness? Perhaps I erred; gods reign supreme everywhere...
Is he a god?"
For 13, nothing seemed amiss; it was as if dreaming. Yet, in the system's creation, dreams were absent, for it was itself a dream... 13, through sheer will, altered the world's tenets, evading the system, forging his own "illusion"!
In the dream, surroundings vanished. He stood in Taipei's nameless park, the sunlight identical. Surveying, Zhang Jie confirmed it was a dream; all was nebulous, indistinct, save the wooden bench beside him. Recall that 13 first savored life's sunlight here...
Distant footsteps echoed; Zhang Jie identified them as a girl's, for the rhythm evoked gentleness. Turning toward the source, a familiar door stood; a girl in a white dress awaited...
A gentle breeze stirred, lifting her skirt and golden tresses. She gracefully tucked the errant strands behind her ear, revealing that familiar visage. Eyes like sapphires gleamed.
No words, only the wind persisted.
Zhang Jie knew her identity; none more familiar. It was the angel, identical to the real one. Yet, only now did Zhang Jie realize he had never truly observed the real angel, as if an inexplicable strangeness lingered, unlike this...