"So, where are we staying for the night?"
Valentin looked at the alley in front of him and asked an extremely realistic question.
Ten minutes ago.
Xing Yihuang, who transformed into Spider-Man, carried Valentine on his back and jumped between the buildings in Peanutton, looking for a safe place to hide. The late night color cast a shadow over her, reducing the chance of being spotted by ordinary people. Valentin looked at the rising and falling buildings in front of him and the constantly flashing neon lights. He pinched his neck with his hands and tried not to vomit.
After all, Rheinland Life is a state-supported organization. The report of the escape of the experimental subjects was submitted to the hands of government officials at an extremely fast speed, followed by a large red and blue network that spread throughout the city. The police have set up checkpoints at various traffic arteries, drones have taken off, and the main roads are full of police cars with flashing lights; the National Guard is on standby, with arrows and staffs at the hands of the soldiers. They expanded their vision to the entire city, but forgot about the sky above them.
In the world of Terra, the air force is an extremely rare profession, and not many countries have such military masters. Of course, Columbia has them, but to send them out just because a test subject escaped, and it's a night mission, politicians have to consider whether it's worth it.
Finally, Xing Yihuang stopped. She put Valentine on the ground and sat in the corner to rest.
This is a slum on the edge of the city, close to the thick city wall. Those guys probably didn't expect that Xing Yihuang's mobility was so good and his troops couldn't spread here for the time being. At least they were safe tonight.
Valentin shook his head, clutched his stomach that seemed to contain a tornado, climbed up unsteadily, found a trash can and started vomiting rainbows.
"Sister, next time you run away, please tell me first so that I can be mentally prepared... This is so exciting that I can't stand it."
When he was a child, Valentin suffered from motion sickness. In severe cases, he would even start to vomit while sitting in the car, and he would continue to vomit until the car stopped, with not much bile left. Now that he can endure such a strong feeling of dizziness without vomiting all over Xing Yihuang, it is really an improvement.
After emptying out the last bit of content in his stomach, Valentine, who regained his consciousness, wiped his mouth and looked around.
This is a relatively deep alley. There is an incandescent lamp on the wall at the end of the alley that emits dim light and flashes a few times from time to time. The corner at the end of the alley was filled with black plastic bags containing garbage. Many flies were flying around on them. The entire alley was filled with a rotten smell.
Valentine sniffed and frowned.
"It's really...a nostalgic atmosphere."
In his previous life, he had lived in a similar alley since he was a child. At that time, large green public trash cans were not yet common. Every household would put garbage in plastic bags and throw them at the door, waiting to go out. Throw it into the trash in the alley. Every time you go out, you have to experience a bad smell, and over time everyone gets used to it.
After a few years, Valentin left there and moved to a community, and he gradually lost contact with his childhood friends. People in the community are very indifferent. Neighbors in the same building rarely communicate with each other. They often argue with each other over a small share of public expenses. Only when there is a problem with the property management will they have a common language and fight against the property management together.
He lived here until he graduated from college and made no friends until he committed suicide.
"I wonder how my parents are doing..." Valentine slowly sat down against the wall, a trace of bitterness welling up in his heart.
He did have suicidal thoughts that day, but when he actually stood on the top of the building and looked down, that mood disappeared. Countless memories appear in my mind, all of which are bits and pieces of getting along with my parents in the past.
He felt a little pretentious. No matter how big the problem is, I can't help but want to commit suicide. I can endure the calm for a while and take a step back to open up the world.
As a result, the moment he turned around to go back, a strong wind hit him, and the unlucky guy fell down without being able to stand firm.
Then he traveled through time.
"It's really... a trick of fate." Valentine twitched the corner of his mouth and smiled ugly. He slowly slid down against the wall and sat next to Xing Yihuang, feeling the moist dust with his hands.
As if being electrocuted, Valentine quickly retracted his hand and turned to look at Xing Yihuang beside him. You don’t know this by looking at it, but you’ll be shocked when you see it.
This sister was soaked all over.
Xing Yihuang's tightly tied single ponytail was let down at some point, and her long and messy hair covered her face. Sweat was dripping from each hair tip, making her look very much like Sadako in her previous life. Her T-shirt and hot pants were soaked, and her exposed calves were tight and covered with beads of sweat that kept dripping down. The whole person was sitting on the ground and leaning against the wall, looking particularly charming in the dim light.
"This is the sequelae of using her ability. It wasn't originally that serious, but she carried you through the entire Peanut Village in a very short time, and her physical strength was exhausted several times faster than when she used her ability. Hurry and change her. Put on some clothes and buy some food." The system's voice sounded.
Valentin glanced at Xing Yihuang who was soaked all over, stood up and walked out of the alley to look around. The surroundings were very dark, with streetlights only appearing every fifty meters. There were two drunkards fighting under the nearest streetlight, which was in sharp contrast to the bright lights of the city in the distance.
Most of the nearby buildings are low-rise bungalows. There are many three- and four-story buildings interspersed between the bungalows. Various graffiti can be seen on the outer walls of the buildings. The whole environment tells him that this is a "Three-Three-Nothing" zone. , is a slum.
This is indeed a good place to avoid pursuit, but the problems it brings are also serious.
"So, where should we stay for the night? Or where can we stay?"
Thanks to Colombia, although this country is full of the same rotten atmosphere of capitalism as in the previous life, there are no black people, no shootings, and no marijuana. At least there is no danger within sight.
Well, and the two drunks over there are now hugging the lamppost and continuing to drink and stop fighting. It looks a bit warm and sad.
"I can't leave this sister here overnight. It's so cold at night and she will definitely catch a cold the next day..." Valentin returned to Xing Yihuang and looked at her sitting on the ground. Headache.
"Uh...Miss Xing?" He knelt down and called Xing Yihuang softly. The girl opened her eyelids, glanced at him, and nodded slightly.
This is tacit approval of his next behavior.
"Then, forgive me."
Valentin held Xing Yihuang's hand, supported the exhausted girl, and helped her slowly walk out of the alley.
"System? Zaima? Can you find me a nearby hotel?"
The weapons and equipment have been taken away, and only the cold walls are left in front of the darkness. If they don't find a foothold soon, who knows what dangers are waiting for them ahead.
"Buzai, cnm. And the world of Terra has no technology like satellites. All I can find are regular hotels that have been recorded. You can't stay there even if you don't have ID and have money."
This system seems to be a master who gets paid to do things. Without the Source Stone, it will basically not work unless the host's life is in danger.
"Words are the best weapon. I suggest you ask strangers, maybe there will be surprises."
Of course, there are still suggestions.
"...Then we can only do this." Valentine looked at the two drunkards not far away and decided to go over and inquire.
At this time, these two happy Ussians were sipping tons of vodka. There were still several bruises on their faces, probably from the exchange of feelings not long ago. When Valentine was still two meters away from them, the drunkards put down their bottles and looked at the stranger who suddenly approached them, making him a little scared.
"How are you doing? May I ask the nearest..."
Valentin swallowed, forced a smile and asked, but before he finished speaking, one of the Ussians came over and patted him hard on the shoulder.
"Ahem, bro, what's wrong?" This bear's paw slapped the little dragon man hard, and it also gave him a deeper understanding of the power of the Ursus people.
You have to be polite to her when you meet her in the future. The power of this bear's paw is not far from that of Ceria...
Shoulder hurts.
Xing Yihuang opened his eyes and glanced at the drunkard in front of him, but there was no reaction.
"At the intersection ahead, turn left for fifty meters. Young people, enjoy your youth. Flowers bloom and must be broken."
The Ursusian said something incomprehensible and then raised the vodka in his hand: "Here's to the good fucking past!"
Ping.
Another Ursus raised his bottle and touched it with him.
"Respect!"
The two laughed loudly, raised the wine bottles in their hands and started tossing them again, leaving Valentine stunned for a moment.
He understood what it meant and didn't bother to explain. He helped Xing Yihuang walk to the hotel not far away. The most important thing now is to quickly replenish this sister's energy. It's already very late, and it's time to rest.
————————Two minutes later————————
"Ordinary double room costs 100 Dragon Gate coins per night, simple couple room costs 200 Dragon Gate coins per night, and deluxe couple suite costs 500 Dragon Gate coins per night and comes with fun props. Which room do you two want?"
The front desk of the hotel is a very energetic Sakaz girl. The small horns on her head combined with the short red hair look extremely cute. Even at midnight, her big eyes are still shining, and she does not seem to be sleepy at all.
Is the introduction of this room a bit strange?
He swept his eyes between the two types of couples' rooms, and then placed one hundred dragon gate coins on the counter.
“An ordinary double bed room.”
"Okay sir, here is your key. The room is on the second floor, room 207. In addition, you did not show your ID, so you need to pay an extra 100 gantry coins, one hundred for two people." The girl at the front desk typed on the keyboard very skillfully. , and put a bunch of keys on the counter.
Valentin took the key, took out another hundred dragon gate coins, put it on the counter, and helped Xing Yihuang up the stairs.
From now on, they should find a way to live in this no-care zone and save as much money as they can. Although men and women were not intimate, Xing Yihuang did not object and he accepted it as acquiescence.
No matter how hard and cold the floor here is, it is still more comfortable than Rhine Life's bedroom. At least, here you won’t be picked up and thrown into the laboratory before you wake up.
Click, the door of the guest room was opened. Valentine put the keys away and helped Xing Yihuang into the house. The room is relatively small, but it has everything it needs, but the only drawback is that there is no sofa. He supported Xing Yihuang and put the girl on the bed.
"You sleep on the bed tonight, and I sleep on the floor. I just need a quilt... ugh."
The little dragon man yawned, turned around, walked to the bathroom and turned on the faucet. The cold liquid splashed on his face, sweeping away the remaining discomfort in his stomach and the sleepiness in his mind.
I can't sleep yet, the gold medal thug's hunger problem has not been solved yet.
"Gu——"
A sound like a drum sounded in the room, startling Valentine. He leaned back and turned to look at Xing Yihuang, seeing only the thin figure of the girl.
With your stomach growling, I thought you were in superman mode again, sister.
Xing Yihuang turned away, not looking into Valentine's embarrassing eyes.
"Wait a moment, I'll go ask if there's anything to eat."
Although the girl didn't say anything, her body was still very sincere and she couldn't help shouting "I want to eat" loudly. Valentin wiped his face casually, fiddled with his forehead hair that was soaked and stuck together and left the guest room.
With a harsh creaking sound, the door was closed, and Xing Yihuang was the only one left in the room. The clicking sound of footsteps on the stairs reached the girl's ears through the wooden door, which was a bit dull. She slowly turned her head and looked at the door, then lay down again, slowly curling up her body, lying on her side on the bed and forming a ball, like a little girl.
It's like returning to a past whose memory has long been blurred in my heart.
--------Da da da--------
"Hello!"
Although the environment around this hotel is very bad, the service is very good. The standard smile and greeting of the girl at the front desk made Valentin feel like he was in a five-star hotel.
"Um, is there any store nearby that can deliver food?"
No matter where in the world, instant noodles are never the first choice for replenishing energy. Although he didn't have much money, Valentin was still willing to buy Xing Yihuang nutritious and healthy food.
"It's one thirty-eight in the morning, and all the nearby stores are closed." The little girl Sakaz's voice was still full of vitality. She also took out her mobile phone and clicked on a blue APP to prove her words. .
A bit troublesome.
"Then do you have anything to eat here?" Valentine leaned on the front desk and glanced at the cabinet behind the Sakaz girl.
Except for some small things that are necessary for hotels, the only food type is instant noodles, and the packaging is also gaudy.
There wasn't even an energy bar, which disappointed Valentin.
"We have many types of couple packages here, including..."
Just when the little girl Sakaz was about to start selling again, Valentin stretched out his hand and made a 'card' gesture.
“What’s in your couple’s package here?”
"Specially packaged instant noodles and sausages."
really.
Naturally, he would not want this kind of food whose price would double if the name were changed. After learning about the prices of many brands, he finally wrapped a large pile of noodles behind the girl's back and picked up a hot dish along the way. kettle.
No way, too much noodles and too little hot water.
I hope Xing Yihuang won't get violent and beat him up after going back... After all, this is the only food in the hotel and nothing else.
————————La la la————————
It turns out that Xing Yihuang is really hungry. When Valentin added water and seasoning to all ten buckets of noodles, the sister's eyes were green when she looked at the instant noodles, making him break into a cold sweat.
After seeing this extremely aggressive look, Valentin decided to go for a walk and let Xing Yihuang handle the food by himself, because the next scene was likely to break the three-dimensional relationship he had established for his sister. No goddess image.
This is a two-dimensional world, there is no way a beautiful girl can be so rough!
…
Today's night is a bit deserted. There is no pain like carpet bombing, and there are no continuous nightmares. Except for a heart-warming "Hello, do you need help?" from the Sakaz girl, there is only a slight chill. The night wind and even the stars in the sky were much less than what I saw when I first escaped from the Rhine Life Laboratory.
Thinking back on what he had experienced in the past few days, Valentin felt as if he had had an extremely real nightmare, and he was still in the dream and had not woken up.
The sudden wind, the unprepared physical experiments, the disgusting scientists, and what he saw before his eyes was the endless darkness and the flying dragon flying in the sky.
The key brought unbearable pain, but also gave him something beyond his imagination. In front of this spiritual space where the passage of time has almost stopped, Jingji's power seems as insignificant as sand and dust.
"No, the growth of one's own strength is still quite important."
The system still only heard his voice but not his people, making Valentine feel that the world was a little empty.
"This is not a cool article. In the future, you will grow up from falling down again and again. If you are not strong enough, I am afraid you will be dead before you get up."
"But aren't you my system? You should be able to help me, right?"
Valentine raised his head and looked at the sky, and said hello to the spirit behind him, hoping that the other party would come over and touch the blue scales. But the dark blue flying dragon ignored his master's call and roared, flying towards deeper darkness.
It seems that the spirit behind him is a little unfamiliar with me, and he is even shy.
"If you want help, you have to pay the price. In times of crisis, I will help you for free. I usually need support when you encounter difficulties..."
A familiar pattern appeared in the void, glowing with a dark yellow light.
"Source Stone."
Valentine called its name.
"That's right, Origin Stone." The Origin Stone symbol disappeared and turned into a '√'.
"Give me the Origin Stone and I will give you any ability you need."
"any."
The sound of the system is very heavy and serious. Valentine chuckled and stopped talking.
"Do you still regard this world as a dream instead of reality?"
"If it's not a dream, then what is it?" Valentine replied softly, his eyes looking towards the horizon that was glowing with white light in the distance.
Although everything here is so real and no different from reality, in his heart he still doesn't want to believe the fact that he has traveled through time. Not long ago, when he was living in the Rhine, he didn't have much time to think about philosophy, but now that he has some free time, it's time to adjust his attitude towards the world.
There is a feeling of self-defeat.
"So what if this is a dream? You have now stepped onto the stage. This dream drama must and can only continue, otherwise you will not even have a chance to return to reality." The system's words reminded Valentin.
Back to reality, home.
"You're right... you're right." He took a deep breath and left the mental space. The breeze was getting colder, and sleepiness crept into Valentine's brain again. He yawned, turned around and walked into the hall. He glanced at the Sakaz girl behind the desk inadvertently, but saw an extremely hidden black lump on her neck.
"Infected person?"
The voice was very soft, a faint whisper. But when he said these three words, the temperature dropped sharply.
Something was released, something Valentine could not see but could feel. The door in the corner of the hall with the sign "No unauthorized persons allowed" was opened, and a man about the same height as Sakaz's wife stood there, with his hands folded across his chest, the muscles on his arms bulging high, and his eyes were evil.
His appearance reminded Valentin of himself, except that his muscles were not as strong as his.
The landlady's smile was still bright: "What are you talking about, guest?"
Click.
This voice was very familiar. Valentine had heard it in many TV series in his previous life. It was clear and sweet. It's just that this clean sound is always followed by gunpowder smoke and gunpowder, and the pungent smell makes people want to frown.
He had smelled it, just half an hour ago.
"Don't be nervous." Valentine raised his hands above his head and said in a sincere voice: "I am also an infected person."
"So?" The Sakaz girl's face turned cold, and her lips were as red as blood.
A slum is a slum after all, and anyone who can run such an industry here is definitely not a good person. Valentine knew that his unintentional words just hit the iron plate.
If the hotel owner could see that Valentine was an infected person, he would not have gone to this point, but the key lies in his too clean appearance, strange companions and missing identification documents, his words, deeds, appearance and conversation. This slum is completely different from the same style, so it's normal for others to look at you in the worst possible way.
The two Ursus drunkards were drunk and their brains were confused, but the Sakaz woman was very sober.
"Uh... I don't have any Origin Stone crystals on my body to prove this." He thought of the spirit behind him, "But this might work."
A warm current surged through Valentine's body, then rushed to his arms. Several bolts of lightning appeared on his arm out of thin air, followed closely by tiny currents as densely packed as a fishing net. These blue elves jumped and cheered, and the crackling sound reached the ears of the Sakaz people, which also made them frown.
"Look." Valentin turned his palms over and moved his eyes on the faces of the Sakaz couple: "Without a staff, I can unleash the Origin Stone skills, which is something ordinary warlocks cannot do."
"No necklace, no bracelet, no jewelry on me."
He rolled up his sleeves and shook his body, proving the fact that he did not have a portable staff.
This is a patent for infected people who have awakened the Originium Skills, because they themselves are a Sourcestone Skills release medium and can use the Originium Crystals in their bodies to release spells, but the intensity is very low. Ordinary people cannot do this unless they are infected, unless they hold a staff in their hands.
The Sakaz couple looked at each other and put down their weapons. Although their eyes were still full of vigilance, at least they would not draw their guns after saying a few words.
"Well……"
Although the misunderstanding has been resolved, looking at these two Sakaz-infected people who were hiding secretly, Valentin thought about it and said what was in his heart.
"You two...can you tell me about your work on infected people? As long as you pay me, you can do anything."
The Sakaz couple are not good friends in any way, and there may be a lot of power behind them in this slum. Now he only has a few thousand Longmen coins on him, and he still has to find a way to make money to survive.
"...I'm sorry, I don't lack manpower here. Why don't you go to the city and look for it? There are jobs suitable for infected people there, and Colombia is relatively friendly to infected people."
"Well, I came here illegally and have no identification." Valentine looked embarrassed.
An envelope was placed in front of Valentine. Next to the envelope was the tattooed arm of the Sakaz man.
"Then maybe you can try this." The man's voice was nice and matched his appearance very well, but the tattoo was really... very inconsistent.
"This is it?" Valentine picked up the envelope and looked at it carefully.
On the front of the envelope was a huge BS letter-shaped logo. Valentine recognized what it was, the logo of Black Steel International.
He turned the envelope over, and there was a person's signature on the back. It was written very sloppily, but Valentine could vaguely make out what it was.
"Free Hand".
"This is my code name." The Sakaz man explained: "Within Black Steel International, there are several infected teams active in the shadows, because Black Steel International always receives some commissions to go deep into the scene of natural disasters. I once The team I belong to is called 'Black Gloves'. A few weeks ago they sent me a letter with this piece of paper in the envelope, asking me to go back or recommend a few infected people with strength and character to go there. But I'm used to it. You can live a peaceful life, so you can take this piece of paper and go to Black Steel International to try your luck, maybe you will be selected to become a mercenary."
"The team operating in the shadows..." Valentine noticed some special words in it.
"Tell me this straightforwardly to a stranger?"
"You can report it, but it's not certain whether the police will believe it. Moreover, you don't act like a spy or agent."
"Judging from your performance just now, you will definitely be admitted to Black Steel International."
"Well, my friend is very strong and can knock down a wall with one punch. Can she be selected?" Valentin raised his head and looked at the Sakaz man and asked.
The Sakaz man smiled. "Do you know what my original position was in the team?"
He bent his arms, revealing the strong muscles on them, and the tattoos on his arms seemed to come alive with the movement.
"Wherever the hand of freedom points, there is a road, and there is no obstacle to free passage."
"They need a barrier breaker."
"Well, is it okay without identification?" Valentine asked.
"Ha, what kind of identification do people who work in the shadows need?" The man smiled. "Black Steel now needs people who work in the shadows. If you work for more than a year, they will get you a formal identity certificate."
Stable.
Valentine knew the job was done.
"Thank you!" He bowed to the Sakaz couple and hurried back to the room.
"Ms. Xing, I..." Valentin, who opened the door to the room, looked at the scene in front of him and his voice stopped abruptly.
Xing Yihuang fell asleep on the bed, wearing only a thin blanket, with his arms and calves exposed. The moonlight shines on her through the window, making her look like Sleeping Beauty in the fairy tale.
Valentine scratched his head and put the instant noodle buckets and casings on the table into the trash can, but the quality of one bucket was obviously wrong. He opened the lid, and inside were soaked instant noodles and sausages that had been folded in half.
Valentine smiled, picked up his fork, and began to eat his first dinner after freedom. No longer anxious all day long, both body and mind are completely relaxed.
Half an hour later, he took a shower and took out a quilt to spread on the floor. He glanced at Xing Yihuang, who was sleeping on the bed, turned over, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.
