Chapter Twenty-Four: Freeze!
Linna’s serious expression made her blatant lie seem almost plausible.
However, aside from that, as an elite member of the Fate Society and an eighth-order Awakened One, Linna was relatively reliable.
Through her concise explanation, Luo Ling understood the cause and current situation of this Incubation Barrier incident.
Her team’s initial mission was to rescue the theatrical troupe trapped within the Incubation Barrier. But that mission had clearly failed. After two days of searching, Luo Ling and little Odeletta were the only survivors she had encountered.
The tens of thousands of people within the Incubation Barrier had all transformed into pustule monsters, driven by an instinctual urge to infect the living. Once transformed, they lost this desire.
The “Distorted Beasts” were an exception.
After their transformation, they treated the pustule monsters as food, consuming them relentlessly.
And Awakened Ones were considered delicacies, their mere presence attracting the Distorted Beasts.
Furthermore, after their transformation, they retained some of their intelligence and instincts, making them even more formidable.
Linna had already killed seven Distorted Beasts in the past two days, all of whom had attacked her.
“There were about thirty Awakened Ones in the troupe, the strongest being a seventh-order, the rest mid-order. There were no other high-order Awakened Ones.” Linna’s expression turned slightly worried. “But after being tainted by the Incubation Barrier and transforming into Distorted Beasts, their power increased by at least a full order.
“The two Distorted Beasts we just encountered were at least seventh-order. They were likely only fourth or fifth-order before.”
This meant that the seventh-order Awakened One might have already reached the level where they could wield an Authority.
In the outside world, even if they could wield an Authority… there were no Authorities for them to use. Possessing an Authority and being able to use one were two different concepts. The former was far more terrifying.
But this was a Grotesquery Incubation Barrier. There was a dormant “egg” here. It might possess an Authority.
“If we encounter it, we’ll be in danger, and so will my teammates.” Linna sighed. “However, as long as they don’t stubbornly confront the seventh-order Distorted Beast and choose to flee if they encounter it alone, they shouldn’t be in too much danger.”
“…I feel like you’re jinxing it.”
“Hmm?”
“Nothing, continue.”
Luo Ling nodded. She wasn’t one for witty remarks.
“But the problem is, I can’t contact them. There’s something within the Incubation Barrier that’s interfering with our tokens.” Linna held up her hourglass necklace towards Luo Ling’s. “See, they only react when they’re this close.”
The two necklaces glowed faintly blue, their light pulsating in a shared rhythm. But if they moved further apart, the resonance vanished.
They only reacted within a three-meter radius. At that distance, they would have already encountered each other, rendering communication unnecessary.
“It should be the flesh contamination.” Luo Ling analyzed briefly.
She possessed two domains, and she could confirm that this Incubation Barrier wasn’t within either of them.
If it possessed a domain of this scale, even while dormant, this “egg” would be only slightly weaker than the Puppet Ballad itself.
“Miss Orion, do you think this level of power… could cause a Boundary collapse in Victoria?”
Linna’s eyes widened. She hadn’t expected Luo Ling to know about Boundary collapses.
This meant that Luo Ling had at least encountered an Authority.
She thought for a moment, then shook her head.
“Impossible. Victoria isn’t that fragile. Even if the Grotesquery within this Incubation Barrier awakens, it can’t do that.”
She paused, seemingly remembering something, but changed the subject.
“For your safety, I suggest we leave this place. What do you think?”
Luo Ling hadn’t demonstrated her true strength. Linna estimated her to be around fourth or fifth-order, at most.
That level of power was sufficient for dealing with ordinary pustule monsters, but if multiple Distorted Beasts appeared, even Linna would struggle, let alone protecting two little girls.
Considering this, she decided to change her plan.
She had initially intended to regroup with her teammates and then destroy the Incubation Barrier, nipping the dormant “egg” in the bud. A team of six eighth-order Awakened Ones was certainly capable of that.
“Alright.”
Luo Ling nodded.
She had also made some observations.
The area of Victoria that had collapsed into the Realm of Nothingness was much larger than this current Incubation Barrier, about two or three times larger.
This meant that…
This Incubation Barrier had expanded later, not its current size.
The current scale wasn’t enough to trigger a Boundary collapse, but what about after its expansion?
But Luo Ling didn’t say anything, stopping there.
She was still worried that this was merely a simulated spacetime. Even if she changed something, the present world wouldn’t be affected.
In that case… any changes would be meaningless, and Luo Ling would miss the truth. She didn’t have enough Inspiration to use “rewrite reality” again and return here.
Having made their decision, Linna couldn’t resist her curiosity and asked why Luo Ling had treated little Odeletta in such a… peculiar manner.
Miss Southern Cross seemed quite normal, why such strange behavior?
Luo Ling explained her concerns and her helplessness.
Linna listened, then after a moment of silence, said,
“If that’s the reason, why didn’t you carry her on your back? That way, she could just lower her head and avoid seeing those gruesome scenes.”
“Oh, right.”
Luo Ling smacked her forehead.
“Perhaps I shouldn’t have mentioned it. It’s normal for young people to have their… preferences. Rest assured, I won’t discriminate against you, Miss Southern Cross.”
Linna glanced at little Odeletta’s flushed cheeks and turned away slightly.
“But I suggest that after we leave the Incubation Barrier, you both pretend you never saw me.”
“…It’s really not what you think.”
Luo Ling removed little Odeletta’s eyepatch and untied their hands, then carried her on her back.
Little Odeletta was light, not burdening Luo Ling at all.
She didn’t say anything, simply burying her face in Luo Ling’s silver-white hair, her warm cheek pressed against Luo Ling’s neck.
Having decided to leave, Linna no longer followed the trails of the pustule monsters, instead moving towards areas with fewer monsters.
Incubation Barriers had a central area where the incubated “egg” likely resided. All pustule monsters, driven by instinct, would gravitate towards this central area.
Linna had been wandering in circles for the past two days because she couldn’t locate the central area.
The “egg” also protected itself. Perhaps sensing Linna’s threat, it had been actively avoiding her.
Now, searching for the exit using the opposite approach proved more effective.
They didn’t even need Luo Ling to deal with the few pustule monsters they encountered. Although seemingly unreliable, Linna’s strength was undeniable.
Her long-barreled firearm seemed to be a Sacred Tool. Luo Ling could sense strong Inspiration fluctuations with each shot.
The seemingly antiquated firearm, in Linna’s hands, possessed destructive power far surpassing modern weapons.
They encountered a grotesque, obese monster, several stories tall, using pustule monsters as a fleshy shield. Linna’s single shot tore through its body, three shots completely obliterating it.
It was less a gun and more a magical staff, its true nature far removed from a conventional firearm.
After hours of navigating the ruins, as the sun set and the moon bathed the desolate landscape in its pale light, they finally approached the edge of the Incubation Barrier.
Luo Ling was the first to sense the change in the surrounding aura, gradually returning to normal. Linna had been about to head in another direction.
…Luo Ling suspected they had wandered in circles again, but under Linna’s insistence that she wasn’t directionally challenged, she could only follow.
“Wait here for a moment. I’ll blast a path open for you.”
Linna nodded to Luo Ling, then, for the first time, began loading her firearm.
It was a bullet crafted from amethyst, which looked familiar to Luo Ling. Looking closely, she realized it was similar to the material of the hairpin Fiona had given her.
However, the crystal of the hairpin was more refined, imbued with starlight, likely a more crucial part of a Grotesquery Sacred Relic.
The less important parts had been crafted into bullets by Linna.
Even so, the value of these bullets was evident.
To save a complete stranger, Linna didn’t hesitate to use such a precious item…
This gave Luo Ling a deeper understanding of Linna’s character.
A kind person with a cold exterior.
Linna took a deep breath, aimed her firearm at a weak point in the Incubation Barrier.
But just as she was about to fire, something unexpected happened.
“Help… me…”
A weak voice echoed, stopping them in their tracks.
“Another survivor?”
Linna immediately lowered her weapon. If there were other survivors, it would be better to rescue them all at once.
They didn’t know how quickly the Incubation Barrier would regenerate after being breached. It might only be open long enough for one person to pass through.
Amethyst bullets were precious. It was best to conserve them.
Luo Ling followed the voice, finding a human-shaped figure nearby.
“Over there!”
Luo Ling pointed.
Linna rushed over, then froze in shock, seeing the person calling for help.
“Wetherby! Why is it you?”
As Luo Ling was about to approach, Linna raised her hand.
“Don’t come any closer!”
Linna’s eyes trembled. She wanted to help the injured man, but hesitated.
“Help… me…”
The man whispered hoarsely. Although his body hadn’t transformed yet, a horrific wound stretched from his left shoulder to his right leg, nearly splitting him in two.
His exposed heart and organs pulsed, blood spurting out, his eyes rolled back, his face pale.
He looked gravely injured, barely clinging to life.
But… this was a Grotesquery Incubation Barrier.
Even seeing her teammate’s injuries, Linna maintained her composure, not rushing to his aid, even though Wetherby seemed on the verge of death.
After three agonizing seconds, Wetherby could no longer speak, his mouth opening and closing weakly.
Linna could barely restrain herself any longer.
“Don’t go.”
A soft, childish voice said, a small hand tugging at her armor.
Linna realized that Luo Ling had silently appeared beside her.
“Miss Southern Cross…”
Linna hesitated. In that moment of distraction, a grey shadow flashed towards them, not attacking them, but the body on the ground.
Instinctively, Linna stepped forward.
She had to save her teammate.
She couldn’t abandon him.
“Complete Domination.”
A cold, childish voice echoed in Linna’s ears.
Linna turned around, meeting a pair of grey-white eyes. The stunningly beautiful face beneath the cloak couldn’t distract her. Her vision was filled with those eerie eyes.
“Freeze.”
What was happening?
She… couldn’t move?
The impossibly beautiful silver-haired girl stared at her, issuing a command.
“Freeze.”
It was a command.
Unreasonable and absolute, yet she could only obey.
A sudden wave of fear washed over her, quickly receding, but leaving a lingering unease.
The grey-white eyes returned to their normal color, the cloak concealing the girl’s delicate features. Her usual childish voice said,
“It’s a trap.”
A trap…
Linna turned to see a Distorted Beast standing beside Wetherby, smirking at her.
The Distorted Beast was missing half its body, a section of its spine protruding from its severed lower half. Its arms had transformed into sharp, grotesque bone blades, enabling its swift and eerie movements.
Meanwhile, Wetherby continued to mutter “help me,” but a puddle of viscous liquid was oozing from the back of his head, covering his entire body, even filling his pulsating organs and heart.
The Wetherby they saw was merely a shell. He had become a Distorted Beast, the viscous liquid its true form.
In a way, it was similar to the Puppet Ballad’s method of domination.
However, the Puppet Ballad was far more adept at it. If it were the Puppet Ballad employing this deception, no one, not even Luo Ling herself, could easily see through it.
“We have to accept a sad truth. Your teammate has become our enemy.” Luo Ling said gravely. “We’re now facing two ninth-order Awakened Ones.”
The bone-scythe creature was clearly the unfortunate troupe leader, the only seventh-order Awakened One in the troupe. Even in death, he still wore his beloved stage costume, his grotesque, deformed face painted with makeup.
Wetherby had likely encountered the troupe leader head-on, killed and then transformed.
This was the first time Linna had encountered a teammate in days, yet it was in this tragic manner.
A flicker of sadness crossed her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure.
“Miss Southern Cross, how many times can you use that ‘Complete Domination’?”
Linna was shocked by Luo Ling’s power.
She hadn’t expected Luo Ling to be able to dominate her, and this domination… was absolute.
Linna knew that in that state, she couldn’t resist at all. For those few seconds, she was a puppet under Luo Ling’s complete control.
“Unfortunately, not many times.”
Luo Ling’s Inspiration was slowly recovering, but dominating Linna, even briefly, had consumed a significant portion.
Linna was powerful. Even in her complete state, completely dominating her with “Complete Domination” would be difficult.
An eighth-order Awakened One, just one step away from a ninth-order Awakened One capable of wielding an Authority, practically at the peak of human power.
“Please…”
Before Linna could finish, Wetherby and the troupe leader didn’t give them time for further discussion.
The viscous liquid, mixed with chunks of flesh, surged towards Linna and Luo Ling. It was greedy, wanting to devour them both.
The troupe leader, however, was more direct. His bone scythe flashed in the moonlight, aiming to bisect Linna, transforming her into a pitiful half-bodied creature like himself.
“Devour, corrode, invade…”
Luo Ling looked at the approaching liquid, amused.
Using such power before the grandmaster of Puppet Ballad was beyond laughable.
Silver-white hair spread out, grotesque fungal threads growing on the floating liquid, the two forces clashing fiercely.
“BANG!”
A loud gunshot echoed.
One of the troupe leader’s bone scythes shattered. He shrieked in pain, retreating awkwardly.
But Linna also paid a price.
She supported herself with the barrel of her rifle, her other arm bleeding profusely. A severed arm lay on the ground, its blackened wound sizzling from corrosion.
Amethyst shards scattered on the ground, glittering in the moonlight.
“Damn it…”
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