52: They split up, the loli in the darkness.

The space inside the ruins was even larger than imagined.

After passing through the long corridor filled with statue remains, the group arrived at a massive circular hall.

In the center of the hall was a dried-up fountain pool, its bottom piled with unknown metal fragments.

At the end of the hall, two distinct passages appeared.

The passage on the left was wide and tall, with lightning-shaped symbols carved on the door frame; inside was pitch black, with only a few struggling emergency lights emitting a buzzing electrical sound.

The passage on the right was relatively narrow, with book-like patterns carved on the door frame; it was brightly lit, and neatly arranged data cabinets could even be seen inside.

"It looks like we'll have to split up."

Gu Nian pushed up her glasses, her tactical tablet displaying the simple map she had just scanned.

"According to the energy fluctuation analysis, the left should lead to the power core area. The radiation levels there are very high, and..."

She paused and glanced at the bottomless darkness.

"The life-detection radar shows quite a few red dots moving inside."

"The right leads to the archives and control center. It's relatively safe, but requires cracking a large number of encrypted doors."

Gu Nian looked up at Gu Pingsheng.

"Captain, to save time, I suggest we split into groups."

Gu Pingsheng nodded.

The proposal was reasonable.

The ruin's defense system had already been activated; the longer they delayed, the more variables there would be.

"Alright."

His gaze swept over everyone as he quickly made a decision.

"Lin Qinghan, you take Gu Nian and An An to the right."

"Gu Nian will be in charge of cracking, you'll handle clearing the monsters, and An An will be responsible for reconnaissance."

"Yes."

Lin Qinghan had no objections, her long blade slightly unsheathed, radiating a piercing chill.

"Then... what about the left?"

Su Ruan asked, blinking her big eyes while clutching her Mechanical Rabbit.

Gu Pingsheng looked down at her, a playful smile curling at the corners of his mouth.

"The left is dangerous."

"So, I'm taking you."

Su Ruan froze for a moment, then a brilliant smile blossomed on her face.

The smile was cloyingly sweet, yet it carried an indescribable excitement.

"Yay! Ruan Ruan loves danger the most!"

She cheered and lunged forward to hug Gu Pingsheng's arm, hanging off him like a koala.

"As long as I'm with Brother, I'll go anywhere~"

Gu Pingsheng let her cling to him and turned to give Lin Qinghan an instruction.

"Keep the communication lines open."

"If you encounter trouble you can't handle, retreat immediately."

"Understood."

Lin Qinghan gave him a deep look, her gaze lingering for a second on his arm held by Su Ruan, before turning to lead Gu Nian and An An toward the right passage... Meanwhile, in the left passage.

This place felt like another world.

As soon as they stepped inside, a cold, damp air rushed over them.

The air was filled with a nauseating smell of machine oil mixed with rotting matter.

The emergency lights overhead flickered, stretching and shrinking their shadows as if they were performing a bizarre dance.

Drip.

Drip.

The sound of dripping water from somewhere echoed in the empty passage, each drop feeling like a beat against one's heartstrings.

"Brother..."

Su Ruan's voice sounded exceptionally soft and sweet in the darkness.

She hugged him even tighter.

Her soft body pressed tightly against Gu Pingsheng's arm; he could even feel the slightly rapid thumping of her heart against his side.

"It's so dark here..."

"Ruan Ruan is afraid of the dark."

She looked up, her large eyes glowing faintly in the dim light like a startled fawn.

Gu Pingsheng looked down at her.

"Afraid of the dark?"

Who was that violent loli who had just been laughing while smashing a guardian's head?

But he didn't call her out.

He didn't dislike this kind of little flirtation.

"If you're afraid, then hold on tight."

Gu Pingsheng said indifferently, his pace not faltering in the slightest.

His other hand remained on the trigger, his gaze alertly scanning the surrounding shadows.

"Heehee, Brother is so nice."

Su Ruan pressed her cheek against his tactical vest, nuzzling him like a cat.

"The scent on Brother... smells so good."

She took a deep breath, as if trying to inhale all of Gu Pingsheng's scent into her lungs.

That look of obsession appeared somewhat pathological in the darkness.

The two of them continued forward in the darkness.

The surroundings grew quieter and quieter.

It was so quiet that only their breathing and footsteps could be heard.

Suddenly.

Su Ruan stopped in her tracks.

She looked up at Gu Pingsheng's profile, her eyes becoming somewhat dazed.

"Brother."

"Hmm?"

"If... Ruan Ruan gets eaten by the monsters here..."

Her voice was very light, as faint as a breeze.

"Would you be sad?"

Gu Pingsheng stopped.

He turned around and, by the flickering light overhead, looked at the little loli who only reached his chest.

Her expression was very serious.

Within that seriousness was hidden a deep sense of insecurity, as well as... a frantic expectation.

It was as if if Gu Pingsheng said a single "no," she would instantly collapse, or... destroy everything.

Gu Pingsheng didn't answer immediately.

He reached out and pinched Su Ruan's delicate chin, lifting it slightly.

His thumb brushed against her fine skin.

Their gazes met in the air.

Gu Pingsheng's eyes were deep, like a bottomless well.

"Eat you?"

He chuckled, his voice low and magnetic.

"That depends on whether they have the appetite for it."

His fingers tightened slightly, causing Su Ruan a bit of pain, but her smile only grew wider.

Gu Pingsheng lowered his head, leaning close to her face, and said word by word:

"Remember."

"You are my collectible."

"In this world, besides me..."

"Anyone who touches you, dies."

Domineering.

Cold.

Unreasonable.

But this was exactly the answer Su Ruan wanted to hear most.

Her pupils constricted sharply, and her breathing became rapid.

An abnormal flush rose to her face.

"Brother..."

She murmured, standing on her tiptoes, wanting to kiss Gu Pingsheng's lips.

Just then.

Hiss—!!!

A piercing hiss suddenly came from overhead.

Immediately following.

A black shadow lunged down from the ceiling like lightning.

It was a massive mutated creature.

It had a lizard-like body but human-like limbs, and its entire body was covered in viscous liquid.

Its bloody maw, filled with razor-sharp teeth, lunged straight for Gu Pingsheng's neck.

[Mutated Creeper (Tier 3 · Elite)]

It was incredibly fast.

So fast that an ordinary person wouldn't have time to react at all.

But Gu Pingsheng didn't even blink.

He didn't even let go of the hand pinching Su Ruan's chin.

Because he felt it.

The sudden eruption of... monstrous killing intent from the little loli in his arms.

"So noisy."

Su Ruan's voice changed.

It was no longer soft and sweet like before, but had become bone-chillingly cold and filled with tyranny.

She didn't even look back.

Only her small hand, which had been clutching Gu Pingsheng's arm, suddenly swung backward.

Zheng—

A few nearly invisible cold glints flashed through the air.

Those were her threads.

Thinner than a strand of hair, yet sharper than the keenest blade.

Puchi!

The Creeper in mid-air suddenly froze.

Then.

Its body instantly disintegrated in the air.

Head, limbs, torso... they fell apart neatly like sliced sashimi.

Splash—

Stinking blood and internal organs splattered all over the ground.

But not a single drop splashed onto Gu Pingsheng.

Because all the filth was blocked by an invisible barrier.

It was a net woven by Su Ruan with her threads.

"Did you hear that?"

Su Ruan turned around and looked at the pile of twitching minced meat on the ground.

She tilted her head, a sweet smile on her face, but her eyes were heart-stoppingly cruel.

"Brother said..."

"I am his."

She stuck out her pink tongue and licked her lips, as if savoring the pleasure of the slaughter just now.

"Who allowed you... to disturb my intimacy with Brother?"

Gu Pingsheng watched this scene, the smile at the corners of his mouth deepening.

He released his grip on her chin and rubbed her head instead.

"Good job."

"Let's go; don't let the trash block the way."

Having said that, he stepped over the corpse on the ground and continued forward.

Su Ruan immediately tucked away her cruel expression and reverted to being a well-behaved little loli.

"Mhm~ Brother, wait for me~"

She happily chased after him and hugged Gu Pingsheng's arm once more.

As if the cold-blooded demon from just now wasn't her at all... The further they went, the higher the temperature in the passage became.

Thick pipes began to appear on the surrounding walls, with glowing liquid flowing inside.

That was high-concentration energy liquid.

"It looks like we're almost there."

Gu Pingsheng glanced at the readings on his tactical watch.

The radiation levels were soaring.

If they weren't wearing Nano-Combat Suits, an ordinary person would probably have melted here long ago.

Finally.

After passing through the last airtight door.

The view ahead suddenly opened up.

It was a massive cylindrical space.

Countless massive energy pipes converged here, connecting to a behemoth in the center.

It was a transparent cultivation tank dozens of meters high.

It was filled with a pale gold liquid that emitted a soft glow.

And within that liquid.

A figure was suspended.

It was a... young girl?

She had long, silver-white hair that drifted like seaweed in the liquid.

Her skin was as pale as paper, yet it possessed a translucent quality.

The most eye-catching feature was the pair of wings on her back.

They weren't wings made of feathers.

They were Mechanical Wings composed of countless precision metal feathers.

Golden light flowed over each feather, trembling slightly with her breathing.

Yes, she was breathing.

Although it was very faint, Gu Pingsheng could clearly see the diamond-shaped blue crystal on her chest flickering rhythmically.

"Th-this... what is this?"

Su Ruan's eyes widened, and she didn't even notice her rabbit falling to the ground.

She stared blankly at the Mechanical Angel sleeping in the liquid, feeling a shudder from the depths of her soul.

It was the instinctive fear of a lower organism facing a higher life form.

Gu Pingsheng also narrowed his eyes.

His gaze was fixed intently on the girl.

Or rather, staring at the holographic projection counting down above her head.

[Seal Release Countdown: 00:10:00]

"It seems..."

Gu Pingsheng took a deep breath, his grip on his gun tightening.

"We've found something incredible."

Just then.

That sleeping Mechanical Angel.

Her eyelashes suddenly fluttered slightly.