Basserway had originally been hiding stealthily behind this pile of panels, planning to seize an opportunity to escape and completely leave the crane’s line of sight. But now, he was fully exposed.
His hiding spot was illuminated brightly.
In his entire life, Basserway had stepped onto countless stages, each time under the spotlight and the gaze of thousands. Yet never before had he felt so desperate to flee from the glare of a follow light as he did today.
Having caused such a commotion, the crane fusion entity loomed high above with an excellent vantage point. Its attention was immediately drawn to this brightly lit little figure.
It was the one it had accidentally lost.
After searching for so long without success, the crane fusion entity forgot about the pickup truck and gleefully swung its boom, hooking toward him.
Basserway realized what was happening and turned to run.
But with just two legs, how could he possibly escape the crane’s range?
What’s more, as soon as he ran, the follow light moved with him, clinging tightly to his every step without falling behind an inch.
There was no way to hide—this follow light was relentless.
The boom effortlessly caught up to him, and the hook accurately scooped him up by his coat.
On the darkened street, the pickup truck seized the chance to accelerate, darting between the crane’s spread legs and speeding forward.
The massive crane fusion entity was left behind.
W turned his head and glanced back at Basserway, now suspended high in the air.
He murmured, “I salute your selflessness.”
Pei Ran didn’t understand. “Huh?”
W: “Never mind.”
Dangling mid-air, Basserway watched helplessly as the pickup truck sped away.
Truth be told, while hiding behind the pile of construction materials earlier, he had already spotted the approaching pickup truck and Pei Ran at the wheel.
There was a man sitting beside Pei Ran—he didn’t know who.
Basserway had a strange feeling that the man was W.
Of course, this idea was utterly absurd.
Safety Agent W was an artificial intelligence. There was absolutely no way he could be sitting in the passenger seat next to Pei Ran.
Yet this thought lingered in his mind, refusing to fade.
He seemed to vaguely recall hearing before that the Defense Department’s Safety Agent W had a virtual avatar, and it was said to be quite striking—perhaps just like this.
At the time, hiding behind the pile of construction materials, Basserway had taken malicious pleasure in thinking that no matter who that man was, he—just like Pei Ran—wouldn’t live much longer.
The crane fusion entity blocked the road. There was no way the pickup truck could get past it. Basserway had assumed he would watch as both of them, along with the vehicle, were hoisted into the sky by the crane.
Once the crane’s attention was on them, he could seize the chance to dash across the open stretch and escape into a nearby alley, making a clean getaway.
Who would have thought that in the end, the one sent skyward would be himself?
Suddenly, all the surrounding lights went out, leaving only one stubborn spotlight fixed on him. Even if fear hadn’t already shattered his nerves, Basserway knew with absolute certainty that there was only one person who could manipulate things like this—Safety Agent W.
He was an artificial intelligence. None of his memories faded with time. If he chose to remember, he would never forget—so he held grudges.
The crane’s massive hook held him by his clothes, and in an instant, he was lifted hundreds of meters into the air.
Beneath Basserway’s feet was nothing but empty space. His head spun, his body numb with terror.
The crane fusion entity looked at him with its pitch-black eyes, then swung its boom—and Basserway went flying through the air.
That artificial intelligence—he was, in effect, personally committing murder.
The horror of death enveloped Basserway.
Suspended in midair with no hope of escape, he flailed his limbs wildly in desperation. Then, a sudden thought flashed through his mind.
It was from when he had first entered Black Well. During a routine meeting of the Provisional Committee, while discussing the criteria for entering Black Well, he had once said something.
Now, he remembered it clearly, every single word.
He had said: “If it were me, in such a crisis, I would be willing to sacrifice myself for the Federation, to give the chance of survival to someone younger.”
At the time, Safety Agent W had coldly replied: “I salute your selflessness. Your statement has been officially recorded.”
Your statement has been officially recorded.
The calm, indifferent voice of the safety agent still seemed to echo in his ears.
These were his own words—that he was willing to yield the chance of survival to someone younger.
And Pei Ran was clearly much younger than him.
The ground rushed up with a roar. Basserway’s heart was filled with nothing but fear and despair.
With a splat, he hit the ground.
Dropped from a hundred meters in the air, he successfully made his sacrifice—shattered into pieces.
Far away, the swirling vortex of light that had been surging toward them suddenly changed direction, plunging underground and disappearing to who-knows-where.
Pei Ran drove the pickup truck south along Seventh Avenue.
It was a familiar face.
Team Leader Li, with a bulging backpack strapped to her shoulders, was sprinting forward while shouting at the top of her lungs:
“Everyone, fall back! Don’t come any closer! Everyone, retreat!!”
Pei Ran immediately stopped the pickup truck, keeping her distance as she watched from afar.
Li Yin charged ahead, nearly reaching the swarm of tentacled monsters before skidding to a halt just outside their reach. She spread her arms wide.
Her wrists were bare—the red suppression bracelets were gone.
Two emerald glows ignited simultaneously in her palms.
In the next instant, mist-like white vapor erupted violently from her hands.
The vapor surged endlessly, enveloping her and rapidly expanding outward.
Though it appeared thin, its effect was overwhelming. Wherever it spread, the temperature seemed to plummet—thick white frost instantly crusted over the road, interlaced with jagged, translucent icicles that gleamed sharply under the overhead lights.
The freezing zone expanded in an instant, swallowing the oncoming swarm of frenzied fusion entities.
They froze as if time had stopped.
The frenzied amalgamations stiffened mid-motion, their flailing tendrils suspended in the air. White frost encased their entire bodies, turning them into a field of frozen statues.
Li Yin swept her gaze across the scene, confirming that every fusion entity within range had been immobilized—and no bystanders harmed—before suddenly clenching both fists.
Boom.
Every frozen fusion entity exploded as if rigged with internal bombs, shattering into countless icy fragments that rained down like hail.
The ever-serene Team Leader Li actually possessed such a devastating area-of-effect ability.
But something was clearly wrong with her.
Pei Ran noticed that Li Yin herself was also covered in a layer of frost. Though not fully frozen like the monsters, she wasn’t faring much better.
She took one step forward—then stiffened like a statue and collapsed face-first onto the ground.
At that very moment, another wave of tentacled horrors rounded the corner from a side street ahead.
The air writhed with squirming, worm-like tendrils as the new swarm advanced, a sight that made one’s scalp crawl.
Pei Ran leapt out of the truck, sprinting forward while urgently summoning Green Light No. 1.
In her mind, she wrote:
[All frenzied soldier fusion entities explode.]
Pei Ran rushed to Team Leader Li’s side, carefully estimating the range before finishing her command with a period.
A series of explosions erupted—blood mist rained down as the swarm of tentacled monsters vanished entirely.
Kneeling, Pei Ran helped Li Yin up from the ground.
Fortunately, Li was still conscious, her eyes open—but her face and hands were deathly pale, her lips and nails tinged blue from the cold.
She had recognized Pei Ran immediately, though her teeth chattered uncontrollably, her trembling making her voice uneven:
“There… were… too many… of them… I overdid it… couldn’t… handle the backlash… Knew it was you… when they exploded like that… Water…”
Her thermos was tucked into the side pocket of her backpack. Pei Ran yanked it out and unscrewed the lid.
Steam curled up from the hot tea inside.
No wonder she always carries that thermos, Pei Ran realized. With an ability like this, she must feel freezing all the time.
Propping Li up with one arm, Pei Ran helped her take a few sips.
Li Yin finally steadied slightly, exhaling deeply before clutching the thermos herself and gulping down several more mouthfuls. Only then did she carefully reseal the lid.
Two-thirds of the original Black Well FBSMD team had now reunited.
Pei Ran helped her to her feet and guided her toward the pickup truck.
W had already vacated the passenger seat without being asked.
Li Yin gave him a curious glance, but still shivering violently, she didn’t bother questioning it. “Let me… lie down in the back… need to recover,” she managed.
Pei Ran helped her into the truck bed, where she collapsed against her backpack. Leaving Ren and the other to watch over her, Pei Ran returned to the driver’s seat.
With the path now clear of frenzied fusion entities, the crowd reversed course, surging toward the southern tunnel exit. Pei Ran started the engine and followed.
Behind them, vast sections of Black Well’s dome lights abruptly flickered out.
Pei Ran shot W a questioning look.
“Not me,” he said. “Too many frenzied fusion entities. Critical circuits are failing—what remains won’t last much longer.”
Black Well was being torn apart by both the light vortex and the frenzied fusion entities.
W’s voice continued echoing through the space, repeating the same urgent message:
“Attention all residents of Black Well. The shielding layer is failing. Evacuate immediately through the nearest exit. Recheck all personal belongings for—”
The announcement cut off mid-sentence.
In the sudden silence, W switched to telepathy:
“Pei Ran, the secondary shielding generators have burned out. Do not speak aloud again.”
At the same time, all broadcast systems within Black Well suddenly emitted a sharp, piercing alarm:
“Beep—beep—beep—beep—beep—”
This was the signal he had repeatedly warned about in his announcements—the sound of the shielding layer collapsing.