The middle floors consisted of executive offices, none of which held anything worth searching. Contracts that would have been considered absolute commercial secrets in the past were now nothing more than scrap paper. In the human bases, children used electronic screens for school; using paper was seen as a waste of resources.
Xin Ye piled the rummaged items onto a desk and called Leng Xianye over to head down to the next floor—the forty-sixth. He felt the burgeoning joy of someone about to clock out of work early.
Xun Yin was laughing about something. Xin Ye questioned him in his mind as they descended the stairs.
Xun Yin: 【Nothing, I just thought of something funny.】
Xin Ye soon discovered exactly what that "funny thing" was.
After searching the entire row of windowsills and confirming the flowerpot truly wasn't there, he hissed through gritted teeth, "Didn't you say the flowerpot was on the forty-sixth floor?"
【I said it was there *last time*!】 Xun Yin laughed even harder. 【Aiya, I must say, I haven't really helped you much this whole way. Wouldn't tripping you up prove I'm God much better than helping you would?】
Xin Ye adjusted his emotions quickly, but he couldn't hide the spark of fury in his voice. "You're capable, aren't you? Very capable. So? What are you going to do to make things difficult for me next?"
No one enjoyed being forced to work overtime.
【Just a joke. Why would I make things hard for you?】 Xun Yin’s index finger tapped rhythmically against his mouse. 【I’m giving you an opportunity, Brother Ye.】
"...An opportunity?"
【Don't be impatient. It's coming right now.】
Less than three seconds later, Xin Ye and Leng Xianye’s communicators rang simultaneously. In a multi-person split-team scenario, having both members of a sub-unit activate their comms at once to ensure a successful connection was a tactic taught in the final session of their training course.
Xin Ye immediately found Leng Xianye, who was searching the other side of the floor, and they connected the call together.
"Hello? Can you hear me, Xin Ye?"
"Are you there?"
Lian Muyun was calling Xin Ye, while Xing Yue was calling Leng Xianye.
"I hear you," Xin Ye said, his breathing gradually quickening. "What's wrong? What’s the situation on your end?"
"We traced the growth direction of the vines backward... we found a flowerpot on the twenty-third floor. The situation is hard to describe. I'll take a photo and send it to you immediately."
Forty-six divided by two is twenty-three. It felt like Xun Yin was playing a cruel joke on him.
"We don't have the means to destroy the source of the Sparrow Vine. Requesting a rendezvous."
***
Xin Ye had been carrying two flashlights, so his Mirror Image had also been holding two. Before leaving, the Mirror Image had handed his two flashlights to Lian Muyun and Xing Yue.
The trio had searched their way up. Xing Yue and Lian Muyun led the way, while Tang Qiuqiu used his feline night vision to monitor their surroundings.
When they reached the twenty-second floor, Tang Qiuqiu spoke up for the first time. "There’s something on the floor above. The scent of plants and birds... it’s much stronger."
The three quickened their pace. Upon seeing what was hidden on the twenty-third floor, they all froze in place.
Lian Muyun came from a privileged background and had spent some time in the Information Archives during his training, thanks to his status. He had seen photos of many bizarre mutated species. However, seeing the source of a hundred-meter-tall giant mutation with his own eyes was still an overwhelming shock.
Tang Qiuqiu’s expression was dazed. Among the three, Xing Yue appeared the most composed, but in reality, the girl’s mind had gone blank.
This was a circular corporate culture exhibition hall. Introduction posters lined the walls. In the center, there had originally been a cylindrical display pedestal, but now the models it once held were nothing but glass shards on the floor.
Dense green vines were twisted together into thick cables, extending outward through the four entrances of the hall. The thickest main vines grew thinner as they approached the display pedestal, their surfaces a green so dark it was almost black. They had forced themselves through a small flowerpot.
The bottom of the flowerpot was completely shattered, and the body was covered in fine cracks, yet it was held together by green silk. The vines climbing up from the mouth of the pot had somehow reached the ceiling and now covered the entire overhead space. Clusters of grapes—smaller than those outside but far more vibrantly colored—hung from the branches. The space was so crowded it felt suffocating.
These grapes weren't lifeless like the ones outside. In fact, they were quite active, twitching every so often and occasionally emitting chirping sounds that made one's skin crawl.
"Lian Muyun, help me contact the two upstairs," Xing Yue commanded, recovering her wits and making a quick judgment. "There’s something seriously wrong with these things. Without a doubt, this is the core of the Sparrow Vine."
While relaying the message to Xin Ye and Leng Xianye, Xing Yue and Tang Qiuqiu each tried to see if they could damage the vines, but their efforts yielded little result. Lian Muyun’s gun was even more useless; it was completely countered in this environment.
"The fiber density is too high." Lian Muyun’s face was grim. "I'm sorry. I'm dragging everyone down this time."
Tang Qiuqiu looked at his claws, which were stained with green sap. This was the first time he had felt pain in his hands while using his ability. "The vines are too densely packed here. If we get surrounded, we won't be able to escape. Should we head out first?"
Xing Yue stepped up as the temporary team leader. "Alright, let's pull back for now."
However, the moment they stepped out, the vines inside began to converge.
Tang Qiuqiu’s voice rose uncontrollably. "They’re going to block the door!"
Flashlights were shoved into backpacks. Several silver threads wound around Xing Yue’s fingertips, biting into her skin and leaving bloody welts. The other ends of the threads snagged two grapevines that were about to touch.
"Lian Muyun, provide light. Tang Qiuqiu, help me find a way to hold them off until Xin Ye and Leng Xianye get here." Xing Yue bit her lip as she watched the restless green vines behind her. "If the Sparrow Vine goes berserk, prioritize survival."
***
Xun Yin kept trying to talk to Xin Ye, but Xin Ye ignored him completely.
When he and Leng Xianye arrived, they saw the exact moment Xing Yue was flung aside by a vine.
Lian Muyun’s eyes lit up when he saw them. "You're here! Quick, help us!"
"We can't hold them back... those vines are trying to hide their core! Think of something!" Tang Qiuqiu used his claws to grip the vines on both sides, blood seeping from where his sharp talons met his human joints.
Except for Lian Muyun, the other two were badly injured. Xing Yue’s face was covered in abrasions, and a layer of skin had been torn from her fingers by her own threads.
Reaching a critical stage in the writing, Xun Yin took a sip of water, rubbed his hands together, and continued typing: 【At this point, Leng Xianye should go help Xing Yue up and offer a few words of concern...】
"Lian Muyun, go take care of Xing Yue. Leng Xianye, follow me!" Xin Ye grabbed Leng Xianye’s sleeve. "There’s still a chance to rush in. Once you see the flowerpot, use your ability to erase it!"
Leng Xianye felt his mind was in a total muddle, unsure of which way to go.
Xun Yin realized he couldn't press a single key and became genuinely annoyed. 【What are you doing! Let go of my male lead!】
"You should listen to me right now," Xin Ye sneered. "Think about it carefully—who is the protagonist now? If you don't know how to write a plot, then don't. Just sit back and watch how I do it."
Hearing this, Xun Yin’s hands froze.
Xin Ye hadn't replied to Xun Yin in his mind; he had spoken aloud. Leng Xianye seemed stunned by the hidden fury in that "listen to me" and followed Xin Ye toward the exhibition hall.
Seeing the two rushing toward him, Tang Qiuqiu exerted even more strength, blood flowing incessantly from his joints. "Hurry, Brother Xin Ye!"
Xin Ye pushed Leng Xianye inside first, then vaulted in himself.
Tang Qiuqiu lost his strength and let go. Just before the vines sealed the entrance completely, Xin Ye looked back and said, "Good job."
When he saw the base of the Sparrow Vine gathered into a rope-like mass, Xin Ye’s face went completely dark. It was nothing like last time; this core was clearly much harder to deal with.
Leng Xianye raised his hand, and a black orb of energy appeared in his palm. "Do we go for it directly?"
"Go." Xin Ye no longer felt 100% certain, but he had to try.
The exhibition hall had been enclosed into a sphere. The vines began to layer on top of each other, and the internal space grew smaller and smaller. Xin Ye estimated that if they didn't find a way out, they would be crushed to death inside.
Leng Xianye gave the small orb a light toss. It vanished into thin air. a second later, black energy attached itself to the flowerpot, consuming the green silk along with it.
Soon, the flowerpot and the energy vanished. Only a blurred mass remained in its place—not a void, but something resembling a mosaic.
Sharp sparrow cries erupted from the grapes above their heads.
Xin Ye breathed a temporary sigh of relief.
Leng Xianye’s ability, "Black Box," could swallow everything within a certain range, even including the original space of that location. Researchers still couldn't explain where the things swallowed by the Black Box went, and Leng Xianye himself clearly didn't know either. Although it was currently a B-rank ability, that was only due to its limited range; in reality, Black Box could counter many A-rank abilities and was the only thing that could sever Xing Yue’s "Everlasting Thread."
The flowerpot issue was resolved, but the speed at which the vines were enclosing them more than doubled.
Lian Muyun’s muffled voice came from outside. "Are you guys okay? The vines out here are going berserk! Find a way out, we need to evacuate immediately!"
Xin Ye tried to cut the vines with his dagger, but after the flowerpot vanished, their surfaces had suddenly hardened. The dagger could only leave a faint white scratch.
Xin Ye couldn't think of a solution yet, but he knew he couldn't let the teammates waiting outside lose hope. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he shouted, "Wait a moment, we're coming!"
Another black orb appeared in Leng Xianye’s hand. "Xin Ye, I can use my ability one more time. I can guarantee an opening, but can you expand the path enough for both of us to get out?"
Xin Ye looked at the energy orb in Leng Xianye’s hand and said nothing.
He knew he couldn't do it.
In his previous life, he had said "I can't do it" to his teammates many times. He had felt like the dead weight of the team, a D-rank waste who could only handle logistics. Every time he received praise, he would be happy for a long time. He thought that by returning to the past, he had changed a lot. He could use his past experience to advance the mission and help his teammates, but in a life-or-death moment, his ability still seemed so useless.
Xin Ye unconsciously bit his lip, and soon, spots of blood appeared.
The vines piled higher and thicker, like a giant python coiling to crush its prey.
Xun Yin suddenly spoke; he had been listening to Xin Ye’s inner thoughts the whole time. 【Why didn't you think of asking me for help?】
Xin Ye remained silent, as if he were holding onto some form of persistence.
Xun Yin softened his tone to coax him. 【Didn't you say it yourself? You are my protagonist now. You have to believe that the protagonist can always pull off a desperate counterattack.】
"You're the one who set the trap to make things hard for me," Xin Ye’s voice in his mind sounded somewhat muffled. "If you don't want to help, then don't. Toying with people isn't funny."
【Fine, then I apologize,】 Xun Yin’s fingers pressed onto the keyboard. 【But you've already done very well this time. Don't blame yourself. Let's get through this crisis together first, okay?】
【Your teammates are still waiting for you.】
Xin Ye didn't answer, but he stopped resisting.
Xun Yin tested his typing speed, tapped out a few words, then quickly deleted them and started over.
Xin Ye knew what to do.
He pulled out a mirror shard. The Mirror Image had already returned inside it. The tiny shard looked like it could barely scratch his own skin, yet its owner gripped it tightly.
Xin Ye nodded to Leng Xianye and said, "I can."
***
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Promoted to Protagonist: Persecuted by the Meta-Narrative | Chapter 4 | The Sparrow Vine's Core | Novela.app | Novela.app
