“During the competition, there is only one way to breathe underwater for long periods,” Xin Ye said, three disposable syringes held between his fingers. “By borrowing the power of the mutants.”
Tang Qiuqiu rubbed her face. “Are we going to grow gills?”
Xing Yue analyzed the situation calmly. “Most likely.”
Leng Xianye took a syringe and, with a somewhat amateur technique, administered a shot to Lian Muyun.
The five of them were currently sitting at the edge of the entrance to the Water Zone—collectively staring at their reflections.
The Water Zone was a miraculous area within the farm. Its surface area on the same level as the Living and Natural Zones was only twenty square meters; the rest of its vast expanse was hidden directly beneath the other two sectors. It lacked sunlight and featured intensified water pressure, mimicking the deep-sea environment required by certain mutants.
During the preparation phase, Xin Ye had listed the Water Zone as a high-priority area in his documents and brought all the necessary equipment. Yet, for some reason, as he stared into the placid surface of the water, a sense of trepidation welled up within him.
It wasn't as if this was his first time.
Xun Yin’s hands hadn't touched his keyboard for twenty minutes. 【If you don’t want to go in yet, then don’t. Wait until tomorrow, the morning of the third day.】
【Anyway, your progress is already miles ahead of the other teams.】
There was no need to wait until one tripped; if one felt afraid, one could simply lie down and sleep right where they were.
“You’re right,” Xin Ye agreed.
He began to contemplate how to reasonably pitch two tents within a twenty-square-meter space.
Half an hour after the injection, the drug began to take effect. A slit opened on the side of his face just below the temple, and a fair amount of blood flowed out. Xin Ye felt as though he could reach in and touch the gill filaments. Before he could test the theory, Leng Xianye, whose hand was similarly covered in blood, leaned over. “The news about the opposing faction has been released. What do you think will happen to the people from the Eighth Division?”
“Nothing much. They’ll just be eliminated.” The Mirror emerged for a breath of air, and Xin Ye took the towel Leng Xianye handed him to wipe his face. “But the competition isn't over yet, which means... hm?”
Leng Xianye watched him quietly.
Xin Ye paused, recalling the requirements for an early conclusion in the competition rules. “The competition ends early if three groups complete their objectives. Objectives?”
“In other words, even if two teams are eliminated, the competition won't end for the remaining teams even if they are in the same faction. They must collect all the materials,” Leng Xianye said, the blood on his cheek still trickling down his jawline. “Don’t you find that standard strange?”
“It is strange. Why must these materials be collected?” Xin Ye couldn't bear to look at him like that anymore and helped wipe the blood from his face. “Do you think we’ll have the answer once we’ve collected them all?”
Leng Xianye replied instantly, “We will.”
That was his nature—a firm belief that action always yielded results.
“Then we go tomorrow,” Xin Ye decided.
***
Xun Yin had booked a private room in a small restaurant to wait for his editor. Having nothing better to do, he reviewed the final volume of his main text.
Leng Xianye, now an S-rank esper, had locked onto the sea region where the global mutant core radiation source was being calmly activated. He turned to his four teammates and said, “We’ll have the answer. We go tomorrow.”
Yi Ting took the headphones and put them on immediately. “What kind of precious song is this that you won't send it to me online but have to push it on me in person? ...There’s no sound. Are you kidding me?”
Xun Yin typed a few more lines. In the other world, the “Yi Ting” there was whispering “Shh” to Xing Yue, who was on night watch, and muttering a few words to herself.
The real Yi Ting still heard nothing.
“Oh, the software crashed. My computer froze, sorry, Sister Ting,” Xun Yin said, taking back the headphones. “I’ll send it to you online once it’s fixed.”
The food had been ordered in advance, leaning heavily toward spicy dishes to suit Yi Ting’s palate. Xun Yin had only ordered a few small desserts for himself, scooping them into his mouth aimlessly, his eyes staring blankly at his computer most of the time.
Halfway through the meal, the woman finally couldn't take it anymore and set down her chopsticks.
“So, you spent money to take me out just to brush me off? How have I offended you lately?” Since neither of them was speaking, the atmosphere of the meal was so stifling that Yi Ting felt like she might throw up everything she’d eaten. “Are you still angry about that damn copyright thing? I get it, you just don't like that foreign company. Stop brooding; we won't sell it. Otherwise, I’m afraid I’ll die of frustration right along with you.”
She added pointedly, “Frustrated to death *by you*.”
At the mention of the film and television rights, Xun Yin looked pained. “It was fine until you brought it up. Now that you have, I’m miserable. Let’s really not sell it, or I’m afraid I’ll end up in the hospital from the stress.”
“Going in from stress is fine; the money from the sale would cover your medical bills,” Yi Ting sneered. “I really don’t understand your thinking. It’s just cutting one character. Is it like cutting off your own life?”
“Others might not know, but I do. I was the one who sat with you and helped you cut and revise the character of Xin Ye back then. Then we split his persona to create the entire protagonist group. I truly don’t understand—you had the heart to tear him into pieces back then, so why can’t you bear to delete him entirely now?”
“You’re not going to tell me you have special feelings for this bland character, are you, *Teacher Xin*?”
“Stop it!”
Xun Yin suddenly stood up, bracing himself against the table. The glass filled with lemon water beside his hand toppled over.
Yi Ting was startled by his intense reaction and cursed, “Are you trying to kill yourself?” She reached into her bag for a cigarette, but the man across from her reacted faster, pulling out a biscuit tin he carried with him and stuffing a long biscuit stick toward her.
It was strawberry-flavored, coated in a pink chocolate shell, looking sickeningly sweet.
“Sister Ting, smoking is bad for your health. Have this instead,” Xun Yin said hurriedly, straightening his bag and slinging it over his shoulder. “I’m leaving. Going back to write.”
As Yi Ting heard the door close, her expression soured even further.
*Isn't eating sweets all the time also bad for your health?*
***
Yi Ting, wearing a special access permit around her neck, walked into the Water Zone entrance carrying two lunch boxes.
Aside from her, no other researcher dared to come here.
It happened to be Xing Yue’s turn for the night watch. She froze for a moment when she saw who the approaching white-coat was. Just as she realized and was about to call out the name, the woman pressed a finger to her lips.
“Shh.”
Xing Yue covered her own mouth and nodded.
Yi Ting walked to the wall and familiarly opened the white panel concealing the Water Zone’s control interface. She set a timer while murmuring softly, “Is it bad of me to do this? But Fu Shu can’t wait. When they go down... consider this a bit of compensation.”
After finishing the settings, she took the boxes and entered the water.
Though she didn't know what Yi Ting was doing, Xing Yue remained quiet. She figured Sister Yi Ting probably had urgent work to attend to, which was why she’d come during the competition.
The silence at the Water Zone entrance lasted for five more minutes. Then, the white panel below shuddered and began to retract.
...
When Xin Ye opened his eyes, he found himself surrounded by pitch-black darkness, unable to see a thing.
He was already completely submerged in the Water Zone.
The gills on his face began to function. It seemed everyone else had fallen into the water just like him.
Xing Yue, who had been on watch, was controlling her Endless Threads, using her esper perception to pull everyone back together.
The Mirror inside the Fragment whispered a reminder that a thread was approaching. Xin Ye reached out blindly and grabbed it, swimming back to Xing Yue’s side.
This “midnight ambush” had jolted everyone awake. Xin Ye pulled out an underwater light, but before he could adjust the direction, the beam hit Lian Muyun square in the face. The victim, about to complain as usual, ended up with a mouthful of salty synthetic seawater.
The familiar sensation prompted Xin Ye to open the mental dialogue box. “Well? What happened?”
【Wait a second, let me sort this out. I swear I wasn't being a jerk and doing this on purpose like before.】 Xun Yin felt the heavy exhaustion weighing on him lighten slightly upon hearing Xin Ye’s voice. 【Yi Ting was here. She set a timer to retract the white platform you were standing on at the entrance, dumping you all in.】
Xin Ye hadn't had enough sleep and had a bit of a headache. The explanation sounded nonsensical. “What did she come here for all of a sudden? Why ruin our luck?”
【...Some, uh, personal matters.】 It was hard for Xun Yin to explain why he’d suddenly added this plot point, but he could explain the rest. 【Mainly, she dumped you in early to push the progress so you can get the information on the red material sooner.】
“Information on the red material?” Xin Ye watched the glowing specks gradually drifting up from the deep water below, his desire to push the team’s progress wavering. “Did something happen to Fu Shu?”
【Fan Shuwan and his teammate with ‘Critical Perception’ calculated that the red material is in the Living Zone. But for some reason, they can’t pinpoint Fu Shu’s exact location. So, the two teams who got the news have cooperated. The Second Division team is conducting a grid search of the Living Zone, and the First Division has gone to get the white material.】
【She’s afraid Fu Shu will be in trouble if he’s surrounded by two teams. After all, this time the escapees are classified as mutants, and esper abilities can harm him. She wants you to hurry back and help. Since the higher-ups are still monitoring the competition, she couldn't say it openly and had to use this method.】
“Understood.” Xin Ye frowned and pressed the ability limiter near his ear.
He gave his teammates the signal to move forward and took the lead in diving into the deep water.
***
Having entered the water a step ahead, Yi Ting had memorized the map of the Water Zone and dove straight toward its deepest depths.
She couldn't see anything, relying solely on precise data calculations until she finally stopped before her target.
Yi Ting reached out and touched skin that belonged to a human, yet felt ice-cold.
She took the syringe out of the lunch box.
“Teacher, I’ve brought you your meal. A few kids will be coming to the Water Zone in a bit; please look after them for me.”
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