Doomsday Wonderland

Chapter 1360: Logic Loop and Long-Awaited Hope

When neither Lin Sanjiu nor Zheng Aiai made a move, the only sound left in this container terminal was the rustle of the sea breeze breaking the silence. As evening approached, the impending nightfall stretched the shadows gradually, silently dimming the hues between heaven and earth. Posthumans from other countries must have preserved their abilities well. When Lin Sanjiu listened carefully, she couldn’t discern any unusual movements—even though it might be because her abilities had been depleted too much?

With her hands tied, Zheng Aiai rested the machine gun against the ground and couldn’t help urging Lin Sanjiu, “Why don’t you make a move?”

For this girl, retaliation seemed easier than initiating an attack.

“I don’t understand.” Lin Sanjiu refrained from acting and crossed her arms, asking, “Why are you all obeying their orders?”

“Lower your voice.” Zheng Aiai glanced around, saying, “Don’t let my teammates hear you.”

Lin Sanjiu didn’t know how to react for a moment. She tentatively asked, “So, just let me go?”

Zheng Aiai immediately became alert and stared at her, saying, “That’s not possible.”

“Why? We just want to leave this world. Why are you all chasing us like this?” Lin Sanjiu pondered this question for a long time.

“It’s a long story.”

Zheng Aiai looked at the ground and said softly, “In simple terms… as everyone knows, the reason this world hasn’t faced doomsday is because it maintains a delicate but fragile balance. After landing, the locals held a meeting for us… during the meeting, they said that if you succeed in leaving this world, it could disrupt this balance.”

Lin Sanjiu’s question strengthened Zheng Aiai’s resolve, and her tone gradually became firmer.

“After wandering for so long, I have finally found a place where I can settle down. Indeed, some people are unfriendly towards posthumans, considering us to be anomalies… but most people are warm. They are curious about my experiences, willing to help me integrate into society. There are even boys pursuing me, sending me flowers and cantaloupes to eat… I even have my own retirement account. As long as I’m here, I don’t want them to experience the doomsday I once faced.”

Lin Sanjiu looked at her for a few seconds, wanting to be angry but unable to muster the feeling, which made her words surprisingly gentle, “So what should we do then?”

Zheng Aiai clenched her fists and said, “They promised not to harm you… just to concentrate and manage you… each country has its own methods. And, they said you committed crimes like murder and robbery. Even though I understand your logic and know you haven’t come out of the survival mode of doomsday, in a civilized society, you should still be punished.”

Lin Sanjiu almost laughed, “Who did I kill?”

“Didn’t you kill a museum security guard?” Zheng Aiai shook her head, seeming to decide not to continue this topic. She looked at Lin Sanjiu and said, “If you don’t make a move, then I’m sorry, but I’ll have to start.”

This girl indeed acted decisively. With a leap, she pounced forward. Lin Sanjiu leaped backward, wrapping one hand in a metal gauntlet. Just as she prepared to counterattack, Zheng Aiai’s foot tapped on the ground midway, not touching her, and she leaped back into the air. Lin Sanjiu’s heart skipped a beat, and almost simultaneously, her back collided with an electrified net in the air.

The remaining bit of her Higher Consciousness surged out, forming a layer of [Defense Forcefield] all over her body. However, it was rapidly consumed at a frenetic pace and thinned out. Yet before long, she was momentarily struck by the high-voltage current, losing control of her body and falling heavily to the ground.

By the time Lin Sanjiu fell, the current had ceased, and the [Defense Forcefield] had disappeared. In a flash, the electrified net had completely depleted her Higher Consciousness.

Zheng Aiai did not seize the opportunity to strike. She stood nearby, speaking softly, “Sorry, my ability is to generate an electric net in any direction of the air… you need to be careful.”

After a while, Lin Sanjiu struggled to sit up, panting. She wiped her mouth and smiled, saying, “It’s okay, thank you for the warning.”

“No… you’re welcome.” Zheng Aiai seemed bewildered, apparently unaccustomed to fighting so politely.

Lin Sanjiu stood up, contemplating summoning [Tornado Whip], but hesitated. It would make too much noise and undoubtedly attract all nearby posthumans. Since she was already at a disadvantage, she decided to temporarily forego some of her methods.

After a moment of reflection, she approached Zheng Aiai. With her hand encased in the metal gauntlet, she walked with a slight swaying motion, occasionally dazzling the sunlight.

“How is this world maintaining its balance to avoid doomsday?” Lin Sanjiu asked casually, then suddenly leaped into the air and swung a punch toward Zheng Aiai—even though her strength was dwindling, her combat skills remained top-notch. The angle of her punch was tricky, catching Zheng Aiai off guard. She quickly stepped back, using the gun to block, and replied, “Don’t you know?”

“If I knew, I wouldn’t ask,” Lin Sanjiu retorted, seizing the opportunity to grab the spear and forcefully snap it in half.

Zheng Aiai sighed in frustration, tossing away the broken half of the spear. “In our country, this is common knowledge that posthumans must be informed of within the first week… This world is maintained by the power of a ‘logic loop.'”

Before Lin Sanjiu could take action, she checked the air around her—no electric net.

“What is a ‘logic loop’?” she asked, pouncing towards Zheng Aiai again, her eyes fixed on her opponent’s every move.

“This world has been studying posthumans and doomsday for many years,” Zheng Aiai said and hurriedly retreated, seemingly unacquainted with close combat. As Lin Sanjiu chased her eagerly, she leaped back and waved her hand. A sheet of electricity flashed from mid-air, timely separating them.

“The research findings show that the reason why this world has not experienced doomsday, despite the continuous arrival of posthumans, is because the very factors that could cause this world’s end are posthumans themselves.”

Lin Sanjiu suddenly halted her steps.

“It’s a paradox.” Zheng Aiai stood firm, saying, “Because it’s part of the doomsday world system, posthumans come; because posthumans come, it’s part of the doomsday world system.”

Perhaps seeing Lin Sanjiu still furrowing her brows, she added, “Posthumans themselves carry the task of ending this world… If, for various reasons, posthumans fail to destroy the world, then the doomsday will naturally be postponed again and again. If doomsday does not come, the posthumans in this place will start to degenerate; the more people degenerate, the less likely doomsday will come. The rules of the universe are so complex, and it just so happens that a logical loop is formed on this world. After all, this world has always been a one-way street… They are worried that once you have the power and means to escape, it will affect this loop.”

Lin Sanjiu understood a bit.

The electric grid didn’t last long and soon disappeared from the air. She took two more steps forward. This time, when she was about three to four meters away from Zheng Aiai and saw that she didn’t move, she stopped.