Chapter 409: Despicable Players

After meeting the lieutenant colonel, the colonel quickly had his men escort him away.

On the aircraft, the colonel looked at the lieutenant colonel and said, “You’re sure you weren’t coerced, right?”

“Uncle, I’m sure,” the lieutenant colonel said confidently. “Triss doesn’t make the best first impression, but he’s actually a very capable guy. I saw a lot of interesting things inside his base. I’ll introduce you, if I get the chance.”

“That won’t be necessary. I know the man is talented, or he wouldn’t have made major so young. There are some in the military who are quite fond of him; after all, his talent is exceptional among his peers. But he isn’t normal. He lacks basic human empathy. To him, people are no different from poultry.”

“Is that right?”

“Yes. Well, let’s not dwell on such unpleasant matters. Let’s get you back quickly. We need to give you a thorough examination to see if there’s anything wrong.”

“There won’t be anything. I feel perfectly fine.”

“We still need to check.”

The lieutenant colonel felt an itch on his temple beneath the bandage. He lifted the dressing and scratched it carefully.

RRRIP~

A faint tearing sound rang out as his skin ripped open, revealing a cavity teeming with writhing worms.

He immediately pressed the flap of skin back down. Glancing around and confirming no one had seen, he breathed a sigh of relief.

The host for the Heart-devouring Worm was on its way. This carrier would travel via starship to another base. Then, with lightning speed, it would take over that base, spread slowly, and assimilate one installation after another.

On the ground, Triss watched the colonel’s starship depart, then sighed.

“What are you sighing for, sir?” his secretary asked, puzzled.

“The whole plan is in disarray,” Triss said regretfully. “The lieutenant colonel was a vital pawn. I had planned to condition him for much longer, to allow a more suitable Heart-devouring Worm to take him as a host. Unfortunately, that’s all been ruined. The worms will likely be discovered. Plus, the farther you are from them, the weaker your telepathic link becomes, making it inconvenient for me to gather intelligence.”

A translucent liquid trickled from the secretary’s nostrils. It coiled around the secretary’s neck like a living creature. Controlled like a puppet, the secretary asked woodenly, “I don’t quite understand.”

Facing the slug-like creature, Triss’s tone was uncharacteristically gentle. “You don’t need to understand much. You Heart-devouring Worms are the children of the Angel. You only need to trust me and accept my protection.”

“I still don’t understand. Why do you not love your own kind, but instead love us outsiders?”

“It has nothing to do with species. Even if you weren’t so beautiful—even if you were disgusting, lowly creatures—I would still help you. You represent the hope of eternal life. You represent the future of humanity.”

“I don’t understand, but I choose to trust you.”

“Don’t trust me. Use me. You are too pure for this world. So, devour as much as possible. It’s your only path to evolution. Now, we have something to do together.”

“What is it?”

“Find the traitors and find out how they contacted the outside world.”

First, Triss found the email records between the colonel and the base. Then, he had the three auditors and the supervisor placed under guard and pulled the surveillance footage to review the incident.

Upon discovering that a series of accidents had led to the email being sent out by sheer coincidence, Triss pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a sense of absurdity.

He shook his head with a smile and said, “This must be some kind of Superpower. On the surface, it seems to trigger a chain reaction. I speculate it’s caused by extreme luck.”

After ordering the auditors released, Triss called for his secretary and headed toward Jinghong’s office.

Pushing the door open, he saw Duan Fei, Jinghong, and Alemann standing in the office, waiting for him.

The air was thick with the pungent smell of gasoline. A lighter in Duan Fei’s hand flicked open and shut, making a “CLICK. CLICK.” sound.

With every “CLICK,” a blue flame leaped from the lighter, as if eager to jump out and incinerate the world with the gasoline in the room.

Looking up, Triss saw the fire alarm on the ceiling had been destroyed. The fire extinguisher was still there, but judging by the amount of gasoline in the room, it would be completely useless.

They stared at each other in silence. Triss was the first to speak. “Duan Someone, I admire your ability to keep stirring up trouble, but there’s no need for this. Being taken as a host by a Heart-devouring Worm is a wonderful thing. You will gain immortality and the ability to understand others’ thoughts without speaking. You will feel no pain, no despair. All you have to do is contribute your brain.”

Fearing Duan Fei wouldn’t understand, Triss spoke earnestly. “Think about it. A person is just a vessel for memories. The soul doesn’t exist. Our memories are stored in brain cells, which are incredibly inefficient. Now, a group of aliens has arrived. They eat your brain and then take its place. They can repair your body, carry your memories, and learn with high efficiency. What’s not to like? We would still be human. Our children would have their brains eaten at birth. Isn’t that a brighter future?”

Duan Fei looked at Triss. ‘This guy is completely insane.’

“Easy for you to say. Why don’t you do it yourself?” Duan Fei asked, toying with the lighter.

“You think I don’t want to?” Triss sighed. “It won’t eat me.”

“Then why don’t you try harder to make yourself more delicious!”

“I am! What do you think I’ve been injecting you with every day? I’m using you to find a way to make you all more palatable—a method I can eventually use on myself. That’s why I truly envy you. You actually get to be consumed by Lord Angel and welcome humanity’s evolution.”

“You’re… a psycho…”

Duan Fei finally understood Triss’s line of thinking.

‘Not that he wanted to understand, of course; trying to get on this guy’s level just made him feel like a psycho himself.’

The man wasn’t evil, just a fanatical lunatic.

Somehow, he had come into contact with the Heart-devouring Worms and the so-called Angel, and upon seeing their form, decided they must be the key to human evolution.

These kinds of inexplicable lunatics were everywhere. Triss just happened to be one who had a bit of power and personal strength.

So, he began experimenting in secret, using the entire base as his personal incubator to cultivate that enormous Angel.

Duan Fei scratched his head with the Crowbar and said to Triss, “I finally get what you’re trying to do.”

“You understand me?” Triss asked, overjoyed.

“I understand, but you still have to die. Jinghong, now!”

Jinghong stepped forward, her Yo-Yo a blur. The nearly invisible steel wire shot toward Triss’s neck, only to be blocked by a single finger.

As a Superpower User, Triss revealed his Superpower, turning his body into an incredibly durable alloy.

“It’s useless. I’m a Second-level Superpower User, but I possess multiple different Second-level Superpowers. These Superpowers grant me Power far beyond that of any ordinary Superpower User. Now, you will die!”

He then lunged for Jinghong. His Reaction was at a level of at least 40, likely also an effect of a Superpower.

Although she wasn’t as fast, Jinghong’s years of martial arts training made her body react instinctively. With fluid grace, she deflected his hand, took her stance, and used the Yo-Yo to slice through the floor, sending Triss plummeting to the level below.

Jinghong leaped down through the hole, continuing her pursuit of Triss as planned. Meanwhile, Duan Fei nodded to Alemann, who began creating the desired Illusion.

An Illusion of Triss.

A smile spread across Duan Fei’s face as he looked at the Illusion.

‘Come on, Triss.’

‘It’s time you learned just how dirty we players can fight.’