ABST Chapter 18

When Lan Xia returned to Rat Ridge City, the sky was still hazily dim, not yet fully bright.

 

Fallen leaves drifted on the empty street, the cool wind bleak.

 

His vision was somewhat blurred. Forcibly supporting himself against the street-side wall to move forward, his steps extremely unsteady, breath rapid, breathing scalding.

 

The light brain on his wrist kept popping up messages, intervals between each growing shorter. There were also many missed communications.

 

[Algiers requests communication.]

 

[Unanswered message: Teacher, where are you now? We’ve already returned to Dawn. Have you encountered some trouble?]

 

[Jin Daike requests communication.]

 

[Unanswered message: Teacher? Please reply with a message. We’re very worried about you. Brother says quite a few factions are looking for your whereabouts with complicated purposes. Teacher, please be careful.]

 

[Shou Bing requests communication.]

 

[Unanswered message: Sir, Algiers has already sent people out to find you. I’m also in the team. Where are you?]

 

[…]

 

Lan Xia acted as if he heard nothing.

 

He could no longer clearly see the words jumping on the light brain, nor feel its light vibrations. He could only hear his own chest’s uncontrollable breathing.

 

Long fingers pressed tightly against his abdomen, shirt all wrinkled from gripping.

 

Lan Xia was drenched in cold sweat.

 

That kick had been harsh. He didn’t know exactly how serious the injury was.

 

Belated dull yet sharp pain welled up from his stomach, cold swirling around, as if a block of ice had been dropped in. He could even clearly sense—under his palm, the stomach was spasming and convulsing, all five organs and six viscera kneaded into a mass.

 

Different from the pain of injury, this sensation felt like it would drain a person’s strength.

 

After enduring this bout, Lan Xia’s vision cleared somewhat. Recognizing Dawn’s direction, he steadied himself and continued forward.

 

“…Beat you to death, you little bastard!”

 

“Damn, you dare bite me? You’re looking for death!”

 

“Beat him to death! Do it. One more person dying here is perfectly normal. Hit him!”

 

And a small child’s tender crying and shouting.

 

Noisy sounds vaguely came from the alley ahead. Lan Xia didn’t hear clearly. His steps paused, slightly tilting his ear.

 

After a moment, his brow furrowed lightly, speeding up a bit.

 

…

 

In the alley.

 

A little boy about five or six years old was curled up in the innermost corner.

 

Seven or eight burly ruffians around him punched and kicked, cursing continuously. The fiercer they beat, the louder the little boy’s cries for help.

 

But looking carefully, these fists and feet didn’t land solidly at all. The besieging burly men each had empty gazes, movements imperceptibly somewhat stiff.

 

The little boy cried miserably, yet his eyes were bright and shining, pitch-black eyeballs hiding some anticipation.

 

While controlling these mechanical puppet burly men, Lian Yao fake-cried.

 

After leaving the chaotic magnetic zone, he’d taken off the gray robe. Gray River’s information network was very comprehensive. It didn’t take long before he found most of the information about the two kids related to that mysterious S-level evolver—right in Rat Ridge City.

 

Also important members of a small organization called Dawn.

 

They called that mysterious S-level evolver ‘sir’ and ‘teacher,’ indicating a close relationship. Ninety percent likely also in this Dawn organization.

 

The information he’d gathered said that after Dawn took over this area, they often sent people out for morning and evening patrols, helping many bullied elderly, weak, women, and children…

 

If his luck was good, he could stage this accident today. If his luck was bad, he’d stage it a few more days. Sooner or later he’d encounter Dawn’s people.

 

Lian Yao collected his thoughts, concentrating on crying even more miserably. On his right middle finger he wore an inconspicuous ring. The faster his middle finger trembled, the heavier these burly men’s blows became.

 

Perhaps his luck was good. He hadn’t been “beaten” for long when he heard a low, hoarse, gentle voice—

 

“…Let him go.”

 

The burly men beating him stopped. Lian Yao quickly looked up at the newcomer, then froze on the spot, followed by wild joy.

 

At the alley entrance stood a silhouette backlit by morning light.

 

This—wasn’t this the S-level big shot himself?!

 

What kind of luck did he have!

 

Lian Yao immediately put on a frightened appearance, shrinking tighter into the corner, wrapped in shabby gray clothes, a small bundle, utterly pitiful.

 

His fingertip moved. Those rough-looking thugs immediately shoved forward, cursing: “Who the hell are you? Minding our business—ain’t afraid of dying?!”

 

“Yeah yeah, you know the rules or not…”

 

“Which turf you mixing on?!”

 

“Say something…”

 

No one responded.

 

Lan Xia walked forward step by step.

 

He kept looking at that small, curled-up shadow in the corner, not sparing a glance for anything else.

 

The burly men looked at each other, at a loss for words. They hesitated, not quite daring to attack, even slightly clearing a path for him to pass through.

 

Lian Yao felt uneasy. This scene wasn’t quite what he’d imagined. Normally shouldn’t the big shot descend from the sky, defeat the bullying villains, then he’d fake fainting, get taken away by the big shot, successfully enter Dawn, and try every means to act pitiable and stay?!

 

The problem was he didn’t dare actually let these mechanical puppets attack the big shot.

 

Had he been discovered?

 

Lost in wild thoughts, his back suddenly warmed.

 

Lian Yao froze.

 

The young man bent down extremely gently, cradling him in his embrace. This embrace was warm to the point of slightly scalding. The shirt carried a barely perceptible light fragrance.

 

The wide windcoat almost completely enveloped him. One hand protected his head, the other wrapped around his chest. He was held firmly, safely protected. Even his vision fell into a gentle darkness.

 

…

 

An indescribable sense of security.

 

As if everything around suddenly quieted.

 

This warmth was truly irresistibly tempting.

 

Those several burly men, temporarily without control, also stood stiffly and blankly, eyeballs unblinking, rather eerie.

 

“…Don’t be afraid.”

 

Lian Yao heard him say, “Big brother is back.”

 

Low, gentle like a breeze, yet like the most eternal vow.

 

“…Big brother will always protect you.”

 

This voice was so gentle it was bewitching. Lian Yao finally snapped back to his senses, frowning. Even the dumbest person could sense that Lan Xia’s current state was very wrong.

 

He thought darkly—what was wrong with those Dawn people? Even if he was an S-level evolver, they couldn’t be so at ease letting him wander outside alone… Should he abduct him? Abducting to Gray River didn’t seem impossible either.

 

Before he could put his idea into practice, his ears were covered. The young man very carefully pressed his head against his own heartbeat.

 

The heartbeat passed through chest cavity, ear canal, pounding one beat at a time—steady and reassuring.

 

“It’ll be over soon.”

 

He said quietly.

 

The ground suddenly floated up a layer of pale purple luminescence, rapidly spreading outward like ripples!

 

The surrounding walls couldn’t withstand this powerful energy, making sounds of unbearable weight.

 

*Crack crack—*

 

*Crack!*

 

The walls exploded with a boom!

 

Almost instantly, the ripples became a purple hurricane, containing terrifyingly extreme energy, rampaging without purpose, in a roaring, enraged posture, howling, grinding those several mechanical puppets into powder.

 

All around was a mess. Wall fissures spread like spider webs. Except for this small patch where they stood, all other ground had sunk a foot in depth.

 

The wind blew, dust scattered completely. The ground was clean and clear.

 

…

 

Total silence.

 

Lian Yao’s pupils contracted slightly, body rigid, forgetting to breathe, yet his heartbeat was unprecedentedly rapid. The ring on his middle finger used to control the mechanical puppets also silently turned to powder.

 

Admiration of strength seemed to be human instinct.

 

No one could maintain calm posture before absolutely overwhelming power.

 

*Drip.*

 

*Drip drip.*

 

A blood flower suddenly splashed on the ground, followed by another. The vivid red rapidly spread on the gray-white tiles.

 

Lian Yao panicked: “Hey… bi—uh, sir? Sir?”

 

He struggled frantically. “Are you injured? Why so much blood?! Let me go, loosen up and let me take a look…”

 

These arms looked slender, but who knew where the strength came from? Just protecting him like this, he couldn’t break free no matter what.

 

The little boy’s struggling, anxious voice faintly pulled Lan Xia back to partial consciousness.

 

He lowered his head slightly. In a trance, as if seeing sixteen years ago.

 

[“Don’t hit my big brother! A-Nuo begs you!”

 

The little boy cried until his eyes were red, tightly protected by his slightly taller brother. Around them, a group of teenagers punched and kicked them.

 

“I was wrong, big brother. I’ll never steal their bread again. A-Nuo won’t be a bad child anymore. I’ll give it all back to you. Please, please don’t hit my big brother…”

 

A priest chanted hymns lowly. The church’s white doves couldn’t fly to this place the sunlight couldn’t reach. The wind carried a fragment of purple petal.

 

Everyone passed by silently, indifferent onlookers. Only one thin little boy cried heart-wrenchingly.

 

“Hit me instead! My big brother just had blood drawn. A-Nuo will kowtow to you!”

 

…]

 

That was the only time Lan Nuo had done something bad. The stolen bread was also to feed him. Unfortunately, it ended up stained with blood, trampled into crumbs, pecked at by the church’s white doves.

 

Lan Nuo had struggled just like this. Lan Xia struggled to recall for a moment, finally remembering what he’d said back then.

 

He gathered some strength and smiled.

 

“Don’t fuss… Big brother… is in a bit of pain.”

 

The child cradled in his arms indeed quieted down, back going rigid and stiff, not daring to move even slightly.

 

Lian Yao didn’t dare even breathe heavily. He sensed that since that energy burst just now, Lan Xia’s body temperature had been dropping at a frightening rate, his heartbeat also growing weaker and slower.

 

The sound of dripping blood in his ears was monotonous yet amplified infinitely. So this was what it felt like to sense life slipping away drop by drop at close range.

 

His brain became a tangled mess for the first time.

 

Lan Xia’s eyelids closed: “It’s big brother who lost you, couldn’t find you…”

 

The voice was extremely soft, as if passing through many years, revealing despair so thick it couldn’t be dissolved, inexplicably making one’s heart ache.

 

For some reason, Lian Yao’s heart felt like someone had twisted it. His throat also grew hoarse: “Stop talking, okay? Let me go. I’ll find someone to save you.”

 

“I’m not your brother. You’ve got the wrong person!”

 

This child’s body was too easily affected by emotions. Tears had already welled up. Lian Yao, sporting a soft, cute bun face, had a completely cold and fierce expression—eyes reddening while gradually growing irritable.

 

“If you don’t let go you’ll die, you know that?!”

 

“Blood! You’re vomiting blood, can’t you see?!”

 

“I’m begging you, please let go, you’ll really die! Hey!”

 

“Someone come! Is anyone there?!”

 

Despite such a big commotion, there wasn’t a single person here. People on Rat Ridge City’s outskirts were best at protecting themselves. Right now they’d probably all hidden away.

 

The temperature behind him grew colder and colder. Just as Lian Yao was about to shout himself to despair, Lan Xia’s light brain suddenly lit up—

 

[Shou Bing: Communication request.]

 

Lian Yao’s eyes brightened. In the second before it disconnected, he used all his strength to finally pull Lan Xia’s finger and tap on it.

 

The instant it connected, this child body’s tear ducts collapsed first. Lian Yao’s face remained expressionless as tears streamed down, his voice hoarse and raspy, almost unable to make sound.

 

“Come quickly! Save him! He’s dying…”

 

——

 

Algiers, Jin Daike, and Shou Bing arrived almost simultaneously with their people.

 

Upon arrival, all fell silent.

 

Before them was a destroyed surface. The only intact spot held two figures.

 

A five or six-year-old child, face covered in tear tracks, stuck his head out from the young man’s embrace, voice hoarse: “Quick, save him!”

 

A small patch of deep gray ground was saturated with blood. Yet inside the young man’s arms was clean, hiding a bit of warmth, protecting a small child.

 

Algiers’ pupils constricted: “Teacher!”

 

Jin Daike: “Brother! Ice brother! Quickly!”

 

Shou Bing’s limbs felt wooden. When he reached out to separate Lan Xia’s arms, he discovered his hands were shaking.

 

“Can’t do it, too tight!” Jin Daike tried, covered in sweat. “Forcibly pulling them apart will injure teacher! Do you have any ideas?”

 

The muscles under her palm were extremely tense. Forcibly pulling would definitely not produce the result they wanted.

 

Algiers took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down: “If worst comes to worst, we’ll move them together like this!”

 

“Wait, let me try.” Lian Yao caught his breath. Tentatively, he said in Lan Xia’s ear, “…Big brother, we’re safe now. You can let me go.”

 

Jin Daike: “Little friend, don’t add trouble…”

 

Before she finished speaking, she saw Lan Xia actually loosening bit by bit, then his whole body fell backward, as if finally at ease, the corners of his mouth even slightly upturned in a relaxed arc.

 

“Teacher!”

 

Jin Daike couldn’t spare time for surprise. She hurriedly caught him, together with Shou Bing supporting him onto the vehicle. Not delaying a moment, they returned to Dawn at full speed.

 

Leaving Algiers to handle the aftermath.

 

Lian Yao sat on the cold ground, unable to figure out why things had developed this way in the end.

 

He had originally just… wanted to stage an accident, to freeload at Dawn.

 

Algiers’ gaze carried scrutiny as he approached, crouching before Lian Yao, trying to make his voice sound gentle: “Hello, don’t be afraid, little friend. Can you tell me what happened?”

 

Lian Yao lowered his head, mumbling: “I… I have no father or mother. I wandered here, got cornered and beaten by some thugs, then he suddenly appeared and protected me. I don’t know how it turned out like this.”

 

“No matter how I called him, he wouldn’t let go. He seemed to mistake me for his brother… Someone just happened to call him, so I…”

 

Mistook for his brother…

 

Algiers’ brow tightened: “Anything else?”

 

Lian Yao shook his head.

 

“Where are those thugs?”

 

Although this was the outskirts, extremely remote, the ground tiles were also incomparably hard. But to shatter into this state, with even the surrounding ground sunken a foot deep, required considerable energy.

 

What thugs could make teacher act like this?

 

The child before him said nothing for a long time, only looking at the surrounding dust. After a long while, he murmured lowly: “…They all are.”

 

Algiers’ heart shook. He stood up looking around.

 

Dawn’s light rose. The mist was faintly cool. The distant street was empty, seeping with deep and shallow gray.

 

Fine floating dust was swept up by the wind.

 

Everywhere was silent.

 

**

 

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