TBR CH249

The temporary base of “The Homeless Wanderers” was so small there was no extra room to stand.

Hugo stood on his tiptoes and tapped the pipe above his head. This section of the pipe was damp and leaking, emitting a strange smell of rotting fruits and vegetables—which was indeed its purpose. Every day, fresh kitchen waste was continuously transported out from the entertainment center’s building. Peeled carrot skins, wilted lettuce leaves, rotten eggs… if you were willing to search patiently, you could always find something edible.

“Nothing today,” the brown-haired youth said dejectedly. “I thought they would be throwing out the banquet’s bread and red wine again.”

“It’s fine, we won’t starve to death if we don’t eat for a few days,” a woman’s voice said. Her tattered black-framed glasses kept sliding down her nose.

“But we can’t keep sneaking around like this forever. It’s like being a thief, or a cowering rat!” the speaker said indignantly. His gaze swept over Hugo, then he awkwardly scratched his nose. “Listen, I have absolutely no prejudice against the profession of thievery.”

Hugo sighed. “I know.”

Strictly speaking, they were on the run, and they all understood that complaining wouldn’t make things better. They were hiding in a transfer station of the main city’s garbage chute, like rats nesting within. There was no points-based item delivery conveyor here, nor could they casually walk into a store to exchange points for food.

The “Eden” wanted posters had already been synchronized to all players’ systems. They couldn’t risk it.

“Perhaps, I can try to enter the next instance early—” Hugo’s voice had just sounded when it immediately sparked opposition from those around him. “Are you trying to get yourself killed? What do you think going into an instance is? You just came out of the last one not long ago, and your injuries haven’t even healed.”

“I can vouch for that. I’ve seen Hugo hopping sometimes.”

“Just like in a zombie movie.”

Everyone chattered away, and someone laughed. The atmosphere in the room unknowingly eased a lot, and Hugo couldn’t help but grin. Every time garbage passed on the conveyor belt overhead, there was a rustling sound, like rain.

“So, Irina, are we still eating today?”

“I remember there are still a few sprouted potatoes in the corner.”

Of course, they were poisonous. But they wouldn’t kill a player from the infinite world right away.

Some sighed in disappointment, while others eagerly gathered around the pot. The soup bubbled, and besides the potatoes, they also found moldy cheese, half an apple, and a pile of cabbage leaves that happened to be passing on the conveyor belt at that moment. They were too tough, but the people here didn’t care about texture. After simple preparation, they could be considered a delicacy.

Exposed on all four sides, with the pipes overhead emitting a foul smell, the people here lived a bohemian life, and they would rather choose such a life. They sang, or gathered around to tell stories of their experiences. Hugo smiled and brought the spoon to his lips when he suddenly heard the sound of metal vibrating.

He looked at his fingertips strangely.

They were perfectly still.

Soon, everyone else heard it too. They put down their spoons at the same time, their expressions complicated. The sound of metal clashing was not coming from the utensils, but from the entire tin-can-like hut they were in.

The hut creaked on the tracks above the main city, which had been happening particularly frequently these past few days, like a wail of being overwhelmed.

“I think it’s going to collapse,” someone commented.

“At least not right now,” the woman named Irina said. “Let’s drink the soup.”

This time, people moved sluggishly, their faces clouded with worry. If they could no longer stay in this hard-found shelter, where could they go next? Hugo was the last to pick up his spoon, but there was still a lot left in the soup. It seemed everyone was trying to eat less. He scooped up a piece of carrot.

Just as he was about to bite down, the carrot slipped from his mouth.

Hugo looked up in shock at the hut’s door—if you could call it a door, it was actually just a metal lid. Although the entire base was shaking, he could still distinguish an alien component in the creaking sounds.

Knock, knock.

It was a polite knocking sound.

However, this was on a garbage sorting track hundreds of meters above the main city. The brown-eyed youth clenched his fists in fear but was the first to stand up. He walked with a stagger, his knee joints as stiff as a zombie’s. But this time, no one laughed at him.

Everyone’s eyes followed him closely, looking at the metal lid that was slowly sliding open.

Then, he visibly let out a sigh of relief.

“…Charon,” Hugo stared at the figure with ice-blue pupils at the door, feeling all his strength drain away. He muttered, “How did you know I was here? Didn’t I leave you that badge? You didn’t even knock on it. Wait, let me confirm first, you’re not here to round us all up, are you?”

The people behind him were still tense, some had already raised their weapons.

“No.”

The AI calmly shook his head. The human who was always with him like a shadow was not by his side, which was the first thing Hugo noticed. Strangely, a black book flew out from behind him. At a height of hundreds of meters, it looked like a bird.

“I didn’t know you were here,” Charon said succinctly. “I came here only because… this is the track connecting the main city to a ‘higher place.’”

The badge was not on Charon; it rested on You Lin’s fingertips.

The human had not taken off his gloves. He felt the edges of the badge bit by bit. Under the light, the first letters of “The Homeless Wanderers” refracted colorful light, in sharp contrast to the cold-toned weapons on the entire wall in front of him. They were colorful, clamorous, and emitted a strange smell.

They were about to be completely destroyed by “Eden.”

You Lin placed the badge on the corner of the table.

Just now, Charon had gone out alone with that book. He had promised to be back before dinner, and the human had not objected. He could no longer use his own will to suppress the other’s will. He should trust the other, until Charon was willing to explain the situation. Besides, they were still carefully testing each other—even so, selfish, possessive thoughts still rumbled in You Lin’s mind.

Did he really have a choice?

The human reached out and pressed the switch of the desk lamp. With a click, the surroundings plunged into darkness and silence.

He felt at ease in the darkness, and at the same time guilty for this thought. He fumbled inch by inch on the cold metal tabletop in the dark. The thermal weapons on the wall were silent, like a wall of pitch-black eyes. He touched the dagger first.

To think that one could protect others just by holding a weapon was the act of a fool. But he still skillfully unsheathed the dagger in the darkness. The smell of leather mixed with metal lingered on his fingertips. His finger slid across the blade, a sharp pain, the glove was cut, and a drop of blood rolled down. Nothing could be seen in the darkness.

You Lin’s pupils suddenly, nervously, contracted slightly.

Blood flowed continuously to his fingertips, and his palm felt as if it were being pressed against a red-hot steel plate again.

He wanted to make himself take off the gloves, but from some point on, the black gloves had grown into his skin; to peel them off would be like tearing flesh. No, Charon was not by his side now. It would be very difficult for him to do this. He gripped the dagger tighter, and You Lin took a deep breath, as if his lungs were filled with hot smoke and dust.

“The Homeless Wanderers” was not the Eden of the past, and Hugo was completely different from him.

Hugo Alfred, this youth was not a competent leader.

Although he stole everywhere like a keen mouse, in some respects, his sense of vigilance was so weak it was almost non-existent—for example, he had so easily handed over the token of “The Homeless Wanderers’” hidden base to a stranger he had only met a few times, a stranger who even included the notorious “Ghost.”

More naive, more idealistic, would only lead to a more tragic destruction.

The badge was a communication device, its principle similar to the twin candies he held in his hand.

It would not be difficult for many people to track down their base with the badge.

Hugo should have been more cautious, because this was a time bomb for their organization, You Lin thought, then curled his lips into a bitter smile. His pupils were colorless in the darkness. Since long ago, he had lost the right to criticize others for their carelessness. The human stared at the badge on the table in the darkness. Although he couldn’t see it, he knew its position.

He raised his wrist, and blood dripped from the hilt of the dagger onto the tabletop. This dagger was sharp enough to cut through metal.

The tip of the blade pointed down.

It was not difficult to stay out of it. You Lin was detached from the crowd, a pale shadow. He indifferently raised his eyes and watched everything happen in front of him. He no longer interacted with others, nor did he have any thoughts of saving others or being saved. For a long time, he was a blood-stained blade, an inhuman ghost, a place unknown to anyone.

He thought this was good.

In the darkness, the human’s lips pursed.

The dagger suddenly stopped less than a millimeter from the badge. The human expressionlessly sheathed it and placed it on the table. But after completing this series of actions, he exhaled deeply as if exhausted, hugged his knees on the chair, folded himself up, and buried his face in a shadow darker than the darkness.

Haven’t you repented yet? Do you still have any superfluous thoughts?

Be careful, don’t drag the only person you care about into it.

No matter how difficult it was, You Lin still took off his gloves. Under the effect of the medical pod, even the mangled wounds on his legs could heal. At this moment, his palm was naturally as smooth as new. But in the absence of light, the sensation of the burn was still vivid.

He reached out and touched the badge on the table.

Then, he tapped the letters on the badge in reverse order.

Simultaneously with the flashing badge, the sound of the metal door being knocked on again creaked.

Hugo had clearly regretted his actions. In a corner where Charon couldn’t see, Irina had given him a good scolding—in fact, in such a small and cramped place, the AI could more or less notice what was happening. Some people silently and suspiciously scanned him, but others followed the principles of “The Homeless Wanderers” and had already started offering him potato soup.

When the knocking sounded again, even Irina’s gritting teeth paused.

“Uh,” Hugo looked at Charon pleadingly. “Um, it’s probably him. Would you mind opening the door? And maybe explain the situation a bit, say that we can solve it ourselves and don’t actually need help from others.”

Charon nodded.

He walked towards the metal door, placed his fingers on the cold door panel, and paused for two seconds.

“It’s not him.”

Even if it were You Lin, he couldn’t appear in front of the base immediately after initiating communication. This meant that the person at the door was another uninvited guest. No matter who they were, they were clearly not here with good intentions.

“What??” the brown-haired youth’s eyes widened in astonishment. “But besides You… You Lin, who else would know this place?”

The name that Hugo had been trying his best to avoid finally came out. Someone kicked over a chair, someone knocked over the soup. This was mainly the chain reaction caused by this name. A terrifying name, a ghost who should have been dead. When his name disappeared from the rankings, everyone thought they would never hear about him again.

Irina stood up abruptly, her lips parting eagerly, about to say something.

The gunshot came a step ahead.

Sensing movement inside, the people outside no longer hesitated. A bullet passed through the metal protective layer, leaving a bullet hole on the other side with undiminished momentum. They tried to kick open this fragile door; after all, it was just an aerial garbage transfer station.

But strangely, the door could not be pushed open no matter what.

Because Charon’s hand was on it.

“Damn it,” someone shouted while raising a protective shield. “Is that the Ghost? When did we cross him?”

“It’s not!” Hugo shouted back, choosing the most convincing explanation. “You know, the Ghost usually acts alone, and there’s more than one of them outside… It’s Eden, they found us somehow!”

The gunshots rang out again. He slipped through the gaps in the crowd, and the badge in his hand fell to the ground, rolling a couple of times before landing at Charon’s feet, still flashing. Although Charon could hold the door, this metal door could not withstand too much of an attack. It shattered in the fierce firefight. At the last second, Charon let go and picked up the badge.

“You Lin,” the AI’s voice was calm. “It’s Eden.”

The other end of the badge was silent for a few seconds.

“I understand,” the human’s voice came from the badge, with the static of a long-distance communication, without asking any superfluous questions.

The communication automatically hung up.

This badge was not meant for long conversations, and Charon happened to not have much time to talk to You Lin either. The “can” suspended in the air was invaded, and under a hail of bullets, Irina somehow pulled out a pale green barrier, resisting most of the attacks. Therefore, “The Homeless Wanderers” regrouped slightly and began to counterattack the invaders.

In mid-air, the already unstable transfer station shook violently again.

It seemed the best solution was not to have a battle here. But Eden’s side was confident of victory, and the people in a disadvantageous position could only fight back.

The invaders’ equipment was generally much more advanced, and their numbers were not much less than the temporary organization of The Homeless Wanderers. They were also all equipped with aerial combat rotors, flying flexibly in the air, and piercing this fragile tin can from all angles. This was supposed to be a quick operation.

But they soon found that the operation was not that smooth.

First, that barrier was not easy to deal with. Second, their target—the youth named Hugo—was darting around in the crowd, making it impossible to locate him—and he had once again taken out his signature item. The item required some time to activate, so they intensified their attack.

And what was most puzzling was that the tracks they had accidentally shot through began to rain garbage down on them.

Charon was not inside the protective shield. Irina anxiously forced herself to expand the range of her defense again, but the AI blinked and stopped her, merely stuffing the book in his hand inside. Bullets passed through his body, most of the time as if through empty air. A series of data flowed imperceptibly through Charon’s ice-blue pupils.

This string of data was directly transmitted to the entertainment center, ordering the robot waiters to start preparing tonight’s dinner early.

The operation was not going smoothly. On the contrary, a few rotten eggs fell from above. The Eden action team’s movements were clearly disrupted, but nevertheless, the disparity in strength still played a decisive role. The pale green shield became thinner and thinner, the light on it flowing wildly, and cracks appeared.

“Just a little longer—” Hugo muttered anxiously. “Just hold on a little longer, my god, if only I had found out earlier…”

But the well-prepared surprise attack had clearly targeted their weakness.

Irina’s shield finally shattered, and her glasses slipped to the tip of her nose. But she had no time to adjust the frames, and quickly retreated. The pale green fragments left after the defense shattered did not fall to the ground, but stood up sharply, like weapons, surrounding the members of “The Homeless Wanderers” and shooting towards the enemies.

This attack was powerful enough.

But it was not enough for the enemy. “Eden” only lost two members, while “The Homeless Wanderers” were almost at the end of their rope. Charon finally saw the item in Hugo’s fingertips clearly. It was a golden, exquisite, and luxurious pocket watch. The moment the pocket watch stopped, a bullet had already been aimed at it, precise, stable, and heading straight for it with unstoppable momentum.

The brown-haired youth subconsciously shielded the still-ticking pocket watch.

But in that case, his own back would be exposed to the enemy’s fire.

Human life was threatened—on both sides. But the AI took a step forward, extending his hand. Normally, a bullet would pass straight through his fingertips. Hugo had believed he was human until just now, so he was somewhat stunned by Charon’s non-human characteristic. And Charon was already considering blocking that bullet.

This was not difficult for him.

Not the him who watched the battle from afar, nor the him whose emotional module would be triggered whenever he interfered with a human’s death. The him at this moment could choose his own position.

—At least for the invitation to the potato and cabbage stew just now.

Hugo had already heard the whistle of the gun barrel. His back first trembled for a moment, then became as stiff as an iron plate. His pupils darted around, considering who to give the pocket watch in his hand to, how to exchange it for the maximum chance of survival. However, the bullet did not penetrate his back.

The bullet did not hit the AI with ice-blue pupils either.

It hit a cold, shining dagger.

The owner of the dagger seemed to have fallen from the sky. You Lin had just burst into the battle, as if he were just taking a walk at his own doorstep. The human smiled slightly, that small mole more vibrant than ever before. He extended his hand covered in a black glove, and leaned over as if to take the AI’s hand, but in the end, he only touched Charon’s forehead.

“What a coincidence, there seems to be some conflict here,” he said softly, his dark pupils chilling. “I understand you don’t want to see me. But you shouldn’t have touched him. Understand? Don’t even think about it.”

Both of the most conspicuous signs were present.

“Who? That Ghost?!”

Although the people from “Eden” looked as if they had encountered a giant descending missile, the members of “The Homeless Wanderers” also did not dare to relax in the slightest. Even Hugo was still tense—the Ghost’s reputation had always been linked to cruelty, and the You Lin he knew had never been good-tempered.

Irina’s reaction was even more intense than the others.

She looked at You Lin, her face changing unpredictably, almost about to rush forward. But she still managed to restrain herself with all her might.

From Charon’s direction, one could just see the human’s tense jaw. He was not used to standing in front of a group of people; that was a long time ago for him. But his eyes still curved up, and his expression appeared nonchalant. “I can hear you. I don’t care what you think, but if any of you want to lay a hand on him, I will kill whoever it is.”

You Lin paused again. “And that’s when I’m in a good mood.”

He was smiling now, but it was chilling, and he certainly didn’t look like he was in a good mood.

The young man with brown pupils mustered his courage and explained to his companions, “I think… what he means is, he’s on our side.”

The members of “Eden” had already raised their weapons in a state of high alert, aiming at the human’s head. You Lin’s current state made it a bit difficult for them to judge. The human was wearing casual clothes, with only a dagger in his hand, his face pale, as if he had just recovered from a serious illness. Combined with the information the organization had received before, the Ghost was dead. Perhaps he had paid a price to stay alive.

Perhaps—this thought was the precursor to greed.

The smell of gunpowder suddenly filled the air. Charon brought his fingertips together and quickly drew his ice-blue military saber. The blade clashed violently with You Lin’s dagger in mid-air. The human let go of his hand nonchalantly. This time it was the AI who had successfully predicted, and a bullet was heading straight for his chest.

This was also the second time You Lin had seen Charon in action. The AI’s movements were so fast they were impossible to capture, clean and efficient, without any unnecessary embellishments, the optimal solution of an algorithm. He was like a beautiful, cold, and powerful blade. Then there was fragility. Others would not use this adjective for an AI, but You Lin couldn’t help but feel his heart race for the blue flowing under the cold arc of his hair.

So good.

This time, he could also grip the knife in his hand tightly.

“I understand,” the human’s smile deepened, and he slowly rubbed the mirror-like surface of the dagger. “I’m worth a lot more than that rat.”

The response to this was concentrated fire.

The members of “The Homeless Wanderers” watched what was happening in stunned silence. The battle in front of them was almost impossible. The Ghost was as elusive and unpredictable as in the legends, single-handedly blocking most of “Eden’s” attacks—no, he was not alone. The person beside him who had been silent had a pair of ice-blue eyes, more like a real ghost.

This was the first time they had fought together.

But it was as if they had practiced together countless times, meticulously protecting each other, and not a single bullet could harm the person beside them.

Even Hugo was stunned.

When he came to his senses, the pocket watch in his hand had already started to get hot and vibrate. He immediately picked up the golden chain. It was very light, and in the youth’s hand, it suddenly melted into a tough, shining golden thread. Hugo started running, letting the invisible thin thread wrap around everyone, tying them all in.

The thread was finally handed to Charon by Hugo. The AI took it and quickly tapped You Lin’s left fingertip. The light thread immediately spread along the back of his hand to the human’s ten fingers, floating and intertwining.

The remaining combatants of “Eden” immediately sensed something was wrong. Finally, someone took a step forward from mid-air, landed on the ground, and tried to grab the corners of the people’s clothes, at least a golden thread. The thin metal let out a heavy creak, and this overloaded can-like hut finally ended its mission, suddenly detaching from the transport track.

Someone was screaming, the wind whistled past their ears, the golden threads floated, and the feeling of weightlessness was quickly replaced by another strange sensation.

And some people still hadn’t let go even at this moment.

The golden threads quickly spread into a giant net. The view in front of them briefly went black—in Charon’s eyes, it was a sudden entry into a space woven from data, with golden 1s and 0s shining before his eyes. In an instant, the howling wind around them was gone, replaced by the reassuring feeling of solid ground under his feet. When he opened his eyes, they were in a white space.

They, meaning You Lin, Charon, a black book, and all the members of “The Homeless Wanderers.”

And the white space was abnormally familiar.

When the robot waiter turned out of the kitchen, it was startled and immediately looked at the AI:

“Mr. Charon? Do we need to prepare lunch for so many guests today?”

“So,” the human’s lips still hadn’t fallen at this moment.

You Lin’s pupils were dark and shining. He looked at Hugo with an expression that sent a chill down one’s spine. “Hugo Alfred. You can start explaining now, why did your item’s effect teleport everyone here—if I’m not mistaken, this is my home.”