[Death God’s Mandate]!
The undead were summoned forth!
As the most perfect Experiment Subject in this world, Ning Li didn’t need Xiao Hei by her side to seamlessly unleash her abilities.
To her surprise, this time, the undead she summoned was named Lu Yijian, who had lived three hundred years ago in the World of Guides and Sentinels.
What was most remarkable was that he was the previous holder of the Rose of the Universe, and also the 1,266th Commander.
He had died at the age of twenty-eight, and when summoned, his face remained young and handsome.
But unlike Yin Que’s gentle composure, this 1,266th Commander rarely smiled and seemed a bit old-fashioned and stern.
K’s Spiritual Companion was the [Blood Ghost].
Like Xiao Hei and the Lord of Storms, it was a humanoid Spiritual Companion, but it was much smaller than Xiao Hei—almost like an exquisite ornament, with a touch of cuteness.
Jerky.
Its cuteness lay in appearance; its true nature was ferocity.
Compared to Ning Li’s abilities, K’s skills were excessively bloody.
His most frequently used skill was called [Blood Sacrifice], a group attack skill that could, within just a few seconds, turn its targets into—
From the moment they stepped into the Control Center, cries of alarm erupted.
Wherever [Blood Sacrifice] swept through, not a blade of grass remained.
“Help! Help, please!”
“Who will protect me???”
“Where’s Security? The security here is far from enough!”
“Hurry and send the word! The Control Center has been invaded by unknown individuals!”
K laughed wildly, his uninhibited laughter echoing through the entire Control Center.
Meanwhile, Ning Li took advantage of the chaos to cut off communications, then used Lu Guang’s access to activate the Self-Destruct Program.
Having wrung the last use out of Lu Guang, she tossed him aside on the floor, left alone, his fate unknown.
On other floors, Researchers still enjoyed peaceful days, unaware the Control Center had become a living hell.
This wasn’t the first time Ning Li had done such a thing.
Two hundred years ago, she had done it once before, which made this time feel all the more effortless—she was entirely at ease.
Once summoned, Lu Yijian didn’t say a word from beginning to end.
He hadn’t wanted to clash with Security personnel, but as a summoned undead, he could not disobey the Summoner’s command.
The Rose of the Universe was blooming almost everywhere in the Control Center.
Where once the Control Center exuded a cold sense of technology, now it was adorned with the unique romance of the cosmos.
Dreamy blue-violet hues flowed everywhere like water.
Sadly, at this moment, no one but Ning Li had the heart to admire it.
Its flowers weren’t large, about the size of an ordinary rose, but every petal would deal a fatal blow to Security personnel.
“How can it be the Rose of the Universe? Is it Yin Que?”
“It’s not Yin Que—it’s Lu Yijian!”
“Unbelievable! How can it be Lu Yijian!”
The Rose of the Universe bloomed at Ning Li’s side, its gorgeous petals slicing coldly past her cheek.
She was certain that if she weren’t Lu Yijian’s Summoner, she would likely be dead right now.
Lu Yijian harbored deep resentment toward her, but she didn’t care.
Life only gave one chance encounter; perhaps they would never meet again.
And Lu Yijian’s resurrection was limited to only seven minutes.
Ning Li reached out, making a gesture as if to support the Rose of the Universe with her hand.
She didn’t actually touch it—her fingers were still a few centimeters away.
Clearly, they were the same Spiritual Companion, both Roses of the Universe, yet Lu Yijian’s Rose of the Universe felt utterly different from Yin Que’s.
Lu Yijian’s Rose of the Universe rejected her.
Yin Que’s Rose of the Universe always seemed to draw close to her.
But that was in the past.
If Little K knew what she was doing now, would he still stay close to her?
Ning Li withdrew her hand and reined in her untimely thoughts.
“Lu Yijian has been resurrected too? Our Experiment is making great progress?!”
A sudden voice drew Ning Li’s attention.
She looked up carelessly and locked eyes with a pair of fanatic eyes.
It was an elderly Researcher, hair graying, disheveled, face not showing fear but excitement.
“Hahahaha, it’s you, isn’t it? You resurrected Yin Que, resurrected Pei Yujiao, resurrected Lu Yijian, didn’t you?”
“So powerful, so perfect! Who is your chief Researcher?”
“What’s your name?”
“What is your Spiritual Companion? Can you show it to us?”
K swiftly ended this Researcher, then looked coldly at Lu Yijian.
“A summoned one should act like one.”
Lu Yijian was silent for several seconds.
“Even if they did something wrong, there are laws to punish them…”
K sneered, “What do you know? 1,266th Commander. Nobles like you—how could you ever understand us ordinary people?”
He wasn’t just referring to Lu Yijian, but to Yin Que as well.
Lu Yijian said, “The Researchers here are all top talents…”
K didn’t care.
“So what? These wastes researched for so long, yet they still couldn’t find a way to eradicate the Abnormal Species. In front of the Abnormal Species, they cowered. But when it comes to Experiment Subjects like us, they hit with all they’ve got.”
Lu Yijian remained calm and rational.
“Destroying the Research Institute solves nothing.”
According to what he knew, this Research Institute was only the one on the surface; many more were conducting Experiments in secret.
What they were doing was treating the symptoms, not the root cause.
It was nothing more than venting their anger—ultimately useless, pure emotional impulse.
K’s expression changed instantly.
“Damn you, how annoying!”
Lu Yijian’s face was cold and stern.
“Cease your actions immediately and await judgement.”
Ning Li strolled unhurriedly to the largest terminal screen, planting both hands on the Control Center console and watching the rapidly flashing data stream above.
She spoke slowly, “Five minutes have passed.”
Five minutes was a critical juncture.
Within five minutes, the Self-Destruct Program could still be aborted.
But after five minutes, everything was set in stone.
Lu Yijian’s face changed.
“You’re humans too! Must you really go this far? Stand against all humanity?”
“What good does destroying the Research Institute do for you?”
“Notify all Researchers to evacuate immediately! Twenty-five minutes is enough!”
Ning Li leaned back against the wide console, arms folded, quietly regarding Lu Yijian.
He and Yin Que shared many similarities.
Same Spiritual Companion, same status, similar backgrounds.
She suddenly wondered, if Yin Que were standing here at this moment, what would he say to her?
Would he urge her to stop at once, like Lu Yijian, or something else?
Sadly, she would never know, because she had no intention of going back to find him.
She should have acted sooner—before he became Commander.
Not long after his election, word of the Research Institute’s destruction had spread, as if to provoke, possibly harming his political career.
But she had countless reasons to blow up the Research Institute.
So, sorry, Yin Que.
***
As the seventh minute approached, Lu Yijian left his final words:
“An Experiment Subject is just an Experiment Subject.”
It sounded like there was more left unsaid.
But Ning Li still heard the mockery in it, and the judgment from on high.
K’s face was full of hostility.
He swung several punches at the spot where Lu Yijian vanished.
Just what did he think was so noble about himself?
To avoid having everything ruined at the last moment, Ning Li and K stayed on the 23rd floor.
Unexpectedly, in the time that followed, no one else came.
With only twenty seconds left, Ning Li said calmly, “Let’s go, time to wrap up.”
With a wave of his hand, K opened a temporary portal before them, tinged faintly with blood—like a door leading to another world, one of the Blood Ghost’s other abilities.
As the ten-second countdown ticked away, she and K stepped through the portal.
They didn’t go far, only to the area near the Research Institute.
When the countdown hit zero, the entire Institute shook violently.
Explosions started from the bottom, rock and dust flying, and the whole place was engulfed in a cloud of ash!
K let out a satisfied laugh!
But in the next instant, his laughter was cut short.
Because he saw the person he hated most in this life—
Yin Que!
Why was he here?
The election had just ended.
Why wasn’t he resting, or preparing for the handover, but instead came here?
“Ning Li.”
A clear and gentle voice rode the night breeze to Ning Li’s ears.
The cold night seemed tinged with warmth because of that voice.
Petals from the Rose of the Universe brushed her brow and the back of her hand, bringing a strange, exotic fragrance.
In that short moment, countless thoughts crossed Ning Li’s mind.
Why were there so few Security personnel on the 23rd floor?
Why did no one come later on?
Why had this operation gone so smoothly?
When did he figure it out?
When did he arrive?
“I blew up the Research Institute,” Ning Li stated the obvious.
“I saw.”
It was a response entirely different from Lu Yijian’s, casual and light, with neither judgment nor reproach, just a simple statement of fact.
Ning Li shifted her gaze to Yin Que’s face.
It was still that clear, gentle countenance, a hint of weariness in his eyes, yet his gaze remained tender.
“Don’t you have anything else to say?”
Yin Que quietly looked at her.
“The Research Institute had a total of 12,721 Researchers. Of them, 788 were involved in illegal research. Fourteen of the ringleaders are dead, and the remaining 774 have already been taken to prison.”
“They’re not going to the Judgement Hall?”
“The proposal to abolish the Judgement Hall has already been submitted to Parliament. It may be a long process, but I believe we will see the dawn.”
He used the word “we”…
He had never experienced the darkest moments of the Judgement Hall, so why use the words “see the dawn”?
Most crucially, not long after he won the election, the proposal to abolish the Judgement Hall had already been submitted to Parliament.
When did he get that idea?
“Let’s go.”
As countless questions tumbled inside Ning Li, Yin Que had already taken her hand. His burning warmth passed from his palm to her fingertips.
“Let’s go home.”
K tried to intervene, but Pei Yujiao stopped him.
The two of them began to fight, and Ting Rui led the rest of the personal guards to encircle him.
“Boss!”
“Kft……”
“He’ll be fine.”
The storm surged, encircling him and Ning Li.
In an absolutely silent, undisturbed space, Yin Que rested his chin atop Ning Li’s head and softly called,
“Ning Li.”
Ning Li actually wasn’t worried about K.
Even if he couldn’t win, he could always escape.
Both she and K were experts at getting away.
“Hmm?”
“In the two months you were gone, I missed you very much.”
“……”
Facing Lu Yijian’s merciless ridicule, Ning Li could remain unflustered; faced with K’s moodiness, she could also handle it with ease.
She could accept cold mockery, and she could accept malice from others.
But this moment of warmth made her feel as if she’d been sunbaked all day, her whole body going weak.
“Please…
Don’t leave me again.”