Chapter 130: Parting

Before Chu Ning could recall the identity of the voice, the figure hidden in the darkness revealed itself.

The newcomer was a monster similar to Wang Jinkai, its body also composed of X-07 material. The dense, writhing tentacles sprouting from its form confirmed that this person was indeed closely linked to Wang Jinkai.

Chu Ning speculated that this connection was likely why Wang Jinkai had been willing to trust the individual. He certainly did not believe this was some experimental prototype Wang Jinkai had created to effect change. While Chu Ning had to admire Wang Jinkai’s business acumen, he remained highly skeptical when it came to matters of scientific research.

"Hi there!" the newcomer said with a flippant tone. He glanced at the frenzied Wang Jinkai, a flicker of fear crossing his eyes. However, this fear was instantly replaced by grim resolve, and he awkwardly draped his oversized clothing around himself.

"Hmph!" Chu Ning sneered. He did not consider encountering this person a stroke of luck, especially since he had personally killed him earlier; it felt like a rather ominous omen.

By piecing together fragments of his memory, Chu Ning quickly identified his target. Such analysis was not difficult for him; he had become quite adept at reviewing and deconstructing the actions of his "other self."

Tanya swallowed hard, staring wide-eyed at the resurrected man. She felt the frequency of her encounters with the supernatural was doubling, leading her to lament her own terrible luck. Fortunately, she was accustomed to grand, chaotic scenes and had grown desensitized to the concept of returning from the dead; otherwise, she could not guarantee how she might have reacted.

"Are you still alive?" Tanya asked, feeling dazed. She found it difficult to define the entity's state, as it fell well outside her knowledge.

"Wang Jinkai, what are you waiting for? Finish them off quickly, and you will receive the method of reversal you desire!"

Before Wang Jinkai could act, Chu Ning casually tore the newcomer into fragments. He loathed failure, and having someone parade around who served as a reminder of his own past lapse made him irritable enough to make the person vanish for a while.

"I see, so that's how it works!" Chu Ning did not witness anything overly gory; after being torn apart, the pieces of the body simply wriggled and reconnected. This individual was the result of Chu Ning’s previous attempt to "lend a helping hand," and he had successfully deceived Chu Ning with a fake death. It seemed that for a lifeform composed of a swarm of insects, the traditional fatal weaknesses no longer applied.

"We have nothing to talk about. Since you don't have what I need, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Wang Jinkai let out a roar toward the sky and charged furiously at Chu Ning. Chu Ning casually swatted Wang Jinkai’s body aside so he wouldn't interfere with his experiment. Knowing the importance of experimental data, Chu Ning was sick of these unkillable creatures. He glanced at Wang Jinkai with hesitation, then immediately grabbed Tanya’s hand and chose to flee toward a point where the enemy's influence seemed weakest.

Discretion is the better part of valor!

Having witnessed this so-called imitation, Chu Ning was certain the entity had been spouting nonsense to deceive them. It was merely a crude replica, lacking even the ability to regenerate quickly.

"Ah?"

Tanya quickly clamped her mouth shut and followed Chu Ning, ignoring the hysterical roars of Wang Jinkai. She was now solely focused on escaping and getting as far away from these terrifying events as possible.

The breakout went so smoothly that Chu Ning suspected a trap—why else would things be so easy? As they neared the end of the path to freedom, Chu Ning was forced to stop. He knew it wouldn't end so simply.

"How annoying, this kind of sticky, persistent enemy!"

Chu Ning muttered, his lips curling in annoyance. Before them, the insect swarm reassembled into a giant wall that trapped them, with Wang Jinkai’s familiar face rippling across its surface.

Wang Jinkai mocked them triumphantly, causing Chu Ning to grit his teeth. He closed his eyes, focusing intently on the hidden power within his body, drawing upon his full potential.

A whirlwind began to whip around Chu Ning, and the loose pebbles on the ground trembled. The atmosphere grew oppressive; Tanya felt as if the air were condensing, making it difficult to breathe. She gasped like a fish out of water, trying to alleviate her discomfort. Even though she knew that as a ghost, her need for oxygen was no longer a physical limitation, she still felt a sensation of suffocation.

"Stay back!" Chu Ning said sternly. His body was completely shrouded in dense, black mist. After issuing this command, he let go of Tanya’s hand, preparing for a final strike.

"Oh..." Tanya replied vaguely, pushed back by the currents of air emanating from Chu Ning. Before she could fully comprehend what was happening, a thunderous roar shook the sky.

Tanya’s ears rang, and her vision blurred. Struggling to open her eyes, she saw only a plume of black mist erupting toward the heavens. The mist, dark as ink, stained everything; it was an endless, boundless black that even consumed the countless insect swarms.

"Find a place to hide! It would be even better if you could leave entirely!" Chu Ning’s voice came from nearby, cold and indifferent, yet his words warmed Tanya’s heart.

"Uh, but where should I hide..." Tanya stood still, looking troubled. She knew it was time to run; falling into anyone's hands was a grim fate, and she had learned how precious freedom was only after losing it. She wanted to escape, but she could never find the right opportunity. Staying by Chu Ning’s side had been a matter of necessity—who could have predicted they would encounter so many dangers?

Faced with unknown hazards, choosing a known, manageable danger was Tanya’s reason for sticking with Chu Ning. Surrounded by walls of insects, she couldn't tell which direction led to safety; the landscape looked identical in every direction.

Chu Ning pointed a finger toward the unknown ahead, and the black mist shot out like a drawn sword. He stared blankly at the potential exit, then shook his head lightly.

He said something that left Tanya speechless for a long time: "You go first. Once I finish things here, I will follow your path. Don't worry, I will definitely come back to find you."