After working all day, the shift finally ended.
Yue Shi had just returned to the staff dormitory when the phone in his pocket vibrated again. It was that anonymous number once more.
He pressed the answer button and, before the other party could speak, asked directly with a certain tone, "That rocket... you were the one who fired it, weren't you?"
There was a moment of silence on the other end, followed by a soft chuckle. It was still the processed AI-synthesized voice, but it seemed to carry a hint of amusement. "Since you've already guessed it, why bother asking?"
Yue Shi's voice was cold. "You weren't planning on blowing me up along with them, were you?"
"How could I?" the anonymous caller said sincerely.
"With your strength, you would certainly emerge unscathed from an explosion of that magnitude. I was just helping you speed up the process to prevent further complications. It also conveniently handled the evidence at the scene."
"Heh," Yue Shi let out a cold laugh and continued to probe. "Su Yuanhe is dead. It's a pity you didn't get the chance to take your revenge personally."
The other party was silent for several seconds before finally speaking, his tone carrying a trace of imperceptible doubt. "Actually, I can't help but feel something is off about this. Didn't Su Yuanhe die a bit too easily? Was the Su Yuanhe who came to Amber City truly the man himself?"
Yue Shi felt a stir in his mind; the other party had indeed grown suspicious as well. He replied nonchalantly, "I can't confirm that. The body was blown to ashes. If you really have a way, you can go verify it yourself. Your information is always so well-informed, after all."
Another silence followed on the other end as if the caller were weighing his options.
After a while, the anonymous caller said, "I'll try to confirm it. You should be careful lately. Amber City looks calm on the surface, but a net has already been cast in the shadows. You'd better stop doing anything out of line to avoid exposing yourself."
As if he had just remembered, Yue Shi changed the subject. "By the way, you mentioned earlier there was something I might be interested in. What is it?"
The anonymous caller adjusted his tone and asked, "Have you ever heard of the 'Demon Seed'?"
"Demon Seed?" Yue Shi frowned. "No. What is it?"
"The Demon Seed is an item that has recently begun circulating from a certain supernatural domain," the anonymous caller explained.
"They say that if an ordinary person eats it, they will immediately gain supernatural power. If a transcendent eats it, they will gain a new ability."
Yue Shi was somewhat surprised. "There's actually such a good thing in this world?"
"A good thing?" The anonymous caller sneered. "This is anything but a good thing."
"How so?"
"The Demon Seed is essentially a seed produced by a specific type of plant-like supernatural creature."
Yue Shi understood immediately. "A seed from a supernatural creature? Eating it must have extremely severe side effects."
"You're right," the anonymous caller's voice turned solemn.
"After eating a Demon Seed, one does indeed gain powerful supernatural power instantly, but before long, that person will irreversibly turn into a supernatural creature!"
Yue Shi offered a sharp critique. "Why call it a Demon Seed? Wouldn't calling it a 'Seed of the Supernatural' be more accurate?"
The anonymous caller said, "Whatever you call it, the point is that these things are currently beyond any price. A single one can draw countless people into a frantic struggle. Even knowing that eating it only grants temporary power and inevitably leads to becoming a monster, there are still countless people willing to take the risk."
Yue Shi was silent for a moment before saying slowly, "It's a completely open scheme. The effects and side effects of the Demon Seed are laid out clearly for all to see. But there are some things that absolutely cannot be done without power. To gain power, to change the status quo, there are always people willing to pay any price, even if it means sacrificing their future."
He thought of many things. People who were destitute and on the verge of starvation, people with terminal illnesses and little time left, people who suffered injustice and oppression with deep-seated grudges but no hope for revenge...
For such people, the power and hope brought by the Demon Seed were enough for them to sacrifice themselves.
In this terrible era, pitiable people were everywhere. The Demon Seed, at the very least, could grant them a brief moment of something better.
The anonymous caller agreed. "You're right. The Life Vine has never hidden the side effects of the Demon Seed. This has been a transparent, voluntary scheme from the start."
"Wait!" Yue Shi suddenly caught the keyword, his tone finally carrying genuine surprise.
"What did you say? The Life Vine?"
"Yeah." The anonymous caller seemed a bit puzzled by his surprise. "The Life Vine. The Demon Seed is the mature seed produced after the Life Vine blooms."
Yue Shi was speechless for a moment. It turned out to be an "old acquaintance."
He took the opportunity to press further. "Plant-like supernatural creatures are said to mostly come from the 'Mysterious Garden.' How much do you know about that forbidden zone?"
The anonymous caller said, "The Life Vine did indeed escape from the Mysterious Garden. I don't know much about the Mysterious Garden myself. I only know that most of the world's powerful and bizarre plant-like supernatural creatures are concentrated there. And the ruler of the garden, the Tree of Truth, is said to be one of the most powerful supernatural creatures in the world, possessing the power to destroy it."
Yue Shi followed up, "And? What about the environment inside, the rules, or other dangers?"
"That's it," the anonymous caller answered bluntly. "That's all I know."
Yue Shi: "..." This intelligence was a bit too brief.
The anonymous caller said helplessly, "Being able to know that the ruler of the garden is the 'Tree of Truth' is already highly classified! Don't ask for too much.
"Currently, the true names and specific titles of all forbidden zone rulers are strictly classified information. Ordinary people have no right to know them at all."
Yue Shi had no choice but to settle for the next best thing. "Fine. What about the Life Vine? Where exactly is its main body now?"
"There was originally a supernatural domain called 'Orphan's Grudge,' located about two hundred kilometers northwest of Fluorite Valley. That domain has now been taken over by the Life Vine, becoming its nest. If you're interested, I'll send you the specific coordinates later."
"Alright." Yue Shi noted the information.
His tone suddenly shifted. "By the way, our first collaboration was a success; we're practically comrades-in-arms now. Do you want to meet up and talk in person?"
The other party chuckled. "I'll pass. I'm afraid you'd hit me."
To be precise, he was afraid of being killed.
Yue Shi gave a faint, sarcastic remark. "Fair enough. You hide in the shadows, using leverage to threaten me into doing your work while you bear zero risk. If I were in such a comfortable position, I certainly wouldn't show my face easily either."
The anonymous caller hurriedly defended himself, his tone somewhat urgent. "Don't misunderstand, I truly want to cooperate with you! It's just that the current situation is special; we must be cautious."
Yue Shi's strength exceeded his imagination. He saw the hope for revenge in Yue Shi, who was perhaps his only effective ally. He didn't want to burn that bridge.
Yue Shi, however, said, "Is that so? I haven't seen any sincerity in your 'true cooperation' at all. I don't even know what to call you."
Silence fell on the other end for a moment, as if the caller were hesitating. Finally, he made up his mind and said:
"I am 'Ghost.' You should understand what this codename implies. I suspect you are the Mage. Now, what kind of sincerity do you want?"
A sharp light flashed in Yue Shi's eyes.
Ghost was indeed an escaped experimental subject.
He stopped being polite and stated his demands directly. "Since you want to show sincerity, I won't beat around the bush. You know as well as I do that Amber City looks calm on the surface, but undercurrents are surging."
"I want you to cause trouble. The bigger the commotion, the better. Stir up the whole of Amber City until it's a complete mess. It would be best if you could make this city collapse..."
Ghost, on the other end of the line, was stunned by this insane request and didn't respond for a long while.
"Are you alright? If I had that kind of power, would I even need to cooperate with you?"
Yue Shi said calmly, "Just do whatever you can. I want to see disaster, I want to see chaos, I want to see intestines and brains flying everywhere!"
The call ended.
After a simple wash, Yue Shi lay on his bed but didn't fall asleep immediately.
He took out his phone, his fingertips sliding across the screen as he logged into the Supernatural Forum.
First, he searched for keywords like "Glory Association," "Amber City," and "Cloud Rest Villa explosion."
Instantly, a massive number of posts flooded his vision, but almost all were useless information.
Various titles were so exaggerated they were jaw-dropping, filled with irresponsible guesses and attention-grabbing hype.
【Shocking! Glory Association Charity Event Hides a Secret: 60-Year-Old Executive Walks Tightrope for Love, Rocket Actually a Tool for a Crime of Passion?!】
【Exclusive Deep Dive: The Mastermind Behind the Terror Attack Revealed! Suspected Retaliation for Anti-LGBTQ Comments!】
Yue Shi scrolled through the screen expressionlessly. The content of these posts was empty; aside from inciting emotions and grabbing attention, they held no value.
He closed the search page.
Next, he typed in another keyword: "Demon Seed."
Again, he had to pick through a pile of junk for useful information.
Many posts were discussing the effects and side effects of the Demon Seed. Although it was the seed of the Life Vine, the abilities awakened after consumption weren't necessarily plant-related; they were quite varied.
The majority of users mentioned in the posts were desperate ordinary people. True transcendents wouldn't touch such a thing unless they were backed into a corner, as it was like drinking poison to quench thirst.
Yue Shi's gaze was caught by a popular thread with a high number of replies. The title was:
【Record Thread: Ate a Demon Seed, gained power. Starting today, I'll work hard to join their family!】
The poster claimed that the man he loved and the woman he loved had gotten married, and he was in great pain.
He wanted to join them so the three of them could live a good life together, but he was cruelly rejected.
The poster narrated in a tone that was almost like sleep-talking:
「I love him, and I love her. It doesn't seem right, but I can't control my feelings. Without them, my life is like it has lost all color.」
「I gathered my courage and confessed my deep and equal love for both of them, proposing the grand vision of the three of us forming a happy family together. I thought true love could transcend all forms...」
「But they strictly rejected me; they even kicked me out. At that moment, my heart broke.」
「Just when I was so desperate I wanted to jump off a building, I heard the legend of the 'Demon Seed.' I knew this was the only chance for me to gain the power to protect this love and make it so everyone is never separated again.」
「I ate it.」
「Today is the third day since I gained supernatural power. I went to the base of their building again. Today's goal remains the same: to find my husband and wife. I will continue to update my progress. I hope everyone blesses me.」
Yue Shi didn't like junk information, but this was so melodramatic he couldn't help but read a few more lines.
The replies below the post were even more varied.
Yue Shi watched with great interest, while also wondering exactly what kind of action Ghost would take.
Rate on N.U.
