Four bright spots were still visible on the map. Besides the one charging toward Qiu Shi, three were engaged in a fight with Xing Bi and A, B, and C.
Qiu Shi could already see the face of the approaching bioroid. It was fairly good-looking, but there was nothing memorable about it. Qiu Shi had seen countless faces—beautiful, ugly, and ordinary—but never one that would be forgotten in the blink of an eye.
He aimed at the forgettable face through his scope. At this distance, with several trees in between, even a slight movement could cause him to miss.
He needed a closer shot.
The chaotic noise persisted in his headset, so he nudged it off with his head.
While aiming, he could still see the dots on the map before him.
Xing Bi suddenly broke away from the melee, rushing towards him. A, B, and C closed in quickly, blocking the remaining bioroids trying to follow Xing Bi.
Then, C’s green dot and one of the enemy’s bright spots disappeared simultaneously.
Xing Bi appeared in Qiu Shi’s line of sight. The complex terrain of the forest prevented him from simply leaping up and kicking down before attacking the neck like before.
He could only ensure that the bioroid stayed in Qiu Shi’s line of fire.
“Fire,” Xing Bi said.
The bioroid, kicked in the lower back by Xing Bi, lurched towards Qiu Shi, perfectly magnified in the scope.
The bright spot for B disappeared on the map.
Qiu Shi fired, hitting the bioroid’s neck, causing black liquid to splatter out.
At the same time Qiu Shi fired, Xing Bi turned around, using the momentum to lean forward sharply, swinging something in his hand with force.
Only then did Qiu Shi notice that Xing Bi’s gun was no longer in his hand.
The enemy bioroid was very powerful.
The object Xing Bi threw was a rock, hitting a gun that A had knocked from the enemy’s hand to the ground. The gun bounced up and landed in front of him.
Xing Bi took a step forward, picked up the gun, and aimed it at the enemy simultaneously with Qiu Shi.
The surroundings fell silent.
They returned to the dead silence they had encountered upon entering, unable even to hear the faint sounds of fungal growth. Qiu Shi could only hear his own breathing.
The bioroids across from them were unarmed. Two stood behind A, one gripping the back of his neck, rendering A unable to fight.
Though no one spoke, the situation was clear. The enemy had no weapons and was using A as a shield in front of them.
The positioning was precise. From their angle, any shot would hit A first.
Qiu Shi didn’t know what to do in such a situation in other missions, but he was clear about this one. Before departure, he knew A, B, and C were there to ensure the safety of him and Xing Bi. The people who sent these three level-two hidden guards into the nest had no intention of letting them return.
But these silent level-two hidden guards, their tacit cooperation along the way, and their precise maneuvering to ensure Xing Bi could come and save him made him hesitate for a moment.
“Fire,” Xing Bi said, his voice low, hoarse, but firm.
Qiu Shi did not hesitate. In this situation, he couldn’t hesitate.
He aimed at A’s neck, intending to shoot through him to hit the target behind.
But as Xing Bi spoke, the two bioroids released A, darting to the right as Qiu Shi fired.
Qiu Shi hit A.
Xing Bi also fired, shifting half a meter to the right. The two bioroids rushing to the right were hit and fell to the ground almost simultaneously with A.
The battle ended in a second.
“F*ck your ancestors,” Qiu Shi cursed under his breath, rushing over to viciously kick the two fallen bioroids.
He felt an inexplicable anger. Xing Bi had predicted the enemy’s escape before telling him to fire, making it a perfect collaboration, but he still had an anger he couldn’t vent.
When he fired, the enemy released A, giving him the illusion that he could have avoided killing A. But it was an illusion because if he hadn’t fired, the enemy wouldn’t have released A, and Xing Bi wouldn’t have had the chance to kill them both.
This was a vicious cycle.
That was why he felt suffocated.
“Do you know why they don’t have names?” Xing Bi asked.
“Screw off,” Qiu Shi replied.
“Shall we go?” Xing Bi dragged A, B, and C out from among the enemy and set them aside.
Qiu Shi put his headset back on and tried for a long time, but still couldn’t establish contact with the command center.
“Is it because these things haven’t been used for too long?” Qiu Shi said. “I suspect there’s no interference; they’re probably just about to break.”
“Better hope they don’t break,” Xing Bi said. “If they do, we’ll have to re-implant them.”
“Shut up.” Qiu Shi adjusted the weapons on his body. “We don’t have a suicide squad anymore. Be careful from now on. If there are more than two targets, we retreat.”
Xing Bi glanced at him.
“Did you hear me?” Qiu Shi asked.
“Yeah,” Xing Bi responded.
After walking a few steps, Qiu Shi added, “Thanks for earlier.”
“For saving you?” Xing Bi asked. “No need to thank me. My mission includes keeping you alive.”
“You’re really good at cutting off conversations,” Qiu Shi said. After thinking for a moment, he asked, “Why?”
“There’s another level-one hidden guard,” Xing Bi said. “Qiu Shi currently has only one. You know that, right?”
Qiu Shi didn’t respond.
Without the three suicide squad members, the surroundings seemed somewhat empty.
Qiu Shi maintained a distance of about ten meters behind Xing Bi, staring at the map in front of him, grateful that the map was still working and continuously updating.
As they delved deeper into the nest, the black fungi around them seemed to thicken. The ground even felt soft underfoot, and the sound of growth became gradually clearer.
Xing Bi stopped. Ahead of them on the ground was a long, black-covered object.
Qiu Shi felt nauseated at the sight. It was clear from its shape that it was a human body lying on the ground.
Looking further ahead, he felt his body stiffen.
The ground ahead was littered with black fungus-covered human bodies.
“They’re breathing,” Xing Bi said.
“The map doesn’t detect them.” Qiu Shi gripped his gun. They must be very close to the center of the nest by now.
“They’re only breathing,” Xing Bi said, pulling back the black covering from one of the bodies’ heads, revealing its face. “No heartbeat.”
As Qiu Shi leaned in to look, the person’s closed eyes suddenly opened and blinked twice.
“Shit!” he cursed under his breath, stomping on the head.
The skull beneath his foot was clearly not as hard as a normal human’s, cracking with a sound.
Without pausing, Qiu Shi took two steps forward, watching the map as he crushed another body’s head. Whatever these heartbeat-less, breathing creatures were, they were products of this nest.
After crushing three heads, Xing Bi stopped him.
“Go to the back,” Xing Bi said.
Qiu Shi quickly moved behind Xing Bi, then raised his eyes to follow Xing Bi’s line of sight.
He raised his gun, aiming at the humanoid figure standing eerily before them, not shown on the map.
It was only assumed to be humanoid because all the bodies on the ground had been human. Qiu Shi reasoned that this figure must be human too.
But its outline was unrecognizable. The entire figure was covered in thick black fungi. In the sparse light, fungi on its body were visibly growing, and black dust-like particles floated off it.
“What is this thing?” Qiu Shi asked quietly.
“The source,” Xing Bi replied.
“Mission accomplished,” Qiu Shi said decisively. “Let’s go.”
He had no desire to interact with this thing further. Since the mission was to find the infection source, and Xing Bi identified this thing as the source, that was enough.
“Only if we can get out,” Xing Bi said, taking a step back.
The figure suddenly raised an arm, seemingly pointing at them.
Xing Bi stopped.
Surprisingly, it had limbs. From its appearance, it seemed like a single structure. But when it raised an arm, it confirmed its humanoid form—human or bioroid.
A symbiont.
Symbiosis could reach this extent.
“Is it pointing at you?” Qiu Shi asked.
“Pointing at you,” Xing Bi replied.
Seconds later, the answer appeared on the map before Qiu Shi’s eyes.
It wasn’t pointing at anyone.
A dozen bright spots simultaneously appeared behind the symbiont, forming a semicircle and rushing toward them. They moved so quickly that they were visible in their field of vision before Qiu Shi could even warn Xing Bi.
“Retreat and fire,” Xing Bi suddenly charged forward. “Don’t stop.”
Qiu Shi retreated while firing at the symbiont, hitting its head. It only wavered slightly.
The charging figures were clearly bioroids from their speed. Their semicircle formation quickly closed in, surrounding Xing Bi as he rushed toward the symbiont.
Qiu Shi didn’t pause, firing again and hitting the neck area. But it was just a rough estimate—he couldn’t tell its exact form.
Then a third shot, a fourth shot.
As the bioroids surrounded Xing Bi, he suddenly dropped to the ground, using his momentum to slide under them. He kicked off the ground, rising and punching the symbiont.
His first punch aimed at the spot where Qiu Shi’s first shot had hit, directly smashing through.
Then the second punch went straight through the neck.
Qiu Shi quickly lowered his gun, holding back the urge to curse, aiming at the clustered bioroids.
But he only fired once before stopping.
All the bioroids froze, and as Xing Bi pulled his arm out of the symbiont, both the bioroids and it slowly collapsed to the ground.
Everything around them seemed to freeze.
“Your aim is pretty good,” Xing Bi said, shaking off the black liquid from his hand and glancing back at him. “Partner.”
“I partner with your ancestors,” Qiu Shi said, finally lowering his raised gun. He was too exhausted to curse with any energy; his voice was calm. “If you use that telepathic attack strategy again, I’ll cripple your legs. I remember the hand signals, partner.”
Xing Bi didn’t respond, looking ahead.
“The mission is over,” Qiu Shi said. “If you take one more step forward, I’ll handle it the same way.”
“Will you drag two people back?” Xing Bi asked, taking a step forward and then looking back at him. “I have a very good reason for this step.”
“Do we need to take this thing back?” Qiu Shi asked.
“No need to take it back if it’s not dead,” Xing Bi said, reaching through the hole in its head he had punched and dragging it over by the head. “If it’s dead, we need to take it back.”
“Take it then,” Qiu Shi quickly backed away a few steps, not wanting Xing Bi to drag the thing any closer to him. “If we don’t bring it back, they’ll make us do it all over again.”
“Let’s go,” Xing Bi said, walking back and asking, “Is it safe?”
“I’m not sure it’s safe anymore,” Qiu Shi said, following him. He could only see Xing Bi’s red dot on the map in front of him. “Whether it’s a human or bioroid, once the fungus covers it, I can’t detect it on my map.”
“Still can’t contact the command center?” Xing Bi asked.
“No,” Qiu Shi said, touching his headset. “It’s nice and quiet.”
They walked on for a while, and the surroundings seemed quieter than when they came.
“Am I deaf?” Qiu Shi stopped walking.
“Should be,” Xing Bi replied.
“Does your settings menu have a language intensity option?” Qiu Shi looked at him.
“I can still hear,” Xing Bi said, looking back at him. “But the sound is much lower. Is that what you wanted to say?”
“Yes.” Qiu Shi sighed.
“This nest is dying,” Xing Bi continued, walking forward.
“So if we kill the things in the other nests,” Qiu Shi said, “does that mean the nests can be destroyed?”
“This is just the smallest one,” Xing Bi said.
Qiu Shi didn’t speak again. Xing Bi continued dragging the thing forward. Qiu Shi suddenly noticed a tear in the back of Xing Bi’s right sleeve.
“Are you injured?” he asked.
“Yes,” Xing Bi replied, not waiting for him to ask further, “I don’t feel anything.”
Qiu Shi pulled back the torn fabric and saw a deep gash: “And they say you’re infinitely close to humans, but you don’t even feel pain.”
“It can be simulated,” Xing Bi said. “But it’s better not to feel pain during combat. If it hurts too much, you’ll want to run.”
“Can it be that detailed?” Qiu Shi walked a few steps and couldn’t help but ask a question he had thought of many times but never asked because their conversations were always monitored. “Then you… that is…”
Xing Bi turned to look at him, and he didn’t even have time to shift his gaze.
“I’ll answer first,” Xing Bi said.
“Go ahead,” Qiu Shi said.
“Everything is there,” Xing Bi said. “All kinds of sensations can be simulated. A hidden guard is just one type of bioroid; there are many others, not just for combat.”
“The old relics really know how to design,” Qiu Shi said.
“The mission is being recorded,” Xing Bi added.
“Thank you for not reminding me until the next mission,” Qiu Shi said.
On their way back, they passed the site of their previous battle. Xing Bi stopped.
“Taking it back?” Qiu Shi asked.
“No,” Xing Bi put down the symbiont, checked the backs of A, B, and C’s necks, and removed three small blocks. “Just making sure nothing useful is left.”
Qiu Shi stayed silent, watching him remove the small blocks from the other bioroids’ necks.
“Do you have one too?” Qiu Shi asked.
“Yes,” Xing Bi replied.
“Is it your power source?” Qiu Shi asked again.
“No,” Xing Bi replied.
“Is it your brain?” Qiu Shi asked once more.
“… My imagination is still not up to par with humans,” Xing Bi said, dragging the symbiont forward.
As they neared the edge of the nest, static finally came through the headset.
“Xing Bi, Qiu Shi, respond if you hear me.” It was Li Feng’s voice.
He was probably repeating the same phrase over and over, perhaps out of anxiety. His voice was hoarse, tinged with a sense of sadness: “Xing Bi, Qiu Shi, respond if you hear me, respond…”
“Responding,” Qiu Shi said.
Li Feng paused for a second before hoarsely shouting again: “Qiu Shi? What’s your status? Any injuries?”
“Xing Bi and I are alive,” Qiu Shi said. “The three level-two hidden guards are gone.”
“Report the mission status,” a female voice commanded. It sounded like Colonel Xu.
In contrast, Li Feng, who asked if they were injured first, seemed much more humane, though his concern was probably only because they were the only team currently capable of completing the mission.
“Let Li Feng speak,” Qiu Shi said.
“Director Li went to the entrance to meet you,” Director Zhang’s voice came through.
“Prepare the quarantine box,” Xing Bi said.
“It’s ready,” Director Zhang replied. “Did you bring back the symbiont?”
“It might be the source of the infection,” Xing Bi said.
The symbiont brought back from the nest shocked everyone in the command center.
After disinfecting the two of them, Li Feng stood in front of Qiu Shi, still with a trace of disbelief on his face: “Originally, the mission ending today would have allowed you to return to the shelter.”
“Stop making excuses to talk to me,” Qiu Shi said. “I’m only alive because no one can replace me right now.”
“Rest for half an hour,” Li Feng looked over at Xing Bi, who was undergoing an initial examination by Curator Wu and the technical team. “After half an hour, you need to attend a meeting.”
“And then?” Qiu Shi asked.
“Then it will be decided. Now that the General is personally involved,” Li Feng looked at him, “a lot of things are out of the Director’s control. I don’t know the exact next steps either.”
“What can you control,” Qiu Shi said. “Can you ensure the safety of my brothers?”
Li Feng was silent for a moment before answering, “I’ll try my best.”
“I have something else to ask you,” Qiu Shi glanced at Colonel Xu and Director Zhang coming out of the door. “Find time.”
“Okay.” Li Feng turned his head to look at Colonel Xu too. “There are many experiences to summarize from this mission. I hope to see your improvement next time…”
“Qiu Shi, take a break. A full physical examination has been arranged for you,” Colonel Xu stood in front of him, scanning him from head to toe. “Your team’s performance today was quite good. Despite technical issues, you still completed the mission.”
Team?
Qiu Shi stared at her, frowning.
She then turned to Li Feng: “Have Curator Wu quickly arrange for the symbiosis experiment with the level-one hidden guard. Time is limited; the General is still waiting for preliminary results…”
“What experiment? Who’s doing it?” Qiu Shi interrupted her.
Colonel Xu glanced at him, displeased.
“Xing Bi? What symbiosis experiment?” Qiu Shi ignored her change in expression. “What are you planning to do?”
“Qiu Shi,” Li Feng lightly grasped Qiu Shi’s shoulder. “You don’t need to worry about this.”
“They’re playing with our lives,” Qiu Shi didn’t look at him, still staring at Colonel Xu. “I don’t need to worry?”
Colonel Xu didn’t say anything more to him and turned to leave. After a few steps, she threw back a comment: “The person you picked really has personality, Director Li.”
“I’m ashamed,” Li Feng said.
Colonel Xu looked back at him.
“Leave me a way out,” Li Feng glared at Qiu Shi after Colonel Xu left. “If I get transferred out of this project, it won’t do you any good!”
“I don’t think you care much about living either,” Qiu Shi said. “Leave me a way out.”
Li Feng didn’t respond, still staring at him.
“They’re going to use Xing Bi for the symbiosis experiment,” Qiu Shi glanced over. Xing Bi was walking towards the box he came from. “His hand is injured, perfect for the experiment, right?”
“Naive, he’s already infected,” Li Feng furrowed his brows, looking around. “He chose to get infected himself.”
“What?” Qiu Shi turned his head in shock.
Xing Bi was already in the box. The staff were closing the box door. As he looked over, Xing Bi was also looking at him.
“Screw you,” Qiu Shi flipped him off.
Xing Bi smiled.
“To understand the relationship between symbionts,” Li Feng said, “the experiment is unavoidable. Choosing the infection site himself is safer.”
Qiu Shi turned back to look at him.
“He’s lived longer than us by who knows how many years,” Li Feng said. “Been through, who knows how much? Worry about yourself.”
______
Author’s Note:
Some readers have been thinking Qiu Shi is looking for someone⊙▽⊙. To prevent you from being puzzled in the future, let me clarify: he’s not looking for anyone. He’s not looking for Xing Bi either. He’s only 25 years old. How could he possibly know Xing Bi, kids?
