death of hope

Chapter 964 "Psionic Storm" (40) Awakening

One step, two steps...

Nothing seemed amiss; the distance was closing, and victory appeared to be within reach.
(Um?!)

With about ten meters left, Li Ang slowed his pace and hesitated.

(Strange... what's this feeling?)

A subtle, inexplicable discomfort spread throughout my body;

A strange energy was coursing through his limbs and bones, as if it were a warning from heaven:
(Are you looking for death?! Anyone who touches the secrets of the Creator must die!)
Leon Vilnius has never lacked courage, but the situation is different now; the fear of the unknown is an instinct of mortal Terran humans.

A few years ago, when he was serving in the Ix Navy, even when facing powerful succubus pirate witches, he had never felt such psionic pressure.

The feeling was like connecting the positive and negative terminals of a battery, but it was completely different from the feeling of being electrocuted. It was much more severe. While being electrocuted can only kill cells, being exposed to excessive psionic energy is a double torment of the body and mind.

His skin, muscles, and bones felt numb and tingly; waves of tingling, numbness, and intense itching swept through his entire body, leaving him weak, powerless, hesitant, and indecisive…

Li Ang glanced at the psionic dashboard beside him; the red pointer was jumping wildly, then began to jump back and forth dramatically.
(It's off the charts!)

Even in a deep sleep state, the intensity of psionic energy emitted by the Zero Talent in a burst-of-energy state easily exceeds the limits of instrument readings.
Joseph was right; the existence of this Zero was enough to revolutionize the entire field of psionic science, no wonder it was the institute's top secret.
At this moment, every tense tendon, every rational brain cell, and every neural synapse was warning him to stay away from the gates of hell.

But his indomitable ambition to defy fate was also spurring him on and urging him to fight to the death.
(Stop?...How could that be?! I'm not reconciled!)
Li Ang didn't notice the reactions of the people behind him; after all, they didn't have eyes in the back of their heads.
Dr. Joseph hid behind a huge, thick electronic equipment cabinet, crouching down to peek inside.

Last time, he was splattered with blood and brain matter, and it took half a bottle of strong cleaning agent to completely wash away the bloody smell.

The old man remembered clearly that the previous lab assistant, Mr. Diego, died about ten meters away from Zero, right where Li Ang was standing now.

Without any warning, Diego was walking along when suddenly his head exploded and he died instantly. The entire research team was terrified and screamed in terror. One of the female researchers still hasn't recovered from the shock.

·
The instant Leon took a step, Joseph's students all nervously raised their printer papers and books to their noses, revealing only their eyes to observe.
This reaction was truly exaggerated. These researchers were eight feet away, separated by a glass wall, and had no reason to worry about being splattered with blood. However, the previous tragedy had already cast a shadow in their hearts, and they were all trembling with fear and lingering fear.
"I never thought our teacher could misjudge someone. That kid is a bit dim-witted and nowhere near as good as Diego."

"There's no way around it. Anti-psychic talent can't be detected. Talent selection can only rely on luck. The teacher thought this kid inherited the rare talent of the Vilnius family, but he turned out to be a good-for-nothing."

"Why doesn't he turn back?! Without anti-psychic abilities, going over there would be suicide!"

"For money, you take the risk. Although it's just an assistant position, the salary and benefits are equivalent to that of a deputy director."

"Just two more steps, and this kid's brains will burst out of his skull with a 'bang'! I'll bet you a cup of coffee!"

Unbeknownst to Li Ang, the people behind him weren't cheering him on; instead, they were betting on at what step he would die. All he could do was risk his life and step towards the gates of hell.

As expected, the discomfort intensified. In addition to the tingling, electric shock-like sensation, a buzzing tinnitus began to appear, and the spasming muscles made it difficult to stand.

The sudden, violent twitching of his eyelids was even more frightening, reminding him of the servant who used to tidy his room when he was a child, Aunt Demas, who always nagged him:

(The old lady once said that a twitching left eye means good fortune, while a twitching right eye means bad luck... But now both eyes are twitching at the same time... What does that mean?)

No, I am an elite from Iskander who has received higher education. How can I be as ignorant and superstitious as that illiterate old woman? My cousins ​​will laugh at me...
·
As Li Ang took another step, a researcher slapped his thigh.
"Damn it! A bet's a bet! I'll buy everyone coffee!"

"That's strange. How come that kid is still alive?"

"Don't worry, it'll be quick."

"Look at his pathetic, dawdling appearance. He must be in so much pain he's practically delirious, his internal organs are rotting, but he's just stubbornly holding on." At this moment, Li Ang was only five steps away from Zero.
Outside the glass curtain wall, it became quiet; no one was whispering anymore, and only the beeping of electronic instruments could be heard.
Dr. Joseph peeked out from behind the jar, an incredulous expression on his face:

(That kid is even closer than Diego!? That doesn't make sense! Could it be...?)
The old man thought about it and still didn't have high hopes:
(Whether it's his anti-psychic talent or his work experience, Diego is top-notch. This kid is just a survivor with a stroke of luck. Once he comes into contact with Zero, he'll still be dead.)
·
Five steps to go... four steps.
Li Ang's discomfort intensified rapidly; the tingling and numbness spreading throughout his limbs turned into a sharp, needle-like pain, especially in his head, where it felt as if countless Bobbit worms were trying to break through his skull and emerge.

Blood began to seep from his nose, ears, and mouth; his bloodshot eyes bulged out from the immense intracranial pressure; his once sunny and handsome face now resembled a terrifying zombie.
With intracranial pressure continuing to rise, Li Ang closed his eyes, his face contorted in a grimace. He should have been unconscious long ago, but he gripped his scalp tightly with both hands, stubbornly swaying and refusing to fall, even moving forward.
Three steps away... two steps away...

From another person's perspective, his zombie-like gait resembled that of a drug addict on the verge of death from an overdose.

(Has he reached his limit? What a pity. He's a talented person after all. I blame myself for being too impatient. It would have been better to let him continue as the safety director and contribute his remaining energy, which would still be of some benefit to the research institute.)
Joseph sighed, and Dr. Lane called in medical staff and cleaners to prepare to collect the body of the unfortunate soul inside.

At this moment, Li Ang felt like his head was about to explode;
(I'm about to die... Is this how it ends...?)
The sudden surge in blood pressure caused some fragile capillaries to rupture, and the arteries were also in grave danger. In a daze, my consciousness began to replay in my mind.
Leon Vilnius, the illegitimate son of a nobleman, begins to reflect on his short life: glory, pain, regret, and unbearable suffering...

He had witnessed the greatest sacrifices; once, he crash-landed on a desolate planet with a merchant ship destroyed by pirates.
Eating blood-stained bread delivered by human immigrant guerrillas braving artillery fire, watching his sailors, to cover their retreat, raise their bayonets and launch a one-way charge against the lizardman warlord's sweeping forces...

The freckled sergeant Maria, shot and falling into his arms, said with her last breath, "Run! Young master! You are the prince of Iks! Live on, go and do great things..."

·
Sacrifice is the cornerstone of the Federation; too many loyal and courageous souls have died for their homeland, Ix, and for the people of Terra.

Leon Vilnius rarely felt happy. He had witnessed too much sorrow, gained courage and determination, but also carried a heavy burden beyond his years, and dared not betray the sacrifices of his loyal followers.

They could be enjoying life, but instead they put pressure on themselves, daring not to slack off in their studies or work.
He had witnessed the reforms his uncle, Count Dominique Vilnius, had undertaken to revive the family's glory and groom him, his outstanding nephew, as his successor.
However, after his illegitimate status was exposed, all his hopes vanished. The ridicule and humiliation from the count's sons and cousins ​​left him heartbroken.

·
What truly broke his defenses was the coldness and indifference he received from his birth mother, Duchess Kelya Vilnius, the most noble and beautiful woman on Planet Ix.

Forget pleading, this sophisticated and self-serving noblewoman didn't even come to see her own son off as he was about to be exiled.

But Li Ang never blamed his mother. He cherished this only affection as a treasure, deceived himself with selective memory, forgot all the unpleasantness, and only wanted to remember the few warm interactions between mother and son in his childhood.
(Mother,
Do you remember your trip to Daxsa Star? It wasn't as desolate as your hometown, Iks.

In that lush, green agricultural world, you wove straw hats for me from vines and flowers.
You said I'm delicate and cute, like a girl...

If one day I complete the trial of redemption and return home in glory…

The people of Iks will line the streets, showering flower petals to welcome the heroes who fought against the pirates…

Mom, you will love me again... just like when I was little...

In a daze, the straw hat drifted into the depths of the valley...
A love-starved man on the verge of despair, his burning ambition and unwillingness to give up, sparks a miracle.

The talent hidden deep within Vilnius's genetic bloodline was activated and awakened. He has been able to live until now not only because of his willpower, but also because of his super strong anti-psychic constitution.

·
Li Ang opened his eyes, ignoring all discomfort and pain, and took the final step to face the Zero Talent.
The radiating ripples in the surrounding air were the massive burst of psionic energy; this strange, other-dimensional energy was distorting the physical universe.

Even with his exceptional anti-psychic talent, he still felt extremely uncomfortable when he got close. Half-digested food, along with stomach acid, was stuck in his throat, and he barely managed to hold it in.

(I'm still alive... I'm not reconciled...)
Tear open the plastic packaging bag, take out the chip, brush aside Zero's golden hair to reveal the brain-computer interface in the temporal lobe of the brain, pull out the damaged chip, and throw it away.

Like installing an SD card, you press the new chip in, and it clicks to lock in place.

A ring of blue lights flashed on the Zero Brain-Computer Interface as it read data. As the progress bar reached 100%, the intracranial psionic inhibitor resumed normal operation.

The effect was immediate; the radial psionic ripples weakened to the point of being invisible, all discomfort vanished, and the surrounding spatial distortion disappeared as well.

There were no cheers, no applause; the psionicists on the project team were all dumbfounded. Dr. Joseph stared in disbelief, then leaped with ecstasy.
"Congratulations, Leon Vilnius, you passed the test! Pack your things and move to area B14 to work!"