Abnormal Doomsday Records

Chapter 45 45. Pass it on! Zhou Ke said she was a little princess
As the old saying goes, once the direction is determined, all that remains is to work day and night.

The road from Slag Town to Snake State is not far, and you can even just return along the same route that Om and Qiao Ya took.

Normally, this journey would only take two days to complete, but the Crazy Moon is a dangerous phenomenon that must be paid attention to, and the others do not have Zhou Ke's ability to absorb abnormal energy, so they have to stop and rest every few hours.

Zhou Ke and Ohm both knew that this was dangerous.

He did not hide his current troubles from Ohm. After ignoring the factor of Han Bin, Zhou Ke told him about being hunted by the operators of the Acholi Group and the Tiger State. Ohm knew very well that even with the influence of the Crazy Moon, the two groups of people could appear around them at any time.

But he did not ask Zhou Ke to act alone, but silently made the decision to move forward together.

This means that the risk Zhou Ke suffered has now spread to the entire team.

"I'll lend this to you, Boss Ohm."

Almost twelve hours after leaving Slag Town, Zhou Ke found Ohm in a resting cave. Without further ado, he handed him his sword and said,

"Don't ask where this thing came from. It's definitely better than what you have. Given the state of our team right now, if we really run into trouble, you'll have to step up and sort it out, so be polite to me. Consider it a gift from me to improve your favorability. I'm not very good with a knife anyway."

"Ok?"

Ohm raised a brow.

He swallowed his dry food beside the fire, took the sword, pulled it out halfway, glanced at the blade and the blade, and immediately praised:
"Good knife!"

"Really? This thing is said to be a high-end replica of the first psychic weapon from the Badlands era. It's truly priceless."

Zhou Ke snorted and said:
"The only annoying thing is that only psychics can unleash their full power."

"Indeed."

Ohm pulled out the mow.

A faint green light appeared on his fingers and merged into the sword in his hand. Under Zhou Ke's surprised gaze, the snow-white blade of this thing seemed to be "dyed" and turned into a faint green light blade.

"All psychic weapons are like this. They must be activated by the user's psychic energy, which replaces the energy source installed in the weapon to maximize the weapon's own strength and destructive power. Different psychic properties can also be used to complete the 'temporary enchantment' for the weapon."

Ohm explained to Zhou Ke, who knew nothing about psychic powers:
"The mechanical spear in Ajie's hand is also a psychic weapon, but its destructive power is far inferior to this knife. When I fight with all my strength, the activated spiritual blade can even produce a 'high-frequency cutting' effect, which is sharper than a single-molecule blade made with high technology.

This is truly indestructible!

But don't despair, I have seen firearms powered by psionic energy.

Although it is still a classic weapon structure, every bullet fired after being attached with psychic energy can have strange effects like magic, such as paralysis or freezing. I have personally seen a psychic sniper of the Acholi Consortium blow up a bunker with a single bullet.

Unfortunately, because psychic ore can only be obtained in dangerous areas like the Time Labyrinth, and the formula of psychic alloy is an absolute secret of the Maka Group, which monopolizes the Badlands military industry, such weapons are extremely rare.

"Is there no way for a normal person like me to become a psychic?"

Zhou Ke felt itchy after hearing this and couldn't help asking:
"D-4 told me that some laboratories of the Acholi Consortium are working on similar projects, attempting to mass-produce psykers."

This question made Ohm look at him, and then the former Snake Knight shook his head and said:

“That’s a crooked way!
They are not just trying to do this now. Before the collapse of the old era, researchers in Acholi were already working on similar projects. Otherwise, how do you think the biochemical warriors came into being?
This cruel profession is a byproduct of their research on 'artificial psykers'.

But as far as I know, the Acholi Consortium does not yet have a complete system to do this.

Although there are indeed rumors that their operators have undergone similar enhancements and can sense and use psionic powers, those who are familiar with the matter say that they are just "pseudo-psychics".

That's a very sad, half-baked product.

Zhou Ke, don't try to pursue that ominous power. I can tell you from my actual experience over the past years that psychic power is never a good thing! It can only bring you pain and despair and confusion every night."

"Even though you said that, well, I'd better ask something useful, like what exactly is the 'Sublimator'?"

Zhou Ke sat on a rock beside the fire and asked humbly:

"I was almost kicked to death by Wu Qinhu. I have truly seen the inhuman side of the Ascendants. No matter from which angle you look at it, you seem to have become another kind of 'creature'."

"There's nothing wrong with that. We are indeed different from ordinary people."

Ohm did not deny Zhou Ke's statement, perhaps because Zhou Ke's behavior of "brushing favor" really worked. In short, he put the knife aside and threw his psychic knight sword to Zhou Ke.

Looking at the dancing flames before his eyes, he, the Ascended One, described this mysterious power to outsiders for the first time.

In the flickering light of the fire, Ohm said:
"If you want to understand the mystery of 'sublimation', you must first understand the concepts of 'consumption' and 'precipitation'.

When psychic energy first appeared in the ancient civilization, many outstanding scholars conducted various studies on it. Among those researchers was a genius named "The Enlightener Thoth" who was the first to summarize the "path of sublimation" based on the characteristics of psychic energy.

His research theory believes that there is "energy" in the human body.

You can think of all behaviors as energy-related, such as the calories from eating, the strength accumulated after exercise, and the physical strength and energy that are strengthened autonomously as you age.

Mr. Toth believes that all the actions of living things consume this "self-energy", especially an indulgent lifestyle and drastic mood swings.

Such as thinking, anger, sadness, pain, excitement, etc. ”

"Well, I understand this."

Zhou Ke blinked his eyes and said, "drawing inferences from one example":
"For example, excessive indulgence can lead to kidney deficiency. Although Western medicine does not have this concept, the ancient wisdom is particularly valuable in this situation. If the kidney qi is insufficient, the whole person will wilt, and that is fatigue visible to the naked eye. If you continue to indulge, you will be weak at the age of 40 at most, and die young in your 50s.

It is said that castration can make men live longer based on this principle."

"Well, that's not what I meant, but it seems that there is nothing wrong with your understanding. These principles are all universal."

Ohm sighed. He ignored Zhou Ke's "wonderful summary" and continued:

"In short, according to the classic theory of 'sublimation,' when an individual's energy consumption exceeds its natural energy production, the organism will become old and weak. Therefore, if a method can be found to prevent the loss of energy and to continuously accumulate and purify it so that it can enter 'precipitation,' then at some point after a long period of precipitation, the organism will enter 'sublimation.'

It was a process of self-improvement.

I can share with you my way to becoming an Ascendant, which is also the system summarized by Snake Man with the help of his friends.

When we were young, the Snake Man taught us to perform long and special meditations to suppress emotional fluctuations and restrain physical indulgence. During the whole process, we also used special secret medicines to stimulate the rapid growth of energy in the body, and then purified the energy through harsh physical training.

This long and painful process, which began at the age of six and lasted until the age of sixteen, was a decade of abstinence and self-control, which gave us an opportunity for 'sublimation'."

"It sounds like a Zen or ascetic thing, and you spent ten years just for one opportunity?"

Zhou Ke said:
"Isn't this too difficult for people?"

"You don't understand the meaning of that, Zhou Ke. Just as you said, the Ascended are already 'inhuman'. If you want to obtain inhuman power, you naturally have to do things that are not ordinary people."

Ohm shook his head and said:
“But not everyone can seize even one opportunity. Before the beginning of the Bad Land Era, the Snake Man adopted many children through charity organizations. However, only five people became Ascended in this way.

The success rate is exactly one percent.”

"Are you one of them?"

Zhou Ke asked, and Ohm nodded and said:

"I am! But due to some 'accidents', I became the weakest among the five Snake Nation Ascendants. It's not because of my method, but because of my personal problem.

I won’t go into details about this.

The cultivation method used by the Snake Nation is time-consuming and arduous, but it is the most orthodox "path to sublimation" left by the Enlightener Thoth, and it is also the path with the least side effects.

Since there is orthodoxy, there must be another 'unorthodox' way.

You have already met Wu Qinhu, and I can tell you clearly that the path of sublimation that the Tiger King is taking is exactly the 'new path' that the Acholi Consortium has taken after improving and strengthening it based on this method.

They used the breeding route of biochemical warriors, using genes and biotechnology to first strengthen the individual's body to the greatest extent, and then used mysterious scientific and technological means to forcibly extract the individual's energy, forcibly purify it externally through a series of methods, and then "infuse" it back into a sufficiently tough body.

They call the whole process 'regression'.

Although the energy is purified and precipitated externally, the two come from the same source, so the degree of compatibility after the energy returns is still very high, and it can achieve even greater destructive power.

But the whole process sounds painful and inhumane, especially the process of extracting energy while awake. I heard that it is like extracting your soul alive and reshaping it.

Such a method would cause the ascenders to suffer from various serious sequelae. The Biaowei of Tiger Nation were all such ascenders, and their "horror legends" were known to everyone in the entire evil land.

It's not that they are inherently evil, they are simply tortured into becoming perverts during the tragic "sedimentation and return."

"I see."

Zhou Ke nodded thoughtfully, and then asked, "But I see that Wu Qinhu doesn't seem to have any sequelae. He looks quite normal."

"That's because the Tiger King is gifted."

Ohm explained with some envy:

"Before the collapse of the old civilization, the Tiger King was already a world-renowned genius warrior. It's said that he served as the Enlightened One's bodyguard for a period of time. Perhaps because of his guidance, I heard from the Snake Man that Wu Qinhu is also proficient in meditation. Perhaps this is why he was able to maintain a normal mind during the brutal purification.

But for Zhou Ke, becoming an ascender is just the beginning. It is only the key to unlocking a higher level of power.

If you have seen Wu Qinhu's power with your own eyes, you should know that his destructive power is far greater than that of us sublimators. The reason is that Wu Qinhu has already entered the second stage from sublimation to transcendence.

He is still constantly purifying his own energy, and at the same time he is also taking more energy from the outside world and integrating it into his own body, so that he can form multiple reinforcements of his body and will from the inside out. According to the Snake Man, the only one in the Badlands who can tie with the Tiger King, the Tiger King has already found the way, and perhaps in the future he will try to complete the "transformation".

Well, that's another special term.

According to Mr. Thoth's theory, it is a gateway ceremony from human to 'superman'. After the transformation, every move of the individual will be blessed with divine power, and he can be called a 'demigod'. "

“That sounds pretty cool.”

Zhou Ke flexed his fingers and asked again:

"So there are only two ways to ascend, orthodox and unorthodox?"

"No, there is a third type, but that is a privilege that only belongs to psionicists. They follow a special path of 'mind over matter' and do not care much about the toughness of the body. Instead, they focus on catalyzing their spirits as 'containers of the soul'.

To them, a weak body is more like a bondage. Only by getting rid of the entanglement of flesh and blood can they step into a higher realm with an "immaculate spirit body."

Ohm patiently explained:

“But even though that process doesn’t require physical training, it is more dangerous because it means they must go further in the dangerous spiritual energy realm and deal with the demons, ghosts, and indescribable forces in the unknown realm.

However, the human soul is quite fragile in the face of those beings, and any invasion from external forces may cause the psionicist's mind to collapse.

They will say that there is a "monster" in their body and will go to self-destruction in the final madness.

That is the inevitable end for all psionicists.

At present, the only psychics I know who can successfully complete the "Soul Sublimation" are the three instantaneous heroes of the Acholi Group and the leader of the Eagle State.

The mysterious woman nicknamed 'Evil Vulture' who suddenly appeared in the Badlands ten years ago.

Legend has it that she holds secret techniques that came directly from the Enlightener Mr. Thoth before he disappeared in the chaotic years before the collapse of the old civilization. These techniques can help psionicists avoid encountering more dangers and going crazy prematurely. That is why the Eagle State has gained the support of so many evil-land psionicists.

But the rumors cannot be fully trusted, after all, there are quite a few crazy psychics in Eagle State.

Moreover, those guys live in isolation, muttering mysteriously all day long while digging up the remains of the old civilization. It is difficult for anyone to really find out their secrets. Few people even know the location of the real base of the Eagle State. There are rumors that the Eagle State does not operate in the Bad Land.

They possess a method of safely traveling to the dangerous Occupied Zones. If the rumors are true, then the Eagle Nation can operate in almost any Occupied Zone outside of the Badlands, and the entire surface world is their domain."

"Well, thank you for your explanation, Boss Ohm. I think I have satisfied all my curiosity."

Zhou Ke stood up and took out an unopened pack of Chengbang District cigarettes from his pocket as a thank you. He said:

"If there's nothing else, I'll go rest. We'll be leaving soon."

"Go check on Qiao Shan for me."

Ohm opened the cigarette and said to Zhou Ke:
"He is in a very bad condition, not only physically but also mentally. I am not good at speaking but you are good at it. Maybe you can help him recover from that terrible self-destructive mentality. Xiaoya wants to rebuild Slag Town but she cannot do without Qiao Shan's help. I.
I can’t stay with Xiaoya forever.”

"Okay, I'll go take a look."

Zhou Ke stood up holding Ohm's Psychic Knight Sword, his expression at this moment was very subtle.

From Ohm's words, he could probably guess what would happen next.

It is not an easy task to get the full support of Snake State for the reconstruction of Slag Town. Ohm probably wants to reach some kind of agreement with his former "partners" to help Qiao Ya accomplish this.

And from Ohm's secretive past, it is not difficult to guess that the sacrifice he has to make is most likely to return to the Snake State and become an important cadre under the Snake Man again. However, it is not difficult to guess that he was able to leave so decisively that year, and there must be some kind of conflict between him and the Snake State.

Even irreconcilable contradictions.

This means that Ohm will most likely have to make a difficult choice between his own freedom and Qiao Ya's future.

Hmm, this is a really cool turn of events. I wonder if Qiao Ya knows the sacrifice her Uncle Ohm is about to make for her? If she does, what will she do? Is rebuilding Slag Town really that important to her?

Is it really worth it for her to give up Uncle Ohm who has been protecting and taking care of her?

Zhou Ke expressed great interest in the answer to this question.

He just wanted to be a bystander watching the fun and had no intention of getting involved yet, lest he get stabbed by Ohm for being nosy.

When he walked deep into the cave, he saw Qiao Ya and A Miao had just helped Qiao Shan change his clothes. The latter had woken up but was still a little weak, but the dullness and brokenness in his eyes represented that this guy's body could heal, but the severe damage to his soul was not so easy to repair.

Think about it too.

He watched his home being slaughtered by vicious monsters, but he was powerless to do anything and could only flee in embarrassment.

Based on Zhou Ke's brief encounter with Qiao Shan, he felt that for this self-important young man, such an experience was no less than a blow to his spine. Perhaps it would have been easier for him to die in the slaughter that night.

"Ha, now it's time for Mr. Zhou Ke, the 'No. 1 Gold Medal Psychological Counselor in the Bad Land', to make his debut."

Zhou Ke curled his lips and strode towards Qiao Shan, intending to start talking nonsense, but before he got close, the energy device on his left arm suddenly made a strange sound.

That was a sound Zhou Ke had never heard before.

It was very much like the ghostly noise made when a cell phone receives a text message. And at this moment in the evil land, which god would send a text message to Zhou Ke? This was very much like the beginning of a classic ghost story.

Zhou Ke stopped, raised his left arm and took a look.

The screen of the energy-enlightening device that pretends to be a "deaf and blind kid" in front of outsiders does have an external message reminder. After clicking it, the content is quite "explosive":
"The Tiger Nation's pursuers are coming from the southeast, led by Biaowei 'Man-Eater' Duncan, and are three hours away from you. The Acholi Consortium has set up an ambush in Niujiao Gorge ahead, with 014 of them, fully armed and all pseudo-psychic operators, including two Acholi psychics. The leader is from Roger's biological laboratory 'Shadow Walker' project number , codenamed 'Night Owl'.

Both sides have locked onto your whereabouts. There is no need to try to escape. Please proceed carefully.

If you need support, please respond with code '07'."

"?"

Zhou Ke raised his eyebrows, then turned around and walked aside, whispering to Wu Neng:

"Is this a joke you made because the atmosphere is so bad right now?"

"Are you crazy? Or do you think this machine is crazy? Do you think this machine, which is so rational, would play such a deadly joke on you under such circumstances?"

Wu Neng also responded in a low voice:

"But this message is fucking weird! This machine has clearly disabled the function of receiving external information, but this thing is just like a character jumping out of the machine's logic circuit. This machine suspects that this machine may have been implanted with some kind of fucking Trojan virus, but the machine's firewall is clearly perfect.

Blanch!
After you encountered the evil spirit, the machine also saw a ghost.

Following you everywhere really broadens my horizons. My machine has actually been targeted by the 'Data Ghost'.

really interesting. "

From Wu Neng's gnashing tone, one could tell that this was definitely not his work. Zhou Ke narrowed his eyes and thought for a moment before saying:

"So, where does this information come from?"

"It's most likely Rust Castle. It could be the 'fire of awakening' mentioned by D-4, or it could be sent by our 'good friend' Abin, but I think it's unlikely. The Acholi Consortium doesn't have the ability to break through the firewall of this machine. At least they haven't demonstrated such technological capabilities."

Wu Neng speculated:
"So, it's most likely those rebellious robots that just massacred Slag Town. What do you think this is? Is it a gesture of goodwill? They clearly said they can provide help."

"But if I ask for their help, I'd be crazy. These robots are moody and mysterious. In my opinion, they are much more dangerous than the Tiger State or the Acholi Consortium."

Zhou Ke shook his head and said:
"Before we get into a desperate situation, ignore this so-called 'help' and handle this matter ourselves."

"Ah? How are you going to handle this?"

"Simple! Both sides want Zhou Ke, but there's only one Zhou Ke, so they have to fight first to determine who gets to take Zhou Ke away. Haha, I love the feeling of being admired. After all, who doesn't have a little princess in their heart?"

(End of this chapter)