After drawing cards, the evil god became my source of吐槽 (tu cao, a form of humorous commentary/criti

Chapter 137 Black Sea Basin (2)

Only 066, after the initial shock, slowly straightened its back.

She watched An Jing's retreating figure. There was no panic in his calm, deep eyes, only an extremely composed analysis and judgment.

An Jing did not abandon them, even though they were weak and troublesome, and might even have ulterior motives. She continued to state the facts and think of a way out.

An Jing's gaze swept over the cold sweat on 034's forehead and the despair in 035's eyes. His tone remained calm, but it carried an almost cruel bluntness: "Moreover, given the level of equipment you are carrying and your own energy reaction, you may not even be able to withstand the outer erosion for long in this magnetic field."

She paused briefly, looking at 034's hand that instinctively protected his wristwatch. "More importantly, this mysterious magnetic field is expanding. The speed is far beyond your imagination, and far beyond the range that ordinary detection equipment can stably track."

Her words shocked 034 and 035 once again.

“So,” An Jing lowered his voice, his sharp gaze sweeping over the three of them, lingering especially on 034 and 035 for a moment, “now, if you want to save your lives, you’d better put away all those thoughts you shouldn’t have. Don’t think about tripping me up or expecting any just-right changes.”

She paused, her tone calm yet weighty: "I don't know if or when your Special Service will send effective support. But I can tell you that if the research institute doesn't receive my regular security reports or mission progress updates within a certain period, they will definitely activate the emergency procedures and send someone over."

She didn't say what would happen if the people from the research institute came, but the implication was clear.

The institute's involvement signifies a forceful cleanup of the out-of-control situation.

066 understood almost immediately. The taut string in her heart snapped suddenly under An Jing's almost explicit warning and the pressure of the desperate situation before her.

What kind of bullshit mission, what kind of orders from superiors? Compared to survival and the person in front of them who was obviously stronger, more clear-headed, and perhaps the only one who could lead them out, they seemed utterly ridiculous and cheap.

She took a deep breath, stepped forward, breaking away from the small circle of 034 and 035, looked directly at An Jing, and spoke clearly and quickly:
"Detective An, don't worry! We... at least I would never do anything to harm you!"

She gritted her teeth and decided to lay everything on the table, both to make a statement and to cut off her own escape route. "Although...although the Special Service just issued a secret order requiring us to find an opportunity to control you and take you back to headquarters."

"066! Are you crazy?!" 035's expression changed drastically, and he suddenly reached out to grab 066's arm, both shocked and furious.

"How could you say that! If she knew, how could she possibly care whether we live or die?!"

An Jing's gaze turned coldly to 035, her eyes showing no surprise whatsoever. "She said that I might still consider taking you out within my capabilities."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried a knowing indifference: "But if you keep hiding and only expose yourselves at the crucial moment, or try to take action, then I really won't care about you."

She tilted her head slightly, looking at 066, whose arm was being grabbed by 035, whose face was pale but who stubbornly refused to back down. She then glanced at 034, whose face was ashen, before finally looking back at 035:

"Do you think I don't know? From the moment your communicators vibrated, from the moment you exchanged glances... I was just waiting to see who would make the first choice."

035 was speechless under her gaze, and unconsciously loosened her grip on 066's arm. Her face turned red and then pale, a mixture of embarrassment and fear.

He stammered in defense, "We...we were just following orders. Besides, the Secret Service will definitely send someone to support us, as long as we..."

"No, it won't happen." 066 interrupted him, her voice carrying an almost sorrowful certainty.

She pulled her hand away from 035's, rubbed her aching arm, and looked at An Jing, as if speaking to 034 and 035:
“We’re just cannon fodder. I understood that from the moment I received that order. This order, which clearly defies common sense and is practically sending us to our deaths, says a lot. The Special Service… won’t send reinforcements. At least, they won’t send reinforcements that can rescue us.” Her words struck 034 and 035 like a hammer blow. 034’s hand, which was adjusting his glasses, froze in mid-air. His lips moved, but he couldn’t utter a rebuttal. He knew more about the internal corruption than 066, but he was unwilling or afraid to think about it deeply.

An Jing looked at the clarity in 066's eyes, a mixture of despair, resentment, and the last vestige of resolve, without asking her what she knew or commenting on the Special Service's actions.

"Just face reality." She said only this, then ignored the complicated and unspeakable feelings of the three people behind her, turned around, and walked straight towards the beach where the gray fog was thicker and the sound of the waves was more eerie.

Her steps remained steady, her silhouette appearing somewhat lonely against the deepening gray.

034, 035, and 066 stood there, watching her walk unprotected toward the ominous coastline, momentarily stunned.

Isn't she afraid?

An Jing stepped onto the beach.

The sand beneath my feet turned a darker color, damp, cold, and sticky, as if it had absorbed too much ominous moisture. The closer I got to the sea, the heavier the invisible pressure became; the air was as thick as glue, and each breath required extra effort.

Then, she saw the seawater.

That was no longer the seawater of memory or in the ordinary sense. It was a thick, almost ink-black liquid, devoid of any luster under the shroud of gray mist, rising and falling silently and slowly, lapping against the equally dark sand.

There were no bubbles, no waves, only a sticky, wriggling sensation, as if some living thing was swallowing it.

An extremely dangerous aura, carried by the sea breeze—a strong, salty, yet not ordinary, smell—more like a mixture of rotting flesh and deep-sea silt, lashed against his face. An Jing's sharp eyes were fixed on the inky black sea.

The core is on the seabed.

suddenly!

Wow.

A soft splashing sound.

Less than two meters in front of An Jing, a fish suddenly leaped out of the inky black water!

It didn't fall in an arc, but with a stiff, strange force, it slammed straight down onto the black sand at An Jing's feet with a dull "thud".

The fish was small, about the length of a palm, and its body was an unhealthy grayish-white with broken scales. After it landed on the beach, it did not die immediately, but instead writhed violently and convulsively, its tail slapping against the black sand.

An Jing's gaze instantly fell and fixed on the fish.

Then, her pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.

That struggling fish... had no eyes.

(End of this chapter)