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

Chapter 143 Black Sea Basin (8)

Her gaze then fell upon a relatively flat, black rock nearby. In a hidden recess beneath that rock, there seemed to be some debris piled up. The leather bag had retracted from that direction.

An Jing gently lifted the top tattered coat with her toes.

What was revealed below was a human face, also bluish-gray, covered in lividity, and clinging tightly to the skull.

It is exactly 035.

However, it was 035, with only the outermost layer of skin remaining, and the inside hollowed out and filled with bluish-purple wriggling creatures.

Dead silence.

An Jing stared at that familiar yet utterly unfamiliar face, remained silent for two seconds, then turned to look at 066, whose face was deathly pale, and 034, who was practically collapsing, and calmly asked:

"Don't you guys think this dead man looks familiar?"

The moment 034's gaze fell upon that face, it recoiled as if branded with a hot iron. His stomach churned violently, and he could no longer hold back. He bent over and began to gag violently, but nothing came out.

He waved his hands repeatedly, his voice hoarse and broken: "No... I don't know him! I don't know him!!" The intense psychological impact made him subconsciously deny and avoid the issue.

066 also felt a strong wave of nausea and dizziness, but she forced herself to calm down and didn't look away. She stared intently at the distorted face, trying to make out the deformed features and recall 035's usual appearance.

Height, face shape, hairstyle...

A few seconds later, her pupils suddenly contracted, her face drained of color, and her lips trembled as she asked, in a strained, dry voice that seemed not to belong to her, confirming each word slowly and deliberately:

"It's...it's 035."

Just half an hour ago, their companion was standing alive and well in front of them, clutching his injured arm, choosing to stay on the safe beach and await rescue. In that short half hour, he had become a terrifying creature driven by a bizarre living being, reduced to nothing but an empty shell of human skin.

Upon hearing 066's confirmation, 034's last shred of hope completely crumbled.

His legs buckled, and he could no longer support himself. He collapsed onto the cold, black sand with a thud, his eyes vacant, his face filled with nothing but endless fear and bewilderment.

The shadow of death has never been so clear, so close, so... menacing.

He slumped onto the cold, sticky black sand, his hands and feet icy, his whole body trembling uncontrollably.

A sharp pain and chill ran through the area where my ankle had been gripped. The bluish-black finger marks felt like they had been branded with a hot iron, and the lingering sap brought a persistent, weak numbing sensation that spread upwards along my skin, like a cold water snake swimming through my veins.

Before his eyes was the human skin face that belonged to 035, yet was more terrifying than any horror movie prop. The empty eye sockets seemed to be staring at him, silently telling the story of the fate that had just happened and could befall him at any moment.

All around was a deathly gray fog, the pitch-black sea that swallowed everything, and jagged, bizarre reefs.

The air was thick with an overwhelming stench of decay and death.

They were trapped in this expanding, eerie magnetic field, isolated and helpless.

Headquarters? Rescue? Now it all seems like a joke. Even the only researcher who seemed to know what to do and possessed great power appeared to be lost in deep thought.

The pain in my ankle became increasingly clear, and the mental pressure felt like a noose that was tightening.

The threat of death is no longer abstract, but has become moving worms, dead skin that can grab people, and strange fish with a mouthful of fangs that can suddenly jump out of the sea... They are everywhere, lurking in every shadow, behind every patch of gray fog, and in every drop of inky black seawater.

He felt he really couldn't hold on any longer.

Fear, like an icy tide, crashed against his already fragile psychological defenses wave after wave.

The dam of reason began to crack and eventually collapsed under the multiple impacts of witnessing the tragic death of his companions and their transformation into monsters, nearly suffering the same fate himself, and being trapped in a desperate and helpless situation.

I'm going crazy... I'm really going crazy...

This thought was like a poisonous ivy; once it took root, it spread wildly, entangling all his thoughts.

Just as his mind was on the verge of collapse and his consciousness was beginning to blur and dissipate, a voice seemed to pierce through the gray fog in the deep sea, resounding directly in the depths of his chaotic consciousness.

The sound carried an indescribable rhythm, like an ancient conch shell echoing in the abyss, or like the tide formed by countless whispers.

Like the last straw, it broke 034's faltering rationality.

The expressions of fear, confusion, and despair on his face gradually faded, replaced by an almost blank calm, and even the corners of his mouth twitched slightly upward, forming an empty and eerie smile.

He stood up unsteadily, his movements stiff, his eyes fixed on the dark sea, as if it were the most beautiful place in the world.

"034? You... what's wrong with you?"

066 noticed his unusual behavior immediately.

Seeing the smile on 034's face, her heart sank, and a sense of foreboding washed over her. Instinctively, she reached out and grabbed 034's arm tightly. "Where are you going? Wake up!"

034 did not respond to her calls and tugs. His strength suddenly became unusually great. He stubbornly walked towards the sea step by step, with a clear goal. Although his movements were stiff, they carried an unstoppable determination.

066 was almost dragged off balance by him.

An Jing was meticulously analyzing the dark green slime and the residual energy structure of the severed hand with her mental energy. She instantly withdrew her probing mental energy and sharply scanned 034.

She sensed something was wrong at first glance.

034's mental energy field was in complete chaos, like a spider web ravaged by a storm, full of self-destruction cracks and an extremely subtle yet exceptionally strong external mark.

The brand, like a cold mark, was deeply imprinted in the depths of 034's chaotic consciousness, exuding a chilling and obscure aura. Like the nascent form of a master-servant contract, it was constantly issuing summons, attempting to completely take over 034's remaining will and lead him to the deep sea.

An Jing moved swiftly, instantly appearing in front of 034 and blocking his path toward the sea.

At the same time, she raised her hand, her index and middle fingers together, and pressed precisely on 034's brow.

A concentrated, pure spiritual force, carrying a powerful sense of sorting and purification, forcefully poured into 034's chaotic sea of ​​consciousness, like a cool stream.

"Ugh—!" 034's body trembled violently, the empty smile on his face twisting into a painful spasm. His eyes rolled back, and a strange hoarse sound came from his throat.

In just two or three seconds, An Jing completed the mental cleansing and dispelled the imprint.

She clearly saw that the mark was forcibly peeled off and crushed by her mental power, turning into nothingness. The violent chaos in her sea of ​​consciousness was also temporarily suppressed, returning to a weary calm.

However, she also confirmed that 034's mental damage was already severe, and he would not be able to regain his composure and rationality in the short term. Moreover, he was extremely vulnerable to similar mental erosion again. Keeping him conscious would not only be a continuous torment and danger for him, but also an unstable factor for the team.

An Jing decisively withdrew her finger.

Just as 034's body went limp and he was about to fall backward, An Jing's other hand transformed into a knife, swiftly and precisely slashing at the side of his neck.

The force was controlled perfectly.

034 let out a muffled groan, his eyes rolled back and closed, his body went completely limp, and he lost consciousness.

An Jing caught his limp body to prevent him from falling onto the sand, and then gently laid him flat.

The entire process, from start to finish, took less than five seconds.

066 remained gripping 034's arm, staring in disbelief at everything, his heart pounding wildly.

All she saw was An Jing suddenly appear, point his finger at 034's forehead, then 034 convulsed, and then An Jing knocked him unconscious with a slap.

“Agent An…Agent An?” 066’s voice was filled with lingering fear and uncertainty.

“His mind has been corrupted; that thing at the bottom of the sea is calling to him,” An Jing explained succinctly, his tone calm and even. “He’s safer now that he’s unconscious. If he’s awake, he’ll only cause trouble, or become the next 035.”