Chapter 78

Chapter 78: Memories I’d Rather Not Recall

[Memory Fragment:]

“For safety’s sake, let’s just kill you once.” This sentence came from a researcher in a white lab coat.

The voice was eerily familiar—so much so that it could only be described as identical to the one from the memory where her nails were ripped out.

Following this was a dark hole pointed directly at Mi Xiaoliu.

The little girl, whose memory had been reset, didn’t recognize this object. Innocently curious, she leaned her face closer to it.

At that moment, Mi Xiaoliu thought it must be some kind of switch, like a TV remote. Press it, and she’d lose consciousness. She’d seen this kind of device used often in police dramas on TV.

[Memory Fragment:]

The laboratory was vast, enclosed by walls with no windows in sight. Ventilation relied solely on air vents, yet the pungent smell of disinfectant was unmistakable.

“Hitting her is pointless. After every death, she forgets the lesson,” the woman said coldly.

“No muscle memory either?” a man asked.

“That much remains. Look how terrified she gets every time I pull out a syringe,” the female researcher replied, waving the syringe in front of Mi Xiaoliu to demonstrate how the girl cowered in fear.

“That’s just a child’s instinctive dislike for needles. It seems her memory isn’t completely wiped,” the man remarked.

“After each death, her memories aren’t erased immediately. Instead, they fade gradually, like Alzheimer’s but much faster. The speed depends on the extent of brain damage.”

“But she doesn’t have much memory to begin with. We’ve never even provided her with food,” the man said.

“True. That’s why a single bullet can erase all her memories within three hours,” the woman replied.

[Memory Fragment:]

The woman in the white coat pushed a small amount of liquid from the syringe to expel the air before injecting it into Mi Xiaoliu’s veins. She observed the girl’s reaction in silence.

First came a chilling coldness throughout her body. Then her limbs went numb, as if blood flow had been cut off. Pain began to surge through her senses as her consciousness gradually blurred…

The most torturous part was that this process lasted for four or five hours.

The only thing she could do was stare intently at this woman, imprinting her face into her mind—even if it would all be forgotten with her impending death.

The woman had long, pale pink hair like cherry blossoms. She held a notebook coldly, locking eyes with the dying girl for one last time before her death.

[Memory Fragment:]

Even though she no longer wanted to recall these memories, they surged back like a relentless tide.

“Good job, good job! Mi did it again!” This time, it wasn’t a researcher but a gentle white-haired woman.

She clapped encouragingly as Mi Xiaoliu completed a puzzle.

Opening her wide coat, she pulled out something resembling an oral solution and handed it to Mi Xiaoliu.

“Mi, drink this… Children need proper nutrition.”

It was a nutrient solution developed by Easter. While it couldn’t replace food to satisfy hunger, it at least ensured Mi Xiaoliu wouldn’t remain emaciated and could grow normally.

“Indeed, without proper nutrition, some experiments would be difficult to conduct,” said the pink-haired researcher standing behind the white-haired woman. “From now on, let’s use this as her daily meal.”

[Memory Fragment:]

“So Mi has spatial abilities,” the gentle white-haired woman said softly, stroking Mi Xiaoliu’s head.

Even though the girl’s eyes were hollow and devoid of light.

Brushing her hair aside, the white-haired woman leaned close to Mi Xiaoliu’s ear and whispered:

“Then use this on her.”

Let this researcher also taste death.

Transfer the foreign object into her heart!

“Mmm!”

“Master, stop!”

A pained grunt followed by Sasha’s startled cry—these were real sounds from the present.

Heli looked in surprise at the girl whose consciousness was fading and the red pen that had abruptly pierced her own heart, half of it still protruding.

The syringe in her hand fell to the ground from the pain, its slender needle snapping in two upon impact.

Sasha understood now—this was the blank memory she didn’t want to recall.

The researcher who looked almost identical to Heli.

The obstruction of blood flow to her heart affected her entire body’s movement. Life seemed to slip away with every passing moment due to this fatal wound, forcing Heli to kneel on one knee uncontrollably.

A pierced heart was more agonizing than she had imagined—no wonder it was fatal.

She removed her white veil, revealing a face perfectly suited for a nun’s attire to the girl.

Then came a second red pen.

Blood dripped from the exposed tips of both pens embedded in her heart.

Heli looked into Mi Xiaoliu’s half-closed eyes.

So… she’s unconscious.

Heli carefully picked up the girl. “Don’t be afraid. I’m not her.”

She took out another syringe and pierced Mi Xiaoliu’s vein, injecting the antidote with a steady press.

10:32 PM.

“Are you sure neither of them has the ability to control the earth?”

A tall man standing at 6’1″, with a broad-shouldered build, stood on a tree near the rice fields. He wore an open brown leather jacket over a black shirt. 

His face and hair were tightly wrapped in bandages, leaving only his neck exposed—a healthy brown skin tone with traces of white from a washed-off tattoo.

He observed the devastated land through night-vision binoculars.

A massive crater marked where a windmill had suddenly vanished along with its foundation, only to reappear halfway buried in the ground.

The windmill itself was comically upside down, lodged into the earth.

“This entire area has been cordoned off by the FBI… They’re not stupid. If there was any equipment here, they’ve already taken it all. Forget about recovering anything,” he reported emotionlessly into his earpiece in a deep voice.

“No, take photos of the scene. I need to confirm something. If the signal hadn’t been completely blocked earlier, I wouldn’t have needed you to go there,” replied the voice on the other end.

“Don’t be too pessimistic. Maybe she just had an equipment failure and has already completed the mission, returning with the test subject,” the bandaged man said as he snapped a photo with his phone despite the darkness.

“The higher-ups never expected Can to return alive anyway. They just wanted to use her to confirm certain things. Hmm… It’s pretty much confirmed now. There are no signs of fire at the scene?” The voice on the other end sounded doubtful.

“Nope. Didn’t you say the Third Fractal counters her? If she still lost despite that, your executives aren’t much to boast about.”

“The Third Fractal’s role is solely to develop drugs and conduct experiments—not capture defectors or test subjects. The organization is never short of researchers. If she dies, there are plenty to replace her,” the voice paused before adding, “And why would you think a Third Fractal focused on research could beat a Sixth Fractal designed for executions?”

“You’re the one who said the Sixth Fractal is just a mindless test subject occasionally used as a convenient execution tool,” the bandaged man said as he adjusted his hat. “Your executives are getting more pitiful—one easily replaceable, another just a tool.”

“And one capable of destroying the world,” the voice countered, trying to salvage some pride for the organization’s executives.

“In a competent organization, those directly under the boss should have some prestige. Night Hawk does better than you guys in that regard… Can I take out these FBI agents? Might find some unexpected gains.”

“Do as you please. If possible, bring back the USB… One more thing. Rumor has it that the Second Branch’s lost test subject, ‘Spider-Man,’ is in this city. Stick around for a while and retrieve it.”

If we don’t provide all the equipment, Can will grow suspicious.

“I just escaped from Fanzui City. Am I going to end up like that Third Fractal?” the bandaged man sighed.

“Spider-Man is just an ordinary test subject,” came the equally exasperated reply.

The night grew darker.

No—this couldn’t even be called night. It was as if pure black had been poured over the area. You couldn’t see your hand in front of your face, and even flashlights couldn’t pierce the darkness.

Those who realized something was wrong tried to call out but found their voices completely silenced.

Even when blades sliced their throats, they felt nothing—dying unknowingly.