Chapter 448
by post_apiChapter 448: A Fresh Start
“Alive! I’ve survived! Hahaha!”
Partridge nervously patted her chest, her heart racing as her laughter turned jittery. Her expression remained tense, a fragile smile trembling on her lips.
It was understandable. Moments ago, she had traversed dozens of bizarre and treacherous worlds, where death lurked at every turn. The weight of narrowly avoiding demise still clung to her like a suffocating fog, leaving her emotionally unsteady.
“Lucky me, the cannon fodder managed to survive,” she murmured, attempting to inject some humor into her voice.
Bai Yan squinted at her, his gaze sharp yet indifferent. Without a word, he casually patted her head.
“Um…”
Partridge flinched slightly. She wanted to resist but ultimately chose to remain still.
From the corner, Elene observed silently, her expression unreadable. She reached for her notepad and wrote a single line:
“Does he enjoy tormenting the wicked?”
Partridge noticed the note and stared at it, wide-eyed, before glancing at Bai Yan with teary eyes.
“Maybe… Hehe…”
Bai Yan chuckled but didn’t respond, his smile carrying an air of subtle malice. To Partridge, it was nothing short of terrifying.
A fleeting thought crossed Bai Yan’s mind: Am I starting to resemble a dark antihero like Batman? Interesting.
“Anyway,” Partridge sighed, forcing herself to move past the tension. “At least I’m still alive.”
Her voice was quieter now, almost resigned. She had changed during these harrowing days. Once filled with arrogance and pride, she had been someone who looked down on others with disdain. But now, she felt like a fragile bird trapped in the palm of the Savior’s hand—always vulnerable, always at risk of being crushed.
The self-assured confidence she once carried had been shattered, leaving her with nothing but survival instincts.
Suddenly, Bai Yan’s voice broke through her spiraling thoughts.
“Hmm. That person didn’t brainwash you thoroughly enough.”
Partridge froze. Bai Yan’s gaze was piercing as if he were dissecting her very soul. He seemed to ponder something before continuing,
“The effects of mind control seem to fade over time. They’re strongest at the beginning but gradually weaken. You’ll need another ‘session’ soon.”
The implication behind his words made Partridge shiver. She lowered her head, trembling, unable to form a response.
Moments later, Mu Ling returned, her face calm yet resolute. In her hand, she held a bloodstained chip—the spoils from the recently deceased director of the cloning facility.
“Give it to me,” Bai Yan said with a faint smile. “With this, I can communicate directly with the Almighty.”
Mu Ling nodded silently and tossed him the chip. Bai Yan caught it effortlessly and immediately activated the Cybertyrant power.
Within moments, a flood of digital pathways unraveled before him, revealing countless locked channels. Among them, one was far more secure than the others—the channel belonging to the Almighty.
I’ve found you, Bai Yan thought with a smirk.
A Clash of Wills
The connection established, a commanding presence filled Bai Yan’s mind:
“Babel Tower… What is it you seek here? Perhaps we can negotiate, rather than perpetuate hostility.”
Bai Yan chuckled, unimpressed. How quick they are to extend an olive branch.
His response was cold and direct:
“The Savior’s desire is simple—to erase you.”
There was a moment of silence before the Almighty replied.
“Why? This conflict benefits neither of us. Saving Noah’s world aligns with both our goals. Our cooperation could strengthen this shared cause.”
Bai Yan’s tone remained steady, but his words cut deep:
“Because in the eyes of the Babel Tower, you don’t belong. The world we aim to save has no place for oppressors or exploiters. Only the innocent and the dedicated will remain.”
His response seemed to amuse the Almighty. A hint of disdain seeped into their reply:
“How naive. You fight for ideals? For the innocent? How childish. Such lofty dreams will only lead to ruin.”
Bai Yan ignored the condescension. He wasn’t here to argue morality.
In truth, his motivations were more pragmatic. Destroying the Almighty was part of the Babel Tower’s event quest—a necessary step to unlock greater rewards. But in the eyes of the idealists around him, the Almighty’s destruction was a moral imperative, a chance to free the Noah world from oppression.
Both reasons suited Bai Yan just fine.
Destruction and Revelation
As the exchange concluded, Bai Yan turned to the others and spoke decisively:
“Let’s go.”
In an instant, black flames
erupted around them,
consuming everything in their
path. Instruments, researchers,
and test subjects within the
cloning facility were reduced
to ash. The fire, imbued with
the Fire that Burns Everything,
showed no mercy.
Within minutes, the entire
facility lay in ruins, engulfed by
an ominous inferno.
Outside, the group stood
watching the flames consume
the structure. Mu Ling turned
to Bai Yan, her voice steady
but tinged with curiosity.
“What’s next?”
Her question was met with a
calm yet cryptic response:
“The Almighty won’t let this
slide. She’ll play her trump
card soon. When she does,
we’ll be ready.”
Mu Ling furrowed her brows.
“What is her trump card?”
Bai Yan’s eyes narrowed as he
stared into the distance, his
voice dropping to a whisper:
“Time.”
The world seemed to freeze in
place.
Everything around them
warped and shifted, collapsing
inwards as time began to
rewind. The Almighty had
unleashed her most terrifying
power—the Annulus
Technique, a manipulation of
time itself.
But this was not Bai Yan’s first
encounter with such a
phenomenon. As the world
reset around him, he smirked.
So, it’s happening again.
The phone in his pocket
buzzed, displaying a
notification from the Babel
Tower game.
“New Adventure: The
Unreachable Reality.”
Bai Yan grinned. “It has begun.”