Chapter 235
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Chapter 235: Resisting the Corruption
The voice belonging to Nian echoed in the Puppet Master’s mind, yet the body embedded in the tree trunk remained unchanged.
The Puppet Master instinctively felt a moment of fear, but quickly rationalized it, knowing this was not the real world, but merely a fictional space formed by the consciousness of these thinking plants.
Thoughts flashed through her mind, and without opening her mouth, she spoke her response:
“Are you okay?”
As she confirmed Nian’s state, she looked around. Just as she anticipated, several familiar figures appeared among the surrounding trees, including Bomb Man, Vine, Gecko, and others.
However, she could only clearly see the faces of Nian and Bomb Man; most of the other human bodies had already been absorbed by the trees, and the ones in the distance were completely concealed, seemingly merged as one.
Seeing this, the Puppet Master instantly connected everything in front of her with her experiences from the past hour.
Since the bodies of Bomb Man and Nian remained, it made sense that the trees outside only utilized the abilities of the remaining three people.
Before this, no other humans had come here, so it was reasonable that these trees only had the abilities of those three individuals.
“Not very well.”
Nian’s response echoed in the Puppet Master’s mind, making her realize she had just asked a foolish question.
If Nian’s body, or rather spirit, was here, then who returned to Hope City to receive the commendation?
Who made those impostors disappear together in the lounge?
The Puppet Master didn’t delve deeper into this question, fearing she might come to some terrifying conclusions.
Perhaps… in that disappearance incident, the apparent victims were actually potential perpetrators, and the mysterious villain behind it all might be a good person.
“I can’t stay awake for long; there is some important information that you need to take out.”
“You can tell me.”
The Puppet Master’s expression tightened instantly, determined to remember every word Nian said next.
“Be careful of the tall grass, be wary of the wilderness, and watch out for the biological field’s corruption.”
“Understood.”
“Don’t explore recklessly before preparing specifically; otherwise, it… He will grow stronger.
“Our memories have been corrupted, many secrets have been forced to leak; we need to render the information we know ineffective quickly.”
“Alright, is there anything else?”
“Nothing more. You should leave now.”
“Why?”
“It, or rather He, is about to discover you!”
Nian’s tone suddenly became agitated.
“Who? Who are you referring to?”
“Everything, everything outside of Hope City!”
Nian seemed to be caught in some kind of pain, struggling against the vines draining him, and whispered fiercely:
“Outside of Hope City, there is only one life; everything is it. Do not be deceived, do not trust recklessly.”
Deep in the illusory forest, a sudden roar erupted.
The sound was like that of a ferocious beast, yet it also resembled the cry of a newborn baby.
“Get away!”
“I can’t.”
Having gathered all the necessary information, the Puppet Master attempted to break free once more, only to find that her abilities in that regard were still sealed.
Nian, embedded in the tree trunk, had fallen silent. Instead, a loud voice emanated from a nearby tree:
“Can you even do this?”
The Puppet Master turned and saw Bomb Man, the superpowered individual notorious for his short temper.
“Hurry up! Do whatever it takes! Don’t let our efforts go to waste! Remember, it can feel fear too! It’s not invincible!”
The distant roar grew louder, as if it were rushing closer to their ears.
The Puppet Master turned and climbed the tree where Nian was perched. Her physical fitness, honed through years of training, allowed her to swiftly ascend to a branch about seven or eight meters above the ground.
She crossed her arms, closed her eyes, and leaped backward.
In the weightlessness of the fall, the Puppet Master’s perspective shifted.
—
“Thud!”
“Ah!”
Inside the life pod, the Puppet Master’s body jerked violently, her head striking the viewing window with a dull thud.
Seeing the familiar small window before her, she quickly assessed her situation.
The life pod was intact, but as for her teammates…
“Stay back!”
The Puppet Master heard Beacon’s desperate cry.
She quickly opened the life pod’s lid and climbed out, only to find her teammates locked in combat with the branches at the forest’s edge.
Shi Jin, now awakened to the Second Level, had significantly bolstered the team’s resilience.
With Wang Xiao reduced to half his body and the Puppet Master temporarily disconnected, Shi Jin had repeatedly used her abilities to pull her teammates out of danger.
Now that the Puppet Master had reconnected, it did little to change the dire situation.
At this point, her only option was to return to the fictional space and attempt to gather more information.
But after her last experience, she doubted she would survive this time.
A faint light began to break on the horizon, yet the battlefield remained shrouded in gloom.
Wang Xiao’s injuries were severe; though his regenerative ability was still active, his recovery abilities couldn’t keep up with the pace of regrowing limbs, leaving him looking like a comatose Onix.
The plants had begun to master the ability of quicksand, causing patches of the ground to soften unpredictably.
The five of them were slowly retreating under these perilous conditions.
As the Puppet Master reconnected, the others quickly abandoned the life pod and began a full retreat.
Dry grass and branches swiftly consumed the life pod left behind, but it wasn’t enough to satisfy their hunger.
Half of Wang Xiao’s body, which had been hanging from the tree, had vanished—either lost in the chaos of the battlefield or devoured by some plant creature.
Regardless, the creatures continued their relentless pursuit after acquiring both a new and an old life pod, as if sensing a particularly enticing prey among the group.
“Whoosh!”
The sound of something slicing through the air echoed as a thorny branch lashed out toward the group from above.
The thick, spike-covered branch swung toward them like a whip wielded with brutal force.
“Thwack.”
The sound of spikes piercing flesh and skin rang out. After dodging the initial attack, the branch struck the unconscious Wang Xiao, embedding itself in his body.
The branch tightened, yanking Beacon, who was holding the other end, off balance.
“Help!”
At Beacon’s cry, the others rushed to her aid.
In the dawn-lit fields, at the border between wasteland and woods, the living plants were engaged in a tug-of-war with four humans, using half of a human as the rope.
Well, that seemed about right.
“Why is this thing so strong?”
Beacon’s face flushed red as she strained with all her might, even hearing the sickening sound of Wang Xiao’s joints dislocating, yet she still couldn’t overpower the thorny branch.
