vncnus Chapter 278 Falling and Withdrawal
Chapter 278 Falling and Withdrawal
Chapter 278 Falling and Withdrawal
Failure is a crueler form of torture than death.
At least for Suraj Mishra, that is absolutely true.
The group of five ventured deep into the New World to conduct surveillance and investigation, but their presence was quickly discovered.
Currently, of the five, only two have survived to this day.
His most loyal and reliable subordinate, Ahjun Singh, also suffered a major blow.
His former body was slashed open by a strange black creature—in fact, Suraj wasn't sure if it was truly a creature—with its long, slender, shadowy blade-like feet, leaving the child with wounds.
Ah Jun's injuries were severe, but fortunately, his internal organs were not damaged, so he may not die from them.
However, the severe blood loss, coupled with a minor infection of the wound, caused him to have a persistent high fever.
As for whether he can actually hold on, Suraj is not sure.
Perhaps he should abandon Ah Jun immediately, just as he decisively abandoned his other subordinates.
But now that he is out of danger for the time being, he is also confused and doesn't know what to do next.
Therefore, giving Ah Jun more time is not a bad idea.
The tree canopy blocked out the starry sky, and the forest was as dark as hell.
The roaring insects in winter created a sinister atmosphere for the night.
So much so that Suraj inevitably recalls the bizarre and terrifying scene from that day.
It must all have originated from that merchant captain, or the know-it-all next to him.
Just like before, when they made eerie screams that attracted the three-headed beast.
This time, however, they directly summoned the anomaly itself.
Suraj could only roar in vain, ordering them to stop, but it was all to no avail.
He could only watch helplessly as the writhing black sphere, like viscous slime, transformed into something Suraj had never known before.
All life forms are undoubtedly cunning; they will conceal all their emotions in order to survive.
Only fear keeps one honest.
In that instant, Suraj felt an intense and profound fear arise within him.
And when he saw Ah Jun being easily knocked away by the monster, fear almost overwhelmed Suraj's reason.
But the last shred of reason that remained in him controlled his not-yet-completely-mad soul, and he kept silently reciting the names of his homeland and his sovereign, which reminded him that his mission was not yet complete.
He can abandon morality and humanity, emotions and life for the sake of his mission.
Failure, utter failure, was the only thing he couldn't accept.
In an instant, Suraj realized that his month-long operation had failed, but it was not a complete failure of his mission. He had lost several elites, but as long as he was alive, he had the opportunity to continue his mission.
So he immediately chose to run away, but the monster actually chased after him.
But no matter how he tried to escape, he couldn't get rid of the monster, yet he was also not caught.
This unusual situation puzzled him until the monster suddenly disappeared.
Suraj hesitated for a long time before finally deciding to return to the place where the monster was born.
The fact that he didn't see the monster made him relax, but the fact that he didn't see the two hostages made him tense again.
The only person I saw was Ah Jun.
Ah Jun did not die, and had already treated his wounds. He was resting under the trunk of a tree.
He inquired about Suraj's situation and then asked about the monster's movements.
Suraj answered truthfully and asked where the two men had gone.
Ah Jun was completely unaware, and Sula Jie truly couldn't ask anything more of Ah Jun, who was seriously injured.
Ignoring the danger, Sulajie immediately sat down next to Ah Jun and used the power from "On Self-Cultivation".
His consciousness successfully separated from his body and quickly traversed the forest.
His consciousness flew over every corner within the range he could travel to, but he still couldn't find the two people.
Suraj realized that he had completely lost his hostage.
Moreover, he has no helpers now, so it will probably be difficult for him to capture them again.
Besides, how could Suraj still not understand by now?
The two people who could summon such an evil monster must be no ordinary people.
However, staying put is by no means a rational decision.
After assessing the current situation, Suraj immediately led Ah Jun to move through this ancient yet eerie forest.
Ah Jun grew weaker and weaker until he could barely move.
At this moment, Ah Jun is lying on the grass.
He crushed a mushroom on his head, and its disgusting sap clung to his hair, but he was completely unaware of it.
Suraj could only listen silently to the whispers of the forest, using his gray eyes to search for a faint light in the murky night.
At some point, Ah Jun's shrill breathing stopped, replaced by his weak voice:
"grown ups--"
Suraj faced Ah Jun's direction, his voice devoid of any emotion: "What is it?"
"If I'm a burden, please kill me."
Ah Jun's voice was weak, but his tone was firm.
Suraj responded coldly, matching the tone of the night:
"I will."
"Thank you, sir," Ah Jun said, "I'm sorry, sir, I'm afraid I can no longer assist you."
Suraj remained silent for a moment, then chose to question in a stern voice:
"Have you chosen to abandon your original beliefs, Lieutenant Ajun Singh?"
"No! My lord, my conviction has never wavered. I merely wish to express my apology."
"But your apology is not valid unless you voluntarily choose to betray your beliefs and surrender to death."
"But! My lord! Your accusations are more despairing to me than death! You promised me you would kill me."
“Yes,” Suraj replied, “provided you become a burden.”
"I'm just a burden now. My injuries are getting worse, and I can no longer travel long distances."
“We don’t need to trek right now,” Suraj said. “We’ve completely lost our bearings. Rather than acting haphazardly, the most urgent thing right now is to understand the situation in the vicinity.”
"Sir, you—ha—hahaha," Suraj frowned, "What are you laughing at?"
"It's nothing, sir. Just remember one thing: I am your subordinate. If you need my life, feel free to take it."
"I won't say 'please' to you. There's only one thing you must remember: before the moment comes for you to give your life for the mission, cherish and safeguard your insignificant life, as worthless as a mosquito."
"Hahaha—cough cough—haha, yes, sir."
What is he laughing at? Suraj lay on the ground, not caring.
"Go to sleep," Suraj finally said.
Suraj closed his eyes, preparing to fall asleep.
These days, due to Ah Jun's injury, their movement has been very slow, and they always need to stop and rest along the way.
Suraj was determined not to let the time he spent standing still slip away in vain.
Therefore, he would use the power of his consciousness to investigate the situation in a nearby area.
Otherwise, he would sit on the ground and study the records in that book.
This led him to gain a deeper understanding of the power he had unexpectedly acquired.
Similarly, they have become more proficient.
He discovered that the range of his consciousness that could extend beyond his physical body had expanded considerably.
More importantly, he realized that when his consciousness was separated from his physical body, his body was in a state of extreme relaxation.
In other words, as long as he uses his power, his body can rest as if in a deep sleep.
This effect is of great strategic value.
They are now down to just the two of them, and Ah Jun is seriously injured and extremely weak.
Therefore, the two were unable to complete the handover of guard duty.
But only with this ability can he use it to monitor the surrounding situation while he is sleeping, by using his consciousness detached from his physical body!
Suraj's consciousness left his physical body.
This feeling made him feel so relaxed that he didn't want to return to his physical body at all.
But Suraj always remembered his mission, so he wouldn't linger in this state any longer except when absolutely necessary.
Suraj first surveyed the area around him, then expanded outwards in circles to eliminate any potential dangers in the distance.
But he can't go too far, since no one will protect his physical body now.
That night, Suraj couldn't remember how many laps he swam.
At this moment, he returned to his own body.
There was no danger whatsoever; even the wind was obedient, not rustling the leaves.
However, he noticed that Ah Jun, who was lying there, had a twisted and ferocious expression.
Is the wound too painful? Or was it a nightmare?
Suraj couldn't tell, so he flew closer to observe the details on Ah Jun's face.
He could see the beads of sweat on Ah Jun's forehead and the beard that was being blown about by his rapid breathing.
Suraj continued to approach.
He could see clearly the lines on Ah Jun's face—not wrinkles, but fine lines down to every pore—so he could count exactly how many eyelashes Ah Jun had.
However, Suraj still couldn't figure out Ah Jun's specific feelings.
He chose to take it a step further.
When he came to his senses, he found that he had merged with Ah Jun's body.
This time, however, Suraj faced a fall!
The black Mother River is broad and calm, lovingly accepting her children, bathing them in her body, and receiving her blessings and purification.
Suraj couldn't possibly fail to recognize this "great river," nor could he mistake it for the capital of his homeland, which he had longed for day and night.
Hutaya.
This is his hometown!
But why did he suddenly return here?
Suraj remembered that he felt like he was falling from a great height, and when his senses returned, he was already here.
Moreover, Suraj also discovered that he could no longer fly.
More accurately, he was unable to move.
He could only stand there and observe everything around him.
Suddenly he saw a huge elephant wearing a golden mask walking from the upper reaches of the Wei River.
The elephant was emanating black mist, as if it were a ferocious beast from the underworld, having broken through the limitations of the plane and arrived in the mortal world.
It was so enormous it was despairing; the diameter of one of its elephant feet was wider than half of the Great River.
Its height almost reaches the sky, and with a gentle wave of its giant nose, it can disperse the clouds on the horizon.
The giant elephant took a step forward, making a deafening roar that shook the ground.
It easily trampled into homes and trodden countless compatriots of Suraj under its feet.
Stop it!
Suraj tried to shout, but no sound came out.
He wanted to do it himself, but then he suddenly remembered that he could no longer move.
Suraj could only watch helplessly as his hometown was wantonly ravaged.
This was undoubtedly a cruel punishment for him.
Suraj was devastated when he heard a voice.
On the open ground by the Wei River, stood a barefoot child.
He pointed to the giant elephant and said with a smile to the woman in front of him:
"Mom, look! This is a demonic beast raised by the Federation!"
The Federation? Suraj was filled with dread. If the Federation possessed such a monster, they would be utterly powerless to resist!
However, the woman suddenly raised her hand and slapped the child in front of her.
The world collapsed in an instant.
The blue sky and white clouds, the sacred and majestic river that were just before my eyes, have all disappeared.
Instead, there was a damp, dirty, cramped, and dimly lit interior.
Only the boy and the woman remained standing in front of Suraj.
The boy covered his face, looking up at the woman with terrified eyes.
In his other hand, he was holding an ugly wooden carving.
It appeared to be an elephant wearing a mask.
The woman suddenly raised her hand and wiped away a tear from the corner of her eye.
Then, Suraj saw the woman and went to the kitchen.
The boy sat in the corner, hugging the wooden carving tightly.
During this process, Suraj continued to hear women screaming.
After a while, an adult man and another woman came out from the inner room.
The man took out a few coins, stuffed them into the woman's hand, and kicked her out of the house.
But the woman kept complaining, saying that things weren't as agreed upon as they had been discussed.
In the end, he still got slapped, covered his face, and left in silence.
The three of them started eating.
The man grabbed a few mouthfuls of rice and put them in his mouth, then suddenly pushed the plate to the ground, angrily declaring that he couldn't possibly eat such cheap food.
The woman started to apologize, but still received a slap.
The man, however, had no intention of giving up. He stood up and kicked and shoved the woman.
He kept saying, "It's all your fault, you bitch, that I'm so unlucky. I should have been living a better life."
The woman endured all the beatings and abuse amidst her screams.
The boy simply ate while watching, sitting and holding the wooden carving covered in claw marks.
Finally, the man sat back down at the table.
He stood there, panting, for a while, then pulled the plate that originally belonged to the woman to his side and began to eat with his hands.
Halfway through the meal, the man turned to the boy and said:
"Remember, Ah Jun, the reason I am so poor is entirely this woman's fault, no, it's also the Federation's fault. The Federation made our country poor, and this woman exacerbated the situation."
The boy stared at the man's face, while the man kept repeating:
"That's the Federation's fault—"
"It's this woman's fault—"
"federal-
"federal·
"LianlianlianLLLL~##BBB—."
At that moment, even the cramped room began to distort.
It was as if the entire space was on the verge of collapse.
And the man's face began to change.
He first put on a golden mask and grew a long nose.
Then his whole body turned black and turned into a pool of wriggling slime.
The slime began to regenerate and grow segments.
Suraj's eyes widened in terror; he recognized the monster!
Suddenly, the monster swung its bladed foot, slicing open the boy's front.
Blood splattered everywhere.
The world collapsed.
Suraj felt like he was being ripped away!
Suraj discovered that he had already returned to the forest.
Ah Jun had opened his eyes and was breathing heavily.
Its daybreak.