Walking on Thin Ice, Treading the Edge of an Abyss / Sneaking a Bite and Wiping Your Mouth

Because he wasn't even sure if humanity could truly escape disaster in the future, all he could do was tread carefully, as if walking on thin ice or standing on the edge of an abyss, taking each step with utmost caution.

Just as the atmosphere among the three was gradually becoming harmonious, John, the mischievous kid, carrying a pile of things as if he were running away from something, ran towards the front of the room.

A stiff, dark figure in a black leather jacket outside the door turned around, revealing its silhouette. It was a middle-aged man with a buzz cut, a square face, and a cold expression, with a glint of red in his eyes.

The moment the man carrying the bag stepped inside, Tony's pupils contracted sharply.

He instinctively materialized his nanotech armor, kicked over the table to shield Connor behind him, and fired a shot.

T-800! Damn!

"Boom!"

Suddenly, an arc of light flashed, and a large hole melted through the chest of the tall and mighty T-800, which fell backward to the ground. The room fell silent.

Sarah glanced at the smoking, convulsing robot and Tony, who instinctively shielded Connor, her lips twitching, but ultimately she hesitated to speak.

"Damn it! The toy A2 gave me! Do you know how hard it is to modify the program and reactivate it?!"

John dropped the clutter, clutched his head, and Affliction in agony.

Immediately, the little guy, regaining his senses, ran towards the fallen T-800 and frantically fiddled with it.

Finally, Connor successfully removed the unmelted chip from the brain, wiped away his sweat, and breathed a sigh of relief.

So, what is this?

Kevin turned his questioning gaze to Sarah, whose old friend shrugged helplessly and nodded slightly.

The two simultaneously conveyed their helplessness to Tony, who was beside them with a terrible headache.

Chapter 827, Section 865: Walking on Thin Ice, As If Traversing an Abyss (Bonus Chapter)

"I've prepared nano-active metals, but the edges need to be trimmed. Where's the cutter?"

"Here you go..."

"Wrench..."

"Here!"

"Pay attention to the coils inside. We need to input the program beforehand and conduct preliminary tests to avoid any data errors..."

"No problem, sir!"

After the meal, clanging and banging sounds came from the restaurant's backyard, along with discussions about what parts to add to the victim and how to reprogram the system.

What started as a heated discussion eventually turned into Tony's incessant monologue, while John listened attentively like a dutiful child, his eyes shining with admiration.

After all, this mechanical engineering expert had disassembled countless T-800s, and even more advanced T-1000s and TXs, so reassembling this little gadget was a piece of cake for him.

As the two figures, one tall and one short, worked together, their relationship warmed up and they became very familiar with each other.

John, brainwashed by the post-apocalyptic survival philosophy, even put his arm around Tony's shoulder in a very gangster-like manner, like two close brothers who shared the same quirks.

"They seem to get along very well..."

In the hallway, Kevin popped two preserved plum candies into his mouth, chewed them gently, and turned to smile at Sarah as she walked by.

"Yes, the progress is much better than I expected..."

Sarah responded softly, skillfully taking out a cigarette, lighting it, and puffing out smoke.

"This was a gift from A2 and the others to Connor for his tenth birthday. It was originally just an inanimate collectible, but he was very interested in mechanics and managed to activate it."

"Perhaps this is what they call genetic talent?"

Kevin smiled slightly and naturally took the opportunity to say something nice about Tony.

"Perhaps. Sometimes, I doubt whether my approach of depriving Connor of a normal childhood and instilling post-apocalyptic survival knowledge in him was correct..."

Sarah didn't pay much attention to Kevin's little schemes, but instead revealed her deep anxiety to her friend.

"Actually, even I can't tell, but there's no doubt that you love him..."

Kevin gave a wry smile, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with Sarah's choice.

The future is inherently uncertain, and the shadow of fear and disaster always looms over the earth. As the most qualified person to speak on this matter, he also feels confused and worried from time to time.

Sarah's approach to raising her son was also driven by pressure and desperation.

If the apocalypse really does occur, even without his mother's protection, Connor's survival skills will definitely benefit him greatly.

Just as Kevin was deep in thought, a few violent coughs interrupted his somewhat distracted state.

Looking up, Kevin noticed that Sarah was breathing rapidly, her chest heaving, and there was a smoky yellow stain on her fingernails, clearly indicating that this female warrior had a heavy smoking habit.

Suddenly, he recalled the female warrior's future in the original history.

Even though Judgment Day had ended, Sarah Connor was essentially unable to escape the curse in her heart. She continued to drink heavily and smoke, eventually dying of lung cancer.

Recalling this, Kevin immediately called over Tony, who had already finished, and gestured for him to give Sarah a simple full-body check-up through J.A.R.V.I.S..

When the scanning beam from the Iron Man Armor finally focused on Sarah's chest, on the already formed shadow.

The sight of the lungs struck the previously indifferent female warrior like a thunderbolt. The cigarette butt in her hand fell to the floor, where it was repeatedly stomped out by Connor, whose face was grim.

Although the infection had not yet spread, Sarah's condition remained somewhat serious. Tony glanced gratefully at Kevin and, without saying a word, immediately notified a private jet to come and pick her up.

Sarah remained silent, stroking her son's little head, and looked at the two people who were worried and busy for her. A warm feeling flowed through her heart.

The woman raised her head, letting a few tears fall into her temples, not wanting others to see them, but the corners of her mouth gently turned up as she looked up into the distance.

"Indeed, no one knows whether the future or an accident will come first."

"It's ironic that I didn't die on the battlefield during the apocalypse, but instead almost ended up with tubes all over my body, lying in a hospital bed, and having cancer take my life..."

As the wind howled, a plane landed on a nearby open space. Just before the three were about to board, Sarah stopped Kevin from accompanying her, her expression somewhat wistful.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine! The SCP Foundation has developed a cure for cancer. Get well soon, and Tony and I will invite you hunting sometime."

Kevin offered words of comfort in a gentle tone.

"Okay, I'll be waiting for you..."

Sarah smiled and nodded, her heart gradually calming down, and asked a thoughtful question.

"Remember to lead us, keep winning, Commander..."

This long-unheard form of address made Kevin pause for a moment, then he nodded solemnly.

After a brief farewell, the Sarah roared to life, pointed in a certain direction towards Kevin, and then carried the three of them to New York.

The man looked at the dark figure gradually disappearing into the night sky, feeling a pang of sadness.

Every speck of dust that brings about a cataclysmic event, when it falls on the head of an ordinary person, becomes a mountain, enough to destroy their life and distort their future.

Kevin suddenly felt that the burden on his shoulders seemed to have become even heavier.

He didn't know where he would lead humanity, but no one could win forever. On the dark, narrow bridge, one wrong step would lead to an abyss.

Similarly, for some reason, Kevin felt somewhat unsettled, and in a daze, he vaguely sensed that a thin layer of blood mist was shrouding the America sky.

This unease, like a mournful cry from the soul, gave him an overwhelming urge to express himself.

Unbeknownst to him, Kevin had reached the end of the direction Sarah had pointed out, where a girl with long purple hair and a samurai sword at her waist was smiling at him.

Behind her, the small door to the Dokushima Dojo was already open.

"They've arrived?"

"They're here..."

Kevin's brief conversation with Saeko Busujima calmed his troubled thoughts somewhat.

"If you're not in a rush to sleep, how about going for a walk?"

"Alright, Commander..."

The man's initiative in lowering his stance and taking the initiative to invite her Saeko Busujima, who was feeling somewhat awkward, secretly relax her grip on the hem of her clothes.

On the way, the two walked side by side, seemingly intimate, yet with a certain distance between them. The long-awaited reunion created an invisible barrier between them.

After a long pause to gather their thoughts, just as they were wondering how to begin, they noticed dozens of elongated figures on the graffiti wall, illuminated by the moonlight, approaching menacingly.

Skid Row? Have I unknowingly wandered into one of the worst crime slums in the US?

This is Los Angeles, the city of sin, a haven for drugs, gangs, and illegal immigrants, containing the city's worst aspects.

The two men exchanged a smile, their lips curling slightly as they looked at the dozen or so tattooed gang members who had surrounded them.

Immediately, amidst screams of broken bones and torn tendons, and the pervasive smell of blood, the two wiped the bloodstains from one side of their cheeks, the barrier between them completely gone.

Is there a place to take a shower?

After warming up, Kevin casually asked a question.

"Yes, at my house..."

Saeko Busujima suppressed her excitement to continue wielding her sword and answered with a gentle, ladylike laugh.

"Let's go, together!"

Kevin waved casually, not noticing that Saeko Busujima paused slightly upon hearing the word "together," before her face broke into a radiant smile.

P. S.: Thank you to readers @{"reader_id":"2706809","reader_name":"Kei Ma Bixia"} for the 5000 cat biscuits and @TerrifyingIntelligenceApe1688 for the donation. You guys are too kind.

Update early today.

I'll continue with three updates tomorrow.

Chapter 828 (Section 866) - Stealing Food and Wiping One's Mouth

Manhattan, New York, is a thriving economic and cultural center of the United States.

"Fried chicken nuggets! Fried chicken nuggets! Fried chicken nuggets! Mmm..."

Amidst the surging crowd, Kiana, dressed in a light green cat outfit, hummed a tune she had made up and skipped out of the fried chicken shop.

The white-haired girl carried a bag full of fried chicken nuggets, fries, and cola in one hand, put down her skateboard with the other, nimbly jumped on, and then, with a bent body, quickly weaved through the crowd.

As Kiana passed by the glass mirror in a shop window, she noticed a crumb of crispy fried dough below the right corner of her mouth and hurriedly stopped.

The girl rolled her pink tongue to completely destroy the evidence before patting her chest, checking several more times before finally setting off with peace of mind.

On the way, Kiana got carried away with her antics, performing a series of extreme maneuvers such as S-shaped turns, pressure checks, tail braking, and sudden gear changes, drawing gasps and stares from passersby.

Even after successfully leaping over a guardrail, several other young people who were also learning to skateboard stopped, clapping and cheering.

This allowed Kiana's repressed nature to be completely released, and her vanity was satisfied by the adoration of ordinary people.

When the cheerful girl passed a street corner and saw a white-haired figure walking towards her, she immediately jumped down.

Kiana used her slender right leg to step on the front of the flying skateboard, successfully launching it upwards and landing precisely in the crook of her arm.

"Old Yang, you're back?!"

"Hehe, have you had breakfast yet? I just bought some fried chicken nuggets, they're still warm. Want some?"

Kiana jogged over, patted Kevin on the shoulder, and took out a mixed meal of fried chicken nuggets, fries, hamburger, and cola from her handbag, then tried to force it on him.

Early in the morning, Kevin, who had been transferred here from Los Angeles, looked at Kiana, who was being rather attentive, placed his right hand on her head and gently stroked it, his face full of suspicion.

"You're being so well-behaved today, something's not right. Did you get into trouble again?"

"No way! The competition starts in a little over a week! We're all stuck in the villa doing intensive training. Everyone's very busy. I just voluntarily came out to buy breakfast!"

"You don't even praise me, and you actually doubt me! Fine, I won't eat then!"

Kiana looked aggrieved and indignant as she tried to snatch the food bag from Kevin's hand.

"I trust you, okay? How's the new place?"

Kevin ruffled Kiana's hair, suppressing his habitual suspicion.

Kiana's eyes lit up as she talked about their new home; clearly, the allure of the big city was far greater for her.

"Captain, let me tell you, that place is amazing!"

"Although it's not as big as my family's castle, with all the facilities, it's practically a paradise for everyone!"