Slave Brand (Five Thousand Words)

Hunting down the Mysterious Source?

What the hell is this joke?

Xiao Xiao was completely stunned when he heard the Shepherds's confident words.

Most others only knew about the Mysterious Source, but didn't feel it deeply. In their world, they only dealt with strangers or natives, so what they found terrifying were only the Hell Organization, the Dante Organization, and the stubborn native forces represented by the Black Forest. But Xiao Xiao was different from them; he had actually seen what the Mysterious Source looked like...

The little girl in Night's End City was already quite weak; judging from her tone, she was considered a junior member of the Mysterious Source.

But the oppressive feeling she exerted on herself, and her ability to arbitrarily shut down other people's minds, was still terrifying.

We're not even on the same level of life, so what's the point of talking about hunting or not hunting?

Because this matter was so bizarre, Xiao Xiao was instantly thrown into a state of Mind Burst, finding it absurd, and only a cold smile appeared on his lips.

Seeing his reaction, the Shepherds's eyes showed a hint of appreciation:

"You really are very brave."

He smiled and looked at Xiao Xiao, saying, "Whether they are strangers or natives, no one feels fear when they hear the name of the Mysterious Source or the mother. But you, it seems, don't take the hostility of the Mysterious Source you are about to face very seriously?"

"... I'm actually very scared!"

Xiao Xiao hadn't expected this to cause such a misunderstanding, so he simply stated the truth and then said:

"You say they will deal with me, so in what form will they deal with me?"

"..."

"We don't know."

The Shepherds shook his head and said, "We still know too little about the Mysterious Source. The two sides are not on the same level in many ways, so we cannot fathom each other's way of thinking. However, you don't need to worry. You will encounter the Mysterious Source as an enemy, but this is not your problem. It is a problem that the entire Noah Project will face."

"So..."

As he spoke, he took a document from under the sofa, gently pushed it in front of Xiao Xiao, and smiled:

Please accept this gift!

"..."

Xiao Xiao raised an eyebrow slightly, opened the document with some surprise, and immediately looked astonished.

"Identity documents?"

Inside the document bag were his identification documents.

Name: Xiao Xiao

[Position: Senior Investigator at the Black Forest Biological Laboratory]

[ID: 1454364]

[...]

Besides the documents, there were also thick contracts and materials, and even the rules and regulations of Black Forest. It really looked like Black Forest was interviewing me, and after I passed the interview, they were about to give me a job.

The only difference is that this document was clearly prepared in advance.

The profile picture above shows her with a pale face and messy hair.

Xiao Xiao was momentarily lost in thought. It was a picture of himself in high school. He remembered that he had just finished playing soccer with his classmates and was walking back to the classroom, looking dusty and tired. They talked about how the transfer student named Yang Jia was so beautiful and wondered what kind of person was worthy of this girl who looked even more elegant than TV stars.

Just as we were about to reach the classroom, we were stopped and taken to the playground to participate in a free physical examination.

During that checkup, they drew my blood, and a staff member even took a picture of me.

The whole school was there at the time, it was chaotic, and no one would have paid attention to this photo, but now it has surfaced.

It was as if a plan spanning two worlds had now come to fruition right before his eyes.

While Xiao Xiao remained silent, the Shepherds laughed and said, "Back in Night's End City, didn't you also admit that you were an investigator from the Black Forest? This identity doesn't have to be fake. Now, you are the only one suitable to be the executor of the Black Forest Pioneer Project, and also our collaborator. Therefore, we are providing you with this identity. Through this identity, you can obtain the same privileges as other senior investigators."

"For example, technical support, access to classified information, and some form of support from secret forces, etc."

"I went through a lot of trouble to get it for you..."

"..."

Seeing that the other party seemed to be speaking very seriously, Xiao Xiao, after a moment of daze, sneered.

He casually tossed the documents aside and said, "You think I'd be grateful to you?"

"Heh, I'm now the president of the Black Gate City Outsider Association, do I need your credentials?"

"..."

"The Outsider Association?"

The Shepherds looked up at Xiao Xiao, then suddenly laughed and said, "This thing doesn't exist in the law. At most, you can only be considered a small leader of a secret organization. In the real world, your identity is just a lone assassin working for the underworld, running a bar that specializes in selling counterfeit alcohol. Your criminal record is already specially handled by the Guard Hall. It's that high."

"Of course, I can't say that being involved in organized crime is bad."

"Right now, our city, or rather the world, is still in chaos. You have a lot of room to live, but once the Mysterious Source is cleared out and order is restored, these illegal organizations will be destroyed, their assets will be recovered, and they will have to pay a legal price... But it's different now that you've become a senior investigator in the Black Forest. Everything you're doing now is an undercover operation."

"The law will pardon you, and you will inherit the property."

"In addition, our senior investigators are very well paid. Their basic salary plus field allowance, medical allowance, social insurance and housing fund contributions add up to more than 100,000 yuan a month. They can also apply for housing allocation if they get married, and they will receive a generous pension if they die..."

"..."

Xiao Xiao never expected him to bring up these reasons.

But I have to admit that when I heard him mention allocating housing, I was indeed slightly tempted.

At that very moment, his gaze fell upon the document again, and a message suddenly popped into his mind:

[Special Element: Legal Exemption]

[Level: Class C]

[How to obtain: Gift]

[Note: With this element, you will enjoy additional immunity from illegal activities in all cities within the Black Forest Biological Laboratory's radiation range. Whether it's murder, theft, or running a red light, you will no longer be penalized with point deductions in the city's penalty system. This element will continue to function until you are stripped of your legal status by the Black Forest...]

[Note: Breaking the law? I am the law!]

[...]

"What the hell is this thing?"

Xiao Xiao was genuinely surprised that the Enhancement Element provided by the Mysterious Source overlapped with his real-life identity.

For the Black Forest, this is a symbol of power.

But for the Mysterious Source, is this a manifestation of enhanced power?

He vaguely found this quite interesting, but he didn't show it in front of the Shepherds, only nodding slightly.

"In that case, I'll take it."

"... By the way, theoretically, you can apply for a house even if you're not married, right?"

"..."

The Shepherds looked at Xiao Xiao with some surprise, then nodded and said, "Theoretically, it's possible."

As he spoke, he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, stood up from the sofa, stretched slowly, and said with a smile, "I've said enough for today. If you still have any questions, you can log in to the Black Forest's secret database. You now have the authority to look through some information. And what I can tell you now is that the Black Forest will fully support the launch of Noah Project."

"I will try my best to resolve the obstacles from the reality... or rather, from the perspective of the indigenous people."

"As for you... let's talk about it after you've survived this wave of rejection from the Mysterious Source!"

"..."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Xiao suddenly gave a strange smile and said, "If I hadn't dodged this wave, I would have been killed..."

"...what would you do?"

"..."

The Shepherds seemed momentarily stunned upon hearing the question, then shook his head with a smile, "There's no way. I can no longer replicate that plan. If you die, the Noah Project will have to be shelved again... Of course, I won't give up. I will try every other way to push this plan forward until the day when even I myself am swallowed up by the Mother."

As he spoke, a smile played in his eyes as he looked at Xiao Xiao: "But I believe you won't."

"Because after confirming the success of the first step of the Pioneer Project, I went back and reviewed your information."

"Although the Black Forest lowered its monitoring level for you to an extremely low level over the past four years, it never gave up. So I know you suffered a lot during those four years because the effects of Zero Serum continued. I don't know exactly what you were fighting against, but I know you spent four years fighting against pain and torment that outsiders can't even imagine..."

"The key is that you actually won."

"..."

He spoke of all this in an extremely calm tone, yet his gaze seemed more serious than ever before:

"Therefore, as an individual, I admire you."

"At the same time, I also believe that someone with such a strong will to survive as you would never easily fall before the plan even begins."

"..."

Xiao Xiao suddenly froze, his eyes vacant as he stared fixedly at the Shepherds.

This person is despicable and one of the sources of my painful experiences. I hate him and want to kill him.

However, at this moment, he truly expressed some of his innermost thoughts.

Those four years were truly unbearable; Xiao Xiao never wanted to go back.

However, after leaving the bedroom and looking back, I couldn't help but feel a little guilty: I'm so amazing!

They actually made it through those four years.

Feeling this strange inner emotion, Xiao Xiao remained silent for a while before suddenly saying to the Shepherds, "Thank you."

The Shepherds paused, about to say something, when Xiao Xiao suddenly raised his gun at him.

"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"

Three bullets pierced his heart in quick succession, venting Xiao Xiao's dissatisfaction, as he spoke with a slightly ferocious expression:

"Real..."

"... Thank you!"

"..."

The Shepherds, his body bubbling with blood, his face contorted in immense pain, growled in a low voice at Xiao Xiao:

"You're welcome!"

"If you keep hitting me like that... I'll get anemia!"

"..."

Watching him frantically inject himself, Xiao Xiao had already put away his gun and was about to leave. After a few steps, he suddenly turned back, picked up the Black Forest Senior Investigator's badge, but just as he was about to reach the door, he suddenly heard the Shepherds calling out to him, panting, "Wait, although we don't know what the Mysterious Source will do..."

"But, but I must remind you..."

"... Beware of those Branders!"

"..."

Xiao Xiao was slightly surprised and turned to look at him. "Why?"

"Think about it yourself, what kind of person would be branded?"

The Shepherds was still enduring the pain from his wounds; his breathing was heavy, and his expression was somewhat distorted.

"Slaves..."

"The most terrifying thing about strangers is that they don't belong to themselves at all."

"Both body and soul!"

"And those Branders are the most severely affected type!"

"..."

"..."

Xiao Xiao left the conference room thoughtfully, and then walked out of the secluded bar without any hindrance.

When he returned to the street, he looked at the bustling streets and towering buildings.

His expression was slightly dazed, and many things flashed through his mind in an instant. "So, what I know now is already related to some truths about this world? The invasion of the Mysterious Source and the resistance of the natives to the fantasy of symbiosis... But, has this guy codenamed Shepherds really told me everything? Is there anything he's hiding?"

"Do he and that Old Chairman really believe that the Noah Project can solve everything?"

"..."

At this moment, his mind was in turmoil.

Even though he had been observing the Shepherds with his Insightful Ability, there were still some details he couldn't grasp.

After all, for them, it was a series of upheavals that affected the entire world, spanning nearly a century, but for him, it was merely a strange tale heard by a newcomer who had only been out of his bedroom for less than a year...

Why must I be the one to execute such a massive plan that gambles on the fate of so many people?

Besides, were the Shepherds and the Old Chairman the only ones who affected his fate?

So, what role did the Mysterious Guidepost play?

Did the Old Chairman also do something the Shepherds didn't know about before he died, using the Mysterious Guidepost?

This city...

... Since I came back, I have felt a sense of security and peace of mind.

What is the relationship between this city and myself?

Xiao Xiao had no answers to many things. Now he had enough mental space to think about these things and digest them. Therefore, his expression was always calm, giving people the feeling that he was capable of bearing all of this. But in fact, when he thought of such a huge number of things and they all gathered on his head at once, he also felt endless pressure.

Call...

Fortunately, I have a few friends now.

Xiao Xiao thought that perhaps he didn't have to bear these things on his own.

After all, the Shepherds said it wasn't his business.

For example, Yang Jia, at this point, she should still be waiting for a reply after her conversation with the Shepherds, right?

Fortunately, she has always been reliable.

The reason Xiao Xiao didn't directly express his intention to reject the Noah Project was because, deep down, he couldn't truly reject it. Although he himself wasn't interested in the plan, Yang Jia cared about it, and Ruan Ruan and Little Four were also needed. Because of them, Xiao Xiao could never truly say he would completely abandon the plan...

Just as he was thinking this, Xiao Xiao suddenly paused slightly, looked up and saw Yang Jia.

She stepped out of the white SUV across the street and smiled and waved at me.

Just as Xiao Xiao had expected, Yang Jia had been waiting for Xiao Xiao to finish his conversation with the Shepherds before calling him.

In order to be able to get there in time if something happens, she waited quietly in a coffee shop not far away. She was all alone there. Because strangers do not belong to this world, Yang Jia usually does not like to be in a place with others, especially when she is seriously thinking about something or waiting for an important result.

So when she arrived, she booked the entire coffee shop and even asked the staff to leave.

She sat alone by the window in the coffee shop, in a large space with only a pale yellow light overhead.

I always had a feeling of unease in my heart.

The Black Gate City's unusually warm welcome for Xiao Xiao's return surprised her.

Does this excessive success foreshadow some other kind of danger?

As Yang Jia waited for Xiao Xiao's call, she pondered these questions until a faint sigh was heard.

She suddenly became alert and abruptly looked up at the sky.

On her forehead, a faint dark red pattern flashed by, and Yang Jia's body suddenly tensed up.

A terrifying thought suddenly surfaced in her mind. She suddenly felt an intense urge to escape and to quickly warn Xiao Xiao, but her body wouldn't obey her commands. She couldn't even put down the coffee she was holding. All she could see were large patches of blood and distorted, blurry shadows, and she heard endless murmurs and cold laughter.

With so many possibilities, why did the one I feared most happen?

With so many Branders to choose from, why is this one the first to be targeted?

Yang Jia gripped the coffee cup so tightly that the veins on the back of her fair hand bulged, and her eyes were faintly bloodshot. But her resistance seemed to be completely futile. Her body felt as if it had been completely stripped away. After a few seconds of stalemate and resistance, she stood up mechanically like a puppet, pushed back the chair, and knelt down on the thick carpet, bowing her head to the air.

In front of her, a semi-transparent, wavy door frame opened silently and automatically.

Then, a pale hand slowly reached out from the door frame and touched Yang Jia's forehead, whose expression was filled with fear.

At the same moment that palm came down, Yang Jia's trembling body suddenly stopped trembling.

Her expression of fear vanished at that moment.

She listened intently, as if some being was whispering something to her.

After a long silence, she nodded gently. "I understand."

Back to this moment, Xiao Xiao saw Yang Jia, and his mood suddenly improved. He quickly crossed the road and came to the car.

"Me and the Shepherds..."

He was going to tell Yang Jia about the conversation he had just had.

But then he suddenly saw Yang Jia interrupt him with a slight smile, saying, "No rush."

"Come with me, I have some opinions about the Noah Project that I want to tell you."

I'll post this for today. I'll be taking leave tomorrow and the day after. An elderly relative passed away three years ago, and according to local custom, I need to go back to Qingdao.