Bai Zhu, Cover Me!

The elder could wait no longer.

"Bring her up."

The silver-robed bishop glanced at the control panel, where every indicator had turned red, and hesitated for half a second.

"Elder, Number Fifteen's interface hasn't been recalibrated yet. The technical team said—"

"Skip it."

The elder uttered only two words.

A technician panicked on the spot.

"We can't skip it! Number Fifteen is the core sacrifice. Skipping calibration will cause the Mother Stone to misidentify her, and the connection process could fail outright!"

The elder placed his hand on the Black Crystal Mother Stone.

Those holes began to contract.

Inside the glass compartments, Numbers Seven, Ten, and Twelve all jerked at once.

The technician's face went white.

"Elder! Number Seven's pressure tolerance has already reached its limit!"

"Continue."

The silver-robed bishop swallowed and turned to roar at the technician.

"Carry out the elder's orders!"

"But—"

The silver-robed bishop grabbed his collar.

"Do you want to be sent up there in their place?"

The technician fell silent.

Milluki's keyboard clattered furiously.

"They're really skipping calibration! Big Brother, what exactly did you prepare? If you don't act now, I'm hacking the main console and forcing it to stop!"

Illumi spoke calmly.

"Forcing it to stop will trigger the Mother Stone's recoil extraction."

"Then do something already!"

"I already have."

At the mouth of Bai Zhu's alley, the still-burning glow of the Church could vaguely be seen ahead.

The pursuers on the ground had not searched this place yet, but footsteps were already approaching from afar.

He leaned against the wall, his blade held across his body.

"Illumi."

"Mm."

"You'd better not screw this up."

"I won't."

Bai Zhu closed his eyes, then opened them again.

"An insurance salesman would sound more convincing than you."

For once, Milluki did not snap back.

Because Ella had already been brought before the metal frame.

Two deacons lifted her arms, preparing to press her onto it.

Ella's breathing grew visibly hurried.

"Milluki..."

"Don't panic! Don't panic! I'm watching!"

Though Milluki shouted those words, his finger already hovered over the Explosive Bug detonation button.

Listening to the commotion through his earpiece, Bai Zhu leaned forward.

He was already prepared to force his way in.

Covering him, the plan—he threw all of it aside.

Right now, he only wanted to save her. That was his promise to Ella.

Just as Ella was about to be lifted onto the frame—

A scream suddenly erupted from Number Twelve's compartment.

It drowned out every alarm.

Bai Zhu's eardrums ached, and he instinctively pressed a hand over his earpiece.

"What happened?"

The screens on Milluki's end switched frantically.

"Number Twelve! Something happened to Number Twelve!"

The underground altar instantly descended into chaos.

Inside Number Twelve's compartment, the woman's body stretched taut, the restraints warped from the strain.

The instrument readings flashed red one after another.

The next second, her vital signs flatlined.

The nurse beside her dropped the clipboard in fright.

"Number Twelve is dead!"

"How could it happen so quickly? She was still holding on just now!"

"The fetal response is gone too!"

"Backflow in the lines! Shut off Number Twelve's interface!"

The technicians rushed to the console, fumbling as they adjusted the valves.

But the moment one of them pressed the control, another row of alarms exploded.

"Abnormality in Number Seven's medication!"

"Number Ten's stabilizing fluid has a problem too!"

"Contamination alert at Number Fifteen's reserved interface!"

"The Mother Stone's outer circulation is clouded! Who tampered with the medication pumps?!"

Milluki stared at the screen, completely stunned.

Bai Zhu did not move either.

The underground shouting filled his ears.

A leak in the eastern drug storage.

A malfunction in the backup lines.

"You put something in the pipes."

Illumi did not deny Bai Zhu's question.

"The contamination dose was not enough to kill every connected subject, but it was enough to stop the ritual."

Bai Zhu's throat moved.

"What about Number Twelve?"

Illumi paused for half a second.

"She had already exceeded her pressure tolerance long ago."

Bai Zhu said nothing.

Neither did Milluki.

The logic made sense.

Number Twelve might have been beyond saving already.

Using the point where she finally broke to lock down the entire ritual increased Ella's chances of survival, and gave the others who had not yet flatlined a chance to be forcibly disconnected.

The calculation was clear.

But when that calculation fell on a person, it did not feel so simple.

Bai Zhu lowered his head and looked at his sword hilt.

He did not curse Illumi.

Nor could he bring himself to.

Because in his current state, charging down there would most likely only mean one more death.

Inside the underground altar, the technician had completely broken down.

He knelt before the main console, flipping through the diagnostic data.

"This isn't a single-point failure... it's not Number Twelve's problem alone!"

The silver-robed bishop rushed over.

"Explain yourself!"

The technician raised a test tube, his hands shaking.

"Every drug pipeline contains unknown substances! The eastern side, the backup lines, the western reserve—all contaminated! The Mother Stone's outer circulation cannot stabilize!"

"It needs to be flushed! The medication has to be mixed again!"

"Flushing will take time!"

"Then connect Number Fifteen directly!"

The technician screamed on the spot.

"No! If Number Fifteen connects now, the core sacrifice will collapse! The Mother Stone could also be damaged by the backlash! The Black Crystal Circuit is already in chaos. If we force it now, the entire Sanctification Descent will be ruined!"

The moment those words came out, the entire core area erupted.

"Sanctification Descent ruined?"

"What nonsense are you talking about!"

"The elder is right here, and you dare curse the ritual?"

Clutching the test tube, the technician was nearly crying.

"I'm not talking nonsense! The parameters are all here! The Holy Stone Shard has disconnected, Number Fifteen's interface is contaminated, Number Twelve's death created a gap in the circuit—forcing the connection now will destroy the Mother Stone!"

The silver-robed bishop raised his hand to strike him.

Heavy breathing came from the platform above.

The elder stood before the Mother Stone. The Black Crystal in his chest bulged more and more violently, pushing lumps of flesh upward.

He stared at the control panel.

Then he looked at Ella, who had not yet been tied to the frame.

The two deacons no longer dared to continue.

Ella leaned weakly against the side of the frame, sweat covering her forehead.

Her knees gave out, and her whole body toppled sideways.

The two deacons hurriedly caught her.

"Number Fifteen's condition is unstable!"

"She can't connect! She can't connect now!"

The elder's gaunt fingers tapped the railing before him. He muttered to himself, then seemed to make a decision.

He descended from the platform step by step.

With every step, the people nearby backed away.

"Who said we could stop?"

The technician knelt on the ground, his face pressed to the floor.

"Elder, the pipelines must be flushed and the Mother Stone's outer circulation recalibrated, otherwise—"

The elder pointed with one hand.

The technician's neck suddenly snapped sideways, and he collapsed beside the control panel.

The people around him recoiled in terror.

The elder did not even look at the corpse.

"Fix it."

He pointed at the remaining technicians.

"If it isn't fixed within an hour, I'll connect all of you."

The silver-robed bishop immediately lowered his head.

"Yes! We'll fix it at once! Everyone, seal off the core area! Check the drug storage! Investigate all outsiders!"

"Take Number Fifteen to the lounge. Watch her closely! Until the next Sanctification Descent is ready, no unauthorized person may approach Number Fifteen!"

"She must stay alive."

Several nurses took Ella away.

Watching the red dot leave the altar frame on the map, Milluki slumped into his chair.

"Fuck... fuck, that scared me to death."

Bai Zhu leaned against the wall outside the underground entrance and let out half a breath of relief.

But before he had fully relaxed, the pursuers' footsteps drew close again.

He raised his blade and lowered his voice.

"Milluki, is Ella safe now?"

"Temporarily. The lounge is beside the core area. There'll definitely be more guards at the door, but she doesn't have to connect immediately."

The taut nerves in Bai Zhu's body finally eased slightly.

"Ah! I can finally rest!"

"Bai Zhu!"

"What?" Bai Zhu answered irritably.

"The core area lockdown has begun. The sweep will drive out all non-core personnel. I'll blend in with the maintenance crew."

"Then?"

"I need someone to meet me on the outer level."

Bai Zhu glanced at his half-crippled state.

"You want me to meet you? Are you sure you're not sending me in to die?"

Illumi's tone did not change.

"You don't need to beat anyone."

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

"Create chaos."

Milluki immediately became wary.

"Big Brother, don't teach him that. He wasn't exactly normal to begin with."

Bai Zhu gave a short laugh.

"When it comes to creating chaos, I've got a bit of talent."

The sound of a door lock clicking shut came from Illumi's end.

Then came a guard's shout.

"Now, wait for my signal."

Just as Bai Zhu was about to speak, Illumi's next words came through the earpiece.

"Meet me."