What Did It Want to Do?

"There... really is a God here?"

He Zheng stared in shock, as though he couldn't believe his eyes.

Although he and Hu Jia had both thought they needed to find God, they had abandoned that idea entirely after hearing Ye Lin and An Ke's analysis.

There wouldn't be a God. More likely, there would be something related to God.

But now, it seemed his original idea had actually been right. And that meant they could pass this round of the exam simply by following the map!

"Ye Lin?!"

Excited, He Zheng instinctively turned toward Ye Lin, eager to set off immediately.

Perhaps his confidence had taken a hit. He Zheng noticed something off about Ye Lin's expression, as though he was having trouble accepting this.

"Ye Lin, it's normal to guess wrong. You're not God, after all."

He Zheng teased him. With that weight off his mind, even his steps felt lighter.

Now he was only worried that the kid wouldn't be able to get past it. The smarter someone was, the harder it was for them to accept their own mistakes.

Yet, to his surprise, Ye Lin shook his head without the slightest hint of irritation.

"I never thought I couldn't make mistakes. I was just thinking... this seems a little too easy."

"After all, we still don't know what those pictures mean."

God did meet the question's requirements, but he simply couldn't understand what those pictures meant.

So much work, appearing one after another...

If he really treated the Death Exam as an exam, he didn't believe its questions would contain anything meaningless.

Especially the second picture...

The people in the second picture died about a week ago, much later than those in the mural.

If the original mural was left by humans, it might even have been planned when this place was first built. But with the second picture, neither the method of "creation" nor the time of death could possibly point to human involvement.

The details of the second angel picture flashed through Ye Lin's mind, confirming that his judgment couldn't be wrong.

The reason he hadn't mentioned this to He Zheng and the others was that the answer behind it would drive them to despair.

If humans hadn't left it, then it could only have been a Species.

A highly intelligent Species that used human corpses as material for its pictures.

Where was it?

Was it still here?

Why had it done this?

"Easy? What part of this is easy?"

"Don't forget, we nearly got wiped out several times just getting here. Besides, this is your first exam. It's only natural for the difficulty to be lower."

Looking at his severed left hand, He Zheng couldn't help cursing inwardly.

"Fuck, seriously, this is already way harder than I expected! If you hadn't had a gun, even I would've been done for!"

He Zheng kept swearing. Though he, too, wondered what those pictures depicted, the answer was right in front of them.

Besides, with no other options, they had to at least take a look.

"Um, He Zheng, I actually think there might still be trouble in the GOD area."

"It's only natural for Ye Lin to be worried."

Hu Jia suddenly cut in, looking at the two of them ingratiatingly.

It seemed God's appearance had directly proved that he was the one who had been right.

At that moment, he actually felt a little more confident, even straightening his back.

"What do you mean? Spit it out."

He Zheng raised an eyebrow impatiently. He had never liked Hu Jia much.

Hu Jia's expression stiffened. Clearly, he hadn't expected He Zheng to still look down on him. But he didn't dare get angry, so he could only force a smile and explain:

"All right, He Zheng, I'll make it quick."

"Here's the thing. I think the mural means what I guessed at the start."

"There are probably quite a few 'gods' in the place marked GOD. If we guess wrong, our lives could be in danger."

Pointing at the densely packed, large culture vessels nearby, Hu Jia spoke faster and faster:

"This is a biological laboratory! Since the Species are man-made, God could also be some kind of biological weapon! The Species can go out of control, which means God can too!"

"By the same logic, the divine figures in the mural are telling us which one we should 'release'!"

His reasoning was much clearer than before.

He Zheng paused after hearing him out, feeling that Hu Jia's analysis actually sounded plausible this time.

Even Ye Lin fell silent without arguing.

"Then which one do you think it is?"

"Christ? Or the Holy Mother?"

He Zheng pressed him, but this time Hu Jia evaded the question as the corpse on the wall instantly flashed through his mind.

"Well... we might have to wait until we get inside to know."

"But I can guarantee that I remember every picture. I'll definitely be able to find it when we get there!"

Hu Jia repeatedly assured them, a strange glint flashing in his eyes.

He actually already had an answer, but he wasn't planning to tell them yet.

The reason was simple. If he wanted to survive, he had to hold on to his most valuable asset until the very last second.

Thud!!

Suddenly, a violent crash rang out from beyond the door.

They hurriedly looked back and saw that the alloy door behind them had actually bulged inward by half a centimeter under the sudden impact.

Such terrifying strength far exceeded that of the Species they had killed earlier!

He Zheng's expression changed, his heart filling with horror.

Even without seeing what was outside the door, he could imagine how terrifying that monster was.

Although the door was thick and sturdy enough, he couldn't be sure how much longer it would hold up against impacts like that.

"Move!!"

He Zheng shouted, grabbed the Fire Axe, and charged toward the God area marked on the map.

But the moment he turned, Ye Lin caught him.

"Go to the armory first!"

"What armory?! There's no time!"

Confused, He Zheng glared furiously at Ye Lin.

But faced with his anger, Ye Lin didn't yield an inch and stepped directly into his path.

"If we don't get weapons and there are more Species here, what do you plan to do?"

"Don't forget, the Species came from here!"

Looking at the empty magazine in Ye Lin's hand, He Zheng abruptly froze.

Damn it. He had forgotten about that.

That was right. If they encountered a Species along the way, in their current condition, they probably couldn't handle even one.

"Fuck! Then we'll go to the armory first!"

"But what do we do if we run into one on the way?!"

As they sprinted, He Zheng couldn't help asking again.

This time, however, Ye Lin said nothing. He merely cast a cold glance behind him.

If there was no other way, someone would just have to die.

He didn't consider himself particularly wicked, but he wasn't a good person either.

If his life was truly threatened, he would sacrifice everyone else without hesitation.

In the darkness, looking at Ye Lin's expressionless profile, He Zheng's heart jolted. An inexplicable chill rose from deep within him.

Although Ye Lin hadn't spoken, he seemed to have guessed the answer.