Habits rooted deep in memory

Ye Jiang became slightly intrigued. "How do you know that?"

Rong Yin's face twitched slightly. "I know him."

Ye Jiang blinked. "So the so-called killing of countless monsters and creating rivers of blood are all fabrications?"

Was everything she heard just fake news?

Silence fell; the young man beside her did not answer.

Ye Jiang looked at him in confusion. Why wasn't he saying anything?

"... There was a reason for that." The explanation came slowly.

That means this part is not a misconception.

Ye Jiang understood.

She asked with great interest, "What's the reason?"

"This way and that way."

"."

What's the difference between saying it and not saying it at all?

But the young man didn't want to continue. He changed the subject, saying slowly, "However, he is indeed a fanatic of the Sky."

Ye Jiang paused, a glint of something flashing in her eyes. She stared intently at the other person and asked, "' Sky,' what exactly is it?"

The elevator doors opened slowly in response.

We've reached the 99th floor.

The door opened, Ye Jiang didn't go out. She waited for the scholar she admired to give her an answer. The latter looked at her intently, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

"What do you think?" that was his reply.

He didn't want to give her the answer; he wanted her to find it herself.

Ye Jiang understood the young man's gaze.

Why not just tell her directly? Is the "Sky" really such an elusive existence? The three monster brothers couldn't explain it, and the young man simply stopped talking.

Ye Jiang pondered to herself. As the elevator doors were about to close, she glanced at the monster beside her and stepped out of the elevator.

Before leaving, she glanced at the elevator buttons one last time.

She didn't notice that the young man who left the house a step later also glanced indifferently at that spot.

Chapter 123 Habits originate from habits deep in memory.

Ye Jiang stepped out of the elevator and into a quiet place. The legendary 99th floor, the unreachable 99th floor, the 99th floor that carries hope, came into Ye Jiang's view in an ordinary way.

The spacious atrium, the empty shops, and the toys strolling around leisurely—this place is no different from the other floors.

It's very ordinary.

Ye Jiang walked through the floors, her gaze sweeping around, trying to find something special in the ordinary.

However, no.

She wandered through the entire floor, only to familiarize herself with the layout once more, without discovering anything. Finally, she stopped and looked up slightly; the bright lights reflected in her eyes, shimmering gently like waves.

A delicate fragrance lingers in the air.

"What do you think the mall's exit should look like?"

She asked in a low voice.

A deep, magnetic reply echoed from the empty floor—no, not exactly a reply, more like a response.

Are you looking for an exit?

The young man followed her silently the whole way, always behind her, his gaze fixed on her from a place she didn't know.

Unaware that they had already circled the entire building, the young man, who had said he wanted to go to the 99th floor, found his gaze locked on one spot: the back of the person in front of him.

His focused gaze was interrupted by the question, and for the first time, he turned his attention to the mall itself.

He glanced at it casually a few times.

"This place looks no different from the floors downstairs." He said casually, showing no sign of being in a hurry to find the exit.

These words struck a nerve with Ye Jiang. She frowned slightly. Yes, how could this be?

Yes, Ye Jiang is looking for the exit of the mall.

But that's not all.

She is still searching for clues related to the toy's manufacturer.

She wanted to help the toys.

When Ye Jiang was looking for clues, the first thing that came to mind was the 99th floor. It was said that the mall's exit was located on the 99th floor, so this should be a very special floor. If there were any clues, they should be hidden here.

Ye Jiang glanced around, her expression blank.

She wasn't in a hurry to get to the 99th floor. Her main goal was to find the Origin Power to see if she could use it to help herself break free from the host's body. The Ability Control Bureau was also searching for the Origin Power, so she just needed to follow the Ability Control Bureau's exploration team and take her time. There was no need to rush.

But after seeing the Toy Graveyard, she had a different idea: she wanted to help the toys. Finding the toys' creators didn't seem to be related to the Bureau of the Ability Control Bureau's mission, which is why she decided to split up.

Unlike Yu Hai, who had to climb the stairs step by step, she could go directly to the 99th floor, so she came.

She came full of hope, thinking she could quickly solve the toy problem, and she was even a little excited.

Then reality hit her hard.

This place is nothing special!

There was no exit, no clues about the toy maker, and no clues about the Origin Power. She had such high expectations, and this was it?

Ye Jiang touched her chest and felt a slight chill there.

When Rong Yin saw her actions, he asked her what was wrong. Ye Jiang's eyelids drooped, her lips were tightly pursed, and she looked listless. Rong Yin understood perfectly well what she was doing; she was disappointed.

He suddenly dropped his nonchalant demeanor and began to seriously observe his surroundings. "Shall we look again? The exit...?"

Ye Jiang interrupted him, "Exports are secondary; the main thing is finding clues about the toy manufacturers."

Rong Yin's eyes flashed. Was the exit secondary, and the toys the main thing?

"Yes, toys are the main thing," he agreed, his deep, magnetic voice carrying a barely perceptible hint of indulgence.

Engaged by her words, Ye Jiang perked up a bit and started walking around the mall. Rong Yin glanced at her and followed her.

Then, nothing was gained.

Ye Jiang's expressionless face was taut.

Rong Yin: "..."

The toys on the floor, unaware that a monster was working for them, leisurely strolled around the building, winding themselves up and leaving behind a series of clicking sounds.

Rong Yin glanced at a toy nearby, his brows furrowing slightly. A small black hole silently appeared beneath the toy's feet. Just as the toy was about to step on it without noticing, he frowned again and retracted the black hole.

"Why do you want to help the toys?" he suddenly asked.

He had asked the woman in front of him if she wanted to help them, but he had never asked her why she wanted to help them.

"The people in the building are terrified of toys, saying they eat people. Why are you helping such a group of evil Quasi-Life?" he asked.

Ye Jiang was looking at the ceiling, pondering whether to go up to the 100th floor. She hadn't heard anyone mention the 100th floor when she was downstairs, wondering if few people knew about it or what. It seemed the 100th floor was special, and she wondered if it might hold any clues. Just as she was seriously considering it, she heard the young man's words.

"That's what other people said," she replied. "The toy is evil and cannibalistic; that's what the people in the building are saying."

Rong Yin, "You don't trust them?"

"I don't disbelieve," she said.

Rong Yin remained silent. Seeing that he wasn't speaking, Ye Jiang probably didn't understand. She lowered her head, looked at him, and said, "It's not that I don't believe them, it's just that they are toys in their eyes. If they don't like them, they'll just sanction and kill them."

She said, "The toys I saw were quite cute, so I wanted to help them."

This is not contradictory.

Rong Yin remained silent.

Bang!

Thump!

Boom!

The sudden sound of fighting broke the silence. The two looked in the direction from which the sound came. A flash of silver light appeared and disappeared. Ye Jiang chased after the silver light and leaped away. With a light touch of her toes, she landed on a railing. Ahead, in the open courtyard, a group of toys were attacking a woman. The woman was tall and slender, jumping and weaving among the toys.

Are there other people on this floor?

Wasn't the person who climbed the tallest building Chen Hong, A-Rank superhuman?

Ye Jiang watched the fight, and the young man silently landed beside her, watching with her.

In a fight where multiple people attacked one woman, the toys swarmed her, but she easily dodged them. The toys, which the people in the building claimed were stronger than A-Rank superhuman, couldn't even touch the hem of her clothes.

Ye Jiang touched her pocket, then stopped.

"What's wrong?" a voice asked from the side.

Ye Jiang lowered her hand with a blank expression. "I didn't bring any snacks."

Her pockets were empty.

Such an interesting fight, but they didn't bring any snacks – a mistake.

The woman who was jumping and dodging suddenly made a mistake. She was going to use the pillar in the courtyard for leverage, but her foot slipped and she was caught by the toy below.

She glared in Ye Jiang's direction, then was pulled by the toy, her body swaying violently. Just as she was about to be pulled into the group of toys below, the leg that was being pulled shattered with a crash, turning into countless silver fragments, and the toy pulled nothing. The woman flashed to another pillar, the fragments following her, converging at her feet to form a new leg.

The woman easily dodged the danger and was preparing for the next battle when the toys suddenly stopped chasing her and scattered, running away at breakneck speed.

One toy ran exceptionally fast—the one that grabbed the woman's leg. It was a cartoon chick-shaped toy with a fragment clutched in one of its raised claws. As it ran, its two thin legs left afterimages. Because it ran so fast, the fragment in its claws pulled out a flowing line of light.

The woman paused, then looked down and saw a small patch missing from her smooth calf, revealing a silvery, mottled mark.

Ye Jiang was engrossed in reading when a gust of wind swept by, and the little yellow chick appeared in front of her. A task box popped up above its head. Before she could even see what was written in the task box, she felt herself being locked by an energy, and her vision began to sway.

In the last second before her vision went dark, she saw the woman look in her direction, her cold and beautiful face carrying a hint of scrutiny, while she and Rong Yin beside her were surrounded by a group of toys.

Ye Jiang opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was Rong Yin, followed by a group of wind-up toys surrounding them. Upon closer inspection, she realized they were the same toys that had been fighting with the woman.