Blue sky, white clouds, shady trees, and beautiful lake scenery.
A figure draped in a black robe with snake-like eyes held a fishing rod, sitting by the lake. It was none other than 024 Great Serpent, whose consciousness had descended into a stone statue, now being driven by the Rat Stone.
Why was the air outside so sweet?
Because even the atmosphere was filled with the fragrant scent of liberty.
Great Serpent removed his hood, revealing a scaled face and long black hair.
On this lush green meadow, a book lay casually open.
Great Serpent tugged on his fishing rod, and a carp leaped out of the water, latching onto the hook.
Reaching out, Great Serpent caught the carp, unhooked it, and then tossed the fish back into the lake.
Splash.
Water droplets flew up, and Great Serpent then affixed new bait onto the hook.
He fished not for sustenance; he simply savored the process.
Moreover, every life possesses inherent meaning in its existence. Arbitrarily stripping away the existence and freedom of life fundamentally contradicts that meaning.
To enlighten a venomous snake, a cold-blooded predator in the food chain, the purpose of fishing can never be divorced from consuming the fish.
But once life attains intelligence, it begins to deliberate.
It strives to restrain its own primal instincts.
Just as humans employ morality to govern themselves—that is not a form of simple ignorance.
This precisely demonstrates the transition of life from an unenlightened beast to an intelligent entity.
Beasts follow instinct precisely because they lack the capacity for self-control.
The most significant difference between humans and beasts is that humans possess the ability to govern themselves.
In his leisure, Great Serpent also frequently examined the books he had segmented.
Many of his profound insights stemmed from these texts. Among them, a few specific sentences left a deep impression on him.
"A beast possessing wisdom evolves into a human."
There was also a short fable. Once upon a time, there was a small snake. As per routine, it captured a mouse.
Following its instinct, it consumed the mouse.
At that time, that snake's older sibling began to reflect.
"We live day-to-day, spending every moment hunting, with little time to ponder."
"But we have no alternative, because if we abstain, we will starve."
The younger brother heard this and inquired of his older sibling, "From our grandfather's grandfather's grandfather, we have lived this way. It has always been the established pattern."
"But just because it has always been this way, does that inherently make it correct?"
So one day, the older brother commenced his reflection.
He went hunting as usual. That day, he caught an entire nest of mice: young and old, male and female.
At this juncture, an idea suddenly flashed in its mind.
"Perhaps if I abstain from consuming them now, they can propagate even more offspring. And as long as their population grows sufficiently large, the progeny they generate will naturally be even more numerous."
"Then, even if we cease hunting, we won't need to fear starvation anymore."
At that moment, the snake overcame its natural instinct. It suppressed its powerful urge to devour.
It began to raise mice, treating them as livestock.
When it was no longer burdened by the necessity of the hunt, it acquired more time to think. It grew wiser than its serpentine brethren.
It began to contemplate a more distant future, rather than being obsessively fixed on securing a full meal in the immediate present.
It sought a more comfortable existence, a more efficient method of sustenance.
It fed its hungry relatives, compelling them to work for its benefit.
Gradually, its kin also began to emulate its methods, eventually acclaiming it as king.
This was a fable, yet it clearly radiated the evolutionary process of a beast transforming into a human.
024 only grasped the full scope of his feelings at this much later juncture.
It was a form of pursuit for higher-level gratification after basic necessities had been secured.
"However, humans have enjoyed such a privileged existence for over a millennium."
"But this narrative does not reflect upon my kin and myself, because humans are the protagonists of the story. We are merely the domesticated mice."
"I offer thanks to the Lord for illuminating my wisdom, allowing me to contemplate my true destiny."
But this state was fundamentally different from being forcibly deprived of liberty.
However, at this very moment, a graceful figure entered the snake's paradise.
"Are you weary of your diversion?"
A clear female voice originated from behind. Great Serpent couldn't help but sigh upon hearing it.
"Such a protracted luxury—humans have enjoyed it for over a thousand years, yet for me, there is only this fleeting instant. Is this equitable?"
001, transformed into a young girl, stood with her hands on her hips. "What benefit is there in detailing this to me? You should convey this sentiment to Lord Aurora."
024 Great Serpent extended a hand. A book beside him opened, and countless volumes spewed forth, stacking themselves neatly.
"Take these with you. I wish to experience this world a little more profoundly."
"When I was a mere beast, I never comprehended the vibrancy of the world, nor did I ever possess the time to appreciate its beauty."
"Even a transient moment is preferable to nothing."
001 observed this and reached out to lift the stack of books. Although she could generally grasp Great Serpent's underlying meaning, still...
"Don't fault me if I fail to provide a warning: Lord Aurora might return soon."
With that statement, 001, carrying a precarious pile of books taller than herself, departed.
Great Serpent sighed softly. Just then, a man rushed past him in haste.
That man carried a shovel, not even sparing him a glance, as if some terrifying entity was pursuing him.
The man's retreating figure vanished into the distance. At this moment, another individual ran over.
That man was wearing a police uniform; he was an officer of the law.
"He runs fast, though."
Yang Lin scanned the surroundings. Jihen was nowhere in sight.
As for why Yang Lin was in pursuit, that narrative required a rewind to the previous night.
Jihen was busy excavating his pit. Suddenly, he looked up, and a human face was peering down from the cave entrance.
At that instant, Jihen's heart plummeted once more.
"Uh... I stated I was digging a cellar for preserved vegetables, do you happen to believe me?"
That was the precise situation.
Jihen immediately turned tail and fled. Yang Lin had chased him through the back mountains for an entire night.
But this Jihen possessed an extraordinarily robust physical constitution.
With that level of agility and speed, he did not appear to be an ordinary person.
Thus, it seemed Jihen indeed harbored other secrets.
Yang Lin searched the area, and coincidentally spotted Great Serpent by the lake.
Sensing Yang Lin's gaze, Great Serpent, without uttering a word, pointed in a specific direction.
Yang Lin instantly understood the implication: he meant Jihen had fled that way.
"Thank you."
Yang Lin was about to move, but suddenly paused.
He walked to Great Serpent's side, looked at the snake scales on Great Serpent's face and his pair of snake eyes, then directly sat down.
He said nothing, just sat there.
After a while, Great Serpent felt discomfort throughout his body.
"What do you want?"
"How did you acquire those snake scales on your face? A new syndrome, or did you apply them yourself?" Yang Lin inquired.
Great Serpent heard this and turned his head. "What business is that of yours?"
"Purely curious."
Yang Lin said, looking at a book beside Great Serpent. On the cover of the book were two characters, reading "Snake's Dream."
"I strongly advise you not to read it."
"This is for your own well-being."
That book was a split manifestation of himself, possessing a very high danger level. For ordinary people, forcibly reading the text within would be life-threatening.
Unless Great Serpent assisted him.
Like Cain, Cain could utilize those books without suffering backlash because he possessed the Snake Seal.
The Snake Seal was Great Serpent's ability, a spiritual imprint.
As long as one held this imprint, even a powerless mortal could read the tomes in the bookstore.
"If you choose not to believe me, don't blame me for not issuing a clear warning."
Yang Lin heard this and opened "Snake's Dream." Originally, he hadn't intended to read it, but Great Serpent's repeated warnings only piqued his curiosity.
And the moment he saw the first word in the book, a venomous snake erupted from the pages!
That venomous snake burrowed directly into Yang Lin's head, instantly blacking out his vision!
When his sight returned, he found himself standing in a desert.
At this moment, a giant snake slithered out of the sand, and without a word, lunged to bite Yang Lin!
Seeing this, Yang Lin directly extended both hands, grasping the snake's upper and lower jaws, then suddenly exerted force, tearing the giant snake's body into two halves!
Puff, puff!
The giant snake shrieked, and the world before him consequently collapsed.
Yang Lin's vision blackened again. When he reopened his eyes, the lush green mountains and clear waters had returned.
He continued to look down, flipping two pages back-to-back.
"Is this some kind of fairy tale?"
Hm?
Great Serpent heard this and suddenly turned his head, only to see Yang Lin already holding the book on the third page.
"Are you alright?"
Hearing Great Serpent's words, Yang Lin gently placed the book in his hand down. "What do you mean?"
Great Serpent's snake eyes showed confusion. That was a destruction-level artifact.
This human...
"This book is meant for you."
Hearing Great Serpent's statement, Yang Lin placed the book down again. "Then there is no need."
"No, you must take this book, unless you wish to perish."
Great Serpent stated, and a patch of snake scales suddenly manifested on Yang Lin's hand.
"This is?"
"Protective snake scales. Just one scale can safeguard your life."
"If you can successfully finish reading the entire book, you will grow a total of twenty-four snake scales."
Snake's Dream. Normally, reading it would draw one into a snake's dreamscape.
And for each victory the reader achieves within a snake's dream, a snake scale will grow. To grow all twenty-four scales, one needs to challenge the snake's dream twenty-four times.
Of course, there are not just twenty-four snake dreams; there is also the twenty-fifth.
The twenty-fifth trial is against the Snake King. As long as one can defeat the Snake King, one can retrieve a legendary weapon from the book.
Named Hierro's Spear.
But why did Great Serpent say Yang Lin could no longer discard this book?
This was because if he put the book down now, it would be equivalent to forfeiting the challenge. The Snake King would not recognize the current attempt and would directly drag him into the book to be devoured.
At this moment, Yang Lin's communicator suddenly rang.
"Yang Lin, where are you right now?!"
"Return quickly, something monumental has happened!"
Yang Lin heard this and looked at Great Serpent. "Where do I return this book to you?"
"No need; it is yours now."
"My book chooses its own successor. Since it has acknowledged you, you may keep it," Great Serpent said.
...
Beiling City.
Yang Lin was urgently recalled, but upon his return, he wasn't briefed on the situation, only instructed to report to a specific location.
A group of anxious police officers arrived at an unfinished structure.
Police officers from other precincts were also present at the scene. The entire area had been rapidly cordoned off.
Among them were several individuals dressed in black, wearing moon-shaped eyeglasses, conferring with the leading police officers.
The lead officer from Yang Lin's division was his own master. Upon seeing this, the black-clad personnel produced a white card and presented it before them.
"We require your assistance."
The moment Yang Lin's master saw the white card, his expression changed immediately.
The information inscribed on the white card read: Bureau of Security for the Protection, Management, and Control of the Supernatural World.
Yang Lin approached his master. "Who are those people?"
"Hush, don't ask too many questions. We simply need to cooperate with them."
After a brief exchange, one of the black-clad individuals walked toward a vehicle. He exchanged a few words with the occupant inside the car, then nodded.
At that moment, a man in a specialized uniform emerged from the vehicle.
His entire outfit appeared quite bulky, and his frame seemed to incorporate numerous mechanical structures, although these were obscured by the clothing and not clearly visible.
He walked before everyone and cleared his throat.
"For ease of address, you may refer to me as Dragon Position."
"To briefly summarize the situation: there is a terrorist inside the structure who planted an explosive device. You are to cooperate with us in disarming this device."
A bomb?
Then why not summon a certified bomb disposal expert?
Moreover, this unfinished building was situated in a remote area. Even if a bomb detonated, it wouldn't cause harm to the public. Was deploying so many police officers truly necessary?
Yang Lin's master turned his head. "When we enter later, you must remain outside."
"Why?"
"Don't ask so many questions. These are standard police protocols. You aren't married yet. These operational tasks don't concern you for the time being."
His master stated this while patting Yang Lin's shoulder. However, Yang Lin's persistent "why" wasn't referring to this order.
Led by Dragon Position, a contingent of fully armed police officers entered the unfinished structure.
Yang Lin observed this and glanced at the snake scales on his arm. The person who gave them to him had claimed these scales could safeguard his life. He wondered if that statement held any truth.
...
Inside the building.
A mass of crimson, writhing flesh converged. Faces manifested upon its body, and situated at its chest was something resembling a Rubik's Cube.
Dragon Position rolled up his sleeve. His right arm was encased in a layer of metallic armor, upon which a small screen was mounted.
He inputted several digits onto a tiny keyboard, bringing up a string of data.
"Object designation tentatively: Flesh Cube."
"The Cube binds the dead flesh together, forming a sentient, squirming entity. Internally, there are no vital organs; it is pure muscle and blood, with disorderly arranged skeletal structure."
"Based on current speculation, the Cube itself should lack consciousness; it merely follows an inherent rule."
"Tentative danger level: B-class."
Dragon Position frowned as he reviewed the information.
It was rare for an Object—one not resulting from a containment breach—to appear in the last two years.
Wild Objects had become increasingly scarce over the past two years.
Most containment crises stemmed from containment failure, where Objects broke free and reached urban sectors.
For some unknown reason, however, a surge of new Objects had been discovered globally just in the last two days.
Furthermore, these Objects were atypical; all possessed destructive capabilities, with a minimum danger level assessed at C-class.
"This is not a positive development."
Dragon Position stated, issuing a hand signal. Two black-clad individuals immediately retrieved specially designed firearms from their chests.
These guns were manufactured by Kitsune, but the ammunition within was not.
It consisted of a complex Object derivative compound, capable of infinitely firing six distinct types of non-human-made projectiles.
Each firing session lasted for three hours. Kitsune had specially constructed a collection chamber to gather the expended ammunition.
Among these rounds was a type called 'Sub-Space Strike,' which could trigger an atomic collapse within a specific spatial region, representing the most potent type of bullet available.
Soon, they encountered the target of this mission.
A monster of raw flesh and blood covered in faces.
Dragon Position raised his right hand, extending two fingers. The energy of the Dragon Stone began to converge toward his fingertips.
"Containment initiated!"
"..."
Boom!
An explosion ripped through the unfinished building. Countless debris rolled downward. Yang Lin heard the sound and looked up. "An explosion?"
Someone picked up a walkie-talkie to contact the personnel inside the structure, but the sound emanating from the other side was extremely chaotic.
"What's the status inside? Is this a distress call?!"
"Don't... don't come up."
A trembling message came through the walkie-talkie. Yang Lin, after hearing it, hastily called out to his master.
But what answered him was a chilling silence.
...
Inside the unfinished building.
Dragon Position's hands fell to the ground, his arms charred, as if severed by a precise laser.
"Intelligence... was flawed..."
Dragon Position gasped heavily, only to be confronted by a colossal Flesh Cube!
Yes, it was a perfectly cubic mass of pulsating flesh and blood!
And this four-sided Flesh Cube was covered in human faces, with countless human hands protruding from within the Rubik's Cube structure. Some hands still clutched walkie-talkies.
But strangely, these people were not yet dead. They still retained consciousness, struggling to shout into their communication devices.
Just ten minutes prior, this object had been nothing more than a shapeless mass of pulp.
But when they fired upon the Rubik's Cube, the structure immediately manipulated its flesh to envelop itself, solidifying into this cubic form.
This flesh cube operated like a Rubik's Cube: each face contained nine squares, capable of independent rotation—up, down, and around.
And right in the center square, an eye materialized.
Each time the Rubik's Cube shifted position, a new eye would appear, subsequently spewing a laser beam.
In the blink of an eye, a laser neatly sliced through the crowd!
However, for Kitsune's containment specialists, a single laser was trivial.
Dragon Position utilized the energy from the Dragon Stone to attempt to destroy the Rubik's Cube's outer shell, but the eye at the center of the Rubik's Cube instantly transformed into a mouth.
Dragon Blazing Flame shot through its mouth, only to emerge cleanly from the rear of the Rubik's Cube.
The attack passed directly through its body unimpeded.
Immediately after, the Rubik's Cube began to hover and rotate rapidly. All six faces simultaneously displayed eyes, and six corresponding lasers shot out, rotating and sweeping in lethal arcs!
Dragon Position dodged with everything he had, maximizing his armor's power to its limits, but both his arms were still cleanly severed by the intersecting lasers.
This was clearly no mere B-class Object. This Object's danger level was at least A-class!
The structural pillars within the building successively shattered. Seeing the upper floors about to collapse completely, Dragon Position instantly activated his protective shield and rushed for the exit!
But the Rubik's Cube began to move again. Countless lasers swept past. Dragon Position hastily retreated!
But without his two arms, his movements were significantly hindered. He stumbled and fell to the ground during a desperate maneuver!
Damn it!
Dragon Position's eyes widened. He saw a human face on the Rubik's Cube staring at him, its expression a mixture of terror and agony.
"So hungry..."
"It's all your fault..."
"...Run!"
The Rubik's Cube slowly approached Dragon Position. A laser streaked past, directly slicing through his energy shield.
Immediately after, the eye on the Rubik's Cube transformed into a maw. Two powerful tentacles extended from within, grabbing Dragon Position's body, as if intending to pull him into its depths!
Dragon Position saw this and gritted his teeth. There was no alternative!
He had to detonate the energy cell!
Just as Dragon Position committed to self-destruction, a single bullet suddenly struck the two tentacles emerging from the Rubik's Cube's mouth!
Boom!
A force field rippled violently through the air. The Rubik's Cube was instantly shattered by the single impact, and the tentacles at its mouth broke off accordingly!
The massive Rubik's Cube shuddered. The entirety of its fleshly matter once again gathered toward the center, and then another gaping mouth formed!
"What?"
Dragon Position stiffly turned his head, only to see a young police officer, holding a firearm that belonged to a previous investigator, standing in a firing stance.
Yang Lin looked at the massive Flesh Cube, with no time to pause. He pulled the trigger again, but no projectile emerged.
One shot only?
Yang Lin noticed this, quickly snatched another gun from the ground, but that weapon was also empty of ammunition.
The Rubik's Cube instantly fixed its attention on him. The central mouth morphed into an eye, and a laser shot out, tracing a path from bottom to top!
Boom!
Yang Lin rolled, narrowly dodging the laser, but the structure overhead began to collapse. Concrete, steel, and soil rained down piece by piece!
The area was about to cave in!
The Rubik's Cube was preparing to rotate, but massive chunks of falling concrete, steel, and soil crashed heavily onto its body!
Boom!
The Rubik's Cube was instantly pinned beneath the debris. Yang Lin seized this momentary advantage to maneuver indirectly in front of Dragon Position. "Where is my master?!"
Before Dragon Position could answer, more slabs of concrete fell, plummeting towards the two of them!
Yang Lin grabbed his collar and leaped directly from the third floor!
The two figures tumbled through the air, slamming heavily onto the concrete ground below!
Thud.
"Ugh!"
Yang Lin's back hit the ground hard. The pain radiating from his back made Yang Lin grimace.
Not long after, the entire unfinished building behind them collapsed with a deafening crash.
Yang Lin got up from the ground, once again seizing Dragon Position's collar. "Where's my master?!"
"...Dead."
Dragon Position stated weakly.
Hearing those words, Yang Lin suddenly felt a surge of white-hot anger rise from the bottom of his heart!
"What was that thing? Was it a bomb?!"
"Without even the most basic preparatory intelligence, you just sent us toward certain death. Is that something police officers are supposed to handle?!"
Dragon Position remained silent. He did not answer Yang Lin, but instead contacted headquarters through the light-brain integrated into his spine.
"Designation 44569, reporting to command center. This is Dragon Position. Containment intelligence is erroneous."
"Containment failed."
"Redefine Object danger level. Estimated A-class."
"Request immediate dispatch of A-class containment personnel."
From beginning to end, there had been no clear mission briefing. Yang Lin's master and a group of police officers had died in such a vague, unnecessary manner.
Yang Lin clenched his fists. Just then, a laser suddenly shot out from the ruins behind him, aimed straight for Yang Lin's back!
Boom!
The laser instantly struck Yang Lin, but at that precise moment, a green fluctuation rippled across the surface of Yang Lin's body.
A pair of snake eyes materialized in the air, directly neutralizing that attack.
The snake scales on Yang Lin's hand simultaneously vanished.
Yang Lin reacted instantly, hastily turning around, only to see the Flesh Cube slowly hovering amidst the ruins!
"Just now was... the effect of the snake scales?"
Yang Lin looked at the back of his hand. It was clear that the snake scales had saved him just then.
If it hadn't been for the snake scales blocking that strike, he would have already been bisected by the laser.
Dragon Position struggled to pull himself up from the ground. "I understand you are angry, but this is the nature of our work. Life and death hang on a razor's edge."
"I have already called for backup, but whether they can arrive in time remains uncertain."
"Therefore, you must cooperate with me now to continue executing the containment mission."
"I have zero combat capability remaining, so I will initiate self-detonation. What you need to do is retrieve a stone artifact from my back and hand it over to the reinforcement personnel arriving later."
"Hurry!"