CHAPTER 52: CHAPTER 51: GUIDANCE, TRUST, STRATEGY

"Try to relax your mind, don’t resist."

Song Chu took a deep breath, feeling a bit complicated.

"Got it."

After hearing Ma Ran’s words, he finally understood why the other suddenly started using sign language.

Su Qiangwei, a National Guardian level ability user!

Ma Ran, a National Guardian level ability user!

As a teammate of these two, he suddenly had the illusion that he could coast and still win.

"Hello, senior."

A strange young girl’s voice suddenly rang in Song Chu’s mind: "I am Su Qiangwei, responsible for providing information support in this A3 District emergency."

The other party’s voice was very sweet, giving a gentle and generous impression.

The pleasant young girl’s voice also brightened Song Chu’s mood considerably.

"Hello."

He nodded and said, "I just felt as if something pierced into my eyes, is this the [Caged Gaze]?"

Su Qiangwei’s next words successfully ruined Song Chu’s good first impression of her.

"Indeed, not everyone can be as perceptive as Ma Ran..."

"[Caged Gaze] can only share your vision, [Unity] can only transmit sound one way."

"So..."

"If you speak here, I can’t hear you."

"Even if I studied lip reading, it’s useless."

"Through your perspective, I can only see you opening your mouth, that’s it."

"Forget it."

"Although it’s not very useful, still..."

"You’re trying your best."

"If you want to say something later, just write it on paper."

Song Chu awkwardly scratched his head.

This young lady was obviously someone adored by all at school who hadn’t faced the harsh realities of life, speaking with some bluntness.

Thud! Thud!

Ma Ran knocked on the counter of the general store, attracting Song Chu’s attention.

His speech was noticeably faster compared to before: "Next, I will pretend to search for an exit."

"You go to the shelter and lure the Nightmare Mother into action."

"The situation is urgent, and there’s no time to explain all the details."

"If you’re willing to trust me..."

"Then do as I say!"

Song Chu listened with a perplexed face, feeling that his worldview was being violently shaken.

Are these even human words?

Letting himself be used as bait without even explaining the process clearly, and still expecting trust?

That’s too ridiculous!

Who in their right mind would cooperate?

There was no reason to agree, but Song Chu still firmly replied: "Okay!"

"I trust you!"

If it wasn’t for Su Qiangwei’s words, Song Chu might have hesitated a bit longer.

But...

Compared to Su Qiangwei, this teammate Ma Ran suddenly appeared much more reliable.

After all, Song Chu was now completely clueless, with no hints on how to solve the situation.

He would rather make a mistake than do nothing!

Seeing Ma Ran looking confident, Song Chu thought there should be some safeguards for his safety.

With this said, Song Chu took up the small piece of paper covered in codes and dashed off towards the armory without looking back.

Watching his departing figure, a hint of a smile spread across Ma Ran’s eyes.

Even if Song Chu didn’t cooperate, he still had plan D, but the feeling of everyone working together towards a common goal was always good.

...

As Ma Ran set the plan into motion, the Nightmare Mother was also attentively observing their actions.

What exactly did these two hairless upright apes intend to do?

It used intangible dust to plunge more than a thousand residents of A3 District into dreams, monitoring the area comprehensively without any blind spots.

According to its predictions, a small portion of people with weaker physical and spiritual powers will be completely eroded after one day, and the brainwaves released by the deceased at the moment of death would become its food.

And those seventy-four people who rushed into A3 District to support had slightly higher status in its mind.

Once parasitized with spores, the Nightmare Mother would immediately have its first batch of cannon fodder-grade warriors.

Although still consumables, their rarity was slightly higher.

It’s worth mentioning...

"Nightmare Mother" was just Ma Ran’s term for it.

Its real name was 98725.

When 98725 awoke on Earth, this name was imprinted deep in its memory.

It had no memory before coming to Earth.

Earth didn’t seem to have any similar species like it.

Its memory only contained some essential basic information and goals, such as learning, reproduction, expansion, invasion, and evolution.

believed firmly that no life in the cosmos was alone in existence!

It surely had its own maternal lineage!

However, finding similar beings was a long-term goal for 98725.

Its most important current task was to find a host, complete a binding with it, evolve quickly, and then take over this planet!

As an intelligent lifeform, 98725 didn’t act rashly.

Upon awakening, it preferred to pay the price of weakness to stimulate spores at the first opportunity to gather information about this planet beneath it.

The results weren’t spectacular, but indeed there were some.

The gathered information now played a huge role.

noticed that, from the very start, the tall young man walking alone in the dark had aimed a primitive weapon with some lethality towards Ma Ran.

That action symbolized hostility and threat!

But after Ma Ran subdued the tall young man, he didn’t kill him, instead becoming the latter’s protector!

From this alone, there were two possible explanations.

First, Ma Ran was someone who repays enmity with kindness.

Second, the young man had a very high social status, far higher than Ma Ran’s, so even with the power to crush him, Ma Ran never considered killing him.

The Nightmare Mother initially leaned more towards the second speculation.

After silently observing the situation’s development, it became more certain about the second speculation’s correctness.

Ma Ran even gave the young man half of his equipment and props!

hadn’t yet deciphered the Han language system, only understanding some simple numbers and quantifiers.

But it knew exactly what the two words "Ma Ran" meant!

also knew how to pronounce and write these two words, and what person they represented!

Why?

Because in the past six days, Ma Ran had ruthlessly slaughtered dozens of its spores, being a remorseless executioner with bloodstained hands!

If it weren’t for Ma Ran’s sabotage, it might have gathered more information and intelligence with the help of spores over the past few days.

Even if it couldn’t successfully learn this world’s language, at least its plan could be more secure and not forced into a reckless gamble like now.

The Nightmare Mother grew angrier the more it thought about it, but it quickly adjusted its mood.

No matter what, it had already seen through the surface to the essence!

The major countries ruling this planet were classic "primitive class civilizations."

Tall young man = noble with power.

Ma Ran = a civilian hero with strong abilities.

Clearly, the tall young man was easier to control.

Higher social status would also help 98725’s grand enterprise.

Although Ma Ran’s individual strength was substantial, his combat power was limited.

had once stolen some micro-electronic devices and watched many of this world’s "video recording files."

It found that many terrifyingly powerful beings had appeared on this planet.

Men in blue tights and red underwear used stars as power sources, even capable of physically moving a planet, altering its trajectory...

Monkeys that sprang from stones and wouldn’t die even after being trapped under a mountain for 500 years...

Purple-skinned people who could wipe out half of the cosmos’s life with a snap...

From this perspective, a tall young man with "higher status and social standing" was the superior choice for the short term.

What Ma Ran wanted to do wasn’t important.

What mattered was that 98725 already had a flawless counter-strategy!

——

Thanks to Cang Hai Qing Feng for the 500 points reward!

Thanks to Autumn Wind’s Thousand-Year Awakening for the 200 points reward!

Thanks to Normal Definition for the 150 points reward!

Thanks to Chao Youjiu for rewarding Ma Ran with a chicken drumstick (100 points)!

Thanks to Happening While Daydreaming for the 100 points reward!

Thanks to Moyu Xingyuan for the 100 points reward!

Thanks to Normal Definition for the 100 points reward!

Thanks!