Come Back To Me
Come Back To Me
[666: Hiiii, this is 666, at your service! How may I help you?]
[We have an important mission to do.] Lu Yizhou simply said.
[666: *choke* H–Host, is that you?! W–What kind of mission is it this time?!] It could be said that 666 had developed a psychological trauma everytime Lu Yizhou said something like this. Before, they blew up a crowd of terrorists and walked out of the sea of flames with blood dripping down their bodies. Now what?!
[You still have the skill 'Code Manipulation', right?]
Before 666 could answer, another voice answered him. It was Luan. "I have equipped 666 with a more advanced ability. My offensive power is too great for a human's brain so please… I can only rely on you."
Lu Yizhou understood. If he could use a metaphor, then Luan would be the main body of a robot whereas 666 was the small extension of his limbs. In order to enter the narrow tunnel that was Dr. Feng's subconsciousness, they could not utilize Luan in case the tunnel would collapse under his weight. How frustrating it must be… If Lu Yizhou were in his place, he would definitely go crazy from how helpless he was.
"Mn, just leave it to me," he said in a reassuring tone.
[666: …Admin God? The person we're going to save this time is Admin God?]
[That's right. If you don't want to perish under the main system's wrath, then you'd better do your job well.] Lu Yizhou was telling the truth. If something happened to Dr. Feng, then Luan would definitely tear everything apart.
[666: *shudder*]
[666: …Okay. Okay, fine! With great power comes great responsibility. Come on, Host! 666 is not afraid!]
Lu Yizhou relaxed his mind and allowed 666 and Luan to lead him toward Dr. Feng's subconsciousness. "Be careful," Luan gave him a grave reminder. "Don't get injured inside."
Lu Yizhou let out a light hum. This was just like the time when he delved into experimental subject 55's mind through the skill 'Dream Invasion'. If he suffered any injuries inside, it would deal a severe impact on his brain and could possibly turn him into a fool.
Amidst the swathe of darkness, he could make out a faint orb of light. However, its glow was so weak as if it could be extinguished anytime soon. Just like an oil candle that had almost burned out.
"This is it," Luan materialized beside him, his expression sorrowful. "This is his subconsciousness. But my voice can't reach him now."
Lu Yizhou silently patted his shoulder in comfort. Then he asked 666, [Are you ready?]
[666: Aye, aye, Host! Let's go!]
Lu Yizhou reached out a hand toward the pulsing orb. And as soon as the tip of his finger touched it, 666 activated its skill and brought him inside. He could feel static electricity all around him, ferocious and unyielding, and if not for 666 who acted as a solid shield, his flesh would have been torn to pieces by now. This was a human's most basic self-protection against outside intrusion. Right now, for Dr. Feng's brain, Lu Yizhou and 666 were a dangerous threat and it was working actively to repel them.
[666: Host, are you… bzzz… bzzz… okay?!]
[Fine.] Lu Yizhou gritted his teeth to bear the prickling pain on his skin. [Let's go deeper.]
He had no idea what Dr. Feng's subconsciousness would be like. Last time, he entered experimental subject 55's mind only to end up in the past due to the time loop. But this was not a simulation. This was a reality where magic and superpower did not exist. Dr. Feng was but a normal person and he did not have superb healing ability. There was no room for mistakes. He had to thread forward as carefully as possible.
Thud!
He landed on his feet and wobbled a bit before regaining his balance. Then he immediately raised his head to survey his surroundings. [This… is Dr. Feng's subconsciousness?]
This place could not be more familiar to him. This vast expanse of snowy land, the overcast sky, and the snowflakes that drifted down in a gentle stream… it was the place where the two versions of his lover, Jillian and Izher, had to kill each other in order to exit the simulator. However, different from that time, there were horrible cracks in the sky where ash-colored snowflakes rained down.
The world… was falling apart?
He followed his memory and there Dr. Feng was, huddling far in the distance. Because the ivory dragon's hair was silver and so did his overall clothing, the man had almost merged into the background. If not for the splashes of black and crimson around him, courtesy to the blood seeping out of the obsidian dragon's body, Lu Yizhou wouldn't have been able to spot him so fast.
Lu Yizhou started to move forward. Step by step, his feet made a crunching noise against the snow. "Dr. Feng…" he uttered carefully. "It's time for us to go. Luan is waiting for you outside."
Dr. Feng raised his head in fluster and bewilderment. Lu Yizhou's heart skipped a beat when he saw traces of blood below his nose.
"What… What are you talking about? Luan is here— Regius…?" He blinked and gave Lu Yizhou another once-over. The Regius he knew had always been clad in a white robe with his jet black hair hanging over his knees. On the other hand, this kind of Regius with blonde hair and black overall was utterly unfamiliar and strange. "You are… Regius? What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to leave together with Jillian and Izher?"
Lu Yizhou decided not to beat around the bush. "Dr. Feng, you are currently trapped in Cyrus' memory."
His face sank. "What—"
"Don't you remember?" Lu Yizhou tried to take the shortest method possible lest the man's condition became worse. "You are Dr. Feng, the Head Administrator of the most renowned research institute in Capital Planet. You created the first artificial intelligence and used it to build a simulator project. I, Lu Yizhou, am one of your patients. You have saved me and my lover Zachary." With each word he said, the man's face became increasingly paler and his thin shoulders trembled.
"I… I am… Dr. Feng?" He repeated in a daze. "Yes, that's right, I am…" Just on time, the man in his arms grunted in pain and he snapped back to his senses. He wrapped his arms around the obsidian dragon in a protective gesture. "No… Luan is injured because of me. I can't… I can't leave him here!"
"This is Cyrus' memory, the virtual character you created. Everything you are seeing now has already happened in the past," Lu Yizhou elaborated patiently. "Right now, Luan is alive and well. He is waiting for you outside. Have you never sensed his presence before?"
As if cued, Luan's voice echoed around them as if it had come from all directions. "Feng, please… come back. Come back to me, I beg you…"
Lu Yizhou struck the iron while it was hot. He stretched out a hand toward Dr. Feng. "Come with me. I will bring you to Luan. I promise."
He could see the gears spinning rapidly in the other man's head. He was confident that Dr. Feng would understand him. The reason why he was trapped in this place was because he was too deep inside Cyrus' memory, unable to extricate himself. But once he noticed an incongruity, everything would begin to fall apart. And he would wake up from this long dream.
Sure enough, Dr. Feng asked with a trembling voice. "Luan is outside? Waiting for me? He is… alive and well?"
Lu Yizhou hooked the corner of his lips. "If you don't believe me, why don't you follow me and see?"
Stunned, Dr. Feng stared at him for one long moment and Lu Yizhou returned with the most sincere and convincing look he could muster. In the end, the man gingerly reached out and placed his hand on Lu Yizhou's open palm. And as soon as Lu Yizhou closed his hand around him, he exclaimed, [Now!]
[666: Aye, aye, Host!!]
In the next second, the tranquil scenery around them was suddenly distorted as the ground vanished beneath their feet. They were falling…!
Lu Yizhou felt the same field of electricity zapping through his entire body, and he kept his grip around Dr. Feng's hand at all times lest they were separated. His ears were buzzing and he felt as if his entire body was stretched out like a rubber band. Nearby, Dr. Feng cried out, whether in pain or surprise – or maybe both.
"Hold on!" Lu Yizhou hollered. "It will end soon! You have to hold on until then!"
He had no idea how long they remained in this suspended space until in the next second, Lu Yizhou gave a jolt and his eyes abruptly snapped open! He drew in a sharp gasp, his blurry eyes gradually focusing on the flickering lamp above.
"They did it!" A hazy voice that sounded like Dr. Xiao sobbed out. "They really did it!"
There was a pitter patter of footsteps and before Lu Yizhou could prop himself up, a shadow suddenly pounced on him. "You idiot…" Zeke wrapped his arms around his body and wailed out loud, nearly hysteric. "You have really scared me!"
Lu Yizhou tried to speak when he suddenly discovered how dry his throat was. He coughed while patting his lover's back in comfort, "...How long?"
"... Almost ten hours," Zeke answered with a nasally voice.
Lu Yizhou was startled. He did not expect the rescue mission to take so long. No wonder Zeke reacted like this. Lu Yizhou felt amused yet distressed at the same time. He had vowed to never make this person cry again except for happy tears, yet here he was.
"Sssh, it's okay. Aren't I here now?" He tilted his head to look at the other medical cabin and saw Luan's back as he kneeled by Dr. Feng's side. The tall and powerful system's shoulders were trembling badly as he buried his head in the crook of Dr. Feng's neck. In response, Dr. Feng painstakingly lifted his hand and ruffled Luan's hair.
Lu Yizhou finally let go of his worry and embraced his lover tight, nuzzling his nose into his soft hair and inhaling his unique scent. "Everything will be okay now…"