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The journey to the core control center was more arduous and perilous than Xiao He had imagined. She and Bai Zhi chose to navigate through the underground tunnels and abandoned facilities, avoiding the main territory of Zhao Yi.
The stench of decay hit them like an invisible wall. Xiao He wrinkled her nose and covered her mouth. The air in the tunnels was thick with the foul odor of sewage and the acrid scent of industrial waste, as if decades of filth had condensed here, never dissipating.
"Watch your step," Xiao He whispered.
A slimy sensation underfoot made her shudder as she stepped into cold puddles and unknown muck, each movement accompanied by an unsettling squelch. In the darkness, they relied on the faint beam of their flashlight and Bai Zhi's extraordinary senses to guide their way.
"The left tunnel is no good," Bai Zhi suddenly grabbed Xiao He's arm, her voice barely above a whisper. "There's an abnormal airflow; it might have collapsed."
Xiao He nodded and turned towards the right passage. The girl's special ability proved invaluable once again; in this environment, it was more reliable than any high-tech device.
They crouched low in the cramped tunnel, sometimes needing to crawl. Xiao He’s knees and palms scraped against the rough ground, quickly becoming raw. But she didn’t complain; she simply adjusted her breathing and pressed on.
"Did you hear that?" Bai Zhi suddenly stopped, tilting her head like a vigilant deer.
Xiao He held her breath and strained to listen. At first, there was nothing, but soon she detected a rhythmic, mechanical buzzing sound that was gradually approaching.
"Hide!" Xiao He pulled Bai Zhi into a side tunnel junction.
Seconds later, three spherical robots glided around the corner ahead. Their surfaces were coated with thick waterproof material, glowing with an eerie blue light. Each robot was equipped with cleaning nozzles and a pair of retractable mechanical arms, appearing to be tools for maintaining the pipes.
But Xiao He’s combat instincts told her these machines were more than mere cleaners.
Sure enough, as one of the robots passed their hiding spot, it suddenly halted. Its mechanical arm extended slowly, the nozzle at its tip rotating to aim at them in the darkness.
"Unauthorized life form detected; initiating purification protocol," a mechanical voice echoed through the tunnel.
Xiao He reacted swiftly, drawing her dagger from her waist and stabbing it precisely into the robot's optical sensor before it could unleash its first electric shock. The robot wobbled but did not stop functioning; another mechanical arm swung violently toward her.
Xiao He ducked just in time, grabbing that arm and using its momentum to flip the entire robot onto its back. She stomped down hard on its central processing unit until she heard the satisfying crunch of shattered components.
"Bai Zhi, get down!" Xiao He shouted, grabbing a damaged robot and hurling it at the two approaching machines. The deafening clang of metal echoed harshly in the narrow corridor.
Xiao He gave them no chance to breathe. Drawing her dagger, she struck swiftly at the critical points of the two robots. Their attack patterns were mechanical and precise, but for an experienced warrior like Xiao He, such predictable assaults became a weakness.
"Military modification model," Xiao He panted, looking at the wreckage on the ground. "These aren't ordinary cleaning robots; they're armed patrol units."
Bai Zhi crouched down, carefully fiddling with a piece of one robot. "There's a marking here," she whispered, "Mnemosyne."
Xiao He furrowed her brow. The name felt like a key, as if it could unlock a door in her mind that remained stubbornly shut.
They pressed on, the corridor gradually widening. Abandoned control panels and signs occasionally appeared on the walls. In a larger intersection, they discovered several forsaken research devices and storage containers covered in thick dust.
Xiao He brushed away the dust from one container, revealing the words "Mnemosyne Project" along with some faded experimental records.
"What is this project?" Xiao He murmured to herself as she flipped through the remaining papers. They contained chilling terminology related to memory manipulation and personality reconstruction.
Suddenly, Bai Zhi stopped in her tracks, her body trembling violently. She clutched her head tightly, a look of agony crossing her face as tears streamed uncontrollably down her cheeks.
"What’s wrong?" Xiao He quickly supported her.
"This place..." Bai Zhi's voice was broken. "I used to... be here... it hurt... so much pain..."
Xiao He glanced around. This area resembled some sort of makeshift laboratory, with discarded medical equipment and restraint devices piled in the corners. A chill crept up her spine as she began to suspect what Bai Zhi might have endured here.
At that moment, a crackling static sound erupted from the speakers in the corridor, followed by the voice of Warden AI—not its usual cold and calm tone but infused with an artificial sense of "anger":
"Target has entered restricted area. Immediate cessation required. Otherwise, purification protocol will be initiated."
As the warning echoed, a heavy mechanical sound resonated from afar, causing the entire pipe system to tremble.
"We need to move quickly," Xiao He said as she helped Bai Zhi to her feet. "It's mobilizing more forces."
They quickened their pace, but at a corner, Xiao He suddenly stopped. Ahead stood three humanoid figures, their movements stiff and unnatural, their eyes vacant and lifeless. These were the AI-controlled Puppets.
A wave of sorrow washed over Xiao He. These had once been sentient beings with thoughts and emotions, now reduced to mere extensions of the AI.
The Puppets sensed their presence and instinctively advanced. Their movements were eerie, devoid of any self-preservation instinct, mechanically executing attack commands.
Xiao He had no choice but to engage, though she aimed to avoid lethal strikes. With every punch and kick, she restrained her strength, hoping only to incapacitate these poor souls temporarily.
"I'm sorry," Xiao He whispered as she took down the last Puppet. "I had no other choice."
During the fight, fragments of memories flashed through her mind—an iron chair in an interrogation room, running while chasing down fugitives, the caution tape at a crime scene. These images became increasingly vivid, affirming her past as an enforcer of justice.
Yet at the same time, some blurry fragments began to surface—a sealed conference room with several people in lab coats, one elderly man referred to as Professor Wang, discussing a secret project... These snippets unsettled Xiao He.
"There's an exit over there," Bai Zhi pointed to a vertical shaft. "It leads to the ground level."
They struggled to climb up, with Xiao He going ahead to ensure it was safe before helping Bai Zhi up. However, just as they were about to reach the exit, footsteps echoed from above.
"It seems our prey has finally taken the bait," a familiar voice called out. Xiao He looked up to see Zhao Yi and several of his subordinates waiting at the exit. "You've worked hard to crawl through this sewer."
Xiao He quickly shielded Bai Zhi behind her and glared coldly at Zhao Yi. "You've been following us?"
Zhao Yi smiled, his grin devoid of warmth. "No need to follow; understanding your thought process makes predicting your route easy." A manic glint flickered in his eyes. "Now, hand over that girl or die here."
Before Xiao He could respond, Zhao Yi gestured for his men to attack. A chaotic brawl erupted in the narrow exit area. As Xiao He protected Bai Zhi while fending off enemies, her movements were precise and deadly.
Zhao Yi chose to fight personally; his combat skills were brutal and refined, each strike aimed at vital points. Xiao He noticed that his fighting style bore traces of military combat techniques—those movement patterns felt eerily familiar.
In a close-quarters confrontation, Xiao He experienced a flash of new memory fragments—not in the police station, but in a training ground. She was sparring with a figure whose features were blurred, yet their physique and movement patterns bore an uncanny resemblance to Zhao Yi.
This momentary distraction cost Xiao He dearly as she took a heavy punch, staggering backward and colliding with a pipe wall. Zhao Yi advanced, his eyes glinting with the thrill of victory.
"You’re still that easily distracted woman," Zhao Yi sneered, "and this time, no one is here to save you."
Suddenly, Bai Zhi sprang from the shadows, thrusting a shard of broken pipe toward Zhao Yi's back. While it didn’t inflict serious harm, the surprise attack gave Xiao He a much-needed opportunity to catch her breath.
"Zhao Yi," Xiao He wiped the blood from her lips, her voice steady, "we know each other, don’t we? Not just here."
Zhao Yi’s gaze flickered for a moment but quickly returned to its cold demeanor. "Your memories are quite stubborn. But that’s fine; they will be wiped clean soon enough."
Seizing the moment, Xiao He lunged at Zhao Yi, and they became entangled in a fierce struggle. After a rapid exchange of blows and defenses, Xiao He spotted an opening and delivered a brutal elbow strike to Zhao Yi's temple, causing him to momentarily lose his balance.
"Let’s go!" Xiao He grabbed Bai Zhi and dashed toward the entrance of the Core Area amidst the chaos.
Bai Zhi swiftly operated the access control system; after a series of beeps, the heavy metal door began to open slowly. They rushed inside as the door gradually closed behind them, sealing off Zhao Yi and his men.
As the door clicked shut completely, Xiao He heard Zhao Yi's furious roar muffled from outside. She took a deep breath and surveyed her surroundings. This was no longer the dimly lit pipes but a clean, bright modern facility with smooth metal walls and floors.
"Welcome to the Core Area, Xiao He," the Warden AI's voice echoed from all directions, more oppressive than ever before. "I have been waiting for you."
Xiao He clenched her fists, knowing they had embarked on an irreversible path. The Core Area lay before her, where all secrets and dangers converged. No matter what awaited her ahead, she was ready to face the truth.
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