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墨書 Inktalez
Xiao Guolin shook his head. "The consequences won't affect you. They only apply to me."
"Old Xiao, we are both Awakeners. How could it not affect me?"
A shadow flickered in Xiao Guolin's eyes, as if the light streaming in from behind me dimmed the entire room.
"You and I are different from anyone else; you are an Awakener."
"How do you know? How do you know I can't leave here alive? Why can't I leave? Who told you?" I bombarded him with questions.
Indeed, I couldn't understand, nor could I comprehend. The transformation of energy absorption was already incredible enough; thus, the idea of being unable to leave here was even more unfathomable. Was it that I couldn't walk out, or would leaving mean death?
"I know, and that's enough. Where I got this information from is irrelevant." For the first time, Xiao Guolin clearly refused to answer my question.
"It was Song Guilong who told you, right?"
"No, this has nothing to do with him. He led me to an exit and urged me to leave immediately; it was my decision to stay behind and search for others. You can't blame Song Guilong; he desperately wanted me to get out."
"Did he dig that hole?"
"No, he discovered it by accident. He speculated that it was excavated by the ancestors of Lop Nur. Not all Robor People are willing to serve their gods; rebellion has existed since ancient times. A group of Lop Nur ancestors organized the excavation of an escape or hiding passage while constructing underground facilities, but for some reason, this passage was left unfinished."
"What about him? Where did Song Guilong go? Wasn't he with you?"
"He vanished. Just as mysteriously as he appeared. His presence was solely to lead me to the exit, and then he disappeared."
My expression conveyed disbelief. My eyes and mouth widened in astonishment as I looked at Xiao Guolin.
"Disappeared? You mean 'poof' it's gone?"
"Not quite that dramatic, but close enough. I think it was like a gust of wind, or... an illusion. It flickered in the beam of my flashlight a few times, as if to throw me off from catching up to it, then it dashed away in the direction of my flashlight. Faster than fast motion, just a few frames, and it completely vanished outside the beam."
"Stronger than you... stronger than Cao Mingzhe?"
"Yes." Xiao Guolin nodded solemnly. "Stronger than me, stronger than what you've seen... stronger than the current Cao Mingzhe. It seemed like..."
Xiao Guolin hesitated, as if weighing his words, or perhaps he was uncertain about some information.
"Song Guilong has controlled the Eternal Gate and gained the greatest power?" I picked up on Xiao Guolin's vague statement.
"How could you think that?" Xiao Guolin asked, surprised.
"Cao Mingzhe's Old Cao judged that Song Guilong might have gained the recognition of the Eternal Gate and controlled it."
"No one can control the Eternal Gate!" Xiao Guolin stated firmly.
"What exactly is the Eternal Gate?" This question had troubled me for too long. I hoped to get an answer from Xiao Guolin.
Xiao Guolin shook his head. "If it is a door, then it is a gateway to hell, a portal to communicate with demons. Destroying it, destroying everything here, is the only way to ensure the safety of our world. This is my destiny; let me fulfill this mission. You and Xiao Ting should not be involved."
"You know I am an Awakener; do you know what an Awakener's ability is?" I pointed at myself and asked Xiao Guolin.
"I know." Xiao Guolin's gaze grew dimmer. "That's why I hope you leave here as soon as possible. Otherwise, it will endanger everyone."
Xiao Guolin's words left me confused. Through the Hakka People, I understood that an Awakener's ability was to destroy the Eternal Gate.
Although this was considered the least useful ability among all Awakeners, in this place, deep underground in Lop Nur, my ability was the greatest assurance for destroying the Robor Desert Eternal Life Gate. The fact that Xiao Guolin wanted me to leave contradicted his intention to destroy the Eternal Gate.
Why?
I shifted my gaze away from Xiao Guolin's face; it was too distracting for my mind to focus.
Wasn't Xiao Guolin's intention to destroy the Eternal Gate?
It seemed unlikely. He had me bring down the Antimatter Bomb. There was no way to preserve everything here. It was even irreversible; once the Antimatter Bomb was brought down, everything here was already doomed. The only uncertainty was whether we could survive, depending on whether we could escape before the Antimatter Bomb exploded.
What was going on? Why did he want me to leave?
Suddenly, a possibility struck me.
I looked at Xiao Guolin and asked, "You know what the Awakeners' ability is, right?"
Xiao Guolin stared at me without blinking. "Yes, you know it too. Don't you?"
"Of course. The Awakeners' ability is to destroy that damned Eternal Gate. That ability is incredibly powerful."
Xiao Guolin looked at me expressionlessly, then fell silent for a moment before speaking in a very soft voice, "Who told you that?"
As expected, my suspicion was confirmed. Even if Xiao Guolin didn't say it outright, I could sense that he didn't believe the Awakeners' ability was to destroy the Eternal Gate. Only this could explain why he insisted I leave.
If the Awakeners' ability had nothing to do with destroying the Eternal Gate, then my presence here was unnecessary; based on his abilities, he could handle everything alone.
"It's from the Hakka People. The Hakka Girl I mentioned earlier. She awakened a prophetic ability; she can foresee the future. In one of her visions, I destroyed the Eternal Gate."
"She lied. Or perhaps she doesn't have prophetic abilities at all. In any case, she didn't tell you the truth, or... this is a trick by the Hakka People."
I thought for a moment and shook my head. "Then tell me, what is the Awakeners' ability? You, the Hakka People, Old Cao—all of you acknowledge that I am an Awakener and believe that Awakeners are the most powerful of all; so tell me, what makes me so special?"
"I don't know. But I know I can't let you get close to the Eternal Gate. So, you have to leave and destroy it. Let me handle it; I'm more confident than you."
I stared at Xiao Guolin's terrifying face and asked sternly, "Who told you I can't approach the Eternal Gate? What will happen if I do? What will occur?"
"Song Guilong," Xiao Guolin replied.
Our voices grew louder, with Xiao Guolin clearly doing it on purpose, and I was affected by his intensity. Of course, fear also played a role.
The Hakka People were adamant about my ability to destroy the Eternal Gate, and Cao Mingzhe acknowledged this ability as well. Yet here with Xiao Guolin, my capability was being denied. Moreover, the one who initiated this denial was none other than Song Guilong.
This reminded me of a speculation Cao Mingzhe had about Song Guilong. He controlled the Eternal Gate.
If that were the case, he would be the last person who wanted me to approach the Eternal Gate. He would defend his power and his Eternal Gate.
(To Be Continued)
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