Flores Wanda’s private meditation room was naturally the most heavily guarded place in Sero Ancient City.
For example, the main door was clearly made of military-grade armor, and it was also fitted with some unknown mechanism.
Even though there were no guards now, it couldn't be easily breached by force.
At least, the Dragon Rider armor of a miscellaneous squad leader that Yu Lian was wearing had no weapons capable of destroying it.
Thinking of this, he directly pulled out his Lightsaber.
The brilliant light blade cut into the armored door as easily as a hot knife through tofu, with almost no sense of resistance.
The armored door began to glow red, and the hard metal peeled away little by little like melting wax.
Half a minute later, a passage wide enough for a person in power armor to pass through was formed.
Behind the door was surprisingly an elegantly decorated porch, in the style of the Commonwealth’s marine architecture, resembling the entrance hall of a high-end club or resort villa.
Creating such a high-class living environment in the ancient and weathered Sero Ancient City must have taken considerable effort.
It seemed Flores Wanda truly didn't shortchange himself, but at his core, he was also a straightforward and unpretentious person!
“Left side, the first one…” Shi AA’s emotions had returned to calm, as if the previous sadness was just an illusion.
Yu Lian didn't stop, directly pushing open the small door on the left, revealing a flight of stairs.
At the end of the stairs was a sizable laboratory, roughly three to five hundred square meters, with various high-tech facilities neatly arranged.
Ignoring the computers, test tubes, petri dishes, and other sophisticated machines, the most conspicuous item was a large crystal cabinet in the center of the room, filled with turbid liquid, making it difficult to see anything else clearly.
Yu Lian twitched his nose and sighed.
His physical fitness and senses could hardly be considered those of an ordinary human now, and his sense of smell was also enhanced, so he naturally smelled the foul odor from inside.
It was a nauseating and heart-palpitating stench formed by the interweaving of strong acid and corrosive fumes.
Wanda would never allow these parasitic primordial worms, full of unknown information and vast knowledge, to fall into enemy hands.
He would definitely make arrangements before retreating.
He might not be able to take away so many parasitic primordial worms, but by sending one or two loyal subordinates to add a little something to the crystal cabinet, he could completely clean up the loose ends.
“Concentrated acid has been poured into the tank,” Yu Lian told Shi AA.
“I see.
Indeed, in that case, it’s impossible for any of our kind to have survived,” Shi AA said.
His emotions remained very calm.
“I think… this scene might be too horrifying for you, right?
Perhaps I should turn off the visual sharing,” Yu Lian said.
“…Don’t worry, my moral values are different from those of you mammals.
Through neurons, we can share knowledge and information.
In a sense, all of our kind are one mind, one body, one virtue.
Therefore, as long as one individual exists, our species has not perished.
As long as the species has not perished, they have not died either.”
Why make even being stubborn sound so problematic? Yu Lian thought.
Don’t be ridiculous, don’t I know you parasitic primordial worms?
Knowledge and information can only represent objective data, not subjective cognition.
Sharing information is merely your way of communication, but each worm has a different consciousness, different values, and is a distinct and independent individual.
From this perspective, what difference is there between you and us upright, social, intelligent beings?
So, why can’t you be sad?
“I think you can have a good cry!
Anyway, only I am here, and it’s not a sin for a man to cry.”
“Firstly, I don’t have tear ducts.
Secondly, I am not a man.
We primordial worms have no gender.”
“Oh, then just mourn in the way you wish.
Don’t refuse, and don’t pretend to be strong!
Empathy and sympathy are actually also signs of intelligent beings; you should understand that.”
Shi AA was silent for a moment, this time not objecting: “…Thank you.”
Yu Lian once again felt the deep sadness of this parasitic primordial worm.
It was indeed sad, but unlike humans, this sadness carried a sincere longing, yet without the heartbreaking pain and yearning.
At least concerning death, these mollusks were much more at peace than the upright mammalian carbon-based life forms.
It didn't mourn for too long, and its emotions quickly recovered: “Here, and the adjacent stargazing room and data room, should contain some useful information for you!
I’ll take you there.”
Yu Lian nodded, but then said, “You told me before that Wanda only unearthed a portion of your kind, and most should still be dormant in the secret laboratory left by Count Salwen.
Where is that place?
Somewhere on Lumina Planet? Or New Seville?
Now, can you tell me?”
For a period of time, Shi AA had been very cooperative, willing to answer all of Yu Lian’s questions, but this was the only exception.
Yu Lian hadn't actively asked, and Shi AA hadn't actively spoken, and the man and the worm seemed to have a tacit understanding in this regard.
But at this point, it was indeed time to be frank.
“…May I ask?
What do you need us to do?
Research tools? Test subjects? Or weapons?”
“Heh, I’m already at the Three Rings, and I also control the Soul Labyrinth.
Although we are communicating directly through thoughts, it would be quite easy to deceive you,” Yu Lian said.
“I know.
So I can only hope for your character,” Shi AA’s emotions fluctuated, revealing a pitiful plea and a desolate sadness.
Yu Lian felt that, based on its ability to create emotional atmosphere, this guy must be a top-tier “rhetoric” master and diplomat among its own kind.
However, what could a true man not show others?
He had no intention of deceiving the other party, so he said, “Probably non-typical researchers.
Your kind’s own neural network is the largest shared database.
Also, I know your expertise is in biology, and you have excellent innate computational abilities.
Such abilities would be very effective in other scientific fields as well.”
“We have no imagination; we can only construct what we have seen.
Because of this, the Creator thought we were actually failures,” the slug-worm said.
“Tsk, you already have such distinct cognition and individuality, why care what that Creator said?
You are still here, where is he now?”
Shi AA fell silent.
Yu Lian continued, “I’ve always had a wild dream: to see this universe return to the right track of scientific development… Yes, I believe that even psionics should be part of science.
But some people have mystified and occultized it.
So, don’t you think the universe has actually fallen into stagnation?
The last time you awoke was in Count Salwen’s era, the era when Grand Emperor Ilansel had just ascended the throne… That was truly a great era of upheaval!
However, 150 years later, today, when you awoke, have you noticed any qualitative changes?”
Shi AA remained silent.
It felt that it was just a parasitic primordial worm, and it was fine for him to study proper natural sciences.
Those improper social sciences and philosophy were truly beyond its capabilities.
Of course, at least he understood that the other party was not treating himself as a test subject.
“The pioneers and Explore of every era have a heart that urgently wishes for change!
Your Creator should be the same… So, Davarish Shi AA, will you come along?”
“…I didn’t quite understand,” Shi AA’s emotions appeared incredibly sincere.
“…”
“I told you, we have no imagination; we can’t imagine things we haven’t seen.
So, please let us see.”
“…The laboratory where the rest of our kind are dormant is near Xiashan, Lumina Planet.
The specific coordinates are 127W, 47N; these are Imperial planet map coordinates.
When you get near there, you should see three upright peaks.
When their shadows overlap, the entrance activation procedure will start.
The password is ‘All souls are void, all things are real, truth is one,’ and it must be recited in Imperial Court language.”
“…What a chuunibyou slogan, and I somehow feel like I’ve heard this phrase somewhere before.
Hmm, where could it be? Yu Lian’s heart sank.
His experience told him that any words, passwords, or even phrases that sounded a bit familiar but he couldn’t quite recall, were almost certainly suspicious.
“This is all I know,” Shi AA indicated that it truly knew nothing more.
Yu Lian chose to believe the other party, so he temporarily suppressed his doubts and began to get busy under Shi AA’s guidance.
Flores Wanda had indeed sent his subordinates to clean up the aftermath, but perhaps due to haste, it wasn't completely cleaned.
Yu Lian cracked the other party’s information terminal and found some not-so-important documents.
For example, deposits totaling 430 million letter star in two secret bank accounts; evidence of dealings and transaction records between the Wanling Sect and some Commonwealth politicians and businessmen; and parameters and activation cycles of some unstable gravity wells in the Far Shore Nebula.
“You’ve been a great help!” Yu Lian was ecstatic, feeling that this parameter list was definitely the biggest gain of the day.
In a sense, this could even be regarded as a digitized star map.
“…This actually only contains a very small portion of the Far Shore Nebula data.
I know much more detailed information than this,” Shi AA said.
“What I know might not be worse than yours.
But this is the best excuse!
Don’t understand? Heh heh, my slug-worm friend, you still have much to learn.”
Subsequently, Yu Lian found three unopened 50-year-old Saint Venerable wines and a box of top-grade Green Court Bay torpedoes with two already smoked, which further confirmed that Flores Wanda was indeed a genuine, down-to-earth man who respected his desires!
In comparison, a small bag of Imperial gold dragon coins found in a hidden compartment under the sofa could be considered an extra.
What a fruitful harvest!
At this moment, Flores Wanda naturally didn't know that his remaining assets had been emptied.
Even if he did, he would be helpless.
Now, having just escaped the shockwave of light and heat, he sorrowfully glanced at Ke'ermo, who was smoking and lying motionless on the ground.
He wanted to quickly retreat back into the passage but found himself with nowhere to go.
The moment the landmine exploded, a bolt round also whistled and hit the entrance of the passage behind him, causing the tunnel to collapse instantly.
Immediately following, there was a dense hail of bullets, raining down on the shield deployed by the nanomachines.
For a Five Rings Master, the kinetic impact from this much gunfire was nothing, but it was certainly frustrating.
“This is the final warning! Flores Wanda! You are surrounded, please lay down your weapons and surrender immediately!” a voice drifted from afar, accompanied by gunshots.
