MASG chapter 71

 

Green Lake has always been an important landmark in HuTi City. But what exactly is hidden beneath it?

Every day, countless tourists came to visit. They climbed the tall tower to overlook the city. From this vantage point, one could gaze into the endless mountain ranges and the deep-blue bay and take in the most expensive real estate in the city.

The buildings were not inferior to those in Qingyao City and were made of countless neon lights and high-tech materials. The wealthy people living nearby were extremely proud. When they sat at home and looked up at the tower, they were escorted and protected by countless drones.

If they knew that they had lived alongside a giant cocoon all these years, and that the water they swam in and drank was the cocoon’s cooler, one wonders what they would think.

When Xia Yu stood at the entrance of the tower, he pondered this question.

Liu Fangfang had disappeared, and the guard at the tower entrance was gone. A broad path opened before them. This colorful glass bridge was brighter than any facility on either side. Its flowing lights attracted people to step onto it.

“Everyone must be careful.” Being the oldest in the team, Silver Fang naturally walked at the front. “Once we enter the tower, we’re entering the cocoon’s territory. We currently know too little about it, so we’re at a disadvantage.”

“Maybe the cocoon can brainwash people,” thought Xia Yu. “107 and Doudou, maybe you two should stay on the aircraft?”

Mi Dou thought seriously for a moment. “Alright, I can’t help much anyway. If I drag everyone down, that would be bad. 107, do you want to go?”

107 quickly shook his head. After all, he had only just been rescued less than a day ago, and his physical and mental state required rest. So Mi Dou stayed behind to take care of him. Meanwhile, Xi Ban and Silver Fang led the team, followed closely by Mo An and Xia Yu, who stepped onto the glass bridge.

The moment they stepped on it, the glass bridge produced a strange vibration.

“Ho, that thing knows we’re here,” Mo An said, rolling his shoulders.

“Why do you sound like you’re happy about it?” Xia Yu stayed alert to both sides. The water was calm and clear.

Mo An grinned. “Meng Qingqing said that’s how sirens are—the more dangerous and exciting it is, the happier they are.”

“I can confirm that Meng Qingqing is definitely that kind of fish,” Xi Ban added, strengthening the claim. “If she and Talos hadn’t gotten stuck in the Black Sea, they’d definitely be here now. Those two would never miss a good time.”

Xia Yu was curious. “How did they meet? And what exactly is Talos?”

“What Talos is… I can’t quite tell you yet, but I can tell you this: he’s not human. Xi Ban stopped walking, listened carefully to his surroundings, and only continued after confirming everything was fine. “He’s someone you shouldn’t look directly at. He can communicate with Leviathan. At the very least, he’s a rare species or a being on the same level as monster species.”

“He… he’s a rare species?” Xia Yu had never expected this. From the first moment he met Talos, he had treated him as a human!

“He can enter Power Plant No. 3, so he can’t be an ordinary person. Besides, his experience with Meng Qingqing is baffling. Meng Qingqing was rescued near the Black Sea by his ship. Although it was accidental, the fact that he could rescue a siren means that Talos is far from ordinary.” Xi Ban broke into a cold sweat when he recalled that scene. Not because he was worried about Meng Qingqing, but about Talos.

Given Meng Qingqing’s temper and the number of sirens, Talos must have been in a miserable state, barely surviving in the hands of her sisters.

By the time they finished talking, the four had already reached the entrance of the tall tower. They had no mood or time to continue discussing Talos and Meng Qingqing. They raised their vigilance to the highest level. The moment they entered, they began to sweat profusely.

Jingwei: [Indoor temperature has already exceeded 40 degrees. Be careful.]

“I’m fine,” said Silver Fang, who could tolerate the heat the best. “I even installed an extra body-temperature regulator just for situations like this.”

Jingwei: [Right now the ones who feel the worst must be Mo An and Xi Ban. Mermaids aren’t afraid of the cold, but they don’t like the heat. Are you two okay?]

“Even if I feel bad, I can’t go back, right? I’ll just endure it.” Mo An’s breathing grew heavier. Mermaids are deep-sea creatures, and icy water is their most comfortable environment. Xi Ban also felt uncomfortable, the heat waves attacking their skin affected their respiratory system as well.

There was only one elevator in front of them that looked just like the one Xia Yu had used to escape the research institute with Mo An.

Jingwei: [Based on our deduction, the elevator must go downward.]

Mo An stood directly in front of the elevator. His tall, slender shadow was seemingly imprinted on the elevator doors. “Naturally. The cocoon must be underwater. I don’t believe it would release heat from the highest place in HuTi City.”

Everyone thought the same thing. Xia Yu opened the elevator doors and stepped inside with Silver Fang. As everyone entered, the doors slowly closed. There was only one button that went underground.

Next to the blue button was a line of small text: Underwater Exhibition Hall.

“Blue button… is the cocoon blue?” Xia Yu became unexpectedly nervous as he pressed the button. “Mo An, if the cocoon is blue, you must be careful. Listen to all my instructions.”

“You’re exaggerating. It’s just a prophecy.” Mo An had never seen Xia Yu so jumpy. But his own heart was already overgrown with grass, growing wild under Xia Yu’s soft voice.

He looked at Xia Yu, taking in all his concern for him. Xia Yu didn’t seem to have changed much since he was young. Yet, it also felt like he had. He had grown taller, stronger, and smarter. As a captain, he now had a large team. If not for the YeHuai mess, Xia Yu would have been a qualified, outstanding, and dazzling captain.

So Mo An especially wanted to know if he himself had changed in Xia Yu’s heart.

More than anything, he wanted to know if Xia Yu’s feelings toward him had changed.

He liked Xia Yu. He didn’t want to be just the younger brother anymore.

The elevator descended rapidly. Because of the extreme speed, Mo An felt his heart race. But when the elevator stopped, his heartbeat still hadn’t returned to normal. It couldn’t all be blamed on the elevator, it was his own problem.

His heart was wild; it had grown grass.

“Xia Yu.” Mo An, whose heart was overgrown with grass, swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. His voice was muffled by his mask, but his eyes clearly showed his intention. “There’s something I want to tell you.”

“What?” Xia Yu asked, adjusting the improved blood-bullet gun Mi Dou had made. He looked up and his gaze crossed with Mo An’s.

At that moment, the elevator doors opened. A cool gust of air conditioning filled the cabin, blowing away the restlessness in Mo An’s heart. Forget it. Saying this now didn’t seem like the right time, so he changed his words. “After we deal with the cocoon, there’s something I want to tell you in person.”

“Why did you say that?” Xia Yu panicked and hit him with the gunstock. “You’re not allowed to say things like that!”

“All right, all right, I won’t say it.” Mo An rubbed the spot where he had been hit, pretending to be in pain. But inside, he was filled with joy.

However, his joy didn’t last long because the moment they stepped out of the elevator, they saw Liu Fangfang.

Jingwei: [Accessed HuTi City high-tower underground level -10 sightseeing area cameras. Areas 1 through 10 checked: no anomalies found.]

“Check the lake water.” Xia Yu ordered quietly.

The underwater sightseeing area was circular. In HuTi City, circles had already become a symbol—even the floor tiles of Chen Jiehao’s residential building were circular. There were circular high-end districts, a circular lake, a circular tower… Now, all around them was transparent curved glass. Separating them from the water of Green Lake was just one layer.

Xia Yu imagined that if they had come during the day, the view beneath would have been clear and bright green. But it was nighttime now, and through the windows, only pitch blackness could be seen. It was not only suffocating; it also made one feel as if a pair of eyes were constantly staring at them.

Jingwei: [Accessed outer-layer underwater cameras of the high tower’s underground sightseeing area. No anomalies.

Strange, Xia Yu looked at Liu Fangfang, who was standing straight ahead. Since the cocoon wasn’t inside or outside, could it be inside Liu Fangfang?

“Liu Fangfang!” Silver Fang was the first to break the fake calm. “Where is it?”

Liu Fangfang was still wearing the uniform of a High Tower staff member. It was easy to see that she had once been a beautiful woman. She had an ordinary yet good start to her life, taking things step by step. She built a family and gave birth to a child. Ten years ago, her happiness ended abruptly.

Now, she had a withered appearance. Not because her face was thin, but because she no longer had a will to live.

“What are you looking for?” she asked numbly.

“You already knew,” Silver Fang continued, negotiating. “We’re looking for it to prevent a disaster. If you knew what it would evolve into, you definitely wouldn’t think it’s worth protecting.”

Silver Fang reasoned with emotion and logic, gambling that she still had human consciousness. “Have you seen the news? A terrifying insect disaster happened on the outskirts of Qingyao City. The bug that flew into the sky was the one you put into Ma Jiayuan’s body. Its appearance killed innocent people, and even now, there are people with severe injuries waiting for limb replacements in the hospital.”

“I saw it,” Liu Fangfang answered each of Silver Fang’s questions precisely. “Honestly, I didn’t expect it to grow that big. I don’t know if Ma Jiayuan took too good of care of it or if I took too poor of care of them. When they were with me, they were very small.”

Them!

A cold sweat ran down everyone’s back. The situation had changed! There wasn’t only one cocoon, but lots of them!

Xia Yu stared at Liu Fangfang, afraid her stomach would rupture and release countless cocoons. Mi Dou’s guess was verified once again — YeHuai was not the only one. If Mo An killed Number One, then there was Number Two, Number Three, Number Four, Number Five, endlessly… A plague was the rider that could never be fully killed.

“What are you afraid of? What are you nervous about? Shouldn’t you be happy about the birth of my child?” Liu Fangfang took a remote out of her pocket.

She pressed it lightly. The ceiling in the center of the hall rose vertically, lifting the platform beneath it. The platform continued to rise. Apparently, this place wasn’t just for sightseeing; it also had a circular underwater entrance. The high tower must normally offer diving services, and people probably exit through here.

Beneath the platform hung an enormous mass of clotted blood, resembling a giant wasp nest. At first glance, it looked like a single body, but upon further inspection, one could see that it wasn’t just one… cocoon.

Some of the cocoons had already taken form and were as big as a human head. Others were small, like eggs. The cocoons had some sort of mysterious neural reaction to Liu Fangfang. When she approached, every cocoon began to turn, eager to get close to her.

“Another child is about to be born.” Liu Fangfang was intoxicated.

“Don’t be silly!” Xia Yu interrupted her fantasy. “You’ve already been brainwashed by the insect!”

“No! I haven’t!” Liu Fangfang quickly turned around and placed both hands on her chest. “You haven’t seen them call me ‘Mama’! You don’t understand this kind of feeling. They are my children! My child isn’t dead!”

“Your child already died at the hands of Moruote. He isn’t a child, he’s an insect.” Xi Ban could always sense others’ pain, and this empathy made him speak up. “Your child is gone. If you don’t wake up, he’ll leave in unrest.”

Liu Fangfang cursed him bitterly. “Liar! Beast! Nonsense! My child isn’t dead!”

“They’re insects!” Xi Ban raised his voice, trying to wake her up. “They’re using your grief over losing your child. They’re not medicine to comfort you—they’re poison! They can’t possibly see you as their mother. You are only their stepping stone to the next host’s body. You are only their stepping stone!”

“Enough! Enough!” Liu Fangfang covered her ears, and suddenly, she calmed down. “Listen, listen. The child is calling me. ‘Mama,’ ‘Mama,’ that’s the voice. Yes, that’s my child’s voice.”

She closed her eyes, intoxicated, her arms tightly hugging her body as if she had once again held her long-lost child in her arms. This time, she would not let go. No matter the cost, she would not lose him again. Not even the terrifying Moruote could separate mother and child. She gave birth to him—even death could not take him from her.

Because a mother is the gate of life.

Liu Fangfang opened her eyes again, tears flowing as she looked toward the cocoons.

Xia Yu and the others covered their ears. What kind of insect would call “Mama”? The cocoons were emitting sharp cries, sounding like hundreds of children screaming at once. The platform began to shake. Clearly, the cocoons were extremely angry.

“I’m sorry. Mama didn’t bring anyone this time. She didn’t have time to bring anyone this time.” Liu Fangfang walked closer and closer to the cocoons. “If you’re not satisfied with them, come to Mama. Come, return to Mama’s arms.”

The insects continued to shriek, making Xia Yu feel as if his eyes would split open. His blue-water-colored pupils were ringed with red blood vessels as if stabbing into his eyeballs. Enduring the pain of the noise, he raised his hand and pulled the trigger of the blood-bullet gun. The bullet hit the shell of the cocoon and bounced off, completely intact.

Plop — it fell into the water.

Was the cocoon shell this hard?! Xia Yu had made a mistake. He suddenly remembered the biochemistry Mi Dou had mentioned: insects are most vulnerable in the cocoon stage because they cannot move or eat. To survive, they make the cocoon shell extremely hard.

He had guessed that it would be hard, but he hadn’t expected it to be this hard!

At that moment, a mature cocoon fell into the water. After sinking for a few seconds, it somehow “swam” back up.

Can they swim? Mo An’s ear piercings unknowingly bled faint blue blood — noise could also be a powerful weapon. When the cocoon drifted to the edge of the platform, an excited Liu Fangfang scooped it up and hugged the wriggling cocoon, kissing it repeatedly.

Next, she placed the cocoon on top of her head.

Six sharp insect legs burst out of the cocoon and wrapped tightly around her head. With one fierce twist, her head came off.