HAGLTP Chapter 22.1

Even with a map, reaching the spot marked with an “X” in the upper right corner is not an easy task.

This level is heavily guarded, and all of them are aberrants, numbering quite a lot.

The three of them have no experience in combat with aberrants, but Xiao Lu, who is familiar with the original plot, knows that the combat power of aberrants is not inferior to that of ability users, and in terms of ability control, they may even surpass the current ability users.

There are also flaws; as invaders, the Xinghui are not adept at controlling human bodies, and at times they can appear quite bizarre. For example, Xiao Lu saw an aberrant crawling on all fours pass by. However, this will soon be completely overcome.

In any case, directly confronting so many aberrants head-on is not a wise choice.

After all, this is not a game; aberrants won’t just stand there waiting for you to assassinate them. Once a mistake occurs, there is no option to reload; they only have one chance.

After carefully avoiding a patrol of aberrants, the three of them hid in an unguarded corner. This place happened to be in the blind spot of the guards’ line of sight, making it a temporary safe haven for rest.

Xiao Lu flipped through the map: “We are currently in the middle, and we still have half the distance to the upper right corner.”

He quietly surveyed the surrounding environment; the guards in this section were clearly more numerous than before, making it naturally more difficult to get through.

His gaze fell on the high beams above, which crisscrossed and almost covered the entire ceiling. There was no one stationed there, making it a shortcut, but getting up to such a high position was not easy.

“Are you thinking of going up, Brother Lu?” Huang Sansheng asked tentatively.

Xiao Lu turned his head: “Do you have an idea?”

“Sort of,” Huang Sansheng nodded, wiping the sweat from his palms on his pants. “I have an idea, but I’ve never tried it before, and I’m not very confident…”

The more he spoke, the smaller his voice became, and he even regretted bringing it up.

He had always been somewhat useless; he wasn’t good at studying or sports, and he had no hobbies worth mentioning. Even doing housework was a struggle, so it was no wonder his mother was so worried about him before she died.

Now, at such an important moment, he actually wanted to experiment with a new idea. What if he failed? What if his mistake led to everyone being discovered? He would be blamed.

He wished he hadn’t said anything.

Seeing the chubby boy fall silent, Xiao Lu was not impatient. He gently patted the boy’s drooping head and said softly, “Just say it out loud; it might be a good idea.”

“Well… it’s just…” Encouraged by Xiao Lu, Huang Sansheng tried to organize his thoughts, “I want to try using my ability to enlarge something, but not like usual where everything gets bigger. I just want to make it taller, so… we can go up like in an elevator.”

After saying that, Huang Sansheng lowered his head, waiting to be scolded.

It had taken him several weeks just to master his ability, and to come up with a new application in such a short time was simply a dream. It wouldn’t work; it definitely wouldn’t work.

But unexpectedly, he heard Xiao Lu’s voice filled with laughter: “Isn’t that a good idea?”

Huang Sansheng looked up and saw that Xiao Lu’s face showed no anger, nor was he being sarcastic; there was only genuine amusement and encouragement: “Give it a try.”

“What if I fail?” Huang Sansheng instinctively asked.

Xiao Lu replied, “If it doesn’t work, we can think of another way. We have each other; at worst, we just take care of anyone who sees us.”

Ye Qi also looked at him, still with that calm gaze, which somehow made people feel at ease.

Huang Sansheng had never been trusted like this in his life. Suddenly, a surge of ambition filled his heart, and he wanted to pull off a genius-like maneuver to impress his teammates.

And then…

Xiao Lu looked at the twisted steel pipe in front of him, which had a very postmodern artistic style, calmly unwrapped a piece of chocolate, and handed half to Ye Qi, who accepted it and quietly ate.

“Don’t worry, keep going.”

Next came a brick that looked like a roasted chicken, a box that resembled an indescribable substance, and a wooden table with eighteen legs…

The closest to a finished product was a mushroom-shaped stone, but unfortunately, it was a golden needle mushroom, which looked delicate and could not bear the weight of nearly four people.

Xiao Lu rested one hand on Ye Qi’s shoulder, watching with great interest, and didn’t forget to praise: “Ah Huang, the art world needs talents like you.”

After saying that, he grabbed Ye Qi’s hand and silently made a clapping gesture, as if inviting Ye Qi to join the encouragement team.

Ye Qi let him act.

Huang Sansheng: “…”

Although he was praised, why did he feel so embarrassed?

…

…

“Okay, okay…” Huang Sansheng looked at his creation, his face full of disbelief.

Ahead, a plain stone slab had transformed; it grew straight up, looking like a stone pillar, just barely stopping at the height of the beams.

Using his ability again, the stone pillar shrank back into a stone slab.

“Well done, you succeeded so quickly.” Xiao Lu stood up with a smile, stretching his arms. “Don’t always focus on what you’re not good at; you have your own talents.”

Huang Sansheng’s eyes widened, feeling for the first time that he could be associated with the words “talented.”

“Let’s go, our strongest support.” Xiao Lu and Ye Qi stepped onto the stone slab in turn, waving at him.

The three of them stepped onto the stone slab, which rose steadily under Huang Sansheng’s ability, sending them up to the beams. Afterward, Huang Sansheng used his ability again to shrink the stone slab and take it away, leaving no trace behind.

Below them were the patrolling aberrants, and the three of them walked above their heads, feeling a thrill akin to being thieves.

The guy behind the scenes wanted to play a game; it was only natural for them, as players, to exploit bugs and skip levels, right? Who told him his game wasn’t rigorous enough?

·

They were about to reach the location marked on the map.

Xiao Lu scanned the surroundings and noticed that the situation had changed again. Logically, the closer they got to an important location, the more guards there should be, yet there seemed to be fewer here.

He didn’t believe this was a lapse in arrangement; this place was specifically marked, so it shouldn’t be overlooked. The only possibility was that there was something here that the person behind the scenes believed could contend with or even surpass a large number of guards.

However, as they advanced, no sudden attacks occurred.

Finally, they reached the marked location on the map, but below was an empty corridor, and at the end of the corridor were two closed doors that looked like an elevator.

This time, Huang Sansheng also sensed something was off: “I have goosebumps.”

“Be careful; there may be something more troublesome than the patrolling guards below,” Xiao Lu warned in a low voice.

The three of them descended from the beams, with Xiao Lu leading the way toward the corridor.

The moment he stepped onto the corridor, a row of indicator lights suddenly lit up beneath his feet, all arrows pointing forward, and the elevator opened simultaneously, as if welcoming his arrival.

There was no doubt now; the new “level” was definitely below the elevator.

Above the elevator, a surveillance camera hung there without concealment, connected to a pair of eyes lurking in the shadows.

Xiao Lu looked up and met the gaze of the red-lit camera. Sensing his attention, the camera swayed up and down, as if nodding in greeting.

Xiao Lu’s response was to extend his hand and raise his middle finger, a gesture wishing the other party good health and all the best.

In the next moment, a flash of light passed, shattering it into pieces.

·

There were no further surprises in the elevator; the three felt themselves descending, seemingly to a very deep place.

The doors opened.

Unlike the previous few levels, this one was darker, and the guards were nowhere to be seen. As far as the eye could see,

metal pipes were exposed, and the air was filled with a mixture of unknown metals and oil, exuding an industrial vibe.

The ceiling was high, making the space feel exceptionally vast, and every step echoed.

The three of them fell silent, cautiously advancing.

Suddenly, music drifted from ahead, as if someone was playing the piano.

It started with a slow, gentle rhythm, like a large ship sailing on a calm sea, a light breeze stirring shallow ripples, with a hint of unsettling melody mixed in, like hidden undercurrents beneath the surface, yet the overall melody still sounded soothing.

Soon, the tempo began to quicken, as if the sailors on the ship were encountering trouble, trying to escape the entangling undercurrents, rising and falling with the rhythm.

“This is… ‘Undercurrent Sonata.'” Thanks to the original owner’s identity as a musician, Xiao Lu immediately matched the melody with the title in his memory.

Huang Sansheng looked at his expression: “Brother Lu, is there something wrong with this piece?”

Xiao Lu looked ahead: “The piece itself is fine; it’s a famous piece from a hundred years ago, but its meaning is not very good.”

“How bad is it?” Huang Sansheng asked.

The passionate melody and the deep notes intertwined and fluctuated, gradually collapsing, signaling that the sailors were becoming exhausted, the ship losing control, and ultimately facing complete defeat.

The waves tore away the facade of peace, revealing the most ferocious and savage side, roaring towards them.

Xiao Lu continued walking forward, his tone calm: “Total annihilation.”

In the end, the waves shattered all hope, and the melody returned to its initial gentleness, as if the sea, a beast sated from devouring lives, closed its eyes, resting quietly, waiting for the next round of prey to arrive.

Even without having learned an instrument, Huang Sansheng felt the unease and fury conveyed in the music, instinctively shrinking his neck.

Using this piece as background music was a warning to them.

Huang Sansheng glanced at Xiao Lu, who walked with an air of confidence, and Ye Qi, who remained as steady as a mountain, feeling that his own performance at this moment was somewhat lacking.

In the spirit of keeping the team together, he tried hard to stretch his neck and puff out his chest, striding forward behind the other two.

Ahead was an open platform, and the person playing the piano came into view.

It was a girl in a red dress, around 14 or 15 years old, slender in build, her fingers nimbly dancing across the black and white keys. Her thick black curls were styled into twin ponytails, tied with ribbons into bows.

The girl was beautiful, but upon closer inspection, something seemed off.

There was a long stitching scar on the side of her delicate face, as if this face did not originally belong to her but had been detached from someone else.

The girl’s gaze was also very vacant, showing no sign of being immersed in the music; instead, it was hollow, like a finely crafted musical automaton.

“Tap—tap—tap—”

From the other end of the platform, footsteps approached at a leisurely pace.

Xiao Lu looked over, and the newcomer was a boy in a red suit, about the same age as the girl at the piano, wearing a similar style.

Not only that, but the two also bore a striking resemblance; the boy’s features appeared sharper, with a bit more heroism, and their builds were similar, suggesting they were twins.

The boy also had a stitching scar on the side of his face, just like the girl.

He walked to the piano and stopped.

The girl also ceased playing and stood up.

Their movements were surprisingly synchronized, and the two similar yet eerie faces mirrored each other, their vacant gazes directed at Xiao Lu and the others.

“Aberrant 001, congratulations on arriving here.” A polite male voice suddenly echoed, sounding courteous.

The twins’ mouths, however, did not move.

“Who?!” Huang Sansheng jumped in fright, looking around, but there was no one else nearby.

Xiao Lu’s gaze fell on the piano; the voice was coming from there. This world had no settings for ghosts or monsters; it should just be a sound system installed.

Playing tricks.

“Get to the point,” Xiao Lu had no interest in listening to his nonsense.

“Hehe, don’t be so impatient. I’ve arranged for my most beloved Alice and Iziel to welcome you.” The man continued at a leisurely pace.

“Alice is a musical genius; if nothing unexpected happens, she will enter the Yao City Music Academy in September and become Director Lin’s disciple.”

Yao City has become a renowned music city, and the Yao City Music Academy has played an indispensable role in this. It is the cradle of countless musical talents, producing many top musicians and becoming a holy place in the hearts of music lovers.

However, being able to enroll at such a young age, even becoming the director’s disciple, is a talent that ordinary people cannot compare to.

Unfortunately, such a talented girl had now turned into a rigid automaton.

“Iziel is also a good child, exceptionally gifted in figure skating, having won an international championship at a young age.”

“When I learned that ‘I’ had two such carefully nurtured children, hehe, I was very pleased.”

Xiao Lu noticed his wording; a normal person wouldn’t suddenly discover they had raised two children. Only those who compete for shells would say such things.

The guy behind the scenes was indeed an aberrant.

The man’s introduction continued: “Both children are excellent, with great talents. They are the first batch of successful products from the experiment, and as a reward for completing the mission, they have become my exclusive gifts.”

“But I still have a bit of dissatisfaction.”

“My Alice looks a bit fierce; I hope she can be more gentle and beautiful, just like—her brother.”

“So I helped them exchange faces and gave them new names. You see, aren’t they much more perfect now?”

The man’s tone rose, filled with satisfaction, as if he was genuinely pleased with his creations.

Huang Sansheng covered his throat, nearly feeling sick from listening.

Occupying someone else’s body and using the original owner’s children for experiments, and after the experiments, casually altering their bodies according to his whims.

Were the Xinghui really this cruel?

He gazed at Alice and Iziel.

The twins were about the same age as him; if they were in the same school, they would surely be the kind of campus figures that ordinary students could only look up to. Perhaps they wouldn’t even have the chance to speak to each other, but when other students reminisced about their youth, their memories would always include these two shining figures.

They should have a bright future, not be treated like two toys to be manipulated.

Xiao Lu looked at Huang Sansheng, whose face was pale. Although Ah Huang appeared somewhat silly, he actually had the softest and kindest heart.

“If I had known you were just spouting nonsense, I shouldn’t have wasted my time listening.”

A glow ignited at his fingertips, shooting towards the sound system hidden beside the piano.

A spark flew, and the voice from the sound system became fragmented: “How… rude…”

“…let Alice and… Iziel… entertain you…”

“Full… attack—”

The previously motionless Alice and Iziel received the command, and star patterns suddenly appeared on their bodies.

Alice was the first to attack; her whole body crackled with electricity as she charged towards Xiao Lu in her finely crafted high heels.

As she moved, the skirt of her dress fluttered, and the girl’s dark hair traced beautiful arcs in the air, creating a near-dance-like beauty. But her fingers, like claws charged with electricity, were deadly, resembling a killing machine cloaked in elegance.

While Xiao Lu defended against her attacks, he observed this so-called “experiment completion product.”

Her physical abilities were strong, far exceeding that of an average teenage girl, even comparable to some close-combat ability users. Her combat reflexes and judgment of human weaknesses were exceptionally precise, unlike what a teenage music student should possess.

Most importantly, he did not see any implanted star crystal patterns on her body.

This was completely different from the artificial ghouls they had seen before. Were they not using star crystal patterns, or had they employed some new technology?

Dodging a claw that grazed his cheek, Xiao Lu seized an opening and aimed a knife-hand strike at her neck, hoping to temporarily incapacitate her.

But his hand met cold skin, surprisingly hard, almost feeling like it wasn’t human flesh at all.

Alice, struck in a vital spot, showed no reaction; instead, she took the opportunity to gather her fingers, preparing to stab Xiao Lu with her sharp fingertips.

Realizing the danger, Xiao Lu adjusted his weight to evade the strike and then kicked out, sending Alice flying back a distance. Her body was quite heavy; he couldn’t tell what kind of modifications she had undergone.

Before Xiao Lu could straighten up, Iziel moved.

He pulled a knife from his waist, but strangely, Iziel did not use it as a weapon; instead, he drew the blade across his own skin.

A deep cut appeared on his wrist, and a thick, dark liquid dripped from the wound, forming a long black line.

In the next moment, the black line seemed to come alive, constantly changing shape in the air, even altering its texture, faintly gleaming with a metallic sheen, and in an instant, it transformed into a chain.

The chain quickly took shape, connecting to Alice.

Suddenly, blue and white electric arcs flickered along all the chains.

Alice charged at Xiao Lu again, and after connecting with her brother, her speed increased significantly, and her attacks became even more ferocious, engaging Xiao Lu in close combat.

Iziel continued to cut himself, rapidly forming another chain.

The electric chain swept heavily towards Xiao Lu, and it was easy to imagine the consequences if he were hit.

In an instant, Xiao Lu found himself caught between two threats.

“Hehe… Alice and I… together… are the strongest…” The sound quality from the sound system had become fragmented, but the man’s pride was still audible.

An ice-blue barrier silently appeared in the path of the advancing chains, blocking them from Xiao Lu.

“Bang——————”

The chains struck the barrier hard, sending electric arcs and ice-blue shards flying, interrupting the chains’ advance, but the barrier also shattered under the dual assault.

Ye Qi let out a muffled groan.

“Take my ultimate move!” Huang Sansheng, who seemed to have no presence, also joined the battle. He used the ability he had just learned to grab a steel bar and made it longer, aiming to stab Iziel from behind.

Iziel remained unmoved, cutting himself again, and the black blood transformed into chains, sweeping towards the steel bar.

“Ding—”

Huang Sansheng immediately felt a tremendous force hit him, and the steel bar slipped from his grasp, sending him flying backward, headfirst into a corner, kicking up a cloud of dust.

“Ah Huang!” Xiao Lu, who was entangled with Alice, caught sight of this scene.

“Cough, cough… I’m fine.” Huang Sansheng was on his butt, lying on a pink oversized pillow that looked like a crooked imitation of a famous cartoon character.

In that moment of crisis, he had managed to pull out a pillow and enlarge it just in time, avoiding a potentially fatal crash onto the hard ground.

Though his face hitting the ground hurt a bit, he hoped his big face hadn’t flattened.

After this experience, Huang Sansheng deeply realized that he was not suited for direct combat; he was better off as a long-range support.

Brother Lu was right; everyone has their strengths, and there was no need to force himself into unsuitable roles.