Chapter 105: Lu Xin’s Stand

Lu Xin’s response caught everyone present completely off guard. For a moment both the channel and the high wall fell utterly silent.

They couldn’t quite grasp why Lu Xin would suddenly ask them to withdraw from the mission.

The decision to pull Lu Xin out stemmed from the concern that a necessary order might trigger something in him, given his already high loss-of-control risk. After all, at headquarters preventing a Mr. Lone Soldier from losing control often took precedence over mission objectives.

But why was Lu Xin asking *them* to withdraw?

…

…

After a deathly silence Tie Cui’s voice came through the channel: “We need to report this to our superiors first.”

Lu Xin’s voice sounded strained yet calm as he replied, “Okay. As soon as possible.”

…

…

“Reporting latest developments on the mass Wailing Wall incident below the South City High Wall of the Second Satellite City.”

“A super-massive Mental Monster has appeared.”

“Growth rate: Extremely rapid.”

“Threat level: C-level. Addendum: Potential to rapidly escalate to B-level or even higher.”

“Proposed solutions: Research Institute’s super-plasma bomb is ready. A-level Special Task Force is assembled and awaiting deployment.”

“Three ministers from the Special Pollution Treatment Center have signed off. Large-scale extermination methods can be used at any time to eliminate the Mental Monster.”

“Cost: …”

“Recommendation from external personnel Mr. Lone Soldier of the Second Satellite City Special Action Team: Requesting withdrawal of all on-site Special Action Team members and South Wall patrol guards. He will handle the situation alone. Conditions: No observation, no approach, no recording.”

“Requesting instructions!”

…

Through Qinggang City’s radio network Tie Cui’s report quickly reached the desks of many.

Currently positioned at the Jiujiang Road intersection Chen Jing was using her ability to rapidly turn waves of polluted individuals into her puppets, sealing off a large area while awaiting the Support Team’s arrival. Hearing the report her expression instantly became fraught with tension. “This was Mr. Lone Soldier’s idea? What is he planning?”

At Qinggang City Headquarters Minister Shen, roused from sleep to take command, gripped his walkie-talkie. He had been about to order the A-level Special Task Force to proceed to the Second Satellite City with the super-plasma bomb but heard the report just in time.

His hand tightened on the walkie-talkie veins popping as he growled in a low voice, “What is that madman trying to do?”

Within the Research Institute, in a room sealed with various types of special glass Professor Bai, clad in a white lab coat, stood before an experiment table covered in clear plastic accepting a file.

Before him lay Special Pollution Source 041-1, the corpse of “Qin Ran” excavated from the lakebed. The corpse had now been dissected various parts arranged in different dishes.

“This is the latest information obtained from our recent investigation into the Red Moon Orphanage Explosion Incident from ten years ago. Due to the passage of time and severe loss of original records our investigation has been slow but the current materials already reveal certain things.”

A man in a special Security Hall uniform reported, “Regarding the events of ten years ago Mr. Lone Soldier lied.”

Professor Bai flipped through the materials his expression betraying no surprise.

At that moment the nearby walkie-talkie repeated Tie Cui’s report and request.

“Should we follow Mr. Lone Soldier’s recommendation and withdraw from the mission? Requesting instructions.”

“Withdraw from mission? Requesting instructions.”

“Requesting instructions.”

…

Professor Bai remained silent for a moment, setting the file aside and turning to look at the dissection table.

Then he answered softly, “Approved.”

Simultaneously Chen Jing’s response came through the walkie-talkie: “I trust Mr. Lone Soldier. Approved.”

At Qinggang City Headquarters a secretary-like figure addressed Minister Shen, “Considering the current situation whatever the Special Action Team member codenamed Mr. Lone Soldier intends to do, the outcome is unlikely to be worse than our proposed plan. Therefore…”

Minister Shen grunted heavily glancing at the stopwatch nearby.

The numbers on it were changing rapidly.

Each tick represented countless deaths.

He grit his teeth slightly his expression turning stern, his eyes fierce. “I approve as well!” he declared firmly.

“However the Special Task Force will remain on standby ready to eliminate the threat at a moment’s notice!”

…

…

“Approval received from headquarters. Preparing to withdraw from the mission now!”

Tie Cui’s steady voice sounded in the channel: “Includes Special Action Team members and garrison troops. Execute immediately!”

“Clatter!”

On the high wall Gecko’s expression turned complicated. He looked at Lu Xin from afar unsure what to say. Beside him the soldiers stationed on the wall were clearly stunned. Their training and regular discipline had always emphasized one principle: never withdraw without authorization no matter what; protect the high wall at all costs.

Now under threat they were being ordered to withdraw prematurely. This was a first.

Seeing their Captain shouting orders they scrambled into action their movements tense.

Amidst the high tension only Han Bing managed a quiet word before the channel was cut:

“Mr. Lone Soldier be careful!”

…

Lu Xin nodded silently not realizing Han Bing couldn’t actually see his nod.

Then he pulled off his headset, removed the camera from his chest and stuffed it into his pocket.

He looked towards the Mental Monster watching its volume swell. It was now tens of meters tall. Its increased size had noticeably slowed it down but it continued its relentless forward movement. With each shift dozens of people were enveloped, their mental entities extracted and fused into its own mass making it even larger.

The detector had been beeping insistently for a long time but Lu Xin hadn’t paid attention.

He didn’t know if the Mental Monster had surpassed four thousand… or maybe five thousand by now?

He just forcefully slammed the detector onto the ground and crushed it underfoot feeling irritated by the sound.

…

…

“Hiss…”

Looking up the surroundings were bathed in the faint red glow of the moonlight.

Above the heads of the countless weeping figures a human-faced monster tens of meters tall and twenty or thirty meters long crawled onward.

The people in its path showed no intention of resisting simply waiting quietly.

Gecko and the city patrol troops even the Investigation Team at the perimeter had all withdrawn from the mission.

Even Lu Xin just stood quietly at the edge.

From Lu Xin’s perspective only Sister was still chasing the Mental Monster, energetically digging at its rear with her bottom sticking up.

But the damage she could inflict was negligible.

She seemed particularly determined to handle the monster herself perhaps afraid of making Lu Xin angry.

But Lu Xin glanced at Sister sensing her helplessness.

So he slowly began to walk forward.

As he walked a slight smile appeared on his face as if his mood had lightened somewhat.

Sister busy digging at the monster suddenly turned her head looking at him with a wary expression.

Further away Lu Xin could faintly sense Father pacing anxiously his eyes fixed intently on the doorway.

But Lu Xin didn’t look at Sister just then. He simply walked forward through the crowd of people collapsed on the ground.

“What are you planning to do?”

Amidst the tense suffocating atmosphere that left one’s mind blank a gentle voice suddenly sounded.

Lu Xin paused slightly turning to see a white dress fluttering under the Red Moon.

She stood just two or three meters away carrying a small bag on her arm wearing a colorful wide-brimmed hat a black fine-knit sweater and a string of lustrous milky-white pearls around her neck. Dressed exquisitely and appropriately she smiled gently at Lu Xin.

Lu Xin froze for a moment slowly turning his head to look at Mom the smile still lingering on his face.

Mom smiled back at him. Separated by seven or eight prone corpses they looked at each other quietly.

…

…

“I need to deal with that monster!”

Lu Xin was silent for a moment before slowly raising his hand pointing towards the giant human-faced monster his voice calm.

“I also want to find the people who designed all this and ask them properly why they did it.”

“After asking I’ll deal with them too!”

…

As he spoke he looked earnestly at Mom. “You won’t stop me right?”

Mom’s smile became even more refined something hidden in her eyes. “Why would I silly child? I support you completely…”