Chapter 346: Controlling Divinity

At that moment Chen Xun was also quietly sizing up Lu Xin observing his every subtle reaction.

His expression remained calm and confident.

He could feel something, as if it was constantly trying to grab hold of him.

The feeling was like something flickering just beyond his sight, something he couldn’t quite make out.

An unnatural chill surrounded him, the sensation of icy blades scraping across his skin, indescribably uncomfortable.

Knowing he wasn’t an Ability User he decided to ignore these sensations simply watching Lu Xin intently.

Still, facing Lu Xin he wanted to appear calmer.

Across from him Lu Xin sat perched on a high stool his head bowed in unusual silence.

…

“I still have some questions for you.”

After a long moment Lu Xin finally lifted his head his gaze landing on Chen Xun’s face.

Chen Xun slowly raised his wine glass gesturing lightly towards Lu Xin while glancing at the stopwatch beside him.

Time ticked by second after second.

“They…”

Lu Xin paused for a moment before asking, “Where did they all go?”

“I don’t know.”

Chen Xun didn’t press for details; he knew who Lu Xin was referring to.

He simply answered frankly, “Only Little Nineteen stayed with me. Many others… couldn’t be saved.”

He added with something like a wry smile, “Honestly, you were too ruthless back then. You caused us immeasurable losses.”

“To be truthful I never favored this project from the start. It was the Teacher who insisted you had great potential. Even… even after you caused such a disaster he held firm refusing to admit you were just a failed creation!”

Project, potential, failure, creation…

The words pierced Lu Xin’s mind like steel needles.

Fragmented memories flashed through his mind one after another.

Pale lights a cold operating table indifferent eyes staring from behind masks.

And… excruciating pain being overwhelmed by emotion a little boy huddled crying in the corner of the lab.

…He suddenly remembered. During the Technology Church’s pollution bomb attack on Qinggang he’d heard crying, seen the shadow of a crying little boy in his mind. At the time he assumed it was an illusion caused by the pollution source.

Only now did he understand: it was his own memory.

…

Father and Sister’s faces were already twisted with fury.

It was the first time Lu Xin had seen such pure anger and hatred on their faces.

He could barely even hear what they were saying anymore feeling only the raw emotion battering against his sanity.

The feeling of recalling only half a memory was indescribably agonizing.

More and more images surfaced in his mind growing increasingly real yet always fragmented like a terribly edited movie unable to form a coherent story. It tortured him making him wish he could just dig the memories straight out of his brain.

“You…”

It took Lu Xin a long moment to speak again each word seemingly a struggle. “What exactly did you do to me?”

Chen Xun fell silent for a moment as if considering whether he could say.

After a while he said softly, “Just some treatment and enhancement-related work.”

Pausing slightly he shook his head gently. “It was the Teacher’s project so I don’t know the specifics.”

“Of course even if I knew I couldn’t tell you.”

…

After speaking he glanced at the stopwatch again sighing faintly.

A powerful wave of fury surged through Lu Xin; he felt the urge to crush Chen Xun’s head right then and there.

In his peripheral vision he even saw Father and Sister seeming to confer before slowly approaching. They flanked him one on each side gripping his arms as if wanting to control him make him kill Chen Xun immediately.

In that moment Lu Xin barely wanted to resist; he wanted to yield to their desire, to mince the man before him into paste.

But just as this fury flooded his mind another question suddenly occurred to him.

He snapped his head up looking straight at Chen Xun. “Your teacher…”

His voice trembled slightly. “Is our Old Director still alive?”

He remembered seeing File 003 which had speculated that the Old Director might still be alive.

At the time Lu Xin had subconsciously dismissed it thinking those people simply didn’t understand the orphanage’s situation and made an unreasonable guess. But now hearing Chen Xun’s words he suddenly caught onto something, and the implication instantly magnified in his mind.

Chen Xun seemed uninterested in him personally claiming Lu Xin wasn’t his project.

Then why did File 003 state that he had been monitoring Qinggang?

If in Chen Xun’s eyes Lu Xin was something to be abandoned long ago then who insisted on continuing after *that* incident?

…

Meeting Lu Xin’s gaze Chen Xun remained silent for a moment raising the wine glass slowly towards his lips.

“Answer me!”

Lu Xin stared at him and the air around them seemed to become heavy.

Chen Xun’s glass stopped just short of his lips.

An invisible force seemed to hold it back. He strained with all his might but couldn’t bring the glass any closer.

So he simply lowered the glass looking calmly at Lu Xin.

“I didn’t come here to receive your anger nor do I need to apologize to anyone.”

“You can take my life at any time or you can converse with me about questions I’m willing to answer.”

“But if you’re hoping to see fear or regret on my face to satisfy some cheap thrill…”

“Sorry.”

…

He smiled at Lu Xin. “If given the choice again I would still do the same.”

Lu Xin’s eyes were so red they looked like they might drip blood.

He watched Chen Xun in silence the air between them practically solidifying.

The candle flame had shrunk to its minimum point yet a tiny spark stubbornly remained refusing to die out.

Lu Xin truly couldn’t see any fear or apprehension on Chen Xun’s face.

He seemed utterly prepared calmly accepting whatever fury was about to come.

…

“Kaka…”

The shadows of Father and Sister flanked Lu Xin growing as if without limit.

They looked like two giants guarding Lu Xin lowering their heads to gaze down at Chen Xun.

“Roar…”

At that moment the distant sounds of gunfire and heavy impacts from deep underground abruptly vanished for several seconds.

Then faint screams began to drift up.

Even seemingly muffled by layers of earth the agony and terror in those cries were palpable.

The entire building trembled violently several times.

Chen Xun’s expression flickered; he suddenly snatched the stopwatch staring fixedly at it.

An intense undeniable joy spread across his face.

…

Lu Xin kept watching him watching his expression twist to an extreme.

The anger and grotesque feeling radiating from him made it seem like he might tear off his own skin unleashing a demon from within. This intense emotional fluctuation made even the nearby Skinned Dog cower in the shadows afraid to approach.

But seeing the involuntary smile bloom on Chen Xun’s face Lu Xin suddenly froze.

Instantly the expression on his face began to recede like a withdrawing tide.

Calm gave way to indifference.

Only the corners of his mouth slowly pulled wide revealing an expression resembling a smile.

This smile was very calm very natural.

“You two stop for now okay?”

He suddenly turned his head looking towards Father and Sister on either side and explained softly, “I know what I’m doing.”

Father and Sister snapped their heads towards him. This time neither spoke.

…

Chen Xun frowned slightly as well.

Lu Xin talking to his surroundings was within his expectations but it still felt unnatural.

Moreover Lu Xin’s smile and the calmness he displayed now were outside his calculations.

“I’m very curious. Why would you go so far as to deliver yourself into my hands?”

Lu Xin suddenly spoke with a smile his voice now devoid of any anger.

As calm as old friends chatting.

“I’ve already stated our pursuit.”

Chen Xun seemed to think there was no need to hide this. Simultaneously a joy welling up inside him created an urge to confide.

So he looked up at Lu Xin his gold-rimmed glasses flashing faintly in the candlelight and said softly:

“Then my purpose is naturally obvious too.”

“Perhaps Central City and the Moon Eclipse Research Institute believe I am creating gods but they underestimate me and they underestimate the Teacher.”

“We didn’t intend to create a god needing worship. What I wanted to create…”

He paused. “…is merely a controllable tool…”

“Can you imagine?”

He looked up at Lu Xin his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement:

“Can you imagine the greatness of fully utilizing the thirteen source mental powers and bringing *it* into the world?”

“No no my description isn’t accurate enough.”

“In fact these thirteen source mental powers were always going to descend descending in the form of a god!”

“This is something humanity cannot prevent…”

“But I changed the process!”

He said with a smile, “I made the god descend ahead of schedule but in a controlled manner…”

“Haha I became the first person in the world to control the power of a god…”

He was normally a calm person speaking methodically and clearly. But now feeling the vibrations from the distant underground world and the formless panic they induced his expression became fervent.

And proud.

“In the future the world will remember me. Of course it doesn’t matter if they don’t…”

“In short…”

He clenched his fist. “I am the first person to make a god bow to humanity!”

…

It suddenly became very quiet near the bar counter.

Both Sister on one side and the silent Shadow seemed affected by his words.

They looked up towards a certain direction their expressions turning exceptionally somber.

Their reaction now was so completely different from before that Lu Xin even wondered if the angry Father and Sister he saw earlier were fake illusions. Otherwise why would they become so enraged over such minor things?

Of course none of that mattered now.

Facing the fervent Chen Xun Lu Xin suddenly leaned in close whispering beside his ear:

“You think you’re doing something great?”

His expression turned mysterious. “Then I really want to ask you a question.”

“Creating a god makes you great then…”

“Who bears the consequences for creating a monster?”

…

Hearing Lu Xin’s words Chen Xun was slightly stunned.

He felt a slight discomfort in his body the joy in his heart rapidly dissipating.

He instinctively reached for the wine glass beside him.

Whether for celebration or because he no longer needed such restraint he needed that drink.

But Lu Xin suddenly smiled raising his hands.

Instantly two broken glass bottles flew from the shelf behind Chen Xun into his grasp.

Gripping one in each hand he lightly crushed them into sharp glass shards.

Then he slammed both hands down driving the glass through Chen Xun’s palms pinning them deeply into the bar counter.

Blood spurted out.

The candlelight flickered reflecting alluringly off the blood-stained glass shards.

Lu Xin dipped a fingertip into the mixture of blood and alcohol lifted it to his mouth tasted it lightly and frowned.

Then looking gently at Chen Xun he said, “Drinking isn’t good for your health. You really should quit!”

…

Chen Xun let out a muffled grunt then fell silent.

He endured the agony without crying out cold sweat beading on his forehead as he looked up at Lu Xin.

Lu Xin had already picked up his backpack stood up and turned walking towards one direction.

“Now wait here obediently for me.”

His voice drifted back very gentle. “I’ll go show you exactly where you went wrong!”