Chapter 442: Gateway to the Abyss

Inside the S-level forbidden zone, the little face of the Doll looked up at Lu Xin.

Her lips curled slightly, as if about to smile, though the smile was strained.

Lu Xin could feel her soft body trembling from pain. Even though a distorted mental force field separated them, the surrounding psychic radiation was wildly violent, like countless beasts roaring as they crept closer…

Calm, familiar mental energy alternated with wild, agitated force.

Even with his distortion force field expanded, Lu Xin couldn’t keep all the psychic radiation from reaching the Doll. It was like trying to push back the entire sea while underwater. More importantly, there was a trait in the Doll that even she couldn’t control.

This unique trait created a mutual attraction between her and the surrounding psychic radiation.

No matter how strong his distortion force field became, it couldn’t block that pull.

Yet he could feel her pain growing ever more real, his heart overwhelmed by an unfamiliar emotion.

From uncovering the true nature of that museum to suddenly losing his family in this wasteland.

And then enduring the agony of blades piercing his body, bearing the crushing weight of mortal suffering.

Lu Xin was a man of few words.

That pain and sorrow, once gone, seemed to have been washed away by a stream, leaving no trace.

But that was only an illusion; every emotion and feeling remained deep in his heart.

Just as past experiences may vanish, a faint scar always lingers in life.

Occasionally, that scar would ache.

……

“It’s working…”

At the same moment, on the other side of Happy Town, a motorhome was slowly moving outward.

Amid the massive psychic turbulence, Qin Ran and the Tech Priest in the coach were no strangers to such sights.

Yet they couldn’t help but frown. “How immense must this psychic force be?”

“Can we really handle such an outpouring of psychic power once it goes out of control?”

“…This could easily demolish an entire city, couldn’t it?”

“…”

The Old Man, his cap pulled low, chuckled and said, “Don’t be so petty.”

“You all act like small-time bosses who just made a few tens of thousands, suddenly glancing at a city’s financial report.”

“So you daydream that if I got all the city’s money, I’d be filthy rich?”

“But in truth, as long as you cling to that small-boss mentality, you’ll never grasp real wealth.”

“…”

Qin Ran and the Tech Priest coughed briefly before nodding in sorrow.

“Our experience might be limited, but I can’t help being curious…”

Qin Ran looked at the Old Man and asked, “Under such a terrifying level of psychic power, why haven’t those two died yet?”

The Old Man chuckled, “There’s always a process…”

“So…”

Qin Ran nodded and continued, “I want to know, who is that man prolonging the process…”

“…where does he come from?”

“…”

The Old Man turned to gaze out the window and, after a moment, slowly smiled.

……

In this chaotic sea of psychic turbulence, Lu Xin’s vision was filled with illusions.

It was the nature of the turbulence—assaulting the mind from every angle with endless hallucinations that unfolded like grand theatrical scenes, complete with exaggerated voices and gestures desperately conveying some message.

Though it appeared lively, an overwhelming loneliness gradually seeped from within.

Suddenly, Lu Xin felt utterly exhausted.

So drained that it went beyond fatigue—a complete, numbing emptiness.

Everything felt hollow; why force anything to fill the void?

He couldn’t decide which of the many churning emotions to release as he stared at that dark red world.

His gaze was calm; his expression, subdued.

It was as if nothing in this world had anything to do with him.

He simply lowered his head to look at the Doll cradled in his arms.

At that moment, her little hand clutched his collar tightly, her body already devoid of strength.

Lu Xin could precisely sense that the Doll was teetering on the brink of collapse.

Perhaps being so close had accelerated her approaching breakdown, turning it into a personal countdown.

On Lu Xin’s face, there was no trace of joy, anger, or urgency.

He just held the Doll quietly, waiting indifferently for that critical moment to arrive.

At the same time, he silently wondered what he should do next.

……

“Chitchitchi…”

Just then, a sound of rubbing mental energy suddenly echoed around him.

About a meter away from Lu Xin, a vortex abruptly appeared. In the midst of the chaotic psychic turbulence, the orderly formation of this mental energy vortex caused uncontrolled friction and interlacing.

Fortunately, the vortex was remarkably stable, and slowly, a black cap emerged.

Out popped an Undercover Unit. As soon as it appeared, its cap nearly got blown off.

It quickly clutched its cap and looked up.

One glance in his direction made the small smile on its face vanish, and it turned to run.

But as soon as it did, Lu Xin’s steady gaze fell on its back. The Undercover Unit froze, then awkwardly turned around, forcing a feigned, insincere smile.

Carefully, it edged closer to Lu Xin until suddenly it raised something.

Unexpectedly, it was a small tape recorder.

It widened its eyes and signaled to Lu Xin with a look of deference and awe.

Lu Xin glanced at it and nodded.

Instantly, the Little Monster exhaled in relief, quickly grabbing its nearly-lost cap, biting it to hold it in place, freeing its hand, and pressing a button.

It signaled briefly before pressing the button again.

The tape recorder whirred to life. At first, its sound was raspy, but soon an anxious voice emerged.

“Single Soldier, remember my words below.”

It was Chen Jing’s voice: “Now we understand the purpose of the Technology Church. Consider this an information bulletin:”

Lu Xin’s expression shifted as his eyes focused on the tape recorder. “Based on our data, we’re over 80% sure that the Technology Church’s final evangelization plan—and the key term ‘Psychic Fortress’—is to build a gateway to the Abyss and trigger an unprecedented large-scale psychic pollution terror event.”

“What you see in the bottle can be understood as a parasitic ritual. They are using an ability to pilfer not only the Happy Town Queen’s powers but also her identity, body, and even her soul.”

“At the core of it all is the Happy Town Queen; only she can control that psychic radiation.”

“The key is the psychic turbulence…”

“The Technology Church’s current method deliberately disrupts the residual psychic energy around the Happy Town Queen—energy they can’t even fully control—and, by leveraging the Doll’s trait, transfers this energy onto her, pushing her beyond her limits.”

“Right now, the only way to save the Doll is to guide her, teaching her to release all the psychic energy.”

“Only then can we relieve the pressure she endures and prevent her from losing control.”

“…”

At that moment, Lu Xin’s eyes brightened slightly as his attention fixed back on the recorder.

“However, this step was already part of the Technology Church’s plan.”

“Previously, the Armed Forces that lured you to the wasteland—many of whom have had their minds altered—will, when stimulated by massive psychic energy, call forth the Monsters from the Abyss. So if the Doll releases that psychic turbulence into the wasteland, the entire area around Happy Town will become a haven for psychic monsters.”

“And the Technology Church will seize the opportunity to capture the Queen’s powers and identity, crowning themselves the kings of these psychic monsters.”

“By then, every settlement, even Qinggang, will become part of Happy Town.”

“The entire North will fall under the Technology Church’s covetous gaze.”

“This is the Technology Church’s Psychic Bastion Plan.”

“…”

Listening to all this, Lu Xin’s heart sank slightly.

Earlier, his investigation mission was to uncover the true purpose of the Technology Church.

But now, while Chen Jing had broadly explained their true aim, she had also snuffed out the spark of hope that had just ignited in him. Ironically, the only way to save the Doll was part of the Church’s own plan.

Even with the full disclosure of the Church’s purpose, he still had no solution for the girl in his arms.

His brows furrowed, a flicker of resolve sparking in his hollow gaze.

“So, our suggestion now is…”

At that moment, a deep breath resonated from the tape recorder, followed by Chen Jing’s resolute voice:

“Have the Doll release that psychic radiation immediately!”

“…”

“…”

“What?”

Chen Jing’s words shocked Lu Xin; he thought he had misheard, especially since she had just mentioned the consequences of releasing the psychic radiation…

“Our Support Team in Qinggang has arrived, and Professor Bai along with the researchers are ready.”

Chen Jing’s tone was calm, yet Lu Xin detected her steely resolve and even a hint of finality:

“Protecting the Doll is paramount.”

“We don’t know what dreadful plans the Technology Church has in store, but we will prepare accordingly.”

“So, have the Doll unleash a psychic impact toward the West immediately!”

“Don’t worry about the consequences.”

“We’ll be right outside. We’ll handle everything that comes our way!”