Chapter 420: Wild Ride Through the Wasteland

This is what it feels like to go for a ride.

The wind blows freely while the car races ahead.

After the rain, even the sunlight seems to carry a unique, damp allure.

Winter is nearly over, and hints of green now peek through the withered, yellow weeds.

The sound of tires rolling over hardened asphalt and gravel is almost jubilant.

The girl beside him laughed as if she’d never felt so free in her entire life.

Even the growing, frenzied crowd in the rear seemed rather endearing at this moment.

Amidst the noise, shouts, and even the occasional cries…

A sea of people surged from all directions, clattering like struggling fish flailing on the shore.

Lu Xin sped down the highway, feeling as though he were parading in a celebratory procession, while the little princess beside him basked in adoration. He was merely the driver, navigating her through the bustling masses.

Everything felt simply wonderful.

That is, if he hadn’t known that those people would tear the little princess to shreds.

……

The plan was glaringly successful.

Lu Xin mused that he might have underestimated the doll’s charm.

His strategy was to drive the doll around, drawing attention from various armed factions.

After all, he had a well-tuned modified car, and since the doll could fly, he never had to worry about her getting lost in the crowd. Even if mishaps occurred, his family’s abilities—and the doll’s own—would handle things well.

No matter how you looked at it, the plan was destined to work.

The armed forces surrounding Happy Town would easily be lured away.

At minimum, it would create a huge breach.

But when it came time to execute, he found it need not be so complicated.

At the first armed faction, the doll appeared for thirty seconds before Lu Xin sped off to the next camp. With the first group frantically closing in, there was hardly any time at the second camp—the doll barely stayed for ten seconds before it was time to leave.

Yet even at the second site, the armed personnel were drawn in, chasing the car wildly from behind.

Then came the third, the fourth…

Lu Xin was surprised to realize he didn’t need to follow the previously arranged schedule with Chen Jing and the others so strictly.

He no longer had to ensure the doll made an appearance at every stop on exact timing. He could clearly feel a sort of force field emanating from her, growing ever stronger. As soon as the modified car entered a certain range of an armed camp, her influence extended to them, drawing them in.

More precisely, Lu Xin had first assumed he was just fishing, only to discover he was netting his catch.

An indescribable force field now enveloped an area of at least three kilometers—and it kept expanding.

Lu Xin felt as if he were carrying a magnet while endless magnetic dust swirled around him.

Behind the car, the number of pursuers continued to grow.

At first, Lu Xin worried that if they fell too far behind, their momentum would break and they’d snap out of their frenzy, retreating back to the edge of Happy Town.

But he hadn’t anticipated that their zeal would far exceed his expectations.

According to the observations Chen Jing relayed via channel, countless figures—some even without visible shadows—were desperately in pursuit. It was as if, even without sight of the doll, their instincts still tracked her.

“This must be a force akin to a field…”

Lu Xin thought to himself, marveling as he sensed the subtle shifts in the mental energy surrounding them.

Qinggang hadn’t been wrong— the doll’s abilities were continuously improving.

In the past, she needed to be seen before she could draw anyone in.

But now, she could extend her power much like a field, diffusing her ability outward.

……

“Her potential is remarkable…”

Mom sat in the back of the modified car, while Sister squatted nearby, her eyes filled with a hint of resentment as she watched ahead.

Sister felt she should be the one enjoying this fun ride with Lu Xin at the front.

“I can literally feel the mental radiation growing denser and its reach expanding,”

Lu Xin nodded and said, “Is it all triggered by her ability?”

“She hasn’t even activated her power yet.”

Mom laughed, replying, “It’s just her nature. Wherever she is, who controls the mental power ceases to matter.”

Lu Xin was taken aback for a moment, a slight smirk tugging at his lips as he glanced at the doll.

She understood Mom’s words and suddenly realized something.

All along, Qinggang had misunderstood her.

Those expert professors in Qinggang always believed that the doll had to be heavily protected because she couldn’t control her power. Their primary focus was on teaching her control.

In reality, the doll had always been tirelessly restraining and controlling her ability.

Her increasingly potent negative impact stemmed from her growth rate outpacing her control limits.

Her power was just too overwhelming, and the collateral damage was immense.

Realizing this, Lu Xin felt a surge of sympathy for the girl.

She had always been working so hard…

Yet no one could quite understand her, assuming she was just dimwitted.

It was no wonder that when he let her break free of her restraints, she appeared so elated.

She’d been suppressing herself so harshly on a daily basis.

……

……

“Phew…”

Just as Lu Xin was about to remind the doll to rein in her ability for better control, he suddenly fell silent. Instead, he shifted gears, slammed the accelerator, and sent the modified car roaring down the highway like a wild beast.

Sometimes, it was best to let her simply enjoy the ride.

“How can we let her always be so exhausted?”

Glancing at the girl beaming happily from the passenger seat, Lu Xin caught Mom’s eye in the rearview mirror.

He remembered his duty to “accompany” the doll.

He always strived to understand and fulfill that responsibility.

What does it truly mean to accompany someone, to the point of completion?

Though Lu Xin might not have been so professional in the past, his study of the Seven Steps Theory had given him a firm grasp of knowledge that rivaled that of others. He knew that Qinggang was most concerned about the doll’s stability.

A doll with such abilities, if she could master her power and live like a normal person, would surely be a sight for everyone.

Especially when it came to a Lu Xin who had witnessed her joyous moments—the depth of her inner world became clear.

She too, despised the constant need to suppress herself.

She longed to cast aside all her reservations and just live like anyone else.

……

Of course, though, helping someone caught between the first and third stages become normal was no small feat.

The phenomena he observed confirmed that the doll’s power had reached a frightening level.

Her influence had the potential to establish a boundaryless field.

Within that field, everyone was driven to madness by her mere presence.

“So, you really care about her?”

Mom didn’t answer directly; instead, she smiled and retorted softly.

“Not at all…”

Lu Xin hurriedly denied it, explaining, “We’re nothing more than colleagues.”

“Dutifully speaking, she is still my team member.”

……

Mom smiled, choosing not to reveal everything, and whispered, “I told you before that the Seven Steps Theory was devised by researchers to help people understand—it’s a theoretical model. Reality doesn’t always progress gradually from low to high; some might reach a higher stage right from the start.”

“Of course, every gain comes with a loss. Those born into a higher stage are destined to have certain shortcomings repaired.”

……

Catching a hint from Mom’s words, Lu Xin quickly asked, “So you mean she can be healed?”

“What exactly does she need to mend?”

……

Mom gave Lu Xin a knowing glance, stretched languidly, and said, “How can you be asking me such questions?”

“You’ve grown up and joined a special department, coming into contact with professionals and invaluable resources. I’m just a housewife; how can I meddle in your technical matters?”

……

Lu Xin’s eyes grew somber.

Mom’s casual tone, so unflustered, almost made him feel envious.

Never mind that for now. Later, he’d share the Seven Steps Theory and the materials from the club with Qinggang’s experts so they could offer more help to the girl.

For now, work came first.

……

Taking a deep breath, Lu Xin gazed toward the vast wasteland.

He could clearly feel the doll’s force field unfolding, relentlessly expanding outward.

Through that field, he was certain he could lure away the armed forces surrounding Happy Town.

Once they were all drawn into the wasteland, and the doll’s influence was neutralized, they would be free of the threat. By then, the crazed armed personnel would be scattered evenly across the wasteland.

At that point, no matter what Qinggang intended by drawing them in for the Technology Church, the plan would have been thwarted.

……

Meanwhile, in an abandoned village not far from Happy Town, a temporary camp was set up.

In a courtyard overrun with dry climbing vines, a Priest sat quietly.

A silver case rested by his side, and a hefty notebook was tossed onto a stone table nearby.

On the notebook’s screen, many images could be seen—most of them empty tents.

“So, has the Great Knight Shenze and the Rose Knight now returned to True God’s embrace?”

The Priest didn’t look at the screen. He simply clutched his headset and repeated the words he had heard.

“They have only two fates—either be enveloped by True God or suffer a fate worse than death.”

A man’s voice came through the channel, calm and measured: “By my estimate, the latter is far more likely.”

“According to Great Knight Shenze’s final message, he intended to trigger a Mental Bomb to ignite a region-wide Death Flower, creating shockwaves to aid the Cardinal’s mission. But no such shockwave was detected.”

“That likely means someone thwarted his final plan.”

“We both know that if Great Knight Shenze fell into enemy hands, no matter what they did, the outcome would be…”

“…unimaginable!”

……

The Priest remained silent for a long while, only taking a deep breath.

“It’s alright. We are all prepared to sacrifice for True God.”

The man on the channel seemed to understand the Priest’s temperament, soothingly adding,

“Then I’ll accompany you.”

The Priest only gave a slight laugh in response.

Yet that faint laugh sent an involuntary chill down one’s spine.

The man on the channel changed the subject:

“After noticing the mishap with Great Knight Shenze and the Rose Knight, the Tech Priest and I stopped trying to repair the field and planned to head into the Forbidden Zone to rendezvous with the Cardinal. That left you all alone outside. So, how’s the second plan coming along?”

……

The Priest, upon hearing this, glanced briefly at his computer screen and said, “It’s been completely sabotaged.”

The man on the channel fell silent, seemingly taken aback by the result.

“Qinggang is not what it used to be; its audacity has grown immensely.”

The Priest smiled nonchalantly, “I spent days recruiting followers, but within less than half an hour, they were all lured away into the wasteland. I didn’t even catch a glimpse of the opposition, nor did I have the power to stop them…”

……

“Hmm?”

The man’s voice over the channel took on a heavier tone, “What kind of person can counter the power of the Ark of Truth?”

The Priest responded lightly with a smile, “Truth is but a feeble thing before worldly might.”

There was a pause before the man, suddenly realizing something, exclaimed in disbelief,

“To think they could create such a vast impact in such a short time…”

Then, almost in incredulity, he added, “Could it be that Qinggang has unleashed that delectable cake?”

……

The Priest couldn’t help but smile, “That’s why I said Qinggang’s boldness has grown.”

“In our previous understanding, High-wall City—inclusive of Qinggang—always acted cautiously, testing the waters bit by bit, clinging to insignificant threats to uphold their pitiful dignity. But now, Qinggang has certainly surprised us…”

“They even deployed their most prized ability user to confront us head-on.”

……

“Qinggang really isn’t the same anymore…”

After a moment of silence, the man on the channel hurriedly added, “But since they’ve done this, it means Qinggang is prepared for direct conflict. I suggest you cancel the setup for the second plan and come join us immediately.”

……

“Why rush?”

The Priest replied softly, “The Cardinal’s instructions for the second plan serve two purposes.”

“For one, creating a containment layer is no longer necessary; ever since Qinggang dared to use that ability user, the plan was already doomed. And the second objective—we’ve long since achieved it, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Frankly, if Qinggang has the nerve, how can we possibly disappoint them?”

……

The man on the channel cautioned, “Don’t take unnecessary risks.”

“They’re the ones risking everything,”

The Priest’s voice turned cold, “Resorting to large-scale pollution abilities to shatter our second plan—using brute force to defy our Church…”

“I’m dying to know what ingenious trick Qinggang has come up with to have such audacity.”