AnalogHorror: Rule Kaidan 4016
Chapter 940 - 436: Meeting Zhang Lingzhen Again

Chapter 940: Chapter 436: Meeting Zhang Lingzhen Again

"Feed the Ashen Apostle!"

Lin Yi’s pupils contracted sharply!

Sure enough, collective brainstorming is terrifying. If he hadn’t talked about this with the eerie Art teacher, he would never have arrived at such a conjecture!

Indeed!

When he discussed this issue with Class Teacher-040, his thinking was too formulaic, and all the problem-solving methods were standardized approaches. But human nature is also critical!

To put it bluntly, which mortal could willingly give up the chance to "become Immortal"?

And the Infiltration Force is always five steps ahead, having considered every possibility. Whether you choose to be a humble tool for stable resource extraction, or a diamond-smuggling stowaway, they’ve accounted for it. No matter what you choose, it’s all still part of their plan!

Drain the pond to catch the fish?

Sorry, even the silt at the bottom of the fish pond—I’ll package it as sea-mud clay and sell it too!

"Wait... did you just say you also want to become an Ashen Apostle?" Lin Yi looked at the eerie Art teacher.

"Of course, the path of Glorious Evolution leads to the ’Ashen Apostle.’ Who wouldn’t want that?" The eerie Art teacher made no attempt to mask her desires.

"Then wouldn’t that make all of you enemies?" Lin Yi implied, why not start killing each other first?

"We’re not beasts." The eerie Art teacher responded with some exasperation.

Lin Yi thought to himself: Not beasts? That frenzied look just now—if you’re not beasts, you’re certainly not human either...

Zealots, completely unhinged!

When the time comes, who knows how things will unfold?

"Moreover..." The eerie Art teacher added awkwardly, "None of us have actually become Ashen Apostles yet."

Though that might be true, Lin Yi harbored a deep suspicion—he felt the eerie Art teacher was lying.

Indeed, if the goal of the Infiltration Force is to harvest Ashes or to "feed" Ashen Apostles, that’s essentially using a method akin to insect-rearing. But, if the eerie Art teacher’s group were doing the same, then why are there so many Glorious Evolution zealots from Bu Ze?

"Glorious Evolution... Glorious Evolution... Glorious Evolution... Could it be...?!"

A horrifying thought struck Lin Yi. Could they have discovered a way for everyone to collectively become Ashen Apostles?

Or... are they on the brink of discovering it?

Lin Yi’s mind raced, and almost instinctively, he thought of that Matrix on the Desolate Land, within which countless Rage Angels had been nurtured.

Rage Angels were practically a "failed" project. Yet, the zealots continued their research. Could it really be just to have the indiscriminately destructive Rage Angels wreak havoc inside the campus and create problems for the Sports Students?

But what would be the purpose?

The only possible explanation was that the zealots’ goal with the Rage Angels wasn’t here, but something deeper.

Perhaps there was something wrong with the Matrix that nurtured them?

Was the existence of that Matrix related to the zealots’ desire to collectively become "Ashen Apostles"?

Lin Yi carefully organized his thoughts: the zealots had mastered control of a Matrix, and nearby was a pit that could continuously generate Extraordinary Material... It was a site rich in resources, perfect for extensive research.

Possibly, the real secret lies there!

Could it be that the zealots weren’t actually trying to create Rage Angels but were instead researching the means to produce Ashen Apostles, with the Rage Angels as mere byproducts of their experiments?

This would explain why, even though Rage Angels were seen as failures, the zealots hadn’t abandoned them—because the Rage Angels were just the scenery along their path.

Lin Yi stopped his train of thought there. A chilling realization surfaced: compared with the zealots, he now seemed even more like an Ashen Apostle, or perhaps... he already was.

If so, his accidental transformation into an Ashen Apostle might have disrupted someone’s plans?

In that case, would the only Ashen Apostle within the campus sense him and then attack him?

Lin Yi suddenly felt deeply uneasy. Originally, there was just one Ashen Apostle, whose strength would weaken over time. Or, even if it received nourishment, its intake surely wouldn’t outpace its consumption.

But, if he were killed by the Ashen Apostle—or if it didn’t kill him but instead dismembered him, retaining only the most vital parts of his body—then wouldn’t his Charging Bank attribute become useful to the Ashen Apostle?

And thinking of his Primordial Pollution, and his golden aura...

Lin Yi’s body began to tremble violently as disturbing ideas filled his mind. _{freew\ebno\vel..(c)om}

What if—

He was just saying what if!

What if it truly was the plan of the higher-ups? Could the school’s leadership be treating him as high-grade fusion material to feed to the Ashen Apostle?

What happens if he’s devoured by the Ashen Apostle and his abilities transfer over?

[They wouldn’t ever let you inside.]

[I can’t imagine how you even managed to survive and get here.]

Class Teacher-039’s words once again echoed in his ears, with an even deeper, more disconcerting undertone.

Though he didn’t want to believe it, once such a conspiracy theory surfaced, it hung over his head like a thick storm cloud, shrouding him in unease.

"Was your journey back to the campus from the Art Building yesterday... safe?" The eerie Art teacher asked after a pause.

"Safe? Safe my ass! The Contractor was gnawing on my arm, and the Alien Angel was gnawing on me! If I weren’t vastly different from before, I’d have been shredded and swallowed whole by that Alien Angel long ago."