Clown Game
Chapter 394 - 372 Polar Research Area

Chapter 394: Chapter 372 Polar Research Area

Antarctica, known as the seventh continent, is the last to be discovered on Earth and the only one without permanent human settlement. It lies at the convergence of the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans, with ten million square kilometers of frozen tundra and ice fields, extreme ecological conditions, scarce resources for survival, and situated on the Earth’s magnetic pole, making it an undeveloped land to this day.

One day, a massive flying craft skimmed over the glacier. Due to the abundant reflection of light and the abrupt changes in the magnetic field, flying at such speed over Antarctica is extremely dangerous, but this aircraft seemed indifferent to those risks. It hurtled toward a gigantic glacier with a velocity that seemed to defy its size, then crashed straight into it.

What happened next was even more astonishing. The glacier, silent for millions of years, emitted a thunderous roar. Its edges shattered, and the surface snow swirled down like a tsunami. A piece of the land split open as if revealing a gaping maw. Below it was countless lights and huge gears of steel, swallowing the aircraft whole before slowly closing again, leaving behind only the torn ice and snow, conspicuous yet unnoticed by anyone.

The spaceship entered the Polar Research Area, and some staff members began to disembark, while a container that looked much more complex than the usual humanoid containment units was lifted by mechanical arms onto the conveyor belt. Through the glass above, one could see a face devoid of color, appearing as though it belonged to someone deceased.

The humanoid containment unit quickly passed through one checkpoint after another – cleaning, scanning, disinfection, and logging – with staff members meticulously recording each step. The clearance level for accessing these records was... S-level.

Everything progressed swiftly and methodically, as if all the people here had been waiting for the arrival of this containment unit.

Finally, after the last procedure, the containment unit was taken to a room filled with high-end medical equipment. With a hiss of decompression, the chamber door opened, and a nurse, already prepared, wheeled in a chair, assisting the ’Angel’ to sit down.

From beginning to end, Angel had not been anesthetized, remaining conscious throughout because her body had reached the brink of death. Without medical equipment and during high-altitude transportation, a single anesthetic dose could mean never waking up again, which would have been quite the joke.

"Excuse me, could you lower my liver a bit? The blood doesn’t seem to be circulating well," Angel said politely to the nearby nurse, struggling to sit up in the wheelchair.

The nurse, while trying to suppress the strangeness she felt as she moved Angel’s various parts out of the containment unit, was taken aback by the request, and after a moment’s hesitation, nodded, "Certainly, madam."

...

After a while, Angel was finally settled, and the door of the medical room opened.

Entering... was an old man.

"Hi, we meet again." The old man nodded slightly in greeting. The nurse took the cue and discreetly left the room.

"Hi," Angel responded with a smile, "It’s been years, and you seem to have aged quite a bit."

A sigh of lamentation followed, "Yes, ever since you escaped, I’ve had to reflect on myself. Since then, I’ve established a connection with all the entities here, without exception. It’s been exhausting, but worthwhile."

"I’m truly sorry," Angel said indifferently, genuine remorse audible in her voice.

"No!" The old man immediately rejected her words, "It’s not your fault, but mine. It’s my laziness and negligence that allowed your successful escape. Without you, I might have continued arrogantly believing that I could imprison everything. Imagine, if it hadn’t been you but something else that escaped, the world might not be as it is now. So... I should be thanking you."

Angel was at a loss for words, so she simply smiled and nodded. She had interacted with this old man before; he was stubborn, much like the heroes extolled in passionate novels, who took upon themselves the duty of protecting the world. Free of personal desire and conspiracies, he simply dedicated himself to the world and believed that was his purpose. Although naïve, it was because of people like him that the world remained peaceful.

Of course, whether he was noble didn’t concern Angel. She just wanted to know, "What about now, though? Are you going to imprison me again?"

The old man shook his head immediately, "Certainly not. With your current condition, that would directly cost you your life. Although you will ultimately die, it shouldn’t be that way."

With that, the old man looked around the room, "We have the best medical facilities and staff here. You will be preserved in this place, and we will do everything possible to maintain your life until the day comes when you truly need to die."

"The day I need to die?" Angel repeated, "Ha, that sounds quite ridiculous. So, even my death will be scheduled by you all?"

The old man fell silent for a while, then said, "In fact, that is the case. Although I respect life and death, every existence carries responsibility, and even if you are not human, you surely have your own meaning. Anyway, since you will die eventually, you wouldn’t want your life in this world to have been in vain, right?"

He spoke earnestly, as if an elder was sharing his life philosophy.

"Fine, fine, none of that really matters to me," Angel responded unenthusiastically, "I’m quite tired now, I need to sleep." Then she closed her eyes.

"Okay, rest well, I have another important person to meet," the old man said, exiting the room.

He strode quickly down the corridor, passing several employees without much greeting, as everyone was busy with their own tasks. The hallway was not too complicated, with various plants and flowers placed in corners to moisten the overly dry air – perhaps the most lively scene in the entire Polar Research Area.

...

Soon, the old man returned to his usual place of work, or should it be said, cultivation. There, someone had been waiting for him.