This Spiritual Energy is Lethal!
Chapter 349: The Childhood of Humanity

Chapter 349: Chapter 349: The Childhood of Humanity

"Six months ago... this thing is now crammed into the maintenance tunnel, and its growth hasn’t slowed down at all..." Parker grumbled.

Aileen Wang let out a long sigh, leaned against the side, and slowly slid to the ground, appearing like she couldn’t take it anymore.

"It’s too hot in here, and now there’s no way out, let’s go," Chen Ke said.

Parker nodded, turned into a wisp of ash, and darted back towards where they’d come from. On the other side of the ladder, there was a sliding door.

Chen Ke grabbed Aileen Wang’s arm and helped her to her feet, his hand slick with sticky sweat.

The three squeezed to the opening of the sliding door and climbed out one by one.

Parker was the first to climb outside, taking a look around and noting nothing unusual, then helped Aileen Wang out, with Chen Ke following behind.

Coming out from the 40-degree heat of the maintenance tunnel felt like entering an air-conditioned room. Aileen Wang finally recovered, sat on the ground, rolled up her vest, and wrung out a good amount of sweat.

"You’re that sensitive to heat..." Chen Ke exclaimed.

"I have... hyperhidrosis. It’s the exact opposite of Diana; she has to exert herself for a long time before she starts to sweat. But her sweat is oily, not watery like mine..." Aileen Wang said while wringing the corner of her clothing.

"Diana... What’s your relationship with her?" Chen Ke asked.

"We’re... besties. We used to be classmates, but she’s so dull, it took her four years to graduate from university," Aileen Wang said.

Chen Ke and Parker exchanged glances, feeling as if their intelligence had been insulted.

"By the way, Chen Ke, what’s your relationship with Diana? Boyfriend and girlfriend?" Aileen Wang looked at Chen Ke and asked seriously.

"No, no, no, it’s not that kind of relationship," Chen Ke waved his hand.

Aileen Wang’s expression eased a bit and then she inquired, "Then you must be colleagues. Otherwise, she wouldn’t help you like this."

"I’m not with the Administration Bureau, but I’ve been through some things with Diana. We’ve got a bit of a rapport," Chen Ke said.

Parker looked at Chen Ke with a complex expression.

"Back in the church, you said you were part of the Administration Bureau’s Great Void exploration squad or something... and who is this Diana again?" Parker said.

"Diana is my best friend. She’s a field agent for the Administration Bureau," Aileen Wang said.

"That’s not the point. My identity is too confidential to disclose..." Chen Ke blurted out a vague response.

"You’ve been to the Great Void, you know Diana, and you have Spiritual Power... Hmm... your identity’s pretty intriguing..." Aileen Wang said.

"I think we should focus on getting out of here for now, and we can share stories later," Chen Ke gestured.

"No matter which side you’re on, I think I can still trust you," Parker said.

"Thanks," Chen Ke nodded.

"As long as you let me study Parker in the future, I’ll keep your secret. Pretend I’ve never seen you," Aileen Wang said with a laugh.

"That sounds weird, girl. I’m not his property," Parker said, hands on hips.

"Let’s hurry up and go, I’ve noticed that the containment rooms around here seem to have been opened..." Chen Ke sighed.

Parker and Aileen Wang looked around and indeed, a row of white containment rooms had been ravaged by some force, with shattered glass covers littered on the ground and some containment rooms reduced to rubble.

Chen Ke pulled out his pistol and activated his Spiritual Vision for a quick scan. About thirty meters from them, he detected a humanoid silhouette sitting against something, seemingly heavily injured.

"There’s someone..." Chen Ke whispered.

Aileen Wang quickly tucked herself behind Chen Ke, while Parker simply turned into a puddle of ash and scattered on the ground...

Chen Ke slowly made his way through the circular corridor, the silhouette of a superhuman figure closing in. At the same time, he heard someone coughing.

"That voice... it’s... Professor Mansis!" Wang Ailin suddenly exclaimed, darting out from behind Chen Ke and hurriedly running towards the source of the sound.

"Wang Ailin!" Chen Ke called out in a low voice, but she had already dashed far ahead; he could only hastily follow.

After turning past several containment rooms, Chen Ke saw bloodstains on the floor—a trail of blood that clearly indicated someone with severe injuries had forced themselves to walk a long distance, dripping blood from their body.

By the time he reached Wang Ailin, he found her squatting next to an old professor.

The elderly professor wore glasses and was dressed in a white research institute outfit, with what seemed like a puncture wound in his abdomen, clutching his wounded stomach as he leaned against a broken containment room.

"Professor Mansis... hang in there, the Administration Bureau’s people are on their way," Wang Ailin said anxiously, her hands probing around the professor’s wound, not daring to press down.

"Ah... you’re a smart child, you know my condition... go on, run for your life..." the old man known as Professor Mansis uttered in pain.

Chen Ke stepped forward, squatting next to the professor to check his wound. The wound shouldn’t be large, but given the current amount of bleeding, it was unlikely that he would survive much longer. Furthermore, considering his age, it was already a miracle that he was still conscious.

"Professor..." Wang Ailin sobbed, squatting beside him like a student.

"Linn... is that your friend?" Mansis looked towards Chen Ke.

"Professor Mansis...? Hello, it’s my first time meeting you... although the circumstances aren’t really appropriate..." Chen Ke said.

"It’s nothing, you seem to possess some fighting capabilities. Take Wang Ailin... get out of here, she’s my best student..." Mansis said, glancing at the gun in Chen Ke’s hands.

"I will, Professor... what happened here?" Chen Ke asked.

"I made a pact with the devil... and now, karma has come..." Mansis said.

"What... what do you mean..." Chen Ke asked.

"I wanted to help humanity create a god... but I accidentally molded a devil..." Mansis said.

In that instant, Chen Ke remembered a man they had encountered in a room during a previous investigation at the Deep Anchor District port with Hall and Priskin, while they were researching Hainerd. The man, who had been tortured, mentioned...

The company wants to create a god...

"Professor... were you helping those consortia... to create a god?" Chen Ke suddenly asked.

"What... Chen Ke... what’s that...?" Wang Ailin, eyes teary, looked at Chen Ke and asked.

"Who are you... young man? How do you know about the god-creation project?" Mansis didn’t expect Chen Ke to ask such a question, his face showing great surprise.

"My name is Chen Ke... I... I used to be one of their assassins... but not anymore." After much hesitation, Chen Ke decided to lay it all out. The professor was on the verge of death, and if he didn’t get some information quickly, they would have to start all over again.

Wang Ailin looked up at Chen Ke.

"I understand... Holy Relics Hunter... and such..." Professor Mansis said. Suddenly, he grabbed Chen Ke’s collar with his blood-stained hands, pulling himself closer.

"You’re an assassin, right? Then do what you’re best at... head to Hall No. 1... kill that Fake God..." Mansis snarled.

"What’s in Hall No. 1...?" Chen Ke asked.

"Corrigan... the founder of Si’s consortium..." Mansis replied.

"Well, that’s quite a coincidence..." Chen Ke took a deep breath. Before leaving Opportunity City, he had accepted a contract from Li Moyang to assassinate Corrigan. And he had been, indeed, an assassin for Si’s consortium.

"He has lived too long... and must die... he would do anything for eternal life... that kind of person... cannot become a god..." Mansis spoke, his voice growing halting.

"What exactly is the god-creation project...?" Chen Ke gripped Mansis’s shoulder and asked.

"Chen Ke! Professor Mansis is about to..." Wang Ailin tugged at Chen Ke’s hand, shaking her head.

"Humanity’s childhood... is coming to an end..." Having uttered these last words, Mansis’s body slumped, and he became silent.