This Spiritual Energy is Lethal!
Chapter 365: The Contract

Chapter 365: Chapter 365: The Contract

Although they were both from the Foundation, the Foundations mentioned by Lin Yaying and Xu Jing were entirely different.

One was the Human Cradle Project, the other the Human Connection Project; even at a glance one could feel the objectives of these two organizations were worlds apart.

Could there be two Foundations in the future?

But then again, foundations are such that, with money, you can create them, similar to modern children’s charity foundations and Parkinson’s Medical Security Foundations.

"I guess you ran from the future to our time in order to change some things, so your era undergoes certain changes, right?" Chen Ke said.

"To be exact... yes, but this is a matter of mutual benefit. You should know that without the Foundation, humanity would have no future," Lin Yaying said with a smile.

"But even if you change the past, can you ensure that the future’s development and changes really go as you wish?" Chen Ke asked.

"We have our ways to make sure things progress along the planned trajectory," Lin Yaying said.

"If things do change, how will you know?" Chen Ke asked.

The timeline of 2006 had been abandoned by the Foundation where Xu Jing resided, yet those who lived in 2009 had no recollection of that year at all.

This meant that while the universe was repairing the necklace, it also affected the thoughts and wills of the people within the beads.

"When changes occur in the universe, human senses will also adapt to it, and the already changed parts will be taken for granted. But machines won’t be affected, we’ll have specialized departments to observe and record all the changes," Lin Yaying answered.

"What is it that you want to change?" Chen Ke asked.

Lin Yaying looked towards Li Moyang, then turned her gaze to Chen Ke, and stepped forward, speaking softly, "On the contrary, Chen Ke. I don’t want to change anything, but I want you to help me maintain it."

Chen Ke didn’t understand and looked at Lin Yaying, speechless.

"Li Moyang is very important to me and to the future Foundation; I want to ensure he survives until he completes what he must," Lin Yaying explained.

"Is someone trying to kill Li Moyang?" Chen Ke looked towards Li Moyang and asked.

"Exactly, it’s not just your era. The Foundation’s competitors also wish to kill him to change the future. The Foundation does not permit this," Lin Yaying said.

Chen Ke noticed Lin Yaying hadn’t mentioned subjective reality or objective reality to him, and he wasn’t certain whether the other party understood what the necklace metaphor truly meant.

But he faintly felt that the future where Lin Yaying resided wasn’t quite the same as that of Xu Jing...

And, when that professor was speaking with her, he mentioned a list, which likely contained many names, yet Lin Yaying mentioned none.

She was concealing something from Chen Ke, but upon reflection, if it were Chen Ke himself, he would do the same.

After all, if there were too many people on the list, one assassin couldn’t protect them all. Speaking too much would be pointless. It’s better to simply tell each assassin their corresponding protection target, saving time and effort.

"I’m not a personal bodyguard," Chen Ke waved his hand dismissively; he still had his own problems to deal with.

Clues about the life countdown had ceased, even Corrigan had no idea what it was about. Chen Ke was at his wit’s end. The Foundation might know something, but now was not the time to ask.

These kinds of highly secretive matters shouldn’t be casually mentioned to others, or one might provoke unexpected trouble.

"No, I don’t need you to follow Li Moyang around every day," Lin Yaying said.

Li Moyang looked towards Chen Ke, his eyes conveying an indescribable emotion.

"Then what do you want me to do?" Chen Ke asked.

"Clear the obstacles for him," Lin Yaying replied.

"You mean... you want me to kill someone... like Corrigan?" Chen Ke finally understood; this was another assassination contract.

"Li Moyang’s actions in this era are very important to our future. You need to ensure his unambiguous success," Lin Yaying said with a smile.

"Making all his competitors vanish... right?" Chen Ke asked.

"Exactly," Lin Yaying replied.

Chen Ke looked at Li Moyang and said, "Don’t you have anything to say?"

"I have nothing to say," Li Moyang shook his head.

"You only have two choices, Chen Ke. Take on this contract, or vanish from this space-time. You must understand that the Foundation never leaves behind witnesses unless they serve the Foundation," Lin Yaying said with a smile, a hint of threat in her tone.

Chen Ke stepped back slightly, feeling the atmosphere in the room turn eerie. He turned around and saw that the windows and doors on the walls had disappeared.

"I’m sorry, Chen Ke. It’s not that I want to deceive you, but I feel that accepting this contract is beneficial for all three of us," Li Moyang said.

This was a trap, they never considered that Chen Ke might refuse.

Chen Ke didn’t know how powerful Lin Yaying was, but he felt that if he used all his might, escaping wouldn’t be a problem.

He summoned An Helei’s dirge and prepared to unleash 3000 degrees of Magic Fire from his hand to reduce the two people in the room to ash.

However, nothing happened.

"What’s going on?" Chen Ke gritted his teeth.

"You see... Chen Ke, there’s a reason I bought this estate," Li Moyang said.

"This estate itself is a mutated object, HCP-4283, Ordinary Space. No Spiritual Power works here," Lin Yaying said.

"Not everything offline/unworkable, we can compete/repair,"

A muffled voice echoed in Chen Ke’s mind, from the stone at his heart...

But that stone cost 90% of one’s life limit per use, and the next use had to consume more than the last... Chen Ke couldn’t afford it now.

"Chen Ke, I assure you, I will give you the best reward, and it’s also what you’ve always wanted, contact with real Transcendents... Have you forgotten?" Li Moyang persuaded.

"I don’t like being threatened, Li Moyang, not one bit," Chen Ke said while drawing his Type 67 pistol and pointing it at Li Moyang.

"Okay... okay... Chen Ke, we don’t need to fall out over this," Lin Yaying stepped back.

The windows and doors on the walls reappeared, and the air around them seemed to freshen up.

"Take on this contract, Chen Ke, and I can give you some things you want, things that are not available in this era," Lin Yaying said.

"Such as...?" Chen Ke asked.

"Symbiotic Stones, just one stone can let you live 40 years longer. How about that?" Lin Yaying asked.

Chen Ke slowly lowered his gun.

Forty years... that’s practically...

Chen Ke wasn’t quite sure how Symbiotic Stones worked, but there was no doubt that Corrigan had lived until today by relying on these stones. Chen Ke didn’t know if they would work for him, but if they did... he could free himself from being bound by the limitations of hours and move towards a new realm measured in years...

"As a mortal, Chen Ke, living several decades longer should be a tempting reward. I believe that’s more substantial than money," Lin Yaying said.

Chen Ke holstered his gun and sighed.

"Let’s discuss that contract."