Chapter 311 10. "Hunter" Shiri, a non-staff member of Team K, reports to you, Captain
Mason's office is a troubled place.
Since the Kite Man reserved this place specifically for him to highlight Mason's extraordinary identity, this place has experienced strange encounters including but not limited to being bombed, experiencing a Batman invasion, a superhero melee, and being placed with alien gods and evil objects, etc. .
Tonight, the unlucky office experienced another energy shock, and the scattered space-time energy damaged almost all the furniture present here.
The banging sound immediately alerted the bar's security personnel.
When a dozen 2077 androids dressed as terrorist mobile units kicked open the office door under the leadership of Judy and Barbara, what they saw was an embarrassed Mason sitting cross-legged on the ground, with a silver-haired woman lying in his arms. look like.
This scene made Judy and Barbara look at each other.
Didn't Mason just complete the kissing and sticking ceremony with Harley? Who is this silver-haired woman with a good figure from behind?
Good on you Mason!
You seem so innocent on the outside, but you still play the game of two things, right?
Harley should really let her dog bite you to death!
"I know what you are thinking, but this is not a case of random associations. This is my colleague. It's hard to explain now. Get out.
Don't interrupt the rest of the conversation. ”
Looking at the wonderful expressions on Judy and Barbara's faces, Mason knew that the "little rape-catching theater" had begun to play out in the minds of these two sisters. He sighed and drove them and the elite android guards out, and then took the pregnant women out. Xili, who was panting, helped him up.
The reckless Mr. Hunter is really in bad luck this time.
The [Wisdom Punishment] was applied to her, which almost caused her brain to become a mess. Fortunately, she was not a strategic character, so it was just a sequelae of brain pain and general numbness.
If the old Black Falk Man had been hit from the front just now, he would have turned into an idiot on the spot given the level of activity in his brain that was full of evil intentions and dark secrets.
This made Mason have to sigh, this thing given by the warlock is really evil.
"I've seen that thing before."
Xili, who was being helped to sit on the half-torn sofa, rubbed her hair and made a groaning sound, while pointing at the Eye of the Starry Disk that fell to the ground and said:
"That was a strange object that the Warlock found a few years ago when he was exploring a dark sea of stars. Why is it in your hands? Mason! Tell me honestly, did you defect to the Warlock's side?"
"It's quite complicated to talk about."
Mason picked up the disk and felt a little distressed when he saw the cracks on it.
This thing is powerful, but its fragile body is its biggest weakness. It can cause cracks if it is hit on the ground. If it is punched hard, it will definitely be shattered.
This is the result of Mason adding the [Sturdiness] feature to it.
While grabbing the remains of the twisted metal display stand at hand, he activated the magic fire to shape it into a stronger sealed protection platform, and then put the disk back in.
"I originally wanted to ask you to take me around the secret treasure house of Star Castle and help me choose a treasure to hide, but you were on a 'business trip' so I had to find it myself.
It was really an accident that I met the Warlock halfway. I don't know what kind of mentality he had in giving me this.
Don't tell me that this thing is very powerful. Even you were made so embarrassed. It seems that I don't have to worry about being raided by Doctor Fate in this demiplane. ”
Mason knew that his boss loved coffee, so he took out a handful of coffee beans from his bag and used the materials to make a coffee machine on site to make drinks.
While he was busy, he said jokingly:
"What? Are you finally done with your business trip?"
"Can't you just not mention this? You bastard, and I'm really on a business trip. I just went to mediate a private fight between two B-class teams on the front line of a war world.
They each recruited hundreds of servants to prepare for the film. The reason was just to compete for control of the ruins of an ancient civilization.
There are really too many such things.
Compared with them, you are considered a good employee who obeys the rules. ”
Shirley has a terrible headache now and really doesn't have the energy to argue with Mason anymore.
She leaned on the sofa and wiped the blood from her nostrils. Although she looked embarrassed, with the strength and vitality of the great mentor, she could not even be considered a minor injury.
It’s just a headache
"Why are you angry?"
Mason quickly made a cup of steaming coffee and sent it to Shirley. He asked:
"Weren't you fine before?"
"Who was the woman next to you during the previous communication?"
The hunter asked:
"Did you realize that the presence of a third person while we were talking would reveal my identity? You really have no respect for me, Mason."
"That's Harley."
Mason felt that Ciri's anger must not be just because of his identity being exposed, but he still explained:
"It's my new team member and girlfriend."
"Huh?"
Shirley, who had just taken a sip of coffee, instantly narrowed her eyes, making Mason feel chilled, but the next moment, Miss Hunter said in a strange tone:
"Harley Quinn, the famous assistant to Zhou Kerr, an evil crazy beauty, she is also among the best among the famous psychopaths in the entire parallel world system.
So you like this type?
Tsk tsk, Mason, your taste is a bit strange. I'm starting to wonder if your mental state is abnormal. ”
"Harley's mental state is indeed unstable, but I think having me by her side can ease her condition. But I don't think you came all the way here just to talk to me about Harley's problem, right?"
Mason put up the chair that had been blown apart and was lame, and sat on it. He took out the medical kit to help Ciri clean and bandage the bleeding arm, and said:
"Are you worried that my meeting with Old A will expose your current trends? Don't worry, I just had a talk with him, it was very in-depth, and he made his attitude clear to me.
He wanted to prove to me that they weren't just a bunch of bugs just sitting back and letting bad things happen, and he revealed to me that he did have a big plan. ”
"They have always had it, and their goals are very clear."
Seeing Mason talking about business, Shirley also became serious. She said to Mason:
"This is the reason why I have never been able to make up my mind to leave them. I admit that I am easily influenced by such ambitious goals, but after thinking about it during this time, I found that I am not really attracted by Old A. Describe the ideal bewitchment.
He should have talked to you about the establishment of the Hope Council.
In the early days before the Society of the Stars was formed, we did some really good things, and he proved with facts that his ideas worked.
Especially the assistance to another A-class world before the first impact, which was the first big relocation operation we did, and I participated in it with my parents.
That scene is still fresh in my memory.
Oh, by the way, that transfer took place in the swordsman's home world.
And”
Xili lowered her head and sighed:
"My parents trusted him when they were alive, until that happened. Although his age is not comparable to that of the witcher, there was a time when I did regard him as an elder."
"Old A has a feasible plan and ambitious goals and has nothing to do with whether he is a good person or not."
Mason said while tying the bandage into a cute bow:
"I still don't trust him, for the same reason as before. He can sacrifice many people for his own goals, including us naturally.
He didn't even hide his utilitarianism and admitted that he met me because Team K had discovered something of great value.
Plus, I signed this with him. ”
He handed the note written by Old A when he left to Shirley. The latter took it in her hand and frowned after looking at it. She said:
"Find a real way to fight against the destruction of the world before the fourth impact. If you can't, just obey his command honestly and implement his plan.
You're taking too many risks, Mason.
There are so many smart people in the Fox Nest who can't find a solution. Why do you think you can solve this problem that is causing everyone a headache in at most one year? ”
"First, a correction, I don't need to address the shock."
Mason stretched out his finger and shook it, saying:
"I just need to find a way to preserve both worlds at the same time when an impact occurs. The difficulty is not as scary as you think. Secondly, do you think that with Old A's style, he will honestly abide by this contract, which has no mandatory effect at all? ?
No!
He won't.
So neither will I. ”
"Are you trying to stabilize him?"
Xili reacted immediately, she said:
"In order to prevent him from secretly looking for trouble for you?"
"Absolutely."
Mason rubbed his forehead and said:
"The resources he has at his disposal are a thousand times more than ours. If he insists on 'beating' me, even if he just has an idea, it will be enough to make me accomplish nothing in the future.
Making this small contract, which is like a game to him, can indeed buy us a little freedom and time.
At the same time, that quote from Steve Rogers also reminded me.
If I want to convince you, and others to do this with me, I can't just tell you that Quint is going to be bad, I have to show you evidence that will convince you.
I mean I've gotten some before, but those may not be enough to convince you to stand firmly on my side. ”
"It's not that I don't have confidence in you."
Ciri took a sip of coffee.
She glanced at the messy office, and after a moment's hesitation, she decided to tell Mason something really important.
"Follow me."
Ciri propped up her body, put on the starry sky mask and robe again, signaled Mason to follow her out of the demiplane area of the Starry Sky Eye, and then waved her hand to open a silver arc leading to an unknown place.
She walked in, followed closely by Mason.
The two of them entered a strange area in the next moment. It didn't look like a complete world, because it was surrounded by endless reflections of the starry sky.
Those starlights shone around, reflecting the strange land suspended in the invisible land below the two of them.
It's like a dilapidated and strange temple, its main body has been broken into pieces and scattered around, and it is suspended here with the support of some kind of force.
Mason stopped where he was and looked at the sea of stars around him. Shirley looked back at him a few seconds later and said doubtfully:
"Let's go! What are you doing here?"
"I've seen this starry sky before!"
Mason stopped at the entrance. He looked at the stars above his head and touched the devil tattoo on his left hand.
He said to Shirley:
"After I joined the Society of the Stars and when I asked for power through tattoos, I came to this area in a trance! Yes, I remember it correctly, this is here.
The endless empty sea of stars seems to breed endless darkness. ”
"Every member of the Society of Stars who has seized the 'power' from Lord Destiny has seen the sea of stars here. This is not surprising."
Xili sighed and said:
"That process is a symbolic manifestation of the deep contract between you and it, which means that you also become a 'candle' to help it burn, but I brought you here not just for these stars.
Come with me, be careful, don't go wrong. ”
The hunter leads the way, and Mason follows behind. It seems like there is nothing here, but in fact, Mason can feel some quite strange "things" existing in the invisible.
As long as he takes one wrong step, those things will peek and capture him.
"It's just ahead."
After walking for more than ten minutes, the two reached the depths of this special area whose existence could not be outlined with conventional spatial perception.
In front of him is a dark cave that seems to be able to swallow all light.
"Follow me!"
Ciri took a deep breath and cast a spell on Mason to eliminate his breath. Then she reached out and held Mason's hand. When the fingers touched, the coldness of Ciri's fingers made Mason raise his eyebrows.
She is scared.
This discovery gave the young man a premonition that what he was going to see next was anything but ordinary.
Under the guidance of Shirley, Mason stepped into the dark place in front of her with her. Once entering the black curtain cave, all perceptions were instantly blocked.
He couldn't see, hear, or smell.
Even his own thoughts seemed to be gradually frozen, and only the clasped fingers in his hands were leading him forward like a guiding light.
Time seemed to be distorted, and he had no idea how much time had passed. He finally passed through the cave and stood on the edge of a hanging cliff. In front of him, Ciri was already panting.
She protected Mason from a place where he shouldn't be at all, which meant that all the pressure on Mason was borne by her.
"Did you see it?"
She pointed to the large space below and asked Mason.
The young man stood next to Shirley and looked down but could not see anything. Only a fog blocked his sight. As Shirley waved his hand, the moment the fog dissipated, a "starlight" appeared in front of Mason's eyes.
Dots of flames danced, illuminating the entire area in front of them. If you look carefully, you can see the delicate stone pillars all over the hollow place, and there are light spots burning on each stone pillar.
Candle!
This is the candle.
Mason understood instantly.
The place where Ciri brought him was the place where Lord Destiny stored the candle of his power, and the pits and valleys of burning fire in front of him were swaying silently, like stars shining in the darkness.
But it makes people's hair stand on end.
His fingers were clasped, and this movement was noticed by Shirley. Mr. Hunter pointed to the heights and said softly:
"Look, your candle is there."
Mason looked up, and in the candlelight of the strange stone platform suspended high above, he could clearly feel his own fire floating there.
It is inconspicuous among tens of thousands of candles.
"What about yours?"
He looked away and asked, but Xili didn't answer.
But the two people's moods were definitely connected at this moment. They were looking at the candlelight all over the mountains and plains in front of them, and a sense of powerlessness arose in their hearts.
"Every fire here can make it reborn once, and our burning will give it strength."
Xili said softly:
"Every B-class member will be brought to this place when they decide to participate in A-class promotion. They know the truth here, and some have resisted.
Their candles were extinguished.
Mason, you once asked me what I wanted to do. ”
She raised her hand and pointed at the tens of thousands of sparks floating in front of her.
She said:
"I took some time to think over my thoughts again. I confirmed that I wanted to destroy this place. I confirmed that I wanted to see the collapse of the Society of Stars. I confirmed that I wanted my parents' souls in heaven to rest in peace.
More than once I wanted to throw myself down and blow out the candles.
But I can't.
There is a price to pay for being a Grand Master, and my existence is that price.
It and I have almost become one. It has been sleeping all year round because it carries too much divinity. The three great mentors are its nest guards. If you want to hurt it, you have to kill us first.
I have never made up my mind to do these things with you not only because I doubt you, but also because I am not ready to die heroically.
The truth is, I'm not as brave as I think. ”
"Is that so?"
Mason understood, he pursed his lips and said:
"It turns out that I have been forcing you to die, so every request I make must put you under a lot of pressure, right?"
"It's not death I'm afraid of, Mason."
Shirley stared at the burning candles in front of her, and she answered the question:
"I'm just afraid that my sacrifice will be meaningless, so I want to remind you that if you really want to destroy the stars, please be fully prepared.
When that day comes, I will be cold-blooded enough to kill my companions and give you my heart.
But you only get one chance.
You must win!
I brought you here today because I finally figured it out. Regarding your question and my answer, maybe Old A and I are really not the same person.
I do not have the wisdom to glimpse the hope of ending the impact, nor do I have the patience to wait until the stars will align again.
Just like Barbara said, as the days go by, I lose courage day by day
I have delayed this revenge for too long. ”
After saying that, Shirley put her hand on Mason's shoulder. She showed a weak smile and said firmly:
"You wanted me to be your partner, you wanted me to be a non-staff member of Team K, and you got what you wanted, Mason. Between them and you, I started to trust you.
But we have to come up with a foolproof solution!
I know it’s hard”
"This is beyond the definition of difficult."
Mason stared at the sea of burning candles in front of him. Each dancing candle flame represented a life. He took a deep breath and held Ciri's hand tightly.
He said:
"But I will do it! Your trust is so heavy that I dare not live up to it." (End of Chapter)