Chapter 885: Chapter 648: Concentration Is Often the Essence

In addition to Number 0’s mental energy, the bit of mental power Ai Feng possessed was also consumed by Ling Mo.

Under the circumstances of self-preservation, Number 0 naturally couldn’t care for Ai Feng, the receptacle. During the struggle, Ai Feng’s Mental Sphere suffered extensive damage as a result.

This actually saved Ling Mo some trouble, allowing him to breach Ai Feng’s instinctual barriers with relative ease.

As these energies were damaged and lost the ability to resist, they were absorbed even faster than if they were whole, with less dissipation.

However, once the energy merged into Ling Mo’s Mental Sphere, it caused his Mental Sphere to rapidly contract.

Amidst a severe headache, Ling Mo felt as though his brain was being forcibly compressed.

Memories flashed by, and even some details he scarcely remembered surfaced during this process.

What may have been only a handful of seconds felt like several months to Ling Mo.

When he finally came to, drenched in sweat, he looked as though he had just been fished out of water.

After the compression, his Mental Sphere was noticeably smaller, even smaller than that of an average person.

Yet the mental energy contained within was a whole fifth more than before the consumption!

The dazzling red light, like a ruby that had been cleansed of dust, left Ling Mo momentarily stunned.

A breeze wafted through the window, and although Ling Mo only heard a faint noise, he vividly pictured the debris carried by the wind through the shattered glass…

Without intentionally sensing, he naturally became aware of Ye Lian and the others’ location.

This sensation left Ling Mo somewhat bewildered for a moment.

Everything felt more real than before, as if he had been observing the world through frosted glass all this time…

It took him a while to adjust to this new feeling, waking from his daze.

With his head still throbbing, Ling Mo shook it slightly and was about to stand up when he suddenly noticed something amiss in what should have been the empty mind of Ai Feng.

Ling Mo hadn’t noticed it before, but now that his mental power had been enhanced, he caught on to a slight anomaly.

With a furrowed brow, Ling Mo observed for a while before a cold smirk appeared at the corner of his mouth: “So that’s how it is… I was overthinking it before.”

…

“Shh!”

Mu Chen gritted his teeth and yanked the knife out, blood spurting all over his face.

He wiped his face and, leaning against the wall, slowly stood up to inspect his wound.

Capitalizing on the advantage of striking first, he had managed to eliminate those two members after a tough fight, and as a result, he was quite battered.

However, after patting himself down and finding all organs intact and no large holes, Mu Chen hurriedly made his way to the stairwell, leaning on the wall for support.

“Don’t you die on me. If you’re gone, I’m in big trouble,” Mu Chen muttered as he dragged his weary body forward.

But he hadn’t gone far when a figure suddenly flashed out from the side.

The abrupt appearance made Mu Chen’s body stiffen, and he instantly raised the knife in his hand: “Who’s there?!”

The figure was indistinct in the darkness, and Mu Chen’s emotions fluctuated wildly.

If it was Ai Feng appearing, it would mean Ling Mo was finished, and his own death wouldn’t be far behind…

“It’s me.”

When that familiar voice sounded, Mu Chen let out a long sigh of relief, slumped against the wall, and as his arm dropped, his body uncontrollably slid down: “It’s you…”

Ling Mo slowly emerged from the darkness, surprising Mu Chen with a glance: “Wow…”

“Stop,” Mu Chen rolled his eyes and gestured with his hand, “Just stop, don’t comment on my appearance.”

“Alright, chainsaw murderer,” Ling Mo agreed, nodding his head.

“…Damn you,” Mu Chen cursed weakly.

“Right, I’m here to help you with a problem,” said Ling Mo, squatting down in front of Mu Chen, suddenly more serious.

Mu Chen was startled at first, then realization dawned on him: “The seed?”

Mu Chen had never been particularly concerned about the little thing in his brain, but now, thinking back to the harrowing moment when Ai Feng merged with Number 0, a chill ran up his spine.

“What do you mean by ‘hidden danger’? And how can you help me resolve it?” Mu Chen asked anxiously.

“Ai Feng’s brain also had one…”

“What?! Don’t panic,” Ling Mo patted Mu Chen’s shoulder, “His was much bigger than yours. With that seed, Number 0 could use the host as a receptacle. But yours is still taking root and hasn’t fully formed yet. I suspect everyone at the Niepan Branch has one in their brain. To avoid detection, most are just micro-seeds. For someone like you, who needs it, it took the opportunity to turn into a proper seed.”

After Ling Mo finished, Mu Chen was completely dumbfounded.

Even if there was a shred of truth to it, it was enough to send shivers down anyone’s spine.

What core existence, what central hub, this was essentially a hidden, massive tumor!

If left unchecked, who knows, one day it might become the real control center.

“This is like a biological version of a robot uprising!” Mu Chen said, stunned.

As soon as he snapped back to reality, he immediately grabbed Ling Mo: “Ling Mo… no no, Ling Mo… Boss!”

“Relax, it’s already gone. But this seed in your brain might reignite. It’s slowly absorbing your mental power, then gradually influencing you, and in the end, turning you into a new Number 0. But don’t worry, with the capacity of your brain, it would be good to have even one percent of its former strength,” Ling Mo said.

Mu Chen stared at Ling Mo for two seconds and then freaked out again, “How am I supposed to stay calm?!”

“Although I can’t get past your Mental Sphere to deal with that seed, I have another method.” Ling Mo said, as he reached into his backpack and pulled out the “jellyfish.” To him, it was a glowing transparent entity, but to Mu Chen, it appeared to be a dull plastic ball, at best a bit more refined than an ordinary plastic ball.

“This is the mental energy storage and conversion device I invented. It may look crude, but it contains highly sophisticated technology that’s not immediately apparent,” Ling Mo said as he placed the “jellyfish” atop Mu Chen’s head.

“You’re just making it sound complicated! Wait… how do you know it will target that seed specifically?!” Mu Chen, trying to dodge in vain, struggled to ask.

Ling Mo’s movements paused briefly: “One is a mess, filled with all sorts of wild fantasies from the mind of a single man, and the other is a pure, uncontaminated mental seed… Do you think everyone is indiscriminate in their appetites? Besides, after my numerous adjustments and experiments, I can assure you it has a very discerning taste…”

“Who has wild fantasies… Ahh!”

Mu Chen’s arm, raised in mid-air, froze as the unimpressive “jellyfish” was placed on his head, and he felt as if something in his brain was being sucked away.

The sensation was terrifying, but fortunately, it lasted only a moment. Ling Mo quickly grabbed the “jellyfish” and started pulling at it vigorously.

“What… what’s happening…” Mu Chen, not daring to move, asked with wide, vacant eyes.

“Oh, the seed has been removed, but it was a bit greedy… Ah, there we go, it’s off now.” Ling Mo pulled off the “jellyfish” with some effort. After absorbing some mental energy, it looked no different than before. But considering its form and how evolution tends to work, it indeed seemed like a challenging process…

Even if it just wanted to grow an eye, it would have to start from the very basics.

“I…” Mu Chen collapsed, gasping for air, and with wide eyes, he asked, “I haven’t lost anything, have I? Not even the wild fantasies! They’re my stress relievers, my mental sustenance, precious memories!”

“Apologize to your mental sustenance…” Ling Mo casually stuffed the “jellyfish” back into his bag and pulled Mu Chen to his feet, “Don’t worry, nobody’s going to take that… probably.”

“Hey!”

“Hey, hey, you’ll know if you recall them later,” Ling Mo said. “Now’s the time to take Xu Shuhan and get out of here.”

“Easy for you to say! Wait… are you expecting me to walk by myself?! Ling Mo… Boss! Don’t be like that, help me up!” Mu Chen’s shout reverberated in the corner.

…

Meanwhile, in that small storage room, Shana leaned against the door, her eyes slightly reddened, as she watched Xu Shuhan.

Xu Shuhan seemed to be in a daze, muttering from time to time, but her words were indistinct.

After a moment of hesitation and another glance outside, Shana slowly approached Xu Shuhan.

“Wake up.” Shana reached out, grabbed Xu Shuhan’s shoulder, and shook it gently.

“Ah!” Xu Shuhan let out a soft cry, her unfocused gaze turning towards Shana. She grimaced, as if she wanted to lunge forward but then her expression quickly turned to one of confusion.

She then slowly shrank back, letting out a fearful grunt.

“Don’t be afraid.” Shana curiously stared at Xu Shuhan, moving a bit closer. “You’re still conscious, aren’t you?”

Xu Shuhan hugged her knees, seeming too scared to look at Shana.

Shana smiled slightly, her eyes gently closing. When she opened them again, although the color hadn’t changed, her demeanor had completely shifted.

Under the moonlight, her gaze was firm, her long hair naturally falling in front of her chest, making her look like an ordinary girl.

“Hey?” After Shana spoke, Xu Shuhan clearly flinched.

Then she cautiously lifted her head to look at Shana. Now she seemed even more puzzled, torn between confusion and the curiosity that kept her gaze fixed.

“Do you want to become a zombie?” Shana thought for a moment before asking.