After the initial shock subsided, Lin Sanjiu forced herself to calm down. Instinctively, she looked outside. In the City of Ants, duoluozhongs were scattered all over the streets like green stains. The sky, which was always shrouded in white fog, was still empty and misty.
"What do you mean? What do you mean by Deva is coming? "
"Because she was the one who chose the warden!" the pregnant woman panted heavily. She felt as if she had exhausted all her strength with every breath she took. "Once the warden dies, Deva will sense it immediately …"
Lin Sanjiu and Ji Shanqing looked at each other and frowned at the same time.
"She will know immediately? But it has been quite some time since we killed the warden, "the grand prize mumbled," Why isn't Deva here yet? "
The pregnant woman was stunned. A blank expression appeared on her bony face, "Why isn't Deva here yet?"
"At least six to seven minutes have passed," Ji Shanqing nodded affirmatively.
"That's strange … Then, I don't know what's going on …" the pregnant woman frowned. She seemed to be confused as well. "Logically speaking, Deva should have arrived a long time ago …"
She lowered her head hesitantly and thought for a moment. Then, she suddenly grabbed her hair tightly and curled up her body. She let out a low growl as if she was suddenly filled with loathing for herself.
Just when Lin Sanjiu was at a loss of what to do, the pregnant woman raised her head again, panting.
"I'm fine. I don't know why, but I suddenly thought of an oracle that they have been talking about all day long … It makes me feel a little sick. "
"What oracle?"
The pregnant woman's lips quivered a few times. She forced a smile, "We cannot understand the will of God."
For some reason, this sentence made Lin Sanjiu's stomach churn. She couldn't tell what kind of emotion it was, but it made her feel very uncomfortable.
"Regardless of the reason, since Deva isn't here, we should take this opportunity to leave —" Lin Sanjiu concluded.
The pregnant woman shook her head, "You guys go!"
"What about you?" Lin Sanjiu looked at the pregnant woman with a frown. "I promised you that not only will we come out, but we will also save you."
"I've made up my mind to die. Moreover, I know my body well. I'm afraid I don't have much time left. " The pregnant woman wiped her face, and her face was pale. "I'm not helping you because I want you to take me out. It's because there's something I want to do before I die."
Lin Sanjiu opened her mouth, but she couldn't speak for a moment.
"What is it?" Ji Shanqing asked as he turned to look at the dark depths of the cave. With the help of the sunlight outside, he could faintly see a few men, women, old, and young who looked withered and exhausted, curled up into a ball. At this moment, they were staring at them with terror. These people couldn't even stretch their limbs. Most of the space in the cave was occupied by unfinished statues of the Mother Goddess.
"All the children that are born will be sent to a special large cave to be raised." The pregnant lady gasped for air. As she spoke, she held her stomach and struggled to walk out. "... I want to go there."
"Why do you want to go there?"
"I want to see," the pregnant lady walked out of the cave step by step, startling Lin Sanjiu. She quickly checked the surroundings and followed her. "In the past, whenever I gave birth to a child, it would be taken away immediately. I can't even see it … So, I want to see what I've given birth to."
Lin Sanjiu frowned deeply. "What else can it be?"
The people in this place were all born this way. She just needed to look around and she would know.
"Yes, I know, and they look normal …" the pregnant woman said in a low voice, "But … after all, each pregnancy only takes three months. If I don't see it with my own eyes and know that I've given birth to a human, I won't be able to rest in peace. "
However, it seemed that she wouldn't be able to hold on until then.
The duoluozhong was dead, and the chains around her ankles were gone. However, with the heavy belly, she couldn't walk at all. Every step she took was bought by the pregnant lady's trembling and swaying.
To be honest, it was a miracle that she hadn't been discovered by the duoluozhong even after taking five steps.
"Geez," Lin Sanjiu cursed. She turned around and saw that the residents in the cave had yet to come out. She strode forward and held the pregnant lady's shoulder. "Don't go. I feel tired for you —"
Before she could finish her sentence, she grabbed the pregnant lady's legs and lifted her up. "Tell me! Which direction? "
"Aren't you guys going to run?" The pregnant lady was shocked. "What if Deva comes —"
"She hasn't shown up for a long time. Maybe she doesn't care about that warden," Lin Sanjiu said. "Tell me, where are you going? We don't have much time. We need to leave before those people come out to warn us. "
The pregnant lady was straightforward. She raised her hand and pointed upward, "The loop above us! If Deva comes, you guys can escape from it. "
Right now, they were at the bottom of the "bowl". If they wanted to escape, they had to climb out of the "bowl". Lin Sanjiu could already hear the faint screams of the duoluozhong in the distance. She didn't dare to waste any more time. She hugged the pregnant lady with both hands and called Ji Shanqing over. Then, they dashed through the simple staircase and rushed to the next loop.
Even though the pregnant lady was only left with a pile of bones and swollen fluid, her body was pressing heavily on Lin Sanjiu's arm. Her weight seemed to grow heavier with every step she took. Lin Sanjiu didn't know how much willpower the woman had to endure the pain without making a sound. Seeing that the woman's face was getting paler and paler, and her hair was drenched in sweat, Lin Sanjiu bit her lower lip and quickened her pace.
Soon, she could see the cave on the other side of the loop.
Unlike the other caves, this one had a wide and deep entrance. The interior of the cave seemed to be carved out from both sides. It was at least ten times bigger than a normal cave.
"My name is Hiliu."
The pregnant lady in Lin Sanjiu's arms mumbled, "I can't believe that I can say this name one more time before I die."
Lin Sanjiu couldn't make a sound. She had seen countless dead people, and she had also seen countless dying people. Hiliu was right. She didn't have much time left.
"Tell me," after a few seconds, Lin Sanjiu asked softly with a pleading tone, "Tell me, how can I save you?"
Then, she felt Hiliu shaking her head in her arms.
"Don't waste your time. There are some things you can't do. Besides, I've already accepted this outcome. " Hiliu's voice was as weak as a thin thread. Her voice trembled as she followed Lin Sanjiu's footsteps, "If you really want to help me, why don't you give me a cigarette?"
Then, she chuckled, "I haven't touched a lighter ever since I came to this godforsaken place."
Lin Sanjiu bit her lip and stopped immediately. With Mrs. Manas' [Higher Consciousness Defense], which had been strengthened by her [Higher Consciousness Defense], Lin Sanjiu did not dodge the attack from behind. She took out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from her card and placed them in Hiliu's hand. After living in the same world as Qing Jiuliu, she still had a few boxes of cigarettes and alcohol left in her card.
"I didn't expect you to have them." Hiliu held the cigarette in her mouth and pressed the lighter a few times. The flame flickered a few times, but the cigarette didn't light up. She laughed self-deprecatingly and took the cigarette and the lighter. "Forget it. Let's go."
Lin Sanjiu and Ji Shanqing looked at each other. However, it was only for a fleeting moment. Both of them suddenly realized that Hiliu could read minds.
Lying in Lin Sanjiu's arms, Hiliu's face was pale. She closed her eyes.
When they were not far away from the cave, the duoluozhongs behind them finally got nervous. Their attacks suddenly became more intense. Every time the [Weather Announcer] predicted an incoming attack, four to five other abilities would arrive before the [Weather Announcer] could attack them.
Accompanied by all sorts of whistles, Lin Sanjiu's [Higher Consciousness Defense] was shaken. Gritting her teeth, she led the grand prize and the [Weather Announcer] into the nursery cave.
The light suddenly dimmed. Lin Sanjiu could only see the shadows of the cave walls, which stretched deeper into the depths of the cave. A gust of air mixed with the smell of milk and stench rushed toward them.
As a nursery cave, the place was strangely quiet. The sound of water dripping echoed in the quiet cave. The sound of each water droplet was long and lingered for a long time. The shouts and pursuers outside seemed to be in another world.
Before the pursuers realized that they had entered the cave, Lin Sanjiu hugged Hiliu and rushed into the narrow tunnel.
There were only rock walls, mud, and even torches in the excavated cave. After walking a few steps, the group was quickly enveloped by the darkness of the underground. After walking for a while in the dark, there was no light in front of them. Lin Sanjiu took out her [Ability Polishing Agent]. When the silver light shone on them, they were stunned.
A large underground cave opened up in front of them.
In the distance, beyond the reach of the silver light, the back half of the cave disappeared into the darkness. Countless wooden cribs of various sizes filled the entire cave. As the silver light shone on them, faces with numb expressions emerged from the darkness. They were white because of the silver light. They stared at the group of intruders in silence.
"W-why are they so quiet?" the grand prize stammered. He walked closer and bent down to take a closer look.
The child in front of him seemed to be a girl. She was about six or seven years old. She was curled up in a small crib, but it didn't seem crowded because she was so thin that she didn't look like a human. There were many children of different ages standing beside her. There were boys and girls, but all of them looked at the grand prize calmly. When the grand prize met their eyes, he suddenly shuddered and rushed back to Lin Sanjiu's side.
Thousands of tiny faces turned to look at Lin Sanjiu as he did that.
"Put me down," Hiliu ordered softly.
Lin Sanjiu hesitated for a moment, but she didn't move.
"Put me down," Hiliu repeated again with a heavy tone.
This time, Lin Sanjiu only spoke after a few seconds.
"Umm … Actually, you don't smoke, right?" Lin Sanjiu asked softly as if she was afraid of disturbing a small animal. "You don't even know how to light a cigarette —"
"You have to take a puff when you light the cigarette. That's the only way to light it up," Ji Shanqing added. "We got to know this from an old smoker," Ji Shanqing said.
"You just want to know whether I have a lighter or not," Lin Sanjiu sighed. "If you are just here to take a look, why do you need a lighter?"
Hiliu was silent for a moment before she suddenly smiled.
"Haven't you already guessed it?" Hiliu said calmly. Then, she suddenly flipped over and fell from Lin Sanjiu's arms. When Lin Sanjiu quickly caught her, Hiliu was already sitting on the ground. "These children, including the people you saw in the cave, are not humans. They are just breeding machines, tools, and laborers that Deva created by borrowing our stomachs. From the root, they have made a huge mistake … Before I die, I must correct this mistake. "
With a loud pop, the lower half of Hiliu's face turned red.
"If you don't leave now, I will burn myself first," Hiliu said. Hiliu's calm gaze was filled with determination and madness. Lin Sanjiu suddenly recalled that Hiliu must have had the same expression when she pressed the blade into her own artery. "... Don't forget that I can read minds. I know that a person like you will never let their savior die because of you. "
"But —"
"There are no buts. They are not humans. They are mistakes. One less is one more!" Hiliu knew what Lin Sanjiu wanted to say. Before Lin Sanjiu could say anything, she retorted, "Take a closer look! Have you ever seen a human child like this? "
Lin Sanjiu turned her head subconsciously and met the eyes of the other face that popped out of the crib.
The baby was expressionless. There was no light in his black eyes, like two deep wells. The baby did not move, did not scream, and did not even blink.
When Lin Sanjiu shifted her gaze to the next baby, a dazzling flame suddenly sprang up behind her. Lin Sanjiu immediately knew that she had been tricked. She turned her head around quickly, but it was too late. The crib closest to Hiliu was already engulfed in flames, and the fire had already spread to the next few cribs. Hiliu, on the other hand, was struggling to crawl to the next crib. She had already set one of its rails on fire.
"Sis," Ji Shanqing walked over and held Lin Sanjiu's arm. "Look."
Amidst the dancing flames, the girl who was illuminated by the fire finally moved. She looked to her left and right in a sluggish manner. When the fire burned her, she fell on the bed clumsily. However, she did not seem to know fear or pain. When she moved, Lin Sanjiu finally saw the lower half of the girl's body. Her abdomen was slightly bulging.
"Forget it," Ji Shanqing whispered to Lin Sanjiu, "Sis, everyone has their own fate. We should leave now. If we don't leave now, we will be surrounded by the duoluozhongs outside. "
Lin Sanjiu bit her lip and shot a quick glance at Hiliu.
Hiliu was lying on the ground, motionless.
She stared at the fire she had lit with her hand. Her chiseled face was dyed red by the fire. Her skin glistened with sweat, like a piece of red-orange satin. Hiliu sensed Lin Sanjiu's gaze, but she did not turn her head. Instead, she said softly, "My wish is finally fulfilled. I don't have much longer to live, so I won't send you off. "
Lin Sanjiu lowered her head without saying a word. Then, she pulled Ji Shanqing up and rushed out of the room. Hiliu tilted her head slightly as if she had heard something. Then, she fell to the ground with a smirk on her lips.
Her soft "thank you" was drowned out by the crackling of the wood and the raging fire.
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