On the moon, the original site of the Kepler base.
The messy rescue scene was separated by a pure white temporary oxygen shed.
Inside, where the extreme cold had yet to dissipate, the investigators took off their helmets, lowered their heads, and stared at the eyeless corpse in front of them.
"Has the identity of the deceased been determined?"
Asked the captain from the central bureau, who was directly under the decision-making room.
"It has been confirmed with the Silver Monument workshop. This corpse is the workshop's alchemist, Ragnar himself." The assistant replied, "According to the restoration of the scene and the investigation of scholars, the identity of the murderer has also been identified … It's William Buckle, the head of security at the Kepler base."
"Is there a grudge between the two sides?"
"No, no. Since William came here to be the head of security ten years ago, he has never quarreled with anyone outside of work. Everyone knows that he has a good temper." The assistant said, "With Ragnar's personality, he should also disdain to have conflicts with people from the same base."
"Well, let me guess …"
The captain, who had not slept for almost forty-eight hours, squatted on the ground and stared at the corpse's empty eye sockets. He suddenly said, "This William Buckle, before coming to the Kepler base, should have served in the dark side prison, right?"
The assistant was stunned. He immediately looked down at the screen in his hand and pulled up the file, but part of it was blocked.
It was top-secret.
"There's no need to look. Apart from the dark side prison, only the Sixth Research Institute has such top-secret files on the moon. It's absolutely impossible for the people of the Sixth Research Institute to be outside …"
The captain rubbed his face. "Use my name and send a letter to the dark side prison to inquire."
In less than five minutes, the exact reply appeared on the assistant's screen.
Just as the captain had guessed, William Buckle had indeed served in the dark side prison for twelve years before coming here.
The area of service was the first floor of Zone B.
The place where the Grand Master Pubrilius was detained!
What a strange coincidence.
"… We ran into each other just like that, right?"
The captain's eyes stared at the corpse, but his empty gaze fell on the void, becoming gloomy and frightening. "The servicemen of the dark side prison are never allowed to return to the present world for the rest of their lives. They can only look for jobs on the moon and the border. As compensation, they will all have a well-paid and lofty position in various bases and departments … "
He paused for a moment, then turned around and ordered, "Check the whereabouts of the guards on the B1 floor over the years after they retired!"
Fifteen minutes later, the report appeared in front of the captain.
Over the past 90 years, a total of 141 guards had resigned from the B1 level. Among them, 34 voluntarily stayed in the dark side prison and transferred to the logistics unit. 40 went to the border, and the rest were scattered in the major research bases on the moon...
However, upon closer inspection, they discovered that out of the hundreds and thousands of organizations on the huge moon, more than eleven people had come to the narrow area between the Ocean of Storms and the Sea of Islands.
Moreover, without exception, all of them died a violent death in various accidents!
"When was the last death reported?" the captain asked.
"Seventy years ago …" the assistant said, "Since then, no one has been transferred to the Kepler area until William retired two years ago."
"That's when the two wheels are docked at the Helios workshop."
The captain laughed mockingly. "Then, help me take a look at Grandmaster Pubrilius's medical records. When did his Origin Substance begin to deteriorate and his soul begin to shrink?"
"Nine-ninety-one years ago …"
In the long silence, the captain lit the cigarette at the corner of his mouth and muttered to himself.
Twenty years had passed.
"He was already preparing to break out of prison at that time. Pubrilius … … Grandmasters are indeed Grandmasters. None of them can be underestimated."
The assistant was stunned. "Isn't Pubrilius dead?"
"Yes, he's dead, but the problem is … … How do you define a person's death, my friend?" the captain laughed.
He raised his hand and pointed at his forehead. "Is it the destruction of the physical body or the dissipation of the soul? It's just a corpse. What does that mean? Isn't it impossible to find any remnants of the soul at the scene? "
"It's not the corrosion of the curse bullets?"
"Let's not talk about why someone would go through so much trouble to charge into the dark side prison to kill an old bastard who has been forgotten by the entire world. What if, and I'm saying, what if there's even the slightest possibility … … What if his soul was already no longer here before he was killed?"
The captain looked up, his eyes shining with understanding. "What if he had already broken out of prison before that?"
That's right, he had broken out of prison.
Grandmaster Pubrilius had single-handedly accomplished a heroic feat that no one had been able to accomplish for hundreds of years.
He had escaped from the dark side prison!
In fact, if it weren't for the recent abnormalities in the moon's surveillance system and the strange events at Kepler Crater, which had attracted the attention of the astronomical society, no one would have been able to find any clues.
Only the professional hunting dogs of the Dark Side Army had such a keen sense of smell.
They had smelled something unusual from the seemingly ordinary death.
"Tony, what do you think?" the captain asked.
"I'll sit and watch." Horse-Faced Man, who was smoking next to him, shrugged. "I'm still on vacation. Boss, it's one thing to be dragged here to work overtime, but do you really want me to be a supporting character?"
"At this time, we need to use your thoughts to verify it."
The captain stood up and suddenly asked, "If you were Grandmaster Pubrilius, what price would you pay in order to obtain your freedom?"
Tony laughed softly, grinning under his mask as if he could empathize with the captain's feelings.
He could understand the captain's determination, which had long since surpassed that of ordinary people.
"Of course, I would pay any price … …"
He was certain of this.
Even if he himself was part of the price!
Then, the answer was clear.
The first known condition was that Grandmaster Pubrilius specialized in the study of human Origin Substances.
The second known condition was that ninety-one years ago, Pubrilius's soul had begun to show signs of collapse due to old age, and his Origin Substances had begun to dissipate. Until recently, he had already lost all ability to use alchemy right before his death.
The third known condition was that all of the people who had retired from the Dark Side Prison in Area B1 who had come to the vicinity of Kepler Base had all died unnatural deaths for various reasons.
The fourth known condition was Pubrilius's inhuman obsession with miracles, and the grave mistake he had made because of it!
In order to accomplish some goal, in order to escape from this place.
He didn't hesitate to kill himself.
"But is something like this even possible?" Tony asked. "Isn't this a bit too sensational?"
"Don't forget, he's a Grandmaster, Tony," the captain said.
"Perhaps a Level Five Ascended cultivator has a limit, but to a Grandmaster, as long as he's well-prepared … … nothing is impossible. Besides, what's this trifling 'suicide'?"
The only thing that the prison couldn't isolate was the desire of the soul.
He was thinking.
He had been thinking.
To him, as long as he wanted to escape from this place.
The two of them glanced at each other. They didn't say anything, but at the same time, they felt an indescribable chill.
They both understood what that man, who longed for freedom, had done in this world's strictest security and lockdown, under the watchful eyes of everyone present, had done.
Countless long nights, enduring unprecedented pain, bit by bit … … tearing apart his own soul.
He relied on strand after strand of Origin Substance to implant the shattered souls into the guards that were right in front of him.
In order to avoid triggering surveillance, the Origin Substance had to be extremely thin, hidden in his words, his thoughts, and his line of sight.
Relying on the occasional exchange of glances, his unanswered complaints, and his moans when he spoke to the doctor.
Severing his own soul, tearing it to shreds, then fusing it with someone else's soul. Finally, he reformed it and allowed them to take away a portion of his soul.
Once, and again, and then again … …
He created a hell from his own soul, then extracted the essence of freedom from this narrow hell day after day.
As a result, the Origin Substance gradually became scarce, and his soul gradually collapsed.
This painful suicide had been repeated for ninety years. How many times had he succeeded, and how many times had he failed? Apart from Pubrus, no one else knew.
Every time someone left, they would take a portion of his body and the remains of his soul with them.
Like a seed that had been planted, it silently grew and waited until one day, when the sender heard a certain piece of news, saw a certain item, or had an unusual dream. In the end, it ushered in an irreversible erosion and transformation, becoming a part of Grandmaster Pubrilius.
"If this is true, he has at least divided his soul into eleven parts. No, if we include William, it should be twelve parts." Tony sighed. "Is this really possible?"
"Don't forget, Tony. He is a Master."
As long as he could pay the price, he was an omnipotent Master … …
The captain put out his cigarette and said softly, "For such an inhuman existence, what is impossible?"
"If we write a report based on such groundless speculation, the higher-ups won't believe it, right?"
"Isn't that so?" The captain stood up and glanced at the corpse on the ground one last time. "But apart from this, what else is there to write? After all, it is a possibility … … As for how to verify it, we'll leave it to the higher-ups to have a headache. "
Three hours later, in a separate bedroom in the temporary base at Kepler Crater, the captain completed his sixth investigation report.
After drinking a small glass of wine, he wrapped himself in a blanket and fell into a deep sleep.
Snoring sounds could be heard.
This report was sent to the present location through the satellite between the Earth and the Moon. One minute later, it arrived at the London Extension and was transferred to the Central Decision Room on the Aerial Floor.
After an analysis team of more than six hundred people received a preliminary review, they summarized and gathered the information. Half an hour later, they submitted the third batch of findings and speculations.
After the Axis Organization checked and calculated, this report was transmitted to the higher-level organization 15 minutes later.
After another hour, the meeting ended.
After the video conference, Secretary-General Yegor sat in his study in his pajamas. He smoked a cigarette but didn't drink.
He lowered his head and signed a new order.
In the seventh hour, an emergency regulation state was ushered in on the Moon. After everyone was forced to stop all activities, they went to the thirteen sanctuaries.
At the same time, the orbit of the Moon began to adjust for the fourth time. Under the emergency situation, the gravitational force of the Moon was temporarily disconnected.
After the adjustment of the orbital inclination angle was completed, the huge star rotated once and accelerated slightly. With the effect of the gravitational slingshot, it broke away from the orbit.
Leaving behind a simulated moonlight hanging in the sky of the Moon.
And in the intertwining of countless star orbits, silver-white dust rose from the back of the Moon in the eternal darkness.
In the vacuum, the Moon Sea collapsed. Forty-seven ring-shaped metal creations with a diameter of six kilometers spewed out blue flames and rose into the universe.
They seemed to be penetrated by an invisible axis and extended straight out.
They were aimed in the direction of Jupiter.
Close to the Eye of the Devil.
In the center of countless concentric circles, under the cracked shell of the Moon, a pure metal object that had been silent for more than sixty years waited quietly.
A heavy cannon with a mass comparable to that of a medium-sized island was ready to fire.
Waiting quietly.
Waiting for the results of the observation.
Waiting for the arrival of the war.
At the same time, under the aim of the heavy cannon, Huai Shi, who was sleeping, struggled for a moment and felt suffocated.
He was about to be suffocated by the dog lying on his face.
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