Chapter 739: Passage

October 4th, 3:30 PM.

A heavy-duty convoy departed from a branch of the Lianwei Zhongyu Company. Guided by numerous Consciousness Bodies, it headed toward a designated passage to the Merging Land.

There were generally three types of passages to the Merging Land: public government passages, private corporate passages, and emergency internal passages.

Lianwei Zhongyu was taking a private corporate passage.

A quarter of an hour later, at nearly 4:00, the convoy arrived at its destination.

The entrances to most Merging Land passages were located near stations, and this one was no exception. The area had been evacuated and cleared in advance, and they would have a twenty-minute window for access.

After they disembarked, the middle-aged female assistant led the way. Flanking her were two Black Steel Level Fighters, “Raptor” and “Eel.” Both were clad in heavy Protective Clothing that completely concealed them, even their heads and faces.

Following them were three newly added White Iron Level Fighters and one Brass Level Fighter.

Within Lianwei Zhongyu’s internal rating system, Third Limit Fighters were divided into three ranks: White Iron, Brass, and Black Steel. A White Iron Level Fighter was capable of operating solo in the Merging Land. A Brass Level Fighter could independently handle an ordinary Duty Samurai. A Black Steel Level Fighter was one with experience fighting titled Duty Samurai.

Because Lianwei Zhongyu Company was quite influential in the industry, this rating system had actually been adopted and used by some related mercenary organizations, making it a semi-standardized assessment criterion.

In addition, the team included over twenty logistical and technical personnel.

On the surface, due to the presence of the two Black Steel Level Fighters, the team’s overall strength was slightly greater than a standard executive squad from the Defense Department, but not by much.

Given their large numbers, they opted not to take the elevator this time, instead heading down through the emergency stairwell.

The group walked down a long, empty, descending ramp, each footstep clearly audible. At the same time, Yang Ling was using Narcissus’s Invisibility to silently follow at the very rear of the team.

Although this shell of hers was quite large, its movements were incredibly light and agile. Even the team members right beside her were completely unaware of her presence.

After they passed the ramp, the female assistant gave a seemingly casual reminder. “The inspection passage is just ahead. Go through one by one.”

She then specifically arranged for everyone to form a long, single-file line before walking into the inspection passage. Instantly, a Biological Domain enveloped them, scanning over each person.

Because the team members were spaced relatively far apart, half the group still hadn’t entered the passage by the time the first person had walked out.

Just then, Yang Ling suddenly crouched low and shot forward. Her path was very deliberate; she moved close alongside each team member. As she drew near, their individual Domains aligned, blurring and concealing her presence.

Although Domains varied in strength from person to person, she moved so quickly that, coupled with the anti-interference Domain of the active Consciousness Body, she was already past them before any signal of the strength discrepancy could be registered.

She spent less than a second in the thirty-meter passage, and her unique external structure didn’t make the slightest sound.

After everyone had passed through, no Domain alarms were triggered.

Seeing that everyone was through and the inspection passage remained silent, the female assistant lifted her head, clearly thinking they had passed the test. But as she led her people around the corner and through the security gate, her expression froze slightly.

There, in front of a parked train, stood Chen Chuan. He wore a wide-brimmed cap and a Protective Cloak, his presence imposing.

Behind him were Yuan Qiuyuan and Qin Qingque, both also fully armed. The rest of the Processing Bureau team members were lined up in a row behind them. They had set up machine guns behind the station’s existing fortifications, and more gun barrels could be seen aimed this way from on top of the train.

In such an open area and at such close range, even a Black Steel Level Fighter in Protective Clothing would find it difficult to withstand such concentrated fire if those machine guns, already calibrated to their firing angles, were to open up.

The female assistant raised a hand, signaling for everyone to halt. She walked forward alone, gave Chen Chuan a slight bow, and said very politely, “Manager Chen, we’ve received approval from Central City and are on our way to the Merging Land to fulfill our company’s obligations. I was wondering why you are here…”

Chen Chuan said, “I appreciate your company’s support for the Merging Land. I have reviewed your application roster. Given the current tense situation, many armed groups that threaten Central City’s security have entered the city. Therefore, we need to re-screen and verify all personnel entering and exiting the Merging Land. I hope you can understand.”

The female assistant expressed her understanding. “Of course. We at Lianwei Zhongyu Company have always respected and abided by the laws of Central City. We will cooperate with your bureau’s inspection.”

She stepped aside, her expression appearing utterly sincere and open.

Chen Chuan gave a nod, and Qin Qingque immediately stepped forward. Referencing the original list, she began to scan each member of the Lianwei Zhongyu team with a Realm Token.

Yang Ling was currently attached silently to a nearby wall. Although she had passed the Domain surveillance, she had felt a sense of unease ever since arriving. The long, sharp claws at the ends of her slender limbs twitched restlessly. When she saw Qin Qingque showing signs of approaching her position, she carefully shifted to the other side, the entire process completely silent.

She didn’t dare look toward Chen Chuan. Even though she had no experience as a Fighter, the active Consciousness Body stored a vast amount of data on Fighters, allowing her to understand just how sharp their senses were. Even the slightest change in the environment could attract their attention.

This was especially true for Fighters who excelled at Domain perception, as they were extremely sensitive to Biological Domains. Fortunately, Narcissus was an active Consciousness Body, capable of perfectly concealing its own Domain.

Since there weren’t many people present, Qin Qingque finished all the comparisons in less than half an hour. She then walked back and saluted Chen Chuan.

“Manager, all current personnel have been checked and verified. They match the provided list.”

The female assistant watched from the side without any particular expression. Upon hearing this, her chin simply lifted a fraction.

Chen Chuan looked at the female assistant and asked, “Ms. Ling, I’ll ask you seriously: besides the personnel on this list, has Lianwei Zhongyu added any extra manpower or combat creatures?”

The female assistant’s heart skipped a beat, but she shook her head and said, “No, we have not.”

Chen Chuan’s gaze was deep and steady. “Are you sure?” He looked toward a spot that appeared to be completely empty and asked in a calm voice, “Then why is this active Consciousness Body here?”

A storm of shock surged through the female assistant’s mind, but her expression was one of feigned surprise. “What active Consciousness Body? Are you joking, Manager Chen?”

Chen Chuan ignored her, his eyes fixed on that spot. A sharp light glinted in his pupils as a wave of Spiritual Power instantly radiated outward.

The next moment, in the direction of his gaze, an invisible ripple appeared in the air, but it was already distinct enough to reveal the outline of a large creature.

An active Consciousness Body could deceive a Domain, but it could not hide from his Spiritual Power. Especially now, after merging with his Second Self, his Spiritual Power had reached a state of extreme acuity. No abnormal fluctuation in his surroundings could possibly escape his notice.

Yang Ling had wanted to remain hidden, but the mental assault instantly destabilized her Domain. The Invisibility effect faded at once, and her enormous outer shell was abruptly exposed to the open air.

Seeing this, the Processing Bureau members behind Chen Chuan all raised their firearms, aiming their muzzles directly at her.

Yang Ling immediately felt threatened. At the same time, a thought emerged in her mind, telling her to execute the backup plan at once.

The company’s original plan was for her to pass through with the team; it would be best if she could enter the Merging Land smoothly that way. However, if she met with obstruction or was detected in advance, she was to activate the second plan.

And that was to break through on her own.

Her Spiritual Power could locate openings into the Merging Land and even the other world. After combining with the active Consciousness Body, her Spiritual Power had grown immense. Once she was near the boundary of the Merging Land, she wouldn’t even need to reach the passage itself; she could force open a Rift large enough for her to pass through.

As long as she wasn’t caught, Lianwei Zhongyu would still have ways to deny responsibility. Even if she didn’t succeed, just by entering the Merging Land, she would still have a chance to seize the Lost Object.

At that moment, she leaped lightly, her form suddenly blurring, leaving only an afterimage in her place. The rat-a-tat of machine guns erupted as other firearms also began to open fire, all aimed at her. But she moved too fast; not a single bullet hit her.

In reality, Narcissus’s tough outer shell was capable of fighting the dangerous creatures in the Merging Land; she wasn’t afraid of these bullets at all. However, the impact from such a dense barrage would undoubtedly affect her speed and movement, so she opted for the safest approach.

She herself was no Fighter and had no real combat experience. If it were just her, no matter how capable, she would have been unable to react to such a sudden turn of events. But after fusing with the active Consciousness Body, none of that was a problem.

With the active Consciousness Body’s help, all her hesitant and weak emotions were suppressed. She would calmly and quickly make the most logical decision based on the situation before her.

After leaping back and forth twice, her speed increased even more. She forced her way through the gaps in the gunfire and rushed toward the train.

And as she leaped forward, the ribbon-like fins on her back began to flicker. At the same time, the surrounding air seemed to vibrate. An area ahead that had clearly been empty space suddenly melted open into a deep void. It looked as if she was about to pass through it in the very next instant.

But her body suddenly froze in midair.

She glanced back and saw that one of her hind legs was held fast by a powerful hand. The world spun, and with a tremendous BANG, her massive body was brutally slammed onto the ground!