Chapter 57 - 53: S-Class

Chapter 57: Chapter 53: S-Class

An hour later, somewhere along the West Coast.

A sphere of water emerged from the sea, carrying two people within it. It rushed toward the largest coconut tree on the shore. Once it reached the shade, the water dispersed, and Ian and Lighthouse tumbled out.

Zoe had been fast enough, but Lighthouse’s body—mostly exposed without a Diving Suit—had still been severely burned by the relentless sunlight. His skin was charred black, nearly carbonized.

Ian’s Diving Suit was intact. Since he wasn’t wearing a helmet, however, his face and the back of his neck were also scorched black. However, that layer of charred skin quickly receded on its own, restoring the normal pale complexion of the Blood Clan.

The emerald green of his irises had faded significantly. This rapid healing came from his Extraordinary Ability: absorbing the Life Force of other creatures, storing it in his pupils, and using it to heal himself or others when needed. Twenty years ago, he and Victor had managed to survive the journey from Huaxia across the ocean to Night City. They had relied not only on Victor’s combat Strength, but also on Ian’s healing abilities. Neither could have succeeded without the other.

"How are you feeling?" Zoe asked with concern.

Before Ian could answer, she stood up and gazed out at the blazing offshore drilling platform, instinctively taking two steps forward. The moment she stepped out of the shade, the sunlight scorched her skin, producing a hiss of white steam. Zoe let out a muffled groan and quickly retreated.

"May..."

"She’ll be fine," Ian consoled her, though he didn’t quite understand Zoe’s inexplicable attachment to Yin Zhen. With that, he looked over at the unconscious Lighthouse and frowned.

Zoe followed his gaze and explained, "He’s May’s friend. I saw them together before, so I brought him along while I was at it."

Ian sighed. "That’s not how you define a friend."

Zoe blinked. "What should I do, then? Throw him back into the sea?"

"There’s no need for that."

Ian carefully examined Lighthouse’s injuries, confirming that he was genuinely unconscious and not just faking it. For a member of the Blood Clan to be sun-scorched to this extent, it would be difficult to recover relying solely on blood source element. He would need to soak in a Treatment Pod for a few days. Drawing his tactical dagger, Ian sliced directly into Lighthouse’s arm, allowing the blood to flow freely.

"Zoe, his Iron Bone will increase your survivability."

Zoe frowned in resistance, but under Ian’s insistent gaze, she crouched down and drank some of Lighthouse’s blood.

A moment later, her eyes widened in surprise. "Ian, my Blood Source Resonance seems to have upgraded. The number of resonances has increased, and I can now voluntarily discard an ability I’ve already resonated with. Besides that, I can temporarily boost a resonated ability to the same Level as my Blood Source Resonance, but once I do, that ability will completely disappear."

Zoe had no idea why she knew these details so clearly. The descriptions regarding her Blood Source Resonance had simply popped into her mind, allowing her to understand them without a second thought.

Ian looked surprised. "These are the traits of an S-level Blood Source Resonance. It must have been caused by that white creature."

At the mention of it, a curious expression appeared on Zoe’s face.

"Ian, what exactly was that white thing? It made me feel like... a mother. Yes, exactly like the ’mother’ you all talk about. When it connected with me, I felt so at ease and relaxed. I just wanted to lean into its embrace and sleep."

Zoe hadn’t resisted the white entity, so her experience was quite different from Yin Zhen’s. In fact, when Yin Zhen severed that umbilical cord, Zoe had even felt a profound sense of loss.

"Your mother is in the Saint Group’s secret underground laboratory. Even I don’t have the clearance to enter that place." Ian paused, retrieving a memory drive hidden within his Diving Suit. It was the drilling platform’s work log. "...Perhaps that white creature has some connection to the ’Source.’ The initial Strength of the ’Source’ likely came from the deep sea as well. The origin of the Blood Plague, the ’Chi Hai,’ was also salvaged from the depths of the ocean."

The THWUP-THWUP-THWUP of helicopter rotors drifted over from the distance.

Ian hastily stood up. "You need to leave first. Don’t let anyone see you."

Zoe nodded. Just before her body completely dissolved into water, she pleaded, "If you get any news about May, you have to tell me. I think she’s a very good person. Please, don’t make enemies out of yourselves!"

Only after Zoe had turned into water and seeped into the ground did Ian speak slowly. "The choice in this matter is out of my hands. I’m also quite curious about what kind of person she really is."

In the distance, the flames on the drilling platform continued to burn, sending thick plumes of black smoke surging into the sky. The helicopter’s roar drew closer, and the downdraft from its rotors began to rustle the canopy of the coconut trees.

Ian couldn’t help but recall those moments inside the drilling platform. The images played on a loop in his mind. S717’s face gradually blurred. The only thing left in his memory were those eyes. Bottomless, like a sealed well hiding lethal danger in its depths.

She was an intruder who had disguised herself as S717. She had murdered Lucia, stolen Lucia’s Identity, and deceived everyone. And he—until he got the answers he sought—had no choice but to be her accomplice.

...

Yin Zhen felt someone patting her cheek. She jolted awake, leaping up as her hand dropped instinctively to her holster. She had returned to the coast, with the shade of a coconut tree overhead.

Adeline stood up with a smile. "On my way back, I saw you sinking into the sea, reaching out to me as if begging for salvation. So, out of the goodness of my heart, I brought you back."

"Bullshit!"

Adeline chuckled. "Did you blow up the amalgam core?"

"Who else?"

Adeline clapped her hands. "WOW. Impressive. I will definitely report your heroic performance to the Council so they can give you their highest commendation. That said, if you wouldn’t mind, my dear friend, could you write up a detailed report on the entire mission process and hand it over to me?"

Yin Zhen sneered. "You want to know what happened down there? Beg me. Beg me, and I’ll tell you."

"Alright, I’m begging you. I beg you to tell me. Let’s hear it."

"..."

A helicopter roared as it approached.

"Captain—!"

Fully armed, White Phosphorus leaped out of the helicopter before it even touched down. Ignoring Adeline entirely, White Phosphorus only had eyes for the captain. "I’m so glad you’re okay."

"Where is Lighthouse?" Yin Zhen asked.

White Phosphorus took off the tactical helmet and swapped it for the one on Yin Zhen’s head, which had been shattered by the blast’s shockwave.

"Lighthouse is fine. He washed up on another part of the coast with Dr. Ian. He suffered severe burns and is currently receiving treatment. Z49 died in action, but Z13, Amelia, and Cole are all alive. Oh, by the way, Vice Commander Victor said he wants to see you immediately. He’s waiting for you in the Saint Group’s brain-computer laboratory."

At the same time, operatives dispatched by the Cavendish family approached Adeline. They handed her a brand-new set of gear and whispered something in her ear. Adeline’s expression shifted slightly. Dropping her interrogation about the events beneath the drilling platform, she strapped on her helmet, threw on a sun-blocking coat, and quickly strode toward the helicopter.

Yin Zhen’s heart sank inch by inch.

The existence of the Players had likely already been discovered by the three major families and the Council. She had no idea what their next move would be. To the Blood Clan, their world was nothing more than a delicious, mouthwatering cake!