Infinite Nightmares

Chapter 307: Chapter 304: It’s Over

At those words, Zhang Wenda’s pupils contracted sharply.

‘What could possibly be so valuable that Old Tan would use himself as bait? What did that strange negative index on the radar detect? And what is causing the environment to become so twisted and bizarre?’

‘Why did that massive explosion happen before, completely destroying this place?’

In that instant, everything that had been shrouded in fog in Zhang Wenda’s mind suddenly became clear. He had finally found the source of all the recent chaos!

Zhang Wenda glanced again at the perfectly calm Qianxi in the distance. ‘No wonder she wasn’t worried when she saw me run. The wretch must have known I was heading straight into the heart of the battlefield—the most dangerous place of all!’

At that moment, Qianxi let out a soft chuckle. “Not bad, not bad. You seem to have guessed a few things. Let me tell you something you don’t know. The reason Old Tan is in such a hurry is that he knows we’ve obtained 1999. Our Big Circle’s grand plan is about to succeed! He’s panicking, hahaha.”

As Qianxi’s head, which looked like a fusion of a computer and a human skull, laughed, it appeared even more grotesque. But it was clear that she was genuinely happy right now.

“Ah, what a pity. Panicking won’t help. The more important something is, the less you should rush. That’s what you taught me, isn’t it… Father?”

“Father?!” Zhang Wenda stared at Qianxi in disbelief, then his gaze snapped to Tan Yougen.

Tan Yougen wasn’t looking at Qianxi. Instead, he turned to Zhang Wenda. He slowly raised his right hand and gently patted Zhang Wenda’s head, his face showing a kind expression for the first time.

“It’s going to be alright, child. Don’t be afraid.”

Feeling the man’s goodwill, Zhang Wenda froze, unsure how to react to this completely different side of Tan Yougen.

But seeing this, an expression of extreme fury appeared on Qianxi’s face for the first time. Not when she was betrayed by Biaozi, nor when she was ambushed by the Big Circle Leopard. It was as if, in her eyes, everything was fleeting, the entire world a plaything for her to use as she pleased.

But this time, she was truly angry. The pixel-art eyes she turned on Zhang Wenda blazed with murderous intent for the first time.

Suddenly, Tan Yougen’s voice dropped so low that only Zhang Wenda could hear. “I’m giving you an order. When the fighting starts, close your eyes and run for your life. Don’t look back, no matter what. Once you’re out, find Old Wang and tell him to send people.”

Zhang Wenda knew he was right. ‘A battle between immortals is about to break out.’ He would be useless here. After hesitating for a few seconds, he nodded decisively and said, “Alright. Once I’m out, I’ll call for reinforcements to help you as fast as I can.”

Tan Yougen smiled and nodded, gently gripping Zhang Wenda’s arms. His hands were hot, and his grip was powerful.

A woman with a ponytail standing nearby raised a device in her hand. Accompanied by a piercing, static-filled ring, everything became intensely bright, so bright that only Tan Yougen’s face, now almost bleached white, was visible. “Go!”

With a powerful shove from Tan Yougen, Zhang Wenda was thrown upward, tumbling through the air.

Only then did Zhang Wenda realize that Old Tan wasn’t just a strategist.

With no time to think, Zhang Wenda ran for his life. He didn’t know what was happening behind him, only that it was growing hotter and hotter, as if a sun were rising at his back.

“Jianguo! Hold on tight!” Zhang Wenda yelled as he ran.

“Mhm!” Song Jianguo clung tightly to Zhang Wenda’s neck. As they moved away from the vicinity of 1999, her cat ears grew back.

‘Faster! Faster! Faster!!’ As he picked up speed, Zhang Wenda felt as if the wind was about to flay the skin from his body.

He didn’t know how long he ran, only stopping, gasping for breath, when he no longer felt the intense heat behind him.

When he looked around again, he realized that he had somehow left the ruins of the Tower of Babel far behind and was now standing on a vibrant green prairie in the Internet World.

He looked back the way he came. After confirming that the Tower of Babel was no longer visible, Zhang Wenda felt a sliver of relief and quickly called out to Hu Maomao in his mind. “Maomao? Maomao, are you there?”

“Where the hell have you been for the past three days? I couldn’t reach you!” Hu Maomao’s voice was a frantic, emotional wreck. It was the first time Zhang Wenda had ever heard such intense emotion from her.

“What? Three days?!”

But Zhang Wenda quickly understood. Something was wrong with the space around 1999. The flow of time inside was clearly much slower than outside.

‘Damn, has it been that long? I have to hurry.’

Zhang Wenda clutched his head and quickly explained everything that had happened. “Use your ability to contact our people nearby and send them as backup! Also, get in touch with a guy in our bureau named Old Wang! Tell him to hurry and—”

He was only halfway through his sentence when the familiar visual filter, once only present near 1999, washed over the prairie. Immediately after, Zhang Wenda felt his body grow lighter and lighter, until he was floating in mid-air.

“How is this possible? How…” As if sensing something, Zhang Wenda looked up in the direction of the Tower of Babel. He then saw a Golden Ball, as massive as a sun, slowly rising from the distant horizon.

Bathed in this golden light, everything within Tide of Thought No. 13 fell under the influence of 1999. Everything became abnormal. Zhang Wenda’s scythe went limp again.

‘Shit, shit, shit! Tide of Thought No. 13 isn’t safe anymore!’ Zhang Wenda whirled around, ready to flee.

But he had only taken a few steps when he realized the weight on his back was far too light. He reached back and touched only a right hand, which had turned translucent under the influence of 1999.

“Haozi, I don’t feel so good… I think… I’ve been through this before…” With those barely whispered words from Song Jianguo, her body completely vanished before Zhang Wenda’s eyes.

“Jianguo?” Zhang Wenda was stunned. He stared blankly around him. The noisy voice, the chattering presence that had always been by his side, was gone.

Only after the voice disappeared did Zhang Wenda realize how unused to the silence he was.

His voice began to tremble. “Song Jianguo, stop playing around! It’s too dangerous here, we have to leave now!”

He searched as he shouted. When he couldn’t find her nearby, he widened his search. He had to find that noisy voice again.

At some point, a version of Zhang Wenda that looked like a white rabbit appeared in the distance, watching him curiously. The scene was uncannily familiar.

But the current Zhang Wenda didn’t care about any of that. He ignored his past self and kept searching, over and over. In that moment, his rational mind, which always weighed the pros and cons, vanished.

“Maomao! Help me contact Song Jianguo! She’s gone!” Zhang Wenda screamed in his mind. But this time, his mind was empty. There was no reply.

“Maomao!! Answer me!” Just as a sliver of despair began to surface in Zhang Wenda’s heart, 1999 rose completely into the sky.

Under the shroud of that special filter, bathed in the golden light of 1999, all the colors of Tide of Thought No. 13 began to fade, revealing the green 0s and 1s beneath.

Then, the 0s and 1s dissipated completely. At that moment, Tide of Thought No. 13 utterly collapsed, leaving Zhang Wenda stranded in the void.

Zhang Wenda struggled to stabilize himself in the air, but without the Black Cat’s glider wings, he could only plummet toward the ground.

Although the Wai Rabbit provided some meager lift, he still slammed into the ground, the impact knocking him senseless.

Zhang Wenda struggled to his feet. He was about to get his bearings when the sight before him froze him to the spot: a mountain piled high with corpses.

All of the corpses wore armbands of the Third Line on their shoulders. Amidst the mountain of bodies, Zhang Wenda saw Wang Xiaohua, saw Shuisheng, saw Ouyang Shuangdian.

The Third Line… was finished.