Chapter 356 – Poor Fool Like Her
“Perhaps it was a flying mouse,” Green Eyes, who stood closest to the squad leader, suggested.
The squad leader’s eyes lit up with realization. “I must report this to the commander immediately.”
Tu Ran lowered her gaze slightly, playing her role as a small soldier.
“About-face, return the way we came,” the squad leader ordered.
Tu Ran turned around and took the lead, heading out.
The squad retreated back through the narrow passage.
Standing behind the squad leader, Tu Ran and the other team members watched as he extended his claws, tracing in the air.
Tu Ran’s grip on her steel fork tightened. The last time she had seen this gesture was aboard the spaceship, where the orange-eyed commander had used it to tear open space and summon an eye. That eye had seen through her invisibility cloak.
Now, the squad leader was making the same gesture. Could it be…
A crack shaped like an eye appeared. Tu Ran glanced at it briefly before quickly lowering her head.
She had just finished perfecting her disguise—she couldn’t afford to be exposed now.
Keeping her head bowed, she couldn’t see what was happening, but she could hear the voices.
“What is it?” a voice asked.
The squad leader responded, “Squad 988, patrolling Sector 4144, encountered an otherworldly mouse.”
The eye didn’t respond immediately, but Tu Ran could feel its gaze sweep over her. It lingered for only a moment before moving on.
“Didn’t catch it?” the voice asked.
“No,” the squad leader admitted, his tone lacking confidence.
“What could this mouse do?”
“It could fly,” the squad leader answered quickly.
“Noted. Continue your patrol.”
The voice fell silent. Tu Ran clutched her steel fork tightly, still not daring to lift her head.
It wasn’t until the squad leader spoke again, “Everyone, resume the patrol,” that Tu Ran finally raised her head.
She glanced toward the spot where the eye had been. There was nothing there—it was gone.
So, the eye couldn’t detect her disguise after she used [Mirror Image].
Tu Ran felt a wave of relief wash over her.
And yet, she couldn’t help but feel a flicker of excitement.
She wondered if the body she now inhabited could also rapidly extend its claws and summon an eye. Or perhaps it could cast spells with its fingers? She still remembered how the orange-eyed commander had drawn a shield with a swipe of his finger, one capable of deflecting laser gunfire.
The second point in [Mirror Image] instructions came to mind: “This benefits one at the cost of another.”
The original Green Eyes had merely been a low-ranking soldier with limited abilities. But as this “mirror version,” her capabilities were bound to wield significant power.
Tu Ran felt a surge of eagerness.
But reason quickly reminded her that now was not the time to experiment.
She could only focus on blending in with the patrol, moving through the nearby buildings in formation.
There were five Green-Eyed soldiers in front of her and two behind her. She walked in the middle, her pace perfectly synchronized with theirs. Even the angle at which she held her steel fork matched theirs, making her indistinguishable from the squad.
Her eyes, however, darted around restlessly within their sockets, discreetly observing her surroundings.
In the cavernous, fortress-like structures around her, Green-Eyed beings were everywhere. They moved in and out, all identical in appearance and attire. Their main mode of transport to and from the fortress was small aircraft, while those on foot filled the streets. The entire world seemed to consist solely of Green-Eyed beings.
Tu Ran couldn’t determine whether the rulers of this world all looked like this or if she was merely in a region where such appearances were the norm. Perhaps other areas were different.
The streets they patrolled had a few shops, though not many, located only at busy intersections with higher foot traffic. The exteriors of these shops revealed little about what they sold, but eight out of ten had long, winding queues outside. Those emerging from these stores clutched their wrists tightly, as though they had just donated blood.
Every time they passed such a line, Tu Ran strained to catch every detail, scrutinizing for any clue. Yet, no matter how carefully she looked, she still couldn’t discern what was happening.
She wanted to check her own wrist to see if there was something there that corresponded to the pattern she observed—it might give her a clue. But in the middle of the squad, the sudden action of looking at her wrist would appear strange.
To avoid arousing suspicion, she decided to wait until the shift ended—though she had no idea when that would be.
The sky remained its perpetual semi-red hue, offering no indication of time.
This world was eerily quiet. Even in the relatively bustling area they patrolled, there was almost no conversation. The occasional voices she did hear came from the shops, cold and emotionless exchanges devoid of any warmth.
The low hum of the small flying vehicles was the loudest sound in this world.
Like a hive of machines, Tu Ran thought, unable to suppress her silent judgment.
But even machines could have moments of disruption.
For instance, when a ripple of blue water-like light suddenly appeared in the middle of the street.
Tu Ran’s eyes caught the familiar sight of the portal, just thirty meters away. Her first thought was: ‘Who’s the poor fool this time, just like me?’
