How to Feed an Abyss!

Chapter 70.2 – Confrontation

The message popped up, the prompt symbol turned twice, and turned into a red exclamation mark.

Shi Yuan was taken aback for a moment, and then sent it again, still getting a red exclamation mark.

He was in the wasteland.

There was no signal tower, no military signal transmission source for the convoy, and the mobile phone couldn’t receive the signal.

But he couldn’t return to the city.

Every time he turned into a black mist, the Alliance would monitor him, and every time, it would cause unnecessary chaos and even affect the battle situation. Besides, the law enforcement teams in half of the city were looking for him. In case he was found when he returned to the city, he would turn into a black mist in desperation, which was tantamount to confirming that he was a monster and an abyss in front of everyone.

If he openly exposed his identity…

What should Lu Tinghan do?

Some people already knew that Lu Tinghan had been staying with him. Lu Tinghan had already received a lot of suspicion as an abyss watcher, and if he revealed himself, he didn’t know what chaos would happen. He could return to the wasteland, but Lu Tinghan only had the city, the city he loved deeply.

Shi Yuan must never go back to the city.

At least, he shouldn’t go back until Lu Tinghan came back.

Shi Yuan tried to send a few more messages and made a few calls but it couldn’t connect.

It was getting late, and the dark city wall stood in the twilight, silent and distant.

Shi Yuan could still see the city, but he never felt that the city was so far away from him. Even at that time when he looked at the city side by side with Wang Yu, he had never been to the city but he also knew that he would arrive eventually.

It was only then that he truly realized that his peaceful life had been shattered.

Everything came too suddenly, too unexpectedly. He had no chance to react, no room to resist.

…just like when Lu Tinghan first appeared in his life many years ago.

‘Is it over like this?’ he thought, ‘on such an ordinary day?’

There was a “rustling” sound from the bushes, at night, the monsters were restless.

Several fluorescent snakes crawled out, entangled the vines, and spit out their tongues. The ant colony carried the infected fallen leaves, formic acid corroded the leaves, and a small brown cloud rose up. Shi Yuan sat on the tree stump and saw a few small trees twisting their roots and fleeing.

This was the scene he was most familiar with. That’s how he came from the wasteland step by step, day by day.

Now, he was going to spend such a night again.

The wind was very strong, whistling through the woods. Shi Yuan found a leeward place, leaned against an old tree, wrapped his clothes tightly, and wrapped his tail around himself.

He really wanted Lu Tinghan.

He hoped that Lu Tinghan was also thinking of him tonight.

*

The aircraft landed in Fengyang City.

Lu Tinghan sat expressionlessly in the office, with a holographic projection, covered with lengthy documents.

He didn’t know about Yin Zhou and the arrest warrant until he returned to the city.

Yin Zhou died of a gunshot, and the fingerprints on the gun were compared and belonged to Shi Yuan.

Although no one could explain how Shi Yuan appeared in the wasteland and how he left safely… At least in the matter of gun, the evidence was conclusive and irrefutable.

Moreover, Lu Tinghan knew how Shi Yuan could use a gun.

At that time, there was a shooting case in the city, and the monster’s attack became more and more intense. He was worried that Shi Yuan would be in danger, so he personally taught him how to use a gun.

He remembered how stiff Shi Yuan’s posture holding the gun was, and how he taught him to reload, load, aim, and shoot.

Shi Yuan used the skills he taught, but the first bullet he fired was at an Alliance soldier, at his subordinate and comrade-in-arms.

Another material was about Xie Qianming.

Xie Qianming died due to the parasitism of the purple light bug.

The convoy killed the Queen Bee and saved Shi Yuan. After that, the Empress Bee infected by Abyss No.0 appeared, codenamed “Black Queen”, whose ability to transcend time caused panic for a time.

Xie Qianming went out of the city without permission, leaving no records, and the driving recorder was damaged, so there was no way to know the situation at the time.

On the screen, the information of Yin Zhou and Xie Qianming, as well as the reports of several appearances of Abyss No.0, were listed together.

The whole thing was very subtle when you look at it together.

There was no record of either incident. If you guessed in the worst direction… the deaths of Xie Qianming and Yin Zhou were all because they discovered Shi Yuan’s identity or had a conflict. This was also a very reasonable guess, after all, only the dead could keep secrets forever.

However, he remembered again—

On the night of the fall of Gleaning City, several defense points took turns to report that the monsters had inexplicably retreated in several areas – as if they were afraid of something – before they had the chance to rescue so many residents.

At the time of the Level I warning, the infection wavelength of Abyss No.0 appeared in Fengyang City and headed towards Iron City. A few days later, the Alliance miraculously received the “Overlook” data, and then the infection wavelength returned to Fengyang City.

After the “Heavy Hammer” fell, someone took him out of the ruins. The rock snake did not dare to get close, and he tasted a kiss of blood and mud.

Lu Tinghan closed his eyes, half of his heart was cold and half of it was burning – even at this time, when he thought of Shi Yuan, his heart would still turn soft.

He thought, Shi Yuan, what did you do?

Are you really… the being I think you are?

The adjutant knocked on the door and came in to report: “General Lu, I have asked clearly. The arrest warrant was issued by Lieutenant General Fu Xiu.”

Fu Xiu was the second-in-command of Fengyang City. He issued orders such as arrest warrants. If there was no conflict, he really didn’t need to report to Lu Tinghan in detail.

The adjutant added: “The latest feedback from the law enforcement team is that no one has been found and they are increasing their search efforts. Do you have any instructions?”

“No,” Lu Tinghan said, “If he really wants to leave, no one can stop him.” He paused. “But I know how to find him. He will come back.”

The adjutant was puzzled.

Lu Tinghan stood up, put on his coat, and walked outside the room: “He promised he would always wait for me, and I could always find him. He… he is here for me.”

18 hours later.

The law enforcement team received a report that some people claimed to have seen the suspect on the wanted notice.

The sighting took place at an abandoned energy tower.

The soldiers surrounded the tower, and no amount of caution was too great in the face of a fugitive suspected of first-degree murder. Both the aircraft and the robot were activated, and the sniper was in place, yet just before the raid began一

The silver-gray aircraft landed.

The handsome man in military uniform had gray-blue eyes, a military cap pressed low, and gloves of dazzling white.

The captain of the law enforcement team stood at attention and saluted: “General Lu.” He was not sure why Lu Tinghan appeared, and reported, “The suspect is hiding here, and we are preparing to break in…”

“No need,” Lu Tinghan said, “I’ll just go.”

The captain was taken aback.

“You stay here, I’ll just go,” Lu Tinghan said, “I will solve this matter. You are not allowed to shoot without my order.”

“He is suspected of first-degree murder and is quite dangerous. General Lu, you…”

“I know what I’m doing, this is an order. And I can use a gun, better than everyone present,” Lu Tinghan said lightly, drew his gun, and went to the energy tower in full view of the crowd.

Without letting anyone accompany him, he opened the creaking door, and walked up the old stairs.

When he was a child, he climbed here countless times to look far away. He never thought that one day, someone would be able to stand side by side with him, looking at the city and the wasteland, the windmills and the scattered lights in the Northern District.

It was also here that he confessed to Shi Yuan.

Of course, Shi Yuan would come here.

He also told Shi Yuan that the open area was not safe, so Shi Yuan would not go to the rooftop.

Lu Tinghan walked up step by step to the highest level under the rooftop. It was pitch black and he couldn’t see anything, but he seemed to know the direction and walked towards the corner.

While walking, the moonlight passed through the broken wall and the exposed steel mesh, dimly glimmering the figure of one person.

The person had devil horns, black scales at the end of his eyes, and a long tail that was knotted.

Lu Tinghan looked at him quietly and called out, “Shi Yuan.”

  The young man shivered and took a few trembling steps forward. He tried his best to restrain himself, but he couldn’t help it anymore and threw himself into his arms. He hugged Lu Tinghan tightly, raised his head, and kissed him. It was a warm and desperate kiss, and Lu Tinghan tasted the salty bitterness of tears.

He really came back as promised and came for him. Lu Tinghan’s fingertips moved, allowing Shi Yuan to move.

At the end of the kiss, Shi Yuan wanted to take Lu Tinghan’s hand and interlock their fingers, but what he touched was a cold gun.

“…Lu Tinghan,” he said with his face full of tears, “Are you going to kill me?”