Chapter 117-The Manga Pariah's Guide to Self-Salvation

"Percy, where are you headed?"

Percy was striding through the base when he ran into Kiran emerging from around the corner.

"What do you plan to do with Ye Zheng?"

He asked.

Percy could hardly believe it—Ye Zheng had really killed four living people in that manner. They were all around the same age, so why was Ye Zheng always capable of such unimaginable acts?

"Hm? It's not really a disposal. She's a troublesome child. I just want her to stay put quietly until everything's over, then you can all go home together."

Percy's expression hardened, his eyes darkening. "What exactly counts as 'over'? Kiran, what do you plan to do about Zhou Yun outside?"

Kiran lowered his head with a sigh, his face showing a trace of sorrow.

"If possible, I don't want to kill her."

They had taken a detour through a hidden side entrance to enter the base, and even then, they'd been attacked by monsters. Percy had just circled the front area and noticed that all the defensive forces were concentrated ahead, with shrill screeches echoing endlessly. He wanted to go out and see for himself, but the knights stopped him.

Kiran had told him about the origins of this base and the Hope Project, as well as the truth of the prophecy. Even his biological mother had signed her name on that thick document.

All of this turned Percy's surge of anger into confusion. Had Kiran done wrong? Perhaps in the distant future, he would be seen as a pioneer of absolute justice.

The weight of responsibility and expectation on his shoulders grew heavier. Percy didn't even dare waste time on bewilderment—he had to keep moving.

"Let me rephrase: how do you plan to rescue those fifty thousand people?"

The justice of the Hope Project was a thorny issue, but they couldn't possibly stand by and watch fifty thousand people in peril!

Kiran gazed at Percy's resolute face. Words of persuasion rose to his lips but were swallowed back. After a moment, he spoke, a smile of both gratification and relief on his face.

"My original plan was to wear Zhou Yun down. As long as you all stayed safe, that would be enough."

"From these few days of interaction, I know you won't sit idly by. Perhaps I can't stop you either... I should trust you—trust the Hope Project's children."

"Zhou Yun destroyed the containment restrictors and took all the Fallen Breed with her. Most of them are out front, depleting the base's defensive forces. Once the defenses break, the monsters will shatter the protective barrier. Once the barrier falls, Zhou Yun's fog seeps in, and the base won't be far from annihilation."

Percy frowned as he listened, unable to hold back from interrupting. "You mean the base's guards are fighting the... Fallen Breed outside the protective barrier in the white fog?"

The white fog brought not only low visibility and harsh conditions, but something far more terrifying: the fog was sentient, capable of strangling people at any moment!

Kiran nodded, as if seeing right through the boy's thoughts.

"In the first week, the base lost two-thirds of its guards. But with Zhou Yun's power waning, things have improved. We might hold out until she exhausts herself completely."

Percy clenched his fists, not daring to ask exactly how many that two-thirds amounted to. He shook his head. "But before Zhou Yun's power runs out, if we can't meet her demands, she might kill all the people she's holding hostage!"

At this point, Percy's brows knitted tightly. He suddenly thought of a question.

"Why is Zhou Yun so strong? I've never heard of a powerhouse like her."

Among the younger generation, he'd witnessed the double S-rank powerhouse Bai Muqing. Her [Divine Domain] shared similarities with Zhou Yun's eerie white fog ability—both allowed effortless manipulation of anything within range. But the renowned Bai Muqing could never cover an area as vast as the West District, home to over a million people, with her ability.

Percy suspected Zhou Yun's strength might surpass even that arrogant 3S-rank Sykes. After all, Sykes had no standout battle records beyond competing with him in the matches.

"Can't we persuade her to release the hostages? The world-ending Demonic Domain is said to be descending—with a powerhouse like her—"

"Even if Zhou Yun surrenders, she won't live to see the day she can fight the Demonic Domain."

The man cut off Percy's naive notion.

"Not only did she release the Fallen Breed, but she stole the dragon bones preserved in the base and implanted them into herself. The power of the dragon bones has a chance to awaken abilities. She was fortunate to become an ability user rather than a mindless monster."

Percy's eyes widened. It was the first time he'd heard that ordinary people could become ability users, but considering dragon bones couldn't be implanted into male bodies, that left only women with such an opportunity.

Kiran shook his head regretfully and continued: "But she used too many. I dare say half her body weight now comes from dragon bones. The base has never had a woman endure so many... Her holding on this long is already a miracle."

The man sighed. "Sometimes, women's perseverance is truly beyond imagination."

He looked up at the solemn-faced Percy. "Your metal transmutation ability can counter the white fog's attacks. Sykes's [Destruction] and exceptional combat prowess need no concern either. If you want to rescue those people, I can let you out."

"I believe in you. You are the children who can bring dawn to everyone—destined for victory, for glory—"

"I understand. I'll set out with them right now."

Percy's tone carried an unconscious edge of impatience. He cut off Kiran mid-sentence upon hearing "glory," and Kiran narrowed his eyes slightly, naturally assuming the boy was eager to save the hostages.

The stiff-backed youth turned to leave, but after a few steps, the man's gentle admonition came from behind.

"Remember, don't trust Zhou Yun."

"She deceived me. She used Yuan Yuan's dying wish to deceive me, making me believe she wanted to complete Yuan Yuan's unfinished work—which led to all this..."

The White-Clad Bishop watched as Percy walked farther away, shadows falling over his lowered face.

He pulled a photo from his robe, gazing at the image of four people as close as family, and murmured, "I have sinned."

Percy ran through the base. He needed to quickly inform Roy, Caleb, and the others to act together. The longer the delay, the greater the danger to the fifty thousand people. Lucy had gone missing after entering the West District—she might be among the fifty thousand Zhou Yun had trapped!

Suddenly, a figure in a white robe, equally hurried, turned the corner ahead. Percy couldn't stop in time, and the two collided.

The smaller white-robed figure staggered back. Percy quickly grabbed her arm, instantly recognizing her face. Shock flashed in his blue eyes.

"Lucy!"

"Percy?"

Lucy looked at him in surprise too. Seeing a familiar companion here—perhaps even here to rescue her for her reckless actions—the girl broke into a delighted smile. She was about to ask how he'd found this place when she suddenly remembered something. Her hand slipped into her sleeve, and her expression sobered.

Percy also flashed a surprised smile. He wanted to ask why Lucy was here, but he realized the reunion wasn't quite as he'd imagined—Lucy's demeanor seemed oddly heavy.

Regardless, finding Lucy safe was great news. Percy instinctively took her hand. "I'm so glad you're okay. Let's go together. I..."

Lucy's big eyes met his as they faced each other. The girl silently withdrew her hand, leaving Percy stunned.

"No, Percy. I still have things to do. I can't go with you all."

Lucy hesitated, her tone sounding somewhat wavering.

"What things? Do you need help? I know the person in charge here, Bishop Kiran. Maybe he can—"

Percy paused midway, his pupils contracting as he remembered where this was.

Why was Lucy here? Kiran had said all the women here were voluntary participants, but how could Lucy be?

His anxious gaze scanned her, and he noticed her face was unusually pale. She was a girl whose cheeks would flush with healthy color when she moved, always agile and lively. But now she looked frail, though her eyes remained bright and she seemed unharmed at first glance.

Percy took another step closer, his expression one of disbelief. He wanted to press her on what had happened, but Lucy spoke first.

"No, Percy. I don't need help right now—especially not from people in this base."

Lucy pressed her lips tightly together, her face slowly losing its youthful liveliness. After a long moment, she continued.

"Sorry, I really have something urgent. Once I'm done, I'll come help you all!"

She hurried past Percy, running in the opposite direction.

Percy turned to watch her anxious retreating figure, his face showing utter incomprehension. Lucy looked like the one who needed help and protection now—what was she rushing off to do? Why wouldn't she tell them?

He rubbed his brow with a slight headache. Perhaps having Lucy stay in the base for now was the best choice—her current condition wouldn't allow her to venture into the white fog with them.

Soon, he returned to the rest room and first shared the good news of finding Lucy with Roy and Caleb. The two jumped up excitedly.

Then Percy turned to Sykes, inviting him to join the mission to rescue the fifty thousand ordinary people.

The golden-haired Crown Prince was lounging alone on the large sofa, posture casual. At Percy's invitation, he merely lifted his eyes.

"I need to rest."

Sykes's golden eyes were cold. Propping his head with one hand, he refused.

"...Your Highness Sykes, you are the Empire's Crown Prince."

"Even Crown Princes need rest."

Percy nearly laughed in absurdity. Raising his voice, he demanded: "Sykes, those are your subjects. How can you ignore them and act like a coward?"

The words hung in the air. Ryan, standing by the sofa as the Crown Prince's attendant, glanced furtively at Sykes's face, then quickly averted his eyes at the unusually gloomy expression.

Sykes abruptly stood, a volatile aura radiating from him.

Percy eyed his demeanor in confusion. Over the past month or two, Sykes had clearly become more even-tempered than when they'd first met—at least like a normal person one could communicate with. But now he resembled a beast on the verge of losing control.

His blackened fists clenched and unclenched. Sykes turned his head away, restraining the urge to unleash his power.

He needed rest—his head was pounding like mad! Ever since entering this base, his irritability had intensified. Buried memories surfaced and sank like countless shards stabbing into his brain, yet he couldn't make out a single piece clearly.

If Ye Zheng were here—no, he didn't need her. He could already imagine that guy's subtle smile, that pitying gaze—it would only make him more irritable!

Sykes stormed forward in a rage. Percy tensed, metalizing his arm in defense, thinking he was about to throw a punch.

But Sykes brushed past his shoulder, his voice like cold, hard stone: "Hah, fine. Let's go."

In the dim confinement room, a pool of water light shimmered in the boy's palm.

The water gradually formed into a small paperclip shape, probing toward the lock on the black ring.

The black ring's lock was simple—its material was the extremely durable heterogeneous stone, making complex internal mechanisms impossible.

Ye Zheng's hands trembled as she mustered her remaining strength to pick the lock. Fortunately, this black ring used the same model as those in the Curia, so she was familiar with the process.

[Wait, how are you so proficient at this?!]

The system couldn't help but speak up. It had originally planned to secretly cheat for Ye Zheng by giving her a few lock-picking tips.

"Occasionally causing a little trouble for the Curia is one of my minor hobbies."

Ye Zheng curved her black eyes. In the quiet confinement room, there was a faint, almost imperceptible click. She raised her finally freed hands and glanced at the black ring now resting on her lap.

Power surged back. Ye Zheng closed her eyes and sighed for a moment, then snapped them open.

As expected, this confinement room was no ordinary one. After removing the black ring, she recovered only half her strength.

She'd considered gambling on taking out the guards outside directly, but with only half her power, it was too risky.

Ye Zheng lowered her gaze, the shadow of her lashes quietly falling across the faint dark circles under her eyes. One hand slipped into her robe.

Just like when she'd entered the labyrinth to retrieve the sword last time, she'd brought that chunk of dragon bone with her this time too—a cylindrical piece about the size of a tube.

[You're not going to implant it into your body again, are you? Look at those women who turned into monsters—the power of the dragon bone is so easy to lose control of!]

[In the original plot, you didn't implant a dragon bone, and the story has deviated massively. This means every time you use the dragon bone's power, it comes with unknown risks—the exact same risks as those ordinary women!]

The system had long known the dangers of dragon bones, but until entering the West District and witnessing the tragedies firsthand through Ye Zheng's perspective, it hadn't truly felt how she was dancing on the edge of a cliff.

"There are no victories in this world without risks."

Ye Zheng cradled the dragon bone in one hand while pressing the other against the scabbard at her side, her expression resolute, without a trace of hesitation.

She drew her longsword in a flash of golden light.

"Open the door. I want to see Saintess Ye Zheng."

A familiar voice sounded outside the door. Ye Zheng paused.

"Kiran? Hah, after I've been locked in here for decades, you're using that boy to pressure me?"

"Open the door."

The woman's aged yet commanding voice carried undeniable authority, even through the iron door.

Ye Zheng sheathed the dragon bone and sword, settling back onto the bench.

Author's Note: Rushed through internship materials to update—forever battling deadlines as an INTP...

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