Wu Yiliu had seen some basic small magic tricks before. Most of the time, when there was a need to set the atmosphere, magicians would start pulling colored ropes from their sleeves, one section red and one section yellow, the colorful ropes constantly gushing out into a long strand.
He now felt as if he had become a magician, pulling one section after another of a life-saving rope. Guard Chen was the first knot to be pulled out, and with him, he pulled out Pisces, then through Pisces, he pulled out the Changeling staff that was listening behind him...
Now he had finally pulled out the last and most crucial section. The rope had landed on the ground.
At this point, he had exhausted all means, entrusted everything he could, and inside this iron cage, there was nothing else he could do.
Except wait.
The sunlight, broken and fragmented by the iron bars, gradually slid off the floor and windowsill, leaving behind an orange glow. The previously noisy prison suddenly fell silent. The professor and student waited an entire night, right into the next morning.
Wu Yiliu knew that the longer they waited, the more likely his arrangements would go awry. Every step of his plan had to be carried out by others; he could not see or hear, and once the plan was spoken, he no longer had control over it. Only heaven knew what would happen next.
As he grew more and more anxious and uneasy, even Professor Qiao's reassurances had little effect. Suddenly, there was a sound of light and rapid footsteps outside the door. When they heard it, its owner had already opened the door and strode into the room.
Wu Yiliu immediately rose from the ground, feeling a withdrawal of adrenaline and blood.
The thin, gaunt woman named Huanzi stopped in front of the iron cage, her face still bearing traces of excitement and tension. She glanced at the two inside the cage and shouted behind her, "Hurry up! Why are you so slow?"
With hurried footsteps, two guards appeared at the doorway.
"Watch them closely," Huanzi said quickly, as if she couldn't wait to leave the pocket dimension. "As soon as I remove the cage, grab them."
Professor Qiao had already stood up by this point, and the two stared straight at the people in front of them.
"What then?" one of the guards asked.
"Whatever you like," Huanzi said with a frown, looking irritated by the guard's extra word. "Lock them up or infect them, it's up to you!"
They were just handed over to the guards?
Wu Yiliu's heart jumped into his throat—he hadn't had time to figure out whether this was good or bad when the iron bars that had surrounded them suddenly disappeared from sight. The gaunt woman weighed a small iron cage in her hand, and two prepared guards pounced on the pair. Even Professor Qiao, an old lady with no threat, had her arm twisted behind her back.
Hearing Professor Qiao's low moan of pain, Wu Yiliu struggled in desperation. The tall guard behind him yanked his arm hard and barked, "Stay still!"
Huanzi was obviously in a hurry.
She didn't even take a second glance at the two after retrieving her item, and turned and rushed out the door—this act itself was a clear signal: they must have obtained the [Pocket Dimension Setting]. She must be anxious to leave for fear of being trapped in the pocket dimension herself.
That meant there was little time left for the two of them. If they didn't act soon, they would become permanent residents of the pocket dimension. But the assistance that should have appeared in Wu Yiliu's plan was nowhere to be seen.
"What should we do?" The two Changeling security guards looked as though they were completely unaware of the impending disaster, chatting with each other with smiles on their faces. "Do you have any ideas? Lock them up?"
"What's the point of that? Let's infect them," said another guard, holding Professor Qiao, reaching out to grab her head. The old lady twisted hard to narrowly escape his grasp, but ultimately she was no match for his strength and he grabbed her face. When Wu Yiliu caught sight of her expression, his breath stopped in his chest, weighing down on him like cement.
'Absolutely not,' he thought, feeling a hand reaching for his face and gritting his teeth with determination. He absolutely wouldn't let Professor Qiao be infected for the third time in her life. No matter what.
"Pisces!" he called out to the half-open door, struggling to dodge. "Pisces! Come here. The thing you want, we'll give it to you now!"
He remembered clearly that the Changeling posthuman had told Guard Chen yesterday, "I can hear anyone in the corridor, no matter where they are." If Pisces was not just bluffing then, he would surely hear him now. Since Milan never appeared, Pisces was the only one who could save them now.
Professor Qiao, who was struggling, was taken aback and then quickly understood.
"No," she said, her voice breathless and weak despite seeming to use a lot of effort. "I'd rather..."
"It's okay," Wu Yiliu said hurriedly, feeling a release on his arm; before he could react, a strong force kicked him in the small of the back, turning his words into a rush of air escaping his chest—Wu Yiliu's feet gave way, and he fell to the ground, his vision turning black.
In that instant of darkness, he heard Pisces's voice at the door.
"What are you doing? What are you two doing? How did they get out?"
Good—they weren't doomed.
The two guards were taken aback by the sight of the posthuman, freezing for a moment. Wu Yiliu, enduring the pain, rolled half a circle from the ground and said while getting up, "You're still here... no, why are you still here?"
Pisces blinked. "Why can't I be here? What do you mean?" He glanced at Professor Qiao and ordered the guard holding her. "Let her go!"
Wu Yiliu, fearing he would grab her, quickly said, "Huanzi came and left! They got the [Pocket Dimension Setting], and it's about to be activated. Huanzi left in a hurry after getting the Special Item, so she left us with these two. Why are you still here? Didn't she remind you to leave quickly?"
Pisces's face changed instantly. "Really? Huanzi just left?" He looked at the two guards, who nodded, their lips even beginning to tremble. Wu Yiliu quickly pushed him, saying, "She left not long ago. Quick, let's go too!"
Pisces needed no further urging and turned to leave; but after taking a step, he suddenly twisted back and lunged at the old lady.
Wu Yiliu was ready.
What of a posthuman? Not to mention a transformed one, whose abilities were nearly gone. Even if it was a fully functioning posthuman, Wu Yiliu felt he would throw himself out the same way.
He wasn't a hero, and there weren't many things he was willing to sacrifice for, but that's how life is. When you come across something worth throwing, you just let go. If you're always calculating, planning, and clinging, you may end up with nothing in the end.
Fortunately, Pisces had indeed degenerated quite badly.
He was hit by Pisces with several elbow strikes in a row. Although he was in pain and rolled on the ground, he still tightly clung to the other's calf. "Either let us escape, and we'll give it to you after we get out," he gasped, "or die with us in the pocket dimension!"
The two guards were already stunned, standing in place like fools, seemingly not knowing what to do. Pisces cursed a string of profanities. Seeing Professor Qiao escape behind one of the guards, with Wu Yiliu clinging to his leg, unable to catch her, he finally deflated and yelled, "Then let go! It's too late if we don't leave now!"
"What, what's going on?" the guards said, alarmed. "Where are you going? Why are you escaping?"
"Let her go," Wu Yiliu told the two guards, still tightly holding onto Pisces. "Once she's out, I'll tell you!"
His next words were shouted to Professor Qiao hurriedly. "You go quickly. See you outside!"
Professor Qiao didn't need a second reminder—now was not the time to hesitate. She glanced at Wu Yiliu, whispered, "See you outside!" and quickly ran out the door while the two guards were still recovering.
Honestly speaking, Wu Yiliu was now scared to death. He was afraid that Pisces might become murderous, turn his head and stab him with some weapon. He was more afraid that the fake pocket dimension would become real at any moment. After Pisces had cursed and kicked him several times, he could no longer hold on and was finally kicked away.
"Damn you!" Pisces, still furious even after being released, kicked Wu Yiliu in the stomach before turning and dashing out the door. The two guards hesitated, not knowing whether to follow or stay.
Wu Yiliu got up, panting, and told them, "This place is about to explode. They want to dismantle the fake pocket dimension. It's about to blow up."
There was no time to explain the [Pocket Dimension Setting] and such.
"Really? Fake?" a guard asked, stunned. "What should we—"
"To ensure no leaks, everyone is to be buried," Wu Yiliu said with a bitter smile. "Why else do you think the posthumans are running so fast?"
Whether they believed him or not, it didn't matter now. He grabbed his collar, bringing the small pickup near his lips, and whispered, "Now, quickly."
The pickup was one-way; his words were sent out, but he received no response, like a prayer falling into the void. Wu Yiliu staggered to his feet, ignoring the two dumbfounded guards, and stumbled out the door.
From the moment Huanzi stormed out of the door to now, almost ten minutes had passed.
Ten minutes, enough for a posthuman to come from the deepest part of the fake pocket dimension. From now on, either his plan would happen first, or the [Pocket Dimension Setting] would activate first. Wu Yiliu's life, Professor Qiao's life, were now like a coin tossed in mid-air, and no one knew which side would be up when it landed.
As he miraculously walked out of the central control room, he heard it.
The background music echoing in the fake pocket dimension was cut off, replaced by a familiar male voice. The slightly nervous voice of the middle-aged man now resonated in every corner of the fake pocket dimension: "Fake pocket dimension fire alarm drill. All posthumans please immediately exit the pocket dimension!"