TYMIMA Chapter 134

When the polar researchers’ car passed through Samp Town, Adrian’s soul had already swapped into Lan Pingjing’s body.

 

Half an hour later, at the border cliff, Zhan Pingchuan—posing as an agitated local—brushed past him and slipped the shrunken Atiya into his coat pocket.

 

Adrian’s mission was to follow Duma’s directions via earpiece, locate the Mad Clown, ensure his safety, and find a way to activate the elevator for the main team.

 

Atiya’s mission was to find the imprisoned Utopians and uncover the location of the rare lead ore key.

 

But as soon as the cable car entered the Loracity Icefield, the micro earpiece went dead.

 

When Adrian entered the elevator and confirmed the comms were down, he took the chance while whispering to Tira to remove the earpiece, hand it to Atiya in his pocket, and nudge her to slip away immediately.

 

Logically, with such a massive prison and so many guards and staff, there should be network access. Duma had even seen Lucas brought in on the surveillance feed, so it couldn’t be a dead zone.

 

The only explanation was that the other side had detected Duma’s last intrusion, or learned through other means that there were related ability-users, and so shut down the connection.

 

This meant Lance’s group couldn’t pinpoint their exact location or the prison entrance.

 

Adrian quickly realized their enemy this time was especially cunning and the mission would be even harder than expected.

 

But he wasn’t the type to panic. He quickly composed himself.

 

After all, no mission ever went perfectly. All he could do was respond as best as possible to whatever happened.

 

Atiya, though she’d only just slipped out of Utopia, was already sharp from surviving in harsh conditions. She instantly understood Adrian’s intent, slipped out of his pocket, and darted behind a guard.

 

Sure enough, when the elevator stopped and their blindfolds were removed, after only a few words with Benbu, Lan Pingjing and Tira were subdued and forcibly searched.

 

Adrian had no time to worry about Lan Pingjing and Tira. He quickly swapped hosts, heading toward the source of the agonized screams.

 

Unfortunately, when he rushed over as a guard, the prisoner wasn’t Lucas. Disappointed, Adrian followed the next set of cries.

 

Frequent soul swaps drained his pheromones rapidly, especially since he couldn’t return to his own body to rest.

 

But he didn’t dare stop. He remembered Lucas was actually very afraid of pain.

 

When they were kids, Lucas always pretended not to cry when his father beat him, but whenever Adrian put medicine on his bruises, even a little pressure would make him howl and squirm.

 

He had to vent his temper before he’d settle down.

 

Adrian swapped into another guard—one who seemed to have some rank. By now, his soul power was unstable; he had to focus all his will just to control this body.

 

Luckily, this time he heard Lucas’s furious roars and choked pleas.

 

The thick needle glinted coldly in the light, about to pierce Lucas’s skin and sink deep into his gland.

 

Adrian didn’t hesitate—he abandoned the guard’s body, possessed the white coat, and in a flash knocked out the assistant and tossed the syringe aside.

 

A deep exhaustion and soreness welled up from his soul. He’d never used his ability so recklessly before, and sensed this might be the last time—he was at his limit.

 

“Don’t touch me! Get the fuck away! Get off!” Lucas lashed out violently. Realizing the needle was gone and the chain had slipped from his throat, he twisted his body, using his core to kick at the white coat.

 

His bruised abs hadn’t healed, and the sudden strain made him dizzy with pain.

 

But he couldn’t help thinking of the disgusting corpse in the corner. Anyone who tried to violate or touch him—he’d kill them.

 

“Die! Take your filthy hands off me! I’ll kill you!” Lucas slammed against the bars, kicking and punching the white coat with all his strength. His chest heaved, cold sweat pouring down his temples, his eyes bloodshot and feral, like a wild beast out of control.

 

Adrian didn’t dodge, silently enduring the blows. When he possessed someone, he could feel all the pain they suffered.

 

Lucas, battered as he was, was still an adult and a trained fighter. Adrian had to grit his teeth through the pain and murmur, “Lucas, it’s me—your brother.”

 

This time, he didn’t reach out to Lucas. He knew this unfamiliar Alpha body would only trigger Lucas’s fear and resistance—or maybe, Adrian himself was no more welcome than a stranger.

 

 

But time was tight. His 【Soul Exchange】 not only had a distance limitation—the person he possessed also had to be within his line of sight. In other words, the entire process of him knocking out the assistant had been seen by the guard he’d previously possessed.

 

Although the guard would be confused for a moment, he’d quickly realize something was off. Adrian had no choice but to reveal his identity immediately.

 

This sentence landed abruptly in Lucas’s ears, making him freeze mid-kick, staring blankly at the white coat in front of him.

 

How long had it been since he’d called—or heard—the word “brother”?

 

Wait—why was Adrian at the AGW Special Dangerous Death Row Prison? Wasn’t he supposed to be heading to the restricted zone for investigation, to clear his name?

 

Was he insane? Getting involved with the Black Lantern Society—wasn’t he throwing away his future again?

 

Tear tracks still streaked Lucas’s face. He widened his deep blue eyes, lips trembling as he forced out four syllables: “Adrian?”

 

“Let me reset your arm, okay?” Adrian asked softly, his tone uncharacteristically urgent.

 

Right now, he was using the white coat’s face and voice, and Lucas was notoriously prickly and unpredictable. Adrian couldn’t be sure Lucas would trust him or listen.

 

Lucas stared at the white coat in front of him—clearly a scruffy, fierce-looking man—but the slight furrow of his brow was achingly familiar.

 

It really was that annoying Adrian.

 

Annoying or not, Lucas knew when to swallow his pride. He wasn’t about to suffer for nothing.

 

He said nothing, just scooted his knees to the cell bars and squeezed his eyes shut.

 

Adrian carefully gripped his upper arm, gently massaging it, then with a sudden force, popped the dislocated joint back in place.

 

Even though Lucas had braced himself, he still let out a muffled groan, curling up in pain.

 

Yet in that endless, unbearable pain, he caught a fleeting glimpse of childhood.

 

Howard’s abuse always came without warning or restraint. He was always in pain, his body perpetually bruised.

 

After every beating, Howard would leave him lying there and drag their mother out to socialize. Usually, Adrian would come home from school and clean up the mess.

 

Adrian was his punching bag—he’d vent all his pain and anger on him.

 

Adrian never held it against him. Even when Lucas’s flailing accidentally slapped Adrian’s face, Adrian would just scowl, pin his wrists, and keep applying the medicine.

 

He knew Adrian felt guilty for hogging their parents’ love.

 

He, the little brother, was the only bad luck in Adrian’s otherwise lucky life.

 

“Sorry I hurt you,” Adrian apologized as soon as the arm was set, immediately letting go of Lucas’s shoulder.

 

Bullshit.

 

It hurt worse than getting hit in the stomach with a stick, worse than having his pheromones drained.

 

Lucas bit his lower lip, using the bars to wipe away the tears from his lashes.

 

Adrian noticed the small gesture and instinctively reached out to wipe his tears, but remembered Lucas hated being touched and held back.

 

Maybe it was just human nature, but in moments of extreme pain and sadness, people unconsciously gravitate toward warmth. Lucas couldn’t help but lean toward Adrian, his icy fingers clutching the hem of the white coat.

 

“What are you doing here?” Lucas growled.

 

Unfortunately, his voice was hoarse and had no bite.

 

“This is a joint operation between Ghost Eye and High Tower. I’ll explain later—right now, tell me what you know,” Adrian whispered.

 

Oh, so it was a joint operation. That’s why Adrian was here.

 

Lucas let go of the white coat and curled his fingers.

 

But he didn’t dwell on those twisted feelings. He quickly shifted into work mode, lowering his voice to report everything he knew to Adrian.

 

“I exposed all the Black Lantern Society members, but Si Hongche hid that from the Federation. The prison set a huge trap using me as bait—the mastermind is Benbu. Benbu just ordered the prison signal cut off, so your arrival is already exposed. Other than that, I know nothing about the prison layout. Oh! There are explosives on the Ice Rift Cliff!”

 

Lucas rattled off everything in a quick, soft whisper. As soon as he finished, the guard with some authority came over, holding a rare lead ore pistol.

 

“Doctor Bai, what’s going on here?” the guard asked coldly, loading his pistol.

 

He couldn’t remember how he’d gotten to the second floor, and now he saw the doctor’s assistant knocked out by Doctor Bai.

 

Doctor Bai was a big deal in the AGW Special Dangerous Death Row Prison—he didn’t dare question him lightly. He guessed maybe there’d been some conflict between the two.

 

But then he saw the Black Lantern Society prisoner kicking and hitting Doctor Bai like a madman, while Doctor Bai didn’t move, even reaching into the cell.

 

He stopped in his tracks, thinking Doctor Bai was just trying to take advantage.

 

After all, in a place like this, everyone knew the unspoken rules. The Alphas and Omegas here were all pent up.

 

Most inmates were filthy and unkempt, barely able to bathe, so picky types like Doctor Bai usually weren’t interested.

 

But the Mad Clown had only just arrived—his skin was still soft and fair, so it was no surprise he’d caught someone’s eye.

 

He didn’t want to interrupt Doctor Bai’s fun, but curiosity kept him watching.

 

Soon, he realized something was off. Doctor Bai wasn’t assaulting the Mad Clown—he was standing outside the cell, whispering.

 

The guard’s nerves snapped taut, and he rushed over, fully alert.

 

Adrian whipped his head around, about to speak, when someone in the next cell shouted, “They’re in cahoots! They’re whispering! Officer! Officer! Arrest them!”

 

The sensitive words instantly drew the attention of many guards, who all reached for their sidearms and looked over.

 

The guard with authority shouted, “Doctor Bai! Please put your hands on your head and come with me for questioning!”

 

He was still polite, unable to believe the medical director he’d worked with for over a decade could be up to no good.

 

Adrian’s expression turned grim. While possessing someone, he couldn’t use his own or the host’s abilities—in other words, he was completely defenseless. Unless he immediately abandoned the body and left the prison, his soul would take heavy damage if this body died.

 

But he hadn’t opened the prison entrance for the Black Lantern Society yet, and if the enemy realized they’d been infiltrated, the bait would lose all value—they’d probably kill Lucas to minimize risk.

 

He couldn’t leave.

 

Adrian fell silent. The guard’s face darkened, pressing the gun hard to his forehead.

 

Lucas’s face went instantly pale.

 

Fifty meters above the permafrost, the Loracity Icefield was still ravaged by wind and snow.

 

Lily hugged her notebook, shivering as she used frozen fingers to write a line—

 

【The wind has stopped, the snow has ceased, and the sun has come out.】

 

B-level ability [Written Reality] activated. Instantly, half the clouds over the Loracity Icefield parted, sunlight spilling down through the dazzling snowflakes.

 

The gale gradually died, the snowfall faded, and for the first time, this barren and brutal land found peace.

 

Ling Qi: “Damn, little sis, you’re amazing.”

 

Lily chattered, stuffing her hands into her sleeves and proudly lifting her chin.

 

With the wind and snow gone, everyone’s visibility improved. Fulunla led the Ghost Eye Guild, Dream Witch led the High

 

Tower Guild, and together they used sweater-yarn ropes to search the area for any trace of footsteps.

 

Twenty minutes later, everyone returned empty-handed.

 

Now that the wind and snow had stopped, it was already too late—any footprints had long since been covered.

 

Fulunla said anxiously, “The supervisor’s already gone in. What if he opens the elevator before we get there?”

 

Lance’s heart sank with every beat, his mind spinning faster than ever before.

 

“Adrian’s signal must have disappeared too. The other side probably realized we have an ability-user who can hack the network, so they took precautions ahead of time.”

 

Mudeli’s glasses were frosted over as he supported Adrian’s soul-exchanged body, brow tightly furrowed. “Without a hacker, won’t the supervisor have a hard time finding his brother?”

 

Wu Peng thumped his frozen thigh. “Why didn’t that little one take the chance to slip back and lead us?”

 

Zhan Pingchuan’s breath no longer formed white mist, his eyelashes rimmed with frost as he said gravely, “She couldn’t come back. If she missed this chance to locate the Utopians, there’d be no way for us to save them.”

 

Wu Peng fell silent.

 

It was true—none of them were related to the Utopians. They weren’t saints; there was no reason to risk their lives for strangers.

 

Oliver said quietly, “At this point, all we have is Atiya’s message: walk a thousand steps parallel to the cable chain, then two thousand steps at a certain angle.”

 

Zhan Pingchuan: “But there are too many variables. Who knows how long her stride is?”

 

Lance parted his wind-chapped lips and said calmly, “I do.”

 

Zhan Pingchuan immediately looked at the little ice fox Lance had become.

 

Lance brushed the snow from his lashes and swallowed a mouthful of cold air. “I observed Atiya’s stride. The median is about 0.64 meters, which matches the average for an underage female Alpha.”

 

Ling Qi, Kuhn, and Popov silently gave the young madam a thumbs-up. Was this even humanly possible?

 

Fulunla and Wu Peng nodded vigorously, like chickens pecking rice. Yes, it was.

 

Zhan Pingchuan was already used to the little fox’s freakish talent. Back in the Virtual Realm, Lance had only needed one glance to remember exactly how many people entered the Escape Gate.

 

Dream Witch raised a brow. “That’s about right. When I was underage, my stride was the same. As an adult, it’s 0.2 meters less.”

 

Fulunla asked blankly, “Why?”

 

Dream Witch replied matter-of-factly, “Because I wear short skirts and high heels now. That way, the little blonde O’s can curl up on my lap and act cute like kittens.”

 

Oliver: “……”

 

Fulunla choked up inside: “So that’s why.” No wonder she never had any little O’s acting cute for her.

 

Lance continued, “There’s no signal here, but a phone compass uses the Earth’s magnetic field to find direction. As long as we remember the angle between the compass and the cable chain, and walk in that direction, we won’t go off course.”

 

Oliver: “I remember the angle Atiya showed us, but the margin of error is huge. Over two thousand steps, even a one-degree deviation means a 17.44-meter difference after a kilometer.”

 

Lily stared. “How can you calculate that so fast?”

 

Dream Witch patted her head affectionately. “Sweetie, don’t compare your weaknesses to someone else’s strengths.”

 

Lance sighed. “Exactly. For now, we can only take it one step at a time.”

 

Everyone hurriedly opened their compasses, fixed the angle with the cable chain, and started counting their steps as they marched forward.

 

A thousand steps didn’t sound like much, but trudging through deep snow made it a real ordeal. By the time they finished the parallel thousand, everything around them was a vast, featureless white—even the cliff’s edge was barely visible.

 

Zhan Pingchuan: “Baby, what now?”

 

Lance took a steadying breath. “Then we’ll just have to do a grid search—”

 

He hadn’t finished when he felt an itch at the back of his neck. Moth Rong Weng crawled out from his collar along his collarbone.

 

The moment it hit the open air, the little bug nearly froze stiff, almost toppling over backward.

 

But it knew what its master needed, so it hugged its little paws to its chest, shivering its antennae for Lance to see.

 

Lance frowned. “It’s freezing—why’d you come out?”

 

The bug clung to one antenna, shaking the other, even twisting to a new angle and shaking it harder.

 

Hurry up and get it! If I wait any longer, my antennae will freeze off!

 

Zhan Pingchuan: “Is it hungry?”

 

Oliver’s eyes lit up. “No, insects are more sensitive to certain scents and frequencies than humans. It must have sensed something.”

 

Lance scooped it into his palm, gently tapping its snowy shell. “Are you showing me the way?”

 

The bug raised one antenna high.

 

Lance recognized its proud pose immediately. “Alright, we’ll follow you.”

 

The bug immediately set its antenna at the same angle as before.

 

Lance cupped it protectively, afraid it would freeze. Zhan Pingchuan tore open his coat, pulled out a wad of cotton, and built a fluffy nest in Lance’s palm for the bug.

 

Lance hesitated. “You…”

 

Zhan Pingchuan gave a lazy grin. “I won’t freeze. I’m tough.”

 

Everyone followed the bug’s lead, quickly advancing about a hundred meters, when Abaddon’s sharp eyes spotted a faint pink patch on the ground. “Hey, look!”

 

Everyone hurried over, brushed aside the snow, and found it was actually a drop of congealed blood.

 

As soon as the blood was exposed, Moth Rong Weng’s antennae shook even harder, as if to say, This is what I sensed.

 

They hurried on, and Fulunla soon found more blood frozen in the snow. Thanks to Lily clearing the wind, the blood hadn’t been completely buried.

 

Lance quickly realized—Adrian was leaving them a trail!

 

In this frozen wasteland, he must have repeatedly reopened his wounds to keep the blood flowing.

 

And while possessing others, Adrian didn’t have an S-level body or endurance—he was relying on sheer willpower.

 

Just then, Moth Rong Weng tucked both antennae behind its head, used all four paws, and darted back into Lance’s sleeve.

 

Its job was done.

 

Lance knelt, swept away the thick snow, and found beneath the blood a huge, silver-white iron hatch.

 

—

 

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 (advanced chapters available on kofi)