TYMIMA Chapter 155

The sound of guards hurrying came from outside the storage room.

“Finally found it—wasn’t easy!”

“Everyone close your eyes, don’t be interfered with by illusions, use memories in your brain to distinguish directions!”

“Screw you, closing eyes and running into Black Lantern Society means getting slaughtered directly, right?”

“That’s exactly you! Your two eyeballs are about to grow on that dancing sweet Omega! They’re all fake, fake!”

“Damn, too much—our storage room is such a classified place, but in the illusion it’s a public toilet?”

“Stop arguing, go into the toilet to catch people!”

…

Lucas perked up, reaching to tear his soul fragment: “Quick, I’ll take you all away!”

Lance stopped him: “Save your strength. Now isn’t the time. These are just guards, meaning reinforcements haven’t arrived yet. These people aren’t worth fearing.”

Mad Clown was injured and had been tortured for so long. Even after swallowing Fata’s power pill, he should conserve his energy.

Besides, [Shadow Anchoring] could only transport a limited amount, and they still had many people.

Meanwhile, on underground level three.

The corridor holding Utopians was finally found. Everyone used their abilities to smash bars and free prisoners.

Even those who’d been irradiated took pheromones to help break down doors.

But regrettably, only about forty Utopians remained alive and mentally normal, and most of these forty-plus people hadn’t been imprisoned long, including Atiya’s teacher.

Though this teacher had lost half an arm due to delayed treatment, being alive was already fortunate in misfortune.

As for Atiya’s great-uncle, no one had heard of him. People imprisoned here for over ten years had long since died.

Oliver felt some regret, but this was within his expectations: “Really no one called Piati?”

He still didn’t want Atiya to have regrets.

Teacher Jerome stepped forward: “After arriving here, we’ve had few opportunities to communicate with others, but as far as I know, all Utopian Awakened are here. They keep us together because we’re not vicious murderers—we’re easier to manage than anyone else.”

“During my time here, they occasionally take a few people away for entertainment or torture. Some come back insane, some like me receive no medical treatment, wounds fester, leaving permanent disabilities, and some never return at all.”

“They bury the corpses of dead prisoners in the frozen soil because they don’t want anyone to know that inhuman, soul-destroying activities happen here every moment.”

“Piati and Rafael must have already passed on. God has transformed the pain they suffered in this life into blessings, letting them be reborn into warm, prosperous families.”

As Jerome spoke, he covered his heart with one hand, closed his eyes, and prayed silently.

For a moment, all the Utopians placed their hands over their hearts, murmuring prayers, devoutly blessing their compatriots who had died unjustly in prison.

They were all covered in wounds and haggard. Struggling desperately in this purgatory, their only comfort was believing in God and yearning for rebirth.

Oliver empathized deeply, his vision inevitably blurring.

During those four years of days and nights, hadn’t he also forced himself to believe in hope to grit his teeth and endure?

Actually, he knew how slim hope was. When he was released, reality also told him that hope had never truly existed.

The truth he hoped would come to light never happened. The redemption from his beloved was just a pipe dream.

Most injustices and tragedies in this world end in being forgotten, not in fulfillment.

“Let’s hurry and join them. I bet they’ve already found the rare lead ore keys.” At this moment, the old man spoke calmly, interrupting the Utopians’ sorrow.

Jerome: “Right, let’s go quickly. Once we have fighting ability, we won’t be a burden to Black Lantern Society.”

Actually, Jerome meant nothing else by this statement, but the irradiated Utopians’ expressions all dimmed.

They wouldn’t live long and had no awakened abilities—they seemed destined to become burdens.

Even if they escaped the prison, given their physical condition, they couldn’t return to their families. Even if Hechuan International Hospital would accept them, they could only lie in hospital beds waiting for their skin to peel off inch by inch.

Their lives had lost all meaning.

But at this moment, no one expressed such negative emotions. They still smiled, accompanying their compatriots one last time.

The group ran downstairs in great numbers. Along the way, they encountered several waves of guard attacks, but fortunately without major incident. Reaching the ninth level, they bumped into the lightly dressed, bruised polar researchers Lan Pingjing and Tira in a corner.

Lan Pingjing and Tira had just been searched by guards when Black Lantern Society came down. All guards entered combat mode, and no one cared about them anymore.

Having no abilities, they could only hide in corners to protect themselves.

In such chaotic circumstances, either side could easily kill them.

Until Black Lantern Society charged down the stairs with the Utopians, Lan Pingjing’s sharp eyes immediately spotted the Utopians in prison uniforms, their bodies ravaged by radiation torture.

They were living evidence proving that AGW Special Dangerous Death Row Prison was indeed conducting human experiments, and that radiation had indeed spread from the prison to Samp Town!

Excited, Lan Pingjing pulled Tira out. Tira was nearly scared out of his wits.

“There’s radiation, there’s radiation! Tira, you saw it, right? Skin peeling, acute bleeding, cloudy white eyeballs—these are obvious radiation injuries!”

Tira trembled: “I… I… I saw it!”

Lan Pingjing was stubborn and inflexible. Now that he’d found the truth of this investigation, he didn’t even care about life and death.

Oliver and the others had personally seen Adrian possess Lan Pingjing’s body—they all recognized this researcher.

Oliver stopped and spoke: “I know you’re a polar researcher. The radiation does come from the prison, but you also know the Federation will never allow this to leak out. With just yourselves, you can’t get the truth you want.”

Lan Pingjing frowned. This masked Omega had a gentle voice and clear logic, seeming well-educated.

He’d thought Black Lantern Society members were all crude people.

“What are you trying to say?”

Oliver said softly: “In bringing down AGW Special Dangerous Death Row Prison, our goals align. Since that’s the case, we can cooperate.”

Lan Pingjing was incredulous: “You want us at Polar to cooperate with Black Lantern Society?”

Though Polar was dissatisfied with the Federation government’s actions, they couldn’t possibly stand with an illegitimate rebel organization.

“No.” Oliver’s eyes were clear, his gaze firm. “Cooperate with the Utopians.”

Lan Pingjing was stunned.

“They are evidence of AGW’s radiation release, and weapons to expose Asmodeus and even the Federation government’s evil deeds. Each of them could become flames igniting anger and Sanskrit sounds awakening numbness. They have extraordinary significance for this world.”

Oliver’s tone was calm yet inexplicably had heart-shaking power. Lan Pingjing couldn’t help but respect this Black Lantern Society member.

That’s right—by cooperating with Utopia, they cleverly avoided Black Lantern Society and could be righteous externally.

He’d heard Glacier Organization higher-ups say that Utopia was experiencing cruel exploitation and oppression, with the Federation government as the instigator.

If these Utopians could tear apart the Federation government’s hypocritical facade and uncover hidden truths, they would indeed have extraordinary significance for the entire world.

Oliver: “You must convince the Polar Glacier Organization to take them in, protect them, give them the best living environment, let them speak out and write down the truth.”

This had to be done by Polar, fellow victims. The Utopians had to be openly and legitimately protected so they could appear on camera, in sunlight, and live out their lives with dignity.

This was something High Tower and Ghost Eye temporarily couldn’t accomplish.

Rafael, standing in the crowd suffering from radiation torture, stared blankly at Oliver. After a long while, he gently lifted his lips in a grateful smile.

They were a group approaching life’s end who would burden Black Lantern Society and even their compatriots. They didn’t say it, but they understood tacitly.

But Oliver had given their lives another interpretation, giving them meaning to survive.

He was someone who brought hope.

Rafael rallied again. Like Uriel, he would use pen and voice to expose the Federation government and Tambu people’s crimes publicly. He would awaken numb Utopians and light the fire of Rose Island. Even if his life was brief, it would have extraordinary meaning.

After a moment of silence, Lan Pingjing said solemnly: “Alright, I agree.”

Just then, Zhan Pingchuan, Dream Witch, Fata, Adrian, and Mad Clown also repelled the guards charging toward the storage room.

The two groups converged on the ninth level’s center.

Oliver, Adrian, and Atiya cross-referenced the Utopians’, Mad Clown’s, and the old madman’s locations, determining the Utopians’ corridor number was KP.

So the Utopians reported their cell door numbers one by one, others distributed keys, unlocking here, while Lance took Atiya, Zhan Pingchuan, Dream Witch, Mad Clown, and Adrian to find the old madman.

Lance already had a plan—if they discovered the old madman was an Omega, Dream Witch would immediately use her ability to control him.

If unfortunately the old madman was an Alpha and used visual distortions to confuse them, he’d find a way to trick the Outer God into appearing, see through the old madman’s ability, then place Mad Clown’s anchor on the old madman’s shadow and send him directly back to High Tower Guild.

They quickly reached the green-bronze door.

This was a cramped, narrow corridor with hard stone walls on both sides, only a single door at the very end.

Intercepted real-time communication from the guards’ walkie-talkies—

“Black Lantern Society! Black Lantern Society is here!”

“Prisoners have escaped! Come support us!”

“They’ve stolen the rare lead ore keys, the ninth floor needs manpower!”

“Not good, they’re heading toward the old madman. Where’s Director Si?”

“Director Si is still playing with the little lion in the souvenir shop! He’s beaten all our people out!”

“Crazy, crazy… truly crazy!”

“Lord… Lord Benbu has returned! And brought twelve messengers! We’re saved!”

Time was now of the essence. Lance hesitated no longer. He quickly used the key to unlock the door and pulled it open!

Dim light and damp air poured through the doorway, illuminating Xu Zili’s aged face.

Lance suddenly froze.

—

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 (advanced chapters available on kofi)