Tang Yunās words surprised both Lin Xian and KIKI. They naturally understood what she meant, which indirectly explained why Tang Yun and her group appeared here. Essentially, they were part of the Deep Crimson World project, and surely paid a substantial price for it.
"How much do you know about this Deep Crimson World?" Lin Xian asked at that moment.
"I... donāt know much. I was brought here by my husband. This organization is very mysterious. The highest level person here Iāve seen is a white man named Julius Litt, who looks over forty. He told us about the characteristics of the mycelial network and let us experience the illusion spores, but nothing else..."
Tang Yun isnāt someone with strong opinions of her own. She followed everything her husband, Wen Dong, and KIKIās uncle said. Whatās confusing is why Tang Yunās husband sent her and their child here and then ran away himself?
"Wen Qi, itās good that youāre alive..." Tang Yun looked up at KIKI with a defeated expression. "Even though your aunt took away yours and your fatherās assets, the quota your father secured for you in the Underground City canāt be replaced. No matter if she became a Dawn City council member, you have the status of Linglong Groupās heir and a senior member of the Dawn Plan. You can go to Dawn City, which should be the safest place besides the Phoenix Society headquarters, and you can survive there..."
Upon hearing this, KIKI turned to Lin Xian: "Thatās true. Iāve heard that Dawn City is already overcrowded, and entry fees are increasing. This identity of mine could be useful."
Lin Xian replied, "But your aunt and those Wen Family members probably wonāt welcome you."
"What does their welcome matter to me? Do I need their approval?" KIKI took off, arms crossed, with a proud expression.
Lin Xian smiled, thinking that was true. This girl could crush a truck with her bare hands, and such a rare telekinesis ability is more valuable than wealth or status in the apocalypse.
"Alright."
Lin Xian looked at Tang Yun: "Put on your clothes and get in my car. Iāll take you out of here."
Unexpectedly, Tang Yun showed no emotional change upon hearing this. After a long silence, she finally said
"I donāt want to leave."
KIKI frowned upon hearing this: "Hey, if you donāt want to leave, what do you want to do? Youāve seen it all; so many people died. Do you want to die?"
"No!"
Tang Yunās face was sorrowful, shaking her head repeatedly with reddened eyes: "No, they didnāt die. My son didnāt die. Heās in that world; weāre together every day. Thatās not fake!"
Lin Xian glanced at her, unsure if she couldnāt accept her sonās death or if sheād been completely lost to the hallucinogenic realm of the mycelial network. So he could only say
"Once we leave, this place will lose power completely. There wonāt be any robots to maintain it, and the survival pod will stop working. Your bodies will completely die and start to rot. Are you sure?"
Tang Yunās eyes flashed with fear upon hearing Lin Xianās words, which was quickly replaced by obsession. Her chest heaved as she said, "No, it wonāt. Once I enter that world, Iāll live there."
After saying this, she suddenly knelt down to KIKI, pleading, "Wen Qi, I understand your goodwill, but I feel I no longer live in this world. Let me go back."
KIKI looked at this scene with rare anger on her face, shouting: "I told you, itās all fake! Fake! You escaped with great difficulty. If you follow us, youāll survive. Isnāt living good enough!!!?"
KIKIās words cast a shadow on Tang Yunās expression. She fell silent, lowered her head, and her tousled hair obscured her well-maintained face a bit, saying sadly
"My son is over there. If Iām gone, heāll be sad. Heās still looking for his dad over there, always searching. I want to be with him. Among so many strangers, he must be lonely and sad..."
"Wen Qi, considering Iām your aunt, help me this once..."
Tang Yun begged on her knees, seemingly lifeless, with no joy, sorrow, anger, or grief. This world seemed like a nightmare to her, and as long as she returned to the survival pod, sheād wake up in that happy, free world.
KIKI was a bit agitated. Despite Tang Yun being a relative she hadnāt known for long, she didnāt want to see Tang Yun choose death like this.
Just as she was about to say more, Lin Xian suddenly held her back.
He noticed Tang Yunās eyes had started showing signs of a black hue, a symptom of being on the verge of transformation due to the encroaching darkness.
"Forget it. Sheās lost the courage to live. In this state, even if she stays, sheāll quickly be overtaken by darkness and transform into a zombie. Itās better to fulfill her wish."
Her psychological defenses completely collapsed, her body weak, and her spiritual power extremely unstable. In this extreme night, sheād soon become a zombie unless forcibly taken back to Infinity and sheltered with the Heterogeneous Rubikās Cube. But Lin Xian also didnāt want to do that. Tang Yunās worldview had completely crumbled; even if Lin Xian and KIKI kindly took her in, it wouldnāt help. She would just live in constant lamentation, bringing negative emotions to the team.
In this case, itās better to let her enter that illusion, and die in the joy of reuniting with her son.