novelraw Chapter 32 : Script for the Guardian
Chapter 32 : Script for the Guardian
Chapter 32: Script for the Guardian
This discovery plunged the entire command center into a deathly silence.
“Disguise…”
The word escaped Chen Mo’s lips with great difficulty.
Among the enemies they faced, there existed a Transcendent capable of perfectly transforming into anyone!
This revelation struck greater terror into the authorities than any previous Transcendent event.
Because it meant—the enemy might have already infiltrated their ranks.
Any colleague beside them, any subordinate, even any superior—could be the enemy in disguise!
Once the seed of suspicion was planted, it would take root and grow wildly.
An unprecedented wave of internal inspections and verifications began across all classified departments.
Every individual was required to undergo the strictest background investigation and identity verification.
The authorities fell into chaos and internal friction like never before, losing the ability to maintain their all-encompassing surveillance over Jiang City.
And this granted Lin Lan and Chen Xiang a perfect window to act.
……
The notice of Zheng Wei’s death brought a smile to Lin Lan’s face.
The authorities had suffered a severe blow, rendering them powerless to interfere with the game for the time being.
The 【Radiance】 faction now had only four opponents remaining.
At this point, there were merely three days left until the game’s end.
The moment for the final battle had arrived.
Lin Lan’s gaze fell upon the dossier in her hand—an analysis of the four surviving members of 【Radiance】.
Zhang Jie: highly mobile assault-type fighter.
Yang Li: formidable intelligence core.
Su Wan: unknown ability, has remained in the funeral home and never leaves.
Chen Jingjing: timid as a mouse; her ability grants “invincibility.”
“Su Wan, who trapped herself in a fixed location, is nothing but a ‘stationary target.’”
“But Yang Li and Zhang Jie, with their powerful intelligence network and high-mobility attacks, are our greatest threats right now.”
Lin Lan made her strategic judgment calmly.
She decided to focus all forces on eliminating Yang Li and Zhang Jie first.
However, Yang Li’s animal control and Zhang Jie’s agile combat made both extremely troublesome opponents.
To defeat them, Lin Lan would have to play her decisive trump card.
Her gaze turned toward Chen Jingjing.
She dialed the number of Chen Xiang, who had just returned from completing his mission.
“Our final battle is about to begin.”
……
Late night, at Jiang City University’s female dormitory.
Chen Jingjing sat on her bed, hugging her knees, trembling.
The death notification of 【Popeye】 filled her with unprecedented terror.
Another teammate was gone.
Counting 【Hermit】, 【Metallurgist】, and 【Arsonist】, this made the fourth fallen player of the 【Radiance】 faction.
Chen Jingjing felt like a lamb hunted by predators—her teammates being slaughtered one by one, without even glimpsing the enemy’s shadow.
Just as panic overwhelmed her, her phone suddenly vibrated.
It was an encrypted message from the “companion” who called himself the “Ferryman.”
【Ferryman】: “Jingjing! Quick! Help me!”
The message made Chen Jingjing’s heart leap to her throat.
【Ferryman】: “I’ve been discovered by someone from 【Shadow】! It’s a Transcendent who can control shadows! That woman is chasing me!”
【Ferryman】: “I can’t hold on! She’s demanding to know your location! I… I can’t hold on much longer!”
【Ferryman】: “Abandoned chemical plant, west side of the city. Coordinates (22.54, 114.05). Hurry!”
Reading the desperate, fear-filled pleas on her screen, Chen Jingjing’s mind went blank.
The Ferryman had been discovered?
Should she run?
No!
She couldn’t just watch another teammate die!
Even if she ran, the game’s end was near—if they didn’t win, she would die anyway!
Besides, that “Ferryman” had always encouraged and comforted her online, protecting her like a dependable older brother. How could she just watch him die in the enemy’s hands?
Kindness, guilt, and the terror of losing teammates again drove away the last of her calm.
Without hesitation, she changed into inconspicuous sportswear, put on a hat and mask, and slipped quietly out of the dormitory, sprinting toward the signal’s location.
……
The abandoned chemical plant on the west side of the city.
Rusty pipes intertwined like the entrails of a giant beast, and enormous chemical tanks loomed in the darkness, casting hideous shadows.
This was the stage Lin Lan had carefully chosen for her “play” dedicated to the guardian.
“She’s here.”
Standing atop a massive storage tank, Lin Lan watched the small figure running toward the site, the corners of her lips curving into a cold smile.
“Are you ready for your performance, Chen Xiang?”
“Of course, my Queen.”
Standing below, Chen Xiang gave Lin Lan a refined yet sinister smile.
The next second, Lin Lan’s figure melted into the shadows.
And the smile on Chen Xiang’s face vanished instantly—replaced by fear and desperation.
When Chen Jingjing, panting heavily, arrived at the chemical plant, this was the scene before her—
Her “Ferryman” brother was being hunted by black shadows, scrambling frantically among the tangled pipes.
The shadows were as sharp as blades; each slash left a deep “wound” on his body, blood gushing everywhere.
“Speak! Where is your teammate hiding?!”
Lin Lan’s cold, emotionless voice echoed from all directions, like the whisper of a demon.
“I… I don’t know!”
Chen Xiang “weakly” leaned against a pipe, gasping for air, his face set in defiant resolve.
“Even if I did, I’d never betray my teammate!”
“Is that so?”
Lin Lan sneered, and dozens of shadowy tendrils shot up from the ground, forming a cage that trapped Chen Xiang in place.
“Since you’re so loyal, I’ll grant your wish.”
A thick shadow tendril rose high like the scythe of death, poised to pierce Chen Xiang’s heart.
“No—!”
Hidden in the darkness, Chen Jingjing could no longer suppress her emotions and screamed.
She saw that figure who refused to betray her even under torture, saw the fatal blow about to pierce his chest—and all hesitation and caution vanished in an instant.
She couldn’t lose another teammate!
“With me here, I’ll never let you get hurt!”
With her tearful cry, an overwhelming surge of sacred power erupted from her small body!
A dazzling, golden pillar of light descended from the heavens like a divine miracle, enveloping the soon-to-be-“killed” Chen Xiang.
Buzz—!
The shadow spear, sharp enough to pierce steel, struck the golden light—and instantly bounced off as though hitting an invisible wall, dispersing harmlessly into the air.
“This is…”
Chen Xiang stared “in shock” at the golden light surrounding him, disbelief written across his face.
He could feel it—under this light’s protection, he had entered an absolutely invincible state. No attack could harm him in the slightest.
Chen Xiang turned toward the worried Chen Jingjing and grinned. “You really are the most naïve—and the most foolish—player I’ve ever met.”
Chen Jingjing’s smile froze. She looked at Chen Xiang in utter disbelief.