Chapter 1423: Didn't You Want to Participate in this Game?
Now was not the time to ask Silvan "why."
Sometimes, she would reminisce about the day when she sat alone with Silvan in that Munitions Factory room. He had pointed out the window and declared, "The Munitions Factory will be mine." Lin Sanjiu always thought she saw ambition in his eyes that day, but today, she realized she had been mistaken.
Turning to look at him, Silvan's face still wore a smile, but it was vastly different from his usual gentle demeanor. It was a sharp and almost cruel satisfaction, like a young boy who had just taken a small revenge on the world. As long as he could cause pain to the other party, he didn't care about the magnitude of the repercussions or what consequences would befall him.
"What are you going to do to him?" Lin Sanjiu asked. "What do you mean by 'unconditional retrieval'?"
"As one of the war assets cultivated by the Munitions Factory," the woman said with a slight smile, her pacifist aura melting away a bit. "The Munitions Factory has the right to dispose of all resources related to him. Even disregarding what's on him, just studying and dismantling a posthuman like him... Well, it could benefit a small organization for a long time."
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He was a living, breathing human being, yet he was described as a mere collection of resources. Lin Sanjiu suddenly understood some of Silvan's actions. If she could grab the Twelve Worlds Centrum's collar, she would slap their arrogant faces without hesitation.
"So, that's how it is." Lin Sanjiu's palms itched with the rush of blood. "If we dismantle the Twelve Worlds Centrum, could we benefit for life?"
Before the woman could answer, Lin Sanjiu turned to Silvan with a playful smile. "You should have invited me for such a great opportunity."
Silvan looked at her, taken aback, and then, as if relieved by her understanding, smiled as well.
But in the next second, Lin Sanjiu fell backward onto a sofa.
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She realized what was happening just as she was about to land on the sofa cushion. Unnoticed by everyone, a long arm stretched out from between the cushions, gripping her waist like a steel ring and pulling her towards the narrow slit between them. Silvan reacted swiftly, but as he reached out to grab Lin Sanjiu, the woman had already quietly moved behind him, her hand reaching for his throat.
Seeing any friend in danger, Lin Sanjiu would prefer to be the first to perish in battle.
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She quickly pulled back her hands, grabbed the extended arm, and instantly activated [Mosaic Censorship]. The arm exploded into a mist of blood and flesh in an instant, splattering her back. Without hesitation, she pushed off the sofa and lunged straight towards Silvan and the woman behind him.
By the time she charged forward, and as Silvan simultaneously reached out behind him, the woman had already vanished without a trace. Everything in the mall seemed to willingly provide her with cover; if she wanted to hide her tracks, even if they tore the mall apart, they probably wouldn't be able to find her amidst the rubble and debris.
"A slippery one; she's a bit troublesome." Lin Sanjiu finally caught her breath, glancing back at the blood-stained sofa. The shattered arm was reduced to just the upper section, limply lying on the cushion. The end, which should connect to a shoulder, looked smooth as if the arm had always been just that, with no body attached. "But if she had to run, doesn't it mean she's not brave enough for a head-on fight?"
Silvan stood silently, his fingertips lightly touching his Adam's apple, not making a sound. Lin Sanjiu was fairly certain that the woman had retreated before even reaching him due to the simultaneous counterattack. Plus, there weren't many in the world who could ambush Silvan. Still, she asked, "Are you alright?"
Silvan lifted his eyes. A misty glint in his forest-green eyes gave him a child-like look of bewilderment. He opened his mouth and pointed at his throat but remained silent.
"What... What happened?" Lin Sanjiu said, faintly realizing what had occurred.
She glanced back at the severed arm on the sofa — clearly not the woman's own arm — then back to Silvan. The latter sighed, revealing a bitter smile, silently mouthing the words, 'I've lost my voice.'
Had it not been for the chaotic scene around the sofa, Lin Sanjiu might have collapsed back onto it.
"Shit," she said, unable to help but swear for the first time in front of Silvan. "She didn't touch you. How did she... She mentioned 'dismantling' earlier."
A flurry of thoughts raced through her mind, so much so that she couldn't articulate a single one fully. Did that woman not need to subdue Silvan to take him away? Could she disassemble him piece by piece?
In the end, what would become of the once sun-like Silvan?
The blonde man shook his head, spread his hand across his throat, paused, and lowered it — seemingly trying to re-enact what had transpired. Unfortunately, without an explanation, Lin Sanjiu was left puzzled. She wasn't familiar with sign language, and reading lips was taxing, especially with complex content. They didn't have the luxury of a slow conversation at that moment.
"No matter what, we need to catch that woman." With a burst of fury, Lin Sanjiu kicked the sofa. It slid straight back, knocking over numerous short tables, ornaments, and display items. As the merchandise tumbled into chaos, their overlapping stacks created shadowy gaps that resembled many elongated eyes lurking beneath the furniture, watching the duo.
She shuddered, then suddenly had an idea.
"I have a plan," she said, turning to grasp Silvan's hand, her voice softening as if she were addressing a wounded stray animal. "Come with me. I saw a section with shelves earlier, and there's something we can use."
Hadn't the woman claimed the entire mall as her territory? Even if they tore it down, reducing it to rubble, it would remain her domain. The shattered infrastructure and shelves would only create more blind spots and nooks, making things even more challenging. But what if the mall could cease to exist?
During their exploration, Lin Sanjiu came across a large outdoor activity section—tents for camping, folding chairs, coolers, portable grills. When talking about camping or hiking, accelerants for outdoor cooking were a given.
She was determined to burn both the mall and the woman.
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There was one thing Lin Sanjiu was sure of: given the woman's advantage in terrain, her unwillingness to confront them head-on implied her strength wasn't in combat. This was understandable; after all, Silvan's fighting prowess was evident. Finding someone capable of beating him in combat would be challenging. This gave the duo an opportunity.
Following the path drawn from Mrs. Manas's memory, Lin Sanjiu led Silvan into the outdoor activity section without much effort. "Grab the accelerants," she knew she didn't need to elaborate further. Silvan would immediately understand her intention. As expected, he nodded and swung his arm against the shelf. The heavy structure began to quiver, the products swaying along. However, just as the accelerants were about to fall, the tremors ceased, restoring calm.
Just when Lin Sanjiu thought the woman was interfering again, she heard a rustling sound from the direction of the entrance.
"The mall game is about to start here," shouted a voice undoubtedly belonging to a volunteer. "It seems there are a few uninvited... Never mind, all posthumans in this mall will participate in the next round."
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