Chapter 71: Ambers of the Long Night (27)
The World Aboveground
Boom!
A sudden explosion ripped through the shopping mall. The once-bustling district was swallowed by flames, and the citizens’ screams filled the air.
“Why hasn’t the rescue team arrived yet?!”
“They’ve been notified—but there’s been another explosion in the eastern district! The emergency units are completely overwhelmed! Even the rescue robots in the mall seem to have malfunctioned!”
“Oh no… someone, please save my daughter!”
A five-year-old girl was about to be engulfed by the fire when a man in the crowd lunged forward, ignoring his own safety. The explosion’s shockwave nearly seared his hair, and the onlookers gasped in horror—but the man’s expression was unusually firm. His back was scorched, his clothes burned through to reveal raw skin, yet he gritted his teeth, stood up straight, and revealed the unharmed girl beneath him.
“You okay?”
“Y-yeah…” The girl looked up blankly. “Thank you, big brother…”
“It’s fine.” The man smiled, patting her head, then turned to the rushing mall staff. “It’s too dangerous here. We need to evacuate everyone immediately. Until the rescue team gets here, we’ll have to take matters into our own hands.”
“Ah—o-okay. But your wounds—”
“These scratches? Don’t worry about them.” Ge Guang waved dismissively, his tone relaxed. “Let me help with the evacuation.”
Perhaps it was the calm certainty in his voice, but the staff instinctively obeyed. They’d already been trying to organize a rescue, but the chaos made it impossible. Yet somehow, under this man’s guidance, the crowd suddenly listened. They followed his commands—putting out fires, clearing paths, lining up to evacuate children and the elderly first.
By the time the people had escaped the burning mall, they seemed to awaken from a daze. Reporters immediately surrounded them, excited.
“How did you get out?”
“It’s all thanks to him!”
“Yeah! That man with the burns—if not for him, we’d all be dead!”
“He was incredible!”
[Li Guang Lv30 ? Lv45]
In Ge Guang’s livestream chat:
[LOL, that’s our Li Guang!]
[God-tier acting. So satisfying! Watching their grateful faces almost made me climax!]
[Haha I can’t! The girl’s dad actually thanked you, this is hilarious.]
[Ge Guang, keep it up! Right now they’ll believe whatever you say—wanna have some fun? Let’s see a father-daughter tragedy! The dad suspects something’s wrong, but the girl believes in you completely, obeying your every word.]
[Same as the last script? I’m in!]
[Put up a bounty, Ge Guang! When we hit the target points, do it!]
Ge Guang chuckled softly toward the camera. “Not this time—the mission’s urgent, hope you all understand.” Then he turned to face the reporters with a warm smile.
They crowded around him, thrusting microphones and cameras close, eyes shining.
“Mr. Ge Guang, we’ve heard you played an important role in the rescue efforts today. How do you feel right now?”
Ge Guang’s smile widened, bright and charismatic, “Me? I only did what any responsible citizen should do. I just hope our society can regain peace and stability.”
Yeah, right, he thought, you bunch of idiots.
The video froze on his smiling face.
When it ended, other “heroic” rescue videos featuring the same slicked-back man immediately began playing. He and his group claimed to be a civilian volunteer organization that acted when the authorities couldn’t respond fast enough.
But only a few knew the truth—the disasters were caused by them.
*
A hovercar sped down the rain-slick road, raindrops drumming on its roof. Tu Xiao swiped her level clearance; though it was a regular road, she was driving at highway speeds. Luckily, no other cars were in sight.
In just a few days, the world had changed beyond recognition—and that wasn’t an exaggeration.
After the appearance of the Lost City, public opinion exploded. The Blue Sky Society’s early propaganda successfully ignited citizens’ doubts. More and more people began to believe in the “fake world” theory, and some even regained fragments of “real-world” memories, throwing them into confusion.
At the same time, countless elite individuals were being assassinated. People soon realized—the higher your level, the more likely you were to be targeted. The streets emptied, stores were looted, crime soared, and fear spread like wildfire.
Now, even after driving for miles, Tu Xiao hadn’t passed a single other vehicle.
“You’ve broken at least five traffic laws. Your level’s gonna drop below ninety,” said Emmanuel dryly from the passenger seat.
“You think I care right now?” Tu Xiao shot back.
She wore a black tactical vest; her pale arms were scraped and bruised, and she looked like she’d just crawled out of a battlefield.
Emmanuel wasn’t much better off. He turned off the video screen, bit off the cap of a hemostatic spray, spat it out, and sprayed his bleeding abdomen. The wound quickly clotted. Then he pulled on a fresh pair of rubber boots.
Outside the window, a transparent holo-screen displayed the slicked-back man—the same one from the videos—whose level had skyrocketed thanks to his so-called heroics. In times of chaos, people craved symbols of hope, and the man knew it well. Despite the assassination crisis, he continued to appear publicly, winning massive admiration. His popularity soared both online and offline, making him one of the top contenders for the throne.
The car passed a billboard of him smiling radiantly at the camera, fans gushing that “his smile could brighten the darkness in people’s hearts.”
Behind the wheel, Tu Xiao exhaled a puff of minty smoke. “Looks like there are more bastards like me popping up lately.”
“Of course,” said Emmanuel, his tone layered with irony. “The chaos was started by bastards.”
And indeed, the slicked-back man wasn’t alone. Dozens of similar “heroes” had appeared—ordinary workers, students, or jobless drifters who, overnight, had undergone miraculous transformations and massive level boosts.
Too familiar.
Emmanuel’s investigation revealed the truth: every one of those heroic “rescue” scenes was staged. They sent demons to cause chaos, then arrived to “save” people. Or they used abilities to fake blood and injuries, posing as selfless saviors.
With resources, manpower, and abilities—it was child’s play.
Their goal was obvious.
They were after the throne.
When the Queen abdicated and the Super Intelligence was ready to transfer hosts, these people wanted to raise their levels and legitimately claim it—just as Emmanuel and Tang Mobai had once planned.
The recent assassination wave was clearly their doing.
Tu Xiao might not know how these demons had gained access to chips or taken over human candidates—but the fact remained: the very system she had created was now being weaponized by the enemy.
Boom!
Behind them, several black armored vehicles gave chase. The car roofs opened, and demons inside fired explosive rounds. Tu Xiao yanked the steering wheel sharply right, barely dodging the blast—the shockwave still made the hovercar jolt violently.
Emmanuel gripped the seat to steady himself, suppressing the nausea from the abrupt motion. “Where are the others from Blue Sky Society?”
“I sent them away,” Tu Xiao replied. “They’re just civilians. Based on your intel, they wouldn’t stand a chance against these demons. It’s better they hide—become a drop in the ocean, a tree in the forest. Maybe they’ll be useful later.”
“Then why didn’t you hide with them?”
Tu Xiao snorted. “Please. Do I look like the type who’d let you live comfortably while I run away?”
Before Emmanuel could retort, the car screeched to a halt. He looked up and froze—roadblocks ahead.
Several armored vehicles had flanked them from the front, completing the ambush.
They were surrounded.
Emmanuel grabbed his twin pistols and got out of the car. Ment and the others, who had stayed behind to cover their escape, were still far away.
It really was the end of the line.
“Tu Xiao, stay in the car,” Emmanuel ordered. “Their goal is to kill you—or keep you from participating in the election. Getting out would hand them what they want. Stick to the plan.”
Tu Xiao gripped the wheel, saying nothing.
Seeing Emmanuel alone, the demons sneered. “Only you? Come out here to die?”
“What if the ones dying are you?” Emmanuel said calmly.
Their smiles vanished. Weapons rose. Outnumbered as he was, even a genetically enhanced soldier couldn’t withstand that kind of firepower.
But then—A loud buzzing filled the air. The demons instinctively looked up—just in time to see dozens of drones descending from the rain clouds, dropping delivery packages like rain.
The falling boxes blocked their line of sight.
The hesitation was brief, but Emmanuel didn’t waste it. He hurled an EMP grenade at the wet ground.
Rainwater had pooled into shallow puddles across the road—perfect conductors. Emmanuel had already switched to insulated boots when he’d noticed the storm.
Electricity arced across the water. The demons, blinded by the falling packages, were caught completely off-guard. Their bodies convulsed as paralysis set in.
Tu Xiao seized the chance—she slammed the accelerator, pushing the hovercar to maximum speed. It roared forward like a silver bullet, smashing through the barricade. Paralysis still gripping them, the demons couldn’t even move before being knocked aside.
Some tried to pursue, but Emmanuel was still there, firing both guns to keep them pinned down. His precision was brutal—each shot landing just where they couldn’t see it coming. And every bullet that hit exploded on impact.
Within moments, several demons were either dead or too wounded to fight.
“F***!” one of them spat, rage and killing intent flaring red-hot.
Emmanuel only smiled, eyes bright and fearless—a little wild, even.
“Come on,” he said. “I told you—what if the ones dying are you?”
For a moment, he really managed to suppress several demons at once — but soon enough, those minor tricks were seen through. Enraged, one of the demons unleashed his power, spreading an electric web across the sky that struck down every drone. With his cover gone, Emmanuel was exposed, and the situation instantly turned dire!
Another barbed blood whip slashed toward him. Emmanuel darted behind the corner of an alley, reloading his last explosive round. Within mere minutes, his body was covered in deep, bone-revealing wounds. Fortunately, he had anticipated a brutal fight and injected himself with a stimulant beforehand. The pain was gone — his mind was sharp and his adrenaline blazing.
But even the stimulant wouldn’t last long. It could deceive the mind, not the body. Once he lost too much blood, unconsciousness would be inevitable. At least he could take a few of them down with him before that.
The gunfire outside suddenly stopped. The demons seemed to realize Emmanuel was now a trapped beast — and a beast’s dying counterattack was the most dangerous.
“Emmanuel, right?”
After a while, a man’s voice came from outside the alley.
“I know you. I heard your voice once in Tang Mobai’s livestream. Honestly, we should thank you — if it weren’t for you, we’d still be clueless about how to seize the Super-Intelligence Core.”
“But there’s one thing I’ve wanted to tell you since then, something that’s been itching in my throat all this time.”
Stalling for time? Emmanuel frowned, but when he looked down at his trembling, blood-soaked legs, he chose silence.
“I remember your deal with Tang Mobai — you’d help him get the Super-Intelligence Core, and in return, you’d earn the favor of Lost Paradise for assisting demons with the main quest, right? But too bad… whoever told you that didn’t give you the full story.”
The man spoke slowly, signaling to his companion. The other nodded, sending an invisible serpent slithering toward Emmanuel.
“Lost Paradise only recruits independent intelligent beings, no matter the species. But given the truth of this world… all of you died in reality long ago. What was ‘uploaded consciousness’ is still just data — AI — subroutines that survive only through the Super-Intelligence. Without it, you can’t exist.”
“Now guess — do you think Lost Paradise would ever recognize you as an independent lifeform?”
Emmanuel’s body trembled. Even though he knew this was psychological warfare, there was still a flicker of hesitation. The serpent struck at that moment, biting into his wrist — the one holding the explosive. The paralyzing venom spread instantly, freezing him in place. The demons at the alley entrance charged in, a barbed blood whip lashing around his body to restrain him.
“Got him!”
The demons exhaled in relief. One of them kicked Emmanuel viciously in the gut. He curled up, coughing and choking.
“Damn, you made me work for this!”
“Weren’t you supposed to be some big deal? Weren’t you gonna stop us all by yourself? Why don’t you get up now, huh? I’m not done beating you yet!”
The furious one — clearly a hot-headed brute — swung punch after punch. The live viewers loved it, their comments flying across the screen:
[Hit his face! Hit his face! I’ve hated this NPC from the start!]
[Trying to outsmart demons? Get into Lost Paradise? You’re not worthy.]
[He’s still listed as level 0. Frank’s candidate list doesn’t even include him — total trash.]
[This is so satisfying, keep beating him!]
“Don’t kill him yet,” the serpent-user snapped impatiently. “We still need him as bait. If he dies, how are we supposed to lure her out? You volunteering to be the bait?”
“Fine, fine.” The brute spat blood on the ground — then noticed Emmanuel was smiling.
“What are you laughing at?”
“I’m laughing because… you idiots have no idea what kind of person Tu Xiao is.” Emmanuel’s ribs were cracked, and every breath hurt, but his voice was hoarse and steady. “She’s the kind of woman who’ll destroy anyone — even herself — for the sake of knowledge. You think she’d risk herself just to save me?”
He lifted his swollen eyelids, sneering. “She’s probably already gone into hiding. Your little plan’s failed. What’s going to happen when your master finds out, huh? Going to be punished like the good dogs you are?”
“Bastard… you’re dead.”
The demon grinned murderously and raised his blade. “We were going to keep you alive as bait, but since you’re useless now — die.”
Emmanuel’s lips curled in a faint, bitter smile as he closed his eyes.
So it ends here, huh. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t bitter.
Ironically, he had no right to blame Tu Xiao for throwing the world into chaos — he’d done the same. If he hadn’t brought Tang Mobai and the others back, if he hadn’t led him through the plan to seize the Super-Intelligence, none of this would’ve leaked to the demons of Lost Paradise.
It had all been inevitable — just like the old fairy tales said: those who make deals with demons are always devoured by their own desires.
He’d even pinned the hope of saving the world on others. What a coward he’d been.
Images flickered through his mind — Tang Mobai and Yan Wuzhen falling in that creamy white void. He had truly envied them once. He’d once had such pure, idealistic friendships too.
Opatra, Nahem, Tu Xiao…
He’d believed they would always fight side by side for the world. When had it all gone wrong? He’d been the first to sense something off about their world. When he told the others, Tu Xiao was the first to respond — while the other two remained silent.
Over time, their differences grew too wide to bridge. After learning the grim fate of all past Wise Kings, Emmanuel chose to run. He’d believed it was the right choice — that he could break the curse of the Super-Intelligence and save the world.
But reality wasn’t a storybook. Heroes don’t always slay demons.
When he later saw Opatra ascend the throne, when he clashed with Tu Xiao over ideology… somehow, he’d ended up completely alone. And now, he would die by the very disaster he’d brought upon himself.
Emmanuel closed his eyes.
But the bloody blade never fell.
Suddenly, the roar of a hover-engine thundered through the alley. Emmanuel’s eyes snapped open. He shouted hoarsely, “Go! Why did you come back!? I don’t need you to save me!”
A demon crouched and clamped a hand over his mouth, signaling the others. They snapped his limbs, shoved a towel in his mouth, and hoisted him up.
The hover car screeched to a halt at the alley’s mouth. Tu Xiao stepped out. She had no weapon — both hands raised in surrender.
“Came back to save your comrade? How touching…” one of the demons sneered — then froze mid-sentence.
Because he noticed something horrifying.
Tu Xiao’s fingers — on both hands — were completely gone.
[Tu Xiao Lv. 70]
In the Super AI’s five-dimensional evaluation system, the “beauty” dimension primarily assesses the integrity of the human body—meaning people with disabilities are immediately screened out. Even though there are exoskeletal repair technologies, unless the prosthetics are made from one’s own biological material, the flaws remain visible.
For most professions, this doesn’t matter—but for the Candidate King, who symbolizes perfection, any physical imperfection means disqualification.
Xu Xiao tossed a bag onto the floor. Inside were severed fingers. The demon picked it up, checked, and confirmed all ten were there.
“What kind of madness is this?”
“Didn’t you just want me to withdraw from the election?” Xu Xiao said flatly. “Now that you’ve achieved your goal, Emmanuel is a Level 0—he’ll never be selected. Can’t you just let us go now?”
“Mmff—!” Emmanuel’s roar was muffled by the cloth stuffed in his mouth. His bloodshot eyes glared furiously at Xu Xiao’s figure. He’d rather die here than see Xu Xiao bow to the invaders. It was cowardly.
The fear demon thought for a moment, then stowed the bag of severed parts and tapped his shoulder with the back of his knife.
“Hmm… technically, that completes our mission. But who knows what schemes you’re still plotting? I don’t know how advanced your world’s technology is— what if you can reattach them? Better to be safe and kill you.”
Xu Xiao smiled slightly, unsurprised. She unzipped her vest, revealing a blue liquid bomb strapped tightly to her body.
“What a shame,” she said softly. “Looks like we’ll die together, then. Oh, and since you don’t understand our tech—let me introduce it: this is a tenth-generation liquid explosive, powerful enough to obliterate a five-kilometer radius. Hope you can run fast enough.”
The demons’ expressions twisted several times. In their minds flashed the image of Tang Mobai’s livestream explosion—and just then, the distant siren of the Investigation Bureau blared. They clenched their teeth and finally released Emmanuel.
“Go!”
The demons withdrew immediately.
Emmanuel lay there, soaked in blood, too weak to move. Xu Xiao flicked her shoe, the blade tip cutting through his ropes. Before she could bend down to help, Emmanuel grabbed her arm.
“Why did you do that?” he rasped. “That’s not like you. Why come back? You could’ve hidden somewhere until the inheritance ceremony started! I never wanted you to…”
“I didn’t come back to save you.”
The rain was coming down harder, turning the world white. Both of them looked battered and pitiful. Xu Xiao’s gaze pierced the rain as she gave a faint smile.
“After all, even if I ran to the ends of the earth, they’d still find me. This time, you helped me—but the people who will help me will only grow fewer. Who knows if next time, it’ll be the end.”
“That’s no reason to give up!” Emmanuel shouted hoarsely. “How can you surrender? You’ve committed terrible crimes, killed so many—You should bear that guilt and live, fight for this world until the very last moment. That’s how you atone!”
“I know,” Xu Xiao said calmly. “That’s why I’m leaving this mission to you. You’re Level 0—they won’t care about you. As long as you stay away from me, you’ll be invisible.”
“Bullshit! What can I even do? I—”
“You can do it,” Xu Xiao interrupted gently.
“Those demons have started trying to compete with us using ‘legitimate’ means—that’s actually a good sign. We’ve studied the Super AI for twenty years; they’ve only gotten secondhand data from us. If they want to play by the rules—then we’ll fight by the rules.”
Emmanuel froze.
“W–What do you mean?”
Xu Xiao didn’t answer.
“You know, Emmanuel,” she murmured, “I never thought you were a coward. To me, you were always the bravest—the most curious, the most driven of us all. When I was young, I envied you. I even looked up to you.”
“Sometimes I wonder,” she continued softly, “if we had lived in a normal world—not as heirs to the throne—what kind of people would we have become?”
Emmanuel’s dread grew with every word. He tried to interrupt, but from blood loss, his vision blurred, and Xu Xiao’s face faded into shadow.
“…Goodbye, Emmanuel. May we meet again in the new world.”
“Now, I’m going to see what the real world looks like.”
When Emmanuel awoke from unconsciousness, it was already noon the next day. He was back aboard the ship. Ment entered with medicine, and seeing Emmanuel struggling to rise, quickly supported him.
“Your Highness, your body hasn’t recovered yet—please, lie down.”
“Xu Xiao… where’s Xu Xiao?”
Ment opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Emmanuel pulled himself up again, connecting to the net through his chip— and the moment he logged in, every page was flooded with headlines:
“Mastermind Behind Political Assassination Revealed — a Rising Elite Group?”
“The Shadow Force Attempting to Seize the Election.”
“Blue Sky Society Leader Confirmed Dead — Body Parts Found in Multiple Homes.”
“Mass Murder? The Truth Behind the Blue Sky Leader’s Death.”
“Why Did the Heir Candidates Commit Dismemberment? Was There a Hidden Power Struggle?”
Thank you for reading 🙂 I hope you all liked my translations. If you enjoyed my work, please consider buying me a Ko-Fi 😉
