Interstellar to 80s: A Scientist's Farming Mission

In the silent underground space, the Snow Fox made no sound at all, and An Ning, following behind it, was just as quiet.

She was like an emotionless machine, mercilessly recording everything in the underground research facility.

Armory, break room, storage room, warehouse...

In every room, she found evidence that not much time had passed—evidence that people had once been here.

And all of this was just an appetizer.

As An Ning followed the Snow Fox deeper, she began to see bleached bones and enormous glass jars filled with murky liquid. The jars themselves weren’t frightening, but the bones floating within were a horrifying sight.

The appearance of the glass jars was merely the prologue.

Beyond them, another huge laboratory appeared. Inside were glass jars and stainless steel canisters of all sizes, various pieces of lab equipment, a bed stained with blood, and ropes that had turned black.

One item after another, one scene after another.

An Ning could no longer remain calm.

’Humans really are the most evil beings in this world.’

’They can be kind, and they can be cruel.’

’The line between heaven and hell is but a single thought.’

An Ning silently recorded it all and followed the Snow Fox to a final, sealed door.

The Snow Fox pawed at the door, and An Ning, understanding, asked, ”You need me to open this for you?”

The Snow Fox gave a human-like nod.

An Ning looked at the door—or rather, the solid wall, for it had no window—not understanding what was inside.

She sent her spiritual power probing inside once more.

”Aaargh—”

She snatched her spiritual power back, clutching her head with one hand. Her brow furrowed, and a look of agony twisted her features.

’What on earth is that?’

’What in the world is in there? How could it touch my spiritual power?’

In that single second, the ”gas” that had touched her spiritual power didn’t vanish after searing it. Instead, like a maggot burrowing into bone, it clung to her, attempting to follow her into her sea of spiritual power.

An Ning acted decisively, severing that tendril of her spiritual power.

The pain of tearing away a part of her own spiritual power made it impossible for her to maintain her composure.

A moment later, enduring the tearing sensation in her mind, a small weapon materialized in An Ning’s palm.

’Who says I’m only good with spiritual power? Marksmanship and demolitions are my specialties, too.’

She raised her hand and pulled the trigger.

Silent, visible ripples of energy struck the four corners of the door.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

Archaic technology versus the interstellar Ripple Gun. It was, without a doubt, a complete rout.

As the four impacts sounded, another object materialized in An Ning’s palm.

It was a transparent, rectangular glass-like object. The instant it touched the ground, it expanded, enveloping the fracturing door without a single seam.

Seeing that everything was in place, An Ning pressed a button on the center of the Ripple Gun. The four corners of the door abruptly shattered. Four deep cracks spiderwebbed from the impacts, converging in the middle. The moment the lines met, the solid steel door collapsed with a deafening crash.

A red gas, seemingly alive, fled in a frenzy, slamming against the transparent shield.

SLAM!

The explosive impact made the Snow Fox flinch back, but An Ning only offered a chilling smile.

”Well, hello there...”

An Ning took a step forward, coming face-to-face with the wisp of gas and the red mist roiling behind it.

”Looks like you’ve become quite the spirit, haven’t you.”

Another object materialized in An Ning’s palm. This time, it wasn’t high-tech, but an artifact of ancient Mysticism.

The Evil Extermination Pen, left to her by the Master.

The Master had once said that an evil spirit would only manifest in a place of absolute evil, and that the Evil Extermination Pen would likely never be needed.

But the Master never could have imagined that such a place existed, buried somewhere beneath Huaxia.

An Ning wondered what kind of experiment could create so much blood mist, and what kind of experiment could result in an attack on a person’s spiritual power.

’Or perhaps, they never anticipated such an effect.’

’But the foundation never changes. An evil spirit’s evolution never deviates from its core nature.’

’Only something with a foundation in the spiritual could evolve into an evil spirit that attacks one’s spiritual power.’

’In other words, only experiments on the brain could have created such an abomination.’

’Absolute evil... just how many lives did it take?!’

THUD THUD THUD

The sentient evil spirit inside repeatedly slammed against the protective shield An Ning had erected. It sensed the Evil Extermination Pen and grew agitated.

’The end of science really might be Mysticism, after all.’

’Running into me... you can only blame fate.’

’Don’t struggle. The only reason King Yan has let you linger this long was for this beautiful meeting between us. I will make sure your passing is filled with agony.’

An Ning sat down cross-legged, and the Evil Extermination Pen hovered in the air before her.

She converted her spiritual power into mystical energy, condensing it, paying no heed to the cost. ’Kill!’

’You corroded my spiritual power? No matter. Kill!’

’No matter the cost, only one word mattered: Kill!’

’It must be killed!’

’If this thing gets out, there will be no one like the Master to stop it.’

At that moment, a miniature robot stood beside An Ning. It was short and chubby, holding a small, unfamiliar pistol, adorably standing guard for her.

This was the newest model of interstellar combat robot, teleported to her by the interstellar network, just in case of an emergency.

And today just so happened to be that emergency.

At this moment, An Ning trusted nothing and no one—including the cute yet strange Snow Fox beside her.

Having absorbed enough mystical energy, the Evil Extermination Pen began to shine.

It was a white light, so pure it seemed capable of cleansing all creation.

Inside the barrier, the red gas began to turn black. It was afraid, preparing for a final, desperate struggle.

’Right on time!’

’Kill!’

The light of the Evil Extermination Pen flared brilliantly. Under An Ning’s control, it passed precisely through the barrier, leaving the red evil spirit no room to escape.

The white light instantly enveloped the red evil spirit. Where red and white clashed, wisps of black gas could be seen dissolving into nothing.

Outside the protective shield, the roots of An Ning’s black hair began to turn white.

The constant severing and conversion of her spiritual power rapidly drained her physical stamina, her hair turning white at a rate visible to the naked eye.

The struggle continued.

Her hair turned completely white, from root to tip, without a single strand of black remaining.

Next, it took a toll on An Ning’s flesh.

She was growing gaunt.

Her cheeks, her arms, her limbs...

”Aaargh— Die!”

An Ning erupted, unleashing a fatal blow.

The last remnants of red within the glass shield were obliterated by a sudden burst from the Evil Extermination Pen, utterly wiped from existence.

Yet the Evil Extermination Pen remained inside. Enduring the intense pain, An Ning directed the pen, not stopping until every last trace of the red blood mist in the room had vanished.

After the last wisp of blood mist vanished, An Ning collapsed to the floor. Inside her mask, her mouth gaped open as she gasped for breath.

BANG!

An Ning tilted her head. A splotch of red blossomed on the Snow Fox’s body, and the gushing blood quickly stained its white fur.

It had tried to attack An Ning, only to be killed in a single shot by her guardian robot.

’The red blood mist... the spiritual power attack... the strange animal.’

’The pieces connected in her mind. The Snow Fox led me here to open this door... or to offer my life as a sacrifice.’

’Whatever the case, that red blood mist must be important to them. It must be the reason they’ve become what they are.’

’This time... I have to believe it.’