Chapter Forty-Two: A Sedan Chair

With Wang Qingshan gone, the vials in the box were divided such that each person received two, while Du Lili was given three. Shen Lie and Ma Zhanlin raised no objections; after all, her contributions in the recent battles with the mutant crows had been the most significant. As soon as the vials were handed out, Du Lili unhesitatingly opened one and drank it down. This action drew a glint of appreciation in Professor Liu’s eyes, and Shen Lie, after a brief consideration, understood why.

Du Lili was indeed clever. This was the optimal moment to use the potion—after the recent fight with the mutant crows, it would replenish the bloodline energy she had expended. Moreover, if the potion was fake or poisonous, any adverse effects would manifest immediately, and as allies, Shen Lie and Ma Zhanlin would not let Professor Liu off the hook, ensuring the swiftest possible remedy. If they all saved their potions for later and only then discovered that Liu had deceived them, there would be no recourse.

“How do you feel?” After drinking the potion, Du Lili’s exposed skin flushed red, her whole body trembling uncontrollably, leaving Ma Zhanlin and Shen Lie uneasy, unsure whether this reaction was good or bad.

Professor Liu watched closely, uncertain himself. He had only tested the potion twice on his own body and had no idea how it would affect other Awakened.

“Whew!” Two minutes later, Du Lili exhaled softly and opened her eyes, visibly excited. “Excellent. This vial boosted my bloodline energy significantly. With a few more of these, I could reach the point of igniting the second node!”

“What? What node? I don’t understand what you’re saying, Du Heavenly King,” Ma Zhanlin asked in bewilderment, unable to grasp her meaning.

Shen Lie, meanwhile, gave her an astonished look. As he’d suspected, she too had lit a node within her body. He wondered which part she had awakened. Her words implied she was close to igniting a second node. What would that bring? Perhaps some day they could discuss it.

“You’ll understand about the nodes when the time comes,” Du Lili replied, offering no further explanation, for it was indeed difficult to describe.

“What Du Heavenly King refers to is likely a sign of advancement among Awakened. Right now, knowledge about Awakened is still in its infancy, with no systematic information. If we survive, we’ll learn more in time. For now, we should get moving,” Professor Liu urged.

His words spurred the group onward. After a brief rest and with the threat of mutant crows behind them, their pace quickened.

Neither Du Lili nor Shen Lie used their remaining two vials. No matter what, two vials would not be enough for Shen Lie to ignite his second node, so he kept them as backup. Ma Zhanlin didn’t use his either; his thoughts on the matter remained unknown.

After about ten minutes on the march, the group ahead suddenly stopped, plunging everyone into a chilling, deathly silence.

A sedan chair!

Blocking the only way forward was a red, eight-bearers’ sedan chair. Eight burly men carried it, accompanied by attendants on all sides. Yet every bearer and attendant wore the same vacant, soulless expression, as if their spirits had been drained away.

The bizarre sight left everyone speechless. Shen Lie sensed a mysterious force enveloping the corridor, rendering him incapable of uttering a word or even moving a finger.

Terror seized his nerves as he watched the sedan chair approach, unable to resist, fully conscious but utterly helpless—a maddening feeling.

The fog-thinned corridor was roughly twenty meters wide. For fear of accidentally stepping into the dense mist on either side, the survivors kept to the center, leaving ample space on both flanks. The sedan chair drew closer but did not force its way through the crowd; instead, it glided slowly along the edge.

Then a shocking scene unfolded.

Though the crimson sedan did not pass directly through the group, as it went by, many people fell in behind it, becoming part of the procession of hollow-eyed attendants.

Each time the sedan passed, at least a fifth of the survivors were ‘drawn’ to it, swelling the ranks of attendants, yet still, not a sound was uttered.

No one knew who—or what—sat inside the sedan. Shen Lie’s nerves stretched to their limits; he could hear the pounding of his own heart as the sedan rolled toward him.

Forcing himself to remain calm, Shen Lie rolled his eyes to observe his companions. Neither Du Lili, Ma Zhanlin, Professor Liu, nor Yang Weiguo showed any sign of resistance; all were equally trapped by the will exuded from the sedan. Through her mask, Shen Lie could see the terror in Du Lili’s eyes.

Despite all his silent prayers, nothing could halt the sedan’s approach. It passed so close that its bearers nearly brushed Shen Lie’s clothing; he could sense the strange aura emanating from them.

Once the sedan had moved on, Shen Lie finally breathed a sigh of relief. Though he didn’t know why those chosen had become attendants, it was clear he had not been taken—at least not yet.

Suddenly, he felt a faint black thread materialize in the void, winding itself around him. His body began to move of its own accord, drawn inexorably toward the sedan.

Panic surged within him; he realized he had still been chosen by the mysterious occupant of the sedan, destined to become another mindless servant.

Though desperate, Shen Lie was powerless to resist, his body still not his own.

As he was slowly turned, Shen Lie saw that Ma Zhanlin and Du Lili, too, had been claimed, their faces blank as they drifted toward the line of attendants behind the sedan. Even Professor Liu appeared in the corner of his vision, similarly ensnared.

It seemed the master of the sedan preferred Awakened as attendants. Ordinary survivors were chosen at random, but when it came to Awakened, none were spared. No wonder Wang Qingshan had made his escape early—Professor Liu’s guess had likely been correct: the man’s daughter probably possessed a precognitive awakening!

The closer Shen Lie drew to the sedan, the tighter the black thread became. He could only watch in horror as he moved past the ranks of survivors, quickly reaching the rear of the procession. If this continued, there would be no hope of surviving.