Split Zone No.13

“Tsk tsk, this thing is really gross.” I looked at that saliva-dripping octopus man in disgust.

Gaoqin Jiuye stared at me, incensed. “And you use me as a shield for this gross thing?”

I feigned a smile, tapping on his shoulder. “We’re all so familiar, no need to take it to heart~ Furthermore, you had the opportunity to save a beauty and show your heroism.”

Gaoqin Jiuye just deadpanned...

Jiao S did not seem to pay attention to our conversation, as she was still focused on that creepy thing on the window. “I’ll give you one last chance. Stop that shameless laughter of yours and tell me where you are from and what are you. If not, it’s not only those fine hairs that would be cut off!”

Jiao S’s hoarse voice was sharp, and she pointed at that octopus man with sword in hand.

The corners of my mouth twitched. My dear Jiao S, aren’t those things tentacles and not fine hairs?

Octopus man did not seem to understand what Jiao S was saying at all, and he continued that creepy laughter. The tentacles which were cut off did not show any signs of healing either.

Looking at this weird creature, I thought of something else.

I recalled the time when Li Qing and us attacked that basiliscampus a long time ago.

Yes, that basiliscampus was just like this creature in front of us, it was a weird combination of animal parts, and looked as if it did not have an awareness like humans did. It looked like it could not heal but it had this inherent ability to attack humans.

Would these creatures happen to have some sort of connection?

I was upset with the fact that this creature made me think of Li Qing, and my smile receded into a cold gaze as I stared at that octopus man who was still twisting and turning on the window.

Suddenly, a head popped up from the window behind the octopus man!

The head slowly snuck in through the windowpane, as if it melted the glass and went through it. After which, her neck, torso and two hands appeared!

Her hands grabbed the neck of octopus man softly, and she rested her chin on the top of his head! She had a dazzling smile on her, and she was looking at me gently.

She tightened her grip on the octopus man’s neck while keeping her eyes on mine.

I knew her. It was my other personality.

Because of this, I drew Piercer out without hesitation and a violet light flashed as I activated my MF!

I was either too agitated, or I still did not get the hang of manipulating MF properly after activating my split symbol, causing a high amount of MF to concentrate in one location. When I swung Piercer, it produced a ball violet fire instead of a violet blade!

The violet fire flew towards her!

However, her face, her head and her entire person was already gone as the violet light appeared!

That violet fire then went straight for the octopus man, bursting open in his face!

Boom!

There was a loud explosion, and even Gaoqin Jiuye and Jiao S backed away!

In the smoke, I could see the octopus man and the window both smashed to pieces, and some of the broken pieces fell out of the window.

Gaoqin Jiuye shot me a look. “What’s with that sudden rage of yours?”

Instead of looking at him, I kept looking at the pile of rubble.

There is no use telling him this, he could not see her and he would never understand why I attacked so abruptly and mercilessly.

Jiao S looked at me with worry, but she did not say anything.

I did not feel anything when I used Piercer, but this time when it was in my hand, I felt an icy pressure stabbing into my palm. I frowned slightly, feeling beads of cold sweat forming on my forehead.

I then tried to tie Piercer around my waist as naturally as I could.

“Hah, Piercer’s power is definitely extraordinary.”

I heard a familiar voice from the broken window.

Upon hearing this voice, I froze in the midst of adjusting Piercer on my waist.

This, this is...

I snapped my head up, and a somewhat familiar face appeared in the window.

He looked like he jumped up here. He was well-built, and both his hands were holding onto what was left of the windowsill. He popped his head in before hopping into the room.

“Yu Liang...” I mumbled.

He was in light gray. His facial features were sharp like before, and his eyes were calm and rational. It was definitely Yu Liang.

Apart from those eyes, nothing about him had changed.

His eyes were now a bright red.

He looked at me with a frigid gaze. “Been quite a while, my District Commander.”

As expected, ‘Been quite a while’ is always an unfriendly greeting.

I stepped forward, not minding the clear animosity in his eyes. “Yu Liang, where did you go all this time? How are you doing?”

Though I was a little emotional at seeing Yu Liang after worrying about him for so long, I calmed down as I felt Jiao S reach out a hand to grab me.

That’s right, I had to be alert. Although I didn’t want to doubt old friends of mine, I had to stay alert right now.

Jie Pa wanted me to find Yu Liang on this trip, and he even said Yu Liang hurt the Yuan siblings. Yu Liang will not appear here without rhyme or reason.

I suddenly recalled something else, making my heart sink a little more.

I dabbed that drug on my nose before I left, but there was absolutely no whiff of Yu Liang, and Jiao S’s subordinates reported that there was nothing out of the ordinary in the Eastern District either. I thought we would have to reach the Southern District before we could have some idea of where Yu Liang was, but why did I not sense it when he appeared?

I don’t doubt the Yuan siblings’ abilities in using poison, and usually, he wouldn’t have realized if there was a tracking drug used on him. There wouldn’t be any problems with Jie Pa’s drug, so why did I not sense anything at all if Yu Liang is here?

Just what is happening.

“How am I doing? Do you think I’ll be well without Song Lu?” A cruel smile appeared on Yu Liang’s face, and there was undisguised hatred in his eyes.

Though there were many things I wanted to ask, I could not say anything at this moment.

The hatred in Yu Liang was very visible, and I could totally understand and accept this hate that was directed at me.

When he was taken away with Song Lu, according to Song Lu, he was assassinated right in front of her, and she thought him dead. However, based on Jie Pa’s deductions, we thought he is very much alive.

But there is no use in knowing he was alive, because I did not do anything to rescue him. Though Jie Pa has been sending people to look for him, it was never successful.

More and more incidents occurred, and I kept losing the friends around me. Up until the point where Old Man Fan turned into stone, these things kept happening one after another, and I just did not have the time to clear my mind and think about things properly, much less do anything about these things.

Though these are excuses, this is still the Split Zone. We cannot even protect ourselves well, so how do we even begin to protect others?

My heart was bitter. I was really an unqualified District Commander. Not only did I not have the ability to protect them, I didn’t have a calm and clear enough mind to analyze the situations they were facing.

All the pain Yu Liang experienced in this time was brought upon by me.

When Du Yue said he was still in an experimental barrel in the Southern District, there was nothing I could do even when I was mad and in agony about it.

Even now, when I am looking for him, I didn’t even realize it when he appeared in front of me.

If I look for him, I can’t look for Song Lu. Even if I could save him, others like Song Lu, Old Man Fan, Laurel, and more, were still waiting to be rescued. And also, Huan Qing and the rest who just disappeared without a trace.

Not to forget Nie Zun, who is also missing.

I keep losing the people I care about as I lived here in the Split Zone, but my powers are limited. Before even looking for them, I might already be in danger myself.

What is the purpose of my existence then?

Why didn’t I realize that I couldn’t even find my friends when I made those mighty promises of uncovering the secrets of the Split Zone, taking them away by undoing the restraints of our split symbols, and overthrowing the rules in the Split Zone?

Even though things were in dire straits, even though it looked like it could only get worse, even though I might lose even more people, I cannot give up as long as there is still one person by my side, right?

I’ll really not be able to get any of them back if I give up.

My thoughts were in a mess and my heart was in a dilemma, but I have finally sorted them out as I met Yu Liang again after such a long time.

That’s right, I can’t give up, no matter how bad the situation is.

I searched high and low, only to find Yu Liang where I least expected to.

I said calmly, “You’ve changed a lot in this time, but is this the reason you’re treating me with such hostility? If you’re referring to Song Lu, let me tell you, I’m also looking for her. The more time we waste here, the less we have to find her. Why not get to the point, why did you appear here out of nowhere?”

I had no choice but to use such a tone and attitude with such an old friend. He was just like a brother-in-law to me, and he was someone important, but in this world where only the fittest survive, people change easily.

No matter how my heart hurt, I had to endure it for the many others who were still waiting for me.