Chapter 186: 186, Task incomplete

"Lu Yuan is one of your thugs, isn't he? So you knew I was going to that school, yet pretended to know nothing," Ren Xiaosu asked.

"Ren Xiaosu, you should know when to stop..."

"Hahahaha!"

Ren Xiaosu's laughter went on for half a day, infecting Yang Xiaojin, who gradually began to laugh as well, as if overcome by some unseen force.

In this pitch-black sewer, the only light came from the faint candlelight on Ren Xiaosu's side. Though the danger above them might already be occupied by experimental subjects, and peril could strike at any moment, the two of them cherished this fleeting moment of levity amid their hardship.

Yang Xiaojin coughed as she laughed, and after steadying her breath, suddenly asked, "Why did you come back to save me?"

"I forgot my wallet," Ren Xiaosu replied matter-of-factly.

"Mmm," Yang Xiaojin responded.

Everyone knew the excuse was flimsy, but no one pressed further.

Yang Xiaojin said, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone else about your secret. Though you might not even realize it yourself, you're quite formidable among the supernatural beings."

She recalled the battle scene from earlier.

At the time, she hadn't been certain Ren Xiaosu could defeat six experimental subjects, as in her experience, few supernatural beings could face such numbers.

Now, supernatural beings emerged like mushrooms after rain, but their abilities had yet to surpass a certain threshold. The thugs defined this threshold as whether a supernatural being could ignore the power of a group.

To put it crudely, it meant whether one could destroy the consortium's battle sequence.

Li Shen Tai was considered half of this, as his power relied on hypnotizing targets, essentially pitting groups against groups. His personal strength might not be that great.

Yet one day, a true powerhouse would surely emerge in the supernatural world.

The thugs called this era the Dawn of the Gods.

On the rooftop, Yang Xiaojin had witnessed Ren Xiaosu's shadow ability—overwhelming in both power and speed, capable of crushing experimental subjects. Even when surrounded by multiple subjects, it couldn't be destroyed.

But what surprised her most was the blade both Ren Xiaosu and the shadow wielded.

Honestly, she had never seen a blade that could sever experimental subjects at the waist. It didn't even seem like something modern civilization could produce, more like another form of ability.

On the rooftop, Ren Xiaosu had demonstrated formidable combat instinct—not technique, but instinct!

Instinct couldn't be trained.

Training could improve reaction speed, increase strength, enhance speed, and refine technique, but it couldn't replace instinct.

Some said diligence could make up for clumsiness, but only true elites understood that diligence could never replace talent.

Ren Xiaosu possessed such combat talent.

If not for the experimental subjects that suddenly attacked later, he might not have been injured at all.

At that moment, Ren Xiaosu pulled out two compressed biscuits, handing one to Yang Xiaojin and keeping one for himself.

Yang Xiaojin accepted it without politeness; both were wounded and needed to replenish their energy.

She glanced at the candles on the ground and suddenly thought, "This must be my first candlelit dinner in my life."

Ren Xiaosu considered this and asked, "What's a candlelit dinner?"

Yang Xiaojin smiled, "Never mind."

Ren Xiaosu suddenly inquired, "You mentioned Zhang Jinglin earlier. What kind of person is he?"

This question seemed to trouble Yang Xiaojin, as she searched her mind for precise words to describe Zhang Jinglin: "He's probably the most lucid person of this era."

The answer left Ren Xiaosu stunned: "What kind of praise is that? What was his role in the 178 Bastion? What is the 178 Bastion guarding?"

"Whether it's a bastion or a settlement, the consortium will surely tell you that the outermost layer of all bastions keeps out ferocious beasts and terrible creatures, as well as the worm tides," Yang Xiaojin explained.

"Isn't that true?" Ren Xiaosu paused.

"No," Yang Xiaojin said, "The 178 Bastion in the northwest, the 169 Bastion on the northern prairie's edge—they don't guard against beasts, but against people, those who seek to invade the interior at every turn."

"Like experimental subjects?" Ren Xiaosu frowned.

"No, like you and me," Yang Xiaojin whispered, "Even after the catastrophe, wars among humans have never ceased. That's the most ironic thing."

This was a secret Ren Xiaosu had never encountered before—there were humans outside the bastion circles!

Yang Xiaojin continued, "Zhang Jinglin was the original battle sequence commander of the 178 Bastion, its actual ruler. He vanished over a decade ago. Many said he grew tired of war, but no one knew why. Yet the people of 178 Bastion still wait for his return. It's an independent force outside the Bastion Alliance. In recent years, the aristocratic families of the frontier tried to infiltrate 178 Bastion, but with Zhang Jinglin's return, their plans fell apart. Those killers only recognize Zhang Jinglin, not money."

Ren Xiaosu was puzzled—Zhang Jinglin didn't seem like a soldier at all, so frail. How could his background be so formidable?

But this reassured Ren Xiaosu slightly. With that letter of introduction, Xu Xianchu would surely be treated well at 178 Bastion, and he felt a bit more at ease...

Wait, Ren Xiaosu suddenly remembered something—his mission to save the residents wasn't complete yet, was it? He had already rescued Yang Xiaojin, hadn't he?

Could it be that saving the bastion itself was the true definition of rescue? No, Ren Xiaosu felt something was off. He looked at Yang Xiaojin and probed, "Do you have a resident ID from the 109 Bastion?"

Yang Xiaojin paused, seemingly confused by why Ren Xiaosu asked this: "No, why would I need a resident ID? If there's something, just let Uncle Lu handle it—we don't need resident IDs."

Ren Xiaosu: "..."

Oh, so you're not a bastion resident, Yang Xiaojin!

No wonder the palace had emphasized rescuing bastion residents at the time. It seemed the palace's true intention was to ensure Ren Xiaosu wouldn't just save Yang Xiaojin but others as well.

But Ren Xiaosu hadn't grasped the mission's spirit back then!

Yang Xiaojin now asked in confusion, "I found it odd earlier—there were many people fleeing on the streets, yet the experimental subjects split off so many to surround me. Why?"

Ren Xiaosu thought and replied, "Probably because you're not a bastion resident."

Yang Xiaojin: "???"