Chapter 767: The Aberrant Mother-Tree |
"Doctor Fraud?"
The moment Hu Wei heard that, he knew Cheng Shi had history with this slice. Normally, when such things threatened his interests and his team's, the Grand Marshal would never show undue favoritism — he'd side with whatever benefited everyone.
But things were different now. With Lord Ultraman's instructions fresh in mind, Hu Wei had come to see Cheng Shi as his window to approaching the Void and as a brother in the Chaos camp. So his first instinct was to heft his greatsword and rest it on Wang Mou's shoulder.
Seeing Hu Wei's "thoughtful" gesture, Cheng Shi suppressed a smirk. But his gaze toward Wang Mou remained cold and sharp — because he couldn't ignore what schemes this truth-warping doctor might be running.
Others didn't know, but Cheng Shi was acutely aware: this doctor was no slice of the current world's 0221. He came from another world entirely. An outsider with designs on this world was something Cheng Shi had to be wary of.
Wang Mou, however, was entirely unfazed by the group's reaction. He showed no fear of Hu Wei's blade and, shouldering the burning-hot greatsword that was searing his flesh, spoke with perfect solemnity:
"I am indeed his slice. That's an irrefutable origin, and I've never intended to deny it.
However, I expected that once you realized I was his slice, you'd choose to stand with me and extend a degree of trust. After all, a slice with independent consciousness typically doesn't see eye to eye with the original.
And the rift between us has reached the point of total incompatibility.
Not here, mind you. In the place you already know about."
Wang Mou gave Cheng Shi a meaningful look, then continued:
"I became aware of my identity long ago, but I harbored no resentment. My thinking is simple: I only want to draw closer to Truth. If cooperating with him accelerated that, I was more than willing.
But after two days of exchanges, I discovered that his approach to Truth diverges wildly from what I envisioned. So I had no choice but to step away and seek my own path."
At this point, the vast majority of those present were confused. Even the few who seemed to understand had merely invented plausible details to convince themselves. Only Cheng Shi — only this Clown who knew Wang Mou's true origins — genuinely grasped what the doctor was saying.
This doctor from another world had probably discovered, after arriving, that this world's 0221 was no pushover either. Worse, the other's approach to Truth was gradually eroding his own path. Even collaboration couldn't keep the two roads running in parallel. So he'd been forced to break with his original body, seize a chance to escape control, and become a truly free, independent individual.
The reasoning held up. But the timing of his appearance was far too convenient.
A slice of the experiment's mastermind just happens to appear inside the experiment site, just happens to become the group's key to unlocking it? That plot development reeked of problems!
Factor in the "con" from the last trial, and Cheng Shi's expression hardened. He clearly wasn't buying what Wang Mou was selling.
But Wang Mou didn't stop explaining his position. He addressed the group with apparent sincerity, pointing at the ruins before them:
"If you're looking for the control center, I'm afraid you've come to the wrong place. Based on my understanding of him, the control center is most likely at the entry point where experimental material was deployed.
But if you want a detailed understanding of this experiment — congratulations, you've found the critical facility.
What's buried below isn't research data or observation panels. It's this experiment's most crucial experimental material!
I carefully tracked several players and found they were all buried down here.
And that sentient aberrant mother-tree deliberately disguised this area to look calm and undisturbed, diverting outsiders' attention."
The listeners furrowed their brows. A knowledgeable player in the group immediately challenged:
"The aberrant mother-tree — that's the tentacle cluster from before?
How was it even created?
Without a century-long faith chain or millions of faith anchors, it's impossible to pile mundane matter into something resembling a demigod. Your story is hard to swallow, Doctor."
Wang Mou was honest. Rather than wildly speculating, he shook his head:
"I'm searching for answers too. What I told you earlier is what I learned while collaborating with 0221 after deceiving him.
But he was far more cautious than I expected. After barely half a day of gathering experimental intelligence, he threw me in here as part of the experimental material.
Thanks to my rough understanding of the experiment, I escaped from the deployment entrance. But with the mother-tree's tendrils everywhere, I had no capacity for exploration beyond self-preservation — not until you arrived.
Now, with your help, I believe I can offer this team significantly greater efficiency.
So then, Grand Marshal — have you made your decision?
Time waits for no one."
With that, Wang Mou's gaze drifted toward the ongoing battle raging in the distance — the message clear: if they stalled much longer, the thing he called the aberrant mother-tree would realize these players posed a threat to its turf.
Hu Wei frowned and glanced at Cheng Shi. By now he'd essentially made his judgment: even if this slice had his own motives, his claim about dismantling the arrays was almost certainly true. The man's agenda didn't lie at the surface level. At least until they entered the experimental-material storage, Wang Mou's interests aligned with the team's.
The only issue was his good brother here... What grudge existed between those two?
After a moment's deliberation, Hu Wei decided to trust Wang Mou this once for the sake of advancing their exploration. But he wouldn't let his good brother concede for nothing — so he resolved that once they found the experiment's key data, Cheng Shi would get the lion's share.
That way, he could both appease Cheng Shi and build goodwill to further his goal of approaching the Void. At least for himself, it was a win-win.
Having settled on this, Hu Wei prepared to talk Cheng Shi around — only to discover that Cheng Shi had no intention of refusing, nor of leveraging the situation for personal gain.
For one thing, he knew Hu Wei's deferential attitude came from Ultraman's instructions. But that secret relationship couldn't justify the Grand Marshal publicly soliciting his opinion, and Cheng Shi didn't want to draw too much attention in this team. Too many eyes on him would hinder his use of professional talents.
For another, he genuinely wanted to know what Wang Mou was up to. Two players from outside this world had appeared in that trial — the Blind One's intentions were mostly clear to Cheng Shi, but this enigmatic Wang Mou remained opaque. This was a golden opportunity to reassess the man, so Cheng Shi had no reason to refuse.
Catching Hu Wei's questioning look, Cheng Shi merely arched a brow and quietly stepped back — a clear signal that he had no objections. Hu-bro's call.
Hu Wei smiled. His appreciation for this tactful brother deepened. Seeing no opposition, he lifted the greatsword off Wang Mou's shoulder and laughed heartily:
"Doctor — go ahead and give it a try.
History's lessons tell me that Truth's civil wars are the beginning of Truth's downfall.
As a follower of War, I look forward to witnessing that today."
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