Chapter 531: Xu Lina: I Can Only Live to Thirty |
The Symbiosis Sequence was the most complex of all Sequences.
If there was no other choice, no one would willingly walk the path of the Symbiosis Sequence.
The Symbiosis Sequence was divided into Anomaly Symbiosis and Wonder Symbiosis.
Every Symbiosis Sequence superhuman had abilities that were closely tied to the Wonder or Anomaly they had bonded with.
Therefore, no two Symbionts had the same abilities.
Of course, to become a Symbiont, one first had to find a suitable Anomaly or Wonder.
Not every Wonder or Anomaly could become a qualified symbiosis target.
Otherwise, so many Black Clothes in Oasis would have become Symbionts long ago.
The Corroding Marrow Six Eyes was clearly a very unsuitable symbiosis target.
Under those circumstances, Xu Lina had no choice!
When Xu Lina initially chose to bond with the Corroding Marrow Six Eyes, she wanted to gain supernatural power.
To gain supernatural power, Xu Lina didn't mind paying some price.
But this price was truly too heavy.
Beyond what Xu Lina had imagined.
Although Xu Lina ultimately succeeded.
Successfully becoming a Wonder Symbiont.
The Corroding Marrow Six Eyes' number ranking was indeed quite low.
In the convoy's battles, Xu Lina's role was very limited.
Calling her the weakest superhuman in the convoy was actually quite accurate.
Not only was the Corroding Marrow Six Eyes' number ranking low, the side effects it brought Xu Lina were also something she had never anticipated.
After the Corroding Marrow Six Eyes bonded with Xu Lina.
Xu Lina's body became the vessel for both the Corroding Marrow Six Eyes and herself.
Since the Corroding Marrow Six Eyes was not a perfect symbiosis target, over this period, it had been constantly emitting Anomaly energy.
This Anomaly energy was very weak, having almost no effect on superhumans.
But for ordinary people, prolonged exposure to Anomaly energy would cause some abnormal manifestations.
Like that Old Zhang from before.
This man originally just had some fondness for Xu Lina, captivated by her beauty.
But under the constant erosion of Anomaly energy, that trace of fondness slowly became twisted.
Seeing Chen Ye's attitude toward Xu Lina, his heart became distorted.
Finally, he committed the act of betraying the convoy.
In truth, Chen Ye's attitude toward Xu Lina had already improved significantly.
But Old Zhang still saw it through a twisted lens.
Upon hearing this, Chu Che inhaled sharply.
He closed his eyes, feeling for a long while, before opening them again.
He nodded seriously, "You're right. There is a very faint Anomaly energy on you. If you hadn't mentioned it, I never would have noticed!"
Xu Lina's expression remained calm as she continued, "Actually, this leakage of Anomaly energy isn't without its benefits!"
"For example, my current appearance..."
Xu Lina straightened her posture slightly.
Her waist was so narrow it could almost be encircled by Chen Ye's single hand.
"Before the apocalypse, wanting to look like this would have been impossible even with money!"
Xu Lina was referring to how she had become more beautiful.
Because the constantly leaking Anomaly energy was also reshaping Xu Lina's appearance, making her skin look smoother and her figure better.
Anomaly energy could be considered a miraculous power; prolonged erosion of the body would naturally cause some changes.
For other superhumans, the changes were internal. Although their appearance had changed somewhat, it wasn't as obvious as Xu Lina's.
So it was all because of the long-term leakage of Anomaly energy.
"There should be more side effects than just this, right?"
The silent Chen Ye suddenly spoke.
When Xu Lina heard Chen Ye say this, she was momentarily stunned, then a trace of bitterness appeared on her flawless face, followed by indifference.
"Yeah, if it were only this side effect, it wouldn't be hard to solve!"
"In the future, I just won't ride in the car. It's better to stay far away from ordinary survivors anyway!"
"But bonding with the Corroding Marrow Six Eyes also stimulated my life force!"
"I can feel that my life might only have two years left."
"I can only live to thirty!"
After she finished speaking, both Chen Ye and Chu Che froze.
Even someone as hard-hearted as Chen Ye didn't know what to say.
Chu Che opened his mouth as if wanting to say something comforting.
But in the end, not a single word left his lips.
After a full ten seconds, Chen Ye finally asked, "How old are you this year?"
Xu Lina's voice was flat, "When the apocalypse started that year, I was twenty-seven."
"I'm twenty-eight this year. Almost twenty-nine..."
Twenty-eight years old.
Two more years until thirty.
Or perhaps not even two years.
Maybe when she just entered thirty, her life would wither away.
If calculated this way, this woman had at most a little over a year of life left.
This woman... her remaining life was so short.
That face beautiful like a seductive demon, and that figure that made anyone feel infinite beauty just from her sitting casually...
When Xu Lina spoke about her life countdown.
Her face seemed expressionless.
Like she was talking about someone else.
But Chen Ye knew, knew just how unwilling this woman truly was.
He had the most contact with her.
He understood her the most deeply.
She wasn't some fearless hero.
She was just a fragile woman who wanted to survive by any means necessary.
Back then, she had thrown herself at him so eagerly, hoping to use his protection to live a better life.
Even after being rejected countless times, both openly and covertly.
She still shamelessly persisted.
A stunningly beautiful woman like her had done many things she would never have considered before.
In the past, she only needed to show the slightest hint of interest.
And countless people would go to any lengths to fulfill her wishes.
Even becoming a Wonder Symbiont, though she knew there might be unpredictable side effects.
She still chose this path.
Why?
To survive in this imperfect, scarred world.
Now she could speak of this matter so lightly.
Clearly, she had already struggled, suffered, and regretted countless times through endless days and nights.
Those complex, negative emotions intertwined, tormenting every fiber of this woman's being.
Only then had she achieved this calm acceptance.
Through those endless days and nights, this woman must have suffered terribly.
Chu Che opened his mouth again, finally asking, "Why did you..."
Xu Lina smiled brilliantly, "If I tell you, will you help me? Or do you have the ability to help me?"
This question directly choked Chen Ye and Chu Che, leaving them speechless.
Right!
How could they help?
Even Chu Che, who had been researching superhumans and anomalies, was powerless against Xu Lina's current situation.
He was helpless.
He had never even seen a Wonder Symbiont before.
He had seen Anomaly Symbiosis users, though.
The three of them stood like that in the darkness.
The distant bonfire could only illuminate Chen Ye and Chu Che.
But it couldn't reach Xu Lina in the depths of the darkness.
Her entire being had been swallowed by the dark, leaving only a shallow silhouette of infinite beauty.
"Miss Xu, don't give up. The apocalypse holds many impossibilities. Maybe we can find a way!"
Unable to bear the oppressive silence any longer, Chu Che said this useless comforting remark before leaving.
Chen Ye stood there for a long time.
He wanted to ask the System if there was a way to save Xu Lina.
But his Slaughter Points were completely empty.
"Mr. Chen... do you still have cigarettes?"
Chen Ye pulled a half-smoked pack of Ta cigarettes from his pocket and held one out.
Xu Lina expertly placed it between her lips.
Chen Ye pulled a lighter from his pocket.
Xu Lina didn't take it. Instead, she playfully raised her eyebrow at Chen Ye, that alluring expression carrying a hint of Xixi's mischievousness.
Chen Ye's mouth twitched, but he still lit the cigarette for Xu Lina.
Chen Ye lit one for himself too.
The flickering flame briefly illuminated their outlines - a stunningly beautiful woman's silhouette.
And a beast's silhouette that didn't seem human.
"Puff... ahhh..."
Xu Lina exhaled the smoke from her mouth.
Neither of them spoke.
One cigarette finished.
Chen Ye was about to leave.
"Mr. Chen!"
Chen Ye stopped in his tracks.
"Mr. Chen, in these final days of my life, could you be a little kinder to me?"
"I don't want to go down with only bad memories."
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