Level -9, Special Operations Room.
Under the surveillance cameras, three figures stood or sat.
One of them sat cross-legged, and the moment he heard the sound, his body stiffened for a moment.
In just an instant, Long Shi Er opened his eyes.
Deep within those eyes, a flicker of an extremely hidden, non-human, icy light passed through.
He stood up and walked towards the surveillance camera.
Stopping in front of the camera, Long Shi Er raised his face, revealing a playful smile.
"A transaction?" His voice carried a hint of surprise, "Doctor, do you really want to make a transaction?"
He bared his teeth, his smile incredibly eerie:
"Or rather...."
The muscles on his face twitched slightly, finally settling into a chilling expression, a mix of indifference and mockery.
"Is it a test?"
....
In an unknown monitoring room.
"As expected...."
Rose let out a sigh she couldn't suppress, filled with despair.
Although she was mentally prepared, it still happened.
The BOSS was unharmed!
In such a short time, it had found and controlled a new body, and the fleeting hope that had just appeared was completely extinguished. Fear enveloped everyone's hearts.
Unlike the despair of the others, the Doctor's expression remained calm.
He didn't respond to Long Shi Er's question; instead, his gaze quickly shifted to the control panel, retrieving another independent surveillance recording.
It was the first video record confirming the Yin God's possession.
Dim isolation corridor (Level -60).
A team of members in standard special forces uniforms were undergoing routine purification and inspection.
One of the team members' movements seemed slightly uncoordinated, and his eyes appeared somewhat vacant.
For an unknown reason, a battle broke out within the team.
Result: Everyone died.
Just a moment later.....
Level -30, observation room.
That was a logistics staff member responsible for recording purification.
The moment the combat team was wiped out, this logistics staff member's body suddenly trembled violently, and his movements became extremely bizarre and distorted.
His eyes were instantly filled with non-human coldness!
This logistics staff member raised his head, looking around his environment with a blank stare.
That expression.... carried the confusion of a newborn baby and an inability to adapt to the unfamiliar surroundings.
The Doctor stared at these two crucial video recordings.
A moment later, he opened the file archive and wrote down new observation conclusions:
Distance: Confirmed existence of spatial distance limitation.
Data: First host death point (Level -60) → New host appearance point (Level -30), vertical distance difference: approximately 60 meters.
Logical deduction:
There is an upper limit to the possession distance. From the first possession, there was a clear sense of sluggishness. Later, with closer distances, possession could be completed instantly.
Current observation:
Distance is approximately 200 meters (sluggishness appears).
Data 1:
The moment the host dies, a valid life form must exist within a 200-meter radius for the BOSS to execute possession or transfer.
Data 2:
If the host dies and there are no valid life form targets within a 200-meter radius, what change will the BOSS undergo? Will it be banished? Permanently perish?
This possibility might become a strategic Breakthrough point!
Observation record:
When the first new host appeared, it was accompanied by significant confusion and slow adaptation (Level -30 incident).
Indicating that possession is not an instant, perfect takeover!
This record indicates that resistance might be possible in that instant.
Memory: Still awaiting experimentation.
Looking at the Doctor's calm analysis, a glimmer of hope suddenly appeared on Rose's despairing face.
Her hands moved quickly, entering probabilities into the computer.
After a moment of silence, the Doctor again raised the microphone, his voice still steady:
"Since you have intelligence, why don't you guess whether it's a test?"
"It's meaningless, isn't it?"
A hoarse laugh came through the communicator.
"Heh heh, you will all die."
"Unless you open this cage."
"Do you think that's possible?" The Doctor said faintly, "Compared to letting you out, I'd rather everyone turn to ashes with you."
"You are truly cold-blooded."
The hoarse voice echoed through the communication.
"We don't necessarily have to fight to the death. In fact, we can even cooperate. My powerful strength can also be used by you. This is a win-win."
"I'd rather it be a lose-lose," the Doctor said with an indifferent expression.
"Dragging everyone to die with you, heh heh, you are more like the BOSS, more like an Outer God than me," the sarcasm rang out.
....
Level -9, the air was filled with an inexplicable chill.
Seeing the BOSS completely shed its disguise, Long Qi and Long Jiu beside him turned pale, their backs instantly soaked with cold sweat.
They gripped their weapons, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.
So.... the BOSS was here all along!
That terrifying entity that easily annihilated several elite Martial Artist teams and left the Doctor helpless, was right beside the two of them!
Xuan Hao slowly turned his head, those eyes belonging to Long Shi Er, now devoid of human warmth, pierced the two of them.
"Be careful." The two quickly retreated.
Xuan Hao's lips curved into an exaggerated arc, his voice flat:
"So.... gentlemen, who among you is willing to tell me where that wise Doctor is hiding right now?"
"Oh, and...."
His voice carried a hint of playfulness, "The first one to speak will receive a generous reward. I can let him leave alive."
The two exchanged glances, both unmoved.
Xuan Hao's smile became extremely gentle, and he said softly:
"By the way, you both have families, don't you?"
"Let me think, hmm.... I remember now, Chenxi City, North District? And.... the son in that old house in the countryside, waiting for his father to come home?"
As soon as he finished speaking, both their bodies trembled violently.
A bone-chilling coldness shot from their feet to the top of their heads.....
It knew, it knew even their closest relatives perfectly clearly?!
"You guess...."
Xuan Hao's voice remained gentle, "If I used your face, with your memories, and smiled as I pushed open your front door, what interesting story would unfold?"
Uncontrollable images appeared in their minds:
A cold monster with their smile, embracing their elderly parents, stroking the heads of their young children....
In an instant, immense fear swallowed the two of them.
This deep-seated, Soul-crushing mental torture, aimed at the weakest part of human nature, was far more devastating than any physical torture!
Just as the two were almost crushed by this invisible pressure....
"Zzzzt."
Static crackled in their earpieces.
Immediately after, a clear female voice.
It was Rose's voice.
Through an encrypted channel, directly into their earphones: "Calm down, don't let it scare you."
"Do you remember the day you put on your badges? Do you remember all of us, standing beneath the 'Guardians' flag, facing the starry sky and the pioneers' sculpture, making our vows together?"
Long Qi and the other instantly sobered up considerably.
The fear in their hearts gradually faded.
Rose's voice awakened the most solid thing deep within their Souls.
Almost simultaneously, Long Qi and the other raised their heads.
Although their bodies were still trembling, their voices were incredibly clear, overlapping:
"We will clear all shadows!"
"We will protect the weak!"
"We will fight until the dawn breaks!"
"We.... are Guardians!"
This oath, once made, was now awakened at the brink of death and despair, transforming into a will harder than steel.