Chapter 347: South Park Arc (Fourteen)
Chapter 347: South Park Arc (Fourteen)
"I'm just saying... maybe we should think about getting a car or something", Feng Bu Jue remarked, panting slightly as he ran behind R2 down the devastated street.
The two had left the shopping mall some time ago. Once they reached the settlement's main road, R2 had led Feng Bu Jue northward at a sprint.
"I know you're trying to conserve physical stamina", R2 replied over his shoulder, "but with all these people, monster corpses, and debris like broken buildings, overturned cars, and scattered wreckage, driving would actually slow us down. Besides, being inside a vehicle would make you vulnerable to attacks like this one."
"Huh? What do you mean by 'attacks like this'—?" Feng Bu Jue hadn't even finished his question when a white beam as thick as a bowl came whistling from his left front.
Reacting instantly mid-stride, Feng Bu Jue shifted his stance—right leg forward, left foot stepping into position, torso bending backward in a fluid motion. His body twisted sharply backward in an acrobatic dodge, narrowly avoiding the surprise long-range attack.
The beam struck a building dozens of meters away, erupting in an explosion that created a fiery sphere roughly three meters in diameter.
"See? If you'd been in a vehicle, you wouldn't just take that hit—you'd also suffer from the vehicle's explosion afterward", R2 explained calmly. He hadn't intervened because his analysis confirmed Feng Bu Jue could handle it alone.
"Alright, I get your point..." Feng Bu Jue muttered.
Truthfully, dodging that attack had been far from easy. His reaction speed was impressive, but without his Soul Intent assisting, he couldn't have pulled off such an extreme maneuver.
"I wonder how many more of them have spawned..." R2 said, scanning their surroundings. From his perspective, the world appeared as countless streams of data code—among them, numerous fragments of distinctive colors indicated other Derivative Beings.
Feng Bu Jue couldn't see these. He was still at the early stage of "seeing mountains as mountains, seeing water as water", meaning he couldn't detect enemies unless they were physically visible.
"I don't see anything..." Feng Bu Jue responded.
"Stay close—we need to hurry. Otherwise, we'll be surrounded." Without waiting for a reply, R2 suddenly accelerated like an arrow leaving a bowstring.
Feng Bu Jue gritted his teeth and pushed himself to match the pace.
This was already the fastest Feng Bu Jue could move without activating his Spirit Sense Body Technique. R2, however, seemed unnaturally relaxed—still able to speak while running. "At this speed, we won't face attacks like the previous one."
Feng Bu Jue didn't respond—he was too out of breath to speak.
"Now let me explain what a 'Back Door' is", R2 continued, knowing Feng Bu Jue wouldn't interrupt. "Under normal circumstances, Level-3 Derivative Beings should complete their tasks before the Mirror Shielding breaks. Once the shielding fails, they leave the Sandbox—it's like how players get 'teleported' out after clearing a game scenario.
Once they're gone, the Level-4 Derivative Beings remaining inside the Sandbox can freely destroy scenario data. This destruction process usually lasts eight to nine hours before the Level-4s must also depart. However, unlike entry, leaving the Sandbox doesn't have dedicated exit channels... which is why a 'Back Door Program' was created."
R2 paused before continuing, "The Sandbox's designer was Root, one of Origin Organization's three leaders. His original 'Back Door' was a one-per-Sandbox failsafe to prevent higher-level Derivative Beings from getting trapped. But as Sandbox technology evolved to accommodate more users, he created a 'worm-type' Back Door—capable of rapid self-replication and randomly appearing anywhere in the scenario world."
"Haa... haa..." Feng Bu Jue gasped between breaths. "So... does that mean I have countless escape routes now?"
"Not quite that simple", R2 countered. "Those doors are designed for Derivative Beings, not Players. Your data composition won't pass through them." He changed tone, "However, there is one door that should work."
"The original one?" Feng Bu Jue asked.
"Exactly", R2 confirmed. "It's the raw data of the Back Door Program. It typically generates at the most data-dense location in the original scenario."
"The center of the plot..." Feng Bu Jue muttered as their pace slowed.
They had arrived at their destination—South Park Elementary School.
"Capitalism at its worst—this public school survives while the entire town burns", Feng Bu Jue scoffed, staring up at the building. "We passed the town hall earlier, and it was already reduced to ruins."
"You should focus on more pressing matters", R2's usually calm voice edged with tension.
As they reached the school, shadowy figures suddenly emerged across the playground. Over a hundred Derivative Beings had been lying in wait.
"This is why..." Feng Bu Jue chuckled grimly. "I hate schools."
"Enough jokes", a tall female Derivative Being stepped forward. "R2-Lingfeng, you've entered our Sandbox and killed many of our kind. You must explain yourself."
"Note this speaker—L2-Xue Lan, a Level-2 Derivative Being", R2 whispered to Feng Bu Jue.
"Didn't you say the Sandbox was restricted to Level-4s—?"
R2 interrupted, "They must've discovered my actions and entered specifically to stop me."
"Oooh..." Feng Bu Jue feigned calm, but inwardly grimaced. Analyzing the situation, he realized it was dire. "Both Level-2s... Even if R2's stronger, he can't instantly kill her. And those hundred-plus Level-4s? Am I supposed to handle them all alone...?"
Before the battle could erupt, chaos struck.
A wooden boomerang whirred through the air.
The unassuming weapon flew neither fast nor threateningly, but L2's expression changed instantly. "Impossible..." She barely managed to leap backward in shock.
The Level-4 Derivative Beings, unable to perceive the danger, stood motionless. The next moment, the seemingly ordinary weapon cut through them like scythe through wheat.
Flesh flew. Bones shattered. One sweeping arc of the boomerang felled over twenty Derivative Beings.
The weapon returned to its owner with a whoosh.
All eyes turned toward the school entrance.
Standing in the street's center was a middle-aged Caucasian man. Wearing sunglasses, a classic white robe, a crown of thorns, and a neatly trimmed beard, he caught the returning boomerang with one hand while removing his sunglasses.
"I've come to save you, my child", Jesus said, his sunglasses glinting in the firelight. "May God bless you."
(End of Chapter)
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