Endless Debt

When Bologo woke up slowly, what he saw was not the metal dome or the familiar hospital ceiling, but a turbid and untouchable darkness.

Boluogo didn't get up immediately. The chaotic and mixed memories were like a group of restless snakes. They were squirming in his mind, intertwining and biting each other, gnawing at himself from the inside out.

This feeling was terrible, and the pressure that came with it almost caused Bologg to have a physiological reaction, as if a big hand was holding his internal organs and pulling hard, and a foreign object was squeezing and crawling in his throat, scrambling to escape. To escape from Bologo's body.

Boluogo lay half on the cold ground, coughing in pain like a drowning man.

For a moment, Boluogo found that he actually had the idea of ​​​​escape.

Yes, from the beginning to the end, he felt that he was just a soldier, as long as he obeyed the instructions, but now he became the decider, and the heavy responsibility almost overwhelmed his mind.

"How long are you going to lie down?"

A cold voice sounded, and Boluogo looked in the direction of the voice, and a familiar figure came into his eyes.

Seeing a familiar face, Boluoge's restless heart felt a lot more peaceful.

"Deputy...Deputy Director?"

Boluogo didn't expect that the first person he saw after his promotion ceremony would be Nathaniel, so where he was...

Looking around, the lingering darkness shrouded the entire space like mist.

Boluogo was very surprised and said, "Turn the hall upside down?"

He never thought that he would be able to come here in a short time and meet those sacred and cruel beings.

Nathaniel didn't explain too much. At this time, Boluogo noticed something strange about the deputy director. In the past, he always had a calm smile like a gamer, but now the deputy director had a gloomy face and a look in his eyes. Unresolvable hatred.

It was just a few days since I last saw him. Nathaniel didn’t know what he had gone through. His whole body seemed to have aged many years. His energy and energy had become sluggish. There was no longer that burning breath, but instead it filled his bones. of coldness.

And his gaze.

Boluogo clearly noticed that there was a little bit of malice in Nathaniel's eyes when he looked at him. This malice flashed past, but it did exist.

This possibility made Boluogo feel a sting like a needle. It was not a good thing to be hated by a glorious person, let alone his immediate boss.

But what Boluogo couldn't figure out even more was what happened to cause Nethaniel's attitude towards him to undergo such a huge change. But he still remembered Nethaniel's high hopes for him.

"Staff Bologo Lazarus."

A woman's voice sounded in the darkness, interrupting Boluogo's random thoughts.

Bologg looked forward, and he saw a graceful lady sitting in front of Bologg at some point. Bologg remembered this figure. She was the second director of the Bureau of Order, Maria with iron trees and steel branches.

Maria was dead. What Bologo knew was that what was presented in front of him was just a false illusion. The one who really talked to Bologo was the huge crowd.

"Everyone..."

Boluogo stood up straight and bowed his head slightly to Maria to show respect.

"Let's start the report," Maria said, "About the first exploration of the etheric realm."

Bologo couldn't help but ask, "Am I directly responsible for the decision-making room?"

"What do you think?"

Boluogo didn't ask any more questions, and took the initiative to tell Maria everything he saw, heard, and speculated in the etheric realm.

After speaking these words, Boluogo felt that the pressure in his heart was a little lighter. He no longer kept these terrible secrets to himself, but shared them with the great ones. It gathered all the wise thoughts since the establishment of the Bureau of Order. Everyone united and became a computer of flesh and blood.

Boluogo realized that everyone can calculate the optimal solution of everything in order to find the most correct answer in the unpredictable future.

Want to say something?

Boluogo opened his mouth slightly and became hesitant.

About the astronaut conspiracy, the Origin Gate plan...

While Boluogo was hesitating, he felt a breeze blowing by. When he turned his head, Nathaniel had disappeared, and he didn't know where he went.

Seeing this scene, Boluogo temporarily put away his inner thoughts and asked something else, "What's wrong with the deputy director?"

Anyone could see that Nathaniel was in a very bad state at the moment. He was in a very bad state, like a wounded lion. The wound had rotted and oozed pus, and was emitting bursts of unpleasant stench.

This change is too big. I don’t know what happened to Nethaniel.

Maria said, "It's okay, he's always been like that."

"Always?" Boluogo shook his head, "The deputy director in my impression is not like that."

"It can only be said that he disguised himself very well," Maria's eyes became sharp, "To be honest, it's because of you that he became like this."

"because I?"

"Can the devil who signed the blood contract with me tell you that Xilin, like you, is also his debtor and has his protection?"

Boluogo was stunned, as if the tracks were staggered, they merged again at this moment, and the train rumbled past.

A long time ago, Boluogo had doubted the connection between himself and Xilin, but the only thing they had in common was that they possessed the same alchemical matrix.

Now, accompanied by the words of Mary and the crowd, it was like the pronouncement of a verdict, affirming the connection between the two, the bond of the devil.

"You are not the only one who has returned from the battlefield alive. Not everyone is as lucky as you to be freed from the nightmare."

There was pity in Maria's voice, and she didn't know whether she was pitying Boluogo or sympathizing with Nathaniel.

"As for you, Borogo Lazarus."

It was as if Maria knew what Bologna was thinking and suffering.

"You can't just be a soldier who just follows orders forever."

Boluogo swallowed, feeling both excited and unbearably frightened.

"It's time to take up the banner."

…

Relying on the authority of the deputy director, Nathaniel walked freely through the reclamation room. He disappeared in the upside-down hall and reappeared in the field department the next second.

The appearance of Nathaniel alarmed many people. All field staff knew that the deputy director was a person who did not do his job properly. You rarely see him during working hours.

When you see this person who is not doing his job properly, it means something big is about to happen.

"Go and inform the King of Secret Sword that it's time to prepare for the second negotiation."

Nethaniel gave the order, and without waiting for feedback from others, he disappeared again. When he reappeared, Nethaniel had arrived in the crow's nest.

Ivan has been waiting here for a long time. As an intelligence department, Ivan has always been well-informed. He has noticed the next movements of the Bureau of Order early on.

Nathaniel's voice did not waver at all, "I have informed them to start the second negotiation."

Ivan nodded. In the past, it was enough to issue documents for this kind of matter, but now Nathaniel personally went to various departments to inform the news, which was enough to show the importance the Order Bureau attached to it.

"There's going to be a war," Ivan thought to himself.

After a brief thought, Ivan asked, "What is the content of the negotiation? Also, do we really have to agree to the King's Secret Sword?"

Xilin's body was of great strategic value. No matter what angle he thought about it, Ivan didn't think the Bureau of Order had any reason to let go, even if it would lead to another war with the King's Secret Sword.

Nathaniel said, "There is no negotiation, just tell them."

At this time, Ivan realized belatedly, "This is not a negotiation at all, but a trap."

"not only that."

Nethaniel was silent for a few seconds, and then said again, "Go and send the message to the King's Shield Guards, informing them that we will agree to the agreement with the King's Secret Sword."

"What?"

Ivan suspected that he heard wrongly.

The meeting with the Shadow King was kept secret, and Nathaniel deceived everyone for that meeting.

"According to the calculations of the decision-making room, the King's Shield Guards also need Xilin's corpse, and their enthusiasm for that corpse is stronger than the King's Secret Sword."

Nethaniel continued, "We can take advantage of this."

Ivan understood what Nathaniel was thinking, "You want to cause a fight between the King's Shield Guard and the King's Secret Sword? In the Oath City Opos?"

"This is a good time to weaken the strength of both of them, or even severely damage one of them," Nathaniel said expressionlessly. "As for the casualties caused by fighting in the city... this is a necessary sacrifice."

The words echoed in Nethaniel's mind. When he thought of these, the figures of women and many dead colleagues appeared in his mind.

A nameless resentment rose.

Nethaniel repeated mechanically, "A necessary sacrifice."

Ivan's expression also turned cold. As a member of the Bureau of Order and a member of the Crow's Nest, Ivan has never been a soft-hearted person. He has also personally experienced the secret war, and his hands are stained with blood.

Regarding the necessary sacrifice, Ivan did not have too much psychological burden, he was just... just a little uneasy.

At this moment, Ivan suddenly felt a sense of awakening. The calm time after the Secret War had unknowingly worn away his energy. Although there were still disputes, large and small, plaguing the Bureau of Order, these were all considered Not a real war.

It was not until this moment that the familiar enemy returned to the familiar battlefield. Only then did Ivan realize that everything was not far away yet, they were very close at hand.

"The king's secret sword is outside, and the king's shield guards are hidden deep in the great rift, and they also have the support of the tyrant."

Ivan gave his own advice, "This move is too reckless. If their fight involves us, it may be counterproductive."

"So next I need you to do one thing," Nathaniel had already planned for this. "I need you to find out the specific power of the King's Shield Guards in the Great Rift. They have been hiding under our noses. 's too long.

We need to know all the intelligence so that the intensity of the war can be controlled. "

Nathaniel said softly, "Xilin's body is like a fishing bait. He will fish out all the guys hiding in the darkness and dry them in the scorching sun."

"Not only them, but also the devils," Nathaniel recalled those evil beings. "It's time to declare war on them."

Ivan nodded stiffly. The short conversation between the two undoubtedly decided many things. Ivan took a deep breath and confirmed again.

"Is this an order from the decision-making room?"

"Yes."

"Okay, I know."

Ivan was thinking about his next plan to infiltrate the Great Rift. The King's Shield Guards were well hidden, and with the support of the tyrant, it would not be easy to dig them out. Soon, Ivan had a plan in his mind. With the right roster of personnel, if he were to handle it, there would be hope of successfully infiltrating even the Devil's defense.

Raising his head, Ivan wanted to say something more, but at this time he found that Nathaniel had left silently.

"Deputy Director……"

There was a little worry in Ivan's voice. Like Boluogo, he also noticed something strange about Nethanil, but unlike Boluogo, Ivan understood this appearance of Nethanil.

When she fell during the Secret War, Nathaniel also had this expression. It was also when he saw this expression that Ivan clearly realized that the war was back.

All those who flee war will eventually return.

Ivan felt a little headache. He calmed down for a while, picked up the phone and dialed the number.

"Church, come to the Crow's Nest later. I have a task for you."

After a brief silence, a steady echo came from the microphone.

"OK."

Putting down the phone, Church came to the mirror and examined the familiar yet unfamiliar face in the mirror.

This is a face that is hard to remember, as ordinary as one of countless passers-by.

Church picked up the mask and put it on tightly to the outline of his face. After a brief squirm, a brand new face appeared on Church's face.

He hummed the melody and straightened up his appearance in front of the mirror. Church was in a good mood these days. This was due to Palmer. His impulsive and brainless temper was sometimes very annoying. Very useful sometimes.

Church thought that if Palmer hadn't forced him to see Afia, it might have taken him a long time to take that step, but even if he took that step, it would still be a long way from what he really wanted.

"not bad."

Church said to himself, sitting on the edge of the bed, admiring the flowers in the vase.

In the memory, Afia once asked curiously, "How often do you buy flowers? Are they for your girlfriend?"

"No," Church shook his head, "I don't have a girlfriend. It's just that there is no sunshine where I live, and the flowers wither very quickly."

Qiu Qi lives in the staff dormitory, which is located in the dormitory. There are no windows to communicate with the outside world, let alone sunlight. If you want to bask in the sun, you can only go to the lookout tower, and there is obviously no room for that place. Church grows flowers.

He liked these quiet and beautiful little things. When he was alone, Church would often stare at them for a long time, imagining some impossible things, such as embarking on a completely different path, such as those completely different lives.

Church likes to engage in such meaningless fantasies in his spare time. He can gain comfort from this nothingness.

Now with Afia's kindness toward him, this fantasy took root.

"To be honest, I really thought you left this city and would never see you again."

When they met a few days ago, Afia said this to Church. Her eyes were so bright that people dared not look directly at him.

"Maybe. My job is very busy and unstable. Maybe one day I will go to a far away place and never come back."

While saying this, Qiu Qi secretly said in his heart, "Like dying outside."

"Ah...that's such a pity."

Afia thought for a while, ran behind the flower stand, and brought a heavy flowerpot for Qiu Qi.

"I'm giving this to you. It costs nothing. It doesn't really need sunlight. Just take it out and bask it in the sun. But remember to shade it."

After the recollection ended, Church came to the corner of the room, where there was a pot of green plants with buds growing out. Afia said that this was a pot of alum root. It was colorful when it bloomed. It was very beautiful, and it didn’t need light. It was very Suitable for Church to raise.

Under Afia's leadership, he saw the alum roots grown by Afia in the flower shop. As she said, they were as gorgeous as a colorful oil painting. Church accepted Afia's kindness and hoped that he could Raised as well as she is.

Thinking of this, Qiu Qi's face showed a slight smile, and he felt more comfort in his heart, and a sense of relaxation came to his heart.

Church was in no hurry to see Ivan, he had some things to do before that.

Like Burlogo, Church also had the habit of keeping a diary, but it was more like "recording" than a diary.

Opening the drawer, diaries were stacked on top of each other. Church kept records every day. Even if there was nothing to write down, he would write down what he ate and who he met.

These diaries were crucial to Church. In addition to some trivial things, he would also write down his detailed psychological activities in the diaries.

He is like an author explaining the inner activities of his characters.

Church glanced at another book in the drawer. This was the first non-diary book to appear in the drawer in so many years.

His life is so nihilistic and monotonous that this book is like sunshine, entering this damp and dark room. Facing this beam of sunshine that breaks into his life, Church is surprised and happy, both greedy and unwilling. Dare to move forward, as if you are afraid of being burned by the sun, but also as if you are afraid that the sun will leave at a certain moment and will never be available again.

If that were the case, Church would rather remain in the shadows.

Church wrote in his diary.

"I bought a "Handbook of Potted Plant Care". Afia said that this flower blooms very beautifully. I hope I can make the alum roots in this pot grow more luxuriantly."