(Xyrean Province- Inner Regions)
(The Mermaid's Lake- Forested Outskirts)
Qin Lan took in a deep breath and leaned against a nearby tree.
She had just finished her explanation to the two girls and now there was a brief moment of silence.
There was a lot of information to take in all at once and Qin Lan completely understood why Gong Li and Liu Yifei needed a few minutes to fully absorb everything that she just said.
She had not left out anything.
Qin Lan had been upfront and honest about the dangers that Subject 001 posed with his ability to create portals that linked two different places.
She also told them the truth about her brother's death and apparent resurrection. But perhaps the most difficult part was talking about Eve's true nature.
Both girls did not believe at first that Eve was some sort of mutated zombie but the seriousness in Qin Lan's voice convinced them that what she was saying was the truth.
Eve shifted her body closer to Qin Lan and gently held her hand. The zombie empress played with her fingers lightly and Qin Lan gave her a small smile.
The only sound in the clearing was the crackling fire that would occasionally spit out glowing sparks that fell harmlessly on the forest ground.
The full moon was still hanging high above in the night sky and the peacefulness and the serenity of this moment was not lost on Qin Lan.
No matter what happened next, they were still alive.
Perhaps it was still simple fact that brought tranquility to her heart.
Sui Li was grateful to have been given a chance to live again even if it was in the body of a stranger and she needed to work as an employee for a mysterious organization.
After spending an eternity in what seemed to be an endless void of nothingness, she finally had the chance to experience the good and bad that life had to offer.
If she had the chance to go back to her original world... no there was no use thinking about what was already done.
The only way to kill the monster that had possessed her brother's body was to sacrifice her own life in the process.
She could not regret the hard decision that she had made.
"Um... sister Lan.." Gong Li's nervous voice brought Qin Lan out of her contemplative state.
"If it's possible... can we see what Eve's true form looks like?"
Qin Lan glanced at Eve and saw her nod slowly. The zombie empress closed her eyes and prepared to transform but Qin Lan stopped her by squeezing her arm.
"Not tonight... it's late and you all need some rest first. If you are still interested then Eve can show you tomorrow morning," Qin Lan gently spoke.
"I know that this is all a lot to take in and I am not going to rush you to make a decision. Give it some thought and let me know in two days' time."
"Just know that no matter which option you choose... I will do my best to make sure that you both are safe."
"Thank you sister Lan," Liu Yifei chimed in as she looked at her mentor with a gaze of trust.
Frankly she did not care if Eve was a monster or a human.
Why? Well, it was because in her darkest hour... Eve and Qin Lan were the ones who rescued her.
Liu Yifei would still occasionally wake up from nightmares of rough hands grabbing and tearing the clothes off her body.
She shuddered to imagine what would have happened if Qin Lan and Eve had not been coincidentally passing by.
She owed them her life.
And rescuing her was not the only thing that Qin Lan had done. She had also trained and looked after her.
Liu Yifei would never forget what she owed to Sister Lan and was determined to stay by her side no matter what happened.
"Go on girls... get some sleep tonight and we will talk some more tomorrow," Qin Lan softly whispered as she pointed at the tent.
Gong Li and Liu Yifei nodded obediently and then headed for the tent. They entered inside and then the flap was closed.
The two girls would probably have great difficulty falling asleep tonight but Qin Lan hoped that they would at least be able to get a few hours of rest before dawn came.
Qin Lan let out a heavy sigh of relief and then slumped against the tree that she was leaning against.
She may have acted calm and confident in front of the two teenage girls but her heart was beating frantically.
It was hard not to listen to the voices of doubt inside her mind that constantly whispered that she was leading the two girls down a path of death.
Qin Lan would never forgive herself if anything happened to Gong Li or Liu Yifei especially since she had already failed before.
"Eve... tell me more about Subject 001. Other than his ability to create portals, does he have any other powers?" Qin Lan suddenly spoke.
"Enhanced strength, limited regeneration and I think that's it..." Eve mused softly as she thought back to her encounter with the test subject.
He was definitely faster and stronger than a normal human but his physical capabilities were significantly lower than hers.
"Can you kill him before he activates his portal ability?" Qin Lan asked seriously.
"Most likely..." Eve hesitantly replied.
Qin Lan furrowed her brows as she gazed at the night sky where countless stars winked and blinked out of existence.
Subject 001... her plan mainly relied on Eve facing off with the creature but what if she also joined in the fight.
This gift... Qin Lan was truthfully a bit reluctant to make it even stronger because of the dark desires that would occasionally surface in her heart.
She wasn't sure if it was due to the influence from the original Qin Lan but whenever conflict arose, she got the urge to make her enemies into puppets or playthings.
Deprive them of their freedom and humanity before turning them into mindless dolls...
Qin Lan felt goosebumps rise up along her arms since just thinking about it made her heart race with excitement.
"Eve can you sense the mutated animals and plants nearby?" Qin Lan asked quietly as she felt Eve's fingers gently brush against the top of her knuckles.
The zombie empress nodded but didn't understand why her favourite human had suddenly asked such an unexpected question.
"Over the next few days, take me to the location of every single mutated creature nearby," Qin Lan spoke with a strange glint in her eyes.
"I need more crystals..."
This content is taken from (f)reewe(b)novel.𝗰𝗼𝐦