[The train is about to arrive at the station.]
[列车即将靠站。]
Beyond the train’s windows, a blurry phantasm of a B-class alternate space appeared, filled with slaughter and roar.
列车外出现了B级异度空间的模糊幻影景象，这里到处充满着厮杀与怒吼。
The rats inside had become frenzied, bursting out of their nests and chasing people everywhere. Although most had begun to flee the area, there were still teams that didn’t care about the three hundred years of timeline deduction and chose to fight the rat-men.
里面的鼠类已经变得狂暴，冲出了巢穴到处追着人跑，虽然大多数人已经开始逃离此地，但依旧有队伍不在乎三百年的时序扣除，选择与鼠人战斗。
Yang Zicang tore off the train conductor’s silver uniform, and it dissipated into ethereal energy.
杨子藏拔掉了列车长的银色制服，它化为虚幻能量消失。
“Right here is fine.”
“就在这里好了。”
The train, which had been shuttling through the void, abruptly materialized into the real world. Forcing a stop without pulling into the station was a heavy blow to the timeline consumption for such a train, but it didn’t dare voice any complaints.
穿梭在虚无中的列车突兀出现于现实世界，在未靠站的情况下逼停对列车来说是很消耗时序的事情，但它不敢说半个不字。
“The Xiongying Group is here to help—run!”
“雄英组的人来支援了，快跑。”
The crowd scattered in panic. It was said that if you were hit by this train at night, you would become its puppet.
人群仓皇逃散，据说在夜晚，被这艘列车撞入的人会成为它的傀儡。
Lo and behold, the legendary Xiongying Group’s train, capable of galloping through all parts of the city, emerged from the void, stirring the air. The middle carriage solidified into material form, hovering a meter above the ground, while the head and tail blurred out of sight.
只见传说中雄英组那艘能驰骋城池各处的列车从虚无中搅动着空气出现。它中间的一节车厢变得凝实具现而出，悬停在一米的地面上，而首尾则模糊不见其踪。
“It really is Ma Chao—evacuate now!”
“真的是马超，快撤！”
The other teams had already taken the lead, Skedaddling at full speed.
其它队伍的人已经先一步撒丫子跑路。
The train door slid open with a clatter, and a sturdy figure appeared in the doorway, carrying a blood-stained longsword.
列车门哗啦声打开，一道健硕身影拎着染血长剑出现在门口。
In the darkness, the crowd couldn’t see clearly, but someone still recognized him.
黑夜中众人看得并不真切，但还是有人将他认了出来。
“Good heavens, it’s Yang Zicang!”
“天啊，是杨子藏！”
“Were those investment models just now pleading to make him stop… Could he be on this train?”
“刚才那些投资模型不是在求情，让他住手…难道他在这列车上？”
make him stop? Holy cow, what’s going on!”
“住手？我靠，什么情况！”
The people around instantly exploded into chaos.
周围的人瞬间炸锅了。
“What’s that thing beside him, with something vaguely human-shaped clamped in its mouth?”
“他身旁那个是什么东西，还叼着个模糊人形？”
“Do humans really have souls? Could it be that the one being carried in its mouth isn’t Ma Chao?”
“人类真的有灵魂吗？难道那个被叼着的不会是马超？”
“Impossible!”
“怎么可能！”
Many people stopped in their tracks; this scene was too unbelievable.
好些人停下了脚步，这一幕太过不可思议。
Yang Zicang had actually stepped off Ma Chao’s train, carrying something resembling Ma Chao’s spiritual form.
杨子藏竟然从马超的列车上走了下来，还带着类似马超的灵体的东西。
{I’ll go to the nearest subway station. If you need me, just call me.}
{我会去最近的地铁站，你要是需要我，就呼唤我便行。}
Judging from the situation with Zhang Fei and this Ma Chao, mutant monsters accelerated by humans all seem to worship the strong.
从张飞和这马超的情况来判断，被人类催熟的恶魇怪物似乎都是以强者为尊。
But Yang Zicang was still a bit worried it might run away, so he threatened:
但杨子藏还是有点担心它会跑路，于是威胁地道：
“Don’t even think about escaping, otherwise, if I run into you again, I won’t be the one taking action.”
“别妄想逃走，否则下次再遇见你，就不是我出手了。”
The White Shadow Thought-Dragon’s eyes were greedy as it turned to glance at the train.
白影念龙目露贪婪地转头盯了眼列车。
{I’ll wait for you here.}
{那我就在这等你。}
“Yang Zicang, did you kill Ma Chao?”
“杨子藏，你杀了马超吗？”
Someone shouted from beside a pile of steel wreckage over a dozen meters away.
几十米外的钢铁废墟旁有人喊道。
Yang Zicang ignored everyone. He walked forward, toward a crack leading to the ratman’s nest.
杨子藏没理会任何人，他往前走去，前方是一个通向鼠人巢穴的裂缝。
“Be careful, Lu Zhishen is inside.”
“小心，鲁智深在里面。”
“Hey, are you going in there to kill the Defender? I advise you not to go throw your life away…”
“喂，你是要进去搞死抵御者吗？我劝你不要去送…”
Suddenly, the sky lit up. A crimson blast of energy surged from inside the nest, piercing through the earth and shooting into the sky. Faintly, another pearly white moon appeared in the heavens.
忽然天空亮了，一道赤红色的气浪从巢穴内透过地表直冲天际，天上隐约浮现出了另一轮莹白色的月亮。
A terrifying pressure enveloped the world, and a dull roar echoed in the depths of everyone’s hearts.
恐怖的威压笼罩天地，沉闷的嘶吼在每个人心灵深处响起。
How dared anyone stay any longer? They scrambled frantically in all directions.
人们哪里敢继续待下去，疯狂往四周跑去。
……
……
Inside A-level fissure.
A级交错地内。
Zhou Heng and the others began to stabilize a different space, attempting to replace the previous scene to prevent the possibility of hidden platforms inside the reality lock studio that they might use to enter.
周恒等人开始重新稳定另一片不同的空间，试图将之前的场景替换，以避免他们在里面暗藏了能够进入的站台。
Zhou Heng, who was stabilizing the first scene, suddenly received a Mental Link.
正在稳定第一道幕景的周恒忽地接到了个心灵链接。
“How many of our people are left?” he asked eagerly.
“我们的人还剩多少？”他迫不及待的问到。
{There are very few left, but there’s some news. Ma Chao shouldn’t be entering your reality lock studio for now.}
{已经所剩无几了，不过有个新的消息，马超应该暂时不会进入你们的交错地内了。]
“Did he go to chase after you?”
“他去追杀你们了吗。”
{No, he’s already done for and might die.}
{不，他已经废了，很可能会死。}
“What?!”
“什么？！”
“What happened?”
“怎么回事？”
The members of the Alliance Headquarters found the news almost incredible—just minutes ago, Ma Chao was standing right before them, alive and well.
总部几人觉得这消息简直是是天方夜谭，马超几分钟前还活生生站在自己等人面前。
“What exactly happened?” Zhou Heng asked nervously.
“到底怎么回事？”周恒紧张道。
{It was Yang Zicang. That kid is heading toward the lair of the Defender now. He’s suspected of having taken control of Ma Chao’s Companion AvengingNightmare Train! He’s also managed to seize control of Ma Chao’s Psychic Form!}
{是杨子藏，现在那小子正在往抵御者的巢穴所在地而去，他疑似控制了马超的伴生恶魇列车！甚至将马超的念力体给控制了！}
“Hiss—”
“嘶～”
Everyone was stunned.
几人震撼莫名。
The very person who was threatening them moments ago, now reduced to a cripple by a rookie?
刚刚还在眼皮子下威胁自己的家伙，转眼就废在了个新人手上？
“How could this happen…”
“怎么会这样。”
The big man beside Zhou Heng muttered under his breath. Ma Chao was someone even he couldn’t handle.
周恒身旁的大汉喃喃。马超是他都搞不定的人物。
{We suspect that Yang Zicang may have acquired the ability to ‘realistically manifest’ psychic objects.}
{我们这边怀疑，杨子藏极有可能获得了可以将意念之物“真实降临”的能力。}
“He has FreakPower!” Zhou Heng’s chest heaved as he spoke.
“他有念能力！”周恒胸膛起伏。
The big man turned to the silent Tong Wenqi: “If that gun were in Ma Chao’s hands, could you snatch it away?”
那大汉看向沉默的童文奇：“如果那把枪在马超手上，你能抢到手吗。”
Tong Wenqi kept his gaze low and did not respond.
童文奇沉着目光未说话。
He now understood why that C-class cross zone, which had the Moon Shadow monster, had been opened so quickly.
他此刻已经知道，为什么那个有月影怪物的C级交错地，怎么那么快就被打开了。
This dealt a blow to Tong Wenqi’s confidence.
这让童文琦的信心遭受打击。
Among the group, a sharp-chinned man in glasses said:
几人中一名尖下巴的眼镜男道：
“It’s been tens of hours, but my prediction has yet to yield a result.”
“已经几十个小时了，我的预测还没有诞生结果。”
He quickly took out the dice and threw them in a small square box.
他快速掏出色子在小方盒内掷出。
[I predict that Yang Zicang deliberately gave up the Century Weapon, not because he was threatened.]
[我预测，杨子藏故意放弃百年器不是受威胁。]
[My prediction is correct.]
[我预测正确。]
A flash of shock crossed his eyes—the answer appeared instantly!
他目光震惊的一闪，竟然直接就出现了答案！
“He did it on purpose!”
“是故意的！”
Almost at the same time, Tong Wenqi let out an angry sneer:
几乎是同时，童文奇气鼓鼓的冷笑了声：
“Hmph, I hate that kid. He can even kill Ma Chao, so how could he fail to hold onto a gun? He definitely meant to lose it.”
“哼，讨厌死了这小子，他连马超都能杀死，还守不住一杆枪吗。绝对是故意的。”
“But why would he throw away the gun?”
“但为什么要把枪丢出去？”
“Who knows?”
“谁晓得啊。”
With that, the group turned to look at Zhou Heng. “Maybe we should return the gun to him and claim we specially retrieved it for him?”
说罢，几人转头看向周恒，“要不，枪还给他，就说我们专门给他找回来的？”
Zhou Heng pinched the rim of his glasses with two fingers and nodded. “The Century Weapon was valuable before, but now it’s clear that Yang Zicang is worth more. That’s how we’ll do it.”
周恒双指捏了捏镜框，点头道：“之前是百年器很珍贵，但现在嘛，明显是杨子藏的价值更高。就这么做吧。”
……
……
The moment Yang Zicang stepped into the lair, a palpable gaze came from the depths.
杨子藏身影踏入巢穴内的瞬间，一道如有实质的目光从巢穴深处投来。
“The Defender, huh?” A trace of hesitation flickered in his mind.
“抵御者吗。”他内心有些犹豫。
His target was Lu Zhishen, but if the latter had already joined forces with the Defender, he would have no choice but to flee.
自己的目标是鲁智深，但若是对方已经跟抵御者同气连枝，那么自己就只有逃跑的份了。
No sooner had this thought crossed his mind than Yang Zicang suddenly gained a clear awareness.
刚产生这个念头，杨子藏忽然多出了份清晰的明知。
[Councillor No. 41 is watching me.]
[41号议员正在注视着我。]
[You’ve made the right choice; don’t back down. Go retrieve the “Containment Item,” and I’ll grant you a chance at recompense.]
[你做出了对的选择，就不要退缩。去抢回“收容物”，我会给你一个回报的可能。]
Yang Zicang looked up at the ceiling of the nest.
杨子藏抬头看向巢穴顶端。
“May I ask, respected Councillor, who exactly are you people?”
“请问尊敬的议员先生，你们究竟是什么人。”
[Do you wish to exchange this chance of recompense for the answer to that question?]
[你想要用这个回报可能来兑换该答案吗。]
“No, thanks.”
“还是不了。”
Yang Zicang stopped asking. While this answer might be crucial, it offered no substantive help to his current situation.
杨子藏不再问，虽然这答案可能很关键，但对现在的自己却没什么实质性的帮助。
He strode swiftly inside.
他一路快速的冲了进去。
……
……
A tall, clean-shaven man stood struggling at the small door on the edge of the hall, a book gripped in his hands.
身材高大，头上剃得溜光的大汉手持一本书，吃力的站在大殿边缘的小门口。
The Defender radiated a formidable aura so intense that without the book’s help, Lu Zhishen felt he might have lost his mind by now.
抵御者散发的强横气息，若不是这本书的帮助，鲁智深感觉自己已经精神失常了。
Clatter, clatter, clatter.
踏踏踏。
A young man with a receding hairline ran in quickly. Huang Xu’s chest accessory shimmered as he spoke nervously, “Brother Shen, I’ve got bad news…”
顶着地中海发现的年轻人快跑了进来，黄旭胸前模型闪烁，低声下气地不安道：“深哥，有个不好的消息…”
“This is a critical moment. Didn’t I tell you not to bother me with anything?”
“现在正是关键时刻，不是说了吗，任何事情都别打扰我。”
Part of the large man’s mental energy was bound to the book. Through this artifact, he projected a semi-transparent female silhouette stepping into the hall, engaging in a deep mental conversation with the menacing Defender.
大汉的部分精神附着在书上，通过这件道具幻化出了个女人的半透明身影步入殿中，与杀气腾腾的抵御者进行着意识深处的交流。
The information traded between them surged like a vast, turbulent ocean. Lu Zhishen was already teetering on the edge of mental exhaustion; any disturbance now stirred up intense resentment and fury within him.
它们交互的信息如大海般汹涌深邃，鲁智深早已有点精神不支，任何的干扰此刻在心中都能激起强烈的怨气与怒意。
Suddenly, the Defender, who had been somewhat immersed in those ancient messages, jerked its head around. Its gaze burst forth with breathtaking killing intent, the airwaves coalescing into whiplike shadows and claw marks that flickered like tidal waves.
忽地，已经有点沉入于这些古老信息中的抵御者猛地转头，他的目光爆发出惊天杀意，这些气浪凝聚成真实的鞭影与爪痕如浪潮般闪动。
Boom! Boom! Boom!
轰轰轰！
In an instant, countless deep marks appeared on the stone pillars and walls of the hall.
大殿中的石柱与墙壁瞬间出现无数深邃的痕迹。
Lu Zhishen turned his head and said irritably, “It seems someone that the Defender cares about has come in. Go see who it is, and preferably, get rid of them.”
鲁智深一转头，烦躁地道：“好像有抵御者也在意的人进来了，你去看看是谁，最好解决掉他。”
“It’s probably Yang Zicang.”
“恐怕就是杨子藏吧。”
The big man’s gaze instantly turned icy cold as he looked at him.
大汉目光瞬间冰冷的看向他。
“Oh, ah, I’ll go check it out.”
“哦，噢噢，我去看看。”
The bald young man, sweating profusely, ran out.
秃顶青年冷汗直流地跑出。
“Damn it, why now of all times? I was just about to wrap things up.”
“妈蛋，早不来晚不来，明明已经快收尾了。”
Lu Zhishen poured more focus into calming the slightly uncontrollable Defender, which was eager to go out and act in person.
鲁智深投入更多专注力，尽力来安抚有点不受控制，想要出去亲自出手的抵御者。
If that happened, he would have little chance to “deeply engage” with it again. The Defender would never allow anyone—not even its catalyst—to get close a second time.
若是那样，自己想要再跟他“深入交流”就难有机会了，抵御者不会给任何人第二次近身的机会，哪怕是催熟他的人也不行。
Through Silent Night’s perception, Yang Zicang quickly found the familiar path.
通过沉吟之夜的感知，杨子藏快速找到了熟悉的道路。
{Mr. Zicang, it seems there’s a remarkable monster on your side. I didn’t expect a city ranked so low could give birth to something like that. Are you going to hunt it or seal it?}
{子藏先生，你们那边似乎出现不得了的魔物了啊，没想到排名那么靠后的城市也会诞生那样的魔物。你是要去猎杀或者封印它吗？}
Molly was somewhat excited. He had always thought Yang Zicang was strong, but he never expected him to be so powerful. This guy truly dared to go provoke such an existence all by himself.
莫里有些激动，他一直就觉得杨子藏很强，但没想到竟然强到这样的程度，这家伙还真是一个人就敢去招惹这样的存在。
[Not too bad.]
[还好吧。]
Yang Zicang forced himself to say.
杨子藏硬着头皮道。
If he rejected the councilor again this time, he would probably really be done for.
这次要是再拒绝议员，恐怕就真会完蛋了。
He had already greeted Moli, asking if he could temporarily provide support when time sequence was needed later. To his surprise, Moli readily agreed.
他已经跟莫里打过招呼，若是等下有时序需求，能否让他暂时支援点，没想到莫里很是爽快的就同意了。
Two copies of the boosting contract had been secretly sold by Moli and Boppoli through concealed channels.
代练契约书已经被莫里和波波利通过隐秘的渠道卖出去了两份。
The buyers were very excited. Anyone who has survived in this world for a few months would know that these contracts with skills embedded are not easy to come by.
买家很是激动，这些蕴含技能的契约书，只要是在这个世界存活几个月的人，都会晓得不是随便可以搞得到手的。