Chapter 17 Red Shadow!

Another red shadow!

Gu Xiaoman's heart skipped a beat. Although she had witnessed Gu Shen defeat the red shadow earlier, if there could be a second, there could be a third, a fourth…

Gu Shen extended a hand, blocking Xiaoman behind him.

Blazing flames coiled around his arm, and he turned slightly, preparing to meet the red shadow's attack from the narrow bronze corridor.

But it was eerily quiet here.

The red shadow, standing with its hands on its sword, did not attack first like before, but stood silently for several seconds.

A dark red light shot out from the pale mask.

Gu Shen knew it was scanning him...and Xiaoman.

"What is this guy doing?"

Gu Xiaoman frowned and whispered, "Why does it feel different from before?"

Gu Shen said in a low voice, "I'm not sure...let's wait and see."

Having suffered a small loss earlier, Gu Shen didn't act rashly. If the red shadow didn't take the initiative, then he wouldn't mind waiting here.

From the second he stepped into the air wall, Gu Shen had made complete preparations.

He knew that behind the Ice Sea Ruins was an ancient intelligent life, and the previous alarm sound proved that the ruins were not friendly to outsiders.

So he didn't take out [Truth] from the beginning.

Since there was "Response Plan Number One," there must be "Number Two" and "Number Three."

If he took out [Truth] halfway, it was likely to cause the "Response Plan" to be upgraded…

So he saved [Truth] for the last moment, to ensure a direct "pass." So far, everything was under control. At least the alarm sound hadn't gone off, and there was no so-called Response Plan Number Two or Three. This bronze corridor was safe. Moving forward might be different.

And so, Gu Shen and the red shadow confronted each other for nearly a minute.

"Crack!"

After completing the scan, the red shadow actually took a step back, giving way to the door at the end of the bronze corridor.

"What does this mean? No fighting? Is it giving way?"

Gu Shen frowned, staring at the opponent, not daring to advance rashly.

The next moment, something incredible happened.

The latter, draped in heavy bamboo armor, after stepping back, actually made an ancient…bowing gesture.

"???"

Gu Shen's pupils contracted.

"A Nagano greeting?!"

Even Gu Xiaoman recognized the red shadow's bowing gesture!

They looked at each other, both shocked and unable to understand how this mechanical creation of an ancient civilization could know Nagano's etiquette.

The bronze corridor was so silent that a pin could be heard dropping. After making the bowing gesture, the bamboo-armored figure stopped moving, no longer the bizarre and fierce assassin from before, but transformed into an honest statue.

Gu Xiaoman nervously tugged at Gu Shen's sleeve.

What to do now?

"Go."

Gu Shen calmed down and said slowly, "Follow me, don't be afraid."

His domain was released, enveloping the two.

Gu Shen walked very slowly, his attention always on the bamboo-armored figure's sword. If the opponent made the slightest move, he would notice it immediately.

But until he stepped into the bronze door, the bamboo-armored figure showed no intention of drawing its sword.

They brushed past each other, safe and sound.

Both of them breathed a sigh of relief.

At the end of the corridor was a spacious mechanical control room, filled with dense switches, gates, and several alloy capsules similar to life-support pods. The black doors were actually made of black silver. Faintly visible inside the life capsules were several emaciated "mechanical bodies."

These were the torsos of the bamboo-armored figures after removing their armor, very small and thin.

"So there's more than one…"

Gu Xiaoman looked at these mechanical lives yet to leave their pods, her tone complex.

Just as she was about to step forward to examine them closely.

The bamboo-armored figure, who had been respectfully making an inviting gesture, suddenly spoke, "Please do not touch them without permission."

"Holy crap?!"

Gu Xiaoman was startled, her hair standing on end.

"..."

Gu Shen didn't expect the bamboo-armored figure to speak suddenly, but he remained calm, patted Gu Xiaoman's back, and gave her a reproachful look.

The latter stuck out her tongue, indicating that she knew she was wrong.

Gu Shen curiously sized up the bamboo-armored figure standing with its sword sheathed, and asked with a smile, "You can speak?"

"Yes."

The bamboo-armored figure's voice came from its abdomen, its tone clean and crisp, sounding like a young man. As it said this, it pointed to its head.

"But I am not 'him.' 'He' cannot speak."

That sentence was a bit convoluted.

But Gu Shen understood. The one speaking now was not the bamboo-armored robot standing in front of him.

The bamboo-armored figure slowly walked to the life capsules, looked at these unfinished products that hadn't left their pods, and said calmly, "He, they...are just executors, without souls. You can understand me as the 'soul' in charge of them. Now I will communicate with you. Everything you hear on this ship, every will, comes from me."

That sentence…contained a lot of information.

"Ship...this is a ship?"

Gu Xiaoman spoke first.

She wanted to touch the bronze alloy wall, but remembered the bamboo-armored figure's warning and quickly retracted her hand.

"Accurately speaking, you can call it a 'starship,' but many years ago, everyone was used to calling it 'the big ship.'"

The young man's voice was somewhat self-deprecating. "From the information I've gathered, you seem to call it the 'Ice Sea Ruins'? It actually has its own name, called 'Initial.'"

Initial?

Gu Xiaoman's expression was filled with disbelief. She looked around and murmured, "You mean, this is a huge ship...so from the moment we stepped into the snowfield, we stepped into the ship's space?"

"Yes."

The young man asked puzzledly, "Haven't you already discovered the truth? The snowfield is just a simulated virtual scene. Due to limited space, the outer space of the snowfield is blocked by the 'Wall of Annihilation.' Those outsiders who are judged to pose a threat will be blocked outside, unable to enter the core space..."

"But we still came in."

Gu Shen said slowly, "The Wall of Annihilation didn't stop me."

"Yes…"

The young man sighed and said helplessly, "That's exactly why I'm communicating with you."

"The Initial has four sets of emergency plans."

The young man said slowly, "But in my opinion...none of these four plans can stop you. If I rashly escalate the attack, it will only provoke your anger, which may cause irreparable damage to the Initial. So I made a choice. Instead of stopping you, I might as well let you in."

As soon as he said this, Gu Xiaoman looked at Gu Shen with more admiration.

So cool, using his own strength to make the Ice Sea Ruins open their doors!

Gu Shen's expression, however, was complicated.

What did this mean?

He sighed and explained, "I'm not the 'violent maniac' you imagine."

"I'm sorry, but you are."

The young man's voice didn't give Gu Shen a chance to argue.

The bamboo-armored figure received instructions from a higher level, and suddenly raised its head. A red light was projected from the mask's eye sockets, and several clear images were projected into the air.

Gu Shen shooting down the cloud ship, Gu Shen shooting and killing the "Incense Master," Gu Shen tearing apart the red shadow robot…

Those battles that took place in the snowfield were all captured!

"..." With conclusive evidence, Gu Shen was speechless.

"Another point worth mentioning is that the Wall of Annihilation is not blocking 'you,' only 'you.'"

The bamboo-armored figure glanced at Gu Shen, then slowly turned to face Gu Xiaoman and said softly, "As for this little girl...if she wants to step into the snowfield, the Initial will not activate the 'Wall of Annihilation.' In a sense, she is a specially invited guest of the Initial."

Gu Xiaoman was stunned.

She asked puzzledly, "Then the previous red shadow…"

"It was just conducting a 'routine scan' and 'strength assessment' on you." The young man said with a smile, "You were not harmed, and in fact, you were not harmed."

"..."

Gu Xiaoman was silent.

Thinking about it carefully, it was true.

The red shadow was clearly holding back when fighting her. It looked fierce, but it retreated as soon as she attacked, obviously receiving a specially set program.

"Is this the reason I received the 'summon'?"

Gu Xiaoman blinked, obviously a little surprised, "But why? Is it because I was selected by the 'Fire Seed' in advance?"

"Yes...according to your terms, you are the future 'Lord of Wine.'"

The young man said warmly, "The Initial welcomes your visit."

"Then what about me?"

Gu Shen couldn't understand. If being selected by the Fire Seed in advance would allow one to feel the summon of the Ice Sea Ruins...then why wasn't he "invited?"

He also had the identity of the Lord of Fire!

"I'm sorry...according to the Initial's rules, you are not on the invitation list."

The young man's voice was still smiling. He said softly, "But you've already come in, haven't you? If all this is fate, then why think so much?"

Fate?

Hearing this vague explanation, Gu Shen was even more confused.

"I don't understand…"

Just as Gu Shen was about to speak, the young man's voice interrupted him, "You will understand."

"Please...follow me."

The bamboo-armored figure sheathed the long sword, and after explaining the cause and effect, he pushed open the second large door, then turned around and squatted down, extending a hand to Xiaoman, very friendly.

Gu Xiaoman shook her head.

She didn't take the bamboo-armored figure's hand.

Although she received the Initial's invitation, she was still very cautious. She took two steps back and grabbed Gu Shen's sleeve. Only when Gu Shen held her little hand did she feel a little relieved.

If she was a guest of the Initial, then the red shadow would not have come forward during the many "attacks" she had previously encountered.

The one who saved her at the critical moment was still Gu Shen.

She only trusted Gu Shen!

The bamboo-armored figure smiled slightly, not minding, and led the way.

Gu Xiaoman asked cautiously, "So...you are the master of the Ice Sea Ruins?"

"This place is not called the Ice Sea Ruins, it's called Initial."

Facing Xiaoman's question, the young man's voice was very patient, "Also, I am not the master of the Initial. I am just the caretaker here. The master of the Initial is a great existence that I admire all my life...Perhaps you can be like him in the future, becoming a famous monument in human history."

It was a pity that Gu Xiaoman didn't buy it.

"I'm not interested in being a monument or anything."

She continued to ask, "Don't you have your own name?"

"The master gave me the name 'Alfred.'"

The young man said respectfully, "From now on, you can call me 'Af'."