In the "Battle of the Broken Bonds," Rin, cradling the exhausted and unconscious Ye Xue, finally broke through the encirclement, relying on his awakened past-life techniques and formidable willpower. Evading the dual pursuit of the organization and the underground factions, he infiltrated a hidden, abandoned underground military base in the deepest part of the "City of Broken Bonds." This was the place Henning had mentioned in his dying words, where clues to the "Eye of Demise" might be hidden.
The base was utterly silent, save for Rin's breathing and Ye Xue's faint heartbeat. He carefully placed Ye Xue in a relatively safe corner, then began searching the derelict control room. Destroyed equipment and scattered documents were everywhere, and the air was thick with dust and the smell of decay.
Rin, relying on his "Blade of Demise" instincts from his past life and his knowledge of the organization's files, quickly discovered some data chips meticulously hidden in a secret compartment. He inserted the chips into an old, still functioning terminal. The screen immediately flickered with a mass of encrypted files and images.
He quickly scanned them, trying to find information about the "Eye of Demise." However, as he delved deeper into the files, a shocking truth, like a cold snake, coiled around his heart.
These documents detailed the true purpose of the "Demise Project." It wasn't merely, as Henning had suggested, to create "weaponized souls that die and are reborn, yet remain loyal to command," nor was it simply to decompose his power. Its goal was far grander, and far more insane—to replicate "controllable re-emergents"!
Rin's pupils sharply contracted. He repeatedly read the core content of the files:
"'Demise Power' is not merely energy, but a core capable of carrying and replicating the 'imprint' of life."
"Through the forced deconstruction and reshaping of the 'Blade of Demise' (the first-generation core sample), an attempt is made to achieve 'replication' of living entities. Objective: After a living entity's 'death,' achieve 'controllable re-emergence' through the complete recreation of its 'imprint,' and ensure its loyalty."
Rin sharply looked up, his mind blank.
"Controllable re-emergents"!
He had always thought his "rebirth" was an "accidental re-emergence," a miracle bought by Ye Xue's life. But now he understood that he wasn't "accidentally reborn"; he was part of some kind of replication experiment! His "rebirth" was a shocking experiment conducted by the organization using "Demise Power," a mad attempt to mass-produce "immortal weapons"!
What about Ye Xue? If he was the first-generation core sample, what did Ye Xue's "second core subject" status mean?
Rin's heart pounded violently as he continued scrolling through the data. Finally, in the detailed description of the "second core subject," he saw Ye Xue's name and codename—"Cold Moon."
"The second core subject, based on the 'imprint' characteristics of the first-generation sample, attempts to construct a 'restart system' to correct 'deviations' in 'replicated entities' or to force 're-emergence' when necessary."
"Cold Moon (second core subject), due to her special emotional circuit forming an extremely strong bond with the 'Blade of Demise,' unexpectedly became the optimal 'carrier' for this 'restart system.' Through the analysis and reverse engineering of her emotional circuit, remote 'restart' and 'correction' of the 'Blade of Demise' replicated entities can be achieved. This experimental subject, even after the 'emotional module' was stripped, maintained basic vital signs and specific command execution capabilities, evaluated as the ideal key for the 'controllable restart system'."
Rin's mind exploded!
He finally understood everything!
Henning's dying words, "Demise is not a project; it's the imitation of God," what were they imitating? They were imitating "creation," imitating "granting life," and even imitating "immortality"!
The organization wasn't simply creating assassins; they were replicating life! They wanted to mass-produce "divine weapons" through the "Demise Project" that could "die and be reborn" infinitely and be completely loyal to them!
And he, the "Blade of Demise" who thought he was unique, was merely their first "successful" sample, a copied and pasted experimental subject!
Ye Xue…
Rin's gaze suddenly fell on Ye Xue's pale face. Her sacrifice, her pain, her "personality rift," even her stripped "emotional module"—it was all for him!
She wasn't just a second core subject; she was the "key to the restart system"!
When he "died," it was she who reversed the "Demise Power," "restarting" and "replicating" him onto a new body! And the price she paid was to be completely "formatted" by the organization, turning into a cold "restart system." Her soul, her love, her self—all were imprisoned within that "key"!
Rin's hands trembled violently; he painfully closed his eyes. He recalled that tear from Ye Xue's eye—it was her "old personality" crying for help, struggling! Her "personality rift" was her soul's defiance, unwilling to be reduced to a "key"!
"Key…" Rin whispered hoarsely, his eyes bloodshot. He had once thought himself a hero, an avenger, but in the end, he was just a manipulated "replicated entity," and Ye Xue was the "key" who endured everything for him.
He had been fooled. He had been completely played by the organization. They weren't just an assassin organization; they were a group of lunatics who considered themselves gods, attempting to control the cycle of life!
However, this despairing realization did not break Rin. Instead, an unprecedented fury burned deep within him!
"Imitation of God?" Rin sneered, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Then let me tell you, mortals, you will never become gods!"
He abruptly turned his head, looking at the unconscious Ye Xue. His hand tightly grasped hers.
"Ye Xue, I will never let you remain this 'key' forever," Rin's voice was as firm as steel. "I will find the 'Eye of Demise,' completely shatter their 'Demise Remolding Project,' and free you from this cage!"
He was no longer the "Blade of Demise" who sought revenge only for himself. He was now Ye Xue's protector, the "cycle-breaker" for all "replicated experimental subjects"!
He would use the organization's "Demise Power" to end everything about the organization!
He shut down the terminal, his eyes filled with cold determination.
The clue to the "Eye of Demise" must be in this base. He had to find it, even if it meant turning the entire "City of Broken Bonds" upside down!
A revenge against the "imitators of God," a battle to reclaim Ye Xue's soul, was about to fully erupt!