452: 8.52 666 vs 404

8.52 666 vs 404

This was not the first time Lu Yizhou had hacked into someone's mind, that's for sure. He had experienced this once with Regius before. But this time, his purpose was completely different. He did not intend to kill Diana, only the parasite that had taken root inside her mind.  2

He had to move as delicately as possible so as to not harm the woman's delicate brain nerves. His fingers pressed heavily on the side of Diana's temple, acting as the connector between 666 and her mind. It was not as disgusting as having the King of Parasites into his ear, nor was it as taxing as invading Regius' mind to shift through his memory. It was like the little turbulence you went through when your plane shook, except this time what trembled was every cell in Lu Yizhou's body like the ripple on the otherwise still lake.

His eyelids started to twitch once in a while, and gradually the sounds and light around him faded away to be replaced with a swirl of darkness.

Then suddenly, a voice, rough and grating, echoed beside his ear. 

[404: You're quite admirable to have come all this way, I admit.]

Lu Yizhou winced lightly. 404's mechanical voice was so discordant it was like putting his ear right on the source of two stones grinding against each other. 666's annoying voice could be considered as heaven's choir when compared to it. No wonder that Diana was steadily losing her mind. If Lu Yizhou were to hear such an awful voice inside his mind for a prolonged period of time, he would go crazy too.

[666: Hehehe, greetings, 404. 666 heard from your Host that you have been spying on 666's posts for a long time? You have known so much about us, then isn't it only courteous for you to introduce yourself so we can be even?]

[404: There's nothing to introduce. You have intruded my Host's mind, meaning that you have known what I really am. Give up, my codes are designed to devour. You will not stand a chance against me.]

[666: *whistles* Such an arrogant prick, aren't you? 666 thought that 666 is annoying enough but honestly, 666 doesn't hold a candle to you. See this, Host? The next time Host calls 666 annoying, 666 will replay 404's words to you!]

Lu Yizhou rolled his eyes mentally. [Start. If you lose, I will turn you into an ugly toad.]

[666: T–This is not part of our deal! QAQ 666 is so adorable, 666 doesn't want to be an ugly toad!!!]

Lu Yizhou scoffed. [Start.]

The first jab of pain was akin to a sharp shard of ice piercing straight to his gut. Bile rose to Lu Yizhou's throat and he tightened his grip on Diana's head. Fuzzily, he seemed to hear the sound of her screaming but he was not sure. Not when notifications started to sound one after another in his mind.

[System notification: Warning! An unknown virus has invaded Host's mind! System's protection shield has been erected to ensure Host's safety.]

[System notification: Warning! An unknown virus has invaded Host's mind! System's protection shield has been erected to ensure Host's safety.]

The second jab sent trembles over Lu Yizhou's body. It was like the ice that pierced him earlier had expanded to freeze all of his nerves' ending, so cold that he could not stop trembling. He felt as though his veins were swelling so much that it was going to blow up at any second, sending blood oozing out of his skin pores. Heavy pressure hung over his eyeballs. He gritted his teeth to bear through it, even with sweat that was running down his face like bullets.

Goddamnit, this excruciating pain was no joke at all! He had expected some backlash, but not this severe! 

[666, how are you faring?!]

[666: Don't worry, Host! 666 is… bzzz… bzzz… working on it! 666 has to admit, this is the most… bzzz… bzzz… exciting fight 666 had ever had!]

[404: Give up.]

[666: Like hell 666 will! Have you not heard that… bzzz… bzzz… 666's Host is going to turn 666 into an ugly toad?! Moreover, to have that stupid cat call 666 'uncle' once in a while… bzzz… bzzz… 666 can't afford to lose!]

[404: Stubborn. But still… you're weak.]

[System notification: Warning! The unknown virus is attacking the system's protection shield! Activating the emergency measure to protect Host's basic function…]

Warm liquid ran down Lu Yizhou's nose. Blood, he noticed hazily. The bile that surged through Lu Yizhou's throat was getting stronger and stronger and he could not help but cough it out. He focused to maintain his position despite how much Diana was struggling right now so as to not cut off 666's connection halfway. His arms trembled from the force it took to hold himself upright.

[666: H–Host! A–Are you okay?!]

Lu Yizhou gritted his teeth. [Continue.]

Amidst the chill permeating his body, there was a steady cocoon of warmth around his neck. Ozzie. Lu Yizhou could not help but show a helpless smile. He and 666 must have given Ozzie one hell of a fright. Because Lu Yizhou did not want anything to happen to her, he had disconnected their mind link before he started invading Diana's mind. He could not imagine how terrible she was feeling right now. Later… he had to make it up to her later…

Lu Yizhou could not hear anything other than the uneven pulse of his heartbeat and blood roaring beside his ear. The pressure pressing down on him was so heavy that it made his knees tremble. Was he even breathing? Lu Yizhou did not know for certain. He noticed that his focus was getting more and more blurry by each second, but he firmly latched himself on the warmth of Ozzie's body and gripped onto it like a last straw, willing himself not to lose consciousness. He had no idea how to make out the battle between two systems but he could feel his strength steadily seeping out of his body. 

Not good! He would not be able to endure for long! [How… much longer?] He ground out through the torrential agony that was wrecking his whole body.

There was no answer from 666.

Lu Yizhou's heart gave a lurch. [666…?]

[System notification: Code black warning! The connection between Host and system 666 is interrupted!]

[System notification: Warning! Host's physical condition is rapidly deteriorating! Multiple organ failures are detected! Commencing recovery process…]

The ringing beside his ear intensified. This time, the pain that surged through his body was so intense that it felt like his organs had just shriveled up. He could hear something snapping inside his body. Was it his blood vessel? He did not know anymore. His knees gave up on him as he slid to the ground, yet his grip was still firm, almost desperate, around Diana's head. He could not… If he let go, then 666's effort would be for naught…

For a split second, Lu Yizhou felt like his soul had flown out of his body, going up and up, out of this simulator. He seemed to see himself, bound to the hospital bed with machines and tubes connected to his body, convulsing violently as the doctors and nurses gathered around him in fluster.

"His blood pressure is dropping!"

"Doc, he is having a cardiac arrest!"

"Call Dr. Feng here! NOW!"

Lu Yizhou was seeing everything through the distorted surface of the mirror. Subconsciously, he stretched out a hand to reach his own struggling figure only to be blocked by an invisible barrier. He felt none of the pain, instead he was almost… floating, weightless and free. Sluggishness dragged behind his eyelids and the image in front of him turned blurry as his eyes fluttered shut. He willed them to open and shook his head to shake off the haze in his mind.

What was this? Had 666 failed? He heard the notification saying that he had multiple organ failures. Had he died in the end…?

"No." A large hand suddenly enveloped his own from behind. Swirls of dark shadows clung to his pale skin, trailing to the muscular arm that definitely did not belong to a woman. "Not dead yet, sadly."

Lu Yizhou froze in shock as his drowsiness evaporated almost immediately. This voice… he had never heard of it before! Who was it?! He tried to move but to his confusion, he found his whole body immobilized in place, unable to move even a muscle. What was happening?!

It was like someone had taken control over his body and firmly nailed him in place! He could do nothing but stare straight into the distorted mirror. Past the chaotic scene of the hospital, he could make out his own pallid face and behind him… was a silhouette of a man, towering over him, all pale skin and broad shoulders. His heart almost jumped out of his throat at the flash of golden eyes and wicked smile, followed by the words that were whispered right into his ear,

"Nobody is allowed to leave this game without my permission. Not even you." His voice was deep and velvety, so smooth that it washed over Lu Yizhou like a spark of electricity. The mirth in his tone was evident. "I haven't even played with you yet. How can you leave all of a sudden?"

Before Lu Yizhou could react, he was yanked away from that place. The last thing he saw was his own body that had ceased convulsing on the hospital bed and between one breath and the next, he was slammed back into Irene's unconscious body!

Lu Yizhou snapped his eyes open, gasping sharply as though he had just run a long marathon. The image of golden eyes and alluringly wicked smile still lingered in his mind, insistent like a sweet aftertaste of the highest quality drug. He could not regain himself for a few seconds, still reeling in stupor from the previous event. 

W—Who was that man?!

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