Chapter 6: Ninth Fortress 6

An He’s first reaction was that she was talking nonsense.

An He didn’t believe a word the nightmare said.

The red-haired woman read An He’s emotions: “You don’t believe me?” She stopped fiddling with An He’s hair, her fingers sliding downward to caress An He’s cheek. “Little lamb, don’t look at me with that fierce expression—you seem so scary.”

An He wanted to roll her eyes.

Not fierce? Should I smile at her instead? I can’t do that.

The next second, the red-haired woman forced An He’s lips upward with her finger: “Smile more. Keep a good mood.”

An He felt like she was breaking down.

This demand was utterly unreasonable. No one could lose control of their body, get toyed with by a strange woman, and still keep a good mood.

And this woman was way too familiar. An He felt her skin burning where the woman had touched her.

She opened her mouth, but still couldn’t move. The only thing she could freely control was her eyeballs.

An He caught this tiny change and felt a jolt of surprise. In previous dreams, she couldn’t even move her eyes.

It was as if after arriving in this world, the dreams had completely transformed—from a simple looping animation into a full-length movie.

They no longer repeated mechanically. The scenes felt more real; she could even clearly sense the warmth of the woman’s fingertips.

This is good, An He thought. These small changes meant she had hope of regaining control of her body.

The woman sensed An He’s resistance: “Save your strength—you’re not capable of fighting me yet.” She released An He and stood up. “I came to find you just to do you a favor and tell you some information you’ll definitely need.”

What information? An He’s gaze followed her.

The woman continued without prompting: “The Thorn Lamp is hunting down spies from the First Fortress, and you showed up at the worst time. You awakened your Nestsoul, your origins are unknown, and the Thorn Lamp member who returned with you is badly injured. Your suspicions are piled higher than a mountain.” Her tone held a hint of pity mixed with schadenfreude.

The woman described An He’s situation so specifically that it didn’t sound like a lie. An He couldn’t help but follow her train of thought. Two seconds later, she fully believed the woman’s words, her wariness dissolving.

The woman leaned down again, her voice soft as she reminded An He: “The Thorn Lamp treats their own well, but for enemies, they’re ruthless. Some Nestsouls will make you wish you were dead.” She stated the fact plainly.

An He imagined a Nestsoul tearing her apart.

The woman pressed on: “You’ll probably face interrogation next. Remember, don’t lie. While you’re unconscious, think about how to get out of this.”

She poked An He’s cheek with her index finger: “Oh, right—let me introduce myself. I’m Gu Xianqing. Remember me well; don’t turn against me and pretend you don’t know me later.” Her tone was intimate and lingering, like whispering sweet nothings to a lover.

An He had so many questions.

How do you know all this?

Who are you?

What’s your ulterior motive for giving me this information?

But she couldn’t speak, and the woman wasn’t like Heidi—she had no patience to explain everything for her.

The dream vanished abruptly, like a movie cutting to black without end credits. An He’s vision went pitch dark.

She should have been in deep sleep, but curiously, she could think while asleep. This gave her far more time than others.

An He calmed down, her gaze fully regaining its serenity. She hadn’t been idle; from the moment Gu Xianqing appeared, she’d observed relentlessly. At least, she’d gleaned two pieces of information.

The most obvious: Gu Xianqing could invade her dreams anytime, anywhere, with full control. As long as An He was unconscious or naturally asleep, Gu Xianqing could enter.

Invade. An He chewed on the word.

This mysterious woman had some ability that paralyzed her. And every time Gu Xianqing spoke to her, An He’s heartbeat and blood boiled uncontrollably. Once her thoughts were led astray, she fell into a trap of infatuation and trust.

Like the seductive fox spirits from legendary tales.

An He carefully recalled Gu Xianqing’s wording: “You’re not capable of fighting me yet.“

That “yet” revealed a lot—it meant Gu Xianqing subconsciously believed An He could fight her someday, just not now.

I can’t stay in this passive dynamic forever, An He thought.

I need to figure out how to use my own ability as soon as possible.

…

When she woke, Su Ling had already set up a stool at the foot of the bed.

The metal bed beneath An He had been adjusted to a seated position, propping up her upper body, but her wrists were still locked in restraints. The Research Lab was empty except for the smiling Su Ling.

Su Ling noticed An He eyeing the restraints and soothed her: “The checkup’s side effects haven’t worn off yet, so we’re still limiting your movement. It’ll be unlocked once the results are confirmed.”

Su Ling spoke gently and warmly. If Gu Xianqing hadn’t warned her beforehand, An He probably would have believed it.

“I see,” An He replied. After thinking it over, she decided to play it cool for now. Jumping up and yelling “I’m not a spy!” would only confirm her guilt.

She wasn’t that stupid.

“How long until the results are confirmed?” An He asked calmly.

“Soon.” Su Ling gave a vague answer. “In the meantime, I have some questions for you—this is part of the evaluation. Just answer honestly.”

“Mm.” An He nodded, looking perfectly compliant.

“Where are you from? How did you end up on the Wasteland?” Su Ling stared straight into An He’s eyes.

The first question was razor-sharp. An He didn’t answer immediately—she couldn’t explain her origins.

If she hadn’t known she was under suspicion, she would have casually made up a story, like she’d fooled Asta and Heidi with before.

But things were different now. An He was on high alert.

Su Ling was a Thorn Lamp member—did she have a Nestsoul or Innate Talent?

No Nestsoul in sight, but what was Su Ling’s Innate Talent? An He had no concept of Innate Talents yet.

Her mind raced. She recalled Gu Xianqing’s warning: Don’t lie.

Don’t lie!

Su Ling had come alone, the Research Lab’s metal door sealed tight. Daring to interrogate a suspected spy solo meant Su Ling had something special. How did she detect lies?

Wait—could she detect lies?!

An He jolted inwardly. Her peripheral vision caught the measurement chart on Su Ling’s knee—blank white paper with black gridlines, untouched by pen.

An He realized she couldn’t just improvise an excuse. Amnesia wouldn’t fly either. Botching the first question would tank her credibility; no amount of good answers later could salvage it.

Worse, her few seconds of hesitation had already missed the optimal response window. Speaking now would scream “liar” with that classic tell.

An He simply pressed her lips together and lowered her eyes, staying silent.

“Why aren’t you answering?” Su Ling asked meaningfully.

“I’m thinking about how to describe it to you.” This was the truth.

“Why? Is it hard to explain clearly?”

“Yes.” An He answered quickly this time. “Because I don’t know how I ended up on the Wasteland. Before that, I lived in a place completely different from here. You probably wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Elaborate.” This answer didn’t reassure Su Ling. An He’s origins remained murky.

This was An He’s headache—she had no original identity in this world to use as cover.

Fabricating wouldn’t work.

Dodging wouldn’t either.

She had to calmly go crazy.

After a moment’s thought, An He gave a broad description: “The place I lived before had no Bone Erosion Disease. Skyscrapers everywhere, plenty of electricity, no food shortages.”

Su Ling watched An He’s expression closely. No emotional fluctuations—”Lie Detection” picked up nothing amiss.

Su Ling drew an incomprehensible symbol on the paper and spoke: “So you mean you’re from an Oasis?”

“Oasis?” An He echoed. “What’s that?”

“You don’t know about the Oasis.” Su Ling gave her an odd look. “It’s a legend circulating on the Wasteland. They say there’s an unpolluted land on the continent—fertile soil and water, herds of cattle and sheep, all ancient tech preserved. Of course, we just tell it as a fairy tale to kids. No one’s ever found such a place.”

Su Ling smiled: “Did you take the fairy tale for reality?” She suspected An He’s Nestsoul was too powerful, causing hallucinations.

An He paused for two breaths. Instead of going along, she firmly shook her head: “No, we don’t have any concept of an ‘Oasis.’ Any place with people was prosperous.”

“No such place exists on the Wasteland,” Su Ling repeated.

“But that’s where I’m from,” An He insisted.

Only by insisting would Su Ling think she was crazy.

“Have you ever joined the Church?” Su Ling asked suddenly.

“No.” An He met her eyes, raising her voice: “I’m not joking. Compared to here, living conditions there were paradise. That place…”

“Enough.” Su Ling’s gaze toward An He turned sympathetic. “We don’t need to dwell on this.” She glanced at An He’s mental scan and noted that an overly strong Nestsoul could affect mental state.

“Next question: How old are you?”

“Twenty-three.”

“Awakening your Nestsoul at twenty-three is very late. Did your mother ever contract Bone Erosion Disease?”

“No.”

An He hadn’t expected Su Ling to mention her mother. She tried to recall her face, but it was blurring—features hard to pin down. “She was a teacher, had some occupational habits, but never contracted Bone Erosion Disease.”

“A teacher?” Now Su Ling questioned back. “Like a school staff member?”

“Yes, a high school teacher,” An He said.

“High school.” Su Ling echoed. “Such an ancient term. Here we just have first-, second-, and third-grade teachers.”

An He showed no reaction.

“I heard Heidi introduced the Thorn Lamp to you. Do you want to join the Thorn Lamp?” Su Ling asked.

An He chose her words carefully: “Yes.”

“Oh? Why?” Su Ling had expected this answer. If a spy wanted to sabotage defenses, joining the Thorn Lamp would be the top choice.

“Because Heidi said my physical fitness is poor,” An He answered truthfully. “Joining the Thorn Lamp means specialized mentors to teach me how to use my ability, right?” An He counter-asked.

“That’s correct.”

“So, I want to learn to control my Nestsoul and improve my fitness.”—And then catch Gu Xianqing. This was a new idea that popped into her head. An He omitted the second half.

“Plus, Heidi said the Thorn Lamp has great camaraderie, and the people of the Ninth Fortress are all kind. I like it here. I have no place to go—this is my best option.”

She deliberately mentioned having no ties.

Not a spy belonging to any fortress.

Su Ling was slightly taken aback: “That’s true. As long as you’re not our enemy, we’re all kind.”

“Heidi said the same.”

“It’s our consensus.”

Su Ling pulled a yellowed scrap of grass paper from under the measurement chart. It bore a circular icon painted in mineral pigments: “Have you seen this before?”

“I don’t think so.” An He neither fully denied nor confirmed.

Human memory was vast; it was hard to recall instantly. Answering too decisively would be suspicious.

After replying, she still examined the stylish circular emblem closely. At its center: a bird and a tree, with a sun hanging from the treetop.

An He looked away, feeling faintly uneasy.

She’d answered quickly with no recognition.

But upon closer inspection, An He realized this emblem resembled the school badge from her mother’s high school.

How could it be here? Cold sweat beaded on her back.

Things were spiraling out of control.

“What is it?” An He asked, using deep breaths to steady her heart rate.

“The seal of the First Fortress—a symbol of their top conglomerates,” Su Ling said.

An He: ?!

Oh heavens, am I really a spy?

“You really haven’t seen it?” Su Ling asked again, slowly placing the paper on her knee.

An He stared into Su Ling’s eyes: “Mm, I’ve never seen this emblem in this world.”

Su Ling stared back at An He for a moment.

An He met her gaze quietly.

One second, two seconds, three seconds.

Su Ling finally looked away. Heidi was right—this kid was as unfathomable as a bottomless swamp. There were no fluctuations in Su Ling’s Innate Talent either, so she simply drew the same symbol on the measurement chart.

An He caught a glimpse of the string of symbols, and the nerves that had been teetering on the edge of collapse finally relaxed. At least she hadn’t lied about her age. Since Su Ling had drawn the same symbols, it meant she’d passed this round of interrogation.

“By the way, a personal question: what did you dream about while you were out?” Su Ling suddenly looked up. “Your brain signals were extremely active when you were asleep—more volatile than when you’re awake.”

An He turned her head to glance at the screen nearby. The equipment on her head and body hadn’t been removed yet, and the numbers on the screen were still jumping.

“I dreamed of a woman,” An He said carefully, choosing her words. “She… she touched my face.”

The absolute truth.

“Pfft.” Su Ling suddenly burst out laughing. “You don’t have to bring it up with such a serious face. You’re still young—having dreams because of hormones is perfectly normal. No need to feel tense about it.”

An He: ? That’s not what I meant.

“No major issues with the assessment…” Su Ling closed the folder and glanced at the restraints on An He’s wrists. “But your Nestsoul is quite special, and your mental state isn’t stable yet. We’ll observe you for another two days. Can you wait?”

Su Ling deliberately asked for An He’s opinion.

An He showed a puzzled expression. “Is there something wrong with my Nestsoul?”

She knew Su Ling wasn’t letting her go because of the spy suspicions. But she couldn’t let Su Ling know that she already knew about it.

“There are some issues,” Su Ling said, seizing the chance to play along gracefully. She thought for a moment, then pressed the call button on the metal bed. “I’ll have my assistant bring over your test results. You can take a look yourself.”

Of course, the edited version, An He thought.

Fine, everyone’s pretending. Everyone’s playing it perfectly airtight.

Soon, Su Ling’s assistant brought over a folder and placed it on An He’s lap. The angle of the metal bed wasn’t ideal for reading, so An He struggled a bit. The assistant reached out to adjust the bed frame, lifting it slightly and supporting An He’s neck to make her more comfortable.

It was a perfectly normal action at first, but suddenly, An He felt a twinge of discomfort.

Her skin hadn’t yet been weathered by the scorching yellow sands—it was delicate, tender even.

So An He could clearly feel the layer of calluses on the assistant’s palm, right where her thumb met her palm.

Who gets calluses there from doing checkups?

An He stopped focusing on the words on the paper and shifted her gaze to the assistant’s face.

She was a woman in her early twenties, with an utterly ordinary face—no distinctive features, dark hair, calm features. Even though she’d strapped An He in earlier, An He hadn’t truly paid attention to her until now.

The assistant noticed An He sizing her up, and their eyes met for a split second.

It barely counted as eye contact—just a fleeting overlap in peripheral vision.

But in An He’s mind, thunder crashed. This woman’s eyes are all wrong.

Before An He could react, the assistant suddenly let go of her and leaned in toward Su Ling’s ear: “Professor Su, the way she just looked at me was weird. I felt hostility.”

The assistant’s voice wasn’t quiet at all—An He heard it clearly.

This is the thief crying “thief!”

An He looked at Su Ling, quickly realizing this wasn’t the time to defend herself. Denying it wouldn’t help; she was in a far worse position than the assistant.

Most importantly, this assistant had chosen to work under Su Ling, which meant she wasn’t simple. She had her own ways of earning Su Ling’s trust.

And An He knew nothing about her.

I’ve run into a tough nut.

An He’s mind raced, and she decided self-defense was the wrong move. She tossed the problem right back: “Sorry, your calluses are just so rough. I thought you were going to hurt me.”

She even flashed a rare smile—sweet and obedient, revealing two cute little fangs.

The assistant’s eyelashes trembled slightly.

An He kept smiling. The assistant… and the stamp. I have to figure this out.