After Winning The Esports Championship I’m Going To Pilot A Mecha: Chapter 112

112. “What’s his name?”

For the residents of Yangyuan City, the night, akin to doomsday, had passed three days ago.

The unstoppable torrent of time continued to march steadily forward, unaffected by any disaster or suffering. For some lost souls, the events of these days hadn’t brought much change to their lives. Emerging from underground shelters to witness the wreckage that had become their city, they sighed and resignedly rejoined the effort to rebuild.

In this chaotic era, though disasters capable of destroying half a city were uncommon, they were not unexpected. For ordinary people, aside from mustering the resolve to move forward, what other choice did they have?

However, when the Netherworld Organization declared Yangyuan City as its stronghold against Sky City, many things quietly began to change.

No longer were the patrols on the streets members of the Calamity Division of the Disaster Relief Bureau; they had been replaced by personnel of the Netherworld Organization. Many new faces had arrived in Yangyuan City in the past few days, comrades from other satellite cities who had chosen to join the resistance after hearing Qiling’s declaration.

On social media and public networks, opinions about these newcomers to Yangyuan City varied. Some called them “traitors to peace,” while others labeled them as “accomplices to butchers.” Of course, there were those who hailed them as “brave warriors daring to fight for freedom.”

After a few days of rest, Ji Mingzhu’s body had recovered quite well, except for a somewhat pale complexion, he was in good shape overall.

He was not someone who liked trouble or danger. In the old era of humans, he had hardly encountered any intense conflicts. But in just a few months since arriving in this era, Ji Mingzhu had been injured more times than in the first half of his life combined.

“Is your body okay?” Yao Guang asked, packing up his light brain and looking at Ji Mingzhu with concern.

“Boss Ji, how about waiting a few more days before we leave?” Sun Yi also advised.

“No need.” Ji Mingzhu shook his head. “Staying in Yangyuan City now wouldn’t help us much.”

The situation had escalated into a war between Yangyuan City and Sky City; it could no longer be called a mere conflict. For Ji Mingzhu, who had lost the Phoenix Redeemer, staying in Yangyuan City wouldn’t serve any purpose. It might even put him, Yao Guang, and the others in danger if Qiling found out.

“Tian Ji…”

Yao Guang finished packing his light brain, walked to Ji Mingzhu’s side, and glanced back. “He’s watching us.”

Ji Mingzhu turned his head, meeting the gaze of Tian Ji, who stood not far away.

Tian Ji stood at the door, empty-handed. As a modified human, Tian Ji was different from others. He lacked distinct personality traits and colors, always giving off a vague and dull impression. Ji Mingzhu had never seen complex emotions like “anger,” “joy,” or “sadness” in Tian Ji.

However, at this moment, Tian Ji stood alone in place, the black vine tattoos on his face seeming to dim slightly. Standing not far away, meeting Ji Mingzhu’s gaze, he resembled a little puppy about to be abandoned, inexplicably exuding a sense of pitifulness.

Tian Ji concealed many things from Ji Mingzhu, even when Ji Mingzhu pressed him for answers, he had no intention of telling Ji Mingzhu. In terms of loyalty, Tian Ji was indeed among the top, but his loyalty was not only to Ji Mingzhu but also to Axiu.

Perhaps sensing the faint distance between himself and Yao Guang and Ji Mingzhu, when it was time to leave, Tian Ji did not follow behind them. Instead, he stood at the door, as if waiting for some kind of judgment.

“Should we take Tian Ji with us?” Yao Guang asked.

Yao Guang had been with Tian Ji for quite some time now; they had been colleagues since their time in the Netherworld, and now they had both become traitors to the Netherworld. After so many times of being together, they could be considered good comrades.

However, Yao Guang found it difficult to forgive Tian Ji’s concealment, especially since the one being deceived was Ji Mingzhu. If Yao Guang had to choose between Tian Ji and Ji Mingzhu, he would undoubtedly stand on Ji Mingzhu’s side.

After Tian Quan’s death, Yao Guang’s reliance shifted to Ji Mingzhu. Perhaps it was because of the previous quarrel with Tian Quan that Yao Guang didn’t even have the chance to speak his mind to Tian Quan, which led to a significant change in Yao Guang’s personality. He became extremely obedient, always considering things from Ji Mingzhu’s perspective.

Hearing Yao Guang’s words, Ji Mingzhu was surprised. “Why not take Tian Ji?”

Yao Guang hesitated. “But…”

“People are complex, Yao Guang,” Ji Mingzhu gently shook his head. “Don’t easily dismiss anyone important to you because of a small and insignificant mistake. Humans are creatures with complex emotions; lies can be gentle, and hatred can sometimes turn into love. It is precisely because of this complexity that people are fascinated by the shining aspects of humanity.”

Yao Guang looked bewildered.

Ji Mingzhu turned around and waved to Tian Ji. “Let’s go, Tian Ji, what are you waiting for?”

Tian Ji visibly hesitated for a moment.

Ji Mingzhu stood in the morning light, outlining a vague silhouette against the light, as if standing in a halo, dazzling and shimmering. His expression was usual, his attitude towards Tian Ji no different from usual, affectionate and full of trust.

As a modified human, Tian Ji rarely experienced intense emotional fluctuations, but at this moment, he clearly felt that his heart seemed to be beating more strongly, as if something was slowly awakening within him, an indescribable warm and comforting feeling flowing through his body, a feeling of… being trusted.

Tian Ji pursed his lips, and his usually stern eyes seemed to brighten for a moment.

“Coming.”

Tian Ji lowered his hand from his chest and walked towards them.

“A very philosophical passage.”

Axiu’s voice echoed in Ji Mingzhu’s mind: “But the wording doesn’t seem like your style.”

Ji Mingzhu snorted inwardly and responded, “My brother said it, so I’m just borrowing it. Is that not okay?”

“Of course it is,” Axiu replied.

In the eyes of many, Ji Mingzhu was often seen as someone who talked nonsense and was a bit out of sync, always adopting an “it’s none of my business” attitude towards the world, as if he were an onlooker.

But in reality, Axiu knew that the young man before him wasn’t entirely like that. In times of danger and adversity, he always showed a reliable side, and he never concealed his emotions when dealing with loved ones. He was passionate and fervent, like a shining sun illuminating those around him in the complex world of darkness and shadows.

Perhaps this was the biggest difference between Ji Mingzhu and Qi Ling, Bi Fang, and others.

The impact of the battle three days ago had yet to dissipate, and there were fewer people on the streets than usual.

After Qi Ling issued his declaration, the Netherworld Organization also announced that other residents of Yangyuan City who didn’t want to join the resistance fight were free to leave at any time. Therefore, it wasn’t difficult for Ji Mingzhu and the others to leave the city. Moreover, the Calamity Control Bureau didn’t have the resources to continue pursuing them.

Ji Mingzhu took out the piece of paper from his pocket and looked at the familiar handwriting.

Jiusheng City…

When he realized that this wasn’t another world but the future, he had once wondered if he could find traces of his past here. For example, places where Ji Mingzhu and Ji Qiming had lived, the former esports club, and Ji Qiming’s research institute might provide some useful clues. Unfortunately, hundreds of years had passed, and the war between humans and aberrations had damaged many original cities, leading to the establishment of new satellite cities. Without any reference points from the past, Ji Mingzhu had no idea where these places were.

If this piece of paper was indeed written by himself, it meant that the pre-amnesic Ji Mingzhu had the same thoughts as the current Ji Mingzhu. Before losing his memory, Ji Mingzhu had found the location of Ji Qiming’s research institute through some means and left clues for himself. Perhaps there were important things in the institute that could help Ji Mingzhu unravel the layers of fog and see the true truth.

In the clouds, the Sky City slowly sailed across the sky, the massive city shuttleing amidst the snowy white clouds, like the palace of the gods in myths, far away from the devastated world of mortals, distinct and clear.

Countless Immortals stood on either side of the divine palace, their size and appearance astonishingly similar. They gathered together like an army, their numbers astonishing. From afar, it was just a dark mass, stretching endlessly.

Few people on the ground ever saw the Immortals. Many believed that there weren’t many Immortals, as the ones who usually appeared on the ground were just a few familiar faces. But in fact, Immortals were mass-produced on assembly lines. As long as the Sky City was operational, new Immortals were being created every moment, and they were immortal. As long as the Sky City willed it, it could create a terrifying army at any time.

Lounging languidly in a comfortable and soft chair, Shenhong supported his chin with his hand, his gaze sweeping over his compatriots below.

He has been asleep for several months, but this amount of time is just a blink of an eye for the Immortals. Artificial intelligence does not have human religious culture; they don’t need to rely on imaginary gods for governance. However, as the true owner of Sky City and the highest leader of the Immortals, Shen Hong is considered a deity-like figure in the hearts of all Immortals.

Chun Bai, Jin Qing, Yan Mo… These twelve Immortals named after colors are Shen Hong’s trusted subordinates. At this moment, led by Chun Bai, they are reporting to Shen Hong about what has happened during his slumber.

“Titans…”

Shen Hong maintained his lazy posture. Upon hearing about the Titans losing control, his expression remained unchanged. “With three Titans in hand, are they preparing to declare war on us?”

Facing Shen Hong’s indifferent tone, Chun Bai paused and said, “But the Titans in the hands of the Netherworld Organization still pose a certain threat to us, mainly because… the humans have a certain firm belief in the Titans, seeing them as guardians. After the Netherworld Organization obtained the Titans, their status in the eyes of humans changed. I’m worried that the Netherworld Organization may take advantage of this opportunity to bind the humans to their camp, which would be detrimental to us…”

“It doesn’t matter,” Shen Hong chuckled. “If they really want to stand against us… then we’ll just kill them together.”

“But… the threat from the old humans has not been eliminated,” Chun Bai said. “If the new human faction no longer stands with us, it’s very likely that the old and new human factions will reach some sort of cooperation.”

Old humans.

When Chun Bai mentioned this term, Shen Hong’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Some people once stood here, holding a heart of salvation, wanting to save all beings.”

Shen Hong’s gaze fell beside him, as if reminiscing about someone. After a while, he turned his head and smiled gently. “But, what awaited him was not a good ending. He did everything he could to try to set the world on the right path, but he was ultimately destroyed by those… dear compatriots he wanted to save.”

There was a hint of sadness in Shen Hong’s gaze. “How foolish.”

Then he looked at the countless Immortals before him and said, “I have given them a chance, haven’t I? If those old humans really want to cooperate with the new humans, let them. It’s their choice. Why should I have any reason to stop them from heading towards destruction?”

There was a hidden killing intent in his calm tone. Chun Bai stood still for a moment, then nodded. “I understand what you mean.”

“There is one more thing.”

After a moment of thought, Chun Bai continued, “During the chaos caused by Zhu Rong’s loss of control, there was a human who caught my attention. When the Tianfei Orbital Cannon was fired, he was hiding in Zhu Rong’s cockpit, but the out-of-control Zhu Rong didn’t corrupt him, and it seems like she even had the intention of protecting him…”

“What’s his name?”

“The former Titan pilot of Shangjing City’s Calamity Control Bureau, Ji Mingzhu.”

Shen Hong’s movements paused, and he lifted his gaze to Chun Bai.

“Say that again.”

Shen Hong’s lazy posture finally changed. He sat up straight and said word by word, “What’s his name?”

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