Chapter 494: Shining on the Ideal Path (2)

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Lin Ran’s choice to sacrifice himself was undoubtedly cruel to his family.

As if noticing the change in Feng Qi’s expression, the smile on Lin Ran’s face disappeared. He suddenly asked.

“Brother Qi, is it coming for me soon?”

Looking at Lin Ran, he couldn’t help but sigh.

At this moment, a smile appeared on Lin Ran’s face again. Then, he punched his chest.

“You’ve already sacrificed so many timelines. It’s time for me to experience the feeling of not turning back for my ideals.”

“Let’s not talk about this outside. Let’s enter the base first.”

Then, he walked into the base with Lin Ran.

After returning to the base, Feng Qi and Lin Ran returned to their rooms and put down their luggage.

Then, he changed into the uniform of a Tiger Soul Research Institute researcher and arrived at Lin Ran’s private laboratory.

Pushing open the door, Feng Qi saw that Lin Ran was sitting on the sofa, waiting.

He sat down on the sofa and looked at Lin Ran with a complicated expression.

”Ah Ran, the owner of the fog has taken control of the Tiger Soul Research Institute.”

Lin Ran wasn’t surprised when he heard this. Instead, he nodded calmly.

“Yes, I’ve guessed it. When will he come to possess me?”

“Maybe tonight…”

Before he could finish speaking, there was a knock on the door of the private laboratory.

“Come in.”

At this moment, the door to the room was pushed open. A man in the uniform of the Tiger Soul Research Institute walked up to Lin Ran and handed him a document. Then, he said respectfully.

“Team Leader Lin, this is a document from the Tiger Soul Research Institute’s headquarters.”

Taking the document, Lin Ran immediately nodded.

“Thank you.”

After the staff left, he lowered his head and scanned the contents of the document.

Feng Qi knew what the contents of this document were about.

It was obvious that the owner of the fog had used the authority of the headquarters to transfer Lin Ran back to the headquarters with him.

After waiting for a moment, Lin Ran looked up at him.

“Brother Qi, the headquarters will give us a day to prepare. Tonight, you and I will be transferred back to the headquarters.”

Hearing this, he had mixed feelings.

“Don’t look so glum. This day will come sooner or later. I’m ready for it.”

“Have you considered your family?”

Hearing this, Lin Ran couldn’t help but fall silent, and a conflicted look appeared in his eyes.

After a long silence, he looked up at Feng Qi and said.

“Brother Qi, I’ve grappled with my past. I questioned why I should sacrifice myself for the future of the main timeline… but in the end, I managed to overcome the inner turmoil.”

Taking a deep breath, Lin Ran continued with red eyes.

“When I was in school, 1 heard the teachers talk about the stories of the martyrs. I was often so excited that my blood boiled. I also frequently imagined that if a mission came one day, I would certainly be like the martyrs and shed my blood for my ideal future.”

“Now that my childhood dream has manifested in reality, after much struggle, I understand my heart’s desires and make the choices I believe are right.”

Looking at the determined Lin Ran, Feng Qi couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

Only then did he understand that Lin Ran’s determination was not inferior to his.

At this moment, he stood up and patted Lin Ran’s shoulder solemnly.

“Ah Ran, say your final goodbyes. You don’t have much time left.”

With that, he walked out of the room without looking back, wanting to give Lin Ran some privacy.

After Feng Qi left, Lin Ran took out his cell phone.

He opened the album list.

As he flipped through the photos of his family, his eyes could not help but turn red.

He opened the contact list and scanned through the names.

But he still didn’t make the call.

He realized that he could not bear to say goodbye to his family. He did not even know what to say at this moment.

At this moment, Feng Qi, who had walked out of the laboratory, leaned against the wall with mixed feelings.

He could feel the sorrow in Lin Ran’s heart.

He could understand Lin Ran’s feelings.

Grief was not indecisive, and it had nothing to do with one’s determination.

After experiencing so many timelines, he understood a principle.

In history, heroes who were willing to sacrifice themselves for the greater good would shed tears, yet they would press on with tears in their eyes.

The road to one’s ideal was covered in thorns.

If he wanted to move forward, sacrifice and pain were inevitable.

Taking a deep breath, he suppressed the surging emotions in his heart and walked straight to his room.

A moment later, he returned to his room.

He reached under the bed and pulled out the metal box sent by the Scarlet Research Institute.

After completing the verification, he took out the memory-erase potion stored in the container as the ice mist rose.

He also wore the Miracle Bracelet on his wrist.

Next, he sat on the bed and began to wait.

Lin Ran only had one day left. The private plane from the Tiger Soul Research Institute’s headquarters would arrive at night.

He felt that Lin Ran needed some privacy.

To think, reminisce, and say his goodbyes…

8 p.m.

The Tiger Soul Research Institute’s private plane stopped on the tarmac inside the sub-base’s wall.

After Feng Qi and Lin Ran packed their luggage, they walked out of the sub-base.

After confirming the situation with the people who came to receive them, they boarded the Tiger Soul Research Institute’s private plane.

Without staying for long, the Tiger Soul Research Institute’s private plane flew into the night sky after picking them up.

The headquarters of the Tiger Soul Research Institute was situated in the southernmost suburb of Star City. While more remote than the base, its relative area was over 10 times that of the sub-base.

30 minutes later, Feng Qi and Lin Ran got off the plane.

What appeared in front of them was a small city with towering Tiger Soul Research Institute buildings standing in front of them.

The Tiger Soul Research Institute’s headquarters was brightly lit at night.

The Tiger Soul Research Institute’s headquarters was the most eye-catching. It was located in the center, and under the light, it was like a golden sword that pierced into the clouds.

At this moment, a staff member was waiting.

Seeing them get off the plane, he immediately went forward enthusiastically.

The people at the Tiger Soul Research Institute’s headquarters were no strangers to Lin Ran.

Many staff and researchers were even loyal fans of his.

Upon learning that Lin Ran had been transferred back to the headquarters, the official group chats of the various departments of the Tiger Soul Research Institute erupted with activity.

Now that he saw his idol personally, the staff seemed a little excited.

Following the staff, they arrived at the Tiger Soul Research Institute’s headquarters.

Along the way, Feng Qi realized that the Tiger Soul Research Institute’s security system was on a completely different level from the Scarlet Research Institute.

However, after thinking about it carefully, he could understand the reason.

There were two layers of defense in the Tiger Soul Research Institute.

If one were to attack the Tiger Soul Research Institute, they had to face Star City’s defense forces first.

The second line of defense was the subordinates and garrisons in the Tiger Soul Research Institute.

However, this portion of power was generally distributed at the exits of the Tiger Soul Research Institute’s wall. Only a small number of individuals were in charge of internal security.

This was related to the fact that the higher-ups of the Tiger Soul Research Institute did not know about the hidden dangers inside.

They believed that the two lines of defense were sufficient to protect the Tiger Soul Research Institute. If these two lines of defense were breached, the strength of the Tiger Soul Research Institute’s overall defense would be rendered ineffective.

This defensive arrangement clearly did not expect an invasion and infiltration.

In comparison to the defense at the several checkpoints inside and outside the Scarlet Research Institute, the defense of the Tiger Soul Research Institute could be considered quite weak.

They followed the staff to the Tiger Soul Research Institute and took the elevator down to the third basement floor.

They were assigned new rooms here, with Lin Ran’s room located next to Feng Qi’s.

After the staff left, Lin Ran closed the door.

He went to the luggage and took out the container containing the memory-erase potion.

Without hesitation, he unscrewed the cap and poured the liquid into his mouth.

He chose to drink it at this time so as not to arouse the owner of the fog’s suspicion.

This proved that everything was normal before he entered the Tiger Soul Research Institute.

Looking at the time, it was already nine in the evening.

He knew that the owner of the fog could come at any time and take away his body.

Sitting by the bed, the past surged in his mind like a slideshow. Then, page by page, it was torn away.

It resembled an eraser, wiping away memories and eliminating everything in its path.

His memories led the way for the eraser. The past remained vivid in his mind, continuously surging forward.

“Ah Ran, you’re our pride. We’re proud of you.”

“I’m a genius! I’m gonna call this method of casting spells the… Hand Seal technique.”

“The tough environment is beneficial to my growth. I’ve decided to apply to Winter Academy!”

“I want to fulfill Grandpa’s wish. I want to develop a super cultivation technique that can change the future.”

As he recalled, his expression gradually became demented.

Many images became blurry.

In the end, the image of him sitting in class when he was young, clenching his fists and swearing appeared in his mind.

“I, Lin Ran, will become a hero like the martyrs in the future.”

His initial heart was like a torch, illuminating his ideal path.

Tears streamed down from the corners of his eyes. His gaze was utterly lost, retaining only a hint of determination before the impending loss of memory..