Night's Nomenclature
Chapter 249: The Black Box

In Qing Chen’s imagination, a cyberpunk world should forever be shrouded in a gloomy sky.

Soil erosion and increased weathering, exacerbated by smog, plunged the world into a natural disaster.

However, in reality, when technology developed to the present day, and energy was replaced by efficient nuclear power, the sky became clear.

In the city, electric vehicles replaced fuel-powered vehicles. With less severe exhaust emissions, people could even see the stars at night.

In the wilderness, soil erosion was not that serious either. The lush vegetation in the Forbidden Zones served as a human defense against wind and sand.

Sometimes, Qing Chen would wonder, if one day this world really became a whole Forbidden Zone, if giants like Ding Dong ran wildly in the green ocean, and phoenixes nested in the giant tree crowns, it would be beautiful.

And giants like Ding Dong, born in the Forbidden Zone, would not be affected by the rules.

Countdown 2:00:00

In his home on the 132nd floor of Luoshen Building, Qing Chen took off the expensive suit issued by the Li Clan and chose a set of white sportswear from a closet his master bought him.

He put on a baseball cap and looked at his sofa.

There were traces of someone sitting on the sofa, but no one had touched his door before he returned.

Qing Chen only remembered Qing Family Shadow being able to enter the house without touching the outside door.

This further strengthened Qing Chen's judgment: the Forbidden Artifact that could open the Shadow Gate should be able to go to places the host had been to and seen.

The first time Qing Family Shadow came in, they still had to enter through the front door. Afterward, it was no longer necessary.

Qing Chen strongly suspected that during his stay at the Li Clan Ban Shan Mountain Estate, Qing Family Shadow came to rest for a while every day while he was away.

The kettle in the house had boiled water, and there were fine tea crumbs by the cup, indicating that someone had brewed tea.

Someone had used the bathroom, and someone had even showered there; even the bathtub had been used.

This Qing Family Shadow seemed to have completely disregarded themselves as an outsider…

Qing Chen sighed inwardly, it was really a headache to have such a person who could come and go as they pleased.

But what exactly did they want? Was his involvement in the Shadow Succession also their arrangement?

What did they want?

Qing Chen didn’t think much more and pulled down the brim of his hat, pushing open the door.

This time, he specifically listened to the sounds outside the door to avoid scaring the silver-haired girl Zheng Yi again.

However, when Qing Chen waited for the elevator, the silver-haired girl exclaimed again from the gradually opening door; her hand even reached into her small handbag, as if there were some kind of weapon inside.

Such as pepper spray.

Qing Chen wondered if the pepper spray in the Inner World would be more ferocious than that in the Outer World.

Only when the silver-haired girl discovered that the person outside the elevator was Qing Chen did she relax slightly. She curiously asked, “Why haven’t you been going to school recently?”

Qing Chen thought for a moment and replied, “I might not be able to afford college tuition, so I’m planning to get a job to earn money early.”

Zheng Yi was stunned, “Everything will work out, but you must go to school! The convenience store where I work is currently recruiting night shift cashiers. Should I recommend you for the job? You can definitely save enough tuition.”

“Thank you, I’ll consider it,” Qing Chen smiled as he walked into the elevator, “Go home and rest quickly.”

“Mmm,” after getting out of the elevator, the silver-haired girl walked two steps and then turned back, “Be sure to think about it carefully. The job isn’t really that hard.”

“Go home quickly,” Qing Chen smiled and waved his hand.

The elevator doors closed, and he turned to look at the transparent glass window outside.

In this city, girls like Zheng Yi had to fight desperately to earn an uncertain future.

She went to school in the morning, attended tutoring in the afternoon, and worked part-time at night.

She did everything to get into university.

But after university, the best way out was to continue working for the Conglomerate and then die suddenly at work.

This was a carefully designed world, and all the rules of the game were in the hands of the Conglomerate.

Qing Chen thought that his master Li Shutong and his friends had probably seen too many such unfortunate people that they were determined to change the world.

He put on a headset, and Yi asked in his ear, “You should return to the Outer World. The Data Fortress you agreed to in the second transaction is in your left pocket. After you go back, just plug it into the b port of your computer. By the way, in 14 days, Li Changqing will be watching you inject the 003 Gene Medicine. Have you thought about how to deal with it? Do you really plan to grit your teeth and inject it, or just escape?”

Previously, Qing Chen’s reason for refusing to inject the Gene Medicine was that he had just injected 004 and would have to wait another 18 days before he could inject the next dose.

Now four days have passed. This injection can't be avoided by simply hiding.

Qing Chen didn’t answer this question but asked something else, “What is the origin of the Knight?”

Yi replied, “It originated from extreme sports.”

“Extreme sports?” Qing Chen knew that each Trials of Life and Death was like a kind of extreme sport, but he had always thought it was a coincidence.

Yi said, “In the Knight history that my father completed, my grandfather, the founder of the Knight Order, initially only liked extreme sports. Later, when he became a top performer in various extreme sports fields and completed the Eight Trials of Life and Death challenge, the Gene Lock suddenly opened. It was from that time onwards that the Eight Trials of Life and Death challenge became the path of cultivation.”

Qing Chen knew that before the Breathing Technique was created, Knights needed to complete the Eight Trials of Life and Death to become true Knights, and only then would the Gene Lock open.

Before completing the eighth challenge, they were still ordinary people.

Ren He, Yi’s grandfather, didn’t know that this was a path of cultivation before completing the eight challenges.

Yi suddenly said, “Li Shutong is so empathetic to your ancestors in the Outer World because the Knight Order has always known that before the founder embarked on this path, he knew nothing about the era he would create, and he didn’t know that he would become a Metahuman.”

“Why did the founder complete these eight challenges?” Qing Chen curiously asked.

“Because of the love and belief in life,” Yi replied, “Actually, Li Shutong took you on as a disciple very hastily. According to the normal Knight disciple-taking procedure, you should first go through all the extreme sports, but he was too hasty, and you were too smart, so he skipped this process.”

Yi continued, “In the lives of Li Shutong and others, the Knight path is a process of cultivating one’s mind and body, a process of repeatedly challenging oneself, but for you, it is more of a path of cultivation, so you cannot be said to truly understand what the Knight Order is.”

Qing Chen pondered. He had a more utilitarian mind in taking this path, so he couldn’t feel the true meaning of this journey.

However, he had been moved by the magnificent sunrise on Qingshan Cliff. He felt an urge to go through the path that his master and the others had taken over the years.

Extreme sports.

This was something Qing Chen had felt unfamiliar with before, but it was something he had to become familiar with.

He had already figured out how to deal with Li Changqing.

But within 14 days, he had to complete the next Trials of Life and Death challenge.

Last time, it was his master who led him on the Knight path, and now he would set off on his own.

It snowed heavily in City 18, with the snow on the ground accumulating to a thickness of 30 centimeters. There were almost no pedestrians on the streets…

…

…

Return Countdown 00:30:00

In a dilapidated apartment in District 6, Liu Dezhu was anxiously waiting in the room. In addition to him, there were also Hu Xiaoniu and Zhang Tianzhen, who had just arrived in City 18.

Compared to Liu Dezhu, who kept tapping his foot, Hu Xiaoniu was much calmer.

Liu Dezhu held a long black box in his arms, constantly stroking it with his hands.

The black box was about 1.6 meters long and extremely heavy.

So heavy that when Liu Dezhu sat on the sofa holding it, his whole body would sink into the sofa.

This dilapidated apartment was well-equipped, with 24-hour hot water supply.

However, the three people in the room didn’t have the heart to pay attention to other things and just waited anxiously.

Zhang Tianzhen curiously asked, “Isn’t the Boss coming yet?”

Liu Dezhu looked at the time on his phone from time to time, “The Boss said he would come before his return, he will definitely come.”

“Okay,” Zhang Tianzhen looked at the black box in Liu Dezhu’s arms, “What exactly is this thing? After meeting you in City 18, I’ve seen you holding it all the time.”

“This is the Boss’s thing,” Liu Dezhu became vigilant, “We just do our own thing; don’t ask about things we shouldn’t. I haven’t opened this thing since I got it. I don’t know what’s inside.”

“Brother Liu, I feel you’ve changed a lot. You’re less slick. I’ve never seen you mention the Boss before,” Hu Xiaoniu curiously asked, “By the way, did the Boss agree to see us?”

“Of course, if he didn’t agree, could I let you come?” Liu Dezhu responded, “Just wait patiently, he must have something to tell you.”

“What does the Boss look like?” Zhang Tianzhen curiously asked.

Liu Dezhu’s Face^[-] darkened slightly, “Didn’t I already say it? Don’t ask about things you shouldn’t.”

“Oh,” Zhang Tianzhen deflated.

Hu Xiaoniu also looked at Zhang Tianzhen seriously, “As Time Travelers, we must first pay attention to confidentiality. No matter how cautious the Boss is, it’s not excessive. We just need to do our own thing.”

“Mmm, I understand,” Zhang Tianzhen nodded.

In a sense, the three people in this room could also be considered as Time Travelers who had appeared around Qing Chen and had passed a period of time verification, relatively reliable.

Qing Chen also thought carefully before deciding to see Hu Xiaoniu and Zhang Tianzhen.

At this moment, the sound of pressing the password lock came from outside the door.

The three people in the room looked up, and a mysterious Cat mask appeared before their eyes.

Qing Chen’s low voice asked, “Everyone’s here.”

After speaking, he turned his gaze to the black box in Liu Dezhu’s arms.

Liu Dezhu presented the black box with both hands, his eyes filled with tears, “Boss, without you, I might really spend my life in prison. I’ve brought you the thing; I swear to you, I absolutely didn’t open it to take a look.”

Qing Chen thought for a moment and said, “Well done.”

…

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.