How to Feed an Abyss!

Xuejian flowers are blooming one after another, and the sky is shimmering, submerging the small figure of the child.

Lu Tinghan reckoned that he had walked for four to five minutes, and the voice he heard and the presence he felt were still far, far away from him.

Can't go any further. He thought, he has to go back to the convoy and find other fighters to help, and he must bring that person home.

He turned back abruptly—

The sea of ​​flowers is in full bloom, and there is no way to turn back.

He took out the communicator and it showed that there was no signal.

The signal coverage of the convoy is very large. If a child walks for four or five minutes, he will definitely not be able to go out of the range. According to the team's preparations, it will take at least half an hour for them to start again.

Is there any accident? Or...had he walked so far unknowingly?

Lu Tinghan didn't know that he was already thousands of kilometers away. He walked back, from brisk trot to trot and then to run, he didn't know how many flower petals splashed, and his clothes were covered with light fragrance. He clearly remembered the location when he came, but he couldn't see the convoy anyway.

He stopped panting.

Except for Xue Jian or Xue Jian, this beautiful flower made people so desperate for the first time.

It's raining.

The rain was getting heavier, wet the clothes and quickly took away the heat. The rain was extremely cold, and he was only wearing a single shirt, and soon began to shiver.

He took out the communicator and wanted to try again, but a heavy shadow fell on him. He looked up—

I see myself in countless pairs of compound eyes.

It was a huge butterfly, and its translucent wings also had streamers, like a girl's veil skirt that glowed. It was sleeping in the sea of ​​flowers, awakened by him as an unexpected guest, and now longs for a feast.

A feast of flesh and blood.

run!

The child turned and ran. The potential that a person bursts out at the moment of life and death is infinite. He has never run so fast, faster than the wind, and the butterfly follows him like a shadow.

He was about to be caught up.

His young body was still too fragile, his legs and feet were numb, and his heart beat like a hammer, beating his chest repeatedly.

He didn't notice that the butterfly's tentacles touched the corner of his clothes, and then retracted suddenly. It stayed in the distance and never dared to chase again. And Lu Tinghan was still running forward, into the sea of ​​flowers all over the sky, until he—

Until he hit the ground.

The white flowers blocked his sight, and he didn't see the abyss beneath his feet. He reacted quickly after stepping into the air, turned around and grabbed several snowflakes, there was a sound of tearing the roots of the plants, the flowers broke, and he fell down with a large bunch of white flowers.

A dense black mist enveloped him, and his vision was dark, as if an eternal death.

At first there was a sense of weightlessness and the sound of wind, but soon they all disappeared and disappeared without a trace.

He thought, he was going to die.

But he didn't.

The black mist gradually turned into substance, supported him, and made his fall soft. After an unknown amount of time, he landed gently on the ground.

Looking around, the earth is gray and black, and there is nothing else.

He actually came to the bottom of the abyss.

And the strange thing is...he knew that the person he was looking for was here. He has reached his destination.

It was pitch black, and the only source of light was Xuejian in his hand, a gentle twilight, Lu Tinghan walked a few steps forward with the flowers in his arms, the black mist above his head looked down at him, as if observing him.

Observe his expression, movements and appearance.

More than ten minutes later, black mist flowed violently. Using the dim light, Lu Tinghan saw a figure appearing in front of him.

It was a boy with first-born devil horns and black scales at the end of his eyes. He had a delicate appearance, and his eyes were as black as an abyss.

No one would have imagined that the abyss would turn into a human.

At that time, Lu Tinghan couldn't think of it either. He was only surprised and said: "Why are you here! Did you fall too?"

The boy didn't speak, his eyes were full of curiosity and caution, as well as a little bit of timidity.

Lu Tinghan took a few steps forward and said, "Great, do you know how to go up? As long as we go up, we can find the convoy and leave here."

He got close, and the boy unconsciously took a few steps back.

"Don't go," Lu Tinghan said, "I'm here to find you."

He stretched out his hand, wanting to grab Shi Yuan, but unexpectedly, Shi Yuan backed away abruptly, and his figure disappeared into the darkness.

So, the child could only look for someone with the flowers in his arms, calling out in a childish voice: "Hey-hey-where are you?"

"Come out! Let's go back together."

"I'm here to find you! I know you've been here alone for a long time!"

No matter how you shout, the boy will not show up again.

Lu Tinghan's mouth was parched, and the exhaustion from running away just now came back. After walking for a long time, he finally couldn't support himself and sat on the ground.

He is cold and sleepy.

This is not a good omen, once you close your eyes here, it may be eternal sleep. He took a deep breath, patted his cheek, and was about to get up, when a thick and long black tail flashed by the edge of his vision.

He looked up, and the boy crouched in front of him, tilting his head to look at him.

The eyes are still probing and curious.

The child reluctantly said: "Don't be afraid of me, let's go back together and go to the ground."

juvenile:"…"

"You... can you understand me? My name is Lu Tinghan, what about you?"

The boy remained silent, unmoved. There was no sign of understanding in his eyes.

So Lu Tinghan understood that the boy didn't understand the language—at least the Union language.

For a child, without language, it is too difficult to show kindness. Lu Tinghan thought for a while, and distributed a few of the Xuejianhua in his hand: "For you."

A faint light fell on the boy's eyes, and he slightly opened them wide.

"Have you ever seen a flower?" Lu Tinghan continued, even though he knew that the young man couldn't understand, "This is the alliance flower, which represents hope, and everyone likes it." He handed the flower forward again.

This time, the boy cautiously extended his hand.

The slender fingers first touched the leaves, then the stems, and then the soft white petals. He took Xuejian from Lu Tinghan's hand and held it in his arms.

He had never seen such a thing before, and looked at it with wide eyes, which was very novel.

The floral fragrance is light, gentle and beautiful, and the soft touch is still between the fingers.

juvenile:"…"

He beamed.

Seeing this smile, Lu Tinghan relaxed and said, "You like flowers, don't you?"

The boy hugged the flower without speaking, but looked at him, this time with joy in his eyes.

Lu Tinghan suddenly felt that the boy really wanted to be patted by him.

——This feeling came suddenly and inexplicably, but he just knew it. He stretched out his immature hand and stroked the boy's black hair lightly.

This time, the boy's eyes opened even wider.

Lu Tinghan touched it again.

juvenile:"…!"

The tip of his tail began to wag merrily.

So Lu Tinghan messed up his soft black hair, and the young man's tail swayed like a colorful flag, looking at him with bright eyes and full of joy.

"Aren't you afraid of me now?" Lu Tinghan asked tentatively, "Can you get back to the ground? Ground-surface-"

He pointed up.

The boy followed his fingers and looked up.

"We have to go back," Lu Tinghan was still saying, "see where there are rocks, or places to climb. You have been here for a long time, right? I will accompany you, let's go to the city together, And then... hmm?"

Before he finished speaking, he floated up.

The boy turned into mist in front of him, supporting him upwards.

all the way up.

Until I saw the gray sky again, the chaotic rain, and the blooming snow and flowers.

Xiao Lu Tinghan opened his eyes wide in surprise.

The boy stood in front of him, beside the empty abyss, still hugging the flowers he sent.

"Are you... a human?" Lu Tinghan asked.

He wasn't sure what a boy was, not like a purely human being, but he had never heard of a monster that could assume human form and have a mind. Seeing this power beyond ordinary people, he was not very afraid.

The boy's tail curled up in confusion.

He stood alone in the rain, his forehead was wet, and he was still alone. In him, the eternal loneliness has not disappeared.

At this moment, the child made up his mind.

He took the boy's hand and said, "Anyway, come with me. We'll talk about it when we find other people. If you're afraid of them, run away. If you like them, you can stay with me. I, I Seems to know what you're thinking, you just want company, don't you?"

He pulled the boy slightly forcefully, and walked towards the way back in his memory.

It is said to be tough, but the child's strength is not much, and he can break free easily when he is young.

But he didn't.

He followed Lu Tinghan silently, occasionally looked around, and most of the time he stared fixedly at this little human being.

Too much physical exertion, even knowing that the surroundings are not safe, the child has to stop and rest after walking for a while.

At this time the rain stopped, he sat in the sea of ​​flowers, and the boy sat beside him with his tail crossed.

"...Look." Lu Tinghan took out the communicator and called up a picture, "This is a garden, with roses, roses, tulips, and this blue flower, I don't know what it's called. Usually Uncle Cai is taking care of it—oh, Uncle Cai is the support staff.”

The teenager looks at the flowers on the picture.

Lu Tinghan felt a burst of fire burning in his lungs, with a burning pain.

He coughed a few times, and switched to the next photo: "This is a city street. It was taken in front of my house. Isn't it very lively? There are people everywhere, there are also people selling food and drink, and kite sellers. Clothes sellers."

The teenager bent his tail, a little confused.

Lu Tinghan showed him many more photos.

He doesn't like to take pictures, most of the photos are sent by relatives and friends, and he saves them, only twenty or thirty.

But for teenagers, it was novel enough. He hugged his tail, nestled beside Lu Tinghan, and saw the magnificent sunset, the gorgeous sky, the scattered forests, and the majestic and stretching city walls.

Even if he couldn't understand the language, Lu Tinghan explained to him one by one.

He knew that teenagers liked these very much.

Everything in the world, where can a few photos cover it? But he saved a few of his favorite pictures and showed the young man his favorite scene, hoping to heal the feeling of loneliness. There was light in his eyes as he spoke.

The photos are over.

"We, we have to keep going. We haven't found the convoy yet. I promised to take you back." Xiao Lu Tinghan wanted to stand up, but his feet were weak and he almost fell.

The boy supported him.

For most of the next day, they walked in the sea of ​​flowers.

Bai Hua, who sent Lu Tinghan here, was no longer restless, and could not take him away, they could only move forward on foot. His body was getting colder and colder, and his limbs began to feel weak. When he touched his face and behind his ears, it was terribly hot.

I don't know whether it was raining, or inhaling a large amount of infected pollen, or the phosphorous powder of the butterfly. Under the hunger and cold, he developed a fever.

A black shadow floated in front of his eyes, and his pace became slower and slower, stopping to rest from time to time. No matter what, he held the boy's hand tightly and would not let go.

He told stories in fits and starts.

He told the teenager how lively the city is, they can go and see it together.

Fortunately, they didn't meet any monsters along the way.

—Actually, there were monsters who coveted them, but they were scared away by the teenager.

The boy took his situation into consideration.

When Xiao Lu Tinghan sat down to breathe again, his face was pale, and the young man squatted in front of him, reached out and stroked his slightly sweaty hair.

"Let me take a break." The child coughed and shivered a few times, "Let's continue walking."

The boy still looked at him intently.

Black mist gushed out from his fingertips, and streaked across Lu Tinghan's cheek. If a convoy is nearby, the infection detectors will scream and hysterically warn.

At this moment, Lu Tinghan looked at him and understood what he meant.

[Let me infect you] The young man said, [This way you won't die, we can be together forever]

"...No way." Lu Tinghan said.

This time, he completely understood that the boy was not human anymore.

His mind was already confused, and he thought dizzily, but this little monster saved him, and... maybe because of his existence, they were not attacked by other monsters along the way.

The black mist stopped, and the boy tilted his head in confusion.

Lu Tinghan endured the burning sensation in his lungs and said, "No, I want to go back to the city. This is my home. Do you know what 'home' is?"

The boy is still confused.

"There are things I like there." Lu Tinghan explained, "Everything is there, I want to go back."

Or die on the way back.

The young man was slightly taken aback and looked at him.

He could see it. When talking about this topic, Lu Tinghan's expression was nostalgic and gentle, just like those old photos that survived. He had never seen such an expression before, and he didn't understand it, but a soft part of his heart was gently poked.

It was a... pure love.

It also reminded him of the look of this human being walking towards him step by step: leaving the team to go to the wilderness, traveling thousands of kilometers in the sea of ​​flowers, in order to find him, he must take him home.

The boy has been in the dark for too long, dreaming a dream that never ends. For the first time in his life, someone felt his loneliness.

Lu Tinghan came here for him.

Lu Tinghan continued: "Have you always been alone? One day you will understand, and you will have a family."

"Jia... home?" The boy imitated his speech.

"Yeah. Home." Lu Tinghan said, looking into the distance, "It's in that direction."

Across the endless sea of ​​snow and flowers, he seemed to see the city wall, the long street and buildings, and the hometown where he was born and raised.

He told Shi Yuan: "Don't infect other creatures anymore. Once infected, they won't be able to go home."

The boy repeated: "...home."

Lu Tinghan said, "Home."

A gust of wind blew up, and the sea of ​​flowers swayed like a sea tide. Lu Tinghan could feel that they began to bloom again, and they could take him through the wilderness again.

"Let's go quickly!" He was pleasantly surprised and greeted, "You can go back! I will take you away!"

He took the boy's hand, but was pulled back.

The boy stood still.

Lu Tinghan wanted to pull him, but he didn't. The boy looked at him fixedly and let go of his hand.

Lu Tinghan was taken aback: "You won't go back with me? Is it because... are you a monster?"

The boy didn't understand, and looked at him silently.

After a long journey, he saw a sea of ​​flowers. He still held the few flowers that Lu Tinghan gave him, but he refused to let go no matter what, and smiled at Lu Tinghan.

Lu Tinghan guessed: "You have walked so far with me, are you afraid? You are afraid of seeing humans."

He remembered that there was timidity in the boy's eyes. This is a world that the boy has never seen in his entire life. He is not ready to go to the city yet, and there is no one he likes enough to walk into the crowd of thousands of people.

It was a dreamy day to travel with.

But the dream is coming to an end.

Lu Tinghan: "...I understand. But I can't stay, I have to go. What should I do?"

The boy couldn't answer him.

Lu Tinghan's body became colder and colder, and his mind began to blur.

In the chaotic thoughts, he tried to stay clear, thought for a while, stood on tiptoe, tried to touch the boy's head, and saw the tip of the tail immediately swaying happily.

"I'm sorry, but goodbye," he said. "Thank you for saving me. I hope we will meet again in the future, and you will like everything I show you."

He turned around, took two steps, and looked back.

The young man hugged the flowers, stood in the dim light and looked at him, still alone, still alone.

For such a soul, the companionship of just a dozen hours is like a flash in the pan.

He reminded Lu Tinghan that every time he sat in an empty house, the lights were dimmed and everything was silent, he would sneak out and climb up the tall energy tower. He looked at the city in the night, hoping to guard it, but he came down from the top of the tower and locked the doors and windows from house to house. When he was walking on the long street without people, he was lonely like a shadow, and suddenly caught him under the street lamp. .

A few moths circled the white light bulb and kept hitting it, making a slight rattling sound. The wilderness was windy, whimpering.

He understands how it feels.

At this moment, their feelings are intertwined.

Lu Tinghan: "..."

Lu Tinghan suddenly said: "I will come back to find you again."

The boy curled his tail in confusion.

"I will come back to you again." Lu Tinghan took half a step forward and promised, "No matter what happens, no matter what the price is, I will come back to you."

—At that time, neither children nor teenagers understood the weight of this promise.

And he still promised: "I will find you and stay with you."

The teenager blinked his eyes briskly.

Lu Tinghan thought, he probably understood what he meant.

Lu Tinghan turned around in three steps and walked into the sea of ​​flowers. The boy watched him leave.

The wind blows, the petals fly, and he disappears into the wilderness.

Later, Lu Tinghan, who had disappeared for more than a day, miraculously returned to the convoy.

The tests were done again and again, and he was not infected, but he had a high fever for a whole week. After being infected, Xue Jianhua was harmless. He inhaled pollen for a long time and suffered from cold and starvation, but it made him burnt out and fell into a coma.

When he woke up again, the child sat up and said, "I seem to... have gone to the edge of the abyss, and there are people under the abyss."

"The nearest abyss is thousands of kilometers away, and you will never be able to get there." The nurse turned her head and said in a low voice, "This kid must be crazy."

"I really saw it." The child held his head that was throbbing with headache, "I even talked to him, he, he... what does he look like?"

No matter how hard I recalled, I couldn't remember that face.

Moreover, that memory is fading rapidly, as if a drunken dream has finally woken up.

"Take a good rest." The nurse pressed him down and told him to lie down. "You see, it's all nonsense. Let me tell you, sometimes when you have a high fever, you will have messy dreams, and those are not real—you just Needs a good rest. You are so lucky to have survived."

Xiao Lu Tinghan stared at the white ceiling of the hospital.

His head was still hurting, so he suddenly asked, "Then—what happened to Abyss No. 0?"

"Abyss No. 0?" The nurse was a little surprised, "I don't know much about this... I heard from Captain Huang who sent you over, it seems to have calmed down suddenly." She smiled, "Oh yes! If you say that, I Thinking about it, Captain Huang also said that this incident was quite strange, the turmoil in Abyss No. 0 was like that, everyone thought it would infect other creatures, and the infection wave broke out, but it turned out to be so relieved, which is really a miracle."

She put a cup of hot water on the bedside: "My child, it is a miracle that you survived. Go to sleep for a while, after you wake up, you can forget all your dreams."

Lu Tinghan closed his eyes and fell into a drowsy sleep.

After waking up, he drew a sketch of a boy holding a flower and standing in the light.

Afterwards, even the painting was forgotten - who could have believed such a marvelous night?

Later, he grew up and entered the military academy.

Yu Qingmei has been studying Abyss No. 0, and Lu Tinghan asked her about her progress several times.

Somehow, he has some special attention to the No. 0 abyss, and even he himself can't explain why.

Once, Yu Qingmei held a cup of tea, lowered her eyes, shook the cup gently, and replied: "To be honest, I think someone should monitor Abyss No. 0."

Lu Tinghan: "Why?"

"It's just a feeling." Yu Qingmei said, "Because I always feel that... I can find light in it." She smiled, "To be honest, I think it's best for you to monitor, can't you speculate about monsters? What is your idea? Maybe you can figure out what is so special about Abyss No. 0. I still believe that my research on it is meaningful."

Find the light in the abyss.

This sounds incredible, and to Academician Yu, it is also an extremely emotional sentence.

But Lu Tinghan just believed it.

As graduation approached, Lu Tinghan suddenly had a strong feeling: he was going to the side of the No. 0 abyss.

He has to go.

Everyone was against him, but Lu Tinghan still insisted.

In front of many officers and Admiral Su Enqi, he stood upright and presented Yu Qingmei's research conclusions and hypotheses one by one. He said that Professor Yu also felt that Abyss No. 0 was special, and he wanted to find the answer—and, it must be him, who knew how to infect creatures.

"Ridiculous!" Su Enqi slapped the table angrily, "I will not agree! Professor Yu's project has not yet produced results, and no one will study it again. How can we keep this empty promise?! We can send other It doesn't have to be you in the past!"

Lu Tinghan did not back down.

The debate lasted for a long time, and finally ended with Su Enqi's concession. He asked Lu Tinghan to undergo a five times stronger psychological assessment, and at the same time, participate in commanding the battle during the surveillance period.

The old general sighed, "I'm still too soft-hearted. Tell me, don't people become soft-hearted as they get older?"

Lu Tinghan saluted him.

Before leaving, Lu Tinghan said again: "Besides, I also went to keep my promise. It was... a very, very important promise."

Su Enqi frowned: "What promise?"

Yeah, what's the promise? It allows him to travel thousands of miles to the towering surveillance tower.

Lu Tinghan didn't remember either.

I don't remember that in the sea of ​​snow and flowers, he looked at the lonely boy and promised that no matter what happens, no matter what the price is, I will come back to you.

Even if the promise has been forgotten, he still keeps the appointment.

Half a month later, at the age of 18, he packed his bags and got on the aircraft.

The aircraft flew across the beautiful sky and flew towards the monitoring tower of Abyss 0.

So 10 years.

At the age of 8, he walked through the sea of ​​flowers, went to the wasteland to find a boy, and presented a bouquet of flowers to the abyss; at the age of 18, he kept his promise and became a watcher, accompanying Abyss No. 0 for 10 years, until the horn of war sounded again; 28 At the age of 10, he had to end the surveillance and return to the city. A few months later, a strange teenager appeared, holding a knotted tail, and threw himself into his arms, letting him untie it.

Lu Tinghan didn't find the answer he wanted, but their story began from then on.

As time passed, the cold rain outside the house was accompanied by muffled thunder, just like the thunderstorm in the main city many years ago.

Shi Yuan nestled in his arms, and said: "I know you don't remember this incident—I couldn't understand what you said at that time. But, I saw this sketch, I think you should be asking I promise, come back and be with me."

"...Well." Lu Tinghan said, "Yes, I promised so."

Shi Yuan said: "I still remember your expression—I just woke up at that time, and I was very restless. Fortunately, I met you, otherwise I don't know what will happen. Maybe I will be the same as other abysses."

"You found me, gave me flowers, and touched my head. When you showed me those photos and talked about your home, I saw for the first time what liking is." He thought for a while, " I didn't understand the word at the time, but I just remembered that feeling, thinking that one day I might have it too. Then you came back to accompany me, and I knew that I liked you very much. This is what you taught me stuff. I ended up liking it too, the stuff you told me."

Lu Tinghan was speechless for a moment.

Shi Yuan: "So I was thinking, actually, I'm a bit regretful that I couldn't meet you with my real identity—I now know what a 'sense of ritual' is."

Lu Tinghan thought of something and smiled: "Yeah, think about it carefully, the three times we met... it was a bit strange. The first time I fell, I was disheveled and sick, and you didn't tell me the second time Speaking up, the third time I rescued you from the hijackers is not a suitable occasion for a reunion."

"That's right." Shi Yuan curled up his tail tangled, "But what should we do? We probably won't meet for the fourth time."

"It's okay," Lu Tinghan said, "It's okay now, I just haven't introduced myself well." He looked at Shi Yuan, "Although it's been so long, it's strange to say that again, but, Shi Yuan, let us Let's get to know each other again."

The tip of Shi Yuan's tail swayed immediately: "Then let me find you! This time I found you!"

Although it is a play, it has to be done seriously.

So, on this rainy night, Shi Yuan knocked on Lu Tinghan's door again.

Lu Tinghan opened the door.

The boy with little devil horns stood outside the door, with exquisite features and bright eyes.

As if it was the day we met, the boy looked at him with timidity and desperate courage and said, "Hello, I am the abyss, can you continue to stare at me?"

He added: "I help you bury the garbage every day!"

Lu Tinghan:?

Lu Tinghan:? ? ?

He just remembered something and suddenly opened his eyes wide.

Seeing his expression, Shi Yuan immediately protested: "Why do you have such an expression! I'm so serious!"

"...Okay, I see." Lu Tinghan recovered from the shock of throwing trash, and restrained his expression.

The light fell on his body, outlining his straight figure and deep eyebrows. He looked at Shi Yuan and said, "I'm Lu Tinghan."

"I am the general of the alliance, your watcher, and your lover."

"I will keep my promise to stay by your side, always sincere and honest, take you to see every corner of the city, and... never let you bury garbage again."

"Okay." Shi Yuan said briskly, "You've said that, then I'll forgive you for your lack of quality. Now, Lu Tinghan, we've officially met."

"En." Lu Tinghan stretched out his hand to him.

Shi Yuan threw himself into Lu Tinghan's arms, smiling broadly.