The Mechanic [BL]

[117]

Chapter 117 – Descendant (1)

The feeling of flying while being held in Adam's arms was something Zhang Xun had imagined since he had given him his new pair of arms, but now that he was finally experiencing it, his feelings were incredibly mixed.

Adam's solid arms, which could change shape at will, were wrapped tightly around his body, the heat protecting his body from the cold air high above. The part of the material that separated from his arms turned into feathery wings that shot out hot blue flames, like the burning wings of a phoenix. He looked over Adam's shoulder at the thin cloud-covered sky and could hardly imagine that a hundred feet of empty air lay beneath him. If Adam's arms let go of him he would be shattered in a matter of seconds.

But he felt so safe that he couldn't even find a trace of doubt. During this flight it seemed that suddenly everything on earth was so far away, the dark future he faced so far away, the punishment he and Adam would face from Eden so far away.

He almost wished the journey had been longer.

The first random coordinates Adam chose were in the South American rainforests, not too far from a tribal settlement that still maintained a rare and primitive life. They had carefully avoided the major cities, thereby avoiding detection by Eden's surveillance network. Eden's coverage in the tropical rainforest wasn't good and a large part of the area had no signal, making one think that they had returned to a world hundreds of years ago when Eden didn't exist.

After entering the rainforest, Adam landed in a village and bought from the locals some simple signal transmitters and laptops, as well as an extremely primitive boat with an engine. It was the first time Zhang Xun had sat in such a boat and he watched curiously as Adam quickly pulled a rope and the noisy motor rumbled.

The emerald green river meandered through the rainforest, the hot, humid air moved slowly and they were occasionally brushed by the rich, green plants that reached for the water. All was quiet in the rainforest except for the muffled whirring of the motor, the stirring of the water and the occasional rustling of wings as birds in brilliant plumage rose from the dense branches.

Zhang Xun was very quiet, his somewhat blank eyes brushing over the occasional bubble rising from the water, his expression even serene, as if he were separated from everything around him by an invisible veil.

Adam stole a glance or two at Zhang Xun's expression, slightly tense and unsettled by this too-long silence. He took a packet of from his bag, a snack he had purchased in the village, fried and crispy and filled with meat and cheese, portable and easy to eat. He handed the packet to Zhang Xun, "Are you hungry?"

Zhang Xun's eyes finally took on a hint of life, as if he had suddenly awoken from a dream. He took the paper bag with some hesitation, took out one of the pastries from it and took a bite, "How much longer?"

"Soon." Adam said, opening his palm and gradually several miniature insect robots emerged from the silvery material. They vibrated their wings and flew out in all directions from his palm, quickly merging with the mosquitoes that littered the sky and disappearing into thin air.

Adam watched the flying insects and gave Zhang Xun a bright smile, "These robots were all made based on your design."

Zhang Xun tugged at the corner of his mouth. He still remembered his younger days, locking himself in the house for months to develop these miniature insect robots that were difficult to be detected by Eden. When children his age were out playing and hunting, those tiny parts and rudimentary tools were his only companions and he had no idea what sorrow was, all his thoughts were on those metal parts.