Ground Stars / 地上星 · Ch.15 第15章 偷袭
第15章 偷袭
Chapter 15: A Sneak Attack
难怪这里每个人都看上去那么疯，从一苏醒到现在，已经好几个人或骗、或引诱、或直接抢自己的时序。
No wonder everyone here looked so insane — ever since waking up, several people had either tricked, lured, or outright tried to steal his Chronos.
那个白鸳甚至连刘明的一个月时序也不放过。
That Bai Yuan even had the audacity to covet Liu Ming’s measly one month of Chronos.
这大概都是因为，每个月月末都会扣除掉三百年寿命！
It all boiled down to one thing: at the end of every month, three hundred years of life were deducted!
杨子藏想到，或许在白鸳眼中，自己四人都是没几天可活的人。
Yang Zicang thought that, perhaps in Bai Yuan’s eyes, the four of them had only a few days left to live.
每个月能存活下来的新人，估计很多人都会莫名奇妙就被骗走数十年寿命，然后在月末的时候才恍然发现上当了——自己的投资不会有回报了。
Among the newcomers who survived each month, many likely fell for some scheme and lost decades of their lifespan without understanding how, only to realize at month’s end that they had been duped — and that their investment would never yield a return.
因为作为债主的自己马上就会死去。
Because they themselves, as the creditors, will die soon.
还好，因为自己是初来乍到，所以第一个月只会扣除一百五十年，但那也是每天十年！
Fortunately, as a newcomer, only one hundred and fifty years would be deducted in the first month—but even that was ten years per day!
「什么资讯都不给新人说，呼。」
“Not giving any information to the newcomers, huh…”
杨子藏结束掉了跟那孩子的心灵连结。
Yang Zicang ended the mental connection with that child.
笃笃笃。
Thump, thump, thump.
敲门声响起。
A knock sounded at the door.
「请进。」
“Come in.”
门咯吱声被推开。
The door creaked open.
一个昨日被自己救下，但已变得苍老无比的妇人穿著陈旧的衣衫，带著歉意与客气地在门口道：
A woman—saved by him yesterday, yet now withered with age—stood at the threshold, dressed in worn-out clothes, her tone apologetic and restrained:
「谢谢你，杨先生，昨天…」
“Thank you, Mr. Yang. Yesterday…”
忽地，杨子藏感觉手上的手机开始轻微震动，萤幕突然变得充满花斑，仿佛晶元异常显示似的。
Suddenly, Yang Zicang felt his phone begin to vibrate faintly, the screen becoming mottled as if the chip were malfunctioning.
他一下面色狂变。
His expression twisted violently.
「快出去！」
“Get out—now!”
女人愣了下。
The woman was taken aback.
她看到男人手上的手机正在散发出道道微弱暗红雾气，如梦幻般的隐约心跳声在房间回荡。
She saw the phone in the man’s hand emanating faint streams of dark red mist, ghostly sounds of a heartbeat echoing eerily through the room.
想起昨夜这里的主人对自己的叮嘱，她恐惧地道：
Recalling the warnings the owner of this place gave her last night, she stammered in terror:
「难道，难道他们说的，是真的？ 我靠近这些……」
“Could it be… could what they said be true? I get close to these…”
「快出去！ 快！」
“Get out! Now!”
杨子藏赶紧将它丢进楚强给自己的箱子里，一下将牠死死按紧。
Yang Zicang hastily tossed it into the box Chu Chiang had given him, pressing the lid down tight.
「怎么可能。」 门口的妇人吓傻了般盯著里面。
“How is this possible?” The woman at the doorway stood frozen, staring wide-eyed into the room.
杨子藏拎起这箱子从女人身边快速跑了出去，靠近她的时候，杨子藏感觉这箱子震动了下，里面似有什么东西在撞击。
Yang Zicang darted past her, carrying the box. As he neared her, he felt the thing inside give a thump, as if something was hammering from within.
拎著这口随时可能成为「炸弹」的箱子，青年胸口Moexl亮起，他再次用联系自己唯一被投资人，梁喜。
Gripping this chest that could turn into a “bomb” at any moment, the young man’s Moxel on his chest lit up as he summoned again the only Indexed Keeper, Liang Xi.
感应画面出现，暗黑通道内浑身肮脏的少年惊异的看来。
The sensory image appeared—a dark, filthy channel, where a grimy-looking boy stared back in shock.
｛咦，哥，你怎么了。｝
{Huh? Bro, what’s wrong with you?}
「你所在的老鼠巢穴入口，在哪里？！」
“Where is the entrance to the rat’s nest you’re in?!”
……
越野车穿梭在栋栋破败建筑之间。
An off-road vehicle wove between the rows of dilapidated buildings.
车上的余菲很有兴致地把玩著这枚珍贵的交错频晶。
Yu Fei on the vehicle played with the precious Interlace Crystal with great interest.
「老大，频晶虽然弄到了，但那 A 级模器，恐怕不好弄啊。」
“Boss, although we’ve got the Frequency Crystal, that A-grade Modulator won’t be easy to obtain.”
余菲叹了口气地将频晶收入怀中，望向车前不断后退的道路。
Yu Fei sighed, tucked the Frequency Crystal into her bosom, and gazed at the road receding before the vehicle.
「恶魇变成模器，就算能力还在，也会降低非常多。 可惜那张飞铠甲了。 倒立加防御万载时序，随便拎出来个都是宝贝。 做成模器能完整保住一个效果都难。」
“Even if Nightmares are turned into Modulators, their abilities would still degrade significantly. What a pity about that Zhang Fei armor. Its inverted stance and Chronos-powered defense are treasures, each one a gem. But even making it into a Modulator to preserve a single effect is hard enough.”
「但也比没有得好。」
“Still, better than nothing.”
车上一人道，「我们得想个办法弄到手。 如果还能防御时序攻击，稳定 A 级交错地，不过分分钟的事情。」
One person on the vehicle said, “We need to find a way to get our hands on it. If it can also defend against Chronos attacks, stabilizing an A-level interlace won’t be more than a matter of minutes.”
余菲脸上露出沉思。
Yu Fei’s face showed contemplation.
他身后一男子阴笑了声：「余哥，那杨子藏虽然是四边形Moexl，但能力就是个废材。 反正这会儿车还没开出多远，你把我留下，等他出来，我就给你给绑回来。」
A man behind him sneered, “Brother Yu, although that Yang Zicang is a QuadMoxel, his ability is useless. Anyway, we haven’t driven far yet. Leave me here, and when he comes out, I’ll snatch him back for you.”
胸前Moexl闪动，身旁一圈长长的绳索犹如蛇般将一端扭曲抬起。
The Moxel on his chest flickered, and a long rope coiled around him, its end twisting and rising like a snake.
「我觉得行！」
“I think it’s a go!”
这人身旁的小青年哈哈笑到：「让老袁去把那小子捆回来，还能给那几位大人赔罪。」
The young man beside him chuckled, “Let Old Yuan go bind that kid up, and we can make amends with those lords on your behalf.”
有所犹豫的余菲听闻此话，也点点头：「停车，老袁你小心点。 对了，把这望远镜带上吧，别靠近那边太近。」
Yu Fei, who had been somewhat hesitant, nodded upon hearing this: “Stop the car. Old Yuan, be careful. Oh, and take this telescope—don’t get too close over there.”
「望远镜？ 不需要。 从他们那边过来就这条路，你们先走，这两天我就守在这里了。」
“Telescope? No need. This is the only road from their side. You go on ahead; I’ll hold out here for the next couple of days.”
他拎下袋食物和几瓶矿泉水，将绳子一盘从车上跳下。
He grabbed a bag of food and a few bottles of water, coiled the rope over his shoulder, and jumped out of the car.
余菲拿两指头在脑袋处比了比，挥出道：「我们等你好消息。」
Yu Fei gestured with two fingers to her temple and waved, “We’ll wait for your good news.”
袁付斌笑看著长著些许鳞甲的越野车快速离开，他抬了抬手上的绳索，快步向道路旁边的建筑内跑去。
Yuan Fubin laughed, watching the off-road vehicle—coated with a few scales—speed away. He raised the rope in his hand and sprinted into a building beside the road.
……
跑了十来分钟，杨子藏气喘吁吁地放慢脚步，手上的箱子没怎么震动了。
After running for about ten minutes, Yang Zicang gasped for breath, slowing his pace. The crate in his hands had stopped shaking much.
「好荒凉。」
“Such desolation.”
城市变得毫无生机，昨日的热闹幻影已成过眼云烟。
The city felt drained of life. The phantom hustle and bustle of yesterday were nothing but bygone smoke.
路上偶尔会见到与听到一些自远方传来的震动与爆炸声，在空寂的城市中传出老远。
Now and then—through shrill sounds and distant tremors born from explosions, carried from afar—the dead hollowness of the metropolis amplified and echoed them for miles.
快速前行的杨子藏不知道，远处一栋高楼上，有个胖胖的身影正用望远镜看著他。
Swiftly advancing, Yang Zicang was unaware that somewhere on a distant skyscraper, a stout figure had him locked in the lenses of a telescope.
[我感受到了渴求资助的同类。]
[“I sensed another craving sponsorship.”]
一道折线射来。
A jagged beam shot across the air.
[谁给我投资点，我遇到两个大家伙。]
[“Whoever out there give me some Invest, I’ve just run into two thick, meaty ones.”]
杨子藏只是感受了下对方的画面后，就将之切断。
Yang Zicang merely sensed the scene from the other side before cutting it off.
今天的时序不能乱用。
The Chronos of today couldn’t be recklessly used.
另一边，梁喜则雀跃的等待著那个男人的到来。
On the other hand, Liang Xi bounced excitedly, waiting for that man’s arrival.
又前行了几里地的杨子藏来到了处明显是突兀地接在一起的区域。
After traveling a few more li, Yang Zicang arrived at an area that was clearly a jarringly conjoined zone.
这里的天桥、楼层，以及道路在前方齐齐中断。
Here, the sky bridges, floors, and roads all came to an abrupt halt ahead.
就像有神力在两座城市中划出数公里的区域，再将它们如方形拼图般拼在一起。
It was as if divine power had carved out a several-kilometer span between two cities, then pieced them together like a square puzzle.
「这样的力量，真是雄奇。」
“Such power—truly magnificent.”
杨子藏用手摸了摸这只有几厘米宽，却左右望不到尽头的交接区域后，起身快速远方走去。
Yang Zicang reached out and touched this junction, only a few centimeters wide yet stretching endlessly from left to right, before rising and striding swiftly into the distance.
一道身影远远跟在他后面，这身穿黑色运动服的男人戴著墨镜，在心中默念道：
A figure trailed far behind him. The man in a black tracksuit, wearing sunglasses, murmured to himself in his mind:
[他的目的性很明确，似乎在往什么地方去。 我该什么时候给他种下标记？]
[His purpose is clear; he seems to be heading somewhere specific. When should I plant the mark on him?]
几秒后，他冷静的在心中默道：
After a few seconds, he calmly muttered again in his thoughts:
[嗯，我知道了。]
[Hmm, I see.]
忽地，这人目光一惊地看向远处，只见残破的楼房内突然射出根绳索。
Suddenly, this man’s gaze flickered with surprise as he looked into the distance—a rope suddenly shot out from within a ruined building.
「是神女兄弟盟的袁付斌？」 这带墨镜的人眉头皱了皱，「他怎么也来了？」
“Yuan Fubin from the Divine Sister Alliance?” The sunglass-wearing man furrowed his brow. “Why is he here too?”
……
楼中突然窜出异物。
An odd entity suddenly burst forth from the building.
见到那疾射而来的绳索，杨子藏像是大脑天生对这些轨迹充满高度反应般，胸前Moexl圆环一亮。
As the rope shot toward him like a bolt, Yang Zicang seemed to have a natural instinct for such trajectories—his Moxel ring on his chest giving a sudden flash.
[调度！]
[Dispatch!]
[我，伟大的四边形，消耗了 2R.]
[I, the great Quad, consumed 2R.]
嗖！ 绳索在身体前猛地扭曲起来，像是有两股力量在争夺控制权。
Swoosh! The rope twisted violently before his body, as if two opposing forces were fighting for control.
而杨子藏自己则已经在这一两秒的时间后退了好几步。
Meanwhile, Yang Zicang had already backed up several steps in a mere second or two.
留著半长头发的高瘦男人边笑吟吟的走出，胸口边亮起了Moexl光环：
A tall, slender man with shoulder-length hair stepped out, a grin spreading across his face as a Moxel glow lit up his chest:
「不错嘛，你的能力还附带著对绳子的操控？ 看来注定是成为我小弟的人啊。」
“Not bad—your ability also comes with control over ropes? Guess you’re fated to be my underling after all.”
「是你！」
“It’s you!”
杨子藏面露震怒。
Yang Zicang’s face twisted with fury.
「别想要融资，我是神女兄弟盟的人，这附近的人见到我袁付斌，谁不喊声袁哥。 到时候我的融资恐怕是你的十倍不止。」
“Don’t even think about getting funding—I’m part of the Goddess Brothers Alliance. Around here, anyone who sees me, Yuan Fubin, calls me Brother Yuan. When the time comes, my funding will probably be ten times what you scrape together.”
「你想做什么。」
“What do you want?”
「来我们的队伍，以及把那张飞铠甲拿回来，否则，你这个几个月就别想获得一分时序了。」
“Join our squad, and bring back that Zhang Fei armor. Otherwise, you won’t get a single Chronos for the next few months.”
那不就是要让我在月底等死吗！
Isn’t that just signing my death warrant by the end of the month!
杨子藏内心有点慌乱地拿眼睛左右瞟著周围。
Panic flickered in Yang Zicang’s heart as his eyes darted around his surroundings.
忽地，他手上的箱子轻轻震动。
Suddenly, the case in his hand gave a soft tremor.
绳子无风自动的漂浮在袁付斌身旁，仿佛一条拥有灵智的纽带，让人背脊发凉地「注视」著自己。
The rope floated beside Yuan Fubin, swaying without any wind, like a sentient tether that made one’s spine chill as it “watched” him.
一道朦胧的白色光芒逐渐自绳子上亮起。
A faint, shimmering white light gradually began to glow along the rope.
｛付斌，运气不错，这么快这家伙就出来了。｝
{Fubin, not bad—so quickly this guy’s come out.}
[他甚至还拎著他的行李，哈哈哈，这就是投奔我们的节奏啊。]
[He’s even carrying his luggage, hahaha—this is the beat of someone coming to join us.]
｛行李？ 喔，是那个箱子，我见过。｝
{Luggage? Oh, that box—I’ve seen it.}
袁付斌有点疑惑，心灵链接对面的余菲道：
Yuan Fubin was a bit puzzled as Yu Fei said to him via Sync-Link:
｛这种箱子里有赵安龙刻画的魔纹。 它比杨子藏本人还要珍贵，给我们完整的带回来。｝
{There are enchantments carved by Zhao Anlong in that box. It’s more precious than Yang Zicang himself. Bring the whole thing back to us.}
袁付斌两眼放光地嘿嘿一笑。
Yuan Fubin grinned, his eyes gleaming with greed and excitement.
[放心好了。 我断连结了，不然这小东西融资的话我来不及跟他抢。]
[Don’t worry. I’m cutting the link—otherwise, I might be too late to grab it if this little treasure adapts.]
｛行。｝
{Alright.}
杨子藏目光紧紧地落在对面身上。
Yang Zicang’s gaze locked tightly onto the figure opposite him.
链接断掉的瞬间，绳索猛地冲来。
The moment the link was severed, the rope shot forth.
对方是个三角形，而且也能控制轨迹，但自己也可以干扰这轨迹。
The opponent wielded triangle-like strength and could control its trajectory too, but even so, Yang could also interfere with that path.
啪啪啪！
Slap-slap-slap!
冲来的绳索被无形之力压制地抽打在地面。 于此同时，袁付斌手上冒出金色虚光地冲来。
The incoming rope was suppressed by an invisible force, lashing against the ground. Simultaneously, golden phantom light wrapped Yuan Fubin’s hands as he charged forward.
「别挣扎了，束手就擒吧！ 哈哈哈！」
“Quit struggling, just give up! Hahaha!”
杨子藏手上拎著的木箱减缓了自己的行动，他顿时感觉压力增大。
The wooden box in Yang Zicang’s hand slowed him down, and he immediately felt the pressure increase.
「滚！」
“Get lost!”
咚咚乱响声中，杨子藏将箱子砸了过去。
With a clatter, Yang Zicang hurled the box.
见到木箱飞起，袁付斌脸上露出狂喜，一直游走在杨子藏身边的绳索嗖地缩回，缠向这飞在空中的箱子。
Seeing the wooden box fly up, Yuan Fubin’s face lit up with ecstasy. The rope that had been hovering around Yang Zicang whisked back and coiled toward the box in mid-air.
跑远两步的杨子藏回头看去，胸前圆环亮起。
Taking a couple of steps away, Yang Zicang looked back as a circular insignia on his chest lit up.
[调度！]
[Dispatch!]
木箱的两道按锁已经在被丢出的时刻打开。 随著调度能力的加速，它如被一股力量推了把般冲向空中，同时嘭地张开木箱盖。
The two latches of the wooden box had already popped open the moment it was thrown. Accelerated by the Dispatch ability, it shot into the air as if pushed by some unseen force, while its lid slammed open with a bang.
里面的衣裤、耳环、皮带、鞋子纸张等物品抛洒开来，杂物中一个黑乎乎的东西极速下坠。
Clothes, earrings, a belt, shoes, papers—everything scattered out. Among the debris, a black object plummeted rapidly.
绳索嗖地捆住箱子，随著袁付斌指头一动，便被往下拉扯而来。
The rope swiftly bound the box and, with a flick of Yuan Fubin’s finger, yanked it downward.
但在这瞬间，袁付斌像是听到了无数叮铃铃、呜嗡嗡的手机铃声。
But in that instant, Yuan Fubin seemed to hear countless ringing phones—dinging, buzzing, humming.
它们密密麻麻的在心间响起，这些原本优美的声波变得尖锐，仿佛有谁拿尖锐指甲挂著玻璃，让人抓耳挠腮。
They clamored densely in his heart. These normally melodious soundwaves turned piercing, as if someone were scraping glass with sharp nails, setting his teeth on edge.
嘭！ 散发著浓列血雾的手机砸在袁付斌脸上，却未继续划下。
Thump! Fangthephon, emitting a thick mist of blood, smashed onto Yuan Fubin’s face but did not cut further.
「啊！」
“Ahh!”
噗噗，变色的手机里面，几道根须般的东西快速刺入他的皮肤。
Pfft pfft. Inside the discolored phone, several root-like tendrils rapidly pierced his skin.
「这是… 饿… 亚…」
“This is… Hun… gery… Ya…”
远处的杨子藏见到那东西瞬间就嵌入了袁付斌的脸，心中狂震。
In the distance, Yang Zicang, seeing the thing instantly embed itself into Yuan Fubin’s face, felt a violent shock in his heart.
「恶魇，这就是恶魇，好可怕！」
“Nightmare, that’s the Nightmare, how terrifying!”
他头也不回的跑向远处的楼道，身后极速传来阵阵令人头皮发麻的气息。
Without looking back, he raced toward the distant stairwell as an intense, spine-tingling aura surged rapidly behind him.
「呃啊啊！ 救…」
“Ughhh! He… lp…”
袁付斌倒在地上打滚，他脸上迅速冒著金色虚光，抵抗著恶魇对自己寿命的吞噬。
Yuan Fubin writhed on the ground. Golden phantom light flashed quickly across his face, resisting the Nightmare’s devouring of his lifespan.
远方即将回到驻地的余菲，忽地接到了根心灵连结的丝线。 不过它蕴含的信息有点紊乱。
In the distance, Yu Fei, who was about to return to the station, suddenly received a thread of mental connection. The information it carried, however, was somewhat in chaos.
「是老袁成功了吧？」
“Lao Yuan pulled it off, right?”
车上的人察觉到到这跟如同蛛丝般的微弱丝线射来。
The others in the car sensed this faint silk-like thread shooting toward them.
「应该是。」
“Probably so.”
下一秒，这根丝线突然扩散至几人胸前，并猛地大放光明，如同震颤闪动的电灯丝。
The next second, the thread abruptly spread in front of a few people’s chests, then blazed with intense light, like a trembling, flickering filament.
｛救我！｝
{Save me!}
众人脸色一变。
Everyone’s expressions shifted.