Dawn had barely begun to lighten the sky when Lin Wan quietly slipped out of bed.
She planned to go to the lab to find Chen Lin and Old Wu.
But the moment she moved—
Er'gou's eyes snapped open.
His gaze looked clearer than it had in the middle of the night.
Yet compared to his usual sharp intelligence…
There was still something dull about it.
Slow.
As if his mind had to boot up before responding.
He watched Lin Wan for a moment.
Processing.
Then slowly pushed himself up.
"You sleep a little longer," Lin Wan whispered.
"I'm just going out for a moment."
Er'gou shook his head.
He jumped off the bed and followed her.
Step by step.
Close behind.
But something about the way he walked made Lin Wan's heart tighten.
His movements no longer had their usual light precision.
Instead—
They looked heavy.
Almost dragging.
The laboratory lights were already on.
Chen Lin and Old Wu clearly hadn't slept.
Both men had bloodshot eyes as they stared at newly updated monitoring data on the screens.
When they saw Lin Wan enter—
And especially when they saw Er'gou's current state—
Their expressions darkened immediately.
"You noticed it too?"
Chen Lin spoke first.
His voice low.
Lin Wan nodded.
She quickly described everything from the previous night and that morning.
The scratching.
The empty stare.
The slowed movements.
Old Wu walked over.
He crouched beside Er'gou and began a detailed examination.
Checking his pupils.
His nose.
His reflexes.
Pressing several points along his body.
Testing nerve response.
Er'gou cooperated quietly.
But his reactions were noticeably half a beat slower.
His eyes wandered slightly.
Struggling to focus.
Old Wu stood up.
"His physical condition is normal."
"But his neural response speed and cognitive sensitivity have clearly dropped."
He sighed.
"It resembles extreme human fatigue."
"Or mild brain trauma."
"But this… is more complicated."
Chen Lin folded his arms.
"What's your conclusion?"
Old Wu looked at Er'gou again.
"The high-level consciousness."
"The part belonging to Shen Mo."
"The logic. Memory. Self-control."
"It seems to have entered some kind of sleep mode."
"And the canine instincts?"
Chen Lin asked.
Old Wu nodded grimly.
"They're becoming dominant."
Lin Wan felt her chest tighten.
"Will he recover?"
Chen Lin shook his head slowly.
"We don't know."
"It could be temporary exhaustion."
"If that's the case, rest might allow his consciousness to return."
He paused.
Then added quietly—
"But it could also be what Li Wei'an warned us about."
"A stage of instability caused by the disguise agent."
"Or worse…"
"The beginning of irreversible regression."
Er'gou seemed to understand parts of the conversation.
He lifted his head.
His blue eyes moved between Chen Lin and Old Wu.
The usual cold brilliance wasn't there anymore.
Instead—
There was confusion.
And a faint trace of anxiety.
He tried to raise a paw toward the computer screen.
As if he wanted to point at the data.
To explain something.
But the motion failed.
His paw waved clumsily in the air.
Missing the screen entirely.
After a few attempts he dropped it again.
A frustrated rumble escaped his throat.
Lin Wan felt her chest ache.
The husky who once typed on keyboards…
Used tablets…
Commanded the Woof Squad with precision…
Now looked like a machine whose system had suddenly glitched.
Chen Lin made a decision immediately.
"All training is canceled today."
Lin Wan looked up.
"Let him rest completely."
Chen Lin continued.
"Lin Wan, stay with him and record every change."
"Even the smallest detail."
He turned to Old Wu.
"We'll continue analyzing the data."
"Look for patterns."
"Possible triggers."
The entire day passed slowly.
Er'gou remained unusually quiet.
And strangely… obedient.
Most of the time he simply lay down.
Sleeping.
Or staring blankly.
When Lin Wan called his name, he often didn't respond immediately.
Sometimes she had to call him two or three times before he slowly looked up.
When he ate or drank—
His behavior had returned to a completely ordinary dog posture.
Gone was the almost human elegance he once had.
When Ironfang approached with a toy bone, inviting him to play—
Er'gou only glanced at him briefly.
Then turned his head away.
Almost avoiding social interaction.
The moment that scared Lin Wan the most came that afternoon.
She took out one of the training devices.
Pressed the familiar button.
"Action!"
The electronic voice echoed softly.
Normally—
Even if Er'gou refused to cooperate—
He would react.
A glance.
A sarcastic look.
Some sign of recognition.
But today—
He only lifted his eyes once.
Looked at the toy.
His gaze empty.
Then he lowered his head again.
As if the sound meant absolutely nothing.
It felt like watching him retreat.
Further and further.
Back toward the mind of an ordinary husky.
No—
Even worse.
A husky that was strangely dull and tired.
The brilliant soul of Shen Mo seemed buried beneath layers of dust.
Ironfang noticed it too.
The shepherd stopped bringing toys.
Instead he lay a short distance away.
Watching Er'gou quietly.
Sometimes letting out soft, comforting whines.
This condition continued for two full days.
Er'gou barely moved.
Barely reacted.
He ate, drank, slept.
And stared into space.
Chen Lin and Old Wu tried everything.
Gentle neural stimulation.
Nutritional supplements.
Environmental triggers.
Nothing worked.
The atmosphere inside the base changed completely.
The celebration from two nights ago now felt like a distant memory.
The underground shelter had grown silent.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
On the third evening—
Lin Wan sat beside Er'gou's bed.
Holding a bowl of specially prepared nutritional paste.
It was the only thing he would eat.
She fed him slowly.
One spoon at a time.
Er'gou swallowed mechanically.
His blue eyes remained fixed on her.
But the spark inside them was gone.
Halfway through the bowl—
Lin Wan's tears finally broke free.
They fell onto the back of her hand.
"Don't be like this…"
Her voice trembled.
"Shen Mo… wake up…"
"You said you'd turn back."
"You said you wanted coffee again."
"You still owe me a mountain of canned food money…"
Her words dissolved into quiet sobs.
Er'gou stopped swallowing.
His eyes moved.
For the first time in hours—
There was a ripple.
Very slowly—
He lifted one paw.
The movement shaky.
Unstable.
His paw touched the back of her hand.
Lightly.
Clumsily.
Comfort.
Then he opened his mouth.
Trying to speak.
But only a rough breath escaped.
He frowned.
(Which looked oddly funny on a dog.)
He tried again.
Straining.
Finally—
From deep inside his throat—
A few broken sounds emerged.
Hoarse.
Cracked.
Barely recognizable.
"…Lin…"
"…Wan…"
"…don't…"
"…cry…"
Lin Wan froze.
Her entire body trembled.
That wasn't a bark.
It wasn't a dog sound.
It was human speech.
Shen Mo's voice.
Rough like rusted metal—
But unmistakably his.
Lin Wan covered her mouth.
Her tears fell harder.
After those few words—
Er'gou seemed completely drained.
His eyes instantly became dull again.
His head dropped weakly.
Resting against her leg.
His breathing slowed.
He had fallen asleep.
But that brief moment—
That flicker of consciousness—
Was like lightning tearing through a dark sky.
"Chen Lin!"
"Old Wu!"
Lin Wan called out excitedly in a whisper.
Both men rushed over.
They listened to her explanation.
Examined the sleeping husky.
Old Wu's eyes lit up.
"A temporary consciousness breakthrough!"
"It's extremely weak…"
"And lasted only a few seconds…"
"But it proves something critical."
Chen Lin leaned forward.
"What?"
Old Wu's voice carried the first real hope in days.
"His core consciousness hasn't disappeared."
"It hasn't permanently degraded."
"It's just being suppressed."
"Or blocked."
Chen Lin nodded slowly.
"Emotional stimulation."
"Especially strong emotional bonds…"
"May temporarily break through the barrier."
He looked at Lin Wan.
"Your tears might have been the key."
Lin Wan wiped her face quickly.
"What should we do now?"
Chen Lin spoke without hesitation.
"We strengthen emotional triggers."
"Music he knows."
"Movies he's acted in."
"Familiar scenes."
"Conversations."
"Touch."
"Treat him like Shen Mo is still fully here."
"Not like he's just another dog."
He turned to Old Wu.
"And we change the treatment plan."
"No more aggressive stimulation."
"No drugs."
"No forced neural triggers."
Old Wu nodded.
"We switch to gentle neural feedback."
"And emotional guidance."
Chen Lin looked back at Lin Wan.
"The new plan starts now."
And for the first time in days—
Hope returned to the underground base.