Chapter 114-I Clean Up Garbage in a Wasteland World
Chapter 114 The Forsaken Village (Finale)
Ding—
[Congratulations on completing Side Quest: The Forsaken Village. Purification rate: 100%.]
[Main Quest: Purify the Homeland. Completion: 8%.]
[Calculating rewards...]
[Congratulations. Basic reward received: sanity restored to 100%.]
[Congratulations. Purity Points reward: 8,000. Current total Purity Points: 16,001.]
[Congratulations. Forsaken Village Hairworm reward: Memory Reading.]
[Reward description: A-Level Contamination item. Requires physical contact with the target's head to read any of their memories. Each use consumes 50 health. Note: this item has no effect on psychic-type Ability Users.]
[Congratulations. New Basic Talent acquired: Puppet Manipulation. This is a basic-level talent. Using it consumes health. Consumption is calculated based on the specific distance and duration of manipulation.]
The System's mechanical voice rang out, utterly cold.
Ever since learning that the System was a type of Contaminant, Zhu Ning's feelings this time were profoundly strange.
Her health was down to just 18. She'd always assumed "health" referred to her own life force. Now it seemed more likely that health belonged to the System. Zhu Ning needed to purify Contamination Zones to sustain it.
Like a machine that needed a constant supply of fuel to keep running.
Every time she entered a Contamination Zone, it was essentially a "hunt." The Contamination Source was the prey; the System consumed and digested it.
It gave Zhu Ning the spoils in the form of rewards. Each use cost more health, pushing Zhu Ning to grow stronger—and forcing her into more powerful Contamination Zones to hunt more powerful Sources.
Because this System's appetite was growing. It was like an insatiable beast.
Zhu Ning's hunch was right. She'd been working for this System all along.
She still had a question. There were two ways to gain Purity Points: one was clearing Contamination Zones—Zhu Ning suspected the System devoured the Source and repurposed it. But collecting Contamination Spores also increased Purity Points. Why? The spores were currently swirling around her. Perhaps because her helmet was off this time, she realized for the first time that these Contamination Spores wouldn't parasitize her.
They seemed to be... following her?
The black slime that had covered her body like armor was now flowing. The Xenomorph had retreated back to the nape of her neck, as though crawling into a warm burrow after a full meal.
Zhu Ning and this thing were symbiotic. She could sense its "emotions." Once its hunger subsided, the black slime became much calmer.
She could feel the Xenomorph reattaching itself to her spine, using it as a center point for fusion and reconstruction.
Had she eaten that worm?
Perhaps because of the earlier fusion in the Noble Queen Shop's basement, she didn't feel any revulsion. She didn't question whether she was a monster, either.
After seeing enough grotesque "humans," she could accept becoming anything.
A gentle breeze swept past.
With the Contamination Zone cleared and the sealed space broken, this was true nature.
Beyond the stench of rotting flesh, the breeze carried the fragrance of grass. She could even hear something calling in the distance—like cicadas. Combined with the floating Contamination Spores, it all felt strangely harmonious, as if nature was supposed to be this way.
She looked up at the sky. Without the walls blocking the view, the night sky was beautiful. Back inside the wall, looking up meant only light strips, skyscrapers, and the artificial glow of the Sky Highway.
But here, there were stars. Without artificial interference, this was pure nature.
Suddenly, she heard movement. Someone was running toward her. She turned and saw Li Nianchuan and Xu Meng.
Through their helmets, she couldn't see their expressions. In her eyes, they looked like ants—humans in Protective Suits looked like ants too, individuality erased.
The other Cleaners hadn't arrived yet—probably resting with the main group. Only the three of them were here.
Xu Meng stood frozen. Why had she frozen?
Was she afraid of her? Being outside without a helmet in the wild—she could mutate at any moment.
Zhu Ning recalled what Xu Meng had said: if Zhu Ning lost her sanity, she'd create an S-Level Contamination Zone right where she stood. Everyone would die here.
Xu Meng was far quicker than Li Nianchuan. Her Ability was inherently unusual—she could turn into a shadow. When she moved, Zhu Ning only saw a blur of afterimages.
She reached Zhu Ning in less than half a second. Zhu Ning blinked. A black-clad woman burst through the blood-red Contamination Spores. Zhu Ning could even feel the sharp wind she generated.
In a flash, Xu Meng's black helmet was inches from her face.
Was she going to kill her?
Their cooperation had briefly ended. The helmet's real-time signal probably hadn't been restored yet. No one else had arrived. The other Cleaners were some distance away.
If Xu Meng wanted to kill someone, this was the perfect opportunity. She'd only need to deal with one witness—Li Nianchuan. She could probably get around the helmet's video recording too.
Or she didn't need to hide it at all. She could act openly, because this time there was a perfectly suitable reason.
Xu Meng feared Zhu Ning had been infected and was mutating, so she killed her on the spot.
Zhu Ning didn't move. She just frowned slightly. Honestly, she was completely exhausted and had no energy left to deal with people.
The next second—
Something was placed over her head. Her vision went dark, then she saw the familiar helmet interface and system panel.
Xu Meng... had put her helmet back on?
Click. Xu Meng deftly locked the hidden clasps on the Protective Suit in one fluid motion. She was an experienced Cleaner who knew the suit's construction inside out.
After her momentary freeze, Xu Meng's first reaction had been to spot the helmet at the base of the locust tree.
Before the other Cleaners arrived, Xu Meng pressed the helmet onto Zhu Ning's head.
They hadn't returned to the wall yet. Everyone was still in the forsaken village. Everyone's sanity was in terrible shape—some were already hallucinating.
Zhu Ning was the so-called "mental lighthouse." If the others saw her without a helmet, people who'd already lost it might do something drastic.
This was nature. Once chaos broke out, it could trigger another Contamination Zone.
Xu Meng needed Zhu Ning to stay stable. At least for now, she needed to play the lighthouse.
Xu Meng moved so fast that Li Nianchuan merely blinked and she'd teleported. He was baffled as to why she'd suddenly flash-stepped.
Considering how Xu Meng had also killed the Contaminant with a single blade strike—she was practically a Demon Hunter.
Li Nianchuan had been so focused on Xu Meng that he'd completely missed the fact that Zhu Ning had been without a helmet. All his attention had been on the captain. She was an Ability User?
Were Cleaners really this competitive these days?
Xu Meng circled behind Zhu Ning and supported her back with both hands. By the time Jin Tao arrived, this was the scene he saw.
The village entrance was now open. A mountain of rotting flesh sat before the locust tree. Zhu Ning was half-buried in it, with Xu Meng holding her from behind.
Between their helmets and the rotting flesh, with Xu Meng angled to shield Zhu Ning's body, Jin Tao couldn't make out exactly what was happening.
"What happened?" Jin Tao's first reaction was to ask Li Nianchuan beside him.
Li Nianchuan made a vague noise. His mind was completely blank—he had no idea how to respond.
His sanity had probably hit rock bottom. Everything he was seeing had to be hallucinations.
Don't ask me. I'm an idiot. I don't deserve to answer this question.
Xu Meng opened the external comms channel and shouted at Jin Tao: "Zhu Ning passed out."
Zhu Ning: "?"
Li Nianchuan: "?"
Li Nianchuan looked down at his feet. Yes, he was hallucinating.
Xu Meng locked Zhu Ning's shoulders from behind. Before Zhu Ning could move, Xu Meng opened a private channel between the two of them and murmured: "I don't know what you did. If you want to cause a panic right now, go ahead and talk. How are you going to explain this?"
Through their helmets, with deliberately lowered voices, Zhu Ning leaned against Xu Meng. She could even hear Xu Meng's heartbeat through the Protective Suit.
Their closeness was unprecedented—creating a private conversational space.
Thinking about it made Xu Meng grit her teeth. This Contamination Zone had forced her to reveal her abilities. She'd definitely face interrogation when they got back.
They'd pick apart every detail to prove Xu Meng hadn't betrayed humanity.
Zhu Ning immediately caught on and whispered: "Are you worried about me?"
If Xu Meng truly couldn't stand Zhu Ning, she could have seized her chance just now. But her first instinct had been to put the helmet back on Zhu Ning's head.
Xu Meng said it was for the greater good, but Zhu Ning had a sneaking suspicion the captain was just being tsundere. She didn't actually have to look after her.
This time, Zhu Ning had forced Xu Meng to place her full trust in her—bet-your-life trust. And Zhu Ning had delivered.
Xu Meng, for her part, hadn't stabbed her in the back. She'd shown equal trust.
Xu Meng said quickly: "No."
Zhu Ning gave an "oh."
She recalled their training days, when Zhu Ning had gotten beaten black and blue by Demon Hunters. It was Xu Meng who'd handed her a handkerchief and wiped her face like she was grooming a cat.
Like a big sister, she'd offered Zhu Ning a HealStim and once said: "Do I look like I need your money?"
Could anyone truly conceal their personality? No matter how deliberate the disguise, little glimpses of true character would slip through in unguarded moments.
Zhu Ning and Xu Meng exchanged only a couple of lines before Xu Meng hauled her out. It took Jin Tao and Li Nianchuan some effort to help—the rotting flesh was everywhere, and people stepping on it would sink in.
Li Nianchuan helped Xu Meng carry Zhu Ning down. His mind was starting to work again. He didn't know what had happened, but he instinctively trusted the captain's judgment.
He'd seen Zhu Ning's expression moments ago, but if Xu Meng said she'd fainted, then fainted she was. He'd even forgotten that Zhu Ning might have been infected and turned into a Contaminant.
Li Nianchuan was terrified Jin Tao would notice something off. Throughout the entire process, he never let Jin Tao touch Zhu Ning's body. Jin Tao had climbed the mound of flesh and tried to help, only to find there was never a chance.
Zhu Ning lay draped over Xu Meng's back, head lolling, body limp. She was committed to playing the patient.
Li Nianchuan stood in front of them like a door guard—a slightly dim-witted door guard.
There was a peculiar dynamic between the three of them—protective, like guarding a cub. Jin Tao was completely shut out. He looked at Zhu Ning with concern and asked: "Is she okay?"
Xu Meng supported Zhu Ning's head: "Probably overexerted her sanity."
Jin Tao was curious but couldn't ask further since Zhu Ning was unconscious.
In the distance, Cleaners were gradually stirring. Someone was trying to contact the outside world. "What's going on? Why is there still no signal?"
Xu Meng had noticed it too. The helmet kept producing crackling static, the screen glitching. Still no signal connection.
Someone, still tense, asked: "Did we really get out of the Contamination Zone?"
"We did," they reassured each other. "Don't worry. It's probably residual effects from the Contamination Zone. Walk a bit further and we'll get signal."
Being in the wild, a freshly cleared Contamination Zone could interfere with communications. The higher the level, the greater the interference.
The Cleaner squad had suffered heavy losses. Parasitized Cleaners had dissolved into rotting flesh when the Contamination Zone was purified.
Death hung over everyone's heads. But they could see the way out—just a few more steps.
Past the locust tree gap, they could already see the corner of the blue wall.
Jin Tao reorganized the formation, preparing to leave the forsaken village first. The Contamination Spores here needed to be collected by others—their squad simply couldn't handle it.
They activated Temporary Shielding Devices. Jin Tao had originally been ready to say to hell with it—whoever wants to do it can do it. Survival came first.
But three people volunteered to stay behind. They said their mental state was still manageable—they could hold out until backup arrived.
The Cleaners' job was to prevent Contamination Spores from spilling beyond containment. They couldn't let the spores drift inside the wall.
Survival of the fittest. Jin Tao had never understood those words so deeply. Put harshly, entering the forsaken village was like the cruelest selection process. Those willing to stay behind were the best of the best.
They needed high sanity and courage.
Jin Tao asked for their names.
"Clean Squad A68900, Tian Miao."
"Clean Squad A90617, Qiu Tian."
"Clean Squad A27899, Li Jianhe."
Clean Squad designations were different from Demon Hunters'—just a string of numbers like license plates.
Jin Tao memorized every name and squad number. He told them to stay safe, don't move around, backup would come.
Zhu Ning had wanted to stay and help, but Xu Meng seemed to read her mind and gave her thigh a hard pinch.
Zhu Ning kept her mouth shut.
They'd arrived with 27 Cleaners. 12 had died. Only 15 survived.
A probability of 0 or 100%—no middle ground. Zhu Ning had broken that probability, but nearly half were still dead.
Plus the three dead Garrison Troops, now indistinguishable among the rotting flesh.
This was the world beyond the wall. High mortality. The death rate was just a number—but when it landed on each person's head, it was like a mountain, crushing the air from their lungs.
During the retreat, some Cleaners volunteered to take point. Others volunteered for the rear guard. They placed Xu Meng, carrying Zhu Ning, in the center. Li Nianchuan covered her from behind.
Nobody came to say thank you. Nobody came to offer words. But their actions spoke clearly enough.
They silently placed Zhu Ning in the center—shielding her from danger.
Zhu Ning lay on Xu Meng's back with her eyes closed. They retraced their original path, crossing the tall grasslands.
The green grass was so tall that walking through it felt like walking through a forest. Wary of triggering any contamination, everyone moved with extreme caution. Nobody spoke.
Green blades of grass brushed over the battered squad like invisible hands stroking their shoulders.
Rustle, rustle—
For a time, the only sound was grass swaying against grass.
The same path, yet the journey out felt utterly different from the journey in. The group was oppressively silent.
The shadow of death weighed on everyone. They still reeked of decay.
Finally, they saw the entire expanse of the high wall.
The wall was coated in a thin blue membrane—sleek and high-tech. After the forsaken village, seeing this wall felt like arriving from another lifetime.
It had only been a few hours, yet it felt as though they'd spent a lifetime in the forsaken village—as though they were the village's true residents.
It was like a primitive tribe encountering the pinnacle of human civilization for the very first time.
The Garrison Troops beyond the first Protective Wall noticed something. "Hey! Is that them?"
They adjusted their scope and zoomed in. There were people moving through the tall grass—tiny in the vast expanse, wearing black Protective Suits like a column of black ants.
"It really is them!" a Garrison soldier shouted. "They made it out!"
They made it out! The shout swept through the camp like wildfire. Everyone had assumed this squad was wiped out. Seeing their silhouettes, people could hardly believe it.
Lu Xingqiao and Fan Minghua exchanged a look. Lu Xingqiao had contacted the Sanitation Center earlier, and the Abnormal Incident Investigation Team had gotten involved. But their investigation was about facts—they couldn't handle urgent field situations.
The investigation results still hadn't been relayed to Lu Xingqiao, so she had absolutely no idea what had happened.
The rule beyond the wall was: incidents were your own responsibility. Even with someone like Zhu Ning and her S-Level sanity on the team, no exceptions could be made.
Lu Xingqiao sprang to her feet. Fan Minghua bellowed: "Go get them! Now!"
Author's Note:
Great—the horror has entered reality. I ate dumplings today. The filling was pink, which probably means the pork wasn't cooked through. Now I'm convinced I've got parasites... Lesson learned in blood and tears, everyone: cook your food thoroughly before eating! Don't eat raw meat!
Comments
Post a Comment