area51novel Chapter 105 Discovery
Chapter 105 Discovery
Chapter 105 Discovery
"Have I arrived in Jiangcheng, or not?"
On the empty top floor of the fortress, Xu Mo's voice echoed between the concrete walls, carrying a faint resonance.
After saying this, Xu Mo smiled and then shook his head. He had stayed in Qingsongling Town for so long before finally deciding to go to Jiangcheng. However, the first long-term mission he received after arriving in Jiangcheng was to lock himself in this isolated concrete tower, far from the crowds and facing hordes of zombies. The contrast was indeed somewhat ironic.
However, Xu Mo quickly put this thought aside. Since he was already there, he might as well make the best of it. For him, who needed a quiet environment and ample time for cultivation, this place was perhaps more suitable than the noisy, chaotic, and entrenchedly powerful core area of Jiangcheng.
Moreover, I am more suited to exploring the secrets of the Red Star Industrial Zone alone, but now is not the time to do so.
Taking a deep breath, Xu Mo took off his coat, cleared his mind of distractions, and began practicing the stance training of the Thirteen Bodyguards.
These past few days, due to a constant stream of missions, transfers, and battles, Xu Mo could only train during fragmented breaks. Now, in an undisturbed environment, he could finally devote himself entirely to cultivation, feeling the fulfilling sensation of his qi and blood gradually growing stronger and his body becoming more robust.
When Xu Mo broke through to the Bullhide Realm, he once believed that with his impenetrable defense and surging strength, he would be able to survive and protect himself in the apocalypse. However, the meticulously planned ambush he encountered after leaving Qingsongling Town, and the sight of the steel-like fortifications, densely packed artillery barrels, and well-trained troops he witnessed upon arriving at the Sixth Forward Base, all of this was like a bucket of cold water, waking him from his complacency.
Individual combat strength appears so insignificant in the face of organized military forces and a disciplined enemy. In that ambush, if he hadn't reacted swiftly and outmatched the enemy's expectations, he would likely have perished long ago. And that massive war machine made Xu Mo deeply understand that individual bravery is like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
"The 'Bullhide Realm' is just the starting point. To truly move freely in this perilous world filled with powerful figures and control one's own destiny, one must at least reach the peak of the Thirteen Protectors' external martial arts—the Golden Body Realm—and transition from external to internal cultivation." Xu Mo stopped his stance, his eyes gleaming with a determined and eager light. The road ahead was clear and long, but he was full of motivation.
After finishing his cultivation, Xu Mo walked to a firing port facing the ruins ahead and looked out.
By this time, it was completely dark. On this moonless night, the thick darkness enveloped the earth like ink. However, thanks to his enhanced vision, Xu Mo could still see what was happening outside.
Far below the fortress, in the ruins once heavily defended, only indistinct, slowly moving shadows could be seen. These were zombies, emerging from the depths of the ruins after the human army had lost their suppression. They wandered among the rubble like sleepwalkers, emitting unconscious, low growls.
Xu Mo's night vision had improved through training, but it was far from being able to see darkness as day; he could only barely discern general outlines and movement patterns. The gunfire ceased, the human presence receded, and this land of death was returning to its "original" state.
"Roar—hoho—"
""
The faint, intermittent howls of zombies drifted in through the narrow gaps in the firing ports on the night wind, adding an eerie background sound to the silent fortress.
However, Xu Mo didn't care about this. Compared to "Eternal Night," where he had to be constantly vigilant against zombie attacks and mental corruption in open terrain, the current state of watching from the sidelines was quite comfortable.
After checking the seals of all entrances and exits and confirming that the fortress was impregnable, Xu Mo returned to his bedroom, lay down on his fairly comfortable bed, and quickly fell into a deep sleep. The "nocturne" of the zombies outside did not disturb Xu Mo's sweet dreams.
The next morning, his biological clock woke Xu Mo on time. He first faced east and performed his daily "qi-gathering" exercise until his blood and qi were active and he was slightly sweaty, then he stopped.
He retrieved food and water from the warehouse and had a simple breakfast. After completing these daily tasks, Xu Mo returned to the observation hole to fulfill his duties as an "observer."
Daylight had broken, and visibility was good. Looking around the fortress, especially in the area near the ruins, the number of wandering zombies was significantly greater than what had been seen the previous night. A rough estimate suggested no fewer than a hundred. They staggered aimlessly among the scorched earth and wreckage, like gray chess pieces scattered on a chessboard.
Xu Mo observed carefully for a moment and nodded slightly: "Yes, so far we have only seen ordinary zombies that move slowly. We have not found any trace of agile or strong mutants."
After confirming the basic information, he walked to the communication radio, turned on the device, and tuned it to the designated encrypted channel.
"C-07 calling command, C-07 calling command. First routine report of the day: Within the observation range, the number of zombies has increased significantly, estimated to be over one hundred, all of ordinary type, with no signs of abnormal activity. Report complete."
Soon, a clear reply came through the radio from the command post staff: "Command post received, C-07. Record updated, continue monitoring."
"C-07 understands."
After ending the brief call, Xu Mo's gaze returned to the wandering zombies. He had no desire to shoot these ordinary walking corpses. Although the fortress had ample ammunition reserves, resupplying them was always a hassle. Bullets should be reserved for more threatening targets; let these ordinary zombies roam around outside. As long as they didn't pose a real threat, he was happy to keep quiet.
Xu Mo even lay down with great interest in front of several small observation holes near the bottom of the fortress and looked down.
Sure enough, around the fortress base, there were seven or eight zombies wandering around unconsciously, occasionally scratching the cold, hard concrete wall with their rotting arms in vain, making a teeth-grinding scraping sound.
"Could it be that there's a faint scent of living beings inside the tower?" Xu Mo pondered. The ability of zombies to sense life varies depending on the individual and the degree of mutation. Perhaps, in their hazy perception, this solitary tower is like a faint candlelight in the darkness, attracting them instinctively to approach.
After observing for a while and confirming that these "neighbors" posed no immediate threat to the fortress, Xu Mo began to feel somewhat bored. Although the interior of the fortress wasn't cramped, the range of movement was ultimately limited. His gaze involuntarily focused on the silent, beating countdown in his mind, a countdown that seemed to be innate to him.
【00:00:00】
Since leaving Qingsongling Town, and after a long journey filled with travel and battles until arriving in Jiangcheng, Xu Mo rarely opened the "door" to search for supplies as regularly as before when the countdown reached zero. This was partly because he had accumulated sufficient supplies in the early stages, and partly because opening a door to another world in a crowd or turbulent environment would be too conspicuous and inconvenient.
Now, everything's fine. In this absolutely private and undisturbed fortress, he has plenty of time and space to make full use of this unique cheat code. Moreover, opening the door itself has become a kind of "pastime" to relieve loneliness and fill him with unknown anticipation.
Xu Mo's gaze swept across the interior of the fortress. The designer had clearly considered the most extreme scenario—for example, if zombies breached the bottom blockade and stormed the upper levels. Therefore, the door connecting the main observation room and the bedroom had been specially reinforced, made of heavy materials, and equipped with sophisticated locks, far superior to the security doors of ordinary residences, capable of withstanding considerable impact. This sturdy door, at this moment, became the perfect platform for Xu Mo's experiment.
Furthermore, while the doors to the warehouse, equipment room, and restrooms are relatively ordinary, they offer more options. The restrooms, in particular, feature a frosted glass door in the shower area for wet and dry separation. These different types of "doors" provide him with diverse "anchor points" for exploring this other world.
"Let's start with this sturdiest one." Xu Mo walked to the bedroom door and placed his hand on the cold, solid metal doorknob.
With a slight thought, he "pushed it away".
The door still felt solid to the touch, but a faint, strange light flashed by through the crack.
Xu Mo gently pushed open the sturdy bedroom door.
Behind the door, the bedroom scene vanished. In its place stood rows of massive, floor-to-ceiling, dark brown wooden filing cabinets, neatly arranged and stretching to the horizon. The air was filled with the smell of old paper, ink, and a faint dust.
"An archive room—" Xu Mo strode in, his gaze quickly sweeping over the bookshelves on either side. The labels bore various codes and classifications he didn't quite understand, seemingly relating to historical materials from a particular field or institution. Judging from the sturdiness of the "door," this archive room in the original world likely belonged to an important institution with a high level of security.
But for Xu Mo, who was living in a post-apocalyptic world and seeking survival and power, these mountains of old papers were of almost no value. He might find some technical information here, but that wouldn't meet his current needs.
Xu Mo wandered around this silent labyrinth of knowledge a couple of times, finding nothing but files and more files. Finally, on a desk near the door, he discovered an opened tea canister, still more than half full of dark green, fragrant tea leaves.
"It's better than nothing," Xu Mo said, picking up the tea canister and putting it in his pocket. With this sole "trophy," Xu Mo turned around, passed through the door again, and returned to the bedroom in the fortress.
The door behind me closed silently, and the scene in the archives vanished like a phantom, leaving only the simple yet sturdy bedroom before me.
[47:59:59] A new countdown begins to appear in my mind.
"The next time the door opens will be in two days." Xu Mo placed the tea canister on the bedside table, his mind at peace. Although this exploration yielded no substantial results, it was still a form of relaxation and reassurance.
Composing himself, Xu Mo stopped paying attention to the zombies roaming outside and stopped pondering the infinite possibilities behind that door. Right now, the most important thing was still to improve his own strength. He returned to the open space in the center of the observation room, once again assumed a martial arts stance, immersing himself in the cultivation of circulating qi and blood, and resonating his muscles and bones.
As evening approached, a light drizzle began to fall from the sky. The raindrops started sparsely, but soon they joined together, eventually forming a hazy curtain of rain that enveloped the entire ruins and the solitary tower.
Rain pattered against the fortress's thick concrete shell, producing a continuous rustling sound; apart from that, it seemed as if no other sound existed in the world. The gunfire had long since ceased, and even the howls of the zombies seemed to be suppressed by the endless rain, adding to the bone-chilling silence and desolation of this deathly place.
Xu Mo, feeling energized after finishing his afternoon workout, walked to the table, picked up the radio, and turned it on.
After a slight electrical hum, a clear, formulaic female voice blared from the loudspeaker, broadcasting notices regarding adjustments to resource allocation within Jiangcheng and various area management regulations. In the background, filtered urban noises could be faintly heard. This sound from the fortress of human civilization behind the city formed a sharp and eerie contrast with the ruins outside the window, shrouded in rain and death, as if two completely unrelated worlds had been forcibly spliced together.
While listening to the broadcast absentmindedly, Xu Mo walked to the observation hole and observed the situation outside through the bulletproof glass that was blurred by rain.
The rain had no noticeable effect on the wandering zombies; they continued to trudge through the rain, their rotting clothes clinging to their bodies, revealing even more gruesome outlines. The rain washed away the filth from their bodies, forming puddles of muddy water on the ground. They seemed neither to like nor dislike the rain, but simply followed some chaotic instinct, continuing their endless wandering in the rain.
Xu Mo's gaze swept past the ordinary walking corpses nearby, straining to reach the deep, sprawling core ruins further away. The rain impaired visibility, but Xu Mo continued his meticulous search, hoping to spot some unusual traces—like the strange zombies he had encountered on the outskirts of the Red Star Industrial Zone last time, with their dark green skin and distinct webbed fingers.
Those zombies were clearly connected to water, and they moved with incredible speed. This rain was precisely the time when they might become active. After arriving at the temporary base, Xu Mo had specifically spoken with Zhao Ming. Zhao Ming told him that the military had tentatively designated those zombies as "water-based mutants," a variant of ordinary zombies that had developed under specific conditions. They were faster and more adaptable than ordinary zombies, and had only recently appeared in reports from coastal areas. He didn't know why they had also been found in the inland Red Star Industrial Zone.
"If the appearance of water-type zombies is related to the environment, then this rain—" Xu Mo pondered. However, even after the Jiangcheng radio program played it twice on a loop and finally ended with a passionate declaration encouraging survivors to unite and forge ahead, Xu Mo still hadn't found any swift figures resembling water-type zombies in the rain-shrouded ruins.
"It seems that either their numbers are extremely small, or the rain wasn't heavy enough, or there's another reason for their appearance." Xu Mo was slightly disappointed, but he could only put the matter aside for the time being.
The broadcast was turned off, and silence returned to the fortress, broken only by the incessant sound of rain outside the window. Xu Mo shook his head, clearing his mind of distractions, and immersed himself in his cultivation once more.
As night deepened, the rain seemed to lessen somewhat, but it didn't stop. Xu Mo had already fallen asleep.
After an unknown amount of time, an unusually intense and chaotic roar erupted, mixed with sounds like bones breaking...
The eerie sound of flesh being torn apart faintly penetrated the rain and the soundproofing of the fortress, reaching Xu Mo's ears.
Xu Mo suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as an eagle's in the darkness. The source of the sound seemed to be not too far from the fortress. He quickly got up, grabbed the high-brightness flashlight from the bedside table, and strode to an observation hole facing the general direction of the sound.
He switched on his flashlight, and a beam of bright white light instantly pierced the darkness, projecting onto the area from which the sound came. However, that area was obscured by several sections of collapsed rubble, creating a blind spot. The beam of light could only illuminate the edges of the ruins and the raindrops on the open ground in front of them; Xu Mo could not see what was happening beyond.
However, some ordinary zombies made disgusted noises when they were illuminated by the beam of light in the darkness.
The roars and chaotic noises lasted for about ten minutes, interspersed with a few short, sharp cries that were different from those of ordinary zombies, before gradually subsiding and being covered again by the sound of pattering rain.
Xu Mo adjusted the angle of several observation holes, trying to find a better view, but all attempts failed. Frustrated, he could only turn off the flashlight and, with a hint of doubt, lie back down on the bed.
Nothing else happened that night.
The rain finally stopped the next morning, though the sky remained overcast. The air was much fresher, washed clean by the rain, but a faint, lingering stench of decay still stubbornly remained.
After completing his routine gas collection and morning exercise, Xu Mo went to the observation hole in the direction from which the unusual activity had occurred the previous night. The visibility was much clearer after the rain, and he carefully searched the area that had been obscured by the ruins.
Xu Mo quickly noticed the anomaly. Scattered on the open ground in that area were objects that clearly didn't belong to building debris—several broken pieces of bone, an abnormally grayish-white color, and some dark brown...
The bloodstains, almost unrecognizable after being washed away by the rain, soaked into the wet rubble, seemed to tell Xu Mo that a small-scale battle had taken place here.
Xu Mo frowned slightly, already having a guess in his mind: "It's zombies killing each other."
This hypothesis sent a chill down his spine. If the zombies were merely wandering aimlessly and attacking living things, then their large-scale cannibalism seemed illogical. Unless—
Once he thought of something, Xu Mo immediately moved his position, changing the observation holes at different heights and angles, and scanned the area around the fortress more carefully, especially the area near where the "battle" had taken place.
Suddenly, Xu Mo's gaze fixed on a broken window far from the fortress and near the edge of the ruins.
A short, swift figure flashed past. Its movements were far more agile than those of ordinary zombies. It moved on all fours, darting quickly among the ruins like a lizard. Although it was only a glimpse, its superhuman speed and unique way of moving made Xu Mo instantly confirm that it was an agile mutated zombie.
Recalling the chaotic roars and cracking bones he heard last night, and the wreckage and bloodstains he saw this morning, a clear chain of events connected in Xu Mo's mind: zombies can evolve by devouring each other.
Under certain conditions, ordinary zombies may engage in fierce infighting, and the victor may accumulate some kind of "energy" or trigger a mutation mechanism by devouring its own kind, thereby evolving into a more powerful and agile type.
Power-type, and even other unknown types of mutants.
This discovery made Xu Mo frown slightly. It meant that even if the military temporarily withdrew and ceased large-scale clearing operations, the threat within these ruins would not remain static. The horde of zombies outside was a dynamic, potentially self-sustaining ecosystem. If left unchecked, it might not be long before more and more powerful mutants emerged.
If that's the case, then wouldn't large cities that have been teeming with zombies since the beginning of the apocalypse be...? Xu Mo dared not think too much about it.
"It seems that observation and recording are not just tasks—" Xu Mo stared at the direction where the agile zombie had disappeared, his gaze becoming extremely solemn. "They are also monitoring a breeding ground that is constantly bred with even greater crises."
He turned and strode quickly toward the communications radio. Today's briefing needed to include some very important information.
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