Chapter 75

Chapter 75

Feng Chen stood up, looking around for Yu Yuan. Not finding Yu Yuan, he saw Wu You approaching from the opposite direction, "Qin Shen, what's wrong?"

The fact that only a few could evolve into sentinels or guides was no longer a secret. Feng Chen hesitated only briefly before telling Wu You about Yan Bubu's condition.

Wu You was both surprised and incredulous, "Really? Jingjing will become a special forces soldier?"

Many referred to sentinels and guides as special forces or mutant soldiers. Some sentinels and guides didn't like these terms, but Feng Chen found 'special forces' acceptable, certainly more palatable than 'mutant soldiers.'

"Yes," Feng Chen confirmed.

Wu You bent down to look at Yan Bubu, his expression a mix of joy and concern: “Such a young child becoming a special forces soldier, does that mean he'll have to fight too? That can't be right…”

“Of course not,” Feng Chen leaned in too, looking at Yan Bubu with him.

Wu You gradually noticed something amiss with Yan Bubu: “Why is his face so red?” He reached out to feel Yan Bubu's forehead, “Oh no, he’s got a fever.”

“Yes,” Feng Chen spoke in a low voice, “Uncle Wu, he's feverish, but I'm sure it’s not zombification, he’s evolving into a special forces soldier. Colonel Yu is aware of this, and he’s already examined Jingjing, so you don’t need to worry.”

“Okay, okay, I know, not everyone with a fever turns into a zombie. They either recover normally or become special forces soldiers,” Wu You said, rubbing his hands together joyfully. “I'll take him to the doctors and tell them to just lower his fever.”

“That’s exactly what I meant, thank you, Uncle Wu,” Feng Chen said.

Wu You bent down to pick up Yan Bubu, and Feng Chen moved aside towards the cave entrance.

“Look at his little face, all flushed…”

Feng Chen, watching Wu You carry Yan Bubu, suddenly turned his head towards the cave entrance not far away.

Instinctively alert to impending danger as a sentinel, he felt a surge of unease.

A few soldiers were quietly chatting at the entrance, behind them the pitch-black rainy night, devoid of any light.

Wu You, holding Yan Bubu, nodded to Feng Chen before heading to the medical area in the military section. Feng Chen responded and walked towards the cave entrance.

At the medical point, Wu You grabbed a familiar medical officer, whispered a few words in his ear, and pointed to Yan Bubu in his arms.

The medical officer's eyes widened in surprise. After feeling Yan Bubu's forehead, he hurriedly ran back to find a guide collecting medicines and whispered to him.

The guide came over with the medical officer and examined Yan Bubu using his psychic abilities, unable to hide his excitement as he told the medical officer, “His mental realm has already formed.”

The medical officer clenched his fist, telling Wu You, “I’ll get him some fever-reducing medicine; you take care of him.”

“Understood, understood,” Wu You replied, beaming with happiness.

Immersed in the excitement of going to the central city, everyone was chatting and laughing. Wu You, smiling and listening, fed Yan Bubu his fever-reducing medicine.

"Excuse me, please move aside, thank you."

Amidst the noisy chatter, an elderly man carrying a bowl of food made his way towards the cave wall. Everyone was busy talking and laughing, only occasionally stepping aside to let him pass.

At the wall was a small platform sealed off with wooden bars, where an old woman lay. The old man reached the platform, stood shakily on a wooden box, and called out to the old woman, "Xiu'er, wake up, Xiu'er, have some food."

The old woman's face was obscured in darkness, making it difficult to see clearly. She lay motionless, seemingly without even a breath.

"Xiu'er, Xiu'er," the old man called out again, then placed the bowl on the platform and extended a finger through the bars to check her breath.

Suddenly, the lifeless old woman opened her eyes, revealing pitch-black pupils. Before the old man could react, she bit down on his finger.

The old man screamed, but his cry was drowned out by the laughter and chatter around him, unnoticed by anyone. Desperately trying to pull his finger free, he revealed the old woman's pale, bluish face in the light.

Terrified, the old man, unable to free his finger, endured the pain and grabbed a pair of silver chopsticks from the bowl, aiming for the old woman's temple.

The chopsticks, likely brought from the shelter, were wielded with full force, repeatedly stabbing the old woman's temple until black fluid seeped out and she slowly released her bite...

Still in shock, the old man stared at the old woman's corpse. It took him a while to come to his senses, quickly pulling the blanket up to cover her face, making it seem like she was still unconscious.

A nurse passing by saw the old man at the platform and called out, "Didn't we say family members shouldn't approach the platforms? When did you get there?"

The old man, trembling, turned and said, "I just wanted to bring her some food. She hasn’t eaten all day."

"She's in a high fever and unconscious, how can she eat? The medication we gave her has nutrients; she won't go hungry," the nurse said sternly, unaware of his unusual demeanor. "The patient's condition is still unclear; don't get close to her again."

"Alright, alright, I'm leaving now."

The old man stepped down from the box, wiping the cold sweat of fear off his forehead and hurried back to his bedding area, occasionally glancing at his right hand.

His right index finger was bleeding profusely, but fortunately, he had acted in time to prevent the old woman from biting it off completely.

Seeing that no one had noticed him, he returned to his bedding, rummaged through a large bag for a half roll of gauze, and wrapped his finger discreetly. He then tucked his hand into his pocket.

……

Feng Chen approached the cave entrance, recognized by the soldiers who, despite his not being officially enlisted, respected him as if he were one of their own, a half member of the Western Alliance army.

"Qin Shen, not asleep yet?" a soldier greeted him.

"Can't sleep, just came to check out," Feng Chen replied, walking to the edge of the cave and peering down, "No mutant creatures tonight?"

"We've been fighting the mutants non-stop these last few days, killing until our hands are numb. Finally, we seem to have subdued them, and there’s been no trouble tonight," the soldier said with a laugh.

Feng Chen gazed into the distance where everything was engulfed in darkness, invisible to the eye.

"Don't worry, go back and rest, we've got this," the soldier patted Feng Chen's shoulder.

Feng Chen nodded, about to turn back, but hesitated and stopped.

He couldn’t shake off a feeling of unease, as if the unseen darkness was harboring unknown dangers slowly encroaching upon them.

He released a thread of psychic energy, silently weaving through the rain, over stones washed clean by the rain, sprouting grass and buds, extending outward.

His mind painted a clear picture, surveying the area around the base of the mountains. Just as the soldier had said, not a single mutant creature was in sight, eerily quiet.

His psychic energy continued forward, and as it neared the stone stairs, a shocking image emerged in his mind, causing a ripple in his psychic flow.

Countless mutants stood amassed on the hillside, densely packed as far as the eye could see.

There were over a thousand rabbits, interspersed with wild boars, wolves, monkeys, groups of rodents, and several enormous pythons.

For some unknown reason, these mutants were congregated here, standing silently in the rain, none making a sound, none moving.

If they were humans, they would resemble a well-trained army, waiting for their next command.

Feng Chen's psychic energy lingered, observing their next move, when suddenly a long howl of a wolf pierced the night sky.

Upon hearing this howl, the other mutants, as if receiving a charge command, collectively rushed towards the direction of the cave.

Thousands of mutants running silently in the rainy night was a chilling sight to behold.

At the cave entrance, a soldier noticed Feng Chen standing frozen and nudged him, “Qin Shen, what’s wrong?”

Feng Chen shuddered, as if suddenly snapping back to reality, then turned to them, his face pale, “All the mutants on the mountain are charging at us, quickly, get ready…”

“What? All the mutants are attacking? But we didn’t hear—” The soldier’s words abruptly ceased.

In the distance, a thunderous rumbling was heard, like a landslide or an avalanche, or like thousands of troops thundering in a charge.

“I just checked with my psychic powers, there are many mutants…”

The faces of several soldiers changed drastically; one rushed towards the military area, while others grabbed their guns, loading bullets into the chambers. Feng Chen too turned and dashed back into the cave.

Inside, people were still unaware of the events unfolding outside, continuing their laughter and chatter. Only when they saw soldiers running about, ready for battle, did they sense something was amiss and began to stand up.

“What’s happening? What’s going on?”

“I don’t know, I have no idea.”

“Listen, listen to that sound outside… Is that a landslide?”

“Doesn’t sound like it, more like many footsteps… Footsteps? Damn it, are those mutants?”

“Impossible, how many mutants would that be?”

……

Amidst the growing anxiety, Yu Yuan's voice came through the loudspeaker.

"The mutants are about to attack our cave. Everyone, don't panic, we will ensure a safe evacuation for everyone."

After briefly stating this, Yu Yuan tossed the loudspeaker to someone beside him, "Immediately contact Major General Lin and have all sentinels and guides return at once."

"Already contacted, Major General Lin is on his way back."

"Secure the east, south, and north cave entrances. The west is a cliff, mutants are unlikely to come up from there."

"Yes, sir."

Yu Yuan turned and saw Feng Chen.

"Qin Shen!"

Feng Chen, who was running towards Wu You's location, stopped in his tracks.

Yu Yuan quickly approached him, "Qin Shen, mutants are coming from the east, south, and north. The west is a vertical cliff, which might be safer. Most of our sentinels and guides are at the shipyard, leaving us short-handed to defend these three entrances. I need you to guard the western entrance, just in case mutants come up from there."

Feng Chen replied without hesitation, "Yes, sir."

His response was crisp and his demeanor composed, but Yu Yuan felt a tightness in his throat looking at Feng Chen's still youthful face.

"Wang Ping!" Yu Yuan shouted to someone nearby.

"Here," a soldier ran over.

"You're a guide. From now on, follow Qin Shen and obey only his orders. Your sole task is to assist him, manage his mental realm, and ensure he stays safe."

"Yes, sir."

"We'll assign you a team of soldiers. Also, get him an A94 submachine gun and some C04 explosives."

"Understood."

Yu Yuan did not ask if Feng Chen knew how to use these weapons, seemingly confident in the answer. He immediately turned and ran towards the eastern cave entrance, where mutants were most likely to gather.

Intense gunfire erupted at the east, south, and north entrances. Mutants had reached the foot of the mountains on these three sides, and soldiers amidst the gunshots shouted, "Everyone, head to the western entrance, move to the west..."

The crowd inside the cave surged towards the west entrance. While Wang Ping went to fetch the weapons, Feng Chen quickly squeezed through to Wu You and said urgently, "Uncle Wu, the mutants are here, a lot of them. The western entrance is a cliff and might be safer. Try to stay close to that side."

"Okay, I understand." Wu You immediately stood up with Yan Bubu in his arms and followed Feng Chen to the west entrance.

"Is he okay?" Feng Chen pushed through the crowd, glancing at Yan Bubu in Wu You's arms.

"He just took his fever medicine and is still unconscious. Don’t worry, I'll take care of him. He'll be fine."

Wang Ping returned with the weapons. Feng Chen took the submachine gun and communicator handed to him, fitted the earpiece, and pushed his way to the front of the crowd.

"Make way! Everyone, make way! Don't push, clear the path!" Wang Ping shouted, parting the crowd and joining Feng Chen at the west entrance.

Unlike the other three entrances with gentle slopes at the base of the mountains, the western entrance faced a sheer cliff. Even if mutants attempted to climb up from here, their numbers would be limited.

Soldiers hung several gas lamps at the entrance, casting a dim, yellow glow over the cliff, dispelling the total darkness and revealing the rough terrain.

Wang Ping peered down the cliff, "Mutants shouldn't be able to come up here, right?"

Feng Chen pondered for a moment, “Actually, it’s hard to say.”

“If there are mutants here too, then they’re hell-bent on wiping us out. We’ve cleared so many of them these past few days; they must be seeking revenge. These mutants are cunning as hell, each one of them…”

While Wang Ping continued to mutter, Feng Chen sensed something amiss, as if dangerous entities were approaching from the dark cliffs below.

He extended his psychic energy downwards along the cliff and indeed spotted a large group of monkeys and several snakes rapidly ascending.

The troop of monkeys was several times larger than the one he and Yan Bubu had encountered below the mountain, and there were hundreds of snakes.

“Mutants have appeared here too,” Feng Chen withdrew his psychic energy.

“What? Here too?”

“Yes, not just monkeys, but snakes as well.”

The crowd behind them erupted in panic, with some crying out and others in disbelief, pushing forward to see for themselves.

Feng Chen glanced at the submachine gun in his hand and handed it to a soldier beside him, “I won’t need this.”

Firearms were effective against the monkeys but less so against the snakes, requiring psychic attacks instead.

Wang Ping, instructed by Yu Yuan to unconditionally follow Feng Chen’s lead, immediately understood, “You use your psychic power, and I’ll manage your mental realm.”

The snakes and monkeys moved at an alarming speed, reaching halfway up the mountain in just a few seconds, resembling a wave of dark ink undulating across the cliff lit unevenly by the gas lamps.

Someone leaning over to look down screamed in fright and stumbled backward, “There really are mutants here, they’re climbing up!”

Intense gunfire echoed from the other three entrances, with the few sentinels and guides there using their psychic powers to attack. Feng Chen heard Major General Lin's voice through his communicator, “We’re encountering a large number of mutants halfway up the mountain, currently held back here. Defend the entrances for now; we’ll find a way to break through as soon as possible.”

“Qin Shen, how is the western entrance? Is it safe?” Yu Yuan was inquiring.

Feng Chen's eyes were fixed intently on the mutants below as he responded through the communicator, "It's not safe."

"Not safe?"

"There are many mutants, at least two hundred monkeys and several hundred snakes."

Yu Yuan paused briefly, then said, "Then you'll have to hold them off for now; we have even more on this side."

"I understand."

Feng Chen found Wu You in the crowd and saw him holding Yan Bubu among the people. Relieved, he focused his attention on combating the mutants.

The soldiers used firearms against the monkeys. Machine gun fire riddled the heads of the leading monkeys with holes, and they fell silently. The remaining monkeys, incited to frenzy, screeched and climbed even faster.

But the bullets were faster than their speed, and the soldiers, experienced from previous encounters with mutants, aimed for their heads, sending more monkeys plummeting to their deaths.

Seeing the situation turning unfavorable, the remaining monkeys hastily retreated, allowing the snakes to lead the assault.

The snakes slithering up the cliff wall created a chilling rustling sound, grinding against the rock, making one's skin crawl.

Intense gunfire erupted again. Bullets shattered the cliff face, blasting some snakes into pieces, but many more undeterred, continued their rapid ascent.

Feng Chen channeled his psychic energy into fine needles, each piercing a snake’s skull and exploding within.

After a series of popping sounds, the snakes’ heads burst like exploding ropes, falling off the cliff wall.