Chapter 60

Chapter 60

"The last month, one of my... uncles was bitten by a monster outside and passed away. Then a few days ago, two other uncles went out to search for resources. The temperature suddenly rose, and there were sandstorms. They never came back either," the boy named Xi Bei said, his head bowed as he picked at the curled paint on the tabletop. "Now it's just me and my grandpa left, but his condition is worsening. Before, he could still talk to me, but these past few days, he's become confused."

"He sometimes yells in pain and sometimes speaks things I can't understand," Xi Bei said earnestly, looking up at Lu Fen. "Can you cure him?"

Lu Fen replied, "We might be able to determine the cause if we return to the base."

He didn't make any guarantees about definitely healing him. An Zhe lowered his gaze to read the words on the base's monthly magazine. On a particular page, an obituary announced that a certain gentleman who had been contributing to the magazine had passed away due to illness, thus interrupting the serialized novel "Mission."

In the base, at least in the outer city, few people lived to be fifty or sixty years old. Those fortunate enough to reach old age faced a barrage of illnesses. The artificial magnetic field was weaker than Earth's original one, so the human body was still slightly affected by radiation. As a result, genetic diseases, primarily cancer, remained prevalent, taking the lives of more than half of the elderly. Furthermore, years of living on the edge in the wilderness subjected the survivors to endless stress reactions and psychological trauma, which were also incurable issues.

"Thank you... thank you both," Xi Bei said. "My grandpa raised me and taught me how to read. He's also the one who's always fixed our generator. Everyone says there are no more people in the world, but Grandpa has always told us to wait. He said that the aurora in the sky means there are still human organizations out there."

Lu Fen asked, "Has he always been the engineer here?"

"Yes," Xi Bei replied.

Lu Fen's eyes narrowed slightly.

He asked, "How do you know that auroras represent human organizations?"

After some thought, Xi Bei explained, "This is a magnetite mine. My grandpa was an engineer in this field. He said... that his teacher once worked at a research institute studying the poles. The institute was constantly researching magnets. Grandpa's teacher told him that the disaster happened due to issues with the poles, but the institute was trying to find a solution."

"Highland Research Institute," Lu Fen stated calmly. "The Artificial Pole Research Base."

Xi Bei nodded. "Sounds like that."

"We've temporarily lost contact with the base," Lu Fen continued without dwelling on the topic. "Once communication is restored, we'll escort you back there."

Xi Bei nodded vigorously.

Then, they stayed there. It was uncertain when communication would be reestablished. Xi Bei showed them around the general layout of the mine.

They were in the core area, which before the disaster, had served as a temporary resting spot for miners and engineers. There were rooms for habitation, basic living facilities, and leftover mining equipment, including generators and tools. As it was deep underground and surrounded by solid rock, as long as the entrance was secured, this place was a self-sufficient safe haven.

Beyond the core area were numerous deep tunnels, all carved by previous generations following the ore veins.

"Although it's pitch black in there, there are no monsters," Xi Bei assured. "Don't worry."

At noon, Xi Bei went to cook, and An Zhe was intrigued by the kitchen, but he wasn't yet familiar with Xi Bei, so he didn't dare to intrude on someone else's territory. Instead, he found something else to do.

Mushrooms thrived in moisture, and humans needed water as well – it was an essential commodity, sometimes more critical than food. Thus, the people in the mine had put in great effort to collect enough water.

Rainwater was collected during downpours, which could amount to large quantities. The water was purified with alum powder and stored in giant cement barrels. However, weather being unpredictable, no one knew when the next rain would come. Therefore, over the years, the residents had developed an intricate water collection system – along the largest and deepest mine shaft, they carved intricate patterns into the stone walls. The extreme humidity inside the mine led to dew forming on the walls due to temperature fluctuations between day and night. When these droplets reached a certain weight, they would trickle down, slowly converging along artificial grooves, eventually dripping into the bottommost collection bottles. With hundreds of plastic bottles filled, they could gather nearly a hundred liters in total.

According to Xi Bei, this batch of collection bottles was almost full and ready for harvest.

– So, An Zhe and Lu Fen each grabbed a plastic bucket and a lantern for illumination before entering the main tunnel of the mine to help Xi Bei retrieve the water.

An Zhe started by pouring the water from the entrance bottle into his bucket, then carefully replaced it and moved on to find the next one. Sensing that Lu Fen hadn't moved, he turned back to look.

– The man was leaning against the stone wall, leisurely observing him. Only after An Zhe glanced at him did he take a few steps forward, joining in the water collection. An Zhe was puzzled by Lu Fen's initial behavior, but as the colonel proceeded with dedication, he decided not to ask questions.

The mine extended deep underground, with metal tracks laid along the way. An Zhe and Lu Fen stood on opposite sides, each focusing on filling their buckets.

It was an iron ore mine, with rugged walls scarred by excavation. The dominant color was a damp, dark gray, and the lantern's light dimmed in the moist environment, creating a hazy atmosphere.

While humans might find such conditions inhospitable, An Zhe found the mist soothing. He could almost feel the spores luxuriantly rolling within him, causing him to chuckle. He slightly curved the corners of his eyes and gently rubbed his stomach in response—placing the spores there made him feel secure.

As he followed the mining tracks, his bucket filled with more water. By the time he reached the end of the water collection system, the plastic container had become the heaviest thing in the world.

After pouring the last bottle of water, An Zhe struggled to lift the bucket to turn around.

Before him lay the dim and vast mine tunnel, the spot where he had come from now reduced to a faint pinpoint of light.

The bucket in his hand was so heavy, and the journey back was so long. He was already struggling to carry it, making the return trip an impossible task.

An Zhe froze abruptly.

Footsteps echoed in the cavern, and Lu Fen walked up beside him.

The colonel asked, "Not going back?"

His tone rose slightly, as if mocking.

An Zhe remained silent, gazing at the end of the tunnel, feeling his intelligence dwindling bit by bit.

Lu Fen gave him a glance and said nonchalantly, "If you had filled the bucket here first before starting your journey—"

An Zhe: "."

He was not in a good state.

If he had come with an empty bucket, filled it up here, and then collected water on his way back, he would have only needed to make one trip. But now—he not only had to lug the increasingly heavy bucket all the way here, but he would also have to carry it back.

He finally understood why Lu Fen hadn't moved when he saw what An Zhe was doing.

This person, this person—

This person had clearly foreseen the outcome from the start but acted as if nothing was amiss, simply watching him struggle.

An Zhe decided to be angry. He was a mushroom with pride, so he started walking back with the bucket, trying to quicken his pace.

But Lu Fen had long legs and easily caught up to walk alongside him. After a dozen steps, Lu Fen reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Look over there," Lu Fen said.

An Zhe glanced aside.

On the metallic tracks stood a two-meter square cart filled with a few chunks of rocks, clearly a minecart designed for transporting stones.

Suddenly, his load felt lighter as Lu Fen took over his bucket, placing it in the cart before putting his own on top of it.

Just when An Zhe assumed that the colonel merely intended to conserve energy by using this mode of transportation, Lu Fen nonchalantly said, "Hop in."

An Zhe looked at the minecart, somewhat hesitant. He had a nagging suspicion that Lu Fen was up to some strange game.

—In the end, without complying nor declining outright, he found himself lifted and placed onto the cart by Lu Fen.

Inside the small minecart was surprisingly spacious. With his back turned to Lu Fen, An Zhe sat with his knees drawn up to his chest. Lu Fen hung the lantern at the front of the cart, and the little vehicle began to roll slowly along the tracks, its rumbling echoing gently within the mine tunnels.

An Zhe gazed ahead. Mushrooms were innately tranquil and inactive creatures, so being pushed along didn't bother him. Although he couldn't see Lu Fen, he inexplicably sensed that the man was also enjoying himself. A mushroom's happiness stemmed from idleness, but he couldn't fathom what brought about the colonel's joy.

Fixing his gaze forward, he inwardly harrumphed.