Chapter 282: The City of Mold (4)

Chapter 282: The City of Mold (Part Four)

Lin Xiaofeng's second mistake was standing with her back to the door.

When the shadow loomed over them, it was too late to dodge. Zhu Ning's head rested on Lin Xiaofeng's shoulder, but her reaction was quicker. Despite her weakness, she fiercely slapped Lin Xiaofeng with her broken arm, pushing her away.

Lin Xiaofeng stumbled and finally reacted, bending down to avoid the threat. She couldn't see what was happening clearly, only feeling a cold chill brush past her body. Turning around, she realized it was an axe.

Xiao Wu stood at the door with a large flashlight, while Aunt Lan's axe narrowly missed Lin Xiaofeng's back as it flew through the air.

Zhu Ning, who had been half-lying on the table, leaning on Lin Xiaofeng for balance, lost her equilibrium after pushing Lin Xiaofeng away. She let herself fall to the ground.

Lin Xiaofeng looked toward the exit, where Xiao Wu, wearing a gas mask, blocked the way. They must have committed many crimes together, their coordination was flawless.

She had always found these two suspicious, but never imagined they would act so quickly.

Aunt Lan greedily eyed Lin Xiaofeng's protective suit. The sealed helmet could shield against contamination. She had observed that mold could only grow on the surface of the suit, unable to penetrate inside.

If this suit were given to them, the girl, carrying half a corpse, would surely die soon.

As Aunt Lan breathed, mold crawled out from her tongue, growing faster with each breath until it covered her face.

The plastic bag over Aunt Lan's face, already yellowed, now sprouted mold spots, resembling a frog's skin. Lin Xiaofeng raised her hand and fired, purely out of instinct, which was her third mistake.

Lin Xiaofeng's aim wasn't accurate; her target was the center of Aunt Lan's forehead. With a bang, the bullet veered off and passed through Aunt Lan's neck.

Aunt Lan's neck was wrapped in a thick scarf, with a waterproof pad inside, thoroughly protecting herself.

The bullet passed through, clinking onto the floor behind Aunt Lan. Her body trembled, but not a drop of blood spilled. Lin Xiaofeng, breathing heavily, watched as mold spots emerged from the wound on Aunt Lan's neck.

It resembled canned cream, spurting out in a mess, quickly swelling to the size of a head, hanging like a tumor from Aunt Lan's neck.

Aunt Lan's body no longer contained human flesh and blood; she was a monster composed entirely of mold.

Bullets were useless, and physical attacks could worsen the situation. Lin Xiaofeng gritted her teeth and rolled on the spot. Her priority was to rescue Zhu Ning.

Zhu Ning, with only half a body and undeveloped legs, had no chance of escaping. Lin Xiaofeng couldn't let her die here.

Lin Xiaofeng reached out and scooped up half of Zhu Ning into her arms. Zhu Ning's body was burning hot, like holding a scalding sweet potato.

The shop was small, and the mold from Aunt Lan's wound was expanding, threatening to engulf the entire place. Lin Xiaofeng was easily becoming fodder for the mold.

Worse still, the boy named Xiao Wu, like a wild animal, suddenly lunged at Lin Xiaofeng.

"Break the wall," Zhu Ning's weak voice sounded.

Lin Xiaofeng remembered this. She had lived within the walls, carefully concealing her abilities, spending a long time controlling her immense strength.

Now outside the walls, there was no need to hold back. Lin Xiaofeng punched the wall with all her might. With a loud boom, the entire wall collapsed. She didn't hesitate, crashing through the opening.

As she moved, the mold behind her also stirred. Aunt Lan was completely submerged in mold. Lin Xiaofeng's left foot ached as a hand grabbed her left ankle. It was a child's hand, covered in white fur, attaching itself to her calf upon contact.

Xiao Wu's face, hidden behind the gas mask, swelled and distorted. Lifting the mask revealed no flesh or skin. This mother and son were monsters made of mold.

The mold grew more and more, weightless but enveloping her like a cloud of cotton candy. It was impossible to distinguish whose mycelium came from Xiao Wu or Aunt Lan, whether it grew from their mouths or internal organs.

Lin Xiaofeng experienced the sensation of being bound by cotton for the first time. Struggling was futile; her immense strength was ineffective against the mold, and she couldn't use her gun.

Her nostrils filled with a pungent moldy smell, making her feel as if it was growing inside her respiratory system. Both her legs were held, and when she looked down, she saw Xiao Wu's gas mask, its large holes staring at her like a newly molded face.

"Light a fire."

Hearing Zhu Ning's voice, Lin Xiaofeng remembered her presence. Zhu Ning's hand circled her neck, barely hanging on, using all her strength to stay attached.

Lin Xiaofeng couldn't see clearly, buried alive by the mold. Hearing Zhu Ning's voice, she instinctively searched and found a lighter, an old item she brought outside the walls.

She tried twice to light it, but failed. The mold on her ankle had grown to her thigh, and the more anxious she became, the more mistakes she made.

Finally, with a click, a spark of light appeared in the darkness. Compared to the decay, fire was "fragrant." Lin Xiaofeng carefully lowered the flame, and Xiao Wu's hand instantly retracted, the massive mold shrinking like a deflated cotton ball.

Seizing the opportunity, Lin Xiaofeng pulled her leg free and retreated, her heart pounding in her throat.

The shop was already overrun by mold, even the exterior walls were covered. A faint light source, likely from Xiao Wu's large flashlight, dimly illuminated two shadows.

At first, she thought there were only two, but upon closer inspection, more shadows emerged from the two. Basketball players, ballet dancers, an airplane—patterns overlapped and distorted in her mind, every object Xiao Wu mentioned appeared.

The fire only dispersed the mold mass, but some had already grown on Lin Xiaofeng. Burning or rubbing did nothing to remove it.

Lin Xiaofeng felt a dull pain in her eyes, as if the mold had penetrated her protective suit. She dared not look.

Shaken, she lowered her head, drenched in cold sweat. Somewhere along the line, her ankle had been scratched, and mold had grown into her skin, causing her leg to rot, tingling and looking fuzzy.

Was she contaminated? What about Zhu Ning?

Lin Xiaofeng quickly checked Zhu Ning, whose condition was worse. Already weak, blue mold spread across her neck. Lin Xiaofeng tentatively touched Zhu Ning's neck, finding it soft beneath her fingers.

Zhu Ning now resembled a rotten orange. If Lin Xiaofeng applied more pressure, she would burst open.

Zhu Ning's eyelids drooped, but she hadn't lost consciousness. Weak and powerless, she feared Lin Xiaofeng's guilt and softly said, "I'm fine."

Zhu Ning added, "Don't... look."

Her words were muffled, unclear whether she meant not to look at Aunt Lan and Xiao Wu or at herself.

Lin Xiaofeng, entering the contaminated area and caring for the incapacitated Zhu Ning, felt like crying. To avoid worrying Zhu Ning, she swallowed her distress.

Xiao Wu and Aunt Lan didn't attack again. Lin Xiaofeng guessed that once they turned into mold, they were fixed in place, only able to spread but not move like beasts.

Now Aunt Lan and Xiao Wu have merged with the ghostly shadows in the room, making it impossible to distinguish one from another, transforming into a massive monster.

Lin Xiaofeng resecured Zhu Ning on her back. When she stood up, her calves ached, the area where the mold had grown felt as if a steel needle had been inserted, piercing deep into her bones.

Lin Xiaofeng has been in this world for almost two days, not daring to close her eyes, her body growing increasingly exhausted.

Zhu Ning's chin rested softly on her shoulder, asking, "What happened?"

Lin Xiaofeng felt a bit more at ease, like a young animal on its first hunt, feeling less lost with someone by her side.

She gave a rough account of what had happened, starting from when Pei Shu made his decision, then explaining how they encountered Aunt Lan and Xiao Wu, and that they were going to a place called Moon Street to find a doctor. Lin Xiaofeng didn't know if the doctor existed, but if he could cure illnesses, she hoped he could help Zhu Ning.

Zhu Ning's mind was in chaos, the thick liquid swirling like boiling water during a system reboot. She listened attentively now.

Pei Shu and Bai Cheng going to kill the dogs was certainly dangerous, equivalent to two people fighting Prometheus, likely ending in tragedy.

Once Pei Shu and Bai Cheng were in trouble, Prometheus would enter the contaminated zone. The man-faced dog had already chased them to the door, and returning must mean they knew the location.

But this was indeed the best decision under the circumstances.

The prerequisite was that Zhu Ning could repair herself and catch up in time; otherwise, she would only be able to collect their remains.

Pei Shu and Bai Cheng chose the contaminated zone themselves, daring to let Lin Xiaofeng bring Zhu Ning alone, so it couldn't be unsolvable.

Zhu Ning said, "Follow the path."

Her meaning was to follow the logic of the contaminated area. Since Aunt Lan wanted to go to Moon Street, they should do the same.

If they really encountered the source of contamination, Zhu Ning could consume it. She had little strength left and needed to replenish her "nutrition" or she would waste away.

Lin Xiaofeng obediently agreed. Pei Shu had also mentioned before that if Zhu Ning wanted to "eat," they should look for the contamination source, but they hadn't found the most dangerous spot yet.

But she didn't know where Moon Street was. Aunt Lan had roughly pointed in a direction earlier. She looked toward a tall building in the distance, thinking it might be in that direction.

Carrying Zhu Ning on her back, she limped forward without looking back.

The city was damp everywhere, the sewers emitting a foul stench. Along the way, she encountered more corpses, which seemed to merge with the skyscrapers, forming some bizarre art installations.

Zhu Ning gave a general direction and then fell silent, her hot breath falling on Lin Xiaofeng's neck. Lin Xiaofeng tightened her grip, feeling as if she were the last person left in the world.

She thought, if they couldn't get out, and the mold covered her body, she could fuse with Zhu Ning into a single monster, dying together, which wouldn't be so bad.

It was pitch black everywhere, with no distinction between day and night. After walking for a while, Lin Xiaofeng passed by a nursing home and suddenly heard a rustling sound. A shadow hung down.

Lin Xiaofeng took two steps back, her breath catching. In the darkness, she saw a huge shadow, formed by hundreds of elderly people, like a ball of dough, with mold acting as the adhesive, stacked into a tower, the tip of which was now hanging down.

Lin Xiaofeng stared for a long time, seeing no intention of attack from the mold, just a silent spread, unstoppable by outsiders.

It felt like she was touring the eighteen levels of hell, except this hell's theme was mold. She had seen all kinds of corpses but never any "living" beings.

After walking through two streets, which were a large avenue, Lin Xiaofeng saw a figure standing at a bus stop from a distance.

Someone, finally someone in this world. Even if they were contaminated, they could provide new clues, as long as they weren't that mother and son. Lin Xiaofeng informed Zhu Ning, who responded weakly with an "Mm-hmm."

She quickened her pace, like a shipwrecked person seeing light, almost running towards the bus stop. But her steps became hesitant, slowing down until she stopped, even considering turning back.

It wasn't one figure but two; the larger one had blocked the smaller one, making her think it was a single person.

It was a woman with a child. The little boy wore a gas mask and held a large flashlight, while the woman's face was covered with a plastic bag. They seemed to be waiting for a bus at the stop. At that moment, the little boy turned his head and shouted, "Mom!"

"There's someone here!" the little boy exclaimed excitedly upon seeing Lin Xiaofeng.