Chapter 101 Wilderness Mummy (1) Only One Can Go

Chapter 101: The Wilderness Mummy (Part 1) – Only One Can Leave

"Rustle…"

Flattened against the boulder, they remained perfectly still. Yu Xing heard the footsteps right behind them, just on the other side of their hiding spot.

Though she didn’t know the exact nature of the danger, Di Shensi’s palpable tension infected Yu Xing with a similar nervousness.

Di Shensi had her completely immobilized; only her eyes could move. But even if she could roll them back into her head, she couldn’t see what was happening behind them.

Neither moved a muscle, their breaths shallow and slow.

Yu Xing’s back pressed against Di Shensi’s chest, and she felt his heart quicken its pace.

Now what? Yu Xing thought. Why wasn’t that thing leaving? If it didn’t go soon, Di Shensi’s ill luck would surely act up again.

Just as she worried for him, her darting eyes suddenly froze. Under the moonlight, she saw the sand ahead shift slightly—then a creature resembling a scorpion crawled out from beneath it.

Yu Xing’s eyes widened as the scorpion-like insect scuttled directly toward them.

She wanted to warn Di Shensi, but her mouth was firmly covered. Any attempt to move only made him tense, tightening his grip and restraining her with greater force.

A minute later, Yu Xing was seeing stars, her eyes rolling back, yet still unable to draw Di Shensi’s attention to the ground.

As the scorpion reached Di Shensi’s leg, Yu Xing prayed silently: *We didn’t provoke it, we didn’t bother it. Please, Scorpion Brother or Sister, let us go. We’re just two ships passing in the night, creatures sharing this earth for a fleeting moment.*

But Yu Xing’s prayers went unheard.

Or perhaps, given Di Shensi’s current fortune, no deity could intervene.

Under Yu Xing’s horrified gaze, the scorpion climbed onto Di Shensi’s calf—then, for reasons unknown, it flicked its tail and stung him hard.

In that instant, Yu Xing distinctly felt Di Shensi’s grip intensify. His muscles stiffened like iron, and even his breathing momentarily ceased.

Yu Xing’s breath also hitched. She was terrified he might jump up in pain.

But she had underestimated Di Shensi. He didn’t jump, nor did he utter a single sound. Not a peep escaped him, even as Yu Xing watched the scorpion crawl away from his leg.

Incredible…

Yu Xing was genuinely awed. She knew she could never have endured such a thing.

Just as her admiration for Di Shensi swelled, Yu Xing’s gaze froze once more. The sand ahead shifted again, and a centipede emerged.

Yu Xing: "…"

As if guided by an invisible navigation system, the centipede crawled relentlessly toward them. Yu Xing knew she *had* to warn Di Shensi this time.

But she couldn’t move. Any twitch, and Di Shensi would tighten his hold. Left with no choice, Yu Xing moved her mouth. Her lips brushed against Di Shensi’s palm, hoping he would understand she had something to say.

Di Shensi felt it—his palm twitched, then pressed even harder against Yu Xing’s mouth.

Yu Xing: "…"

Just then, the centipede reached Di Shensi’s leg. Yu Xing watched, wide-eyed, as it circled his leg a few times, then bit down.

Di Shensi’s breath stopped again. Yu Xing’s imagination couldn’t fully grasp what Di Shensi must be feeling at that moment, but it didn’t diminish her awe.

After the centipede left, the footsteps behind them still lingered.

Yu Xing’s thoughts churned. What *was* that thing behind them? How long would they have to stay here? When would it finally leave?

Then she wondered, with a scorpion and a centipede already appearing, what would be the next creature to torment Di Shensi?

Lost in her wild thoughts, Yu Xing saw a slender, emerald-green snake slither across the sand, heading straight for them.

Yu Xing’s eyes bulged. "!!!"

No way? Seriously?!

The small snake glided across the sand, flicking its tongue occasionally. Then, under Yu Xing’s reluctant gaze, it reached Di Shensi’s feet.

She closed her eyes, unable to watch any longer. Her empathy made her skin crawl.

Sure enough, less than three seconds later, she felt Di Shensi’s body tremble uncontrollably. At the same time, he finally let out a stifled groan of unbearable pain.

With that muffled groan, the "rustling" sound behind them abruptly ceased.

For a moment, Yu Xing didn’t even dare to move her eyeballs. She waited, eyes wide, for whatever was about to happen.

"Rustle…"

The footsteps reappeared, but this time they weren’t aimless. They moved with purpose, drawing closer and closer.

Finally, after another minute, the footsteps vanished again.

Yu Xing and Di Shensi dared not move, barely even breathing. Yet the footsteps simply disappeared, suddenly gone. They remained frozen, maintaining their crouched position for a long time.

Finally, perhaps Di Shensi couldn’t bear it any longer; his grip on Yu Xing loosened considerably.

Yu Xing quickly wriggled free and whispered, very, very softly, "Is it gone?"

Di Shensi’s entire face was shrouded in shadow. He didn’t speak, but his breathing grew heavier. Yu Xing crouched on the ground, cautiously glancing left and right. She saw nothing. That thing must have left.

Just as Yu Xing began to relax, she suddenly noticed something she had overlooked.

Ahead, in the moonlight, the shadow of the large boulder they were hiding behind stretched across the ground. Yu Xing suddenly realized the shadow seemed to have grown longer.

The boulder’s shadow had definitely not been this long before, and its shape was also slightly different.

Yu Xing stared at the shadow in horror, then she saw it move. The very front part of the shadow suddenly detached from the rest, an oval shape moving independently.

Beside her, Di Shensi leaned painfully against the stone, one hand trembling as he clutched his leg.

Suddenly, Yu Xing spun around. Di Shensi paused. He looked at Yu Xing, only to find her staring at the stone behind them. More precisely, Yu Xing was staring at the top of the stone.

A sense of foreboding washed over Di Shensi. He shifted on the ground, also looking behind him.

He saw a figure crouched on top of the large boulder where they had been hiding, its head lowered, looking down at them. Cold sweat instantly drenched Di Shensi. He had no idea how long this figure had been watching them.

Yu Xing and Di Shensi remained frozen, staring at the figure.

The figure crouched on the stone, silhouetted against the light, also watching them.

After a long moment, the figure on the stone slowly stood up. Only then could Yu Xing barely make out its appearance.

It was… something that could not be called human. It wore tattered clothes, with only one shoe on its foot. Even more tattered than its clothes was its body; its skin was shriveled and blackened, some parts already decayed, exposing internal muscle and bone.

Especially on its face, the few remaining tufts of hair resembled weeds. It had no eyelids, its turbid eyeballs completely exposed. Its jaw was incomplete, and its mouth was a gaping, dark hole.

It stood there on the stone, then jumped down from it in front of the two.

Its withered, branch-like legs landed on the sand. As it stood before them, Yu Xing realized this mummy-like thing was about her height. She also noticed that the clothes it wore… bore a slight resemblance to their military uniforms.

"Rustle… rustle…"

The mummy took two steps forward. Di Shensi, unable to stand, could only sit on the ground, staring intently at the mummy.

The mummy walked up to Yu Xing, then its mouth moved.

"Crack… crack…"

The mummy’s mouth emitted a chilling, bone-grinding sound.

"…Home…"

To Yu Xing’s shock, the mummy spoke clearly, "…I want to go home."

Yu Xing was stunned. It could talk? Was it human?

Could this be… someone similar to the villagers of Tomorrow Village? Was it also living outside the wall, transformed into this state by the contamination?

"Home…" The mummy-like person stared at Yu Xing. "Please, which way should I go to get home?"

"This…" How would Yu Xing know where its home was? She stammered, "Which city is your home in?"

But as soon as she asked, the mummy suddenly fell silent. Behind it, Di Shensi shouted, "Run!"

Then a bolt of lightning tore through the night sky, striking the mummy with precision.

"Boom!"

After the thunder, smoke rose from the mummy, emitting a foul odor.

Yu Xing quickly turned on her light. She saw the mummy’s head had been charred black by the lightning. Yet the mummy remained standing steadily. It merely turned around, looking at Di Shensi, who had just used a divine skill.

Di Shensi sat on the ground, eyes fixed on the mummy, but he spoke to Yu Xing: "Get farther away."

Yu Xing quickly retreated, putting about ten paces between herself and the mummy.

Di Shensi muttered something under his breath, then suddenly raised his hand. Several bolts of lightning tore through the night sky. Twisted lightning enveloped the mummy, producing a deafening roar.

This was the first time Yu Xing had witnessed a third-rank Beloved of the God of Thunder and Lightning using a divine skill in this world. No wonder everyone thought the Bull Warrior was the Thunder God’s Chosen; the way they wielded lightning was indeed very similar.

Di Shensi’s lightning was powerful, several times stronger than a magic staff’s ordinary attack, though much weaker than a major spell.

An ordinary person suffering such an attack would likely be reduced to ashes.

But when the lightning dissipated, the mummy still stood firmly in place.

Seeing its clothes completely burned away and its body charred black, Yu Xing thought it absolutely could not be the same kind of existence as the villagers of Tomorrow Village. No living person could withstand such damage and still stand unshaken.

"Can you tell me where my home is?"

The mummy’s clear voice echoed across the wilderness.

"I want to go home."

"I want to go home…"

Fear appeared on Di Shensi’s face. Although the mummy had done nothing, Di Shensi was utterly terrified.

Watching this scene, Yu Xing couldn’t help but frown. "What in God’s name is this thing?"

"Go…" Di Shensi’s lips trembled. "While you still can."

"What do you mean?" Seeing no intention of attack from the mummy, Yu Xing walked over to help Di Shensi up. "Let’s go together."

But the moment she reached out, Di Shensi pushed her away fiercely.

"Don’t touch me!" His pale face was slick with cold sweat. "Only one can go. Of us two… only one can leave…"