Chapter 44：Corpse

"It is gold!" Macon and Zach also noted the jewelry in the counter. Their faces showed a bit of excitement.

Scott heard their excited shouts. There was a faint smile on his face as he turned back and said: "I would like to remind you all that although we are a group but the person who picks up the materials keeps it. This is the rule and all the consortia are very clear about this point. I'm not deliberately bullying you." Then he pointed towards the twenty scavengers from the consortium.

Mason who heard this had an ugly look on his face. A slim youth from the consortium scavengers nodded in affirmation of Scott's words: "He is right. Do not be lazy, as whoever picks up the materials owns it. The one who is capable and have luck on his side will pick up more than others."

Mason was frustrated as he heard them talk. Scott was the first to find the gold jewelry so it was naturally his. Unfortunately they won't be getting any commission or royalty.

Dudian was disappointent with the rule too. But soon their spirits rose. In fact for newcomers like them it was a fair rule. In sense it protected them too, at least they wouldn't share their findings with others. In this case, Scott's luck was good. As he randomly selected a foothold which happened to be gold shop.

Scott cracked all the glass containers in the room and took out all the jewelry. He piled them in one of the cupboard's and again clenched his dagger: "Alright, we should clean up this place." Dudian and others began to clean the dirt in the room. Scott added: "Do not attemt to steal or use other dirty ways to seize other's loot. If the owner of the materials is killed in the process of scavenging then the materials that he had picked will belong to the consortia and will not be shared."

Dudian knew that Scott was telling the newcomers not to be greedy and use crooked methods to acquire materials. He also secretly appreciated the consortium to set such a rule. To a large extent, a rule like this, would make scavengers to avoid killing each other in the wilderness.

Scott and Mia took the lead and walked up the stairs as they finished cleaning the first floor.

The corridor was covered in corrugated thick vegetation. There were few things scattered on it. Dudian's recognized them at a glance, it was a woman's shoes and a wallet. It seems riots had occurred while the disaster outbroke.

Consortium's scavengers followed after them but a middle-aged one collapsed down because of stampede in the stairs. He fell on to the ground. Fortunately it was first floor and his body was 'blessed' by God so he was not injured. But newcomers were scared the shit out of them because of this sudden occurrence.

Scott looked back and frowned: " It is extremely dark on the second floor. The windows have long been covered by the vegetation so there is no ventilation of air and sun can not penetrate inside. As a result the ground is a bit wet, be careful when walking!"

Scott lit a torch. He carried the torch as he walked in front. The corridor was dimly illuminated by the burning torch. He stood before the first room in the corridor. The door of the from was half-covered. Scott gently pushed the door. Suddenly an air was blown outwards that almost extinguished the torch.

Scott had a dagger on his right hands while he lowered the torch a little with his left hand. He slowly entered the room. The floor was cluttered. The chair was knocked onto the ground, the curtain was torn in half, the windows were broken and dense vegetation covered everywhere.

Kacha~

From the depth of the room came a slight sound.

Scott's face changed and immediately lifted the torch according to his instincts. Dudian saw that it was a bathroom. The curtain had collapsed onto the ground. Two pale withered thighs were hanging out of the bath tube. As the torch's shine illuminated the surround they saw the thigh's owner. It was rotten woman's face which was pointing to them. The sound came from her chest.

On top of her tummy there was a huge black rat that was constantly kicking onto woman's chest. Dudian's could observe the scene from the gap of Scott's arm. His pupils narrowed.

It's size was as big as a hound. It's hair was colored black and its tail was as thick as a a finger. It was eating the woman's body.

"It is the monster!" Scott was the first to react, by throwing the small dagger at it.

The rat that was feeding on woman got aware of the fire behind it. It turned its head towards the fire. It's eyes were blood red, full of violence. It's sharp mouth was stained with sticky blood. Few very long hairs which seemed to be its beard were fluttering slightly. As if knowing that it would be outnumbered by the enemy it suddenly stepped on the side of tube and jumped outside through the windows.

Scott and Mia's attacks all come to nothing. Everyone was focused on extraordinary rats movement as they heard Scott's words.

Scott whispered: "It run away." Then he leveled the torch down according to dead woman's head. It was as if she was staring at him with her pale green eyes.

"Good god," Mason covered his nose because of the rancid smell.

Dudian had forgotten about breathing. His heart was in shock as it was no trivial matter. In the last three hundred years of the nuclear radiation, the rats which had lived in here from generation to generation had gone through a terrible gene mutation!

His eyes fell on the woman. The other one was naked. Her chest was carved out by the rat. Half of her heart was bitten. However his eyes fell on her eyebrows. There was a finger thick blood hole, which seemed to be... ... a bullet shoot?

Dudian was startled but then rejected the possibility of the bullet. Rather more likely it was an arrow that had caused the damage. After all, there was no significant tearing or destruction which had to be caused by the power of bullet.

But he still couldn't understand that if the woman died by an arrow shot, then a person had killed her. "What kind of people will shoot her with an arrow?" Dudian thought. Suddenly the hairs on his whole body stood erect. He had neglected a point while thinking through.

This woman, obviously was in the process of bathing while she was killed!

However, the water supply system in this house, should have long been broken!

Moreover the people in this world rarely liked to wash themselves naked. So even if hunter or a scavenger, they would try to avoid taking a bath in the ten days that they went out for the task.

" Was she killed three hundred years ago? Did she die while taking bath? If so... ... her body should have rotted!" Dudian was frustrated. Mia crouched down and picked the curtain to cover dead woman's body. Even it was wilderness Mia didn't want woman's body to be kept exposed. However when Mia raised the curtain to cover her, Dudian inadvertently saw the woman's arm... ... There were sharp claws!

Instead of nails there war sharp, long, thorny claws. Five spikes slightly bent. It was difficult to imagine being gripped by such a palm. What kind of harm it would cause!

"Mutated humans?" Dudian stared speechless as his mind confused.