CH 95.2

Chapter 95.2 – Gamma Abyss

“The so-called mole people are humans who have been bitten by moles. We mutate but don’t die, and the infection stops at some critical point and turns us into this inhuman form.” Di Wen said, “Most of them had a big change of temperament, just like them!”

She glanced back, and immediately a strange man crawled over with both hands and feet, stretched out his hand to her, and roughly called: “Di Wen! Di Wen!”

Di Wen opened her pockets, took out something, and threw it into the mole man. The group instantly boiled over and swooped together with a low roar and a tooth-aching crunching sound – the sound of raw flesh being crushed along with bones.

Shi Yuan remembered a documentary he had seen: there was a human building called a “zoo”, where the keepers threw buckets of raw meat at the beasts, who feasted on flesh and blood.

Di Wen was like that keeper, except she was feeding humans.

Di Wen looked at them with unspeakably complicated eyes: “They like raw meat, their personalities are like wild animals, and they only have the most basic language ability – when they are in good condition, they can still say a word or two to you, if they are in bad condition, they are no different from beasts.”

Lu Tinghan said: “You also seem to be infected by moles, but you are different from them.”

“I am one of the lucky few,” Di Wen said. “There are only three or four mole people like me, and they stay at home.”

She seemed to sigh: “When the mole people first appeared, most people didn’t recognize that they were still human beings, and they weren’t allowed to live in the city. They wouldn’t hurt people, but they were still massacred in large numbers. One, because there was not enough food to support so many people with low mental capacity, and two, it was also because of people’s fear of the unknown. They thought, what if? If the mole people go crazy one day, will they also devour humans?”

Shi Yuan suddenly thought of the Abyss Watchers.

The Alliance people were afraid of the Watchers, they were also afraid that they would one day go mad.

Humans were afraid of the unknown.

What were they afraid of? Afraid they couldn’t tell if it was a person or a monster in front of them! Even the excellent and dutiful Lu Tinghan, it was only after proving himself again and again in the long test that he had gained the trust of the masses.

The watchers survived years of vigilance, the mole people survived painful infections, and they both had to pay the price for being different.

Most people still respected the Watchers, but the mole people were completely different.

Di Wen: “As cities fell, the mole people grew in number, and the temper of the people hunting them also grew, especially the king…”

She paused for a while, passed this part vaguely, and smiled again. Her facial features together with her whole body which was covered with black fur made her smile far from the word “friendly”. The more she smiled, the more ferocious she looked, and she was even scarier than a monster.

She said: “The mole people can easily move underground. When the underground city was attacked by the mole again, all those who could escape were the mole people.” Her smile was deeper, and the corners of her mouth curved almost to her ears, “No matter what, it was us who survived in the end. Infection is our curse and our blessing. Those who look down on us are long dead!”

Lu Tinghan lowered his eyes slightly and asked, “Apart from the mole people, are there any survivors in the Empire?”

“No,” Di Wen replied simply, “They’re dead, we’re the only ones left.”

“…” Lu Tinghan looked at her and said, “The Alliance has a plan called ‘Echo’. It took us more than fifty years to create a channel that can resist the interference of the abyss to the highest extent, trying to contact the Empire. A year after that channel was launched… we received a call from Elton.”

Di Wen was taken aback for a moment, almost screaming: “Elton?! Elton?!”

“Yes, Elton has been calling us,” Lu Tinghan said, “For some reason, Elton has not been able to hear our calls. They have maintained the frequency of calling every half a month until today. The destination of our trip is Elton.” He looked at Di Wen’s stunned expression, “It seems that you don’t know either.”

“No, no, no—no, no, it’s impossible!” Di Wen was confused, tugging at her miserable white hair, “How could there be anyone alive in Elton! It must be an illusion, you—you are lying to me!!” She screamed, showing the sharp teeth in her mouth.

After all, she was also a mole man, and it was difficult to suppress her animal nature when she was emotional, revealing a hideous side.

Lu Tinghan remained calm: “We have no need to lie to you.”

Di Wen tugged at her hair tightly, screaming in a low and hoarse voice, chanting something like: “Elton! How could it be Elton?!” and “Impossible, impossible, impossible…” and “They are already dead!”

After a long time, she calmed down a little and withdrew her fangs.

She said slowly: “…there is not enough time, we have to finish things first.”

Lu Tinghan asked, “What things?”

“We came out to find something to eat,” Di Wen said, “In this small town, there are still some treasures left.”

Lu Tinghan: “You mean the underground town?”

“Oh, you actually went there!” Surprise flashed in Di Wen’s eyes, “But that’s not what I’m talking about. Here—there is another secret. Alicia used to come to this city a lot, and if she didn’t get what she wanted, she would be furious. So there is a royal warehouse next to the underground town, full of good ingredients, skirts that can be changed at any time, all kinds of jewelry and diamonds, chefs, musicians, doctors, and makeup artists, all kinds of shit, just waiting for her to give orders and be at her beck and call.”

Lu Tinghan understood: “You’re going to that warehouse?”

The mole people were making noises again, and Di Wen threw out two pieces of raw meat again, leaving them scrambling to eat. She continued, “Ordinary food has long gone bad. What we want is canned food and medical supplies. If we’re lucky we might find ammunition. It’s time for us to set off now, if it’s dawn, we won’t make it home in time.”

She looked at Lu Tinghan and Shi Yuan: “Do you want to come together? Maybe on the way… we can still talk about Elton.”

Lu Tinghan looked at Shi Yuan, and when Shi Yuan nodded to him, he said, “Okay, let’s go together. But…”

Di Wen: “What?”

“Why do you know about Alicia’s secret town and warehouse?” Lu Tinghan asked, “Are you from the royal family?”

Di Wen was taken aback and cackled: “Me? I’m nobody, I’m just the person who looks down on the little princess the most in the world! I—I hate her the most.” She bared her fangs: “Let’s go, go to the little princess’s treasure house, we don’t have time to talk nonsense!” She laughed shrilly and wildly, “Keep up with us! If you can do it.”

She made a few weird screams, and the mole people moved one after another, and they all went underground!

They were as flexible as those monsters living underground, like a fish in the water, quickly skimming the ground, occasionally probing, running on the ground with their hands and feet, and when they breathed enough oxygen, they’d return to the underground one after another.

Di Wen took a deep look at the two of them one last time, dragged her shriveled body, and also burrowed into the ground.

“Let’s keep up,” Lu Tinghan and Shi Yuan said.

Shi Yuan: “Okay.”

Shi Yuan wanted to go out, but Lu Tinghan dragged him back by the tail.

Lu Tinghan helped Shi Yuan put on his military uniform jacket, and wrapped his sleeves in a circle to block his mouth and nose. Shi Yuan put on his coat, revealing only his jet-black eyes and a cheerful swaying tail.

Lu Tinghan took Shi Yuan out.

The mole people swam underground, covered in black hair, hunched backs, and sharp nails and teeth. They surrounded and followed Di Wen forward, rushing to the once luxurious warehouse. The royal family was gone, the army was gone, and in the end, it was them, the deformed humans, who survived.

The sandstorm was overwhelming, carrying the rich night color, invading the whole world.

The only light source was the strong flashlight in Lu Tinghan’s hand.

They hurriedly followed the mole people. After a while, Lu Tinghan found Shi Yuan very quiet.

It was not the type of quiet without speaking. But rather, the tip of Shi Yuan’s tail hadn’t swayed for a long time.

—Lu Tinghan understood that this meant that Shi Yuan was either thinking, torn, or sad.

He approached Shi Yuan and asked, “Are you concerned about Di Wen’s attitude?”

“What?” Because of the layer of military uniform, Shi Yuan’s voice was muffled, “No, I was thinking about the Gamma Abyss. You—you must not be infected by it!”

Lu Tinghan’s expression was soft: “Why are you suddenly worried about this? If the moles come, I will know.” The wind became louder, and he leaned closer again, almost biting Shi Yuan’s ear, and said, “Besides, don’t I still have you protecting me?”

“No, I’m really worried this time.” Shi Yuan was still worried, “The characteristic of its infection is breeding frenzy. If you get it, I’m finished.”

Lu Tinghan: “……”

Lu Tinghan：“…………”

Shi Yuan said again: “And I really, really can’t lay eggs. You can only keep going crazy…” His tail curled up, feeling torn, “Although, it’s not impossible—ah!”

Lu Tinghan flicked Shi Yuan’s head: “What are you thinking!”