Invasion - Chapter 25

Chapter 25

In the early morning, Lin Yuan stood by the window of her single dorm room, holding a steaming enamel teacup, looking at the street scene outside.

The dorm was very old, the paint on the wooden frames of the doors and windows was peeling, and the bed was a small wooden plank bed. But the room had obviously been thoroughly cleaned beforehand, the utensils had been replaced with new ones, and the view was very good, she could see all the way to the misty sea in the distance.

The hot water in the cup had been brought to her by the sentinels early in the morning. The tea leaves steeping inside were specially given to her by Xiao Niao yesterday, who said she had personally flown to a cliff to pick the wild tea.

When she was living at the academy in the White Tower, hot water was available all day long, and the black tea prepared by the housekeeper was very high-quality.

But for some reason, Lin Yuan felt that this steaming wild tea in her hand tasted much better. Perhaps things picked from cliffs really were different.

Lin Yuan wiped the lightly fogged glass with her sleeve and looked down. The residents near the outpost lived in very crowded conditions, all sorts of dilapidated, low houses huddled together. A wall stood in the distance, encircling the people and the small watchtower within its high walls.

Although it was still early, the nearby streets were already bustling with activity.

A ragged little boy, clutching a loaf of bread in his arms, darted out of a bakery like a rabbit. The bakery owner, holding a broom, chased after him, cursing.

【Hunger, fear, anger.】

Several sentinels walked past the window. The one walking in front seemed to have said something that angered Xiao Niao. Powerful white wings appeared, and the female sentinel with the hawk’s face soared into the air, taking him down in one move. The overlord of the sky's powerful talons firmly pinned the man's neck to the ground.

"I surrender, I surrender," the defeated male sentinel, stimulated, transformed, revealing a lizard-like tail, slapping it on the ground as he begged for mercy.

They looked like they were fighting, but they were actually very happy. Humans sometimes expressed their feelings in completely opposite ways.

【Happy, relaxed, joyful.】

The noisy seaside morning was filled with the hustle and bustle of life.

All kinds of emotions were transmitted to her.

Lin Yuan was upstairs, looking at the lively street through the glass. Joy, anger, sorrow, fear, she understood all of these emotions, and she could see them.

But often, like now, separated by a layer of glass, she was always just a spectator on the balcony.

Lin Yuan put on her backpack, hung the gun she had gotten from the airship on her waist, and checked her bullets. The small Skorpion submachine gun weighed only about 1.5kg, very suitable for a Guide, it wouldn't be too much of a burden.

She had summarized a rule during her time on the airship.

Mental attacks, combined with physical attacks, were the most efficient way to fight. Highly effective, large-scale, and also energy-saving.

Lin Yuan felt a little regretful, but there was nothing she could do, she couldn't always encounter such a compatible and powerful sentinel.

She still had to rely on herself for everything.

Lin Yuan packed up her weapons, came downstairs, and first went to the treatment room to check on the injured sentinel from yesterday.

It was still very early, the lights in the treatment room were dim, and white noise was playing, the sound of wind blowing through the leaves in a field.

Rachel on the bed had been well taken care of. His messy golden hair had been combed, and his complexion looked much better. The gag had been removed from his mouth, and the heavy iron chain around his neck had also been taken off. Only the restraints remained, to prevent him from hurting himself.

Although he still looked very fragile, he at least looked human, no longer a dying beast bound to the bed by iron chains.

Rachel woke up at this moment. His eyes were unfocused at first, but after a while, a little bit of his soul seemed to return. A weak, slightly bewildered gaze fell on Lin Yuan outside the window.

Facing a sentinel whose mind had been polluted by a mutated creature, and whose mental landscape had just been violently destroyed by her, Lin Yuan wasn't sure what to do.

She desperately recalled Shu Jingtong and Nicole's behavior, trying her best to imitate a smile.

She waved to the sentinel on the bed, giving him a gentle smile.

Walking out of the outpost gate, the morning air was a little chilly, and the sea breeze carried a faint smell of seawater. There was a lot of mud on the streets, Lin Yuan looked down at the mud stuck to the soles of her shoes, and continued walking forward.

The residents here lived completely different lives from those in the imperial capital.

Most people’s clothes had patches, their skin was tanned, and their hair wasn’t styled.

A girl like Lin Yuan, with fair skin and a slender figure, walking on the morning streets, quickly attracted unwanted attention.

Several ruffians followed Lin Yuan for a while, laughing and chattering, then stopped her at an alley.

“Where did such a beautiful girl come from? Your brothers have some words for you.”

Lin Yuan calmly walked into the alley with them, and after a short while, walked out again, calmly smoothing out the nonexistent wrinkles on her clothes.

【Disgusting, I feel like throwing up.】

【I want to wash my hands.】

【Don’t assign this kind of task to me next time.】

A jeep screeched to a halt in front of Lin Yuan.

Xiao Niao jumped out of the car, grabbed Lin Yuan, looked her up and down.

“Why did you come out by yourself? Did anyone bully you? I heard some unpleasant sounds.”

Four or five other sentinels, rolling up their sleeves, rushed into the dark alley aggressively, then quickly walked back out with strange looks on their faces.

“No one,” Dahu whispered to Xiao Niao, fanning his nose. “There were only a few cowards in the alley, scared out of their minds by something, collapsed on the ground crying, reeks of urine.”

They relaxed and asked Lin Yuan, “Where are you going alone?”

“To the No. 5 Contaminated Zone,” Lin Yuan said matter-of-factly.

“To the contaminated zone? My god, you want to go to the contaminated zone alone?” The sentinels were shocked. “You’re going to the contaminated zone, why didn’t you call us?”

She actually wanted to go to the contaminated zone alone? A Guide, alone, running to the contaminated zone?

They meant, they would accompany me to the contaminated zone? Why would they accompany me? That was clearly my job.

The sentinels and Lin Yuan both revealed looks of disbelief, looking at each other, unable to comprehend.

“A Guide actually wants to go to the contaminated zone.”

Lin Yuan had heard this many times. Ever since people knew she had found a job at the Special Research Department, countless people had come to her, saying similar things with exaggerated expressions, even her only friend.

“My god, a Guide actually wants to run around.”

“That’s ridiculous, a Guide going to a contaminated zone.”

“I’m so worried, how could you want to go to such a dangerous place?”

Those people fussed over her.

But Lin Yuan didn’t take it to heart. Having grown up like this, she knew that everything she truly wanted, she had to accomplish by herself.

She hadn’t relied on anyone, and she had rarely received any help from others.

So other people’s surprise or ridicule didn’t mean anything to her, and wouldn’t affect her actions.

She had heard that other than Sentinels, ordinary people who lived near contaminated zones also often went in. People risked their lives entering the contaminated zone, exchanging the materials they found for money, and many even made a living doing this.

Lin Yuan felt that, since ordinary people could go in, then a Guide, who also had hands and feet, could of course go in and try.

But soon, she discovered that the sentinels here were different from the people before.

After they said, “My god, a Guide actually wants to go to a contaminated zone,” they didn’t continue fussing, and they didn’t try to stop her. Instead, they started checking Lin Yuan’s equipment, telling her how to enter and exit the No. 5 Contaminated Zone, and what to pay attention to.

“The gun you’re carrying is pretty good, light and easy for you to use.”

“Let me see, other than firearms, you should also bring some cold weapons. You’ll run out of bullets eventually, and there’s no guarantee you’ll be able to resupply.”

“Take my dagger, it's very sharp. I’ve been using it for years.”

“Or take mine, look, it’s smaller, more suitable for you.”

“This is a map of the No. 5 Contaminated Zone, take it and familiarize yourself with it, we all have one.”

“The types of monsters, and their general locations are here, and also the way to get the key. The No. 5 Contaminated Zone is an old one, we’ve all been there many times.”

The sentinels started talking.

As if a Guide wanting to go to a contaminated zone wasn’t a big deal. Since you want to go, we’ll teach you how to survive inside.

In the end, they only insisted that she had to let them go with her.

So, Lin Yuan, still in a daze, was pulled into the car. The jeep sped along the road, and she sat on the velvet cushion she had brought.

【The cushion smells like a little girl.】 A tentacle emerged and said.

In a warmly decorated little house, a little girl, pouting, was asking her mother, who was cleaning the dishes by the sink.

“Is my dolly really not coming back?” Her voice still carried a hint of a sob.

The mother sighed, wiped her hands on her apron, and crouched down in front of her daughter.

This child had been sad about her only dolly being taken away for two whole days.

“Yes, Xiao Yuan, mommy told you, she has been taken apart. To help Uncle Rachel.”

The girl's eyes reddened, tears welling up. “Then did she help? Is Uncle Rachel okay now?”

“Yes, she played a very big role.” The mother reached out and patted her small head. “Because your dolly turned into a soft cushion, it helped bring the Guide here. Uncle Rachel doesn't have to die anymore, it’s all thanks to Xiao Yuan. Xiao Yuan, you like Uncle Rachel with the golden hair too, don’t you?”

The girl thought for a moment, and finally, her tears turned into a smile. Even though she loved her only toy doll very much, she also liked that uncle with the golden hair, and she didn't want to never see any of the uncles and aunties who often came to their house for dinner get hurt or injured.

“Mommy, what kind of place is the contaminated zone? Why do the uncles and aunties, and daddy, often have to go there?”

“What kind of place is the contaminated zone?” The mother, back at the sink washing dishes, pondered for a moment. “Mommy doesn’t know what other contaminated zones are like, but the No. 5 Contaminated Zone, was once mommy’s home when she was a little girl.”

Ni Ji stood up from amidst the gunpowder smoke, a few strands of hair falling onto his forehead, bruises from being strangled still visible on his wrist. He looked a bit disheveled.

But at least he had escaped from the mutated creature’s grasp, he hadn’t been dragged into that thick black fog.

The thin, long, black hand that had just been shot by Ni Ji’s gun had re-formed. It roamed the shadows of the streets and buildings for a while before reluctantly retreating.

What a pity, he actually managed to escape like that. That Ni Ji brat was too alert. Tan Shu stood not far away, narrowing his eyes, thinking inwardly.

But his face quickly showed concern as he rushed over. “Ni Ji, are you alright?”

Tan Shu put on a puzzled look. “Strange. The No. 5 Contaminated Zone is an old zone, countless people have gone in and out of there, and our maps and guides are very detailed. Why would such a powerful monster suddenly appear in a place like that?”

Ni Ji wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, looking at him with a smile that wasn't quite a smile.

“Yeah, how strange,” he said.

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