Chapter 508: Doomsday's Reappearance
Translator: Liu_Kaixuan Editor: Valvrave
Important Announcement in the Translator's Thoughts!
A few days before the virus outbreak, Jiang Liushi had found about Starseed's existence in his mind. After that day, he had tried his utmost best to construct the MCV, which was bound to Starseed. That was also the main reason why he could survive until now. However, in turn, he needed to protect Starseed.
After obtaining the materials from the two helicopters, Jiang Liushi drove toward Hejiang Town as fast as possible.
"It's only been two since we've left. Do you think He Junhong has found the rest of the materials?" asked Li Yuxin worriedly.
"I've acquired the most difficult ones. He Junhong should be trying his best as his life depends on the task I gave him," replied Jiang Liushi.
Although He Junhong had become Hejiang Town's absolute leader, Jiang Liushi's knife was still hovering above his head. Not only could Jiang Liushi deprive him of his current position, but also kill him whenever he wanted. In any case, Jiang Liushi had given him a chance by sparing his life. If he could not help Jiang Liushi find the materials, then he'd become useless.
The minibus and the off-road vehicle headed at Hejiang Town at top speed. The town was a suburb of Jiangning City, so it didn't take them long to reach it.
However, when the town came in Jiang Liushi's view, he got an unsettling feeling. At first glance, the town didn't seem any different than the last time they were there. But, when they got closer, Jiang Liushi's bad feeling was confirmed.
The buildings in the town were tumbling in all directions, and the road was divided and broken. It was if something had plowed it. Jiang Liushi got off and then looked around carefully. The vehicles before the entrance seemed to have been burned by intense flames and only their charred metal exterior remained. As for the guards and survivors outside the town, they had all disappeared.
Jiang Liushi walked a little further and spotted white bones in the ruins. His heart sank. "What happened here?"
Ran Xiyu gently closed her eyes. But she abruptly opened her eyes again, exclaiming, "I can't find any living organism in the town!"
The previously bustling town had no signs of life and was completely ruined. Ran Xiyu could not even detect any zombies in the vicinity. At the same time, the plants on the side of the road had lost all of their vitality and had withered. Such traces extended all the way to the curb and then disappeared in a crack on the ground.
The entity which had caused all this should have left Hejiang Town through that crack.
"Did mutant beasts attack?" Jiang Liushi stood on the road of the town. He looked around worriedly and with a sad look. But he thought the traces were not simple.
Although he could find traces of resistance from survivors, he couldn't understand why no blood or mutilated parts were left behind. Mutant beast could not accomplish something like that. Even though there were a few bones here and there, Jiang Liushi could not find any bite marks on them. Instead, they were perfectly intact.
"Is everyone dead?" Jiang Liushi's heart became heavy. He looked around and went to the residence that He Junhong had arranged for them when he was in Hejiang Town.
In Wei Feifei's residence, Jiang Liushi found a note, which was pressed on the table.
"Captain Jiang, I don't know if you can find this. Lots of mutant beasts and a peculiar-looking entity appeared out of nowhere. We have to escape!"
"She left a note before she fled. Fortunately, I found it," whispered Jiang Liushi. It seemed that not everyone had died. Many survivors should have escaped.
Jiang Liushi felt perplexed. It was natural for a pack of mutant beasts to attack them, but what about the peculiar-looking entity? What was it? He could not help but think about the flock of mutant birds that had appeared earlier. Could the peculiar-looking entity be the source of danger that Starseed had warned him about?
Since Wei Feifei had described it as a peculiar-looking entity in the note, it meant that it was not a mutant beast. At least, it should not be a common mutant beast.
Luo Luo seemed to have sensed something in the town. It was shivering uncontrollably and letting out low cries.
"I can't find the materials." After walking around the whole town, Jiang Liushi was very depressed. He didn't know where He Junhong had placed the materials, and many of the town's building had been destroyed. If he drove his minibus and activated the automatic absorption function, he could search slowly. Unfortunately, it was too bad to drive on the road. Moreover, Jiang Liushi believed they shouldn't stay there for long. He was worried that the dangerous entity may return at any time.
What Jiang Liushi could not understand was why that entity had not come to find him and Starseed directly.
'Since it's after Starseed, why did it attack Hejiang Town?' Jiang Liushi was confused.
Zhang Hai got off and asked, "Brother Jiang, what should we do now?" After assessing the situation around them, he estimated it would be impossible to find the materials Jiang Liushi needed.
"We'll head back to Jiangning Safety area first," answered Jiang Liushi. "We should ask General Zhang for help."
…
In another direction, a muffled sound came from the ground. It sounded as if a train was underneath and then cracks appeared on the ground. From those cracks, countless black objects covered in black scales drilled their way out, merging back together upon contact. In front of the merged black entity, another group of black objects drilled their way out from the ruins of a building. The black entity and the objects merged together, and their combined volume reached that of a two-story building. The black building-like entity was covered with hard scales that had bloody mouths on them. But, they did not consist of flesh and blood at all. After merging, the black building-like entity moved forward.
In the distance, a group of mutant birds was flying in the air. Under them, a huge black honeycomb as big as a house could be seen. On the Honeycomb was an endless black crack covered by infinite darkness. The Honeycomb and the black building-like entity were constantly approaching each other, crashing all the cars in their way and assimilating them to their bodies. Their bodies kept increasing until they came in contact. After that, the Honeycomb absorbed the black building-like entity, and it increased in height and volume. The giant black Honeycomb moved unhesitant and continued to grow…
"What the hell is this!?"
In a certain direction in Jiangning City, a group of people was looking far away. Amongst them was Wei Feifei. That group of people was the survivors of Hejiang Town that had managed to escape. They all looked at the dark shadow in horror.
"Is that really a living organism?"
They madly fired and attacked, but it was useless. On the contrary, the shadow was constantly moving forward, swallowing everything in its path. In addition, it also attracted a large number of mutant beasts. Those mutant beasts were all under its control, regardless the species, like an army. The Honeycomb was even more terrifying than a Mother Beast as the latter could only give other mutant beasts a few commands and couldn't totally control them.
The mutant beasts under the Honeycomb's control not only offered their preys to it like devout followers, but they were also willing to send themselves to be swallowed.
"Only the cannon in the Jiangning Safety Zone can destroy it!"
"Let's hurry to the Jiangning Safety Zone! It's as if doomsday is about to make its appearance again! We can't live here anymore," said Wei Feifei.
Wei Feifei, Peach, as well as two other members were the only ones that had escaped from their team. It was all thanks to Peach who was a psychic paranormal. But even so, the rest of their teammates had died. The Honeycomb was way more horrifying than mutant zombies or mutant beasts. Its existence could cut off humanity's last path to survival in this post-apocalyptic world.
"Yes, we can only go to the Safety Zone!"
There were troops in the Security Zone and a lot of hot weapons; only gunfire and bullets could provide them with security.
In the past, Jiangning Safety Zone wouldn't accept survivors easily. But now, a great catastrophe was approaching, so the Safety Zone could no longer keep them out. As for fleeing from Jiangning? It was almost impossible.
"I don't know if Captain Jiang is safe." Wei Feifei finally looked at the shadow in the distance with worry.
…
In Jiangning Safety Zone, inside the headquarters, a fixed-line telephone rang violently. A female soldier who was responsible for answering the phone immediately picked up the phone. "This is the General Command Center, please."
"Transfer me to Commander Jiang...No, to Military Commission! Oh, to Commander-in-Chief directly."
"Give me your military identity's number and rank," asked the female soldier with a frown.
"I am a member of the Dragon and Tiger Team! I just fled back...I had extremely important things to report!" The man yelled.
"Okay." The female soldier immediately transferred the call to a different number. She faintly felt that something unusual had happened.
A soldier who was covered in blood had just put a phone call in the gate of the Safety Zone. His face was white, and it seemed as if all of his blood had been drained.
The soldier inside the gate looked at the soldier with amazement and asked, "Comrade, should we send you to the hospital first?"
"No. Please give me a car. I am going to the headquarters," said the soldier.
"Where are your comrade-in-arms and your captain?" asked the guard.
The soldier shook his head, and a hint of panic lashed through his eyes. "They are all dead."
"What happened?! Did you encounter a mutant zombie? Or... a Mother Beast? A herd?" asked the guard in shock.
However, the soldier shook his head. "Nothing like that… It was something way more terrifying!"