Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 57: Go Together

Under the pale blue night sky, a boy in a school uniform stood motionless at the eerily silent entrance of a hospital. His face bore the tracks of dried tears, indicating he had been crying just moments before. Yet, at that moment, an unknown fear was slowly eroding his heart.

Was it a hallucination born out of his extreme exhaustion from crying?

Had he followed behind Wu Sheng and walked until he was too weak and fainted, so he started dreaming?

He tried to rationalize this terrifying and unusual sight but failed to convince himself.

Too unsettled to analyze these events deeply, he just wanted to return to his school—to the familiarity of his surroundings.

“Wu Sheng…” he uttered softly, clinging to a last bit of hope.

No one responded.

Under the strange night sky, there was only the hospital, him, and the rustling sounds from the depths of the tree shadows.

The rustling was eerie, unlike the sound of birds, insects, or even the wind through leaves. It was more like a small animal scurrying in the shadows.

At the end of the road, a car was slowly approaching.

Hearing the sound, Xu Wang instinctively turned around.

Under the moonlit street, a car without dazzling headlights moved, making its body faintly visible.

It was a taxi, painted in a myriad of colors.

Xu Wang had never seen such a flamboyantly decorated taxi, as if splashed with various colors of paint—bright red, yellow, blue, green, and purple—creating a crisscross on the body of the card. At first glance, it was chaotic, yet it had an oddly harmonious and lively pattern on the car.

The only thing confirming its identity as a taxi was the “TAXI” sign on the roof.

After the initial visual shock, panic set in.

Should he hide? Or call for help? Were the people in the car friends or foes?

Countless thoughts flooded Xu Wang’s mind, yet he was unable to decide.

In his hesitation, the car reached the hospital entrance.

But the driver showed no intention of stopping!

Xu Wang jolted and quickly moved aside, but in his haste, he tripped and plunged towards the roadside.

Fortunately, this move cleared the way.

The car passed by slowly, entering the hospital as if it had never noticed an obstruction.

Xu Wang scrambled up, his heart pounding out of his chest. The extreme fear of a near-death encounter washed away his prior fear of being in a strange place.

The car, which seemed to completely ignore his presence, stopped after entering the hospital, next to a signboard.

Three men got out of the taxi, carrying bags, and approached the signboard as if studying something.

Soon, one of them spoke in a deep voice. “Infectious Diseases Building.”

The other two grunted in agreement, showing no objections.

As if hearing their consensus, a fourth voice from the taxi urged, “Get in.”

The three men turned and headed back to the taxi.

Seeing them about to leave, Xu Wang became desperate and timidly called out, “Hello—”

One of them had already gotten into the back seat, and the others were bending to enter the car, none responding to his call.

Xu Wang, stunned, ran out from behind a tree and yelled louder, “Hello—”

They should have heard him this time, even from dozens of meters away.

But still, there was no response.

Could they not see or hear him?

A sudden panic made Xu Wang’s limbs go cold.

He couldn’t think straight and dashed towards the colorful taxi, slamming his hand on the trunk!

“Bang—”

The frail trunk lid made a loud noise under the impact.

Xu Wang’s hand went numb.

The last person yet to get in the car paused, looking around warily.

Encouraged, Xu Wang banged the trunk lid twice more.

But the person showed no reaction, still looking around cautiously.

Xu Wang moved to the side of the car and tried to slap the man’s back!

His hand hit nothing.

To be precise, it passed right through the man’s body.

Xu Wang was stunned and was in disbelief. He tried a few more times, but his hand, like a ghost, couldn’t touch the man.

Yet he could touch the car!

Xu Wang felt like going mad, not knowing what to do to make them see him, hear him, and acknowledge his existence!

Suddenly, a gust of wind hit him from behind.

Xu Wang reflexively turned around, and a person covered in blood rushed towards him!

Xu Wang was petrified, too shocked to react or even scream!

With a loud “bang,” he collided solidly with the “bloodied person”.

Losing his balance, he fell through the body of the only person who hadn’t gotten into the car, tumbling to the ground in pain.

However, the “bloodied person” didn’t fall with him; instead, he crashed into that man.

As if waiting for this moment, the man quickly slapped the “bloodied person” twice, and the “bloodied person” slid off him, collapsing to the ground.

Xu Wang suddenly realized that the man’s alertness wasn’t due to him banging on the car but because he heard the “bloodied person” approaching.

“What’s wrong?” The man who killed the “bloodied person” didn’t get into the taxi, prompting a query from inside. “Any problem?”

The man stared at the “corpse” on the ground, muttering to himself, “When the zombie lunged, it seemed to hit something…”

The word “zombie” sent a shiver down Xu Wang’s spine.

The person inside the car didn’t hear clearly. “What?”

“It’s nothing.” The man shook his head and got into the car.

The taxi started up again, continuing its journey, gradually disappearing into the depths of the hospital complex.

Xu Wang looked down, seeing the “bloodied person” clearly for the first time.

The corpse had a ghastly face with eyes wide open, showing no black pupils—only a pale red over white.

He stood there, frozen.

Zombies, which he had only seen on TV, had become a reality.

A sudden wave of nausea hit him, and he bent over, dry heaving, leaning against the signboard.

At that moment, he was strangely grateful that he hadn’t eaten anything since lunch.

A strange place, with people who couldn’t see or hear him, his ghost-like existence, and the ferocious zombies… When Wu Sheng pushed him away, he thought his day couldn’t get any worse.

Now, he wished Wu Sheng would push him again.

At least, he could still help him up.

“Ow—”

From deep within the hospital, perhaps from a certain building, a piercing howl echoed.

The hoarse indistinct howl sent shivers down his spine.

At the same time, the rustling sounds around him intensified. Before Xu Wang could react, countless shadows emerged from the ground like ghosts, rushing towards the source of the howling like a tidal wave!

Xu Wang couldn’t dodge in time and was staggered by several zombies brushing past him!

But as they bumped into him, those zombies didn’t spare him a glance, as if they had just hit a transparent wall and simply continued running.

The continuous collisions numbed his fear and made it fade away. In contrast, the eeriness intensified.

As the horde of zombies ran off into the distance, the night quieted down once again.

Xu Wang looked up, seriously examining the signboard for the first time. It was a map of the hospital, from the outpatient to the emergency department, to the specialized buildings and inpatient wards, all clearly marked.

The Infectious Diseases Building.

Xu Wang carefully memorized its location. He turned around and quickly made his way deeper into the hospital.

Zombies belonged to this bizarre world, but those four men, both in appearance and speech, seemed no different from ordinary people.

Following them—Xu Wang instinctively felt—was his only hope of getting home.

……

Infectious Diseases Building, First Floor.

A dense mass of zombies nearly filled half of the corridor, rushing forward relentlessly like a swarm of bees that had lost their hive, viciously chasing after the culprit.

“I told you not to touch him—”

“What was I supposed to do? Gently catch him as he lunged at me—”

“What do we do now?!”

“Find somewhere to hide—”

As Xu Wang entered the building, he witnessed this chaotic scene.

The four men, no longer shielded by the taxi, were frantically fleeing forward, with an angry horde of zombies thunderously chasing behind them.

He just happened to be standing in the only quarter of the corridor that was empty. The four fleeing men were heading straight towards him, and he effortlessly blended in, running with them.

Just when they seemed to be running into a dead end, the four found a storage room and hurriedly took refuge.

Xu Wang also rushed in with them, fearing that if he was too slow, he would be left outside. On his way here, he had already confirmed several times that he couldn’t pass through walls, doors, or fly. To put it clearly, apart from the four men whom he could pass through at will, everything else in this bizarre world was solid to him. Even though the zombies didn’t react to him, there was still physical collision and obstruction between them.

“Quick, the cabinet—”

They tried to use a storage cabinet to block the door, so two of them braced the door while the other two pushed the cabinet. Unfortunately, the cabinet was too heavy. Despite their pushing and shoving, the cabinet tilted precariously, and items inside clattered down.

Xu Wang dodged left and right, but still, an object hit him squarely on the head. Fortunately, it wasn’t too heavy. After hitting him, it fell to the ground and rolled forward, unfurling to reveal itself.

It was a pennant.

On a red velvet background with bright yellow characters, it read: “Hanging a pot to help the world. Magical hands relieve pain and bring spring”.

“[Flaming Mountains] or [The Flood Overwhelms the Dragon King’s Temple]”?

“Dragon King Temple.”

“Are you sure?”

“You can swim in a flood, but how do you escape a fire!”

In a flash, the four men seemed to have made a decision.

One of them raised his arm and firmly pressed down.

Xu Wang moved closer to see what was on his arm, but as soon as he took a step, he heard the sound of water.

Water?

In an instant, all four men were on the windowsill, gripping the window handles as if bracing for battle.

Xu Wang’s heart tightened, and he quickly jumped up too, grabbing the same handle as one of the men. It was a strange sensation. Although he and the man could hold the same object, it was as if they existed in separate spaces.

A flood burst open the door of the storage room, soaking them for about fifteen seconds before slowly receding, disappearing completely after about two minutes.

The four men jumped down from the windowsill and peeked outside, only to be surprised.

“Are they all gone?”

“Maybe all the zombies on this floor are afraid of water…”

After a brief discussion, the four men moved out swiftly, and Xu Wang hurriedly followed them up to the second floor.

There was only one zombie on the second floor, pacing back and forth as if guarding the central staircase.

After a discussion, one of them again pressed his arm.

This time, Xu Wang saw clearly. There was an owl pattern on his arm, which opened up options when pressed, looking quite magical.

With another press, a bamboo dragonfly flew into the second-floor corridor. A nurse pushing a cart stopped, approached the dragonfly, and admired it, tilting her head. The four men took this opportunity to pass behind her and ascend to the third floor.

The third floor, like the first and second, had many offices lining the corridor. The four men seemed to be searching for a specific epidemic research lab. Xu Wang didn’t understand their conversation but began to feel like they were playing a real-life game, reaching specific locations and completing corresponding tasks with props at their disposal.

Yet, their expressions were terrifyingly serious, as if they were engaged in a life-and-death battle.

Finally, they zeroed in on two “suspicious offices,” both with thick iron doors, each with a red buzzer.

“50% chance.”

“Choose right, we’re done. Choose wrong, we go home.”

“Flip a coin?”

“Don’t rush. Know your enemy, and you will win every battle.”

The others looked puzzled at the last speaker. Xu Wang also moved closer to him. He saw the man lift his arm and dismiss an icon from the [Stationery Box]—[(Illusory) Soul Painter].

Suddenly, a calico kitten appeared before them, seemingly about two months old. Its little face was clear and white, with black and orange patches evenly distributed on its forehead, like two little bangs. It had one blue eye and one green eye, which made it exceptionally beautiful.

Xu Wang couldn’t help but reach out to pet it. Just as he touched its ear, the kitten swiftly turned and dashed through one of the two iron doors.

That iron door was airtight, with not even a slit, yet the calico kitten passed right through it!

In less than a minute, the kitten returned, patting its paws on the ground several times, leaving a bunch of dusty paw prints.

The four men gathered around, studying the prints intently, like a scientific research team.

Finally, the one who used the tool gave up, closed his eyes, and meditated again.

The [Soul Painter] kitten immediately twitched its tail and darted through the other iron door.

This time it returned even faster, in just about fifteen seconds, and without any soul painting. It just tilted its head and blinked innocently at the four men, looking both beautiful and endearing.

After a long moment of staring at the kitten, the user had a realization. “The first office.”

The other three didn’t feel very confident. “Are you certain you figured it out?”

“We don’t need to see what it painted, but where it painted,” the user explained. “There’s something in the first office, so it could paint what it saw inside. There was nothing in the second one—maybe that office doesn’t even exist, which is why it didn’t paint anything.”

The others had a sudden realization.

The kitten, as if sensing the problem was solved, tilted its head and gently rubbed against the user’s leg, seemingly seeking a reward.

Unfortunately, it was too small, and its touch was too light. The user, oblivious to its affection, stood up with his companions and walked to the first office, pressing the red button.

The iron door opened in response.

The four men immediately entered, followed by the obedient kitten.

Xu Wang naturally followed them in.

This was the epidemic research lab they were looking for. Inside, an older doctor and a young male doctor, with reddened eyes, greeted them.

The lab was filled with various equipment, arranged in a way that matched the kitten’s paw prints.

The four men handed over a metal box to the older doctor.

Listening to their conversation, Xu Wang finally understood that they were escorting a vaccine.

Then, something unexpected happened.

The young male doctor suddenly lunged at the nearest person.

The other three were stunned for a while before realizing what was happening and immediately joined the fight.

However, all four of them together couldn’t subdue the male doctor!

“Shit, is this guy the fucking zombie king—?”

Suddenly, the male doctor exerted strength, throwing everyone off him and, with lightning speed, grabbed the nearest one and bit into his arm!

A few minutes later, the bitten one became infected and went mad.

Xu Wang’s mind went blank, unable to distinguish if this was reality, an illusion, a game, or a fight to the death.

The battle ended with the victory of the zombie king.

Of the four-person team, only two remained—one turned into a zombie after being bitten and the user of the little calico kitten, who managed to escape the research lab.

Xu Wang watched helplessly as the zombie king bit the other two’s necks, and then, in a flash, they disappeared.

Xu Wang’s mind was in complete disarray, but suddenly the iron door was opened again by four completely new people.

They entered and swiftly dealt with the zombie king, who was mostly exhausted, and the infected individual.

Xu Wang stood in the middle of the battlefield, untouched except for occasional bumps by the zombie king.

The new group, just like the others, couldn’t see, hear, or touch him.

Despondent, Xu Wang’s eyes fell on the little calico kitten in the corner.

Its user had disappeared, and it hadn’t followed, crouching fearfully in the corner and watching everything in the epidemic room like a homeless stray, devoid of the earlier vigor when it was leaving paw prints.

Xu Wang walked over and gently picked it up.

The kitten suddenly lifted its head, looking around warily as if searching for the reason for its sudden levitation.

Like the zombies, it could touch Xu Wang but couldn’t see him.

Xu Wang raised his hand and gently scratched its forehead.

At first, the kitten shivered in fear but then seemed to sense kindness and comfort, gradually relaxing in the invisible embrace, purring contentedly.

As the new group handed their metal box to the old doctor, no one cared about the previous vaccine anymore.

The old doctor took out the vaccine brought by the newcomers and placed it into the machine.

The machine’s lights lit up, and Xu Wang clearly heard a voice—

[Owl: Congratulations on passing the 3/23 test and handing in your papers! See you tomorrow~~]

As the voice faded, the new four people disappeared.

In the epidemic research lab, only the old doctor, Xu Wang, and the little calico kitten in his arms remained.

The air suddenly quieted down, becoming eerily silent and cold.

Xu Wang hugged the kitten tightly, lost in thought.

The old doctor, seemingly accustomed to this, first threw the metal box brought by the first group into the trash, then turned off the running machine, opened it, took out the vaccine that had just been placed inside, and likewise threw it into the trash.

Xu Wang’s eyes widened in shock, unable to believe what he was seeing.

Wasn’t that the vaccine? The city’s hope?

The old doctor, who had earlier tearfully thanked them for bringing hope, and the one now nonchalantly wiping the lab table after discarding the vaccine—were they the same person?

Yes, the same person.

This was the most terrifying part.

Xu Wang felt that nothing he had seen or heard that night was as horrifying as this moment.

[Owl: You… Who are you…]

As a chill seeped into his limbs, Xu Wang heard a voice in his ear, intermittent and faint.

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