Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 22: There’s Something There

Zhu Yanchen once said that the Erosion Swamps could be likened to a pack of wolves, with a giant Erosion Swamp resembling the alpha. This “alpha” in its mouth was most likely another alpha-level Erosion Swamp.

The creature in front of them, which seemed to be an Erosion Swamp, didn’t seem much stronger than Monday, but its’ intelligence wasn’t in the same league. Shu Jun never feared battle, nor was he afraid of such a strange creature. But “recklessness” and “bravery” weren’t synonymous, and he would only suffer if he attacked rashly in the midst of being blinded.

It was better to take a step back and take a page out of the Thirty-Six Stratagems*, so Shu Jun reached out to pull Zhu Yanchen, but the latter seemed to be nailed to the ground and didn’t move.

*Proverb referring to the thirty-six stratagems of ancient Chinese military tactics. It implies that sometimes retreat or avoiding conflict can be the most advantageous course of action.

Zhu Yanchen was good at fighting ordinary mutant beasts, but the fact that he lacked front-line experience meant that he was inevitably scared. Shu Jun rubbed his hands and was about to directly carry him away, but Zhu Yanchen neatly pulled out his gun and turned on the flashlight with his other hand.

…He was wrong. Marshal Zhu probably grew ten times more courageous.

The beam of light pierced through the thin fog, illuminating the face of the creature in front of them.

Although Shu Jun had seen many monsters before, he still shuddered in place. At this moment, he truly understood the saying, “Anything could appear in the ruins of a city that humans haven’t set foot in for two hundred years.”

The creature’s skin had a texture similar to that of humans, with a deep gray-black color. Despite its bent and twisted limbs, he could still vaguely make out the structure of its arms and legs. He couldn’t distinguish the teardrop-shaped body of where its head and torso were, and its gray-black membranes covered rib-like structures, with human facial features scattered randomly on the skin, like a jumbled puzzle.

One of the human eyes faced the beam of light and squinted slightly.

Shu Jun swallowed loudly. Compared to this thing, the previous mutant beasts were quite pleasing to the eye. Even the Corpse Parasite, which everyone called for extermination, was as docile and cute as a kitten when compared to this thing.

Even Monday expressed its feelings at the right time. “Wow.”

Only Zhu Yanchen nodded calmly, observing very carefully, as if facing a newly born foal. He even opened his briefcase on the spot, taking out more and more things with the air of a zoologist discovering a new species. Shu Jun could feel the monster’s suspicion, and for a moment, he understood its feelings.

The monster hesitated for a while, then took a few steps closer, slightly lowering its body and swaying ominously. Zhu Yanchen glanced at it and held his gun in his hand. His movements became faster as he operated the machinery, but he didn’t intend to leave.

“Let’s retreat first,” Shu Jun called out.

Zhu Yanchen, who was always calm, shook his head. He stared at the monster, with a hint of strange fanaticism in his movements. “Wait a little longer. It’s okay, this is not an alpha-level Erosion Swamp.”

After a long while, as if he had remembered something, he added seriously, “I won’t die.”

The monster got closer—only about ten steps away from Zhu Yanchen. Its eyes, which resembled those of a human, were vertical and blinked as it focused on Marshal Zhu. Shu Jun recognized the emotional fluctuations; it was the concentration before the hunt.

Shu Jun took a deep breath and then smoothly exploded—

He had seen the handcuffs in the briefcase earlier. Now, Shu Jun pulled out the handcuffs and swiftly put them on Zhu Yanchen. Marshal Zhu was caught off guard and was lifted by Shu Jun in the next second and pressed onto the cargo rail.

“Three days have passed.” Zhu Yanchen shook off the handcuffs as he saw Shu Jun quickly hoist the sail.

“It’s calculated according to the hours we’re chained together.” Shu Jun’s face turned dark as he activated his skills—they really didn’t need Uncle Xiong’s dogs. With the blowing wind in their sails, their sled was fast enough to fly, and the monster was instantly left far behind. “What were you doing just now? Are you courting death?”

“An alpha-level Erosion Swamp couldn’t lead the charge alone. That was a low-level Erosion Swamp; it couldn’t hurt you, and I wouldn’t be killed either.” Marshal Zhu corrected seriously.

“Yes, it couldn’t hurt me, but who knows what abilities it has? I may not be able to protect you. Even if we can escape in time, you may still get injured—your last injury hasn’t healed properly yet. Will just saying ‘I won’t die’ solve the problem?”

Shu Jun harshly threw the briefcase at Zhu Yanchen.

“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re thinking, Marshal Zhu. ‘This is just a low-level Erosion Swamp. It doesn’t matter if I get hurt. After all, my death is imminent, and there’s no need to worry about post-traumatic complications’. ” Shu Jun’s face became serious, and he lowered his voice as he imitated Zhu Yanchen’s tone. “… Hey, why are you turning your head? Look at me!”

Zhu Yanchen turned his head back, and his lips moved. In the end, he just sighed and stared at Shu Jun.

“If you still consider me a friend, don’t perform stunts in front of me where you can get hurt. Thanks to you, I have sent away many people in the past ten years without knowing it. I’ve seen enough.” Shu Jun’s tone was unusually cold. “I don’t know why you can’t tell me your reasons, but at least consider yourself a human, okay? Do you really think I’m just being polite when I say, ‘I want to help you stay alive’?”

Making sure they were far enough away, Shu Jun found a large rock as cover and stopped the sled.

“If you want to study, you can. I’ll go first and check it out. Worst case, I’ll capture one for you. If you keep getting too close to them, I’ll tie you up.”

“We are only in a cooperative relationship. Don’t forget your position.” Zhu Yanchen tightened the chain of the handcuffs.

Shu Jun didn’t hesitate. “Position? If you really played me from the beginning, and you died so easily, wouldn’t that be worse for me?”

Zhu Yanchen: “…I understand.” There was some truth in those words, but they were still a bit painful. He wanted to laugh again. The shell that had enveloped him for more than ten years had been pried open by the other person’s anger, and it hurt with bitterness.

Round and round they went, but in the end, it was still the same person.

He thought for a moment, reached out and grabbed Shu Jun’s wrist, and spoke in a solemn tone. “I’ll pay attention next time.”

“That’s more like it.”

Shu Jun patted the mud off his body, made a casual gesture, and the wind started blowing in the opposite direction. The mud sled was fast and stable, much more comfortable than when they were running away.

“Now let’s go back and talk about what’s going on in X City. Don’t try to fool me by saying ‘I don’t know the target’ again—walking deep into the erosion zone without care and seeing that thing just now without being surprised—this is not a death-defying adventure at all. You know the situation in X City.”

“I really don’t know the specific situation in the city. I just guessed that there was something there.” Zhu Yanchen pondered for a moment. “I didn’t expect the Erosion Swamp in X City to appear so early either.”

“Uh-huh.” Shu Jun propped his arm on the mud sled railing, holding half of his face with his palm.

“Two hundred years ago, Zhu Rong completed the player system in X City. As the capital at the time, X City was the first city in human history to use synthetic humans. However, the player system at that time wasn’t perfect, and it was not as mature as <Erosion>.”

“Oh, later there was a natural disaster, and the Erosion Swamps migrated from the east to X City. The residents fled to Y City. X City became one of the most severely eroded areas that even the players couldn’t go there.” Shu Jun took over the conversation. “I know these things too.”

“If it was a natural disaster, the giant Erosion Swamp wouldn’t stay in the city for a long time. X City is relatively dry and not suitable for them to inhabit.”

“But you guessed there was something in X City.” Shu Jun frowned.

“Yes, I suspect that the Erosion Swamp at the time is still there, and it wasn’t a natural disaster that destroyed X City, but a man-made disaster. However, there is too little information on Erosion Swamps at present, and my idea is ultimately just a guess without evidence.” Zhu Yanchen held the briefcase in his arms and struggled to get up from a pile of luggage. “As long as the situation in X City is confirmed, I can… Ngh.”

Just as Zhu Yanchen had just sat down, he leaned forward and curled up in pain. Shu Jun looked around. The surrounding darkness was empty, without any anomalies.

“The concentration of erosion substance is wrong,” Zhu Yanchen said with difficulty.

They were still on the outskirts of the erosion zone, and they hadn’t even returned to the river they had come from. How could the concentration of erosion substance suddenly increase? Unless…

Shu Jun’s back ran cold, and he instinctively raised the wind to blow the mud sled away from the boulder. In the next moment, the boulder moved.

Laughter rang out again, and the “boulder” slowly disintegrated. The monsters released their hands and feet, which they had been holding together, and chased after the mud sled. If Shu Jun’s reaction had been a second slower, they would have been caught by that group of monsters.

The appearance of those monsters was quite uniform, almost like they were all made from the same mold as the one by the riverbank.

Zhu Yanchen endured the pain, raised his gun, and stood back-to-back with Shu Jun, who was wielding his greatsword. Before he could adjust his posture, the strong wind blew up, splashing mud and water everywhere. Shu Jun hugged his waist again, and the two of them rushed into the sky together.

“Shh,” Shu Jun whispered in Zhu Yanchen’s ear.

Trying to ignore the warmth beside his ear, Zhu Yanchen looked down.

If it were someone else, they might scream directly. There was clearly no open land around them, with four-legged monsters everywhere, just leaving them with one way out. A group of monsters ran behind the sled, while a few others were secretly pulling it, as if they were guiding it in a specific direction.

“I controlled the water to form a mirage, using illusions to deceive them. If we stay on the sled, we won’t be discovered.” Shu Jun muttered softly. “Just a little trick. Luo Duan likes to use this move.”

“You made a substitute out of erosion substance?” Zhu Yanchen saw the two… what could be considered mud men on the mud sled, with blood-stained bandages wrapped around himself and Shun Jun.

“No one has seen these monsters before. They suddenly appeared, probably coming for me. Since they mistook me for their leader, they probably recognized me based on the characteristics of erosion substance. With limited time, I dumped these substitutes and left some real parts behind. I hope they don’t find out too quickly.”

“No—” Monday’s hoarse shout came from far below.

Zhu Yanchen: “…”

“I can follow them first and retrieve it if necessary. How about you? Are you feeling better?”

“Let’s observe for a few minutes first, and then go back to the sled later.” Zhu Yanchen didn’t immediately answer his question.

“What?!”

“The erosion concentration near X City has always been high. I just wasn’t prepared earlier—there’s medicine in the briefcase. I’ll be fine if I take it in time.” Zhu Yanchen carefully studied the monsters’ route. “They’re taking us in the direction of X City. The speed is good.”

…Don’t make this scary situation sound like taking a taxi. Shu Jun was a little dazed.

“They mistook you for their leader, which means they do have a leader. Based on the current situation, they won’t dispose of us without their leader’s decision… I suspect the illusion started a long time ago. As for the Corpse Parasite and that individual monster, they are just used to test you.”

Zhu Yanchen paused. “The other party has laid such a long line, so they won’t act carelessly. The mud men will be exposed sooner or later. We might as well pretend not to know and take this free ride. You can also take the opportunity to rest and recharge your energy.”

“A’Yan.”

“Hmm?”

“If it weren’t for me, would your original plan have been so thrilling?” As Shu Jun carefully descended, he grumbled. “How about I lead them away first and you follow your original plan…”

“No need.” Zhu Yanchen’s voice sounded amused. “I came for them in the first place. It’s perfect, I don’t have to go looking.”

As soon as they got back on the sled, the crowded group of monsters disappeared instantly. If he hadn’t just looked down from above, Shu Jun would almost believe that they had already escaped. He simply drummed up some wind and let the invisible monsters pull the sled in front, conscientiously disguising the surrounding environment. The sled quickly glided across the “uninhabited” land that looked seemingly peaceful.

Out of sight, out of mind. Shu Jun silently recited, throwing a piece of meat to Monday to shut up its grumbling mouth.

Zhu Yanchen took his medicine and sat up straight, calmly staring in the direction of X City.

Shu Jun always had the feeling that this person’s temperament had changed. Surrounded by invisible monsters, Zhu Yanchen’s satisfaction seemed greater than his fear. He exuded an inexplicable radiance, which didn’t make Shu Jun feel at ease.

It was like fireworks at their most brilliant moment, and then there was only one ending—extinguishment.

‘Hopefully, my intuition won’t come into play this time,’ Shu Jun thought to himself. There was still another month that this person could live.

The four-legged monsters were quite capable. They managed to pull the sled to their destination in less than three days, which should have taken five days. Shu Jun and Zhu Yanchen pretended to be ignorant the whole time, and eventually became numb to their surroundings—they couldn’t see the monsters around them, and occasionally forgetting wasn’t a big deal. Shu Jun occasionally flew high in secret to confirm their location. Other than that, their journey was relatively peaceful.

However, the concentration of the erosion substance around them was too high. Zhu Yanchen took medicine constantly, which made Shu Jun’s stomach hurt.

It had been three days since the four-legged monsters took over the sled before they reached their destination. The illusion melted away like snow and they could fully see the exposed ruins of X City.

‘No matter what Zhu Yanchen’s previous guesses were, he was right,’ Shu Jun thought. There was more than just “something” in X City—the scene in front of him almost made his heart stop.

“A’Yan, quickly take a sample and record it.” Shu Jun took a deep breath. “Then I’ll take you away.”

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Kinky Thoughts:

This is the last of the free chapters on jjwxc. If you’ve been enjoying the novel so far and are able to, please consider supporting the author by buying the raws. I used Google Chrome with their auto translate and this guide on how to buy novels on jjwxc. Remember, only with your (financial) support can artists continue to produce more great works.

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 21: Another Alpha

This was the second time Luo Duan entered Y City. Just like the first time, Yi Ning’s assistant personally drove to pick him up and sent him all the way to Y City’s downtown headquarters. Through the car window, he could see silhouettes of people in the city, but that was all.

As the capital of this land, Y City was many times more prosperous than the stronghold. But compared with the “world” he lived in, it still looked a bit backward and poor. People would use sophisticated electrical appliances scavenged from erosion areas, as well as rough homemade crafts. There may be an oil lamp next to the ultra-thin computer that the boundaries of the times became blurred here.

Seeing the government’s car coming, the people would spontaneously give way and make room. Luo Duan originally thought it was preferential treatment for “players”, but now that he thought about it, the car passed by without stopping halfway meant there may be some deeper meaning in it.

The only place he could really set foot in was the courtyard of the Central Headquarters.

Luo Duan chuckled a few times, watched the assistant leave in a hurry, and waited in Yi Ning’s reception room.

Just like Zhu Yanchen was to Shu Jun, in terms of setting, Yi Ning was also regarded as his immediate superior. That was all for ordinary players. As the captain of the second-ranked team in the world , “Groundwater”, Luo Duan had the right to apply for a meeting with Yi Ning. Compared with Shu Jun, who treated his immediate boss like air, Luo Duan was softer and got along with Yi Ning quite amicably.

What used to be his usual behavior had now become an excellent cover.

The door of the reception room opened.

“Bitter Rain.” Yi Ning, with a perfect NPC image, called his game ID as usual. “There’s no task right now, but you came to see me especially. Do you have any other needs?”

“I want to apply for indoor practice.” Luo Duan smiled slightly.

Yi Ning frowned. “Indoor practice” was the nominal resident mission of <Erosion>. As the name suggested, the location was indoors, and the content was quite simple—players needed to fight mutant beasts of all levels and couldn’t bring backup. During the practice process, players still had the possibility of death and exit.

For the United Government, the “indoor practice” was a controlled, simulated battlefield, and researchers used it to collect combat data of synths. Ordinary indoor practice could be done at the border stronghold, but since Luo Duan specifically proposed…

“I’ve already played through the border strongholds.” Luo Duan continued, “I’ve read the information, and the high-level training ground is underground at headquarters. I want to apply for it.”

Yi Ning didn’t agree right away. “I hope you can think about it again. Your ability is partial to group support, not suitable for individual training. It’s really not worthwhile to hurt your body on impulse.”

To put it bluntly, Luo Duan was strong, but his physical condition was questionable—he was almost at the end of his synthetic lifespan, and it was difficult to say if he could still use his full abilities. Moreover, even if Luo Duan was already on the verge of being scrapped, it seemed like a waste to use such an important resource as cannon fodder in battles.

Luo Duan seemed to have anticipated his response and refused to budge. “My team is on vacation now, and I happen to have some free time. Sir, I am about to retire soon, and this may be my last visit here. I just want to… experience a little more.”

After he finished speaking, Luo Duan’s smile grew wider. His appearance matched well with his water-based ability—his facial features were soft, and he had a gentle and elegant temperament that made it hard for people to feel disgusted with him.

Luo Duan’s response was reasonable, and it would seem unnatural to push him away any further. Yi Ning had to follow the regulations. “Alright, I will arrange a room for you here. There will be someone to accompany you during your stay, and the mission can be interrupted at any time. If you are seriously injured, we will also forcefully interrupt the mission. Do you have any other questions?”

“What about normal injuries?”

“Treat them until you can fight again.”

“I understand, thank you.” Luo Duan politely extended his hand, which was covered with black gloves. “The application form has already been filled out. I appreciate your approval.”

Yi Ning reached out his hand and shook hands with him—Strange, did Luo Duan wear gloves before?

“See you tomorrow.” Luo Duan quickly withdrew his hand with a pure smile. “…I’m really looking forward to it.”

“If you are concerned about losing to the Blackbirds, I have to say that their captain hasn’t ever applied for this.” Before Luo Duan left, Yi Ning couldn’t help but add.

Luo Duan paused at the door for a few seconds but didn’t turn back.

“…That’s because he doesn’t like being indoors and prefers to charge in the wilderness. I don’t have such strong attacking power, so this training is just right for me.”

Meanwhile, Shu Jun was charging in the wilderness, but his mood wasn’t so good.

An hour ago, Uncle Pan had once again demonstrated his business acumen—when inquiring for information, Zhu Yanchen accidentally revealed their plan to buy a sled. As a result, just as they had packed their bags and were about to leave the inn, Uncle Pan had already found the sled merchant and guide for them.

“Here is their contact information. If you’re not satisfied, there are others. I only need a 10% fee for his introduction. He sells quality goods at reasonable prices and never cheats people. I can just add the total cost to your lodging, food, and sauce expenses, so you don’t have to worry.”

Zhu Yanchen was about to take out his wallet, and Shu Jun suspected that the Grand Marshal had never heard the phrase “shop around”.

He laughed it off, put down his luggage, and dragged Zhu Yanchen to the market for a round. As it turned out, Uncle Pan hadn’t lied—even including the introduction fee, the price he offered was still lower than the market rate.

In the end, they came back to the inn with two full bags of newly purchased supplies.

“Back already?” Uncle Pan greeted with a smile. “You two are new faces, so they won’t be polite to outsiders.”

Shu Jun: “…” They were wearing masks. How could they tell?

“Those who often go to the erosion zone outside have deformed bones. You two have straight spines, and you’re buying mud sleds and looking for a guide. It’s obvious you’re newcomers.” Uncle Pan seemed to have read his mind. “I’ll contact someone for you… Oh, it’s still the same guy. Come back next time, both of you!”

Zhu Yanchen paid quickly and then glanced at Shu Jun.

“What are you looking at?” Shu Jun raised his face. “Uncle Pan is an honest man. I have nothing to say… but I was just afraid you’ll be ripped off. Saving money isn’t wrong.”

He thought of the money he had saved for half his life in the so-called “real world”, now all worthless, and his heart felt tight.

Zhu Yanchen continued to stare.

“Save some money, so when we come back here, we can splurge and celebrate.” Shu Jun’s confidence wasn’t diminished.

Zhu Yanchen was stunned and his gaze softened—Shu Jun’s tone was quite certain, infectious as always. For a moment, he even had the illusion that he could survive.

But they didn’t need to waste energy on this. Marshal Zhu thought for a moment, canceled hiding the amount in his electronic wallet, and showed Shu Jun the string of numbers.

…Shu Jun’s eyes glossed over, and he didn’t speak to him for half an hour. When they had packed up their belongings again, Shu Jun muttered sadly, “If so much money is transferred out, won’t people think you were ‘kidnapped’?”

Zhu Yanchen’s tone was serious. “It will be fine. I usually carry this much.”

Shu Jun: “…”

An hour later, the two of them were racing through the mud in the erosion zone. The sky was a familiar leaden gray, with only a few scattered stones and dead trees on the gray-black ground mixed with mutated beast paw prints and sled tracks. It was unknown whether the recent events had affected them, but there were only them in sight, and the air had a touch of desolation.

The heavily eroded land was somewhat swampy and soft underfoot, with mud puddles everywhere, making it difficult for both walking and vehicles. Faced with this kind of road condition, the rich would take mud boats, and the poor would use mutant beasts to pull mud sleds. Over time, many people dedicated themselves to paddling mud boats and driving mud sleds and charged high prices as “erosion zone guides”.

The guide was also a bald, muscular man, similar in size to Uncle Pan. He had two lumps on his head, but they were brown. Shu Jun glanced at his appearance and wondered if Uncle Pan was really that honest—Did they really not get cheated?

“I heard from my brother that you two want to go east?” The guide had a gas mask on his face, but the laughter inside could be heard. “I can only send you two for two days but I won’t go any deeper.”

“Two days is enough,” said Zhu Yanchen.

“The south is also good. Someone dug up a jewelry store there not long ago. Why bother with the east? Actually, with the amount of luggage you have, you can take a small boat to the south. If you take the mud sled, you’ll have to add a cargo compartment, which would tire my dogs out, haa.” The guide obviously wanted to continue chatting.

The “dogs” he mentioned were pulling the mud sled. The pack of dogs was all black, with drool dripping from their split heads. They had six legs and were running on the mud like they were walking on flat ground. In front of their heads hung black and red meat, like a donkey being led by a carrot.

“Speaking of the road to the east, it’s not that I’m scared. I used to be able to send people on a three-day journey, but now it’s only two days at most. I don’t know if my brother told you. There has been trouble over there recently—it’s really evil. A group of people found a strange monster’s corpse…”

Now they knew where Uncle Pan’s endless information came from. Marshal Zhu slowly lay down and gave a look to Shu Jun, saying, “It’s up to you now”.

“What’s your name?” Shu Jun took over the burden and interrupted the chatter of the guide. “Mr. Pan…?”

“In fact, my brother and I are from the old Chen family. Our surname isn’t Pan. It’s just because of these two lumps on our heads.” The guide chuckled, “But in business, it’s best to have a name that’s easy to remember. You can just call me Uncle Xiong.”

Shu Jun: “…Uncle Xiong.”

The next two days were uneventful. Except for the unchanging physical examination given to Shu Jun by Zhu Yanchen, Zhu Yanchen seemed to have fallen in love with sleeping. Whenever he had time, he would take a nap. Shu Jun could understand his feelings—there was nothing to see in the heavily eroded area. Let alone the Erosion Swamp, the mutant beasts they encountered were only small cats and dogs. With an outsider by their side, they couldn’t speak freely.

Zhu Yanchen slept after work and worked after sleeping while Shu Jun could only go out to hunt a few mutant beasts to eat while Uncle Xiong was sleeping. After eating, he had to bring back some meat to feed Monday, so it wouldn’t be hungry and bark while Uncle Xiong was awake.

They thought they could endure for two days, but the problem arose on the second night.

On the second night, they encountered a river.

The water in the river was naturally not clear, but it was particularly conspicuous in the barrenness. When Uncle Xiong saw the river, he said, “This is the place. You have to sled by yourselves from here on.”

As he spoke, he took off the cargo compartment hanging behind the sled and helped them install it to the sled’s head. “Do you want to buy a few dogs? You’ll tire yourself out paddling. I can sell you a few dogs since I’m going back alone anyway.”

Before he finished speaking, Zhu Yanchen decisively pulled out his gun and shot the first mutant beast in front of him into two pieces.

“Hey, if you don’t want to buy, just say so. What are you doing—fuck me!!!” Uncle Xiong cursed halfway, and his voice changed tone—countless gray-black “straws” drilled out of the body and crawled towards the three of them.

A Corpse Parasite.

Shu Jun clicked his tongue, tore off the cloth that covered his greatsword, and drew it out. The sword was much more convenient than his claws—unlike Zhu Yanchen’s purification gun, its blade could cut through the fine limbs of the Corpse Parasite, which turned to powder and disappeared. With a few elegant slashes, Shu Jun severed a third of the Corpse Parasite’s limbs.

Monday: “Burp.”

Uncle Xiong’s expression changed when he saw the weapon.

“It’s high-tech, high-tech,” Shu Jun quickly explained. “My boss is rich, and we came out to do weapons testing. Right, boss?”

Zhu Yanchen, who was shooting at the Corpse Parasite, almost missed his target. Fortunately, Uncle Xiong was too flustered to inquire further. “Why don’t I take you back? There are Corpse Parasites here, which means there must be an Erosion Swamp nearby. No matter what you two are up to, your lives are more important.”

“It’s fine,” Shu Jun said, letting Monday happily turn the Corpse Parasite into powder. “You go ahead, we can handle it.”

Uncle Xiong didn’t hesitate and quickly pulled the reins, fleeing the scene.

Shu Jun wasn’t too nervous. This wasn’t their first encounter with a Corpse Parasite. It could only attack Zhu Yanchen, who wasn’t an easy target. As long as he kept guarding him, even if an Erosion Swamp came looking for them, Zhu Yanchen would be fine.

“A’Yan, follow me closely.” Shu Jun was much more relaxed without Uncle Xiong watching. This was just a routine battle, or so he thought.

However, at the moment the Corpse Parasite was completely disintegrated by the great sword, Shu Jun heard muffled laughter.

To be precise, it wasn’t a physical sound, but more like an emotion he sensed from the Erosion Swamp. Shu Jun shuddered and broke out in cold sweat.

The Erosion Swamps were like a swarm of bees or ants—a biological aggregate that followed instinct, with some simple emotions and thoughts at most.

Even if it was like Monday had stumbled upon valuable information by sheer luck and gained a brain, their emotions would still be relatively simple. But this laughter was different—it wasn’t the pure laughter of a child, but rather the light laughter of an adult who had been amused.

Suddenly, every nerve in Shu Jun’s body tensed up. He positioned himself in front of Zhu Yanchen, facing the direction where the laughter was coming from, and said, “We have to go.”

Unfortunately, it was too late for that.

A blurry figure appeared in the haze. It was about two meters tall and had the outline of some kind of insect. It had four limbs that were thin and long, with jointed structures that bent several times that lightly supported it on the muddy ground.

At the junction of its four limbs hung a droplet-shaped body. It stood less than a hundred meters away from them, moving slowly and resembled a dancing ghost spider.

Shu Jun was very sure that the laughter was coming from it.

[So it’s not the leader.] Its thoughts came through, without any exact language but with a clear meaning. [Well, of course the leader wouldn’t come to a place like this.]

[Where are your swamps?] It laughed again, throwing out one question after another. [Why do you look so strange?]

[Why aren’t you answering?]

It moved closer again. Cold sweat broke out on Shu Jun’s forehead. The thing’s thought process was too fast, and he had no idea how to respond—he had only had one successful exchange with an Erosion Swamp before, and it was a mindless expletive.

[We already have an alpha, and we only need one.] It said, [Since you’re not answering, you’re an invader.]

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The author has something to say:

Shu Ge: Can we have some normal (?) monsters…

Monday: (Happy fangirling)

Marshal: (Calmly taking notes)

Shu Ge: .

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 20: Yi Ning

At eight in the morning, Zhu Yanchen woke up groggily.

He hadn’t slept so well in a long time. It wasn’t due to mental tranquility but rather a real physical change—in order to hide the lesions that had accumulated over the past decade, Ai Xiaoxiao had removed countless tumors and growths from Zhu Yanchen’s body.

She had kept them as research material, and according to Dr. Ai, there were enough of those things to make another adult.

Zhu Yanchen was well aware that, after countless surgeries, his body was like a patched-up puppet. It looked shiny and polished on the outside, but inside it was already in a state of disrepair.

Therefore, the pain had always been constant—not unbearable but endless, slowly crawling in every corner of his body. Because of this, Zhu Yanchen’s sleep quality had always been poor. He was more accustomed to fragmented sleep than to sleeping soundly. If he could sleep, he would continue sleeping, but if the pain woke him up, he would simply get up and work.

Zhu Yanchen had almost forgotten when he had last slept so long.

His diet hadn’t changed, and neither did the environment by much. It was possible that Shu Jun had done something, but if the other party had made any major moves, he wouldn’t have been completely unaware of it.

This was information worth recording.

Zhu Yanchen looked up at Shu Jun—Shu Jun hadn’t squeezed into his bed but was lying on the sofa next to the purifier. The sofa was a bit narrow, forcing Shu Jun to curl his body awkwardly, barely managing to lie himself down. He held the greatsword in his arms, his mouth half open, and his sharp canine teeth were visible from between his lips as he slept soundly.

The purifier was still running, making a buzzing noise, and there was a scent of pancakes in the air. Zhu Yanchen sat quietly for a while, then put on his coat and got off the bed.

The greatsword was fixed to the purifier by Shu Jun’s body, and it was extremely miserable. At this moment, it didn’t care whether Zhu Yanchen was a friend or foe, and it opened its mouth pitifully. “Help… Help…”

Zhu Yanchen: “……”

Zhu Yanchen ignored the sword’s plea and went to the briefcase on the table. With a light click, the metal buckle made a sound, and the next second, a cold wind blew over his skin, and the blade stopped close to Zhu Yanchen’s two fingers.

Zhu Yanchen didn’t move.

“It’s you.” Shu Jun yawned and put away the sword. “Sorry, I was half asleep. Are you feeling better?”

“Much better.” Zhu Yanchen took out a needle for collecting blood from the box. “Give me your arm. I need to take a blood sample.”

“Let’s have breakfast first. I bought pancakes and baked them on the purifier all night. They are still hot. The boss also gave me a bag of rock sugar, which I baked with them. I’ll mix it to make some sugar water later.” Shu Jun yawned again and released Monday, who was still shouting “Help!” in a rough voice.

Zhu Yanchen nodded politely while holding the blood-drawing needle still.

Shu Jun scratched his messy hair and sighed, extending his arm. After a few days, there was no sign of his physical mutation disappearing.

“Open your mouth,” Zhu Yanchen requested as he placed the blood sample into the testing machine.

But this time, he hesitated for a few seconds. “If you don’t like me wearing gloves, I can take them off.”

Having fabric put in his mouth wasn’t very comfortable, but Shu Jun firmly declined. “Wear them. I’m afraid that if I get hungry, I might bite your finger.”

Zhu Yanchen pulled off his gloves expressionlessly.

Five minutes later.

“…Everything is normal.” Zhu Yanchen looked into Shu Jun’s mouth and touched his mutated teeth for a while. The examination took much longer than last time, and Shu Jun’s jaw was a bit sore, but he could only endure it while looking at Zhu Yanchen’s focused examination.

“Your body has initially stabilized.” Zhu Yanchen took out his wet fingers. “If you feel uncomfortable, remember to tell me at any time.”

Shu Jun rubbed his chin and said sincerely, “The pancake is getting drier, and I’m feeling hungry. I had one last night, and it was really delicious. It also has sauce.”

He didn’t know if he was seeing things, but Zhu Yanchen’s gaze softened a bit. He packed up the briefcase and sat down obediently to eat breakfast. Ignoring the erosion marks, the room was still pretty well decorated. The two sat across from each other and ate breakfast, with a little bit of warmth.

There was a vague sense of déjà vu, and Shu Jun shook his head.

Zhu Yanchen knew nothing of Shu Jun’s psychological activities. “We’ll buy a large sled and go to X City in about ten days. With your physical condition, you don’t need protection to go to X City.”

Shu Jun stared at Zhu Yanchen’s eyes—his brow furrowed as he absentmindedly replied, “Mm.”

“I plan to survey X City for three weeks,” Zhu Yanchen continued. “Then we’ll continue east and walk all the way to the seaside. Finally, we’ll come back… as far as we can go.”

Shu Jun stirred his sugar water with a spoon. “Mm.”

“When I die, you don’t have to worry about the body. Just go back to Y City and find a female doctor named Ai Xiaoxiao. She’s my subordinate, and her research level is top-notch. Although she can’t treat you like me, she can still do a good job of wrapping up loose ends.” Zhu Yanchen spoke calmly, as if he weren’t talking about his own death.

Shu Jun stopped stirring his spoon.

Zhu Yanchen didn’t wait for that “Mm” and looked up. Shu Jun smiled at him and brought up a different topic. “The boss here just said yesterday that there were strange things happening near X City, telling us to stay away. You specifically want to go there, so what’s your goal?”

“I don’t know.”

“What?”

“It’s because I don’t know what’s there that I want to confirm it in person. Anything could appear in the city ruins that humans haven’t set foot in for two hundred years.” Zhu Yanchen picked up his handkerchief and wiped his mouth elegantly. “What did the boss say to you? Please tell me.”

“He said my nails were too long and that young people shouldn’t follow this type of fashion.”

“……”

Shu Jun pushed the sugar water in front of Zhu Yanchen and said, “Just kidding. You can ask him yourself later. That uncle is quite talkative, but I can’t catch the main points. After all, I haven’t seen him for more than 200 minutes, so there could be new information that may appear.”

Zhu Yanchen nodded and hurriedly drank all the sugar water, planning to tidy up the cups and plates on the table. Shu Jun reached out his arm and directly grabbed his wrist.

“A’Yan.” Shu Jun’s tone was a bit unquestionable. “I would prefer it if you introduced Ai Xiaoxiao to me in person. To be honest, for the sake of your people, you’d better live longer.”

As he spoke, the smile on Shu Jun’s face disappeared. His vertical pupils shrank a bit, staring at Zhu Yanchen’s reaction.

“If my partner leaves too soon and there’s no more interest involved, I’m not sure what I will do.”

Zhu Yanchen stretched out his other hand and gently opened Shu Jun’s hand.

“I understand,” he said.

Only then did Shu Jun continue to nibble on his pancake, missing Zhu Yanchen’s silent whisper.

“…And I know what you will do,” Zhu Yanchen silently moved his lips.

In Y city.

Marshal Yi Ning’s mood wasn’t very good.

He just wanted to create a stumbling block for Zhu Yanchen at the stronghold, letting the mutant beasts invade from the outside to indirectly prove the necessity of “players” production—even the powerful Zhu Yanchen from a prominent family couldn’t protect himself, which demonstrated the shortage of troops.

If the plan went well, Zhu Yanchen wouldn’t have had any problems. At most, he would suffer some minor injuries and stay in the hospital for one or two months. Yi Ning had made adequate preparations and even reduced the defense of the stronghold, but something went wrong in the process.

They hadn’t released the mutant beasts from the outer circle yet, but one of them escaped from the inside and took Zhu Yanchen himself as hostage. It was like someone knew what they were planning and took the opportunity to act ahead of time.

After the incident, Yi Ning contacted the Tang family, who provided him with financial support. He only wanted ordinary the benefits of public opinion, not assassination.

However, the Tang family claimed they knew nothing about it.

Yi Ning sat back in his chair in annoyance and began to flip through the prepared speech. The rhetoric on it was impassioned, but it wouldn’t be used in the short term.

What is going on?

He came from a commoner background and his parents made a living by living on the edge of the erosion zone, where they licked blood from a knife’s edge every day. They died of chronic diseases caused by erosion when Yi Ning was only four years old. He survived alone, stumbling and suffering through countless difficulties, to climb to his current position. No one knew better than him what benefits the “players” production would bring to the people.

At present, “players”—synthetic humans—were only stationed at the strongholds and were under the jurisdiction of the United Government for purification and exploration outside. If his vision was realized, lower-performing synthetic humans could be stationed in the city as “life players”, contributing to labor. The less efficient ones could be sold in batches to wealthy people, and people wouldn’t need to venture into the erosion zone to mine for resources.

This way, people could completely get rid of jobs that have erosion risk, and the workload would be greatly reduced.

Truth management could be a hassle, but as long as the goals were established, the rest could be gradually resolved. Even if the synthetic people inside the city caused trouble, they could still be suppressed by the regular army.

The ordinary people quite liked this proposal. Not only did it reduce their workload, but no one wanted their loved ones to do risky work. On the other hand, Yi Ning, who came from a civilian background, was more likable than the young master of the Zhu family, thus his popularity among the people continued to rise.

However, Yi Ning didn’t relax his vigilance because of this.

Zhu Yanchen was able to hold on until now because of his deep and broad family connections, as well as his truly excellent tactical skills. Compared to those from big families who were all smooth talkers and focused on saving face, Yi Ning admired Zhu Yanchen as an opponent. In terms of ability, except for being too low-key, Zhu Yanchen had no other weaknesses to exploit.

Now that his opponent was gone, Yi Ning wasn’t happy.

On the one hand, he couldn’t understand—his plan was undoubtedly beneficial to the people’s livelihood. If Zhu Yanchen had a similar idea to him, he would even be willing to withdraw from the competition. Old Marshal Zhu had also expressed his appreciation for him in public, but Zhu Yanchen was like a stone that couldn’t be moved.

On the other hand, the loss of Zhu Yanchen was objectively a huge setback. Leaving aside the fact that they couldn’t find a replacement for him in terms of tactical planning, Yi Ning couldn’t find a suitable person to take over the management of the synthetic humans that Zhu Yanchen was responsible for.

Originally, he had planned to promote the production of synthetic humans as soon as possible, but now even cleaning up the mess had become a big problem.

Yi Ning pushed his speech aside and rubbed his forehead. As if things weren’t chaotic enough, the communicator began to beep and squeal.

“What is it?”

“Sir, it’s the synthesized human you’re directly in charge of, Captain Luo Duan of ‘Groundwater’… He wants to see you.”

---

Kinky Thoughts:

LMAO. So both marshals had similar plans?

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 19: City of the Dead

Ever since Zhu Rong perfected the player system, the Zhu family’s status had completely stabilized. After nearly three hundred years of recuperation, there had been, conservatively, at least ten generations of people. By the time of the previous Marshal Zhu, the relationship between several major families had become incredibly complex, and the Zhu family’s influence had reached its peak.

Thanks to his family background, Zhu Yanchen had been exposed to all sorts of shrewd people since he was young.

Although Shu Jun was intelligent, he wasn’t particularly slick. Zhu Yanchen saw that the other party was busy trying to change the topic and knew that Shu Jun didn’t want to go into detail. Considering their respective positions, Zhu Yanchen was able to guess the content of the “ordinary threat” that Shu Jun had mentioned.

There was no need to delve into it further at the moment.

“Let’s go east.” Zhu Yanchen allowed the topic to be led astray. “Do you know about X City?”

Shu Jun thought for a moment. “The one that was destroyed 200 years ago, right?”

“Mm. There is a border settlement to the southeast. We’ll go there to replenish some supplies, then head to X City.”

Zhu Yanchen was feeling a bit tired. Since his body had reached its limits, he had become increasingly fatigued. Shu Jun was right; perhaps he really did need more rest.

“Let’s go back to the cave first,” he said. “I’ll take a nap, and you can practice your swordsmanship…”

Shu Jun didn’t hide his frown. “Your voice sounds weak, and you don’t look comfortable.”

“I’m just a bit tired.”

“What cave? I’ll fly you over there. Missing sword practice for half a day won’t kill me.”

Shu Jun circled around Zhu Yanchen, and since he knew that this person only had two months left to live, he didn’t have the heart to hurt him. “Forget it, I’ll carry you. How far is it? I’ll try to fly steadily… Wait, don’t fall down yet! Give me a mask first. I look a bit conspicuous like this.”

Carrying a person on his back was something Shu Jun wasn’t used to. At the same time, he could feel the cold and stiffness coming from his back—after all, carrying a person who was slightly taller than oneself on one’s back should have at least provided some warmth.

Zhu Yanchen was really not feeling well. Shu Jun didn’t say anything, and with his greatsword hanging in front of him, he flew up into the air.

They didn’t talk along the way.

Marshal Zhu was quite resilient. Despite the strong wind, he slept soundly on his back. Shu Jun didn’t want to disturb the sick man, so when he saw a light below his feet, he gently landed and carried Zhu Yanchen towards the center of the settlement.

The border settlements were much simpler than the urban areas and larger than military bases. The people who came and went were all desperadoes searching for gold in the erosion zone, so they didn’t want to show their faces and garner extra attention. Given the place and purification was expensive, the environmental quality here was quite mediocre, but the accommodation was good enough. The market was lively, and it provided a good resting place.

When he was still a “player”, Shu Jun rarely came into contact with the settlements and had only heard some information before. Now that he thought about it, the United Government was probably worried that these desperadoes would talk too much and spread the truth, causing unnecessary trouble.

This was his first time entering a settlement.

Since it was a spontaneously organized base for people, the structure was easy to guess, so the best ones had to be in the center. However, Shu Jun wanted to keep a low profile, so he didn’t choose the best hotel. He had walked halfway, slipped to the side, and specifically picked one that was neither good nor bad. The boss was a big man with a bald head and a mask on his face. He had two black tumors the size of fists on both sides of his head, which looked a bit like panda ears at first glance.

Shu Jun: “… “It was hard not to be attracted by his appearance.

The big man had obviously noticed his gaze. “You new here?”

“Just arrived, just arrived. Keep your voice down,” Shu Jun had hurriedly said. “My friend is tired and sleeping. We’re looking for a place to rest. And you…?”

“The place is mine. You can call me Uncle Pan.” The big man stood up and patted his greasy apron. “How many rooms?”

“One room.” In various senses, he and Zhu Yanchen needed to take care of each other.

“Oh, do you want a cheaper one with bunk beds that can sleep six people, or a more expensive one for fun?”

“What do you mean?”

“For saving money, take the bunk bed room. It can hold up to six people and is cheap. As for how many people are staying there, that depends on your luck.” Uncle Pan had smacked his lips. “For those who are looking for fun, the rooms are naturally the best, suitable for relaxation, but the price is a little bit more expensive—”

“Then we’ll take the fun one.” Shu Jun didn’t bother to care about the ambiguous meanings. This was a necessity.

Anyway, Marshal Zhu was well prepared and was unlikely to drop the ball when it came to money.

“Oh, alright.” Uncle Pan took out the keys from the drawer and placed them gently on the iron counter. “I don’t provide food here, but you can give me some money for errands, and I can buy it for you, or you can buy it yourself. Just go out and turn two blocks to get to the market. Anyway, we can’t tell day from night here. There are always people around all day, so don’t worry about not being able to buy anything.”

“Thanks. Don’t worry, we’ll discuss it when my friend wakes up.” This area was already an erosion zone, so the food may not necessarily be clean. He could handle it, but he didn’t know if Zhu Yanchen could eat it.

But the room was nice.

There was a small purifier making a buzzing noise in the room, so the air was still okay. The floor was cleaned very well, and there was no strange smell on the sheets. Shu Jun locked the door and carefully laid down Zhu Yanchen. Then he put Monday beside the purifier and let it shiver.

As soon as Shu Jun changed his position, Zhu Yanchen woke up immediately. He looked around the room and felt a little dazed for a moment.

“Go back to sleep. It’s not even three in the morning, and you’ve only slept for a little over an hour. If you’re not at ease, you can lock me up with the handcuffs.” Shu Jun took off his mask and breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhu Yanchen looked a bit confused as he looked at him. Shu Jun didn’t waste any time and swiftly removed Zhu Yanchen’s mask, loosened his collar, and took off his coat—these things would only make it difficult for him to breathe.

“Take off your shoes yourself,” Shu Jun muttered while taking off his clothes. “It’s good not to be awake. Go to bed early and finish things early*. Then, I’ll argue with Monday.”

*(早睡早完事) (AKA Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.)

Zhu Yanchen hummed in response, indicating that he had just slept soundly and was still a bit groggy. He raised his head and gave Shu Jun a smile.

It was an extremely awkward smile. It was obvious that Marshal Zhu hadn’t smiled in a long time, and even when he was half awake, his smile was somewhat stiff. But seeing a smile appear on Zhu Yanchen’s face, Shu Jun was so frightened that he almost dropped the coat in his hand.

Perhaps realizing what he had done, Zhu Yanchen collected his smile the next second. He muttered a thank you, climbed into the bed, and laid down, even making sure to arrange his shoes neatly.

…Compared to the guys in his own team, Marshal Zhu was not only not delicate, but he was quite easy to take care of. Shu Jun was used to taking care of people, and he felt a little emotional for a moment. But he was startled by that smile, and his emotions quickly dissipated.

In the end, Zhu Yanchen didn’t handcuff him. Now that it was convenient without the handcuffs, Shu Jun took a shower, picked up Monday, who was trembling by the purifier, and sat down at the other end of the room.

He had intended to train Monday, but with time now available, he no longer had the mood to do so. That smile of Zhu Yanchen’s kept playing in his mind—it was a very nice smile, but that wasn’t the point.

Shu Jun’s intuition began to dance on his nerves again. He always felt that something wasn’t right.

Marshal Zhu… A’Yan was clearly not someone who smiled for no reason, even if they had been friends for a few years. When it came to the aborigines of this world, those who knew A’Yan longer than him must have passed away. However, whether it was watching the propaganda video, listening to the discussions of those who worshiped Marshal Zhu in his team, or seeing it with his own eyes, this person was always expressionless, like he had a face covered with glue that had dried up.

That was a relaxed smile, as if they were really close friends who could talk about anything.

Zhu Yanchen had been in the position of Marshal for a long time, commanding countless battles. He couldn’t be naive enough to be close based on a few years of texting… Was A’Yan really only hiding the “truth” and the “death date” from him?

The more Shu Jun thought about it, the more confused he became, and he hummed a few times in annoyance. He decided to go out for a few minutes to catch his breath.

Fortunately, he could now control the erosion a little bit. Shu Jun dug out a small piece from Monday, twisted it into a rope, and hung the door from the inside. Just in case, he also hung a “Do not disturb” sign outside as well.

“Are you going out? What about your friend?” Uncle Pan was still sitting in front of the counter leisurely listening to the radio.

“He’s resting in the room. I’m going to buy some food. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Shu Jun greeted him. Although it looked safe here, he didn’t want to leave Zhu Yanchen alone for too long.

“Oh, I just bought some pancakes for another room. I bought too many, do you want some?” Uncle Pan didn’t miss this opportunity to promote his business. “Lao Zhang’s pancakes are really something. I saw the last batch, and I bought them all. They’re not expensive, just give me 10% for the errand fee.”

As he spoke, he took out a pancake, pushed aside his mask, and started chewing. The room was suddenly filled with the smell of pancakes.

Shu Jun yielded. “Is the pancake clean?”

“Very clean. If you’re really worried, take it back and heat it up on the purifier—though that’s a waste of the purifier in your room.” Uncle Pan quickly ate a piece and put back on his crooked mask.

Zhu Yanchen hadn’t eaten anything decent these past few days, so buying him a few pancakes wouldn’t hurt. Shu Jun took six and instinctively put them in his pocket to keep them warm.

Uncle Pan exclaimed, “You’re quite good at taking care of people. Actually, I also have some soybean sauce for the pancakes…”

Shu Jun didn’t listen to what Uncle Pan was saying next.

He was good at taking care of people—from his teammates’ children to his injured teammates that many people had mentioned to him before so he had grown accustomed to it, not taking it to heart.

But now, he thought that his accustomed life had been turned upside down and every detail was worth rethinking—he had lived alone since he was eight years old and continued to live alone until he started working. So when did he start getting used to “taking care of others”?

For a moment, Shu Jun had a ridiculous idea: perhaps he and Marshal Zhu had known each other for a long time, but his memory had been buried deep in his mind. But then he remembered that he had been working with the Blackbirds since he entered <Erosion>. If he had any private contact with Zhu Yanchen, the timing didn’t match up.

Moreover, he seemed to have been good at taking care of people before entering <Erosion>.

…Well, maybe it was just one of his talents.

“I’ll take some sauce too.” Shu Jun took out the pancakes, pushed up his mask a bit, and ate mechanically.

“Where are you guys going?” Uncle Pan tossed him a bag of sauce that was wrapped in thin plastic like a tiny heart.

“East,” said Shu Jun vaguely.

“But that’s a heavily eroded area, and you guys don’t seem to be short of money. Why bother?” Uncle Pan took a deep breath. “Didn’t something happen there recently? Fewer ships are going there now, and the road isn’t easy to walk.”

“Something happened recently?” Shu Jun listened with interest. The events in X City were all 200 years old.

“Don’t you know? The higher-ups organized a ‘competition’ there a while ago, with a large Erosion Swamp as the target, but the captain of the Blackbirds was defeated.”

The Blackbirds captain himself: “…”

“But the most bizarre thing is this.” Uncle Pan’s tone gradually became more like a storyteller. “I’ll tell you, such a large Erosion Swamp disappeared right in front of everyone’s eyes! You know, like unplugging a bathtub—it just seeped into the ground. Who has ever seen such a situation like that before? Everyone’s saying something was wrong with the Erosion Swamp in the east.”

“So did they find it?” Shu Jun asked nervously; said Erosion Swamp was inside his body.

“Who has time to look for it when Marshal Zhu was suddenly kidnapped by a mutant beast shortly after that. The higher-ups are in chaos, and I heard that the old Marshal Zhu is furious.”

…Said Marshal Zhu is staying at your inn. Shu Jun almost choked on his pancake. “Let’s talk about the Erosion Swamp. After all, my brother and I have to make a living, and practical problems are the most important.”

“Oh.” Uncle Pan rubbed the black lump on his head. “The next piece of information will cost you money, young man. What do you say?”

Shu Jun gradually got used to this man’s routine. “You… Go ahead and tell me.”

“Dealing with sensible people is refreshing.” Uncle Pan rubbed his hands and chuckled.

“So the two of you are heading east. Someone died on the outskirts of the City of the Dead a while ago.”

“The City of the Dead?”

“X City!” Uncle Pan said. “Of course they didn’t go inside. That group of people just wandered around outside looking for some rare things to bring back to sell. And then, guess what? They found a monster corpse that had never been discovered before, which reportedly looked about 75% human.”

Shu Jun stopped chewing. “And then?”

“And then they were cursed by that monster’s corpse.” Uncle Pan lowered his voice. “Everyone died, and it was a terrible death. People found out by reading their diaries.”

“Young man, you can head east, but stay away from the City of the Dead. That place is evil.”

---

The author has something to say:

Marsha Zhu was kidnapped by a mutant beast ×

Marsha Zhu was kidnapped by Shu Jun √

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 18: Wrapping Things Up

Xia Liang took over the Fourth Squadron from Zhu Yanchen, but the investigation of the Erosion Swamp was still unable to progress.

As soon as the concert ended, Xia Liang glanced at herself in the mirror and tidied up her hairstyle with a curling iron. While picking out perfume, she looked at the report returned by the Fourth Squadron.

It was all perfunctory nonsense.

As expected, they were disobedient. Xia Liang sneered.

The Fourth Squadron was an investigation team cultivated by Zhu Yanchen, specializing in collecting all sorts of strange information about the Erosion Swamp. Nowadays, anyone who valued their life knew to stay away from the Erosion Swamp. The reason why these people were willing to accept such dirty work wasn’t due to their noble sentiments, but because the Zhu family had abundant wealth and Zhu Yanchen could smoothly make this group of people dance on the edge of the cliff.

Most of the people in the Fourth Squadron were daredevils who risked their lives for money. They usually stayed in various corners, listening to the wind and doing business. Only when Zhu Yanchen offered a task reward, would these old folks be willing to put in effort in one direction.

And this was just investigation, not research.

Since their predecessors successfully invented the purifiers, the research progress of the Erosion Swamp had come to a standstill.

The erosion substance wasn’t a virus or bacteria. With purifiers in place, research couldn’t proceed normally. Even with layer after layer of protective clothing, the erosion substance would slowly erode those who came into contact with it once the purifiers were turned off.

Moreover, since the purifiers were sufficiently effective, a solution was already in place, and talented individuals were in short supply, so before reliable protective measures were available, no one was willing to bet their lives on something that could only add a little extra.

It was possible to conduct research on one’s own, but protective equipment wasn’t something ordinary people could afford to consume. Considering all factors, besides Zhu Yanchen, no one else was putting in effort in this area. The government’s research direction was also very fixed, with erosion substance analysis being just an added task, and the focus was still on improving synthetic humans.

Zhu Yanchen was listed as a member of the research project. But on the surface, he only looked at the data and didn’t make any substantial contributions to optimizing the synthetic humans. He would write reports on erosion substance analysis, but it was all nonsense, and the improvements to synthetic humans didn’t need any of it.

After a long time, everyone implicitly accepted one thing—that the son of the previous marshal was here to take credit and gain fame. The Zhu family held high status and power, and friends of the previous marshal even helped him out, inviting Zhu Yanchen to participate in any research and bask in the glory. Zhu Yanchen also knew how to measure his words and actions, staying quiet and not making any unnecessary commands.

Considering that Zhu Yanchen’s tactical level was indeed top-notch, he wasn’t a worthless person. Even if the researchers were dissatisfied, they would not really make it public and embarrass him.

Xia Liang sighed, put the selected perfume in her bag, and couldn’t help but exclaim to herself, “Academic researchers should still be honest.”

If Yi Ning was the candidate for the leader elected by the people, then Zhu Yanchen was pulled up by those old coots. Unfortunately, not only were those researchers disappointed, but even the old coots also misjudged Zhu Yanchen. He wasn’t as “well-behaved” as they had imagined.

Not to mention Zhu Yanchen’s private research, even the previous marshal didn’t know about the existence of the Fourth Squadron. Xia Liang prided herself on her amazing intelligence network, but it was only after being recruited by Zhu Yanchen that she found out about these things.

She didn’t care why Zhu Yanchen was so interested in these things, but she really didn’t like people who didn’t follow orders.

As the saying went, “strike the serpent’s head¹“, and “capture the ringleader first²“. She didn’t really understand the research on the Erosion Swamp, but she was good at other things—she didn’t become Zhu Yanchen’s subordinate for nothing; she could still gather intelligence.

¹(打蛇打七寸) Idiom referring to hitting the enemy’s weakest point (aka strike them where it hurts).
²(擒贼先擒王)Idiom referring to if you want to successfully deal with a problem, you need to focus your efforts on the leader/main culprit. By doing so, you’ll eliminate the root cause, making it easier to deal with the rest.

So in the middle of the night, “Dong Lao” appeared at Ai Xiaoxiao’s clinic.

…Xia Liang had never thought that the captain of the Fourth Squadron with such a bad temper would actually be a woman.

“Dong Lao?” Ai Xiaoxiao’s tone was full of disdain. “I’ve never heard of any Dong Lao. If you’re here to beg for food, there are some dumplings left in my kitchen. Would you like some?”

Xia Liang’s face twitched under her hood. This woman was lying through her teeth.

“Let’s not joke around, Miss Ai.” Xia Liang stretched out her foot and held the door. “You didn’t reply to my messages, didn’t answer my calls, and then sent me a pile of dog shit, which made me have to come here in the middle of the night… Haa, my old waist…”

After speaking, Xia Liang even pretended to sigh. It was just acting, after all, and she was a professional.

Ai Xiaoxiao raised an eyebrow; her expression clearly indicating: So you know it’s all shit. You’re not so simple.

“Then come in and have some supper,” Ai Xiaoxiao said after thinking for a moment, her tone reluctantly polite. “There are still some dumplings left in the kitchen…”

Xia Liang: “……”

“It’s not that I didn’t want to make a report, but everyone is tight on time, and the issue of the Erosion Swamp has been settled, so there’s no need to worry about it.” Ai Xiaoxiao went to fry the dumplings and poured some vinegar. Xia Liang didn’t pick up her chopsticks, so she ate alone. “Anyway, you don’t understand. Isn’t writing reports just a waste of time?”

‘You’re really good at fooling your new boss,’ Xia Liang thought silently. “So what’s the deal with the disappeared Erosion Swamp?”

Ai Xiaoxiao smiled but didn’t answer. She made a hand gesture like pulling a zipper across her mouth. “Marshal Zhu asked me to keep it confidential.”

“The higher-ups will continue to investigate. I already knew that, so I need to be prepared,” Xia Liang said patiently. “It was Zhu Yanchen who asked me to take over the Fourth Squadron, so don’t agitate an old man anymore.”

“They won’t find out… Oh, speaking of which, you came at just the right time.”

Ai Xiaoxiao wiped her hands and took out a chip from the inner room, which still had the smell of dumplings on it.

“Remember to find a chance to put this into the upper management’s system. Zhu Yanchen wants to erase some intelligence about the Erosion Swamp. It’s up to you now, Dong Lao.”

Xia Liang couldn’t even ask a single question and ended up getting into trouble for nothing. It was bad enough to get into trouble, but in the end, the other party didn’t even show a bit of respect. She was so angry that she was about to speak up when—

“I know what you’re thinking. There’s plenty of time for that. Anyway, Zhu Yanchen is definitely not coming back, so if you want to argue or fight, there’s ample time for that in the future.”

Not coming back? Xia Liang swallowed the anger in her throat.

“You really don’t know.” Ai Xiaoxiao waved her hand. “Consider this intelligence as my gift to you.”

Xia Liang didn’t let her off. “Be clear.”

“What did he tell you—let me guess: to prepare for success or failure?” Ai Xiaoxiao turned on the faucet, and the plates squeaked as she scrubbed them. “Isn’t that how Zhu Yanchen has always been. A little information here and there, revealing just the tip of the iceberg. He won’t tell you about his physical condition, just like he won’t tell me about his tactical plan… Of course, I don’t care either.”

Shaking the water off her hands, she put the plates back on the shelf. “I’ve been working with him for over a decade, and I’ve tried to persuade him. Zhu Yanchen has known for a long time that it’s only a matter of time before he dies from his research.”

“Now, the timing is a little clearer,” she said. “Okay, you can go now. I don’t like to keep people overnight.”

“Why?” Xia Liang couldn’t help but ask, seeing that this person was informed.

“Why what?”

“Zhu Yanchen has talent. If he just acted as a marshal, he could at least have a good ending. Even if he just wasted his life away, the Zhu family could still afford to support him.”

Why choose a meaningless dead end? On the premise of having an out, why stick your neck into studying erosion? Isn’t it like taking off one’s pants to fart?

Ai Xiaoxiao looked at her up and down. “Who knows. Anyway, I’ve said both good and bad things. It’s hard to persuade a stubborn old ghost with kind words. What can I do?”

Looking at Xia Liang, who fell into silence, she added, “Don’t think about it. His situation is definitely worse than you think. He has enough money that I’ve worked hard to make him look like nothing’s wrong—who do you think I practiced my healing and plastic surgery skills on?”

……

Although it was late at night, Dr. Ai’s practice material was still awake. Zhu Yanchen was fully armed and hanging in the air above the Village of the Ruined with Shu Jun—since the Erosion Swamp was taken away, it was destined to be a sleepless night for the villagers.

“Anyway, as long as they give up their desire to feed the Erosion Swamp, it’ll be fine,” Shu Jun said lightly, carrying his new greatsword.

“Yes.”

“I guessed it right. I’ll go down first. If I can’t make a deal, you can come.” Shu Jun drew his sword. “I have something to say to them.”

Zhu Yanchen frowned. He hadn’t even spoken yet, but Shu Jun had already landed on the ground, running towards the villagers who had already gathered, shouting and holding weapons at the entrance of the camp.

Lao Wei had many bandages on his body and was being supported by the woman who posed as the corpse handler.

“Give us back the Erosion Swamp!” he angrily shouted.

The woman, who wasn’t wearing any headgear, had swollen and misshapen eyes that looked like peaches, obviously showing signs she had been crying.

“You still believe that your loved ones can be revived by the Erosion Swamp, don’t you?”

“My daughter can already call me ‘mom’. She’s the one who has recovered the best. She still recognizes me and wants to be held. I know she must be in there…”

Shu Jun thrust his greatsword into the ground, and as it remained silent, he kicked it.

Greatsword: “Puh.”

The tone was no different from that of the “loved ones” during the ritual.

“Let me introduce you to your Erosion Swamp. We have reached a friendly cooperation agreement,” Shu Jun said, patting the sword hilt. “I don’t think it looks like a little girl at all.”

There was a commotion, and the woman covered her mouth as if she were about to vomit. “You… You’re not human…”

“You just said that your daughter has ‘recovered’ the best and can still recognize you.” Shu Jun’s voice was clear but no longer cheerful. “Let’s experiment.”

The wind suddenly rose before the villagers could react. Shu Jun flashed to the woman’s side, and with a smooth movement, his thick blade swung toward her neck, stopping just in front of it.

His movement stopped at just the right moment, and the blade edge barely touched the woman’s skin, leaving no injury.

The greatsword—Monday—thought it could taste a little bit of blood, but Shu Jun stopped halfway. It immediately whined, “Cut! Cut!”

“This is the ‘daughter’ who can still recognize you.” Shu Jun lowered his voice, and his gray and white eyes were as cold as ashes. “Miss, it’s okay to be deceived for a while. Just don’t be deceived for too long.”

The woman’s legs went weak, and she slumped to the ground. Shu Jun put away his sword and narrowed his eyes. “Who else wants to verify? I’m ready anytime.”

The villagers were silent for a while.

The woman was still supporting Lao Wei, but he couldn’t stand either. Zhu Yanchen’s gunshot wound still hurt, and he groaned, “Then… at least we can have some memories…”

“And you,” Shu Jun half-knelt down and propped his sword on the ground, staring directly into Lao Wei’s eyes. “My friend should have warned you. If the Erosion Swamp grows up, it will eat all of you.”

“Even if what you say is true, we’re all half-dead. We can be buried together with our loved ones without regret…”

“I’m not talking about that.” Shu Jun’s voice grew softer and softer. “My friend is worried about you. But, how should I put it… Personally, I have very limited sympathy for you.”

He stretched out his hand, and a little erosion substance gathered slowly in his palm, forming a ball.

“This place is not far from the city. If the Erosion Swamp grows up, the ‘players’ will have to come and deal with this hidden danger. There may be sacrifices by then, and I don’t really want to see that scene.”

The erosion substance was carried by the wind, circled Lao Wei, and then flew towards the villagers, making sure everyone could see it.

“I can turn the Erosion Swamp into a sword, and of course, I can turn the erosion substance into my scout. You can continue to live freely without any problem. It will follow this village all the time. If I find that you are raising an Erosion Swamp again, I will rush over and personally send you back to the city. In this way, everyone will reunite at the corpse disposal plant—oh, sorry, the corpses are processed in batches, so there’s a chance not everyone will be in the same batch.”

Shu Jun laughed, baring his sharp canine teeth.

Feeling suddenly threatened by a fierce beast, Lao Wei swallowed his saliva.

“That’s all I have to say.” Shu Jun’s voice remained low. “Take care of yourselves.”

After speaking, he stood up, drew his sword, and walked back to Zhu Yanchen in a straightforward manner.

“So fast?”

“They won’t make the same mistake again.” The coldness in Shu Jun’s eyes had long disappeared.

“What did you say?” Zhu Yanchen wasn’t standing close enough, and Shu Jun’s voice was sometimes high and sometimes low, so he didn’t hear everything clearly.

“Just a harmless little lie.” Shu Jun smiled. “I scared them and said I could use the erosion substance as surveillance. Next is just a regular threat. Speaking of which, I have to thank Teacher Zhu for guiding me… Teacher Zhu, where should we go next?”

---

The author has something to say:

Shu Ge is not naïve. After all, he has been a captain for ten years (?

Fierce, but also professional!

But the Marshal can also be fierce. It’s just not his time yet.

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 17: Bad Reputation

The atmosphere between the two had somewhat eased since the discussion. Since the matter was out in the open, Zhu Yanchen no longer hesitated and changed his shirt in front of Shu Jun.

“Uh…” Shu Jun said, looking uncomfortable.

Thinking that Shu Jun was bothered by his unusual scars, Zhu Yanchen quickly put on his shirt and apologized politely, “Sorry, I’ll be more careful next time.”

“No, no, no,” Shu Jun said, waving his hands. “I’m just… hungry, that’s all.”

Zhu Yanchen and Shu Jun fell silent.

The good mood that had just been brewing seemed to be destroyed by him.

He didn’t know why, but Shu Jun thought Zhu Yanchen looked more delicious than those mutant beasts for some reason. However, the thought of eating a human was too horrifying, and Shu Jun’s rationality had already screamed in refusal. This appetite was still easy to control.

But if Shu Jun had to choose, he preferred to avoid such terrible struggles altogether.

Zhu Yanchen remained calm and put on another coat. “Then let’s solve the problem with the Erosion Swamp quickly.”

Both of them turned their attention back to the Erosion Swamp, which had started playing dead again. Zhu Yanchen thought for a moment and said, “When I count to three, if it still doesn’t agree, crush its brain.”

He spoke with great certainty, and the Erosion Swamp shivered.

“But…” Without a brain, the Erosion Swamp couldn’t spew concentrated water, and the sword Shu Jun had planned to make couldn’t be made.

“I can study its remnants and try artificial concentration,” Zhu Yanchen said, tapping the Erosion Swamp lightly. His white gloves slid over the dark swamp body slowly and dangerously, like a python sliding over fallen leaves. “The process is complicated, but it can be done.”

The Erosion Swamp stopped trembling, and its fear was palpable.

Seeing that the Erosion Swamp was no longer moving, Zhu Yanchen flicked his finger. “Too bad. When we go deeper, you’ll have to kill larger Erosion Swamps. If this thing had a brain, it might absorb more information and produce some interesting changes.”

Zhu Yanchen’s tone was as cold and rational as ever, and he didn’t seem to be joking.

Although Shu Jun also felt a little regretful, he was convinced. “Okay.”

“One, two—”

“Okay!” The Erosion Swamp shouted hoarsely, afraid that they wouldn’t hear it. “Okay! Okay!”

“……” Was it because he had too good of an attitude towards this thing that it acted like bullying the weak and fearing the strong? Even if it did fear the strong, shouldn’t it be the alpha Erosion Swamp inside him?

Zhu Yanchen hummed, not surprised by this result. “You can communicate the rest yourself.”

Marshal Zhu probably doesn’t get along well with children. Shu Jun couldn’t help but lament. The process of shaping was boring so as Shu Jun squeezed the Erosion Swamp, he carefully observed Zhu Yanchen who was busy with his head down.

Marshall Zhu accurately remembered his death timer, but instead of facing death, his expression seemed like he was waiting for an ordinary vacation, with no trace of emotion on his face. Shu Jun didn’t know why, but seeing Zhu Yanchen like this made him feel a little uncomfortable.

As soon as he felt uncomfortable, he couldn’t stop talking. “Sir, do you have any plans after this?”

Zhu Yanchen didn’t raise his head. “Take care of the matter in the Village of the Ruined first. We’ll discuss the rest after you’ve made the sword. I’ll give you 24 hours. You can—”

With a dull thud, Shu Jun interrupted him with a smile.

It had been less than an hour since the successful negotiation with the Erosion Swamp. Startled by the sound of a weapon, Zhu Yanchen raised his eyes.

A jet-black sword was inserted at his side. It was entirely black, reflecting dim light, and resembled the one Shu Jun had used before. The only difference was that a grayish-white “gemstone” the size of an egg was embedded in the hilt, surrounded by nerve-like tissues. Zhu Yanchen turned his head slightly to the side where the “gemstone” was, seeing it pouting in dissatisfaction. The gemstone spat out a soft hiss as Zhu Yanchen looked at it.

…A subtle sense of nausea arose.

“Not bad.” Shu Jun pulled out the sword and easily swung it around with the help of the wind.

“No need to adjust it anymore?”

“No need.” Shu Jun happily caressed the sword. “My sword is the thing I’m most familiar with in my life. I know the details even with my eyes closed.”

Is that so? I haven’t seen a sword with a mouth like that before. Zhu Yanchen slowly wiped his face.

“This mouth isn’t my aesthetic taste. It insisted on keeping it.” Seeing Zhu Yanchen’s subtle expression, Shu Jun quickly explained. “With the brain exposed, it’s easier to control. Actually, I think it’s a bit…”

“As long as it works.” Zhu Yanchen interrupted Shu Jun in time and changed the subject. “Does it have a name?”

He remembered that Shu Jun’s original sword was called “Qianjun*,” which was a good name, but unfortunately, it was destroyed by the Erosion Swamp.

*Thousands of miles.

“Well, I was just thinking about it. It’s not suitable to call it the Erosion Swamp Sword.” Shu Jun had begun to use strips of cloth to twist a rope and make a sword belt. “This thing spits out one word at a time, and it’s annoying as hell…”

“How about calling it ‘Monday’?”

Zhu Yanchen: “…” This artistic conception is too far off.

After obtaining the sword, Shu Jun’s face brightened by a lot. “Come on, I’ll take you to test the sword and get something to eat. If we’re fast enough, we can solve the matter in the Village of the Ruined today. You’ve got 24 hours? After the matter is resolved, you have to promise me one thing.”

“What?”

“You’d better use the extra time to sleep.”

“I can’t. Time—”

“I need time to familiarize myself with the sword, so I definitely won’t sleep. If we both stay awake for a long time, the next shift will be even harder.”

Then, Shu Jun cleared his throat and spoke earnestly. “Don’t worry. I won’t eat you while you’re asleep. If you really don’t trust me, you can handcuff your wrist and lock my other hand at the entrance, so I can’t reach you…”

Seeing this person started to be difficult again, Zhu Yanchen felt a headache coming on and had to give in. “If there is extra time.”

The conclusion of the Village of the Ruined was both simple and difficult. Faced with a group of people who were determined not to stay in the city, Zhu Yanchen originally turned a blind eye and allowed them to fulfill their dying wishes. Who would have thought that they not only failed to live peacefully but also roamed around and even resorted to stealing erosion substance to raise their own Erosion Swamp?

Thus, Zhu Yanchen couldn’t ignore this group of people.

These people had relatives and friends in the city. If they died in confusion and anger, they were bound to become seeds of chaos. The survivors had already endured enough hardship and could not afford any more internal consumption to handle this matter.

Zhu Yanchen originally had his own fixed plan for this situation. It might take longer, but it would definitely be effective. However, Shu Jun was undoubtedly a good leader, and since he was so confident, he probably had a few good ideas in mind.

As long as Shu Jun no longer jumped into the Erosion Swamp, it was fine.

For the first time in so many years, Zhu Yanchen vaguely felt some emotions close to anticipation.

“Put your hand out and put this on,” Zhu Yanchen took out a wristband used for data monitoring.

[Fusion degree: 25%; Resonance skill level: 7; Vital signs stable.]

Meanwhile, inside the city.

A young woman sat at a research table, ignoring the clock that was about to point to one in the morning.

In the huge room, there were quite a few people. The air was filled with the smell of poor-quality tobacco and alcohol. This wasn’t a regular hospital, and no one took cleaning seriously. Blood-stained bandages and gauze were everywhere, adding a fishy smell to the already pungent air.

There were few guests at dawn, and the men were making a lot of noise behind the research table.

“It’s been two days. Zhu Yanchen must have already died.”

“Yes, such a delicate little young master—how long can he survive outside? Even heaven is on Marshal Yi Ning’s side. Marshal Yi, well done. As the saying goes, among the lords and officials*…”

*The full sentence is: Among the lords and officials, how many have real courage? (王侯将相宁有种乎) It’s a famous quote from ancient Chinese philosopher and poet Tao Yuanming. It’s often used to express the idea that not everyone in a position of power or authority has true courage or virtue. || In this context, it’s basically saying Zhu Yanchen only got his Marshal title through strings pulled and not through actual merit.

“Shh, shh. You can’t say that.”

“Why can’t I? Zhu Yanchen is already 28 years old. Apart from being strong in tactics, what else can he do? He’s barely seen, and no one knows what he’s doing… Oh, speaking of which, have you heard? There’s an old man surnamed Dong under Young Master Zhu who helped with all those beautiful tactics. I don’t know where the previous marshal found such a guy. He probably wants to save some face for the Zhu family…”

The woman frowned slightly, and the pliers in her hand fell on the table with a clang. The men briefly paused their conversation and looked at her with a hint of fear.

When they confirmed the woman didn’t look back at them, the men continued to buzz. “The Zhu family is really getting worse and worse. Back then, Zhu Rong single-handedly pulled up the player system… When it came to the previous marshal, he optimized the entire system again. But what about Young Master Zhu? He doesn’t show up, there’s no contribution to the system, and no one knows if he’s the one who came up with the tactics. He doesn’t even look like the previous marshal.”

“Do you think Marshal Yi Ning could be the seed of the previous marshal? Look at his emphasis on further improving the system and focusing on developing the city. Isn’t that the style of the Zhu family? The previous marshal couldn’t possibly have just one woman, and the marshal’s wife is so much younger than him—”

At this point, several men chuckled. But before they could finish laughing, a bloody scalpel flashed, wiping out one of their cigarettes and extinguishing it.

“Ai—Ai Jie*…”

*Sister (姐) When used with a name, it usually refers to addressing a woman who’s older/higher rank than oneself in a familiar or friendly manner (similar to ge, which is the male equivalent).

The woman stood up. She was of average height but looked quite tall due to her slender figure. Her face was delicate, with a touch of impatience in her eyebrows, making her look a bit arrogant.

She tied up her hair and put it into a neat ponytail. “If you’ve got nothing to do, leave now. Don’t talk nonsense around here. If you have a bit of brain, just sweep the floor and remember to keep your mouth shut while doing it.”

Seeing that the owner of the clinic was angry, the men scattered and ran away.

Ai Xiaoxiao sneered and closed the door of the clinic.

The apocalypse had created a knowledge gap. Even though humanity had recuperated for hundreds of years, experts in cutting-edge fields were still in short supply. Medical professionals were highly valued, and aside from a few anomalies, very few individuals would venture out to open their own clinics.

Ai Xiaoxiao was one of those anomalies.

As for why she chose to leave her comfortable government job and start her own business, everyone knew the reason—compared to regular hospital doctors, Ai Xiaoxiao was skilled in handling terminal cases and performing reparative surgeries.

This was a current gap that had little demand.

Medical resources were scarce, and the government wouldn’t administer large amounts of purification medicine to patients on their deathbeds just to alleviate a bit of pain. Skilled surgeons were almost all assigned to the military, and the rest would only perform life-saving operations. It was impossible to have the luxury of performing cosmetic surgery on patients just to make their bodies look better.

No one could do it, no matter how much money was offered. In this regard, the medical organization of the United Government was quite fair.

But Ai Xiaoxiao was unfair. As long as the money was there, she could get anything and everything done. 

Since she gathered her own materials for medicine and performed her own surgeries, she was walking a fine line between legality and illegality. Her fees for treating common illnesses weren’t high, so many people with headaches or fevers would go to her, relieving some of the burden on nearby hospitals.

In addition, the Ai Clinic hadn’t had any malignant incidents, and over time, the people above gradually stopped paying attention to her—since there was a gap in the policy, it wasn’t wise to shut down all avenues.

However, Miss Ai had earned quite a bit of money and had become rather willful. When she wanted to close shop, it would close. If a rude customer said something offensive, she wouldn’t treat them. In this regard, she was quite nonchalant.

Now, she had just driven away a group of customers.

Ai Xiaoxiao locked the door and absentmindedly turned the key, walking into the inner room.

The mutant beast had already delivered the chip to her room, and its body was lying on her table. This kind of creature couldn’t survive for long, and after being modified, it became a completely disposable messenger.

After all, there weren’t many messengers these days who could cross erosion zones unnoticed, so their choices were limited.

Ai Xiaoxiao skillfully connected the chip to the computer and grabbed a cup of coffee while chewing on a piece of candy in her mouth. The room was dark, and the jumping data was reflected in her eyes.

“After working hard for more than ten years, risking your life, in the end, no one still believes you.” She clicked her tongue. “How pathetic, Marshal Zhu. What are you trying to do?”

But this data was indeed extremely precious. Zhu Yanchen himself was an excellent researcher, and his explanation of his own condition was quite detailed.

If the previous marshal knew the true condition of his son, he would probably be furious.

Thinking about this, she found it funny again. But before she could laugh out loud, the doorbell of the clinic was frantically ringing.

“Who is it?” She irritably pushed away her chair and secretly decided to drive away this guest.

“It’s me,” an old man’s voice came in. “Dong Lao, Marshal Zhu’s subordinate. I have something to discuss.”

---

The author has something to say:

The Marshal is a little older than Shu Jun√

Shu Ge, the eater of people, always eaten all the time (?

---

Kinky Thoughts:

My guess on why Shu Jun named his sword Monday is probably because he hates school and Monday signifies the start of the week and the start of school and work, which he considers annoying.

You and me both Shu Jun… you and me both.

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 16: Deadline

“No,” the Erosion Swamp said.

At present, the two were waiting in the cave. Zhu Yanchen was setting up a simple purification machine at the entrance while Shu Jun was negotiating with the small Erosion Swamp. The latter still looked like a lump, but with a mouth on the surface, which looked a bit eerie.

Hours ago, when Shu Jun came up with his crazy idea, Zhu Yanchen was silent for a few minutes. When he spoke again, he sounded a bit numb. “I have never encountered a similar case before, but you can try it. If you can’t convince it within a day, I will dispose of it.”

So they found a resting point, and Shu Jun immediately threw the small Erosion Swamp off his hand.

Although he threw it away, he did not let go of the hand holding its brain. He tried to explain the problem to it—intentionally or not, the small Erosion Swamp used humans, so it must have some level of intelligence. Choosing between “losing its precious nervous center” and “losing freedom of movement but being able to continue to evolve” wasn’t a difficult choice.

But no matter how much Shu Jun talked, it only replied with “no”.

Feeling a bit discouraged, Shu Jun decided to seek help outside. “Does it understand what I am saying?”

The Erosion Swamp had lost a lot of moisture and could no longer emit erosion substances into the air. Zhu Yanchen finished setting up a purification machine, and the air in the cave became much cleaner. He took off his protective suit and mask and began repairing the reading device.

Shu Jun originally thought that Zhu Yanchen would find him too noisy, but to his surprise, Marshal Zhu got very close to him, and his movements were quite relaxed. He didn’t even rush to handcuff Shu Jun.

“Its intelligence is equivalent to that of a six- or seven-year-old child.”

Zhu Yanchen was repeatedly adjusting a component the size of a grain of rice with his hand as steady as a machine.

“The Village of the Ruined is a mobile village, and this Erosion Swamp was cultivated by them as a ‘mobile grave’. There are people among the dead who resonate strongly with the erosion substance, allowing the Erosion Swamp to learn some information and develop its own brain.”

Although it made Shu Jun feel a bit drowsy, as if he were listening to a lecture from his childhood, he still caught on. Judging from the Erosion Swamp’s behavior, it probably learned from that little girl.

The little girl looked six or seven years old. It was impossible for her and the swamp to resonate 100%, so part of the information would be incomplete; added to that, the condition of the body would deteriorate, reducing the amount of information. Shu Jun thought for a while and felt that Zhu Yanchen’s statement was quite optimistic—in his opinion, the intelligence of this thing in front of him was at most five years old.

And he had just beaten it up.

…What positive response could he expect? Shu Jun felt a bit embarrassed and decided to take a break.

It was late at night, and there was only a little light in the cave. Shu Jun leaned against the wall and couldn’t help but doze off. “If I had died in the Erosion Swamp before, could that big Erosion Swamp also gain some intelligence?”

Zhu Yanchen’s voice became gloomy. “Your resonance level with the erosion substance is unprecedentedly high. An alpha-level giant Erosion Swamp, coupled with the intelligence of a top warrior—the consequences are obvious.”

Shu Jun was instantly frightened awake.

For ten years, the Erosion Swamp had devoured countless players. Even just dealing with mindless Erosion Swamps led to exceptionally fierce battles. If the Erosion Swamp had human-level intelligence…

“Each synthetic person has a different composition, and cloning can’t make a perfect copy. It’s basically impossible to create a second ‘you’.” Seeing through Shu Jun’s thoughts, Zhu Yanchen added.

Only then did Shu Jun breathe a sigh of relief, but the air was so tense that it felt like it could freeze. Continuing this topic would be unwise after just finishing a fierce battle. He had no desire to listen to Teacher Zhu’s lecture, but he couldn’t think of a light topic to pivot to.

Before knowing that A’Yan was Zhu Yanchen, he could comfortably confide in the ups and downs of these few days. His emotions would feel like they were buried in soft cotton, soothing just to think about. Now that cotton had turned into steel wool that he didn’t have any sentimentality left.

So he began to gaze deeply at Zhu Yanchen, hoping this wooden fish could start making noise on its own and not just wait for him to strike it.

A’Yan had been very proactive in their previous conversations. At that time, he didn’t know who “Smoke” was. Could Zhu Yanchen not know who he was? Maybe General Zhu was actually cold on the outside but warm on the inside, and he hadn’t given him a chance to show it since he was just asking crazy questions before. So far, their relationship was still good. Even though his little romantic seedlings had withered, they could still be friends, right?

Zhu Yanchen clearly noticed Shu Jun’s gaze, and he looked up quietly at Shu Jun.

One minute, two minutes.

Three whole minutes passed without a word between them. Shu Jun was starting to feel uneasy and honestly said, “I’m going to sleep for a bit. Call me in the second half of the night, and we’ll take turns keeping watch.”

Besides giving him a lesson on the Erosion Swamp, the <One Hundred Thousand Why Questions>* version, Teacher Zhu hadn’t said a word he wanted to hear.

*Popular children’s educational book series in China that covers a wide range of topics such as science, history, geography, and more. || You can think of this line as “Giving him a lesson on the Erosion Swamp For Dummies version”.

Shu Jun sighed and clasped the little Erosion Swamp’s brain tightly. Afraid he would let go if he fell asleep, he crossed his arms. The Erosion Swamp was forced to stick to him, not daring to move.

“Puh,” it said.

The Erosion Swamp’s emotions were stronger than Marshal Zhu’s and it made Shu Jun a little helpless.

He closed his eyes and dozed off. The little Erosion Swamp beside him was sucking and spitting out water discontentedly, making a smacking sound. His body had not adapted before, and his body was weak. Sleeping felt like being hit with a sandbag. Now he was gradually adapting, and he had returned to his status as a qualified veteran soldier—

In a daze, Shu Jun heard a slight sound, like feathers brushing over rock. He didn’t move immediately but quietly cracked his eyes open.

Zhu Yanchen had opened his seemingly bottomless briefcase again. This time he took out a cage the size of a palm and slowly walked towards the entrance. Shu Jun quietly got up and followed him like a shadow.

Just in case, he even covered the Erosion Swamp’s mouth.

Perhaps because he had slept too deeply a few days ago, Zhu Yanchen didn’t seem to be suspicious. He bypassed the purification machine, put the cage on the ground, and then slowly took off his gloves.

Shu Jun sucked in a deep, tooth aching breath.

Zhu Yanchen’s hands were beautifully shaped with long fingers but covered in dense gray wounds. It was said that ten fingers were connected to the heart*, and he felt the pain just by looking at them. This person was usually calm during gun maintenance and repair, with no trembling or changes in expression.

*(十指连心) Idiom referring the deep emotional connection between two people, usually close friends or family, who understand and support each other unconditionally. It emphasizes that the connection between these individuals is so strong that it goes beyond just physical contact and reaches the realm of emotional understanding and empathy.

These were the marks of serious erosion that Shu Jun had only seen on corpses.

He held his breath, grabbed the struggling Erosion Swamp, and continued to sneak a peek.

Zhu Yanchen took out a pen-sized instrument and scanned his hands carefully before drawing some blood from his fingertips. He then looked at the instrument readings for a while before exporting the data to a chip.

Shu Jun recognized this thing; Zhu Yanchen had been taking his blood samples. Several syringes weren’t enough, and he had to be pricked several times a day, which was strange because Zhu Yanchen was just an ordinary person. What was going on?

Next up was the cage.

A mutant beast, which looked a bit like a dragonfly with fleshy wings, was sleeping inside the cage. Zhu Yanchen put on gloves, attached the chip to the beast’s abdomen, and let it out of the cage.

“Go back,” he whispered.

Then, he deftly put the cage away and planned to return to the depths of the cave, but he ran into Shu Jun, who was frowning.

“What’s wrong with your hands?” Shu Jun asked directly.

Zhu Yanchen didn’t answer. He just stared at Shu Jun, unsure if he didn’t want to answer or was just organizing his words.

“I won’t ask who you’re passing the data to. You just need to answer me one question: What’s wrong with your hands?”

“This is not a question you need to worry about—”

Before Zhu Yanchen could finish, he was dragged into the cave by Shu Jun. The air in the cave had been purified, and he wasn’t wearing protective clothing, which made it easier for Shu Jun—he hooked his claws and tore off most of Zhu Yanchen’s shirt, exposing his shoulder and arm.

Zhu Yanchen had a good build, and definitely looked like he was well trained. That was Shu Jun’s first impression.

Then he saw the fine scars, one layer after another, some new, some old. Compared to the scars left by fighting, these scars were too regular, and the latest ones still had traces of stitching.

…One scar after another with all of them being surgical scars.

The closer to Zhu Yanchen’s hands, the denser the scars, showing that Zhu Yanchen had been eroded by the erosion from his hands. Without clothing to cover it up, the patient’s unique smell of decay was quite obvious. To avoid misjudgment, Shu Jun leaned in and sniffed Zhu Yanchen.

“You’re dying,” Shu Jun said with shocked certainty.

“You’re dying?” He said again, this time with a shocked question.

Zhu Yanchen pursed his lips. Seizing the opportunity while Shu Jun was still in shock, Zhu Yanchen twisted his wrist and, with force, reversed their positions, pressing Shu Jun against the cave wall. Sensing the tense atmosphere between them, the Erosion Swamp stuck to the wall without making a sound.

“Yes,” Zhu Yanchen said, holding onto Shu Jun’s hand while reaching for his mouth to take off his glove.

His heavily eroded hand stretched out in front of Shu Jun. “I can still live for 63 days and 7 hours. I was providing my subordinates with data on the limit of human tissue erosion caused by the erosion substance.”

Zhu Yanchen was very close, and his breath was cold. The scars under his white shirt were so glaring that it made people uncomfortable.

Shu Jun narrowed his eyes.

Everything was well explained, such as why Zhu Yanchen, as a marshal, chose to “fake his death” and venture alone into the erosion zone. Why, knowing the risk of erosion, he didn’t take the bite of the mutant beast too seriously. And why, after they met, Zhu Yanchen’s attitude was always indifferent—his condition was unstable, and his danger level could be considered an enemy of humanity. If Shu Jun were in Zhu Yanchen’s position, he wouldn’t want to create a situation where an “important friend died in front of him.”

It was indeed a reasonable decision, but…

“Now you understand,” Zhu Yanchen said. Seeing the change in Shu Jun’s face, he pulled his hand back. “For our cooperation, this intelligence isn’t beneficial.”

“It’s okay, nine disadvantages and one benefit*.”

*(九弊一利) Idiom describing a situation where there are many disadvantages but there’s still one small advantage.

Zhu Yanchen didn’t expect Shu Jun to have this attitude and was a little stunned.

“I only thought that you weren’t in good shape before and didn’t think it was so serious,” Shu Jun said, letting Zhu Yanchen press his hand. “But you see, there’s a guy who has survived the erosion directly from an Erosion Swamp near you, so don’t say things too pessimistically.”

“You…”

Shu Jun withdrew his claws and covered Zhu Yanchen’s scarred hand with his palm.

“If you tell me, maybe I can help more. Anyway, we’ll take it step by step. Even if I can help you live for one more second, it’s still worth it.”

While saying this, Shu Jun’s heart was already in chaos. He wasn’t a heartless person, and he and Smoke had been together happily for several years. It was false to say that he didn’t care. But as a person living on the battlefield, Shu Jun was especially clear about this—whether it was collapse, anger, or blame, death wouldn’t stop for any reason. Regardless of whether it was just for the sake of stable cooperation or for the sake of their relationship over the years, he shouldn’t show too negative an attitude.

“It’s all up to our effort… Do you still need my blood test? Do you need to take more? I have a feeling that your situation will definitely turn around. My intuition has always been accurate.”

Zhu Yanchen slowly released his grip, lowered his head, and put on his glove. “Mm.”

“I only have one opinion on this matter.”

“……?”

“Hey, even this thing can speak.” Shu Jun shook the Erosion Swamp in his hand and said, “At least you should talk more.”

The Erosion Swamp cooperated quite well, letting out a, “Puh.”

He didn’t know if it was an illusion, but the corners of Zhu Yanchen’s mouth seemed to have lifted slightly.

“No,” he said, with a deliberate tone.

“No,” the Erosion Swamp followed suit.

“Okay, let’s at least get the sword thing sorted out first. I was planning to take it slow, but it seems like our time is quite pressing.” Shu Jun sighed helplessly. “You… um, why don’t you change your clothes first, Grand Marshall?”

“A’Yan,” Zhu Yanchen said.

“What?”

“Call me A’Yan, like before.”

Shu Jun grinned. “No.”

---

The author has something to say:

Erosion Swamp: Puh puh puh.

These two won’t dilly-dally over this matter, XDDD.

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 15: High Quality Materials

“See that? You can’t control it.” From afar, seeing Shu Jun struggling with the Erosion Swamp, even though Zhu Yanchen was pointing a gun at him, Lao Wei smiled, particularly pleased.

He craned his neck and looked into the distance, causing the twisted flesh on his face to squeeze together. “Kid, people with some status won’t come here. Why struggle so hard? Why not just surrender your weapons and talk things over?”

Zhu Yanchen stood like a statue, not responding to Lao Wei or showing any signs of putting away his gun.

Most people had gathered around Shu Jun, but there was also a small group of villagers with knives and guns who surrounded Zhu Yanchen. Even if they were sick, their numbers couldn’t be underestimated.

Compared to Shu Jun, who looked less human, Zhu Yanchen seemed like an easier target to control. At first, when Lao Wei saw the Erosion Swamp being caught by the net, he became a bit panicked, but now he had regained his composure. Seeing that things weren’t going well for Shu Jun, Lao Wei turned his head and looked at Zhu Yanchen, who was standing behind him.

Suddenly, he couldn’t help but shiver.

To be honest, Lao Wei hadn’t paid much attention to this person before. Shu Jun’s appearance was striking, and his looks were quite pleasing; coupled with his leadership qualities, it easily diverted other people’s attention. In contrast, this young man, with his tightly wrapped face, seemed a bit dull.

Apart from giving some technical explanations, this young man didn’t say much. Lao Wei had paid special attention to the fact that this person’s communication with Shu Jun was quite ordinary, and he didn’t seem like a person of any great status. Shu Jun was probably brought in by some big shot from the city, and this person was just a technician who had undergone some combat training.

That being said, these days, even a cook who dared to come to the erosion zone couldn’t be underestimated. Although this person’s combat power was astonishing, it wasn’t worth making a fuss over. As long as they took care of Shu Jun first, they could deal with this person as they pleased.

Now seeing the eyes behind the goggles, Lao Wei suddenly realized the problem. He had made a terrible mistake—this person was definitely not a technician.

Those eyes weren’t cold or murderous, nor did they show any pity or disgust. There was only a gray, lifeless feeling. Even though the three of them had been together earlier, this person’s gaze was quite normal at the time.

…Which wasn’t normal. Ordinary people would be afraid now, and those who had some courage would be cautious. In any case, he should be showing some emotion.

Lao Wei had a strange feeling—although this statement might be strange—that he was being stared at by a dead person.

“You’ve been feeding it corpses and erosion substance all along, and now it’s almost fully grown,” Zhu Yanchen said calmly. “If you don’t deal with it, it will eat all of you. It’s not too late to stop your people now.”

His voice was neither too loud nor too soft—just enough for the villagers crowded around him to hear.

“I—I…” Lao Wei stuttered, intimidated by Zhu Yanchen’s gaze. “I don’t believe you… Don’t listen to him! Can you prove it? You have no evidence. You just want to trick us and take away the Erosion Swamp…”

The villagers murmured for a moment, but no one put down their weapons.

“Evidence!”

“Yeah, where’s the evidence?”

“The people who were restored by the Erosion Swamp—have they said anything other than what you call it? Have they appeared any other time than when you ‘feed’ it?”

“But that doesn’t prove anything. This is our research!” Lao Wei shouted. “We’ve been working on this for years without any problems. You’re just spouting off and we have to just believe you?”

Lao Wei didn’t want to think about what those sentences meant. He had to believe in his own guess. He could only believe in his own guess.

“Kill him!” Lao Wei added. “The one over there, we’ll deal with him separately—”

“But you said before—”

“They don’t seem to know each other well. Listen to me! Don’t worry about me. Just throw my body into that Erosion Swamp—”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence this time. Amidst the suspicion and anger, Lao Wei heard a sigh.

Zhu Yanchen fired his gun. He didn’t kill Lao Wei, but aimed at a spot that would cause extreme pain but not death. Lao Wei let out a scream, fell to the ground, and his blood slowly seeped into the mud.

“I’ve explained what I need to explain,” Zhu Yanchen said in a hard tone, not stopping his movements. When Lao Wei screamed and fell to the ground, the villagers instinctively went to check on him. Those who had knives were fine, but those who had guns all had their hands shot by Zhu Yanchen.

The villagers’ encirclement tightened, and blood splattered from the shots. The sick villagers weren’t as well-trained as the army and instantly began howling and everything delved into chaos. Some of the nimble ones still didn’t give up and tried to continue attacking Zhu Yanchen, but he didn’t hold back and didn’t hesitate to shoot.

People quickly discovered the pattern. Except for Lao Wei, who was lying on the ground screaming, everyone else was first hit in the hand, then shot in the same arm, and finally shot in the shoulder. There was not even a hair’s breadth difference in the location.

After three bloody warnings, no one wanted to know where the fourth one would hit. It was as if this person had eyes on the back of his head, and they couldn’t find any blind spots.

Smelling blood, more than ten mutant beasts that crowded forward gradually became excited. Perhaps because the Erosion Swamp was busy dealing with Shu Jun, they began to bare their fangs to the villagers around them—the one they surrounded wasn’t going to take their lives, but these creatures wouldn’t hesitate. Many villagers had to shift their targets, and the scene became chaotic.

Zhu Yanchen shot a few mutant beasts, picked up his briefcase, squeezed into the chaotic crowd, and swiftly headed in Shu Jun’s direction.

The situation on the other side didn’t look good. Zhu Yanchen tightened his grip on his gun. If necessary, no matter how high the concentration of erosion was, he had to intervene.

On the other side, Shu Jun’s situation didn’t look good at all.

He was surrounded by layers of people who gathered around the Erosion Swamp. He seemed unsure of what to do and could only mechanically pull or swing away the people on the outer circle, not being able to reach the inner circle where the Erosion Swamp was hiding. During the process of close contact, his left arm was also slashed a few times, and blood dripped into a small puddle nearby, turning the water from gray to black.

He seemed to be losing his will to fight. His movements became slower, and his breathing became heavier. Sensing his slowing movements, a black arm quietly stretched out from between the people and reached towards the tempting pool of blood.

With enough water, scattered tempting erosion substances, and a weak opponent, the Erosion Swamp was hooked.

Shu Jun cocked his mouth and suddenly accelerated his movements.

He snatched a knife from a villager beside him, and a strong gust of wind suddenly blew him like a cannonball towards that hand. The hand had not had time to retract and was grabbed by Shu Jun.

Then he twisted his body in midair, stepped on the outermost layer of the human wall with all his strength, and pushed hard.

Perhaps because she was surrounded by the human wall, the mother holding the child didn’t hold on as tightly as before. Shu Jun’s movements were too fast, and his strength was too strong, so she didn’t have time to react, and the childlike Erosion Swamp was pulled out by Shu Jun.

Amid the woman’s screams, Shu Jun swung his knife, trying to chop off the Erosion Swamp while taking advantage of the momentum. In this state, as long as he found the part with the brain, he could weaken the Erosion Swamp greatly by throwing the other half far away and preventing it from re-forming into a human shape.

The plan was beautiful, but reality was cruel.

The part of the Erosion Swamp about to be chopped off wriggled for a moment and suddenly squeezed out a large amount of water. Shu Jun swung his knife with all his might, and the blade made a clanging sound before it broke into two pieces, which continued to emit a sizzling sound of being eroded. Shu Jun clicked his tongue, and, while it had not completely squeezed out the water, his hand reached into the soft area behind it.

If the previous times were like stirring cement, this time he felt like he had put his hand into a pile of sand, and it was quite difficult to move. Fortunately, he remembered the location of the brain, and the Erosion Swamp was so viscous that the brain itself couldn’t move too fast.

The Erosion Swamp’s brain was located at the ends of several soft tendons, about the size of an egg, and was soft and flabby.

As soon as he grabbed the brain, the Erosion Swamp lost its human form and became a piece of charcoal-like thing, hanging stiffly on Shu Jun’s hand. This thing was now pretending to be dead, and Shu Jun found it funny.

As long as he squeezed it, he could destroy the brain of this thing. However…

Shu Jun shook off the weight on his hand, and a slightly crazy idea popped into his head. Instead of fighting, he turned around and ran, leaving the frenzied villagers behind.

Then he almost ran into Zhu Yanchen, who was coming towards him.

“A’Yan?” With the heavy object in his hand, Shu Jun found it a bit hard to brake.

Zhu Yanchen glanced at the Erosion Swamp hanging from Shu Jun’s arm, then looked at him. The deadness in his eyes was gone, replaced by a hint of confusion. However, before he could finish sizing up Shu Jun, Shu Jun had wrapped his arm around his waist and lifted him up into the air.

“Let’s run first.” Shu Jun chuckled. “I have an interesting idea.”

“Your last idea for the championship was also interesting. Please remember the outcome.” Zhu Yanchen’s tone was unusually gloomy. He noticed Shu Jun’s left arm was still bleeding.

“…That’s different. It’s just a flesh wound. Besides, you gave me the inspiration for this idea. How’s your arm?”

“Please don’t change the subject. You didn’t follow the plan at all. Why did you spare it?”

“It’s just a sample to study.”

“I’m not joking with you.” Zhu Yanchen’s voice sounded helpless.

“To be honest, I want to talk to you more formally about this, as it involves the issue of trust between us, if there is such a thing.”

Zhu Yanchen remained silent.

Seeing the other person fall into silence, Shu Jun smiled and continued on his own, “I’ve never seen any other Erosion Swamp spray water concentrate like this before. It’s because it has a little bit of brains that it has this ability, right?”

“Yes, but there are also special circumstances. For example, you have a brain, but you can’t do it.”

“…Sometimes you don’t have to be so serious.” Shu Jun thought for a few seconds, not sure if the other person was being sarcastic or not, so he simply gave up. “Anyway, I have an idea because of this, and I need your help.”

“……”

“I don’t think you have any plans to return to the city anytime soon. If you’re going to keep wandering around the erosion zone, for the sake of our safety, I need a weapon.”

Shu Jun glanced at the Erosion Swamp that was stiff and dead in his hand.

“I need a sword. A sword that can cut through other Erosion Swamps.”

---

Author’s note:

Shu Jun: Waste utilization.jpg

The Marshal is really tired (?

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 14: Feeding

The old man really found the wrong person.

But he couldn’t blame Lao Wei. Zhu Yanchen was tall and sturdy—a bit taller than himself, who was responsible for fighting the mutant beasts with amazing combat power. Compared to a researcher, Marshal Zhu looked more like an armed escort.

Zhu Yanchen frowned and said, “Fly lower.”

The girl made of erosion substance became more complete, staggering on the surface of the Erosion Swamp, muttering something incoherent in her mouth.

“Mom… Mom… Mom…” It was strangely hoarse, not like a child’s, but the woman didn’t mind.

This was what Zhu Yanchen referred to as his “presumed same kind”?

Shu Jun looked around but couldn’t see anything special, and the Erosion Swamp under his feet didn’t look special either. However, Zhu Yanchen looked very carefully. In the previous interaction, he didn’t show a strong sense of oppression, but at this moment, Marshal Zhu looked like a carnivorous animal about to prey.

That kind of momentum couldn’t be disguised, and Shu Jun instinctively tightened his back.

At the same time, the woman by the Erosion Swamp moved. Although she looked very eager to touch the black figure, she didn’t do so. The woman adjusted her posture, knelt down by the Erosion Swamp, and an old woman approached her from behind and put down a jar in her arms.

“My little darling.” The woman murmured and scooped out some black liquid from the jar and piously poured it into the Erosion Swamp. “My little darling.”

It was probably the erosion substance stolen from the corpse disposal department but unexpectedly used here.

After receiving the “tribute”, the Erosion Swamp became satisfied and calm, almost gurgling. Shu Jun tried his best to perceive, but he couldn’t find any emotions similar to those of a child. The girl made of erosion substance was at most six or seven years old—children at this age, even if they were used to the current situation and wouldn’t feel pain or fear, at least, seeing their mother would cause some special emotional fluctuations.

But the Erosion Swamp was just an Erosion Swamp, and it continued to boil quietly.

The woman seemed afraid that she couldn’t see clearly. She took off her mask and stared obsessively at her daughter’s figure. Lao Wei squinted, seeming quite intoxicated by the scene.

If this were still a game, everyone below would just be NPCs, and Shu Jun would feel that this was material as part of some quest. However, everything was real, and this scene only made him shudder. The woman stayed in the high-concentration erosion substance without her mask on for a long time, then it changed to another person. The same call, the same erosion substance feeding, the same attachment.

The Erosion Swamp continued to change, outlining the images of the deceased one by one. Its voice didn’t change, and it couldn’t even form complete words, but people’s expressions were extremely grateful and satisfied.

Shu Jun hovered in the air, speechless.

The jar was almost empty, and the strange ritual finally came to an end. Two villagers with bodies resembling humans entered the tent and carried out a corpse. The body was tightly wrapped in a grayish-white cloth, with a strip of cloth tied into a flower on its chest, lying across a frame made of rotten wood. The oddly shaped people gathered around and pushed the frame together, and the wooden frame silently slid into the Erosion Swamp.

The body sank quietly, and the grayish-white gradually shrank and disappeared.

“The one pushed down was Lao Chen, but he will come back.” Lao Wei turned to Shu Jun and spoke confidently. “We have brought back many people. We’re not afraid of death. It’s just that they always look like that, so everyone is a little worried. Now that we have seen you, I am sure that we have not chosen the wrong path—”

“Enough.” There was a hint of anger in Zhu Yanchen’s tone.

Ignoring him, Lao Wei looked eagerly at Shu Jun. “We are the ones who are more adapted to this world. You are from the city, right? Look at your chain. How inhumane.”

…This provocation was like coaxing a child.

Before he could refuse, Zhu Yanchen’s gun was pointed at Lao Wei’s head.

“Shu Jun. Land,” he said. “We can’t leave this Erosion Swamp here.”

Facing the three people who suddenly landed on the ground, the biggest reaction was the Erosion Swamp itself. Seeing Shu Jun approaching with momentum, it skillfully spat out a large amount of clear water, shrinking itself into a soft ball with a diameter of two to three meters, ready to escape.

Shu Jun was still considering how to keep this thing, but Zhu Yanchen had already started to act.

As if he were prepared, he quickly changed the magazine of his gun. The bullets fired were no longer ordinary bullets but pellets that expanded in the air and turned into a crackling fine net, just enough to catch the soft ball.

The net was slightly green, with a purification effect, and made a sizzling sound where it touched the Erosion Swamp. The Erosion Swamp was still struggling, pressing out more water from its body, trying to squeeze out of the small mesh.

“I can only trap it for a while.” Zhu Yanchen entered a password on the handcuffs and unlocked the handcuffs on Shu Jun’s side. “Destroy its brain while it’s docile.”

It seemed that his previous “chain reconnection” had worked a bit. Shu Jun nodded happily. “What about the data you want?”

“The data can wait,” Zhu Yanchen said succinctly. “This thing is close to maturity, and when it grows up, it will no longer need these… ‘cultivated’ people.”

“Nonsense!” Lao Wei shouted. “We are the ones raising it, you—”

“Hurry up.” Zhu Yanchen continued to ignore Lao Wei.

Shu Jun had been fighting Erosion Swamps for ten years. This thing had even tried to assassinate him for intelligence. Although he didn’t quite understand the situation, he didn’t want to get entangled in trivial matters at this time—it was said that things always came in threes, the Erosion Swamp had been scared by him once, and was caught off guard by Zhu Yanchen a second time. If it really was a stubborn kid fixated on its own ideas, it might be prepared for the third time.

Now was the best time.

“Yes, sir.” Without the handcuffs, Shu Jun’s tone became lighter.

The villagers panicked when they saw the attack coming from the opposite side. Some picked up guns and fired indiscriminately towards the side. Some took knives and cleavers and began cutting the net with all their might.

“Don’t move.” Zhu Yanchen’s voice was clear as he pushed Lao Wei forward. He had changed the magazine at some point, and the gun was now pointed directly at the back of Lao Wei’s head.

“Take the Erosion Swamp and run!” Lao Wei shouted at the top of his lungs. “You can take my body back later! The Erosion Swamp must not be lost. This matter must not be abandoned halfway!”

Shu Jun moved even faster, soaring through the air and landing deftly on the soft ball that was the Erosion Swamp. The holes in the net were just large enough for his arm to pass through, and he once again eroded his arm and ruthlessly plunged it into the mass of the Erosion Swamp, searching for its brain.

Realizing that escape was impossible, the Erosion Swamp repeated its old trick and immediately let out a piercing scream. The erosion zone was never lacking in mutant beasts, and they rushed towards the village from all around. However, given the time, they might not be able to catch up—Shu Jun caught hold of the soft tendon-like thing again. This time, the size of Erosion Swamp was too small, so it was only a matter of time before he grabbed its brain.

The villagers were frantically running around the Erosion Swamp, unable to reach Shu Jun standing on top of the soft ball. They tried to shoot, but their weapons were too old and couldn’t break through Shu Jun’s wind shield. Shu Jun didn’t hesitate. He deftly felt for the tendon-like structure, and was about to grab Erosion Swamp’s brain.

Suddenly, the situation changed.

The Erosion Swamp spat out a large amount of water without any care, and then started shrinking in size which caused Shu Jun to grab empty handed—the originally over twenty square meters of Erosion Swamp shrank into a half-cubic-meter block-like shape with a texture that was close to solid.

Shu Jun landed lightly and reached out his hand again without hesitation. The too-thick erosion substance couldn’t form a liquid column, and the Erosion Swamp, in order to escape, gave up the offense on its own initiative. It was already desperate, and catching it was only a matter of time.

However, when Shu Jun raised his eyes again, he found that things weren’t that simple.

The Erosion Swamp block once again transformed into the appearance of a little girl. It struggled jerkily with the net on its body and rushed towards the woman, who was trying to cut the net with a kitchen knife.

“Mom… Mom…” it hoarsely cried, stumbling and throwing itself into the woman’s arms. “Mom…”

The appearance was so pitiful that it made Shu Jun hesitate for a moment, not to mention the mother. She frantically pulled the net off the “child’s” body and held it tightly in her arms.

Shu Jun could feel the emotions of the Erosion Swamp. There were no pleadings or no innocent fears; only the same tension and panic as before, even mixed with a hint of appetite. The appetite was clearly not directed towards him. In a place where the woman couldn’t see, her protective suit was being quietly dissolved.

“Mom… Mom…” the Erosion Swamp continued.

Shu Jun attempted to pull the Erosion Swamp with his hands, but the woman, like a mad lioness, bit directly at him with her teeth. The Erosion Swamp shrank itself small enough that the tall woman almost enveloped it entirely in her arms. The situation had become difficult to pull, let alone attack with wind-based skills.

“Let us go. Let us go!” she screamed. “What else do you want to rob when it’s already like this?!”

“That’s not your daughter.” These people were obviously lower-class citizens, and Shu Jun didn’t want to kill them indiscriminately. “Hand it over, and we can avoid using violence. My companion will give you an explanation. We…”

The Erosion Swamp was easy to control in this state. It could easily release water, but it was difficult to reabsorb it again. As long as another layer of net was added, it wouldn’t be able to expand, and naturally, wouldn’t be able to escape.

The woman smiled miserably. “So, what if it’s not? Shh, shh, my little darling is not afraid.”

“Mom…” Seeing that Shu Jun stopped attacking, the Erosion Swamp went crazy and fanned the flame.

The villagers quickly surrounded them, keeping the woman in the center, like a cluster of ants in a flood. Everyone, young and old, had the same resolute expression on their faces. Shu Jun gritted his teeth. At this point, he could only use force.

The woman cried, the villagers cursed, and the bullets did not stop. In the distance, Zhu Yanchen was also fighting. He had to come up with a solution as soon as possible.

If this situation continued, as long as the Erosion Swamp desperately accumulated water and ate these people, it would be difficult to track it down. Moreover, if this intelligent Erosion Swamp could escape, and who knew how many other Erosion Swamps it would lead to evolve.

Dealing with humans alone was troublesome enough. Even if all his companions were successfully rescued, they wouldn’t be able to withstand the Erosion Swamp’s attacks. One misstep would only bring more trouble.

…Zhu Yanchen dared to plan to come alone. What is he thinking?

Feeling the Erosion Swamp’s gradually triumphant emotions, Shu Jun had a plan in his mind.

“Little one, if I can’t beat you, I don’t deserve to be called captain.” He grinned.

---

The author has something to say:

Erosion Swamp: Don’t come here.jpg

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 13: A Blessing

Lao Wei’s attitude changed, and his gaze towards Shu Jun became somewhat kind.

After the Erosion Swamp escaped, the villagers disappeared without a trace. Shu Jun originally thought the old man had surrendered, but he had never seen someone surrender like this before, and the look in his eyes made him shudder.

With the residents completely gone, Zhu Yanchen picked a relatively clean room. It was clear that the room used to be a kitchen, and the supplies were poor, with only some salt and rice that had been eroded. Shu Jun started a fire and skillfully roasted the mutant beast leg. He carefully peeled off the skin, and added salt to the meat, making it much more delicious. If there were more spices, it could have been a great dish.

However, the erosion content was too high, and normal people couldn’t eat it.

Zhu Yanchen firmly stuck to the nutrient solution. This time, he also soaked something else—new food mixed with water that swelled up and looked like colorless jelly, which looked tasteless. Marshal Zhu loosened Lao Wei’s hands, cut off some gel-like substance, and handed it to the old man before eating it himself in a civilized manner.

Marshal Zhu followed the rule of not speaking while eating. Let alone chatting for a few words, Shu Jun couldn’t even hear the sound of the other party chewing and swallowing.

Lao Wei surprisingly followed orders, eating whatever was given to him, but he often looked towards Shu Jun’s side. Being stared at by such a semi-melted person, Shu Jun’s hands that were roasting the meat became stiff.

Shu Jun finally couldn’t resist. As he sprinkled some salt on the meat, he patiently said, “If you have something to say, just say it.” 

“Fearful of outsiders intervening, every time we settle in a new place, we will select the next migration destination in advance. I know where Erosion Swamp went, and I can take you there.”

Zhu Yanchen’s spoon paused as Shu Jun used a small knife to cut a slice of meat. “Hey, I’ve never seen you cooperate like this before. Unfortunately, I don’t have the final say in this matter. You have to talk to him.”

He raised the small, oily knife and pointed to Marshal Zhu, who was a few steps away.

“No, he doesn’t understand. He has you tied up with a chain,” Lao Wei said mysteriously. “But you will understand. You will definitely understand.”

After speaking, he stared at Shu Jun with piercing eyes, as if expecting him to continue the topic.

Shu Jun had a stomach ache. Every second on the battlefield was precious, and he always disliked people who couldn’t communicate well. This old man was a typical example of talking in circles and not making any sense*.

*Three sticks can’t even make a fart (三棒子打不出个屁) Idiom referring to a situation where a group of people with inadequate skills or abilities try to accomplish a task but fails miserably. It suggests that their efforts are so feeble that they cannot even achieve the simplest result.

“I understand, I understand. Let’s finish eating first and talk later,” he replied perfunctorily, then cut another piece of meat and flipped the beast leg over.

Lao Wei’s face twitched, and Zhu Yanchen coughed a few times as if choking.

“A’Yan, how about we follow them at night?” Shu Jun swallowed the meat in his mouth.

The Erosion Swamp was just provoked by him, so it was probably still on guard, like the villagers in the Village of the Ruined—the village chief was taken captive, and the Erosion Swamp fled in a panic. They were definitely in a state of panic. Zhu Yanchen came for intelligence gathering, but it wouldn’t be easy to get good information by stimulating a group of people who were in a state of confusion.

It was better to wait until it was quiet at night and people had calmed down before asking the old man to lead the way and inquire about a few key people’s situations.

…Besides, Zhu Yanchen also needed rest. He hadn’t slept all night.

Shu Jun was playing with the small knife he had picked up and was just thinking about how to briefly explain his thoughts when Zhu Yanchen had already responded.

“Understood. I’ll rest first, and I’ll trouble you to watch for a while.”

This communication was as pleasant as usual.

Being stared at by Lao Wei was uncomfortable, and Shu Jun was afraid that he would blabber again, so he locked him in the inner room. Zhu Yanchen didn’t put on any airs either. He laid down on several plastic sheets that he had spread out on the ground and fell asleep like that.

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, he lay on his side with his back to Shu Jun. Shu Jun continued to chew meat and subconsciously lowered his voice. It wasn’t as awkward as he had imagined it would be, maybe because they had been communicating in writing for too long.

“I’m not used to being with people for a long time.” When Shu Jun thought that Zhu Yanchen was asleep, Marshal Zhu suddenly said this. “…If there’s anything unpleasant, just say it. Don’t mind me.”

If it weren’t for the fact that there was still a chain connecting the two of them, Shu Jun would have thought that they were travel companions who went out to sightsee together.

Forget it. He was an unexpected addition anyway. The A’Yan he knew wasn’t particularly outgoing either. Ignoring the current delicate situation, the other party’s attitude was still good.

“Okay,” Shu Jun replied in a low voice, almost choking on the meat.

Zhu Yanchen let out a nearly soundless sigh, slightly arched his back, and his breathing became lighter.

With sharp, hooked claws, Shu Jun couldn’t happily suck his fingers. He wiped the oil off his hands with a cloth and realized that this was a rare moment of peace. Zhu Yanchen was asleep, and there was no interference, which was just right for quiet contemplation.

Just because Zhu Yanchen didn’t have any animosity towards him didn’t mean that he didn’t hate the “NPC” organization that controlled his companions. When he learned the truth, his head felt like it was splitting apart, and he quickly forgot the details of the truth. Players… No, synthetic humans probably had some sort of control mechanism in their brains. Even Zhu Yanchen, as a Marshal, had difficulty understanding it, so it was probably hard to deal with.

Zhu Yanchen never talked to him about this topic, but he needed information about it. Even if it took time to figure out his physical condition, he couldn’t just follow Marshal Zhu around like an idiot without doing anything.

Shu Jun glanced at the chain on his wrist.

At the moment, he only had one wish: that Zhu Yanchen was really his “friend”. He didn’t know why the high-ranking Marshal Zhu had come out alone, nor why he stayed behind. At this stage, their relationship was still harmonious, but if their positions conflicted in the future…

Shu Jun sighed and looked at Zhu Yanchen along the chain. He was still facing away from him, with his back slightly bent, and lacked his usual sense of propriety, as if he were enduring some kind of pain. Thinking of the wounds on the other’s body, Shu Jun moved closer, attempting to check the bleeding.

The smell of the food had dissipated quite a bit, and only now did he realize that Zhu Yanchen smelled a bit off.

It wasn’t an unusual odor and didn’t stink. Shu Jun’s sense of smell wasn’t particularly keen, but he was familiar with this kind of scent. As an elite team in the game <Erosion>, the Blackbirds often traveled to the front lines of the battlefield. In addition to direct casualties, there were also many cases of serious injuries that didn’t heal.

There would always be a scent on a patient’s body which smelled like damp soil from a grave; a scent that he smelled on Zhu Yanchen at the moment.

Based on just the new injury, it was impossible for the smell of decay to develop so quickly. This person’s body wasn’t very healthy, and his condition had likely persisted for some time. Shu Jun frowned and moved closer. He began to genuinely despise Zhu Yanchen’s protective suit and face mask, which concealed all possible clues. Even at such a close distance, he could only see a little pale skin through the goggles.

Now that he thought about it, he didn’t know whether it was naturally fair or a sickly pallor. Zhu Yanchen moved skillfully, had considerable fighting power, and appeared to have no problems with his physical strength, so these thoughts had never crossed his mind.

As he was busy observing, he suddenly met Zhu Yanchen’s open eyes, and he didn’t have time to move his body away.

Zhu Yanchen: “…What’s wrong?”

Shu Jun was briefly embarrassed, but quickly adjusted his mood. “Nothing, I just couldn’t control my emotions and thought it would be nice to really kidnap you.”

As expected, Zhu Yanchen didn’t find this joke funny. However, the emotions in his eyes were particularly complex, so much so that Shu Jun couldn’t understand them very well.

“Indeed, that would be nice,” Marshal Zhu replied calmly. “I have rested. Let’s go see how Lao Wei is doing…”

“You’ve only slept for how long?! Isn’t it only fifteen minutes?”

“I’ve rested well.”

“If you collapse at this stage, I’ll be in trouble too.” Shu Jun pushed the person back without hesitation. “Sleep. If you don’t sleep for at least five hours, I won’t let you get up.”

He couldn’t strip the person naked to find clues, and there was no team doctor to consult. Shu Jun sat down casually on the plastic sheet and also closed his eyes, beginning to think about the plan ahead.

Zhu Yanchen’s fingers moved in place, as if trying to grasp something. He didn’t say anything else and once again turned his back to Shu Jun, falling heavily asleep.

Lao Wei stayed in the inner room until sunset.

“The new place we found isn’t far—just to the west,” Lao Wei said. His legs had completely deteriorated, and he couldn’t walk at all. If it weren’t for Shu Jun’s ability to control the wind, they would have encountered a lot of trouble on the way.

One of the advantages of being able to fly was the expansive view. The Erosion Swamp was a mass of blackness. Set against the grayish-white land, even at night it was conspicuous. Not to mention the scattered flickers of light around it. Despite the efforts of the villagers of the Village of the Ruined trying to cover up those lights, they never thought to guard against the sky.

As they approached the new town, Lao Wei called a halt.

Shu Jun grabbed the two of them and came to a sudden stop in midair. The sky over the erosion zone was always gloomy, so the three of them hovering in the sky didn’t stand out much.

“The ceremony is underway.” Lao Wei’s eyes sparkled, which made his appearance even more terrifying. “You can take a closer look and wait.”

Shu Jun and Zhu Yanchen exchanged glances.

Afraid that Shu Jun would again be evasive, Lao Wei quickly added a few more words. “Young man, I don’t know who you are, but it was our fault that the soldiers were harmed from the corpse disposal department. However, we also have our own difficulties. As you can see, with our appearance, we’ll just be waiting to die in the city. Even if we die, we can’t rest in peace. We’ll be used as fodder for the Erosion Swamp by that one surnamed Zhu.”

The surname Zhu wasn’t very common. Shu Jun turned his head, clearly interested. Since Zhu Yanchen didn’t say anything, and the information was being offered up, why not take it?

Seeing that Shu Jun was interested in this topic, Lao Wei became more excited and rambled on.

“Let me tell you the truth. The real corpse disposal worker is my grandson. He’s still in good health and lives in the city. He tells me a lot of things from the inside, and what I say is guaranteed to be true. For so many years, everyone’s efforts have been focused on strengthening purification, but only Zhu Yanchen insists on researching those strange things for over a decade without any results.”

“Think about it. Even if we die, we should have a dignified death. We’re unlucky people anyway, and taking medicine is useless. Do you think it’s fair? Since that one surname Zhu is useless, we thought we’d move out. At least we could have a grave and die with dignity. It’s also because heaven has pity on us… Look, look over there.”

His partially melted hand pointed to the Erosion Swamp below them.

Shu Jun saw the woman who was impersonating a corpse disposal worker again, as her hairpin was particularly recognizable. At this moment, she was touching the edge of the Erosion Swamp with great care, whispering, “My little darling*. My little darling.”

*She’s using (囡囡) which is a term of endearment for a child/baby.

What followed made Shu Jun’s hair stand on end.

The liquid column on the surface of the Erosion Swamp rose even higher, outlining a mottled shape in the air. The shape wasn’t that of a single person, but like a group of translucent figures floating in the air above the Erosion Swamp. The erosion was mottled, and only parts covered by it could be seen.

At first glance, the pool was covered with a mix of various body parts, which hung silently like withered black lotus leaves.

The woman was still shouting, “My little darling, come over here.”

The corrosion substance continued to surge and barely formed into a little girl. Trembling, it started to move and tried to get closer. In the end, it stopped two or three steps away from the woman, opened its arms, as if seeking a hug.

Shu Jun had personally slain many monsters spawned by the corrosion substance and also fought with the Erosion Swamp itself, but he had never seen this situation before.

“We’ve found a way to survive.” Lao Wei’s tone became excited. “I knew we weren’t forsaken. We’re not sick. This isn’t a misfortune but a blessing.”

“But you’re almost completely eroded. How did you survive?”

“Like you, we can survive and turn back into normal people, can’t we?”

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