Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 76 The Plate Has Fallen, the Transparent Zone!

It turns out that 11:41 AM did not refer to the humidity reaching the required level, thus triggering the outbreak of the infected organisms.

Rather, it's the time when the mother source reveals its location?

Cheng Ye propped himself up on the edge of the bed, his head still buzzing from the shrill shriek, but his memory quickly retrieved the simple description of "mother source" from the prosecutor's manual.

The sources of infection are divided into three categories.

Weak, strong, mother.

The classification criteria are extremely crude, ranking them according to the degree of pollution; the deeper the pollution, the stronger the force.

The term "mother source" specifically refers to the mutated products of plants and animals that once possessed extraordinary abilities but were eroded and killed by the S-4 virus.

"This thing actually managed to infiltrate Happiness City?"

Cheng Ye was deeply shaken.

No matter how weak the source material is, it possesses true extraordinary abilities, and any random detonation of it would cause a disaster.

Fortunately, He Fei's death served as a wake-up call, prompting Happiness City to take precautions in advance.

Even so, is it impossible to find the coordinates before the mother source exposes itself?

Cheng Ye suddenly felt a surge of restlessness.

If we could search for the source of the mother, would we find anything interesting?

"But now is not the time to think about these things; it's time to set off."

Cheng Ye opened the proactive early warning module of the Defense Communication app, and the buffer zone instantly appeared as a 3D map.

Among the densely packed area markings, at least two-thirds of the area was flashing a glaring red light, including the B-7 area where the electronics factory residential complex is located.

But there are also places that flicker with yellow light, such as the chemical plant community far from the city center, like an isolated island in a turbid current.

In addition, Cheng Ye's gaze fell on the vicinity of Giant Wall Station.

All twelve sections, from A1 to A-12, have turned into a terrifying pure black.

Even without the aid of drones, one can imagine how many infected individuals are currently swarming into that area.

"Captain, it seems there are infected creatures at the entrance of the residential area. They're attracted by meat."

Huang Sheng's message popped up in the defense communication notification bar, with cautious wording and very cleverly avoiding the title of prosecutor, so as not to cause unnecessary trouble when going out.

Cheng Ye pressed the left side button and replied via voice, "Don't move, let me check the situation."

"clear."

The surveillance drone swooped down and, sure enough, four staggering figures were already walking out of the community entrance.

As they drew closer, images began to appear on the screen of the defense communication device.

"hiss"

"This is called...starfish sarcoma?"

Cheng Ye had expected a small starfish-shaped tumor to form on his forehead, between his eyebrows.

However, in the picture, the original outline of the human head, starting from the neck upwards, looks like it has blossomed, forming a giant starfish about 30-40 centimeters in diameter along the skull.

Five thick arms spread out radially, their surfaces covered with rough, grayish-purple skin, densely covered with granular protrusions and irregular wrinkles.

As for the center of the starfish, where the face should have been, now only a deformed growth made up of bone fragments and soft tissue remains.

The drone camera continued to zoom in, and even though Cheng Ye had seen many terrifying parasites, he still felt nauseous and his stomach churned.

"Captain, it seems like someone on the fourth floor has changed!"

At the same time the news came, Cheng Ye also heard a sound of furniture clattering downstairs.

The drone ascended, and the camera rapidly captured the scene. It wasn't just the fourth floor; people on the third and first floors also experienced mutations.

"Are these people refusing their medication and just enduring the pain?"

"The mortality rate of the anti-epidemic powder is too high. Many people are also afraid that it is a scam like the sleep aid, so they stubbornly refuse to take the medicine."

"Let's set off then. First, we'll clear out the infected on the fourth floor, then come back to retrieve the ammunition and containment boxes."

"Yes."

Cheng Ye slung two long spears behind his back, carried the storage box in his left hand, and picked up the triangular spear with his right hand, pushing open the door and going out.

Almost simultaneously, the door to the next room opened.

Compared to his arrogant rainy night killer outfit, Huang Sheng and his two companions looked like rugby players who had accidentally wandered into a battlefield. Their helmets were askew, their acrylic protective gear gleamed greasy under the corridor lights, and they had large waterproof canvas bags hanging by their sides. Only their defensive pistols were polished black and shiny.

However, this comical image made Cheng Ye feel inexplicably at ease.

To be honest, forming a team is definitely better than going it alone.

For example, now that Huang Sheng and the other two have spread out in a fan shape to keep watch, he can first use close combat to test the strength of the infected body of this substitute starfish.

"Here, you're in charge of containment."

"Don't worry, Captain, this is what I do." Zhu Xiang took the box.

The other two entered the room, were astonished by the sight of the ammunition piled on the floor, and quickly stuffed it into their backpacks.

Everything is ready.

Just as the four were about to go downstairs, the other doors on the fifth floor seemed to open a crack as if by unspoken agreement, revealing many eyes peeking out.

"Go back, everyone. What are you looking at us for?" Huang Sheng shouted.

Take care.

Someone started it, and suddenly a chorus of "Take care" echoed through the hallway.

Having been neighbors for over a decade, we both know what stepping through that door means.

Cheng Ye also paused, as the doorway between them seemed to convey a sense of life and death.

However, now is not the time for sentimentality, and the situation has not reached the point of life and death.

"Follow closely."

"Yes!"

As they descended the stairs, the Starfish Infected Stand still hadn't managed to break through the door.

The only sounds were constant banging on the door and mumbled cries of, "Meat, meat, eat meat!"

"Don't be afraid, Huang Sheng will kick the door down, I'll go first."

After killing someone, Cheng Ye never expected that his courage would soar like a rocket.

However, in the past, he had never been afraid of infected beings; he only found some of them disgusting. He never hesitated to fire a single shot.

Huang Sheng kicked the door lock directly at it.

The door trembled, and the door frame groaned under the weight.

Seeing this, he took two steps back and kicked again while jogging.

boom.

The door lock was kicked open, and the starfish-infected creature standing behind the door was also knocked down.

As Cheng Ye stepped in, almost instinctively he raised his hand and stabbed it into the center of the starfish's face.

puff.

The sharp weapon pierced the flesh, drawing out a trail of black bruises, but the starfish-infected creature still tried to struggle to its feet.

Without hesitation, he stabbed the infected body twice more in different locations, and the infected body on the ground immediately stopped moving.

"Three fatal wounds, death imminent. Intelligence verified."

Turning around, Huang Sheng and the other two were a little nervous, but also a little excited.

Clearly, no one expected him to be so decisive and efficient, like stabbing a dummy, completely ignoring the grotesque appearance of the starfish infected.

"If you become alienated, you become the enemy; if you hesitate, you will harm both yourself and others."

"clear."

Cheng Ye stepped out, the three of them exchanged glances, and Zhu Xiang took out a small knife and stepped forward to start cutting.

As a staff member of the Medical Department, I have some first aid knowledge, including simple surgical procedures, so dissecting a starfish was naturally no problem for me.

[Escaped biological consciousness detected; automatically absorbing it]

[Successful information replenishment score: 0.41]

"Holy crap, 0.41, even higher than before?!"

"So it turns out that not every infected person has the same health value, but rather it's affected by the different information each person has?"

Cheng Ye was overjoyed.

The information gained from hunting just one infected individual surpassed even the instincts of a wild animal.

Outrageous!

"Come on, come on, hurry up and keep up with me."

For some reason, he felt a strange sense of pleasure, like leveling up in a game.

It's so cool.

An infected individual is equivalent to one contribution point and also receives an additional information reward.

If we miss this opportunity to unleash the power of the Stand Starfish, who knows when we'll get another chance like this.

"Yes"

The three exchanged glances, and the excitement in each other's eyes became even more apparent.

Rumors circulate that the prosecutors in Happiness City get itchy if they don't kill infected individuals every day or two.

In retrospect, the rumors were indeed true.

This prosecutor is so young, yet he's already so full of murderous intent and so excited to see an infected person.

Glancing at the drone outside the window, the three quickened their pace, a grin spreading across their faces beneath their helmets.

The amount of contribution points is no longer of much significance to players of their age in the Chinese Super League.

As long as a qualitative change is not achieved, life will remain the same.

However, the credit gained from eliminating infected individuals is a prerequisite for climbing the ranks within their respective systems and the only way to realize their ideals.

"Keep up, hurry up and keep up!"

Huang Sheng gave a low shout and waited for the three of them to come downstairs. Cheng Ye was already standing at the top of the stairs, looking down into the corridor, where he saw three infected people banging on the door.

"Close combat, or... shooting?"

Cheng Ye hesitated for only a moment before drawing the Bison combat pistol from his waist.

He has always been reliable.

Bang bang bang, bang bang bang.
Nine gunshots rang out in quick succession; the bullets were not aimed at him, but rather poured out with each step he took.

The mobile firing tool he obtained from Master Tian, ​​while not significantly improving his shooting accuracy, did minimize the error in dynamic shooting.

Even when making tactical lateral movements or dashes, they can maintain the same level of concentration as before.

Cheng Ye aimed at different parts of the body with each of the nine shots and drew a conclusion.

Humans who have mutated into substitute starfish infected individuals still retain their previous weaknesses.

The heart, head, and throat are all considered fatal injuries.

Without Cheng Ye's prompting, Zhu Xiang dashed towards the spot where the three infected individuals had fallen and began cutting.

Wu Zhihong and Huang Sheng were on guard duty. When Cheng Ye had loaded his ammunition, a warning flashed in front of them.

[Successful information replenishment score: 0.17, 0.04, 0.09]

Too few.

However, the accumulation speed is still impressive compared to the difficulty of acquisition.

It seems that the amount of information the collector can increase by absorbing consciousness is indeed limited by the amount of knowledge the human possessed during their lifetime.

"I wonder if, with the increased information availability, we'll be able to directly retrieve corresponding information when we encounter something we've never seen before, essentially like authentication?"

After confirming that the three sources of infection in the corridor had just been taken in by Zhu Xiang, Cheng Ye went down to the first floor.

The gunshots alerted the four infected starfish in the yard, but with meat nearby, they didn't come over directly, instead lying in the mud enjoying their meal.

A dozen or so infected people came running towards the entrance of the residential area. Cheng Ye was not surprised but delighted. It has to be said that this was the first time he had ever been so excited to see infected people.

Go down to the first floor.

Unexpectedly, the door that the infected person was scratching at was the door of Old Sun's house, where he had been carried out earlier.

"court death."

Cheng Ye let out a low shout, strode forward, and thrust his spear forward with both hands.

This time, however, he was more cautious. After stabbing the target, he did not finish the job but quickly retreated.

Sure enough, after the infected creature suffered a fatal wound, its movement speed was greatly reduced, and its turning speed was comparable to that of an aircraft carrier turning around.

"That's way too weak."

Cheng Ye couldn't help but mutter to himself.

These substitute starfish infected individuals pose almost no threat except for their contact infection properties.

But just as he was about to step forward to finish it off, he suddenly felt a chill and instinctively dodged to the side.

puff.

A stream of yellow fluid spurted from the infected creature's mouth, hitting the wall with a sizzling, corrosive sound.

"Spitting out bodily fluids?"

Bang, bang bang.

Gunshots rang out behind them, and Wu Zhihong and Huang Sheng fired simultaneously the instant their bodily fluids gushed out.

"Captain, are you okay?"

"fine."

Cheng Ye waved his hand in response, and the slight contempt that had just arisen in his heart instantly dissipated.

A single infected organism can evade the spraying of bodily fluids, but what if there are more than ten or hundreds, and the quantitative change leads to a qualitative change?

"The Rotten Vine Infected targets single targets, while the Starfish Infected's advantage lies in its group combat. They cannot be compared on the same level."

As Cheng Ye was thinking, he opened the door, and Old Sun nervously peeked out.

He noticed a dark figure standing not far from his door, and his breath caught in his throat for a moment.

"Go back and hide, don't come out."

"You're the one from that day." Old Sun was startled, recognizing Cheng Ye's voice, and quickly nodded and closed the door.

This is normal.

With the wave of infections coming, not everyone can rush out.

Throughout the five floors of the building, no one dared to open their door and look out, for fear of attracting infected individuals.

[This time .0.07]

"It's already January 1.15th!"

After glancing at the information panel notification, Cheng Ye stopped thinking about it and strode out of the tenement building through the torrential rain.

Heavy rain is the domain of hydrophilic infectious agents.

However, it also prevents the spread of odors.

The four infected creatures on the ground, who were feasting, were completely unaware of anyone approaching. Cheng Ye gave a signal, and Huang Sheng and Wu Zhihong immediately stepped forward, each taking care of two of them, and quickly took them out with their guns.

Flames shot from the muzzle.

The dozen or so infected individuals loitering at the entrance instantly locked onto their direction and charged in with a roar.

The speed is equivalent to an adult jogging, which looks a bit scary.

"Meat, eat meat!"

"Fatty!"

The unconscious murmurs piled up, like demons crawling out of hell.

Zhu Xiang gripped his pistol tightly and nervously put down the containment box: "Captain."

"Don't panic, proceed according to plan!"

Before Cheng Ye could finish speaking, he suddenly ripped off his raincoat, raised his arm, and the Ranger rifle was already in his hand.

Da da da
The bursts of rifle fire were exceptionally crisp and pleasant, and the recoil transmitted through the shoulder was reassuring.

The grotesque starfish infected convulsed and collapsed in the rainy night. In Cheng Ye's eyes, each starfish seemed to have a 'Information Level++' prompt above its head.

So cool!

"Oh no, more infected are coming."

The sound of gunfire was like a lighthouse in the dark night. In the four tenement buildings of the electronics factory community, the infected people who were originally wandering in the corridor seemed to be summoned and rushed down the stairs frantically.

These monsters still retained a trace of human instinct, at least enough not to get lost in the building.

"What's wrong with that? This is a good thing!"

Cheng Ye licked his lips. The rain and mist dampened his vision, but they couldn't hide the burning excitement in his eyes.

However, at that moment, the defense communication device at his waist suddenly started beeping urgently.

[Urgent Notice: A-1, A-2, A-3, and A-4 have been declared captured. All personnel are requested to evacuate!]

[To reiterate, the above four areas have been declared under attack; do not approach them!]

[Immediate firepower, do not approach!]

"what?"

Cheng Ye was shocked and immediately pulled out his defense communication device and started pressing buttons.

The four areas shown on the 3D map have changed from black to colorless and transparent.

Amidst the various flashing lights across the map, something seemed odd, as if the infection wave had already ended.

He subconsciously clicked on the live stream, and instantly froze on the spot.

The footage transmitted back by the drone showed that hundreds of fused entities had already rushed up the Wall of Happiness, with huge tentacles extending from their bodies clinging tightly to the wall and frantically climbing to the top.

That's a 30-meter-high wall! These fusion beings actually think they can climb it?!
In addition, the area in front of the high wall was crowded with countless infected creatures, at least several thousand of which had mutated to the ability to spray bodily fluids. The yellow liquid even covered the rain curtain and splashed onto the high wall like a sprinkler truck, gradually melting and creating fist-sized holes.

As for the watchtowers in front of the high wall, they had long since been covered in slime and collapsed into twisted ruins.

But none of these things shocked Cheng Ye the most.

Because behind the infected body, he saw a huge fusion body that was more than ten meters tall.

How should I describe this thing?
It looked as if dozens of ordinary infected bodies had been stitched together, their bodies covered with five-pointed starfish-shaped growths, twisted like monsters crawling out of the Cthulhu Mythos.

"Is this a substitute starfish?"

He glanced at the ordinary infected creatures stumbling and running out of the stairwell, then looked at the monsters in the picture.

Suddenly, Cheng Ye looked up sharply.

hum!
Rockets engulfed in crimson flames shot into the sky from the Happiness Defense Line, tracing rainbow-like paths through the dark rain.

It bypassed the sky, swept over Area B-7, and crashed directly into the four areas in front of the Happiness Wall.

boom!
The transmitted video abruptly stopped, and a powerful shockwave spread wildly outwards.

Even though the B-7 bomb's epicenter was several kilometers away, the sound of shattering glass could still be heard continuously.

Is this what transparency means?

"Team, Captain!" Huang Sheng's voice suddenly rang out, trembling.

"what happened?"

"There, there seems to be something coming!"

Following the direction of his finger, Cheng Ye felt a chill run down his spine.

A dark shadow was rapidly approaching the surface of the building closest to the block in the tenement building.

The hideous tentacles dragging behind it, the arms and legs that explode like a lion's mane, and its enormous size far exceeding that of an ordinary infected creature.

It was exactly the same fusion that he had seen clinging to the high wall in the picture!

"Quick, get inside!"

　P.S.: I've been resurrected, haha! I've completely eradicated the starfish infected, and my health is rapidly increasing!!!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)