Forty-nine rules of the end times

Chapter 309 The Final Stage of Parasitism

December 30th marks the last day of the [Extraterrestrial Parasite] rules, and the new year is just around the corner.

Before April of last year, the New Year's Eve period was a holiday and celebration in every country.

After the rules of the apocalypse came into being, all holidays became meaningless. Survival required all one's strength, and few people had the mind to celebrate holidays, including New Year's Eve.

However, on this day, some sentimental voices still emerged online.

"Ah, another year has passed."

"In four months, it will be the two-year anniversary of the emergence of the apocalyptic rules. Will I be alive by then?"

"I hope that in the new year, the Fire Stealers can act like human beings, release more simple rules, and release fewer survival-related ones."

"Hoping that those who steal fire are treated like human beings is less helpful than hoping that the authorities will increase their protection. It's been almost two years, haven't the authorities come up with any advanced technology yet?"

"It must be difficult. I see that the authorities are also busy with their own affairs, so they don't have time to settle down and do research..."

"Does anyone remember that the second Ascended Challenge comes after Rule Fifteen? It's coming soon, isn't it?"

"Let's take care of the present first. The parasite problem hasn't been solved yet, so how can we worry about what's to come?"

"I live not far from a centralized training area. Now I'm afraid that after the rules end, a bunch of parasitic monsters will come out, and I'll definitely be the first to suffer!"

On the day before the rules expired, it wasn't just netizens who were worried about the parasites; officials from various countries were also on high alert.

To date, no one knows the final stage of parasitism, or what it would be like for humans to become parasites.

Will it transform into some kind of monster? Or will it retain its human appearance?

Will they pose a threat to others?

Just in case, a large number of armed soldiers have been deployed inside and outside each quarantine zone in Beixing.

In the event of a major threat, it is crucial to ensure that the disaster is contained within the isolation zone and never spills over into the residential areas of non-addicts.

At this moment, several armed vehicles arrived at the gate of the No. 3 quarantine zone, which was under close observation by the Countermeasures Research Office.

Zhang Minglu and Long Hun got out of the first car.

A number of people also got off the following vehicles. They were all Ascended, and they were all wearing a brand new navy blue uniform with a sleeve badge on their right arm that read "Mobile".

This is the logo of the newly established department of North Star, the "Research Lab Mobile Team".

This department is under the Policy Research Office. It was first proposed by Zhang Minglu, seconded by Gao Liangwei, and finally approved by the top decision-makers before it was established.

Zhang Minglu proposed the establishment of this special mobile team because he learned from the lessons of those official ascendants who were eliminated, like Gu Fei.

Official teams have a small demand for personnel, but the competition is fierce, often requiring one in a hundred or even a thousand to be selected.

Those who manage to enter the pool of ascendants are all quite talented, and those who are eliminated inevitably feel resentful. Some of them turn around and join illegal organizations, which is not only a loss for the authorities but also a harm to society.

Therefore, Zhang Minglu proposed establishing an armed organization under the Countermeasures Research Office to retain these people.

As time went on, the suppression of Ascended by ordinary soldiers gradually weakened, and a new type of armed force composed entirely of Ascended was urgently needed.

Thus, the "Research Lab Mobile Team" was successfully established through a resolution. The main responsibility of this mobile team is to handle large-scale, confrontational disaster events.

The current spore parasites are likely to evolve in this direction, so Zhang Minglu brought a team here today.

He and Dragon Soul led the mobile team into the isolation zone of the stadium and found that the plaza area had been cleared.

The head of the quarantine area came to report: "The rules are about to end. In order to prevent mass violence, we require everyone to stay in their rooms and not to leave or come out at will."

The so-called "rooms" are actually just temporary tents. After all, this is a stadium, not a hotel, so there aren't many areas for sleeping.

Zhang Minglu nodded: "Have any new changes occurred today among those most deeply parasitized?"

"To be honest, I'm also puzzled."

The person in charge looked somewhat strange when the matter was brought up.

“Those who were most violent before have become behaving themselves starting this afternoon.”

"Honest? What are the specific behaviors?"

"They just sit or lie down and stare blankly. But last night they were yelling and shouting, pounding the ground and walls with their fists."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Minglu looked thoughtful, while Long Hun asked, "Doctor, could this be a change that occurs when parasitism enters the fifth stage?"

“This might be the final transition period.” Zhang Minglu’s tone was tinged with anxiety. “The rules state that the penalty for failure is ‘surviving as a parasite.’ Now that the rules are about to end, those who are most deeply parasitic may be transforming into complete parasites!”

Upon hearing this, the head of the quarantine area said nervously, "Dr. Zhang, we need to go ahead with the plan..."

"No. Premature 'purification' is absolutely not allowed. The research lab made this clear beforehand, and you, the heads of the quarantine zones, should be well aware of it."

"Yes. It's just that the current situation is really nerve-wracking." The person in charge gave a wry smile. "I haven't dared to sleep for the past two days. I've been watching the monitors the whole time, afraid that someone might suddenly turn into a monster."

Zhang Minglu thought for a moment and said, "We'll stay here tonight. I want to see the changes in the parasites with my own eyes as soon as the rules end."

"Doctor, the mobile team and I will stay here." Dragon Soul, who was standing to the side, was worried about Zhang Minglu's safety. "You should go back to base and check the live stream."

“No, I want to stay,” Zhang Minglu said resolutely. “I want to see with my own eyes what this alien spore, which has left all countries helpless, will do to humanity.”

……

Late at night, in a lounge in the gymnasium, a young man sat on a chair with a blank stare in his eyes.

He stared at the door, knowing that armed soldiers were on guard outside. These soldiers kept a close watch on parasites like them who had used violence.

Someone had broken down the door earlier, but was shot dead after several warnings from armed soldiers went unheeded.

He had previously considered fighting them, since they refused to experience the wonderful sensations brought by the spores like he did.

If everyone understood and joined this big family, there would be no more conflict in the world.

However, he could only feel one word right now: exhausted.

so tired.

Just a few days ago, I was in top form every day, with so much energy that I could go without eating much, but now I'm exhausted.

My limbs felt as heavy as lead, but in contrast, my mind was extremely active.

He can "see" a large number of images appear in his mind and connect them.

The magnificent palaces of those alien civilizations that could only be seen with eyes closed can now be witnessed with eyes open.

That place, which I had imagined to be like a sanctuary, seemed to be right in front of me, within reach.

"Ah..."

The young man struggled to raise his hand to reach out, but quickly let it fall back down.

Immediately afterwards, he collapsed to the ground with a thud, and an invisible change rapidly occurred within his body.

The noise alerted the guards outside, and the door immediately opened, with two soldiers rushing in with guns at their feet.

They saw the unconscious young man on the ground and exchanged a glance.

"Notify the person in charge immediately!"

A few minutes later, the person in charge of the quarantine area rushed over, accompanied by Zhang Minglu and Longhun.

Upon seeing the unconscious young man, the three men asked, "What happened?"

The two soldiers said they did not know.

Dragon Soul then bent down to check on the young man's condition: "His vital signs are fine."

As soon as he finished speaking, the young man suddenly opened his eyes.

"Be careful!" Zhang Minglu warned.

Dragon Soul immediately locked the youth's arms behind his back and pressed his knee against the latter's neck, firmly suppressing him.

"Ugh!!" The young man struggled painfully, gasping for breath. "You, let me go... I can't breathe..."

Seeing the young man speak so logically, the others were all shocked.

It's important to know that those who are locked up in a room alone are people who have entered the fourth stage of parasitism and have used violence.

These people all showed the same thing: they wouldn't listen to reason. But at this moment, the young man knew to beg for mercy and said he couldn't breathe, which was definitely not right.

At Zhang Minglu's instruction, Longhun temporarily moved his knee away, but still controlled the young man's arm.

He got up and pulled the young man to his feet. The latter said weakly, "I'm so hungry. I want to eat something."

This increasingly strange behavior made Zhang Minglu thoughtful.

He immediately asked the person in charge to arrange a meal for the young man.

After he had eaten and drunk his fill, Zhang Minglu sat down and chatted with him.

"Do you remember everything that happened before? I mean everything that happened after the new rules were announced?"

The young man nodded: "I remember. We strengthen our bodies by receiving information from alien civilizations in the universe through our training."

"Do you remember trying to use brute force to attack the guard two days ago?"

The young man looked ashamed upon hearing this: "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me at the time, that I would do such a terrible thing."

"..."

Not only Zhang Minglu, who was asking the questions, but also the person in charge of the quarantine area and Longhun were very puzzled.

How come this young man, who is deeply parasitized by spores, is behaving no different from a normal person at this moment?
Could it be that the lab's previous hypothesis was wrong, and that the spore parasitism, even in its final stage, would not turn humans into incommunicable monsters?

Zhang Minglu then asked several more questions, and the young man's answers were all reasonable.

After the questioning, Zhang Minglu and the others left first, while the young man was put back into his previous single room.

Unlike before, this time when the young man closed his eyes, no magnificent palaces or gentle whispers appeared in his mind.

Instead, his own thoughts and voice took over.

"There are surveillance cameras in the room, so I have to be careful not to give myself away. To leave here, I must lower the guard of the heretics so that I can keep this useful body."

The young man slowly opened his eyes, the fervor in his pupils almost impossible to conceal.

"To dedicate this life and everything we have to the great diffusion movement—that is the true meaning of life!"

(End of this chapter)