Dark Ruins Dawn

Chapter 18 Spider Web
All eyes instantly focused on him, a mixture of scrutiny and wariness.

Zhuang Fan spoke calmly, as if stating a given fact: "But I have a few conditions."

Harry was the first to jump out, pointing a gun at Zhuang Fan's head: "Who do you think you are, daring to negotiate with us!"

Before he could finish speaking, Zhuang Fan made a move.

His movements were as fast as lightning, without any unnecessary flourishes.

Disarm, twist wrist, elbow strike.

The three movements were completed in one smooth motion, precisely and efficiently.

A sharp crack came from Harry's wrist, and the intense pain made him instinctively release the gun.

Immediately afterwards, a heavy force slammed into his jaw, causing blood to splatter from his nose and his head to tilt violently backward uncontrollably.

"Puff-"

Even after he fell heavily to the ground, he still couldn't fully comprehend what had just happened.

His mind went completely blank, as if he had been filled with a thick fog; his thinking was sluggish, and even his anger was slow to show up.

"I...I want you dead..."

Once Harry regained his senses, he flew into a rage and struggled to get up.

But the cold muzzle of the gun had already been turned around and was pressed firmly against his forehead.

Several team members immediately set their sights on Zhuang Fan.

But Zhuang Fan didn't care at all, he just looked down at him, his voice completely calm:
"Have you calmed down yet?"

"...I've calmed down."

Harry forced out a few words through gritted teeth, the humiliation almost consuming him.

"Very good." Zhuang Fan put his gun away.

Alert lifted.

Grey Goose ignored Harry's clownish antics from beginning to end, and calmly looked at Zhuang Fan.

"Tell me your conditions."

"First, lift all restrictions on me and drop the warrant for my arrest. I need your formal assurances."

"Secondly, I need a wrist panel, namely the 'Wasteland Traveler'."

Wasteland Traveler, a curved ring-shaped device worn on the wrist, has multiple functions such as communication, identification, mapping, and emergency distress, and is a standard accessory for wastelanders.

More advanced versions even include thermal imaging, infrared night vision, virtual projection, and battlefield AI analysis.

With it, Zhuang Fan could try to access the shelter's system and gain more control over himself.

"Dream on! You're nothing but a prisoner. Once I break your arms and legs, let's see if you'll still be so stubborn!"

Harry tried to rush forward, but was stopped by Grey Goose's stern shout.

She stared intently at Zhuang Fan, quickly weighing the pros and cons.

On one side, they are trapped here, exhausting their resources in despair, and ultimately becoming each other's food;
On the other hand, there are those who choose to believe the wanted criminal whose identity remains a mystery.

She made the only choice.

"I guarantee your safety before you leave the Rocky Hill; I won't arrest you."

Zhuang Fan nodded, not at all surprised by the result.

Grey Goose walked up to Harry, unhesitatingly removed the Wasteland Traveler from his wrist, formatted and reset it on the spot, and then threw it to Zhuang Fan.

Harry's face flushed red. His was the advanced version, but this time he was smarter and kept his mouth shut, only staring at Zhuang Fan with resentful eyes.

After Zhuang Fan put on the Wasteland Traveler's Gear, the cold metal buckle automatically locked in place.

He glanced at Durian, who remained silent to the side, and added one last condition.

"They came in too."

Durian grinned, revealing his yellowed teeth: "Of course, I'll protect my little brother."

Grey Goose had no objection; this was indeed the most advantageous choice for Zhuang Fan.

By confining two mutually wary forces in the same cage, they will restrain and distrust each other, thus creating the greatest possible space for his survival.

Everything was agreed upon.

Zhuang Fan turned around and faced the alloy door that held everyone's hopes.

He sent an access request to the Gate System through the Wasteland Traveler.

The sensor on the top of the door lit up with a faint red light.

Then, he clearly read out the long-sealed code in classical Chinese.

"Even when drunk, one's heart and courage remain open."

Upon hearing this, Grey Goose's expression changed slightly once again.

"Crack—Boom—"

Gears meshed, hinges turned, and the alloy door, which had been dormant for countless years, opened amidst a cloud of dust.

"Wow! It's really open!"

Durian felt like his team was a bunch of clowns, having done nothing for the past two weeks.

The people on Grey Goose's side also looked at Zhuang Fan, and they couldn't believe that he could really do it. Harry's momentum weakened by three points, but he still kept a cold face.

The group went inside with mixed feelings.

Suddenly, a huge, empty central hall opened up before me.

A musty smell, long since stale, filled the air. Footsteps suddenly echoed, their sound particularly clear in the empty hall.

Overturned metal benches and a shattered glass information desk were scattered around, with papers lying around that were already rotten.

The interior of the shelter was more intact than expected. Most of the walls and pillars had faint lights running, and there were also many crystals embedded in them.

It was the presence of these light sources that prevented the building structure from being completely corrupted by the eerie fog.

Zhuang Fan walked to the side and, taking advantage of everyone's inattention, recited a few more voiceprint codes, successfully obtaining a floor plan of the shelter, which was clearly displayed on his wrist panel.

However, most areas on the map are grayed out and marked with danger warnings.

However, no matter how Zhuang Fan tried, he couldn't activate the external defensive turrets. He had to reach the main control room to further verify his identity.

"Young man, can you activate more shelters? Can you connect directly to the system?" Durian asked, leaning closer.

Zhuang Fan didn't want to have anything to do with this guy. "Sorry, I only learned about the secret of opening the door by chance. I know nothing else."

"You really don't know?" Dulian was a little dissatisfied. He had originally thought that Zhuang Fan was in cahoots with him.

Zhuang Fan shook his head, keeping a certain distance from everyone on the field.

He also had a gun, which left both sides helpless. Neither wanted to cause any further trouble before things escalated to a point of no return.

After a brief period of hope, a new despair descends.

The greylag goose crouched down and wiped the dust off the ground with its tactical gloves, revealing a few dark green scales.

She examined the gnaw marks and dried water stains on the wall, her expression turning serious.

"This place was looted. Lizardmen infiltrated here, probably about two months ago."

Lizard people.
Durian was stunned. "How did we end up with this thing?"

Through the memories of the elderly, Zhuang Fan learned the basic information about this ethnic group.

[The Lizardmen, who walk upright, are generally 1.7 meters tall, with blunt triangular heads, long and narrow faces, protruding red eyes, and their entire bodies covered in scales. They have large tails that allow them to hide and climb walls.]

To Zhuang Fan's dismay, the lizardman's professional identity in human society was that of a chef.

Because they can detach their tails and then cook them, their specialty is pan-fried dragon tails.
However, the lizardmen in the wild are all ferocious creatures who can climb trees and become invisible, specializing in ambushes; they are the epitome of assassins.

Grey Goose stood up, observed for a while, and then concluded: "We're going to be trapped in the outer hall."

Durian also noticed the problem. He waved his hand and ordered his men to bring in all the meat crates.

Grey Goose's cold gaze swept over them; she knew perfectly well what was hidden in those boxes. Durian met her gaze and smiled, "You're a veteran mercenary; these things are perfectly normal in the wasteland."

He glanced at Grey Goose again, a meaningful look in his eyes.

In his eyes, this tall woman with well-defined muscles was undoubtedly the perfect prey.

Grey Goose's eyes were calm: "Let's draw a clear line between us."

"Well, people are always prone to accidentally escalating conflicts."

Soon, the two groups of people dispersed clearly, occupying advantageous positions on both sides of the hall, maintaining a wary distance, and keeping their guns ready at any moment.

Zhuang Fan retreated into the shadows in the middle, observing calmly like a ghost.

He quietly manipulated the surrounding eerie mist, slowly drawing it into his body to recover from his previous depletion, while also secretly accumulating power.

Both sides got busy, with the wounded removing their helmets and armor one by one, and Grey Goose also taking off his tactical helmet and mask.

Her hair was tied in a high ponytail, with a few strands of sweaty hair falling down her forehead.

Her skin was a healthy, warm white, her nose was small and high, and her amber eyes were clear and bright in the dim light.

But this face, which should have been perfect, was covered with hideous dark green markings.

The markings, as if alive, covered half of her cheek and neck, and spread from her jaw like a fine spider web.

The skin beneath the blemishes looked as if it had been burned, becoming shrunken and pitted, completely destroying its original beauty.

Upon seeing this, Zhuang Fan's eyes flashed with surprise. These were typical symptoms of infection with "spider fungus," a fungus that grows in remote mountainous areas and spreads its spores with the wind.

After being parasitized, the host's skin will have many spider web-like hyphae, and the excruciating pain will gradually penetrate into the bone marrow and brain. Although it will not be fatal, it will cause lifelong torment and is incurable.

Because the repair speed of medical nanobots is far slower than the spread speed of spider fungi under stress, patients may die faster.

Even forced amputation and body replacement wouldn't solve the problem.

Grey Goose was clearly used to the surprised looks from outsiders and began to help treat the wounded.

The medic opened the medical kit, and there were only 10 purification needles left inside.

This injection, extracted from the genetic material inside cockroaches, can effectively prevent further mutations after being bitten by zombies.

Durian recognized the thing and said in a deep voice, "Two people on our team have been infected."

Grey Goose didn't hesitate and nodded: "Give them two."

"Thanks."

After the medic handed over two vials, he injected one into each of his two wounded soldiers, leaving six vials remaining.

Grey Goose picked up three sticks and walked towards the few civilians who had been bitten.

One of the children, who was about five or six years old, had a deep wound on his arm that exposed the bone.

When the greylag goose approached, the child saw the terrifying spiderweb-like markings on her face and burst into tears, shouting "Monster!"

The child's parents turned pale and covered his mouth in terror.

"It's ok."

The greylag goose's voice was very soft.

She knelt down and gave the child a purification injection.

Then she gave the two remaining needles to the two old men: "Press down on the bottom and insert them."

But as soon as the Grey Goose left, Dulian snatched the two purification needles and looked at them with disdain: "Are you going to waste such scarce things as purification needles on trash like you?"

After saying that, he pulled the trigger without hesitation, and the gunshot rang out loudly in the hall.

"you!"

Grey Goose finally lost her temper, aimed her sniper rifle directly at his head, and coldly ordered, "Give me back the purification needle."

Her team members also raised their guns.

Durian's side was equally defiant, and tensions rose between the two sides, with conflict seemingly imminent.

He scoffed, threw the syringe on the ground, and stomped on it, "A stinking old woman, she really thinks she's something."

He looked Grey Goose up and down, his tone full of mockery: "Before, with your face covered and your figure, I thought you were some kind of delicacy. I didn't expect you to be something that's been gnawed to pieces by spider fungus. You're utterly disgusting."

The greylag goose remained silent.

He seemed to enjoy the humiliation, deliberately loudly explaining to those around him: "Do you know why spider mushrooms are also called 'corpse mushrooms'? Because after these unfortunate people die, their corpses will be covered with clusters of mushrooms, that's disgusting."

"Haha, I see!"

"Boss, are these mushroom-like people beyond saving?"

Durian scoffed, "Of course it's hopeless. You'll have to take painkillers and inject antispores regularly, otherwise it will spray out spores like a mobile gas canister. Anyone who gets on it is doomed."

The only armored soldier in the Grey Goose team was ruthless and taciturn. He immediately picked up the rotary machine gun, and the barrel spun rapidly, ready to engage in a tough battle at any moment.

This silenced Durian, who quickly hid behind the crowd, shouting, "Shoot! Shoot here!"

"Everyone stop."

Grey Goose silently put away his gun, and both sides eventually withdrew in tacit agreement.

Durian felt uneasy; he had acted impulsively earlier, but now he regretted it.

He was very wary of the armored troops opposite him and decided not to engage them head-on.

If I can't win, can't I just run away? I might as well go somewhere else to search for weapons and food.

Looking at a hole in the corner where the lizardmen had drilled through, he hesitated for a long time before deciding to lead his team deeper inside.

"All of you, come with me! Anyone who dares to stay behind, eat him first!" He threatened the surviving civilians with his gun.

The grey goose stood its ground: "If you want to leave, then leave on your own. The rest of you can stay, and I will protect you."

Durian sneered: "Of course, they have their own feet, and they can decide where they want to go."

After saying that, he glared fiercely at everyone.

In fact, these people were already terrified.

Driven by their survival instincts, even though they knew that Durian and his gang were cannibalistic demons, they didn't have the courage to resist and followed them numbly, ignoring the Grey Goose's advice.

Durian grinned triumphantly: "Don't go empty-handed, all of you. Go and bring over the meat crates."

Zhuang Fan watched this dark comedy silently, feeling that human nature was both complex and easily manipulated.

"Young man, what about you?"

Zhuang Fan shook his head and declined: "Thanks, but I don't eat human flesh."

"You'll get to eat it sooner or later, don't worry," Durian muttered a few words before disappearing from everyone's sight.

Soon, only the Grey Goose Squad and Zhuang Fan in the corner remained in the hall.

Empty, desolate, isolated and helpless.

Grey Goose walked up to Zhuang Fan, her amber eyes standing out in the darkness.

"We need your help."

Zhuang Fan remained wary: "I don't need it."

Grey Goose hesitated for a moment, then crouched down, leaned close to his ear, and whispered:
"Palace Jade Wine."

"One hundred and eighty cups."

After blurting it out, Zhuang Fan stared at her in astonishment.

　I read every comment and bullet screen message. I fix any bugs, correct any typos, and read any criticisms.

　　However, the author knew the entire outline and had far more information than the reader, and thus laid many of Chekhov's traps.

　　Therefore, I cannot discuss the plot with readers, I neither reply nor explain, I will never leave the stage, and I respect every Hamlet.

　　But if you're willing to trust me, this won't be the kind of clichéd "classic" post-apocalyptic story you're used to. Some easily predictable characters and subsequent plots won't appear in my outline. I'm confident in my writing abilities.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)