Chapter 438 The Return of Darkness (Part 1)

No matter how fast a car travels, it can't outrun a rapidly spreading gray fog.

Almost in the blink of an eye.

The gray fog, sweeping in like a tidal wave, instantly engulfed the last few cars.

Yun Zhao hurriedly stuffed things into his backpack, only to feel a blinding light from behind, and the surroundings suddenly became extremely noisy...

The noise was drawn out, as if coming from a very distant place, becoming distorted and far away.

at the same time.

The sentries at the Qinhuai refuge camp noticed the approaching gray fog. The alarm had just been sounded when the fog rapidly closed in.

That's too fast!

It was so fast that it didn't give anyone time to react.

Zheng Shao stood on the watchtower, watching helplessly as the camp's buildings disappeared one by one, replaced by modern tourist attractions.

The outline of Zhongshan Mountain gradually became clear in the gray fog.

Buildings rose up at the foot of the mountain.

In that instant, it was as if time had reversed, taking this land back two hundred years.

"This is... Nanjing?"

The sentries' voices trembled, and the sirens slipped from their hands and fell to the ground.

Night turned into day.

The blinding sunlight and the noise came from above.

The group stared intently at the familiar shelter camp.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, the entire mountain was gradually restored to its modern appearance.

On the streets at the foot of the mountain, vehicles flowed in and out in an endless stream of tourists, as if the apocalyptic disaster had never happened.

The sentry post beneath my feet had somehow turned into a stone block.

"Oh no! The camp commander is still on the mountaintop!"

Zheng Shao was the first to react. His face turned ashen as he ran up the mountain, shouting, "Notify everyone! Quickly head to the summit to assemble and take cover!"

This is a contaminated area...

A five-star contaminated zone where no one survived...

*

The moment the gray fog descended.

Xie Tu reached out and grabbed Yun Zhao beside him.

As an S-class sentinel who spends his days traversing polluted areas, he remained calm when he was caught up in the pollution.

As long as the two don't get separated and they figure out the information about the contaminated area, they'll find a way out sooner or later.

The same applies to Yun Zhao.

She was calm, even serene.

The sudden, blinding light made it impossible to open one's eyes; the gray fog was dissipating, and the surrounding noise was becoming increasingly clear.

She slightly raised her hand, and the fluorescent light danced, deepening the already formed transparent barrier once more.

Yun Zhao grabbed the man beside him, feeling the vehicle beneath them disappearing, and then pressed all his weight onto him.

Two phoenixes appeared at this moment.

Maintaining the same posture, tilt your head and look outside.

Xie Tu, carrying the person, landed steadily on the ground and finally saw the surrounding scenery clearly.

It's not a desolate wasteland, but a bustling modern city.

Skyscrapers stand tall, traffic flows smoothly, and pedestrians throng the streets; they have never experienced the devastation of the apocalypse.

—A city that remains in the pre-apocalyptic world.

These are precisely the resource points that the four major bases are looking for.

Unfortunately, this place is rated as a five-star danger zone. It has a long history and there is basically no return once you go there, making it impossible to transport supplies.

Xie Tu quickly scanned his surroundings; the pedestrians on the street appeared to be perfectly normal.

The Dawn Base sentinels, who were swallowed up along with the base, have disappeared without a trace.

After he finished looking him over, he was about to speak when he suddenly realized that the person in his arms was unusually heavy.

Xie Tu lowered his head in disbelief.

He saw Yun Zhao in his arms, her small body and tender face looking up at him with a blank expression.

The little bluebird flew to Xie Tu's head, looking down at its true form with a puzzled expression.

Suddenly I felt happy.

[Ha, it's gotten smaller!]

The main body, like it, has shrunk again!

Seeing the man's shocked expression, Xiao Yunzhao glared at him and ordered in her childish voice, "My shoulder hurts, quickly take that thing away."

Xie Tu's originally cold and stern face instantly tightened.

He pursed his thin lips, said nothing, and silently hung the backpack that was pulling her down on his own body.

The last time she shrank was due to the effects of reverse time.

What's the reason this time?

Without the weight of the backpack, Xiao Yunzhao felt much more comfortable.

She squirmed in his arms, looking curiously at the vehicles and pedestrians on the street.

Where is this?

She was still wearing adult clothes, with a loose short-sleeved shirt that almost covered her knees and pants hanging precariously on her body.

Two combat boots lay at Xie Tu's feet.

Xie Tu slowly answered her, "This is a contaminated area."

Xiao Yunzhao didn't take it seriously. Her attention was drawn to the unsuitable clothes she was wearing. She frowned and ordered, "Go pick out some clothes first. I want a princess dress."

"I'll go later."

Xie Tu held her with one arm, squatted down to pick up the shoes, and asked her, "Tell me first, do you remember..."

"I don't remember," Xiao Yunzhao interrupted him impatiently.

Her young face showed a hint of stubbornness as she emphasized, "I want a princess dress!"

The little bluebird was overjoyed: "I want a princess dress!"

Fire Phoenix: [I want a princess dress!]

Xie Tu remained silent for a few seconds, then said nothing and carried her across the mall.

The streets were bustling with pedestrians, the sunlight shone on the busy streets, and the noise of traffic was incessant.

A tall figure attracted the attention of passersby.

The man was tall and handsome, with a cold and aloof face, exuding an aura that could not be ignored.

He was holding a little girl in his arms.

The girl looked no more than six or seven years old.

Her youthful face had a touch of baby fat, a small and pert nose, and a pair of large, clear, and bright eyes, but she was wearing an adult short-sleeved shirt that was clearly too big for her.

The wide hem of her dress almost covered her knees, and her trousers hung loosely on her body, as if they might slip off at any moment.

The man steadily supported the girl with one hand, while holding a pair of combat boots in the other.

He had a bulging military backpack on his back and another backpack hanging on one shoulder, looking like he had just returned from a battlefield.

His aura clashed with the surrounding environment, creating a sense of incongruity.

It attracted pedestrians to glance at it from the side.

Some even secretly took photos with their phones.

"Is that his daughter? Why is she dressed like that?"

"He doesn't look like it... That man is so handsome, but why does he seem a little fierce?"

"The little girl is so cute. Look at her little expression, so proud..."

"Has something happened? Should we call the police?"

"No way, someone this handsome is a human trafficker?"

The whispers of passersby reached Xie Tu's ears.

Upon hearing the word 'daughter,' his expression noticeably turned colder.

His eyes remained alert as he scanned his surroundings, and he walked steadily toward the shopping mall across the street.

These people are so vibrant, they don't seem like mutants.

Is it another video?

Images of Nanjing from 200 years ago?

Xiao Yunzhao fiddled with the communicator in his hand. He pressed some button, and after the screen switched, the numbers at the top started to climb.

Pollution concentration: 23%.

Xie Tu glanced over and saw this, then discussed with her, "We weren't the only ones who came in. After we buy the princess dresses, let's look for the others."

This city is too normal.

Several vehicles belonging to the reinforcements at Dawn Base were destroyed.

It's unclear how many people will come in.

The immediate priority is to pool resources, figure out the rules of the contaminated area, and explore ways out.

Xiao Yunzhao wrinkled her nose, clearly dissatisfied with his arrangement.

Xie Tu quickly adjusted his mindset and calmly pointed to a shop on the first floor of the mall, "Want some ice cream? If you agree, we'll go buy some."