Lin Yuan squeezed into the crowd and walked inside.
There were many waiters serving drinks here, and from time to time one or two of them would come up to her and enthusiastically sell her alcoholic drinks or introduce her to someone.
Lin Yuan responded casually, all his attention focused on the bull-headed monsters that were searching for him.
A girl of the same age followed her and kept talking to her.
Lin Yuan ran up the wooden stairs and reached the corridor on the second floor. There were more people coming in and out.
A strong female sentry came out of a room, swearing, and bumped into Lin Yuan in the corridor. Under their feet, a minotaur raised its head and looked up through the cracks in the floor.
In a hurry, Lin Yuan squeezed into the room where the sentry had just come out.
The girl next to her squeezed in. She thought Lin Yuan chose this room, so she opened her mouth and looked a little embarrassed.
"Are you choosing this room? But this room just received a guest and it hasn't been cleaned yet, so it's very messy." The girl crossed her hands and placed them on her cheeks. Her almond-shaped eyes were smart and beautiful, and she looked at Lin Yuan with watery eyes. "Guest, why don't we change to another room? How about I introduce you to the boy who sings the best here?"
"No, no, no, I'm fine staying here."
Lin Yuan pushed the girl out of the door and closed the loose door.
She looked out through the crack of the door. The cow downstairs looked around for a while, didn't find her, and went to search further away.
Lin Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, only to find that there was another person in the small room he was in.
A man, quite young, was lying on the floor, his back to her, motionless, wearing very little clothing.
Lin Yuan subconsciously pulled up a thin quilt on the floor and covered his body.
The night here suddenly became very cold. Lin Yuan felt cold even in his thick tactical uniform, not to mention someone lying directly on the floor with his back exposed.
Lin Yuan wrapped up the man on the ground. He still squatted by the door, observing the situation outside through the gap in the door.
On the street, those minotaur monsters seemed to be determined not to give up and kept moving in and out of the crowd, searching for her everywhere.
The sound of footsteps came up the stairs, and a group of minotaurs came up and walked through the corridor in front of them.
Tentacles emerged and clung to the wooden door. Lin Yuan and he listened to the swaying footsteps approaching closer, passing by in front of them, gradually becoming smaller, and then going down the stairs at the other end.
Lin Yuan discovered that although the monsters were looking for her persistently, they only looked outside and never entered any room here.
Just stay in the house and you can avoid these monsters.
Lin Yuan decided to stay in the house as much as possible and spend this dangerous night before the monsters outside left.
She began to look around the room and the person in it.
The wooden hut contained a bed and a separate bathroom, but it was drafty and extremely cold.
The windows on the wall were covered with frost, and outside the windows hung a huge waning moon.
On the floor, the man wrapped in the quilt was still motionless.
The head exposed outside the quilt had short silver hair and empty eyes. He lay there without any expression, and even a touch of the hand made it difficult to capture any clear emotions.
Part of his ankle was exposed. It was terribly thin, with thin skin wrapped around the bones and crisscrossed with several bloody whip marks.
Lin Yuan saw a broken whip on the floor.
I remembered that the sentry who just left here swearing had probably done something bad.
But before entering, Lin Yuan did not hear any painful sounds coming from this room. After entering, the tentacles did not detect any emotions of pain.
This person has become completely numb to the torture and abuse inflicted on him.
It's like a body, still alive on the outside, but already corroded, destroyed, and almost empty on the inside.
Lin Yuan knew that this polluted area had existed for a long time. Every dark night here, the same thing was repeated.
Although this "person" still retains human emotions, he should no longer be a human being when he suddenly appears at night.
Lin Yuan found a seat near the door of the room and sat down, trying not to disturb him.
The man slowly closed his eyes, curled up in the quilt, and seemed to fall asleep.
His face was as white as a corpse, and he curled up into the slightly dirty thin blanket, as if it was his own shell.
As the night progressed, the place seemed to become more and more lively. The shrill singing, music and all kinds of unbridled laughter filled every corner.
It seemed as if this was a place of carnival, with countless souls seeking pleasure in the night, indulging themselves in wanton bliss and dying.
The darker the night, the stronger the sense of danger.
Lin Yuan stayed in the house. The huge shadows of countless monsters were cast on the window panes beside the door, mixed with the laughing guests, walking back and forth.
The tentacles quietly swam underground, expanding as far as possible.
But as far as they could search, they did not find any creatures that resembled the golden tree.
The lifelike golden tree that appeared on the wooden box in the forest garden.
Gradually, amid the laughter and joy outside, one or two sharp screams could be heard occasionally.
As if no one heard them, the harsh sounds did not create any ripples in this ocean of joy.
Lin Yuan looked out through the gap in the door and realized that it was a foreigner with the same condition as himself.
One after another, some sentinels like her found this "rose garden" and broke in.
They were discovered by the monsters and each of them was caught in a tough battle.
For a moment, Lin Yuan's broken tentacle suddenly popped out from the void where it was resting, and stood in the air for a while with its pitiful broken surface.
[What are you doing out here?] Lin Yuan said to it, [Go and have a rest, nothing to do.]
[Strange...I seem to sense something.]
The tentacle muttered unhappily and hid its body listlessly.
Out of sight of Lin Yuan, some sentries fell.
Their blood spread along the gaps between the tiles, like blood-red flowers blooming in this bustling street.
The passers-by walked past the body laughing, as if they saw nothing.
There was only one sentry who made his way into the deepest part of the camp.
There, the lights, the wine, the dreamlike joy disappeared without a trace,
The earth cracked deeply, leaving a huge hole.
The crack was bottomless, emitting a scarlet and eerie light, like a tunnel leading to hell.
From the scarlet crack in the ground, a golden plant grew all the way up from the ground.
The trunk, branches, and crown of the tree are golden and pure and beautiful.
The slowly awakening golden tree stretches out in the night, opening its huge golden canopy.
The leaves with a metallic luster swayed gently in the evening breeze, and the crisp sound of their contact was like music, echoing far away in the night.
Ni Ji stood there, looking at the enchanting and beautiful giant tree in front of him.
golden tree.
This powerful deformed creature has devoured countless lives over the years and has never allowed anyone to leave this place in a clear state of mind.
Almost the moment he saw the tree, he felt a sharp pain in his brain like a needle.
Ni Ji raised his hand to support his forehead. The blood-red abyss and the beautiful golden leaves appeared in front of his eyes in a heavy shadow.
Countless strange voices rang in my mind at the same time, as if if I stayed here for one more second, or looked here one more time, I would fall into madness and be unable to extricate myself.
Ni Ji closed his eyes, drew his pistol, and without any hesitation, he raised his hand and fired a shot in the direction in front of him.
A bright trajectory lit up, dragging a long arc of light as it hit the tree accurately.
It was a specially made □□.
A dazzling light flashed, and within just a few breaths, white phosphorus flames instantly rose up along the golden tree.
The raging flames burned the golden tree trunks and ignited a huge flame in the dark night.
Before coming in here, Ni Jihe had seen the images left in those crazy minds countless times in the Royal Guard's data room.
He repeatedly watched those chaotic and crazy memories, and finally found a weapon against the tree.
After the huge flame of white phosphorus ignited, the stinging and noise in my head were greatly weakened.
Ni Ji took off his black gloves and stroked the blade with his palm, slowly leaving a bloody mark on the palm of his hand. The magic sword absorbed enough blood and became longer and wider, turning a strange blood red.
The sentry crouched, charged, leaped, and drew his sword from the air.
The dark red blade light, with afterimages and a hurricane, chopped towards the burning golden tree.
Large sections of golden branches broke off. The chopped branches were burning with flames and kept falling from the sky, turning into fragments and tiny sparks that drifted far away in the night sky.
They do not become keys.
Ni Ji had been in and out of the contaminated area countless times. He knew that the parts removed from the column would often become the key to enter and exit the contaminated area.
Whether it is a contaminated area dominated by mental attacks or a contaminated area dominated by physical attacks, the most difficult part is the process of finding the pillar and getting close to it.
But as long as they can get close to the most powerful mutant in the contaminated area and remove a part from it, it would be equivalent to getting the key, and everyone would have hope of leaving.
在這?裏，他?一路艱險，找了黃金樹，砍下了無數金色的樹枝。
卻沒有出現他?想要的那把鑰匙。
似乎有一聲輕笑聲，在無名處響起。
有人在不知名處，帶着嘲笑的意?味，冰冷的笑了一聲。
倪霁的腦海裏，刺耳而?混亂的聲音驟然?變得劇烈，像在腦中插進了一柄燒紅的尖刀，又像有無數的人擠進大腦中齊聲尖叫。
無數的張面孔出現在倪霁眼前?，那些死去的，還活着的，他?憎恨的，他?喜愛的，每一張臉來?回扭曲尖叫着阻擋他?的視線。
倪霁的眼前?一片血紅，耳朵裏流出了紅色的血絲。
他?單膝跪地，以刀支地，喘了一口氣，閉了一下眼睛。
淩亂的視線中，有一張面孔，永遠不會變得扭曲和醜陋。她只在那裏對?着自己淺淺地笑。
倪霁緩緩站起身來?，抹了一把臉上的血，舉刀重?新面對?火焰中的那株巨樹。
***
林苑發現屋子中睡在地上的那個人突然?發起了高燒。
那張本?來?蒼白的臉孔上泛起了不正常的潮紅。觸碰了一下他?的額頭，滾燙得吓人。
林苑帶了不少傷藥，但沒有退燒藥。只好小心打開?屋子的門，悄悄探出頭去喊人。
之前?帶路的那位姑娘很快跑來?了，“客人，我?是溫莎。請問有什麽需要嗎？”
林苑一把将她抓進來?，指着地上的那個人，“他?好像發燒了，這?裏有退燒藥，或者有醫生?嗎？”
“有，有藥。什麽藥都有。”溫莎急切地說，随後局促了一下，手指捏着裙擺低頭說，“但是藥要用錢買。不給随便用。”
“用帝國幣支付可?以嗎？”林苑把自己帶的帝國幣展示給溫莎看。
不知道在這?個污染區裏，自己這?個時代的錢幣是否還能通用。
“當然?。當然?。不收帝國幣，要收什麽呢？”溫莎高興起來?，“您是要給小薰買藥嗎？”
小薰指得是高燒陷入昏迷的這?個男人。
在污染區裏個人終端的信號會消失，無法進行轉賬。
幸好林苑有随身攜帶錢包的習慣。他?們還保留着使用帝國幣的習慣，真是太好了。
溫莎很快拿來?了各種藥劑和溫水。
兩?個女孩合力把小薰扶上屋子中唯一的木床。
薄被滑下來?一些，露出一副瘦骨嶙峋，傷痕累累的身軀。
林苑一口氣買齊了內外藥品，和溫莎兩?個人忙活了半天，清理傷口，包紮，喂藥，勉強把那位病人收拾好了。
“花了這?麽長時間，會不會影響到你的工作？”林苑問。
溫莎低下腦袋，搖搖頭。
“很謝謝您，您是一位仁慈的客人。”她彎着腰收拾地板上那些染了血的紗布和棉球，很小聲地帶着一點鼻音說，“薰華他?是一個很可?憐的人，請您對?他?溫柔一點。”
溫莎退出去之後沒多久，床上的那個病人睜開?了眼睛。
滾燙到像着火一樣?的高熱從他?身上退去，他?又恢複了最開?始那副半死不活，冷冷冰冰的模樣?。
他?睜開?眼，眸色冷得像是浸在寒潭下的一塊冰，歷經千萬歲月也不曾融化。
他?用那帶着寒意?的眼神看了林苑一會，伸出胳膊撐了一下自己，從床上坐了起來?。薄薄的被子從肩頭滑落，露出裹着雪白繃帶的肩膀。
“你想從我?這?裏要什麽？”他?冷冰冰的問林苑。
林苑還是第一次見到情緒上比自己還更冰冷的人，說話的聲音幾乎能凍得人打一個寒顫。
“沒沒沒，我?什麽都不要。你躺回去吧。”林苑趕快揮揮手。
她忙着蹲在門口偷窺外面，等着那些怪物散了。
剛剛在遠處，好像聽見了很大的動靜聲，有爆炸聲隐隐傳來?。
屋外的怪物奔跑了起來?，變得更狂躁而?密集了。
但是這?一會，那些火和爆炸好像熄滅了。聲音緩和了下來?，幾乎都聽不見了。
窗外，殘月冰冷的清輝透過窗戶，斜斜照在坐在床頭的那具病骨支離的身軀上。
那人沉默地看了一會林苑，垂下了眼睫。
在他?的記憶中，進來?這?間屋子的每一個人，都以折磨他?為樂趣。他?沒有見過對?他?沒有需求的人。
他?沒說話，但林苑好像聽見了他?心裏的疑問。
想着他?是病人，受了傷，于是盡量耐心地轉過頭對?他?說，
“真的，你躺下吧。你安心地好好睡一整夜。我?不找你要什麽。”
屋子內安靜下來?。
病人不再說話，躺回了他?的位置。
有人輕輕敲了敲門，是溫莎。
那女孩笑盈盈地遞給林苑一張菜單，“客人，夜深了，您需要點一些宵夜嗎？”
溫莎笑得很甜美，期待地看着林苑。
這?正中林苑下懷，林苑進來?了污染區很長時間，雖然?備有幹糧，看見琳琅滿目的菜單還是高興起來?。
只要帝國幣能夠使用，錢對?她來?說就不是問題。
“我?要這?個，這?個，還有那個……哇，你們有好多古老?的小吃。”
“啊，好，好的。”溫莎愣了一下，才回過神來?回答林苑，“我?馬上去給您端來?。”
林苑就笑了，她早就發現了，這?位姑娘找着理由進來?，注意?力和目光，卻幾次落在牆邊的那張木床上。
她的感情很純粹，帶着一點溫柔的憐憫，滿心對?那個人身體狀況的擔憂。
溫莎也并不回避林苑的笑。
她很大方地倚着林苑身邊坐下。坐在比林苑低很多的地方，挨着林苑的膝蓋，仰起臉看着林苑。
“薰華他?的身體已經很糟糕了。我?們都有點擔心他?。”那雙漂亮的眼睛帶着一點懇求，“您是一位仁慈的客人。讓我?留下來?陪您好不好，我?會唱一些小曲，跳舞也不錯。”
“好啊。”林苑說，“我?喜歡聽唱歌，也喜歡別人陪我?一起吃東西。”
漂亮的溫莎高高興興地坐在林苑的腳邊。
她給林苑端來?很多熱氣騰騰的食物。陪着林苑一起吃宵夜，唱歌給林苑聽。
林苑知道她并不是真的高興唱歌，她只是想留在這?裏，盡可?能地幫助一位快要枯萎的靈魂。
“你知道黃金樹嗎？”林苑填飽了肚子，找她打探消息。
“什麽？”溫莎一臉茫然?，“什麽樹？我?從來?沒有聽過這?個東西。”
林苑撓了撓頭：“就是像黃金做成的樹，很大，很顯眼，風吹的時候，葉片會唱歌。”
“沒有呢。”溫莎笑了起來?，“這?個世界上怎麽會有這?樣?的樹，那可?是寶貝啊，夢裏都見不到的東西。”
她是一個和林苑活在不同時空的人。
林苑看着她那張笑盈盈的小臉，不再問了。聽着她坐在自己的身邊，唱起了好聽的歌謠。
到了下半夜，有一個粗魯的敲門聲響起。
“開?門。叫薰華那小子出來?陪我?。”
那人把門敲得震天響，酒氣熏天的影子出現在窗戶的紙格上。
很明顯，是一個令人惡心的人。
溫莎咬住了嘴唇，拉住了林苑的衣角。
“你滾蛋。我?包夜了。”林苑說。她本?來?打算在這?個屋子裏躲一會就出去。但現在她打算再多待一會。
那個影子在外面粗俗地叫罵起來?。那是一個人類，有屬于人類最為惡心的惡意?。
那種令人作嘔的情緒傳遞進來?薰得林苑差點把宵夜吐了。
觸手們氣勢洶洶游動過去。
很快門外響起了一聲慘叫，有人沿着樓梯骨碌碌一路滾下去了。
溫莎就笑了，繼續唱起了她的歌。
這?一次，她是真的想唱歌。
伴随着這?樣?溫柔的歌聲，屋外的動靜似乎漸漸小了。
連那些隐隐約約的戰鬥聲變得平和，仿佛對?戰的一方，失去了戰鬥的興趣。
怪物的來?回走動的影子，也不知道什麽時候漸漸地消失不見。
林苑也在這?樣?的歌聲裏，不知不覺得打起了盹。
窗前?的那張小床，薄薄的棉被內，生?病的小薰蜷起身體，睡在月光裏。
他?好像有很多個夜晚，沒有這?樣?安心，無人打擾地睡上一覺。
是有多久呢。久到他?自己都有些不記得了。
林苑睜開?眼睛的時候。黑夜已經過去了。
白晝重?新降臨。
玫瑰園裏空蕩蕩的，外面的天光很亮，微風卷起了幾張破舊的傳單，在街道上空飄飄蕩蕩。
林苑眨了眨眼睛，空蕩蕩的屋子裏沒有生?病的小熏，也沒有唱歌的溫莎。
昨夜燈火輝煌的園子，此刻寂靜無聲。
林苑揉揉睡酸了的胳膊，打開?門往外走。
觸手們突然?興奮了起來?，一只一只地冒出了地面。
林苑尋着它們指引的方向看去，
在道路的那一端，看見了一個熟悉的身影。
染着血，帶着傷，黑色的作戰服，高挑的個子，手裏握着一柄豔紅的妖刀。
The man saw her, opened his legs and ran towards her.