Chapter 124 The Third Day, Another Person (Some changes were made to Dora's storyline...)
Professor Shia asked if you wanted to go back to camp first. You felt you were almost fully recovered, but you were afraid of missing any new information, so you gritted your teeth and said you were fine and preferred to continue the journey.
The professor nodded.
As an adult, since you insist, she has nothing to say.
However, everyone kindly avoided making you do any more climbing or climbing work; most of the time you just stayed by Mina's side and took notes.
You have more time to observe Carlos.
But you gained nothing.
When he was alone, he didn't do anything strange, and when he was with any of the other team members, he didn't do anything like the scenario you might imagine: "Carlos is influenced by some mysterious force and will take out the team members one by one."
At the end of the day, you lay down in your sleeping bag, feeling a little down.
It was still stuffy inside the tent, but everyone went to the river to wash themselves this afternoon, so they felt a bit better.
You lie on your side, propped up on your elbows, with a headlamp hanging from the hook above, shining on the small dictionaries in your hands.
If you don't know how to use a vocabulary app to memorize the words you need, just write down all the new words you encounter at work during the day, and combine them with some subject-specific vocabulary you searched for yourself, and organize them like this.
Memorizing vocabulary can also help your brain temporarily escape the mystery surrounding Carlos.
You're studying intently when suddenly, a jarring voice, sounding almost mocking, drifts from beside you: "Why are you still memorizing vocabulary at a time like this?"
You didn't turn around, nor did you say a word.
Tony, lying in her sleeping bag, persisted, "I was thinking, the way you looked at Carlos today was really... peculiar."
You turned a page of your dictionary, your voice very soft: "What are you trying to say?"
“I have to say, Carlos is really attractive. He’s Latin, studied classical guitar, is physically fit, and has a lot of muscles…” She paused, then chuckled, “But you know what? I think he might prefer someone more athletic.”
You closed the notebook, calmly saying, "I think everyone has different opinions, so let's not jump to conclusions. I'm just worried that his injury hasn't fully healed. After all, he suffered such a serious fall yesterday, and today he's running all over the camp. Any normal person would be extra careful."
Tony chuckled, rolled over, and moved his voice closer: "So you people from the Flower Country are really good at 'observation'."
She leaned in so close that her shadow fell over you, forcing you to move forward slightly. You turned and sat up, looking at her with a puzzled expression: "?"
“Don’t misunderstand, I meant no harm,” she said.
You silently rolled your eyes and repeated that sentence to yourself.
“I think many Asian girls aren’t as pretty as you. Your eyes aren’t like theirs…” she said, laughing mischievously, pinching the corners of her eyes with both hands and pulling them up. “And you don’t speak very loudly. You’d be suitable to be a spy, or the kind of person who…quietly squats in a corner taking notes.”
You raise your headlamp, the light reflecting off the tent wall and illuminating her profile. She still has that "I was just kidding" smile on her face.
"What are you trying to imply?" you asked flatly, as if you didn't understand her offense at all.
“It’s nothing. I just feel that you always seem to be working particularly hard here.” She deliberately drew out the last syllable of the word “hard work”.
You remain calm and say, "Yes, I do work very hard. This is probably because I have a higher IQ, so I am more willing to put in the effort to get the most out of my intelligence."
You shrug: "No offense intended. Most people probably can't understand this feeling, but people who are afraid of hard work are usually afraid because it's pointless to try."
"Hahaha!" you laughed.
Tony paused for three seconds; her smile vanished.
She kept her voice down and continued, "I'm just curious, are you all so... vigilant? Is this some kind of cultural trait?"
You turn your head and look at her.
Looking into her eyes, you suddenly feel that perhaps this is a good time to try a rule: "What do you mean by that?"
After that question was asked, the tent fell into a silent stillness, as if a door had clicked shut as the door was locked.
Tony's expression froze for a moment.
The headlamp beam hadn't changed, yet it seemed to be shining on a transparent film, creating a hazy halo around you and Tony.
Tony remained silent.
You also remained silent.
But suddenly your hand feels warm—not hot, but heavy, large, and powerful, as if it weren't your hand anymore.
You look down and realize that your military green shirt has turned into a bright yellow tank top, with two thick chains covered in rhinestones hanging from your chest.
He raised his hand, and his fingernails had become a full four centimeters long, shiny pink, and covered with a row of rivets that looked like they had just been ground from an arsenal.
You feel dizzy, and the next second, your mouth drops open as you stare at a giant mirror that has appeared in front of you without you even noticing.
The small tent has long since become a glamorous stage, and you have become a tanned fitness enthusiast.
He was muscular, dressed sexily, and had eyeliner slanted upwards onto his forehead.
? ? ? ?
In the mirror, there's a reflection that isn't yours, and another person whose skin has also turned dark... judging by their face... it looks like Tony??
Unlike you, she was wearing a pink fluffy bathrobe and had a face mask on, standing in the center of a room that looked like a nail salon.
She's holding a mini hairdryer in her hand, glaring at you.
"How could you say that to me?!" she said. "That's a verbal attack on me!"
Shocked as it may be, it seems that we have no choice but to fight back now.
You slowly walked over, shattering the diamond-studded steps on the floor with one foot, and pointed at her chest: "You said 'people from our side,' then tell me—which side are you from?"
Your sharp, long fingernails nearly poked her chest, and she took a step back in fright: "I—I'm friendly! I'm open! I have many minority friends! I never say those things directly!"
You snapped your nails and said, "So you're afraid people will know what you're trying to say?"
What happened next is something you don't know how it happened; it's as if the manicure made you move, and your lips and nails seemed to be connected.
You're wielding a sparkly rhinestone nail clipper, while Tony brandishes her electric nail polish brush. The two of you engage in a verbal battle, unleashing dazzling light attacks and weaving traps with sarcastic remarks in a colorful salon.
“I really admire your Yazhou culture, it’s really ancient and Zen-like—but if you like math too much, doesn’t that mean you lose your creativity?”
"I'm quite curious, you said you admired me while you huddled me inside a box that's easy to label. But then again, maybe the fantasies that uncultured people have about other ethnic groups can only be so shallow."
Tony nearly coughed up blood, waiting backstage for ages: "I was just trying to show respect, why are you being so sensitive?"
“I’m not sensitive, I’m clear-headed. It’s you who seems a bit agitated. Why are you so agitated, chill, girl? (Calm down)” you said, clicking your tongue.
Tony was furious: "I can't understand a word you're saying. Are you speaking some kind of babbling language?"
You pressed your advantage: "So chill, if a native speaker can't understand this, they probably need to go back to elementary school. On another note, the fact that I, from a foreign country, can do the same things as you in the same school means that you can't beat outsiders even within your own rules, so pitty." You used a frying sound and drew out the intonation.
With a series of thuds, you finally executed a backflip—as if you were born to move your body like that—and kicked Tony into the big box on her side.
It was a huge metal mouth-shaped box. She lay inside, her mouth constantly saying automatically, "That's not what I meant. I'm not that kind of person. I never say that—" before the mechanical arm sealed her mouth shut.
Another wave of dizziness washed over me.
You suddenly sit up in your sleeping bag.
The headlamp was still on, and the vocabulary book lay on his chest.
What just happened??
Your memory has become hazy, as if your brain has activated an automatic protection mechanism that makes you forget some outrageous things.
But your fingertips trembled slightly, as if the glitter and fury from the battle were still lingering under your nails.
Meanwhile, Tony woke up and looked at you with a complicated, evasive gaze.
You looked at each other in silence, and she eventually just lay down, her back to you.
All you could hear her say was a whisper: “Carlos deserves better than this.”
…Let her do whatever she wants.
All you know is that you won.
Although I don't remember how I won, and I have a vague sense of regret that I will never use "what do you mean by that" so easily again, at least the crisis from this inexplicable roommate should be over.
Anyway, she probably won't dare to mess with you again.
It rained at night, and the sound of rain hitting the tent roof and the ground vegetation was completely natural white noise.
You fell asleep and slept soundly through the night.
On the morning of your third day in this instance, the rain had already stopped, but the moisture still lingered.
The rain failed to lower the temperature; instead, it turned the place into a steam room after the sun rose and the temperature increased.
When you come out of the tent, the air smells of rotten wood and mud, and mosquitoes swarm around your ears like a black cloud.
Ramon burned some dry grass to repel mosquitoes, but it didn't seem to help; Freddy boiled water early in the morning, and Becca, because of your situation yesterday, started organizing the team's temperature charts early in the morning.
You took the disinfectant and wiped your hands. Becca asked you a few questions, and you cheered her up with a bright smile. Only then did she feel relieved and end the conversation with you.
Today's task is to go to a low-lying woodland on the southeast side, where the water is deep and the vegetation is dense. It is a typical area with active spore eruption, and there are also many parasitic and saprophytic fungi breeding there.
Dora is the main sampler, and you will continue to be responsible for recording the sample location and time, while also helping Max take fixed-point photos.
Do you remember that Max wasn't very happy after Professor Shia finished explaining the arrangements?
“Shia,” he said, sighing deeply, “I learned how to use a drone yesterday, and maybe I can try flying it.”
The professor completely ignored him.
Your team will soon set off and advance into the forest.
You and Dora are walking very close, Max is about ten meters behind you, and Mina is even further away.
Mina is indeed a bit too aloof, to the point that you've tested her several times to see if she's an outsider. But she keeps her distance from you in the same way, so you stop bothering her.
The destination is just ahead.
Entering the wet forest wasn't difficult; the terrain was much better than the vines of the second day. But stopping made it uncomfortable.
The ground was extremely slippery; stepping on it made a "plop" sound, and the mud could swallow half of the sole of your shoe.
The vines wound around the tree trunk at varying heights, water droplets constantly dripped from above onto the back of my neck, and occasionally there were sticky marks at my feet that looked like they were left by snakes.
Dora was very excited, as if she had returned to her happy hometown. She bent down by a fallen log: "Look here, this white-topped umbrella-shaped plant is a kind of cordyceps. You can see the parasite's corpse is still attached."
Wow, go over and take a closer look.
Dora put on her gloves and carefully turned over the lump of mud with tweezers.
There was indeed a grayish-brown beetle below, its back bulging, with fungi growing out from behind it like feathers.
Max, who was taking pictures, said, "Haha, don't you think this looks like a decorated sinner?"
Everyone burst into laughter, but you felt a chill run down your spine from what you heard.
After the host fungus dies, it grows into a new form... but who replaces whom?
You think of Carlos.
You glanced behind you.
You originally wanted to find Carlos.
But then I saw Max standing through the gaps in the sunlight filtering through the dense foliage, taking a picture of a fallen tree.
His profile was clearly illuminated by the sunlight, making the ground sparkle.
You were just glancing at it casually.
Then you stopped moving.
He has no shadow.
Squint and look at it again.
The light was coming from behind at an angle, and his equipment bag, the tree trunk, and your own silhouette were all clearly visible. Only his silhouette was blank.
The soil on the ground was washed by the sun, but it didn't resemble a human figure.
You pretend to squat down to help Dora pick up the sampling bag, and when you look up, you glance at it again—still nothing.
Dora whispered a little awkwardly in your ear, "Why did you suddenly become so quiet? Did I say too much?"
You quickly shook your head and looked back at me: "Don't misunderstand, I'm just hot again."
"Drink more water, or the professor might kick you out if you keep getting sick," Dora said seriously.
"Kick him out?" You were taken aback.
"Don't you know?" Dora realized she had said something she shouldn't have, and quickly covered her mouth. But under your somewhat pitiful and expectant gaze, she still spoke up. "Professor Shia is a notorious devil instructor. Every year she drags students to participate in this kind of scientific expedition. But it's supposed to be an extracurricular activity, just to earn credits and social activity points, yet students in her group always get into trouble."
“So she cares a lot about this now.” Dora nodded. “Otherwise, why would Carlos be putting on such a brave face? If he were just kicked out like that, all his suffering would have been for nothing.”
Professor Shia gives you the impression of being strict and serious but also easy to talk to; I never expected her to have this side to her.
It's not surprising that you can't be kicked out. After going through so many dungeons, you've already developed a mindset for dungeon survival. Otherwise, you would have made an excuse to leave the expedition team on the first day.
That's not what you're concerned about.
Instead...
"You also think Carlos is—putting on a brave face?" You were a little agitated.
Dora saw your eyes light up and seemed a little embarrassed, but she still stammered to finish your sentence: "Any normal person would think he's wrong. Who can run and jump after injuring their leg like that?"
"Yes." You nodded, suppressing your emotions.
This was a truly unexpected and delightful surprise.
Dora may not be an outsider, but the fact that she can accept Carlos's changes without the numbness of others suggests that you can trust her and form an alliance with her on some issues.
"Dora, do you see any difference in those mushrooms over there?" you ask, pointing to the ground near Max.
"Hmm? Let me see." Dora was puzzled, but she still went there.
She quickly turned back, looking quite uncomfortable.
You look at Dora expectantly; her eyes widen, and she's almost about to point at Max and say something.
"Shh." You quickly pulled her back, and the two of you took a few more steps forward. "I didn't see wrong, did I?"
Dora nodded vigorously.
"What do we do now? I have a feeling that no one else has noticed this except the two of us," you said.
Dora remained silent for a long while, as if she had made up her mind, then patted your shoulder: "Take care of yourself. I'll do some research when we get back today, maybe I'll find something."
You took her hand and gave a firm "Mmm".
You feel that you have not only found an ally, but even a "way out" that may have been deliberately left for you.
After all, you know nothing about scientific research or rainforests, so even if you discover something unusual, you can only guess blindly. Dora, on the other hand, is someone who feels like she's back in her happy hometown in the rainforest.
However, you can't rely on Dora entirely.
You stand in the world of fungi, watching those controlled insects, carrying feather-like corpse mushrooms, standing in rows in the woodland, as if preparing for a silent parade.
You are still thinking about the whole chain.
When did it all begin?
You remember the day Carlos was injured perfectly. His wound was so deep that the bone was visible, and right near the wound, there was something with a really strange mark.
Was it that thing that made him abnormal, or did that thing foreshadow his abnormality?
What about Max? Does he have the same scars as Carlos?
You patiently wait for your opportunity.
Until noon, you rested in a patch of woodland overgrown with beggar-ticks. The ground was soft and damp, and sunlight shone on the grass blades, with water droplets still dripping down.
Max casually put his bag on the ground, sat down on a tree root, and used a bundle of dry grass to dry his wet insoles.
As you squat down, pretend you're picking something up, casually use the edge of your boot to pick up a clump of mud, shake it off, and then flick it onto his calf.
He was startled, cried out in surprise, and shuddered. You, on the other hand, looked like you were the one who was frightened, and even more mud splattered, covering him completely. He jumped up immediately: "Watch out!"
You laughed and said, "I'm so sorry, why don't you find a puddle to rinse it off? Your back is all sticky."
He turned his head and saw, sure enough, a clump of mud stuck in the neck of his shirt. Frustrated, he took off his outer garment while trying to maintain his cheerful and easy-going image: "It's nothing, it's not a big deal."
You casually tie the bag, but your eyes never leave his exposed nape as he lowers his head—
There, you saw it.
A radiating mark, located low on the shoulder blade, with a slightly raised patch of skin, as if it hadn't healed completely.
You almost lost your grip on the bag's opening; a slight tingling sensation ran through your fingertips.
Its shape and texture are exactly the same as the one on Carlos's leg.
Moreover, because Carlos's was covered in mud and blood, it wasn't very clear, but Max's was clearly visible.
This is a tooth mark that looks like it was bitten out from the inside.
Just looking at it, you can hallucinate as if some monster is about to tear out of that wound.
You slowly stood up, dusted off your pants, and walked over to Becca without changing your expression. You said in a low voice, "Some data here doesn't match up... I want to check yesterday's video recordings and fill in any gaps in time."
Becca frowned, but didn't ask any further questions: "Then remember not to touch the source files."
You took her data tablet, turned around, and sat down on a dry rock.
You quickly retrieve the data package from the morning of Day 2 and find material showing that both Carlos and Max were present.
You flip through the pages frame by frame.
The image of Max hanging from the vines in the morning:
You pause, zoom in—his back is clear. You examine his shoulders and neck frame by frame.
Clean.
He didn't have that mark back then.
You continue searching for footage from other time periods: lunchtime, Max is changing clothes, laughing as he grabs a piece of chicken breast from Dora—you zoom in, and when he stretches, his collar is open, and there's nothing suspicious about his neck.
Based on the video footage, Carlos did not do anything to Max.
On the contrary, it was Tony who was in contact with Carlos.
Uh, you also saw someone lurking in the corner, constantly glancing at Carlos.
Even when you cover your face, it's still so obvious.
Wait.
This does not mean that Carlos did not come into contact with Max.
In fact, Max only spent the first night with Freddy because he was injured and needed a specialist to take care of him.
But from the second day onwards, Carlos "recovered well" and moved back to his original tent.
His roommate was Max.
You return the data panel to Becca.
Therefore, it is very likely that Carlos did something that influenced Max the night he moved the tent back.
You don't know if it's contagion, possession, implantation, hypnosis, or something completely different from your assumptions; it might just be a random event.
What exactly did Carlos "leave" for Max?
Or are they both just...
container?
Are there even more than just the two of them?
Is the spread of this mark one-to-one, day-by-day? Are there any other triggers?
You made an excuse to go to the restroom and called all the girls except for Becca, the professor's assistant, to come and keep you company.
It's normal for girls to go to the restroom together, so this isn't unusual.
You said you wanted to wash your hands again.
"Stop being so sentimental, let's not go too far," Tony retorted seriously.
But you soon discover the true effect of "what do you mean by that": ever since you took the initiative to issue the warning and won the round, when you take a hard line, the other party seems to only back down.
So you glared, crossed your arms, suppressed your breath, and let out a bubbly voice: "Don't be so disgusting, we'll be right back. Besides, what could possibly happen to the four of us?"
Dora was naturally active, so she had no objections, and Mina had even less to say. Tony reluctantly went with the three of you.
At the water's edge, you said you wanted to take a bath.
Having followed the instructions of the other three who had come here, they didn't say anything more and quickly rinsed themselves off by the water.
You see, no one has a mark on them.
"Let's go back then, don't stay by the water for too long." You have many things on your mind and don't want to waste any more time.
In the afternoon, we continued exploring the area.
No one spoke; sweat dripped down their necks, even their breath had a sticky smell. With each step, their trouser legs brushed against thorny grass, and mosquitoes swarmed around their ears like patrolling soldiers.
The professor walked ahead without stopping. She always made a habit of speeding up when people were most tired.
You walk in the middle, carrying your equipment bag, occasionally looking back to see if anyone has fallen behind.
Max and Mina were left behind.
Mina seemed a little distracted. She was holding a small specimen board in one hand, making notes as she walked. You saw her stop a few times to squat down and examine an orange-brown mushroom cap growing on the ground.
A few meters further back was Max. He was holding a selfie stick, taking pictures of himself while mimicking Mina's tone: "Fungi are the most misunderstood ecological voices~" He said it as if he were joking.
But just as you were paying attention to Carlos yesterday, you've been focusing on Max today. Every word he says seems to have a hidden meaning, and it's quite jarring.
You're a little worried about Mina.
You're hesitating whether to do what you did before and deliberately strike up a conversation with Mina so that she'll walk faster and faster until she's at the front of the group, away from Max.
Just as I turned around, I heard a faint sound of a twig snapping, and then—
"roar--!"
It was a deep, aggressive, animalistic sound that exploded from the depths of the dense forest to your right!
Among the vines, a pair of yellow and red eyes were staring intently at them.
The next second—the bristly wild boar suddenly leaped out from the vines!
Larger than a regular wild boar, with bristling mane and protruding tusks, it charged straight at Dora—no, more like Mina—like a mudslide covered in spikes!
Before Dora could react, Mina turned around, her face completely bewildered!
You did not hesitate.
You were already thinking about whether or not to get rid of Mina, so naturally you were also keeping an eye on Max.
And you see him stop in his tracks.
He didn't move, shout, or run when he saw the wild boar. He simply raised his hand slightly, as if preparing to say something.
Before your brain can even process the words, your body starts moving.
You burst out of the bushes, as if you had anticipated this angle, and rushed towards them sideways, shouting, "Mina! Crouch down!"
Mina didn't hear you clearly, so you simply bumped into her, knocked her down, and rolled into the ditch on the side with her.
Your wrist scraped against a tree root, burning with pain, but you see Dora also plop down on the ground, escaping the pig's path.
You only have time to check that your abrasions are just red marks, thankfully the skin isn't broken, otherwise you'd really be afraid of getting an infection!
The wild boars, however, have not stopped attacking!
The wild boar leaped out from behind the tree, its thick shoulders like stones, its eyes gleaming with a ferocious red light. You could hear its hooves slipping through the mud.
You practically pounced on the ground, pinning Jinny beneath you, before it roared past you on your left, knocking over several bushes and a rock.
"Bang bang bang!"
The birds in the trees started chirping and flapping their wings as they flew away.
Professor Shia fired his gun and killed the wild boar instantly.
"Everyone gather here!! Don't run around!" The professor's voice was like a whip lashing down your back.
Carlos rushed over and helped Max up.
That's when you realize that Max didn't run far at all!
Ramon also came over, raised his knife, stabbed the wild boar a few more times, pulled it aside, cut off its head, and muttered something under his breath.
You help Mina up; she's panting and still hasn't quite recovered. You feel your back is soaked with sweat.
"I...I just..." Mina stammered, looking at you, "How did you know it was going to charge?"
You opened your mouth, but couldn't say the answer.
How could you possibly tell her that you were able to react so quickly because you were keeping an eye on Max the whole time, afraid that he would harm her?
“We’re both of Asian descent, so I might pay more attention to you when something happens.” You laughed.
It took me a while to realize that what I said sounded strange. Fortunately, after this incident, Mina's wariness towards you has obviously decreased a lot.
You quickly lined up and stood still. The professor was still hesitating whether to leave early.
Ramon pulled her aside and spoke excitedly in Selenium, while you watched the professor's expression grow increasingly impatient and helpless.
Meanwhile, Max, seemingly oblivious to everything, wore an almost innocent smile and clapped his hands, leading the applause.
"That was so cool!" he exclaimed. "Saving that person was absolutely awesome! Hero!"
“Heroine!” Dora corrected him.
You then raised your hand with a "please spare me" expression.
Max continued, "Next time you're rescuing someone, consider the photographer's feelings. I didn't take any pictures."
You returned his smile and avoided physical contact.
He seemed relaxed, sociable, and even more "down-to-earth" than usual.
But you just have to hurry, Max's smile is a bit forced.
It seems he's preparing to do something.
You just prevented that thing from happening.
The professor and Ramon had reached a conclusion, and she was somewhat furious.
"That concludes today's itinerary. The gunfire could cause us trouble, so we need to return to camp first." She clearly didn't really think it was dangerous; she just didn't like the journey being delayed again.
Under the professor's orders, everyone quickly checked the equipment and regrouped. On the way back, the professor's tone was colder than usual: "This area should be in the molting season for wild boars recently, so there shouldn't be any single adult boars here... Did someone veer off course and provoke the wild boars?"
No one said a word.
You glance at Mina; her backpack has fallen, and the sample board in her hand is still trembling.
You don't want to question her; she's already terrified.
Back at camp, the atmosphere was somber. Becca helped Mina and you treat their soft tissue contusions, while Professor Shia and Ramon guided Freddy in setting up nighttime warning lines, primarily to deter wild boars from seeking revenge.
Tony, unusually, remained silent and said no more.
Only when you are in a good mood.
Regardless of what actually happened, you instinctively felt that you had prevented something unusual from happening.
You've been thinking about it over and over all night.
On the first night, Carlos spoke to you outside the tent in words you couldn't understand, and you didn't get them.
Today, Max stands in the path of the wild boar attack, ready to do something to Mina.
You don't understand the connection between these things.
But more and more clues are about to point to a rule.
You lie in your sleeping bag, staring at the reflections of light and shadow on the tent ceiling.
I'm somewhat relaxed, but I don't dare to completely relax.
You slept very restlessly that night.
You dreamt of sinking into a deep well, but at the well's opening, instead of the moon, there was an eye.
You woke up with a start.
"It's rare for our dream homebody to get up this early," Tony joked with you.
Actually, she stopped joking with you after yesterday, and now she turns her face away whenever we meet, as if she doesn't dare to argue with you.
Tony is now full of energy, as if he's back to how he was at the beginning of summer camp.
Before you could even finish your polite greeting, your pupils contracted.
Tony was changing clothes right in front of you, and on her stomach, there was a mark that looked like a tooth mark.
And it was far more ferocious than the one on Max.
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Author's Note: Early morning writing achievement achieved, hahaha... But how is it already noon...? I'm about to rush out the door. Today I'll try to slack off in the lab and see if I can write a few more drafts to stockpile. ^^
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