Chapter 28 The Gray Dome Tower 28 The Hidden Secret.
The car ultimately couldn't escape Nanmenjue's expectations: its skull was opened.
Fortunately, Nanmen Jue reacted quickly enough and escaped the gaping maw at the last second, speeding forward.
The Tyrannosaurus Rex chased after them.
"What the hell are you doing?!"
In the howling wind that could twist one's mouth, Nanmen Jue revealed his true anger for the first time, roaring loudly at Zhang Chuxi.
"You want to die in this world as soon as possible, don't you? Tell me what the hell you're thinking?!"
Zhang Chuxi's expression was blank, and she looked quite innocent, as if she hadn't realized what she had done, which made Nanmen Jue furious.
“You’d better give me an explanation,” she said darkly, “or I’ll kick you out of the car.”
Zhang Chuxi suddenly laughed, a very pale laugh, "You wouldn't."
She paused, then whispered in a voice that Nanmen Jue could barely hear, "If there's anyone in this world who would care about my life... it's only you..."
The tone was sorrowful.
Nanmen Jue didn't hear a word. "What are you muttering about? Your epitaph?"
Zhang Chuxi looked at her, the wind blowing her hair into a mess, obscuring her eyes.
“I don’t trust you to come out on your own,” she said. “If you die, I can’t live in this world either.”
Nanmen Jue was silent for a moment, then shivered dramatically. "I'm cold enough. Don't give me goosebumps."
Zhang Chuxi laughed.
She had never been so bold before. The monster chasing them shook the earth. Nanmen Jue twisted and turned several times, narrowly dodging the long beak. But the usually timid Nanmen Jue showed no fear at all. If Nanmen Jue had taken a moment to look into her eyes, she would have seen something almost resolute in them.
It also contains sorrows that we cannot see in the present moment.
"Where are we going?" Zhang Chuxi asked.
“Remember when I mentioned the abandoned nuclear power plant on the map? That’s also this guy’s spawn point.” Nanmen Jue gripped the steering wheel, his eyes fixed intently on the road ahead. “There’s still electricity there. You know what that means, right?”
Zhang Chuxi was shocked. "This means there's a nuclear reactor inside!"
“Yes, a nuclear reactor.” Nanmen Jue’s lips curled into a maniacal smile, but his tone became increasingly soft and calm. “Let’s think of a way to send this thing back to the spawn point. Don’t you want to know how many points a high-level monster is worth?”
...
Before the vehicle ran out of its last bit of energy, they reached the top of the ice cliff.
Not daring to linger for even a moment, the two practically tumbled out of the car. Nanmen Jue quickly attached the steel cable and shouted to Zhang Chuxi, "Hurry!"
Zhang Chuxi has a disability in one hand. If Nanmen Jue goes down first, it's equivalent to leaving her behind to feed the birds.
Zhang Chuxi clearly understood Nanmen Jue's meaning; she only glanced at him before hurriedly climbing down.
For someone with no experience in ice wall climbing, even a carefully selected route with a relatively gentle angle can be enough to terrify them.
But Zhang Chuxi seemed to know that if she slowed down, both of them would die on the spot, so she crawled very fast with only one hand. Her gloved hand was rubbed raw and bloody, but she did not make a sound.
Nanmen Jue suddenly stopped. The two looked up and saw the huge monster using all four limbs, its sharp claws digging into the ice, easily climbing down. But because the sound of the car engine was gone, it seemed to have lost its way and didn't know where the two had gone. Its beak frantically pecked in all directions, and the flying ice shards splashed all over the two's faces. The two froze and dared not move.
"Blood!"
The monster let out a cry that seemed to have no meaning, and slowly veered off course, crawling to the side.
Nanmen Jue gave a signal, and the two of them hurried down to climb. However, at that moment, the steel cable above snagged on the ice with a cracking sound.
Oops!
The monster turned its head upwards, leaped forward, and used its short front claws to grab the ice wall, pulling down the grappling hook!
The two screamed as they plummeted downwards.
Nanmen Jue only had time to retrieve the hook before they reached the bottom of the cliff and were still hanging on the ice wall. Fortunately, the remaining distance was less than ten meters. Nanmen Jue felt like all the bones in her body were falling apart, but thankfully she was still alive.
She opened her eyes with a gasp and saw the monster crawling toward her, following the sound. She quickly grabbed Zhang Chuxi and ran toward the cooling tower.
"What do we do now!" Zhang Chuxi shouted almost entirely on instinct; her brain had completely shut down.
What to do? At first, she thought that since the nuclear power plant still had electricity, it meant there was still unused fuel. How could she utilize this fuel? High-voltage electricity, or... control valves!
"Cooling tower!" Nanmenjue shouted, "Let's go to the cooling tower first!"
Both of them were limping a bit, but who dared to stop at this moment! Nanmen Jue felt as if he were playing a three-legged race, and he ran at the fastest speed he had ever been since birth.
But they still underestimated the monster's speed.
After determining their direction, the monster took long, thin hind legs and charged at them like a Tyrannosaurus Rex. No human leg could outrun such long legs. Just as the two were about to be reached, the monster stretched its neck to bite them, but suddenly tripped over its own legs with its left leg and fell down!
Imagine a small mountain rolling and crashing down on you. Nanmen Jue almost stopped breathing. He only had time to hold Zhang Chuxi in his arms. Then, the world spun around and the monster smashed through the office building they had entered earlier. The gust of wind that it generated swept the two girls into it as well, and they fell into a pile of rubble.
Zhang Chuxi opened her eyes, and what was in front of her face was a skull that had been decaying for who knows how long. A rat timidly crawled out of its eye socket. She almost screamed, but at the last moment she covered her mouth.
She nestled in Nanmen Jue's arms, both of them frozen in place, waiting for the monster to pass overhead.
The sky had completely darkened, and the impaired vision actually made things easier for the monster. Zhang Chuxi raised her head and looked into Nanmen Jue's clear and sharp eyes, her expression changing.
"Do you know where the substation, generator, or high-voltage power lines are here?" she asked in a low voice, almost only mouthing the question.
Nanmen Jue shook his head slightly. Last time, they didn't even have time to explore any places before they were scared away by this monster.
Zhang Chuxi took a deep breath, suppressing the trembling all over her body. "A long time ago, my grandfather worked at a nuclear power plant. I went there occasionally when I was a child. I don't know how different the structures of nuclear power plants are between the two worlds, but I can try to find out."
Nanmen Jue's eyes lit up. It would be best if they could use high-voltage electricity to solve this problem. But if the cooling tower was destroyed, who knew if the nuclear reactor, which was still running with weak energy, would overheat? If they weren't careful, they might get caught in the crossfire themselves.
She nodded decisively, and as soon as she moved, her left arm felt like it had been electrocuted, with pain and numbness.
When she was thrown into the air, she used this hand to protect Zhang Chuxi, and she probably suffered considerable injury.
The two supported each other and carefully walked inside.
“These nuclear power plants need electricity in many places, but the best place with strong power and easy to find is the control room,” Zhang Chuxi said softly. “That’s the command center of the nuclear power plant, responsible for monitoring and power output. Do you remember it?”
Nanmen Jue carefully recalled her experience from the last time she came here. Before going upstairs, she seemed to have seen a room full of surveillance cameras.
"Yes, it's on the first floor, but I'm not sure if it is."
"Let's go take a look first," Zhang Chuxi said with a wry smile. "There's no better way right now."
Since arriving in this world, Nanmen Jue has always played the role of protector. At this moment, Zhang Chuxi seems to be even calmer than Nanmen Jue, and is more like a gentle and composed older sister.
The two hunched over and moved forward, carefully avoiding stepping on the rubble and making a sound. The monster howled in the hall it had smashed, the echoes enveloping it and preventing it from hearing the small footsteps of the humans, giving the two a chance to catch their breath.
Upon arriving at the room Nanmen Jue had mentioned, Zhang Chuxi's face lit up with surprise. "This is it!"
Nanmen Jue breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't dare close the door and helped Zhang Chuxi to the control panel. It was covered in dust. Zhang Chuxi wiped it a few times, revealing the layout.
"Let me see. Generally speaking, the power distribution room should be around the control room..." she muttered nervously, her eye muscles twitching. "That's it, this is it!"
The smile on her face froze halfway through.
"What's wrong?" Nanmen Jue was looking outside alertly when he turned around sharply.
“…There’s a crucial problem.” Zhang Chuxi nervously fiddled with the table. “The power distribution equipment around the main control room must be the highest-voltage equipment. Those are high-voltage cables, and they definitely have insulating tape on them. If we want to use them to severely damage the monster, we first need to remove that insulating tape, and then we need to lure the monster over…”
Nanmen Jue understood. The principle was simple to explain, but every step was fraught with danger.
“I’ll go and draw it in,” Nanmenjue said decisively. “We’ll remove the insulation first, and most importantly, make sure it’s still electrified, so it’s all worth it.”
Zhang Chuxi looked at her pleadingly, but it was unclear what she was pleading for, "South Gate."
Nanmen Jue patted her head and smiled, just like he had ever smiled when they were in danger before.
Zhang Chuxi seemed to draw strength from the caress, and she nodded vigorously.
A few minutes later, Nanmen Jue sneaked back to the hall alone.
The monster was still in a rage of impotence. It seemed to have lost its prey. Its huge body, like a madman who went berserk because it couldn't get its toy, smashed the entire hall to pieces. Several load-bearing walls were knocked down. It probably wouldn't be long before the building collapsed.
Nanmen Jue picked up a stone, closed her eyes, and tried to calm her racing heart. Finding that she couldn't stop it no matter what she did, she became emboldened and swung the stone at the monster!
She watched as the monster stopped roaring and slowly turned toward her. She held her breath, took two steps back, and then turned and ran!
The roar was deafening. The monster chased after her, smashing through another load-bearing wall pillar. Half of the building collapsed. Nanmen Jue dodged left and right in a sorry state, but was still hit several times.
Fortunately, the high-voltage circuit is on the first floor!
Nanmen Jue rushed around the corner, shouting in advance to signal, "I'm coming!"
However, as soon as he turned around, Nanmen Jue's expression instantly turned to astonishment.
According to their plan, Zhang Chuxi should be standing next to the power distributor at this time, temporarily turning off the power when Nanmen Jue arrives, and then turning it up to the highest setting when the monster arrives. Otherwise, Nanmen Jue will be electrocuted before the monster arrives.
But Zhang Chuxi, who should have been there, was not there!
Where did Zhang Chuxi go? In just a few minutes, could something have happened to her?
Nanmen Jue didn't have time to think. Because of her brief hesitation, the monster had already caught up to her within arm's reach. She could even feel a slippery tongue licking her head... There was no time to hesitate!
Nanmen Jue gritted her teeth, her eyes hardening. Facing the thick cable with its insulation stripped off and the current almost visible to the naked eye, she not only did not slow down, but accelerated instantly!
When she reached the cable, she lay down on the ground with incredible flexibility and reaction speed. Using the momentum from her previous acceleration, she slid across the cable almost flat against the ground, with her back just millimeters away from it!
She's gone!
Nanmen Jue used his elbow to brake the car and looked back. The cable was exactly what the two of them had pulled out according to the size of the monster. It should be able to trip its ankles. Sure enough, the rampaging monster was tripped and fell. It struggled angrily, but it became more and more entangled in the cable. Nanmen Jue got up and wanted to turn on the high current. At this moment, there was a hissing sound and the monster let out a painful howl.
A bluish-purple current lit up along the cables wrapped around it, and the smell of burning flesh filled the air. Zhang Chuxi rushed out, covered in soot.
"Nanmen!" she cried, throwing herself into Nanmen Jue's arms. "Oh my god, the wall collapsed, and I was knocked unconscious! Thank goodness you're alright..."
"The plan went smoothly, we successfully made the electric roasted Tyrant Bird." Nanmen Jue was disheveled, but a bright smile appeared on his face. However, the smile did not last long before his expression changed.
The black mist began to spread again, even thicker than before. Nanmen Jue immediately felt uncomfortable, and Zhang Chuxi coughed violently.
"Hurry up, this fog is no good."
Nanmen Jue half-supported, half-carried Zhang Chuxi as he walked out. Before he had taken more than a few steps, the excellent crisis warning signal he had trained to develop exploded in his mind. Nanmen Jue forcefully pushed Zhang Chuxi away, and at the same time lay down on the spot, curling himself into a ball. A huge shadow stepped over her.
This monster is still alive!
Not only did it not die, it also unleashed an even stronger ferocity than before, wanting to avenge the suffering it had endured!
"South Gate!"
Zhang Chuxi's hoarse shout was hard to hear. Nanmen Jue wiped the blood off his face, got up, and jumped out of the window next to him.
Before leaping out, she quickly pulled out two items and threw them at Zhang Chuxi.
"It's up to you!"
There was no time to say more; Nanmen Jue believed Zhang Chuxi would understand!
"Come with me, you stupid big guy!"
Seeing the monster charging towards her with a broken cable hanging from it, roaring, Nanmen Jue turned and ran. She ran all the way to the bottom of the cooling tower and climbed up the metal ladder.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The monster, of course, didn't need a ladder. Just like on the ice wall, it used its sharp beak and limbs to grip the cooling tower and climb up. Although it had no eyes, the monster exuded a furious rage. Perhaps at this moment, killing Nanmen Jue was more important than anything else. Without the slightest hesitation, it chose Nanmen Jue, determined to swallow this little worm that had brought it pain into its belly!
"Okay, let's go."
Nanmen Jue chuckled softly and struggled to climb upwards. The cooling tower was nearly 300 meters high. She climbed all the way to the top and stood at the round opening. The wind was so strong that just standing there made one feel like they were about to fall.
"Wow!"
Nanmenjue spread her arms to maintain her balance and jogged across the narrow, round opening, peering into the tower as she ran.
It was too dark to see anything, so Nanmen Jue took out a flashlight from her pocket. Just then, the monster caught up and pecked at her feet. She rolled forward and fell, with pebbles rolling down the smooth wall. Nanmen Jue slipped and almost fell down as well.
In a flash, she grabbed the leg of a corpse hanging nearby.
After a long period of weathering, the corpse's bones were extremely fragile, suffering from severe osteoporosis. Nanmen Jue heard a cracking sound as she snapped the leg.
But it was enough for her to climb back up.
She began playing a game of seduction with the monster.
"Come here! I'm telling you, come here!"
Nanmen Jue taunted and dodged awkwardly, but the monster wouldn't come up. For convenience, it moved around the outer edge of the round mouth and then tried to grab Nanmen Jue with its beak and claws.
Nanmen Jue was running out of energy and was almost caught or bitten to a bloody pulp several times. It was becoming increasingly difficult for him to dodge.
This can't go on, she thought clearly. If things continue like this, she will definitely be worn down first. She has to think of a way to bring it up.
As Nanmen Jue listened to her own panting, her vision blurred by sweat and blood, she glanced back at the bottomless tower, and a crazy idea surfaced in her mind.
She turned to look at the monster's hideous head, a heart-wrenching smile spreading across her face.
"You're not so easy to win me over, buddy."
As she spoke, she stopped, swaying precariously in place, luring the monster to attack. She missed once, then leaned back. The monster continued forward, and she leaned back again.
Each bite made the monster think it was about to bite, but it missed every time. This anxiety and confidence that it was about to succeed made the monster suddenly stand up and pounce on Nanmen Jue!
As long as she holds Nanmenjue in her mouth, it can stand perfectly on the edge where she is now.
However, Nanmen Jue raised an eyebrow at it, leaned back, and jumped off the tower!
The monster was too massive to stop its momentum. It struggled with its limbs and roared in frustration as it crashed into the bottom of the tower.
Nanmen Jue was hanging on the metal ladder on the inner wall. Watching it fall, she immediately climbed back up. Just as she climbed back to the round entrance, she heard a loud bang, as if her entire eardrums had been blocked.
She only had time to curl up and protect her head with her arms. As the cooling tower exploded inside, the entire tower began to collapse. She was like someone caught in a mudslide, sliding down in a vast and devastating torrent.
Nanmenjue lost consciousness after being struck on the head by a rock.
The coma probably didn't last long. In the firelight, Nanmen Jue opened her eyes and saw Zhang Chuxi running towards her.
A smile appeared on her face.
“Nanmen,” Zhang Chuxi squatted down in front of her, her tone somewhat strange, “you’re still alive.”
"Hmm." Nanmen Jue's ears were still ringing, and he could barely hear. "Is it dead?"
"He must be dead," Zhang Chuxi said.
Nanmen Jue waited for Zhang Chuxi to help her up, but Zhang Chuxi didn't, so she sat up on her own.
"We can go back now." Because of her hearing loss, her speech was still somewhat unclear.
“Yes, we can go back now,” Zhang Chuxi said.
Nanmen Jue shook her head, and her nose started bleeding again. She initially thought it was another effect of the tumor and her injury, but this time she sensed something was wrong.
An indescribable heat ignited within her, threatening to melt her muscles and bones. She looked at her hands; a layer of skin was peeling off.
"Chu Xi, I feel something's not right..."
Before she could finish speaking, Zhang Chuxi raised a gun, the muzzle pointed directly at her head.
Nanmen Jue slowly turned his head and looked at Zhang Chuxi expressionlessly.
The other person's face appeared even more vivid in the flames. She was trembling all over, and tears streamed down her face, even though a gun was pointed at her.
Nanmen Jue reached out to wipe the blood from his nose, but Zhang Chuxi cried out in despair, "Don't move!"
Nanmen Jue raised his hand halfway, then slowly lowered it again.
“Why are you crying?” she said. “It’s like you’re the one having a gun pointed at you.”
"Don't move, Nanmen. I know how powerful you are. I'm afraid of you. Don't move, don't move..." Zhang Chuxi cried loudly. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't want to do this. I'm sorry."
"At least let me die knowing the truth," Nanmen Jue said. "Was it Xu Yang?"
Zhang Chuxi trembled violently. Nanmen Jue's omniscience and omnipotence had reassured her when he was her teammate, but now they only filled her with fear.
“I’m sorry…” Zhang Chuxi said, crying, “I have no choice but to either take you back to the Gray Tower or let you die outside.”
"He asked you to take me back to the Gray Tower? No wonder you asked me before if I still had any plans to go back to the Gray Tower."
It was Nanmen Jue who was threatened with death, but it was the person with the gun who broke down emotionally. Nanmen Jue was calm, or rather, too calm. She didn't even have the sarcasm she showed when facing Xu Yang and Zhu Wenjie. If you were to draw a comparison, her expression at this moment was extremely close to the moment she killed Qi Mo.
"When did you reach this agreement?" she asked.
“He contacted me as soon as we left,” Zhang Chuxi said, her voice trembling. “I tried to refuse, but I couldn’t. I’m sorry, Nanmen, I really couldn’t…”
“I’m very curious,” Nanmen Jue said slowly, “What conditions did he offer?”
Zhang Chuxi trembled again. "His methods... He can guarantee he won't kill me and will ensure my survival."
"Huh?" Nanmen Jue asked incredulously.
“You don’t understand! Nanmen, I’ve kept something from you, I’m sorry…” Zhang Chuxi took a deep breath, not letting tears and sobs drown out her voice, “I only said that the corpses of reincarnators could be taken back to exchange for points, but I just found out that in the reincarnation space, the price of a woman’s corpse is higher than that of a man’s!”
Nanmen Jue's eyes narrowed. "What did you say?"
“That’s right, that’s exactly it. The entire Reincarnation World is a giant arena for women.” Zhang Chuxi cried out in anguish. “No matter what, he will never give up on killing us. That’s how he earns points! If we don’t listen to him, we will definitely die. Nanmen, we are just newcomers, we can’t beat him.”
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