Chapter 26 The Tower of the Gray Dome 26 Mutation.
They returned to base in the evening.
He Ting was still asleep in the isolation room, showing no signs of waking up. After Nanmen Jue and Zhang Chuxi were out of danger, they were moved to regular rooms, where the two of them shared one room.
Nanmen Jue entrusted the crow to Wu Qing's care, only to be met with an angry rebuke: "I can take care of you, but I also have to take care of your bird!" followed by a flick on the forehead. When he returned to his room, Zhang Chuxi was lying on the bed, and he immediately sat up upon seeing her.
"How's it going? Is everything alright?"
Nanmen Jue opened his arms to her, "All the way through."
Zhang Chuxi chuckled, then quickly lowered her head. Under the dim light of the oil lamp, her face appeared somewhat pale.
Nanmen Jue assumed it was due to the pain, since painkillers were precious and Wu Qing was reluctant to use them.
She sat down at the table, moved the oil lamp a little further away, and then took out a map from her backpack, spreading it out on the table with a clatter.
Zhang Chuxi was startled. She got out of bed and went closer, and was shocked when she saw what it was. "What is this?"
“This is a map of what happened before the apocalypse,” Nanmenjue said. “Today we received very definite information that there is indeed more than one Gray Tower.”
Zhang Chuxi was stunned. "More than one... Gray Tower?"
"What I want to know doesn't have evidence yet, but for the people of this world, it's still incredibly impactful proof." Nanmen Jue thought of the man who died alone in his office guarding the controller, and then of the gray tower that existed more than a hundred years in advance. His eyes darkened. "I need to find it."
"Find it?" Zhang Chuxi looked at her. "Is that something you want to do too?"
"Don't worry, you won't lose any points." Nanmen Jue thought she was worried about the points, so he smiled and patted her head. "Killing a hundred monsters is much easier than I initially thought."
At that time, she was unsure of the combat strength of both sides and thought it would be difficult. Now she was not worried. If all else failed, she would ask Tong Gu and Qin Yehan for help. A mere hundred low-level monsters should not be a problem for them.
Nanmen Jue offered a word of comfort and then studied the map seriously. Zhang Chuxi could also understand the words on it, but she was clearly not interested in finding another gray tower. Nanmen Jue also had no intention of imposing her ideas on others; she only intended to do this herself.
"There's only a little over a month left until the end of this world," Zhang Chuxi said.
Nanmen Jue hummed in agreement.
"Will finding another gray tower reveal whether this world is real?"
Nanmen Jue looked up at her and said, "You seem to care a lot about this question of mine."
"I'm sorry, I'm just overthinking things here all by myself," Zhang Chuxi said weakly. "Just pretend I didn't ask."
Nanmen Jue looked at her for a while, but she kept her eyes down and didn't meet her gaze. Then Nanmen Jue said, "I really want to know what's going on in these worlds, but it doesn't necessarily have to be solved in this world. Right now, I just want to help them find another Gray Tower."
“The Gray Tower must be in complete chaos right now. Even if we reincarnators leave, Sister Wu and the others won’t be able to go back. If we can find another Gray Tower, their survival will be more secure.”
"So that's the reason?" Zhang Chuxi was taken aback. "Nanmen, you've actually started to believe that this world is real, and that these people are real, haven't you?"
Nanmen Jue looked down at the map again. "Whether it's true or false, I just don't want to do something I'll regret."
"Will you go back to Gray Tower?" Zhang Chuxi blurted out.
Nanmen Jue paused, and Zhang Chuxi's expression became somewhat flustered. "I mean, you seemed to really like Zhao Huai Ren before. Xu Yang is still alive. Don't you want to go back and seek revenge on him...?"
Seeing Nanmen Jue's probing gaze, Zhang Chuxi's voice grew softer and softer.
“If it was Qi Mo who directly caused Zhao Huai Ren’s death, then I have already killed him with my own hands. As for Xu Yang, he is a senior reincarnator. Do you think I should fight him now with nothing, instead of going back to the space to develop and then punch him in the head?” Nanmen Jue said.
Zhang Chuxi realized that her words were thoughtless, and she shifted uncomfortably. "I just didn't expect you to swallow this."
After all, on the train, Nanmen Jue dared to challenge a veteran right from the start, displaying a crazy, bull-like spirit.
"Who said I was going to swallow it? I'll just spit it out a little later." Nanmen Jue tapped his slender fingers on the table, a cold smile on his face. "And that Zhu Wenjie, consider him lucky."
Zhu Wenjie, Xu Yang, and Qi Mo are all birds of a feather. These three must have teamed up long ago. Even though Qi Mo is dead, there are still two veterans in the Gray Tower. It's not right to confront them head-on at this time.
Zhang Chuxi seemed a little absent-minded. Nanmen Jue pressed down on the back of the chair and turned it so that he was sitting facing her.
"What's wrong? What happened today?"
“There’s nothing there!” Zhang Chuxi’s voice was a little sharp, but she quickly regained her composure, though her eyes darted around. “South Gate, judging from what we saw before we came out, the Gray Tower is probably teeming with monsters now. I wonder what Xu Yang will do to it…”
"Are you worried about the people in the tower?"
Zhang Chuxi gripped her collar with her uninjured hand, her knuckles turning white from the force. "I just can't accept it..."
Nanmen Jue remained silent for a moment. In the dim shadows, her jawline, which was already thinner than it had been a month ago, appeared even sharper.
"So, did we win or lose this game?" Zhang Chuxi asked in a low voice.
Nanmen Jue was taken aback. "What?"
"The day you cut your hair, you said the game had only just begun. Back then, I looked at you and thought you would kill all the enemies to achieve a great victory," Zhang Chuxi said. "Now, in this situation, have we lost or won?"
Nanmen Jue said, "Does winning or losing really matter?"
Before Zhang Chuxi could answer, she took the initiative to say, "That's right, it's very important."
“I can’t say I’ve won yet; the price I’ve paid has been too high. But my war with them doesn’t necessarily have to be decided in this world,” Nanmen Jue said. “We have a long road ahead.”
"That makes sense." Zhang Chuxi forced a smile.
Seeing that she was still sad and worried, Nanmen Jue hesitated and raised his hand to rub her head. "Don't think about the Gray Tower anymore. We are just reincarnators, not gods who have descended to this world. If we really think about it, we are the ones who are being played."
“I know, Nanmen.” Zhang Chuxi slowly exhaled and smiled bitterly, “I’m older than you and have experienced one more world than you, yet I always have to be taught these things by you.”
Nanmen Jue glanced at her twice more, then frowned and spun the chair back around.
Zhang Chuxi didn't say anything more and spent the night studying the map in Nanmenjue. The next morning, Qin Yehan and Tong Gu came to knock on the door.
"How's it going?" Qin Yehan blurted out, "Do you know how to get there now?"
Nanmen Jue said softly, "You think I'm some kind of donkey for the production team? Do you even remember I was a wounded soldier?"
Although her tone was resentful, her eyes were playful; she simply wanted to tease this rebel leader, who was usually quite mature and sometimes had a dry sense of humor.
Qin Yehan's ears turned red, and he said in a low voice, "I just wanted to say... how are you? Do you need any more medicine?"
Nanmen Jue's interest in teasing her grew even stronger, but before she could even put on a good expression, Tong Gu interrupted.
"Which wounded soldier is as capable as you, climbing up and down without hesitation, and even daring to jump directly from the third floor?"
Nanmen Jue immediately showed a bored expression, "Kid, you should be more discerning in life."
"Don't call me 'little kid,' I'm only a year younger than you!"
The two started bickering again, which was common after they got to know each other better. Qin Yehan watched them helplessly. Zhang Chuxi was still sitting on the bed, her eyes looking a little lonely.
Just as they were bickering noisily, Wu Qing squeezed in through the door with a messy head. When she saw so many people in the room, her big eyes were full of surprise.
She stared intently at the two men. "What are you two doing in a girl's room so early in the morning?"
The two: "..."
Even though nothing had happened, why did their eyes and tone make them feel like they were thieves?
The search for the tower was still far from being finalized, and neither of them wanted to bring it up so soon. They hesitated for a moment, and Nanmen Jue naturally opened the door.
"What's wrong?"
“Oh, your bird is awake,” Wu Qing said. “But it looks a little dazed.”
What does it mean to look a little dull?
Nanmen Jue looked back in confusion and went with Wu Qing to check on the situation.
The crow lay upright on a hospital bed, its claws tucked in. Yesterday, Wu Qing seemed so disgusted, but she still gave this little life the best care.
Nanmen Jue came to the bedside and met a pair of small, black bean-like eyes.
The bird neither ran away, nor chirped, nor got up; it just lay there staring at Nanmen Jue, which amused Nanmen Jue.
"It seems a bit silly. Did it damage the brain?"
"I don't know, but its vital signs are quite stable," Wu Qing said. "You can take it with you, don't just occupy this space without doing anything."
Nanmen Jue had no objections. She stretched out her finger and gently moved her sharp beak. The crow didn't flinch, and its small eyes showed neither thought nor blankness.
"How about we observe it for another two days?" Nanmenjue said. "It really looks like its brain has been damaged."
"Go and observe it yourself. I don't have any medicine that it can take."
Wu Qing chased both the person and the bird out. Nanmen Jue muttered something about how fierce they were, and then carried the motionless crow back to his room.
Qin Yehan and Tong Gu hadn't left yet. There were two more breakfasts on the table. Nanmen Jue put the crow on his bed, which attracted Zhang Chuxi's curious gaze. She sat down to eat breakfast and told them about what she had researched last night.
"If the terrain hasn't changed much over the years, the other gray tower should be located in the southeast of the base."
Qin Yehan and Tong Gu immediately became excited, "You've got a lead so quickly?"
“It’s not hard to deduce this just by looking at the map, but remember the premise I mentioned: if the terrain hasn’t changed much.” Nanmen Jue, who was currently eating corn porridge, arranged several plates into a large triangle. “This is the base, this is the nuclear power plant we’re going to, and the Gray Tower is probably in this large triangle.”
Neither of them noticed that the crow on the bed, which looked like a specimen, slightly moved its eyes.
Qin Yehan looked at the area and said, "It's too big."
“So we need to find it,” Nanmen Jue said. “I don’t know exactly how to find it, but we’ll set off soon and find it as quickly as possible.”
Qin Yehan had no objections.
Tong Gu looked somewhat frustrated. "If there really is another survivor settlement, why have they never appeared all these years? If the two Gray Towers could cooperate, surely more people could have survived over the past few hundred years."
After the initial excitement of learning that I was not alone and that there was another group of strangers in this world, another feeling emerged, lighter than anger but heavier than resentment.
“Lin Suwen knew about the existence of another Gray Tower, so how could they not know about us? But they have never sent a signal, and we cannot even be sure of their existence.”
“We don’t know anything about the situation right now, Tong Gu,” Qin Yehan said. “Maybe they’re having some difficulties, or maybe they don’t even know there’s another survivor base. Don’t get angry about things that aren’t clear yet.”
Tong Gu pouted. He listened to Qin Yehan and shut his mouth after hearing what he said, but his eyes clearly showed that he was still unconvinced.
“Since you want to know, then let’s go ask them directly.” Nanmen Jue slowly wiped his mouth, stood up, and said, “Put on your masks, we’re off to dig out these moles who’ve been hiding somewhere, grab them by the collar and ask them what they’ve been doing all these years.”
Tong Gu's eyes suddenly lit up. He immediately agreed and surrounded Nanmen Jue, shouting, "Long live Nanmen! Nanmen is right! I need to ask them what they've been doing all these years!"
Qin Yehan looked at this scene, hesitated for a moment, and finally sighed softly.
Nanmen Jue guessed that he still wanted to persuade her to study the regressor, but the search for the Gray Tower was indeed inseparable from her, since only she could read the map.
Nanmen Jue also wanted to sigh. She wanted to say that it was not that she didn't want to help him, brother, but that she really was powerless to do so.
They were merely players forced into this cycle of reincarnation, more pitiful than lab rats; how could they possibly be saviors of the reincarnation world? These were the words she uttered to comfort Zhang Chuxi, but weren't they also words she had said to herself first?
So Nanmen Jue could only pretend he hadn't heard, put on his gear, and get into the familiar car.
They all knew that finding a way in this icy and snowy landscape wouldn't be easy, but the difficulty they actually faced was still beyond their expectations. They encountered two rather large groups of monsters, barely escaped, and almost lost their way again. Night had already fallen, and trying to travel at night would be suicidal, so the three of them had to find a place to rest temporarily.
It was too cold outside to get out of the car and spend the night, so Tong Gu parked the car in a sheltered spot and the three of them huddled inside, using the car's filtered heater to rest.
“It’s consuming too much energy,” Tong Gu said. “We have to get back to base tomorrow no matter what. If our vehicle stalls here, you probably don’t want to know what will happen.”
"Mm," Qin Yehan replied in a low voice, "We'll head back first thing tomorrow morning. Let's not take any risks."
Hearing his agreement, Tong Gu breathed a sigh of relief. Today he had witnessed how determined these two were to find the second Gray Tower. He was really afraid that Brother Qin had also been infected by Nanmen Jue, that madman.
Speaking of Nanmenjue...
Tong Gu had already lain down. He turned over in the reclined chair, leaned over it, and looked back at Nanmen Jue. "Nanmen, are you alright?"
After two fierce battles today, all three of them sustained some injuries. Both of them consciously protected Nanmen Jue, who was the least injured, suffering only minor abrasions.
She was fine, of course; she was checking her points.
Since she came out, her score has skyrocketed to 14,500, which shows that she has become quite aggressive.
When she first entered this world, she never expected that she could get so many freebies. Looking at the increasing points, she felt a sense of satisfaction, like she was saving money.
No matter how you look at it, the main god is a complete swindler, so it's not a problem for her to accumulate more points.
Hearing Tong Gu's words, she replied in a good mood, "I haven't felt this good in a long time."
It wasn't just the words that were kind, but the kindness that overflowed from his words. His expression and tone were beaming with joy, which made the other two exchange a glance, their faces showing different degrees of fear.
Oh no, has Nanmen really gone mad?
Nanmen Jue didn't care about them. After counting his points, he prepared to rest. In order not to attract the attention of the monsters, he turned off the lights in the car. In the pitch black, only the howling wind outside was hitting the car windows, making it feel like living in a haunted house.
Qin Yehan suddenly spoke up: "Nanmen, why don't you want to research reuptake?"
Nanmen Jue opened his eyes in the darkness and sighed inwardly, "As expected, they've arrived."
"You were angry about Zhao Huai Ren's death, and even though He Ting had mutated, you didn't give up on him. You risked your life to bring Zhang Chu Xi out, helped us find another Gray Tower, and even saved a crow you encountered on the road. You meet all my expectations of a doctor's benevolence: kindness, courage, loyalty, and perseverance."
Qin Yehan's voice flowed through the car, like elegant and deep piano music.
"You want to save humanity, but you refuse to continue researching retrograde. Why?"
The car was silent. Tong Gu even slowed his breathing. They were all waiting for Nanmen Jue's answer.
After a long pause, both of them thought that Nanmen Jue would not answer, and a soft sigh came from the back seat.
“Even if I’ve said many times that I can’t do it, you still wouldn’t believe me,” Nanmen Jue said in a low voice. “Even if I lied to you back then, now we’re friends who’ve been through thick and thin together. Do you think I would lie to you again?”
“But whether it’s possible or not, you have to try to find out,” Tong Gu said anxiously. “When I first picked up the gun, I also thought I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t possibly hit a fast-moving object from a few meters away, of course! But Brother Qin encouraged me to try, and I tried. I hit the monster on my first try, although it was just the monster’s arm. But if you don’t try, you won’t even be able to hit this arm, right?”
Nanmen Jue said, "This is different."
"Why is it different? How is it different?" The boy's gaze was intense, his eyes shining like two high-wattage light bulbs. "Nanmen, I admire you very much. Even though you keep saying you can't do it, I still believe in you."
Nanmen Jue didn't speak, and even looked away, as that kind of gaze would burn her.
“You’ve found the location of the second gray tower since you arrived. There’s nothing you can’t do,” Tong Gu said. “That’s how much I trust you.”
...
The two men refused Nanmen Jue's offer to join the night watch and took turns resting until dawn. The night was relatively peaceful, and nothing dangerous approached.
The sky was overcast and gloomy all day, but thankfully it didn't snow today. As soon as the sun came out, they set off to head back, fearing they might break down halfway.
Losing your car in a place like this, you can imagine the consequences.
According to the marks left on the way there, the return journey was relatively smooth, and the expected fierce battle did not occur. When they got close to the base, Nanmen Jue and Tong Gu high-fived each other in the car.
Qin Yehan shook his head, and the corners of his usually serious mouth turned up slightly.
"We'll be back at base after this bend!" Tong Gu said excitedly. "Great! I was so afraid this car would break down on the way. It's freezing! I'm definitely going to drink a big bowl of corn porridge when we get back..."
Before he could finish speaking, his words were suddenly stuck in his throat.
As the car rounded the last bend, the abandoned village, which had been used as a cover, came into view. However, this village was no longer the same as when they left.
Everywhere were broken walls and rubble. Houses that were once old but intact were smashed to pieces. Bright red blood flowed on the gray snow. Many corpses were piled up together—human, monster, and even…
Nanmen Jue looked at the corpses that still maintained human form but were covered with inhuman features, and his eyes darkened.
Qin Yehan had obviously also figured out the attacker's identity. He turned around abruptly to look at Nanmen Jue, and the two exchanged a glance, confirming each other's information.
"This, how is this possible..." Tong Gu's hands trembled as he drove, and the car came to a screeching halt.
The three of them immediately got out of the car and ran towards the entrance of the base. The closer they got, the more corpses piled up. Nanmen Jue recognized some of the faces she had seen in the base.
"Damn it!"
Tong Gu's painful curses were squeezed out from deep in his throat. Sure enough, the trapdoor leading to the underground had been opened, and someone was lying dead in front of it, arms outstretched, eyes wide open, seemingly trying his best to protect the entrance to the base in his last moments.
This horrific scene silenced all three of them. Of the two men who dared not face it, Nanmen Jue took the lead and walked down the stairs.
Unsure of what lay ahead, Nanmen Jue went into battle alert, holding a gun in one hand and a flashlight in the other. She had only taken two steps when Qin Yehan passed her and walked ahead.
Just like the formation they form in every adventure.
"The rebels are not lambs to the slaughter; they will not all die."
Qin Yehan didn't know whether he was comforting the two or encouraging himself. He steadied himself and carefully walked down.
Upon reaching the corridor leading to the gate, one finds numerous corpses still piled up. The dim lighting and the sheer number of bodies make it impossible to distinguish who they are.
Before they even reached the gate, a tense, hoarse, angry shout came from inside.
"Who is it!"
Tong Gu was overjoyed: "Lingdang, it's me!"
Nanmen Jue recognized the voice; it was Lingdang, who was in charge of the canteen. She was a girl in her twenties, and Nanmen Jue would go to her every morning to get two bowls of corn porridge.
Hearing that she was still alive, Nanmen Jue's tense facial lines relaxed slightly, indicating that the base had not been completely captured.
Qin Yehan thought so too, and his tightly furrowed brows relaxed a little as Tong Gu rushed in.
The main gate was damaged, as if it had been forcibly destroyed by heavy weapons. The survivors were gathered in the hall, almost all of them were injured, and even though they were wearing masks, you could smell the blood.
"leader!"
"Brother Qin!"
As the three entered, weak, tearful voices rose and fell, indicating the fierce battle they had endured.
The seriously injured lay on the ground groaning in pain, while the lightly injured were being bandaged. But Nanmen Jue looked around and did not see Wu Qing.
But I did see Zhang Chuxi sitting blankly in the crowd.
Nanmen Jue relaxed his pursed lips, strode towards her, and half-squatted down in front of her.
"Chu Xi?"
Zhang Chuxi was covered in dirt, and her arm, which had been painstakingly reattached, was hanging down in a broken state, bleeding from the wound. Her hair was covered in blood and sweat and stuck to her face. When she heard her name called, her eyes moved vacantly.
Nanmen Jue quickly examined her arm and asked anxiously, "Where is Sister Wu? Your arm needs immediate first aid!"
At the same time, Qin Yehan's voice also asked, "Where is Dr. Wu?"
"...South Gate".
Zhang Chuxi finally recognized the person. Her eyes were filled with deep fear, and her voice was hoarse and barely audible.
"They... the people from Gray Tower, they've taken Wu Qing away..."
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