Chapter 465 The Return of Darkness (Twenty-Seven)
He was not an indecisive person, and immediately pressed the start button.
The indicator lights on the panel began to flash, accompanied by a muffled hum, as the device slowly began to warm up.
"The power system is starting up."
Xie Tu kept his eyes glued to the data stream on the panel. "It might take a few minutes."
Yun Zhao nodded, remaining standing in the same spot.
The situation has been temporarily brought under control, but there has been no change in the contaminated area, which shows that simply killing the mutants is far from enough.
The gatekeepers did not want Nanjing to fall.
It's not just about saving those people, but about completely changing the course of history and bringing hope to the city.
Light……
Light is hope.
The lights in the entire factory suddenly turned on, and the dazzling light instantly dispelled the darkness.
Yun Zhao was unable to adapt for a moment and subconsciously closed his eyes.
And outside.
One by one, the streetlights were lit, and the city, which had been shrouded in darkness, was gradually covered in light.
The dim, yellowish light was initially weak and teetering under the encroachment of darkness, but as the power stabilized, the light grew brighter and brighter, gradually merging and converging to outline the contours of the city streets.
The people in the buffer zone were all stunned.
After realizing what had happened, his eyes were filled with unbelievable ecstasy.
Have the scientists found a solution?
"The power's back! The power's back!"
A middle-aged man noticed the streetlights were on, opened his window, and shouted excitedly, his voice echoing through the empty street.
His face was full of fatigue, but at this moment it radiated a long-lost glow.
On the streets, the once desolate buffer zone gradually came back to life.
Upon hearing the noise, many people in quarantine reacted immediately, scrambling to their feet and rushing to the door to quickly switch on the lights.
The soldiers, wearing night vision goggles, stood blankly in the street.
They looked up and saw that the previously dark windows on both sides of the street were being lit up one after another.
The walls were bathed in a warm yellow light, and their outlines were clearly visible.
The lights twinkled like stars, illuminating people's surprised and excited faces.
...
Government building.
Upon receiving a call from the buffer zone, the people busily working inside the building with flashlights froze in place.
The documents fell to the ground with a clatter.
But no one picked it up.
I'm afraid this is just a dream.
Secretary Dong and the political commissar rushed out of the room, shouting excitedly, "Quickly contact Commander Zhong!"
It doesn't matter that the sun is gone.
With electricity and current technology, people can do many things.
By restoring productivity across various sectors, scientists can also better study dark matter.
Sooner or later, the truth about the disaster will be revealed.
Upon receiving the message, Commander Zhong immediately stood up.
He was equally excited, "Did Captain Xie and the others find a solution?"
"It should be. Lieutenant Zuo saw Commander Xie drive to Huaneng Power Plant with his own eyes," the newly appointed adjutant replied.
"Okay, okay."
Commander Zhong said "good" three times, then turned around, picked up the walkie-talkie on the table, and contacted Lieutenant Zuo, who was stationed in the buffer zone.
"Please help me contact Captain Xie; I have something to say to him."
However.
The sudden light source was like a double-edged sword.
The balance was instantly shattered.
Inside a house, a woman, bathed in light, beamed with the joy of surviving a disaster.
She had just reached out, trying to touch the long-lost warm light, when the whole world suddenly started buzzing before her fingertips even touched it.
In an instant.
The woman's image flickered violently, as if disturbed by an unstable electrical current.
Her once clear outline became blurred, and light and shadow danced and twisted on her body, as if an invisible hand was pulling at her wantonly.
Her body resembled an image on an old television screen, with black and white horizontal lines constantly rolling up and down, cutting her figure into fragments.
The woman tried to scream.
The sound it emitted also seemed to be interfered with by an electric current.
Intermittently, it turned into a sharp, piercing "hissing" sound that echoed in the small room.
at the same time.
Many people's bodies react in different ways, as if they have short-circuited.
Someone was standing under the light, just trying to stretch their stiff body.
A sudden change occurred.
Black viscous fluid began to seep from the man's body, and his fingernails instantly grew longer, curving like hooks, easily cutting his palms, and black blood dripped onto the ground.
These are images imagined by the gatekeeper.
Under the sudden light, they all transformed into terrifying beings.
Hearing the commotion coming from all directions, the sentries' expressions changed drastically: "This is bad! Quickly notify Captain Xie!"
The windows shattered one by one.
The monster leaped down.
…………
Upon receiving messages from Groups Nine and Ten, Xie Tu and Yun Zhao initially thought it was the gatekeepers making a move.
"Captain Xie, a riot has broken out in the buffer zone!"
On the other end of the walkie-talkie, Lao Gao's voice came through. He explained the situation quickly: "Less than five minutes after the call came in, many people have mutated, and it's all images!"
Xie Tu and Yun Zhao's expressions changed instantly.
The two looked up and exchanged a glance.
It was thought that with electricity, things would improve, and the goalkeeper's obsession would be over.
But now, why has the situation worsened further?
Did we go in the wrong direction?
Xie Tu said calmly to Lao Gao, "I'll be right there."
He hung up the walkie-talkie, switched channels, and contacted all troops in the buffer zone.
"Attention all troops in the buffer zone, this is Xie Tu."
Xie Tu issued an order into the channel: "I will cut off the power in two minutes. Instruct the soldiers to put on their night vision goggles, suppress the monsters with all their might, guard the safe passage, and do not let the monsters break through the defense line."
"The communications officer must ensure smooth communication between all squads, and report any threats immediately!"
A response came quickly from the other end of the walkie-talkie.
"Yes, sir!"
"receive!"
After hanging up the walkie-talkie, silence fell over the area.
The glaring lights hung overhead, casting long shadows on the ground.
"The light appeared, so why is there still a riot?"
Yun Zhao had already heard him say he was going to cut off the power, and had a vague guess, so he asked him, "Is it because you were stimulated by the light source?"
"It's pretty close." Xie Tu frowned.
He shared the same doubts as Yun Zhao.
The gatekeeper clearly doesn't want the city to fall, so why does the incoming call only exacerbate the situation?
Two minutes passed quickly.
Xie Tu stood in front of the huge control panel and shut the equipment down again.
As he pressed the off button, the lights went out abruptly, replaced by familiar darkness.
One by one, the streetlights on the streets outside went out, plunging the city, which had been covered in light, back into darkness.
"If too many advanced mutants appear, the Sentinels may not be able to handle it."
Xie Tu turned on his flashlight and led her outside. "Let's go, let's go take a look now."
Yun Zhao nodded, still pondering the reason.
"I'm wondering if our understanding of the obsession with goalkeepers is too one-sided?"
Yun Zhao said slowly, "It is Nanjing City, carrying the memories of the city's suffering. But this is just the surface. Could the real hope lie in something deeper?"
Xie Tu led her to the door, pushed it open, and the world returned to darkness.
It was pitch black outside.
Xie Tu illuminated the path beneath his feet with his flashlight. "You mean, we only solved the surface problem and didn't address the core of the gatekeeper's obsession?"
Yun Zhao nodded: "It should be."
But what is the core?
What represents the memories of this city?
Or perhaps it has endured too much suffering, and the pain buried deep in the river of time is the key to understanding all of this.
She was lost in thought.
Xie Tu suddenly stopped and gently squeezed her fingers, signaling her to be quiet.
Yun Zhao looked up.
Her vision was almost useless in the dark.
But faint sounds could be heard—like chewing, mixed with low moans—coming from not far ahead.
Xie Tu's pupils contracted slightly in the darkness.
On the road ahead, next to the corpse of the big yellow dog they had killed earlier, lay two mutants.
Its body was twisted, neither human nor inhuman, as if it were wrapped in a layer of blurry light and shadow, its outline appearing and disappearing.
"Two image aberrations are feeding," Xie Tu said in a low voice, almost whispering in Yun Zhao's ear.
Yun Zhao nodded and remained quietly in place.
Her mental energy was ineffective.
These beings, conjured by the gatekeeper, cannot be directly attacked by outsiders.
It must be touched to make it tangible before it can be truly killed.
However, do the conjured creatures also need to eat?
The five-star pollution zone is incredibly realistic?
Xie Tu had entered battle mode, slowly drawing his Tang sword from behind him.
"Stay here and don't move," Xie Tu said in a low voice, then his figure flashed and he rushed towards the two mutants like a ghost.
Almost at the same moment, the two mutants seemed to sense their presence.
He suddenly raised his head, his empty eyes locking onto the two of them.
One of the smaller mutants, with its limbs on the ground, pounced on Xie Tu like an arrow released from a bow, its speed creating a whooshing sound.
Xie Tu remained calm and easily dodged the fierce attack by sidestepping.
Before the monster could react, his right leg shot out and touched its body directly.
Corrosive sap dripped down and slid down the combat suit to the ground.
As he touched it, the mutant's body instantly solidified, and its previously blurry outline became clearly visible.
Its appearance resembles a giant wolf, with a twisted and deformed head, exposed fangs, and a scarlet light flashing in its eyes.
In that instant, it let out a low growl and pounced on Xie Tu.
Xie Tu was prepared and quickly dodged to the side, avoiding its attack.
Another monster attacked, its sharp, knife-like claws reaching for his chest.
Xie Tu reacted extremely quickly, leaning back and using the strength of his waist to flip backward several meters before landing steadily.
At the same time, his elbow easily touched the body of another mutant.
To visualize it again.
His body spun rapidly, and his left leg swept out like a black lightning bolt, striking the mutant's abdomen heavily.
The mutant's massive body was sent flying backward by the kick, crashing into a nearby notice board.
Cracks appeared on the wooden board instantly.
Xie Tu's eyes turned cold, and he swiftly swung his Tang sword, the blade drawing a dark blue arc in the air before precisely slicing into the mutant's neck.
With a burst of power, it severed its head.
Then, with a dull thud, he slammed the head of another mutant into the ground.
The dust has settled.
The battle ended quickly.
Xie Tu shook off the black slime from the blade, put the Tang sword back into the side of his backpack, and walked towards where Yun Zhao was.
Two phoenixes followed her the whole time.
Yun Zhao turned on his flashlight and looked at him, saying, "There were no monsters around when I came here."
Within minutes, the monster had arrived.
"Not everyone has a collective consciousness; they might be people hiding nearby."
Xie Tu took her hand again and walked outside. "It's normal for some people to realize that they might not survive being quarantined and to run to sparsely populated places to hide."
After all, everyone is afraid of death.
Some people would rather become monsters than face death.
Yun Zhao nodded. His thoughts had been interrupted by the two monsters, and he couldn't find a solution for the time being, so he had no choice but to go and check the situation first.
The two returned to the infantry fighting vehicle.
The military walkie-talkie was flashing a red dot; Commander Zhong had finally made contact with them.
"Captain Xie, have you found a way to restore power?" Commander Zhong asked directly.
Xie Tu looked down and started the car. "Yes, but the situation in the quarantine zone is not optimistic. Stimulated by the light source, some people have accelerated the distortion process, so we have to shut down the power system."
Commander Zhong had obviously received the message as well.
He sighed, "Finding a way to restore power, but being unable to start it up—there's nothing more frustrating than that."
Fortunately, Captain Xie went to the buffer zone to test electrical energy.
If it were the energy station of the safe zone, which has more than nine million people, the consequences would be unimaginable.
...
The situation is worse than expected.
The distortion wasn't limited to the quarantined civilians; it also affected many soldiers.
Among the soldiers in the midst of battle, one suddenly underwent a mutation and lunged at his nearest comrade without warning.
"Watch out! He's mutated!" a soldier shouted, his voice filled with terror and despair.
However, it was too late.
The mutated soldier, like a wild beast, quickly pounced on his comrade beside him, opened his blood-red maw, and bit down hard.
Screams echoed through the streets, accompanied by the chilling sound of bones shattering.
The entire buffer zone is completely out of control.
On the streets, the number of mutants is increasing.
The sentries were leading the remaining troops in a fighting retreat, withdrawing towards the tank units on the edge of the area.
"We cannot retreat!"
Lieutenant General Ren's face was ashen. "There are still many civilians who are isolated at home. Once the army withdraws from the buffer zone, they will surely die."
The sentries felt a headache coming on when they heard this.
They exchanged a glance, their hearts filled with helplessness.
How am I supposed to explain to these people that they are all monsters, and whether they retreat or not, they are already dead?
"Lieutenant General Ren, the situation is out of control!"
Sun Chao said urgently, "These mutants are beyond our capabilities! If we don't leave now, we'll all die here!"
Lieutenant General Ren's face grew even uglier.
His gaze swept over the soldiers who were fighting desperately on the street, a hint of pain and resentment flashing in his eyes.
But he insisted, "We are soldiers, and protecting the people is a soldier's duty! Even if we die, we will die here!"
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