Chapter 84 Soul Cage
The inside of the door was very dark, and the passage was only two or three meters long.
The staircase at the end extends downwards, each step covered with a thin layer of dust.
The sentries had excellent eyesight and, once their eyes adjusted to the light, they descended the stairs without hindrance.
Yun Zhao walked in the middle of the group. The pitch-black environment made it impossible for her to see the stairs of varying heights. The dancing green fluorescent lights quickly adjusted their positions according to her wishes, illuminating each step of the stairs beneath her feet.
As if it had become a habit, Xie Tu, who was beside her, grabbed her backpack strap again.
Yun Zhao tilted her head slightly and glanced at him.
The man was staring straight ahead into the corridor, his profile cold and stern, and he wasn't looking at her.
The group went down the stairs and soon reached the second gate.
The little bluebird opened the second door.
Song Liang and Duan Xi drew their knives and quietly killed the mutants here, giving each other a military salute.
The flow rate varies within the contaminated area.
Team Zero has witnessed such scenes several times.
These mutants once shouldered the mission of protecting the people during the dark ages, and their uniforms still bear traces of their former glory.
A salute is a sign of respect for these soldiers, and even more so a tribute to that difficult period of their lives.
Continue down the stairs to the third gate.
Unlike the previous two doors.
The third gate is located deep underground. Above the gate is a bulletproof glass window for verifying identity information, and in the middle is an iron fence. Through the glass, the scene inside the gate is clearly visible.
The dim light of the oil lamp illuminated the deep corridor, where shadowy figures, footsteps, and voices mingled together.
Inside the gate, everything was safe and sound.
Outside the door, dark matter drifted everywhere, and dust filled the air.
It's like two different worlds.
"There are two timelines?"
Yun Zhao glanced at the situation inside and asked, "Could it be a merger of contaminated areas?"
She recalled what Minister Duan had once said.
The merged contaminated area is classified as a five-star hazard level.
"uncertain."
Xie Tu glanced at the figures inside, "It's probably still a timeline. People living underground can't know what's happening on the surface and still live in their own world."
Yun Zhao's expression faltered slightly, as if he had thought of something, and he asked, "If the timeline could go back to the past, what would the 'people' in it be?"
Living? Dead? Monster?
Or perhaps it's just an image.
Because of the different flow of time, many contaminated areas still retain the scenes from before.
Previously, in the No. 88 contaminated zone, Yun Zhao didn't have much of a feeling about the mutants in the city.
But since returning to the base, he has started attending training courses.
Yun Zhao had reviewed many mission cases and gained a deeper understanding of the 'people' in various contaminated areas.
Some creatures in the polluted area are unaware that they are dead, nor that they are monsters.
In their minds, the world continues to operate at a familiar rhythm, with them repeating their daily lives and steadfastly holding their posts...
If consciousness remains in the present moment.
The creatures within contaminated zone number 28 may still be hoping for tomorrow, for the sun to reappear, and for the end of the world to end.
They cannot escape their cocoons.
They allowed the gatekeepers to manipulate their consciousness.
It's as if the soul is imprisoned in a cage, unable to break free.
"I don't know, but from a biological point of view, these people have lost their vital signs and become physical monsters."
Xie Tu had to remind her, "You should have seen the closing remarks at the end of each knowledge lesson video; those are pieces of advice for the combat team members."
Yun Zhao pursed his lips and read the words aloud: "History will not change because of our presence. We are merely bystanders of history. We cannot feel pity for the people in the polluted area, nor can we let our emotions get involved when carrying out our mission."
Xie Tu nodded, "When the timeline reaches the end of each person's life, they will disappear."
Instead, cannibalistic mutants attempted to leave the Sentinels in the contaminated zone forever.
The team members around him listened silently.
That's just how cruel reality is.
It is precisely because they cannot understand it that, even with the key, many sentries still sacrificed their lives in the contaminated area.
Because they... felt pity for the monsters trapped in the contaminated area.
This is a major taboo.
"I see."
Yun Zhao paused for a moment, then raised his hand to remove the barrier. "Since you're going in, I'll put the barrier away first."
If we can communicate, we might be able to extract clues from the 'people' inside and completely destroy the corrupted timeline here.
She still wanted to kill the gatekeeper.
Otherwise, if you only earn a little over a thousand points for a single trip, wouldn't that be a wasted trip?
Having experienced the huge bonus from Pollution Zone No. 88, she now seems to look down on the more than 1,000 points.
Seeing that she looked unharmed, Xie Tu wondered what she was thinking. After confirming that she was alright, he led the team toward the door.
The group deliberately made a commotion, alerting the 'people' inside.
"Who is it?" A wary male voice came from inside the door.
The voice sounded normal, like that of a normal human being.
Through the bulletproof glass, Xie Tu saw a soldier in camouflage and said, "We are a sentry team sent by the Central Base to check on the situation of Shelter No. 28."
The rabbit seemed a little confused and whispered to Song Liang, "Why did the captain say it was the central base?"
Our Dawn Base is very close.
If someone comes from such a long distance from the central government, would the people inside believe it?
Song Liang patted her and explained, "Because we are too close, exposing the Dawn Base's number might cause the 'people' inside to develop new obsessions."
If the situation inside the shelter is not good.
The people in this timeline develop an obsession with "it's so close, I can leave here and go to Dawn Base," which makes it difficult for them to obtain the key.
As for whether the people inside will believe it, once their abilities are confirmed, they will have no choice but to believe it.
"The central government has sent someone?!"
The soldier looked shocked, but then became overjoyed. "Wait a moment! I'll notify the major general right away."
His facial expressions were very vivid.
Through bulletproof glass.
Yun Zhao saw his forehead.
There, a grayish-black flame flickered, barely visible, on the verge of going out.
What happens after it's turned off?
Will I end up like those emotionless monsters at the door?
mood?
Is goalkeeper number 28 collecting emotions?
Yun Zhao thought of his spiritual threads, which could capture emotions.
She seemed to have grasped a key point, but her thoughts were interrupted by a large number of hurried footsteps coming from inside the door.
"Comrades! We've finally been waiting for you!"
Among the people who arrived, the leader was a burly man in a military green uniform.
Seeing a group of people in combat uniforms standing outside, he excitedly asked through the doors and windows, "Sir, is the country still standing?"
A moment of silence fell over the group.
Xie Tu's gaze deepened, and he slowly said, "Yes, all is well."
The officer laughed heartily upon receiving the answer, his voice booming, "I knew it! Those monsters outside are nothing! As long as the nation exists, humanity will ultimately triumph!"
Even through the door, his laughter couldn't be stopped.
The atmosphere in the group became even more silent, heavy, and oppressive.
No one spoke again.
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