Chapter 50: The Girl in White
Lin Jiayao’s gaze shifted from the skyscrapers of Donghai City back to the luxurious single office she occupied.
She was in the heart of Donghai City.
Just looking at her office, it was almost as if the apocalypse had never happened.
It seemed Survivor’s Light had done a good job rebuilding the core district… at least, it had at one point.
Leaving her office, Lin Jiayao followed her memories, walking down the corridor and stopping at the stairwell.
Perhaps to save electricity, the elevator wasn’t working. Fortunately, she was only on the 10th floor.
She checked the extraction point and time: 1.7km and two hours. Not much time, but the distance was short, leaving ample time to explore.
She didn’t encounter anyone on the stairs. It was break time for the combat department, except for Xie Yi’s team, who were on duty.
Being on duty simply meant staying within Haiming District; they could move freely otherwise.
Reaching the ground floor, Lin Jiayao saw Xie Yi’s – this body’s – subordinates.
The two were playing a game on their slightly outdated PSPs.
Hearing Lin Jiayao’s footsteps, they didn’t put away their consoles but waved at her with a smile.
“Captain Xie, heading out?”
“Captain… Captain Xie, we’re having hot pot tonight. Want to join us?”
Lin Jiayao looked at her two subordinates.
One, a bespectacled, seemingly introverted man, had the telltale red glow in his eyes and the luminous red tendrils visible only to Lin Jiayao.
Completely infected.
The other, a more boisterous man who had asked where she was going, showed no signs of infection.
He… wasn’t infected?
Could someone be immune to the fungal infection? Or was it because of his Awakened ability?
If she remembered correctly, his name was Bu Xiaolong, a physically enhanced Awakened with exceptional speed and stamina.
“Yes, I have some things to take care of.” Lin Jiayao smiled and nodded.
Judging by their attitudes, they had a good relationship with the original owner of this body. She was popular among her subordinates.
It was a pity they didn’t know their captain was already dead, her body now controlled by the Blood Orb Fungus.
Then, Lin Jiayao saw something unsettling.
The bespectacled subordinate turned to Bu Xiaolong and said something, tiny red particles spraying from his mouth towards Bu Xiaolong.
The red particles were inhaled into Bu Xiaolong’s lungs, some lingering in his eyes, too quickly for Lin Jiayao to react.
“Ah!!! Achoo!!!”
Bu Xiaolong sneezed violently and rubbed his nose. “Damn… there aren’t even that many flowers or trees in the city. How can I still have pollen allergies…”
The two, who had resumed their game, noticed Lin Jiayao was still standing there. “What’s wrong, Captain Xie?” Bu Xiaolong asked.
“Nothing, it’s fine,” Lin Jiayao said, shaking her head. “Just wanted to say I won’t be joining you for hot pot tonight.”
“Ah, it was just a formality. We all know you don’t enjoy these things. You’re busy. We’ll hold down the fort here.”
Bu Xiaolong waved dismissively and continued playing Monster Hunter with his now-infected companion.
“Mm, good.” Lin Jiayao nodded, glanced at the bespectacled man, and left the building.
It wasn’t hard to see that the bespectacled man had feelings for the original Xie Yi.
But he was already dead… or rather, he hadn’t realized he was already “dead,” so he still held onto those feelings.
He probably didn’t know that the moment he was separated from the fungus, or if the fungus went out of control within him, he would truly die.
Lin Jiayao shook her head, pushing the thought away.
Death was commonplace in the apocalypse. If she mourned every tragic death she witnessed, she would spend the rest of her life in endless sorrow.
Stepping onto the street, Lin Jiayao felt the sunlight on her skin.
Unlike when controlling other zombies, she didn’t feel any aversion to the sunlight, nor any particular fondness for it; she was simply indifferent.
Taking a deep breath, she walked towards another building.
Everywhere she looked, any available land was cultivated with vegetables or edible crops.
It seemed Survivor’s Light’s agricultural efforts were thriving, thanks to clean, filtered water and a stable water source free of aquatic zombies.
She saw many ordinary people wearing hats, watering the crops under the sunlight. Some were infected, some weren’t.
Even ordinary people weren’t all infected? It seemed the infection wasn’t as widespread as she’d imagined.
After crossing several streets, Lin Jiayao reached a low-rise building.
This used to be a government office, now the headquarters and living quarters of Survivor’s Light’s leadership.
“Captain Xie? What brings you here?” The guard at the gate lowered his rifle and jogged over. “Looking for someone? Should I inform them?”
He pointed to the walkie-talkie on his vest, a red glow in his eyes as he looked at Lin Jiayao.
“No need. I just wanted to see if I could get leave approval for my subordinates. They’re planning a hot pot gathering tonight,” Lin Jiayao said with a smile, gesturing towards the building.
“You’re really good to your subordinates. I wish I were assigned to your team.” The guard smiled and stepped aside. “Please, come in.”
Lin Jiayao nodded and entered.
But as she stepped inside, she frowned.
She realized she didn’t have many memories of this building.
She remembered being here many times, for combat meetings, secret meetings, and important announcements.
But her memories of the interior were blank.
This was unexpected.
She had thought that, like before, seeing certain people or things would trigger the associated memories.
Now, standing in front of a decorative rock garden in the lobby, she didn’t know where to go.
Since the entire leadership was now Awakened, there were no other guards inside, only the two at the gate.
They were all Awakened; they didn’t need ordinary people for protection. If they couldn’t handle a situation, ordinary people wouldn’t be able to help anyway.
I’ll go upstairs and take a look, Lin Jiayao decided. There doesn’t seem to be anything on the first floor.
She started towards the stairwell.
But before she reached it, someone emerged.
“Hmm? Xie Yi? What are you doing here?” It was a mature woman with slightly crooked glasses. She looked surprised to see Lin Jiayao.
“I wanted to see if I could request leave for my subordinates,” Lin Jiayao said, recognizing the woman. Her name was Zheng Yan, the secretary-general who relayed messages from the three leaders.
She was also infected, but not severely; there were no visible tendrils on her skin.
“Looking for Old Gu, are you? He practically raised you; he’ll be easier to talk to.” Zheng Yan smiled and extended her hand. “Come on, I’ll take you to him.”
“Okay.” The Zheng Yan in Lin Jiayao’s memories was indeed this approachable, so she took her hand.
“Old Gu has been cooped up in his office ever since the motivational rally last month, probably working himself to death on Project Hyacinth.”
Zheng Yan chuckled as they walked upstairs, her tone light.
“We’ve finally established a foothold in Donghai Province. We can start clearing the surrounding cities now. The apocalypse will be over soon.” Zheng Yan squeezed Lin Jiayao’s hand, her usual mature demeanor replaced by childlike excitement.
Lin Jiayao didn’t respond, just followed her to the third floor.
Because she saw the blood-red tendrils covering the corridor, staining the white walls red.
Strangely, these tendrils seemed to be growing naturally, and she could control them?
Zheng Yan seemed oblivious to the tendrils, continuing to chatter as they walked.
“Remind Old Gu to get some rest. He treats you like a daughter; he’ll listen to you.”
“Plop—”
A drop of mucus fell from the ceiling onto Lin Jiayao’s head. She looked up and saw a corpse wrapped in tendrils, stuck to the ceiling, dripping viscous fluid.
He wasn’t dead. His body was covered in blood-red mushrooms, having absorbed nutrients from the ceiling for who knew how long.
Seeming to notice her gaze, the gaunt man, his face withered, moved his lips slightly.
“Mons… monster… get out… get…”
“What is it, Xiao Xie? What are you looking at?” Zheng Yan followed her gaze and frowned. “Another leak? This government building was poorly designed. Leaks everywhere. I’ll have someone fix it later.”
Was the fungus interfering with their perception, making them unable to see the tendrils and the infected?
To confirm, she let the blood-red tendrils spread across her eyes. Her vision shifted.
The pervasive red tendrils disappeared, replaced by a clean corridor. Zheng Yan was leading her towards the end of the hallway.
“You can go in on your own. Remember to tell him to get some rest. I won’t disturb you.” Zheng Yan patted Lin Jiayao’s shoulder and left.
Lin Jiayao stood alone, facing the door.
Gu Wangran was one of the few B-rank Awakened. If something had happened to him, then this entire building might have fallen.
“Click—”
Lin Jiayao slowly turned the doorknob, opened the door, and looked inside.
The office at the end of the corridor still had the old rosewood desk and classical furniture, a touch of old-world charm.
And behind the desk sat an elderly man with thinning hair, his eyes closed, writing something on a piece of paper.
“Why didn’t you knock?” Gu Wangran said without looking up, a hint of displeasure in his voice.
Suddenly, he seemed to realize something and looked up.
“Oh, it’s Xiao Xie. Come in, come in, have a seat. What brings you here today?” He put down his pen and smiled. “Don’t tell me it’s about your subordinates again.”
He’s not infected?
No.
Lin Jiayao took a deep breath.
It was because she hadn’t retracted the tendrils from her eyes.
The tendrils retreated, and her pupils returned to their normal brown-black color.
Her vision changed drastically.
Gu Wangran’s scalp and skull were split open, his eyes gone, replaced by a glittering, blood-red mushroom dangling from the center of his cracked head.
His body was covered in viscous fluid, the fungal tendrils still drawing energy from him, but he seemed oblivious, pointing to a chair in front of him.
“Sit.”
Lin Jiayao saw the “Project Hyacinth” proposal on his desk. Except for a paragraph at the top, the rest was just random scribbles.
From the point where the scribbles began, she could estimate the time of his death.
The fungus could mimic his actions, but it couldn’t replicate his thoughts and plans.
A wave of nausea surged through her, stronger than she had felt even when killing.
A monster, masquerading as a human, repeating the actions of the deceased… it was truly disgusting…
“Who are you?”
A crisp, childlike voice suddenly came from behind Lin Jiayao.
She turned and saw a dazzlingly white figure.
It was a young girl, about twelve or thirteen years old, barely 140cm tall, wearing a pure white dress and stockings, her long twintails also pure white.
But the blood-red tendrils spreading through her pupils confirmed her nature, though not her identity.
Lin Jiayao didn’t recognize her; there was no one like this in Xie Yi’s memories.
The girl stared at her with hostility. “I don’t know you! Who are you?!” she shouted in a childish voice.
As she spoke, the fungal tendrils in the room seemed to come alive, writhing and glowing, reaching for Lin Jiayao from all directions.
But they stopped a meter away as Lin Jiayao raised her hand.
“How…” The little girl’s lips parted slightly, her eyes widening in sudden realization.
“Mommy!”
She called out sweetly and lunged towards Lin Jiayao.
Draft character design for the Blood-Red Fungus Mother entity (non-aggressive posture)
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