Chapter 54: Attempt at Self-Rescue
“Xiaoxi… what did you call me over for?” Bu Xiaolong finally asked.
“You can see them. You’re not infected,” Lin Jiayao said softly. “I can see them too.”
Bu Xiaolong’s pupils constricted.
So, he wasn’t the only one.
An Xiaoxi could also see these terrifying tendrils and fungal zombies?
He still couldn’t forget the image of his friend trying to piece together a pile of bloodstained mushrooms and tendrils.
His friend’s sorrowful words, “What happened to Captain Xie?” still echoed in his mind.
It was just a pile of fungus…
The memory still sent chills down his spine.
And now, An Xiaoxi, who could also see them, had sought him out. This lessened his fear slightly.
Then, he watched as An Xiaoxi moved through the crowd, tapping certain people on the shoulder, motioning for them to follow.
Gradually, the group following her grew.
Her actions alerted the other Awakened, who started asking what she was doing, but An Xiaoxi simply smiled and said it was nothing.
Those following her didn’t know what she was planning either, but the fact that they could all see the tendrils was enough for them to trust her.
He just didn’t understand how she knew who could see the tendrils and who couldn’t.
Both the fungal zombies and the humans seemed to consider An Xiaoxi one of their own, so Lin Jiayao’s actions weren’t hindered.
Soon, Lin Jiayao had identified all the uninfected Awakened within the security perimeter.
Thirty-three in total.
These thirty-three were likely the only uninfected Awakened remaining in Survivor’s Light, besides those still out on explorations.
Of course, this didn’t include Lin Jiayao herself.
They formed a circle around her, some with complex expressions, some confused, some still in shock.
But they were all waiting for Lin Jiayao to speak.
She was the first to take charge in this chaos.
“I believe you’ve all seen what happened to the government building,” Lin Jiayao said, looking around. “The leadership of Survivor’s Light has been infected by a zombie fungus. Many more might be infected but are unaware.”
Although they had their suspicions, hearing Lin Jiayao confirm it caused an uproar.
Zombies had infiltrated the highest levels of Survivor’s Light?
Even many of the Awakened and ordinary people present were infected?
“I call this fungus the Blood Orb Fungus. Or, as you might know it,” Lin Jiayao paused, “Mimic Zombies.”
Mimic Zombies?
A fungus?
And the leadership almost completely wiped out?
Lin Jiayao then described everything she knew about the Blood Orb Fungus’s abilities and characteristics.
The more they listened, the more uneasy they felt.
Why did An Xiaoxi, a mere radio host, know so much, even information they hadn’t heard before?
Lin Jiayao knew many of them wanted to ask her questions.
Countless questions.
But she didn’t give them the chance.
She only had two hours until extraction; she had to make every second count.
“Don’t rush to ask questions. I don’t have all the answers.”
“What happens next is up to you. All I can do is tell you this and assure you that none of the thirty-three of you are infected.”
“I’ve told you everything I know. Whatever you choose to do next has nothing to do with me… Excuse me.”
Lin Jiayao pushed through the crowd and walked towards the ruins.
She had shared everything she knew; the rest was up to them.
The nature of her existence, the need to extract, meant she couldn’t lead them.
If they couldn’t choose a leader themselves and relied solely on her, then this organization had no hope of recovery, and there was no point in coming here.
Now, she had to find the white-haired girl’s body.
The girl had been at the center of the Chaotic Storm; Lin Jiayao strongly suspected she was the host of the mother entity.
Dead or alive, she had to find her.
Lin Jiayao continued searching the ruins, following the infected, while the thirty-three Awakened formed a small group, discussing the situation.
They tacitly avoided disturbing Lin Jiayao, unsure of what to make of her.
One thing they were certain of: the person who had just spoken to them wasn’t the An Xiaoxi they knew.
What she was, no one dared to say. A lingering unease settled over them.
It was as if a long-held belief had suddenly crumbled.
But they had to pick up the pieces and carry on.
The search continued for almost half an hour. Most of the bodies had been recovered.
But among the fungal zombie corpses, Lin Jiayao didn’t see the white-haired girl.
Then, someone stepped forward from the uninfected group, quickly convincing the others, and a makeshift plan was put into action.
They had the other Awakened collect all the mutated corpses and suppress the news of the leadership’s near-total annihilation and the Blood Orb Fungus.
Then, they split into groups, carrying samples of the fungus, searching for others who could see it.
They were looking for allies, for other ordinary people or Awakened who shared their vision.
They wanted to try and save as many people as possible.
Lin Jiayao had actually suggested a simpler solution: kill everyone who couldn’t see the tendrils, regardless of the severity of their infection.
Clearly, they hadn’t taken her advice.
Lin Jiayao couldn’t judge whether their choice was right or wrong, or how naive it was.
After all, if they wanted to rebuild Survivor’s Light, they needed more people; they couldn’t afford too many casualties.
Just as Lin Jiayao was about to give up the search and head towards the extraction point, she felt someone following her.
But when she turned around, she saw no one.
Nearing the extraction point at the shopping mall, she finally saw a flash of white in her peripheral vision.
It was the girl.
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