Chapter 56: The Anomaly of the Necklace
No threats from monsters, no deadly pollution, no harsh weather changes…
Back then, humanity had a vast space for survival, their footprints spanning the globe, from the deep sea to the skies.
They continuously developed and created the flourishing civilization of their era. Even though only destroyed ruins remained, they still sparked endless fascination for those living in the wasteland world of the new era.
Like many in this world, I, Zhong Jing, often pondered the reason for that prosperous era’s end. What had this world endured?
Records were scarce, either buried by time or deliberately sealed by those with intent. The only term widely known, passed down through generations, was ‘catastrophe.’
What was this catastrophe spoken of by word of mouth? How did it annihilate that era’s human civilization?
Vague rumors left my understanding of ‘catastrophe’ abstract. But now, for the question that had haunted me since I began to think—how the catastrophe destroyed that era—I felt I was starting to understand.
“Is this… the catastrophe?”
Climbing out of the trench from a lower point, unobstructed by the terrain, the surface’s scene unfolded before my eyes.
The so-called crater, known only through texts and tales, became vividly clear in my mind for the first time.
I stood at the crater’s relatively peripheral edge. Looking out, the farthest side seemed as distant as the horizon. The crater’s depths were shrouded in mist, obscuring the truth within.
This circular crater, 1.9 kilometers in diameter, covered nearly half the area of Chu Sheng City’s inner city.
The flat terrain had been brutally gouged out, leaving a wound on the earth that, even a century later, still shocked humanity.
The name ‘catastrophe’ was bestowed by the people of the new era. The true name of the weapon that caused this was long lost to ordinary citizens.
Called a catastrophe, yet a man-made disaster… The term might seem awkward, but after witnessing this, I found no name more fitting. This was truly a catastrophe—a catastrophe wrought by humanity.
The ground sloped downward at a steep thirty to forty degrees. About five meters ahead was a step-like ledge, repeating toward the crater’s center, like the growth rings of a tree’s cross-section, a spiraling vortex delving into the earth, formed by countless shockwaves erupting from the center.
The sandy ground was unusually soft, not the earthy yellow of a desert but a grayish hue, faintly reflective, resembling metal more than sand.
The air carried an unusual scent—not a suffocating stench but a diluted, irritating acidic gas.
It wasn’t unbearable, but each breath felt like inhaling invisible, sharp-edged pebbles. Countless jagged edges tormented my trachea and lung walls, a burning sensation spreading through my chest.
I tried to cough lightly, but the irritation nearly brought tears to my eyes. I quickly opened my canteen, taking a sip to soothe my throat’s discomfort.
This must be the true smell of pollution. Were my organs and lungs now as blackened as the sand beneath my feet?
What was that?
The crater’s depths were too distant to see clearly, even without obstacles. I took out the binoculars I’d retrieved from Han Nianling and peered toward the center.
A massive creature immediately caught my attention. As its form came into focus through the binoculars, I recognized it as the tunnel’s excavator.
Its familiar pointed head lacked eyes, nose, or ears. Its hairless, grayish-white body, three to four meters long, had plastic-like skin bunched in folds. Its massive body, whether torso or limbs, was a series of wrinkles.
It vaguely resembled a mutated mole, but its thick, sharp claws were exaggerated, curving inward over a meter long. Not only ideal for digging, they were also suited for combat. Judging by its underground speed, those claws could tear through any monster’s defenses I’d seen.
At that moment, the mutated beast had ceased digging. It emerged on the surface, propped on its foreclaws, squatting and facing the crater’s center, like a devout believer praying and awaiting something.
A believer praying to a god for salvation—what was this bizarre mutated beast waiting for?
My gaze alone couldn’t pierce the thick mist. I didn’t dare act recklessly. The open crater offered no cover, and though the creature’s head showed no eyes, I couldn’t confirm it lacked vision. In this wasteland, strange mutated monsters often had other extraordinary senses.
I retreated to the tunnel, cautiously exposing half my body to observe the creature.
Unaware, it remained motionless, maintaining its pose. After staring for minutes, it suddenly moved. Its pointed head no longer faced the crater but turned sharply to the upper left. I instinctively followed its gaze.
That familiar figure—black trench coat, giant scythe. Nothing was more recognizable… the Tyrant.
Carrying her giant scythe, she descended the slope toward the crater’s center at a steady pace, as if oblivious to the creature ahead.
Her appearance reminded me of the fierce battle between her and the Tier 2 Giant Walker. Since the Witch was here, she must have won that unseen victory.
If she could slay a Tier 2 Giant Walker…
Marveling at the Tyrant’s terror, I was grateful for my decision to hide in the tunnel. Otherwise, she might have spotted me. Having come this far, dying in ignorance and regret would be too pitiful.
I yearned intensely for whatever lay hidden in that mist, an almost unnatural craving guiding me to abandon escape and explore the crater’s depths. I didn’t dwell on my emotions, attributing them to curiosity intensified by Han Nianling’s influence.
It was like my quest for the truth about my body’s changes.
The Witch and the creature didn’t seem intent on fighting immediately. Though the creature grated its three rows of teeth in a threatening sound, the Witch continued advancing, stopping only near the thick mist.
Both were on high alert but didn’t adopt combat stances, unlike the frenzied slaughter I’d seen along the way.
Undoubtedly, they wanted to kill each other, yet both exercised unexpected restraint.
As I stared, engrossed in their standoff, an unexpected buzzing suddenly resumed in my ears, growing from faint to undeniable, resonating through the crater. At that moment, the mist at the center began to thin, and a faint blue fluorescence glimmered through its gaps.
What… was that… what… was that…
My eyes fixed on the fluorescence, my clear consciousness growing as foggy as the mist. A single glance, and my mind sank unknowingly into a quagmire.
Like those monsters, my heart yearned for something…
As my body moved uncontrollably toward it, a sharp pain in my chest snapped me awake. Before I could recall what happened, the unbearable pain peaked in seconds.
What was this?! What was happening?!
“Ugh… ugh… ahh…”
Collapsing into the tunnel, I didn’t see the fluorescence grow brighter. I cast aside all thoughts, writhing in agony, tearing at my chest’s clothing. Mud stained my clothes as I ripped off my outer layer, unfastened my vest, and pulled down my inner shirt. The sight at my heart made my eyes widen in disbelief.
The necklace… Younger Sister’s necklace was merging into my body?!
The coin-shaped pendant had somehow broken its metal chain, sinking into my heart like it was slipping into a swamp. No blood, no wounds, only relentless, searing pain—like needles or burning. It wasn’t merging into my body but into my soul.
As it sank bit by bit, I reached to peel it away, but my hands passed through it—was it not physical, just an untouchable illusion? But what was this real pain in my body?
The escalating pain surpassed my endurance, robbing me of thought. When I tried to scream, my throat felt choked, unable to produce even simple sounds.
Suddenly, like a lightning bolt, the latter half of my dream’s memory flashed through my mind… my final sight in that life: the pendant, soaked in blood, flickering with strange fluorescence.
Was it… that fluorescence?! Just like what I saw in the crater!
My struggling consciousness snapped at its breaking point, plunging into deep darkness.
Unbeknownst to me, the fluorescence’s new change finally bared the fangs of the restrained Witch and creature.