Doomsday Wonderland

The doubts that plagued Lin Sanjiu had been tormenting her all night.

At first, it was just a flicker of curiosity. A few casual questions later, that curiosity morphed into a gnawing suspicion. The more she thought, the deeper the shadows in her heart grew, until they became a suffocating dread that left her restless.

It all started when she noticed something strange during their post-dinner chat.

"Yes, you're right... If I had met you earlier, there are so many things we could have discussed." Not far from her, Eight-Heads De was deep in conversation with Hagrid, his clear and steady voice lending weight to everything he said.

Hagrid man sighed. "This standoff is dangerous for both sides. But I just can't think of a way to prove..."

Lin Sanjiu averted her gaze and took in the stretch of alley they were in. The posthuman attack and Eight-Heads De's long-standing reputation had earned them the trust of the ordinary people. After being invited in for talks, they were shown the fortifications built for urban combat, makeshift strongholds formed by blocking off alleys. They were even offered a meal.

Outside, the daylight had faded. A variety of lights illuminated the alley: primitive oil lamps and torches alongside sci-fi-like beams of light. In the Twelve Worlds Centrum, even ordinary people had opportunities to acquire Special Items, though they were usually more common varieties.

The group was now gathered around a faux campfire, its cold, indifferent glow lighting their discussion about the next steps.

Lin Sanjiu glanced at Dreadlocks.

He seemed to have resigned himself to his fate, abandoning any idea of fleeing from Eight-Heads De. The posthumans who attacked them had seen him standing with Eight-Heads De. Whether he liked it or not, he was now considered an accomplice. He might as well go with the flow; he was already on his second bottle of alcohol.

"Why aren't you talking to them?" Lin Sanjiu asked softly.

"What's the point? What could I say?"

Maybe it was the alcohol, but Dreadlocks didn't hold back. "I have nothing against ordinary people, but I have no ties to them either. The mutants came from their ranks, so suspicion is natural. I'm not fully at ease yet. Didn't Zhong Qing say mutants might be able to switch between two forms? I'd rather be cautious before offering any suggestions."

"How many people are in Chimeric City?"

"The number of posthumans is hard to pin down, but it's usually between 500 and 2,000. As for ordinary people, I heard somewhere that there are nearly 4,000 or 5,000 now." He thought for a moment and added, "No idea how many died today."

In other words, even for long-term residents, most faces in Chimeric City were strangers. Who could possibly know all 5,000 to 7,000 people?

Zhong Qing walked over and sat beside Dreadlocks, looking at Lin Sanjiu. "Why do you ask?"

"I'm wondering where the mutants came from," she murmured, furrowing her brow. "Are they really from Chimeric City, or did they sneak in from outside?"

"I don't know about the others, but that guy with only a head we saw during patrol and that woman who sprouted countless new bodies are definitely from Chimeric City. We lived on the same street, and I saw them regularly."

Even as he said this, Dreadlocks didn't seem particularly close to them, nor did he show much sorrow. Instead, he worried about his own place. "My home is a Special Item. I was in such a hurry I couldn't grab it. I wonder what happened to it... I need to check tomorrow; it cost me a fortune."

"Be careful," Lin Sanjiu said absentmindedly, but the conversation left a nagging sensation in her mind, like something was being stirred up inside her.

It was a feeling she knew well; like stepping out the door and sensing you'd forgotten something, but no matter how much you checked, everything seemed in order.

She knew where this feeling led. It was always when she was far from home, sitting in a car, that she'd suddenly remember the crucial item she left behind.

But she couldn't afford to realize it too late this time. Lin Sanjiu felt that if she didn't pull this buried thought from the depths of her mind now, it would be too late.

1

"This is the first time I've heard of this kind of mutation," Zhong Qing said, breaking Lin Sanjiu's intense effort to untangle her thoughts. Irritation flared within her. "There are still so many things in the doomsday we don't know..."

That was true. In the vast, ever-changing apocalyptic worlds, posthumans only understood a fraction. For instance, Lin Sanjiu still didn't know what the black mist or the red brick wall really were.

"But one thing is certain: someone is targeting ordinary people," Zhong Qing continued. "Rather than ask how it's happening, we should ask why. Who benefits from mutating ordinary people?"

Lin Sanjiu didn't want to let her thoughts follow his question, but it was undeniably thought-provoking. She mulled it over for a while, coming up empty-handed. Frustrated, she waved her hand, signaling Dreadlocks to pass her the bottle.

Posthumans were always willing to share when faced with someone stronger; Dreadlocks handed the bottle to her without hesitation. "I liked Chimeric City. I only moved here a few months ago. Now it seems I'll have to leave soon."

No wonder he didn't seem particularly affected by the mutations of Ah Pu and the middle-aged woman; he was a newcomer.

"You've only just arrived, yet you know Chimeric City pretty well."

No, that wasn't the source of her unease.

What was it, then? What was gnawing at her like a rat in the dark, refusing to let go? Did it have to do with Eight-Heads De's odd behavior?

"Yeah," Dreadlocks replied, "I've only lived here a short time, but I've visited many times before."

She took a swig of the liquor. It was sharp and sour, unlike anything she'd ever tasted. As it went down, it felt like a punch to the gut.

"You're right," Eight-Heads De said, his voice rising slightly, drawing everyone's attention. "Gaining the posthumans' trust is important, but it's not the immediate priority. From this morning, the Noble Accord has sealed off all entry and exit to Chimeric City. This means the reason for the mutations is still among us."

A heavy silence fell. Eight-Heads De's broad face wavered in the cold glow of the artificial fire.

"Even if we gain the posthumans' trust now, if someone mutates again, it'll push everything into chaos. I have an idea to investigate in secret starting tomorrow, and I'll need your help," Eight-Heads De said with a sigh.

Hagrid nodded vigorously. "If you need anything, just ask. We're ordinary people; we'll need your help for protection."

Eight-Heads De, like a confident leader, reached out and patted Lin Sanjiu on the shoulder. "Don't worry. See her? You might not know it, but in all of Chimeric City, there's probably no posthuman who can match her. With her around, you're absolutely safe!"

His words were so over-the-top that even Lin Sanjiu, the supposed powerhouse, felt uneasy. Hagrid studied her curiously. "Are you from Chimeric City?"

"No, she's a friend I met outsi—"

"We're helping each other out."

Eight-Heads De and Lin Sanjiu spoke at the same time, their words colliding. They exchanged an awkward glance. Hagrid, sensing their discomfort, didn't press further. "It's getting late. There's a lot to do tomorrow. Let's rest for now!"

As the supposed guarantor of their safety, Lin Sanjiu was assigned to a patch of open ground outside the city wall, facing the direction where the posthumans were gathering. This wasn't resting; it was glorified sentry duty. But she didn't mind. She unrolled the mat Hagrid gave her and settled down in the cold night, leaning against the wall.

She didn't carry a shelter-style Special Item like Dreadlocks did. His barrel-shaped shelter might not have been fancy, but it was better than sleeping on the ground—

Lin Sanjiu suddenly bolted upright, cold sweat forming in her palms. She finally understood what had been gnawing at her.

She had to find Dreadlocks and ask him, face-to-face, about this. It seemed like such an insignificant detail, easy to overlook. But if she dug deeper, what would she uncover?

Dreadlocks had also been assigned to sentry duty nearby, but where exactly?

She sprinted across the open ground, leapt over the city wall, and flicked on her flashlight, scanning the shadows for ordinary people, who jumped in surprise at her sudden appearance. On the way, she ran into Zhong Qing, but unfortunately, he didn't know where Dreadlocks was stationed either.

"What do you need him for?" Zhong Qing asked.

"There's something only he can confirm," Lin Sanjiu replied, leaving just that half-explanation before rushing off.

Her speed was so swift that even in such a large area, it only took her seven or eight minutes to find him. Dreadlocks, having drunk a fair bit, was far from diligent about his duties and had already dozed off in a chair tucked in a corner. When he woke to Lin Sanjiu's sudden approach, he startled and clattered to the ground, knocking over the chair.

"Shh!" Lin Sanjiu grabbed him by the collar and pinned him against the wall. "Answer me. When that middle-aged woman exploded, were you standing in front of your home?"

He thought for a moment. "Y-yeah."

"Your home is that iron-blue, barrel-shaped Special Item?"

Dreadlocks, looking confused and uneasy, nodded. "Yeah, you saw it? I was planning to get it tomorrow..."

"Then where's the wall you built?" Lin Sanjiu's voice sharpened. "Your barrel doesn't need walls on either side; you live in a Special Item. So where is your wall?"

"What?" Dreadlocks' confusion was so thick it almost oozed off his face. "What wall? When did I... What are you talking about?"

Lin Sanjiu's heart sank like a stone.

"Think carefully about what I'm going to ask next," she said in a low voice. "Since we first saw Hagrid through the window today, aside from calling him reckless for standing up to posthumans, you haven't spoken much to him. You acted like he was a stranger. That's because you don't know him, right?"

Dreadlocks looked at her like she was losing her mind. "Yeah. What are you getting at?"

"Are you sure you don't know him?" Lin Sanjiu stared at him intently. "Right before the middle-aged woman exploded—when we first found Ah Pu's head—Hagrid said he had come by your place to help you build a wall, that you drank together. He asked how you could turn around and accuse ordinary people of mutating... Remember that? If you didn't know him, why didn't you deny it then?"

Dreadlocks' face contorted from confusion to something near anguish.

He furrowed his brows tightly, as though in the grip of a severe headache. He muttered, "Because... because he really did come by to help me build a wall. We drank together, and I lost two fog spheres to him playing cards..."

Those were Hagrid's words from that night.

Lin Sanjiu's hair stood on end. "But you just said you didn't know him."

If she hadn't been holding him up, Dreadlocks would have slid down the wall. "Yeah, I don't know him. That night, when the mutated people appeared, was the first time I saw him... But he really did come and build a wall for me before. No, I've never seen him before. I don't need a wall, but I remember him coming by. We played cards together... I don't understand. Why are two opposite things both true?"

Lin Sanjiu's fingers loosened from his collar.

She remembered Eight-Heads De's words from earlier that night—"Since this morning, the Noble Accord has sealed off all entry and exit to Chimeric City... The cause of some ordinary people mutating is still among us."

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