Doomsday Wonderland c1-855

by N. Heller

  "The indigo flower can only be used once. Once you touch a person, you will use up that indigo flower. If you touch an opponent who also has an indigo flower, the effect of both flowers will cancel each other. In that case, no one would be harmed."

  "Wouldn't it be alright if we don't attack anyone?" Lin Sanjiu immediately shouted out her thoughts, hoping that the other groups will listen. "Based on your rules, if no one attacks another person, we can leave this place safely... In the worst case scenario, we will just have fewer benefits!"

  "You are technically right," Harry answered. Inexplicably, his voice dripped with mockery when he said that.

  "Another group made that suggestion in the beginning. I even gave them a warning. If no one tries to eliminate another person, everyone would complete the maturation stage peacefully. But, if even one person chooses to eliminate an opponent, a new rule will be invoked."

  "What's that rule?"

  "The moment any plant dies from an indigo flower, all the groups will be ranked according to the amount of nutrients they have absorbed over the period of these ten days. The group ranked last will be forced to stay in Harry's Farm. They won't be able to leave this farm.

  "You are the last group to enter this greenhouse… Even after my explanation, do you know how long it took before the first casualty appeared in this greenhouse?" Everyone held their breath as if Harry's mild voice had a mysterious power over them.

  "Five minutes."

  Chapter 441 - A Body Packed With Treasures

  "In other words, if I don't have a flower, but I accidentally touch a person carrying an indigo flower with my right hand, I will also be eliminated?"

  "Yes."

  "Nothing will happen if I touch a person's left hand?"

  "Nothing."

  "I can keep the flower in a storage hold?"

  "Yes, but that will nullify the effects of the flower. You won't be protected if another person touches you and you won't be able to eliminate another person."

  After Number 46 heard Harry's answers, he started contemplating the situation quietly. No one could tell what he was thinking.

  He took only a few minutes to recover from his emotional outburst after the consular officer died. After he got answers, he looked at the people around him and asked, "Do any of you have other questions? It's best if we can find a loophole in the rules."

  The people around knitted their brows, but at the moment, none of them had anything to say. Regardless of the past, the four of them were now on the same boat. Even Number 45 who was a duoluozhong was hiding with their cl.u.s.ter. They hid between a few large leaves and stayed out of sight from the other four cl.u.s.ters. Thankfully, they did not need to raise their voices to communicate with Harry. All they had to do to pose any question to him was to say "Harry" at the start of their question. Consequently, they did not have to worry about others locating them through their voices.

  "Alright, since none of you have any questions," Number 46's gaze swept over everyone until he stopped and eyed Lin Sanjiu, "I've something to say."

  "We must work together for the next ten days. I think we have already established a consensus on this. No matter how you feel, we have to work as a team in this greenhouse," Number 46 spoke in a serious tone. "I noticed a very important point during my conversation with Harry."

  "What is it?"

  "As our combat skills are basically irrelevant here, you only have to do one thing if you notice any person with an indigo flower who has an intention to eliminate you." While he explained, Number 46 hid his right hand near his c.h.e.s.t. "They might try to pull your arm, but if they use too much strength, it would be considered as a physical attack. If they don't use enough strength, they won't be able to pull your hand out. If they can't touch our right hands, we will be alright.

  "Similarly, this means that it would be a little difficult for us to eliminate a member from another cl.u.s.ter… This is also the reason why those people shook the branch we were on and performed that little show," when Number 46 said that, his expression turned a little sour. "I hope we can split up and search for those indigo flowers. Try to find as many as you can. We'll meet again in the morning. Don't worry. Even if we act individually, it won't be too dangerous if we take note of our right hand. Meanwhile, you should also gather intel about the other cl.u.s.ters. For example, the number of members they have, their locations, etc. Number 47, you are the weakest among us right now, so you should stay here. You should only venture out when you regain some strength. I don't think anybody has any other questions, right?"

  Since nobody had any objections, Number 46 was the first to stand.

  "Okay, please remember our next meeting time. Let's go."

  " Considering the size of this greenhouse, even spending a whole night searching for a flower would just be a drop in the bucket ," Lin Sanjiu thought to herself. Even with her speed and nimbleness, she did not see a member from another cl.u.s.ter even after climbing through layers and layers of leaves for at least four hours. Let alone a single indigo flower.

  When Lin Sanjiu looked up at the upper space of the greenhouse, she noticed that the foliage was getting sparse. She frowned. Perhaps, it was just her intuition. Even though she had no proof, she couldn't shake off the feeling that she was searching in the wrong direction. No, or rather, there was fundamentally a slight problem with the way she was searching.

  She wasn't slow. Considering the area she covered in four hours, she could have covered at least half a city. Despite covering such a large area, she didn't see a single person or hear any movements. That wasn't logical.

  They knew that they had to split up to search for the flowers even though they were the last cl.u.s.ter to arrive., so it didn't make sense that the members from the other cl.u.s.ters would just sit and wait around. However, if they were also searching for the flowers, why didn't Lin Sanjiu see anyone?

  "It can't be a coincidence that I've missed every single person," Lin Sanjiu mumbled to herself before she headed in the direction of 'the other shoe'.

  The greenhouse was divided into two main shoe-shaped sections. They were connected by a soil-covered bridge. The bridge as just above the main 'shoelace' door. Even at this point, Lin Sanjiiu could not see the floor of the greenhouse. When she looked down, it was like a bottomless abyss because the lights on the ceiling weren't strong enough to illuminate the bottom portion of the greenhouse.

  Harry did not tell them what would happen if a person fell off a plant and Lin Sanjiu wasn't willing to take that risk. Lin Sanjiu hid behind the stem of a plant and waited prudently for more than ten minutes. After she was certain that no one was nearby, she walked to the bridge cautiously. As she was afraid that someone might have set some traps on the bridge, she tested the ground with the tip of her feet before every step she took, but it seemed unnecessary because she quickly crossed the short bridge and nothing happened.

  Lin Sanjiu looked at her surroundings, her eyes swept over the various plants all around her. It was silent. The only sound she could hear was her own slow and shallow breathing. After waiting for a while, she did not hear any other sounds in the greenhouse. The tranquility even made her wonder if the maturation stage was over, and perhaps she was the only one left behind in the greenhouse.

  Stepping along the rim of a large flower pot, Lin Sanjiu walked around an angios.p.e.r.m which had just germinated. When she walked to the back of the sapling, she was stunned by what she saw. She had spent hours searching but she didn't see a single flower, but now, she had spotted two flowers directly in front of her. She wondered if it was that rare phenomenon of fasciation in plants. The petals of the flowers were uniquely layered and they were a deep indigo color. The flower seemed to fit the what was considered aesthetically beautiful, with its tightly packed petals and vibrant color, yet looking at it was sufficient to trigger trypophobia.

  Amidst the pom pom-like flower head, the flower's two stamens stuck out like two beetle feelers. Under the lighting in the greenhouse, thos
e stamens had a waxy purple glow. This was the first time Lin Sanjiu had seen something so beautiful and disgusting.

  "This… is a trap, right?" She mumbled to herself. Instead of approaching the flower, she stepped backward. Even though that spot seemed covert, and it was possible that other cl.u.s.ters might have missed it, Lin Sanjiu couldn't let her guard down after what happened to Number 48.

  Lin Sanjiu observed the flowers, circling them from a distance of about 50m. As she had destroyed many places before, she really couldn't care less about a greenhouse in a pocket dimension. Brandishing her [Vibroblade], she promptly destroyed anything which blocked her view or any possible hiding spots nearby. Countless pieces of broken leaves fell into the darkness below, Lin Sanjiu soon cleared a perimeter around the indigo flower. From afar, the area she cleared was like a bald spot in a patch of greenery.

  Even after she cleared and scoured the area near the flower, such that there was no place to hide, Lin Sanjiu did not find anyone. It was only then that she relaxed a little and step closer to the indigo flower. 43m away, 30m away, 20m away: nothing happened as she approached it. She started to wonder if she was being paranoid.

  Nothing happened even when she found herself standing directly in front of the indigo flowers. Lin Sanjiu let out a sigh of relief and crouched down. She inspected the two flowers for a while. The size of the indigo flowers were unreasonably small compared to the gigantic plants in the greenhouse. Unlike the other humongous plants, they did not grow from the soil at the bottom of the greenhouse. The plant did not even need to be grown in a pot. It seemed like the plant could flower even if there was only a little soil on its leaves. The flower stalk of the plant split into two flower heads.

  Lin Sanjiu checked her surroundings again before she reached for the indigo flower. The fair hand under her sleeve touched the stalk of the indigo flower. Lin Sanjiu's expression change abruptly. She wanted to leap backward, but she could pull her right hand away from the flower.

  She was taken aback. "Who are you?" she immediately demanded.

  "Gosh! You are crazy cautious… You finally touch the flowers. You made me so anxious."

  Lin Sanjiu didn't see anyone around but she could still hear a reply. Shortly after, the indigo flower started to sway slightly.

  Lin Sanjiu stared at the flower in front of her. Her lips moved slightly as she quietly uttered, "Have you heard of route 300?"

  The flower immediately faded like a muddied watercolor painting. The edges of the flower grew blurry and the outline of a person's head was slowly revealed. Next, his neck, shoulders then his hand which gripped Lin Sanjiu's right hand.

  There was an indigo flower on the back of the person whose real appearance was exposed. It was the real indigo flower.

  "Hey gal, I'm sorry. I don't have anything against you," a man, with a chubby face and a shiny bald head, apologized while he continued holding Lin Sanjiu's hand. "I have no choice, don't blame me when you go to the Netherworld."

  Lin Sanjiu let the man hold her right hand while she crouched down.

  "Oh, you used a Special Item?"

  "That's right. My item is quite useful and versatile," the chubby-face, bald man answered Lin Sanjiu. Only then did he realize that his disguise had disappeared so he quickly reacted. Sensing something, he looked at Lin Sanjiu. He still looked composed when he asked, "Gal, I didn't think you'd nullified my item. I don't think it's permanent, right?"

  "No, the effect only lasts for an hour," Lin Sanjiu replied truthfully.

  "Oh," Baldhead blinked twice. Both of them fell silent.

  After a few seconds, Baldhead blinked a few more times consecutively. He seemed puzzled by the situation and a little awkward. "Hey, why are you still here?"

  "I don't know."

  "Oh," Baldhead was stumped. He waited anxiously for a little while more. The awkwardness between grew even more obvious and he started laughing, "Gal, you're quite pretty but a bit too tan… It's a pity."

  "Bro, you look quite fair though."

  "Cough. Cough. My mum is fair…" Baldhead replied hastily. His sweat bald head was dazzlingly shiny. "Well, sorry but it is taking longer than usual this time."

  "No, I should be the one who should apologize," Lin Sanjiu smiled at him understandingly.

  Before Baldhead could figure out the meaning behind her words, he felt something gliding across his back. When he looked up, he realized that Lin Sanjiu had swiped the indigo flower on his back with her left hand. Baldhead was startled. Just when he was about to leap backward, he found that his left hand (the hand he used to grab Lin Sanjiu) was stuck. At the same time, something fell from Lin Sanjiu's sleeve.

  "This…" Baldhead's eyes widened. His gaze shifted between the ground and Lin Sanjiu several times, his confused expression seemed almost guileless, "Why would you bring that around everywhere?"

  "Isn't it obvious?" Lin Sanjiu held her opponent's arm through the fabric of her sleeve. Her grip was firm so Baldhead had no chance of escaping. "There isn't anyone around so that flower looks the most suspicious. Since I suspect that that is a trap, why would I use my real right hand to touch it?"

  "You are still young but you're overly suspicious. Will your future marriage be a happy one?"

  "F.u.c.k marriage," the veins on Lin Sanjiu's forehead throbbed, "I won't kill you. I just need you to answer some of my questions and I will let you go after that."

  Baldhead's blinked his eyes rapidly in response to her words. His eyelids moved so quickly that they were almost like a hummingbird's wings. It seemed to be a habit of his when he was thinking. "Ah, alright! Gal, I didn't expect you to be a kind person, but can I ask you a question first?"

  " This person is a little unconventional, he is probably planning something right now, " Lin Sanjiu gave Baldhead a sidelong glance and raised her guard against him.

  "Cough, look at you. You're acting like I am going to command an army or something," Baldhead chuckled. "I just wanted to ask you how you got that human hand. You're good. That's better than my Chameleon."

  "Chameleon? Is that the name of his Special Item?" Lin Sanjiu wondered as she looked down on the plump and fair right hand on the ground. The stump of the hand was so clean and neat that it was almost like a model hand. Earlier, Lin Sanjiu had severed the hand from the corpse with her [Vibroblade]. Her lips curled, and she flashed a grin at Baldhead.

  "When I came to this world. I collected the corpse of a Jaeger called, Zhang Da. Frankly speaking, I have collected many corpses but his corpse is certainly the most useful."

  Chapter 442 - The Real Blind Alley

  In the greenhouse, armed attacks were forbidden.

  "What kind of rule was that?" chided Lin Sanjiu before she turned to Baldhead, "I hope you don't mind. I just want to keep you under control."

  As she spoke, she coiled the [Female Slave Bondage Rope] around Baldhead's left wrist. The [Female Slave Bondage] was no doubt a convenient weapon. It didn't fail its name as the product of technology from the Garden of Eden as it automatically formed a tight knot when the two ends of the rope met one another, "If I use too much force, it will be considered an armed attack; if I use too little, you will run away."

  Baldhead lowered his gaze to scrutinize the rope. He tried to turn his wrist a bit, but the rope instead bit deeper into his skin. He raised his head and said, "Don't worry! Say it, what do you want to know? I will tell you everything."

  Though he made it looks like he had nothing to hide, the way he reclined the right side of his body toward the back suggested otherwise. It seemed as if he was trying to increase the distance between his right hand from Lin Sanjiu. He had buried his right hand deep inside his pocket, but such a maneuver was nothing more than just to comfort himself. According to Harry, they would still die after being touched even if they wore gloves on their right hand, so what could a flimsy layer of trouser fabric do?

  Lin Sanjiu paid no mind to such a trivial action.

  "We can't talk here," she smiled to Baldhead and pick
ed up Fatty's left hand and turned it into a card, "Your members must know you laid a trap here. It will be a huge mess for me if they arrive later. Follow me; I know a nice cozy spot where we can continue our conversation comfortably."

  She had come across a path before she arrived at her current zone. After walking there for a couple of hours, she saw nobody. Hence, she thought that might be the perfect spot for an interrogation.

  Baldhead openly expressed his unwillingness when he heard Lin Sanjiu wanted to shift venue, but the circ.u.mstance at hand left him with no other alternative but to follow her. He mumbled something under his breath after Lin Sanjiu tugged at the rope and dragged him forward. Soon, both of the figures disappeared into the dense layers of leaves and branches.

  After a short while of walking, Lin Sanjiu had her eyes set on a hanging vine. The vine was suspended in the air, hence the perfect location to block any onlookers and she could take note of anyone who approached immediately. She climbed up to a tender leaf behind the vine, patted at the spot beside her and said, "Come, have a seat here. You can place your right hand underneath you if you don't feel secure enough."

  "Oh, you're right," Baldhead contemplated the practicability of Lin Sanjiu's suggestion for a brief second. Right after he had sat firmly on top of his hand, he sighed, "What do you want to know, gal?"

  "I'm from cl.u.s.ter 5," Lin Sanjiu narrowed her eyes and threw Baldhead a smile, "There are so many things I want to know. Hmm, why don't you begin with your cl.u.s.ter? Which cl.u.s.ter are you in?"

  "I'm from cl.u.s.ter 2," Baldhead said as he blinked, "... Since our cl.u.s.ter came in earlier, I have more of a low-down than you about the other cl.u.s.ters."

  "He is from cl.u.s.ter 2?"

  Lin Sanjiu frowned slightly.