Chapter Forty-Nine: The Half Corpse

Countdown: 37:22:17...

At this moment, Ivy was responsible for dispelling the red mist, while Mu Chen kept his black eyes open, observing the distance. They had left the broken concrete road and entered a decaying forest. According to memory, the food processing plant was still three kilometers away.

The soil underfoot was scorched black, likely remnants left by the previous black rain.

[If you remain in this polluted area, your sanity will drop to one within thirteen hours at most. Also, do not disturb the three nearby mannequins, unless you wish to experience the black rain again.]

This information appeared in his mind, leaving him stunned.

Ivy frowned slightly, "Lord Mu Chen, this place is truly ominous. The entire area radiates a cursed aura, and I can sense several spots nearby where curses gather."

"I understand. Ivy, can you point out those places more specifically?" Mu Chen glanced around but found no trace of mannequins nearby.

"I can sense them roughly. There are two spots ahead, one to the left. The curses seem bound together—if triggered, they will draw even more terrifying entities." Ivy's words allowed him to relax somewhat. "We'll go around them, and also be wary of spider-like creatures," Mu Chen reminded, recalling the previous warning. They were less than a thousand meters from the monster known as the Street Sneaker, a quick and bizarre creature with a piercing scream. If the evil infant was startled, things would become much worse.

The vegetation around them, once drenched by the black rain, was now entirely withered. The branches and curled leaves were stained with blackened grime, and the sound of their shoes crunching the dead grass unsettled the mind.

As they pressed forward, Mu Chen noticed from afar the inn where they'd previously blown up the "big guy." It was now less than six hundred meters away.

...

Passing through the black woods and climbing over the familiar wall, the ground suddenly leveled out.

He remembered finding an adult mutant's arm here once, which yielded a Source of Turbidity when dismantled. If no one had visited since, then the mutant's corpse should still be nearby—a valuable resource if found.

Just then, Little Bone began clicking noisily. Mu Chen glanced at it.

Its dried hand bone was pointing to the left, indicating it wanted to explore that direction.

"Should we go, or not? The only thing that would attract Little Bone is another bone..." Though he'd only recently acquired Little Bone, not using its abilities would be wasteful. He nodded at the creature, signaling it to be patient.

"Let's check over there, just in case. Ivy, please cast Holy Light Protection on us."

Within three seconds, Mu Chen found himself wrapped in a transparent shield. He was uncertain—was this thing effective, or would it shatter at the slightest touch?

He reached out and discovered, to his surprise, that his hand passed right through the shield without resistance.

Ivy smiled at his actions.

"Lord Mu Chen, the shield will automatically defend against external attacks. It has no effect inside-out."

Relieved by her explanation, Mu Chen nodded.

...

After they had explored nearly a hundred meters to the left, they found nothing but dead trees on either side.

Then, suddenly.

Little Bone pointed at the treetop. Looking up, they saw a twisted corpse, missing its upper half.

"What a mess..." Mu Chen covered his face.

The eerie atmosphere gradually turned comical.

Because—

The corpse atop the tree consisted only of the lower half, with its butt impaled on a branch suspended in midair.

"Hanging oneself is one thing, but this is taking it to extremes..."

For those living in these times, even such a creature could be considered a boss. Yet here it was, showing so little dignity?!