Chapter 486: The Mummy

Chapter 486: The Mummy

Bian Junwu’s face was calm and expressionless as he addressed the group.

“This is just the beginning. The horde might still be observing us. What we need to do is wait patiently.”

“This is like fishing—it’s a contest of patience between the angler and the fish.”

No plan was ever perfect. Their current strategy was based on available intelligence. If it failed, they could try another approach.

As long as the zombies remained inactive, they wouldn’t lose anything but time.

The others had no better ideas. Splitting up to investigate was too dangerous, so they decided to continue waiting and observing.

During the meeting, Zhang Yi discreetly watched Zheng Yixian and Yuan Kongye’s expressions. Neither showed any sign of suspicion, which reassured him that his actions had gone unnoticed.

Still, Zhang Yi couldn’t help but wonder—could the so-called restricted area be less important than he had assumed? If it were truly vital, the Followers of the Snow God would likely guard it even more heavily.

That night, Zhang Yi called his team together and took out the items he had retrieved from the building to show them.

The group, while nervous about Zhang Yi’s infiltration of the restricted area, couldn’t suppress their excitement. After all, uncovering someone else’s secrets was thrilling.

Zhang Yi displayed the red fruits, branches, and the cocoon-like pod. When he brought out the pod, their expressions grew strange—it was eerily human-sized, as though it held a person.

“Ke’er,” Zhang Yi said to Zhou Ke’er, “you’re the one who’s good with knives. Why don’t you open this up?”

With surgical tools stored in his spatial inventory, they could conduct a proper examination here.

Zhou Ke’er looked at the items and said, “The fruit and branches should be analyzed in a lab; this environment isn’t ideal. But this pod… it looks strange. Like a mummy!”

Her words resonated with the others, who nodded in agreement.

Zhang Yi hoped it really was a mummy and not a giant insect.

Under the group’s eager gaze, Zhou Ke’er pulled out her surgical equipment. Instead of immediately cutting into the pod, she shone a small flashlight on it to examine its contents.

Through the light, they could make out a humanoid figure inside—emaciated, as if reduced to little more than bones.

“It really is a mummy!” Zhang Yi exhaled in relief. A corpse was easier to deal with than a massive bug.

“I think I understand its purpose now,” Zhang Yi said, his mind racing with speculation.

“Tell us!” Liang Yue urged, curious.

“Let’s open it up first. Maybe it’s not as mysterious as it seems,” Zhang Yi replied with a smile.

Zhou Ke’er nodded and began her work. With steady hands, she used a scalpel to slice open the dark red leaf-like shell, starting from the top.

As expected, inside was a corpse—skin tightly clinging to bone, completely drained of any flesh or blood.

Recalling the thousands of similar pods hanging inside the abandoned building, Zhang Yi finally understood the plant’s purpose.

“So that’s what it is!”

As the others looked at him quizzically, Zhang Yi explained:

“The abandoned building houses a giant mutated plant. It likely absorbs nutrients from these corpses to produce the red fruits.”

“We’ve seen the Followers of the Snow God eating these fruits—they’re probably their main food source.”

“The so-called restricted area is essentially a living granary. No wonder they guard it so fiercely.”

While the truth was intriguing, it left the group somewhat unimpressed. They didn’t lack food, so a plant that could sustain thousands of people wasn’t particularly useful to them. ɽ𝓪ƝꝊβЕś

However, Zhou Ke’er, prodding the corpse with her scalpel, confirmed that it had been entirely drained of nutrients—there wasn’t a shred of flesh left.

Zhang Yi turned to her. “Analyze the fruit and branches when we’re back. See if there’s anything unusual about them.”

Though he’d lost interest in the plant, Zhang Yi’s cautious nature prompted him to ensure it held no hidden dangers.

Zhou Ke’er nodded. “Give me some time. This plant is fascinating—once I slice it for analysis, I’ll examine it under a microscope with biological reagents.”

Elsewhere, Meng Siyu of the investigation team removed her white gloves and studied the dissected corpse before her. Turning to Bian Junwu, who stood nearby, she said,

“It’s just a corpse drained of nutrients. Nothing abnormal.”

“As for the fruits, they have some hallucinogenic effects, likely helping the Snow God’s leadership control their followers.”

“No pathogens were detected, and the fruits are high in sugar, making them a nutrient-rich food source.”

Bian Junwu adjusted his thick glasses. “Understood. When we return, bring back some roots and stems. Let’s see if the lab can cultivate this plant—it could be very useful.”

Deep within the abandoned building, Zheng Yixian stood before the massive blood-red vine, gazing at the suspended pods.

“3968, 3969, 3970… Ah, another one’s missing.”

“Their curiosity is really something,” he murmured.

The next day, the absence of zombies continued, deepening the group’s unease.

The longer the horde stayed out of sight, the more likely it seemed they were preparing a devastating attack.

Bian Junwu had already mobilized resources from the Jiangnan District, utilizing satellites to monitor Tianhai City for signs of zombie movement.

Finally, with the aid of advanced technology, they uncovered a clue.

Bian Junwu called everyone together and shared the latest findings.

“The zombie horde is gathering—and it’s heading this way.”

“Preliminary estimates put their numbers at no less than 100,000. Get ready for a tough fight.”

“100,000?”

The figure made everyone frown. Their combined forces numbered just over 2,000. Facing such overwhelming odds, especially against resilient creatures like the armored zombies, the battle promised to be perilous.

But Zhang Yi secretly thought: It’s definitely more than 100,000.

Bian Junwu’s estimate was meant to reassure the group while rallying them to act as bait for the horde. Zhang Yi suspected the actual number could be double, triple, or even more.

After all, he had seen tens of thousands of zombies in the remote Ci Qu Line. With the entire city’s undead converging here, a million-strong horde wouldn’t be surprising.

Still, Zhang Yi kept this thought to himself.

Their small team could always retreat if necessary. If the situation became too dangerous, Zhang Yi resolved to take his group and escape Tianhai City. Survival was the ultimate priority.

Author's Note