Chapter 398: The Source of the Field

“Forty-six… Forty…”

Lu Xin sped through the Forest of the Dead like a ghost flitting between countless corpses.

Once he started moving alone he found the Forest of the Dead’s influence on him actually lessened.

Their sluggish reactions couldn’t keep up with his speed anymore.

Even if a scattered few managed to surround him they couldn’t affect him.

He quickly reached the vicinity of the forty-sixth set of transmitters and pulled them out one by one. Just as he steeled himself preparing to destroy two more sets in one go he suddenly saw another red dot abruptly disappear on the map displayed by his glasses lens.

In that instant Lu Xin felt a surge of unexpected delight.

That was someone else out there in the Wasteland executing the same mission as him in some unknown location.

He had destroyed the forty-seventh set of transmitters which meant Lu Xin only had one last target left.

“Hahahaha…”

Lu Xin suddenly burst into laughter.

It didn’t seem quite appropriate to laugh on such a cold dreary night.

But he truly felt happy so he laughed heartily.

His speed pushed to its absolute limit in that moment.

To maximize his speed Lu Xin initially pushed off the ground hard with both feet leaning his body forward exerting all his strength.

Layer upon layer of power seemed to erupt from his thin frame pushing his speed beyond human limits. Still unsatisfied he accelerated again suddenly crouching slightly touching the ground with both hands…

*Rustle…*

Like a bizarre spider he scurried forward on all fours.

He remembered during his first ability assessment one of the professors from Qinggang’s Six Freaks suggested he might be faster crawling than running. Lu Xin had refused finding it too embarrassing. But out here in the Wasteland it didn’t matter…

Even if someone saw he could just silence them.

And he had to admit crawling did seem faster than running…

…

The forty-eighth set of stabilizers was located a thousand meters away from Lu Xin’s current position inside an abandoned village.

This set of stabilizers was the closest to the halfway point among those already destroyed.

Similarly judging by the distribution area of the stabilizers this place was also the center point of this force field.

Undoubtedly encountering the Forest of the Dead earlier meant the enemies in this wasteland had detected his arrival. Since they’d set up the Forest of the Dead it stood to reason they’d have prepared some formidable trap in this village too.

But Lu Xin couldn’t be bothered with any of that now. Anyway he was the only living person left.

He charged directly into the village without attempting to detour or observe.

Whatever he encountered he’d just eliminate it. Worst case he’d just tear down this abandoned village.

With this conviction his speed increased forming what seemed like a distorted force field around him.

Raindrops drifting near him were affected flying outwards like invisible ripples.

Then Lu Xin slowed slightly his brow furrowing.

He realized this village had already been demolished.

In this pitch-black wasteland there wasn’t a single light source making everything impenetrably dark. But as Lu Xin rushed to the edge of the village he was surprised to see faint lights seeping out from the gaps between the buildings.

His first task upon entering the village was supposed to be finding the stabilizers’ location but now he didn’t need to.

He followed the light source climbing deeper into the village and discovered a massive pit.

This deep pit located in the village center was easily a thousand meters across and about twenty to thirty meters deep. Around the edge of the pit a few soft lights were sparsely placed. By their glow he could see a newly built temporary factory building at the bottom.

Through the display on his glasses Lu Xin confirmed the forty-eighth set of stabilizers was inside the factory building below.

“So this is…”

Lu Xin paused briefly taking a deep breath.

He pinched the black bag with two fingers pulling it in front of him.

Then he took out a square pack of tissues pulled one out and wiped both his hands clean.

After all his hands were covered in mud from rushing earlier.

He used a clean part of the used tissue to wipe the muddy spot inside the bag he’d touched before tossing it aside.

He straightened his clothes then his expression turned calm as he slowly walked down towards the pit.

…

Amidst the drizzly wasteland within the abandoned village a factory building had suddenly appeared.

Undoubtedly there was something fishy about this factory.

Unexpectedly however Lu Xin walked all the way into the factory building without encountering any danger.

Reaching the factory’s slightly ajar main gate Lu Xin knocked gently.

Not a sound came from inside.

So Lu Xin pushed it open directly and walked in.

Instantly harsh lights from inside the factory flooded out making Lu Xin squint.

Shielding his face with his hand he finally got a clear look at the factory’s interior and couldn’t help but freeze slightly.

This factory looked surprisingly advanced.

Bright lights thick pipes massive machines of unknown purpose.

Rows upon rows of test tubes were clamped onto a machine assembly line each filled about a third of the way with an emerald green liquid.

Beside the assembly line stood one gaunt vacant-eyed corpse after another.

Like machine parts they moved slowly but with great proficiency maintaining the machinery’s operation.

Noticing Lu Xin’s entrance their necks turned stiffly towards him.

Their vacant gazes seemed tinged with hostility.

Lu Xin took a deep breath and walked forward through their stares. He went straight to the center of the factory where he saw a sophisticated instrument connected to the surrounding massive machinery. The signal indicated this was the forty-eighth set of stabilizers.

He pulled out his gun fired three shots into the stabilizer completely wrecking it.

*Forty-eighth set of stabilizers destroyed.*

Lu Xin carefully sensed his surroundings. He could feel the faint ambient pressure suddenly lessen considerably. According to Researcher Wang Song’s inference once more than half the stabilizers were destroyed this force field would gradually collapse under its own pressure and disappear. It just required a process wouldn’t happen instantaneously.

But the noticeable reduction in the field’s pressure confirmed their plan was sound.

*Klak Klak…*

Also right after the stabilizer was destroyed the rumbling sound of the machinery operating in the factory abruptly stopped.

Only then did Lu Xin have time to observe everything inside the factory.

Soon his gaze landed deeper within the factory on a row of high-tech looking racks.

Pinned to those racks was a line of people.

They all wore blue overalls and were nailed to the racks by some kind of barbed rivets.

Various wires and tubes were inserted into different parts of their bodies. Around them was a row of devices resembling signal transmitters aimed at them. It seemed some unknown waves were constantly being poured into every part of their bodies.

And from the tubes connected to their bodies a viscous liquid flowed out.

This liquid underwent a series of modifications ultimately becoming that green liquid poured into the test tubes.

Throughout the entire process those people trembled. It seemed… they were still alive.

…

The scene looked grotesque yet possessed a strangely advanced feel that was hard to comprehend but impressive.

“So that’s how it is…”

Mom’s footsteps echoed behind Lu Xin. She looked at the row of machines her expression showing surprise and approval.

“Eek…”

Sister poked her little head out from Lu Xin’s shoulder her small body seeming to tremble slightly.

“So this is their real objective?”

Lu Xin lacked sufficient professional knowledge but he could feel the flow of the invisible power around him.

The invisible power floating in the air or the force field was connected to this factory.

Most of it dissipated invisibly.

But a portion was drawn in by some unknown method and then poured into the bodies of those people hanging on the racks.

Through them the viscous liquid was produced and then processed into the substance within the test tubes.

Previously Researcher Wang Song had mentioned hoping Lu Xin could figure out the true purpose of these people.

Because he felt many things didn’t add up.

This force field was very strange. It didn’t seem designed to deal with anyone; it didn’t even possess a will.

It was just a pure force field almost pristine in its nature.

Such a large-scale operation with clear signs of artificial creation must have some purpose.

But Researcher Wang Song couldn’t imagine what that purpose might be.

It wasn’t until Lu Xin saw this factory that he suddenly realized what these people’s objective was.

He understood the function of this force field…

…This was a way to vent the power of the Queen of Happy Town by arranging this field.

Because venting was the primary objective they didn’t care if there were any experimental targets within the field.

They just needed to dump this massive mental power wholesale into the Wasteland.

Like discharging sewage into the sea.

At the same time they also utilized it to some extent.

Such as capturing the citizens of the Queen of Happy Town using their bodies to produce this medication.

…

The affected personnel at the observation post were killed because of this.

Because their observation of the S-level forbidden zone would inevitably reveal these changes and anomalies in the data they became the primary targets. As for the advance team of the Information Gathering Team the field had already formed when they entered which is why they were killed.

Lu Xin took a deep breath and looked up.

He reached up pressing the left frame of his glasses. Although unsure if anyone could receive his signal he still reported seriously:

“Investigation mission basically complete.”

“Now I am preparing to begin the cleanup mission.”