RNP Chapter 123 Influence
Chapter 123 Influence
Chapter 123 Influence
Jiangcheng Shelter, in the core area of the inner city, inside a heavily guarded building.
The atmosphere was heavy in a large conference room with its doors and windows tightly closed and the light controlled. Hundreds of people sat quietly in their seats. Among them were officers in crisp military uniforms, superhumans with varying auras and sharp eyes, and researchers and administrative officials wearing glasses, their expressions focused. The five members of the Sharp Sword Squad were also among them; their injuries had been properly treated, but their faces still showed signs of fatigue.
All eyes were focused on the huge projection screen in front of them.
A first-person perspective video, slightly shaky but exceptionally clear, is playing on the screen. The viewer appears to be moving and fighting intensely, against the backdrop of the familiar ruins of the Red Star Industrial Zone, accompanied by heavy breathing, shouts from teammates, the howls of zombies, and the clash of weapons. The focus of the video, or rather, the key figure who saved the viewer's life, is a mysterious person dressed in black combat gear, their face obscured by a headscarf, revealing only a pair of cold eyes.
It was Xu Mo!
In the scene, Xu Mo cut into the chaotic battle from the flank like a ghost. The strangely shaped dark triangular dagger in his hand turned into a deadly black light, and almost the instant his figure passed by, it accurately pierced the head of an agile zombie that was pouncing from the side and behind! The speed and ruthlessness of the action made the viewers' hearts tremble.
This is just the beginning.
Immediately afterwards, the man in black stood firmly in the middle of the scene, his right arm muscles bulging, and he threw the triangular dagger in his hand like a javelin with all his might! The "whoosh" sound of it cutting through the air could be faintly heard even through the microphone of the recorder. The next moment, the head of another agile zombie was pierced through.
Then came the most breathtaking scene—
The man in black raised the menacing Barrett M82A1 anti-materiel sniper rifle with one arm and repeatedly pulled the trigger as he faced the mutated zombies at close range.
"Boom! Boom..."
'
Five deafening gunshots rang out almost in quick succession, huge flashes of light erupting from the muzzles. However, what made all the onlookers' pupils contract and their breath catch in their throats was the black-clad man's arm and body wielding the gun. Facing the terrifying recoil of the Barrett—enough to dislocate the shoulders of even the strongest soldiers—his body trembled only slightly. His feet seemed rooted to the spot, his arm as steady as a rock, firing continuously without the slightest distortion or hesitation! It was as if he were holding not a "heavy artillery," but a toy gun.
With each shot, almost every mutated zombie was blasted apart in a gruesome manner. The efficient killing and absolute control of power created a powerful visual impact.
The entire hall was completely silent, save for the background noise from the video and the occasional, barely suppressed gasps. Whether seasoned soldiers or self-proclaimed powerful superhumans, everyone present was filled with solemnity and undisguised shock.
This ability to fire Barretts in rapid succession with a single arm and withstand the recoil is beyond their conventional understanding of "body enhancement."
The video then shows Xu Mo leading the Sharp Sword Squad to the D-10 fortress. In the video, Xu Mo casually swings his triangular dagger to deal with the zombies blocking his way, as if strolling through a garden, giving off a relaxed and carefree feeling.
The video ended with Xu Mo coldly scanning the camera and taking two steps back. Then the lights slowly came on, dispelling the somber atmosphere from the screen, but the heavy feeling in the conference room remained unchanged.
Lu Chuan took a deep breath, stood up, and walked to the front of the stage. His voice was still slightly hoarse from his injuries, but clear and steady: "Leaders and colleagues, I am Lu Chuan, the captain of the Sharp Sword Squad. Six days ago, our squad was ordered to go to Zone F of the Red Star Industrial Zone to investigate the disappearance of three forward fortress observers. During the mission, we encountered an unprecedented level-two venom-type mutant zombie and six level-one zombies it controlled, putting us in a desperate situation. At the critical moment, the mysterious person in the video suddenly appeared, swiftly killing the level-two zombie. Unfortunately, the recorder failed to capture the killing of the level-two zombie, but he assisted us in clearing out the remaining level-one zombies, saving me and my teammates."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd below: "As you can all see, this mysterious man's strength is unfathomable. His movements are concise and efficient, without any fancy tricks; he relies entirely on his terrifying individual abilities to crush his opponents. Especially his control over a heavy anti-materiel weapon like the Barrett—" Lu Chuan rewound the scene to the moment Xu Mo fired several shots in quick succession, freezing the frame, "Many of you here are colleagues specializing in physical enhancement. I'd like to ask, is there anyone who can fire a Barrett so easily and continuously with almost no effect from recoil?"
A brief silence fell over the audience. Several exceptionally strong individuals exchanged glances and shook their heads slightly. One of them, a burly man with an astonishingly large arm, said in a deep voice, "He can withstand one or two shots, but I couldn't do it continuously and steadily like this. His physical strength and control over his power far surpass that of a typical level one physical enhancer. I even suspect he might be a level two enhancer or even have touched the threshold of level three. Of course, we can't rule out the possibility that he possesses some kind of extremely special enhancement ability that we don't know about."
"Level three?!" This word caused a low murmur of surprise from the audience. Currently, among the publicly disclosed ability users in Jiangcheng Shelter, those who have reached level three are extremely rare, and each one is a strategic-level existence.
"This is just speculation at the moment." A middle-aged officer sitting in the front row, whose epaulets indicated a high rank, tapped the table and took over the conversation. "The intelligence department is intensifying its analysis of this mysterious person's identity and motives. Judging from his current behavior, he has shown goodwill towards our combat personnel. However, we cannot determine whether he is a lone strongman who has been roaming the industrial area for a long time, or whether he is infiltrating our system under some kind of identity." His gaze intentionally or unintentionally swept over the people present who might have connections to the front lines.
"Regarding the motive, the initial assessment is that it was not malicious. However, we need to remain vigilant and also maintain the possibility of contact." Another researcher wearing glasses adjusted his glasses. "We advise all frontline units, especially observers and action teams around the Red Star Industrial Zone, that if they encounter this person again, they should try to show goodwill and establish communication, while ensuring their own safety. But they must avoid actively provoking or attempting to track him, so as not to cause unnecessary conflict."
The meeting continued, and the participants began discussing the mysterious figure's possible range of activities, behavioral patterns, and whether there was a possible connection between the mysterious person and the "source" of the industrial zone. Various speculations and analyses were exchanged in hushed tones in the meeting room. Lu Chuan and his four companions, as eyewitnesses, provided more details, but the true identity of the mysterious person remained shrouded in mystery.
Red Star Industrial Zone, C-07 Fortress.
Xu Mo was completely unaware of what was happening in Jiangcheng. He had no idea that his impressive performance during the rescue of the Lu Chuan team had been repeatedly observed and analyzed by some people in Jiangcheng. Xu Mo's life remained regular: gathering qi in the morning, training and adapting to his strength in the morning, observing and recording in the afternoon, and giving his routine report via radio in the evening, while listening to casual conversations on the public channel.
Having fully adapted to the power of the Iron Bone Realm and confirmed the concealment advantage brought by the restraint of his aura, Xu Mo would go out for a period of time every day. His activity area was centered on Fortress C-07, radiating outwards. He would cautiously explore the ruins, familiarize himself with the environment, and draw more detailed sketches of the terrain and resource points.
Xu Mo usually ignores lone or small groups of ordinary zombies, but if he encounters a level one mutated zombie, he will quickly deal with it and then burn its body.
This is both to accumulate experience in fighting zombies and to test the actual combat power of the Iron Bone Realm, and also to reduce potential sources of mutation in the area, which can be considered as cleaning up one's "backyard".
This routine, coupled with a degree of proactive engagement, made Xu Mo feel quite comfortable. The sense of security that came with his strength, and the sense of control that came with gradually expanding his sphere of influence, diluted the inherent oppression of the apocalypse.
However, the peaceful days were soon disrupted by some new discussions on the public walkie-talkie channel.
That afternoon, Xu Mo had just finished clearing out a powerful zombie hiding in an abandoned workshop and was burning the body when he heard several observers talking with puzzled expressions over the walkie-talkie.
"Hey, have you guys noticed? There seem to be fewer mutated zombies roaming around here these past couple of days?" This was B.
The voice of an observer in the district.
"I've got a feeling about that too. I used to see a few level one ones wandering around outside every day, but today I've been watching for a while and I've only seen some ordinary ones," another voice chimed in.
"Could they all have gathered in the core area?" someone speculated.
"Speaking of which, I think I glimpsed a dark shadow yesterday. It was incredibly fast, just 'whoosh' past. Judging from its size, it didn't seem like an agile zombie, but its speed was definitely no slower than an agile zombie. Could it be a new advanced zombie?" a voice said, filled with uncertainty and tension.
Upon hearing the words "advanced zombies," Xu Mo immediately became alert, his ears perking up even more. Could it be that something new had emerged in the Red Star Industrial Zone?
But the observer's next description made Xu Mo's lips twitch involuntarily.
"Dressed in all black, their movements were frighteningly fluid, traversing the ruins as if it were flat ground. It's a pity the distance was too great for me to see their exact appearance clearly—"
All in black? Extremely fast? Moving nimbly through the ruins?
This sounds so much like how I am when I'm out here! So I was spotted by observers from other fortresses as a new advanced mutated zombie? Xu Mo was both amused and exasperated. At the same time, he secretly reminded himself to be more careful to stay hidden in the future and try to avoid being in the direct line of sight of other fortresses to avoid causing unnecessary misunderstandings or even hostility.
This little episode about the "black high-speed zombie" quickly passed, but the discussion in the channel did not stop.
Soon, another topic caught the attention of Xu Mo, as well as many other observers.
"Brothers, have you noticed the sky? I've noticed there seem to be more birds flying around these past few days." This was a comment from an observer with a high-pitched voice.
"Birds? There are still birds in this godforsaken place? Aren't they all infected or scared away?" someone wondered.
"Really! I saw it too! Not only have there been more, but I also saw a few that were obviously out of shape, with their wings spread out in a frightening way and their feathers were a strange color. They must have mutated!" Several people immediately confirmed.
"Yes, I saw it too. They started appearing about three or four days ago, and there are especially many today. They're hovering over my fortress, which is giving me the creeps," said an observer from Sector D, sounding somewhat uneasy.
"Me too—"
"And me—"
A rough count indicates that at least six or seven observers in different regions have reported similar situations—an abnormal increase in the number of birds in the air, with noticeable variations in individual species.
Birds? Mutant birds?
Xu Mo's heart stirred, and he immediately walked out of the workshop and looked up at the sky.
It was afternoon, and under the hazy sky, several black dots could indeed be seen circling and gliding high above. Xu Mo looked closely and realized there were at least a dozen of them. They were flying at a considerable altitude, yet still clearly visible over the open industrial area. Several of them were indeed different from ordinary birds in size and flight posture, appearing much larger and even carrying a hint of ferocity.
"Birds are also starting to mutate and gather on a large scale?" Xu Mo frowned. The threat of zombies has not yet been eliminated, and if the skies are also occupied by mutated birds, humanity's situation will become even more difficult. The mobility of these birds and the angles of attack from the air may pose a new threat to ground personnel, especially to fortresses with limited observation holes.
"It seems I need to find an opportunity to go to an open area or a high vantage point to observe the movements of these birds." Xu Mo secretly noted this new development. The appearance of the mutated bird flock might be another ominous sign. This industrial area seems to never lack "surprises."
Back at the fortress, Xu Mo took out a map and solemnly wrote down what he had learned in the blank space next to it:
[New Observation: Unusually large groups of birds, including mutated individuals, have been observed in the air. Their numbers have increased, and their movements are unclear, requiring vigilance.]
After writing this, Xu Mo looked once more at the sky shrouded in ruins and a light mist. Those swirling black dots, like ominous ellipses, foreshadowed more unknowns and uncertainties.
Xu Mo withdrew his gaze from the swirling black dots in the sky, but the shocking scene from a few days ago involuntarily surfaced in his mind: a vast flock of birds, like moving dark clouds, swept across the sky above the Red Star Industrial Zone with sharp and noisy cries, flying towards the unknown distance.
That bird migration was unprecedented in its scale and momentum.
Are these birds, lingering in the sky now and exhibiting clear signs of mutation, related to that massive migration? Are they "observation posts" left behind by the migrating flock? Or are they "vanguard" drawn back by some unknown change in this region? Or was that migration itself a harbinger of some larger upheaval, and these birds left behind are part of that upheaval?
There are no answers to questions, only more questions.
As Xu Mo gazed into the distance, lost in thought, he noticed that the sky seemed to have darkened, and the hazy clouds had pressed down even lower. Then, a few raindrops began to fall, tapping softly on the cold exterior of the fortress.
It's raining.
The rain was light, a typical drizzle. Xu Mo's gaze followed the falling raindrops through the observation hole.
However, what he saw next made him pause for a moment, and then he fell into deeper thought.
Below, amidst the ruins, some of the zombies that had been wandering aimlessly or standing motionless reacted to the falling raindrops. They slowly raised their heads, some even opening their rotting, slimy, or mutilated mouths towards the sky, as if catching the rain. That posture seemed to subtly convey a sense of instinctive absorption.
This detail acted like a key, unlocking a long-standing but overlooked area of doubt in Xu Mo's mind.
How do these zombies survive when they don't find prey?
Unlike plants that can photosynthesize, even their slow wandering, howling, and maintenance of basic activity in their decaying bodies clearly require energy. Where does this energy come from?
Previously, Xu Mo might have subconsciously regarded them simply as "undead creatures" or "virus-driven corpses," ignoring the fundamental law of energy conservation that they, as "active entities," must follow. Now, seeing their behavior of "catching rainwater," even if it might just be some residual instinct or new adaptive behavior driven by the virus, this question has become incredibly clear.
Do they really not need to "eat" at all? Sunlight? Some kind of radiation? Microorganisms in the air? Or does the rainwater itself, which contains pollutants, contain trace amounts of energy or specific substances that they can absorb? Or can they enter a "hibernation" or "standby" state with extremely low energy consumption, like some lower organisms?
These questions touch upon the fundamental mechanisms underlying the existence of zombies.
Xu Mo believed that large shelters like Jiangcheng, which had established order and possessed scientific research capabilities, must have invested a lot of resources in studying zombies and likely had already grasped some deeper information about the zombies' energy sources, behavior patterns, and even weaknesses.
However, this information is clearly highly classified and will only be provided to top-level decision-makers and elite units carrying out special missions. Someone like him, on the periphery and whose identity is merely that of an "observer" and "civilian hunter," is obviously not qualified to have access to this core intelligence at present.
"My level isn't high enough—" Xu Mo shook his head slightly, a self-deprecating smile appearing on his lips.
In the apocalypse, information, power, and status are inextricably linked. To uncover more truths and reveal the secrets behind the world, one must rise higher, become stronger, or possess unique, irreplaceable value.
Xu Mo temporarily suppressed these grand questions that he couldn't answer, focusing instead on what he could control and improve. The rain gradually thickened, and the sky grew even darker. But for Xu Mo, this meant the beginning of something else important.
He composed himself, no longer paying attention to the zombies' bizarre "drinking" behavior outside the window, and turned to walk to a relatively open and well-ventilated spot inside the fortress. Ignoring the gradually pattering rain outside, he slowly assumed his stance for stance training.
As the breathing gradually becomes deeper and longer, the blood and qi in the body, surging like the Yangtze River, begin to circulate more rapidly.
Soon, familiar, warm energy began to seep through his skin pores, slowly entering his body and merging into his surging blood and qi, continuously nourishing and refining it. The timely surge of warm energy that replenished his energy during his breakthrough made Xu Mo deeply realize the importance of consistently accumulating "qi" every day. This was not only the foundation of cultivation but also one of his life-saving trump cards in critical moments.
The drizzle pattered against the fortress, producing a monotonous and rhythmic sound. Inside, Xu Mo stood as still as a pine tree, his breath long and deep, immersed in a mysterious state of absorbing energy. Outside, the zombies continued their eerie and silent "survival" rituals in the rain.
One inside, one outside; one in motion, one still—this constitutes yet another ordinary afternoon in this land of death. But whether it is the mutated birds circling in the sky or the subtle movements of the zombies that reveal deep secrets, they all foreshadow that beneath this ordinariness, an increasingly turbulent undercurrent is surging.