RNP Chapter 113 Flock of Birds
Chapter 113 Flock of Birds
Chapter 113 Flock of Birds
Although Xu Mo had made ample preparations for the possible appearance of level two zombies, things did not develop in the direction he had expected.
For the next few days, the area around the fortress remained eerily calm. The number of newly "spawned" zombies seemed to be less than before, and the wandering level one mutants returned to their previous sporadic appearances, with no further signs of large-scale gatherings or abnormal evolution observed.
This calm, however, made the thorn in Xu Mo's heart about the level-two zombies even more hidden and deep.
He absolutely refused to believe that the problem had been solved; it was merely an illusion before the storm, or that a more advanced predator had learned to hide better.
Life was once again filled with routine: observation, reporting, and training. The only difference from before was that Xu Mo had developed a habit—keeping the public channel of the walkie-talkie always on and adjusting the volume to a level where he could clearly hear the conversation but wouldn't disturb his cultivation.
The reason for doing this was not to join in the idle chatter, but to hold onto a sliver of hope that he could glean any possible clues about level two zombies from the fragmented reports of the other hundred or so observers.
After all, with 144 pairs of eyes monitoring this area, any anomaly could be discovered somewhere.
However, more than ten days have passed, and most of what comes through the walkie-talkie is content unrelated to threats.
At first, they shared memories of the terrible experiences they had when the apocalypse first arrived, or thrilling stories of the Jiangcheng shelter's early encounters with several zombie hordes. Although these topics were heavy, they at least provided some historical information and survival experience, and Xu Mo listened attentively.
But gradually, as external threats ceased to be pressing, the boredom and oppression brought on by the long-term isolation began to take effect. The conversation started to veer off course, and the tone gradually became less serious.
Some extroverted or restless observers began sharing their "profound" impressions of certain "works of art" they had seen before the apocalypse, or their "academic" discussions of certain female celebrities.
However, at this point, a response of "The law must not be taken lightly" would often come through the walkie-talkie, though it was unclear which observer said it.
Upon hearing this, Xu Mo could only shake his head helplessly, but he still did not turn off the walkie-talkie.
This isn't about liking to hear it; it's mainly about "criticizing" this behavior of not forgetting lowbrow interests even in harsh conditions, and using it as a reminder to stay clear-headed and self-disciplined.
Yes, it's critical listening!
Time slips away quietly in these days that are sometimes tense, sometimes boring, and sometimes require "critical listening".
That morning, Xu Mo had just woken from a deep sleep of cultivation when he heard an excited voice coming through the walkie-talkie: "Brothers, sisters! Today is a memorable day! We've been living in this deluxe single room for a full month now!"
"Holy crap! Really? It's been a month? It feels like only half a month has passed!"
"Yes, time flies by so fast, yet it also feels like it drags on so slowly —"
"It's been a month, I wonder how things are at home—"
A chorus of emotions immediately filled the channel. Some were excited that they had persevered, some lamented how quickly time had passed, and others expressed their longing for their loved ones in Jiangcheng.
Hearing these conversations, Xu Mo suddenly realized that he had spent a full thirty days and nights in this fortress, numbered C-07. He couldn't help but think of the house with a courtyard that he had rented in the inner city of Jiangcheng, wondering what it looked like now that Jiangcheng had sealed it off.
Xu Mo also reflected on his life over the past month:
Through daily, uninterrupted observation and recording, we witnessed the tidal wave of zombie "refreshing" and "receding," experienced the clamor and crisis of the minefield, and promptly discovered the hidden danger of its accelerated evolution.
They successfully acquired the Barrett heavy sniper rifle and its matching ammunition, greatly enhancing their long-range sniping capabilities.
The doubts about the existence of Level 2 zombies have not been dispelled, and the curiosity about the secrets of the source of the Red Star Industrial Zone ruins has been growing stronger.
I had originally planned to explore, but I haven't been able to go yet because of the potential threat of level 2 zombies.
Furthermore, his cultivation of the "Thirteen Protectors' Horizontal Training" has never been interrupted for a single day. His foundation in the Bullhide Realm has been honed to an extremely solid level, his blood and qi are vigorous, and his physique is far stronger than that of ordinary people.
Thinking of this, Xu Mo frowned slightly again.
Over the past few days, he had a vague feeling that his "Thirteen Protectors Horizontal Training" seemed to have reached a new stage.
Starting about four or five days ago, Xu Mo could clearly feel a change in the interaction between the absorbed morning purple energy and his own blood and qi when he gathered qi every morning and evening.
Previously, this energy would strengthen his blood and qi, making him feel the surge of blood and qi.
But now, after this energy enters his body, it no longer has a noticeable "strength" but rather flows into his limbs, bones, and internal organs like a gentle stream.
This feeling is wonderful; it's not a dissipation, but rather a deeper fusion and immersion.
His body was like a giant, dried-up sponge, greedily absorbing this energy and undergoing some kind of more fundamental transformation.
Without a master's guidance, Xu Mo couldn't be sure whether this was a proper sign of breaking through to the Iron Bone Realm, or if he had encountered some problem. But the only thing he was certain of was that after each Qi gathering session, he not only felt no discomfort, but also felt exceptionally energetic, his body clear, and his condition better than ever before.
"It shouldn't be a bad thing—" Xu Mo could only comfort himself with this thought, and decided to continue his daily Qi gathering practice.
"Quack—Quack—Quack—"
'
Just as Xu Mo was deep in thought about his own cultivation, several hoarse and unpleasant caws suddenly entered his ears clearly through the gap in the observation hole, interrupting his contemplation.
"Bad luck," Xu Mo muttered unconsciously.
In the end times, scavenging birds like crows are often associated with death and decay, and hearing their cries early in the morning was indeed unsettling. He looked up through the observation holes, but could only hear their calls, not see them, unable to get rid of this ominous "neighbor."
Just then, another observer complained over the walkie-talkie: "Damn it, what bad luck! What are those crows cawing on top of my fortress so early in the morning? It's giving me the creeps!"
"Hey, you have them over there too? I was much luckier here. I saw a flock of white birds, I don't know what they're called, flying past me this morning. They were quite beautiful."
"I saw a few small birds with brightly colored feathers looking for food in the ruins here too."
"It's quiet on my end, I haven't seen anything."
The topic immediately shifted to birds. Being confined to a limited space with a narrow range of activities, they can only do a handful of things. Any slight movement in the outside world, or even the appearance of a few birds, is enough to become the focus of everyone's sharing and discussion.
However, just as everyone was enthusiastically sharing their bird sightings, a relatively calm and composed voice broke in, its tone tinged with seriousness: "Everyone, hold on a minute before sharing your interesting stories. If only one person hears a crow cawing or sees a few birds, that's normal. But—if many people are simultaneously observing unusually active birds near their scattered fortresses, or even hearing ominous bird calls, then something's probably not quite right."
The voice sounded familiar; Xu Mo remembered it belonged to an older observer from Zone D.
Upon hearing this, Xu Mo nodded secretly: "Great minds think alike."
Just as everyone started sharing, Xu Mo had the same doubts in his mind.
Something unusual is bound to happen, especially in this ruin shrouded in death and eeriness. Any unusual group behavior should be taken very seriously.
"That's right!" someone immediately echoed. "I suggest we report this situation to command immediately."
"A-02 received." A-02's voice rang out quickly, still calm and steady. "While everyone started discussing the bird phenomenon, I compiled the information and reported it to command. We have not yet received any clear instructions. Please remain vigilant and continue to observe. Report any new anomalies immediately."
He paused, then added, seemingly explaining or perhaps speaking to himself: "As everyone knows, after the apocalypse, the satellite network in the sky is completely paralyzed, and we cannot conduct large-scale environmental monitoring through satellite imagery. Command may use high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft or other detection methods to verify, which will take time."
Hearing A-02's words, Xu Mo nodded inwardly. He thought he had reacted quickly enough, but he hadn't expected there to be so many intelligent and responsible people. This network of 144 observers was indeed working.
The conversation then shifted to other casual chatter, but Xu Mo kept his walkie-talkie on and began his daily, unwavering morning exercise.
However, the calm did not last long.
Just as Xu Mo finished a set of boxing moves and his breathing hadn't fully calmed down, a voice suddenly came through the walkie-talkie, filled with disbelief and excitement, even trembling slightly: "Everyone, quick, look at the sky! Look at the sky, my God! Can you see it?!"
The exclamation instantly silenced the entire channel.
A sudden doubt arose in Xu Mo's mind. He rushed to the top observation hole, which offered the widest view, and looked up at the sky—
The next moment, Xu Mo's pupils suddenly contracted, and his breathing faltered.
Against the backdrop of the leaden sky over the Red Star Industrial Zone, a massive, suffocating "cloud" was slowly moving in from afar. No, it wasn't a cloud! It was a torrent of countless birds!
Xu Mo immediately grabbed the high-powered binoculars beside him and stared intently at the moving "dark cloud".
The sight before him sent chills down his spine. Through the binoculars, the "dark cloud" appeared to be composed of densely packed...
It was composed of countless birds of all kinds. They seemed to have lost the barriers and hostility between species, mingling together and flying south together.
Through the telescope, Xu Mo could see flocks of sparrows, swallows, and other small birds, which, like restless grains of sand, formed the base of the bird flock.
You can also see larger crows, magpies, and doves mixed in, their hoarse or cooing calls creating a chaotic cacophony.
Xu Mo could even see some falcons and eagles that should have been birds of prey, but now they had tucked their claws and were flying quietly among the flocks of birds.
What alarmed Xu Mo even more was that he clearly saw some mutated individuals among the flock of birds.
A giant crow with a wingspan of over three meters and feathers that gleamed with an ominous metallic sheen; a strange sparrow the size of a hen, with eerie blue flames burning in its eye sockets; and several deformed birds that had lost most of their feathers, revealing pale white bony wings underneath, yet were still able to fly tenaciously.
These normal birds and the mutated birds are now living in harmony, following some powerful instinct or command, forming this vast migratory army.
The sounds of their flapping wings combined to form a deep hum, like the roar of a distant waterfall, that enveloped the entire Red Star Industrial Zone from afar.
The flock of birds did not fly very high, and their enormous size and number greatly blocked out the sunlight. The light around the fortress dimmed at a visible speed, as if dusk had arrived early.
"My God, what's going on?!"
"A hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix? No, this is more like a hundred birds fleeing in panic!"
"What are they doing? Shouldn't it be springtime?"
The walkie-talkie was instantly filled with shocked and speculative voices; everyone was stunned by this unprecedented celestial phenomenon.
Xu Mo put down his binoculars, his expression extremely solemn. He gazed at the flock of birds that covered the sky like a thick blanket, his heart churning with turmoil.
Such a large-scale, cross-species migration, including even variants, is not simply due to climate reasons.
The massive cloud in the sky, composed of countless wings that blotted out the sun, continued to fly for more than ten minutes before its enormous size gradually thinned out, eventually turning into scattered black dots and disappearing at the edge of the southern horizon.
An eerie silence fell over the fortress. The loud buzzing of the birds' wings had disappeared, and the walkie-talkies were unusually silent. It was as if everyone had been silenced by the spectacular yet ominous sight, and were lost in their own shock and contemplation.
Xu Mo slowly lowered his hand that was holding the binoculars, silently watching the direction in which the flock of birds disappeared, his heart filled with turmoil.
Such a massive, interspecies migration, disregarding even the boundaries between mutation and normalcy, carries a weighty and suffocating meaning. In a fleeting moment, a terrifying thought uncontrollably surged into his mind: "Were the previous zombie crisis, the eternal night, and the flood just appetizers? Is the real, all-encompassing apocalypse only just beginning?"
This thought sent a chill down Xu Mo’s spine. If even the birds in the sky sensed some kind of irresistible disaster and began to flee in such a panicked and unified manner, then what would the humans left on the ground face?
Fortunately, the birds weren't migrating directly towards the Jiangcheng sanctuary. However, such an unusual phenomenon couldn't have gone undetected by Jiangcheng authorities. High-altitude reconnaissance aircraft, long-range radar, or other detection methods must have relayed the information back.
"After this incident, the Jiangcheng leadership will probably have to start seriously considering the issue of air defense," Xu Mo thought to himself.
He had previously observed Jiangcheng's defenses; the steel walls and dense firepower were primarily designed to counter ground threats. Faced with such a bizarre flock of mutated birds, was the existing air defense force sufficient? This was a pressing question.
As for the cause of this unprecedented mass migration, several guesses flashed through Xu Mo's mind:
One possibility is drastic environmental change, such as extreme environmental degradation in the north or the bird's original habitat. This could be due to persistent acid rain, deadly radioactive dust, or sudden temperature changes that render the environment unsuitable for survival.
Secondly, the arrival of natural enemies is a more likely possibility, Xu Mo felt. It's possible that some more terrifying aerial mutant or unknown creature, which feeds exclusively on birds, has appeared in a certain area, forcing all birds to abandon their territories and migrate south en masse.
There is also some deeper signal, which humans have not yet understood, that acts on the instincts of all birds, driving them to flee this place.
Each possibility points to a more severe and unknown future.
"But one thing I can be sure of," Xu Mo's gaze deepened as he looked out the window at the desolate ruins, as if piercing through time and space, "at this very moment, somewhere unknown to us, something extraordinary is happening. This bird migration is merely a tiny microcosm of that event projected onto us."
Information barriers caused by poor communication are particularly fatal in the face of such dramatic changes.
These observers on the front lines are like sailors stranded on a deserted island; they can see the unusual waves and sky, but they cannot know where the eye of the storm is or how big it is.
As an ordinary survivor, Xu Mo was well aware of the limitations of his abilities. He could not uncover the full truth, nor could he change the course of events.
At this moment, Xu Mo's only and simplest wish was not to uncover that distant truth, but rather: "I hope everyone is safe."
This "everyone" refers not only to his "acquaintances" Feng Dayong, Zhao Ming, and Wang Nade in Jiangcheng, whom he had only met a few times, but also to his "comrades-in-arms" with whom he had never met but had held out for a month, and even more so to all his fellow human beings struggling to survive in the apocalypse.
Faced with this increasingly profound and unpredictable apocalyptic torrent, the power of the individual is so insignificant. Besides striving to improve oneself, perhaps all we can do is continue onward, carrying this small wish.
The sky returned to its leaden gray, but a shadow, even heavier than before, loomed over everyone's heart.
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