Chapter 364: Arrival

Facing Hu Maomao, Zhang Wenda brought up the matter that had remained unresolved.

“Red can control the red within others and enhance physical abilities. Blue can supplement Red and can slice open another person’s Inner World. But Yellow is different. I have no idea what this little guy is even for. It just giggles mindlessly all day, spouting some kind of gibberish.”

Hearing this, Hu Maomao was taken aback. She hadn’t expected Zhang Wenda to say such a thing.

“Haven’t you already recovered Yellow? How else did you become 03? How could you not know how to use your own ability?”

“Yes, I’ve recovered Yellow, but I still don’t know what its ability is.”

Pausing for a moment, Zhang Wenda continued, “Oh, right. It seems it can restore objects that have been fused together by the 1999 golden light. But there’s nothing like that around here, so it’s completely useless. It’s as good as having no ability at all.”

In truth, Zhang Wenda was also very confused about how he had suddenly acquired Yellow. It seemed to have appeared right after he had resolved to take up the mission of the Third Line once more.

‘But why? What does Yellow represent? Determination? Responsibility? Or something else? To be honest, even though Yellow is a part of me, I have no idea what it’s really for.’

Once he acquired all three colors and became 03, everything in his Inner World could materialize to aid him, making him a one-man army. His Inner World had also become a vast personal storage space, and he could even fly by stepping on clusters of thought.

‘All of this has been a huge help, but logically, there should be more to it.’

‘Based on the uses of Red and Blue, Yellow’s ability should be even greater. It shouldn’t just be running around aimlessly all day like it is now.’

‘The key to using Red is instinctual seeking, and for Blue, it’s rational exploration. So how am I supposed to discover Yellow’s ability?’

“Do you want my help? Should I ask it for you?” Hu Maomao offered.

Zhang Wenda shook his head. “Don’t bother. I’ve already asked it countless times. I suspect the little guy doesn’t even know itself.”

‘My current abilities are just barely enough to handle the situation, so exploring Yellow’s power isn’t a top priority. Still, becoming stronger is never a bad thing.’

Besides, he felt that with his current strength, he should be even more powerful to live up to his image of what “03” meant. Zhang Wenda believed Yellow’s final ability had to be incredibly powerful and would prove to be of great use.

Time trickled by as the two chatted. Once everyone was well-rested and the white webbing on their hands had faded, Zhang Wenda put his damp clothes back on and prepared to set out.

‘I can figure out the deal with Yellow later. Telling Hu Maomao all this was less about asking for a solution and more about just venting.’

‘The primary mission now is to scout the entire swamp and gather more clues about the outside world from the people here.’

Everyone emerged from the Inner World and continued onward, led by Garbage Bag.

The swamp was still the same swamp. The only difference was that the branches and leaves overhead didn’t hang quite as low. After spending so much time here, Zhang Wenda had noticed another strange thing about the swamp: all of its creatures seemed to be extremely old.

The fish in the water had milky eyes and were losing their scales. The birds that occasionally flew past had sparse, ragged feathers.

He asked Garbage Bag about it, but it was clear he didn’t really understand it either. He just vaguely said that it didn’t really matter.

Suddenly, Zhang Wenda stopped in his tracks. “Take cover. Someone’s coming.”

Once everyone was hidden in the trees, Zhang Wenda watched as several red figures in the distance slowly approached. He then saw a few people sitting on a wide wooden boat, drifting slowly across the surface of the swamp.

The men had a rugged, unkempt appearance; it was obvious they hadn’t cut their hair or shaved in a long time. They carried few weapons, and even fewer firearms.

Zhang Wenda had already learned why from Small Circle. Because the swamp was so humid and provided so much cover, firearms obtained from other regions weren’t very popular here.

This was also why Small Circle’s people could buy firearms cheaply from the swamp dwellers and act like local warlords in the reservoir area.

These men looked extremely tense, clutching various weapons as they scanned their surroundings warily.

Zhang Wenda didn’t want to startle them. Instead, he shot a look at Hu Maomao, who was in another tree. “See what they’re thinking.”

Hu Maomao nodded silently. Just as the boat passed beneath them, her expression suddenly became ghastly, and she clapped a hand over her mouth in distress.

Zhang Wenda didn’t move. He waited until the men were gone before moving to her side. “What is it?”

Hu Maomao finally lowered her hand, her expression twisted in disgust. “They eat people!”

Zhang Wenda’s pupils contracted to pinpricks. For a moment, he thought he must have misheard.

He immediately turned to look at Garbage Bag and Wang Shaojie. Wang Shaojie forced a grim smile. “Chief, I told you before. There are no rules here.”

“But this is too damn lawless! We all came from a civilized society, for Christ’s sake! Cannibalism? Is food that scarce here?!”

However, Zhang Wenda’s question was met with silence. Both Garbage Bag and Wang Shaojie remained quiet.

After taking a moment to compose himself, Zhang Wenda waved his hand, signaling for them to move on.

‘I originally thought the more populated areas would be better than the deserted ones. It looks like that was just wishful thinking.’

Over the next while, Zhang Wenda and his group began to encounter the locals. It was clear they were moving from the outskirts of the region toward its center.

Zhang Wenda noticed that, due to the different environment, these people were more adapted to their surroundings than those from the reservoir area. For instance, most of them wore camouflage, which was ideal for hiding in the swamp.

He also observed that some of them were clearly infested with parasites, such as black threadworms squirming beneath the white sclera of their eyes, and other worms wriggling on their bodies and faces.

But the people here seemed to have grown used to it, paying it no mind. Zhang Wenda even saw one man casually pick a blood-engorged leech off his body, stuff it into his mouth, and begin chewing heartily.

‘I can’t imagine how these modern people turned into such monsters in just over four months.’

Most of these people traveled through the swamp on wooden boats of various sizes.

As they pressed onward, the number of boats on the swamp gradually increased, yet an eerie silence hung over them. No one spoke a word.

Gradually, a city built amidst the trees of the marshland came into view.

“You’ve arrived at your destination,” Garbage Bag reminded him.