Chapter 378: Ability

Finding himself in danger once again, Zhang Wenda hastily pulled out the blue crayon and began to draw a wall.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to use the red one. The problem was, no matter how powerful it was, red required him to be up close.

At the rhino’s speed, he’d be trampled into a pulp by the several-ton beast before he could even draw a red mark on it.

‘What in the world did I do? Why do these rhinos keep chasing me?’

As the rhino crashed into the wall, Zhang Wenda seized the opportunity to run, searching for the path to the aquarium.

He shuffled forward, staying low in the bushes, absolutely refusing to take the main path.

He knew his own limits. Even with the crayons, the zoo animals were still incredibly lethal to him.

The blue crayon required time to draw with, the red one needed close contact, and as for the yellow crayon, he still had no idea how to use it.

In his current frail, childlike body, a single bite from any animal would be more than he could handle.

He didn’t understand the nature of the other animals, but he was certain of his own. If he died here, his self in the other world would die instantly.

Hiding and dodging as he was hounded by all sorts of animals along the way, Zhang Wenda managed to make it through. Fortunately, this wasn’t his first time here, and he knew the route. Soon, he emerged from the zebra-striped pattern of the aquarium, finally bringing the ordeal to an end.

The sight of the blood-red city once more made the tense Zhang Wenda let out a long, deep breath.

“Congratulations. We’ve figured out how to use the yellow ability,” Blue said, walking over to him.

“Don’t even start,” Wenda sighed. “Others might not know, but you should. Using this ability comes at a cost.”

Zhang Wenda quickly recounted everything he had experienced. “It just doesn’t add up. Big Circle is gone, so where did those monkeys come from? And why do they always act like they’re out of their minds and open the gate? Who else in this area could possibly hate me this much?”

It also proved one thing: the two worlds weren’t perfectly symmetrical. Anything could happen in the world he entered using the yellow ability, and it wouldn’t be a surprise.

Zhang Wenda mulled over these questions, but couldn’t come up with any answers.

After another terrifying escape from the zoo and two major confrontations back-to-back, Zhang Wenda truly felt drained, both mentally and physically.

He knew he couldn’t solve these problems just by thinking about them himself. For now, he’d have to take things one step at a time. At the very least, he had a basic grasp of the yellow ability.

Just as Zhang Wenda set the matter aside, preparing to go and make contact with the allies he’d rescued, Blue’s voice sounded from behind him.

“Have you considered that our yellow ability bears some resemblance to 1999? Especially that golden glint when it activates.”

Having reached the stairwell entrance, Zhang Wenda turned to face him. “Isn’t that obvious? Everything we have now came from 1999. If it weren’t for that thing, would our original world have had the Tides of Thought? Would it have the three colors? Would it have *you*?”

Blue fell silent for a moment before speaking. “This is different. Completely different. Don’t you think it’s strange? Why do we have to enter a near-death state before we can use the yellow ability? It’s as if it’s not a power a normal, living being is meant to use. And if you recall… 1999 itself isn’t alive.”

Zhang Wenda fell silent at his words, his mind suddenly racing.

“There’s one more thing,” Blue continued. “You said there shouldn’t be any concept of animosity toward you in the entire swamp region, but there should be. You’re forgetting 1999. Since it’s the source of everything, it’s probably omnipresent.”

“What if the so-called animosity from the animals, or even the hostility of the entire yellow world, all stems from 1999? If it knows we’re trying to find a way to fight it, then it can surely use its own special methods against us.”

The rooftop fell silent. If Blue’s speculation was correct, the implications were immense.

“But this is all just speculation, isn’t it? Where’s the proof?” Zhang Wenda shot back.

Blue shrugged. “Make bold assumptions, then seek careful proof.”

“Fine. Since you enjoy thinking about this stuff so much, I’ll leave it all to you. Take your time seeking that proof. The moment you think you’ve found something, let me know.”

With that, Zhang Wenda turned and headed down from the rooftop. As he departed, the blue rabbit’s body gradually faded until it vanished completely.

The whole affair seemed to be over, but Zhang Wenda knew this was likely just the beginning.

Zhang Wenda found his rescued people in the building’s kitchen. They were scavenging for any ingredients they could find, and it was obvious they were starving.

“You lot ravaged my forest, and you’re still not full?” Zhang Wenda said as he walked into the slanted kitchen.

A middle-aged man with a black, bushy beard and cracked glasses put down the piece of fish he was holding and approached Zhang Wenda. “My deepest apologies, Bureau Chief,” he said, his voice full of remorse. “We were held captive for too long. We’re just… incredibly hungry. And for some reason, the fruit in the forest didn’t seem to fill us up at all.”

“And you are?” Zhang Wenda asked, looking him up and down.

The man quickly wiped his mouth, stood straight, and spoke rapidly. “Bureau Chief, my name is Sun Qi. My professor was in charge of this project, but… during the Cataclysm, he passed away in an accident. So now, I’m responsible for the entire project.”

Zhang Wenda looked at him and smiled faintly. “Don’t be so tense. We’re all on the same team now. We’re going to rebuild the Third Line together.”

These words seemed to strike a chord with the man. His eyes reddened instantly, and he nodded with vigor. “Yes!”

The others nearby also put down their food, their gazes turning to Zhang Wenda with fervent hope.

“Stop eating raw ingredients. There’s a pot here. Let’s have some proper food,” Zhang Wenda said, then had Little Black Cat bring out the flatbreads and braised pork he had stockpiled in his Inner World.

It was obvious the Little Black Cat really didn’t care for these newcomers. It was being quite stingy; the food had been in there the whole time, but it hadn’t brought any out for them.

Various ingredients were thrown into the pot, along with instant noodles and canned braised pork, creating a hodgepodge stew. The final result was a large pot of something that vaguely resembled sukiyaki.

Zhang Wenda wasn’t hungry, so he didn’t eat, but he could tell from their expressions that it was delicious.

Zhang Wenda briefly explained the whole situation to Sun Qi, giving him the general gist of things.

Sun Qi popped a piece of overcooked winter melon from his bowl into his mouth. He chewed thoughtfully, already formulating a plan.

After a moment, he put down his wooden bowl and said to Zhang Wenda, “Our group is more research-focused, so we can’t offer much help in a fight. However, we are familiar with some of the research products that have already been mass-produced.”

“We can form the backbone of a new equipment division. Based on the materials currently available, we can do our best to restore the organization’s technological capabilities.”

“If you had enough materials, what could you make?”

“It’s hard to say for other things, but for common items like the Tri-Core Launcher, we know the schematics.”

“That’s fantastic!” Zhang Wenda was thrilled to hear this. If they could equip every member of the Third Line with one of those “flashlights,” the organization’s overall strength would skyrocket.

‘I shouldn’t rank my own people,’ he thought, ‘but the value this group brings is on another level.’ It made sense, though. If they weren’t so valuable, why would the Big Circle Organization have kept them alive? They would have been killed off long ago.

PSSSH. Zhang Wenda opened his last bottle of Coke and handed it to Sun Qi.

After watching him take a few big gulps, Zhang Wenda asked again, “Oh, right. I heard you mention you were researching Hurricane III. What kind of project was that for the old Third Line? What is it, exactly?”