Beginning with the Ubume Bird

Chapter 291: Chapter 17: You Know Nothing About the Truth

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The pistol’s muzzle flashed as the casings fell to the ground in rapid succession, bullets raining down like a tempest, clinking as they hit the ground.

Li Yan’s feet were surrounded by shattered chunks of ice, and the blue Gang Dou in front of him with phoenix patterns was rippled by the bullets.

This living corpse known as “Winter Yak” managed to empty all the bullets from the TT-33 pistol in just two breaths, yet still hadn’t even touched a single hair on Li Yan. However, she showed no reaction and began to efficiently reload the magazine.

Li Yan had been working on unraveling the nylon rope hammer from his wrist, and by now he had unwound about three to four coils, allowing the dark hammerhead to hang at his waist.

Szzz~

Szzz~

The overhead light began to flicker, indicating a poor connection.

Winter Yak and Li Yan faced off with each other in the flickering light and darkness.

Nylon rope, windbreaker, hammer, Red Star epaulettes, pistol, leather boots, cylindrical hat.

This female living corpse had a decent figure, and as Li Yan watched Winter Yak, he suddenly recalled a joke about “a huge wave of zombies” and, inappropriately, let out a laugh.

No sooner had the laughter ceased than the light bulb emitted a mournful “fizz” and went out, plunging the entire underground cave into darkness.

Soundlessly, Li Yan charged forward like a black arrow aimed at the female living corpse, the nylon rope on his wrist pulled taut into a straight line, the iron hammer whistling through the air as it was thrown, striking directly at the strange living corpse’s head.

In the darkness, a few more dry gunshots rang out, the flashes of light failing to reveal the action before extinguishing, followed by an indescribable explosive sound, like thunder.

Fizz~

When the light turned on again, only Li Yan remained, and the living corpse known as “Winter Yak” had vanished without a trace.

With a cold expression, Li Yan saw that only an empty loop of rope remained on his wrist and scattered fragments of the iron hammer lay underfoot,

Li Yan was certain that he had hit his target…

A warm liquid slipped into Li Yan’s mouth, and without looking, he knew his face had been damaged.

The bullet fired by the living corpse had grazed his face, leaving a deep wound. On the solid, ancient-bronze-like blue Gang Dou in front of him was a cracked hole.

Li Yan, like a lone wolf, surveyed the area, knowing that “Winter Yak” definitely wouldn’t be coming back.

On the ground lay an extravagantly large TT-33 pistol, obviously left behind by Winter Yak.

Li Yan picked up the gun, which was too large for him to cover with both hands combined. The thickened grip felt very uncomfortable even for a man; he couldn’t imagine how the living corpse managed it.

A Fleeting Glimpse, activate.

[Hastily Modified TT-33]

Quality: Ordinary

Type: Pistol

Effective range 300 meters, magazine capacity 5 rounds, maximum rate of fire 1 round per second, uses rifle bullets.

A special pistol personally modified by “Winter Yak,” with adjusted trajectory and magazine placement for longer range and more powerful rifle bullets.

Note: Using rifle bullets in a pistol is like having a car with a motorcycle engine—insane.

He turned back to examine the wall panel made of an unknown metal, embedded with a wrinkled bullet.

[5.45×39 Steel Core Bullets] (Hastily Modified)

He gently pulled at it, but the bullet directly split into several pieces.

He then observed the other bullets on the ground, and there was no doubt that they were all 5.45×39 rifle rounds, yet none had the “Hastily Modified” label.

Without question, “hastily modified” was a special ability of the “Winter Yak” soldiers.

Li Yan suddenly realized something was amiss.

If he could understand the zombies gaining intelligence, becoming agile and fierce under the influence of radiation, the idea that they possessed genetic abilities contradicted the “world knowledge” Afafu had shared with Li Yan.

Both Afafu and others had told Li Yan that Genetically Modified Agents were humanity’s greatest invention after the bitter cold—note, an invention.

The radiation of the bitter winter caused genetic mutations in almost all humans; “mules” were just one manifestation, while another more common manifestation allowed humans to become various kinds of super soldiers through the use of Genetically Modified Agents, depending on the type of the agent.

So the question arose, how did these zombies, infected by radiation at the very start of the bitter winter, acquire genetic abilities?

With this question in mind, Li Yan quickly treated the wound on his face. Without lingering, he continued to explore further.

From the surrounding decay, there was no doubt that this underground base had been abandoned. Li Yan walked for over ten minutes without encountering another “Winter Yak” zombie, but instead found many radiation-mutated, rotten flesh mice and various burrowing beetles.

The base was very extensive, and power supply, water purification, including air circulation, were all well-maintained. It also had a large number of automated weapon terminals, but they had all been forcibly destroyed. Cabinets and drawers were thoroughly clean, with no paper documents left behind, and bedrooms had only metal bed frames; mattresses and toiletries could not be found.

It didn’t seem like the work of a sudden nuclear strike, but rather like a well-organized mass evacuation.

After a full circle, Li Yan could almost imagine a day when a large force of military and researchers stationed here had received orders from their superiors to evacuate the base and took with them everything they could, even destroying the weapon terminals.

Then, the nuclear bombs fell…

Fortune favors the persistent, and after wandering around the base, Li Yan finally discovered a few crumpled papers at the bottom of a dust-covered drawer.

It wasn’t like playing an escape room game, and Li Yan didn’t really believe that such an insignificant find could yield any remarkable clues. He just prayed it wasn’t some old soldier’s leavings from an act of self-gratification decades ago…

However, the first sentence on the crumpled paper made Li Yan’s eyebrows arch.

“You know nothing of the true nature of this world!”

Li Yan continued to read, and the second sentence was even more familiar to him.

“We naively thought that the Great Clock Research Institute could lead us to end the war, but in actuality, it was the instigator of the war.”

The Great Clock Research Institute, a term that Li Yan could barely remember, and the source of the Activated Serum from Mo’s gift that cured his leukemia!

Li Yan licked his lips and finished reading the words on the paper in a few glances, then opened another crumpled ball.

“Great Leader, I refuse to believe you would make the same choice as that carpet-chewing devil. That would be a disaster for all of humanity…”

“Sadly, I never completed the Endless Yak; these are just inferior products.”

“Until my dying breath, I won’t believe in that man’s goodwill. I’d rather destroy them all!”