Genius Club

Chapter 542: The Cry in the Research Institute

(This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation)

The bearded man looked down at the handgun in his grip.

It was peculiar…

He clearly didn’t know how to use this thing, nor did he understand the specific function of its components.

Yet.

Despite this complete ignorance, his hand muscles acted faster than his brain. With practiced ease, they disengaged the safety, raised the weapon, and fired.

Just like that.

Before his mind even registered what was happening, three bullets had already been fired, each one striking the enemy’s head with deadly precision, resulting in a perfect fatal blow.

“I can… use a handgun?”

“Neigh! Neigh!!”

Two horses, startled, broke free of their reins and bolted toward CC.

It seemed they were trying to escape.

But from the chaotic trajectory of their hooves, it was clear they paid no mind to CC, threatening to trample her in their panic!

Bang! Bang!!

With the intent to test this newfound skill, the man focused his eyes on the horses’ heads. Without any deliberate aiming, he let his instincts guide his hands, instantly firing two shots.

Thud. Thud.

Both horses’ heads exploded one after the other. They fell to the ground without so much as a final whinny… their white, rolling eyeballs coming to a halt on the dirt. 𝑅𝘼𐌽ȰʙЕS̈

At this shocking scene, the remaining horse instantly stood at attention, stiff as a statue, declaring its submission and allegiance with silence.

The bearded man exhaled deeply, relaxing his tense body.

It seemed…

His suspicions were correct.

Before losing his memory, he must have been skilled with a gun, and not just any skill—he had sharpshooter-level instincts. His eyes and mind only needed to mark the target, and his muscle memory would handle the rest.

The two horses had to be killed, regardless of whether they charged at CC or not.

Horses are creatures that recognize their home and master. If they escaped, they would likely run back to the tribe’s encampment. Once their comrades saw the horses return without their riders, it wouldn’t take much for them to deduce that something had gone wrong. They would almost certainly believe that CC’s father had deliberately lured them into a trap.

If that happened, CC’s parents would be in grave danger and might even be killed.

To ensure safety, eliminating the horses was the only option. At least, until the man and CC exacted their revenge on the tribe, they couldn’t risk alerting the enemy.

The only regret was…

If only one horse had been killed, the remaining two could have been ridden by him and CC. But it couldn’t be helped that the two unfortunate beasts had no sense of self-preservation.

…

The explosion of the two horses’ heads snapped CC back to her senses.

She stood up.

Wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth.

And ran to the bearded man:

“VV! You can use a handgun! And… your aim is incredible!”

“I don’t know.”

The man shook his head.

“My brain definitely can’t use it—after all, I’ve completely lost my memory. But judging by this, it seems my body and muscles remember. Everything just comes naturally.”

“Mm-hmm!”

CC nodded enthusiastically.

“That’s amazing! You’re so awesome, VV!”

After her excitement, guilt quickly consumed her as she realized how this life-threatening ordeal had all been her fault. Lowering her head, she apologized:

“VV, I’m sorry… I was too naïve and underestimated the situation. If it weren’t for your incredible aim, we’d both be dead today. It’s all because of me.”

“Don’t say that.”

The bearded man noticed her mood and gently ruffled her messy hair:

“If it weren’t for you sharing smoked rabbit meat and fruit with me, I might have starved or been poisoned to death by now. We’re partners on this journey, helping each other is natural—there’s no need to apologize or thank me.”

“Besides, you’re still just a child, a young girl. It’s my responsibility as an adult to protect you. The fact that you’ve had to take charge while I’ve been so lost… it’s me who should feel guilty.”

“You’re young. It’s normal to be naïve and have simple thoughts. As you grow, you’ll become someone incredible.”

The warmth of his hand on her head brought a comforting sense of security to CC.

She raised her eyes, smiling at him:

“You sound just like my father.”

“Which part?”

“A lot of it. My father was always like this—so kind and understanding.”

When she mentioned her father, a look of longing filled her eyes:

“Even when I was clearly in the wrong, he would never yell or scold me. I knew the mistakes were mine.”

“But just like you, he’d always forgive me, saying I was still young and would mature as I grew.”

“You’re very sensible.”

The man spoke sincerely:

“Scolding is for unruly children. Someone as obedient and thoughtful as you doesn’t need discipline.”

Then, noticing the blood at the corner of her mouth, he asked:

“Are you injured?”

“It’s nothing serious.”

CC wiped her mouth again with her sleeve.

“It’s not as bad as it looks. I just bit my lip when I got kicked, nothing internal.”

“That’s good.”

The man turned, looking at the mingled corpses of men and horses on the ground:

“Now it’s easier for us. Let’s scavenge their supplies. We still have one horse left, and tomorrow we’ll ride it into the mountains.”

The two quickly got to work, searching the bodies.

The bandits had lived comfortably, with their packs full of meat, wine, and bread. The saddlebags of the dead horses also contained leather water bags.

Famished after the day’s chase, they sat by the fire and ate heartily, satisfying their hunger.

Afterward, the bearded man rifled through the corpses, collecting handguns, bullets, and holsters. He counted their ammo.

“Over 20 bullets, two handguns—it feels like we’re a bit short on ammunition.”

He loaded the handgun magazine to its full capacity, secured it at his waist, and placed the remaining bullets and the other gun into his backpack. Then, looking at CC, he said:

“With just 20 bullets, our firepower is far too limited to take on the entire tribe of bandits. That’s why we still need to visit the hidden research institute in the mountains. We’ll need at least dozens, if not hundreds, of bullets before we can avenge your parents.”

CC was silent for a moment before lifting her head.

“Can you teach me how to shoot a handgun?”

“You want to learn?”

The man glanced at the small, slender girl in front of him.

“Watching me shoot might seem easy, but… I feel this might be a skill beyond your ability. Even the recoil alone could be a significant challenge for you.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

CC’s eyes were firm.

“If I can learn your shooting skills, I’ll definitely be able to help a lot.”

“Besides, this is about saving my parents. I can’t just stand back and let you fight alone, can I?”

“Since we have two guns, once I learn to shoot, I can fight alongside you!”

The man chuckled.

“Alright.”

He agreed.

“If you really want to learn, I’ll teach you. However, I don’t understand much about the technicalities myself. I shoot purely by instinct, but I can share some of that instinct with you.”

“That said, we only have 20 bullets, and they’re incredibly precious. We can’t afford to waste them. Plus, it’s nighttime now. The sound of gunfire might attract wild animals or unnecessary trouble.”

“And with all this blood around here, there’s no way we can camp here tonight. Predators could follow the scent and come right to us. Let’s take the horse and move somewhere safer to rest.”

With that, they prepared their supplies, loading everything onto the “obedient, self-aware horse,” and led it southward to a creek. There, they started another fire and set up camp again.

After everything was settled, CC and the bearded man prepared to sleep.

The hidden research institute was now close. With the horse to ride, they would reach it by midday tomorrow.

“Thanks to nature and the bandit tribe for their generous contributions,” the man said, lying down on the soft cloth pack he used as a pillow. Closing his eyes, he drifted to sleep.

This was his second night after waking from hibernation, and perhaps because of the handgun at his waist, he slept much more soundly than the night before.

He made a mental note to observe if he would dream while sleeping.

By morning, he awoke disappointed.

Despite his efforts to recall, he found no trace of any dreams. It had been an entirely dreamless night.

“How strange,” he muttered, puzzled.

“VV, come eat breakfast!” CC called from nearby.

She had boiled water, roasted meat, and warmed bread using the iron pot they had scavenged, preparing a meal for the two of them.

“Alright, I’ll wash up first.”

The bearded man went to the creek to wash his face, but…

The thick beard on his face proved to be a real nuisance. He had no idea how to clean it properly.

The beard grew thick from his sideburns, covering the entire lower half of his face like a mask.

“Never mind, I’ll just wash it casually.”

Lacking any muscle memory for cleaning a beard, he splashed water over it haphazardly, shook it out, and dried it with his clothes. He gave it a flick.

It turned out to be rather fluffy.

“VV! Stop playing with your beard! The meat’s about to burn!”

CC’s voice urged him from behind.

The man turned, heading to the fire to have breakfast.

After finishing the meal, they packed up their supplies and prepared to mount the horse.

The man stepped into the stirrup but failed to get on after several attempts.

“Alright.” He accepted the truth with a shrug. “It seems I don’t have any muscle memory for riding horses.”

CC squinted at him, recalling how he had previously claimed he didn’t know how to use a handgun. She found it hard to believe him this time.

“You really don’t know how?”

“This one I truly don’t,” the man replied with a helpless smile.

“Then I’ll ride.”

CC grabbed the saddle and, with a swift and agile movement, vaulted onto the horse’s back, sitting steadily.

She slid forward slightly and patted the space behind her.

“You can sit behind me and hold onto my waist. Be careful not to fall off.”

…

The horse galloped through the jungle, drawing ever closer to the looming mountain ahead.

The mountain’s appearance was peculiar—rising abruptly from the ground without any transitional slope. It stood sharp and straight, like the edge of a blade.

Moreover, the near-vertical cliffside showed distinct stratified layers, resembling a stacked rainbow. Each layer bore a different color, symbolizing the passage of eons.

“This mountain is so strange,” the man remarked as they approached the “Blade Mountain.”

“It feels out of place here.”

“It didn’t always exist,” CC explained, tugging on the reins and giving the horse’s belly two light kicks with her right foot.

“It was formed during the Super Catastrophe of 2504. The ground fractured and rose abruptly, creating the mountain.”

“I see,” the man nodded, understanding.

No wonder a research institute was hidden within the mountain. Normally, research facilities wouldn’t be built in such locations. Initially, this area must have been a plain, and a massive earthquake or similar geological event had thrust the ground upward, trapping the institute inside the newly formed mountain.

In a way, it was a blessing in disguise.

If the mountain hadn’t hidden it so well, the research institute would have been discovered long ago and stripped bare, leaving nothing for them to scavenge a century later.

“This won’t be easy to climb,” the man said as he gazed at the steep peak.

“Look at the cliffside—it’s almost vertical, with barely any trees or even perches for birds. How did your father manage to climb in?”

“From the other side,” CC replied.

“The other side of the mountain was just as steep and inaccessible at first. But a few months ago, there was a landslide that opened up a narrow, hidden passage.”

“The passage is extremely tight and well-concealed, so most people wouldn’t notice it. My father has always loved exploring, and this mountain has been on his mind for years. He’d long wanted to see what was inside.”

“So when the landslide created the passage, he started visiting it regularly. One day, he found that the passage led directly to the entrance of the research institute.”

“But the institute is eerie inside, and there are some strange sounds. My father thought it might be dangerous or that there were unusual animals, so he didn’t go deeper.”

Strange sounds?

The man caught onto the term immediately.

“Strange sounds? What kind?”

“I don’t know,” CC said, her fluffy ponytail swishing as she shook her head.

“My father couldn’t describe it clearly. He just said it sounded like someone crying… crying in a very eerie way.”

“Crying?”

The man grew more puzzled.@@novelbin@@

“A cry coming from an enclosed circular valley surrounded by blade-like cliffs? After over a hundred years, there’s still someone alive in there?”

He paused to think and added cautiously:

“Well, theoretically, if back in the Super Catastrophe of 2504, the research institute was sealed inside the mountain and there happened to be a surviving man and woman, it’s not impossible for them to have descendants.”

“However… such a scenario is extremely unlikely. It’s hard to imagine how generations of closely related people could sustain themselves in a confined space like that.”

“It probably isn’t human,” CC turned to look at him.

“My father said the sound came from deep within the research institute, far away. Normally, if humans were living there, you’d expect some signs of life outside the institute, right?”

“Whether it’s handmade wooden tools, cultivated crops, or even a small vegetable patch—there would have to be some evidence of activity. It’s impossible for multiple generations to stay entirely within the institute without venturing outside or leaving any traces of life. That’s just not realistic.”

“But here’s the thing—my father explored the valley thoroughly and found no signs of human life. Yet, when he returned to the institute’s entrance to listen, the crying was still there. It was rhythmic, too.”

“He thought it was terrifying, almost like a ghost. That’s why he gave up on exploring further. When he came home, he told my mother and me about it, and he never went back after that.”

…

Listening to CC’s description, the bearded man stroked his beard, feeling a tinge of unease.

An isolated mountain wilderness, an abandoned research institute, and eerie crying sounds.

This…

The combination of such unsettling elements was nothing short of terrifying.

However.

If you don’t enter the tiger’s den, you can’t catch its cub.

As the only untouched “sanctuary” in the Brooklyn area, the research institute was their last chance to gain the resources they needed for battle.

“Let’s gamble on it,” the man muttered, his hand resting on the handgun at his waist. Though he had no idea if firearms could fend off ghosts or monsters, it was all they had.

Suddenly, an idea sparked in his mind.

“Wait, we can do this.”

He swallowed nervously and explained his plan:

“If we encounter an unknown creature, we’ll throw a small rock or a piece of fruit at it. If the object bounces back, that means it’s physical. And if it’s a physical entity, we have guns, so there’s no need to be afraid.”

CC blinked, surprised.

“VV, you’re so clever! How did you come up with that idea?”

“Heh, I don’t think I actually came up with it myself. Someone must have taught me this before,” the man replied, scratching his long hair. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t recall who it was.

This odd piece of knowledge…

Who had shared it with him?

…

After two hours of travel, the two rode the horse to the mountain’s far side, where they found the landslide site.

The man loosened the reins and tied the horse to a patch of grass, ensuring it wouldn’t starve.

Then, following CC, he located the narrow passage her father had described and began heading into the mountain.

The passage was both hidden and cramped.

Still, the sound of wind and the movement of air were apparent, indicating that the tunnel wasn’t a dead end and had a connection to the outside.

Before entering, CC crafted a simple torch. But the passage was so long and uneven that the flame extinguished before they even made it halfway through.

With no other choice.

The pair continued forward in darkness.

Fortunately, the tunnel was relatively unobstructed—no strange creatures or excessively tight spaces hindered them. They advanced without incident.

Finally…

A faint glimmer of light emerged ahead. The darkness gave way to an open expanse as they quickened their pace, stepping out of the tunnel into a secluded paradise!

The man inhaled deeply.

The air was as fresh as the forest outside, but with a distinct dampness—likely due to the valley’s heavy humidity.

“VV, look over there!” CC exclaimed, pointing toward a pile of rubble below.

Amidst the scattered rocks lay the remnants of a building.

The structure’s entrance was somewhat intact, though exposed steel beams were rusted and corroded. Miraculously, the doorway had avoided collapse.

“Let’s go take a look,” the man said, drawing his handgun. He checked the bullets, chambered a round, and led CC as they slid down the slope toward the ruins.

From a distance, the entrance loomed—deep, dark, and void-like, its contents an enigma.

The man noticed something gleaming on a nearby mound of earth. Rain had eroded the mud, revealing a shiny metal sign.

Cautiously, he stepped forward, crouched, and grabbed a handful of leaves to wipe away the grime. As he cleaned the surface, a series of English letters emerged:

“S… P… A… Space-T?”

He turned to CC.

“What does this mean?”

CC shook her head, equally confused.

“I have no idea. Never heard of it. Probably something from before the Super Catastrophe. I’ve heard Brooklyn used to be private land owned by a super-rich tycoon, but that’s just a rumor. Who knows if it’s true.”

The man stood up.

Taking one last glance at the letters on the sign, he gripped his handgun tightly and slowly approached the ruins’ entrance.

“VV,” CC whispered, tugging on his sleeve nervously.

“Shh…” the man hushed her, placing a finger to his lips.

Then.

He inched forward with careful, quiet steps, moving into the ruins. Pressing his ear toward the dark void, he listened intently.

“…Ooh… oooh…”

A faint, ghostly sob echoed from deep within.