The pale sun burned in the dome.
Huge gears and clockwork are embedded in the earth.
Dark red rust seeped into the soil.
The metallic luster is slightly bright.
Machinery gives birth to wings.
Lu Wen sat on the criss-crossing steel pipes.
He felt as if he was in a broken old era, with mechanical traces wrapping around his soul, and there was a faint sound of steam in his ears.
Dark oil stains and dark golden metal are the main colors in this area.
Unkempt rows of low-slung houses.
A kerosene lamp burned in front of the glass window.
The streets twist and turn.
Looking down from a high position, the whole world is filled with patchwork aesthetics.
The beauty of incongruity.
Modernity and the past, technology and backwardness, and... the uncoordinated races in this world.
[Blue people]
[Deformed person]
[Transformation of people]
[Robot]
[Dwarf, Giant]
[…]
Everything the human brain can imagine seems to have become a reality here.
Those classical novels... science fiction and mystery, fantasy and fiction.
This is a forgotten corner of the world.
It is an extension of those magical ancient books.
The yellowed parchment slowly unfolds, and the vague words invade reality from illusion, constructing this three-dimensional city.
…
The exit next to the elevator shaft is a hidden cliff.
There are countless huge pipes hanging on the cliff.
The world is not cold.
very warm.
Lu Wen jumped from the exit to the pipe, followed the pipe all the way, and came to the place where there was a voice.
He jumped off the pipe, adjusted his sleeves a little, and started walking on the street.
The streets are paved with black stone slabs.
The gaps are lined with pebbles.
The houses on both sides are bungalows, decorated with worn-out metal parts. Black rust spreads along the copper plates and iron sheets to the eaves, giving it a dilapidated aesthetic.
Most of the people on the street were dressed in ordinary, even shabby clothes.
Lu Wen noticed that those people looked at him very strangely.
There seemed to be some awe.
It's like envy.
[There are no normal-looking humans]
The news from Little Ant reminded Lu Wen.
I walked along for five or six minutes and didn't see any normal people.
The short ones are extremely short, and the tall ones are also extremely tall.
There are also those with normal height, but their bodies are covered with white or black hair, as if they have returned to their ancestors.
As for those without hair, their skin is abnormally blue.
This underground world is full of weirdness.
Lu Wen continued walking on the twisted streets, observing carefully and trying not to miss any details.
Chaos and violence sometimes unfolded around him.
Crazy fights.
No one stopped.
In less than ten minutes, Lu Wen witnessed three fights.
Those with white hair and those with black hair, robots and transformed humans, dwarves and giants.
The least suspenseful one is the third game.
The big man, who was more than three meters tall, picked up the short man who was less than one meter tall, as if he were lifting a little chicken, and smashed him heavily on the stone street. Blood spattered everywhere and his flesh and blood were blurred. It was a crushing attack with absolute strength. .
But these big guys are all a bit rickety, and the taller they are, the more rickety they are. I don’t know if it’s because their bones can’t bear it.
Lu Wen made a simple judgment.
"These fights are very principled and try not to hurt passers-by and vendors on both sides of the street."
There are many vendors on both sides of the street.
Some sell toys and crafts, while others sell fruits and meat.
It looks no different from the ground world.
Lu Wen stood in front of a stall.
Sometimes he glances at the boss, sometimes at the objects on the stall.
The stall owner is a dwarf, very short, about eighty centimeters, with thin limbs, wrinkled skin, withered hair, and dull eyes. He is also dressed very plainly, with gray and white clothes and a few patches.
His stall features many metal crafts.
A few tchotchkes, but beautiful.
Mostly brass.
Perhaps Lu Wen stood there for too long without saying a word, which put a bit of pressure on the boss.
He swallowed and asked carefully: "Dear guest, what do you need?"
"what do you have?"
"This is all I have."
He tried to stand as tall as possible, but his tone remained humble, and he introduced Lu Wen to the small items on the stall, "Dear guest, if you need customized crafts, I will meet your needs in the shortest possible time."
"Why did you call me guest?"
"You are a pure human being with a noble status and fair and delicate skin. The clothes on your body are very expensive just based on the fabric. You are carrying a backpack. Judging from your appearance, you must have just come to the mixed area for training?" The dwarf looked respectful.
After living in these places for a long time, everyone will be aware of what is happening.
Lu Wen nodded and replied: "Yes."
He began to capture the key words in the boss's words.
Pure human, mixed zone…
"How much money do you have?" Lu Wen suddenly asked.
"Ah this..."
The dwarf looked hesitant and whispered: "Dear guest, do you want to..."
"I want to exchange some money with you."
Lu Wen took out a gold bar.
It’s only 100 grams, not a bar, it’s more appropriate to describe it as a piece.
He noticed that the moment the gold piece was placed on the stall, the dwarf's eyes brightened significantly.
[Gold is also a precious metal in this world]
Lu Wen probably felt a little more confident.
It's really no different than on the ground.
"Dear guest, I... I may not have as much money as you need." The dwarf looked at the gold pieces on the stall, with a trace of desire in his eyes, but his reason finally prevailed.
"How many do you have?" Lu Wen looked condescendingly into his eyes and asked lightly.
"I...here...that's all."
The dwarf took out a thick wad of money.
There are bits and pieces, but the sum of the bits and pieces is less than 10,000.
He placed it respectfully on the stall.
"Dear guest, the money is still a lot short, if... if you..."
"Okay, that's all."
Lu Wen put away the stack of banknotes.
When he was shopping, besides watching the fights, he also noticed a problem.
It seems that there is no mobile payment in this world, and transactions are all paper money.
Money is a big issue.
"You can check this gold bar to see if it's real."
"No, no, I believe you."
The surprise and excitement on the dwarf's face cannot be faked.
He had long heard that pure humans were quite wealthy, with prosperous lives and prosperous technology.
But this is the southernmost part of the mixed zone, and pure humans are rarely seen a few times a year.
There are more of them to the north of the mixed zone.
The banknotes in this world are very different from those on the ground. There are no heads or scenery printed on the banknotes, but buildings.
Lu Wen took out the banknotes of each denomination and looked at them.
There are three different buildings.
These three buildings are full of technology and are completely different from the low one-story bungalows around them.
"Dear guest, do you need anything else?"
"No."
Lu Wen waved his hand.
Then under the dwarf's fiery eyes, he turned and left.
During the conversation just now, the system in Lu Wen's body had been capturing the physical characteristics of the dwarf for comparison and analysis.
Now the results are out.
[Genetic diseases]
[There is a certain possibility of inheritance]
Children with various deformities are born in nine cities every year, so there is quite a lot of data in the system database.
Systematic analysis points to a genetic disease.
Much like 'dwarfism' in the outside world.
But the probability of inheritance is actually not high.
What Lu Wen saw before his eyes were the dwarves filling the streets... there were too many of them.
As he was thinking, a fourth fight occurred not far away.
This time it's still robots and cybernetics.
A battle between metal and half-metal.
Perhaps these people live too leisurely and have nothing to do, or perhaps they really have racial hatred, so they start fighting whenever they disagree.
Lu Wen walked over slowly.
This kind of fighting scene often involves crowds.
People of all races gathered together to discuss in low voices and cheer for one side.
Lu Wen heard a lot of news about this world in the previous three fights.
"I think that robot can win. He's covered in metal, so it's hard to break through."
"The robot also has weaknesses. Its neck is very fragile. In order to allow the neck to turn flexibly, a certain gap is left. It is full of wires. It will be gone with a knife."
"The neck is also the weak point of the reformer."
"But Cyborgs have more weaknesses, and Cyborgs are flesh and blood creatures. They will eventually get tired, and their calculations are not precise enough. If they cannot dodge, they will be hit by a knife."
“…”
People here seem to see fights like this all the time.
So I have some experience.
Listening to their discussion, it was revealed that the two races, robots and cyborgs, had always disliked each other. It was better not to speak when they met, but when they spoke, they would easily start fighting over disagreements.
The final result is usually 40 or 60, and the robot has a greater chance of winning.
"Ding!"
This is the sound of a short knife chopping on a metal surface.
Sparks flew.
The Cyborg missed again and struck hard with the knife without breaking the metal shell. The force of the shock made him almost lose his grip on the knife in his hand.
Only his legs have been transformed into machines, and his arm strength is still within the human category, not too strong.
The robot took the opportunity to punch him on the wrist holding the knife.
The short knife suddenly came out of his hand and flew out.
The robot was unyielding and used its other mechanical arm to slash across with a long knife. The blade was sharp and glowed with a cold light.
At this time, the reformer's center of gravity is unstable.
If this knife was hit, the entire head would be cut off.
He gritted his teeth.
He hurriedly fell to the ground and rolled backwards, narrowly dodging several subsequent chops.
The long knife struck the ground continuously, breaking several pieces of stone slabs.
The modified man had no weapon in his hand and knew that he was outmatched, so he prepared to use the last of the thirty-six tactics.
He got up awkwardly.
The clothes were covered with dust.
The robot behind him was chasing after him, and the coldness emanating from the blade never seemed to leave the cyborg's neck.
The modified man's face was pale and his forehead was covered with sweat. In order to escape, he overturned a blue man's fruit stand on the roadside.
Various fruits were scattered on the ground.
This has caused certain obstacles to the robot.
"This is too much. If you fight, you fight. Life or death is your destiny. Why are you trying to knock down a little girl's fruit stand?" A big man from the giant clan muttered in a low voice.
"It's indeed a bit much."
There seem to be rules for fighting in this area.
Lu Wen also discovered this before.
Try not to hurt passers-by, and don't interfere with roadside stall owners' business, so these people dare to watch the show.
Not only did this reformer influence, but he also overthrew the stall, which was against the rules here.
But at the moment of life and death, he couldn't care less.
"If this guy doesn't follow the rules, he will always be punished." It was another blue man who said this.
Lu Wen has very good hearing and can hear all the sounds around him.
The phrase "retribution" aroused his curiosity. These four words were quite serious.
It's just a fruit stand, there's no need to suffer retribution, right
The stall owner is a girl who looks to be seventeen or eighteen years old and has yet to grow out. She has long braided hair, is very thin, and has blue skin.
Two fierce-looking guys suddenly broke into the stall.
He even overturned the stall.
The girl seemed a little scared, fell to the ground, and took a few steps back.
Lu Wen searched the database about the phenomenon of blue skin, but the results he got were only 'Avatar', 'X-Men Beast', 'The Smurfs', 'Heavy Metal Poisoning' and so on.
There is no such thing as a blue race.
The few reports we have are all fabricated by the self-media in order to gain clicks.
"Snapped!"
Just when Lu Wen was checking information.
The reformer stepped on a banana in a panic and fell down.
His body jumped forward and he almost grabbed the ground with his head.
He fell directly beside the stall owner.
And the robot had already raised its long knife.
With this sword blow, both heads would fall to the ground.
I don’t know what color the blood in blue people is.
Lu Wen only knew that in the memory that Yin Long gave him in his previous life, in the country where he lived, the color of blood was green.
Of course, the main reason is to protect teenagers, so the blood turns green passively.
"call-"
The long knife made a faint trace in the air.
high speed.
The blade goes from top to bottom, pointing directly at the two necks.
"Ding!"
A heart-wrenching clash of blades.
The knife stopped.
Lu Wen pulled out his short sword and blocked the powerful and heavy long sword.
His expression was dull and motionless.
The whispers from the surrounding onlookers suddenly increased.
A deformed man spoke in a low voice, his eyes full of envy.
"It's a pure human race. I haven't seen a pure human race for more than a month."
He was born deformed, with his lumbar spine twisted and his facial features displaced.
Another creature covered with black hair, which at first glance looked like an upright ape, said: "This pure human being is so young and very strong. He stretched out his arm and handed out a knife, and he actually easily blocked the powerful robot. Chop."
"Look at the clothes on his body. The fabric is soft and smooth. He should belong to a wealthy family and has been trained since he was a child."
"I heard that pure humans are very rich."
“…”
All the discussions gathered in Lu Wen's ears.
He was analyzing it bit by bit.
There is no one you can trust in this world, it’s a new arrival.
"Human, you want to save that person?"
"No, I'm just saving this person."
"Okay, then get out of the way."
"Can."
Lu Wen put away the short knife and pulled up the blue-skinned girl on the ground.
Then came the scene of heads falling to the ground.
The blood of this reformer is still red.
The robot kicked the head aside and then dragged the headless body to Lu Wen.
He said solemnly: "I'm sorry for the harsh tone of the question just now. I apologize to you. There should be something valuable on this person. It can be regarded as the girl's apology."
A very respectful tone.
This made Lu Wen once again confirm that pure humans have a relatively high status here.
If it were another race, it might have been a different scene if they had blocked the robot's knife at that moment.
…
The fight is over and the man is dead.
Nothing to gawk at.
There was also a pure human race at the scene, and it was difficult to keep the onlookers around.
All scattered.
Lu Wen briefly inspected the body and found that it was nothing valuable. The whole body only cost two or three hundred yuan, which was not worth the price of this fruit.
The blue-skinned girl was still picking up undamaged fruits on the ground.
Lu Wen had heard it in the crowd.
Blue people seem to be particularly short of money and need to keep making money, otherwise they will die.
This statement is actually quite funny.
Without money, everyone will die.
But then he heard it again, and it seemed to be about some kind of genetic medicine.
So after the fruit stand was overturned, a blue man who was watching whispered the words "retribution".
Lu Wen slowly knelt down, looked at the girl, and asked calmly: "Are you short of money?"
“The blue people here are short of money.”
"May I have your name."
"Krystal."
Crystal, crystal.
The girl with a pretty name seemed to realize that she had been busy picking up fruits on the ground and hadn't had time to thank Lu Wen for the knife.
She hurriedly said: "Dear guest, thank you for your life-saving grace."
Lu Wen took out a heavier gold bar from his backpack and said to Christo: "I have money here, a lot of money."
Before setting off, Dr. Jiang asked Lu Wenduo to bring some weapons.
In his imagination, Lu Wen was probably going to a mysterious place to kill everyone, shooting with two guns.
But Lu Wen just smiled and said that it would be enough if he had money.
So most of his backpack is filled with gold bars, diamonds, gems and other items.
Christo looked at the gold bar and was stunned for a moment, then bit his lips and whispered: "Dear guest, I am not worth so much money."
"I'm not interested in blue people, I just want to ask a few questions."
"Ask you and I'll tell you everything I know."
"It's not convenient here."
Lu Wen looked around.
People were coming and going on the streets.
…
Night comes quickly to this world.
The artificial sun above our heads gradually dimmed, which meant that night was coming.
at dusk.
Lu Wen followed Christo to a quieter street.
There are also one-story bungalows on both sides of the street.
The conditions are not good.
The house is crooked and crooked, with walls built randomly with red bricks and supported by scrap metal that can be seen everywhere. It seems like it will collapse at any time.
The roofs are mostly covered with asbestos tiles or rusty metal sheets.
Barely enough to keep out wind and rain.
Lu Wen thought of the slums in District 16 of Mowu City.
It's little better than a slum.
Many residents lived there.
Densely populated.
There are them for every race.
Among them, blue people account for the majority.
Their facial features and body shapes are similar to those of pure humans. The only difference is the deep blue color on their skin.
"Ahem..."
"Ahem..."
From time to time, coughing sounds came from the low buildings on both sides.
Those houses are very dilapidated.
Through the old glass windows, you can see the dim lights inside.
All the blue men are stooped, with haggard and thin faces.
It was impossible to tell the age, but Lu Wen felt that the blue people with coughs were all young and just seemed to be sick.
They are all sick.
"Squeak..."
Crystal opened the door of her house.
The rusty metal door is very thin. The light blue paint shell on the door has almost fallen off, and the metal hinges are also swallowed up by black rust, making the door look shaky.
Bungalow, two rooms.
The space is small.
There is no difference between the living room and the bedroom.
There are just two rooms, with a wooden door in the middle, a bed in each, and a small bathroom at the end.
The lights are dim.
The white paint on the wall is peeling off, and there are spider webs in the corners.
Shabby and dilapidated.
"Ahem..."
The sound of coughing came from the room inside.
Lu Wen stood by the wooden door and looked at it.
That's Christo's mother.
A middle-aged woman.
When she saw a guest coming, she was a noble human being. She seemed to want to get up to greet him, but she didn't have the strength.
Just moving a few times made me cough.
The whole house betrayed poverty.
The only few pieces of furniture, beds and the like, are all old items.
[The bottom of society]
The system gave this result.
Now Lu Wen can rest assured.
He sat casually on a wooden bench against the wall and asked, "Do you have surveillance or bugs at home?"
Christo shook his head hastily.
"Dear guest, we will not have such a thing in our house."
Indeed not.
Lu Wen only took a few minutes to read every corner.
He took out a gold bar and a short knife.
Placed separately on the old wooden table.
The table was unstable, swaying slightly toward the side where the gold bars were placed.
Lu Wen said calmly: "I want to ask a few questions."
Christo hurriedly closed the door.
Even if her door is closed, it can be easily opened.
Her eyes stayed on the gold bar for a moment, and then moved to the short knife.
This is an inducement and a warning.
The knife saved her life and could be taken away at any time.
Dead people are common in mixed zones.
“Do you know that the Kingdom of Heaven is coming?”
This is Lu Wen's first question.
Christo was stunned for a moment, with a trace of confusion on his pretty face.
She hesitated for a moment and replied: "Dear guest, this should be a plan that every resident knows, you..."
As she spoke, she suddenly stopped.
Everyone in this world does know.
But the world on earth doesn’t know that.
Crystal suddenly understood the meaning of that short knife.
If her answer was slightly off, the sharp knife tonight would be stained with the blood of both her and her mother.
…
Good night, fellow book friends!
Thanks to book friend Meazza 10 for the tip.
(End of chapter)