4
Standard Arabic numerals are engraved on the stone arch.
The hollowed-out, printed iron gate with spikes on the top was slowly pushed open.
There is a wooden cart, shovel, hemp rope and sack on the side of the door for repairing, changing or leveling the cemetery.
Yi Chen put the axe and kerosene lamp on the cart.
Huh~ Take a deep breath,
Pushing a wooden cart,
When the wheels of the cart pressed into the soil of the cemetery, no danger came as expected.
Yi Chen also looked around when he stepped into Cemetery No. 4.
At a glance,
No 'monsters' were found wandering around here.
There's nothing weird about it.
Compared with other cemeteries, this one feels quite ordinary.
Suitable temperature and humidity,
Hard soil with few weeds,
The proportions of open space, graves and vegetation are just right.
but,
There are two special points worth noting.
1. The vegetation here, especially the trees distributed on the edge, give people a feeling of withering and may break at any time... The leaves also fall off in pieces, unlike other cemeteries that are lush and leafy.
2. There are more than 60 graves here, more than any other cemetery.
And there is no "unified" style of tombstones, all kinds of tombstones exist,
Stone, wood and even metal.
Rectangle, arch, cross,
It was as messy as a mass grave.
Yi Chen pushed the wooden cart between the cemeteries.
After carefully observing every area I passed by and further confirming that there were no "foreign objects", my tense heartstrings relaxed slightly.
Next,
The 'original distribution map' is called up from the brain, and compared with the cemetery in front of you, trying to find the differences in quantity and order.
After all, I am an engineering major.
He was quite good at this kind of 'find the differences' and soon got the answer, an answer that made Yi Chen shudder.
One more grave
This extra grave is located deeper in the cave.
A cross-shaped metal tombstone is inserted into the ground.
The height of the tomb is consistent with the surrounding area.
Looking at this extra grave, Yi Chen thought:
"According to the rules, the extra graves need to be completely leveled.
If there is a body buried inside,
According to Rule V, it should be feasible to transfer it to Cemetery No. 7, which is dedicated to unknown bodies.
But... things are definitely not that simple, otherwise the original owner of this body would not have chosen to commit suicide, so you must be careful. 』
After confirming that there is nothing unusual around, we officially started working.
No metal cross was touched.
In his opinion, this sacred cross might be able to suppress evil spirits.
Pick up the shovel on the cart and aim it at the raised pile of earth... Check!
When he was in the orphanage, he often helped with farm work in the backyard and was quite skilled in using a shovel.
when!
Until a loud metallic collision sound was heard.
In the light of the kerosene lamp, part of the coffin lid was revealed.
"A metal coffin?"
Shovel away the topsoil.
The pitch-black hexagonal coffin lid sealed the coffin tightly, with no signs of it being opened.
Now that we have made up our minds to solve the problem and clean up the mess,
Yi Chen faced the metal coffin in front of him and immediately found an effective fulcrum.
Try knocking.
Ga!
The sound of the coffin lid being pried open was like a sharp thorn, instantly piercing the silent curtain of the cemetery.
The flames from the kerosene lamp could not wait to squeeze in, revealing the specific situation inside the coffin.
"This is… "
A naked adult male corpse.
His skin was completely green, marbled with decayed blood vessels, covered in corpse spots... and covered in a large amount of moss.
The beads between the eye sockets are long gone, replaced by fungus.
These slightly wriggling mushroom caps are like the compound eyes of insects.
“Moss, fungus
How could these things grow inside a completely sealed metal coffin?"
While doubting,
Yi Chen noticed another extra detail.
The body was laid flat between the palms of the hands on both sides.
Nail loss,
Long and thin roots actually grew from the surface of the nails and extended to the bottom of the coffin.
It gives people a feeling of being 'stuck' to the bottom of the coffin.
An indescribable strange feeling grew in Yi Chen's heart, even stimulating the generation of fear. He gave up the idea of 'transporting the corpse'.
He grabbed the kerosene lamp and tried to throw it in.
Give this weird corpse a 'live cremation',
The idea was formed, and the right hand also made a throwing motion downwards...
However,
Just when the kerosene lamp was about to fall out of my hand,
The image of the lighthouse leading the way flashed through my mind.
The intuition in his brain told Yi Chen that the kerosene lamp, which was the only light source in the cemetery, must not be destroyed.
Yi Chen, who was born in an engineering school, attaches great importance to and understands the meaning of so-called intuition.
intuition
It is the result of the brain collecting environmental factors at super-fast speed under certain circumstances, integrating all memory data, including subconscious information, and conducting comprehensive analysis.
Because the self-consciousness cannot keep up with this process, it feels like it happens in an instant.
Some people don't take it seriously.
However, it is often a correct and valid analysis result.
This intuition made him keep the kerosene lamp in his hand and not throw it away.
"The only source of light... I'm not sure what the real 'danger' is yet.
If there is a problem with the entire cemetery, once I lose my light source, I might be instantly swallowed by the darkness here.
Let’s proceed with the transfer of the corpse as originally planned.”
Yi Chen patted his cheeks with his hands to improve his concentration.
Pick up the shovel again,
He reached into the coffin along the wall.
Try to pry up the body and change it into a sitting position... This way, it will be easier to carry the entire body out.
However,
Something even weirder happened.
The prying process was extremely difficult, and it took a lot of effort to lift the body up to a distance of less than two fingers.
Through the pried gap,
Yi Chen saw a strange scene that he would never forget...
The back of the corpse was covered with densely packed roots of varying thicknesses.
These roots had already penetrated the bottom of the coffin and penetrated deep into it.
Pulsating,
Sucking,
Squeezing,
Nutrients from the ground.
This eerie scene immediately reminded Yi Chen of the withered and dilapidated trees in Cemetery No. 4.
"This guy is absorbing the 'vitality' of the cemetery!"
At the same time,
A familiar warning sound came from the outskirts of the cemetery.
§careful§
This voice was exactly the same as the voice of thanks heard in Cemetery No. 6 before, and it was highly recognizable.
Due to the high concentration of spirit,
The sudden warning sound prompted Yi Chen to roll backwards instinctively, leaving a distance of about one meter.
Where he had just stood, there were already rotten vines on the ground... If he hadn't rolled away, his feet would have been entangled and he would have been dragged into the coffin.
Next,
Crunch! Crunch!
Supported by roots,
The corpses among the coffins stood up,
The roots that were buried in the ground stretched out one after another, with a length of about 30 meters, swaying on the back.
The mushroom caps in the corpse's eye sockets gathered together to form a shape similar to an eye.
Look directly into Yi Chen's eyes.
Between the eyes,
Yi Chen immediately understood why the owner of this body, William Behrens, was unwilling to fight to the death and instead committed suicide.
The pain of dying from drinking poison is indeed much more comfortable than being killed by a monster, or even having the nutrients in the body sucked out and eaten alive.
≮Impossible to beat≯
If it were just zombies from a science fiction movie, Yi Chen believed he could still face them head-on.
But the zombies in front of me,
It was far beyond his understanding.
If you rush forward recklessly when facing such an unknown individual... you may be killed instantly in the next second.
run!
Without any hesitation,
He hung the kerosene lamp on the leather buckle at his waist and ran away.
The best detour route is also conceived in my mind.
"You have to spend some time to make detours and observe, and figure out some of its characteristics... Don't be impatient! Calm down and maintain a normal breathing rate!"
Just as they were about to escape from Cemetery No. 4,
clang!
Without any signs,
The iron gate, which was about three meters high, slammed shut.
Yi Chen, who was in a sprinting state, kicked the iron door hard... Bang!
The tightly closed door did not move at all, completely sealing it inside.
Looking at the iron chain that was wrapped around the door at some unknown time,
Yi Chen couldn't help but burst out with a mouthful of the quintessence of Chinese culture.