Infinite Terror: Infinite Reversal

Chapter 158 Mutation
The rest of the Zhongzhou team, of course, had no idea what Mu Xiang and Zheng Zha had discussed… In fact, before leaving, Mu Xiang had specifically instructed Zhan Lan not to use the mind chain. After all, Mu Xiang and Zheng Zha were facing severe corruption, and if it could be transmitted through the mind chain, Zhan Lan and the other team members would be in great danger.

Not only the mind chain, but even the earpiece may not be safe... Therefore, the Central Continent Team can now be said to have split up, and the senior members make decisions based on the plans previously agreed upon by Mu Xiang and them to deal with various situations.

Mu Xiang and Zheng Zha left on the twenty-second day, supposedly to guard against the Old Ones. The rest of the group wasn't worried. With Zhan Lan and Qi Tengyi working together, the atmosphere in the team was actually much more relaxed. It was no longer the terrible state where everyone felt something was wrong but couldn't pinpoint the problem.

At Mu Xiang's request, the group refrained from using the internet, radio, or television to learn about the outside world. What if they turned on the TV and saw an Old One? Who could they complain to? Their daily focus was simply on the area around the hotel. Zero and Zhang Heng, the two assassins… well, although their styles were vastly different and their partnership was rather strange, their surveillance of the surrounding area was extremely tight.

But starting from the twenty-sixth day, the external situation deteriorated to a new level... Previously, the various strange noises from outside could be barely blocked out by the closed room. But after Zhan Lan arrived, she could also isolate herself from external interference using her mental power.

But from that day on, the sounds outside seemed to be amplified several orders of magnitude, and even Zhan Lan's mental power could not completely block them out... If Zhan Lan stopped using her mental power, those strange sounds were as noisy as playing a radio next to her ear, and the noise was extremely torturous!

“Your mother's god…” Zhang Heng stood on the rooftop, looking at the scene on the street that was even more filthy and terrifying than a parade of a hundred ghosts, and couldn’t help but push his earplugs in again. “Ah no, I mean, does your god really enjoy torturing people this much?”

Zero had set up a Gauss sniper rifle in another corner of the rooftop, observing through the scope a twisted mass of flesh that seemed to have strayed into Zhan Lan's mental energy shielding range, without firing for a long time. In fact, with his current eyesight, he could see it clearly without a scope, but it was just a habit of his.

"Maybe," Zero said casually.

Watching the monster, which appeared to be made from the kneading of several people, drag away amidst a pool of blood, Lingdian finally turned his attention elsewhere.

Seeing that Lingdian was acting like this again, Zhang Heng couldn't help but secretly grumble to himself... There seemed to be two more assassins in the team, but their styles were completely incompatible with his. Whether it was this man or that girl, they were both taciturn and boring.

Could it be... that it really is my problem?

Zhang Heng couldn't help but start to doubt himself...

While Zhang Heng and Zero were keeping watch, Zhan Lan and the others were not idle either. After splitting up, Zhan Lan could use her mind chain to continuously sense the mental state of the others.

The two people on the rooftop were directly exposed to the corrosive energy from the outside. Therefore, Zhan Lan continuously and slowly channeled purifying psionic energy into them, only taking breaks occasionally.

There was no one else in the hotel long ago. With Zhan Lan monitoring the situation, no one infected could escape the notice of the Zhongzhou Team; they would be immediately eliminated by Zhao Yingkong. Therefore, the entire hotel was now completely deserted, having become the Zhongzhou Team's base.

Due to external noise pollution, several newcomers experienced adverse reactions... so Qi Tengyi could only use a word that was quite burdensome.

“Rely on…” Qi Tengyi’s face was somewhat unpleasant. He rubbed his temples and said with a wry smile, “This word brings me a much heavier burden than usual, lasting for a whole day. The effect is that everyone who hears this word during this day will bear the same burden as me…”

Upon hearing this word, Zhang Heng, who had returned to rest temporarily, felt his head sink. Seeing that everyone else had the same reaction, he couldn't help but ask, "Isn't that just asking for trouble?"

Zhan Lan suddenly spoke up: "Stop wasting your breath on Qi Tengyi... He has a much heavier workload than us."

Qi Teng nodded to Zhan Lan and then continued, "I haven't finished yet, but after the word 'burden,' there will be a certain resistance to other forms of mental erosion."

"In your Chinese terms...fight fire with fire?" Ba Wang said somewhat uncertainly. Qi Tengyi nodded reluctantly: "Yes...according to Mu Xiang's speculation, this word itself is a kind of erosion, and a very high level, which is why most of the mental erosion can be suppressed. However, this dictionary was given to me by the God of God, so the erosion is just the God of God consuming a part of your spirit to provide resistance."

Then Qi Teng stood up and lay down on the bed next to him: "I'm going to sleep for a while... The more people who hear this word, the stronger my mental burden becomes... Remember, just think of it as you worshipping a god, that way the word will have the best effect..."

In the end, he simply fell into a deep sleep, indicating that the burden was quite heavy... Even with Qi Tengyi's current mental strength, he wouldn't be able to do this after reciting just a few words.

"It won't affect anything," Zhao Yingkong said calmly. The girl was leaning against the wall, reading a book. At that moment, however, there was a blurry shadow on her other hand. "Although I can feel the strain, it's not enough to affect combat, unless it's due to a lack of skill..."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Heng immediately shouted, "Hey, what are you saying? I'm just worried..."

Zhan Lan frowned, then added more mental energy shielding towards Qi Tengyi... at least to allow him to rest more peacefully.

Two more days passed, and just when some team members thought they could hold out until the end thanks to the closed hotel and the mental protection provided by Zhan Lan and the other two, another unexpected event occurred... This time, not only Zhang Heng was cursing, but the others couldn't help but curse as well.

The entire environment inside the hotel has changed. Not only do monsters appear from time to time to attack everyone, but even more strangely, the space inside the hotel has been completely disordered.

Zhao Yingkong was the first to go out and deal with the strange noises in the corridor, but after she went out, she couldn't hear the noises anymore... Meanwhile, in Zhan Lan's mental detection, Zhao Yingkong suddenly appeared downstairs. The source of the noises in the corridor was completely undetectable to her mental power.

"Yingkong, come up here..." Zhan Lan said to Zhao Yingkong through the mental link, and then told everyone about the current situation.

Liu Xi, who had been silent until now, spoke up: "If your methods are effective, then it's not that our perception has been distorted... but rather that the entire hotel has been distorted. Clearly, this is a way to separate the main combat force from the main force. My suggestion is that the rest of you stay together."

Zhang Heng chuckled upon hearing this: "That's why I said that guy worried too much before... Look, do we need to plan an escape route? This maze hotel is enough to keep us entertained for three days."

"Shut up..." Zhan Lan sighed. "Do you think it's better to stay in the room, or go out together and try to break through?"

Zhang Heng brandished the crossbow in his hand, then looked at the piece of flesh that had been shot dead in the bathroom: "The room isn't safe either. We've already raided your base, why are you still guarding this place? Let's just leave, let's all go together."

The four newcomers had only just witnessed the Central Continent Team's battle against those monsters, and were either terrified or nauseous... Hearing Zhang Heng's words, they all looked expectantly at the veterans. Although the room wasn't safe, with the veterans guarding it, they didn't have to do anything... If they really retreated, could they survive?

Liu Xi sighed, "I also suggest going out..." Upon hearing this, Zhan Lan wasn't particularly surprised, but everyone else looked at her.

Zhan Lan pondered for a moment, "Then let's go out together... Qi Tengyi..." As she spoke, she looked at the unconscious Qi Tengyi. Every day, Qi Tengyi's task was to wake up, pronounce that word, and then fall back asleep.

Zhang Jie spoke up: "I'll do it." He lifted the burly man up quickly and gently, then looked at Zhan Lan.

Meanwhile, Zhao Yingkong, who was running up from the fifth floor, saw a sign for the fourth floor as she reached the next floor. Then, a faint call rang out, and her eyes changed as she scanned the blurry figure in her hand.

(End of this chapter)