The towering iron structure, hundreds of ters tall, in red and white, took up the entire view, causing Lin Yue’s scalp to tingle instantly.
If he had been in that Secret Realm earlier, he would have been uncertain about the exact nature of the place, but now he was certain: this was Earth.
Leaning against the wall of a concrete building nearby, he called Bai over, taking a deep breath.
Knee-high weeds, trees growing askew, cracked asphalt roads, buildings covered in moss and overrun by ivy, and the skewed, tadpole-like characters confird for Lin Yue that this was Tokyo.
Just like in that Secret Realm from before, without people, this place too was gradually being reclaid by nature as ti flowed by.
Even the towering red and white structure showed clear signs of peeling paint upon scrutiny, the tower’s body unnaturally tilting to one side.
Perhaps in a few decades, it too would completely collapse.
Lin Yue surveyed the surroundings.
Now was not the ti for reflection; ti was pressing. It was better to gather as many items as possible and hurry back to the Shelter.
So far, Bai hadn’t shown any signs of caution, suggesting the area seed quite safe.
"Bai, let know if there’s anything unusual."
"Puchi!" Bai responded, as if it had understood.
Bai was quite intelligent and perceptive; Lin Yue noticed that it could understand so simple commands as they interacted.
Looking at the building beside him, where most of the glass was broken and the wooden doors were decayed, Lin Yue peered inside and quickly realized it was a public restroom.
Initially considering bypassing it, he noticed a closed small door inside, prompting him to enter. After all, it wouldn’t take much effort.
Dust stirred as Lin Yue stepped into a cramped small room, unexpectedly discovering it was a small storage area.
Brooms, rags, and a variety of items were stacked inside, and upon opening a tal cabinet, Lin Yue was surprised to find rolls of toilet paper and wet wipes piled like a small hill!
They were all encased in thick plastic bags, and protected by the tal cabinet, most of them remained intact apart from the ones slightly affected at the top.
"Goodness," Lin Yue couldn’t help but exclaim.
The preservation was impressive, likely due to the dryness and sealing of the space, along with the protective tal cabinet, and the additional plastic bag wrapping.
Otherwise, items like paper would have certainly deteriorated.
However...
The value of these items wasn’t far less than that of water.
The use and presence of toilet paper signified a major improvent in living standards.
Previously, he had acquired only a roll from the Iron Treasure Chest, and even now, across the whole group, no one had ntioned toilet paper.
It seed as though everyone implicitly assud they had so.
Lin Yue was curious about how people dealt with this issue. Were they using sticks or leaves, or perhaps...their hands?
[You’ve obtained 32 packs of toilet paper]
[You’ve obtained 45 packs of disinfectant wet wipes]
Lin Yue felt he might have discovered another valuable currency.
Although water seed abundant for now, how many modern humans could truly do without paper?
He was convinced these items would cause a sensation in the marketplace!
Lin Yue rummaged through the remaining items, but none were as well-preserved. They crumbled upon touch, like a box of tissues, revealing moldy insides unusable.
As he erged from the storage, Bai yawned at the doorway, indicating the area was remarkably peaceful.
Yet, Lin Yue felt sothing was amiss.
Such a vast area, and not even birds or insects were visible—the entire park eerie in its silence, as though all living things had vanished.
Though only humans seed to have been sent to the Otherworld.
The remaining mutated creatures, whether insects or beasts, didn’t resemble Earth’s original fauna, but rather appeared as enlarged hybrid creations...
Wait, hybrid?
Lin Yue rembered the Mutant Sheep, which had the appearance of a regular sheep yet bore wolf-like fangs and behaviors.
The Tiger-striped Shadow Deer also resembled a blend of deer and tiger...
A frightening possibility dawned on him!
Cold sweat broke out!
No, no.
He looked at Bai.
This little fellow was definitely not a product of fusion. Earth couldn’t possibly have creatures that emitted icy mist, let alone evolve over a few days!
And those strange large rats and winged dragon-like things in this world, seed increasingly unlikely to have evolved on Earth over just decades.
There were simply too many mysteries.
Dismissed the thought, Lin Yue called Bai, exited the restroom, and continued ahead.
He walked along the path overtaken by wild grass, moving forward.
The abundance of trees, many with thick, straight trunks, filled the area.
The environnt felt entirely different from the city within the Secret Realm.
The air was damp...though the scent of photinia flowers was still quite pungent.
Looking up, between the gaps in the forest, a towering building appeared with edges jutting out.
Lin Yue hastened toward it, venturing through the thicket, arriving upon a pitted staircase.
He realized he had used up all the yarn balls completely.
This outing had truly covered quite a distance.
Gazing at the nearly three-story ivy-covered six-story building, he saw an almost completely faded dark yellow English sign on the top wall.
"H, TE? Hotel?" Lin Yue scrutinized the mostly glassless hotel, reluctant to enter.
Yet, the remaining few pieces of glass at the entrance looked intact.
Approaching, he touched a relatively whole piece, and soon the system prompted him.
[You’ve obtained thick organic glass X1]
Thick? Not bad.
"Bai, anything?"
"Puchi~" Bai responded by snuggling against Lin Yue’s thigh.
Oh, it’s hungry.
Lin Yue understood imdiately, retrieved a lamb skewer from the inventory, handed it to Bai, waited for it to finish, before entering through the main door.
Inside lay a thick layer of dust, the floor mostly corroded away, and so places had mushrooms sprouting.
Entering the hotel, he noticed so corroded vending machines and a similarly deteriorated reception area.
The area bore marks of severe water damage, remnants scattered everywhere.
Tables and chairs appeared deliberately wrecked, reduced to fragnts.
Carrying a torch, Lin Yue surveyed the place, discovering nothing but dust.
"Let’s go, Bai, there’s probably nothing here...wait, what’s this?"
Lin Yue opened a room, and the sight instantly gave him goosebumps!
Reviews
All reviews (0)