Plague Doctor

Chapter 407: Zombies

Gu Jun had no idea how Yu Chi negotiated with Mysterium, perhaps he reasoned with them or perhaps he argued with them. In any case, Yu Chi did not reveal anything about Gu Jun. Due to his former contribution and reputation, Mysterium relented in the end. They sent out Feng Peiqian to help satisfy his demands while keeping a close eye on Gu Jun. There were no Deep Ones in this world, Gu Jun was now sure of that because the Deep Ones were directly connected to the Dagon Cult. The cultists who worshipped Ghatanothoa at the land of Mu had connection to the sea but they would not transmute into Deep Ones.

Thankfully, there were zombies in this world and there were ancient legends about them. Clearly, this kind of creature had existed in this world since prehistoric time as well. The difference was that the zombies at Phecda World could travel to Dreamlands but the zombies at the Mysterium World could not. They did not have the ability of astral projection. Because of that Phecda had trouble catching any zombie alive. Be it Chen Defa or the zombies captured at the Afterlife Cult’s communication bases, none of them survived long enough for interrogation. However, things were different for Mysterium. In fact, there were several zombies being kept in the prison meant for abnormal creatures.

At that moment, 3 zombies were kept inside a large iron cage. They were transported to the Peach Mountain summit by a Special Mobile Force unit led by Feng Peiqian. The mountain had been cordoned off by Mysterium, all visitors and normal guards had been sent away. Following Yu Chi’s demand, the number of Mysterium members was low as well. The 3 zombies were heavily shackled and their jaws were sealed with electric clamps. This made them less aggressive but it also lent them a more horrendous appearance. The wrinkled skin growing with mold shimmered weakly under the moonlight, looking like balls of ethereal flame.

“Captain Yu, looks like we’re on the right path.” On the summit, Gu Jun and Yu Chi had set up everything. Replicating the scene from their previous success, there were the old-fashioned radio, the camera, and the lines of paintings that surrounded them and the zombies. Gu Jun commented as he studied the zombies. His consciousness was wavering already. However, his body did not go into palsy. The evasion symptoms from PTSD did not trigger, he seemed to have gotten better.

The positive influence showed on Yu Chi as well. He never suffered from palsy but he’d scream incoherently before supernatural presence. However, now, other than some added anxiety, Yu Chi could converse normally, “Yes, it appears like you’re right...”

Feng Peiqian and the five other Mysterium members stood outside the line of paintings and looked on with shock. Before they arrived, they were enormously worried. They had no idea what Captain Yu was up to and they suspected Gu Jun was using Captain Yu to rescue these zombies, but of course, the thing that worried them the most was Captain Yu’s health. Based on his condition, should he be exposed to 3 zombies at the same time, he’d required emergency rescue. To that effect, a team of medical members were waiting not far from the summit and they’d rush in to save Captain Yu whenever things went south.

“Captain Yu, you...” Feng Peiqian was pleasantly surprised but was also confused, “You’ve recovered?”

“Have I recovered...?” Yu Chi studied himself and scratched his head. “I do feel much better but I have gotten too normal, I am still too normal.” Feng Peiqian was lost and so did the rest of her team. What induced this change? Their eyes wandered naturally to Gu Jun. Indeed, after this man’s suspicious appearance, within the week, Captain Yu had committed many inexplicable actions. For better or for worse, there was improvement on Captain Yu to show for it...

Gu Jun ignored their stares. He focused on himself. His head felt heavy, his blood pressure was clearly increasing but his cerebral space appeared to have achieved a new haemostatic equilibrium. His heart pounded heavily, the feeling of Strong Heart had returned. Even the feeling of his hands, the Hands of Dexterity, the acute mastery of every nerve and muscle had returned as well. More than that, his skills not only returned, they appeared to have upgraded to achieve a newer form. If he went for a mental strength test now, the value might overshoot 100. In other words, he was sure he’d be able to officially return to Phecda, provided that he was able to transmigrate back to that world.

“Still too normal...” Yu Chi pulled at his beard with agitation. “Are the zombies not enough? Ah, Peiqian, I know. Remove their jaw clamps, quick! That’s right, I remember their words will be able to cause people to go insane. Let them speak, quick...” The mouth clamps were remotely controlled, one did not need to operate them manually. Gu Jun agreed. “Hopefully you guys haven’t pulled out all of their teeth.” A zombie without teeth was like coca-cola without ice, salt without pepper, they’d be soulless.

“Huh, so you do know how to speak.” Feng Peiqian commented softly, “What happened to your characterization?” Previously, the man had been assuming the identity of a floater who only knew how to smile dumbly.

“Errr.” Gu Jun once again flashed them the blank smile that he had mastered. What he got in response was a rather hostile gaze from Feng Peiqian, Chen Ziyuan and the rest. It was this harmless smile that hid many dangerous intentions. The big bad wolf wore a similar smile before he swallowed the red riding hood. They clearly did not trust Gu Jun.

At the same time, the few zombies groaned loudly. One of them even rammed against the cage. It rang noisily. The group’s attention was pulled towards them. These creatures had human-like intelligence. They understood what the Mysterium members were saying, they too wished to have the clamps removed.

“Peiqian!” Yu Chi ordered. He appeared to be more anxious than the zombies.

“Fine, captain. But if you plan to do some kind of experiment, you better be ready.” Feng Peiqian warned, “The zombies know how to cast spells.” Yu Chi glared at the zombies, “Just ignore them unless they try to summon something. In fact, no matter what happens to me and Ah Jun, just let us be.” Gu Jun nodded silently. He began the recording and walked over to switch on the radio. The static rang out immediately. The sound instantly brought Yu Chi and his mind into another state. On the other hand, Chen Ziyuan and the rest were ready with the stun guns. Feng Peiqian pressed on the remote and with a click, the clamps on the 3 zombies were released.

“Ah...” They opened their dog-like jaws to expose their darkened fangs. “You should not have done this, you will pay...” Looking at the bloodied maw, listening to their grumbling, Gu Jun’s mind dulled with pain. ‘Yes, this is the feeling...’

“It’s coming, it’s coming!” Yu Chi voiced the same sentiment, “It’s working! Yes!”

Feng Peiqian’s team looked over with confusion. They saw the two approach the zombies. The night breeze caused the surrounding paintings to flap in the wind. Feng Peiqian suddenly shivered even though nothing seemed different from before. The static was still static and the paintings were still normal paintings. Captain Yu ordered them earlier to be silent and he also banned usage of telecommunication devices so they could only communicate with eyes. ‘What is going on?’ In any case, they trained their focus to resist against the mental assault by the zombies.

“If you can hear us... We are... innocent...” The symbols appeared on the paintings and the signal broadcasted from the radio. Gu Jun frowned. The mental assault from the zombie slammed against his mind, it pushed him near the brink of madness. In this state, he yelled into the night sky, “We have heard you, please respond, please respond.”

“We are here!” Yu Chi also shouted like a madman, “Right here!”

Amidst the groaning of the 3 zombies, and the confusion of Feng Peiqian’s group, another voice descended, but it was only audible to Gu Jun and Yu Chi. The radio clicked and stopped for a few moments before the distorted voice began again, “Hello... There isn’t much time... Unable...”

Gu Jun’s heart rose and sank. ‘Not much time? For what?’ He demanded hurriedly, “Then what should we do? Tell us!” Yu Chi had considered this possibility as well. This kind of interdimensional communication might exhaust something else other than ‘madness energy’. Indeed, they did not have much time left, not every communication would prove successful and they had limited trials.

“Accept... go...” Even though their mental strength improved, compared to last time, the voice was even more muddled and harder to identify, “Australia... Pnakotus... Seal... Stone... Pnakotus... Entrance... Bound your brain... Accept...”

Static suddenly returned to the radio and the split crosses disappeared from the surrounding paintings.

“Ah!” A splitting headache ravaged Gu Jun. It was like a large hammer rammed into him. He knew this signified the end of this communication. The brief communication was enough to deliver him immense pain.

“Pna, pna...” Yu Chi’s face colored red and blue. He gasped heavily. Unable to complete his sentence, he turned to Gu Jun.

Among the sea of roaring thoughts, Gu Jun latched onto one, the Pnakotic Manuscripts, Pnakotus.

‘We’re to go to Pnakotus? Seal... It’s the Ancient Seal. Stone, opaline stone?’ Something came to him and his comprehension of the statement improved. ‘Pnakotus! Opaline stones are used in the manufacturing of the Ancient Seal. They can help us find the entrance to Pnakotus!’ The cleansing stone he brought back from City of Kindles, the stone Mysterium unearthed were all made from Australian Opaline. Gu Jun knew that something was unique about Australia, after all, his first return from Dreamland landed him at western Australia.

After the world announced the presence of the supernatural, Australia also joined GOA so there had been more frequent cooperation between Australia and Phecda. One of the joint efforts was to conduct research at the location where Gu Jun and the land travellers landed from Dreamlands and the small town where Kathlyn grew up. They came up with nothing. But what if... they had been searching in the wrong world? Just like Innsmouth, it did exist in Massachusetts, just not the Massachusetts at Phecda World. Was it not possible that Pnakotus was situated in Australia but the Australia in the Mysterium World?

“Captain, are you okay?!” Peng Feiqian asked nervously. Seeing that the activity appeared to be over, she enquired, “Can we come over now?” Chen Ziyuan’s gun was aimed at the 3 zombies. If the zombies acted up, then they’d be treated with the stun gun.

The six members had no idea what just happened. Could they have performed a ritual?

Mysterium naturally had this suspicion, because the requirement for a set location, the set up of the many objects, as well as the presence of the zombies to provide a dark energy, this seemingly dense Gu Jun was not dense at all. Could he have dragged Captain Yu into darkness?

Gu Jun chilled from the cold sweat that covered his body. ‘This is the answer? Locate Pnakotus?’

Perhaps ‘there isn’t much time’ had another meaning, they had to mobilize immediately.

“Captain Yu, I believe our next stop is Australia.” He said.

“Yes, we’ll depart tonight...” Yu Chi was on the same page as he was. He did not answer Feng Peiqian as his mind was still processing the clearest phrase that they had heard earlier. ‘Bound your brain.’

What had bound their brain? How would they get it unbound? If they kept it bound, what would happen?