Her vision fixed once again, and Bai Nian found herself in a virtual world where white energy converged.
She was no stranger to this place; this was her Dreamland.
Standing opposite Bai Nian was Xiao Na, her face filled with surprise.
She looked somewhat dazed yet joyful.
She could feel the flow of her own blood and her vigorous heartbeat.
Even her skin had become soft, no longer as hard as it had been before.
“I… turned back?”
Immediately after, she froze in place.
“I can speak?!”
“This is my dream. Right now, both of us are ordinary people,” Bai Nian explained from across the way.
“Father was right. You really aren’t ordinary people. This is truly magical!”
Xiao Na was overjoyed. she spun in circles, running back and forth, savoring the joy of being a normal human being again.
After a moment, she gradually calmed down.
“You…”
Xiao Na had just started to speak when Bai Nian interrupted.
“My name is Bai Nian.”
“Can I call you Sister?”
“Of course,” Bai Nian nodded.
Hearing this, Xiao Na smiled happily.
She sat down on the ground and began to tell her story.
Perhaps she hadn’t spoken for a long time, as she appeared exceptionally excited.
She spoke incessantly, and because it was a Dreamland, she didn’t even feel thirsty.
Bai Nian stood to the side, listening quietly.
After an unknown amount of time, Xiao Na seemed tired, or perhaps she had thought about things happening outside.
The smile vanished from her face, replaced by a touch of sorrow.
“Sister, if the Zombie Virus is solved, will my father not have to die?”
“Theoretically, that should be the case. If the Cure can really eliminate all the Zombies, then the Virus inside the bodies of the infected will naturally disappear.”
Bai Nian wasn’t certain, so she gave a balanced assessment.
Xiao Na fell into deep thought upon hearing this.
A moment later, she looked up to meet Bai Nian’s gaze, not continuing her previous topic.
“Sister, Xiao Na can feel that you are very special.”
“Special?”
Bai Nian was puzzled.
“Your mental power is very strong, Sister Nian. It’s stronger than Sister Qian and the other two combined,” Xiao Na explained.
“Help me apologize to Sister Qian. I found it by chance in H City. Father said it has the same attributes as all of you, but it can only exert its greatest effect in your hands, Sister Nian.”
As Xiao Na finished her sentence, before Bai Nian could figure out what she meant, the surrounding space began to shatter.
She actively broke free from the dream.
***
The two opened their eyes at the same time, their gazes meeting.
Xiao Na extended her arm, clutching the Black Flute she had played earlier.
She took Bai Nian’s hand, placed the flute into her palm, and nodded.
Then, she looked toward Li Qian and gave her an apologetic smile.
Xiao Na gestured, indicating for everyone to follow her.
Zhang Kun and the others exchanged glances and followed her all the way to the rooftop.
She took a bottle of the Cure from her pocket and opened the cap.
A foul smell immediately wafted out.
“You’ve had this ready for a long time?”
Bai Nian spoke with surprise.
Xiao Na nodded with a smile.
She wasn’t stupid; she had understood the truth long ago.
She had always heard the Doctor say the Cure was missing one final ingredient.
Today, Xiao Na finally knew that the ingredient was herself.
Li Qian also understood the current situation.
Just as she was about to speak and persuade her otherwise, Zhang Kun immediately stopped her.
He shook his head with a firm gaze, and Li Qian could only let out a deep sigh.
At that moment, a breeze swept by, carrying the stench of rot from the air as it brushed against the ruined City.
Xiao Na stood at the edge of the rooftop, her eyes lingering as she surveyed her surroundings, seemingly wanting one last look at this City.
“Xiao Na, what are you doing… *cough cough*…”
The Doctor suddenly appeared.
He leaned against the doorframe, coughing violently.
The group was stunned; they hadn’t expected the Doctor to find them here so suddenly.
But Xiao Na was not swayed.
She gave the Doctor one last lingering look and shook her head with tears in her eyes.
“Xiao Na, don’t do something foolish!”
Just as the Doctor tried to rush forward, Zhang Kun blocked his path.
“Doctor, this is Xiao Na’s own choice.”
“Get out of the way! I will definitely research another Cure. Xiao Na, you have to believe me! Put the medicine down!”
The Doctor struggled desperately.
But how could an old man in the twilight of his life be a match for Zhang Kun?
The wind grew stronger.
A tear from the corner of Xiao Na’s eye slid down her cheek, and a flash of determination crossed her gaze.
In the next second, she drank the Cure without hesitation.
Bai Nian stood to the side, waving her hand in farewell; Li Qian turned her head away, unable to watch.
Soon, the Cure reacted with Xiao Na’s body.
Cracks spread across her entire body, and then she began to turn into powder, dissipating bit by bit until she completely disappeared.
The Zombies below felt Xiao Na’s presence vanish and rushed toward the location frantically.
But as the wind blew past, they all collapsed to the ground and began to rot.
The Cure used the wind as a medium; before long, it would sweep through the entirety of H City.
When that happened, there would be no more Zombies left.
The Doctor collapsed to his knees, utterly broken, not even noticing that his own body was improving.
“It’s all of you! It’s all your fault!”
His face twisted into a grimace as he suddenly lunged at Zhang Kun.
“Give me back my Xiao Na!”
“Old man, calm down!”
Zhang Kun pushed him to the ground.
“Xiao Na did this for you, and for this City. She saved everyone!”
“Xiao Na was very happy. She said she didn’t want to be a monster,” Bai Nian stepped in front of the Doctor and spoke calmly.
“Mon…ster?”
Hearing this, the Doctor suddenly froze.
A moment later, looking completely defeated, he pulled out a Golden Disc and threw it on the ground.
“Take it.”
It was as if these words drained his last ounce of strength.
He lay on the ground and closed his eyes.
Zhang Kun leaned down to pick up the Document, and at the instant he touched it, the surrounding scenery instantly began to shatter.
***
Their vision fixed again, and the group found themselves standing in the middle of a vast, empty Plaza.
Bai Nian was still clutching that flute. Her face held a look of disbelief.
“I actually brought it out?”
Zhang Kun snapped his head around to check the status of the Gate first.
“The Gate has been cleared!”
The others immediately looked back as well.
At that moment, it finally dawned on him.
“So the condition to clear The Gate wasn’t to save all the survivors, but to eliminate all the Zombies!”
However, Li Qian, who was at the very back of the three, looked down at the Disaster Core in her hand with a face full of confusion.
Why is it in my hand?
She immediately checked the back of her hand and found that an extra Divine Mark had indeed appeared.
She muttered, “But clearly, it was Bai Nian who guided them.”
“Holy crap, how is a Divine Mark on my hand?!”
Zhang Kun suddenly let out an exclamation, instantly drawing everyone’s attention.
“Two Divine Marks?!”
Li Qian also cried out in surprise.
Bai Nian and Shi Gao immediately looked down to check the backs of their hands.
“I have one too!”
the two said in unison.
“What is going on?!”