Capítulo 15: Chapter 15: Reconciliation
Su Ming was utterly dumbfounded as he watched the scene unfold. What was going on? Wasn't the teacher supposed to comfort him? How did it end up with Mr. Tang breaking down first?
Helpless, Su Ming reached out and gently patted Mr. Tang's back in an attempt to console him.
"Teacher, don't be sad. You need to learn to make peace with yourself!"
"Ahhh!"
Hearing Su Ming's words, Mr. Tang cried even harder.
The sound of his sobbing caught the attention of the other students. They quieted down, exchanged puzzled looks, and walked over.
"Su Ming, what happened? Why is Mr. Tang crying?"
"Yeah, what's got him so upset?"
Su Ming spread his hands in exasperation, unsure how to explain. Finally, he offered, "Maybe it's just his midlife crisis. He's feeling a little sensitive and vulnerable. It's fine, let him cry it out."
"Waaah!"
Mr. Tang's wails grew even louder, now echoing throughout the room.
Su Ming massaged his temples and let out a deep sigh. "Ugh…"
Inside the vast expanse of District 13's Lower Zone Garbage Disposal Facility, mountains of discarded furniture, broken appliances, tattered plastics, and foul-smelling household waste stretched as far as the eye could see.
The air reeked of rot, thick with the buzzing of countless flies over the garbage heaps.
Two men in gray work uniforms, wearing headlamps and carrying metal shovels, patrolled the area. Their skin was darkened from years of labor under the sun.
"Zhao Yuan, it's almost 4 a.m. Can't we take a break?"
"Wu An, you check that side. I'll go over to the wall. That patch we repaired a few days ago might've been dug open again. Those scavengers won't quit."
"Ugh, they're exhausting. Stealing garbage of all things. If it weren't for them, our jobs wouldn't be so hard." Wu An sighed heavily.
"It's just survival for them," Zhao Yuan replied with a weary shake of his head. "I don't want to make it harder for them either, but they've gotten too greedy. If they keep this up, we'll lose our jobs—and we have families to feed, too."
"Alright, I'll check my side," Wu An replied reluctantly, heading toward a corner of the yard.
Reaching the edge of the garbage heap near the wall, Wu An scanned the area cautiously. Seeing nothing amiss, he turned to leave.
But just as he took a few steps, the sound of a metal can rolling echoed behind him.
"Who's there? Show yourself!" Wu An shouted, gripping his shovel tightly.
The heap of trash remained eerily still, offering no response.
Wu An was not convinced. These scavengers were cunning. Keeping his guard up, he advanced cautiously.
"I know you're there. Come out!" he shouted, his steps deliberate.
As he neared the source of the noise, the can moved slightly, producing a faint clatter.
Wu An froze, staring at the metal can.
Suddenly, a rat emerged—a grotesque creature covered in black, bulbous growths, its glowing red eyes fixed on Wu An.
Hissing angrily, it bared its teeth.
Startled, Wu An swung his shovel with all his might.
Thud!
The rat was flattened under the blow, and Wu An let out a shaky breath. But as he lifted the shovel, the rat wriggled back to life, its red eyes glaring fiercely.
Wu An's face contorted in disbelief. Before he could react, the mutant rat lunged at him.
"Ahh!"
Wu An stumbled backward, raising his shovel for another strike, but he missed. The rat landed on his right foot, clinging tightly.
He kicked frantically, trying to dislodge it, but it clung to him like glue.
The rat opened its maw wide and bit down viciously.
"Arghhh!"
Wu An screamed in pain as he fell to the ground.
From the rat's mouth oozed a black, pulsating substance that seeped into the wound, disappearing into Wu An's body.
Hearing Wu An's screams, Zhao Yuan rushed over.
"Wu An! What's wrong?" he called out, running toward his colleague.
As Zhao Yuan approached, Wu An slowly rose from the ground, his movements stiff and unnatural.
A sense of unease gripped Zhao Yuan. He halted in his tracks and called out warily, "Wu An, are you okay? Say something!"
Wu An turned his head slowly.
Zhao Yuan gasped in horror. Wu An's veins had turned pitch black, bulging grotesquely under his skin. Black streaks marred his face, his fingernails had elongated into sharp claws, and his eyes now glowed an eerie red. He looked more like a monster than a man.
"Don't come any closer! Stay back!" Zhao Yuan shouted, retreating in fear.
Wu An continued to advance, unperturbed.
Desperation taking hold, Zhao Yuan swung his shovel, smashing it against Wu An's head.
Clang!
Wu An stopped momentarily.
Zhao Yuan cautiously removed the shovel, only to see Wu An's head loll to one side. But a moment later, Wu An twisted his neck, snapping it back into place. He then grabbed Zhao Yuan's shovel with inhuman strength.
Zhao Yuan froze in terror as Wu An wrenched the shovel away and swung it with brutal force, striking Zhao Yuan and sending him flying several meters.
Writhing in pain on the ground, Zhao Yuan looked up to see Wu An approaching steadily. Panic gave way to despair as he noticed dozens of glowing red eyes appearing behind Wu An.
A swarm of mutant rats emerged, surging toward him like a tide.
Driven by sheer survival instinct, Zhao Yuan scrambled to his feet, but the rats overwhelmed him in an instant, knocking him back down.
The black substance oozed from the rats' bodies, writhing and pulsating as it seeped into Zhao Yuan's mouth and nose.
"No, no—"
Zhao Yuan's desperate cries were cut short as the black ooze disappeared into his body, leaving only silence in its wake.
At Mient Intermediate Academy, Su Ming and his classmates sat at their desks, waiting for class to start.
The bell rang loudly, but the usual sight of Mr. Tang entering the room was absent.
"Mr.Tang's late? Is the sun rising in the west today?"
"Seriously, this never happens!"
The class buzzed with curious murmurs.
Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder