Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 240: Source-Binder, Return to the Inner City!

Rumble—Four military pickup trucks drove out of Dabo Town in succession. Although there was no deafening roar from the engines, the tires still kicked up plumes of muddy dust as they rolled over the dirt road.

A massive medical vehicle, comparable in size to a bus, followed closely behind. It slowly navigated out of the narrow paths of Dabo Town before turning onto the Township Road leading to Wenlu County.

The heavy tires crushed against the uneven surface, letting out a muffled rumble that sounded exceptionally clear in the desolate Wilderness.

Behind the medical vehicle, another four pickup trucks brought up the rear. The entire convoy formed a tight, heavily guarded formation as it advanced steadily toward its destination.

It did not take long for the convoy to leave the bumpy Township Road and enter the county highway within Wenlu County's borders, making the ride significantly smoother.

Inside, the massive medical vehicle's cabin was divided into four sections, each with a clearly defined function.

The rearmost section was the emergency medical room. Garcia lay on a hospital bed; ever since boarding, his agonized groans had barely ceased. Even with the aid of advanced medical Instruments, it was difficult to fully alleviate his discomfort.

In the second-to-last cabin, Luo Kuke sat in a specially designed, comfortable chair. Several medical personnel in professional protective suits surrounded him. Some asked about his physical condition over the past few days, while others used Instruments to rapidly measure his vital signs.

This real-time data was synchronously transmitted to the clinic in the Inner City of Happiness City, thoroughly preparing for the subsequent formulation of a precise, targeted treatment plan.

In the two forward cabins, Cheng Ye sat by the window, with Wang Kang pressed close beside him, also staring out the glass.

Neither of them spoke. They simply cast their gazes outside, watching the trees and the Wilderness blur past on both sides of the road. A shared sense of endless emotion welled up in their hearts.

Streetlights.

Outside the window, a massive streetlight stood every hundred meters.

The warm yellow light stretched outward from Wenlu County, sprawling continuously along the road until it connected to the overpass leading to Happiness City, carving a distinct ribbon of light through the Wilderness.

During the nine—or rather, ten days spent in Dabo Town...

The town had been shrouded by the power of the Immortal Object, completely isolated from the outside world. However, time on the outside never stopped. Instead, it hurtled forward, transforming everything at a breathtaking pace. Even the roads had taken on a completely new look.

The pale yellow light diffused at a wide obtuse angle, thoroughly illuminating a road that used to be pitch-black at night. Even the minor details of the road repairs were clearly visible.

The cratered surface, once riddled with artillery impacts and jagged potholes, had been entirely filled and patched with a pale yellow material.

Although the repair marks were still somewhat mottled, they inexplicably exuded a sense of fantasy, like a scene in a video game being rapidly reconstructed by the system.

The originally narrow two-lane road had now been cleared and widened into four lanes. The surface had been repaved with smooth concrete, making the ride exceptionally stable.

Pale silver alloy guardrails had been installed on the outer edges of the road, and temporary shelters were constructed every kilometer. Each shelter could accommodate thirty people waiting for rescue.

These meticulous arrangements silently conveyed the massive changes occurring in the outside world.

Cheng Ye quietly observed this earth-shattering transformation outside. The slightly pungent scent of disinfectant lingered at the tip of his nose, while the rhythmic beeping of the medical Instruments echoed in his ears.

In a daze, he felt an intense sense of disconnect. It was as if one second he was struggling to survive in the wasteland of Dabo Town, and the next, he had transmigrated back into a well-ordered modern society. Nothing felt quite real.

Soon, the convoy drove onto the overpass leading to Happiness City.

The surrounding world seemed to quiet down instantly. Only the intertwining sounds of road friction and wind from the moving vehicles gently echoed in the empty night.

In the distance lay an impenetrably dense darkness, like the silent Forbidden Lands, utterly devoid of light.

But as the vehicles pressed on, the silhouette of Happiness City grew closer and clearer in their field of vision.

That iconic Happiness Great Wall also gradually revealed its full glory in the hazy glimmer. It stood majestically at the edge of the earth, its structure thick and sturdy, exuding a reassuring Strength.

'Are we finally stepping back into the world inside the Great Wall?'

Memories related to the Inner City suddenly flooded his mind: the school where one could receive a complete education, the familiar streets and music rooms, those buildings of various sizes that were neat and orderly, and the people he had once spent day and night with...

Yet, just as these images clearly surfaced in his mind, they quickly blurred again, feeling both vivid and illusory.

Cheng Ye tried to recall them carefully, only to find that those Inner City memories were becoming increasingly distant, almost as if they belonged to someone else's story.

In contrast, the ruined walls of Dabo Town, the broadly flowing White Water River, and the days spent holding the line with his companions became ever clearer. They felt exceptionally intimate, as if that was the place where he had truly taken root and left his spiritual Brand.

"Brother Cheng, what are you thinking about?" Wang Kang leaned in and asked.

Being able to return to the Inner City—the place where he was born and raised for over a decade—and to see his family again, it would be a lie to say he wasn't thrilled.

But looking at Cheng Ye's calm expression, the excitement in his heart was inexplicably suppressed. He calmed down as well, leaving only a soft inquiry.

"I was wondering how many days it will take for us to be discharged so we can return to Dabo Town and begin construction," Cheng Ye replied, withdrawing his gaze.

Wang Kang pondered for a moment before suddenly volunteering, "How about this: you stay in the hospital and focus on recovering. My body is doing great... I'll lead the Residents back to Dabo Town first to handle the construction?"

Cheng Ye was momentarily stunned. He turned to look at the earnest Wang Kang, then couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head. "Is the Infection Source giving you all this confidence, kid?"

"I honestly feel perfectly fine."

Wang Kang's tone was serious. "I was thinking, maybe I shouldn't have the Infection Source removed. It hasn't caused me any major harm anyway. At worst, I'll just lose a decade or two off my lifespan."

"People die on the wasteland every single day. How could we dare hope to live that long? If I can live to be forty like my dad, I'd already be making a huge profit!"

"Xiao Kang," Cheng Ye spoke softly, interrupting him.

"Yeah?" Wang Kang looked up at him.

"Look down. What's hanging on your chest?"

"I..." Wang Kang subconsciously lowered his head, his gaze falling on his chest, where two gleaming golden Badges hung.

The Badge on the left resembled the Identity Badge of the Inspection Station, and also looked somewhat like a regular resident's badge of Happiness City. However, it was a brilliant gold. The front was engraved with the character for "Merit", while the back featured the familiar motif of the Happiness Great Wall.

On the right was the personal Badge that every Inspector possessed. Right now, it hung side-by-side with the "Merit" Badge, looking exceptionally eye-catching.

"Remember this: no matter the time, no matter the situation, we are Inspectors."

"If we want to defeat the Infection Sources, if we want to restore order to this world, we must first have the ability to guard our true selves. Using the power of an Infection Source to complete a mission is fine, but we cannot allow ourselves to be controlled or bound by it just for the sake of that power."

He paused, his eyes shifting toward the rapidly approaching South Station outside the window, before continuing, "If even we Inspectors, who face Infection Sources head-on, cannot resist the temptation of this power, then who else in this world can? And how long will it be until we can truly bring an end to this wasteland era?"

They were two incredibly philosophical and weighty sentences.

Wang Kang's expression faltered slightly. The two locked eyes for a long time until Wang Kang eventually leaned back in his seat, his features tinged with deep thought.

"Brother Cheng, is there a distinction between good and bad power?" he whispered, a hint of confusion in his tone.

"No."

Cheng Ye gently shook his head, though the figures of Tan Ming and Tan Rui involuntarily flashed through his mind. "But Belief has highs and lows, good and bad. Your Belief isn't firm enough to master these powers yet. In the future, when you truly figure things out, you will naturally obtain your own Strength that matches it."

Just as he finished speaking, the convoy gradually began to decelerate.

Instead of stopping at the South Inspection Station for a routine check, they drove straight through D Gate into the Buffer Zone.

This Privilege was the result of a joint special approval from Happiness City and the Inspection Station, and it was also directly related to the four massive Infected Bodies currently inside the vehicle.

The four Inspectors had all utilized Benign Infection Sources. Even though this type of Infection Source only affected the user and wouldn't spread to the surroundings, there were still potential hazards that required meticulous screening.

Passing through the South Inspection Station, the convoy continued to roar forward, heading in the direction of the Gates of Happiness.

Cheng Ye immediately sat up straight, banishing the stray thoughts from his mind. His gaze swept earnestly out the window as he carefully observed the changes within the city.

Ten days had passed. The overall layout of the Buffer Zone hadn't changed much, but there were noticeably more pedestrians on the streets.

Even in the outskirts, one could see workers walking along the roadsides, seemingly surveying and evaluating the terrain.

Taking advantage of the crisp autumn weather, the construction sites around the South Station had also commenced work. Massive Searchlights illuminated the construction zones as brightly as daytime. The workers toiled around the clock, clearly aiming to finish construction before winter arrived.

What was even more surprising was the scale of the tent Camp. It had expanded several times over its previous size. At a glance, there were at least three to five thousand newly added tents, neatly divided into sectors to form an orderly temporary residential area.

There was also new activity around the Shantytown. Sections of the dilapidated older areas were being demolished, and vast amounts of construction debris were continuously transported outward. In the darkness, hundreds of busy figures could be seen weaving through the construction sites.

"So much awaits rebuilding!"

Cheng Ye was somewhat amazed, but he knew very well that during the days he was away at Dabo Town, the Buffer Zone must have implemented new policies.

A new round of planned construction had evidently begun. They would no longer allow the area to develop in a chaotic manner.

After entering the urban district, the changes became even more visible to the naked eye.

The originally broad roads were now reduced to one side barely wide enough for vehicles to pass. The other half had been completely excavated, exposing the buried underground pipelines.

Most of the pipes had been dug up and placed on the surface for maintenance, while new pipelines had already been delivered to the site, stacked by the roadside waiting for installation.

Every so often along the road, a dozen workers wearing hard hats with headlamps stood by the street. From their appearance, they seemed to be newly recruited Drifters, currently clustered around an older master engineer, listening intently to his instructions.

Upon seeing the convoy approach, the workers subconsciously paused their actions, their gazes uniformly turning toward the vehicles.

Their eyes were filled with reverence, intertwined with poorly concealed envy, worship, anticipation, and a myriad of other emotions.

A vibrant Vitality was bursting forth from every corner of Happiness City, thoroughly dispelling the gloom left behind by the Starfish Epidemic over a month—almost two months—ago.

With the influx of massive numbers of newcomers, the once-stagnant Happiness City seemed to have finally resumed its march toward development.

Just like the land enveloped by Tan Ming's Belief, the plants growing now no longer lost their Vitality the moment they sprouted, looking fine on the outside but withered within.

The current Happiness City, this very land, also seemed to have broken free from its shackles and begun to experience a truly "savage growth."

However, the maintenance of Tan Ming's Belief would ultimately only last for a year.

How long could this hard-won Vitality in the Buffer Zone truly be sustained?

Cheng Ye quietly observed the scene before him, his thoughts drifting along with the moving convoy until the vehicles entered District A1, drawing ever closer to the Gates of Happiness.

On the towering Great Wall in the distance, the corrosive scars left by the Starfish Epidemic Fusion Entity had been completely repaired over the past few days. Not a single trace of damage could be seen.

That Gate of Happiness, radiating both an imposing deterrence and an endless allure, was finally no longer a distant, unreachable existence. They were on the verge of truly crossing its threshold.

'What can truly be considered the dividing line of civilization?'

As the vehicle slowly decelerated and came to a complete stop, an answer suddenly blossomed in Cheng Ye's heart. This Gate of Happiness was perhaps the clearest boundary between civilization and chaos.

It was precisely through the tireless efforts of several generations that Happiness City had managed to isolate itself from the outside pandemonium, safeguarding a sanctuary that truly belonged to "civilization."

'What about Dabo Town?'

'How long will it take before such a definitive boundary can be established there?'

"Inspector Cheng, Inspector Wang, you will need to disembark for a security check before entering the Inner City."

At that moment, a medical worker walked over from the rear of the cabin, gently adding, "Please rest assured, this is merely a necessary procedure. The inspection results will not affect your ability to enter the Inner City for treatment."

Cheng Ye turned his head in the direction of the medical worker. The rear doors of the medical vehicle were already open. Garcia, who had transformed into a vine creature, was covered with a white sheet. With the assistance of several on-duty guards, he was being wheeled toward an entrance on the side of the Gates of Happiness.

"Huh, there are actually two entrances here?"

Cheng Ye paused in surprise after stepping out of the vehicle.

Normally, looking directly at the front of the gates, these inspection checkpoints were completely hidden. Only by standing right at the threshold would one realize that both sides of the gates had connecting passages, allowing entry through the lower side doors.

On the other side, Luo Kuke had also been wheeled down. Seeing Cheng Ye's confusion, he explained, "Everyone entering the Inner City must go through these side doors. The central passage of the gates is reserved for people coming out of the Inner City."

"Those who have entered the Inner City before go left. Right now, this... counts as our first time, so we must go right."

"Oh, I see." Cheng Ye nodded. He stepped forward, took hold of the wheelchair himself, and pushed Luo Kuke toward the right-side entrance.

Upon reaching the entrance, Garcia's hospital bed was also rolled over. A staff member approached, an apologetic look on his face. "Inspector Cheng, according to regulations, perimeter personnel like us are not permitted to enter the Inner City. Therefore, we must part ways with you here."

He paused, then looked at Wang Kang. "After you finish the inspection, dedicated medical personnel will be waiting inside. As for Inspector Garcia, we will have to trouble Inspector Wang to help push his bed and bring him into the Inner City together."

"No problem." Wang Kang nodded in agreement, stepping forward to grip Garcia's bed.

The passage within the wall did not lead straight into the Inner City; instead, it was a winding, tunnel-like path.

Not long after they walked forward, a colorless and odorless liquid suddenly began spraying from overhead.

A few drops landed on Cheng Ye's skin, making it feel instantly itchy. But when he raised his hand to inspect it, he froze in astonishment.

Streaks of pale gold Runes, intertwined with fiery patterns, were clearly manifesting on his skin. It was as if the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse and Little Flame, hidden within his Spiritual Body Space, had been completely materialized, leaving absolutely nothing concealed.

Leaning forward, he noticed that Luo Kuke's skin was also undergoing a transformation. It turned a heavy, rusty iron color, with large, darker marks appearing on his face—the undeniable signs of the Source Heart Flesh Iron.

Even Wang Kang was no exception. His complexion gradually became unnatural, flushed yet dark, faintly shifting toward the hue of steel.

As for Garcia, his condition was far worse.

The moment the liquid touched his body, he could not stop himself from releasing agonizing wails. Clearly, he was enduring severe torment.

Fortunately, this liquid was unlike water. The vines clinging to his body did not seize the opportunity to grow. Instead, they seemed suppressed, no longer spreading wildly.

The group meandered down the passage for nearly a hundred meters. After rounding a corner, a fiery red glow suddenly pierced the end of their line of sight.

Cheng Ye only glanced at it from afar, yet a sudden, heart-pounding sensation instantly surged within him. It was just like the Sense of Oppression he had felt when he first laid eyes on the Demonic Eye Sponge.

"A Transcendent Creature? An Infection Source?"

He was momentarily taken aback, though his footsteps never paused.

The four continued onward and soon stepped into the room bathed in that fiery red illumination.

The sight before them sent a shock through their hearts!

It was truly spectacular!

It was as if they had stepped into a bizarre botanical kingdom. That expanse of fiery red was not some artificial light source, but rather ivy creeping all over the walls.

The leaves of this ivy were not their usual green, but instead radiated a divine, fiery red. They looked incredibly similar to the floating down on Little Flame's body, only far more translucent. At a single glance, it was breathtaking.

And right at that moment, a Strange Fluctuation quietly descended over them. A glimmer quickly flashed through the depths of Cheng Ye's eyes.

It was... the fluctuation of an Immortal Object!

After having been in such close contact with the Myriad Command Earth Dharma Conch, he was far too familiar with this trace of fluctuation!

It seemed this ivy was absolutely no ordinary transcendent plant. It was highly likely the result of crossbreeding and cultivating multiple Transcendent Creatures.

However, compared to the Myriad Command Earth Dharma Conch, the ivy's fluctuation was much weaker, completely incapable of affecting a person's psyche. Or rather, its influence was not on the mental plane, but directed elsewhere.

The moment the thought crossed his mind, the fluctuation swept over the group. A relatively large ivy leaf drifted down first, landing squarely on Garcia.

A faint golden-red glow surfaced on the leaf. Its clear veins gradually merged together, unexpectedly forming recognizable text:

[Garcia, biological genome recorded for the first time. Passed!]

[Current Energy Rating: 4]

[Current Infection Level: 89.3%]

"Oh, this thing can actually be used like this? To scan Humans?"

Just as Cheng Ye was marveling at the discovery, he saw another leaf drift down, which Wang Kang caught with an outstretched hand.

[Wang Kang, biological genome recorded for the first time. Passed!]

[Current Energy Rating: 2]

[Current Infection Level: 25%]

"Brother Cheng, how come my energy rating isn't as high as Garcia's?" Wang Kang stared at the words on the leaf and couldn't help but curl his lip, his tone brimming with dissatisfaction.

Garcia, who had still been groaning softly, instantly paused upon hearing this.

Immediately after, his howling grew even louder!

'What kind of nonsense is that? Are those words a human should speak?'

'You're just a Trainee Inspector who passed the assessment not too long ago. What are you trying to pull?'

'Don't tell me you expect the Inspection Station's Rank and Strength to be flipped upside down, where the lower the rank, the stronger you are?'

At this moment, another ivy leaf fluttered down.

Luo Kuke raised his hand to catch it, but the text displayed on his leaf was completely different from Wang Kang's and Garcia's:

[Luo Kuke, biological genome verified. Passed!]

[Current Energy Rating: 8.5↑]

[Current Infection Level: 65% (Newly Added)]

"After being promoted to a Third-stage Inspector the winter before last, I already qualified to enter the Inner City,"

Luo Kuke explained immediately, noticing Cheng Ye's curious gaze. "But my wife and child are in the Buffer Zone, so back then, I only went in briefly to broaden my horizons and didn't stay long. Still, Red Tiger recorded my information at the time."

"Red Tiger?" Cheng Ye caught the unfamiliar name and probed further.

"Yeah. It's a type of Transcendent Object that Happiness City uses specifically to guard the boundary between the Buffer Zone and the Inner City."

Luo Kuke elaborated, "It can memorize everyone's biological data, serving as a special anti-counterfeiting mark. It's primarily used to prevent certain Infection Sources—like the Face-Swapping Fish we previously initiated Containment on—from sneaking into the Inner City by mimicking a human's appearance."

He paused before detailing Red Tiger's other functions. "Furthermore, anyone who binds their biological information with Red Tiger is considered Core personnel of Happiness City. Even if they die unexpectedly in the future, Red Tiger's leaves can trace their residual biological data, manifesting the exact location where their Essence was last left behind."

"The leaves can even collect the information a person left behind to analyze and reconstruct a rough visual of the incident..."

"It can see the scene before our death and help us take revenge?" Cheng Ye was slightly dumbfounded. Such a method of tracking data and reconstructing visuals was truly bizarre.

"That depends on your Rank." Luo Kuke chuckled. He and Cheng Ye had chatted often these past few days, so he didn't mind sharing more. "You, as a Trainee Inspector, definitely wouldn't qualify. Well, neither would I. You'd need to be at least Stage Four... or even higher. And it would also depend on the severity of the incident."

While the two spoke, Red Tiger's fourth leaf delayed its descent.

After two or three minutes passed, a voice suddenly resounded within the room. "Inspector Cheng, please suppress that power so that Red Tiger can scan your physical condition."

"Me, suppress it?" Cheng Ye furrowed his brows.

He had actually sensed a faint fluctuation hovering around him early on, but it was so weak that he had not paid it any mind, let alone actively resisted it.

Reaching out his hand now, he saw the two Runes on the back of his hand shimmering faintly. Sure enough, it was the mark of Belief left by Tan Ming, completely isolating Red Tiger's probe.

A thread of Vitality nullified the fluctuation.

A thread of withering absorbed it.

Red Tiger was ultimately just a Transcendent Object; against Tan Ming's Belief, it was more than just a tier inferior.

'How should I retract this restriction?'

Just as Cheng Ye was mulling it over, he noticed the mark on the back of his hand gradually dimming, no longer flashing in rhythm with the scanning fluctuation.

At the same time, Red Tiger's fluctuation finally managed to connect to his body. Like a USB plugging into a device, it began reading his data.

Another ten seconds or so passed before the data read was complete. A leaf nearly three times the size of Luo Kuke's slowly drifted down. It looked like a small palm-leaf fan; when held, it was even larger than a human head.

The leaf clearly displayed:

[Cheng Ye, biological genome recorded for the first time. Passed!]

[Current Energy Rating: 67]

[Current Infection Level: 100%]

[Current Classification: Source-Binder]

Every single character was extraordinarily large, their surfaces rippling with a faint, illusory fiery glow.

Luo Kuke curiously looked up and caught a glimpse. The expression on his face instantly vanished, replaced solely by utter stupefaction.

Wang Kang leaned in from the side to take a look and couldn't stop a low gasp from escaping his lips. "Brother Cheng, your energy rating is 16 times that of Garcia?"

'16 times?'

Laying on the bed, Garcia's entire body violently twitched. Even his groans became somewhat distorted and mangled.

'He, a Level Two Inspector, had actually become the "base unit of measurement" for measuring someone else's Strength?'

Cheng Ye, however, was in no mood to pay attention to any of that. His gaze fell straight onto the 100% infection level below, as well as that extra line for classification.

Previously, he had harbored some speculation. The Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse had been imbued with power by Tan Ming, making it a transcendent existence. Since it was transcendent, did that mean it had nothing to do with being an Infected Body anymore?

But the data Red Tiger provided now completely obliterated all his unnecessary guesses.

Just as Luo Kuke had mentioned before, from the very moment he utilized a Benign Infection Source, his Faction was no longer purely human.

He was an Infected Body. He was an "alternative" ability user bound to a Transcendent Mother Source.

In this vast wasteland, exactly how many people like him existed? No one knew for sure.

But so what?

With a thought from Cheng Ye, the two Runes on the back of his hand lit up once more. All of Red Tiger's probing was instantly blocked once again.

He casually tossed the leaf displaying his information into a nearby disposal bin and pushed Luo Kuke's wheelchair forward, taking the lead.

In the Wilderness, it was ultimately those with the biggest fists who called the shots.

Upon returning to Happiness City, he was not only an Inspector who had achieved the Containment of an Immortal Object, but he also had the backing of an Elder's promise.

Today, Red Tiger might be able to detect that he wasn't "human" and classify his Faction as a Source-Binder.

But come tomorrow in Dabo Town, once he established a territory that truly belonged to him, who would dare say he wasn't human then?

Taking a single step out of the room, his field of vision suddenly cleared.

The Inner City—they had arrived!