Chapter 995
Fighting this thing, mental fortitude is the most important thing.
Cui Ming hung up on Sawai, looked down and sniffed his clothes, his brows instantly furrowing – even though the battle was over, he still smelled a lingering stench of decay mixed with a burnt smell, worse than rolling in a cesspool. He glanced towards the sea; dark brown putrid liquid still floated sporadically on the edge of the beach, pushed by the waves into the deeper waters, staining the once azure sea with patches of murky grime, making him feel irritated.
"Kaina, prepare the purification equipment and prioritize dealing with the corrosive liquid pollution near the coast," Cui Ming said into the communicator, his tone full of disgust. "These things are absolutely disgusting. Not only do they pollute the ocean, but they also make us clean up their mess."
"Understood, Cui. The purification device's parameters are being adjusted; it's expected to reach the near-shore area in ten minutes." Kaina's electronic voice remained calm. After a pause, she asked, "By the way, where are you now? Should we send a spacecraft to pick you up first?"
"No need, I can just find a place to take a shower myself." Cui Ming tugged at his collar, trying to let the air circulate, but the stench seemed to have seeped into the fibers of his clothes and wouldn't dissipate no matter what he did. "This body smells too bad, if I don't wash it, I'm going to faint from the stench."
Recalling the battle with Silizan, Cui Ming couldn't help but shudder—when Silizan's rotting liquid splashed onto his protective suit, the corrosive stench was palpable even through the fabric, like being drenched in seventy years of stagnant mud. Even after putting on a gas mask, the filter was quickly permeated by the stench, every breath he took smelling of decay, and he almost vomited several times.
"This smell is outrageous, it's almost corrosive!" Cui Ming complained as he walked towards the temporary rest area not far away. The rest area had simple shower facilities, which, although basic, could at least wash away some of the stench. As he walked, passing EDF members subconsciously took a step back, clearly also overwhelmed by the smell emanating from him.
"Captain, do you need help preparing toiletries?" a team member asked, suppressing a laugh.
"No need, you all hurry up and help Zejing deal with the scene, don't just stand around watching." Cui Ming waved his hand and quickened his pace. All he could think about now was taking a hot shower to wash away the stench and the fatigue from the battle—as for those unfortunate officials and the subsequent cleanup work, he could put them aside for now. The most important thing right now was to get rid of this stench that could taint one's very soul.
The moment the metal door to the secret base slid open, a stench of decay mixed with disinfectant assaulted his nostrils—Cui Ming frowned involuntarily as he stepped inside. The once clean and tidy corridor now seemed to be coated with an invisible "foul film," and he even suspected that even with all the ventilation systems turned on, the lingering smell left by Silizan would take three days and three nights to dissipate. "Well, this base is completely ruined," he muttered under his breath, unzipping his combat uniform, which was covered in black ash, as he walked towards the shower room.
Just then, a gentle yet penetrating voice came from the side: "Cui, I'm here to help."
Cui Ming paused, turned around, and saw Frederick standing at the door of the lounge. Hmm, that black silk dress... his favorite one.
At this moment, Frederick's eyes held a hint of a smile.
Cui Ming subconsciously took half a step back, then remembered the smell on him and waved his hand: "No, my smell is too strong, you'll be suffocated if you stay here."
“It’s nothing.” Friedrich walked over slowly, her gaze falling on him, her tone still calm. “I’m a ship girl, my tolerance for this kind of odor is much higher than that of ordinary people, and…” She changed the subject, her smile deepening, “Look at you now, haven’t you already shown me the utmost respect?”
Cui Ming paused, then followed her gaze and looked down at himself—hmm.
There's no way around it, even for an old married couple, it's still exciting!
Frederick laughed even harder at the sight. “No need to hide.” Frederick’s fingertips were slightly cool, and his tone became gentler. “Fighting a monster like Silizan must be more mentally taxing than physically demanding, right? That stench can’t even be blocked by a gas mask. Even if you don’t say it, you must feel disgusted.”
Cui Ming was silent for a few seconds. Indeed, he had relied entirely on sheer grit during the fight, and now that he had relaxed, the smell of putrid liquid still lingered in his nostrils, and even his stomach felt slightly heavy. He looked at Frederick's serious eyes, and his tense shoulders slowly relaxed: "Alright, then consider this your way of giving me psychological comfort."
Friedrich chuckled softly, reaching out to unzip his combat suit completely, her fingertips gently tracing the scar on his chest—a mark from his battle with the monster. "The battle's over, you should relax." She leaned closer, her voice lowered. "I've already adjusted the water temperature in the shower. Want me to... help you shower? Consider it a way to completely dispel any 'bad luck' from you."
Looking into the tenderness in her eyes, Cui Ming felt the nausea from the battle subside considerably. He put his arm around Frederick's waist, his tone teasing: "Alright, but after you're done washing, this base will probably really be blown up—after all, it's been used by someone as 'stinky' as me, so there's no point in keeping it."
Frederick leaned against him and gently patted his back: "It's okay, the base can be rebuilt. It's you who will be a real problem if you get exhausted."
The ventilation system in the secret base was still humming, but the nauseating stench seemed to have been somewhat diluted by the warmth between the two. Cui Ming held Frederick in his arms, feeling the warmth of her body, and suddenly felt that no matter how disgusting the battle had been, as long as she was by his side, this "psychological comfort" was enough to quickly restore his strength.
Hours later, Cui Ming stood in the main control room of the secret base, the lingering stench still clinging to his nose—even though he had showered three times, changed into clean combat clothes, and even had Frederick help him treat the entire space with the ship girl's exclusive purification spray, the putrid smell belonging to Silizan still clung to him like a maggot, seeping into the base's metal walls and ventilation ducts, and even the gaps between the buttons on the main control panel.
"Is there really no way to save it?" Cui Ming raised his hand and pressed his temples, his tone full of helplessness. This secret base was built by him over three months, hidden underground in the coastal mountains. It not only had a complete combat command system, but also an emergency weapons depot. It was originally intended to be a temporary stronghold against monsters, but unexpectedly, it was completely destroyed by the smell of Silizan after only one use.
Friedrich stood beside him, holding a testing instrument. The screen displayed the words, "Odor concentration exceeds the standard by 12 times. Continuous purification will take 72 hours and cannot completely eliminate the odor." She gently shook her head: "It's useless, Cui. The putrefactive liquid in Cielizan contains special microorganisms that have already adhered to every corner of the base. Even with the highest-intensity purification equipment, the smell can only be suppressed temporarily. It will spread again before long."
Cui Ming walked to the control panel, his finger pausing on the "Base Self-Destruct Program" button. He recalled the stench in the shower that even hot water couldn't wash away, and the subtle frown on Frederick's face as she dried his hair—even if she didn't say anything, the smell was unbearable. More importantly, if any other personnel or monsters approached, this odor would directly reveal the base's location; leaving it would only become a threat.
"Alright, blow it up." Cui Ming took a deep breath and pressed the confirmation button for the self-destruct program. The control panel screen instantly lit up red, and a cold electronic voice echoed throughout the base: "Base self-destruct program activated, countdown 10 minutes. All personnel, evacuate immediately." (End of Chapter)