The marching route had been agreed upon long ago. The military convoy took the lead, mainly circling around cities, avoiding rural areas still filled with large numbers of zombies, taking highways or small country roads.
Cities and towns that had once been bustling had already become ruins, desolation everywhere. Wild grass grew rampant, and the soil had become much more fertile than before the apocalypse, but no one dared step out of the safe bases to plant anything.
As time passed and they got farther from the base, the convoy occasionally saw animals wandering around them. Gradually, some zombies that were still alive followed the sound and the scent of human flesh drifting from their bodies.
The team was equipped with new zombie-testing devices. If anyone became infected, the tester would sound an alarm. The convoy stopped once every four hours to rest, for meals and for physiological needs. The rest of the time they kept moving, and they would not stop to camp at night.
Among the accompanying soldiers was a spatial ability user. He was the only spatial ability user in the entire Base B. Most of the food and consumable supplies for this mission were kept with that spatial ability user. To ensure his safety, Tang Ke specifically assigned a five-person ability-user squad to protect him.
This was the first day since departing from the base. Nearing summer, the weather was gradually becoming hot and dry. Everything had gone smoothly during the day, with no casualties. The ones they encountered on the road were scattered low-level zombies or mutated animals. As long as these mutated species stepped into the attack range of the ability users in the convoy, they would be shot down by the team members stationed on the vehicles.
The vehicle Qi Yue was riding belonged to the military and was positioned near the front of the convoy.
In the late afternoon, taking advantage of the break for dinner, Tang Ke distributed the miraculous little steamed buns made by Qi Yue to everyone, as well as water boiled in the kettle obtained at space level four. This water had a scent-masking effect, making zombies unable to smell human scent. It was distributed by squad, each squad receiving a small cup, with instructions for everyone to drink it.
The little steamed buns were prepared by Qi Yue before departure, one per person per day was enough to guarantee supply. The water was boiled fresh during rest periods; there was no choice since the kettle was small and troublesome, so they could only boil a few pots each break to hand out.
“Little Yue.” Liao Feifan softly called to Liu Yue, who leaned against the seat with her eyes closed. Her face looked a little pale, appearing so fragile that it made his heart ache.
“What is it?” Liu Yue opened her eyes, her tone filled with complaint.
“Here, eat this.” Liao Feifan handed over a little steamed bun and a cup of water.
Liu Yue looked at the things in his hand with some disgust. Who knew how many people had touched them? He knew she didn’t eat food made by the others in the team.
“You eat it, I’m not hungry.”
Liao Feifan coaxed her dotingly: “Eat something. Since we set out this morning, you haven’t eaten at all. Don’t starve. This was sent from the people up front. I heard it has other effects.”
Hearing that only annoyed Liu Yue further. Their people were in the middle of the convoy. The ones in the front, weren’t they Qi Yue and Tang Ke?
“I’m not eating it. What if it’s poisoned?” Liu Yue raised her voice sharply. Ever since Liao Feifan brought her back that night, her emotions had been unstable, her temper shorter. Thinking of the cruel things she had gone through, being treated that way by so many filthy men, Liao Feifan held back his grief and took even gentler care of her.
Liao Feifan, thinking she was just acting spoiled, comforted her: “It’s fine, everyone got one.”
Intense hatred flashed in Liu Yue’s eyes. She snatched the little bun and threw it out the window, then grabbed the cup and flung it, cup and all, into the grass outside. After doing all that, she came back to her senses and saw Liao Feifan’s shocked expression. She immediately softened, throwing herself into his embrace and crying softly.
Liu Yue had always been gentle, kind, and obedient in Liao Feifan’s eyes. Her actions just now surprised him, but her crying afterward only made him heartbroken. The heavens were far too cruel to his Little Yue. Those beasts deserved death.
“Don’t cry. If you don’t want to eat it, then don’t. What do you want to eat? I’ll have them bring it.” Liao Feifan patted her back lightly.
Liu Yue lifted her head, face full of tear streaks. “Feifan, you know how Tang Ke and that Qi Yue treated me before. How could they possibly be kind enough to give us something to eat? This must be a trap. They want to kill us.”
Hearing her say this, Liao Feifan wavered; it actually sounded reasonable. “But we’re doing this for the entire Huaxia, and they haven’t even received the supplies we promised yet. They shouldn’t do something like this.”
“They’re ruthless people. They must want to kill us and take over Base M.”
It was possible. Thinking of Qi Yue wanting to seize a vehicle before, and the fact that Tang Ke was selfish to his core… This time, they came only for supplies. It was entirely possible they would do something like killing them all to take the base.
“Don’t eat any food from others. Don’t drink their water either.” Liao Feifan held the communicator and issued instructions to his subordinates.
Only then was Liu Yue satisfied. She smiled through her tears, leaning into his arms and saying softly, “Feifan, I know you’re doing all this for Huaxia. But those people are cold-blooded. For the base and for the innocent people in it, we have to be careful.”
Liao Feifan nodded, stroking her head. “Little Yue, it’s all thanks to you. You must have been sent by the heavens to save me.”
Liu Yue’s lips curved, a small laugh escaping. “You must be teasing me. I’m not that great.”
“You’re the best and most beautiful girl in the world. You’ve saved so many people, what else would you be but an angel?” Liao Feifan hugged her tighter. “Be careful. When this mission is over, we’ll go back to Base M.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve already arranged everything,” Liu Yue said confidently.
Hearing this shocked Liao Feifan. He lowered his head to look at her, and seeing her confident smile, they looked at each other and laughed. His Little Yue had finally regained her confidence. They had overcome so many crises before, all thanks to her. Thinking of their future together filled him with happiness.
As night approached, everyone heightened their vigilance. The night was still humans’ fatal weakness, the time when attacks from mutated species were most likely.
There were only two people in the jeep: Qi Yue driving, and Lin Yuze in the back seat.
Only a few vehicles in the convoy had their headlights on. Other than the sound of engines, the night was filled with animal howls, one after another, adding danger to the darkness.
“Be careful, we’re turning onto a small road.” Tang Ke’s voice came from the communicator.
“Copy, you too,” Qi Yue replied naturally.
A low laugh sounded from Tang Ke. “Hehe, Yueyue, are you worried about me?”
One could faintly hear people around Tang Ke teasing him. Qi Yue, embarrassed and angry, cut off the call. He glanced into the rearview mirror and happened to meet Lin Yuze’s gaze. He quickly looked out the window, secretly cursing herself: spineless idiot, what are you afraid of him for?
Because the road ahead was damaged, the vehicles followed the tank leading the way and turned off the highway into a country path.
It was smoother than expected, with no obstacles. The convoy moved safely forward. No one noticed the disturbance on a hillside a few li away. Squeaking noises, faint beneath the sound of wind through the grass, unclear but present.
The steamed buns, once eaten, would trigger different ability effects in others. Because of Qi Yue’s odd constitution, his still triggered useless abilities. The small steamer could make six different buns with different effects; this time, Qi Yue had chosen the “x-ray vision” flavor. These two days he had been preparing food and doing tiresome physical training, so he hadn’t had the chance to “attack” Liu Yue as usual, something he regretted a little.
One hand on the wheel, the other rubbing his head, he stared out the window, hiding his mood. He grumbled internally: the person behind was a little expressionless statue, and Tang Ke was a big gossip, never knew when to shut up.
Beside the road, crops from before the apocalypse had turned into half-man-tall weeds. When the wind blew, they rustled loudly. Far ahead was pitch black, fuzzy and unreal.
Bored, Qi Yue draped one hand over the window frame, glancing around as he drove. When he casually looked back, his heart nearly stopped. Even after many brushes with danger, he broke out in a cold sweat.
Countless red dots packed together, speeding down the hill toward the convoy. Years of hunting experience on the grasslands let Qi Yue judge instantly, they were rats. A massive swarm of rats.
“Tang Ke, have all vehicles stop immediately. Rats, diagonal rear direction, they’ll reach us in about ten minutes.” Qi Yue opened the communicator to report, and added, “A lot.”
Lin Yuze had already opened his eyes when Qi Yue’s emotion fluctuated, calm as always.
Horns sounded in front, and all vehicles stopped. The team didn’t panic. Except for a few younger ability users looking uneasy, most were already prepared to fight.
There was no time to care about anything else. They lit the grass around the road, creating a wall of fire. With the wind, the fire spread outward. Earth ability users quickly dug wide trenches on both sides of the road. Everything proceeded in an orderly manner.
Tens of thousands of rats, mutated rats from dozens of li around, had gathered. They usually grouped up to attack other mutated creatures. Mutated rats reproduced at an abnormal rate; most were about a foot tall, with some even larger. This time, they had followed the delicious scent of ability users.
Closer and closer. Through the firelight, people could gradually see the rapidly moving swarm. Once they entered the attack range, various abilities were unleashed, shooting across the sky.
Mutated creatures became extremely fierce, brutal, and tenacious. The fire did not stop the mutated rats at all. They dove into the flames without fear, still rushing toward the convoy.
