The off-road vehicle performed admirably during the long journey. Apart from the occasional creaking sounds, it made no unnecessary noise.
“We’ll drive first, then switch to a boat…”
Chu Muge spoke slowly, carefully outlining the plan:
“Yes, and we’ll also have to walk…”
Suddenly, a wobbly sticky note appeared in front of her.
Chu Muge froze for a moment, her gaze falling on the item. “No, senior, there’s no plane…”
She glanced at the sketch of a cartoon airplane drawn by Gu Yao on the sticky note. Smiling, she said softly, “It’s drawn pretty well.”
Hearing the compliment, Gu Yao blushed slightly, then snatched the sticky note and glanced at it herself.
The cartoon airplane was lopsided, but it was still recognizable as an airplane.
As the “great artist” Gu Yao received the praise, she felt quite satisfied with herself, nodding in approval.
She stuck the note back and casually pulled a piece of beef jerky from her bag, starting to chew on it.
Creaaaak—
The vehicle suddenly came to an abrupt stop.
The sudden braking caught Gu Yao off guard. Biting on her beef jerky, her body lurched forward, nearly hitting her chin.
Chu Muge had her hands on the steering wheel, frowning.
Ahead of them, the road was blocked by a mess of abandoned cars. It was impossible to pass.
The vehicles, though chaotic, were arranged in such a way that it seemed intentional, as if they had been deliberately placed there to block anyone from crossing.
The off-road vehicle came to a halt a short distance away. Chu Muge spotted a head popping out from among the abandoned cars, her eyes narrowing.
A survivor...?
The next second, a chill ran down her back. Her eyes widened as she instinctively pressed Gu Yao’s head down, ducking herself. At the same moment, the windshield erupted with a deafening crash, shattering completely.
The eerie energy spread like a bullet, whistling above their heads.
It shattered the glass below, first the windshield, then a side window, and finally the rear window.
Behind them, a zombie dog slammed against the car door with a heavy thud.
...There’s someone with abilities.
“Go! Go! Go!”
Chu Muge heard someone shouting frantically. She gritted her teeth, crouched down, and slammed her foot onto the gas pedal.
The tires spun, propelling the vehicle forward at full speed.
Head-to-head collision.
“They’re still coming! They’re driving straight at us!”
Someone shouted in alarm.
The off-road vehicle, with its shattered windshield, roared as it barreled madly toward the barricade of abandoned cars. The ambushers panicked, hurriedly retreating.
Without the windshield, the wind became a sharp blade, slicing through the cabin as the car picked up speed, howling as if it could tear flesh apart.
As the ambushers backed away, the off-road vehicle slammed into the blockade with a deafening crash.
Metal screeched and fragments flew.
Chu Muge ducked her head, shaking it to clear her dizzy vision. Her gaze fell on Gu Yao, curled up in fear and confusion. Chu Muge bit her lip and said softly:
“Senior, stay put.”
She spoke while picking up a handgun that had fallen from the glove compartment. After checking its condition, her other hand reached for the fire axe, steady and unmoving.
Time ticked by.
Footsteps approached, growing louder.
“Is she dead?”
“Not sure. You circle left, I’ll go right.”
The sounds came closer and closer.
Chu Muge glanced at Gu Yao, then prepared herself. The moment the car door opened, she seized the axe and swung it with all her might at the person entering.
Squelch.
Blood sprayed.
The axe blade buried itself in flesh.
The man’s neck bent unnaturally, almost as if severed, his wide eyes fixed in shock on Chu Muge. Blood gushed from his mouth as he collapsed.
Chu Muge smiled coldly at him. Her other hand raised the gun, aiming without hesitation at the door near Gu Yao.
Click.
Bang!
The bullet shot out, piercing the head of the person trying to open Gu Yao’s door. Blood splattered as his lifeless body crumpled backward.
There were still bullets left.
"Watch out! She has a gun!"
Someone cried out in panic.
“Hurry! Quick! Xu Jie, take her down!”
Amid the chaos, Chu Muge lifted her head. Blood streaked her smiling face as the man with the nearly severed neck collapsed behind her. Her gaze swept across her surroundings.
Two men and a woman stumbled back in terror. A glint of killing intent flashed in Chu Muge’s eyes as the crimson in her irises deepened.
They were trying to kill her and her senior.
The moment her abilities surged, she tightened her grip on the fire axe and charged toward them.
Inside the car, Gu Yao shrank into herself. Carefully, she opened the car door and peeked out, her gaze darting to the back door. After a moment’s hesitation, she opened it fully.
A zombie dog leaped out. Gu Yao tracked it with her eyes for a second before pulling her head back inside and retreating under the seat.
Chu Muge moved like a phantom, darting between the abandoned vehicles. Her speed far outstripped the frightened ambushers who stumbled as they tried to escape.
She swung her axe down.
A sickening thud followed as the blade buried itself in the shoulder of one of the attackers, spraying bits of flesh.
“Damn it…” One of the remaining ambushers cursed through gritted teeth. As he and his companion raised their weapons in desperation, the sudden sound of ferocious barking froze them in place.
The zombie dog lunged, its bloodstained jaws clamping down on the man’s thigh.
He screamed in agony, twisting toward the woman beside him. “Get it off me! Get it off!”
The zombie dog’s lifeless eyes glinted, its teeth sinking deeper into his leg, blood pouring out.
The woman trembled, nodding shakily. She raised the stick in her hands but froze as the man began convulsing. His eyes turned bloodshot.
The woman shrieked, and in her panic, she swung the stick down at his head.
Blood spurted from his crushed skull. His head tilted slightly to the side, tongue lolling out as his gray, lifeless eyes slowly turned to her.
Then, under her horrified gaze, he lunged toward her.
Out of ammo?
Chu Muge glanced around, gripping her blood-stained axe.
The zombie gnawed at its prey silently, the grotesque sound of tearing flesh the only noise in the stillness.
Who’s this “Xu Jie”?
As the thought crossed her mind, Chu Muge’s pupils contracted sharply. She barely had time to turn her head before an overwhelming force slammed into her.
The impact sent her flying, crashing into an abandoned sedan and tumbling to the ground.
Chu Muge: My back!
She looked up to see a woman, hands outstretched as if wielding invisible power, staring directly at her. Chu Muge frowned.
...Scarlet Witch?
The woman was clad entirely in red, leather jacket, jeans, striking and bold.
Oh. Must be Xu Jie.
A powerful individual, then.
Chu Muge flipped to her feet, dodging the woman’s next attack.
Boom!
The spot where she had been standing exploded with a deafening roar, causing the nearby wrecked cars to sway and leaving a noticeable dent in a door of one.
What the hell? Telekinetic blasts?
The woman, after unleashing her strike, didn’t linger. Instead, she spun on her heel, clearly intent on fleeing rather than continuing her assault.
Fortunately for Chu Muge, her abilities granted her enhanced agility. She closed the distance quickly with a series of leaps and rolls.
Though, honestly, she didn’t need to get that close.
Timing it perfectly, Chu Muge raised the handgun in her grasp.
The woman’s face contorted in fear as she raised her hands defensively. “Stay away from me!”
Boom!
A surge of force blew through the abandoned cars, narrowly missing Chu Muge. Calmly, she adjusted her aim, targeting the woman’s head without hesitation, and pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The bullet sped forth, effortlessly piercing the woman’s forehead.
She let out a short cry, her eyes wide in shock as she collapsed backward, slumping against the door of a ruined car.
Blood trickled down, staining her red jacket even brighter against the scarlet fabric.
Chu Muge exhaled, adjusting the weapon in her hand.
Powers are useful.
But guns? Guns are better.