Get password here. Click me!(KO-FI)
"Although J City is a tourist destination, it's not very large. Our route is pretty straightforward."
Chu Muge glanced at everyone, spreading a simple hand-drawn map across the car’s hood.
Her slender, fair finger tapped lightly on the map. "We go straight ahead. They built a bridge over the river here. Once we cross the river and reach the other side, we can leave the city."
"So we’re crossing a bridge?" Bai Caixie asked.
Chu Muge shook her head. "No, we’ll reach the bridge, then turn left to where the boats are."
She paused. "You know West Lake? The boats there are similar to what we’ll use."
"We… are crossing the river by boat?" Bai Caixie frowned, confused. "Why not use the bridge?"
"Because the bridge is destroyed," Chu Muge said calmly. "And there’s a creature in the river, so before we get on the boat, we need to find something to distract it."
"Wait, wait." Bai Caixie was starting to feel dizzy. "How do you know the bridge is gone… and that there’s something in the river?"
Chu Muge shrugged and winked at him with a smile. "I dreamed about it."
Bai Caixie: …
"Just trust me." Chu Muge folded the map. "If you don’t want to die, follow my instructions."
Of course, it wasn’t a dream.
The memories she had gained mentioned this place. According to a military report, there was a mutated creature in the river, and a photograph had been shared with the base.
The photo showed the destroyed bridge, with an octopus-like tentacle wrapped around a pillar and a massive dark shadow lurking beneath the water.
"Alright, let me repeat the plan."
Chu Muge began:
"We enter the city, reach the riverbank, find something to distract the creature, then make our move. While it’s distracted, we take the boat to the other side."
"Speakers," the young man suggested. "Those are the best option. But we can’t rely on just one. If a speaker gets damaged, the creature will turn its attention to us, so we’ll need multiple ones to play in rotation."
The SUV started up again.
Everyone returned to their seats. Chu Muge adjusted the gears and said, "By the way, the boat can’t carry much. Just bring what you absolutely need."
The car wheels rolled forward, it was time to enter the city.
Cities always seemed the same, hazy skies, gloomy and oppressive.
A gust of wind swept through the crumbling streets, lifting and scattering old, crumpled newspapers.
"Oh my gosh," Bai Caiwei leaned against the window, her eyes widening slightly at the scene outside.
The bodies of zombies lay scattered on the ground, their heads blown apart, with dried blood staining the ground.
Even Gu Yao couldn’t help but glance a few more times.
This ability…
Throughout their journey, they hadn’t encountered a single living zombie.
Headless corpses were strewn across the ground, some slumped against walls. Blood and other matter splattered the surfaces, creating a hellish tableau.
"Hey, Senior, do you feel anything unusual?" Chu Muge suddenly asked.
Gu Yao shook her head.
The gruesome state of these zombies resembled the aftermath of Gu Yao’s own ability, when she destroyed unwanted zombies by blowing up their heads.
But she hadn’t done this.
When they arrived, these zombies were already dead, seemingly for several days.
The road was dilapidated, but thankfully no vehicles completely blocked their path. The SUV pressed onward, finally reaching the riverbank.
The water was calm.
The river’s surface rippled only slightly under the wind, otherwise, it was eerily serene.
But Bai Caixie’s eyes were drawn to the shattered bridge.
It looked as if something terrifying had forcefully smashed it in two. The bridge was severed at the center, with many abandoned vehicles still scattered across it.
He swallowed hard and lowered his voice, "So, what do we do now?"
Chu Muge raised an eyebrow, steering the car to the left. "First, we find a boat."
Finding a boat wasn’t difficult, J City was a tourist hub, with much of its income drawn from visitors’ pockets.
The riverside was lined with drooping willow branches, withered leaves, and an overwhelming sense of desolation.
The pathway along the river was made of stone slabs, stretching onward until it led to an area where several boats were docked.
Amid the dust-covered, grimy boats, the group searched for one that was still functional.
This one? Broken.
That one? Also broken.
This one? Probably out of power.
“Over There!”
"Hey, this one, this one!" Bai Caixie's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Shh! Shh!" The short-haired girl immediately put a finger to her lips, urging for silence.
Chu Muge approached the boat, expertly locating the controls and powering it on.
The boat hummed softly.
She quickly shut it off, lifting her gaze to survey the surroundings.
It was time to find something to distract the monster.
Just then, Gu Yao silently tapped her shoulder.
Chu Muge turned to her, puzzled, only to see Gu Yao holding a dictionary in one hand and pointing in a specific direction with the other.
It was a building.
Three large characters were emblazoned on its façade:
[Appliance City]
"You picked up my fire axe."
Chu Muge glanced at the short-haired girl gripping the axe with both hands, then shifted her gaze away and tugged at the locked entrance to Appliance City. "You’re better suited to something lighter, but for now, this will do."
The door was locked. She frowned briefly before kicking it open with a single forceful strike.
Dust scattered into the air.
The interior of Appliance City was dark. Chu Muge peered into the dim scene and rolled her eyes.
She was reminded of unpleasant memories, dark spaces, high buildings, and a brutal fight for survival.
"Are you all coming in with me, or waiting outside?"
"We’ll come in!" the young man replied quickly.
Chu Muge glanced at his injured arm before turning to Bai Caiwei. "Keep an eye on your brother. Don’t let him die."
She unsheathed her Tang Dao and strode inside, with Gu Yao and the zombie dog close behind.
Dried bloodstains marked the floor.
Drag marks trailed toward the elevator. Chu Muge glanced at the stairwell, then silently began ascending.
The appliances in the store were obscured in the murky darkness, blending with their surroundings. The group decided to search each floor until they found the speakers.
"Look at this TV screen, wow," Bai Caixie remarked, glancing at a flat-screen display. "I always wanted to buy one of these."
Nearby, a human-shaped advertisement cutout maintained its fixed smile, unchanged and eerie.
The store appeared devoid of zombies, much like the streets outside. No, it was worse, eerier than outside.
The drag marks stood out starkly, and when they reached the third floor, shattered glass came into view.
The gaping hole suggested something massive had smashed through from above, crashing into the building.
Still, no speakers.
That left only the top floor, the fourth.
The drag marks continued, growing more frequent and intense with each floor.
Chu Muge's expression remained calm as her gaze lingered briefly on the bloodstains. She lightly stepped onto the staircase leading to the fourth floor.
The short-haired girl, holding her fire axe, glanced back uneasily at the shadowy stairwell. She tapped her brother with the handle of the axe. "This is so creepy."
"Ow!" Bai Caixie winced, sucking in a breath. "Stop poking around, you just jabbed my hand."
Ignoring him, she turned back to follow. Bai Caixie, eager to move forward, nearly bumped into Chu Muge, who had abruptly stopped ahead of him.
"???"
What’s going on?
Chu Muge raised a hand to stop Gu Yao, signaling her to step back.
Her gaze fixed on the sealed door to the fourth-floor stairwell, her eyes narrowing as she examined the gap beneath it.
There was the distinct smell of blood.