Get password here. Click me!(KO-FI)
Hurried footsteps echoed.
The subway station was pitch-black, the power long gone. Giant supporting pillars bore smeared, rust-brown handprints, evoking the unsettling atmosphere of a horror movie.
Chu Muge carried her Tang Dao strapped to her back.
She switched on her phone’s flashlight, illuminating the path ahead, and led the group deeper into the subway station at a brisk pace.
“Give me the bag!”
She shouted back, slowing her pace to catch up with the Bao Caiwei. Gu Yao, still holding Chu Muge’s hand, paused to take the satchel and slung it over her own shoulder.
At this moment, she truly wished for a horde of zombies instead of these enormous, buzzing, migraine-inducing armored insects.
The swarm of giant insects pursued relentlessly, their scythe-like forelimbs slashing through the air, threatening to reap lives with every swing.
Gu Yao had tried to manipulate them, but to no avail.
The threads controlling the insects were black, deeply rooted in their minds, impossible to pull out. The effort gave her the absurd impression of trying to move a mountain with sheer willpower.
These insects didn’t seem like fully independent entities but were driven by a hive consciousness.
It seemed her attempts at control had only provoked the queen or central mind. The pursuing insects became even more aggressive, accelerating their chase.
Chu Muge zigzagged through the subway corridors, with the siblings following closely. The zombie dog acted as a mobile turret, firing air cannons whenever the insects drew near.
But as the chase wore on, the air cannon blasts grew weaker.
Gu Yao, who shared a master-servant bond with the zombie dog, noticed its decline immediately.
Gu Yao: Ah, it’s exhausted!
Apparently, the air cannon wasn’t an unlimited resource. The zombie dog, now visibly fatigued, could barely keep up with the group. Expecting another full-powered blast was no longer realistic.
Thankfully, they were almost at the end.
Weak rays of light filtered through the exit ahead, making the floating dust particles visible.
Gripping Gu Yao’s hand tightly, Chu Muge took long strides toward the light, rushing up the stairs.
The siblings, ordinary humans despite their endurance, were visibly struggling. Both were gasping for air.
Bao Caiwei coughed a few times and slowed her pace.
Bai Caixie glanced at her, clenched his teeth, and grabbed her hand. He yanked her forward. “Why are you stopping? Do you want to die?”
“B-Brother…” the Bao Caiwei panted heavily. “I… I can’t… keep running.”
“I’ll drag you.” Bai Caixie’s face was flushed from exertion, but he refused to let her fall behind. “Even with one arm, I can still outrun you!”
“Your arm… being gone… has nothing… to do with stamina!” she retorted between gasps.
The fact that they could argue mid-sprint was almost admirable.
Emerging from the subway, Chu Muge stepped into the faint sunlight, scanning their surroundings quickly.
Her expression darkened instantly.
On either side of the road, swarms of flying mutant insects were gathering.
The only viable path was the one leading directly ahead, temporarily free of insects.
Charging forward seemed like the only option.
But at this pace, they’d inevitably be caught.
Without time to check the map, Chu Muge had no idea where in the city they were. They were essentially running blind, aimlessly zigzagging through this chaos.
The zombie dog regained some strength and opened its mouth again, firing a blast behind them.
Green fluid splattered everywhere, with a few droplets landing on Bai Caixie.
Life and death hung in the balance as Chu Muge suddenly heard a voice ahead:
“Over here!”
Squinting through the shaky view caused by her running, she saw a woman waving toward them from a distance.
Why would someone be here?
There was no time to think. Regardless of whether this was a trap, the fact that the insects were close enough to almost nip at their heels was undeniable.
Chu Muge sprinted toward the woman, who slipped into a nearby alley. Chu swept her gaze around cautiously before turning and following the woman’s lead.
Bai Caixie, running as if his life depended on it, because it did, miraculously kept pace with Chu Muge, gasping and wheezing loudly behind her.
The woman entered a narrow alley and pushed open a partially ajar metal door, motioning to them. “In here!”
It could be a trap, but being caught by the insects was a worse fate.
Gripping Gu Yao’s hand tightly, Chu Muge darted through the door, using the moment to holster her phone and unsling the Tang Dao from her back. She gripped the blade firmly, scanning the room.
The siblings stumbled in moments later, collapsing onto the floor, heaving for air.
With a loud clang, the woman shut the iron door and bolted it securely.
The sound of buzzing grew louder, hovering outside, before fading again.
Bai Caixie and his Bai Caiwei, utterly exhausted, slumped against the floor tiles.
Seeing no immediate danger, Chu Muge relaxed slightly, coughing as she lowered her Tang Dao.
The room was a small, ordinary space with another door leading to an inner chamber. White tiles covered the floor, gray walls surrounded them, and a stark white, fluorescent light flickered overhead, making the space feel like a clinical dissection lab.
In the temporary safety of the room, Chu Muge caught her breath and shifted her attention to the woman who had led them here.
She had long, unkempt black hair and sharp, icy features. Her figure was lithe but well-defined, her shoulders and abdomen wrapped in bandages stained with faint traces of blood.
What stood out most were her eyes, pale blue and strikingly deep, like sapphires. It was a rare color for eyes, suggesting either colored contact lenses or something else entirely.
An ability user, perhaps.
Chu Muge glanced down, noting the woman’s black military pants and the handgun resting on the nearby table.
Military personnel?
The woman broke the silence, introducing herself. “I’m Bai Moxue, a member of White Eagle’s Third Squad, under military command.”
So she is.
Chu Muge’s gaze flickered briefly. Her tone remained calm as she asked, “Where’s the rest of your team?”
She knew of White Eagle squads, and hearing the Third Squad mentioned triggered her memory.
Her suspicions were confirmed as Bai Moxue’s expression darkened for a moment. “They’re… all dead.”
“The insect swarm spread too widely. We couldn’t avoid it.” She coughed lightly, glancing at her injured shoulder. “I’m the only survivor.”
The room fell silent for a moment. Bai Moxue’s gaze shifted to Gu Yao, her eyes locking onto her in an unsettling, scrutinizing manner.
Gu Yao blinked, staring back blankly.
Chu Muge frowned slightly, stepping between them. “Is there a problem?”
“She’s a zombie, isn’t she?” Bai Moxue’s voice was cold and direct.
The atmosphere became tense.
“Don’t worry,” Bai Moxue said, a faint smile tugging at her pale lips. “It’s remarkable that she hasn’t attacked anyone. Fascinating, really.”
And that’s it? Chu Muge thought, surprised at how casually Bai Moxue dismissed the matter.
As if the conversation about Gu Yao’s nature was already over, Bai Moxue shifted topics. “I figured the insect swarm was acting strangely, and as expected, it was caused by you.”
“How long have you been here?” Chu Muge asked.
“A week,” Bai Moxue replied, pressing her hand against the bandaged wound on her abdomen. “My team and I were sent here to investigate the mother hive, the insects’ central nest. But we didn’t anticipate how rapidly they’d multiply.”
The mother hive?
Under Chu Muge’s probing gaze, Bai Moxue continued, “I know where it is. Central Park. It’s hard to miss.”
The mutated zombie insect controlling the swarm resided there.
If they wanted to leave the city safely, they would have to deal with the mutated zombie.
Nobody voiced it, but everyone in the room understood the grim reality.