043. Protein is Three Times That of Chicken

On top of the ruins, a bus was speeding along.

It passed through dilapidated buildings whose original ages were impossible to determine, making steady progress toward its destination.

Outside, there wasn't a speck of light; darkness had swallowed light, sound, and all hope.

Inside the bus, however, a sound that could stimulate one's appetite began to play.

Lu Ban had simply prepared some rat meat. Just as the biologist Mary had said, apart from its tendency to run around wildly, this rat was an ordinary creature, albeit one with well-developed muscles and a plump body.

Lu Ban used his knife to cut away the intact portions of the rat meat, washed off the blood, and sliced it into thin, chewy pieces.

He added some oil to a frying pan. Under the flame of a portable camping lamp, the oil heated up, releasing a captivating aroma.

He then put in the prepared ribs to fry until fragrant. The fatty parts of the ribs, upon contact with the hot oil, instantly caramelized, filling the bus with a fragrance that stirred primal human desires.

Lu Ban then tossed in ginger and garlic to stir-fry. The heat released a pungent scent from the spices, which mingled with the aroma of the meat, adding layers to the fragrance.

Finally, Lu Ban poured in water, enough to cover the ribs, creating a shallow stew.

He added tomatoes and scallions, seasoned with salt and pepper, and simmered it for a while. The soup became rich and thick, making it hard to resist.

Lu Ban wasn't much of a cook; he had simply thrown together a pot of soup, planning to use the rat meat to dip into it.

He picked up a slice of the cut rat meat with his chopsticks and lightly dipped it into the pot.

The rat meat, almost translucent, instantly turned white and curled up. Lu Ban brought the meat to his mouth and closed his eyes.

In a normal world, rat meat might have a gamey smell, taste sour, and be tough.

But the rats in the Ruined Capital, likely constantly in a struggle for survival and possessing such powerful leaping abilities and larger sizes, had firm, elastic, and oily meat, much like high-quality beef. Roughly estimated, the protein content was likely more than triple that of chicken.

"Delicious!"

Lu Ban couldn't help but exclaim.

The three people watching him couldn't help but swallow.

"Do you guys want some? This rat is quite plump."

Lu Ban said, seeing their reactions.

"No, thank you."

The biologist Mary returned to her seat.

"Give me some."

"Hound's" left shoulder was caved in, suggesting a fracture, but he didn't seem to mind. He pulled out his personal cup for eating outdoors and scooped up a rib and a few slices of rat meat.

"Can I really eat this?"

Stone, who was terrified, was also starving. Nervousness could lead to fatigue, and fatigue could lead to hunger.

He simply took the rib Lu Ban offered directly with his hands and began to devour it.

Only the portly driver, unable to partake because he had to drive, could only take a deep breath, as if he had tasted it.

"It's the middle of the night, and we're traveling. We need to eat something."

Lu Ban chewed and swallowed the meat from the ribs, which had become so tender it fell off the bone. He suddenly thought, "These rats are quite large and their meat is edible. Why don't we build a tall wall along their migration route? That way, the rats would just run into it and die, and we could get a lot of protein."

His mind began to wander.

"Or we could use nets. That would ensure the rats' bodies remain intact, and also allow some to pass through the mesh to continue their journey, ensuring sustainable development."

"That's right."

"Hound" nodded repeatedly as he ate heartily.

"."

Only the biologist Mary beside them seemed to want to say something but stopped herself.

After finishing the meat, Lu Ban added potatoes, carrots, and mushrooms to the pot. Drinking a bowl of the soup afterward, he felt completely satisfied, both physically and mentally.

He extinguished the camping lamp, put the pot aside, and leaned back in his chair, waiting for the journey to end.

He didn't believe things would end here; otherwise, it would be underestimating a mission of the highest difficulty.

After bandaging "Hound's" wound as best he could, Lu Ban moved to the co-pilot's seat.

He looked at the road ahead, illuminated by the high beams, stretching endlessly towards a horizon of nothingness.

"Have you driven this road many times?"

Lu Ban struck up a conversation.

"Mm."

The driver responded with a hum, maintaining his focus.

Lu Ban didn't continue chatting to disturb the driver and also looked ahead.

These ruins stretched on and on, with few open spaces. One could imagine how magnificent a civilized city this must have once been.

The bus had been traveling for two hours.

The Stone, having eaten, was overcome by fatigue and fell into a deep sleep.

The others, however, remained alert, especially Lu Ban.

If he didn't think it would be strange to pull out his phone at a time like this, he might have put on some music.

Driving late at night, how could it be without some background music?

Just as Lu Ban sat in the passenger seat, carefully examining the crowbar in his hand, he felt a sudden light appear ahead.

He looked up and saw a face pressed against the car window, its cloudy eyes staring intently at him.

It was a face that could in no way be called human.

The eyes were small, yellow with black vertical pupils, and the head was pointed, like that of some beast.

But behind the face were long, slender limbs and a body, like an ape's, yet pale and hairless. Its fingers were thin and long, with sharp claws at the tips, and they were tapping against the car window.

Creak—

The driver was also startled by this sudden surprise, swerving the steering wheel. The car lost its balance and careened forward, flipping over.

After one roll, the tires touched the ground again, but the interior of the car was a mess, the lights extinguished, and darkness enveloped the surroundings.

Lu Ban gripped the crowbar and immediately looked up.

But the monster at the front windshield had already vanished.

It was only then that Lu Ban noticed a faint light around them.

He looked cautiously out the window. It wasn't ruins, but vegetation.

These plants grew wildly, reaching a full person's height, emitting a faint green light that dimly illuminated the car's interior.

"Hound" staggered to his feet. He pulled the startled Stone up and checked on Mary's condition.

Mary was slumped over the back of the front seat, still trying to recover.

"Are you okay?"

Lu Ban turned to ask the driver, only to find the driver's seat empty. The car window was shattered, and the bulky driver seemed to have been thrown out.

"What kind of plants are these?"

"Hound" walked to the front door, yanked it open forcefully, and stepped out.

Lu Ban followed him. The ground underfoot was soft, like mud that had been soaked with water.

He glanced back at the car. The massive metal object had left a trace, and it wasn't far from the road.

But Lu Ban then noticed that the tracks left by the crushing seemed to be gradually closing.

These faint green plants swayed in the wind, as if alive.

"Unbelievable..."

Mary got out of the car, looking at the plants taller than herself, and reached out to touch them.

She parted a cluster.

Behind the fluorescent plants, a face suddenly appeared.

*

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