Chapter Forty-Four: Rainy Day
At around 5:15, I drove for about five minutes, and the construction site was already in sight.
Across from the construction site was my apartment
Sitting on the leather seat, I couldn't describe how exhilarating it felt. But... after just hitting a zombie, I still felt
a little concerned. I parked the car by the
roadside and got out to check the front. The bumper was only slightly bent, and some paint had chipped off the body. Nothing else was wrong.
"German engineering really is something... This thing's sturdy."
I patted the hood, and it went 'thunk.' As I spoke, I wondered whether I should make a few modifications to the truck. I didn't know much, but I could at least manage a bit of
bodywork and spray painting.
"Maybe I should... put a guardrail on the truck?"
Back in the car, I looked through the windshield at the sky above, already black as the bottom of a pot, and wondered
if I should go to the city hospital first
and take a look at that helicopter.
It had been a month since the outbreak began. Who would send a helicopter here at a time like this?
I didn't know helicopter models, but I could at least tell that it was a military helicopter. The Hua Nation insignia on it was
very conspicuous.
But what had they come here for?
I racked my brain, but I couldn't figure out what they'd sent a helicopter to the city hospital for at a time like this.
But... I'd find out tomorrow, wouldn't I?
I just hoped things would go smoothly. I didn't want to run into any more monsters.
I started the car, and just as the engine turned over, a raindrop suddenly landed on the windshield with a 'pat.'
"It's raining?"
I pressed the window control on the door, and the window slowly rolled down. The air suddenly felt fresher, while the raindrops fell on the summer asphalt
and dried up incredibly quickly.
The inside of the truck was hot, but I couldn't bring myself to turn on the air conditioning. Gasoline was precious now, after all. At least... until I found a reserve supply, I had to
save wherever I could.
I set the pickup in motion again. As I drove, my apartment complex gradually came into view, while the construction site opposite was still sealed off by its tall Iron Gate.
I figured there were at least dozens, maybe even hundreds, of zombies inside. The people who worked at the construction site were all in great shape, so the zombies they became
probably wouldn't be weak.
Mutant Monsters might even appear!
Thankfully, those monsters had their own territory. They shouldn't come over to my apartment complex, right?
To be honest, ever since I got home, I'd been at a loss. Should I find some survivors and live with them,
or build a fortress in my own home and live alone?
Both choices had their advantages, and both had significant drawbacks.
If I looked ordinary, or if I were still my old self, then the first choice would definitely be to live in a group. That way, we could look out for one another if anything happened.
There was strength in numbers, and that saying wasn't for nothing.
But now... Even though I'd always had high standards, and had seen all kinds of uncensored cavalry pictures, all kinds of Japanese adult videos that could be acted out by just one or two people, and...
Anyway, I'd seen a lot. But honestly, apart from Photoshop and extreme makeup, I'd never seen a single beauty online who could compare to my current face.
I wasn't bragging. I was just stating the facts.
But the thing was... those women could remove their makeup and dress themselves down a little. Maybe they could blend in with a group of survivors. But as for me...
No matter how much I tried to cover up, there was no way I could blend in. This body's face was just too captivating. What's more,
I'd never learned how to do makeup, so even if I wanted to make myself look ugly, I couldn't...
So... if I found a survivor base, I'd have to watch out not only for zombies, but also for my fellow human teammates.
By contrast, if I lived alone, I wouldn't have to worry about that. But surviving out there on my own was extremely dangerous. Things a team could handle easily
would be difficult, or even impossible, for one person.
For me, it was an incredibly difficult choice to make. Even now, I still hadn't figured it out. I could only take things as they came.
If it came down to it... living alone would suit me better.
Most importantly... there was that inexplicable 'superhuman state.' As long as I could use it skillfully and reduce some of its side effects, I could
survive just fine on my own in this apocalypse, as long as I didn't go looking for trouble.
Before I knew it, I'd driven to the building. I parked by the roadside and turned off the engine.
I was a little relieved. If it weren't for the rainy weather, the nearby zombies would have heard the truck sooner or later
and come running. But now, as the rain grew louder, the sound of the truck couldn't carry
anywhere.
"Thank goodness..."
I leaned the seat back. I wasn't in a hurry, so I reached into my pocket and pulled out some Changbai Mountain cigarettes. With a stylish flick, I opened my ZIPPO
and enjoyed a smoke. There was a little button at the lower left corner of the seat. Even the seats in this car were fully electric.
As soon as I'd lowered it, I stretched. The bones all over my body felt as if they'd gone soft.
"This car's sofa... is so comfortable..."
I was getting a little sleepy. As I stretched, I happened to bump into something on the back seat.
'Clack.'
The sound was very faint, but I had to stay alert to every sound!
I whipped around. What appeared before my eyes... was a black hat.
A very common baseball cap.
"Phew... That scared me half to death."
I picked up the hat. It looked pretty high-end, so I put it on without thinking. Only after I'd put it on did I realize that there was actually
some extra room at the top of the hat.
"What's this...?"
I suddenly remembered the female corpse in the parking lot. Her hair seemed even longer than mine. Could it be...
that this hat was meant to tuck long hair away?
I thought it over, then tossed my head and flung my long hair to one side. I grabbed it, then used the hat to scoop it all up from underneath,
and put the hat on in one go!
The moment I put it on, I felt a cool sensation at the back of my neck. It was... the feeling of a long-bare patch of skin touched by a gentle breeze.
"At last... I've dealt with all this long hair."
I still remembered how I'd almost died the first time I ran into a Green Monster, all because it grabbed my hair. Today had gone pretty well.
I'd found all kinds of tools, and even a hat that could hide my hair.
Just then, a strange sound suddenly mixed in with the rain in the distance~
"Whoosh, whir~~ whoosh."
I shivered all over and sat bolt upright, then immediately turned on the windshield wipers. As they went 'swish~
swish~ swish~' across the windshield, clearing away the water, I saw what was making the sound in the distance.
"A helicopter!!"
Chapter Forty-Five: Missed It?
"Whirrrrr~~~"
The helicopter's rapidly spinning rotors made an incredible racket. Even though I was far below on the ground, I could clearly hear
the sound of the spinning blades!
"Damn it!!"
I punched the steering wheel. In the end, I was still too late. There was nothing I could do now; it was already too late. The helicopter continued on with a "whir! whir! whir!" sound...