Prelude · Torrential rain

Anyone who had killed someone knew that after the first time, the second no longer felt so unsettling.

Lin Yi was no exception.

After killing someone for the first time yesterday, he had felt no discomfort at all when he killed Da Mei today.

It was as though he had already adapted.

But Lin Yi knew perfectly well that this would not be his last time.

The apocalypse had only just begun.

Liu Chuan had treated Xu Xiaohan's injuries. Under the circumstances, basic first aid was all he could manage, but as long as they prevented infection, she should be fine.

Although Xu Xiaohan had lost an eye, the Blade-Bearer Sequence still belonged to her.

She could still wield a blade and cut people down.

What surprised her was that Lin Yi and Liu Chuan had actually formed a convoy.

And Liu Chuan was its leader.

She did not know why.

But her Safe Passage Convoy was now a thing of the past.

From now on, she was a member of the Survival Rules Convoy, no longer the leader of the Safe Passage Convoy.

Liu Chuan had already explained his plans to the refugees. When they heard they could leave with Sequence-powered superhumans, they were naturally willing to follow.

At last.

With Lin Yi standing there threatening them with the Soul-Devouring Saw in hand, the traffic jam began to clear.

One vehicle after another drove onto the highway in an orderly procession.

Liu Chuan's sedan led the way, followed by Lin Yi's pickup, with the other refugees behind them.

Xu Xiaohan had originally planned to drive a vehicle of her own.

Her Hummer was unusable, but vehicles were the last thing these roads lacked.

Finding one with its keys still inside would not be difficult.

But Liu Chuan needed to drive while also keeping watch for threats in the wilderness, leaving him with a heavier burden.

Naturally, Xu Xiaohan got into Liu Chuan's car and became his temporary driver.

The dark clouds overhead had gathered into a vast, thick black mass, with loud thunder rumbling within.

It felt as though those black clouds were bearing down on the city.

As he watched the black clouds spreading overhead, Liu Chuan's heart rose into his throat.

"Speed up!"

Liu Chuan glanced at the dashboard and said gravely, "Go as fast as you can. Once it starts raining, we'll be in trouble!"

"But... if we go too fast, the people behind us might not be able to keep up."

Xu Xiaohan frowned, seemingly unwilling to abandon so many people.

"If we go too slowly, we'll all die!"

At that moment, Liu Chuan showed the authority of a true convoy leader. "You know better than I do how dangerous a Rain Man is. Either we all die, or only some of us die. Don't forget that I'm the leader!"

Faced with Liu Chuan's forceful command, Xu Xiaohan could only grit her teeth and floor the accelerator.

When Lin Yi, following close behind, saw the lead car suddenly accelerate, he immediately floored his own accelerator and chased after it.

He did not know what had happened, but speeding up was surely the right move.

The other vehicles also accelerated to follow.

When the people still riding bicycles at the rear saw this, they immediately began cursing.

Only now did they regret not driving.

The downside of driving was having to worry about gasoline, something bicycles did not need.

But its advantages were also becoming clear at this very moment.

The bicycles could hardly keep up with the cars now, especially with everyone carrying so many supplies.

"Are you fucking insane? Why speed up all of a sudden? Can't we take it slow?"

"I can barely feel my legs anymore! You up ahead, wait for me! Give me a ride! I really can't pedal anymore!"

"Don't be stupid. There must be a reason they're speeding up."

"Fuck, is it raining? You up ahead, wait! Take me with you!"

"..."

With the first drop, the rain arrived.

A torrential downpour fell in an instant, stripping the convoy's cyclists of any hope of catching up.

The other vehicles were not much better off.

No one had been properly prepared for the sudden downpour. They could only grit their teeth and keep driving.

But the faster they drove, the heavier the rain outside became.

Lin Yi stared at the water covering his pickup's windshield, until he had half his body hanging outside.

The rain was so heavy that the cab was filled with its relentless clatter.

Sheets of water splashed across the windshield, blurring the entire pane.

He leaned outside so he could see the road ahead more clearly.

Vehicles in the convoy scraped and collided with one another, but no one intended to stop. They all kept driving forward.

No one knew where they were headed. They were simply following the lead car.

Inside that lead car.

Liu Chuan could not see outside either, and their driver only had one eye.

He could only close his eyes and sense the conditions outside.

There was no trace of any supernatural horror's presence, which meant they were still relatively safe for now.

That was the best news they could hope for.

As the downpour swept over them, the sky seemed to be announcing the arrival of the rainy season.

Clearly, this rain was not going to stop.

On the highway, Liu Chuan's car slowed, eventually turning off at an exit.

The Cloud Brocade City highway service area!

They had reached the service area.

Lin Yi felt as though even his backside had begun trembling. After driving all that way without a break, he felt he could barely hold on.

Fortunately, they had reached the service area, where everyone could shelter from the rain and recover some strength.

Liu Chuan had sensed the conditions here and found no trace of any supernatural horror.

That made this the best place for them to rest.

As vehicle after vehicle parked, crowds poured out and hurried into the rest area.

They did not care how many people it could accommodate. They would get inside and find somewhere to rest first.

Lin Yi pulled an umbrella from the back seat.

He had prepared all of this in advance. He even had padded winter clothes, taking no chances.

Apart from food, Lin Yi was hardly short of everyday supplies.

He got out, slung the Soul-Devouring Saw over his back, and walked over to the lead car beneath his umbrella.

"Captain Liu, what's the situation?"

"Things have gotten troublesome. I suspect this rain won't stop anytime soon. We'll need to prepare raincoats and umbrellas for the road ahead."

Inside the car, Liu Chuan unfolded a paper map and studied the route. "We'll follow this highway and avoid the cities. Our first choice will be to resupply in villages and towns. Guangming Town is the closest, so we have to replenish our supplies there!"

Lin Yi's expression shifted slightly. "So we can't avoid the supernatural horrors in Guangming Town?"

Liu Chuan shook his head. "We can't. All we can do now is pray that a level-three Rain Man doesn't appear. Otherwise, every last one of us will die!"

Rainy days were when Rain Men most liked to appear, especially with so many people gathered together.

If even one Rain Man appeared.

At least ninety percent of their Survival Rules Convoy would die...