Parting

Lu Heng looked at Song Yunzhong, remained silent for a few seconds, and then slowly spoke.

I don't know.

Song Yunzhong frowned.

Lu Heng continued, "It seems our world has collapsed, so we've been chosen to participate in a global game. The price of this game is our lives."

Song Yunzhong's pupils contracted slightly. He didn't interrupt, but just stared at Lu Heng, waiting for him to continue.

"And your world is absolutely real."

Lu Heng spoke calmly, as if stating a fact he had repeatedly confirmed.

"I've only been in this world for a short time, and I'm still exploring. I haven't experienced much yet. There are many monsters and things about this world that I don't know."

He paused, glanced at the dried remains of a giant spider in the corner of the laboratory, and then looked back.

"And before I came to this world, you also saw that woman—she could control Zombie Cat. That means some unknown changes have occurred in your world, perhaps related to mine, but that's something neither you nor I can understand right now."

Song Yunzhong's fingers tightened slightly.

Lu Heng continued, "Your world inherently possesses abilities like corpse control. Either your world originally had these abilities, or after the apocalypse, the objects and creatures in your world underwent mutations."

After listening, Song Yunzhong suddenly came to his senses.

He stared at Lu Heng and asked in a deep voice, "So you won't be staying here for long, right?"

"Yes," Lu Heng confirmed directly.

The lab was silent for a few seconds.

Looking at Song Yunzhong's expression, Lu Heng added, "I'm very grateful to you for saving me. I will continue to search for the supplies I need and walk my own path. If I have to leave in the future, I will make proper arrangements for those of you who saved my life."

His tone was very serious, without the slightest hint of perfunctoriness.

"You don't need to feel indebted. This is just my way of repaying the kindness of being saved."

After hearing everything, Song Yunzhong fell completely silent.

He lowered his head, and the thoughts churning in his mind gradually settled down.

Both sides are pitiful people who have no choice in the matter.

The reason our family has achieved what it has today is simply because of the good deed of saving Lu Heng back then. There is no question of anyone owing anyone anything.

What Lu Heng gave him was not charity, but a return.

Song Yunzhong's shoulders relaxed slightly.

Seeing this, Lu Heng tried to comfort him, "Don't think about it too much. The most important thing now is to survive. Let's go back; your sister and the others must be getting impatient."

Song Yunzhong nodded.

Without another word, the two set off on their return journey.

The Spiderified Zombie followed quietly behind Song Yunzhong, on all fours with a steady gait.

The return journey was much smoother than the way there. The presence of the Spiderified Zombie caused the scattered ordinary Zombie along the way to instinctively retreat, and the few that dared to approach were silently torn to shreds.

The two walked through the abandoned floors, down the stairs, and returned to the lobby on the first floor.

We passed by the supermarket in town on the way.

Lu Heng suddenly slowed down and turned to look at Song Yunzhong.

"Oh, right, there's something I need to remind you."

Song Yunzhong stopped and looked at him.

Lu Heng glanced at the Spiderified Zombie following behind Song Yunzhong, then turned back, his tone serious. "Even if you have the Corpse-Control Ring now, don't think you're completely safe."

Song Yunzhong frowned slightly.

"The Corpse-Control Ring is indeed powerful; you've witnessed its abilities firsthand. But your own weakness is also obvious—it's yourself."

Lu Heng paused, his gaze sharpening.

"If something is holding back the Zombie, what will you use to deal with it? Therefore, you must always be vigilant, extremely vigilant. Don't let your guard down just because you have a trump card; in the apocalypse, the most deadly thing is carelessness."

After listening, Song Yunzhong remained silent for a few seconds, then slowly nodded.

"I understand. Don't underestimate me; I was a soldier, after all."

Lu Heng stopped talking and turned to continue walking forward.

The two walked out of the supermarket area, through the hospital gate, and it was already dark outside.

Back at the Shelter, the Bone Demon was still there, its massive body crouching in the shadows. Seeing them return, it slightly raised its head, then lowered it again. It seemed to be alright.

Pushing open the door, Song Yunjing looked directly at her brother and immediately felt relieved. Seeing them return safely, she relaxed completely.

But then she suddenly saw the spider-like Zombie behind her brother, and her expression changed drastically.

The children were terrified and retreated upon seeing it. Although the Bone Demon looked terrifying, at least it knew it could be controlled.

Most of their families were Zombie by zombies, and this one was even more ferocious and instilled a deeper sense of fear.

Song Yunjing looked at Song Yunzhong: "Brother, what's this? What's going on?"

"It's alright, Yun Jing, I can control this thing from now on."

Song Yunjing relaxed upon hearing this and turned to comfort the children. It took her a while for the children to calm down.

Lu Heng looked at Song Yunzhong: "You should come inside with me. Don't scare them. I brought a bit too much medicine; I'll save some for you."

Song Yunzhong shook his head. "It's better not to. If you follow your logic, you're more likely to encounter danger, and I've already taken a lot."

"It's alright, I don't need that much by myself, no need to force myself, and I have something even better than these medicines."

Upon hearing this, Song Yunzhong remembered Lu Heng's identity, remained silent, and followed Lu Heng into the inner room.

Lu Heng took the medicines out of the Wristband Space.

"Take a look around. Pick out anything you don't have here and keep it for yourself. Take extra anti-inflammatory and cold medicine; the children might need a lot."

After saying that, the two of them squatted down and began sorting through the pile of medicine in front of them.

In the quiet space, the only sound was the faint rustling of the medicine box being turned over.

Song Yunzhong picked up a box of amoxicillin, checked the production date, and put it into the pile in front of him.

Lu Heng pushed several boxes of fever reducers over. "Take these, children's fevers are the most troublesome."

Song Yunzhong nodded and picked out a few more boxes of cold medicine granules.

The two sorted the items in silence.

Outside the room, Song Yunjing gently coaxed the children to sleep, her voice soft and low.

Inside the Shelter, all was quiet.

When the medicines were being distributed to the last person, Lu Heng pushed all the medicines that Song Yunzhong had chosen, along with the ones he himself didn't have or needed, in front of Song Yunzhong.

Song Yunzhong stared blankly at the pile of medicine in front of him. "These..."

"Here you go." Lu Heng said calmly, "You have many children over there; you'll need these things sooner or later."

Song Yunzhong opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately swallowed his words and silently put the medicine into his backpack.

Lu Heng watched him finish collecting the items, then stood up, dusted off his trousers, and looked at Song Yunzhong.

"Since you've already secured a guarantee, I'm planning to leave."

Song Yunzhong's hand suddenly stopped.

"So fast?"

Lu Heng nodded, a hint of helplessness in his voice. "There's nothing I can do. You know, I have to find a way to get rid of that thing in the supermarket."

Upon hearing this, Song Yunzhong's expression changed slightly.

He had personally experienced the eerie atmosphere and the inexplicable sense of oppression in the supermarket, and even now, the thought of it sends chills down his spine.

He was silent for a few seconds, then slowly nodded.

He knew he couldn't help. That level of stuff was beyond his control.

"Okay, then pay attention." Song Yunzhong's voice was low but very serious. "If you need anything, please come. I will try my best to help."

Lu Heng looked at him, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly, which could be considered a smile.

"Yes."

He didn't say anything more, turned around, and pushed the door open to leave.

The footsteps faded into the night.

Song Yunzhong sat there, looking down at the medicines in his backpack, and remained silent for a long time.

Then he got up, packed his backpack quietly, so as not to wake the children outside.

Tomorrow will be a new beginning.