Chapter 4

The nearest zombie lunged at empty air, scrambled up with a roar, and chased after Su Cheng and Yan Yu with the zombies behind it...

Yan Yu gripped the steering wheel, sending toppled trash cans flying as she sped along the sidewalk. The vehicle shuddered slightly, but did not slow or stop at all.

"There are weapons down below," Yan Yu reminded her.

Su Cheng steadied herself and felt around on the floor for the weapons Yan Yu had mentioned.

Two crude homemade spears, made by tying sharp kitchen knives to wooden poles.

Su Cheng gripped a spear tightly, turning to keep her eyes on the seven or eight zombies chasing them through the rear window.

Their faces were hideous, like starving wolves at the sight of meat, but they had no consciousness and felt no fear of pain. A single bite could cause infection, making them even more terrifying than starving wolves...

Su Cheng gripped the wooden pole and stared at the pursuing zombies, already imagining the scene: if a zombie lunged at her, she would aim the blade at its head and stab!

Whup-whup-whup-

A helicopter flew low overhead, black smoke pouring from its tail as it plunged in one direction. Its tremendous roar drew the attention of the zombies on the ground.

Zombies were extremely sensitive to sound, and most followed it.

The zombies chasing Su Cheng and Yan Yu's vehicle also paused for a moment, then changed direction.

Su Cheng and Yan Yu both let out long breaths of relief.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Yan Yu could not stop coughing. Her face flushed, whether from the fever or the coughing, and her breathing grew somewhat labored, but she still kept her eyes fixed ahead, not daring to relax.

Su Cheng regretted never learning to drive. Otherwise, she could have taken over...

Yan Yu clearly did not know the city's layout. After countless turns and sending zombies flying twice, they were still circling around on the asphalt roads...

Su Cheng pointed right. "Shall we try that way?"

Thick blood smeared the windshield, and an ill-timed thought popped into Su Cheng's head: this scene felt a little like fleeing after a hit-and-run...

Rumble-

Thunder rang through the sky.

A downpour followed.

Neither had expected the weather to change so quickly, a torrential rain arriving without warning.

Like a hardworking cleaner, the rain diligently washed the bloodstains off the vehicle and scoured the blood from the roads...

Rain poured outside the window, which reflected Su Cheng's blurred face. She looked at her own eyes, still filled with tension and worry.

It was raining again. This time, she was not on a bus in the real world, but inside a zombie instance.

The rain grew heavier and heavier. With night upon them as well, the headlights could no longer illuminate the road ahead. Lightning flashed and thunder boomed, and the rain showed no sign of easing.

The rain masked the sound of the moving vehicle, but also made driving difficult.

After choosing between left and right at yet another fork, Yan Yu slapped the steering wheel in frustration. "Damn it! Which road actually leads out of the city? Why are there so many forks?"

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Agitated, she started coughing again.

Unable to find the way, Su Cheng was anxious too.

But anxiety did no good. Neither of them lived in this city, and they knew nothing about its layout.

Seeing how badly Yan Yu was coughing, Su Cheng opened a bottle of water and set it on the storage compartment behind the gearshift. "Have some water."

Yan Yu did not refuse her kindness, quickly picking it up and taking a sip.

"Thanks." Her voice was much hoarser after coughing.

"It's fine. Don't rush. Look, there's a bridge on the right, and there aren't many buildings on the other side. Once we cross it, we should be heading toward the outskirts..."

Yan Yu nodded and steered toward the elevated bridge, her voice faint and heavily nasal. "Mm..."

The tires rolled through a dip in the road, sending up red splashes of rainwater mixed with blood...

Several cars stood on the elevated bridge. Yan Yu barreled straight through, brutally ramming a path open.

And just as they were coming off the bridge, what Su Cheng had feared happened-

Yan Yu slammed on the brakes, bringing the vehicle to a stop. Her body went limp, her head struck the steering wheel, and she passed out...

Author's note:

None

Chapter 4

Su Cheng hurriedly climbed into the front passenger seat, where Yan Yu's backpack and fire axe lay. Unable to worry about anything else, she opened Yan Yu's backpack.

The cold medicine was right on top. Su Cheng took out a cold tablet and an anti-inflammatory tablet.

She propped Yan Yu up and patted her frighteningly hot face. "Wake up! Let me give you some medicine..."

Yan Yu's brows were tightly knitted, her consciousness hazy. She instinctively opened her mouth and swallowed the medicine, then soon sank back into a deep sleep.

Su Cheng switched off the headlights and placed Yan Yu's backpack and her own plastic bags on the dashboard to block the view.

She simply stayed in the passenger seat, placing the spears and fire axe within reach.

Looking out the window, she could vaguely make out slowly moving figures in the distance through the curtain of rain.

Zombies were extremely sensitive to sound. As long as people did not make any loud noises, the pattering rain offered a kind of protection to some extent.

"I hope this rain lasts a little longer..."

Su Cheng suddenly remembered that she had rubbing alcohol. She applied it to Yan Yu's forehead, the hollow of her neck, and her palms to physically cool her down.

Once she had finished, Su Cheng reclined in the seat.

The vehicle was quiet, with only Yan Yu's steady breathing. Combined with the rain outside, it was like a lullaby to an already exhausted body and mind.

Su Cheng held a spear in one hand and the fire axe in the other. "I'm the only one awake. I can't fall asleep."

She forced her eyes wide open. "I need to think of something to keep myself alert... I remember the last time I ran for my life like today was when PE became part of the major exams..."

Su Cheng sighed, then began recalling the zombie movies she had watched. "I never thought I'd go from watching to experiencing it myself one day."

And in those movies, the protagonists escaped danger time and again not only because of their protagonist halos, but also because of their own abilities.

Those abilities included more than physical strength. There was also willpower, perceptiveness... even luck. To survive in an instance, she had to become stronger.

Returning to the apartment alive from an instance was no easy feat. Most residents were surely ordinary people like Su Cheng. She did not believe the apartment would offer no assistance whatsoever.

After leaving the instance, she had to visit the supermarket on basement level one of the apartment building. She had a feeling she could get something there.

An unknown amount of time passed before the downpour finally began to ease.

Yan Yu woke up too.

The instant Yan Yu opened her eyes, she shot upright. Only after seeing Su Cheng did she seem to regain her bearings and relax a little.

"How long was I asleep?"

Su Cheng's eyelids drooped, her voice weak after staying up all night. "I don't know. A whole night? Anyway, it seems a little brighter than before you fell asleep."

"Thank you," Yan Yu said sincerely.

"No need to thank me. We're a team of sorts, after all. We help each other out."

Yan Yu took a sip of water. She still had a slight fever, but after sleeping and sweating, she felt much better.

Perhaps feeling that Su Cheng was someone worth befriending, Yan Yu started the vehicle and said, "Let's exchange contact details when we get back. I live in Apartment Building No. 3654, District D. Search for my name. There should only be one Yan Yu in Building No. 3654."

"Sure!"

Su Cheng nodded. Although they had not spent long together, she thought Yan Yu was a decent person.

Dawn had not fully broken, and everything was gray, but the headlights could now illuminate the road ahead.

Vroom-

The rain had eased, and the engine sounded abruptly loud, like roadside noise breaking the peace of early morning.

Fortunately, there were no zombies nearby. Even if one heard them from a distance, Su Cheng and Yan Yu would have driven away by the time it arrived.

Su Cheng had guessed correctly. Beyond the elevated bridge lay the way to the outskirts.

The farther they traveled from the city, the more secure and at ease Su Cheng felt.

"Next, we need to find somewhere with food where we can take shelter," Yan Yu said. "Hopefully, we'll find a gas station before we run out of fuel. If things go smoothly, a gas station would make a good place to rest."

Su Cheng understood what she meant. A gas station had enough food for them to turtle up for five days, and if anything went wrong, they could simply drive away. They could retreat or hold their ground, so naturally, she had no objections.

Drawing on her own experience, Su Cheng said, "Usually, once you head out of a city toward the outskirts, there are gas stations along the road serving vehicles traveling between the city and the countryside."

"Mm, provided I actually take the right road. I'm feeling much better now. Get some sleep. I'll wake you if anything happens."

"Okay." Su Cheng did not refuse. She had already worked a full day before entering the apartment and had not slept since. She really was quite tired.

Su Cheng had thought she would need to doze for a while before falling asleep, but the moment she closed her eyes, she fell straight asleep.

Occasional bumps in the road woke her. She opened her eyes in confusion, remained dazed for a while, then realized they were still on the road and sank back into sleep...

By the time Yan Yu woke Su Cheng, it was broad daylight and the rain had stopped. The air was damp and muggy after the rain, with an earthy smell.

They had reached a gas station.

The gas station was deserted, without a single vehicle, and the convenience store's doors were shut tight.

Su Cheng rubbed her neck, then kneaded her arms.

Waking up after intense exercise brought a particular condition: lifting her arms or legs, and even breathing with her abdomen, felt heavy and sore.

Yan Yu parked beside a fuel pump, put on her backpack, picked up the fire axe, and jumped out. "Come on. Let's take a look."

Su Cheng answered and followed closely with the fruit-knife spear. Her legs buckled as she jumped out, nearly sending her to her knees. It had been a long time since she had felt the pain of lactic acid buildup.

Then she looked at the nimble Yan Yu. Comparing yourself to others...

Since carrying supplies was awkward with a weapon in hand, Su Cheng took only her canvas bag, leaving everything else in the vehicle for now.

The two approached the convenience store one after the other. Its doors were locked from inside, and opening them would require brute force.

As Yan Yu raised the axe high, Su Cheng stopped her and pointed at the window, where a figure flashed past. "There's a living person inside."

A living person, not a zombie.

Probably a convenience store employee.

Yan Yu frowned and slapped the door hard twice, speaking bluntly. "Anyone there? Either open the door, or I'll chop it open and come in."