LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 13. - Crisis.
The truck soon drove out of the pine forest, not causing much trouble for the people in the cabin. However, they quickly discovered another problem.
The navigation system told Wu Zhenhu to stay on the current road, but ahead, layers of branches with huge leaves completely blocked the way, making it look like a dead end.
If they hadn’t slowed down deliberately, they would have crashed into the thick trunks. The environment on the roadside had changed drastically, and they had been relying entirely on navigation. Now they were completely blind. Their progress slowed significantly, and they almost got lost several times. What should have taken an hour to get through the forest ended up taking half a day.
After coming out, they couldn’t tell directions. The navigation only had a positioning function left. As they approached the city, the number of zombies increased noticeably, often jumping out unexpectedly to scare them. The complex journey was causing everyone to feel mentally exhausted.
Originally thinking they could reach City A in a day, they had only covered half the distance after three days. Six people were consuming resources daily. While there was still some food left, the water supply was nearly depleted.
Wu Zhenhu used the navigation as a map: “There’s a small town nearby. We need to go there to see if we can find drinking water. At this rate, we might not make it to City A.”
Everyone agreed. He changed direction, carefully heading towards the small town indicated by the navigation. Along the way, Aunt An, who had been silent, suddenly said, “Maybe you should leave me behind. It would save some resources.”
Yu Qing looked over in shock.
Tu Xiao asked with concern, “What’s wrong, Aunt An?”
Aunt An’s face was pale: “I just think our resources will run out sooner or later. There are zombies everywhere outside. We’ll either starve to death or be bitten by zombies. I’m not useful and am just a burden. Instead of dragging you all down, I’d rather die early.”
Tu Xiao wanted to refute Aunt An, but realized she didn’t have much of a position to do so and could only offer weak comfort: “Don’t think like that, Aunt An.”
“But when Uncle Wu saved you, he didn’t consider whether you were useful, right?” Yu Qing suddenly said.
Wu Zhenhu nodded: “That’s right. We’re not at a dead end. We’re just a bit short on water. I just thought since there’s a town nearby, we could replenish our supplies. Don’t overthink it.”
Song Xinqi closed his eyes, indifferent to everything. Chen Yi scoffed, unheard by the others.
Yu Qing looked at Aunt An, who kept her head down, rubbing the stains on her clothes. He and Tu Xiao exchanged worried glances.
Aunt An’s lips moved as if to say something, but then Yu Qing sat down beside her.
“I used to be very sick and could only lie in the hospital every day. I often wondered if my existence was a burden to my family,” he said, looking up at the sky with some nostalgia. “But they never gave up on me or thought I was useless. As long as a person is alive, that is their greatest value.”
“Think about it, Aunt An. Surviving the apocalypse alone would be so lonely, facing so many terrifying zombies and countless dark nights by yourself. We have so many people together—”
“Isn’t it great to have so many companions, even if you’re scared? You can talk and chat with everyone,” he continued, trying to comfort her. “And who said you are useless? Your cooking is excellent. Without your efforts to make our meals more enjoyable, we’d still be eating tasteless dry rations.”
Wu Zhenhu, not great at comforting, nodded repeatedly: “That’s right, Yu Qing is right.”
Tu Xiao also agreed, while Song Xinqi opened his eyes to look at Yu Qing, his thoughts unclear.
Yu Qing’s words had a calming effect on Aunt An. Her previously sorrowful expression softened, and she wiped her eyes, giving a sincere smile: “Alright, alright, I understand now. You all go about your business.”
Wu Zhenhu chuckled from the front: “Yu Qing, your words are like chicken soup for the soul. When we get to a safe zone, you could open a counseling clinic for those traumatized by the apocalypse.”
“Sure thing,” he responded cheerfully, feeling proud. “I won’t charge you guys.”
As the truck passed through the dense woods, they finally saw an abandoned toll station ahead. The number of zombies increased as they neared the city. Several zombies, attracted by the truck’s noise, staggered toward them, shrieking horribly.
After days of surviving in the wild, they had grown accustomed to fighting zombies. A wall of flames suddenly erupted around the truck.
Tu Xiao, with a hint of sarcasm, remarked, “ Uncle Wu, let’s hope you don’t blow up the tires again.”
The flames created a barrier between the truck and the zombies. Any zombie that got too close was engulfed in flames, their screams even more horrifying.
Song Xinqi frowned, looking displeased.
Yu Qing, covering his ears, exclaimed, “So cool!”
Wu Zhenhu laughed, driving the flaming truck fearlessly toward the city.
The deeper they went, the more zombies they encountered. It felt like they were a honey-soaked beehive drawing countless ants. Wherever they drove, zombies followed.
Zombies kept throwing themselves into the flames, their green blood splattering the truck, only to be dried by the heat, leaving a varnish-like residue on the vehicle, with black smoke rising.
Yu Qing sniffed the air, unsure if the roasted meat smell was appealing or repulsive.
Wu Zhenhu’s powers were draining quickly, sweat forming on his forehead. Fortunately, they reached a commercial area just in time, with a small mall in the central square.
He and Song Xinqi were the only ones capable of fighting large numbers of zombies, so they had to act together.
Song Xinqi handed Yu Qing an iron rod for protection. Tu Xiao, Aunt An, and Chen Yi each received a knife taken from a service station. The truck stopped at the mall entrance, and Wu Zhenhu extinguished the flames. Zombies immediately swarmed the truck, piling on top of each other, smashing their heads against the rails.
Yu Qing, now wearing a helmet, was loaded with as many defensive items as possible. Song Xinqi used his mental powers to knock down the front line of zombies, causing a temporary barrier of fallen zombies.
Through a gap, everyone quickly jumped out of the truck, one by one. Zombies were swarming everywhere, leaving no room for error. Any delay could result in being grabbed by a nearby one.
They hurried into the mall, barely managing to shut the door behind them. Wu Zhenhu forced the door closed and Yu Qing jammed an iron rod into the handle, keeping the zombies outside banging uselessly.
Inside the mall, the number of zombies was manageable. Song Xinqi used his powers to control several, making them attack each other before Wu Zhenhu finished them off with fire. Following the signs, they quickly made their way to the supermarket.
Though there were a few zombies on the second floor, they moved quietly past them and reached the rows of shelves. The shelves were almost empty, and they quickly headed to the water section.
The water section had only a few bottles left. Wu Zhenhu and Song Xinqi kept watch while the others grabbed all the water they could find. Yu Qing filled his backpack as quickly as possible.
Song Xinqi, alert for any approaching zombies, asked, “Are you done yet?”
They found only three bottles of water, not enough for everyone. Song Xinqi decisively said, “Let’s check the third floor.”
The third floor was slightly better, and they managed to find twelve more bottles. In total, they had fifteen bottles, which, combined with their existing supplies, could last them four to five days if they were careful.
Song Xinqi pulled his machete out of a zombie’s neck, saw everyone was ready, and led them downstairs. Chen Yi sensed something: “There are a lot of zombies gathering downstairs.”
It seemed like they were a powerful magnet, attracting all the nearby zombies. Despite their quick actions, the first floor was now swarming with them.
Descending further, they found dozens of zombies blocking the door. The scene was chaotic, similar to a busy train station, and they needed to get back to their truck through this horde. The distance wasn’t far, but it seemed insurmountable with so many zombies in the way.
A zombie lunged at them, and Song Xinqi kicked it back, knocking over two others. He quickly dispatched them with his machete. “Follow me,” he commanded.
They charged downstairs, but the horde below was daunting, with zombies packed tightly together. Wu Zhenhu enveloped everyone in flames. “I’ll clear the way!” he shouted and charged into the crowd. Any zombie that got too close was pushed aside by Song Xinqi’s powers.
Wu Zhenhu created a path through the zombies, and everyone followed without hesitation. Song Xinqi had to focus on assisting him, leaving the others somewhat unprotected. However, they all valued their lives and managed to avoid getting separated.
Zombies were dangerously close, and Yu Qing, wide-eyed, kept close to the person in front of him, afraid of falling behind. The seemingly short distance felt terrifyingly long. Finally, they saw the truck.
Everyone’s spirits lifted, and they rushed towards the truck. Wu Zhenhu climbed into the back first, squeezing through the small window connecting to the driver’s cabin. Tu Xiao, who was next, gave him a push when he got stuck.
The truck’s engine roared to life, causing the vehicle to shake. Chen Yi, pale-faced, glanced behind as Aunt An helped him onboard. Yu Qing was struggling to climb up, and Chen Yi extended a hand to help.
Yu Qing, the last to get on, felt the zombies grabbing at his backpack. Without hesitation, he grabbed Chen Yi’s outstretched hand. Chen Yi pulled him up, but just as he got a foot in the truck, Chen Yi suddenly let go.