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墨書 Inktalez
Act 2: The Dawn Here is Quiet
The night of early spring in April was a bit chilly, but colder than this night was the icy corpse in the train carriage.
After a week of reconnaissance, Song Jiu and the others were already well aware of the situation around the station. Aside from the parked trains at the entrance, there were also barricades set up by a group of people, such as barbed wire stretched across. They had previously scouted the fields on both sides of the railway and indeed found a small number of wandering Zombies, which were not many and seemed to have just wandered over from the nearby suburb. While waiting for the signal hidden among the trees, Song Jiu and his companions had already encountered a few oblivious Zombies.
Under normal circumstances, this number of Zombies would not be a cause for concern. With plenty of manpower at their disposal, all seasoned fighters who had survived through bloodshed, even if they couldn't defeat them, retreating safely would not be an issue. There were people responsible for extraction just a street away from the train station. However, during this time, it posed a considerable risk, prompting Song Jiu's strong team to act cautiously and decide to retreat as soon as Luo Yu sounded the alarm.
The Zombie outbreak had ravaged for three years now, and any Survivor who had made it this far had essentially grasped the fundamental habits of these bloodthirsty monsters. Three years ago that winter, a cold wave swept through widely, freezing all Zombies in places where snow fell. The sudden good news allowed many surviving individuals to catch a glimmer of hope; after struggling in darkness for more than half a year, tears filled their eyes as they echoed one thought: the catastrophe was finally over.
That winter, nearly extinct Survivors emerged from City Ruins and mountain villages, returning to their homeland with ecstatic joy, attempting to rebuild their homes with faith and their own hands. If it weren't for the silent evidence of frozen Zombie corpses scattered throughout the snowfields proving that this human calamity had indeed occurred, many might have fallen into a daze thinking that everything that happened over the past six months was merely an illusion.
Yet reality is always cold and merciless, like a cruel executioner with a twisted sense of humor. It seductively tells those on the brink of death: you can continue living. Just as these poor souls embrace each other in ecstatic tears, it leisurely pours a bucket of ice-cold water over them and delivers an even harsher message to those still lost in their joy of survival: what you just experienced was a lie.
The beautiful dream of rebuilding their homeland shattered one morning in early spring, along with dewdrops falling from petal edges.
The once "dead" grayish corpses that had lain still for a season shook off their dust on a warm day and stood up once again. Moreover, the nightmare did not end there; awakening alongside them were not just Zombies.
A cloud named Despair returned to the world, smothering that one meter of sunlight belonging to Hope with a heavy hand.
Three years—over a thousand days and nights—Survivors and the dead bid farewell time and again before reuniting.
Three years—Zombies repeatedly drove Survivor numbers below their limits, appearing relentless in their extermination efforts.
Three years—Survivors finally understood two things: 1. Damn it, Zombies can hibernate; 2. Damn it, there’s now another new breed of Zombie.
The topic had strayed, but now it returned to the train station of Early Spring Cold Night.
Song Jiu and his team discovered a small group of Zombies in the wild forest near the Railway Track. This portion of Zombies was included in the risk assessment for their operation; however, there remained some risks that could not be anticipated. The Zombies near the Railway Track did not pose a significant threat; as long as Song Jiu and his team slipped away before the Horde gathered, they would be fine. Yet, they had no foolproof plan to deal with the Zombies outside the train station.
The experiences of the past three harsh winters were invaluable, teaching the Survivors about the unique dormancy period of Zombies. Similarly, the experiences from the last three early springs were also crucial, revealing to the Survivors the awakening period associated with Zombies. It should be noted that the awakening period of Zombies does not strictly adhere to the beginning of the lunar calendar's second month. In the eyes of the Survivors, "awakening" merely refers to a timeframe when Zombies revive.
Those who know the seasonal songs are aware that the ancient term "Qichu" refers to the revival season, typically occurring between March 5th and 6th each year. During this time, the weather gradually warms up, spring thunder begins to rumble, and animals that had hibernated underground without food or water are awakened by this thunder. Human activities also start to enter the spring farming season. To this day, while spring thunder still roars, the flourishing agricultural scene is no longer present; what has been awakened are not just animals but also the Zombies lurking in every corner.
The spring thunder serves as a horn to awaken Zombies. The vast number of Zombies cannot all awaken at once; the entire revival process takes time. During this period, noise and flesh serve as potent catalysts for their awakening. This holds true not only during the awakening period but also during dormancy. Many Survivors who mistakenly believed winter was absolutely safe have paid with their lives to validate this point.
Thus, the risks faced by Song Jiu's team refer specifically to those dormant Zombies lurking in dark corners.
The number of people in Song Jiu's team was neither too few nor too many. These young individuals who had survived life-and-death situations could bravely confront open threats but struggled against hidden dangers. Urban areas were already disaster zones; no one could check every corner, especially in complex terrains like train stations. If it were just the Zombies in the wild forest outside the Railway Track, it would be manageable; however, what if awakened Zombies appeared along their planned escape route? To ensure a successful night raid, Song Jiu took all combat personnel with him while leaving behind those with slightly weaker combat abilities—mostly women—to provide support. If there was a time lag during their rendezvous, it could lead to dire consequences.
Those who had survived until today were mostly not fools; they would no longer be blindly flustered like at the beginning of the disaster. The harsh living conditions had forged once frail individuals into warriors, and warriors must possess keen battlefield awareness.
With supplies secured and without a little girl present, Song Jiu knew there was no need to waste more time here. If their captive at the station wasn’t speaking nonsense, then their next destination would be the riverbank.
“Let’s go! The Zombies are coming,” Luo Yu appeared at the carriage door with a short-barreled shotgun in hand. Due to running, his pale face showed a hint of flush, contrasting sharply with his cold expression and slightly anxious tone.
“Retreat,” Song Jiu signaled with his eyes. The Young Men around him understood immediately; without a word wasted, they turned and followed Luo Yu toward the Platform.
“What about them?” Ziqian glanced at a row of men squatting on the ground and shot Song Jiu an inquiring look.
Song Jiu pointed at a Middle-Aged Rough Man trembling against a seat: “Take him with us; as for the rest…” Without needing Song Jiu to finish his sentence, those Young Men holding knives saw him gesture across his throat and acted without hesitation—within moments, several more souls were added to those lost in that carriage.
The Middle-Aged Rough Man who survived was filled with rage and sorrow as he watched his comrades fall into pools of blood while he found himself unable to muster even an ounce of courage to fight back against these young men.
"Quickly!" Luo Yu shouted from the evacuation point, urging Song Jiu and the others to hurry. The tension in his voice suggested that the situation was urgent.
"Let's go." Song Jiu glanced around to confirm there were no stragglers left, waved his hand, and led the remaining group out of the carriage.
The young men moved in unison, acting swiftly. However, the girl in the revealing nightgown momentarily froze at the back, and in a fit of anger, she yelled, "Jiao Ziqian, you bastard! You’re leaving me behind!"
Just as Jiao Ziqian was about to sprint away, he abruptly stopped, turning to glance at the sexy girl beside the Harmony Train. Frustration surged within him. "Damn it, why didn't you follow Luo Yu first? You're just causing trouble!" Despite his complaints, he knew he had to help her. After exchanging a quick word with Song Jiu, Jiao Ziqian rushed back and grabbed the girl's pale arm. "Run!"
"My feet hurt; carry me," she said innocently, pointing at her bare feet that were stepping on the gravel between the railway tracks, looking utterly pitiful.
Jiao Ziqian felt his frustration boil over again but suppressed the urge to hit her. He hoisted her onto his back and ran while cursing, "What the hell happened to your shoes? Can't you just grab a pair?"
"I was wearing high heels when I came here. Those Railway Guerrillas' shoes smelled terrible; I didn’t want them," Xin Mengfan replied nonchalantly. She wrapped her legs around Jiao Ziqian's waist and casually adjusted her flowing hair with one hand.
"Damn it, do you really think you're here for fun?" Jiao Ziqian was furious. His crush, Luo Yu, had already led her team past the barbed wire at the exit, leaving only Song Jiu waiting for him.
Behind him, Xin Mengfan playfully slapped Jiao Ziqian on the back of his head and scolded, "Ungrateful brat! If I hadn’t been gathering intel while sleeping with someone, you wouldn’t even have had a chance to act like a hero in front of Luo Yu!" Jiao Ziqian took both hits and insults without retaliating; he simply focused on running faster. Song Jiu, waiting by the barbed wire, heard everything clearly and could only shake his head at his two capable assistants. He lifted a gap in the wire for them to pass through.
" Brother Jiu, what reward will I get this time?" Xin Mengfan asked cheerfully as she used Jiao Ziqian like a pack mule while also seeking a reward from Song Jiu.
"Let’s save that girl first; then we’ll talk about what you want," Song Jiu replied with a smile. Suddenly noticing several beams of flashlight cutting through the woods ahead, he quickly halted and stopped Jiao Ziqian.
The flashlight signals were from Luo Yu; she had moved ahead with her team faster than Song Jiu and his group. The signal indicated danger.
Jiao Ziqian sensed something was off too. He pulled out two gleaming machetes from his waist and muttered, " Brother Jiu, what's going on?"
"There are likely zombies in the woods. Stick close to me and don’t engage," Song Jiu said as he squinted into the underbrush. Based on the direction of the flashlight beams, he made an assessment: "Don’t worry; they’re scattered zombies that just crossed paths with Luo Yu’s group. She’s worried we might accidentally run into them."
"Ah, why not just clean it up directly?" Xin Mengfan rested her chin on Jiao Ziqian's shoulder and huffed, "She's so strong; it would be an easy task."
"Shut up," Jiao Ziqian snapped quietly. "I told you to wait; are you stupid?"
Song Jiu ignored the two lifelong rivals and strode into the forest, wielding a steel saw blade. The light from the cold moon illuminated three or five Zombies wandering among the trees.
"Shh." Song Jiu turned back and made a gesture for silence, bending down like a hunting leopard as he swiftly approached the Zombies. Just as one of them turned at the sound, he swung his steel knife. The Fang Steel saw blade was exceptionally hard, its edge gleaming sharply as it effortlessly severed a shriveled Skull.
These Zombies had long since decayed, their bodies weathered and wrinkled like tightly packed jerky. When the blade struck, there was little Blood Plasma; it felt more like chopping wood. Although Song Jiu didn't take these dried-up corpses seriously, he still kicked one of the still-moving heads as a precaution for his own safety. His size 42 boot made intimate contact with the brittle skull, turning it into a mushy paste. In a final act of revenge, the head splattered some foul-smelling juice onto his gray-yellow shoe.
Jiao Ziqian followed behind Song Jiu without offering help, and of course, Song Jiu didn't need his assistance. After dispatching a few grotesque figures, the three quickly made their way through the wild forest and climbed over a broken wall. The long street was dimly lit by starlight, with low buildings on either side appearing gray and hazy, revealing hollow black doorways and windows. The battered asphalt road was strewn with debris, exuding a sense of desolation from years of wind and rain.
Song Jiu took out a flashlight and flicked it towards the distant end of the street. Two minutes later, he spotted a similar flash of light from a window in a two-story building.
Feeling relieved, Song Jiu remained alert to his surroundings and quickly ran toward the low building. Behind him, Jiao Ziqian hurried after him, causing Xin Mengfan to feel dizzy from the jostling.
"Dream Fan," Jiao Ziqian called softly.
"Hmm?"
"Your chest seems bigger again."
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