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墨書 Inktalez
Darkness enveloped the entire land, yet no matter how dark the place, there would always be some light. Someone had to stand firm, no matter the difficulties or disasters faced, striving to guard the sanctity of their heart. At any time, and for anyone, the boundaries of this world would not be allowed to be crossed.
The violent jolting woke Lin Yi from his slumber prematurely. It was then he realized he was lying on a makeshift stretcher. Pachy and Witerson II were carrying him, steadfastly following the group ahead. Ika, who was likely still asleep, had taken the Potential Gene Drug for the first time and was not yet accustomed to this surge of energy.
“I’m awake; let me down,” Lin Yi said. Although every bone in his body ached, he considered that everyone else was already exhausted and decided to push through.
The twenty-person team was now panting heavily, drenched in sweat. Insects occasionally buzzed around in the jungle, bothering everyone. Fortunately, they had plenty of insect repellent in their packs. Even so, the journey had been thorny; many bore scratches on their hands, legs, and even faces.
“You’re awake?” Li Qiweng was the first to appear by Lin Yi’s side, or perhaps she had never strayed far from him.
Upon hearing the commotion, the team came to a halt, each face reflecting extreme fatigue. However, to evade the ever-present Zombies, they could only run with all their might.
“Yeah, I’m recovering a bit faster this time,” Lin Yi replied, not wanting to worry Li Qiweng. He forced himself to sit up despite feeling cold sweat trickling down his back.
Li Qiweng frowned slightly, indicating her disapproval of Lin Yi’s response. But seeing Pachy finally catch his breath made her understand Lin Yi’s thoughts instantly. They had been marching rapidly throughout the night; though they hadn’t voiced it, everyone was undoubtedly struggling. Especially Aoling Er, Jiao Jiao, and Hai—they had never endured such hardship before.
“How long have we been on the road?” Lin Yi asked, still feeling disoriented and groggy.
“It’s been six hours since you fell asleep; so we’ve been walking for a total of eight hours,” Li Qiweng estimated after glancing at her watch.
“How much longer until we reach Aik’s city?” Lin Yi scanned the crowd for Aik but found it difficult to distinguish anyone in the dim light.
“We’ve been moving quickly; there should be about a third of the distance left,” Li Qiweng replied, her eyes betraying her exhaustion. The rapid march had indeed pushed everyone to their limits.
“Did we encounter any other Zombies along the way?” Lin Yi intended to let everyone rest; running like this would leave them all completely spent.
Li Qiweng nodded. “No, we must be moving in the opposite direction from them.”
“Good. Then let’s rest here for three hours and replenish our food and energy!” Lin Yi didn’t want to see everyone so worn out; even while fleeing for their lives, they shouldn’t have to abandon all caution.
There were no cheers or smiles; as soon as Lin Yi announced a break, Reiko collapsed onto the ground and immediately fell asleep. The others also dropped their packs but barely ate before succumbing to exhaustion.
Pachy and Witerson II were unburdened at this moment but were equally fatigued; they managed to eat a little before dozing off. Among them all, Lin Yi seemed to have the best spirit. However, Li Qiweng had undergone special training and was stronger than many in both spirit and stamina; she did not rush to sleep just yet.
The January air remained chilly. Lin Yi and Li Qiweng gathered some dry branches nearby to start a fire for everyone. Afterward, they searched for a water source and actually found a stream nearby. The water surface was clear as crystal; it seemed clean enough. However, each person’s military water bottle was equipped with purification functions, so there was no need to worry about water quality issues.
Once everything was settled, Li Qiweng fell asleep in Lin Yi's arms. Lin Yi looked at her once delicate and charming face, now covered in dust and unease, and felt a lump in his throat, as if something was blocking his chest.
Lin Yi remained awake, and after about three hours, the sun had already risen.
The soft sunlight caressed everyone's weary faces, warming their hearts like a gentle kiss. Ika, with her golden hair, appeared even more dazzling in the sunlight. After a night of rest, her fair complexion had regained its color.
Lin Yi did not disturb anyone and patiently waited for them to wake up. However, after half an hour, everyone was almost awakened by the sunlight, except for Aoling Er, who remained unconscious.
"What’s going on?" Lin Yi squatted beside Aoling Er and noticed that her face was as red as a fiery cloud.
Lin Yi reached out to touch Aoling Er's forehead but quickly pulled back his hand as it felt scalding hot.
"Oh no, she has a high fever!" Lin Yi glanced at Aik, signaling him to come over and take a look.
Aik opened his medical kit and placed an electronic thermometer in Aoling Er's mouth for a few seconds. The thermometer displayed a dangerously high temperature of forty-two degrees Celsius—enough to damage a person's brain!
"It must be due to the intense marching all night and being disturbed by the cold," Aik said while rummaging through the kit for medicine.
"I only have some ordinary antipyretics here; I’m not sure if she can withstand it." Aik quickly administered the fever-reducing medicine to Aoling Er but was uncertain about its effectiveness.
"We need to find a place for her to rest and recover immediately; otherwise, the consequences could be dire," Aik concluded swiftly.
Lin Yi slapped his forehead; just when they were in trouble, they had nowhere to recuperate.
"Let’s leave right away. How long will it take to get to the next city?" Lin Yi could only pin his hopes on the nearest city.
"I estimate that if Dande travels at a normal pace, it will take about eight hours. If we go faster, we might just make it in time for lunch," Aik said, trying to lighten the heavy atmosphere with a small joke.
Lin Yi nodded vigorously. "Yes, let’s go have lunch! But everyone needs to quickly replenish their food; we won’t have time later!"
Saving someone is like putting out a fire; there’s no time to waste. Lin Yi did not want to see such a vibrant girl like Reiko end up as a fool due to fever.
In urgency, everyone finished eating and drinking within five minutes, packed up their things, and prepared to set off. Pachy and Witerson II took on the role of porters again since they were the two with the most endurance.
Silence enveloped the group as they seemed to channel all their energy into the journey ahead. Li Qiweng continuously applied a damp cloth to Reiko's forehead in an effort to cool her down. Perhaps it was effective, as Reiko occasionally mumbled incoherently during the trip. The girl seemed to be in shock, shouting and screaming as if someone were trying to kill her.
After an exhausting trek, they finally caught sight of a city’s outline under the blazing sun. Each person felt differently upon seeing the city, but they all longed for a chance to rest inside. However, as they approached, an unsettling feeling washed over them; the main road of the city was filled with people. They stood with their backs to Lin Yi and his companions, forming a neat line yet remaining completely still.
Though this was a city, it bore little resemblance to modern urban life, having only one main road leading outwards. The entire place resembled an ancient fortress, surrounded by protective walls. Lin Yi noticed that these people were dressed in gray clothing, and at that moment, the main road had been blocked off; those individuals stood outside the walls, unable to enter.
A sense of dread gripped Lin Yi as he realized that these might be desperate refugees seeking safety, yet this city refused to accept them. He felt a surge of anger at witnessing his fellow citizens suffering without any sign of compassion from those in power.
At that moment, one of the figures at the edge suddenly turned around and smiled at Lin Yi. Easygoing by nature, Lin Yi returned the smile despite sometimes being timid.
However, as he rubbed his eyes, he sensed something was off about this person. How could their face look so dried out? Even in a desert, one wouldn’t expect someone to appear like a corpse.
No! It was indeed a corpse—it was a Zombie!
The Zombie was smiling at him, and he had unwittingly returned what he thought was a charming smile!
“Zombie!” Lin Yi shouted loudly, immediately drawing his gun and aiming it at the still-smiling Zombie before him.
Everyone jumped at Lin Yi's shout and quickly raised their weapons.
But then something terrifying happened.
Just moments ago, everyone had turned around; more accurately, all the Zombies had turned around! Those Lin Yi had thought were human were actually a horde of Zombies.
These Zombies were completely different from those he had encountered before—those mindless creatures that bit anyone in sight without any discipline. A military-like precision came to mind as he observed how neatly these Zombies stood.
Just as Lin Yi prepared to flee, the Zombie that had been smiling at him suddenly twitched its parched lips as if attempting to speak.
The thought that these corpses could communicate flashed through Lin Yi's mind, making him chuckle nervously before quickly dismissing it.
“Boss, that guy seems to be talking!” Jerry appeared by Lin Yi’s side without him noticing.
“What? What do you mean?” Lin Yi's eyes widened in disbelief; he certainly did not want to converse with someone medically declared dead.
"I can sense its thoughts; it seems to want to communicate with you," Jerry said cryptically.
Lin Yi felt a twinge of disbelief as he suppressed his inner unease and fear, glancing at the Zombie. At that moment, he realized that this Zombie appeared to be of Asian descent.
Could it be that it wants to talk to me because I'm also of Asian descent? Lin Yi quickly dismissed this unrealistic thought and turned back to Jerry, asking, "Can you communicate with it?"
If this Zombie truly had the ability to communicate with humans, it would be the third type of Zombie he had discovered, and the most terrifying one at that.
Jerry concentrated hard, trying to establish a connection with the Zombie, but soon his brow furrowed in concern.
"What's wrong?" Lin Yi noticed something was off in Jerry's expression.
"It can let us go, but boss, you have to stay," Jerry hesitated before sharing his thoughts.
"Hmph, if it wants to keep me here, even if you all leave, I can escape in an instant," Lin Yi replied confidently. He felt a surge of self-assurance as a super soldier.
Suddenly, Li Qiweng approached Lin Yi and whispered a few words. The calm demeanor he had maintained shattered as he realized that this Zombie was someone he knew!
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