C15 The Third Infantry Battalion

Chu Yue stumbled upon a run-down hotel and managed to find a room that was relatively quiet. To his delight, the room even had hot water, which was a welcome surprise. After a long day, nothing was more comforting than a hot shower. Chu Yue let the two girls bathe first while he stepped out to the hotel entrance. By then, a torrential downpour had begun, lightning streaking across the sky as if the heavens themselves were weeping.

Despite the rain soaking his clothes, Chu Yue seemed unfazed as he surveyed the small town. Litter was strewn everywhere, and there were remnants of what appeared to be decaying animal carcasses. It was hard to imagine that this place was once bustling with life, now reduced to such a sorry state.

As the wind howled, trash danced wildly in the air. Nearby, the sounds of life could be heard: "Woof! Woof! Woof!" Coming from an abandoned car, Chu Yue noticed movement. He saw several huskies, each one impressively large and muscular, measuring several meters in length. There were about three or four of them, likely Infection Beasts. Chu Yue knew that if a fight broke out, they would be a formidable challenge.

"Wow, those are some huge huskies..." Chu Yue murmured, instinctively retreating a few steps in shock. As he backed away, he accidentally knocked into something, causing a clatter. The Infection Beasts turned their heads, intermittently barking, "Woof! Woof! Woof!"

The beasts seemed alert to the noise, yet their eyes didn't show the expected aggression. They even licked at their wounds, which puzzled Chu Yue. These huskies didn't seem to harbor any ill will, a rare occurrence since the Zombie Virus outbreak.

Soon after, Chuxue emerged from the room and quickly approached, concern etched on her face. Chu Yue reassured her, signaling that all was well, and whispered that the huskies were quite friendly and showed no signs of aggression.

Upon seeing the wounds on the huskies and hearing Chu Yue's reassurance, Chuxue extended her hand, a soft green glow emanating from her palm. The light was soothingly warm. She stepped forward and gently touched the dogs. Within minutes, the huskies' wounds healed, and they joyfully began to frolic and roll around.

"So obedient," Chuxue said with a joyful smile, a look of happiness that Chu Yue hadn't seen in a long time. Life had been tough since they were driven out of the base. Several huskies had departed, leaving only one loyal pup by their side. Chu Yue smiled and asked, "Do you want to come with us?"

The husky's eyes lit up with joy at the question, bouncing around Chu Yue excitedly. However, it suddenly dashed off and, from seemingly nowhere, killed a Zombie. It brought the Zombie's skull over and laid it at their feet, as if offering them a taste. Chu Yue was taken aback and quickly gestured that they didn't need such 'gifts'. He approached the husky and gently stroked its head, saying with a smile, "How about I give you a name? Let's call you Damo. What do you think?"

The name was meaningful, chosen during the World Apocalypse and for a husky of such impressive size. Damo seemed quite pleased with the name, nodding and giving a soft bark in approval. Chuxue chuckled and said, "Damo, we won't be eating Zombies anymore."

The husky tilted its head, a puzzled "Woof?" escaping its lips.

Chuxue explained, "Those things are unclean. Eating them might dull your wits. Here's the deal: whenever you're hungry, come to me, and I'll prepare something delicious for you."

At her words, Damo decisively tossed the Zombie skull aside. As the rain continued to pour, Chu Yue and Chuxue made their way back to the hotel, with Damo obediently lying down by the entrance, like a protective deity.

Life is unpredictable, filled with all sorts of events and even miracles. Since Chu Yue had chosen this path, he was determined to persevere, to survive, and never to give up—for himself, for Chuxue, and to vindicate his sister.

Even as a newly empowered Sacrificer, what did it matter? Chu Yue was resolved to become the strongest Sacrificer, to rescue more survivors, and ultimately, to save the world.

He stripped off his damp clothes and stepped into the bathroom. Turning on the shower, he began to bathe. This was likely Chu Yue's most cherished time—no need to think, just a moment to unwind completely.

Third Infantry Battalion

"Prof. Zhang, you haven't had a break in several days. Please, take some rest. If you exhaust yourself, we'll be at a loss with this situation. Right now, you're our only hope."

A slender young woman with delicate features and long hair, exuding experience, entered. "I've brought you some food. Please, eat something first."

"Shuchen, how can I possibly rest at a time like this?" Prof. Zhang sighed, accepting the food from Lin Shuchen with a sense of resignation. "With so many people turned into Zombies, scientists worldwide are tirelessly searching for a cure. They're not resting, so how can I? The sooner we crack this virus, the better our odds of success."

Just then, a strikingly handsome and sunny-looking young man entered. His name was Xue Rang, and he came from the same background as Lin Shuchen. Their mission was to protect the professor within the Third Infantry Battalion, both hailing from secretive national organizations.

They were both Ability Users. Lin Shuchen possessed the power to have out-of-body experiences and control her surroundings from a distance. Xue Rang's ability was formidable; he could wield the force of lightning, boasting an impressive range of attack. He was the strongest in the Third Infantry Battalion, commanding an entire army at his young age—a testament to his formidable strength.

"Teacher Zhang, here's the virus report from a professor in M City that arrived today. Please, take a look."

The professor took the report, and upon reviewing it, his expression darkened. "The creator of this virus is truly a mastermind. Alas, we are left with no choice but to delve into this matter. By the way, there's a man named Chu Yue. The test report suggests he has a serum in his body that could alter human physiology. If we can locate him, we might just find the key to saving the world."

The cities surrounding the Third Infantry Battalion were overrun with Zombies. Given their overwhelming numbers, merely surviving was an achievement. Venturing out to find someone was next to impossible, especially when Chu Yue's status—alive or dead—remained unknown. Searching for him was akin to finding a needle in a haystack.

This might truly be the only glimmer of hope, but it requires some serious consideration.

Lin Shuchen emerged from the laboratory, the sound of gunfire still audible outside the tent. The commotion outside was intense as Zombies swarmed over the walls, with soldiers relentlessly fighting them off. Shaking her head in resignation, Lin Shuchen sighed, thinking to herself, "Continuing like this isn't sustainable. We'll run out of bullets sooner or later."

Dawn broke.

Chu Yue rubbed his eyes and was startled to find Chuxue sitting on top of him. He exclaimed, "Xue, what are you doing here? You gave me quite a scare. What time is it?"

"Mr. Chu Yue, you're such a sleepyhead. It's already eleven o'clock. Ms. Ho Lan made some food earlier. Come on, get up and eat. I came to wake you for breakfast," Chuxue said with a smile that was truly captivating, making Chu Yue feel an impulsive desire to nibble on her. He swallowed hard.

He got dressed and went downstairs, where he saw Ho Lan walking beside Damo in astonishment. Upon seeing Chu Yue, she asked, "Is that a dog? It looks even bigger than a bear!"

Chu Yue didn't feel like explaining at the moment, especially since his stomach was starting to growl. Spotting a sandwich on the table, he grabbed it and began to eat heartily. Stepping outside, he observed the calmness of the day, which suggested that they might enjoy another day of rest.

Suddenly, Chuxue collapsed. Ho Lan let out a cry of alarm, and Chu Yue quickly cradled Chuxue in his arms. He thought to himself, "It's probably the strain of using her abilities so frequently these past few days. Sigh, she's been through a lot..."

After placing Chuxue in a room and tucking her in, Chu Yue went downstairs and addressed Ho Lan, "Look after her for me. I'm going to go out and find some medicine and other necessities."

Ho Lan, visibly anxious, tried to interject. As a defenseless woman, she felt vulnerable to a potential Zombie attack. Chu Yue noticed her worry and reassured her with a smile, "Damo is here, isn't he? He'll protect you both. You have nothing to fear."

"Woof!" The husky beside him let out a bark, signaling all was well. Chu Yue chuckled at the sound, gave Ho Lan a reassuring pat on the shoulder, and strode out.

Chu Yue had been haunted by a particularly horrifying nightmare. In it, he was bitten by a fearsome Zombie and transformed into one himself. This Zombie had the power to control his strength, and he had slaughtered many people. The nightmare felt disturbingly real, as if it had actually happened or was a premonition of what was to come. The very thought was too frightening to entertain.

He could only hope that such horrors would never befall him. There were still so many unfinished tasks in his life, and he couldn't bear the thought of such a fate.

Just the previous night, he'd experienced the same nightmare. He dreamt his body was beyond his control, radiating a white light and unleashing his power uncontrollably, as though he was attacking something. Lost in thought, Chu Yue noticed a pharmacy ahead. The door and windows were intact, suggesting the contents were untouched. With a forceful kick, he shattered the glass. Proud of his medical knowledge, Chu Yue gathered numerous potentially useful medicines. It was a valuable find.

Out of the blue, a woman's voice echoed from nearby. A woman? Could it be a Zombie? Chu Yue found it odd. He tensed up and cautiously moved forward. In the room ahead, there was a woman tending to her wounds.