C16 The Mysterious Girl(1)

Who was she? Why was she in this place? What had happened to her?

Why was she radiating such a red glow? Was she injured? Or was something else amiss? Chu Yue couldn't tell. As he approached, he felt an intense heat emanating from her, so stifling that it left him struggling for breath.

He quickly backed away, panting heavily. The woman must have heard him because she suddenly snapped awake, her eyes flickering with a hint of red. At first, Chu Yue thought a Zombie had approached, but to his surprise, it was a man. The woman released him and dashed out.

Chu Yue chased after her, but in a blink, she was gone.

Who exactly was she?

There was no time to ponder such questions. In these times, just surviving was a feat in itself; who had the luxury to worry about the identities of strangers?

He gathered his belongings and headed back. As he neared the inn, the groans of Zombies reached his ears, and he thought, "This is bad."

He sprinted towards the sound and saw over a dozen Zombies swarming the entrance. Damo was fiercely holding them off, and more Zombies were closing in from a distance. There must have been hundreds. Chu Yue silently cursed.

He charged forward, unleashing the power within him, and his bones erupted forth. The Zombies at the door were almost entirely annihilated. He burst inside and found Ho Lan, petrified, cowering in a corner. He went to her, gently patted her shoulder, and whispered, "Don't be scared. I'm here now. I've taken care of most of the Zombies."

After reassuring her, he hurried upstairs, scooped Chuxue into his arms, and descended. The cries of Zombies were still audible in the distance.

He rushed down to Ho Lan and urged, "Come on, we need to move fast. If we don't leave now, more Zombies will come!"

Ho Lan was paralyzed with fear, trembling uncontrollably, tears streaming down her face. Chu Yue yelled, "Hurry! We need to go!"

"I can't run anymore... I just can't..." Ho Lan exclaimed in despair, "Go on without me. Don't worry about me... I'm just a burden. I can't help you. Please, just run!"

"What the hell are you talking about? I told you to stick with me! Move it! How could I possibly leave you behind?" Chu Yue exclaimed furiously. Ho Lan's words had ignited a rage in him that felt like it was on the verge of erupting, as if he was ready to annihilate all the Zombies before him.

"Get your ass over here now. Are you seriously telling me you're not going to leave?" Chu Yue's patience had worn thin, and he began to curse. The Zombies were gaining speed, closing in on them rapidly. If they didn't make a move soon, Chu Yue feared there might be no way out.

Suddenly, Damo, not far off, let out a wild cry and charged at the Zombies. Mid-charge, he glanced back at them. His frantic barking jolted Ho Lan into action. She could sense that the husky was trying to help, to save her. His eyes held a glimmer of hope, as if he was pleading with her to carry on.

Ho Lan gathered her strength and climbed onto Chu Yue's capsule motorcycle. Looking back, they saw Damo locked in a fierce battle with the Zombies, some of which were already feasting on his flesh. Damo barked loudly at them, seemingly urging them to make a quick escape.

Just as Chu Yue revved up the motorcycle, ready to speed away, a red glow filled the sky. A thunderous boom followed, and suddenly, they could see nothing as if a flashbang had detonated before them. Moments later, Chu Yue cautiously opened his eyes to find that all the Zombies had vanished without a trace.

What in the world had just happened? Chu Yue was slightly stunned. Narrowing his eyes, he scanned the horizon and spotted a woman clad in a red bodysuit, her hair pulled back tightly. He did a double-take in shock. Wasn't this the same girl from the pharmacy?

With no Zombies in sight, Chuxue hurried forward, unleashing her energy to heal his wounds. Chu Yue approached the girl, who seemed to radiate an intense heat, making it difficult to draw near. Keeping his distance, he asked, "Who are you?"

The girl before him paid him no mind and flew off, just as she had the first time they met. He was about to speak when he realized she could fly incredibly fast.

Ho Lan approached and found Damo on the ground, his body riddled with injuries. She knelt down, cradling his face in her hands, and began to sob loudly. She knew that all of this was her fault. If only she had left earlier, none of this would have happened. It was her own cowardice to blame. If it hadn't been for her weakness, this tragedy could have been avoided.

Ho Lan pounded her chest in anguish. Chu Yue noticed and hurried over, saying, "Don't do this to yourself. I understand how you feel. I used to be just as cowardly. If it hadn't been for her, I probably would've died at the Survivor Base long ago…"

Chu Yue's gaze shifted to Chuxue, who was tending to Damo's wounds nearby. He reminisced about his early days at the Survivor Base.

Back then, I was clueless and naive, just grateful to have survived. I was deeply thankful to those who had rescued me.

The people there trained me relentlessly, shaping me into a super soldier. But the power within me grew stronger each day. There was a man named Zhang Zuosi who couldn't stand me. He wielded significant influence at the Survivor Base, while I was a nobody without Chuxue by my side.

One day, they brought back a little girl and isolated her in a room. This was odd because we all lived together, except for her. Driven by curiosity, I went to the room to introduce myself.

That girl was Chuxue. Upon meeting her for the first time, I was struck by her gentle nature. She and I hit it off right away. But I couldn't figure out what they were researching. It seemed like they were exploiting Chuxue. Unable to stand it any longer, I broke out, killing several people in the process. That's when they began to hunt me down.

The first time I was pursued, I unlocked my own abilities and discovered just how powerful I was. Yet, it wasn't nearly enough; I couldn't protect Chuxue. When I first laid eyes on you, I recognized you from my sister's photo album and remembered my sister mentioning you. With the outbreak of the Zombie Virus, and since you were unharmed, I became desperate to find out about my sister's fate.

You already know what happened next.

I used to be a very timid person. But now? What if I'm not brave? If I collapse, wouldn't you all be in the same predicament?

I have my own objectives. I'm determined to find my sister and rescue her at any cost. I also aim to save as many survivors as possible. With so many humans left, there has to be a way to defeat the Zombie Virus. Regardless, whether it's me or you, we have to stay strong.

After listening to him, Ho Lan's gaze grew more intense. She found the man before her to be increasingly dependable and felt inclined to put her trust in him, even feeling a slight...

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Ho Lan stood up with a smile, walked over, and affectionately ruffled Damo's hair.

Returning to the hotel, Chu Yue surveyed the area and noticed that the Zombies in the small town had vanished. Could that woman earlier have been responsible?

Who was she, exactly? What were her abilities? Why did he always feel a choking sensation whenever he was near her? Was she the sole source of the explosive energy from before?

If it truly was her, just how powerful could she be?

Chu Yue didn't want to entertain the thought. He had a feeling that he might become just as strong in the future, but when that would happen was uncertain. He was acutely aware of his own capabilities.

Shortly thereafter, he made his way back to the hotel. He saw Ho Lan in the kitchen, preparing some food, and chose not to interrupt her. Entering the room, he found Chuxue still resting and gently closed the door behind him. She must have been exhausted.

Descending the stairs, he sat down, took out a bottle of mineral water, and downed it in one go. He then said, "Ho Lan, about my sister, how has she been doing at your school?"

"Your sister?" Ho Lan clicked her tongue and let out a chuckle. "Pretty much the whole school, at least half the boys, are after her."

"Is that so?" Chu Yue replied with evident pride. "I always knew my sister would be that amazing."