Going in would be hopeless hell? Tang Ling’s Adam’s apple shifted.
Why didn’t Grandmother speak of this before?
However, history always left traces.
Grandmother had always been non-committal about living in the Safety Sector. As for him joining the reserved camp, even though she strongly disagreed, she never really stated her mind clearly.
Then, he thought about it in the end. His grandmother had allowed him to carry his sister to the so-called selection in hesitation.
Grandmother must have known something, would she not? She seemed to have mentioned before that her father had witnessed how Safety Sector No. 17 was built from the ground up.
If they were to die there, it meant that the Purple Moon Warriors would eventually make a move. However, would they really slaughter these defenseless residents of the settlement?
As though the reliance, admiration and adore that he established for them throughout the years refused to crumble in the end, Tang Ling still could not believe how cruel it sounded.
“If you try to force your way in, they will really kill you.” Grandmother’s voice rang in Tang Ling’s ears again.
In the very next second, Tang Ling carried his sister over his shoulder while holding his grandmother’s hand and ran madly towards Safety Sector No. 17, but they deviated slightly to the south.
Growing up locally, Tang Ling was thoroughly familiar with the terrain. One side of Safety Sector No. 17 was facing a bottomless cliff while the other three sides were surrounded by towering walls. The Safety Zone was a semi-circular area that encircled the three sides of Safety Sector No. 17.
Nonetheless, the width of the Safety Zone never changed.
At the end of the south sector wall was the narrowest spot of the Safety Zone. It was less than 500 meters wide and was connected to the thick forest of the Secondary Safety Zone.
The terrain with favorable natural conditions allowed many people of the settlement to build sheds in the area to act as ‘transfer hubs’ for hunting in the thick forest. One thing worth noting was that not all hunts could be completed in a day. On the other hand, round trips would consume a great amount of time.
Tang Ling decided to move towards the thick forest through there.
Firstly, as the ‘transfer hub’, the place should be cleaned up to the point that it was unusually clean, no dangerous beasts should be lingering there.
Secondly, even if there were wandering zombies on their tail, the concentrated fences could provide some cover.
Even though it was late in the night and the beasts were extra dangerous when the Purple Moon hung in the sky...
“As long as we don’t go deep into the forest, there won’t be that many wild beasts. At least, the zombies can’t climb trees.” It was the only thought Tang Ling could come up with the moment his feet pounded the ground.
After deciding on his direction, the whole world seemed a lot easier. Soon, Tang Ling sprinted to the bottom of the sector wall.
Because of the quarantine earlier, this particular place was free from the zombie infestation, meaning that he could gain some safety and precious time.
Although Tang Ling was fast, the sector wall was long. While the whole plan sounded difficult, the most terrifying thing would be that not even the most difficult option was available — only death!
He had to survive as long as he could survive with his grandmother and sister. It was the only belief that vibrated strongly within him.
The wild running filled Tang Ling’s ears with the whistling of the wind which was followed by a clap of thunder that was so loud as if it tore the sky apart.
Accompanying the clap of thunder, Tang Ling heard a booming voice. “Ready!”
It was the voice of the man with the red cape who had gone off earlier. What was he going to do? Tang Ling felt scared although he could not pinpoint why. Despite sprinting madly, he could not help but turn around to the direction of the chaos.
As he turned around, he noticed that a dozen figures behind him which comforted him a little. It seemed like there were others with a quick mind who had chosen the other possible way to survive.
However, his comfort did not last for long.
Swoosh!
The sound burst out in unison and Tang Ling’s face instantly turned pale. Bright silver light glinted one after another in front of the wall of purple humans.
“They drew their swords!” Tang Ling squinted his eyes. A terrifying thought unknowingly rose in his heart which was numbed by the pain.
His sister, who had been lying on his shoulder in a daze, started to cry.
Tang Ling hugged his sister tightly as he started to mutter in a low tone, “No, don’t, don’t. Please don’t...”
Alas, what could he say no to? What could he stop? The standard-issued sword was very familiar, and it rang out keenly as they drew them!
“Kill!” The cold word held no hesitation and emotions when it escaped the person’s mouth.
Blindingly, the neat silver glare started to swing in a flurry instantly. Accompanied by the beauty of cruelty, it was like the hope that swept across the night as it flew towards the people, yet it shed blood.
Was it blood? Tang Ling’s eyes stung. It was as if time stopped at that precise moment.
The blinding lightning, the downpour of rain, the frenzied people, the bloodthirsty zombies, the merciless “purple wall”, and the loud clap of thunder... Everything was frozen in this particular second.
“How could this...?” In this insane scene, who was crying? Who asked the final question?
In the next second, countless heads flew into the sky while the gushing blood broke the silence and the beautiful silver glares were sheathed gracefully.
“Back off or die!” The voice was still ruthless. It suffocated Tang Ling’s heart to the point it hurt him, and his stomach started to twitch. The blood in his body started to boil and started to amass at his chest.
It. Had the mysterious ‘it’ in his chest started to devour him?
Tang Ling could not think properly except for a strange thought that kept rumbling in his mind.
What era is this? I want to... If I could... I want to break it alive. Only by breaking it can the rebirth begin.
Tang Ling’s hand trembled fiercely at the thought. Amidst the chaos, he wanted to cover his sister’s eyes.
As a matter of fact, his sister had seen too much cruelty in a single night, but this took the cake. He did not want his sister to witness it in the hope that there would still be some raw beauty left in his sister’s heart.
However, his sister soon stopped crying. Instead, she grabbed Tang Ling’s hand that was trying to cover her eyes.
What happened?
Tang Ling turned around painfully. He realized that his sister had turned numb like before. Her big eyes were growing empty like an abysmal pit.
Tang Ling felt terrified.
“Big Brother, I saw Eirmo just now.” His sister’s voice was very calm. It had a surreal uncertainty to it.
Eirmo? Tang Ling’s heart ached at the sound of the name. That was his sister’s playmate, a mere seven-year-old boy.
He had a strong father, so it might be possible for him to have escaped, but...
“Big Brother, I also saw the big sister from the Lee family. She’s also there.”
“Big Brother, Samr was also killed.”
Familiar faces flashed in Tang Ling’s eyes one after another. Although the settlement was dirty and messy as a dump, there were still many familiar people and memories in his mind.
An unusual coldness spread throughout Tang Ling’s body. He felt like the coldness formed a vortex at his chest where the amassed blood kept flowing into.
Was he going to die? Nevertheless, before he did, he had to secure his grandmother and sister’s safety.
Tang Ling did not want to hear anymore but his sister’s voice still whimpered into his ears in the next second.
“Big brother, I saw...”
“Uncle Zhang...”
Uncle Zhang!
Sourness plagued Tang Ling’s heart. Right after he told Uncle Zhang to run, that last nod was actually a farewell!