The conversation with Grandma did not end on a happy note, but Tang Ling’s final decision was not something his grandmother could change.
Life in the settlement was just drifting along. There would never be hope and peace.
Carrying San San who was awoken by the argument, Tang Ling decided to head out for a walk. Perhaps giving his grandmother some time to accept the decision was the wisest choice he could make right now.
With a mindful of thoughts, Tang Ling arrived at Exit Number 3 in the north of the settlement. This exit led to a small hill — the only haven in the settlement.
**
The night wind was slightly breezy while the purple moon was hazy.
Tang Ling carried San San on his back, strolling over the dried leaves step by step and heading towards the top of the hill.
Time was not on their side. An hour later, the temperature would plummet and the cold would be difficult to bear while packs of frenzied beasts would also appear.
However, it did not affect the people from enjoying the last peaceful moment of the day. After all, most of the people did not have the courage to walk out from the settlement’s safety area, hence this little hill became their refuge to gaze and admire the outside world.
Their nose were filled with the fresh fragrance of pogostemon stellatus. As the only haven, this place seemed to have a strange aura that could wash away the ruthlessness and cruelty of the world.
Whether it was peaceful or jovial smiles, or meek or deep laughter, they were all a rare sight inside the settlement.
Tang Ling enjoyed the peace as it could make a person forget about the cruelty in life.
Crawling on to Tang Ling’s back, San San mumbled, “Brother.” Her petite face nuzzled against Tang Ling’s shoulder and she giggled.
Tang Ling smiled. Years of living together had gotten him used to this kind of intimacy with his sister. It was also the biggest warmth that he had ever felt in his life.
They reached the top of the short little hill. The wind blew over the field of pogostemon stellatus, causing a fluttering noise. The shallow purplish scene was like the drawing Grandma had dug out from the ruins of the old civilization. Tang Ling vaguely heard people saying before that the lilac plant in the drawing was called lavender.
“What was the old civilization like?” Putting San San down, Tang Ling sat down, he pulled a strand of grass and put it in his mouth, letting it dangle at the edge of his lips. He then gazed upon Safety Sector No. 17 further away.
Only here, he could look over the towering walls of the Safety Sector clearly and spot the rooftops of some buildings. He pictured what would life be like inside the Safety Sector.
The moon cleared up a little, shedding its tender light over that towering skyscraper that pierced the clouds like a sword plunging into the sky. Rumor had it that the towering skyscraper was the most important building in Safety Sector No. 17. It was also the beacon of hope that the people of the settlement always gazed upon.
“How nice.” Tang Ling exhaled a long breath. His heart was instantly filled with peace and anticipation about tomorrow. Near him was his little sister, laughing happily like a little bird. The others around them also showed warmth for a while after lowering their guards as if life was supposed to be like this.
However, Tang Ling felt like he was in a daze. Life sometimes revealed its beautiful side, yet it easily aroused sorrow in people. He could not suppress the poignancy that rose within him.
Slightly absent-minded, he stood up. A strong wind seemed to blow from the thick forest further away, but it seemed like it did not come from there.
The people before his eyes seemed like they were frozen in this moment. Their smiles stopped, but it also felt like they had not.
Sister, where was Sister?
She was spinning happily in her own circle. Her voice sounded far yet near at times. She looked back at Tang Ling, smiling as her eyes were curved into the likes of a crescent moon.
It was so familiar, yet the smile shattered suddenly under the daze.
“No!” Tang Ling’s cold sweat broke out from his forehead as he shouted in a daze. The moment he yelled out, everything seemed to have returned to normal. People stared at Tang Ling strangely, their gazes questioning him.
Tang Ling breathed rapidly, but before he could say anything, a blinding light at the thick forest outside the safety zone dazzled all of a sudden.
The searchlight of the Safety Sector!
Only when an unknown danger could not be determined, it would luxuriously light up in hopes of determining the danger.
For the first time, Tang Ling’s heart raced furiously. Even when he was in the wild, facing a singled-out iron bristle hog, he had never been in this ugly state before.
His extremely good eyesight played a tremendous part at the moment. While people still failed to respond, Tang Ling’s line of sight followed the searchlight and he caught a glimpse of the cascading waves of figure that moved forward carelessly at the edge of the thick forest further away.
Zombies!
A single glimpse tightened Tang Ling’s throat, making him groan weakly. His head seemed to have exploded as he started to recall everything about the zombies.
They did not fear death and could not feel anything. They retained their speed of movement from when they were alive and they were also much more powerful than before. All that was left within them was the instinct to eat and they would only eat fresh meat!
Especially fresh human meat.
It seemed like this way, they were able to vent their pain and anger from dying.
Although everyone in this era knew that zombies were originally humans, their bodies failed to be cremated in time and so, they mutated into monsters.
The thought alone would chill anyone’s heart. They could not be free even after death.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Moments later, the row of searchlights on the walls of the Safety Sector lit up. It as if day shone down on the waves of zombies as they clearly appeared in everybody’s sight.
Wandering zombie groups!
Rare and unpredictable wandering zombie groups!
They rushed towards the safety zone like the suffusing rising tide with tremendous speed.
“Aaah!” The screams from the people on the little hill echoed across the sky.
At the secondary safety zone, some wanderers, who had yet to make it back home just because they were trying to capture some bugs and reptiles before dark, were undoubtedly surrounded by the deadly zombie waves.
They ran. They screamed from being gnawed at as bloody splashes spewed in the air. Bodies were torn apart instantly, transforming into pieces of meat as they entered the zombie’s greedy mouths. Even the hot, steamy organs were contended for.
The first man who lost his life appeared. The moment of his death was utmost clear under the bright searchlights.
The transformation from heaven to hell only took seconds.
Amidst the chaos, Tang Ling grabbed his little sister and tore down the hill madly.
The biggest gain from his Precise Instinct was that he was able to keep a clear mind in the most dangerous moments, and he would not waste a single second due to fear.
Returning to the underground settlement was the best option he had for the moment. Seizing such an advantage would also increase the odds of surviving.
With the temptation of food, the zombies turned into a frenzy. Their already agile movement accelerated in an instant like bolts of lightning. Everyone knew that when the zombies hunted, they would display explosive speed similar to a dark-striped leopard.
“153 meters, 13 seconds, 110 steps, and I can reach Entrance Number 3. It takes 2 seconds to open the door.”
When the others started to respond then flocked towards Entrance Number 3, Tang Ling had already descended down the hill. His Precise Instinct was like a meticulous instrument which started to go out of his control and carried out the most precise calculations.
Everything was as he calculated. Fifteen seconds later, Tang Ling had rammed open the door of Entrance Number 3.
“Go in.” Tang Ling pushed San San past the door. Behind him were black waves of people, accompanied by the cries of despair.
Anyone was able to think how could the door, which was less than 2 meters wide, sustain several hundreds of people gushing through at once?
Someone would die. Someone would surely die.
With aggrieved sorrow, Tang Ling unconsciously turned around.
The Purple Moon had completely risen up into the night sky. Under the moonlight, the faces of fear were distorted into despair.
On top of the sector walls, a row of purplish human wall appeared. Under the moonlight, the standard-issued armor shone with a ghastly cold glare.