After Song Chengyu cleanly and efficiently dispatched the few scattered zombies lingering around the car door, the two of them got inside.
“Where are we going?”
“A temporary stronghold.”
Song Chengyu turned the ignition and started the engine. The black SUV shot forward like a panther in the dark night, skillfully avoiding all obstacles and merging onto the highway.
Tangyuan was still furious about what had just happened. Clutching a handkerchief with tear-filled eyes, it looked at the bloody scratch on its master’s porcelain-white neck. “When on earth was that man standing over there?”
“He was probably trying to grab some supplies in the warehouse and happened to run into us.”
“So this is human nature.” Tangyuan suddenly blurted out.
Looking at the scenery flying backward outside the car window, You An softly murmured an acknowledgment in response.
Perhaps before today, that man was merely an ordinary person who had never harbored evil intentions or harmed a soul.
Yet, once the apocalypse arrived, he would not hesitate to plunder the resources others relied upon just to survive.
Such perilous conditions undoubtedly amplified human malice until everyone became entirely unrecognizable.
The original plot did not specify the cause of the apocalypse in its background settings. However, a mere passing thought of it sent a chill rising from the soles of his feet that nearly consumed him.
The SUV stopped in front of an unfinished building. You An glanced around; he had to admit this place made an ideal temporary stronghold since there was not a single soul in sight.
He followed Song Chengyu up the stairs to the second floor. The unplastered rough-cast room lacked electricity, so Song Chengyu lit two candles. In the flickering firelight, You An clearly saw the piles of medicine and weapons stacked on the floor.
After hesitating with words hanging on his lips for a moment, he finally spoke up. “Song Chengyu, how do you know so much information about the apocalypse?”
Tangyuan widened its eyes, attempting to cover You An’s mouth with its small wings. Host, what are you saying? Do not do anything that might make him recall his past life!
You An blinked. “I know, but everything is already so obvious. Wouldn’t it be even more suspicious if I asked nothing at all?”
“It was a dream.”
“What else did that dream tell you?”
“I dreamed about certain events that would happen today, so I prepared in advance. Perhaps it is one of the abilities possessed by certain esper users.”
Song Chengyu clearly had no desire to elaborate, brushing it off lightly in a few brief sentences.
Indeed, a man’s words are nothing but deceitful lies.
Yet You An, knowing the exact truth, dared not expose him and could only watch him fabricate nonsense with a straight face.
“So that’s how it is.” You An placed a sheet of paper on the floor to sit on. “Since even the apocalypse is a reality, nothing that happens now will surprise me.”
He instinctively touched his neck, which still seemed to throb with a dull ache. “Did your sudden anger this afternoon also have to do with that dream?”
He sensed a subtle shift in the other man’s gaze. That peerlessly handsome face flickered between light and shadow in the candlelight.
“No.”
Song Chengyu’s flat denial came as no surprise, and You An nodded knowingly. “Anyway, I should thank you for saving me.”
He looked down at the wristband that only he could touch. Was it truly inaccessible to anyone other than the esper himself? He ought to be grateful for this setting; otherwise, even more tragic slaughters born of mutual survival-driven destruction would surely occur.
“Tomorrow’s route will follow this highway.”
Receiving no further response, Song Chengyu looked up to see that the youth had already leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. Long, thick, curled eyelashes shaded his cat-like, upturned eyes, his body rising and falling slightly with soft breaths as he curled into a ball against the chill of the night.
The young man fell silent for a moment before rising to toss a blanket over You An.
It was merely to utilize him.
He told himself.
At four o’clock the next morning, You An was awakened. The youth, who normally possessed a slight morning temper, snapped wide awake the instant he caught sight of Song Chengyu’s face, obediently getting up to take over the guard shift.
“Take one of the weapons here for self-defense. Call me if you see any zombies or other people.”
You An nodded obediently and stood at the stair landing between the first and second floors. A window here allowed him to observe the situation downstairs while preventing anyone or any zombie from ascending from the first floor.
As the first ray of golden light crossed the horizon, tearing through the heavy clouds, the crimson hue faded and the sky returned to normal.
On the second day of the apocalypse, according to late-stage plot research, the surviving human population had already dropped below ten percent.
You An gazed out the window. Suddenly, two wandering zombies appeared within his field of vision. Just as he was about to call out to Song Chengyu, he watched in astonishment as they staggered away in the opposite direction.
According to the setting description, zombies were creatures attracted by human scent, sound, and light, yet the zombies before him had simply departed.
Finding no threat, You An decided to leave them be, preferring to let Song Chengyu rest and preserve his energy since he still relied on the other man for protection.
“Oh my.”
A golden-haired, red-eyed man stepped over a field of rubble and shattered tiles, crouching to examine a half-eaten torso being devoured by zombies. He picked up a discarded small red leather shoe.
“Even a child has been eaten completely clean. Well done.”
With that, he rewarded the dark-skinned monster by patting its head.
“Arooo.” The petted zombie emitted an excited and bizarre roar.
The amusement deep within his eyes intensified as the man stood up. Everywhere he looked was littered with severed limbs and minced flesh; this massive city had turned into ruins in the span of a single day.
As a gentle breeze blew by, he closed his eyes and opened his arms in a welcoming posture, savoring the fear and despair mixed within the scent of blood and rotting corpses.
“Humans truly are fragile,” the man chuckled softly. “This is only the beginning.”
Opening his eyes once more, his dark red pupils were filled with a bloodthirsty craving. Sensing the powerful esper energy fluctuations coming from the southern direction, he brushed back the hair on his forehead. “Well then, next.”
Let us go clear away some minor nuisances.
You An boredly checked his watch. Over three hours had passed, and reflecting on the previous night, he could no longer recall precisely when he had fallen asleep.
“I miss my bed so much.” Having slept on a bare concrete floor all night, You An naturally found his lower back aching and his body stiff upon waking.
Time is a bit more abundant today, so we should be able to find a decent place to settle down. Tangyuan kept him company to alleviate the boredom.
“True enough.” You An flipped through the route map. Indeed, Song Chengyu’s destination was the A-City base located to the southeast, which was the largest base in the apocalypse where Xin Jian resided.
Thump, thump, thump.
Rhythmic footsteps echoed close to his ear. The hand turning the paper paused for a moment, and You An’s complexion shifted slightly as he realized what it meant.
Tangyuan, hearing the sound as well, turned pale with shock.
“Stay calm,” the youth muttered, tweaking the creature’s small wings to stop it from fluttering anxiously in front of his face. “Footsteps this regular cannot possibly belong to a zombie. Since the other party is not deliberately concealing the sound, it implies negotiation is possible. Do not startle the snake in the grass just yet.”
Suppressing his breathing and lightening his steps, he retreated room by room to the second floor.
Getting closer and closer, he peered through the gaps in the banister and spotted a blonde male wearing a hoodie.
Almost instantly, the man raised his head, locking eyes directly with You An, who had failed to withdraw his gaze in time.
What should he do? Did this person harbor malicious intent? What was his ultimate objective?
A flurry of chaotic thoughts invaded his mind, and in that split second of distraction, the other man had already closed the distance to within a few steps.
A hint of keen interest flashed across the man’s slender red eyes. He caught the sweet scent emanating from the youth, which felt as though it originated straight from the soul. The man’s lips curled upward, stirring a restless impulse deep within his heart.
“There really are survivors here. I noticed the car over there, so…” Noticing the youth’s slightly pale complexion, he paused. “Did I frighten you?”
The flawless excuse allowed You An to relax slightly as he shook his head. “Not really.”
The man before him wore a black hoodie and trousers; even this ordinary attire made his physique appear exceptionally fluid, and his dust-free shoes were spotless enough to show no trace of combat.
“Are you an esper as well?” You An’s gaze drifted toward the man’s right wrist, which was concealed beneath long sleeves.
“That’s right.”
The wrist beneath the fabric became enveloped by specks of light, instantly condensing into a black wristband.
The man smiled warmly and extended his hand. “My ability is wind.”
You An retreated imperceptibly, harboring a faint sense that something was amiss. The man possessed an arresting appearance that was utterly unforgettable, yet he did not exist anywhere in the original host’s memories.
Furthermore, he disliked the way this man looked at him.
That dark, damp, and viscous gaze made him feel as though his entire body was being licked from head to toe, bearing an uncanny resemblance to that person.
“Who are you talking to?”
Song Chengyu’s voice rang out from behind. You An turned his head to see the young man leaning against the wall as he stood up, his gaze clear and alert with no trace of recent deep sleep.
Upon seeing this, You An immediately walked over to Song Chengyu and hid behind his back.
Perhaps driven by inner panic, he instinctively grabbed the young man’s sleeve.
Song Chengyu noticed this minor gesture, yet he remained still and allowed You An to hold on.
“He is also an esper.”
Quietly observing the man a few meters away, Song Chengyu thoughtfully chewed over the word. “An esper?”
The blonde man flipped his wrist over to display his own wristband. “I feel relieved seeing that there are still two survivors here.”
“I’ll be leaving then.” His dark red pupils locked onto You An. “I look forward to our next meeting.”
Footsteps sounded once more down the empty staircase. Song Chengyu stared in the direction of the departing man and gave a cold snort.
Since when did the Zombie Emperor bother disguising himself as an esper?
Yet he truly had not anticipated running into the Zombie Emperor much earlier than projected, nor had he expected the entity to do absolutely nothing.
Recalling the man’s gaze, his contemplative look shifted toward the youth. You An raised his chin, exposing the graceful lines of his neck and a stunning pair of collarbones deep enough to pool two pools of water. Slender fingers smoothed milky-white ointment over a rose-tinted bruise, presenting a scene carrying an indescribable allure.
“He is dangerous.”
You An froze for a moment before realizing Song Chengyu was speaking to him.
“That person just now?”
“Yes. If you encounter him again in the future, stay away from him.”
After finishing a simple meal consisting of compressed biscuits and water, the two embarked on their journey toward the base.
After topping off the fuel tank at a gas station, the SUV entered Intercontinental Highway Number One, which had the lowest volume of human traffic.
As the pitch-black car crossed the infinitely expanding horizon, You An felt as though he were riding a death train hurtling toward hell, for it was precisely along this highway that Song Chengyu would encounter his teammate who possessed the duplication ability.
Logically speaking, having experienced betrayal, Song Chengyu should trust no one. However, this teammate happened to be the man standing right behind the big shot, the boss’s most loyal subordinate, especially since this person had endured torture unto death in their past life rather than betray Song Chengyu.
You An greatly admired the brotherhood between them, yet he now desperately hoped the butterfly effect would strike with greater fury, ideally erasing this entire plot away before he ended up cast aside like a worn-out hound.
Yet the goddess of fortune refused to favor him. An hour into their drive, You An unsurprisingly spotted that stationary car sitting a few dozen meters ahead.
Under the violent assault of two zombies, the car windows were already webbed with cracks.
Crash.
The glass shattered instantly into countless shards, and the zombies’ dark, decaying arms reached through the window to claw frantically. At that critical juncture, an ice-blue, crystal-clear longsword pierced straight through the back of a zombie’s skull.