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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 26: Escape from the Service Area
Jiang He glanced back with difficulty, seeing the zombies trailing behind him closing in. In a moment of desperation, he shouted angrily and swung the 81 Rifle from his back, smashing it down onto the zombie gripping his ankle. The quality of military-grade manufacturing was impressive; with just one blow, the zombie's skull was crushed, and its claws loosened their grip. Jiang He rolled on the ground and reached for the Fire Axe beside the car door, hacking at the approaching zombies and slicing them into pieces. He then scrambled into the vehicle and slammed on the gas.
The ambulance barreled forward, relying on its weight to push through, turning any zombies in its path into a bloody pulp. A gruesome path of flesh was carved out as it moved ahead.
What had been a scattered group of zombies quickly converged at the entrance of the Service Area, swarming in all at once. The large Coach remained stationary at the gas station, surrounded by numerous zombies. The rotting creatures pounded on the vehicle, emitting hoarse growls as thick, viscous fluids and blood smeared across its surface. Ming Junwei sat in the driver's seat with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, the barrel of his 81 Rifle wide open and aimed at the door. He seemed to be contemplating something; he shifted his aim to the fuel line, then disengaged the safety while leaning back in his seat, smoking leisurely.
The ambulance crashed through, creating a bloody path, but the wall of corpses slowed its progress significantly. Jiang He had pressed the accelerator to the floor, yet the vehicle gradually slowed until it was finally stopped by the horde of zombies. Sweat coated his palms as he gripped the steering wheel tightly. Through the window, he could see grotesque faces pressed against the glass—twisted features with murky eyes devoid of life and bodies marked by bites. Despite his anxiety, Jiang He was not completely paralyzed by fear; the Coach was within reach, but every gap between their vehicles was filled with zombies. The once silent Service Area was now bustling with undead activity.
Jiang He picked up his 81 Rifle and fiddled with it before reluctantly tossing it onto the passenger seat; all he had left for defense was an axe.
Ming Junwei took a drag from his cigarette and squinted at the trapped ambulance across from him, a strange smile creeping onto his face as he muttered, "Idiot, can't even save himself yet wants to save others..." Despite his words, he continued to act; with a sharp click, he chambered a round in his 81 Rifle. The dark barrel poked out through a gap in the window, aimed at the fuel line beside him. Ming Junwei's gaze hardened as he fingered the trigger... then hesitated.
The windshield of the ambulance shattered as Jiang He smashed through it with a red Fire Axe. He crawled out through the broken window and climbed onto the roof, awkwardly crouching down while swinging his axe to create a spray of blood mist. The zombies clinging to either side of the vehicle were dispatched one by one by Jiang He's axe. In no time at all, the white exterior of the ambulance was drenched in crimson. Fortunately for him, there were so many zombies that they crowded around him from all sides; otherwise, their pushing might have toppled the ambulance over.
Ming Junwei reluctantly withdrew his rifle and glanced at the fuel gauge stuck in red zone; he couldn't help but smile bitterly. That night he had indeed set fire to something but hadn’t paid attention to how much fuel was left—now they were in trouble. The metal beast barely made it ten meters before sputtering out despite Ming Junwei's curses and attempts to revive it.
White Panda and a fiery red SUV came to a halt after traveling over a hundred meters. Song Yao and Chao Yifan both got out to deal with scattered zombies trailing behind them while anxiously observing their two trapped companions amidst a sea of corpses. The sudden turn of events had come too quickly for anyone to react; just ten minutes ago they had been casually discussing strategies when now they faced life-and-death separation. What frustrated them most was Jiang He; although they understood he was eager to rescue Ming Junwei, did he really think charging into a horde would help?
Though anxious, there were no better options available at that moment. Chao Yifan still had some homemade Molotov cocktails left but throwing them into a gas station could easily lead to an explosion that would kill both men even faster.
"How about we try drawing those zombies away? Just like how Jiang He lured those bar zombies," Song Yao suggested while wiping sweat from his forehead as he looked at Chao Yifan.
"Is there any siren on your vehicle? Besides... that way is blocked off unless we bring in a bulldozer; otherwise we won't get through," Chao Yifan replied stiffly while shaking his head and pointing toward where zombies were pouring out of the forest. "Let's try over there."
After a brief discussion, they hurried back to their vehicle and packed what little liquor remained along with their DIY Molotov cocktails into their backpacks before sprinting toward an embankment along the highway. Jinhua and An Zheng stayed behind in their car without worrying about conserving fuel as they waited anxiously for news.
At this moment, Jiang He was feeling a sense of despair. He lay on the roof of the car, struggling to balance his body, a mix of fear and regret coursing through him. It seemed that impulsive decisions could not resolve troubles; more often than not, recklessness only led to harm for oneself and others. Inside the coach, Ming Junwei sat in his seat, his expression obscured, likely contemplating the same grim choices as Jiang He —whether to end it all or charge into the horde for a heroic sacrifice.
The walkie-talkie left behind in the ambulance crackled with static, clearly too far from the other devices on the same frequency to receive any messages.
Jiang He lay on the car roof, his head twisting painfully from side to side as he scanned his surroundings, hoping to find a way out. The number of zombies exceeded his expectations; aside from those that had surged into the Reception Building, most were gathered in the open space in front of the gas station. Two ostentatious cars stuck in a pile of corpses drew significant attention from the zombies. Although the outermost zombies couldn't even touch the back of the vehicles, it did nothing to deter them from closing in.
Jiang He gripped his rifle tightly once more, but its unfamiliar coldness offered him no comfort. Only the residual warmth at the handle of his fire axe reminded him not to indulge in foolish dreams.
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