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墨書 Inktalez
"She's gone," Song Yao exclaimed, startled. She quickly turned her head to scan the crowd, her expression changing dramatically as she searched back and forth.
Luo Yu was on the verge of panic. The bald man had just stopped to draw a map for everyone, and they were all gathered together analyzing the route. Luo Yu had only taken his eyes off Dream Fan for about two minutes. Initially, he thought she was at the back of the group because Dream Fan had been quite downcast throughout the journey, speaking little and not mingling much with others. Luo Yu hadn’t pressed her; after all, it was safe nearby, and he couldn’t keep an eye on her like a prisoner. Who would have thought she would stray from the group at such a critical moment?
"Don't panic," Ming Junwei said, frowning as he tried to calm everyone down. Cyclops scanned the surrounding forest and said, "It’s only been a few minutes; she can't have gone far."
"But there are still those bald men in the mountains," Luo Yu lamented, feeling extremely frustrated. Brother Jiu hadn’t been rescued yet, and if something happened to Dream Fan, how would he explain it to Jiu Jiu?
"It should be fine," Ming Junwei replied with an uncharacteristic confidence. He stared at the route map drawn by the bald man for a while before continuing, "She must have seen the map too, so she probably wanted to go ahead to find someone. We can speed up and catch up with her."
"This is just adding to the chaos," Luci said helplessly, clearly displeased. They were so close to their destination when she suddenly pulled this stunt without considering everyone else's feelings; it was quite reckless.
"Forget it; she should know what she's doing. Let's hurry and not complicate things further," Song Yao sighed. She found her brother's "companion" hard to understand. The two had occasionally stayed together at Roundabout, and outsiders viewed them as a couple, but Song Jiu hadn’t mentioned anything about it to her. Luo Yu was also vague about their relationship, leaving her confused about what they truly were. Song Jiu had even sent Old Lin to pass on a message to Dream Fan during this incident, indicating that they shared some undisclosed history together. But what could possibly matter more than life itself? In a crisis like this, what secrets could be worth keeping?
Song Yao couldn’t make sense of it all, so she decided not to dwell on it any longer. After years of experiences, she could understand why others might keep their secrets guarded. Regardless, saving people was the most important thing.
Ming Junwei and Old Russians discussed their next steps briefly before the Field Operative team spread out in a fan shape and advanced forward. Ming Junwei's unit took the center position, weapons ready at all times as they rushed into the mountains in hopes of reaching their destination before Dream Fan did. The grass and forest fires continued to spread; dawn had arrived but the morning mist lingered in the air, carrying a damp scent. The flames were no longer as blinding as they had been at night; now half of the ground was charred while the other half blazed fiercely. It wouldn’t be long before this fire engulfed the entire forest.
Ming Junwei fulfilled his promise by sending the bald man back to his final resting place after he finished drawing the map. Due to time constraints, they couldn’t bury him properly; instead, they hastily covered his body with some branches as a makeshift shield from the approaching fire—at least it provided him with some semblance of closure.
There were no clear paths in the desolate mountains; as they ventured deeper, vegetation grew denser with towering trunks blocking out sunlight above them. The dampness clung to their skin, chilling them to the bone. Not far along, Old Russians was the first to spot fresh footprints—different from those of the bald men; they looked small and likely belonged to Dream Fan.
"She’s ahead," Ming Junwei said as he patted Luo Yu on the shoulder reassuringly. "This girl is usually quite clever; she won’t do anything foolish."
"But she has no combat ability," Luo Yu replied anxiously, unable to ease his worry. The bald men might not dare confront their main force directly now, but a lone girl would definitely not stand a chance against them.
“Ming Ge,” Liu Yan rushed over from the back of the team, throwing a pair of binoculars to him. Frowning, he said, “The zombies are coming down the road. We need to find another way out.”
“This is troublesome.” Ming Junwei gritted his teeth, climbed up a high slope, and raised the binoculars to look ahead. The once desolate highway was now dominated by a massive horde. The charred remains of the grassland were laid bare, and the horde surged forward, drawn by the fallen bodies and the rising flames.
“Should we leave some people for early warning?” Liu Yan’s expression was serious. The deep mountains were not like the open roads outside; those who lived here were undoubtedly more familiar with the environment than they were. While their combat power might not pose a threat, if those inside were determined to hide, it would be difficult for their team to find them. Moreover, with the fire approaching and zombies lurking behind, a prolonged battle would not be beneficial for them.
“No need to leave anyone behind.” Ming Junwei thought for a moment while holding an unlit cigarette between his teeth. “The people inside won’t be completely unaware; they must have hiding places or alternative routes down the mountain. We should go in directly.”
Outside, dawn broke over the mountains, but inside the cave, clarity was still absent.
Song Jiu extinguished his torch and pressed the barrel of his gun against the mouth of a petite woman. He had warned her before that if she made even a sound, he would shoot her immediately. The little woman was terrified, trembling as she held the cold gun barrel in her mouth, her eyes filled with tears and saliva stretching from her lips in shiny strands. Song Jiu needed her to lead the way but worried about what tricks she might play in the dark tunnel. With no other options, he resorted to this tactic. It worked well; the little woman walked ahead without any resistance, instinctively leading the way at every turn.
After nearly twenty minutes of walking through the winding maze of caves, the darkness began to fade. Familiar flickers of firelight emerged from deeper within, casting shadows on the rock walls that twisted into various eerie shapes.
To say he wasn’t surprised would be a lie; what lay before him could only be described as shocking.
Song Jiu felt somewhat dazed. When they were on the highway, they had grown numb to the endless mountains around them; everything looked the same without any remarkable scenery. Who would have thought that within these unremarkable hills lay such an artificially carved large cavern? Reflecting on the smooth-walled tunnels they had passed through earlier and connecting it to this place made Song Jiu's suspicions clearer. He couldn’t help but feel envious—how come he couldn’t find such a paradise?
Pressing down on his gun barrel, the little woman instinctively crouched down. Song Jiu pulled her back slightly and leaned out from around the corner. Less than ten meters ahead was a stark contrast in scenery. They were still in a dark gray cave with rocky ground beneath their feet when suddenly a distinct line of blue bricks appeared ahead—a stark division leading into an area paved with Azure Stone Slabs that looked flat and mottled, suggesting it had been there for many years.
Red markings adorned both sides of the arched tunnel; they resembled numbers but were faded or peeling away. The smooth walls were crisscrossed with cobweb-like strands that seemed like old electrical wires twisted together, secured to the rock wall every few meters with clamps.
Two bald men stood guard at the archway with torches and dog sticks while behind them were more than ten armed bald men. Even if there was just a group of delicate women among them, one punch could easily lead to internal bleeding.
Suddenly, an idea flashed through Song Jiu's mind. He furrowed his brow in thought for a moment before looking down at the little woman and saying, “I can let you go inside.”
Little Woman blinked, as if she did not understand what Song Jiu was saying.
"I let you go, you go in and tell Red Mother that Yang Chun Yue is after the supplies in the warehouse." After saying this, Song Jiu felt it might not be very useful; whether Red Mother believed it was one thing, and even if she did, executing Yang Chun Yue on the spot wouldn’t give him any opportunity.
Little Woman stared at him blankly and hesitantly asked, "Do you want me to hold them off and not let them close the door?"
Song Jiu rolled his eyes and nodded at her.
"And then?"
"I will kill Red Mother."
"What about the others?"
"Do as you please; I have no interest in the others."
Little Woman fell silent, staring at him for a while. Her lips trembled as she said, "If I help you kill Red Mother, will you let us go?"
"Do you think I'm an idiot?" Song Jiu chuckled in disbelief; this woman was not foolish at all and knew how to take advantage of the situation.
"No." Little Woman's face gradually regained some color, seemingly filled with a hint of hope. "After the door is closed, Red Mother will lead everyone to retreat into the mountains to hide. You won't be able to find her alone."
"So what?"
"I don't know; I just want to survive. I've already been abandoned by Red Mother. If I kill her and you let us go, then I'm willing to give it a try." Little Woman spoke slowly, perhaps feeling that her words lacked credibility, as her voice trailed off towards the end. However, her gaze remained fervent, perhaps worried that Song Jiu would return empty-handed and turn against her.
Song Jiu felt a moment of hesitation, but quickly dismissed it as absurd. Once this woman was allowed to escape, there would be no way to find her again once the door was closed. The metallic clangs grew shorter and shorter, and the two iron doors now only had a narrow gap through which a person could squeeze. If he didn't act soon, it would truly be too late.
Grinding his teeth, Song Jiu realized this was his last chance. He could either turn and leave, likely never to encounter her again, or he could steel himself and charge in, eliminating any future threats. As he contemplated this, reason began to overshadow his hatred. The tension in him eased slightly as he looked at the trembling Little Woman before him. Memories flooded back, and he suddenly hesitated; perhaps it really wasn't necessary to continue down this path.
"Just go," Song Jiu said, lowering his gun. Feeling somewhat deflated, he found his mind clearing significantly as he gazed into the dark tunnel, an inexplicable emotion swelling within him.
"Ah," the Little Woman was taken aback.
"Hurry, the door is closing," Song Jiu exhaled deeply and pushed her out.
The Little Woman stumbled slightly, disbelief evident in her eyes. After a moment of shock, she nodded at him and called out to the bald man who was straining to close the door.
The bald man pulling on the chain of the door stopped abruptly, looking somewhat anxious as he tried to pry open the gap. However, that heavy iron door was not something that could be moved by sheer human strength. Ignoring the bald man's timid demeanor, the Little Woman squeezed through the narrow opening and told the two bald men, "Don't close the door yet," before rushing inside.
Song Jiu, who had been ready to turn and leave, paused at the sound. He turned back to glance at the empty corner of the tunnel, his expression shifting to one of bemusement as doubts crept into his mind: Did he not make it clear that she was really going to kill Red Mother?
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