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墨書 Inktalez
Zone Four covers two streets and has a population of zero, primarily consisting of the Old Town District. The buildings here are relatively low and dense, with the tallest structure reaching about six floors. Adjacent to Three Districts is part of the Eastern New District, where the roads are wider and lined with high-rise buildings, featuring landmark structures along the main thoroughfares. Before the apocalypse, real estate was a source of frustration for every city resident, as prices soared year after year while wages could never keep pace. The working class found it impossible to buy a home, falling further behind with each passing day. Many young people lived in cramped 40 to 50 square meter rooms with their parents in the Old Town District, which faced heavy burdens regarding environmental resources and public services. To protect the ancient city, the government initiated new district developments, alleviating the pressure of demolishing the old town while expanding urban growth space. As a result, the boundaries and layout of the Old Town District were largely fixed, unlike other areas filled with elevated structures and tunnels, with a complete metro and light rail system. In contrast, Zone Four only had two horizontal and two vertical main roads along with many narrow two-way streets.
Su Ruolan looked at the empty streets, where every household had tightly shut their doors, and she could occasionally hear faint sounds from within.
Kong Xiang lived in the Old Town District, which required traversing two main roads. Bai Zhen drove quickly along the road, observing the route while calculating the time. It had been three hours since the outbreak of zombies in Zone Five. Previously, it would take an hour and a half to travel from Three Districts to Zone Four Old Town District, but now the roads were unusually clear, allowing them to reach the outskirts of Old Town District in just about forty minutes.
The number of people on the road noticeably increased; many were running frantically, shouting. Some fell but got back up despite bleeding wounds, stumbling forward. Against the flow of people, Su Ruolan and her companions found their vehicle moving slowly.
Rolling down the window, Bai Zhen asked a young man passing by, “Brother, what’s happening?”
“Run! The zombies are coming!” The man shouted without looking back as he ran away. After a short distance, he turned back, yanked open the car door, and quickly jumped into the passenger seat. “Hurry! Turn around and go to Three Districts!”
“Aren't the zombies in Zone Five? How did they get here? We need to understand the situation,” Bai Zhen urged anxiously.
“Are you stupid? Just drive! Stop asking so many questions!” The man yelled in panic as he lunged for the steering wheel.
Seeing this, Su Ruolan immediately unleashed an Ice Spike, striking his arm. Bai Zhen reacted quickly and shoved him back into his seat.
“So you’re Ability users! We’re saved!” Despite his arm throbbing with pain, the man was excited. “Zone Five is terrifying! It's full of zombies; they’re eating people like crazy! So many have died! They’re coming towards Zone Four, breaking through the Isolation Gate! Those cops don’t know what they’re doing or where they are! That gate is about to fall; those monsters will be here any moment! We need to run!” He spoke incoherently, trembling from fear.
“How do you know? Did you hear it or see it yourself?” Su Ruolan immediately asked.
“I was there! I saw it all happen right before my eyes! There are no living people left on People's West Road!” The man couldn’t help but scream.
“People's West Road, isn’t that in Zone Five?” Bai Zhen realized. “You came from Zone Five!”
"Quick, hurry up! Even though you are Ability users, there are too many Zombies; you definitely can't fight them off," the man urged, but he no longer dared to touch the steering wheel. Seeing no sign of Su Ruolan and the others turning the car around, he gritted his teeth and ran out.
The frenzied crowd surged like a tide, and the car was completely immobilized. Su Ruolan and Bai Zhen had no choice but to abandon the vehicle.
Fortunately, they were not far from Kong Xiang's place; just three streets away.
Su Ruolan and Bai Zhen ran all the way to Kong Xiang's residence. They knocked on the door several times, but no one came to answer. Su Ruolan and Bai Zhen exchanged glances, and Bai Zhen suddenly kicked the door open with a forceful kick.
Inside the house, they searched around but found no sign of Kong Xiang. Just then, a girl around twelve or thirteen appeared at the door, holding a tattered doll. Her big eyes blinked innocently as she asked, "Are you looking for Kong Xiang?"
"Yes, little sister, do you know where he is?" Bai Zhen tried to put on a friendly demeanor.
"He went to Liberation North Road, Building 18, Room 10 to get something. Someone will come looking for him soon; you must let them know where to find him," the girl said innocently.
Su Ruolan and Bai Zhen were both taken aback. How did Kong Xiang know someone was coming to find him? Then they felt a surge of joy. It seemed that Kong Xiang had awakened his Ability as well. However, given how dangerous the situation was, why would he still go to Zone Five? Liberation North Road and People's West Road were the main thoroughfares connecting Zone Four to Zone Five.
With no other option, Su Ruolan and Bai Zhen continued their search for Kong Xiang. As they proceeded along People's Middle Road, they noticed more and more panicked people fleeing. By the time they reached the border of Zone Five, the Isolation Gate had been destroyed; twisted metal reflected a cold light. This was not something an ordinary person could do.
At this point, they could only move forward. Su Ruolan and Bai Zhen crossed over the collapsed Isolation Gate into Zone Five. Zone Five maintained the architectural style of Zone Four, characterized by low and dense buildings. As they slowly approached the center of the area, they saw a group of emaciated Zombies with shrunken muscles and bald heads weaving through a crowd of terrified people. With each strike, their long claws pierced through several people's backs. One Snow White Zombie that was feasting on a person's brain suddenly looked up at Su Ruolan with a fierce gaze filled with greed. It leaped towards her like a frog, hands reaching out to grab her neck.
Su Ruolan raised her hand and unleashed an Ice Spike aimed directly at its head with astonishing speed. The Zombie's head was severed in half, yet its body continued to lunge forward for a few steps before collapsing to the ground. The remaining half of its head revealed a White Crystal Core.
Su Ruolan's pupils constricted as she saw another Core. She formed an ice pillar to extract it carefully, cleaning it for inspection. Although it was a White Crystal Core, it differed from the Cores discovered beneath the mysterious structures; that one was purer in color and rich in energy. This one was slightly translucent and clearer in appearance. After dealing with one Zombie, Bai Zhen approached her and asked upon seeing the Core in her hand, "What is this? Do Zombies here also have this?"
"Here? Could it be that the Zombies at the city gate also have this?" Su Ruolan keenly picked up on Bai Zhen's implication and pressed further for answers.
"Yes, but not all of them have it; it has never happened before," Bai Zhen replied.
Su Ruolan felt both excited and heavy-hearted. She had to quickly inform Qin Zhi Han about this. Turning to Bai Zhen, she said, "This is the Energy Stone, which only zombies that produce Abilities possess. Humans can absorb it to replenish energy and upgrade their Abilities. In fact, it's not just zombies; Ability users also have their own energy cores once they reach a certain level. That zombie was staring at me earlier; it was definitely hunting me on purpose. You need to hurry back and tell them this information so they can be extra cautious. I'm going to rescue Kong Xiang."
Bai Zhen was taken aback; this would change the entire battle's dynamics. He quickly said, "Then I leave everything to you. I have a photo of Kong Xiang from before; you can use it to find him."
Su Ruolan took the photo, and the two parted ways.
Zone Five was in complete chaos. Faced with the slaughter of zombies, the vast majority of people were still screaming and fleeing, as most were elderly, weak, or women and children with little combat ability. Su Ruolan could only offer help when she encountered someone in need, rescuing them before leaving immediately. One elderly man she saved was in tears, pleading, "Take me with you! Please take me with you!"
"I'm sorry, I can't. You all need to find a place to hide," Su Ruolan explained.
"Hide? Where can we hide? These monsters have sharp noses; they can find us anywhere. If you can't save me completely, then just let me die," the old man cried out in despair.
Su Ruolan could only place him in a corner, lock the door behind him, and then leave.
She encountered several similar situations, unable to ignore those in need but also aware that helping them delayed her search for Kong Xiang. This time, she swiftly dispatched a leaping Snow White Zombie and collected the Snow White Crystal Core. A young woman she saved looked haggard and said, "Take me with you; let me go with you."
"I'm sorry, I can't. You need to find a place to hide," Su Ruolan replied before turning to leave.
"Go die!" Unexpectedly, Su Ruolan was pushed down by a force from behind.
"Why should I have to live like this? You all are beautiful and high above us, possessing Abilities while I am left to die? I refuse!" the young woman screamed as she raised a stone in her hand, ready to strike Su Ruolan.
Unable to comprehend or believe what was happening, Su Ruolan knocked the stone from her hand.
The woman, upon realizing she had lost her weapon, fell to the ground in shock, stammering, "I'm sorry, please don't kill me, don't kill me."
Su Ruolan was speechless and turned to leave with determined strides.
Seeing the brutal slaughter of humans by the zombies only heightened Su Ruolan's concern for Kong Xiang's safety. Resolutely, she decided not to assist anyone further and headed straight for Hongfu District.
At the entrance, a zombie dressed in property management uniform was wandering about. Su Ruolan quickly dispatched it with an Ice Spike. The roads in the area were soaked in blood, and the dry branches were littered with the corpses of the deceased. The death toll here was higher than outside, reaching a nearly catastrophic level. She found Building 18 and made her way to Building 10. Being an older district, there were no elevators. However, upon catching a whiff of fresh human flesh, a group of Common Zombies staggered down the stairs.
With a swift move, Su Ruolan unleashed "Frozen for Miles," instantly freezing them into ice sculptures before they shattered into pieces upon hitting the ground.
Building 10 was just one floor above ground level; the garage was located across from the house, separately constructed. Su Ruolan opened the closed door and called softly, "Kong Xiang, where are you?"
Suddenly, a thin voice came from above her head: "You finally came!"
Startled, Su Ruolan looked up to see a seventeen-year-old boy crouched on a beam, his arms wrapped around the pillar.
It was astonishing that Su Ruolan, at her third-tier advanced level, had not noticed the boy's presence beforehand.
"I am Kong Xiang. I awakened my invisibility and prophecy abilities," he said slowly and deliberately as he climbed down from the beam.
Su Ruolan raised an eyebrow and looked at Kong Xiang. "What do you mean?"
"This acid rain took my eyesight, but at the same time awakened my abilities. I saw a lot of blood and many people dying; only you can save them," Kong Xiang stepped out from the shadow of the beam. He was unusually thin with long limbs and large eyes that appeared dull and lifeless, as if veiled by a layer of gauze.
"Me?" Seeing such an unusual child startled Su Ruolan; however, she felt relieved that his facial features resembled those in the photo she had seen.
"Yes, this isn't actually my hometown. I only came here because I saw you," Kong Xiang said. "Fortunately, I have the Invisibility Ability, which allowed me to arrive here safely."
"But if you can't see, how do you know the way?" Su Ruolan asked, puzzled.
"Even though my eyes can't see, my heart knows," Kong Xiang replied.
Things were getting strange. Su Ruolan had come here to save Kong Xiang, but now it seemed like Kong Xiang had come to find her instead. "What else did you see?"
"Nothing more; I can only see this much," Kong Xiang shook his head.
Since that was the case, there must be something unusual about this place. Seeing that Kong Xiang was not in any danger and had the ability to protect himself, Su Ruolan decided to search the room with him.
"How long have you been here, and what have you discovered?" Su Ruolan asked.
"More than an hour. Besides the fact that many people have died in this area, I haven't found anything else," Kong Xiang answered honestly.
Su Ruolan began to use her spiritual sense to search the room. Everything in the room was arranged normally, except for one thing: the residual energy in the room and throughout the area was abnormal—too dense.
Her spiritual sense spread out widely, continuously expanding its coverage, and she sensed a group of Zombies pushing a large crowd of humans toward them.
Oh no, it turns out they had entered the Zombies' lair!
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