Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Six

The grandparents got down from the vehicle and joined Shen Xiuzhe to look towards the source of the sound.

"Is that their voices?" Wu Shuangxue asked.

"Yes, they've only been gone a few minutes. Who knows what they've done, but it's certainly nothing good."

Wu Duo, observing their nonchalant demeanor, couldn't help but ask, "Aren't we going to save them?"

"Not many of the creatures or plants here are aggressive. They must have provoked something. It's good for them to learn a lesson," Shen Xiuzhe said.

It was just upon leaving the city that they were advised not to wander or touch anything carelessly, yet they forgot so quickly.

Wu Shuangxue smiled slyly: "Let's go see. I'm curious about what here could trap two individuals with powers. Aside from zombies, we haven't encountered any mutated creatures or plants today. Maybe they've just had some bad luck."

Worrying about a possible stealth attack at home, they took Lin An and Xiao Fu with them, packed up the RV, and headed towards the sound.

They hadn't gone far when Xiao Fu's ears twitched, and he stopped walking.

Wu Shuangxue looked thoughtfully at Xiao Fu: "Did it hear something?"

Everyone stopped, and Lin An, standing behind Shen Xiuzhe, still clutched the corner of his shirt with one hand, his expression blank, then suddenly moved to the side, leaning his back against a large rock.

Shen Xiuzhe was puzzled by Lin An's actions but then heard a rustling noise.

"Everyone lean to the side and clear a path!"

Wu Shuangxue and her granddaughter reacted swiftly, immediately mimicking Lin An's actions and leaning against the rock.

Xiao Fu looked around and immediately snuggled up against his owner's leg.

The rustling sound grew louder as a large swarm of spiders came into view before the group.

Wu Duo witnessed such a scene for the first time: a black mass of small spiders roiling together like a tide, moving incessantly forward, their myriad hairy legs skittering, producing a soft, incessant sound.

A chill ran down her spine, her skin bristled with goosebumps, her scalp tingled, and, barely daring to breathe, she quickly averted her gaze after just one glance.

The tide of spiders surged past, paying no heed to the group pressed against the stone, but behind them followed something else.

The group of small spiders dragged two oval objects wrapped in webs, one larger than the other, tightly encased in white silken threads, pulled across the ground by the countless spiders at the front.

"Mmmph! Mmmmmph!"

Muffled sounds came from within the oval silk cocoons, and something could be seen struggling inside.

Except for the stunned Lin An, the other three and Xiao Fu watched as the small spiders dragged the two silk cocoons away.

Wu Duo blinked and said, "Those inside must be Brother Xu and Little Dong, right?"

Shen Xiuzhe responded indifferently, "I don't recognize them."

Wu Shuangxue shook her head and said, "You wanted to take those two to Baize City, but it will be difficult. They have no sense of vigilance, and even with powers, they couldn't defeat a swarm of small spiders."

These spiders are a unique species of jumping spider found near the Dawn City, cute in appearance and typically not aggressive towards humans. However, they live in groups and will work together to capture any creature much larger than themselves.

Adventurers rarely provoke these jumping spiders, as they're not particularly useful and will attack en masse. But if it came to a fight, Wu Shuangxue could have killed them all at the age of ten. It begs the question of whether those with powers even know how to use them if they're being captured.

Shen Xiuzhe nodded in agreement, "Indeed, the plan was to train them after leaving the overly safe pre-apocalypse Dawn City. They are unguarded against the world outside, thinking that beyond the city without zombies, all is well. A few setbacks now can be good training."

The group of spiders was out of sight now, and the two white silk cocoons had disappeared with them. Wu Duo looked several times in the direction where the cocoons had gone, then turned to see her grandmother still talking with Shen Xiuzhe, and said urgently, "Let's hurry and rescue them, or the spiders will eat them soon."

Wu Shuangxue replied calmly, "No rush. Those spiders aren't hungry right now, so they're dragging their prey to their nest."

Shen Xiuzhe added, "We'll wait for the spiders to rest at night before we bring the two of them out."

As fellow adventurers, both were well-acquainted with most of the flora and fauna and the peculiar landscapes of the wilderness, unfazed by such minor incidents.

Their attention wasn't on the unfortunate souls taken by the small spiders, but on Lin An.

Although the small spiders don't usually attack humans, they will attack immediately if someone blocks their path.

Lin An was the first to dodge the spiders, but it's unclear whether it was by chance or intentional.

Watching the little zombie wash his clothes, Shen Xiuzhe said, "Lin An has read many books about the wilderness and has a strong understanding of it. Even though he's become a zombie and lost his memory, his actions just now could have been driven by instinct."

Wu Shuangxue agreed with this idea: "That means Lin An's survival skills in the wilderness might even be better than those two fools."

At night, the two people dragged into the spider's subterranean lair continued to struggle. When attacked by the spiders, they used their powers, which were usually employed against zombies. The spiders, being much smaller targets and able to burrow and re-emerge from the ground, were undeterred by the onslaught, and no matter how many were killed, countless more would swarm in.

It was entirely different from fighting zombies.

Eventually, they were overwhelmed by numerous "cute" little spiders, which cocooned them in silk and dragged them back to their nest.

The silver-white spider silk appeared soft and delicate but was incredibly tough. The pair struggled for a long time but couldn't break free. And to preserve the freshness of their food, they were still able to breathe and cry out loudly within the cocoon.

"Help! Someone, help me!"

"Is anybody out there?"

They shouted for a long time, but no response came.

Suddenly, the silk cocoons encasing them began to move again, and the people inside, not knowing what was happening, continued to struggle in terror.

They wondered if the spiders were preparing to eat them, never imagining their end might not come at the hands of zombies but by a group of spiders.

No, please! Help me!

The silk cocoon was sliced open, and the two anxious people finally saw different colors in the pitch black.

It was the boss coming to their rescue!

Shen Xiuzhe entered the spider's nest in the middle of the night, stole the silk cocoons, and cut them open with a knife. The two men immediately became agitated, wanting to speak.

"Shh! We'll talk back at the camp."

They were still within the nest's range, and any loud noise might alert the spiders. Shen Xiuzhe promptly silenced them and stealthily led them back.

"How old are you two, playing with spiders? Thinking of keeping a few? Isn't Xiao Fu enough for you? Scooping poop, brushing, bathing, you're too lazy for all that, and yet you want to keep other things?" Shen Xiuzhe crossed his arms, his face full of mocking irony as he spoke.

"Catching spiders is no big deal. After all, it's the age to be lively. But I'm curious, how come you two couldn't even beat a spider?" Wu Shuangxue's face bore a kind smile, but her words were anything but gentle, "When I was ten, I also liked to catch these spiders for fun. If they gathered in large numbers, I'd kill them all. Didn't you two use your powers?"

Shen Xiuzhe scoffed, "I warned you when we left the city: in the wilderness, you cannot let your guard down, not even for an insect or a blade of grass. Had this happened elsewhere, you'd be dead. Are we on a leisurely outing?"

Wu Shuangxue remarked, "Fortunately, these spiders are not very harmful, and they're already sated. Otherwise, in the rainforest, there's a kind of spider, dazzling and beautiful, that sprays acid when anything moves before it. If it were those spiders, by now your features would be melted into an indistinguishable mess, just like those fused-type zombies."

Shen Xiuzhe continued, "When we heard noises and went looking for you, even Xiao Fu knew there was danger ahead. But you two, you just had to blunder into it."

Wu Shuangxue added, "Even Lin An, now a zombie, reacted immediately and knew to hide from the spiders."

Wu Duo stood by, listening to the thinly veiled jabs. Shen Xiuzhe didn't need to say a word; his mocking face said it all— a double whammy.

And the grandmother, seemingly all smiles, delivered heart-piercing lines.

To think, were they both once adventurers? Is mastery of such artful speech now a prerequisite for adventuring?

Watching the two red-faced fools who looked like they wanted to crawl into a hole, Wu Duo discreetly stepped back, vowing to herself to remain vigilant. Otherwise, forget being devoured by beasts; the teasing from her grandmother and Shen would be relentless.

Xu Fang already knew where he would like to dig a hole to bury himself, and Ouyang Dong, too, his once fair and plump face now boiled red with shame and embarrassment.

They were nearly brought to tears by the scolding.

"I won't dare again! After being covered by a swarm of spiders, I never want to see such creatures again in my life. I'll steer clear of them at all costs," Xu Fang admitted his fault loudly, desperate to end the mockery.

Ouyang Dong echoed quickly, "Me too. Not just spiders, I’ll avoid anything with the name Zhu from now on."

Wu Duo thought... that might be an overreaction.

Shen Xiuzhe’s gaze turned icy: "Just spiders?"

"No, no, no, from now on, I won't touch any bug, animal, or plant. I’ll only touch what the boss permits, and if he says no, I won’t even make a move," Xu Fang, ever the flatterer and loyal follower of Shen Xiuzhe, knew just what to say.

Ouyang Dong inwardly cursed, beaten to the punch.

The two misfortunates assured repeatedly, as if they wanted to engrave a warning against all living creatures on their foreheads, before Shen Xiuzhe and Wu Shuangxue finally let them off the hook.

Having narrowly escaped being devoured by spiders, the two were summoned outside after the meal.

"Your use of powers is too poor. Starting today, except for when you're driving, sleeping, or eating, you’ll be training," they were told.

Though Wu Shuangxue was older, she had weathered many storms. Her control over her body and understanding of her powers far exceeded these young ones.

Xu Fang and Ouyang Dong wore expressions of misery but raised no objections. After all, being captured by a swarm of spiders and needing rescue was a humiliating ordeal; they didn't want to be a burden any longer.

"Show me your abilities; you're an Earth type, so unleash your strongest move," Wu Shuangxue said to Xu Fang.

Xu Fang took a deep breath, crouched, and placed his hands on the ground, which then split open into a deep abyss.

Wu Shuangxue: "Is that it? Nothing more? Do you need to touch the ground to use your powers now?"

Xu Fang stood up and scratched his face: "Actually, I did manage to use my powers through the air once before, but never again after that."

It was the first time he met Ouyang Dong; the latter was falling from the sky, and somehow, he succeeded in saving him by willing it.

Wu Shuangxue turned to the man leaning against the RV with his arms folded: "Manipulate a small piece of metal for him to see."

Shen Xiuzhe glanced up and removed a small piece of reinforced metal from the RV, holding it in his hand.

The metal immediately stretched into a thin sheet, then morphed into a sphere, and even a fine metal mesh, before Shen Xiuzhe manipulated it into a tiny metal figure that walked back and forth in his hand, eventually squatting with its knees hugged.

"Like this?"

Wu Shuangxue nodded, impressed by Shen Xiuzhe's masterful control over his metal manipulation abilities.

She turned to Xu Fang: "Try to shape the soil into that little figure like he did."

Xu Fang scooped up a handful of soil and held it in his palm, which gradually took shape, forming a humanoid figure with one leg shorter than the other and a square head.

Wu Shuangxue: "...Well, it'll do for now, try to make it move."

The little clay figure trembled in his palm, taking a step with one leg before collapsing into a heap, leaving only the square head intact.

Xu Fang hissed in frustration, wondering why it looked so easy when the boss did it, but so hard when he tried.

Wu Shuangxue: "Your task tonight is to make that clay figure move."

Then she turned to Ouyang Dong: "You're a Plant type? What plants do you mainly use in combat?"

Ouyang Dong immediately pulled out a bunch of seeds and saplings from his pocket.

Wu Shuangxue glanced at them: "Why are most of these fruit seeds? Do you use fruits to kill zombies?"

Ouyang Dong: "Fruits are for eating; the rest are for fighting."

Observing the robust Ouyang Dong, Wu Shuangxue was left speechless, ultimately sighing, "Choose the skill you're most adept at, then fully unleash your powers; I want to see what becomes of the plants."

Selecting a vine sapling, Ouyang Dong immediately activated his powers to accelerate its growth, and it turned into a thick vine.

"Do you use vines to attack when you fight?"

Ouyang Dong nodded affirmatively.

"Not bad. Now, try to control that blade of grass on the ground," Wu Shuangxue said, pointing to a common weed.

The yellowed, wilting grass lay flattened on the ground, possibly stepped on, its leaves embedded in the soil.

As Ouyang Dong was about to touch it, Wu Shuangxue stopped him, suggesting he try to manipulate it from a distance instead.

Straining to activate his ability, the grass quivered faintly and the crushed leaves slowly started to stand upright, only to flop over again midway.

One was clutching soil with a fierce gaze, the other squatting and intently staring at a blade of grass; to the uninformed, they might appear utterly mad.

Meanwhile, Shen Xiuzhe, encountering a seasoned senior, naturally sought advice, knowing that despite his own strength, he lacked the experience and perspective of the elder before him.

Wu Duo was physically training; as a Space type, she was the least combat-ready of the group, but her grandmother had said that with proper training, she could be formidable even without powers, as her grandmother rarely relied on abilities to kill zombies now, yet her capabilities were second to none.

Lin An was just a zombie, currently unable to understand their speech, so Grandma Wu had him take little Fu for a walk nearby.

The area had been checked; as long as they didn't stray far, there would be no issues.

Lin An, with little Fu in tow, circled around the RV, though it was really little Fu who dictated the walk, hesitant to venture far and staying within sight of the vehicle, with Lin An simply following.

Everyone around was either exercising their bodies or their powers, and although no one watched Lin An, he clenched the leash anxiously.

After a few rounds, little Fu, noticing Xu Fang continuously staring at his hand, approached curiously.

Lin An, holding the leash, was pulled along too.

"Little Fu, go play by yourself; I need to focus on training my powers," Xu Fang said with a smile upon seeing little Fu, but he had serious work and couldn't join in the play.

Little Fu stared curiously at the trembling, misshapen form in Xu Fang's hands, then cocked its head looking at Xu Fang.

Despite the same innocent, clear doggy eyes, Xu Fang, perhaps from being teased too much today, hallucinated that little Fu's gaze seemed to ask: "What in the world have you created?"

Haha, it must be an illusion.

Lin An slowly raised his head, peering through the gap in his bangs at the bald man, then glanced at Ouyang Dong, who was gazing tenderly at a blade of grass, and finally surveyed the surroundings—catching sight of Wu Duo exercising and two others discussing the wilderness.

He stood for a moment before squatting down, expression vacant as he extended a hand, upon which a small dog sculpted from water miraculously appeared.

The water-formed pup, though made of water, was strikingly lifelike, bearing a strong resemblance to the nearby little Fu.

Xu Fang witnessed the entire scene, his eyes widening in astonishment as he called out, "Everyone, come look!"

The others turned to look, with Xu Fang bouncing around like an excited monkey, pointing at Lin An squatting there: "He just used his powers!"

...Wasn't that normal? He'd use his powers whenever something got dirty.

"He wasn't just cleaning with his powers; he crafted a small dog out of water, he was playing!" Xu Fang was nearly shouting himself hoarse as if he had seen one of the world's wonders.

Shen Xiuzhe immediately stood and approached, with the others also heading their way.

However, startled by Xu Fang's hopping and loud voice, Lin An flinched, and the water pup dissolved back into a puddle, slipping through his fingers.

By the time everyone gathered, all that was left was the squatting little zombie.

"I'm telling the truth, he just squatted down and then made a little dog out of water, it was perfect, just like little Fu," Xu Fang was desperate to have Lin An recreate it, lest nobody believe him.

Wu Shuangxue pondered: "Did you say earlier that his social anxiety is severe?"

Shen Xiuzhe, knowing Lin An's past, nodded. Due to traumatic experiences in his childhood, his social anxiety had become a serious condition, one that made him fearful of people.

The elder smiled: "How about we play a game right now?"

Lin An sat there, hugging his knees, visibly startled and anxious.

After a moment, Lin An noticed the silence around him; the area that had been filled with conversation and noise was now eerily quiet.

Turning slowly, he saw everyone standing in a line with their backs to him, even little Fu squatting at the end.

Everyone seemed fixated on something, leaving him the only one squatting there.

Out of place.

As if by instinct, Lin An quickly stood and walked to the edge, standing next to little Fu.

Now everyone was lined up, and Ouyang Dong couldn't help but laugh, followed by a cough to cover it up. He asked, "What's this about?"

Shen Xiuzhe looked at the little zombie on the end and speculated, "Perhaps he's trying to fit in with the group?"

In fact, these past few days had seen many changes in Lin An; his wardrobe had been stowed in the spatial storage since there was no room in the RV, and with nowhere to hide inside, he was often seated on the couch.

The little zombie had gradually become familiar with the group, sensing no harm from them and growing accustomed to their presence, so much so that he'd spent the day simply sitting on the sofa, only stiffening a bit under their gaze rather than seeking a hiding spot.

While everyone was busy in the evening, Lin An could only walk the dog, perhaps feeling a sense of exclusion, which is why he tried to mimic everyone's actions, striving to belong.

Shen Xiuzhe felt that Lin An might slowly be accepting them as companions.

"This is a good sign; it seems he can join in our training," Wu Shuangxue said with a warm smile.

Lin An's abilities were already strong, but he only used them for cleaning; now, Wu Shuangxue wanted him to try using his powers in new ways, thinking that varied exercises might stimulate his recovery.

Ouyang Dong's powers weren't something Lin An could emulate, so Xu Fang was to include Lin An in their activities.

Xu Fang squatted down, struggling to shape a clump of soil into a human figure; the wobbly little earthling trembled in its attempt to move forward, only to collapse into a puddle the next moment.

Lin An squatted beside him, a water-formed little dog appearing instantly in his hand, frolicking happily, even managing to rinse away the muddy mess in Xu Fang's hand with a focused splash.

Despite his slow and dazed appearance, Lin An's abilities were remarkably agile.

Xu Fang: The comparison was too stark, painfully so.

And the little earth figures Xu Fang conjured with his abilities, when they couldn't hold their shape, were promptly washed away by water.

Xu Fang watched Lin An, feeling that familiar sense of illusion creeping in.

It was as if quiet, silent An Ge was mocking him, the act of washing away the failed creations seeming to say: Is this what you call practicing abilities? It looks more like playing with mud.

Yeah, it must be an illusion.

Only when their powers were entirely depleted did Xu Fang and Ouyang Dong cease practicing, readying to rest.

Midway, they were intercepted by the boss: "Where are you going? The training isn't over for today."

"But we've run out of powers," they protested.

"There's a way to train that doesn't require powers."

"What?"

Ten minutes later, Xu Fang and Ouyang Dong each wielded a knife forged from metal by Shen Xiuze as they fiercely combated the zombies in the street.

Without their powers, even ordinary zombies posed a significant threat to them.

Usually, a simple activation of their abilities would handle the zombies, but now they could only huff and puff as they swung their knives.

Xu Fang was slightly better off; after all, he had previously fought zombies with a knife alongside Shen Xiuze. Ouyang Dong, on the other hand, relied heavily on his powers and, being on the heavier side, found the task of killing zombies even more strenuous.

Shen Xiuze and Wu Shuangxue stood atop a truck, observing the group's battle against the zombies.

"Don’t just use the knife to block; are the cars around you just for show?"

"Start running; Wudo has already taken down three zombies, and you’ve only managed one."

The knife Wudo wielded belonged to Wu Shuangxue. Originally a pair, she had now given one to her granddaughter, who was also adeptly joining the fray, evidently well-trained by her grandmother over the past six months.

The thought that Wudo, at just fourteen, was outpacing them spurred the two to quicken their actions.

Xiao Fu, cradled by Wu Shuangxue, lifted his head, earnestly searching for his owner.

His owner, Lin An, was also fighting zombies below.

Lin An stood in the middle of the road, holding a knife similar to Xu Fang's. He seemed to want to mimic the actions of the others in slaying the zombies, but being a zombie himself, he couldn't attract the slightest interest from the ordinary zombies.

Occasionally, a zombie would pass by Lin An, who would then slowly slice at its shoulder with his knife.

The clothing wasn't even cut through.

The zombie, completely unaware of being struck, focused solely on the three humans ahead, roaring as it charged forward.

Lin An watched the zombie's retreating figure, a sense of inexplicable sorrow in his gaze.

Wu Shuangxue: "In the future, we should still focus on honing his powers."

Shen Xiuze: "Yeah, I think so too."

The following days went on like this: traveling by day and training at night.

"The number of cars on the road dwindled, leaving only a sparse few, allowing them to finally continue their journey in the RV."

"Exhausted to the bone each day, Xu Fang and Ouyang Dong would fall into such deep slumber that calling them would be futile, so Shen Xiuze and Wu Shuangxue were left to drive the RV."

"Today, it was Wu Shuangxue's turn to drive, with her granddaughter Wudo accompanying her in the passenger seat."

"Suddenly, a row of spike strips appeared ahead on the road, completely blocking the path."

"Wu Shuangxue brought the vehicle to a halt and honked the horn towards the tents by the roadside."

"Unexpectedly, three figures emerged from the tents."

"Disheveled and filthy, they would be mistaken for zombies if not for their human speech."

"'Stop right there! If you want to get through here, leave behind half of your supplies,' one of the men yelled as he approached the RV."

"The other two men, eyeing the RV with covetous surprise, exchanged a glance of ill intent upon realizing the drivers were an elderly lady and a young girl."

"'Big brother, if we take this RV, we won't have to sleep in tents anymore,' one of the men murmured."

"Another chimed in, 'Look, it's just an old woman and a girl inside, what an opportunity.'"

"The leader, enticed by the idea, banged on the window threateningly, 'If you want to pass, fork over half your stuff!'"

"Wu Shuangxue rolled down the window and chuckled, 'What if we refuse to pay?'"

"'Then you'll leave everything behind, including the vehicle!'"

"Wu Shuangxue pondered for a moment, 'I can't decide on that, I'd have to ask someone.'"

"'Ask who?'"

"The sly old lady called out through the window, 'Hey! Someone's asking for a toll, should I pay or not?'"

"The door of the RV swung open, and out stepped three men with an even more menacing presence."

"Shen Xiuze, towering at one eighty-five, with a fierce gleam in his eye, challenged, 'Since when did this road become yours to claim?'"

"A groggy bald man cursed, 'Pay my ass! The nerve to demand our stuff, are you looking for trouble?'"

"The stocky and robust Ouyang Dong yawned, 'What's this about paying?'"

Xiao Fu: "Woof!"

"To their astonishment, a large dog followed the trio; in these times, could there actually be someone keeping a dog?"

"The trio of men was instantly cowed by the mere presence of the newcomers, their bluster gone, and they hastily removed the spike strips from the road."

"'It was all a misunderstanding, we heard wrong earlier. We're not demanding anything; please, go ahead,' they stammered."

"Shen Xiuze, having no desire to parley with those who bully the weak and fear the strong, asked Granny Wu if she wished to switch drivers, but she declined, and he returned to the RV."

"Shen Xiuze, entering the RV first, noticed Lin An quietly peering out from the doorway, only to shyly retreat upon being spotted."

"The presence of strangers typically frightened Lin An, so why was he now curiously sneaking peeks from the doorway?"

"Of course, even if the question were asked, the young zombie wouldn’t have an answer; Shen Xiuze simply made a mental note of the behavior."

"The RV pressed on, and the three roadside men watched it disappear into the distance, one of them musing, 'Do you think they'll make it alive to the Mechanical City?'"

"'Who knows? It doesn't concern us anyway.'"

"'They won't make it. Everyone ahead is dead. We only survived because we ran fast. Might as well stay put; the road to Chuxi City is blocked, and the Mechanical City is unreachable. We might've been better off staying in Chuxi City. Did you see that fat one? Maybe there are no zombies left in there.'"

"'Shall we go back and check?'"

"'How would we go back?'"

"'Let's walk, we still have a bit of food, it should be enough.'"

"'Sounds good.'"

"Their conversation was lost to the wind, unheard by those in the RV, who continued to drive towards the direction of the Mechanical City."