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The Socially Anxious Little Zombie Forced Outdoors

Chapter Forty-Four

The ones who came from afar to greet them were three men and two women; one of the men and one of the women appeared to be about the same age as Xu Fang and his group, in their twenties, while the other three looked to be in their thirties based on their features.

They wore cotton and linen clothes in white or gray, embroidered with colorful silk threads forming intricate patterns.

All of these people had yellow skin, with the two men in their thirties looking a bit darker.

The smiles on their faces were sincere, and they were very warm and enthusiastic in their greeting.

Shen Xiuzhe and the others were the first outsiders they had seen; living in the forest, they were unaware of the situation in other cities, and many had thought at the beginning of the apocalypse that this was a disaster given to their city by the gods.

Previously, Grandma Wu had mentioned that the people of Wood Spirit City rarely left their homes and were very warm and hospitable, liking to hear about the adventures of outsiders.

It was only upon meeting them that they knew they were indeed very hospitable.

The young men and women seemed very curious about them, looking over and over again, and only smiled when looked back at.

Lin An had scurried behind Shen Xiuzhe the moment the others approached; he could only remain calm in front of his companions, still unable to handle strangers and preferring to hide behind familiar people.

It was only when they reached the base of the great tree that they discovered a natural hollow at the bottom of the trunk, even with steps made of mud and wood built outside.

"Gradually, more people emerge from the tree hollow, all dressed similarly. Some stand at the entrance observing, while others descend the steps to greet them."

"'Who are they?'"

"'Are they explorers from outside?'"

"'There are six of them; how did they get here?'"

"The locals seem very curious about them, following the few in front as they enter the tree hollow. Initially expecting darkness inside, they are surprised to find it quite different from their expectations."

"A large space is hollowed out in the center of this gigantic tree trunk, as if a hole has been carved upwards from the base. The walls of the tree hollow are dotted with many honeycomb-like small holes. Although they are just small holes in the context of the giant tree, in reality, each of these holes has a diameter of several meters."

"Between each hole, there were wooden steps carved by hand, like relief sculptures, connecting the holes inside the tree."

"It seemed that these people lived inside these hollows."

"Their vision was so clear because the inside of the tree hollow was illuminated with glowing plants and minerals."

"Clusters of faint green mushrooms, bunches of pale yellow mineral crystals, and glowing white plants."

"In the originally dark tree hollow, these lights were like stars, neatly arranged and twinkling everywhere."

"The dreamlike scene made them pause at the entrance of the hollow in awe, sighing in admiration."

"Lin An also found it beautiful. Such glowing plants and minerals were rare in the forest. To find them, one had to be very familiar with the forest. The people of Muling City, having lived in the forest since childhood, knew it better than anyone else."

"Even he, with all his reading, couldn’t compare to them."

"Although he had read many books, it was only after entering the forest that he matched the pictures and words to the plants he saw."

"The people of Muling City grew up knowing every plant and animal in the forest; for them, it was just everyday life."

"Don't just stand here, come and sit down for a good look," one of the girls said with a smile.

"Nodding, they followed their guide deeper inside, where many grass mats were laid out in the central part of the tree, with a large, long-burning bonfire in the middle."

"After being led here and invited to sit on the mats, they finally felt the warmth near the fire."

"Inside the tree, although there was no wind, it was still cold. The tree's trunk, deprived of sunlight, couldn’t dispel the dampness."

The central bonfire burned brightly, casting a warm glow on the faces of those seated at the forefront, flushing their cheeks with a reddish hue, warding off the chill indeed.

It seemed that all the residents of the great tree had come out, in addition to those initially outside, people from each hollow emerged from the steps, converging towards them.

Before long, they found themselves surrounded.

Lin An, scrutinized by a crowd of strangers with no place to hide, was thankful for his thorough attire. Huddled next to Shen Xiuzhe with his head down, he tried to minimize his presence.

"Welcome, travelers from afar," a middle-aged man in his forties emerged from the crowd, smiling as he approached them, "I am the current chieftain of Wood Spirit City, my name is Mu Ze."

Out of courtesy, they each shared their names in turn.

"When it was Lin An’s turn, he became extremely nervous under everyone’s gaze, his voice trembling: 'I, I… uh.'"

He had bitten his tongue.

How embarrassing.

"His name is Lin An," Shen Xiuzhe introduced him directly.

After the introductions, Mu Ze quickly inquired about the outside world. Wood Spirit City, isolated in the forest, was eager for news from beyond their borders.

When they learned that the group had come from Chuxi City, that zombies were rampant along with mutated flora and fauna, curiosity in the eyes around them turned to disappointment.

Sitting opposite them, Mu Ze sighed, "We were all from Wood Spirit City, but overnight, most of our kin turned into zombies. We thought it was some strange illness at first, but it's a terrifying sickness—the afflicted even resort to cannibalism."

In Mu Ze's narrative, initially, they did not harm the sick, merely restraining them, hoping to find a cure, but they soon realized their decision was a mistake.

The ill, devoid of reason, would attack the healthy, and a bite was enough to turn one into such a monster.

Many in Wood Spirit City were devoured or transformed into monsters themselves.

"Had we eliminated those who were sick earlier, perhaps more of us would have survived," Mu Ze said with a pained expression, filled with regret.

Indeed, at the dawn of the apocalypse in Chuxi City, many hid their infected kin, only to be the first victims of the turned.

With a cool gaze, Shen Xiuzhe interjected, "What about the breached city wall? How did you end up here?"

Mu Ze looked up in surprise, "You've been to Wood Spirit City?"

They all nodded in unison.

"Were you not attacked?"

Xu Fang scratched his face, "Oh, we were attacked by a lot of zombies."

"No, I mean during your time in Wood Spirit City, weren't you attacked by the Serpent God?"

"Attacked by whom?" Ouyang Dong didn't catch that.

"The Serpent God," Mu Ze said with a serious look, "Wood Spirit City worships the Serpent God, and the guardian of the entire forest is a giant green python. It never attacks humans and is even said to protect us in times of danger. But the Serpent God has also turned into one of those monsters, and it shattered the city walls with a mere flick of its tail."

Shen Xiuzhe furrowed his brow: "But inside Wood Spirit City, the houses and trees didn't seem to suffer much damage."

If indeed a giant zombie snake had broken through the walls, wouldn't it have entered the city to devour humans and destroy buildings?

A young boy beside Mu Ze suddenly spoke, "It was my brother, he lured the Serpent God away. He had awakened a powerful ability. When the Serpent God broke through the walls, he led it away, but he never returned."

The boy looked to be about eighteen or nineteen, his expression heavy with sorrow.

Mu Ze patted his head, "Yes, his brother was a great hero. That day he diverted the Serpent God, and we all fled, leaving Wood Spirit City, hiding here and there until we lost many and finally found this place."

Lin An wanted to ask if this tree had always been there, but with so many people around, he felt too shy to ask and kept his question to himself.

"Heaven does not forsake us, the Tree God has blessed us, allowing us to live here, and there are none of those terrifying animals and plants around, and the Serpent God hasn't come looking for us again. We live rather peacefully," Mu Ze spoke of the Tree God with a gleam in his eye, a sentiment echoed in the faces of those around him.

Xu Fang wanted to comment on the simplicity of naming - a Serpent God, a Tree God - but seeing the gratitude and reverence on everyone's faces, he refrained from voicing his sarcasm.

Learning that the group had stayed a week in Wood Spirit City without attack by the Serpent God, Mu Ze breathed a sigh of relief. Though they now reside here, Wood Spirit City was once their home, and they did not wish it to be constantly under the Serpent God's scrutiny.

Looking around, Shen Xiuzhe estimated there were only three to four hundred people here, meaning that was all that remained of Wood Spirit City.

From a city of tens of thousands, only a few hundred remained.

As they continued to converse, they quickly became familiar with each other. Mu Ze, observing Lin An clinging closely to Shen Xiuzhe, asked curiously, "Is the young brother cold? Why is he bundled up so tightly?"

"He has a cold."

"Just allergies."

"He's a bit shy around strangers."

"Several voices responded at once, each with a different answer."

"Lin An suddenly felt even more eyes on him."

"Help me."

"Shen Xiuzhe looked coldly at the other two who were eager to answer, Xu Fang and Ouyang Dong, who immediately averted their gaze guiltily."

"In front of strangers, Shen Xiuzhe always maintained a standoffish demeanor. Now, staring at those looking at Lin An, he said expressionlessly: 'He has a bit of a cold recently, and he’s allergic to many pollens in the forest, that’s why he’s wrapped up so tightly.'"

"'It's fine, there are no flowers around the sacred tree; he can remove his mask,' one of the tribe members kindly suggested."

"Shen Xiuzhe looked at the speaker: 'No need.'"

"The coldness in his gaze was apparent. The tribe member who had spoken was so intimidated by Shen Xiuzhe’s stare that they dared not speak again."

"Such a strong presence."

"Lin An sighed in relief, playing with his fingers while bowing his head, forcing himself to ignore those stares."

"He felt much more composed than before. In the past, such attention might have made him faint, but now he was able to sit steadily, a definite improvement."

"The others were also curious about them, crowding around to ask about things in other cities."

"Shen Xiuzhe’s aura was too strong, deterring others from approaching, and Lin An, wrapped up so tightly that his face was hidden, appeared quite odd."

"Thus, only around Xu Fang, Ouyang Dong, and Grandma U's group was there a crowd."

"Contrasting Lin An, Xu Fang was surprisingly sociable, quickly becoming familiar and brotherly with the locals, as if he'd known them for a long time."

"'Xu Fang, what’s your special ability?' a young woman asked."

"Xu Fang rubbed his bald head and grinned: 'I have Earth-based abilities.'"

“I have fire-based powers.”

"'I’m Water-based.'"

"'I’m also Earth-based like you. Want to have a little competition?'"

"The young people, competitive in nature, quickly formed a group and all went outside together."

Mu Ze called out helplessly from behind: “The guests have just arrived and haven't even eaten. How can you take them out to fight?”

"Xu Fang waved his hand nonchalantly: 'No worries, no worries, it’s just a bit of fun.'"

"After saying this, he went out laughing and chatting with everyone."

"Although Lin An kept his head down the whole time, his mind was filled with questions. Not daring to ask these strangers he just met, he had to rely on someone familiar to inquire for him."

"Sneakily grabbing Shen Xiuzhe’s hand, Lin An quietly wrote words in his palm."

Confused, Shen Xiuzhe looked at his right hand being moved, feeling an itch in his palm and instinctively clenched his fist.

Lin An, with a finger held, expressed confusion: “?”

Feeling the moist touch on his index finger, Shen Xiuzhe knew that Lin An was still enveloped in a water film.

Anxiously retracting his finger, Lin An sat down, head bowed, caressing Xiao Fu, who was always nestled beside him.

Shen Xiuzhe, observing the one-centimeter gap between the two, felt amused. Lin An seemed annoyed but only moved a centimeter away, not daring to distance himself too much.

"What were you about to say?" Shen Xiuzhe asked proactively.

Lin An glanced at him and then slowly moved over, continuing to drag his hand.

Quickly looking up and seeing that no one was paying attention, he continued to write on his hand.

Feeling the itch in his palm again, Shen Xiuzhe slightly moved his fingers, prompting Lin An to quickly withdraw his, looking at him.

Although his expression was obscured, Shen Xiuzhe could imagine Lin An's rabbit-like, alert yet cautious demeanor.

“Continue, I’ll stay still.”

Lin An was a bit angry because his question was important, but Shen Xiuzhe wasn't paying attention, so he pressed harder as he continued to write, a bit of revenge in his action.

Shen Xiuzhe didn't feel the other's retaliation; he just felt itchier.

But this time, he was focused on deciphering the words Lin An was writing.

"Ask about the origin of this big tree?"

“Why won’t they return to Muling City?”

"There are no elderly or children here."

"Do they know about Moushi City?"

Shen Xiuzhe's lips curved slightly, realizing he and Lin An had come to the same conclusion.

This big tree was too strange; although no anomalies had been found yet, its size was terrifying, and he had never heard of it from any explorer before.

Among the several hundred people they now saw, the youngest were seventeen or eighteen years old, and the oldest in their forties, with no one younger or older.

Although young children and elderly people are more susceptible to zombification, a large number of them in Chuxi City had also survived.

And from their recent narration, the people killed by zombies, hiding throughout the forest, likely had a high death rate among the old and young, but the complete absence of any was indeed strange.

These questions couldn't be asked; if these people indeed had some secrets, asking would make them more cautious, so they had to find answers on their own.

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