Chapter Seventy-Two

Chapter Seventy-Two

“What?” asked Shen Xiuzhe, puzzled as he looked at the urgent Lin An from the driver's window.

“Let's go there,” Lin An urged, tugging at his sleeve and staring intently in that direction.

Shen Xiuzhe pulled the car over, and seeing one vehicle stop, the others followed suit.

Xu Fang rolled down his window: “Boss, what’s up?”

Shen Xiuzhe didn't respond, instead turning to Lin An, “What's over there?”

Lin An could smell it – an indescribable aroma. Though he now resisted the temptation of human flesh, the scent of the long-missed delicacy was irresistible, even awakening a long-dormant hunger.

“There's a meteorite there, the same kind I've eaten before – a red one. It smells just like it,” Lin An swallowed hard, his gaze filled with longing towards the east.

Shen Xiuzhe hadn’t expected to find a meteorite so soon. He stepped out of the car and approached Lu Li’s vehicle. Before Lu Li could ask why they had stopped, Shen Xiuzhe inquired, “What’s in the east?”

Shen Xiuzhe stopped just to ask about the east? Though puzzled, Lu Li replied, “About eighty kilometers that way is the Dune Town I mentioned earlier. Beyond that…”

Shen Xiuzhe now knew the location of the meteorite. He had always found the zombies here unnaturally strong, especially compared to those in the populous Chu Xi City. Surviving humans were few, mostly dealing with ordinary zombies. A careful approach usually sufficed for a lone human to kill one.

But here, despite a smaller population than Chu Xi City, the zombies were much stronger, even seemingly more intelligent. He had suspected a connection to the meteorite.

“You’re thinking of going to Dune Town? Give up that idea; it’s not a place we can venture into now,” Lu Li said expressionlessly.

Dune Town housed a batch of energy resources desperately needed by the Eye of the Desert. Several capable teams had tried to seize them, but none who entered the town had returned alive. Among those who went was an elder kind to Lu Li. He too had ventured into Dune Town, hoping to find the elder alive but had to flee before even reaching the town center.

Since then, no one dared venture there again.

Shen Xiuzhe knew the risks, but he was determined to go. The red meteorite could be humanity's hope, worth any effort to retrieve for Baize City.

Moreover, Lin An might also need those meteorites.

Now wasn't the right time; they could only discuss it upon returning, making sure to prepare thoroughly.

"Let's move on."

Shen Xiuzhe returned to the car and, seeing Lin An's eager gaze, softened his voice to reassure: "We can't go there today. The meteorite is likely in Dune Town, which Lu Li says is dangerous. We must be well-prepared before entering."

Although Lin An was enticed by the scent and struggling with his hunger, he had once endured months of starvation as a zombie. His willpower was strong, and he merely nodded obediently, saying no more.

The car started again, speeding off in another direction. Lin An silently turned to look at the scenery, but his mind was clearly elsewhere.

They had set out after nine in the morning and returned before dinner.

The zombies in the town were sparse, and for some reason, they were unusually fragile today, dying after just a few hits. This frustrated Lu Li, who had hoped to show off.

Their mission was a success, with the machinery safely transported back to the Eye of the Desert, and Lu Li generously shared half of the rewards with Shen Xiuzhe's team.

The rewards usually consisted of various supplies and weapons. Shen Xiuzhe didn't collect his share, instead discussing their next venture to Dune Town upon return.

Confronted with Shen Xiuzhe's resolute gaze, Lu Li realized he was serious.

"Why must you go there? Is it a death wish?" Lu Li's words were harsh, but his previous experience in Dune Town still haunted him. Swarms of zombies had surged towards him like a tidal wave. Despite being an S-tier ability user, top-ranked in the Eye of the Desert, those zombies seemed unkillable. No matter how many he took down, more would immediately swarm him, rendering even his powerful electric abilities futile against such numbers.

Alone without his teammates, Lu Li's expression was deeply troubled and serious: "I saw something in Dune Town that I haven't shared with anyone. Revealing it could cause panic."

Everyone in the tent turned their attention to him. It was rare to see Lu Li so solemn. Shen Xiuzhe promptly asked, "What did you see?"

Lu Li closed his eyes briefly: "The zombies... they're unlike any we've seen before. They don't even resemble humans anymore, looking grotesque, and are far stronger than regular zombies. I only encountered two, but their strength was on par with S-tier ability users."

There must be more than just those two non-humanoid zombies in Dune Town. If each was as strong as an S-tier ability user, humans would stand no chance. If those powerful zombies hadn’t confined themselves to Dune Town, the Eye of the Desert would have been overrun long ago.

He was the only one to have survived an escape from Dune Town, and the sole person aware of those zombies' existence. He shared this to prevent Shen Xiuzhe from a needless demise.

Shen Xiuzhe: "……"

Lin An: "……"

The others: "……"

Wuduo blinked, "What do those zombies look like? Are they like a puddle of reddish meaty muck, or do they have body parts that are enhanced, like elongated limbs? Covered in eyes? Or do they have abilities like humans?"

Her tone was eerily calm, as if accustomed to such horrors.

Lu Li: ?

His expression was indescribable. He now realized that neither Shen Xiuzhe nor his teammates reacted to the news. How did they know about the zombies being a mass of red flesh?

Xu Fang, stroking his bald head and sighing with a weathered look, said, "Brother Lu, we come from Chu Xi City, a place with over a million people, where I'd guess about eighty percent turned into zombies. Can you imagine the streets filled with mountains of corpses? We've seen plenty of those special zombies you're talking about."

The others nodded in agreement.

Lu Li: "……You guys have really been through a lot."

"It's different," Lin An, who had been quiet in the corner, suddenly spoke up. "The special zombies in Chu Xi City are nearly as strong as the regular ones here."

Lin An, who had previously been out of his senses, remembered everything that happened. In Chu Xi City, it took both Xu Fang and Ouyang Dong's combined efforts to barely kill one special zombie. However, last night, they still teamed up to take down a single zombie. Considering Xu Fang and Ouyang Dong had greatly improved their powers, the ordinary zombies in the Eye of the Desert were stronger than Chu Xi City's special ones.

The special zombies in Dune Town would undoubtedly be even more challenging.

Realization dawned on everyone, and they fell silent.

"I think the zombies here are so powerful because of the meteorite in Dune Town. It attracts and strengthens them. If we take the meteorite, we'll become targets for all the zombies," Lin An analyzed, head down, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt.

Indeed, if they took the meteorite, all the zombies would chase them wherever they went.

Indeed, this was a problem.

Shen Xiuzhe tapped his finger thoughtfully and turned to Lu Li, "How many zombies are there in Dune Town?"

Lu Li, who had been trying to get a glimpse of Lin An's face, was still unfamiliar with his voice – a clear, youthful tone. He had been trying to see past Lin An's head when Shen Xiuzhe's question caught his attention.

Redirecting his gaze, Lu Li answered, "I don’t know exactly, but there must be tens of thousands. Initially, these zombies weren’t so strong. You're saying they got stronger because of the meteorite? The one from the meteor shower? It attracts zombies?"

Tens of thousands... Ouyang Dong felt a headache coming on. They were just a few people, facing tens of thousands of zombies seemed like an impossible task.

Lin An: “I can go in and get the meteorite without alerting the zombies. I can find where it is.”

Strictly speaking, he's still a zombie now. Entering the Sand Dune Town won't attract other zombies' attention, and he can quickly locate the meteorite by its scent.

"And then what? Once you get the meteorite, the zombies will still catch up," Shen Xiuzhe disagreed with the proposal.

"I'll drive far away. As long as the distance from the zombies exceeds eighty kilometers, they should no longer be able to smell it." He only detected the meteorite's scent eighty kilometers from Sand Dune Town, and the olfactory range of other zombies was probably about the same.

Lu Li interjected, "Wait, why won't he alert the zombies when he enters? Isn’t he a water-element ability user?"

Lu Li's words were deliberately ignored by everyone, and no one answered him.

Udo hesitantly looked at Grandma. Since entering the desert, Grandma had been mostly silent, sitting alone in a daze, as if everything around her had nothing to do with her. Udo was worried about Grandma, wishing she could watch over her twenty-four hours a day.

In such a state, Grandma couldn't go to Sand Dune Town, but now Udo was the only one who could safely bring out the meteorite.

"Just put the meteorite in the space, and the zombies won’t be able to smell it."

"This is the safest method."

"Should I stay with Grandma in the safe 'Eye of the Desert,' or leave her behind to help everyone get the meteorite?"

Looking at Grandma, who remained silent, Udo hesitated but soon made up her mind: "I'll go with Xiao An. He’ll be responsible for bringing out the meteorite, then I'll put it in the space. That way, the zombies won't be able to smell it and won’t chase us."

Xu Fang's eyes lit up: "Yes, putting the meteorite in the space is a good idea."

Lu Li persisted, "An A-level ability user couldn’t possibly come out of Sand Dune Town unscathed with something. Why are you all so sure he can succeed?"

Shen Xiuzhe turned to Udo, "What about your grandmother?"

Udo bit her lip, "It’s very safe here, and I heard that tasks can be posted at the base. I'll find someone to help take care of Grandma."

The most difficult problem was solved, but there were many details they needed to carefully consider, like where Udo should stay to ensure safety, how Lin An would hand over the meteorite to Udo, and how to deal with special zombies if encountered. Each required careful thought.

Lu Li watched their enthusiastic discussion, feeling completely ignored, and stood up, walking to the center of the tent.

His tall stature immediately attracted everyone's attention when he stood in the middle.

"I provided so much information, and you're treating me as if I don't exist?" Lu Li was unhappy, his smoky gray eyes filled with dissatisfaction.

Lin An's identity couldn't be known to others. They couldn't be sure what others would do once they knew Lin An was a zombie. However, they could talk about the meteorite.

Shen Xiuzhe shared his speculations about the meteorite with Lu Li, and indeed, this news was explosive for him.

Lu Li exclaimed in shock, "You're saying that the meteorite can turn zombies back into humans!"

Shen Xiuzhe clarified, "...I didn't say that. I merely mentioned that the meteorite has a strengthening effect on both humans and zombies. Without sufficient samples and data, it's uncertain whether it can revert zombies back to humans."

"So you want to take the meteorite from Dune Town for research?" Lu Li pondered, then suddenly looked up, "I'll join you. Whether it's useful or not, we must try if there's even a sliver of hope. I don't want to live in constant uncertainty, and the energy source at Dune Town is crucial. We might even be able to bring it back."

Once Lu Li was determined to do something, he would strive to do it best, just as his lingering frustration over being unable to defeat Shen Xiuzhe showed.

Without waiting for Shen Xiuzhe to refuse, he promptly left to arrange personnel and weapons.

After repeatedly discussing their plans and simulating various possible scenarios on the map of Dune Town, Shen Xize and his group were ready to set out early on the third day.

They entrusted Grandma Wu and Xiao Fu to someone known by Lu Li, who had made thorough preparations for any eventuality.

Lu Li brought dozens of people, most of whom would not enter Dune Town but would wait outside for backup.

Grandma Wu's condition seemed to have worsened in the past few days; she was seldom lucid and had barely spoken. Even now, she just stood there, lost in thought.

Wuda stood beside her, chattering away. Although Grandma might not hear her, she still made sure everything was clearly settled.

Xiao Fu, seeing that they were about to leave, wagged its tail excitedly. But when its leash was handed over to someone else, its vigorously wagging tail gradually stilled, and it looked at Lin An with a puzzled tilt of its head.

Lin An couldn't bear being gazed at like that and could only avoid Xiao Fu's gaze. "Be good, Xiao Fu. We'll be back soon."

When Xiao Fu saw Lin An turn and get into the car, it finally realized it was being left behind and immediately tried to follow.

But the leash hindered its movements. Xiao Fu struggled forward, and even as the car started, it remained there, digging a hole in the sand.

"Awoo~" Xiao Fu stared after the car, howling earnestly, but the car carrying its owner still sped away.

"Alright, let's go back. Your owner will return," said the man holding Xiao Fu's leash, seeing the dog still looking hopefully. He picked up Xiao Fu to take it back. Xiao Fu struggled incessantly, but the man was too tall and strong for it to break free.

"Awoo~"

Master~

Grandma Wu was also watching the car drive away, but her expression remained unchanged. It was only when the lady next to her helped her up that Grandma Wu turned to leave, without looking back once.

A hundred kilometers wasn't far, and they soon arrived near a small town by the dunes.

At this point, we were a kilometer away from the town; any further and the zombies would smell us. Lu Li signaled everyone to stop the cars and get out.

The cat-eyed boy who had been following Lu Li was among them, holding a can of something, spraying it on his teammates.

Xu Fang was curious about what it was, but before he got close, a foul stench hit him: "Ugh, what is this? It stinks! Ugh!"

The cat-eyed boy glanced at him, then swiftly sprayed Xu Fang with the stinking gas: "It's a liquid extracted from skunks, masks our human scent."

"This is way too stinky," Xu Fang, caught off guard, got sprayed all over, and stepped back in shock, but the stench clung to him.

"Ugh, I'm dirty!" Xu Fang cried out in dismay and anger.

"Stop yelling, you’ll attract the zombies. Being stinky is better than being eaten alive," the cat-eyed boy rolled his eyes. His teammates were all sprayed and stood there despondently, then he aimed the can at Shen Xiuzhe and the others.

Wu Duo, Xu Fang, and Ouyang Dong couldn't help but step back.

But they knew using it was key to their plan, so they endured the smell and let the cat-eyed boy spray them all over.

Shen Xiuzhe and Lu Li were unfazed; as adventurers, they’d encountered far smellier animals and plants in the wild, this was bearable.

Only Lin An was left, hiding back in the car as soon as Luo Yuan brought out the can.