Chapter Ninety

Chapter Ninety

In Ice and Snow City, the superpowered individuals participating in the zombie tide attack donned protective suits to enter the labyrinth.

Their bright yellow suits stood out as they wound their way along the labyrinth's paths, mercilessly dispatching the fish zombies, already decimated in numbers. Some even kicked them into the green potion on the ground, watching as they dissolved into blood, competing over who could kill more.

Meanwhile, some of the more powerful superpowered individuals actively confronted the larger zombie fish.

Lin An, suffering from social anxiety, stayed close to Shen Xiuzhe while fighting the zombies.

The others, native to Ice and Snow City, could easily find their way out from any part of the labyrinth. But if Lin An got lost, he wouldn't even be able to find the path, too afraid to ask others for help and relying solely on Shen Xiuzhe.

The two faced a ten-meter-long zombie whale, its lower body already exposed to white bone from the potion's erosion. The enraged whale, shaking its body, charged at them, shattering the labyrinth's ice walls with its massive force, even cracking the ice underfoot.

Shen Xiuzhe glanced at the city lord in the lookout tower at the city gate. He was known to join the fight against every zombie tide, never missing an attack. During the early apocalypse, it was the city lord's leadership that saw Ice and Snow City through its hardest times, calmly handling each zombie tide and often gaining the upper hand.

Undeniably, the city lord was exceptionally capable. However, Shen Xiuzhe, who never bowed to others and aimed to return to Baize City from the first day of the apocalypse, was unmoved by any offers. He perceived that the city lord valued Ouyang Dong the most among them, with others merely a courteous inclusion. To avoid potential troubles, Shen Xiuzhe chose to conceal his full strength.

A zombie whale that could have been swiftly defeated by the two lingered for ten minutes, wreaking havoc on the labyrinth's ice walls. Shen Xiuzhe observed the tactics and timing of other superpowered individuals against large zombies before finally incinerating the whale.

Lin An didn't participate in the fight. With not many large zombies this time, he stayed hidden behind Shen Xiuzhe, quietly repairing the ice walls and pathways damaged by the zombie whale, easing the workload of others.

Xu Fang, in his protective suit, brooded unseen. He had only insisted on accompanying Lin An and the leader to see what zombie fish looked like. Upon arrival, while others eagerly rushed to fight, he remembered his inability to use his powers.

“What can a geomancer do without soil?”

He couldn’t produce permafrost beneath the ice with his current strength. In Ice City, geomancy seemed the least useful ability, good only for minor construction or paving roads.

Fortunately, their leader had the foresight to have Wudo store large amounts of sand in his space before leaving the desert. Wudo's powers had greatly improved, his space now vast enough to hold a city, filled with plenty of sand.

But with the sand now in Wudo's possession, Xu Fang still found himself without a role to play, ending up being dispatched to clean up the battlefield.

Xu Fang, along with a group of ordinary people, was tasked with collecting the mixture of blood and potion scattered everywhere into buckets using special brooms. This dirty and tiring job was typically done by those without superpowers.

In Ice and Snow City, the majority were ordinary people, so most of them were assigned to battlefield cleanup.

Resigned to his task, Xu Fang swept while listening to their excited chatter.

Although their faces were obscured by the protective suits, their voices, slightly muffled yet tinged with excitement, could be heard: “The city lord is truly remarkable. Without him, we would have been devoured by these damned zombies by now.”

“Yes, do you remember when the zombies first appeared? The city was overrun, and many had to flee outside, where quite a few froze to death.”

“Wonder when we'll finally eradicate these zombies and return to our old lives.”

“Indeed, my family used to be seven strong, bustling with life. Now, I'm the only one left.”

“Just being alive and standing here is a blessing. The zombies in the sea seem endless, and I guess it will be a long time before things calm down.”

At this point, many stopped talking and continued their cleaning in silence.

Not hearing any important information, Xu Fang simply continued sweeping, following others' lead in pushing the not-quite-dead zombie fish into the potion, watching them dissolve into blood.

“This potion, whatever it's made of, is incredibly effective. We're safe in these special suits, but without them, we’d likely meet the same fate as the zombies, dissolving into pools of blood.”

“If we could take some of this potion back, it would make dealing with zombies much more manageable.”

The battle ended quickly, but cleaning the battlefield took much longer. It wasn't until dusk that Xu Fang and the others finally finished. Tonight, others would continue repairing the ice walls and paths in the labyrinth, but that was no longer their concern. After receiving commendations from the city lord at the city gate, they returned home with their distributed supplies.

Xu Fang looked at the items in his hands; after a long day’s hard work, all he got were two hard bread rolls and a small bag of black beans, hard as rocks, seemingly fit to be used as bricks. Meanwhile, Shen Xiuzhe and Lin An, who had killed a large zombie whale, received four soft, fresh bread rolls and a handful of vegetables. Though wilted, in Ice and Snow City, green vegetables were a luxury.



Upon returning home, Xu Fang carelessly placed his day's earnings on the table and immediately burrowed into bed. The outside was bitterly cold, and had he not been constantly active, he likely would have frozen solid.

The other two, seemingly impervious to the cold, appeared unfazed. Lin An even brought up the idea of obtaining the formula for the green potion from the city lord. However, Shen Xiuzhe doubted its feasibility, noting that those handling the potion were the city lord's bodyguards or subordinates. The potion, with its immense lethal effect on zombies, was a key tool for the city lord to maintain his power and position in Ice and Snow City, and thus unlikely to be shared easily.

Shen Xiuzhe could identify most of the herbs in the green potion, which were slow-growing. Ice and Snow City’s ability to mass-produce it suggested the involvement of numerous plant-based superpowered individuals in its catalysis. Considering Ouyang Dong’s recent focus on catalyzing various grains, fruits, and vegetables, it seemed the city lord was inviting them while simultaneously guarding against them.

They were set to depart in a couple of days. Once back in Baize City, simply describing the potion's properties would suffice, as someone there would surely be able to replicate it. After all, when it came to pharmaceuticals, none could surpass Baize City. Hence, there was no need to court trouble in the remaining days here.

Lin An felt exhausted today. Hiding in plain sight amid so many people was more draining than fighting zombies.

He still preferred staying at home.

On their fifth day in Ice and Snow City, they received news that the ship, exchanged for strawberries, was now complete. Originally a seven-day job, it was expedited to four or five days with the city lord’s assistance.

Shen Xiuzhe, accompanied by Wudo, went to prepare the ship. Ouyang Dong was still out catalyzing food at the city lord's, leaving only Lin An, Grandma Wu, and Xu Fang at home.

Grandma Wu had been sleeping a lot these past days. Xu Fang and Lin An initially sat by her bedside, but when mealtime arrived and little Nick came over, Lin An promptly retreated to the second floor.

Xu Fang was quite fond of the little guy, who was both cute and well-behaved, a refreshing change from the unruly children he had encountered in Chuxi City. With no one around to cook today, Xu Fang shared the bread he brought back yesterday with Nick.

“Thank you, Bald Brother.”

Xu Fang resignedly said, “...Just 'brother' is fine, no need to add 'bald-headed.'”

It was all Ouyang Dong's doing. Initially, Nick called them 'uncle', but they felt too young for that, preferring 'brother' instead. However, Ouyang Dong sneakily taught the kid to call Xu Fang 'Bald Brother'. Annoyed, Xu Fang retaliated by teaching Nick to call Ouyang Dong 'Fat Brother'.

Nick, obedient as he was, learned quickly and followed suit.

Nick earnestly heeded and called them as taught.

"In the end, both Xu Fang and Ouyang Dong were infuriated to death by each other."

"The little boy with light golden curly hair sat on a stool, clutching a soft loaf of bread and nibbling obediently. He had grown quite familiar with everyone since his first visit, so he appeared much more relaxed. Munching on his bread, he watched the elderly grandmother sleeping on the bed and the bald brother yawning beside her. His eyes were lively and pure. After being fed for a few days, Nick's face had gained a bit of plumpness, and his complexion improved significantly, making him look even more adorable."

"Those sparkling eyes suddenly fixated on a spot, staring intently at the dog lying on the floor. Nick, with half of his bread left, reluctantly looked down at it, then crawled off the chair and tiptoed to the dog's side, squatting down to extend his hand, offering the bread to the dog."

"There were hardly any small animals left in Ice Snow City, where the climate was too harsh for their survival. Moreover, in the post-apocalyptic world, animals either turned into zombies and were killed, or were eaten by starving humans. Hence, Nick was very fond of this dog and wanted to play with it."

"However, Little Blessing wasn’t too fond of him. Perhaps it had been hurt by a child when it was very young, which made it, like its master, avoid children. Its experience of being surrounded and forcibly petted by a group of children and women in the Desert's Eye had traumatized it even more. Now, Little Blessing couldn’t stay away from children fast enough."

"When it woke up to the smell of bread, it saw Nick squatting nearby, trying to feed it, while its master was nowhere in sight."

"Little Blessing immediately stood up. It didn’t eat bread – it had plenty of dog food and treats, and it didn’t like vegetarian food. Besides, the one feeding it was a child, so Little Blessing ran away."

"Knowing that its master usually went upstairs when the child came, it quickly dashed upstairs."

"Seeing the dog run away, Nick hurriedly followed. He hesitated at the staircase, having never been up there before. But remembering the bald brother saying they would leave soon, he realized he might not get another chance to play with the dog, so he tiptoed upstairs, passing the dozing bald brother on a chair."

"The second floor wasn’t large and everything was in plain sight. As soon as Nick arrived, he saw the brother reading by the bed and the dog lying at his feet."

"Nick wasn’t afraid of Ouyang Dong, Xu Fang, or Wu Duo, who liked to tease him. Shen Xiuzhe was indifferent to children, neither playing nor talking with them, so Nick was a bit afraid of him. As for Grandma Wu, he was strictly warned by others not to approach her, as her mood was unstable and it would be bad if she accidentally hurt a child. Therefore, Nick wasn’t familiar with Grandma Wu either."

"Lin An, who hadn’t seen Nick since the first day, was somewhat at a loss when he saw the light golden curly-haired child at the stairway. He had been so engrossed in his book that he hadn’t noticed Nick coming up."

"Nick blinked, sensing that the indistinct-faced brother seemed a bit flustered. Enviously looking at the dog lying at his feet, he asked, 'Brother, can I play with the dog?'"

"Lin An pursed his lips. There were no partitions on the second floor, only a large bedroom, leaving him no place to hide. He stood there, unsure of what to do."

"His mind was preoccupied with whether it would be inappropriate to run downstairs now, and whether the child would think he was deliberately avoiding him."

He never thought of pushing the other away.

"Okay, okay, you play," he consented, stepping aside to let Nick approach.

“Okay, okay, go play.”

With permission granted, Nick ran over excitedly. Lin An swiftly moved aside to give him space.

The dog, feeling betrayed by its owner, quickly scurried under the bed away from the approaching child. It disliked children and wished to stay with its owner.

"Doggy!" the child called out, seemingly oblivious to the dog's aversion.

The unfazed child crawled under the bed, thinking it a fun new game, much to the dog's dismay.

Seizing the opportunity, the dog swiftly ran out from under the bed and hid behind its owner as the child emerged.

The child, undeterred, followed, running towards Lin An.

Lin An, taken aback, quickly revealed the dog hiding behind him.

The child made a beeline for the dog, his face lighting up with joy.

The dog, feeling let down by its owner, reluctantly continued to flee.

The only one seemingly happy in this scenario was the child.

Two people and a dog: you run, he chases, and he hides.

The dog nudged open the slightly ajar balcony door with its head and found a hiding spot on the balcony.

The child, resembling a little tail, followed the dog onto the balcony. Due to malnourishment, the four-year-old was almost the same height as the squatting dog. Just as he was about to embrace the dog, it darted off the balcony again.

"Doggy, don't run," the child pleaded.

As the child turned to continue the chase, he slipped and tumbled towards the railing.

The balcony was open-style, with large gaps in the railing below, enough for a child to slip through. Nick's home had the same layout, but the railings on their second-floor balcony had been securely fortified by his father when Nick was just a few months old. However, Shen Xiuzhe's place, only occasionally inhabited, remained unchanged from the original state, with virtually no alterations throughout the house.

Without any hindrance, little Nick fell backwards over the railing. He knew the danger, his small hands trying to grasp the railing, but clutching at air.

Just as Nick was about to fall, a layer of ice extended from the balcony, forming a curved wall that caught him.

Then two hands reached out from the balcony, grasping Nick under his arms and lifting him back from the icy layer.

Gently placed on the bedroom floor, Nick was still dazed, terrified by the experience, his nose twitching as he was on the verge of tears.

"Don't cry, it's okay now," a comforting voice reached his ears.

Nick, who had already mustered a pool of tears, heard the speaker for the first time and found the brother's voice very pleasant, like drinking warm soup in a cold home, warm and comforting.

His moist, large eyes blinked, holding back tears. He was no longer a toddler; he was a man, and men aren't supposed to cry.

He looked up at Lin An, who still wouldn't look at him, staring at the bed to the side as if something very interesting lay there.

"Nick, are you up there, or have you already gone home?" Xu Fang's voice suddenly came from below.

"I'm here," Nick immediately turned and ran downstairs.

Finally relaxed, Lin An looked at Xiao Fu, who was hiding under the bed again, only his dog's head visible, staring at him. He sighed, "No more going to the balcony next time."

Xiao Fu, not understanding but relieved that the annoying child had left, immediately wagged its tail and came out, affectionately rubbing against its owner.

It wasn't until Nick got home that he remembered he hadn't thanked the handsome brother. He quickly ran to the peeling cabinet, retrieving his drawing board and brushes.

He decided to draw a picture for the handsome brother and the other brothers and sisters.

Nick understood the meaning of parting; it meant never seeing them again, just like his father. No matter how much he missed him, his father would never return to see him. So he wanted to draw everyone, to never forget them.

He drew diligently: bald Xu Fang, chubby Ouyang Dong, stern-faced Shen Xiuzhe, short-haired Wu Duo, and silver-haired Grandma Wu, not forgetting little Fu.

Because Lin An saved him today, Nick felt a strong fondness for this handsome brother, placing him in the center of the drawing and using the prettiest colors.

Jenny was busy too, taking on work she could do at home. Occasionally, she looked up at her son drawing, her rosy cheeks showing her health. She was grateful for the neighbors' arrival, ensuring Nick no longer went hungry. Tough as times were, as long as her son was safe and healthy, she could persevere.

After eating next door in the afternoon, Nick didn't play with the other kids but quickly returned to finish his painting. He wanted to complete it that day, so he could give it to them tomorrow, and he was determined to go upstairs to thank the handsome brother.

Under the dim light, Nick fell asleep at his drawing.

After finishing her work, Jenny looked at her son's face, smiling tenderly before picking him up and putting him to bed.

She took off Nick's shoes, covered him with a blanket, then returned to tidy the cluttered brushes on the table.

After putting away the brushes, she saw her son's drawing, nearly complete, capturing each neighbor's characteristics so distinctly that none could be mistaken.

With a gentle smile, Jenny examined the drawing under the light, thinking if it weren't for the apocalypse and the damned zombies, her Nick might have grown up to be a great painter.

As she gazed, the smile on her lips suddenly froze.

In the dim light, the person in the center had long black hair, almost covering the eyes, but the eyes peeking through the black were a vivid, thick red.

Startled by the red-eyed figure on the drawing paper, Jenny's thoughts drifted, reminiscent of that night.

Her tall and steady husband, with blood-red eyes fixated on her, bared his white fangs and lunged ferociously towards her and Nick.

As she stumbled out the door, holding Nick, what she saw was a street drenched in red.

The familiar neighbors, the occasional friends who greeted her, the strangers among them, all biting into others' necks with their blood-red eyes; the sound of flesh being torn, blood splattering, and screams resonating everywhere became her lifelong nightmare.

Snapping back to reality, she looked down at the figure on the paper, trying to recall his face, but found she couldn't remember it at all; Lin An always kept his head down, and no one had seen his face or eyes.

Yet, apart from Lin An, the others' appearances were unobscured.

Why hide the eyes if not harboring guilt?

Jenny's heartbeat grew louder; she was conflicted and troubled, arguing with herself that maybe he was just reclusive and didn't like being seen. Perhaps Nick had accidentally used the wrong color for the eyes in the painting.

This possibility convinced her, and with a furrowed brow and a worried face, Jenny lay beside Nick.

Sleep, don't worry about what's outside, they'll be gone soon anyway, it's just a mix-up, Nick must have used the wrong color, she thought, resolving to make him change it tomorrow.

……

In the middle of the night, Nick, deep in sleep, was awakened by his mother.

"What is it, Mom?" Nick asked groggily.

"Nick, tell me, why did you paint the boy next door with red eyes? Was it a mistake with the colors?"

Reminded of his drawing, Nick became slightly more alert, his messy curls bouncing as he smiled innocently, "I didn't use the wrong color. The pretty brother has red eyes, really beautiful red, like nothing I've ever seen."

Nick had seen it, seen his face when Lin An saved him, and during the comforting moments. Though Lin An himself always averted his face, Nick, being quite short, only had to look up to see the pale face, the lightly colored lips, the beautiful brother's long eyelashes fluttering like butterflies he had seen on TV, and those eyes, red like gems.

Although he had only spoken one sentence with him, Nick liked him more than Bald Brother and Fat Brother.

Jenny, who hadn't slept a wink, got a definite answer from her son. She knew Nick wouldn't lie; the person next door really had red eyes.

Pacing anxiously beside the bed, Jenny bit her lip firmly, finally making up her mind.

Being picked up and wrapped in a thick coat by his mother, a coat Nick adored, gifted by the girl next door, he blinked and asked as he saw his mother also dressing in heavy outdoor clothing, “Mom, where are we going?”

“Shh, be good, Nick. Don’t talk. We’re just stepping out for a bit, we’ll be back soon.”

Holding her son, Jenny quietly left the house. The neighboring house was brightly lit, unaware of what was happening inside. She glanced at that house, no longer hesitating, and hurried towards the city lord’s mansion.

*

At night, everyone was sleeping, and Udo was taking care of Granny Wu.

Udo, with dark circles under her eyes, sat on a stool in front of the bed, watching over her grandmother who slept most of the day and ate very little, showing fewer temperamental episodes, which worried her, yet she felt helpless.

She couldn't even sleep peacefully.

Shen Ge had said that in a few days, once they received the other boat promised by the city lord, they would set off, hoping to reach Baize City soon to find the medicine that would cure her grandmother.

Holding one of her grandmother’s hands, Udo looked at the wrinkled hand, noticing that the spots on it seemed to have increased from before. She remembered how her grandmother used to stroke her head with that hand when she was little. Back then, she thought her grandmother was the most formidable person in the world, those hands were warm and strong, holding them always felt so secure, because her grandmother would protect her no matter what happened.

Days of worry had left her sleepless. The warm and comfortable temperature in the room was conducive to sleep. Holding tightly to her grandmother's hand, maybe due to the exhaustion of these past days, or perhaps the security that hand brought her, Udo fell asleep at the bedside, clutching that hand.

The room wasn’t exactly quiet; Ouyang Dong and Xu Fang's snoring and sleep-talking still hadn't ceased.

Granny Wu, deep in sleep, suddenly opened her eyes, a clear alertness in her aged eyes, not a hint of sleepiness. Without any hesitation, she withdrew her hand and got out of bed...

Lin An took over the night watch, having watched over Granny Wu for the past few nights. Everyone felt it was too exhausting for Lin An to be on duty every night, so they decided he should rest first and then take turns watching over her during the latter half of the night.

Therefore, Lin An spent the evening cleaning upstairs, took a bath, bathed Xiao Fu as well, and read a book, waiting until it was about time to come down.

But upon coming down, he found only an empty bed and Udo asleep beside it.

"Udo! Where is Granny?" Lin An had a bad feeling and immediately woke her up.

Woken up, Wu Duo was about to say grandma was sleeping, but there was no one in the bed.

Her drowsiness vanished instantly, she was shocked, threw off the covers, and rushed to check the rest of the house.

They searched everywhere inside the house, but still couldn't find her.

Granny Wu was missing.

The others were also awakened by the commotion, and Shen Xiuzhe inspected the room, finally noticing traces near the window.

Since Granny Wu had been sleeping on the first floor, fearing she might wander off, they had sealed the windows on their first day.

But now there were footprints on the window sill, and the sealed window had been pried open. Granny Wu must have escaped through here.

"It's strange, how could she pry open the window right under our noses? And how did we not hear a thing?" Xu Fang wondered.

Shen Xiuzhe speculated that Granny Wu had been planning to escape all along, feigning sleep to lull them into complacency. While she was "deep asleep," others would occasionally leave the room, providing her with brief moments to quietly work on the window.

The past few nights, with Lin An on guard, who didn't need to sleep and watched Granny Wu without blinking, she naturally found no opportunity.

Tonight, with Udo on duty and her succumbing to sleep from exhaustion, Granny Wu likely had been waiting for this moment for a long time.

"It's all my fault. If I hadn't fallen asleep, Granny wouldn't have been able to run away," Udo cried, holding Granny Wu's clothes in her hand, lamenting that Granny Wu had even left without her thick clothes.

No one could possibly blame Udo. Ever since Granny Wu's condition worsened, Udo had been taking care of most things: feeding her, changing her clothes. Udo was the one Granny Wu hit the most. Udo even had to assist her with the toilet. Sometimes at night, when Lin An was watching Granny Wu, if she needed the toilet, Lin An had no choice but to wake Udo.

Plus, during the day, Udo had other tasks to handle. Everyone saw how hard Udo had worked recently. But she always felt she and Granny Wu were causing trouble for everyone, eager to do everything herself, and hardly sleeping.

No one could blame her for today's incident.

Everyone felt responsible in their own way. Lin An, a zombie who didn't need sleep or rest, thought if he had continuously watched Granny Wu, this wouldn't have happened.

Xu Fang and Ouyang Dong also felt they were at fault. Knowing how hard Udo was working, they should have forced her to rest when she was being stubborn. Instead, they were the ones who ended up sound asleep, leading to today's situation.

"Stop blaming yourselves. The priority now is to find Granny Wu. She's not wearing warm clothes, and the nights in the Snow City are too cold. If we delay too long, she might get frostbite," Shen Xiuzhe declared. Motivated by his words, everyone immediately energized themselves to go out and search.

However, there were hardly any traces outside. Although Granny Wu often couldn't remember many things, her counter-surveillance abilities were strong, leaving almost no trace on the ground.

As time ticked away, Shen Xiuzhe, a fellow adventurer, finally found traces left by Granny Wu.

"She left the city."

"Left the city?" Xu Fang found it unbelievable. "You mean Granny Wu ran out of the Snow City in the middle of the night?"

"Yes, I saw footprints on the city wall. They're hers. She didn't leave through the city gates but climbed over the city wall."

Lin An expressed his concern, "But isn't there a maze outside?"

Shen Xiuzhe nodded, "That's why she's likely in the maze right now. A lucid Granny Wu could easily navigate the maze, but in her current state, she's probably trapped somewhere inside it."

"Then let's hurry out to find her," Udo said anxiously.

Shen Xiuzhe took Grandma Wu's clothes from her hand: "I'll go look for her. You all go back."

Ouyang Dong stepped forward: "Let's all go together. We can't be at ease if we go back now. The more people, the better."

"No," Shen Xiuzhe glanced at the anxious crowd, "not to mention that you don't know the maze's paths, you might get lost if you go. Then, we'll have to find Grandma Wu and you all, which would just add trouble."

The others: "..."

"Moreover, even though we saw Grandma Wu's footprints on the city wall, it doesn't necessarily mean she really left the city. It could also be a trick to mislead us. So, it's possible she's still inside the city, or she might have gone back because it's too cold outside."

Indeed, Grandma Wu was a legendary explorer. Even ill, some abilities had become instinctual. She was agile even when fighting, so she might really do that.

Persuaded by Shen Xiuzhe, they could only watch him effortlessly and stylishly climb the city wall and disappear from where Grandma Wu's traces led.

"Let's go back first," said Ouyang Dong. "Two of us will wait at home for news, and the other two will continue searching the streets."

Udo couldn't stay still at home, so she joined Ouyang Dong in searching every corner of the Snow City for Grandma Wu.

Meanwhile, Lin An and Xu Fang returned home to wait for news from everyone.

At dawn, under the pitch-black night, they hadn't yet heard from Grandma Wu or their companions.

Instead, a formidable crowd was heading towards their house.