Chapter 56: Back to Jiu Zhou City

Chapter 56: Back to Jiu Zhou City

Cao Kun arrived just in time, encountering a zombie feasting on someone as he climbed up to the twelfth floor. He also heard the sounds of combat coming from downstairs, indicating that it was a Level 2 zombie about to advance.

He assumed the zombie in front of him was ordinary, but unexpectedly, it advanced right then. Cao Kun hurled a large fireball at it, pushing it into an unknown metal box and roasting it with flames.

This Level 3 crystal core seemed like a free gift.

Shenchi only needed two more Level 2 crystal cores to level up, so he didn't waste the Level 3 core. Instead, he placed it into his spatial storage in front of Cao Kun and then conjured several bottles of medicine and a first-aid kit out of thin air.

Cao Kun watched Shenchi clean his wounds and administer fluids with interest. "What kind of ability is this? A new power? Could it be a derivative of spatial abilities?"

Shenchi shook his head. "I'm not sure."

It was already risky enough revealing that he had dual abilities; he couldn't disclose that his spatial storage was at Level 4. He couldn't explain why it was at that level either.

Shenchi frowned as he rewrapped Cao Kun's arm with bandages. "Your arm has swollen again. Wait until we get back and have Xia Yi check it before removing the irrigation tube."

Cao Kun nodded indifferently. Both he and Shenchi knew that with Jin Shufan's vengeful nature, Xia Yi was likely no longer around.

Cao Kun took the mineral water bottle Shenchi had opened and drank half of it, then started munching on bread.

After eating, he sat there in a daze, smiling all the while. He didn't blame Shenchi for not sharing things earlier because if it were him, he wouldn't have either.

Of course, that was before he knew this person was the father of his child and his future wife.

But Shenchi did share, which made it much easier for them to reach Wanzhong City. His condition wasn't too bad, and he could fight again in three days. The bottle of water they had in the small village must have come from Shenchi's spatial storage too.

Thinking about this, Cao Kun couldn't help but feel elated. Finally, he had earned some trust from the father of his child. It was quite a feat!

They decided to stop and find a place to rest instead of continuing their journey. Zombies moved slowly at night, and as long as they didn't make noise or light fires, zombies wouldn't suddenly knock on their door.

Many houses and vehicles along the way were burned down, mostly due to explosions caused by high temperatures.

Shenchi and Cao Kun found a connected villa, cleared out a zombie inside, and left it locked in one of the rooms. They parked their car in the garage, covered all the windows with dark fabric, and prepared a clean bed.

Shenchi brought out several buckets of water from his spatial storage and placed them in the bathroom. He also brought an electric showerhead, attached the showerhead to its holder, and placed the pump in the bucket. Using electricity from a generator, he turned on the control switch, allowing the showerhead to automatically dispense water.

The bathroom had toiletries, but they were broken. Shenchi, having revealed his spatial storage, no longer needed to compromise and brought out fresh toiletries and clean clothes.

He went to the kitchen, took out gas cylinders, bowls, rice, condiments, vegetables, and fish that had been cleaned before the apocalypse, and started cooking.

Cao Kun watched Shenchi quietly for a while. When Shenchi noticed he hadn't left, he asked, "Aren't you going to wash up?"

"I will, I will..." Cao Kun rubbed his nose, thought for a moment, and then walked closer, holding his arm. "It's hard for me to take off my clothes with one hand. Can you help me..."

Shenchi interrupted him. "There's a pair of scissors in the bathroom."

"Ah? Oh, oh!" Cao Kun reluctantly left.

Cao Kun finished his shower quickly, taking only ten minutes to scrub, wash his hair, brush his teeth, and change clothes. If not for his injured hand, he would have been even faster.

In the kitchen, Shenchi was frying fish, and the aroma made their stomachs growl.

Cao Kun approached, trying to draw attention. "Do you have any bigger underwear? This one's a bit small."

Shenchi remained silent.

He had chosen the underwear based on his own size, never considering he'd need to provide for someone else.

Shenchi poured mineral water into the pot, ignoring him.

Cao Kun followed him, whining. "Well, if there isn't any, I'll just have to make do."

Both of them ate their meal heartily. Afterward, Shenchi went to take a shower, while Cao Kun washed the dishes.

Thirty minutes later, Shenchi came out. In the bedroom, Cao Kun was resting with his eyes closed. Hearing the sound, he opened his eyes and saw Shenchi walking in, wearing loose casual clothes.

His hair was cut short, very short, revealing his slender neck and beautiful forehead, making him look refreshed.

Cao Kun sighed. "You cut your hair."

Shenchi hummed in acknowledgment, placing the generator and outlet near the bed. He took out an electric fan from his spatial storage and turned it on, then walked to the other side.

Cao Kun smiled. "You really prepare everything."

"Because everything is lacking." Shenchi sat on the bed, which they had already changed with clean sheets. Although the room smelled stuffy, it was still comfortable.

They took turns absorbing crystal cores and advanced to Level 3. Then they began resting, each sleeping for two hours while the other kept watch, closing their eyes in a light sleep. Once both had rested sufficiently, they got up.

After washing up, Shenchi cooked soup with pork bones, made rice, and stir-fried two dishes, storing them in his spatial storage. Then he sliced some pork liver to cook noodles.

The car navigation system still worked, so after breakfast, Shenchi drove directly toward Jiu Zhou City.

Along the way, Shenchi took out the food he had prepared earlier, and after eating, they continued their journey.

On the highway, they encountered few zombies. As Level 3 ability users, they didn't need to get out of the car; a fireball or ice freeze was enough to deal with ordinary zombies.

However, traffic was severely congested, with abandoned cars littering the roads. Shenchi had to create ice bridges for their vehicle to pass through. Fortunately, he had reached Level 3, otherwise, he might not have been able to support the weight.

They also came across a crashed plane, covered in blood, suggesting that zombies had infected it.

They drove for four hours before stopping due to the extreme heat, fearing an explosion.

Shenchi and Cao Kun got out of the car. Shenchi stored their car and took out a previously purchased SUV from his spatial storage.

Seeing the car, Cao Kun's eyes lit up. It was a black Huanbiao E1, with a rugged and tough body, very eye-catching.

It was getting dark, but they were still some distance from the city. The two of them decided not to continue their journey, instead parking the car by the roadside. Before night fell completely, they made dinner, brushed their teeth, washed their faces, and then took turns keeping watch while resting.

The next day, they continued on their way. By afternoon, they finally entered Jiu Zhou City. However, seeing the scene before them, neither of them felt any joy. They silently drove through the West Gate.

There was a collapsed wall where the car passed, with a large black cross spray-painted on it.

The black cross indicated that the area was sealed off (lost), strictly prohibiting entry!

Shenchi and Cao Kun got out of the car. Shenchi put the car away. The sight before them showed Jiu Zhou City in ruins, with crumbling walls and fallen city gates. Dust covered the numerous corpses on the ground, and when the wind blew, the dust rose, but the bodies remained motionless.

There was no one left here. The entire city was like a dead city, silent and lifeless.

Shenchi took out his motorcycle, and the two of them rode towards Huayuan New Mansion. Along the way, every sign told them that this place had experienced a zombie outbreak. The horde of zombies had swept through like locusts, taking away life after life.

No one was at Huayuan New Mansion either. Shenchi opened the door to his own home, which looked just as it did when he left. The food he had left for Xia Yi was still there, with some of it consumed, but his instruments, books, and notes were all neatly in place.

Clearly, the zombie outbreak happened after they left on their mission, and they had no preparations before it came.

Cao Kun went back to pack his luggage, while Shenchi collected Xia Yi's things into the storage space and removed the surveillance cameras and other equipment he had installed.

The two of them rested in place for another two hours, waiting for someone, but no one appeared.

Shenchi left a note on the table and then went to the countryside with Cao Kun.

After an hour's drive, Shenchi saw the same black cross at the village entrance. He glanced at Cao Kun and noticed that his face looked terrible.

There were signs of a fight in the village. Two elderly zombies wandered in the fields. When Cao Kun approached them, the zombies became agitated. Cao Kun personally ended the lives of Uncle Yang and Aunt Yang, who had watched him grow up.

Uncle's house was a two-story building, similar in decoration to the others. The only difference was a tree in front of their house, next to a small field where they usually planted garlic and vegetables for easy picking.

The door to Uncle's house was wide open, and inside was a mess, with a dried bloodstain on the floor. Cao Kun sat quietly at the door, asked Shenchi for a pack of cigarettes, and smoked silently.

When he was five years old, his father was arrested for drug use and trafficking, sentenced to twenty years, and died in prison within two years. His mother ran away with someone else after receiving the verdict. It was Uncle and Aunt who adopted him, giving him the love of a father and mother, striving to be fair between him and his cousin.

These were the only two people who cared about his future... now gone.

Cao Kun buried his face and rubbed his head hard.

After a long time, he stood up, looking at the ash and cigarette butts on the ground. Thinking of the pregnant man behind him, he silently extinguished the last cigarette and put it back in the box.

Cao Kun washed his face, soaking his whole head before shaking it off and heading towards Shenchi.

Shenchi didn't comfort him. He didn't know how to comfort, nor did he think a few words of consolation would help much.

Shenchi prepared a room. They had been living together for safety and saw no need to sleep separately.

Shenchi: "We'll spend the night here tonight. We'll leave for Chunshu Province early tomorrow morning."

Cao Kun was taken aback. After a moment of thought, he frowned and said, "Are you worried about flooding?"

Shenchi: "Yes, it's been almost three months since the apocalypse began. With such high temperatures, can the South Pole handle it?"

In fact, it couldn't. After three months of intense heat, the South Pole was rapidly melting. The melting of the South Pole caused sea levels to rise, gradually swallowing coastal cities.

By early January, the sea level would rise by dozens of meters, and many low-altitude cities or even entire countries would be submerged.