Chapter 81: Corpse Birds of the Wasteland
“Whirr—”
A black jeep sped down the highway in the fading light.
Fuzhou City was now barely visible in the rearview mirror. As they moved further inland, the rain had stopped, even the light drizzle had ceased.
Finally free from the incessant drumming of rain, the occupants of the jeep relaxed slightly.
Four people were crammed inside the vehicle.
Lin Xiwan drove, Lin Jiayao sat in the passenger seat, eyes closed, resting, and the two little girls sat in the small space behind the front seats, perched on a military equipment box.
The jeep’s trunk was packed with supplies.
A row of metal jerrycans lined one side, topped with lighter items like clean clothes, towels, lighters, and soap.
All Voodoo Cult goods, quality unknown, but usable.
The rest of the space was filled with canned food, bottled water, medical supplies, and even a few boxes of puffed bread, seemingly produced within the Voodoo Cult.
The Voodoo Cult was even producing bread now; their level of self-sufficiency rivaled that of Survivor’s Light.
At least, in Lin Jiayao’s memory, Survivor’s Light rarely had items like soap, perhaps because the raw materials were used for more essential goods.
Although the puffed bread took up more space than canned food and had a shorter shelf life, both sisters had agreed to bring it.
After so long on a diet of salty, strange-tasting canned food, bread was a welcome change.
Especially luncheon meat sandwiches, though not quite pre-apocalypse burgers, a rare delicacy in this world.
Besides the supplies crammed inside, several large boxes of bread were tied to the roof, not enough to overload the vehicle.
This was enough food for the two sisters for at least three months, or two months including the two little girls; children didn’t eat much.
Two months should be enough time to find a new camp.
The jeep had a radio, but Lin Xiwan didn’t turn it on to search for nearby camps.
She knew Fuzhou City would be swept by the Voodoo Cult, so nearby camps were too dangerous.
Although they’d been lucky enough to eliminate a small Voodoo Cult detachment, Lin Xiwan knew it was mostly due to luck.
Against a well-equipped Voodoo Cult force led by an Awakened, they had no chance.
Avoidance was the best strategy.
And she needed to find a safe place to try enhancing herself with blood crystals.
She was just one step away from a breakthrough.
Evolving to C-rank would significantly improve their chances of survival.
At least then she would be able to fight a small Voodoo Cult detachment on equal footing.
While driving, Lin Xiwan kept an eye out for suitable resting spots.
Places like roadside villages and highway service areas were too conspicuous, too likely to attract unwanted attention.
She needed a secluded spot, preferably a field with tall grass for concealment, to spend the night.
Driving was monotonous and tiring.
And there was no one to talk to. The two little girls sat quietly in the back, and her sister, clutching the rifle, rested with her eyes closed, only occasionally opening them to ask where they were.
She didn’t want to disturb her sister’s rest, so she drove in silence.
Unlike Lin Xiwan, Lin Jiayao was busy in the Training Grounds.
As soon as they were in the car, she’d spent ten blood crystals to build it, despite the cost.
The Training Grounds, once built, was just a floating, luminous blue orb, a scientifically improbable sight.
But entering the orb transported her to a vast, open space.
Here, she could simulate any zombie she had logged into and any firearm she had encountered.
She could even create simulations of any zombie she had seen, including the “giant corn cob” monster.
And she could choose any weapon or any logged-in zombie, even her main body, to fight these simulated enemies.
No injuries, no fatigue, unlimited ammunition, unlimited stamina; she could practice endlessly.
It was the perfect training environment.
Perhaps, if a future zombie encountered a powerful opponent, she could study its movements and weaknesses in the Training Grounds and then exploit them in the next encounter.
The only downside was that her legs remained immobile in the simulation, just like her real body.
Currently, in the Training Grounds, Lin Jiayao held a Type 95 rifle, aiming at four approaching Sprinters.
“Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang—”
A burst of automatic fire. Headshots, one after another, the Sprinters dissolving into light particles.
Four more Sprinters appeared, running towards her in an S-shaped pattern.
Lin Jiayao, sitting in the illusory wheelchair, remained calm; there was no danger here.
“Bang—Bang—Bang—Bang—”
Four crisp shots. Three Sprinters fell, but one lunged towards her.
“Thud—”
A bone spike erupted from the back of her neck, impaling the Sprinter’s head. Its body dissolved into light before it could reach her.
Even without fear or adrenaline, I can still miss shots…
If this happened in reality, either she or her sister would be injured.
Marksmanship practice… a long road ahead… but with unlimited ammunition, even an idiot could become a sharpshooter.
Perhaps because she’d just thought of her sister, the simulated enemies changed.
The four Sprinters were replaced by a single figure: her sister.
Although she knew it was a simulation, the image was so realistic, down to the pores of her skin, that Lin Jiayao was momentarily stunned.
It was… too lifelike.
Even the angry expression was perfect.
While she was distracted, the simulated Lin Xiwan bent her knees and then, faster than even a Sprinter, lunged towards her.
So fast—!
Even in a simulation, Lin Jiayao couldn’t bring herself to shoot her sister. She quickly issued a “stop” command.
Even if she was “killed,” it didn’t matter; she would respawn here, and with her pain receptors set to 0%, she wouldn’t feel anything.
Fortunately, the system registered her command just in time.
Her sister, now right in front of her, her fist about to connect, the force of the punch even ruffling Lin Jiayao’s hair, froze mid-swing.
Lin Jiayao breathed a sigh of relief, looking at the frozen image of her sister.
Just as she was about to remove the simulation and replace it with zombies, she, on a whim, reached out and pinched her sister’s cheek, mimicking her sister’s usual gesture.
No sensation…
If she dared to do this in real life, her sister would retaliate tenfold.
Then she remembered she had disabled her sense of touch in the simulation.
She set it to 100% and pinched her sister’s cheek again.
Soft, smooth, exactly like her real sister’s.
As expected of the system; the simulation was incredibly realistic.
…
“Yao? Yao? Wake up, time for dinner. Don’t be lazy—”
The last vestiges of twilight had faded, and darkness had fallen over southern China.
Only a small yellow lamp illuminated the interior of the jeep, allowing Lin Xiwan to see her sister’s face.
Her sister’s cheeks were slightly flushed, but her forehead wasn’t hot… perhaps she was having a pleasant dream.
“Yao—”
Lin Xiwan leaned close and whispered, finally seeing her sister’s eyelashes flutter.
Lin Jiayao’s eyes slowly opened, unfocused, still sleepy.
There was even a little drool on the corner of her mouth.
Seeing her usually composed sister looking so adorable and disoriented after waking up, Lin Xiwan couldn’t help but smile.
This is what life is about!
She reached out to wipe the drool from her sister’s lips.
But as her finger approached, Lin Jiayao, still half-asleep, instinctively opened her mouth and sucked on her sister’s finger.
“What are you doing—?”
Feeling her finger enveloped by her sister’s warm mouth, Lin Xiwan chuckled, pulled it out, and wiped Lin Jiayao’s mouth with the back of her hand.
Lin Jiayao’s eyes finally focused, and she looked at Lin Xiwan.
“Hungry from your dreams, huh?” Lin Xiwan smiled, took a loaf of sweet-smelling bread from the dashboard, tore open the package, and held it to her sister’s lips. “Open wide, ah—”
After Lin Jiayao took a bite, Lin Xiwan let her eat on her own.
She opened another package of bread, wiped her hand on it, and then took a bite herself.
They were sisters; she wouldn’t mind her sister’s drool.
Lin Jiayao, now fully awake, held the bread in her hand and chewed, feeling her body slowly regaining control.
To ensure constant combat readiness in the apocalypse, she had set her pain receptors to 120% for the training sessions.
Fighting with heightened pain sensitivity was a completely different experience. The fear of pain had forced her to change her tactics.
Although it was agonizing, she noticed her mental strength had increased slightly after the intense battles, likely due to increased pain tolerance.
But 120% was too much; next time, she would set it back to 100% and gradually adjust.
The Training Grounds were for simulating extreme situations, preparing her for the real thing, as long as she didn’t faint.
Her senses back to normal, Lin Jiayao chewed the sweet bread and looked around.
The jeep was hidden in a field of tall, yellow grass.
And the two little girls in the back seemed to be asleep.
“They ate and then fell asleep. Kids, you know, they get sleepy easily,” Lin Xiwan explained, seeing her sister looking at them.
“Mm…” Lin Jiayao opened a bottle of water, swallowed the bread with a large gulp, and then looked at her sister, blinking.
Although she hadn’t said anything, her sister seemed to understand, quickly finishing her bread and wiping the crumbs from her hands.
Lin Xiwan knew her sister needed to use the restroom.
It had been a long time since their last stop. She herself also needed to go.
But she knew her sister was proud and wouldn’t ask for help – it seemed that needing assistance with such a basic function was embarrassing to her.
But out here in the wilderness, without a toilet, her sister, with her immobile legs, had no other choice.
Lin Xiwan put the car keys in her pocket, took a few tissues from a pack – there were a few new packs among the Voodoo Cult’s supplies, seemingly reserved for the Awakened – and then opened the car door.
Sweeping aside some grass with the open door, she got out, closed the door, climbed over the hood to the passenger side, and opened the door.
As she lifted her sister in a princess carry, preparing to retreat into the tall grass, she heard a small voice.
“Be careful…”
“Okay.”
Lin Xiwan slowed down, trying to keep her movements steady, backing away into the grass, using her back to push aside the stalks, careful not to let them touch her sister.
After about fifteen meters, she stopped; they were too far from the car now; she wouldn’t be able to find her way back in the dark.
Holding her sister like a baby, Lin Xiwan helped her and then handed her the tissues.
“Done.”
Hearing her sister’s voice, she helped her back into her pants and carried her back to the jeep.
Although there were more comfortable ways to carry her, her sister’s legs couldn’t support herself, so this was the only way.
After placing her sister back in the passenger seat, Lin Xiwan went to relieve herself.
Lin Jiayao, leaning against the seat, waited for her sister to return, not feeling the slightest bit embarrassed.
They had done this many times during the first year of the apocalypse.
Back then, without the comfort of a camp, her sister had taken care of everything.
If it were two strangers, it would have been… awkward.
But as sisters, they were comfortable with each other; it was just a normal, everyday thing.
Lin Jiayao’s earlier distraction had been the lingering muscle memory from her training session.
The muscle memory from the Training Grounds was transmitted to her main body through the system.
She could even vividly recall the pain she’d felt with her pain receptors turned up.
Such a useless ability, that heightened pain sensitivity…
Lin Jiayao took a bottle of water and poured a little onto her hand, cleaning herself.
Handwashing was a luxury in the apocalypse, especially with drinking water.
But her sister had brought plenty of supplies; a little wouldn’t hurt.
And if they ran out, they could always buy more from a camp.
She had plenty of blood crystals.
“Chirp—”
A strange bird call caught her attention, but it quickly faded into the distance. She dismissed it.
She decided to wait for her sister’s return before logging into Mask and looking for the strange materials needed to build the [Workbench] and [Medical Station].
Out of politeness, she didn’t activate Bone Spike Lurker.
It felt like eavesdropping… creepy.
She hoped her sister would return soon; she was curious about Mask’s new abilities.
The Training Grounds could only simulate creatures she had encountered or logged into.
Since she hadn’t logged into the evolved Mask yet, she couldn’t simulate its abilities for practice.
Sitting in the passenger seat, Lin Jiayao tapped on the window, occasionally glancing to the right, waiting for her sister.
But her view was blocked by the tall grass, and it was too dark to see clearly.
Now, she missed the Hive Zombie’s abilities.
The insect vision was incredibly useful.
Wide range, highlighted blood crystals and creatures, and night vision.
The perfect upgrade for Bone Spike Lurker.
But…
Imagining those disgusting black holes on her skin, her sister’s disgusted expression… Lin Jiayao dismissed the thought.
She wasn’t ready to give up her humanity just yet.
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