Chapter 68: The Light of Humanity
Hearing her sister’s words, Lin Jiayao, ignoring the swaying of the vehicle, immediately started searching for a way to turn off the blaring music. Countless Biters were wading through the water towards them; it seemed her sister had driven all the way here with the music blasting. No wonder she had been so panicked and hurried. Fortunately, the deep water slowed down the already slow Biters.
Lin Jiayao quickly found a black wire dangling from a hole in the roof, connected to the center console.
Could this be it?
She tugged at the wire, but it wouldn’t budge.
“Sis, I think it’s this wire,” Lin Jiayao said, showing her sister the wire.
“No, that’s not it, I already tried. It’s for the strobe light on the roof.” Lin Xiwan glanced at the wire and then returned her attention to the road.
The music changed to another earsplitting song.
“⚡⚡⚡Quickly draw that incredibly sharp sword⚡⚡⚡”
“⚡⚡⚡An unbelievable light shines from within me⚡⚡⚡”
Unable to bear it any longer, and seeing that the area was relatively safe, Lin Xiwan slammed on the brakes.
She climbed out the window and looked at the two large speakers on the roof.
The metal-encased speakers were welded to the roof, their power cables seemingly running through the metal and connecting directly to the console. This monster truck was designed for blaring rock music.
“Thump—”
Lin Xiwan punched one of the speakers. The metal dented, the speaker seemingly damaged, parts of the voice coil and diffuser scattering.
She climbed onto the roof and delivered a similar blow to the other speaker. The world finally fell silent.
Should have done that sooner.
“Hoo—”
Lin Xiwan breathed a sigh of relief, climbed back into the driver’s seat, and pressed the accelerator.
“Roar—”
The modified engine roared to life, flames shooting from the long exhaust pipes as the monster truck accelerated, charging towards a group of Biters.
The town was small, the zombies sparse. The monster truck easily plowed a path through them, leaving the town and reaching the highway entrance.
“Vroom—”
Finally reaching the open highway, the only sound now, besides the rain, was the roar of the engine. This vehicle was loud, not to mention the smoke billowing from its exhaust pipes. Lin Jiayao suspected this gas-guzzler had been specifically designed to attract attention. She could imagine the chaos a convoy of these vehicles would create on the highway.
“Yao, see if you can find anything useful in the car, I haven’t had a chance to search it yet,” Lin Xiwan said, her mood lightening as they drove smoothly on the highway, the excitement of finding the vehicle finally surfacing.
They were incredibly lucky!
Finding a working vehicle, even one belonging to the “V” symbol gang, was a godsend. It would take them north, away from the typhoon.
She’d had enough of being drenched.
“Okay.”
Lin Jiayao nodded, also curious about what they might find.
She opened the glove compartment, which seemed to have been modified to hold more items.
Inside were three unopened gas masks with filters, three new eye masks, and three new sets of earmuffs, seemingly spares.
Besides these, there were various disposable syringes, small vials, and colorful pills.
Lin Xiwan, glancing at the contents, frowned slightly.
“Don’t bother, there’s probably nothing useful.” She reached over, closed the glove compartment, and returned her attention to the road.
In her eyes, her sister was still a child, and these weren’t things a child should see.
Lin Jiayao also didn’t want to rummage through it; she might accidentally prick herself with a needle.
But listening to the engine, a new question arose in her mind.
“Sister, how much fuel do we have?” She couldn’t see the fuel gauge from her seat.
“Um… let me see… Almost full, why?” Lin Xiwan replied without looking, remembering checking the gauge when she took the vehicle.
“This thing must consume a lot of fuel,” Lin Jiayao said.
Lin Xiwan nodded. “It does…”
Then she realized something wasn’t right.
She slowed down, opened the door, and climbed onto the roof.
A large bag of supplies was tied there. She untied it.
Braving the rain, she carried the bag down, opened it, and spread out the contents.
A half-eaten box of military rations, a few packs of expired instant noodles, two severed legs wrapped in plastic, and a dirty silicone doll.
Lin Xiwan frowned. Such a large bag, meant for travel supplies, and this was all it contained.
And most importantly… where was the gasoline?
Where had they refueled?
Only three possibilities.
Scavenged.
Stolen.
From the convoy.
Sustaining such a fuel-guzzling vehicle solely through scavenging or theft seemed unlikely.
She would like to believe they had been incredibly lucky, but it wasn’t realistic.
They were likely part of a convoy.
The Voodoo Cult’s convoy.
She didn’t know why these three Voodoo Cult members had been separated from their group and killed by Survivor’s Light, but the Voodoo Cult convoy was likely still in the province.
Lin Xiwan quickly discarded the severed legs and the doll.
The bag, now much smaller, was tied back onto the roof, and she returned to the driver’s seat.
“We have to go… now. The Voodoo Cult convoy is probably still in the province, maybe even close,” she said, restarting the engine.
The monster truck’s tires spun, splashing water, and then they sped towards Xin City.
“Yao, how are you feeling? You’re soaked again…” While driving, her primary concern was encountering the Voodoo Cult, her secondary concern her sister’s health. A night in the rain, sleeping without blankets, and then more rain today. Even a healthy person would struggle, let alone her frail sister.
“I’m fine, just a little sleepy,” Lin Jiayao said, her eyes drooping.
Lin Xiwan touched her forehead and felt her heartbeat, reassured.
“Go to sleep then. I’ll find a place to dry our clothes later and wake you up,” she said softly, her voice soothing.
“Mm.” Lin Jiayao nodded, pulled the hood of the cloak over her face, and closed her eyes.
The rain had lessened; the further they got from Yangzhou City, the lighter it became.
Lin Xiwan decided to find a place in Xin City to rest, to avoid making her sister sick.
They still had a long way to go…
From Yangzhou City to Donghai City was almost 1400 kilometers, about a 16-hour drive under normal conditions.
Even before the apocalypse, it would have been a three-day drive. In these unpredictable, dangerous conditions, it would take at least a week.
And that was assuming they had enough supplies.
If not, they would have to stop and scavenge – where would they find enough food after five years of the apocalypse?
Most of the easily accessible supplies would have been looted long ago.
Lin Xiwan pursed her lips. Without sufficient supplies, the future seemed bleak.
Meanwhile, Lin Jiayao, her eyes closed, had switched her consciousness to the fungal zombie, An Xiaoxi.
Still disoriented from the shift, she opened her eyes to see a magnified face inches away from her own, staring curiously.
Huayibai, kneeling on her lap, seemingly trying to figure out where “Mommy” had gone.
Lin Jiayao picked it up by the collar and placed it on the ground.
She had to hurry. Driving in the heavy rain was slow; they would reach Xin City in about half an hour.
She needed to assess the situation in Donghai City and log into Mask within that time.
They were about to enter Xin City; she might even encounter Mask there. She remembered Mask, controlling an Armored zombie, had extracted in a basement somewhere in the city.
She didn’t know what would happen if she encountered Mask, but she wouldn’t approach it willingly.
She didn’t know the state of a zombie after extraction.
Defensive? Idle?
Could she control it? Would Mask be hostile?
She would test this later, not now.
Mask was too powerful, especially now, controlling an Armored zombie.
If she accidentally activated an unlogged-in Mask, and it turned hostile, she wasn’t sure if she and her sister, even with her abilities revealed, would be a match for it.
Mask, protected by the Armored zombie’s body, wasn’t afraid of bullets.
And even if they managed to destroy the Armored zombie, a freed Mask would be even more dangerous.
Small, agile, hardened bones, fast regeneration, mid-range attacks, able to control your dead teammates…
If a game designer created a boss like this before the apocalypse, they would be crucified.
The main reason she needed to log into Mask was to retrieve something.
The three Voodoo Cult gold keys.
She wasn’t sure if they would be useful, but they were better than nothing.
She could even try impersonating a Voodoo Cult member. Perhaps those lunatics would actually believe it?
Don’t think it’s impossible. Those anti-human psychos were capable of anything.
Survivor’s Light regularly reported on the Voodoo Cult and had even interviewed a survivor who had escaped from them.
His escape story had been so ridiculous that Lin Jiayao hadn’t believed it at first.
He had been an ordinary person, trying to cross the highway on foot, when he’d encountered the Voodoo Cult.
Seeing their convoy and their flag, he had given up and lain down to wait for death.
But instead of running him over or killing him, they had helped him up.
They had even given him food and water after confirming his mental state.
He wanted to die, but they wouldn’t let him.
But when they tried to convert him to their cult, he refused.
And for that refusal, they branded a “V” onto his face. That mark, a symbol of everything Survivor’s Light and other survivors despised, had filled him with despair.
And then… they had left, leaving him with enough supplies to last a week.
It was so absurd it sounded like fiction.
After this incident, Survivor’s Light had concluded that the Voodoo Cult’s main characteristic was “contrariness” and advised ordinary people encountering them not to run, but to play dead.
The Voodoo Cult thrived on defiance. If you wanted to die, they might not let you.
But if you ran, they would definitely kill you.
But even after publicizing this information, no one had managed to escape the Voodoo Cult.
Because they would assess your mental state. If you showed any fear, you were dead.
Remaining calm in the presence of the Voodoo Cult was difficult for ordinary people.
Lost in thought, Lin Jiayao reached the combat department building.
To her surprise, it was empty.
Not just the building, but the entire street.
What had happened?
…A purge?
Lin Jiayao frowned.
This was the most logical course of action, but also the one she wanted to avoid the most.
Not everyone infected by the fungus was completely lost.
As long as the fungus hadn’t completely taken over their body and consumed their brain, they were still… human.
Their eye structure might have been altered, preventing them from seeing things the fungus didn’t want them to see.
The difficulty lay in distinguishing between full infection and partial infection.
Some partially infected had already had organs replaced by the fungus. Although, thanks to Huayibai’s intervention, the infection wouldn’t progress, removing the fungus now might cause organ failure.
Huayibai’s earlier attempt to have everyone expel the fungus had almost killed these partially infected.
But now, Lin Jiayao was more concerned about where everyone had gone.
Since the fungal zombie didn’t inherit Bone Spike Lurker, she had to ask Huayibai.
She learned that her “daughters” were at the plaza, but Huayibai didn’t know what they were doing there.
The plaza was only about two kilometers away from the combat department, a short distance. She should be able to get there and back within half an hour.
Lin Jiayao decided to investigate.
Reaching the plaza, she slowed down.
A large crowd had gathered.
The entire plaza was filled with people, over ten thousand, likely the entire population of Survivor’s Light.
They were all standing silently, looking towards the center. Lin Jiayao now realized they were forming a long line.
Everyone wore disposable masks, normally useless in the apocalypse, now seemingly a valuable commodity.
Their ears were plugged with cotton or foam, not completely blocking sound, but preventing things from entering.
Their eyes were covered with goggles or swimming goggles. Those without were covering their faces with cloth, their hands held by those with goggles.
They were all silent, as if afraid of something spreading.
What’s going on?
Lin Jiayao was curious. She knew these precautions were essentially useless.
After so many years, whoever was going to be infected was already infected.
She pushed through the crowd, towards the center of the plaza.
She saw dozens of people maintaining order, the people in line approaching them one by one.
A person in full protective gear, holding a watch-like device, pressed it against each person’s hand, neck, and chest.
Lin Jiayao noticed blood welling up where the black back of the watch touched their skin.
Are they… testing?
“Beep, beep—”
After the test, the person in protective gear seemed relieved and directed the person to the right.
Lin Jiayao then noticed that the plaza was divided into two sections.
A red cloth and a green cloth marked the division.
A woman, her face covered with cloth, was led, trembling, to the testing area.
The watch was pressed against her hand, no reaction. Her chest, no reaction. Finally, her neck, and the watch flashed red.
“Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep—”
The device beeped rapidly. “Lower your face covering, please. To the left,” the tester said softly.
The woman froze until the man holding her hand patted her back.
She trembled, unwrapped the cloth from her face, her eyes bloodshot, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
“Sir…” Tears streamed down her face. She reached up and blindly wiped her eyes, her voice filled with despair. “Am… am I infected? Am I… really dead?”
“Am… am I really dead?”
“How can I be dead? I’m still thinking, I can still control myself… I’m not infected, how can I be dead?”
Overwhelmed, the woman collapsed, sobbing uncontrollably.
She couldn’t understand how Survivor’s Light, which had seemed so vibrant just yesterday, had become like this.
Years of belief and hope, shattered in an instant.
A red-haired woman emerged from the group of Awakened and crouched beside her, offering comfort.
It was Jiang Chun. Lin Jiayao recognized her; she was a close friend of this body’s original owner.
Lin Jiayao couldn’t hear their conversation from this distance, but the woman gradually calmed down, stood up, and walked towards the infected section on the right.
After comforting the woman, Jiang Chun stood up, taking a deep breath.
She looked at the fearful crowd and then at An Xiaoxi, standing near the front, without any protective gear.
Seeing An Xiaoxi, Jiang Chun felt a pang of grief.
But she quickly composed herself and smiled faintly at An Xiaoxi.
Lin Jiayao didn’t react; she knew Jiang Chun already knew that An Xiaoxi was dead. There was no need to pretend.
Jiang Chun didn’t immediately eliminate the infected. Instead, she raised her right hand and looked at the frightened crowd.
They had once been comrades, close friends. And now, they were facing this desperate “sorting.”
Jiang Chun took a deep breath, clenched her right fist, and shouted, “Don’t be afraid!”
Her voice echoed through the silent plaza, capturing everyone’s attention.
“This sorting is just a new technology from the research department, to quickly identify those infected by the fungus.”
“Being infected doesn’t mean there’s no hope! Please believe us! We won’t abandon anyone!”
“You’re not dead! You’re still alive! You can still think! You can still feel! You… you’re just sick!!!”
“Please cooperate with our research. We’ll find the source of this disease and cure you! We’ll announce on the radio tonight that we’re temporarily suspending new arrivals and will focus all our efforts on supporting the research department.”
“Senior Gu Wangran sacrificed his life to reveal the truth to us, and I will dedicate my life to continuing the light of hope he ignited.”
“Remember, we are Survivor’s Light… dawn hasn’t broken yet, we cannot fall!”
Jiang Chun’s eyes were bloodshot. She raised her right hand and punched the air. “For humanity!”
Silence fell over the plaza.
Slowly, one by one, everyone raised their right hand, whether they wore masks or not, until the entire plaza was a sea of raised hands.
A solemn, tragic feeling spread through the crowd, as if reminding everyone of their initial purpose in joining Survivor’s Light.
In the solemn silence, Lin Jiayao turned, took Huayibai’s hand, and walked away, melting into the crowd.
Survivor’s Light had chosen the slowest, most agonizing path, attempting to defuse a bomb before it exploded.
Like moths drawn to a flame.
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