RIACMET chapter 69

 

The farther away from the base you got, the more zombies there were.

After the toxic rain, all the vegetation quickly withered and rotted. Grass no longer grew on the ground; the soil had turned into a desert where sand swirled into the sky even without a breeze.

Once you left the base, you had to wear a mask.

Moreover, the area around South City Base was a flat plain. From a distance, the whole place looked desolate, and the wandering zombies stood out starkly against the barren landscape.

Jiang Nian and the others ignored the scattered zombies, only stopping to engage them when they encountered larger groups.

Their team was strong in combat, and they worked well together. Wherever they went, the zombies were reduced to ash.

Today, Jiang Nian finally had the chance to test his abilities against the undead.

Earthen barriers, ice walls, iron barricades, and thorny vines erupted from the ground. His teammates unleashed their abilities to surround the zombies while also blocking the view from outside.

Seeing the zombies trapped, Jiang Nian’s expression turned cold and focused. He pressed his palm to the ground and activated his power.

Cheng Jing stood right beside him.

A blue-white halo swept across the area, cleansing everything it touched.

When the zombies were hit by the pure energy, they let out piercing howls. Even without normal human senses, their corrupted minds were extremely sensitive to anything that harmed them. Their movements slowed, and wisps of black smoke drifted from their decaying flesh.

The purification accelerated the rotting of their bodies, like devils in Western legends being splashed with holy water.

The effect wasn’t lethal on its own, but it was the perfect support skill for the team.

The enraged zombies lunged forward, roaring. Jiang Nian withdrew the energy coating his skin, picked up his AK, and began to shoot.

He had practiced marksmanship as an amateur before, and Cheng Jing had taught him step by step. Now, he was pretty good.

His teammates simply watched as he shot the brains out of every zombie in his range. Then, Cheng Jing incinerated the remains and collected the cores.

Satisfied with the experiment, Jiang Nian let out a long breath and brushed the dust off his camouflage uniform.

He was still uneasy about killing a human, but zombies? He didn’t hesitate at all.

Though they were technically the same species, they were worlds apart emotionally.

When his teammates withdrew their abilities, Jiang Nian slung his gun over his shoulder and walked toward a lone zombie shambling in the distance.

Everyone else was about to return to the vehicles when they exchanged looks. Huang Qian tugged on Cheng Jing’s sleeve to keep him from following.

“He looks so enthusiastic.”

She seemed ready to laugh. He really did look like one of those villain bosses in a TV drama.

“Some people are just born rebels,” she sighed.

Cheng Jing didn’t answer; he immediately went after Jiang Nian. He was afraid that if he didn’t, Jiang Nian would twist the zombie’s head off with his bare hands.

Everyone else: “… ”

Jian Cheng watched their backs as they walked away, then tilted his head.

“So, Brother Nian’s really a fighter type? The kind who gets high off combat?”

Tang Yi sighed dramatically.

“Pretending to be nice for love.”

Zhou Rongbin shook his head. “Pitiful.”

“What are you talking about?” Huang Qian flicked him hard on the forehead.

“Have you ever been in love? What’s wrong with a single guy feeling sorry for a pair of lovebirds?”

Zhou Rongbin rubbed the sore spot.

“Sister Qian, you’re really cutting deep…”

Single men have no rights.

Lu Ningzhou, siding with his wife, pointed up ahead.

“Why don’t you go say that to their faces?”

Zhou Rongbin’s face froze.

“No need. We’re all brothers here…” Of course, he didn’t dare. The apocalypse had just begun, and he still wanted to live.

Bang—

Bang—

Two gunshots rang out. Thunder and flames erupted. The zombies instantly turned to ash.

Jiang Nian stepped forward and picked up the crystals.

“Ten points… twenty points.”

Noticing that the man was still standing there with a cold expression, waiting for him, Jiang Nian took the initiative to speak first.

“Brother Jing, I just wanted to ask Yang Kai more about Base S. Don’t be upset.”

“I’m not upset. I overreacted earlier.”

Once his anger had subsided, he realized that Jiang Nian’s past tragedies were probably tied to Base S.

Given Yang Kai’s background, he must know a lot. Learning more about certain people and events might help them plan ahead.

“I knew you wouldn’t stay mad at me.”

Jiang Nian beamed as he stepped over to rest a hand on Cheng Jing’s shoulder. Then he pinched gently.

“I don’t really care what anyone else thinks. But you’re different, Brother Jing. You’re my partner. You’re the only one I can truly relax around. When you’re here, I’m not afraid of anything.”

He might appear cool and unbothered, but he was anything but secure. The miserable death in his last life had left scars he couldn’t erase.

He wanted to stop caring, but even after being reborn, he still hadn’t let go. Maybe he’d only be free once he got revenge and survived past the moment he died.

He didn’t dare tell anyone that, though; he didn’t want Brother Jing to worry.

“…Alright. I won’t really get mad at you.”

Cheng Jing nodded, his expression stiff. His throat felt hot all of a sudden, and he almost pulled him into a hug.

“Hehe~”

Jiang Nian nudged his shoulder and whispered after a moment,

“If we weren’t out here, I’d be hugging you right now.”

When you spoke from the heart, you had to hug each other—it doubled the healing effect.

“Mm.”

Cheng Jing nodded again, trying hard to resist the urge to act on it. Was this what people called telepathy?

“….”

To their teammates, they just looked like a couple whispering sweet nothings after wiping out some zombies. Their feet were practically glued to the ground—killing monsters had basically turned into foreplay.

Liao Yu mumbled to himself,

“I really want to know the details of my godfather’s relationship with Brother Cheng…”

“You’re curious about everything. What are you imagining now? Get in the car!”

Zhao Lei snapped, turning toward the vehicle.

“Brother Zhao, you’re only upset because you’ve eaten too much dog food…”

Liao Yu pouted and trailed behind.

When they set off again, everyone finally relaxed. The two lovebirds had made up, and the mood in the car lightened.

Until they reached their destination.

At the entrance to the industrial zone,

Yang Kai was already waiting, fully armed. He leaned lazily against the motorcycle, resting a gun on his shoulder, looking both handsome and rebellious.

Jiang Nian had only ever seen his “fake love rival” dressed like a proper gentleman in suits and glasses. In this rugged getup, he was far more striking.

After everyone parked and checked their weapons, Lu Ningzhou and Huang Qian covered the vehicles with earthen walls and thorny barricades.

Yang Kai looked over, smiling slightly.

“Could you cover my bike, too? Thanks.”

“No problem,” Huang Qian agreed easily.

After that, the team began greeting Yang Kai while making final preparations. They had already worked together quietly for months, so they were pretty familiar with each other.

At first, everyone discreetly watched Jiang Nian, worried that he might get annoyed. If he was, they’d all back off.

Surprisingly, though, Jiang Nian was happier to chat with Yang Kai than with anyone else, especially when discussing motorcycle modifications. No one else could get a word in.

“Hey! Focus!”

Cheng Jing finally couldn’t stand it anymore. He pulled out the park map and some basic information on the chemical plant.

Everyone instantly stopped chatting and became serious.