The gray concrete road, filled with cracks, stretched towards the horizon. The unknown looking plants vigilantly sprouted through the cracks on the concrete, as it bathed in the unhealthy looking ray of sunshine.
The buildings in the vicinity had no closed windows. They were all shattered in the nuclear explosion. Some of the abandoned cars occupying the streets had windshields that were cracked but remained intact. They were made with higher quality glass than the windows.
It was also possible to spot the occasional sleek looking “metal box.” Sun Jiao explained that NATO’s paratrooper previously used them as shock absorbers. However, as she talked about the city’s history of invasions, she didn’t express too much emotion. It probably had to do with the fact that she was raised in the survival base and the concept of patriotism was non-existent.
But when she mentioned the history of wars, she openly expressed her disdain. Her eyes showed that both sides, in the war, were complete dumba*ses.
“Is it going to rain?” Jiang Chen raised his head as he gazed into the sky. The thick gray clouds covered the sun, as if it was the clouds that made the sunshine looked so unnatural. There was a suppressing yellow light mixed with the ray of sunshine. He was curious as to how the plants grew here.
“Those are not clouds. Those are radiation dust.” Sun Jiao found the comment quite funny. He was almost as naïve as she was when she left survival base 071.
“That means we are completely exposed to radiation?” His only understanding of radiation was from the Fukushima nuclear reactor accident. He remembered, at the time, all the salt was purchased clean from the stores.
Although it’s absurd looking back now, it was easy to imagine the emphasis people placed on health in the modern world. Radiation was as fearful as it could get.
Sun Jiao wasn’t too fazed. “Don’t worry, as long as there’s iodine in your EP, the radiation level will not surpass the limit. You also don’t need to worry about growing a third hand. However, if you are in front of a nuclear reactor or a former government’s parliament, where radiation is high, it would be wiser to wear a protective suit,” Sun Jiao warned as she rolled her eyes again.
Although they had an exciting night, there was no sign of Sun Jiao being fatigued. But Jiang Chen felt a bit drained from all the action.
It was not to say that Jiang Chen was weak, regardless how much endurance he had. There was no way he could compare physically to a female Superman that constantly fought in battles.
[Those ridiculous body stats…]
Jiang Chen could not imagine that, without any signs of muscle, she was much stronger than him who at least maintained some muscles.
The decision to venture out together was completely HER idea.
“Since you said you are going to help me, then you have to study some combat related knowledge. Tomorrow let’s venture out together. At least you need to learn how to shoot, and how to protect yourself.”
“Hmm, well, I do think I can be a backup personnel.”
“Be quiet… tomorrow we’ll go to the survival camp at Sixth Street. You need to inject the anti-infectious vaccine. Without it, it would be too dangerous. You have to go.”
Therefore, Jiang Chen had to carry the rifle as he quietly followed.
They continued to chat along the way, but for some reason, she didn’t ask about his origin. Since she didn’t ask, Jiang Chen did not bring up the topic either. Jiang Chen knew that she stopped asking because she developed trust in him. When the time comes, she knew he would tell her.
For the same reason, Jiang Chen didn’t pursue the topic of why she was at the mansion in the first place.
“We’ll pass a zombie infested area up front. The best place to practice shooting is the battlefield itself. Get familiar with the weapon first, but don’t fire, ” she explained, as she took out a high-powered looking rifle from behind. She then looked at Jiang Chen, as she continued to answer his questions.
“SK10, short-to-medium range laser rifle. The best kind of weapon against zombies would be lasers because it has low noise and high accuracy. However, to improve your shooting, let’s start with bullet weapons first,” She pointed at the gun Jiang Chen was holding and continued.
“PK200 assault rifle. 7.62 mm in diameter. These bullet guns are not as accurate as the laser ones, but the high penetration power and reliability cannot be underestimated. Even if you use the barrel to smash your enemies, it would be durable enough to get the job done. The safe is on the right side of the rifle, remember to keep it closed if you are not firing.”
The sleek looking gun barrel had a futuristic design. At the handle, Jiang Chen saw a small symbol.
PAC.
The two of them walked through the empty street. The occasional three feet long rat crossing the road would always scare Jiang Chen, but he got used to it after a while. These mutants were everywhere. Jiang Chen even saw a cockroach the size of a dog as it fled into the shadows of the street. Their one-meter long tentacles were disturbing to see.
“Not all creatures possess attacking abilities. For example, while rats are large, biologically they still preserved their natural fear of human. While cockroaches certainly look frightening, due to the source of their food, they won’t attack any living things.” They were approaching the intersection as Sun Jiao raised her rifle in caution. “Zombies would stop all activity during the day time. The mutated cells in the back of their heads require a stable environment to photosynthesis. Shocking right? That’s why these zombies survived all these years without starving to death. I think some of the zombies even evolved to a point where they can reproduce asexually.”
Sun Jiao joked around for a bit while keeping her guard up. “What we need to be careful of are the carnivores. They usually eat zombies or other creatures at the bottom of the food chain. However, if they do encounter a human, they are not picky eaters. Lastly, the most dangerous species are humans. If someone points at your head, don’t hesitate and fire immediately.”
Her decisiveness made Jiang Chen feel a sudden coldness run down his spine.
Astounded by the cruelty on the wasteland, Jiang Chen was also amazed. The city developed its own complex yet distinct ecosystem. Nature was truly compelling in adapting to the idea of survival of the fittest.
Under the iron forests, there were no signs of civilization. Only an uncivilized land remained. Despite holding a highly advanced weapon, Jiang Chen did not feel safe at all.
“Shh.” Sun Jiao suddenly stopped and raised her right hand to stop Jiang Chen.
“Don’t point your gun at me, dumba*s. Watch my back,” Sun Jiao cursed at Jiang Chen under her voice.
Jiang Chen took a deep breath and opened the safe, as he pointed the gun directly into the peaceful street.
“This is odd, all the mutants in the surrounding area disappeared. They must have sensed their predator.” There was a shiver of nervousness in Sun Jiao’s voice. The hint of nervousness made the almost calm Jiang Chen nervous again.
“Predator?”
“Carnivores of some sort. Hopefully, it is not a Death Claw.”
Although he didn’t know what a Death Claw was, Jiang Chen heard the concern in her voice.
At that moment, a loud blast came from somewhere far down the street. Immediately, a deep but loud roar followed and a burst of gunshots ensued.
“There is a battle up front, come with me.” Sun Jiao instructed after she heard the noise in the distance. Without retreating, she moved in the direction of the battle.
“I mean, are you sure we are not going the wrong way?”
Sun Jiao didn’t respond to Jiang Chen’s question; he had to follow as he had no other choice.
A burst of howls erupted from a hideous yet vicious looking face. Saliva was flowing from its mouth, while it swung the almost broken lamp post. The fat on the creature’s body looked as if it was about to burst.
“Focus fire. Throw the explosives over! Quick!”
“Ammo! I need ammo!”
“Ahhh, my hand!” A flying car door cut through a poor guy’s arm, as it penetrated into the wall not far behind from him.
The monster was angered, as it unleashed all of its power onto the soldier’s defense line.
The mutant was under heavy fire from the not so well equipped soldiers. They tried to suppress the raging meatball. A few soldiers ducked under friendly fire while avoiding the debris that the monster throw. They continued to throw explosives at the monster.
“… It’s Roshan!” As Sun Jiao backed into the corner, shock was written all over her face. “How did it appear here…”
Jiang Chen was even more surprised. With his mouth wide open, he was completely stunned.
[What the hell is that? That thing is massive!]
Roshan pressed forward, as it bathed in the heavy fire. The situation was looking dire for the soldiers. While the bullets did affect Roshan’s movement, it was far from stopping him. The thick layer of fat was like a bulletproof vest, which stopped the bullets from penetrating through his skin.
The soldiers were out of solutions. Even the leader of the squad immediately sent out an order to approach the Roshan with explosives. However, the thick layer of fat was designed for more than bullet protection.
Although the waves of attack were not effective, the Roshan’s movement was hindered by it. The Roshan could no longer make any advancements forward.
At that moment, a homing missile penetrated the air, as it cast a gloomy trial of death directly at the Roshan.
But the missile did not hit the Roshan. It skidded across the Roshan’s face, as it impacted the building behind it.
Boom! Following the impact, a wave of the violent explosions ensued. The steel reinforced concrete broke into pieces as it left a massive hole in the building behind the Roshan.
It seemed to have sensed the danger, the Roshan’s body of fat began shaking violently, as its power was even more explosive and fierce. Its bloody mouth opened wide, as if it was letting out an angry roar, but the roar was silent.
Another missile flew across the battlefield. Following the track of the first missile, this one directly penetrated into the Roshan’s bloody mouth.
In seconds, blood, brain, and fat exploded into small droplets. The content of the Roshan’s body filled the street.
The Roshan, without its head, fell to the ground. The soldiers celebrated their victory.
Soldiers walked out of their covers as the battle came to an end. They hugged each other and helped the wounded. Then, they cleaned the battlefield in an organized manner.
“99-Type Anti-tank Missile, that is pretty much the only thing that could destroy the Roshan. The Roshan’s fat is very thick, which would make any bullet type weapon obsolete. At the same time, the Roshan’s bad habit of throwing things makes fighting one a nightmare.” Sun Jiao felt relieved as she let out a sigh.
“What are they doing?” Jiang Chen glanced at the people who were dissecting Roshan as he tried to keep the food in his stomach down.
“Collecting the crystals. Also, Roshan’s fat can be used as nutrients in the nutrient supply. Oh, I think the blood cell can also be used as ingredients in the vaccines.”
Nutrient supply? Why does it sound like food?
Jiang Chen shivered as he promised himself that he would never touch that nutrient supply. Wouldn’t that be equivalent to eating Roshan’s meat?
Sun Jiao smiled as she seemed to have guessed why Jiang Chen was grossed out. She then took Jiang Chen to the group of soldiers.
Sensing their approach, a soldier walked over. He then examined the group of two.
With professionalism, he spoke, “Sixth Street welcomes you. Based on the necessary procedure, I need to inspect your gene code.”
Gene code was a type of code based on an algorithm developed through a person’s genetic sequence, and was used as EP’s user ID. Due to EP’s broad adoption, and the uniqueness of each genetic sequence, it was used as a form of ID. In the apocalyptic world, the government didn’t exist. Therefore, to prove one’s identity, DNA was the only option.
In some governed survival bases, the entrance was dependent on the inspection of the gene code. The goal was to find criminals who violated the law in the survival base.
After they had displayed their EP, the soldier allowed both of them to pass politely.
“I always thought only barbarians existed in the wasteland. I can’t believe I can see some traces of civilization.” Jiang Chen’s cautious heart calmed down as he saw the soldiers did not bother them any further.
Sun Jiao grinned as she heard Jiang Chen’s statement.
“Oh, my opinion is the opposite of yours. I think civilization exists everywhere on this piece of land. It’s just that its form is rather unique.”
The steel gate slowly opened, as the tension within the camp decreased. Behind the sandbags, Jiang Chen saw the Anti-tank Missile that destroyed Roshan. The vicious cannon spread an eerie vibe as it just stood there. The ground was littered with its large metal shells.
Jiang Chen followed Sun Jiao into the camp.
Sixth Street was a harbor that welcomed travelers of the wasteland. Its philosophy was to protect the order in a land filled with chaos. But it would be naïve to consider Sixth Street as the enforcer of justice.