Mmm...so warm...
How long has it been since he felt this kind of warmth?
It seems like a lifetime ago...ever since mother passed away, no one has ever hugged him like this.
Wait a minute. Hug?
Coming hazily back to consciousness, he abruptly recalls something. Huo Zaiyuan's eyes open to meet a pair of deep, dark pupils.
"Ahh..." Suffering a huge shock, his entire body jumps up, pale skin flushing a very deep red. "Y - Y - You! Why are you hugging me!!"
"My beloved little Yuan, I am truly innocent. It was you who hugged me last night and refused to release me." A low chuckle rings out, the seductive sound enough to cause one's heart to palpitate. Looking at the red-faced youth, Long Zhanye's mood instantly becomes good. "Hurry up and ready yourself, eat breakfast, then we'll go move the weapons."
"Un." As Long Zhanye doesn't continue teasing him, Huo Zaiyuan nods his head. Waving his hand, he sends the blankets back into his space and leaves to begin preparing breakfast. "Older brother Long, what about your car?"
He hasn't forgotten Long Zhanye previously said the Hummer was parked in the military district's garage. The garage can't possibly be on the second or third floor, which leaves only the first level or the underground basement.
What Huo Zaiyuan has considered, Long Zhanye has also naturally thought of. Looking out the window, he notes that the creatures outside remain as before, swaying to and fro, the low growls emitting from their throats drifting in the wind, making people feel rather agitated.
"The car's tire is slightly damaged. I sent it over for repairs the day before, but yesterday there was the sudden outbreak of zombies. I don't know whether they managed to repair it for me. If my vehicle is not repaired, then it will be troublesome."
"Do you know how to repair the damages?" The Huo Zaiyuan who is cooking before the stove asks.
"Of course. It's a must-know."
"How about I'll go and put your car and any equipment you'll need inside my space, then bring them here to the second floor?" Carrying two bowls of noodles over, Huo Zaiyuan suggests.
"Un, good idea." Long Zhanye nods in consent. "The maintenance garage is on the opposite building's ground floor. We can get there by walking through the connecting bridge, then directly head down to the first level and retrieve my car."
"Okay." Huo Zaiyuan looks out the window at the distant connecting bridge between the two buildings and the zombies that are shuffling back and forth on it. "Older brother Long, later, we'll first take everything in the third level's armoury."
When he was just cooking breakfast, he has already transferred all the food, liquid gas, pots and stoves in the canteen into his space. Now he only needs to clear out the weapons warehouse, then both older brother Long and him can go retrieve the car without worries about leaving important items behind. Of course, it would be best if they are able to return back after grabbing the vehicle, but it is always better to take precautions.
~~~
After finishing breakfast, the two men head directly to the armoury to clear it out. Long Zhanye picks up a comparatively lighter pistol which also has a larger bullet capacity, taking a moment to assemble and adjust the gun before adding a suppressor, then handing the firearm over to Huo Zaiyuan.
"Take this. If anything happens, you do know how to fire it, don't you?"
"I know." Huo Zaiyuan nods his head, then flicks on the safety switch of the pistol as soon as it is in his hands.
He might not know how to shoot a target at long range, but basic pulling of the trigger is nothing he will struggle to do.
Also, on the route they will take to the garage, he will be setting down arrays as they walk in order to ensure they will have a safe path to take when returning to the canteen. To carry a knife in hand while setting arrays would be rather inconvenient.
"Let's go." Shouldering a rifle, Long Zhanye also grasps the sword Huo Zaiyuan gave him yesterday in his other hand.
"Sure."
All the zombies on the second floor have basically been eliminated by them yesterday, and on top of that, the array Huo Zaiyuan laid out provides extra protection, making this level very safe and secure. In addition, there is a little corridor before the entrance of the connecting bridge leading to the opposite building. That particular corridor is blocked by a steel rod secured over a door. It is obvious that there are zombies behind this barrier, and the rod was evidently put up by those who managed to escape to the second floor. Only, they had extremely bad luck, ultimately unable to escape the sad fate of becoming zombies.
Glancing at Huo Zaiyuan, Long Zhanye moves forward and removes the steel rod that was barring the door. Zombies don't know how to pull doors open, only scratching and knocking against them. The person who inserted the metal rod to prevent the door from being pushed open clearly managed to remain cool-headed despite the chaos.
Following the removal of the steel rod, the entrance door slowly opens of its own violation. Immediately, a black shadow pounces forward, repressed howls rumbling in its throat.
There's a flash of silver, then the zombie's head is separated from its shoulders. A body clad in military uniform, shoulder wet with blood from a bite collapses onto the ground. A foul heavy stench permeates the small corridor, whether from the zombie being locked in here for two days or if it was a natural odour is up to one to guess.
Frowning lightly, a hand rise and fall, a tile drops on the corpse and encompasses it in golden flames. Sadly, this body did not yield a crystal.
"Little Yuan, I've discovered something." Long Zhanye shifts his gaze to the youth who is in the middle of placing three talismans on the doorway.
"What is it?"
"Zombies with a devil ant crystal in their skulls generally don't have any visible wounds on their bodies. Those that were changed after being scratched or bitten all do not possess these crystals." Although he has only seen Huo Zaiyuan burn undead corpses with that golden fire once or twice, he has carefully observed everything about the two zombies at the balcony yesterday.
Hearing this, Ho Zaiyuan pauses for a second, then agrees after thinking carefully. "It does seem like it."
"When the volcano near H City started erupting, the volcanic ash contained a large volume of red ants capable of transforming someone into a zombie. If these people happened to be in H City that day and unknowingly allowed an ant to enter their bodies, after returning to their city, the infection began to spread. Then the concealed ants change each one into a zombie and made them attack others. This could be how the outbreak began." Long Zhanye slowly explains his speculations.
"Un, that makes sense. So from older brother Long's reasoning, there will be a lot more zombies carrying ants in their heads within H City compared to other cities."
"Smart." Long Zhanye praises, rubbing Huo Zaiyuan's head.
Tsk, intelligent, attentive, level-headed, daring, quick reaction speed, outstanding aptitude. Why didn't he meet this kid before the apocalypse? If he managed to enlist him in the army, who knows what position he (HZY) would be able to achieve now?
"Will older brother Long return to A City's military district?" From what he remembers, in his previous life, A, B, E and K City banded together to set up a relatively large safe-zone. At that time, Huo Zaiyuan was loitering in V City's small safe-zone, eventually bumping into his stepmother who fled to V City. Afterwards, the infection spread and while he was trying to escape with the other survivors, he was kicked down into the swarm of ants.
"Mhm, little Yuan will be coming back with me." It wasn't a question, but a statement.
"All right."
Pushing the door open wider and stoppering it with various items, Huo Zaiyuan lay another array in the corridor before pulling open the door leading to the connecting bridge. Their previous commotion had attracted the zombies nearby. From the muffled growls, it is obvious the undead wants nothing more than to attack the two, but are prevented from acting due to the talismans. Long Zhanye easily disposes of that handful currently trapped by the array. As though confirming his theory, these zombies that are covered in wounds produce nothing after being burned.
Finally, after blocking this door with more items to prevent it from closing, they step onto the connecting bridge. The scent of living beings quickly draws the attention of all the undead wandering around the bridge, enticing attacks in rapid succession. Long Zhanye swings the knife in his hand, a chop here, a strike there. Huo Zaiyuan too forgoes the use of his talisman, copying the other in slaying zombies with his sword.
Blade slicing horizontally through the air, he cleaves the head of a zombie dragging its intestines along cleanly in two. Long Zhanye advances steadily over the bridge, walking out from below the stairs' shadow, with Huo Zaiyuan close behind, glowing silver talisman clenched between his fingers.
"Older brother Long, this is the last array I will set. Where is the garage?"
"It's in the building opposite, but it's rather strange...there are no zombies here." Sweeping his gaze over the blood-stained floor, eyes narrowing slightly, tension not easing one bit from his body.
"It is odd, but...older brother Long, do you feel the atmosphere here is eerie?" Maybe it is a side-effect from his cultivation, but Huo Zaiyuan feels his sixth sense has become keener.
Looking at all the wreckage and bloodstains, his heart is really uneasy...as if this place is hiding something.
"Little Yuan, use your gun. No matter what creature emerges, just open fire." Long Zhanye hands his knife over to Huo Zaiyuan, letting him place it back into the space before unslinging the rifle on his back.
Tossing both swords back in his space, Huo Zaiyuan draws the suppressed pistol and dips his head at Long Zhanye. "Let's go."