In the city,
a sedan drove on the desolate streets.
"So quiet, not even a ghost's shadow to be seen."
Ton Tuan observed. The dilapidated environment of the city deeply impacted his heart. The city was once very prosperous and bustling. Looking at it now, images of its former liveliness flashed through his mind.
"You were right, there really are no zombies in the city."
Chu Hong Trinh was overjoyed.
Ton Tuan smiled and said, "My guess would never be wrong. Wave after wave of zombie tides have left. Where did all these zombies come from? They must have left from the city. There's absolutely no problem."
Tran Yen said, "Should we find supplies first, or look for a satellite phone?"
Chu Hong Trinh said, "The best sequence is to find supplies first, then look for a satellite phone. If an accident happens, at least we won't be empty-handed."
Ton Tuan and the others all nodded in agreement with this statement. It was indeed so; this was the best choice.
First, find some supplies to be prepared.
If something happened while looking for a satellite phone, they could still bring the supplies back to the tunnel. Only with supplies could they plan for the future.
They entered a small shop. Ton Tuan and the others warily observed the surrounding situation. Although the zombies in the city seemed to have left this place, no one could be sure if there would be danger.
"All clear, gather supplies."
Ton Tuan got out of the car, holding a weapon, and rushed into the shop. Tran Yen and Chu Hong Trinh followed closely behind, while the other person stayed in the driver's seat, still staring intently outside.
Ready to report the situation at any time.
Inside the shop,
Ton Tuan carried a whole box of instant noodles. "The supplies in the city are too abundant. Too many people have turned into zombies. Trying to find supplies in a horde of zombies is as difficult as climbing to the sky."
Chu Hong Trinh said, "We've caught a lucky break."
Instant noodles, mineral water, bread, biscuits—they continuously transported them to the vehicle.
They also took many cigarettes from the counter.
In the tense apocalypse, cigarettes could alleviate a tense mood. As for hard liquor, it was impossible to take. Who knew what a drunken fool would do?
Things that make you lose your sanity should absolutely not be brought along.
Their transport speed was very fast.
After filling the car, they hurriedly left the shop and returned to the car.
"So smooth. This is our smoothest supply run ever." A brilliant smile appeared on Ton Tuan's face.
Chu Hong Trinh also said, "I'm a little unused to this kind of atmosphere. In the past, we risked our lives to find supplies."
Yes, thinking back on the past situation and looking at the current situation, the two were simply incomparable.
It was so smooth that it made people a little unused to it.
"I think when we go look for a satellite phone later, it will definitely be very smooth too."
Ton Tuan firmly believed that a good start meant that everything would go smoothly.
The vehicle continued on.
Satellite phones were not as easy to find as other phones. They needed to go to a designated place to buy them. They looked around cheerfully. The city was truly desolate. The shops were severely damaged, and the surrounding weeds were overgrown. Based on the current situation, in half a year or a year, without zombies trampling on it, this place would definitely become a desolate city covered in green vegetation.
Boom!
But at this moment,
a huge commotion came from afar.
Hearing the commotion, they turned their heads and saw a zombie using all four limbs, frantically rushing out and crashing into a shop across the street, instantly creating a huge commotion.
In a flash, the zombie came out of the shop, shook its head, roared gloomily, and frantically chased after the sedan.
"That's a Predator, a type of zombie recorded in the guide. It's not something we ordinary people can deal with."
"Damn it, why is there a Predator in an empty city?"
"Shouldn't it have left with the zombie tide?"
Ton Tuan's face was a little pale.
If it were a normal zombie, it would be easy to say. A few casual bumps could kill it. But faced with this kind of zombie, there was really nothing they could do.
The sedan swerved on the street. It was very difficult to increase its speed. The roadside was full of overturned vehicles. A moment of carelessness could lead to a collision with these abandoned vehicles.
If they collided, they would be really finished.
They kept looking behind them. The Predator's speed was very fast and its movements were very agile. It chased the vehicle closely, making it impossible to pull away.
"We can't stay on the streets. We have to find a way to get to the highway and shake off the Predator."
The situation at this moment was very tense.
That sense of oppression was truly terrifying. For them, who were in the eye of the storm, their whole bodies were filled with fear, a feeling of being enveloped by darkness.
"I know, I'm already thinking of a way."
The driver held his breath, his eyes fixed on the front. He knew he absolutely could not be careless. He had to be fully focused on the front. Everyone's lives were in his hands.
He was the hope in everyone's hearts.
Ton Tuan turned his head nervously, his expression startled. He looked left and right. "Where's the Predator? It's not behind us."
"What?"
Chu Hong Trinh also searched. It was true, just as Ton Tuan had said. He couldn't find any trace of the Predator.
They wouldn't think they had shaken off the Predator. It was just behind them a moment ago. How could it suddenly be shaken off?
There was a problem.
There was definitely a problem.
Where on earth did the Predator go?
This situation kept lingering in their hearts. If they couldn't find any trace of the Predator, who could be at ease? They would definitely be even more anxious than before.
Just as they were thinking,
Thump!
The roof of the car shook violently and caved in directly.
In an instant, their faces turned pale. They understood where the Predator had gone. It was on their roof.
"Not good, we're done for."
This thought appeared in their hearts.
They felt they were really done for.
The vehicle swayed from side to side. The driver was already trying his best to control the steering wheel, but under this force, he still felt that the steering wheel was a bit uncontrollable.
Splatter!
Splatter!
The Predator, stirring on the roof, would not let go of this group of prey so easily. It directly tore a hole in the metal sheet of the roof.
Ton Tuan and the others in the car grabbed their weapons and stabbed at the roof.
"Damn it..."
Ton Tuan was furious. The weapon that stabbed out was grabbed by the Predator. A huge force came, and the weapon left his hand, directly snatched away by the Predator.
To fight a Predator with the strength of an ordinary human was simply an act of overestimating oneself.
Immediately,
the sedan swayed from side to side. It was difficult for everyone to maintain their balance, and they swayed with the vehicle.
Crash!
Crash!
The vehicle overturned and slid on the ground.
Ton Tuan kicked open the window and crawled out with difficulty. He looked down into the car. Everyone was injured. He grabbed Chu Hong Trinh's arm and pulled him out with all his might.
"Get out quickly, run quickly..."
He saw that the Predator was just waiting behind, not rushing over immediately, but letting out a low roar, as if to say... prey, you can't escape anymore, obediently let me swallow you.
Chu Hong Trinh swayed out, a hole in his forehead, fresh blood flowing from it.
He and Ton Tuan worked together to pull the other two out.
They leaned despairingly against the overturned vehicle, knowing that it was impossible to run.
But humans, at their most dangerous moments, could often erupt with the strongest survival force. This force was not to be underestimated, and at the same time, there was a kind of spirit of dedication.
"You guys run, I'll hold it off. It was my wishful thinking that there were no zombies in the city. I was the one who pulled you guys out. Now that something like this has happened, I have an undeniable responsibility."
Ton Tuan picked up a steel pipe from the ground and said with determination.
"Let's run together!"
Chu Hong Trinh roared. The Predator not far away gave them a sense of oppression that was too strong. Even without fighting, there was a voice in their hearts that kept echoing.
This is a terrifying zombie. We can't fight it. Give up resisting. We will all die at its hands.
Ton Tuan smiled sadly. "We can't escape. You've all seen its speed. Our speed is like a snail crawling in its eyes. If I hold it off, you can still survive."
This was the only chance.
Ton Tuan never thought he was a hero. He just felt that what had happened now was caused by him alone. If he hadn't thought so beautifully, everyone wouldn't be facing such danger.
So he wanted to bear all this and pay for his mistakes.
Clasp!
Chu Hong Trinh's hand fell on Ton Tuan's arm. "Don't be ridiculous. We've come this far, always united. We've never abandoned anyone. Do you want what happened to vuong khang to happen again? Even if we die, we will face it together."
Tran Yen and the driver on the side were the same.
They picked up the steel pipes on the ground as weapons and summoned their courage to face the Predator in front of them.
From the recent situation, they had deeply understood the terror of an evolved zombie. All along, they had never hunted an evolved zombie, so it was hard to imagine how terrifying this kind of zombie was.
Now they understood deeply.
This was an existence that absolutely could not be resisted.
Even if the four of them rushed up together, they would probably be dealt with in an instant. Even if they fled separately, the result would not be much better.
They would only live a little longer and then be defeated by the Predator one by one.
"Alright."
Ton Tuan nodded heavily.
He felt that being able to meet this group of companions in the apocalypse was really worth it. A friend in need is a friend indeed. It was just that this time, the ordeal would cost them their lives.
"Roar!"
The Predator let out a low roar, its cold gaze locked on the four prey.
Then, it suddenly sped up and rushed towards its prey. That astonishing speed was truly terrifying. For Ton Tuan and the others, it was like a tank crashing over.
It couldn't be stopped.
"Ah... I'll fight you!"
Ton Tuan shouted to boost morale, grabbed the iron rod, and roared as he charged towards the Predator.
But at this moment,
Whoosh!
A dark shadow swept past him, startling him into a daze. He didn't know what it was until he looked ahead.
His whole person was dumbfounded.
What had just flown past him was a massive axe.
The giant axe struck the Predator, directly piercing its body and pinning it firmly to the ground.
"This..."
The scene before him not only shocked him, but even Chu Hong Trinh and the others were also dumbfounded.
The sound of footsteps came.
They turned their heads to look.
They saw four figures appear.
Three of them were wearing battle armor, and one was not.
Seeing the battle armor, Chu Hong Trinh instantly thought of something.
"It's battle armor! That's the battle armor developed by the Sunshine Shelter! We've met people from the shelter!"
He said with great excitement.
The expressions on the faces of Ton Tuan and Tran Yen changed, from the previous despair to the present hope. This change was like riding a roller coaster, up and down, truly very exciting.
When Ly Cong Vinh passed by them, he nodded at them, then returned to the Predator, stomped its head to pieces, picked up the crystal on the ground, then lifted the giant axe, shouldered it, and turned to look at the four survivors.
My god, four ordinary people, yet they dared to be so reckless. Their courage was truly great. He had to give them a thumbs up and praise them for being awesome.
"Are you guys okay?" Ngo Hao asked.
They had passed by here and found that this city had no zombies, so they were very curious. They took the opportunity to tidy up in the city, find some supplies, and replenish their strength.
Luong Man was a telekinesis Awakener. Her senses were very strong. She sensed movement in the distance and led them to hurry over. She didn't expect to find survivors being threatened by zombies.
Naturally, she acted decisively.
"Are you from the Sunshine Shelter?" Ton Tuan asked hurriedly.
Ngo Hao said, "No."
"Ah..."
Hearing this answer, Ton Tuan was a little disappointed. But what Ngo Hao said next made Ton Tuan and the others' hopes burn again.
"We know the people from the Sunshine Shelter. We just don't live there. We went out to look for survivors. It's a good thing to meet you."
Ngo Hao said with a smile. He could understand how bad the situation was for the four survivors in front of him.
In this situation, they must be full of despair.
Just like when he was deceived before, it was the same. That kind of despair was really hard to describe in words.
"Thank you. If it weren't for you, we would probably have been eaten by the Predator." Ton Tuan thought back on the situation just now, it was really too dangerous.
Ngo Hao said, "No need to thank us. We are all people surviving in the apocalypse. It's fate that we met. Of course, we won't stand by and do nothing."
Then, after a brief exchange,
both sides introduced themselves.
Ngo Hao didn't expect that there were not only four survivors. In the place where they were hiding, there were other survivors. Sure enough, there were still many people alive in the apocalypse.
Even though the outside was extremely dangerous,
there were still people who could survive.
The desire to survive was not to be underestimated.
They found a bus and left the city, driving on the road.
In the car, Tran Yen was bandaging the wound on Chu Hong Trinh's forehead. Their faces were slightly pale, obviously because the recent incident had left them shaken.
"Don't worry, you're safe with us. I've already contacted Lam Pham for you. He'll be here to pick you up soon."
Ngo Hao observed their expressions and spoke to comfort them.
He liked to see the joy of a new life on the faces of survivors.
Although his ability was the most useless, he had an restless heart and wanted to bring the hope of survival to more survivors.
After all, someone had once brought hope to him. He wanted to spread the hope in the same way, so that more people could feel how wonderful hope was.
Ton Tuan and his companions looked at each other. Everyone's eyes were full of light.
That sudden feeling of hope descending was so exhilarating, so comfortable.
"Is the Sunshine Shelter really very safe?" Ton Tuan asked expectantly. Even though he knew it was safe, he still wanted to get a definite answer from someone else's mouth.
Perhaps this would make him feel more at ease.
Ngo Hao had never been there either, but whether he had been there or not didn't really matter. He was just a preacher walking in the apocalypse.
"Of course it's safe. It's the best shelter in the apocalypse, and the only paradise on earth."
Ngo Hao spoke fiercely about the beauty of that place.
Ton Tuan and the others listened with great anticipation, feeling that a beautiful life was waving to them.
Ngo Hao continued, "You don't have to have any worries. Many survivors live there. Their way of life is exactly the same as in peacetime. And you don't have to worry about safety. The guardian god there, Lam Pham, is the strongest human. No zombie is his opponent. He always protects the Sunshine Shelter."
"I'm really looking forward to it. It's just that Hoang City is a bit far from us. We might have to wait for two or three days." Ton Tuan really wanted to go now and integrate into such a big family.
"Two or three days?" Ngo Hao was slightly stunned, then smiled and said, "It won't be that long. I think it will take a few minutes. Maybe he'll be here before we even get to your place."
"Huh?"
Ton Tuan's mouth was wide open. He looked at Ngo Hao in a daze. He suspected that the other party had misspoken. How could it be a few minutes? This was simply impossible.
Ngo Hao knew that the other party would definitely find it hard to believe these words. After all, he himself had found it hard to believe in the past. It was only after seeing it with his own eyes that he would believe it.
"You know the current situation. The world has changed a lot. We are all Awakeners. Don't look at how powerful we seem. But compared to Lam Pham, we have absolutely no comparability."
"So, what I said about a few minutes is true. You'll believe it when you see it."
Ngo Hao could only say that.
Ton Tuan and his companions looked at each other. They all had the same idea. They really couldn't quite accept it.
Of course, in their eyes, he was really strong. He could kill a Predator just by throwing an axe. This was something they didn't even dare to think about.
On the way back,
Ngo Hao's mouth never stopped. He was constantly talking to them about the Sunshine Shelter and Lam Pham.
Seeing them occasionally open their mouths wide,
Ngo Hao also felt extremely comfortable. Even though it wasn't him he was talking about, when popularizing a relatively awesome character to others, that sense of pride still arose naturally.
A moment later,
the vehicle drove to the end. That was their shelter.
Looking from afar, they could see a figure there.
"See, that's Lam Pham. I told you, he would be here faster than us," Ngo Hao said with a smile.
Ton Tuan and the others straightened their backs and stared at the figure in the distance.
That's Lam Pham?
Being in Hoang City, yet he could reach here in such a short time. Even seeing it with their own eyes, it still felt unbelievably fast.
At this time,
Lam Pham saw the approaching vehicle and smiled. He could sense that there were survivors inside the tightly closed iron gate.
But he didn't disturb them and instead waited for them to arrive.
After all, he was not familiar with the people inside. Suddenly knocking on the door would easily cause unnecessary panic.
So waiting for them to return was the wisest choice.
To have new survivors join the Sunshine Shelter really made him very excited. Every survivor represented hope, telling him at all times that the world was not that bad.
No matter what kind of predicament they were in, there were always people trying to survive, waiting to meet him.
"Brother Lam."
Ngo Hao hurriedly got out of the car and waved excitedly.
"Long time no see."
Lam Pham smiled. He didn't expect that after they parted, Ngo Hao and the others had really met survivors. Thinking of the group outside, they had always been working hard to make the apocalypse a better place.
The occurrence of these things always told him, you are not working hard alone. There are still many people by your side, following in your footsteps and working hard.
"They are the survivors we met in the city." Ngo Hao introduced Ton Tuan and the others to Lam Pham.
"Hello." Lam Pham smiled. On their first meeting, he had to be as friendly as possible to calm their hearts. The bad life was over, and a beautiful future was just beginning.
"Hello, Brother Lam."
Ton Tuan and the others addressed him the same way as Ngo Hao, and they all curiously sized up Lam Pham.
He was exactly the same as described in the "Zombie Illustrated Guide."
Lam Pham stared into their eyes. They were all qualified for the Sunshine Shelter. It was really not bad. In the apocalypse, their mentality had not changed due to the environment.
This point was really rare.
"Brother Lam, how did you get here?" Ton Tuan asked curiously.
Lam Pham smiled and said, "I jumped over."
Ton Tuan: ...?
Such an answer was beyond his comprehension. He could only nod and indicate that he could understand.
Lam Pham knew that answering honestly would still easily cause the other party to misunderstand. But he didn't explain the reason. When they returned later, they would know. It was naturally unnecessary to explain too much.
"Alright, you guys knock on the door and let your companions out. I've been here for a long time. I was afraid of scaring them, so I didn't make a sound."
This action made Tran Yen on the side look at Lam Pham a few more times. Women were relatively careful. She didn't expect Lam Pham in front of her to be so careful as well. This made her feel very good.
Hearing others say it was just what others said.
Now, from some small details, she could also see that the other party was really very gentle.
In a woman's heart, a gentle man would definitely not be bad.
Then the situation was very normal. The survivors in the shelter heard their companions' voices and naturally opened the door with great relief, knowing that they were going to live in the Sunshine Shelter.
The group was very excited. Their past life had made them bewildered, and now new hope had appeared, filling them with vitality.
Lam Pham bid farewell to Ngo Hao and the others, telling them to be careful outside. If they encountered danger, they must call him first. After getting an affirmative answer, he took the survivors from this side and headed towards Hoang City.
The process of leaving was very simple. He just had them stay in the car, fasten their seat belts, and the apocalyptic bus officially set off.
At this moment, Ton Tuan and the others finally understood what "jumping over" meant.
The ups and downs of the process made them feel like they were on a roller coaster.
At the same time, they deeply understood what Ngo Hao meant before. He was indeed very strong, unimaginably strong, leaving people dumbfounded, even speechless.
...
Hoang City, Sunshine Shelter.
Vuong Khai and Quan Hao were busy with reception, registration, and arrangement. The assembly line service had to be in place. They definitely had to give the newly arrived survivors a sense of home.
Let them feel the enthusiasm of the Sunshine Shelter.
"You're saying that many zombie tides passed by your side, right?"
Lam Pham just learned that they had seen many zombie tides while staying in the shelter. Since he had cleaned up a large area, it was very rare to see a zombie tide.
Now hearing the news of a zombie tide,
he was just a little curious, but he didn't have too many thoughts. The planet was round. After he expanded his cleaning range, he would inevitably meet the zombies.
"Yes, wave after wave. That's why we went to the city to find a satellite phone. But we didn't expect that there was a Predator hidden in the empty city. If they hadn't passed by, we would have been in a really bad situation."
Ton Tuan thought of the situation at that time and was also in a state of panic.
So scary.
Lam Pham frowned and pondered. Basically all the zombies had left the city. This situation was really rare, unless a Creator had summoned them to cause such an effect.
In other words, their survival was really lucky.
They actually survived right under the eyes of a Creator.
But why did the Creator leave the city? Was it as the Zombie Emperor Vuong Tu Hien said, that the Creators were all afraid of being found by him?
What a bunch of clever Creators.
They really like to play hide-and-seek.
But if they liked to hide, then let them hide. The world was only so big. One day in the future, he would definitely find them, then destroy them, making the already bad apocalypse a little better.
Vuong Khai took Ton Tuan away.
"Brother, that brother said you like to play with radio equipment." Vuong Khai had to arrange work for the new survivors. When arranging, he definitely had to ask about the other party's interests and hobbies.
For example, Tran Hac was not in networking at all. In the early days, Lam Pham and the others thought he was a networking genius and forced him to learn on his own.
But this was only an understanding of book knowledge. In terms of practical application, there was still a bit of a gap.
"Yes, I like it. I know a little bit." Ton Tuan was not being modest. He really only knew a little bit. He was just a little interested in this aspect.
"That's easy. It's good that you like it. We happen to have radio equipment here. I'll arrange for you to be at his place. You'll be with him, and you can look after each other."
"Okay, no problem."
Vuong Khai took him to find Ma Duy Vien.
At this time, Ma Duy Vien was still waiting by the equipment, waiting for that intermittent signal, afraid that if no one was waiting here, a signal would suddenly come from the other side.
"Brother Khai." Ma Duy Vien took the initiative to greet him.
Vuong Khai said, "Let me introduce you to a new colleague. His name is Ton Tuan. He has some research on radio equipment. From now on, he will be with you. Khau Bang is pregnant now. If you have time, go and accompany her more. There's no need to squat here all day."
"Alright." Ma Duy Vien couldn't ask for more. He was here, but his heart was with his wife. Now that he had help, it was for the best.
After handing over the person, Vuong Khai left and continued to be busy.
"Brother Ma, hello."
"Hello, little Ton. I recently received a signal, but it's just static. I think there must be a problem with the equipment over there. I can't leave for now. I'll have to trouble you for a while, okay?"
"Okay, no problem."
He definitely had no problem. After coming, he saw the situation here and felt that it was truly a paradise. His whole person was full of life.
He wanted to work hard and strive to integrate into such a big family as soon as possible.
Ton Tuan took over the radio equipment, checked the fixed contact frequency, frowned slightly, and stroked his chin. Why did this frequency feel so familiar?
"Brother Ma, when did the signal from that frequency start?"
"It suddenly appeared a while ago. I know someone is talking on the other side, but all I hear is hissing. It's really driving me crazy."
Ton Tuan was a little dumbfounded. The time he joined this frequency seemed to be a while ago too.
In an instant,
a possibility popped up.
"Brother Ma, I might know who it is."
"Who?"
"It might be us. I was also on this frequency a while ago."
Hearing these words, Ma Duy Vien blinked, then patted Ton Tuan's shoulder.
"Alright, it's good that you're here. But you should still sit and wait for a bit, just in case."
"Alright."