Chapter 57: Crisis

“Dong!”

His left leg bearing exoskeleton support stepped on a dark red brick and gave off a muffled clang.

Chen Xu stopped in his tracks and gazed into the distance for a moment. He turned around to Xia Jinse who was falling behind and said, “It’s just a few more kilometers to go. Let’s take a break here for a while.”

As he spoke, he retrieved a fragment of a cement beam from the rubble and placed it on the ground with the flat side up. He sat at one end of the beam, took out his water tumbler and poured some water into the lid. He took a few sips before placing the water tumbler in the middle of the cement beam.

The convertible backpack had many functions and came with many gadgets, including a water tumbler. However, there was only one tumbler, and the two of them had to share it.

Xia Jinse was breathing rapidly, and droplets of perspiration continuously appeared on her forehead. She couldn’t be bothered with the dust and sat down on the other side of the cement beam. Panting, she leaned over and took the water tumbler.

Tilting her head back, she positioned the water tumbler a few centimeters away from her lips and carefully poured the water into her mouth.

Although Chen Xu was seated, he kept his eyes roving around their surroundings. He had deliberately chosen this place to rest because of the relatively wider view it presented.

The two of them had been walking for close to three hours and had covered approximately ten kilometers.

It was mainly because they had rested too much. Xia Jinse wasn’t one who engaged in exercise frequently and was therefore of a weaker physical disposition. After walking for merely half an hour, she would be too exhausted to continue, and they would have no choice but to rest.

Other than that, while threats lurked about, they hadn’t encountered many dangers.

Along the way, he had come across the trace of a monster. When he’d raised his gun to shoot at it, it had escaped under the cover of the terrain. With Xia Jinse by his side, he hadn’t dared to give chase.

He’d been worried that the monster might return with a horde of others and had instead quickened his pace anxiously.

After walking for half an hour, he finally relaxed when he saw that there wasn’t a swarm of monsters chasing them.

After that encounter, he grew even more vigilant. As often as possible, he picked the routes with the widest views. That previous monster wasn’t the same as the green apes he had confronted before. It was a different kind; it had a small stature and a strange speed. He supposed that it would be good at sneak attacks.

“We’ve covered almost ten kilometers.”

Xia Jinse suddenly spoke after drinking her water and placing the water tumbler back in its original spot.

Chen Xu was surprised. She had not said a single word since the start of their journey. He had thought she was deliberately giving him a cold shoulder.

“Have you realized that we haven’t come across a single live plant throughout our entire journey?” Xia Jinse’s expression was tinged with worry, “I’ve noticed that the soil here has all become desert-like. I’m worried that this will be the case for the whole city.”

Chen Xu hesitated for a moment. He had noticed the problem with the plants but had assumed that it was merely an issue with the dream setting. However, after hearing her words, he realized the seriousness of the matter.

He stood up and walked over to where the concrete on the floor was bare and exposed. He raised his bionic arm and hit it hard on the ground. After a few punches, a pit appeared in the concrete floor.

After picking out the bigger stones on top, he grabbed a handful of sand, and the expression on his face turned grave.

If all the soil in the whole city had become like that of a desert, that meant this city had truly become a ghost town that wasn’t suitable for living in.

There was already foreshadowing evidence of that fact. Throughout their whole journey, other than the singular monster they had encountered, there hadn’t been any other living creatures.

Xia Jinse walked over, and when she saw the state of the soil beneath the ground, she asked him, “How much food do you have left with you?”

Chen Xu answered without a second thought, “It’ll be enough to last us both for ten days under normal circumstances. If we eat it sparingly, it’ll extend to two weeks.

Xia Jinse sighed again and said, “I hope we’ll be able to get some food supplies at the survival base.”

Otherwise, they would be in big trouble.

Chen Xu quickly braced himself and consoled her, saying, “Don’t worry. If there are still transportation vehicles passing by here, and monsters are living here, it means the situation hasn’t deteriorated to that extent.”

“We can only hope,” Xia Jinse muttered.

Chen Xu looked at her, but all he could see from her expression was worry and a single ounce of fear. He couldn’t help but remark, “You don’t seem to be afraid.”

“What use is there being afraid?” she asked in return.

Chen Xu shook his head and said, “Well, that does make sense, but not many people would actually be able to keep calm. Fear is a normal psychological reaction. It’s not something that can be controlled at will. Not for most people, at least.”

Xia Jinse suddenly smiled, and her exquisite face softened and gentled as she asked, “Are you giving yourself an indirect compliment?”

The implied meaning of that statement was that Chen Xu himself had not displayed any hint of fear.

Chen Xu laughed. The change in her attitude was something he could get used to. The tone and content of her speech were no longer arrogant and bossy.

She had finally gotten her position right, which was a pretty good start.

…

The two of them rested for close to half an hour before they resumed their journey. The desertification of the soil had given them a sense of urgency and the motivation to rush to the settlement as soon as they could to see the situation there.

On the navigator, the name of the settlement was numbered G5232. It was located on a low hill. They were already in another district, and it was one that Chen Xu wasn’t familiar with. He had no idea how it corresponded with reality.

Forty minutes later, they could see a fence. Knowing that they were about to reach the settlement, their spirits rose.

However, when they neared and saw the condition of the main entrance, their hearts sank, and they froze in their tracks.

The main entrance of the settlement was open, and at the door were several green apes fooling around.

“What shall we do?” Xia Jinse asked.

Chen Xu replied grimly, “It seems to me that this settlement has fallen. Most of the people inside are probably… I just wonder how many more monsters there are inside.”

“There are five small ones at the entrance. In the best-case scenario, there’ll be two fully-grown ones inside. In the worst case, it’ll be a whole horde of them.”

Chen Xu concurred with her speculation. In the case of these green apes, it could very well be a lone family unit, or it could be an entire herd living together. It all boiled down to their luck now.

Xia Jinse looked at him, waiting for him to come to a decision.

Chen Xu gripped the gun in his hand tightly and thought for a few seconds before saying, “We’ll kill our way in. You must follow me closely.”

Xia Jinse gritted her teeth and said, “Give me a gun.”

“Have you ever fired one before?” Chen Xu asked.

“No. Teach me.” She looked at him earnestly and said, “I don’t want to get myself get eaten by monsters.”

“I object.”

Chen Xu grabbed the rifle with his left mechanical arm and held a pistol in his right hand. He stood up slowly and said, “I won’t let you die in front of me. Keep up.”

Xia Jinse took a deep breath, gritted her teeth, and rushed out to follow behind him.