Chapter Seventy-Six: An Unusual Infection

Walking out of the villa, I saw Huo Bing already waiting for me at the door with her car. The engine’s roar was noticeably louder and less refined than the nearly silent battle vehicle.

“Brother Cao, are we heading straight back the same way?”

“Yes, let's go home. We've been out for two or three days now, and I have no idea what's happened in the gathering zone. Unfortunately, the distance is too great; signals can't get through.”

“We’re simply not up to their level. To put it bluntly, those of us who survived are nothing but savages in the eyes of the people inside the Pillar—barely scraping by, clinging to life. That place is what real life looks like,” Huo Bing said, leaning back in the passenger seat.

I was puzzled. “Is it really that good inside the Pillar?”

“I’ve never been there myself; all I know is from what my dad told me. It’s a completely different world from the outside. They have a systematic way of living, and there’s no need to fear being attacked by predators. It’s like a paradise everyone dreams of, but after the first batch of people got in, it's become almost impossible for anyone else to enter.” I could hear the longing in Huo Bing’s voice.

It seemed this place was truly the unattainable ideal for many survivors.

“But the Pillar in ZZ City is about to fall. The city is surrounded so tightly by the corpse creatures that not even a drop of water could get through. Their distress signals have blanketed hundreds of kilometers. The situation must be dire.”

In my mind, if they really fell, they wouldn't be the first. The corpse creatures were evolving, becoming stronger and more dangerous. If people started dying en masse inside the Pillar, it would begin to collapse from within. The idea that it couldn’t be breached from the outside would become a joke.

“Xiao Bing, did you know that after someone dies, regardless of whether they've been injured by a corpse creature, they’ll still transform?” Thinking of Han Xiang’s research notes, I asked her deliberately.

Huo Bing looked at me in surprise. “Brother Cao, what are you talking about? Everyone knows only those infected turn into corpse creatures.”

I smiled bitterly. “I just learned this myself, and I don’t know how accurate it is. They say the air we breathe and the water we drink are contaminated with the virus. So, everyone now is a carrier. As soon as someone dies, they transform—no need to be scratched or bitten.”

“Brother Cao... are you serious?” Huo Bing stared ahead, clearly struggling to accept it.

“It’s true, but whether it’s fact or not, we’ll need to test it sometime. At the very least, we need to be careful from now on, especially with water sources outdoors. Never drink unboiled water—make sure it’s boiling hot.”

“By the way, has anyone died in the gathering zone? How do you deal with the bodies?” This was a real safety hazard. If bodies were left inside, a riot could break out. Didn't a great man once say that the strongest fortress is always breached from within?

Huo Bing’s voice came out a bit frantic. “Yes, people have died. But every time, my dad immediately sends people to throw the bodies out. Not a moment is spent keeping them inside. There are strict rules for the living environment. Whenever someone dies, it must be reported immediately. If a family is caught hiding a death, they’re all thrown out.”

That rule was pretty smart—indirectly preventing accidents caused by hiding corpses. No wonder things had been stable for so long.

But what about that warning from the Gene Ecological Chain? Life-or-death? What was the hidden danger? Could someone have hidden a corpse in the gathering zone? But who would be crazy enough to do such a thing? No normal person would.

“Brother Cao... do you think, if we all carry the virus, can we still have children? Will the children born be corpse creatures?” Huo Bing’s eyes sparkled as she looked at me, clearly concerned about this question.

I nearly floored the accelerator, sending the car flying a hundred thousand miles. At nineteen, her mind worked like someone aged one hundred ninety!

I coughed awkwardly. “It’s a bit early to worry about that. When the world isn’t so dark, we can think about it. For now, let’s focus on surviving. Having kids isn’t urgent.”

Huo Bing must have realized her question was a bit out of place; her cheeks flushed red and she fell silent, fiddling with her fingers.

“But since you brought it up, are there no newborns in the gathering zone?” I asked in confusion. Was it possible that no one had children anymore?

“No, ever since the gathering zone was established, I don’t think anyone has had a baby. My dad actually encourages everyone not to have children and to take precautions...”

Thinking about it, that made sense. Most people probably felt as I did: it was hard enough to survive—how could you bring a child into this world? And a pregnant woman would be far less capable of escaping danger.

“Brother Cao, I think there’s a corpse tide up ahead. Fourth Lord is scratching at the door like mad!” Huo Bing quietly shined her flashlight forward; its beam reached much farther than my night vision.

The only downside was the limited range compared to the human eye.

Following Huo Bing’s beam, I saw a group of corpse creatures shuffling slowly down the road toward us.

“If we crash into them in this car, we’re doomed. It can’t compare to the battle vehicle. We need to go around.” I whispered, quickly steering us off the main road and onto a side path.

Corpse creatures had tremendous strength. Their slow movement was a weakness, but together, their sheer force could stop or even overturn a car.

Encountering these low-level corpse tides no longer fazed me; as long as there weren’t higher-level creatures mixed in, we could manage. Without the moon’s blessing, they couldn’t run, so their snail-paced walk and powerful jaws were useless—they couldn’t catch us.

“These corpse creatures must have been attracted by the explosion at the chemical factory. Even though so much time has passed, they’re still wandering toward us,” Huo Bing commented.

“Probably. The explosion didn’t affect distant areas, but the noise and light traveled far, drawing them in. The more corpse creatures get pulled away, the easier it’ll be for us to pass through XY City.”

On the side roads, large groups of corpse creatures were rare. I floored the accelerator, turned on the headlights, and barreled ahead.

Ever since learning that the virus was airborne and that anyone who died would transform, I had a sense of impending doom. The hidden danger mentioned in the life-or-death mission had likely already taken shape.

Three more hours passed before I finally got through XY City and onto the highway leading to the gathering zone. At this speed, we’d be back in less than two hours—the main road was much faster than the muddy side lanes.

“Reminder to host... [Life-or-Death] mission failed...”