Chapter 1062: Home, But Not Home
It took the group over an hour to dig out all the crystal cores.
In total, they collected more than 12,000 coresâover 5,000 Tier 3s, 6,000+ Tier 4s, around 400 Tier 5s, and one single Tier 6 crystal core.
As usual, Ethan handed the Tier 6 core to Chris. The rest were stored in Milesâs pocket dimension.
After consuming the new core, Chris finally reached the peak of Tier 6.
Once someone hit Stage D, they could passively absorb mysterious energy under the starlight. And while the absorption rate wasnât blazing fastâprobably due to their current Tierâit wasnât exactly slow either. At this pace, it would take about seven or eight days to reach the peak of Stage D naturally. With crystal cores added into the mix, that timeline could shrink even further.
However, what came after reaching the peak of Stage D was still a mystery. No one knew how long it would take to light up the next point on the constellation map in their mindsâthe one representing the next stage, Mizar. Theyâd have to wait for Ethan to reach that point first to find out.
While the others were busy processing the crystal cores, the mutated Bengal tiger wandered off and started eating the corpse of a Stage D zombie.
Ethan noticed and couldnât help but smile.
Heâd been worried about how much food the tiger would needâgiven its size, it could probably eat through half a monthâs rations in a single day.
But now? If it could eat zombie corpses, that was a game-changer.
In this world, if there was one thing they werenât short on, it was zombies.
Though, it seemed the tiger was picky. It only ate the Stage D corpsesâdidnât even glance at the others.
Ethan figured it was probably because the lower-tier zombies had more rot and decay, making them less appetizing.
Stage D zombies werenât super common yet, but they were becoming more frequent. Feeding the tiger shouldnât be a problem in the long run.
Once the crystal cores were sorted, the group hit the road again.
This time, the mutated tigerânow officially named Goldieâtook point, clearing the path ahead. Ethan finally got a rare moment of peace.
Skinny Pete had named it Goldie because most of its fur was golden. The name left everyone speechless, but no one arguedâafter all, it was his pet.
Goldie, for its part, clearly hated the name. It took out its frustration on every abandoned car in its path. Instead of just pushing them aside, it would smash them flat first, then toss them away.
The rest of the journey was smooth. Any stray zombies they encountered were instantly swatted to death by Goldie. The squad barely had to lift a finger.
Aside from Mia and Sean taking turns driving, the rest of the team spent the ride napping or playing cards in the back.
By sundown, theyâd covered nearly 200 kilometers.
That was pretty fast, considering how much time theyâd lost earlier.
Since traveling at night wasnât safe, they exited the highway at the next off-ramp and pulled into a small commercial strip to spend the night.
The area was deserted of people but crawling with zombies.
Not that it mattered.
Goldie made quick work of themâthree swipes and the place was cleared.
Afterward, the group headed into a nearby supermarket. The place was a mess, but they still managed to scavenge some usable supplies.
Judging by the scene, people had holed up here at some pointâuntil the zombies got to them.
Once theyâd looted what they could, they moved to the motel behind the store to rest. They planned to get up around midnight to stargaze and absorb mysterious energy.
Maybe it was the pressure of Goldieâs presence, but their orange cat, Pumpkin, seemed to feel its throne was being threatened. That night, it broke through to Stage D, its body growing noticeably larger and stronger.
Still, it kept its distance from Goldie.
Bloodline suppression, probably.
Even when the squad had been fighting Goldie earlier, Pumpkin hadnât dared to show its face.
After stargazing, they got another three hours of sleep. By 8 a.m., theyâd eaten and were back on the road, heading home.
After a full nightâs rest, Goldie was back in top formâand it showed. Their pace today was noticeably faster than the day before.
The massive tiger barreled down the road, smashing aside abandoned vehicles and clearing a path for the convoy behind it.
Mia drove right on Goldieâs tail, keeping tight formation.
The road was mostly uneventful. A few scattered zombie packs showed up here and there, but nothing that slowed them down.
That was, until they hit another tunnelâthis one stretching over four miles.
Inside, they ran into another massive horde, just like last time. And once again, a Stage D zombie was leading the pack.
But this time, they had Goldie.
With the tiger tearing through the undead like a wrecking ball, the squad cleared the tunnel in just over an hour. Another pile of crystal cores added to their haul.
The Tier 6 core from the Stage D zombie went to Henry this time. Chris had already maxed out what he could absorb, and Henryâs strength was directly tied to the squadâs survival. Boosting him was a no-brainer.
Goldie devoured the Stage D corpse without hesitation, then led the way forward once more.
Finally, around 5 p.m., they crossed into Redwood County.
As the convoy rolled off the highway, they hit another wall of resistanceâright at the Redwood County exit ramp.
Over a thousand zombies had gathered there, and a brutal fight broke out.
It was clear now: theyâd fought their way back every step of the journey. If they hadnât been strong enough, they never wouldâve made it.
Once inside Redwood County, Ethan had Mia avoid the main roads and head straight for Chrisâs house.
He had no intention of going back to his own. After his parents were gone, that place held nothing for him.
Chrisâs home, thoughâthat was different.
Chrisâs parents had always treated Ethan well. Back in the day, Chris used to drag Ethan over under the excuse of needing tutoring. And since Chrisâs grades had actually improved a lot after that, his parents were always warm and welcoming. Every visit came with a table full of food.
Mia turned off the main road and onto a narrow back road.
It was tight, but traffic was nonexistent, and there were barely any zombies. They made good time.
Chris kept glancing out the window, his face tight with nerves.
He hadnât thought much about it before. But now that they were close, the anxiety hit hard.
Ethan reached over and gave his shoulder a reassuring pat.
As the sun dipped low and the sky began to darken, they finally arrived at Chrisâs small hometown.
But the moment they saw it, everyone fell silent.
The town was wrecked.
Collapsed buildings, overturned cars, and zombies wandering aimlessly through the ruinsâit was clear the place had fallen.
The odds of anyone surviving here were slim.
Chris stepped out of the car, staring blankly at the devastation.
Then, without a word, he grabbed his weapon and started walking toward his house.
The others followed.
They cleared the way as they went, cutting down the few zombies that crossed their path.
Soon, they reached Chrisâs home.
The front door was smashed in. Part of the house had collapsed.
Chrisâs heart sank.
Heâd expected this. But seeing it with his own eyes was something else entirely.
He rushed inside, calling out for his parents.
âMom! Dad!â
He tore through every room, searching, shouting.
But there was no one.
No bodies. No signs of life.
Just silence.
Chris stood frozen in the middle of the living room. His eyes welled up, and tears began to fall.
Ethan walked over, placed a hand on his shoulder, and stood beside him without saying a word.
The others stayed quiet, watching from the doorway.
No one said anything.
Because deep down, they all knewâthis could be their home too.
This was the world now.
And sometimes⊠not knowing was easier than finding out.
âŠ