No one knows what the limits of the Extraordinary are, so Su Changxing only plans to stay active for a day in the No-Manâs Land with the two of them.
He roughly judged Shen Jinxuanâs previous location on the map, near Lanâan Town in the industrial zone, so heading in that direction, thereâs a good chance they can find Shen Jinxuan.
If sheâs still alive...
"The path explored by the Extraordinary squad from the Security Bureau is completely different from our direction; theyâre on the other side of the industrial zone."
Zhu Wenwu said, looking at the map Lin Xiuyu sent.
Su Changxing slashed at a zombie rushing forward and nodded, "Yes, the distance here isnât far. If we go at full Speed, weâll arrive before dark."
At this location, the zombies have undergone significant changes, the most prominent feature being thick-skinned flesh. His blade slashed at them as if chopping on iron sheets, and with a bit more Speed, sparks might even fly.
The number of zombies increased again as they gradually ventured deeper, seemingly there was a demarcation point before.
Tao Yi seemed less at ease as well, sometimes unable to kill a zombie with one blow, requiring a second strike.
"Whatâs that?"
Su Changxing looked ahead, frowning.
A glowing figure rushed from afar, seemingly a zombie, with a body engulfed in raging flames.
[Extraordinary Zombie: Possesses fiery Power but is extremely unstable, likely to explode at any moment.]
Explosion?
Su Changxing raised his hand and shot precisely at its forehead, followed by a fiery explosion and blazing light.
Soon after.
A silhouette charged through the smoke and dust, lunging at Su Changxing. The zombie had not died; its entire bodyâs flames had vanished, appearing charcoal black.
Its head had a corner blown by the bullet but happened to not harm any critical spot.
Zhou An quickly threw a Flying Saber, piercing the zombieâs head, and flames erupted from its body once more.
"Boom~"
Another explosion occurred, centered on the zombie, with sky-high flames.
"Is it dead now?"
Zhou An looked at the zombie corpse lying in the smoke and said, "Huh? Is this the Syrian Warrior?"
The zombie was far away, and the explosion didnât affect them at all.
The considerable commotion also attracted nearby zombies, forcing the three to Speed up and leave the area to escape the zombiesâ entanglement.
The surrounding terrain was a plain, allowing a far-reaching view. With little vegetation, the gaze swept across only desolation, akin to standing on the edge of a desert.
Moving along the suburban road, they reached halfway.
Zhou An, gasping for breath, said, "I canât go on; I need a rest. Itâs strange, I feel exceptionally exhausted walking here."
He hadnât experienced such a condition even after traveling overnight.
Su Changxing turned towards Zhu Wenwu, asking, "Are you tired?"
Zhu Wenwu nodded, saying, "A bit; it seems this place makes one feel more fatigued. It likely isnât just an illusion."
"Letâs rest for a while."
Su Changxing thought for a moment and said, standing on a large rock to survey the surroundings.
Zhou An leaned against an already dead tree, ate something, drank some water, and appeared slightly more energetic, laughing:
"There seems to be nothing here, apart from the environment being a bit odd."
Zhu Wenwu took a big gulp of water, saying, "Ha, the Security Bureau has already lost over a thousand people here, most likely all are dead."
His eyes were somewhat reddened, filled with bloodshot lines, seemingly due to excessive tension. In such an environment, constantly monitoring oneâs condition could paradoxically worsen things.
Su Changxing jumped down from the rock and said seriously, "Weâve been too peaceful coming here; itâs somewhat troubling."
There should be some sort of monsters similar to zombies in the No-Manâs Land, yet they hadnât encountered any, and according to Shen Jinxuanâs previous information, there might be humans residing in the No-Manâs Land.
After resting for a while, the trio set off again, walking for a kilometer until they saw several bodies piled up together not far away.
"Whatâs that?"
Zhou An said with wide-opened eyes, "Those Security Bureau folks?"
Su Changxing pondered and said, "Possibly, letâs go have a look."
The bodies were deliberately piled together, the ground entirely soaked in blood, turning a dark red, with a rotting stench mixed in the wind.
Zhu Wenwu examined for a moment and then said, "These people all died from blade wounds, not radiation. Did they have internal conflicts?"
Among them were several corpses that were charcoal black, identical to those at the Security Bureauâs site.
Su Changxing analyzed, "It doesnât seem likely; perhaps those monsters did it, as only a portion of the Security Bureauâs exploratory team died."
Zhou An inhaled sharply and said, "Those monsters can wield weapons?"
Su Changxing asserted, "Probably, with high intelligence, likely transformed from humans."
He speculated these monsters were similar to the Hunters, possessing self-awareness, but those Hunters could still be considered semi-human.
"This should be the monster."
Zhu Wenwu found among the numerous bodies a massive "human corpse" with slender legs.
There were not just one such body, but two or three, each a deformed humanoid.
"This is likely humans transformed in this world."
Zhou An stated confidently.
Su Changxing thought for a moment and said, "Maybe, but not necessarily."
He sensed a hint of the Extraordinary aura from these beings, somewhat similar but distinctly different.
"The Security Bureau folks reached here, yet they werenât overwhelmed by these monsters."
Su Changxing rubbed his chin, pondering some new ideas: "Perhaps, in the No-Manâs Land, ordinary people donât perish instantly; it requires a somewhat prolonged process."
If thatâs the case, they should be able to stay active in this area longer, as this isnât the most heavily affected area.
After walking further, the map showed they were approaching the town, and they could see a gas station and... a mass of bodies.
Su Changxing and the others witnessed an astonishing scene: a mass of bodies lay on the ground, human ones, zombie ones, and those monsters.
And sporadic zombies crouched on the ground, gnawing at the corpses.
Zhou An approached and felt a dryness in his throat, saying, "Did they all die here?"
It was visible that most human bodies had become charcoal black due to changes induced by the Energy Stationâs influence.
"No wonder none managed to reach the Energy Station back then."
Su Changxing recalled when the apocalypse erupted, many people rushed toward the Energy Station, attempting to shut it down, but unfortunately, none were heard from again.