The bald man’s words immediately sparked people’s interest, even a man who was originally planning to go to the Yuezhou base couldn’t help but ask, “Is it really that safe?”
“Absolutely, many cities’ safe zones have already moved to Funan City.
Our base was about to move too, but who could have thought something like this would happen just days before we were supposed to leave?
Now the military must be in a frenzy, and they definitely don’t have the time to worry about how we get to Funan City,” the bald man said, feeling more and more upset.
“So, the safest place in our province is Funan.
Should we team up and head there together?”
another man chimed in.
“Sure, to be honest, I’m not confident going alone.
I was thinking the same thing.
If we go together, we can look out for each other,” the bald man immediately replied.
Jiang Yanxin and Qin Ke exchanged a glance, having gathered some information from the conversation.
“It seems this nuclear leak is more serious than we thought.
Luckily, we didn’t actually drive over there,” Jiang Yanxin said, still shaken by the thought of being exposed to the overloaded radioactive material, a death far more painful than a normal one.
“But according to what these people are saying, if Funan City is really safe, then your family is likely still okay,” Qin Ke continued, looking out the window.
“Let’s hope so,” Jiang Yanxin said, gazing at the setting sun outside, lost in thought.
The people outside were curious about those in the RV, but having survived in the apocalypse for over a month, they knew better than to meddle in others’ affairs, so no one came knocking.
Instead, they gathered around a bonfire, talking and eating.
Chen Wan woke up after a nap to find it was already dark.
Jiang Yanxin and the others had saved some food for her.
As Chen Wan sipped on her eight-treasure porridge, she watched Jiang Yanxin play with Yang Yang.
Qin Ke relayed the afternoon’s conversation to Chen Wan, who felt slightly relieved, hoping everything was still in time.
She looked at the group by the bonfire not far away, speaking absentmindedly, “If it weren’t for the apocalypse, this atmosphere would feel like a travel group on a trip.”
“Yeah, if it weren’t for the apocalypse,” Qin Ke echoed, falling into a brief silence.
Just as Chen Wan continued drinking her porridge, strange noises came from the distant bushes, like the footsteps of something, not just one or two, but a whole group.
“What’s that sound?”
Chen Wan wondered aloud, already instructing the system to lower all the steel plates on the RV except for the front windshield to protect it.
As she spoke, she got up and headed to the driver’s seat.
When Chen Wan saw the scene not far away, she was momentarily stunned, then quickly said, “Yanxin, quickly buckle Yang Yang in, we might be in trouble.”
Qin Ke hurried to the cockpit, also startled by the scene.
In the distance, something with glowing red eyes was rapidly approaching the service area.
The group by the bonfire outside clearly realized it too, scrambling back to their vehicles to make a run for it.
Chen Wan was already in the driver’s seat, stepping on the gas, and the RV accelerated in place and sped off.
But with the darkness, Chen Wan had to turn on the headlights, which made the RV a target.
Many of the red-eyed creatures, seeing the moving RV, started chasing it desperately, while others charged directly into the service area.
Chen Wan, stepping on the gas, asked the system in her mind, “System, what are those things behind us?”
“Those creatures are mutated cattle.
They are enormous and far more violent than ordinary zombies, with a much higher destructive power.
Congratulations to the host for encountering them,” the system’s cold mechanical voice echoed in Chen Wan’s mind.
Chen Wan wondered if the system was mocking her.
Was there anything to congratulate when she was being chased by these things?
Chen Wan focused on the road ahead, worried about accidentally veering off the road.
The sides were all ravines, and if the RV fell in, it wouldn’t be a joke.
But she still voiced her question, “What’s there to congratulate?
Aren’t we being hunted by mutated animals?”
“Mutated animal meat is edible, and its energy is about ten times that of regular food.
Consuming it long-term can enhance human immunity and various functions, with a certain probability of accelerating human evolution into an ability user,” the system’s cold voice sounded again.
Chen Wan perked up at the mention of edible meat.
It had been a long time since they had fresh meat.
However, there were about five mutated cattle chasing the RV.
Chen Wan gritted her teeth and asked the system, “Are these things very powerful?
Do they lack intelligence like level 1 zombies?”
“Level 1 mutated animals have great attack power, similar to level 1 zombies, and also lack intelligence,” the system’s mechanical voice replied again.
Chen Wan thought for a moment, then suddenly turned the steering wheel to the right on the highway, and just as the RV was about to hit the side railing, she slammed on the brakes.
The five mutated cattle following the RV, due to their massive size and the inertia affecting their bodies, couldn’t stop in time when the RV suddenly braked.
Two of them crashed through the highway railing and fell into the ravine on one side.
The remaining cattle barely managed to stop, with two ending up in front of the RV, and one crashing heavily into the RV’s body, its thick horns creating two dents in the back of the RV.
With a loud “bang,” the RV shuddered from the impact of the mutated cattle.
“After inspection, the RV’s outer shell has suffered a severe impact, with a damage level of 3%,” the system’s mechanical voice echoed in Chen Wan’s mind.
Chen Wan didn’t have time to think about the damage to the RV.
In the headlights, she finally saw the two giant mutated cattle in front of the RV.
Or rather, they didn’t look like cattle at all, more like elephants.
For some reason, the cattle had grown significantly in size after mutating, resembling two robust elephants.
Running forward wasn’t realistic now.
The road conditions ahead were unknown, and the RV’s fuel was running low.
Being chased by these things would only lead to a dead end.
Qin Ke, beside Chen Wan, was also stunned, “What the hell are those things?”
Before Chen Wan could answer, the two mutated cattle not far from the front of the RV charged at the vehicle.
They moved much faster than the zombies, and Chen Wan had already instructed the mechanical arm in her mind to block the RV’s front.
The next moment, the two mutant bulls, as large as elephants, charged fiercely.
With two loud “bangs,” although they didn’t hit the windshield, they still made the mechanical arm in front tremble a bit.
The mechanical arm swung and forced the two mutant bulls back, but they refused to retreat, creating a stalemate with the mechanical arm.
Meanwhile, the mutant bull at the back of the RV started moving again, continuously ramming its sharp horns into the rear of the RV.
The RV shook violently under the impact of such large creatures, and Chen Wan’s mind was filled with constant alerts: “The rear of the RV is under attack, damage level 3%.
The rear is hit again, damage level 3%.”
Chen Wan’s heart raced with each system alert.
She calmed herself and thought hard, deciding she couldn’t just sit and wait for death.
She hadn’t been killed by zombies, and she wasn’t going to die at the hands of these bulls.
Although the bull’s attacks weren’t causing significant damage to the RV right now, each hit increased the damage level by 3%.
If it continued for dozens more hits, the RV would be totaled.
Inside the RV, Yang Yang’s small body swayed with the violent impacts.
The little one obediently stayed strapped in, nestled in Jiang Yanxin’s arms, secretly wiping her tears with her tiny hands.
She was terrified but seemed to understand that something bad was happening outside and didn’t want to worry Mom.
So, Yang Yang cried quietly, not daring to make a sound.
Chen Wan decided she couldn’t just wait for death; she had to go out.
With this thought, a mini submachine gun and a large machete appeared in her hands as she got up from the driver’s seat.
Qin Ke quickly spoke up, “I’ll go out with you.”
“No, getting hit by these things is no joke.
I have abilities.
If I don’t go out and the RV gets totaled, none of us will survive.
You stay here,” Chen Wan said as she prepared to get out of the vehicle.
But Qin Ke grabbed her, “It’s too dangerous for you to go alone.
Give me a rifle.
I’ll use the vehicle as cover and won’t expose myself to these monsters.
At least I can cover you.
Let me go with you.”
Chen Wan thought for a moment, furrowed her brows, and nodded in agreement.
If she didn’t make it, the people in the RV might not survive either.
It was better for her and Qin Ke to take a chance.
“Alright, be very careful.”
With that, Chen Wan handed a rifle and plenty of bullets to Qin Ke and opened the door under the constant ramming of the mutant bull at the back.
“Be careful,” Jiang Yanxin couldn’t help but remind them.
She had long noticed Yang Yang secretly wiping her tears in her arms. Due to past experiences, Yang Yang was very sensible and wouldn’t scream loudly when scared, only curling up and quietly wiping her tears.
Jiang Yanxin could only hold Yang Yang tightly, hoping Chen Wan and Qin Ke would return safely.
Chen Wan and Qin Ke didn’t have time to respond as they got out of the RV and quickly closed the door behind them.
Because of the special parking position Chen Wan chose, the RV was parked almost right against the guardrail on the far right side of the road.
There was only a person-wide gap between the RV and the guardrail, so if they hid on this side, the mutant bulls couldn’t get in even if they wanted to; the space was too narrow.
“Chen Wan, let’s shoot at these bulls from this side.
It’s safer,” Qin Ke suggested, but before he finished speaking, Chen Wan had already slipped through the narrow gap on this side, moving so fast that Qin Ke only saw a blur.
She had two additional attributes given by the system, and she had to make good use of them.
With this in mind, Chen Wan quickly reached the side of the two mutant bulls confronting the mechanical arm.
