Warlord: volume 1

by Chen Ran

  "Nonsense, this city has been deserted for so long, it would be strange if there was gasoline. "However..." Jehan looked at the gas station's convenience store: "There are still some things that can be used in there, such as food or potions."

  He waved his hand at the convenience store. A few men were about to follow. Zero stopped them. "I'll go. You guys protect the car and the woman."

  Taking a step forward, Zero turned around and scanned the crowd with his ice-cold eyes. "If I find out that you have done something strange, believe me, I will make you regret it."

  With that, he disappeared into the darkness of the convenience store in Lea's line of sight.

  In the jungle, a ferocious bear might not be as strong as a pack of wolves. In this era where resources were scarce, it was much easier for a team to survive than for an individual. He still had a long way to go before he reached the Remot, and he would have to spend some time with Teddy and the others on this journey. The deterrence of force alone would only last for a short period of time, and it was extremely unreliable. So if he wanted them to become companions, the only way was to win their trust and to make some contributions.

  This is the only way to integrate with a team. Only by participating in it will others recognize you.

  Naturally, there was no need for him to go through so much trouble with just one person. However, he had Lea with him, so for the girl's safety, he could only do what seemed unnecessary to him.

  The convenience store was dark and quiet at the same time. He took out his revolver and held a pocket flashlight in his other hand for illumination. He felt his way through the door. The store was in a complete mess. He picked up some food and medicine from the cabinets that were still in good condition, but he didn't care about the lack of food. As long as he brought the items back, there would naturally be people who would differentiate and choose.

  The convenience store was not as dangerous as he had imagined, but just as Zero was about to run away, a barely audible sound reached his ears.

  The sound came from the lounge behind the convenience store.

  He walked over and gently pushed the door open with the muzzle of his gun.

  There was a small room behind the door, the last rays of the setting sun falling on the windowsill. The room was shrouded in a layer of dim yellow light.

  What entered his eyes was a picture frame. The picture frame was not big. The picture inside was faded, but it wasn't hard to see an elderly couple leaning together lovingly. It was a simple and simple happiness.

  Beneath the frame was a single bed with the corpse of an old woman lying on it. The body was drained of water, leaving only a skin. The limbs, wrists, and ankles of the corpse were bound with rawhide rope. From the messy marks on the bed, it could be seen that the old woman had struggled violently before she died.

  Beside the bed, there was an aged living corpse. living corpse had taken off all his hair, and from his appearance, one could tell that he was the old man in the photo. The living corpse was lying on the ground and could not move because the part below the thigh had already disappeared. Even if the old living corpse sensed the arrival of zero, he had no desire to attack. He could only mechanically dig out the remaining rotten flesh from his thigh and put it into his mouth to chew.

  Su Yun was very surprised. Two years ago, Mary, who had become living corpse, remembered that her lover had already astonished him. Two years later, a living corpse that was devouring its own flesh and blood had once again touched a soft spot in Su Ling's heart.

  Looking at the intact body of the female corpse on the bed, Zero knew that this old living corpse would rather eat the flesh of his own body than hurt his wife by even a hair.

  Remember that vow you made in front of the Sacred Palace. No matter whether I am rich or poor, whether I am born old or sick, or die of old age, I will always protect you by your side, never leaving you!

  With a sigh, Zero put down the gun and took out his dagger. He walked up and his dagger swept across the sunset in a pale yellow rainbow, brushing against the old living corpse's throat and removing his entire head.

  Holding the head, Zero quietly placed it next to the female corpse and gently pulled the quilt under the bed to cover them.

  This way, he would be able to sleep forever. It was just like those countless nights many years ago, when they slept in each other's embrace until the end of time!

  After doing all that, Zero quietly left the room and the convenience store.

  Chapter 30 - Night Camp

  The bonfire continued to burn, illuminating the endless night. The wind of the night was gentle and cold. It gently blew across the flames, causing them to twist their bodies in the void like dancers. They also emitted sparks, flashing out with the most dazzling light before quickly extinguishing.

  The green car had already left Silver Tree City and stopped at an abandoned farm about 50 kilometers away from the town. They would spend the night here and continue their journey only the next morning.

  The car stopped by the side of the farm, and Jehan and the rest cleared out an empty area. Since he couldn't use solid fuel, he started a bonfire. The grass on the farm had long since dried up, but there were still a few dwarf trees that were barely able to survive. The cruel living environment of the new era made the gene of plants change along with the environment. For example, these few trees were less than two meters tall, but their treetops were astonishingly large. From afar, it looked like a huge umbrella.

  If one dug up the soil, they would see that the roots were about ten meters deep into the ground. This would prevent the roots of the old era from being killed by the fierce sun because of their location in the shallow soil. The roots could not only avoid the sunlight, but could also absorb the water in the ground, which was very rare, in order to survive.

  Jehan and the others dug up the soil under the small tree and cut off some of the roots. The more deeply buried they are, the more they contain not only water but starch. After peeling, use an iron skillet to cook it into a pulp, which is just like the potatoes of the old era. The only difference was that the root was bitter and had a certain amount of radiation. But no matter if it was Zero or anyone else, they did not care about such a small matter.

  Su Yun observed the actions of Jehan and the rest. Although it was a good thing to be able to find food, they were definitely not greedy. The number of broken roots was only about a third of the original number. With the coming of spring and autumn, the dwarf tree would definitely have time to grow new roots, rather than wither and die. It was ironic to say that in the old days when resources were plentiful, people only knew how to invade nature. On the contrary, now that their resources were scarce, they understood the principle of letting go and rejuvenate.

  There was a large pot on top of the bonfire. When the roots were boiled into mud, everyone was given a bowl.

  Zero and Lea sat in the corner of the crowd, while Teddy brought two bowls of slimming tree to them. The young driver's gaze fell on the revolver s by his waist, Teddy said with a scowl: "Heh, brother. Can I see the gun? "

  Receiving the tree sap, Zero took out his handgun and handed it over to Teddy.

  Feeling the weight of the large piece of metal in his hand, Teddy was speechless. The muzzle of the gun was different from an ordinary revolver; it silently described the power of the gun. Teddy knew that its recoil must be huge as well. He looked at Zero, unable to believe that such a weak person could actually use such a lethal weapon.

  But after thinking about how Su Ling used one hand to pick up Jehan, Teddy also felt relieved.

  "Are you an Adept?" Teddy returned the gun to Zero.

  Zero did not answer. With his personality, he would only agree if he did not object. Unfortunately, Teddy had known this man for very long, and he only felt that this man had a weird temper. But being a little weird, wasn't really a big deal. After finding food and medicine in the convenience store, Teddy and Jehan could feel their goodwill. No matter what the sta
rting point was, being able to join a warrior like him would only be beneficial to the journey to Remot.

  "Eat more. Plants like the short umbrella-tree are not often seen. Tomorrow we'll have more roots to spare, but that's just enough for another meal. In the future, he would probably have to eat some rations. Water was also a problem, and he hoped to find supplies along the way. But I think God will bless us, won't he? " Teddy blinked his eyes and said, and then left.

  Zero placed the bowl of sap in front of Lea.

  Even at night, Lea did not put down his hat. She whispered under her hat, "I can't eat that much."

  "Eat it." He then said in a more gentle tone, "Eating more is good for your illness."

  "What about you?"

  He took out a piece of chocolate from his pocket, which he found in the convenience store. He had kept the chocolate for himself and gave the rest to Jehan to handle. Zero gently unwrapped the chocolate. The originally fragrant dark chocolate was now covered with a layer of gray bacteria. He used his fingers to wipe off the gray fungus, then slowly chewed it.

  The food that was already out of date did not taste good. It did not have the sweetness that chocolate should have, but there was also bitterness to it. Zero bit into it like a piece of wood, but he crushed it with his teeth and swallowed it. In fact, the food that was given to Jehan was past the maintenance period, but no one would take it seriously. For the people of the old era, no one would care about the taste of food, except for the aristocrats and the famous gentry.

  Although the food is out of date, people don't have enough stomach bags to digest it and turn it into energy for the body. As for the metamorphic substances that produced toxins, even if they could not be expelled from the body, they would still be suppressed. Until the day when a person's physique could no longer contain more toxic substances, only then would they collectively erupt.

  However, he did not have any concerns about Zero. After the food entered his stomach, it disappeared. The energy that was extracted would be carefully distributed, providing him with the energy needed for longer activities. As for the harmful substances, they would be expelled along with the perspiration during exercise, thus, there was no such thing as poison Su's accumulation.

  He just watched as Zero would rather eat expired food than touch it. It wasn't delicious, but at least it was fresh tree sap. Lea's heart trembled slightly. Without saying another word, she picked up the tree sap and started to eat. She ate very carefully tonight, so much so that when Teddy came to retrieve her bowl, he discovered that there was not a single bit of residue left inside.

  Late at night, the temperature dropped and people went back to sleep in their carriages. Lea was no exception, she used two dollars to buy a blanket from Teddy and wrapped it around Lea's body.

  Zero did not sleep. He just sat in front of the bonfire that was about to go out. He was on night watch, and Jehan was also on night watch with him, to the point of another white male called Pan En.

  "Have a cigarette?"

  The three of them sat in silence for half an hour before the African man took out a cigarette and handed it to Zero.

  Zero took it quietly and lit it up, then took a deep breath. The smell of poor quality tobacco seeped into his zero lungs. After a cycle, it was spat out from his nose. His mouth was filled with a bitter taste, but the corners of Zero's mouth curled up into a smile.

  "Although it is not any good stuff, but to be able to smoke one every day, I feel that it is the blessing of a god."

  Jehan and Bourne also started to smoke. The African man closed his eyes and puffed out a cloud. His appearance was quite enjoyable.

  "I agree with that." He will never talk much. Short but accurate.

  The black man opened his eyes and looked at Zero. "That girl. Is she sick?"

  The bonfire's flames suddenly lowered, and Zero's aura suddenly collapsed like a steel wire. He looked at Jehan, and his eyes became ice-cold and emotionless once more.

  "Hehehe, don't be nervous, I was just casually asking." Jehan waved his hands repeatedly. "These days, other than the petite and fleshy bodies of the noble masters, the people in the wilderness don't have any illnesses or other illnesses on them."

  The words from the black man caused Zero to gradually relax. Only then did Jehan heave a sigh of relief, and continued: So, you guys want to go to Remot to see a patient?

  "Something like that." "No," Zero answered concisely, but in an instant, his relaxed muscles tightened again. A slight prickling sensation could be felt on his skin.

  Sensing the change in atmosphere, Jehan's face changed. Just as he was about to explain, Ling Yun covered her mouth.

  "Don't make a sound, wake everyone up. Something is approaching. " Zero's ears were gently twitching, and some inaudible sounds entered his ears from far away, along with the wind.

  Zero stood up and kicked the nearby sand and rocks onto the bonfire, extinguishing the flames.

  Just as he was done with this, under the moonlight, several shadows appeared on the other side of the road.

  Chapter 31 - VIPs

  In the moonlight they were ragged, like refugees. Of course, there wouldn't be any refugees rushing about in the middle of the night. These people had exceptionally pale skin and red eyes. Some of the muscles on his body started to rot, and some of the worse ones were the white bones.

  They were living corpse, humanoid monsters. Likes to move at night, capturing humans and all living creatures for food.

  Now, these living corpse were staggering as they walked on the road. Zero saw that behind them, there were more living corpse walking out from the direction of the Silver Tree City.

  "Thirty or more." Jehan put down his infrared telescope and asked worriedly.

  Teddy said anxiously: "Then what do we do, we leave immediately?"

  "No, let's wait and see." Zero denied directly.

  Naturally, the living corpse was not out for a stroll, there was no food outside the Silver Tree City, and a team like this was not out for the sake of hunting. Two years ago, there weren't many living corpse in the Silver Tree City. After being killed by the leaders and butchers, the newly formed social system had been destroyed. Without a leader, living corpse who had lost control of his power, would either die fighting each other or leave the Silver Tree City for a more distant place.

  Right now, these thirty odd living corpse s should be all that remained. Now that the living corpse had gone all out, rather than hunting, it would be more appropriate to say that it was a group migration. The Silver Tree City did not have any extra food to provide the living corpse with to survive, unless they ate their own flesh and blood like the old living corpse that Zero had seen. Otherwise, because of hunger, the remaining living corpse would definitely have internal strife, and the surviving living corpse wouldn't be able to live for long.

  These living dead were using the night's worth of time to hurry on their way. During the day they would hide in the shadows, or bury themselves in the ground until it was dark. It was an unknown journey, its destination perhaps a few kilometers away, perhaps several thousand kilometers away, perhaps … There was no end. Who knows.

  The campfire had gone out and everyone was hiding in the car. As long as nothing unexpected happened, the group of migrating living corpse s had a high chance of ignoring them. But seeing that the living corpse team was getting closer and closer to the road in the direction of the farm, Jehan and the others started to get nervous. living corpse was a monster with a very sensitive sense of smell and hearing. Once these people tensed up, their body temperature would rise. If they made any more noise, they would have no choice but to fight the group of living corpse.

  With the strength of their side, annihilating these thirty odd living corpse s shouldn't be a problem. However, this way, Zero could not guarantee that there would be no casualties. At the very least, the weaker women and children would not be able to escape the living corpse.

  The living corpse was rushing on their way and d
id not notice the green car parked at the side of the abandoned farm. Thus, the people inside the carriage all heaved a sigh of relief as they saw living corpse slowly pass by.

  However, the God of Luck seemed to have suddenly left. Because a living corpse in the middle of the group suddenly stopped, he strongly sniffed something, then woodenly turned around to look at the direction of the car. Following that, the living corpse left the group and swaggered towards the farm.

  "Fuck, prepare to fight." Jehan cursed in a low voice and at the same time opened the safety lock on his gun.

  Once they shot, the gunshots would definitely attract the attention of the other living corpse. Although these things walked very slowly, once they found food, they would run faster than rabbits and move more nimbly than monkeys. And in such an open space, even with the help of an anti-aircraft gun, it was hard to guarantee that the living corpse would not be able to pass through the fire energy web.

  Fighting meant casualties, but now they had no choice.

  However, Zero's hand was on Jehan's spear. "Don't shoot, I'll be right back."

  With that, Zero floated silently out of the car like a ghost. Like a cautious cat, he lowered his body and used the cover of the small trees and the slope to dive into the isolated living corpse.

  When he was still a few meters away from living corpse, Zero hid himself under a dwarf tree and silently watched the living corpse as it got closer.

  Five meters, four meters, three meters … As the distance between them shortened, Zero's breathing became more and more slender, until it became completely silent.

  living corpse came under the tree. His sharp hearing detected a strange sound coming from the tree. His voice was very soft, but it couldn't be hidden from him. living corpse raised his head only to see a white light flash past before he lost consciousness.