Mist (Web Novel CN)-Chapter 10: Chapter 10

Ouroboros

Chapter 10

A pocket drone the size of a bee flew out from the window and hovered over the city. During its flight, real-time images were transmitted to Ji Yushi’s communicator and then projected as a holographic image to view.

“There are still survivors in the city.” Zhou Mingxuan pointed to the image, “Look, there is smoke here!”

On the image, the city’s appearance gradually appeared.

Deserted streets and damaged roads, everywhere were signs that civilisation had vanished from this city. Like the place they’re currently located, there were only traces of zombies in the other streets.

“There must still be survivors. Weren’t we almost hit by that spacecar just now?”

Li Chun said this and was unable to hide his anger and regret.

“Dammit, if it wasn’t for that spacecar, Brother Wen wouldn’t have been hurt to this extent……..I really should’ve done better!”

Ji Yushi said, “I was the one who warned you too late.”

Li Chun opened his mouth awkwardly for a moment before finally saying, “Advisor Ji, I didn’t mean it that way.”

“Alright, he also didn’t mean it that way.”

Song Qinglan looked at the location pointed out by Zhou Mingxuan through a pair of binoculars thought the window. In the scene projected, there were three or four people stacking burnable material into a big blue metal bucket and a large ‘SOS’ was painted on the floor with white paint. They were clearly calling for help.

“The survivors also can only wait for their deaths.”

Not far away, the black wall that could swallow anything in its path sat there quietly.

They had zombies in front and the black wall behind them. These people were just like them, barely surviving while trapped in the middle, not knowing when their lives would come to an end.

As far as they could see, countless zombies wandered in and out of various buildings, communities, subway entrances and the likes. When there was no ‘prey’ nearby, these zombies moved like normal people, neither fast nor slow, and just wandered aimlessly around. As more and more zombies appeared on the streets, for a moment it looked like a lively New Year’s Eve day.

Song Qinglan observed the situation for a few minutes and frowned, “These zombies still retain their social habits?”

Zhou Mingxuan received the binoculars and looked. He also noticed this, “That’s strange. Are they going home to sleep and then wandering the streets early in the morning?! Do they love daily lives that fucking much?!”

On the black wall end, sunlight filled the city.

Song Qinglan looked at the drone footage from Ji Yushi’s communicator and his cold expression turned serious and thoughtful.

When they were at the Park Management Office, Song Qinglan had used his military knife to pry open the eyelids of the corpse in there. That was the moment he got closest to a zombie. As the turbid grey eyes appeared in Song Qinglan’s mind, he suddenly came to a realisation, “It’s light.”

Everyone looked at him.

Song Qinglan said, “We arrived here at 4:30 in the morning. Except for the drifter, we didn’t encounter any large groups of zombies outside at first and it was only when the sun came out—–”

Song Qinglan didn’t need to say more.

The first wave of zombies the squad encountered was when the first ray of sunlight appeared in the city.

“Look.” Song Qinglan pointed to the projection, “Zombies like to travel in groups. Many of the places they walk out of are underground passages, subway stations, buildings and the likes. Most of these places are brightly lit all night.”

“I suspect that this virus invades their optic nerves, causing eye damage. They are unable to see things and therefor have a strong reaction to light. In addition to relying on sound and smell, they would follow their shared instinct to chase after the light to go to a brighter place.”

Hearing their captain’s analysis, everyone felt like they were enlightened.

Li Chun looked up at the crystal lamp in the hall and then walked over to turn it off.

Everyone acquiesced to this act of his.

But then, another question came.

Ji Yushi asked, “If these zombies chasing after light can barely be called a chaser of light then what does it mean by the mission objective ‘chaser of darkness’?”

This question was temporarily unsolvable. No one could answer.

Zhou Mingxuan thought for a while, “Then would it be safer to go out at night since these things will go back to their lair at night?”

“Not necessarily.” Song Qinglan said, “Not all zombies will gather underground, there will always be some who stay outside. Compared to sensitivity to light, those zombies are more sensitive to sound and smell. Did you forget about the struggle we had in the emergency staircase just now?”

Li Chun, “Oh yeah. They may be blind but they’re fast!!”

Song Qinglan said, “The most important thing is, no matter how you look at it, we can’t stay here for long.”

In the hall, Duan Wen was still unconscious.

They had to find a pharmacy to get Duan Wen medicine or, let alone the leg, his life might not be saved.

Song Qinglan was a very practical person. After using a short amount of time to sort out his thoughts, he enlarged the projection of the building they were currently in, “Besides, we are currently in an advantageous position.”

“Yang Le and Zhou Mingxuan looked around earlier. Apart for the out of order elevator, Runjin Building has a total of four emergency staircases.”

“The one on the left corridor is blocked and the one we came up through just now naturally cannot be used. This means there are only two to choose from; northeast or southeast . We may perhaps get lucky.”

“Go down the emergency staircase and it would directly lead you to the underground passage—- Right now, almost all the zombies are outside in the streets so being underground should be relatively safer. The underground passage should be connected to the main road and that should be a groundfloor exit.”

Song Qinglan drew a green line on the holographic map and quickly analysed it.

“According to the real-time situation recorded by the drone, after exiting through that place, we can take the route with the least number of zombies and find a pharmacy or hospital as soon as possible. This was the most ideal way to break through. The only question is: Which staircase to choose?”

Li Chun: “One in two, 50% success rate.”

Zhou Mingxuan elbowed him, “Why didn’t you say that if you chose the wrong one in two chance, you will die?”

Li Chun looked at Tang Le and then winked at Zhou Mingxuan, “Old Zhou, you shouldn’t say that. We should always think positive!”

As he said that, the drone project suddenly flashed and the screen went black.

A notice appeared on the projection: [Warning. Drone offline.]

“Fuck!!! The black wall is moving closer!” Zhou Mingxuan walked to the window and checked himself. He could only let out small curse, “We have to hurry and go!!”

Everyone was startled.

Sure enough, the black wall had indeed silently started to spread at some unknown point it time. Right now, it was almost about to reach the street with the convenience store. Not only did the drone get ‘eaten’, the wall seemed to be about to reach them!

Originally, the images sent over by the drone needed to be synchronised to generate the map so there was a few minutes delay in time difference. They didn’t expect their plan to suddenly go up in smoke so quickly!

Song Qinglan couldn’t help but slam his hand onto the desk.

Ji Yushi checked the memory storage: “It’s okay, I remembered the road map. I can draw out the map to the closet pharmacy and hospital.”

“The scene was only shown very briefly and there are countless streets out there but you’re saying that you can draw it out?” Song Qinglan suppressed his rage and raised his brow slightly, “Aren’t you being too confident?”

Ji Yushi looked at the black wall and then at the time on the communicator: “And if I can draw it out?”

Song Qinglan: “……”

Knowing that he was in a hurry, Ji Yushi continued, “Won’t need to draw too much, just drawing out the most suitable route should be enough. Give me five minutes.”

Everyone: “???”

Is Advisor Ji crazy?!

*

It didn’t even take Ji Yushi five minutes to finish drawing the map.

At first everyone thought he was just spouting nonsense. After all, how could someone remember all those unfamiliar roads and their road conditions with just one glance? But as the map became more and more complete, and the details of the roads in the north, south, east and west directions were drawn out, everyone no longer dared to underestimate Ji Yushi anymore.

When the map was finally complete, Song Qinglan scanned it hastily and then sent it to everyone else’s communicator. He spoke very quickly, “Split up and meet at the agreed place if you get separated. Go to the pharmacy and, where circumstances permit, try to find bandages, anti-inflammatory medications, splints and the likes. If you see the black wall, run. Those zombies are nothing compared to the black wall.”

Everyone: “Understood!”

It was dark outside the window. The black wall covered the sky, looking like it was about to envelop the city.

Zombies were gathered in the building and there were even more outside on the streets. Over the two years since its establishment, the Seventh Squad had never found themselves in such a predicament where they were pushed into a dead end.

Li Chun: “Tang Le and I will go southeast!”

Zhou Mingxuan said with a gun on his back, “Then Captain, Advisor Ji and I will take Old Duan northeast!”

“Fuck this PU-31, fuck the black wall and the zombies. If I die, remember to burn an address for me!” Li Chun wiped his eyes. The expression on this big boy’s face was resolute, “And burn a couple of girls too!” (KKnotes: Not literally LOL. Li Chun here is probably referring to burning paper offerings. Sometimes people burn paper cars or houses etc believing that it can be sent to the afterlife for the deceased to use.)

“Get lost you. You’re not afraid of embarrassing yourself in front of Advisor Ji?”

Li Chun spat, “Pei. Maybe Advisor Ji would even ask you to burn a macho man for him.”

Everyone pushed and shoved him.

Even at this moment, Ji Yushi didn’t feel that they were being silly.

He raised his eyes and looked at Song Qinglan. How did the other party manage to get these people into his squad?

“Alright, this brother will burn eight for you.”

Duan Wen’s voice suddenly travelled through the public channel.

Hearing that he was awake, everyone quickly returned to the hall but were all left shocked.

Except for the dark red blood stain on the sofa, Duan Wen was nowhere in sight!

Song Qinglan realised something, “Duan Wen!!”

The captain’s anger no longer scared Duan Wen. He continued to speak through the public channel, “I have a fever. Only death awaits me even if I go out so it’s better to make a contribution instead. What the hell is this damned mission, tsk.”

A noise could be heard from Duan Wen’s end.

As for what that sound was, everyone knew immediately.

“Brother Wen! Where are you?!”

“Old Duan, where the hell did you go”

Duan Wen said, “Stop chattering ladies. This one here is helping you save time.”

“No need to split up.”

“Captain, this road is blocked. Take the northeast emergency staircase. Hurry, the black wall is coming.”

Chaotic footsteps could be heard through the communicator.

“Grrrrr——”

“Bang!” A gunshot sounded.

KK has something to say:

A heroic sacrifice