The drone's hum faded completely into the distance, leaving behind a silence that felt heavier than before. They brought not hope, but deeper doubts. Yet the journey must continue.
Thirst and hunger tightened like two nooses. His lips cracked and peeled, his throat felt packed with grit. Even Lu Zhao's wind perception grew erratic under his physical exhaustion.
"We must find water," Gu Xun's voice was parched. He scanned the surroundings, his gaze finally settling on the parched patch of land where twisted plants grew. He walked over, crouched down, and carefully examined the unremarkable plants.
"This one," he pointed to a succulent with swollen roots and thick leaves, "its rhizomes hold moisture." He gestured toward another weed, sprawling low with hollow stems, "Break its stem and suck carefully—it contains a small amount of sap."
Lu Zhao remained skeptical. He looked at his empty hands, clutching only the cold steel pipe. Hesitating, he crouched down and tried digging at the hardened soil with his fingers. A sharp pain shot through his nails, and the effort proved painfully inefficient.
Seeing this, Gu Xun silently extended his hand. His fingers were long and slender; though weak, they were more nimble. Patiently, he used his fingers to chip away at the soil bit by bit, carefully avoiding damage to the precious root. Lu Zhao watched his focused profile and mud-stained fingers, that subtle sense of awkwardness surfacing again in his heart. But it was quickly suppressed by a stronger urge to survive—Gu Xun was fighting for life using the only means available to him at that moment.
Finally, a soil-covered tuber the size of a baby's fist was unearthed. Gu Xun split it open, revealing moist, earthy-smelling white flesh within. He gestured to Lu Zhao.
Lu Zhao took it, hesitated, then cautiously squeezed a drop of juice into his mouth. The taste was strange, heavy with earthiness, but the moment that tiny bit of moisture slid down his parched throat, it felt like nectar. He mimicked Gu Xun, searching for hollow grass stems. Breaking them open, he carefully sucked the scant, faintly grassy juice inside.
They also found some easily identifiable edible wild vegetable roots and stems, painstakingly dug out by hand or with sharp stones. The taste was bitter and hard to swallow, but at least it provided some calories and fiber, barely appeasing their protesting stomachs.
Thanks to Gu Xun's wilderness knowledge and their clumsy efforts, they temporarily eased their survival crisis, but the physical toll was real. Gu Xun's pace slowed noticeably, his breathing growing heavier. Lu Zhao had to shoulder more of the scouting and sentry duties while constantly monitoring Gu Xun's condition.
In the afternoon, they trekked along a dry riverbed, hoping to find lingering pools of water. The bed was strewn with pebbles, making each step uneven and uncertain. Suddenly, Lu Zhao's wind perception sent an alarm—something was ahead, around the bend in the riverbed! Numerous, and... moving fast!
"Watch out!" Lu Zhao's warning barely left his lips when a swarm of dark shapes surged from the bend!
They weren't zombies. These massive, dog-like creatures had shed their fur, revealing dark red muscles covered in hypertrophic tissue. Their muzzles were split open, exposing rows of jagged fangs. Running on all fours, they moved with astonishing speed! Mutant creatures!
"Zombie dogs!" Gu Xun's expression darkened. These creatures, mutated from stray dogs, possessed keen senses, vicious temperaments, and often hunted in packs!
As the pack charged forward with frenzied growls, Gu Xun summoned his strength. He spread his hands wide, gathering a faint yet dazzling light in his palms, attempting to halt their momentum.
Yet the light only momentarily slowed the frontmost dogs. Shaking their heads, they lunged forward with renewed fury! Gu Xun staggered, the light instantly dissipating. He grunted, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth—a clear backlash from forcing his ability.
"Gu Xun!" Lu Zhao's eyes widened in fury. He yanked Gu Xun backward, shielding him with his own body. The steel pipe in his hand whistled through the air with a piercing shriek as he brought it crashing down on the skull of the first corpse dog to lunge forward!
"Thud!" A dull sound echoed as the corpse dog's skull shattered, sending it tumbling backward. But more corpse dogs swarmed in!
Lu Zhao pushed his wind-elemental ability to its absolute limit, weaving and dodging desperately between the attacking corpses. He unleashed wind blades like they were nothing, slicing through their fur, yet unable to deliver an instant kill. These mutated creatures possessed incredibly tenacious vitality!
One corpse dog seized the opportunity to lunge at the immobilized Gu Xun from the side! Lu Zhao couldn't reach him in time. As the slime-covered fangs closed in on Gu Xun's calf—
At the critical moment, a fierce glint flashed in Gu Xun's eyes. He didn't resort to his light-element abilities. Instead, he suddenly raised his foot, mustering every ounce of strength, and delivered a vicious kick to the corpse dog's relatively vulnerable nose!
"Awoo!" The corpse dog yelped in pain, its momentum thrown off.
That split-second opening was all it needed! Lu Zhao's wind blade arrived, slicing cleanly through its throat!
The battle was brief yet fierce. By the time the last corpse dog collapsed at Lu Zhao's feet, he was covered in foul-smelling blood. His arm trembled uncontrollably as he gripped the steel pipe, his lungs burning with pain.
Ignoring his own injuries, he spun around to steady the swaying Gu Xun. "How are you?"
Gu Xun leaned against him, his face ashen. He shook his head, seemingly too drained to speak. The forced surge of his ability and that final desperate kick had nearly depleted all his strength.
Lu watched his weakened state, then surveyed the scattered corpses of the zombie dogs littering the ground. A wave of intense dread and helplessness washed over him. They were too weak, especially with Gu Xun still recovering from his severe injuries. Merely a pack of mutated zombie dogs had nearly cost them their lives here.
Supporting Gu Xun, Lu found a relatively clean boulder along the riverbed and helped him sit down to rest. Forcing back nausea and exhaustion, Lu carefully examined the corpse dogs. Unfortunately, these creatures, severely contaminated by the virus, were clearly inedible.
The setting sun stretched their shadows long across the parched riverbed. The road ahead remained long and arduous, yet their condition had plummeted to its lowest ebb.
Lu watched the red sun sink westward, then glanced at Gu Xun beside him, eyes closed in faint breathing. An unprecedented sense of urgency gripped his heart. They had to find stable supplies and a safe house quickly, or they might never reach that elusive "Hope" base.
Night was about to descend once more. This time, they hadn't even found a decent shelter.