Going for a drive in an apocalyptic city had basically nothing to do with comfort.
The once-prosperous metropolis, which had a population of tens of millions, had now completely degenerated into a giant purgatory mill.
The broad main roads were blocked solid by numerous abandoned vehicles, and countless zombies, like maggots on a bone, filled every single street.
Sensing the scent and movement of living people, they would surge from all directions, converging into a chilling tide of corpses.
"Turn left, turn left! The road ahead is blocked by a fallen billboard!"
Inside the car, Isabella directed the route with a pale face, her voice tense, wishing she could fasten a few more seatbelts.
The Skinny Tall Man was covered in sweat, but his grip on the steering wheel was steady as the wheels continuously crushed the rotting severed limbs on the ground.
A massive mutated zombie suddenly burst out from a shop window by the roadside.
Its muscles were knotted all over its body, and its skin showed an eerie purplish-red hue.
Lightning descended from the sky, accurately striking the top of the zombie's head.
The mutated zombie's head exploded, and the charred, headless corpse slid under the wheels, causing the car's body to shudder violently.
But it had to be said, the Skinny Tall Man hadn't lied; as a racer, his car control skills were top-notch.
Qi Zhimu sat on the roof of the car, holding Herta with one hand and casually waving the other from time to time.
Any zombie that tried to approach the vehicle, whether mutated or not, would without exception be turned into ashes or fragments.
Many times, when the road ahead was blocked by abandoned heavy trucks, Qi Zhimu would still just wave his hand, and those former 'otherworld portals' would be tossed to the roadside like toys, clearing a path.
But even with the existence of a 'cheat' like Qi Zhimu, the speed of progress still couldn't be considered fast.
Grizzly City was too large, and Isabella still needed to stop from time to time to identify directions and buildings.
A drive that would have taken only half a day in peaceful times was now stretched many times over.
Until nightfall, the vehicle had failed to reach the port Isabella had mentioned.
As night fell, the city became even more dangerous; the activity level of the zombies multiplied, and in the darkness, no one knew how many pairs of peering eyes were lurking.
With no other choice, the group could only find a building to spend the night.
The next day, the team set off again.
The sun rose and the moon set in a continuous cycle.
Until the fifth day.
After countless detours and directional corrections, the vehicle finally stopped in front of a port.
The sea breeze blew against their faces, carrying a salty, fishy smell.
Isabella pushed open the car door and stumbled out.
Because she had been curled up for a long time, her legs were somewhat numb, but they were trembling even more.
She walked quickly to the edge of the port, her eyes wide, trying to find that iconic evacuation point from the movies.
A few dilapidated fishing boats came into view, and several others were capsized in the water.
"This... this isn't right..."
Isabella turned around in a panic, her gaze sweeping over the surrounding building ruins as cold sweat soaked her back.
"Could it be that this isn't the port you mentioned?"
Qi Zhimu jumped down from the car roof while holding Herta and walked forward a few steps, his gaze scanning the surface of the sea.
"So, where exactly is the part that isn't right?"
"I..." Isabella trembled all over, her knees buckling as she knelt on the ground.
Fear gripped her heart tightly.
She knew this man's methods all too well.
Along the way, everyone had seen with their own eyes how he had instantly torn countless zombies into pieces.
"Don't, don't kill me... Mr. Qi! Please give me another chance!"
Isabella's forehead slammed heavily against the ground, blood flowing, as she cried out incoherently.
"Too much time has passed, many places have been destroyed, the landmarks and terrain have changed a lot, I might have remembered the reference points wrong! But I swear, the approximate location is right around here! Really! Please don't kill me!"
Silence.
The sound of the waves hitting the shore became the most prominent sound at this moment.
Qi Zhimu looked down from above at the shivering woman at his feet, his expression unreadable.
The two men on the side were also scared witless.
If Isabella was killed for leading them the wrong way, then their fate...
For a moment, the fear of shared tragedy welled up in their hearts.
A few seconds later, driven by the desire to survive, the Skinny Tall Man plucked up his courage and actually moved half a step forward.
"Mr. Qi... this place really has changed a lot, should we... look around some more?"
Seeing this, the Round-faced Man also gritted his teeth and chimed in boldly.
"Yeah, everyone wants to live, she definitely wouldn't dare to lie to you, please show some mercy!"
The two immediately shut their mouths after speaking, their hearts racing.
They felt they were simply insane, actually daring to plead for someone else in front of this magician who was only gentle toward Herta.
Qi Zhimu's gaze fell upon the two of them, and he didn't speak.
Time passed second by second, and just as the Round-faced Man was so scared he was almost about to lose control of his bladder and his legs were shaking as he prepared to kneel, Qi Zhimu suddenly smiled.
"Look at how scared you are."
His tone was relaxed, as if the oppressive atmosphere from just now was merely an illusion.
"Everyone just wants to survive, and I'm not the kind of unreasonable fellow."
"Although you Original Human are indeed on my menu, I am a person who values principles above all."
"Since I agreed to cooperate, I won't kill someone over such a small matter; I disdain doing something as classless as burning bridges."
As he spoke, he looked at Isabella kneeling on the ground.
"Get up, Ms. Isabella. If you remembered it wrong, we'll just look again."
Isabella looked up trembling, the immense joy of surviving a disaster making her overlook the flash of mockery in his eyes.
"Thank you, Mr. Qi, for your leniency!"
The three felt as if they had been granted a grand pardon, wishing they could kowtow to Qi Zhimu on the spot and call him their ancestor.
Herta remained silent, deep in thought.
After traveling together for this period of time, she had a certain understanding of Qi Zhimu.
Mr. Creditor's smile toward her might not have any special meaning, but it wasn't necessarily the same for others.
Herta looked up and scanned the sky.
The setting sun was gradually sinking below the sea level, meaning that night would soon shroud Grizzly City right on time.
"It's getting dark, let's find a place to rest first and continue tomorrow."
She only said that one sentence.
Her words sounded like heavenly music to the ears of Isabella and the other two; everyone looked at Qi Zhimu at the same time.
Qi Zhimu surveyed the surroundings and locked onto a high-rise building not far away; its structure looked relatively intact.
"Let's go there, little Herta. Tonight, you'll stay in a room with a sea view with me."
Night fell, inside the penthouse suite of a luxury hotel.
Qi Zhimu naturally picked the best one, and of course, Herta had to be in the same room as him.
As for those three, they were tossed into the next room like trash.
There were no lights in the room; moonlight spilled in through the window, casting dappled silver light on the carpet.
After Herta finished her bath, she was enjoying the artificial hair dryer service provided by Qi Zhimu using both wind and fire magic.
"Be careful, that woman's behavior today was a bit off."
"Children shouldn't worry about adult matters. Your hair is dry, go to rest quickly."
"Am I sleeping in the same bed as you?"
"Ha? A mere Reserve Food has quite the beautiful imagination. Sleep by yourself!"
"...Oh."
Herta didn't dwell on it; guessing that Qi Zhimu might quietly do something, she thought he probably said that because he didn't want to wake her up.
Thus, she soon fell asleep.
Time passed minute by minute.
In the middle of the night, all was silent.
Only the occasional roar of a zombie from afar echoed through the empty city.
Qi Zhimu, who had seemingly fallen asleep as well, suddenly opened his eyes.
...
I am the Aeon of Finality, accidentally fallen from grace due to being plotted against by Aha. I urgently need a V50 to restore my strength. As a reward, I will make your Spring Festival holiday return to seven days ago.