Chapter 155

Xie Zhou had been living with An An for a long time, and the father and son spent almost every day together.

Although the baby could only make “ho-ho” sounds, and one could occasionally judge his mood from those sounds, in most cases, Xie Zhou perceived the baby’s emotions by observing his expressions.

For example, right now, with that eager, wide-eyed look, it was obvious he wanted something.

Xie Zhou reached out and patted the baby’s belly, asking with some confusion:

“Are you hungry?”

“Ho-ho.”

“Want to go out and play?”

“Ho-ho.”

“Don’t like it here?”

“Ho-ho.”

After asking about several things the baby usually loved and receiving negative responses for all of them, Xie Zhou suddenly felt a bit at a loss.

“Then what does the baby want? Tell Daddy, okay?”

“Ho.”

An An crawled directly onto his father’s body. Realizing that his father couldn’t understand his “ho-ho” sounds, he began to use his hands to gesture, trying hard to make his father understand what he wanted to express.

His short arms gestured tirelessly for a long while as his emotions grew anxious. Only then did Xie Zhou ask in an uncertain tone:

“A puppy?”

“Ho!”

“Does the baby want to raise a puppy? Then Daddy will think of a way. Let’s go to sleep for now, okay?”

“Ho.”

Xie Zhou held An An as they slept, and An An obediently closed his eyes in his embrace.

An An didn’t actually want to raise a puppy; he had taken a liking to the Mutant Beast kept by the brother of this base’s leader.

Perhaps it was due to some similarity between zombies and Mutant Beasts, or perhaps it was just fate, but An An had seen that little dog this afternoon.

The mutated Husky looked more like a wolf in appearance, but its eyes were still as goofy as they were before the mutation, and it occasionally did things that left people caught between laughter and tears.

An An liked it very much and felt that if he had a little dog like that, he would certainly never feel bored or lonely.

Xie Zhou placed great importance on the child’s education, and An An knew in his heart that taking what others loved was a very bad behavior.

He could only settle for the next best thing and tell his father that he wanted a puppy too.

In the apocalypse, people could barely keep themselves alive, let alone pets.

The baby’s request sounded simple, but in practice, it was truly difficult to implement.

The next day, Xie Zhou asked the leader of the base, but there were no puppies in this small base that met his requirements.

There used to be some, but later, because their food supplies were insufficient, only that Husky remained.

When Xie Zhou brought An An onto the motorcycle, he leaned in and whispered comfortingly to him, saying that perhaps after they reached Dawn Base, they might encounter a puppy they liked.

After all, Dawn Base was currently the largest base besides the Red Star Base in the Capital City. It had many ability users and was said to have the highest happiness rating in the apocalypse.

Since they focused on the quality of life, there should be pets there.

It took only one day for them to reach the gates of Dawn Base. Xie Zhou carried An An and got off the motorcycle.

There was a long queue in front of the entrance to Dawn Base. As an ability user of a very high level, Xie Zhou could sense that the people around him were all powerhouses with significant abilities.

Dawn Base truly lived up to its reputation.

Judging by the clothing and belongings of these high-level ability users, it was clear that most of them, like Xie Zhou, had been wandering outside for a long time.

Most people assumed that after wandering outside for so long, one would be unwilling to follow the arrangements of any base high-ranking officials and would prefer a free and unrestrained life.

In reality, the truth was vastly different. The longer someone like Xie Zhou drifted outside, the more they yearned for a stable life.

While waiting in line, Xie Zhou asked a few other people some questions.

He learned that if one wanted to enter this base, a blood test was required to ensure they were not carrying the zombie virus before they could enter.

When Xie Zhou heard about this mandatory procedure, his heart almost immediately leaped into his throat.

He had seen it once before when the baby was being naughty and accidentally fell, causing him to bleed. The baby’s blood was no longer a normal red, but black.

One wouldn’t even need a laboratory test to judge his identity from the abnormal color of the blood.

Dawn Base was said to be the gathering place for all high-level ability users. Even Xie Zhou could not guarantee that he could protect the baby well in such an environment.

After a brief moment of thought while standing there, Xie Zhou turned around with the baby in his arms, got back on the motorcycle, and drove back the way they came.

The world was vast; there would always be a place for them. They didn’t absolutely have to go to this Dawn Base.

Before they had traveled very far, the sky turned dark. For safety’s sake, Xie Zhou stopped.

There were no small houses suitable for resting nearby, so Xie Zhou had An An take a tent out of the Space. After a quick setup, An An brought out his beloved Little Lamb Pillow.

Xie Zhou was very tired that day and fell asleep shortly after lying down.

Without realizing when it started, he had already become comfortable leaving the task of night watch to the baby.

An An lay on his beloved Little Lamb Pillow, his eyes wide as he stared upward.

He could tell that his father really wanted to go to Dawn Base, yet he chose to leave after asking about the inspection process.

An An instinctively looked down at his own arm. His blood color was different from his father’s.

Realizing this, An An’s mood began to grow dejected.

Was it because of him that his father couldn’t go to the place he liked?

Even after falling asleep, Xie Zhou maintained the habit of holding the baby in his arms. Ever since he discovered that the baby felt insecure about many things, he had become increasingly fond of various forms of physical contact.

He had read in a parenting book that appropriate physical contact could make a baby more clearly perceive their parents’ love.

The Little Zombie held by his father obediently closed his eyes, deciding to think about this problem next time.

Although they were said to be returning the way they came, Xie Zhou actually detoured through many places.

Xie Zhou wasn’t entirely sure exactly how many zombie Crystal Cores were stored in the Space, but he always felt that the more of these things, the better.

Even a powerhouse like Xie Zhou could not guarantee that he would never be injured in the apocalypse.

If some accident happened to occur, preparing more Crystal Cores in advance to fill the baby’s stomach would ensure that this Little Zombie, who only knew how to ride on a zombie’s shoulders and gnaw on their heads, wouldn’t go hungry.

Xie Zhou held An An’s small hand and walked into shopping malls that even the mission-takers from Dawn Base didn’t dare enter lightly, killing every high-level zombie inside without leaving a single one behind.

By the time they walked out of the mall’s main doors, only those first-tier zombies that weren’t even worth their effort remained inside.

An An carried the heavy bag in his hand, his eyes squinting happily as he wrapped his arms around his father’s neck and leaned in to give him a kiss.

A zombie’s body temperature was colder than a human’s, and the same was true for the temperature of his lips during the kiss.

The icy sensation came and went in an instant. Xie Zhou stared at the baby’s face, which bore some resemblance to his wife’s, and a surge of emotion suddenly welled up in his heart.

If A Chu were still alive and saw that the baby was still so cute even after becoming a zombie, she would definitely have pulled the baby into her arms for a flurry of kisses.

That night, before going to sleep, several baskets were placed in front of An An. He was seriously sorting the crystal cores that had already been washed clean.

Earth-type and Metal-type crystal cores tasted quite good. In the absence of Space-type crystal cores, these were An An’s favorites.

An An could reluctantly accept Water-type, but as for Wood-type, he wouldn’t touch a single bite unless he was so hungry he was becoming delirious.

An An wasn’t even willing to keep Wood-type crystal cores in his Space. Xie Zhou had casually tossed them into a side pocket of his hiking backpack.

If they happened to run into others, it would be convenient to take them out to trade for supplies.

Entertainment activities in the apocalypse were extremely limited. An An’s most passionate hobby was sorting crystal cores, though his little fleshy hands could only hold three at most.

With his lips pressed tightly together and a look of utmost seriousness on his chubby little face, he carefully separated the ones he liked to eat from the ones he didn’t, and then further ranked them into “special favorites” and “ordinary favorites.”

Xie Zhou was preparing dinner for himself. After eating, he tidied up and prepared to rest.

He still wasn’t entirely clear on the baby’s current strength, nor did he know where he should take the baby next.

As time passed in the apocalypse, the pre-apocalyptic buildings were deteriorating more severely. Especially after the recent series of acid rains, many tall structures had been corroded and collapsed.

As they traveled along the road, they could see many shadows of what had once been skyscrapers.

Even if those high-rise buildings looked fine from the outside now, Xie Zhou didn’t dare take An An inside to stay, fearing they might die if the structure gave way.

For free ability users who were unwilling to serve any base, their living environment was being constantly squeezed.

If one didn’t choose a base to submit to, life would become exceptionally difficult.

Xie Zhou pulled the baby into his arms and reached out to tidy his hair, sighing softly, “Baby, why won’t you grow up?”

An An reached up and covered his ears. He didn’t know how many times he had heard similar words; even a little zombie couldn’t stand the nagging.

I hear you, I hear you! Both my ears hear you! But as for not growing up, is it because I don’t want to?

As it happened, while Xie Zhou was traveling with An An and preparing to rest, they chanced upon a motorcade. A person getting out of a vehicle looked somewhat familiar. It was Ms. Li, whom they had met at that previous base.

Ms. Li was also surprised to encounter Xie Zhou in this place and walked toward them.

“I really didn’t expect we would have a chance to meet a second time.”

Xie Zhou gave a soft grunt of acknowledgment and reached out to press the baby into his chest.

The father and son had a great rapport. An An knew that whenever Dad did this, it meant he should pretend to be asleep and stay quiet, so he obediently closed his eyes.

However, he couldn’t help himself when, moments after closing his eyes, he felt something biting his shoe. Opening his eyes a crack, he saw a somewhat familiar Siberian Husky.

“Woof!”

An An instantly threw all of his father’s previous instructions to the back of his mind. He struggled to get down from his father’s arms, moving his short little legs to scurry over and gently rub the Husky’s head.

“Mr. Xie, it seems your son really likes Xiao Hei.”

Xie Zhou’s expression remained cold. He was just about to deny it when An An reached out to hug the Husky’s neck, leaning in close to nuzzle it in a display of brotherhood. The sight choked back all the words Xie Zhou had intended to say.

“Yes.”

“Based on recent weather forecasts, there will be an even more severe acid rain soon. Most buildings will be corroded. Only the tiles currently being researched can withstand it.”

This news had already spread and wasn’t a secret. Xie Zhou had heard people mention it a few days ago, though he only knew the general gist back then.

In recent months, normal rain had become rare; most of it was acid rain. When he first heard about it, he hadn’t taken it seriously.

“Mr. Xie, you are carrying a child. Even if you are an adult and feel the acid rain isn’t much of a threat to you, shouldn’t you consider the child?”

“In the base, you can have absolute freedom. I won’t ask you questions you don’t want to answer, and you can keep the child by your side at all times.”

“I only hope that if a zombie tide occurs, you can lend a hand.”

The request Ms. Li made could be described as very simple. In other words, if they didn’t encounter a zombie tide, Xie Zhou wouldn’t need to do anything at all.

“However, you are aware of our base’s current situation. We do not proactively provide food or housing.”

In his heart, Xie Zhou wasn’t particularly willing to agree. He couldn’t tolerate even the slightest safety risk regarding the baby.

Aside from himself, Xie Zhou trusted no one, and he didn’t want anyone to know the baby’s true identity.

But seeing his own worthless baby looking like he wanted to run away with that Husky, Xie Zhou could only nod in agreement, no matter how reluctant he felt.

After all, his baby was already trying to lift his legs to climb onto the Husky’s back.

Since this base already kept a mutant beast, Xie Zhou didn’t have too many psychological reservations. He pulled a baseball cap out of his hiking bag and placed it on the baby’s head.

The baby still had one hand clutching the Husky’s ear. The dog had a good temperament and didn’t get angry at all despite the baby’s rough play.

After entering the base, Xie Zhou handed crystal cores to the guard and requested a residence with a decent environment.

Privacy was the priority; he didn’t want anything to come and disturb them.

From his long experience living in the apocalypse, acid rain would increase the ability levels of zombies, making their bodies more durable and enhancing their powers.

Therefore, after every acid rain stopped, a large-scale zombie tide would follow. Small bases across the country often couldn’t survive them.

It was the same room they had stayed in last time, but this time some furniture had been added. There was even a swing on the balcony that children would like.

Even after turning into a little zombie, the baby still acted like a human child, being very fond of all kinds of toys.

Because they had never stayed in one place for long before, this was An An’s first time encountering something as novel as a swing. After struggling to climb up, he instinctively let out a “he-he” sound, wanting his dad to come and push him.

Every time, before his baby could make a sound, Xie Zhou would come over to cover his mouth, his eyes filled with a mix of helplessness and warning.

Knowing he had done wrong, the little zombie Zai Zai hung his head and reached out to tug on Xie Zhou’s hem, shaking it gently. This aggrieved little look made it impossible for Xie Zhou to scold him further.

He truly was the baby Xie Zhou had raised; he knew exactly how to coax him to make his temper vanish completely.

“You can’t make any noise. Everyone outside is a bad person. They only want the crystal cores hidden in your Space. They’ll trick you out of all your cores and make you go hungry.”

To a little zombie who had actually experienced hunger before, a starving stomach was the most terrifying punishment in the world. His little face immediately puckered up, and he began to blindly believe his father’s words.

“Only Daddy truly loves you. I’ll even get you more crystal cores.”

“He.”

An An leaned in to nuzzle his father. His submissive and obedient manner gave Xie Zhou a rare sense of guilt for deceiving a child.

“Come on.”

Xie Zhou gently pushed An An’s back, setting the swing in motion. Playing with such a thing for the first time, An An was so happy he felt like he was flying.

The last time they had come here, this thing hadn’t existed. Its sudden appearance this time made it obvious whose deliberate arrangement it was.

The next morning, after Xie Zhou woke up, he called An An to join him. Fully geared up, they went to find Ms. Li.

“Are there any tasks in the base that need completing? I can do them.”

Ms. Li was slightly stunned upon hearing this. It took her a good while to process the request before replying:

“There are some, but the rewards are only Level 2 crystal cores and drinking water.”

The conditions in their base were very limited. This was already the best compensation they could offer.

To the ability users within their base, these items might have some value. However, for an ability user like Xie Zhou, who handed out several Level 2 crystal cores at a time, he likely wouldn’t even deign to look at such rewards.

“That’s fine.”

Even if it was just for the sake of the thoughtful swing they had prepared for An An, Xie Zhou was willing to take on the task.

The baby had played until very late last night. When it was time to sleep, the baby had curled up in his arms, making constant “he-he” sounds. It was a tone of happy satisfaction that anyone could easily recognize.

Ms. Li personally laid out all the currently unfinished tasks in the base before Xie Zhou, letting him take his pick.

Xie Zhou didn’t look much at the specific details of the tasks. He simply reached out and selected the one with the highest difficulty rating.

For him at his current level, even the most difficult task in Dawn Base was something he could accomplish with ease.

“This… do you need other ability users to help you complete it? Any ability users currently free in the base can go with you.”

“No need.”

Xie Zhou was used to being alone and didn’t want too many irrelevant people following him.

Most importantly, if there were outsiders present, the baby wouldn’t be able to dig out zombie heads as recklessly as he did when it was just the two of them.

The highest difficulty task involved going to a somewhat distant location to find a machine developed before the end of the world.

Although the strength of this small base was quite average, Ms. Li had stubbornly invested the vast majority of their resources into the laboratory.

The current results from this lab included pills that could sustain a person for a long time. They functioned similarly to compressed biscuits but were more convenient to consume and provided a stronger sense of fullness.

Acid rain had corroded the land, and most of the food grown was toxic. If consumed too often, ulcerations would develop on the surface of the skin.

There was a doctor in the laboratory specifically responsible for researching this field. Currently, the experiments had made significant progress.

Unfortunately, because the equipment and other instruments couldn’t keep up, the experiments had reached a standstill.

The machine the doctor needed was located in a very famous pre-apocalypse laboratory, situated in the most prosperous and bustling city center of this first-tier city.

Since news of a Level 3 zombie injuring people broke out there a year ago, no one had dared to enter. No one knew the specific situation inside.

Dawn Base had also established a laboratory and similarly required the equipment from that underground lab in the city center. They had sent wave after wave of ability users, but unfortunately, no one had ever returned.

Although Ms. Li had posted this task with a very rare Space-type crystal core as a reward, she had never actually expected anyone to take it on.

Xie Zhou took An An and got onto the motorcycle that had accompanied him for who knows how long, heading in that direction.

If they hadn’t followed Ms. Li back to this base, Xie Zhou’s next target likely would have been that same location anyway.

For Xie Zhou, the more zombies there were, the better. It meant his little pet zombie could eat his fill.

Ms. Li stood at the base entrance watching them leave. She could tell that the main reason Xie Zhou took this task was likely to repay them.

Or rather, Xie Zhou didn’t want to owe them a favor.

Ms. Li was also anxious about the stalled progress in the laboratory, but she had never thought of trading someone else’s life for experimental equipment.

If anything happened to Xie Zhou and his son during this mission, she would never be able to forgive herself for the rest of her life.

Traveling toward that location were not just Xie Zhou and An An, but also many other bases and wandering ability users.

That was the most advanced equipment in the country, something that no one could currently replicate.

After the apocalypse, various civilizations and technologies had regressed by an unknown number of years. Precise instruments like these couldn’t be manufactured again for another hundred years, even after the apocalypse ended.

The security facilities of that underground laboratory were very well-made. According to the researchers who had escaped from there originally, all items inside should be perfectly preserved.

Dawn Base had offered three Level 4 crystal cores as a reward. For the sake of these Level 4 cores, countless people were drawn to the task, one after another.

Aside from the fact that he was carrying a child, which drew a few lingering glances, Xie Zhou was otherwise unremarkable.

In the post-apocalyptic world, being eye-catching had long ceased to be a good thing. People who had lived outside for any length of time wanted nothing more than to minimize their presence.

One squad noticed Xie Zhou was alone and approached him while he stopped to drink water, asking proactively:

“Are you also here for that batch of laboratory equipment? So are we. Want to team up?”

Xie Zhou shook his head slightly and replied with a very cold attitude:

“Thanks, but no.”

After being rejected so bluntly to his face, the man’s expression turned slightly sour. He frowned and muttered some foul language.

Xie Zhou was long accustomed to the temperaments of such people. He reached out and covered the baby’s ears so he wouldn’t hear.

In the peril-filled apocalypse, no one could guarantee they would live to see tomorrow’s sun. In such circumstances, the accumulated pressure always had to be vented in some way.

Those who vented their emotions through profanity were actually considered among the more civilized survivors.

After hydrating, Xie Zhou got back on his motorcycle and deliberately sped up to put distance between himself and those people.

In the city center of the first-tier city, high-rise buildings were everywhere. After enduring so many bouts of acid rain since the apocalypse began, they still stood stubbornly in place, though their outer walls no longer looked as beautiful as they did before the world ended.

Xie Zhou parked the motorcycle in a certain spot and walked inside carrying An An.

Low-level zombies didn’t dare approach at all due to An An’s pressure. As Xie Zhou walked down the sidewalk holding An An, he could imagine the city’s former prosperity through the remaining ruins.

Before coming, Ms. Li had shown him a map. Xie Zhou relied on his memory to head toward a specific location.

Before the apocalypse, this had been a technology building. After entering, he went straight through a hidden door into the basement.

Facing a security door similar to a bank vault, Xie Zhou stood there staring at the keypad. He raised his hand to input a code, but after a thought, he decided against it and lowered his hand.

A Lightning ability strong enough to destroy everything successfully shattered the lock on the door.

Although it was said that a very powerful zombie appeared in this place, they hadn’t encountered it from the moment they entered until now. Xie Zhou naturally assumed the zombie might have left.

He had the baby put the precision laboratory equipment into the Space. The massive laboratory instantly became empty.

Xie Zhou held An An and walked toward the door. Before he could take two steps, he suddenly felt a chill down his back.

The Little Zombie in his arms kicked off Xie Zhou’s firm abdominal muscles and lunged toward the figure behind them.

Xie Zhou spun around abruptly and saw another, even smaller zombie.

Judging by its appearance, it looked like a newborn infant. A very suspicious cord trailed from its belly, looking very much like an umbilical cord.

An An was a Little Zombie himself, so he had no fear of contact. The two of them immediately began to fight.

Xie Zhou reacted quickly, manipulating his Lightning Ability to help relieve the pressure on the baby. The next second, he felt a sudden burst of agonizing pain in his arm. His arm was bending at a very suspicious angle.

The sensation of pain transmitted to his brain, causing cold sweat to break out on Xie Zhou’s forehead.

An An realized at that moment that the opponent he was facing was also a Space-type zombie.

Most people mistakenly believed that the Space-type could only be used to store supplies. In reality, when a Space-type ability reached a certain level, one could completely control space and achieve space folding. Its power could even surpass that of the Lightning Ability.

An An, who had always considered himself the most amazing Little Zombie in the world, had never seen another who could control spatial powers like he did. Feeling that familiar energy, he subconsciously swallowed his saliva.

Using space folding, the high-level zombie had nearly crippled Xie Zhou’s hand. If An An hadn’t been there to stop it in time, Xie Zhou’s entire arm would have vanished.

After seeing his father get hurt, the Little Zombie was instantly enraged. He was no longer hesitant or timid due to fear or headaches as before; instead, he attacked with all his might.

An infant not yet a month old and a child of over two years began to clash.

In terms of ability level, An An’s was clearly higher. However, he couldn’t change the fact that all his ability levels were gained by “eating” from his father’s efforts; he lacked actual combat experience.

In contrast, the other high-level zombie looked young and had a lower ability level than An An, but because of its extremely rich combat experience, it managed to gain the upper hand.

Having lived with An An for so long, Xie Zhou knew that after a fight between zombies, the winner would dig out the loser’s Crystal Core.

For a zombie, that meant total death.

Enduring the sharp pain, he used his ability to assist the baby from the side.

Among humans, Xie Zhou’s ability was among the best. Even if he couldn’t exert his full strength after being injured, he could still keep the zombie occupied and flustered.

Taking advantage of the moment the zombie retreated in pain from the Lightning Ability attack, An An found an opening and lunged directly onto its shoulders.

The newborn infant was very small, so An An’s feet could almost touch the ground.

Without any hesitation, An An opened his mouth wide and bit down directly toward the location of the zombie’s Crystal Core.

Xie Zhou usually found his baby’s habit of biting zombie heads very distasteful and would even forbid him from sleeping in the same bed because of it.

On the surface, An An had obediently corrected himself. In reality, when he was hungry or craving something and couldn’t bear to eat the Crystal Cores in his own Space, he would still sneak out in the middle of the night.

Killing the zombies first and then digging out their cores to wash them before eating was a process An An found too complicated. It wasn’t nearly as easy as just going in for a bite.

Therefore, An An was exceptionally skilled at this movement. He could find the location of a zombie’s Crystal Core even with his eyes closed.

Once the Crystal Core was lost, even the most powerful zombie would die.

As a zombie’s ability level increased, their external defensive capabilities improved as well. Ordinary thermal weapons couldn’t hurt them; hitting their skin was like hitting the hardest substance in the world.

But the Little Zombie, who had gnawed on countless zombie cores, was different. His teeth were incredibly sharp, and biting through was effortless.

Being a fellow Space-type, An An ate very happily. Xie Zhou dragged his arm, which was now so painful it had gone numb, over to him and used a tissue to wipe the stains from the corners of the baby’s mouth.

“Heh… heh…”

After his father approached, An An stopped chewing. He stared at his father’s obviously mangled hand, and the raspy sounds he made seemed to carry a note of worry.

Xie Zhou had never been in this much pain in his life. Half of his body felt completely paralyzed. He struggled to control himself and crouched down in front of An An, speaking with difficulty.

“Daddy is fine. Baby, don’t worry.”

As soon as he said this, the raspy sounds from An An became more urgent. He even reached out anxiously and patted his father.

“Heh, heh.”

Xie Zhou looked at An An’s frantic, foot-stomping state. Although waves of pain continued to radiate from his injury, a faint smile touched his lips. He reached out, wanting to rub the little head.

Since his father wasn’t doing what he wanted at all, the angry, bristling Little Zombie turned his head away to avoid the gesture.

“Heh!”

“My baby is so cute. Daddy is really okay. Let’s rest for a bit, alright?”

“Heh.”

An An stayed obediently by his side. When Xie Zhou stood up, An An nervously hugged his leg and looked up at his father, his dark eyes full of concern.

Xie Zhou felt quite lucky now that they had encountered a zombie with an ability.

Most zombies with abilities would abandon the primitive zombie method of attacking people and choose to use their abilities instead. They would only bite when driven into a corner.

Xie Zhou’s arm was in terrible pain because of the space folding used by that zombie, but it was ultimately just a physical injury.

Whether for humans or zombies, talent was a very important thing. It was just like how his Little Zombie had only recently turned into a zombie but had already taught himself all the attack methods related to the Space-type.

Meanwhile, that high-level zombie had stayed in this place for who knows how long, yet it still couldn’t compare to his baby’s newly learned skills.

Thinking of this, the gaze Xie Zhou cast toward the baby became increasingly soft.

An An hugged his father’s leg tightly, terrified that his father might leave him because of this. He hurriedly pulled out a copy of every medicine he had in his Space.

Xie Zhou could tell from the way An An was clinging to his leg that the little fellow was very insecure right now. He didn’t let the kind gesture go to waste and picked out the parts of the medicine he could use.

“Thank you, baby.”

“Heh, heh.”

Fortunately, Xie Zhou had only injured one hand. He could still treat the wound with the other. After finishing, he wanted to pick An An up, but the child stubbornly insisted on walking himself.

After walking out of the building, An An somehow produced a scythe from his Space and held it in his hand.

Whenever zombies blocked their path, regardless of what they looked like, An An showed no mercy. He simply rushed up and swung wildly.

As zombie heads rolled across the ground, Xie Zhou followed behind his baby, not daring to say a word.

He knew the baby was angry, but he hadn’t expected him to be this furious.

In the past, he had always praised his baby for being well-behaved and having a good temper. He never imagined that the child could be so terrifying when truly enraged.

Because Xie Zhou’s hand was injured, he couldn’t ride the motorcycle. They had to return using the most primitive method.

What should have been a half-day journey took a full three days this time.

As the distance to the base grew shorter, the unease in Xie Zhou’s heart grew stronger. When he saw that there wasn’t a single person guarding the main gate, that unease reached its peak.

As they stepped into the base, the scene before them left both Xie Zhou and An An standing there in stunned silence.