ã€ŠMy MCV and The Apocalypseã€‹


 1 The End of an Era

    Although the room was small, it still looked very tidy. The owner of the house was a lean young man sitting on the bottom bunk of a bunk bed, firmly staring at a TV placed not far away.

    The noon newscast of the state television was playing on the screen.

    Barely a week ago, Jiang Liushi had never used this TV to watch anything other than matches, and he certainly didn''t watch the noon newscast.

    "An international scientific team has just held a press conference announcing that they found a prehistoric super virus, which is currently known to be one of the four super-viruses in the permafrost of the Siberian Far East region. Scientists had discovered another giant virus in the area a year ago, but it had not been announced until recently. At the same time, researchers say they are still in the initial stages of virus research and do not know whether such a prehistoric virus can infect a human or animal''s body¡­ Some experts also said that as long as the frozen layer is kept frozen, we do not have to consider the virus a threat... "

    Jiang Liushi was staring at the TV screen, but his focus was not on the news. He already knew everything about this news-its content. He had not suddenly acquired the superpower to predict the future. However, something unexpected had indeed happened a few days ago.

    He had discovered in his brain an entity called Starseed, that could potentially help him. It was the creation of an ancient alien race, part physical part energy, that ended on Earth a long time ago. It had been dormant until the release of the super-virus, and latched onto the closest compatible host.

    After the bonding process, which gave him a good headache and fever for a few days, it communicated with him. It informed him about the ancient super-virus that had been released, and that would cause plants and animals worldwide to mutate and evolve. It had calculated that a large part of the human population wouldn''t be able to handle the change and turn into monsters.

    The live news broadcast had just confirmed what the Starseed had revealed: A virus outbreak would cause the end of the world as he knew it in a little over a week.

    Previous news were about the absence of some heads of state from some important activities, as well as the cancellation of some important international meetings or trips. This kind of news did not attract too much attention, but Jiang Liushi now knew that many countries had already heard about the virus infection and were making the necessary preparations to retreat.

    Virus infection outbreaks were very fast, and there were no effective means to contain them at all. Therefore, informing people would only cause huge panic and massive riots. As a result, the public was kept in the dark about everything, and people were living their lives normally without noticing that some public figures had not appeared for a long time.

    This conference on the virus was the last act of kindness from high-level managers. They did not want to see ordinary people die without knowing why. There would be no sign of this imminent disaster until around ten days later, but then it would already be too late. Jiang Liushi didn''t try to warn the public about it. Nobody would believe him. The only thing he could do was prepare himself.

    The Starseed did not only provide information about the coming disaster, but its main function would give him the ability to survive the crisis. It was capable of engineering reconstruction and upgrade through some limited material and molecular manipulation.

    However, Jiang Liushi needed to provide the main design and materials. The modification process also consummed energy, and it increased with the size and complexity of the upgrade. While the Starseed had a lot of energy accumulated, it still had its limits. In the future, Jiang Liushi would need a proper power to keep up with his needs.

    As for what to use as base, Jiang Liushi chose a vehicle over a fixed place. A fixed place could be overrun, and he would need to travel to not only get food, but also materials. That would mean leaving his base unattended and travel long distances in a dangerous environment. He would have to face monstrous humans, hostile humans and mutated beasts.

    With a vehicle, he would have his base everywhere he went, and if an area became too dangerous, he could just leave. To him, mobility would be more important for the first months of chaos. Before that, he focused on what kind of supplies and equipment he would need to survive: food, medecine, hygien products, weapons and protective gear...

    For food, he though 2 cans of meat and vegetables, 1 can of fruits and a bottle of water daily would be the minimum acceptable to stay healthy. Sliced bread, peanut butter, honey, dry food and snacks would be fine too. For medecine and hygien, a firs aid kit, a home pharmacy and toiletry kit with some spare products, emergency body wipes, and some household goods to clean various items. For weapons and equipment, a machete, a fire axe, a medium sledgehammer, a biker''s full body armor, and an emergency tool kit.

    Finally, some books and manuals. Thing about martial arts, farming, ecology, wilderness survival, first aid, medecine, prospecting and construction. While not necessary for survival, entertainment would be good for moral: novels, music, movies, series, animes, games...

    All these goods he could buy or download, so he could have them before the chaos of doomsday. He didn''t need to spare money because it would become useless. He could even steal if he though he could get away with it for a few days. By the time the cops closed on him being the culprit, it would be too late.

    The real difficult part was aquiring the proper vehicle to customize before D-Day.

    He wanted a spacious vehicle so he could live in it, with good speed, maneuvrability, durability and capable of off-road travel. Those kind of vehicles would be expensive, so not easy to steal, and most likely already coveted by rich people with proper contacts, and the military. However, after thinking about it for a while, he wondered if he could design a unique vehicle inspired from existing ones. The Starseed confirmed that it could act as assistant to customize the design before any refitting.

 2 Money hunting

    The next day, he bough the emergency food, medical supplies and hygien supplies for 1880 yuans (nearly 250 euros) online. It was a lot of money for someone who lost his parents in highschool and had to take care of his little sister. He was short at least another 2640 yuans (nearly 350 euros) to finish buying his supplies, and it was really important as it was for the weapons and protective gear.

    He opened his QQ and clicked on the ID of Li Jun. An idea formed in his head, and he immediately sent a message to Li Jun. Soon after, the message tone was heard. The chat interface appeared along with Li Jun''s reply, "Have you seen my new login device?"

    Jiang just looked at his ID, which at the moment was saying "iPhone 7 online." No wonder he was online. The iPhone 7 was just the latest cell phone launched that month.

    "This phone costs about 8,000 yuan!!!" Jiang Liushi exclaimed.

    He could not afford it at all. He could never buy a phone like that in his whole life.

    Li Jun triumphantly replied, "You wonder how I got the first batch at such a low price? I found a cell phone dealer that helped me buy it for an additional 2,000 yuan!"

    ''A cell phone costing 10,000 yuan!'' Jiang Liushi could not believe it. His parents had died prematurely, so he''d had no choice but to take care of his sister. As a result, their life had always been frugal. However, it seemed that Li Jun had plenty of money.

    Jiang Liushi quickly typed, "Do you have any plans for next Tuesday?"

    "Next Tuesday? Let me think. Ah, I met a girl on WeChat and next Tuesday I will take her to a bar. Then after drinking¡­ you know what I want to do!"

    Jiang Liushi became upset and thought for some time. Biting the bullet, he finally said, "Next Tuesday I want to play games with you. Just relax in the bedroom and not go out?."

    "What?" Li Jun did not react at all.

    "Did you see the news about the uncovered ancient super-virus? I''m worried it migh be reactivated and start to spread. I try to avoid being outside."

    "Are you out of your mind? Sorry, I''m not free."

    "Well..." Jiang sighed and shook his head. He had tried.

    In fact, even if they stayed in the dormitory and locked the doors and windows, they still would not be able to avoid the outbreak of the virus. Actually, everyone was already infected. Ten days later, it would ultimately depend on their immune system whether they would turn into a monster or not.

    By spending the night together, he just wanted to make sure that those monsters would not kill Li Jun, and he could help him escape. Obviously, Li Jun would not agree with him, so there was no other way.

    Jiang said, "Li Jun, I need money before then. Can you return the 2,000 yuan you borrowed from me?"

    "Oh. I will give it to you in a few days. I promise."

    Jiang Liushi frowned. "I need it, can you give it back before Sunday? It was my emergency money."

    "Really? Wait, that girl is calling me. I have to talk to her. Hold on a minute."

    Jiang shook his head and didn''t bother to wait. The guy was obviously stalling, so he called his other roommate. "Luo Ming, can you lend me 2,000 yuan?"

    "I am broke, I spent everything on games. I wanted to borrow some money from you. What do you need the money for anyway?" Luo Ming asked.

    "Nothing. I just heard some worrying news about a virus and wanted to take some safety measures."

    Jiang Liushi knew that Luo Ming was a big fan of games. Although his family was fairly well off, due to his habit of spending everything on games, he was always short on money.

    "Luo Ming, listen. Next week you should stay in the dormitory and play games. Avoid going out more than necessary. You might catch something nasty. At least get some food and water for a few days."

    "What? Why?" Luo Ming asked in a shocked voice.

    "There was news about an ancient super-virus being found. Just do it! Better safe than sorry!"

    Jiang hung up the phone. He had tried, but it was to no avail. He couldn''t be forcefull.

    Li Jun could not return the money he owed him, and it was even harder to borrow money. After all, they were all students. Jiang Liushi checked his phone over and over, and suddenly saw the icon of a foxy guy. An idea popped into his head.

    The foxy man had shiny hair and was wearing a pair of sunglasses. He was called Ma Hao. He was very well-known in school, not because of his talents, but his strong connections. No wonder Jiang and Ma were QQ friends.

    He vaguely remembered that he had heard from Li Jun that Ma Hao had a friend who gave loans to students. In order to borrow money, some girls went as far as to provide him with indecent photos. If they did not pay him back, then their private information and pictures were released to the public, sent to their classmates, or even to their families.

    Ma Hao often took girls'' indecent photos from his friends and sent them to the student''s group "to share". Many classmates would then comment on them. Jiang Liushi didn''t know how to feel about these girls. Some may have been to vain, in that case they would deserve it. But other may be just desperate due to hard living conditions.

    Originally, Jiang Liushi had felt that he could never associate with them, but now there was no need to worry about it. Jiang Liushi called Ma Hao and waited a bit before he answered, and got straight to the point.

    "Ma Hao, can your friend lend me some money?"

    Ma Hao soon replied, "No problem, just send me your student ID."

    Jiang sent a photo of his student card right away. Ma Hao confirmed and asked, "How much do you want to borrow?"

    "5,000 yuan!" Jiang said bluntly.

    His family background was not a secret, and Ma Hao could casually inquire about it. Jiang decided to borrow twice what he needed just to be on the safe side. He may come across something he didn''t think about before and need the extra money.

    "That''s quite a bit for you. What do you want to do?" Ma Hao asked.

    "Precautions due to some worrying news. Don''t ask, just tell me the conditions," Jiang said.

    "En¡­Well, give me your student card as well as your home address. You should also write me an IOU for 6250 yuan. Meanwhile, record a video of the IOU, reading the above content willingly. When you pay me back, I will destroy it in front of you. When will you pay me back?"

    "In a month," Jiang Liushi said.

    "You should pay me back in time. I trust you because we are classmates." Ma Hao said.

    "Okay"

    Jiang Liushi grimly smiled. What interest? What threat? Would he have time to care about Ma Hao while the end of the world was approaching? Would Ma Hao even have the time to worry about loans the next week? In the afternoon he went to sign the IOU contract with Ma Hao and got the money.

    Once he got home, Jiang Liushi called his younger sister¡­ Although he knew that this call would not matter, just like a stone dropped into the sea. Before the Starseed popped up in his body, his younger sister had gone to the mountains for investigating. The reception on the mountains was bad.

    To make things worse, his younger sister was still in the mountains while the end of the world was approaching. But fortunately, Jiang Liushi knew, through the Starseed, that both he and his younger sister would not be negatively affected by the virus. Despite not specialising in biological interactions, the Starseed knew enough about both the virus and Jiang''s blood to infer this much about close members of the family.

    His younger sister would finish the investigation in two days, which made Jiang Liushi very happy. He and his younger sister kept each other alive in the past years. They had become quite close after the death of their parents. If Jiang Liushi couldn''t contact her, he would go crazy.

    Just as he expected, her cell phone was off. Jiang Liushi sent a text message to her; telling her to contact him immediately after seeing it. Jiang would ensure that his phone would be switched on and in service 24/7. He believed that his younger sister would call him back immediately because he sounded so anxious.

 3 Unexpected contac

    With money and supplies mostly taken care of, Jiang focused on what he needed as a doomsday vehicle. He needed different samples of designs to make his own. The Starseed was capable of scanning any vehicle Jiang got in contact with, so he intended to hunt cars, buses and trucks to touch.

    He looked on the internet for places that sold or loaned the appropriate vehicles in his city or nearby. Light off road buses and trucks. Camping cars and vans. Hybrid cars and buses. He also looked for heavy-duty vehicles, 6 wheels fire trucks, and ambulances. They were solid and powerfull vehicles, and/or had interesting equipments.

    After a while, he took a break and looked at his phone. He found 2 missing calls from a number he didn''t recognise. He decided to call back.

    "Hello?"

    "Hello. Is this Jiang Liushi?" It was a girl with a sweet, soft voice.

    "Yes, I am. You called me. Is something the matter?"

    "I am Li Yuxin."

    Jiang Liushi didn''t expect it at all. He thought that this was a business-related call from a customer service representative or something. He had never expected to receive a call from Li Yuxin. Although he didn''t spend much time on the phone with girls, he didn''t have trouble speaking with her. He was just wondering why she called him.

    Li Yuxin''s family conditions were pretty good. Her appearance was delicate and pleasant. As a matter of fact, they had been desk-mates in senior high school. She had a nice disposition which made her really popular in class.

    Li Yuxin was an excellent student, but she was not good at math. However, Jiang Liushi was good at math and as a result, Li Yuxin was always asking Jiang Liushi to explain math problems. A particular scene surfaced in Jiang Liushi''s mind, it was Li Yuxin''s figure as she was staring at the window with her beautiful hair falling down her shoulders. She was always absorbed in class, so she couldn''t notice that her hair occasionally touched Jiang''s hands.

    Unfortunately, his parents had been in an accident, so he hadn''t gone to school for a month. When he returned to school, he had turned into a different person. He had become extremely shy and introverted, and he began sitting at the back of the classroom by himself. Although Li Yuxin had looked from time to time in his direction, she had tried several times to talk to him but she hadn''t been able to.

    Finally, Jiang Liushi had finally gotten over his parents'' death. Although they studied at the same university now, the two of them had drifted apart. However, Jiang Liushi still cherished the beautiful heartthrob. Hearing Li Yuxin''s voice again, Jiang felt a surge in his heart; her voice was like a soft breeze.

    "Really... It has been a long time. It''s good to hear your voice again." He said with a soft smile.

    "Yes, we haven''t talked to each other for a long time."

    "Well, what''s the matter?"

    "I heard that you were short on money. I am not close to Li Jun, but I happened to hear about it,"

    Jiang Liushi suddenly frowned

    "What did he say?"

    "He invited my friend to go out with him for dinner. But he was always watching his phone. As a result, my friend asked him why. He said you asked him to borrow money. I thought you may be in a trouble, so asked him for your phone number...".

    "Li Jun..."

    Jiang Liushi was speechless. Li Jun hadn''t even paid his money back, but he had discussed his private matters with others. What he really needed to learn was how to act in public!

    "The truth is..."Jiang Liushi narrated the truth.

    After listening, Li Yuxin was infuriated:

    "I know you are not that kind of person. He also said that you were as bold as brass. I will quickly tell my friend so that she stays away from him. Well, did you really need money?"

    "3000 yuans. But I already borrowed them from someone else, so you don''t need to worry about it."

    "Your Alipay number is your phone number, right? I will transfer you a sum of money. You can pay me back when you are better off. We are friends, don''t worry. When we were in senior high school, you patiently helped me with math problems every day, even in your spare time. However, I never really thanked you." Li Yuxin laughed.

    Jiang Liushi was surprised for a moment. Li Yuxin''s laughter was pleasant, reminescent of wind chimes

    "No, thank you..."

    "You are welcome. That''s what friends are for, right? Bye."

    Putting down the phone, Jiang Liushi felt very warm. It was unexpected that Li Yuxin had helped him and she had not asked him why he needed to borrow money from the beginning to the end. He got a message. He was surprised to see that the transferred money was 10,000 yuan. There was a new message, saying, "You may be better off financially with this money. Much better."

    Jiang was moved by her words. Although Li Yuxin''s family was rich, she usually led a thrifty life. The 10,000 yuan must have been her own money. But when she heard that he had difficulties, she immediately took the initiative to call, several times... Jiang Liushi suddenly decided to call back immediately.

    However, when the phone was picked up, Li Yuxin said uneasily, "What''s wrong?"

    Jiang Liushi could not help but laugh, he was moved and happy, "Don''t worry. I didn''t call to give your money back."

    "Oh..." Li Yuxin felt relieved and quickly said, "You do not need to thank me. Without your help, how could I have been admitted to Jiangbei University¡­"

    "Hey, Yuxin listen for a moment" he paused for a few seconds to think about how to warn her.

    "The reason I needed the money was for caution, preparations. I got hints that something unpleasant, on a large scale, is going to happen during the first half of the next week. At that time I want you to stay home, with food supplies for at least a week, a first aid kit and medecines, and something to defend yourself against thieves and rioters."

    "Whoa... What''s wrong? What''s going to happen?"

    "I can''t go into details. As I said, I only got hints. For other people it may be nothing, but not for me. I''m taking it very seriously. Even if you don''t believe anything is going to happen, please make some preparations of your own."

    "This... I...well...well..."

    "Can you do this for your friend''s peace of mind? Please." he said with a soft, yet almost begging tone.

    "I..., yes I''ll do it."

    "Thank you. Also, please give me your address."

    "My address? Why? Do you want to pay me visit?"Li Yuxin said in a teasing voice.

    "I will not do anything bad. Just, if you need me, I want to know where to find you" he sincerely said.

    Li Yuxin was really moved by Jiang Liushi''s concern for her.

    "Well, ok, my address is ..."

    "Wait. I will write it down."

    Jiang Liushi turned on his hands-free and then recorded her home address on a memo.

    "Really? Did you write it down? I am a little nervous. Will you really come? But if you come to visit, I will be very happy."

    "Then I''ll be sure to come when I have the opportunity. Take care."

    "You too, be careful."

    Hanging up the phone, Jiang Liushi exhaled. He had tried and partially succeeded, but he did not know what would happen to Li Yuxin. But at least she should stay at home. She was a very kind girl. Only God knew whether Li Yuxin would survive or not. Hopefully, he would not let such a good girl die in this catastrophe. And as long as she was alive, Jiang Liushi believed that he could find her.

    Jiang Liushi was also relieved for another reason. At first, he though he would have to steal a vehicle to start building his mobile base, which would have been risky. But with the money he received from his friend, he would be able to rent one.

 4 Doom ride

    Jiang Liushi spent the rest of the day looking for the locations of appropriate vehicles to scan.

    The next day, early in the morning, he started his journey around Jiangbei district and beyond. He was able to have a good look at emergency vehicles and construction vehicles by saying he was helping an aquitance with a school project about such vehicles.

    Between talking to their crews and taking photos, he was able to touch the vehicles and have the Starseed do complete scans. He scanned a backhoe loader, an 8 wheel dump truck with 2 steering axles, an ambulance, a 6 wheels fire truck, a camping van and a motorhome and a hybrid SUV. He also went to several specialised stores to scan various machines and equipment.

    With their blueprints in the Starseed memory, he started to make modifications.

    His doomsday ride would be an 8 wheels drive off-road truck the lenght of a bus. It would have 1 axle at the front, 1 behind the driver cockpit, and 2 at the rear. Between the middle axle and the rear ones would be the living module. The last part of the vehicle would be the engineering module.

    The chassis would be inspired from those used for fire trucks and dump trucks. It would also extend around key parts of the body, like ribs extending from the spine, to better support it. Because dump truck''s bed were quite tough, their material would be used to make the body of the doomsday vehicle. That would make the vehicle quite resistant to impacts and bullets.

    At the front of the truck would be a reinforced v-shaped plow to blast through obstructions, with an adjustable height to adapt to the landscape. That was for it that he scanned a backhoe loader, for the arms holding the plow. On top of the driver cockpit would be aditional lights, to not be hindered by the plow.

    The driver cockpit would have 3 seats, though the middle one would be retractable to allow passage toward the living module, and the gear switch would be behind the wheel. It would have an on-board computer, and a tactile screen to access the different other functions of the vehicle, such as the copilote, security and entertainment systems.

    The living module would be made for 2 people: him and his sister. It would have the entrance door, a micro kitchen, micro shower and toilet on one side. On the other there would be 2 seats with a foldable table between them, and 2 bunk bed. There would be various incorporated cupboards and drawers. On the roof there would be solar panels with protective metal curtains, and 2 horizontal wind turbines for renewable power.

    The engineering module would have 2 parts. The first part would be right after the living module: a micro factory. A combination of machines such as a micro-furnace and 3D printer, to make small parts or equipment. At the back, mechanical arms with tools to help make, repair or modify big constructs such as other cars, fixed machinery or even buildings.

    The vehicle would have 12 hidden cameras with thermal and infrared vision: 2 bellow, 4 on the roof, 2 on each side, 1 at the front and 1 at the back. There would also be 10 movement detectors: 3 on each side, 1 at the front, 1 at the back and 2 on the roof. They would be connected to the on-board computer copilote and security system. This way the blind spots would be watched, and if something or someone got close, he would be warned.

    The Starseed was an impressive piece of technology with incredible capacities, but it was still limited by the materials available. With such limitations, it could still improve current designs for better efficiency with the same materials; harder, smaller, faster, stronger. The engine, computer, domestic appliances, medical machines, micro-factory and engineering tools would all be superior to their models.

    Having finished the design, Jiang Liushi had to get the materials, and find a place to perform the refiting. A good place to refit would be a low security factory so he could use the high power electricity to support the Starseed with energy. A good place to get materials would be auto scrap companies, where they strip anything usefull before leaving the rest of the vehicle to be scrapped.

    "Wait, do I even need to perform the complete refiting in a single go?"

    He got an instant answer from the Starseed. It could be done in stages, since further modifications would be available with better materials and sufficient energy, it would be stupid to stay locked with the initial construct.

    He decided he would rent a pick-up truck and use it as base. The first modification would be to turn it into a 6 wheels camping car, at least on the outside. He would be able to use it to get materials

    and go to another place for the transformation.

    He had 7 days left before the outbreak, just enough time to complete his Doomsday Ride. The next day, he went to a car rental company near his college. He rented a 4 doors pick-up for 10 days, for a little under 2300 yuans.

    He also asked for a driver to bring it near his home. He didn''t have a driver license, and was worried the would ask to see it if he tried to take the car himself. He knew how to drive, having tried with one of his aquitances'' parent''s car when they lent it to their son. He was able to get the hang of it within an hour. He still lacked knowledge of the driving code, but it wouldn''t matter before long.

    He waited until the evening to make his move. First, he drove to a power substation near an industrial area. The Starseed needed energy to work. The more energy it had the more it could do, or the faster it could do it. For his first modification, He wouldn''t be able to transport the material to the refitting location. He would have to do it on site, thus, he needed extra energy to do it fast. He stayed there until midnight, thankfully having taken his laptop to not go crazy out of boredom.

    After that, he went to the closest car scrapyard, which was 2h away from Jiangbei. He didn''t use the front entrance, no. He made a hole in the metal fence at the other side of the complex, where there were no cameras, using the Starseed. He reinforced the body using the metal of the fence.

    Jiang Liushi was amazed by the process. After parking the car against the fence, thin glowing green line appeared on his forehead. He saw them on the rear-view mirror. They descended to is neck, and he lost sight of them until they reappeared on his hands.

    They traveled from his hands to the steering wheel, and expanded to the rest of the car, and to the fence where it spread on a area big enough for the car to pass. Then, he saw how the metal twisted around the glowing lines with very little noise, and retracted along the lines to merge with the body of the car, again, with very little noise. The whole process took around 3 minutes.

    Once he got his opening, he drove inside the scrap yard, and looked for the vehicles with the best materials, the newer ones, but also a few older ones. He spent 3 hours in the scrap yard, first extending the vehicle to a solid 6 wheel kind, which took most of the time. Modifying the body to match an off-road camper was easier. He was able to scavenge some damaged engines to reinforce his own. After all, it was going to carry heavy loads to the refitting points in the future.

    It was a little over 5 am when he left the car scrap yard, and it took him around 3 hours to get back to Jiangbei. He had to take a nap on the way, as he spent the whole night awake, moving around the scrap yard as he modified his ride. Then he had to find a place to park his pseud-camper, and then walk back to his appartment. At 10 am, after a quick shower, he was able to slip in his bed where he quickly fell asleep.

 5 Before the end

    Jiang Liushi didn''t wake up before 8pm. He decided that he shouldn''t spend so much time modifying his vehicle during the night. It wasn''t good for his sleeping cycle.

    Once the outbreak has started, it would be dangerous to move at night, and it would be bad to waste daylight by sleeping. He decided not to make any modifications that night. Instead, he was going to spend it at the power substation, letting the Starseed collect energy.

    On the fifth day before the outbreak, spent the morning scanning all kinds of household goods in various specialised stores. He also scanned computers, televisions, video-game consoles including old gen ones such as PS2 and GBA. He used the Starseed to make slightly better ones. He even made a console that could read both X-Box and Playstation games, regardless of the generation.

    After gathering the materials necessary, he went to a different power substation with the vehicle, and made the second part of the refitting process. This time, it focused on the living module of the Doomsday Ride. Making electronic items took more time and energy than mechanic ones of the same size due to complexity.

    On the fourth day before the outbreak, he increased the size of the vehicle and changed the color to a dark grey. He had also made the on-board computer. He was very gratefull for the incredible capabilities of the Starseed, as he didn''t know anything about programming. He only had to explain what he wanted for it to make the co-pilot program, the security program and the medical program.

    During those days, he had received messages from Li Jun and Luo Ming. He hadn''t been to the college once since the day he borrowed money. The messages basically asking where he was and what he was doing, since his absences was going to land him in troubles. He just responded that he was too busy with his project, and that it was more important than his studies.

    3 days before the outbreak, in the middle of the afternoon, he was startled by his phone ringing. When he looked who the caller was, he saw it was his sister, and that blew most of his sleepiness away.

    "Hey, Zhuying."

    "Hi brother, what''s wrong? I just got back from my investigation and you wanted me to contact you as soon as possible."

    "Yes. What I''m going to tell you is very serious, so listen carefully."

    "I understand, speak brother."

    "Wait, before that, where are you?"

    "School, I just separated with my teachers and classmates. I''m about to return to my dormitory. My phone''s battery had died, so I charged it for a while, opened it and then I saw your message."

    Although Jiang Zhuying was a naughty girl prone to tease him, as long as she became aware of the seriousness of the situation, she would immediately become a well-behaved girl thinking clearly. She summarized her own situation quickly. She had been raised with love and care by her brother, all those years. He was the most important person in her life, and would always listen to him at any significant moment. So even though she didn''t know why he was so anxious, she would follow what he said.

    "I got hints that something is going to happen during the first days of the next week, most likely on Tuesday. I want you to book a flight home as soon as possible."

    "Well, Liushi-ge, just wait a minute."

    After a while, she said, "Liushi-ge, there are no tickets."

    "What about tomorrow? The day after tomorrow? If you don''t have enough money I''ll send you some."

    "There is no ticket available."

    He suddenly had a foreboding feeling. Crackling sounds could be heard from the keyboard as he opened the flight booking website. Searching city after city, Jiang Liushi''s heart was sinking. All the tickets for the next three days actually had been sold out, no matter where from where. And the earliest available ones were on the day after the end of the world...

    ''This is absolutely impossible; it can''t be just a mere coincidence...''

    Jiang Liushi''s mind was racing. He started to think about what could cause the government to restrict the use of long distance transport when it wouldn''t restrict the propagation of the virus. After all, it was already in the air all over the world. Then it hit him. The disappearance of the leaders from the public eye and the cancellations of events were due to the preparations they were making.

    ''Ressources!! The planes, and maybe even the trains and boats, must have been seized to transport ressources, at least a good number of them... The various governments may know that a worldwide virus outbreak is coming, but they don''t have anything like the Starseed! They didn''t know exactly when it would happen until recently, and now they are rushing the final preparations. Heck, when the outbreak start, they would have control of many planes and trains to evacuate people. Planes and trains that wouldn''t crash at the start of the outbreak in the hands of civilians.''

    "Liushi-ge, there are places available in 3 days, can''t I get those?" she asked in an anxious voice.

    "No, it''ll be too late."

    "Train! What if I buy a train ticket?"

    He searched on the net, already expecting the result, and calmly said:

    "No train tickets are available. The tickets for the next three days had also been sold out."

    "Brother, hang on. I will go to the bus station to ask. Maybe I could even rent a car," Jiang Zhuying said, clearly really worried about what was going on.

    "Don''t! It''ll take at least 2 days, and with the planes and train unavailable, many people will try to move by road. The traffic will be bad."

    "Then, what should I do if I can''t come?"

    "Zhuying, I want you to buy non-perishable food and water for at least 10 days, a first aid kit and medecine, and daily necessities. Starting tomorrow night, stay in your room and secure the door. I expect some riots happening on Tuesday, and I don''t know how others will react to the coming events. They may endanger you, so be sure to stay alone in your room. If you have some close friends you''re worried about, tell them the same thing, to lock themselves with supplies and not go out. I''ll be coming to get you, understood?"

    But Jiang Zhuying didn''t immediatly respond.

    "Xiao Ying! You get some supplies, something to defend yourself and you stay in your room until I come get you. Did you hear me?"

    "Yes, I heard you, brother. I understand, I''ll be ready" she said resolutely.

    "Good. I have to go, I need to finish my preparations. Send me your location and take care of yourself."

    Liushi had to slightly modify his plans. At the beginning he wanted his sister to come back, and the 2 of them would leave to go to a holiday resort. Probably taking Li Yuxin and her parents with them if they survived the start of the outbreak. He had been there once. There were a few residents around the place. It was in a beautiful area and most importantly it had all kinds of necessary facilities. He believed they could live there for a while and think a way to survive.

    Instead of leaving Jiangbei for a sparsely populated area, he had to go to Nanjing City, which had a vast population. With an expected 60-to-70% of the human population turning into monsters, going into a city wasn''t a very attractive idea.

    He had 3 days before the outbreak, and he would use them to make the most complex and most eye-catching modifications of his Doomsday Drive: The increased size and additional axle, the reinforced body, the engineering module, the roof''s renewable energy devices, the surveillance equipment and the plow. The last 3 would be added on the last day, else it would be too eye-catching.

 6 O-Day, Outbreak Day

    Jiang Liushi was at the wheel of his Doomsday Ride. He had put on his biker gear, and had his machete, hatchet and medium sledgehammer in a custom made utility harness on the seat next to him.

    His sister had given him the precise location of where she lived, including photos. He, on the other end, sent her some money and a list of what he recommanded she should take. He hoped she was as ready as possible. Li Jun and Luo Ming didn''t contact him, except for a small text telling him he was in trouble for his absences.

    The last 3 days had been quite trying and tiring for him. It was hard to gather the right material and get in a good spot to perform the modification without attracting the attention of the authorities. He had slept 5h per day for the first 2 days, and only on the previous night did he get to sleep a full 8 hours. He had to break in a few locations, sometimes failing to be discreet and having to run away. Still, he managed to finish his vehicle. He even got himself some good medical equipment: a monitoring machine, a defibrilator, a scanner, a breathing machine, a blood analyser, and some examination and surgery tools.

    Jiang Liushi was ready to go, but he didn''t move yet. The Starseed had warned him that, once the incubation period was over, the mutation would start suddenly. If he was driving at that time, he could very well crash and get himself stuck or seriously injure himself. That was without counting on the other people on the roads, and how eye-catching his vehicle was. It was better to wait until after the crisis started to move.

    As he was waiting, his phone rang, and when he checked the id of the caller, he saw it was Li Yuxin. He though something had happened to her and was quick to answer, mildly panicking.

    "Yuxin! What''s going on? Are you alright?"

    "I''m fine. Jiang Liushi, I am really sorry. I''ll be leaving soon," Li Yuxin regretfully said.

    "Leave? Do you have any idea of what''s going to happen?" he asked, thinking of the roads about to be filled with infected.

    "I''m sorry. Jiang Liushi, you should listen carefully to what I''m about to say. You were right about something happening. The end of the world is coming, I just learned about it today. The car is waiting outside, so I must leave."

    "Wait. WAIT! When the outbreak start, you can''t be sure that person next to you won''t turn bad! And if you''re driving when that happens, you may crash!"

    "I understand, but I''ll be fine. We have an escort. Go to the North high-speed entrance. The army is there, when you reach them, they should take you to the Shenhai Island!" Li Yuxin said hastily in a low voice.

    "I can''t. I''m going to get my sister in Nanjing City. I had her prepare for the worst a few days ago. I wish you good luck Yuxin. I hope to see you again at Shenhai."

    Suddenly, loud voices could be heard from the other end of the phone. Li Yuxin had no other choice but to hurry.

    "Thank you, Jiang Liushi. I wish to see you there as well. Goodbye."

    Liushi stared at the phone even though Yuxin had already hung up. He was once more touched by her actions, telling him about something that was obviously supposed to be kept under warp. Also, the army had started evacuating. The scientist just didn''t have enought time to developp something to counter the super-virus, they couldn''t save mankind. The only thing they could do was save the elites to rebuild later. The establishment of "Safe Island" all over the world could ensure that humankind would continue to exist, and Shenhai Island was one of them.

    Shortly after his talk with Li Yuxin, all over the world, people began to change one after the other.

    It started with a flushed face, cold sweat. Those near them would wonder if everything was alright, and some time later they would feel the same bout of weakness. It would look like it was just a dizzy spell, until a few hours later. People would feel the symptoms of a syncope, and it would escalate. Headaches. Illusions. Twitching. Nosebleeds. Irregular heartbeats. There were slight differences in how everyone was affected. But without exception, everyone had a very painful experience, especially to those who could not overcome the virus infection. They felt an excruciating pain! A lot of people screamed, the sound seemed to come directly from their lungs. It wasn''t a sound humans could make, but it sounded like roar of a beast!

    Jiang Liushi was not spared, as he gripped the steering wheel of his Doomsday Ride tightly, teeth clenched as he tried to bear the pain. But he collapsedto the side, on top of his weapon harness. Thankfully, the blades were covered and he had his biker gear. He had a seizure and nearly bit his tongue of.

    On the highways, vehicles crashed one after the other. Hundreds of thousands of vehicles were involved in pileups, not only in highways, but also on roads with speed limit above 50km/h. Many drivers instantly died, and some instinctively stepped on the brakes while they were in the pain. In the towns and cities, in all kinds of factories, frequent accidents happened because people had instantly convulsions and loss of consciousness. There were explosions here and there, fires started one after the other, and dense black smoke started covering the sky. Nearly all of the aircrafts that happened to be in the sky at that time crashed. Some were lucky because the auto-pilot was engaged and remained as such, and the pilots (and copilots for some) didn''t turn.

    Jiang Liushi was in a state of confusion when he woke up. He could hear automatic fire alarms and screams everywhere around him without clearly realising why. Being assaulted by illusions of his childhood didn''t help. Before he regained control of himself, the last thing he saw were the smiling faces of Zhuying and Yuxin, gazing lovingly at him.

    He checked himself first, and noticed he was drenched in sweat, and his body was still a bit numb. Since he trashed around on top of his weapon harness, he bruised his side a little. When he gazed outside, his heart sank. He finally registered the sounds he heard, and there was a thick mist in the air and the sky was dark despite the time being only 3.50 pm. He had been unconscious for 1 hour, 1 hour had passed since the start of the outbreak. He may have been prepared for it, but actually experiencing it was sobering and terrifying.

    "... I guess this is it now. The previous era has come to an end. The fight for survival has started."

    With that said, he took a deep breath, ignited the engine of his truck, activated the co-pilot and security programs, and departed.

    Jiang Liushi may have known how to drive a small car, but driving this truck was something else. If not for his co-pilot program and advice from the Starseed, he would have crashed several times. Once he got on a large enough road, he could better contemplate how much damage the outbreak caused.

    It was also the moment he discovered what happened to the humans that couldn''t handle the mutation started by the super-virus. Bloodshot eyes, bloody teeth with sharp fangs, sickly skin. Some were mutilated, clearly infected by what he would come to call the "original" zombies, while he would call the victims "infected" zombies.

    The moment they noticed the truck, they rushed toward it wildly. Jiang Liushi wasn''t worried. He made his Doomsday Ride to be tough enough to whistand crashes with other vehicles, and the glasses from the windows and windshield were reinforced. Still, he was startled by the banging sound on the body of his truck. After all, it was his first time being attacked by zombies, during the apocalypse.

    Furthermore, unlike previous zombie movies, they weren''t slow. Not at all. He didn''t want to test if he could outrun them on open ground. They could also jump, as they tried to get through the door windows. After the first few seconds, he averted his gaze. Watching the faces of the zombies was quite unerving.

    He stepped on the accelerator, and the vehicle responded swiftly, completly unlike what was expected from something of that size. He had to go somewhere, and no time to waste.

 7 Leaving Jiangbei

    Driving through the roads of the city was depressing.

    Some streets were so stuffed with vehicles that he couldn''t pass through, even with brute force. The cars just weren''t in positions where they could be pushed to the sides. Every now and then he would come across people looting the nearby shops, people fleeing from zombies, zombies pursuing people, and zombies eating people.

    Bang! Bang! Scrouach!!

    Zombies were knocked back or aside by the plow. Their bones would shatter and their bodies burst open as they went under the wheels, leaving a twitching and spasming bloody mess behind.

    For Jiang Liushi, there was nothing more heart-rending than seeing a mother with her baby being cornered by zombies, and being eaten alive. To hear the mother beg for help while her child in her arms was crying. To hear her scream of pain as the zombies tore her flesh. To hear the strident screeching of the baby as the zombies bit him. Or her. He would never know. He was disgustingly relieved when the shout suddenly ended less than 2 seconds later.

    He didn''t know how he managed to stay on the road, utterly schocked by what he had just witnessed. He got dizzy, and nearly fainted. He didn''t know how he had refrained from throwing up, or pissing himself.

    He had been powerless to do anything about it. He was too far, the zombies were too many and too close to the mother-child duo. He knew people would die, he had seen many people die and did a good job holding himself together. But in the movies, they don''t show you the children and the babies when they are attacked. They only show adults and teenagers.

    It was one of the many horrifying scenes that would give him nightmares during the following weeks, and haunt him until the day he died. As he advanced on the roads, some people would beg him to stop and take them along. Several times he would falter, before steeling himself and continue onward. He couldn''t afford to take care of strangers yet.

    One of those people who got close to beg when he saw the approaching customized truck got tackled from behind by a zombie. Both of them fell right in front of his truck before he could react, and he winced as he felt the wheels pass over their bodies. It was one thing to run over zombies. It was another to run over a normal person. Even though in China there were quite a few people that didn''t care to kill people with their vehicles, Jiang Liushi wasn''t one of them.

    "Bhuhuu!! Ksuu."

    He suddenly burst in tears, temporary losing control of his truck and crashing into a few vehicles parked on the side. He was barely able to hold on after witnessing the baby''s death. Killing an innocent, even by accident, even if he was already condemned, was too much.

    He had to slow down as his vision was impaired by the tears in his eyes. Tears that rolled down his face in large amount, as his body trembled with each sob. But he had to continue forward. The zombies that had gotten close and were banging on the body of the truck, helped to bring him back to the task at hand.

    As he got used to the horrible sight, his though went back to Li Yuxin. He wondered if she had resisted the virus, and if she did, he wondered if her escort was of any use and they managed to flee, or if the trip had been aborted and she had been forced to take shelter in a nearby building. He was very afraid for her. He though about Zhuying as well. He hoped shed hadn''t brough anyone in her room with her, and that she had properly secured it.

    He moved toward Shenbei Entrance. While Li Yuxin told him to go there to go to Shenhai Island, the reason he went there was because it was also on the way to Nanjing City. Also, since there would be a military presence there, he though it would be less packed, as they would want the way clear to evacuate VIPs, like Li Yuxin family. The closer he got, the more survivors he found. Most of them were driving cars, but there were still a lot of people moving on foot. With so many people gathering there, it caused a congestion.

    Everyone who laid their eyes on his truck couldn''t help but gawk. The vehicle was intimidating, with its bloody plow at the front, 8 bloody wheels, scratches and dark color. They could tell it went through zombies, and whoever was inside had it made specifically for the event of the day. They though it must have been some rich guy with connections. They looked at it with envy and caution, and some drivers made room for him to pass. Seeing the greedy looks in some people''s faces, Jiang Liushi though he had to get his hands on some weapons and military-grade armor soon. People were going to try and take over his MCV, and he wanted to be ready to smack them down.

    A commotion started far behind ammong the people on foot. It soon turned into scream of fear. He observed what was going on with the rear camera, and saw a swarm of zombies moving toward them in the distance. They were advancing between and on top of car, sometimes stopping to attack the people inside.

    Everyone started to rush forward, being the people on foot or in the cars. Some tried to cut lines, but those who tried to cut him were quickly pushed aside by his truck. Still, they were moving too slowly to escape the zombies. People were running and pushing themselves, the unlucky or weak ones falling, being trampled by others and finished by the ravenous zombies. The area had become incredibly noisy with the screams, the car engines reving, the horns. Added to that were the mist and the smell of fire and blood carried by the wind, and the whole picture had become quite chaotic.

    He suddenly caught a glimpse of a car, which wanted to squeeze from the front of his truck, while two girls around his age were running alongside that car knocking his rear door desperately.

    "Please, open the door and let us in!"

    "Help us! Please!"

    The two girls looked scared, they must have sought help from other vehicles before, but none of them had stopped. Jiang Liushi looking at this scene grimly. While he was escaping, he left many people to die because the zombies were too close to them, and also because he didn''t want to take risks with strangers.

    However, the car did not slow down, instead it accelerated. The two girls could only try their best to run.

    "Dear driver, please just open the door, please!"

    The door was locked, and they simply could not open it¡­ Soon after the driver turned his face angrily and cursed.

    "Fuck, let me go!"

    One of the girls suddenly sped up; reaching his driving window she tapped it.

    "Fuck off bitches! Go away!"

    The driver was really angry. Suddenly he turned the steering wheel, causing the girl to fall on the ground. The girl uttered a scream and fell heavily on the ground. The other girl hurried to help her up.

    Jiang Liushi was looking at the whole thing from the Doomsday Ride and frowned, one of the girls looked familiar. He cast one more look at the rear-view camera, looked at the girl again, and decided to help at least this one time before leaving the city. It was one thing to leave a stranger behind, it was another to leave someone you were familiar with to die. He would at the very least help them leave the city. He stopped to the side of the road, went to the passenger seat and opened the window.

    "HEY! Come here!"

 8 Shenbei

    The other vehicles were just moving forward. At such a life-or-death moment, other drivers would step on the gas and avert their gazes. Most of them would even hit telegraph poles or railings, in order to escape from this nightmare.

    But for Jiang Liushi, who had a fast and tough truck, it was not difficult to save the girls, as long as he was in the vehicle. They looked at the incoming zombies and could not help but cry. Their hands were tightly held together, waiting for their imminent death. However, they heard someone calling them, and when they looked ahead, they saw someone waving at them from inside the intimidating truck.

    "Hurry!"

    That shook them awake from their distress. The girl that had fallen earlier, was the first to act and quickly pulled her companion and ran toward him. Jiang Liushi unlocked the door and got back at the steering wheel, putting his weapon harness under his seat. They jumped in as fast as they could, and when the last one got her feet in, the door closed. 3 seconds later, a zombie slamed itself on the door, making the girls jump and shriek in terror. Several others banging noises followed as the first zombies had reached their position. Jiang Liushi didn''t wait for the girls to recover before stepping on the accelerator.

    The heavy truck lurched forward with considerable swiftness, and the girls got slamed to the backrest of the seat. They were still suffering from the shock, panting heavily while their hearts were thumping fast and hard. After a few seconds, they started to calm down.

    "We are saved..." said the one next to the door, in a daze.

    "Thank you ... thank... you! Thank you very much!" said the one next to him as she turned to face him.

    Jiang Liushi observed them, his co-pilote program helping with the driving. The girl sitting right next to him was dressed in a simple dress, which made her look clean and elegant, good looking, around 19 years old. He finally recognised her; she was the receptionist of the car company where he rented the pick-up truck that was the base form of his Doomsday Ride. Her name was Wen Xiaotian. The other was unknown, also wearing simple nice clothes, and was above average in looks.

    "If not for you, we''d certainly be dead" she added while bowing her head.

    "You''re welcome. I guess it''s good to see you again miss Wen."

    Hearing this, she raised her head and looked at him properly.

    "It''s you!"

    "Xiao Tian, Do you know each other?" asked the other girl with a small smile.

    "He was a client of the company I worked in, mr Jiang, right?"

    He nodded. When she first met, she felt like he had a domineering aura. She didn''t know it, but it was because of his determination to survive the outbreak and rescue his sister. That left a deep impression to her, so she didn''t forget him. As for him, he recognised her because of how young she looked to be already working, and by observing her he could tell she was a naturally pleasant person.

    "You remembered me... Thank you."

    She was incredibly touched and gratefull. He stopped for her when everyone else left them to die, and he saved her friend at the same time.

    Now that they were safe, the girls observed the vehicle they were in. They were impressed by the outside with its tough looks, and even more by the inside with its elegant design. They chatted a bit, getting to know each other a little. Both were college students, and were together when the outbreak started. But with the chaos visible outside, they couldn''t stay in the mood to chat.

    Soon, the freeway entrance came into view. The original toll station had been completely turned into a military post, only exposing three channels, and trucks covered with machine guns, aiming the approaching cars. Heavily armed soldiers were holding guns in front of the entrance, in the buildings on both sides of the road, as well as on the docked trucks. Whenever zombies were spotted they were killed as soon as they approached the vicinity. The number of gunshots was increasing, though.

    Many people had been waiting and looking in the soldier''s direction nervously. As vehicles were approaching the entrance, the soldiers would immediately check, so that the vehicles could proceed. Each car check lasted about ten seconds and within those ten seconds only three cars could pass. Wen Xiaotian and Shao Lili were relieved to see an active military presence. Jiang Liushi didn''t care much, but he was wary of them trying to seize his truck.

    Sudden gunfire erupted not far away from their position. Two soldiers pulled the corpse of the man they had just killed from the car they were checking. The body had a bloody wound between its brows and his arm, and the crying of a woman could be heard. An officer used of a microphone with a solemn face. He warned everyone that bitten people would be executed on sight, as the virus would turn every victims into a deadly infected.

    Seeing this, people were frightened, but worse things had occured since the start of the outbreak. Not long after, a dense burst of gunfire was released. The soldiers had solemn expressions on their faces, screams could be heard from the buildings on both sides. To make things worse, not too far away, thousands more zombies had been gathering, their bloodthirsty eyes locked on the freeway entrance.

    Finally it was their turn to pass. While the soldiers were impressed by the vehicle and wondered how he got it, the officer urged them to move. They swiftly passed the toll station. The freeway was full of soldiers, guarding both sides of the road. From time to time, gunshots could be heard. They reached the traffic up front, which moved forward for a while, but then suddenly stopped. Although they were under the protection of the army, they got nervous.

    People in the front were abandoning their vehicles, while several soldiers were shouting at them. Soon those soldiers were moving between the stopped vehicles and helped people abandon them. As soon as they left, two forklifts would push the cars to the roadside, and then directly push down from the highway.

    A soldier shouted, explaining that due to a crash ahead and zombies gathering there, the road would be blocked by everyone''s car. They couldn''t move forward and everyone had to abandon their vehicles. The women, children and elderly would take shelter in the army trucks while the men would stay on foot. He said that the army would escort them to the secured Shenhai Island.

    Shao Lili was eager to follow the military, but Wen Xiaotian hesitated and looked at Jiang Liushi, who didn''t look like he was going to leave.

    "Before the outbreak, I told my sister to hide with supplies and wait for me to get her. I''m going to Nanjing City, not Shenhai Island. And I won''t reach her without that truck, which I went through a lot of trouble to aquire. You should go with the army to Shenhai Island."

    "That...I will go then. Thank you Mr. Jiang for saving my life. Be careful and I hope we will meet again" said Shao Lili with an embarassed face.

    "Come on, Xiaotian."

    "I''m staying. My home is on the way to Nanjing City. If there was no way to go, I would go to the secure island, but since Mr. Jiang wants to head to Nanjing City, then I would like to go that way too. I want to know if my family is dead or alive."

    Wen Xiaotian then turned to Jiang Liushi.

    "Mr. Jiang, can you take me with you? Although I cannot be very helpful, I can provide some information about the road. My father used to run this line for transporting. I grew up following him a lot of times, and there are several roads. Mr. Jiang..."

    Hearing her request, he nodded without hesitation. He was not familiar with the road, it was good that there was someone who could help. And she was like him, both wanted to make sure their family was safe.

    "Mr. Jiang, thank you! Lili, you can go alone¡­ Take care of yourself."

    Tears started flowing from Shao Lili''s eyes as they hugged; she did not know the situation of her parents. But her hometown was far, so she could not go. And to make things worse, she was going to be separated from her good friend.

    "Don''t worry. I have a friend whose family was escorted to Shenhai Island. I promised to meet her there in the future. You two can see each other again at that time."

    "Thank you mr Jiang. Please take care of my Xiaotian until then."

    After a few more words, they separated.

 9 Mountain road.

    Once Shao Lili left the truck, they ushered her with the others, and Jiang Liushi had to move his truck to clear the road.

    Those armored vehicles, trucks, and a large number of soldiers, at the freeway entrance, were ready to evacuate if they could not hold anymore, so they had to clean up the road. The army just wanted to take away the survivors, not fight with countless monsters. The gunfire sounds were getting closer and more dense. From afar, a crowd could be vaguely seen; zombies.

    Vrrrrrrrrrrmmmmmmm!!!

    The soldiers were dumbfounded as they heard the engine sound. It was obiously a high quality engine. With the others car being pushed over the edge of the freeway, he had enough place to move around. He accelerated toward the edge of the freeway, broke the fence with its plow with a thunderous noise, blasted some dirt in the air and left a small trench once it reached the bottom of the slope.

    The truck was barely slowed down, and continued toward a narrow rural road, leaving behind a crowd of dumbfounded and envious soldiers and survivors. The sounds of gunfire brough them back to the task at hand. As they moved, Shao Lili kept looking at the direction where the truck left, praying to see those 2 again in the future.

    In the truck, Xiaotian was quite stunned by the way they left the freeway. Jiang Liushi looked at her blank face and got a little worried.

    "Miss Wen?"

    Wen Xiaotian suddenly snapped out of it.

    "What''s wrong? You don''t need to call me Miss Wen. You can call me Wen Xiaotian. And if you do not mind, you can even call me Xiaotian. That''s how my friends call me."

    "Well then, you do not need to call me Mr. Jiang either. Call me Liushi"

    "Liushi... Brother Liushi..." she said, embarrassed to call him by his name.

    "You said you knew a few routes, can you tell me about them?"

    Although he had downloaded the road map in advance, it was mostly the main roads, he still needed someone''s help. Leaving the freeway, was equivalent to moving towards unknown risk, which had to be avoided. If Wen Xiaotian was really familiar with the road, she would definitely know a relatively safe path.

    While Xiaotian talked about the road, she also told him a bit about herself. Her home was more than 100 kilometers away from Nanjing City. She grew up in a small town, whose name was unknown to others, born in an ordinary family, and she left in order to study in college at Jiangbei Town. Her father was a long-distance transportation driver, always driving from that small town to Jiangbei City. Wen Xiaotian had often followed her father and sometimes stayed in Jiangbei Town for a while.

    They selected the less travelled roads to follow. There would be less risk to find them blocked or cross large number of zombies. In the end, they settled for a mountain road with very few buildings on the way. She didn''t mention it at first due to the lack of supermarket and gas station, but Liushi was fine with that. He had enough food and water for 1 month, and his hybrid engine consummed a lot less gas than any other.

    Wen Xiaotian had relaxed enough to fall asleep. She was also twitching at times, which told him that her sleep wasn''t that good yet. Liushi stopped for a moment. He retracted the backrest of the middle seat and gently carried her to the bottom bed. He stopped for a bit to admire her. She had a lean body type, not slim but soft, with moderate C cup breasts and a nice apple butt. She had a cute heart shaped face and small lips. He though he was lucky that his travel companion was pleasant both in mind and body. And he liked it when she called him "brother Liushi", her embarassed face was charming.

    When she woke up, it was dark and she found herself on a small bed. She looked around quickly, but not seeing Jiang Liushi she started to panic.

    "Brother Liushi? Brother Liushi?"

    She heard a bit of noise behind her and when she turned, she found him get out of the shower with a towel warped around his waist. He was still a bit wet, and rushed out when he heard her calling him.

    Looking at her, she was a bit pale with a scared expression on her face and wet eyes. When she saw him, she visibly relaxed and rushed to him. Jiang Liushi was surprised but still warped her in his arms as she buried her face in his neck with her hands holding tightly onto his shoulders. Ever since she escaped death when he stopped for her, he had been her rock in that chaotic world. Being away from him was scary, and losing him was something she couldn''t handle.

    Once she calmed down, she realised she was holding onto him while he was nearly naked, and blushed like never before. Jiang Luishi was lucky. It wasn''t everyday that a good looking girl pressed herself against him like that. He was having a semi-boner, which she thankfully didn''t notice, so he was able to hide it. After she calmed down, he offered her to take a shower as well. On the road he had pumped up water from a spring and the filtration system was quite good, so he wasn''t worried about water.

    While she was in the shower, he prepared a hot meal for both of them. He may have gathered mainly long-storage food, but he still had a few fresh products for the first days of the outbreak. His micro kitchen had a fridge, a freezer, a double stove and an oven, and he intended to use them.

    Wen Xiaotian felt a lot better once she got out of the shower. She didn''t have any spare clothes, nor did Jiang Liushi prepare women''s clothes, so he lent her a bath robe. He put her clothes in the washing machine, they would be clean and dry after an hour. Xiaotian felt like she was in a mobile hotel when she got a nice hot meal after a hot shower, in a bath robe. Though she was embarassed to be in such an attire in front of him, she got used to it while they were eating. Liushi admited to himself that she looked nice in that bath robe with that after-shower aura.

    After the meal they continued to talk a bit, then they separated for the night. He left her with the leisure laptop he had made alongside the on-board computer. She would be able to select some music to sleep or watch a few downloaded videos. She stayed in the bath robe for the night, keeping her clean clothes fresh for the following day. After the bath and meal, she was quite relaxed, and soon fell into a restfull sleep.

    Liushi chose to sleep in the driving cockpit, wanting to be ready to move at any time. He resumed driving as soon as there was enough sunlight, Xiaotian joined him soon after. He noticed that once in a while Xiaotian would give him stealthy knowing looks, but he put it aside for the time being. On the way they saw 1 or 2 farms, but nothing noteworthy until they arrived at a certain place. There was a car wash, a car repair shop and a restaurant. The kind of place dedicated to long-distance passing drivers.

    He parked in front of the rstaurant. The doors were tightly closed with blood on it. There were 2 trucks in front of the repair shop, abandonned with traces of blood on the door windows. Wen Xioatian was frozen. She was very scared of being near zombies again, however, Liushi was adamant they get some food from that place.

    When she questioned the edibility of fresh food due to the outbreak, he told her everything would be fine unless soiled by zombies. After all, everything was already contaminated before doomsday, the outbreak was just the virus acting up in living beings. The reason zombies could infect those that had resisted the outbreak was because the virus mutated in a more dangerous form within their bodies.

    Since the front door of the restaurant were barred, Jiang Liushi used the plow of his truck like a battering ram, and blasted the entrance. He also wanted the noise to attract the nearby zombies while he was still in the vehicle. He didn''t want any jump scare inside the building.

 10 Mutant Beas

    The wooden door, along with the surrounding walls crashed down! Jiang Liushi was surprised that the wall didn''t withstand the collision. Looking at it more carefully, he saw that it was just a thin layer of metal, which was filled with the bubble, easy to be destroyed.

    The wall fell and a third of the roof crumbled down. Liushi and Xiaotian were able to see the inside the small restaurant. It was quite a bloody scene, internal organs and debris, and about five people were lying on the ground, it was not known how many bodies were actually there as Jiang Liushi couldn''t discriminate, surrounded by a pool of blood. Four zombies were lying on the ground, desperately scrambling for something.

    "OH MY GOD!!"

    Wen Xiaotian could not help but scream, she immediately covered her mouth with her hand. The scene was nauseating, and it reminded her that she almost ended in the same state. The zombies had stopped eating, and turned to see the truck, dripping blood and meat could be seen as they growled, and wildly rushed to the vehicle.

    Liushi backed the truck away, luring the zombies out of the restaurant, then accelerated forward, using the truck as a weapon to kill the zombies. The speed and weight of the truck was enough to break bones, but for added security, he drove over them again. Xiaotian was heaving, unable to bear the bloody scene. She looked at Liushi, and saw him watch the result of his actions with a stony face. She realised then, that she had to get used to such scenes and adapt if she wanted to survive in this new world.

    "I ... I''m going to find food." she suddenly voluntured.

    It was dangerous, but she had to do something. But he didn''t let her go, she had no protective gear, and she wasn''t calm enough. Instead, he showed her how to access the view from the differents cameras, and told her to push the horn if she saw something or someone. The driving and locking system were keyed to him, he could leave her inside without fearing for her to drive away or lock him out. With his biker gear and weapon harness on, he went into the restaurant.

    He ignored the gory mess and went to the kitchen. The freezer was full of food, and Liushi was sad his truck didn''t have more room. That was a lot of food that was going to be wasted, and Jiang Liushi cursed himself for not thinking about getting some ice chests.

    Since she didn''t get the food, Xiaotian decided to cook, and she was confident in her skills. And since there was a large amount available, she didn''t need to be polite, a prepared a small feast. Both of them were quite hungry as well, and it wasn''t a bad idea to stuff themselves when food was going to be hard to aquire later, so they would spoil themselves.

    It was dusk and Xiaotian wasn''t quite done cooking when the peace was broken.

    "Roaaaaar!"

    The sound came from the distant darkness. That roar, in the quiet mountains, mixed with the wind, had brought a frightening feeling!

    Liushi turned off the lights inside the truck, as well as the kitchen vent. The emergency lights went on, they didn''t provide enough light to be seen from outside, but enough for the people inside to see shapes. When he made the truck, he provided means to secure the items in the living module, espcially the kitchen. All kitchen ware could be tightly locked even with food still inside, so he ordered Xiaotian to secure the kitchen. He went to the steering wheel and put the engine on standby, the gas engine would stay off but the electric one was silently ready. He didn''t have any weapons and wanted to be able to drive at a moment''s notice.

    [Energy core detected] the Starseed suddenly announced in his head.

    ''What?''

    Surrounded by darkness, the road was filled with extremely fresh air. The night sky was beautiful. A dark blue sky, full of stars, was visible through the window. A thin moon hung obliquely in the hills, above shedding its weak, cool light. But at this moment, Jiang Liushi felt his blood freezing.

    In the moonlight, he saw a huge shadow staring at the MCV. It looked like a monster, yet he did not know what on earth it was. He didn''t dare to turn on the headlights. He held his breath, lowered his body and signaled Xiaotian to get down when she arrived near him.

    "Brother Jiang..." she said in a trembling, whispering voice.

    "Go and strap yourself in the chair behind me. Do not make a sound!"

    He didn''t move the truck because he didn''t want to agitate whatever was there. If the truck was overturned due to the thing attacking and him crashing, he would be in a terrible situation. As the shadow was getting closer, lit by the weak moonlight, Jiang Liushi could distinguish that the approaching shadow was actually an enormous boar.

    He was shocked. Although it was far away, comparing it with the surrounding buildings, he estimated that this boar was at least as large as a light-weight truck. It was full of steel thorn-like black hair, which was stained with a large number of blood scabs, making it look like it had climbed out from a blood pool. Its tusks were like two huge machetes, and one of them even had a long intestine hanging. That was a fierce pig out of hell.

    "This is... a mutant beast!"

    He recalled what the Starseed had revealed before the outbreak. The super-virus would mutate not only humans, but also animals and plants. He had though of wild beasts when he made the Doomsday Ride, but he was mostly concerned with mutated humans because he was living in the city. And since the outbreak, he had only been thinking of them, completly forgetting the possibility of mutated animals.

    "ROOAAAAAAARRRRR!!!!!"

    The boar had suddenly issued a terrible roar. It raised its hoofs, rushing straightly towards the MCV, trampling the road and shattering it. A truck-sized mass of muscles, whose weight should be around ten tons was coming at them fast. Jiang Liushi put the gear on reverse and backed away from the charging beast as fast as possible. The engine roared to life as the truck picked up speed, but the boar still reached them.

    BANG!!

    Because he was backing away, the impact wasn''t as devastating as it could have been, and the plow absorbed most of the damage. It also had the effect of stopping the boar and increasing the speed of the truck. Still, inside the vehicle, they were quite shaken by the impact.

    Jiang Liushi cursed under his breath. He had to take care of that boar now. He wasn''t a good enough truck driver to drive at night, let alone at high speed to escape a beast. The weapons he had were close-ranged ones only good enough to deal with very small numbers of zombies. Even if he had a gun, it would likely be ineffective aginst the beast.

    The Starseed gave him the solution to his problem. He had made the last part of the engineering section to handle construction or repair of large objects. It had mechanical arms that could hold heavy tools, and one of those tools was a pile driver. Jiang Liushi decided to drive in circles around the restaurant. The boar would chase after him, and he would be able to use the pile driver when it got close enought.

    VROOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!

    He pushed the throttle and swerved to the side, barely missing the boar, who had resumed his charge. In the living module, Xiaotian head banged against the wall due to the sharp turn. Even though it was padded for such occasions, it still stunned her. Jiang Liushi was very happy to have made the co-pilot program or he probably would have overturned his truck. The co-pilot program helped him drift around the corners by controlling the speed at which the wheels spun.

    At the back, a section opened and slid to the side, revealing a mechanical arm at the end of which was a black tool with the top of a pike protubing. It lifted the tool high in the air, pointing toward the ground.

    Rzzzzzzzzzzzzzz-psch!

    The sound of something charging could be heard from the tool. When the head of the boar got right underneath, it drove the tool on top of its head.

    Bam!! DJUMB!!!

    A split second later, a discharging sound was heard, slightly muffled by the head of the boar. Said boar stopped all movements and fell on his belly, slidding forward due to its momentum. Its head was bleeding, but the pike was still in the pile driver. Jiang Liushi stopped, backed up to the body of the boar, replaced the pile driver on its head and fired it a second time. The sound of bones shattering could be heard on top of the discharge noise made by the tool.

 11 Special constitution

    When he raised the arm, a stake was still attached to the pile driver. But the skull had been caved in, some bloody bones shards with pieces of torn skin and flesh sticking out. Seeing this from the rear-view camera, Jiang Liushi relaxed.

    "Xiaotian, it''s over. Everything is fine now."

    "Really? Oww..."

    "... Are you all right?"

    "I bumped my head against the wall with your pathetic driving..."

    Silence stretched for several moments. Liushi was stunned to hear her say that about his driving skills with such certainity. Wen Xiaotian was blushing a storm. She didn''t mean to say it out loud at all, she didn''t want to hurt him with her words or disrespect him. She was still a bit affected by the earlier hit, so her mouth moved faster than her brain. She was happy to be out of sight, she would be to embarrassed to face him.

    "I''m sorry brother Liushi!! I mean! As a long distance transportation driver, my father is quite a good car and truck driver. He taugh how to drive both since I was 15 years old, and on the way here, I couldn''t help but notice that, well... You''re a beginner driver... Your driving is a bit clumsy?"

    Liushi lowered his head in shame. She was right. He understood now why she glanced at him from time to time.

    "It''s fine... I don''t mind (too much). Critisism is good to improve oneself. I''m going to check on the boar''s body."

    Xiaotian perked up. She spoke as she unstrapped herself.

    "Boar? The thing that attacked us was a boar?"

    "Not just a normal. The outbreak didn''t only affect us humans, but also animals. It was a mutant boar, as very large one. You can check it on the camera. Please keep an eye on the surroundings for me, the noise may have attracted more unwanted visitors."

    "Really? It''s incredible, and frightening..."

    Liushi turned on the lights, including the rear ones used to light the construction/repair area, and got out of the truck. He remembered that the Starseed had detected something it called an energy core. The only thing that was new since they stopped there was the mutant boar. It was carrying some kind of power generator somewhere on its body.

    Standing next to the corpse, he could fully appreciate its size... and its filth and smell, though it seemed to belong to whatever it killed earlier. He observed the wound he inflicted on it, and realised that both strikes had been made on the same spot. He didn''t think that the first strike killed it though, knocked out yes, but not killed. He would need to properly arm his truck soon, as the wilderness proved to be much more deadly than he expected.

    He put a gloved hand on the corpse, and scanned it with the Starseed. The energy core that it had detected was a nucleus located in the heart of the beast.

    ''... Haaa? That''s not a machine. Isn''t it like... like the monster core from some video games and novels? What''s going on?''

    Liushi asked for some details from the Starseed. It seemed that mutated being generated some kind of bioenergy and acumulated it into a nucleus. That energy boosted the capabilities of the body, and when enough would be accumulated, induce another mutation, an upgrade. In other words, mutant beasts could evolve into stronger forms. As a consequence, mutant beast meat was highly energetic and stayed fresh longer, and the Starseed confirmed it was safe, even beneficial, for consumption if properly cooked. Finally, the Starseed could absorb the energy of the nucleus, and use it for more complex material transmutation, like making superior alloys, ceramics, polymeres and chemicals.

    "It''s good and all, but now I have to dismantle a truck sized beast with tough skin and meat, and bones as hard as metal..."

    Before doing that, he checked his truck, both visually and with the Starseed. The plow was distorted and the mechanical arms lightly bent. There was some structural damage but nothing too serious. The engine had been shacken, some structural damage there as well but nothing hindering its performances. Everything else was fine, so most of the damage could be easily taken care off.

    He got back into the truck and moved it to be perpendicular to the body of the boar. He used the mechanical arm to put the corpse on its side, retracted it, released the pile driver and equiped a power chain saw. The next hour was spent cutting the body in pieces, a bloody process that Xiaotian refrained from witnessing. The nucleus was the first thing he recovered, and put it in a container behind the driver seat. Poor Liushi had to nearly dive in its belly to remove the internal organs, and he cursed under his breath every 10 seconds. He used one of the abandonned car to transport the organs at the edge of the inhabited area.

    Work didn''t end for him after dismantelling the beast. He realised that mutant beasts meat, and probably other body parts, would be very sought after. It already helped a lot with nutrition, and he just couldn''t find it in himself to abandon nearly 7 tonnes of quality food. He had to enlist the help of Xiaotian to cut the meat in 10 kgs packages, which he transported to the restaurant kitchen''s freezer. In the end, Xiaotian couldn''t avoid some bloody work, though she was fine with it as it was close to cooking. After taking a break for cleaning himself and eating, he went to the auto repair shop. He got his first direct confrontation with zombies at that time.

    He was in his motorbike gear, with his weapon harness, his machete in one hand and the hatchet in the other. He opened the door as silently as he could, and hearing nothing, stepped in and turned on the light. The electricity was still running in the place, which pleased him greatly. As soon as that happened, he caught some noise to the side, and when he turned his head, the zombie was already only 3 meters away from him, bloodshot eyes and dried blood on the bottom half of its face. The rest of its uniform was darkened with blood as well.

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    He jumped in both fright and surprise, a scream stuck in his throat. That wasn''t the reaction he wanted to have, and definitly not the one to have when confronted with a zombie. With a growl, it jumped at him and tackled him to the ground. At least, Liushi had the reflex of putting his arm in front of his face. As he was struggling on the ground, the zombie bit his arm. Hard.

    "Aaaaargh!!"

    As the zombie tried to tear the flesh from his arm, he raised the other, and with as much strenght as he could use in his position, drove the hatchet into the skull of the zombie. It spasmed for 2 seconds before falling on top of him. Liushi hurriedly disentangled himself from it, breathing hard. He checked his arm in fear, and relaxed. The zombie hadn''t been able to bite through the protective material. He released a deep sight of relief. His first battle with a zombie could have been the last if not for the preparation he made. He was also angry with his reaction. In other situations it may be fine, but not when one''s survival was at stake. He vowed in his heart that it wouldn''t happen the next time.

    He checked the whole building, finding only a corpse. The place was good enough for what he had in mind. He was going to make a reinforced 7m long 4 wheels storage trailer, around 2x1m dry storage at the back, 2x1m fridge in the middle and 2x2m freezer at the front, 2 wind turbines, 3 cameras and movement detectors, and a tail lift. He was also going to turn the pallet mover of the repair shop into an electric rought terrain pallet mover. While Xiaotian slept, he spent the whole night working, using one of the abandonned trucks as material, along with whatever was usefull around, using extension cords to remain connected to the electrical system for energy.

    In the morning he was finished, and quite tired. He used one of the abandonned car to bring the new trailer at the back of the destroyed restaurant, and turned on the cooling unit. The rear entrance had been unlocked earlier to transport the meat to the kitchen. He left the newly made electric pallet mover there, with a pallet. He got to his truck, to find out that Xiaotian had woken up earlier. When she saw his tired face she paled a bit and got worried.

    "What have you been doing? Are you alright?"

    "I''m fine, just tired. I got us a storage trailer with a freezer and a fridge. It''s parked at the back of the restaurant."

    He moved his Doomsday Ride there, and connected it to the trailer.

    "Please put as much boar meat as possible in the trailer, even in the dry section, with whatever else you deem good enough. There is an electric pallet mover, and the trailer has a tail lift. Wake me when you''re done."

    With that said, he walked past her, absently undressing himself, and collapsed on the bottom bed. He instantly fell asleep, so drained mentally that he didn''t think about security. Xiaotian looked at him dumbfounded for several moments before she sighted and got to work alone.

 12 Improvements

    Xiaotian, wanted to be helpfull to Liushi. She got to show some worth with her knowledge of the road, and the night before with cooking, keeping an eye on the surrounding and cutting boar meat. Now, she was bluntly asked to transport tons of meat from one place to the other on her own while he slept. It was true that he had been working all night while she slept, but it was still depressing.

    He effectively made a lady do manual labour while he slept, without watcher she realised later in horror. She wanted to give him a piece of her mind, but she didn''t stay angry for long, remembering that he had worked without watcher as well, and he didn''t mean to leave her unprotected. She was very gratefull that they were in a remote area.

    It was midday when she decided to wake him up. She had finished her work earlier, but she wanted to rest a bit before going back on the road, and she wanted Liushi to be rested as well. She got in front of the bed and looked at him.

    He was only wearing his boxers, and she got a good look at his body. He was fit, a bit pale, with an above average face, slightly handsome. Overall he had nice looks. She hadn''t known him for long, but she could tell he had several positive personality traits: determined, brave, caring, reliable, hard working. He had been patient, forgiving and understanding with her. She smiled slightly; she realised she had come across a nice guy, even if he could be a bit distracted and secretive.

    Once he got awakened and showered, she scolded him lightly about leaving a lady doing hard work without support. He apologised to her, ashamed about that. He also though that he should update his security program. It had facial recognition, and the steering wheel and the door handles had a hidden scanner. He had to add Xiaotian as guest and secondary driver. He also though about adding a camera and a movement detector between the driving cockpit and the living module.

    They didn''t get on the road immediatly. They had a hearty lunch first. After making sure everything was packed and the trailer was locked, they got to the driver cockpit.

    "Hey, brother Liushi, do you mind if I take the wheel?"

    "No, it''s fine... Actually, that will give me some time to think about something. How long do you think it would take to reach your home?"

    "We will be halfway there by nightfall, and reach the town tomorrow around noon."

    "Is there some kind of store or facility with materials for construction or repair on the way? There are some things I want to do before entering another dangerous area. We could settle down there for the night and enter your hometown during the afternoon of the next day."

    "Hmm, yes. There is a recycling station halfway there. And just like here, the population of the area is low so there won''t be many zombies."

    "Then let''s go!"

    After taking a few minutes to get familiar with both the truck and the trailer attached behind, Xiaotian took them on the road. Liushi had to admit that she was a much better driver than him, the ride was smoother and faster.

    At the end of the afternoon they reached "The Waste Recycling Station of Fu Wang", and written under the sign board was "Collecting used building material, collecting damaged cars, steel, copper, aluminum, plastic, waste paper...". It was a three-story building, looking a little obsolete, located in the middle of a big county which was thousands of square meters. The yard was surrounded by concrete walls where broken glass stood to prevent climbing. The door was six or seven meters wide, permitting two cars to move in parallel, and slightly broken. At the top of the gate, there were also many spear points, looking a little guarded.

    Since there were probably zombies around, he had Xiaotian disconnect the trailer and be ready to run them over. The door was ajar, so they got in and she used the horn to attract the zombies. Soon afterward, dozen of them appeared, and with a grimace, Xiaotian ran them over. Then, Liushi got out of the truck and finished the ones still alive. This time there was no jump scare and they were already damaged, so it was easy. He spent several more minutes checking the place to make sure there were no hidden zombies, before relaxing.

    Xiaotian brought the trailer into the premises, and Liushi locked the gate. He inspected the place, and was satisfied with the amount of raw materials available. Beside repairing the truck, and improving both the truck and the trailer, he decided to make some weapons.

    He couldn''t rely on just the vehicle, the machete and the hatchet, nor rely on finding some firearm in the future. Letting zombies get close was too dangerous, as they were stronger than when they were humans. His biker armor may protect him from bites, but not from being held down. 2 zombies could pin him in place for hours, if not longer, as he would grow weaker with lack of food, water and constant struggling. He couldn''t even ignore the power of their attacks possibly damaging his muscles, joints and bones.

    He needed a ranged weapon to take them down before they got in range, and with a high enough firing rate to deal with multiple zombies before they got close. That was why he didn''t bother with crossbows.

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    With the help of the Starseed, he designed a needler, a needle handgun. It would launch needles the size of a nail at lethal speed using battery powered gears in the "firing chamber" of the gun. The needle would be pushed between the 2 spinning gears, and accelerated at the appropriate speed to penetrate a skull at a distance of 10 meters. He could make rifles with much better range the same way, but he wasn''t a marksman, so 10m was the maximum distance at which he could aim for the head with a decent accuracy.

    It came with a 45 needles magazines, much more than any normal handgun due to the size of the projectiles, didn''t emit a lot of noise and lacked recoil. However, the launching gears had to be activated before entering a combat situation, as it took 2 seconds for them to be fully operational. He could use it against groups of no more than 30 zombies if they weren''t to concentrated.

    For concentrated groups, he needed explosives: grenades or mines. He dismissed the popular frag grenades because while they would be effective against normal people, zombies didn''t feel pain, and only extensive muscle tear, joint damage and broken bones would slow them, something neither the blast power nor the sharpnels could easily do. It would take luck to hit a critical point or kill. Concussive grenades would be much better, as they were designed to damage with the blast of the explosion, its range being 10-20m instead of the 3m of the frag grenades.

    Flashbang grenades could be effective in delaying zombies and mutant beasts, or bait zombies in a certain direction, though it would require proper protection from its effects. A smoke bomb could hide him from sight, and even mask his scent in certain circumstances. Against mutant beasts, the concussive grenade could be used, especially since he doubted all mutant beasts would be as big as the boar he killed. If not, he would need to make some anti-vehicle land mines.

    The only problem he had with the grenades and land mines was the chemicals needed. The engineering module didn''t have a proper chemical lab, he would have to do half of the work the hard way with a chemist set. As for mutant beasts only weapons, he could make a spike launcher, but it would have to be mounted on the truck, thus remote or IA operated. He could try to make a portable one, which would be similar to a rocket launcher, but it would also be big and heavy. He could make it smaller, with smaller but explosive spike, but that meant dealing with dangerous chemicals himself again. He didn''t want to play chemist to make explosive; he really didn''t.

    ''So, I have to repair the plow and mechanical arms, seal the light structural damages in the rest of the truck, make an additional security sensor array between the cockpit and the living module, update the security system and make 3 needlers with amnutions. On the to-do list for later, make grenades, anti-beasts turrets, and add a chemical lab to the engineering module. It''s going to be a long night...''

    When he had searched the place for zombies, he also looked at the materials available, he was pleasantly surprised to find stack of good quality ones, most likely excess from constructions sites. And the electricity was still running in the place. He would lack neither materials nor energy for his projects.

 13 Xiaotians home

    While Liushi was busy gathering appropriate materials with his pallet mover, Xiaotian was preparing diner in the living module.

    They didn''t have to be stingy with the meat because there was a lot of it, and it really was as good for the body as the Starseed said, because after a lunch made with that meat they felt a lot better. Xiaotian couldn''t help but appreciate her current condition despite what was happening in the world. And she enjoyed the little time she spent with Liushi, for her he was easy to get along with. As they would reach her home the next day, she wondered how long that seemingly nice time would last.

    Outside, after having transported the materials for the truck''s repairs, Liushi gazed at his vehicle. First, he was going to enter Xiaotian''s town. Afterward, he would enter Nanjing City. They are bound to have a lot of zombies, especially in Nanjing. The noise of the engine would attract them, it would make getting in or out of the vehicle difficult, and rescuing his sister much more dangerous. It would be nice to have a machine-gun take care of the swarms, at least long enough to get in or out.

    He might not be good at aiming for the head at more than 10m, but a targeting program could. A program in control of an anti-infantry turret. The problem would be where to place them, and where to put the amnutions so the reloading could be made from the inside.

    After thinking about it for a bit, he decided to place 2 rifle turrets at the end of the living module, just before the engineering module. One on each side, they could cover any ally trying to enter the truck, or deal with threats coming from the sides. He didn''t think of placing one at the front since he would just run over the enemies. He would have to put a turret on the trailer to cover the rear. There was room under the hood for a weapon targeting the front, but Liushi reserved it for some anti-beast/anti-vehicle weapon.

    The needler had the same size as a regular pistol, except it had 3 times the width around the firing chamber. The battery was at the back of the gun, and the on-off switch of the launching gears was right above it. The needle rifle was inspired from the FN P90, in that the magazine was placed above horizontally. The cartridge had a capacity of 120 rounds. The needle rifle had 4 sets of launching gears to accelerate the projectiles further, giving the weapon an effective range of 120m, and a firing rate of 5 rounds per seconds on full auto.

    In the end, he only made 2 needlers and 1 needle rifle. He had to take a break to go and eat diner with Xiaotin. During the meal, he saw that she was a little tense, so when they finished he talked to her.

    "You''re worried about tomorrow, aren''t you?"

    "Ah... I guess I couldn''t hide it. After what we''ve seen when we left Jiangbei, it would be weird if I wasn''t. I''m scared. I, I just hope my family is okay..."

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    Liushi sighted as he saw the beautiful young woman looking so depressed. He didn''t like it, it was too different from her usual warm and charming disposition. He went to retrieve something that was left unused in one of the drawers, and presented it to her. It was a tablet.

    "You need to focus on something else. Here, take this. There are plenty of music and videos I downloaded before the outbreak, as well as some games. Enjoy yourself tonight, and leave tomorrow''s worries to tomorrow."

    "You... I can''t do this while you are going to spend the night working. Again."

    "Yes, you will do it. After all, you''re the one doing the driving during the day. Go on, you deserve it."

    "... Thank you, brother Liushi."

    He left her with the device and went back to work. He made the automated turret for the rifle at the back of the trailer, with a reload mechanism able hold up to 4 spare magazines. Once done with that, he took care of the damages on the truck.

    During that time, he realised that he relied a lot on automated systems. He wondered if he could use drones to scout ahead of the Doomsday Ride, patrol the area during breaks and at night, or even explore buildings. It was true that the range would be limited. All long-range communications were nearly disabled during the outbreak. The mist released by the simultaneous mutation of all animals and plants on the planet had some jamming effects. Still, just in a 500m radius, a few drones would be quite helpfull, especially if they were armed. He put it on his "To do soon" list.

    Later, he finally placed the security sensor array between the driving cockpit and the living module. He would add a hidden needler later. He upgraded the security program with a sub-program, the Gunner, who would control the turrets. It had 2 settings when dealing with enemies: "disable", which will make it target the legs, then the arms; and "terminate", which will make it target the head and the chest. The last part was differentiating between unarmed humans, armed humans, zombies and beasts. Zombies and beasts were classified as "hostiles", while humans were classified as "potential threat" until they attacked or he designated them as "enemies". Once more, Liushi was happy that the Starseed could deal with programming itself.

    Before going to sleep, he checked on Xiaotian. She was fast asleep, and didn''t seem to have a bad night. Watching her made him think of Zhuying. He hoped that she didn''t attract the attention of zombies toward her room, or that nobody tried to force her door open while looting around. That last though made him shudder in dread, and he absentmindedly stroked Xiaotian''s hairs.

    She may have been asleep, but considering the circumstances, her sleep was light, so Liushi''s actions woke her up. She didn''t move and stayed calm, because she was still sleepy, so Liushi didn''t notice. She enjoyed the feeling, and it took a moment to realise that it was Liushi. She was slightly embarrassed, but mostly gratefull and happy. She soon fell asleep again, her heart much lighter. The next day, she woke up well rested. She was still anxious about finding what happened to her family, but she was more calm, ready.

    It was shortly after noon that they got near Xiaotian''s hometown. It was a rural area that didn''t see a lot of traffic. As such, the military was less likely to have passed there to get ressources, such as gasoline. He would be able to completly fill his fuel tank at the town station.

    Xiaotian told him that the old tall and thick trees in the area had been there for decades. Every summer they would be full of white pagoda tree flowers, so a lot of beekeepers would be gathered there, selling honey on both sides of the road. But now, after doomsday, such a situation would never happen again. Liushi also saw a few broken abandoned hives on the road.

    There were a few vehicles abandonned on the side of the roads as they entered the town. Surprisingly, there weren''t a lot of zombies visible. Instead of making him rejoice, it confused him. They reached an intersection, in which there was a noodle restaurant and several cars parked on the road. One of the cars had hit on a light pole, and its windshield was completely broken with scabs. They could only speculate if the driver was killed directly, or eaten by zombies.

    "My home... It''s about 200 meters in the alley," Wen Xiaotian said nervously.

    Seeing what the place she grew up in had become was depressing for her. Liushi glanced at her, and gently stroked her shoulder. She gave him a gratefull smile and continued to drive. They soon reached her house, and Xiaotian stopped the truck. However, when she tried to get out, Liushi motioned to stay where they were.

    "What... What''s wrong?"

    "It''s so quiet¡­ A small town at least with a population of 30,000 or 40,000 people... The center of the town was the most densely populated, with thousands of people coming together, but now there are very few zombies on the road. There is something wrong with this town."

    "Yes... You''re right."

    "The number of zombies was not much; even the road congestion was strange. The sudden accident should have blocked up the road, but instead it could be used."

    "So... Was it the army?"

    "I''m afraid not... But we''ll find out soon."

 14 Scouting group

    The national army was not Chinese cabbage. At ordinary times they are stationed in one place. When doomsday arrived, they could only focus on the big cities. This was the work of something, or someone local.

    "Xiaotian, did you know of someone with any special skills or materials that could allow him to deal with the large number of zombies that should be around?"

    "... No. Noone comes to my mind. I don''t think the town had anything that could do that... Both people and materials."

    "If you think so, then I would be inclined to say that it could be the work of a beast. But it''s too clean. There should be some remains around... Unless it was some kind of herd or swarm that ate everything..."

    Xiaotian paled at the idea, and shivered in fright. A group of zombies was already bad enough. A group of things feasting on both zombies and humans was even worse. Liushi noticed the effects of his words on her and put a reassuring hand on her shoulders. She calmed down and smiled shyly, nodding in gratitude.

    ''And to think that yesterdayI was planning to make some automated drones... It would have been quite useful now... I should also make some kind of radar, a long range detector.''

    Liushi returned his attention to Xiaotian''s home. The wall was not high, and the space was also not big. Some kinds of flowers were inside, and there was a vegetable patch in the corner with a row of gray porous bricks, some chives had been planted there and looked very well. In the cement ground, there were some moss and finely weeds planted by perennial water against the wall. The two-layer buildings had a 90''s style. But the old windows were clean and bright.

    ''There is no signs of struggles or break ins. Either they are inside and turned, or there is nobody inside.'' "You stay here, I''m going to check first. Be ready to drive backward."

    "Are you sure?"

    "I''m the only one with proper protective gear. Until you have your own, it''s best for you to stay inside when we are checking out a place." ''Besides, it''s best if I''m the one discovering your parents if they were turned or killed.''

    He quikly got to the back to put on his armor, took his machete and a needler, and got out of the truck. He slowly approached the door of the house... and rang the bell.

    He waited for 30 seconds, weapons ready to strike or shoot. Nothing happened. He slowly opened the door, staying low in case there was someone inside ready to bash any intruder''s head, or worse, shoot him with an old hunting rifle. No sound came from inside aside from the bell, so he cautiously opened the door and called.

    "Mister and Miss Wen?"

    Still no answer and no other sound. He looked around as he moved deeper into the house. Meanwhile, Xiaotian was waiting in the Doomsday Ride, worried about her family, and worried about Liushi. After a few minutes he came back with a pensive expression on his face.

    "There was nobody inside, no signs of struggles, but signs of recent occupation. The kitchen was devoid of food. It looks like there was still someone healthy after the outbreak, but they left recently. There was a used bucket in the bathroom, recent food residues in the garbage bags and an abandonned quilt on the ground. If your family is alright, then they are somewhere else at the moment."

    Xiaotian released a sight of relief, and her shoulders relaxed. She hadn''t realised how tense she was until she heard Liushi''s report.

    "Do you have any idea about where they could have gone? A place nearby that could be more secure than their home?"

    "I don''t know... A farm wouldn''t be more secure than here... Maybe one of the workshops in the outskirts of the town. They would be a bit tougher than the regular buildings and in a less populated area."

    "Then let''s move. Besides, it''s not good to take the truck in narrow areas like here, I should stay in more truck-friendly areas. Before we leave, do you want to leave a message here, in case your family came back while we are away? A message that only your family would understand of course. The next person to come here may be a stranger."

    "Yes, thank you. I''ll be back soon."

    Xiaotian left the truck and went into the house. Liushi stayed outside, ready to move in if he was called. A few minutes later, she came out, and both returned to the truck. Then they left for a more convinient place to settle.

    It wasn''t long after they stopped near the outskirt of the town that the peacefull atmosphere fadded. It started with a low humming sound, so low Liushi and Xiaotian missed it. It was brought to their attention when the security programm caution alarm pinged. Liushi reacted instantly and was in front of the screen. The camera at the rear of the trailer had caugh several figures moving toward the truck. Xiaotian joined his side and both looked at what was coming.

    There were more than 20 of them, cat sized creatures with transparent wings moving at such speed they made the humming noise that only now did they register. Their bodies were mostly black, with some yellow and a bit of red. Xiaotian paled, and Liushi''s expression grew grim.

    "Mutant bees..." Xiaotian whispered in shock, fear growing in her heart.

    They remembered when they entered the town, the tall trees she said was used by beekeepers every summer. One of the nest mutated, and the result was moving toward them.

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    "... Now I''m really happy to have added some automated defenses. It''s okay, we will be fine in the truck."

    *vrrrrrrrrrrrrr*

    The security programmed had armed the mounted rifles, and their gears were running, ready to shoot. Once they entered the range of the weapons, the security program engaged them. The mutant bees were spread out, making it harder to hit with concentrated fire. Furthermore, the current turrets had a limited angle of fire; only 2 of the 3 turrets could hit them. On top of the 2 previous problem, the mutated bees proved to be more agile and durable than zombies. After the first ones were struck down, the rest started to move more eraticaly toward them. They weren''t taken down as fast as Liushi hoped, and even though they probably wouldn''t be able to damage the armor, they could still damage the equipment on the roof.

    "This could turn out to be quite annoying" Liushi muttered.

    While he was thinking about minor damage to his truck, Xiaotian was thinking about her family: her father, her mother, and most importantly her little sister. She couldn''t help but think of the possibility of them having been killed and devoured by the mutants beasts. She was also reminded of their encounter with the mutant boar and how dangerous it had been. She stood next to Liushi, frozen in worry, horror and fear. She unconsciously gripped Liushi''s arm, turning his attention to her.

    "Don''t worry" he said while stroking her hand. "We will be fine in here."

    A few of them managed to reach the truck, and went directly for the driving cockpit. Normal bees already had good senses, even capable of detecting magnetic fields. These mutant bees had even better senses, and were capable of detecting humans quite well if there weren''t enough dampening or concealing material around them.

    *BAM! BAM! BAM!*

    "KYAAAAAAA!!!"

    They struck the windows with enough force to crack them, but they held. The windshield didn''t receive any noticable damage. But Xiaotian was quite alarmed by the event and fell back on her butt after screaming in fear. The turrets were able to deal with the mutant bees striking the driver window, but they couldn''t hit the one striking the windshield. Liushi restarted the engine, took the wheel, and moved around a little to put the remaining mutant bee in the sight of the turrets. After 30 seconds, all threats were eliminated.

    "It''s over for now" Liushi said while sighting. He turned to Xiaotan. "Are you felling better?"

    "I-I, I''ll be alright. I just need a bit of time to calm myself."

    "Then wait here. I''m going to take one of them here to inspect it. We need to know more about what we are dealing with."

    Liushi left the Doomride, and moved around the corpses. The mutant bees had a shell around their head and thorax, which required several shot to break. The head had 2 big eyes and 3 small ones on their foreheads. The front legs had scythes like a prayer mantis, and left marks on the truck. A creature one wouldn''t want to face on his own without a strong firearm or a tough blade, the skills to use either of them, and a good armor. Liushi had noone of those 3 at the moment, and was reminded of the martial arts manuals he had aquired but not yet studied and practiced.

    Liushi moved around, stopping here and there. He was looking for the corpses that weren''t too damaged, but also for mutant cores. However, the Starseed didn''t detect a single one among them. When he asked the Starseed why that was, it answered that the mutant bees were too young and immature to have a core. He took one corpse into the trailer and returned into the truck.

    ''These mutant beasts are going to be a major threat in the near future.''

 15 Assaul

    Liushi was in his Doomsday Ride, thinking about the new mutant beast he encountered, and what it meant for the future. Dealing with isolated mutant beasts was one thing. Dealing with packs, nests or hives of dangerous and hostiles beasts would be another.

    Zombies alone were already a big problem. Beasts were worse because they usually had better attributes than humans aside from intelligence: stronger, faster, tougher, able to poison or schock, blend in the surroundings. Now, he was in a town with a mutated bee hive within or nearby, and a bee hive could have at the very least thousands of bees. The group they had just encountered was a small scouting party, and they would meet more of them while searching for Xiaotian''s family. If they came across the nest, or somehow alerted the nest of the threat he and his truck presented to them, they would have to fight a swarm.

    He turned to his guest with a grim expression on his face.

    "Xiaotian, we can''t stay here for long. I don''t want to stay in the town for more than a day, it''s too dangerous."

    Xiaotian''s face lost all color, and she started to lightly shake. She bit her lips and looked at the ground. After a few seconds, she brough her eyes back to him, her face looking miserable.

    "What about my family?"

    "I too, do have a family, Xiaotian. I''ve been taking care of my little sister since the death of ur parents. I told her to wait for me. She is in Nanjing city, with limited supplies and no secure way to leave. I can''t risk getting stuck here."

    "I... You''re right" she said in a low voice, eyes shinning with unshed tears. "I''m sorry. I forgot you had your own obligations."

    "I said I would help you look for your family, and I will. It''s just that the time to do so is limited. Come on. Get back behind the wheel. You know the town, so take us to the places where we can drive the truck, and where some people could take refuge."

    "Yes. Thank you."

    For the next few minutes, the mood in the Doomsday Ride was gloomy, and it got worse when the caution alarm pinged again. Checking the video feed, he realised that 2 new groups of mutant bees were approaching from their 4 and 7 o''clock.

    "Tch, more of them. And they look much more agressive than the first group..."

    "What should I do?"

    Xiaotian, beside slight trembling and a pale face, was still driving properly. She was learning to keep her calm under pressure, and trust in the defensive capabilities of the vehicle.

    "Keep driving in circles in this area."

    Rather than be worried, Liushi was annoyed. He expected to deal only with zombies and possibly hostiles humans while in settlements, and mutant beasts between settlements. He didn''t expect to meet mutant beasts in settlements, having gotten rid of most of the zombie population. He had though that flashbang and smoke grenades would be effective against beasts and zombies, and a day later he found himself in a situation where he needed them.

    The needle rifles could fire 5 rounds per seconds, with 120 rounds magazines, and each of them had a total of 5 magazines. Most of the 1st magazine was used in the initial assault, and the seconds and thirds magazines would likely be used in the current one. The groups were larger and more mobile, slightly better prepared to deal with them. It meant that they were smarter than normal bees, as they likely learned something from the remain of the first group.

    ''And how did they now about the first group in the first place? Each scouting group should have its own zone to operate. They shouldn''t have been aware of their disparition before returning back to the hive... Unless they have a long distance way of communication.'' "Mother fuckers!!"

    Xiaotian almost made a driving mistake when she heard the sudden curse coming out of Liushi''s mouth. She spared him a perplexed glance and asked him what was going on.

    "Once we''re done dealing with this group, retrace our steps back to where we found the first group."

    "Ok..."

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    Jiang Liushi though that, either the bees shared some kind of telepatic link from which they could get a certain amount of information, or they used some kind of pheromones to communicate. Once they were done with this group, they would return back to where it started to confuse their sense of smell and make it harder to track them. He had prepared a lot of things when he made his Doomsday Ride, but he hadn''t prepared anything to give it an emergency cleaning to get rid of any unwanted scent. It was even possible for the mutant boar meat in the trailer to have attracted the bees in the first place.

    ''I''ll need to expand the windshield washing system to the whole vehicle and trailer, with a tank for cleaning liquid and one for scent masking. I should also add a smoke screen system. And some flame throwers.''

    BAM!! BAM BAM!! BAM!!

    His thoughs were interrupted by the sounds of impacts on the truck. Refocusing on what was happening, he saw that the mutant bees were having less trouble reaching truck, and were ramming themselves against it. It wasn''t much of a problem, except for the ones reaching the windows of the driving cockpit, and those striking the solar panels on the roof, probably thinking they would lead inside the truck.

    Xiaotian continued to drive, though she flinched with each impact. Even when one of them crashed on her window, she did nothing more than flinch. Liushi was impressed, and proud, but he had to fcus on something else than his pretty driver. The mutant beasts noticed that there were limits to how high the turrets could aim, and that right above the truck was a blind spot. And they concentrated more and more on the driver cockpit. The turrets could protect its sides, but not the front, and the Starseed warned him that the glasses from the windows were close to their limits.

    "Accelerate" he ordered Xiaotian.

    "What!!?"

    "Go faster. We need to shake them off."

    Xiaotian glanced at him with worry. While she had been driving faster than normal, it wasn''t to the point of recklessness. She didn''t want to risk losing control of the vehicle and overturn it. That would be catastrophic. Liushi guessed what she was thinking about.

    "Don''t worry about the speed, the co-pilot programm will help you keep control of the truck even with tight turns. It would even help you drift. Swerve, forget about staying on the road, drive on the sidewalk and destroy whatever stand in the way if you need to. This truck is made to drive through obstacles that are not meant to stop it. Go!!"

    After a second of hesitation, she firmly nodded her head and stepped on the throttle.

    VVRROOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!

    With a mighty roar, the heavy truck surged forward, dragging its trailer with it. The mutant beasts that were on the roof lost their balance and fell to the sides, or between the truck and the trailer, sometimes being crushed by it. The ones that were diving for the damaged windows and the windshield missed their targets and painfully smashed themselves against the mettalic body of the truck. A few of them were knocked out or killed.

    Xiaotian was now driving like a madwoman, blasting the occasional abandonned car out of her way, destroying poles and street lamps. The constant swerving made it quite hard for the mutant bees to attack, and it gave a few openings for the turrets to injure or kill them. The tires regulary screeched, making enough noise to tell anyone nearby that there was some action. Liushi was secretly happy that the bees focused more on avoiding attacks and trying to get inside. They didn''t think of destroying the parts that were attacking them, the turrets.

    The chase lasted until they reached the point of first contact. The size of the attack group didn''t decrease much because another smaller group had joined them on the way. One their, Liushi detached the trailer and ordered Xiaotian to run wild in the area until all bees were down. It was then that Xiaotian truly appreciated the capabilities of both the truck and the co-pilot program. She was drifting with an armored truck, with the speed and agility of a racing car. The co-pilot programm was just that good a making up for the mistakes of a beginner drifter. The near constant screeching of the tires had become background noise for Xiaotian, so concentrated she was in her driving.

    Because of all the crazy movements of the truck, the bees found themselves in the sight of the turrets more often than not. And because they focused on the driving cockpit, whenever the truck passed behind the trailer, its turret could fire on the flying beasts without troubles. After a few minutes, there no more moving beasts in sight.

 16 Survivors

    Xiaotian slowed down, and came to a stop near the trailer. She put the engine on standby and took her hands off the wheel.

    She released a long breath and looked at her hands. They were shaking on their own, and slightly numb, and her blood was still pounding in her temples. Because of the silence, it sounded quite loud in her head. She chuckled a bit, trying to keep calm, but lost it.

    "HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!"

    Liushi, who was still checking the feeds from the camera out of caution, was startled by the sudden bout of laughter. He watched as she laughed, as she tilted forward and supported herself with the wheel, her head down and her shoulders shaking. A smile grew on his face, until the laugh turned into sobs, erasing the previous smile.

    "Xiotian?"

    "It was scary" she said in a low voice between her sobs. "The driving was amazing. The power of the engine. The response speed. The mobility. Thrilling. But the attack? It was scary."

    She raised her head and looked at her companion. She had tears streaming down her face, and an expression that was equally amused and shamefull.

    "The omnious humming of numerous wings. The ferocious attacks on the windshield and the windows. It was frightening. After each strike I couldn''t help but think thatI the following one would breach the window, and that their scythes would pierce my head or slice it of my shoulders. I haven''t been so scared since that moment in Jiangbei, when you saved me and my friend."

    "And yet, despite all ofthat, you handled yourself like a pro. You kept your composure and held on until the end. I''m impressed, and very proud of you. You were wonderfull."

    Hearing his praises, she hastly turned her head the other way, her mood greatly improved, her heart raced, and with the remnants of the previous excitement, got slightly aroused. Liushi enjoyed her reaction very much, though he didn''t notice the last part. However much he wanted to stay in place and admire the charming girl at his side, there was work to do that couldn''t be delayed.

    He went back to the living module and got 2 buckets. He filled the first with a mixture of water and cleaning products, got out, climbed on top of his truck, and spread the liquid as much as possible. Xiaotian was tasked with filling the second bucket, pass it to him, recover the first empty bucket and fill it again. It took 15 min to give the truck and the trailer a rudimentary rinse, just enough to temporary mask scents. Then, they slowly moved toward the outskirt of the town. On the way, they encountered a bit more zombies, but not much, and settled in the small parking of modest hotel.

    It was getting late, and Liushi urged Xiaotian to take a rest. She went to the living module and left him alone in the driving cockpit. He decided to work on what kind of automated or remote controled drones he needed. They had to be hard to notice, as it could alert possible hostiles of his presence, something he would rather avoid. The Doomsday Ride was already noisy enough. Flying drones for a quick survey of the area. Rolling drones to see things hidden by foliage, shelters and the like. Walking drones to explore dangerous buildings due to the possible unmanageable number of hostiles inside.

    Bip! Bip!

    All activity in the truck was interrupted by the proximity alert. As Xiaotian made her way toward him, Liushi gazed at the screen of the tablet. A small group of people had appeared at the corner of the street, and was cautiously moving in their direction. The group was made of 3 men and 2 women, with hand axe, machete, sticks and staves as weapons. They seemed to be carrying supplies, and moving back toward to their shelter.

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    "Survivors..." Xioatian whispered in a tone full of hope.

    "Let''s wait for them to get close enough to talk. We don''t know them, they could try to steal from us."

    As they got closer, they noticed the truck and stopped. They talked to each other for a moment, then started to move even more cautiously toward them.

    "LU!!!" Shouted Xiaotian in joy.

    Liushi almost jumped out of his seat in surprise.

    "Who??"

    "Lu! That''s my little sister with them!" she replied with tears gathering at the corner of her eyes.

    "Fine, you can go see them, but for the love of god, no more screams please. And stay near the truck."

    "Ah, yes" she replied while blushing in shame. "I''ll be carefull, thank you."

    With that said, she got out of the truck and went to the edge of the parking. She happily waived her arm at her sister, who, after a few seconds, recognised her and rushed to her. It warmed Liushi to see the 2 sisters embrace each other. The other people in the group relaxed slightly as they observed the same scene.

    They gave them a little space for privacy, and turned their attantion toward his vehicle. For anyone, the Doomsday Ride would always be an impressive vehicle. Even more so since the day of the Outbreak. It was as impressive as it was intimidating, and the group of survivors couldn''t help but gulp in anxiousness. At that time, Xiaotian sister turned toward the truck with raw admiration in her eyes as she drunk in its appearance.

    Liushi rolled the window down, and all eyes went to him. He simply nodded in greetings, while assessing the group. There was a man that was past his prime, and seemed to be the leader of the group. The second man was middle aged, and looked like he was recovering from wounds. The last man wasn''t really a man, but a teenager who seemed to be in a bad mood. The woman with them was average looking and seemed to be in her late 20s. Their clothes were rumpled and slightly dirty, probably just worn today. For some reason, probably due to entertainment works, he expected survivors to wear the same dirty clothes. He was reminded that there was plenty of clothing and laundry products available for the survivors.

    Finally, his eyes landed on the sister duo. Lu was similar to her sister in many ways. However, she was shorter and slightly less busty, as well as more athletic than her older sister. The 2 of them side by side made for a nice view, and a small smile formed on his lips. The little sister gave him an enthusiastic greeting with her hand.

    "Brother Liushi, my little sister, Lu. Lulu, my saviour and comrade, Jiang Liushi."

    "Nice to meet you, brother Jiang."

    "Nice to meet you too. It''s good to see that there still people surviving, especially with the big buzzing bastards around."

    Hearing that last sentence, the faces of the survivors grew grim. The teen of the group snarled is in barrely restrained fury. As for Lu, she lowered her head, looking at the ground.

    "What do you know about those beasts?"

    The old man was the apparent leader of the group, so he was the one to answer the question.

    "They appeared on the second day of the outbreak. At that time, there weren''t many of them, and the zombies were a much bigger threat than them. It was on the third day that things started to change. First, their numbers had drastically increased. Then, they started to attack anyone, including zombies. Most of the zombies were killed, but when it came to human victims, most were captured. We don''t know why they took humans and zombies, and we don''t want to know what happen to them."

    Her head still lowered, Lu spoke softly.

    "We used to be part of a bigger group, nearly 20 people. We were in an empty house when a group of beasts went straight for us. We took care not to show hints of our presence to avoid zombies, yet the bees found us. It was then than someone familiar with bees told us that they probably detected us through body heat. Large group of people emit enough heat to attract them, so we had to split up."

    She raised her head and looked at her sister in the eye.

    "That was when I got separated from dad. We were to busy fighting fro our lives and escaping. I know that 3 other people died or were captured at that time. On top of that, the noise we made also attracted zombies. We don''t know what happened to the rest of them."

    "What about our mother?"

    "We don''t know what happened to her. We haven''t seen her since the day of the outbreak when she left for work."

    The sisters embraced each other with tears streaming down their faces. Liushi suppressed a grimace. He felt bad for the 2 sisters. The male teen of the group had angry tears as well. He probably lost people close to him. He would need to have a talk with the sisters to decide what to do next.

 17 Evening talk

    As it was getting late, they didn''t continue their conversation in the open. The local survivor group had planned to use the motel for the night, so they went there. Except for Lu, who was invited in the Doomsday Ride so she could be with her sister.

    Once she got inside, she moved slowly as she looked around with wide eyes. Xiaotian stood behind her, and watched her with barely hidden amusement.

    "Whoaa! Brother Jiang, your truck is sooo cool..."

    Jiang Liushi couldn''t help but feel proud of himself. Yes, Xiaotian was in awe of the truck when she first got in, but she never praised it like her sister did. He left the driving cockpit to join the sisters. Lu, who was looking around turned to him when she heard him move. In 2 fast steps, she was in front of him and bowed deeply.

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    "Thank you again, brother Jiang, for saving my dear sister and taking care of her. Without you, she would have had an unpleasant fate. And you even brough her home to look for the rest of her family and allowed us to be reunited. I''ll be forever in your debt."

    Liushi was surprised by the formality. When she was outside, she seemed like a more easy going girl. He felt that she didn''t need to act that way, but understood her feelings on the matter. He would kowtow to anyone who would save his sister from certain doom and treat her well.

    "It was no trouble, Wen Lu. But you''re welcome. Besides, Xiaotian has been helpfull..."

    Seeing Xiaotian getting embarassed at the praise, Liushi got into teasing mode. He found the woman to cute when she was in that state.

    "She didn''t have the chance to tell you what happened earlier today when the mutant bees attacked us. She drove like a boss!"

    Lu had a stunned expression on her face, and turned around to look at her elder sister. Said sister had turned her face away from both people. Her exposed neck was several shade darker than usual, and the same could be guessed about her face. An excited gleam entered Lu''s eyes, and she started to pester her sister about her heroic actions. Liushi let them be for a bit, enjoying the sight. Besides, it didn''t hurt to have a bit of fun once in a while, especially considering the circumstances. Both sisters needed it. He couldn''t help but imagine himself and his sister in the same positions.

    "Ok, girls, calm down a little. It''s been a long day. And I''m sure you want to stay close to each other, so it''s fine for Lu to stay with us tonight. Xioatian, why don''t you show her the shower and prepare some spare clothes for her?"

    "Sure. Come on, Lulu."

    "Thanks again, brother Jiang!"

    ''Hmm, I''ll have to put a curtain or a foldable screen to separate the bed-bathroom part from the kitchen-livingroom part'' though Liushi as he turned his head away from the attractive ladies.

    While Wen Lu was enjoying the shower, Xiaotian got started on diner. Since they had a lot of mutant meat available, he didn''t mind sharing some of them with the other 4 survivors. It would also help loosen their tongues, and reduce their greed seeing that he was generous. So he got out of the truck, went into the trailer and took out around 20kgs of mutant meat. Then he went to see the other survivors. He found them in the first floor, sharing 2 rooms between the 4 of them.

    "Hey, since we are staying in the same place tonight, I though I could share this with you."

    "Ho? What is it?"

    "Xiaotian and I came from Jiangbei. On the way, we were attacked by a mutant boar. We scavenged as much meat from it as possible. Here, have a look."

    He unwarped the bundle and presented the meat to the group. Their eyes widened as they smelled it, and some had their stomach gargle. They could tell it was high quality.

    "This is meat from 2 days, nearly 3 days ago, kept at room temperature, and still quite fresh."

    "Are you serious?" asked the youngest of the group.

    "Quite serious. Mutant meat can be kept for days without cooling devices, even longer with them. And it''s quite nutritious as well. It will help you a lot for the next few days. I''ll leave you while you prepare and enjoy your meal. We can talk more about everything that happened later."

    After being thanked by them, he went back into the truck. With both girls busy, he focused on the drones he planned to make. At first, he wanted the drones to be remotly controlled, but he realised that it would limit their range. It would be better if they were autonomous, but then they would need better hardware to support their programing, better batteries to sustain the hardware and engine, and better engine to support the increased weight. The remotes controled drones would be good only for close range surveillance. He would need autonomous drones for scouting. He would have to test the range at which wireless communication still works.

    Shortly before Xiaotian finished cooking, Lu finished ger shower and got dressed, then went straight to Liushi. As she called him, he turned to her, and got a really good look at her now that she was fresh and relaxed. She was just as attractive as her sister, though her traits were more chidlish, but her lips were a little more full. Her hips were also a little wider than her sisters, so she filled Xiaotion''s cargo pants rather well. With him sitting and her standing near, he got a nice view. As for the spare clothes, Xiaotian got them from an abandonned store when they took a break for lunch earlier.

    After thanking her once more, they talked a bit, mostly her talking about herself at Liushi''s request. She was more outgoing than Xiaotian, and more of an outdoor girl than her. She was a bit of a tomboy when she was young. She was in her 3rd year of highschool, more at ease with hand-on tasks than intellectual ones, but not stupid either. Whatever she would have liked to do for the future wouldn''t have involved spending a lot of time on a chair behind a desk.

    Soon enough, the diner got ready, and Lu joyfully stuffed herself with the delicious mutant meat. Xiaotian used the oportunity to relate their encounter with the mutant boar. She also joked about how Liushi let her store the meat on her own while he was sleeping. It was apleasant diner for all those involved. Once done, they left to meet the other survivor in the lobby of the motel. The Starseed was connected to the electronic of the Doomsday Ride, so in case of an emergency he could transmit command to it.

    "Young man" said the elder of the group, "The meat you shared with us was quite exquisite. Once more I thank you for that. But I''m curious though. Judging by the size of the mutant bees here, the boar you got the meat from must have been big. How did you deal with it, if you don''t mind me asking?"

    "I used one of the construction tool the back of my truck is equipped with, in this case, a pile-driver. On the topic of the mutant beasts, Xiaotian told me that the trees on the way into the town were used by beekeepers. Since you''ve been here since the day of the outbreak, do you have any idea of which beekeeper these beasts are from, or if all the hives got the same mutations? We need to know which area of the town to avoid while I help Xiaotian and Lu look for their parents."

    "The apiaries are located on the outskirt of the town, on 3 differents areas that are around the same distance from each others, though 2 of them are on the side leading toward Jiangbei" said Lu.

    "There were 6 beekeepers in town before all that madness began" replied the middle aged man. "I used to live not far from the Yan couple apiary. I went there once to get some supplies, and I didn''t come across a single beast at that time. Just the zombies from the neighborhood. I don''t think the bees there changed."

    The rest indicated that they had no idea where the bees came from. They had to avoid several areas of the town, either due to the possible presence of the mutant bees, or due to the number of zombies.

    "Wait. When we met outside, you said that the beasts took some of the zombies and people alive with them."

    "Yes, what of it?" shouted the hot blooded youth, with warning in his tone.

    "I know it must have been horrifying to witness, but I can''t help but wonder. Did you notice in which direction they took them?"

    After wincing at the recollection, the survivors though about it for a few seconds, and it''s the girl, an aquitance from Lu who answered.

    "I think they went somewhere in the direction of the Zedong farm. I''m not absolutly certain, but I think they went toward that area."

    "But there is no apiary there" remarqued the elder of the group, which made Liushi pause. There was something wrong.

 18 The search

    While everyone though that the young lady mistoke the direction the beasts took, Liushi though that she may be right.

    The Starseed said that the reason the mutant bees didn''t have a core was because they were still immatures. He didn''t think that they would settle anywhere but in the hive they originated from, though they would have upgraded it to accomodate their new size. He also didn''t think they would be smart enough to act that well organised. Why did they take both zombies and humans away, the zombies mostly taken as corpses, and the humans mostly taken alive? They had use for zombies corpses and live humans. No, the thing, or the person controlling them did. Something or someone smart enough to not have stayed where the apiaries were.

    At the end of the talk, Liushi, Xiaotian and Lu had determined places where their parents were likely to have gone to. Most likely where their father could have gone. They had little hope of ever finding their mother safe and sound, so they didn''t even talk about the possibility. The place where she worked didn''t offer much protection against a sudden zombie apocalypse, and that was only if she survived the mutation.

    In return for the informations about the town, he gave the 4 survivors another 10kg of mutant meat, as well as information about the existance of safe haven the government hastly prepared when they realised the outbreak was imminent. If they ever left their town, which would be a smart thing to do with the mutant bees around, they knew they could try to go to Shenhai Island. And they should do so by following the major roads and railways from a safe distance, as they would likely have a lot of zombies around, but more chances to come across a military convoy.

    Back in the Doomsday Ride, Xioatian took the lower bed while her sister took the upper bed in the living module. Liushi realised that he was going to need another bed before reaching Nanjing City. The area in front of the door and the kitchen had 2 seats and a table. He was going to turn it into a retractable table, and the 2 seats would be replaced by a clic-clac bed, doomsday ride style. He also wanted to add 2 rifles turrets on the truck and another on the trailer. Finally, he would add another pump and valve with a hose so he could wash the truck properly.

    While the girls were quietly talking to each other, Liushi had started the repairs and upgrades. He had connected the truck to the motel power grid with a bit of material manipulation, and let the Starseed do the rest. All he had to do was stay in contact with the truck. At least for the windows and external upgrades, the internal ones would force him to reveal part of his secret, and he didn''t want to yet. For the rest, which were made outside of their view, he could blame his engineering section and some DIY.

    Jiang Liushi woke up with a start, and his hands went to the weapons he kept near him. He looked around, and not noticing anything that could have awoken him, became puzzled.

    [The external power source has been cut] announced the Starseed.

    ''External power source? The local powergrid! There goes my booster for upgrades...''

    Ever since the Outbreak Day, Liushi knew that the supply of electricity and running water wouldn''t last if there wasn''t a solid military presence nearby to protect the installations and their operators. The outbreak must have already caused damage to the distribution network due to accidents, and the zombies and mutant beasts might cause damages as well.

    ''Frozen products! Not only frozen food, but also medecines and some specific components, they are going to be lost in areas losing power. They are going to be valuable ressources in the following months. I should check as many pharmacy, hospitals and medical labs as possible on my way. Thinking about it, for survival, people will focus on non-perishable food, leaving most frozen goods, so I should raid butcher shops, sea food shops and restaurant freezers as well. I should also gather some luxury consummables, smokes and drinks. Good thing I got myself a trailer, it''s going to be full soon.''

    After making a note about that on the on-board computer, he went back to sleep. During the night, the additional turrets on the Doomsday Ride were completed, one at the front and one at the back. They were made to target aerial enemies, especially those trying to attack from above the truck. The additional ones on the trailer were made to protect the sides, and would be near useless against attacks from sraight above, but it wasn''t a problem as the mutant bees wouldn''t focus on it.

    Early in the morning, Liushi and the Wen sisters separated from the other survivors. They were all in the driving cockpit, Xiotian behind the wheel, Lu in the middle and Liushi next to the door. They were driving slowly, relying mostly on the electric engine to keep the noise to a minimum.

    The zombies they encountered on the way were quickly killed by the turrets. Liushi made a few quick stops on the way to collect quality liquor and smoking supplies. The zombies he encountered in those stores were dealt with quickly with his needler and fire axe. The defense of his biker gear had already been tested, and he was always carefull to not get swarmed. And this time, even when surprised, he reacted properly. He was very pleased with himself afterward. However, things changed shortly after noon. They had taken a break to eat, when the security program caught movement behind them.

    "Survivors" said Liushi, as he had the pad in front of him.

    Xiaotian and Lu quickly gathered around him to look at the footage.

    "But, wait" said Lu.

    "I noticed" answered Liushi. "They are retreating. Trying to flee without attracting attention."

    On the screen, the 3 survivors movements were frantic, yet it was clear they were trying to be discreet. They were coming from a previous minor intersection. Liushi guessed they were moving through the smaller roads for more cover from the bees, despite more chances of ambushes by zombies in dark areas. One of them stopped for a moment, then got down a crawled under an abandonned car, near a zombie corpse. The others scattered arounds looking for cover, but it was too late.

    A mutant bee emerged from the street they came from, and let did some frenetics short moves while striking its front limbs together. A few seconds later, several more mutant bees rushed there, and targeted the 2 barely hidden survivors. They tried to fight back, one of them even succeding in vanquishing a bee with an axe strike, but they got overwhelmed. However, despite all the injuries they inflicted on them, they didn''t kill them.

    The last man got unlucky. He was well hidden, and would have been left alone if one of the bees hadn''t been kicked in his direction by his struggling comrade. The close combat battle under the car was short and likely ended with his death, as less than 10 seconds later, the bee emerged, and noone of them tried to take him. With 3 beasts per people, and the remaining ones as escort, they carried their weakly struggling preys away.

    Liushi and the Wen Sister watched all of this on the screen of the tablet. They had decided before living in the morning, that they couldn''t afford to help everyone they came across. Not when the people needing help were attacked by the mutant beasts. Attracting their attention wasn''t a good thing, especially while looking for someone. They would only act if the girls recognised someone, for people that truly matered to them.

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    That certainly didn''t mean they took what happened very well. Xiaotian had both her hands over her mouth and was silently crying. Lu only looked sad and resigned, having already witnessed the same kind of scene before. Liushi didn''t stay frozen in front of the screen. He swiftly moved behind the wheel and turned the engine on. Then he drove in reverse toward the intersection, clearly intending to follow the beasts. Xiaotian gasped in shock and both girls turned thir panicked faces toward him.

    "Brother Liushi! What are you doing?"

    "We forgot something" he said, as he cautiously entered the street the survivors had come from.

    He also kept an eye on the sky, as some of the mutant bees could be seen from time to time rising above the roofs of buildings.

    "They take live humans. We don''t know how long they keep them alive, but I believe it''s for more than a few hours. You probably don''t want to think about it, but your parents may very well be prisoners. If they are, we would know, and we could try to help them. If they aren''t, then at least we would know where their hive is, and with some molotov cocktails, make sure they are too busy doing damage control to think of doing more abductions."

 19 Smoke screen

    Following the mutant bees was dangerous, but Liushi was confident they would be able to escape.

    Unlike the previous day, he was only using the electric half of the engine. It made very little noise, produced less heat than the fuel engine, and didn''t release exhaust gas. It was what had attracted the mutant bees the most before.

    "Brother Liushi, I don''t think that''s a good idea" said Xiaotian.

    She had taken the wheel, and her sister was at the back preparing the molotov cocktails.

    "Probably not... but we need the information. And not just because of your family."

    "What do you mean?"

    "Have you heard the saying ''things get worse before they get better''? The whole world is mutating, changing. It will be chaotic before things start to stabilise. The mutant animals, mutant insects, mutant plants. They are still new, still vulnerable. I want to know more about them before it gets too troublesome. It''s a chance for me to know about a mutant hive before it gets too strong. And I want to know about the kind of monster that can control immature mutant beasts, how strong or smart they can be."

    "That''s too dangerous!! That''s crazy!!"

    "Stop!"

    She stopped the vehicle and looked around anxiously.

    "We''re getting close. There are more of them, and no traces of zombies. I have to continue on foot."

    Xiaotian''s expression became alarmed. She was about to shout at him when he put his hand in front of her face.

    "One of the blankets I have is insulated. I can escape detection with it. And for scent, I kept a dead beasts as sample for a scientist to study later. I will scrub myself and the blanket with its body so its scent will rub on us and mask my own. Bees don''t like smoke, so I''ll put a few cars on fire on the way, they will avoid the area."

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    Xiaotian, and Lu who was listening to the not discreet conversation, paused to think about it. They realised that Jiang Liushi wasn''t as reckless as he seemed. True, the decision to follow the mutant beasts was abrupt, but at least he was thinking about the risks and methods to stay safe. They weren''t completly convinced but relucantly agreed with him. On top of that, they didn''t really want to go against their benefactor.

    As for Liushi, there was another reason why he decided to risk entering the territory of the mutant bees boss. Mutant beast core. The Starseed informed him that not only did mutant cores contain energy, they were also excellent catalyst for its material manipulation abilities. On its own, the capabilities of the Starseed were basic, but with a proper supply of energy, or special materials like muant beasts core, it could do incredible things. It could make complex materials from basic ones, like alloys and ceramics, or even create matter from energy.

    He still had the mutant core from the boar. He hadn''t used it yet because he wasn''t decided between accelerating some basic transformations, or converting basic materials into better ones before using them to upgrade his vehicle. The first option gave him benefits in the short term, and the second one gave him long term benefits. So he choose the second option. He just didn''t have the time to implement it, especially since he was quite anxious to be reunited with his sister.

    He told her to prepare supplies for a week, and it had already been 5 days since the outbreak. With 2 mutant cores, he would be able to make impressive upgrades in no more than a day. Upgrades that would be very welcome once he got into Nanjing City. He remembered the amount of zombies that swarmed Shenbei when he left Jiangbei, and dreaded what he would find in Nanjing.

    Jiang Liushi stood up and went to prepare himself for his little infiltration mission. The bottles used for the molotov cocktails were small ones, easier to carry and more uses. Aside from them he only took the fire axe and his needler as weapons. After scrubing both himself and his blanket with the zombie corpse, he left. Xiaotian had the instruction to slowly move toward the smoke made by the burning cars each time a column appeared in the sky. He wanted the truck nearby when he would need to retreat.

    As they watched him leave, the sisters repressed a snort of amusement despite the circumstances. Liushi wanted to stay as low as possible while moving, ready to lay down and stay still at any moment. Thus, he was moving on all 4, with his blanket covering. He only got on 2 feet when he needed to cross an area without cover. It was a ridiculous and funny sight, and in the back of his mind he was aware of it and embarrassed.

    On the way, he often checked the sky before moving. He had to freeze each time he heard the buzzing sound of their wings. It was only 15 minutes after his departure that he put his first abandonned car on fire, an old suv with a lot of material to burn. He encountered very few zombies on the way, and that was only when he made enough noise to attract the attention of those hidding in nearby building when lighting said vehicles. They had learned to avoid the outdoor due to the mutant bees. He dealt with them using his needler.

    He caught more and more sighting of mutant bees, and looking at heir movements, guessed the right direction to reach their nest. He had to stop so often that he advanced slower than a regular walking person. It was like playing a lethal version of Peep Behind the Curtain [AN - I''m french, so when I searched for the english name of the game "123 Soleil". Including what I used, there was also Grandmother''s Footsteps, Sly Fox and Black Pudding. It looks like differents games with the same basis: freeze when you''re about to be seen]. He was getting very nervous and started to have regrets.

    ''I should have taken a cardbox. A big one with holes to see. Much more inconspiscious than an abandonned blanket covering something... Damn, now I have the game over screen playing in my head. How comforting.''

    Despite his growing fear, Liushi noticed another change in the environment. A scent, reminescent of forgotten food that started to mold. He had to stay in place for a little while, keeping track of the changes in the wind direction, to find out where the smell came from. He couldn''t go there yet due to the large number of mutant bees patrolling. He needed a bigger distraction than some abandonned car. He decided to put a whole building on fire.

    There was a general direction where the wind was blowing despite the small changes, and he wanted the wind to carry the smoke in the direction of the hive. So he had to circle around the supposed position of the hive until he came across a usable building. This took him another 30 min. The building was 5 stories high, with a small clothes store on the groundfloor. That meant plenty of burning materials. He had to clear it from the 8 zombies that were inside, which wasn''t much of a problem with his needler and fire axe. The action actually allowed him to unload his excess tension on the zombies.

    He spent another 45min in the building, preparing to light it up. All the doors and windows on the ground floor would be open to allow air in, the windows on the 1st and 2nd floor would be closed, and the ones on the upper floor would be open to allow the smoke out. Clothes, plastics and rigged aerosol bombs were placed in the most efficient ways he could think of on the spot. He wanted to start the fire in the 1st and 2nd floors, and leading it to spread to the upper floor instead of the ground floor. He wanted the fire to be very hot and produce as much smoke as possible.

    He started a small fire in each rooms of the second floor, then the first, then waited a bit in the groundfloor near the front door. He would only move out once the fire spread enough.

    ''The fire I made shouldn''t spread too far, since the block is small... I wonder how many major cities in the world will have to be burned to get rid of the zombies within? Heck! I bet there are some towns and cities that partially burned because of the chaos of the past days? How many zombies were forced out of them and started to pleague the countryside because of it? Things must be quite unpleasants for the survivors of that area...''

    After a while, Jiang Liushi started to feel the heat on the floor above him. Once in a while he could hear an aerosol bomb exploding. He wasn''t too worried about the noise made because the mutant bees got rid of most zombies and they wouldn''t get close to the fire. When smoke started to slowly fill the groundfloor, he decided to leave.

 20 The beehive

    With a thin column of smoke spreading above him, Liushi resumed his trip toward the hive. As expected, there were a lot less mutant bees flying around the cloud, so he could advance at a more regular pace.

    The closer he got, the stronger the smell of mold got, and it was accompanied by the growing smell of rot. The number of mutant bees in the surrounding rose again as well. There was a constant humming noise that grew louder. At a crossroad, Liushi finally laid his eyes on the hive. It was an organic mass seemingly growing from 2 buildings. It was mainly brown and grey in color, with some dark red sections that made him think of dry blood, and some dirty yellow patches. There were a few openings where windows should be, with some mutant bees going in and out. The rotten smell came from the ground around the hive. It made him think of an infested terran building in Starcraft.

    There was a layer what was obviously organic matter, with thousands of flies buzzing around. He could even recognise broken bones here and there. What he though was some patches of shimering liquid on the ground was in fact maggots. The idea of sneaking into the place became highly unattractive, and he got the urge to torch the place down and bury the remains. Liushi still decided to look around the hive before deciding wether to move forward or retreat.

    With the amount of activity around the hive, he had to move at a snail pace. As he circled around the hive, he got to see another side of it. This one was clearly still under construction, and the sight almost made him throw up. He had to stop and hide under a car to take the time to recover. He was too disturbed to stay still while in the open.

    ''Now I know why they brough people and zombies back. They are the main material for the construction of the hive... I should have guessed it! After all, normal beehives are basically made from processed plants materials. With these mutants beasts interests in humans rather than plants... I should have guessed it...''

    The front was made of corpses stacked together, and seemingly held together by melted and merged parts. There were mutant bees working on it, and sprayed something from their mouths on the corpses. Liushi guessed that the liquid reacted with the flesh to turn the corpse into an organic building material. Part of the corpse melted down to the ground where it would rot. The rest would swell and solidify. The innards of the corpses were visible, and due to the reaction with the mutant bees sucs, some were pulsating. It reinforced his previous image of an infected terran building, but with dead infected terrans on the wall. It made him want to throw up, but he had to hold it in. It took him a few minutes to regain his composure and resumed his scouting.

    [Energy core detected] the Starseed announced in his head.

    Liushi froze. It was what he was waiting for. When he encountered the mutant boar, the Starseed had detected its core before he was even able to see it. He could use the Starseed to detect fully matured mutant beasts. He could locate them.

    ''Below ground level... That hive doesn''t extend just outward. Did it reach the sewer system? How many entrances are there anyway?''

    Liushi sat there for a few minutes, pondering what to do. He wondered how to get inside without getting swarmed, how much light was available inside, if it was wide enough to stand or if he would have to crawl, how much flammable was the hive.

    ''I can''t really do anything right now. I had enough informations and equipment for a scouting mission, not an infiltration mission of this type. I wish I could ram a truck full of fuel on the place and watch the fireball. It would certainly help kill quite a few of them, drive the other away, and reveal the hive master if it didn''t burn with the rest of the hive... Should I light some of the surrounding buildings on fire? Then I could try to light fires at the entrances of the hive. Won''t the smoke lead Xiaotian here? She would be swarmed by angry mutant bees, and her and her sister would get killed, and my truck damaged.''

    "Shit, I didn''t think to prepare a means of communication between us" he whispered to himself.

    [A communication channel was already etablished during the construction and programming of the computer of the host vehicle. A message can be transmitted and displayed on the cockpit screen at any time, so long as the vehicle is within range, which it is right now. Do you wish to send a message to the guests now?]

    ''... I''m an idiot! If I can remotly direct it, of course I can send a message...'' "Message start" he whispered. "I have put a building on fire so the wind would carry the smoke toward the hive and help conceal myself. I have located the hive. The zombies, and possibly the captured humans, have been used as material to build the hive. I see no safe way to enter the hive, and I''m unsure of how well it could burn. I plan to light up a few of the surrounding buildings on fire to smoke the area, then retreat to the first building I burned. End message."

    [Message sent.]

    In the Doomsday Ride, Xiaotian was at the wheel, with her sister next to her. She was really worried about Liushi. It was the first time since their meeting that they got separated. Xiaotian had shown her sister how to check the cameras feeds, so Lu helped not only keep track of their surroundings in case another group of survivors showed up, and also to check the sky for signs of fire. The burned cars were the only signs she had that Liushi was fine.

    Ping!

    Lu was startled not only by the sound, but also the change in the screen. Xiaotian looked curiously at her sister.

    "It''s a message sister. From brother Jiang" she said as she turned the screen toward her.

    "What? He had a means to communicate and he didn''t tell me anything about it?"

    She already didn''t like that Liushi went alone in a dangerous zone. Now she was annoyed because he didn''t tell her about communication. She kept her reaction to a mild scowl, while promising herself to have a talk with him later. The sister read the message, and their skin lost color at the content.

    Lu''s eyes got wet, and a single tear ran down her face. She turned her face away from Xiaotian and hastly wiped her face and eyes while her sister was focusing on the message. She realised that, if her parents were taken by the mutant bees, they would most likely be part apart of the hive then.

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    "We should find the biggest smoke cloud and go there now. He said he used it to further hide himself so he must have though of the wind direction. Let''s get out and check, it will help us narrow where to look."

    Lu was worried about her sister. Of the 2, Xiaotian had always been the more sensitive, while she was the tougher one. She didn''t want her to think about the possible gruesome state of their parents before reaching the rendez-vous point. She was trying to distract her. As for the hive, she fully supported Liushi''s idea. She wanted to burn it to cinders. If only so her parents and friends bodies may no longer be part of it if they got caught.

    After checking the wind direction, which had picked up, they got back in the truck, and within a few minutes, located the dense smoke cloud made by theburning building. They realised Liushi had made a small detour. She diverted her sister attention by wondering how he sent the message to them. After all, they were with him when he prepared himself. He didn''t take any communication devices, the internet and mobile phone network were down, and that custom truck didn''t seem to have any specialised communication application.

    While the girls moved, Liushi slowly checked the buildings surrounding the hive. As expected, they were all empty of living beings, and so long as he avoided the windows he could move unhindered. The problem was that it was risky to force open locked door, it could attract mutant bees with the noise. It also meant he couldn''t properly set the fires, it would take longer to spread, and it was already reaching mid-afternoon. Liushi want to be done with the hive by evening so he could rest that night and leave the next day in the morning. It would also give him a bit of time for one last search for the Wen sister''s parents.

 21 Interesting time-ou

    Liushi put 3 buildings on fire and hastly retreated from the increasingly more frenzied hive zone. The mutant bees were more panicked and confused by the nearby fires, and didn''t focus much on details, like the slow moving silver form going away. They didn''t care much about what was on the ground.

    Once he got far enough, Jiang Liushi took of the blanket, folded it while accelerating his walking speed, put it under his arm, and ran. He ran as if the whole hive knew he was responsible, and they were right behind him. He put most of his weight on the front of his feet, trying to be as silent as possible. Being near a hive full of unnerved mutant bees had frightened him. One wrong move and he would have been swarmed, slaughtered and used as material for the expansion of the hive. He had managed to keep a tight leash on his fear until then. After running as fast as possible for around a minute, he slowed down.

    He was lucky that, by the time he decided to leave, the way to the first building he lit on fire was cleared of beasts. They seemed intent on staying clear of the smoke, and had nothing keeping them in the area, whereas around the hive they were conflicted between leaving and staying to protect their home.

    As soon as he caught sight of his truck, he relaxed. It was a little behind the burning building, on the other side of the road. A few abandonned vehicles had been pushed aside to make room for it. He went straight to the living module, and when he opened the door, Xiaotian was waiting for him, with Lu near her. She immediatly started to check him.

    "Are you alright? You weren''t injured? They didn''t discover you?"

    "... As you can see, I''m perfectly alright. I managed to stay hidden the whole time."

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    After a few seconds, satisfied that he was indeed alright, she asked the questions that were mostly on her mind on her way there.

    "How did you contact us? Why didn''t you say anything about it?"

    Liushi had though about it. While he wanted to keep the Starseed secret, its abilities couldn''t remain secret. He was already thankfull Xiaotian didn''t question him much about the truck and the improvements he made to it during their travel together. But, as he intended to make significant improvements before they reached Nanjing, the sisters would notice it for sure. They would be so extensive he wouldn''t be able to use the engineering section as an excuse. So he made a story based on what the Starseed told him about the outbreak.

    "As you already know, the world is changing. The ancient super-virus that the scientific community discovered and released is the cause of this. It provoked a forced evolution on seemingly all animal life, and possibly on plant life as well, though we haven''t seen any signs of it yet. For humanity, from what I can tell, there are those who couldn''t handle the forced evolution and turned into zombies, there are those who barely handled it, thus didn''t really change from before, and then there are those who evolved, gaining either improved bodies, or something they something they hadn''t before."

    He stopped for a bit, letting them digest the informations, and being a bit dramatic about the following part.

    "I''m part of the third category. I''m some sort of evolved human."

    The silence and the faces of the girls after hearing this was unsettling for Liushi. Xiaotian was gaping like a fish, and Lu froze like a deer in headlights. Liushi chose to continue his explanation before they could react and bombard him with questions or accusations.

    "I can use materials to make things, or improve things. I gained that ability before the outbreak, and with the press conference about the super-virus, I roughly guessed what had changed me, and what was likely to happen. I made this truck, my Doomsday Ride, with that ability, combining several kinds of vehicles into one."

    He paused once more for the benefit of the girls before resuming his explanation.

    "When I made the on-board computer, I sort of etablished a link to it. I didn''t think much of it before, it was only earlier that I discovered I could send messages through that link... Maybe you should take a seat, I see it''s a lot for you to take in."

    As he finished, he led the girls to the seats in front of the kitchen. They didn''t resist, but continued to look at him, mostly in shock for Xiaotian and wonder for Lu. He enjoyed it in the privacy of his mind. Having attractive girls look up to him was stroking his ego. Once they calmed down, they asked for some clarifications, but he didn''t reveal more, aside from the fact that mutant beasts had a core, which he could use to temporary boost his ability. Xiaotian was the first to understand what it meant.

    "You want the core from the hive queen!"

    "Yes. If I want to reach my sister in Nanjing, I must upgrade the truck enough to not only deal with mutant beasts more efficiently, but also deal with the large number of zombies that would without doubt be there. Xiaotian, you should remember the swarm that was chasing us when we reached Shenbei."

    Xiaotian nodded and shivered at the same time. She had been a few seconds away from dying with her friends, and the memory still bothered her quite a bit. She still didn''t want him to go back to the hive.

    "Didn''t you come back precisely because you didn''t have any viable way to enter the hive?"

    "I didn''t when I left. But now I think it''s possible to do something. When I left, I saw that the mutant bees were badly affected by the smoke. In fact, I think they will be so confused they won''t properly react to the presence of the truck if we got close silently enough. Then we use the turrets to trim down their numbers. Meanwhile, I''ll look for some other burning materials around and make packs. When the number of beasts outside the hive gets low enough, I''ll put the previously made light packs at the entrances of the hive to smoke out the remaining beasts. Then I''ll get in with one of my needle rifle and some more molotov cocktails, and deal with the hive queen."

    "I''ll come with you" Lu suddenly interjected.

    Unlike the people she escaped with when they were ambushed by the mutant bees, the father of the young ladies wasn''t as agile as he used to be. Lu already suspected that her father had become a victim of the beasts. Unlike Xiaotian, she had a vindictive side, but it used to show more as some light pranking. After the outbreak, the restrain on that part was greatly reduced. Non-existant when dealing with lethal threats. She wanted to give these beasts a piece of her mind. However, her elder sister wasn''t of the same opinion.

    "NO!!" she said while turning her head toward her sister so fast Liushi momentary worried about the condition of her neck. "You''re finally safe. I won''t allow you to go back outside. Especially not to go to a monsters nest!"

    Xiaotian was looking furiously at her sister, but anybody could also see the fear behind the anger. Lu met her sister glare without flinching, and without backing down. She didn''t chose to go just for revenge, she also ginuinely wanted to help their benefactor. She was more athletic and daring than her sister, and had more mental fortitude and fighting spirit. She handled the catastrophe much better than her sister.

    "I''m already used to moving around on foot with the zombies mutant bees threat. This time, the threat will be reduced because the beasts cleared the zombies around, and they are now distracted by the smoke." She turned her determined eyes to Jiang Liushi. "I can watch your back and help you gather whatever you need. I won''t let you go alone do something dangerous for our benefits with everything you''re already providing to us. It''s the least I could do. I won''t be a parasite to you brother Liushi!"

    They looked at each other for a bit, and Liushi nodded. While he didn''t want to put the ladies in danger, he wouldn''t refuse voluntured help. Definitly not in dangerous times. Xiaotian, seeing the result of the silent exchange, pitifuly groaned and held her head in her hands. Lu went to her and gave her a hug which she heartfully returned.

    After reassuring each other, the sisters separated. Xiaotian went back behind the wheel and strated to slowly drive the truck to the hive. Liushi stayed at the back with Lu to help her prepare for their little expedition.

 22 Bees extermination

    At the back of the living module, Liushi intructed Xiaotian in the use of the needle gun. He also gave her his machete. He would have his own needler and keep the fire axe as weapons.

    As for protective gear, he didn''t have the time to get something for the girls yet, so he decided to have her wear several layers of clothing. They would end up going near and into the hive, and he didn''t want to think about the kind of infection they could get through a scratch. He told her as much when she tried to complain about the idea. She wore jeans under her cargo pants, and a jean vest over long sleeve polo. Liushi did have safety masks to protect from dust and gases. He had gathered a few of them while preparing for the outbreak, but forgot about them until then.

    Xiaotian drove the truck until they reached a distance of around 300m from the hive. From there, they could see the frenetic activity of the mutant bees. Liushi decided that he and Lu would get down there. He instructed Xiaotian to circle around and come from downwind. He also told her to come in reverse, so that the turret at the back of the trailer had a clear line of sight, and so the that driving cockpit would be furthest from the incoming beasts.

    When Liushi and Lu left the truck, they took the electric pallet mover with them to carry the packs Liushi wanted to make. The sisters gave each other telling looks through the window before turning away, and seeing this, Liushi swore to himself that he would do his best to bring Lu back safe and sound.

    The exploration of the block wasn''t as silent as Liushi and Lu would have liked due to the humming sound made by the pallet mover, but it wasn''t a problem. There really wasn''t much chance to come across zombies unless they entered closed rooms. At those times, a soft knock on the door would attract any zombie within the room, and they could hear them move through the door. Thus they didn''t suffer from jump-scares.

    They worked in silence, with the not so distant sound of bees and burning buildings in the background, and the unpleasant smell of half-toxic smoke in the air. They aquired a few more supplies at the same time. The sun was getting uncomfortably low when they finished packing the pallet mover. Then they advanced toward the hive.

    "Looks like everything is working fine for now" said Liushi as he was leading the way.

    "Can you tell if Xiaotian is okay?"

    She had accuratly guessed that Liushi had opened his connexion to the truck. But he could also tell because the activity of the mutant bees around the hive was reduced despite the fires still going strong. In fact, 2 of them had spread to the adjoined buildings.

    "She is perfectly fine, and the truck and the trailer weren''t really damaged. We still have to remain careful. Even with Xiaotian attracting most of them on the other side, we could still be swarmed by the ones nearby..."

    He shook his head and turned to Lu. She looked to be fine, not at all alarmed to be so close to the hive. She looked as resolute as when they were still in the Doomsday Ride.

    "We will probably be forced to attract some of them into one of the nearby buildings before being able to get closer. How do you feel about having to fight them close?"

    "... Brother Liushi. Xiaotian didn''t think about it, but I did. I think that our parents became part of the hive. Our father wasn''t in a condition to properly evade the beasts, and our mother was most likely turned into a zombie considering she worked in the market place, a crowded place with little possible shelter. And that area had seen a lot of mutant bees activity. I know for a fact that some of my friends were unfortunate enough..."

    Her gaze was still resolute, but she was crying. Liushi winced in the privacy of his mind, seeing her tears run freely on her attractive face. Despite the situation, he couldn''t help but find her very charming, but those thoughs thankfully stayed in the background of his mind.

    "I''m eager to slaughter them, brother Liushi" she said in a hard tone, her eyes narrowing.

    "Then let''s do it!"

    They entered one of the intact buildings facing the hive through a door in the back alley. Liushi put a pack near both entrances of the alley and lit them up, so no mutant beasts would come there. They secured the groundfloor and slowly displaced the furnitures to funel the beasts in a narrow area and kill them one by one instead of being attacked on all side. Then, they loudly broke the windows and attacked the closest beasts with their needlers.

    "Hey! Over here you stupid beasts!" he shouted.

    That definitly attracted the attention of the nearby ones, and they rushed toward what they identified not as prey like they usually did, but as threats due to the nearby fires. The 2 humans retreated further into the building. When the first beasts entered, they were sprayed with a few needles before falling to the ground. Some were killed when the needles entered their eyes and damaged their brains, the others were just wounded. The wounded ones would get up and crawl toward their targets, where they would receive a machete strike to their limbs or an axe strike in the head. They would sometimes be kicked, especially the crawling ones.

    For several minutes, the pair worked side by side to kill the beasts. The ones that didn''t notice their presence at first were attracted by the commotion the other beasts made. With the truck dealing with larger numbers on the other side, the outside of the hive got mostly cleared. The sky was red and quickly turning darker. Half of the fires were slowly dying while the rest was still going strong.

    Liushi and Lu cautiously got out of the building and in front of the hive. On the other side, Xiaotian was backing the truck in the place as well, dealing with the last beasts. While there was still a lot of smoke, there was no longer any mutant bees in the air. For the first time, the girls got a good view of the hive and its surrounding. Xiaotian was lucky because she was in the truck. Lu had to not only bear the sight, but also the smell. But they managed to hold it in, they were getting used to the ghastly sights that people would always come across since the outbreak.

    "Let''s go and get the pallet mover. We have a hive to smoke."

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    Lu nodded and followed him to the back alley where they left their stuff. They came back a few minutes later, and got in view of the truck, to the relief of the elder sister. They decided to place the packs in places so as to force any remaining beasts toward the area of the hive that was still under construction. When they lit all the packs and threw them in the various entrances of the hives, they retreated to the Doomsday Ride. By that time, the night had fallen.

    "How long do you think it''s going to take?" Lu asked Liushi, her eyes still on the hive.

    "Depends on the internal structure, how well the smoke spread inside."

    After nearly 15 minutes, the remaining beasts started to leave through the unfinished part one by one. They were swiftly killed by the truck''s turrets. Some of the fires started to spread on the ground around the hive, slowly burning the slim cover of organic material that dripped from the hive wall, while others were lazily licking the walls of the hive. The flames were calm but persistent, and growing. Liushi noticed this and frowned, and the girls saw him frown.

    "What''s wrong?" Xiaotian asked.

    "I think that the hive is more flammable than I though. It just won''t burn as fast or as violently as ordinary flammable materials. I think it will take a bit of time to catch fire, but once it does..."

    "It will continue to burn until it''s completly consummed" the elder sister finished.

    "Are you worried about losing the beast core to the fire?" asked Lu.

    "Yes. I want to get in and get it while I still can."

    "Don''t you want to wait for the hive queen to get out?"

    "I don''t think the queen will want to leave the eggs or larvaes. I also don''t think she is small enough to use the same path as the other mutant bees. It''s quite possible that she is trapped inside. And because of my ability, I can feel mutant beasts core when they are close enough. I can tell right now that it''s bellow the ground. I''d rather deal with the queen before she get the chance to flee through an underground passage we don''t know about."

    "Then let''s go" Lu said as she moved toward her equipment.

    Liushi followed her. Xiaotian gaped at them for a second before shaking her head and released a frustrated sight. She new there was no point in trying to change their minds.

 23 Entering the hive

    As they looked for a good entrance into the hive, they noticed that the fire had started to consume the hive. The wind had also started to pick up, but there was no signs of rain clouds, so it would only enhance the fire.

    They decided to hurry, and just went through one of the entrances they had smoked. The fire hadn''t spread enough to block access. Someone else would have been worried about how to get out, but Liushi wasn''t. He was certain that the stairs or elevator shafts would still be accessible. They could leave through the upper floors, and the mechanical arm of the Doomsday Ride could pick them up.

    He was annoyed to not have a helmet with light, and had to rely on Lu holding a flashlight behind him. The visibility was already low, and the smoke didn''t help. If not for their masks they wouldn''t be able to breath, and even with that there was a limit to how long they should stay inside. They didn''t have a supply of fresh air after all. Another thing Liushi added on his mental list of things to aquire/upgrade.

    While the entrance was large enough to pass slightly hunched, they had to move on all 4 inside. Each original floor was divided in 2 subfloors. Some walls had been pierced, and some hallways had been sealed. It made the navigation into the building more difficult.

    Lu suppressed her disgust and horror as they crawled in the hive. She was well aware that everything around her, and the ground she had her hands and knees on, was made of human flesh. It also increased her hostility toward mutant bees. Liushi, on the other hand, didn''t concern himself with that, too busy concentrating on what was in front of himself. Slowly, they advanced deeper and deeper within the hive.

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    At some point, he had to stop, and they could hear some activity nearby. A few times they found themselves face to face with the remaining beasts. One or 2 needles in the head would stop them, and the axe strike would finish them. They seemed to be attracted to the low humming sound of the needlers when they were close, but the configuration of the hive kept them from swarming the intruders. They were also by the smoke in the air.

    Then, the duo reached a place underground and they stopped. They could hear a lot of movement ahead of them. The Starseed informed Liushi that the mutant core was also ahead. He turned to Lu and motioned for her to come next to him. There wasn''t enough room to be side by side, so they had to squeeze themsleves against each other. If not for the amount of clothing they had on them and the situation, Liushi would have enjoyed himself. But he needed to talk to her, so he whispered in her ear.

    "The boss is ahead, and isn''t alone. We''re going to get there really slowly, with the needlers and the flashlight off."

    "Are you crazy?" she harshly whispered back in his ear. "We can barely see anything right now. You want us to enter the queen''s room blind, without guns?"

    "I don''t want them to notice us before we can even get in the room. As for the lack of sight, my ability can make up for that. To remodel items and materials, I must scan them first. I can scan the area ahead of me, and it would work like a sonar. With no sounds or light, they won''t notice it."

    The Starseed wouldn''t have found him without some long range sensory capabilities. Despite having it''s abilities restrained by the energy cost, its sensors were still powerfull and advanced. Liushi intended to use its passive sensors, which were better than human senses.

    He could have used them from the start... If he knew he could. It had never occured to him until now that it was possible. If he didn''t ask the Starseed, he doubted he would have in the future. He would have already made equipment to counter that problem. He added to his mental list to experiment with what he could do combined with the capabilities of the Starseed.

    Lu looked at him in wonder, then slowly nodded. They turned off their needlers and the flashlight. Suddenly plunged in total darkness, in the iner part of a hive of giant mutant bees, was far from reassuring. The muffled sound of nearby beasts didn''t help. While Lu was still eager to fight, she couldn''t help but press herself a little more to Liushi''s side.

    Liushi closed his eyes for a second, and when he opened them again, his pupils faintly glowed for a second, a glow that came from the inermost part of his eyes. It was the Starseed connecting with his retine and optic nerve. His vision, which was non-existant before, had turned into shades of dark red. It was more defined, with a better perception of depth and distances. The Starseed then connected to his eardrums and accoustic nerves, sharpening his earing.

    He held his companion arm and moved ahead of her, then placed her hand on his ankle. They resumed their advance, much more slowly than before. Thankfully, the material that made the hive didn''t make as much noise as ordinary construction materials.

    They arrived at a corner where there was some kind of organic membrane acting like a veil, and behind it the tunnel widened and led to a large room. Liushi stopped at the veil, and brough Lu next to him, making her touch the veil so she would be aware of it. He slightly opened the veil to see the rest of the place.

    There were several other tunnels entrances around the room There was less smoke in the air than in the tunnels, probably due to the veils. There were dozens of mutant bees crawling on the ground, flying in the air, or staying on overpasses near the ceiling. In a corner without any other tunnel entrance, was Liushi''s target. He was barely able to see it due to all the activity around. It was large, human sized, with underdevelopped wings and inflated abdomen, its back turned to him, busy doing something. He didn''t know what, but it made him very uneasy due to some disturbing sense of familiarity.

    He closed the veil and motionned for Lu to back off. Once far enough, they stopped and he turned on the flashlight, pointing toward the ground to avoid blinding her.

    "There are about 60 mutant bees over there, as well as the queen" he said in a low voice. "There are several tunnels that lead to the room so they might be able to get some back up. If we attack, we can expect to fight up to 80 mutant bees. Maybe more."

    "Then we do the same thing we did this afternoon, bait them into a place where we can fight them one by one. We just lead them to the tunnel, we alternate between close-range and long-range so we don''t get tired fighting in close."

    "Not this time. There will be more coming than earlier, and enough room for 2 of them to attack at the same time. I have a body armor, you don''t. I''ll stay in close range, you use both needlers to suppress them."

    After giving her his needler and all his amnutions, and taking the machete, they moved back to the veil, of course with the flashlight turned off. But with the needlers on. He wanted to move just as slowly as before, just so the appearance of the needler noise wouldn''t really be noticed. And it worked.

    The moment they passed the veil, the battle would start. Lu would need the light so he will have a second to turn it on and put it on the ground in a position that would benefit her the most. So he held it in hand, and both the machete and the axe on his other side under his armpit. He put his hand on Lu''s shoulder and made a silent countdown by tapping her shoulder with one less finger each time.

    After one, in a single moment, he passed through the veil crouched, lit the flashlight and placed it on the ground, and armed himself. All movement froze in the room for a moment. Lu didn''t waste the chance as she followed him, and fired on the nearby beasts, seriously wounding them or killing them. Then the rest of the beasts moved as one toward the 2 intruders.

    Lu became deathly white at the sight, and her grip on the needlers tightened.

    "RRRHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!"

    And she roared in defiance.

    "Schriiiiiiii!!"

    In response, the queen released a small scream. A command. The sound unsettled the duo. It wasn''t harsh to the ears, no. It was different from what they expected. Not close enough to that of a beast. Too similar to that of a human.

    She aimed at the flying ones and took some of them out of the air. Meanwhile, Liushi was dealing with the ones on the ground. Lu''s roar had actually lifted his mood a little, and raised his fighting spirit further. He was hacking and slashing furiously, trying to injure multiple beasts with each swings of his machete, and killing with each axe chop. Sometimes a front kick was needed to keep some manouvring space in front of him.

    After 30 seconds of battle, and as many killed beasts, Lu suddenly backed down to the veil.

    "I need to reload!!"

    "Hurry!!"

    A small wall of corpses was growing in front of him. It mean that he no longer had to worry about attacks on his legs, but it also meant that the beasts would be better placed to strike his head and neck. He also wouldn''t be able to kick them back. The moment Lu''s cover fire stopped, he was no longer aiming to kill. He had to frantically move his arm around in an effort to keep them at bay, and was tiring quickly under that pressure.

    "Argh!!"

    Within the few seconds it took for Lu to reload, his arms, shoulders and left cheek had been sliced. The biker''s armor did its job to protect the forearms and shoulders from receiving more than a flesh wound, but his right biceps and his cheek nasty cuts. His right arm was weakened, and he could no longer afford to move it around. He grabbed one of the injured beasts by the neck with said arm, dropping his axe in the process, and used its body as a shield.

    Liushi froze in a mixture of disbelief, hoplessness and resignation when 2 beasts passed his defenses and went for his neck and tights. At the last moment they received nails in their heads at near point-blank range. Before he could react, Lu had turned the needlers toward th hole in the defenses and showered the coming beasts with deadly nails. Only then did Liushi resume the fight.

    "Schriiiiiii!!"

    At the command of the queen, the remaining beasts stopped their attack and moved back toward her. Lu also stopped firing on them. The duo were curious, but also worried about what it wanted to do. They adavanced 2 steps to better view the whole room, their guard still up.

    "You are quite persistent" said a broken male voice from behind the wall of mutant bees.

    They scattered around the room, allowing the duo to see the corner where the queen was. Liushi froze and dropped his meat shield. Lu picked up the flashlight and turned it toward said corner. She gasped at the sight.

    There, in front of their eyes, was a plump, naked man, seemingly in his fifties. He was hunched, and on his back was what Liushi saw when he got his first look at the room. His skin had turned completly yellow, with some black strips. Fused on the man''s back side was a bee''s body. The head of the beast fused with that of the man, its insect eyes emerging from the top of the man''s forehead, the middle part was fused to the bust, and the abdomen to the rest of his upper body and extending a bit beyond.

    The hybrid creature was hunched over a naked woman, holding her by the waist and repeatadly raming its little member into her. The woman was barely responding, and people would have though she was dead if they didn''t hear her muffled grunts and moans once in a while. The hybrid groaned, and his little member enlarged. Something solid was clearly passing inside to be deposited in the woman''s womb. The woman released a pitiful cry of pain as she was momentary stretched further than she could usually handle, and judging by the bump on her belly, it wasn''t the first deposit.

    The hybrid released her, some sexual fluids, as well as blood leaking from her, and she fell limply to the ground. It pushed her further into the corner, where the figures of other women with large bellies could be seen. Unlike Lu, who had to rely on the flashlight to see, Liushi, with his Starseed enhanced senses, could see just how bad he girls were. The hybrid then turned fully to the 2 intruders.

    Liushi understood now why he felt uneasy the first he saw it. It was already busy raping the woman, and the slight noise he heard beyond the buzzing of the beasts was the sound of hips slapping against a rear. Behind him, Lu released a strangled cry of horror, fury and disgust. Her aghast face blanked for a moment as she recognised the man. Former man.

    "Mister Ruogang?" she asked in disbelief.

    "Ruogang?" it slowly replied, in a slightly robotic manner, as if speaking had become something foreign to him. "That was my former name."

    Huo Ruogang was one of the beekeepers of the town. People knew him well enough as he was one of the prime supplier of honey in the town. And Lu was quite fond of honey, so she was used to see him every so often. He used to be a kind man. Lu''s feelings were in complete disarray, and the stress of the past few days didn''t help. But she still needed some answers. So, with her head down, she asked questions.

    "What happened to you?"

    "The day things changed, I changed too" it said, seemingly struggling to find what to say. "And so did the queen of the hive I took care of. She attacked me, struck me in the back. Then we changed again. We merged. I am the hive king."

    Grief and fury warred within Lu''s head.

    "If you are the king" she started in a low voice. "You control the rest of these beasts." she continued as her voice rose. "You let them attack and kill people!" she screamed. "Then... Then the women..." she finished, her voice barely above a whisper.

    "My hive is new in this changed world. To survive, I need to strenghten my hive, raise our numbers and eliminate all threats."

 24 End of the hive

    Liushi witnessed the exchange while being extermely uncomfortable. The possibility of a hybrid between an evolved human and a mutant beasts had never crossed his mind. His current problem was that he had decided to attack the hive to take the mutant beast core. Now, it meant he would have to kill a man, even if this one was no longer completly human. It was differents from the mindless zombies or beasts, it could think and communicate.

    Killing. He had been vaguely aware of the possibility ever since he started to prepare for the outbreak, but he hadn''t though he would have to do the deed so soon. He was also greatly disturbed by the man''s change of mentality, and it''s absolute pragmatism and ruthlessness in securing its survival. He was wondering if other people would change like that, or if it was due to the merging.

    He put his worries aside, as he noticed that Lu was reaching her breaking point, so he took over the conversation.

    "Why did you stop the attack?"

    "Curiosity. You struck my children with a ranged weapon, but it didn''t sound like any type of gun I might know, nor a crossbow. I needed to see what it was. I also needed to make sure there were only 2 of you, and if the woman had remained somewhat unharmed. You also killed a lot of my children, and I should eliminate you, but it would cost me even more of them. It would be too much of a threat to our survival, especially with the fire raging outside. Leave the woman, and you may leave in peace. We both get to survive."

    Lu shivered when she heard the proposition of the hybrid. For a second, she saw herself in the same position as the unfortunate women, and backed a step. She turned a pleading face toward Liushi, but he had kept his eyes on the hybrid. She saw the bleeding wounds he got holding the line for her, and though of her sister, whom he had rescued. She had volunteered to come and fight, she told him she wouldn''t be a bother, she couldn''t back down. He was also her sister''s best chance of survival with his ability, and had his own sister to rescue as well.

    Despair and resignation started to crawl in her heart, as she owed him and didn''t want to betray him. She was worried he would put his life on the line once more for both of them. She lowered the needlers, waiting for Liushi''s decision. Said man had no intention of abandonning Lu. However, he was stumped about how to get out of this situation.

    He realised that the hybrid had tricked them. A quick check of the room revealed that some of the remaining mutant bees were missing, having left the room without him noticing. He was sure they were going to attack from the tunnel he and Lu used to get down there.

    Liushi sighted. They had already spent a lot of time at the bottom of the smoke filled hive, and there was only so much their current mask could do. It had become harder to breath, something he realised only then. His bleeding was slowly weakening him, and they didn''t have any trump card with them. They had no choice but to whistand the following assault.

    "Thanks for the offer, but we will respectfully decline. You will die here today with the rest of your children."

    "So be it. Schriiii."

    As the hybrid answered, Liushi whispered to a bittersweet Lu. "They are going for a pincer attack, keep an eye on the tunnel behind us. Grab the axe."

    He snatched one of the needler from her hand with his injured limb. He couldn''t use that arm to strike, but aiming and shooting was possible. Lu turned and ripped the veil away. She put the flashlight at the corner of the tunnel, pointing toward the room. She would have some light to support Liushi, and if a beast came from the tunnel, it would momentary block the light, warning her.

    His attention turned to the beasts rushing to him, and the machete in his other hand. It had suffered from all fighting, and had dulled. The edge was chipped at some points. Liushi used the Starseed to correct that. The familiar blue lines appeared again, and spread to the machete. The blade lenghtened, the width reduced, and the sharpness of the edge was raised to the highest degree. In one horizontal swing, Liushi sliced the faces of 3 beasts deep enough to reach their brains and kill them.

    In the same movement, his other arm was raised in the direction of the nearby beasts. He shot once, twice, and the launching gears lost power with the third shot. Liushi froze for a split second as the humming noise of the needler dimmed. After a few seconds, the electric motor sputtered and went silent.

    "Fuck!! The guns are running out of energy."

    "Shit!"

    When Liushi made the needlers, he didn''t have any prolonged battle in mind. So he didn''t think of replacement batteries. Liushi had to rely on his altered machete, and the modification barely made up for the loss of needler. Then the other part of the beasts force came from the tunnel, and Lu had to focus on them. With the needler no longer being a threat to it, the hybrid suddenly charged, taking a curved path to try and get Liushi from the side.

    Liushi saw it coming and barely had the time to dispatch the nearby beasts, before readying himself. He had expected the hybrid to climb the small mound of bodies, instead it lowered itself at the last moment and barelled through the bodies, sending several of them to him. His vision and balance were disturbed, and his blade was knocked aside by one of the bodies. As the former human was about to punch him, he aimed for the only visible weakness he could reach with his injured arm. The punch connected to his chest at the same moment he grabbed at the thing forehead, his finger digging into its insect eyes.

    "KRIAAAAARKKKKKK"

    The hybrid shierked in pain. Because Liushi staggered back with his finger still digging in the eye, it worsened the wound and the pain. It also kept Liushi from falling on his back or to his knees. He felt that punch, but couldn''t even scream in pain due to his breath being cut. He retaliated with a vicious kick between the legs, right on its enlarged ball sac. The hybrid backed several steps in silent agony, and Liushi was able to slice the beasts that had come to support their leader. Then his concentration was broken.

    "HAAAAA!!"

    The mutant bees coming from the tunnel had managed to overwhelm Lu. The axe got stuck in the body of a beast, and she was delayed in regaining her stance. The following beast jumped on the arm holding the needler, bringing her to her knees, and a third charged right at her chest, bringing her down. As she struggled to free herself, 2 more came, they grabbed her and started to drag her toward the recovering hybrid. That was when she panicked and screamed.

    When he heard her, time seemed to slow down for Liushi. In a second, he took in everything that was happening around him. There were a little less than 20 beasts left: 5 that were dragging Lu away, the last 3 that came from the tunnel behind them, and the remaining ones in an uneven arc near him and rushing toward him.

    He had concentrated too much on what was going on in front of him to notice the shift behind him. He could retreat to the tunnel and kill the 3 beasts that were there. But it would also mean sacrificing Lu.

    He liked Xiaotian, and didn''t want her to lose her sister right after reuniting with her. He had appreciated Lu''s willingness to follow him and support him in a dangerous situation. And finally, he didn''t want to see a little sister end up as a disposable breeding stock. He could all to easily see his sister in the same position had circumstances been differents.

    ''No.''

    It was a simple thought, but a powerful one. It drove him to use his body to its very limits. He lowered himself and charged at the mutant bees holding Lu.

    Someone else might have tried to finish the hybrid, but its death could have led to the rest of the beasts to no longer caring about the well being of their captive. He had to take advantage of the fact that the hybrid didn''t want her damaged. He was going to free her and make sure she could deal a maximum of damages to the rest of the beasts before the beasts decided she was no longer worth it. It meant that he would have to prevent the hybrid from giving the counter order, but also prevent her from attacking him. The minions would surely kill her to protect their boss.

    He stomped on the closest beast to him, which was holding her leg, killing it. He grabbed the nearby one holding her other leg by its hind leg. As he moved forward, his machete slashed the beast holding her arm, freeing it. Lu was absent-mindedly seeing it, and only reacted with Liushi''s following move. After freeing her arm, he dropped the machete next to it while punching the beast holding her head with the one whose hind leg he was holding on.

    Lu was released from 4 of the 5 beasts that held her, and instantly grabbed on the altered machete. She cut the last beast holding her other arm, which was still holding the needler. Liushi, in his charge, had come face-to-face with the hybrid, ready to do anything to bring it down personnaly.

    "Kill the workers" he said to Lu as he engaged it.

    Lu, who was finishing the beast that held her head, followed his command. And fired at the other ones while she was regaining her footing. She had to move back to the tunnel, where the flashlight was, and fought along the way. She was partially aware of how much more effective the former machete had become.

    Liushi still had a mutant bee in his grip, and used it as a shield on reflex when a meaty fist rushed to him, killing it. He spun with the blow and landed a viscious elbow strike in the face of the hybrid. He followed it with another kick to its balls. He didn''t think he could inflict critical damage to the hybrid, so he intended to cripple it with pain. It went down on a knee, but managed to land a heavy blow to Liushi''s belly. Liushi''s hand flapped forward as he tried to keep his balance, and landed on the hybrids face. He struke once again at is weak spots, the eyes. The human eyes this time.

    "RHAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

    The hybrid howled in pain and backed away, but Liushi was following its movement, still using it to keep his balance, and trying to bury his thumb deeper in the eye socket of the hybrid. He used his other hand to attack the other insect eye on its forehead, intensifying its scream. Hearing the bellow of pain from their boss, the beasts rushed to its help, ignoring Lu.

    The hybrid lashed out with a uppercut that knocked Liushi on his back, half-stunned, and right on top of one of the beasts that were trying to attack him from behind. It prevented said beast from stabbing him, and received a scratch instead. He rolled away, evading another attack on his face by pure reflex, having caught the blurry movement from the corner of his eye. He kicked them away, and was punched back down again by the hybrid.

    Its remaining eye was focused on him. While it was acting emotionlessly before, its bleeding face was contorted in fury. It raised both arms and attempted to give him a hammer blow to the head, but Liushi rolled away. He came face-to-face with a dead beast, his eyes focused on its front legs.

    They were tough and sharp, and the beasts used them as weapons.

    He grabbed it, and and in the same motion used to turn back toward the hybrid, performed a backward stab. He used all his strenght to make up for the weight of the body attached to the leg, and stabbed the hybrid in the diaphragm. The hybrid backed away, and Liushi''s hand flashed to the head of an attacking beasts, keeping its forelegs from reaching his face, and pulling the beast in the path of 2 others. Their forelegs got stuck in their kin, and Liushi got the chance to stand up.

    Looking around, he saw that Lu didn''t have much trouble with the remaining beasts. She had left the needler to hold the flashlight, and had left the safety of the tunnel to attack them from the side and the rear. Her clothes were torns here and there, but there didn''t seem to be much bleeding. The 7 remaining mutant bees had gathered around the boss and refused to leave its side. It was trying to breath, but couldn''t, and was slowly suffocating.

    Seeing him stand up, Lu rejoiced and rushed to him. She still kept an eye on the enemies.

    "Are you alright brother Liushi?"

    "No, but it''s nothing to be worried about."

    [The quality of the air is getting dangerously low] the Starseed informed him.

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    ''Well, shit.'' "What about you?"

    "I''m fine."

    They returned their attention to the hybrid. It had fallen on its knees, and was losing strenght. It was still glaring at Liushi. It knew it was dying, and decided to try and take him out with it. It stood up and charged them, though it was much slower than before. Its minions followed. Not wanting Lu to get in another critical situation, Liushi rushed to meet them halfway. Lu followed him at a short distance.

    Just before crashing into each other, Liushi performed a slip tackle, passing below the hybrid graping arms, hitting its ankle and making it crash heavily heavily on the ground. He wanted to kick one of the beasts at the same time, and it worked, but instead got stabbed straight through the foot.

    "HAA!"

    "ROAAGH! Gggh."

    Lu didn''t waste her chance when the hybrid fell and stabbed it in the head. After the initial roar of pain, its whole body spasmed like an epileptic in the middle of a fit. Lu visciously pulled back the blade, provoking a stronger spasm, and went to help Liushi, who had managed to keep 2 beasts at bay while the remaining ones separated between going after her and going to their dying boss.

    She quickly dispatched the 2 that went after her, while Liushi killed one of his attackers by twisting its neck. The other one was still stuck in his foot, and Liushi used it to keep it pined. Lu quickly killed it, and both turned to the remaining 4 enemies.

    The hybrid was twitching while the workers tried to move it. Liushi ripped the insect leg from his foot with a muffled scream of pain, and shakily stood up. At the same time, the hybrid stopped moving completly.

 25 Farewell, hometown

    [Bioenergy is being released by the hybrid organism. Initiate physical contact to absorb the energy.]

    ''What the... Ok...''

    Liushi wasn''t sure about what was going on, but more energy for the Starseed was always good. He and Lu dispatched the remaining beasts and he went to the hybrid''s corpse. A quick scan to locate the core and he retrieved his blade from Lu.

    "While I collect the core... You should go and check on the girls."

    Lu nodded, her face grim, and turned around.

    "Lu" she stopped. "Even with our masks, we can''t stay any longer or we will suffocate. And I''m injured. We will have to leave them if they can''t move."

    Her head whipped around to glare at him, her fist tightly clutched. But looking at his sorry state, the sudden fury she felt was drained away. Besides, it wasn''t the first time she had to leave someone behind. She nodded and left.

    Liushi concentrated on removing the core. Thankfully, it was in the insect part of the body, and not the human part. While butchering the corpse, he questioned the Starseed.

    While the Starseed could tell the living being would evolve, it didn''t know exactly what kind of change it would be until they encountered the hybrid. He learned that the evolved humans like the hybrid had been, generated a powerful form of bioenergy that could have various applications depending on the individual. It also strenghtened the individualon a basic level to some extend.

    A variant of that bioenergy was present in the core of mutant beasts. Because evolved humans didn''t have core, the energy was released upon death. It was also noticed that when a mutant beast core and an evolved are close together, the mutant core''s energy readings would mask those of the evolved. That was why they didn''t know they were dealing with an evolved.

    As Liushi pondered if he could ever aquire the ability to generate that kind of energy, the Starseed informed him that with advanced medical facilities, he could make a genetic serum to enhance himself.

    Learning this, Liushi decided he would gather as many samples of mutant beasts and evolved people as possible, starting with the hybrid in front of him. As distastful as i was, he cut some small pieces of the hybrid and warped them in a ripped bee wing. He had no doubt he would need them to make a proper serum in the future.

    It was just in time for Lu to return. He gave her a questioning look and she shook her head, silently crying. They gathered the rest of their equipment and slowly departed the room. They didn''t leave with the tunnel they came from, but another, which according to their mental image of the building, was near the area of the hive that was still under construction. After several ups, twists and turns in the smoke filled hive, they reached the place under construction.

    The duo would have felt better if not for the sight. Many corpses had been gathered there to become construction materials. Among them were several naked women, extremely emanciated, with the skin of their belly stretched. Their bodies had obviously been drained to grow new beasts.

    While Liushi ignored most of the corpses, Lu was looking at each of them carefully. She had even slowed down. She stopped in front of the corpse of a man and fell to her knees, sobbing. Liushi gave her some peace.

    "You avenged him" he said after a few minutes. "You avenged all of them" he added, refering mostly to the women. "This place will become a funeral pyre for all of them. We need to go."

    It took her a few moments, but she gathered herself, and they left. They reached the opening in the wall. The air was very hot and dry. Liushi used the Starseed to connect with the Doomsday Ride to use the mechanical arm. It extended up to the third floor, and they were on the fourth. Liushi had to alter the fire axe into some kind of ice axe, and use it with the altered machete to get down. He had more trouble than Lu due to his injured limbs, but they made it.

    Once on the ground, Liushi went first to the trailer to store his samples before returning to the living module. Xiaotian was fussing over Lu, having taken of the excess of clothing and already starting to clean her wounds. But when she saw the state Liushi was in, she froze, and Liushi was surprised that she was still capable of losing color on her face. She looked at Lu, then rushed to him, having decided that he needed more attention than her sister.

    As the sisters took care of him, Xiaotian beratted them for getting hurt that much and making her worry. Liushi usually slept in the driver cockpit, but Xiaotian forced him to use her bed until he recovered. Lu would keep her bed above him. It was a good thing he had prepared body wipes, it would be troublesome for him to use the shower in his state. After taking care of them, she drove the truck away from the area.

    After settling down and eating dinner, Liushi soon fell asleep. Lu used the occasion to tell her sister about the death of their father. They spent the rest of the evening crying and comforting each other before going to sleep, physically and emotionally drained. Noone of them got a good night.

    "Urgh."

    "Groann."

    "Snnfl."

    Xiaotian, who was near silently crying in the driving cockpit, froze as she heard the muffled groan at the back of the vehicle. She carefully moved to check on them, and got worried when she heard them breathing roughly. She turned the lights on, and saw her sister and new friend sweating while seemingly in pain. Lu reacted to the sudden light.

    "Sister Tian?"

    "Lu, what''s wrong?" she ''loudly'' whispered.

    "I have a headache... And my body is aching."

    "You have a fever" Xiaotian said after putting her hand on her sister forehead. "Brother Liushi?"

    There was no response. She tried again louder, but he still didn''t react. When she touched his forehead, she recoilled.

    "My god! He''s burning! He''s got it bad. Wait here."

    Xiaotian rushed to the medical station to take some medecine, then to the kitchen for glasses of water. She gave Lu her share and turned to Liushi. She first checked his wounds, but they didn''t seem to have gotten any worse. She left again and came back with cold damp towel, one she gave to her sister and the other, she used to wipe Liushi''s body. Lu was tiredly observing her, worried.

    "Do you think he''s going to be alright?"

    "I don''t know. It''s obvious that you both caugh something down there... I... I just hope that you won''t turn..."

    "... I don''t hink we will. The women that were captured there didn''t turn. I don''t think we will. It must have been some kind of poison on the mutant bees legs, or filth. I only got scratchs while he was pierced and slashed. He got more toxins in his body than me, that''s why he''s in a worse state."

    "I see... Why were there captured women? Where are they?"

    Lu winced, and told her the details she omitted in her first account. Xiaotian was predictably horrifed. She thanked whatever deities or angels that might watch over them for meeting someone like Liushi. She took greater care in nursing him back to health.

    After an hour, Lu got well enough to go back to sleep. Xiaotian had to keep looking after Liushi to keep his fever down. She occasionally checked on Lu. Once Liushi started to settle down, she looked at the manual for the use of the medical monitoring equipment. After turning it on and placing the sensors on them, she went back to sleep.

    She woke up around mid-morning. To her relief, there hadn''t been any emergencies, and both were recovering. Lu more than Liushi. She took a shower, and when she got out, Lu was awake.

    "Morning" her sister started. "How is brother Liushi?"

    "Good morning. He is fine for now. I know your fever is gone, but still, how are you?"

    "I got a slight headache, and I feel a bit weak. Aside from that, I''m fine."

    "That''s good. That''s really good" she said as tension lifted from her. "I''m glad it wasn''t something worse. You two got me really worried."

    "What are we going to do now? Brother Liushi is still out."

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    "We leave. He had planned to leave today for Nanjing. I say we get going." Then her mood dropped "Besides, I don''t want to stay here any longer."

    After a few seconds of heavy silence, Lu resumed the conversation.

    "Can we still stop at home? I want to take a few personal items. And a few souvenirs, photos..."

    "Of course! We will go as soon as we are done with breakfast. Go get changed while I cook."

    "Thanks."

    An hour later, they left their home and drove out of the town.

 26 The station

    Jiang Liushi took a while to go from asleep to fully awake. He was weak, hungry, thirsty, hot, cold, dizzy and had a headache. He could tell he was lying in bed, and slowly recalled the events of the day before. He guessed it had something to do with why he was sick.

    ''Starseed, what is happening to me?''

    [You are fighting a mild infection]

    ''Infection? Am I turning into a zombie?''

    [No. You will be fine. Mutant beast bodies seem to contain elements that neutralise the zombification agents present in infected bodies. The procession of infected bodies most likely cleaned their limbs and the hive structure of the infection.]

    ''Thank the spirits for that... Then why am I ill?''

    [These elements didn''t neutralise all possible harmfull substances in infected bodies. The mutant beasts body fluids have their own harmful substances as well. They entered your body when you were stabbed. You also lost some blood, reducing your healing speed. Your companion was infected as well, but received a lesser amount of toxins, and is already on her way to full recovery.]

    ''Huh... Ok... Your talking manner, is it changing?''

    [Yes. I am adapting to human talking paterns.]

    ''I see... You said that Lu was infected but is recovering... Of course you would still perceive what is happening around me even if I''m unconscious. I completly forgot about that. What time is it and where is Xiaotian taking us?''

    [It is 11:55. Xiaotian followed your wishes and left the town in the morning. We are currently en route to Nanjing.]

    ''Good girl. What else did she do?''

    [She nursed you and her sister during the night. You would be in a more serious condition otherwise. You will have completly recovered from the infection the day after tomorrow. Your other wounds will take a few days to heal.]

    ''Good girl indeed...''

    He wanted to relax, but he wasn''t feeling well enough for that. And there were some things to take care of.

    "Xiaotian, Lu! I''m awake."

    "Brother Liushi!" replied Lu as she got of the seat behind the driver cockpit.

    While she rushed to his side, Xiaotian stopped the Doomsday Ride to the side of the nearly empty road. Then she joined her sister at Liushi''s side.

    "How are you doing?" asked Lu.

    "I feel like crap. But more importantly, I need help to go to the toilet. I don''t think I can walk on my own. I''m also both hungry and thirsty."

    "Oh..." she blushed slightly. "Let me help you then."

    "You should let Xiaotian take care of me" he said as she joined them. "Given my current state, I don''t think you''re feeling all that well either."

    "That''s right. You both got sick in the night. You''re not well enough sister. Let me take care of him. Why don''t you prepare a drink for him and start working on our meal?"

    "Fine. It''s good to see you awake brother Liushi" she said as she moved to the kitchen.

    So, once more, Xiaotian played nurse for Liushi, helping him to the toilet, then back to bed, sponge and wet wipes bath, taking medecine. The most embbarassing thing for both of them had been to search his wardrobe for clean underwear, wating for him to change under the cover and take the used ones to the landry basket. During that time, he explained how they got ill. After the meal, Liushi went back to business

    "I want to reach Nanjing quickly, but before that we need to find a place where I can upgrade the truck. Don''t worry, my current condition won''t have any effect on how well I use my power, nor will the use of my power worsen my condition. Thank the spirits for small mercies. It must be a place big enough to park the truck and the trailer, but it must also have enough quality materials. Metals, plastics, polymers. Something similar to where we have been after the mutant boar attack. A place with expansive materials. Do you have any idea of where there might be such a place?"

    "Don''t worry, brother Liushi. I though about it. We are going to a small industrial town on he way with a railway station. It deal mostly with the refinment of raw material and manufacture of industrial tools and parts."

    ''Damn good girl!!'' Liushi praised in his mind.

    "Ah... I forgot" Lu said, embarrassed.

    Xiaotian and Liushi smiled in response.

    "Our father... Our father sometimes went there to transport materials. Anyway! We may have to gather materials from the differents wharehouses and small factories, but it won''t be hard to find a place safe enough to settle so you can do your modification."

    "Good. Thanks a lot, Xiaotian. When do you think we will reach it?"

    "In the afternoon. We will have to spend the night there..."

    "What is it?" he asked, noticing her hesitation.

    "You know, I had to avoid 2 roads because they were completly blocked by crashed cars and trucks. Seeing how things were when we left Jiangbei, and how cramped some of the roads are, entering Nanjing with the truck may be difficult. Especially with the trailer. You''ll have to do something to improve our mobiliy. Or we will have to leave the trailer out of the city."

    "Ah... I''ll think of something."

    After that, they resumed their trip. Liushi had his music player and headphones to distract himself while he recovered. Lu was entertaining herself with the tablet. Xiaotian was busy driving, occasionally crashing into abandonned vehicles. It translated to slight shaking for Liushi and Lu. The few zombies that happened to be nearby were either run over, or shot by the turrets.

    Xiaotian tried to ignore the mutilated corpses of unlucky people, and if possible, drove around them. As they approached the small town, the sight got more and more sickening. There wasn''t any mutant beasts to do some clean up. Slaughter, carnage, bloodbath. Those were the terms that sprung to her mind as she saw the state of the streets. Some people had their entrails or brain matters spilling out of their bodies. She had trouble holding her lunch in her stomach.

    "Sister, brother Liushi, I really envy right now. You don''t have to keep your eyes on the streets. The sight is nauseating."

    Hearing no answer, she spared a look in the living module and saw her sister with headphones as she watched a video. She also remembered that Liushi had taken his music players. She sighted and turned her eyes back to the road, pouting. She envied them even more, and wanted some company. But she couldn''t inflict this on recovering people.

    When she got close to the railway station, she abruptly stopped. It slightly disturbed Lu, who raised her head toward the driving cockpit. She couldn''t see what her sister was seeing, and waited patiently. Xiaotian was looking at a bridge, where a high speed train was stopped. Some of the carriages were off the rails, hanging on the bridge. What really caught her attention were the tank and the military truck in 2 of the carriages. She realised that it was a military train.

    She got out of the driver seat and rushed to the back of the living module, startling Lu.

    "Brother Liushi!" she surprised him as she shook his shoulder. "Come. You have to see this!" she urged him while helping him stand.

    The 3 people returned to the driving cockpit, and she gestured toward the train. They all looked at the train with envy. Military train meant military weapons, and after dealing with the mutant bees, they really wanted proper weapons. Liushi was also interested in the tanks armor and machine-guns.

    "This train is a treasure trove" Liushi said while daydreaming.

    The girls next to him nodded, and Xiaotian resumed driving. At that time, a sound came out from one of the nearby carriages, and Xiaotian slowed down. The whole area around the train station was quiet, and since the Doomsday ride didn''t make a lot of noise, the sound was quite audible.

    Bang!

    The second tim, it was louder, and a face with red eyes appeared at the carriage''s window. It was a zombie in uniform staring at them.

    "AAOOOOOOOO!"

    Hearing it howl, the trio got suddenly anxious. A second later, a large amount of zombies busted out of the carriage''s door. The same happened to many other carriages. More zombies came out from the train station, the surrounding buildings, and others from the nearby streets. The security program was constantly beeping, warning them of the danger, and the turrets started to fire on the growing mass of infected. Xiaotian, Liushi and Lu were shocked, as the number of zombies quickly exceeded the hundred mark and kept rising.

    "Shit. Get us out of here!"

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    "Right!" replied a pale Xiaotian.

    VROAMMMMMM!!

    The massive truck jerked forward as Xiaotian stepped on the gas. While he wasn''t worried about he body of the truck or the truck being overturned, the windows and the windshield had limited durability. Too much bodies in front of the truck and under the wheels would slow them down. They would be able to climb on the truck and strike the windows, if not throw themselves at it. It was better to get away, and reduce their numbers from afar with the turrets, or quick passes to run them down. They needed room for manoeuvre, especially with the trailer.

    It took half a minute to lose them, and they also attracted the attention of more zombies in the surroundings. They retreated to a less populated part of the small town, near the residencial area, and took a break. Xiaotian needed it.

 27 Getting some military equipmen

    After their break, the trio got ready to move again. Liushi had a simple idea in mind, and asked Xiaotian for more informations.

    "How well do you know this small town?"

    "I don''t know much aside from where my father has been on the few times I was with him."

    ''I should avoid subject that would remind them of their father'' he though as the girls got depressed.

    "Too bad. I wanted to know if you knew the streets well enough to take us on a path that would allow us to spiral toward the train station, and cut down the number of zombies on the way, until we got to the military train. "

    "Sorry, I don''t know."

    "There should be a map of the town somewhere, like in a pamphlet or something" said Lu.

    "Right. Good idea."

    "Why don''t we just go back the way we came from? Didn''t you build this monstrous truck so you could run over zombies?" she added.

    "Yes, we could. If we didn''t have the trailer. It could be overturned if we aren''t careful, and I don''t want to abandon it. You don''t know if they are some survivors nearby that would steal it. Same if we were to leave it in the place selected to make the upgrades. Someone could come and steal it while we are away. Besides, we would need the additional turrets to kill the zombies."

    "Let''s have a look at the hostels on the outskirt of the town. We should find a map of the town center there."

    It didn''t take long to do just that. Xiaotian chose the path they would take, and Liushi made sure all weapons were ready. Then they moved. On the way, they selected the place where Liushi would make the upgrades. It was in a storage area near the railway station. There were a lot of industrial warehouses, some big enough to hold the Doomsday Ride and its trailer.

    30 minutes later, the main streets in the railway station area had become even more grisly than before. They made laps on their selected circuit to kill most if not all the zombies in the area.

    On the first lap, at some point the number of zombies being run over was so large that the trailer swayed worryingly as it passed over the bodies. Liushi had to lower the plow near ground level to keep the zombies from going under. That meant that most of them were pushed to the sides or ended up on the hood of the truck and hit the windshield. Xiaotian had to swerve left and right to get rid of them, sometimes crushing the zombies that were on the sides against abandonned vehicles.

    For the following laps, they ran over as many of them as possible. The streets had become full of corpses with exploded bellies, crushed chests and skulls. Squashed guts and brain matter everywhere. The zombies that weren''t killed had so much damage in theirs muscles and bones that they wouldn''t be a big danger regardless of their number. Those that tried to catch up to the truck from the sides or behind were peppered with nails. The turrets targeted the heads, but due to movements there were many misses.

    When they finally stopped, Liushi and the sisters had a constant disgusted expression on their faces. Xiaotian was feeling sick. They were parked near the military train, parallel to it so the turrets could either target anything coming from the train, or coming from the road.

    This time, all 3 of them would get out of the truck. Liushi because he needed to scan anything worthwile, Xiaotian to help gather the materials, and Lu to watch over them. It was also because Liushi and Lu weren''t fully recovered. They needed Xiaotian''s help.

    They got out, in the air filled with blood scent, each wearing 3 layers of clothes. Liushi''s biker gear was torn, so he couldn''t rely on it anymore. Each had a needler, Liushi had his sledgehammer, Lu had the altered machete, and Xiaotian the axe turned pickaxe. Liushi had enlarged its blade a little, so it was halfway between axe and pickaxe. They also took out the electric rough terrain pallet mover to transport their future load.

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    The first thing they did after getting out was clearing the corpses in their immediate surroundings. First, they needed to make sure they were all really dead, and not just incapacitated by broken bones. Second, many of them were former soldiers, with their equipment on them. As distasteful as it was for them, they had to loot the corpses. They aquired some firearms: QSZ-92 9x19mm pistol, QCW-05 5.8x21mm submachine gun, and QBZ-95 5.8x21mm assault rifle. All with spare magazines. Some of the soldiers were also equiped with flak jackets, so they also got those.

    "You know, girls. I''m happy we didn''t come across a corpse with a damged hand grenade. It would suck to get blown up and die that way after everything we survived."

    The sisters grimaced and nodded with conviction. After all, some of the corpses had been run over by the truck and had damaged weapons. Still, each of them added a handgun to their equipment, alongside a spare magazine.

    After that, Liushi turned toward the main attraction in sight. The tank. It was a ZTZ-79 main battle tank, with a 7.62mm machine gun, a 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine gun, and a 100mm main canon. This modele entered service in the mid 80s, and used by China until the late 90s when the second generation of main battle tank, the ZTZ-96, entered service. At that time, it was exported. China was already producing its third generation MBT, ZTZ-99, when the outbreak occured. As that date was getting close, the higher ups decided they couldn''t waste any ressources.

    Not that Liushi, Xiaotian, or Lu knew anything about it. They weren''t military hardware enthusiasts, and never did any research on the matter (But I, the writer, had to check wikipedia for the People''s Liberation Army Ground Force equipment). They were just happy to have guns and big guns.

    Liushi wanted to use the tank armor for the upgrades, and that meant bringing the tank to they place they had selected. They couldn''t just tow it, so Liushi would have to drive it. When the Starseed scanned something, it also learned how that thing worked. After scanning the tank, it would know how to operate it. It would instruct Liushi on what to do on the spot.

    ''Not as good as Matrix knowledge transfert, but an excellent learning aid... ... Starseed? Can you transfert knowledge directly to my brain?''

    [No, host. I cannot. Your nervous system isn''t advanced enough.]

    ''How come? You bonded to me and we can communicate mentally.''

    [You should recall that, when I bonded with you, you suffered from headaches for several days. Visual and auditive communication from myself to you is achieved by stimulating your optical and acoustic nerves. That is the most that can be accomplished with your current nervous system. Anything as complex as knowledge upload would result in severe brain damage. You may very well end up crippled, reduced to an idiot, brain dead, or just dead.]

    ''Ok ok, I get it. I''m too primitive for that shit... Can I enhance my nervous system with a gene therapy serum?''

    [Yes. However, they will be difficult to make. And you do not have the means to make them.]

    ''... I get it. I have to upgrade my engineering section and my medical station. On top of the whole truck... And the trailer... Fuck, I have to upgrade everything! ... Enhancement serums will have to wait.''

    While the tank had fallen from the carriage, it hadn''t been overturned. With a bit of help from the Doomsday Ride mechanical arm, it was easily put back on its tracks. While the weapons were empty, there was some fuel in the tank. Liushi guessed that, when the higher saw they were running out of time, they decided to have the tanks ready to move at a moment''s notice.

    Lu and Xiaotian retreated to the truck, wary of the tank engine attracting more zombies. If that happened, Liushi would be perfectly safe in the tank until they cleared the area again. When Liushi started the engine, the sound reverberated throught the deserted area. Not waiting to see if more zombies were going to show themselves, he started to slowly move the tank toward its final resting place.

    As expected, they did attract some zombies, but much less than they thought. The Doomsday Ride quickly took care of them. They made 2 more trips, one to take another tank, and the other to take as much military supplies from the train as possible. When they explored the train, theygota few surprises from zombies locked in a room, but Liushi and Lu were ready for them. They got more weapons and ammos, some radios, and military rations. They loaded one of the military trucks for that.

    Once the doors got locked and secured, they relaxed. Liushi choose to take a nap before starting to work on the upgrades, and the girls decided to relax and eat some snacks. They were eager to see Liushi''s power in action.

 28 Upgrades

    After an hour of sleep, Liushi felt better. He still had a slight fever and headache, and was still a little weak, but it was bearable.

    "How are you feeling, Liushi?" asked Xiaotian.

    "Still ill, but getting better."

    "Hey, brother Liushi?"

    "What is it, Lu?"

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    "You must be really good in engineering and stuff to make all of this. Why would you still be an university student? You could have already gotten a good job!"

    "Ha ha, you''re wrong. I''m not that smart. You see, when I use my ability, my consciousness expand. When I scan something, at that moment I know its full composition up to molecular level. I get how each of its components interact with each others to make the thing work. I don''t make any calculations using scientific methds and rules, I just feel what works and what doesn''t works. I bypass all industrial processes because I''m directly manipulating the molecules."

    Of course, everything he was saying was part of the excuse he had prepared to keep the existence of the Starseed secret.

    "It''s a lot of informations to process at once, something that is impossible in my normal state of mind. When I stop using my power, my consciousness return to its human limits and I don''t keep a clear understanding of everything I did."

    "Whoaa... How lucky" whispered Lu.

    "That sort of make sense I guess" replied Xiaotian. "So, what kind of modifications do you intend to make?"

    "When I started making the Doomsday Ride, I wanted it to be a mobile safe place for me and my sister Zhuying, with everything we would ever need in one place. However, as my experience in this apocalyptic world grow, I find myself wanting to add more and more things to the truck. And it''s not good. I realised I''m trying to give it too many roles: shelter, factory, exploration, combat, storage. If I keep it up its size would only be a hinderance when trying to move in towns and cities, or using smaller roads. If I had expanded the truck instead of making the trailer, it probably wouldn''t have been able to navigate in your hometown."

    "So, you''re going to restrict its role and make another vehicle to handle the other functions?" asked Xiaotian.

    "Yes. The Doomsday Ride is my mobile base, a moving shelter with a factory. I will make a second vehicle for exploration and combat, small enough for smooth navigation in town and cities, big enough to ram into most abandonned vehicles and some barricades. As for the trailer, I will get rid of it for 2 slightly smaller ones. One for food, drinks and medecines, the other for various items and materials. It will increase both the overall storage capacity, as well as manouvrability. When not in combat, the combat and exploration vehicle can tow the double trailer."

    "And who will drive it?"

    "I''ll do it" exclaimed Lu before Liushi could get an answer.

    ""No.""

    Lu flinched at the instant and simultaneous denial from Xiaotian and Liushi. They glanced at each other and Xiaotian avoided his gaze, a small shy smile on her face. Liushi shook his head with an amused grin.

    "I will be driving it" he said. "You will stay with your sister."

    "You''re recovering" she retorted with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Your wounds aren''t healed and you''re still ill. You''re probably going to faint and crash."

    Then she smirked.

    "You stay in your truck until my sister say you can leave, while I drive your new car."

    Liushi lowered his head with a groan.

    "... Sorry brother Liushi but she is right" Xiotian relucantly said after sighting. "Besides, you''ll probably be tired after the upgrades. It may not affect your body, but it probably affect your mind. You said you would be fine, but I doubt it. We will be keeping a good eye on you while you work."

    "Fine, whatever."

    While Liushi was annoyed at being weak in front of the girls, he really appreciated their concern for him. Once more, he thanked whatever deities may exist in the world for having found them as companions.

    With the help of the girls, he organised the materials he needed to use. Some of them would be used directly, while the others would be transformed before use. He had to strip some items from some of their materials, meaning the girls whimpered a little seeing the mighty tanks being taken appart. But they were also awed by seeing such level of ability, completly different fom just altering a machete or an axe.

    Just moving matter around didn''t take a lot of energy. It only started to become a problem when making complex constructions. With the amount of energy available, synthetizing new and advanced elements wasn''t possible. But it was possible to make better alloys, ceramics and composite materials. Especially with the help of the mutant beasts cores.

    With the materials neatly arrayed, he took out the first mutant beast core. He stopped for a moment, and even the girls held their breath, because they didn''t know what it would be like to use it. Holding the core firmly in his hand, he pressed it against the material pile, alongside his index.

    The core vibrated and glowed as it channeled the Starseed ability, and the regular circuits-like marking spread faster and more numerous than before. There was a low humming sound, and both him and the girls felt their hairs straighten a little from the ambiant electrical charge. The transforming pile of material was also releasing a bit of heat.

    After a few seconds, the static electricity disappeared, and the heat released was also reduced. That was because the Starseed had adapted to the mutant cores caracteristics and was no longer wasting extra energy. All available energy was focused on the compounding of better materials. The mutant boar core was entirely used for that task, and crumbled after losing its luster.

    He made a composite transparent material to use for the windshield and windows of the vehicles, the cameras, sensors, solar panels and others components. He called it the starglass mark 1, and it was strong enough to stop 3-4 12.7mm rounds. He wasn''t going to bother looking for an elaborate name. Since he wouldn''t be able to do anything without its bonded partner, he decided to give it the credit its due.

    He then made a composite material based on graphene and hastelloy he named starcore mark 1, to use mostly for the frame of his vehicles, but also various components. The third material he made was called starshell mark 1. It was a composite armor on par with the ones used on the latest generation of main battle tank, but 17% lighter. The last material he made was a composite fabric of polymers and carbon fibers he named starskin mark 1.

    Once he got better energy supplies and spare mutant beasts cores, he would make mark 2 materials. What he had was already at the peak of humanity''s current capabilities. He was looking forward to what he would be able to make in the future.

    When he was building his Doomsday Ride, at some point he had turned it into a 6 wheel camping SUV. He used that form as base, with some inspiration from the chinese version of the humvee, the Dongfeng Mengshi. Though, unlike the dongfeng, it had 30mm of armor on the doors, and up to 60mm on other parts. The armored bumper would allow it to blast through minor obstructions and barriers.

    It had a lenght of 5.5m, a width of 2.4m and a height of 2m. The 12.7mm heavy machine gun from the tank was placed on a turret, with all available targetting equipment. To be able to fit through passages with height limits, the turret could be completly retracted into the car. Aside from the driving cockpit, one third of the interior space was reserved to the the turret operating system.

    Among the things transported by the military train were dozens of Type 82-2 fragmentation hand grenades, 5 Type 67 7.62x54mm general purpose machine guns and QBU-88 5.8x42mm precisions rifles, 5 Type 91 35mm handheld grenade launcher and 3 DZJ-08 80mm unguided, shoulder launched, multipurpose rocket launchers. The amnutions available for the grenade launchers were mostly anti-infantry ones, with a few incendiary ones. The rocket launcher had 9 amnutions available, with all 3 anti-armor, anti-personel and anti-fortification capabilities in each grenade.

    Adding a 35mm grenade launcher with a 3 rounds drum magazine to the turret was easy. Liushi though that the 12.7mm would be good enough on big mutant beasts like the boar they encountered before, because it was the same caliber used with anti-material rifles. If that wasn''t enough, there would be the 35mm grenade. If even that wasn''t enough, the DZJ-08 was available. The 105mm canon of the tank was burdensome and unnecessary.

    After making the combat SUV, which he named Doomtrooper to the dismay and amusement of the sisters, he worked on the double trailer. Each trailer had 50mm of armor, a lenght of 5m, width of 2m and height of 3m, with 4 wheels.

    The first one had a sliding door to the side, and was separated in 3 sections: dry, fridge and freezer. Each section had shelves for food, drinks, and medecine. The second one opened at the back with double doors and a tail lift. It had a small section that was separated between fridge and freezer for the very few industrial chemicals that needed to be kept cool. The generators providing the fridge and freezer were incorporated with the frame and accessible from a locked panel under the trailer.

    The first trailer was equiped with a small gun turrets on each side near the back, while the second one had one turret at the back above the doors. The guns were 9x19mm with silencers and the same kind of top-mounted magazine as the needler turrets, based on the FN P90.

    Liushi nearly depleted the second mutant core with the construction of the armored SUV and the double trailer. He used the rest of it to upgrade the factory of his engineering section. There was a chemical section, a mechanical section, and a hybrid section from where finished products would be delivered. The factory was made of a swarm of small robots and self-reconfiguring modular parts, and with the new materials, their size was reduced, but their capabilities was increased.

    This change took the final bits of power from the core, and that had barely been enough. The whole construction and upgrade process started around 9pm and ended at 4pm. The girls took turn looking after him after the first 3 hours, because after those first hours, Liushi would be half-asleep during the upgrade.

    Thankfully, for both Liushi and the sisters, the last upgrade took place in the truck. As soon as he was done, they got to their respective bed and quickly fell asleep.

 29 Doomtrooper

    Jiang Liushi woke up at around 11am. While still feeling a little feverish, his condition was much better than the previous day. The vehicle was silent as Xiaotian and Lu were still sleeping.

    He didn''t want to wake them up, and slowly made his way to the toilet. Once relieved, he changed his wounds dressings while occasionaly wincing. Then he went to the shower. There was an indicator there to keep track of the amount of water available. Unfortunatly for him, it was running low. So he gave up on the shower so the sisters could enjoy it, especially after all the efforts they did the previous night.

    On top of staying vigile for him, they had transfered all the supplies from the old trailer to the new double one. It was a good thing that he had the rought terrain pallet mover, and the trailers had lifts. They would have had a harder time otherwise.

    After wiping his body clean, he went to the kitchen and started to make breakfast. Xiaotian was the first to wake up, and after greeting each others, she insisted he pause in his cooking so she could check his condition. That awakened Lu, and when her sister checked on her as well, they were all pleased to see that she had made a full recovery.

    Then Lu went to use the shower. A moment later, her head came out of the bathroom.

    "Brother Liushi, we''re low on bath water."

    "I know. I used body wipes this morning. You are ladies, so I left you the running water."

    She smiled, trotted to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

    "Thank you, brother Jiang. You''re the best" she said before returning to the shower room.

    Xiaotian had opened her mouth in shock of her little sister actions, but said nothing. Liushi blushed a little, and neither girls missed it. They found him cute. Xiaotian was thankful as well, and after seeing Liushi''s reaction, got a bit mischevious. She approched behind him and gave him a kiss on the other cheek.

    "Thank you, brother Liushi."

    His blush increased twofold, and he mumbled a reponse while concentrating on cooking. It was a rare thing for him to receive kiss from 2 attractive girls, and that was only when he and his sister visited their uncles, aunt and cousin. In others words, until then it only happened with family. He was embarrassed. But he also enjoyed it a lot.

    Since they got up late, Liushi made a hearty breakfast. They finished shortly before noon, and prepared to leave the place.

    First, he had to take Lu on a test drive in the Doomtrooper. Just like her sister she learned to drive with their father. But his car was slightly different from what she was used to; he wanted her to get a handle of it before they left. He armed the turret. Even though he put the 12.7mm for mutant beasts, he was eager to try it. He was willing to waste a few rounds (or a few dozens) on zombies. He also wanted to try the infantry weapons, so he took 2 submachine guns and 2 assault rifles with him.

    While they went out, Xiaotian had the task to put the rest of the gathered materials in the second trailer. On their little trip, Liushi and Lu saw that more zombies had come to their bloody circuit from the previous day. They realised that they had been attracted by the scent of blood. After all, they had turned the streets red with crushed zombies.

    The zombies weren''t the only ones attracted by the blood. There were also a lot of scavengers, crow, rodents and insects. Even though they weren''t mutated ones, they were bigger than usual by at least half. The flies were the size of a thumb, and the 2 humans couldn''t help but look at them with incredulity and a bit of fear.

    ''I must make a flamethrower to deal with swarms of small creatures.''

    As Lu drove around at various speeds, Liushi had a bit of fun with the turret. There was a control panel on the copilot seat, with a retractable joystick. It reminded him much of the FPS he played with his friends. His mood dropped thinking about them. They weren''t close, but he liked them. He had tried to warn them, and in hindsight, though it might have been better to show them a bit of the Starseed abilities. If they didn''t turn into zombies, they would have had better chances of survival.

    Shooting a few rounds of 12.7mm at zombies did help raise his mood. It was exciting for him to use a firearm. Still, he felt pity for anyone who had been gunned down by that monster. Headshots took out a arge part of the skull, and limbs were torn if not ripped clean of the rest of the body. The bullets likely turned organs into mush when they passed through them.

    Halfway during their trips, they made a few stops to try the submachine guns and assault rifles. Liushi could only try the submachine gun. His dominant arm was injured, so he couldn''t hold any firearm properly. He had to hold it with just his non-dominant arm, and the results weren''t stellar.

    Lu''s shoulders couldn''t handle the recoil of the assault rifle for a long time, and was more comfortable with the submachine gun. It would still take her some practice to be really efficient with it. With the upgraded factory, producing amnutions wouldn''t be a problem, and there was no shortage of target practice. They would be able to train a lot.

    [Energy core detected.]

    They were on their way back to their temporary base when the Starseed announced its discovery. That was all the warning he got before focusing on the turret control.

    "Mutant beast" was all he said, and Lu got more alert.

    The creature was stalking them from the roof of the nearby buildings. They didn''t notice it because they expected the beast to be on the ground. So they were really surprised when a blur came from the roof of a 2 story building on their side and crashed on the windshield with a thunderous noise.

    The windshiled creaked and buckled slightly for a split second before returning to its normal state. The starglass wasn''t a completly rigid material, it was flexible to absorb the energy of projectiles or bodies striking it.

    Lu squeaked and jerked in fright, temporary losing control of the vehicle. Liushi couldn''t contain his strangled cry of surprise as well. The mutant beast was a massive brown and grey cat, around 1.5m in height, with sharp claws the size of a finger that violently and purposefully scratched the windshield. The beast had been trying to break through it with the initial assault to kill the driver.

    Lu stepped on the brakes, and the beast slid from the hood of the car, its claws making a loud gratting noise against the metal. The mutant cat observed the car curiously, as it didn''t manage to damage it like the other vehicles it had attacked before.

    It gave Liushi the time to mark it on the turret targeting system. When the machine gun pointed in its direction, the mutant cat jumped away, sensing danger from the strange machine. A burst of bullets passed through the place it had been and impacted on the ground, tearing small chunks of road. Seing this, the beast saw the vehicle as a threat, but before it could do anything, it had to move as the turret had continued to track it. The bullets only hit the surrounding vehicles and buildings.

    "Get us out of here!" Liushi ordered his companion.

    "O-okay."

    As the car surged forward, Liushi stopped the turret''s assault. It turned to slowly to keep up with the beast, and he didn''t bring enough ammos for a real battle. He had to lure it in a position where it wouldn''t have the chance to dodge.

    Seeing the assault stop and its prey getting away, the mutant beast gave chase. The turret was pointed straight behind, so the beast took care of staying out of its way, running on the sidewalk. The beast was fast, and quickly reduced the distance with the car. Liushi could clearly see it on the rear-view mirror and was impressed. The beast lept once to land on top of a delivery truck, deforming its body, then lept once more, this time landing on top of the Doomtrooper.

    And it attacked the turret.

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    "Shit!!"

    Liushi panicked, hearing the sound of twisting metal on the roof of the car. He immediatly opened fire.The beast roared in pain and fell to the side as one of its front limb with the first few bullets, breaking the bones. Unfortunatly for Liushi, the canon had been twisted and the machine gun broke with the following bullets.

    "Aaah! My new turret!" cried Liushi in horror. Lu looked at him, askance.

    "Stop! Reverse and hit this mother fucker!"

    Lu''s eyes widened, but she followed the order. She was both amused and disturbed by his indignation, and felt was eager to get back at the beast that made her have such an embarrasing reaction in front of someone she admired and was starting to like.

    She reversed and stepped on the gas, and the car moved backward at a surprising speed. There wasn''t just one speed in reverse with that car. There were 3, with automatic transmition. It could reach 120km/h in reverse. The beast, still distracted by its wound, reacted to late to the return of the armored vehicle.

    Its wounded leg hindered its mobility and it was heavily hit in the hip. It fell to the side between 2 vehicles, and scrambled to try to get back up. But Liushi wasn''t going to let it leave.

 30 To Nanjing

    As soon as the beast was hit, Jiang Liushi hastly took the assault rifle that had left behind his seat. He opened his door, as rolling down the window would take too long, pointed the weapon at the limping beast and opened fire.

    There was no precision at all. The assault rifle shook wildly in his hand as it wasn''t held against his shoulder to help with the recoil, nor was it guided with the other hand. The mutant cat was only hit because of its size. Its stronger hide, and its powerful muscles absorbed a lot of the bullets energy, reducing the damage they could cause.

    Because the bullets were spread over a wide area, they didn''t injure the beast enough to significantly weaken it. And even with a broken limb, the beast was quite fast as most of its running power came from its hind legs, which were mostly intact. So, within seconds, the beast fled, jumping through a window and into a building to get out of sight.

    "Fuck!" Liushi cursed while lowering his arm.

    Then he dropped the assault rifle at his feet and hissed, holding his wrist.

    "Ow! That hurt!" he complained while massaging it.

    "Yeah" she said in a flat tone, refraining to comment on his poor shooting stance. "You should close the door, zombies are coming."

    "Haa?"

    He looked around, and saw several humanoid figures rushing toward them while growling. The brief battle had attracted them. He looked at them, then back at where the mutant cat had gone, and cursed under his breath before closing the door. Lu stepped on the gas right after, running over the zombies in front of them, and they continued their trip back to their temporary base.

    "That fucker!" he nearly shouted after a few seconds.

    "Why are you so angry? You can easily repair it" Lu asked, confused.

    "I know! It''s just that, it was a brand new turret with our most powerful gun. I was proud of the thing, you know. And not only did it get broken on its first ride, the bastard who did got away!"

    "Ah, I understand" she replied with a small smile.

    "And I wanted his core as well. If not for my injuries and the lack of protection gear, I would have gone after it, incoming zombies be damned!"

    He loudly sighted after his little rant and calmed down. Lu understood his indignation, yet couldn''t help but be amused by his reaction, and smiled a little more.

    "Well, it''s a good thing you din''t forget the risks in your anger. You better make some new protective gear as well. Thinking about it, what are you going to make?"

    She was really interested in that topic, as she had decided she would always follow him on any expeditions on foot.

    "I''ve had a few ideas. I don''t want zombies or beasts to easily grab onto my clothes, or have them caught into something while I''m moving, so something form-fitting. A blade-proof bodysuit would be good enough against zombies, like the bike gear did for me before reaching your hometown, but not against beasts. So on top of that, I need some armor. What kind? I don''t know. I have to chose between agility and defense. There are several choices for head gear as well, and I have to take into consideration hostile people."

    "It looks more complicated than I though..."

    She recalled something he mentioned that struck her.

    "Something form-fitting eh" she said, and a glint of mischief entered her eyes. "Like a catsuit? Do you think I would look good in one?"

    Liushi glanced at her, his eyes quickly going from the top of her head to her chest, and down to her hips. She wasn''t a great beauty but she was attractive. She had a fine body, and he did want to see it in something sexy.

    "Yeah, you would look good in one" he answered while averting his eyes.

    Lu had kept her eyes on the road, with a light blush on her face, and the small smile she had grew a bit larger. She wanted to tease him because of his reaction in the morning, but she was also curious about what he though of her. She was aware of the way he glanced at her, and with his answer, she was quite pleased.

    "Then make me something nice. In red and black" she added, the light blush still on her face.

    "Eh, sure" he said, slightly stunned by her response.

    She nodded and focused on driving. She didn''t ask to tease this time. Everyone has seen some things on TV, in books or the internet that they wanted to try. Things they are willing to share with others, or things they would rather keep to themselves. It was a good occasion for her to try some of them, share it with someone who would appreciate it and look good at the same time.

    Once they got back to the camp, Liushi had a look at the turret while Lu related to her sister what happened. It didn''t suffer much damage contrary to what the noise he heard made him believe. It was just the weapons mounted on it along with the sensor system that got destroyed. He though about what he did wrong with it.

    When he made the turret to deal with mutant beasts, he was only thinking about the mutant beasts he had encountered before. They hadn''t been very smart, so he unconsciously assumed all other beasts would be similar. He though that they would easily get shot with the first burst of fire. He hadn''t expected a beast to realise the danger the machine gun represented before even firing it. He hadn''t though he would encounter such a fast and agile beast so soon.

    In short, he didn''t use the full potential of the materials available to him when he made it. He was reminded of the defense system used by ships to defend against missiles and aircrafts. The CIWS. Not only was it good at tracking fast moving targets, it also anticipated where they would be. Armed with explosing rounds, it could even protect from incoming artillery shells.

    ''I''m going to rebuild it even better than before. No mutant beast is going to get close without paying dearly for it.''

    However much he wanted to start working on the turret, he was much more eager to reach Nanjing. It was already nearing 3pm, and Liushi had already lost 2 half-days of travels. He didn''t want to waste an afternoon as well. He put an assault rifle and a grenade launcher in the Doomtrooper for Lu in case they met another mutant beast. He also activated the private communication channel between the 2 vehicles.

    After a final check, they left. They made a small stop at the gas station to completly fill their fuel tanks. The Doomsday Ride was at the front, and the Doomtrooper was following, towing the double trailer. Liushi had asked Xiaotian to drive faster than usual to make up for lost time, and the plow was put to good use, blasting abandonned vehicles out of the way.

    While the girls were driving, Liushi was designing items with the Starseed. He started with the protective gear, he wanted them ready for when they would reach Zhuying''s appartment. Thinking about skin-tight bodysuits, he was reminded of Gantz. Not only did it look good on girls, he also though some of its features could be replicated in the future.

    The fabric was made of 3 layers. The inner layer was for general comfort, 0.5mm thin, made of polymers. The middle layer was 1.5mm thin, for shock absorption, using semi-rigide fibers and a special liquid. That liquid was one of the component of starglass and starskin, and contained in a dense network of tubes less than 1mm thick. It was of course inspired from Gantz. The outer layer was 1mm thin, made of starglass and starskin fibers with small scales made of starcore giving it a snake skin look.

    Overall the fabric was 3mm thick, double thickness for the middle and outer layer along the spine, with some stretching capacity for joints and muscle contraction. The protective bodysuit had to be custom-made for the user. Thankfully, with the Starseed, having the perfect measurement of someone was easy. The Starseed had all the physical measurement of Xiaotian and Lu, and could easily make a 3D virtual model of their nude bodies. So when he finished designing Lu''s catsuit, he couldn''t help but have a look at those models.

    Satisfied and slightly guilty after half-a-minute of oggling, he ordered the factory to make the bodysuits. While the factory was working on the suits, he designed some gloves and boots with in-built wrist and ankle protectors, an open face helmet with in-built flashlights and communication system, knee and elbow pads, harnesses to secure tools and weapons, and a white coat with gloves for medical use.

    He also prepared some new weapons. The first weapon he prepared was the new gun for the Doomtrooper. Instead of the single barrel 12mm machine gun from the tank, he made a 3 barrels 12mm minigun. The second was a semi-automatic shotgun with shortened canon and a recoil-absorption system build in the stock. It was designed to be usable with one hand, and deal with nasty surprises in-door.

    Firearms were nice, but couldn''t always be used even with sound suppressors. He made a dull hatchet-like weapon to break bones without the risk of the weapons getting stuck in the body of the victim, an improved machete, and an electroshock baton.

    Night was falling when he was done and added the new items to the production list of the factory. He joined Xiaotian in the driving cockpit. They could see some lights in the city and the surroundings, indicating that power was still available.

    "How long until we reach Nanjing?"

    "30 to 45 minutes. I''m avoiding the main roads. If it was anything like in Jiangbei, they must be so full of zombies and abandonned vehicles that we probably won''t be able to force our way through."

    "Slow down then. We are going to attract too much attention with the lights and sounds. We are going to sneak in. Lu, you there?"

    "Yes, brother Jiang" her voice came from the speakers.

    "Turn off the lights. You''re going to have to rely on the monitor and night vision cameras of the Doomtrooper. We''re swithcing to full electric, we won''t be moving faster than 10km/h."

    "Okay""Alright" the sisters replied.

 31 Lan Yuan estate

    Liushi went to prepare diner. An hour later, they stopped to eat near a power substation.

    Liushi gleefully used the available power to change the windshield and windows of the truck and change the table and 2 seats in the living room. He connected the truck to the substation with a power cable, and drained the batteries of the truck with the Starseed, using the substation to quickly refil them.

    Where there was 2 chairs and a table that could be folded in the wall between them, there was now a 3 seats pull-out couch, and the table would be folded in the ground in front of it. The 3 people tested it by watching a movie together. It was the first time any of them would watch something on the TV. It was a 70" screen held near the ceiling by a mechanical arm between the door and the kitchen. They decided to watch something light and entertaining, and settled for Who Am I 2015.

    It was the best evening any of them had since the outbreak. For Liushi, it was a novel experience to watch a movie in a relaxed setting with 2 attractive girls comfortably sitting on his sides.

    Xiaotian felt safe, having a enjoyable moment at his side. She had been very worried about him since he came back from the hive. On top of her worries for her sister, she had been quite stressed. Being able to laugh with the 2 of them like that was very soothing for her, and halfway through the movie, she had taken his arm into hers and snuggled against him. Lu was simply having fun, enjoying the moment.

    After the movie they went to sleep. Xiaotian returned to the lower bunk, and Liushi was able to enjoy the space provided by a 2 person bed. Not like the girls would let him keep using the bunk bed. He was the boss of the place, he deserved to use the new bed.

    When the girls got to their bed, Liushi made himself an armband, which he connected to the truck electric system. While he would be sleeping, the Starseed would absorb the extra energy from the substation through that. It would only be a drop compared to the maximum storage capacity of the Starseed, but it would still be usefull for the current level of construction.

    During the night, he was woken up once to retrieve completed items from the factory. They were the bodysuits, gloves, boots and pads, and they were filling the reception space of the factory. Liushi silently moved, careful to not wake up the girls, took the items and hid them behind the driver seat.

    The next morning, there was a quiet tension in the truck. They were in the outskirts of Nanjing City, and they were going to move deeper in to reach Zhuying''s place. Part of the tension was due to the thoughts of the ammount of zombies they were going to encounter. The other part was Liushi''s anticipation to being reunited with his sister.

    "Hey, brother Jiang. Since we are going to look for your sister today, are the suits ready?"

    "Yes, they are. Do you want to try yours?"

    "Yes" she curtly nodded.

    Liushi retrieved her outfit.It was warped in a pillow case, so she couldn''t see what it looked like. She got a bit more restless and bashful, and he found her reaction cute.

    "Why don''t you go to the bathroom and put it on?"

    She hastly accepted the package and went to change. Xiaotian gave him a questioning look but he just shook his head with a mischevious glint in his eyes. They waited for her return in anticipating silence.

    A few minutes later, Lu came out of the bathroom, fully dressed, and walked back toward Liushi and Xiaotian. They stared at her with their mouth open, the first one in awe, the later one in surprise and consternation. She moved with a mixture of confidence and shyness that were reflected in her expression, and totally captivated Liushi. When she got near them she turned around to give them a good look, though her attention was mostly on Liushi. She couldn''t stop the satisfied grin that spread on her face.

    Just like she wanted, the suit was red and black. Or rather, it was black with a vertical red band in the middle. Except the black part completly covered the leg from the knee and lower, and 2 bands coming from the hips and joining at the groin and underlining her buttcheeks at the back. On her upper back, the black sides joined following the shoulder blades, and on the front they joined over the clavicles.

    It enhanced her figure a lot, especially her rounded apple butt and large B cup breasts. The best part was that the red sections seemed to shimmer like fire if the angle of view changed. And that was without being reflective. It was something he added for artistic value. The boots and gloves were black, with red linings and fastening. Her boots were knee-high, with in-built shin guard and opening on the inner side.

    "So? How do I look?" she asked with a coy smile.

    "L-Lu?"

    "You''re great" Liushi replied, slightly dazzed.

    Xiaotian''s eyes snapped to Liushi and narrowed. Then she quickly glanced at Lu and closed her eyes. She took a few seconds to gather herself, then turned to her sister with a resigned expression. She, of course, knew some of Lu''s particular quirks and tastes, and couldn''t really blame Liushi for her sister attire. She didn''t like to see her little sister so exposed, but relented because it was her choice and she believed Liushi wouldn''t do anything to hurt her.

    "You look beautiful little Lu. I guess you asked for it?"

    "Yes. That fire effect is a really cool surprise though."

    "You asked for something good, I delivered."

    "Thank you, brother Jiang."

    She was sincerly grateful, and gave him a kiss. That, coupled with the show and her proximity made little Liushi stiffen. Enough for Lu to notice it. It wasn''t the first time she caught a guy with tight pants, so she wasn''t shocked and didn''t show any outward reaction. If not for the presence of her sister, she would have tried to see how much he could react to her.

    After that, urged by the girls, he went to put his own suit. Unlike Lu, it was 2 pieces, shirt and pants, and colored dark grey and silver. His boots and gloves were black and silver. The sisters looked at him in appreciation, and Xiatian blushed quite a bit. Lu''s eyes remained on his groin longer than necessary, and it took all his willpower to not pop a boner at that moment. It would have been impossible to hide.

    After the little fashion show, Liushi retrieved the weapons from the factory. The 3 barrels 12.7mm minigun was in 4 pieces due to the ammount of space available in the factory. He had to assemble it first before installing it on the Doomtrooper turret. At the same time, he also optimized the turret mechanism, bringing its speed and precision to the highest degree.

    Then, he restocked the factory with raw materials. While Lu looked really hot in her catsuit, he didn''t think it would be enough protection if they encountered well armed and hostile people. So he ordered the construction of armored vests. They were made of the same components as the second and third layers of their bodysuits, but thicker, with overlapping metal plates instead of miniature scales. They would weight 5kg, and be much more effective than the flak jackets they had aquired.

    After checking their armament, as well as the various turrets on the truck and the trailers, the group moved on. The Doomsday Ride would open the way, and the Doomtrooper would follow, with Liushi inside. They were going to move slowly to avoid attracting a large mob, and it would allow them to stop at any interesting store on the way.

    There wasn''t a single street that was clear of zombies.

    Anywhere they went, there would always be at least a dozen of zombies, and at most up to 200. The near silent engine was helpful in sneaking past some of them, but the randomly crashed or abandonned vehicles in the middle of the streets negated that. Since they had to ram them, they also attracted the zombies in the nearby buildings and alleys. But they couldn''t do anything to the vehicles, who either ran them over, killed them with the turrets (except for the Doomtrooper, its turret reserved for mutant beasts), or left them behind.

    After some time, they reached the area where Zhuying lived. The Lan Yuan estate, next to Zhuying''s college. The area was near devoid of zombies. After killing the remaining scattered zombies, they observed their surroundings more carefully. There were dragging marks on the grounds, meaning the zombies had been cleared by someone.

    Liushi got really anxious because whoever did it, there was a good chance that his sister had left with them. And he dearly hoped that if she left, it was willingly. The streets were too narrow for the truck, so Liushi and Lu went with the Doomtrooper to look for the 17th building, where Zhuying was supposed to be.

    Once they got to the building, they stopped and fully equiped themselves. On top of their bodysuits, boots and gloves, they added the bracers, knee and elbow pads, helmets, and the newly finished armored vests, with colors matching their bodysuits.

    Lu had a submachine gun, a pistol, both with silencers, a machete and a stun baton. Liushi had a pistol with silencer, the hatchet-like weapon he named zombie buster, a stun baton and his custom made shotgun. They were comfortably placed in their harnesses. Because the area had been cleaned of most of its zombies, they didn''t take spare magasines. If something else came, the Doomtrooper was there with its hidden super turret.

    They got out of the car, and Liushi took the lead, pistol in one hand, stun baton in the other hand attached to his still healing arm. Lu followed with the submachine gun in hand. He knocked at the door and opened it before stepping back, and a few second later, killed the zombie that rushed to them.

    The 2 people cautiously entered the building. Liushi didn''t bother with the elevator, not trusting it, and headed for the stairs. They checked each floor without opening closed doors and didn''t come across any zombies.

    They reached the top floor, where Zhuyin''s room was, and Liush stopped at the door.

 32 Reunion

    Before opening the door, Jiang Liushi motioned for Lu to keep an eye on the surroundings.

    Then he took a breath and knocked lightly on the door 5 times. After a few second, there was no signs of anyone moving within the room. However, the door of the next appartment was hit from the inside. The scratching noise indicated that it was a zombie inside. Growing worried, Liushi tried to open the door, and was schocked to see that it wasn''t even locked.

    "Zhuying" he loudly whispered as he rushed in.

    Lu cursed under her breath as she followed him in. The place was empty. As they looked around, they saw no traces of struggle.

    Liushi''s gaze was drawn toward a tee-shirt placed on her bed. It was a tee-shirt with a hand-painted drawing representing him and his sister playing. It was a gift she had made for him, but he refused to wear it because he found the patern silly. She decided to keep it, and it became a recurring gag between them. He carefuly took it in his hands, his expression nostalgic for a few seconds before turning serious.

    He knew his sister well. Even though she could be willful and mischevious, she always listened to him for importants matters. There had to be a very good reason why she wasn''t in the appartment, and also why she left her precious shirt in plain view. Turning it around, he saw a message written on the back. It read "Brother, wait for me".

    "... What?"

    "Is something wrong, brother Liushi?"

    "She left a message" he said, showing him the tee-shirt. "She didn''t leave any other explanation. Just saying to wait. With how things have changed, how can she leave with any explanations? This isn''t nearly as reassuring as she thinks! Gods, she left the safety of the room..."

    Seeing Liushi so distraugh, Lu felt sorry for him. Not knowing wether her family was alive or not was really hard for her. She didn''t like to see him in that state so she stepped toward him and hug him from behind. She put her chin on his shoulder and talked softly.

    "It''ll be okay. You warned her, and she most likely saw what happened in the streets. Since she choose to leave, you can bet that she took some precautions. I''m sure she''s fine. She trusted you to make it here, so have some faith in her as well."

    He was surprised at first, but quickly calmed down. He was growing fond of her, so he liked the hug. He would have enjoyed it more without the vests. And he agreed with her words as well. He was letting his worries get the better of him. He thanked her, and she released him with a slight reddening of her cheeks. With the shirt in hand, they returned to the Doomtrooper.

    Once inside, they contacted Xiaotian with the comm unit and explained what happened. It was decided that Liushi and Lu would wait in the car in front of the building, and Xiaotian would stay at the entrance of the estate in the Doomsday Ride.

    At noon, they got canned food from the trailer, not wanting any of them to move away from their vehicles. Liushi spent half of the waiting time chatting with the sisters, on and off. Xiaotian was able to join the talks through the comm.

    Liushi was talking about his childhood and his life with his sister, and Xiaotian or Lu would comment with stories of their own childhood. One of the sister would sometimes use the occasion to tease the other in front of Liushi. The talks often deviated toward a certain subject such as food, entertainment or events. The strong bond they created over the last few days was deepened that afternoon.

    Shortly after 5pm, the situation changed. The 3 people had stopped chatting and were entertaining themselves in their own way. Xiaotian was listening some music, Lu was playing mini-games, and Liushi looked like he was resting, but was in fact designing more equipment for scouting and security. In the Doomsday Ride, the monitoring system alarm rang, prompting Xiaotian to pause the music.

    It had happened several times when zombies came in range. They weren''t shot automatically because the system was set on warning instead of defense. It was a setting Liushi added in the previous town to avoid shooting wounded but non-infected people that would at first look like zombies. The turrets would only fire on Xiaotian''s order, else they would remain folded and hidden.

    Xiaotian checked the camera feed and saw 4 people moving toward the truck. There were 2 women and 2 men, carrying scavenged tools as weapons. The women were leading the way while the guys were scanning their surroundings and checking their backs.

    As for said group of survivors, they were perplexed. It started some distance away from the estate. They were returning back to a familiar area to check something, and it had changed. Some of the abandonned cars that were on the streets had been moved, and the zombie corpses they found had been either shot or run over.

    "Whoever killed those zombies was a good" said one of the guys. "Do you think it was someone from the military?"

    "I don''t think so" said the other man. "They have no reason to be come that deep into the city. There is a reason they retreated and entrenched themselves in Sattelite Town. They have to rely on us scavenger for anything they need in the city. What do you think, boss?"

    "I don''t like it" said the woman leading the way with a scowl on her face. "Since they have guns, they''re probably thugs and criminals. Like a certain pain in the ass" she finished with a deadly edge in her voice.

    "... The Bleeding Wolves?" asked the other woman after thinking for a moment.

    "Maybe. We can''t be certain until we meet them. Let''s be extra careful."

    """Yes."""

    As they moved, they got more worried because the people who had shot the zombies seemed to be moving toward the same place they were going to. The leader of the group got worried and increased the pace. The zombies that had been attracted by the scent of blood were quickly dispatched with a flash, a craking noise and the smell of burnt flesh.

    When they reached the street leading to the entrance of the estate, they stopped. Ahead of them, they could see the back of a truck, causualy parked in the middle of the street, with several zombie corpses not too far from it.

    "I think we found them" said one of the guy.

    "Really?" the second girl replied sarcastically.

    "There is noone outside standing guard" said the second man. "Should we check the truck?"

    "... Yes. Let''s go" replied the leader.

    Slowly, using the few parked cars in the area as possible shields, they moved forward. Back in the truck, Xiaotian watched their approach on the screen, and contacted her comrades.

    "Brother Liushi?"

    The answer came 2 seconds later.

    "Yes Xiaotian? What is it?"

    "There are 4 survivors coming over here. 2 guys and 2 girls, armed with knives, sticks or pipes, and a machete."

    "What about the girls?" he asked in an anxious voice.

    "Wait a moment."

    Xiaotian understood what Liushi asked. When he made preparations to leave Jiangbei, he also had pictures of his sister. On the way to Nanjing city, he had shown the girls a few pictures. Liushi wanted Xiaotian to comfirm wether or not his sister was with them. She watched as they got closer to the truck, and after comparing what was on the monitor to the available picture, she smiled.

    She rolled down the window, causing the 4 people to stop about 10m away from the truck, and stuck her head out. Since they didn''t seem to have any long range weapons, she wasn''t worried about being attacked. She was certain it was her, but wanted a confirmation.

    "Hello" she greeted them with a small smile.

    "Hi" answered the leading girl, tense.

    Seeing them so guarded, Xiaotian got a bit worried.

    "He still refuse to wear that shirt you know" she probed.

    The leading girl froze and her eyes widened.

    "Brother Liushi?" she blurted with hope in her voice.

    Xiaotian''s smile grew larger.

    "I am Wen Xiaotian. Nice to finally meet you, Jiang Zhuying."

    "You know my brother? He''s here?" she asked as she rushed toward the truck.

    "Your brother saved me when he left Jiangbei, and helped me look for my sister. They are waiting in front of your residence in an armored SUV."

    "Really?" she replied, happiness blooming on her face.

    "Yes."

    As she was about to rush in, Xiaotian stopped her.

    "Wait! We''ve been here since before noon, so some zombies may have wandered out. And we''ve been ambushed by an agile mutant beast in the middle of a town before. Wait here, I''m calling them back."

    "Ah, yes. Thank you" she replied.

    Xiaotian briefly contacted the Doomtrooper.

    "It''s her. Come back."

    It didn''t take long for the Doomtrooper to appear from within the estate. The moment it stopped, Liushi got out the car, his gaze fixated on his sister. She was dressed in tight jeans, black shirt and a denin jacket, hiking boots and dark blue fingerless gloves. She had a lean and fit body, with an average bust and a round bubble butt. She looked to be in good health, and had her eyes fixated on the car since it appeared.

    As soon as she saw him, her breath was stuck in her throat for a moment. It wasn''t because he was there, but because of what he was wearing. The bodysuit and the armored vest, with the various pieces of protecting gear ,and the harness carrying the weapons. At that moment he looked like a hero from action movies. Her hero. Before she knew it, she had ran to him and gave him a fierce hug, which he gladly returned.

    "... Brother Liushi."

    "I''ve come as promised. It''s good to see you well little Ying."

 33 Introductions

    When they heard Zhuying talk about her brother with the pretty lady in the car, the other girl and the 2 men who had stayed a little behind whispered to each other.

    "The boss brother has really come" said the younger of the 2 men.

    "He must be even more awesome than the boss" said the other. "Just look at that beast" he said in reverence while pointing at the Doomsday Ride. "This thing is an entirely custom-made survival truck. There is nothing like that on the market, and those things are expensive as fuck."

    The other 2 looked at the intimidating truck with awe. When Xiaotian told her to wait, the 3 got closer to the girls, and listened to them talk.

    "How did you meet my brother?"

    "I first met him a few days before the outbreak, when he came to rent a car a the company I worked in part-time. I didn''t see him again until the day of the outbreak. I was with my friend and we were running, trying to flee the city. But the zombies were catching up to us. We begged people in their vehicles to take us in but they refused us. When we though we would die, your brother stopped and took us in mere seconds before the zombies reached us."

    The fond tone of voice and the nostalgic expression on her face told them that it was a very important memory for her. It also made them understand that her words were genuine.

    "Wow" said Zhuying with a proud smile.

    "The boss brother is a good man" said the older man in a boisterous manner.

    Before they could continue their chat, they saw a vehicle coming from within the estate. It was towing a double trailer. As it got closer, they could tell that it was of the same quality as the truck. When they saw the driver come out, they were stunned. The same though passed through the guys minds. Badass! The other female of the group took in a sharp breath.

    They recovered when they saw Zhuying rush in his arms. They all felt warm at that sight, especially the 2 girls in the vehicles and the elder man. They stayed in each others arms for nearly 10 seconds before releasing each other. Zhuying looked him up and down.

    "Brother, you look awesome! Where did you get all of this?"

    "I told you I was getting ready to get you. These are the results of my preparations."

    While he didn''t intend to hide much from his sister, it was a different things for the people that were traveling with her.

    "We will talk about why you left your room and left a message that didn''t explain anything later. I see you also got yourself some comrades."

    "Ah, yes. Cough. These are the core members of my survivor group, my friend Yang Quinping, Zhang Hai, and Sun Kun."

    As she introduced them, they each nodded.

    Yang Quingping was a curly haired girl with a pretty face, a little thicker than Zhuying, same bust size but smaller butt. She was in jeans and running shoes, a shirt and a tracksuit jacket. She was armed with a knife, and had an appraising and calculating look in her eyes. Zhang Hai was a tall and muscular man with an average face yet a fierce appearance, seemingly in his late twenties. He was in baggy work pants, long sleeves shirt and a sleevless leather jacket. He was carrying an axe and looking at him in an almost friendly way. Sun Kun was a man around 20 years old, dressed in a casual way, holding a knife and a pipe in his hands.

    "Hello. I''m Jiang Liushi, and as you know, this little girl''s big brother. My friends are Wen Xiaotian, whom you already met, and her little sister, Wen Lu."

    As he finished, Lu got out of the car, and once more, the newcomer stared. While greeting them, she stayed halfway hidden by the car, the hood of the car blocking the view of her groin. Thankfully, they stared mostly because of the equipment and not the bodysuit. It was one thing to have Liushi stare at her body, it was another to have some other guys do it. She didn''t want to to show them her back.

    "I guess you relocated to where the rest of your group is staying?"

    "Yes. We better leave now" she said as she locked at her watch. "It''s going to get dark in less than an hour."

    Thinking quickly, Liushi decided who would be in the truck, and who would be in the car.

    "Lu, why don''t you help miss Yang into the truck. Zhuying, mr Zhang and mr Sun will be in the car with me. We will lead the way."

    "Sure. Miss Yang" she said as she gestured to follow her.

    Lu used the new girl as a screen to stay mostly out of view of the 2 men, though they did get a glimpse. Zhuying however got a good look at her and lightly hit her brother with her elbow before whispering in his ear.

    "Whoa, brother. You''ve got some nice company with you. Must have been nice being alone in a car with her."

    "Shut up, you naughty girl" he whispered back. She snickered in response.

    When the newcomers got in their respective vehicles, they were impressed.

    Lu had taken Quingping to the driving cockpit, where she was placed in the middle. Before sitting, she looked at the dashboard, with the high tech electronic equipment and stopped in surprise. Then she looked at the back and was stunned. The interior was like a high grade camping car, with a big screen tv mounted on the wall, and a quality couch on the other side. There was a neat kitchen, she could make out the beds at the back, and guessed that the bathroom and toilets were on the other side.

    She looked for a few seconds before siting down. She couldn''t believ that the 3 of them had travelled through the apocalyptic land in such comfort, and got really jealous of the girls, especially after exchanging handshakes with them. They weren''t like her, she though herself superior and ressented them in her heart.

    When Zhuying and her subordinate entered the car, they whistled at the sight. Zhuying of course took the copilot seat while the 2 men took the passengers seats behind them. They were on each side of the turret mechanism.

    "Whoa, bro! Your car is amazing!"

    "Oh my god! Is that a minigun?" exclaimed Sun Kun.

    The 3 newcomers turned to look at the folded gattling gun, then at the opening mechanism on the ceiling. Their eyes and mouths were wide open.

    "What magnificent piece of military engineering" whispered Zhang Hai.

    Liushi smiled a little smugly as he listened to them and started to drive. It was good to have them impressed by his creations, despite the Starseed having done the lion share of the work.

    "Brother, just how did you acquire all of that? Turn left."

    "A lot of things have changed since the outbreak" he said, following her directions. "People have changed too. Aren''t you different from before?" he asked while sparing her a knowing look.

    Earlier, when he took her in his arms, the Starseed detected a high level of bioenergy from her, and announced that she was an evolved human. The only other one he had encountered before was the beekeeper that had merged with his hive queen. When his sister entroduced him to the rest of her team, the Starseed informed him that they were evolved as well.

    With that question, she looked at him in shock.

    "What? How did you know? How can you tell? I didn''t sense anything from you?"

    "What? Your brother isn''t a supernatural?" asked Sun Kun.

    "Supernatural? Is that how those who have acquired special abilities are called?" asked Liushi.

    "Yes..." replied his sister, still baffled. "Ah, turn right, then left."

    As he continued to drive, zombies were ignored and ruthlessly ran over. They didn''t use the turrets because the path was half cleared, and he didn''t want to reveal them yet. The sound of them being hit didn''t faze the car inoccupants. They barely felt it when they passed under the wheels thanks to the high grade suspension. Zhang Hai was half focused on the discussion because he was very impressed by the vehicle.

    "Is that why you left your room? Because you gained the ability to fight against the zombies?"

    "Yes!" she said with a proud expression on her face. "I''ll show you later when we reach the base."

    "You said you didn''t sense anything. What did you mean?"

    "Supernaturals can sense each others energy fluctuations when they come in physical contact. Since you aren''t one, how could you tell?"

    "I''m sensitive."

    "Don''t think I haven''t noticed that you keep avoiding giving clear answers to my questions" she said with a hint of frustration in her face and voice. "Second to the left, then right."

    "Let''s say I have awakened a big talent for engineering" he said while smirking at her.

    Liushi didn''t reveal his ability to Xiaotian until after they took in her sister. He was quite uncomfortable with revealing it to strangers, even if they were his beloved sister'' subordinates.

    "I started with an ordinary vehicle, and upgraded it in stages as I found adequate materials on the way." ''I wonder how much Xiaotian and Lu are going to tell to miss Yang? I never asked them to keep quiet about my abilities. I''ll have to wait and ask them at Zhuying''s camp.'' "We aquired the firearms and high grade materials from a lost military convoy. The outfits were made from these materials. Now tell me how you''ve been."

    For the rest of the trip, Zhuying briefly explained to her brother what she''s done. From the discovery of her power to the formation of their survival group. She still insisted to wait until they reached their base to show him. She enjoyed teasing him by making him wait.

 34 Zhuyings camp

    The traveling group reached a high class area. Zhuying''s survivor group was based in a luxury villa community, with a high and sturdy wall separating them from the zombies. There weren''t many residents before, so the number of zombies wasn''t a problem. It was also the closest secure place to her appartment that Zhuying found.

    "We live in that house" Zhuying said while pointing the way. "There was noone when we came. Everything was in order and clean, with plenty of rooms."

    Liushi looked at the place, and though it was nice. However, there wasn''t really any good places to park the vehicles. After talking with his sister and Xiaotian, the Doomtrooper and the double trailer were parked on the lawn in front of the villa. The Doomsday Ride would stay on the other side of the street, on the lawn of the neighboring villa. It was too big to place near the occuped villa and it would disturb the movement of other vehicles.

    Once the vehicles got parked, nearly everyone got out. Lu didn''t immediatly get out of the truck. She went to the storage drawer allocated to her to retrieve cargo pants and a jacket. She took of her armored jacket and other pieces of armor, and put the regular clothes above her bodysuit. She could have taken it of, but she felt more secure with it in the middle of so many strangers.

    As for the survivors, when they saw the small convoy approach, they were mesmerized by the sight of the truck, with its bloody plow, sides and tires. Liushi felt smug, but kept an easy-going expression on his face. When the survivors saw his equipment, they were shocked [*]. They though that Liushi was even more extraordinary than Zhuying and the other 3 power wielders. Seeing their leader happily chatting with him, they elevated him to the same rank in their minds.

    Once Lu got out of the truck, Liushi, through the Starseed link, locked the vehicles and the double trailer. Only him, Xiaotian and Lu could access them. Glancing at his sister who was next to him, Liushi added her to the list of people authorised to access the vehicles. While Liushi was with his girls and sister, Yang Quingping went to talk to Sun Kun and Zhang Hai.

    "Sister Yang, that guy''s vehicle is awesome" started Sun Kun with barely controled excitement. "He has a motherfucking minigun inside! There is a hatch on the roof to deploy it."

    "I think there was a grenade launcher attached to it" added Zhang Hai. "What was the truck like? It must have been impressive, right?"

    "... It was" she replied in a slight daze while looking at the vehicles. "That truck is a high quality motor home. Unfortunatly I didn''t get to have more than quick look. Did you learn how Zhuying''s brother acquired it?"

    She had asked the sisters some questions, but they replied with vague answers. They had enough sense to not reveal things Liushi told them in confidence. As Zhuying''s friend, Quingping was well aware of their family social status and financial situation. Liushi couldn''t have bough it, and those kind of vehicles should be well secured. If the owners didn''t turn, the zombies wouldn''t be a problem and they would still be there. If they turned, the vehicles would have stayed under lock and key. Thus, she thought he was acquitained with important people. In a way, she wasn''t wrong.

    "Apparently, he build it himself. He said he started with an ordinary vehicle that he upgraded along the way" Zhang Hai replied.

    "What? You''re saying he made these beasts by himself in less than 2 weeks?" she asked incredulously. "Is he a supernatural?" she added, her opinion of him growing further.

    "No, he isn''t. The boss noticed it when they hugged. However, despite not being a supernatural, he was able to tell that the boss was one. As well as the rest of us. Whatever means he used to do it, he kept it to himself."

    Hearing this, Qingping was stunned. Most of her expectations about him were dashed. If Liushi wasn''t a supernatural, then he didn''t deserve to have such quality goods. She though that he had just been lucky when he found them, and other people deserved it better than him. Like herself.

    While all of this was happening, the group was moving toward the house, led by Zhuying. The rest of the survivors observed from a polite distance. Quinping, Hai and Kun had lagged behind, and the people had approached them, listening to what they were talking about. Their previous awe toward Liushi disappeared as they listened to the conversation between the 3 supernaturals. They became suspicious of him, but still respectfull. Respect born out of fear of what he could do with his goods. He did have firearms with him, as well as armor.

    Back to the newly reunited siblings, while showing them around, Zhuying wanted to prepare rooms for him and the Wen sisters.

    "You don''t need to trouble yourself for me. I have a nice bed in the truck" he replied. "Xiaotian and Lu could use something more comfortable, maybe?" he turned a questioning gaze to them.

    "No need, thank you" said Xiaotian. "The bunks in the truck are actually quite comfy."

    "And I feel safer there" added Lu. "Thanks for the offer."

    "If you you''re alright with that, that''s fine" Zhuying said with a hint of disapointment.

    "Since you showed us around, I''m going to show you the insides of the Doomsday Ride."

    "Doomsday Ride? That''s what you called your big truck?" she asked with a doubtful face.

    "Yes!"

    "Seriously, brother? That''s a bad name."

    "He called the armored car Doomtrooper" Lu further commented, with Xiaotian nodding.

    A stiffled groan was the answer, and Liushi lightly blushed in embarrassement.

    "Brother, from now on you are forbidden to name anything."

    ''Then I will not say anything about the new materials I created.''

    They got into the truck, and Liushi happily gave his sister a tour. She tried the couch, looked at what was available for entertainment, checked the kitchen, bathroom and toilet, tried the bunk, had a quick look at the medical station and stopped at the micro-factory console.

    "Whoa, bro! This is simply amazing" she said with slightly glazed eyes, before they sharpened and she suddenly spun to face him. "Big brother, please tell me how you did."

    Liushi had a slight grin. She had asked him seriously, but there was still a hint whinning slipping through. He decided to make a little show with a piece of raw material available, while giving a summary of his abilities and how he prepared for the outbreak.

    "... You have elemental transmutation power without being a supernatural?"

    "Yep. It''s something I''d rather keep secret."

    "Understood brother. I will be careful" she replied with unusual seriousness.

    "What about your ability?" he asked with an eager look.

    "Watch" she replied with a smug smile.

    She put her hands in front of her chest, palms facing each others. An cyanish electric arc appeared between them. Then several others, seemingly dancing while making small cracking noises. She stopped after a few seconds, looking pleased with herself. The awed faces of the other 3 people helped.

    "Little Ying, that was incredible."

    "I know right? Aren''t awesome?" she added in a playful tone.

    "Yes, you are."

    "I''ve tested the voltage of my attack. Right now I can release up to 1000V."

    "Hmm..." he replied with a pensive face.

    "What?" she blurted, suddenly less proud of what her achievement due to his reaction. "Isn''t that good?"

    "It''s nice, but it isn''t voltage you should focus on. It''s amperage."

    ""Huh?"" the 2 little sisters said in confusion.

    "People are under the misconception that it''s the voltage that determine how lethal the electrical current is. That the higher it is, the more lethal it is. The real thing to watch out for is the intensity of the current, mesured in ampere. That''s why people usually die from electrocution at home with 230V apparels and lower, yet can survive lightning strikes with millions of V."

    "Really?" asked Lu.

    "Yes. If I remember right, at 10mA, the electrical current cause strong enough muscles contractions that it''s difficult to control yourself. Around 30mA, it cause breathing problems. The higher the intensity, the stronger the muscle contractions are. At some point you just can''t let go of what you''re holding. Around 75mA, it cause respiratory arrest. From 100 to 200mA, it''s cardiac arrest for sure. Surprisingly, above 200mA, it doesn''t cause cardiac arrest, but it start to burn the flesh."

    "Whoa, I didn''t know that" replied Zhuying.

    "The damage also depends on the path the electric current takes inside the body, and how dry the body is. The body parts have their own electrical resistance. The bigger the resistance, the bigger the voltage needs to be. Of course you also need a certain amount of voltage to have a high enough amperage... I''m pretty certain things changed since the outbreak, especially for zombies and supernaturals. That''s something we will have to test."

    "I guess I''ll have to train and explore my ability more."

    "Me too. Now that I''ve found you and we have decent protection, I have the time to make improvements to my arsenal."

    "That can wait for later. Get changed, diner is going to be served soon."

    With that said. She left the truck to get changed herself.

 35 Evening at the refugee camp

    Jiang Liushi and the sisters would have loved to take showers, but they had not refilled the truck''s water tanks. They could settle for the wet wipes or go into one of the abandonned houses. The sisters settled for the 1st option. Liushi could connect the pumping hose of the truck to the water network of a house and refill the tanks during diner. They could enjoy a shower after that in the safety of the truck.

    After finishing their preparations, they left the Doomsday Ride and went to the main room of the house.

    Zhuying had explained that all people capable of fighting were in charge of collecting food while the others took care of domestic tasks. Most of the survivors were in the hall, classifying the diverse ressources gathered that day. Zhuying used that chance to introduce him to the rest of the survivor group, with a proud face. He was welcomed by most of them.

    Usually, Zhuying would be sitting at the head of the table, but when Liushi arrived, she placed him there and sat on his right. Xiaotian sat on his left, and Lu sat next to her. Yang Quingping sat next to Zhuying, followed by Sun Kun and then Zhang Hai.

    It was to be noted that only the paranormals ate at the table in the hall, while the rest ate in the kitchen. Having 3 non-supernatural there was schocking for the survivor group. Qingping had tried to object, but Zhuying wouldn''t hear any of it. She was the boss, and her words were to be followed.

    Kun and Haizi were a bit doubtful at the sudden change of hierarchy, but choose to follow Zhuying''s wishes. Quingping, however, was displeased. She couldn''t completly hide the scowl from her face, something Lu and Xiaotian noticed. The other members of the survivor group had roughly the same opinion as Kun and Haizi. A mighty truck? An armored SUV? Firearms and protective gear? Paranormal or not, the newcomer was definitly an important asset.

    "Brother Jiang, what you''re going to eat may be the best meal you''ve ever eaten" said Haizi.

    ''Do they have a real chef in the team?'' he though.

    When the food was brough to the table, Zhuying immediatly picked up a chunk of meat and placed it on Liushi''s plate. He took a bite, chewed, stopped for a second and swallowed.

    "Mutant beast meat?" he asked for confirmation.

    "Yes?" Haizi replied in surprise. "You already ate some before?"

    "Yes. On the second day after the outbreak, we were attacked by a mutant boar. He was bigger than my armored SUV. I used some of the heavy tools in my truck to deal with it. We still have more than 6 tones of meat in the trailer."

    The supernaturals were stunned, and the curly haired girl among them almost choked. But while the guys were impressed, Qingpping got even more irritated. She felt that she deserved it more than them.

    "... Brother, mutant beast meat is very valuable for supernaturals. It replenish the energy expanded with the use of our abilities and help improve them. It can be traded for weapons with the military."

    "Wait! Trade? You got into contact with a proper military camp nearby?"

    "Yes! It''s called Sattelite Town, right outside of the city. That where most of the refugees from the city got. I ordered a customized weapon there."

    "Customized weapon?"

    "Yes. They have the technology, materials and equipment. Many survivors in Jinling cooperate with them. We collect food ourselves, but we go to them for weapons. What the military needs varies, but standart items are mutant meat and medecines."

    "Excuse-me, why don''t all the survivors go there?" asked Xiaotian.

    "It''s a frontier camp the army left. The main force has already withdrawn, and only around 1000 people are left. The camp size is limited, and they don''t have the manpower to send survivors to safe areas. The nearest safe area is in the mountains, remote and difficult to reach."

    Xiaotian nodded in thanks, and Liushi resumed the conversation.

    "So, for your customized weapon, you need to exchange some ressources, right? How much do you need?"

    "5 tons of mutant beast meat."

    She stopped, remembering something, and took something out of her pocket.

    "A mutant beast core! Well, it makes sense for you to have one if you managed to hunt a mutant beast."

    ''Starseed, why didn''t you detect this mutant beast core?''

    [Your sister''s energy level is higher than that of the mutant beast core. She masked its presence by keeping it in close contact.]

    "Yep. This little thing can be exchanged for a ton of meat with the military."

    This attracted Liushi''s interest. These cores were extremely useful, as demonstrated when he used them to make/upgrade the vehicles. They were also a completly new ressource to the world, with probably more uses than he was currently aware of.

    "What uses does the military have for it?"

    "They seem to use it to study the mutant virus" his sister replied.

    ''Ah, they are focusing on the biological side since they are a result of the outbreak. I, on the other hand focused on its uses in engineering. And they are still on the research phase while I already skipped to practical use. They don''t know its true value yet!''

    "My adorable little sister" he stated semi-seriously. "I have use for the core. I will happily give you 4 tons of meat for it."

    That surprised the other 3 paranormals. Mutant beast meat was too valuable for them to imagine someone giving it away like that.

    "What? No way!" she replied with a face pale from shock. "It''s too much brother! Even 2 tons is my limit!"

    "Then take 3 tons. Complain all you want, I''m still giving you that much."

    Liushi and the Wen sisters didn''t need as much meat as the paranormals. What they had was too much for themselves. On the other hand, his sister needed it to get stronger. He was going to do anything he could to support her growth. It would also prevent ill will from growing among the other refugees. Though some people were jealous of him for having that much meat, or jealous of Zhuying for having such a good brother. The rest of the meat was kept for future trade with other groups.

    The rest of diner passed in a relatively good mood for everyone, except for Qingping. Her jealousy over the possessions of Liushi had grown. She couldn''t accept that a non-paranormal could have so many good things while they had been struggling. Especially since Zhuying was basically giving her brother a higher position than her in the group.

    After diner, the Wen sisters were able to enjoy a nice shower in the truck. Instead of waiting for them to be done, Zhuying took her brother to the bathroom adjoining her room. The master room of course. Liushi was taking his clothes of when his sister came in to give him a towel. She froze in place when she noticed the wound dressings.

    "... Brother?" she asked with a pale face.

    "Oh. Don''t worry about it. I wasn''t hurt by zombies. No infection, I won''t turn."

    "Still! You were hurt!" she nearly shouted while rushing tohis side. "Are you alright?"

    "I''m fine. I''m actually recovering at a good pace."

    "What happened?"

    "Lu and I fought a small swarm of mutant bees, the size of a big cat, with long and sharp limbs. We didn''t have any firearms at that time, and even if we did, we would have run out of ammos before killing them all. There were quite a few close calls, the last one resulting in my injuries. We won."

    She took him in her arms and held him tightly, barely restraining her tears. When the outbreak occured, she new that her brother would do his best to reach her. She expected him to face some difficulties, but was optimistic because he told her he was making preparations beforehand. When she reunited with him, seeing the vehicles and equipment he had with him, she though he didn''t encounter serious difficulties. Now, she realised that her brother very nearly died on his way here. That scared more than anything that had happened since the world changed.

    "Hey, calm down, I''m fine now" he said softly before separating from her. "Now get out. I have a shower to take."

    "... Won''t you need my help with your injuries?" she asked teasingly.

    In response, he turned her around and led her out of the bathroom by the shoulders. He ignored her pouting face with puppy eyes. There was mischief hidden behind, he knew from experience.

    Once alone, he proceeded to enjoy a nice warm shower. When he got out, he found his sister ready to go to bed. It meant wearing a white camisole, no bra, and a black tanga. She was lazily lying on her belly across the bed, reading a book. It was a sight that made him pause for a few seconds.

    "I see that you''re done" she said as she turned her head toward him.

    Seeing his reaction, Zhuying failed to properly contain her grin. Noticing this, Liushi mentally sighted. The naughty girl that she was had exposed herself on purpose to tease him. She may have been his sister, but he definitly wasn''t immune to her charms, and she knew it. That reminded him of Lu, and he was certain that, under Zhuying''s leadership, they will make his life harder in many ways. Then her grin faded.

    "You''re going back to your truck?"

    "Yeah. After all the excitment of the day, I''m mentally tired and eager to get some sleep."

    "Can you stay with me?"

    All traces of mischief were gone from her face.

    "Eh? Why?"

    "It''s just, after being worried about you for days, I''ve finally been reunited with you" she said with a bit of shyness. "I don''t want to be separated from you again so soon" she added while lowering her face. "Please, can you stay with me tonight? Please?"

    Hearing her and seeing her pleading face, Liushi easily caved. Besides, he too wanted to stay near his sister. And if she hadn''t already etablished a base here, she would be sharing his bed in the truck. With his agreement, a joyful smile spread on her face. She hopped of the bed to reach him and happily dragged him down to the bed with her.

 36 To Sattelite Town

    Jiang Liushi didn''t wear dedicated sleep wear, he slept in underwear and socks. So, after freeing himself from his giggling sister, he took of his shirt and pants. He tried to not react to much to her teasing whistling, and used the Starseed to send a message to the girls in the truck to warn them.

    Once done, he saw the grin on her face and got the urge to get back at the smug girl. So, he launched a surprise tickling assault. The squeal she let out was certainly satisfying, unfortunatly, she was quick to start to defend herself. His fingers rommed over her sides at a fast pace as she tried to counter him. Then she launched her own attack, and it turned their battle into a half wrestling match half tickling match.

    There was a few times where Liushi accidentally touched Zhuying''s breasts. As they tried to pin each other, they sometimes ground their genitals against each other with their struggles and it aroused them. With her thin clothes and her lack of bra, it was stimulating for both of them. It often made him falter, and she retaliated, seemingly not caring about it. She didn''t leave him any time to worry about that.

    The taunting expression on her face also stopped him from putting an end to their game despite how kinky it was becoming. Because his wounds weren''t completly healed, and she, as a paranormal, had better physical capabilities, he found himself pined under her, with her thong covered snatch right on top of his rod. He had to surrender because any more struggle in their position would give him a hard-on against his sisters slit.

    "I won" she said.

    The smug yet sexy expression on her face, the nipples poking through her camisole, and the distinct feeling of her twats shape and heat against his shaft made him lose control. His shaft quickly grew and hardened against her slit, making her take a sharp breath in. While she new he could react to her, she had never seen him get hard, or felt it. He always found a way to stop it before it got that far, or he went somewhere else before it got noticable.

    She was stunned to be in contact with it, with her own snatch. It was something she had imagined more than a few times, but never though would really happen. Liushi''s mind was equaly dazzed. It felt like a dream, yet it was reality. She moved her hips, making her slit grind the lenght of his shaft. The pleasurable feeling, and the low groan of her brother, told her that it was reality. It broke both of them of their trance-like state, and Zhuying was the first to react.

    "Someone wants to be naughty with his sister" she teased with her hand tracing his chest.

    "Shut up! That''s just a natural reaction due to friction! Now get off!" he ordered while blushing.

    She obeyed while laughing. He hid his waist under his side of the blanket. Zhuying joined him under the covers, still laughing at him.

    "Suuure. Keep telling yourself that."

    They continued to banter for a while, Liushi trying to forget his embarrassing loss of control, and Zhuying throwing puns related to what happened. She was quite happy about that little accident. Before finally sleeping, she clung to his side, puting an arm around his chest and warping her leg around his.

    "I''m glad to have you here with me, Liushi-ge" she whispered as she nestled her head on his chest.

    "I''m happy to have you as well" he said, holding her close. "Good night little Ying."

    "Goodnight brother."

    It was the best sleep they had since the outbreak. They were woken up by Zhuying''s alarm, set on her phone. She had to crawl over him to reach it and stop the alarm. She then laid on top of him to snuggle for a bit. Liushi rolled his eyes, but didn''t mind. However, they couldn''t stay in bed. Zhuying needed to collect the weapon she had commissioned to the military.

    They took turns to use the bathroom, and after dressing himself, Liushi went back to the Doomsday Ride. After greeting the girls, they talked about what they were going to do for the day. Liushi intended to accompany his sister to Sattelite Town, and he would only need the Doomtrooper.

    "Xiaotian, I would like for you to stay here in the truck. I''ve finished the designs for drones, and I''ll have the micro factory build them. I would appreciate if you could retrieve the finished products and keep the factory supplied in materials."

    "Sure, I don''t mind."

    "Can I come with you?" asked Lu.

    "Since we are going to a well visited military camp, I doubt we''ll come across trouble that would require your presence. The Doomtrooper armament alone is good enough, and I''ll be with a few paranormals as well. And I don''t feel like leaving Xiaotian alone. Xiaotian?"

    "I agree. And I''d like you to keep me company here."

    "Fine. But you take me with you on your next outing."

    "I will."

    Liushi had offered his sister 4 tons of monster meat for her mutant core. He took out 2 tons to be stored in the camp, and keeping the rest in the trailer in case she found something else to trade while in Sattelite town. Liushi also wanted to trade some of the military hardware he had taken from the train to them, and some of the general items he had aquired. After gearing himself, he went to the Doomtrooper.

    Zhuying''s refugee group used 3 vehicles. First was an SUV with a light machine gun used as vanguard, her personal vehicle. Then there was a freezer truck, ugly and bulky, but it protected the goods well. Finally, another SUV to protect the team''s back, with seats removed and spiked chains hung behind to make it easier to deal with pursuing zombies.

    However, this time Zhuying would be with her brother in the armored 6 wheels SUV. And they would take the lead, towing their double trailer. Yang Qingping and Zhang Hai would be behind them in the freezer truck, the SUV with the light machine gun would be after them, and Sun Kun would be in the rearguard vehicle.

    After a quick last check up, Zhuying gave the departing order like the boss that she was. In the freezer truck, Qingping was inwardly fuming at how much Zhuying favored her brother. There wasn''t much she could do against it because even she couldn''t deny the benefits and it irritated her. Her jealousy and sense of entitlement were growing.

    On the main road leading out of the Nanjing city, numerous zombies got out of the buildings and small alleys, attracted by the noise of the convoy. The Doomsday Ride and the Doomtrooper didn''t make a lot of noise, especially when relying only on electrical propulsion. The engine housing also had a layer of sound dampening material. The same didn''t apply to Zhuying''s vehicles, especially the freezer truck. They attracted A LOT of zombies.

    "... Well, I didn''t want to reveal them so soon, but I have no choice" said Liushi in a disappointed tone.

    "What are you talking about?"

    "These" he replied after clicking a few icons on the on-board computer tactical screen.

    The 3 turrets on the double trailer that were previously hidden in their inactive state sprung out. The 9x19mm guns immediatly targeted the zombies at head level and opened fire. Those that weren''t hit by the side guns were hit by the back gun when the vehicle passed them.

    "Holy f*ck!" shouted Zhang Hai at the wheel of the freezer truck.

    Next to him, Qingping had frozen in schock. Since they were behind the double trailer, they couldn''t miss the action. At the rear of the column, the passengers of the SUVs could only hear the gunshots and see the zombies fall. The most surprising thing was that the high number of headshots felling the zombies. Noone of them expected such accuracy while moving.

    "Even the trailer is armed! Those turrets are damn effectives! He doesn''t even need to use his gatling gun!"

    Qingping was silent as she looked at the scene in front of her. She may have been arrogant and had a sense of entitlement, but she wasn''t stupid. She could tell that those turrets were automated. Her frustration and envy were cooled down by dread. Jiang Liushi''s equipment had protections, from armor to hidden weapons and electronic security. If she ever lost her cool and acted rashly, she would regret it. She decided it would be best to stop complaining and wait for an opportunity to make a good enough impression on him.

    While the turrets concentrated on the zombies coming from the sides, those who came from the front were ruthlessly run over by the armored vehicle. They were blasted back against the following zombies, knocking them over, and the whole lot would pass under the 6 wheels of the SUV. There were less zombies than in the previous town when they found the train, so no risks of accidents for the trailers. It did hinder their aim thought, and they still had to reduce their speed a little.

    Behind the freezer truck, the SUV with the light machine gun helped reduce the number of zombies reaching the convoy from the sides. They had to use their bullets sparingly, though. Sun Kun and Qingping, who usually had to help fight the zombies outside of the vehicles, could stay safely indoor. Besides, Zhuying had lowered the window on her side a little to zap any zombies that came in her range.

    They reached an area where, despite the number of zombies being higher than before, they were also more scattered. Their momentum would be enough to pass through them so they raised their speed, and Liushi deactivated the turrets. Liushi even swerved a little left and right to hit as many zombies as possible.

 37 Bad doggy

    They soon left the crowd behind, reached an empty lot where the group took a small break. Each time they passed a large group of zombies, they would always check the vehicles afterward. They weren''t build to continuously suffer the impacts of zombies, or continuously run over bodies and high speed. Fortunately, they only had to take care of a flat tire for the freezer truck, and Liushi was able to see some of the other paranormals in action.

    Qingping jumped out of the freezer truck with surprising power, landing several meters away in the middle of the zombies. She spun around like a dancer, knives in her hands, and sliced the necks of the ones closest to her. Before the other zombies could reach her, she had already jumped back to her starting position.

    "Qingping has improved leg muscles" explained Zhuying when she saw her brother''s surprised face. "It''s mostly her claf muscles that have evolved, giving her a great bouncing ability."

    Then that Liushi witnessed the paranormal ability of Zhang Hai as he went to take care of the busted tire. Said man pulled a new tire from the truck and rolled his arms. He went to the flat tire, rubbed his hands and proceeded to change the tire at a fast speed. Without any tools, using only his hands.

    "How is it, bro? Not bad, right? My fingers have mutated, giving them incredible power and agility. All muscles in these small things" said Zhang Hai with a proud face.

    Liushi was surprised. He excepted something different, a bit more on the cool side. Not something that mundane. But it was still impressive, and didn''t really know what to say.

    "Excuse-me, what did you do before?"

    "I was a mechanic! Hahaha!"

    It wasn''t really a combat oriented ability, and while he was still stronger than ordinary humans, he was the weakest of the 4 paranormals. Fortunately, he was far from being useless. His mutation combined with his professional skills made him a valued member for any survivor group. Car modifications and repairs were his responsibility.

    Still, his subpar ability combined with his light and funny character made it hard for others to respect him. Especially for someone like Yang Qingping. She despised him and sometimes vented her anger and frustrations on him.

    Soon, they resumed their trip to Satellite Town. Zombies were still attracted to the engines noise, but Zhuying told him that there number was a little less than the first time they passed. Suddenly, they heard a deep roar not far from their position. She sat up straight, suddenly very alert, and so were the rest of the people in the convoy.

    [Energy core detected]

    As soon as he heard the notification, Liushi pushed the switch to deploy the minigun. Outside, a big black shadow blasted through the ranks of zombies from the side, sending them flying, and closing onto the group of vehicle fast. Bursting through the last line of zombies, the black blur revealed itself to be a ferocious looking mutant dog.

    "That size" said Zhuying as her pupils shrank and her complexion whitened.

    The mutant dog didn''t stop in its charge and attacked the rear of the convoy. The driver of the last car stepped on the brakes hard while swerving away from the beast''s path. Behind the freezer truck, the man in charge of the machine gun had managed to point the gun in the general direction of the beast and released a burst of fire. The mutant dog mostly ignored it and crashed into the vehicle.

    Trying to protect its eyes saved the crew of the vehicle from a clean hit. The SUV swerved away on 2 wheels for a bit, its body wrinkled, but the rest of it still operational. The people inside were certainly rattled, but noone was injured. The mutant dog took a sharp turn and went after the freezer truck.

    BANG!

    The beast crashed into the truck with full force, disrupting its direction and sending it into a flowerbed. The people in the SUVs were now busy fending of zombies, and couldn''t provide assistance to the rest of the group. But they didn''t need to.

    When the mutant beast was revealed, Liushi stepped on the gas, and a second later pressed the emergency release switch for the trailer. The trailer limited the Doomtrooper manoeuvrability, and blocked the line of fire for the minigun. It had given the trailer some momentum to avoid having the freezer truck crash into it.

    "Zhuying, use your console to lock onto the mutant dog and open fire. The interface is sufficiently simple and intuitive."

    "O-okay!"

    VRRROOOOAAAAAAMMMMMMMM!!!

    Liushi had turned around and rushed toward the beast. The roar of the engine surprised everyone, and the speed at which the heavy vehicle reached them made them doubt their eyes. The mutant dog was concentrating on the freezer truck, and didn''t have the time to recognise the danger the oncoming vehicle represented.

    BRRRRT!!!

    Several high calibre bullets passed through the beast''s neck and head, ripping them appart. Its spine and skull were torn to pieces, splattering its brain around. The headless beast continued to advance a few steps before falling to the side, its body spasming. While the members of the survivor group were stunned by the sudden demise of the beast, Liushi was still quite alert, and used his car to run over the surrounding zombies. That brough the other out of their stuppor, and they cleaned the area of zombies. Liushi also reconnected the double trailer to his armored car.

    "Bro! Thatwas awesome!" shouted Zhang Hai once the area was deemed secure enough. "You got him with the first shot!"

    "He''s right brother. Your targeting system is excellent!" gushed Zhuying. "You know, this kill is yours, brother" she added, calming down. "The mutant core and the meat are yours."

    Hearing this, Qingping winced, and internally scowled furiously. Zhuying had a strong ability, and it was one of the reasons she followed her, because she was powerful. And yet, her brother basically soloed a mutant beast with his equipment in a record time. Spoils were distributed according to the contributions. Liushi, the non-paranormal, earned a whole mutant beast, bare the destroyed head.

    While Zhang Hai checked the vehicles, the other rendered the beast for Liushi under Zhuying''s orders. They were deft and quick, clearly used to it, though Liushi wished he had his own tools available. He quickly stored the core in his car, and the rest of the body, once cut appart, was fastened on top of the double trailer. He intended to sell it at the military camp.

    Sattelite Town gave an oppressive feeling, with muzzles and rows of tanks visible beyond the barricade. It was surrounded by zombies corpses, some fresh ones and some old ones, some had been repeatedly crushed under the wheels of vehicles and become one with the ground. The inhabitants of the camp didn''t try to clean the surrounding, and Liushi was sure it would become a health hazard before long. The soldiers on duty were fully armed and stared at the approaching vehicle frostily.

    "As long as we have what they want or need, they won''t treat us badly" Zhuying said after seeing his darkening expression.

    She opened the window, stretched her hand out and let an electric spark leap between her fingers. The soldiers quickly moved the barricade to one side and allowed them to move forward. Liushi was surprised at the method of identification.

    As they passed, the soldiers looked at the bleeding pieces of mutant beasts on top of the trailer with awe and envy. So did the other inhabitant of the town as they advanced in the narrow streets. They were also terrified by the corpse of the beast and the visible damage on the freezer truck and the armed SUV. It reminded them of the horror that existed beyond the walls of the camp.

    "The headquaters are located over there" the sister said. "It used to be a school."

    Liushi winced. Ever since he had witnessed the death of a mother and her baby at the start of the outbreak, he had tried to not think about children. That was made easier by the fact that he never had to travel near a school on his way to be reunited with his sister. So he didn''t come across many underaged zombies. Also, Xiaotian was driving most of the time so he didn''t see most of the zombies and corpses she had to run over. The idea of going into a former school didn''t please him.

    The student dormitories were now used by the soldiers, classrooms and offices were for stocking supplies and exchange goods with survivors. The bulletin board, used in the past for school notices, was turned into a request board with lists of what the military needed, such as basic medecines and batteries. Bullets were the most expensive items to trade. A mutant beast core could be exchanged for a ton of mutant meat or something equivalent.

    "100 quilts and coats? Looks like they need a lot of basic items for the refugees."

    "Yeah. Come on! I want to get my new weapon soon!"

    "Mmh. I hope they have some interesting things for me as well."

 38 Trade

    The group had entered the exchange area and went to the different counters available. Some went to replenish the amnution or exchange others goods. Liushi went to a free counter.

    "What do you want?" the soldier asked politely, looking in approval at the sight of his equipment.

    "I don''t know wether you have the things I need. I''m looking for raw materials, such as titanium, cobalt, ..." he named several chemical compounds such as hydrogen peroxyde and some acides, mostly components used in biological chemistry.

    While he could use the Starseed to extract what he wanted from something, it used a lot of energy. The amount of energy used to extract the material could be roughly the same as the amount used to mix it with other elements or even transform it, if not more. Having pure, refined material at hand could divided the energy cost by at least 2.

    The more complex the material, the more energy was required. Chemical compounds, especially organic ones, were too energy expensive to deal with using the Starseed, and he was quite eager to have some enhancement serums. And to make them without the Starseed would require complicated machinery, which also needed a lot of energy, but much less than direct chemical manipulation. To reduce the energy cost, refined materials were necessary.

    The soldier was surprised. Survivors hardly asked for the materials Liushi named. They were basically industrial materials. Not food, medecines, weapons or something used for mechanical repairs, which were what the survivors usually wanted. He had to ask Liushi to wait as he checked if the materials were available. He came back after a few minutes.

    "Sorry, but most of what you asked, we don''t have it, and what we have we can''t spare."

    "Then..."

    "Iridium? What do you need that for?" a voice interrupted. "It can be found in our university."

    Liushi turned toward the voice and found a man seemingly in his sixties, with dirty clothes and mud on his hands.

    "Your university?" Liushi asked. "Is it going to be pure?"

    "Yes, our university labs have several iridium crucibles."

    "You mean Jingling University?"

    "Yes."

    Liushi felt like smacking himself in the face. Jingling University was near Zhuying''s former appartment. He knew universities had labs, and some could very well have the materials he asked. Especially the chemical compounds. He had focused his attention on industrial sectors because until now he mostly needed large amount of metal for his vehicles, and it was an unofficial rule to avoid populated areas such as commercial centers, hospitals, transportation stations, and universities. He was also schools, not wanting to see zombies kids or kid corpses.

    "You seem to know a lot about the university."

    "Of course I do. I worked there as astronomy professor for years."

    "I see. Do you know of any other place where I could aquire high grade materials in Nanjing and its surroundings?"

    "Let me think for a bit... Ah, a new industrial park was built a few years ago. It was ''Special Metal Technology Company''. There headquaters and warehouses should be in the south-west area of the city, at the edge of the industrial zone. It''s not an area I''m familiar with so I can''t give more precise directions."

    "Thanks a lot for the informations. Please stay nearby, I have items and food to trade. I''ll give you some as thanks."

    At that time, Zhuying showed up and called her brother to join her. He joined her, where she and her team had gathered around a table. They opened a path for him as he approached, surprising the regulars soldiers and survivors who were familiar with Zhuying and her team. They looked at his gear in surprise and envy.

    "Check it" she said, holding a long samurai sword to him.

    It was about 150cm long, looking almost exactly like the one used by Ming Dynasty general Qi Jiguang, a wodao. There were only a few differences because it was custom made for Zhuying''s use. It was made of high grade steel alloy, with high temperature resistance and good conductivity. It was a blade of war, strong and fast.

    "Very good" he said with a smile. "This alloy has excellent properties to complement your ability."

    The soldier who brough the blade placed a box on the table with some difficulty. From within, he took out a chain, around 5m long, with an adjustable lock at the top.

    "This one is to be connected to the ring above the sword handle" said the soldier. "It''s made of the same alloy as the blade. Dozen crafters have worked on the blade and chain, day and night."

    "This will be devastating in your hands, Zhuying" Liushi said. "Congratulation."

    "The price has been settled before, so that will be 5 tons of monster meat."

    When the bystander survivors heard it, they got shocked and envious. In the new world, 5 tons of monster meat was a treasure.

    "We have the required amount" stated Liushi. "And more."

    There was a rear area for vehicles to discharge of take in cargo. The freezer truck was taken there by Haizi, while Liushi brough his armored car, towing the double trailer with the corpse parts of the mutant dog on top. Soldiers and survivors alike were dazzed by the appearance of Liushi''s vehicles. The freezer truck was first to discharge. Slowly, countless pieces of meat were added to the balance until it reached 5 tons.

    "All right, the meat is enough" said the soldier in charge of the weighting. "The sword is yours."

    The transaction was finalised, and Zhuying patted her new weapon with a wide grin on her face.

    "It''s my turn now" Liushi said as he motioned toward the mutilated corpse on his double trailer.

    The soldiers around helped take down the pieces and put them on the balance. It reached 5 tons.

    "There is more" Liushi said as he opened the forward section of the trailer.

    He started to take out pieces of meat, and they were added to the balance until it reached 7 tons. It was the meat from the mutant boar. He had 3 tons left, and decided to sell 2 tons, keeping 1 for the inhabitant of his truck.

    "What do you want for that?" asked the soldier with a slight waver.

    "I''d like to discuss that with a higher ranked member of the camp. What I want isn''t ordinary."

    After taking a good look at him, and his gear, the soldier agreed and left to inform one of his superiors. While the soldier was away, Liushi went to the professor to give him some monster meat and medecine. The man graciously accepted the rewards, under the jealous gaze of the surrounding soldiers and survivors. Soon, the soldier taking care of him came back and led him away. He was taken to the office of a higher up.

    "Good day to you" said the uniformed officer from behind his desk. "I am captain Long, in charge of the trading section of this camp."

    "Good day to you sir, and thanks for receiving me. I''m Jiang Liushi, former university student from Jiangbei."

    "I was told that you have something particular you want to trade?"

    "Yes. I''ve been told that the military gave 1 ton of monster meat in exchange for a monster core. I was told you use it to study the virus. I wish to buy cores from you, 2 tons of meat per core, 3 cores for 6 tons of monster meat."

    "I am afraid I can''t do that. Our orders are to aquire these core and not sell them. They are too important for research."

    "Even if I provide you with military hardware, as well as the location of a stash of military gear, including tanks? You will want to get them before other survivors got their hands on it."

    That had the captain stop and think. What people wanted most aside from food was weapons and amnutions. Especially the military.

    "In their explorations they are bound to find it sooner rather than later. Especially if I sell them the information. What is there is more valuable than 5 mutant beasts."

    "All right. We can spare 2 mutant beasts core."

    "3 tons of meat plus the information about the military equipment."

    "What proof do I have that the information is real?"

    "Samples and photos. Want to see the samples?"

    "That would be appreciated."

    Thus, they left the office and Liushi led Long to his double trailer. He went into the back section and took out a sample of each weapon he aquired, from pistol to rocket launcher, for the captain to check. Satisfied, the captain agreed to the deal. He left for a moment, while the 3 tons of meat were taken, and came back later with a metal box. Inside were 2 cores. After receiving the cores, Liushi took out the photos he had made about the military train. He had taken them because he had intended for the army to aquire the rest. It would be stupid to leave it abandonned and unused.

    "... That''s a lot of corpses" said Long as he looked at the photos.

    "It took a while to take them down. The constant sound and shaking caused by running them over non-stop was becoming the regular background noise and movement associated with navigating a sea of bodies" Liushi said with a slight grimace.

    "That''s a small treasure trove you found for us mr Jiang. It will be very helpfull for Satellite Town. You have my thanks mr Jiang."

 39 Back to the camp

    Within a day, Liushi acquired 3 mutant beasts cores. He couldn''t help but be quite happy about their little trip. The amount of improvement he will be able to do on his vehicles and equipment will be big. What he wanted to improve the most was the medical station. He looked forward to being able to produce enhancement serums.

    "There is something I''m curious about" Liushi said. "What have you learned about paranormals, mutant beasts and their cores? Beyond the basics everyone knows."

    After hesitating for a moment, the captain started to talk.

    There were 3 types of paranormals. The first seemed to be the most common, the ''Enhancement'' type. One aspect of their physiology is enhanced by the supervirus mutation. A physical attribute such as speed or durability, a body part like a limb or an organ, or senses. Yang Qingping and Zhang Hai fell into that category, the first for the legs and calfs, the second for the hands fingers.

    The second type of paranormal was uncommon, the ''Transformation'' type. They transformed a part of their body, or their whole body into a stronger form. Among them, the most common type of transformation is gaining animals-like characteristics. They were akin to were-creatures. The third type of paranormal was the rarest, the ''Manipulation'' type. They could take control of something that isn''t part of their bodies, like certain materials or even fire.

    ''Or generate something in their bodies and control it outside, like Zhuying''s electricity.''

    The mutant beasts core seemed to have a positive effects on paranormals individuals. It seemed like they could be used to enhance a paranormal power to a higher level. Much faster than by eating monster meat. It seemed like paranormals were only on their first stage of evolution, labeled as level 1. Once they reached a certain treshold, they would be level 2. It was also noted that mutant beasts were also getting stronger. They followed the same path, they were level 1, with level 1 cores.

    After that, Liushi asked about the state of the country. He already knew about the evacuation of VIPs on the day of the outbreak. Unfortunatly, not all of those evacuations were successful. Some groups found themselves stuck in an area during transit, some were slowed down, some were annihilated.

    To his relief, they acted in conjunction with the police, and sent small teams to try and secure the middle schools and highschools at the same time that the VIPs were taken away. The kindergartens were closed since the previous day. With the coming emergency, the government simply didn''t have the ressources to also take care of little kids. They were left in their families care.

    Liushi kept a wince from his face. He could tell that even captain Long didn''t like it. But as the current situation showed, they had little choice. The youngest would only survive if their relatives, or friends and aquitances of their relatives, were there for them. Or if they turned out to be smart and ressourcefull. They were most likely stuck in their homes or appartments, and some may be slowly starving. He made a mental note to make something to help them.

    It was all Long could afford to tell Liushi. Still, Liushi gave him some liquor and cigars as thanks. If informations about him were to spread in the military, as he was certain they would more or less keep an eye out for notable survivors groups, at least the word would be favorable. After saying goodbye to the captain, he rejoined Zhuying and her group, and they left Satellite Town.

    On the way to their base, he asked Zhuying a few questions about Jingling University,especially the science section and the laboratories. She didn''t know much, but she also warned him that there would be a high number of zombies.

    She also said that Qingping would be more knowledgable. When he heard it, Liushi held back a frown. Even though the survivors followed Zhuying, he hadn''t completly left his guard down around them. That was why he noticed that Qingping didn''t like him, that she was jealous of what he had. She didn''t seem to like the Wen sisters either, so he didn''t want her near them as well.

    ''I need to add a caution function to the security system, to keep track of people marked as potential enemies, or more like inactive enemies. I better focus on that tonight.''

    When they got backto the camp, Liushi went straight to the Doomsday Ride while Zhuying directed the rest of the group. He stopped for a moment, looking over his main creation, before going in. Inside, Xiaotian was waiting for him near the door.

    "Welcome back brother Liushi. How was your expedition? Is everything alright?"

    "Welcome back" Lu shouted from the back of the living module.

    "No problems at all. What about you girls?"

    "We''ve been fine. We have assembled the machines made by your micro-factory" she said, pointing to the back.

    "Those drones of yours look impressive" added Lu as she joined them.

    The machines in question were bigger than the usual ones accessible to the public at large. They weren''t completly remote-controlled. They needed to receive instructions, but they did the flying on their own. If the signal wascut for one reason or another, it wouldn''t justcrash down. They needed to be larger to carry the necessary hardware for the automated system, as well as the various sensors and the batteries.

    Of the 3 drones he made, the first would be used for recon, the second for patrolling, and the last one for combat. That one was bigger than the other because it would be carrying weapons, permutable weapons. The first 2 drones were also made tobe difficult to see, so under their transparent shells were miniature screens which, together, projeted an image roughly matching the sky.

    "They don''t just look impressive. They ARE impressive" he said with an exagerrated smug grin. "They are made by me after all."

    "Is that so?" said Xiaotian with a mischevious smile. "I hope you are better at controlling them than you are at driving."

    "They are good enough to fly on their own with some basic instructions" he said, a bit of red on his cheeks, not looking at her.

    "What have you been doing aside from checking on the construction?"

    "I didn''t have anything to do, so I washed the truck" Lu replied.

    "So that''s why it was sparkling clean. It surprised me when I got back. Thanks a lot Lu. It must have been a bit of a bother with its size."

    "You''re welcome. And it was no trouble" her smile fadded, becoming sad. "We would sometimes help our dad with that chore, we are used to it."

    "Thanks" he replied in a soft tone.

    "What about you Xiaotian?"

    She didn''t answer and looked away, blushing.

    "Xiaotian?"

    "... I also want special working clothes, so I''ve been designing my own."

    Liushi stared at her. Lu opened her mouth, then it stretched into a mirthful grin.

    "... Is it okay?"

    She was looking at him with puppy eyes, still blushing, almost bowing trying to make herself smaller, her hands held behind her back.

    ''Damn! She can be so cute!'' "Of course, no problem."

    "Thank you. Hem. Anything interesting you got at Satellite Town?"

    Happy for the change of subject, he told them everything that happened, and what he learned about the state of the country. They were happy he got new cores, but with the trip they made they weren''t surprised about the state of the country. He did tell them about his desire to somehow help the kids that were stuck in towns and cities on their own, and they promised to help him come up with an idea.

    He also told them about the trip planned for the following day. In the morning they would go to the university, and use the rest of the day to go to the industrial park. They would have to take the Doomsday Ride with them, in case the streets got too clogued on the way. Furtheremore, he intended to spend the night there to make the upgrades. He would have access to industrial electrical current, and once the materials got used, he would already be on site to re-supply.

    They ate dinner in the house like the previous day. After that, Zhuying joined Liushi and the Wen sisters in the truck for a movie. Since the couch-bed could only handle 3 people, Zhuying didn''t waste a second to sat on his lap so the sisters had space to sit themselves.

    More like she sat on his groin, and teased him under the excuse of making herself more comfortable. And with the memory of the previous night, it was difficult impossible to stay soft. The presence of Xiaotian and Lu was of little help. Thankfully for him, she refrained from sleeping there, and he told her he would be too busy to join her.

    While the sisters were in their beds, Liushi reviewed the entire computer system. He was the administrator, with only him having access to the entirety of the system. As the administrator, the security system would automatically provide assistance against any perceived threats against him. The system was heavily protected, using advanced programming provided by the Starseed.

    The visual recognition program was upgraded to be able to discern regular weapons and improvised weapons, including sprays or molotov cocktails. Hostile movements were further defined. It wouldn''t do to confuse a friendly pat on the shoulder or the back with an attack. The securitysystem got increasingly more complex, and if not for the new materials used in the hardware of the server, it wouldn''t have worked.

    Anyone not labelled as friendly or ally would be considered potential enemy, and monitored when in the area. Anyone labelled as suspect would be a priority target of monitoring. The first reaction to a perceived attack would be a non-lethal takedown if the assault isn''t meant to maim or kill. If not, then the agressor would have little time to regret his/her actions.

    As he though of sprays, he decided to add sensors to detect impairing substances at short range. It wouldn''t do to be taken out by an offered drink, a spray, a gaz or a cloth/gauze soaked in drug. That meant a whole upgrade of the NBC protection as well. He was going to be busy the following day.

 40 Jingling University

    Upgrading the softwares didn''t take much time, a few minutes. The task of making the new sensors was left to the micro-factory. As well as the 3 internal security mini-turrets. They would shoot either rubber bullets, 9mm bullets, or taser needles with stun or kill modes.

    However, before making the sensors and turrets, the factory would work on Xiaotian''s outfit. Unlike Lu, who wanted to look the ''action woman'' part, Xiaotian went for business casual. After all, she wasn''t the fighting type.

    The main part was a form-fitting, sleevless chinese minidress, green with golden linnings and floral paterns, with matching long fashion gloves. It was made of 2 layers, instead of 3: the inner layer made of polymers for comfort, the outer layer made of starskin fibers for basic protection. Then there was a dark green jacket for when she had to get out of the truck. Long sleeve, made the same way as Lu''s bodysuit. Finally, black and green, knee-high, flat heel boots. Also made of polymers and starskin fibers.

    Since he made an outfit for both of the Wen sisters, he guessed that Zhuying would want one as well. So he made one identical to Lu''s, but with sapphire blue instead of crimson red. Since she acted a bit like a mob boss, he also made a black coat similar to the one worn by Nick Fury, with an electric blue storm dragon on the back.

    Morning came soon enought, and the girls outfits were ready. Liushi used the Starseed as his own discreet morning alarm, and woke before most people. He left Xiaotian''s new outfit on the table, and went to his sister room to leave her new outfit as a surprise. As expected, she was still asleep, so he placed it on a chair in front of the bathroom and swiftly left.

    Instead of going back to the truck, he went to the double trailer to check the stock of materials, weapons and amnutions. He used a fair ammount of bullets on the way to and from the military camp. He would need to start producing amnutions soon after the coming upgrade. He refilled the turrets and brough more raw materials to the truck using the pallet mover.

    "Good morning, brother Liushi" said Lu as he entered.

    "Hello Lu. I didn''t expect you to be up this early."

    "I didn''t do anything strenous yesterday, and I didn''t sleep late. Xiaotian woke up when I got out of the bathroom, and she''s in there now. Let me help you."

    "Thanks."

    She was already in her bodysuit, and Liushi spent a few seconds admiring her as she passed by to take the rest of the boxes. She could feel his eyes on her and held back a grin. Once done, they made breakfast. The table was empty, so he guessed Xiaotian had taken her outfit. She came out a few minutes later, and slowly walked up to them.

    Liushi looked at her in amazement, and couldn''t even think of greeting her. She stopped near him and shyly spun around to give him a good look. She had arranged her hairs into a neat side ponytail, and had used a hint of make up for her eyes and lips. The cheongsam brough her charms to light, without revealing as much as the bodysuits.

    "Whoa... You''re beautiful" he said, still amazed.

    "Thank you" she answered while blushing. She couldn''t look at him in the eyes.

    "He''s right sis. You look really good."

    "Thanks Lu."

    They were about to start breakfast when someone barged into the truck. Of course, the only one aside from them with unlimited access to the truck was Zhuying. She was in her new outfit, complete with the coat and her new sword strapped to her side. She made a sexy yet intimidating figure, at least if she didn''t have such a big grin on her face. Xiaotian and Lu looked at her in shock, but she ignored them and went straight to her brother. She gave him a big hug and inkissed his cheeks while thanking him. It was only then that the Wen sisters recovered, and praised her.

    With the 3 girls in front of his eyes in their custom outfits, he realised that they somehow had their own color theme, red, green and blue. When he called them the new power rangers as a joke, he was assaulted by the little sisters with near harmless slaps on the shoulders. Xiaotian pointed out that he too had an outfit, making him part of the ranger team. When the giggles and chukkles died down, they ate their breakfast and prepared to leave.

    The day before, when they planned the expedition, it was decided that only the paranormals would go with Liushi and the sisters. It meant that, aside from the Doomsday Ride and the Doomtrooper with the double trailer, the only other vehicle would be the SUV carrying Qingping, Haizi and Sun Kun.

    Since most of their attack force would leave, Liushi decided to give them his needlers. After showing the scavenger team how they worked, he gave them spare batteries and ammos. He also gave them some mutant meat to keep them healthy. That bought him more support and goodwill from the survivors, who really began to aknowledge him as the new boss, with Zhuying being his right hand.

    For Qingping, it meant that to improve her lot in life, she would have to gain Liushi''s favor. While her battle strenght wasn''t bad, it couldn''t be compared to his own arsenal. The eldest sister in his care already provided non-combat oriented services, similar to a live-in assistant. The only way she could catch his interest would be through seduction.

    When Zhuying showed them her new clothes, explaining their characteristics and demonstrating their protective ability with a sharpened knife, she was about to turn green with envy. With such clothes she wouldn''t fear zombies bites anymore. She had to put on a good show for him during that expedition. And it started with being a good guide for him.

    With the Doomtrooper in the lead, the SUV with the machine-gun in the middle, and the Doomsday Ride at the rear, they went to Jingling University.

    Zhuying was quite eager to test her new weapon. But as they got closer to the university, her mood grew melancholic. She hadn''t gone near it since the outbreak, and she didn''t want to see familiar faces turned into monsters. They drove slowly to make as little noise as possible. When they reached the campus, she had calmed down and entered the life-and-death mindset only true survivors had.

    Near the campus door, they stopped. The once welcoming entrance was grim and bloody. Zhuying got out to take care of the closest ones, Liushi followed and supported her using his handgun equipped with a silencer. When dealing with former aquitances, Zhuying''s only reaction was a slight twitch at the corner of her mouth. The turrets taking care of the farthest targets.

    Liushi kept an eye on her. She was far from being a certified swordwoman, but at least she could decapitate them each time she targeted a neck. She aimed well enough and was careful with her footing, but she couldn''t chain killing strikes without a small pause to reposition her arms and legs. When she couldn''t strike with the sword, she pointed a finger to the threat and fried them. She had quick reactions, and was quite fast for an untrained person, probably due to her evolution.

    ''Damn, she''s badass! She will be a very deadly opponent at close-to-medium range once properly trained. Especially when she learn to use her chain.''

    The SUV stopped at their side, and Yang Qingping entered the battle with fervor, jumping to the zombies getting too close to Liushi and watching over the siblings. When she needed to avoid being swarmed she jumped back to his side. Sun Kun and Haizi also took care of their share of zombies. They didn''t use the machine-gun to avoid attracting too much zombies. Lu had stuck half of her body out of the truck''s window and used a submachine-gun with silencer to support them.

    "I''ll lead you to the labs" said Qingping once the zombies near the entrance got taken care of. "Do you mind if I join you in your car? The SUV would get damaged if we opened the path in a crowd of zombies."

    "Sure" Liushi agreed, not seeing a reason to refuse. "Get in."

    She gave him her best smile and got inside, taking the seat behind him. When giving the directions, she would lean forward and speak near his ear, her hand on the backrest of his seat with her fingers lightly touching his shoulder. She did give good directions. She knew where people tended to gather on the ground, and they avoided a few clusters of zombies.

    Her change of attitude was noticed by both Liushi and Zhuying. For Zhuying, he friend finally realised that her brother was awesome and started treating him with the respect he was due. For Liushi, he saw someone who was sucking up to him to gain some benefit when she used to look down on him. As attractive as she was, he wouldn''t fall for her charms that easily.

    They moved at low speed to avoid zombies swarms, and soon reached the labs. There weren''t many zombies around, and they stopped. Lu got out of the truck, in full gear, with 2 empty backpacks. She also took out the pallet mover from the trailer. They reloaded their weapons and took spare magazines. As for Xiaotian, she would stay in the truck, but not without anything to do.

    She was tasked with trying one of the drones, by surveying the rest of the campus. The 3 paranormals stared at the drones when Liushi took it out, once more reminded that the young man in front of them was far from ordinary despite not being a paranormal.

 41 Laboratory building

    Xiaotian went back into the truck after preparing the drone. When Liushi upgraded the system, he also added a software for the operation of the drones. Xiaotian launched it, then activated the drone. Outside, the rest of the group watched as the machine''s propellers started, and swiftly lifted it of the ground. Once its height surpassed that of the building, it flew away.

    "Whoa, that drone was incredibly silent" muttered Zhang Hai. "And it blends well with the sky in the background."

    "It''s deliberated "explained Liushi. "With the danger posed by the zombies and mutant beasts, I didn''t want them to easily notice the drones, and follow them back home, or for the zombies to gather more number in an area of interest" ''Or be noticed by hostile humans''.

    He turned toward the lab building. It had 12 floors, and most likely, a basement as well. Once close to the door, he turned to his sister.

    "Ladies first" he said while bowing.

    "You''re sending your cute little sister first in a building full of monsters?" she asked with mock horror.

    "You''re the one with the badass close combat weapon, and I gave you adequate protection" he replied dryly. "And I''ll be watching your back" he finished while lightly waving his silenced handgun in view.

    "I''ll be with you as well" Qingping added in a resolute tone.

    "Sure. Sun Kun will back you up. Lu, Haizi, make sure nothing surprise us from the back."

    "Yes, big brother." "You can''t count on me, brother."

    Liushi opened the door, and Zhuying rushed in, beheading the zombie that was closest to the door. Qingping and Sun Kun quickly followed after her, as the rest of the zombies in the hall turned toward the newcomers and howled while attacking. Liushi was next to enter, and focused on making sure noone of the frontliners had to fight more than 1 zombie at the same time. Zhang Hai handled the pallet mover, and Lu closed the door behind them.

    Once they cleared all the zombies in the area, Liushi checked the plan of the building. He quickly decided to clear the groundfloor first, then go straight to the 12th floor, and clearing the rest of the building as they got to the lower floor. Since their loot was likely to increase on the way, it was better to go down while it increased, than up.

    Clearing the groundfloor was relatively fast. They also secured the windows and doors leading outside, just in case that, for one reason or another, a swarm of zombies came to the building. When they got to the stairwell, Qingping got directly in front of Liushi, behind Zhuying. So when they went up, he got a good view of her rear, and she moved her hips in hypnotic ways just for him. Earlier when they cleared the rooms, she also put her cleavage on display while stretching or fanning herself. While Liushi knew what she was doing, he certainly didn''t mind the show.

    They had to be careful in the stairways, moving slowly. Any noise would reverberate quite well, and it was a terrible place to be when swarmed. They reached the 12th floor, and after securing the door, they systematically cleared it. Any locked door or safe were quickly dealt with by Liushi using the Starseed. He discreetly scanned all the machinery available, and anything containing high grade materials small and light enough to be transported, was bagged and placed on the pallet mover. That included the iridium crucibles the professor told him about.

    After finishing with the 12th floor, they slowly went down one floor at a time. On top of items, there were also many chemicals gathered. The number of zombies was rather low, and after thinking about it, Liushi realised that the government may have arranged for many of them to leave before the outbreak started, directing them where the rest of the military would handle the evacuation of civilians.

    Overall, it took them a little over an hour to loot the place. At some point, Lu and Zhang Hai had to return back outside to store the loot in the trailer before coming back. In the end, Liushi was quite satisfied with the harvest.

    It was decided to take a break before leaving, so when Liushi, Lu and Zhuying went into the Doomsday Ride, Qingping asked to come as well to use the bathroom. She brushed her chest against him when she passed him to go to the bathroom, and it would have had more affect if he wasn''t still wearing his protective jacket. He ignored that to see what Xiaotian found while exploring the campus with the drone.

    "I see. How is the drone doing?"

    "Quite well actually" she said. "Its flying is smooth, and it answer well to instructions. Its camera and sensor suit are also working well. Quite well..." she paused for a bit, looking uncertain. "There are a few pockets of survivors in the campus" she added, frowning.

    "Really? Where are they?"

    "There are actually 8 survivors in the nearby dormitory, they are in differents room, a group of 3, 2 groups of 2, and one that is isolated. Then there are 3 groups in a few classrooms, and the largest group is in the cafeteria. The amount of zombies around those places is also large. It feels like they know they are nearby, but not exactly where."

    "You want to help them."

    "Yes. I''m sure there is something you can do!" she stopped and looked at him in horror. "I''m sorry! Everything my sister and I have is thanks to you, I didn''t mean to tell you what to do, or force you to do anything" she said while slightly panicking. "It''s just, I know a bit about what they are going through" she continued, lowering her head. "I remember all too well how it felt to be helpless in front of the zombies, with noone willing to help you..." she said in a low tone.

    Qingping had gotten out of the restroom, and was listening to what was being said. She stayed behind, looking at Xiaotian with loathing and jealousy.

    "I''m powerless, I can''t do anything about it. I also know you don''t have to do anything, it''s not your problem, and you can''t take care of all those people. Yet, I still wish something could be done for them."

    He took her in his arm, and she didn''t resist. He couldn''t fault her for thinking like that, when even he himself was thinking about helping stranded kids the previous night.

    "You''re a kind girl, Xiaotian." ''Your kindness remind of so much of Li Yuxin right now. I hope she is okay.'' "There is something simple we can do for them. Lead the zombies surrounding their places away from there on our way out. The lab building is safe so we can even leave something to direct them here. Everything else will have to be their own effort."

    "Thank you, brother Liushi."

    Zhuying and Lu smiled. Qingping scowled, but quickly schooled her face when they broke their hug. She put on a fake look of approval, but if someoone looked close enough they would see her facial muscles straining to keep it.

    Looking at the map of the campus, they marked the places where the survivors were and where the zombies were concentrated. They decided to separate in 3 groups, one for each vehicle, and move following a path that would lead the zombies away from the survivors and back to the main entrance of the university.

    There were between 35 and 40 survivors in total, so they prepared 40 rations out of Liushi''s supplies, and left them in the entrance hall of the labs building. These rations were to feed them for a full day, so that they would have enough energy to take care of themselves later. It took a good chunk of Liushi''s supplies, but it wasn''t like he would have trouble making up for it.

    While storing the loot from the labs, he had the factory make 5 cellphones-like devices. They were to play a recorded message for the differents survivors pockets, telling them about the little help they were given. The message would play out loud twice, 3 minutes after activation, just long enough to attract the zombies far enough.

    Once all the preparations were done, they implemented their plans. Thankfully, there wasn''t any bad surprises. The zombies reacted as expected, and they were able to leave their messages. They had timed their operation to arrive roughly at the same time at the entrance of the university. When they arrived, the sound of hundreds of zombies gathering to follow them made them shiver. It was a deep and low rumbling noise, and they were certain the ground was vibrating as well.

    "Okay guys. We did our good act of the day, let''s get away from here" Liushi said in a rush. "Go Xiaotian, go!"

    She didn''t need to be told twice. She stepped on the gaz, and the massive Doomsday Ride surged forward, completly surprising Zhuying''s team by its speed. Still, Sun Kun and Zhang Hai didn''t waste time, with the zombie horde rapidly closing on them, and followed close behind in their SUV. Liushi followed behind, and had Zhuying throw a grenade behind them, while the turrets on top of the trailer were activated despite the fact that they couldn''t catch up. Zombies wave were really too unnerving.

    They all released a sight of relief as they left the campus behind.

    "I guess I really am done with this place now" Zhuying said.

    "Yeah" Qingping replied. "Me too."

    They were both surprisingly melancholic despite being used to the new state of the world. Deep down in their hearts, they still had attachements to aspects of their lives before the outbreak. And one of those attachements had been properly cut instead of just ignored.

    Before the outbreak, going from Jingling University to the Industrial Park would have taken a little less than an hour. It wasn''t the case then. A lot of streets had become completly clogged due to car pile-ups. Even with the power of the truck and its front plow, trying to force open a passage would have been ineffective. It took them nearly 2 hours to reach the place.

    Like nearly everywhere else since the outbreak, the place was depressing, with abandonned and broken cars, and a lot of bloodstains on the ground and some of the walls. The Doomtrooper had taken the lead, as they searched for the Special Metal Company.

    "Why are there no zombies?" Zhuying asked.

    The industrial park had plenty of enterprises and factories, which employed plenty of people. Yet the place was eerily quiet, with no zombies wandering around. Even though it was a hot day, the place gave them some chills.

    "Either somebody attracted them, or something hunted them. When I reached Xiaotian''s hometown, the place was also lacking in zombies. That was because there were mutated bees hunting both normal people and zombies, and they were used as both food and building material for their hive. Keep your guard up."

    Zhuying and Qingping shivered. Liushi had no doubt that they would feel sick if they learned about what they found at the heart of the hive.

 42 Bloody Wolves

    It didn''t take much longer to find where their target was. They were in Area A, and the Special Metal Company was in Area C. In a little less than 15 min, they reached the gate of the company. It was clear that the workers didn''t have any luck when the outbreak started. They enetered the premises and headed for the warehouse at the back.

    The Doomsday Ride got in first, followed by the Doomtrooper driving in reverse. There was just enough room for both of them in the warehouse. The SUV was last. Instead of directly starting to work, they took a break for lunch. Xiaotian and Lu volunteered to cook for everyone, while the rest relaxed a little. Liushi sent the drone on patrol around the company grounds. When the meal got ready, they joined everyone outside to eat.

    "Hey brother" Zhang Hai asked Liushi, "What do you need the metal here for? I mean, with your current possessions, the only thing you should be worried about should be food."

    "My truck has a micro-factory, which was used to make the drone and other things. With higher quality metals and alloys, such as titanium, I can make higher quality equipment. I can make spare mechanical parts better than the common ones" Liushi explained.

    He had expected the question for a while, but it seemed they had been a bit intimidated before to ask, or just respectfully though it wasn''t their business. If it had been just the 2 guys, he would have revealed part of his ability. But with a suspicious character like Qingping around, he prefered to stay quiet until she proved herself truly trustworthy.

    "The first mutant beast I encountered was a boar the size of a small truck, the mutant dog we saw yesterday was also quite large. The damage they can deal isn''t something an ordinary vehicle like your SUV can handle, even with the modification you added. We have only seen a part of what this new world is throwing at us, better get prepared for worse things."

    As if to prove him right, an alarm sounded from the tablet he had taken outside with them. The others got silent and focused on Liushi as he took the device in hand. The drone had detected some movement coming their way. Looking at the video feedback, he saw a refitted hummer moving fast on the road leading to SMC. It was closely followed by several offroad vehicles and motorcycles.

    He ordered the drone to keep its distance from the oncoming vehicles. At first, it looked like they would pass the SMC, but the lead vehicle suddenly slowed down as it reached the entrance of the company, before taking a sharp turn and stopped there. The following vehicles followed.

    From where they were, Liushi and the rest of his group could actually hear the oncoming vehicles. They heard the tires of the hummer skid on the ground when it stopped at the entrance. Liushi frowned. All those vehicles were equipped with modified weapons, and spikes on their fronts. All the drivers were wearing welded steel helmets.

    "It''s the Bleeding Wolves" Zhuying suddenly exclaimed, having watched the screen over his shoulder. "Shit! Haizi, Sun Kun, get your weapons from the SUV!"

    The 2 men rushed to execute the order, even as the motorcycles riders entered the premises, slowly followed by the rest of the gang. Their SUV wouldn''t last long if a fight broke out, and it was too late to move it anywhere, the warehouse already being full.

    "You know them?" Liushi asked.

    "Yes. Their boss called himself Blood Wolf, and their members are on the crazy side" she replied. "We''ve met them once at Satellite Town. I heard their team''s mortality rate is high, and even their boss changed."

    "The ordinary survivors in their group have to go hunt outside for mutant beast every day" Zhang Hai added in a low voice. "That''s the reason for their mortality rate, but as a result, their paranormal abilities are quite strong."

    Even from affar, they could feel the ill intent coming from them. Qingping had become pale, and both Xiaotian and Lu shivered. Seeing this, Liushi sent them back into the truck, while he, Zhuying, Qingping got next to the open doors of the Doomtrooper. Zhang Hai and Sun Kun took cover at the sides of the warehouse doors.

    "What else do you know about them?"

    "Originally, they had 3 paranormals, but one died. The guy who just got out of the hummer is Blood Wolf, well, the new Blood Wolf since the previous one is dead."

    4 people had gotten of the hummer, and among them were the 2 paranormal. The 1st was a woman in leather clothes, with curly hairs hanging over her shoulders, sunglasses and boots. She was armed with a shotgun in hand, and a dagger at her hip. She lookd wild and dangerous. The other was the boss, and if Zhang Hai hadn''t pointed him, Liushi wouldn''t have guessed. He looked to be in his early 20s, an average guy in simple and casual clothes and plain glasses. He had a headset on his neck.

    "They are strong, and I don''t think Sun Kun and I could even handle that woman" Zhang Hai said, with Sun Kun nodding, their faces betraying their anxiousness. "They are well armed, and have a lot of man power."

    "A rare visitor" the Blood Wolf said loudly, taking 2 steps forward with his hands in his pockets. "You are Jiang Zhuying right? I had seen you in Satellite Town" he added with a gentle voice, but a vicious smile.

    "What do you want?" Zhuying asked curtly.

    "Jiang Zhuying, how can you ask that? Don''t you know that you''re in my warehouse right now without my permission?"

    ''Well, that explain the lack of zombies and corpses'' Liushi though with annoyance. ''We are in their territory. They probably noticed our presence due to the gates having been left open.''

    "The content of this warehouse doesn''t belong to you. You have no use for it either" she replied.

    "It''s noone of your business wether I have use for them or not. If you want to take anything, you have to discuss with us."

    "I don''t think so" Liushi said, attracting the attention to him. "If you had any claim on the place an its content, you would have left someone to guard it. You didn''t even mark the place with the symbol of your group. We don''t owe you anything for the use of this warehouse and its content."

    These words made the Blood WOlf pause, and his expression turned ugly. To him, his targets were outnumbered and outgunned, he had complete advantage. Yet, an unknown, a new face who wasn''t even a paranormal, talked back to him as if they were equals. He was about to insult him when he noticed that neither Zhuying nor the other paranormals of their group seemed to mind his words. In fact, they actually let him speak on their behalf.

    "... Who are you?"

    "I''m Jiang Liushi, and that''s my little sister you''ve been eying. We have other things to do and other places to be, so stop wasting both of our time and tell us what is it you really want."

    "Is that so? Then, Jiang Zhuying, I want you to join us."

    "No, thanks."

    "Jiang Zhuying" he replied, slightly surprised by her instant and deadpan answer. "You should think about it carefully. It would be a great opportunity for you. There are too many people in your team dragging you down. That guy for example, even though he is your brother, he''s still just an ordinary person..."

    "An ordinary person with a good head and the proper equipment can be as valuable as a paranormal in the field" Liushi replied. "We didn''t become the dominant species on the planet because we were stronger or faster. Now, since my dear Zhuying refused your offer, I suggest you leave. The confrontation, that you seem intent on having, isn''t likely to end in your favor despite the apparent odds."

    As he finished speaking, he sat down in his car keeping the door open. Zhuying and Qingping following his lead. He detached the trailer, the mechanical noise making the Bloody Wolves tense. But one of them started to laugh, mocking him for hiding in the car, prompting the rest to laugh as well. Liushi turned the engine on, and warmed it up, reducing the laughter of the gang.

    "You don''t seriously think you can get away from us without suffuring dearly for that" the Blood Wolf asked, bewildered and slightly unnerved by their action.

    "Since you don''t want to leave us, we''re gonna carve a path through you" Liushi said. "Haizi, Sun Kun, keep any of them from entering the warehouse."

    And suddenly, on top of armored car, a turret with a 3 barrels minigun sprang up. All traces of humour disappeared from the faces of the gang members, their laughter dying abruptly in their throat. Their stomach dropped at the sight of the mounted heavy weapon that no infantry wants to face. The smart ones had already scrambled to hide behind their vehicles.

    While the amnutions for the 12mm gun were limited, there were enough for 5 seconds of continuous automatic fire. 1 second would be enough to seriously injure a mutant beast, if not kill with a critical shot. It only needed a split second with the mutant dog.

    By firing in an arc, he would definitly take out most of them, if not seriously injure them. However, to do so would mean starting at the edge of the encirclement and ignoring the leader in the middle, giving him time to take cover. Starting in the middle means one side would have time to get cover. They may be strong, but 12mm bullets aren''t strong enough to pass through car engines. And their cars were definitly reinforced with firearm defense in mind, the drivers are obviously protected from snipers with their welded helmets.

    Liushi felt his heart grow cold. Killing zombies and mutant beasts was one thing. Killing humans was another. The hybrid in the hive was a special case. Liushi didn''t want to kill humans. He knew he would be forced to at some point, but still wished it would be a long way in the future. Unfortunatly, the day had already come for him to truly stain his hands.

    "A paranormal you may be, but I doubt that made you bulletproof."

 43 Cornering the Blood Wolf

    Blood Wolf had secretly been observing Jiang Zhuying whenever he could for the last week. His ability was to devour the mutated cells of paranormals and absorb their mutation into his own body. He could hold to different abilities at the same time. Any more and his body would likely collapse under the strain.

    The previous leader of the gang, the old Blood Wolf, was killed by him. After that, he had been looking for his next target and discovered Zhuying. Just seeing her releasing electricity got him excited. If he could obtain her ability, coupled with the previous Blood Wolf one, he would enter a higher level of power.

    However, a big obstacle to his plans appeared, under the form of his target''s brother. He had though he was nothing, until he saw the automated minigun being deployed on top of their armored car. His adrenaline level spiked, intincts screaming at him to get away from where he was and hide behind something very solid. His female companion wasn''t feeling any better.

    "A paranormal you may be, but I doubt that made you bulletproof."

    As Liushi closed the door, Blood Wolf also reacted. His whole body bulged as he activated the ability gained from the previous leader of the gang. He turned into an impressive wolfman, his eyes and fur respectively turning green and red, his strenght and speed greatly enhanced, and jumped behind his hummer. The woman''s reaction was similar, but she jumped back into the hummer, liying on the floor. They got lucky.

    The moment the door closed, the sound of the minigun in action resounded in the area, followed by screams of pain and terror of its targets.

    The 2 ordinary people that came from he hummer were killed, the doors of the vehicle having provided little protection. The windshield and windows of the vehicle were shattered, the seats were ripped appart, the dashboard was destroyed. Had she not been on the floor of the vehicle, the dangerous looking woman would have been shot. Blood Wolf himself was safe, staying low at the back of the vehicle.

    It had taken less than a second. Liushi cursed in his mind because he had missed the leader and his second in command by a split second. The turret turned toward the rest of the assembled group.

    One of the guys on motorcycle got ripped in 2 at the belly. The welded helmets provided no protection from the minigun, and heads exploded within them as the bullets pierced them. The vehicles were filled with holes, and those who didn''t hide behind the engine blocks or the chassis of the SUVs, suffered grevious to lethal injuries. As the turrets turned to the other half of the opposition, some of them had gotten the time to seek better cover. They suffered less than their comrades.

    When the minigun stopped firing, out of 27 people, 15 had survived, and not all of them were unscatched. Blood Wolf recovered from the fear he felt as his precious hummer got filled with bullet holes. And said fear was replaced by fury.

    "Get them!" he roared to the surviving gang members. "Kill them all! But remember, Jiang Zhuying is mine!"

    Most of the 7 still armed pawns obeyed on the spot, scared by the loud and furious roar of their dreaded leader. They had an AK-47 and older models of chinese firearms. The types numbered below 80, 3 handguns, 2 submachines guns, and a single mounted machine gun. The other armed people were either dead or dying, and the survivors didn''t think to take their weapons, still shocked.

    A barrage of bullets struck the Doomtrooper on Liushi''s side, while Zhang Hai and Sun Kun retreated away from the doors. Most of the bullets bounced on the armor and reinforced windows, and Sun Kun and Zhang Hai prayed to not be hit by any ricochets. After all, half of the bullets that bounced ended in the warehouse, some harmlessly hitting the Doomsday Ride. The rest of the bullets smashed themselves against the vehicle, at most leaving cracks marks on Liushi''s window.

    When they saw that their attack had little effects, not even on the tires, they stopped firing. And Liushi once more went on the offensive.

    The armored car bolted forward with the roar of the engine, and rushed toward the side with the higher number of enemy survivors. They were all dumbstruck at the acceleration speed of the vehicle, and only some of them got the reflex to jump away when they saw it rushing toward them. With a loud noise, the Doomtrooper crashed into one of the refitted SUVs, blasting it to the side, and reaching the unfortuate guy that was hidden behind in a crouch.

    His head met the reinforced bumper of the fast moving armored car and burst open, the rest of his body was flung away, spraying his blood around. Liushi turned around and rushed toward the hummer. On the way, he run over the wounded people that had survived the minigun attack, or those who couldn''t get away in time.

    He saw Blood Wolf in his transformed form, and was quite surprised. He had already learned about the differents kind of paranormals, but the werewolf transformation was still impressive. It was also clear that it granted the leader great strenght and agility. He guessed it wouldn''t be easy to him the guy, and he would be tougher than he looked.

    Zhuying had been shocked at the start when the minigun reaped the lives of the gang members, because it was quite brutal. But when the vehicle lurched forward, she had returned to the kill-or-be-killed mindset that such situation required. She lowered her window just enough for her hand to peek through. When they reached the hummer, both Blood Wolf and the woman jumped away.

    "Aaaaaargh!!"

    The hummer was pushed then over turned, and crushed another unlucky guy. At the same time, Zhuying managed to hit Blood Wolf with a powerful lightning strike, making him scream in pain. But it ended to soon in her mind, as Liushi was still racing toward the other surviving members of the gang. By then, they had all realised that their vehicles wouldn''t protect them from the rampaging driver they though was easy prey. The remaining biker was already fleeing the SMC premises at top speed.

    Having reached the other side of the encirclement net, Liushi turned the vehicle around once more, his sigh set on Blood Wolf. He, the woman and 5 other guys were the only remaining members of the group. 4 of the 5 guys were locked in a firefight against Zhang Hai and Sun Kun, who kept them busy.

    "Use the grenades!" shouted Blood Wolf. "Bomb them to smitters!"

    But Liushi wouldn''t let them. He once more rushed toward them, forcing them to stop focusing on the warehouse. They couldn''t just camp behind the ruined cars, as the Doomtrooper would just blast them, so they had to constantly change cover. Blood Wolf charged at the vehicle and jumped. He landed on the roof and left a grenade at the base of the turret before jumping of again.

    BANG!

    The sound of nearly deafening for the trio in the car, and they winced while trying to sooth their ears. But the damage was minimal. It was the sensor and targeting array that suffered some damage. Seeing this made Blood Wolf grit his teeth.

    Blood Wolf strenght lied in close combat. He was powerful, but the armored car was too tough for him. It was also very fast to target the tires with explosives. And if he stayed close without being able to hit the people inside, Zhuying would be able to electrocute him enough to defeat him. Their vehicles had been damaged by bullets and ramming attacks, so they couldn''t even retreat. He needed to turn the situation around really soon or he would be dead.

    "Qingping" Liushi called her. "Open your window and fire on them" he said, lending her his submachine gun. "We will get them in a crossfire between us and the guys in the warehouse."

    She received the firearm with some trepidation, silently annoyed at being given an order by him in such a crips manner.

    "Lu" he called, knowing that the com was still on. "Get your gun and cover Haizi and Sun Kun as they narrow the opening of the warehouse door. That guy may be fast enough to get in if he stop focusing on us."

    "On it" came the cold reply.

    "Zhuying, there are 2 hand grenades in the glovebox. They tried to blow us, we will blow their covers. Be careful with them, it''s different from what movies show. If you pull the pin, you have to keep the lever in place until you throw it. Releasing the lever activate the grenade."

    "I know."

    "Don''t you dare drop it inside the car while trying to throw it. Focus on the woman, Blood Wolf is too fast, we will deal with him last."

    His orders were given as he made another quick pass in the middle of the enemy survivors, separating them in 2 groups. He also lowered his window and readied his custom shotgun, the one he made when he arrived in Nanjing for his injured arm. When he turned the vehicle around to face the Blood Wolf, they were all ready.

    Instead of rushing directly at them, Liushi made a pass in front of the warehouse door. Then he went for the weaker group, which was made of 3 normal guys. As they dodged in 2 differents directions, Qingping was able to shoot one of them, wounding him. Zhuying dropped one of the grenade near the guy on his side. He didn''t notice as he was rolling away from the vehicle. It was actually well done on her part.

    The grenade was between the last 2 uninjured men, and when it exploded it took them out of the fight. Fragmentation grenades can deal damage in a radius of more than 10m, and the 2 men were within that range. The man injured by Qingping was shot by the guys in the warehouse. That left the 2 paranormals.

 44 End and aftermath of the battle

    After passing the normal people, Liushi aimed for the woman.

    She stayed close to Blood Wolf and they dodged further away from the warehouse. They were on the other side of the vehicle, so Qingping couldn''t shoot them, but Zhuying could attack them. She launched a widespread lightning attack, hitting the 2 paranormals, before throwing the second grenade.

    They screamed in pain as their muscles spasmed, but they were still paranormals. It didn''t stop them, just slowed them down for a bit. Blood Wolf, with his transformation, had high physical prowesses so he was able to get away from the effective range of the grenade. The woman couldn''t, and activated her ability in haste.

    It all happened within a second. Underneath her clothes, her skin moved as the bones of her limbs and ribs morphed. They took the form of a thin plate armor just under the skin, in her arms and legs. For they ribs, she had less control so she could only enlarge them a bit. Liushi, Lu and Qingping could see her cheekbones and forehead shift as she altered the bones to further protect her head. She crossed her limbs in front of her body at the last moment.

    BANG!!

    She staggered backward and fell on her butt in mild pain, but she was still good to go. Her bone armor had been strong enough to stop the sharpnels, but some still got in her tights and shoulders. Unfortunatly for her, since the grenade was thrown, Liushi had the time to turn the vehicle around, and she was in Qingping line of fire. She didn''t miss that chance and opened fire on the woman.

    Even if she could hide behind her reinforced limbs again, it would have been useless. The hastly made bone plates may have been strong enough to stop sharpnels, but not 9mm bullets. More than a dozen of them pierced her legs, belly and chest. They weren''t lethal wounds, except for one bullet in particular lodging itself in the center of her diaphragm. It prevented her from shouting in pain, and take another breath again. She slowly suffocated to death.

    With the woman down, Blood Wolf was the only one of his group still standing. And he knew he was done for.

    "Girls, I want the bastard alive" he said. "Aim for his legs."

    Caugh between the protected warehouse and the agile armored car, his resistance didn''t last long. His options limited by the covering fire from the warehouse, he couldn''t avoid the powerful lightning strike from Zhuying that shocked him to the core, nor the following hail of bullets shot by Qingping. He could barely grunt due to the electricity disrupting his breath. Liushi quickly pulled out his shotgun and fired at his legs, shattering Blood Wolf''s knee.

    "GROOAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

    His howl of pain made them all flintch. Liushi stopped the car near him and got out, his shotgun still in his throbing hand. Zhuying was quick to follow him, and Qingping reacted a little later. Zhang Hai, Sun Kun and Lu got out of the warehouse, and moved close to him, still wary of the surroundings. Not wanting to underestimate the current capabilities of his enemy, Liushi shot the other knee.

    Blood Wolf was in a world of pain, and his enhanced throat was tested with how long and loud he screamed. When his mind could focus on his surroundings, he noticed the other. He barely glanced at Qingping and Lu, focusing on the siblings. One out of desire, the other out of hatred.

    "What the f*ck do you want" Blood Wolf asked in pain, with resignation and rage.

    "There is something I want to know" started Liushi. "The founder of the Bloody Wolves was Blood Wolf. Not long ago, he died and you became the new leader, the new Blood Wolf."

    "So what?"

    "Seeing the kind of group that you are, I doubt the previous leader named the group after an underling. No, he would have named it after himself or something he liked or valued. Then, there is your obsession with Zhuying. If it was because she was pretty or a paranormal, you wouldn''t have ignored Qingping, who is at least as beautiful if not a little more, and is also a paranormal."

    Blood Wolf eyes widened as he caught onto what Liushi guessed.

    "Your ability is to absorb the abilities of other paranormals. You stole the previous Blood Wolf ability, killing him in the process, and wanted to do the same to my sister."

    The others were speechless, but noone was more shocked than Zhuying herself. She gasped, paled and took a step back in horror. The other 3 paranormals were very disturbed by that. The gift they gained that helped them survive the outbreak could be lost. They also realised that there could be some very terrifying paranormals out there.

    "It''s all your fault" Blood Wolf started, his anger being reignited. "If not for you... I would have gotten her... With her ability, I would have reached a higher realm... You ruined everything..."

    "If it was so important, why ignore the others? The woman who could control her bones, Qingping with her enhanced leg power. You could have further improved your physical abilities."

    "... My body could only handle 2 other abilities... Any more and it would collapse under the strain... I already had the physical power... I needed something different..."

    "I see... That''s all I wanted to know." Then his expression got darker and more solemn. "For your cooperation, I''ll end this quickly."

    "Eh!... Whatever, bastard" he repiled while turning his head toward the ground.

    Liushi pointed his gun at the back of his head and pulled the trigger without a pause.

    BANG.

    To his ears, the sound was louder than any other gunshot he heard before. It felt like the power of the recoil went straight to his heart and mind. He was frozen in place, and all his senses got numb. He couldn''t see or hear properly anymore, and felt light headed. It took him a few seconds to gather himself and lower his gun, due to the Starseed talking to him.

    [The body of the 2 deceased evolved humans are releasing their bio-energy. Please make contact with them to absorb the energy before it completly fades away. Combined with the use of mutant beasts energy core, it will boost the efficiency of the material manipulation.]

    Earlier, he had killed. He had done so because he was forced into a life-or-death situation. They were the assulted party, it was a battle for survival. What he just did with the Blood Wolf was an execution, a murder. He looked at the corpse in front of him with a big bloody hole at the back of its head, then the rest of the battlefield full of pierced, mutilated and broken bodies. That was too much killing for him at once.

    "Gather the bodies" he said in a hollow voice while picking up Blood Wolf''s leg and starting to drag him toward the woman''s body. "We need to stay here for a while for some upgrades. I don''t want a zombie swarm or mutant beasts to be attracted to us during that time."

    While walking away, he drained the corpse of its energy. When he reached the woman, he made a show of checking the corpses for anything important to drain her as well. He got some keys, which he suspected would be used in their base for important stuff.

    He then went to the trailer and hastly made 2 syringes using the Starseed. He wanted blood sample of Blood Wolf and the woman, thinking they would be usefull in the creation of enhancement serums. Blood Wolf''s original absorption ability would make a good base for such a serum. The woman''s ability would be useful for some kind of bone strenghtening serum.

    The blood samples were stored, and the bodies were piled in one of the gang cars. Liushi, accompanied by the 2 guys, towed said car and went to dispose of the bodies. They left them in 3 differents places at the edge of the Bloody Wolves territory, while the girls cleaned the front of the warehouse to get rid of the scent of blood.

    Once back to the warehouse, Liushi decided to focus his attention on upgrades. The worried looks Zhuying and Lu gave him, he could handle. Nobody was unnaffected by what had occured. However, the subdued, near frightened look Xiaotian gave him stung. If before she was shy, but caring, she had become apprehensive and seemed to want to keep her distances.

    He had the core Zhuying exchanged with him, the one from the mutant dog, and the 2 he got at Satellite Town. With them, he could make intensive modifications. Liushi was awere that the mutant beasts core could be used for more than just boosting the capabilities of the Starseed. They could also be used as components in a machine, or base material for an advanced one or a new chemical compound. The Starseed had confirmed it, and warned that the creation of serums would likely require the full use of a mutant beast core.

    He had decided to use one of the core as a permanent catalyst in the chemical section of the micro-factory. Mutant beasts core had potential for further applications, but the current cores were too brittle. Liushi both anticipated and dreaded the appearance of level 2 cores, as that would mean more dangerous beasts.

    2 cores would be used to make more alloys and compounds materials, as well as polymers and advanced chemicals. The last one would be used to upgrade the medical station and the micro-factory. The internal security mini-turrets were already on the production list of the factory, and would be made as soon as the upgrade was finished. Following them, would be a whole lot of amnutions for all calibres.

    All those upgrade would be made within the Doomsday Ride, so Qingping and the 2 guys wouldn''t know of his true capabilities. Zhuying, Lu and Xiaotian would move back and forth to transport the materials, with minimal aid from Zhnag Hai and Sun Kun.

    And that how they spent the rest of the day. It started late in the afternoon, and continued into the evening with a break for dinner. After that, the 3 girls took turn assisting Liushi. The last core wasn''t completly drained, and with advice from the Starseed, was kept for a special usage.

 45 Bloody Wolves base

    Liushi was lying on the seat of the driving cockpit when the sun rose.

    After the last shipment of materials, the girls didn''t need to spend much time with him. They just checked on him once in a while, then he sent them to sleep. Once he was finished and reactivated the micro-factory, he took a quick shower and went to the driving cockpit. Lu had gone to his bed, and after the events of the previous day, he didn''t feel clean enough to share a bed with her.

    Sleep had been elusive despite his tiredness, the massacre of the day and the final execution often replaying in his mind. He tried to distract himself by thinking of what he could do to protect himself and the girls from non-standard paranormal abilities, and manipulations ones. Someone able to control magnetism would be incredibly dangerous if it was an enemy. Someone able to downright control machines would royally screw him over. While hed doubted a low level paranormal could take control of something as advanced as the Starseed, there could also be someone with the ability to steal it from him.

    He asked the Starseed if it was possible to defend against paranormal abilities, and the answer lied with the mutant beasts cores.

    Zhuying and Qingping had used their abilities near him enough for the Starseed to have aquired basic readings about their bio-energy. Every abilities were powered by the bio-energy, and there were slight differences in the bio-energy readings depending on the ability type (enhancement, transformation and manipulation). To defend against an ability, the bio-energy had to be disrupted. And only another bio-energy could do so.

    The only thing containing the appropriate bio-energy aside from the paranormal were the mutant beasts cores.

    They could be used to make a field of bio-energy that would weaken or negate a paranormal ability, especially if it was a manipulation type. For those, the bio-energy had to be used outside the body. For those with physical abilities, the effect would be minimal, as it was difficult to affect the bio-energy within a person. When Zhuying struck Blood Wolf with lightning, aside from his own body toughness, his bio-energy also clashed with Zhuying''s as it tried to enter his body.

    He would need more than one core for that. One would have to be fused with another material, then turned into threads woven in the armor of the vehicle, to channel the energy into a protective field. To make something like a faraday cage. The other would be the key component of the field generator, providing the bio-energy.

    Unfortunatly, level 1 mutant beasts core were to weak for that, unless he had at least 7 of them to spare. Furthermore, if the power of the paranormal exceeded the power of the core, the field would collapse, and the backlash could damage the whole system. Finally, such a field couldn''t be constantly activated, as it would put some strain in the core and deplete it at a fast rate.

    While the Starseed could detect paranormal energy, it wasn''t precise enough. He would need specialised sensors to instantly detect paranormal ability use, espcially one targeted toward him and his vehicles, and thus activate the proper defense. Such detector, like the field generator, would require mutant beasts core as material.

    There was another possibility to fight paranormal abilities. The Starseed could absorb the energy, but even that would be extremely limited without a proper medium. With Blood Wolf and the woman, it was possible only because they had died. The energy was too strongly tied to its living generator, but after its death, it would be free.

    ''I''d better have a working solution before lv2 paranormals start to pop up. Right now, no matter how dangerous the abilities may be, they are still limited in power and scale. Caution and quick reactions can deal with them before too much damage is done. Afterward though...''

    A faint noise in the living module brough him out of his thinking. When he looked there, he saw someone moving toward him.

    As she got close, he recognised his sister. She was wearing the shirt she had left in her appartment with a message for him, and a thong. The shirt was old and too small for her so it hugged her figure quite closely. She didn''t wear a bra so the shape of her breasts and nipples were quite clear. At any other time, he would have been aroused by the sight. But his mood was too low for that, and her worried expression didn''t help.

    "Brother? What are you doing there? Why didn''t you come to bed?"

    "I had a lot on my mind and couldn''t sleep."

    "I see" she said as she stopped behind his shoulder. "Since things changed, we had to deal with a few unpleasant situations. Disputes with other groups, or having to leave some people to a bad fate. We never had to cross the line like yesterday. Still, because we had to deal with unpleasants people, we were quite aware of the possibility. You didn''t."

    She got on her knees to the seat next to him and took him in her embrace. He didn''t resist, he was too tired to protest, and he needed it.

    "You did nothing wrong, brother. You''re a good man."

    He finally relaxed. Truly relaxed, and returned the embrace.

    "I know that. That doesn''t make it any less unpleasant... Thanks."

    "Anything for you" she replied, then they separated a little. "You should got to bed and sleep. You need it."

    "It''s too late for that. Or rather, too early. I want to be done with our business in the area and go back to the camp. Then, I''ll be able to sleep."

    She nodded and relucanty left him. She went to take a shower, and the activity woke up the sisters. They greeted each other, but the mood was still subdued. They were still a little tired, and Liushi guessed their night wasn''t peaceful. Just like the previous night, Xiaotian seemed more distant. But not Lu.

    "How are you feeling?" he asked her.

    "I''m fine. I can handle it" she replied with a tired smile. "What about you?"

    "I''ll get better..." he hesitated before continuing. "Xiaotian?" he asked in a whisper.

    "That was too much violence for her" she said in an equaly low voice, after releasing a sight. "You know she''s a kind girl. Part of the reason she has been holding on so well is you. Because of the kindness you''ve shown to her. And yesterday, she saw you kill people. She saw you execute someone who was already down."

    Liushi winced.

    "You were her new pillar, and the image she had of you has been shattered. She is afraid of you" she said with a sad simile. "We talked a little. She knows that you had little choice, but she is still shocked. Please give her a little time" she finished, almost begging.

    "Sure."

    She smile, gave his hand a gentle squeeze, gave him a peck on the cheek and left him. He left the truck to see how Qingping, Zhang Hai and Sun Kun were doing. They had spent the night in the warehouse, in comfortable sleeping bags provided by him. They woke up when they heard him, apparently having become light sleepers. A quick talk told him that they handled the previous day events as well as the little sisters.

    They all gathered outside the truck for breakfast. After that, the 3 of them got to use the bathroom. During that time, some of the items he had the factory make were finished. The drone was also sent out to scout the surroundings before they left. He wanted to see if the nearby factories had anything usable, and there was also the base of the Bloody Wolves to locate and plunder.

    They left in the middle of the morning. The sky overhead was getting cloudy, and they could feel that a storm, or at least a big rain, was coming. They didn''t take long to reach the Bloody Wolves base, the drone having found it before. It was a villa to the north of the industrial park.

    When they got there, there were only 2 guards presents at the gates, who hastly surrendered when they saw the minigun pop on top of the armored car. They were allowed to flee, but without their weapons. Lu and Xiaotian stayed in the truck while the others got out. The main door of the villa was locked with a thick lock and chains. Liushi fired on the chain with his shotgun to break it, his gear protecting him from possible ricochets and metal shards. They heard a few scream of fear coming from girls within, but they stopped quickly.

    They looked at each other, already guessing what they would find inside. Because the place was locked from outside, they knew that there would be no gang members inside.

    Zhang Hai kicked the door open, followed by Sun Kun and Qingping. Liushi and Zhuying entered last. There were more than a dozen women gathered in the main room of the villa. Some looked at them in panic, keeping themselves from screaming with their hands on their mouths. The others were sitting still against the wall, their eyes numbs, with confused expressions.

    Qingping and Zhuying took sharp breath when they saw the state of the women. Zhang Hai sighted while lowering his head a little. Sun Kun had paled a little. Lightly shaking his head, Liushi moved in front of the group to adress the women.

    "Ladies, as I''m sure you can guess, we aren''t part of the Bloody Wolves. Rest assured, they are no more. They attacked us yesterday, and we exterminated them. Blood Wolf, that little werewolf wannabe, is dead."

    "... Is that true?" a teenage girl with haggard eyes asked.

    She trembled when Liushi met her while raising his shotgun for all to see.

    "I personally put a big hole in the back of his head."

    The girls were surprised and even skeptical at first. But looking at the others members of the groups, how they seemed to defer to him, and how he seemed to have the best equipment they had seen since the outbreak, they accepted his words as truth.

 46 Rescue and return

    "Are there any other people in the house?" Liushi asked.

    "... There are 2 people in the backyard... they... are toys..."

    "Toys?" Zhuying asked with discomfort, having moved closer to Liushi.

    "They were tortured, for their amusement" another girl explained quietly, making the group eyes widen.

    "Qingping, go and check on them. Sun Kun, go with her. If they are alive, carefully take them to the truck and have the Wen sisters scan them. If there is too much damage, end their suffering."

    They nodded and rushed to execute his orders.

    "Blood Wolf and the others lived in the upper floors, right?" he asked the girl, who nodded. "Zhuying, Haizi, check the upper floors. If there is a locked door or safe you can''t open, come and get me. I''ll take care of it."

    Once the 2 were gone, Liushi focused on the pale, emaciated and bruised girls. These women, without self-protection abilities or notable skills, had become lambs for slaughter after doomsday.

    "You girls, have a choice to make... The world wasn''t an easy place before. It has become harsher and more unforgiving since doomsday. If you want to survive, you have to work hard, sometimes risk your lives. If you can''t, you either become someone''s pet, or you die. The first is followed by the second when your owner get tired of you. You have the choice between being a human, being a lowly b*tch..." he pulled out his handgun "Or put an end to your fears and pains."

    The silence that followed was oppressive for the girls.

    "What will happen if we want to live?" asked one of them softly.

    "You can stay here and try to survive on your own. We will leave you enough to recover and take care of yourselves. You can come to our camp, and you''ll have to pull your weight there or be cast out. I don''t think we have a lot of people there who can afford to waste their ressources on useless people, and put additional strain on the group. You have until my team is ready to leave to make your decision."

    With that said, he left them alone and joined Zhuying and Zhang Hai. He found them in the personal room of Blood Wolf. All useless items had been thrown out. There was only his bed, and all the supplies and precious materials he had gathered. Monster meat, dry food, weapons and a significant amount of amnutions, and 10 grenades. The best was the mutant beast core he kept in a box near his bed.

    That wasn''t all. After that, they checked the vehicles parked in the front yard. One of them was a small truck filled with a large variety of dried food like rice and vegetables, but also canned food. They also found 3 body armors and 2 bulletproof shields. It was quite the large haul they had gained.

    Back in the Doomsday Ride, Xiaotian was feeling miserable. When Qingping and Sun Kun checked on the ''toys'', one of them had already died. They caried the other to the truck, following Liushi''s instructions. When Xiaotian saw the state of the girl, she fainted.

    Seeing bodies disfigured by zombies wasn''t the same as seeing someone disfigured by torture. Zombies attacks were akin to animals attacks. And she had gotten used to that. What was presented to her then, someone had done it on purpose. It wasn''t an accident, but the result of human''s raw malice and cruelty. The shock was too much for her sensible heart.

    Lu was the one to deal with the issue. They took the unconscious girl to Xiaotian''s bed because it was the bottom one, and Lu operated the medical scanner. The result of the scan made all 3 people present hold their breath. The visible damage was already worse than some of the corpses they had to gather the previous day. The internal damage made Lu and Qingping squirm and hiss. The ''toy'' had her holes destroyed. Sun Kun just shook his head and turned away. She had suffered much more than they could have imagined, and it was a honest wonder that she was still alive.

    When Xiaotian regained consciousness, the tortured girl had already been put out of her misery. When she was caugh up on the events, she had been horrified. Furtheremore, Qingping had beratted her for her reactions, and called her worthless before leaving. Following that, Xiaotian apologised to Lu, but demanded her to be left alone.

    And she silently cried. She cried for the unfortunate women. She cried because of the level of wickedness humanity was capable. She cried because bad things happened when she thought things would only get better. She cried because of her own weakness. She thought she had gotten better, and was proven wrong.

    She didn''t feel better after crying. If before she was afraid of Liushi because of his willingness to kill in cold blood, then she got afraid to be abandonned by him. She watched through the window as he and the rest of the group checked the vehicles, wondering what the future held for them, and for herself.

    Meanwhile, Liushi left Qingping, Zhang Hai and Sun Kun to stock of everything, and went to see the recently freed girls. Zhuying stayed with him.

    "Me and my group are going to leave soon" he said the moment he got in the room. "Have you come to a decision?"

    "Yes" said the first woman to have spoken when they arrived. "Most of us want to stay here. We don''t want to be at someone else mercy again. We want to try and live on our own, for better or worse. The rest want to go to your camp."

    "Then those who want to leave, go out and wait near the door. You" he pointed to the woman who spoke "come with us and see what we will leave you."

    Out of 16 people, from teenagers to women in their 30s, 5 choose to join the camp. They quickly got out of the room. While leading the apparent leader of the new woman group, Liushi talked to her.

    "We will leave you 7 days of supplies. 3 days to recover from your injuries, and another 4 to recover from the malnutrition, build some strenght. We will also leave you some weapons. Forget about using the guns against the zombies. You don''t know how to use them, and you can''t use the limited amnutions for training. You will waste bullets and only bring more zombies to you. The guns we will leave you, will be deterents against others people trying to enslave you again. We will leave you a machine gun, to use only if you come across a mutant beast."

    He left her with the 2 men to sort what they would leave, and went to his double trailer. He used the Starseed to make 3 spears, 2 machetes, 2 axes, and 4 pump-action repeating crossbows. He could have made bows, as they had a faster firing rate. But it would require more skills for the girls, and they would tire faster from maintaining the bow drawn before firing. He made them with some of the good quality materials he had prepared the previous day.

    During that time he had the micro-factory build the parts of a small mechanical machine to carve and cut additional bolts out of wood. With all the designs the Starseed had in memory from everything he scanned, it was all too easy to modify them. 30 minutes later, he was done. With Zhang Hai''s help, he transported the gifts to the leading girl.

    They were ready to leave. They would take one of the Bloody Wolves truck with them to transport the extra materials, driven by Zhang Hai. The girls would be in the SUV with Sun Kun. Liushi adressed the leading girl one last time.

    "Once you are ready to be active, I suggest you take a week to gather a lot of ressources, and leave the city. Move to a small town or a village nearby. You probably won''t want to stay here in the future."

    "What do you mean?" she asked, scared at the prospect of leaving an already functional base.

    "Something that I realised a few hours ago. I have learned, from reliable sources, that paranormals and mutant beasts grow stronger as time passes. Why shouldn''t the same apply to zombies? You know, we may call them that, but they aren''t actually undead."

    The woman looked at him with growing horror.

    "They won''t stay stuck in the same areas for long" he said while looking at the sky, where more clouds gathered. "They are going to start to wander around, and once they find this place, you will be swarmed. The cities, which currently hold a vast amount of ressources to sustain their large populations, are going to be no-mans-lands, where only the toughest teams of scavengers would go." He returned his eyes to her one last time. "Be careful, and good luck." He turned away and paused. "Oh! And biker gear are resistant to zombie bites!"

    With that said, he returned to the Doomtrooper, and they left.

    "Brother? What did you say to her? She looked scared."

    "I just told her that there was still a lot of hardships they will have to deal with."

    It was never Liushi''s intention to stay in Nanjing after finding Zhuying. He had always intended to go to Shenhai Island, and possibly find Li Yuxin. Xiaotian''s friend was also supposed to have gone there with other refugees from Jiangbei. Finally, they would probably have better ressources and informations than Satellite Town.

    Once they got back to the camp, the people were overjoyed to see them return. They had left the previous day in the morning, and had been without any news about them. All the powerful people of the camp had left, and if something had happened to them, it would have been a serious blow to their ability to survive. The new girls were welcomed with pity, and the most compassionate women rushed to take care of them.

    Zhang Hai boasted about their victory over the notorious Bloody Wolves, and the loot they got from them. In fact, they had an excess of ressources. Under Zhuying''s rule, people''s share of loot depended on their contributions, and Liushi and his equipment did 70% of the job. He was nice enough to only take 50% for himself and the Wen sisters, making everyone else happier.

    Still, what he wanted most was mutant beasts cores. They had enough to trade, but the military at Satellite Town wouldn''t spare any more cores for them.

 47 Another trading poin

    "Hey, Haizi?" Liushi called him once they got some privacy.

    "Yes? What can I do for you, brother Jiang?"

    "I want to know if there are other places for trade aside from Satellite Town. There seem to be plenty of survivor teams out there. There must be other trading places where they can deal with each other."

    "Actually, there is" he said seriously, his previous happy demeanor having left. "We heard about it during a previous trip to Satellite Town. It''s basically a black market, close to Lan County, so much further than Satellite Town. Weapons are scarce over there, so they would sell for much more than what the military base would offer. Before, I wouldn''t have recommanded we go there, but with our current capabilities, thanks to you, we can go there without much risks to ourselves."

    "I see. With how far it is and the usual conditions of the roads, it would take at least 6 hours to reach... In that case, I''ll make some preparations. We will leave the day after tomorrow, and will probably be away for 3 days."

    Liushi left him and got back to the Doomsday Ride. He sat on his couch, and stared at the ceiling.

    When they left, he had been thinking about helping distressed children stuck in their homes. His drive to help them came mostly from having lost his parents himself and having to take care of both himself and his sister. He had that experience and knew that things were a thousand time worse for them. He just couldn''t be unsympathetic.

    He wanted to use the drones to locate them and deliver some food, then point them to other survivor groups. But others people probably wouldn''t be able or willing to go help them. They would end up being beggars, like many adults he had seen at Satellite Town. He himself couldn''t spent much effort on them because he had to strenghten his own group. He had to prepare for the ever growing strenght of mutant beasts and hostile paranormals. And as he said to the former captive girls, the zombies were most likely also evolving.

    Spending too much time in towns and cities to help them could very well bring disaster to his team. And finally, after the events of the last 20 hours or so, he didn''t have the heart to look for people in such tragic conditions and witness more horrors. The streets alone were bad enough on a daily basis. If he came across them, he would definitly provide some help. But he would not look for them.

    ''And Xiaotian was so happy that I though of providing some help to them. Giving up on that coupled with what happened yesterday will definitly make her dislike me'' he thought with a self-depreciating smile. ''I was growing quite fond of her...''

    While people were happy with the result of their expeditions, Liushi was more subdued for the rest of the evening, and went to bed early. He had to make up for the lack of sleep from the previous night. During diner, he did tell the group about their next expedition. The following day, he got busy.

    He had to make some protective gear for the rest of the group. He made reinforced long sleeves jackets for the paranormals, along with armored vests. For Qingping, he added reinforced gloves and boots. They were a dull dark grey in color. He also made 10 reinforced jackets for the non-paranormals fighters and scavengers of the group.

    The SUV had to be improved. To hide the Starseed ability, he used the tools from the second part of the technical module. He hadn''t used it except for when he killed the mutant boar, and when he left the giant hive in the sisters hometown. He made a small show of dismanteling the car with the tools, changing many parts, and reassemble it with several additions. He used the matter manipulation ability with the complex and advanced tools as mediums.

    The entire body, the windows and the tires had been replaced with bullet resistant materials. The engine had been cleaned and improved, alongside the brakes and the suspensions. The SUV was changed into a camper, so there were 2 berths at the back where the guys could sleep at night. The space under the berths was used for storage.

    For that trip, he didn''t want anyone sleeping beyond the protection offered by the cars. Qingping could sleep in the driving cockpit. The seat was made to be comfortable enough for sleeping. No matter how much he wanted to be a gentleman, he didn''t like her nearly enough to give her His place on His bed. Not at all.

    In the evening, after diner, he gathered the sisters and the paranormals for a private chat.

    "I''ll go straight to the point" he started. "I have no intentions of staying in Nanjing."

    """What?""" shouted several people.

    "After our trip to the black market, I intend to go to Shenhai Island."

    "Why?" asked Zhuying. "We are doing quite well here."

    "Mutant beasts and paranormals are growing stronger with time. Even though we call the zombies ''zombies'', they aren''t undead, they are still living. I have no doubt that they are growing stronger as well. Staying in a city, even at the outskirt, is asking to be swarmed and killed."

    They were all shocked, and paled. Xiaotian had a hoorified face, memories of her escape from Jiangbei at the forefront of her mind. Zhang Hai and Sun Kun glanced at each other, and the later mumbled a curse.

    "While we are away, I want the rest of the group to prepare for evacuation, and select a village or small town nearby to relocate. As for me, it was always my intention to go to Shenhai Island after finding Zhuying. I want to go there for a few reasons."

    Xiaotian suddenly looked at him, with barely concealed surprise.

    When she was fleeing from Jiangbei, she was with her friend, Shao Lili. After being rescued by Liushi, her friend decided to go with the military to Shenhai Island. He said that he had a friend going there, and that they would be able to meet again there. He had basically promised to bring her there as well so she could see her friend again, and hadn''t forgotten.

    "One of them is that, compared to Satellite Town, which is a temporary outpost, Shenhai Island was made to be a real safe settlement. They have everything to start over."

    "You already know I''m going to follow you, big brother" replied Zhuying with a little smile. "And I''m sure Xiaotian and Lu will stay with you. So, that mean we will split once we''re done" she said while looking at the other 3 paranormals. "With everything that has been aquired over the last 2 days with my brother''s help, you will be able to go on without me."

    They looked at each other in perplexity.

    Zhang Hai wasn''t much of a leader and he knew it, so the prospect of being one didn''t appeal to him. His status was barely above normal human in the others eyes, because his ability was considered trash. Qingping disdained him, and she didn''t really hide it. However, Liushi didn''t look down on him because of that. Furtheremore, he was a mechanic, and Liushi''s vehicles and their technological ability fascinated him. He would rather stay with him.

    While Sun Kun liked the idea of being higher on the pyramid power ladder, he didn''t mind being the subordinate of Liushi. His technological capabilities were too good to just pass up. He knew that Liushi would become a true powerhouse, and being with him would bring a lot of benefits.

    Qingping was torn. On one hand, separating from Zhuying and her brother would make her the new leader of the survival group, as she would be the strongest paranormal. However, she would lose all the advantages Liushi''s equipment brough, and staying outside of a real, fortified safe place. On the other hand, staying with them would mean staying subserviant to Liushi, being a subordinate instead of one of the leaders. She would be at the same rank as the 2 powerless girls traveling with him, if not lower due to his attachement to them. That fiercly stung her pride.

    "You don''t have to decide now" Liushi said. "You have all the time to think about it during the trip."

    They separated for the night. Back in the Doomsday Ride, while Lu went to her own bed, Xiaotian went to Liushi, who was sitting on his bed. He had made himself some wireless and comfortable earphones to listen to music while going to sleep. Falling asleep with some music was something he missed, and needed. He was preparing his playlist on the pad when he noticed her.

    She stopped in front of him with some hesitation, not meeting his eyes. She was wearing a black slip that went down to her upper tights, and no bra. Lu favored tank top and boyshorts, and he liked that just as well. He took the time to admire her, before she gathered herself and took a seat next to him.

    "I''m sorry" she started in a low voice, barely above a whisper. "I''m sorry for avoiding you. You''ve done so much for me, and barely asked for anything in exchange. And yet, I treated you like... like someone who could hurt me without reason, just because they wanted to."

    She turned to him and finally looked at him in the eyes. He could see the worry and regrets in them, the sincerity of her words. He liked those eyes better when she smiled.

    "I wasn''t completly used to how dangerous the world had become, and I sort of lashed out at you. I have been so lucky to find someone like you, you didn''t deserve the treatment I gave you. Thank you for having been patient with me" she finished while bowing.

    He found her too charming to let her mope any more. He put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her in a hug. She stiffened for a second, before completly relaxing, releasing a sigh of relief and appreciation. She happily returned the hug, and they stayed like that for a few seconds. They wished each other goodnight and she left with a small blush, and a much lighter heart. Liushi went to sleep, thinking of the feeling of her breasts when they hugged, and the sight of her rear when she left.

 48 The Black Marke

    The heavy rain that was announced by the appearance of dark clouds 2 days before started in the middle of the night, and reached its full power in the morning.

    Still, it was a pleasant morning for the inhabitant of the truck. The tension of the previous 2 days had disappeared. Liushi was greeted by a small hug and a kiss on the cheek by Xiaotian, and seeing this, Lu followed with a more pronounced hug of her own. She whispered in his ear that she was happy they had made up. Since they were all still in their thin sleepwear, it was quite stimulating. Liushi barely kept himself from getting hard, or letting his hands roam lower when he held them.

    Unfortunatly for him, there was more important things to do than enjoy his time with the girls. With the new equipment promptly distributed, and the last instructions given to the rest of the group, the exploration team boarded their vehicles and left.

    The Doomsday Ride was opening the way, towing the double trailer, with Lu scouting ahead using the drones in turn. It was also done to test their capabilities in bad weather. Zhang Hai and Sun Kun were in the middle, quite happy with their improved vehicle. Liushi, Zhuying and Qingping were at the rear in the Doomtrooper. All vehicle were keeping contact with each other with the hands-free radio.

    "Isn''t something strange going on?" Xiaotian asked after nearly an hour of travel.

    "It''s too calm" Lu replied. "There are nearly no zombies around."

    "They are all indoor" stated Liushi, surprising everyone.

    "They took shelter from the rain?" Qingoing asked, perplexed.

    "Yes" was his short answer.

    Just like he did in the giant hive, he had asked the Starseed to enhance his own vision by providing additional informations from its sensors through the optic nerve. Despite the low visibility and the lack of light in the buildings, he could easily see the infected inside as they passed. All the buildings with open doors had their ground floor packed with the zombies that would ususally be found in the streets. Some took refuge in narrows alleys

    The sound of the rain muffled the noise of the engines, and the zombies only noticed them once they had passed. Only a few of them tried to pursue them, but unlike before, they weren''t nearly as persistent.

    "The zombies never tried to leave the streets before. They never sought shades to hide from the heat of the sun. At night, they were fine staying outdoor, even with the cold wind. That they have decided to take shelter from the bad weather, mean that they have gained, or regained, a sense of self-preservation."

    The other in their respective vehicles glanced worriedly at the buildings they passed, and managed to catch glimpses as well. They gulped at the sight of the packed zombies within.

    "Scary..." Sun Kun whispered, but everyone heard him.

    At that time, the Starseed and the monitoring system detected a mutant beast sneaking toward their position. It was a mutant giant salamander. Before the outbreak, it was already one of the largest amphibian in the world, able to reach a size of 180cm for a weight of 50kg. As a mutant beast, it had reached 6m in lenght, with a weight of nearly 9 tons.

    Needless to say, the group was awed by the creature shown on the monitors. A few instructions through the tablet, and the turret of the Doomtrooper fired at the head of the beast with its explosive rounds. A few seconds later and it was dead. 30 minutes later and they had harvested 6 tons of mutant beast meat. Liushi also gathered samples of all its organs, as they may discover some use for them. And of course, he got a new core.

    They reached the area where the Black Market should be at the beginning of the aftenoon. They didn''t know the exact location, so Liushi released all 3 drones at the same time to search for it. They found it after half an hour, and it took them a little less to reach it.

    This time, it was the Doomtrooper that opened the way, towing the double trailer, followed by the reinforced camper SUV. The Doomsday Ride would stay outside, ready to provide some assistance. If needed be, it would drive through the whole settlement, using its plow to blast through anything on its path. Xiaotian may not have the heart to do so, but in a bind, Liushi could just use the Starseed to remotly control it. He had also prepared a few other surprises.

    There were a lot of people gathered around the Black Market, taking shelter in improvised tents made with tarps and plastic covering. At the gate, there was a big sign above saying ''Lan County Trade Area''. Next to the gate were the bones of a mutant beast, most likely a dog. On each side of the gate were 2 ordinary burly people with menacing faces and equipped with machetes.

    Places like the Black Market needed a powerfull person in charge, or the strong people would easily steal the goods of the weaker ones. It would be even worse since doomsday. There was need of a rule to restrict violence, and someone strong and respected enough to enforce it. But it wouldn''t mean that the place was safe. As long as they didn''t make a commotion, anything could happen at any time.

    The road was too narrow for them to continue with the vehicles, they had to continue on foot. They searched for a good place to park the vehicles and stopped there. Xiaotian was staying in the truck, and Lu in the armored car. Liushi would go in with the 4 paranormals. Each of them had at least an armored vest and reinforced clothes. On top of that they had stylish raincoats.

    Liushi''s equipment was different from before. He had made a few modifications to be able to deal with physically enhanced paranormals. He was carrying some kind of backpack that had the others curious. He was also wearing a full helmet, with a wide and clear visor. His weapon of choice were a semi-automatic 12 gauge shotgun, a blade halfway between a dao and a wakizachi.

    Zhang Hai was armed with a belt fed 3 barrels minigun. In places like the Dark Market, a show of force was necessary to avoid being attacked. And a minigun was certainly intimidating. He also had a full helmet. Sun Kun had a 9mm submachine gun. It was light enough to handle with one hand while using his ability with the other. Qingping was given butterfly swords and a 9mm pistol, while Zhuying had her sword and a .44 mag pistol. Aside from Zhang Hai, all of them had 2 spare magazines, and 2 grenades.

    Despite the heavy rain, there was still some activity. With survival being so important, bad weather wasn''t an excuse to stay iddle. They people at the stalls were ordinary survivors, with dirty and sometimes ragged clothing, pale and clearly malnourished. They mostly sold cigarettes and lighters, razors, daggers, some sanitary products, medecines without leaflets, condom, drugs, and even jewels.

    Liushi was surprised to see that condoms seemed to be in good demand for paranormals, but after thinking about it, he realised that ordinary survivors didn''t care because they could die the next day, while paranormals had the strenght to survive, and thus wary of catching deceases. They were also the ones buying ''luxury'' items such as smokes and drugs, exchanging them for some ordinary food. That was how ordinary people fed themselves.

    The worst survivors were on the wet and dirty floor, begging for scraps. Being a beggar may have been fine before the outbreak, but now they were just slowly dying. If you were not capable of putting any effort in scavenging and fighting zombies, and had no technical or medical skills, you were a hinderance. Liushi looked at them with a mix of pity and disaproval, and shook his head.

    The deeper they got into the Black Market, the more advanced the wares sold were. Pistols, bullets, body armor. They were all sold at a higher price than Satellite Town, and he hadn''t seen any rifles yet.But they were ignored. Nobody in these stalls had anything Liushi wanted.

    Liushi''s group certainly did attract a lot of attention with their quality equipment, and the 2 attractive girls.

    "It seems that they are here for important business" one of the observers in the shadow whispered. "Zhang Hua, you should bring them in. Probably only the things inside will please them."

    Soon enough, a man in a suit holding an umbrella walked up to the group. His attention was firmly on Zhuying, speaking in a pleasant voice and with a warm smile.

    "I would like to introduce myself. My name is Zhang Hua, miss, may I ask what do you want to buy?"

    "Brother..." she said, not wanting to deal with him.

    "What we want isn''t the kind of low quality goods to display in the streets. We want the special stuff. Take us there."

    Zhang Hua looked at Liushi in surprise, because he didn''t think he would be the leader, not being a paranormal. However he recovered quickly. It wouldn''t be the first time he saw a team with a smart ordinary person as the leader. And seeing their equipment, especially the man with the minigun turning toward him, he could guess that the usual speech he used on newcomers wouldn''t work on them.

    "In that case, I should lead you to the inner market. It''s the place where the strongest teams trade their goods. I should warn you, the least you should have to do business there is 1 ton of mutant meat."

    "That''s not a problem."

    "I should also warn you, that the team in charge of the Black Market is the top team of the region, the 7 Gods. The team is made of 7 paranormals, 4 of them being very powerful. You shouldn''t offend them."

    "Noted."

 49 The deals

    After the loddy, there was a hall with 5 large round tables. The one in the middle was the largest of them. It was made of steel, around 5m in diameter, and looked quite heavy. It could probably hold a 2-3 tons of monster meat. Around every tables were at least half a dozen of chairs. The room had several people at 2 of the smallest tables, in the middle of their own negotiations.

    The middle table seemed to be reserved for the 7 Gods and those who had the right to trade with them. At the figurative head of the table was a man with several teenage girls standing at his sides to attend him. His eyes were sharp like knives, he wore a fur coat, had a sapphire ring on his hand, and a metal squeleton necklace. He was holding a metal chain, but at the other end of the chain wasn''t a pet but a teenage girl. She was lying on the ground with a metal collar, a string bikini, and numerous whip marks on her body.

    After looting the Bloody Wolves base, Liushi wasn''t the slightest bit surprised by what he was seeing. People could say that the outbreak and the disappearance of law enforcement had enabled people to revel in their darker urges, but such things existed already in the so-called civilized world. They were just more hidden.

    Liushi would have liked to do something to help her, but he couldn''t afford to. They didn''t come here to start a fight, let alone a war. Furthermore, a lot of people were relying on the place for their survival. He didn''t like it, but he was able to stay calm. Zhuying on the other hand, had trouble staying calm, and even Qinping was agitated.

    "That guy has strong energy fluctuations" Zhuying said lowly near his ear. "He must be the leader of these 7 Gods."

    Liushi gave a small nod, having guessed as much. The Starseed had detected the paranormal bioenergy, and his demeanor revealed his status. With a small gesture, he led his group toward the main table. The people at the others tables were looking at their group with a lot of curiosity. Some of them were exchanging mocking whispers about the newcomer not knowing their place. The others stayed silent, not wanting to underestimate someone with such quality equipment.

    At his seat, the leader of the 7 Gods observed the group coming to his table with a scowl. 4 paranormals: 2 weak ones, an average one, and a strong one; and a ordinary guy that seemed to be the leader. Regular teams were quite clear about their own positions of strenght, and sit at the 4 tables in the corners. Yet, these first timers dared to come directly to the middle table.

    Liushi was aware that he was probably being rude, but he was certain they would be fine.

    "Dear friend, you aren''t a paranormal, right?" the boss said while narrowing his eyes at Liushi.

    "You''re right, but it''s not important" he replied calmly. "What is important is what I seek and what I''m willing to give in exchange." he finished while sitting on the steel chair in front of the boss.

    There were other people sitting at that table besides the boss, and alongside the rest of the people in the room, got startled by Liushi''s actions. Zhuying took a seat at his side, trusting him. Qingping on the other hand, didn''t dare, clearly intimidated by the boss. She stood beside Zhuying, while Zhang Hai and Sun Kun stayed behind Liushi.

    "I have 8 tons of pure monster meat to spare" Liushi simply said. "What can you offer for that?"

    The people that were looking down on him were stunned, then started to reconsider their opinion of the guy. People rarely parted with more than 4 tons of monster meat. The paranormals needed it, not only to have energy to use their powers, but also because it strenghtened them. Each time they slew a beast, they always kept part of the meat for themselves.

    One of the ladies that were attending the boss swallowed before answering his question.

    "... 4 automatics weapons, or 5 semi-automatic weapons with a grenade."

    "Look at us, lady" he said with a bit of condescension. "We don''t lack weapons" he said, lightly waving his shotgun. "What I want is mutant beast cores."

    A surprised silence descended on the whole room. Mutant beast cores were the highest hard currency after doomsday. There was only one per beast, they were easier to carry around than tons of meat, and they were even more beneficial for paranormals than monster meat. The only drawback was that they couldn''t be divided. It often took 2 teams cooperating to deal with one mutant beast, so earning the core was hard.

    "Oi, little bloke, that''s quite the demand you''re making" the boss said with a mocking smile. "You may not need weapons, but we are not exactly starving for meat either."

    "Of course. I said that I had meat to spare, but I didn''t say it was the only thing I had to spare" he said with a grin. "2 tons of meat and an assault rifle with a box of amnutions for a core. Or 2 tons of meat and 2 submachine guns with 2 boxes of amnutions. Or a general purpose machine gun with 2 belts of 100 rounds."

    Once again, the whole room was stunned. They could hardly believe what they just heard. The machine gun was the rage of the market. The initial speed of the bullets was faster than assault rifles, and their effective range was around 800m, double that of an average assault rifle. It didn''t have a particular advantage to other firearms against zombies, but against mutant beasts they were usefull.

    "There are only 2 machine guns for sale by the way. If you don''t lack weapons, good for you. But they will quicky become useless without amnutions. It will be between 8 and 24 boxes of amnutions for a core, depending on the calibers. I have 9x19mm, 5.8x21mm, 5.56x42mm, 7.62x25mm and 7.62x39mm."

    The room descended into a whole new level of quietness. The hostess that had given him the prices of weapons seemed to be about to collapse. Other people seemed to have trouble breathing. Some had their eyes almost pop out of their skulls. Then furious whispers were heard around. The boss, who had recovered from the schocking news, looked at him with a strong glint of interest in his eyes. As well as greed. A lot of greed.

    "I am known as White Boss" said the sharp eyed man. "What is your name, young man?"

    "I''m Jiang Liushi" he replied with a small nod.

    "I''d like to see what you''ve brought" the boss said. "Your words are nice and all, but I need a clear confirmation."

    "I''ll gladly show you if you can open the way for my vehicle to park out there, and if those interested show me that they have what I seek."

    The boss considered it for a second, annoyed that Liushi had added some conditions, but they were reasonnable. He turned to Zhang Hua, who had remained nearby the entire time, and nodded. Seeing this, Liushi sent Sun Kun after him to get the car. While he was gone, people started to negociate between themselves. What Liushi proposed was better than the usual Black Market prices. Collaborating to obtain his goods would only be beneficial.

    Soon enough, Sun Kun came back, pulling the pallet mover. On top of it were 4 tons of meat and 2 bags containing the weapons. He put the bags on the table and opened, then placed the weapons and their amnutions in order.

    He continued to discharge the monster meat while the people had their eyes stuck on the weapons, especially the 2 general purpose machine guns. One was a Type 81 7.62x39mm, the other was the QJY-88 5.8x42mm. Liushi had upgraded the Type 67 that were found in the military train to the more modern versions used by the soldiers of Satellite Town.

    "I have 2 mutant cores here" said White Boss. "I want the 2 general purpose machine guns you offer."

    White Boss was reluctant to make the exchange. Even as the Black Market''s boss, it was difficult to separate from such big wealth. But he needed to keep the advantage over the other traders. He could keep one machine gun for himself with all the amnutions, and sell the other at a higher price later.

    "Good! We have a deal" Liushi replied with a smile.

    He pushed the weapons and their amnution boxes to the boss, who in turn gave him the 2 mutant cores he took out from a box he kept on his person. Liushi obsrved them with excitement and satisfaction, while the boss also checked his new weapons. It didn''t take for him and his subordinates to confirm the goods were ginuine. Liushi stored the cores in the box he had prepared.

    "2 tons of meat and the assault rifle with amnutions" said a bald man with a bit of haste.

    "Deal."

    The assault rifle was a Type 81 7.62x39mm based on the AK. It was still used in the chinese army, but only for the reserve forces. The box of amnution contained 180 rounds, the equivalent of 6 magazines of 30 rounds. As for the meat, the man had to use it to compensate for the loss of the core. The speed at which the deals were concluded alarmed those that were still hesitating.

    "2 tons of meat and the 2 submachine guns with amnutions" said a thin man.

    "Which one do you want?" Liushi asked pleasantly. "The Type 85 with 7.62x25mm cartridge? Or the CS/LS2 with 9x19mm cartridge? The first one comes with 210 rounds amnution box, and the second one with 300 rounds amnution box."

    "CS/LS2? You mean the JS 9mm? I''ll take that!" he replied.

    And just like that, Liushi gained 2 more mutant beasts cores, making a total of 4. And he still had meat, weapons and amnutions to spare. He definitly was the wealthiest man in the room.

 50 Ran Xiyu

    "Little brother, you are really formidable! I admire your fortune" said a pretty woman from a nearby table, seemingly in her 30s.

    She spoke in a coaxing voice, but Liushi wasn''t charmed, though he didn''t show it. The woman reminded him too much of the one who was standing next to his sister. Qingping. The arrogant and greedy woman who had tried to use her charms to get on his good side once she realised she couldn''t aquire his goods for herself, nor make him her subordinate. But that woman felt worse than Qingping, a real devilish woman.

    "Thank you" he said with a small smile."Not interested in buying something from me?"

    "This sister is poor. I don''t have any mutant beast core. Maybe we could exchange something else?"

    Liushi then noticed that, in the room, every team had taken out what they wanted to trade, except for that woman. He looked at her curiously.

    "Hey, I''m in lack of money so I have to sell my goods. I don''t have what you seek, but I hope you''ll appreciate what I have."

    She clapped her hands, and the door opened. 2 men entered, pushing a cart that was covered with a cloth. Everyone looked at it with renewed interest. The 2 men removed the cloth, revealing an iron cage. And in that cage was an attractive girl. She was wearing a white dress, with long hairs and slender, pretty grey eyes. She looked weakened, probably from lack of food.

    "This girl, she is beautiful, but" the bald man said in surprise. "Do you intend to sell her, Hong sister?"

    The woman was known to the regular as Hong sister, and right now, what she presented confused people. They weren''t sure of what was happening. After doomsday, power had become the primary law of the world. As long as you had power, you could get any woman. Beauty, while still appreciated, had little value. A night with a pretty girl could be exchanged for a meal.

    "Brother" Zhuying whispered near Liushi''s ear. "I can feel weak energy fluctuations from her. She''s a paranormal."

    "This girl is not exactly ordinary" Hong said. "I''ll tell you a bit about her background. She is called Ran Xiyu, and she is Jingling Ran''s granddaughter. Do you know him?" she paused, waiting to see if someone would answer.

    "Ran sir was the Rane Group''s chairmain, and later he left everything to the second generation to handle" said a young man, seemingly a former college student, seated near White Boss. "You guys should have at least heard of the Ranke Group."

    And they did, as it was a famous manufacturing company in Jingling province. The frail girl was basically the princess of the company. Even after the outbreak, that kind of background still held some importance. She was a family member of what the remaining authorities would consider a VIP.

    Jiang Liushi knew the island she was talking about was Shenhai Island, where Li Yuxin should be with her family. Learning about what happened to Ran Xiyu''s parents, Liushi got really worried about Li Yuxin''s survival. Even for the elites, the way to the safe island was dangerous. Many elites and soldiers must have turned into zombies, weakening if not breaking the groups they were part of.

    "I know about those f*ckers!" a bearded man with swarthy skin started loudly. "Throwing us away while they escaped. But now I have a better life than them. I will find opportunities to catch them and kill them! Killing all the men. And the females... hey!"

    Hong sister smiled, ignoring him. "She escaped death in almost a miraculous manner. But in the end, I got her. Fortunatly, she became a paranormal. Her ability is strange. She can communicate directly with others without speaking, with just her spirit. And that''s it. In short, that ability is useless."

    Abilities with zero combat use were all deemed useless. Even Zhang Hai ability, which was regarded as trash by anyone, was considered more usefull due to the slight increase in strenght that came with it. His grip would also be strong enough to break zombies bones. Hong sister suddenly sported an evil smile as she resumed her presentation.

    "Rna Xiyu is also quite perceptive due to her ability. If she accompanies you in bed, she will be quite sensitive, which will give you extra-ordinary feelings! And I''m sure it will be her first time, because she wasn''t in love with anyone or in any relationship, focusing on her career. It''s a pity that I''m a woman" she finished, with a vicious smile on her face.

    She had gotten nearly every man in attendance excited and eager to get her. They were like a group of wolves, ready for action. The only ones that seemed to be unaffected were Liushi and the former college student.

    Liushi felt sympathetic to her. On his way to Nanjing, after leaving the Wen sister''s hometown, he had hoped that nothing like that would happen to his sister. He had seen how some of the men in attendance treated their women, and he still remembered what happened to the "toys" of the Bloody Wolves.

    The bidding was brisk, quickly reaching 500kg of monster meat. Liushi was surprised that they were willing to pay that much for a girl to be used as a sex slave. Zhuying couldn''t bear what was happening and turned her eyes away from the unpleasant spectacle. She grabbed his hand and looked at him. She was silently asking him if he could do something.

    He could buy her, he knew. And not just to save her, but also recruit her. Her ability, while still limited, could improve and possibly evolve. With paranormals and beasts alike getting stronger, he was certain that, in time, it would be quite helpful when dealing with other survivor and hunting groups. She was also smart, and could help with some planning, trading and management.

    The only problem was White Boss. While everyone was fighting over Ran Xiyu, White Boss was looking straight at him, his eyes like bullets. He could almost feel his killing intent.

    Like the others, he was quite interested in having the young girl. He was the boss of the Dark Market, and all special items of trade should naturally go to him. He had already antagonised him by sitting at his table without permission. Only his greed and need of stability had prevented him from attacking and try to make an exemple of him. He wasn''t willing to give him more leeway.

    "I''d like to buy this girl" he said while standing up, silencing the room. He was speaking to Hong sister, but looking at Liushi.

    "White Boss, you mean" she hesitated to ask, hapiness growing in her heart.

    "A ton of mutant meat, and I''ll send you 200 bullets."

    He pulled the chain of the pet girl, making her cry in pain. The chain was torn of her neck, and White Boss advanced toward Ran Xiyu, dragging the chain. The fierce competition had stopped. White Boss threw the collar into the cage, but Ran Xiyu didn''t react, her eyes still indifferent.

    "You surely are stubborn, but I do not know for how many days you can keep that facade after you are placed in my Leopard House."

    Liushi''s eyes grew big. The Leopard House was a pleasure chamber built for Zhengde Emperor during the Ming Dynasty. It left endless rumors and a lot of disdain. It seemed that, ever since the outbreak, many had the dream of becoming an emperor. And White Boss was one of them. Right then, Liushi realised that China, and the rest of the world, would enter a new period of warring states.

    "Friend, have you come to my Black Market just to sell guns?" White Boss asked while looking at Liushi. "Isn''t there anything you want to buy?"

    All eyes were focused on Jiang Liushi, and he felt his eye twitch. Originally, Liushi had been rude because he didn''t have time to waste building a reputation with the Black Market. He didn''t really want to start a fight. But now, the boss of the Black Market was taunting him, challenging him. And it irritated him. Still, he had an answer for the question.

    "I do want to buy something, but unfortunatly, I doubt that you have it."

    White Boss, got exasperated with Liushi. "What do you possibly want to buy that you don''t think I have?" As the owner of the Black Market, those words hurt his pride as a trader.

    "Tens of kilograms of high quality materials: Titanium, vanadium, platinium, iridium, palladium, tungsten, polymers, complex chemical compounds."

    Some of the people almost chocked when they heard him. The materials he listed weren''t easily available in large quantity. Especially vanadium, iridium, palladium, platinium and tungsten.They would have to scrap hundreds of kilos of machines and various items to get them.

    The chemical compounds were even harder to aquire, because plants and warehouses suffered from critical accidents the outbreak. If they didn''t explodes, they suffered from heavy fires. Those who didn''t are at risk to do so. Nobody wanted to go near those places. The Tianjin explosion a few months before the outbreak was a good exemple of what could, and did happen.

    "Judging by your expression, you do not have them. Do you even know where I could aquire these materials?"

    "No" said the former college student. "I know of no company or factory that would have these materials in the quantities you demand anywhere nearby. These materials are used for high technology items, and the industry in the area focused more on common goods. And due to the prices of these materials, the place where they are stocked usually aren''t public knowledge."

    "I see... Well, forget it." ''Looks like there nothing else to get from here...''

    ''Huh?''

 51 Slapped with a bulle

    Liushi heard a new voice in his mind, distinctly different from when he communicated with the Starseed.

    [Foreign brainwaves detected. Paterns indicative of long distance communication.]

    Liushi looked at the cage. The beautiful young woman still looked the same, silently sitting with her arms wrapped around her knees, her grey eyes calm like a lake.

    ''Ran Xiyu? Did you talk to me just now?''

    Liushi took a deep breath. He was happy about the information, but he also knew he wouldn''t get the details for free. And there was only one thing she could ask in exchange: to be taken away from there. And that meant clashing with White Boss and the 7 Gods. The discarded slave on the floor was a mirror of what awaited her.

    ''You want me to take you away. That also mean you will have to become my subordinate. Aren''t you afraid I''ll be like the others?''

    As a person raised in an elite circle, she had an indifferent and arrogant disposition. With the loss of her parents during the outbreak, she had fallen into despair. She was about to accept her coming death, only to be captured. And what she feared more than death was having her dignity utterly trampled and torn appart, being humiliated and violated. And when she though she had finally arrived at the gates of hell, she found hope.

    Alongside her last words, he could feel her fear, sorrow, and helplessness. Looking at her face, he could tell it was taking everything she had to not break down in tears.

    "White Boss, I''d like to buy this girl from you" Liushi said, surprising everyone.

    "What?" he replied while staring at him. "What did you say?"

    Even Zhuying and the 3 others were surprised by Liushi''s actions.

    "I said I''d like to buy that girl from you. The same price you bough her, with an added bonus."

    "Haa-Hahahaaaa" White Boss laughed. "I, Bai Zhanshan, have already set my eyes on the girl. You dare having vile ideas on my property? No way. Tell me why?"

    "No special reason. Just business. You are an ambitious man. I don''t think you created that black market just to give up valuable goods for a woman. This place isn''t the end goal for you."

    "Let me think. You did not bid before, but now you want to take this girl away from my hands? Why? Ran Xiyu must have communicated with you, right? She must have said something that peaked your interest." Then suddenly, he stretched out 4 fingers. "4 mutant beast cores. I''ll give you this girl for 4 crystal nucleus."

    Liushi barely stopped himself from cursing in anger. White Boss, or as he revealed himself to be, Bai Zhanshan, demanded an exhorbitant price. His greed was too strong. He also revealed that he was ready to do anything to recover the 4 mutant beasts cores Liushi aquired. A confrontation seemed more and more inevitable.

    "It seems you aren''t willing to cooperate with me at all" Liushi said slowly.

    He was the boss. He was more interested in his reputation than benefits. For him, the road of gaining power was paved with both blood and bones. More importantly, he he didn''t like people who weren''t under his control, especially in his territory.

    "You are right. My ambitions aren''t limited to this black market. First of all, I''m the king of this land!" he said as he stood up, giving an oppressive aura.

    Liushi was still sitting there, but the atmosphere was tense. Many people looked at Liushi with schadenfreude smiles. Some though that he was doomed to die if he didn''t trade back the 4 beast cores.

    "I see" said Liushi with narrowed eyes. "I told you that I was going to add a nice bonus to the price you paid for her. But you decided to let greed take over your reason. You brough this on yourself."

    Bang!!

    "Uh?" Bai Zhanshan was taken completly by surprise.

    While he was prepared for surprise attacks by his enemy, he was focused on their armed, and mostly Zhuying, who was the strongest paranormal in the team. The last thing he would have expected was for the attack to come from the regular human. More precisely, from the strange backpack he carried.

    In the blink of an eye, a robotic arm was deployed, with gun attached to it. Said gun had fired in his direction. It was thanks to his improved reflexes that he was able to dodge a center mass hit, and the bullet was lodged in his shoulder. However, it immediatly exploded. Small bits of flesh and blood flew around as a big hole was opened on his shoulder. The articulation was broken as well.

    "YEEAARRRRGHHHH!!!" White Boss screamed in pain as large amount of blood flowed out of the horrific injury.

    The scream was loud and turned inhuman near the end, stinging the eardrums of the people near him. His body shifted, the clothes on his upper body were torn, revealing his strong muscles. His body grew hairs, and his whole appearance ressembled a bear. Like a bear, he may have been lacking in speed, but most likely had explosive power, great strenght and great defense. While the transformation had reduced the shoulder injury, it hadn''t healed it. His left arm remained useless.

    On the other side of the table, Liushi''s group hadn''t been iddle.

    Qingping had jumped away to land near the door leading outside, Sun Kun running after her. It had been decided from the start that, should things turn for the worst, she would secure the escape route first using her mobility, with the help of Sun Kun taking a support position on higher ground. Zhuying was to counter anyone getting into close range, and Zhang Hai would provide heavy fire. His minigun was currently aimed to the rest of the 7 Gods members at the table. Liushi had also readied his shotgun.

    "WOOOOO-!"

    White Boss roared while took the metal chair he was sitting in with his usable arm, and tried to hurl it at Liushi.

    Bang! Bang!

    However, he received 2 more explosive bullets as the second turret revealed itself. The first to head, stunning him, the second to the arm holding the chair. It threw his aim off, and said chair passed harmlessly by Zhuying. White Boss staggered back, as blood flowed freely from the new wound on his head. His thick fur and hide, and strong bones, had saved his life. He rolled to the floor, masked by the heavy metal table.

    Meanwhile, Qingping and Sun Kun had secured the door. She had used her new butterfly knives to cut the 2 guards, as they were still surprised by the event. She stowed one blade to take out her pistol. Sun Kun had shot down 3 guards, and she shot down the fourth. All guards on their side of the room were neutralized, and the few that were on guard outside met the same fate when they rushed in.

    As for the other people who had come to trade, they had taken cover under their tables, or crouched low. The remaining guards opened fire on Liushi, Zhang Hai and Zhuying. The 2 men stood still as the bullets impacted on them, while Zhuying ducked bellow the table. People watched in awe and perplexity as the bullets bounced of their helmets, or fell down after hitting their bodies.

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Brrrrrrrrrrrt!

    The retaliation was swift. Liushi and his turrets took 3 guards at the same time, while the others were mowed down buy Zhang Hai''s minigun. Some people screamed in fear when the minigun was used. Its sound was something noone wanted to hear unless it came from their side. Zhuying had her own job. Keep an eye on the remaining 3 members of the 7 Gods, and strike if they made a move.

    BOOOM!!

    A part of the trading hall brick wall was demolished, as Bai Zhanshan escaped. It didn''t resist the monstrous shoulder tackle of the werebear. While the guards were being killed, White Boss had ran away. He had been unable to fight back. That was beyond all expectations. A heavy silence descended on the room, as everyone looked at the newcomers in fear.

    Liushin Zhuying and Zhang Hai attention was now firmly on the 3 7 Gods members. They hadn''t moved at the start because they thought White Boss could deal with them, but after seeing the mini-turrets with their exploding rounds, they froze. The things were deadly. And that was without the woman and the big guy getting into the action. Then they saw them shrug off bullets. They all thought that attacking them at that time wasn''t a good idea.

    Liushi moved to the cage holding Ran Xiyu, but the turrets remained accuratly pointed toward the them. That gave everyone aside from his group shivers. Liushi extended his hand toward Hong sister, palm up, and waited. She hesitantly stood up, and went to him while trembling slightly.

    "He-here" she said nervously while handing him the key.

    He opened the cage and held his hand toward Ran Xiyu. She was looking at him with wide eyes, and hesitated for a second before putting her hand in his. Like White Boss, she though that Zhuying was the most dangerous person in their group. She didn''t expect him to have such an ace. He gently led her out of the cage, and she obediently followed him. Liushi stopped for a moment and looked at the other survivor groups.

    "I strongly caution you against playing bounty hunter for the greedy coward. You will not like the result." Then he turned to the remaining members of the 7 Gods. "A king?" he snorted. "Your boss got drunk on the little power he gained since the Outbreak and became delusional" he said patronisingly. "He''s barely better than Blood Wolf, and he''s going to end up like him."

    That name made several people react. It seemed that the guy had come to the black market at least once or twice.

    "Blood Wolf?" the former college student asked. "The leader of the Bloody Wolves gang? What happened to him?"

    "They attacked me 3 days ago, they failed miserably, and I put the mad dog down" Liushi said, then turned away from him, leaving him even more perturbed than before. "Sun Kun, we''re taking back the machine guns."

    Sun Kun left Qingping side and recovered the pallet mover. He put the guns and amnutions back into the bag, and moved out. Liushi gestured Qingping and Zhuying to escort him, and left the room last with Zhang Hai and Ran Xiyu.

 Chapter 52 - Infiltration

    When they got outside, Ran Xiyu paused, impressed by the sight of the Doomtrooper with the double-trailer behind. She had been worried about how they were going to leave, but the sight of the clearly well armored vehicle relieved her.

    Sun Kun hastly stored the rest of their goods in the trailer, while the other were on the lookout. They heard the sound of a vehicle getting closer, accompanied with some screams and crash noises. Soon enough, the Doomsday Ride appeared from the path reserved to trucks, in all its glory, and stopped next to its little brother.

    "Yang Qingping, Ran Xiyu, get in the truck."

    Ran Xiyu was struck numb as she was led to the door of the imposing customised truck. She could hardly believe that her saviour had such quality vehicles with him. Qingping almost had to carry her inside. Liushi, Zhuying and the guys got into the armored car, and Liushi didn''t waste time turning the vehicle around to leave, closely followed by the truck. They stopped outside of the Black Market for Sun Kun and Zhang Hai to get back in their own SUV, and they left.

    Ran Xiyu was still dazed as she looked around the inside of the truck. It was just as impressive as the outside.

    Lu led her to the back of the truck and had her lie on the bottom bunk, the unofficial infirmary bed. She picked the medical diagnostic tools and performed a quick examination of the new girl. Aside from being underfed, she was in a decent condition, though they would need to wait for the results of the blood analysis to be completly sure.

    The group went out of the town and stopped. They all got into the Doomsday Ride for diner, where proper introductions were made before proceeding to eat. It was the greatest meal Ran Xiyu had since the outbreak, in a safe place, surrounded by mostly friendly people. She couldn''t hold back the tear that ran down her face. Xiaotian saw it and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

    "How are you, Haizi?" asked Liushi. "Does it hurts?"

    "It stings a lot, brother Jiang" he said with a grimace. "But nothing I can''t handle!" he added, the grimace turning into a grin. "I''ll be fine tomorrow. What about you?"

    "About the same, if not better than you."

    "What are you talking about?" asked Xiaotian. "Did you get hurt?" she turned to Liushi with worried eyes, followed by Zhuying.

    "Our clothes are bulletproof, but the impact still sting. I''ll have a small bruise or 2 on my arm at most" he said with a dismissive wave of the hand.

    Once the meal finished, Liushi''s words made everybody pause.

    "Lu, get ready. We are going out."

    "Brother?" asked Zhuying.

    "Bai Zhanshan. He is too arrogant and prideful to let this go. If he doesn''t try to me now, he will try later when he has grown more powerful and influencial. He is trouble waiting to fall on me later, so I''m going to finish him while he is still injured."

    "I have no intentions to attack the whole group head on" he replied with some annoyance. "We are going to be discreet about it. The reason why I''m only taking Lu is because the rest of you are paranormals. Paranormals can sense each others energy fluctuations, so you''re not good for sneaking around. Once I''ve located him..." he paused, making the others lean forward slightly. "Well, there is no kill like overkill" he finished grimly.

    The others understood. He was likely going to blow the man with excessive firepower. They didn''t complain further because they had seen how effective his equipment was, both for offense and defense. And both Zhuying and Xiaotian knew about his matter manipulation ability, which they were sure he was going to use, but didn''t say anything because he wanted to keep it secret.

    "The rain is lessening, so the zombies are going to leave the buildings soon. We have to get back fast before then, or our arrival will be noticed. We won''t have to be discreet for the return trip."

    A few minutes later, Liushi and Lu left with the Doomtrooper. The guys went back to their own vehicle, leaving the girls alone.

    "Finally!" said Lu as she stretched on the seat of the armored car.

    "What?" Liushi asked.

    "You''re taking me with you on the field" she replied, but seeing his confused expression, she continued. "I told you I would follow you anywhere and watch your back. Yet, when you went into the Black Market, you left me behind" she said in a slightly annoyed tone. "Don''t tell me it was for my sister''s protection. The truck and its turrets were more than enough for that."

    "Sorry. I guess I got a little too protective with you."

    "Please don''t leave me behind next time. One of the things my sister and I don''t want to be is ''useless''."

    "Sure" he replied with a little smile.

    "Good" she said in a better mood. "Now onto something else. My sister and I use the bunks, you and your sister use the couch, and Yang Qingping use the driver seat. Where is the new girl going to sleep?"

    "Oh..." Liushi slowed down a little. "I haven''t though about that."

    "She can use the lower bunk. She''s still weak, so it''d be better for her. Xiaotian will use the upper bunk."

    "And where are you going to sleep?"

    "With you and Zhuying. We know that the bed is big enough for 3 people."

    "You''re not joking, are you?"

    "Nope! Besides, having someone sleep on the floor would block the way if one wants to use the bathroom or the toilets in the middle of the night. Why? Don''t you want such a pretty girl as me in your bed?" she asked with overly seductive voice and movements. "Or are you already putting us aside for the new girl?" she continued with a pouting face.

    "Fine, whatever" he said, focusing on the road, and trying to banish the images she conjured in his mind. He didn''t see Lu''s victorious smirk, as she noticed his blush.

    The mood turned serious and tense when they got closer to the black market. They stopped some distance away from it, and Liushi sent the drone on recon. It was flying high enough to not be noticed, and the rain helped hidding it further. It focused on the VIP area, its precise sensors detecting nearly all the people in the area.

    They located the place most likely to hold Bai Zhanshan, and it was a bunker near the building holding the inner market. The reinforced walls and ceiling made it difficult to get a reading on what was inside. Next, they looked for the best place from which to infiltrate. Liushi had to be able to easily get in and out, with effective cover from Lu, and be able to leave the place fast. Once they found it, Liushi parked the armored car there.

    Lu got out of the vehicle with a silenced submachine gun, and a silenced battle rifle. He got out with a a knife, a silenced handgun, 2 fragmentation grenades, 2 concussion grenades, 2 flashbang grenades, and finally, a RPG launcher with 2 spare RPGs. He intended to literally blow Bai Zhanshan and his strongest follower to pieces.

    Both Liushi and Lu had full helmets, with HUDs visible only from the inside. With those, they could receive visual informations from the drone overhead. The helmets also provided night visions and enhanced reality features. Even though what he was about to do was an assassination, Liushi still felt some excitment besides the expected anxiety and unpleasantness.

    u took position on the roof of a building, with a good view of the surrounding area, especially where Liushi intended to infiltrate the Black Market. The small amount of zombies in the building was quickly taken care of with Liushi''s knife. The rain had lightened some more, and Liushi expected it would no longer keep the zombies indoor if something caught their attention.

    Between 2 patrols, Liushi reached the hastly constructed wall of the place, and with the Starseed ability, made a small opening. Once inside, he seemingly restored that section of the wall, but it was a cosmetic change. On his way out he would just run through a thin and weak barrier.

    What happened afterward was akin to playing a stealth and infiltration. Evading people sight, being silent, knock out people that got in the way. The last one always required some grappling and several hits. Even though he could knock down someone with a well placed surprise attack, make them lose consciousness was impossible with his current skills unless he got lucky.

    ''I need to make some fast acting sleeping drugs for futures infiltrations. Heck, after that I should start a proper physical training regime. I suck at fighting. Hell, we were all ordinary citizens before the outbreak'' he thought of the current members of his team. ''We all need some proper training.''

    He soon reached the bunker, and with the Starseed, slowly moved through the wall by displacing the matter around his body. At the same time, he also scanned the structure of the building, getting a precise layout of the building.

    It didn''t take long to find the room where Bai Zhanshan had holed himself.

    There was some additional security around the place. It was evident to Liushi because the people there were differents from he ones in the Inner Market. They were police officers, with riot gear, bullet-proof vests and firearms. There were about 20 members. Liushi guessed that there was only one reason for the police to be here for protection: their superior officer was an ally or accomplice of Bai Zhanshan, and was probably already corrupt before doomsday. He wasn''t wrong.

    Their leader was currently in the same room as Bai Zhanshan. Liushi was able to sneak close enough to eavesdrop on their conversation. With the starseed, he made a small metal conduct that transmitted the sound to where he was hiding. The leader of the police force had recently arrived after being called. He was named Bai Pinghai, and was Zhanshan brother.

    As he expected, they were talking about tracking him to finish him off and aquire the girls. Liushi wasn''t about to let them do it. He didn''t intend to let them leave the building alive.

 Chapter 53 - Leaving with a Bang

    With the help of the Starseed, Jiang Liushi moved to the floor above, and entered the room that was just above the one used by the Bai brothers. Thankfully, it was a storage room, and he didn''t risk discovery with a fight against a sentry or someone else.

    One there, using the Starseed again, he slowly dug a small hole in the floor. A hole just wide enough for a grenade to fall through. He only left a small layer to avoid detection from Bai Zhanshan, who was most likely lying on his back, with his eyes facing up. He prepared 3 grenades, one of each type, and took the flashbang and the concussion grenades in hand. He pulled the safety pin on both of them with his teeth, and released the activation levers.

    He waited until the last seconds before dropping them in the hole, simultaneously opening the hole at the other end, and cutting the electric cable of the light on the ceiling, momentary plunging the room in darkness.

    Paranormals had a strong survival instinct. But it was only active when they were already aware of danger, or when they were about to attack a target, thus entering a combat state of mind. When they felt safe and dropped their guard, their reactions were slowed down. For the Bai brothers, and any other survivors, electric fluctuations were nothing new since there weren''t any people doing maintenance on the electric network. They didn''t think the loss of light had anything to do with an attack. They didn''t notice the grenade falling near them.

    BANG!

    The flashbang detonated before reaching the ground, at around c.h.e.s.t level of a standing a.d.u.l.t. The slightly better senses than normal made the grenade even more effective on the paranormal brothers. The overload of their senses stunned them, and prevented them from using their abilities. Less than a second later, another grenade was already reaching them.

    BANG!

    The lethal radius of the concussion grenade was 2m, and the Bai brothers were well within that radius. Neither had the chance to defend against it. Bai Penghai was blasted against the wall, with many bones broken and his internal organs crushed. He suffered severe skull and brain damage, and his eyes exploded. Bai Zhanshan suffered from similar injuries, but was crushed to the ground alongside the collapsed bed instead of being blasted away.

    The noise alerted everyone on their floor and the floor above. The 2 guards that were outside rushed in, just in time for a 3rd grenade to drop, a fragmentation grenade.

    BANG!

    They were blasted backward and didn''t move again. Their gear could provide some limited protection, if the grenade didn''t explode at c.h.e.s.t level at such close range. Their heads weren''t protected enough, and their faces got messed up. Above, Liushi armed himself with his RPG launcher, widened the hole a bit, and fire into the room, between the 2 brothers.

    The floor beneath him trembled with force of the explosion.

    [The bioenergy of the 2 paranormals is leaking.]

    That was the confirmation that the 2 brothers were dead. He widened the hole and jumped down. He could hear people rushing toward him, so he grabbed another concussion grenade and threw it in the hallway. When the newcomers arrived, they were greeted with another explosion.

    Liushi dragged the disfigured, burned and bloody corpses of the brothers next to each other and drained them of their paranormal energy, all the while waiting for the reinforcements to come. He also took blood samples. He had been interrupted twice, once by people on the floor above entering the storage room and finding the hole, and the second time by the rest of the people on his floor. He had used his last grenades on them, not willing to get caugh in a long fight.

    As soon as he finished, he merged with the walls again and slowly snuck out of the building. Indubitably, the area was in chaos, with the alarm having been rung. He reloaded the rocket launcher, and fired toward the largest concentration of people near him before rushing toward his escape point.

    On her vantage point, Lu had been patiently waiting for Liushi after she had seen enter the building through the drones camera. Her heartbeat rose when she noticed the flurry of activity around their command center. When he got out of the building, she released a sight of relief and smiled. Her smile grew when she saw him use the rocket launcher to blast people away. To her, the lives of the people in that place weren''t important, especially if they worked for the 7 Gods. Seeing Liushi blast them made her shiver in excitement.

    She quickly composed herself when she saw him run. He had taken her to watch his back, and she would do so. She wasn''t a sniper, but she could fire with enough accuracy to prevent peole from going after him.

    Piupiupiu. Piupiupiu. Piupiupiu.

    The battle rifle fired in burst of 3 rounds, and with its silencer, nobody could hear it. The silencer also reduced the muzzle flash so much than nobody could see it from affar. Her targets could only hear the bullets pass near them and impact the walls or the ground, forcing them to stop and take cover. She got a few lucky hits though.

    Meanwhile, Liushi was running, and he no longer needed to refrain from using his handgun. With his equipment, he stuck out when he was sighted. And words about his dispute with White Boss and subsequent departure had already spread enough. People who didn''t immediatly back off when they saw him were shot in the legs if they were unarmed. If they were armed, he aimed for the c.h.e.s.t. He didn''t have the time to ask questions.

    Liushi didn''t have much trouble reaching his escape point, and had already contacted Lu so she got down from the roof. After passing the hole in the wall, he loaded his last rocket, and fired one last time at his pursuers. He then turned around and jogged to the Doomtrooper. Lu was waiting for him, and only got inside when he reached the door.

    "Are you alright?" she asked as she strapped herself.

    "Even though I took a few hits, I''m fine."

    With that said, he quickly drove away. They stopped for a bit to recover the drone, and sent a message ahead to warn the others that they were fine. They continued until they reached their camping ground.

    The first thing Liushi did on arrival was store the blood samples he collected in the trailer. When he got out, Lu was waiting for him. She wr.a.p.ed her arm around his and led him into the Doomsday Ride. Zhuying and Xiaotian were waiting for him near the entrance; he received a hug from the former while the later did the same with her sister. The other 4 people stayed a small distance away, but greeted them nonetheless.

    The sisters were curious about how the mission went, so Liushi gave a summary while Lu helped him take off his gear. Assured that everything was alright, the 2 men went back to their own vehicle. Done with the gear, Lu proceeded to force Liushi to take off his top.

    "What are you doing?" he asked, puzzled and slightly embarrassed by her actions.

    "You said that you got hit, and earlier with Haizi, you hinted a it making bruises. I''m just making sure you''re completly fine."

    And after hearing that, Zhuying and Xiaotian eagerly helped her. He did have a few bruises on his arms and shoulders. His armor completly prevented the bullets from harming him, but the bodysuits couldn''t negate the force of the impacts.

    When he got out of the bathroom, Lu took his place, and Xiaotian applied the medecine on his bruises. She also noted that the wounds he had received from the mutant bees were completly healed. Thinking about it, he realised he didn''t feel any discomfort in his limbs despite the efforts he made recently. That was another good news for the day.

    As Lu had predicted, he would sleep with both her and Zhuying for the time being. Ran Xiyu got the bottom bunk. She was also given a robe kimono as sleepwear, and despite being malnourished, she still looked good in them.

    Any other time, for propriety sake, he would have slept on one side, his sister in the middle and Lu on the other side. However, the girls had decided he would be in the middle. He thought wryly that there were worst things than sleeping with 2 pretty girls in dudou and boyshorts/thong. Especially when they snuggled against you.

 Chapter 54 - Back to the camp

    Liushi woke up in the middle of the night, needing to relieve himself. Since he was stuck between 2 girls, he had to be very careful to be able to leave without waking them up. He looked at them with some fond exasperation, for making him work so much just to get up.

    On the way, he stopped to check on the newcomer. Seeing her beautiful, serene face, he realised that it was probably the first time she got to sleep soundly. He looked at the pretty face of Xiaotian, sleeping just above her, then glanced back at the bed where the 2 little sisters were sleeping. He shook his head, thinking he was lucky to be surrounded by so many attractive girls.

    As he emptied his bladder, he thought about his situation. He didn''t like it, but the Outbreak had improved his life-style despite the host of dangers it brough with it. There weren''t many lowly guys that didn''t dream of having the wealth, the car and the girls. He did, and now he had it.

    When he returned to the bed, he saw that Lu was awake. She also noticed him, and pulled the covr aside to let him back in.

    "Are you alright?" she whispered a little sleepily, with a hint of worry.

    "Yeah, just the regular need of the bathroom" he whispered back as he laid at her side. "Don''t worry."

    She nodded. When they pulled the cover back on, she grabbed his hand and pulled his arm around her while pressing her back against his c.h.e.s.t, making him spoon her. She made herself comfortable, and while he was surprised, he went along with it and held her firmly. There was no point in wanting girls if one didn''t enjoy their company. So long as they were fine with that. He wasn''t going to be another Bloody Wolf or White Boss.

    Liushi slowly woke up, feeling comfortable, especially on his lower body. As his higher brain functions activated, he realised that it was because his boner was firmly lodged between Lu''s buttcheeks. He froze in surprise, and tried her to restrain the embarrass.e.m.e.nt that was quickly growing within him.

    He couldn''t move back because his sister was stuck to his back, holding him. He couldn''t think of anything to make his little guy calm down, because of where it was stuck. Finally, he could her someone moving in the kitchen, and another in the bathroom. It was that noise that had woken him, and he guessed that the girls in bed with him were awake as well. He released a small defeated sigh, knowing that Lu had noticed his little problem, and resigned about whatever might follow.

    "Morning" he said in a low voice.

    "Hmmm" was Zhuying''s lazy reply.

    "Hi" replied Lu in the same tone. "Looks like you''re had a good night, and you''re having a plesant morning."

    Liushi''s heart skipped a beat when she said that. While he knew that Lu liked him, and wasn''t shy about showing off to him a little, he didn''t think she would be nonchalant about such situation. He expected her to at least back away. Not accept it in good humour. However, her reaction had another effect on him: he didn''t want to back off from her teasing.

    "The company is quite pleasant" he replied cooly.

    "Hmm!" came from behind him.

    As he said that, he slightly strenghtened his hold on her, and pushed his hardened rod further, making it poke her butthole and slide to the entrance of her honeypot. If not for their respective clothing, his tip would have slid inside. Lu held her breath at the unexpcted move, blushing bright red. She still had her hand over his and held him tighter, but didn''t try to hurt him or remove it.

    "I''m flattered" she managed to say with a steady voice.

    "Are you guys finally awake?" Xiaotian said from the kitchen.

    Both Liushi and Lu''s heartbeat spiked at the sudden adress. They boss decided that play time was over for the time being.

    "Yeah, morning."

    The 2 thankfully yet reluctantly separated from each other. Both of them were having trouble acting natural, but they managed. It was easier than dealing with a swarm of mutated bees after all. They also privatly thought that they would resume their fun some other time. Something that exciting never happened to them before, and they wanted more of it.

    Breakfast passed unevently. Xiaotian and Liushi gave Ran Xiyu a quick exam, and saw that her physical condition was better than the previous day. It reasurred them that she didn''t catch something when she was a captive. Soon after, the group resumed their trip back to Zhuying''s survivor camp.

    "Brother, stop" Zhuying said suddenly.

    He was surprised, but complied, and the group pulled to the side of the road. As soon as they stopped, she got out of the car, quickly followed by her brother. He almost forgot to take his shotgun with him due to how hasty she had been. Qingping, Zhang Hai and Sun Kun followed after a moment of hesitation.

    They were in a small unhinabited area between settlements, with wild fields and small woods on both sides of the road. Lu moved toward a patch of bushes and trees their little convoy had just passed. She slowed down when she got close, while Liushi kept a cautious eye around. The other guys were nearby, but Qingping had stayed closer to the vehicles.

    "What''s going on, Zhuying?"

    "Something is wrong with the plants."

    She approched the patch even more cautiously. She slowly walked around it, keenly observing the various trees and bushes. Being close enough, even Liushi, who knew next to nothing about plants, could tell that the plants were differents from usual. She poked at some places with the scabbard of her sword. Liushi patiently followed her. After a few minutes, she stopped and sighted.

    "The plants have also started mutating" she said.

    While Zhuying liked all the comforts of modern society, she didn''t want a job that would leave her cooped in place. She prefered to move her body, and spend some time outdoor. She wanted to become some kind of outdoor activities coordinator, so she was studying some biology. Her trip to the mountains before the Outbreak was due to that.

    "So? It was kinda expected since the appearance of mutant beasts."

    "Yeah, I know. It''s just, it could possibly be more trouble than mutant beasts."

    "How so?"

    "My teacher once said that in the plant kingdom, toxicity is the rule, and edibility the exception. Humans need fruits and vegetables to stay healthy. With how deadly everything has become, many of the edible things may become inedible, and the already toxic ones are likely to become worse..."

    "Damn... Yeah... Let''s go."

    The rest of the trip was spent in a lower mood for everyone. Until they got to the outskirt of Nanjing. Liushi adressed the group through the radio.

    "So, Yang Qingping, Haizi, Sun Kun. Have you come to a decision about wether or not you want to stay with the refugees group, or come with me?"

    "Eh? I''m staying with you boss" Zhang Hai happily replied.

    "So do I" followed Sun Kun. "I believe you''re our best hope to have a decent future."

    At first, Qingping had wanted to separate from Liushi and take control of the survivor group. That d.e.s.i.r.e had grown stronger with the admission of Ran Xiyu. She saw her rank in the group lowered further. Her attempts at seducting Liushi didn''t work, and she could feel that he liked Zhang Hai more than her. To have the second weakest paranormal of the group as an equal or above her offended her to the highest degree. The worst was that everyone but her had a proper bed.

    Now, she was hesitating. Liushi said that the zombies were going to be stronger, so the towns and cities were going to be big danger zones. That mean living in villages, places more vulnerable to mutant beasts. Now, his sister, her friend, said that the plants were also getting more dangerous. Living in a village would be even more dangerous due to how much wildlife and plants there would be around.

    She couldn''t stand staying with the group, but she also didn''t want to risk her life with the rest of the group settling in a new place. That left only one choice.

    "I''m going with you to Shenhai Island" she replied after a few seconds.

    The place would be safe, with already etablished facilities, and she could join another paranormal team where she would be more appreciated. Until then, she would be safe traveling with Liushi.

    "I see. Good to know you want to stick around."

    "The others in the camp won''t like that" Xiaotian added. "They rely a lot on paranormals."

    "Then they will have to adapt" Liushi answered. "Mankind came this far making and using weapons and tools. I had already prepared something that would help them. I never intended to leave them helpless, they''ll have what they need to start anew."

    The conversation stopped after that. As they entered the city, they were once more attacked by zombies. And another change was noticed. Usually, the zombies swarmed them mindlessly, but that wasn''t the case anymore.

    "What the f.u.c.k?" shouted Zhang Hai, a curse that was echoed in the minds of the other.

    The zombies ahead of the vehicles didn''t attack from the front. They stepped aside from their path to strike from the sides. They jumped on the hoods of the SUVs and struck the windshields. The others tried to hang on the sides of the vehicles and struck the windows. The zombies that were too far from the moving vehicles didn''t try to pursue them for more than a few seconds.

    "Shit" he cursed as he started to swerve left and right to dislodge the zombies.

    He wasn''t the only one doing the same thing. Every vehicules from the convoy had to hit the other abandonned vehicles on the road to get rid of their attackers. Liushi realised that he hadn''t prepared defenses against enemies clinging on the hoods or the sides of the vehicles. These areas were in the blind spots of the turrets most of the time.

    He knew he would have to take care of that before leaving for Shenhai Island. He mentally g.r.o.a.n.e.d, knowing he would be very busy for the following 24 hours.

 Chapter 55 - Small treasure

    The small convoy made a large detour before going back to the camp. They arrived there at dusk, and were greeted by people in a stressed state.

    "What happened?" Zhuying demanded as soon as she got out of the car.

    "We got unexpected losses during today''s expedition" responded the guard that received them. "The zombies were harder to deal with than usual."

    "I see. We noticed the same thing on the way" she replied with a grim face. "Gather everyone for a meeting. Things are going to change a lot for all of us."

    While Zhuying and the other paranormals were dealing with the survivor group, Liushi got into the Doomsday Ride. He needed to have a chat with his newest subordinate. They sat on the couch, leaving some space between them so they could turn slightly toward each other. Liushi was relaxed, but Ran Xiyu was sitting straight, in a very formal manner. She was dealing with her saviour and boss, and didn''t want to leave a bad impression.

    "How are you doing?"

    "I am well. Once more, I thank you for saving my life and taking me in your care" she bowed before straightening up. "I will do my best to serve you well and not be a burden. I believe you wish to talk about the informations I promised?"

    "Yes. As you''ve noticed, we don''t have much time to spare."

    "I understand. I know of 3 places where the kind of materials you''re looking for can be stored" she said in a tone reserved for briefings, back when she worked in her father''s business. "One of them is nearby. More precisely, it''s near Jingling Port. The port itself isn''t the most secure area, but the nearby sector had enough quality business to require better security and law enforcement patrols. Also, I don''t think you will have much trouble bypassing the security of that place."

    "I was hoping it would be closer to the outskirts of the city... Oh, well. Thanks. We will leave early in the morning. I want to be back by mid-afternoon to finish the preparations for our final departure."

    With that said, their talk ended. While everyone was doing their own things, Liushi thought about upgrades. Not just the ones about the vehicles, but the ones about his body as well.

    The bodies of animals were much more complex than they seemed. People usually only think about bones, muscles, organs and nervous system. But they are made of different cells, each containing differents parts with different functions. And all these were determined by the minuscule yet massive coded structure known as DNA, through complex and precise chemical reactions.

    Any kind of genetic enhancement required not only cracking the DNA code, but also be able to accuratly alter every relevant cells, without the body collapsing from the temporary chemical instability. The Starseed may be a magnificent engineering tool, but biological engineering wasn''t part of its main abilities. He needed data from a genetic research laboratory, and hoped he would find one on the way to Shenhai Island.

    He placed several orders for the micro factory. The items created would be given to the survivor group when they leave. He went to bed early, and Lu joined him soon after. Zhuying had been too busy with the rest of the survivor group to join them, and went to sleep in her room. It would be the last time she slept there. The same was done by the other paranormals.

    The next day, they all got up early, and after a quick breakfast, they left. They didn''t take the double trailer with them, but took one of the available spare truck. The double trailer was already full, and whatever they would take on this trip, most of it would be materials immediatly used to improve the Doomsday Ride.

    Liushi opened the way in the Doomtrooper, with Zhuying and Ran Xiyu. Sun Kun and Qingping followed in the guy''s armored camper. Zhang Hai drove the spare truck, with Lu at his side, and Xiaotian was at the rear in the truck. They didn''t take the direct route to the targeted building to avoid leaving hints of their origin point for any zombie with a budding tracking sense.

    Once they got near the place, they made a little detour and slowed down. The plan was for the Doomtrooper and the spare truck to stop, while the rest of the convoy slowed down to have most of the zombies in the area chase them. With the convoy clearing the area, Liushi and co could loot the place in relative safety. Then he would rejoin the convoy at Jingling Port, in a big enough wharehouse. There, he could make his alterations while the group could keep looking for anything usefull in the other wharehouses.

    They performed the split a street away from the facility. Liushi dropped smoke bombs on the sides of the road before parking on an empty place. The truck parked next to him, and they turned their engines off while the armored camper passed. The Doomsday Ride was last to pass, followed by a small herd of zombies. They didn''t notice the newly parked vehicles because they didn''t see them stop and couldn''t hear them.

    Once it was clear enough, they slowly resumed their trip, easily getting rid of the zombies that were left. The building that housed the materials Liushi needed had good security. There was a security checkpoint for vehicles going in, and the gate was metallic and thick. The entrance was wide and tall enough for trucks to get inside.

    Liushi, Zhuying and Ran Xiyu got out of the Doomtrooper and approached the entrance. The security checkpoint was empty, but the equipment inside was still turned on, meaning there was still electricity running in the building. The same couldn''t be said ofr many other parts of the city. The glass may have been reinforced, but it was useless in front of the Starseed capabilities. Liushi placed his hand on the glass, and a second later it crumbled appart.

    "You girls go back into the car while I open the gate" he told his sister and new subordinate.

    They complied and left. Liushi got into the security station, and accessed the system with the help of the Starseed. He first checked the camera footage from the groundfloor to see how many zombies were present, especially around the loading area. Seeing that there were less than 30 zombies, he warned the others before opening gate and letting the vehicles in.

    He closed the gate afterward, he resumed his exploration of the system. He needed to know what materials were stored, and where. During that time, the others had cleared the area while Lu had decided to stay near him, watching his back.

    They went to the storage area, where they got some titanium, tungsten, silicons, heterocyclics compounds, ethanediol, some organo-inorganic compounds, and many others. The cherry on top of the cake was a big crate of natural uranium compounds which should have been shared to a few engineering labs. It was an excellent haul. They filled the truck to the brim, 3/5 of the materials gathered being organic compounds.

    Liushi was grinning from ear to ear as they left the place. Zhuying was amused by his enthusiasm, and even Ran Xiyu couldn''t keep a small smile from her face. They all left the place in a bright mood.

    When they reached Jingling Port, their good mood had lowered quite a bit. They had to deal with a large amount of zombies, and the truck hadn''t be reinforced to deal with them. The windshield was damaged and the windows were broken. There had been several tense moments with zombies trying to get in, but Lu and Zhang Hai were well armed and well protected. Liushi had to use the grenade launcher of the turret more than a few times, and Zhuying had a lot of practice with area electric attacks.

    Using the radio, Xiaotian guided them to the wharehouse her group had secured. It was more than large enough for all the vehicles. The next part was going to be annoying for Liushi, but he couldn''t keep his apparent ability hidden any longer. He couldn''t upgrade the Doomsday Ride without the others noticing it, because its whole size was going to change, alongside the interior.

    He was going to increase the width of the truck to 4m, and its height to 5.5m, while keeping the size of the wheels. The materials they were made of were good enough to whistand the additional burden. He would be able to slightly increase the size of the bathroom, toilets, and get some additional beds while increasing the size of the current ones. The engineering section and biomedical station would also receive an increase in size and capabilities.

    The natural uranium compound held enough uranium to make low enriched, or ''reactor grade'' uranium. With it, he would be able to make a small power generator capable of handling all the energy demands of the Doomsday Ride. Not only that, Liushi could use the energy to work with the Starseed. That meant he would no longer need gasoline for the truck, and the tanks could be used to store water instead.

    Nuclear reactor used in powerplants used the heat of the nuclear reaction to heat water, and power a steam turbine which generate electricity. But that wasn''t the most direct way to use the power of nuclear reaction. For nearly 50 years, there has been research on thermoelectric materials, materials that would directly convert heat into electricity. Materials that could convert radiation, no heat, into electricity were also researched.

    Liushi, with the Starseed, could easily produce such materials. And once more, the mutant beast cores would prove to be a quite valuable material, with its affinity to various forms of energy. At the end of the day, the Doomsday Ride would have been upgraded to version 2.0 (1.5 being after leaving the Wen sisters hometown).

    Then came the time for explanations. Ran Xiyu, Zhang Hai, Sun Kun and Qingping were very impressed by his ability, yet mystified that he didn''t register as a paranormal.Qingping cursed in her mind for having looked down on him at the beginning. And she cursed herself some more for not having chosen to follow him permanently like the others.

    Once he was done, Liushi sent the 4 paranormals away to look for anything else interesting in the Port. They were equiped well enough to deal with the improved zombies if they were careful, and even a mutant beast if they got unlucky. Lu stayed near him to guard him, while Xiaotian and Ran Xiyu stayed in the Doomtrooper, keeping an eye on the surroundings with the drones.

 Chapter 56 - Departure

    With the change in the Doomsday Ride size, its structure had to be changed as well. The vehicle was going to be too big to move in settlement without turning it into an articulated truck. The joint was placed between the living section and the engineering section.

    The process had to start with the frame and the wheels axles, as they supported the whole truck. The second and third axle were moved at the back of the living section, while the last one supported the engineering section on its own. He had to do so without disturbing some of the machinery of the vehicle, such as the cooling and the computer systems.

    The upgrade took much more time than expected, and Liushi could only stop way past midnight. At some point, he had to focus on the interior so the girls could use the facilities and go to bed. He added hidden guns merged in the structure of the truck to deal with the zombies that would cling on the sides or underneath it, as well as flamethrowers.

    Lu had turned into an ?ssistant for Liushi during that time. She used the rough terrain pallet mover to get materials for him and place them where he needed them. Ran Xiyu also helped by taking inventory of the stocks of materials.

    The 4 paranormals took turns taking watch both physically and with the help of the drone. They had to leave 2 times during the night to attract zombies groups in another direction. It was worrying because the infected were more active in the port since they had come.

    It was past 3am when Liushi finally stopped working. Not everything was completed, but the Doomsday Ride was at least fit for safe travel. The fine tunning could wait for another day.He had to use 2 of his 5 mutant beast cores to speed up the work.

    He stood up and stretched himself when a pair of soft hands landed on his shoulders and started to knead them. He turned around and saw Lu.

    "You''re still awake?" he asked in surprise. "There was no need to wait for me you know."

    "I know" she replied with a small smile. "I just didn''t want to leave you alone."

    "Thanks. I really appreciate it" he said while enjoying the massage.

    They stayed in a comfortable silence for a few minutes while she worked on his shoulder, then his back. Then he decided it was late enough.

    "We should get to sleep now. Aren''t you eager to try your new bed?"

    Above his sofa-bed, he added another foldable bed. This way, the Wen sisters could sleep above, while he and his sister slept on the sofa-bed. That freed one of the beds at the back for Yang Qingping.

    "Not at all" she replied in a snobbish tone. "While it looks decent, it doesn''t have the additional feature of the previous one."

    "Which feature?" Liushi asked, half-puzzled.

    "There was this warm body pillow with a pleasurable tool equipped to it" she replied with a suggestive look while grinning. That made his blood boil in an instant, chasing away his sleepiness.

    "Ah, that. I understand your disappointment" he replied with a smile. "I liked that feature as well, but I had to give it up to make the additional bed. I wish I could have more thoroughly explored it" he added, while taking her in his arms.

    She warped her arms around his neck, as he let his hands wander from her back to her bu??. They gazed at each other eyes with strong d?s?r?, and their lips met. The soft kiss quickly grew more heated and passionate. Their lips stayed stuck to each other until they stopped for air.

    Their breathing was ragged, and their eyes full of b?r?ly repressed ?ust. Neither wanted to stop, they wanted to go all the way, and would have done so already if it wasn''t for the lack of privacy. This time, it wouldn''t be a problem, as there was one vehicle that wasn''t used for the night. The truck they used in place of the double-trailer.

    Liushi dragged Lu toward it, and when she realised his intentions her smile grew. The truck didn''t have a bed, but it wasn''t a problem for Liushi. 30s later, and the 2 seats were merged into a single bed. Then, they resumed their make-out session while pausing occasionally to take off their clothes.

    They quickly found themselves n?k?d, kissing each other. While Lu had her hands working on his rod, he had one hand fondling her br??sts, and the other on her snatch. Liushi easily slipped 2, then 3 fingers inside of Lu''s wet and hot honeypot. But that wasn''t enough for her. She lied on her back, legs spread wide, and looked at him in the eyes.

    "Give it to me" she whispered. "Make me a woman."

    Liushi positioned himself between her legs, and teased her snatch a little with the tip of his rod, before slowly pushing it inside her. They both m??n?d in p???sur? and relief, as it was something they wanted to do for a while. Despite being tight, Liushi could easily go deeper because of how wet Lu was. Still, he had enough sense to gradually push it, instead of getting all of it in in a single stroke.

    "Are you alright?" he asked as he prevented himself from letting his ?ust run wild.

    "Yes. Keep going slowly" she replied in a half-daze.

    He did so at first, careful to not hurt Lu, and gradually got faster and deeper with her encouragment. He found a rythm that was fast enough to please them, yet not enough to hurt her. From this point, it didn''t take him long to reach his limit, and came deep inside her. Neither of them were concerned with birth control in their ?ustful state.

    He took half a minute to recover from that ?r??sm, and turned Lu around. While he had his release, Lu didn''t, and he intended to give her her own release. So they resumed their ?nt?r??urs? d???? style. This time, he moved faster than before, and with longer strokes.

    Lu''s loud m??n of p???sur? were like musing to his ears. Liushi was fully enjoying her tight wet folds, watching her bu??cheeks jiggle as his h?ps slapped her rear. His hands sometimes fondled them, or he leaned forward to play with her br??sts. A small shout from Lu, along with her arms collapsing, was the only hint he had that she had her ?r??sm.

    It prompted him to ?um as well, as he had been trying his best to not have an early second release. He held her firmly by the hip, as he buried himself as deeply as possible into her. He almost collapsed on top of her, using his forearms to support himself at the last moment. They stayed like that, breathing roughly, and still connected, slowly recovering from their first s?xu?? ?nt?r??urs?.

    After a moment, he moved to the side. He ??r?ssed her back, sometimes fondling her bu??cheeks. Then Lu turned toward him and kissed him again. They kissed for a while before cleaning after themselves, including returning the seats to their original form, and turned in for the night.

    There was a moment of panic when Liushi realised they did it b?r?back. Thankfully for both of them, Lu was on the pill. It was an embarrassing moment for both of them because they had been completly reckless. They blamed it on the tiredness after a long and tense day, at least on the surface.

    The next day, they acted as if nothing happened the previous night in front of the others, but when noone was watching, they exchanged knowing looks and small smiles. However, both Xiaotian and Zhuying noticed that something changed with their respective siblings. Ran Xiyu could also feel that something pleasant happened between Liushi and Lu. But noone of the girls felt it was important enough to ask questions. In Ran Xiyu''s case, she was a newcomer and it wasn''t her business.

    It was midday when they returned back to the refugees camp, and it was to see a lot of activity.

    "What happened?" Zhuying asked, jumping out of the car before it fully stopped.

    "There was a zombie attack an hour ago" a woman answered with a slightly trembling voice. "We just finished cleaning up the bodies" she added, before turning to Liushi and bowing low. "If not for the items you gave us, there would have been many more casualities than the 2 we lost."

    "When will you be ready to leave?" Liushi asked.

    "In 2 hours. We want to be out of the city before nightfall."

    "Do you know where you want to go?"

    "Yes. It''s already been decided."

    "Zhuying, you and the 3 others should finish packing up. We will leave at the same time as them."

    The remaining 2 hours passed with a lot of frenetic activity. Liushi had to increase the size of the double trailer by 1m for each trailer to make room for the extra-materials they had aquired. During that time, Liushi wasn''t just focusing on his task. When the Starseed was used, it worked mostly on its own. That left his mind free to think about what he had done with Lu.

    ''What are we, now? We clearly are attracted to each other, and we like each other well enough. But it''s not like I''m in love with her or something. I wanted to have some fun with a nice girl, and she was perfectly willing. We did it. But did she take it the same way as me? Or is she looking for something more serious.''

    "Damn, I don''t want to think about anything serious so soon after the outbreak" he whispered to himself. "I''m not even sure about what I want."

    But even as he said that, an image of Li Yuxin popped in his mind. Ever since they met in highschool, she always had a special place in his heart. And considering what he did with Lu, he felt guilty of having enjoyed himself while her survival wasn''t confirmed. He decided to put it out of his mind for the time being, though he knew he needed to have a talk with Lu soon.

 Chapter 57 - Travel activities and serums

    They were late by an hour, but everyone finally departed from the base. It was a big convoy that left, but once they reached the outskirts of the city, they separated. The Doomsday Ride opened the way due to the amount of abandonned vehicles, followed by the Doomtrooper, and the armored SUV towing the double trailer behind.

    They stopped for the night a small distance away from the roads and any settlements, in open area. It was mostly to prevent mutant beasts and hostile people to be able to sneak close using covers. All external lights were turned off, so they were nearly invisible, and the security cameras had night vision.

    "Alright people" Liushi said right after they finished their diner. "There is something that I planned to do ever since I realised an outbreak was about to happen. Something that had been pushed aside because there were more immediate concerns."

    The rest of the group leaned forward, focusing on what their leader was about to reveal.

    "Combat training."

    "What?" said Xiaotian, but the other''s faces mirrored her exclamation.

    "Let''s be honest here. Before the outbreak, while some of us had decent physical conditionning, noone of us was trained for combat. All enemies we encountered with any real fighting skills were Blood Wolf and White Boss, and we only won through overwhelming gun fire power. Something we won''t have in an area where weapon possession is severly limited, if not downright forbidden."

    "Or if the enemy has more professional fighters" Sun Kun added.

    "Yes. Being paranormal may enhance your body, but it doesn''t teach you fighting skills. Against another paranormal of equal power with proper training, you will lose."

    "I see" said Zhuying. "If 2 level 5 warriors have a sword fight, the one with level 1 swordmanship will lose to the one with level 3 swordmanship."

    "... Right, exactly" Liushi replied, surprised that his sister would use RPG mechanics as an explanation. "That''s why, starting from tomorrow, part of our days will be dedicated to training in hand-to-hand combat, close-combat weapons, and shooting. Of course, for paranormals, that will include ability training."

    "But, for it to be effective, don''t we need proper instructors?" Xiaotian asked.

    "Yes, but there aren''t any trustworthy ones available. It was something I was concerned about when I was making my preparations. So I downloaded both manuals and videos, and using them, I can make a training program."

    "How would that work?" Ran Xiyu asked, unconvinced.

    "You already know about motion capture, don''t you?" The group nodded in response. "Your movements will be captured and compared to the correct recorded ones from certified experts and masters. The differences will be displayed, and you''ll see where you have to adjust your moves."

    "That''s... actually brilliant" Ran Xiyu replied, looking at him in awe. "It would also allow us to clearly keep track of our improvements."

    "But, brother Liushi, there are a ton of martial arts" Sun Kun stated. "I doubt that you got videos and books for all of them. Which ones did you select?"

    "I looked for popular and useful ones, and didn''t limit myself to chinese martial arts. I selected wing chu, pigaquan and bajiquan, muai thai, taekwendo, judo, wrestling, ninjutsu, eskrimas, kobudo, kendo and gun fu. And with those as base, I intended to follow the jeet kune do philosophy."

    "Wait, gun fu? It exist?" excmaimed Ran Xiyu in disbelief. "Is it not just something from movies?"

    "When I say gun fu, I''m not talking about the flashy things shown in John Woo movies and the likes" Liushi replied with a laugh. "I''m talking about the real, proffesional techniques used with firearms, like tactical reload and other drills. It''s about how to use the firearm instead of just shooting."

    "How much time per day are we going to practice?" Xiaotian asked. "Especially while we are travelling to Shenhai Island."

    "I was thinking about 1h in the morning and 2h in late afternoon. And not everyone should train with the same intensity. Xiaotian and Ran Xiyu aren''t fighters, so what they''ll learn will be more like emergency self-defense." He paused for a second, smiling wryly. "Thinking about it, I selected pigaquan and bajiquan for Zhuying, because she made me think of Tekken character Xiaoyu" Zjuying perked up hearing that. "And ninjutsu should suit Sun Kun well."

    "Hoho" Zhuying started with a teasing grin. "Our Sun Kun is going to a ninja from Naruto. He can already crawl on walls and ceilings."

    "Please stop" He replied with a disgusted face. "Don''t compare me to any of this japanese sh*t. I tried it and I wanted to beat up so many characters I dropped it."

    "Please don''t start one of your silly arguments again" Qingping said promptly.

    "Say, brother Liushi" Zhang Hai asked. "Are we going to learn every martial arts that you selected? Because that''s a lot of things."

    "Of course not, Haizi. Out of those 10 styles, each of us will learn the basics of 4 to 6 of them. 3-4 unarmed styles and 1-2 armed styles. And there are some you will work on more than others. It will all depend on what suit you best."

    Wing chu turned out to be selected by everyone because of its efficiency as a self-defense style, and to be complemented with jiu-jutsu. The ones using close-combat weapons selected kobudo, while the others took eskrimas. The others styles were selected depending on their preferences and what suited their abilities.

    Liushi added muai thai, eskrimas and gun fu. Zhuying choose pigaquan/bajiquan, taekwendo, kendo and kobudo. Qingping choose taekwendo, eskrimas and kobudo. Sun Kun choose taekwendo, gun fu and ninjutsu. Zhang Hai choose bajiquan/pigaquan, wrestling, eskrimas and gun fu. Wen Lu choose eskrimas and gun fu. Finally, Wen Xiaotian and Ran Xiyu choose taekwendo.

    That night, while everyone was already asleep, Liushi was still thinking about what to do to get stronger. The training would take some time to truly show results, while a mutation was an instant power up.

    [The creation of an enhancement serum for the host is not be difficult] the Starseed suddenly announced.

    ''What?''

    [During the time that I have been bound to you, I was able to fully scan and analyse your body down to the genetic code. Thus I can design a gene serum that is 100% compatible with you.]

    ''Really? What about other people?''

    [That would first require a constant and extensive analyse of the target body''s functioning for several days. During that time, we wouldn''t be able to do anything else.]

    ''Nice! That mean I''ll be able to enhance Lu and Xiaotian later. What about other paranormals?''

    ''Ah... Okay. So, what kind of enhancement can I get?''

    [You can receive any kind of gene enhancement serum. Enhancement, transformation, manipulation, these 3 paths are completly open to you. However, the creation of the serums will require mutant beasts cores, and some mutant beasts or paranormals blood or boddy parts.]

    ''Ugh, I see. So it really was a good thing that I gathered samples. What kind of serum can you make with the current materials?''

    [You can select 2 between these 4 serums: the limit break serum, the body enhancement serum, the neural enhancement serum, and the sight enhancement serum.]

    [The first will remove the limits on your body ability to get better through training, allowing you to continuously improve your strenght, endurance, speed, flexibility and resistance. It also make the body more receptive to further gene modifications]

    ''Definitly a must!''

    [The second will upgrade your bones and muscles, increasing your strenght and toughness. The third will improve the quality of your neural system, increasing your reaction speed, coordination and processing speed. The last one will improve your eyesight, and allow you to see in the infrared and ultraviolet spectrum.]

    ''I can achieve the second with the first through training. I don''t need the last one since I can use your sensors. That leaves the third one, which will also be useful when I''m synchronised with you.''

    [Please insert the mutant beasts cores and the sample of Blood Wolf in the microfactory, alongside the following materials...]

    ''Starseed, since I''m sleeping with her, can you analyse her during the night?''

    [To make sure there won''t be any defects in the creations of the serums, I need to scan the individual at every moments of the day for several days. For a woman, a month is recommanded due to their menstrual cycle.]

    ''... I see... It''s better to leave that for later.''

    The following morning, the training started. At least for everyone except Liushi. He was going to work on the cameras and softwares he intended to use for the techniques learning parts. He gave the group an hour of training, separated in 25 minutes of running, 10 minutes break, and 25 minutes of push ups, sit ups and squats.

    While they were busy, he took the limit break serum. It had to be injected directly into the blood stream. The Starseed warned him that it would take around 12 hours for the serum to properly take effect. After that, he would be able to take the neural enhancement serum.

    For the rest of the day, Liushi felt his whole body tingling from inside out. Sometimes, he would feel like he was too hot, and at other times he would feel cold. Making the training equipment couldn''t distract him because the Starseed did the lion''s share of the work.. He wasn''t looking forward to the night, as he would be taking the second serum.