Chapter 524: Frozen?
Chapter 524: Frozen?
They gather as much medicine and clothing as possible along the way, loading everything onto the truck to prevent anyone from running out of supplies and catching a cold as the weather grows colder.
Of course, Fatty doesn’t let An Ran or Zhan Lian worry about these preparations. On the westward journey, he even delivers a large amount of fruits and vegetables to them. Zhan Lian and An Ran only have to focus on fighting monsters along the way.
They move at a slow, meandering pace—almost like a journey to the Western Heaven—until they finally arrive at the next town.
Snowfall thickens the ice on the ground day by day, making the roads increasingly treacherous. An Ran’s plants suffer unprecedented and sustained damage.
It isn’t until they reach the town that she learns from Zhan Lian that a few soldiers have died inside a building—several of the soldiers taken by Lei Jiang.
The ground is practically frozen solid. Many ordinary plants have their roots killed by the frost, and even the mutant plants An Ran nurtures seem sluggish, responding more slowly than usual.
According to Zhan Lian and Luo Feifan, Lei Jiang also encounters a group of water zombies upon arriving. The battle is ineffective and costly, though Tang Siluo and Lei Jiang survive.
The main force stops in this small town. Fatty arranges for the elderly, the weak, the sick, and the pregnant women to start a fire and cook, while Zhan Lian and Luo Feifan drive a small car to survey the surrounding area. An Ran, Doll, Little Mint, Hengheng, and Zhao Ru remain in the bulletproof car.
Zhan Lian modifies the bulletproof car to be increasingly larger. The trunk can now fit a single bed and has been raised slightly. A partition is built above to store supplies, secured with chains to prevent items from falling during the car’s movement. The car’s size means it consumes more gas, but that isn’t a problem—Fatty’s men report a small gas station in town with plenty of fuel left, untouched by passing survivors.
"Zhao Ru," An Ran asks, preparing rice noodles for Doll, who prefers fruit flavors, "you said those water zombies haven’t appeared again. Are they frozen?"
Doll starts with a small spoonful, and now she can eat half a bowl. As long as An Ran feeds her, the chubby girl keeps eating. An Ran decides to feed her fruit next and has stowed a few watermelons in the car.
Zhao Ru kneels on the small table in the trunk and begins cutting one.
Hearing An Ran’s words, she turns and smiles. "So, if you say that, wouldn’t I be doomed in this weather? I’m a water-based ability user."
"Yeah, so you should dress warmly. The weather’s getting colder. If you go out for too long, you might freeze into an ice sculpture. I’d have to carry you back."
For some reason, the more familiar An Ran and Zhao Ru become, the more they like to tease each other. Zhao Ru has always been talkative and sharp-tongued, but in her ongoing banter with An Ran, she often finds herself speechless after being outwitted.
Zhao Ru turns back and glares at An Ran angrily. In the icy snow, her fingers are numb, making movement difficult and clumsy.