Chapter 306 Saving aunt Clara

Ivy and the others continued leading the rescued survivors through the thick forest in a straight line, while Darren and Erick had been given the task of burning down the building they had just left behind.

The loud cries of people screaming in pain, mixed with the terrifying growls of the monsters being consumed by the flames, continued to echo through the air behind them.

The horrifying sounds sent chills down the spines of the rescued survivors. Some of them trembled as they walked, while others bit their lips tightly, trying their best not to cry. However, none of them dared to look back.

They simply continued walking.

They knew what they had just escaped from.

And they also knew that turning around would only make the fear in their hearts worse.

"Please... help me."

A feminine voice filled with pain suddenly echoed through the forest.

Ivy immediately stopped in her tracks.

The rescued survivors also froze, their expressions instantly changing as they looked around nervously.

They hadn’t even walked for long, and now they were being forced to stop because the voice had come from the exact path they were supposed to continue along.

"That might be a cannibal too," one of the female survivors murmured under her breath, her voice trembling violently with fear.

"What if it’s a monster disguising itself as a human?" another survivor whispered, her eyes darting around anxiously.

"We’re all going to end up dead if the soldiers fall for this," another one choked out, already shaking badly. "I don’t want to die. Please... I don’t want to die."

The fear spreading among the survivors was almost tangible.

They had witnessed too much inside that horrifying building to blindly trust another voice calling for help.

"Please, help me, Captain."

The feminine voice came again, this time sounding even more desperate.

"I’m not a monster!"

Ivy narrowed her eyes.

Then she raised her gun, pointing it directly toward the bushes ahead of them.

"Then show yourself!" Ivy ordered, her voice firm and serious. "Hurry up, or I’ll blow your head off if you make one suspicious move."

The forest immediately fell silent.

For a few seconds, nothing happened.

The survivors held their breaths.

Then, without wasting any more time, the woman behind the voice slowly came into view.

She crawled out from behind the bushes, her movements weak and unsteady.

She was dressed in a torn gown, with her hair covered in sticks and leaves. Her face and exposed arms were completely covered in mud, while several scratches could be seen across her skin.

She looked exhausted, terrified and completely helpless.

"I’m really not a monster," the woman pleaded, panting heavily as she struggled to catch her breath. "Please... believe me. I used all my strength just to call your attention. I don’t want to die here."

She lowered her head slightly, her body trembling.

"Please, help me."

Ivy stared at her for a few seconds.

She’s really not a monster.

The thought immediately crossed her mind.

She slowly lowered her gun before moving closer to the woman. She then knelt beside her, carefully examining her from head to toe.

Although Ivy wanted to stand up almost immediately because of the terrible smell of monsters lingering around them, there was another unpleasant smell coming from the woman that Ivy couldn’t even properly describe.

It was obvious that the woman had been trapped in that horrible place for quite some time.

However, Ivy chose to remain silent out of respect.

She only covered her nose discreetly whenever the woman wasn’t looking, making sure not to let her know that the smell was bothering her.

Then Ivy’s eyes suddenly widened.

Wait...

Could this be Aunt Clara?

She studied the woman’s face more carefully.

Yes!

Ivy’s heart tightened instantly.

Surely, it was Aunt Clara.

The woman who had once been familiar to her before the apocalypse had somehow survived all this time and was now lying helplessly in front of her.

"Of course I’ll help you," Ivy finally replied, her voice softening.

She fought hard to keep the tears gathering in her eyes from falling.

"Let’s get you out of here first. Then we can talk properly."

Ivy reached out her hand toward her.

"You should know who I am, but I guess you probably don’t recognize me anymore. I’ll have to introduce myself to you again."

Aunt Clara slowly raised her head.

Her tired eyes moved over Ivy’s face, studying her carefully.

For several seconds, she remained silent, then her eyes widened.

"Ivy?" Her voice was barely above a whisper while tears immediately began rolling down her cheeks.

Ivy nodded.

"Yes. It’s me."

Aunt Clara stared at her as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

"Ivy... you’re really alive?"

"I’m alive," Ivy replied with a small nod. "And you’re alive too. That’s what matters right now."

Aunt Clara’s lips trembled as more tears streamed down her face.

"You’re safe now. Come on. Let’s get you out of here." Ivy voiced out while she carefully helped Aunt Clara to her feet.

The older woman staggered slightly, forcing Ivy to immediately tighten her grip around her waist to keep her from falling.

"Easy," Ivy said gently. "Don’t rush. You don’t have to walk quickly."

Aunt Clara nodded weakly.

However, before Ivy could take another step, a deep masculine voice suddenly blasted through the forest from what sounded like a loudspeaker.

"And who dares to take her with them?!"

The voice was filled with authority and hostility making everyone freeze.

Ivy’s expression immediately hardened.

The rescued survivors instinctively moved closer together, panic flashing across their faces.

Ivy slowly turned her head toward the direction of the voice.

Then her eyes narrowed.

Several vehicles suddenly emerged from between the trees.

Different types of trucks came into view one after another, their engines roaring loudly as they pushed through the thick forest.

Before Ivy and the others could even react, the trucks spread out around them, surrounding them.