Chapter 332 - 333 - Overrun

Chapter 332: Chapter 333 - Overrun

The next few days passed without any major trouble. The group did encounter a few zombie hordes along the way, but they were hardly a challenge anymore. One particularly large group blocked the road, and before anyone else could even get out of the cars, Jai stepped forward and created a quicksand trap beneath the zombies. One after another, they sank into the ground until the entire horde had disappeared beneath the surface.

Jai dusted his hands proudly and turned toward his father with a smug grin, clearly waiting for some praise.

Shinju simply nodded, but there was unmistakable pride in his eyes.

Jai’s grin widened.

Other than the occasional zombie horde, the trip back was surprisingly easy, albeit much longer than expected. They traveled for nearly fifteen days, stopping whenever they needed fuel, food, or simply a little rest. With such a large group, there was always something happening during their breaks. Someone would be cooking, someone would be repairing weapons, and someone else would inevitably be arguing over the last piece of food.

After a while, the journey barely felt like surviving the apocalypse anymore.

It felt more like a family road trip.

Everyone seemed to be having a surprisingly good time, and as the days passed, even Shinju slowly began warming up to Shao. The two of them could often be found sitting together during breaks, quietly cleaning and checking the barrels of their guns. Shinju still watched Shao carefully from time to time, but the hostility that had been there at the beginning was gradually fading.

Soon, they were getting close to the base.

Muchen glanced out the window as the large compound ahead slowly came into view. "This is a villa area?"

"Yeah." Yunfeng kept his eyes on the road as he drove. "It used to be an unsold villa area. Nobody bought most of the properties, so the place was eventually abandoned. I bought a house here and convinced the general to move his men and his family here too. Thankfully, the man believed me."

Muchen turned toward him in surprise. "Wait. You bought a house? Where did you even get the money?"

Yunfeng gave him a sheepish grin.

"Well..." He hesitated for a moment before glancing at Muchen. "You bought my photos from Jai, remember? I kind of used that money to buy the house and stock up on supplies."

Muchen’s entire face turned red.

"You knew about that?"

"Yep." Yunfeng’s grin became even wider. "I even posed for some of them."

He winked at his lover.

"Hope you enjoyed my photos, my dear."

"Shut up..."

Muchen immediately turned toward the window, his ears burning with embarrassment.

From the back seat, Jai burst into a grin. "See? I was the cupid in their relationship. Without me, they never would’ve found each other."

He proudly nudged Shao, who was sitting beside him and feeding him a piece of candy.

Hana, sitting nearby, let out a dramatic sigh. "Oh, little Cupid, why don’t you help me find someone too?"

Shao glanced at her thoughtfully.

"You can date my brother."

Hana’s face immediately twisted.

"Nope. He’s too..." She struggled to find the right word before grimacing. "I don’t know. He feels too much like a brother to me. I can’t date him."

She looked at Shao hopefully.

"Can’t you help me find a match too?"

Jai immediately nodded enthusiastically. "Sure!"

Before either of them could say anything else, Yunfeng’s voice came from the front.

"You’re too young to be in a relationship, you idiot."

Hana immediately leaned forward and glared at the back of his head.

Jai stared at his brother for a moment before grinning.

"Says the guy who got his lover pregnant at twenty."

Yunfeng’s head slowly turned, and he glared at Jai through the rearview mirror.

Hana was already glaring at him too.

Yunfeng’s mouth twitched.

He suddenly regretted opening his mouth.

The closer they got to the compound, the more wrong everything began to feel. The men who were supposed to be guarding the entrance were nowhere to be seen, and the main gate appeared to be firmly shut from the inside. There was no movement around the walls, no signs of the guards, and not even the usual sounds of people moving about inside.

Shinju, who was in the first car, immediately decided they should stop and assess the situation before getting any closer.

They had been away from this place for nearly a month. He had no idea what had happened in their absence or whether the compound was still safe. Even before they left, there had already been tension between the powered soldiers inside the base and the ordinary survivors outside. They had managed to maintain control when they were there, but a month was a long time for things to change.

Shinju stepped out of the car and stared toward the silent gates with a deep frown.

"I’ll check the situation," Kailun said, coughing softly.

"Dad, you stay here. I’ll check it out." Shinju immediately reached for his gun, already preparing to approach the entrance himself.

Kailun gave him an unimpressed look. "Silly kid. Get back in. I’m not going there in person."

Before Shinju could understand what he meant, the old man simply closed his eyes and leaned back against the seat.

Within seconds, he was completely still.

Shinju stared at him.

"Um... what exactly is going on?"

Qiu Yue, who was sitting in the same car, finally decided to explain. "Your father’s power is astral projection. He can project his soul outside his body and survive for a certain amount of time in that state."

The scientist looked strangely fascinated as he watched Kailun’s motionless body. He reached over and lightly pressed two fingers against the old man’s neck.

"It’s actually fascinating. His pulse disappears almost completely every time he uses his ability."

Shinju’s expression immediately changed.

He leaned toward his father in alarm. "What do you mean, his pulse disappears? Is he dead?"

"Technically, yes," Qiu Yue answered calmly. "But not permanently. His body is still alive. He can return to it once his soul comes back."

Shinju stared at him as if that explanation had somehow made things even worse.

Before he could ask anything else, Kailun’s body suddenly stirred.

His eyes opened, and he drew in a slow breath, panting softly as though he had just run a great distance. Shinju immediately turned toward him.

"What happened?"

Kailun rubbed his chest and frowned.

"It’s overrun."

Everyone in the car went silent.

"Zombies are everywhere," Kailun continued. "But it’s strange. They don’t seem to be behaving normally. They’re moving in an orderly manner, almost as if they’re following some kind of pattern."

His expression grew more serious.

"They aren’t acting erratically like the zombies we’ve encountered before."

He looked toward the compound again, his brows furrowing.

"It’s very, very strange."