Chapter Eleven: Only the Dead Can Rest

I stared, wide-eyed with astonishment, at the scene before me. In the middle of the narrow street, barely wide enough for two cars to pass side by side, there sat a shepherd dog!

The border collie wagged its tail, panting with its tongue hanging out, gazing fixedly at me in the driver’s seat.

I gripped the steering wheel tightly. The rearview mirror showed no sign of the nightmare creature pursuing us, but that didn’t mean the crisis was over. The warning from the genetic ecological chain still lingered vividly in my mind.

Moreover, this black-and-white border collie didn’t look at all like a virus-infected animal—it was a perfectly normal dog!

“Cao Fusheng! Hit it! Let’s go, quickly! It’s just a dog!” Tong Jia shouted in panic from inside the car. Following the beam of the headlights, he too had spotted the dog about ten meters ahead, but the terror brought by the nightmare monster still ruled his heart, evidenced by the urgency in his voice and the spittle flying from his lips.

Indeed, under such circumstances, any ordinary person would have chosen to run it over without hesitation.

I clenched my teeth. This dog must be the same one that had warned me repeatedly before, but how had it ended up right in front of me again?

The speedometer climbed higher and higher. Less than ten meters separated us from the shepherd dog; in the next instant it would be struck and sent flying—perhaps even killed outright.

“Screech…”

The piercing sound of the brakes echoed eerily through the city’s darkness.

“Cao Fusheng! Damn you, you lunatic! Such misplaced mercy!” Tong Jia raised his pistol at me, his face contorted with anger, as if he wanted to shoot me on the spot.

This was the second time he’d pointed a gun at me.

“This dog saved my life,” I said quietly. I released the brake, jumped out of the car, rushed to the front, scooped up the dog in my arms, and hurried back. The whole action took only a few seconds.

Strangely, there was no sign of movement from the nightmare monster—it seemed to have abandoned the chase entirely.

“Boom!”

I looked up, startled and cursing under my breath, as I slammed on the gas and sped away. The spot where we had stopped was instantly buried under a massive slab of stone that crashed down from the building above.

It had to be the work of a monster—what else could cause such a huge stone to fall so suddenly and without warning?

“That thing seems to have given up. In that case, let’s head straight back to the convenience store.”

“Odd, it doesn’t make sense. Nightmare creatures never abandon their prey.”

“Who knows, maybe something else lured it away,” I conversed with the others in the cab, each of us speculating about what might have happened. But, all told, we’d escaped danger unscathed.

The only regret was the loss of another fighter. The road ahead was still long; we’d only passed the first hurdle.

…

When we reached the base of the building, we took the opportunity to clear some corpses from the door. After all, we’d soon need to move supplies from the convenience store to the car, and the presence of so many corpses was both an obstacle and a strain on our nerves.

Since boarding the vehicle, the shepherd dog had stuck to me like a shadow, clinging to my side no matter what I did, as if afraid this newfound owner might abandon it.

I was the first to enter the convenience store. The candle had long since burned out. Huo Bing, hiding alone beneath the counter, was invisible in the darkness, but her tense breathing betrayed her state of mind.

“Who… didn’t come back?” Huo Bing looked at us, her voice trembling with anxiety.

“It was Xiao Long. We encountered a mutant toad on the road—he was swallowed alive… alas.”

The surviving team members spoke with sorrow, their voices low, but Tong Jia cut them off sharply, “No need for delays. We all knew the risks before leaving. In these times, it’s a miracle anyone survives. Let’s hurry and move the supplies.”

Tong Jia’s tone was cold, clearly full of resentment toward me. He was probably starting to doubt his decision to recruit me.

I cast a glance at Tong Jia. When I returned with the shepherd dog, the murderous intent in his eyes was obvious—even if only for an instant, I caught it clearly.

If I were in his position, I might have acted the same.

I could understand his behavior, but I couldn’t forgive it. I was absolutely confident he wouldn’t have been able to pull the trigger on me.

This dog and I shared a strange bond; I couldn’t bring myself to kill it. In some ways, a dog’s affection and loyalty surpass that of any human.

Moreover, in these ruins of the post-apocalyptic era, finding a living dog was a rarity.

Huo Bing wiped her tears and quickly composed herself, joining us in emptying the convenience store.

An hour later.

“That’s about it—the car’s packed to the brim. This store is bigger than I thought; we’ve barely moved half of its supplies. Before we leave, lock the door—maybe we can return another time,” I said, cigarette dangling from my lips, sitting in the cargo compartment and surveying the mountain of goods. The paltry contents of my own backpack were hardly worth mentioning.

“My dear Captain Tong, when are we setting off? What’s your plan?” I asked.

Tong Jia frowned and pondered for a moment before replying, “When the moon rises. It’ll be easier to travel outside with moonlight. We’ll gun the engine and head straight for the camp.”

“Xiao Bing, go lock the store door. The rest of us will stay in the car and keep watch, just in case something unexpected happens.”

Even though the undead are empowered by the moon, it’s easier to navigate then. The moonlight helps us see the road and our surroundings, and with the armored vehicle, it’s definitely the best time to depart.

“Stay in the car? It’s sturdy enough, and the defense systems are strong, but the space is too cramped. If something terrifying blocks us in…” I exhaled smoke, confused by Tong Jia’s decision.

Tong Jia sat across from me, saying, “Is there anywhere safer than the armored vehicle right now? As long as we stay quiet and shut off all lights, no monsters will notice us. They don’t attack cars unless provoked.”

After a long silence, he added, “Also, I expect no one in my team to question my decisions.”

I chuckled, saying nothing. Was he warning me? Damn, when I captained a team, victory was assured—who knows what mud he was playing in back then.

But after that incident, I’d lost interest in leading teams.

I probably scared him badly with my actions; now he harbored deep resentment toward me. He no longer calls me “Brother Cao,” instead using my full name.

With my rugged beard and air of maturity, he ought to call me “Uncle Cao,” at least.

“One question: you said the pillar in ZZ City has only sixty meters of white light left—under normal circumstances, how long can it last? I mean, until it burns out completely.”

Ever since the gene system assigned me the main task, I’ve been deeply invested in this. To save it before the pillar’s light dies, I first need to know how much time remains.