Translator’s note:
From now on, little tree will be referred to as Xiao Shu, which is used as a nickname and is a direct translation of little tree from Chinese.
After thanking Xu Song, the group entered the interior of the shelter through the second gate.
This shelter was a temporary base built around a former military camp and a biological research institute located north of City S. Upon discovering that some individuals possessed supernatural abilities, the higher-ups immediately made the decision to use people who have Earth and Metal abilities to construct sturdy walls for defense. These walls allowed the shelter to accommodate the residents and military personnel who evacuated from the city.
The reception center they had just left, along with other public buildings, were constructed between the inner and outer walls. Once they entered the second wall, what came into view were newly built dormitories, shops, and other buildings.
All the houses here had a uniform style without any decoration on the exterior. However, they were well-maintained and regulated, clearly created using supernatural abilities. They lacked the vibrant colors seen in houses within the city.
But seeing the bustling people on the streets, the group couldn’t help but feel a surge of warmth in their hearts, people, living people!
There might not be a large number of people walking on the streets, and the people here appeared just as worn out. Despite the harsh living conditions, it was still better than only seeing refugees and deserted cities throughout their journey.
A smile appeared on their faces, and even Yue Zheng, who usually wore a stern expression, seemed visibly more relaxed. Xu Song held Tiancheng’s hand, Yue Zheng held Tianyou’s hand, and they walked along the street, surveying the buildings on both sides.
“There’s actually a restaurant here? Once we find a place to stay, let’s treat ourselves to a good meal!” Luo Wen’an pointed excitedly at a shop with a restaurant sign, and Liu Shishi and Sutanji nodded in agreement.
Xu Song looked up at Yue Zheng beside him, hesitated for a while, and asked in a low voice, “What will you do if you can’t find your colleague? What are your plans?” The military personnel had already headed north, assuming that Yue Zheng had either gone missing or died. In this chaotic world, Yue Zheng didn’t need to take the risk of heading north anymore. Did that mean they would have to part ways?
At the thought of parting, his heart inexplicably ached. He didn’t want to be separated… he wanted to be with him. But he couldn’t avoid going to City B. After his father’s death, his mother was the only family he had left, especially since he needed to deliver his father’s ashes to her. They were a couple, committed to being together in life and death.
“I’ll accompany you north.” It was a simple sentence, but it was resolute and unwavering, without any hesitation.
Xu Song was stunned for a moment, but then a smile slowly spread across his face. He couldn’t help but beam brightly.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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Climbing the stairs, the group finally reached the fourth floor. Each floor had four rooms, and upon entering their room, they saw the empty space with only two small single beds. Xu Song couldn’t help but feel like he had entered a prison dormitory.
“Well… this is quite something. No wonder it only costs five compressed biscuits to rent it for a week.”
The house was only about ten square meters in total, with a narrow layout and no kitchen, bathroom, or separate bedroom. It was said that there were two public bathrooms on the ground floor of each entrance, available for the people on that floor to use.
“Anyway, at least we have a temporary place to stay.” Xu Song looked at the small window. Even without curtains, it was unlikely that anyone outside could see inside the room. Although there was a socket for a light bulb, the room didn’t even have a light bulb. To make it more extreme, there wasn’t even a cabinet or a small table in the room. It was much more rudimentary than a student dormitory.
It was said that these houses were considered relatively good. The rooms closer to the main entrance were said to be large dormitories, with lower prices.
To have a better life here, one had to rely on their abilities. They could either participate in the city’s construction work, such as in the agricultural section, textile factory, food processing plant, and other places that were recruiting workers.
Alternatively, they could join search teams to venture out, collect supplies, and be self-sufficient while also paying for housing and utilities.
Looking at the humble room, Xu Song’s lips involuntarily curved up. Despite the simple conditions, the people who had survived and made it to the base had hope.
Suddenly, Xu Song slapped his forehead and quickly took out his phone. Since leaving City Y, he had been afraid to turn it on, fearing it would drain the battery. Now that they had finally reached a place to settle, they had to test if there was any signal and if he could contact his mother. It would be best to hear from her.
After turning on the phone, it showed two bars of battery. He also had a few fully charged spare batteries in his backpack, and Xiao Shu’s tree hole contained high-capacity backup batteries. However, the room was too small to take them out.
“We have a signal!” Xu Song’s eyes lit up, and he quickly dialed his mother’s phone number. Seeing this, Yue Zheng also took out his phone and dialed his colleagues’ numbers.
“No signal…” Although he had expected this possibility, Xu Song still felt a sense of loss. Even if his phone’s battery was durable, it couldn’t last this long. More than a month had passed since the apocalypse began, and by now, the phone should have run out of power. He just didn’t know if his mother had a way to recharge it.
“It’s okay, we still have spare batteries. We kept our phones on during our rest in City S. Who knows, maybe we’ll be able to contact someone?” Yue Zheng sat down next to him, naturally placing his arm around Xu Song’s shoulder and gently patting his head to comfort him.
“Yeah, I know.” Xu Song looked up at him and smiled. “I expected it would be difficult to reach anyone, but I wanted to give it a try…” Then he asked, “What about you? Were you able to contact your colleagues?”
“I couldn’t reach them,” Yue Zheng sighed lightly. “Wang An and the others, my superiors, their phones are all out of service. When the bridge collapsed, I don’t know if any of my colleagues managed to escape to the shore. When I asked Luo Wen’an and the others later, they were too focused on surviving, so they didn’t notice.”
It was said that City Y had completely fallen, and it was unlikely that Li Tou’er had survived.
“It’s still early now, and I plan to go to the information center later to check if they are in City S.” Confirming that would help us decide our next steps. If the troops continue to head north, it means they still have the stone tablet and crystal stone in their possession.
“Unfortunately, because we got separated from them, we may never know what the stone tablet says.”
Even if I were to join them and head north, there’s a chance that I still wouldn’t find out. Once I turn it in, it’s likely that it won’t be my concern anymore. But if the contents on the stone tablet can be deciphered, there might be a chance to inquire about it through someone else.
But now, it’s probably too late for that opportunity, right?
“The stone tablet and those crystal stones…” Xu Song sighed and reached into his pocket, where the strange crystal stone was kept.
The twins entered the room and climbed onto the other bed, playing together with Xiao Shu. They didn’t pay attention to what the adults were saying. Watching the two children, their innocent and carefree appearance, Xu Song’s heavy heart gradually eased. “There will always be a way… Right! Maybe there is a way!”
“Hmm? What?” Yue Zheng looked at him puzzled.
Xu Song’s eyes sparkled, and his mouth widened, revealing his teeth, which remained as white as ever despite a month of hardship. “The stone tablet!”
“Hmm?”
“Pen and paper! Hurry!”
Just in case, Yue Zheng had grabbed some pens and paper when they were clearing out the supermarket, most of the edible items in the supermarket had already been taken.
As soon as he took out the pens and paper, Xu Song snatched them away and squatted on the floor. He used the bare bed board as a makeshift table and began writing and drawing strange symbols on it. Seeing those eerie patterns, Yue Zheng’s eyes widened even more. “You… you’ve remembered them all?!”
Xu Song looked up, gave him a bright smile, and tapped his own head with the back of the pen, nodding vigorously. “I remembered them!”
That’s right, when Xu Song saw the stone tablet, his memory had already started to mutate. After holding the stone tablet in his hands a few times, the patterns and characters on it had been engraved in his mind. He hadn’t consciously thought about it before, but when he suddenly recalled the stone tablet, Xu Song realized that every character and pattern on it was vividly clear to him!
Brush, brush, brush. The pen moved on the paper, and in no time, an exact copy of the patterns appeared on the paper. Xu Song not only replicated the characters on the back but also drew the front patterns on another sheet of paper.
Looking at the two papers, Yue Zheng suddenly brightened. “Perhaps we can try deciphering it ourselves.”
“Huh?” Xu Song was puzzled.
“This ancient text might have relevant documents in the universities or research institutions in the city. You have an eidetic memory now, so as long as you’ve seen those things, you can remember them. The city we were in has already become like this, so as long as we can find the right place to break into, we can easily access the information and documents there.”
Yue Zheng’s words made Xu Song’s eyes shine brighter and brighter. Yes! Supermarkets and clothing stores being looted was expected, but places like scientific research institutions and archives, aside from professionals, are unlikely to be touched by ordinary people! Although it might be more troublesome and we currently have no leads, it’s still a way!
“Alright, we can research this when we get to City B. The situation there is probably similar to City S. As long as we have the opportunity to leave the city and gather things, we can plan our own route. If…” Xu Song suddenly stopped what he was about to say, looking at Tiancheng and Tianyou. If they had their precognitive abilities, it would help them avoid many dangers while exploring. But they… were too young.
The two little brothers turned their heads, their small heads brushing against each other, and looked at them on both sides. Xiao Shu, who was twisting and turning on the bed, also imitated the twins and tilted its crown, “looking” at the two of them.
“What’s wrong?” Yue Zheng placed a big hand on Xu Song’s head, bringing him back to reality.
“Ah… I was thinking about what to do with them… later.” Xu Song was determined to go north, and Yue Zheng had agreed to accompany him, but what about these two children?
Yue Zheng pondered for a moment and understood his dilemma. Suddenly, he called out, “Tiancheng, Tianyou.”
“Hmm?”
“Hmm?”
The two little heads turned, and they looked at him with their heads tilted. Xiao Shu, who was on the bed, also imitated the twins and tilted its crown to “look” at them.
Don’t forget the third kid/sapling. Bad father !
Thank you for the chapter 💐
Forget the first born 😂
Three peas in the pod! Hahaha! Thanks for the update 🤣❤️🤣❤️🌳
Aiya the litle sapling bros are so cute