Chapter 264 - 146: Mori Town

Chapter 264: Chapter 146: Mori Town

"I knew it. Life was too peaceful back in Jiang City—I must’ve used up all my luck. Goddammit!"

The SUV’s engine roared as its rugged tires clawed at the road, kicking up a thick cloud of dust.

Xu Mo’s left hand gripped the steering wheel while his right constantly worked the gear stick. His gaze was sharp as a knife, scanning the bumpy road ahead while he frequently glanced at the left-side mirror.

The scene reflected in the mirror was enough to make any seasoned apocalyptic survivor’s heart stop.

A few dozen meters behind the vehicle, about eleven or twelve grayish-black figures were scrambling on all fours, darting across the highway like ravenous hyenas.

Their speed was immense, far surpassing that of ordinary zombies. They could even barely keep pace with the SUV on the rough terrain—these were the dreaded Level 1 Agile Mutant Zombies.

Their desiccated yet abnormally developed limbs were taut with muscle. Each push-off launched them a great distance, their joints twisting at unnatural angles in a nauseating display.

About a hundred meters behind these agile zombies, another dozen or so figures—bulkier but slightly slower—gave chase like tireless iron towers, their steps heavy and resolute. Their bodies were generally a size larger than in life, their skin an unhealthy grayish-blue. The well-defined muscle mass on their bodies hinted at terrifying explosive power—these were Level 1 Strength Type Mutant Zombies.

Their presence meant that if he were to get tangled up with them, even a sturdy vehicle could be overturned or smashed to pieces.

Even further back, the shadowy figures of hundreds of ordinary zombies were visible.

They moved slowly but persistently, drawn by the sound of the engine into this deadly pursuit.

Although the ordinary zombies were slow, the sheer pressure of their numbers and their utterly relentless persistence were just as chilling.

THUD, THUD, THUD... SQUELCH!

Ahead of the SUV, there were always some slow-reacting ordinary zombies, or ones that just happened to be in its path, that couldn’t get out of the way in time.

The front of the high-speed SUV acted like a heavy battering ram, slamming violently into these decaying bodies.

A series of dull thuds and sickening crunches of bone followed. The severed limbs of zombies sent flying, or the blackish-red filth that exploded outward when a body was run over, splattered against the SUV’s windshield, hood, and windows like a grotesque ink-wash painting.

Foul-smelling fluids and minced flesh smeared the windshield, severely obstructing Xu Mo’s vision. He had to turn on the wipers to clear a fan-shaped patch just large enough to see the road ahead.

This had all started at noon today.

Today was the sixth day since Xu Mo had left Jiang City and embarked on this long journey as a Messenger.

The first five days had their occasional hitches but were generally smooth. The scattered zombies he encountered, whether common types or the rare, lone Level 1 mutant, were all easily dispatched using his vehicle’s mobility or his clean, efficient marksmanship. As a result, Xu Mo had maintained a good pace, his average daily distance far exceeding his initial conservative estimates.

On the morning of the sixth day, when Xu Mo checked the offline map on his military-grade tablet, he found he was already more than six hundred kilometers from the Jiang City Shelter.

This meant he was gradually entering the true heartland of the apocalypse—an area marked on the map as "Status Unknown, High-Risk Zone."

Around noon, Xu Mo pulled over for a short break to eat and study the route ahead.

The map showed a place marked "Mori Town" about twenty-odd kilometers ahead.

The town wasn’t large, but before the cataclysm, small towns like this situated at transport hubs usually had one or two gas stations, and maybe even a small repair shop.

Xu Mo glanced at the dashboard. After several days of hard driving, plus the occasional detour or slow crawl through difficult sections, the vehicle’s fuel consumption was slightly higher than expected. The combined fuel in the main and auxiliary tanks, which had started out full, was now down to about two-thirds.

He could still go a long way, but it was always better to be prepared. If he could refuel in Mori Town, or even find some extra reserves, it would be a huge boon for the rest of his journey.

’I’ll go check it out,’ Xu Mo decided.

Over six hundred kilometers of safe travel had, on some subconscious level, made him lower his guard. Though he rationally knew the post-apocalyptic world was fraught with danger, several days without any major threats had inevitably created the illusion that the zombie density in this area might be low.

Around two in the afternoon, Xu Mo drove toward the outskirts of Mori Town.

What greeted him was the typical sight of a post-apocalyptic small town. The low-slung buildings lining the highway were mostly dilapidated, their walls covered in stains and cracks, their windows shattered, and their signs rusted and fallen. Abandoned vehicles lay strewn about the streets, some burned down to their frames. Weeds grew with wild abandon, sprouting from cracks and broken windowsills, lending a grotesque vitality to the dead place. The air was thick with the smell of dust, mildew, and a faint, ever-present stench of decay.

It was quiet. At least, at first.

After entering the town, Xu Mo slowed down, cautiously observing his surroundings. He didn’t drive directly into the town center, instead following the outer road slowly, looking for signs of a gas station.

Soon, on the eastern edge of town near a fork in the road, Xu Mo spotted a familiar red-and-white sign. Though covered in dust and damaged, the two words "Gas Station" were still recognizable.