There was no response from Shang Qi to Su Ling’s calls; he could neither hear nor see her.
Su Ling soon discovered this.
She stood before Shang Qi, watching his stern expression as he wielded his blade.
She knew he was in danger, currently facing it head-on.
She couldn't see anything, only his brow furrowing deeper and his movements growing slower.
The danger he faced seemed to be escalating, yet his stamina was being depleted, and he was gradually weakening.
Su Ling was terrified, worried for Shang Qi’s safety, and what would happen if he couldn't endure.
She truly wished she could be by his side, fighting alongside him, helping him clear all obstacles.
But she couldn’t. She could only watch him drop to one knee from exhaustion, veins bulging in his hands.
Sweat dripped onto the ground. His brow remained tightly knit, and veins were visible on his face.
“Shang Qi!”
Su Ling lunged to embrace him, but she passed right through him and fell to the ground.
She landed hard and quickly looked back. Shang Qi was still there, but she couldn't touch him.
“Shang Qi—”
Su Ling could see that Shang Qi seemed to be in pain, judging by his reactions and his hand, which was bleeding and slowly sliding down.
Shang Qi lowered his head, his grip on the blade loosening, his hand slipping.
“Shang Qi, don’t give up, hold on!”
Su Ling crawled towards him. She reached him and looked at his blood-stained face up close. “Shang Qi, can you hear me? Don’t give up, please hold on a little longer. We’ll see each other soon. You won’t be alone, you won’t be fighting alone anymore!”
…
Su Ling opened her eyes and woke up. It was already dawn outside.
Everything was bright, and the surroundings were visible.
Not far in front of her was a city.
Su Ling hadn't fully emerged from her dream and sat in a chair, lost in thought, her mind filled with the scenes from her dream.
Was that dream a reflection of what Shang Qi was currently experiencing?
Su Ling couldn’t figure it out, feeling a faint worry but then reassured herself.
Shang Qi would be alright. It was just that his current situation would be very difficult.
Though she desperately wanted to rush to his side, she didn’t know where he was and could only wait for the right time.
Su Ling looked at the display panel and the red dots indicating their location. She manipulated the control panel, filled in the empty crystal core slots, and then got up to leave the control room.
When Su Ling emerged from the control room, Sister Na and the others were preparing breakfast.
Breakfast was noodles, with the leftover dishes from last night stewed together to be used as toppings.
Su Ling took a bowl of noodles and sat down. She poured the toppings over them and mixed them well. After a few simple bites, she looked at Gu Shangse and the others who were also taking their seats, and said in a slightly cold voice, “We have arrived within the borders of a new city. After we finish eating, we need to leave the castle and ride our bicycles into the main urban area.”
“Although we have the mobile castle and security, our demand for crystal cores will only increase with its appearance. Furthermore, the search for supplies and the improvement of our abilities cannot stagnate; we must progress with the times.”
Zombies would evolve, and extreme weather would descend. They couldn't afford to be complacent.
Supplies needed to be stockpiled, crystal cores collected, and they themselves had to continue on the path to becoming stronger.
“No problem.” Gu Shangse sat down next to Su Ling. He picked up the large chicken drumstick from his bowl and placed it in Su Ling’s bowl, saying naturally, “Let’s move out after we eat.”