3.9

The base's scout group rode in a 4x4 vehicle to scavenge for food. Before they had left, they had strapped a tracking collar on her as a preventive measure and had her deposited to the back of the vehicle.

Feng Mian also brought along a backpack which Ye Junli meticulously loaded with snacks, drinks, a folding knife and an emergency first aid kit.

"These are for breakfast and this is for afternoon snacks. Listen to the group leader and don't split up from the group. Try to not eat the snacks all at once and don't be scared to ask questions if you need something. Don't follow strangers either." This was the longest string of words that ever came out of his mouth.

Scouting team A watched their famed iceberg professor sending off their most dangerous ability user at the base gate. Even after they've all settled inside, the vehicle wasn't able to hit the road because Professor Ye was still busy putting stuff inside of 119's backpack.

Is that a melon juice box they see?

Scout Team A: 'Are you sending off your kid to the kindergarten, Professor Ye?'

Assistant Meng only watched from the side, immune to the sight.

Ye Junli reluctantly watched the melon he grew go off on her first field trip, only going back after the vehicle could no longer be seen.

***

Feng Mian knew that she was in a post-apocalyptic world, but had only experienced now just what it means for humans to be driven into extinction and the effect of pollution on the environment.

There were barely any greeneries left and as far as the eye can see, only barrenness prevails in these deserted lands. Gone are the crops that flourish in spring and only trees that had been stripped naked from their fruits, leaving only dried up twigs and decaying leaves that furnish the roadside.

In the open space trunk, an ex-soldier scout sat with her. Well, she assumed he was an ex-soldier because of the camo. By his side was a loaded rifle.

The silence was stifling.

"Lovely weather we're having huh?" She struck a conversation

Silence.

"So… you have any kids? I don't have any but there's a baobei at home I--"

He pushed forward the bolt of his rifle with a loud click.

Feng Mian took the cue and kept her mouth shut the entire journey.

They've arrived at an abandoned supermarket in half an hour.

The team of four unloaded several empty bags from the trunk in a practised motion, the people forming a straight chain and passing it over person to person.

Feng Mian stood at the end of the chain and standing in line before she was the only girl in the group besides herself. When the bag reached the girl, she opened her arms expecting to be passed over.

In turn, she was treated as air and was immediately looked over. There wasn't a fifth person for the chain. The fourth person blatantly ignored her carried the last bag inside the supermarket.

Feng Mian: 'Is this what hazing in college is like?'

The team leader who they called Captain Mo hollered. "In and out in no more than 10 minutes you got it? Remember canned food and biscuits only."

Captain Mo jumped down from the vehicle expertly and joined the rest of his teammates to loot.

Carrying her backpack behind, Feng Mian followed suit, trailing behind Captain Mo behind a couple of steps.

Captain Mo went to ransack the canned food aisle.

"F*** yeah! We're busting it rich this time! There's canned tuna here!"

Captain Mo made a 180 degree turn to share the joy of his findings but coincidentally met the gaze of 119. He looked like he suffered from a heart stroke.

"Shit! Missy, were you behind me this whole time?"

Feng Mian cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah. Professor Ye said I should follow you."

He recalled Professor Ye mentioning that this time bomb 119 would be joining their mission this time. That Ye Junli who never gave anyone a good face had even sat him down and told him that since it was her first expedition, they should be taking care of her when they're outside the base's boundaries.

Ye Junli said explicitly, "119 is an important asset. Don't aggravate her and she won't bother you. If she wants anything, give it to her."

At that time Captain Mo thought to himself, 'What use are you worrying about her for, it's us that should be worried. You just passed on this hot potato without asking if we wanted her or not.'

119's round eyes looked up at him expectedly. "Okay ah. I got it. Just… can you not stay so close?... Yeah, a bit further. Just two steps more. Yeah, that's good. Let's keep this distance."

Feng Mian was shooed until she was no less than ten steps away from Captain Mo. She could barely see the hair follicles on his face anymore.

When she wanted to speak, she had to raise her voice. "Captain Mo, what should I do?!"

Captain Mo: 'What do you want to do ah? It's good enough if you're not turning anyone into barbeque!'

"Should I get the biscuits?"

Captain Mo was not confident enough to let this stay-at-home experiment scour the supermarket by herself.

"Um. No, no. Why don't you stand at the door for lookout duty? In case one of those zombies come in."

Feng Mian lifted a thumb up. "Okay, Captain!"

She scurried to her new post as ordered. The invaluable experiment scanned the surrounding areas for potential zombie movements. Like a meerkat on high alert.

System 555: "So obedient ah, Xiao Mian?"

Feng Mian: "You don't understand the feeling of a gamer baobei. This kind of adrenaline rush is only experienced while playing games, I wouldn't have a chance to kill zombies in my original world."

System 555: "Who was it that gagged after killing that last zombie?"

Feng Mian: "Playing alone and playing in team mode has different feels ba! This is the anticipated dream team play. They even let me be the quarterback!"

System 555: 'I don't think letting you be quarterback was intentional.'

Feng Mian's nose picked up something. It's fishy.

There was an atmosphere in the air that left her unsettled.

She did a headcount of all the Team A members.

One of the four was missing. 'Where's the soldier?'

She shouted for the captain instantly. "Captain! Soldier's missing!"

"What?!" Captain Mo did not pick up on her words.

"I said Soldier's-- THAT GIRL! WATCH OUT!"

Feng Mian screamed for everyone to hear. "ZOMBIES INCOMING! EVERYONE OUT!"

It turns out that packs of zombies had hidden in the supermarket's refrigerator where they had not checked. There was a long streak of bloodied fingerprint grazing the ground and it dragged onwards into the fridge.

Fresh blood.

Soldier.

It didn't take much reason to know that it was Soldier who had been dragged inside. His fate was unknown, but the chances of him being alive were not optimistic.

After sensing the presence of humans, a few of them came out, lurking and hiding to capture their prey by surprise. After Feng Mian's alarm, they all had come out at once for an offensive group attack. Their numbers grew rapidly.

If Feng Mian had to guess, there were more than three dozen of them.

Gunfire sounds rang ablaze. The team retreated backwards bit by bit while keeping the zombies at bay. Zombies were difficult to kill, shooting arbitrarily would only impede their movements, they would only be truly dead if one aims for the head.

It was hard to be both accurate and fast while shooting no matter how skilled they were.

Feng Mian felt once more, static running through her fingertips.

System 555: "Come on, Xiao Mian! Pikachu them!"

In the horde of zombies was a familiar face. Soldier scrambled to the front line formation. Half his foot had already been chewed off.

"Captain!" he cried out.

"Save me, captain! Take me back to the base! Please!"

Feng Mian halted her movements.

"You've been bitten." The Captain spoke gravely.

The soldier refused to admit it. "NO! NO! It's just a flesh wound! They- they only scratched me! I can still be saved ba!"

Whether it was a scratch or a bite, they could all tell from the first glance.

Captain Mo aimed the barrel at the soldier. "Last words?"

He cried even more grievously. "NO! I TOLD YOU- I PROMISE YOU. I WASN'T BITTEN!"

The bullet was released from the magazine of the rifle with one pull. It hit Soldier right in the middle of his forehead.

The impact from a rifle was stronger than a gun and the shot took half of Soldier's head with it.

Feng Mian recoiled from the shock of seeing an actual person being killed and paled.

"TO THE CAR!" The captain roared.

Trouble came even as they exited the supermarket. Without the barrier of a wall between them, they were circled around and ambushed on all sides.

The guns and rifles won't be able to hold the zombies off for long.

Feng Mian: "555, my ability was lightning not electricity, correct?"

System 555: "That's correct ba. Why?"

555 and Team A watched as cumulonimbus clouds amass in the sky all too suddenly. It obscured the sun completely, taking over the sky and forming factions of their own as if they had been summoned. The signs of an imminent thunderstorm.

Even Feng Mian had been pessimistic about her odds of being able to conjure up lightning clouds. She didn't know she could actually do it.

She felt the familiarness of controlling the natural element. The intensity and rush peaked her, and the pulsing of her static induced veins reverberated in her ears until it was all that she could hear. It was both peculiar and exciting. As if reconnecting with a long time estranged soulmate.

Specks of golden yellow converged and littered her iris. Feng Mian saw the current fluctuating around her mid-air, like moth to a flame. Statics were also naturally attracted to her.

She visualised the electric charges in one of the clouds Once a big enough friction was made to form an electric field, she pulled them to struck downwards. Her hand gestured in the direction of discharge.

A zombie was electrocuted on the spot.

System 555 stood up in its seat. "WTF!!! This daddy didn't recall making you this OP!"

Feng Mian summoned for another bolt of lightning. This one had missed by a bit and struck the space between two zombies. Unfortunately, zombies lack the foresight for danger and persisted in rushing for human flesh despite the human Pikachu on the other side.

As a novice shooter, although her abilities were powerful, her accuracy was lousy. Soon, she wasn't able to keep up with the increasing number of zombies.

"Everyone, run!"

Feng Mian kept guard of the team's tail, stalling the zombies while her teammates rushed for the car.

The captain was the fastest and reached the driver's seat first. He promptly started the engine.

Feng Mian's end wasn't doing too well and she was forced backwards by the sheer number of zombies. She continued zapping at them.

Captain Mo saw that the situation was severe. If they didn't leave now, they won't be able to leave at all. More zombies had sprinted in their direction after the commotion.

He made a call that would put Base Z's at Professor Ye's wrath.

"Let's go!" he said resolutely.

They left 119 behind at the mercy of a zombie horde.