Chapter 39: A Safe Inn

"Run!! My dear!!" The old woman used her last ounce of strength to push him away, her legs as weak as noodles, collapsing directly to the ground.

"Mom!"

The boy, pushed aside, cried out in pain and hurriedly turned back to pull his mother's arm, dragging her along as they ran.

"Let go of me... my dear... I'm useless... my dear, my treasure..."

Tears welled up in the old woman's eyes as she took a final, reluctant look at the boy, trying to buy him time to live.

"No! Mom! You can't die! Wait!" The boy clung desperately to his mother's arm, his eyes wildly scanning the nearby shops.

Unfortunately, they were all empty, with not even a cabinet to hide in!

The boy was filled with regret and almost vomited blood, while the sound of approaching zombies grew louder behind them. The sharp claws seemed ready to tear his clothes apart, wanting to grab and devour him, tearing into his burning hot abdomen...

The boy screamed heart-wrenchingly, running with all his might, his gaze fixed on Bear, who was silently watching behind the glass door, his whole body trembling.

He still had a chance! The forced communication might work! He could make Bear open the door for him!

The desperation unleashed his potential, allowing him to escape the zombie horde and get close to the inn.

He and his mother collapsed in front of the glass door, pressing against it.

The boy, trembling, forcibly activated his ability, a green light appearing between his fingers, growing larger and larger, until all his energy was consumed, pressing the massive green orb to his forehead, trying to activate it—

"Dear! The zombies didn't follow us! Dear! We're still alive!"

The old woman, clutching his arm, looked back with a mix of relief and fear, her knees giving way as she slumped at the inn's entrance.

"What?!" The boy stared in shock as he turned around.

Indeed, the zombies had stopped two meters away, lifting their heads to catch the sounds in the air, their sightless eyes wandering and their bodies limping as they gradually moved away.

It really was as the lady boss said—the place was completely safe! The zombies couldn't even see it!

The boy's heart, which had been tightly wound, finally relaxed, and the overwhelming emotions surged over him, both fear and relief washing over him.

He collapsed beside the old woman, staring silently at the end of the street, swallowing the boundless bitterness.

Moments later, he buried his head deeply in her neck, feeling the warmth he almost lost, his heart filled with endless sorrow, his eyes reddened, tears spilling out, reborn in despair, not knowing if it was a blessing or a curse.

The old woman gently stroked the child's hair, hugging him tightly and rubbing his prominent spine.

Tomorrow's concerns could be dealt with tomorrow; for now, they would just focus on surviving one day at a time.

Bear continued to stand behind the door, its black-bean eyes looking out at the street or perhaps the mother and child huddled together for warmth outside.

The pale silver moonlight seemed like a thin veil, lightly draped over the world, like a spider's web trapping everything, forbidding escape.

The apocalypse, a hell burned to ashes.

...

At seven in the morning, Charlotte arrived punctually at the restaurant and opened the door.

Today she had a good appetite and ate two extra fried eggs.

The restaurant gradually filled with customers. Charlotte nodded in acknowledgment before focusing on her meal.

There was an unspoken rule in the restaurant: chatting during meals was forbidden, as it was considered a disrespect to the precious food.

After eating, Charlotte prepared to open for business.

Hmm? There were people outside.

Charlotte recognized the old woman from last night, hiding behind the wall. She opened the door with a warm smile and said, "Good morning, two guests. Would you like to stay?"

The boy, lying in the old woman's arms, quickly stood up at the sound but, moving too quickly and having not eaten for days, his blood sugar was too low, causing him to stumble and sit on the ground with a thud.

"Oh dear, be careful." Charlotte opened the door wide, smiling but making no move to help.

The old woman, though anxious, was too weak to do anything but tremble and reach out to help.

The boy took a few seconds to recover on the ground, finally seeing clearly again.

He looked up at the pretty lady boss wearing a floral dress and small heeled sandals, helping his mother up and speaking to Charlotte, "Yes, we want to stay."

"Dear, where are we... cough cough cough!" The old woman suddenly started coughing urgently, and the boy quickly patted her back.

Charlotte seized the opportunity to open the other door, gesturing them in. "Please come in. Here is the information on point redemption, as well as the points needed for accommodation and meals. It's up to you whether to stay or not. Take a look first."

The old woman, unable to resist the boy's insistence, was dragged into the inn.

Looking at the opulent interior of the inn, the old woman shrank back, afraid to step inside, as if fearing to desecrate the place, but was forcibly pulled in by the boy.

"Here are the shop's rules and procedures. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me," Charlotte pointed to the sign and, after a final smile, turned to leave.

The boy read through all the information carefully, a feeling of joy rising within him. Wasn't this exactly the safe base he had longed for?!

No fighting, no trouble-making, as long as they behaved, they could survive!

"Mom, let's stay here." The boy lowered his head slightly and whispered in the old woman's ear.

The old woman was alarmed, staring at the surroundings with panic. The inferiority of lower-class people ran deep. "No, no, dear, a place like this isn't for people like us! Let's go, let's go! This isn't where we belong!"

She tugged at the boy's arm, trying to pull him out.

The boy remained unmoved, quickly retrieving a level two crystal core from his inner pocket and inserting it into the machine with a swish. The machine soon ejected a point card.

It read: Ye Qi Zheng, 500 points.

Seeing that he had used the crystal core, the old woman gasped, slapping him on the back with a choked voice, "That was earned with your father's life! And you just used it up like this!"

The boy's eyes were determined, but his voice was also pained, "Mom, let's focus on the living first. You are just as important to me! I'll apologize to Dad after I'm gone!"

Charlotte, sitting on the sofa watching the scene, saw that the two were about to break down in tears. Fearing they might faint from excitement or lack of sugar and disrupt the shop's environment, she went over to interrupt.

"Have you decided which room you'd like to stay in?"

The two, who were about to embrace and cry, froze.

The boy, eyes red, nodded, "We'll take a double room."

"Alright, please swipe your card." Charlotte took out the room card for Room 302 and handed it over with a smile. "If you haven't had breakfast yet, you can rest and freshen up in your room before coming down to the restaurant. The prices are reasonable, and it's open all day."

Upon hearing there was food, their eyes brightened.

The old woman originally wanted to go directly to the restaurant, but the boy pulled her arm, leading her upstairs.

"Mom, there's food inside! Let's eat first! You've been starving for days!"

The boy saw a happy life beckoning to him, his lips almost reaching his ears as he couldn't help but laugh.

"Mom, didn't you hear the boss? We need to freshen up first!"