Chapter 78: Revisiting the Staging Area

The train was speeding along the tracks, and Shao Ming and Lambert stood together in the driver's cabin.

"We can't go back the same way," Lambert said. "Asgi triggered the air raid alarm a few days ago, and there are bound to be a lot of zombies in Calais."

"Then, what do we do?" Shao Ming asked.

"Looking at the map..." Lambert picked up his tablet. "We should reroute through the staging area, bypass Calais and Dunkirk, and head straight to Lille."

Shao Ming wasn't too familiar with Lille, but he knew about Calais and Dunkirk. Since there was no way to change the tracks within Calais, their only option was to take a detour inland through the staging area, staying clear of the two seaside cities.

"Beyond Lille is Belgium," Lambert continued, setting down the tablet. "From Lille, we can easily reach Brussels."

"Wait, wait," Shao Ming suddenly recalled something. He took the tablet and zoomed out the map slightly. "Lille, Brussels…"

He zoomed in again to confirm the route.

From Lille to Brussels, the map was nearly devoid of forests and fields, replaced instead by dense urban areas and street grids.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Shao Ming said. "This entire stretch is populated, with complex road networks. It'll be hard to get through."

"That is a problem," Lambert said, taking the tablet back and continuing to study the map. "But if we don't cross the border at Lille, we'll have to head south for another hundred kilometers to leave France."

"Well, let's take the detour," Shao Ming said. "It's better than charging straight into a sea of zombies."

"As you say, Commander," Lambert nodded. "But we'll need to check the situation at the staging area first before moving the train in."

"I'll go on foot," Shao Ming sighed. "It's too much trouble to drive the off-road vehicle down and then up onto the train. Besides, we're low on fuel."

The train stopped at Pion station—the place where they had picked up Asgi a few days ago.

Shao Ming returned to the passenger carriage. He had intended to grab his hunting rifle, but after seeing Asgi's FR-F2 sniper rifle, he decided to take that instead.

"Asgi," Shao Ming knocked on the driver's cabin door. "Can I use your sniper rifle?"

"Treat it well, kid," Asgi called out.

Shao Ming slung the sniper rifle over his back and started walking toward the front of the train. Lambert, leaning against the driver's cabin door, asked, "Do you want me to go with you?"

"I'll just take a quick look and come back," Shao Ming said, shaking the walkie-talkie. "I'll stay in contact."

"Be careful!" Feng Yusheng shouted after him.

"I know," Shao Ming replied, heading toward the trees.

Gordon, who had finally come out to stretch his legs, sat obediently next to Feng Yusheng, watching Shao Ming leave.

The weather wasn't great that day. Even though it was already 10 AM, the woods still felt quite dark.

Shao Ming gripped the sniper rifle tightly. The air in the woods seemed to be mixed with the smell of blood. If it weren't for the occasional bird calls, he could have sworn he had entered a parallel world devoid of people.

But, in reality, this world was nearly as empty as he imagined.

As he ventured deeper into the woods, the sniper rifle became less useful. Shao Ming slung it over his back and drew his handgun from his waist. The P320 had only a few rounds left, most of the ammunition having been used up during their time in the Channel Tunnel. But given that the only other guns they had on hand were either hunting rifles or shotguns—with limited ammo capacity—Shao Ming decided it was best to keep the illegal handgun, which he had "borrowed" from a neighbor.

He still had one and a half magazines left.

As Shao Ming pressed on, he heard some noises ahead.

Quickly, he pressed himself against a tree, bracing his arm on the trunk and aiming his handgun in the direction of the sound.

It sounded like something was running through the forest, crushing dry leaves and twigs underfoot.

Shao Ming took a few deep breaths, his gaze fixed on the trees. Despite the stillness in the woods, the sound was faint but clear enough to reach his ears.

Suddenly, a shadow flashed through the trees.

It was a deer.

Shao Ming let out a sigh of relief. At least it wasn't one of those agile zombies.

The deer appeared to notice Shao Ming. It raised its head, cautiously staring at him.

Shao Ming had an impulse to shoot the deer right in the head, but he restrained himself. After all, he was here for reconnaissance, not hunting. For that, it would be better to use the off-road vehicle and head to a more suitable location.

A few trees away, the deer watched Shao Ming for a while. When it saw he wasn't moving, it lowered its head and continued grazing.

Shao Ming was about to move on when another sound of running came from farther off.

This time, Shao Ming was sure it wasn't a small animal. He could hear the distinct growl of a mutant.

It sounded like the deer had startled the mutant, and it was now chasing after it.

The deer immediately raised its head and bolted into the woods.

Shao Ming watched as a mutant sped after it. The mutant's speed was astonishing, and its figure blurred as it dashed through the trees.

For a human to match the speed of a deer in the woods was terrifying.

But Shao Ming noticed that this mutant was different from the two agile mutants he had encountered before. This one wasn't using any of the jumping or ambush tactics; instead, it seemed to rely purely on endurance and speed to hunt.

Several times, the mutant had almost closed in on the deer's rear, though the trees made it hard to see clearly. From what Shao Ming could tell, the mutant wasn't pouncing or trying to pin down the deer; it was simply keeping up the chase.

Shao Ming couldn't believe that this mutant was "showing kindness" to the deer.

Could it be a new mutation?

Fortunately, the deer had completely caught the mutant's attention. Once they had run a good distance away, Shao Ming seized the opportunity to continue toward the staging area.

The two creatures were heading in the direction of the slope behind the staging area, so Shao Ming had no choice but to follow the path down the hill.

He made his way through the woods, and before long, he came upon a small station.

Shao Ming recognized it—it was the first station outside the staging area.

Taking cover behind the platform, he set up the sniper rifle and peered through the scope, aiming at the staging area.

Due to the warehouses blocking the view, he couldn't get a clear look at the area. So, he moved along the road, closer to the staging area.

But just a few steps away, at the entrance to the staging area's roundabout, Shao Ming saw a terrifying sight.

There were hundreds of mutants resting in the staging area—scattered across the tracks, in the carriages, and even inside the buildings.

Fortunately, they hadn't noticed Shao Ming. He quickly lowered his body and started to back away slowly.

It seemed that the mutants, who had been distracted by Asgi earlier, had all returned.