Chapter 8: Call for help

Emily stood beside Li Nian, her hands trembling and beads of sweat forming on her forehead. Her beautiful face was now filled with anxiety and helplessness. She quickly tore off her sleeve and wrapped it tightly around Li Nian's broken arm to try to stop the gushing blood. Every time she tightened the cloth, her heart ached as if being pricked by a needle.

"Li Nian, hang on!" she whispered, her voice trembling with barely concealed fear.

As the minutes passed, the blood flow finally slowed down thanks to her efforts. However, the wound was still shocking to look at, and Li Nian's face was as pale as paper, and he remained unconscious. She bit her lower lip and felt a sense of powerlessness wash over her. Her usual strong stance as a cowgirl seemed so fragile at the moment.

Her hand gently stroked Li Nian's face, and a trace of tenderness flashed in her eyes. "You must pull through, I won't let anything happen to you," she whispered, her tone a mixture of determination and prayer.

The medical AI told her how to stop the bleeding and suture Li Nian's right arm, but the complex and delicate operation was beyond the abilities of a cowgirl.

She could only barely use gauze and medicine to stop the wound first, and then, under the AI's command, give Li Nian a blood transfusion.

In the silence of the night, Emily's figure looked particularly lonely. She held Li Nian's hand tightly and prayed silently in her heart, hoping that a miracle would happen and wake up her only source of support.

The next morning, Alice woke up and found that Li Nian's body was extremely hot. His whole body was as red and hot as a cooked shrimp, and he kept muttering in pain.

Emily knew that she should find a doctor for him, but where was there a doctor in the end of the world?

Looking at Li Nian, who was burning with fever, Alice knew she couldn't hesitate any longer.

She picked up the radio and began to call for help...

"This is the New Dawn Church. I'm sorry to hear that. We provide free medical care for all our parishioners. We have professional doctors here at the old church on South Street. We have so many people in need that we can't send a car to pick you up. God bless you and help you get here safely." A soft female voice came over the radio.

Emily knew that the New Dawn Church was a cult, and there were rumors that they ate human flesh, but looking back at Li Nian's painful expression, she only hesitated for a few minutes before deciding that she had to brave the dangers for Li Nian!

If it wasn't for Li Nian's rescue, she would have been eaten long ago.

Now it was the princess's turn to save the prince.

————

As she looked around, she saw that the original neighborhood was blocked by various abandoned vehicles and makeshift barricades. The flag of New Dawn was flying on the roadside, and four knights were holding up a cross together.

A burly figure poked out behind the makeshift fortifications.

"Elect, you have come to seek help from our New Dawn, haven't you? It's okay, don't be nervous. Once you join our religion, you're family. We provide free food, medical care and shelter."

As he spoke, the burly man opened the barricade.

Emily could now see that this was an exceptionally burly man, except that his legs were indeed buck-kneed donkey legs.

Buck-kneed donkey legs were the standard equipment of demons, and this burly man must have received a lot of attention before.

The donkey-legged strong man noticed Emily's gaze and laughed. "After the apocalypse, everyone has evolved in various ways. You can see that I have donkey legs, and there are also crab claws over there. That guy must have eaten too many crabs. I heard that some people have evolved into cows. Only a very small number of elect can maintain a human form or a more noble angelic form."

Emily then noticed that almost everyone around her had various deformed limbs.

The strong man with donkey legs saw Li Nian lying behind the car and directly opened the passenger door and sat in. "I saw the patient in your car. There is no time to delay. I will take you directly to the infirmary, where there is a doctor who can save him."

Although Alice always felt that their limbs and bodies were not quite coordinated, Li Nian's situation could not wait. They could only save Li Nian first, as the strong man with donkey legs had said.

...

"He is currently undergoing surgery, so don't worry. Absolutely no problem, our doctor is the lead surgeon from the Presbyterian Hospital," the burly man with donkey legs kept reassuring Emily.

Although the burly man with donkey legs looked like a demon, he was surprisingly gentle.

He introduced himself as Jimmy, the cowboy from the nearby farm. He was a member of the church before the 'apocalypse' and has since worked with the church to shelter refugees, fight monsters, and maintain order.

"Now that America is gone, naturally no one recognizes the US dollar anymore, and only some people recognize gold. Here, we mainly circulate medicine, food, and the bodies of those mutated creatures. We also collect a little gold. If you don't have anything, you only need to join our church and help us with labor for a period of time. The church is full of family members, emphasizing mutual assistance." Jimmy waved his hand to reject the US dollar Emily handed him.

Most of the currencies of modern countries are issued on the basis of national credit. After the end of the world, countries will disappear, as will the corresponding precious metals. It is reasonable that they will lose their use.

"Can you consider this as medical expenses?" Emily directly lifted the black cloth on the back of the vehicle.

The corpse of a calf-sized mutant golden hair suddenly appeared before her eyes.

Jimmy hurriedly pried open the golden hair's eyes and then its bloody mouth. After a brief examination, he confirmed that it was at least a first-level mutant monster.

"What's a first-level mutant monster?" Emily asked. How come there are levels and monsters, just like in an online game?

"It's like this. To judge and avoid risks, we have classified all mutant creatures. Humans that have become zombies, animals that have become monsters, and plants that have mutated are called magic plants."

"So if a bird becomes a monster, it's called a monster bird?" Emily asked

"No, we call it a hunting angel," Jimmy said with a holy look on his face.

Emily wanted to complain but was too embarrassed to say it.

Jimmy continued to explain, "Those that cannot launch long-range attacks are collectively referred to as level zero. Those that can launch long-range attacks, whether they be bone spines, poison gas, water, fire, ice, or qi, are referred to as level one. Those that can launch different types of long-range attacks are referred to as level two. According to the bishop, there is a level three monster in the city center that we are told not to provoke. It can easily defeat a mechanized army! You must not go deep into the city."

"Understood," Emily noted the classification and introduction.

"If you encounter a zero-level, our light weapons can easily kill them. For a first-level, light weapons cannot completely kill them, and a professional squad with heavy firepower is needed to ambush and kill it. If it's a second-level, it's even more terrifying. Without the same level of electors to fight against, it is impossible to stop them. We previously encountered an attack by a second-level zombie, and fortunately, the Patriarch was carrying a holy relic to repel it." Jimmy seemed to have remembered something terrible.

"That's all for today. You should get some rest. Your companion's surgery will take at least a few hours, but you can visit him tomorrow morning. Your monster will be assessed by someone, and you will be told the results tomorrow. Don't worry." Jimmy took Emily to a low-rise apartment building, left a key, and left.

Unexpectedly, in just a month, the world has actually changed so drastically. The once industrial and scientific world has begun to transform into a magical world.

Emily's face was still filled with worry for Li Nian, but she could only pray for him in this small room.