Kingdom of Corrosion
Chapter 690 - 326: Rainforest

Chapter 690: Chapter 326: Rainforest

After ending the communication, Maya’s mood was quite heavy. She had intended for the two of them to retreat towards the ramp while she and Lin Wu provided cover. Since Sky Base had left the radio frequency on the billboard, the ramp couldn’t be very far away. But even if help arrived, what could she do? She was just a general practitioner and couldn’t treat the infection.

"Ladies and gentlemen, and the ragged crawlers below!" A wave of sound drilled into her ear.

Maya and Lin Wu stepped out of the tent and saw colorful lights flicking on atop the rooftop of a ten-story building two kilometers away, with two high-powered speakers set up at the edge. The man holding the microphone had to be Bluemountain, as he shouted, "Next up, we have Miss Mocha to play ’Sky City’ for us."

Through the telescope, it was clear as Miss Mocha, dressed in a black evening gown, took her seat at the piano and began to play. As the sound of the piano started, Bluemountain, holding a crowbar, walked away. He stood at the entrance to the rooftop, waiting quietly.

seconds later, a horde of zombies burst from the entrance furiously lunging at Mocha, who was playing the piano. Mocha seemed oblivious to the zombies tearing at her, staying focused on playing through the first section. When the piano sound abruptly stopped, two rockets struck the piano. The explosion swept everything away, leaving only the flickering colorful lights that seemed to dance to a rhythm.

Lin Wu retracted the drone and hopped off the rampart, "We’ve delayed their performance long enough."

Maya was still looking at the lights, "Do you think they’re foolish? They must know they have only two people left to defend the city and have survived quite a few days after so much activity. They must have a way to retreat to a safe place. For example, Highway 88—heading south or north along the road, they could definitely find a place with resources."

Lin Wu said, "Maybe they just don’t want to leave. Perhaps after they lost friends and companions, they no longer had the will to survive. Like us, if I were alone, no matter how capable I was, I wouldn’t be able to get back to Shadow or make it this far."

Maya said, "Don’t be silly, either we die together or we both survive."

"Eat... that thing." Who knows whether to call it a dumpling or a potsticker. Is a fried dumpling a potsticker? Which category does it belong to? What about steamed dumplings? Do dumplings include taro dumplings?

"Hmm." Maya said, "Walking two thousand kilometers, I’ve met quite a few people."

Lin Wu asked, "Given the choice, would you prefer to meet people after walking two thousand kilometers after death, or stay alive in Shadow?"

"Shadow."

...

Sky Base had offered a possible way to reach the suspected Highway 99, but they didn’t know Lin Ma also had two accompanying horses. Two horses, two people, Wai, and the packages together nearly approached two tons in weight. First, how large would a bamboo raft need to be to provide enough buoyancy? Moreover, such a large raft would likely break apart if it collided with rocks or the shore during its drift.

There was also another path, which was to pass through Fantasy City from the east side to the west side petrochemical plant. That was a dead end.

"Unless the heavens lend a hand," Lin Wu said. "Another typhoon to drive all zombies back indoors, allowing us to cross the river before the flood and reach the petrochemical plant." That would be a matter for next summer.

Maya said, "Or, we could abandon the two horses."

Lin Wu replied, "Abandon the Dould Ma horses to go to Highway 99, then walk another 750 kilometers by foot?"

Maya said, "The problem isn’t walking the 750 kilometers, it’s abandoning Phantom and Sandstorm."

The two of them looked at the campfire in silence. The journey thus far had not been easy, and the Dould Ma horses had become more than just tools but also companions on their journey.

There was also one more solution, which was to settle down in the suburbs. Given their abilities, constructing another permanent base for survival wouldn’t be a problem. But that wasn’t their original intention.

Maya said, "There’s only one option left: bypass Fantasy City."

"Bypass an area of five thousand square kilometers like Fantasy City?"

Maya said, "75 kilometers."

"Hmm?"

Maya explained, "Assuming Fantasy City is circular, then a five thousand square kilometer area would have a diameter of about 70 kilometers and a circumference of about 150 kilometers. Half of that is 75 kilometers. But we can’t skirt the city edge, so the total mileage could exceed 100 kilometers. And the process will be very difficult."

"Then it’s settled," Lin Wu asked, "Should we go around to the north or south?"

Maya answered, "The south faces the sea, and the north is surrounded by mountains."

Lin Wu had a recollection of the surrounding terrain, "Are you suggesting we bypass to the west by following the mountain range that rises over three thousand meters?"

Maya replied, "Not that extreme. As long as we don’t go over the ridge but through the forest at the foot of the mountains, the elevation is around 300 meters or so."

Lin Wu stepped out of the tent, the night sky was clear, and the mountain range’s silhouette was visible in the distance. If Lin Wu remembered correctly, some of the peaks in this section of the Fantasy Mountain Range had snow caps, indicating altitudes well over five thousand meters.

Maya stood next to Lin Wu, looking at the monstrous mountain range, "It’s better than going underwater."

Ha, I didn’t expect you to have a sense of humor. Lin Wu knew there was no other choice. Using the Fantasy Mountain Range to circumvent Fantasy City was the only feasible way to reach the west. Lin Wu said, "Now it seems, large cities serve as barriers and fortresses, their main purpose being to block players’ progress on their paths."

The only good news was that they had a compass and wouldn’t get lost in the mountains. But the thought of living in the woods for days on end filled Lin Wu with dread. The most terrifying thing in the forest this season wasn’t fierce beasts or venomous snakes, but insects. A tented camp could fend off the bugs, but if they had to set up camp every day, it might take an age to reach the west coast.