Apocalyptic Disaster: Stockpile Supplies for Free and Make a Comeback

Chapter 83: Spending the Night in the Cave
She had only noticed something was wrong for that brief moment while walking the whole way.

This shows that the creature was consciously keeping its distance from them, yet occasionally getting closer. Moreover, in such complex terrain and during a downpour, it was remarkable that it could stay so close.

She was also afraid when she encountered this situation alone.

This means that this thing, which is very likely not human, has been watching her, and she has no idea when it will attack her.

Qi Sixing staggered over. He was quick to react at the last step; otherwise, the log wouldn't have been able to support him and he would have fallen down with it. He was still taking deep breaths to calm his tense emotions.

Song Jinhe walked over and kicked the remaining piece of wood away.

"What are you doing?" Qi Sixing asked, bewildered.

"This ditch is so deep, I'd like to see if that thing can follow us here," Song Jinhe said slowly, looking in the direction where the commotion had disappeared.

After traversing the mountainous region riddled with ravines, they reached a high point and used binoculars to survey the surroundings. Before nightfall, they found only a natural cave.

Although it's called a cave, the inside is actually interconnected, with a single layer of rock at the top, which is over ten meters high, forming a cavity in the middle.

They checked and found no traces of collapse from the previous earthquake, indicating that the structure was quite stable, and there were exits on all four sides, so people could escape if something happened.

It's just that it's a bit windy here, and colder than outside.

After searching around, they finally chose a spot next to a stone wall, where they could at least get some shelter from the wind.

Qi Sixing shivered from the cold, hurriedly carrying a pile of wood to build a fire, and watched expectantly as Song Jinhe took out a handful of dry straw from her waterproof backpack and lit it.

It's Jinhe who's so thoughtful; she hoards things wherever she goes, even taking along dry straw.

The branches we found were too wet, and it took us a long time of fanning them to get the fire going.

Song Jinhe caught a glimpse of a head peeking out from the pile of rocks out of the corner of her eye and instinctively ducked back, "There's a snake."

"Where?" Qi Sixing, wringing out the water from his clothes, immediately put them down and picked up the crossbow.

“It’s out.” Song Jinhe raised the dagger. Good heavens, it was half again as thick as her wrist.

Without saying a word, Jiang Shi'an stepped forward with his knife and plunged it into the snake's vital spot. "This kind of snake should be mildly venomous."

Seeing that neither of them wanted the snake, Qi Sixing went over and picked it up. "Aren't you going to eat it?"

"I won't eat." Song Jinhe took out canned food, instant noodles, salt-baked chicken legs, and the all-natural wild vegetables she had picked from her bag.

"I thought you'd say, 'I'd rather starve to death than eat this,' and then suddenly it smells delicious."

Before Qi Sixing could finish speaking, he looked in shock at Song Jinhe taking out the portable outdoor pot again.

He now believes that even if someone else starves to death outside, Song Jinhe is unlikely to starve.

The snake wasn't wasted either; Qi Sixing roasted it. Although the snake looked a bit scary, it tasted really good.

After dinner, Jiang Shi'an packed up his tools and started setting up the tent.

Song Jinhe secured the windproof outdoor handheld lamp between two rocks. As she stood up, she noticed the bump on Qi Sixing's head, paused, and...

"I have something to tell you, but don't be afraid."

Seeing the deep blue sky behind Song Jinhe and her serious expression, Qi Sixing's heart skipped a beat, and he unconsciously lowered his voice, "What is it? I'm scared now."

Song Jinhe took his hand and placed it on the bump on the back of his head.

"Holy crap! What is that?! How can it move?" Qi Sixing was truly panicked now.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shi'an looked over.

Song Jinhe lit the lamp so he could examine it more easily. "It looks like some kind of larvae that live under the skin. We need to cut open the skin to remove it," Jiang Shi'an said.

"Insects? Could they be inside my body too?" Qi Sixing gasped. They had all witnessed the consequences of insects entering a body before.
"It would have been better to save a bullet for myself; at least I would have died a quick death. I guess it was when I fell into the pit," Qi Sixing said sadly.

"It's just one under the skin, not the kind that parasitizes the body, don't worry." Song Jinhe took out a knife and began to disinfect it.

"Really?" Qi Sixing felt like he had been on a rollercoaster all day, looking at Song Jinhe with tears in his eyes.

“Really,” Song Jinhe answered confidently, “but this is the first time I’ve dealt with this situation.”

Qi Sixing:
"Sis, is that knife for killing zombies?"

"Of course not." Song Jinhe gestured for him not to move. "Bear with it, I remember the procedures."

These parasitic larvae that live under the skin are not fatal if discovered early, but they look terrifying. After removal, the wound needs to be cleaned to prevent infection.

"Is that so?" Song Jinhe asked Jiang Shi'an, who was holding a lamp beside her, without looking at him.

"Mm," he replied.

Finally, the medicine was applied, and a waterproof, sterile dressing was put on. After that, Qi Sixing bit his clothes, almost in tears from the pain.

Seeing the worm that was still moving after being taken out and looked like a large maggot, he was horrified and quickly put it into the fire to burn it into charcoal.

Song Jinhe put down her things, used her talent to scan twice, checking herself and Jiang Shi'an, as well as the surrounding area, to see if they had any of these things before she felt relieved.

Darkness fell quickly; there was no light outside, only the howling mountain wind blowing through the room.

After arranging the watch time, no one could really sleep. Although the zombies couldn't get up here, the environment itself was creepy enough, and they always felt that there were other noises mixed in with the wind.

And in the endless darkness, lurking eyes watch.

Song Jinhe looked at the thick waterproof tarpaulin on one side of the tent, listened to the occasional sound of the wind, and then her gaze fell on Jiang Shi'an's face.

The faint light from the corner didn't reach this spot, and his quiet features were outlined with delicate lines in the darkness. She didn't know why her gaze had drifted over there.

She should probably talk to him, but their current situation doesn't seem quite right.

"You can't sleep?"

A slightly cold voice came over, and Song Jinhe was stunned for a moment. "I want to sleep, but the wind is too piercing, and it sounds a bit cold."

In the darkness, a warm hand gently pulled her closer to his chest. "I expect we'll be able to get back to the main road in two or three days."

Song Jinhe rested her forehead against his chest and responded softly, without using her talent to perceive his expression.

Outside, Qi Sixing, who had just come out to keep watch, sat by the fire and put on his clothes that had finally dried. Otherwise, he would have had to continue wearing the women's coat that Song Jinhe had lent him, which was too short in both sleeves and length, giving him an air of great intelligence.

Jinhe was the best to him. When she handed over her shift, she specially prepared canned food for him and left him hot water and Banlangen (a traditional Chinese medicine).

Qi Sixing put down the canned cup and placed his hands on the fire.

goo-dong-

Suddenly, he heard two sounds, like stones rolling, coming from the darkness directly in front of him.

That's the entrance to the cave.

He tried to squint to see.

(End of this chapter)