Dao of The Demonic Cultivator

Chapter 38: Zombie Tide Approaches, Mysterious Fog

At the junction of East Lake City and Two Dragons City on the highway, the evacuation convoy came to a halt. The terrain here was elevated, allowing a view of the southern part of East Lake City.

Wang Gangjian climbed atop one of the vehicles and pulled out his binoculars to take one last look at the city he had never left since he was born. Leaving now stirred a bittersweet feeling inside him; he wanted to take a few more glances at his home, suspecting he might never see it again.

Wang Yong, Song Dayi, and Tang Jinchuan joined him. The rest of the members stayed inside the vehicles, as Wang Gangjian had ordered. Too many people getting out and then needing to board again would waste valuable time. It was best to stay put.

"I see the horde, it's rapidly approaching the city," Wang Yong, with sharp eyes, pointed towards the southeast, speaking in a hushed tone.

Wang Gangjian and the others directed their gaze in that direction. Indeed, they saw an immense, seemingly endless tide of zombies relentlessly charging into the small city.

There were still some remaining survivors in East Lake City who hadn't joined any factions. They only managed to scream before being overwhelmed by the sweeping tide of undead.

"There are even flying zombies now!" Song Dayi exclaimed, noticing some zombies in the sky sprouting wings, his eyes widening in shock.

"It's been five years; various advanced zombies have appeared," Wang Gangjian murmured. "If our growth rate can't keep up with that of the zombies, we'll eventually be consumed or killed by them."

Wang Yong, Song Dayi, and Tang Jinchuan nodded in agreement, acknowledging the harsh reality. Psionic energy had permeated the globe, causing animals and plants to undergo wild mutations.

If humans couldn't harness Psionic energy to climb the evolutionary ladder and adapt to this new Psionic era, they would inevitably be outpaced and replaced by new species.

"Let's go, our scent will eventually be picked up by the zombies, and it'll be too late if we delay any longer," Song Dayi sighed softly.

Wang Yong and Tang Jinchuan nodded and began to head back to the vehicles. However, Wang Gangjian suddenly noticed something and uttered a soft "Huh."

"What is it, brother? What are you still looking at?" Wang Yong asked, puzzled.

Wang Gangjian pointed towards a specific area, "You have sharp eyes—look over there, is that area shrouded in thick fog?"

Wang Yong activated his talent, Farsight, enhancing his vision to focus on distant objects at the expense of his near sight. He immediately noticed, "Indeed, there's a heavy fog over that area, and it's not present anywhere else."

Tang Jinchuan and Song Dayi, hearing the conversation, came back. Tang Jinchuan chuckled, "What are we looking at?"

Wang Yong pointed to the area and asked Tang Jinchuan, "Tang, have you been to that area? There's heavy fog now."

Tang Jinchuan squinted toward the distance and nodded, "Isn't that the territory formerly held by the Spirit Hounds? I passed through there on my way to the East Lake City bus depot a few days ago. There was no fog at that time. Strange there's fog now,"

Song Dayi commented light-heartedly, "With the zombie crisis erupting, what's so strange about a bit of fog?"

Wang Yong and Tang Jinchuan nodded in agreement. Indeed, in a world where the unnatural and unscientific had become commonplace, not every anomaly warranted concern.

"Hey! A lot of zombies are being diverted, rushing into that fog!" Wang Yong, intending to deactivate his Farsight, suddenly noticed something alarming. He could see clearly that dozens of zombies, followed by hundreds, were veering off from the main horde and charging into the fog.

Wang Gangjian, Tang Jinchuan, and Song Dayi were taken aback by his report.

What was happening? Had the zombies changed their nature? Instead of chasing living humans, were they now drawn to empty air?

Within less than five minutes, masses of zombies were breaking off from the horde heading north and sprinting into the foggy area. This included many robust, agile advanced zombies.

"What on earth is in that fog to draw so many zombies?" Wang Yong kept his eyes fixed on the fog-covered area.

After another five minutes, Wang Yong reported a shocking observation: the northbound zombie horde had completely turned and was now heading into the foggy area.

"Do you see what's happening?" Wang Gangjian pressed for details.

Wang Yong relayed what he saw. Wang Gangjian and the others were stunned.

Had the zombie tide been diverted just like that? What sort of allure did that foggy area hold?

"Zombies enter the foggy area and then just disappear—none come out," Wang Yong added solemnly.

Wang Gangjian and the others were even more amazed.

Could that foggy area be a bottomless pit? Did it have the capacity to hold as many zombies as could possibly enter?

After a moment's contemplation, Wang Gangjian ordered, "Command the convoy to halt; everyone stays in their vehicles."

And so they waited, from daylight until nightfall, watching the mysterious fog that seemed to swallow an entire zombie horde.

The nights after the zombie outbreak were terrifying. Dangerous zombies and mutated animals could be hiding anywhere.

Wang Gangjian, including himself as one of four Superhumans, organized two night patrol teams in shifts. One team for the early part of the night and another for the latter part. Together with the sturdy men from Black Blade Security Company, they formed a formidable watch over their campsite. With hundreds of people camping outside, the strong human scent could attract unknown creatures, and everyone was on edge.

However, the night passed without significant incident. Aside from a few stray zombies and mutated wild dogs, there were no surprises.

As the sun began to rise, Wang Gangjian and the three other Superhumans stood early on a hillside, looking towards the city.

"The fog is still there, it hasn't dispersed," observed Wang Gangjian. "There are still a lot of zombies and supernatural creatures converging from all directions, rushing into the fog," added another.

"Brother, do you think we weren't attacked last night because all those creatures were attracted to the fog?" Wang Yong pondered, looking at the one around him.

Wang Gangjian replied dryly, "I'm right behind you."

Wang Yong laughed awkwardly and turned around.

Tang Jinchuan seriously suggested, "I think so too. That fog seems to have a strong attraction for supernatural beings. Maybe it's like something out of a novel, could it be some kind of precious natural treasure has appeared?"

"Do you think those zombies and supernatural creatures might fight each other over it? A battle to the death, where we could just pick up the spoils afterward?" he speculated.

The prospect excited Wang Gangjian and Wang Yong. Indeed, it was possible! If they could scavenge in the aftermath, they might obtain a wealth of Psionic cores. In the current world, Psionic cores were absolutely invaluable. Whether for fueling one's evolution or for trading, they were a prime resource.

However, Song Dayi cautioned, "We should leave as soon as possible. If any of those creatures get hold of whatever is creating that fog and becomes stronger—even reaching level three or four as a Superhuman—we won't stand a chance against them. Don't forget, we have hundreds of ordinary people relying on us here. We need to live up to their trust."

The weight of Song Dayi's words settled heavily on them. He was right. The lives of many were resting on the shoulders of these four Superhumans. They couldn't take that risk. They couldn't afford to gamble with so many lives at stake.