Chapter 45: What Does It Mean to Court Death?
“Hurry, they’re catching up!” a skinny boy running in the middle of the group cried out in panic. His name was A Liang.
According to their original plan, the group was supposed to drive away after dealing with the initial danger and head to a military base on the border of Jiu Jiang Province. However, their car ran out of gas halfway there, and they ran into a massive horde of zombies that immediately attacked them.
A fierce battle ensued. Of the eight of them, three died, leaving only five. But they were still no match for the endless stream of zombies and had no choice but to retreat back the way they came.
They had assumed Su Mo’s group would have been long dead, but seeing them alive ignited a spark of hope in their exhausted faces.
Seeing the three figures standing ahead, the group was gasping for breath. One of the girls immediately shouted, “Hey, you three! Give us a hand!”
Her delicate voice held an air of entitlement. A cold glint flashed in Long Yi’s eyes.
He watched them running towards him, looking like they were at their limit. A strange smile appeared on his stern face. “Sure,” he said, his voice laced with malice.
As he spoke, he raised a powerful arm, and water began to trickle from his fingertips. It started as a small stream, but the sound of rushing water grew louder and the flow more torrential, surging directly towards the desperate survivors.
Seeing him use his ability, their faces lit up with excitement and the relief of a near-death escape. “This is great! We’re saved!”
Someone in the group shouted, voicing the thought on everyone’s mind.
Only Lu Chen couldn’t bring himself to celebrate. He stared at the rushing tide of water, a vague sense of unease creeping into his heart.
The closer the water got, the stronger his anxiety became. He looked up at the three men in the distance. They seemed completely at ease. The man with the water ability had already stopped, and a silent man next to him suddenly took a step forward.
Just as the water was about to reach their feet, a smirk flashed across the silent man’s lips. He raised a hand, and an icy chill filled the air. Before their eyes, the rushing water began to freeze solid.
A look of horror crossed Lu Chen’s face. He instantly understood what they were doing and let out a desperate roar, “Damn it, fall back! They’re not trying to help us! Retreat! Get back!”
His terrified shout threw the group into a panic. The zombies behind them closed the distance, some even leaping forward to attack.
There was no time to stop. They all pushed forward with all their might.
But the ice was spreading faster and faster. The ground was already covered in pools of water, slowing their pace, while the zombies behind them drew ever closer. Panic and terror consumed them.
“What do we do? What do we do? I don’t want to die!” a girl named Xiao Ya, one of the two remaining girls in their group, cried out in fear.
No one answered her. The sound of the ice freezing mingled with the ravenous roars of the zombies, drawing nearer every second.
Seeing her movements grow sluggish, as if she was about to be swallowed by the horde, Xiao Ya’s heart filled with despair.
Her eyes darted around frantically, and she suddenly saw a figure standing in the distance. A spark of hope ignited in her eyes, and she screamed, “Su Mo! Save me! Save me…!”
That’s right, Su Mo!
A flicker of hope appeared in the others’ eyes as well. They had seen her use her powers back at the mall. Someone that powerful could definitely save them. They all turned their gazes in her direction.
Under the moonlight, a figure stood quietly beside an off-road vehicle, watching them. Seeing the hope in their eyes, they all started shouting, “Su Mo! Quick… save us!” As they screamed, they pushed even harder to run towards her.
The moon hung silently in the sky, casting a frosty glow on the world. Su Mo watched them with ice-cold eyes. After a moment, she sneered, “Sorry. I’ve overused my abilities. I’m powerless to help.”
Her cold voice, carrying a hint of frost, sounded utterly merciless in the chaotic night. The group, already on the verge of a breakdown, instantly erupted in anger.
“How could you do this? Can you live with your conscience?” one of the boys yelled, his face red with rage.
“Yeah! We were classmates! Aren’t you afraid of having nightmares every night?” another person added resentfully.
Listening to their words, seeing their expressions, Su Mo found it hilarious. She dropped all pretense, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “First of all, I have no obligation to save you. And even if I wanted to, saving a bunch of selfish, heartless backstabbers like you? That’s what would give me nightmares.”
“You…!” They were so angry they were speechless, their faces flushed with shame and fury.
Su Mo had no desire to watch this pathetic display any longer. She was about to turn and get in the car, but a pitiful, delicate voice called out.
“Mo Mo…” Qian Li cried, her voice trembling. She looked so fragile it would make anyone’s heart ache with pity. “I know you have a misunderstanding about me, but these are our classmates! Even if you won’t save me, how can you not save them?”
“I’m begging you, please save them,” Qian Li sobbed, her face a mask of aggrieved sorrow. Her pitiful appearance instantly won the sympathy of the others.
They became even more convinced that Su Mo was a wicked woman. One after another, they started comforting Qian Li while still running. “Lili, don’t beg her! She’s a vicious woman! Her conscience has been eaten by dogs!”
“That’s right! It’s so unfair that a bitch like her was given the most powerful lightning ability!” A Liang shouted in a jealous rage when he saw Su Mo turning to leave.
“Yeah…!”
“Exactly…!”
“…”
A chorus of curses and insults erupted, their venomous glares shooting towards Su Mo. Qian Li was secretly delighted, a vicious glint flashing in her eyes where no one could see.
The insults grew louder and more vicious, as if they were venting all their fear and frustration. The curses were so vile that Su Hao and Peng Yu, standing beside Su Mo, were shaking with rage, their tempers about to explode.
But Su Mo stopped them.
A small smirk played on her lips. She looked straight at the pitiful-looking woman, a playful glint in her eyes. “Since you put it that way, I agree that my decision was a bit inappropriate…”
She paused, her eyes sweeping over the group. Seeing them fall silent, their faces filled with hope, a cold sneer tugged at her lips. “…How about this? I’ll give you a choice.”
Seeing a glimmer of hope, the group’s attitude changed in an instant. They all started trying to curry favor. “Su Mo, just say it! As long as you save us, we’ll agree to anything!”
“Yes, yes! Just tell us, we’ll do whatever you say!” someone else quickly added.
“Hurry up and tell us…!” A chorus of eager voices followed, their eyes fixed on her, full of desperate hope.
A cold, sinister light flickered in Su Mo’s pupils. She looked at their pathetic faces and found the situation utterly laughable.
For some reason, seeing their reactions, Qian Li felt a terrible premonition wash over her.
In the next second, a cold voice echoed in her ears, instantly freezing the blood in her veins.
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