Chapter 8: Despair
[Only half of the building will be constructed, and there are three ways to earn merits. First, you can rent rooms in your sanctuary to passersby. Depending on the age of the tenant, you will be allocated points.]
"Second must be completing missions or some kind of hidden quest." Ni Mengxue stated, but her eyes were already looking at the chart sheet provided by the system.
Not only renting but also saving someone, curing a disease, or providing facilities to the tenant could earn merit points too.
[Third is by being intimate with your husbands.]
"Intimate? Does a kiss count?" Ni Mengxue asked with curiosity.
[Yes.]
"So my current merit point should have increased, right?" She stated and clicked on her own profile. Sure enough, her merit points were 5000!
"My god! My hubby is truly amazing! I should kiss him more."
Of course, it was purely for the mission, not for some hidden motives!
"Yucai, we will all die at this rate! We should retreat! Song Yan isn’t going to bring reinforcement!" His close subordinate Li Qin shouted while fighting the grotesque creature.
The foul stench of rotting bodies permeated the air, clouding the judgement of many, coupled with screeching roars. Lu Yucai was having a hard time making a decision.
Song Yan wasn’t just his superior but also his closest friend. They shared the lonely night, fought for each other, and dreamt of a bright future.
He had promised... he would bring reinforcement! Just a few more minutes.
Roar! A zombie’s hand viciously lunged toward Lu Yucai, breaking his daze. With his quick reflex, he dodged the attack while punching hard in the stomach of the grotesque creature.
"Just hold on a few more minutes!" Lu Yucai shouted, his roar attracting more zombies in his direction, which he wasn’t afraid of.
What mattered more now was to keep his soldiers motivated. "The reinforcement will arrive soon!"
Li Qin didn’t continue with his plea. When he had a moment of reprieve, he said with a wry smile, "Yucai, take your decisions more practically. One day, you will look back and regret trusting a snake like Song Yan."
Lu Yucai’s heart tightened, yet his hand didn’t stop for a single moment. Time was slipping by, and more and more bodies were getting littered on the ground.
Someone’s beloved has now become the dirt that everyone could trample on.
"Everyone! Remember what you are fighting for! If possible, shout about it! Loud and clear!" Li Qin shouted; his eyes had turned red, maybe from the frustration or maybe from anger over injustice.
"I want to see my grandmother after this war! She promised to make me flatbread if I survive." Yong Chen shouted, his hand shooting out arcs of lightning.
"My wife is pregnant! She warned me to return safely; otherwise, she would give my child for adoption!" Hao Zheng’s eyes turned bloodshot from pain.
His left hand was chopped off, and his heart was filled with regret of not being able to hold his child properly in this lifetime.
"Captain... please tell her... I love her and I... apologize... for... not... fulfilling... my... pr-" He roared as a zombie succeeded in biting his neck, draining the life out of him.
Yet his hand desperately searched for Lu Yucai. "Pl...plea...se.. k...ill... meh."
Lu Yucai looked away, hardening his heart. He unsheathed his sword and swung it, separating Hao Zheng’s head from his shoulder, stopping the black veins spreading through his body.
He heard the despairing sob of Li Qin, and the clouds in his mind seemed to have cleared.
It was late. Many had died... and many won’t forgive him for giving up... but he couldn’t watch as more Hao Zheng die.
He had to face the reality. He gambled on the friendship and years of trust... only for it to be proven wrong.
"Retreat!" he roared.
Many soldiers waiting for the order retreated, and yet... it was too late. The best time frame to retreat had ended.
Lu Yucai continued to lead forward, clearing the path and rescuing as many soldiers as he could.
"Yucai, promise me! You will take care of my sister and help my child whenever you can!" Li Qin suddenly shouted. He was stationed at the rear, protecting the back of injured soldiers.
"Don’t spout nonsense!" Lu Yucai shouted, desperately hoping.
’Song Yan, please! Please arrive here soon! If you arrive even now, I would forgive you!’
"Yucai, I never confessed, but I wish I had met you earlier! Thank you for paying my hospital fees! Buddy, if there is a next life, I will protect you from that snake, and we will live together with old age!" Tears rolled down Li Qin’s face.
"We are almost here!" Lu Yucai could see the city gates, and many of the surviving soldiers cheered despite the relentless zombie assaults.
As the soldiers moved in, he looked toward Li Qin, only to find him pierced by a zombie’s hand.
Lu Yucai’s pupil dilated, and he tried his best to rush toward the rear. Don’t die on me! Please! I have lost so many people... I can’t lose you, too!
"Qin! Qin!" He shouted, punching and slashing all the zombies rushing in his direction, but by the time he reached Li Qin... all that remained was a man’s face smiling like he was reminiscing about the best moment of his life.
His body had been reduced to mashed meat as those grotesque creatures gnawed on his close friend like he was a delicacy.
No! No! No!
Lu Yucai fought off the zombie trying to protect what he could. High on emotions, he didn’t even notice a vicious attack aimed at his spine.
"Ahhhh!" The bone-crushing pain spreading over his spine forced him to collapse on the ground, yet his hand held Li Qin’s head.
"I am sorry... I am so sorry... It was because of my foolishness..."
..................
"I am sorry..." Lu Yucai murmured, as tears dropped from the corner of his closed eyes. Choked sobs escaped his mouth every now and then.
However, nothing to rival the loathing, self-hate, and self-disgust.
When his eyes opened up, he was met with chaotic murmuring and familiar surroundings.