Second chapter of the week (July 20)

If the Reading List on NU reaches 1000, there will be a bonus chapter! Currently: 970/1000.

Chapter 52: Accidents Arising Out of Circ.u.mstances

There was no good or evil in the Apocalypse, and life and death was also only a line in between.

Last time, Gui Jiaosan had accidentally obtained the Black Zombie's head. Struggling, he luckily escaped from the zombie tide and hid in a dilapidated warehouse. With the kitchen knife in hand and after some struggles, he finally started to dig a large-sized Blood Crystal from it.

And half an hour later, he finally succeeded!

His legs were different in length, and he was in this state since he was still in his mother's womb. Even after he was born, he was still lame. However, the stats points he got after becoming an Awakened were quite good.

Being born from a poor family and with disabilities, he was still able to swim through the underworld to feed his family. Compared to that of an ordinary person, Gui Jiaosan's brain was a lot brighter and his courage was certainly undoubtable, since rus.h.i.+ng out to face the Black Zombie with only a kitchen knife in his hand, could be said to fully prove this point.

After he became an Awakened, his confidence was boosted. He spent some time to kill ordinary zombies all the way back home and succeeded in collecting five tiny Blood Crystals.

It was the sixth day of the Apocalypse. The knowledge that swallowing five Blood Crystals could make ordinary human evolve had become common knowledge amongst ordinary people, even though the evolved person would have quite poor stats. As a well-informed person, Gui Jiaosan naturally knew well about it.

Therefore, when he had arrived at home, Gui Jiaosan didn't feed the five tiny Blood Crystals to his wife. His wife had always been frail and p.r.o.ne to sickness. It could be estimated that even if she became an Awakened, she would not be much different than ordinary person.

Now, since he had become an Awakened, he began to have a standard for himself, and naturally wanted to find ways to turn his family into a family of powerful Awakened. After having carefully a.n.a.lyzed everything, he picked a man, Li Zhong, an honest man who had been a family friend for years, and gave him those hard-to-get five tiny Blood Crystals in exchange for the pledge that he must fight alongside him to the death. After the latter successfully became an Awakened with those five tiny Blood Crystals, he must fully a.s.sist him in killing the Black Zombie.

This time, Gui Jiaosan's bet was proved to be correct. The friend he was picked was indeed upright and lived up to his name. After Liu Zhong successfully became an Awakened, he didn't back out on his words as they joined to seek the Black Zombie which was really difficult to find. But since both of them were street rats and were very familiar with the surrounding, they eventually found it after having spent some time.

The two Awakened men joined forces to face it. Although they didn't have firearms, however, since they trusted each other, they struggled hard with all of their strength and were finally able to kill the Black Zombie, for which Liu Zhong was also wounded in the process.

After succeeding in obtaining the large-sized Blood Crystal, Gui Jiaosan's wife, Liu Chun'e, finally also became an Awakened. Then, both of them joined hands together to get two tiny Blood Crystals for their son. Since children only needed a small dosage of Blood Crystals, their son also became an Awakened with those two tiny Blood Crystals.

In all fairness, if humanity could eventually control the situation in the Apocalypse, Gui Jiaosan's successful story in turning his whole family Awakened would have been enough to be written into a textbook. Becoming a standard model figure for civilians to lift up their spirit and carry on the campaign to fight the tides of zombies.

However, the story didn't end here. After they had become Awakened, other acquaintances and friends came to them, asking to collect some Blood Crystals for them. One of which was Yang Fengbo, who claimed he knew the approximate location of a Secret Area that had yet to be discovered. As long as Gui Jiaosan helped him become an Awakened, he said that he would take them to that place, and the occupational scroll would belong to Gui Jiaosan after they had gotten the rewards.

Considering that the overall strength of all zombies was getting more powerful, Gui Jiaosan was also aware that even though Awakened people were much more powerful than ordinary people, but it was not enough to survive in the Apocalypse. But if one was able to learn any occupations, that would be one crucial crossing step, so obtaining the occupational scroll was quite a big temptation for him.

However, Gui Jiaosan was a man who had been swimming for many years in the underworld. He had gone through the schemes, truth and falsehoods of the world and had quite an ability to see through things. He did get along well with Yang Fengbo in ordinary days, but he was also aware that this person's mind was quite crafty and far from being as reliable as Liu Zhong. So he needed to confirm that the Secret Area was truly there before he helped him.

And things eventually turned out of his expectations. He asked his wife, who almost never went out of home due to her chronic sickness, to go along with Liu Zhong and Yang Fengbo to kill zombies together.

The honest Liu Zhong was still injured, and Liu Chun'e was also only an ordinary woman even though her stats as Awakened were good. The both of them didn't have the alertness Gui Jiaosan had. Although it was Gui Jiaosan's idea to teach them gradually in seeking Black Zombies, but a situation occurred in their fight, turning it out of control, since other zombies were attracted when they fought. Yang Fengbo, who was responsible for the lookout to give them early warning, only watched them fighting the Black Zombie and thought that they could win it, so he didn't even promptly warn them about the situation. In the end, Liu Chun'e and Liu Zhong finally died together.

When Gui Jiaosan received such a tragic news, he beat up Yang Fengbo out of sadness and finally obtained the approximate location of the Secret Area from his mouth.

For this info, Gui Jiaosan had lost his wife and a reliable friend. But there was no use to cry over the already spilled milk. Even if he indulged himself in his sadness, it would not bring them back. Then, he entrusted Dingding to Yang Fengbo while also promising him that he would definitely help him to become an Awakened later. Afterward, Gui Jiaosan hit the streets alone, determined to struggle again regardless of life and death.

The said Secret Area was located in the Eastern suburbs, and to get there he would need to pa.s.s through the entire Eastern District. However, since he had disregarded his life and death, he bravely marched forward.

After having gone through several perilous situations, he was eventually able to escape from the Eastern District which was rampant with running amok zombies and finally reached the destination. He also found an ownerless pistol on the avenue along the way.

His wish to evolve further seemingly became more bright. If he really could use this pistol to break through the Secret Area and was able to get an occupational scroll, then his path to traverse through the Apocalypse would not be too difficult. However, when he just arrived at the approximate location Yang Fengbo gave him, rays of light flashed in front of him.

Gui Jiaosan was stunned for a moment and then quickly hid in the sorghum field.

He knew that he was too late. That flas.h.i.+ng lights were the sign that the Secret Area was about to shatter. But after having gone through numerous hards.h.i.+ps to get to this place, he had already regarded this Secret Area as his. So it was very difficult for him to not have a grudge toward the people who had broken through this Secret Area.

In his mind, he knew that the Secret Area fell from the sky and was n.o.body's property. Whoever came first would be the first to be served, and only the powerful would be able to get it. He was not a saint, and with a grudge and hate filling his heart, he hid himself in the sorghum field, waiting and watching for the opposite party from afar. And he actually had no intention to even attack them in the first place.

What he did not expect was that his inadvertent movement was unexpectedly sensed by the other party. When the three people's vision looked at his exact hiding position at the same time, he knew that he had already been found and hurriedly shot at them, fleeing.

In a military tactic point of view, if one had absolute inferiority in strength, shooting first and then fleeing was the absolutely correct move. Although the distance between them was far beyond the effective killing range of his pistol, but it could make the other party pause, not daring to pursue him since they knew he got a gun. Under this a.s.sumption, he quickly pulled himself away and escaped after shooting.

However, smart people would also make mistakes, as the other party unexpectedly had a sniper rifle.

In Yun Tu's previous incarnation, it would be extremely difficult for Gui Jiaosan to survive until the ninth week of the Apocalypse as an ordinary man, as he even didn't become an Awakened until then. For the fact as to how he knew about the Secret Area in this place, it was also forever shrouded in mystery.

Perhaps Liu Zhong had to die first before he knew about its news, just like Gui Jiaosan told this news to Yun Tu before he died.

Along with the pa.s.sing time, Awakened people would be more and more brutal and cruel toward ordinary people, even almost all the people who provided the news about Secret Area to the major forces ended up badly. This situation was no longer a secret anymore. Perhaps some people amongst the populace also knew information about some Secret Areas, but they actually had no choice but let it rot inside their stomach.

However, everything was not important anymore as everything that had happened could never be changed. Nothing that had occurred could be extrapolated.

With the bullet from Yun Tu's rifle, Gui Jiaosan fell down.

"I'll take a look at him!"

Yun Tu's heart bled as he suspected the possibility that the man could be Gui Jiaosan; even his speaking tone changed for the first time in the Apocalypse.

Disregarding any dangers, Yun Tu bolted toward Gui Jiaosan with his fastest speed. But when he arrived there, the already fallen Gui Jiaosan suddenly turned and aimed his pistol at his chest.

Blood was gurgling out of the wound on his waist as he pointed his gun at Yun Tu with eyes full of hatred!

Originally, Yun Tu aimed to take a headshot, but the spot that was. .h.i.t unexpectedly was his waist. Perhaps it had long been predestined before that in this life, Gui Jiaosan and Yun Tu would have their reunion. And at this time, although Yun Tu was being pointed by a gun, he was happily smiling after knowing that his shot did not kill him.

Feng Ling who also rushed over immediately pulled out her gun and aimed upon seeing that Yun Tu was being aimed with a pistol and fiercely shouted, "PUT DOWN YOUR GUN! ELSE I'LL SHOOT!"

“Don't rush and be impulsive! Everything is only misunderstanding!" Yun Tu turned around and gave her a signal to calm down.

“How could it be you!”

Gui Jiaosan finally was able to see his opponent's face clearly. The last time they met, he only took a look at Yun Tu once when he was in a peril. But since he was the benefactor who had greatly helped him, he could still remember him clearly. And now, after hearing his voice, it was impossible to make a mistake in recognizing him.

"You do remember me. Then put your gun down!" Whilst talking, Yun Tu used his hand to pull his gun down.

"Hahaha, I just wanna scare you with this gun! I've never thought that your marksmans.h.i.+p would be this good. Looks like it's my fate.  I become an Awakened because of you, but finally I was also killed by you!" Gui Jiaosan put down the gun and his voice turned weak.

Since a Holy Light Priest was present, naturally Gui Jiaosan's fate at death's door was cancelled. After Yun Tu gave a hint, Qing Yi moved her Willow Staff and a brilliant light flashed through, as it began to mend Gui Jiaosan's bleeding waist.

Since the bullet also must be taken out, Yun Tu personally did the job. Through so many years of experience, getting injured for countless times and treating them, he had become an excellent field medic and was also an expert in dealing with such bleeding wounds. Within the next two minutes, he had extracted the bullet head as Qing Yi gave the treatment afterward. Finally, his injury was recovered and he was stabilized.

Gui Jiaosan finally reunited with him after some twists and turns. There were too much feelings intertwined inside Yun Tu's heart, and too many words to say to him. But Yun Tu knew that in this reincarnation, it was impossible for Gui Jiaosan to understand it. The countless feelings and emotions finally turned into some words:

“Brother, it's been hard and arduous. From now on, follow me and we'll have our campaign all over the world!"