Sneaking to the corner downstairs, he took out a mutated mango that had already appeared in his backpack. The yellow-orange mango had an enticing aroma. Previously, Gu Ming had been drooling over it, but knowing it was toxic, no one dared to eat it.
He effortlessly threw it towards the distant sandy area and watched attentively. Finally, after five minutes, there was movement.
It was Lin Ya’s first time seeing how a scorpion eats. The mango, pierced through by its tail spike, was fed to the scorpion’s head, and then its pincers helped with the feeding. The mango was instantly eaten clean, not leaving even a piece of skin behind.
The scorpion then spun in place for a couple of circles before burrowing into the sand. However, it was unclear if the toxic mango had any effect.
Feeling somewhat disappointed, Lin Ya returned to his original position where Gu Ming was leaning against the wall, clearly having watched the entire process.
“The mutated plant doesn’t seem to affect this creature, but that’s normal. Scorpions are already highly toxic; the mango might not be poisonous enough for it,” Gu Ming continued. “Unless we pass through this area without making any sound, then we won’t alert them.” He added, “Of course, that’s unrealistic. From what I’ve observed, they seem slow to react in the sand. As long as we’re fast enough, we should be able to slip by.”
Gu Ming knew that Lin Ya had good physical stamina; he not only had strength but also speed. Of course, if he weren’t carrying him as a burden, it would be even quicker.
He plopped down, feeling that these past few days had been quite dramatic, even when there were zombies around, it wasn’t as theatrical as it was now.
They were clearly very close to the base.
Lin Ya understood what he meant, but he occasionally found Gu Ming’s pessimistic attitude and self-sacrificing values quite annoying.
“You make a good point.” Lin Ya smiled slightly, but he was used to letting what he didn’t want to hear go in one ear and out the other.
[Beep! Purchase successful!]
Once again, he marveled at the pleasure of having a golden finger. Lin Ya swallowed the newly bought pill while turning and walked over to Gu Ming.
Since his hands couldn’t move, Lin Ya pretended to be threatening, pinching his neck with a smile and feigning a villainous expression. “Since that’s the case, can you help me stall for some time?”
Gu Ming stared in disbelief as Lin Ya knocked himself out, his face expressing incredulity, as if questioning, “You really want to use me as bait?”
However, when he closed his eyes and lost consciousness, he felt no surprise, only a sense of, ah—figured as much.
In this post-apocalyptic world, betrayal was common.
This was something he firmly believed in.
Lin Ya held him somewhat disdainfully, navigating swiftly downstairs according to the map, like a gust of wind. By the time the scorpions emerged from underground, there were no traces left behind.
[The God Wind Pill is significantly weakened in the ordinary world. In the cultivation world, it could cover a thousand miles in a day, even in the lowest tier.] 123 muttered in his ear, [It’s a pity this world doesn’t have a counterattack mission; otherwise, the host could gather some points. Such a pity.]
[Once the host levels up, they can enter higher worlds…]
For the first time, Lin Ya felt that walking in the desert could be this easy. He felt light as a feather, expending hardly any effort, as he dashed for 20 kilometers.
[Host, the 5-minute trial version of the pill’s effect is about to expire. Do you want to renew it?]
[No need.] Lin Ya replied in his mind.
[Then please stop and stabilize yourself, so you don’t suddenly halt and fall.] 123 reminded him.
When Lin Ya stopped, the effect of the pill wore off just then, his legs suddenly weakened, causing him to kneel down, still holding Gu Ming.
[This is a side effect; it will pass quickly.]
[And the Strength Pill doesn’t have a time limit…] Lin Ya complained.
He was exhausted, slowly lowering his head, just as Gu Ming suddenly opened his eyes. Seeing Lin Ya’s head approaching through his protective gear startled him, and with quick reflexes, he rolled off Lin Ya’s arms.
“What do you want?!” he shouted loudly.
Lin Ya: “……Dude, what’s with your reaction?”
After a few seconds, Gu Ming seemed to realize something, awkwardly coughs a few times, “Ahem… I misunderstood.”
Lin Ya was even more speechless; what exactly did he misunderstand?
“Where are we?” Gu Ming looked around, noticing that the terrain was quite different from their previous location, leaving him somewhat confused.
“…What about the mutated scorpions?”
Lin Ya explained helplessly, “Just check the map, and you’ll know.”
“Only 60 kilometers left to the base!?”
After his excitement, Gu Ming stood up, gazing into the distance, softly saying, “Thank you for not giving up on me.”
“Mm.” Lin Ya nodded with a look of indifference, “So, how do you plan to repay my life-saving favor?”
“With my body?”
“！！！” Gu Ming’s long-lost feelings of being moved evaporated in an instant, and he was left speechless, “I’m not that kind of person…”
“Oh, I was joking.” Lin Ya moved forward, waving his hand with mockery, “Someone like you? I’m not interested.”
“What?! What do you mean, ‘someone like me’? I used to be the most handsome guy in school, the campus heartthrob!” Gu Ming exclaimed indignantly, flailing his arms to catch up.
“You? Haha—”
“What do you mean by that… Hey! Wait for me!”
“Keep it down! Let’s not attract any mutated scorpions…”
“……You jinx! You better close your mouth!”
The two of them bickered playfully, taking a break for two hours before finally arriving near the base just before the countdown ceased.
The base had not yet closed its entrance. People dressed in protective gear were walking around, patrolling. Upon seeing them, Gu Ming sighed in relief.
“Next, we just need to register our information and isolate for a while before we can go in.”
Lin Ya examined the entrance of the southern base. It looked quite similar to what he remembered of the Hope Base.
The moment he stepped into the base, the countdown in the upper left corner stopped, but at the same time, Lin Ya felt no discomfort, and the survival system remained silent.
Chapter 43 is missing.