Chapter Fifty-Five: Apricot Blossom Village

The sky was shrouded in thick, ominous clouds. A lizard slowly crept out from beneath a tattered billboard, flicking its tongue as it carefully advanced along the cracks. To the lizard, it mattered little what had become of the world. Though calamity had struck and humanity suffered a devastating blow, the lizard's concerns remained singular: to devour its prey and survive another day.

Prey was already within its grasp, oblivious to the looming shadow of death. For the lizard, just half a step forward would secure a sumptuous meal…

Whoosh!

A shadow flashed by, and the resulting rush of air, like a violent wave, hurled the hapless lizard backward, tossing it into the crevices of the ruins as if it were mere garbage. The poor creature could not comprehend what had happened, reacting only on instinct to cling desperately to a clump of earth, shrieking shrilly in anger over its lost feast.

Yet at that moment, the true culprit cared nothing for such petty rage.

"YAHOO—!"

Gripping the steering wheel tightly, Eluca was as exhilarated as anyone who had just learned to drive. She almost wished her hands could fuse with the wheel, so thrilled was she to finally put her newfound skills to use. For Eluca, this was a moment worthy of both excitement and pride.

"So? What do you think, Sister Chris? Kurona? Not bad, right? My driving’s pretty good!"

In stark contrast to Eluca’s excitement, Chris and Kurona were in a far less enthusiastic state.

"Eluca… please… slow down… I can't take it anymore… I'm about to fall apart…"

Kurona lay sprawled on the rear sofa, her eyes vacant, her face ashen, as if she’d been ruthlessly ravaged hundreds of times by a mob—she was utterly spent. Sitting beside her, Chris said nothing, but her face was pale as well; she clung to her sniper rifle as though it were the pillar of her soul, supporting her through an unbearable ordeal. The joy and surprise from when they first boarded had long since vanished. Now, the sisters’ only hope was to reach their destination as swiftly as possible and end this soul-wrenching torment.

Fortunately, it wasn’t long before Ferren rescued the two of them from the brink of death.

"Alright, stop about a hundred meters ahead."

"Huh?"

Eluca was clearly surprised by Ferren’s instructions.

"Commander, aren’t we going straight in?"

"There’s no need for that. Bringing this thing inside would only agitate the settlement’s residents and create unnecessary trouble."

"Understood, Commander."

Though somewhat reluctant, Eluca grasped Ferren’s point. This wasn’t something that could be brought into the settlement on a whim. Previously, the Bullet Train had served as the "Emperor’s" vehicle and was little known due to infrequent use, but Ferren was different—constantly traveling the wastes, his car had become more familiar to others. If too many people recognized it, it might attract the wrong kind of attention—bandits or thieves. So, even if she was unwilling, Eluca found a concealed spot nearby and parked the Bullet Train as Ferren had requested.

Incidentally, this vehicle now had its own name: Harmony.

Harmony—what a fitting name. Harmony is the world’s greatest force. With the combined power of a female driver and the force of harmony, not even Deathclaws could pose a threat.

Regardless of others’ opinions, Ferren was quite pleased with his choice of name.

Leaving Harmony in Eluca’s care, Ferren led Chris and Kurona down a small path toward the distant town. Derin had already resumed her feline form and perched on Ferren’s shoulder, while Chris and Kurona still seemed dazed from the wild ride, stumbling as if drunk. If bandits attacked now, they probably wouldn’t even manage to resist before being taken captive.

Dark clouds blanketed the sky so densely that even in the daytime, everything was dim and lifeless, as though the sun itself had vanished. Ferren looked up at the churning, wave-like clouds above, then turned his gaze forward.

Before him lay a dilapidated town, nothing like the bustling Ninth District—just an ordinary western settlement, with buildings rarely rising above three stories. To ward off mutants or zombies, most deserted houses were firmly boarded up. Around the outskirts, walls had been constructed from the remnants of old vehicles and chunks of concrete. Everywhere, searchlights swung back and forth, and on the watchtower, a sentry sat lazily with a rifle, yawning as if he didn’t care whether he lived or died. Scattered nearby were the corpses of dead zombies and bandits—a clear warning of the fate that awaited those who tried to invade.

This was the true apocalypse.

When they reached the filthy iron gates, Chris and Kurona seemed to recover at last, alertly scanning their surroundings for any threats. Ferren, however, appeared unconcerned. He approached the gate and looked up. The patrolling guard had already noticed their arrival and, upon seeing Ferren, whistled in greeting.

"Long time no see, Doctor Fei!"

"And you, Old Li—I never expected you to survive this long."

"Hahaha…"

Old Li broke into a hearty grin at Ferren’s words.

"It’s thanks to you that these old bones have lasted this far… Oh, Miss Derin is here too. And who are these two lovely ladies behind you—your wives?"

"Just subordinates and test subjects, nothing more."

"My, you’re as unromantic as ever. Keep this up and you’ll never find yourself a wife."

With a wave of his hand, Old Li ordered the heavy iron gates opened. The massive doors groaned as they swung inward, and Ferren strode into the settlement. Chris and Kurona hesitated a moment before following him.

Though the town had looked like a ruin from outside, inside it was unexpectedly lively. The streets, though worn, were reasonably clean, and people bustled to and fro, most in shabby clothes but with healthy faces. Many greeted Ferren with warm smiles as he passed.

"Hello, Doctor Fei."

"Hey, it’s been a while, Doc."

"How was the road? Things haven’t been safe out there lately…"

The steady stream of greetings left Chris and Kurona surprised. They didn’t know their commander well, but judging by the Blackstone Group’s attitude earlier, he seemed a figure to be feared. Here, however, he was welcomed like an old friend. Though they couldn’t understand the language, the warmth in the townsfolk’s faces was unmistakable—a rare sight in these post-apocalyptic times. The sisters had visited many settlements, most burdened and gloomy under the weight of survival, but here, the people seemed full of confidence and vitality, so different from anywhere else.

The only pity was, neither of them could understand what anyone was saying, nor could they comprehend Ferren’s words. The language here was entirely foreign to them.

At the crossroads, a man wearing nothing but a trench coat over his bare chest, a hoe slung over his shoulder, approached with a bright smile and greeted Ferren, then glanced over at Chris and Kurona.

"You got our message?"

"Of course." Ferren’s smile didn’t waver as he stroked the black cat in his arms and looked at the man.

"I've got a grasp of the situation. Seems you’ve run into serious trouble this time."

"That’s right."

The man’s cheerful expression darkened at Ferren’s words. He looked at Ferren gravely and spoke in a low voice.

"We need your help, Doctor Fei. This time, we’re in real trouble."