SWNOVELXO Chapter 8: she fused with it
A hundred miles east of the zone, a battered Pickup truck was moving forward unsteadily.
The front of the Pickup truck was dented, and Alan had taken over the driving.
Inside the car, Angela and Alan were still shaken.
After their argument in the morning, Alan had given up the idea of getting out of the car.
It was clear that Angela's plan to leave was something she and Anthony had discussed beforehand.
Alan's relationship with Anthony and Angela was like that of a grandfather with his grandchildren—they talked about everything.
The fact that they made this decision without telling him clearly indicated they guessed he wouldn't leave.
In truth, if Anthony had asked him to leave, he definitely wouldn't have gone.
Angela had experienced the despair of being abandoned by others, and so had he.
Seven years ago, when the White Mist Zone appeared, Alan was knocked over while fleeing, and his prosthetic leg was knocked off.
The panicked crowd around him fled, with no one staying behind to help.
And when he called his son for help, the latter hesitated for only two seconds before hanging up the phone.
He had been abandoned—by his own family, no less.
Alan struggled on the ground for a long time without getting far, and just as he was about to lose all hope, a small figure emerged from the direction of the White Mist Zone.
A small boy, carrying a little girl on his back, stumbled toward him.
Finding hope in the midst of despair was a feeling he would never forget.
Because of this, when the rescue team tried to abandon Anthony and take them away, he and Angela resolutely chose to stay behind.
But now, after learning what Anthony and Angela had in mind, he fell silent.
In this dangerous zone, with the cold weather and constant malnutrition, his body was on the verge of breaking down.
Staying might become a burden for Anthony.
Perhaps leaving this place would be the best thing for Anthony.
The reason they hadn't left the danger zone after driving for a whole day was that they had encountered monsters twice along the way.
Even the weakest monsters couldn't be fought off by ordinary people without weapons.
The first time, they were far away, so Angela turned off the engine and waited for three hours until the monsters left before continuing.
The second time, they were spotted by a monster and had to circle for over two hours to lose it.
The area within a hundred miles of the zone was teeming with monsters. Angela rarely drove because the noise easily attracted them.
This was also why Angela's plan to return periodically to check on Anthony was rejected—there were too many monsters in the danger zone, and there was no guarantee they could even get out alive, let alone return.
As the sky outside gradually darkened, Alan suddenly asked, "Angela, do you think we'll see Anthony again?"
"We will, definitely!"
Angela, who had been resting in the back seat, answered firmly.
Angela had already made up her mind—if Anthony couldn't get out, she would become an espers and go in to find him!
If she couldn't become an espers, she would wait until Grandpa Alan was gone and then return.
Angela always keeps her promises!
As they spoke, a dilapidated building in the distance suddenly exploded, and a black shadow darted out.
It was a monster that looked like an oversized adult rat, and it began chasing the speeding Pickup truck.
Angela and Alan were shocked. Their luck today was terrible—they had encountered three monsters in one day.
Alan floored the gas pedal, and the Pickup truck's engine roared as it shot forward.
However, the monster wasn't giving up and was quickly gaining on them, moving even faster than the car.
Seeing this, Angela and Grandpa Alan's faces turned pale.
But now, there was no way to retreat, so Alan could only press the gas pedal as hard as he could.
As time passed, the black giant rat drew closer and closer to them.
In the back seat, Angela wiped away her tears, a determined look flashing in her eyes. She had promised Anthony to get Grandpa Alan out of the danger zone safely—she couldn't die here.
Angela quickly opened the rear compartment and began throwing the bags inside at the monster.
Thud!
The bags hit the black giant rat, causing it to stumble slightly, but it quickly resumed the chase.
Seeing this, Angela threw everything else they had left.
In the face of life and death, all possessions were secondary.
Soon, everything they could throw from the car was gone, but the monster was still gaining on them.
Clutching the last remaining hammer in her hand, Angela's eyes flashed with resolve. Just as she was about to make a despersate move, she suddenly froze.
Because behind the black giant rat, she saw a figure.
That figure was speeding toward them, with a cloak billowing in the wind, looking like a superhero from a movie.
And he was moving much faster than the Pickup truck at full speed, closing the distance between them at a visible rate.
In the blink of an eye, the black giant rat leaped, ready to pounce on them.
But in the next moment, the figure behind suddenly appeared on the giant rat's back.
The shadow stomped on the rat, kicking it aside with enough force to propel himself into the car.
Thud!
The Pickup truck jolted as Alan, startled, saw that the newcomer was a blond human and sighed in relief.
Angela was also startled, staring blankly at the figure before her.
However, the man was covered in blood, his face flushed, his left arm hanging limply, and the black cloak on his back had turned a dark red—he was clearly severely injured.
Bob panted heavily. He had just sprinted over a hundred kilometers and was almost completely spent.
After catching his breath, Bob quickly said, "Step on it, don't stop."
He didn't forget to shake his bangs out of his face, trying to appear as friendly as possible. "Don't worry, I'm a soldier. I won't hurt you."
Ordinary people had always felt a mix of envy and awe toward espers.
It wasn't easy to avoid causing panic when an espers suddenly barges into someone's car.
"Okay, okay."
Alan, being experienced, didn't panic in the face of the situation.
Hearing the man say he was a soldier, both Alan and Angela breathed a sigh of relief.
In these troubled times, people had a certain innate respect for soldiers.
As they were speaking, a bird's cry echoed from the sky behind them, and a gray giant bird began chasing after Bob again.
"Come on, can't I get a break?" Bob complained, but he didn't show much panic.
Even though he was a speed-type espers, he still couldn't outpace a flying monster.
The main issue was that White Mist Zone No. 22 was located east of Main City No. 7 in Doronia Province, and two hundred kilometers further east was the ocean.
This meant there were no towns or military bases in this area.
"Take a right up ahead; there's a main road. If you keep driving, you'll reach a town."
As he spoke, Bob looked at Angela, who was still in a daze. "Hey, pretty lady, it's our first meeting, so here's a gift for you."
With that, Bob pulled out a small, faintly glowing blue crystal from his pocket.
The moment Angela saw the crystal, she was deeply captivated by it. It seemed to possess a magical allure, making her want to touch it.
Bob smiled slightly. "Hand it over to the military, and you'll receive a lot of rewards. Oh, and remember to ask them to send help for me if I'm still alive by then."
With that, Bob tossed the espers crystal to Angela and then turned to face the flying monster, gripping a dagger in his hand.
Trading his life for an espers crystal—worth it!
Angela instinctively caught the espers crystal. The moment it touched her hand, it suddenly fused into her palm!
Bob was just about to prepare to hold off the monster when he felt a strong surge of espers energy behind him.
He instinctively turned around, and his mouth dropped open in shock. Damn, she fused with it?