Chapter 62—Past lifer’s need to stick together
by Bocchan13
Wu Ding resolved to never be like his past life. So the night of the zombie apocalypse, Wu Ding left B City as quickly as he could and settled up in C City, making his way to A Country whenever he could. He didn’t stay with any base for fear of having been experimented on.
Even after six months into the apocalypse, Wu Ding trusted no one and only took jobs where he knew he could rely on himself. After a time and ability users had a better reputation, did Wu Ding start using his powers. Level 1 became Level 2 and Level 2 skyrocketed to Level 5. Wu Ding finally made it to A Country with the help of a few small bases and side jobs collecting things.
The reason he was going to A Country? Wu Ding had heard a broadcast in the first two weeks of the apocalypse. It was only broadcast for that short period of time, and anyone who didn’t listen to the radio wouldn’t have heard it, but Wu Ding whose best friend was a radio in his previous life, listened to it attentively every day.
The broadcast was about how to survive the apocalypse. Tips and tricks Wu Ding had known in his ‘previous’ life. That meant that there was another person who was reborn. Wu Ding had figured out that the transmission was from A Country.
Wu Ding didn’t want to be alone anymore, and figured that the only person who was kind enough to help people during the start of the apocalypse was someone who could understand his struggles of being reborn.
Past-lifers needed to stick together. Wu Ding’s mindset wasn’t an overbearing hero complex; he didn’t have a giant agenda of saving the world. No. He just didn’t want to be alone and sad anymore. These past two years, he didn’t have the strength to let people in; only moving forward and trying his best.
He had recently been stiffed on a collection job and lost his only means of transportation. Smack-dab in the middle of nowhere, Wu Ding thought he was going to die in the barren wasteland. Luckily, he didn’t see many zombies around and was able to evade robbers.
It had been three days since then, and on the night of total exhaustion, he saw a small fire in the distant and bet his last vestige of life to go there for sanctuary.
Wu Ding couldn’t tell him that!
“Uhh…I was working for R Base as a collector; they stiffed me on payment and stole my bike. I’ve been walking around the past three days until I saw the fire. I probably fell asleep when I figured out I was safe.”
Wu Ding wanted to scratch his head, but the rope ties impeded his habit. Glancing beseechingly at the crew, he couldn’t resist staring at the nice dry beef Wang Cheng had been eating. A growl echoed before fizzling out making Wu Ding even more ashamed.
Lan Zhou could tell that Wu Ding said the truth when his things were stolen. What made Lan Zhou the most cautious was why this seemingly innocent ice ability user was now two countries away from B Base.
Most people stayed in their countries, where it was safer and the language was easier. Those who ventured farther were either looking for something or hiding. Wu Ding fell in the former category.
“What are you looking for?”
Wu Ding paused. Suddenly, he felt a feverish heat in front of him. Lan Zhou had opened his palms creating a small blue sphere of fire. Its glow radiated outwards, reflecting through Wu Ding’s eyes.
Wu Ding froze in fright, wanting to release from his bindings, he tried to distance himself from Lan Zhou and the horrible fire. A block met his back and Wu Ding turned to see the immovable Yu Ci. With pleading eyes, he blinked as if he was the most innocent thing in the world.
“Please, I’ll get out of your hair. I don’t have a group or a base. I won’t tell anyone where you are, okay?”
Lan Zhou lifted the fireball and it floated perilously closer to Wu Ding’s thick hair.
“I—I—Please don’t! I’m looking for someone! I’m looking for someone!!!”
Lan Zhou retrieved the ball and let it fizzle out. Wu Ding sighed in relief and wiped the sweat off his forehead.
Song Yu had been analyzing Wu Ding’s reactions, seeing if Wu Ding was anything dangerous. Recognizing that besides Wu Ding being far from B Base, his overall personality was the same as his previous life. Song Yu tugged on Lan Zhou’s sleeve, shaking his head.
Lan Zhou understood and retreated even more. He was too overprotective. No one knew who Song Yu was in this life. Wu Ding was probably not looking for him.
“I’m looking for the person who radioed at the very beginning of the apocalypse. He included a lot of information that I need. I wanted to find him and talk to him…”
Song Yu froze.
Shit.
Lan Zhou did not understand.
“What radioed message?”
“Um…an hour after the apocalypse happened, there was an online frequency broadcast on radio, TV, and the internet blog sites. It only lasted for 10 minutes detailing a lot of things. This sporadic message came on every day for the next 2 weeks but at that point no one was listening because the internet was down and the TV had no signal. The only message that survived was on the radio. Since not many people listen to the radio, it also didn’t spread out too far.”
Lan Zhou and the rest (except for Song Yu) were now wary. Was there another person reborn?
“Do you have a recording?”
“Y-yes! It’s on my radio!” Wu Ding gestured to his deserted backpack, a small compact radio inside. Yu Ci and Wang Cheng had checked the items and placed them back in the backpack when Wu Ding was unconscious, so getting it was easy. Lan Zhou gave it a brief inspection and handed it over to Wu Ding.
“Uh…can you untie me please?”
“No.”
“Oh, okay.”
Wu Ding awkwardly turned on his little radio. The radio was an old one that a grandpa would probably own. Albeit ancient looking, it was still well cared for and worked perfectly. On the back was a cassette player that recorded up to a few minutes. Wu Ding had to rewind the cassette with a fitted pen.
It took a minute or so, but the cassette was rewound enough to play. Song Yu really, REALLY wanted to smash that thing to the ground. He had distorted his voice somewhat, but you could still hear it was him. Especially to Lan Zhou.
Can I just accidentally step on it?
That ice user is holding it. What, you magically can fly now?
Lan Zhou will hear that it’s me!
Serves you right!
Song Yu was anxious as Wu Ding pressed play…
“…grimoidnin…jusdic…garble…”
Everyone: …
“Uh, it will take a while. Wait for it!” Wu Ding raised it, as if willing it to work.
Everyone looked at the radio again.
“…burwapito…seti…meteo…”
Everyone: …
“It really works!”
“Shut it!” Lan Zhou smacked Wu Ding’s head. Feeling aggrieved, Wu Ding whimpered. When Lan Zhou was just about to give him a beating, the recording started:
“This is a warning to everyone and anyone who will listen. The meteor that hit will release a toxic virus and cause horrific damages to you and your loved ones…
“..abilities will manifest in the coming weeks of the apocalypse. If you can protect yourselves from researchers and bases that do human experimentation,
“…Water will be polluted, in order to prevent this, only take sources from water or ice ability users. If you don’t have one, then pay for them according to the bases government standard…”
“…laws are no longer the status quo. If you think you are in danger, please eliminate whether it be human or not…”
“…make sure your blind spots are covered as you group. If you’re a group of more than 5, have someone delegate as a leader and control your breathing. If you are going out on raids, there are definite routes at these co-ordinates…”
More and more information in this small 10 minute sequence was being fired out like a list. So fast it was going, that you would hear one thing and not realize the next thing being said. It was certain that this person was saying it as fast as he could in the shortest allotted time.
“….and please…everyone…stay alive.”
Everyone was silent as the last words played.
Song Yu was secretly looking at each member. His voice was distorted with the recording as well, masking it but he didn’t want to take any chances. If they found out that he was reborn too…he wondered what they would do to him.
Xiao Zi adjusted his glasses, “There is another person reborn?”
Yu Ci and Wang Cheng nodded their heads in tandem,
“This is not a coincidental broadcast. This person was probably reborn before the apocalypse wanted to help people so sent this broadcast when people were panicking.” Lu Jingxiu wanted to study the radio. Before he could touch it, the radio dropped and Wu Ding had grasped Lu Jingxiu’s hand.
Lu Jingxiu felt the offending hand and spread his ice ability. Wu Ding nullified the ability and stopped its trajectory, creating ice dust.
“Y-you…you just said reborn?”
Wu Ding was getting restless as he dug his fingers in deeper to Lu Jingxiu’s wrist.
“You know about reborn people? There are more than just one??”
Everyone looked at Wu Ding with astonished eyes.
“No way…is he?” Wang Cheng pointed at Wu Ding.
Wu Ding all of a sudden dropped Lu Jingxiu’s hands and bent forward, kowtowing frantically.
“Hahahahahah! Take me with you!!!!”
Yay another one joins the group